Gov. Peter Obi yesterday donated three Coaster buses to Anambra State University, Uli; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; and University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He said the gesture was part of the policy of his Governemnt to support the provision of infrastructure in our various schools of learning in other to serve our people better. He noted that apart from Anambra State University owned by the State, the other two have Anambra as their catchment areas and as such serve the people of Anambra State.
Speaking further, Obi, who lamented the fallen standard of education, appealed to students to take their studies seriously in other to be useful to themselves and to the State. Condemning the prevalence of cultism, he said that anybody intent on being successful in life must avoid such organisations and shun all manner of societal vices.
Obi who is presentlty touring all secondary schools in the State with grant of 20 Million Naira to each of them for their rehabilitation, called on wealthy individuals and corporate organisations to support the efforts of the Government in revamping the education sector.
Speaking on behalf of the recipients of the buses, Prof. Boniface Egboka, the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University thanked Obi for the gesture, recalling that he had made such interventions a routine affair. He thanked him for the attention he pays to education and for the resources he is committing into the sector.
While Prof Egboka received the bus for UNIZI, Prof. Fidelis Okafor received for Anambra State University and Prof. Anene Muoneke for UNN
TEHRAN — Iran has in the past shot down more spy US ScanEagle drones, a model of which it claimed to have captured recently, media reports said Tuesday, quoting a senior military official.
“We had already shot down this type of drone, (copies of which) are being produced in the country,” said Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace division.
The Guards claimed last week to have captured a US-operated ScanEagle drone, a short-range unmanned aircraft, in Iranian airspace but gave no details about how it was captured, nor where or when.
State television showed images of what it said was the drone: a grey, unmarked vehicle suspended in a hangar seemingly intact.
The United States denied losing such a drone recently.
Hajizadeh did not say when Iran had downed the ScanEagles — used by US and allied forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Australia, Canada, Poland and the United Arab Emirates, according to Boeing background information.
ISNA news agency quoted him as saying: “We have got our hands on copies of this drone which had already crashed or we captured them.”
Hajizadeh said the recent capture of the drone, however, did not provide Iran with new technology, adding that “we are currently producing its copies.”
A Guards spokesman said last week data had been extracted from the drone, which had led to Iran finding “what the Americans were looking for”.
“The drone was gathering intelligence on military (objectives) as well as the energy sector, particularly oil transitions at terminals,” Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif said.
A year ago, Iran displayed a bigger and vastly more sophisticated US drone, a bat-winged stealth RQ-170 Sentinel, it said it had captured by hacking its guidance system and said it would reverse-engineer the drone to make its own.
Hajizadeh also said Iran had now “fully deciphered” all data saved on the RQ-170. He did not elaborate further.
The ScanEagle that Iran says it now possesses is a much cheaper, simpler drone than the RQ-170. It is principally designed to feed back video images over a radio link to operators up to 100 kilometres (60 miles) away.
The All Nigeria Peoples Party [ANPP] received with interest the news that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities [SSANU], Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions [NASU] and the National Association of Academic Technologists [NAAT] will commence a 7-day warning strike today, because of the Federal Governments’ refusal to implement the 2009 agreements between them and Government; and the non-inclusion of funds for the payment of the Earned Allowances in the 2013 budget, as well as the findings of the report of a committee of NEEDS Assessment in the universities. Considering that the nation’s education sector is fast dwindling before our very eyes as a result of lack of adequate infrastructure and qualified manpower, and insufficient motivation for staff, we consider it outrageous that the Federal Government would still dilly-dally on issues concerning this critical sector.
Recently, the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigeria [CVC] reported that Nigerians spend an average of 500 million dollars annually on European and American universities. We are worried that this PDP government seems not to care that people are losing faith in Nigerian universities, the breeding ground of the country’s future leaders. We are also worried that the government appears ignorant of the effect of this on the image of the country in the comity of nations. We are most worried that it is blind to the effect strikes, academic disruptions, and unstable school calendar have on security and social equilibrium of the nation.
