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Tag: Northern

  • Northern Christian monarchs brainstorm for peace

    Northern Christian monarchs brainstorm for peace

    Christian traditional rulers in northern states have vowed to do everything within their powers to endanger peace and foster peaceful coexistence in their domains.

    They said the terror war in the region was lamentable, stating that it requires collective efforts to bring the much-coveted peace back to the north.

    Islamic fundamentalism, they said, was alien to the north and employed by desperate politicians to feather their nests.

    The monarch pledged to intensify prayers and consensus building among their subjects with a view to ushering in peace for socio-economic development.

    These were some of the resolutions last week when the traditional rulers drawn from many parts of the north met in Makurdi, the capital of Benue, for parley organised by the Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF).

    Welcoming the royal fathers to the parley, NOSCEF’s chair, Elder Olaiya Phillips, said it was necessary to bring them into the search for peace in their domains because they wield massive influence in the communities.

    He condemned the wanton destruction of lives in the north, saying the situation was becoming unbearable, especially for Christians.

    According to him: “It feels like our faith and patience are tried on a daily basis with each coming day bringing yet more news of violent atrocities being inflicted upon our community.

    “But it is only as a community that we will be able to confront and overcome these trials and challenges.”

    He said it was imperative for the royal fathers to brainstorm and come up with ingenious ways of restoring peace and prosperity to their terror-filled communities.

    Governor Gabriel Suswam said the fact that Christian traditional rulers have woken up to be agents of peace was a welcome development.

    He said their intervention in the search for peace would bring about massive changes and positive development.

    Suswam, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr David Salifu, said the monarchs have to be ready to sacrifice their personal comforts for the collective interests.

    According to him: “Our traditional rulers should think they are comfortable there because when Christians are massacred, they won’t be spared.”

    Rising from a closed-door meeting that lasted for over two hours, the monarchs resolved to return to their domains to preach peace and tolerance.

  • Northern youths donate N2m for Jonathan’s form

    Northern youths donate N2m for Jonathan’s form

    The Northern Youth Forum (NYF) yesterday in Kano donated N2 million for the purchase of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) presidential nomination form for President Goodluck Jonathan.

    NYF Chairman Bello Bichi said the token was not political, but “a clear indication that northern youths support Jonathan’s transformation agenda, as well as to enable him accomplish a second mandate”.

    Describing Jonathan as “a detribalised leader”, Bichi said northern youths would not succumb to sentiments aimed at dividing the nation.

    Minister of Education Ibrahim Shekarau collected the N2 million cheque on behalf of the president at Marhaba Cinema in Kano.

    Shekarau said the gesture was more important than the amount donated.

    He urged every PDP supporter to play his/her part to ensure Jonathan’s victory next year.

    Present on the occasion were Minister of Youth Affairs Boni Haruna; Minister of Foreign Affairs Aminu Wali; Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs Ahmed Alkali and PDP stalwarts in the state.

  • Northern leaders responsible for North’s woes, says Shehu Sani

    Northern leaders responsible for North’s woes, says Shehu Sani

    Northern leaders are responsible for 70 per cent of the North’s woes, President of the Civil Rights Congress Comrade Shehu Sani said at the weekend.

    He said the President Goodluck Jonathan administration was responsible for the remaining 30 per cent of the region’s problems.

    Sani spoke in Kaduna when he visited unpaid workers of the closed Kaduna Textile Limited (KTL).

    He said northern leaders had the opportunity to industrialise the region but failed to do so when they were at the helm of affairs.

    The activist said the North could live without oil revenue, if it revived textile industries and agriculture, and invested in solid minerals, adding that the possibility of exploring oil from the North is “indispensable”.

    He said: “The northern part of Nigeria has been destroyed 70 per cent by northern leaders and 30 per cent by the Jonathan administration. Northern leaders had the opportunity to industrialise, educate and uplift the region, but they have left behind a region that is backward and whose future is in doubt.

