Barely two weeks after security operatives attached to governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state battered a commercial bus operator and damaged his bus around the warehouse junction in Owerri for allegedly disrupting the governor’s convoy, Imo residents Wednesday, witnessed another show of shame when security details attached to the convoy of Governor Rochas Okorocha allegedly unleashed an unwarranted assault on the convoy of Senator Chris Anyanwu in Azaraegbelu, Owerri North in Imo state.
While speaking to newsmen in Owerri the Imo State capital, Anyanwu, who represents Imo East senatorial district at the National Assembly, said she had visited Okorocha earlier in the day to felicitate with him on the up-coming wedding of his daughter and had requested if there were areas she could lend support.
According to her, she had thereafter proceeded to Mbaise for a function and was on her way back when she noticed, ‘an intimidating convoy bearing down on her convoy with full compliments of security operatives, conventional and non-conventional’.
The senator said it was around 5.30pm at the time and she had directed her convoy to veer off the road and stop for the governor’s convoy to pass, but to her surprise, the Governor’s security men stopped and blocked her convoy, dragged out the driver of her pilot vehicle and beat him to pulps.
“The unwarranted beating and assault on my convoy compelled me to come down from my vehicle as the assault continued. They had dragged my driver into the bush to shoot him when I started shouting that their action was ungodly and barbaric. To my utter shock Okorocha was watching the entire episode complacently and had even shouted orders to his men saying ‘disarm her security’ ”
Anyanwu noted that as at the time of briefing newsmen, the Governor had not called to apologize for the action or explain it. She added that she had been a victim of inexplicable intimidation and harassment.
“Any time I attend official functions in the state, I am harassed, intimidated and often excluded from the protocol list” The Senator described the assault on her convoy as ‘a misplaced show of power’ , regretting that Nigerians are living in a part of the world where governors have the power of life and death.”
The Senator’s driver, Odilichukwu Uka was thereafter rushed to an undisclosed hospital with a broken head and bruises in other parts of his body.
Meanwhile, Okorocha’s Special Assistant on Media, Ebere Uzoukwa has dismissed Senator Anyanwu’s claims as false saying that Governor Okorocha escaped death when the Senator’s convoy rammed into the governor’s convoy narrowly missing the staff car. According to a statement signed by Uzoukwa, the Senator after breaching the governor’s convoy still alighted form her vehicle and ordered her Naval security personnel to open fire.
“The Senator further went berserk and descended on the security men slapping both the governor’s Aide Camp and Chief Detail. She also rained abuses on the governor as well as calling him unprintable names. However, it is interesting to mention that the governor’s security men exhibited decency, professionalism and maturity as they never fell into the temptation of manhandling anyone in the Senator’s convoy irrespective of her unruly attitude and that of the Naval ratings in her convoy.”
Adding further, Okorocha’s aides said; “Recall that His Excellency, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha recently banned the use of siren by unauthorized persons in the state as part of stringent security measures to fight crime. This calls to question why a serving senator who obviously is not authorized to use siren has chosen the part of dishonor, lawlessness as well as refusing totally to subject herself to constituted authority.
“According to the Governor’s aide, by comprising the security of the governor, Senator Anyanwu has committed a serious security breach that requires further investigation.
Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was reportedly re-arrested and imprisoned on Christmas Day in Iran.
Pastor Youcef had been imprisoned under a death sentence for apostasy for nearly three years before being acquitted and released in September.
Now, in a clearly malicious move, Pastor Youcef was torn away from his wife and two young boys on Christmas Day.
Fox News confirms, “Youcef Nadarkhani, 35, had been summoned to return back to Lakan Prison in Rasht, the facility where he served time and was then released, based on the charge that he must complete the remainder of his sentence, according to several reports and confirmed by those close to Nadarkhani in Iran.” The Iranian court has ordered that he serve the 45 remaining days of his sentence, which he had previously been told he would serve as probation.
Iran’s flagrant disregard for international law by imprisoning this Christian for a second time for his faith did not occur coincidentally on Christmas Day. Iran is increasingly persecuting Christians and anyone who is willing to defend them.
To make matters worse, Pastor Youcef’s Iranian attorney, Dadkhah, who was instrumental in securing his release earlier this year, is currently in one of Iran’s most notoriously abusive prisons, Evin prison. We have confirmed that his health is quickly deteriorating under the desperate conditions of his imprisonment. He was imprisoned soon after Youcef’s release in apparent retaliation for his career spent defending human rights against the radical Islamic Iranian regime’s assaults.
