CAN Warns Muslim Leaders In Delta Against Baseless Accusations

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Delta State Chapter, has called on leaders of the Muslim community in the state to watch their utterances in order not to jeopardise the peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims in the state.

CAN in its reaction to recent media reports by Muslim council in the state calling for equal treatment, urged the Muslim leaders to appreciate the good things Delta State Government has been doing for Muslims in the state.

In a statement by the Delta State Secretary of CAN, Reverend Oke Akokotu, the body said; “Instead of asking the state government to accord equal treatment to Christians and their Muslim counterparts in the state, the Muslim community should appreciate all the good things successive governments in Delta state had done for the Muslim community in the state.”

Akokotu described as baseless, the allegations by the Delta State Muslim Council that Muslims in the state were marginalised.

He therefore asked Delta State Government to disregard the reports and agitations by the Muslim body, arguing that the agitation was capable of breaching peace in the state and jeopardizing the existing peaceful co-existence between the two religious bodies in the state, and also the peace and security agenda of the state government.

InformationNigeria

Sept. 11 Cross Lawsuit Thrown Out By Judge Deborah Batts

By LARRY NEUMEISTER

U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts in a ruling released publicly Friday rejected the arguments of American Atheists, which had sued the National September 11 Memorial & Museum's operators in 2011 on constitutional grounds, contending that the prominent display of the cross constitutes an endorsement of Christianity, diminishing the contributions of non-Christian rescuers.

Batts wrote that the cross and its accompanying panels of text "helps demonstrate how those at ground zero coped with the devastation they witnessed during the rescue and recovery effort." She called its purpose "historical and secular" and noted that it will be housed at the museum in the "Finding Meaning at Ground Zero" section with placards explaining its meaning and the reason for its inclusion. It also will be surrounded by secular artifacts.

"No reasonable observer would view the artifact as endorsing Christianity," the judge said. She added that the museum's creators "have not advanced religion impermissibly, and the cross does not create excessive entanglement between the state and religion." She said the plaintiffs also failed to allege any form of intentional discrimination or cite any adverse or unequal treatment on the basis of their religious beliefs.

The 17-foot-tall steel beam was found by rescue workers two days after the terror attacks. It is scheduled to be displayed among 1,000 artifacts, photos, oral histories and videos in an underground museum that will also house the staircase workers used to escape the towers as well as portraits of the nearly 3,000 victims and oral histories of Sept. 11. The museum, still under construction and scheduled to open next year, is part of a memorial plaza that includes waterfalls that fill the fallen towers' footprints.

Edwin F. Kagin, a lawyer for the atheists group, said in a call from the group's convention in Austin, Texas, that he will appeal.

"Naturally, we don't like the ruling and we think it's incorrect," he said.

Kagin called it an effort by the government "to endorse Christianity as the national religion of the United States."

He added: "For anyone to think this is not a religious symbol being moved for religious reasons into the World Trade Center museum is incredible."

Joe Daniels, the museum's president, said he was grateful that the court "agrees that the display of the World Trade Center Cross is not a constitutional violation but is in fact a crucial part of the 9/11 Memorial Museum's mission of preserving the true history of 9/11."

Attorney Mark Alcott, who represented the museum, said the ruling will protect the museum's depiction of the aftermath of the attacks.

"It was not intended to and will not promote any religion or discriminate against any religion," he said.

HuffingtonPost

If PDP Does Not Share Fuel Subsidy Money, Who Will? – Pastor Tunde Bakare

General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has urged the Chairman of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, implementation monitoring team, Chief Christopher Kolade to resign so that he can save his reputation from being soiled by the current allegations of non-performance by the board.

Chief Christopher Kolade

The convener of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, also regretted the delayed trial of those alleged to have stolen fuel subsidy funds, arguing that it was an indication that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had overbearing influence over other arms of government.

Bakare, while speaking to newsmen yesterday in Lagos said the SNG would soon take a stand on the pardon granted to former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Deiprieye Alamieyeseigha.

“If people are saying that the PDP is sharing the subsidy reinvestment fund, I would not be surprised. If PDP does not share the money, who will? Do you think the PDP has good intentions? I felt pity for Dr. Christopher Kolade when he was appointed to head that committee.

