Tag: buhari

Dr. Umar GANDUJE and the Concept of Anti-corruption Propaganda
In 2015 – 2016, I was privileged to be a political consultant to a gubernatorial aspirant in my home state, a fairly unknown individual then. We took the task to digitally market him for over a year before the primaries. We created contents, advertorials, edited speeches, managed invented scandals and propaganda against him, wrote his feasible manifesto…Our constant social media marketing made him a darling of the people but all these was not without some sacrifice from me. I was before then not into partisan politics, I just wrote freely on critical issues: social reforms, justice, philosophy, morals, religion, relationships, truth, trust and other thematic issues that came to me as my own human effort. Some people who followed my writing keenly on the social media inboxed me and told me they were disappointed that I could be consulting for PDP. In as much as I explained to them the reasons, an article was wrought out of me, ‘Persons over Parties.’

In all ramifications, I choose to disagree that parties are basically bad. No, it’s humans that are bad, that are corrupt, that are incompetent, that are soulless, that are clannish, that are without ideas, that without political focus…not necessarily parties. Parties are mere vehicles to gain political positions, just as sleep could be vehicle of death. Should we now say sleep is bad?

The propaganda that no longer sells on our political space today is that PDP was corrupt for 16 years so they should not present a candidate to be voted in even when APC present the a candidate without the minimum certificate to qualify one for such contest. I don’t think that is only illogical, it is a compressed fallacy, I look at as a Post Traumatic Disappointment Disorder, PTDD (my own personal coinage). PTDD to me is a kind of disorder people experience when they are disappointed in those they believe after revealing events.

Now, if we still hold on to the stowaway thought that PDP was corrupt as a party because some members were in the time past, how do we define APC today which has become a temple for fleeing corrupt people and houses, in comfort, abjectly corrupt members like GANDUJE of Kano State? Should we now use the members to define the entire party to be politically correct? This is a governor in APC that has been viewed in three videos by millions of Nigerians taking bribe from contractors, yet without a midget of evidence, they want ‘stupid’ you to believe Alhaji Atiku is the most corrupt Nigerian. How folly can a people be, how controlling.

The fact without doubt remains that the anti-corruption campaign by Buhari was a mere populist propaganda, it has never and it will never work. APC will tell you they are studying the Ganduje video while chasing corrupt shadows. Nothing will ever happen to Ganduje even as we speak he has been summoned by the state assembly over the bribery allegations. He is one of the strongest supporters of Buhari, he cannot afford to allow his man go down over mere dollars he dipped into his babaringa (agbada). Ask me what happened to Babachir Lawal, the professional multi-million Naira grasscutter? Ask yourself what happened to Maina, the pension thief and fugitive. Ask yourself what happened to Baru of NNPC or Abba Kyari of the MTN bribery. Ask yourself where they got the billions to buy votes with police force in Ekiti and Osun States. Ask what would happen to Oshiomole who is asking the courts not to go on trial for corruption. If you ask them these thematic issues, they would tell you Sai Baba till 2023! That vexatious clamour for Simpleton from Simpletons.

During the Obasanjo Era, he haunted corrupt members of PDP and those who were even in his cabinet with EFCC and other unconventional means. He disposed some using their state assemblies to impeach them. Some went on trial and were sentenced according to the law. Even his police chief, Tafa Balogun, was not spared.

Today, even corrupt members of the public are blackmailed to join the incorruptible party with some hallelujah triumphant welcome in the Absence of Shame. The just conducted APC primaries were fraught with corruption and high level fraud. Members of INEC were bribed to conduct primaries in hotel lobbies and personal living rooms and the other rooms shortchanging less connected aspirants. Ask Pat Utomi. These and others are echoes and echoes of Shame and Dishonour.

Elempe Dele
November 5, 2018
Impending dangers of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s defection to APC
August 3, 2018.

His Excellency,
Adams Oshiomhole
National Chairman
All Progressives Congress

IMPENDING DANGERS OF SENATOR GODSWILL AKPABIO’S DEFECTION TO APC

We in the Akwa Ibom Progressives Watch (AKIPW) have noted with deep concern the broad chorus of disapproval and complete despondency amongst different strata of members of our party, the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom state over the defection of the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio to the APC.

Our group is an integrity watch team whose support for the APC is driven by the party’s change agenda, the fight against corruption as well as the near immaculate personality of the leader of the Party, President Muhammadu Buhari. We metamorphosed from Ibom Transparency Watch under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), working assiduously in the last seven years to entrench in the party sterling values, such as integrity, justice, accountability and transparency, which are lacking in our political system. Hence, we have been on the watch so that such persons with tendencies which violate these values are not found tip-toeing around our party.

For this reason, we feel sad, so are most members of the APC in Akwa Ibom State who looked up to our party as institution that will evict moral pervers as Senator Godswill Akpabio from position of authority, by the admission of Senator Godswill Akpabio into our party.

Senator Akpabio’s records of service show he is a spoiler everywhere he goes. In his first organisation of employment, EMIS Telecoms Nigeria Limited, Akpabio was Personal Assistant to the CEO of the company, Chief E. Okonkwo; suddenly he manipulated his boss and threw himself up as the company’s secretary. During his stint in that position, the company was defrauded to the tune of N4billion. Records suggest Akpabio was party to the fraud and must have benefited from the loot.

