The Nation Newspaper

Tag: war

  • Biafra war rages on by other means

    Biafra war rages on by other means

    SIR: One glaring indication that Nigeria has failed as a country is that 50 years after the civil war, Biafra is still on the air. If after 50 years, the people of the defunct Biafra have not been fully integrated into the mainstream of Nigerian politics, can we say they can ever be integrated?

    The question that Nigerian successive leadership has failed to answer is: why is Igbo people a threat to the rest of Nigerians? Achebe made us to understand in his short masterpiece ‘The trouble with Nigeria’ that “Nigerians of all other ethnic groups will probably achieve consensus on no other matter than their common resentment of the Igbo. They would all describe them as aggressive, arrogant and clannish.”

    A cursory foray into the Nigerian history will show that no ethnic group has contributed and sacrificed so much to the development of “one Nigeria” that our northern brothers are now singing today than the Igbo people. Igbo people are not just living in all the nooks and crannies of this country but also developing them as their homes because of one Nigeria philosophy ––so where have they wronged their Nigerian brothers?

    The problem with Nigeria and the Biafran question can be seen in the Igbo adage that says:  ‘He who will hold another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down’.  Nothing will work in Nigeria so long as the notion that Ndigbo are ‘defeated people’ still hold water in the process of authoritative allocation of resources. To wake up the sleeping giant that Nigeria is, we must look to the direction of restructuring and fiscal federalism.

    That said, the governors of states that made up the defunct Eastern Region should bury their faces in shame for not recognizing the sacrifices made by all that were either killed or died in the war especially those that fought on the Biafran side.  My greatest epitaph for them is to be found in the words of Robert Laurence Binyon who in his poem –For the Fallen– wrote:

    “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

    Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

    At the going down of the sun and in the morning

    We will remember them.

     

    • Asikason Jonathan,

    Enugwu-Ukwu, Anambra State.

  • George: Enough of drum beats of war

    George: Enough of drum beats of war

    Former Ondo State Military Governor and National Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Commodore Olabode George (rtd), highlights the disadvantages of a gradual regression to war to protest the lopsided federalism, instead of embarking on restructuring to correct the defective federal structure.

    There is a certain disturbing divisive temper across our nation today. Everywhere, there is an unfortunate passion of ethnic fixity. From the North to the South, there is that befuddled and reckless upsurge of ill-conceived provocations towards the abyss.

    From every nook and cranny, some people are hurrying and stampeding everyone else to a disruptive agitational campaign.

    From the Biafran young crusaders to the young Arewa reactive promoters of disunion and the Yoruba presumptive withdrawal into a fanciful Oduduwa republic, they are all wrong. We are all living in unpleasant economic season.

    We must all step away from the abyss. We must all sheathe our swords. Enough of this unrealistic war clamor. Enough of these provocations of national destabilisation.

    There is indeed no perfect Union. A nation is always a work in perpetual rebuilding and reformation. A nation is never a finished product. There are always rough edges. There are always areas of rectifications  and amendments.

    But, the ills of a society are not to be cured on the fields of war or the muddled recourse to the wielding of the cudgel.

    Nigeria as a Union has existed for 103 years since the 1914 momentous amalgamation of the North and South. Sure, we are all disparate and very diverse people with unique culture, with unique languages and with unique values and varied historical beginnings.

    But our strength and our invaluable profile as a nation lies in the collective totality of our size and in our various normative cultural portraits.

    There is no strength in disunity. There is no value in the rupturing of our national fabric.

    I do not say that there are no problems in the present composition of our union. But, I insist that these problems are not unresolvable. The perceived wrongs and the inequities in our national union must be resolved on a roundtable and never in the trenches.

    The last civil war which provoked millions of deaths and incalculable destruction both in physical and in the moral psyche of the survivors must never be repeated again. The American Philosopher, George Santayana told us that “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it” We must never repeat the darkness of our past. We must move forward with truth and certainty.

    There is no single nation in the history of the world that has survived two civil wars. We must stop and reflect. We must halt all these desperate agitations for mushroom ethnic colonies. The balkanisation of our nation will not bode well for anyone. The former Yugoslavia and the defunct USSR are classic examples of ill-conceived peripheral pigmy states that can hardly survive on their own. Is this really what we want?

    The greatness of America and Canada are invariably reflected in their diversity and in their enriching plural identities. For instance, the Continental United States, from the freshwaters of the New England states to the Redwood forest of Northern California, from the Allegheny mountains of Pennsylvania to the thickets and the swamps of Louisiana, America is a huge sweeping ambience of variegated norms and practices wherein a unifying national portrait of excellence, fairness and equitable fixity has emerged.

    Yes, the American collective value did not develop overnight. It was like a planted seed, well nurtured, consciously cultivated before it emerged and grew to a matured, sustainable presence.

    But, we cannot and we must not campaign for the dismantlement of our nation because we are not happy with certain aspects of our national union. No. That is not the way of progressive enlightenment. That is not the way to build a sustainable society.

    It’s about time that we shed and remove our ethnic toga. It is about time we remove our tribal fixation. I will never even support any supposed alliance of some tribal groups against another. Never! I stand for one, indivisible nation! Our primary advantage should reside first in our Nigerian identity instead of the recourse to provincial tribalism.

    I do agree that Nigeria can be an effective and successful project when everyone has a sense of belonging, when the Hausa/Fulani, the Yoruba, the Igbo and other ethnic groups are all given equal opportunity to realise their dreams; when everyone, regardless of tribal origin perceives himself in equitable accommodation within the Nigerian Union.

    The vast, instinctive accommodating nature of Lagos State is an instructive lesson to the larger Nigerian polity on the need for tolerance, friendliness and the embrace of fellow Nigerians.

    There is no discrimination or bigotry here. Everyone is welcome with open arms to contribute to the centrality of our commercial vision. As a trading post and the commercial nerve of our nation, the progress of Lagos with over N26 billion monthly internally Generated Revenue, is a collective contribution of everyone who calls Lagos home.

    The current consultations that our government has embarked upon across the tribal divide is laudable and exemplary. But they should do more. They should widen the consultation efforts by inviting the formidable elders and statesmen who were active participants, and managers of our Nation during the dark drama of our civil war.