    “For over three decades when northerners were in power, they used the opportunity to empower traditional rulers and make the rich richer. But what is very clear is that northern Nigeria can live without oil revenue. What it needs are political leaders, who understand the reality of change that is fast taking place in Nigeria and the world, and the need to harness the resources of the North for the development of its people.

    “It is time for northern political leaders to sit down and devote more energy to the economic revival and empowerment of the region as much as they devote energy to the political future of the rich.

    “The textile industry has been destroyed by years of neglect by successive governments and political leaders in the North. Northern Nigeria has a lot to deliver to its people. The need to revive the textile industries and agriculture, invest in solid minerals and the possibility of exploiting oil from the North is indispensable.”

  • NNN: Travails of the northern voice

    NNN: Travails of the northern voice

    The New Nigerian Newspaper (NNN), once one of the adored newspapers in the country as a result of its quality editorial contents, is now in a deplorable state. For the past 16 months, this paper has been off the newsstands. This has provoked fears that the newspaper may soon be liquidated.

    Although the paper was privatised as the Daily Times was, its travails didn’t emanate from the privatisation exercise. The problem was its inability to pay workers their monthly salaries, thus resulting in the workers refusing to continue work without pay. In the circumstances, the company was closed down on January 22, 2013.

    Before then, the workers had earlier embarked on a four-month strike in February 2012 over non-payment of six months’ salaries. The strike was called off following the intervention of Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Magatarda Wammako who was chairman of the committee set up by the Northern State Governors’ Forum to look into the problems of the company and find ways of address them.

    Chairman of the New Nigeria Newspapers Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Amos Thomas told our correspondent that they called off the strike because Wammako appealed to them to go back to work, even as he promised that the problems of the company was over.

    “He came and addressed us, telling us that the problems of New Nigeria Newspaper were over. He gave the company N60 million to pay outstanding salaries and also promised to be giving the company N5 million monthly to keep it going. We were paid for three months, with a balance of three months. But after that, the situation relapsed. Even the promise he made was not fulfilled,” he said.

    The failure of the governor to respond to the distress calls from the company apparently forced the workers to down tools again. This time, they were being owed 11 months salaries, while retirees were being owed several months entitlements.

    About 19 months after, the owners, the 19 Northern State Governors have not done anything to bring the newspaper back to the newsstand. At a news conference in January, 2013 preparatory for the strike, the Joint Consultative Committee of the workers’ union in the organisation accused the management of failing to meet its financial obligations to the workers, coupled with the unacceptable behaviour of the 19 northern owner-governors towards the company.

    In view of this, the union said: “We are left with no other alternative than to shut down the company, pending the time the owners are prepared to turn around the fortunes of the company through whichever way deemed necessary.”

    The union also expressed disappointment over the inactivity on the part of the northern state governors towards reviving the newspaper, recalling that

    “Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Magatakarda Wamakko, in his capacity as the chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) Committee on New Nigerian Newspapers came to the company in the wake of our strike in May 2012 and appealed to us to call off the strike, promising that the owners would not only ensure that all our arrears were paid, but would as well guarantee regular monthly payment of our salaries with effect from the period he intervened.

    “We, however, suspended the strike then. Wamakko was able to fulfill part of his promise by releasing N60 million for the payment of our six months’ salary; leaving a balance of four months at that time.

    “For that gesture on his part, the workers were grateful to him and will remain grateful to him. However, between that time and now, the payment of salary in arrears which he condemned and described as anti-labour is still the order of the day in the company.

    “This is viewed as a contradiction of the statement he made that he had come to NNN to ameliorate the workers’ pains and long-suffering.”

    While the northern governors failed to address the plight of the workers, they took their cry to the pan-northern socio-political organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum.

    The former leader of the forum, Aliko Mohammed promised to look into the plight of the workers. But months after the promise, nothing concrete has been done aside the fact that the northern state governors are believed to be waiting for the Federal Government to pay the entitlements of those who worked in the company before it was handed over to the northern states in 2006.

    However, our correspondent gathered that the Northern Governors have asked the management of the company to compute the total liabilities of the company which they are expected to pay after the Federal Government must have paid its own liabilities.

