ONE fellow had sought my advice on how he could become a candidate in the 2011 elections. He was hoping one of the major political parties will notice him, be impressed by his credentials and then invite him to lead the process of change in his constituency.
He has a Masters degree, many years of experience in the private sector; he spent 15 years in the United States, he has seen the world literally. He is comfortable, and he thinks he is the kind of knowledgeable and articulate person that can make a difference either as a Governor or a member of the National Assembly.
I had to tell the fellow to stop dreaming! There may be some countries in the world where some individuals are specially invited to come and serve in a public capacity because of their sterling credentials, but certainly not in Nigeria. I asked him: does he belong to any political party? No. Does he know the grassroots politicians in his ward, including the ward chairman, deputy chairman, councilors (old and new), the local cults, the witches and the wizards, the pastors and the imams, the Chairman of the Landlords Association, and particularly the area boys?
Has he ever been to their houses, bought marijuana and local gin for the area boys, tubers of yam and bags of rice for the big men? No. No. No. He thinks the local people are too mercantile, and he would rather not descend so low. “I see, I see,” I muttered, shaking my head. Does he have a Godfather, and if not, has he identified one? “No,” he said. He wanted to start a long story about how he had lived in the United States, how he was a volunteer for the Bill Clinton Presidential campaign; something about his passion to transform Nigeria, and how he wants to make his own modest contribution because he believes Africa is the last frontier… I promptly told him to keep his imported ideas of politics to himself. The culture here is different. I recommended to him a crash course in Nigerian Politics 101 and 102 combined.
Nobody goes to anyone’s home to invite them to join politics and represent the community. With Nigerian lawmakers in Abuja earning as much as N40 million per month, and elected officials at other levels: Governors, House of Assembly lawmakers, councilors - all making a fortune out of politics, anyone who is hoping that his talents will be discovered by existing politicians is merely hallucinating. Why should anyone invite you, when they also want to make money for themselves and their families? These days, even carpenters are ready to put up a billboard and seek party tickets to go to the National Assembly, if they can. To become a professional politician, you simply have to join a party, collect a membership card, and get well known in your ward, the state and the party. You have to start much earlier though; you shouldn’t wait till all the possible positions have been shared. Oh yes, the positions are allocated long before the election by party chieftains. And for you to be considered for such allocations, you need certain guarantees.
The best guarantee is to be the son, daughter, nephew, niece, cousin, in-law, wife or mistress… of an influential politician. With that, you don’t need to do or say anything. The influential power broker, after many years of wheeling and dealing already knows the territory of Nigerian politics. He will smuggle you in there, and if you lose, he can still arrange an appointment for you. If you fall into this category, you only need to make appearances during election campaigns, print posters and pretend to be smart enough on your own merit. Lucky fellow, you can become Governor, Minister, Commissioner, Senator, House of Reps member, Board Chairman… Your Godfather has bought that space for you, by being a member of the in-crowd of the Nigerian political establishment. Your strongest credential is that you are related to him by blood or marriage. Why should he use his goodwill for the benefit of other people’s children when his own children also have Masters and Ph.D? You will be expected in the future to do the same for your own children and other relations. It is better to keep the business within the family. Get that straight: politics is a business enterprise, a capital investment in Nigeria.
You don’t have a Godfather? Please, you must cultivate one or get out of politics. Just identify a power broker with a record of achievement in politics and throw yourself under his wings. But don’t just join any political party. You must choose wisely. It is better to go with a political party that is popular in your area, and likely to win elections. All those foreign ideas about ideology and principles don’t work here. You can always change your party, as soon as it can no longer win elections in your constituency or it does not offer you want you want. You can always change your Godfather too. And if you are lucky, you could become very influential within the state or community, and gain an opportunity to dethrone the Godfather, and become the boss in due course. But you must bid your time.
Politics in Nigeria is a very complex game: it doesn’t require any sacred beliefs or ideology. Don’t forget: this is about power, not your abilities or your commitment to the common good. While serving out your apprenticeship, you are expected to kow-tow to the Godfather. You must show that you can be relied upon to do the Godfathers’ bidding. If you have any original ideas, keep them to yourself. What do you know? The Godfather and his inner circle know it all. If you show any sign of independence, your political career will end even before it starts. If you are rich, you must be seen to be generous to the Godfather and the party, but don’t upstage the Boss. If you are not rich, you can be useful in other ways. Be ready to run errands. Hang around. Some really ambitious young men report to the Godfather’s house every morning; they close for the day only when he goes to bed. You can be summoned at any hour; learn to smile a lot and say “Yes sir.” Get your wife to become a friend of the Godfather’s wife. Through her, you can exert quiet behind-the-scenes influence.
Godfathers don’t like liabilities. Demonstrate some potential. Try and get popular in your local area. Show the Godfather that you are also learning the ropes. Visit your ward regularly. Give the ward people money. Buy gifts for their wives. Attend naming ceremonies, weddings and funerals. Go to local drinking joints and declare free booze. Get close to the area boys, and make sure they know you are now a politician and who your Godfather is. Soon, you will acquire some name recognition. That helps. Of what use is a politician who has no following among local thugs? With time, you too should be able to boast about “the boys” under your control. The Godfather will be impressed. He knows you are his boy and that your boys know that you are his boy: he is the Boss of all bosses. He expects you to tell your boys that he is the real masquerade. The day you begin to get high on your own supply, the same Godfather will find a rival for you in your own constituency. Or you may be ordered to step down. Politics is a game, not charity. The Godfather is investing; he expects returns. Play along.
Or maybe this time around, you didn’t get any party ticket. You are expected to remain loyal nevertheless. If the party wins, you could be rewarded with a public appointment: Commissioner, Board Chairman, Minister, Director General of an agency, or a Special Assistant/Adviser. It is a great opportunity and you are expected to make the best use of it. Some smart guys in the past have used such positions to make themselves very relevant. A certain level of notoriety may also help. Use the position to promote yourself with the public, while pretending to be better than everyone else. Who knows? In the next election, you could suddenly show up as a Presidential candidate or a Senatorial aspirant. Nobody is going to ask questions. They know you already. It is your luck.
You have done well, brother, you have now been given the opportunity to be a candidate in the 2011 elections. You have been given the party’s flag. How did you get here? Never forget that. Your Godfather asked some better qualified persons to step down for you. They are angry, they have gone to other political parties and they are prepared to sabotage you. They believe they are better qualified. They think it is the turn of their political zone, ethnic group, or family to produce the next candidate for that position and that they have been cheated. You and your “political family” – your relationship with the godfather is non-linear, it involves other stakeholders - have managed to stay ahead by buying up voters cards during the voters’ registration exercise.
