Why we pulled out of CAN — Catholic bishops

The Christian Association of Nigerian, CAN, an umbrella body for the country’s teeming Christians, descended into full-blown crisis Wednesday with the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria making public its decision to pull out of the fold over the way the Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor-led executive is running the association.

The Catholic bishop’s action is perhaps the first time in the association’s 37-year history that any of its five blocs would pull out over alleged poor leadership and politicization of the association.
CAN was formed in 1976 by five Christian blocs in the country: the Christian Council of Nigeria; the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria; Organisation of African Instituted Churches, and the Evangelical Fellowship of West Africa.

But in a letter to Mr. Oritsejafor in September but made public Wednesday, the Catholics, one of the association’s most influential blocs, said it was temporarily exiting “over some recent attitudes, utterances and actions of the national leadership of CAN which in our opinion negate the concept of the foundation of the association and the desire of Our Lord Jesus Christ”.
The letter, dated September 24, 2012, is signed by Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBNC) and addressed to Mr. Oritsejafor.

Mr. Kaigama said his group was suspending “participation in CAN meetings at the national level until such a time the leadership of CAN reverse back to the original vision, mission and objectives of CAN”.
Expatiating further on its grouse with the Oritsejafor-led leadership of the association, the bishops lamented that CAN had been politicized and was no longer being used to promote peace and unity in the country.

“CAN is being dragged into partisan politics thereby compromising the ability to play its true role as conscience of the nation and the voice of the voiceless,” the bishops said.

Mr. Oritsejafor has often been accused of being divisive in the way he is running the association, often making comments in support of the Peoples Democratic Party-led federal government and President Goodluck Jonathan.

Some Christians believe he has pushed CAN into ignominy with his utterances and actions making Nigerians to regard the association as an arm of the PDP.

Mr. Oritsejafor became even more unpopular among his colleagues and around the country in late 2012 when he got a new jet as gift from unknown donors even as many more than 70 percent of Nigerians live below the poverty line.

He is yet to disclose the names of those who gave him the jet. But he maintained that the jet would enable him to travel around Nigeria and the world for evangelism with little or no flight delay.

Via Premium Times

Boko Haram attacked our building ─ T.B. Joshua

The founder and General overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet T. B. Joshua has said Boko Haram may be responsible for the collapse of a six-storey building in the church premises.

Joshua, who told members of his church on Sunday not to be afraid, said the attack was targeted at him and not at them.

The prophet made it clear that the collapse of the six-storey building at around 11.45am on Friday which led to the death of no fewer than 16 persons was a Boko Haram attack.

Joshua buttressed his claim by showing to his congregation on the Emmanuel TV the chronology of events shortly before and after the accident as captured by the church’s CCTV.

He said, “I received a phone call immediately I got here, just 10 minutes later when I was in the church, that there was a jet hovering over the mountain where I had just left. They said it was hovering at a close range. Before I knew it, I received another phone call that the same jet was now at the church hovering over the building, passing it four times at a very close range before the building collapsed.”

Joshua read to the church a letter which he said was addressed to him by a Boko Haram member, confessing how he had attempted to plant a bomb inside the church.

Joshua said his church was being attacked to scare away members.

“This environment at Ikotun Egbe, we have never witnessed an accident of a building collapse. This is a very stable terrain. I have been here for the past 30 years. I am pregnant with words, but we have left the security agencies to do their job. Let us believe and educate our people and be alive.”

Assuring his congregation that God would bring the perpetrators of the attack to book, Joshua said that the decision of the insurgents to focus on his church might be the end of the Boko Haram’s activities in the country.

He said,“I know you will ask why the church? It is because of the spiritual blessings that God has bestowed upon us. A big head wears a large hat.

“Don’t forget about the Ebola issue too, it was God that rescued the church. Probably they would have dropped an Ebola patient inside the church, so that they would said, ‘there is an Ebola patient in the church, don’t go there.’

“They are trying to scare you from coming to church. Don’t be scared, you are not the target, I’m the target. I know my time has not yet come. I have not yet finished my job.

“I want to assure you that our God will get back at them and you will know when he gets back to them. May be this would be the end of the whole thing.”

Meanwhile, the death toll had officially risen to 44, while 130 people were said to have been rescued alive.

The National Emergency Management Agency on Sunday said that 44 dead bodies had been recovered, while 130 people trapped in the collapsed Synagogue building had so far been rescued.

