Insecurity become worse under Buhari, says Gbajabiamila

House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the security situation under President Muhammadu Buhari is “still very terrible.”

Gbajabiamila made this statement while addressing journalists after paying Sallah homage to the President in Daura on Friday, stressing that the APC led government met “some difficulties on ground.”

According to him, the All Progressives Congress government led by Buhari came to power promising to tackle insecurity, corruption and pursue economic prosperity for the country. But “security is still terrible.”

“We came on the mantra of security, anti-corruption and economy and if you want to be objective we are not where we were.

“The security is still very terrible. But Boko Haram has been decimated. Their leader has been killed, those who foment trouble have been arrested,” he said.

Blaming successive governments, the Speaker argued that the APC-led government inherited some difficulties which they are working to surmount.

“I think we are on course. It is difficult, don’t get me wrong, we met some difficulties on ground and we are working and building slowly and surely,” Gbajabiamila said.

In April, the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu blamed the Nigerian media for reporting insecurity in the country like something new just to undermine the efforts of the Buhari government in tackling the menace.

“There is a determination by some people to make security their narrative that will lead to next election, 2023. We are sad. We are not happy that people are killing each other. But the way reporting is done is to suggest that it had never happened before.

“The other day I was reading a newspaper to the audience. New Nigeria newspaper reporting kidnapping of November 7, 1966, in the mid-West,” Shehu said.

“If something like that happens today it would be reported as there has never been an incident like that in the history of the country and Buhari, not any other person, is responsible. So we know the game in town.”

JUST IN: There is no hope for Nigeria to remain one nation, says Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, has again said that there is no hope of Nigeria to continue to remain as one nation if the Federal Government fails to do the needful.

According to the foremost playwright, Nigeria cannot continue as one country unless it is decentralised as a matter of urgency.

Asked during an interview with Arise TV if he thinks that Nigeria can continue as one, Soyinka said, “Not if it continues this way. Not if it fails to decentralise. Some people use the word restructure, some people use the word…whatever. Not if it fails to decentralise.

“If Nigeria fails to decentralise and I mean, decentralise as fast as possible, manifestly not rhetoric, then Nigeria cannot stay together.

“Again this is not Wole Soyinka saying this. Generals have said it. Everybody has said; ex-heads of state have said it; analysts have said; economists have said it and that’s what is happening to the people on the streets; that’s why they’re moving; that’s why they’re demonstrating; that’s why they’re defying even threats from the police; from the government ‘if you demonstrate, you’re traitors, we’ll deal with you…we’ll speak to you in language which you’ll understand’.

“It doesn’t work with anybody any longer. Because the nation is on a suicide slide and the people feel that they do not deserve that kind of suicidal plunge and they have the right to say ‘sorry o, I’m getting out of this plane before it nose-dives.”

His total failure made me change my daughter's name from Buhariyya, says Buhari’s staunch supporter Ibrahim

A man, identified as Yahuza Ibrahim, popularly known as Niga, a native of Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, has renamed his six-year old daughter, whom he named after President Muhammadu Buhari, from ‘Buhariyya’ to ‘Kausar’.

The renaming ceremony, which was said to have taken place in the early hours of yesterday in Jibia town, attracted many people who converged on Ibrahim’s house to witness the epoch-making event.

When asked of the motive behind renaming his daughter, he claimed that failure to fulfil all campaign promises made by the Buhari-led administration under All Progressives Congress, (APC), from 2015 to date was the sole reason for his action.

Yahuza Ibrahim was quoted as saying, “I was a diehard fan of President Muhammadu Buhari before and after he won the 2015 election, because of his honesty and integrity. To strengthen the love I have for him, I made a promise that whenever my wife safely delivers; I will name the child after Buhari if he is a boy, but if she is a girl; she will be called Buhariyya.

“I have fulfilled my promise when my wife eventually delivered a bouncing baby girl in 2015 by naming the newborn as Buhariyya”.

He said that after more than six years now since President Buhari came to power, there is nothing to write home about, hence his decision to rename his daughter.

