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Tag: Fed Govt

Court stops Fed Govt, PDP Reps from recalling House

APC caucus warns against meddling in House affairs

Those scheming for the House of Representatives to reconvene lost a major battle yesterday.

A Federal High Court in Abuja stopped members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Federal Government from forcibly reconvening the House, which last week adjourned till December 3.

Justice Ahmed Ramat Muhammed ruled that all parties to the suit should maintain the status quo until Friday.

The ruling came after members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House filed a motion on notice, asking the court to stop the Federal Government, PDP and their agents from reconvening the House until December 3.

Members of the APC, led by House Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, on Monday approached the court, seeking an injunction against their colleagues in the PDP and the Federal Government.

Justice Muhammed ruled that Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and the APC should serve the defendants with the motion on notice and ordered the defendants to show cause why all the reliefs being sought should not be granted.

Tambuwal alleged that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), its Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu and three others were plotting to reconvene the House before December 3 to which it lawfully adjourned.

Tambuwal said the planned reconvening of the House’s sitting was part of the plot by his former party and its leadership to forcibly remove him from office as Speaker and member of the House.

He accused the PDP and Mu’azu of working with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha to carry out the plot.

This is part of the deposition contained in an affidavit supporting a motion exparte filed by Tambuwal yesterday before the Federal High Court, Abuja, in addition to the suit he and the All Progressives Congress (APC), filed on Friday.

Respondents in the motion are the PDP, Mu’azu, House of Reps, Ihedioha, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the AGF.

“The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th defendants (PDP, Muazu, House of Reps, Deputy Speaker and the AGF) are planning to illegally and unconstitutionally reconvene the sitting of the 3rd defendant (House of Reps) before December 3, 2014, the date the sitting of the 3rd defendant was lawfully adjourned to, without following due process, for the sole purpose of discussing and perfecting the forceful removal of the 1st plaintiff before the case of the plaintiff is heard and determined,” Tambuwal said in the supporting affidavit deposed to on his behalf by one of his lawyers, Ejura Patience Ochimana.

The Speaker also stated that the withdrawal of his security detail on October 30 by the IGP was upon the prompting of the 1st to 4th respondents (PDP, Mu’azu, House of Reps and Ihedioha).

He stated that despite the pendency of the suit he filed on Friday, the defendants were still bent on carrying through their threat to forcefully remove him from office as Speaker and as member of the House.

“The 1st and 2nd defendants (PDP and Mu’azu) have been threatening to use their contacts to ensure that the seat of the 1st plaintiff (Tambuwal) in the 3rd defendant (House of Reps) is declared vacant so that the 6th defendant (INEC) would organise a bye-election to fill it,” he said.

Tambuwal, who prayed the court to urgently grant the five orders of interim injunction contained in the motion ex-parte, argued that unless restrained, the defendant, who have in most cases exhibited their alleged disdain for the rule of law, will execute their threat of removing him from office.

November 4, 2014
Fed Govt to return Sanusi’s passport, seized salaries

Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi is to have his impounded travel passport and withheld salaries, The Nation learnt yesterday.

Besides, the Kano Central Prison is to be relocated for better security at the Emir’s palace. It is all as part of last Thursday’s reconciliation with President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Presidency is believed to have decided to have a “total reconciliation with the Emir”.

Although the Presidency is aware of the closeness of the Emir to the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the olive branch is meant to ensure his “neutrality” during next year’s elections.

A government source said: “After the open meeting last Thursday, the President and the Emir met at the inner recess of the Presidential Villa for about five minutes.

“Some political leaders from Kano, who witnessed the session, were all excited that there is a new understanding between the President and the Emir.

“Prior to the meeting, there had been apprehensions on likely hostile crowd against the President in Kano during the 2015 campaign.

“With the rapprochement, the Emir’s travel passport and his withheld salaries and allowances will be paid. These are some of the gains of the meeting”.

“If the traveling documents are released, the Emir will be able to travel abroad for check up and to meet his international friends who are desirous of investing in the Emirate,” the source said.

The State Security Service (SSS) had in February seized Sanusi’s passports.

The SSS on May 14 prevented the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor from boarding a Turkish Airline flight to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj (Umrah).