The Public Relations Officer of NEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed this via a text message to our correspondents.

Farinloye, however, told the News Agency of Nigeria that 80 per cent of people rescued from the collapse building were women.

He said that two female children, aged four and eight years, were among those rescued from the building.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN ORDERS REMOVAL OF OFFENSIVE BRING BACK JONATHAN SIGNS

PRESIDENT JONATHAN ORDERS REMOVAL OF OFFENSIVE BRING BACK JONATHAN SIGNS

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has directed that the #Bring Back Jonathan 2015 signs and banners around Abuja which he and many Nigerians find offensive and repugnant  be brought down immediately.

President Jonathan wholly shares the widely expressed view that the signs which were put up without his knowledge or approval are a highly insensitive parody of the #Bring Back Our Girls hash tag.

While President Jonathan appreciates the enthusiastic show of support for his administration  by a broad range of stakeholders, he condemns the #Bring Back Jonathan 2015 signs which appear to make light of the very serious national and global concern for the abducted Chibok girls.

The President assures all Nigerians and the international community that his administration remains fully engaged with efforts to rescue the abducted girls and that he will not knowingly promote any actions that will fly in the face of the seriousness of their plight and the anguish of their families.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN DID NOT TAKE ALI MODU SHERIFF TO CHAD - Reuben Abati

PRESIDENT JONATHAN DID NOT TAKE ALI MODU SHERIFF TO CHAD, WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH ONGOING INVESTIGATION OF ACCUSATION AGAINST FORMER GOVERNOR

The totally erroneous basis for that charge was the spurious claim that Senator Sheriff accompanied President Jonathan on his recent trip to Ndjamena as a member of his entourage.We have noted with surprise, the unnecessary hue and cry raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other bigoted critics of the Jonathan Administration over the claim that the President is “hobnobbing” with the former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff who was recently accused by the Australian, Stephen Davis of being one of the chief sponsors of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

Although Senator Sheriff himself has already given the lie to that claim through his Media Adviser, the Presidency wishes to affirm, for the purpose of emphasis, that the former Borno State governor was not on President Jonathan’s delegation to Chad.

In keeping with President Jonathan’s commitment to transparency and openness in the conduct of government business, names of the key members of his delegation were announced a day before his trip to Ndjamena.

They included the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed and the Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency, Prof. Seidu Mohammed.

As can be easily verified from the complete list of members of the Presidential entourage to Chad which was also circulated on Sunday and never changed, Senator Sheriff’s name was not on it. The only other persons on the list were the President’s aides, security personnel and journalists.

The APC and others who rushed to condemn President Jonathan for a non-existent indiscretion would have found, if they took the least trouble to double-check, that there was absolutely no factual basis for their accusation.

Those who associate with Senator Sheriff know that he has longstanding interests in Chad and often spends a lot of his time there. He happened to be in Ndjamena at the time of President Jonathan’s visit and joined other Nigerian residents of the Chadian capital in coming to the airport to welcome their President.

That was the full extent of his participation in the visit and it was also at Ndjamena Airport that the pictures which formed the basis of the bogus allegation of President Jonathan hobnobbing with an “accused sponsor of terrorism” were taken.

The former Governor’s presence in Chad was certainly not at President Jonathan’s instance and he did not participate in any of the President’s discussions with President Idriss Deby or his other engagements in Ndjamena.

President Jonathan is fully aware of the allegation made against Senator Sheriff by Stephen Davis. That allegation is already being investigated by the security agencies who will make their findings known to the public in due course.

The President assures all Nigerians that he has not willfully taken any action that could prejudice the outcome of that ongoing inquiry.

He seizes this opportunity to reassure the nation once again of his total commitment to doing all within his powers to bring all identified and verified sponsors of terrorism to justice, and ending the menace of violent extremism in the country.

Reuben Abati

Special Adviser to the President

Media & Publicity

September 11, 2014

President Jonathan indeed travelled with close to 600 delegate - Ambassador Bashir Wali

Nigeria's Minister of Foreign affairs Ambassador Bashir Wali has confirmed that president Jonathan indeed travelled with close to 600 delegates to the UN general assembly in 2013, a situation Reuben Abati had denied because it was carried by Sahara Reporters. Hear Wali.

"“The size of Nigeria’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly last year was 567; that is something that is certainly way, way out; certainly it is unacceptable. On that basis I asked that they send me the list of three countries: Germany, South Africa and Egypt, to compare with what we in Nigeria have. None of them is up to one third of our own delegation,” the Minister said.

