How DPO raped me in detention..........How it all Happened by Sales girl .. Vanguard News

Trouble is brewing at a police division, Lagos Island following claims by a mother of two that she was raped by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, while in detention at the station.
The 31-year‑old Beninoise, identified as Idowu Akinwunmi, works as a sales girl in a restaurant on Keffi Road, in Ikoyi area of the state.
She was reportedly picked by some policemen from Onikan division, following a complaint lodged by her boss, one Mrs Pelumi Idowu, over an undisclosed reason, at about 1 am. She said she was thrown into the cell on reaching the station.
However, at about 10 pm, Akinwunmi said one Inspector Ajiduwe called her out of the cell and took her to the DPO’s office, where she alleged that the station’s boss forcefully had carnal knowledge of her. According t o her, “He, the DPO, made love to me without a condom, saying he would throw me into prison if I mention the incident to anyone.”
Refund of N10,000 bail
Aside that, she also alleged that the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, collected  N10,000 from her for bail before she was released. Akinwunmi told members of the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria, NOPRIN, that she had been having severe abdominal pain sincere the intercourse.
Although the DPO denied raping the detainee, when NOPRIN inquired from him, he reportedly called the man who stood surety for Akinwunmi to come for a refund of the N10,000 bribe for bail they extorted from her after allegedly raping her.
NOPRIN condemns
The National Coordinator, NOPRIN, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma who condemned the rape, said: “NOPRIN condemns the attempt by some police officers at Area A Command, Lion Building to block the victim from lodging a complaint of the rape with the Area Commander and collecting a police report to go for medical examination.” At the command level, Vanguard gathered that the state command frowned at the allegation and had commenced investigation to ascertain the DPO’s alleged culpability. If found guilty, the DPO, said to have put in about 25 years in service, would face disciplinary action. Already, the Command’s boss, Umar Manko, had reportedly summoned the parties involved to the command for  interrogation as at 3 pm, yesterday. Spokesperson for the command, Ngozi Braide, however, could not state whether the allegation was true or false but told Vanguardthat investigation at the end of the day would prove that, adding: “It is an allegation and we are taking it very serious.”   How I was raped — Akinwunmi Narrating her ordeal, Akinwunmi,  told Vanguard: “I was arrested because my madam told the police that I allowed one Friday, a customer pass the night in the restaurant. Two relatives of one of the tailors employed by my madam who came on a visit were also arrested. “I am from Cotonou in Benin Republic. I am a mother of two and I have been working for Ms Pelumi for about 10 months now. I have done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment. Is it because I am a foreigner that I would be abused without protection? Nigerians should give me justice. I demand justice for this wrong that has been done to me. “While at the station, I pleaded with one of the police women to allow me take my bath since I have not been allowed to do so since I was arrested and she agreed. “On my way to the bathroom, I met the DPO for the first time. He asked if I was Idowu and I said yes. He then asked why I chose to violate my boss’ rules and I told him it was a mistake. “At about 10pm, one Inspector Ajiduwe took me out of the cell to the DPO, apparently for debriefing on the case. “Immediately the Inspector left the office, the DPO started touching me. When I asked him to stop, he said my boss said they should do anything they liked to me. “He threatened to shoot me and send me and those arrested with me to jail, if I refused to allow him make love to me and that he would release all of us if I gave in. “He, thereafter, took me into the inner room in his office. I began to plead with him to use a condom but he refused and forced himself on me . “When he finished, he told me to wash myself in the bathroom which I did. After that, he sent me back to the cell, with a promise that I would be released. “But when my relatives came to effect our bail, they paid N30,000 for five of us. As we were going, the DPO scribbled his number on a piece of paper and gave to me. “Immediately I left, my relatives took me to the Island Maternity for the necessary medical tests.”

(REMINDER) We ‘re on Northern Governors’ payroll – Boko Haram

 on January 24, 2012

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor, AbdulSalam Muhammad, Victoria Ojeme & Ndahi Marama

LAGOS —The Boko Haram sect has cited the stoppage of its monthly financial support for the recent attacks on northern states, claiming that the group was until recently being bankrolled by some northern governors.

The claim by the group came as it also alleged that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in its firing range last September but was spared because of his tolerance of the sharia Islamic code during his presidency.

An unnamed high ranking official of the group alleged that the Ibrahim Shekarau administration in Kano made a monthly N10 million donation to the group while the Bauchi Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda besides financial commitments was also an admirer of the military prowess of the group.

The group has, nevertheless, dismissed any personal grouse with President Goodluck Jonathan, alleging that the problems with the administration were carryovers from what it claimed to be the callousness of the Yar‘Adua administration in waging war against the group.

The allegations were made by a high ranking official of the group to the online publication 247ureports.com.

Mr. Michael Ishola, Chief Press Secretary to the Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda, however, debunked the claim as a “very, very strange allegation.”

The newly appointed Special Adviser (Media) to the Kano State Governor, Mallam Halilu Dantiye on his part, claimed ignorance of any monthly payment to the group by the Ibrahim Shekarau administration which the present administration succeeded as he claimed that there was no such issue contained in the handover note.

Noting that the attacks on Kano and Bauchi arose from the stoppage of the financial support to the group by some northern governors, the official in the disclosures to the publication said that the entire northern governors have ongoing relationships with the group.

“Most of them pay us monthly to leave their states alone”.
It was alleged that the Shekarau administration reached an agreement as far back as 2004 to be paying a monthly support of N5 million to the group which was later raised to N10 million sometime in 2009.

The agreement also reportedly included infrastructural support. The support was, however, allegedly stopped at the inception of the Kwankwaso administration in May 2011.

The publication alleged that the Kwankwaso regime also turned against the group dismantling its infrastructure in the state.

