PRESIDENT BUHARI APPROVES APPOINTMENT OF NEW FEDERAL PERMANENT SECRETARIES AND DEPLOYMENT OF PERMANENT SECRETARIES

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of the following as Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service:

1. Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba
2. Alhaji Mahmoud Isa-Dutse
3. Mr. Taiwo Abidogun
4. Dr. Bukar Hassan
5. Mrs. Wakama Belema Asifieka
6. Mr. Jalal Ahmad Arabi
7. Mr. Sabiu Zakari
8. Mrs. Obiageli Phyllis Nwokedi
9. Mr. Aminu Nabegu
10. Mr. Bamgbose Olukunle Oladele
11. Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo
12. Dr. Shehu Ahmed
13. Mr. Ogbonnaya Innocent Kalu
14. Mrs. Nuratu Jimoh Batagarawa
15. Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa
16. Mr. Bassey Apkanyung
17. Mr. Louis Edozien
18. Dr. Ugo Roy
President Buhari has also approved the deployment of Federal Permanent Secretaries as follows:
1. Dr. Shehu Ahmad - Fed. Min. of Agric & Rural Development
2. Arch Sunday Echono - Fed. Min. of Communications
3. Alh. Sabiu Zakari - Fed. Min. of Transportation
4. Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba - Fed. Min. of Information & Culture
5. Amb. Danjuma Sheni - Fed. Min. of Defence
6. Dr. Shade Yemi-Esan - Fed. Min. of Education
7. Mrs. Fatima Mede - Budget & National Planning
8. Alh. Mahmoud Isa Dutse - Fed. Min. of Finance
9. Amb. Bulus Lolo - Fed. Min of Foreign Affairs
10. Dr. Amina Shamaki - Fed. Min. of Health
11. Mr. Aliyu Bisalla -Fed. Min. of Industry, Trade & Investment
12. Mr. Bassey Akpanyung - Fed. Min. of Internal Affairs
13. Mr. Taiwo Abidogun - Fed. Ministry of Justice
14. Dr. Habiba Lawal - Fed. Min. of Science & Tech.
15. Dr. Clement Illoh - Fed. Min. of Labour & Productivity
16. Dr. Jamila Shu'ara - Fed. Min of Petroleum Resources
17. Mrs. Binta Bello - Fed. Min of Women Affairs
18. Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye - Federal Capital Territory
19. Mrs. Rabi Jimeta - Fed. Min. of Water Resources
20. Dr. Bukar Hassan - Fed. Min of Environment
21. Mrs. Wakama B. Asifieka - Fed. Min. of Niger Delta Affairs
22. Mr. Istifanus Fuktur - Fed. Min. of Solid Minerals
23. Mr. Christian Ohaa - Fed. Min of Youth & Sports
24. Engr. A.G. Magaji - Fed. Min. of Works & Housing
25. Mr. Louis Edozien - Fed. Min. of Power
26. Mr. Jalal Arabi - State House
27. Mr. Mohammed Bukar - General Services Office, OSGF
28. Mr. Abbas Mohammed - Ecological Fund Office, OSGF
29. Dr. Ugo Roy - Council Secretariat
30. Mr. Aminu Nabegu - Special Services Office, OSGF
31. Amb. Bamgbose Akindele - Political Affairs Office, OSGF
32. Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo - Economic Affairs Office, OSGF
33. Mrs. Obiageli Nwokedi - Special Duties Office, OSGF
34. Mr. Innocent Ogbonnaya -Career Management Office, OHCSF
35. Mr. S.K.Y. Adelakun - Common Services Office, OHCSF
36. Mrs. N. Batagarawa - Service Policy & Strategies Office, OHCSF
The new appointments and deployments are with effect from today, November 10, 2015.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
November 10, 2015

Breaking: Magu replaces Lamorde as EFCC boss

(Vanguard) - Chairman of the anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, has been replaced by Ibrahim Magu, a top level official of the Economic and Governance Unit of the EFCC.

Ibrahim-Lamorde

Lamorde, has been the EFCC chair since 2011.

