JTF Apprehends Sect Members While In Search Of Food

Special troops during their cordon and search operation in Borno State apprehended a group of Boko Haram members that were looking for food.The intensive cordon and search operation being conducted by the troops of the Special Forces in Borno State have received a major boost from civilian cooperation in communities close to locations being focused in the operation.
According to the Defence Spokesman; Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, a group of terrorists moving from village to village in search of large quantity of food were tracked and apprehended following a tip off from civilians.
The group which was moving around in a Toyota Land Cruiser jeep were arrested at Daban Masara with weapons such as AK 47 rifle, single barrel shotgun, double hand shotgun and various calibres of ammunition.
He further stated that in other locations, a total of 56 identified insurgents were apprehended with the help of military police dogs.  Items recovered from the arrested insurgents include, 7 packs of IEDs, 2 rocket-propelled gun chargers, a rifle magazine, 2 machetes, bomb detonators, camouflage and other military uniforms as well as medicines equipment, charms, 7 vehicles including a jeep and 8 tri-cycles.

Fayemi’s Election: Supreme Court Throws Out Oni’s Appeal

The former governor had hoped to cash in on the judicial crisis that rocked the nation’s judiciary when Justice Ayo Isa-Salami was forcefully suspended from office by appealing to the Supreme Court alleging likelihood of bias in his defeat at the Ekiti election appeal.
Mr Oni in his suit relied on Section 36 of the Constitution which guarantees right to fair hearing and had asked the Apex court to revisit the judgment of the Court of Appeal which removed him from office.
However counsel to Governor Kayode Fayemi relying on Section 246 (3) opposed the appeal and contended that as at the time the governorship election was conducted in 2007, that the Court of Appeal was the final court to determine governorship election matters.
In an unanimous decision, the Supreme Court agreed with Mr Fayemi and held that attempt by Oni to lure the apex court to exercise its authority by meddling into an appeal already determined by the Court of Appeal which is the final court over the governorship election matters, is an attempt to get back into Ekiti state government house.
In the decision read by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, the court declined Oni’s invitation to interfere in an appeal that had been adequately determined and settled by a competent court which had the final say on such elections as at the time the election was conducted.
The court subsequently dismissed Oni’s appeal and insisted that his appeal has nothing to do with Section 36 of the constitution, especially in view of the provision of Section 246(3) of the same constitution.
Frivolous Appeal

In his reaction to the judgment, Mr Fayemi said he is not surprised with the ruling of the court as it has continued to remain the saving grace of Nigeria’s democracy.

According to him the matter ought not to have gone to Supreme Court in the first place as it has no place in the country’s jurisprudence.

He however called for the establishment of Election Offences Commission noting that if the former governor had been prosecuted for committing electoral fraud in the state, he would not have had the opportunity to approach the apex court with what he called a frivolous appeal with the purpose of distracting the government of Ekiti state and a waste of the time of the court.

Baba Suwe Loses N25 Million Award At The Court of Appeal

Court of Appeal judges in Lagos today set aside the N25 million compensatory damages earlier awarded Lagos comedian, Babatunde Omidina " Baba Suwe " over a prolonged detention by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) last year.
In the ruling, the Court of Appeal re-affirmed the right of the NDLEA to investigate, arrest, detain and prosecute drug suspects as long as the agency acts within the law.
 The court said the NDLEA had not violated Mr. Omidina's rights because it sought and got court orders from the federal high court to keep him in custody after the arrested him on the suspicion that he had ingested hard drugs.
 The Court of Appeal came down heavily on the Lagos High court judge that awarded the damages against the NDLEA, describing the decision as oppressive and burdensome to an agency of government carrying out its statutory duties.
 Baba Suwe's attorneys led by civil rights activist, Bamidele Aturu,  has vowed to take the matter before the Supreme Court.