In addition, American Pastor Saeed Abedini remains imprisoned in Evin, merely because of his Christian faith.
Iran’s brutal repression and persecution of Christianity has not gone unnoticed. The type of immense international pressure placed on Iran earlier this year that led to Pastor Youcef’s prior release may be the only hope for freedom for these men. Please continue to pray, Tweet for Youcef, and sign petitions for their freedom. We are aggressively working to attain their freedom, and will keep you informed as new information becomes available.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday dismissed his only female cabinet minister, Health Minister Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, after she criticised her colleagues for failing to provide funds to import vital medicines.
Appointed in 2009, Dastjerdi was the first woman government minister since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. While seen as politically conservative, the gynaecologist has advocated a greater role for women in society.
Reports have emerged in recent weeks of shortages of some critical medicines for treatment of cancer, multiple sclerosis, blood disorders and other serious conditions.
Last month, Dastjerdi said only a quarter of the $2.4 billion earmarked for medicine imports had been provided in the current year and there was a shortage of foreign currency for the shipments.
“Medicine is more essential than bread. I have heard that luxury cars have been imported with subsidized dollars but I don’t know what happened to the dollars that were supposed to be allocated for importing medicine,” she said on state television.
Iranian officials blame the shortages on sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, but the government has come under heavy criticism itself for failing to manage the needs of Iranians properly.
Ahmadinejad’s political rivals accuse him of exacerbating the effects of sanctions through poor management and cronyism.
In a short statement, he announced the interim appointment of Mohammad Hassan Tariqat Monfared as head of the ministry, replacing Dastjerdi.
“Noting your commitment and valuable experiences and based on the … constitution, I appoint you as the caretaker health minister,” read the statement published widely across Iranian media. (Reporting By Marcus George and Zahra Hosseinian, Editing by William Maclean and Tom Pfeiffer) Reuters.
The Kaduna State House of Assembly (KDSHA) on Thursday confirmed the nomination of Mr Nuhu Bajoga as the state’s Deputy Governor.
Bajoga’s nomination was confirmed at the plenary of the House chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Matoh Dogara, in Kaduna.
Dogara attributed the confirmation of the new deputy governor to his experience in politics both at the state and federal levels.
The lawmaker also said that Bajoga merited the position of the deputy governor being a former ambassador.
Most of the legislators at the emergency sitting called for the immediate approval of the nomination.
The motion, which was moved by Alhaji Balarabe Jigo and seconded by Nasiru Maikano, said the House should take an urgent step in approving the nomination.
”I strong associate myself and the House should consider the nomination”, he said.
The plenary was suspended for 10 minutes.
On resumption, Dogara said: “The House has agreed and approved the appointment of Nuhu Bajoga as the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State,” he said.
Nuhu Bajoga was born in Kwai, Jaba Local Goverment Area of Kaduna State, on July 4, 1949.
Barely 20 minutes after Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former President left his Abeokuta Hilltop Mansion residence on Thursday, fire engulfed the building.
The house located in Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital, was gutted by fire on Thursday with extensive damages recorded in the 30-minute incident
The fire, which started at about 4.25 p.m., was traced to electricity power surge, just barely about 20 minutes after Mr. Obasanjo left for his other house located in the Ita-Eko area of the town.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the fire started from Mr. Obasanjo’s private office, a stone throw to his bedroom, before the security in the premises raised alarm, and the state fire service was contacted.
The fire service, in a swift response, raced to the scene with two fire fighting vehicles, to curtail the fire, which would have spread to other apartments. However, a number of valuables were consumed by the fire.
No life was lost, but some damaged property were seen being moved out by men of the fire service and officers of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC).
As at the time of this report, Mr. Obasanjo had returned home, apparently to see the extent of the damage. His wife, Bola Obasanjo, was seen outside in company of some grandchildren looking worried.
On his part, Mr. Obasanjo, after the fire had been put under control, was seen sitting within the premises receiving telephone calls from sympathizers.
However, one of his sons, identified as Oba Obasanjo, threw caution to the wind, as he seized the Blackberry phone of PREMIUM TIMES correspondent and smashed it on the floor for taking photographs.