“We warned the Governor of the consequences. We concluded on Kano in December 2011,” the source said. Shekarau’s spokesman, Sule Yau did not respond to the allegations yesterday as he did not respond to a text message sent to him. Mallam Dantiye Special Adviser to Governor Kwankwaso claimed ignorance of the alleged support saying that nothing like that was contained in the handover note received from Shekarau.

On Bauchi, the publication reported that Governor Yuguda reached a similar agreement with the leadership of the group for the payment of N10million monthly to the group alongside the provision of training grounds on the many mountains scattered in Bauchi State. The governor it was reported also promised to give them security against arrests by the federal government. The agreement was supposedly reached in June 2008 but mid 2011, the governor reportedly stopped the disbursement of the funds.

Mr. Michael Ishola, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Yuguda also refuted the allegation against Governor Yuguda. “It is a very, very strange allegation, because the Isa Yuguda I know cannot be involved in such an allegation. We in Bauchi have been living in peace. We are not involved in that,” he told Vanguard yesterday.

Why we didn’t kill Obasanjo — Boko Haram

While noting the group’s reservations on the mediation initiated by President Obasanjo with the group through Babakura Fuggu, in-law of Mohammed Yusuf, the slain founder of the group, the publication disclosed that the new leader of the group, Imam Abubakar Shekau, had considered priming Obasanjo for assassination as the September 15, 2011 exchange approached.

According to the publication: As Obasanjo concluded his secret meeting the previous day at the Green House with three other religious group [Jamatu Nasirl Islam, JNI and CAN] in Jos, the capital of Plateau State on the Wednesday of September 14, 2011, and took off the following day to Borno State, the terrorist group, according to the source, marked the former President within their ‘firing range’ from the moment he landed in Borno State at minutes after 11am till he departed the State in the late afternoon of the same day. According to the source, “we were not sure of him”.

“He was going to be a big catch” said the source who explained that the leadership halted the operation as Obasanjo went inside the residence of Babakura.

“Obasanjo was good to us. We had no problem with Obasanjo. We had him. We could have taken him out”, as he recalled that the sharia movement took off during the period when Obasanjo was president. “The problem started during the late President Yar’Adua regime. Goodluck only inherited the problem. We have no problem with Goodluck. But his Ijaw people around him are deceiving him”.

While fighting APC, Fani-Kayode holds secret meeting with Jonathan

Mr. Fani-Kayode says he has no plan to dump APC now.
President Goodluck Jonathan and a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode met behind closed-doors at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.
The meeting, which was also attended by a man who could not be immediately identified, lasted for about one hour in the president’s office.
Mr. Fani-Kayode, one of Mr. Jonathan fiercest critics, is a member of the All Progressives Congress, Nigeria’s main opposition party.
He was minister in the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration. He also served the former president as Special Assistant on Public Affairs.
The former minister left the PDP last year, describing the fold as an evil party.
But last week, Mr. Fani-Kayode suddenly turned against his new party, accusing it, in public statements and opinion articles, of plotting to field a Muslim/Muslim ticket in the 2015 presidential election. The APC is yet to respond to the allegation.
Mr. Fani-Kayode, when confronted by journalists after the meeting, refused to give details of his meeting with the president.
He however said every Nigerian was entitled to visit the Presidential Villa and therefore he was delighted do so.
He said, “This is a Presidential Villa, the President is a President of Nigeria and every single person in this country that is a Nigerian is entitled to come here from time to time, when the doors are open to come and pay their respect to the wonderful people that are here. As a Nigerian, I have done that today and I am delighted to be here.”
The former minister explained that there was nothing unusual about his criticism of the Jonathan administration and that it was important for people to express different views on issues after which they reunite to move the country forward.
He urged Nigerians to visit the president from to time to assist him to develop the country.
Asked to clear the air on his alleged plan to return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Fani-Kayode said he would tell Nigerians at the appropriate time whether he would dump the APC or not.
“The step that I will take will be made known to Nigerians at the right time,” he said.
“The most important thing and I think you are fully aware of this is that I cannot and I will not be associated with a situation whereby any group of people is promoting a religion above another.
“I think all of us have gone past the stage of religious politics in this country. We must treat the Muslim community with utmost respect and we must treat the Christian community in the same way and even the non-religious.”
In a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday evening, Mr. Fani-Kayode insisted he had no plan to leave the APC now.
But he also declined to disclose details of his meeting with Mr. Jonathan.

The Strange Dream Of A Muslim/Muslim Ticket (Part 2) By Femi Fani-Kayode

This article is the continuation of the first part earlier published. If you missed it, please read it The Strange Dream Of A Muslim/Muslim Ticket (Part 1) By Femi Fani-Kayode

 The world for presenting a Muslim/Muslim ticket will not enable us to escape this ugly tag. As a matter of fact they will simply confirm it. We have a lot of work to do in this respect and permit me to share just one of the things that we ought to  do very quickly if we wish to avoid the consequences of our own folly.  We must go out of our way to redress the religious imbalance in our Interim National Executive where you have virtually ALL the KEY positions in the hands of Muslims and where it is only the lesser positions that the Christians enjoy.

The charge that there are far many more Muslims than Christians on the Interim National Executive Committee is false because the number of Christians and Muslims in that distinguished body are more or less equal. The numbers are not the problem but rather the fact that virtually all the substantive positions on that 35-man Executive Committee are in the hands of Muslims. The Christians that are there are either ‘’deputy’’ or ‘’vice’’ to one of their Muslim colleagues or the other. Does anyone have an idea what signal this sends? Do they care about the consequences of such a signal? Was this done by design or was it just an innocent mistake? These questions must be asked and they must be answered.