JTF uncovers terror cell in Kano as Nigerian Army Links Boko Haram To Hezbollah

A Lebanon-based Hezbollah armoury and terror cell in Bompai, Kano State has been discovered by the JTF in Kano state.A large cache of arms and ammunition  was found in the armoury, JTF have  confirmed the arrest of three persons in connection with the armoury and the cell.A Lebanese national currently out of the country reportedly owns the premises where the armoury and the cell were found at No 3, Gaya Road, Off Bompai Road in the ancient city.
A statement by the JTF spokesman, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, said the JTF operatives, comprising officials of the 3rd Army Brigade in Kano and the State Security Service conducted the operations.
The operatives, he said, uncovered an underground bunker in the premises where large quantities of assorted weapons were hidden.
Iweha, who said the construction of the bunker was special, listed anti-tank weapons, rocket propelled guns and anti-tank/personnel mines as some of the dangerous weapons found in the premises.
He added that the weapons and ammunition were concealed in coolers, drums and bags.
According to him, the latest recovery followed an ongoing robust counter-terrorism investigation by the SSS.
Confirming the existence of a Hezbollah cell in the country, Iweha noted that the SSS had arrested one Mustapha Fawaz, co-owner of Amigo Supermarket and the Wonderland Amusement Park, in Abuja.
The arrest of Fawaz, Iweha said, led to the arrest of another Lebanese terror suspect, Abdullah Tahini, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport with over$60,000
He added, “Thereafter on May 26, 2013, one Talal Roda, also a Lebanese with a Nigerian Passport, was arrested in the same house.
“All those arrested have confessed to have undergone Hezbollah Terrorist Training and further implicated one Fauzi Fawad, also a co-owner of Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park.”

Ekiti guber: Tension mounts as S-Court rules on Oni’s petition today

There is tension in the city of  Ado Ekiti,  Ekiti State capital, as the people of the state await today’s judgment of the Supreme Court over the suit instituted by former governor of the state, Mr.  Segun Oni, urging the apex court to set aside the Court of Appeal’s judgement of October 15, 2010, that removed him from office.

The Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, had in its decision on the matter set aside the judgement of the lower tribunal which  upheld Oni’s election as the validly elected governor of the state in 2007.
The court in its decision ordered a re-run election which was held in 2009
However, after living office, Oni,  not satisfied with the decision of the court, approached the Ado Ekiti division of the court, alleging bias and favoritism on the part of the suspended president of the court, Justice Ayo Salami and the members of the tribunal.
Specifically, Oni is seeking an order setting aside the decision of the Court of Appeal, Ado Ekiti division delivered on Monday,  February 27, 2012.
He,is equally seeking an  order  directing  a fresh Panel of the Court of Appeal to hear and determine the aforesaid appeal in (ii) above de novo.
An order directing the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly to take over the governance of Ekiti State, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal in (ii) above by the Court of Appeal.
Ekiti CP speaks
On his preparation for the judgement, Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sotonye Wakama, said he had a meeting with the leaders of the two  parties where they promised to caution their supporters against fomenting trouble before, during and after the judgement.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said: “We are monitoring the situation very closely.
“We invited all the leaders of the political parties on Tuesday, and it was agreed  that they will talk to their supporters and party members in view of today’s judgement to ensure that there is peace in the state.
“Our intelligence unit had been sent out to gather information from the public. We have also deployed our men to all strategic positions across the state to forestall breakdown of law and order that may arise as a result of the judgement. So, we don’t foresee crisis before, during and after the judgement.”
Ekiti ACN chair hopeful
In his response to the pending court verdict, the Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Ekiti chapter, Chief  Jide Awe, who assured that his party members would not forment trouble, said his members were  not in the habit of formenting trouble, even at a time when situations were more grievous than this.
He, however, expressed confidence in the judiciary, saying his members would not involved in any action that would desecrate the temple of justice, just as he enthused that the party would be victorious in today’s judgement.
Oni and other PDP leaders had at various times clarified that the suit was not intended to ridicule the judiciary but to expose alleged bias in the judgement that ousted him from office.
Oni believed that he would be vindicated in the end.

Four Arab Men Questioned Over Arms dicovered In Kano

Nigerian military authorities were questioning four foreign nationals suspected to be from a Middle Eastern country over a large consignment of arms and ammunitions intercepted in a warehouse located in the Bompai area of Kano, the Kano State capital.

