US Restates Commitment to Wipe Out Boko Haram

Barrck Obama


By Nduka Nwosu  in Washington DC    
                                                                                                                                         
The United States of America, Thursday re-stated its commitment to join the Federal Government and counter terrorism experts in wiping out Boko Haram and its war of extermination against defenceless civilians in the northern part of the country.

According to the statement, in spite of the increased spate of activities of Boko Haram and similar terrorist groups in the sub-region, which made many wonder if U.S. diplomacy in West Africa had failed, the US was resolute in its commitment to fight terrorism to a stand-still.

The statement was made during the eighth annual Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSTP), chaired by Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs.

Thomas-Greenfield expressed dismay at the incessant killing of civilians in the northern region of Nigeria by Boko Haram, while in Libya, Tunisia and Mali, Algeria and Niger Republic, terrorists continue to capitalise on the relative political instability in those countries, “but the stakes for TSCTP have never been higher than they are today,” Thomas-Greenfield asserted.

According to the US Bureau of African Affairs, sponsors of the conference, in the past 18 months, there had been rising political instability in Libya, Tunisia, and Mali as terrorists capitalise on this to carry out attacks against civilians.

Said the Under-Secretary of State: “Indeed, events in Mali raised hard questions. We should continue to seek broad understanding of the lessons learned from Mali. However, it is important to note that despite this setback we experienced, the region as a whole responded rapidly to events in Mali, which was possible in part due to international support, including TSCTP’s enduring engagement and capacity-building efforts.”

Addressing the conference, Thomas-Greenfield noted that  last year underscored the real threat posed by al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb, or "AQIM," and associated violent extremist groups throughout this vulnerable region. “But at the same time,” Thomas-Greenfield noted, 2012 underscored the resolve of governments and civil society groups to counter that threat. African forces – many of them U.S.-trained – responded to the situation in Mali and worked alongside the French military to push back AQIM from safe havens in northern Mali,” where Nigeria along with UN troops fought to repel the activities of these terrorists while helping to re-direct the country along an elected democratic government, which has largely weakened the base of the terrorists and rebel allies.

Said Thomas-Greenfield:”The intervention left AQIM scattered, fractured, and demoralised. And then, Malians took to the polls in a historic democratic election – an election that was a powerful rebuke to the restrictive rule and violent extremist ideology that AQIM imposed.

Meanwhile, the governments of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Niger have recommitted to counter terrorism and to enhance security along their shared borders.”

Thomas-Greenfield painstakingly gave statistics which showed that In 2005, the architects of TSCTP rightly understood that the majority of communities across North and West Africa rejected violent extremist ideology, and that the governments were largely committed to countering AQIM and other violent extremist groups. What is needed, she said, is not imposing US solutions, but rather, building resilience, building capacity, and building partnerships. “Almost a decade later.”

she argued, “that approach remains sound and should continue to be at the heart of our strategy.
“The region faces significant terrorist threats, which continue to morph, exploiting local grievances and divisions between various ethnic groups, porous borders, and weak institutions. While violent extremism manifests differently across the vast region comprising the Sahel and Maghreb, we see linkages between violent extremist groups across borders. In response, our strategy must be increasingly regional and comprehensive.”

According to Thomas-Greenfield, earlier this year, Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman convened a working group of relevant Department of State and USAID offices to review the strategy toward the Sahel-Maghreb region. The working group identified five core recommendations – all of which should guide the collective efforts on moving forward.

The first of these recommendations is a focus on stabilizing the Libya-Niger-Mali corridor, which has become a main area of operations and transit for AQIM and its associated groups. Second, s a suggestion on looking for ways to push good governance, the rule of law, human rights, and inclusive economic growth across the region while thinking about how it can support peaceful, successful elections across the region, particularly in Burkina Faso, Niger, Libya, and Nigeria.

Third is an aim at strengthening regional cooperation and  synchronisation efforts with key international partners. Fourth, it recommends for ways of helping governments and communities manage their borders as a focus for US security and development assistance. Fifth and finally, in conjunction with the first four recommendations, the working group agreed to strengthen TSCTP. “We have since conducted an interagency review. The review concluded “that while TSCTP is not the vehicle to advance all of our priorities in the region, it remains an essential program to build state and civil society capacity and cooperation to counter terrorism.”