Last week, the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory [FCT] opposed additional N9billion expenditure on Vice President Namadi Sambo’s official residence which is being built. If additional money could be demanded for one man’s house, why can’t additional money be added for the upgrading of the country’s education infrastructure and the welfare of its staff, which affects millions of our youths and touches the fundamental nucleus of the nation’s development?
The ANPP calls on the Federal Government to go back to the negotiating table with the University staff, and not only fulfill the promises it made to them in 2009, but effect more creative engagement strategies with these University personnel in order to forestall future strikes for the benefit of our children and the good of the land. As a party we believe that a government can only earn the confidence of the people it governs when it is seen to have its priorities right and is sincere in prudent administration of the people’s scarce resources.
A University lecturer, Professor Philip Agbebaku has told the Edo Election Petitions Tribunal that Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State was his classmate at the Blessed Martin Secondary Model School, Jattu, Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area from 1963-1965.
Prof Agbebaku who was a witness for the 1st defendant, Governor Adams Oshiomhole told the tribunal at its resumed hearing, yesterday, that the Edo Governor was known as Adams Aliu when he was in school.
The witness told the tribunal that the Governor was then known and addressed as Adams Aliu but was not surprised that the Governor is now known as Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, saying that people add to or subtract from their names as they grow old, saying that he (witness) was also formerly known as Sunday Phillip Agbebaku, but later dropped the name ‘Sunday’ from his credentials, saying this did not detract from his credentials.
Under cross-examination from the Petitioner’s counsel, Chief Efe Akpofure (SAN), on whether the results obtained by the Governor from Ruskin College, Oxford, the United Kingdom was equivalent to a Secondary school certificate, Prof Agbebaku said the courses listed in the certificate were in fact higher than secondary school subjects and were university courses, saying “my Lord, Industrial Relations, Industrial Sociology and Industrial Economics are all University Courses and are far, far higher than Senior Secondary School certificate subjects and cannot be taught in a school lower than the equivalent of a university.”
Speaking further, the witness who is an expert in International Relations told the Tribunal that the power to evaluate the equivalents of results or certificates was vested in a section of the Ministry of Education, adding that his academic qualifications as a Professor of note enables him to rate the equivalent of certificates.
He told the tribunal that whatever the Petitioner, Maj-Gen. Chareles Airhiavbere told the tribunal was his personal opinion. He pointed out Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole as the Adams Aliu who was his classmate at Blessed Martins Secondary Model School, Jattu, Uzairue.
On the insinuation by Counsel to Airhiavbere, Chief Efe Akpofure (SAN) that the witness testified for the 1st petitioner, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, because he wants his wife Prof Blessing Agbebaku to be confirmed as Vice Chancellor of the Ambrose Alli University, the witness said his wife as Professor of Law was lecturer to some of the lawyers at the Tribunal, and is eminently qualified to be the Vice Chancellor of any University in the World.
Sitting in the matter has been adjourned till January 10, 2013.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has commended the United States of America for its role in global peace and security.
President Jonathan was speaking to General Carter Ham, Commander of the United States’ Africa Command, AFRICOM, who paid a courtesy call to State House, Tuesday, as part of activities during a visit to present a paper at the National Defence College, Abuja.
‘We appreciate the commitment of the United States to assist in ensuring that the world is safe and secure,’ he stated.
The President said Nigeria was facing various security challenges, such as Boko Haram, policing the nation’s extensive maritime borders, crude oil theft and kidnapping, and called on the USA to support the Government’s efforts to find lasting solutions to these problems.
President Jonathan also briefed Gen. Ham on his visit to Mali and the efforts by ECOWAS to resolve the conflict in that country, adding that the situation could still be contained if the right steps are taken quickly.
He congratulated President Barrack Obama on his re-election, and commended the smooth US elections.
Earlier, Gen. Carter Ham, Commander of AFRICOM, had said he seized the opportunity to present a paper at the National Defence College to hold talks with security agencies on ways to strengthen the partnership between Nigerian and American forces.
He said the USA was ready to cooperate with Nigeria in areas such as maritime security, communications, development of civil-military capabilities, and resolving the conflict in Mali.
Gen. Ham commended Nigeria’s Defence College for the harmonious working relationship between military personnel and civilians with participants from neighboring countries on security issues.
Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has warned that any landlord who increases rent of their property as part of the land use charge will have the building confiscated by government and turned into a public school.
The Governor who gave the warning while speaking a at town hall meeting with stakeholders in the tax sector to sensitise the people the recently passed law on the Land Use Charge 2012 said it will not be a burden for the tenants but a levy on owners of large expanse of land especially in the Government Reservation Areas.
“If a landlord passes this burden to the tenants, they are taking unmitigated risk. The government will take the land of the landlord who increases their rent and bulldozers will go in to action and turn the land to a school,” he noted.
According to him, “nobody who is economically disabled will be made to pay the land use charge, it will not put additional burden on the poor and it will not be used in any way to oppress the poor and a good section of the middle class.”
While noting that the law is not for tenants, Comrade Oshiomhole maintained that the government will not devise policies against the poor because the poor need support.
“But those who are rich must be made to pay for the land because the most important resource in Edo State is the land which nobody brought from heaven. You will see how families are squeezed in old traditional homes, face-me, I face-you, in that same street, you have another man who occupies ten thousand square metres, from the beginning of the street to another. The truth must be told that before God we are all equal. If one man could take so much land, and the rest of the people live in a small 50 by 50 land, as he acquired the land, he will pay for it.”
The Governor noted that those targeted by the Land Use Charge Law are instigating some people to protest against the law, saying “those are benefitting from a system that impoverishes the poor will do everything possible to maintain their status”, noting that “those who do not wish the state well are doing everything possible to turn the truth on its head.”
“From the governor down, everybody must be under the law. I have the support of the only person who has what others do not have, that is the paramount traditional ruler who can say he owns the land, by reasons of our traditional law. That is the Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba Uku Akpolokpolo, Happily he has been very supportive and those who are resisting this tax are collecting royalties on land from farmers who they have rendered tenants. Government-owned land that was reserved for them to use they have sub-let it to Yoruba farmers to use to make as much as forty million naira a year, collecting rent from the actual farmers while they are doing their practice in the city,” Comrade Oshiomhole added.
While assuring the poor that they will not be affected by the new law, Oshiomhole said “this government will never, ever under excuse implement evolve policies that will affect those we classify as poor.”
This law which I have signed, which we will implement ruthlessly, all our poor people living in high density areas of the state, all poor people will not pay. This tax is for people living in parts of the GRA. I want to assure you that all our rural areas, nobody there will pay tax, but, if you have a big house in the village in excess of 100 by 100, like myself, I will pay, but taxes will not be imposed on family houses. Market women are my people, I know where majority of them live, this law is not about them”, he noted.
The Governor insisted: “My mission in government is not only to build roads, to build schools, to build hospitals, to restore infrastructure it is also to ensure that there is justice. That the rich respects the rights of those who are not so rich. We must respect everybody’s age, but every elderly man must look at the child with pity and love and not wickedness.”
Comrade Oshiomhole disclosed that the reason Nigeria is not making progress is because for too long, the poor has been subsidizing the rich, adding that, the land use charge will be implemented ruthlessly in the state.
“On assumption office, I did promise that there are enough resources in the state and if managed prudently and order our priority right, we will be able to build a new Edo which our grand children will be proud of,” he added.
The governor appealed to students not to allow themselves to be corrupted by some rich persons to lead others fight.
In their various comments at the forum, some respondents commended the governor for taking a bold action which will make the rich pay taxes, while and a civil rights activist, Rev. David Ugolor appealed to the governor to invest in government owned media to enable them compete favourably with the private owned media in the state.
Following the escape from arrest, of the former Kogi State governor, Abubakar Audu, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on December 11, 2012, the Commission has concluded plans to declare him wanted.
The former governor, alleged to have fraudulently enriched himself to the tune of over N4 billion while he was governor of Kogi State between 1999 and 2003, fled when operatives of the Commission stormed his 32 Suleiman Barau street, Aso Villa, Asokoro Abuja residence in the early hours of today.
The latest effort to arrest the ex- governor followed a Supreme Court ruling of November 23, 2012, which dismissed the ex-governor’s appeal to continue to protract his corruption trial by EFCC. The Supreme Court ruling therefore clears the way for his fresh arraignment.