Magu is remembered as a no-nonsense investigator of the commission at its inception.

He was removed along with several other key officials by Farida Waziri when she became chairman in 2008.

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are World U17 Champions

(Premium Times) - The Nigeria U17 team, the Golden Eaglets, have successfully defended their FIFA U17 World Cup title after recording a 2-0 victory over their West African foes, Mali, in the early hours of Monday.

After a largely even first half contest in which Nigeria missed a penalty inside the first four minutes, Golden Eaglets gangling striker, Victor Osimhen, broke the deadlock in the 56th minute; and three minutes later Nigeria were two goals up as Funsho Bamgboye increased the tally.

The sumptuous goal by Osimhen was his 10th goal of the tournament which makes him the record holder of the most goals scored by an individual at one single FIFA U17 World Cup tournament.

The Golden Eaglets before the Mali clash had recorded good results at the Estadio Sausalito in Vina del Mar where they crushed Chile 5-1 in their second group phase match, annihilated Australia 6-0 in the second round, and battered Brazil 3-0 in the quarter final.

The venue proved a lucky ground as Nigeria triumphed over Mali albeit after early scares.
The successful defence recorded by Nigeria makes them only the second country after Brazil to record back-to-back wins in the cadet World Cup.

Before this latest addition to their accolades, the Golden Eaglets’ previous four titles came when they defeated then West Germany, 2-0, in the inaugural final in Beijing in 1985; overran West African rivals, Ghana, 2-1 in 1993 in Tokyo, Japan; outshot Mexico on penalties in Seoul in 2007 and thrashed Mexico 3-0 in the last Championship match in Abu Dhabi.

The victorious Eaglets will be hoping for a warm embrace from President Buhari who was in charge when Nigeria won the first edition of FIFA U16 World Cup in China.

It was the then General that christened the U17 team, Golden Eaglets.

Nigeria's Buhari to swear in ministers on Wednesday

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari is to swear in members of his cabinet on Wednesday, a presidency statement said on Sunday, ending a five-month wait for a cabinet to be installed in Africa's most populace nation.

The 72-year-old former military ruler, who was inaugurated in late May, has been criticised for waiting until September to name his ministers, who then underwent a month-long Senate vetting process. Portfolios will be assigned after ministers have been sworn in.

"President Muhammadu Buhari will officially inaugurate a new Federal Executive Council on Wednesday, November 11, 2015," said the emailed statement from Buhari's spokesman Femi Adesina.

"Before the commencement of the inaugural session of the council, the ministers-designate will take their oaths of office in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa," it said, adding that this would begin at 10 am local time (0900 GMT).

Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy and the continent's top oil producer, faces its worst economic crisis in years brought on by the sharp fall in crude prices since it relies on oil exports for 70 percent of government revenue.

Critics of Buhari, who won March elections after campaigning to rid Nigeria of widespread corruption, said the absence of a ministers created a policy vacuum that exacerbated the economic problems brought on by the fall in oil prices.

Buhari took his 36 ministers on a retreat on Thursday and Friday during which they were handed documents, seen by Reuters, which outlined the state of the economy and the government's policy goals.

OPENING REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI AT THE PRESIDENTIAL RETREAT WITH HONOURABLE MINISTERS-DESIGNATE,STATE HOUSE CONFERENCE HALL,

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

PROTOCOLS

It is with great pleasure that I address you today, my Ministers-designate, at this Retreat in preparation for your swearing–in as the Cabinet that will run this Administration. We must count ourselves privileged to have been chosen among millions of our compatriots at this historic time to be the instruments that will deliver the change we have promised.

2. Let me congratulate you for your success at the various levels of screening that culminated in your confirmation by the Senate.
I would like to reiterate the point I made at my inauguration about the uniqueness of this moment for our country and for us. Shakespeare’s words ring true for us as they did when he first wrote them centuries ago.

‘There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.’

3. The work of restoration and renewal is urgent and immense. The expectations of Nigerians are high. Our determination to succeed and change the fortunes of our country must be equal to the challenge.