Symphatisers that thronged the home of the former President include the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye; a factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Dipo Odujinrin; and the state’s Director of State Security Services.
Ironically, an hour after the fire incident was brought under control, the officials of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, arrived in two pick-up vans loaded with ladders.
The former President is expected to address journalists on the cause of the fire.
Located along the Ibrahim Babangida Boulevard in Abeokuta, the multi-millionaire villa, made up of about six structures, was completely shortly before Mr. Obasanjo left office in 2007. It was constructed by Messrs Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited, an Abuja-based Italian company.
It was built atop a hill, some critics said, to give the former president the psychological feeling of being on top of everyone.
A controversial recruitment exercise which involved indiscriminate allocation of jobs contrary to the provisions of the Federal Character Commission Act is currently going on at the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) headquarters in Abuja.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that about 253 people were hurriedly employed a week before the Governing Council of the commission was inaugurated
Under the amended National Human Rights Commission Act, 2010, it is the council that has the powers to authorize employment.
Section 8 (1) provides: “The Council shall have power to appoint directly, and either on transfer or on secondment from any public service in the Federation, such number of employees as may, in the opinion of the Council, be required to assist the Commission in the discharge of any of its functions under this act, and shall have power to pay to persons so employed such remuneration (including allowances) as the Council may determine.
“(2) The terms and conditions of service (including terms and conditions as to remuneration, allowances, pensions, gratuities and other benefits) of the person employed by the Commission shall be as determined by the Council from time to time.”
However, in order to overreach the council and in clear violation of the Federal Character policy, the commission had hurriedly allocated jobs and issued letters of employment to cronies without even inviting them for an interview.
A staff of the commission said that the stuffing was done on the weekend preceding the Monday when the council was inaugurated. The council was inaugurated on Monday 26th November 2012 by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Mohamed Adoke, SAN.
Documents obtained from the commission revealed that no provision was made for the payment of the salaries of the illegally employed workers.
Besides, some were posted to states where the commission had no offices.
“There was no advertisement. No interview. Nigerian youths were not given the opportunity to apply for the jobs but some big men here just issued letters to their brothers and townsmen some of whom do not have the idea of what the commission does”, an aggrieved staff of the commission told our correspondent in confidence.
He explained that in order not to disguise the states from which the newly employed people come from, the commission fraudulently disguised the states by ascribing Nasarawa State to someone who comes from Benue.
He called on the governing council of the commission to as a matter of urgency re-dress the wrong by giving qualified Nigerians the opportunity to be considered for work at the commission.
One of the beneficiaries of the illegal recruitment who claimed to be a christian confirmed that he was not invited for an interview and that his letter of employment was brought to him in the house.
However a senior staff in the Commission who does not want his name in print said that they obtained waiver from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to carry out the said employment but he however could not rationalize why they said jobs were not advertised in line with government policy
He none the less said that the jobs were advertised on the Commission’s website.
It was in May, 2012, that Philip Amadi, a friend of mine, experienced his worst nightmare — being kidnapped. He was driving home from work when he was intercepted near Fancrid Hotel Omoku in Rivers State by armed men in a car. Within seconds, they whisked him into their vehicle, leaving his car abandoned. Before he could react, he was blindfolded and being driven away. He was terrified.The next morning Philip came to know that he was ‘somewhere’ in Ahoada also in Rivers State and his family has been asked to pay 10 million naira for his safe return. An engineer by profession and coming from a humble background, Philip was home a couple of days later but only after paying 1.6 million naira following a series of phone calls between the kidnappers and his family negotiating the ransom amount; his family never reported the incident to the police.
December 2012 was also a nightmare for Nollywood Actress Nkiru Sylvanus. The light-skinned actress was kidnapped in Owerri by gunmen wearing police uniform and using a tinted glass siren blowing SUV. When the news of the kidnap in Owerri of Nollywood actress, Nkiru Sylvanus hit the airwave, I was worried sick and downcast. I am a huge Nkiru Sylvanus fan. She is a talented actress. I think the last few movies that she’s featured have been terrific. I am so fond of her that I always watch any movie that she featured. I try to think of ways I could meet her . I love her cry baby roles especially in the movie ‘A Cry for Help’ where she cried from the beginning of the movie to the end. I have always wished to see her in person. We were told by the police that her family paid 8 Million naira ransom to her kidnappers to get her freed.
