2015 polls may end up like Rivers/NGF crises...TINUBU PROPHECY!

at Monday, July 15, 2013

The National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said the Rivers State and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum crises are a presage of what will happen in the coming 2015 elections.

He, therefore, condemned the crises and the underlying forces behind them, saying such would only turn “an imperfect democracy into a perfect mess.”

The former Governor of Lagos State, in a statement on Sunday, accused President Goodluck Jonathan of masterminding the crisis in Rivers State.

Tinubu, who described the crisis as an “assault on the constitution,” explained that the crisis showed the failure of the Peoples Democratic Party to promote democracy in the country.

He said, “However, we all know the truth but most are afraid to speak.  There is no way the police and  small number of five lawmakers would act so brazenly, unless they receive instructions from their high places, attempted to impeach the Speaker.

Nigerians must ask: Is this way the President Jonathan intends to transform  Nigeria? By turning it from an imperfect democracy into a perfect mess?

“In some ways, this Rivers episode is not surprising. What happened in the Rivers House is one more reminder. PDP leaders hold democracy in contempt and will trample on it, if given the slightest opportunity. If they invert the relatively small numbers involved in the Nigerian Governors Forum and the Rivers State House, what they might do to general elections involving such a large population as ours is a hard piece of wood to chew.”

According to him, the crisis showed that security cannot be guaranteed in the coming elections.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Labour Congress has dissociated itself from the planned mass protest being organised by the Rivers State Government and some civil society organisations over the political crisis in the state.

The union said it would not participate in the protest, but did not give any reason for its decision.

Secretary-General of the congress, Chris Uyot, said the NLC had no plan to join the planned street protests, noting that the congress had not taken a definite position on the matter for now.

“From my findings at the Rivers State NLC council, there is no plan to join the street protest,” Uyot said on Sunday.

The Secretary-General, Trade Union Congress, Musa Lawal, also said the national leadership of the organisation had yet to take a position on the planned protest.

“The state council is free to participate in the protest; the national leadership is yet to take a position on it, but we are having a meeting tomorrow (Monday) and several issues will be discussed then,” he said over the telephone

Labour unions in the state were reported to have pledged to join the strike and possibly asked workers to go on indefinite strike.

The unions had insisted that apart from the Federal Government and the state government finding a solution to the impasse in the state House of Assembly, the police must also vacate the Obio/Akpor Local Government Secretariat.

In a statement  in Abuja on Sunday, the party said  the ACN call was an indication that the opposition party was indeed unserious, lacked direction and only sought to distabilise the polity.

Though Okeke said the PDP was not in support of the fracas witnessed in the Rivers State House of Assembly recently, but he added that brawls were “common features in parliaments across the world”, and wondered how the recent fray in the  Assembly could  translate into an impeachable offence on the part of the President.

Baby born with rosary round her neck in Niger

at Monday, July 15, 2013

Thousands of people trooped to a private maternity home in Kotaworo area of Bida, in Niger state on Sunday to catch a glimpse of a baby girl said to have been delivered with a Muslim prayer Rosary (Tasabih)  on her  neck.

The middle aged mother of the baby,  Adijat was said to have been rushed to a local midwife home near the residence of Pa Mohammed Bello Masaba, the  Polygamist at about 2 pm on Sunday and after minutes of labour, she was delivered of the baby.


According the owner of the local maternity home, Alhaji Abubakar Baiwa Shasha who took delivery of the baby, “I was shocked  when in the course of the delivery the baby came with a Chisbih on her neck. The baby was born with a black rosary at delivery point.”

“But I was surprised  when after a while the rosary turned to white to the amazement of the few people around.”

As soon as the news spread round the town, thousands trooped to the the maternity home shouting “Allahu Akibar; Allahu Akibar (God is Great) as they scrambled to see and touch the baby. ”

Efforts to get the father of the baby, Isah, a native of Loma in Kwara State were fruitless as he refused to talk to our Correspondent.

An Islamic scholar, Malam Idiris Ndajiwo said the delivery of the baby with the mysterious rosary “showed the greatness of Allah. The delivery of the baby today, in this town and this area (Kutaworo) is a big thing to us Muslims. This actually goes to show that Allah is in control of what happens to any one and in the whole world.”

Another well wisher and the Personal Assistant to popular Islamic scholar, Pa Mohammed Bello Masaba, the octogenarian super polygamist, Alhaji Muktari Salau Bello said, “we have never witnessed such kind of miracle before in this town, but we thanked Allah for what He has done. In fact what happened is a miracle and we are very happy about it”.

The baby was later taken to the Etsu Nupe’s palace where they were received and blessed by the royal father , Alhaji Yahaya Abubukar.