In 2011, INEC introduced the idea of thumb-printing and computer registration. They think they are smart. But your cabal has bought up the cards, and taken down the names and addresses of the voters on your pay roll. You have to remain in touch with them till election day. On D-Day, your party will organise transportation to the polling booth, feeding and financial assistance for the voters. You have bribed the Resident Electoral Commissioner. You have taken care of the election officials with a promise of more to come. Your party thugs are on standby. They have been equipped for the war ahead. It is the UN that calls it an election, in Africa it is war. That is why in Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, a Professor of History and his supporters are insisting that the only alternative to their being dislodged from power is a full blown civil war.
You still have to go out there and campaign, though. The Godfather(s) will lead the campaign. But if you are a Presidential or Gubernatorial candidate, you’d get a chance to do and say a lot more than others. Print and distribute posters. Erect billboards. Make sure you look handsome in the photograph. And if you have a big tummy, hide it. People are turned off by ugly faces. They may think the first thing you’d do when you get to office is to steal public funds to go and do a plastic surgery. Engage the services of a good photographer and try out many attires. There is something called photo-shop. The photographer knows what to do. In this age of technology, you can be made to look handsome. Have a fashion code. Introduce a unique element to your wardrobe. But don’t dress like “a rascal” or “a drunken sailor fisherman”. Tell the electorate that you are not really interested in a position, you are happy running your successful business and that by accepting to run for public office, in response to pressures from every quarter, you are in fact taking a pay cut and your businesses are likely to suffer. In fact, you won’t spend more than a term of four years in office. Don’t bother, in four years time, nobody will remember and if they do, abuse journalists for quoting you out of context.
Religion helps. The people are impressed by it. Start going to church regularly, attend night vigils, ask the Pastors to pray for you, if possible, let them lay their hands on you and proclaim your anointment! Remember to do something for the church and the Pastor. They expect you to pay for all the prayers. If you are a Muslim, go and learn some Quranic verses by rote and mouth them at every convenient opportunity. If you are too dumb to learn anything, then just learn to preface every speech with Bismillahi Rahamani Raheem and end it with Allahu Akbar. Know your constituency. Recruit media consultants. Let them put your pictures in the papers and make you look good. It does not matter that your involvement with the private sector in the United States was as a shop floor attendant at Macy’s for 15 years. You are now an international businessman!
Cultivate traditional rulers. They can be very good party agents - for a fee of course. Pay their children’s school fees. Send their wives abroad on holiday. They will soon give you chieftaincy titles. Collect as many as you can. Add as many prefixes as possible to your name: High Chief, Double Chief, even the commonest one will do: Otunba. Even Igbo politicians these days bear Otunba. Nobody is going to query you. Learn how to abuse your opponents. You don’t have to discuss programmes, just mount the soap box and threaten to wrestle your opponents to the ground, and crush them. Talk nicely about your Godfather, and remind them that their own Godfather is an ex-convict.
But before then, send your wife and children and your aged parents abroad until after the election. They could be kidnapped or assassinated by your enemies, to spite you. Opponents are enemies in Nigeria. Recruit bodyguards. You will also need an anti-bomb squad as part of your advance party. Don’t even get into a car until the anti-bomb squad has checked it. Never eat in public. Don’t even take a sip of water. You could be poisoned. Hold your campaigns inside enclosed spaces. Once you gather enough crowd, make sure all entrances and exits are locked. You can’t risk some of the audience walking out on you while you are making a speech, they may be double agents who have been paid by your enemies to ridicule you. Imprison them until they have served your purpose…By the way, join a secret society… For now, this is all you need. There are other pathways for another day…
Monday, February 21, 2011
Halliburton: No notable Nigerian involved
Dokpesi now a Jonathan campaigner
If Nigerians can still be so gullible to be supporting PDP and GEJ after years
of looting and mismanagement of resources....It is only in... will the party that
plunder the nation still be a serious contender in an election." - Idowu
Folks,
The posting from which the foregoing excerpt is extracted can be misleading, very misleading.
PDP remains the only national political party in the nation. The other political parties are either
sole enterprises or partnerships limited by Zone. Yet the political parties are not the problem.
The leaders are. GEJ has just taken over control of PDP leadership to demonstrate business acumen.
So, we talk of, blame or praise leaders, not parties.
Nuhu Ribadu is employed by ACN party to run for the presidency so that the party would collect its
subsidy from INEC. The "yaro" presidential aspirant is not comfortable in this adult presidential robe.
He is still shopping of a running mate! He is not ready for the thorn crown. Watch his face!
ACN, therefore, has no leader! There is a party, but no leader! The leader is the face of the party.
General Buhari's ANPP consisted of followers who found him to be a totalitarian despite being a teetotaler. They abandoned him and he abandoned them! He has now set up another private enterprise he calls CPC and, for want of astute politicians, has picked a Church Pastor as a running mate, drawing his party members from the Sunday school children. You can hear them chanting "Kumbaya!" as a war song to scare PDP, the only political party with nation-wide appeal and membership!
But General Buhari's Church recourse theatrics didn't amuse his long time partner, Barrister Ahamba, SAN.
Finding himself as the last of the Mohicans, Barrister Ahamba gathered his wig and gown and exited without notice. Nobody knew until he was safely home in Mbaise! Buhari's one-man political party is now said to be at the mercy of early release of INEC subsidy to augment the leader's PTF acquisition for its sustenance.
As Nigerians watched during their national party's primaries, the PDP (peace, development and progress) has been taken over by that dynamic personality, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. As the party leader, President Jonathan has carried out major reforms in the party to turn it around from
Obasanjo's 8-year-mess of the nation.
General Obasanjo was General Buhari's military brother, and birds of identical plumage, they say,
congregate in proximity, and exhibit same manner and behavior.
Before Obasanjo came to mismanage PDP, it was General Buhari who toppled the civilian government of Shegu Shagari and let loose the drum of Indiscipline that radicalized the society and introduced various forms of corruption - financial and moral - the very problem responsible for today's hue and cry and gnashing of teeth.
The problem of Nigeria, therefore, has not been caused so much by civilians and political
parties as by military officers taking over the reigns of government. General Buhari seized
power from Shegu Shagari and General Obasanjo militarized PDP, a political association.
Experience now teaches that Nigerians should have nothing to do with any ex-military junta.
And the nation should be done with military rulers in any shape or form, guise or disguise.
For General Buhari to camouflage his military nature with a Church Pastor as a running mate is the
height of deceit.
Nigerians should reject leadership indiscipline as in the case of General Buhari because it resulted
in mass corruption and destabilization of society. Isn't it contradictory to complain against military
regimes and yet proceed to elect an ex-soldier? And worse, a soldier who was an ex-military head
of state via a military coup d'etat? Men! It shouldn't happen again! This is Nigeria 2011.
