Mubi Massacre: Death toll rises to 40, SUG indicted

Students leaving troubled Mubi

Information reaching Dailypost indicates that the number of students who lost their lives in the attack carried out on the students of the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa state has risen to 40 as many of the injured students who were taken to the hospital died last night, as confirmed by one of the hospital officials .
Meanwhile, the lawmakers who deliberated on the matter yesterday had called on Jonathan’s government to live up to the expectation of the masses by putting a permanent stop to the senseless killings that have taken over the country. The lawmakers had advised the President to quickly swing into action and bring the perpetrators of the Mubi killing to book.
According to Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, it was time a vote of no confidence is passed on Jonathan’s government for its insensitivity “We are a nation under siege; even under the Abacha regime, it was not as bad as this. To me, I think it is high time we passed a no confidence vote on this government,” Tinubu said.
Meanwhile, the police have confirmed the arrest of several people in connection with the Mubi killing. According to its ongoing investigation, the SUG elections held before the attack could be the possible cause of the killing, hence, those who participated in the SUG election and other key SUG officials would be interrogated even as the school remained closed.
Speaking with newsmen, the state Commissioner of police, Mr Godfrey Okeke said “Though the school has been closed because of the incident, we will interrogate student union leaders and anyone that could assist our investigations. It is going to be a wide angle investigation; we will explore every angle and link. The school authorities are cooperating with us; some of their administrative staff have been with us since morning,“ the police boss explained.

DailyPost

Balarabe’s independence bomb: These mindless stealing, corruption, will lead Nigeria to anarchy, civil war

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By Shola Oshunkeye and Temitope David-Adegboye
Second Republic Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has appraised the state of the nation in the past 52 years, x-rayed the various acts of lawlessness and mind-boggling corruption by elected officials, and dropped this bombshell: they will lead Nigeria to a second civil war if not checked!
Excerpts:
Nigeria will be 52 on Monday. Looking back at the numerous policies rolled out for this country at independence, how far and fair do you think we have gone as a nation?
We have not gone far enough. Judging by these 52 years, it’s a period of repeated failures than achievements. We have failed to do what we were meant to do.
During the regime of Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria used to have a five-year development plan, which helped this country to move forward a lot. But something happened along the line and that disappeared. Since then, this country has been ruled by trial and error. How do we rectify this?
Actually, we can go on and on having memorable plans, but we’re not implementing them because of corruption. And if we are not implementing we continue to crawl where we should be flying.
How do you mean?
Over the years, we’ve had great plans. But these great plans were not articulated. Where they were articulated, they were not implemented because of corruption.
Still talking about national development plans, there was a time the slogan was Vision 2010. Later, Vision 2010 metamorphosed into Vision 202200. Do you see the goalpost shifting as we approach 2020?
That is political fraud. This Vision 202020 is a fraud and the leadership would not allow achievements to take off.
There seems to be a paradox in this country where government after government would assemble a huge population of experts in various fields, but the result does not justify the status of all these people…
(Cuts in) It’s because of corruption! Corruption has incapacitated government and there seems to be no leadership that can correct it.
So, what do we do to fix Nigeria?
The political leadership produced by the system is based on self-interest as opposed to public interest. Today, we now have mega corruption, stealing of the most mind-boggling type and criminal waste.
In our 52 years of existence as a nation, we have been rolling from one crisis to another, starting from coup and counter-coup in the First Republic, which eventually culminated into a bitter civil war. There were other forms of instability. More recently, we have been suffering under the Boko Haram insurgency. Are all these a product of corruption too?
Of course, they are a product of corruption. They are a product of the system and the leadership produced by the system, which has now made the state of the nation like this and there is no way there is going to be peace and stability without changing the system and the leadership from one based on self-interest as it is today to one based on public interest like we used to have even during the colonial times and the First Republic, to some extent. That was how we were able to register some achievements, even during the military regime. But since the Second Republic, things degenerated and we had this survival of the fittest.
People say it is stupid for us to adopt the principle of rotation of power; that the emphasis for a nation that is trying to evolve like Nigeria should be evolution of the best, irrespective of where that best comes from. What do you think?
Well, merit is good. Essentially, things would be best when things are done on merit, but there are situations that have to be corrected. If we rely on merit alone, the leadership would always rely on two sections to the detriment of others and this would not be good in uniting this country. Whether we like it or not, we have to use merit and other considerations, so that every section of Nigeria would have a sense of belonging so we can all put our heads together for a national cause. If we use merit alone, there are sections of the country that would never be able to rule the country no matter what happens. And this should not happen.
As a farmer, are you worried that agriculture has been totally relegated to the background in our economy?
Exactly! It has been so relegated that agriculture is not even able to sustain us in this country.
How can we then turn Nigeria from a mono-economy nation to a plural-economy nation?
By changing the system and the leadership.
How do we change the leadership?
We can achieve that by serious and special reconstruction of Nigeria, by striking a balance in the roles of the state in the economy to ensure peace, stability and progressive human development of the country. What we can say is the legal role of the state in the economy like we had in the colonial and the First Republic, which was abandoned starting from the Second Republic when Shagari came up with his austerity measures. That is the whole mess, which has now led to all these mindless privatisation and destruction of the structure.
Where do you think Nigeria would be in 10 to 20 years’ time?
If the present system and the political leadership continue, then we will have the worst situation on our hands, which is anarchy and disintegration of Nigeria; and after a long run of anarchy, civil war. All positive projects in the country will have been destroyed; there will be nothing left for anybody in Nigeria to hope for, and even fight for.
Anarchy and disintegration are words people have so heard so often that they have become clichés. Now, you are introducing the element of civil war, which scary. What are the factors that can induce civil war? And are they on ground as we speak?
Well, with this level of poverty, disagreement and insecurity and this level of corruption, mindless stealing and criminal waste on the surface, sooner or later, they will lead to anarchy and if not checked, civil war. Quote me.
The Sun

