Junaid Muhammad Blasts ‘Illiterate’ Patience Jonathan

27 June, 2013

Popular political critic, Junaid Mohammad has shown concern over the recent crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) warning that they are soon going to cause a major security crisis in Rivers State

In a today's press release in Kano, Dr. Muhammad said Rivers “coming to the limelight because of the irresponsible, unconstitutional and bizarre, illiterate actions, of the so called first lady Mrs. Patience Jonathan, who hails from the island village of Okrika in Rivers State and who sees not only Okrika but the whole of Rivers States, as her personal domain to exploit, abuse and destabilize as she sees fit because her husband Jonathan happens to be the president.”
He also noted that the constitution has no place for the post of the First Lady and confers no rights, privileges or responsibilities on the wife of our leaders

“It is therefore illegal and completely ultra vires the constitution for any citizen, president or his spouse to usurp executive powers, and go about throwing their weight, as if they were legally recognized holders of such offices according to the law,” he warned. “ As at the time of writing, the commissioner of police in Rivers, his command structure and other security services are at the command of Patience Jonathan, and by her and presidential orders, most security facilities due governor, the speaker and others so entitled, have been withdrawn. Mean-while professional thugs and all manner of criminals are being recruited and pressed into service to destabilize the elected government of Rivers State.”
Stressing that those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat its mistakes, Dr. Muhammad pointed out that current developments in the PDP and especially in Rivers State bear an uncanny resemblance to the old Western Region, which led to the collapse of the first republic, with very serious and bloody consequences. Then and now, the popularly elected leaders of those parts of the country were prevented from exercising political power and control, and the operations of the police, the army and the rump of security services were interfered with in a brazen political manner.
“The current CP Rivers, is bending over backwards to accommodate the president, his cronies and his illiterate wife, to ignore or pervert the law and the constitution and norms of decent political behavior, to harass, intimidate Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and thus destabilize, a strategic state like Rivers. Those in the PDP who imagine that this serious and fundamental crisis can be contained by some band aid or artificial cordon sanitaire, have a shocker awaiting them,” he said.
He noted that the overriding attitude of PDP leadership, the PDP president, his cronies etc. is an open invitation to anarchy, for his party, his tottering crisis prone government and most unfortunately for Nigeria.

“The preponderance of the PDP in the governing processes is a clear and present danger to democracy,” the statement said. “Add to that the dictatorial proclivities of the party leadership and penchant for hand picking illiterates and corrupt thugs into key and sensitive positions; you have the making of an inevitable disaster.”
Dr. Muhammad stressed that the latest developments throw into doubt the very possibilities of elections in 2015, those elections being the very reason for the desperate manouvres now being undertaken.
“If the de-facto commander–in-chief, the de-facto defence Minister and army commander Gen. Ihejirika who is an in-law to Patience [Jonathan], and his police and S.S.S. counterparts, are behaving in openly political partisan manner as heads of Jonathan’s personal militia, it goes without saying that Jega’s INEC will hold no elections worth the name,” he declared, calling on all Nigerians who cherish democracy to stand up and be counted.

He stressed that Rivers State and the fate of its governor must be of enormous concern to all democrats and patriots, pointing out that within Rivers State and beyond it, evil thrives when good and decent people take their eyes off the ball or pretend it is of no concern to them or is unrelated to neighborhoods.
“Personally I do not know and have never met Gov. Rotimi Amaechi in person, in Port Harcourt or anywhere else on earth,” he declared. “I have not been to Rivers State since the expiry of my national service in the defunct OMPADEC (now NDDC) in 1996. I am however invested in Amaechi’s struggles because I believe democracy is the only way to govern a free people rationally, and to exercise legitimate power over a free people. If the PDP and its incompetent president treat this country like a conquered and vanquished people, they must be cured of their delusion, soonest.”

Why Governor Amaechi Was Stopped By Jonathan's Bodyguard From Greeting Him

28 June, 2013

The Presidency on Thursday defended the prevention of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State from exchanging pleasantries with President Goodluck Jonathan by a security operative during dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.

It said the incident was purely a security issue that should not be politicised,especially by opposition political parties.
The governor, who was sitting two tables away from the President, had risen to greet him but the security operative attached to the President stopped him halfway.
In order not to create a scene at the event that had nearly all his colleagues and two heads of government (Joyce Banda of Malawi and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia) in attendance, Amaechi quietly returned to his seat and waited for about five minutes before leaving the venue.