A security source also said that the owner of the warehouse, simply identified as a Lebanese national, was also a guest of Nigerian military interrogators over the shock discovery.

As at the time of this report, the building on Gaya Road, Bompai, where the weaponry was found was under heavy military guard.

A spokesman for the anti-terrorist Joint Task Force and member of the 3rd Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, indicated that the brigade would brief reporters on the issue later today. He declined to make further comments on the incident, which occurred on Tuesday night.

“You will get the details tomorrow (Thursday),” he said. He added, “Because of the Democracy Day celebrations we have decided to talk to you after the break.”

A security source said that security was beefed up in the commercial city of Kano as a result of the Democracy Day celebrations. There was a significant increase in vehicular patrols by officers of the JTF and the police. “You can see that our patrols made it possible to achieve the kind of peace that the people of Kano have not experienced in recent months,” a security official said.

Some of Kano’s terror flashpoints attracted the largest presence of soldiers and police. The areas include Kurna Asabe, where two persons were reportedly killed last Friday by unknown gunmen, Hotoro-Mariri, Yankaba and Badawa. The areas are suspected hideouts for gunmen.

In a fresh video message released yesterday by Boko Haram, the militant group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, threatened more violence targeted at members of the press, the police and the military. In the one-hour video, the sect’s leader also threatened the country’s politicians and members  of their families, accusing them of corruption. Mr. Shekau also denied reports that many of his men had been killed in the recent onslaught carried out by soldiers in the North East States where emergency rule had been declared by President Goodluck Jonathan.

“There is no truth in that claim, it is only a propaganda, in all we have only lost seven members while the Soldiers cannot count the number of their men who were killed in the confrontation” .

He warned that those who have made it their stock in trade to expose the Boko Haram members and their activities to security agents should wait and see what would happen to them.

He accused the Media of dishing out falsehood against the sect especially on casualty figure its members.

In the video also displayed military patrol vehicle purportedly seized by the militants and some captured and dead soldiers.

I ‘ve done well, says Jonathan

From the city of Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, gave a robust defence of his administration’s performance at mid-term and dismissed public and media assessment of his ministers, saying the criticisms were mostly bereft of objectivity.
President Jonathan spoke at the public presentation of the administration’s mid-term report in Abuja during which administration officials rolled out positive financial indicators which among others was that Nigeria has become the highest investment destination in the continent.

The presentation was graced by former Nigerian leaders, including former President Shehu Shagari, General Yakubu Gowon, Chief Ernest Shonekan, former Chief of General Staff, Gen. Oladipo Diya; one-time United States presidential candidate, Jesse Jackson among others.
Also present at the event were the Senate President, Sen. David Mark; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar.
Jackson, speaking at the occasion, commended the president for giving a mid-term report of his performance. He said that it was indicative that the ship of the nation was sailing in the right direction.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim also commended the leadership of  President Jonathan, who he said had shown impressive democratic culture through his restraint in the face of unparalleled challenges to his authority.
President Jonathan was nevertheless dismissive of media assessment of his administration. He said that as a former teacher, he was conscious of the fact that any examination should be guided by a marking scheme.

Challenges media of objective assessment

He thus challenged the media to use the 234-page report as a veritable tool for any objective assessment.
He said: “Only on Monday, I looked through a particular publication in one of our dailies, which gave an assessment of the performance of the ministers.
“The first thing I looked for that I did not see was the criteria they used to assess the performance of the ministers. As a teacher, I know that for you to mark a student, you must have a marking scheme. Because, assessment could be very subjective, and if a fellow politician is assessing another politician, you assess the person based on heartbeats.”
He said two ministries; the ministries of Trade and Investments and National Planning which performed creditably well were rated average.
“Since I came to the centre in 2007, I have worked with three ministers of National Planning and three ministers of Trade and Investments. They have never done what is being done today.
“In terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attracted to this country by  activities of that ministry, it has never happened. In spite of our security challenges, there is so much interest from business men wanting to come to Nigeria.
“Before now, that Ministry of Trade and Investments was a dead end, but now they are very active. Talk about Ministry of Planning, people say that until Shamsudeen came on board, we did not even know that we had a Planning Ministry.
“But these two ministries were scored average and I asked what are the criteria? That is the purpose of today, our elders, ladies and gentlemen. The idea is to formally present a document to all Nigerians about the activities of the government these past two years.
“I plead with all of us especially those who want to assess and write about it to develop criteria because without a marking scheme, you cannot mark anybody’s paper. Develop your own, compare with previous governments. Develop your marking scheme and mark us.”