Northern elders part of Nigeria’s problems – Ex-IG

Former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta

A former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta, on Wednesday accused members of the Northern Elders Forum of sowing seeds of discord in the country.

Specifically, he accused the elders of causing confusion in the polity in order to discredit the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Responding to a comment credited to the NEF that the Jonathan administration was worse than that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the former police boss accused the northern elders of being hypocritical in their assessment.

Jimeta said instead of seeking real solutions to the nation’s problems, the elders “chose cowardly path to create confusion and mistrust.”

He said in a statement, “As for the unfortunate comment credited to the Northern Elders Forum that Jonathan’s government is worse than Obasanjo, it is disappointing to note that other Nigerians who should have been steering the course of nation building decided to pull those pillars down by sowing the seeds of enmity and political hypocrisy in order to distract Nigerians from the truth.

“Rather than rolling up their sleeves to actively find solutions to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians, they chose to pull us backward again and force us to play the blame game. The hydra-headed monster of collective responsibility in the nation’s down fall also has thousands of fingers pointing at those who sit in judgment in the Northern Elders’ Forum.”

Comparing the administrations of Jonathan and Obasanjo, he said, “How short is the memory of these Nigerians that they would choose to sweep away the cases of massive corruption that plagued the Obasanjo administration or the flagrant disregard of court judgments?

“What about the elections that brought the violent ethnic and religious crisis? The Jos and Kaduna crises all happened under his watch. Have they so easily forgotten the crisis in the aviation industry that saw a season of death through multiple air crashes?”

Punch

Nigeria at 52: We are on the verge of failure – Senator Chukwumeriji

Still in the spirit of the nation’s 52 independence anniversary, a member of the upper chamber, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, yesterday said 52 years after being granted freedom, Nigeria seems not to be free, saying that Nigeria is a failed state.
The Senator stressed on the need for our leaders at the local, state and the federal governments to return Nigeria to the path of economic growth, and work towards the unity of the nation.
This came following different comments from the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, PDP, Akwa Ibom North-East and 108 other senators while congratulating Nigeria on her 52nd years of freedom from colonial rule.
Enang on Monday, October 1, said “Nigeria did mark her 52nd independence anniversary, having attained independence from Britain on October 1, 1960.
“Steadily and gradually, the nation is developing its domestic production capacity as an independent nation. We have become a big player in international affairs within the committee of nations.”
However, Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, PDP, Abia North, said: “It took only 21 years to transform Turkey from a feudal state to a highly modernised state today. South-East Asian countries took less than 30 years to move from ex-British colonies to what they are today; Asian Tigers, and are highly developed to the point that one of them, Malaysia, took our palm produce and turned its economy around.
“It took South Korea 18 years to move from 3rd dependent country to one of the third exporters, and it took China exactly 48 years to move from a small status, being described by the West as the begging bone of Asian, to a super power.
“With our 52 years as a country, a country who took palm produce from us some years back has grown into a prosperous country and turned that product into its main exporting product.
“How would you describe us now importing it? I can only describe Nigeria as either a failed state or on the verge of being a failed one.”
DailyPost