We have been saying all this quietly for a few months now but nothing has happened. No-one seems to be listening and no-one seems to care. Worst still instead of reaching out and allaying our fears we are now being fed with subtle yet insulting and unacceptable rationalizations and justifications  for what is essentially politically explosive and electorally suicidal nonsense.  If there is no Christian in Nigeria that qualifies to be President or Vice President and that does not have the noble qualities of ‘’integrity, capacity and competence’’ that were listed earlier then they should tell us and we will know what to do. The whole thing is beginning to move in a certain direction and it stinks.

An illicit and subterranean agenda seems to be unfolding and instead of assuring us that such a thing can never happen or even be contemplated in today’s Nigeria they are telling us to live with it and that, all of a sudden, religion does not matter anymore. If it does not matter anymore then why not present a Christian/Christian ticket? If it does not matter anymore then why give the impression that you are interested in the Christian vote? If it does not matter anymore then why the resistance in some quarters for a Christian Presidential candidate for the party?

Meanwhile it matters enough to those who want a Muslim/Muslim ticket to be secretly advocating it and to be openly suggesting it. This is nothing more than an Islamic agenda in the making and to those who have such an agenda and who wish to use the APC to effect it I say ‘’that which you want to do, do it quickly and see the result of the work of your hands’’.  Make no mistake about it: I speak the minds of millions of self-respecting and discerning Christians in this country when I say these things and I have consulted very widely before saying them.

I say them because I am a committed and loyal party member who wants the party to fare well in the 2015 elections and who wants them to win. I will not sit back and remain silent when I see such a precious vehicle heading for the rocks and when I see it courting self-destruction. Only the the irresponsible, the sycophantic and the opportunistic would do that together with those who have a hidden agenda and who do not give a damn about the consequences of this reckless course of action on the fortunes and image of the party.

If those that disagree with me wish to expel me from the party for saying so please go ahead. It will only prove my point. I have a soft spot for the APC and I have tremendous respect and affection for my friends and brothers who established it and who represent the more liberal and enlightened wing of the party.

I am talking about people like our leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, our National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Governor Kayode Fayemi, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Governor Rabiu Kwakwanso, Governor Murtala Nyarko, Governor Tanko Al Makura, Governor Adams Oshiomole, Governor Rochas Okorocha, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Senator Joseph Waku, Senator George Akume, Senator Joel Danlami Ikenya, Senator Borriface, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Senator Lawal Shuaibu , Chief Sam Nda Isaiah, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief John Oyegun, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamilla, Hon. Yusuf Tuggar, Prince Tony Momoh, Hon. Rotimi Makinde, Senator Femi Ojudu, Senator Jide Omoware, Senator BukolaSaraki, Senator Danjuma Goje, Senator Adamu Abdullahi, Alhaji Bello Masari, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, Rt.Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora and so many others, all of whom I have been very close to for many years and all of whom are far more to me than just being mere friends or political associates.

These people, together with a number of others, are the heart and soul of the party and they are it’s saving grace. I say this because, unlike a handful of others, they are essentially moderates and liberals and they represent the forces of light within it’s ranks. Yet the truth must be told. And true friends and brothers always speak the truth to one another no matter how bitter that truth is.

If speaking that truth will cost me then so be it. At least I will sleep very well at night with a clear conscience knowing that I have done my very best to steer the party in the right direction and stop it from destroying itself. One thing that I will never do, no matter what, is to allow anyone or any group of people to denigrate or insult my faith or the adherents of my faith and relegate us to the position of second class citizens. This matter must be taken very seriously indeed because the consequences of not doing so will be swift, far-reaching, irretrievable and very grave for the APC.

This is 2014 and not 1993 and today things are very different. Christians cannot and must not be taken for granted and no-one should attempt to sacrifice them on the alter of political expediency. Any party that seeks to do that ceases to be a political party and can be better described as a religious cult. And no Christian worth his salt can or will ever be the member of such a cult. The choice is for the leaders of the APC to make. If you are a cult then continue on the path of self-destruction but if you are a political party then learn to be fair to Christians and to appreciate their sensitivities.

The suggestion of a Muslim/Muslim ticket by some and the subtle rationalization of such a repugnant and self-destructive agenda by others is, to say the least, nauseating. It is simply unacceptable and, in Jesus name, we reject it. Like I said earlier, those that are thinking along those lines should perish the thought and stop causing consternation, dissension and confusion. Yet if they choose to continue to do so they should prepare for the consequences.

The desire for a Vice Presidential candidate to emerge from the south-western part of the country is very strong and, if the APC really wants to win, it is the smartest thing to do. Being an unapologetic Yoruba nationalist, not only am I at the forefront of that struggle but I also believe in it passionately. I believe that that is the right and proper thing to do and that that is our due. I also believe that if the person that the leadership of the Yoruba APC eventually decide to field as a Vice Presidential candidate is a Muslim then the north must field a Christian candidate for the Presidency.

Conversely if the person that the leadership of the Yoruba APC eventually decide to field as a Vice Presidential candidate is a Christian then the north must field a Muslim candidate for the Presidency. It really is as simple as that. That is the way out and that is the winning combination and formula. The way to failure, disaster and ruin is to ignore this counsel and to field a northern Muslim as the Presidential candidate of the party and a Yoruba Muslim as his running mate. A word is enough for the wise.

Yet all hope is not lost. I say this because there are many leading northern Muslims who are highly respected elders and leaders within the ranks of the opposition who have been quietly advocating for a northern Christian that can be trusted by them and that is competent and reliable to be the candidate of the APC. They see this as the only way to ensure that the ugly tag of being a sectarian party is finally removed. They also see it as the only way that Jonathan can be defeated simply because a combination of the northern Christian and Muslim vote, coupled with a strong and credible Muslim running mate from the south-west that will garner the support of all the Yoruba regardless of their faith, cannot be defeated.

