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TINUBU’S INTERIM GOVT ALLEGATION IS FALSE – FANI-KAYODE

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TINUBU’S INTERIM GOVT ALLEGATION IS FALSE – FANI-KAYODE

 

The spokesperson of the People’s Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has debunked the claim by the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, that President Goodluck Jonathan offered him the position of vice president in an Interim National Government on the condition that he would withdraw his support for his party’s presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

 

Tinubu’s had alleged Thursday that the PDP and Jonathan Presidency had recently tried to fracture the APC by offering the position of vice President in an interim government if he would agree to part company with Buhari.

 

According to the APC national leader’s media office, Tinubu is considered as the linchpin of the opposition in Nigeria and the presidency reasoned that removing him from the equation by enticing him with the position of a vice president in an interim government would take the steam out of the APC’s campaign machinery.

 

Responding to the allegation, Fani-Kayode, described them as baseless and false.

 

“We are not in the least bit interested in the formation of an interim government and we are even less interested in participating in any contraption in which Bola Tinubu would play any role.”

 

Fani-Kayode in his statement Thursday said that “it is not true that anyone from our government approached him to be the Vice President of anything. It is clear that he has an overinflated opinion of himself and he is suffering from the most extreme form and manifestation of paranoia.”

 

He continued: “The man is hiding from his own shadow and the fear of his party losing at the polls later this month is giving him sleepless nights. Whether he, Buhari and their APC like it or not, they will be devastated at the polls and they would suffer a crushing and irreparable defeat.”

 

The APC has in the past accused President Jonathan of plotting to scuttle the 2015 election and install an interim government.

ISIS ACCEPTS BOKO HARAM’S ALLEGIANCE PLEDGE

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ISIS ACCEPTS BOKO HARAM’S ALLEGIANCE PLEDGE

Adedayo Ogunleye, Abuja

 

The extremist Islamic terror group, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS, has reportedly accepted Nigerian terror group Boko Haram’s pledge of allegiance.

 

ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani announced this on Thursday in a speech distributed across social media, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

 

In the same speech, Adnani stated that ISIS intends to take over Paris, Rome, and Andalusia, and destroy Big Ben and the White House.

 

Boko Haram leader Abu Shekau had made a pledge of allegiance on Saturday via an audio recording uploaded on the Internet.

 

“We announce our allegiance to the Caliph… and will hear and obey in times of difficulty and prosperity, in hardship and ease,” Shekau said in the clip.

 

The Boko Haram leader also called upon Muslims everywhere “to pledge allegiance to the Caliph.”

 

The implications of this development may be far reaching according to security experts.

 

Jacob Zenn, Nigeria-based terror expert stated, while speaking with the CNN on Saturday, that the development will give Boko Haram legitimacy in the global terror network.

 

“Boko Haram will get legitimacy, which will help its recruiting, funding and logistics as it expands.

 

“It will also get guidance from ISIS in media warfare and propaganda. Previously, Boko Haram was a sort of outcast in the global Jihadi community. Now, it is perhaps ISIS’s biggest affiliate,” Zenn said.

 

This website reported recently that Ahmed Salkida, a conflict journalist who had contact with the Boko Haram leadership in 2013-2014, warned of a possible ISIS – inspired change in Boko Haram leadership following Shekau’s pledge of allegiance.

 

Salkadi also stated that the methodological transformation of Boko Haram into a well-organized terror and propaganda machine is enough evidence of a burgeoning alliance between the two terror groups.

 

However, the coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mike Omeri had dismissed reports of such alliances, asserting instead that the pledge of allegiance made by Abu Shekau to ISIS leadership was “a confirmation that the insurgents in the North east were having a hard time in the hands of the coalition of Nigerian and multi-national forces”.

 

Omeri described the pledge was “an act of desperation and comes at a time when Boko Haram is suffering heavy losses”.

 

 

ISIS NOT OPERATING IN NIGERIA – FG

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ISIS NOT OPERATING IN NIGERIA – FG

The Nigerian government has allayed fears that the Islamic terror group, Islamic State, ISIS, is penetrating Nigerian territory.

The coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mike Omeri, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, asserted that the recent pledge of allegiance made by the Boko Haram leader, Abu Shekau, to ISIS leadership was nothing but a confirmation that the insurgents in the North east were having a hard time in the hands of the coalition of Nigerian and multi-national forces.

