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Tag: Battle line

  • Local Govt elections: Wike, Rivers APC draw battle line

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have drawn the battle-line on the controversial local government elections fixed for tomorrow (Saturday).

    Wike, in a statewide broadcast yesterday morning, accused APC and its leaders in Rivers state of planning to cause mayhem and disrupt the elections in Abua/Odual, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Degema, Emohua, Ikwerre, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Opobo/Nkoro, and Tai.

    Rivers governor, who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also alleged that the arrowheads of the “satanic” plot were the state’s Chairman of APC, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, a former Rivers Commissioner for Agriculture, Emma Chindah; and Nigeria’s Ambassador to The Netherlands Oji Ngofa.

    Wike accused the three leaders of the main opposition APC of recruiting and arming political thugs with guns to be deployed on the eve of the local government elections to create an atmosphere of insecurity in the mentioned councils and other LGAs of the state to scare voters to shun the polling stations.

    Rivers governor also described Flag-Amachree as a double murder suspect, who refused to submit himself to trial, while claiming that the fugitive to justice recently emerged as a factional Rivers chairman of the APC against an alleged court order.

    APC in Rivers, yesterday afternoon at a news conference in Port Harcourt, addressed by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Chris Finebone, however, declared that the state’s governor merely labelled angry PDP members threatening the sham and illegal council polls as APC members, since members of the party (APC) would not participate in the elections, in view of the cases in court, over Wike’s 2015 sack of the duly-elected LG chairmen and councillors.

    It said: “Thursday morning, Rivers people and members of the APC were subjected to a piece of broadcast, in which Wike blurted out hardly legible lines in the name of a state broadcast concerning the sham local government council elections, in which he clearly mentioned some leaders of the APC he claimed were working to disrupt the sham polls in the state.

    “It is absolutely important to quickly mention that the APC, its leaders and members across Rivers State have no stake in the sham local council elections and have no reason at all to consider or disrupt a process we have clearly distanced ourselves from and made such position known to the world.

    “In the broadcast, Wike was simply showcasing his typical self by shying away from the groundswell of protests by cheated PDP members who have told him to his face that they will disrupt the sham council polls, especially in the LGAs he enumerated in his broadcast. It is clear without doubt that by dragging the names of the APC and its leaders into the fray, Wike was merely pre-empting the disruption his disgruntled party men and women have vowed to visit on the sham elections on Saturday. Attempting to place his fears at the doorsteps of the APC is the typical pedestrian and cowardly indwelling traits of the man called Wike.

    “It is all too glaring to see that the target of Wike in the broadcast is to frame up his own members who may have agreed to vote out the candidates the Rivers governor imposed on their party against popular opinion of their members. It is noteworthy to state and Wike knows it that no APC member will get close to any polling booth. The Rivers governor harping so strongly about people voting and defending their votes is merely to frame up PDP members who have decided to vote for and defend the interest of their popular candidates against the choice Wike imposed on them.

    “The APC leaders Wike listed in his broadcast are all out of Rivers State on various national and international assignments. Flag-Amachree and Chindah have been in Abuja and Lagos respecteively. Ngofa is in faraway Netherlands where he is the Nigerian Ambassador. Wike does not know the difference between political propaganda and outright white lies unbefitting of the high office of a governor.”

  • Union draws battle line against casualisation

    The National Union of Shops and Distributive Employees (NUSDE) has said it is ready to re-ignite the battle against casualisation and contract staffing in the sector. It, therefore, warned employers engaging in the act to desist as it will fight the battle to a standstill.

    Its President, Comrade Innocent Jaja said casualisation and contract staffing have been a hard nut for organised labour to crack for over a decade.

    He said it is more pronounced due to the economic downturn confronting the country.

    Jaja said: “The challenges facing the sector are quite numerous. But let me start with the economy, which is like the father of them all. Our economy, if you ask me, is in coma, even though the Federal Government said we are out of recession. But like my immediate past president always said, how does that affect us? How does that put food on the table of an average Nigerian? Our economy is that bad, and if the head is sick then the entire body is sick.”

    He said the most catastrophic is the issue of power, lamenting that the cost of running generators for a day in any establishment would tell if the economy is right or not. “If a man, for instance, has 50 workers, and has a business that he earns N100,000 as profit daily, that is fairly what is required for diesel to run generators for the business.

     

    Of course, workers are part of the larger part of the society. We are the worst hit because there is hardly any a week or month that we do not discuss the issue of downsizing with our employers arising from hardship.

    “We are into retailing, if an employer requires five loads of diesel a day to run a shop, do that by one month, including other variable cost, the man cannot break even and that is why we are having all these issues, it is that bad and we pray, by his grace, we will not go into extinction.”

  • Army draws battle line against killer-herdsmen

    ‘Stop or face decisive action’

    Herdsman held with AK47 rifle

    The Army has warned killers to stop their evil act or “face decisive action by troops”.