It would be recalled that Audu was arrested in Jos in 2006 after a six months manhunt by operatives of the Commission, before his earlier arraignment at the Kogi state High Court on December 1, 2006, on an 80 criminal count charge of conspiracy, fraud, criminal breach of trust and embezzlement of public fund.
The EFCC had, while the case lasted at the high court, cause issuance of nolle prosequi by the former Attorney- General of Kogi state, Dr. John Alewo Agbonika and the Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo on February 8, 2007 for the case to be discontinued at the Kogi State High Court as the Commission claimed to have lost faith in the handling of the matter by the State High Court.
“In my capacity as the AG of Kogi state in collaboration with the AG of the Federation and by virtue of the power vested in me by Section 211 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Section 253 of the CPC and all the powers enabling me in that behalf, I Dr. John Alewo Agbonika hereby inform this honourable court that I no longer intend to continue the prosecution of this case in collaboration with the AG of the Federation to whom I had given a fiat to prosecute this case”, Agbonika, the former Kogi State Attorney General said.
But rather than discontinue the matter in the spirit of the nolle prosequi, the trial judge, Justice Medupin, went ahead as he further referred two questions to the Court of Appeal for determination.
In a judgement delivered by JusticeBode Rhodes-Vivour, the Supreme Court held that the Court of Appeal was wrong to consider the questions referred to it for determination after being aware from the records of Appeal that a nolle prosequi had been filed.
“This is so because there is/was nothing before the trial court, so there would be nothing for the Court of Appeal to send back. It amounted to an academic exercise for the Court of Appeal to waste judicial time considering questions from a case that is no longer in existence. There was no longer live issue to be considered by the Court of appeal in view of nolle prosequi filed in the trial court”, the Supreme Court ruled.
Part of the setback suffered by the Commission in the prosecution of the case was the filing of several applications by the defendant for stay of proceedings at the high court pending the final determination of the appeal. Audu had on December 12, 2011, through his lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, filed the stay of proceedings motion supported by 11-paragraph Affidavit. This was 26 clear days after the Supreme Court of Nigeria on November 16, 2011, struck out a similar application he filed on January 24, 2011.
There is disturbing news within pastoral circles in Abuja concerning some backslidden colleagues whose recent patronage of a certain Port Harcourt based occult woman is a source of concern. This woman fabled with the ability to make people see visions of people’s names, phone numbers, bank details, colors of ladies underwear and sundry secrets. After reading my recent article ‘new style prophets : visions of phone numbers and ladies underwear’, a pastor who was about to be initiated into the Port Harcourt Cult of Prophets, out of little fear of God, sought a second opinion on the issue. This pastor who has a small church in Abuja believes that the numerical strength of his church is not commensurate with his efforts and is desperate to try other means of succeeding in ministry. Therefore, he intended joining the group loyal to the mystery woman before my meeting with him.
Some pastors have confirmed to me that actually there is a woman in Port Harcourt who gives power to see visions and they mentioned the names of some colleagues that patronized her. This woman whom they claimed is so powerful that she can appear and disappear, will firstly demand some indecent sexual gratification from the prospective pastor as signs of loyalty, including sucking of certain organs. After the sexual affairs, she will make some animal cry and administer some other materials and the eyes of the patrons will open to see the spirit world and discuss with some strange beings. She indoctrinates them that there is nothing like heaven, hell or sin and that God kept lots of treasures in the water kingdom to help humanity in fashion, music, movies, politics, finance, health and pastoral work and only those bound by oath of loyalty and secrecy are eligible to access the treasures of the spirit world. They described pastors who are yet to join as slaves who will soon bow to the children of the illuminated.
Many pastors, both young and old ones are being lured into this Port Harcourt cult and within weeks what appears like miracles, prophesy and prosperity becomes regular feature in their congregation. Some notable pastors in Abuja have shamelessly joined the bandwagon while a others stuck to their other sources of powers. One of the recently initiated pastors mentioned the names of a bishop and a prophet patronized by top government officials within the presidency among those who convinced him to visit the woman. Rather than see the entire operation as demonic, he sees it as business and advised others to connect before the window closes.