But as the Action Congress of Nigeria and Congress for Progressive Change berated Jonathan over the incident, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Dr. Ahmed Gulak, said it was tantamount to a breach of protocol and security if Amaechi was allowed access to his boss who was already seated before the governor arrived.
Gulak said, “The President has a good relationship with all state governors and he meets with them regularly. The case in point is a pure security issue and it should be treated as a security issue that should not be politicised.

“The question the ACN and others who may want to politicise this issue need to ask is whether the President arrived at the venue of the dinner and was already seated before the governor arrived.
“Usual practice across the world is that once the President arrives a place, nobody whether a governor or not, is allowed entrance. That is the protocol. Even(Barack) Obama of the United States cannot be on his seat and a governor will be allowed to come in.
“If that was the situation in this case that the President was already on his seat, it would have been a breach of protocol and security for any security person to allow the governor access to the President. Such a security person would have been sanctioned if he had done that.”

Wondering why the ACN was interested in the matter, the presidential aide advised the opposition political parties to “concentrate on issues concerning them and stop politicising everything.”
The ACN had in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, condemned the action of the operative and called on Jonathan to order an immediate probe into it.
It said, “We are making this call because we do not believe that, in spite of the reported frosty relations between the two, President Jonathan – as the father of the nation – will lend the weight of his high office to such a demeaning action as exhibited by the presidential security personnel.
“To believe that anyone occupying the esteemed office of the President of one of Africa’s most important nations will be a party to a situation in which any security aide will wilfully fence a state chief executive from paying his respect to the President at such an open gathering will be to think the worst of the occupier of that office. That is why we have chosen not to believe that this indeed occurred, and why we are calling on Mr. President to tell Nigerians that ‘it ain’t so’ “We shudder to think of what efforts are being made – including the use of national institutions – to undermine Gov. Amaechi if the treatment reportedly meted out to him at the dinner has the approval of the powers that be. We are even more worried at what will happen to a governor from the opposition who falls out of favour with the President, if a governor from the same party as the President can be so publicly humiliated.”

ACN said it was particularly incumbent on the President to clarify the report because Amaechi, the authentic Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, extended an olive branch to him by attending the dinner, despite the fact that he (President) was publicly supporting the losing faction of the NGF, in what was being seen as a “democratic faux pas.”
The party said the President must learn to separate politics from governance by rising above petty partisanship as he steered the affairs of state.
On its part, the Congress for Progressive Change said it was clear to many discerning minds that “the government of President Jonathan is being run like a mafia organisation where you have the head at the Villa.”

“This is the kind of price we pay when we sacrifice competence on the altar of exigency,” the CPC said through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin.
The party added, “We have always said it that the way President Jonathan is running this country; he will run it aground.
“No Nigerian can be proud of what is happening in a situation where nations of the world are improving their democratic credentials; we are going towards further isolation.
“A situation where a chief executive is being blocked by security apparatus of the President, you ask yourself what hope mortals like us have under the Jonathan government.”

MUST READ: President Jonathan's Promise To Nigerians

28 June, 2012

President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to leave a legacy of proud and prosperous Nigerians at the end of his tenure.

He vowed to continue to work hard in order to create a brighter and enduring future for all Nigerians.
Jonathan made the commitment in the 320-page book, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan: Champion for Women, edited by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The book presentation took place on Wednesday as part of the present administration’s mid-term report.

Jonathan said, “We shall continue to do all that we can to create a brighter and enduring future for all Nigerians-a future of hope and prosperity; a future where we can be a strong and developed nation, a shining example for a mighty continent. We hope to leave a legacy of proud and prosperous citizens where everyone is treated equally and women are able to reach their full potential in all aspects of human development.”

Jonathan, who said it was his ambition to continue to work towards the sustained growth of the country’s economy, promised that under his leadership, Nigeria would not just be a land of great potential but also a nation where positive changes transform the lives of the people.
Jonathan said making sure women take their rightful place in Nigeria’s government was only the beginning and a vital step that would pave the way for a host of other critical measures his administration was implementing to improve the lives and opportunities of women.
He attributed his decision to entrust women with the responsibilities of high office to the exceptional zeal displayed by his mother, Eunice.