4. I have invited you to join me in this urgent mission for our country. I am convinced that in accepting this invitation you are also equally determined to take part in this patriotic undertaking.

5. This Retreat, therefore, marks your first official contact with the machinery of Government, of which you will soon be an integral part. It is important that you are fully acquainted with the direction and priorities of this Government so that we can all move together as a team.

6. My election as President of this country was hinged on my promise to tackle corruption, insecurity and revive the economy.

7. We have already taken deliberate measures to plug leakages of government revenue and resources. You all know the steps we have taken to tackle Boko Haram. We have degraded them and in desperation, they are resorting to attacks on soft targets, killing innocent people. Diversification of the economy away from oil will be a major focus of this government. We will intervene in mining and agriculture and upgrade the country’s physical and social infrastructure, which will broaden our revenue base and significantly improve the level of employment, especially among the youth. Our economic focus will be policies that will ensure inclusive growth and we will count our achievements based on the number of Nigerians we move out of poverty.

8. The objective of this retreat is clearly reflected in the choice of topics which you will be dealing with during the sessions. The need for observing the rule of law is being emphasized to ensure that impunity is removed from government conduct.

9. You are coming on board the ship of governance at an interesting time. So much has been said about the state of our economy. It is expected that we make the running of Government at all levels as lean as possible, avoid waste and conserve resources. As Ministers, you must be the vehicle that will administer the change.

10. Our main task is to turn our manifesto promises to practice and results. Over the next two days I expect you to have a better understanding of the context in which we have taken the challenge of serving our country, as well as the strategies we have adopted to tackle them. I would also expect you to be even more determined to work as a team, and to live up to the high standards of probity and integrity which Nigerians expect of us.

11. Before I close, let me remind you that clear and effective communication at all levels is vital in modern management. You must keep in touch with your fellow ministers and share information, so that the conduct of government will be more efficient. In addition, all communication and appointments from you to the Presidency should be routed through the Office of the Chief of Staff as is normal in this Presidential System.

I wish you useful deliberations.

President Muhammadu Buhari
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

DSS reacts to reports of its agents raiding ex NSA, Dasuki's Abuja residence

Press statement from the Department of State Security

1. The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been brought to the report making rounds that its operatives illegally blocked the residence of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki (Col/Rtd), in violation of a subsisting court order granting him a relief to travel oversea for medical services. This is to say the least that such report is not only unfounded and malicious but aimed at tarnishing the good image of the Service. 

2. It may be recalled that SAMBO was initially arrested and charged to court for unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering, for which reason his international passport was seized and on the order of the court, returned to the registrar for custody. What has however brought the seeming standoff between SAMBO and the Service, despite the court-ordered release of his international passport on 4th November, 2015, is his refusal to appear before a Committee undertaking the investigation of an entirely different case.  

3. The public may wish to note that the government set up the Committee to investigate procurement processes relating to a two billion dollar ($2billion) arms transaction by the last administration, under which SAMBO was the NSA. It was on this premise that he was invited by the Committee to shed more light on his involvement in the deal. It, therefore, remains surprising and shocking that SAMBO has refused to honour invitations of the Committee but instead resorts to grandstanding and subtle blackmail of the Service. His refusal to appear before the Committee has left the Service with no option than to adopt legal means to ensure his attendance. 

4. Therefore, without doubt, SAMBO is pulling all strings available to him to evade justice and put the Service in bad light. The simple fact is that the DSS is not persecuting him. Nigerians are therefore enjoined to disregard the impression being created by him. This Service wishes to re-emphasise its commitment to the rule of law and strict adherence to democratic ideals. However, any person or group, no matter how highly placed, that may wish to test the will of the present democratic dispensation, will definitely be checked through the legal provisions of the law.

Tony OPUIYO
Department of State Services,
Abuja.
5th November, 2015

Several killed in Edo bank robbery

Several persons including policemen were killed during a bank robbery at Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo local government area of Edo State, on Wednesday.

A security guard at the bank was killed at the operation which eyewitnesses said lasted one hour.

