The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has reminded governors of the region to use their victories at the Supreme Court to settle down and resolve the myriad of problems plaguing their states.

The group urged the governors to urgently resolve on insecurity and infrastructural development for the economic empowerment of citizens.

MBF National President, Dr Pogu Bitrus, in a statement he made available on Saturday, said, “The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) wishes to congratulate Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Samuel Lalong (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) over their victories in the 2019 polls at the Supreme Court.

“There is no doubt that their victories at the Supreme Court have drawn tremendous joy and happiness from the electorate and demonstrates the impartiality of the judiciary in upholding the popular will of the people as fully expressed through the ballot box.

“The final resolution of these electoral disputes by the highest court in the land offers a refreshing hope for the governors to settle down and resolve the myriad of problems plaguing their states, especially on insecurity and infrastructural development for the economic empowerment of citizens.”

The Middle Belt Forum noted that for most of these states mentioned above, the prevailing security challenges have become the bane of safety and development.

MBF observed, “Attacks on communities and defenseless citizens are recurring criminalities in most of the states that have been caught in the web of avoidable bloodshed by terrorists.

“These murderous assaults have continued to cast threatening clouds of uncertainties and untold hardship on the populace. With the electoral disputations finally settled in their favour, it is hoped that more efforts and focus shall be deployed by the governors in combating bloodshed and massive destruction unleashed by terrorists.

“The Middle Belt Forum wishes to draw the attention of these governors to be irrevocably steadfast in evolving measures capable of staving off further bloodshed across our communities occupied by the peoples of the Middle Belt Region.

“Democracy and rights to life are sacrosanct and, therefore, we call on the governors to be committed to the defence of life and property.

“The present decimation of communities in the Middle Belt states and the turning of towns and villages into silent killing fields need to be revisited by these governors in collaboration with relevant agencies of the Federal Government to end the massive siege unleashed on Middle Belt states.”

Considering the horrifying activities that have drawn global attention, the forum called on the governors to work towards the creation of a security network similar to Operation Amotekun in order to obliterate all forms of insecurity unleashed on defenceless communities.

“We believe that a security outfit like Operation Amotekun will serve our communities better than the proposed community policing which is similar to the works as currently being done by informants in providing intelligence to the police.

“To achieve these laudable recommendations, the governors should carry critical stakeholders in policy implementation in their respective states towards creating cordial relations and promoting peace and harmony.

“More than anything, the governors should embark on measures towards engendering development and providing hope for people and communities that are under siege,” MBF advised.

The group called on the government to embark on massive development of infrastructure in order to lay the foundation of industrialisation and economic viability of the region.

METRO DAILY NG

…Passes vote of no confidence on security chiefs 

…Calls on International community 

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria Rev. Dr. Samson Supo Ayokunle and indeed the entire CAN leadership and the Nigerian Church are deeply saddened with the news of the gruesome murder of Rev. Lawan Andimi the CAN Chairman Michika Local Government Area and the District Church Council Secretary of the Ecclesiya Yan’uwa a Nigeia (EYN) Church in Michika, Adamawa State.

We recall sadly that Late Rev. Lawan Andimi while in captivity made a passionate appeal to the leadership of his church and the Federal Government to come to his rescue. The Church did everything within her reach to secure the safe release of this pastor gentleman but it was not possible because they didn’t have the military power to do so. 

Just last Sunday, a clergyman, Rev Denis Bagauri was murdered by unknown gunmen in his residence at Mayo Belwa of Adamawa State. 

The Church views the unabated kidnappings, extortions and killings of Christians and innocent Nigerians as shameful to the government that each time boasts that it has conquered insurgency. It is reprehensible and saddening that each time the government comes out to claim the defeat of the insurgency, more killings of our people are committed.

In the light of the current developments and the circumstantial facts surrounding the prevailing upsurge of attacks against the church, it will be difficult for us to believe that the Federal Government under President Mohammadu Buhari is not colluding with the insurgents to exterminate Christians in Nigeria bearing in mind the very questionable leadership of the security sector that has been skewed towards a religion and region! Is that lopsidedness not a cover up for the operation of the insurgency? If not, why couldn’t the well equipped security agents of Nigeria get this man killed rescued?