He said, “My admiration for the ability of women to thrive in challenging and adverse environment is drawn directly from watching my mother’s strength when I was growing up.
“She was indeed a true ‘multi-tasker,’ watching her manage the various tasks involved in bringing up my elder sister and I imbibed in me a healthy respect for the ability of women to take control in difficult circumstances.
“This contributed to my decision to entrust the women in my government with the responsibilities of high office.
“My decision to empower women has paid off handsomely as is evident in the performance of these women in their various sectors.”
The President added that he did not take up smoking due to the admonition of his mother.
Vice President Namadi Sambo, in the book’s preface, said the present administration had revolutionised governance in the country.

Boko Haram War Moves To The Border

 

In northeastern Borno and Yobe states young men have formed a pro-government militia called the “Civilian JTF (Joint Task Force, after the military organization of the same name)” to provide security against Boko Haram and provide information to the security forces about who Boko Haram members are and where they are living. In response Boko Haram openly declared war on Civilian JTF members and threatened to come to their homes and kill them. Most Civilian JTF members cover their faces while assisting the security forces. While this threat certainly terrified some Civilian JTF members (who generally have no firearms), the leadership publicly defied the Boko Haram threats. The Civilian JTF often operate with heavily armed police or soldiers nearby (ready to move in arrest Boko Haram suspects the vigilantes identify or fire back if Boko Haram attack). The army has begun to use the volunteers to replace troops at checkpoints. There are still some armed soldiers nearby, in case Boko Haram tries to attack the civilians, but this new policy has enabled more checkpoints to be set up and more through searches of vehicles to be conducted. This makes it more difficult for Boko Haram to move around, plan and carry out attacks or to resupply the few men they still have in the cities.

Most of the people in the northeast are fed up with Boko Haram, even though they agree with the anti-corruption/clean government goals of the group. What has turned most people off are the terrorist tactics, which kill an increasing number of innocents. At the same time, the government has had some success in getting the army to restrain it troops, who often practiced what amounted to terrorism (random violence) against civilians perceived as hostile (or possibly hostile or simply uncooperative). Boko Haram is still a major threat, but the recent army pressure has forced the terrorists to scatter and spend a lot of time and effort regrouping, rather than making terror attacks in urban areas. The army will have to ease up on the curfews and numerous roadblocks soon, or the three northeastern states will suffer economic collapse and widespread hunger.

Boko Haram temporarily took control of two towns (Bama and Gwoza) near the Cameroon border. Christians and government workers were given a week to get out after the Islamic terrorists arrived last week. The two towns are being looted by the Boko Haram men, who still maintain camps in the nearby hills. A month ago Boko Haram was chased out of its urban and suburban bases in the northeast by an army offensive. Several hundred Boko Haram members who avoided arrest or getting killed then set up operations in the mountain forests along the Cameroon border. This has included raiding villages in the thinly populated region, stealing cattle and anything else they could use. When they encountered Christian churches they burned them down and killed any clergy they found. The terrorists have moved deep into the mountains, set up camps and got in touch with Boko Haram camps known to exist across the border in Cameroon. The army visited some of the raided villages and is searching for the new Boko Haram camps. There are not enough troops to be everywhere and at all times along the border and this gave the Islamic terrorists the opportunity to spend a week plundering Bama and Gwoza. A month of Boko Haram violence along the border have sent several thousand people from their homes and fleeing, often for over a hundred kilometers, to Maiduguri.

There are still some armed Boko Haram members in the cities, especially Maiduguri. There they are sheltered by family or sympathetic civilians and are difficult to root out.
Recent army operations along the Cameroon border have found several camps, including one containing the computers and video cameras apparently used by Boko Haram to produce the videos they post on the Internet. Several of the camps contained vehicles, weapons and bomb making equipment. The Boko Haram men usually detected the approaching troops and fled on foot carrying what they could. The vehicles were too easy to spot from the air, so if the army had helicopters or aircraft overhead, or the vehicle routes were blocked the Islamic terrorists would abandon their vehicles. These sweeps have led to some arrests, including several wanted Boko Haram leaders.
A government investigation into Boko Haram has concluded that about 8o percent of the members are from the Kanuri tribe. This ethnic group contains about four million people, with three million living in northeastern Nigeria and the rest in Chad, Niger and Cameroon. The leader of Boko Haram (Abubakar Shekau) is believed to be a Niger Kanuri, not Nigerian as was earlier thought. The Kanuri have lived in the region (centered on the city of Maiduguri in Borno State) for over 3,000 years. At times during this period the Kanuri had their own kingdom, but most of the time they were ruled by some stronger tribe as part of a local empire. Kanuri separatist movements generally died out after Nigeria became independent half a century ago.

