Military rescues ​another 234 women, children​ from Boko Haram​ camps​

 
Nigerian military on Friday said another set of 234 women and children​ have been​ rescued ​by troops ​in Borno State.
Defence spokesperson, Chris Olukolade,​ said the​ women and children were rescued through the Kawuri and Konduga end of the Sambisa forest on Thursday.
Sambisa forest had for years been a hideout for Boko Haram terrorists.
Mr. Olukolade, a major general​,​ said the victims ​were evacuated to join others at a location for an ongoing screening.
“This set  in addition to the previous individuals earlier rescued during the ongoing operation in the area,” Mr. Olukolade said.
He added that the assault by the military on the forest is continuing from various fronts with the aim of rescuing hostages and destroying all terrorists camps and facilities in the forest.
The military had on Tuesday rescued 293 girls and women currently undergoing screening.
​Howwever, it has yet to​​ confirm the identities of those rescued, and whether the missing Chibok schoolgirls are among.
Defence officials said that clarification could only come after ongoing screning and profiling.

Read More

Catholic bishops task President-elect on national challenges

 
The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has urged the in-coming Muhammadu Buhari administration to tackle the political and economic challenges confronting the country.
The President of the CBCN, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, made the plea at the consecration of Most Rev. Denis Isizoh, the new auxiliary Bishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Anambra, on Friday.
Kaigama said Buhari should choose a team with proven integrity and commitment to project the common good of the country in order to enhance her prosperity.
``We continue to pray for better time in Nigeria in terms of security, employment for the youths, honesty in government dealings and improvement in infrastructure and facilities.
“But more importantly, there is a need for fundamental change of attitude from self centeredness to considering the interests of others before ours.
``We pray for Buhari and his incoming administration and that he and his team, which I believe will be carefully chosen both in quality and size, will contribute in healing the nation.
`` They will also help Nigerians to overcome parochial interests and aggressively pursue the common good so that Nigeria can truly be one big, happy and peaceful family,’’ he said.
Kaigama, who is the Archbishop of Jos, urged Nigerians in their little capacities to be agents of change by living selfless lives .
``While we demand good governance from those voted into positions of service, we demand equally a change of mentality on the part of all Nigerians.
“The change starts from the roadside corn seller, the mechanic, the filling station attendant, the messenger to the senior government officials.
``To change from selfish personal or narrow regional interests to what works for the good of all of us,’’ he said.
Advising the newly consecrated bishop , Kiagama charged him to build bridges with other denominations and Christians within and outside his jurisdiction.
``We call on you to bring all the rich experience in Rome back home and build a new Nigeria devoid of hatred, ethnic and political antagonism of people in your jurisdiction,’’ he said.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, said that Pope Francis was delighted to bring back Isizoh to come and help the expanding number of faithful in Nigeria.
Kasujja revealed that the Catholic Church has close to two million active worshippers within Onitsha Archdiocese alone;, adding there was a need to assist the archdiocese with an experienced and dedicated hand.
The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, said that he was grateful to God, the Pope, and many others for making an auxiliary bishop possible for the archdiocese.
Okeke prayed that the reign of the new bishop would be long, peaceful and prosperous.
In a goodwill message, Gov. Willie Obiano thanked the clerics and other dignitaries for coming to Anambra.
He assured that the state government would assist the new bishop to succeed in his assignments. (NAN)

Read More

Why TAN Boss, Ubah Weeps Over Jonathan’s Defeat

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, on Thursday, wept profusely at the Presidential Villa in Abuja over the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in the March 28 election.
TAN was the major group that spearheaded the re-election campaign of the President even before he formally announced his decision to seek re-election.
The group organised zonal rallies in the six geopolitical zones of the country in its bid to convince the President to run for a second term in office.
It claimed to have collected about 12 million signatures from Nigerians who wanted Jonathan for a second term and presented same to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, at the grand finale of the rallies in Abuja.
Ubah betrayed his emotion during the presentation of the report of the Senator Ahmadu Ali-Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation at the Presidential Villa.
Ubah suddenly burst into tears while party chiefs were taking turn to speak on the party’s electoral loss.
He continued weeping until an unidentified man ushered him out of the venue but he later returned into the hall after he had been calmed down.
After the presentation, Ubah quickly entered one of the buses that conveyed them to the venue without talking to anybody.
Ubah is the Deputy Director, Contact and Mobilisation of Jonathan’s campaign organisation.
He is also the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas.
 