Nigeria‘s economy waxing strong — Okonjo-Iweala

Making her presentation earlier, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that despite challenges of inequality and inclusion, the nation’s economy was waxing strong.
She said in the last two years, the GDP had recorded significant growth and dollar exchange rate had remained stable between N155 and N160.
She said the rate of inflation had dropped to 9.1 per cent from 12.4 per cent in May 2011, while the external reserve had risen from $32.08 billion in May 2011 to $48.4 billion as at May, 2013.
Specifically, she said the External Crude Account (ECA) had risen from about $4 billion in May, 2011 to about $9 billion at the end of 2012 and presently $6 billion in May 2013.
The minister said the ECA had been of help in improving the economy since oil production had fallen from the projected 2.53 million bpd to between 2.1 and 2.2 million bpd, adding that there were deliberate government policies to reduce recurrent expenditure and complete unfinished capital projects.
She said: ”Recurrent expenditure has dropped from 70.4 per cent of total budget in 2011 to 68.7 per cent in 2013″.
She added that government’s annual borrowing had fallen from N852 billion in 2011 to N588 billion in 2013 while the debt to GDP is 21 per cent.
According to her, the administration’s waiver and tariff policies had also changed positively. She said: “Government is focusing on sectoral waivers such as agriculture, power, aircraft spare parts, solid minerals at zero duty. Trade has improved and exports are up in plastics and rubber, vegetable products, prepared food stuff and beverages.”
The minister explained that exports have increased from nine per cent in 2008 to 31 per cent in 2012, saying oil export had increased to 69 per cent of total exports compared to 91 per cent in 2008.
She said with over $7 billion foreign direct investment into the country in 2012, Nigeria has become the highest investment destination in Africa.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsudeen Usman said the Federal Government has achieved eight of 14 points in its transformation agenda.
Giving sectoral appraisal of the achieve
ments of the administration, he said the railway which had become irrelevant in the national transportation system for over 30 years was back on track, adding that the western rail corridor from Lagos to Kano as well as intra-city train services in Lagos, Kaduna and Kano are now fully operational.
In the road sector, the Minister said there had been key improvement on key access roads across the country, citing the Benin-Ore Road,  Kano-Maiduguri Road and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road among others.
The minister added that there has also been significant improvements in power and the government was working hard to ensure that Nigerians were provided with uninterrupted power supply.
In agriculture, Usman said the administration had saved significant amount of money through the blocking of loopholes in the procurement of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs and ensuring the direct distribution to farmers. She added that with the policy, there has been increased production of crops like cassava, wheat and rice, thereby moving the country to self sufficiency in food and liberating the people from poverty.
He said there had also been a significant improvement in the airports across the country with the expansion, renovation and remodelling works in the existing airports.

Nigeria on right course — Jackson

Jackson, a 1994 and 1998 United States Democratic Party presidential candidate also speaking at the occasion, said there was much expectation on Nigeria as the most populous black nation on earth and that the country should not disappoint the world.
Appraising the mid-term report, he said that there was no doubt that Nigeria was on the right course and called for support from every strata of society.
According to him, “the world takes Nigeria serious and it cannot afford to let the world down. Nigeria must do everything to get it right. It is an obligation that Nigeria must meet”.
Former head of the Interim Government in Liberia, Professor Amos Sawyer also speaking, praised Nigeria’s contributions to international peace keeping in the continent and thus urged the country’s political leaders to join hands at critical times of national challenges.
Anyim noted that the uncommon restraint by President Jonathan in the face of different provocative challenges had helped to deepen democracy in the last two years.
He noted that there had been unprecedented growth in the numbers of civil society groups and the administration had expanded and made the space free to encourage people to come together.
Anyim said the widened space had made citizens bolder and more assertive while opposition parties enjoyed total liberty.
The SGF said the Freedom of Information law made by the administration had granted unfettered freedom to the media while the judiciary had become the last hope of the common man

Obasanjo Confesses He Forced Sule Lamido On Jigawa People

Baba as most people will call him on Wednesday congratulated himself for selecting Sule Lamido to be the governor of Jigawa state stressing that his choice has paid off.