    The management, it was learnt, was also told to verify some of their landed properties; value them and report back to them with a view to selling one of such properties to settle the outstanding liabilities and then revive the newspaper.

    The intervention of Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo made the Federal Government to agree paying its liabilities to the workers in three different installments.

    Secretary of the NNN chapel of the NUJ, Nasiru Suleiman said the Federal Government had paid part of its liabilities to the workers in two installments, adding that most of them are old staff and retirees. He also said the northern governors have directed the management of the Newspaper to evaluate some of the company’s properties with a view to selling some of them to offset their liabilities and may be revitalise the company or privatise it.

    One of the staff of the company told our correspondent that even though they could not confirm the information, they learnt that the management has concluded the evaluation exercise and had reported back to the government.

    This has raised the hope of the workers that they would soon return to work or be paid their 25 months’ salary.

    However, some of the workers seem to have lost faith in the company and are not sure the newspaper will hit the newsstand again.

    Many northerners are not happy with the state of the company. They accused the northern governors of allowing the legacies left behind by the late Premier of the North, Sir Ahmadu Bello to waste. Some of them made reference to the extinction of the Bank of the North and Kaduna Textile Limited as well as the sorry state of other institutions put in place by the late Premier.

    Sources close to the Northern State Governors’ Forum told our correspondent that with the current attitude of the governors, it will be difficult for the newspaper to be on the newsstand again.

    “I am sure that if the Federal Government hands over the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Kaduna Polytechnic back to the northern state government, they will go comatose within a short period like they did with the New Nigerian Newspapers. They took over the newspaper from the Federal Government and have refused to fund it.

    “The fact that the North is made up of19 states makes it difficult for them to speak with one voice on this issue. On the other hand, the northern states are controlled by different political parties and different interest groups. Whose interest will the newspaper protect when it comes back to the newsstand?

    “Wammako who heads the committee on the revival of the company set up by the northern governors is no longer a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Kwara State Governor, who is a member of the committee, is also no longer in the PDP. The Chairman of the NSGF and Niger State Governor is a member of the PDP.

    “So, you can see that the interests are diverse and I think that is why nobody is saying anything about the prolonged strike by the workers,” said Musa Yakubu, a resident of Kaduna metropolis and an avid reader of the newspaper.

    When our correspondent visited the premises of the company located along the busy Ahmadu Bello Way, weeds have taken over the compound while the offices were covered with dust. Most members of staff hang around the NUJ premises located few metres away, hoping that things will soon be better.

    The workers alleged that their working condition was worsened by the lackluster and unimpressive management style of the Managing Director, Malam Abdulrah-manTukur.

    At a news conference preparatory to their strike in January, 2013 they said: “Since Tukur assumed office as the Managing Director in 2010, he has not been inward-looking enough to turn around the fortunes of the company by way of improving the situation he met on ground.

    “For instance, rather than improving on the print run, it has continued to nosedive, thus making the company to run at a loss while a handful of management staff are feeding fat at the expense of the generality of the workers who are made to produce a few copies.

    “The tenure of Abdulrahman has witnessed the suspension of two titles in the stable of the New Nigerian Newspapers, namely Weekly and Sunday New Nigerian. The suspension of the titles which is seen as the first ever since the floating of the titles resulted from the Managing Director’s management style.

    “Amid the excruciating pains resulting from non-payment of salaries by his management, the Managing Director blamed the inability to pay salary on the staff strength of the company by sacking about 28 members of staff without their entitlements.

    “Efforts by the company’s labour union to make the Managing Director to consider his action as being anti-labour law proved abortive as he refused to rescind his decision on the so-called termination letters.

    The workers also said they had made several attempts to meet the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, the Kaduna State Governor, Mukthar Ramalan Yero and other northern governors concerning the situation of the company without success, even as they said Vice-President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo had been briefed on the situation of the company.

    Efforts by our correspondent to have Abdulrahaman comment on the issue were futile as he was said to be having serious health challenges.

  • Akin-John advises northern churches to close down

    Churches in the troubled northern parts of the country should shut down to avoid the unabated attacks against them, the President of International Church Growth Ministries, Dr Francis Bola Akin-John, has stated.