Yahuza Ibrahim also claimed that he delayed enrolling the former Buhari’s namesake into public primary school, due to the plan he has of changing his daughter’s name to Kausar.

If bandits can shot down fighter jet they are no longer bandits but terrorists, says Hon Namdas

Hon Abdulrazak Namdas

Chairman, House of Representatives committee on Army, Hon Abdulrazak Namdas, yesterday, described the attackers of Airforce fighter jet in Zamfara State as terrorists saying that the media must identify criminals properly, considering the sophisticated weapons used to carry out the dastardly act.

Namdas who spoke at an ongoing capacity building workshop on conflict reporting for journalists organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and Premium Times Centre for investigative journalism (Ptcij), held in Abuja, noted that the security situation in the country is deteriorating by the day, which calls for decisive action against the activities of ‘bandits.

He expressed concern that the enemies might be winning.

He said: “We should be able to define who is actually a terrorist or cattle rustlers because those who are called bandits have moved one step forward because of the kind of weapon they use. If a bandit can go to the extent of bringing down a fighter jet, it is no longer banditry but terrorism.

According to him, “the media should help to unravel the identity of these people, this is more than banditry, and calling them the right name would help us to tackle them. If I don’t have the knowledge of who these people are, it means even in terms of resource allocation, there is no way we can allocate resources.”

The Head, European and International Cooperation of Konrad Adenauer Tiftung (KAS), Dr. Vladimir Kreck said with the level of insecurity in the northwest, north east, south east and south west, It is important for journalists to report these conflicts. The insight has been given by the house committee chairman on army.

“Those that shot down the military plane should not be called bandits anymore because of the kind of work they do. You can’t call armed robbers bandits. Terrorist could be a proper name for them.”

One of the lecturers at the seminar, Prof. Isaac Albert from University of Ibadan frowned at information gap often exercised by regimes’ spokespersons, saying this sometimes triggers conflict in the country.

Speaking on “Conflicts roots, causes and triggers, Prof. Albert described media coverage as an inherent part of a terrorist group’s communication strategy aimed at fulfilling targeted goals.

“Part of these goals is to capture attention, disseminate their messages in order to attract public’s sympathy for their cause and spread fear and terror among the population. This intimidation of the public is expected to result in increasing public pressure on decision makers to affect policy in ways that favour the terrorist organization’s interests.”

Publisher of Premium Times, Dapo Olorunyomi, stated that a journalist’s first obligation is to report the truth and their loyalty is to the people and not the government or their spokespersons.

“Nigeria’s treaty obligation is to respect the rights that enables journalists perform their duties in the most ethical manner without interference; besides, it is also an obligation for the government to protect journalists in the safest possible way to discharge their duties,” he stressed.

JUST IN: Those who do not want Nigeria to progress in unity deserved to be be send back to their creator for judgement, says Adesina

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina 

President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said that agitators of disintegration of the country deserve “to be sent to God” to answer for their “crimes”.

The presidential spokesman said this while insisting that those who do not want Nigeria to progress in unity deserved to be be send back to their creator for judgement. 

Adesina echoed the words of the Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaya, who had recently warned bandits and other criminals that his men would continue to send them to their creators to “answer for their crimes”.

According to the presidential aide, “a bad guy is a bad guy” irrespective of whether he is an insurgent, a bandit, kidnapper, secessionist, insurrectionist or cultist.

Adesina said this in an opinion piece titled “May God Bless Our Troops”, which he wrote to praise the gallantry of Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, the Nigerian Air Force officer who escaped death after bandits reportedly shot down a military jet he flied last week.

“May He preserve them, keep them alive, and give them victory, as they deal with the bad guys, and give them bloody noses round the country.

“Who are the bad guys? They come under different appellations. Insurgents. Bandits. Kidnappers. Secessionists. Insurrectionists. Cultists. Murderers. 

"Whatever. A bad guy is a bad guy, and deserves to be sent to God to answer for his crimes (apologies Lt. General Faruk Yahaya, Chief of Army Staff). And for those who summarily despatch the bad guys to the judgment bar, may God protect them. Daily. Amen,” he said.