“He is a man with good reputation but appointing him at 80 to head that committee, was a way of soiling his good reputation. With the kind of allegations coming up on how the funds are being managed, the best thing for him to do is to resign. I hope he withdraws or resigns before he is messed up, because you cannot expect anything good from the PDP.

Pastor Tunde Bakare

“The reason why you cannot see good judgment on the prosecution of those, who allegedly stole fuel subsidy funds is because there is connivance between all arms of government to subjugate the country. The PDP gave the indication when it said it would rule for sixty years. And they have formed a merger with the senate, judiciary and other arms of government to realise that dream.

“Alamiesyeigha is not the issue if the looting in Bayelsa State is not addressed. SNG would soon take a stand on the matter. I cannot see any hope in our future except through cleansing, show me any nation that has democracy and development without revolution,” Bakare added.

InformationNigeria

Kenya’s election lesson to Nigeria – Buhari

 by Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar

Former head of state Muhammadu Buhari

Former head of state Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that Kenya’s election and its outcome is a lesson to Nigeria.

Buhari who spoke to the BBC Hausa Service said Nigerians have learned their lessons because everyone is feeling the outcome of injustice.

He said Nigeria should learn how the election was conducted in Kenya and how it was resolved in the court thereafter.

He accused the ruling PDP for injustices regarding issues to do with electricity, petroleum and pension.

He said courts which are supposed to be protecting the rights of people are indirectly favoring the ruling party, adding that he hope the 2015 would be great because of the lesson learned from the previous elections in the country.

DailyTrust

DON'T SOIL YOUR REPUTATION, BAKARE TELLS KOLADE

Convener of Save Nigeria Group, SNG, and General Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has called on the Chairman of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, implementation monitoring team, Chief Christopher Kolade to resign so that he can prevent his reputation from being soiled by the current allegations of non- performance by the board.

He also regretted the delayed trial of those alleged to have stolen fuel subsidy funds, arguing that it was an indication that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had overbearing influence over other arms of government.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Lagos, Bakare said the SNG would soon take a stand on the pardon granted to former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Deiprieye Alamieyeseigha.

According to him: ‘’If people are saying that the PDP is sharing the subsidy reinvestment fund, I would not be surprised. If PDP does not share the money, who will? Do you think the PDP has good intentions? I felt pity for Dr. Christopher Kolade when he was appointed to head that committee. He is a man with good reputation but appointing him at 80 to head that committee, was a way of soiling his good reputation. With the kind of allegations coming up on how the funds are being managed, the best thing for him to do is to resign. I hope he withdraws or resigns before he is messed up, because you cannot expect anything good from the PDP.’’

‘’The reason why you cannot see good judgment on the prosecution of those, who allegedly stole fuel subsidy funds is because there is connivance between all arms of government to subjugate the country. The PDP gave the indication when it said it would rule for sixty years. And they have formed a merger with the senate, judiciary and other arms of government to realise that dream.’’

Bakare added that ‘’Alamiesyeigha is not the issue if the looting in Bayelsa State is not addressed. SNG would soon take a stand on the matter. I cannot see any hope in our future except through cleansing, show me any nation that has democracy and development without revolution.’’

Ghost Missions on the Gravy Train - Wole Soyinka

I had thought to leave this subject strictly to the discretionary powers of the nation's women's organisations, as I did not wish to be obliged to counter the convenient accusations that we, the male chauvinist oppressive of womanhood in society, have merely seized upon a legitimate initiative of 'public spirited'
women elite to frustrate female advocacy.

However, as scandal surmounts scandal, it is more than likely that a mere "chicken feed" like N4 billion will become subsumed in public consciousness, overawed by egregious affronts such as the recent presidential pardons. The national attention span - in the face of corruption especially - suffers from overload, and there are those who know it, manipulate and profit from it!