Your Excellency, you must be aware that Akpabio polarized ethnicity to its zenith in his bid to annihilate the Ibibio majority, and destroy the Oro ethnic nationality, when he was governor of Akwa Ibom State. In that mindless voyage, more than 80 prominent sons and daughters of the state were either kidnapped or killed; many were compelled to go on exile. Under Akpabio’s watch, an elder statesman, Gen. Edet Akpan Rtd., former DG of NYSC was kidnapped from a church. Four persons were killed during that operation. The wife of a BoT member of our party, Mrs. Sam Enwang, was kidnapped; the wife of Senator Aloysius Etok, who is now a stakeholder of our party was also kidnapped; Chief Senas Ukpanah was killed; a former deputy speaker of our state House of Assembly and member of the APC, Obong Okon Uwah was killed; mother of Mr. Udonwa, a governorship aspirant was kidnapped, killed and her naked corpse was dumped on the road, forcing the deceased’s son to dump his governorship ambition; a foremost traditional father, Edidem Ime Robert from Nsit Ubium was assassinated; an entrepreneur, Elder Paul Inyang was killed; three brothers called the Mbota brothers were killed; three brother to the televangelist Mrs. Helen Ukpabio were killed. The list of assassinations under Akpabio’s atrocious regime is endless.

Your Excellency, you may wish to call for report on Akpabio’s wild intolerance for our party members in Akwa Ibom State during his reign as governor. It is on record that Akpabio’s men masterminded the awful murder of 11 supporters of the defunct ACN in 2011 that were on a campaign visit to Ikot Ekpene. We have not forgotten how Akpabio sought to exterminate, Senator John Udoedehe, who was the governorship candidate of the ACN in 2011, over trump up charges.

You must have heard of the bare-face manipulation of the 2015 election in Akwa Ibom State against our party, by Senator Godswill Akpabio; or how Akpabio bragged on a state radio that he cross off the name of the winner of the PDP primary in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district in 2011 and replaced it with the name of Senator Aloysius Etok.

Senator Akpabio who is now seeking asylum in the APC called our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, very unprintable names during the 2015 electioneering. He ordered the immediate closure of the Ibom Airport on the day the Buhari, who was then the presidential flag – bearer of our party visited Akwa Ibom State. After our President won the 2015 election despite all their antics, Akpabio encouraged former President Goodluck Jonathan to challenge Buhari’s election victory in court.

Senator Akpabio breeds impunity wherever he goes. We strongly think he played significant role in the fall of his first love, the PDP. Akpabio’s schemes factionised the Nigerian Governors Forum, (NGF), and ultimately led to the creation of PDP Governors Forum as well as the eventual defection of five PDP governors to the APC. We have not forgotten how Senator Akpabio superintended over the NGF election where 17 votes were greater than 19.

Your Excellency, based on Akpabio’s antecedent and his dislike for our party, we strongly feel that the senate minority leader is joining the APC for many nocuous reasons. One, Akpabio is seeking an escape from prosecution for the crimes – particularly, financial, and human rights abuses – his regime committed. Two, he wants to give the party a bad image in the eyes of members of the public who looked up to the APC as the only institution that would evict Akpabio from position of authority and bring justice to those whose rights were unjustly stymied by the preponderance of his absolute powers. With his defection, members of the party and the public in extension are inured to think that the APC is a cover for plunderers of public assets. Three, Senator Akpabio wants to use our party to advance his selfish and insatiable quest for power. Four, Akpabio is on a mission to destroy APC for his man Mr. Udom Emmanuel to win a reelection in 2019. Five, Akpabio defection to the APC will provoke massive exodus of foundation members of the party to other political parties. Six, Senator Akpabio wants to catch in on the seeming feud between Mr. Chibuike Amaechi and Adams Oshiomhole to finish his oil well battle with the former Rivers state governor.

Consequently, in our honest consideration, Senator Akpabio does not deserve a welcome to APC because his despicable political idiosyncrasies dealign to the values our great party holds. In as much as much we appreciate defections like last month’s event where a former national lawmaker, Mr. Bassey Etim, defected with over 6000 people. Etim said he defected because of Senator Akpabio’s impunity which stopped his swearing in as Senator. Etim claimed that on the day he was to be sworn-in following a federal high court’s ruling; Senator Akpabio walked into the office of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, knelt down and begged him not to proceed with the swearing in.

Sir, we urge your leadership to look meticulously into the impending dangers of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s defection to our party. Also, the leadership of the party should resist the enticement of building our party structure around an individual.

We look forward to your prompt action.

Thank you for your time, Your Excellency.

We are:

Innocent Sylvanus
Chairman

Ubong Victor
August 9, 2018
Akpabio’s defection story: A peep inside the locker room
It is tempting for APC and it’s Chairman (of the Senate blockade fame) to get very excited about AKPABIO’s defection. The matter is much more than gathering crowd across the south-south Geo-political zone at Ikot Ekpene. Let’s give you a few tips;

Many think that Akpabio only defected in other to protect himself from prosecution by EFCC for embezzling over 200 Billion Naira of public funds. That is only one of the reasons for defection. Even that is forlorn hope. As soon as the 2019 elections are over, the appropriate pressure would be brought to bear on EFCC to prosecute Akpabio and he would be duly prosecuted. No elected Governor in history has pilfered the kind of money that Akpabio carted away from the coffers of Akwa Ibom State. He should find out from Sen. Dariye and former Gov. Jolly Nyame whether defection to APC saved them from prison cells. Let Akpabio ask Orji Uzor Kalu whether or not a court of law ruled that he has a criminal case to answer and granted an interim order of forfeiture against most of his allegedly ill-gotten assets.

Akpabio has forgotten how Obong Victor Attah tried to give the PDP governorship ticket to his son in law and how the people of Akwa Ibom resisted it. In the end, Akpabio was nominated as PDP Governorship candidate in 2007 and became Governor.