    He said it is suicidal for churches to continue operating in locations where they are not wanted and subjected to unwarranted attacks.

    According to him, shutting down does not amount to cowardice but simply acting in strict adherence to the Biblical injunction.

    Akin-John spoke last week with reporters ahead of the 20th anniversary of the premier African church growth institute.

    ‘’There is no sense in doing church where you are not wanted. We have suffered too many deaths and destructions already in the north.

    ‘’Churches in that part of the country should just close down. A living dog is better than a dead lion.

    ‘’Even Jesus said when you preach to a community and you are rejected, you should dust your shoes and leave.’’

    He added: ‘’If they kill everyone there, who will remain? Why kill yourself to preach the gospel? I believe the wisest and the most biblical step to take is to leave until there is an opening again.’’

    The church growth consultant pointed out that the blood of a martyr is a seed, noting that in other climes where Christian where killed, the faith experienced leaps in no sooner time.

    To illustrate, he recalled once reading about a community in Algeria where over 400 people saw Jesus in a dream in one night.

    ‘’All of them had the same dream and Jesus appeared to them. They saw him asking them to serve Him. When they woke up, they narrated the same.

    ‘’Without preaching or a missionary, the entire community surrendered to Christ. It was later discovered that one missionary was killed in the same place over 400 years ago.’’

    Churches in the north, he advised, should take a cue from the story and leave to strategise until where there would an opening for mission work.

    He reminded missionaries in the north that the gospel is not by force, saying only God can save people.

    ‘’When an area says they don’t want the gospel, we should leave until God has done His own works for our mission activities.

    ‘’I know we want to save lives but we shouldn’t do it at the expense of our lives. We should leave until calm returns so that Christians are not wiped out,’’ he explained.

  • Akin-John advises northern churches to close down

    Churches in the troubled northern parts of the country should shut down to avoid the unabated attacks against them, the President of International Church Growth Ministries, Dr Francis Bola Akin-John, has stated.

    He said it is suicidal for churches to continue operating in locations where they are not wanted and subjected to unwarranted attacks.

    According to him, shutting down does not amount to cowardice but simply acting in strict adherence to the Biblical injunction.

    Akin-John spoke last week with reporters ahead of the 20th anniversary of the premier African church growth institute.

    ‘’There is no sense in doing church where you are not wanted. We have suffered too many deaths and destructions already in the north.

    ‘’Churches in that part of the country should just close down. A living dog is better than a dead lion.

    ‘’Even Jesus said when you preach to a community and you are rejected, you should dust your shoes and leave.’’

    He added: ‘’If they kill everyone there, who will remain? Why kill yourself to preach the gospel? I believe the wisest and the most biblical step to take is to leave until there is an opening again.’’

    The church growth consultant pointed out that the blood of a martyr is a seed, noting that in other climes where Christian where killed, the faith experienced leaps in no sooner time.

    To illustrate, he recalled once reading about a community in Algeria where over 400 people saw Jesus in a dream in one night.

    ‘’All of them had the same dream and Jesus appeared to them. They saw him asking them to serve Him. When they woke up, they narrated the same.

    ‘’Without preaching or a missionary, the entire community surrendered to Christ. It was later discovered that one missionary was killed in the same place over 400 years ago.’’

    Churches in the north, he advised, should take a cue from the story and leave to strategise until where there would an opening for mission work.

    He reminded missionaries in the north that the gospel is not by force, saying only God can save people.

    ‘’When an area says they don’t want the gospel, we should leave until God has done His own works for our mission activities.

    ‘’I know we want to save lives but we shouldn’t do it at the expense of our lives. We should leave until calm returns so that Christians are not wiped out,’’ he explained.

  • Call for Nigeria’s dissolution treasonable – Ohanaeze youths tell Northern counterparts

    Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has condemned the call by Arewa Youth Development Foundation for dissolution of Nigeria, describing it as a joke taken too far.

    It “is treasonable enough to warrant prosecution,” the OYC said.

