2015 Re-election bid: Nigerians slam Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

Some Nigerians have described President Goodluck Jonathan as an insensitive leader. This followed his moves to formally declare his re-election bid amid his administration’s failure to ensure the release of the 219 Chibok girls abducted six months ago in Borno State by the violent Boko Karam sect.

They said they were worried that the President seemed to have abandoned his responsibility of protecting lives and the property of the citizens while focusing on his re-election ambition.

The President had on Thursday set up a Presidential Declaration Committee with a former Minister of Defence, Dr. Bello Haliru, appointed as the chairman.

Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, was appointed as the Deputy Chairman and Senator Anyim Pius Anyim will serve as secretary of the committee.

The declaration will hold on November 11, 2014.

The President had insisted some years back that he would not stay in office beyond 2015.

But concerned Nigerians believe that the President ought to have secured the release of the girls before he declares his intention to seek re-election.

The Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said the fact that the President had chosen to concern himself about returning to power at this time amounted to insensitivity.

Mumuni, who spoke with one of our correspondents in a telephone interview on Thursday, said the President could simply have delayed his declaration until when the Chibok girls are rescued.

He said, “But in Nigeria, politicians at all levels, not just the President, think mostly about the moment rather than the future. It has become customary that they don’t bother about the situation in the country when their political career is concerned.

“There were reports that the girls would be released last Monday but this is the end of the week and nothing has happened. What the President should have done was to address the nation on this issue and tell us why nothing has happened.”

The Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr. David Anyaele, expressed worry over the President’s seeming reluctance to prove to Nigerians that he could provide adequate security for them.

He, however, urged the President to ensure that the Chibok girls are rescued immediately.

He said, “Nigerians should demand that the President should produce the girls right now to show he has the capacity to provide security for the country beyond 2015 and that he is not insensitive.”

The spokesperson for the BringBack Our Girls Campaign, Mr. Rotimi Olawale, who spoke on behalf of the parents of the Chibok girls, said it would be unfair to the abducted girls for the President to put politics above their safe return.

He said, “For us at BBOG campaign, one of the things we have been demanding is that we need to see a resolve from the Presidency that rescuing the Chibok girls and other boys and girls who have been kidnapped in the past remain number one on the agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Unfortunately, this is a time we have different political intrigues and the 2015 elections close by. Sometimes we feel they have placed politics above the return of the girls.

“We demand that the government should rescue the girls and communicate with the families of the girls who have been kept in the dark since the news broke that there was a ceasefire and a negotiation.”

An Abuja-based lawyer and social commentator, Mr. Jide Oluyemi, believed that it was shameful for the President to seek re-election in the midst of the security crisis in the country, especially in the North-East.

He said that the action showed that the President was not sensitive to the plight of Nigerians.

Oluyemi said, “Six months ago, Boko Haram abducted over 200 Chibok schoolgirls and they have yet to return home. There are thousands of people displaced and yet President Goodluck Jonathan still has the gut to declare his ambition to seek re-election.

“This is insensitivity at its greatest height; this is unfair to many Nigerians who have lost their loved ones to the insurgency in the North. This display of insensitivity must stop. He should address the insecurity first and lay aside his ambition for now. He was not properly advised on this one.”

A Lagos-based lawyer, Fred Agbaje, believes that though the President has the right to seek Nigerians’ mandate for re-election, the timing was wrong.

Agbaje said, “There is no law or any process which bars the President from declaring his interest. Once the necessary provisions of the law are met, he can declare. But the question is whether he can still go ahead to declare in the face of mounting insecurity, unemployment, corruption and abduction of Nigerians, among other problems confronting the country.

“Yes, he can still declare but it is now left for Nigerians whether in the face of the social ills that I have highlighted to open their eyes and allow him to continue to rule us and we continue to suffer or we open our eyes and reject his coming back and say we don’t want him.

“Just like the governor of Kano State said, we have had many opportunities to reject Jonathan and vote him out. Just on Thursday, we heard that some group of girls and women were abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents while this government told us it had entered into a ceasefire agreement with the insurgents.

