Boko Haram hit schools to destroy Western ideas

Mamudo - They crept up to the school under cover of darkness, armed with petrol and automatic weapons.
Most of the teachers and pupils had fled, but some students, one teacher and headmaster Adanu Haruna were still in the compound, one of many rural boarding schools in Nigeria surrounded by forest and farmland.
"They made the students line up and strip naked, then they made the ones with pubic hair lie face down on the ground," Haruna said, eyes wide with horror at describing the attack on the iron-roofed school built by British colonisers in the 1950s.
"They shot them point blank then set the bodies on fire."
The Mamudo government school, charred and smelling of scorched blood after 22 students and a teacher were killed there in the July 6 attack near Potiskum in Nigeria's northeast, was the fourth to be targeted by suspected Boko Haram militants in less than a month.
The attacks reveal much about the rebels who are fighting to revive a medieval Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria, the type of state they are seeking to establish and the impact of their efforts.
In a video uploaded to the Internet on Saturday, Boko Haram's purported leader Abubakar Shekau denied ordering the latest killings, saying Boko Haram does not itself kill small children, but he praised attacks on Western schools.
"We fully support the attack on school in Mamudo, as well as on other schools," he said. "Western education schools are against Islam ... We will kill their teachers."
Boko Haram, a nickname which translates roughly as "Western education is sinful", formed around a decade ago as a clerical movement opposed to Western influence, which the sect's founder, Mohammed Yusuf, said was poisoning young minds against Islam.
Yet security forces and politicians were the main targets of the armed revolt it started after Yusuf's killing in a 2009 military crackdown that left 800 people dead.
Since those days Boko Haram has splintered into several factions, including some with ties to al Qaeda's Saharan wing, which analysts say operate more or less independently, despite Shekau's loose claim to authority over them.
Before June, there had been only a handful of attacks on the Western-style schools it so despises.
An offensive against the insurgents since President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three remote northern states in May, wresting control of the far northeast from Boko Haram and pushing its fighters into hiding, has changed that.
Across northeastern Nigeria, schools are emptying out, threatening further radicalisation and economic decline in a region left behind by the country's oil-rich Christian south.
Nassir Salaudeen, a teacher whose son was killed in a strike on Damaturu government school on June 16, the first of the wave of recent attacks, said he had put all his efforts into his boy's education in the hope he would get a good job.

Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg, To Visit Akwa-Ibom

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is to visit Akwa Ibom in next month, the Niger Delta Young Professionals, a non governmental group, has said.


Facebook is a social networking service launched in February, 2004, with over one billion active users.
The Chairman of the Niger Delta Young Professional, Mr Moses Siasia, made the announcement when he paid a courtesy visit on Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom on Friday. Siasia said that Zuckerberg had been invited as one of the guest speakers during his groups youth economic summit, scheduled to hold in Uyo from May 28 to May 29.
The chairman said that young professionals from the Niger Delta were coming together to promote entrepreneurship, looking at economic challenges in the area.
Siasia commended Akpabio for transforming the state through infrastructure such as good roads, healthcare and education.
Responding, Akpabio told the group to put in their best in their chosen professions, adding that success could only come with hard work.
The governor pledged his support towards the hosting of the summit, commending the youths for not engaging in militancy.

Justus Esiri Buried Today

The late theatre icon began his final journey home with a Tribute Night organised by the Actors’ Guild of Nigerian in Lagos. It was followed by a service of songs and general mass on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively at St. Jude Catholic Church, Mafoluku, Lagos, before his body was taken to Delta State for burial.

Friday morning, a commendation mass/lying-in-state was held at the Polo Turf in Abraka, before the body of Esiri was moved to his residence in Abraka for interment and entertainment of guests.
Chief Esiri popularly known as the Village Headmaster, died on 19 February following complications from diabetes.

Born in 1942, Esiri had his primary and secondary school education in Abraka and Warri, respectively, before proceeding to the Maximillan University and Weners Institute of Engineering in Germany, between 1964 and 1968.
Having worked for some time as a newscaster with the Voice of Nigeria, German Service, he veered

Amnesty for Boko Haram will fail – Musa Reef

While some Nigerians believe that the planned amnesty programme for the outlawed Boko Haram group would bring a lasting solution to the insecurity situation in the country, a northern-based human rights activist, Mr. Musa Reef has said that it would hit the rocks.
According to him, the proposed amnesty for members of Islamic sect by the Federal Government would fail unless the dreaded group change its ideological perception.
The activist, who said this in a communiqué issued on Wednesday flayed those faulting President Goodluck Jonathan for the current insecurity in the country.
He said, “The group is basically ideological and cannot be assuaged with any form of amnesty. In fact, from the snippets of messages of treats issued by the group, dialogue with the government is an anathema. So, what group is the government offering amnesty to?”