After Emmanuel Udom became Governor in 2019, he remained fiercely loyal to Akpabio and allowed him to nominate persons for the posts of the SSG, several commissioners and a host of other Government offices in the state. Nobody enjoyed such benefit from Akpabio. The greed of Akpabio remained uncommon. Despite the huge debt he drove the State into and the frequent harassment suffered by the State in the hands of EFCC on account of Akpabio’s plundering of the resources of the State, Gov. Emmanuel stood by Akpabio in the spirit of the Governor’s name- EMMANUEL.

Akpabio became restless. He took control of the entire Party apparatus and singularly decided who got what, when and how, in the State. He did this without any regards for the Governor on most occasions.

As Akpabio got consumed in his greed, he demanded that the Governor should consult him before submitting Annual Budget Estimates to the State House of Assembly. He added another request. This time, he wanted the Governor to get his approval before expending State funds on any project whatsoever. Indeed, he was bent on running the government on behalf of the Governor. This was was the point of departure. Why on earth did Akpabio think that he would run the government for an urbane intellectual elite and technocrat like Udom Emmanuel ? How would Emmanuel defend that before the people of Akwa Ibom State who voted him into office? As expected, Udom politely refused. Akpabio began to nag. He wanted more of the public funds of the State in addition to the embezzled funds for which he is under EFFC Investigations.

Wait for this. It would shock you. Akpabio then told Udom to commit to making his wife who is from one of the Ibo States, Deputy Governor in 2019. Udom flatly turned this down. Akpabio grew more red.

When Akpabio could not get Udom to surrender the purse of the State to him and secure Udom’s commitment to make his wife Deputy Governor in 2019, he began to woo APC. He knew that the APC led Government had a penchant for promising forgiveness to economic sinners who repent by joining the party. He decided to gamble it. He became a mole in PDP, even as Senate Minority Leader. He leaked out the outcome of PDP caucus meetings to APC members and promised to help them realize the removal of Saraki as Senate President.

A new darling had been secured in the Senate by the ruling party. Such was Akpabio’s infidelity when words filtered out that he had completed arrangements to defect to APC. Nobody was surprised when Akpabio told PDP Senate caucus members that he was off to Germany on a private trip, only to emerge in London prostrating like a recently pardoned convict before President Buhari.

Back in Akwa Ibom, it would not be easy for Akpabio to claim the Government House from Udom. The Governor is an Ibibio man. They control 12 out of the 21 LGA’s in the State. Out of Akpabio’s Senatorial district comprising 8 LGA’s, 2 belong to Ibibios who constitute the majority tribe in the State. Not only is Udom working, he is very civilized and laying durable development plan for the State. The Ibibios are happy with him. The Eket people are enjoying his tenure. So are other component tribes that make up the State. How Akpabio hopes to reverse these gains in 2019 elections for his selfish interest is a matter for conjecture.

In any case, the likes of Obong Victor Attah, Chief Don Etiebet, Akpan Udoedohe , Nsima and others were frustrated out of PDP by Akpabio. He was ruthless to them and their supporters. They were reduced to political- lightweight through complete exclusion from political participation and crass violence against their persons. Now Akpabio would be their new leader in APC and would imagine that they would surrender to his leadership. This would be some sort of dangerous optimism.

Having resigned as Minority Leader of the Senate, what would qualify Akpabio as the leader of these eminent politicians? Would APC and the leaders of the party in Akwa Ibom State accept Akpabio’s wife as Deputy Governorship candidate of their party in 2019. Plenty of trouble ahead as it is not yet Uhuru for APC in Akwa Ibom State.

Dr. Stephen Nwogu writes from Calabar.
August 9, 2018
THIS POLITICAL STORM WILL HELP OUR DEMOCRACY
The storm in the National Assembly is not to make any political party or person fear. The storm is about the right of people to associate and express political views without being terrorized by State apparatus. If former President Jonathan’s arrowheads had done half of what President Buhari’s men are doing to perceived internal and external political opponents, the President would be no where near the gate of Aso Rock.

President Buhari must sustain the democratic environment that created the opportunity for him to assume office as President. He cannot stay more than eight years in office. There is no need to pretend that it is a life time job. President Buhari should fight corruption transparently within the law and no one would cry for what would legally befall the truly corrupt.

The Police should concentrate on the protection of Nigerian citizens along Kaduna/Abuja road and other black spots in our country. They are so many that the number of citizens who daily lose their lives to hoodlums and herdsmen are unbelievable in Peace time. Never before has life been so cheap in our dear country. What a state of insecurity sustained by the continuous incapacity of those that the President has entrusted with such crucial assignment.

The security agents should block the killing fields in our country and stop over concentrating man power on escorting VIPs and laying siege on political opponents or intimidating voters. Our country should show the light in sustaining democracy in Africa in order to rebuild our society and drive it to egalitarianism. We cannot go the way of Cameroon’s Paul Biya and a host of other wayward nations whose graduates yearly attend the Nigerian law school as they do not even have one in their countries.

President Buhari should not allow the Party cheer leaders and supposedly non- partisan hailers to mislead him by calling him a strong man for the growing political intolerance of his opponents. In the event that he fails his second term bid, they would abandon him.

Former President Jonathan got good advice from well meaning Nigerians in respect of spiraling corrupt activists, inefficiency of the public sector and how to curb the growth of Boko Haram insurgency which characterized his era. He did not heed.

The powers of incumbency could not save his fall like Humpty- Dumpty and all the kings men who sang Hosanah -in-the- highest deserted him. Some defected to other Political parties and pointed accusing fingers at him. Such is the fluid nature of our political environment.