While we call on Christians to be calm, we challenge the Federal Government led by President Buhari to be more proactive about effort to get rid of the continuous siege on Nigeria and end the wanton killings and destructions of lives and property of Nigerians if the government is to be taken seriously.  Maintenance of security is the least responsibility of any government that knows its worth. We are once again calling on the  President Buhari to purge himself of the allegations of nepotism and religious favouritism by reconstituting the leadership of security outfits. 

The Federal Government is urged to ensure the release of the prisoner of faith, Leah Sharibu and hundreds victims who are in the Boko Haram and ISWAP captivity before it is too late. A government that cannot protect the governed is a failed government. 

CAN deeply sympathises with the immediate family of Late Rev. Andimi,  President and members of EYN Church,  the government of Adamawa State and the entire Nigeria Church.

There are questions begging for answers:
• What is the essence of SIM card registration if the authorities cannot use it to track down these killers who rely on phones as a mean  of communications to do their criminalities?

• What has become of Intelligence gathering of our security agencies?
• Is this government and the security agencies still claiming that the war against these criminals in religious garments has been won despite all the killings?

• Is the government sincere in fighting these terrorists or merely paying lip service to the war against the insurgency?

• Is there any hope that our security is guaranteed under this government? 
• Can the government tell us what they did since Rev. Andimì cried out to them for help? 

• If the security agencies claim the terrorists are operating outside the country, why is it possible for these hoodlums to invade the country, kill, maim, burn and kidnap without any convincing checks on the part of the security agencies?

• Since the government and its apologists are claiming the killings have no religious undertones, why are the terrorists and herdsmen targeting the predominantly Christian communities and Christian leaders? 

• If the security agencies are not living up to the expectations of the government, why hasn’t it overhauled them with a view of injecting new visionaries ones into the security system?

As long as the government continues to live in denial and fail to face the reality, these criminals will not stop their criminalities. We are almost losing hope in government’s ability to protect Nigerians especially Christians who have become endangered species under its watch. We once again call on the International community and developed world like the US, the UK, Germany, Israel and others to please come to our aid of Nigeria, especially, the Nigerian Church so that we might not be eliminated one by one.

We cannot loose hope on divine protection and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to expose those behind the sponsorship of terrorism in Nigeria and to get Nigeria safe from the arms of the criminals. We shall remain constant and not bow to the antics of terrorists and their sponsors. We know that very soon, God will unmask these ungodly and wicked elements amidst us and their collaborators in Jesus Name.

We urge all Christians to set three days apart this week to fast and pray for Nigeria.

Read also: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/01/apostle-suleiman-condemns-killing-of-can-chairman-by-boko-haram/

MURIC: Hanan Buhari Flying on Presidential Jet an Inspiration to Youth

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has described the use of Presidential jet by children of President Muhammadu Buhari for private social functions, as illegal.

Speaking to newsmen over the weekend, Falana said the children of the President have no right to convert the Presidential jet to personal use.

But, MURIC in a statement signed by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, defended the president’s daughter’s action.

MURIC claims that critics are just making a mountain out of a molehill.

However, Falan berated the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, for saying all members of the first family had the right to use the Presidential jet for private engagements.

Buhari’s daughter, Hanan, had come under fire for using the Presidential jet to attend an event in Bauchi State last week, where she was invited to take pictures and make a catalogue of Bauchi arts and culture as part of her pet project.

In reaction to criticisms, the President’s spokesman admitted that Hannan had flown on the presidential jet, but insisted that it was a normal practice.

“The normal practice in existence for a long time is that the presidential air fleet is available to the president and the first family and four others. These four are the vice-president, the senate president the speaker and any other person authorised by the president,” Shehu had said.

But in a statement on Sunday, however, Falana described the use of the Presidential jet for personal use as an abuse of office, and privatisation of the presidency of Nigeria.

“The so called ‘normal practice’ of using the aircraft in the presidential fleet by members of the first family to attend to private engagements is not backed by any extant law or official policy,” he said.

“In view of the foregoing, we call on President Buhari to stop the members of his family from using any of the aircraft in the presidential fleet “with a view to cutting down on waste”.

“A country that is said to be the headquarters of the greatest number of poverty stricken people in the world cannot afford to waste billions of Naira on the use of presidential aircraft and hiring of commercial jets by state governors that are owing workers several months of unpaid salaries.”