Since we are on this topic I am constrained to make reference to a rather strange and curious event which took place just last week and which has some relevance to this discourse. The Sultan of Sokoto, who is the leader of the Muslim community in Nigeria, led a delegation to President Goodluck Jonathan to complain about what he described as the ”under-representation of Muslims” at the Constitutional Conference.

The President, in an uncharacteristically frank and candid manner, hit back immediately by asking the Sultan why it was that the muslim governors of the north-west do not sponsor members of their Christian community to pilgrimage in Jerusalem in the same way that they sponsor the members of their muslim community to Mecca. He urged the Sultan to tell the governors of the north-west to sit up and do the right thing by being fair to all. This was excellent counsel from our President and he has won many new converts and friends by asking the Sultan a pertinent question and telling him the simple truth.

Frankly I never knew that President Goodluck Jonathan had it in him and I am pleasantly surprised. If the Christian population in the core north could be treated with such contempt and so unfairly by the core northern governors I really do wonder what their plight would be under a Muslim/Muslim President and Vice President. Perhaps those that tell us that ”religion does not matter” could enlighten us about this.

Permit me to end this rather long contribution with the words of a young, keen and insightful  mind by the name of Miss Ayobami Animashaun. In my view, Ayo has put the case against a Muslim/Muslim ticket in a succinct, compelling and simply brilliant manner. In an interesting and somewhat heated Facebook discussion on the March 29th 2014 she wrote as follows:

‘’The Presidential ticket in Nigeria is usually shared between the North/South and Muslim/Christian. To have a South/South or North/North or Christian/Christian or Muslim/Muslim for now will be a complete and total failure in the Nigeria we live in today. If it is true that a Muslim/Muslim ticket is currently being considered by APC then this is evidently the handy work of President Goodluck Jonathan’s ‘’prayer warriors’’! He shall have a very easy ride back to Aso Villa in 2015. I am an APC supporter but should the party field a Muslim/Muslim ticket I shall be jumping ship over to PDP for sure.

Someone within APC isn’t thinking right!  99% of Nigerians are extremely religious, and I am one of them. I make no apology for that. This country has over 85 million christians and for anyone in the APC to say they cannot find one out of 85 million to be on their ticket is extremely insulting to us. Take it or leave it, that is how I feel. I have indeed spoken the minds of many.

No self-respecting Christian would support an all Muslim ticket in Nigeria today. Neither would Muslims accept a Christian/Christian ticket and neither should we expect them to do so. We already hear people openly refer to the APC as the Boko Haram and the Janjaweed Party. Presenting a Muslim/Muslim ticket would only confirm this. That is absolute logic!

Some say only a tiny percentage of our people care about religion or the faith of the candidates on the Presidential ticket? That is complete and utter bollocks! We will all be here to see the outcome of this folly! Meanwhile I will re-consider my support for the APC, because I cannot continue to be associated with people that are religiously insensitive!

This is a party whose key substantive officers in the National Executive Committee are ALL “Muslims”! Meanwhile we are in 2014. Did I see someone compare 1993 to today? That was 21 years ago for goodness sake and so much has happened between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria since then. I am not religiously intolerant, I am simply being politically realistic in the climate we have in Nigeria today.

Trying to sound politically correct can only score you little brownie points on a small facebook thread. It is not common sense to come up with a Muslim/Muslim ticket in a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural state where over 50% of the population are Christians. To do so not only makes no sense but it is also politically suicidal.

Go to the Christians of the North Central, the North West and the North East and tell them that you are presenting a Muslim-Muslim ticket and see if they do not stone you! Go to the South-South and the South-East and tell them that you are presenting a Muslim-Muslim ticket and see if they do not spank you. Go to the South-West and tell the Yoruba Christians that you are presenting a Muslim-Muslim ticket and see if they do not insult you. If you like, go ahead and try it!

This will not be the first time that arrogance and the lust for power overides sound judgement and wise counsel. I am seeing something very ugly behind the mask of the APC now and it is called religious bigotry.

My advice to you is to rid yourselves of it otherwise no self-respecting Christian would support you. No matter what you say or do, no one can use the back door to islamise Nigeria’’.

Miss Ayo Animashaun has spoken courageously and she has voiced an inconvenient and bitter truth. I need say no more. I rest my case. God bless Nigeria.

Fani-Kayode Dumps APC, Says He Just Realised Jonathan Is A Responsible Leader

Barely few days after he voiced opposition to the speculation that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is planning to field a Muslim/Muslim ticket for the 2015 presidential election, former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The former minister who was at the Presidential Villa in Abuja today to meet with Jonathan, says he has just realised that President Goodluck Jonathan is a responsible leader.

Addressing State House journalists after the closed door meeting, Fani-Kayode said he would never agree to the alleged plan by the APC to field two Muslims as presidential candidate and running mate for the 2015 general elections.

He said though he had been a critic of Jonathan’s administration, there was nothing wrong in resolving “issues” with the president.

Fani-Kayode later headed for the Office of the Chief of Staff to the president.