Prior to the seizure of the passports, Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos had on April asked the Federal Government, the police and the SSS to release Alhaji Sanusi’s passport unlawfully seized from him in February.

The Kano Central Prison, which is over 80 years old, is to be removed to protect the ancient city and the Emir’s Palace against recurring attacks by insurgents and other security threats.

The late Emir of Kano, Alh. Ado Bayero, escaped assassination attempts towards the tail end of his reign.

It was gathered that security reports confirmed that the Emir’s Palace was usually under threats because of the nearby prison yard where some insurgents were being detained.

It was also learnt that the prison had become overcrowded.

The Kano Central Prison, which was built with 10 cells during the colonial days, has 1,254 inmates, 950 of who are awaiting trial with 800 in detention for capital crimes.

November 3, 2014
APC urges probe of Fed Govt, Boko Haram ceasefire deal

All Progressives Congress (APC) has canvassed the need for an independent probe of the circumstances surrounding the alleged “fake ceasefire deal” announced by the Federal Government on October 17.

The party’s call came after the sect’s leadership’s labelled the man with whom the deal was negotiated as an impostor.

APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement in Lagos yesterday, said Nigerians would like to know how the President Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration “got swindled by an impostor, who the major players were and what the government plans to do to address what has now become a monumental national and international embarrassment.”

The party said the president owed the citizens an explanation on “an unprecedented global faux pas”, adding that “engaging in cheap damage control by insisting on the genuineness of the deal will only amount to taking Nigerians for a ride’’.

APC said the saddest part of the deal was that it gave false hopes to the parents of the 218 school girls, who remain in Boko Haram’s captivity, that their children’s release was imminent, especially as the government even announced a specific date for the release of the girls.

The party added: ‘’Now, the parents and indeed all Nigerians have been victimised for the umpteenth time by the same government that has failed in its main reason for existence – the security and welfare of the citizenry.’’

It also recalled its earlier warning to the administration not to use the girls as pawns on its political chess board.

The APC wondered “whether the government sought to buy time and gain political mileage by knowingly negotiating with a man, who has no authority to do so on behalf of the Boko Haram, as claimed by the sect’s leadership, in which case the government will be guilty of political fraud”.

It also queried whether the government was not competent enough to know who to negotiate with, saying the development reinforced “the perception” of the government “as being blatantly incompetent”.

The statement also reads: ‘’The ceasefire deal with Boko Haram was announced at the highest level of the military and supported by the political authority on October 17. Now that it has been described as a fluke, there is every indication that the Jonathan Administration was swindled by someone masquerading as a Boko Haram negotiator, while the administration itself went ahead to fool Nigerians as well as the international community. Whatever happens, the sole responsibility falls on the administration.

‘’Following the gleeful announcement of the deal and despite the doubts surrounding it, our party deliberately refrained from commenting on it and even wished it was real so that our long-suffering people can get some respite from the devilish terror group that has dispatched thousands into their early graves, maimed even many more and ruined the economic and social life of a large chunk of the society.

‘’When Boko Haram continued to carry out deadly attacks and annex territories, despite the so-called ceasefire, we waited for the government to tell Nigerians what was happening, but there was no convincing explanation. When the date announced for the release of the girls passed, we waited for the government to tell Nigerians what the problem was, but all we got from the easily excitable and trifling presidential spokesmen was platitude

‘’Now that the deal is said to be a fluke and everything points to that, the Jonathan administration must be contrite enough to own up to its gaffe, if indeed it is one, or its contrived deceit, and also face the possible consequences from a stupefied citizenry. It cannot and must not just be another forgotten instance in a series of gaffes by a serial bumbling government’’.

November 3, 2014
Fed Govt asks states to develop contingency plans over low revenue

The Federal Government has asked states to begin to develop contingency plans to fund their operations in the face of dwindling revenue accusing to the Federation Account following falling price of crude oil in the international market.

Minister of National Planning and Deputy Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Dr. Sulaiman Abubakar, gave the advice in an address at the meeting of the National Council of Development Planning in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The commission, he said, was already working with the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank to develop its own contingency plan at the national level.

The minister said the decline in the price of crude oil has the potential of affecting the economic performance of the country and by extension, the various states which rely on crude oil as their major revenue receipt.

