Tuesday, February 9, 2021

BIAFRA : Don’t dialogue with terrorists, El-Rufai, others warn

 


Gov pushes confrontation, rejects Gumi’s peace deal  Amnesty for bandits is criminal, say Yoruba leaders

 Rights group attacks minister for backing cleric 

 IYC, CLO, IPOB, SOKAPU 

want bandits arrested, prosecuted
 Miyetti Allah declares support for Gumi

The stance of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, against holding dialogue with bandits and criminal herdsmen gained widespread support yesterday, as regional groups and individuals slammed the idea.

The rejection of parley with criminals came as the Senate asked Federal Government not to be involved in resolving herdsmen conflicts with communities.

A foremost Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, had proposed peace deal with kidnappers terrorising the country, especially the Northwestern zone.

Gumi had led a group of Muslim clerics and law enforcement agents to bushes in the Central and Southern Senatorial districts of Kaduna State to meet with communities of Fulani herdsmen allegedly breeding the main population of kidnappers and bandits in a bid to persuade them against vices.

Gumi’s plan is to strike a deal with the herdsmen to end criminal activities and to forward their grievances to the authorities for resolution.

But El-Rufai, in an interview with BBC Hausa, argued that a Fulani herdsman that used to earn N100,000 every year through sale of cattle but now makes millions of naira from kidnapping would find it difficult to give up the heinous act.

Bandits killing people and burning houses, he added, should not be pardoned. The governor blamed lingering criminal activities on lack of cooperation among some Northwest governors in the fight against banditry

“Kaduna has been on the same page with Niger State governor in the fight with bandits. We discuss measures to fight insecurity with Niger, but some other states are doing things differently.

“Some states are saying bandits should be pardoned and there should be negotiation. They believe if we sit down and dialogue with criminals, they will discontinue their old ways and that is the difference between us. When some governors said they will negotiate with bandits and others disagree with that, that is where the problem is.”

No sooner had El-Rufai made his position known than Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and Civil Liberty Organisations express their support for him.

The Worldwide President of IYC, Peter Igbifa, in an interview with The Guardian said the best way to fight criminality is to stop it permanently by getting the bandits arrested and prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.
 
He said: “It makes no sense to grant pardon to bandits because kidnapping has become a very lucrative business, the best way to fight it is to stop it permanently; if we don’t, any other step will be encouraging the monster to grow.
 
“Some of these peace processes don’t help, because if you bring out the bandits, they will pretend to have repented, and then go back to the bush. Of course, they will not return the actual arms; they will just go to the bush and bring some toys while the real AK47 is still hidden there and any little money given to them for the  peace deal, they will rather use it to beef up their arms.”
 
Also South South Zonal Leader of CLO, Stiv Ogbodokwe, argued that the herdsmen had committed heinous crimes, stressing that the best way to end the menace was to get the bandits arrested and prosecuted.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), also yesterday, joined the list of those against the proposed negotiation with criminals.

It particularly chided the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed for backing Sheikh Abuabakar Gumi’s meeting with bandits.

The National Coordinator of the group, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said as people like Lai Mohammed attempt to continue to shield and cover them up, under the pretence of government using some back channels to address the security challenges in the country, the killers will continue to have a field day.

“For the umpteenth time, this Lai Mohammed has expressed this government’s lack of sincere goodwill in addressing the issues of insecurity in the northern part of the country.”

Similarly, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) dismissed any peace deal with bandits. IPOB, which accused Gumi of comparing bandits with freedom fighters like Biafra and Oduduwa Republic said the cleric had either lost touch with reality or was being economical with the truth.

IPOB, in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said it was unfortunate Gumi could not differentiate between “self determination which is a constitutionally guaranteed right and terrorism which is a crime.
He said: “I oppose any idea talking about granting amnesty to a group of criminals.”

More opposition to Gumi came from a former President of Southern Kaduna People’s Union, (SOKAPU), Solomon Musa, who declared that no government should negotiate with bandits, just as Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) declared its support for the cleric

Musa said that any government negotiating with terrorists, who had maimed, raped and killed innocent people, would only be giving a stamp of approval to the illicit act committed by them.”

Secretary-General of MACBAN, Mr. Usman Baba, in an interview with The Guardian commended Gumi.Baba said: “We are strongly behind him (Gumi) and we are appreciating what he is doing. We plead that all stakeholders to support him because what he stated is a good decision in the right direction.”