    The chastening voices of General Yakubu Gowon, General Obasanjo, General T. Y. Danjuma, General Alani Akinrinade, General Alabi Isama, General IMB Haruna, General Babangida, General Abdulsalam, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, Gov. Udenwa, Col. Iheanacho (rtd), Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu and many others on both sides of the divide at that time, will go a long way in tempering the flight of fancy of the intemperate agitators who have never heard a gunshot in anger.

    The experiences of these statesmen and builders of our nation should be more than enough to caution those who are presently preaching politics of division.

    Our collective alliance now should be how we can remodel and restructure our nation for the collective benefit of all our people.

    I will equally suggest that as part of our remaking and rebuilding of the Nigerian project, each major tribe should be encouraged to learn the language of other tribes as a compulsory curriculum in our primary and secondary schools.

  • Anti-graft war, law, morality and justice

    SIR; That Nigeria ranks high among the most corrupt nations of the world is no more news. The tree of corruption planted shortly after independence has developed to an IROKO tree with deep seated roots bearing robust but poisonous fruits found all over the country in decayed infrastructure, collapsed educational and health facilities, unemployment, youth restlessness among others.

    The present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari made war against corruption a hallmark of its manifesto. The battle has been taken to the doorstep of the past administration with mind-boggling revelations of treasury looting. Politicians and public servants have been found with massive wealth in bank statements and property beyond known income. Monies in local and foreign currencies have been found hidden in unthinkable places.

    In developed countries which we constantly refer to as models, corruption has become a moral issue and the burden of name and shame make it degrading to move near anything like it.

    Unlike what it was Nigeria when citizens honour and respect family names, parents were known to have rejected money and gifts from wards whose income could not justify such gestures. Corruption has progressively become a passion and fashion that some parents practically push their children to crave for illicit wealth. More worrisome is the shameful acts of communities and tribal groups who gather to celebrate kinsmen indicted or jailed for corrupt enrichment.

    The battle line in the anti-graft war is between morality, law and justice. The law we inherited from colonial masters that jailed offenders in UK and convicts a poor man in Nigeria is bent in favour of the rich who secures bail on compassionate ground, gets a long adjournment and eventually acquitted on no case submission based on technicalities of law. The victim is the nation and her citizens. Justice perverted is an encouragement to engage in crime.

    The society from households, communities, schools and worship centres must rise and unite in the fight against the challenges and evils that corruption constitutes. Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo enthused that worshipcentres should reject money from thefaithful whose source is unknown.

    President Buhari has justified his election in the fight corruption.Contrary to cries of witch-hunting, corruption war cannot be won on federal character, ethnic or religious considerations. Every finger found in the pot of corruption must be called to account .

    The present economic situation presents an opportunity to say – NO MORE Corruption in Nigeria.

     

    • Remi Oyebamiji,

    Lagos.

  • Funding the anti-AIDS war

    •Nigeria gets a vote of confidence from the US

    As Nigeria struggles to overcome the numerous development challenges confronting it, the need to ensure that its development partners have confidence in its ability to properly manage donor funds is critical to the achievement of success. The recent signing of a U.S. $469 million Nigeria HIV/AIDS Country Operational Plan (COP) for 2017 between Nigeria and the United States is testimony to this fact.

    The 2017 COP, which runs from January 2018 to December 2018, is the latest iteration of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), established in 2003 under ex-President George W. Bush. Aimed at curtailing the spread of HIV/AIDS and managing the treatment of those afflicted with the disease, it has become the main source of external financing in the battle against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

    The COP outlines programme activities which include voluntary male circumcision, preventing mother-to-child transmission, HIV testing and counselling, facility and community-based care and support, breaking the connection between tuberculosis and HIV, and adult and pediatric treatment, among others.

    There can be little doubt that PEPFAR funds are vital to the anti-AIDS fight. As at 2014, Nigeria had the second-largest number of people living with HIV in the world. In 2015, the figure was about 3.5 million, of which 3.2 million were 15 and older. The prevalence rate for adults between 15 and 49 was 3.1 per cent in the same year, and 180,000 people died of AIDS during the same period.

    Although much of the initial stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS has thankfully been overcome, there is still a considerable amount of ignorance and prejudice to deal with, especially as they affect monitoring and treatment. The anti-retroviral drugs required to treat the disease are expensive, and the intervention provided by PEPFAR is vital to ensuring that they are available to those who need them.

    In the recent past, matters were made worse by allegations of corruption against the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), which is the main government anti-AIDS body. In May last year, the Global Fund, an international health financing organisation, accused NACA of “grants not achieving impact targets, poor quality of health services, treatment disruptions and fraud, corruption and misuse of funds.” The agency was also accused of financial indiscipline and refusing to retire money used in the procurement of health and non-health commodities.

    It is clear that the new COP is a sign that NACA has apparently cleaned up its act and is now worthy of continued constructive engagement by international donor agencies. Given the fact that 70 per cent of all HIV/AIDS treatment funding comes from such agencies, NACA and similar local bodies would do well to ensure that they maintain the highest standards of ethical practice.

    NACA must ensure that the targets contained in the various programmes of the current COP are met. Funds should be disbursed in strict accordance with laid-down guidelines, programme timelines should be adhered to conscientiously, and transparency should govern all aspects of the agency’s work.

    Ultimately, however, Nigeria must seek to take greater responsibility for the anti-AIDS fight in the country. The first duty of a sovereign nation is the care of its own people, and while external assistance is welcome, there can be no substitute for a Nigerian-led resolution of what is an essentially Nigerian problem.

  • Yoruba as accomplice in war against Nigeria

    The Acting President’s on-going consultation with stakeholders over the current tension triggered by the age-long Igbo and Fulani rivalry for the soul of our country provides yet another opportunity to once again interrogate our crisis of nationhood and find a way forward. Unfortunately, the ambivalent response of the Yoruba country whether through Pa Ayo Adebanjo’s old Afenifere or through  his sons’ Afenifere Renewal Group portrays Yoruba not only as an accomplice in the prolonged Nigerian nightmare but probably explains why she has since 1962 been exploited as ‘the beautiful bride’ by rivals who have shown through documented history, that they do not want the best for the Yoruba  who by their “afenifere” motto have always wanted the best for others as they wanted for themselves.