So, the fault is never in the party. It is in the leadership.
A coup plotter and a head of state, who himself was overthrown, was never a good leader.
Dr. Jonathan and Architect Sambo are presidential in every respect.
Well educated, highly experienced and of sound leadership judgment.
They have shown promise. Let's rise and place Nigeria in her rightful
place in the comity of DEMOCRATIC nations. The world is watching!
"What the AG wants us to believe is that a huge multinational corporation which wanted contracts in Nigeria, bribed two low level staff assistants and successfully got the Federal Executive Council to approve all the multibillion naira contracts they wanted over the course of several Nigerian governments in sequence. Those 'personal assistants' must be jujumen."-Nowa
The AG is right to have that kind of thought. If Nigerians can still be so gullible to be supporting PDP and GEJ after years looting and mismanagement of our resources. It is only in a mendicant society such Nigeria in a democracy, will the party that plunder the nation will still be a serious contender in an election.
The AG knows that he is dealing with mendicants. Let them continue raping the country without condom.
Adoke with the permission of your boss, whose only interest is to just be elected the president of Nigeria for another 4-years. All the people involved in the bribery are his constituence and supporters.
Idowu
"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." --Thomas Jefferson
"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." -- Elie Wiesel
What the AG wants us to believe is that a huge multinational corporation which wanted contracts in Nigeria, bribed two low level staff assistants and successfully got the Federal Executive Council to approve all the multibillion naira contracts they wanted over the course of several Nigerian governments in sequence. Those 'personal assistants' must be jujumen.
I still recall your prescient Dokpesi analysis when he was first "accused" of being an Abuja/Oct 1 bomb suspect, complete with frivolous text messages etc...
Now the news is that the same Chief Dokpesi has graduated from SSS Bomb/Terrorism suspect (when he was IBB's Campaign Chief) to Jonathan Presidential campaigner, ostensibly now above all suspicion.
The moment IBB lost the "consensus" vote, the SSS stopped being interested in Dokpesi!
Recall how Marilyn Ogar, the SSS spokesperson, was slapped down by her bosses when she made a slip and publicly said there was no evidence against Dokpesi?
Nigeria we hail thee. Not even Hollywood can beat this.
“All the big names being paraded by the media were not involved in the Halliburton scandal. “Those who were involved never mentioned any big name,” he said.
He, however, said that two aides to two former presidents of the country were involved in the scandal.
“The aides never said that they collected the money for their bosses. Each of them answered his father’s name,” he said.
The minister also said that contrary to media reports that 180 million dollars was given as bribe to influence the award of contracts, only 21 million dollars was actually given.
--Suleiman Adoke AGF, Nigeria
How more brazen can one get?
They all answered their fathers' names as their is no requirement
to formally change one's name just because one is serving as a mule
in an illegal international financial transaction.
Shouldn't the questions be:
1) if they did not collect the funds on behalf of their bosses,
on whose behalf did they receive the money considering it is
unlikely to have been on their own personal recognisanze./
2) if they were not aides to the two formerr heads of state
how could they have gotten close to being recipients of the bribes
from Haliburton?
3) do these minions have bank accounts in which the funds were deposited
either in Nigeria or abroad?
4) if they do what measures have been taken to tracee the final disbursements
of the funds?
Nowa's assessement couldn't be more accurate. We have just witnessed
how anm international cabal composes of few influential men control most of the world's
financial transactions including the legitimate and the fraudulent ones.
It was as Nowa wrote. most likely a quid pro quo. Lay off Cheney and we will
let your big guys go.
This is the way things have always been since the beginning of time.
It is not about to change any time soon.
Dangote, Otedola, Adenuga and Dokpesi--notable Nigerian billionaires have
just signed on to fund GEJ's campaign. Would they be doing so without expecting
future proceeds from their huge investments?
Why is it that the same big name billionaires are also the dead beat debtors
whose unpaid debts led to the collapse of numerous Nigerian banks, which were later rescued with even more public funds?
Are they using the deposits of the common folk to fund GEJ's campaign--assured
they would reap the benefits?
The answers to the above questions are there in the open!
Nigeria does not exit in a vacuum. The hands of the international cabal extend
to every nook and corner of the world.
If you recall I warned back when the Cheney prosecution chess game was in the news that, knowing Nigeria, it was all a game, the other shoe of which would be the exoneration of "notable" Nigerians with a tacit unwritten agreement that the US would not complain publicly once Cheney was let off the hook. It was high level international blackmail.
Those involved knew all along that Hell would freeze over first before Cheney would come to Nigeria for trial. There was never any intention to actually fight corruption. And certainly no intention to prosecute Nigerian "big men"
The next step now is to find a "legal" way to get the "aides" [like OBJ man Bodunde] off the hook with a slap on the wrist (or some sort of pardon), since, according our learned Attorney General, “The aides never said that they collected the money for their bosses. Each of them answered his father’s name,......” REALLY?
Then the whole affair will be forgotten, election deals will be sealed, and Nigerian leaders, politicians and their cronies will keep on taking bribes, ie business as usual
As the Americans say, there is a sucker born every minute.
If Nigerians can still be so gullible to be supporting PDP and GEJ after years
of looting and mismanagement of resources....It is only in... will the party that
plunder the nation still be a serious contender in an election." - Idowu
Folks,
The posting from which the foregoing excerpt is extracted can be misleading, very misleading.
PDP remains the only national political party in the nation. The other political parties are either
sole enterprises or partnerships limited by Zone. Yet the political parties are not the problem.
The leaders are. GEJ has just taken over control of PDP leadership to demonstrate business acumen.
So, we talk of, blame or praise leaders, not parties.
Nuhu Ribadu is employed by ACN party to run for the presidency so that the party would collect its
subsidy from INEC. The "yaro" presidential aspirant is not comfortable in this adult presidential robe.
He is still shopping of a running mate! He is not ready for the thorn crown. Watch his face!
ACN, therefore, has no leader! There is a party, but no leader! The leader is the face of the party.
General Buhari's ANPP consisted of followers who found him to be a totalitarian despite being a teetotaler. They abandoned him and he abandoned them! He has now set up another private enterprise he calls CPC and, for want of astute politicians, has picked a Church Pastor as a running mate, drawing his party members from the Sunday school children. You can hear them chanting "Kumbaya!" as a war song to scare PDP, the only political party with nation-wide appeal and membership!
But General Buhari's Church recourse theatrics didn't amuse his long time partner, Barrister Ahamba, SAN.
Finding himself as the last of the Mohicans, Barrister Ahamba gathered his wig and gown and exited without notice. Nobody knew until he was safely home in Mbaise! Buhari's one-man political party is now said to be at the mercy of early release of INEC subsidy to augment the leader's PTF acquisition for its sustenance.