Another pastor who renounced membership of the cult earlier in the year had to run away from his base to Abuja when he received constant death threat from the group. He was advised to subject himself to days of fasting at one of the deliverance churches in town which he promptly did.
The situation has become alarming that the aforementioned pastor who was approached for membership, out of indecision and fear of hell fire, sought my opinion, and subsequently paid a visit to a recent initiate. According to the recently initiated pastor, the consultation and oil fee was initially N100, 000 naira but due to the surging crowd, they have increased the consultation fee to N200, 000 naira. Then there are prices for different types of oil. The most popular is called ‘’seeing oil’’ which empowers people to see into other peoples secret. The next most popular oil is called ‘do as I say’ which makes it possible for the congregation to do whatsoever the pastor says without any compulsion including surrendering all live savings. There is also oil called ‘touch and follow’ which they use to hypnotize any beautiful lady who comes their way into sleeping with them. There is oil for falling under anointing called ‘slaying oil’. There is ‘crowd pulling oil’ used to increase membership strength. The payment for the oil is different from the consultation fee.
This oil must be serviced and refreshed by constant homosexual, fornication and adulterous activities especially shortly before preaching. The second condition is that the pastor must emphasize on prosperity and motivational messages above the message of righteousness. The pastors will also return to give back a part of the proceeds as thanksgiving.
I had weeks earlier confronted a pastor of a church who recently patronized the woman and was excited that he now sees into people’s future. This man whose attempt to draw crowd to his church and enter the league of super rich failed repeatedly despite numerous efforts, got tired of the situation and decided to help God. His submission and affinity to some senior colleagues for transference of anointing through seed sowing and impartation equally failed until a bishop introduced him to this powerful woman in Port Harcourt. This once firebrand pastor now indulges in homosexuality and adultery and does not feel any compunction about it.
This issue of pastors getting powers from occultist kingdom was first experienced by me as a young pastor in a church seventeen years ago and we observed strange things which we didn’t understand but rejected because it didn’t look spiritually clean. Years later during a retreat at Scripture Union Camp of Faith Okigwe, I came back to the hostel around 2am after prayers and overhead a very senior pastor of a church in Owerri at one corner behind the hostel sobbing and telling God that ‘’if you do not give me power now to do the miraculous, I will go to where others go to get theirs…’’ This pastor, oblivious of my presence, went ahead to mention in his prayers ,the names of pastors colleagues who have gone to get powers from different places and threatened God to either show up or risk losing him to the other side’’. Later on I started receiving eyewitness account of some people who have acquired strange powers, how they got involved and why they did such.
One of them who recently joined this Port Harcourt cult , in response to my disapproval said ‘’man of God, if hunger have wired you, you wouldn’t be talking like this ‘’ while the other one said that he cannot continue to tolerate the sight of little pastors making waves while he continues to be a spectator.
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have not effectively monitored pastoral activities while some pastors have rejected membership of the body; therefore everybody is his own master. This overemphasis on prosperity is killing the churches that now some pastor flock to strange places for spiritual empowerment in order to belong to the class of super rich pastors, accompanied by lots of homosexual bodyguards. The generation that started the Pentecostal revival in Nigeria immediately after the Biafra war, gave birth to pastors like Uma Ukpai, Paul Nwachukwu, Austin Nwodika, Nicholas Ezeh, Williams Kumuyi, Enoch Adeboye, David Oyedepo, Mike Okonkwo and the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa , Prophet Gabriel Oduyemi, among others. The current generation is birthing pastors who flock to bar beach Lagos, Calabar, Kumasi, Ashanti, Tamale and some parts of Cameroun to receive powers.
If these Pentecostal fathers do not hasten to address this evil trend and arrest the influx of strange powers into the church, within the next five years, the Nigerian Church will become a branch of the Marine kingdom and the little fire of the Holy Spirit still remaining will be extinguished. The history of strange powers infiltrating the church started from Simon the Magnus (Acts 8 vs 9-24) who repented at the preaching of Philip but later according to church history as illustrated by Iraneaus and Justin Martyr became the author of strange signs in the church. However, the early church rose against it and temporarily checkmated it.