It is within this tried and tested tradition that I view a recent government "clarification" on the First Ladies Mission Mansion, offered through the agency of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. I refer to a reportage on page 63 of THISDAY, March 18, and in other media on March 19. The minister offers the following explanation for the 'controversial' budgetary allocation, and I do
quote: "The African First Ladies Peace Mission is similar to any other similar regional or international organisation, it is NOT an NGO. (emphasis mine). It is an African Union-led initiative, it does not belong to any individual, it belongs to the African Union.
"The minister recalled that the mission has been in existence since the time of Mrs. Mariam Abacha... He added that the First Ladies in 2008 requested Nigeria to provide a permanent secretariat for the mission after an intense lobby by Libya to host the secretariat and bankroll its activities..."

The minister goes on to paint a very laudable picture of the purpose of the First Ladies Peace Mission, rounding up with the battle-cry: "Nigeria would continue out its international obligations. (Bravo!) When the secretariat is completed in Abuja..." With those two last items, I regret to say that the honorable minister lost me.

Alarm bells jangled frantically on reading those words: "When the secretariat is completed in Abuja..." Are we dealing here with a fait accompli, which means we are all simply whistling in the wind? Then there is the claim that goes: "African Union-led". The nation deserves to know the chapter and verse under which the African First Ladies initiative was adopted, much less led, by the African Union. Next: since when did the private interests of the of rulers' wives become an "international obligation"? Even if Sanni Abacha's First Lady presumed to act for Nigeria, how does this commit a democratic government to the presumptuousness of the mere spousal appendage of the head of a member state?

Again: this time, simply as a matter of curiosity, since I have never heard of a Muammar Qaddafi's First Lady - who did the lobbying on behalf of Libya? Qaddafi's rubber stamp parliament, the Jamahiriya? Or his permanently invisible counterpart to Nigeria's then spousal squatter in Aso Rock? May I ask what legality, in national or international law, the whims and caprices of rulers'
wives exercise upon governments?

Finally, I wish to quote the following entry from the Nigerian media. It was entered during the roforofo fight between one immediate past 'First Lady', the Spousal Abuser of President Umaru Mus Yar'Adua, and her current successor. They came to
blows - well, metaphorically speaking - over the luscious slab of real estate on which the current madame had chosen to erect her own monument to Nigeria's chronic First Ladyism. I invite you to study closely the 'clarification' by the then Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar).

He does not cite Africa's Union resolution or any such international obligation. He does not cite the imperatives of Nigeria's moral obligations. He does not even mention Nigeria's dubious leadership - 'giant of Africa' - sentiment - to which we are expected to genuflect, no matter how gratuitous the context. No, his intervention narrates most unambiguously the role of sycophantic public servants in the inducement and servicing of spousal egos. Here is the relevant admission, and - do note - revealed as a matter of pride, not of embarrassment or shamefaced, unavoidable disclosure.

"When I became minister, I brought the idea for the building of the secretariat as a legacy the former First Lady would leave behind. I consulted the former president (Yar'Adua) and advised him on the project after she became leader of the African First Ladies Mission. I told him that the NGO - emphasis mine - needed a secretariat to build an edifice just like the Women Centre built by the late Maryam Babangida and the National Hospital built by Maryam Abacha."

"He (Yar'Adua) agreed and told me to look for a land. When I eventually found the land, I prepared a Certificate of Occupancy and the structural design of the proposed secretariat before I reported back to him. He appreciated the effort and directed me to meet her with the proposal."

"After a discussion, she accepted the idea and set up a committee comprised of the FCT and Foreign Affairs officials, Maryam Abacha, late Murtala Mohammed's wife and Patience (Jonathan)."

There you have it in a nutshell. Maryam Abacha's 'project' was a hospital. Sadder still, we have it from the horse's mouth that First Ladies are entitled to set up committees made up of public servants - Ministry of Federal Capital Territory, Foreign Affairs, etc. - heaven knows how many fell over one another to serve on that committee.

The cult of First Ladyism rose to obscene heights under the former maximum ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, yet it was under the watch of that very general that a female permanent secretary, ordered by the then maximum spouse to report to her office for an assignment, told her, quite politely, "Madam, I only take orders
from my minister". She then returned to her office to write out her resignation letter. That was then!

