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Boko Haram/ISWAP: Where Are The Northeast Tycoons?

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By Sani Mohammed  

“I can’t but say it is an awkward sight to see one’s native land receding through the growing waters; it unmans one quiet, especially when life is rather new.”  —Lord Byron

There is no place like one’s native land or country. It is one’s best alluring place of shelter or retirement in life and even in death, after all worldly adventures.  All the niceties life has bestowed on you streams from the blessings and protection of one’s place of ancestry.
Ordinarily, everyone sacrifices everything including his personal life, where possible to protect or glorify his native land. Jamaican legend, Eric Donaldson reminded humanity decades ago about the beauty of one’s land of birth; in the song titled, “This is the land of my birth.”
And the lyrics pays glowing and positive salutations to virtues of Jamaica, his homeland. It is pregnable with lessons for Nigerians, especially the tycoons of the Northeast region.
The Northeast region has been infested with Boko Haram and the latter-day infusion by  the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) terrorism for more than a decade. It was caused by the insensitivity and greed for political power by some politicians in the region.
However, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has been able to arrest the scourge of Boko Haram terrorism substantially in the past four years. But it is not yet uhuru!

The people  of the Northeast are still on the verge of savouring total liberation from Boko Haram as remnants of terrorists are still on the prowl. Ostensibly, the Boko Haram/ISWAP influence in the region is not as bad as obtainable in the past.

What is incontrovertible and  every Nigerian can attest  is that insurgency in the Northeast has caused appalling magnitude of devastations, destructions and ruination of cities, communities and villages in the Northeast. It has reduced most parts of the region to rubbles.
Schools, markets, shopping malls, hospitals, farms, private houses and lots more have tasted the arson and violence of Boko Haram terrorists. With the restoration of reasonable peace and security, the scars of war inform beggingly that the Northeast is in dire need of reconciliation, reconstruction and rebuilding. The surviving victims of Boko Haram/ISWAP deserve compassion.

The Buhari Presidency has launched initiatives in this direction, prominent among them is the establishment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) as answer to the development needs of the war-torn region. The President invested an initial N10 billion start-off funds into NEDC. But by every nuance of assessment, it is like a drop of water in the ocean. Government will continue to sustain it.
Surprisingly though, leaders of the Northeast region; very and influential in business and leadership are contented with the posture of aloofness in the rebuilding process of this region. Almost everyone of them has not sensed the compelling need to assist the Federal Government of Nigeria to finally obviate the residues of terrorism in their native land.
The indifference these wealthy businessmen and women have advertised on the insecurity and destruction of their land by Boko Haram confounds infinitely. How Boko Haram metamorphosed into ISWAP is what should concern them.
Nevertheless disappointingly, the tycoons of the Northeast are the least pricked[TNNP1]   by a humanitarian instinct. Like King Nero, who fiddled while Rome burned, the tycoons in the Northeast prefers to indulge in merriment elsewhere while their land burns to ashes.
The Northeast region parades over 10 billionaires on world’s top ranking of richest or influential men. Personalities like Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd),  former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Mele Kyari, Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, Ambassador Babagana Kangibe, Sen. Ali Modu Sherrif, Gen. Bulbwa Marwa among others hail from this region.  It is shameful that they unconcerned with the plight of their traumatized and ruined  people.

Cory Booker once said, “Patriotism is love of country. But you can’t love your country without loving your countrymen and countrywomen. We don’t always have to agree, but we must empower each other, we must find the common ground, we must build bridges across our differences to pursue the common good.”
But regrettably, these billionaires and influential men from the Northeast are more comfortable to pleasantly to watch their country homes burn down to ashes without any assistance to the people. It is hard to believe, much as it runs against any vestige of wisdom or brotherhood.
Some of these tycoons have business investments in the same region. But even the demands of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has not invoked any empathy in them to deploy such instruments  to assist their distressed kith and kin nor  bring peace to the Northeast?
It is strange that these Northeast tycoons have not deemed it necessary to also intervene in the rebuilding and reconstruction process of the ravaged Northeast in any way to give back to their constituents, a small portion of their enormous endowments. This does not happen in other climes.

The traumatized people of the Northeast are deserted at the hour of need by their own people. Why has none of the tycoons thought of extending humanitarian support to victims in order to help them rebuild, new homes or shops destroyed by Boko Haram insurgency?  Have they contemplated empowerment schemes for idle youths in order to divert their attention from Boko Haram or other criminal enterprises?

It is saddening that wealthy and influential Northeast men and women have abandoned whatever it will require to breath fresh  life into a once boisterous region to government, philanthropists outside the region, foreign countries and Non-Government Organizations’ (NGOs). But it must be brought to their notice that insofar as the region remains a ghost of its former self, they have also deprived themselves of a peace of mind.

This is heartless to say the least. Yet the tycoons confront the same neglected when seeking political power or favors’  and preach  assorted platitudes of redemption.  This current posture is akin to desecrating the sanctity of their native land or mocking their ancestors who tethered them in an unbreakable fraternity.  These Northeast influential men and women should have a rethink and retrace their steps. Can they hold their heads in high esteem they meet their peers in other regions?

It is instructive for them  to endeavor to learn and apply the wisdom of former American President, Abraham Lincoln who said, “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”

If the task of rebuilding and reconstructing the ravaged Northeast region is not all-inclusive, it may take a dozen years for the region to have a semblance of an ideal life. Let God Almighty touch the hearts of these tycoons from the Northeast to do the needful, by exploring areas of intervention to fully recover their native land  from the fangs of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism.

