NEWS : BIAFRA , MASSOB to Prof Ango Abdullahi: You’re a political parasite

 

By Chris Oji, Enugu

The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has condemned in strong terms the statement credited to Prof Ango Abdullahi of Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that Ndigbo killed the Hausas and Fulanis during the recent #EndSARS protest.

In a statement issued Wednesday by MASSOB leader Uchenna Madu, he regretted that it “is very unfortunate and disappointing that the wheels of disunity and disaffection among ethnic nationalities is been driven by a supposedly Nationalist.”

MASSOB insisted that Ndigbo have never killed the Arewa dwellers in Igbo land even during the #EndSARS protest.

“It is not in our nature to hurt nonindigenous people dwelling or residing in Igbo land but it is historic and eloquent records that the people of Arewa have killed the Igbos on several occasions in the northern region,” it maintained.

MASSOB described the visit of Prof Ango Abdullahi to Rivers State as a failed mission.

“The primary aim of Northern Elders Forum to Rivers State is to continue in their mission of divide and rule syndrome, they saw in Governor Nyesom Nwike as a willing tool to continue to perpetrate their enmity virus against Ndigbo.

“They may have succeeded in deceiving some leaders of South-south in seeing the Igbos as their enemies in the past,” it asserted.

MASSOB reiterates that divide and rule syndrome, plantation of disaffections, and brotherly discord by the Arewa parasites against the people of the eastern region are no longer fashionable and workable because the present generation of diverse ethnic nationalities of Eastern region is not for political slavery of Northern oligarchy.

The group described Prof Ango Abdullahi of Northern Elders Forum as an expired political parasite that can no longer withstand the future political reality that will eventually change the political narrative of Nigeria state.

“He is the worst thing that happened to the people of Arewa because he denied the Arewa Youths quality education, human development, economic stability and freedom of religious slavery.”

MASSOB advised the governors of Southeast and other leaders not to accord “Prof Ango Abdullahi and his parasitic team a resounding reception because of his venomous hatred against Ndigbo. He has insulted our governors and Ndigbo in general.”

NEWS : Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to leave hospital and multiple US states support Texas lawsuit

 

Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to leave hospital and multiple US states support Texas lawsuit

The US state of Texas has drawn support from 17 other states in its long-shot bid to have the US Supreme Court overturn President Donald Trump's election loss by throwing out the voting results from four other states.

Meanwhile, the top court in Nevada has rejected a Trump campaign appeal to overturn election results affirming president-elect Joe Biden's win in the battleground state.

Elsewhere, Hunter Biden released a statement revealing his "tax affairs" were under federal investigation.

And Rudy Giuliani is set to leave hospital after contracting COVID-19 over the weekend, saying he now feels 10 years younger after his medical treatment.

NEWS : Trump meets with Texas Attorney-General behind lawsuit

 

Mr Trump filed a motion with the Supreme Court asking the nine justices to let him intervene and become a plaintiff in the suit filed by Ken Paxton, the Republican Attorney-General of Texas and an ally of the president.

Mr Trump met on Thursday (local time) with Mr Paxton and other state attorneys-general who support the suit.

Twenty states joined the District of Columbia in filing a brief lodged by Democratic officials backing the four states targeted by Texas.

Seventeen other states on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to hear the case in filings by Republican officials.

Mr Trump has falsely claimed he won re-election and has made baseless allegations of widespread voting fraud. State election officials have said they have found no evidence of such fraud.

The lawsuit does not make specific fraud allegations.

Instead, Texas said changes to voting procedures removed protections against fraud and were unlawful when the reforms were made by officials in the four states or courts without the approval of the states' legislatures.

Democrats and other critics have accused Mr Trump of aiming to reduce public confidence in US election integrity and undermine democracy by trying to subvert the will of the voters.

NEWS : US Supreme Court urged to throw out Texas,

 

US Supreme Court urged to throw out Texas, Donald Trump bid to overturn battleground state election results

Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have urged the US Supreme Court to reject a lawsuit filed by Texas and backed by President Donald Trump seeking to undo president-elect Joe Biden's election victory.

The battleground states say the case has no factual or legal grounds and offers "bogus" claims.

"What Texas is doing in this proceeding is to ask this court to reconsider a mass of baseless claims about problems with the election that have already been considered, and rejected, by this court and other courts," Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania's Democratic Attorney-General, wrote.

Texas filed the long-shot suit against the four states earlier this week directly with the Supreme Court.

It asked that the voting results in those states be thrown out because of their changes in voting procedures that allowed expanded mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Trump's campaign and his allies already have been spurned in numerous lawsuits in state and federal courts challenging the election results.

Legal experts have said the Texas lawsuit has little chance of succeeding and have questioned whether Texas has the legal standing to challenge election procedures in other states.

Mr Biden, a Democrat, defeated Mr Trump in the four states, which the Republican President had won in the 2016 election.