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defined kidnapping as the act of taking somebody away illegally and keeping them as prisoner, especially in order to get money or something else for returning them. It is a violation of human rights as stated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It violates the right of association, freedom of movement and the right to life. It is a crime against humanity.
In Nigeria, Kidnapping used to be a word in the dictionary. It is now a reality and threat on our South South and South Eastern streets. We do not only read about it in newspapers, but we sometimes get to know the families of the victims. The kidnappers sometimes abduct their victims from urban areas and transport them to rural areas or bushes while they conduct negotiations. They use more violence to frighten those negotiating to pay up quickly. Some of the victims are murdered after ransom negotiations.Of great concern is the negative picture the menace of kidnapping has created of the Nigerian society at international level. This has affected virtually all aspects of life of the people.
Imo State Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha to me is working hard to stop this monster in Imo State. He has made aggressive moves to arrest what seems like a looming apocalypse: the state government introduced community policing and enacted a law which stipulates death penalty for kidnappers and which also empowers the state to acquire and destroy properties belonging to suspects. The law was made deliberately ruthless to tackle the menace of kidnapping, a crime that virtually brought business activities and social life to its knees in the state.
Okorocha’s efforts made the crime rate of Imo state decreased, and is now at its lowest point. The number of reported kidnappings in Imo significantly decreased from 89 percent to 32 percent , a remarkable percent decline. Statistics showed that the security operatives in Imo State was able to solve so many kidnapped cases and apprehend so many members of various kidnap gangs. I appreciate the governor’s efforts in this war against kidnapping in Imo State and that is why I choose to shun traders of specious rumour who are tongue lashing Owelle over the kidnap of Nkiru Sylvanus recently in Owerri and are dismissing the governor’s effort in the fight against kidnapping in Imo. I don’t believe in blind criticism.
Politics, as we know, is generally assumed to be a dirty game. Indeed, it is dirty in so many ways and senses to the extent that most politicians and their gullible followers often pretend against positive steps and distinguished achievements so as to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. In spite of this unfortunate political trait of some people, truth is always clear, constant and unblemished. No amount of gossips can erase the solid facts that Okorocha is working hard in this fight against crime in Imo. Like any other politician ,he has his own weakness of which I am one of those who criticized him severally but the fact still remains that when he does well we should shun politics and praise him so that he can do more.
The abduction of Nkiru Sylvanus in Owerri we know is an indication that Imo still have more work to do. Okorocha in his year-end report to Imo people confirmed it that Imo has more work to do in this fight against kidnapping and vowed that next year, the state will proceed with phase three of its anti-criminality program. “We can build all the bridges, all the roads, all the beautiful houses and homes, all the industries, all the schools and Universities but all these will become useless if the security of lives and property cannot be guaranteed’’ the governor said. To me this is good news.
In year 2013 we should intensify efforts through a joint police and vigilante group patrol of our roads and streets . This brings us back to the issue of community policing. We must take community policing more seriously. Community policing is very important. Community Policing remains the best security tool to stamp out all shades of criminal practices. Vigilantee groups should be equipped.
We should intensify manhunt operations against identified target groups and criminal syndicates .People from the communities know these kidnappers and they can help us smoke them out from their holes. We must go after the kidnappers. We must not wait for them to strike again before we pursue them. Whether we are using Operation Rescue or Operation Sweep, Operation Wipe, Anti-Kidnapping Squad or Joint Military Task Force ,all Squad must take the battle to whatever hide outs of these kidnappers and crush them.We should also use the media too for sensitization of the populace on the need to be security conscious. Yes, government should educate people on the need to be more security conscious, especially high profile individuals, and those who are playing vital role in governance.
Let us not forget to tackle unemployment in year 2013. We should introduce economic empowerment projects and create enabling environment for private sector businesses to thrive in order to create job opportunities for young school leavers and graduates and make the youth busy and away from the trappings of crimes. Some of these restive youths may have been forced into criminality for survival. Bringing them back to the path of rectitude would therefore require providing them with jobs or sending them to acquire skills. God bless Imo State.
When the news of endorsement of the duo of Governor Sule Lamido and his counterpart in Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi by former President; Olusegun Obasanjo to run in 2015 for the post of President and Vice, under the umbrella of the ruling People’s Democratic Party [PDP], a mixed reaction greeted the information. Though, Obasanjo later denied endorsing both men.