The robbery operation was said to have begun at about 6:00am shortly after the state’s Police Commissioner, Chris Ezike, left Auchi which is about 30 minutes drive from Igarra.

An eyewitness told our correspondent on phone that the robbers killed a guard and started shooting people after ransacking the bank and attacking policemen at the police station.

He said many persons are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the area.

Another witness said the robbers were heavily armed and engaged the police in a shoot-out.

The Nation gathered that policemen who took cover in the bush came out when an armoured personnel carrier was brought to the robbery scene.

Local vigilante groups reportedly joined in the shoot-out and blocked all routes to Igarra town which made the robbers to abandon the vehicles used for the operation.

When contacted, Edo Police spokesman, Stanley Osifo, said he was on his way to the crime scene alongside the police commissioner.

The Nation

Breaking News: Tribunal upholds Ikpeazu as winner of Abia gov poll

The Abia State Governorship Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, on Tuesday, upheld Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who was candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the April 11 Governorship election in the State as winner of the election.

The tribunal dismissed the petition of candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Alex Otti.

More details later

Emefiele: Nigeria's External Reserves Now $31.89 Billion

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, wednesday revealed that the country’s external reserves had risen to $31.89 billion as at July 7, 2015.

Emefiele attributed this to strong efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to plug all leakages, as well as the vigilant demand management of the central bank. He said the development was very gratifying.

The CBN governor disclosed this in his opening remarks at the briefing of the Senate President and the Leadership of the Senate on the Nigerian economy in Abuja.

According to him, recent measures by the central bank would help reposition the economy for the next phase of growth and development.

Emefiele listed these measures to include among others, the further tightening of monetary policy; closure of the official foreign exchange window; review of operators’ Net Open Position (NOP); placement of 72-hour limit on FX utilisation; and ban on selected items from access to foreign exchange in either the interbank or BDC markets.

“These policies have led to a significant stabilisation in the exchange rate and an improvement in market sentiments. Having earlier traded at as high as N206/$1, the naira-dollar exchange rate has appreciated and remained around N197/$1 in the interbank market in the past five months.

“Going forward, the CBN would continue to be vigilant in the market to ensure that there is zero tolerance for speculators. Nigeria’s foreign reserves remain our common wealth and we must all strive to work together to protect it and prevent speculators and rent seekers from plundering it. We would continue to find ways to rebuild our external reserves and where possible, accelerate efforts aimed at improving aggregate supply potentials of the economy,” he added.

He noted that the global economy had experienced three major shocks in the last one year. These developments he listed to include: the significant and seemingly permanent fall in the price of crude oil, Nigeria’s main revenue earner; the end of the Quantitative Easing Programme of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States; and the continued US-led sanctions on Russia for its alleged role in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

“Reflecting the sharp fall in oil prices and speculative foreign exchange activities, external reserves declined from $37.3 billion in June 2014 to $29.1 billion as at the end of June 2015. Given our understanding that the fall in oil prices may not be transitory but permanent, and that some speculative activities were going on in the forex market, the CBN took a number of proactive countervailing actions,” he explained.

Continuing, the CBN boss said: “At the heart of the issues that currently confront our nation is the need for us to diversify the structure of our economy from being import dependent to being an economy that produces what she consumes. According to one of Africa’s foremost industrialist, our very own Alhaji Aliko Dangote, we must stop exporting jobs to other countries and importing poverty to our land by producing and consuming locally made goods.

“As we speak today, hundreds of thousands of locally produced paddy rice litter Nigeria’s rice belts unsold. Our rice farmers are today sinking deeper into poverty due to our preference for imported rice even though the local ones are now of about the same or even better quality. We therefore seize this opportunity to appeal to our rice importers to support local farmers by patronising our home grown rice.

“It is now time for us work together to resuscitate our moribund textile industries, begin to grow and consume our rice, and rejuvenate our abandoned palm plantations in the mid and south eastern parts of the country and a host of other industries that once helped in creating job opportunities for our people.”