Let the President redirect his energies in dealing with what worries the public the most- the state of insecurity in the country. He should keep on working to improve the economy in order to create more jobs, reduce poverty and raise the standard of living of country men and women. If the Government cannot build new infrastructure, it should strive to complete the incomplete projects on ground and renovate the existing ones. At the end, he should let Nigerians judge him and decide whether or not he deserves a second tenure in office.

May God bless Nigeria.

Dr. West-Idahosa.
July 25, 2018
2019: PDP, ADC, R-APC, 36 other parties sign grand alliance MOU to oust APC
By Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA-The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) and 36 other political parties Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in a grand alliance to form a government of national unity in 2019. The sole agenda according to the MOU, is to produce a joint Presidential candidate capable of winning the election and enthrone a new government at the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2019. Former Acting National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Ben Obi in his opening remarks said the various parties chose to come together to salvage the nations and put to end all semblance of nepotism and tribalism.

According to him, the President Buhari administration has left Nigerians more divided than they were in 2019. “We are here to begin a process that will lead to the formation of a government of national unity. We are here to put to an end the nepotism and corruption that the APC government has been known for in the past three years. “They promised to tackle corruption, revamp the economy and address security challenges and restructure the nation but as soon as they were elected, they denied making such promises. ” We are here to put an end to to dictatorial tendencies and this is a war between light and darkness and I can assure you that light would prevail,” said Senator Obi. Also speaking, R-APC national chairman, Buba Galadima noted that the MOU will send shivers down the spine of the ruling party, adding that since he led a splinter group out of the ruling party, the R-APC has been receiving messages of solidarity from across the world. Buhari will lose 2019 election-Galadima For Galadima, President Buhari is fated to lose the 2019 election, adding that if the President knew what awaited him, it would have been better for him not to go into electoral contest at all. “With what I know, I can tell you that President Buhari will not only this election, he will lose his deposits. Let us not forget that the man we will be facing is a military general. We are ready, prepared to take on this fight despite their intimidations and threats. “I know him but if I was his adviser, I will tell him not to contest,” Galadima said even as he reminded parties to the alliance that the APC has set aside huge sums of money to buy them over in the months leading to the general polls.

Representatives of the ADC and former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola on his part described the coalition as “an assignment from God,” even as he urged the parties to be committed to the letters and spirit of the MOU. He said: “We are committed to restructuring of this nation and we must respect the spirit and letters of this understanding.”

When Nigerians voted in 2015, they thought the APC vehicle will take them to the promised land. But three years after, the APC has failed and failed tragically too.” Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Minister of Finance, Chief Olu False lamented what he termed the “gross incompetence” of the APC-led government and tasked all parties to the alliance to team up in supporting not only a sole Presidential aspirants but sole governorship candidates, Senatorial candidates as well as House of Representatives candidates across all states of the federation. “All our votes must go to the Presidential candidate and to the governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives in every state of the federation. “It is not sufficient to produce the President alone because if we have a President who does not have majority of seats in parliament, there will be challenge as to what the President would be able to do,” he noted. Parties that signed the MOU were the Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Africa Democratic Party (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), Better Nigeria Progressive Party, Democratic Alternative (DA), Democratic Peoples Party (DPC), Grand Democratic Party of Nigeria (GDPN), Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), KOWA Party, Labour Party (LP), Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA), Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN). Others included the National Conscience Party (NCP), New Generation Party (NGP), National Unity Party (NUP), Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM), Peoples Alliance for National Development and Liberty (PANDEL), Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), People for Democratic Change (PDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Providence People’s Congress (PPC), Reformed All Progressive Congress (RAPC), Restoration Party of Nigeria (RPN), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), All Grassroots Alliance (AGA), National Interest Party (NIP), Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), and Young Democratic Party (YDP) among others. Baraje, Melaye return One of the highlights of the wells attended event was the formal return to the PDP of its former Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje and the lawmaker representing Kogi East, Senator Dino Melaye. While thanking the PDP for accepting him back in its fold, Baraje said a prodigal son regardless of his sins, would always be received with joy upon repentance from his sins. “We went astray but we are back now. If a child burns one of his fingers, he quickly retreat the others. I will like to thank you for accepting to take us back,” he said. Like Baraje, Melaye said he had the option to flow with the crowd but chose to return to PDP to remain politically consisted, saying come 2019, “President Buhari will fail because he is entitled to failure. Dignitaries at the event included former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President, David Mark, the governors of Gombe and Akwa Ibom States, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Udoh Emmanuel respectively. Others were Senator Liyel Imoke, Gbenga Daniel, Ibrahim Mantu, Tom Ikimi, Zainab Maina, Ike Ekweremadu and Chief Bode George.
July 9, 2018
THEY COLLUDE! THEY COLLUDE!! (PART ONE)
Dateline: Circa December 2017
Location: The Plains of Adamawa/Taraba Border, North East Nigeria

SOS messages got to Defense HQ that villages in a Numan and Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State was under attack by Herdsmen and scores had already been slaughtered by the rampaging lot while homes and farms were being set ablaze. Due to the terrain and the distance of these villages from the base of the military forces, HQ decided that the best way to act fast and decisively was to deploy its aerial capability.

Fortunately, the military operation in that area had been fortified with the deployment of an Alpha Jet and EC 135 Helicopter by the Nigerian Air Force, so it was not a problem. Pronto, these beauties were ordered to proceed to the affected areas & the necessary munitions loaded.