The truth of the matter is that Lamido/Amaechi 2015 ticket has elicited interest from many quarters. Of note however is that political scientists, researchers and analysts have directed attention to Sule Lamido as a person, ostensibly to see his marketability. But in truth, is this man, Sule Lamido marketable in all ramifications as far as Nigeria Presidency is concerned? The answer to this question is simply YES.
Politically conscious Nigerians as well as political scientists will easily tell you on enquiry that Obasanjo himself became President of Nigeria two times not because he put food on the tables of Nigerians, but simply on account of his nationalistic inclination, to start with. He is also seen in many quarters as probably the only man, South-West of Nigeria that has no iota of tribal proclivity in his official engagements. If this writer may ask, was Obasanjo overwhelmingly voted for by Nigerians on the basis of his performance from 1976-79 in 1999? The fact here is that his Nationalistic leaning made the difference for him when his people rejected him. Yes, performance in office can lead to acceptability, but that alone cannot guarantee one the exalted position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Background political check on Sule Lamido.
Effectively Lamido entered politics as a member of People’s Redemption Party [PRP] in second republic. He can be said to have schooled in Mallam Aminu Kano’s politics of the Talakawas. Being a member of a political party that followed order, one can easily tell where he is coming from. He became the National Secretary of Social Democratic Party [SDP] during the third republic; this also illuminated his progressive tendency in Nigeria political setup. It is on record that when General Sani Abacha unfolded plan to return Nigeria to democratic path, Lamido pitched his tent with Social Progressive Party [SPP], and became the National Secretary of the new party. Record has it that he was imprisoned in 1998 by Abacha for criticizing Abacha’s plan to perpetuate himself in office. Under Abdulsalam Abubaker midwife transition programme, Lamido became a member of Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] in 1998. He contested for Governorship position of Jigawa State 1999 elections and narrowly lost to All Peoples Party [APP] candidate, Saminu Turaki.
In June 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo as he then was appointed Lamido, Foreign Affairs Minister. For the brief period he was in charge of Foreign Affairs Ministry, he gave a good account of himself. Speaking at the United Nations in November 2001, Lamido described the corrosive impact of corruption on new democracies such as Nigeria, and called for “an international instrument” against transfer of looted funds abroad. In March 2003, Lamido reacted to a claim by Governor Turaki of Jigawa State that the Federal government had neglected the state, calling on him to account for the way in which he had spent federal funding.
In April 2007, Lamido contested and won the governorship election in Jigawa State. In June 2007, Lamido accused new generation banks of helping state governors to loot their treasuries, and called for tighter regulations. In July 2007 Lamido announced plans to spend N2 billion in the next six months on education, using the money to rebuild schools and provide basic teaching materials. The state also invested N450 million naira for training teachers teaching core courses in junior secondary schools. He initiated major construction programs, led by the Dutse Capital Development Authority and the Jigawa State Housing Authority. In September 2009 Lamido offered to provide free plots of land and basic infrastructure to investors in the tourism and hospitality business in Jigawa State. In December 2009 Lamido announced a plan by which beggars would be given a basic monthly payment to stay off the streets.
Sule Lamido Nationalistic Stands On National Issues In Perspective
It is a well known fact that when it became obvious to everybody that Late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was on his way out of power on account of ill-health, Nigerians knew there was going to be dangerous scheming for power that needed management by well meaning leaders. But in a system where every well meaning Nigerian was an interested party as it were then, presented a tricky scenario; that was exactly what happened in the run-up to 2011 general elections in Nigeria. Of note here is the stabilizing role played by Governor Sula Lamido in the period under review. On the issue of opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan .by a section of Northern elite before and after the primary election of PDP, Lamisdo’s utterances stand him out as a stabilizer per excellence. Hear vintage Sule Lamido: if Northern Muslims could insist that President Jonathan, a Southern Christian, should not be President, then, there is a need to divide Nigeria and let each zone determine its direction. “The point is they are using such sentiments to destroy the North. What is politics all about? Following your opinion. But for someone to say one must abide by his opinion no matter how is wrong. People should be allowed to do what they want. If that is the case, we should divide the country so that we could have the section for Christians and that of the Muslims,” This writer wonders what would have been the fate of 2011 elections in the North if Sule Lamido and his likes were not there.