However, if the church leaders show the usual indifference attitude to the issue, non-pastors, church workers and the laity should endeavor to personally grow their faith in God and be careful of wolves in sheep’s clothing whose purpose is to win souls for the devil.
It is worthy to note that majority of pastors in Abuja who have been approached for membership rejected it outright and it is only few misled ones that appear excited about this Port Harcourt Occult woman. God still performs miracles in churches and pastors in need of such grace should wait upon The Lord in prayers instead of seeking the assistance of unclean spirits. Genuine pastors should shut down spiritually all these manifestations of strange powers before the anger of God falls on both the guilty and the innocent with disastrous consequences.
The 2012 Hajj operations may have come and gone successfully, but the memoirs it left in many pilgrims and hajj administrators in Nigeria will remain for a little long. The airlift operations began on 19th September with Kano pilgrims and ended on 27th November, 2012 when the last batch of pilgrims Kano and Maiduguri zones were brought back to Nigeria by Kabo Air, one of the four airlines approved by the federal government for 2012 Hajj. Other airlines that participated and performed wonderfully were Max Air, Med-view and Meridian. They have proved that the drive of the federal government to institutionalize local content is in the right direction.
One major issue that challenged the 2012 Hajj was Mahram (female guide) which is an important condition for a female pilgrim. For the first time in the history of Hajj operations in Nigeria, the Saudi authorities initially denied many Nigerian female pilgrims entrance into the Kingdom on the basis that they did not have Maharim, (Mahram for singular). Over 1,500 female pilgrims were refused entry by the Saudi Immigration.
Though one struggles not to link this ugly development with the wishes of those who have been hell-bent in destabilizing holy pilgrimages, planning against the success of pilgrimage operations and even exploring avenues to scrap national pilgrimage commissions, it is quite unfortunate that this is happening at a time when hajj management in Nigeria has advanced to a commendable level.
But on any account, it should be noted that as Muslims, whatever happens is preordained by Allah and therefore it cannot be the ploy of a group of persons or even a government that can stop Nigerian Muslims from embarking on the yearly journey to Makkah to fulfill their religious obligations.
Personal investigations revealed that some political shake-up in the Saudi government might not have been unconnected to the challenges faced by different nationalities in the 2012 Hajj. While Nigeria faced the challenge of Mahram, about three countries were not allowed to perform the last Hajj on the basis of some epidemics that were alleged to have ravaged those countries. Some other countries which travel by road to the Kingdom had their own tales of woe.
The three new faces in the leadership of Saudi Arabia who must have directly affected the whole 2012 Hajj operations were: the new Crown Prince Salman bn Abdul-Aziz who is also the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, the new Minister of Interior, Amir Ahmad bn Abdul-Aziz and the new Minister of Hajj, Dr. Bandar Hajjar who was the former Deputy Speaker of the Saudi House of Shurah.
Their predecessors though tough could be said to have been mild in policy implementation. Salman’s predecessor, Amir Naif bn Abdul-Aziz was also the Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. Three sensitive but somewhat unrelated positions! Amir Ahmad who took over from Amir Naif exclusively handles interior matters of which the immigration is an integral part. It must be noted that the Ministry of Interior is such a sensitive one that oversees the internal security of any country. And the new Minister of Hajj who took over from Dr. Fuad bn Abdussalam Al-Farisi is coming from a more internal organ of the government, the House of Shurah.
The thing to observe is that most of the Saudi Crown Princes occupy more than a position at a time. The position of the Prime Minister is strictly attached to the Crown Prince. An instance to mention is late Crown Prince Sultan bn Abdul-Aziz who was also the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Minister of Aviation and Auditor General of the Kingdom.
As it is in the Saudi dynasty, the Interior Minister Ahmad bn Abudul-Aziz is believed not to belong to the main family made up of 11 brothers from the most influential wife of King Abdul-Aziz, Hassa bint Ahmad al-Sudairi – the family whose influence in Saudi Government cannot be overemphasized. So sensitive as the Ministry is, Ahmad couldn’t have withstood the pressure from the son of his predecessor, Amir Muhammad Naif bn Abdul-Aziz who was his father’s assistant in the Interior Ministry from 1999 to the death of his father in June 2012. Amir Muhammad was said to have been in total control of the Ministry throughout the period of his father’s health challenge.