It was as if the stars were in alignment as the fighters in the crafts saw to their amazement hundreds of well armed Herdsmen in full combat gears, dressed in Black burning homes, razing farms and engaging in a killing spree. These Herdsmen were armed to the hilt. On sighting the crafts the Herdsmen started retreating. Meanwhile, the forces in the fighter jets had sort permission to engage. Surprisingly, the order was not given, curiously, HQ told them just to “scare” the Herdsmen but they should not shoot to kill. The forces started shooting wide. The Herdsmen on realizing that these forces were not targeting them became emboldened and started shooting at the jets. It was simply good fortune that none of the jets were shot down that day. The Herdsmen calmly took their herds and crossed over to the Taraba side of the border. An opportunity to neutralize hundreds of these blood thirsty criminals lost.

Fast forward to January this year, this time in Benue State, another SOS signal was received by HQ to the effect that hundreds of well armed Herdsmen had invaded Guma, Kwande and Gwer-west. Luckily, stationed in these areas were Special Forces and military personnel that had been drafted to provide security to these areas. However, as the marauding Herdsmen commenced their bloodletting and razing of villages, the military could only look on. Even when many ran to the outposts, they could not find succor there as they were mindlessly killed by the killer Herdsmen. The soldiers refused to raise a finger to stop the carnage for they were under strict orders not to shoot. After hours of brigandage, the Herdsmen left the villages leaving Sorrow, tears and blood in their wake.

In February of this year, intelligence had pinpointed the exact location of Shekau and troops had been mobilized in a daring operation to get the BH leader. Five miles from his location and having cordoned off any escape routes, troops got ready to move in for the final onslaught against the wanted murderer, but again, orders came from Operations Command to delay any further action. The BBC reported that the suspension lasted for two days; time enough for Shekau and his 200-300 fighters to flee from the area. Following the increase in the attacks by Herdsmen in the Middle-Belt, many prominent voices have been raised alluding to some hidden ethno -religious agenda by the Herdsmen to conquer territories and foist their religious beliefs on the entire country. My immediate response to that absurd conspiracy is to irritatingly dismiss it and I will not waste my precious time here trying to advance any further arguments to prove the extent of its absurdity. However, I am concerned that the military will allow festering, a crisis that is clearly capable of rocking the very foundations of the existence of Nigeria; the task of preventing this outcome at the core of the avowed goals of the tradition of a military that had to fight a civil war. It is my considered opinion that the security situation is seemingly becoming intractable for two reasons.

1) The erosion/destruction/compromise of professionalism in the military by the political class

2) The Military -Industrial Complex (read corruption). Ok fellas, let’s go for tea break. We will be revealing some things in the part two with data.

One of the greatest misfortunes of military rule in Nigeria, amongst its several ills was the destruction of professionalism. Due to the constancy of putsches, military rulers engaged in executions and wanton retirement of perceived and real enemies within their ranks, and replacing the retired or slain officers with their lackeys and cronies, hence altering the balance and sequence of promotions. Most times, those who were handed sensitive, lucrative and command positions were colleagues from the same ethnic stock as the C-in-C and his kitchen Coterie were also selected using same criteria. This tradition was deepened by the gap-toothed General and the late goggle wearing one. Professionalism was thrown overboard. This was the case until OBJ arrived. As many would remember, one of the deft moves of the Ebora Owu In the first few weeks of his administration was to order the retirement of every officer that had benefitted from political appointments during the interregnum. This singular move affected many from a section of the country who had been the main beneficiaries of cronyism. With this, some level of sanity started returning to the military institution. This sanity was important for a very critical reason. No institution in Nigeria embodies the unity of the country like the military. While the political class tends to abuse the federal character requirements of the Constitution, the military is the only institution in Nigeria that adheres to a very strict code of federal character in its recruitment especially at the officer Corps level. The NDA recruitment for example is limited to three persons per state based on Senatorial zones. Promotions within the military is so regimented that federal character balancing is done giving consideration to local governments. So, you may find it extremely difficult to see to Generals of equal ranks from the same local government were there are others within the same state yet to benefit. OBJ restored these traditions. Subsequent Presidents also maintained this tradition which saw the rise of an Igbo son, General Ihejirika, for the first time since the Civil War to the position of COAS. It is this professionalism that makes it difficult for the military to be fragmented along ethnic lines. Most times, the military Camaraderie finds senior officers from other zones or regions mentoring junior officers from different zones. This is because they know that they have more threat from individuals from same place as them rather than those from other regions. The military promotions system waits for no one and therefore, an officer could be overtaken by a junior officer from same place as him/her if they fail the tough exams. But this tradition is now under threat with PMB.

News of mass retirement of officers from certain sections of the country made the rounds shortly after the president’s ascension of office. To make matters worse, all the Service Chiefs but one that he has so far appointed is a ridicule of that fine military tradition of Unity.
These appointees, having read perfectly the body language of their C-in-C as regards the Herdsmen crises, a body language that I explained in an earlier thread, have simply refused to act decisively in dealing with the crises. The same military that acted swiftly to deal a mortal Blow to IPOB is now looking helpless. They certainly are not helpless. The political will from the political class is lacking.

To be continued…

Chima Amadi
@AMADICHIMA
July 8, 2018
Buhari’s Dirty Politics
Buhari’s dirty politics is basically hinged on insensitivity with a medley of ineptitude and clannishness. Every populist promise he made to win votes in 2015 has been breeched straightaway. Instead of draining the swamp of discord between the people when he assumed office, he filled it with more hatred, bitterness, cabals and sectarianism. He assumed office of, by and for his section, 97% and left the remaining 5% far worse than they were before.

The myth of ‘I am for everybody, I am for nobody’, that fake anti a establishment phrase also vanished straightaway after his inauguration.

