BIAFRA : If you like, call me Baba Go Slow, says Buhari

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), says he will uphold the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in pursuing the policies of his regime “whether you call me Baba Go Slow or not”.

Buhari stated this when he received residents of the Federal Capital Territory led by the Minister, Muhammad Bello, during the traditional Christmas Day homage at The presidential Villa, Abuja.

Before receiving the FCT residents, he had earlier on Wednesday with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

The VP had presented Christmas gifts, including a card to his boss.

Buhari said his administration would focus on the provision of infrastructure, especially roads, power and railway transport, notwithstanding any criticisms it had faced.

According to him,  Nigerians will not care about who is the President or in government so long as they have good infrastructure.

The  President said, ‘‘This administration sincerely believes that if you get infrastructure right, most Nigerians will mind their own business. They may not even care who is in government.

‘‘But when you deny them infrastructure, then there is nothing they can do.”

He thanked Nigerians for voting him into office twice, saying it was proof they sympathised with him.

He added, ‘‘But I can assure you that I thank Nigerians very much from the bottom of my heart.

“I will be diligent in serving this country dutifully.”

On the delegation were religious leaders across Christianity and Islam, traditional rulers as well as groups like the Christian Association of Nigeria.

Some of the notable faces were the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, and the Imam of the Abuja National Mosque, Dr Mohammed Kabir.

Speaking earlier, the minister thanked Buhari for the support the FCT had received from his regime since 2015, especially in providing security and infrastructure.

Bello also reviewed 2019, recalling that as of 2018, many people predicted doom for Nigeria.

However, he said the year came and passed with the 2019 general elections conducted and Buhari’s regime inaugurated for a second term.

He spoke further,  “We thank God for bringing us this far, we started 2019 with a lot hope and a lot of challenges.

“A year ago when we came, we had elections before us. We were faced with a lot of challenges from within and without from parties that never wished the nation well.

“By the grace of God, campaigns were completed successfully; by the grace of God, inauguration was done successfully; by the grace of God, we celebrated June 12 as our new Democracy Day.

The Minister of Nigeria Delta, Godswill Akpabio, who was also at the Presidential Villa, commended the regime for the cordial relationship it had established with the National Assembly, resulting in the speedy passage of the 2020 budget.

BIAFRA : Nigerians attack Buhari’s spokesperson over false claims on media freedom

Nigerians have criticised Garba Shehu, the spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, over his claim that the current administration has not detained any journalist nor seized copies of newspapers since it assumed office.

Mr Shehu made this  on his official Facebook page on Wednesday’s reaction to the release of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters.

He said “some international news outlets have mistakenly been describing Mr Sowore’s release as that of a journalist which is wrong.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Buhari administration has never, since coming into office in 2015, detained a journalist, seized copies of newspapers or shut down a medium of information.”

“Sowore called for a revolution to overthrow the democratically elected government of Nigeria. He did so on television, and from a privileged position as the owner of a widely read digital newspaper run from the United States of America.”

“He founded an organisation, Revolution Now, to launch, in their own words, “Days of Rage”, with the publicised purpose of fomenting mass civil unrest and the elected administration’s overthrow. No government will allow anybody to openly call for destabilization in the country and do nothing.”

“The government believes strictly in observing the rule of law but must safeguard public security and will not allow trouble makers to incite the public and cause a breakdown of law and order.”

Falsehood

On January 6, 2019,  and sealed two offices of Daily Trust newspaper in Abuja and Maiduguri, Borno State.

The soldiers arrested the regional editor, Uthman Abubakar, and one of the paper’s reporters, Ibrahim Sawab, during the raid.

More than two dozens of armed soldiers in five pickup trucks sealed up the main office of the paper in the Utako District of Abuja, and seized computers and other items.

The army accused the newspaper of publishing its secrets. President Buhari is the Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces.

In 2017, head office in Abuja, and arrested the newspaper’s publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi, alongside the paper’s judiciary correspondent, Evelyn Okakwu.