Somehow, it was a challenge for Ahmad to have accepted the position just to willingly – as politically intertwined – resign the appointment on Monday 5th November, 2012 for the late Naif’s son to take over. This historical background in Saudi dynasty became necessary to showcase how power-play might have affected the 2012 Hajj operations worldwide. Who knows? Could it be that the tension created by the Mahram and allied matters during the 2012 Hajj contributed in the silent removal of Ahmad from the position he occupied for only four months?
Furthermore, in every society, there is also a mild or drastic change in the implementation or enforcement of extant policies with the advent of an entirely new government or infusion of new blood into the government. More so, any sensitive arm of government can single-handedly cause a positive change in the entire government such that other arms sit up to their duties. This is what happens in any country where their systems work. However, these three Saudi personalities really took Nigerians unawares. And as many Nigerians would believe, Saudis have always been stringent on their policies when it concerns Nigerians.
Nigerians were taken unawares because right from the preparations for 2012 Hajj which was officially launched in February 2012 by the signing of the 2012 Hajj Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Saudi Government via the Ministry of Hajj and the Nigerian Government via the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), there was no mention of the Mahram issue neither verbally or in written document.
To recall in this connection was the 4,000 additional Hajj slots granted to Nigeria at the tail end of 2011 Hajj preparations which the Saudi Government insisted must be completely utilized by Nigeria if it must continue to have it. Nigeria complied and it was distributed to the states that requested for additional allocations. But when NAHCON signed the 2012 Hajj agreement, the 4,000 slots were not included, and on enquiry, the Commission was told that it was only a bonus for 2011 Hajj. This was after the Commission had distributed the 2012 Hajj seats to the State Boards and agencies based on the added 4,000 slots of 2011.
The case here is that Saudis seem to be latent in dealing with Nigeria. The MOU signed between the two countries every year should clearly and categorically state what is required from both sides. Even if the laws had been in existence, there is no harm in re-emphasizing them during the meetings with each and every Saudi Hajj interest agency. And especially when it is a matter of international relation, the embassies of both countries should be accurately informed.
Once more I assert that Nigerians and Saudi authorities in Nigeria were taken unawares because several meetings were held between NAHCON and the Saudi Embassy and Consulate in Abuja and Kano respectively during the preparatory stages and before the issuance of Hajj visa began.
The Saudi Embassy in Abuja and its consulate in Kano couldn’t have done Nigerian female pilgrims any good by issuing them visas, knowing that they cannot enter their country with the visas. After all, the process of acquiring a Hajj visa is such that the data and all relevant information are posted online the visa portal of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The posted information is viewed by all relevant Saudi authorities before approval is granted for issuance of the visa via the Saudi Embassy and its Consulate. At that stage, the applicant can be queried and denied visa. So it was beyond doubt that the Saudi Embassy was satisfied with the Nigeria’s compliance to the Hajj visa processing requirements.
Therefore, it could then have been an afterthought by the new Ministers in the Saudi Government to enforce the Mahram policy especially on Nigeria when Hajj airlift operations had begun for five days from the 1st flight on 19th October to the 16th flight on 23rd October, from different departure zones in Nigeria. Or did they suddenly realize that young Nigerian female pilgrims were many? Or is there age-limit for female pilgrims in Islam? Even if so, what was the reason behind screening the male pilgrims first and then denying some of the females whose husbands had been screened? This made some pilgrims refuse to enter the Kingdom without their wives. Saudis even ignored the Maliki School of Thought on the issue of Mahram which Nigeria has practiced over the years by making the State Executives Maharim for some of their female pilgrims.
To show how serious NAHCON took the matter, three emergency meetings were summoned in Abuja with the Chief Executives of the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and Agencies. In the last that was held on 3rd October, 2012 at the NICON Luxury Hotel, the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Khalid O. Y. Abdurabuh and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) were invited though represented. In that meeting, the Consul-General of the Saudi Embassy, Muhammad Al-Aseery, who represented the Ambassador gave the assurance that visas for all the female pilgrims who were brought back by Nigeria on Mahram basis will be reprocessed for them to attend the Hajj.