    It also warned that commanders who fail to act decisively would “face court martial”.

    Killings have persisted in Taraba, Benue and Adamawa states, despite the ongoing operation “Cat Race”.

    No fewer than 24 people were killed in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State last week in attacks by herdsmen. There was a resurgence of violence in Plateau State where between Wednesday and Saturday 25 people, including a family of five, were killed. But the police put the figure of the dead at 16.

    Army spokesman Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu said the army and other security agencies were working assiduously to identify and arrest all those involved in those acts, “regardless of their disposition in the society, including government functionaries”.

    Gen. Chukwu said the attention of the army had been drawn to the continued disturbing, senseless killings and wanton destruction of properties in the three states and “strongly warns the perpetrators of these crimes to desist forthwith”.

    “We would like to unequivocally reiterate that the Army Headquarters warns the arsonists and the killers to stop or face decisive action by troops.

    “Our Rules of Engagement (ROE) are clear on arson and murder. Therefore, no such criminal acts would be allowed in any of the aforementioned states.

    “The public is please reminded that when troops are called out for internal security operations, they are not to joke or persuade anyone.

    “We have warned our commanders on the ground to take decisive actions or face court martial.”

    Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia invaded Daffo village in Bokkos Local Government of Plateau State, killing among others five members of Rev. Bitrus Ishaya’s family. The victims have been buried in two mass graves.

    An eyewitness, Jerry Datim, said: “I was part of the rescue team. Those killed are 25.

    “This very attack was a fallout of the January conflict in Daffo between the youths and the Fulani; the Fulani vowed reprisal. So, on March 7, the Fulani numbering about 200 and fully armed, stormed the village at about 11:30pm. Some were dressed in black; others in red. After the attack, we recovered five bodies of victims.

    “Rev. Bitrus Ishaya, his entire family was completely wiped out during the attack, including Stephen Ishaya, Patrick Ishaya, John Monday. We buried the five bodies we recovered last Friday. With the assistance of Mobile policemen, we recovered seven more bodies. The total number of bodies we recovered at the weekend is 25 and they have been buried in two mass graves in Daffo.”

    A group of concerned members of the Ronkulere ethnic group in Daffo, who also confirmed the attack at a news conference in Jos yesterday, said the last attack by the Fulani militia was carried out on March7 and 8.

    Ambassador Adams, said:  ”The gunmen unleashed mayhem on people of Fahrundonghai hamlet and environs of Daffo district.

    “This is one attack too many; we have had enough of these killings. This act of senselessness and share disregard for our kindness and hospitality as well as our respect for law and order must stop. Government should step in and stop these killings.

    “We have the records of such killings in 2013, 2015 to the extent that our paramount ruler the Saf Ron Kulere was killed in 2016 in a similar manner. We will be compelled to petition the United Nations if the Nigerian security are not ready to protect us from these gunmen.

    “More than 400 residents have been displaced because their houses have been razed by the attackers, families food stuff  have been razed down and those displaced will not be able to prepare their farm land for the farming season, this is a serious disaster in our communities.

    “We have so far recovered 25 bodies of victims and many more are still missing, we can’t find their bodies.”

    The group said two suspects were arrested by men of the special military task force “Operation Safe Haven”. But the federal troops denied such arrests.

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has promised not to rest until every life in the state is secured. Commissioner for Information Yakubu Dati, in a statement, said: “Plateau State Government has given a marching order to the security agents in the state to immediately arrest and prosecute the criminals that perpetrated the killings of a couple of persons in Bassa and Bokkos Local Government Areas of the state.

    “Governor Lalong believes that our differences are better resolved by sitting together to address them rather than taking arms against one another.

    “He warned that the state will not fold its arms and watch the enemies of Plateau take us back to the dark old days when citizens distrusted one another, adding that we must emphasize the great values that unite us as a people.

    “While condoling with the families that lost their loved ones in the attacks, the Governor assured that urgent steps are being taken in collaboration with the security agents to get to the roots of the problem, and to avoid the repeat of the ugly incident.”

    The Police said they had arrested a herdsman with a military AK 47 rifle.

    Plateau police spokesman Terna Tyopev gave the rifle’s number as HC2614.

    He said the herdsman, Muhammadu Musa Bimini, was arrested by riot policemen on Thursday at Daffo.

    Tyopev, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the suspect had been transferred from Bokkos to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jos and was already being interrogated.

    The police spokesman said 16 people were confirmed killed in the multiple attacks on several villages between Wednesday and Friday.

    He said the command had deployed more personnel to restore peace to the trouble areas, and advised the people to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their hands.

    Meanwhile, leaders of the affected communities have said that 25 people were killed in the attacks.

    The community leaders, who briefed newsmen on Sunday in Jos, said that many others were still missing.

     

  • Battle line for the Nigerian patriot!