Plain-clothed officers conducted search at the office said they were acting on a complaint filed by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.

The arrests came days after PREMIUM TIMES turned down the army’s demand to retract news stories about the Nigerian Army and its operations.

Also,  was in August 2018 detained for about four days for refusing to disclose his source for a story. The story, also published by other news media, revealed a report by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

The report indicted sacked Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), Lawal Daura, for his role in the siege on the National Assembly.

Another journalist, Jones Abiri, was first detained for almost two years without trial. After much public outcry, he is now being tried for alleged links to outlawed groups

Knock:

With these and other violations of journalists’ rights under the Buhari administration, many Nigerians accused Mr Shehu of spreading falsehood.

They expressed their views in the comment section under Mr Shehu’s Facebook post.

Eniola Akinkoutu, a journalist, said: “No journalist detained under Buhari? What of Samuel Ogundipe of Premium Times who was detained for 4 days? What of Jones Abiri? The raiding of Just asking for clarification sir.”

Another commentator, Abimboye Micheal, said: “Lies. You lied sir and it’s a shame. Buhari’s govt detained journalists, raided Daily Trust. Don’t lie.”

“Must you write and talk? Don’t defend this lawlessness pls…,” Ishaq Ahmed said

Pajo Pajolisson: “I always read your posts to the end trying very hard to make sense out of the nonsense you write. Of course disappointment is often the end. You called him a former Presidential aspirant, condemning him as a journalist as against the claims of ‘international news outlets’. But you went ahead telling us he’s an owner of widely read digital news platform in the U.S.

Anyways, I would that it’s not the U.S senators’ letter that prompted his release if you tell Nigerians the exact reason. Was there a new court order that we don’t know? And why did you exempt Sambo Dasuki here?”

Fabiyi Olabanji wrote: “You guys succeeded in making Sowore an international figure whose case has become a major discourse in virtually all international media. Respect for rule of law is a major democratic ingredient which I believe this government enjoyed before coming to power. Power is transient and we should learn from history. Wondering how posterity will judge you @garbashehu and @femiadesina. Let’s do what us right at all time.”

Ofonife Sam said: “Shame on you, Buhari and this government for turning Nigeria into a banana republic and shamelessly presenting yourselves as the executive, judicial and legislative arm of government whereas these arms of government are independent. APC should know that Nigeria is bigger than them and the world is watching how they (APC ) desecrate on our democracy.”

Kaybee Buno said: “This guys are shameless. The more they try to cover their mistakes, the more mistakes they make.”

BIAFRA : Fani-Kayode reveals four people who pressured Buhari to release Sowore, Dasuki

Nigeria’s former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has claimed that four people fought from within President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, to ensure the release of Omoyele Sowore, convener of RevolutionNow Movement, and Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA).

Writing on his verified Twitter page, Fani-Kayode listed them as Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari; Ekiti state Governor, Kayode Fayemi; the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami and Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika.

“I can tell you authoritatively that 4 people fought from within to get Dasuki & Sowore released and eventually managed to convince Buhari.

“They are Abba Kyari, Malami, Hadi Sirika and Kayode Fayemi. They represent the liberal and cerebal wing of the Buhari Govt. And I commend them,” he tweeted.

Sowore and Dasuki were both released from the Department of State Services custody on Tuesday, December 24.

Sowore was arrested on August 3 over a nationwide protest, while Dasuki has been in detention since 2015.

Although Sowore was released temporarily after 124 days, he was rearrested at a Federal High Court in Abuja less than 24 hours after. 

BIAFRA : Wike says Dickson plans to defect to APC to avoid EFCC arrest

Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike has accused his Bayelsa counterpart Seriake Dickson of planning to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for corruption at the end of his tenure.

“Dickson concluded plans to join the APC…(and) colluded with these people so that EFCC will not arrest him when he leaves Government,” Wike said in a statement by his media aide Simeon Nwakaudu.