Against the views and actions of the Saudi Immigration, he explained three critical points. First was that a woman and her Mahram do not have to share the same name. Instead, the existing relationship must be specified. For instance a woman who bears Fatima Idris may have Jameel Abubakar as her Mahram with a brotherhood relationship. Second was that there was no specific number of women attached to one Mahram who can be a brother, an uncle, a nephew to five or seven females. The third point was that women above 45 years do not need to have a Mahram.
The Commission, after several consultations, suspended airlift operations for 48 hours, while the Presidency on the directive of Mr. President immediately set up a 5-man delegation led by the Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal , to meet with the Saudi authorities in the Kingdom. The Minister of State II for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nuruddeen Muhammad, the Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Abubakar Shehu Bunu, the Nigerian Consul-General in Jeddah, Ambassador Ahmad Umar, Board Members and staff of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Chief Executives of State MPWBs and agencies could not have rest until the problem was resolved.
Three important resolutions at the meetings which smoothened the operations afterward were that the States must ensure appropriate documentation and pairing of female pilgrims with their Maharim to and fro Saudi, the Nigerian Immigration should disallow from travelling any female pilgrim without Mahram and for the airlines not to issue tickets and boarding pass to such females.
It is sure that this matter has tested the age-long cordial relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Nigeria has always appreciated the extant rules of the Kingdom. It is assured, however, that the peaceful resolution of the problem has once more endeared each of the country to the other. Whoever committed the mistake is now secondary. The most significant is that all steps followed by the Nigerian side to resolve the impasse gradually yielded the finally desired result.
To note is the fact that no Nigerian female pilgrim was deported from Saudi Arabia on the base of no Mahram, because deportation is a terminology that connotes forceful return of a citizen back to his country on certain criminal or deplorable charges. Nigerian female pilgrims did not contravene any Saudi law. If not, the Saudi Embassy would not have issued them visas.
Another thing to note is that Nigerian government stood firm behind its citizens and defended them against humiliation by the Saudi authorities. Food and medical services were however provided while the issues were being trashed out until the government brought them back to Nigeria honourably before reprocessing their visas. All the pilgrims who were brought back still performed their Hajj obligations accordingly with the rest of their brethren across the world. I give kudos to the Nigerian government for this marvelous gesture and wish it is extended to all Nigerians with genuine cases around the world.
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Muhammad Ajah is a writer, author and advocate of the rule of law and good governance. E-mail mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk
Immediate past Kwara State governor, Senator Bukola Saraki and his sister, Senator Gbemi Saraki have renewed the long-running feud between them, which came to the open in the wake of 2011 governorship election in Kwara State where Sen. Gbemi’s ambition to become the state governor was thwarted by her brother who backed the incumbent governor of the state, Abdulfatai Ahmed.
The disagreement over political ambitions soured relations between them, and in the aftermath of her defeat at the poll, Sen. Gbemi relocated to United States where she was until her father died on November 14, 2011. Their father, late Dr. Olusola Saraki before his death tried to resolve their differences but to no avail.
It would also be recalled that in one of the last interviews the late strongman of Kwara’s politics granted journalists before his demise, he revealed that their political differences had been settled but what remained was that of their quarrel within the family.
And despite creating the illusion that the family was not torn apart during their father’s burial last month, sources claim the warring pair who are not from the same mother, have both gone back to the trenches. This time around, it is Senator Bukola on one side, and Senator Gbemi, and her mother’s children, Laolu Saraki, and Mrs. Tope Edu (nee Saraki) on the other side.
Though what caused the latest row was very sketchy at the time of going to press, information from sources close to the family revealed that, their late father’s younger brother, Alh. Olatunji Abdullahi Ayinla who lives at Adewale Estate in Ilorin has mediated in the recent dispute in the house of the Sarakis.
The Ilorin Emir, Alh. Ibrahim Sulu- Gambari who was in United States when Dr. Saraki died and flew down to Ilorin on the day of the Fidau Prayer to witness the occasion was recently in Lagos at the deceased’s house in Ikoyi to broker a peace meeting among the warring siblings.-