Buhari’s dirty politics and those of his cabals are responsible for the ernomous harm and death to countless millions of Nigerians. Instead of face his failures or resign from lack of carrying capacity, he is swimming in the mire of his badly constructed blame games.

He didn’t become the president by being a good person, he did through dirty politics by the means of an organized populist propaganda which did not allow the people to interrogate his past deeply. Sai Baba, that very insulting clamour to sensibility!

He is now surrounded with crooks and rogues who temper often with our commonwealth. He was recently advised to share the billions of Naira of the Abacha loot from Switzerland to imaginary poor people but to go to borrow billions to fund the budget. Which sane mind thinks like that?

Instead of pursuing peace and stability in the country that has suffered immense divisions, he is greviously encouraging nepotism, breeching all known laws, waging wars against those who disagree with his barbaric style of governance, terrorising minority tribes through either herdsmen or security agents, violating human and civil rights of the citizens.

During his campaigns, owing to the deadly Boko Haram insurgency, Buhari promised to improve and tackle insecurity across the country. Today, the security situation is more dismal than ever. His defence team, built from his section, has become mouth piece for killer herdsmen, paving ways for their grazing routes or otherwise, death in hundreds. Oh, the government is trying to measure up the deaths that occurred during the 16 years reign of PDP, how low a government can fall down to as if lives are pebbles lost in childhood plays.

Today, the economy is in shambles like rice shaffs blown by the wind. This is due to his series of unawares demarketing strategies of the country in hopeless foreign trips that yield nothing. The people struggle to thumb a living from miracles everyday. Farmers have either been killed in hundreds or have been dispatched to internally displaced persons camps, and there are projections of femine next year and the years to come if the killing do not stop.

His harvest is homelessness, hunger, deprivation…pretending prosperity had been hampered by years of corruption even when he sits and dine with the likes of Maina and Babachir and other corrupt cabals.

I do not wish to argue with any insane mind that Nigeria is not worse than it had ever been. The nation is conducive for only a privileged few, the others, 5%, are trampled upon like chattels and exploited. The nation is in a deplorable state of decay under Buhari, a fact not in doubt. His criminal array of administrative officials are there to be seen, his extremist security ministers and agents aid killer herdsmen, and according to TY Danjuma, collude with them to carry out heinous crimes against farmers. How could the Birom people be under attack for two days without any repreive? Up till now, none of his security agents or ministers has been changed since 2015 even in the face of their ineptitude.

Buhari’s voodoo policies are inflicting harm on millions of Nigerians in a far worse situation that can ever be imagined. We must agree things are more dismal and disturbing than any time in our modern history. The nation is sliding into unchecked economic downturn and perhaps war if this killing trend is not handled with finesse.

Lest we forget, a police state is firmly established with the fortitude of tyranny… We are sliding towards a fully-blown anarchy if the people respond in the same vein against the government. All kinds of freedoms are being suspended with unwritten decrees, removed and disappearing before our own very eyes. People now talk in hushed voices, the western world take us as political asylum seekers, senators are being dragged on tarred roads like common criminals for daring to disagree with Buhari’s primal style of governance.

Instead of working to fulfil some parts of his deceitful campaign promises, Buhari is proving everyday he is a dirty politician. My imagination wonders at this moment to how history will judge him when his work here is over.

Elempe Del
July 1, 2018
It is time to act— Enough is totally and truly now enough!!
By Dr. Oby Ezekwesili

Mr President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces- President Muhammadu Buhari, having watched with consternation the criminal massacre of our fellow Nigerians especially in the first half of this year without any evidence of fierce sense of urgency on the part of your government to end the abnormality, I have a simple question for you today. Are you by any strange possibility in need of the spilt blood of your citizens? I personally reckon that the answer to this outlandish question which some of your citizens are now asking in utter frustration is NO.

If therefore your own response is NO as I direly hope it is, I have a few DEMAND to make on you to STOP THE KILLINGS NOW!

I am addressing my message to you as the President and C-in-C of Nigeria. I am addressing my DEMANDS to you as that one individual bestowed with the powers of centralized command and control of our security institutions and personnel to enforce the provisions of Section 14 subsection 2b of the Nigerian Constitution (As amended) which states that, “the welfare and security of the citizens shall be the primary purpose of the government”. Hence;

1. STOP THE DAILY KILLING OF NIGERIANS BY TERRORIST-HERDSMEN NOW! NIGERIA MUST NOT BE CHANGED INTO A VAST KILLING FIELD UNDER YOUR WATCH, Mr PRESIDENT.

2. STOP NORMALIZING ENDLESS BLOOD FLOW OF EVEN OUR INNOCENT CHILDREN IN THE LAND NOW!!! STOP THE BLOOD LETTING. IT IS AN ABERRATION.

3. SHARE THE CREDIBLE STRATEGY AND SOLUTIONS OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION TO THE DAILY KILLINGS OF NIGERIANS WITH THE PEOPLE.

4. REVEAL THE IDENTITIES OF ALL THE PERPETRATORS OF AT LEAST ALL KILLINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED UNDER YOUR ADMINISTRATION IN PLATEAU, BENUE, TARABA, KADUNA, ZAMFARA, ADAMAWA, NASSARAWA, KOGI AND OTHER STATES AND THE STATE OF JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS TO SECURE DETERRENT SANCTIONS. REVEAL THE IDENTITIES, ARREST AND ARRAY ALL SUSPECTED MURDERERS IN COURT NOW!!!

5. END THE FREEDOM TO KILL AND MAIM THAT THE NIGERIAN HAS HANDED TO TERRORIST-HERDSMEN. COMMENCE EFFECTIVE INVESTIGATION, ARREST, PROSECUTION AND SANCTION OF PERPETRATORS OF VIOLENT CRIMES IN ALL AFFECTED STATES NOW.