Another former American President Theodore Roosevelt reminds that “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”  The Northeast tycoons have a moral obligation to champion the crusade to fully regain their native land from  lost glory, Boko Haram and ISWAP.

Mohammed is a field researcher for the Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Econmic Rights ( CALSER).

US/Iran Face-Off: Group calls for red alert on IMN members over threat to American, British citizens in Nigeria

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The Global Action for Peace has alerted the United States of America and Britain over the safety of its citizens in Nigeria following threat by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN).

The proscribed radical Islamic sect had hinted of an impending attack on foreigners after a military action by the United States of America led to the death of top Iranian military commander, General Qassem Soliemani, in Iraq.

This is unsurprising as IMN, formed about four decades ago, advocates the creation of an Iranian-style Islamic state in Nigeria.

It was heavily influenced by the Iranian revolution, which saw Ayatollah Khomeini take power in 1979 after the overthrow of the US-allied Shah in a popular uprising.

In a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, the Global Action for Peace revealed that the threat issued by the IMN to citizens of the US and the United Kingdom in Nigeria is an “affront to our collective sensibilities as Nigerians, which must be looked into by the security agencies.”

On behalf of the group, convener, Dr. Joseph Agbo stated this action is an indication of the zero regards they have for the constituted authorities in the country.

The Global Action for Peace, therefore, urged these nations to blacklist the sect known for violence and bloodshed.

It further advised the United States and the United Kingdom to see this as a clarion call and activate measures that would support the efforts of the security agencies in Nigeria in curtailing the threats posed by the IMN.

Read full text below:

The Global Action for Peace wishes to use this medium to inform members of the general public of the threat posed by the banned Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) to citizens of the United States of America and the United Kingdom in Nigeria. This is on the heels of the military action by the United States of America that led to the death of General Qassem Soliemani, a top Iranian military commander in Iraq recently.

The Global Action for Peace views with concern the posturing of members of the IMN that was evident in the public demonstration in some parts of northern Nigeria declaring a “jihad” on the United States of America and the United Kingdom. These threats are very typical of the terrorist activities of the IMN as an organization whose ideology is deeply rooted in violence and religious intolerance.

This action by the IMN should give all well-meaning Nigerians a cause for concern given the fact that the Federal Government of Nigeria hasn’t made any official statement given the position of the United Nations over the military face-off between the United States of America and Iran.

However, you may recall that it was because of its extremist and terrorist tendencies and the attendant dangers it posed to national security that made the Kaduna state government and later the Federal Government of Nigeria to proscribe the activities of the IMN in Nigeria.

The Global Action for Peace wishes to state that the threat issued by the IMN to citizens of the United States and the United Kingdom in Nigeria is an affront to our collective sensibilities as Nigerians, which must be looked into by the security agencies.

The action of the IMN is an indication of the zero regards they have for the constituted authorities in Nigeria, hence their disregard for the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Global Action for Peace wishes to alert the relevant authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom that given the antecedents of the IMN that is rooted in deep hatred for those that do not share in their ideology, there is a high tendency that they would go a step further from the protest to inflict bodily harm on citizens of the United States of America and the United Kingdom in Nigeria through violent means.

This is also on the heels that it is an incontrovertible fact that the IMN has Iran as their spiritual base as well as the support base for the entrenchment of their nefarious activities all over the world. This is cognizant of the fact that there are indications that Iran may turn to targets in Africa to exert revenge using proxies such as the IMN.

The Global Action for Peace consequently wishes to draw the attention of Nigerians, as well as the security agencies of the apparent threat to life and properties by the adherents of the IMN in Nigeria. This is because of the ongoing mobilization by the leadership of the IMN to carry out massive protests across the country with specific directives from the Iranian authorities to target US and UK citizens.

The Global Action for Peace wishes to state that it is on record that the Nigerian authorities have, on numerous occasions, indicated how the IMN as agents of the Iranian government had engaged in terrorist activities in Nigeria that have brought untold hardship and bodily harm on innocent and unarmed Nigerians. Also, the IMN has, on numerous occasions, confronted security operatives in Nigeria, including one that led to the death of a senior police officer and many others.

We must, therefore, be concerned that the current situation across the globe demands action that the IMN be put on the terror watch list of the United States and the United Kingdom, and measures put in place to protect US and UK citizens in Nigeria.

The Global Action for Peace wishes to reiterate that should the IMN not placed on the terror watch list, their propensity to carry out the whims and caprices of the Iranian authorities on US and UK citizens in Nigeria would be institutionalized.

The posturing of the IMN is indeed a red alert, and as such, there is every need for all hands to be on deck to tackle whatever violent uprising that the IMN is planning in Nigeria.

The Global Action for Peace wishes to advise the United States and the United Kingdom to see this as a clarion call and activate measures that would support the efforts of the security agencies in Nigeria in curtailing the threats posed by the IMN. This is highly necessary given the fact that the IMN is now a global threat.

TETFUND: 21 CSOs dismiss calls for Bogoro’s investigation as diversionary plot to derail crusade for transparency

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No fewer than 21 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has dismissed calls for the investigation of Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust fund (TETFUND), Professor Suleiman Bogoro, describing it as “diversionary plot to derail crusade for transparency”.

The CSOs was led by Advocates of Social Justice for All (ASJA), Coalition for Transparency and Accountability (CTA) and Equity Initiative among others.

The group undertook a survey of the activities of TETFUND under the leadership of Prof. Bogoro, consulting relevant stakeholders in the critical tertiary education sector.