    In 1962, the two rivals whose philosophy is ‘no one gets what either of them cannot get’; out of sheer envy exploited the intraparty feud in Action Group to destroy the West.  To disrupt proceedings in the Western House, Chief Remi Fani Kayode, encouraged by the Premier of the Eastern Region who had repeatedly called on the federal government to declare state of emergency in the West over alleged maltreatment of NCNC members, with some 12 Akintola supporters, had “created uncontrollable disorder, ringing a hand bell, using the chairs as blunt and breaking the mace’ the rumpus by less than a dozen lasted for less than a minute”. But that was all the two rivals needed to declare state of emergency in the West. Awo who wondered during proceedings of the house why a storm in a tea cup should attract state of emergency when neither  Isaac Boro’s insurrection in the east  nor  the Tiv popular uprising in the north, suppressed only through deployment of soldiers led to declaration of state of emergency – was overruled. So was Enahoro’s warning  that “what had started ‘was ‘going to go much farther than perhaps most of us here today imagine” was equally ignored. Balewa went on to kill the First Republic and banish democracy on May 29, 1962 by a mendacious claim that “the federal government had been motivated solely by the desire to ensure that peace order and tranquility are maintained throughout parts of the federation”. He went on to predict a unitary system for the country in future. “There would be such a time when we would have a unitary government in Nigeria. It may be after me. This I am certain it will certainly happen…”  But Trevor Clark, his biographer faulted him claiming “Two things are undeniable. Both NCNC and NPC politicians wanted to break Awolowo’s personal hold on the West and the threats to their concepts of how Nigeria should be ruled” Trevor Clark, Pg. 547.

    The two rivals moved on to create Mid-west Region ignoring Awo’s amendment in a motion calling for the creation of nine additional states to pacify some of the restive groups in the country. Balewa, whose northern legislature was the first to vote for carving of Mid-west, later followed by Eastern Region, however later accepted responsibility during a House session – “I would like to make absolutely clear my stand, the stand of the federal government and the NPC in this matter. We are opposed to creation of new states. But if a particular tribe is foolish enough…we shall always see to it that they are broken up into bits”.

    With Awo in prison, the two rivals went on to share an orphaned Western Region, with NCNC taking control of Mid-west and remnants of AG members that escaped imprisonment to form UPGA under Dr Michael Okpara who had exhibited nothing but hatred for the Yoruba. And for the other, the spoil of war after the humiliation of subdued West was Akintola’s NNDP and Midwest Democratic Front which together formed the NNA alliance that fought the 1964 Obasanjo’s equivalent of “do or die election”. It turned out a strategic error by the surviving mainstream Yoruba political tendency which ought to have allowed Igbo to face the anger of a betrayed husband who with control of state power went on to rig UPGA out before the bitter electoral contest took off. For the 1965 marred election that turned the West into ‘the Wild Wild West’, Akintola resisted pressure to step down by informing Ahmadu Bello that he and Fani Kayode merely adopted the 1964 NNA template.

    With selective killing of NNA politicians and northern military officers by the January 1966 Igbo-led coup and the elimination of Igbo military officers in Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan by Murtala Mohammed and Theophilus Danjuma-led July vengeance coup, the two rivals once again turned Yoruba land into a battle ground.

    First the call by Yoruba leaders for withdrawal of northern soldiers from the West was ignored by Gowon while Ojukwu went on to seize a Nigerian Airways aircraft with which Biafra started bombing Lagos. Then Midwest, betrayed by Delta Igbo officers was overrun with Biafra troops moving to Ore and a letter from Ojukwu promising to appoint Banjo administrator of the West while Biafra will be free to appoint administrator for Lagos at the end of the expedition. This was what finally dragged Yoruba fully into the war but once again, without insisting on their own vision of Nigeria before joining forces with the Fulani to keep Nigeria one, they were outwitted at the end of the war.

    In 1993, a pan-Nigeria Abiola’s mandate was annulled with Babangida citing opposition of some Generals and the Fulani establishment to Abiola’s presidency as if they owned Nigeria. It was once again an opportunity for the Yoruba to reassess its membership of a federation where its citizens are treated as a conquered people. They were again outwitted with the choice of Obasanjo as representative of the Yoruba by the military and the Fulani establishment. It was not an accident that Obasanjo, rejected by the Yoruba, surrounded himself with Igbo politicians and became obsessed with implementation of Balewa’s 1962 unitary agenda through massive election rigging in Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun in 2003 and his duplicitous institutionalization of May 29 , the date Balewa banished democracy in the First Republic as ‘Democracy Day”.

    In the ongoing consultations, it is only the Yoruba leaders that are yet to state what they want from the federation. The Igbo with an investment of N43trillion in the north, controlling an area as big as the whole south-east in the north, 100,000 shops in Kaduna, Abuja millelium cities and mansions, choice properties spreading from the slums of Lagos through high-brow Banana Island and the emerging Atlantic City, their Ezes in all Yoruba cities with some challenging First Class Obas like the Oba of Lagos and Deji of Akure and their young men controlling street trading in Yoruba urban cities and sales of staple food such as, rice , beans, pap and akara in the Yoruba remote villages, they have said no one is going to stampede them out of Nigeria. They are however resolute in rejecting Fulani herdsmen and grazing zones in their communities back home.

    Of course the Fulani wants the current status quo that allows free movement of Fulani herdsmen across Nigeria, sustains their advantage in the number of local councils areas that depend on free allocation from the centre, and of course their alleged control of 85% of oil well allocations. But as has always been the case, they have a meeting point with their Igbo rivals: a citizenship bill that proclaims forests and cities across the country a “no man’s land.”

    But what is the Yoruba agenda? Tragically, Pa Adebanjo, framed up and jailed for coup planning along with Ikoku and Enahoro by the two rivals in 1962 has been hosting the Igbos while BolaTinubu, his son driven into exile by Abacha and persecuted by Obasanjo for his opposition to his mainstreaming, has been on the side-lines. All that the Yoruba expected of them is to stick to the Yoruba demand for  a federation, where each group develops at its own pace without interference from others, or  as Awo put it, where “some people will not hold the cow for a few to milk”.

  • ‘Buhari’s anti-corruption war in order’

    Despite criticisms over the leadership style of President Muhammadu Buhari, especially with regard to his anti-corruption war, he has received unreserved support and commendation from Chief Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu (MFR, OFR CFR).

    Addressing some members of Igbo community at his Abimbola Awoniyi Street, Victoria Island Lagos home whom he hosted, Chief Iwuanyanwu said he appreciated President Buhari’s anti-corruption programme.

    He said: “I agree with President Buhari’s submission that if corruption is not killed, it will kill Nigeria. This is because it’s become a terrible and widespread social problem that has bedeviled the country. It has become so endemic, and is eating fast into the fabric of the Nigerian society. If allowed to linger, the country will continue to experience stunted growth roundly.”