ThisDay

How Amaechi stole show at First Lady’s mum’s burial

FROM CHRIS ANUCHA, PORT HARCOURT

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State shocked his opponents who had made frantic efforts to black mail him on the death and burial of the mother-in-law of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.  At the funeral service yesterday, held at Okrika National Secondary School, he not only attended the burial ceremony, but also sang, danced more than others in attendance. This attracted thunderous ovation from surprised members of the congregation.

On Thursday also, the chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, not only went to the Port Harcourt International Airport Omagwa to welcome the president, two of them, including the governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson flew in the same chopper.

Governor Amaechi, who at some point appeared spiritual and emotional as he danced some gospel tunes rendered by the popular gospel artiste, Gozie Okeke, attracted the attention of the congregation, who responded with cheers.

The governor, who was obviously not perturbed by what people might say or perceive about his presence at the church funeral relished himself in different dance styles and steps to the admiration of all.

TheSun

ANAMBRA CHURCH STAMPEDE: WHAT WAS GOD'S ROLE?

Comrade Enabulele Enabulele

The death of over 28 people in a 'church' stampede at Ukeh during what was supposed to be a 'healing' crusade is not only sad and tragic, but shameful and irritating.
Firstly, I commiserate with the families that lost their kins and kits there including those of us - like myself that were emotionally affected by the tragedy.

I initially wanted to 'sit and watch' and not 'blow the whistle' on the accident but realising that my silence places me in same bracket as the four idiots responsible for this. So I must 'blow my whistle.'

If you must know, this is not the first, second, third or fourth and fifth time we are losing people to inane church stampede and from the look of things, it will not be the last.
The first question that comes to mind after the stampede is: what was the cause? The answer depends on who is answering. To an Ngige fanatic, the answer is Obi and APGA. And to an Obi-APGA fanatic, it would be Ngige and APC. To the adoration fanatic, it was the devil's work and dont be surprised that the rascal who runs the adoration ground will tell us that it was an act of God. To those who didn't support both, it was jointly caused by Obi and Ngige with a question tag: why did they take their politics to the church?

Yes, I like the question and we are coming to it later. Why did they take their politics to the church? The causes of the stampede are numerous and that does not include God nor Devil. Four parties were involved: the#Rev. Father, #Obi, #Ngige nd the #school system.

Let us start with the Rev. Father. What was he actually doing that night? What had he made himself to the people? More than 100,000 people were said to be gathered at the venue of the incident, with facilities that can hardly take 5,000 people, when the stampede occurred. 100,000 minus 5000 is 95,000. 100,000 over 5000 in simplification is simply 100/5 which is crazy. Now we can see our first cause. So why did 100,000 people gather at a facility for 5000 people? It is simple: the Reverend father had tricked his way to stardom and thus convinced a good number of the gullible masses into believing - without evidence that he is a superhuman who does miracles. These gullible masses had made him a hero. They do want to do what he wants them to do, make friends with whom he made friends with, like whoever he likes, hate whoever he hates and as well become enemies to his enemies. Now are you still asking the question: why did they take their politics to the church? I think you've figured that out by yourself. If am a politician, It will be unwise to distance myself from these nutters that run adoration ministries and loose the zombies under their control. A hundred thousand vote is worth getting in an election.

Obi nd Ngige can be blamed because they both had been governors who did nothing in their tenures to curb the insanity and fraud perpetuated by these adoration fraudsters.
The school system is as well responsible for the stupid curriculum used in teaching God in our schools. Using radical prayer-warrior teachers in teaching our kids at schools is uncalled for.
God as person does not exist. And therefore not responsible for this. That a loving existing God will allow a disaster as sinister as this to befall his people who came to praise him did not make a sense to me and will never make. We should better understand this singular bitter truth and take responsibility for our lives. Those of us who thank same imaginary God for sparing them in the accident should quickly answer these few questions.

What was God's role in the stampede?
(A) God was not aware it will happen.

(B) God was aware it will happen, he then tried to stop it but wasn't able.