In its report signed by National President, Comrade Joseph Guona, the Coalition revealed that the call was from disgruntled sources, unhappy with some of the new initiatives introduced by the executive secretary upon assumption of office in 2019.

The committee also revealed that some vice-chancellors of some universities are not pleased with the monitoring team deployed by TETFUND to all project sites across the country.

Bogoro’s insistence on due process, accountability, and transparency in the conduct of government business also hasn’t quite gone well among the tertiary institutions top shots.

The Coalition, therefore, described the report as “blackmail” and “distraction tool employed by some disgruntled vice-chancellors and contractors who have made several attempts at compromising Professor Bogoro”.

Read full report below:

PREAMBLE:

There was a recent call by some civil society organizations for a probe of the activities of TETFUND under the leadership of Professor Suleiman Bogoro. Consequently, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations devoted to the entrenchment of transparency and accountability by public office holders undertook an investigative study to look at the allegations leveled against Professor Suleiman Bogoro to put issues in a proper perspective for the relevant stakeholders as well as the members of the general public.

The coalition of civil society organizations was mandated amongst a host of other endeavors to unravel the actual state of affairs at TETFUND under the watch of Professor Suleiman Bogoro and to look at the performance of Professor Suleiman Bogoro as executive secretary of the agency.

THE INVESTIGATIONS:

The Coalition undertook a survey of the activities of TETFUND under the leadership of Professor Suleiman Bogoro by consulting relevant stakeholders in the critical tertiary education sector. This consisted of site visits to select tertiary institutions where it was indicated TETFUND made interventions.

The various projects initiated by TETFUND were scrutinized based on quality, cost, and deliverables. The committee also interviewed TETFUND contractors to understand the contract award process in effect in TETFUND, as well as the various milestones for payments.

It also interacted and scrutinized the procurement process in place in the agency with regards to adherence to due process and other ethical stipulations. The committee looked at the welfare of staffers of the agency.

THE FINDINGS:

In the course of the investigations by the coalition of CSOs, it was discovered that the genesis of the call was from disgruntled sources, mainly those who are not happy with some of the new initiatives introduced by the executive secretary upon assumption of office in 2019.

The committee also discovered that the procurement process in the agency is subject to multi-layers of scrutiny before awards letters are issued, as against the norm where contractors besiege the agency’s headquarters with referral letters and business cards of the high and mighty in the country.

The committee discovered that vice-chancellors of some universities are not happy with the monitoring team deployed by TETFUND to all project sites across the country. Their grouse is that Professor Suleiman Bogoro has disregarded their inputs in the way and manner projects should be executed in their various schools.

It was also discovered that some of the vice-chancellors who are used to nominating contractors that would execute TETFUND projects in their schools under the previous administration are not happy that the system introduced by Professor Bogoro had taken such privileges away from them.

Staffers of the agency explained that there was a menace of poorly executed TETFUND projects across the country because some of the contractors nominated by the vice-chancellors do not have the required competence and in most instances, they cut corners at the end of the day. The resultant effect is poor jobs, which defeats the aim of the interventions by TETFUND.

It was also discovered that Professor Suleiman Bogoro seems unpopular in some quarters in TEFUND because of his insistence on due process, accountability, and transparency in the conduct of government business.

It was discovered that the recall of Professor Suleiman Bogoro as Executive Secretary of TETFUND was as a result of the rot in the system and the need to sanitize the agency. The honorable minister of education was said to have scrutinized the records of past executive secretaries and found Professor Suleiman Bogoro’s short-lived tenure as one of the most transparent in the annals of the agency. This consequently accounts for his recall and with a mandate to sanitize the agency for optimal productivity.

The highlight of the findings indicated that the bold step taken by Professor Suleiman Bogoro to retrieve over N10 billion from non-performing institutions in recent times was the final straw that ignited the campaign of slander against him through the sponsorship of malicious publications in the public space as well as the enlistment of shadowy civil society organizations with no track record to attempt to blackmail Professor Suleiman Bogoro into submission.

CONCLUSION:

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations sees the call as a distraction tool employed by some disgruntled vice-chancellors and contractors who have made several attempts at compromising Professor Suleiman Bogoro to no avail.

The call for investigations is part of the larger blackmail plot orchestrated to mislead the relevant authorities as well as the members of the unsuspecting general public. The request is lacking in merit as there is no iota of truth in the allegations bandied in the public space.

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations wishes to inform members of the general public that the call for the probe of Professor Suleiman Bogoro is laced with malice and of poor taste. It consequently behooves on all well-meaning Nigerians to see through the mischief and ignore it in its entirety.

Buratai inaugurates science faculty complex for Nigerian Army University Biu

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The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Friday, inaugurated an ultra-modern building complex for the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences for the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the university, which was established in 2017, commenced academic activities in 2018 with about 1,000 students into different courses of study.

The newly constructed science faculty complex comprises 47 offices, including offices for two deans of faculty and 24 classrooms and lecture halls as well as three laboratories. Inauguration the complex, Buratai disclosed that the facility was one of the numerous projects under construction in the university financed by both the army and the federal government.

He said that the faculty complex was a pointer to the commitment of the Nigerian army and other stakeholders to ensure the realisation of the vision of the university. According to him, the vision of the university is to become a solution centre in technology, research and development for the promotion of self-reliance, creativity and innovation in addressing the challenges of the Nigerian army, Nigerian military as well as the Nigerian nation.

“This is in tune with my vision of having a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles. “It is no coincidence that the first in the series of ongoing academic projects in this institution to be completed is the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences. “Indeed, this commissioning ceremony that we have gathered to witness underscores the continuation of an accelerated development plan for the university. “It is my firm belief that this kind of gathering would become a repeated exercise in months to come.

