ACN, CPC planning propaganda war against Jonathan – PDP

 by Olusola Fabiyi

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh
| credits: trends.com.ng

The Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that two opposition political parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Progressive Change – are planning to destabilise the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government.

The PDP said the two parties were planning to use massive propaganda against the Federal Government.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, made the allegation, on Monday, when he received zonal publicity secretaries of the party from South-East, Odefa Odefa; North-West, Saidu Chiroma; and North-East, Alami Mohammed, in his office in Abuja.

Metuh said the two parties had voted a huge amount of money to discredit Jonathan’s administration and the PDP.

He said, “We have uncovered a game plan by CPC and ACN to embark on a propaganda war against the PDP, the President and its elected officials to deceive the public.

“In the next few weeks, the nation will see a huge blackmail, lies and cheap propaganda which they have budgeted very huge amount of money to discredit the PDP.

“We therefore direct millions of our supporters to be calm about these elements, which have nothing to show except cheap lies.

“We challenge the opposition to come and debate on programmes, actions and governance of the PDP rather than cheap blackmail.”

However, the CPC said the PDP-led Federal Government was a dying administration.

The CPC National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, told our correspondent that the present administration was heading for disaster.

Fashakin said, “All we have said in recent time are verifiable facts. Is this government now getting afraid of its shadows?

“That is usually the tactics of dying administrations. They usually ascribe their intrinsic capacity for failure to others.

“Do not be surprised if this administrations bares its fangs. As a party, we have simply told the leadership of PDP that their party has become a byword in dishonourable violence. The leaders of PDP do not see, hear or discern anymore.

“The nation’s wheel of progress is grinding to a screeching.”

Also, the ACN said it was obvious that the PDP-led Federal Government was tired of governance.

ACN’s spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told our correspondent that the statement by Metuh could be a ploy by the government to start arresting the members of the opposition.

Mohammed said, “You see, the government and the party are overwhelmed with the responsibility on their shoulders.

“How do we plan to destabilise the government? Do we have army, police or any security agents of our own?

“That statement is an act of desperation and it could also be a foundation to start arresting opposition leaders.

“All we have done is to market our ideas in public domain. We have asked them to join us to propagate our ideas before the Nigerian public.”

“Both the FG and the PDP are dearth of ideas. It is a pity that such a party is the ruling party in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, Metuh said the PDP was satisfied with the performance of the President since his assumption of office, adding that the party was  monitoring the performance and activities of its other elected officials.

He called on the zonal publicity secretaries to focus on issues while educating the people on the benefit of PDP leadership.

He said, “We have been able to stabilise the economy in the midst of world global recession as is the case in Italy and Spain. We have not witnessed any bank that collapsed in Nigeria.

“We are happy with the President and his visions towards transforming Nigeria. We have a President whose humility is unparallel, who has shown love to his people through his vision for his people.”

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues,  Odefa frowned on the criticisms levelled against the PDP and the President by the opposition parties.

Odefa urged the CPC and the ACN to be more mature in their criticism, saying the strength of opposition parties was not determined by the newspaper publication but by grassroots spread and acceptability.

He said, “We are not afraid of the merger and criticism because we hold the ball. It is the man who holds the ball that face tackles.

“The way ACN and CPC is criticising the President is not healthy, they should be more mature in their criticism.

“We are not bothered or afraid of the opposition parties because we have the largest followers. Let them merge million times we are not bothered, during election, we know how to do better by carrying people along.

“We challenge the CPC and ACN to a debate as to who is doing the right thing in the country.”

Punch

Ikoyi/Obalende: Obanikoro Faults Appeal Court’s Decision

By Anayo Okolie

Chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikoyi/Obalende Development Area (LCDA) in the October 22 local government area elections in Lagos, Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro, has faulted the action of the Lagos State’s Appeal Court for not given any reason for the indefinite adjournment of the judgment slated last week.

Obanikoro, who condemned the action during a press briefing in Lagos recently alleged that the stolen mandate of October 22, 2011 election was returned by the election tribunal panel led by Justice Dolapo Akinsanya on October 4, 2012, which the ACN and its candidate Mr. Wale Adeniji, appealed.

The PDP chairmanship candidate stated that despite the fact that the court had adjourned to November 15, for the final argument and to announce date of judgment, he was, however, surprised when the secretary of the court announced an adjournment of the case sine die (meaning indefinitely) without any reason.