    Expressing his gratitude to the Igbo community in Lagos under the leadership of Eze Ndigbo of Lagos State, Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu (JP) for organising a solidarity session to mark the Golden Jubilee of Lagos State as a geographical entity, the Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo said he was confronted by a very solemn moment that will remain sublime in his life.

    Regretting that he was not present at the event to be decorated by the community as planned due to flight cancellations by the authorities of British Airways, Chief Iwuanyanwu commended the Igbo community for coming to honour him in his residence.

    “Ordinarily, some people will say we invited him and he didn’t come, so why should we bother ourselves honouring his invitation? But you have taken the pains to come to see me in my house.  This is the hallmark of love.  This shows you appreciate me. l am very grateful to you,” he said.

    Continuing, Chief Iwuanyanwu, who was the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Calabar said: “I have spent a lot of my time serving Igbo and Nigeria. I thank God for the gifts with which l enhance the cause of humanity and for which l am recognised and honoured.

    “Without sounding immodest, l am fortunate than some people, because there are people who served and will not be recognised and honoured.

    “I have been a champion of youth development. I believe that human capital development should be the best investment.

    “In the circumstances, l have trained over 3, 000 youths in various universities. That could be why youth groups all over the country and beyond the shores of the country have honoured me as their patron. I try the much l can to enhance humanity and leave the rest to God.

    “Your honour on me today is a thing l will always remember. It means that the services l rendered to Ndigbo are not in vain. l feel proud for the honour you bestowed on me today.  It will spur me to service my people more. While l am still alive, l will continue to do my best for the Igbo, l will continue to do my best for Nigeria and l will continue to do my best for humanity.”

    Speaking earlier, Eze Nwachukwu said the Igbo Community in Lagos State considered Chief Iwuanyanwu as one of the pillars in Igbo land and in Nigeria, adding that his contributions to the socio-economic and political development of Igbo land in particular and Nigeria in general cannot be ignored, hence the honour bestowed on him.

    He said: “Chief Iwuanyanwu, propelled by the virtues of hard work, honesty and unalloyed faith in God, has attained an enviable height as a successful role model, a political colossus and industrial giant, a dedicated soldier of Christ, a professional icon of superlative class, a pace-setter, an unprecedented philanthropist, a champion of youth development and empowerment, a detribalised Nigerian patriot and an epitome of integrity.”

    Contributing, the member representing Oshodi/Isolo 11 State Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. (Sir) Jude Emeka Idimogu (KSM) who described Chief Iwuanyanwu as a living legend of our time said Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo has blazed the entire political landscape like a legend.

    He noted that Iwuanyanwu is an inspiration to the young generation of politicians. His philosophy that love is the greatest thing in the world and it can overcome hate, greed and rancour is what the country needs at the moment when she seems to be at a crossroads.

    He prayed God to grant him long life so that “those of us who are up-and-coming will still learn more from him.”

  • MARIJUANA WAR! NDLEA in running battle with billionaire Indian hemp farmers

    MARIJUANA WAR! NDLEA in running battle with billionaire Indian hemp farmers

    The journey was risky, the environment hostile and the terrain inaccessible. For weeks, SINA FADARE was on the trails of cannabis farmers in the jungle of government forest reserves in the South West states. In this report, he observes that the battle of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) against drug peddling is far from being won and the country, indeed, sits on a keg of gun powder.

    Ogbese/Owo, Ogotun, Ikoyi and Olohunde villages in Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo states respectively have a lot in common. They are the havens of Indian hemp farmers in Nigeria. Immediately you enter any of these villages, the word ‘farmer’, which normally means somebody who produces food or cash crops like yam, beans, maize and cocoa, takes on a new meaning. In the aforementioned villages, the word ‘farmer’ mostly refers to Indian hemp growers.

    Another feature of the areas is that government-owned forest reserves, which cut across all the states in the South-West (Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti) pass through these villages and link up states like, Edo, Delta, Kwara, Kogi and Lagos. The proximity of the thick vegetation of the aforementioned places thus makes it a tempting field for hemp planters.

    The environment has a thick vegetation, sloppy and undulating terrain and rich and fertile soil that has not been used for farming for many years due to lack of access points. The green vegetation oozes smoke from the hills when viewed with the binocular. Welcome to the cannabis empire.

    The Nation investigation revealed that the most notorious sites for hemp cultivation in the country are found in Ipele, Ita-Ogbolu, Owo and Ogbese forest reserves in Ondo State; Ogotun, Ise-Orun, Ikogosi, Emure, Egbe and little Ose forest reserves in Ekiti State; Ikoyi, Orita Ijebu and Gbongan forest reserve in Ayedade Local Government Area of Osun State and Olohunde, Seriki and Gambari forest reserves in Oyo State.

    In 2014 alone, The Nation gathered, hemp farmers in Osun State had pumper harvests that tasked the NDLEA to no end. The agency was said to have employed the services of a tractor to destroy about 57 hectares of cannabis farm in Ikoyi area of the state with a street value of about N6.8 billion.

    The operation, which lasted for three days from October 9 to 12, involved all the arsenals of the NDLEA. A suspected drug baron, Godspower Chibogu, who allegedly funded the cultivation of the cannabis plantation, was traced to his private home in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he was apprehended and taken to the farm to witness its destruction.

    Speaking on the major breakthrough, the then chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, said the agency had to take the step in response to the growing magnitude of cannabis cultivation in the area.

    He said: “This is the first time the NDLEA is engaging the service of a tractor in the destruction of cannabis farms. The farms are so large that it takes several days and weeks to destroy manually. Deploying heavy duty equipment to the farms makes the task simpler and faster.”

    Similarly, the Orita Ijebu forest reserve in Ikoyi area of the state was also raided in 2016 by the NDLEA where 27 camps used as storage facilities for cannabis was located. The cannabis retrieved from this location was put at about N300 million.

    The use of tractors for the destruction of such farms was not peculiar to Osun. The NDLEA in Oyo State took a similar step in 2016 when Gambari forest became a recurrent decimal in cannabis planting. About 27 hectares of cannabis plantations were destroyed with a street value of about N2.3 billion.

    On how the menace was tackled, the agency’s commander, Mrs.Omolade Faboyede, said: “We have been monitoring the reserve and it was noticed that the planters were back to business. This prompted the bringing in of tractors to clear the expansive plantation. It will be a continuous exercise until the whole place is rid of cannabis plants.”