Chartered jets: Why we won’t probe Diezani – Presidency

The affairs of the Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, have recently come under scrutiny after it was revealed that she had spent N10 billion on private jets.The Presidency has however said through a representative that it has no plans to probe the minister over the allegations of financial impropriety levelled against her.This was disclosed yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe.Dr. Okupe is said to have added that the presidency wouldn’t probe Mrs Alison-Madueke because she was already being probed by the House of Representatives.
The Punch reports:  Alison-Madueke was alleged to have spent N10bn on a chartered Challenger 850 aircraft in two years for which the House of Representatives is currently probing her.Okupe said that the Federal Government could not institute a probe panel on matters that had not been substantiated.who spoke to one of our correspondents in a telephone interview in Abuja, on Friday, said since the House of Representatives had started investigating the matter, the right thing to do was to wait for the outcome of such a probe before any further step could be taken.
He said, “The Federal Government cannot set up a probe panel just on things that have not been substantiated as such. The information I have is that the House of Representatives is looking into the matter and they want to invite the honourable minister. Definitely, the right thing is to wait for the outcome of such an interaction before anybody can decide to do anything.”
Though the House of Representatives had assured Nigerians that it would investigate the allegations against the petroleum minister, it is yet to start the probe one week after it gave the promise. The House Committee on Public Accounts was given three weeks to conduct the investigation and produce a report.But as at Thursday, there was no formal action on the probe and no invitation had been sent out to any government official to appear before the committee.

On Progressives and Pro-aggressives - written by Reno Omokri

Article written by Reno Omokri, Special Assistant to the President on New Media.
All advertising is based on the theory of Proof by Repeated Assertion which provides that a proposition repeated and restated regularly using the mass media comes to be accepted as true irrespective of any contradictions in the proposition being asserted. This theory is very effective and even more so in the modern world where attention spans are limited and people read headlines and draw conclusions without reading the story. Gone are the days of Ronald Reagan where that great communicator urged us to "trust but verify". Nowadays, very few people are prepared to pay the intellectual price of verifying what they are served by the media and some individuals have clued in on this deficiency amongst Nigerians and the fact that we can be subliminally manipulated by what we read in the media and have used this deficiency against us.

You may disagree with me, but I will offer an elementary example. If you have been reading newspapers, listening to the radio or watching television, or even if you have been following the news online news media for the past year, you would have heard of the All Progressive Congress, APC, being described as a progressive party.  Many Nigerians have bought this asserted labeling hook, line and sinker. But do the facts bear this out?

A progressive party is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a group "favoring or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas" one that is "modern, liberal, advanced, forward-thinking, enlightened, enterprising, innovative, pioneering, dynamic, bold, avant-garde, reforming, reformist, radical".

Let us pay close attention to this definition and then let us consider the facts.

For the first part, a progressive party has to favor or implement social reform and promote new, liberal ideas. Can those who promote the All Progressive Congress truly say that the party favours or is implementing social reform and promotes new, liberal ideas?

In recent times, President Goodluck Jonathan recognized the fact that there are structural errors both in our constitution and in Nigeria's body politics and though he was previously against the idea of a National Conference, he realized that there was no way Nigeria could avoid it if we had to address the challenges that have caused friction amongst the people of Nigeria.

Thus, he conceived of the idea of having a National Conference in the year 2014 where those who were most vociferous in advocating the case of their region, group or professional and social organization could come and talk things out.

Obviously, objective persons would agree that this was a move that favored social reform and promoted new ideas that could radically change the way we do things in Nigeria.

However, the APC, which brands itself as a progressive party rejected the idea of a National Conference with many of its leaders saying that such a conference is unnecessary? Not stopping there, the APC asked its members not to participate in the conference, an advise which even its own governors wisely ignored.

The question to a reasonable by stander is going by the above, who between President Jonathan and the APC is progressive?

I offer another example.

Since the time of the late great President Umaru Musa Yar'adua, Nigeria has had issues with an insurgency in the form of the Boko Haram insurrection. If you have followed the media, the APC and its leaders have criticized the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan for its handling of the insurgency, yet, they have not provided an alternative strategy to contain the insurgency.

On the other hand, the man they have consistently criticized has provided and implemented the following strategies to contain the insurgency;

On the 1st of January, 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan temporarily closed Nigeria's borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon to curtail the movements of arms and insurgents into Nigeria as well as declared a State of Emergency in some of the Local Governments most affected by the insurgency.

On the 24th of April, 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North to dialogue with the insurgents and explore opportunities for an amnesty.

On May 14th, 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan cut short his visit to South Africa and aborted a planned state visit to Namibia to address an upsurge in insurgent activities by declaring a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states and constitutionally and democratically left the governors and governments of those states intact.

On July 2nd 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan sent 25,000 metric tons of assorted food items to residents of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states to facilitate their participation in the fasting period. Borno state got 324 trailers of food, Yobe received 195 trailers and Adamawa got 170 trailer. An eye witness and indigene of one of the states on sighting the supplies said "this is an unprecedented initiative by the president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. I have not heard in history where this amount of food was released to any part of Nigeria in the past".

Finally, on the 18th of March, 2014, the Jonathan administration launched a major economic recovery plan for the Northeast tagged ' Soft Approach to Countering Terrorism” which involves de-radicalising extremists and stopping others from being radicalized, mobilizing the society through strategic public communication and economic revitalization of the North-East states affected by insurgency.

On the other hand, the strategy of the APC has been to criticize Nigeria's armed forces who are risking their lives by engaging the insurgents with the attendant risk that their morale could be affected. Without providing proof, they have alleged that the insurgents are better armed and motivated than our military personnel. This is besides the fact that they have blamed the military for civilian loss of life and damage to property without investigation.

Now, take a scale and weigh the responses of the President Goodluck Jonathan led Peoples Democratic Party administration and the All Progressive Congress's approach to the insurgency and let your conscience direct you on who between the two is truly a progressive.

If you go back in history, it will be recalled that of all the parties that existed in Nigeria in 2011, ONLY the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, engaged in a presidential primary on the 13th of January, 2011. All other parties, including the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, chose their presidential candidates either by consensus or by imposition.

Now, fast forward to the 3rd of March 2014. The All Progressive Congress, which is composed of those same parties which did not engage in presidential primaries, announced that in a poll that they carried out, their unnamed presidential candidate was more popular than President Goodluck Jonathan and would defeat him if an election was held immediately.