According to him, our investigation revealed that two petitions were filed against the judges, alleging bribery and corruption and questioning their integrity and we further learnt that one of the petitions was directed at the panel of five judges while the other was filed against the Chairman of the panel, Justice Oke.

While awaiting the receipt of the copy of the petition, Obanikoro said: “We reliably found out that one of the petition was written and submitted by one Mr. Rasaq Ogunseye, an ACN stalwart (Ikoyi Obalende Chairman). Mr. Rasaq Ogunseye, was Mr. Wale Adeniji’s collation agent for the LGA result collation on October 22, 2011 (election day).

He said: “It’s on record that Mr. Rasaq Ogunseye, was a witness during the tribunal proceeding and in his witness statement, he affirmed that he was the local government collation agent for Mr. Wale Adeniji, and that the results of the election were handed over to him but they were misplaced and could not be presented to the court.

“We are too familiar with ACN’s antics and pranks, we also know that they will go any length to steal and keep mandate but we are resolute that defenders of democracy, law and order will not allow this planned manipulation of the judiciary system via blackmailing, and false allegation of bribery and corruption.”

Speaking further, Obanikoro appealed to the Chief Justice of Lagos State, Justice O. Philips, to defend the judiciary system because any attempt to derail justice by either changing the judges or extend the duration would be an infringement to justice and an encouragement to lawlessness and abuse of law.

He noted that justice delayed was justice denied, adding that there was an urgent need for Philips to wade into the issue in order to defend and protect the image of the judiciary in the state and Nigeria at large.

While adding that there were processes and procedures of dealing with matters of accusation and petitions as laid down by the National Judiciary Council (NJC), Obanikoro said: “Twenty years ago, the military annulled an election which was adjudged to be the freest at that time in our chequered history.

The entire country was at standstill for almost seven years. To my greatest shock and surprise, it is those who benefited most from the fall out of the sad event that are at the center of annulment that took place at Ikoyi/Obalende on October 22, 2012 and are also trying hard to intimidate and coerce the judiciary into what will amount to travesty of justice.”
ThisDay

WHO IS A MAN GOD? - By: Yemi Saka

When on friday November 16 2012, my mentor & friend Mallam Nasir el-Rufai reposted and retweeted my post on the jet acquisition by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor on his wall, it went viral & we both came under attack for criticising a "Man of God".
The question is who is a man of God? I was forced to ask this question when my faith was questioned and was reprimanded for speaking evil of/or against a man of God. They were quick to cite a Bible verse "Touch not my anointed and do my Prophet no harm". Really, do Nigerians know who is a man of God?
As a Christian, what my Bible highlighted is contradictory to what we have in place in Nigeria. According to the gospel, in the book of 1 Timothy 6, while/when Paul was writing Timothy, in verse 11, he specifically refered to Timothy as a man of God; " You man of God".
In the book of 2 Timothy 3:17, man of God literally mean God's man. Someone who belongs personally to God. A man in whom God trust, and in highest sense owns or possesses.
This is not a man who belongs to the world. This is not a man who belongs to culture. This is not a man who belongs to board of a Church, denomination, association, or those who ordained him. As indicated earlier, this is a man who personally belongs to God. This is a very unique title.
It's a very technical title drawn from the Old Testament, in which it appeared in excess of 70 times. It only appeared twice in the New Testament.
A lot will quick to posit that with what I've said, and bearing in mind the number of churches and religious organisation in Nigeria, Men of God abound in this country. Why don't you all hold your breathe a minute, and not hastily conclude such.
"Man of God" is a technical term which is also defined as someone uniquely called to proclaim the Word of God. A man of God is equipped for this by all scripture. 2 Timothy 3: 1; " All scripture is provided so that the man of God can be adequate to do his work".
While it's true that all of us belong to the Lord in general sense, those that are men of God, in an elevated sense are given the deposit of biblical truth as a trust to be disseminated to people of God; i.e Spiritual order.
But there are men of depraved mind who suppose that godliness or religion is a means of gains. These are the people who realise they can make a lot of money through religion. They are in the ministry for money. They make a lot of money by telling people they can/will heal them. They also make money by promising people God in heaven and miracles. They make a lot of money by telling them they know the secrets of ages, and the truths of time and eternity. Promising and assuring people of divine lottery also is a money spinning antics.
How do you know a Man of God?
A man of God is identified by what he flees from, and what he runs after.
A man of God is someone which the temporal, transitory, and perishing things have no significance.
A man of God is he who have one dominating, driving compelling mandate, and that is to preach the Word, to be instant in season, out of season, constantly speaking for God, and constantly saying "Thou saith the Lord".
1 Timothy 6: 9-10 says " those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desire which plunge men into ruin and destruction, for the love of money is the root of all sort of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered off away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs; but flee from this things".
A man of God flees from sexual sin, loving money and all material things that go with it. A man of God flees from idolatry, and all the evil that are attached to self indulgence, self fulfilment, and self aggrandizement.
A man of God is also known by what he follows after. These are righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
With the highlighted triats, how many "men of God" do we have? How many of our private jets acquiring and flying, business owning, school owning, Banana Island residing, and properties acquiring Pastors are Men of God?
So to all that felt I attacked a Man of God, I only attacked and have been attacking Men of the World.
So it's safe to say what we have in Nigeria are "men of the world" not "men of God".