    Speaking to this reporter on the volume of cannabis destroyed by the NDLEA between 2011 and 2015, the National Public Relations Officer of the agency, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, said about 8,076.03 hectares of cannabis farms had been destroyed. The street value of this is going to about N963 billion. According to him, the agency was able to achieve this due to the doggedness and determination of its officials despite the numerous challenges it faces.

     

    Call for national emergency

    However, a Deputy Director in the NDLEA, who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity, said as laudable as the breakthrough of the agency may be, given the volume of unidentified cannabis farms, particularly in the South West of the country, and the volume that finds itself in the open market through the barons, it is better to declare a national emergency on the issue.

    He said: “This is not a matter of exaggeration, because in some cases, particularly in Ondo and Ekiti states where the terrains are inaccessible, the quantity of weeds stored in various hidden locations aside the ones on various farms which poor funding has prevented the organisation from identifying, the country is sitting dangerously on a keg of gun powder.”

    Worried by the high population of cannabis farmers in the South West, NDLEA’s chief executive, Col. Muhammad Abdallah (rtd), noted that “unless the current trend of cannabis cultivation is addressed, the country is on the verge of a devastating food security. It is worrisome that the cartels are using government forest reserves to cultivate cannabis.”

    According to Food and Agriculture Organisations of the United Nations (FAO), between 2000 and 2005, Nigeria recorded the largest deforestation rate in the world, having lost 55.7 per cent of their primary forest. More worrisome, it noted, was the fact that close to 904,100 hectares of forest land had been lost.

    The Nation gathered that Indian hemp farmers are among the culprits of deforestation. Thousands of forest reserves are destroyed to make way for their illicit venture. Cannabis is planted far away from the eagle eyes of law enforcement agencies.

     

    Dynamics of hemp planting business in forest reserves

    Papa Michael, as he was fondly called by neighbours and admirers in Ore, a town in Odigbo Local Government Area, Ondo State, was a famous hemp farmer. According to him, there was virtually nobody in the area who did not know him because of his popularity. He knew what it entailed to survive in cannabis farming.

    According to him, for about 35 years, he had a beautiful romance with cannabis, which he usually calls weed. The gap toothed, petite innocent-looking man in his late 70s could not forget in a hurry his involvement in illegal cannabis business for several years. For this, he was detained in various police cells many times.

    A native of Amuno, Kwale area of Delta State, before he relocated to Ogbese and later settled in Ore when he was barely 25 years old. “I came to Yoruba land through a friend when l could not make success of my transport business then. I used to work for a man in our area who had a large farm of hemp plantation. Each time he was in police or NDLEA net, I used to take charge of his farm,” he recalled.

    Papa Michael, who said he never felt he was doing anything unusual, said: “Weed is a spiritual vegetable. I don’t know why you people are disturbing yourselves about it. That was the only business l did for about 35 years before age told me to stop. Twice l collapsed on the farm and my family, particularly my children, said enough was enough. That is why you see me now doing my vulcanizing job to make ends meet.”

    Explaining why the business is done in forest reserves, the father of five children said: “My people are many here and l doubt if they can do any other job. All these areas (referring to Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo) have good soils that are very good for weed. If you get about 10 bags of weed from a hectare of land in my area (Delta), the same hectare of land will give you about 50 bags here. If you are the one, will you leave such a place?” he queried.

    From Papa Michael’s explanation, it is easy to see why the South West is usually invaded by Indian hemp farmers from other parts of the country and would not leave in a hurry no matter the circumstances. The Nation investigation revealed that cannabis barons have integrated in the aforementioned states so much so that they have formed a syndicate that is very rich and ready to wage a serious war against any government agency that poses a threat to their illicit business.

    It was gathered that in Ondo State, for instance, cannabis farmers have an association called Akunnubas, a name derived from Kwale language. There is an executive that runs the affairs of this association and pull resources together if need be to achieve its desired goal. Through this association, they map out their operational strategies on how to beat security agencies in transferring processed cannabis from the state to other parts of the country as well as for export.

    Their operations are seriously coded for security reasons and they employ some members of a militant group as their own internal security. The militants on their pay roll are to gather information concerning the NDLEA and the police. The Nation gathered that they are effective in this job to the extent that they have percolated the security agencies such that their strategies at security meetings are divulged to the executive members who then take the necessary step for safe landing of their produce. Although this costs a lot of money, it is always jointly funded by all members of the association.

    The Nation investigation revealed that this association also links up with others states in the South West while Akure, the capital of Ondo State, is the headquarters where all operational activities, including the control of cannabis price per bag, are dictated. In the same manner, the Akunubas link up with Delta State where most of the barons and financers come from to control the price and coordinate the market for the maximization of profit.

    The Nation also gathered that resources are pulled together by the organisation to have a notable nursery where cannabis are initially planted and watered to maturity before it is transferred to a larger farm. Aside this, during harvest period, which normally takes up to two or three months depending on the size of the farm, the service of a chopper is usually engaged to drop food and drinks for the people on the farm because of the difficult terrain and to avoid the eagle eyes of security operatives

    A bag of cannabis, according to investigation, sells for about N180,000. If a baron with a large farm is able to deliver all his harvest to the end user without any difficulty, he would be smiling to the bank with as much as N500 million.

    Speaking with our correspondent in his office at Alagbaka area of Akure, NDLEA Commander, Alhaji. Mohammed Malami Sokoto, who confirmed the activities of Akunnubas, said they are an organised crime syndicate. According to him, recently the command arrested the body’s vice chairman (name withheld), who incidentally was the son of the soil.

    “They are so organised that they use a pseudo name to avoid being nabbed, and the name was coined from Kwale language. Their chairman, who is now at large, is from Kwale, while his deputy is from Ondo State. We have charged him to court but he was released on bail. After his arrest, the group is now in disarray,” he said.

    Sokoto explained that the organised crime is always coordinated and extremely coded. “It is an established, organised crime. The one who farms on the land and plants the cannabis sometimes does not really know the real owner. There is a middle man that runs errand between those that tilt the land and the farm manager and the owner of the cannabis. Each time you make an arrest on the farm, he cannot give you any useful information concerning the real owner of the farm.