5B. GIVE JUSTICE TO THE DEAD NOW AND SECURE THE LIVING IN ALL AFFECTED COMMUNITIES.

6. END THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF OUR SECURITY ESTABLISHMENTS, SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES NOW.

7. STOP REWARDING THE INCOMPETENCE AND FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP OF THE SECURITY ARCHITECTURE OF NIGERIA. THE COST OF THEIR FAILURE IS EXTREMELY HIGH IN THE 1,196 (Approx) NIGERIANS THAT HAVE DIED IN ONLY THE FIRST FIVE AND HALF MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.

8. END YOUR LOYALTY TO YOUR SERVICE CHIEFS AND HEAD OF SECURITY BECAUSE OF THEIR LOYALTY TO YOUR PERSON. IT IS A BREACH OF THE OATH YOU SWORE INTO OFFICE TO PLACE NIGERIA ABOVE YOUR PERSONAL INTEREST. IT IS SIMPLY PUT, AN ABUSE OF OFFICE.

9. STOP YOUR COLD AND VISIBLE LACK OF EMPATHY TOWARD A SEGMENT OF YOUR CITIZENS WHO ARE DAILY KILLED WITH IMPUNITY WHILE YOU PERSONALLY MAKE AND ISSUE STATEMENTS THAT INCLUDE ENDORSING THEIR KILLERS’ SCANDALOUS JUSTIFICATION OF THEIR CRIME AS A MERE RETALIATORY ACT FOR LOST COWS.

10. STOP THE SEEMING TROUBLING ENDORSEMENT BY YOUR ADMINISTRATION OF THE REPUGNANT ADMISSION BY AN ORGANIZATION THAT IT KILLS HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE YOUR CITIZENS FOR THEIR OWN LOST COWS. SANCTION THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE NOW IF THE NIGERIAN POLICE FAILS TO ARREST THOSE WHO ALLEGEDLY MADE THE RECENT HERDSMEN ASSOCIATION STATEMENT AND THEIR MEMBERS WHO WERE ASSIGNED TO EXECUTE THE SO-CALLED ‘RETALIATORY ATTACKS’.

11. MR PRESIDENT, YOUR BIASE IN HANDLING THE KILLINGS AND ABDUCTIONS OF CERTAIN SEGMENT OF NIGERIANS IS ALL TOO OBVIOUS AND UNBECOMING OF A LEADER OF A DIVERSE NATION LIKE NIGERIA.
ALL NIGERIAN LIVES MATTER!

12. STOP THE BLAME GAME AND YOUR CONFUSING STATEMENTS ON THE KILLINGS OF YOUR CITIZENS. TODAY, MAUMER QADDAFI’S LIBYA DESTABILIZATION. TOMORROW, YOUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS. NEXT WEEK, THE AFFECTED-COMMUNITIES OF STATE WHO ARE ALREADY VICTIMS OF THE CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE AND FAILURE TO PROTECT BY YOUR ADMINISTRATION.

13. COMMISSION AN URGENT INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND STUDY INTO THE ROOT CAUSES FOR EVIDENCE BASED COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO BUILD BACK THE BROKEN DOWN COMMUNITY PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFFECTED STATES.

14. LEAD A NATIONAL DISCUSSION TO AGREE A MARKET BASED POLICY ON CATTLE RANCHING AND GRASS/FORAGE SUPPLIES AS A FUNDAMENTAL SOLUTION TO THE HERDSMEN-FARMERS CRISIS.

15. IMMEDIATELY CONVENE A MEETING OF ALL COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY TERRORIST-HERDSMEN AND USE YOUR PRESIDENTIAL SOFT POWER TO MOBILIZE NIGERIANS FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE. THIS WOULD INCLUDE DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO GOVERN LAND, WATER AND PASTURE IN A MARKET-BASED MANNER WHERE NO GROUP FEELS ENTITLED TO THE OTHERS’ ASSETS. SUPPORT COMMUNITIES TO INSTITUTE LOCAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION SYSTEMS, MECHANISMS AND PLATFORMS.

16. PROVIDE PROGRESS REPORT ON NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY COUNCIL THAT MR PRESIDENT INAUGURATED AND CHAIRS TO TACKLE THE HERDSMEN-FARMER CRISIS: Provide the Nigerian Public with the progress report of the National Food Security Council which you inaugurated on Monday, March 26, 2018 under your Chairmanship. At the time of inauguration, you announced the broad objectives of the Council as being, “to developing sustainable solutions to the farmers–herdsmen clashes; Climate Change and Desertification and their impact on farmland; grazing areas and lakes, rivers and other water bodies; oil spillage and its impact on Niger Delta Fishing Communities; piracy and banditry; agricultural research institutions and extension services and the problem of smuggling.”

17. ENOUGH OF WHAT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS IMPLICIT COMPLICITY OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION IN THE FREQUENT KILLINGS OF YOUR CITIZENS MR PRESIDENT!!!

18. #NoMoreKillings. #StopTheKillings. #ActForResultsNOW. #MrPresident.
June 27, 2018
Our lives are worth more
I wish we will all understand this. Where we are now is anti-life; complete bastardization of the human being @ 1 cow =1 person. Given the number of deaths that have occurred outside the troubled North-East Zone, it is debatable whether the casualties of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war are really more than the casualties all over the country in largely peace-time. Hmmmm! How did we get here?