Presidency probes alleged lie in Jonathan’s Independence speech

by Olalekan Adetayo

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: nigerianbulletin.com

SOME of President Goodluck Jonathan’s aides may be in trouble for reportedly putting false information in the 52nd Independence anniversary speech of the President.

Jonathan in his 52nd Independence Day broadcast told Nigerians that the global corruption watch body, Transparency International, rated Nigeria second after United States in anti-corruption efforts.

The claim has been found to be untrue with many accusing Jonathan of telling a lie.

In fact, TI has reportedly denied issuing such a report.

Furious at the development, the President has reportedly ordered a probe to discover the source of the misinformation.

“In its latest report, Transparency International noted that Nigeria is the second most improved country in the effort to curb corruption. We will sustain the effort in this direction with an even stronger determination to strengthen the institutions that are statutorily entrusted with the task of ending this scourge,” Jonathan had told the nation on October 1.

The President had made a similar claim at an interdenominational church service held on Sunday as part of the activities marking the nation’s 52nd Independence anniversary.

But an online publication, Premium Times, reports that TI refuted the claim when it was contacted.

“Transparency International does not have a recent rating or report that places Nigeria as the second most improved country in the fight against corruption,” Premium Times  quoted the organisation to have said in a mail.

A source said since he had based his speech on information made available to him by his aides, the President promptly ordered the probe of the source of the claim.

An insider in the Presidency told The PUNCH on Tuesday that the President’s media handlers met on the issue.

They were said to have directed one of the presidential aides, Mr. Reno Omokri, to probe the source of the false claim.

Already, Omokri had reportedly concluded his findings which showed that the piece of information was lifted from a publication in the BusinessDay of September 12, 2012 edition.

Curiously, the memo in which Omokri reported his findings to other aides had found its way to the websites of some online publications on Tuesday.

The memo was also published on the website of the Ministry of Information, http://www.fmi.gov.ng/, as a rejoinder under the headline, “Mr. President’s statement was based on notorious facts.”

In the memo, Omokri who signed simply as Reno, said the President’s claim was based on a newspaper report.

“On this issue, the media published their synopsis of the most recent Transparency International report and BusinessDay, a well respected newspaper with a bias for business reporting, in a headline on the 12th of September 2012 with the title “FG’s anti-corruption initiative impacts Nigeria’s global perception” said, ‘The survey on global corruption perceptions for 2011 versus 2001 showed that the third best improvement in the world was in Nigeria, with its score improving by 1.5 points.’

“For a section of the opposition to now cast aspersions on the integrity of the President when he relied on notorious facts (anything published in the press and which remains unchallenged is a notorious fact) is proof positive of the now obvious fact that they lack ideas on how to move Nigeria forward and would rather snipe at efforts of the President to move the nation forward for which any patriot would do.”

Official reactions normally bear the full names and designations of the authors of such documents.

Our correspondent learnt that the development had caused panic in the Presidency with fear of dismissal already gripping some top officials.

In his reaction, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, told journalists on Tuesday that Nigerians should focus more on thePresident’s message.

He said, “The President’s message is that this administration is tackling corruption. The revelations from the pension scam and the fuel subsidy scam as well as the sanitation of activities at the ports all came to be because the President sanctioned them.

“People should focus on the message, namely that a lot of progress has been made and is still being made to tackle corruption in the system.

“There are lot of people outside there who mislead Nigerians that nothing is being done. These people tackle individuals.

“What the President did was that he fired hope and promised his rededication to the service of the nation. There are those who are looking for a way to water down the message.”

Punch

Kukah: It’s Weakness to Celebrate in Hiding

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah

By Muhammed Aminu

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Tuesday said President Goodluck Jonathan celebration of the country’s independence at the Presidential Villa, is an admission of weakness.