via: Nasirl El'Rufai

Why I left Benson Idahosa’s Church of God Mission – Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor

by Isi Esene

inShare

by Isi Esene
Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has recently been in the news over reports that he got a private jet as gift from church members to celebrate his birthday and his 40th anniversary on the pulpit.
Oritsejafor, the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) spoke to the press about his journey so far in Christendom and reasons behind his parting of ways with Late Archbishop Benson Idahosa’s Church of God Mission.
Read interview below:

What will say was the turning point in your life?
The turning point in my life was the day I gave my life to Christ which changed every thing. I believe that change begins from the inside. One of the reasons Nigeria is struggling today is because the transformation agenda we are talking about is not yet focused at per-sons and who they are from the inside.
The constitutional amendment they are currently talking about…I don’t believe that the problem of Nigeria is the constitution. You can amend it, but who will implement the new one? Is it not the same people who have being using the old one. Everything about change must begin from the inside.
If the man inside doesn’t change the man outside won’t change either. The turning point of my life was the day I took that decision in Sapele to give my life to Christ, because suddenly I saw myself the I way I really was. A clear picture came to me and I realized why I was living that way.
It’s because I was living my life without God. I was trying to live my life the best way I could without realizing that there is a better way. There is an invisible person that influences us as Christians even when you don’t see any-body. That was how the change in my life began because the places I used to go I stopped going there and the people I used to move with I stopped because the change on the inside did not agree with those kind of people. I bought a Bible and I started seeing life in a different light as my eyes opened to better possibilities.
Were these things predestined? Is it possible that God decided to take you through that route, ugly it was, in answer to an earlier prayer by your mother?
My mother became pregnant and had me because she desired to have a male child. She went to the First Baptist Church, Broad Street, Lagos which was pastored by Dr. J.T. Ayorinde who later became the first Nigerian General Secretary of the Baptist Conference.
My mother went there to pray and challenged God; ‘if you give me a male child I will give him back to you’. That was the beginning of the beginning but you know that was the commitment made by another person on my behalf. I grew up and went my own way but God Who knew those commitments…you see it’s strange that Moses started life in the home of his enemy; he grew up there, understood the lives of his enemies, educated by them and got the best of every thing among them.
When I look back now, I can boldly say that a lot of these experiences, ugly as they are, actually prepared me for what I am today. I have discovered that there is no experience that we go through in life that is wasted; good, bad, ugly. They are all useful. That is why the Bible says ‘all things work together for good…’ I am happy today because there is no way I could have learnt the things I learnt then if I didn’t go through that way. No experience is lost and I am grateful to God.
I cannot applaud myself for those experiences, but I thank God because I have gained a lot and continue to gain from them. While there are bad things in those experiences, yet there are some usefulness in them because one can learn, one has learnt and one continues to learn from the experiences.
Can you relive your experience at the Church of God Mission where the turning point actually started?
I will never forget Church of God Mission because that was where I became a Christian. I was in the Baptist Church but I knew nothing about God. I gave my life to Christ under the ministry of the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa and immediately became an active part of the church.
One thing I would be grateful to God for about that man was that he was able identify potentials in people. I knew him from the day I gave my life to Christ but the day I had the closest encounter with him that changed my entire life was during an evening service in Benin; the place was packed and he wanted a song and I jumped out to lead the song.
By the time I finished that ministration, he asked me; “Who are you?” I told him my name and he said; “I know your mother. Tell your mother I want to see you. I want to see her too.” That was how a very close contact started and I started coming to his home and spending a few days there even when I had returned to Sapele.