“I am sure the ceasefire agreement the President is telling Nigerians about is not true or done with the wrong people. Otherwise, the original sect would have told us by themselves if there was any ceasefire agreement. That is why they are still going ahead, kidnapping, maiming, and killing people. I agree with Kwankwanso that we have lost opportunities to vote the President out especially in the midst of all the social crises facing the country.”

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Five more soldiers arraigned for mutiny

Army authorities again arraigned five more soldiers before a General Court Martial for mutiny at the Abacha Barracks in Abuja on Tuesday.
The soldiers were said to have pleaded not guilty to the two counts of mutiny and conspiracy to commit mutiny.
The accused are Lance Corporals Bankole Taiwo, Ayodele Olawale, Sule Ochehepo, Isaiah Olofu Adebayo Gbenga.
They all belong to the 81 Batallion of 7 Division of the Nigerian Army.
They were accused of conspiring to incite other personnel of 81 Batallion to commit mutiny at Gubio Base Camp, Maiduguri on September 13 and 14, 2014.
They were also said to have on the same days and location fired sporadically, abandoned weapons and made instigating comments and acts which intended to incite solders of 81 Batallion to mutiny.
The offence of conspiracy was said to be punishable under section 97(1) of Penal Code Cap P89 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014, while the offence of mutiny was said to be punishable under section 521(1)(b) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A20 LFN, 2004.
Journalists have been barred from further covering the proceedings of the GMC after the trial of 59 soldiers for mutiny began last week.
However, the charge sheet dated September 19, 2014 which was made available by a military source, showed that the charges preferred against the five newly arraigned soldiers were signed by the Commander of the Army Headquarters Garrison, Brig. Gen. B.T. Ndiomu.
Ndiomu is also the convening authority for the court.
The charges read, “Count 1: Criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny triable by Court Martial by virtue of section 114 of the AFA CAP A20 LFN 2004 and punishable under 97(1) of Penal Code Cap P89 LFN, 2004.
“Particulars of offence: In that your on or about 13 and 14, September 2014 at Gubio Base Camp, Maiduguri conspired to incite other personnel of 81 Bn to commit mutiny.
“Count 2: Mutiny punishable under section 52(1)(b) of the AFA CAP A20 LFN 2004.
“Particulars of offence: In that you on or about September 13 and 14 at Gubio Base Camp, Maiduguri fired sporadically, abandoned weapons and made instigating comments and acts which intended to incite soldiers of 81 Bn to mutiny against the authority of 7 Division of the Nigerian Army.”

Court remands pastor for snatching cars at gunpoint

Adetunji, Ikeja Magistrates’ Courts.

A district pastor of a church in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has been remanded by a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ikeja.

The 37-year-old pastor, Adebambo Adetunji, was alleged to be one of the gang members, who robbed motorists at the Ojota Bus stop, between April and July, 2014.

Reporters learnt that Adetunji and other suspects, who were still on the run, were notorious for snatching cars and robbing victims of their valuables at gun point.

Our correspondent gathered that a Toyota Camry and a Mercedes Benz ML320 with number plates MUS 413 BH and LND 623 BF respectively, were diverted by the suspected robbers, who were said to have also used cutlasses in their operations.

While the Mercedes Benz car was said to be the property of one Boniface Joseph, who was robbed around 10.30pm on April 30, at the bus stop, one Oluwatoyin Badmus, was reportedly robbed of her   Toyota Camry around 6pm on July 6 at the same spot.

The police said Joseph also lost two phones and an IPad to the robbers, adding that valuables lost by the duo were worth N4.5m.

It was learnt that Adetunji was arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad led by SP Abba Kyari after Badmus had reported the attack to the police.

The prosecutor, Inspector Nurudeen Thomas, on Thursday, brought the suspect, who hails from Osun State, before the Magistrate, Mrs. M.O. Oshodi, on three counts bordering on armed robbery.

Oshodi, who was holding brief for Mrs. Dan Oni, refused to listen to the defendant’s plea and ordered that he be remanded pending the time the Directorate of Public Prosecutions would issue legal advice on the matter.