 

Read More

President Jonathan Fires IG of Police, Suleiman Abba

 
President Goodluck Jonathan  has fired Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba.
The sack was announced by the president’s spokesperson, Reuben Abati, in a statement on Tuesday.
No reason was given for the sack.
A Deputy Inspector General of police, Solomon Arase, was appointed to act in his stead.
Mr. Abba’s removal and the assumption of office of his replacement are with immediate effect.
Mr. Abati’s statement read in full, “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has relieved the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba of his appointment and duties with immediate effect.
“President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect.
“Until his appointment as Mr. Abba’s replacement, Mr. Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.
“Mr. Arase holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law, as well as  Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies.
“He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.”
Mr. Abba, 56, became acting Inspector General on August 1, 2014 following the retirement of his predecessor, Mohammed Abubakar, after 35 years of public service.
He was confirmed substantive IGP on November 4, 2014.
Mr. Abba was until that appointment an Assistant Inspector General, AIG, in charge of Zone 7 command, a position he occupied since May 25, 2012. He was also a former Aide-De-Camp, ADC, to the wife of a former military Head of State, Maryam Abacha.
With his removal, Mr. Abba will proceed on forced retirement four years before he attains retirement age. He enlisted in the Nigerian police as cadet inspector on December 31, 1984 and is actually due for retirement on March 22, 2019.

Read More

President Jonathan defends his decision to concede defeat to Muhammadu Buhari

President Goodluck Jonathan has defended his decision to concede defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28 election, saying he was concerned about allowing his personal ambition scuttle a democratic system he helped nurtured, with the likely consequence of a “collective tragedy”.
Mr. Jonathan said Thursday that he needed to check his ambition, as the consequences of not doing so may have been dire not only for Nigeria, but Africa.
The president made the remarks during separate meetings with the new ambassadors of France, Senegal and Ethiopia. He was responding to commendations for his decision to promptly accept defeat after it became clear Mr. Buhari had won the polls.
“Democracy has to be nurtured to grow. Strong democratic institutions are the backbone and future of our democracy. They must be protected and nurtured. As for me, as a matter of principle, it is always the nation first,” Mr. Jonathan said.
“You need to have a nation before you can have an ambition. It should always be the nation first. You don’t have to scuttle national progress for personal ambition.
“Since I assumed duty, I have been involved in quelling political crisis in some African countries and I know what they passed through and what some are still going through. If you scuttle a system for personal ambition, it becomes a collective tragedy,’’ President Jonathan declared.
Mr. Jonathan urged world leaders and international institutions to give their fullest possible support to the incoming administration of Buhari.
He also called on all Nigerians to do their utmost best to help the incoming president succeed in leading the country to greater heights of accomplishment.
The president appealed for patience, understanding and cooperation, which, he said, Mr. Buhari will need to move the country forward to greater, peace, security and progress.
Speaking with the new French ambassador, Denis Guaer, President Jonathan urged France to extend the support and assistance it gave to his administration to Mr. Buhari’s government.
“President Francois Hollande was our guest in Nigeria during the celebration of Nigeria’s centenary. He has been very supportive of the country in the fight against terrorism. I expect that the same warmth and goodwill will be extended to the incoming government. I expect that France will continue to work with the new administration, especially on issues of terrorism.
“The United Nations has been supportive as well. Our troops, supported by regional forces, have done very well in fighting the terrorists in recent times. What we need now is support to help our people get back their lives,’’ he said.
The ambassadors commended President Jonathan for setting a record of humility, patriotism and courage in safeguarding the democratic process in Nigeria and Africa.
“Nigeria is not only an economic power in the world today, but also a great democratic example. And it is all by your effort, Mr. President. The last elections and your response was truly a great achievement and you will always be remembered for it,” the French ambassador told the President.
Mr. Guaer, the new Ambassador of Senegal, Baboucar Sambe, and the new Ambassador of Ethiopia, Samia Zekaria Gutu, who were at the Presidential Villa to present their letters of credence to President Jonathan, also assured him that they will do their best to strengthen relations between Nigeria and their countries during their tenure.