(C) God was aware it will happen and allowed it to happen because he wanted it to happen.

2015: APC‘ll look PDP eyeball to eyeball –Momoh

By OMONIYI SALAUDEEN

Next year, Nigeria will be marking its centenary celebration. By no means, hundred years is not a joke in the life of a nation. Yet, some cynics who believe in the doomed prediction of a failed state are still highly apprehensive of what 2015 holds for the country. In this interview, the immediate past national Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and one time Minister of Information and Culture, Prince Tony Momoh, dismisses the fears as unfounded. He submits that in spite of the failings of successive governments and  several national questions begging for answers, Nigeria will surely attain its mission as ordained by God Almighty. His words: “Within the next 25 years, Nigeria will make a statement in this world and the world will listen.” He, however, warns PDP to desist from any attempt to rig the coming general election. Excerpts:

Looking at Nigeria, would you say the journey so far has been very smooth?

Man analyzes situations from where he stands today. The failings man notices today are the failings he has noticed by looking at what is happening today or what happened yesterday. In the light of that introductory statement, I will say that those who see what we’ve been through as a success and those who see what we’ve been through as a failure are in relating it to Obasanjo’s half empty and half full glass of water both right. As a young reporter, I have been monitoring what’s happening from 1962  till date. And I am doing it without commitment to any ideology, commitment to any individuals, commitment to any ethnic group, commitment to any so-called philosophy. Therefore, I cannot be denied claim to some truth of what I am saying.  In other words, what I am telling you is the truth as it is, not as truth as many people see it from different perspectives. It is true that the packaging of Nigeria started in 1849. It is a historical fact. And the man who started it was British consul, Mr Beecroft, who was the consul to the Bight of Benin  and Bight of Biafra. The packaging of Nigeria started outside Nigeria in Fernadopo in 1849. By 1861, something very profound took place. Lagos was ceded to the British. By 1914, Nigeria as integrated space was packaged. But preceding that integrated space, thousands of communities were living together intermarrying, trading and fighting. All sorts of things happening inter communally. The British did not bring together Nigerians as a people. They only brought together the land where Nigerians lived. In Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta was very specific. He said, ‘they came, gave us their Bible and took our land.’

In Zimbabwe, the struggle still goes on. In South Africa, more than ¾ of land belongs to the whites. And up till now even after apartheid had gone, I think what they have succeeded in doing is legalizing apartheid. There is no fundamental addressing of the iniquity, inequality in the South African situation. So, Nigeria had this integrated space brought together by Britain which led to the amalgamation in 1914. So, what we have from 1914 to 2014 when Nigeria will be 100 year is amalgamated space. The people have never been integrated. And is the failure of Britain and more failure of Nigeria because we had independence 53 years ago and up till now, we have not integrated the people. Not only have we not integrated the people, we have divided the people. There was no ethnicity, there was no religion, cultural, or any other form of profound division that would lead one Nigerian killing another before independence and it had never happened. It happened when the presidential system came. And why? Because presidential system being a political package, the constituencies were widened. Concentration of power at the centre in Nigeria is more than anywhere else in the world. Even in unitary states, there is more autonomy for component units than in Nigeria which is supposed to be federal, but we are not having a federation. So, the problem of Nigeria is who says it is his turn to now preside over the sharing of the national cake which nobody is prepared to be a part of the baking. We don’t bake a national cake; we just want to share it. If for instance, you say today whoever wants to become the president of Nigeria, the group he belongs to should contribute money to run Nigeria, nobody will agree to be president of Nigeria. We have done warm to the integrated states by splitting them up. The problem is that we have had a political contraption that must be addressed in the dialogue the president is calling. I support the dialogue because to save Nigeria, we must talk. The question is how many times do we talk? Those who are talking already have in mind what they want. And if it is not forthcoming, they throw away the baby with bathwater. Did Obasanjo not do so in 2005/2006 because he didn’t get third term?

What are your suggestions for the conference?   