He liked me. I became assistant pastor and very vibrant but there were certain situations I don’t want to get into, that lead me to go to the Baptist seminary. He didn’t like it. However, when I returned, my heart was to start a church and I went on a seven-day fast. But on the day fifth day the Lord said to me: “Break the fast. I have answered your prayer.” So, I had to break the fast and the very next day, I had a knock on my door and it was Archbishop Idahosa with three other persons. It was strange to me. He asked me what I wanted to do now, but I couldn’t answer him.
So he said, you must be a pastor in Church of God Mission. “You don’t have a choice. I didn’t come to ask you. I came to tell you.” The way he said it, there was no room for discussion. He added: “When I leave here, I am going to see your mother to tell her the same thing.”
The interesting aspect was that God spoke to me later: “That’s why I told you to break the fast that I have already answered your prayer.” That was how I came back to Church of God Mission where I was asked to start a church. In six months my branch in Sapele became the largest in CGM as a whole.
It grew so much, that in three months I gathered enough money to buy microphones, amplifiers and everything at a time when no other church except the Idahosa branch had a microphone. I went to Benin to tell him, I have the money and I wanted to buy these things, because I didn’t know where to buy these things and he was visibly shocked.
He took me in his car and drove to a shop in Benin and showed me what to buy and I paid before he took me to garage where I chartered a vehicle to Sapele. I didn’t ask him for any assistance and knowing him, he didn’t even volunteer any. He was excited and I could see something in his eyes saying; “I knew it. I know I made the right choice!”
Eventually, I moved to Warri and a lot of people thought that was a mistake. At the service this morning, I said; “when you submit to people they become responsible for your mistakes and what have you.” Idahosa told me to move to Warri.
It didn’t make sense because at that point there were people who knew me as a friend to Reinhard Bonnke and many other heavyweights at that time. Some persons were not happy, wondering what I was going to do in Warri. However, I prayed and God said ‘go.’ Against all odds and advices, I obeyed and moved to Warri.
I had some ugly experiences when I came but it is part of my life that I am ever grateful for because it helped to mould me. If there was anybody I learnt anything from, it was the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa. I don’t care what anybody thinks of him, I think he was a hero as far as I am concerned. He was a great man; an incredible man. I thank God for all the experiences I had in CGM.
But you left the place in not too pleasant circumstances…
It depends on the way you look at it. It wasn’t pleasant because I thought that was where I was going to be for life—especially after the fasting experience and the archbishop walking into my house and the confirmation I got from God—but what I didn’t realize, and most of us do, is that life comes in phases.
There are different levels and at every point when you have to move to another level, sometimes there could be frictions. It could be rough, tough. But all that is just a sign that you are about to move to another level. It was in November 1987.
The interesting thing about my life is that a lot of the very fundamental things in my life seem to always happen in November. I was born in November, got converted in November, I married my late wife in November; I met my present wife in November, Word of Life started in November and many more.
We went for the CGM convention which used to be in the first week of November and certain things began to happen on the platform which shouldn’t be. I tried to go from behind to sort out whatever it was, but what I discovered later was that there were certain people who were instigating crisis.
I didn’t know then, but now I know. I tried to sort out things but no; to the point where it became obvious that I could no longer remain there. There were pronouncements that were made publicly that it would be out of place for you to remain in a place where there were such public pronouncements about you; telling you to move on.
It was that bad that some foreign guest speakers had to stop by in my hotel room to say; ‘young man, you have to move on.’ I can’t even tell you some of the things they said. I tried all my best to contain it but to no avail. The whole country was tensed up because of the incident and I was surprised that the events stirred up so much emotion across the country.
The very next week, my very good friend, Dr. Ezekiel came over to Warri here to see me and we sat together and I drafted a letter of apology to the late Archbishop; while I knew I didn’t do anything. Dr. Ezekiel took it and went to Benin and gave it to him. He waited till the late archbishop read the letter.
Dr. Ezekiel told him to pray for me, which he did in his presence. I wasn’t there. Later, I went on my own to see him and he prayed for me. Though he would still go out there, saying things about me in the media, but I never replied. It would have been very stupid of me to reply, because your father is always right.