Both governors of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but have been at loggerheads since the party lost the Bayelsa State governorship election to the APC in November.

The feud between both governors got heightened after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ruled that Rivers State owns the contested Soku Oil Wells/Fields between Rivers State and Bayelsa State.

Dickson accused Wike of “merely using the disputed oil wells between the two sister states as a mere subterfuge to create disunity and ethnic disharmony in Ijaw land in pursuit of a clandestine ethnic supremacist agenda in the politics of Rivers State.”

Wike argued that the National Boundary Commission (NBC) in 2012 altered the boundary between Bayelsa and Rivers State in the 11th Edition of the Administrative Map of Nigeria.

He opined that the NBC made a mistake by shifting the boundary from River Santa Barbara to River St Batholomew which the NBC acknowledged in a letter to the Supreme Court.

Wike said seven years after the Supreme Court gave the order, the NBC was yet to effect the correction.

“We had to sue the NBC to enforce the order of the Supreme Court, where they were directed to ensure that the Boundary Between Rivers and Bayelsa State is River Santa Barbara.

Wike advised Dickson to approach the court to address his grievances and not resort to the self-help of ‘carrying guns’.

The Rivers State governor said there was nothing personal in the fight for Soku Oil Wells except for to protect “what belongs to Rivers State Ijaw and what belongs to Rivers State.”

He accused Dickson of trying to cause disharmony by attempting to collect what belongs to the Ijaw in Rivers State.

Wike accused the Bayelsa State governor of failing his people by refusing to utilise their resources judiciously.

He said that for a “small state like Bayelsa, it was wrong for the outgoing Governor to expend N70billion on an uncompleted airport when Bayelsa State lacks good roads and Basic Infrastructure.”

Wike said he has achieved more for Rivers State in four years than Dickson did for Bayelsa State in about 8 years.

He warned Dickson against spreading false news and propaganda against him and his administration.

BIAFRA Christmas: El-Zakzaky’s Shiites group attends Church service, presents gift

Members of Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), popularly called Shiites, on Wednesday attended a Christmas Church service at Church of the Advent, Samaru, Zaria.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) shortly after the service, the leader of the team, Isa Hassan-Mshelgaru said the essence of attending the service was to promote love, tolerance and understanding among Nigerians.

The service was conducted at Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Diocese of Zaria, Church of the Advent, Samaru, Kaduna State.

The IMN is a proscribed Shiite organisation whose leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, has been in detention since 2015 after the group clashed with Nigerian soldiers.

The group has held several procession in Abuja to protest the continued detention of Mr El-Zakzaky despite several court orders for his release; the protests had been met with violent clampdowns by security authorities.

“We came to celebrate the Christmas with fellow Christians here because we consider them as our brothers and we don’t have anything to give them than to come and celebrate this day with them,” said Mr Hassan-Mshelgaru.

“As they consider this day very important, we also consider it very important, we feel that we should come and visit them so that to clear some of the unnecessary imaginary boundaries that have been created.

“There are some imaginary boundaries that could not be seen that kept us far away from each other, so, we want to breach this gap, so that we come together as brothers and sisters living in the same country and same locality,” he said.

Mr Hassan-Mshelgaru, a professor, appealed to other Nigerians, whether Muslims, Christians or traditionalists to shun all forms of hatred, saying that religion was not all about hate but a means of bonding people together.

“You can be a Muslim, a Christian or a Traditionalist, always bear in mind that religion should be a platform for bringing people together not separating them.

“So, my appeal is that Nigerians should come together under the same umbrella as we live in the same country to ensure a united and formidable country envy of other nations,” he said.

The Vica of the Church, Isuwa Sa’idu, expressed appreciation for the visit and urged the visitors to sustain the tempo for the good of the nation.

“In fact, I am so exited that they can think of a thing like this to come and visit us on Christmas Day celebration like this.