Today, the obverse obtains. The role which even ministers have played in elevating the culture of groveling sycophancy to the status of governance virtue has contributed in no small measure to the abuse of constitutional provisions and irresponsible budgetary attributions. Instead of remaining a dark, embarrassing secret, it is confidently aired on international media such as the Voice of America, turning this nation into a space of ridicule and self-inflicted disdain. It is not all sycophancy however, it is - projects!
Projects with minimal overseeing and accounting, gravy trains with adept practitioners at the controls!

It is time we confronted squarely those unctuous, self-righteous attributions such as "the legacy that the First Lady would leave behind". Who says a First Lady has to leave a legacy behind?" Was she elected by the people? Is she constitutionally a public official? Does she have an obligation to render account of her "stewardship"? I have taken the trouble to study the Federal
Territory Act, and not one paragraph, not one sentence specifies that the FCT minister's functions include saddling First Ladies with the responsibility of "bequeathing a legacy."

To summarise: here then are two contrasting expositions - that of the Minister of the FCT, and that of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The FCT Minister even claimed that this mission is an NGO; the Minster for Foreign Affairs insists that it is not, that it is an "international obligation"! Please, spell it out more clearly. Since when? Under what protocols, resolutions or whatever? And of
what international organisation?

President Goodluck Johathan must be stoutly applauded for declaring that he cannot grant amnesty to ghosts. Let me add also that you cannot make budgetary allocations to ghosts. Like ghost workers through whose invisible entrails billions have vanished into Nigerian burial grounds, First Ladies are nothing but constitutional ghosts, and that means that their 'pet projects', wherever they lay claims on national budgeting - individually or collectively, and
however lofty sounding - are nothing but spectral emanations, already dead on arrival.

Lest I am misunderstood: First Ladies have the same right as all citizens to "leave a legacy behind". They must however work hard to source their funds where the rest of the world does - in the private domain, not dig their hands into public funds on which crying needs, far too numerous and deserving to mention, have prior and - most important - legitimate and constitutional claims. Too bad, Bill Gates has decided to keep away from Nigeria, owing to the latest incontinence of power - Madame should have tried 'touching' Mr. Gates for some small change. Then she would have learnt that hard working millionaires are painfully discriminating about what causes they espouse.

PDP PRIMARIES: Jonathan, Govs To Run As Sole Aspirants

The Peoples Democratic Party is discreetly planning a consensus arrangement that is likely to see President Goodluck Jonathan emerging as its sole aspirant in the presidential primaries for the 2015 election.

The arrangement will also favour first term governors, who are likely to run unopposed in the party’s primaries.

Investigations by Saturday PUNCH revealed that because of the sensitivity of the issue, the party is keeping details of its plans secret. The full details will, however, be made public in the middle of 2014.

The plan, it was learnt, might see the party amending its constitution to pave way for consensus candidacy for its members who are the sitting President and governors.

At the moment, it was learnt that the party is at a crossroads over whether to drop the plan completely or go-ahead with it.

It was further gathered that much as the party wants to satisfy the President, it is under no illusion about its potential threat to the cohesion of the party.

Some even fear that such a plan could lead to the disintegration of the party which prides itself as the largest in Africa.

The stakes are even higher in the North as prominent members have made subtle threats to leave the party in their numbers should the plan scale through.

Our correspondents gathered that the plan, which was leaked to some state governors and PDP leaders, had fuelled the lingering crisis in the party.

The strong opposition from governors and PDP leaders, it was learnt, forced proponents of Jonathan’s sole candidacy to refrain from announcing the plan to amend the party constitution to favour Jonathan.

Some governors, including Aliyu Babangida of Niger State, have voiced their opposition to the President’s second term ambition on the grounds that there was an existing agreement for him to run for a single term of four years.

Aliyu had insisted that Jonathan signed an agreement with governors in 2011 to spend only one term in office.

Also, a former vice-president,    Atiku Abubakar, was last week reported to have vowed to oppose any attempt to amend the party’s constitution in favour of Jonathan’s sole candidacy.

Atiku was defeated by Jonathan during the party’s presidential primaries in 2011.

He said, “My position is that, as far as PDP constitution is concerned, any attempt to change the rule to favour President Jonathan as a sole candidate in the event of his willingness to contest is unconstitutional.”

As part of moves to save the party from disintegration, its National Chairman, Dr. Bamangar Tukur, and his counterpart in the Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, have embarked on separate tours of the PDP states.