“I am pleased to inform you that the National Planning Commission is working closely with the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank in developing a contingency plan at the national level.

“The states are also advised to develop their strategic plans, as well as the associated contingency plans to complement the effort of the Federal Government. The Commissioners of Economic Planning are therefore expected to lead the process in their respective states”, Abubakar said.

He stressed the need for cooperation among all tiers of government to achieve the desired vision, adding that “the Federal Government cannot do it alone; neither can the state and local governments.”

“We all need to work together to achieve our common goals and aspirations of enhancing strategic planning and building resilience. There must therefore be synergy of purpose so that progress can be brought to our people within a short period”, the minister said.

The theme of the meeting, according to Abubakar, was apt, timely and a reflection of collective aspiration to initiate policies and programme aimed at transforming the Nigerian economy for enhanced growth and development, which he said was also consistent with the aspirations of Transformation Agenda and Vision 20:2020.

The minister explained that “strategic planning has over the years been universally recognised as a very useful reform-based management tool for economic governance.

He asked the states’ commissioners of Economic Planning to work closely with the NPC to build the capacities of the officials of states’ planning commissions so that their strategic plans will be well-coordinated, adequate and result-oriented.

Also, Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi said there was the need for effective collaboration between the states and the Federal Government in addressing all matters of national development.

The governor praised the commission for driving laudable initiatives for the nation to achieve growth and development.

November 3, 2014
Fed Govt to honour top 100 firms

The Federal Government has concluded plans to honour the country’s 100 top business endeavours next month.

The initiative, a brainchild of President Goodluck Jonathan, is aimed at identifying and bestowing presidential honour on highly performing business concerns to encourage them to contribute more to the economy.

To actualise the plan, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, has set up a Business Assessment Committee, headed by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Mr. Jim Obazee.

Inaugurating the committee at the weekend in Abuja, Aganga said the body had a mandate to critically scrutinise businesses operating within the Nigerian economic space and come up with top 100 among them that meet global best practices.

Such business that will qualify for the award, the minister added, would be among the companies generating high volume of employment opportunities in the economy.

The consultant to the initiative, Mrs. Funmi Ogbue, in a statement, said: “The aim of the presidential honour for the top 100 Businesses in Nigeria is to identity, recognise and celebrate businesses that are contributing to the economy and are ethically above board in their business dealings in line with global best practices.

“Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa and one of the emerging economies on the world stage needs to encourage ethical corporate governance and celebrate businesses that are growing the economy.”

Other members of the committee are Director-General, Industrial Training Fund, Mrs. Juliet Onaeko; Managing Director, Bank of Industries, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa; Executive Secretary, Sugar Council, Dr. Lateef Busari; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema; Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Kabir Mashi; and Managing Director, Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, Mr. Gbenga Kuye.

Others are Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Mrs. Salatu Umar; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo; CEO, Jake Riley Limited, Mrs. Funmi Ogbue; a Director from MITI, Bambo Kunle-Salami, and representatives of the minister.

November 3, 2014
Fed Govt launches national plan on Ebola

The Federal Government announced yesterday that it had developed a National Ebola Preparedness Plan (NEPP).

The plan, it said, would check a possible fresh outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Nigeria was certified Ebola-free on Monday by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the end of 42 days of monitoring the virus without a fresh case.

The virus, which was imported into the country by Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer in July, killed seven people before it was contained.

But the coordinating minister of Health, who doubled as the Minister of State for Health, Alhaji Khaliru Alhassan, noted that until the EVD is contained in the region and the world, chances of the virus being imported into the country remained high.

He said the nation should remain vigilant rather than relax that the virus had been conquered.

The minister, who addressed reporters in Abuja on the certification of the nation as EVD-free, added: “This achievement recorded by Nigeria’s public health must not be taken for granted. We must not go to sleep and start resting on our oars. It should serve as a warning signal that the outbreak of EVD still presents a measured threat to Nigeria and the world, until it is contained and eliminated from all countries, particularly from the West African sub-region.

“Without this, the possibility of a re-importation of EVD into Nigeria remains high. Thus, it is not quite over yet. It is in this regard that we have developed a NEPP with all elements to work with the states to activate their management systems, to strengthen our national preparedness and be ready to respond to a potential outbreak, should it recur.”