The senior advocate also asked the Presidency to apologise to Nigerians rather than justify the act.

Lashing out at critics, describing them as ‘petty, mean and most uncharitable’, MURIC insists that Hannan’s invite by the Emir of Bauchi is not a private event.

They then urged politicians to desist from politics of negativism and encouraged Nigerians to see Buhai’s daughter as an inspiration to youths.

The statement read: “An emirate has shown keen interest in the uncommon skill of the president’s daughter. The emirate therefore invited her to demonstrate the skill at a public function. So how private is a private function? Those who described the occasion as personal to Hanan are petty, mean and most uncharitable.

“How private is private? Are we saying that the traditional institution is inconsequential? What happened to our respect for our norms and values? Are we to assume that our system no longer recognises the traditional institution? If so, why do governors still appoint emirs, obis and obas? If the law of the land still recognises traditional rulers, Hanan’s invitation to Bauchi cannot be rightly described as a private affair.

“Besides, that function passed a strong message to Nigerian youths, especially the Nigerian girl-child. It poses a challenge to them to eschew laziness. More importantly, it underlines the significance and relevance of every aspect of human knowledge. This is a very important message wailers missed.

“An intelligent and objective observer will see beyond the use of a presidential jet. Well, only the deep can call to the deep. We all know that Nigerians will give their right eyes to secure admission for their children to read choice courses like medicine, law, accounting, banking and finance, etc.

“They pay little attention and give complex to those reading what they regard as ‘low profile’ courses like theater arts, education, religion, photography, etc.

“Hanan Buhari has challenged the status quo. She read photography and made first class. We salute her. She has done the Nigerian girl-child proud. She elevated a ‘low profile’ course thus raising the spirit of those poor students reading similar courses.

“We have chosen to address the tangential, not the peripheral. What’s in a presidential jet when the dreams of thousands of Nigerian students have been rekindled?

Hanan Buhari is saying, ‘Stop looking down on those who read less glamorous courses. Stop despising artists. They are the gem of the collection’. Therefore, Hanan Buhari symbolises courage, hope and success. Instead of criminalising her action, wailers should realise that she has elected to inspire Nigerian youths to be hopeful and hardworking.

“Besides, President Buhari should not be guillotined for permitting her daughter’s use of the jet. Afterall, it was not for any frivolous jamboree like shopping in Dubai. We may want to ignore the excesses of past landlords of Aso Rock to justify PMB’s action. But it is on record that some first ladies actually excelled Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI in extravagance. Whereas PMB exhibited prudence each time he attended the United Nations’ events, we know those who went with about 150 in tow, brandishing pomp and pageantry on the streets of Washingon DC to the consternation of other delegates. We know past presidents who gave out presidential jets to their cronies and praise-singers, their aourt jesters and bootlickers. But we will not descent to that petty level.

“It amounts to overzealouness on the part of critics to grab every little straw and make mountains out of mole hills. They are simply trying to draw the attention of Nigerians away from PMB’s monumental achievements simply because they were merely looking for the president’s faults.

“We appeal to politicians to change from politics of negativity, retardation and destruction to positivism, patriotism and constructive engagement. It is not everything that political opponents do that we must sensationalise and demonise. It raises true democrats above the herd to appreciate good things in the opponent.

“As we drop the anchor, we appeal to Nigerians to ignore the razzmatazz in the presidential jet furore. Rather, attention should be given to the lessons inherent in Hanan Buhari’s outing. We call on Nigerian youth to see light at the end of the tunnel. There is a bright future for those who face their studies and vocations no matter what field. Politicians should desist from politics of negativism.”

CHIDI Odinkalu, former Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has demanded that the presidency apologise to Nigerians and stop justifying ‘criminalised entitlement’ after President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hanan was criticised for flying presidential jet for a private travel, According to The ICIRreport.

Hanan, a recent graduate of Ravensbourne University, London with First Class in Photography was pictured alighting the presidential jet on Thursday to attend a  Durbar festival in Bauchi.

It was gathered that the Durbar was specially organised to avail her the opportunity to take photographs of the traditional Durbar, Bauchi architecture and other cultural sites in the state

This had generated criticisms on social media on whether or not president’s children are entitled to using the presidential jet.

But in response, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the president stated that Buhari’s children have the right to use the Nigerian Airforce One, Punch reports.