    Some of us Nigerians think that all that is needed to preserve Nigeria as one is to love it as it is, and to proclaim our love as sincerely, romantically, and persistently as we can. Such Nigerians mean well – but they are wrong. If the roof of your family house is leaking, the ceiling is caving in, and the walls begin to wobble, you are a nice and admirable person if you constantly and sincerely say that you love your family and the house you grew up in. But all that is not going to save the dear old house. You people who own the house and live in it would have to repair what needs to be repaired in it. Otherwise, it will collapse – you will lose it.

    This past week, in the public domain, I stumbled upon the following lovely passage, written by someone whom I must confess I admire very deeply: “Let me profess and proclaim” he wrote, “ that, in spite of the passing phase of poor and naive leadership,abjectly deplorable governance at all levels and the moral vices of cancerous corruption,unbridled excesses in our lifestyle, its slow development at all areas of its life and the lack of finesse in our private and public life which have been plaguing Nigeria, I still love my country. I will not trade it for any other. I have no other country than Nigeria. The Lord’s purpose for locating me to Nigeria, which is to share in its blessings, work with others to build it to the country of my dreams and rid it of its weaknesses and vices, fully participate in its development, rebirth and progress and enable it to be positioned as a worthy member of the comity of nations, shall not be defeated. I will discharge my duties to my country. I have no reason to abdicate my responsibilities to Nigeria, abandon it at the hours of its needs or forsake it because things are at present going awry. I will, for as long as I live, cling psychologically, morally and patriotically to Nigeria. For me, Nigeria is home, my home, my country, my fatherland, my root and my land of birth!!!”

    Wow! Isn’t that a lovable declaration of patriotic passion? I admire this writer, furthermore, because he is honest. He is able to see that Nigeria is beset by various serious ailments. I can see that he is capable of becoming a serious warrior for the survival of his country. All he needs is to identify, beyond the plethora of ailments, the core weaknesses of Nigeria, and become a dedicated and consistent fighter in that direction. That is the only way to win the war for Nigeria.

    I am sure that there are very many Nigerians out there like this man. They recognize, and are unhappy about, Nigeria’s poor leadership, deplorable governance, cancerous corruption, unbridled excesses among our rich and influential, the consequent poverty of most Nigerians even though our Nigeria is one of the naturally richest countries of the world.

    But it is not enough to recognize and lament this pattern; it is crucial that one should understand the root of it. There are people who say that the root of it is that we Nigerians, as nationalities and individuals, are by nature crooked and incompetent. That is not true. We are not by nature crooked or incompetent. Most of the nationalities that today make up Nigeria developed respectable cultures of their own, and were led by capable rulers and leaders, long before the coming of the British. They are able today to prosper in the modern world if given the chance. And the individuals who lead us in politics and other areas of life today are not naturally crooked and incompetent.

    The big mistake we have been making – the very root of our country’s troubles – is that we do not sufficiently give respect to the central truth of our existence as a country. That central truth is that we as a country are not one nation. We are a country of many different nations – each with its own history, its own culture, its own way of responding to the challenges of the modern world, and its own expectations and desires even in our one country of Nigeria.

    Of course, we know that we are a country of many different nations – that fact is self-evident. But, in trying to build our one country, we do not pay enough respect to that great fact. Paying enough respect to it would have led us to design our country as a proper federation – with a federal government responsible for our country’s joint services (like our foreign relations, defence, inter-state relations, etc) and respected by us all; and states based on our nationalities – meaning a state for each large or sizeable nation, and a carefully negotiated combination of small contiguous nationalities in each area to form a state. It would have meant that each state would control and develop its own natural resources, and that there would be well-considered arrangements for federal taxes and levies over such resources, and the sharing of certain parts of the federal revenues to the states. It would have meant that, in addition to federal police and security forces, each state would have its own police and thus be able to maintain security in its own domain. We would have consciously promoted a culture of decent respect for the cultures of our various nations and for the cultural differences in our country.

    Instead, what have we done? Since independence, the people in control of our federal government have pulled all powers and resource control in our country into the hands of our federal government, and gradually made the states impotent and incapable of promoting development in their domains. They have destroyed all local initiative and morale. To make the states amenable to control by the federal government, they split our country into smaller and smaller states. They set up a system of federal rigging of elections all over our country, so as to be able to decide who will rule our states. Even worse, with the endless ocean of cash in their control, they promoted a culture of corruption and unearned wealth among our leading citizens so as to subvert them and thereby easily control all of Nigeria. They have thus nurtured poverty in our land – with all its attendant evils.

    For the true Nigerian patriot who wants his country to survive and thrive, the battle line is clear. It is to reverse the crooked distortions of our federation and create a new and true federation. Fighting corruption is honourable. But corruption is not the root of Nigeria’s sickness; it is only a symptom. With power and responsibility for development restored to our states and their local governments, and with our federal, state and local governments respected in their various spheres, weNigerians would have a much better chance to fight and beat poverty, corruption and crimes.  Our country can be saved; it can be developed into a great country in the world – by organizing it as an orderly and stable federation.