The minister noted that the Federal Government would set up a National Emergency Operations Centre at the nation’s capital territory.

Alhassan said about 506 volunteers were ready for deployment in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The minister added that 250 others would also be deployed soon.

He urged state governments to increase their surveillance systems and public awareness on the disease.

The minister stressed the need to strengthen hospital authorities and health officials for the EVD.

October 24, 2014
Fed Govt votes N100b for ranches

The Federal Government is set to approve N100 billion to assist states establish mini modern ranches across the country.

This is to check the movement of cattles and prevent cattle rearers/farmers clashes.

Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, who spoke to State House correspondents at the end of National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo in Abuja, yesterday said it was one of the 15 recommendations his subcommittee presented to NEC. He said final resolutions would be taken on the issue in subsequent FEC meetings.

He also said cattle rearers moving into the country from the neighboring countries would soon be registered.

The governor said the report highlighted critical issues that must be considered among others, including struggle for land and water resources by herdsmen and farmers; uncontrolled influx of nomadic farmers into the country; and issues on Grazing Reserves in States.

He said: “CBN (is) to provide seed funding of N100billion to assist states establish mini modern ranches across the federation.

“All grazing reserves/cattle routes already gazette and encroached upon should be recovered and improved upon taking into consideration present day realities;

“Ranching and modern technologies of livestock production be established- meat processing and packaging, others halal certified; sensitisation/education workshops for herdsmen and farmers to build trust and confidence between the parties – NOA (National Orientation Agency) and relevant MDAs (minsitries, departments and agencies) to handle.”

October 24, 2014
Fed Govt sets up land resources committee

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, has set up an inter-ministerial committee on national land policy to ensure effective use of land resources in the country.

At the inauguration yesterday in Abuja, the minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Ezekiel Oyemoni, said the committee would focus on prudent use of land resources.

She urged members to identify the resources for evolvement into a national land policy.

Mrs Eyakenyi said: “The fact that land is a scarce resource and inelastic in supply underscores the need for prudent utilisation of its resources. This makes it necessary to establish a comprehensive regulatory policy, which ensures that land as a commodity is put to the highest and best use.”

Goeffery Tochukwu Tabansi, urged the ministry’s workers to support the committee to ensure that it achieves its goals.

He said: “This is a very progressive step and a truly new development towards the establishment of a land policy for Nigeria. The committee will do its best to ensure the full implementation of the committee’s programme. We, therefore, seek your support for the actualisation of this noble objective.”

October 23, 2014
Fed Govt eyes 23,000 jobs from agro industrial town

The Federal Government yesterday said the establishment of an Agro-Industrial Town (AIT) in the country would create 23, 000 jobs.

The government also said the initiative will serve as a means to increase agricultural production.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote who spoke in Abuja while receiving a draft report of AIT in the Agribusiness Investment Region (ABIR) of Alape Staple Crop Processing Zone(SCPZ) in Kogi State, said the ministry has identified the concept of staple crop processing zones as a platform for the promotion of agro-processing investment.

Represented by an official of the Minsitry, Mr. Chudi Nwandu, she said SCPZs would stimulate production, increase national processing capacity.

She said: “Agro Industrial Town which will create about 23,000 jobs is aimed at establishing a new concept of agricultural village.

“It is primarily targeted at farming households with provision of land for agricultural production, housing, water supply and agro-support services.”

October 23, 2014
Chibok girls: Anxiety over Fed Govt, Boko Haram deal

Parents, community, activists, others doubt deal

Talks today in Chad

My heart tells me to keep my fingers crossed and be prayerful, but my head tells me to just wave it away. —Chibok community leader

If the ceasefire was real, it will be a good omen for the nation…But we should be wary of false ceasefire.—Rights activist Shehu Sani

Doubts swept through the Chibok community yesterday over the ceasefire and imminent release of the abducted schoolgirls announced by the government at the weekend.

Some parents of the girls in captivity, the Bringbackthegirls campaigners, Borno State Senator Ahmed Zannah, rights activist Shehu Sani, among others, have at best expressed cautious optimism.

Doubts over the ceasefire were strengthened by the weekend’s attacks believed to be by the sect in Borno State. Many were killed.