This is coming as Ahmed Salkida, a conflict journalist who had contact with the Boko Haram leadership in 2013-2014, has observed that the Boko Haram sect may actually expect an IS-inspired change in leadership following Shekau’s pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader, Abubakar Bagdadi, over the past weekend.

Salkadi, who is probably the only Nigerian journalist to have contacted the leadership of Boko Haram, asserted that the “methodological transformation of Boko Haram into a well-organised terror and propaganda machine” is evidence of a burgeoning alliance between the two terror groups.

Salkadi also stated that the implications of Shekau’s pledge are that “Abubakar Bagdadi will henceforth take decision for the insurgents as Shekau’s self-governance ended on Saturday, the 7th of March 2015”.

According to Salkadi, a source close to the Boko Haram insurgents also informed him that “the emissaries by Bagdadi are already here with us, they are making a lot of changes that I cannot share but we have started seeing the impact of our Bay’ah”.

Bay’ah is a pledge of allegiance and according to Islamic scholars, it can only be offered to the leader of the Muslims.

Islamic tradition also states that once allegiance is offered, as in the case of Boko Haram to IS, it is accepted because the leader that is being offered Bay’ah assumes total and absolute authority over his subjects, except the subjects discover that the actions of the leader contradicted their kind of beliefs.

However, Omeri dismissed these fears stating that Boko Haram’s pledge of allegiance to ISIS was “a sign of weakness and a result of pressure on the Jihadist militants by the Multi National Joint Task Force”.

Omeri stated the pledge was “an act of desperation and comes at a time when Boko Haram is suffering heavy losses”.

“Troops from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger have claimed a series of successes against the militants since last month, pushing them out of captured territories in northeast Nigeria.

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“No foreign extremists can or will change this fact –- as long as the Nigerian military continues to receive cooperation and commitment from its citizens and allies.

“There will be no Islamic State in Nigeria, the only state that will exist is the united Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he stated.

OSHIOMOLE AVERTS CLASH BETWEEN FIRST LADY AND BUHARI’S WIFE

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OSHIOMOLE AVERTS CLASH BETWEEN FIRST LADY AND BUHARI’S WIFE

The Edo State government on Wednesday took steps to avert what could have resulted into a possibly violent clash between the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, over the use of the Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

According to reports, the makings of a clash were set when wives of President Goodluck Jonathan and the APC presidential candidate, Mohammadu Buhari, Patience and Aisha respectively, were accidentally billed to address political rallies at the stadium on Saturday, March 14 at the same time.

However, the state governor, Adams Oshiomole, intervened and instructed that the venue be yielded to the First Lady while the APC candidate’s wife would be given an alternative venue.

The mix-up which reportedly emanated from the state Ministry of Youth and Sports, has led to the compulsory retirement of the permanent secretary, Samuel Obaze Uhunmwangho, from service by Governor Oshiomhole.

According to press statement by press secretary to the governor, Peter Okhiria  Uhunmwangho was retired from service “for withholding information crucial to the interest of the government and the general public”.

The first signs of the impending clash emerged on Wednesday when Edo State chairman of the PDP, Dan Orbih, announced while speaking with journalists in Benin, that the First Lady would visit the Oba’s Palace before proceeding to the stadium to address women and party supporters.

Displaying a letter from the state government approving the use of the stadium for the PDP rally, the party chairman affirmed that it paid N1, 050, 000 to the Internal Revenue Services for the use of the stadium.

“We shall receive the First Lady at the stadium. We have concluded all plans to give her a wonderful reception. She has been a pillar of support to Mr. President, ” he stated.

The Edo State government reacted to this development, stating that the mix-up was occasioned by the laxity on the part of the officials of the sports ministry who, without reference to their supervisors, collected payments from the PDP on Tuesday for the use of the stadium.

The Edo State commissioner for Information and Orientation, Louis Odion, alleged that the ministry officials were actually aware that the APC had applied and received approval for the use of same facility this Saturday since the previous week.

“In fact, jingles were already running on local television and radio stations announcing that the wife of APC’s presidential candidate would be in Benin that day to deliver the message of change to Edo women.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that being the owner of the said facility, Edo State Government reserves the right to insist that the party that got approval first would use the stadium,” the commissioner said.