He regretted that not even China with a population of over one billion people can compare with the number of delegates that Nigeria sends to the event annually, confirming that Nigeria did have the largest of all the delegations to New York in 2013.

What is worse, the ambassador observed that 80 per cent of Nigeria’s vast delegations to the General Assembly do not add any value to the team’s work at the assembly.

“So, you can see that there is certainly need to really take a second look and see that those of our delegates that go the UN General Assembly do have value. It is not a question of having a jamboree, but indeed, it is more like a jamboree.

“I happen to have observed for four years as Nigeria’s ambassador to the UN, the delegation of Nigeria to the UN General Assembly. So, I know and if we are going to be honest to ourselves, I know that 80 per cent of the delegates that go from Nigeria do not add value to our team to the UN.”

Mr. Wali assured that his ministry was working to ensure that the country has value for money, stressing that there ought to be some measure of accountability and responsibility on the part of Nigeria’s delegates.

He is now awaiting the approval of President Jonathan to place a ceiling on the number of delegates that will be in New York this year, he said, declaring that Nigeria can “certainly” not afford a 567-man delegation.

“It is certainly something we will have to take a second look at again and see how we can look credible when it comes to issues like this,” the minister said.

WE WANT JUSTICE, BABALOLA FAMILY CRIES OUT

Following the tragic death of Babalola Felix, The Babalola Family met held a meeting which had Barrister Kehinde representing Femi Falana's Chamber and a group of young people who represent an advocacy group in attendace.

The family reintereted their interest in getting justice for Babalola Felix who was chased to death by Civil Defence officials led by  Inspector Oladele Orijah

The family said the late Felix is basically the bread winner of the family despite the meagre he gets from the recharge cards business he does.

Tha family claimed that his inability to secure a job was part of the cause of his death, because a gainfully employed young man wouldn't have been chased like a mad man let alone chased  to death by cruel Civil Defence officials. The family used the opportunity to plead with government at all level to tackle the issue of unemployment.

Young people present at the meeting agreed that justice must be done, Babalola Felix is not an animal that should be killed like an animal by power drunk NDCDC officials and the story will just end like that. The youths want justice and we will not settle for anything less than justice, a youth present at the meeting said. Security Officials that have been empowered to protect our lives and property should not be the architect of our deaths. 

Here are the links to the Babalola Felix related story: http://www.punchng.com/metro-plus/fleeing-graduate-hawker-drowns-during-nscdc-raid/

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/our-civil-defence/

Boko Haram: 10,000 Civilian-JTF, Hunters Set To Storm Sambisa Forest

The Nigerian army heads/sponsors of Boko Haram better not dare attack our brave civilians who will do what they wont

Angered by the continuous sacrilegious acts of the insurgents in the northeast, Nigeria, particularly in Borno and Yobe state, over 10,000 members of civilian JTF, hunters as well as members of the Nigerian legion ( retired soldiers) have stormed the palace of the Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness, Alahji Abubakar Kyari Umar Ibn Garbai Al’amin El-kanemi to receive his blessings as they set to join the military to take over Sambisa forest.

This is coming barely 24 hours after the Shehu declared three days, alms giving, fasting and prayers among all religious faithful in the state so as to restore peace back to the state and the country in general.

The Civilian JTF who are complimenting the effort of the security forces in the fight against insurgency were at the shehu’s palace today, Thursday to seek for his support and cooperation, as they said they have resolved to go into the Sambisa and other terrorists hideouts to hunt Boko Haram sect and bring an end to the ongoing crisis.

It would be recalled that communities of Damboa, Gamboru Ngala, Bama and Banki towns had in the last three weeks come under serious attacks by terrorists, leading to the killing of many civilians and the displacement of thousands others from their houses, a situation that prompted the civilian JTF to mobilize to seek Shehu’s prayers and advise so as to track down the terrorists.


Addressing the over 10,000 civilian JTF, local hunters, retired soldiers and other paramilitary men at the palace, the traditional ruler commended the effort of the civilian JTF in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, and appealed to them to always follow the directives of the military and other security agencies while discharging their duties.


He said the emergence of the Civilian JTF has assisted in dislodging the sect out of Maiduguri and its environs, and therefore called on other towns and communities to set up their own Civilian JTF/youth volunteers to fight terrorism.