Mr Obasanjo, speaking as a guest at the Jigawa State Economic Summit, said Governor Lamido has shown by his achievements in office that he was the right person to lead the state.

He said, “You people of Jigawa, once again, I congratulate you and I congratulate myself; because if you can say, yes, Obasanjo forced this one (Governor Lamido) on us, it is a good forcing.

“It comes to one thing that you will say, you can help anybody to find a job but you cannot help anybody to do the job. In this case, we found a job for Sule Lamido. Sule Lamido was ready, willing, able and competent to do the job.”

The relationship between Mr Obasanjo and Governor Lamido dates as far back as 1999 when the former President appointed the governor; Foreign Minister causing friction with the governor’s patron Abubakar Rimi who had been turned down as Obasanjo’s Vice-Presidential partner and was lobbying for the Foreign Minister job.

In May 2003, after the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) had lost the elections in Jigawa State, Governor Lamido claimed that the polls had been rigged in favour of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP).

In August 2006 it was reported that the North West zone of the PDP had rejected Mr Lamido as the candidate for the 2007 governorship election.

However, in April 2007, Lamido contested and won the governorship election in Jigawa State.

Reps Oppose Jonathan’s plans To Use Adamawa, Borno, Yobe’s Allocations For Emergency Rule

Jonathan got the disapproval of the house of House of Representatives as they the house of rep members on Tuesday insisted on it's earlier decision mandating President Goodluck Jonathan to deploy only federal funds to administer the emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

This decision nullified part of a conference report it reached with the senate.
The new order will come into effect after a similar reversal is approved by the senate. The House has urged the senate to deliver a similar resolution.
The policy somersault came as governments of the affected states increasingly demonstrate impatience with the president’s initial plan which should see funds belonging to their three states and local government areas deployed unilaterally by the president.
The Adamawa state governor, Murtala Nyako, on Monday, threatened a legal action against the president if statutory funds belonging to the state were not released.
At the passage of the emergency gazette last week, while the senate agreed with the president’s plan to retain the powers to utilize funds belonging to those states, the House rebuffed the plan, and passed a version that gave Mr Jonathan strictly security powers.
The House insisted that administrative powers, which require financing, be retained by the state governors and the council heads.
A conference meeting by both chambers late last week jettisoned the House’s position, giving back that spending power to the president.
But the House rejected that provision on Tuesday, as its conference committee reported the amendment back to the plenary.
“The house resolves to delete and revoke completely section 3(2)(e) of the harmonized, adopted and approved Emergency Powers(general) regulations, 2013 by both houses of the National Assembly,” a motion passed Tuesday said.
The lengthy resolution said the House reverted to its initial position due to “public outcry and outright opposition by majority of Nigerians” especially indigenes of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
The House also cited the “near consensus of opinion of senior advocates of Nigeria and constitutional lawyers on the constitutionality of the said section” as well as Supreme Court’s repeated rulings on the autonomy of the finances of states and local government areas.
“I will never allow the institution to be an institution of arrogance. We should avoid any position that is against the constitution,” Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal said.

N5 Billion Fraud: Court Approves Extended Medical Leave For Nnamani

In what does not really look like a surprise, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) has expressed sadness over the absence of the former Governor of Enugu state , Chimaroke Nnamani at the resumption of his long trial on Tuesday,before Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the federal High Court,Lagos.

