Monday, 19 August 2013

Abubakar Shekau Is Dead, Says JTF

The Joint Task Force (JTF) operating in Borno State, Monday said Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, may have died as a result of wounds sustained during an assault against the group a few weeks ago.

In a press statement today, spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said, “Intelligence report available to the Joint Task Force Operation Restore Order revealed that Abubakar Shekau, the most dreaded and wanted Boko Haram terrorists leader may have died.

“He died of gunshot wounds received in an encounter with the JTF troops in one of their camps at Sambisa Forest on 30 June 2013. Shekau was mortally wounded in the encounter and was sneaked into Amitchide – a border community in Cameroun for treatment which he never recovered from.

“It is greatly believed that Shekau might have died between 25 July to 3 August, 2013.”

Among other crimes of Shekau was the masterminding of the kidnap of the seven French citizens and that of the elder statesman Alhaji (Dr) Shettima Ali Monguno, according to Musa.

The JTF also said, Shekau was responsible for numerous killings of Islamic clerics in Northern Nigeria.

“He was also responsible for bombings of many places of worship and public buildings including Police and United Nations Headquarters in Abuja.”

The JTF spokesman added that perhaps the most wanted Nigerian ever, Shekau, was dead before the video where he charged his followers to continue the war on Nigeria released during the Eid- El- Fitr celebration.

“The recent video released on 13 August, 2013 by the purported sect leader was dramatized by an imposter to hoodwink the sect members to continue with the terrorism and to deceive the undiscerning minds,” Sagir added, while calling on members of the Boko Haram to lay down their arms and embrace the Federal Government’s offer for dialogue.

The JTF however did not provide a photo or confirm that it has the body of Shekau.

24 killed in gold mine collapse in Sudan's Northern State

At least 24 people were killed after a gold mine collapsed in Sudan's Northern State, Khartoum's Akhir Lahza daily reported Monday.

"Twenty-four people have been killed at Alboom, one of the civil gold exploration sites in Dalgo area in Northern State, after a 160-meter deep gold mine collapsed," the report said. "All attempts to discover the bodies have failed as the gold mine collapsed more than three times," the paper quoted an eyewitness as saying. It added that the concerned authorities were notified with the accident, urging to prohibit exploration at the old gold mines to protect citizens. Gold mine collapse accidents recently recurred across Sudan, the last of them was in North Darfur State in which scores were killed.

Ajimobi pardons 1,000 sacked teachers

The over 1,000 secondary school teachers, who were relieved of their jobs some months ago due to age falsification in the state Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), could not hide their feelings as they burst into frenzy on hearing of their pardon by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

The affected teachers who were sacked as a result of age falsification, could not hide their happiness as they were full of praises to the governor for tempering justice with mercy.

The governor, while addressing the teachers at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan, said that his administration decided to review their cases after persistent interventions by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and stakeholders in the education sector.

He said that a committee had already been put in place which is reviewing the cases of the affected teachers, stressing that those with falsified ages would have their ages regularized and be finally reinstated, while those already due for retirement would be allowed to retire and be paid their entitlements.

Governor Ajimobi described teaching as a noble profession, saying that his administration would continue to place great emphasis on integrity in the state civil service, especially among teachers who were responsible for the training of future leaders.

The governor said that even though his administration has a zero tolerance for fraud and corruption, there was the need to thoroughly review the cases so as to ensure that the legal maxim which says that it was better to set 99 guilty free than to allow a single righteous to suffer injustice was fulfilled.

``I want to assure you that before the end of the month, we would have concluded the review of all the cases and we would forgive and pardon many of you,” the governor said.

Some of the affected teachers, on their part, publicly admitted that they falsified their ages and pleaded for pardon and eventual reinstatement, pledging that they would never be involved in such fraudulent act again throughout their remaining years in service.

The governor promised a thorough review of such cases.

Thursday, 8 August 2013

Ex-militants Give NASS 5-Day Ultimatum Over Kerosene Scarcity


If by next Monday, adequate measures are not put in place to flood Nigeria with enough kerosene for the citizens of the country, then ex-militants would disrupt activities at the National Assembly.

The former militants released this threat on Wednesday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiatives (LPCDI) saying they would fight to ensure that the problem is resolved.