“I want to thank you for this visit and the effort you are collectively and voluntarily making in order to fight Boko Haram who are bent at not only destroying our social and economic structures, but also killing innocent lives. I want to also appeal to you that you should desist from politics, religious or ethnic considerations while discharging your duties to your fatherland. In anything you do, you must make sure that you consult all other security agencies so that you work hand-in hand to end terrorism that have been destroying us as a nation”. The Shehu pleaded.

The state Coordinator of Civilian JTF, Mallam Abba Aji Kalli in an interview with DailyPost said, they were at the Shehu’s palace to seek for his blessings and fatherly advice, as the group have vowed to go after insurgents even if they are not well armed. He said they were optimistic that with their sticks (Gora in Hausa) and other local arms, they will raid all terrorist hideouts.

Aji Kalli also said, the Civilian JTF are now more motivated with the support and assurance they received from retired military men, local hunters and other patriotic citizens who have expressed their willingness to join the group to end the madness perpetrated by boko haram terrorists in the north east.

While expressing their dismay over President Goodluck Jonathan’s lack of support for the Civilian JTF, the group noted that, they were apolitical, non-religious and will not be deterred, but will ensure that it works with the military to end insurgency in the region.

Alamieyeseigha told me Jonathan cannot control his wife – Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has dismissed the call by former Bayelsa State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha asking him to beg Jonathan and return to the PDP.

The former Governor, who was convicted but later granted pardon by President Goodluck Jonathan, had made the call in an interview with New Telegraph newspape

r at the weekend.

Alamieyeseigha had stated that: “I think there is no problem between Governor Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan. I think Amaechi should be humble enough to go to the President and say, ‘I am sorry’, because he has no place to go. A child that is not respectful will also not deserve respect from anyone. I have spoken to both of them. Jonathan has no issues. President of Nigeria is very powerful.

“I even told Amaechi: the first entity you cannot fight is Almighty God and the second entity is the government, (President Jonathan). No matter how you interpret it, nobody can fight government, (Jonathan) successfully. Rivers State will never be surrendered to APC.”

Reacting at the weekend, Governor Amaechi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary David Iyofor dismissed the call by Alamieyeseigha.

He said the former Governor was trying to stand logic on its head and was not bold enough to tell the world what he (Alamieyeseigha) told Amaechi when he came to discuss the President with him.

“Yes, its true that Governor Amaechi does not have any personal issues with the President. And yes, when Chief Alamieyeseigha came to the governor to discuss this issue, he said that there is not much problem between the President and Governor Amaechi but he wasn’t bold and courageous enough to say in that interview what he told the governor the problem is.

“He told Governor Amaechi that he cannot understand why Mr. President cannot rein in, control or manage his wife. But for him to now go to the press to say something else is indeed most cowardly and timid of him.

Related: NewsRescue-Patience Jonathan “The Greediest Person In Bayelsa State, A Cruel Lady” – US Council of Foreign Relations
“How do one comprehend Chief Alamieyeseigha’s logic or reasons for saying Governor Amaechi should go and beg President Jonathan and retrace his steps? Please, to where should the governor retrace his steps to? Back to PDP?

obama patience“The same PDP that Governor Amaechi led Rivers people to give total support and give Mr. President over two million votes at the 2011 elections with nothing to show for it after almost four years? Instead, territories and oil wells belonging to the State are been given to other States.

“Is he saying that the Governor cannot hold a contrary view, opinion from Mr. President on issues, based on principles and the interests of Rivers State, because Mr. President is all powerful?”


“Chief Alamieyeseigha’s understanding of respect, disrespect and desecration of the office of the President is warped and indeed befuddling. For Chief Alamieyeseigha, what amounts to disrespect and desecration of the office of the President is Governor Amaechi’s decision to stay with his people, fight for what is theirs and dogged stubbornness and refusal to cede any part of Rivers State including its oil wells to Mr. President’s home state of Bayelsa!

“For him, the Governor’s fight for the interest of Rivers State and its people, what is due the State is given to the state by the federal government is tantamount to disrespecting and desecrating the office of the President! How preposterous!

pres_jonathan“Chief Alamieyeseigha says APC will never take Rivers State! We feel sorry and pity for him. It’s so apparent that he belongs to and lives in the past and has blindly refused to see and face the reality of the present. APC has since taken over Rivers State. APC is in control in Rivers State and Rivers people are fully with their Governor in APC. If deluding himself to think otherwise, would make Chief Alamieyeseigha sleep well at night, then he can continue to live in dreamland”.