The Boko Haram men chased out of the urban areas (where they preferred to make attacks, to ensure maximum publicity) are still carrying out terrorist activities in rural areas where they have set up operations. Schools and Christians in the countryside are now being hit. There are not a lot of attacks, because there aren’t many Boko Haram out in the thinly populated countryside. But eventually news of these attacks makes its way back to the mass media and get publicized more widely.
The government admitted that nearly half the 75 people prosecuted for terrorism in the last two years were not convicted. Most of those who escaped conviction did so because their fellow terrorists raided the prison they were in and freed the suspects before their trial could be concluded. These raids are still a major problem despite improved security around prisons and moving Boko Haram prisoners out of the north to Christian areas in the south.

In the Niger River delta police arrested 473 oil thieves in the first half of the year. So far 32 have been convicted. Over two million liters (over half a million gallons) of oil and refined products (usually kerosene) were recovered and four small refineries were seized and destroyed. It is feared that the police are concentrating on small operators, as the larger oil theft and refining operations operate with the protection of senior government, police and military officials.
June 27, 2013: In central Nigeria (Plateau State) several days of violence between Christian and Moslem tribes has left at least 32 dead. This outburst was about cattle stealing and retaliatory attacks.
June 21, 2013: Northeastern Borno state announced it would hire several hundred armed security guards for primary and secondary schools to provide some protection against Boko Haram attacks.
June 20, 2013: The military has banned the use of satellite phones in the three northeastern states currently under martial law. Boko Haram uses a lot of the cash it gets from extortion, kidnapping and robbery to buy and use the expensive satellite phones. These can be monitored, but by using code words they can still be useful. The new ban will not shut off the satellite phones in the northeast, but does make it illegal to sell them or the additional minutes needed to make them work. Boko Haram will now have to wait longer and pay more to have the phones and minutes cards smuggled in from Cameroon. Meanwhile the military will seize any satellite phones it finds in the northeast. Legitimate owners will eventually get them back.

Nigeria's military is currently engaged in an offensive in the north-east seeking to end Boko Haram's four-year insurgency.

Death toll in central Nigeria rises to 48 after violent clashes

 

Raids by gunmen in central Nigeria and gun battles between soldiers and attackers have killed at least 48 people and left dozens of homes burnt.

Nigeria's military is currently engaged in an offensive in the north-east seeking to end Boko Haram's four-year insurgency.
 

The attacks appeared to have been reprisals linked to cattle theft, often the source of friction in the Middle Belt region dividing the mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south of Africa's most populous nation.

Thursday's violence saw gunmen raid three villages in the remote Langtang region of Plateau state, leaving at least 28 residents dead. Homes were also burnt in two other villages, said Captain Salisu Mustapha, spokesperson for a military task force in the region.
He did not have a specific number of homes burnt, but said it was around 100. Residents were fleeing the area to find shelter and out of fears of further violence.
"We now have a total of 48 dead from the attacks on three villages," Mustapha told Agence France-Presse. He said the dead included 20 assailants killed by soldiers who responded.
"Two suspected gunmen involved in the attacks were arrested with some arms and their motorcycles," said Mustapha.
The villages attacked were Karkashi, Bolgang and Magama, and residents said the raids followed incidents of cattle rustling.
Herdsmen from the mainly Muslim Fulani ethnic group were suspected to be behind the raids on the villages populated by the mainly Christian Taroks.

Ethnic violence
​Thousands have been killed in Nigeria's central region in recent years in clashes between Muslim and Christian ethnic groups in a struggle for access to land or local power.
Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, mainly based in the country's north-east, has occasionally carried out violence in the Middle Belt as well, but there was no sign of any link in Thursday's violence.
Nigeria's military is currently engaged in an offensive in the north-east seeking to end Boko Haram's four-year insurgency.
The country includes some 250 ethnic groups, and illegal weapons are widespread. Authorities have been largely unable to stop such violent flare-ups.

Culled from Guardian Newspapers

A priest has been arrested on suspicion of fraud and corruption in connection with the sweeping probe of the scandal-plagued Vatican bank, Italian media reported Friday Nunzio Scarano, a priest from Salerno, was arrested after an investigation into the Institute for Works of . . .

ROME (AFP) – A priest has been arrested on suspicion of fraud and corruption in connection with the sweeping probe of the scandal-plagued Vatican bank, Italian media reported Friday.Nunzio Scarano, a priest from Salerno, was arrested after an investigation into the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), as the bank is known, unearthed a suspected international fraud scheme, reports said.Initial reports that had suggested Scarano was a bishop were incorrect, Vatican senior media advisor Greg Burke said.