    The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo also described as “uncalled for and unconstitutional”, the call by the Arewa youths for Southerners in the North to leave within two weeks and for Northerners in the South to do the same.

    Briefing reporters in Enugu, the National President, Okechukwu Isiguzoro of OYC said it was shocking that at this time Nigeria was passing through serious security breaches, some misguided youth under sponsorship by fifth columnists could be making divisive calls inimical to their fatherland.

    Isiguzoro made it clear that Igbo youths were not under any illusion that the misguided Arewa youth were only smoke screen to the real architects of that treasonable call for secession, which the Nigerian state would resist with all its might.

    “Our concern about the shameful outing in the palace of Emir of Kano is that the youths of the region, who have been notoriously misruled for long by the same people that sent them on the dirty mission should have rather questioned their sponsors on their ignoble roles in bringing the region and Nigeria to its present situation.

    “The same people that foisted penury, deprivation and frustration on the innocent talakawas (commoners) of the North are now sending them mischievously on an errand that threatens Nigeria’s unity. Our message to the contemporary youths of the North is to resist the attempt of the fifth columnist and merchants of topsy-turvy politics to herd them into an ill-fated mission” he said.

    He observed that when some people refer to the North, they try to pull wool over the eyes of some gullible people whereas the truth is that majority of Nigerians from the Middle Belt are strong architects of a united Nigeria and have demonstrated unequivocal support to the measures presently being taken to address the insecurity problems and other problems of the nation.

    Isiguzoro noted that it was only few elements with rabid inordinate ambition that are hiding under the cloak of the North to cause confusion and chaos in the country, saying “we know these few elements that pretend to be the conscience of the North and we also know the true conscience of the North.”

    OYC also made it clear to the Arewa Consultative Forum that there was no threat to any Northerner in the South-East or Igboland.

    “Our attention has been drawn to a provocative warning against Ndigbo by the Arewa Consultative Forum, threatening to interfere with Igbo businesses in the North. This is also on the heels of the call by the Arewa Youth Development Foundation for Southerners to quit the North within two weeks.

    “This is a similar approach to the event that culminated to the unfortunate crisis of the middle of late 60’s when undue sentiment, emotional outburst and propaganda was allowed to take the better part of reasoning of some people in the North. Later, millions of innocent Igbos and Easterners were to pay the supreme sacrifice.

    “The truth is that there is no single threat to any Northerner in the South East or Igboland. They are here doing their normal businesses and unmolested by anybody. The Governors of the zone as the Chief security officers of their various states only took constitutional measures to safeguard their states against insecurity, especially in view of the recent discoveries and arrests of Boko Haram suspects in the zone. Do the Arewa people want the South-East Governors and people to keep quiet in the face of Boko Haram threat to the zone” OYC stated.

    But in another development, another group, the World Igbo Youth Congress welcomed the call by Arewa Youth for the dissolution of Nigeria in 2015.

    In a statement yesterday by its General Coordinator, Dick Izuora the congress while saluting the Arewa youth for their stand, suggested that the dissolution should even be done before 2015.

  • Northern delegates take battle to kill conference report to National Assembly

    Northern delegates take battle to kill conference report to National Assembly

    There are plans [to kill the final report of the National Conference.

    Northern delegates met at a highbrow hotel in Abuja at the weekend to ensure that the report does not see the light of day.

    The conference, which ended abruptly last week, is to review and adopt its report on August 4, preparatory for presentation to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    A former Senator, a woman, “is the arrow head” of the conferees who met and resolved to “seek the understanding” of senators and House of Representatives members from the North to scuttle the report.

    The senator, a source said, is “peeved that the South would gain some mileage if the report of the conference is implemented as proposed”.

    Part of the strategies adopted at the meeting, the source said, is to “aggressively pursue enlistment of support of Northern members of the National Assembly to scrutinise the report to ensure that portions considered to be against the interest of the North are blocked from being ratified.”

    The meeting, said to have been held on Friday, was said to have lasted till the early Saturday.

    Delegates who attended the meeting were mandated to use the opportunity of the annual recess of the National Assembly to reach out to the lawmakers.