As Nigerians watched during their national party's primaries, the PDP (peace, development and progress) has been taken over by that dynamic personality, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. As the party leader, President Jonathan has carried out major reforms in the party to turn it around from
Obasanjo's 8-year-mess of the nation.
General Obasanjo was General Buhari's military brother, and birds of identical plumage, they say,
congregate in proximity, and exhibit same manner and behavior.
Before Obasanjo came to mismanage PDP, it was General Buhari who toppled the civilian government of Shegu Shagari and let loose the drum of Indiscipline that radicalized the society and introduced various forms of corruption - financial and moral - the very problem responsible for today's hue and cry and gnashing of teeth.
The problem of Nigeria, therefore, has not been caused so much by civilians and political
parties as by military officers taking over the reigns of government. General Buhari seized
power from Shegu Shagari and General Obasanjo militarized PDP, a political association.
Experience now teaches that Nigerians should have nothing to do with any ex-military junta.
And the nation should be done with military rulers in any shape or form, guise or disguise.
For General Buhari to camouflage his military nature with a Church Pastor as a running mate is the
height of deceit.
Nigerians should reject leadership indiscipline as in the case of General Buhari because it resulted
in mass corruption and destabilization of society. Isn't it contradictory to complain against military
regimes and yet proceed to elect an ex-soldier? And worse, a soldier who was an ex-military head
of state via a military coup d'etat? Men! It shouldn't happen again! This is Nigeria 2011.
So, the fault is never in the party. It is in the leadership.
A coup plotter and a head of state, who himself was overthrown, was never a good leader.
Dr. Jonathan and Architect Sambo are presidential in every respect.
Well educated, highly experienced and of sound leadership judgment.
They have shown promise. Let's rise and place Nigeria in her rightful
place in the comity of DEMOCRATIC nations. The world is watching!
"What the AG wants us to believe is that a huge multinational corporation which wanted contracts in Nigeria, bribed two low level staff assistants and successfully got the Federal Executive Council to approve all the multibillion naira contracts they wanted over the course of several Nigerian governments in sequence. Those 'personal assistants' must be jujumen."-Nowa
The AG is right to have that kind of thought. If Nigerians can still be so gullible to be supporting PDP and GEJ after years looting and mismanagement of our resources. It is only in a mendicant society such Nigeria in a democracy, will the party that plunder the nation will still be a serious contender in an election.
The AG knows that he is dealing with mendicants. Let them continue raping the country without condom.
Adoke with the permission of your boss, whose only interest is to just be elected the president of Nigeria for another 4-years. All the people involved in the bribery are his constituence and supporters.
Idowu
"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." --Thomas Jefferson
"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." -- Elie Wiesel
What the AG wants us to believe is that a huge multinational corporation which wanted contracts in Nigeria, bribed two low level staff assistants and successfully got the Federal Executive Council to approve all the multibillion naira contracts they wanted over the course of several Nigerian governments in sequence. Those 'personal assistants' must be jujumen.
I still recall your prescient Dokpesi analysis when he was first "accused" of being an Abuja/Oct 1 bomb suspect, complete with frivolous text messages etc...
Now the news is that the same Chief Dokpesi has graduated from SSS Bomb/Terrorism suspect (when he was IBB's Campaign Chief) to Jonathan Presidential campaigner, ostensibly now above all suspicion.
The moment IBB lost the "consensus" vote, the SSS stopped being interested in Dokpesi!
Recall how Marilyn Ogar, the SSS spokesperson, was slapped down by her bosses when she made a slip and publicly said there was no evidence against Dokpesi?
Nigeria we hail thee. Not even Hollywood can beat this.
“All the big names being paraded by the media were not involved in the Halliburton scandal. “Those who were involved never mentioned any big name,” he said.
He, however, said that two aides to two former presidents of the country were involved in the scandal.
“The aides never said that they collected the money for their bosses. Each of them answered his father’s name,” he said.
The minister also said that contrary to media reports that 180 million dollars was given as bribe to influence the award of contracts, only 21 million dollars was actually given.
--Suleiman Adoke AGF, Nigeria
How more brazen can one get?
They all answered their fathers' names as their is no requirement
to formally change one's name just because one is serving as a mule
in an illegal international financial transaction.
Shouldn't the questions be:
1) if they did not collect the funds on behalf of their bosses,
on whose behalf did they receive the money considering it is
unlikely to have been on their own personal recognisanze./
2) if they were not aides to the two formerr heads of state
how could they have gotten close to being recipients of the bribes
from Haliburton?
3) do these minions have bank accounts in which the funds were deposited
either in Nigeria or abroad?
4) if they do what measures have been taken to tracee the final disbursements
of the funds?
Nowa's assessement couldn't be more accurate. We have just witnessed
how anm international cabal composes of few influential men control most of the world's
financial transactions including the legitimate and the fraudulent ones.
It was as Nowa wrote. most likely a quid pro quo. Lay off Cheney and we will
let your big guys go.
This is the way things have always been since the beginning of time.
It is not about to change any time soon.
Dangote, Otedola, Adenuga and Dokpesi--notable Nigerian billionaires have
just signed on to fund GEJ's campaign. Would they be doing so without expecting
future proceeds from their huge investments?
Why is it that the same big name billionaires are also the dead beat debtors
whose unpaid debts led to the collapse of numerous Nigerian banks, which were later rescued with even more public funds?
Are they using the deposits of the common folk to fund GEJ's campaign--assured
they would reap the benefits?
The answers to the above questions are there in the open!
Nigeria does not exit in a vacuum. The hands of the international cabal extend
to every nook and corner of the world.
If you recall I warned back when the Cheney prosecution chess game was in the news that, knowing Nigeria, it was all a game, the other shoe of which would be the exoneration of "notable" Nigerians with a tacit unwritten agreement that the US would not complain publicly once Cheney was let off the hook. It was high level international blackmail.
Those involved knew all along that Hell would freeze over first before Cheney would come to Nigeria for trial. There was never any intention to actually fight corruption. And certainly no intention to prosecute Nigerian "big men"
The next step now is to find a "legal" way to get the "aides" [like OBJ man Bodunde] off the hook with a slap on the wrist (or some sort of pardon), since, according our learned Attorney General, “The aides never said that they collected the money for their bosses. Each of them answered his father’s name,......” REALLY?
Then the whole affair will be forgotten, election deals will be sealed, and Nigerian leaders, politicians and their cronies will keep on taking bribes, ie business as usual
As the Americans say, there is a sucker born every minute.
Jos Records Bloody Muslim Festival As 12 Die In Violence
It was indeed another bloody day for residents of Jos, Plateau State, at the eid-el maulud celebration Tuesday as 12 persons, including a riot policeman around whom the killings revolved, lost their lives in cruel and untoward circumstances in the Terminus area of the city.