Just In: Arresting Igboho is like arresting the entire Southwest — Oba Ajibola

Yoruba monarch in Ilorin, Kwara State, Oba Titus Suberu Ajibola, has called for the immediate release of Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho, saying he is a good man who's only representing a struggle backed by prominent Yoruba leaders in the Nigeria.

He said the agitation for self-determination did not just start overnight, and that Igboho is representing millions of Yoruba who want to be free from a failed union headed by a tyrant, and from a region who thinks everyone else are its subject.

Ajibola who made the plea in a video that has now gone viral, said Igboho consulted with him and other Yoruba monarchs before starting his agitations, stating further that the activist also had the support of some governors in the South-West region.

He pleaded with the Beninese government never to grant Nigeria's government extradition request, stating that the activist will be subjected to torture in Nigeria. 

He said, “Let the Benin Republic King release him, do not extradite him to Nigeria or to Buhari, Igboho is a good man before he started these agitations, he had consulted the Yoruba monarchs and we were not against it, even the governors are not against it. 

“His aim is to deliver the Yorubas from the killer herdsmen, thus we want you to release him but not to Buhari, because Buhari's government will only torture him and we don't want him to be tortured, he is our son. We beg of you in the name of God, help us release Igboho, he is a good person.

“We, the Yorubas are really suffering under this government. Please do not extradite Igboho to Nigeria, we don't want him to be tortured. His agitation is to deliver the Yorubas from slavery, we have been enslaved. We beg you in the name of God, release him, not to Buhari, let him be free.”

Similarly, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, warned against maltreating Igboho, saying it could lead to war.

“I think the FG should be fair to the young man because any attempt to trivialize issues of agitations might set this nation on fire.

“For example, the issue of self determination didn’t come up overnight. It was as a result of the long years of injustice, nepotism, and corruption occasioned by bad leadership.

“So, the FG will be making a big mistake if it decides to treat agitators of Yoruba nation as common criminals or enemies."

JUST IN: Israel joins African Union to help Nigeria, others eradicate terrorism

Israeli's Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett

Israel’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Aleleign Admasu, has submitted his credentials as observer to the African Union.

This was disclosed in a statement published on Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website on Thursday.

The country promised to support the continental body in its fight against terror groups across the continent.

The African countries currently facing the challenges of terror groups are: Nigeria, Chad, Cameroun, and Kenya.

“For the first time since 2002, Israel’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Aleleign Admasu presented his credentials as observer to the African Union.

“Following the formal establishment of Israel’s observer status with the African Union, the parties will be able to cooperate, among other things, in the fight against Corona and the prevention of the spread of extremist terrorism throughout the continent.

“The African Union is the largest and most important organization on the African continent whose members are the 55 countries in Africa,” the statement partly read.

Reacting to the development, Israel’s Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yair Lapid, stated that the country’s acceptance by the union would boost its bilateral relations with the continent.

“This is a day of celebration for Israel-Africa relations. This diplomatic achievement is the result of consistent work by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its African Division and Israeli embassies on the continent. This corrects the anomaly that has existed for almost two decades and is an important part of strengthening the fabric of Israel’s foreign relations. It will help us strengthen our activities on the African continent and with the member states of the organization,” he stated via social media.

On his part, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat confirmed receiving Admasu’s credentials.

Mahamat, in a statement on AU’s website, said he used the opportunity to speak on the Palestine-Israeli conflict which had lasted for several decades.

He was of the view that the two-state solution was a sure path to peace for both countries.

“The Chairperson stated that the conflict between the State of Palestine and Israel has been a cause of great concern for over seventy years with various regional and international actors having participated in the search for a peace between the two nations; and noted that a lasting solution was required to ensure the co-existence of both nations and to allow their people to live in a state of peace and stability.

“He emphasised that the path towards long lasting peace and stability requires that the peace process and the solutions sought must not only be acceptable, but must guarantee the rights of all parties,” the AU statement partly read.