Perhaps, Sule Lamidod’s position on zoning of Presidency in 2011 could be seen as the most forceful argument from the North and may have been largely responsible for realistic assessment of position by the elites from the zone. Again, this is what he said: “We should know that this issue of zoning, out of about 60 political parties, this zoning issue is for the PDP alone. It does not bother those in the ANPP, CPC or ANC. But because of the circumstance we found ourselves, it has become a general issue. Now they are denouncing the PDP but the fact is that they cannot change anything. “Look at what happened in Kano during the ANPP, there was this boy called Ibrahim Little. For many years he was the only major figure in the ANPP but in the end they forcefully rejected him. Look at how Abacha’s son joined a party within two months and seized everything. So those people, what they are doing, they feel is what everybody is doing. Democracy has a universal definition but then it has no universal application. The application of democracy is beyond the definition. When you are talking of zoning or no zoning, Nigeria is a democracy and should be able to apply democracy to her comfort. Zoning is a kind of mechanism. The application of zoning is based on the existing realities.
The needless tension and noise that greeted General Mohammadu Buhari’s alleged threat in Hausa language that if 2015 election is rigged, blood will flow, will not have occurred if the view of Lamido was sought. Hear him on rigging and 2015: I am not saying that Buhari is not a democrat going by his comments, No, it is not the issue of being a democrat. It’s the issue of self-gratification, because what he is saying is beyond human comprehension. How do you rig election, where we won, he said there was no election. Then how did we win? He won in the entire north yet he said he didn’t win, that his supporters were chased away, they were not voting him. So what is the purpose? On 2015 elections, Lamido further said, Buhari used a Hausa idiom, Kare jini biri, jinni. This is Hausa proverb which simply means that if dog keeps on pestering the monkey, one day the monkey will fight back and both will sustain bloody injuries. Buhari has taken the Hausas hostage. He can’t go to the south and ask them to fight for him; he can’t go to the west and ask them to fight. Will Bakare fight for Buhari in the west? Will people in the east fight for Buhari because he loses an election? Even the Idomas, people from the middle belt will they fight for Buhari because he lost an election? Who are those he is asking to fight? The Hausas. So the rest of Nigeria is wishing us luck on how we are killing each other. From what he said it means Hausas should be killing one another. I don’t see any Igbo man dying because of Buhari, not even Tony Momoh the CPC chairman or Bakare the pastor, I don’t see them dying because Buhari did not win an election. Even the Yorubas cannot die for Buhari. He is asking the Hausas to kill one another.
Those who are talking about Jonathan now have no idea how he became a vice president and how he became the president and what transpired within the governors to make him the president. So people are talking about Jonathan the finished product and not the raw material. And they are free to appropriate him, to localise him. Was that how he emerged, were they the ones who voted him, were they the ones who made him the VP. These people, who are now talking, were they the ones who made him the vice president, had they any input. When he became the president, had they any idea that he was going to run in 2011. We will not allow anybody to appropriate or create a local president for their own locality; we are looking for the Nigerian president. Not president of the Nigerian Hausas, the president of the Nigerian Yorubas, the president of the Nigerian Igbo, the president of the Nigerian Urhobos or the Munchis. We are looking for a Nigerian president whether Yoruba or Igbo. Jonathan is a president of Nigerian consensus. Nigerians made him. Jonathan symbolizes Nigeria because he is a creation of all Nigerians across all divides. Jonathan is not the president of the Urhobos, Jonathan is Nigerian president and therefore nobody should appropriate him. Now whatever is going to happen by 2015 is going to be by the same Nigerian consensus.
On issue of corruption Sule Lamido calls it a national phenomenon. In an interview, he said: “Again, you are speaking like typical Nigerians. You are also part of the Nigerian crisis. People in the National Assembly, government houses, in the Armed Forces, in the police, in the market, in the universities are all drawn from the Nigerian environment. So, when we are speaking about corruption, why don’t you do some kind of reflection? Are we upright? “It is a very serious problem. It is not an issue of Farouk, it is a Nigerian crisis. Are you upright? People take you and try to make money out of you. If you go to market to buy oranges, they put big ones on top and the little ones under.“When the media go to get news, they play it up. So, all of us as a people, what do we do? Why don’t we begin to define some standard upon which we can begin to operate? What do we do as a people? Corruption is a national phenomenon. Everybody has to be able to say yes, ‘I will not do it.”