Panic, tension and stampede, all enveloped the city centre, as cars collided headlong, smashing windshields and rending bumpers asunder in desperate moves by motorists to escape from being caught in the madness that began at the Abuja Market in the area.
It all began when the policeman, who was on duty but went to purchase meat from an Hausa butcher in the market, was allegedly slaughtered by the butcher.
The meat seller reportedly turned his knife and killed the unsuspecting policeman, who was simply identified as Mr. John, by tearing open his abdomen.
As if well planned, another butcher beside them, also an Hausa, went after his own customer, a young lady, standing before him, and also killed her with his knife. And before long, the entire market turned into a pandemonium as the people used knives freely on each other.
And before the arrival of soldiers, five people were already dead, while several others were seriously injured.
This provoked angry Christian youths to pounce on a commercial motorcycle operator, believed to be an Hausa, in the terminus area, who was also killed before he could escape.
While Muslim youths, who were reciting the Quaran at the Central Mosque that had earlier been restrained from their usual yearly procession, got wind of the crisis, they immediately made to launch further offensive on the Christians, who were equally battle ready.
But for the prompt arrival of the Commander of the Military Special Task Force, Brig. Gen. Hassan Umaru, who was also observing prayers at the mosque, more casualties would have been recorded. He quickly deployed troops in the area to contain the youths.
The crisis quickly escalated to Gada-Biu area of the city where four other persons were burnt beyond recognition. Three corpses were also found lying near Bingham University Teaching Hospital.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abdulrahman Akano, said four people had been arrested in connection with the pandemonium. He however denied that any other person was killed apart from the policeman, whom he said is of the Bomb Disposal unit.
Panic, tension and stampede, all enveloped the city centre, as cars collided headlong, smashing windshields and rending bumpers asunder in desperate moves by motorists to escape from being caught in the madness that began at the Abuja Market in the area.
It all began when the policeman, who was on duty but went to purchase meat from an Hausa butcher in the market, was allegedly slaughtered by the butcher.
The meat seller reportedly turned his knife and killed the unsuspecting policeman, who was simply identified as Mr. John, by tearing open his abdomen.
As if well planned, another butcher beside them, also an Hausa, went after his own customer, a young lady, standing before him, and also killed her with his knife. And before long, the entire market turned into a pandemonium as the people used knives freely on each other.
And before the arrival of soldiers, five people were already dead, while several others were seriously injured.
This provoked angry Christian youths to pounce on a commercial motorcycle operator, believed to be an Hausa, in the terminus area, who was also killed before he could escape.
While Muslim youths, who were reciting the Quaran at the Central Mosque that had earlier been restrained from their usual yearly procession, got wind of the crisis, they immediately made to launch further offensive on the Christians, who were equally battle ready.
But for the prompt arrival of the Commander of the Military Special Task Force, Brig. Gen. Hassan Umaru, who was also observing prayers at the mosque, more casualties would have been recorded. He quickly deployed troops in the area to contain the youths.
The crisis quickly escalated to Gada-Biu area of the city where four other persons were burnt beyond recognition. Three corpses were also found lying near Bingham University Teaching Hospital.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abdulrahman Akano, said four people had been arrested in connection with the pandemonium. He however denied that any other person was killed apart from the policeman, whom he said is of the Bomb Disposal unit.
‘Jonathan insulted our parents’
Bola Tinubu, the former Governor of Lagos State and chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria, has described President Goodluck Jonathan’s comments about the southwest as an “insult” to the Yoruba ethnic group.
Mr Jonathan, had last week, expressed his displeasure with the ousting of People’s Democratic Party governors in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states, describing the beneficiaries of their exit as “rascals.” Following prolonged legal battles, the Appeal Court ordered the removal of Olusegun Agagu, Segun Oni and Olagunsoye Oyinlola from office as respective governors of Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states, declaring their challengers as the lawful winners of elections that originally brought them in.
“The southwest is too important to be left in the hands of rascals,” the president had said. “We must take it over from them. The ruling party must take over Lagos. We must also take over Osun and Ekiti states.”
However, presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro, the next day, said that “at no time did the president ascribe the ‘rascal’ he mentioned to anyone.” “Please note that the president didn’t call any names when he said the southwest is too important to be left in the hands of rascals,” he said. “So anyone who wants to appropriate the name to himself is welcome to do so.”
Tinubu’s grouse
Mr Tinubu, who spoke with journalists, yesterday at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, said that President Jonathan is abusive to have branded southwest leaders as rascals. “I think the president is wrong because that is an insult to our parents,” he said. “It is a speech from a drunk sailor fisherman whose boat is about to capsize. That is an insult to our parents. You don’t come to this land, seek our votes, and then insult our parents that they raised rascals.”
Speaking on the choice of running mate for the party’s presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, the former governor said that reports of clash between him and the party’s flag bearer is false. He also advised journalists to avoid demeaning the integrity of the country’s former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in their speculations. Describing Mrs Okonjo-Iweala as an individual with outstanding qualities, the former governor said that his party is yet to decide on who will emerge as the running mate to Mr Ribadu. “Is it not very interesting to you to keep the general populace in suspense?,” he said. “Is it not part of a good strategy? She is a very qualified individual and she is an asset. She is an asset to the nation, an asset to Africa, and [to the] international community; and no doubt about that. But you don’t know whether she is even free now.”
Merger possibilities
Mr Tinubu said that the party has the capability of taking over power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, adding that merger with other political platform, though beneficial, may not be adopted by his party now. “Everybody is entitled to his or her own thinking,” he said. “There are so many theories and theoreticians and forecasters and I deal with a political environment where gossip and ordinary speculations work better than deep-rooted thinking and the ideological philosophy of a party is not taken into account. You talked about a party that has been in power for 12 years, isn’t it? Who says that ACN cannot do the magic? It is some thinking from several quarters; we believe that if we pull together it will be better and easier, no one disputes that, but I will never write off my party and I believe Nigerians are tired of PDP and they will speak through their ballot.”
Okechukwu Nnodim
Mr Jonathan, had last week, expressed his displeasure with the ousting of People’s Democratic Party governors in Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states, describing the beneficiaries of their exit as “rascals.” Following prolonged legal battles, the Appeal Court ordered the removal of Olusegun Agagu, Segun Oni and Olagunsoye Oyinlola from office as respective governors of Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states, declaring their challengers as the lawful winners of elections that originally brought them in.
“The southwest is too important to be left in the hands of rascals,” the president had said. “We must take it over from them. The ruling party must take over Lagos. We must also take over Osun and Ekiti states.”
However, presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro, the next day, said that “at no time did the president ascribe the ‘rascal’ he mentioned to anyone.” “Please note that the president didn’t call any names when he said the southwest is too important to be left in the hands of rascals,” he said. “So anyone who wants to appropriate the name to himself is welcome to do so.”
Tinubu’s grouse
Mr Tinubu, who spoke with journalists, yesterday at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, said that President Jonathan is abusive to have branded southwest leaders as rascals. “I think the president is wrong because that is an insult to our parents,” he said. “It is a speech from a drunk sailor fisherman whose boat is about to capsize. That is an insult to our parents. You don’t come to this land, seek our votes, and then insult our parents that they raised rascals.”
Speaking on the choice of running mate for the party’s presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, the former governor said that reports of clash between him and the party’s flag bearer is false. He also advised journalists to avoid demeaning the integrity of the country’s former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in their speculations. Describing Mrs Okonjo-Iweala as an individual with outstanding qualities, the former governor said that his party is yet to decide on who will emerge as the running mate to Mr Ribadu. “Is it not very interesting to you to keep the general populace in suspense?,” he said. “Is it not part of a good strategy? She is a very qualified individual and she is an asset. She is an asset to the nation, an asset to Africa, and [to the] international community; and no doubt about that. But you don’t know whether she is even free now.”
Merger possibilities
Mr Tinubu said that the party has the capability of taking over power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, adding that merger with other political platform, though beneficial, may not be adopted by his party now. “Everybody is entitled to his or her own thinking,” he said. “There are so many theories and theoreticians and forecasters and I deal with a political environment where gossip and ordinary speculations work better than deep-rooted thinking and the ideological philosophy of a party is not taken into account. You talked about a party that has been in power for 12 years, isn’t it? Who says that ACN cannot do the magic? It is some thinking from several quarters; we believe that if we pull together it will be better and easier, no one disputes that, but I will never write off my party and I believe Nigerians are tired of PDP and they will speak through their ballot.”
Okechukwu Nnodim
SENATOR ACHIKE UDENWA AGAIN?
Why would Orlu people make the mistake of sending a failed governor to the Senate ? Why ? Reports say , ACN is beating out PDP and APGA in Orlu zone . And with the alliance of Udenwa and Ararume , they pose a formidable threat to , not only Rojas Okorocha of APGA , but to Ohakim as well . Fact is , you don't become governor if Imo State without winning Orlu zone and the neglect of this zone is the demise of Ohakim's ambition for a second term ...
So , why is Udenwa , despite his failure as a governor , remains a man to beat ? To answer this question , talk to Orlu folks who see him as a liberal who passes along the candy...First , Udenwa is as corrupt as they come . He is a self aggrandizer who cleaned out Imo treasurer and the fact that he is free to contest election explains Igbo people's pain.
They say, respect is reciprocal; by your response, have you reciprocated? Where is your civility? Where is your courtesy? Can 'nwa afo ala igbo' display this kind of rude response? No! This type of response is highly regrettable from an Igbo son.
The lawyers around me reviewed your response with me, and each of them asked me almost the same question: "Will you like to sue?" Of course, their question is very appropriate as your statement is libelous. I answered them, 'No, not at this stage.' It's better to draw your attention to your libelous statement: "Nwosu, you are a beneficiary of Udenwa's loot. That's fine." And to ask that you retract the libelous statement and publish it in the same internet media; or provide proof of the accusation you levelled against me.
(You must mind how you make a wholistic statement as it's said that when you point one finger at a person, the other fingers are pointing back to you. Now, see the language gaffes you made: "Udenwa....who cleaned out Imo treasurer...." what sense does this convey? "you don't become governor if Imo State....." what do you really mean? "...won't blame you from defending him..." what kind of English expression is this? "....respectively disagree with you..." what's this?; do you mean "respectfully"? Put all these errors together, would it be right to make a wholistic assertion that a person who makes these many language errors has poor education?
In the same vein, to brand Chief Udenwa with the wholistic statement of failure as governor is unjustifiable! Definitely he committed political gaffe by imposing Ohakim, but what about his relentless effort for the creation of Njaba (or Orashi, or Orlu) State, and several other outstanding developments he achieved which need not to be mentioned here? You must note that the game of politics has its ebbs and flows. From the late 1950's to the present, our Orlu Zone political leaders have had their ups and downs: the late Mazi Mbonu Ojike, the famous boycut king, the glamorous man of timber and caliber, the late K.O, our star politician Dr. Uzoukwu Nzeribe, etc. each had political gaffe sometime in their career as public figures. Would you brand all of them as failures?
In a recent press outing, President Obama quoted the late Pres. Kennedy who said: 'a nation reveals itself not only by the great men and women it produces, but also by the men and women it honors.' There's no doubt, Chief Udenwa has a place of honor in the political leadership history of Imo State. You need to support Udenwa's aspiration to becme our senator now; unless you belong to the other camp who throw the spanner on the wheel of progress towards the achievement of our dream state.
Better be advised: "It is not the critic who counts, nor is the man who points out where the doer of great deeds would have done better. The real credit goes to the man who is actually in the arena; the man whose face is marred by sweat and dust and blood; the man who strives gallantly to achieve great goals,....... and if he succeeds, he knows the joy of grand success and victory, and if he fails, he rests satisfied that his soul cannot be counted among those cowards who know neither victory nor defeat." These great words of late Pres. Roosevelt of the U.S. were quoted by the late great Zik when assailed by critics during his hay days in Nigerian politics.
It's better that you invest your time and talents to the positive and the productive and avoid saddism and negativism embedded in unjustifiable criticism. Making daily or weekly postings on the internet to comment, or attack people, or call people names as I see many of you do help nothing. Such Igbo sons who have left here and gone home to help improve things in our fatherland are not of this stuff. Recall these gentlemen: Dr. Akubilo of Enugu State; Dr. Nzenwa of Imo State, HRH, Eze Dr. Okorie of Imo State, etc. and even, Dr. Uwazurike, the potential lawmaker you're druming up support for; all these are worthy sons of Igboland who are making positive contribution towards the development of our fatherland. They were never known for lavishing their precious time attacking or criticising or calling names as many of you do with daily or weekly postings on the internet. Let's do more by making fair observations than indulging in baseless attacks and criticisms.
So , why is Udenwa , despite his failure as a governor , remains a man to beat ? To answer this question , talk to Orlu folks who see him as a liberal who passes along the candy...First , Udenwa is as corrupt as they come . He is a self aggrandizer who cleaned out Imo treasurer and the fact that he is free to contest election explains Igbo people's pain.
They say, respect is reciprocal; by your response, have you reciprocated? Where is your civility? Where is your courtesy? Can 'nwa afo ala igbo' display this kind of rude response? No! This type of response is highly regrettable from an Igbo son.