“It is on this note that I want to reiterate the commitment of the governing council, management and staff of this citadel of learning to the dreams, philosophy and aspirations of Nigerian Army University,” he said.

Buratai commended President Muhammadu Buhari for granting the approval for the establishment of the university and the government of Borno for its support and belief in the institution.

He also commended the Emir and people of Biu for their support as well as other institutions and private individuals that had lent support to the institution. “If you look round you will see several projects that are ongoing including private individuals that are constructing faculties and hostel accommodations. “Equally, we have government intervention through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (tetFund).

“So many of these projects are ongoing and as I said, in a few months to come we will have some of these projects that will be ready for commissioning especially those of TetFund.

“This university, as we said, is a solution centre and it has a lot of prospects that we all look forward towards achieving the desired objectives,” he said.

Buratai, therefore, called for sustained cooperation between the people and the Nigerian army to ensure that the peace being enjoyed in the town is maintained. According to him, there is no gainsaying on the importance of civil-military collaboration in the war against insurgency and other forms of criminality.

He assured the people of the commitment and dedication of the Nigerian army to provide an enabling environment for academic activities to thrive and assured parents of the safety of their wards.

The Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Fatimah Tahir, said that the institution had recorded some modest achievements since inception owing to the commitment of the Nigerian army to its growth. Tahir said that the new faculty complex was amongst the numerous projects that the Nigerian Army had undertaken in the university, adding that others are at different stages of completion.

“I look forward to the day that all the ongoing projects and even those yet to come will witness a grand occasion such as this. “Some of the many expectations is to have a befitting senate building, a university library of modern standard, a good road network and access that will connect all the facilities in this permanent site,” she said.

The acting vice chancellor commended Buratai for exhibiting a high sense of responsibility, exemplary leadership and commitment to the progress and development of the University. According to her, your (Buratai) desire to secure this country as a peaceful and stable nation is highly commendable.

Tahir pledged the commitment of the university management to see that other ongoing projects in the permanent site were completed within the shortest period of time. (NAN)

Boko Haram/ ISWAP: Group appeals to Borno elders, political stakeholders to evolve new approach towards defeating terrorists’ ideology

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The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER) has challenged elders, leaders and political stakeholders in Borno State to adopt new approach and strategy to defeat terrorists’ ideology.

In an emotion laden speech delivered at the Unity Fountain on Friday, the centre says it will take collaboration of the elders, politicians and other stakeholders in condemning the antics of Boko Haram/ISWAP ideology for peace to return to the north east.

CALSER’s convener, Princess Ajibola, in an open letter to Northeast elders, stakeholders and politicians, called on these leaders to help build the region and defeat terrorists’ ideology.

According to Convener, Princess Ajibola, the northeast must realise that “we are our own enemies” and the “time has come for us to get out of this shell that has tied our hands and tongues”.

CALSER, therefore, called on elders, political leaders and other stakeholders to join hands with the government and the armed forces to extend the maximum level of support needed to succeed in the fight against insurgency and for Nigeria to defeat the Boko Haram/ISWAP ideology.

The Centre reckoned that this can only be achieved if a more pragmatic approach towards defeating terrorist ideology is adopted.

Read full letter below:

Our respectable elders, esteemed stakeholders and political leaders in North-east Nigeria, this is an appeal for us to stand up and take our destiny in our hands. The time has come for us to sit and reason together concerning what has been happening in our country, particularly the North-east region.

We cannot afford to pretend that all is still well when our well-being as a people has been violated and the future for us and our children threatened. The overall essence of our humanity is being threatened by evil, wickedness and foreign conspiracies against our country.

We can no longer pretend that all is well with us, when we are being attacked on a daily basis by evil minded men, when our sources of livelihood are being destroyed, the social order we once enjoyed is being eroded, our people are being killed and the very foundation of our existence shattered. Life losing its true meaning and our core values being overtaken by a new posture of malice, envy and jealousy.

In the past 10 years and more, our situation has become one of the most pathetic and unfortunate conditions any group of humans have been subjected to live with on the globe. We have been through the worst forms of human experiences, forced on a daily basis to pass through the most devastating circumstances known to man. This includes suffering by innocent children who have committed no crime against us but simply being born Nigerians at this point in time.

We have experienced and are experiencing bombs, land mines and other forms of devices that do havoc to both our physical forms and psyche that the sound of any of these no longer mean anything to us. We have seen lives cut short in the most brutal manner, limbs chopped off and other horrors that are better not mentioned.

We have seen innocent people butchered that the red colour of blood does not evoke blood-curdling emotions any more. We have seen children orphaned in seconds and women widowed in their thousands in the twinkle of an eye that such sights no longer evoke sombreness as it used to.

We can say without fear of contradiction that our situation is worse that than those of nations at war.
Those who under the throes of war are enabled to idèntify the casus belli and thereby work towards a plan of action to bring an end to the crisis and make for reconciliation to avoid treading similar paths in future.

But in our case, we are daily confronted with despair and despondency owing to the fact that while war has been declared on us, we cannot say what the reasons are for the belligerence neither can we descry its duration.

The fact is that we are not even sure who the enemy is as the more we try to point accusing fingers the more the fingers keep curving towards us. We are told that the terrorists want to conquer and bring the nation down, but who are the insurgents if not our blood brothers, uncles,.sons and other relations.