On insecurity in Nigeria occasioned by Boko Hara menace, Lamido warns against sectionalizing the problem. Hear him: “Stop looking at this thing in isolation. You are facing a wider problem of national security in the country and therefore, no place will be secure if one part is not secure. Nobody will be secure in the north if people in the south are not secure and vice versa. “Even the pressmen should be able to raise the debate in a more serious way that we don’t trivialize and make it sectional or give them compartmentalized localities. No. It is more holistic. “Today, security has gone beyond what you call sovereign security. It is now security from fear. It is for all of us. The country is going through a lot of problem. Therefore it needs our understanding, our unity and our patience to be able to rescue ourselves from our misdemeanor. “How do you become free from fear? It is by passing information, by being law abiding, by being cooperative, by doing everything to entrench national security in our statement, in whatever we say. There must be some circumspection in what we do and whatever we say.”
Clearly then, Sule Lamido stands head and shoulder higher than his pears with respect to consideration on Presidency. His curriculum vitae speak for itself. He has never been controversially sectional in politics, his position on National issues are faultless. He does not maintain double standard in politics. But one thing is certain about Lamido, he is not the one that can be stampeded into presidential contest. Just like he said, NIGERIAN CONSENSUS will determine 2015; however, SULE LAMIDO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FROM THE NORTH!
Emeka Oraetoka
Information Management Consultant& Political Researcher
Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson says, the Heroes Park, the proposed burial site for the late former National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoye Azazi in Yenagoa will henceforth be the final resting place for all true legends and heroes of the State.
According to him, the Heroes Park will also serve as a monumental and historic site, as well as a constant reminder of those that gave their all to the service of the State and Nation at various times and a source of inspiration to Bayelsans, both present and in the future.
He said great sons of Bayelsa like Late Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, Ernest Ikoli amongst others are going to be strategically placed in the Heroes Park as a mark of honour and respect for their selfless and committed service to Bayelsa, the Ijaw Nation and Nigeria in general.
Governor Dickson stated that, the Heroes Park will also become a unique Tourism destination, not only for the Ijaw Nation, but to other Nigerians and people from other parts of the world.
Government’s intention, he noted is to make the Heroes Park a regular Tourist site like the famous Lincoln Memorial and Ground Zero in the United States, among others.
Meanwhile, a Government House statement says, a number high profile guests are expected to attend the burial activities of late General Owoye Azazi this weekend in Yenagoa.
Expected to arrive in the Bayelsa State capital from Today are former Heads of State, State Governors, members of the National Assembly, top Military Officers both serving and retired as well as members of the diplomatic corp.
The statement also called on Bayelsans to participate fully in the burial programmes as that is one way by which we can honour a worthy son, who rendered quality service the State and the Country.
The Abia State command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), says it has established two road side clinics at kilometer 78, Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway and the Abia Tower in Umuahia.
Abia state Commander of the agency, Mr. John Meheux who stated this at Osisioma Motor Park in Aba during the flag off of the final phase of the ‘Ember Months’ campaign sponsored by Nigeria Breweries Plc, Aba, said the aim of the campaign was to reduce accidents during the festive season.
Meheux said the essence of establishing the clinics was to assist road accident victims. “Within 20 minutes after an accident, men of the commission would be at hand to attend to the victims at the designated clinics,” he stated.
He disclosed that the FRSC has deployed over 400 regular marshals and a number of special marshals to man roads in the state to ensure lane discipline during the Christmas festivities.
“During the period of the campaign, we interacted with the leaders of transport union in the state on the dangers inherent in their members driving when drunk.
“We chose to meet with the leaders of the drivers’ union at their various motor parks because and they are the ones on ground who should know when a driver was drunk and should replace him with another for a journey.”
He urged motorists to use the toll free line of 122 to contact his men in the case of any emergency during this period.
Speaking on the occasion, the Public Affairs Manager- East, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Mrs Emete Tonukari said her company sponsored the campaign as part of her social responsibilities.
She added that although her company was involved in the production of alcoholic beverages, it still deemed it necessary to partner with FRSC to mount campaign against drunk driving
“Things seem different when you are drunk, so don’t drink any form of alcohol when driving,”Emete said.