“While we do not begrudge Chief Alamieyeseigha’s political affiliation or his decision to truckle, grovel and genuflect before whoever he so pleases, we also expect and demand that he respects the right of Governor Amaechi to choose his political party and associates, and to disagree with anyone, on principles and issues that are not in the interest of Rivers state and Rivers people.

“Finally, We want to state categorically that Chief Alamieyeseigha’s comments against Governor Amaechi in that interview with New Telegraph on Saturday is an undisguised and disgraceful sycophantic voyage that a man of his standing should never have ventured into”, Iyofor concluded.

Dencia launches Ebola fund campaign

Nigerian/Cameroonian pop star, Dencia, has launched an online campaign to sensitise Africans about the Ebola virus. The move is also meant to raise money to curb outbreak of the disease as well as treat its victims.

According to the entertainer, her goal is to raise $1million, even as she has pledged $250,000 of her money for the cause.

On her Gofundme page, the artiste said: “Ebola is sweeping Africa, our people are dying, our people have died. Fortunately for us there is a new drug in the market that can help Africans. The ZMAPP is here and we need to raise money for those who can’t afford it. Together we can give someone a new life; together we can help someone who had no hope.

That is why the Dencia Foundation for Hope is here to help raise funds to help these people. All donations will pay for treatments for people who can’t afford the ZMAPP, once it can be purchased. Dencia will personally buy these medications and go to Africa and ensure the right people get it.”

The controversial singer also released a video in which she speaks on facts about the disease.

Lagos owes $1bn of states’ $3bn external debts

The Lagos State Government owes 33.86 per cent of the cou

ntry’s total sub-national external debts (debts owed by state governments), investigation has shown.

Statistics obtained from the website of the Debt Management Office in Abuja on Wednesday showed that out of the total external debt of $3.01bn, Lagos State owed $1.02bn, leaving the remaining 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory with $1.99bn as of June 30, 2014.

Further analysis shows that out of the $1.02bn external loan commitments, $937.91m was from multilateral bodies, while $82.5m represented loans contracted from bilateral sources.

With a series of loan deals, the World Bank in particular has been involved in the urban renewal programme of Lagos State as well as efforts to reform the policy environment.

Some of the latest approvals by the World Bank for the state include $42m loan deal approved by its Board of Executive Directors in March to support secondary education programme in the state.

The new International Development Association credit of $42m to the Lagos EKO Secondary School Project was an addition to the original credit of $95m; which was said to have systematically benefited over 620,000 students a year in 667 public secondary schools in the state between 2009 and 2013.

The school loan was shortly followed by an approval of $200m to the state to support reforms pertaining to fiscal sustainability, budget planning, budget execution and the investment climate.

According to the World Bank, the loan is the first in two development policy operations and it builds upon the policy reforms initiated under a previous bank supported programme.

It added that the goal of the programme was to assist Lagos State in sustaining the strong momentum it had achieved in improving public services, facilitating inclusive growth and reducing poverty.

This includes measures to monitor and manage financial risks more effectively, ensure adequate growth in revenues, get better value for money in public expenditures, and improve institutions and processes for land registration and development permits.

Attempts to speak to the Lagos State Government officials on the status of its external loans failed as repeated calls to the Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi, were not picked, neither did he respond to text messages sent to his mobile telephone number.

Similarly, a text message to the state’s Commissioner of Information, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, was not responded to. Calls to his mobile number could not go through.

Other major holders of the country’s external sub-national debts include Kaduna State, which owes $245.51m, and Cross Rivers State, $120.21m. Others are Ogun, $116.69m; Bauchi, $111.61m and Oyo, $80.11m.

The states least exposed to foreign debts are Borno, $16.07m; Plateau, $22.99m; Taraba, $24.06m; Delta, $24.7m and Benue, $28.79m.

However, in comparison to the nation’s total external indebtedness, the states owe only 32.13 per cent; leaving the Federal Government with 67.87 per cent of the total $9.38bn.

Loans from the China Export Import Bank and money raised from the Eurobond accounted for $2.54bn of the Federal Government’s $6.36bn external debt, while multilateral sources accounted for $3.82bn.

As of June 2013, the nation’s total external loan stood at $6.92bn. This means that over a period of one year, it rose by $2.46bn, indicating a 35.51 per cent increase.