The lawyers around me reviewed your response with me, and each of them asked me almost the same question: "Will you like to sue?" Of course, their question is very appropriate as your statement is libelous. I answered them, 'No, not at this stage.' It's better to draw your attention to your libelous statement: "Nwosu, you are a beneficiary of Udenwa's loot. That's fine." And to ask that you retract the libelous statement and publish it in the same internet media; or provide proof of the accusation you levelled against me.
(You must mind how you make a wholistic statement as it's said that when you point one finger at a person, the other fingers are pointing back to you. Now, see the language gaffes you made: "Udenwa....who cleaned out Imo treasurer...." what sense does this convey? "you don't become governor if Imo State....." what do you really mean? "...won't blame you from defending him..." what kind of English expression is this? "....respectively disagree with you..." what's this?; do you mean "respectfully"? Put all these errors together, would it be right to make a wholistic assertion that a person who makes these many language errors has poor education?
In the same vein, to brand Chief Udenwa with the wholistic statement of failure as governor is unjustifiable! Definitely he committed political gaffe by imposing Ohakim, but what about his relentless effort for the creation of Njaba (or Orashi, or Orlu) State, and several other outstanding developments he achieved which need not to be mentioned here? You must note that the game of politics has its ebbs and flows. From the late 1950's to the present, our Orlu Zone political leaders have had their ups and downs: the late Mazi Mbonu Ojike, the famous boycut king, the glamorous man of timber and caliber, the late K.O, our star politician Dr. Uzoukwu Nzeribe, etc. each had political gaffe sometime in their career as public figures. Would you brand all of them as failures?
In a recent press outing, President Obama quoted the late Pres. Kennedy who said: 'a nation reveals itself not only by the great men and women it produces, but also by the men and women it honors.' There's no doubt, Chief Udenwa has a place of honor in the political leadership history of Imo State. You need to support Udenwa's aspiration to becme our senator now; unless you belong to the other camp who throw the spanner on the wheel of progress towards the achievement of our dream state.
Better be advised: "It is not the critic who counts, nor is the man who points out where the doer of great deeds would have done better. The real credit goes to the man who is actually in the arena; the man whose face is marred by sweat and dust and blood; the man who strives gallantly to achieve great goals,....... and if he succeeds, he knows the joy of grand success and victory, and if he fails, he rests satisfied that his soul cannot be counted among those cowards who know neither victory nor defeat." These great words of late Pres. Roosevelt of the U.S. were quoted by the late great Zik when assailed by critics during his hay days in Nigerian politics.
It's better that you invest your time and talents to the positive and the productive and avoid saddism and negativism embedded in unjustifiable criticism. Making daily or weekly postings on the internet to comment, or attack people, or call people names as I see many of you do help nothing. Such Igbo sons who have left here and gone home to help improve things in our fatherland are not of this stuff. Recall these gentlemen: Dr. Akubilo of Enugu State; Dr. Nzenwa of Imo State, HRH, Eze Dr. Okorie of Imo State, etc. and even, Dr. Uwazurike, the potential lawmaker you're druming up support for; all these are worthy sons of Igboland who are making positive contribution towards the development of our fatherland. They were never known for lavishing their precious time attacking or criticising or calling names as many of you do with daily or weekly postings on the internet. Let's do more by making fair observations than indulging in baseless attacks and criticisms.
Ministers miss work to join presidential campaign
The regional flagoff of Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential campaign is taking a toll on the nation’s governance as multiple ministers were absent from the 2011 budget defence at the National Assembly.
Budget defence is a significant annual ritual in the process of preparing the budget and traditionally, lawmakers do not discuss any ministry or government agency’s budget without the head of the ministry or agency.
On Monday, a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Gas called off the hearing for the Ministry of Petroleum’s 2011 budget defence due to the absence of the Minister of Petroleum Diezani Alison Madueke.
According to the ministry’s permanent secretary, Goni Musa Sheikh, who led the delegation, the petroleum minister had returned from a journey the previous day and was “not feeling too well” to attend the budget defence session.
Mrs. Madueke had been on the campaign trail of the president, which commenced in Nasarawa state last week, and has since been on a tour of the nation’s sub-region. Even though the deadline for the various committees to submit their input for the 2011 budget to the Senate and House committees on Appropriation was to elapse on Tuesday, members of the Gas committee postponed the budget defence to Wednesday.
Similarly, the Senate Committee on Works had on Thursday last week postponed the budget defence of the Ministry of Works because the minister, Sanusi Dagash, was attending the president’s campaign in Bauchi state.
“You cannot shave a man’s hair in his absence,” Igo Aguma, chairman, House Committee on Gas said on Monday while dismissing the “low level” delegation from the petroleum ministry.
With the budget defence sessions of the petroleum ministry, the works ministry and a couple of others stalled,
the committees will miss the submission deadline. The delay will cascade and impede the passage of the bill at both chambers of the national assembly and finally, the implementation of the budget.
Stay off Campaigns
At the villa, official and informal activities had gone into a lull as all attention shifted outside to the campaign tours. Meanwhile, last week, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which usually lasts at least two hours when there are just a few memos, lasted for only 20 minutes, with one memo discussed.
At the FEC meeting, the president warned ministers not to allow the campaign to get in the way of their jobs. He had advised that they attend the campaign rallies in their states and two or three other states rather than scurrying to join the campaign trail to every state.
Emmanuel Ogala and Elizabeth Archibong
Budget defence is a significant annual ritual in the process of preparing the budget and traditionally, lawmakers do not discuss any ministry or government agency’s budget without the head of the ministry or agency.
On Monday, a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Gas called off the hearing for the Ministry of Petroleum’s 2011 budget defence due to the absence of the Minister of Petroleum Diezani Alison Madueke.
According to the ministry’s permanent secretary, Goni Musa Sheikh, who led the delegation, the petroleum minister had returned from a journey the previous day and was “not feeling too well” to attend the budget defence session.
Mrs. Madueke had been on the campaign trail of the president, which commenced in Nasarawa state last week, and has since been on a tour of the nation’s sub-region. Even though the deadline for the various committees to submit their input for the 2011 budget to the Senate and House committees on Appropriation was to elapse on Tuesday, members of the Gas committee postponed the budget defence to Wednesday.
Similarly, the Senate Committee on Works had on Thursday last week postponed the budget defence of the Ministry of Works because the minister, Sanusi Dagash, was attending the president’s campaign in Bauchi state.
“You cannot shave a man’s hair in his absence,” Igo Aguma, chairman, House Committee on Gas said on Monday while dismissing the “low level” delegation from the petroleum ministry.