    Giving an insight into the operation of the cannabis business, the NDLEA boss said “There is usually a disconnect between the person farming on the land and the baron that owns it. The baron does not know those that are working on his farm and vice versa. The middle man is the farm manager who most of the time has no fixed address. All of them know the middle man, but it is difficult to nab him. We call them middle baron.

    “The dynamics of it is that the middle man runs on proxy. He will just recruit men to work on the farm and disappear. They have an association they gave a pseudo name which nobody can identify. The funny thing is that those who actually own the business are not the people from the state, but some Kwale people from Delta State who have a link with the Omo onile(sons of the soil)”.

    Explaining the challenges confronting the command in combating deadly drug barons, Sokoto explained that “there are environmental threats and poor logistics in accessing the farm. At times, it takes two days. There was a time we went for such an operation and by the time we are through, the bridge that we came through had been dismantled.

    “Sometimes, to communicate with them is not possible. Operation is timely so we have to do a back-up team to avoid a calamity. It is in a jungle where telephone network is not feasible.”

    Besides poor funding which is the major problem of NDLEA as an agency of government, the Ondo command headquarters was littered with heaps of cannabis. The seized vehicles in the compound and the three stores were filled to capacity. To this, Sokoto explained that there was about 100 tons of cannabis in their custody waiting to be destroyed as soon as the National Assembly approved it.

    “There is the latest development concerning some of our seizures. Though we have a court injunction to destroy it, the National Assembly must give us the go ahead,” he said

     

    Cannabis barons’ mode of operation

    To beat the law enforcement agencies, a lot of organised strategies are employed by the barons to carry their produce to the end user. The Nation gathered that cannabis consignments are compressed, packaged like a book parcel and carried in a normal vehicle without anybody except a trained NDLEA official knowing what it is. This type of package is called ‘the bible’ in security circle.

    Aside this, cannabis are tucked in specialised trunks with half of it opened on the roof and the produce is packed and then sealed up. This is later dismantled when it gets to its final destination.

    While taking the reporter round to see some of the seizures made at the Ondo Command, the Assistant Commander in charge of operation and intelligence, who did not want his name in print, said a lot of methods are used by barons to deceive security agencies, including petrol tankers, ambulances, toilet cans, soft drink cartons and tipper lorries loaded with granite.

    Papa Michael said packaging weed requires a lot of experience and networking. He said: “There are various methods the operators use, which l cannot tell you. But the fact is that once the weed is ready, it will definitely get to the end users. I can pack it like baby wear or like Okrika (second hand) clothes. My brother, it is brain work.”

    Like any other business with its hazards, the barons may not always succeed in bribing their ways through the checkpoints. Such goods are confiscated by the NDLEA. At times, through intelligence gathering, the goods are seized at various warehouses. But such seizures are just a like a drop of water in the ocean compared to those that find their ways to the open market or outside the country.

    The Nation also gathered that what makes the business of cannabis more complicated is that it has two end chains, meaning it can be exported and at the same time imported. According to an NDLEA source, the imported ones are using Nigeria as transit route to other destinations within and outside the country.

    The reporter was shocked at Ogotun village in Ekiti when the son of a prominent cocoa farmer in the area said that during harvesting periods, the barons use chopper to drop food and evacuate finished products from the jungle.

    A graduate of Economics who did not want his name in print said: “On numerous occasions when we go into the deep forest to hunt for games, we see choppers hovering in the air and dropping food for cannabis harvesters. Sometimes, they do that three times in a day,” he said.

     

    Why government-owned forest reserves?

    Speaking to The Nation in his office in Osogbo, Osun State, the Assistant Commander in charge of operations, Mr. Julius Dzer, noted that government forest reserves are the targets of cannabis farmers because of its numerous advantages to their illicit business.

    According to him, “More than 95 per cent of the people planting cannabis in the South West are from Delta State. They have to come here because the land is fertile and friendly with the weed. If you take a modus of hemp seed and plant it in Delta, it will give you between 15 and 20 bags, while it will give you more than 50 bags here.

    “Secondly, the land is fertile and the quality of the hemp produced is enhanced, far better than what you have in other areas. The best weather and soil that accommodate hemp is here in the South West. They take cover in the forest because it is wide and deep. This cannot be easily accessible to security agencies.”

    Dzer, who has led various operations against the barons, pointed out that because of the difficult terrain which most of the forest reserves occupy, coupled with the fact that the land belongs to the government and nobody can lay serious claim to it except a few Omo Onile who are majorly settled, cannabis farmers seek solace in this jungle to perpetrate their crime.

    Thinking along the same line, an NDLEA official who did not want his name in print, said that 90 per cent of the cannabis planted in the country and exported are cultivated in various forest reserves because the soils are not only fertile but far away from the prying eyes of security agencies.

    He explained that most of the lands have not been used for farming at all. “As such, cannabis produced here is said to be one of the best in the world. Therefore, the barons may not be in a hurry to abandon such an environment unless they are rooted out by force.”

    The Nation gathered that the barons also prefer the forest reserves because they (forest reserves) give them natural protection from the security agencies as it would take many months of operational planning and huge mobilisation before security agents can beat them to the game.

    Sharing his experience during the destruction of 68 acres of cannabis farm at Gambari forest in Ibadan, Oyo State, on September 11, 2016, NDLEA Director of Operations and General Investigation, Mr. Mabo Olugbenga, who led the operation, noted that gaining access into the place was a huge challenge.

    He said: “The team drove from Ibadan through several villages like Iki-Oke Alayo village, Idi Ayunre and several communities before getting to the forest. The bush paths were rough with streams and swampy areas making movement extremely difficult.”

    Olugbenga, who described the place as an “evil forest”, explained that the cannabis farm which was worth millions of naira was discovered through intelligence reports.

    Speaking in the same vein, an operation officer with the Ondo Command, who did not want his name in print, said the major headache of the agency was the inaccessible terrains where the cannabis plantations are located.

    He said: “In one of our previous operations, we left the office in Akure around midnight and did not get to the jungle until 2 am. After our vehicles were packed because of the swampy terrain, we had to trek another three hours before we could get to the farm. We were virtually lost in the jungle because we could not communicate with our base any longer. For two days, we were more or less in the wilderness.”

  • ‘How to win war against fake drugs’

    ‘How to win war against fake drugs’

    How can the battle against fake and substandard products be won? With the support of all, says Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Director-General, Osita Aboloma. In this interview with Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie, he argues that standardisation and quality assurance are critical to economic prosperity.

    What is the percentage of substandard products imported into the country?