Discerning minds would have noticed that from the above information released by the APC, it appears that the three parties which coalesced into the APC are up to their old games. How can they know their presidential candidate in March of 2014 when they have not conducted a presidential primary?

The answer is because old habits die hard and just as they did in 2011, they do not intend to hold presidential primaries and plan to coronate their already chosen candidate by imposition.

So, I ask my readers, drop your biases and preconceived notions and consider what I have written to you with an open mind and ask yourself whether the APC is a progressive party as they say.

Remember that the Oxford English Dictionary describes a progressive as one who is "forward-thinking, enlightened, enterprising, innovative, pioneering and dynamic".

Who does this definition fit? The APC or the President Goodluck Jonathan led PDP administration? Let's further consider other facts.

If a progressive is "forward-thinking", what would you consider the action of President Jonathan in signing the Freedom of Information Act into law which essentially demystified governance and opened it up to the populace such that every Nigerian now has access to each line item of the executive's appropriation and can tell how much the President spends on feeding and other sundry expenses? Has it ever happened in Nigeria before?

If a progressive is "enlightened" certainly, President Jonathan fits that mould as a man who is enlightened enough to be led by conscience and not ego and was able to gather EVERY living former Head of State and President to the Presidential Villa last month irrespective of party affiliation or recent history in keeping with the statement he made on the 18th of September, 2010 that "I have no enemies to fight".

If a progressive is "enterprising" what would you call a man who met Nigeria's Per Capita Income at $1091 in 2009 and grew it to $1721 as at 2013 (/y5tfwwd)?

If a progressive is "innovative" then tens of thousands of young Nigerians are witnesses to the innovativeness of the President being beneficiaries of the Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin) scheme which gave them quality business training and support as well as granted them between two and ten million Naira to start a business so they could employ other youths.

If a progressive is "pioneering" then what better effort can a man pioneer than to build schools for itinerant Islamic Scholars (aka Almajiri) complete with Malam's Quarters, Hostels, Qu'ranic Recitation Hall and Science Laboratories?

If a progressive is "dynamic" then the President who goes about Nigeria fulfilling promises he made is dynamic.

Giving the opposition propaganda in the media about the President not fulfilling his promises, some of my readers may ask, what promises, if any, has President Jonathan fulfilled?

I would attempt to list just a few of them.

If you live in Southeast Nigeria, some of the promises the President is fulfilling for you are the 2nd Niger Bride now under construction as well as the Enugu International Airport. If you live in Northwest Nigeria some of the promises the President is fulfilling for you are new universities and schools for almajiris. If you live in Southwest Nigeria, some of the promises the President is fulfilling for you are the revived railways and the ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Rd. If you live in North-central Nigeria, some of the promises the President is fulfilling for you are the Zungeru Hydro Electric Dam, the Baro Port and the dredging of the River Niger. If you live in South south Nigeria, some of the promises the President is fulfilling for you are are the ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Ore-Benin road and the East-West road. If you live in Northeast Nigeria, some of the promises the President is fulfilling for you are a Green Belt to stop Desert Encroachment and new universities.

But perhaps the most significant promise the President has fulfilled to Nigerians is the promise of bequeathing free and fair elections for all.  In fact, after the APC governor of Edo state was re elected in July of 2012, he personally visited the President at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa to thank him for fulfilling his promise of ensuring free and fair elections. Governor Adams Oshiomhole's testimony with regards that election are so telling, so spontaneously true, that I think it best to reproduce them especially as he is of the APC.

Said Governor Oshiomhole,  “what the Edo election has confirmed is that when the President and Commander-in-Chief puts the country first and conducts himself as a statesman, not just as a party leader, credible elections are possible, because people were apprehensive that the Nigerian Army could be misused. But of course, I told them I didn’t think they were right, but the President’s clear directive was that the votes must count. He warned that there will be no rigging, no manipulation, no ballot snatching and orders were given to the Army to ensure none of those things happened and the Army carried out the order. The Police IG was similarly instructed. He deployed his men probably much more than we probably needed and they delivered on the President’s orders. The SSS were fantastic because they were always at the collating centres where some of the manipulations can take place".

You see, even an APC governor in a moment of candour recognizes the limits of propaganda. Recently, Local Government elections were carried out in some APC controlled states, I would eat my hat if anybody can come out and give the same testimony that Governor Oshiomhole gave with regards to those 'elections'!

I have had people complain to me that the opposition is outspending the government in the area of media propaganda and my response to them is that if a government keeps fulfilling its campaign promises to Nigerians, then Nigerians will open up their hearts to that government. President Goodluck Jonathan has a habit of delivering on his promises in a way that no one else has done before him and has a unique way of winning arguments with his detractors not by words but by results.

So for instance, his opponents may hold a rally and spend a good portion of their time insulting and disparaging the President rather than telling the people what they would do for them and think that they have achieved some big thing. But in actual fact, what they have communicated to thinking members of their audience is the fact that Nigerians enjoy a far greater measure of democratic freedoms under the leadership of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan because had someone else spoken in such a manner about some of these folk while they were in government they would certainly enjoy freedom of speech but not freedom after the speech. But today, they can say what they want to say without fear because we have a true progressive as President of Nigeria.

It is little things like this that give a clue as to who is really a progressive.

You see, being a progressive is not something that you become because you constantly parade yourself as such in the media. No. Being a progressive is just like being powerful. If you have to tell people you are powerful then you are not really powerful.

A true progressive is a newsmaker and not a noisemaker. He makes the news because he has something to say and something tangible to deliver. A false progressive is a noisemaker who makes the news because he wants to say something, not because he has something to say. And I wager that in the final analysis, Nigerians are wise enough to know that if it is not panadol it can not be the same as panadol.