WHILE the debate for or against dialogue raged, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, in an interview in Abuja, said the Federal Government should not play any role in resolving such matters.

The Presidency had opposed a recent directive by the Ondo State Government that criminal Fulani herdsmen who were not registered with it should quit Ondo forest reserves.

President Muhammadu Buhari, through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, expressed its disagreement with the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

But the Senator observed that “the Federal Government is too distant to resolve every communal dispute everywhere. Inter communal dispute should be resolved by the people in the area.

He said: “I think these issues should be resolved at the local level either through dialogue or give and take. They are people that lived together; they should come together over dialogue at the local level.”

BIAFRA WAR : Buried for 50 years, Britain’s shameful role in the Nigeria Biafran war

 


A million children starved to death. I’m haunted by the images I saw there – and by the complicity of the Wilson government


 good thing to be proud of one’s country, and I am – most of the time. But it would be impossible to scan the centuries of Britain’s history without coming across a few incidents that evoke not pride but shame. Among those I would list are the creation by British officialdom in South Africa of the concentration camp, to persecute the families of Boers. Add to that the Amritsar massacre of 1919 and the Hola camps set up and run during the struggle against Mau Mau.

But there is one truly disgusting policy practised by our officialdom during the lifetime of anyone over 50, and one word will suffice: Biafra.

This referred to the civil war in Nigeria that ended 50 years ago this month. It stemmed from the decision of the people of the eastern region of that already riot-racked country to strike for independence as the Republic of Biafra. As I learned when I got there as a BBC correspondent, the Biafrans, mostly of the Igbo people, had their reasons.

The federal government in Lagos was a brutal military dictatorship that came to power in 1966 in a bloodbath. During and following that coup, the northern and western regions were swept by a pogrom in which thousands of resident Igbo were slaughtered. The federal government lifted not a finger to help. It was led by an affable British-educated colonel, Yakubu Gowon. But he was a puppet. The true rulers were a group of northern Nigerian colonels. The crisis deepened, and in early 1967 eastern Nigeria, harbouring about 1.8 million refugees, sought restitution. A British-organised conference was held in Ghana and a concordat agreed. But Gowon, returning home, was flatly contradicted by the colonels, who tore up his terms and reneged on the lot. In April the Eastern Region formally seceded and on 7 July, the federal government declared war.

Biafra was led by the Eastern Region’s Oxford-educated former military governor, “Emeka” Ojukwu. London, ignoring all evidence that it was Lagos that reneged on the deal, denounced the secession, made no attempt to mediate and declared total support for Nigeria.



I arrived in the Biafra capital of Enugu on the third day of the war. In London I had been copiously briefed by Gerald Watrous, head of the BBC’s West Africa Service. What I did not know was that he was the obedient servant of the government’s Commonwealth Relations Office (CRO), which believed every word of its high commissioner in Lagos, David Hunt. It took two days in Enugu to realise that everything I had been told was utter garbage.

I had been briefed that the brilliant Nigerian army would suppress the rebellion in two weeks, four at the most. Fortunately the deputy high commissioner in Enugu, Jim Parker, told me what was really happening. It became clear that the rubbish believed by the CRO and the BBC stemmed from our high commissioner in Lagos. A racist and a snob, Hunt expected Africans to leap to attention when he entered the room – which Gowon did. At their single prewar meeting Ojukwu did not. Hunt loathed him at once.

My brief was to report the all-conquering march of the Nigerian army. It did not happen. Naively, I filed this. When my report was broadcast our high commissioner complained to the CRO in London, who passed it on to the BBC – which accused me of pro-rebel bias and recalled me to London. Six months later, in February 1968, fed up with the slavishness of the BBC to Whitehall, I walked out and flew back to west Africa. Ojukwu roared with laughter and allowed me to stay. My condition was that, having rejected British propaganda, I would not publish his either. He agreed.

But things had changed. British covert interference had become huge. Weapons and ammunition poured in quietly as Whitehall and the Harold Wilson government lied and denied it all. Much enlarged, with fresh weapons and secret advisory teams, the Nigerian army inched across Biafra as the defenders tried to fight back with a few bullets a day. Soviet Ilyushin bombers ranged overhead, dropping 1,000lb bombs on straw villages. But the transformation came in July.

Missionaries had noticed mothers emerging from the deep bush carrying children reduced to living skeletons yet with bloated bellies. Catholic priests recognised the symptoms – kwashiorkor or acute protein deficiency.