    That question is a bit difficult to answer since we do not have data on total imports. We can only speak for those that we participate in the examination at the sea ports and land borders. As for products in the market from our surveillance activities, we can say five out of every 10 products or 50 per cent that is entering the country.

    SON is equipped more than ever to fight the menace especially with the implementation of SON Act 14, 2015 which empowers us to prosecute any offender.  We are in the 36 states of the federation including Abuja. There are over 41 life threatening items that are in the prohibition list which we have the mandate to seize where ever they are found within 24 hours

    How far can the Act go in tackling fake products menace?

    The Act  is one of the good things that have happened to the agency. It gave us powers to deal with sub-standardisation and counterfeiting of goods imported or manufactured locally. It empowers us to prosecute offenders within 24 hours of apprehending them. I must tell Nigerians that we have been taking advantage of this law to sanitise the nation and ensure that unwholesome goods and products are not found in the country. Our mandate is to safeguard the lives of the citizens and ensure that products coming into the country meet the nation’s minimum acceptable standards.

    The Act also enables us to stop further distribution of unwholesome products by giving us the mandate to inspect warehouses, shops, houses where we suspect that substandard goods may have been hidden or stored and confiscate them.

    Furthermore, our new Act No. 14 of 2015 has enabled us to initiate prosecution on infractions related to substandard products importation, storage and distribution. Penalties are relative to the offences unlike in the past when cases drag in the law courts and offenders revel in the illegal business of importing or manufacturing fake and counterfeit goods. It is now common knowledge that we no longer bark but bite.

    What is the relationship between standardisation and the nation’s economic prosperity?

    There cannot be economic prosperity without standardisation and quality assurance. It saves cost, ensures value for money, promotes repeated purchase thus increasing capacity utilisation and creating employment. Standardisation ensures market confidence for the manufacturer, importer and consumers.

    What is SON doing about the high level of imported fake and substandard products such as tyres, cables and steel?

    We are constantly retooling our off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) to checkmate imported substandard products. Our state offices are out daily to do market surveillance, while our enforcement teams are on alert for information to act 24/7. At the moment we have a task force on steel monitoring going round the nation to assure the quality of local production. There’s a marking scheme for both locally manufactured and imported steel products for traceability. This enables us to trace any steel product in the market just in case there is failure in construction or anything related to it. The company that has its name on any product that fails  will be made to answer questions; it also heighten producers interest to ensure they produce quality products and monitor it too in the market place.

    What impact will SON’s presence at the ports have on the economy?

    The impact will be huge as we will in collaboration with sister agencies stop the influx of substandard products at entry points. Under the new Executive Order by the Presidency, the one-stop-shop for goods clearance will positively impact the economy by preventing unfair competition occasioned by substandard products.

    It has been observed that most locally manufactured products are not into the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) scheme. What is SON doing about this?

    We are daily on the road through our state offices locating new factories and product outlets to bring them under the MANCAP scheme. We are also working with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) groups such as the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) and National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI). We are actively involved in the ongoing nationwide SME Clinics being coordinated by the Office of the Vice President. We are determined to encourage the growth of Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) especially those that are not in the MANCAP and are yet to bring their product up to the Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS).

    The programme is tailored towards their size of business where they are given reasonable rates to enable them go through the process of standardising their products while they are also granted waivers in vehicle importation to mechanise their production processes.

    Can consumers get refund for the purchase of poorly manufactured and fake products?

    We have a consumer complaints  desk in all our state offices coordinated from our operational headquarters in Lagos. We have just recently commenced capacity building in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). We assist consumers get redress when they complain to us. We advise that consumers obtain receipts for purchases and take the trouble to complain. Depending on the situation, we insist on remedy, change or outright replacement of the offending product.

    We are strengthening our internal mechanisms to combat substandard products head on . I urge  all Nigerians to join hands with SON in order to create greater opportunities for genuine and certified locally manufactured products to thrive.

    How can ADR curb the  influx of fake and sub-standard goods?

    ADR will help in saving costs and mitigating the suspension of economic activities that may arise from enforcing our statutory regulatory functions against importers of sub-standard goods to the country. Although the general provisions in the new SON Act empowered the agency to prosecute perpetrators of substandard products manufacture, importation and distribution while also providing stiffer penalties for convictions including jail terms. We are thinking in the direction of exploring ADR measures at resolving conflicts without wasting resources or stalling economic activities.

    We have empowered our personnel by organising training to empower them with skills to handle conflicts that may arise from complaints handling, market survey and stakeholder engagement.

    The move became necessary in order to enhance service delivery by the agency as well as enhance stakeholders’ adoption and compliance to stipulated standards. Communication is key in mediation and reconciliation if goals will be achieved.

    We are committed to protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians as well as the economy using the instruments of standardisation and quality assurance.

    We realised that a lot of civil cases in the courts linger for too long because a party has chosen to uphold its ego when such cases could have been addressed using alternative measures.

    ADR provides relief to frustration litigant’s face when resolving civil disputes using traditional methods. It helps to address delay, prohibitive costs, case congestion, restrictive single option, unsatisfactory determination of cases, ruined relationships and reduction in foreign investments.

    Have you secured conviction of any fake and substandard goods importer?

    Not recently but we are prosecuting over 10 infractions in Lagos, Akure and Awka and we’ll see that justice is done. Those are in addition to seizures of the substandard products and possible destruction if they cannot be rectified.  The Attorney General of the Federation,  Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) in support of our activities, has deployed four senior lawyers to help in building up our legal team. Besides, our new Act provides for stiffer penalties in relation to the volume of substandard products discovered including jail term.

    What is your relationship with other agencies in the fight against fake and substandard goods?

    We have a very robust collaboration with sister regulatory and security agencies. Recent seizures of stuffed tyres were a result of collaboration in addition to the seizure of substandard cables and the discovery of several flats in Lagos filled with expired products. The collaboration with sister agencies has added fillip to the success of our operations across the nation.

    What is the scope of SON’s surveillance of the states and markets nationwide?

    Market surveillance is a key activity of every state office on which they make reports monthly. When we identify a counterfeit product we do market intelligence to isolate it and prosecute the importer or manufacturer.

    What are the standards you have for products and how do you arrive at the standards?

    The Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS) is the benchmark for quality of products and services in Nigeria like BSI standards in UK and ANSI in America.  Standards are consensus documents on minimum requirements agreed by stakeholders and interested parties at technical committee meetings. The agreed drafts are then approved by the Standards Council for use as National Standards. SON only acts as secretariat.