Your father is never wrong! Never! It’s a foolish child that goes in public to compete with his father. That is my philosophy even till date. Throughout the period I didn’t make any defence, but I was sneaking in and out of his house and he would laugh. I never questioned him for anything he said, because I think he never meant those things he was saying about me.
The man loved me and I don’t believe he meant to hurt me when he said those things he said about me. When my late wife passed, he was one of the first people that came to my house. He came, sat with me and spent considerable time with me, praying with me. I could see the tears in his eyes.
Before I got married to my new wife, I took her to him for his approval. He sat her down and threw some bombs at her apparently in his effort to get something out of her and at the end he took me out and told me to go ahead. He prayed with us.
Though I left the CGM but I was still there, in the sense that the connection remained and we continued to work together. For the last two, three years before he passed, I attended his convention uninvited and quite naturally they would put me on the platform and all that. That probably was the most important part of my life in Church of God Mission because after I left, my life was still connected to that great man.
That marked the beginning of Word of Life Bible Church. No doubt there would have been some experiences either pleasant or not. What would you say such experiences were?
When I got saved God ministered to me, saying that at a time I would go back to my beginning. I was born in Lagos where I started my early life. So, my thinking immediately I left Church of God Mission, was that I would go back to Lagos. I didn’t understand that my beginning was right here.
My plan was to move to Lagos because that was home or so I thought. But in my usual way of doing things I had to pray just to get proper clearance from God. I prayed and He said: “Son, you are not going anywhere.” I was discouraged because all my things were already packed.
I prayed again but God still said ‘this is home. You are not going anywhere. This is the beginning.’ That was one experience I will never forget. So, I had to start Word of Life Bible Church. It was rough, because I had nobody that I could call my own. There were just one or two people that I could send a message.
To find money to rent a place…..look it was rough! I didn’t have anything. There were those who were just laughing at me, saying ‘you are crazy. You are stupid.’ But I took the risk because this was God’s mind for me. After I prayed, I settled it. I fixed the date.
At that time, being a military era, you couldn’t preach on TV. I couldn’t go on TV, so I couldn’t even make any announcement of TV. Radio and TV stations would not accept any religious advertisement. So what I did was to hire a microphone and one horn speaker and mount-ed them on a rickety vehicle with one of cousins who likes talking inside the vehicle.
While the vehicle was driving round Warri, she was announcing the beginning of Word of Life Bible Church. Do you know that even at that I was afraid of what was going to happen on the inaugural day which was a Sunday. I intentionally fixed it on a Sunday because I know it was a day of worship and those who want to come would come.
I left my house late that day because of fear, but to my greatest surprise there were people there and I spent most of the service weeping; not out of sorrow as such rather it was joy. I didn’t know that people would turn up but they did. I immediately announced a two-week prayer seminar, which started the next day, Monday. Pastor John Ahre of Life Christian Centre in Ughelli sang for me that day a song he reckoned I loved so much; “Lean on me.”
The next day, I started the prayer seminar and whatever offering we gathered we used to make one or two chairs. I just carpenters around who were coming to our aid. Small small we gradually developed until we moved here.
How has the 40-year journey been?
Trying but exciting. Uncertain but today I can say fulfilling. Adventurous but today, I can say I can see clearly now. I am grateful to God. One thing I would say to young people, don’t do anything if you are not sure, it’s God. The way I see people getting into ministry today, is very troubling to me. As a leader of Christians in this country, I am very troubled. As a leader of the youngest move of God, which is the Pentecostal Movement, I am very troubled.
We are almost an uncontrollable group of people and the way it is, is because we have had an experience which is called the Holy Spirit experience; which is good. The problem that has come out of that is that when people cough, they say its the Holy Spirit. They talk nonsense, they say its the Holy Spirit.
How do challenge a man who says he’s motivated by the Holy Spirit? This is what we have done to the Pentecostal Movement and it very painful. The consolation God gave me is that for every move of God had had its own teething and trying periods beginning with the great Roman Catholic Church to the Protestant, the Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, to the Presbytarian, Baptist and so on. There are trials, problems that happened so long ago that people today don’t really know.