He pointed out that the central bank had been at the forefront, acting as a catalyst to job creation and inclusive growth since 1978 through its various interventions in various/targeted sectors of the economy, pledging that the institution would remain committed to the course because it believes it is the right direction that will help in conserving the reserves, achieve a stable exchange rate and create jobs.

Thisdaylive

'Mr President, your statements are demarketing Nigeria' - PDP

Press statement from the PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) draws the attention of Nigerians to the harmful consequences of the unabated negative statements from the very father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the economy and the general image of the country.

The party said “it is worrisome that in the last six months, the President, instead of making efforts to harness resources and grow the economy, has rather continued to apply himself, perhaps unwittingly, to demarketing the nation and scaring away investors through negative labeling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy portrayal of the nation’s economy”.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Sunday said the President’s unwary statements have become very serious clog in the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of both domestic and international investors in the Nigerian economic and social system.

“In the last six months, our President has only succeeded in discouraging foreign investors with his continued misrepresentation of our country as a business unfriendly environment, where most of the citizens are basically corrupt, dishonest, and cannot be trusted.

“Whereas we have restated our total support for the war against corruption, we insist that Mr. President’s unceasing blanket negative labeling of citizens, in a country where millions of honest and hardworking individuals/firms are genuinely contributing daily to the development effort, is indeed a disservice and injurious to the nation and the people.

“Furthermore, Mr. President’s recent announcement to the world that the nation, with its abundant human and natural resources, is broke and cannot pay cabinet ministers not only sends a discouraging signal to the domestic and international business community, but also exposes the ineptitude of the present administration to meaningfully and sincerely exert itself and work with industrious and innovative investors to create and manage wealth.

“We ask; how can any reasonable investor still have the confidence to invest in a country where the President himself continues to alert that his country reeks of corrupt people and that the government is broke to the extent it cannot pay cabinet ministers?

“Is the President not directly advising investors against having confidence in Nigeria and the system, and that they risk not being paid for jobs awarded by government at any level?

“More worrisome is the fact that Mr. President most times, makes his damaging comments in international fora with potential investors in attendance to the extent that reminds one of the proverbial father who, in the presence of potential suitors, often portrays his daughters as wayward and yet constantly complain of their inability to find husbands.

“Indeed, this is not the way to go, Nigeria is a country blessed with abundant human and natural resources. What we need at the moment is a serious, innovative and practical approach with the capacity to harness the resources and create wealth for the benefit of all, instead of an apparently laidback scapegoat tactics with outworn excuses and unhelpful comments.

“May we remind Mr. President that even in the darkest period of our economic challenges, successive administrations made efforts in steadying the economy, while always reassuring our citizens and the international community of the strength and economic potentials of our great nation.

“We know that in the desperation to cover its apparent lack of economic plan, this administration has positioned cabinet ministers, upon inauguration to concentrate on diversionary blame game on the past PDP administration. But even this political deceit cannot combat the unpalatable consequences of Mr. President’s damaging utterances on the image of the nation and its economy.

Finally, we wish to remind the President and those around him that Nigerians, by the 2015 elections, have committed the fate of the country in his hands for the next four years and are not willing to accept excuses for any economic failures under his watch.

Signed:

Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary

South East roads needs urgent attention – Osinbajo

Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, at the weekend affirmed that the worst problem bogging down people of the south East zone is the area’s dilapidated road networks.
Speaking while fielding questions from journalists in Enugu, where he attended
a function at the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd, Anglican
Communion, Professor Osibajo said the situation is clear to the federal government.
He noted that despite government financial constraint at the moment, there is a need to make improvements on roads in the South East where commerce thrives and people move about a lot to earn their living.
The Vice President disclosed that he had discussed the issue of the roads with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, adding that the issue was not unknown to the federal government.
” Not just only one problem that the people of the South East have in terms of roads, you know what our financial constraints are, there is a need for improvement on roads where there is a lot of commerce and movement of people.”
Prof Osinbajo noted that there is need to raise the value of naira by discouraging importation of some items.
In a homily at the church, where the Vice President attended a wedding ceremony, Arch. Bishop of the Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Anglican Communion, His Grace, Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma had appealed to the Federal Government to create employment for the teaming unemployed youths in the country who are wallowing in poverty.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for fighting corruption in the country.

