Thursday, 29 May 2014
The minister made the remark during a post Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Maku decried the situation where some protesters were casting aspersions at the federal government instead of the abductors.
He held that the Bring Back Our Girls protest had been hijacked by the opposition party.
He said that the opposition party was playing politics with the abduction and the general security situation in the country.
Maku contended that Borno, Yobe and Adamawa where the Boko Haram insurgents operated mainly were under the control of opposition party.
“The money we are spending is to maintain security in states controlled by that party. So why do you come back and start playing politics?
“We are busy spending money to maintain security in those states. What have they done about it because 90 per cent of all insurgency is in states controlled by that party?
“Ninety per cent of those campaigning to bring back Chibok girls are members of that party, but the media will look the other way.
“Honestly, if we want this country to grow, we must ask the relevant questions”, he said. (NAN)
Chibok Girls: Why We Met Obasanjo In Abeokuta – Shehu Sani
After his seeming indifference to issues of national importance on the backdrop of his scathing open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan last year, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has rejoined efforts to open a new channel of communication with Boko Haram, Executive Director of the Civil Rights Congress, Comrade Shehu Sani has said.
Sani said yesterday that some Boko Haram contacts had audience with Obasanjo to explore a new channel of negotiation with the sect members with a view to rescuing the over 200 abducted Chibok girls.
The rights activist noted that the Federal Government’s indecision to swap the girls or use force to secure their release is unhelpful.
Sani also urged Nigerians not to vilify Ahmed Salkida, the journalist, who negotiated the botched backdoor deal between the government and Boko Haram, but had to flee the country when he was falsely accused by government of being a sympathizer of the Islamist sect.
In a statement in Abuja, Sani said Salkida should be commended for his initiative to free the girls.
He said: “This statement is in response to the reports and the enquiries on the Abeokuta meeting with the former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some family members of the Boko Haram group: This is to confirm that the meeting actually took place and I was part of it.
“The meeting was solely aimed at exploring the possibility of opening a new channel for dialogue or negotiation with the sect members towards securing the release of the abducted Chibok girls held in captivity for over a month.
“The meeting appraised the reportedly collapsed back door deal that was later cancelled by the government. I wish to also confirm that the report of the intervention of Mr. Ahmed Salkida in negotiating the release of the Chibok girls is credible.
“I personally introduced Salkida to the Government and spoke about him in many of my previous interviews. He has tried his best in the past and of recent to help in resolving the insurgency through dialogue but was on all occasions frustrated by the government.
“Mr. Salkida should not be vilified but should be appreciated. Mr. Salkida’s attempt could have actually seen to the release of the abducted girls.
“The meeting in Abeokuta was aimed at repackaging and salvaging the dialogue option: It was generally agreed that the initiative cannot take off without the consent of the government”.
Sani insisted on the option of negotiating with the insurgents in the nation’s best interest.
He added: “It’s significant for Nigerians to note that negotiation is the only safer option to get the girls back home. The consequence of the use of force to rescue the girls is clear.
“The indecision whether to swap or to storm is also not helpful. Our children are our precious seeds for tomorrow’s harvest. We cannot celebrate democracy day with our children in chains.
“The ongoing insurgency is now part of our history and the challenge before us is not to allow it to be our fate. With national solidarity and resilient spirit we shall overcome”
Plot To Impeach Oshiomhole, His Deputy, Speaker Thickens
A clandestine plot to impeach Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State, his deputy, Pius Odubu and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Uyi Igbe, has reportedly thrown the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) into confusion.
The impeachment plot, spear-headed by four APC lawmakers, who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is purportedly being bankrolled by an Abuja-based politician from the state.
According to LEADERSHIP reports, the lawmakers, who are expected to execute the plot, might have been paid N30million each with additional offer of N20million later.
One of the defected lawmakers, Hon Friday Ogierakhi, when contacted on the development, however, denied the allegation, saying they were never induced by anybody to dump the APC for PDP, stressing that the move was based on principle.
“We have heard the allegation; it is not true; it is a sign of a drowning party”, he said.
It was learnt that the plot was hatched with the aim of giving the PDP an easy ride to victory in the state House of Assembly and National Assembly elections come 2015.
Furthermore, if the plot to impeach the trio succeeds, one of the lawmakers, who recently defected to PDP, is expected to be elevated from Speakership position to governor.
In a swift reaction yesterday to the plot, the majority leader of the state House of Assembly, Mr Philip Shaibu, stated, “We are aware of their plots but they will fail. My joy is that we have lawmakers here who believe strongly in the developmental strides of the Comrade Governor, so they can never be part of such plot to impeach the governor.
“We are very much aware of all the moves they are making to destabilise the state, to ensure that the Comrade Governor does not continue his developmental efforts but they are wasting their time”, he added.
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
A VIrtual Tour Of Kim & Kanye's Honeymoon Resort
Congratulations to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who, in case you spent all weekend with zero Wifi and missed it, got married in Florence. While we're not as excited about the dress or the guest list, we were thrilled to hear that the couple would be honeymooning in what's sure to be one of the hottest travel destinations of 2014...provided you can afford it. Click through our slideshow for a virtual tour of Castlemartyr Resort—the sumptous grounds, the opulent guest rooms, and of course, the spa
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
"Jonathan Leads A Corrupt Government, Has Little Credibility" - New York Times Editorial On Nigeria’s Stolen Girls
President Goodluck Jonathan
Three weeks after their horrifying abduction in Nigeria, 276 of the more than 300 girls who were taken from a school by armed militants are still missing, possibly sold into slavery or married off. Nigerian security forces apparently do not know where the girls are and the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, has been shockingly slow and inept at addressing this monstrous crime.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Children’s Fund said Boko Haram, the ruthless Islamist group that claimed responsibility for the kidnappings, abducted more young girls from their homes in the same part of the country in the northeast over the weekend. The group, whose name roughly means “Western education is a sin,” has waged war against Nigeria for five years. Its goal is to destabilize and ultimately overthrow the government. The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, said in a video released on Monday, “I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah.”