The integrated space we had in 1914 has disintegrated into units-36 states and 774 local government areas. We need political re-engineering that will readdress issues that will bring together by and large space and people. For instance, the six geo-political zones should be the federating units. In so doing, the regions become project implementation regions. Local government should be cancelled. Section 7 of the constitution is very clear on it that local governments should be run by democratically elected governments. The functions and powers of local government should be addressed by the House of Assembly. Today, nobody follows that. Look at Anambra State, Peter Obi has been there for eight years and there is no local government election. Because the state INEC is the one conducting local government election, they just write results. That is why local governments are conduit pipes because the governors pocket half of the money coming to the local government. Local governments in Kano and Jigawa are more than local governments in the whole of the South-South. What type of thing is that? So, we need to cancel local governments. Any of the regions that wants more local governments can create them and fund them. By the time we do that, we will now have three tiers-the national, the regional and states. Then, we cancel the executive governor position and bring the parliamentary system, if not to the national level, definitely to the state level. The party with the majority will appoint a premier as head of government at the state level. By so doing, you will save at least 80 percent of the expenditure.

States are now complaining of not getting federal allocation as at when due. What is your reaction to this development?

The tragedy is that they make all forms of deductions. The federation account managers are complaining, nobody listens. There is no accountability. What we have is massive manipulation at the centre which has reduced all values to corruption and indiscipline. Democracy is not a donkey project you just carry from America and dump on Nigeria. America is a different country, England is a different country, Mali is a different country. All of these countries are different. The quantum of freedom in a particular region is determined by the pace of growth of that environment. What we have done in Nigeria is to bounce on democracy without development. Where you want to develop, you do not take more than 20 to 25 percent of the budget for the current expenditure. Every other thing must be ploughed into development. Today, more than 80 percent goes on recurrent expenditure. That is why I say we are eating the future in the present. So, we must have development before democracy, not democracy before development. Democracy has to do with freedom. All this allusion to dividends of democracy is all hogwash. A borehole is not a dividend of democracy. An hospital, education, roads are not dividends of democracy. They are expectations of governance. We say democracy and social justice. Justice is reflected in infrastructures, education, the economy, culture, the environment and foreign policy. Democracy is not a provider of hospitals, democracy is not a provider of roads, democracy is not a provider of food.  Government is there because of welfare and security of the people. But because of our preoccupation with eating the future in the present through taking democracy before development, there is no welfare, there is no security.

In your opinion, what is slowing down the pace of development in Nigeria?

Development has to do with an orderly way of growing human beings in the material sense. We have a long way to go. What is happening in China today started in 1980. Peugeot and Volkswagen Assemblies were established in Nigeria the same year as Brazil. But we have been importing vehicles from Brazil. Couldn’t we have looked at all the parts and developed a way to manufacturing them?  Even tyre factories have relocated to outside Nigeria. So, where is the growth? The big tragedy in Nigeria is that we refuse to look into the endowment of Nigeria. And let me go spiritual here; darkness is at work in Nigeria. Whether you believe it or not, you are not alone. Nigeria is mapped out by God Almighty for greatness. And when God Almighty programmes you for a particular role, that role must be achieved. If you cannot achieve it, you will be replaced to have it achieved. Though the darkness will work to ensure it fails, but God’s programme never fails. It can be delayed. Within the next 25 years, Nigeria will make a statement in this world and the world will listen. Why is it that so much is wrong in Nigeria? When a Nigerian goes out of Nigeria, within three months, he dominates the environment. It is not intellectual, it is spiritual. Why is it that there are so many churches in Nigeria today? Nigeria has the fastest growing churches in the world. Spiritual anointing is done by God; Satan does not anoint. But Satan can divert that anointing to other means. Where, for instance, pastors and priests ought to be catering for their flocks, they collect money and buy Jets . It is diversion, but the judgment is on. There is nothing anybody can do about it. Nothing like this has happened since the time of the Jews and the Germans. Up till now, Jewish and German anointing, in spite of their failures, dominates the world. The next is Nigeria. And there is nothing anybody can do about it. I am not guessing. That is why I have given so much to Nigeria.

So, when people say Nigeria will collapse in 2015, I just laugh. Nigeria won’t collapse. Election will come in 2015 and go. Whoever will lose will go and sit down at home. Nigeria will see better days.