“But we are civilized people. In deference to the office of the First Lady of Nigeria, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has graciously directed that Mrs. Patience Jonathan have her day on Saturday while the wife of the APC presidential candidate will have her turn another day”, Odion added.

 

 

BUHARI WILL LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE, IF ELECTED PRESIDENT- FANI-KAYODE

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BUHARI WILL LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE, IF ELECTED PRESIDENT- FANI-KAYODE

The Director-General of the People’s Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization, PDPPCO, Femi Fani-Kayode has accused the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, of signing a pact with four western nations assuring them of his preparedness to support same-sex marriage if he emerges winner at the March 28 polls.

 

According to Fani-Kayode, four western countries have already extracted a commitment from Buhari, who represents the All Progressives Congress, to support a legislation enabling same sex marriage.

 

Addressing a press conference Wednesday in Abuja, the Director-General of President Jonathan’s campaign organization alleged that the proposal was sold to the APC presidential candidate by emissaries of 4 western nations during his brief visit to the United Kingdom.

 

“He had talks with the representatives of at least four western countries. The leaders of those countries made an offer to General Muhammadu Buhari and we are reliably informed that he has put the offer under consideration.

 

“The proposition and offer was that if he was prepared to support legislation in Nigeria to allow same sex marriage and if he was prepared to repeal the anti-gay laws in Nigeria they will, in return, endorse, support and fund him, initially covertly and eventually publicly, at the right time,” Fani-Kayode alleged.

“Instead of him to say NO he assured them that he would consider these two things.

 

“We believe that this is a matter that ought to be brought to the attention of the Nigerian people as a matter of urgency,” he further stated.

 

Alleging that the APC is desperate to assume leadership at the federal level, Fani-Kayode stated that the party would not shy away from signing a pact that promises the scrapping the anti-gay or anti-homosexual legislations and subsequently endorsing and supporting fresh legislation that would allow same sex marriage in the country, if it would further their aim to clinch power.

 

“They are considering this despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of the Nigerian people find same sex marriage and, indeed, homosexuality repugnant and unacceptable.

 

“We are using this occasion to challenge General Buhari to come clean and to tell the Nigerian people whether this is true and whether, in the unlikely event of his being elected President, he is seriously considering scrapping the anti-homosexual laws in our country and pushing through new legislation which would allow same sex marriage,” Fani-Kayode said.

 

The Senate passed a bill that criminalizes homosexuality and gay marriage also prescribing as much as 14 years in jail for offenders, in January 2014.

 

 

MOROCCAN AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA RECALLED

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MOROCCAN AMBASSADOR TO NIGERIA RECALLED

The Moroccan Ambassador to Nigeria has been recalled by the Moroccan Foreign Ministry over a recent diplomatic incident between the two nations.

The development comes on the heels of media reports that the head of the Moroccan government, King Mohammed VI recently rejected a request by President Goodluck Jonathan for a telephone conversation and, possibly, an invitation to Nigeria.

The monarch was reported to have described the move as “inappropriate” while the Moroccan Foreign Ministry released a statement in which it asserted that the request portended something other than a genuine diplomatic move.

“Contrary to the allegations made by Nigerian authorities to the ambassador of HM the King in Abuja and local media, the Kingdom of Morocco confirms, in the clearest and strongest terms, that there has never been a phone conversation between HM King Mohammed VI and the President of this country,” the ministry pointed out in a statement.

“His Majesty the King actually declined the request of the Nigerian government because it is part of the internal electioneering and this country’s fundamentally hostile positions with regard to the territorial integrity of the Kingdom,” the statement said.

“The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its astonishment and denunciation to these unethical practices that are contrary to the spirit of responsibility that must prevail in relations between states,” the ministry added.

 

The Nigerian foreign ministry however denied reports that Jonathan was rebuffed by the Moroccan monarch, claiming instead that the king had spoken to the President from France where he had gone for a visit.

The ministry further debunked insinuations that the phone call was intended to dubiously curry electoral favours for President Jonathan who will be seeking re-election at the polls on March 28.

“Since the King was in France and not in Morocco, both leaders spoke extensively over the telephone on matters of mutual interest and concern that have nothing to do with the conduct of re-scheduled elections in Nigeria.