That same July the Daily Express cameraman David Cairns ran off a score of rolls of film and took them to London. Back then, the British public had never seen such heartrending images of starved and dying children. When the pictures hit the newsstands the story exploded. There were headlines, questions in the House of Commons, demonstrations, marches.

As the resident guide for foreign news teams I became somewhat overwhelmed. But at last the full secret involvement of the British government started to be exposed and the lies revealed. Wilson came under attack. The story swept Europe then the US.

Donations flooded in. The money could buy food – but how to get it there? Around year’s end the extraordinary Joint Church Aid was born.

The World Council of Churches helped to buy some clapped-out freighter aircraft and gained permission from Portugal to use the offshore island São Tomé as a base. Scandinavian pilots and crew, mostly airline pilots, offered to fly without pay. Joint Church Aid was quickly nicknamed Jesus Christ Airlines. And thus came into being the world’s only illegal mercy air bridge.

On a visit to London in spring 1969 I learned the efforts the British establishment will take to cover up its tracks. Every reporter, peer or parliamentarian who had visited Biafra and reported on what he had seen was smeared as a stooge of Biafra – even the utterly honourable John Hunt, leader of the Everest expedition.

Throughout 1969 the relief planes flew through the night, dodging Nigerian MiG fighters, to deliver their life-giving cargoes of reinforced milk powder to a jungle airstrip. From there trucks took the sacks to the missions, the nuns boiled up the nutriments and kept thousands of children alive.

Karl Jaggi, head of the Red Cross, estimated that up to a million children died, but that at least half a million were saved. As for me, sometimes in the wee small hours I see the stick-like children with the dull eyes and lolling heads, and hear their wails of hunger and the low moans as they died.

What is truly shameful is that this was not done by savages but aided and assisted at every stage by Oxbridge-educated British mandarins. Why? Did they love the corruption-riven, dictator-prone Nigeria? No. From start to finish, it was to cover up that the UK’s assessment of the Nigerian situation was an enormous judgmental screw-up. And, worse: with neutrality and diplomacy from London it could all have been avoided.

Biafra is little discussed in the UK these days – a conflict overshadowed geopolitically by the Vietnam war, which raged at the same time. Yet the sheer nastiness of the British establishment during those three years remains a source of deep shame that we should never forget.

Confirm new Service Chiefs – Buhari begs Senate


 President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday urged the Senate to confirm the new Service Chiefs as ambassadors.

Buhari’s appeal was contained in a letter sent to the Senate and was read by the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan. https://saviournicodemus.blogspot.com/2021/02/varsity-don-condemns-killing-of.html

A statement by Lawan’s spokesman, Ezrel Tabiowo said the letter was dated January 27, 2021.

According to Tabiowo: “The Senate has received a formal request from President Muhammadu Buhari for the confirmation of the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs.

“The request which was contained in a letter dated 27th January 2021, was read by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, during plenary on Tuesday. ”

The letter reads: “In compliance with the provisions of Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act. Cap A20 Laws the Federation of Nigeria 2004, I hereby forward for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of the under listed officer as the Chief of Defence Staff and Services Chiefs of the Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The appointees for confirmation are Maj. Gen. Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea lrabor – Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru – Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo – Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Amao – Chief of Air staff.

They are to replace the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

BIAFRA : Buhari won’t accept Fani-Kayode into our party – APC Governors

 



The Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Dr. Salihu Lukman, has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to admit former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, into the party.

This comes after pictures of a meeting between the APC National Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; and Fani-Kayode emerged.

It had led to rumours that Fani-Kayode might be preparing to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling party.

“Do we want to reduce our party into one in which everybody is welcome?

“Can we for instance in anyway or form contemplate having an Nnamdi Kanu or Abubakar Shekau as a member?

“At this rate, Nigerians will just wake and see some of our leaders presenting Mr. Fani-Kayode to President Buhari as a new member of our party.

“Although, we can confidently argue that President Buhari will not approve such deranged possibility, it is important to caution that such consideration will be stretching the trust of party members beyond acceptable limits,” the statement read in part.

Fani-Kayode had earlier claimed his meeting with the APC chieftains was to discuss national issues and party politics.

The PDP chieftain also noted that Nigerians must set aside their differences, because the country was heading towards a civil war.

