A former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma, has hailed the book, ‘Standing Strong’, authored by a former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani, which focuses on the alleged attempts by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to extend his tenure in office.
Danjuma, who served as defence minister in Obasanjo’s cabinet in the early 2000s, was also part of the supreme military council in the late 1970s.
The former minister, who was the chairman at the book launch in Abuja on Thursday, stated that the publication was “classic history.”
While congratulating Nnamani, he said, “The book is a classic history of a country and we have the unfortunate habit of not valuing and preserving our history. The result is that the lies and the distortions that hit the headlines survive.
“So, I want all of you if you forget everything this morning, you mustn’t forget the fact that the records of what really happened have been documented and everybody should try and possess it, read it and look out for witnesses.”
In his speech, the President Muhammadu Buhari praised Nnamani and the Senate for helping to preserve democracy.
Buhari, who was represented by the Minister for Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, said but for the courage of Nnamani and his colleagues, the seamless transfer of power in 2007 would have been difficult, if not impossible.
He stated, “We thank Senator Nnamani and his colleagues at the National Assembly for standing strong in carrying out their constitutional duty in the defence of democracy in our dear country, Nigeria.
“We have had a President hand over power to another President elected on the platform of the same political party. In 2015, an opposition political party defeated a sitting President and our democracy witnessed a smooth transfer of power from one political party to another. Our democracy is growing and can be said to be matured.”
Also speaking, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo saluted Nnamani, saying, “He (Nnamani) is a man that truly loves the nation. He wants to serve but he is not desperate, which informs why at the risk of losing his Senate presidency, he stood his ground. Your role in our national life is just beginning.”
The former Senate President recalled how he thwarted Obasanjo’s third term agenda.
Nnamani said he wrote the book to remind Nigerians of the dangerous path it could have taken but for the vigilance and courage of some legislators, and to challenge the citizens never to abandon the responsibility of protecting due process for democracy to survive
He added, “Our democracy was tested in 2006 and it passed. It was tested again in 2015 and passed. This has culminated in the Buhari presidency. The crucial 2015 test would not have been if we failed the 2006 test.
“The 2006 test was a test of if leaders will rise above fear and the politics of the strongman to strengthen democracy by upholding due process. It was a test of the solidity of our legislature. The 2015 test was a test of whether a ruling political party and an incumbent president will have the grace and patriotism to accept political defeat and allow the opposition to form a new government. This was not a simple test.
“Many African countries failed this test. The result of such failure is the collapse of national consensus and retreat into authoritarian politics with its attendant political instability and economic stagnation.”
Obasanjo has denied ever attempting to extend his tenure in office.
A 25-year-old man appeared in court on Thursday after being charged with the murder of British MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death last week in what lawyers said was an attack with a “terrorist connection”.
Ali Harbi Ali, who was arrested at the scene of the killing in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London, last Friday, also faces a separate charge of preparing acts of terrorism.
He appeared in court in central London wearing a grey tracksuit and thick-rimmed glasses, speaking only to confirm his name, age and address at the 13-minute hearing.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and London’s Metropolitan Police announced charges against Ali earlier on Thursday.
Nick Price, head of the CPS special crime and counter-terrorism unit, said lawyers would submit that Amess’ killing “has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations”.
Amess, a 69-year-old father-of-five, was killed as he met constituents at a church hall, in the second such death of a British MP in the last five years.
The veteran Conservative MP’s death sparked an outpouring of tributes from his parliamentary colleagues, but also calls for better security for elected representatives.
Labour MP Jo Cox was killed as she met constituents near Leeds, northern England, in the febrile run-up to the Brexit referendum in June 2016.
Home Secretary Priti Patel on Wednesday evening said intelligence officers had upgraded the threat level for politicians to “substantial”.
But she said there was no “specific or imminent threat”.
Shocked colleagues held a minute’s silence in parliament for Amess on Monday. Patel, a friend of the respected MP, said his killing was “an attack on our democracy”.
But there have been calls for MPs to take responsibility by ending divisive political rhetoric that has intensified since the vote for Britain to leave the European Union.
Amess’ family last weekend also made a plea for greater tolerance, as several MPs spoke of receiving death threats and a stream of abuse.
“Set aside hatred and work together towards togetherness. Whatever one’s race, religious or political beliefs, be tolerant and try to understand,” the family urged in a statement.
But on Wednesday, a handful of protesters erected a mock gallows outside parliament, accusing MPs of “treason” for imposing coronavirus lockdowns and vaccination programmes.