Reno

Why Pastors Are Richer Than Their Members In Nigeria – Oritsejafor

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor recently bared his mind concerning the controversies surrounding churches and their flamboyant pastors.

When asked to explain why churches milk the poor, the CAN president and Senior pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, said “it is cheap to criticise; even to criticise what you don’t understand. Let me put it this way, in every good people, you would always find some bad people. The church is the greatest institution that has made the country today. If you look back, you would find out that the church brought education to Nigeria.”

Speaking further to Punch, he said “The church brought hospital to Nigeria. I think the church should be given credit for that. People don’t understand what they say about the church milking the poor. Can a poor man have money to pay tithe? A man who has no job, can he pay tithe? No, he won’t be able to pay. So how do you milk a man who has no milk? In a church, you have both the poor and the rich. It is generally not the poor that finance the church. It is those with the means. A man, for example, who earns N10,000, how much is his tithe? His tithe is N1,000. A man who earns N500,000, how much is his tithe? His tithe is 10 per cent which is N50,000. How much would you milk from a man who pays a tithe of N1000?

“We won’t say things like this usually because the church is a level-playing ground. Whether you are poor or you are rich, God sees everybody as equal. It is because of a question like this that sometimes, we have to take time to analyse things. I even hear people say that the poor give money to start schools, but their children cannot go to the schools. How will they give this money when they are poor? The truth is that, the people who actually give this money are those who have the means to do so. Those people make it possible for churches to start schools. Now again, why do churches charge high fees in school? You didn’t ask me that, but I’m just throwing that in free. People must understand that there is a standard.

“The church wants to maintain the standard. In those days, some people will say that when missionaries started school, it was free. Don’t forget that those missionaries were being financed from different places. Who is financing us today? We are financing ourselves. If I got free financing, why won’t we make education free? You must also understand that at the time, the cost of living was not the way it is today. The educational system of Nigeria is in serious trouble, so we need to up the standards. And to do that, you should be able to hire the best hands. If you hire the best, how do you pay them? Where do you get the money to pay them? How do you put the right infrastructure in place? How do you do many of the things that need to be done? How do you run the generators?”

On why there are so many poor people in churches yet rich pastors, Oritsejafor who recently completed an ultra modern 40,000 capacity church auditorium in Warri, Delta State, explained, “Remember that the pastors are pasturing both the poor and the rich. They are all in the same assembly. Both the poor and the rich, those who have the means in the church take time to be kind to their pastors. That is something most people don’t realise. They give their pastors money, food and different things. For example, a member of the church goes to his pastor and says, ‘I feel led to give you a car. Take this car.’ Now the pastor has a car. Did he steal it? As I sit here talking to you now, I can tell you that I am training almost 100 people in institutions of higher learning. Nobody is going to broadcast that. On every 26th of December, I organise what I call poverty alleviation. I have been doing it now for about eight years.”

Defending his aircraft and rift with Mallam Nasir el-Rufai “I am glad that there are people who challenged him. I would only be dignifying him if a person at my level starts exchanging words with a small person like el-Rufai. He is too small. I will not dignify him with a response. People responded. They told him that since he knew who gave the gift, he should provide the proof, which he hasn’t done till today. Obviously, he didn’t have any proof. That is the problem with Nigeria. We continue to celebrate people like el-Rufai. He is too small for me. I won’t waste my time on him”

JUST IN: Ali Modu Sheriff treating to beat up national leader of APC, Bola Tinubu- Premium Times

Sheriff (third from left) threatens to slap Bola Tinubu (right)