Varsity don condemns killing of civilians, backs IPOB’s ESN

 


A lecturer of Microbiology, in the Imo State University (IMSU), Dr. Ken Nwanekwu has condemned the alleged destruction of properties and killing of innocent civilians by soldiers in Orlu council area of Imo state.

The lecturer who spoke to DAILY POST on Monday at his office, stressed the importance of sustaining the Eastern Security Network established by the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

He said that the eastern part of the country had been made susceptible to various attacks due to lack of indigenous security outfit, calling on all leaders of Igbo extraction to throw their weight behind its (ESN) formation and sustainability.

“It’s very unfortunate that the military could engage head-on in a shootout or confrontation with unarmed members of Eastern Security Network for whatever reason.

“This is both unacceptable and unwarranted. Look at the number of innocent civilians being killed by the Nigerian soldiers for no just cause.

“Members of the Igbo community should rise up to the occasion and realize the need to establish a viable indigenous security outfit just like Amotekun in Yorubaland and Hisbah in the north, which will protect the land from unwarranted attacks.

“The federal government has kept mum to the issue of Fulani herdsmen’s incessant attacks on farmers. Day in, day out, these cattle herders move around communities destroying farmlands and maiming and killing innocent people who try to stop them.

“There are large hectares of land lying fallow in the north. These herders should be asked to build ranches on those fallow lands for their grazing rather than destroying peoples vegetation in the eastern part of the country.

“It’s about time Igbos spoke out in one voice against the marginalization and total neglect meted out to them,” he said.

He further urged the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo not to be compromised in chatting a better way forward for the people, frowning at the lopsidedness witnessed in the recent appointment of various service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari, which overtly excluded the southeast.

On Igbo presidency come 2023, he maintained that it was only natural justice and fairness to freely allow an Igbo man to clinch the seat of power in line with the rotational stand of the three ethnic groups where Hausa and Yoruba had benefited.

He, however, called for the coming together of all the Igbo towards achieving that feat.

David Alaba gives condition to sign for Chelsea

 





Bayern Munich defender, David Alaba, has given a condition to sign for Chelsea this summer transfer window.   MONEY WEBSITE

Alaba will join Chelsea at the end of the season if the Premier League giants pay him around £20million-a-year.

The Telegraph reports that Alaba has asked for close to £400,000-a-week to move to the West London club from Bayern.

That would make Alaba Chelsea’s highest-paid player at Stamford Bridge, with N’Golo Kante, the current top earner on around £295,000-a-week.

The 28-year-old is set to leave Bayern Munich on a free transfer this summer.

Alaba’s current deal with Bayern Munich will expire at the end of June 2021.

Chelsea are among interested clubs that want to secure the service of Alaba, with Real Madrid leading the way for his signature.

Alaba’s current contract with Bayern Munich will expire at the end of June 2021.

The Austrian recently turned down a £200,000 a week contract extension to remain at the Champions League holders.

Bayern permitted Alaba to discuss moves with other clubs after he turned down the club’s last offer.

Herdsmen killings must end – LNC demands separate constitutions in Nigeria

 


The Lower Niger Congress (LNC) has demanded different constitutions in Nigeria.

The coalition argued that this would put an end to activities of violent Fulani herdsmen.

LNC is a union of self-determination organisations in Southern parts of the country.

In a statement on Monday, Tony Nnadi, the Secretary General, condemned what he called deliberate antagonism and hostility of some Fulanis.

Nnadi noted the people of the South and Middle belt have had enough of violence caused by “herdsmen and armed militias”.

The scribe said killings and trespassing onto farms, forests and lands belonging to communities “would not be happening had indigenous people made their own constitutions”.

“As things stand, the indigenous people of the Middle-Belt and Southern Nigeria (NINAS) having declared a Constitutional Force Majeure to decommission the illegitimate 1999 Constitution, Nigeria is now a Disputed Project.

“It is the expectation of the LNC and the rest of the NINAS Alliance that an honest and timely engagement with the Five Demands of the Constitutional Force Majeure Proclamation will precipitate an orderly process for the resolution of the rapidly degenerating Nigerian Situation”, Nnadi said.

BIAFRA NEWS

BIAFRA NEWS. : NewsCourt acquits, discharges 24 Biafran freedom fighters in Ebonyi

  Nigerians from the south eastern part of the country, under the auspices of indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) and leadership of  Nnamdi K...

BIAFRA NEWS