They are people known to us as there is none of us who can claim not to know at least one or two of these persons causing the damages to us

We looked the other way because we thought they were aggrieved and that perhaps their anger would last only for a little while.
We were wrong as there was no anger in the first place and the evil that is driving them seems to have no end.

We thought that if we stop the onslaught on them and talked to them in a tongue they understand, that they would drop their guns and come home. But our pleas on their behalf seems to further aggravate the situation.

Our silence has crept in on us and we have now realised that we are our own enemies. Our children are being recruited and trained to turn their guns and bombs on us and we remain silent.

Our daughters and sisters are forcefully taken captives, defiled and humiliated and we look in bewilderment, our lands are being desecrated with blood and we say nothing, our people are being killed and we look the other way.

The time has come for us to get out of this shell that has tied our hands and tongues, the time has come for us to take action and speak out against these heinous crimes being committed against our people.

The North east used to be the home of peace and example of perfect social and economic order that people from other parts of the country and indeed West Africa send their children to come and acquire Islamic education on our shores.

From Bauchi to Gombe to Borno to Yobe, Adamawa and Taraba are vast fertile lands for agriculture, mining and tourism that others not so privileged come to share in our God-given assets.

It is not a coincidence that some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country with captivating allure are found in this region.
For example the Yankari Game Reserve, the Lake Alau, the Gwoza hills and the Mambilla Plateau are all here.

The strategic importance of the zone to the rest of the country are captured in the numerous dams and river basins we have across the zone.

But all these cannot on their own yield the economic potential to the country and humanity unless we the people put efforts to harness them.

And these cannot be harnessed in an atmosphere of bringandage, brouhaha, chaos, cataclysmic social liquidation and war.

By the time we realise the effect of these years wasted in chaos and social interruptions, it may be too late.

We therefore appeal to our elders, political leaders and other stakeholders to join hands with the government and the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to extend to them the maximum level of support needed to succeed in the fight against insurgency and for Nigeria to defeat the Boko Haram/ISWAP ideology.

This we can achieve by evolving a more pragmatic approach towards defeating the Boko Haram/ISWAP ideology that is targeted at breaking Nigeria into pieces.

Cooperating with the Federal Government will send negative signal to the terrorists that it is not business as usual and will put them out of business. Our unequivocal condemnation of the terrorists and their evil habits will send a signal to them that we are now united and want to see the final end of terrorism.

Lasting peace will come if only the elders and stakeholders are passionately involved and work hand in hand with the Federal Government to see that the wounds begin to heal.

Perhaps the insurgents have mistaken our lukewarmness to mean we either condone what they are doing or that we are too scared to talk to them. No one should be too precious to live when the lives of our children and women are not guaranteed.

We must condemn with every ounce these barbaric and dastardly acts and talk to the insurgents to desist from the path they have chosen that normalcy should return to the North east as we all would be the better for it if the force of evil is overthrown.

The time for us to speak against the evil is NOW and not tomorrow. We must defeat the Boko Haram/ISWAP ideology before it breaks us into pieces.

Thank you and God bless you.

Ex- gov Yari allegedly planning to destabilize Zamfara peace, economy– peace envoys

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The Peace Advocates Network of Nigeria (PANN) has accused former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, of plotting to destabilize the state through sponsored banditry.

In a press conference in Abuja on Friday, PANN called on concerned patriots to be on the watch and for proactive actions to be taken.

According to National President, Chinedu Okoli, Mr Yari has been mobilizing bandits and other criminal elements to unleash terror in the state after Governor Bello Matawalle introduced some policies which wasn’t well taken.

Among such, the peace envoys revealed, was stoppage of the state’s pension law that would have seen the former governor and other political office holders go home with vast amounts of monies at the detriment of the development of the state.

The group further stated that the ex-governor recruited the services of some local government chairmen to actualize his inordinate ambition.

The Peace Advocates Network, therefore, resolved that Mr Yari should be held responsible if upsurge of crime and criminalities is recorded in Zamfara and other states in the northwest.

The group, however, advised the erstwhile governor to desist from this act that could potentially wreck havoc in the state else face the consequences.

Read full statement below:

The Peace Advance Network of Nigeria, a civil society organization in Nigeria at the vanguard of the entrenchment of peaceful coexistence and religious harmony wishes to bring to the attention of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the unholy plot by the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari to cause mayhem in the state through the sponsorship of criminal activities.

We wish to state that we have it on competent authority that Abdulaziz Yari has been mobilizing bandits and other criminal elements to unleash terror in the state since the governor, Bello Matawalle introduced some far-reaching measures aimed towards putting the state on the path of progress.

We also wish to state that one of such measures was the repealing of the state’s pension law that would have seen the former governor and other political office holders go home with vast amounts of monies at the detriment of the development of the state.

This move, which has been applauded by all and sundry in Nigeria, did not go down well with former governor Abdulaziz Yari, and he indeed set up the machinery to make the state ungovernable for the incumbent governor for having the audacity to repeal the pension law in the state.

The Peace Advocates Network of Nigeria wishes to state that former governor Abdulaziz Yari has also recruited the services of some local government chairmen to actualize his inordinate ambition by recruiting bandits and other criminal elements from various local government areas to begin a campaign of violence on the good and peace-loving people of Zamfara state all in an attempt to discredit Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle. We challenge Gov. Yari to deny this fact or tell Nigerians nothing but the whole truth.

The Peace Advocates Network of Nigeria wishes to state emphatically that former governor Abdulaziz Yari does not have the interest of the state at heart, not minding the fact that this was a state he governed for eight years and with all the attendants benefits that he derived from office. The high scale insecurity that greeted the State during the last few months or his tenure has a firm root in his mismanagement of the state resources and inability to engage restless youths for any useful purpose.