We were led into error by the zeal to improve our national life by embracing CHANGE. What we got instead is shocking! Whatever gains the government may have recorded, they lost woefully with their complete helplessness in the security and welfare of the people. Ironically, this is the primary purpose of Government in line with the provisions of section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

For whom are they improving the economy? In whose interest are they fighting corruption? For whom are they constructing railways/ roads?

Certainly, not the people who may not live to enjoy those benefits. The people who die needlessly everyday! The people that are frequently given mass burial by the same government!

Get something clear, human life is sacred! Be they Christians, Muslims, African Traditional Religionists, Atheists or whoever! They are under our laws guaranteed by section 33 of our constitution.

The president must stop given excuses about the wanton destruction of life and properties going on in our country. It is his duty to enforce extant laws in our country sequel to section 5 of our constitution and he has the powers to appoint the inspector General of police under section 215 (1)(a) of the constitution or to remove him under section 216 of the Supreme law of our land.

In addition, he has the powers to determine the operational use of the Armed Forces as the Commander In Chief under section 218 of the same constitution.

What is left, nothing. The president has the knife and has the yam. Why does he continue to give excuses about been unable to cut the yam. Is that not why he was elected? He cannot enjoy the perks of office without delivering effectively on his duties directly or through his appointees. Throughout his tenure so far, it has been pretty clear that a number of appointments were ill conceived. Why then did the President not do the needful in good timing? The serving Inspector General of Police is in my opinion of very low reckoning by all and sundry. He has spent more time flexing muscles with the National Assembly than doing his job. An exercise that is not only unproductive but laced with partisan coloration.

It is time to get serious in the guarantee of our right to live freely in our country. It is a cardinal right that flows from our citizenship of Nigeria. It is protected both by our local laws and International instruments.

Enough is enough. No cow is worth killing anyone for. If the laws are made to work, cow rustlers will have no place to hide. They exist because the security community is not alive to its responsibilities. The buck stops on the President’s table and no where else.

Dr. West-Idahosa.
June 26, 2018
Change in nomenclature, same ambiguous policy
By Gurumwal George Longjan

The widely rejected proposed National Grazing Ranch/Reserve/Colony Policy has just had a name change to: “The National Livestock Transformation Plan”.

Glancing through the “Transformation Plan”, these are the ten pilot states to “benefit” from the policy: Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.

94 locations in these states have been “donated” and have subsequently been earmarked for the Ranches/Reserves/Colonies.

Who did the donating?
Were the indigenous people consulted?
Where are the 94 donated lands located?

These basic queries have not been answered since the initial Grazing debate started, up till now that this new “Transformation Plan” is being peddled.

Page 23 of the Transformation Plan partly answered the first of the three questions. It was stated that “Governors and Private Entities” have donated lands for the “Pilot Ranches”. But To the best of my knowledge, there is no vacant land in these states, all lands have owners. So did these owners, from the goodness of their hearts, give their scarce land resources to the State Government for utilisation for the The Plan?

If it was the various State Government’s lands, did the various Houses of Assembly approve such a ceding of State Land to the Federal Government, even if it’s temporary?

Confusingly, it states on Page 27 that:

“Pastoralists to be registered and recognised as cooperatives for the ranching scheme”

and then in the very next paragraph:

“State Governments to grant lands to (these) cooperatives on a leasehold basis”

The mere fact that this paragraph categorically states that Pastoralists will be the ones to form the cooperatives and those cooperatives will be “given the lands” calls for deep concern.

Now we don’t even know who has rights to the lands to do as they please during the implementation of The Plan. Is it the Federal Government? The State Government? The original owners of the land? The Pastoralists?

Furthermore it states that there shall be clusters of these “ranches” within the “donated gazetted grazing reserves”. From my limited knowledge, this group of “clusters” more or less describes a “Grazing Colony”.

The fact that they are being “gazetted” means that the Federal Government will most likely have the rights to the lands, and do whatever they please with it, even if it runs contrary to the interests of the indigenous neighbours. We have not finished recovering from the “Grazing Routes” that were established by Government and “gazetted” decades ago.

Page 12 and 13 of The Transformation Plan says it is to be built on six key pillars. Of interest is the fourth pillar, the “Humanitarian Relief Pillar” which includes “rebuilding and reconstructing of WORSHIP PLACES”.

I’m wondering what an economic/transformation plan or an agricultural project has to do with “worship places”. I guess the interpretation of “worship places” and which religion(s) would benefit is anyone’s guess.

Also of interest is that over 10 years, the Project will gulp more than N179 billion while the first 3 years of the pilot phase will consume N70 billion.

For the Federal Government to be eager and willing to invest so much money in a controversially unpopular project that has been roundly rejected, that has changed names multiple times and involves an activity that is not generally practised by the indigenous people of the selected states, calls for deep thought.

It is concerning that a farming activity like grazing cattle, that involves a significantly lower percentage of the population in the aforementioned area, will consume almost the whole totality of the monumental funds that have been earmarked for future farming related activities and projects in the target areas.

Farming of Potatoes, Yams, Cassava, Millet, Rice, Carrots, Cabbages, Beans, Mai Atili (Olives), Ridi (Beniseed), Cashew, Oranges, Mangoes etc is the predominant agricultural activity in these regions.

This is where I would have thought the Federal Government would invest N179 billion. Long term investments to build processing plants, develop supply chain routes, upgrade the local airports to international Cargo Terminals and provide other technological amenities to improve crop production to meet the local demand and eventual export to countries that are begging for these agricultural resources.

All I would say is that let every one keep their eyes wide open. With current happenings, we definitely can not afford to be complacent.

Beneath every questionable and ambiguous policy, there is an underlying agenda. And in more cases than none, the agenda is nefarious.
June 22, 2018