The charges read in part, “That you, Adebambo Adetunji and others now at large, on April 30, 2014 at about 10.30pm at Ojota Bus stop in the Lagos Magisterial District while armed with guns and cutlasses did rob one Mercedes Benz Jeep ML320 with registration number LND 623 BF valued N1, 850,000, IPad valued N80,000, Blackberry Bold 5 valued N30,000, Nokia E5 valued N26,000 and cash sum of N250,000 total value N2,236,000 property of one Boniface Joseph.

“That you, and others now at large on July 6, 2014 at about 5.30pm at Ojota Bus stop in the aforementioned magisterial district did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; armed robbery.

“That you and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district while armed with guns and cutlasses did rob one Toyota Camry 2008 model with registration number MUS 413 BH valued N2.3m property of one Oluwatoyin Badmus.”

It was said that the offences contravened Section 5 (b) and were punishable under Section 1 (2) (a) (b) of the Robbery and Firearms Act, Cap. 398, Vol. XXII, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 and 2003 as amended.

Adetunji, who was clad in Ankara, burst into tears on hearing the charges.

I have accepted offer to contest, says Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

After many months of suspense, President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday opened up on his intention to seek re-election during the 2015 presidential election.

All organs of the Peoples Democratic Party had before now endorsed the President as the party’s sole candidate for the election.

Groups such as the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria had also been   campaigning for Jonathan by highlighting at rallies and through advertorials what they consider as his achievements.

Even though he had   kept mum on the matter, his body language clearly showed that he had made up his mind to seek re-election.

Jonathan, who has already raised a 37-member declaration committee, will   formally declare any day between November 7 and 15.

A reliable Presidency source, who pleaded anonymity told journalists in Abuja that Jonathan made his intention to contest known to the party leaders at a closed-door meeting in one of the guest houses inside the Presidential Villa.

The source said after thanking the party leadership for giving him the right of first refusal as far as the party’s presidential ticket was concerned, he told them that he had accepted the offer and was ready to run.

Jonathan was also quoted as telling the party leaders that he would come to the party headquarters to pick his nomination form before the October 30 deadline fixed by the party.

The source said, “President Jonathan today (Thursday) met with the leadership of the PDP and party leaders from the various zones of the country. He thanked them for giving him the right of first refusal as far as the party’s presidential ticket was concerned.

“The President told them that he had accepted their offer and he was interested in the presidential race.

“He told them that he will come and pick up his nomination form before the deadline stipulated by the party.”

The source added that following the declaration, the President announced the composition of a committee saddled with the responsibility of coming up with an elaborate declaration programme.

He said the committee chaired by a former Minister of Defence, Dr. Haliru Bello, was asked to work towards ensuring that the declaration held between November 7 and 15.

The committee, according to the source, has a former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani, as the deputy chairman, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim,   as secretary.

Members of the committee include a governor from each of the six geopolitical zones of the country, four National Assembly members; four members of the Federal Executive Council; four PDP officials as well as eight party members and four others appointed on presidential discretion.

A breakdown of members according to zones showed that the South-South, the North-East and the North-Central have six representatives each while the South-East, the South-West and North-West have five representatives each. The Federal Capital Territory has one representative.

Apart from Bello, Nnamani and Anyim,   Prof. Rufa’i Alkali,   Julius Imagwe and   Baraka Sani are members of the committee.

State governors representing the various zones are Liyel Imoke of Cross River State;     Theodore Orji of Abia State,   Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State,   Babangida Aliyu of Niger State,   Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State, and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State.

The National Assembly representatives are   Hosea Agboola, Ahmed Makarfi,     Bitrus Kaze   and Salmas Badru.

Representatives of the Federal Executive Council are the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke;   Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Abduljelili Adesiyan;   Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Maina; and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed.

Officials of the party in the committee are the Deputy National Chairman,   Uche Secondus; Benue State chapter Chairman, Chief Emmanuel Agbo;   National Woman Leader, Kema Chikwe;   and the North-West Zonal Chairman,   Ibrahim Kazaure.

Party member representatives include Stella Omu, Walid Jibirn, Ibrahim Bunu,   Jolly Nyame, Aniete Okon, Peter Obi,   Remi Adikwu-Bakare,   A. B. Mamman and   Abdullahi Maibasira.