Is the amnesty for criminals or pick pockets or politicians fighting to regain relevance? Who are the mediators for the amnesty?’’ he queried.

Speaking further, Reef said, “Let it be stated without any form of equivocation that Boko Haram is not the same as the Niger Delta militants. Those who desperately attempt to draw similarities between the groups are either missing the point or simply being mischievous.’

APC will drive Nigeria to socio-political and economic brink – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that failure of leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission is the “hallmark of political naivety, painlessness.”

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the party opined that the APC has shown that it will “drive Nigeria to sociopolitical and economic brink should it be entrusted with power” as typified by the party’s failure to duly register the party before embarking on bleeping jamboree and propaganda.

According to the statement, the reality on the ground has shown that the leaders of the APC were all the while grandstanding; writing footnotes and glossary even when the first chapter of their history was yet to be successfully written.

“Nigerians are here confronted with an irony! It is an irony of a political party who without adequate planning, without a solid working rhythm, yet wishes to be entrusted to its effete, shaky shoulders, the fate of over One Hundred and Sixty Million Nigerians,” it said.

“Fortunately, Nigerians are witnessing first hand, the thoughtlessness and carelessness of the self-acclaimed political Messiahs, a fore warning that the nation, her people and our democracy are all in jeopardy should they be entrusted with power” the statement adds.

The statement further asked that “How can a group that could not conclude the basic as in due registration of its name be able to manage the affairs of Nigeria at this moment of critical challenge.”

Nigeria may breakup before 2015 – OPC leader, Fasheun

Respected Medical Doctor and founder of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Chief Frederick Fasheun has raised the alarm that Nigeria may not survive 2014, unless its citizens develop good political platforms and traditions.
Fashehun, who also doubles as the Chairman, Committee for the Resuscitation of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, said this while briefing newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday.
According to him, “There is real danger for the country and we cannot continue to fold our arms and watch politicians run the country aground through profligacy and corruption.
“From all indications, Nigeria will not survive beyond 2014 as a country, unless Nigerians rise up to evolve good political platforms and traditions.”
Speaking further, the elder statesman said, the UPN had come to provide such a credible platform, adding that those championing the resuscitation of the UPN would bring sanity into the nation’s political space, beginning with the South-West geopolitical zone.
He believes that a credible political association such as UPN would serve as a dependable, focused, people-oriented political vehicle.

He voiced his conviction thus, “UPN shall meet the true yearnings of Nigerians for quality education, for free health for all, for a functional transportation system, for rural-urban integration and for mass housing

Bodies of 10 Slain Policemen Recovered in Bayelsa

Five days after they were slain by gunmen in the creeks of Bayelsa State, the bodies of 10 of the 12 slain policemen have been recovered.
The bodies, which were in various stages of decomposition, were recovered Tuesday by a combined team of soldiers and policemen along the creeks and waterways of the Azuzama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.
The policemen, who were among a 50-member contingent deployed in Azuzama to provide security for high profile visitors going for the burial of the mother of an ex-militant, Kile Selky Torughedi, alias General Young Shall Grow, were killed in an ambush on Bayelsa waterways. Twelve policemen were said to have been killed in the attack.
The Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it carried out the attack in furtherance of its threat to resume hostilities following the conviction of its leader, Henry Okah, by a South African court for terrorism-related offences.
However, contrary to MEND's claim, the police said the attack was carried out by some aggrieved ex-militants.
The leader of the team of the aggrieved ex-militants has been identified as Commander Virus.
He is said to be the commanding officer from the dismantled camp of Torughedi.