The priest was suspended from his position as a member of the administration that manages the Vatican’s assets (the APSA) “about a month ago, after his superiors learnt about an investigation into his activities,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.Scarano was arrested along with a former member of the Italian secret services and a financier for allegedly plotting to illegally move 20 million euros ($26 million) from Switzerland to Italy.

The money allegedly belonged to friends of Scarano and was brought into Italy on board a private jet belonging to the former secret service agent, Giovanni Maria Zito, the reports said. Zito purportedly received 400,000 euros for the service.According to the daily La Repubblica, Scarano is also under investigation by the Salerno prosecutor on suspicion of money laundering.“They called him Monsignor 500… because of the great number of 500 euro notes he had at his disposition,” which he allegedly used to launder money for friends in southern Italy, the daily said.It added that it was an initial investigation into Scarano’s bank account at the IOR which led to the discovery of the suspected racket.

10 simple ways to living a happy life.

Everyone strives to be happy but the mistake that everyone makes is that they think that happiness is some kind of finishing line in a race. Once you crossed that line, you will live happily ever after. That is not true. Happiness is a choice! You can choose to make your life happy. So here are a few ways you could try.

 

1.                  Let go of past memories.

Everyone has both sad and happy moments. So forget about your painful memories. What’s in the past stays in the past. Instead focus on your good memories and move on.

 

2.                  Be optimistic.

Always try looking on the bright side of things. Look for the silver lining behind each dark cloud. For example, if you had an unfortunate accident and your car is badly dented, but on the bright side is that nobody got hurt and that dent in your car can be repaired. There is always a bright side to look on so be optimistic!

 

3.                  Be close to your family

Try and maintain a close relationship with your family and friends. Our relationships with them have a greater impact on our happiness than anything else. Human beings are made to be social creatures. So appreciate the existing relationships that you have.

 

4.                  Try finding a job that gives you happiness.

If you are feeling stressed out in your current job and not getting the job satisfaction that you want, perhaps it’s time for a career change. Job satisfaction plays an important part in your happiness. So give your job a chance. Try having a positive attitude in your job. If that doesn’t work, it may time for a change of jobs.

 

5.                  Make friends

You need to make friends with people who share a common interest. Find something that you are deeply passionate about. It could be a hobby or an organization you can volunteer in. There you could meet people who the same interest and passion as you.

 

6.                  Exercise

Exercising releases endorphins. So, not only you are taking care of your body but you will automatically start to feel good about yourself.

 

7.                  Change your thinking

You have to start living life to the fullest. Don’t delay your life a second longer. Try something new everyday or pick up a new skill!

 

8.                  Don’t let the small stuff bug you.

Remember all the small petty stuff that used to bother you? Forget all about it and focus on the bigger picture. Life is too short to be worry about trivial stuff.

 

 

9.                  Live your life for yourself.

Stop trying to live your life up to other people’s expectations. You are your own person. So start living it for yourself!

 

10.              Lastly, remember to love with all your heart. You have all these love to give so give your love to something and start feeling happy today!

 

MATTERS OF THE HEART - (Introduction)

Every girl needs to fall in love and expects to be loved in return. But so many ladies are hurting out there due to bad relationships. This question goes to the ladies who are still trying to locate ''MR RIGHT'' how much do u trust the man in your life? Is he loving, reliable and just about the best thing that's ever happened to you in recent times? Love is a beautiful thing, so if u wanna keep that  guy for life then it's time u begin 2 clear your head and take a deeper look into the real man that he is. Lucky you if after all your investigations he remains the same man u fell in love with.

On the other hand you may discover he is domineering and manipulative, now I need to expanciate on the ‘’manipulative’’ is he lovingly or criminally manipulative? Love manipulation is when a guy coax and sweet talks you into changing your mind on some minor issues while criminal manipulation is when he manipulates you for selfish interests. Here is where my discussion takes off, because a lot of ladies who find themselves in criminal manipulation end up becoming EMOTIONAL WRECKS if the situation is not arrested on time.

But in truth these manipulators are all over the place, and you may have met one sometime in your life, I can bet the experience is as ugly as can be.

However you can learn to recognize a manipulator, avoid their traps, identify his behavior, counter the abuse, regain control and live as the incredible woman you are, not the woman they choose to create out of you. Stay with me as we begin to explore the world of the ‘’MANIPULATIVE MEN’’.