“It is therefore preposterous to suggest that Mr President’s telephone call to the Moroccan monarch was intended to confer any electoral advantage on the President,” the statement from the Nigerian foreign ministry read.

Moroccan authorities responded to this statement by denouncing the claim that the monarch spoke with President Jonathan.

Apparently miffed, the office of King Mohammed IV also recalled the Morrocan ambassador to Nigeria, issuing a statement which described the claim that a discussion took place between King Mohammed and President Jonathan as “unethical practices.”

The statement also expressed a desire to state in the “clearest and strongest terms” that “there has never been a phone conversation” between the King and President Jonathan.

“The King’s office categorically denies the false allegations made by Nigerian authorities about an alleged phone conversation between the Sovereign and Nigerian President,” the statement said.

Diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Morocco have been generally cold due to Nigeria’s formal recognition of, and support for a separatist group, the Polisario Front which has declared a portion of

Moroccan territory as the sovereign Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

The Moroccan government has consistently and violently resisted attempts by the Polisario Front to establish a sovereign republic in Western Sahara region of Morocco.

 

 

NIGERIA’S EXPORT TRADE RECORDS 20.8% INCREASE

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NIGERIA’S EXPORT TRADE RECORDS 20.8% INCREASE

The monetary value of export trade in Nigeria has risen from 14.2 trillion in 2013 to 17.2 trillion in 2014, showing an increase of 20.8 per cent, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has reported.

The 2014 foreign trade statistics released Tuesday by the Bureau also showed that crude and mineral products account for the bulk of exports as the estimated value of crude oil alone to the total domestic export trade was 12.79 trillion or 74.4 per cent while combined with other mineral products, the value rose to 15.7 trillion or 91.4 per cent.

Other products that contributed immensely to Nigeria’s exports include “Vehicles, aircraft and parts thereof; vessels.” and “Products of the Chemical and allied industries” whose values stood at 357.7 billion or 2.1 per cent and 315.6 billion or 1.8 per cent respectively, of the country’s total exports for the year.

The statistics also showed that total imports in 2014 increased slightly by 215.6 billion, a 3.0 per cent rise from the previous year.

Nigeria’s external merchandise trade increased by 3.27 trillion or 14.9% standing at 24.4 trillion in 2014.

The Bureau also disclosed in the data released that Nigeria mainly exported goods to Europe and Asia in 2014, which accounted for 7.4 trillion or 43.2 per cent and 4.9 trillion or 28.9 per cent respectively of the total export value for the year.

The African continent received Nigeria’s exported goods to the value of 2.03 trillion or 11.8% while exports to the West African sub region in 2014 were valued at 842.8 billion.

 

 

NIGERIAN TROOPS RECLAIM BAMA FROM INSURGENTS

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NIGERIAN TROOPS RECLAIM BAMA FROM INSURGENTS

The war against insurgency in the North east recorded a major victory Tuesday as Nigerian troops recaptured Bama, a town in Borno State that had been taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents since September, last year.

 

The military campaign to rout the insurgents from the town was led by the General Officer Commanding, GOC, the 7th division, Lamidi Adeosun, a General in the Nigerian Army who took his team to the town on Monday, recovering it from the control of the insurgents by Tuesday.

 

Reports indicate that contrary to expectations, the Nigerian troops did not meet any serious resistance from the sect in Konduga and Bama towns, strengthening indications that the recent military campaigns by the Nigerian troops and their allies in the multinational task force have crippled the Boko Haram insurgents.

 

A military source told our correspondent on the return of the troops from the battle to recapture Bama that renewed motivation gave victory to them. The source also stated that the bravery of the GOC and the supply of new equipment equally contributed to the success.

 

“My brother, we are happy that our Commander in Chief has been able to upgrade us and as we speak, we have the right equipment to end the war in the next one week. The GOC himself is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that we meet the deadline for elections to the best of his human ability.

 

“The general did not even utilize our crack boys in Konduga. He just took his team from our supply of new boys here and drove straight into Bama leaving the Konduga guys to rest and continue watching his back till he took over Bama, chased the bad people out, removed their flags and installed our authority,” he said.

 

Another military source attributed the recent victories to the support from Abuja, stating that having the right kind of equipment has enabled the troops to fight the insurgency to a standstill.