Labour MP Peter Kyle tweeted a photograph of the noose and said he had been told by one protester: “This is what we do with traitors.”
“Out of the two of us I’m the one whose life and routine must adapt, not his. Our politics really is broken,” he added.
On Tuesday, police had to scramble to protect a senior minister in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet, Michael Gove, when he was surrounded by an angry crowd.
Matt Jukes, assistant commissioner for specialist operations at the Met, told reporters that detectives have been working around the clock on the case.
Searches had been carried out at several London addresses, while forensic examination had been conducted on digital devices and security camera footage reviewed, he said.
Jukes confirmed that security arrangements for all of Britain’s 650 MPs were under review both at parliament and in their constituencies.
Unnamed official sources have previously told the media that Ali is British of Somali origin.
But Jukes warned against further speculation, given strict reporting restrictions now in place before any trial.
“I understand the huge level of public interest in this case,” he said.
“But now a charge has been brought, it is vitally important that everyone exercises restraint when commenting on it publicly, to ensure future court proceedings are not prejudiced in any way.”
Thirty out of the 102 abducted students of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, have arrived at Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital following their release from captivity.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by Yahaya Sarki, the Special Adviser, Media, to Kebbi State Governor.
“Today Thursday, the 21st of October, 2021 thirty (30) students of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri have arrived at Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital following their release, while efforts are still continuing to secure the release of the remaining.
“They shall undergo medical screening and support while being reunited with their families.
“We thank all those who have helped in securing the release, while congratulating Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari for the success,” the statement read.
Parliamentarians in Benin have voted to legalise abortion in the West African country, where it was already authorised under restricted conditions.
Under the new law passed late on Wednesday women can terminate a pregnancy within the first three months if it is likely to “aggravate or cause material, educational, professional or moral distress, incompatible with the woman or the unborn child’s interest”.
Previously, abortion was authorised if pursing the pregnancy “threatened the life of the mother”, was “the result of a rape or incest” or, when “the unborn child has a particularly severe affection”.
After a heated debate in parliament, with some lawmakers strongly opposed to legalising abortion further, the amendment finally passed.
“In Benin, nearly 200 women die each year as the result of abortion complications,” said the health minister, Benjamin Hounkpatin, in a statement Thursday.
“This measure will be a relief for many women who face undesired pregnancies, and are forced to put their lives in danger with botched abortions,” he added.
The influential Episcopal Conference of Benin said in a statement that it was “highly preoccupied by the proposed law to legalise abortions.”
Initial applications for US jobless aid dipped again last week, falling to a new pandemic low, according to government data released Thursday.
New unemployment claims fell 6,000 to 290,000, seasonally adjusted, in the week ended October 16, the lowest level since March 14, 2020 when it was 256,000. That was before the spread of Covid-19 sent them surging into the millions amid mass layoffs, the Labor Department reported.
The number of workers seeking aid moved higher last month amid the spread of the Delta variant, but have been falling this month.
There were just 2,338 applications, not seasonally adjusted, filed last week for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, the federal program created for freelance workers not normally eligible for benefits, which ended in early September.
But even with the end of the pandemic benefits and as businesses report struggles to fill open positions, there were still nearly 3.3 million people receiving some form of jobless assistance as of October 2, the latest week for which data is available.
President Muhammadu Buhari (right); his Turkish counterpart, Recep Erdogan and members of his delegation during their arrival in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA
Visiting Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has raised the alarm over presence of a terror group hibernating in Nigeria, Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO), as both nations, yesterday, signed eight critical bilateral agreements on energy, defence and hydrocarbon, among others.
Erdogan, who is on a two-day official visit to Nigeria, made the revelation at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he met with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Specifically, FETO, an atypical, armed terror group, exploiting religious sentiments of the people, was said to be behind the failed 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.
Recall that Turkey had accused the coup leaders of being linked to the Gulen Movement, led by Fethullah Gulen, reported to have about 17 schools in Nigeria.
Addressing a joint press conference during the visit, President Erdogan, accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Emine Erdogan, solicited cooperation from Nigeria as his country battle terrorism, stressing that his country has been battling terrorism for many years.
“Turkey has been fighting against terrorist organisations for many decades, such as the PKK, PYD, FETO, DASH and other terrorist organisations.