    Although the conference made some landmark resolutions, it failed to agree on derivation and revenue sharing formula.

    The conference advised the federal government to set up a technical committee to resolve the issues.

    Local government administration, state police, derivation principle, land tenure, state creation, pilgrimage and alleged new constitution almost broke the conference.

    As disagreement simmered, some Northern delegates were pointedly accused of working to break the conference.

    Northern delegates were particularly uncomfortable with the resolution to have local government administration transferred from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislate list.

    They also bickered over the recommendation to empower states that desire it to create their own police.

    Part of their argument was that most Northern states cannot afford to fund state police.

    Some of the Northern delegates also expressed concerns over the resolution to create additional 18 states, with a special one for the southeast zone.

    The most contested conference report was the Devolution of Power report. Its committee was co-chaired by former Akwa Ibom Governor Obong Victor Attah and former Inspector General of Police Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie.

    Coomasie, leader of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), led Northern delegates to the conference.

    Most of the recommendations made by the Committee on Devolution of Power were adopted by the conferees but derivation principle was contentious.

    To resolve the issue, the conference secretariat allowed time for mediation by leaders of the six geo-political zones which resolved that the derivation benchmark be raised to “not less than 18 percent”.

    The leaders also proposed that five per cent of the Consolidated revenue fund should be set aside for reconstruction of insurgency ravaged North east geo-political zone, with a proviso that the fund be made open to every state where terrorists caused destruction, beginning with the Northeast.

    Northern delegates opposed the generalization of the fund and insisted that the five per cent insurgency fund should be specifically Northeast, Northwest and Northcentral geo-political zones.

    Southeast and southwest delegates said that the fund should take care of every state where terrorism had occurred.

  • National Conference: Northern delegates shun Kutigi’s meeting

    National Conference: Northern delegates shun Kutigi’s meeting

    •No, flight disruption affected the peace parley

    The division at the ongoing National Conference sank deeper yesterday following the boycott of a peace parley with the Chairman of the conference, Justice Idris Kutigi by Northern delegates.

    Kutigi was scheduled to meet with a team of “50 wise men” randomly selected among the delegates.

    The peace session was to seek the way forward following  the split of the 492 delegates over derivation formula and five per cent intervention funds for the North-East, North-West and North-Central.

    While the Southern delegates favour increase in derivation formula from 13 per cent to 18 per cent, Northern delegates are demanding five per cent Intervention Funds for the North-East (3%), North-West (1%) and North-Central (1%) which had been plagued by Boko Haram insurgency.

    But the Southern delegates insisted that the five per cent should be designated as National Intervention Funds to cater for emergency situation nationwide.

    Another area of disagreement is the demand for ballot process to make delegates feel free on any decision.

    Northern delegates alleged that voice vote is being manipulated by the conference leadership to “achieve a predetermined agenda.”

    The differences made Northern and Southern delegates to engage in shouting match on Thursday leading to the constitution of a team of 50 wise men by Kutigi to build consensus.

    Investigation by our correspondent revealed that only 25 out of the 50 wise men showed up for the meeting.

    Findings showed that most Northern delegates in the wise men’s team boycotted the meeting with Kutigi and his deputy, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi.

    One of the frustrated wise men, who spoke in confidence, said: “We could not form the quorum; we had to discuss informally which is not binding.

    “Most of the Northern delegates did not honour the session as agreed by latching on one excuse or the other.

    “I think some Northern delegates have a hidden agenda which would not augur well for the survival of the National Conference.”

    But a source close to the Secretariat of the National Conference, however, said: “The closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to traffic affected the peace meeting between Kutigi and the 50 wise men.

    “”Most of the 50 wise men and co-chairmen and deputy chairmen said the closure would affect their movement to their respective states to see their families and for that reason, they won’t be able to attend.

    “Only about 25 of them showed up. They just discussed at random and left thereafter.”

    A delegate from the North, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “The meeting was boycotted by the North. First and foremost, Kutigi was aware from the leadership of the Northern Leadership Forum at the conference that the Northern delegates among the 50 wise men were not going to attend.