Read More

I am still in PDP– Ogbulafor

A former National Chairman of the PDP, Vincent Ogbulafor, who Friday sneaked into the national Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abuja said he was in the office to congratulate the party for a “job well done”.
In a chat with newsmen after emerging from a private meeting with the APC Chairman, John Oyegun, which lasted for 45 minutes, Mr. Ogbulafor said “I just came back into town yesterday and I came to congratulate the national chairman of APC for a job well done”.
Mr. Ogbulafor was a national secretary and later, chairman of the PDP.
The APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, defeated the candidate of the PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan, in the election that held on March 28.
Asked if he is moving over to the APC, Mr. Ogbulafor said “I am still in PDP”, adding “Not yet. Even if I will, not yet”.
The former PDP Chairman also expressed delight with the victory of Mr. Buhari in the presidential election.
When reminded that he had earlier predicted that the PDP would rule Nigeria for 60 years, Mr. Ogbulafor blamed it on the “dismantling of the governors’ forum”.
Also, the APC Deputy National Chairman, South West, Segun Oni, said Mr. Ogbulafor was in the secretariat on a private visit.
“Don’t forget, the National Chairman is his friend and some of us are also his friends,” he said.
Mr. Oni however said the party would be happy to welcome Mr. Ogbulafor into its fold.
“He came to visit his friend and to congratulate us. That is the way politics should be played. Even if he were still the National Chairman of PDP and he comes here to congratulate our national chairman and meet some of us his friends, that will be good politics.
“I am looking forward to our friend, the National Chairman of PDP, visiting us here to say congratulations. As politicians, we must salvage this process called politics; we must rescue it from charlatans.
“We must give it a colour of decency, and maturity,” he said.

Read More

South Africa seeks support to defeat xenophobic attacks

South Africa on Friday in Pretoria sought diplomatic support from countries across the continent to tackle the ongoing anti-immigrant violence in the country.
This was as a result of series of complaints by foreign nationals that the South African police are failing to protect them.
They said the crisis was stirring hostility to South Africans working abroad.
South African Foreign Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, told a reporter after the African diplomatic meeting in Pretoria, that there was urgent need to nip the crisis in the bud.
“We believe that working together we can defeat this demon,” she said.
Malawian Information Minister, Kondwani Nankhumwa, said on Friday that the country has hired buses to repatriate 500 of its nationals from South Africa.
He urged South Africa to provide greater protection for immigrants, echoing demands from China and the African Union.
Kenya and some other African governments have also offered to evacuate any of their citizens who feel threatened.
Chadian Ambassador, Mahamoud Adam-Bachir, said the Pretoria meeting had helped to alleviate some safety concerns.
“It went better than expected, we were assured of the security of our nationals,” he said.
The Foreign Ministry of China, a major trade partner of South Africa, said Chinese-run shops had been damaged in Johannesburg.
The Chinese consulate said it has lodged a protest with the police and asked that they ensure the safety of Chinese people.
Meanwhile, Petrochemicals group Sasol, said it would repatriate 340 South Africans working in Mozambique after local employees at one of its gas projects protested about their presence.
An industry source said Mozambican employees at a sub-contractor for mining group Vale had become “hostile” to South Africans working on the Moatize project in that country but there had been no violence.
The police said at the Ressano Garcia, the border post between South Africa and Mozambique was closed after more than 200 Mozambicans barricaded a road approaching the crossing.
The police said the traffic was later resumed after they dispersed the protesters.
South Africa, with a population of about 50 million, was home to an estimated five million immigrants, from countries including Somalia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Malawi, and from further afield, including China and Pakistan.
Many own shops or sell wares as informal hawkers on street corners or in markets.
Periodic outbreaks of anti-immigrant violence have been blamed on high unemployment, officially around 25 per cent although economists say in reality much higher, widespread poverty and glaring income disparities.
(Reuters/NAN)

Read More