“The perpetrator of the heinous failed coup of July 15, FETO, is still illegally active in Nigeria, and we are continuously sharing our intelligence with the Nigerian interlocutors and authorities. I hope and pray that our Nigerian brothers will forge a closer solidarity in this field with us, the Republic of Turkey. I hope and pray that our visit will yield the most auspicious results and I would like to thank my distinguished brother, President Buhari, for being such a gracious host for me and for my delegation.”
President Erdogan, who departs for Togo today, said Turkey was keenly following developments in Nigeria and expressed the readiness of his country to share capabilities with the West African nation to fight terrorism to a halt.
Commiserating with Nigeria on the attack in Goronyo Council of Sokoto State, which claimed over 40 lives, the Turkish leader pledged that his country would further cooperate with Nigeria on counter-terrorism as well as in the fields of military, defence and security.
On the economic front, he stressed that Turkey was determined to improve relations with Nigeria to ‘’higher levels on all fields,’’ revealing his country’s readiness to expend about $5 billion dollars to increase the trade volume between the two countries.
“We hope and pray that the relations between the two nations would be further developed on the basis of a win-win situation and on the basis of mutual respect.”
“We shall be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two nations, and Nigeria hosts one of the oldest diplomatic missions of the Republic of Turkey on the African continent. Nigeria is one of the outstanding members of international organisations such as the G-8, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), ECOWAS and the African Union.
“We should appreciate the tremendous efforts of Nigeria with eventual goal of bringing peace, stability, and economic development to the entire African continent. Nigeria holds the manufacturing position of the entire continent, and trade volume between the two nations reached $2 billion last year. Thus, Nigeria became our most outstanding and biggest trade partner in sub-Saharan Africa.”
Responding, President Buhari heaped praises on President Erdogan for opening his country’s borders to accommodate millions of refugees in dire need of humanitarian support, saying that his Turkish counterpart has set an example to the rest of the world on how to treat refugees.
‘’I commend Your Excellency for your leadership and generosity in receiving and accommodating four million refugees fleeing conflict areas, particularly in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.”
He noted that it was the second time he was receiving the visiting president in Abuja.’
On the accomplishments from the visit, President Buhari said: “We held very useful discussions on a number of bilateral issues, aimed at strengthening this cordial relationship between Nigeria and Turkey. The key issues we touched on included a series of Bilateral Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding that had been finalised.
‘’As a positive outcome, eight major Agreements/MoUs on a number of the key sectors including energy, defence, industry, mining and hydrocarbons among others were signed today (Wednesday). We have agreed that implementation is to commence immediately.
‘’In the course of our discussions, we also reviewed the travel ban list based on the revised COVID-19 protocols and removed Turkey from Nigeria’s travel ban list.’’
THE 2016 coup, largely blamed on the exiled and acclaimed Muslim scholar, Fetullah Gulen, struck the nation like a tremor, when about 10,000 soldiers staged attacks against government institutions, and after hours of action, 251 people were killed and over 2,000 were injured, many of who confronted the rampaging coup plotters.
The coup was eventually quashed but the scar was deep and indelible. The Turkish Government has since embarked on extensive purges. In the last five years, over 10,000 education staff were suspended and the licenses of over 20,000 teachers working at private institutions were revoked for alleged links to Gülen even though the U.S.-based cleric has denied any involvement in the coup and condemned it. Turkey has arrested nearly 40,000 people and dismissed some 110,000 public servants since the coup attempt.
Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hidayet Bayraktar, in his remarks in July during the ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of the coup in Abuja, in the presence of Nigeria’s Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Musa Bello and members of the Diplomatic Corps, said: “The perpetrators of the hideous undertaking actually consisted of the disciples of Fetullah Gulen, whose aim is to take control of the Turkish State to reinstitute it according to their perverted religious ethos.”
He warned Nigeria and other countries where Gulen may have opened institutions and businesses to be wary of the Gulen Movement, describing FETO “as a mafia-like cultish terror group, with clandestine political aims.”
He added that FETO “is a threat not only to Turkey but also to all countries where they still run their operations. Their actions in Turkey should be considered as a wake-up call for other countries.”
The warning from the Turkish envoy in the face of lingering war against Boko Haram insurgents and bandits was reechoed by the Turkish President yesterday.
Reacting to the Turkish President’s statement, a criminologist, Albert Uba, said: “The visit of Edorgan and revelation that the dreaded FETO had infiltrated the country like it did to India and other countries can be viewed from two perspectives. First, it underpins the porosity of our borders and the inertia with which the issue of the exacerbating insecurity is being handled. Secondly, it sadly underscores the fact that the country is sitting precariously on a keg of gunpowder that can explode any time soon.”