Going by the terms of the said agreement, the meeting will continue today in Chad after which some of the leaders of the sect in detention will be swapped for the Chibok girls, this week.

One of the elders of the Abuja Chibok community, Dr. Dauda Iliya questioned the truthfulness of the truce because of the weekend’s attacks.

Iliya, a representative of the Abuja Chibok community, said he would like to believe the truce but his head told him to dismiss it.

“My heart tells me to keep my fingers crossed and be prayerful, but my head tells me to just wave it away and to dismiss it like I know the government to tell bull’s stories.

“I simply think the government is playing Nigerians for two reasons: One, I have received reports that two very well-known villages in southern Borno, one in Hawul in the village of shaffa was attacked and many people killed between Friday and Saturday.

“Two, the second village is Lassa in Askira/Gwuba Local Government. It was also attacked between Friday night and Saturday. I think, Kana Local government, so with this, why will Boko Haram be attacking villages, killing people and destroying houses if indeed there was a truce that is number one.

“Number two; why should the government be the one announcing the truce, when it is the government and its army that are under attack? I think it is the people attacking that should be announcing any kind of truce.”

The leader of the #BringBackOurGirls advocacy, Aisha Yusufu, said: “We are hopeful, waiting and really anxious. We are just surprised that a ceasefire has supposedly been reached and people are still been killed. Who are they having this ceasefire with if the Boko Haram doesn’t even know that there is an ongoing ceasefire?

“For me I don’t want to lay allegations; all I want to say is that what we Nigerians want from the government is the truth, nothing but the truth. It is high time that the Nigerian government came out, to tell the people the truth, no matter how bitter it is and then we know what to do.

“Let them tell us the truth as a nation and then collectively we know how to sort it out together, but just lying about it or trying to politicise it will not work for us as a nation. We are hopefully waiting for Tuesday when they said that the girls could possibly be released.

“We honestly want this to end and the girls back so that we can begin to rehabilitate them.”

Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, whose “Bring back our girls” campaign has highlighted daily protests in Abuja, told Reuters she was “cautiously optimistic”, but “extremely anxious, not knowing what the details of this ceasefire really are. If it happens, it would be the best news in decades”.

“We were jubilating. We had every reason to be happy … but since then the ceasefire has been broken in quite a number of places already,” Lawan Abana, a parent of the one of the missing girls, told Reuters by telephone.

He added that there were doubts about the credentials of the reported Boko Haram negotiator, Danladi Ahmadu, who was unheard of before. “Can we trust him that he can deliver on this promise of releasing the girls when he has not delivered on the promise of the ceasefire?” Abana said.

Senator Ahmed Zannah (Borno Central) advised the Federal Government to tread with caution in implementing any ceasefire agreement with the insurgents.

Zannah told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the Federal Government must exercise wisdom and discretion in dealing with the issue.

He expressed doubt about the sincerity of Boko Haram on the ceasefire.

He said: “I do not think it is true, because the Boko Haram insurgents are still attacking communities in Borno.

“The insurgents attacked villages in both Northern and Southern Borno on Saturday.’’

Zannah said if the ceasefire was real and sincere, the insurgents would not have attacked the villages.

The government said the attacks may not have been Boko Haram but one of several criminal groups exploiting the chaos of its insurgency.

“Boko Haram is deeply fractured. The Nigerian government has had a … difficult time identifying a Boko Haram representative who could make compromises and guarantee the entire group will observe them,” risk consultancy Stratfor said in a note.

“It is quite possible that Abuja has reached an agreement with a legitimate representative of a specific cell … that holds the kidnapped schoolgirls captive,” it said at the weekend.

Ahmed Salkida, a Nigerian journalist who was once close to Boko Haram and shared a jail cell with its founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009, tweeted that whoever Ahmadu is, he is not a member of Boko Haram’s senior “Shura council” nor does “he speak for them, as far as I know”.

“It’s interesting the timing comes as Jonathan is about to announce he wants to run for a second term. Is it by sheer coincidence?” All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesman Alhaji Lai Mohammed said by telephone.

The President, Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, Comrade Shehu Sani, yesterday said there had been cautious optimism on the ceasefire.