The issue of Jonathan’s sole candidacy is said to have featured prominently during their tours.

During his visit to Kano and Jigawa last week, Anenih held separate closed-door meetings with Governors Rabiu Kwankanso and Sule Lamido respectively.

It was learnt that Kwankwaso told Anenih in clear terms that the North would dump the PDP, if it amended its constitution to favour Jonathan’s sole candidacy.

It was also gathered the President’s sole candidacy formed part of discussions during the North-West zonal meeting of the party.

The consensus of the zonal leaders was that they should not allow the party to impose the President as the only aspirant at the presidential primaries.

Investigations showed that Anenih’s speech during his visit to Minna, Niger State, on Wednesday was part of the strategies to ease tension within the party.

He was reported to have said that the PDP was not in a haste to pick a presidential candidate for the 2015 elections.

He added that the issue was strategic and above discussions on the pages of newspapers.

The Niger State governor had earlier told the PDP leaders not to push governors out of the party.

He had said, “Unless the party decides to push some members out, no PDP governor is planning to dump the party.”

It was gathered at their closed door meeting, Aliyu pointedly told Anenih that the issue of Jonathan’s sole candidacy was capable of leading to a mass exodus of governors from the party.

It was also learnt that the party was not disposed to jettisoning Jonathan’s sole candidacy issue in spite of opposition by some governors.

As such, to pacify second term governors, particularly those of them from the North, the party is expected to give them automatic senatorial tickets.

One ready argument from proponents of Jonathan’s sole candidacy is that it is not different from what is being done by political parties in the United States when picking their candidates for the presidential election.

A member of the PDP National Working Committee, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the development to our correspondent on Thursday.

He said, “It is true that Jonathan may be the sole candidate of our party, if we succeed in amending our constitution.

“But there are concerns that if the issue is not well handled, it will lead to the disintegration of the PDP as some of our ambitious members may dump our party. What we plan to do is to take care of vociferous governors and other members.

“After doing that, we can now begin to discuss the issue. Second term governors may get senatorial tickets, while the sole candidacy may be extended to governors in their first term.

“Another argument is that in those who are discreetly pushing for Jonathan’s candidacy are saying that in the US where we copied the presidential system from, if an incumbent want to re-contest, he is adopted as the party’s candidate.”

It was gathered that those pushing for a consensus arrangement for the President and governors were of the view that the arrangement would enhance the party’s chances at the 2015 polls.

The PDP leadership is of the view that the consensus method will not negate the concept of internal democracy identified to be a bane of the nation’s democracy, a source said.

It was, however, learnt that some politicians with presidential ambition and some of the governors who are in their second term are up in arms against the move, which is believed to have implications on their political ambitions.

Leading members of the party like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and others are opposed to any such plan and have set in motion a plot to counter it.

When contacted, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, accused opponents of the party of trying to unnecessarily heat up the polity.

According to him, the party is at the moment more concerned about settling its internal crisis than the issue of its candidates in 2015.

He said, “The fact that we are having challenges in the party now is more important to us than the issue of candidate or no candidate. We have some challenges and resolving these challenges is our main concern at the moment. The tour of members of the BOT is part of our efforts to address these challenges.”

As to whether there are plans for Jonathan run as the sole aspirant in the party’s primaries, as is done in the US, the party spokesman replied, “I can only answer based on our constitution right now. There are no plans to amend the constitution and going by the provisions of the constitution of our party, we cannot adopt the US model.

“The United States does things according to their culture and constitution. In Nigeria, we do things according to our culture and constitution. In our constitution, there are primaries and there must be primaries. The issue of whether we are galvanising support for the President or not does not arise.

“The President has not even indicated that he is going to run. If at the end he says he is going to run, who will blame him? Nobody can say he is creating tension; it is other people that are creating tension because there is no way the President can come out to say he is running or he is not running two years or three years before his tenure is up.

“If he says he is not running, he becomes a lame duck President. So, why don’t we wait until he says whether he is running? But ultimately, the decision on who will be the candidate of the party rests on the people, it rests on the party members. Members of the party will decide who is going to be the candidate of the party and Nigerians will decide who will be the President.”

Naij.com