According to former Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Mike Ejiofor, “this is a very serious allegation if I must call it allegation. Is Nigeria government aware of it? Fighting terrorism requires international cooperation. I am surprised if the Nigerian government is not aware there is FETO in Nigeria.”
Security expert, Christopher Oji, said: “The meeting is one of the best things that had happened in Nigeria lately. It shows that our President has been warned and to be forewarned is to be forearmed. The FG seems to be sympathetic to terrorists.
“With the arrival of FETO combined with active presence of ISWAP, Boko Haram and bandits, the burden will be too much for our soldiers currently fighting armies of agitators. It is my advice that the FG should sit tight and stop paying lip service to issues of security. Let President Buhari, as a matter of urgency, seek foreign assistance or Nigeria will soon be captured by terrorists.”
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, has asked the Federal Government to declare bandits in the Northwest geo-political zone of the country as “insurgents” or “terrorists”. The declaration, the governor said, would enable the Nigerian military to attack and kill “these bandits without any major consequences in the international law.”
The governor, who spoke shortly after receiving the third quarter security report from the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna, yesterday, also said the recruitment of 1,000 youths each across the 774 local government areas of the country would deal a deadly blow to bandits and other criminal elements in the land.
Backing the National Assembly’s resolution to declare bandits as terrorists, the governor said the state government had since 2017 written to the federal government on that, pointing out that “bandits don’t deserve mercy and they should not be allowed to live.
“We in the Kaduna State government had always urged for the declaration of bandits as insurgents and terrorists. We have written letters to the Federal Government since 2017 asking for this declaration because it is this declaration that will allow the Nigerian military to attack and kill these bandits without any major consequences in the international law.
“So, we support the resolution by the National Assembly and we are going to follow up with a letter of support for the federal government to declare these bandits and insurgents as terrorists, so that, there will be fair game for our military,” the governor added.
The Commissioner had earlier in his report, said bandits killed no fewer than 343 and abducted 830 persons as well as injured 210 persons among them women and minors within the third quarter of the year in the state.
He said: “the operations against the bandits that began in this last quarter are degrading bandits, but are not yet simultaneous across all the affected states in the North-West region. That explains the limitations that our personnel and other resource deficits have imposed on federal security agencies.
“There are simply no enough boots on the ground to have credible deployment to most places, deter crime, and restore order. That is the reality that we face.
“Many state governments in the North-West and North-Central have adopted a non-conventional approach to help the security agencies to better protect our communities. In our own case, we have about 900 trained and vetted vigilantes personnel working with the security agencies.
“However, we still observed that there is no alternative to launching simultaneous operations in all states.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria has said it will support youths in tertiary institutions with grants to promote entrepreneurship and reduce unemployment.
The CBN disclosed this on Wednesday in a report, titled ‘Guidelines for the implementation of tertiary institutions entrepreneurship scheme’.
“Five top Nigerian polytechnics and universities with the best entrepreneurial pitches/ideas shall be awarded as follows: first place – N150m; second place – N120m; third place – N100m; fourth place – N80m; and fifth place – N50m,” it said.
It added that activities to be covered under the scheme would include innovative start-ups and existing businesses owned by graduates of Nigerian polytechnics and universities in areas such as agribusiness, information technology, creative industry, as well as science and technology.
The CBN said agribusiness would include production, processing, storage and logistics, while information technology would include application/software development, business process outsourcing, robotics and data management.
It said the creative industry would include entertainment, artwork, publishing, culinary/event management, fashion, photography, beauty/cosmetics; while science and technology would include medical innovation, robotics, ticketing systems, traffic systems, renewable energy, and waste management.
According to the report, the interest rate will be five per cent per annum and nine per cent effective from March 1, 2022 or as may be prescribed by the CBN.
The beneficiary must apply on the dedicated online portal and provide all requisite documentation to support the application, the CBN said.
It noted that priority would be given to innovative entrepreneurial activities with high potential for export, job creation and transformational impact.
Former US President, Donald Trump, announced plans Wednesday to launch his own social networking platform called “TRUTH Social,” which is expected to begin its beta launch for “invited guests” next month.
The long-awaited platform will be owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which also intends to launch a subscription video on-demand service that will feature “non-woke” entertainment programming, the group said in a statement.