    He is not the chairman of the northern delgates.”

    “Our leader, ex-IGP Ibrahim Ahmadu Coomasie stood up at the floor of the National Conference and said the northern delegates will no longer attend the meeting of the 50 wise men unless a ballot process is put in place to decide on any recommendation.

    “If they tell you anything, do not believe them. I am aware that some respected delegates like Umar Hadejia, ex-Minister Bashiru Dalhatu, Buba Galadima, Prof. Auwalu Yadudu and Sadiq Mohammed among others did not attend the meeting called by Kutigi. Actually, Sadiq Mohammed came with me this afternoon from Abuja.

    ”If there was an attempted meeting it failed, it must have been a figment of their imagination.

    On the way forward, Dr. Junaid Mohammed said: “Ask Kutigi who does not want democracy; who does not want us to chart the way forward.

    “We came to this conference to defend and protect our interests; we do not come to participate in the reengineering of Nigerian state. The majority has been turned into minority. The North has 62 per cent of the population of this country. Yet out of 492 delegates we are less than 180 at the National Conference.

    “We are insisting on ballot because they have been corrupting the voice vote. The rules of the conference say we must have consensus three times and if it failed, we must have physical counting. Since we started, neither Kutigi nor Akinyemi has allowed ballot.

    “We either respect the rule or break the conference. What the chairman and the deputy want, was to blackmail the Northern delegates. We would not be blackmailed, we would not be intimidated, and we would not be fazed. As true democrats, we would not shy away from the ballot process.

    A key Southern delegate, who spoke in confidence, said: “The only thing we are ready to concede is five per cent intervention funds and it will be named as National Intervention Funds which would be accessible by all the six geopolitical zones.

    “If the conference concedes 5 % intervention funds to the North, it means technically we have voted funds for Boko Haram. We will be saying insurgency is the right way to live as citizens.

    “We have had insurgency; invasion devastation and war in the South-East, Zaki-Biam, Gabramatu Kingdom, and Odi, there were no intervention funds to rebuild these areas. We are saying the intervention funds should be for all the zones.

    “All the leaders and delegates from the South have agreed that it is either National Intervention Funds or nothing else.”

  • FEAR OF BOKO HARAM- Northern fans may shun viewing centres

    FEAR OF BOKO HARAM- Northern fans may shun viewing centres

    IT would be a different kind of World Cup for lovers of football and the World Cup in the Northern part of the country. For these set of Nigerians the Brazil World Cup will be devoid of funfair, celebration, and merriment.

    According to cross section of people our reporter spoke with on preparation towards the global soccer carnival kicking off this week, many prefer to watch the matches from the abode of their home with their families. Meaning the joint celebration and supporter ship associated with the World Cup will be lacking here no thanks to the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

    The fear of Boko Haram and inherent danger remain the nagging security challenge which has continued to kill social life in parts of the North, of which public viewing centres are being targeted by suicide bombers.

    A cross section of football enthusiasts expressed reservations, sighting insecurity as a major factor that may hinder them from patronizing public view centres, while concluding that owing to this situation, the 2014 world cup may come and go without much glamour in this part of the world.

    A sport enthusiast, Jafar Jafar said, “We are praying that before the World Cup kicks off, we hope that the security situation in the country must have improved. Watching footballs match in group or in viewing centres is much more thrilling and interesting than watching it alone in the comfort of your bed room. At viewing centres, you can hear analysis; you discuss logically and you view some decisions which some may perceive as questionable a better way. So, we urge the Federal Government to expedite action in ensuring the security of lives and property, not only in the football viewing centres, cinema halls or theatres, but in every corner of the country.”

    Another female soccer fan, Madam Zahra Sabo said sports is a unifying factor in the world but the current insecurity issue in the Northern part will hamper soccer fans from watching the game in viewing centres. “When people converge like this it could be hazardous because that is where all manners of people can come and plant explosives to arm others.”

    For Mallam Hafisu Danbappa, the prevailing security challenges will hamper communal viewing. “My plan is to watch the World Cup in my house with my family.”