Shehu revealed that Hanan got the approval of her father who in turn informed the National Security Adviser.

However, while speaking to The ICIR in an interview, Odinkalu, Nigeria’s foremost lawyer and human rights activist stated that the current administration which sold itself on a crested coat of integrity has been acting outside the lines and against the rules.

“For an administration that sold itself on a ticket of integrity, these guys are acting entitled to the point of criminality,” Odinkalu said.

“Rather than seek to justify it, they should simply apologise. They should also bury their heads in shame.”

Reacting also,  human rights lawyer, Abdul Mahmud, described Hanan’s use of the presidential jet as the ‘height of abuse of presidential privileges by the First family.’

Mahmud, who was one of the lead counsels who represented the convener of the Revolution Now, Omoyele Sowere against the State Security Service (SSS) told The ICIR  that since the start of civilian rule, the use of the presidential jet has only been to the exclusion of the president, vice president, senate president and the chief justice of Nigeria, until now.

While noting that issues such as the use of presidential jet is not dealt with by the Constitution, he, however, Mahmud quoted Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution which states that executive powers and privileges can only be enjoyed by Mr president.

He also faulted the presidential spokesperson for defending the use of the presidential jet by a member of the first family.

” What Garba Shehu claimed is incorrect. The president doesn’t include the daughter who flew on a presidential jet to attend to a private function.” Mahmud said.

In a message sent to Punch, Shehu said: “The normal practice in existence for a long time is that the Presidential Air fleet is available to the President and the first family and four others. These four are the Vice President, the Senate President the Speaker and any other person(s) authorised by the President.”

Reacting to this,  Mahmud stated that the opposite happens in the United States and the United Kingdom, which he reiterated is the 5th biggest economy in the world.

According to him, the first family is required to pay for its feeding in the White House, adding that  Trump’s daughter Ivanka has faced rejection on many occasions on the use of the Air Force One.

During the last Christmas, Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, flew economy class of a commercial airline for his holidays.

Lamenting that while Nigeria is christened as the poverty capital of the world, it allowed the president’s daughter the luxury of increasing the country’s carbon footprint in ‘wasteful use of the presidential jet’.

In recent times, Nigerians have also lamented the allocation of N8.5billion for the maintenance of the Presidential fleet in the 2020 budget.

By Olawale Akinremi

Ibadan – Alhaji Mukaila Eniola, the father in-law to one Kafayat Eniola, on Friday told a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan that his son, Saheed, lied against his wife that his younger brother was caught having sex with her.

He told the court that such a thing was only an excuse by Saheed because it never happened.

Kafayat, had on Nov. 27, 2019 filed a divorce suit against her husband, citing his gross irresponsibility and carefree attitude to her and their two children.

She also stated that her husband had abandoned her for 12 years to resettle with another woman.

Saheed, who consented to the suit, said that his father had on several occasions caught his wife having sex with his younger brother, Jelili, when he was not at home.

He also doubted whether the two children produced by his wife belonged to him.

Against this background, the court summoned Saheed’s father to clear the air on the allegations leveled by Saheed against his wife.

But Saheed’s father, in a message sent through the court’s bailiff, said that there was never a time he told Saheed that he caught Kafayat in an amorous relationship with her husband’s younger brother.

“Even if I caught Kafayat and her husband’s younger brother sleeping with each other, how would I have gone ahead to tell Saheed, do I want to destroy my own family?

“Saheed is a big liar, I never mentioned anything like that,” Saheed’s father said.

In his judgment, the court’s President, Chief Ademola Odunade, dissolved the marriage and granted custody of the two children to Kafayat.

Odunade directed the defendant to pay N10,000 as the children’s monthly feeding allowance in addition to being responsible for their education and other welfare needs.

(NAN)

U.S. President Donald Trump

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of AMERICA, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks

Separately, TRUMP angered some American Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation’s mosques.

Quote:

‘IMMIGRANTS, NOT AMERICANS, MUST ADAPT… Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Americans.

‘This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

‘We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!

‘Most Americans believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.

If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.’

‘We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.

‘This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great AMERICAN freedom, ‘THE RIGHT TO LEAVE’.

‘If you aren’t happy here then LEAVE’. We didn’t force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country that accepted you.

Sundiata Post