AMNESTY CONTROVERSY: There is no difference between N-Delta militants and Boko Haram Islamists – Yusuf Ali

Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali

*On corruption: We are wrongly applying ‘legal shield’
‘Nigeria not serious about probity and transparency’
Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). In  this interview, he advances reason why Boko Haram Islamists deserve amnesty like the Niger Delta militants.  He also speaks on how the law can be strengthened to curb corruption. Excerpts:
Insecurity in Nigeria seems to be on the increase. What is it that we aren’t getting it right to stem it?
Security is everybody’s business. We need people who will be paid by the state to give information. That’s the way it was in the police.  The DPO had budget for informants to be paid.No matter how sophisticated your gadgets may be, you still need human elements; informants.
Security operatives should not be stereotyped in their investigative ability and performance. They must be dynamic. For example, if the Kwara commissioner of police had been killed in Kwara State, they could have said it was Boko Haram that did it. Many killings in the North may not have any thing to do with Boko Haram if properly investigated.

Oshiomhole @60

TODAY, April 4, 2013 two-term globally acclaimed former President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Comrade Governor of EdoState, Adams Oshiomhole marks his 60th birthday anniversary. At its maiden Merit Award edition recently in Lagos, the Labour Writers Association of Nigeria, LAWAN, among others honoured the Comrade Governor for being a pride of modern trade unionism.

It was instructive that Labour writers singled out a second-term governor for a pride of modern unionism merit award. Indeed the significant part of the citation on the comrade governor was devoted to his almost four decades-long trade union carrier (1971-2007). Undoubtedly the essential and perhaps most critical attributes of Adams Oshimhole is trade unionism. LAWAN certainly got it right; Life and times of Comrade Adams show that his main strenuous preoccupations have been with the improvement in the working and living conditions of the working men and women.

I am the next Governor of Ekiti State- Fayose

Dr. Peter Ayo-Fayose
 

Ibadan – Ahead of 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State, former governor Ayo Fayose of PDP has vowed to recapture power and become the next governor in the state.

In an interview with reporters of Nigeria in Ibadan, the embattled Fayose said “there is no agenda in 2014, I am the next governor in Ekiti state’’.

Sounding spiritual and philosophical, Fayose said he left office through the State House of Assembly on Oct. 15, 2006 and Mr Segun Oni also left on Oct. 15, 2010 while the incumbent Gov. Kayode Fayemi was sworn in on Oct. 16, 2010.

Patience fires her spokesman, appoints Rudolf Okonkwo, US-based Satirist as media aide

Patience Jonathan (Nigeria First Lady)

As fresh crisis surrounding the health of the First Lady Mrs. Patience Jonathan brews, the presidency has fired her spokesman, Mr. Ayo Osinlu.

The news is contained in a press release issued by the president’s Special Assistant on the Media, Dr. Reuben Abati.

Sahara-reporters sources say that the decision to fire Mr. Osinlu was taken by the First Lady from her hospital bed in Europe. Mrs. Patience Jonathan was mad at the inability of Mr. Osinlu to provide a foolproof decoy of a story to distract the media from her current medical surgeon abroad.

Finally ‘My Oga at the Top, Adesuyi replaces Obafaiye Shem as Lagos Commandant

Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, has finally replaced Mr. Obafaiye Shem, the man who postulated the “my oga at the top” mantra, as commandant of Lagos State Command. He was replaced by Mr. Adesuyi Clement from Oyo State Command.
The Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr. Olu Abolurin, who was in Lagos weekend over the alleged killing of two of his officers by some policemen, introduced the new Commandant to journalists.

However,

Recruitment at Bank Of America, Campaign in Nigeria – Nigerian Job Vacancy

We are on of the world’s largest financial institution with offices in major cities across the world will be in Lagos on Thursday, 25th April 2013 to discuss on opportunities for undergraduates to join
the company’s office in London and New york in USA.
The Event Description:
The event is open to student from any discipline who actually have an interest in the Financial markets and the career opportunities available in this industry. There will be free transport to and fro to the venue for the presentation for those who have been selected to attend the event.
Those That Can Apply:
Any undergraduate

Achebe: Fall of a mighty Iroko

BY IKEDI OHAKIM

I was suffused with sorrow when the news of the passage of Prof. Chinua Achebe, of an icon and legend of our time, was broken to me. Achebe (16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) died at a Boston hospital, at the age of 82. Chinua Achebe, the undisputed grandfather of modern African Literature, was indeed, a master story teller of incomparable pedigree, poet, essayist, critic, editor, broadcaster, publisher, historian, anthropologist, teacher, leftist political activist, humanist and seer.

Over 50 years ago,