“When we first got the news of their coming, I was just so overwhelmed and I said I can’t wait for that day to come, here am behold the day has come, the visit had really gladden our hearts,” he said.

According to him, the visit shows that Nigerians are looking for peace and they are actually pursuing it and not just pursuing it with words but with action.

“So, their action of rising to come to visit us has shown that truly we have found that peace.

“Because Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and if everybody will behave like our friends and brothers, the Muslim Brothers, I don’t think we will have problems in this country.

“Is just share of misunderstanding of what we are and who we are and where we represent that we lack peace today, we can never stay part from each other, we must and under must live together.

“Here I am in Samaru, I come from Southern Kaduna, some of our friends come from the East and some of you who are Northerners are also living in other parts of Nigeria, if there is no peace how do we live like that?” he asked.

He observed that the occasion had opened a door for people to know that Nigerians have brighter opportunity to live peace with one another.

Mr Sa’idu said that attending Church service by Muslims was not unusual in other countries, saying that in other countries Muslims, Christians another religious groups do their celebrations together.

“I pray this has broken the jinx that we can begin to live together, Muslims attend Christian functions, Christians attend Muslims functions like that we will be happy.

“My message to Nigerians is that let’s copy what these brothers and sisters have done and truly this visit has encouraged me that I have a friend in you, in this man and all of you.

“This implies that I can go to this person, I can go to that person and I will tell my problems and you can attend to me, if we learn to do this, I tell you in the next 10, 20 years, there will be no religious fight.

“Those who ignite crisis for their selfish aims and they leave us to kill and destroy one another but now that we are here for peace we all love one another,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visitors presented a gift to the Church as a sign of love.

BIAFRA : 7 Killed in Nigeria Jihadist Attack on Christmas Eve

KANO, NIGERIA - Boko Haram jihadists have killed seven people on Christmas Eve in a raid on a Christian village near the town of Chibok in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, local militia and residents told AFP Wednesday.

Dozens of fighters driving trucks and motorcycles stormed into Kwarangulum late Tuesday, shooting fleeing residents and burning homes after looting food supplies.

Boko Haram and its IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction have recently stepped up attacks on military and civilian targets.

"They killed seven people and abducted a teenage girl in the attack," local vigilante David Bitrus said.

"They took away food stuff and burnt many houses before leaving," he said, adding that a church was also burnt.

The jihadists were believed to have attacked from Boko Haram's nearby Sambisa forest enclave, said Chibok community leader Ayuba Alamson who confirmed the toll.

In April, Boko Haram raided Kwarangulum, 16 kilometres (10 miles) from Chibok, stealing food and burning the entire village.

Residents had managed to flee before the arrival of the jihadists following tip-off from people who saw the gunmen heading toward the village.

Chibok is the scene of the mass kidnap of 276 schoolgirls in 2014 by Boko Haram which sparked global outrage and drew international attention to the group's notoriety.

Fifty-seven of the girls escaped shortly after the kidnap. Another 107 have been either rescued or released after negotiations while 112 remain in captivity.

Troops have been stationed in Chibok since the kidnap but deadly Boko Haram raids continue in the area.

The decade-long conflict has killed 36,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast, according to the United Nations.

The violence has spread to nearby Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the jihadist groups.

BIAFRA : Why would anyone want to harm a peaceful man? Ortom reacts to attack on Jonathan’s home

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Wednesday, described the attack on the country home of former President Goodluck Jonathan as a national shame.

Unknown gunmen had on Tuesday attacked the country home of the ex-president in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.

One of the soldiers guarding the building was shot dead by the marauders.

The governor in a statement issued in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, condemned the attack and wondered why armed men would want to harm a peace-loving man and former president of the country.

He said: “If Dr. Jonathan can be attacked in such a manner, what becomes of vulnerable Nigerians?

“It is rather unfortunate and I urge security operatives to ensure that they bring the culprits to justice. I also call on security agencies to intensify surveillance in all parts of the country to guarantee the safety of lives and property.”