Former governor Abdulaziz Yari had vowed to make the state ungovernable since his anointed candidate lost the last governorship elections to the incumbent governor. And this much he has attempted to do in times past but for the intervention of the security agencies in Zamfara state. This wicked, evil and malicious action of Yari has caused the state so much resources to curtail and in most instances death of countless innocent citizens.

The Peace Advocates Network of Nigeria wishes to also bring to the attention of the world that should there be a resurgence of criminal activities in Zamfara state, former governor Abdulaziz Yari should be held responsible as impeccable report at our disposal indicates that he purchased over 1, 000 guns and ammunition for militia under the guise of state-sponsored vigilante services. Majority of these elements still bear arms, have refused to subscribe to ongoing efforts by the current administration for amnesty and have co continued to breach the peace of Zamfara State and her neighbouring towns.

Former governor Abdulaziz Yari is indeed a great disservice to the people of Zamfara state in particular and Nigeria in general through his actions while he held sway as governor for eight years and since his reign as governor ended through his various attempts at instigating one form of conflict or the other. His vow that Zamfara State will know no peace has become the people’s nightmare and doing everything possible to keep the state boiling with its attendant humanitarian crisis.

The Peace Advocates Network of Nigeria wishes to state that it is also a known fact that the ex- governor, Abdulaziz Yari harbors disdain for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for standing on the side of truth and the great efforts towards ending the menace of armed banditry and other criminalities in Zamfara state that were instigated by former governor Abdulaziz Yari.

It is also instructive to state that since the coming into office of Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle, the various efforts instituted to fight the menace of armed banditry indeed revealed the nefarious role of former governor Abdulaziz Yari in entrenching crime and criminality in Zamfara State.
We do not intend to hold brief for the State Government as our major concern is hinged on the need for peace to reign in the country.

The fact that his anointed candidate that was meant to cover his dirty tracks lost at the elections did open a Pandora’s Box of illegalities that were perpetuated by former governor Abdulaziz Yari in Zamfara State. Whilst the anti-corruption agencies are invited to do their job thoroughly, we as peace advocates will not fold our hands and watch any criminal element deliberately sabotage the peace and healing ongoing across the country and hence the need to cry to the world through this press conference.

This included the notoriety with which he enriched himself with state resources to the detriment of the people who elected him — sufficing to add the debacle of the Paris Club refund that indeed left a sour taste in the mouth of Nigerians who were shortchanged by ex- governor Abdulaziz Yari and his co-travelers.

The Peace Advocates Network of Nigeria wishes to use this medium to inform the members of the general public that should there be an upsurge of crime and criminalities in Zamfara state and other parts of northwest Nigeria, ex- governor Abdulaziz Yari should be held responsible.

The Peace Advocates Network of Nigeria wishes to advise Abdulaziz Yari to desist from his criminal tendencies in the interest of peace. He should have a rethink about sabotaging the state and his acts of economic terrorism. YARI should also stop taking Nigerians for granted as he is not bigger than the constituted authorities in the country.

The Peace Advocates Network of Nigeria shall not hesitate to call for a demonstration march in protest of the nefarious activities of former governor Abdulaziz Yari. We will also drag him to the ICC for war crimes committed during his tenure and on the radar of the international police for him to answer questions.

We wish to say Enough is Enough and must be enough for Yari and his agents of darkness.
Thank you and God bless you for listening.

Sudan afraid of the New Year? Stamped passport Dec 32

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Authorities at Sudan’s Khartoum Airport appear to have dated a traveller’s exit visa for the non-existent “32” of December.

As the entire world ushered in the New Year on Tuesday, the first day of 2020 seems to have gone completely unnoticed by customs officials at one Sudan airport.

A photograph of a Sudan airport passport stamp dated 32nd December gained traction on social media after it was shared Wednesday.

“2019 hasn’t ended in Sudan” was written on the Twitter post.

The authorities at Sudan’s Khartoum Airport appear to have dated a traveller’s exit visa for the non-existent “32” of December.

Other users on Twitter were quick to share their theories on the stamp.

Some joked that the year 2019 had been extended in Sudan, while others put forward the more likely theory that it might have been an unintended mistake.

“When you are afraid of 2020,” one user commented.

Billions around the world cheered in 2020 after a tumultuous year dominated by demonstrations calling for political revolt and action on climate change.

Sudan was one such case, with protesters taking to the street in historic mass demonstrations that led to the ouster of former dictator Omar al-Bashir.

Nigeria’s oldest war veteran, Private Aduku dies at 101

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Pa Adama Aduku, the old soldier who stole the show at the 2019, Nigerian Army Day Celebrations (NADCEL), held in Lagos is dead.

Aduku, who was presented with an award of excellence by Vice President Yemi Osibajo, given to him by the Nigerian army, was said to have died yesterday, December 31, 2019.

His death was announced by one of his relations on the Whatsapp platform of the Director Defence Information Defence Headquarters news platform early this morning.

Born 1918, to a peasant farmer at Abejukolo-Ife, at Omaha Local Government Area of Kogi State, Aduku joined the army in 1945.

The old man who was the Centre of attraction, told the Punch News in an interview that he was still very strong in bed strong in bed at his age.

The old soldier who said he never planned to join the army however had a change of mind when one day he met a young man beat their local chief.