The Nation

Angry mob strips two women naked over N100,000 theft in Abuja

Some angry mob on Wednesday stripped two women naked for stealing N100,000 from a wine shop at Dutsen Alhaji market, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

It was learnt that the women who pretended to be buying some items on Wednesday entered into the shop at the market and while one of the women approached the shop owner and negotiating the price of a bottle of wine, her accomplice dipped her hand into the drawer and removed N100,000.

According to an eyewitness, “She was about to walk away with the money when the shop owner who had seen her raised the alarm which attracted other traders,” the witness said.


The eyewitness further stated that traders, who noticed what had transpired, pounced on the two women and stripped them naked in the process.

The timely intervention of the police saved them from been lynched and the Police quickly whisked them away from the market.


Confirming the incident, the Dutse Divisional Police Officer, SP Hajiya Aisha Yusuf said the suspects have been charged to court.

DailyTrust

Buhari And The Syndrome Of Sameness By Okey Ndibe

 President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration may have fallen prey to the political syndrome of sameness. 

Five months into the Buhari Presidency, there is a sense, even among his most fervent fans, that the expected momentum had dwindled—with little or nothing to show for it. Nigerians and the world have witnessed the demystification of a president who was billed as the very scourge of the corrupt, whoever they may be, however high their status.

Nigeria's staunch belief in new president Muhammadu Buhari being sorely tested

Nigeria’s new president was always going to have his work cut out for him. Some voters placed him on a pedestal, hailing him as the man who would save Africa’s largest but languishing economy.
By his own admission, Muhammadu Buhari is something of a rock star. People cry when they see him, with thousands defying airport security to run on to the tarmac as he flew into Taraba state in March. An 80-year-old food seller from Kebbi state even donated her life savings to his campaign in January, reducing the lanky ex-general to tears. In northern Nigeria, his street name is Mai Gaskiya – one whose word is his bond.

FIFA confirms seven for presidential race

FIFA on Wednesday confirmed seven candidates for next February extraordinary congress which is expected to produce a successor to the embattled Sepp Blatter.

However, the football’s world governing body excluded former Trinidad and Tobago international, David Nakhid, from the race.

The Zurich-based organisation gave no reason for rejecting Nakhid’s bid for its top job.

The candidates are – the General Secretary of Europe soccer governing body, UEFA,  Gianni Infantino,  Bahraini Royal Family member, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa and Liberian Football Association head, Musa Bility.

Others are – UEFA president, Michel Platini, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, South African businessman, Tokyo Sexwale and ex-FIFA official, Jerome Champagne.

The Nation

Why corps member allowance is delayed – NYSC

The Management of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC Wednesday said challenges arising from failed bank transaction and the inability of the settlement centre to immediately reprocess for payment caused the delay in the payment of corps members’ allowance.

Corps members last week complained over the delay in the payment of  their September and October allowance as well as transport allowance by some of the recently discharged 2014 Batch ‘C’ Corps Members.

The NYSC in a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja said the Scheme forwarded the payment schedule at the right time.

They blamed the banking system for the delay in the crediting of the accounts of the affected corps member.

“While Management regrets any inconveniences caused by the delay in the ability of the affected Corps Members to access their allowances in their Banks, we wish to assure them that we are currently rectifying identified problems and the accounts of affected Corps members are being credited with the allowances accordingly,” the statement said.

The Nation

RADIO BIAFRA: A STITCH IN TIME...

By Ahmad Salkida and Johnson Chinedu Edwin


In two separate newspapers articles published in 2006 and 2009
in the New Sentinel and Sunday Trust, and credited to one of us, the manner Boko Haram’s total disregard for civil values was the point of discourse. The
report in question warned that government’s disregard of this rebellious inclination of the group would amount a calculated catastrophe to society. The authorities ignored this at society’s general peril. 