    Frances Dele echoed similar sentiment: “I beg I don’t want to lose my life prematurely by going to viewing centre at that odd time to watch a match. The only watching the World Cup is my bedroom and as such, I am well prepared and I have subscribed to DSTV that will beam the matches live to my bed room.”

    In his own view, an operator of a Viewing Centre in Sabon Gari area of the state who simply gave his name as Simon said he would keep his centre open for the World Cup. “I personally frisked customers before allowing them inside the centre; and if I suspect any movement, I have the contacts of security agencies; I always alert them in such circumstance and they respond.”

    Elsewhere in Kaduna, owners of viewing centres are preparing hard for the World cup, in spite of the security situation. While some people who normally patronise viewing centres told The Nation on Sunday that they are planning to watch the matches at home, some others claimed that they always want to watch matches where there are many people. Some others who said they will not be going to the viewing centre are concerned about the timing of the games rather than the security situation. Investigations revealed that many viewing centres have procured additional television sets and chairs in anticipation of a large turnout.

    Asked what security measures they are putting in place, some of those spoke to said “it will not ideal for us to disclose our security strategies to you. But we are aware of the attempt to bomb a viewing centre in Jos during the Champions League finals. We are taking measures to ensure that nothing of such happen during the World Cup. But we will not tell you what we are planning right now”. Some soccer fans also told The Nation on Sunday that their plan is to watch the competition close to their houses saying “when you are close to your house, you don’t have to go the viewing centre in a car. So, we expect that the owners of the viewing centres will not allow people to pack their cars or even motor cycles close to the viewing centres. We also expect them to employ adequate security to constantly monitor the surroundings to ensure that nobody will come and drop something close bye and disappear. The world cup is supposed to be a full one month of fun and we expect even members of the Insurgents to be part of the fun by laying down their arms and coming out to enjoy the matches with other Nigerians”, said Kabiru Adamu, a soccer fan in Kaduna metropolis.

    Martins Negedu, a Journalist with Daily Newswatch on his part said he plan to watch the matches at home and has already acquired a small generating set for that purpose. He said “I plan to watch the matches at home. I have bought a small generator for that purpose. Even though there is a viewing centre close to my house, I don’t plan to go there because of the timing of the matches.”

     

    Brazil 2014: Jos fans not scared of bombers

    Meanwhile, citizens of Plateau state are insisting that they will watch all the 64 matches for the World Cup final scheduled to take place in Brazil later this month.

    But the fear of suicide bombers said to be lurking around the state is already forcing citizens to devise strategies to watch the matches without falling victims of suicide bombers.

    A car loaded with explosives directed to a football viewing center where over 400 fans were watching the champions’ league final on the 25th of May last month failed to get to its target before the explosive went off. It kills the suicide bombers and two others. Before then, there were three other attempts in the past to detonate explosives at football viewing center in Jos city. It happened in Ondus as well as Tina junction all at Bauchi Ring road Jos. There was another one near Tudunwada Park. Those attempts only recorded minimal casualties in injuries.

    Such tournaments like World Cup do attract citizens, both old and young to football viewing centers available at every nook and crannies of the state, some people are already afraid and are already rushing to purchase StarTimes decoder or DSTV so as to watch the World Cup at the comfort of their parlor.

    Barr Emmanuel Gwash said, “I have lost interest in watching football at public places, I have DSTV but I always enjoy the game more in public places, but that was then, I have resolved to watch every match in my room, I will no longer go to viewing center, it is my own personal security” he said.

    As for Samson Gana, a banker in Jos said, “I just purchase my StarTimes decoder for the matches because, I don’t trust government security agencies any more, they will be at every check point, yet these devils called Boko Haram will walk through them with explosives and carry out their wicked acts. So, I will watch this World Cup in my room”

    Mahmoud Sani who owns a football viewing center in Bukuru, Jos said, “Since we know the target of bombers is the viewing center, I will improve on the security of the premises. With adequate security, we can keep the bombers away and enjoy the full benefit of watching the games.”