The recent meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, almost turned violent following the threat by a former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff to beat up a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu.
Mr. Sheriff exploded midway into the meeting, raining abuses on Mr. Tinubu and threatening to slap the former Lagos State governor.
But for the intervention of the some party leaders attending the meeting, including a former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari and a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the former Borno Governor, almost made real his threat, sources at the meeting told PREMIUM TIMES.
The APC NEC meeting, which was held at the party’s headquarters in the Wuse 2 District of Abuja, was convened last Monday to discuss some pressing issues in the party, including the impending inaugural ward, local government and state congresses as well as a national convention.
The membership of the party’s NEC includes all members of the National Working Committees, NWC, Board of Trustees, BoT, former presidents, vice presidents, governors and their deputies who are members of the party, and leaders of the party in the National Assembly.
Mr. Sheriff is a member of the organ in his capacity as a former governor and a leader of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, which last year merged with the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Congress for Progressives Change, CPC, and a section of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to form the APC.
He was the Chairman of the ANPP Board of Trustees until the merger. On his part, apart from being a former governor, Mr. Tinubu is a respected leading light of the country’s main opposition party.
At the end of the meeting, the APC NEC fixed May 24 for its first national convention. It also fixed April 5 for the ward congresses while the local government and state congresses will hold April 12 and 23 respectively.
Our sources said Messrs. Sheriff and Tinubu clashed when the meeting began discussions on the congresses and convention.
It was gathered that the during the discussion, the APC National Chairman, Bisi Akande, who was presiding over the meeting nominated himself and the National Secretary, Tijjani Tumsah to serve as chairman and secretary respectively of the National Convention Committee, NCC, which would also oversee the conduct of the congresses.
Angered by the suggestion, this newspaper was informed that the former Borno State Governor, who is popularly called SAS (Senator Ali Sheriff) or GAS (Governor Ali Sheriff) while in power between 2003 and 2007, grabbed the microphone and expressed his opposition to the choices.
Mr. Sheriff was also said to have made some remarks which suggested that he believed that APC was not yet mature as a party.
He was reportedly cautioned by Mr. Tinubu, who asked him not to speak about the party in a negative manner. The former Lagos State Governor also asked Mr. Sheriff to quit the APC and go elsewhere, if he was not comfortable with the party.
At this point, Mr. Sheriff, who was now holding firmly to the microphone, allegedly began to insult Mr. Tinubu, asking him if he owned the party.
“Who are you? Who do you think you are? Are you the owner of the party?” the former Borno governor reportedly inquired from Mr. Tinubu in a fit of anger.
All the leaders of the party present at the meeting reportedly watched with amazement as the 58-year old former Borno State governor reportedly rained abuses on Mr. Tinubu, 62, who on his part, kept his cool all through.
Out sources said Mr. Buhari saved the day when, sensing danger in allowing Mr. Sheriff to continue insulting Mr. Tinubu, intervened. The former head of state was said to have tongue-lashed Mr. Sheriff for losing his composure.
Attempts by PREMIUM TIMES to speak with Mr. Tinubu were not successful. His media aide, Sunday Dare could not also be reached as he did not respond to calls to his mobile telephone on Friday and Saturday.
Also, Mr. Sheriff could not be reached as he was said to have travelled out of the country on Friday morning.
A commissioner in his administration, who pleaded anonymity (saying he was not competent to speak for the former governor) said although he was not at the meeting where the two former governors exchanged verbal punches, he heard about it.
“I was not at the meeting, but I heard about it. I think it was just one of those disagreements among party members. Bola Tinubu was said to have made a remark, which didn’t go down well with Sheriff. But the matter has been resolved,” the former commissioner told PREMIUM TIMES.
No party official contacted was willing to speak on the matter. A senior member of the party, who said he was not competent to speak on behalf of the party, but who also confirmed the altercation between the two former governors to this newspaper, insisted he would not speak officially despite prodding by this reporter.
“I can’t speak on this matter. It will be against my principle and I may not be objective. Personally, I am not one to speak in a way that will portray my party in bad light,” the member said.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr. Sheriff’s action was a product of bottled-up anger over the refusal of the party to accord him a prominent place in the fold since the conclusion of the merger talks and eventual registration of the party.
The former Borno governor was said to have repeatedly position himself to play greater role given the positions he had occupied as a senator, governor and ANPP BoT chair.
Our source alleged that the former governor has always fingered Mr. Tinubu, for the “ill-treatment” and the former Lagos Governor’s remark presented a veritable opportunity to strike against him (Tinubu).
Mr. Sheriff, it was further learnt has always believed that Mr. Tinubu has not achieved politically than him as they were not only former senators, but also fellow two-time governors.
“All this is about ego. Ali Modu Sheriff believes that he was a governor just like Tinubu and both are former senators and so should not be treated in such manner,” the source told this newspaper.
Another source within the APC who is conversant with the workings of the opposition party, told this paper that Messrs. Tinubu and Buhari as well as some other key leaders are afraid that given him (Sheriff) a prominent role to play could backfire on the young party.
The source said Mr. Buhari had always been uncomfortable with Mr. Sheriff since their days in the defunct ANPP, where the former was presidential candidate twice (2003 and 2007.)
It was further gathered that some APC leaders suspect Mr. Sheriff to be a mole planted in the opposition party by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, perhaps due to his closeness to some senior members of the ruling party.
Besides, the role he is suspected to have played in the emergence and evolution of the extremist Boko Haram sect is  also a source of concern to some APC leaders.
The not-so-robust relationship between Mr. Sheriff and his successor, Kashim Shettima has reportedly not helped the ex-Borno Governor’s desire to play greater role in the APC.
However, in spite of all this, PREMIUM TIMES was told, some of the party’s leaders are not willing to let Mr. Sheriff turn his back on the APC as he still has some political value to bring to the merger. This, it was gathered, is majorly because of his popularity in the north eastern state of Borno.
One of our sources however argued that Mr. Tinubu has overreached himself by his disposition to some issues in the party, which, in his estimation, could affect the fortunes of the party.
“Tinubu forgets that the prefects he groomed are now principals in their own right,” the source volunteered. “Nobody will allow him to trade off this golden opportunity for the change Nigerians earnestly yearn for in 2015. He can be pardoned for what he did to Ribadu in 2011 presidential election, but not now.”

Why We Honoured Gen Abacha With Centenary Award – Presidency

Reuben Abati, the spokesperson for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, is defending the Presidency’s decision for centenary award given to Late Sani Abachi.
At the award celebration held last week, the award was given to his widow Mariam. As we all know, this honour sparked a lot of controversy, with Wole Soyinka declining to accept the award alongside the former head of states and dictator.

“This (award) does not in any means translate to supporting sharp practices or corrupt practices. It is important to make the clear distinction in this regard.

I think it is important to make the necessary distinction here. The centenary award, like every award, has its own criteria. That centenary award was in relation to the amalgamation, the national unity, the history of Nigeria and the roles played by certain individuals.

The centenary award was not a test of sainthood. In giving the award to the former Head of State, Gen. Abacha, the committee in charge made it very clear that the award in the category in which the former Head of State appeared was awarded with regard to the contributions of those individuals in keeping Nigeria together.

You will find out that under that category, there were largely former Heads of State, persons who have at one time or the other presided over Nigeria and under whose watch, in spite of whatever challenges they might have faced, helped to sustain the unity of the country and helped to defend the integrity and sovereignty of the country. That was a specific criterion in this particular category. Of course, every award at all, be it for beauty or any other thing has its own criteria.”

Abacha was honoured during the nation’s centenary award last Friday under the category of “outstanding promoters of unity, patriotism and national development.” he said.

He also explained that the reason for his nomination was that “he took over power when the nation was on the brink of precipice. He mobilised the nation’s most prominent political class into his cabinet and succeeded in ensuring the continued unity of the nation. He also raised Nigeria’s international standing for his peace keeping military interventions in Sierra Leone and Liberia.”