Confirming the delivery of the mysterious girl when contacted on phone, the Emirate Secretary Alhaji Abdulmalik Usman said, “it is true. The baby was brought to the Palace and she was received and blessed by His royal highness, the Etsu Nupe and they have since left for their home. “

Pictures: Rousing welcome for Al-Mustapha in Kano

Pictures: Rousing welcome for Al-Mustapha in Kano

at Monday, July 15, 2013

Major Almustapha- OPC Leader Fredrick Fasheun disembarking in Kano

Hundreds of thousands of people in Kano lined the streets to welcome former Chief Security Officer to late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha,Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha when he arrived the city Sunday afternoon.

Armed soldiers and members of the Odua People’s Congress,OPC, took over security and crowd control for the itinerary of the former CSO.

Al-Mustapha, who cancelled his visit to his grandmother’s house and the Abacha’s as he arrived the commercial city, went to the goverment House to have audience with the state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, Friday, last week, freed Major Hamza Al-Mustapha a

JTF battles Boko Haram, rescues women; children hostages

JTF battles Boko Haram, rescues women; children hostages

at Monday, July 15, 2013

The military on Sunday claimed the rescue of women and children hostages from a Boko Haram Islamist stronghold, saying troops killed several insurgents during recent gun battles in the area.

The Bulabulin Nganaram area of the northeastern city of Maiduguri, where the fighting occurred, is considered an enclave of the radical Islamist group.


The military battled Boko Haram fighters in the area from July 3 to July 8, killing “some terrorists”, spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa said in a statement.

“Many abducted women, children and girls were rescued and handed over to their families,” he added.
Boko Haram, which has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north, has been accused of carrying out a series of abductions across the region.

The military also said it discovered a series of bunkers dug by the insurgents at the site.

A number of bodies were also found, Musa said.

The dead included people “killed by the terrorists” as well the bodies of presumed Boko Haram fighters which had been buried in the area, according to Musa.

He mentioned “mass graves” found amid the bunkers, but provided no figures or details.

The military has repeatedly been accused of providing misinformation about the Boko Haram conflict, including with respect to casualties.

Boko Haram combatants are known to retrieve the bodies of members killed in clashes. The corpses allegedly found at the site may be those of Islamist fighters killed in previous battles and later buried by the group.

The security forces continue to enforce a mobile phone shut down in much of the northeast, including in Maiduguri.

The communication blackout was imposed in mid-May to block Boko Haram fighters from coordinating attacks amid an ongoing offensive aimed at crushing the insurgency.

With no mobile phone service, it has been difficult to verify or corroborate the military’s accounts of any clashes.

The defence ministry spokesman was not available to comment on the nature of the discoveries at the Maiduguri site.

Nigeria has claimed huge successes against Boko Haram during the offensive, but insurgent attacks have persisted in some areas.
 
There have been three attacks targeting schools in recent weeks in three locations, leaving more than 50 people dead, most of whom were students.

The conflict is estimated to have cost 3,600 lives since 2009, including killings by the security services.

Zenith Bank ranks number one in Nigeria, among world’s top 1,000

ZENITH Bank tops Nigerian banks in this year’s Top 1000 World Banks Ranking of The Banker Magazine of the Financial Times Group, London, United Kingdom. This global recognition further portrays the bank as one of the most preferred in the country.
According to the report, 13 Nigerian banks made the ranking. They are Zenith Bank, First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, First City Monument Bank, Skye Bank, Diamond Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Union Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.
Zenith Bank moved 35 places from 322 in the world last year to 287; First Bank moved from 338 to 367, Guaranty Bank moved to 417 from 455; Access Bank moved to 506 from 541 and UBA moved to 553 from 563.
The ranking is usually based on the definition of Tier–1 Capital as set out by Basel’s Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and that it aims to show global international banks’ soundness in relation to the Basel guidelines on capital adequacy.
The percentage change in the Tier-1 Capital, which underlines the strength of banks, for Zenith Bank increased by 23.82 per cent, the highest in the wholly Nigerian banks that made the ranking.
In the capital asset ratio of soundness parameter, Zenith Bank came top at 17.70 per cent followed by Guaranty Trust Bank at 16.23 per cent. Third is Fidelity Bank at 15.67 per cent, Standard Chartered Nigeria is fourth at 13.38 per cent followed by FCMB at 12.00 per cent and First Bank at 11.96 per cent; Access Bank at 11.60 per cent; Stanbic IBTC at 11.55 per cent; Ecobank at 11.14 per cent; Skye Bank at 9.90 per cent; UBA at 7.65 per cent; Diamond Bank at 7.31 per cent; and Union Bank at 6.35 per cent.
In the report, South Africa’s banks retained their position as the largest lenders in Africa with Standard Bank remaining in the lead. However, most of the banks have subdued this year as far as Tier1 and asset growth were concerned.
According to the magazine, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) leapfrogged two U.S. banks to top the 2013 global ranking of banks with the most capital, highlighting the growing size and importance of Chinese lenders. ICBC topped The Banker magazine’s annual list of the top 1,000 banks for the first time, relegating Bank of America to third from first, while JPMorgan Chase remained second. ICBC was third last year.