 YNaija.com

Total sells Nigeria offshore oil stake for $2.5B

 French oil firm, Total SA  has sold a stake in an offshore oil field in Nigeria for $2.5 billion to Chinese state oil company, Sinopec Corp.

Total made the announcement Monday in a statement posted to its corporate website.

Officials with Total have said they plan to sell off some stakes in oil fields around the world to raise cash for new ventures.

Total said the deal, done for cash, must be approved by Nigerian authorities.

The state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. is the concession holder on the field. Other partners include Chevron Corp, Esso E&P Nigeria Ltd. and Nexen Petroleum Nigeria Ltd.

NationalMirror

Africa gets first female Anglican bishop

The Anglican Church has appointed its first female bishop in Africa with the elevation of a priest in the tiny nation of Swaziland.

Ellinah Wamukoya will serve as the bishop for the nation after her selection this Saturday. The 61-year-old said her focus is on bringing integrity to the church.

Wamukoya told journalists on Monday: “I am going to try to represent the mother attribute of God. A mother is a caring person but at the same time, a mother can be firm in doing whatever she is doing.”

On Tuesday, the Church of England votes on whether it will finally admit women to the ranks of bishops. Sister churches of the Anglican Communion in Australia, New Zealand and the United States already have female bishops.

NationalMirror

Jonathan's comments on Odi regrettable – Obasanjo

 by Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

FORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday reacted to the statement by President Goodluck Jonathan that  the 1999 military operation in Odi, which he ordered as President then, did not solve the problem or stop the killing of soldiers, policemen and innocent civilians in the Niger Delta area by the terrorists and militants, describing it as regrettable.

The former President similarly insisted that the Jonathan-led Federal Government must cultivate the courage and the political will to stop the killings by Boko Haram, to find a permanent solution to the problem.

Chief Obasanjo, who was the Presi dent of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, stated this yesterday in a press statement issued on his behalf by the former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode in response to some statements made by President Jonathan during last Sunday’s Presidential Media Chat.

The President, while answering questions from some Editors during the programme, had said that the military operation in Odi by the Nigerian Armed Forces in 1999, which was ordered by President Olusegun Obasanjo, did not solve the problem or stop the killing of soldiers, policemen and innocent civilians in the Niger Delta area by the terrorists and militants.

The President had said further that all he saw in Odi after he went there on an official visit as Deputy Governor were the dead bodies of old people and children.

 While reacting to the President’s comment yesterday, Chief Obasanjo declared it as factually incorrect.

According to the former President, “With the greatest respect to Mr. President, this is factually incorrect. He (Jonathan) has either forgotten the relevant facts or he has been misinformed.

Fani-Kayode stated, “Whichever way, he (Jonathan) is mistaken and it is important for those of us that proudly served the Obasanjo administration to respond to him in order to clarify the issues, clear the air and set the record straight for the sake of history and posterity”.

“The truth is that the killing of security agents and soldiers with impunity by the Niger Delta militants virtually stopped after the operation in Odi and remained at a bare minimum right up until the time that President Obasanjo left power eight years later in 2007.

“I advise those that doubt this to go and check the records.

“The same thing was done in Zaki Biam in Benue state in the North-Central zone of Nigeria in 2001 after 19 soldiers were murdered in cold blood and then brutally beheaded by some terrorists from that area.

“Again, after the Federal Government's strong military response in Zaki Biam, the killing of security personnel with impunity stopped.

The objectives of the military operations in both Odi and Zaki Biam were to stop such killings, to eliminate and deal a fatal blow to those that perpetuated them and to discourage those that may seek to carry out such barbarous butchery and mindless violence in the future.

“Those were the objectives and nothing more and clearly those objectives were achieved.

“There is no doubt that after Odi there was still unrest, agitations, protests, kidnappings and the blowing up and sabotage of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta area, but there were hardly any more attacks on or killing of soldiers and security personnel by the terrorists and militants because they knew that to do that would attract a swift and forceful reaction and terrible retribution from the Nigerian military.

“To stop and deter those attacks and killings was the objective of President Obasanjo and that objective was achieved.

“President Goodluck Jonathan was therefore in error when he said that Odi did not solve the problem of killings in the Niger Delta area by the Niger Delta militants.

“Not only did it stop the killings but it is also an eloquent testimony of how to deal with terrorists, how to handle those that kill our security personnel with impunity and how to deter militants from killing members of our civilian population and thinking that they can get away with it.

“If President Obasanjo had not taken that strong action at that time, many more of our civilian population and security personnel would have been killed by the Niger Delta militants between 1999 and 2007.

“By doing what he did at Odi and Zaki Biam, President Obasanjo saved the lives of many and put a stop to the killings and terrorism that had taken root in the Niger Delta area previous to that time”, the statement said.

Continuing, Obasanjo said, “For President Goodluck Jonathan to suggest otherwise is regrettable”.

He insisted that the Federal Government must cultivate the courage and the political will to stop the killings by Boko Haram and to find a permanent solution to the problem.

The statement recalled that when President Obasanjo was in power, he handled such matters decisively, with vigour and with the utmost urgency.

The statement stressed that Obasanjo brought justice to the perpetrators quickly and promptly and he did whatever he had to do to protect the lives and property of the Nigerian people.

“The truth is that the strategy that he (Obasanjo) adopted to fight terrorism and mass murder, worked very well and it was very effective”, the statement said.

NigerianCompass