Last week, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) of Nigeria urged
Nigerians to simply ignore radio Biafra, a broadcast platform that has committed time energy and resources to peddling resentful communication about Nigeria and her constituted authorities. The Management of NBC claimed that they were
aware of the pirate radio station that is “transmitting seditious and
divisive content contrary to the provisions of the Nigeria
Broadcasting Code and law” and they are “working with security
agencies to track the source of the broadcast.”

Nnamdi Kalu, the name behind the radio and who is fondly called director, is not going about his objective in a manner that should not agitate well meaning members of the public. As it seems, the radio is winning many admirers among Southerners in Nigeria on a daily basis. According to a random survey for the purpose of
this article, an increasing number of traders, men and women in
villages, schools and in commuter buses tune to 97.6 band
width. In Aba, Abia State the radio’s audience is growing steadily among young people. 


A public commentator known on tweeter as “Onye Nkuzi” (@cchukudebelu), recently dissected this phenomenon, lamenting on twitter that ‘the Nigerian State doesn't
have a narrative to challenge alienation - we've seen it in the North
East and Niger Delta. It pops up again.’ Radio Biafra, like the ongoing
insurgency in northeast Nigeria feeds on alienation to peddle a
culture of violence through retribution of real and perceived
injustice.

Meanwhile, it serves every society well to pay due attention to
signals and other sub-signals with the potentials to erupt into other
disturbing cauldrons of widespread violence. In Asaba,
Delta state, an Igbo man brought the consciousness of radio Biafra to
one of these writers one evening in the southeast with frightful
alacrity and implored everyone present there to tune to the station.
As soon as the right bandwidth was accessible, the voice of the
‘director’ Nnamdi Kanu was coming forcefully over the airwaves. It was
an arresting almost hypnotic voice to say the least, but it was not
the voice that was the problem but the substance of what he said and
how he said it that calls for concern.

Many unsuspecting listeners with a warped history of what led to the
Biafran civil war in 1967 and its concomitant effect of seeming
irreconcilable differences listened spellbound as the voice of
“director” resonated over the waves with ceaseless histrionics. He
seemed tireless, with his commentaries on a wide range of subjects all
geared towards the need for the burdened southern region to secede
from the north and “the hypocrite southwest” to quote the words of the
radio’s presenter.

Our investigations have observed most painfully that the director has
a growing influence on the minds of many from the other side of the
Niger. The danger in this is that people in that region are beginning
to accept whatever he says as the gospel truth, to the unreasoning
mind, the director, as he chooses to be addressed is framing the minds
of many of his listeners and predisposing them to dangerous
tendencies. Without going into specifics to underscore what one is
trying to say, but relevant authorities should know the danger of
collective mind-set propelled towards a particularly dangerous direction.

On a bus from Asaba to Onitsha, the bus conductor was busy regaling
passengers the resurgence of the Biafran agenda; Biafran
currency; Biafran flag; Biafran identity card and how personnel of the
Nigerian Police tactfully accord great recognition to Biafran I.D
cards and are liable to set one free of any offence the moment one
brandishes the I.D card. The bus conductor was very vociferous in his
claims and an attempt to draw passengers attention to the folly of
these claims, one suddenly realised that the commuters were more given
to emotion than reason and to avoid the rising belligerency of some of
the passengers including the driver one was
compelled to channel the discussion to safer grounds.

Late Muhammad Yusuf, the founder of what started as a band of
fundamentalists in Maiduguri that transformed into a dreaded global
Jihadi movement, did not have a radio of his own. He relied on
cassette recordings of his messages which was influenced by hardline Salafi teachers to woo youths to his flock. However, both
late Yusuf and now Kalu, have one thing in common, in as much as their
messages are in sharp contrast of one another, they both have the
undivided attention of teeming youths in their regions.


It is important to note here that ‘terrorism’ means different things
to different people. While a weighty number of people in the Muslim
world do not view groups like Al-Shabab, Taliban, Islamic State and
their affiliates as terrorists, majority consider them as full blooded
terrorists. The same with the Biafran movement, a growing number of
people consider the rebellion as an inalienable right that may offer
Igbos freedom from the superficial Hausa/Fulani hegemony.