The Texas lawsuit, Mr Shapiro wrote, was adding to a "cacophony of bogus false claims" about the election.

Chris Carr, Georgia's Republican Attorney-General, noted like the others that Texas cannot show it has been harmed by the election results in other states.

"The novel and far-reaching claims that Texas asserts, and the breathtaking remedies it seeks, are impossible to ground in legal principles and unmanageable," Mr Carr wrote.

NEWS : We fled after bandits killed 30 people in our village – Zamfara IDP laments

 

Published

 

on

 December 10, 2020

By

 Maina Maina 

Terrorists operating as bandits in Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria has forced indigenes out of their villages as they seek refuge in other locations believed to be safer across the state and beyond.

Internally displaced Fatima, originally from Jar’kuka, told DAILY POST that she was forced to run away from her village to an IDP camp in Anka because of the activities of the bandits

“We decided to leave our village after 56 people were killed by bandits in one day,” Fatima said, “About 30 people from our village had already been killed and our belongings were constantly being looted.”

Fatima left home after her village, Jar’kuka was invaded and became too dangerous to live in.

She said life means nothing to the bandits as they take it at will.

Another IDP, who identified himself as Abbas, also living in the ‘New Emir’s Palace’ IDP camp, in Anka, left his village of Tangaram with his wife and three children after his father was abducted.

“Two years ago, my father, who was the traditional leader of our village, was abducted by bandits and taken to the bush,” he said.

“The bandits demanded a ransom, which was paid. Since then, we haven’t tried to return. Two people went back to check on the situation there, but one was killed and the other was abducted, although later he escaped.”

Fatima and Abbas are just two of the over 200,000 people estimated to have been displaced within the northwest region of Nigeria since the violent attacks on civilians by terrorists began.

The International Crisis Group estimates that about 100,000 displaced persons sought safety in Anka, Shinkafi and Zurmi towns, in Zamfara State, following an upsurge in violence in 2018.

Anka camp is the only site for IDPs in Zamfara.

In the northwest, IDPs are usually present in every town of the state and hosted in different cities, making it difficult to compile the exact figures of displaced persons.

NEWS : France advises Nigeria on how to end insecurity

 

France has urged Nigeria to engage politicians, local and religious authorities in communities to overcome its security challenges.

French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jerome Pasquier, spoke at a meeting on Security, Peace Development in Zamfara.

It was organised by Pastoral Resolve (PARE) in collaboration with the French Embassy PISCCA Project in Abuja.

Pasquier said the problems of Nigeria’s North, including banditry, insurgency, and low access to education, cannot be resolved by non-governmental organisations and the civil society alone.

The envoy, represented by Rafael Pont, Head of Corporation and Cultural Affairs, French Embassy, noted that all stakeholders must be included in the dialogue.

“One of the key things in resolving this crisis is dialogue, engaging all the actors on ground, the political side, local authorities, traditional rulers and leaders.

“It is not only one NGO or CSO that has the power to resolve everything, It is a matter of tackling the challenges together”, Pasquier stressed.

PARE Project Coordinator, Umar Maraduna, regretted that security challenges in Zamfara have caused a high level of poverty and food insecurity.

Maraduna said the state is currently North-West’s epicentre of cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, and killings, particularly in rural
areas.

Director, Zamfara Directorate of NGOs, Nasir Usman, lamented that the state’s food production has dropped by 30 percent.

Usman added that the worst-hit areas are enormously fertile farmlands where most foods are produced.

NEWS : Buhari’s snub of NASS questions our existence – Rep member

 

Published

 

on

 December 10, 2020

By

 Abdul Seye

The member representing Ahoada-East/Abua/Odual Federal Constituency, Rivers State, Solomon Bob on Thursday described the snubbing of the Joint Session of the National Assembly by President Muhamadu Buhari as of a clear case questioning the existence of the legislature.

Mr. Bob raised a point of order on privilege, demanding answers from the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila on why the President who was scheduled to appear before the joint session of the House did not honour the invitation.

It would be recalled that the President, following a motion of the House was invited to appear before the Joint session of the National Assembly.

DAILY POST reported that the President will honour the invitation.

However, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami on Wednesday in a press statement said the House had no right to summon the President.

Mr Bob, citing order 8, rule 6, said the privilege of the House has been breached, adding that President Buhari flagrantly disregarded the resolution of the House.

He said: “Last week we passed a resolution, bordering on security. I read in the newspaper that the president agreed to come. However, the events following the resolution has shown that the resolution has been flagrantly disregarded. If this House should pass a resolution, and it is disregarded, then it questions our existence here. Our very existence here is being questioned.

“The Speaker should address us. Maybe there has been a back channel, we need to know. Nigerians are watching, the world is watching, watching what we will do. This action is capable of showing that the House is of no significance.”

Ruling on the point of order, the Speaker said his motion has been noted, adding that the House is “waiting for official communication from the President.”