    These standards are products of the global village now. The Codex standards on Garri was originally developed in Nigeria and adopted for the world. Conversely, NIS includes adopted and adapted standards from other nations and international standardisation bodies such as the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

    Do we have Nigerian standards?

    Yes, we have NIS which is not independent of international standards. We have thousands of standards for every product imaginable. This is done with active participation of the relevant stakeholders. Standardisation include weight and measures.

    In terms of surveillance and compliance, what are your achievements?

    We have made tremendous achievements, particularly with regard to stakeholders support through classified information. Another pillar is the  SON Act that has widened our regulatory and prosecutorial powers

    It is beleived that the destruction of imported fake and sub standard goods is the destruction of the nation’s commonwealth. What is your take on this?

    We destroy substandard products only when they cannot be rectified or are dangers to lives and property. Destruction is the least alternative as far we are concerned because we know that the monies used to either manufacture or import them could have been put into good use. But even at that, we cannot mortgage the lives of our citizens. We must realise that substan-dardisation is a clear and present danger.

     What level of support have you received from the government in the area of advocacy?

    Government is already doing that through the new Act of 2015, and through annual appropriation and support from sister regulatory and security agencies. What we require is other stakeholders support through information and collaboration. If you see something, say something, that is all we ask from the public.

     What are you doing in terms of staff training to get them up to speed with latest technology and standards?

    The government is already doing that with a new Act that gives us broader powers to fight the menace of substandard products. The Federal Government is also supporting the fight against fake and substandard products with yearly appropriation and other logistics support such as security and intelligence. The area that needs significant improvement is the support of other stakeholders and the consuming public in general. If you see something unwholesome, say something to SON. We need all Nigerians as quality vanguards to win the war against the menace of substandard products in Nigeria.

     

     

  • Stop Beating Drums of War – Lai Mohammed

    Stop Beating Drums of War – Lai Mohammed

    Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has admonished those beating drums of war through hate speeches and divisive statements to desist in the interest of the nation’s unity and safety.

    The minister gave the advise on Saturday at the “Lai Mohammed 10th Annual Ramadan Lecture” held in his country home, Oro, Kwara.

    Lai Mohammed expressed concerns over the rate of inflammatory statements capable of causing division and war in the country in recent times.

    He urged Nigerians to disregard those who were engaged in hate speeches as well as their purveyors.

    “In the last couple of months, we have witnessed the increase inflammatory and hate speeches.

    “Hate speeches have been responsible for wars. Rwandan genocide where more than 800,000 people were killed was started by hate speeches.

    “Like people say, wars are not really started by bullets, they are started by words of mouth.

    “Nigeria is too big and God has a purpose for making us one and we shall remain united.

    “There will be differences, but like the Yoruba says, “Ori bibe ko ni ogun ori fifo” (beheading is not antidote to headache).

    “We have been living together peacefully and we will continue to live together, because we have a lot to gain by being united.

    “If there is war today, none of us will escape whether you are young or old whether you are Yoruba, Igbo of Hausa ,” he said.

    The Minister recounted a story he said Acting President Yemi Osinbajo narrated on the dire consequences of the Rwanda war on two judges from that country.

    “The Acting President told us a story that in 1982, he was a young lecturer in the University of Lagos and two Supreme Court Judges came visiting from Rwanda.

    “He said ten years later, in 1992, he went to work in Rwanda and on the street with a bowl in hand looking for food were the Supreme Court Judges that he saw in Lagos.

    “This shows that when there is war, the young, the old, the rich and the poor, we are all victims,” he said.

    The Minister stressed that Nigerians must work together, understand their differences and must never pray for war.

    Mohammed thanked those who attended the lecture noting that their presence was key to its success.

    He said the Ramadan lecture, the tenth in the series, was unique because it’s attendance cuts across religions and denomination.

    The Minister explained that the presence of Christian faithfuls at the event was an indication that Nigerians, irrespective of their religious leaning, could work and live together.

    The Special Guest of honour at the event, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun said he was impressed with the turn out of people in their diversity at the event.

    The governor urged Muslim faithfuls to remain pious in the remaining days of Ramadan and pray for the unity of the country.

    Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara commended the Minister for organising the annual lecture.

    The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information, Mahmud Ajeigbe said it was a great feat for the minister to have sustained the Ramadan lecture for 10 years.

    Earlier, the Guest Speaker, Sheikh Ibrahim Gidado from Lagos preached on piety especially during the Ramadan period.

    He charged the gathering on the need for people to have the fear of God in all their dealings and to be compassionate and show love to the less privileged.

    He also called for the support of Nigerians for the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as well as their prayers for the President’s quick recovery.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief Imam of Oro, Mohammed Sanusi led other clerics at the event on prayers for the country, the President and his cabinet as well as the
minister and his members of families.

    The lecture was attended by traditional rulers from Kwara, including Oloro of Oro, Oba Abdulrauf Oyelaran, Clerics, Muslim and Christian faithfuls, politicians, students and people from other walks of life

  • Cancer story: Halima Abubakar spoils for war

    Cancer story: Halima Abubakar spoils for war

    For carrying a report that she is suffering from a non-terminal form of cancer, Nollywood actress, Halima Abubakar, has threatened to sue gossip news site, Naija Gist.

    Expressing disdain at the publication, the actress, who just recovered from treating fibroid, said that if she had cancer, she would announce it to the world, the same way she revealed her previous ailment.

    The report states that the actress, who was described as Tonto Dikeh’s new best friend, is battling a “non-terminal form of cancer”. Citing close sources, the report further states that her hair loss is caused by the chemotherapy treatment she is undergoing.

    However, reacting to the story on Instagram, Abubakar said; “I have no source around me and I would appreciate the non factual information and speculation about my health to stop. Allow me heal in peace. We heal differently. I’m encouraging women out there. This is wickedness, and whoever wrote this will go through worst pain that I ever went through. You would tell the world who diagnosed me and how you got such conclusions. More than 1000 ladies are suffering from fibroid and am talking to them via dm and co. I’m not scared of none, I’m sure you know this. Better apologize!”

    In another post, the actress hinted at what she passed through during the course of her treatment.

    “No one knows what you have been through or what your pretty little eyes have seen, but I can reassure you ~ whatever you have conquered, it shines through your mind,” she wrote.