Speaking during an interview with THISDAY in Sokoto Tuesday, Kukah described as unacceptable the inability of the President to stand publicly and address Nigerians. He noted with dismay that the President had succumbed to the terror streak of Boko Haram by choosing not to celebrate the nation’s independence publicly.

The cleric, who also pointed out that the state, has the legitimate monopoly of the instruments of power to deter aggression from any group, said: “The notion that the president cannot stand publicly and address Nigerians on the day of independence is unacceptable and an indication that he is not in charge.”

“Today we are celebrating independence in the Presidential Villa, who knows next time if it is threatened, we move into the council chambers and subsequently there would be no celebration.

“And this is not the kind of wrong message Nigerians want to receive because anytime the president gives an inch to such insurgent groups, he surrenders his legitimacy,” he said.

He emphasised that Jonathan would have utilised the opportunity to spread the message of hope and courage to Nigerians.

“Jonathan should have used the independence anniversary to inspire Nigerians. He should have urged the people to laugh in the face of Boko Haram because if we show that we cannot celebrate independence because of the insurgents, then we are sharing power and territory with them.”

Kukah pointed out that the president ought to have shown Nigerians that government was capable of protecting them.
He maintained that the president’s quest for foreign investments will not amount to anything, if nothing much is done to build confidence.

“This is a psychological war game, the president must demonstrate to foreign investors that he is open for business. But this celebration of independence in Aso Rock is not building any confidence on the part of citizens and foreigners alike,” Kukah added.

He averred that the country has made appreciable progress in its 52 years of nation hood but lamented that the 30 years of military rule had caused untold harm to the nation’s economy.

Kukah, therefore, called on Northern leaders to put more efforts in order to restore peace in the region.

ThisDay

Presidency Blames Jonathan’s Independence Day Gaffe On Newspaper Article-PREMIUM TIMES

President Goodluck Jonathan

By SaharaReporters, New York

In an attempt to salvage President Goodluck Jonathan’s integrity after a PREMIUM TIMES investigation revealed that the president lied on a claim he made in his independence anniversary broadcast to the nation, the Federal Government on Tuesday said the president‘s claim was based on “notorious facts” provided in a newspaper article.
In his Independence Day speech, Mr. Jonathan scored his administration high on many fronts, despite the widely held believe among Nigerians that its performance had been abysmal.
In an apparent attempt to gain international goodwill, he further asserted that the global corruption watchdog, Transparency International, had endorsed his administration’s war against corruption.
“In its latest report, Transparency International noted that Nigeria is the second most improved country in the effort to curb corruption,” Mr. Jonathan had said in the broadcast.
However, in an email to PREMIUM TIMES, Transparency International said the president’s claim is untrue.
“Transparency International does not have a recent rating or report that places Nigeria as the second most improved country in the fight against corruption,” the Berlin-based organisation told this newspaper.
The presidency, in a statement released this morning, said the president‘s claim was based on “notorious facts” published by Nigeria’s BusinessDay newspaper.
Presidency sources say the president’s gaffe has caused panic among his speech writers and media aides regarding who should take responsibility for the misinformation.
The panic is also reflected in the official response, posted on the official website of the Federal Ministry of Information, and signed by a person who identified himself as Reno and did not indicate any official designation.
The Reno, who signed the statement, is believed to be Reno Omokri, Mr. Jonathan’s Special Assistant on New Media.
“As is the practise worldwide, we accept the premise that whatever is published in the media and goes unchallenged is the truth,” the statement said. ”On this issue, the media published their synopsis of the most recent Transparency International report and BusinessDay, a well respected newspaper with bias for business reporting in a headline on the 12th of September 2012 with the titled (sic) “FG’s anti-corruption initiative impacts Nigeria’s global perception.”
The statement indicated that Mr. Jonathan’s advisers merely lifted an article from a newspaper without checking its accuracy and then gave it to the president to read to over 150 million Nigerians as independence anniversary day speech, televised on national television and possibly streamed on the Internet.
Reno added that since the BusinessDay report was not challenged by TI, it should be taken as a “notorious fact”.
“The President acted in good faith and his statement was based on notorious facts”.
The president’s aide then chided what he described as some “opposition leaning media houses” for casting “aspersions on the integrity of the President.”
“They lack ideas on how to move Nigeria forward and would rather snipe at the effort of the President to move the nation forward for which any patriot would do,” he said.