He said the patterns of the ceasefire were not in line with the mode of operation of the sect, adding that only the leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, could order the release of the Chibok girls.

He, however, said it would be a good omen for the nation if the ceasefire was real.

Sani, who is one of the facilitators of dialogue with the sect, bared his mind on the ceasefire in a chat with our correspondent.

He said: “There were a lot of doubts about the ceasefire because this is not the first time. In 2012, one Abdulaziz, who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the sect, declared ceasefire five times. A minister confirmed that Abdulaziz was representing the group.

“In 2013, Mohammed Marwana also spoke on behalf of the sect and declared a ceasefire which never held.

“In 2014, Danladi Ahmadu claimed to have negotiated a ceasefire. But the sect is saying that Danladi is a name that is unknown to the group.

“This is not the style of the sect. All the precepts or prayers of the sect were also not part of Danladi’s speech.

“Contrary to what Danladi said, members of the Ahlul Sunna Li Daawa Wal Jihad do not refer to themselves as Boko Haram. Such a name is alien to the group.

Responding to a question, Sani added: “From our own experience in negotiating with this group, they had insisted on the total release of their men as a precondition for the release of the Chibok girls and ceasefire.

“The group will not put ceasefire first before negotiating other terms. I do not think so.

“So, the so-called talks in Chad were very doubtful. The Federal Government should beware of raising false hopes to achieve political advantage or boost the morale of the military and security agencies.”

Sani said it was still possible to get the Chibok girls out of captivity through dialogue.

“If the ceasefire was real, it will be a good omen for the nation because we want peace in the country; we want to put the insurgency behind us. But we should be wary of false ceasefire like the cases we had in the past.”

Adamawa State indigenes under the aegis of Save Adamawa Communities from Terrorists (SACT) also yesterday expressed doubt about the ceasefire. It said the terrorists might be re-strategising.

The group said in a statement issued in Kaduna at the weekend that the sect might have suffered heavily in the hands of the military and wanted to use the ceasefire to acquire more arms for deadlier attacks.

The statement signed by its chairman, Mr. Josiah Garba, recalled the invasion and destruction of nine villages in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State and called on the Federal Government to allow people in communities being terrorised by terrorists to carry arms to defend themselves.

The villages are Zah, Mubang, Kingin, Kopre, Buwarya, Pana, Larh and Garha.

Garba added that the attacks had been going on since April without anyone confronting the terrorists, adding that the latest attack was in Garha where houses, including the biggest church in the area, were destroyed while many people were killed.

“These attacks have been going on for too long without the security agents coming to our aid. Whenever we call the soldiers to tell them of what is happening in our communities, they don’t come until after the terrorists had finished their operations then they will come just to see the destruction and the bodies.

“The terrorist normally come in broad daylight and when they come, the villagers will start running for their dear lives. Those who are unlucky are killed, houses are burnt while young boys and girls are captured and taken away.

“Unfortunately, people who are supposed to draw attention to our plight are not saying anything about this ugly situation.

“We have our representative in the House of Representatives, Hon. Francis Haske Hananiya representing Hong/Gombi Federal Constituency but he has never drawn attention to our predicament before the floor of the house. Even our representative in the House of Assembly, Aminu Iya Abas, has never mentioned these attacks on the floor of the Adamawa State House of Assembly.

“As far as we, concerned, the government has just left us at the mercy of Boko Haram and it is very unfortunate. We and our property deserve to be protected by the government.

“If the government is not ready to protect us, we should be allowed to carry arms and confront the Boko Haram. The unfortunate thing is that if you are found with a small knife, you are treated as a criminal, but they allow Boko Haram to be moving around with sophisticated weapons, killing people and destroying our property.

“This is nonsense, if the government is not willing or is failing in its responsibility of protecting the citizenry, we should be allowed to carry arms so that we can defend ourselves.

“Many people don’t know where their wives or their children are. That is the situation here. Everything is completely destroyed. Up till this moment, no relief material has been sent to displace people who were chased out of the homes without taking any of their belongings.

“We are very skeptical about this so called ceasefire and we call on the government not to be deceived by the terrorist as this may be a ploy for them to acquire more arms for further attacks. Government should take adequate steps to secure our communities” the statement added.

October 20, 2014