The Commission through its counsel, K.C Nzozuie said the ex-governor’s absence was part of the ploy to frustrate his trial. Mr Nzozuie said the case which started in 2007 has suffered set back because of the former governor’s ceaseless prayers for medical leave which he would prolong by bringing various excuses before the court.
Justice Yunusa in an earlier ruling on April 17, 2013 on an application for overseas medical treatment by the former governor, agreed that Mr Nnamani could travel abroad to treat his ailment but added that he must return to the country before the next adjourned date. The judge also ordered him to file a notice of return to the court as soon as he gets back to the country and return his international passport to the court. However, at the resumed trial on Tuesday, Mr Nnamani was not in court.
Counsel to ex-governor, Abubakar Shamsudeen told the court that his client couldn’t make it because he has not fully recuperated from the heart surgery he underwent at the United States of America. Mr Shamsudeen, while apologizing on behalf of his client, added that Mr Nnamani obtained a medical report from his doctors that he will need additional ninety days (90) to fully recover. He concluded by asking the court to grant his client more time as stated by the report. He thereafter sought the leave of court to tender the medical report before it.
However Mr Nzozuie faulted the medical report presented before the court saying that the report did not state that the former governor was on admission neither did it state the number of days for which he will be under observation as claimed by the defense counsel. He urged the court to discountenance the defence counsel’s application and issue a bench warrant on Nnamani.
“My Lord, the letter has not changed from the previous ones presented by the defense. He has not been coming to court owing to one excuse or the other. This matter started in 2007 and based on one application or the other by the first defendant, we have had to take long adjournments in this matter. The conduct of the first defendant is aimed at delaying the trial, I urge your Lordship to discountenance the application and issue a bench warrant on the defendant. If he fails to appear we would be forced to ask the court to vary the condition for bail granted to him.” Mr Nzozuie said.
After listening to arguments from both counsel, Justice Yunusa ruled that the medical report was just a letter addressed to the court. He said based on section 55 of the Evidence Act, the medical report should come in form of a medical certificate duly signed by a Federal or State government official from a certified government hospital. He said that Mr Nnamani will be granted more time to appear, failure of which the law will take its full course. He then adjourned the case to September 25, 2013 for commencement of trial.
Mr Nnamani, who was first arraigned before Justice Tijani Abubakar, was re-arraigned before Justice Mohammed Yinusa on charges of money laundering and economic crime to the tune of about N4.5 billion.
The case which clearly reveals some of the challenges faced by the EFCC in the prosecution of its cases was first re-assigned to Justice Charles Archibong following the transfer of Justice Abubakar (now of the Appeal Court) out of the Lagos division of the Federal High Court.

Boko Haram Leader’s Associate Killed – Army

Information from Defense Headquarters said that a terrorist believed to be a close associate of Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau has been found dead while running errand for the leadership .
According to a statement from the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, two fellow terrorists one of which is confirmed to be a Nigerian are now in the custody of the Multinational Joint Task Force.
The statement which was signed by the Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Christopher Olukolade said “the three were in the process of crossing the border to the neighbouring Niger republic through the Lake Chad.
“The three have been confirmed to have operated in Baga and participated in perpetrating arson and other atrocities around the vicinity of the town. They have been relocating from place to place since they left Baga last month.”
The statement further added that more troops of the police mobile force have joined the operations as more towns are being secured in the operations to rid the nation’s territories of terrorist activities.

Gov Jang apologizes to Nigerians

The controversial chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has apologized to Nigerians over the fracas that enslaved the last forum's election. Mr Jang, while receiving the members of the Executive Council of North Central zone of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Yusuf Ayitogo, who paid him a solidarity visit over his claimed election victory at forum, said that his leadership will correct the mistakes of the past while efforts are on to reconcile all aggrieved members of the forum.
Governor Jang also assured that the forum will work out a permanent structure in choosing its leadership without rancour by reverting to the original constitution that does not allow for a second term in office.
Leader of the delegation and vice chairman of PDP in north central zone, Yusuf Ayitogo affirm the ability of Governor Jang in reconciling all aggrieved members and urge other governors to give the Jang-led chairmanship of the forum the opportunity to reorganise the forum.
In a related development, Governor Jang, during the democracy day celebration urged Nigerians to appreciate the nation’s path to greatness as evidence by the developmental strides in terms of infrastructural provision and wealth creation witnessed across the country and congratulate the nation’s leadership for steering the ship to safer zones, he however advice that we must all work for the success of democracy.