“I was coming back from the farm one evening when I saw a man who was younger than me at the time beating our village head,” Aduku recalled with nostalgia as he shared his life’s story with our correspondent earlier in the week during an encounter. “The man named Salikawa was a soldier who resorted to beating up our chief for refusing to carry his bag and seeing him off to his house, which was 10 miles away.

“When the matter was reported to the District Officer, the chief was advised to obey the soldier in his own interest or face whatever consequences that resulted from that.

“I was very angry and bitter and I made up my mind to join the military so that I could go back to the village and also beat up Salikawa for humiliating our chief. He told Punch in an interview.

Buratai climbs Gwoza hills, visits troops in Madagali, NPF Training College at Limankara-Gwoza

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The Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen TY Buratai has visited the Nigerian Police Force Training College at Limankara-Gwoza and climbed to the peak of the rugged mountains as part of an Operations visit to the north east particularly during his visit to 144 Task Force Battalion in Madagali on his way to Gwoza township for the historic Nigerian Army Social Activities (WASA) and Medal Parade 2019.

Recall that the college is one of the critical institutions overran by the BokoHaram terrorists during the peak of their nefarious activities in Borno State in August 2014.

The Limankara village where the college is located and indeed the entire Gwoza LGA was under the control of the terrorists for months before the troops of Nigerian Army recapture the area in 2015.

Lt Gen TY Buratai was on his way to Gwoza from 23 Brigade Yola where he commissioned some projects as part of his operations visit to the north east Theatre of operations.

During the visit, it was observed that normalcy has since returned to the town with the residents chanting in excitement while the rebuildg works at the college have reached advanced stages of completion.

The Chief of Army Staff was conducted round the college by the police officers in the college.

Limankara-Gwoza is the site of the Nigerian Police Force Training College close to Gwoza township the location of the Headquarters of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State where the Nigerian Army Social Activities and Medal Parade 2019 were successfully conducted on the 30th of December 2019.

2020: Buhari writes Nigerians at New Year

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My Dear Compatriots,

NIGERIA’S DECADE

Today marks a new decade. It is a time of hope, optimism and fresh possibilities. We look forward as a nation to the 2020s as the opportunity to build on the foundations we have laid together on security, diversification of our economy and taking on the curse of corruption. These are the pledges on which I have been twice elected President and remain the framework for a stable, sustainable and more prosperous future.

Elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. I salute the commitment of the millions who voted in peace last February and of those leaders who contested for office vigorously but fairly, submitting to the authority of the electorate, the Independent National Electoral Commission and judicial process.

I understand very well the frustrations our system has in the past triggered. I will be standing down in 2023 and will not be available in any future elections. But I am determined to help strengthen the electoral process both in Nigeria and across the region, where several ECOWAS members go to the polls this year.

As Commander-in-Chief, my primary concern is the security of the nation and the safety of our citizens. When I assumed office in May 2015 my first task was to rally our neighbours so that we could confront Boko Haram on a coordinated regional basis. Chaos is not a neighbour any of us hope for.

We have been fighting on several fronts: violent extremists, cultists and organised criminal networks. It has not been easy. But as we are winning the war, we also look to the challenge of winning the peace, the reconstruction of lives, communities and markets. The North East Development Commission will work with local and international stakeholders to help create a new beginning for the North East.

The Federal Government will continue to work with State Governors, neighbouring states and our international partners to tackle the root causes of violent extremism and the networks that help finance and organise terror.

Our security forces will receive the best training and modern weaponry, and in turn will be held to the highest standards of professionalism, and respect for human rights. We will use all the human and emerging technological resources available to tackle kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery.

The new Ministry of Police Affairs increased recruitment of officers and the security reforms being introduced will build on what we are already delivering. We will work tirelessly at home and with our allies in support of our policies to protect the security of life and property.

Our actions at all times will be governed by the rule of law. At the same time, we shall look always to engage with all well-meaning leaders and citizens of goodwill to promote dialogue, partnership and understanding.

We need a democratic government that can guarantee peace and security to realise the full potential of our ingenious, entrepreneurial and hard-working people. Our policies are designed to promote genuine, balanced growth that delivers jobs and rewards industry.

Our new Economic Advisory Council brings together respected and independent thinkers to advise me on a strategy that champions inclusive and balanced growth, and above all fight poverty and safeguard national economic interests.

As we have sat down to celebrate with friends and family over this holiday season, for the first time in a generation our food plates have not all been filled with imports of products we know can easily be produced here at home.

The revolution in agriculture is already a reality in all corners of the country. New agreements with Morocco, Russia and others will help us access on attractive terms the inputs we need to accelerate the transformation in farming that is taking place.

A good example of commitment to this inclusive growth is the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the creation of the National Action Committee to oversee its implementation and ensure the necessary safeguards are in place to allow us to fully capitalise on regional and continental markets.

The joint land border security exercise currently taking place is meant to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and security. No one can doubt that we have been good neighbours and good citizens. We have been the helpers and shock-absorbers of the sub-region but we cannot allow our well-planned economic regeneration plans to be sabotaged. As soon as we are satisfied that the safeguards are adequate, normal cross-border movements will be resumed.

Already, we are making key infrastructure investments to enhance our ease of doing business. On transportation, we are making significant progress on key roads such as the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos – Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja – Kano highway. 2020 will also see tangible progress on the Lagos to Kano Rail line.

Through Executive Order 007, we are also using alternative funding programmes in collaboration with private sector partners to fix strategic roads such as the Apapa-Oworonshoki Express way. Abuja and Port Harcourt have new international airport terminals, as will Kano and Lagos in 2020. When completed, all these projects will positively impact business operations in the country.