Indeed, Radio Biafra is a ticking time bomb, while we must accept that
some of the claims made by late Yusuf over a decade ago, and now by
Kalu on the air waves have merits like that of the alienation of
people, a fact which is very obvious to any discerning mind but the
general thrust of radio Biafra’s mono cast is more emotive than
rational. Hopefully the new government of Muhammadu Buhari should get
set to combat some of these obvious imbalances and marginalization
which underpin the restiveness.

The Hutu power radio and the resultant Rwandan genocide that heralded
the 1994 Rwandan genocide should be a relevant example of what dire
propensities could result to if such hate rendition is left unchecked
not only by Kalu but championed by different groups across Nigeria. As
persons with background in media studies, we need not overemphasize
here the power of the media and its inherent capacities as willing
instruments to be commandeered to negative or positive ends. But
suffice it to say that the power of the media should never be
underestimated, at least not in this case. Every serious federating
unit should be mindful of the insidious influence of proponents of
divisive rhetoric within their midst and their potentials to nurture
and fan the embers of schismatic discords and prurient chasm in their
unit.

Salkida and Chinedu are both journalist from north and south Nigeria
respectively.

 

Images from the scene of a deadly quake in Afghanistan.

Images from the scene of a deadly quake in Afghanistan.

Nigerian Air Force Strikes Boko Haram Terrorist’s Vehicle Workshop, Fuel And Ammunition Dumps In Sambisa Forest

 This feat by the Nigerian Air Force came as a result of a painstaking Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) efforts by the NAF’s Unmanned Aerial vehicle (UAV) and ATR-42 platforms.

In a renewed drive to further degrade the Boko Haram Terrorist  (BHT) Assets, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jets have successfully carried out airstrikes and destroyed the Sect’s vehicle workshops, fuel and ammunition dumps all within the Sambisa forest.

This feat by the Nigerian Air Force came as a result of a painstaking Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) efforts by the NAF’s Unmanned Aerial vehicle (UAV) and ATR-42 platforms.

In view of the above, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar wishes to  assure  all  Nigerians  that  with  these  successful  strikes  on  the insurgents, their capabilities have been further degraded to pave the way for the final onslaught by the land forces to meet the Commander-in-Chief, President Mohammadu Buhari’s directives to bring insurgency in the North-East to an end.

You are please requested to disseminate  this  information through your mass medium for the awareness of the general public.

Thank you for your usual cooperation.

 

Air Commodore Dele Alonge
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Airforce

Emenike insists his int’l retirement has nothing to do with Oliseh

Al Ain of UAE striker Emmanuel Emenike has maintained his decision to quit international football had nothing to do with coach Sunday Oliseh.

Emenike has announced he will no longer be available for selection by Nigeria to join Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who has also called time on his Eagles career.

Oliseh recalled the striker even after he had declared after taking over the team he would only call up players who are playing regularly in the top leagues in the world.

“I have absolutely nothing against the coach (Oliseh),” said the 28-year-old Emenike, who has gone more than two years without scoring a goal for Nigeria.

“As for me, I still remain loyal to coach Sunday Oliseh and I want to believe he understands my decision.

“My decision has nothing to do with the coach, who is a brave man, a technically sound person, my decision has nothing to go against his vision for the Super Eagles.

“Me out of the team will equally ease pressure on the coach and it will enable the younger players to fight harder for the team.”

The 2013 AFCON top scorer has equally thrown his weight behind the Eagles to qualify for both the 2017 AFCON and 2018 World Cup.

“Nigeria have produced lots of talented goal poacher like Julius Aghahowa, Victor Agali, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Samuel Okwaraji, Obafemi Martins, Ike Uche, Rashidi Yekini just to mention a few. I believe with God on our side, the team will fly higher without Emenike,” he predicted.

“I will be glad to see them qualify for both the AFCON and World Cup in 2018.

“We have lots of good players in the team and more are still coming in to contribute, so I believe the team will get better and stronger as time goes on. The team will be great under Oliseh.”

Todayng