With the budget defence sessions of the petroleum ministry, the works ministry and a couple of others stalled,
the committees will miss the submission deadline. The delay will cascade and impede the passage of the bill at both chambers of the national assembly and finally, the implementation of the budget.
Stay off Campaigns
At the villa, official and informal activities had gone into a lull as all attention shifted outside to the campaign tours. Meanwhile, last week, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which usually lasts at least two hours when there are just a few memos, lasted for only 20 minutes, with one memo discussed.
At the FEC meeting, the president warned ministers not to allow the campaign to get in the way of their jobs. He had advised that they attend the campaign rallies in their states and two or three other states rather than scurrying to join the campaign trail to every state.
Emmanuel Ogala and Elizabeth Archibong
Jos monarch relocates from palace as 12 die in violence
IT was a meal he loved dearly but did not live to prepare and savour its rich taste . When he left his house in Jos metropolis for shopping in a nearby market, the victim, a policeman, never knew that it would be his last outing.
And yesterday, this Anti-Bomb Squad Mobile policeman deployed in Jos, Plateau State for peacekeeping was killed, and sadly by a butcher that he bought beef from.
Although police authorities in the state refused to give his identity, it was a sad end for the officer and 12 others, who were killed yesterday in the latest violence in the crisis-ridden state.
According to witnesses, the policeman approached the butcher near the burnt Abuja Market at the Terminus Area to buy beef. The bargaining was reportedly smooth, yet the butcher killed the security operative by ripping off his stomach with a knife.
The Guardian learnt that an agreement was reached by the duo but while the policeman was waiting to take possession of the beef and pay the seller, the butcher acted otherwise: Instead of cutting the beef into smaller sizes, the butcher with the sharp knife went for the bowel of the bomb expert, and within a twinkle of an eye, ripped it open with the intestines gushing out. He watched the policemen as he gasped for breath, slumped and died on the spot.
“As this happened, there was confusion and youths who watched the scenario played out took to violence. The ensuing confusion led to both traders and residents fleeing into different directions. Before you know it, four people were found lying on the ground dead.
At Ahmadu Bello Way, a commercial motorcyclist (okada rider in local parlance) was hacked to death, and his motorcycle set ablaze. That was not all. His killers threw him into the fire,” a resident, who claimed to be at the scene, said.
At the Evangel Hospital, Jos, some hoodlums mounted a roadblock where three residents riding motorcycles and probably caught in-between the scene, were killed, another resident said. There were also claims that four people were killed at Gada-Biu and burnt.
As the metropolis boiled, the Gbong Gwon Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, was quickly moved out of his palace to his Du residence. The monarch’s palace is close to the Central Mosque, the scene of the violence and where Muslims in the area were observing Maulud Nabbiy (Prophet Mohammed’s birthday) with Quranic recitation.
The situation was hijacked by hoodlums who burnt tyres, vehicles and motorcycles in the area.
Before the outbreak of the violence, the usual parade by the Quranic students to mark the Maulud Nabbiy was not observed at the popular Rwang Pam Township Stadium.
The Muslims who confined themselves to the Central Mosque however rushed out as sporadic shootings by the security operatives rent the air: “It was to avoid problems that we did not march to our usual venue which is the stadium,” one of the students said.
It took the intervention of the Commander, Special Task Force (STF), Brig.-Gen. Hassan Umaru, to persuade them to return to their mosque.
The spokesman of the STF, Captain Charles Ekeocha, said he could not comment on the issue because he was too busy.
When contacted, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Abdulrahman Akano, confirmed that “one Anti-Bomb Squad Mobile Policeman was stabbed to death by some area boys.”
Akano said the police had already arrested four of the hoodlums found with a chemical substance called solution, which hoodlums in the North sniff. He said they had not started interrogating them, adding that “as far as I am concerned, it is the death of my man that I am aware of.” Akano further said he was not in the picture of what happened in other places that the crisis had spread to.
And yesterday, this Anti-Bomb Squad Mobile policeman deployed in Jos, Plateau State for peacekeeping was killed, and sadly by a butcher that he bought beef from.
Although police authorities in the state refused to give his identity, it was a sad end for the officer and 12 others, who were killed yesterday in the latest violence in the crisis-ridden state.
According to witnesses, the policeman approached the butcher near the burnt Abuja Market at the Terminus Area to buy beef. The bargaining was reportedly smooth, yet the butcher killed the security operative by ripping off his stomach with a knife.
The Guardian learnt that an agreement was reached by the duo but while the policeman was waiting to take possession of the beef and pay the seller, the butcher acted otherwise: Instead of cutting the beef into smaller sizes, the butcher with the sharp knife went for the bowel of the bomb expert, and within a twinkle of an eye, ripped it open with the intestines gushing out. He watched the policemen as he gasped for breath, slumped and died on the spot.
“As this happened, there was confusion and youths who watched the scenario played out took to violence. The ensuing confusion led to both traders and residents fleeing into different directions. Before you know it, four people were found lying on the ground dead.
At Ahmadu Bello Way, a commercial motorcyclist (okada rider in local parlance) was hacked to death, and his motorcycle set ablaze. That was not all. His killers threw him into the fire,” a resident, who claimed to be at the scene, said.
At the Evangel Hospital, Jos, some hoodlums mounted a roadblock where three residents riding motorcycles and probably caught in-between the scene, were killed, another resident said. There were also claims that four people were killed at Gada-Biu and burnt.
As the metropolis boiled, the Gbong Gwon Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, was quickly moved out of his palace to his Du residence. The monarch’s palace is close to the Central Mosque, the scene of the violence and where Muslims in the area were observing Maulud Nabbiy (Prophet Mohammed’s birthday) with Quranic recitation.
The situation was hijacked by hoodlums who burnt tyres, vehicles and motorcycles in the area.
Before the outbreak of the violence, the usual parade by the Quranic students to mark the Maulud Nabbiy was not observed at the popular Rwang Pam Township Stadium.
The Muslims who confined themselves to the Central Mosque however rushed out as sporadic shootings by the security operatives rent the air: “It was to avoid problems that we did not march to our usual venue which is the stadium,” one of the students said.
It took the intervention of the Commander, Special Task Force (STF), Brig.-Gen. Hassan Umaru, to persuade them to return to their mosque.
The spokesman of the STF, Captain Charles Ekeocha, said he could not comment on the issue because he was too busy.
When contacted, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Abdulrahman Akano, confirmed that “one Anti-Bomb Squad Mobile Policeman was stabbed to death by some area boys.”
Akano said the police had already arrested four of the hoodlums found with a chemical substance called solution, which hoodlums in the North sniff. He said they had not started interrogating them, adding that “as far as I am concerned, it is the death of my man that I am aware of.” Akano further said he was not in the picture of what happened in other places that the crisis had spread to.
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