 

According to the source, the recapture of Bama has ensured that foreign troops who had earlier been restricted to border towns can now come in for the final push against the insurgents.

 

It would be recalled that the military has made several unsuccessful attempts in the past to recapture the strategic town from the insurgents.

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The recovery of Bama from the control of the insurgents has renewed hope that the remaining towns in the control of the insurgents would be freed.

Bama, a historic Kanuri town, remains the second largest town in Borno after Maiduguri

FG MEETS WITH PARENTS OF 29 SLAIN FGC, BUNI YADI STUDENTS

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FG MEETS WITH PARENTS OF 29 SLAIN FGC, BUNI YADI STUDENTS

The federal government has sent a delegation to meet with the parents of the 29 students of Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, who were murdered by Boko Haram insurgents on February 25, 2014, during an attack on the school premises.

The delegation, led by the Minister of Science and Technology, Abdul Bulama, held a meeting Tuesday with some parents of the killed students, chairman of the Parents Teachers Association, PTA,  of the College, Kati Machina, representatives of the College Principal and some select journalists, at GAAT Hotel, Damaturu, Yobe State.

Addressing the gathering, Bulama, an indigene of Yobe state, stated that he came to convey the condolences of President Goodluck Jonathan to the parents.

The minister prayed for the repose of the souls of the slain young Nigerians who were killed “because they wanted to have a better life by going to school.”

He also expressed the President’s earnest desire to bring an end to the insurgency ravaging the North east and reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to ensuring a better life for the people through from the Victims Support Funds, VSF.

Bulama assured the community that the federal government would embark on the rebuilding of the destroyed college as soon as the security situation in the state was restored to normal.

Machina, who spoke on behalf of the bereaved parents, observed that the visit of the federal government delegation was one year late.

Noting that FGC, Buni Yadi, was a unity school, he also asserted that the federal government was expected to be at the forefront of comforting the bereaved parents when the incident occurred.

“If the governor of the state can leave whatever he was doing to visit the school a day after it was attacked early last year, I expect that because of the distance from Abuja, they would have been in that school in a week or two.

“But that did not happened until now, so we felt that the federal government has abandoned us,” he stated.

One of the bereaved parents, Goni Ali Gujba, also spoke on the grievances of the parents and the feeling of abandonment that had enveloped them since the incident.

According to Gujba who lost a son during the attack on the school, some of the parents of the students are yet to reintegrate their children back to school due to some economic challenges.

Gujba also lamented the poor handling of the tragedy by the school authorities, stating that the school was yet to communicate or commiserate with the bereaved parents.

“We want to appreciate your formal meeting with us but it’s on record that there was poor handling of the situation by the school administration. Up to this moment, there is no communication to us from the school, no formal visit to the parents or calling us the parents to condole us just as a way of showing concern.

“But I must say that on the side of the state government, the incident occurred on the 24 and 25 of February, 2014, the governor of Yobe State was there. In fact he saw the victims and he made a pledge of N100 million there and we got N1m each though after one month.

“Our concern here is the poor handling of the situation by the school authority. As Muslims and Christians, we believe in destiny and fate. Up to this moment, we have not seen any body from the school authority. We expected the school to play the role of parents since our children were in their custody before they were killed,” he said.

President Jonathan Sacks Agwai As SURE – P Chairman

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President Jonathan Sacks Agwai As SURE – P Chairman

 

President Goodluck Jonathan has fired Martin-Luther Agwai as the chairman of his government’s intervention initiative, the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P.

Agwai, a former Chief of Defence Staff, was appointed by Jonathan as head of SURE-P, an agency established to oversee deployment of saved fuel subsidy money for the provision of jobs and infrastructure.

Although no reason was given for Agwai’s sack beyond ascribing it to be “in furtherance of his (President Jonathan’s) efforts to continuously re-energize and reposition agencies of the Federal Government for optimal service delivery”, his removal came on the heels of a public lecture he delivered at former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s birthday celebration which was widely perceived as being highly critical of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

The former defence chief was reportedly aware of his impending sack as he is reported to have arrived early on Tuesday morning at the SURE-P office to pack his belongings.

The presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, announced the recent development, naming as Agwai’s replacement, Ishaya Dare Akau.

Akau, is a native of Jema’a local government area in Kaduna State and had served as chairman of the Kaduna State Universal Education Board and chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission.

 

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