These projects are not small and do not come without some temporary disruption; we are doing now what should have been done a long time ago. I thank you for your patience and look forward to the dividends that we and future generations will long enjoy.

Power has been a problem for a generation. We know we need to pick up the pace of progress. We have solutions to help separate parts of the value chain to work better together. In the past few months, we have engaged extensively with stakeholders to develop a series of comprehensive solutions to improve the reliability and availability of electricity across the country.

These solutions include ensuring fiscal sustainability for the sector, increasing both government and private sector investments in the power transmission and distribution segments, improving payment transparency through the deployment of smart meters and ensuring regulatory actions maximise service delivery.

We have in place a new deal with Siemens, supported by the German government after German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited us in Abuja, to invest in new capacity for generation, transmission and distribution. These projects will be under close scrutiny and transparency – there will be no more extravagant claims that end only in waste, theft and mismanagement.

The next 12 months will witness the gradual implementation of these actions, after which Nigerians can expect to see significant improvement in electricity service supply reliability and delivery. Separately, we have plans to increase domestic gas consumption. In the first quarter of 2020, we will commence work on the AKK gas pipeline, OB3 Gas pipeline and the expansion of the Escravos – Lagos Pipeline.

While we look to create new opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing and other long neglected sectors, in 2020 we will also realise increased value from oil and gas, delivering a more competitive, attractive and profitable industry, operating on commercial principles and free from political interference.

Just last week, we were able to approve a fair framework for the USD10 billion expansion of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, which will increase exports by 35 percent, restore our position as a world leader in the sector and create thousands of jobs. The Amendment of the Deep Offshore Act in October signalled our intention to create a modern, forward-looking industry in Nigeria.

I am confident that in 2020 we will be able to present a radical programme of reform for oil and gas that will excite investors, improve governance and strengthen protections for host communities and the environment.

We can expect the pace of change in technology only to accelerate in the decade ahead. Coupled with our young and vibrant population, this offers huge opportunities if we are able to harness the most productive trends and tame some of the wilder elements. This is a delicate balance with which many countries are struggling. We are seeking an informed and mature debate that reflects our rights and responsibilities as citizens in shaping the boundaries of how best to allow technology to benefit Nigeria.

During my Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2019, I promised to lay the enduring foundations for taking a hundred million Nigerians out of mass poverty over the next 10 years. Today I restate that commitment. We shall continue reforms in education, health care and water sanitation. I have met international partners such as GAVI, the vaccine alliance, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation who support our social welfare programmes.

I will continue to work with State and Local Governments to make sure that these partnerships deliver as they should. Workers will have a living wage and pensioners will be looked after. We are steadily clearing pensions and benefits arrears neglected for so long.

The new Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development will consolidate and build on the social intervention schemes and will enhance the checks and balances necessary for this set of programmes to succeed for the long term.

I am able to report that the journey has already begun with the passage and signing into law of the 2020 Appropriation Act. As the new decade dawns, we are ready to hit the ground running. Let me pay tribute to the Ninth National Assembly who worked uncommonly long hours to make sure that the 2020 budget scrutiny is both thorough and timely.

The close harmony between the Executive and Legislature is a sharp contrast to what we have experienced in the recent past, when the Senate kept the previous budget for 7 months without good reason just to score cheap political points thereby disrupting the budgetary processes and overall economic development plans.

Our policies are working and the results will continue to show themselves more clearly by the day. Nigeria is the most tremendous, can-do market, offering extraordinary opportunities and returns. Investors can look forward with confidence not only to an increasing momentum of change but also to specific incentives, including our new visa-on-arrival policy.

They can also be certain of our unshakeable commitment to tackle corruption. As we create an environment that allows initiative, enterprise and hard work to thrive, it is more important than ever to call out those who find the rule of law an inconvenience, or independent regulation an irritation.

We are doing our part here in Nigeria. We will continue to press our partners abroad to help with the supply side of corruption and have received some encouragement. We expect more funds stolen in the past to be returned to us and they will be ploughed back into development with all due transparency.

This is a joint initiative. Where our policies have worked best, it has been because of the support of ordinary Nigerians in their millions, numbers that even the most powerful of special interests cannot defy. I thank you for your support. Transition by its very nature carries with it change and some uncertainty along the way.

I encourage you to be tolerant, law abiding and peace loving.

This is a new year and the beginning of a new decade – the Nigerian Decade of prosperity and promise for Nigeria and for Africa.

To recapitulate, some of the projects Nigerians should expect to come upstream from 2020 include:

47 road projects scheduled for completion in 2020/21, including roads leading to ports;
Major bridges including substantial work on the Second Niger Bridge;

Completion of 13 housing estates under the National Housing Project Plan;

Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri and Enugu international airports to be commissioned in 2020;

Launching of an agricultural rural mechanisation scheme that will cover 700 local governments over a period of three years;

Launching of the Livestock Development Project Grazing Model in Gombe State where 200,000 hectares of land has been identified;

Training of 50,000 workers to complement the country’s 7,000 extension workers;

Commissioning of the Lagos – Ibadan and Itakpe – Warri rail lines in the first quarter;

Commencement of the Ibadan – Abuja and Kano – Kaduna rail lines also in the first quarter;

Further liberalisation of the power sector to allow businesses to generate and sell power;

Commencement of the construction of the Mambilla Power project by the first half of 2020; and

Commencement of the construction of the AKK gas pipeline, OB3 gas pipeline and the expansion of the Escravos – Lagos pipeline in the first quarter of 2020.

Thank you very much!

President Muhammadu Buhari
State House,
Abuja.
1st January, 2020

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