This is not the first time Boko Haram has attacked students, killing young men and kidnapping young women. The security situation in Northeast Nigeria has steadily deteriorated. In the first three months of this year, attacks by Boko Haram and reprisals by government security forces have killed at least 1,500 people, more than half of them civilians, according to Amnesty International. Until now, there has been little response to the violence, either in Nigeria or internationally. But the kidnapping of so many young girls, ages 12 to 15, has triggered outrage and ignited a rare antigovernment protest movement in Nigeria.
On Sunday, after weeks of silence, Mr. Jonathan admitted that “this is a trying time for our country,” and he said that Nigerians were justified in their anger against the government and appealed for international help. The reaction of Mr. Jonathan’s wife, Patience, was stunningly callous; according to state news media, she told one of the protest leaders, “You are playing games. Don’t use schoolchildren and women for demonstrations again.”
Boko Haram’s claim that it follows Islamic teachings is nonsense. A pre-eminent Islamic theological institute, Al-Azhar in Egypt, denounced the abductions, saying it “completely contradicts the teachings of Islam and its tolerant principles.” Although Boko Haram is believed to number no more than a few hundred men, Nigerian security forces have been unable to defeat them.
Mr. Jonathan, who leads a corrupt government that has little credibility, initially played down the group’s threat and claimed security forces were in control. It wasn’t until Sunday, more than two weeks after the kidnappings, that he called a meeting of government officials, including the leader of the girls’ school, to discuss the incident. There is no doubt the intelligence and investigation help President Obama offered on Monday is needed.
The kidnappings occurred just as President Jonathan is about to hold the World Economic Forum on Africa, with 6,000 troops deployed for security. That show of force may keep the delegates safe, but Nigeria’s deeply troubled government cannot protect its people, attract investment and lead the country to its full potential if it cannot contain a virulent insurgency.
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Beyonce Drops Her Ring at Met Gala, Jay Z Stages Mock Proposal: See the GIF!
Jay Z came to the rescue when Beyonce dropped her ring at the 2014 Met Gala on May 5 -- see his mock proposal!Credit: Jamie McCarthy/FilmMagic (2)
He put a ring on it—again! Jay Z came to the rescue when Beyonce's jewelry got away from her on the red carpet at the 2014 Costume Institute Gala in New York City on Monday, May 5.
Gunmen Raid Abuja School
Unknown gunmen have attacked a primary school at Nyanya the scene of recent bombing attacks in Abuja.
No pupil or member of staff was hurt, but the gunmen snatched the school bus.
“We do not know if they are members of Boko Haram or if they are robbers”, an official of the school said.
“The sad thing is that parents do not want to know if it’s Boko Haram or not. Many of them are coming to take away their children out of panic”.
Nyanya was the target of two bomb attacks that left hundreds dead and scores injured last month, and residents of the area are now living in fear of further attacks.
Nigeria: US Sends in FBI to Find Abducted Schoolgirls
People hold signs during a protest demanding the release of abducted secondary school girls from the remote village of Chibok,
The United States have called in the help of the FBI to find more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by terrorist group Boko Haram.
It is feared the girls who were taken from a school in the village of Chibok on 14 April have already been sold as brides for as little as £7 ($12), according to the girls' relatives.
Attorney General Eric Holder said the US was sending FBI agents to trace the girls as grief-stricken families took to the streets in protest over the inaction of the Nigerian government and military to find their loved-ones.
"Let me be clear," said Secretary of State John Kerry while visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo, "the kidnapping of hundreds of children by Boko Haram is an unconscionable crime, and we will do everything possible to support the Nigerian government to return these young women to their homes".
In a video obtained by French news agency, AFP, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said: "I abducted your girls. I will send them in the market, by Allah."
Nigerian police said 53 escaped but at least 223 were still missing.At least 276 youngsters were taken from their school in Chibok, in the state of Borno, north Nigeria, by the Islamist militants. They packed the teenagers, who had been taking their West African Examinations Council exams, into trucks and disappeared into a remote area along the border with Cameroon.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said: "We view what has happened in Nigeria as an outrage and a terrible tragedy.
"The president has been briefed, several times, and his national security team continues to monitor the situation there closely.
"The state department has been in regular touch with the Nigerian government about what we might do to support its efforts to find and free these young women."
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said: "We promise that anywhere the girls are, we'll surely get them out."
He said he had asked the US, Britain, France and China for help to fight against Boko Haram and dismissed claims his government was negotiating with the group.
It comes amid claims the first lady, Patience Jonathan, requested the arrest of a protest leader, Naomi Mutah Nyadar, after falsely identifying herself as one of the mothers of the missing girls. But Nyadar insisted she was representing the mothers of the missing loved-ones, who could not make it to a meeting in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.
Another protester, Saratu Angus Ndirpaya, added that Patience Jonathan had abused the women gathered at the presidential palace and expressed doubts there was any kidnapping. She also allegedly accused them of belonging to Boko Haram.
The first lady's office denied the allegations.
Nyadar has since been released.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)