“I do know that all those who planned and carried out the assassination of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola and my husband, M.K.O Abiola, will soon receive their judgment from God,” she said.

MKO’s wife unhappy over release of Al-Mustapha, Shofolahan

One of the wives of Chief Moshood Abiola, Mrs Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, has expressed her dissatisfaction with the acquittal of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan by the Court of Appeal.
The court, on Friday, upturned the death sentence passed on the duo by a Lagos High Court over their involvement in the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola on June 4, 1996.
Al-Mustapha was the former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, while Shofolahan was an aide to Kudirat, wife of the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential.
Abiola won the election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party.
The appellants were set free from the Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos at about 5.30 p.m. after spending over 14 years in detention for their alleged involvement in the murder of Kudirat.
Onitiri-Abiola told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, on Sunday, that the court’s decision was unfortunate.
“I feel embarrassed for the justice system of Nigeria and also feel so much pain for the children of the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
“How can the Court of Appeal discharge Al-Mustapha and Sofolahan, saying there is no evidence against them.
“I do know that all those who planned and carried out the assassination of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola and my husband, M.K.O Abiola, will soon receive their judgment from God,” she said.

I didn’t graduate with third class - Soyinka

NOBEL Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Sunday, said he graduated with Second Class Upper Division and not Third Class Honour from the University College, Ibadan, as widely believed.
He said this while fielding questions from 79 secondary school students drawn from different parts of the country, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, as part of 2013 Open Door Series project, “Memoirs of Our Future,” an international cultural exchange programme organised to mark his 79th birthday.
The programme was organised by a Lagos-based multi-media company, Zmirage, in collaboration with the Ogun State government.
Soyinka told the students that he decided to open up on the matter as a mark of respect for them, while urging the students, especially those living in violence-prone areas of the North, not to be discouraged by the activities of Boko Haram.
He admonished the students not to be satisfied with failure, but to strive to be the best in all their undertakings, while tasking President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government and state governors to eliminate barriers and create conducive environment for Nigerians to access qualitative education.
The literary icon enjoined the students not to be discouraged by certain negative events, but should rather draw inspiration from the life of a 16-year-old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head on October 9, 2012 by Taliban fighters over her campaign for girl-child education in Pakistan.
He told the students that Malala, on Friday, addressed the maiden United Nations Youth Assembly, where she called on world leaders to provide free education to all children and further vowed not to relent in her campaign.
Professor Soyinka asked the federal and state governments to obtain the speech of Malala and make it available to all libraries, schools and archives, to serve as reference point for upcoming generations.
“It looks very negative and hopeless. We must not allow ourselves to be discouraged. And the fact that people are still going to schools in those areas (violence-prone areas of northern Nigeria) shows that we should not be discouraged. You are not a complete human being if you are not educated, schooled or cultured.
“No matter what goes around you, you (students) must insist on your education. I am demanding from governors and the Federal Government to obtain the speech of that young girl (Malala), burn it into CDs (compact discs) and make it available to all libraries, schools and archives,” he said.
Soyinka said he would have loved to become an architect or a trained musician, and described his first teacher (one Mr Olagbaju) as his role model.
“I would have loved to be an architect or a musician, not an amateur but a trained one, and if I have the opportunity to sit behind a pilot in the plane, I would have loved to be an airplane pilot. When I left school, I wanted to be a journalist. I actually sat for an exam to be absolved in Daily Times…but after the exam, I was told that I wrote a short story and not a news story. So, I was not taken. Thank goodness, I did not become a journalist,” he added.
The Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had earlier urged the students not to relent in their educational pursuits.
He described Soyinka as “a world citizen,” while he also advised the participants in the essay competition to emulate the life of the Nobel Laureate.
Amosun later presented prizes to five winners of the essay competition.
The first prize went to Motolani Akinpelu of Oladipo Alayande School of Science, Oke Bola, Ibadan, while the second prize went to Andrew Adedero of Mount Saint Gabriel Secondary School, Makurdi, Benue State.
Tomisin Adebisi and Chukwu Winke of Lead City High School, Ibadan, Oyo State and Dority International School, Aba, Abia State, jointly emerged third, while Odiakosa Alfred of St. Charles Secondary School, Onitsha, Enugu State, came fifth.