Democracy Day: IG orders AIGs, CPs to beef up security

Ahead of today's democracy day celebration,the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has directed Assistant Inspectors General of Police, AIGs, and Commissioners of Police, CPs, in the country to ensure a secure, peaceful and hitch-free anniversary by carrying out effective and efficient deployment of police personnel.
He has further directed the AIG Border Patrol to ensure that the nation’s borders are effectively manned to prevent any cross-border crime. The AIG Air-Wing has also been directed to provide aerial patrol for the FCT and other States.
His words, “to ensure a secure, peaceful and hitch-free nation-wide anniversary, the IGP has directed AIGs and Commissioners of Police to ensure an effective and efficient deployment of operational manpower and tools at the disposal of their respective commands”.
A statement by CSP Frank Mba, Force Spokesman said, “the IG while saluting the courage and gallantry of officers and men of the Force in protecting the nation’s thriving democracy, charged police personnel to continue to subordinate themselves to civil authority and give maximum respect to the fundamental rights of the citizenry.
“He advises officers to remain politically neutral and steer clear of partisan politics in line with the professional ethics of the Force. He warns that officers found meddling in local politics within or outside their areas of jurisdiction will be appropriately sanctioned.
“The IG equally pledges the unalloyed loyalty of the Nigeria Police Force to the Government and people of Nigeria,” promising that the “Force will continue to do everything within its power and available resources, including partnering with relevant stakeholders, to effectively discharge its constitutional and statutory responsibilities of securing lives and property of Nigerians, even in the face of current security challenges and the huge price involved.
“He restates the commitment of the current Police Administration to reposition the Force for greater efficiency, and calls for the cooperation of citizens”.
Meanwhile, Police Affairs Minister, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd) charged Nigerians to see the success of democracy in the last 14 years as proof that there is light at the end of the tunnel, especially as it concerns the security situation in the country.
Olubolade said “The nation has passed through a very dark tunnel in the past few years as a result of the activities of undesirable elements bent on destroying the laudable dreams of the nation’s founders, by unleashing terrorist and other violent activities on a-once-peaceful and united nation”.
He however implored Nigerians to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel as exemplified in the improved and continually improving security situation brought about by the joint efforts of the security services and the cooperation of well-meaning citizens.
He assured the nation of the preparedness of the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force to continue to discharge their duties to the nation in spite of recent drawbacks, especially recent loss of some officers while on active service which he describes as a price the Force has continued to pay over time in protecting lives and property.

Anambra state Governor , Mr Peter Obi, others escape death

 
The Governor of Anambra state, Mr Peter Obi, the Majority Leader of Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Igbuya, and other government officials, Tuesday, escaped death as what could have turned out to be an air mishap was avoided by Arik Pilot of Flight W 3788 conveying over 100 passengers from Lagos to Asaba.
The flight, which was supposed to take off at 8:30 am was delayed in Lagos on account of bad weather. Though travellers had boarded the flight, after about two hours inside the plane, they were asked to go back to the departure lounge as the plane could not take off on account of what the pilot described as “terribly bad weather at Asaba.”
After about three hours, the flight was boarded again because weather reports showed improvement within the internationally accepted landing standards. By the time it was boarded again, many people who saw the situation as warning from providence cancelled their trips.
On getting to Asaba, the weather became bad again while attempt at landing was difficult. The pilot, who did not want to take chances promptly returned to Lagos. On reaching Lagos, however, the weather there had already gone very  bad by aviation standard.
The plane had to circle around for hours amidst dwindling aviation fuel. It finally landed at 4:45 pm amidst signs of relief from traumatised passengers who clapped in jubilation. The  pilot, Captain Sandy Miller, merely told passengers to thank their God for His  mercies when they got home.
Speaking to aviation correspondents at the Domestic Wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Governor Obi, who travelled to South-Africa on Sunday and came back, yesterday, to Lagos said he was determined to make the flight to Asaba en route Awka because he did not like staying outside Awka more days  than necessary.
On whether he was frightened, the governor laughed and said that nothing again should be frightening to a person that governs a state like Anambra.  Moreover, he said, he was always at peace with his God and fellow human beings and couldn’t worry over the vicissitudes of life.