“I created TRUTH Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech,” Trump, who was banned from Twitter and Facebook in the wake of the Capitol insurrection carried out by his supporters on January 6 this year, was quoted as saying in the statement.
“We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favourite American President has been silenced. This is unacceptable,” he continued.
The Trump Media & Technology Group will merge with blank check company Digital Acquisition Corp to make TMTG a publicly-listed company, the statement said.
“The transaction values Trump Media & Technology Group at an initial enterprise value of $875 Million, with a potential additional earnout of $825 Million in additional shares (at the valuation they are granted) for a cumulative valuation of up to $1.7 Billion depending on the performance of the stock price post-business combination,” it stated.
Ever since he was banned from the world’s dominant social networks as punishment for stirring up the mob that ransacked Congress on January 6, Trump has been looking for ways to reclaim his internet platform.
In May he launched a blog called “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump,” which was touted as a a major new outlet.
But Trump, who was also banned from Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat in the wake of the Capitol mayhem, canceled the blog just a month later.
Former Trump aide Jason Miller launched a social network called Gettr earlier this year, but the former president has not yet joined it.
Policemen escort Zahir Jaffer (second left), a Pakistani-American man who went on trial accused of raping and beheading his girlfriend, the daughter of a former ambassador, after his court hearing in Islamabad on October 20, 2021. (Photo by Farooq NAEEM / AFP)
A Pakistani-American accused of raping and beheading his girlfriend, the daughter of a former ambassador, went on trial on Wednesday in the capital, Islamabad.
The brutal murder of Noor Mukadam, 27, in July sparked protests across the country and calls for reform to Pakistan’s gender violence laws.
Zahir Jaffer, 30, from a wealthy industrialist family, has denied killing Mukadam.
“The trial has formally started. Our first witness was examined today and we will produce five more witnesses at the next hearing”, Shah Khawar, a prosecution lawyer told AFP outside the court in Islamabad.
The 27-year-old was attacked after refusing a marriage proposal, attempting repeatedly to escape Jaffer’s sprawling mansion in an upscale neighbourhood in Islamabad but blocked each time by his staff, a Police report said.
Jaffer raped and tortured her with a knuckle duster before beheading her with a “sharp-edged weapon”, it added.
“Her life could have been saved had the accomplices acted otherwise,” the report said, which was presented to the court in a previous hearing.
Eleven others have also been charged in connection to the murder, including some of Jaffer’s household staff, his parents, and others who were allegedly asked to conceal evidence.
Mukadam’s murder received nationwide attention due to a growing, youth-driven women’s rights movement in the country where victims of violence are often discouraged from speaking out and blamed for the abuse.
According to a government survey conducted between 2017-18, 28 percent of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence in Pakistan. However, experts believe the figure is expected to be higher because of underreporting.
The murder of Mukadam, whose father served as Pakistan’s ambassador to South Korea and Kazakhstan, is one of the most high-profile cases of violence against women since the government introduced new legislation designed to speed up justice for rape victims.
It is typical for court cases to drag on for years in Pakistan, but Prosecutor Khawar said he expected the trial to be concluded within eight weeks.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has pledged that the accused would not escape justice for being part of the Pakistani elite and a dual national.
Founder and Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Pastor Sam Adeyemi, has commemorated with youths on the first anniversary of the shooting of protesters at Lekki Toll Gate during the October 2020 #EndSARS protests.
The clergy, via his Instagram page on Wednesday, urged Nigerian youths to keep pressing forward in their fight for a better future for the country and continent at large.
“Dear young Nigerian, we adults will not hold the stage forever, you own the future. Keep moving to fulfill the dream of a Nigeria and Africa that empower all without discrimination, creating political, economic, and cultural development. Your efforts will not be in vain, ” he wrote.
In his post, Adeyemi also advised the older generation of leaders to set aside prejudices, and create an atmosphere where potentials can be allowed to flourish.
“Those of us in the older generation need to think ahead about our legacy,” he said. “Africans have suffered a lot through history. We have a duty to rise above prejudice and selfishness, to create an environment where potential can flourish, and where leadership is accountable and poised for service.”
Pastor Sam Adeyemi was one of the notable voices in support of the #EndSARS protests which rocked several states in Nigeria and some parts of the world last year.
He, alongside others like, musicians Burna Boy, Davido, and Falz; comedians, Mr Macaroni and Taaoma; and activist, Aisha Yesufu, was sued in November 2020 as vocal supporters of the #EndSARS protests.