Those appointed at the President’s discretion are   Halima Alfa,   Nimota Akanbi ,   Micah Jiba   and Sam Ikon .

Shortly after that meeting, Jonathan also entered into a crucial meeting where a committee saddled with the responsibility of raising fund for the PDP presidential campaign was formed.

The committee has a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, as the chairman.

Party chiefs who attended the meeting included the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu; the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih, and the President of the Senate, David Mark.

The All Progressives Congress has however described Jonathan’s decision   to seek re-election as an anti-climax.

Its National Publicity Secretary,   Alhaji Lai Mohammed,   said it would have been news if the President had declared that he was not running.

Mohammed said, “This is an anti-climax. Of course, if the TAN have been going all around spending billions on television advertorials and campaign, all the governors have adopted him, the National Working Committee, said he is the only one. As far as we are concerned, it is an anti-climax. It would have been news only if he said he wasn’t running.”

Govs reject autonomy for councils

Governor Jonah Jang

Indications have emerged that Nigerian governors have perfected plans to mobilise members of their state Houses of Assembly to reject the autonomy granted local governments by the members of the National Assembly.

A faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum being led by the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang, has already condemned the action of the assembly.

It said the action of the lawmakers, which if agreed to by the majority of the state houses of assembly, would grant financial and administrative autonomy to the local governments.

This, he said, was not in tandem with the yearnings of the people.

The two chambers of the National Assembly had during the amendment to the Constitution, granted 774 Local Government Councils in Nigeria financial and administrative autonomy through amendment of section 7.

Details of the autonomy granted the local councils in the federation include strengthening their administration by providing for their funding, tenure, elections and to clearly delineate their powers and responsibilities to ensure effective service delivery and insulate them from undue and counter-productive interference from state governments.

But the Jang’s faction of the NGF through a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, vowed to mobilise lawmakers in their respective states against the amendment.

The NGF’s faction’s position was contained in a statement issued on its behalf by the Secretary of the Forum, Mr. Osaro Onaiwu.

It said, “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum under the leadership of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has differed with the National Assembly over the move to amend the constitution and grant local governments full administrative and financial autonomy.”

The governors, according to Onaiwu, also accused some unnamed members of the National Assembly of “using the conference committee to force through an amendment that was clearly rejected by the Senate during the constitution amendment debates and votes.”

The statement described the push for local government autonomy by the National Assembly as hasty without first considering the problems of executive recklessness and ineffective administration at the local level.

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, said autonomy for local governments was not in tandem with the principles of federalism.

He said, “Granting autonomy to local goverments is antithetical to federalism. Nigeria is the only ‘federation’ in the world with three tiers of government.

“Federalism is a system of government where there is a given territory administered by two levels of governments that are coordinate.”

Ebola crisis: Mali confirms first infection case

courtesy BBC

Health officials in Mali have been checking people returning from the Ebola-hit countries in West Africa

The Mali government has confirmed the first case of Ebola in the country.

It said a two-year-old girl had tested positive for the haemorrhagic virus. She recently returned from neighbouring Guinea.
More than 4,800 people have died of Ebola - mainly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone - since March.
Meanwhile, an international team of scientists has been set up to determine the effectiveness of using the blood of Ebola survivors as a treatment.
It is hoped the antibodies used by the immune system to fight Ebola can be transferred from a survivor to a patient. The study will start in Guinea.
Porous borders Speaking on state television on Thursday, Malian Health Minister Ousmane Kone said the infected girl was being treated in the western town of Kayes.

She was brought to a local hospital on Wednesday and her blood sample was Ebola-positive, Mr Kone said.
om Ebola should abstain from sex or use condoms for three months

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse travels with an ambulance worker in Liberia

The girl's mother died in Guinea a few weeks ago and the child was then brought by relatives to Mali, Reuters news agency quotes a health ministry official as saying.
Mali is now the sixth West African country to be affected by the latest Ebola outbreak - however Senegal and Nigeria have since been declared virus-free by the WHO.
With porous borders, countries neighbouring Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are on high alert for possible imported cases of the virus, says BBC Africa health correspondent Anne Soy.
Separately, the World Health Organization (WHO) has already identified at least two experimental vaccines which it believes could be promising.