They maintained though, that the protest march to the National Assembly would be peaceful and non-violent.

For over a month now, Nigerian consumers of the product have faced serious challenges owing to the scarcity of kerosene with the product now selling for between N140 and N150 per litre.

The ex-militants further lamented the inability of the Pipeline and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) to increase supply of the product. The PPMC and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had several times allayed fears that the situation would be brought under control. This has not happened.

One other reason the former militants are threatening to protest is their claim that opposition elements in the country had always carried out unwarranted attack on President Goodluck Jonathan and his administration.

The militants urged that an independent panel be set up to investigate this perpetual scarcity of kerosene. They also advocated for the sack of the Managing Director of PPMC, Mr. Haruna Momoh, for failing find urgent solutions to the crisis.

The statement from the group signed by its President-General, Pastor Wilson Reuben; and Secretary-General Ezekiel Akpasibewei, said the group was collaborating with other civil society groups in the country for the protest

"The scarcity of petroleum products, especially kerosene across the country is a national embarrassment. Preliminary investigations by the ex-militant leaders have shown that the scarcity is man-made and a deliberate act of sabotage to the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan in the oil and gas sector.

"The pertinent questions to be answered are: 'where are the huge Kerosene allocations to the Niger-Delta states and the other parts of the country? What happened to the huge importation quota for kerosene? Why is it that only the Northwest region of the country has regular and well circulated kerosene?

"Why are the South-west and South-south regions deprived of the product? Why is it that kerosene, when available, is sold at exorbitant prices instead of the approved official pump price of N50 per litre? Why is it that Kerosene, when available, is only found in private petrol stations?

"Our move to peacefully protest to the National Assembly is to call the attention of the members of the National Assembly, particularly the chairmen and members of the committees on petroleum downstream of both chambers of the National Assembly to investigate the management of the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), led by its Managing Director, Mr. Haruna Momoh, for its glaring failure to effectively address the issue of kerosene scarcity in the country.

"Mr. Haruna Momoh, from available evidence, has shown incompetence and complicity in the scarcity of Kerosene. Mr. Haruna Momoh has also been enmeshed severally in fraudulent allocations of kerosene to incompetent and fictitious marketers. He should be sacked with immediate effect for fraud and incompetence."

The ex-militants said they were troubled by the kerosene scarcity "because of its importance to the welfare of the masses. The masses daily experience untold difficulties and agonising moments in their bids to get kerosene for their daily needs.

"It is, therefore, as a matter of urgency and to save the country from disaster that the former freedom fighters have decided to storm the National Assembly to impress it on its leadership and insist on formal investigation of the man-made scarcity."

He said the disrespect for President Jonathan had become "an issue of mockery that a failed former governor in the South-west state and caretaker party chairman would openly invite the President to join his baby party.

"Have you ever seen or heard of such inglorious invitation to President Obama by the Republicans in spite of some difficulties in policy implementation faced by the Democrats led administration?

"It is a shame that opposition political parties heat up the polity and reduce the status of their country's seat of governance with their unguarded comments.

"We want to use this medium to inform the public that as patriotic, progressive and development-oriented Nigerians, we will no longer take kindly the unwarranted verbal attacks on the person of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan."

Tambuwal Preaches Peace, Unity among Nigerians

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has urged Nigerians to promote attributes that unite the country, rather than laying emphasis on seemingly divisive tendencies among the various ethnic and religious groups in the country.

In a message to commemorate this year's Eid-el-fitr sallahcelebration issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal appealed to leaders at all levels to close ranks and work for the unity and progress of the nation.

He said the devotion and sacrifices made by Muslims in the last 30 days should be replicated in our every day lives, adding that the month-long period of self-restraint should serve as reminder of our commitment to our Fatherland and humanity.

"The same way we all remembered the less fortunate and those afflicted by poverty and disease during Ramadan, I implore us to carry over those attributes to our engagements after Ramadan. Only by so doing can we truly say we have imbibed the teachings of the Holy month into our every day lives," the Speaker stated.

While congratulating Nigerians, especially Muslims, for witnessing this year's Eid-el-fitr, the Speaker said the House of Representatives will at all times strive for the unity, peace and development of the country.