Even as some groups are threatening fire and brimstone that if a particular person doesn’t win, Nigeria will go down  in flames?  

It is a lie. Nigeria is greater than anybody.

In spite of the concerns Nigerians are having about the state of the economy, the Minister of Finance keeps telling the people that the economy is healthy. What do you have to say about this?

She is correct because of her background. She is a die-hard disciple of Bretton Woods institutions- IMF and the World Bank. The IMF and the western world see growth in terms of money. So, if money is flowing in, then Nigeria is growing. That is why I told you the only resource is man. Every other thing is to be mobilised by man. You are in this earth to use resources of the earth to grow the presence of man on earth. Do you think it is only here you have people? The whole of creation is populated. Your presence on earth is to help grow the earth for the benefit of man on earth. The Bretton Woods institutions and their agents are talking about growth in Nigeria because money is flowing in. But in the real sense, there is no growth. Money can flow in without growth. Okonjo- Iweala, fantastic woman, is a disciple of Bretton Woods institution. She is a very great messenger of that institution. Was she not the one who organized the so-called debt forgiveness and gave away $12 billion to forgive us $30 billion of doubtful origin? They said we borrowed money. The total we borrowed was $15 billion. And we borrowed when N1 was $1.50. In other words, for $17 billion we borrowed, the naira value was less than N13 billion. Later, we paid $22 billion at the rate of about N80 to the dollar. Abacha said, ‘tell me how we came by it.’ They refused and all the years Abacha refused to pay because they didn’t tell him, they punished Nigeria for it. Instead of us to look at other scenarios, because money was flowing in from oil, they influenced us to pay $12 billion. Okonjo-Iweala presided over that with Obasanjo. Not only did they pay that $12 billion, they also paid commission on it. If you look at that, you will see that we are losing the use of that $12 billion to empower our people. If we put out that money for empowerment of our people, we will be spending about $15 billion in every senatorial district a year for about 15 years.

They said we will never borrow again. And I said it in my book- Echoes of The Past- that we will still borrow. Is she not the one presiding over borrowing now? And, of course, owing local debt is worse than foreign debt. If you are owing foreign debt, it can be rescheduled for you. But for the local debt, those who took money from banks to establish industries will lose their collateral, their dependants will lose their jobs, their families will suffer and people will be dropping dead.

Do you also see any danger in the dwindling demand for oil in the world market?

In Echoes of the Past, I said Obama is the President of the United States of America, not the president for Africa.  And he would work for America and protect the interest of America. A person like Bush tried to protect dependency on oil for sometime because of his interest and family interest in that area. But Obama is going to shorten American dependency on oil for at least ten years. So, very soon, they won’t need our oil. In any case, oil is a gift of 20th century.  The gift of 21st century is the inaccessible energy-sunlight. And when the solar comes, how to manipulate it will just drop in the mind of someone and before you know it, it will be worldwide. When we were using typewriter, did you ever foresee the coming of computer? These prototypes are there in the immediate beyond in billions ready to be downloaded on earth to make man comfortable so that man would grow. Everything here is an invention. Who invented the car? The car was not invented; it was discovered. The computer was discovered. All these things are discovered because the beings bring them to this level so that life would be easier. It is already there in prototype, it is downloaded here. And billions of things are coming. Nigeria will be an anchor of reception. If you know how great this country is going to be, everybody will fast and make sacrifices to hasten that growth.

What informs this optimism even as the country wobbles and fumbles?

Wobbling and fumbling is part of darkness. You will see what will happen when the sky is open for downloading of the goodies meant for mankind on earth coming through Nigeria. Nothing can stop it. I speak of what I know, I don’t guess. When I was Minister of Information, I was writing letter to my countrymen and I was talking that Nigeria does not only have a future, it has a mission. Now, I know the mission. Nigeria is going to make a statement. Those who are going to rule Nigeria in the next 25 years will be those who know God.

You have been part and parcel of the merger of the progressive forces. Now that the merger has been consummated and All Progressives Congress (APC) registered. What should Nigerians expect?

It is now that the work has started. In my own analysis, I discovered we have had coalitions, we have had alliances, and they didn’t work. While a lot of peoples’ minds were working, my mind zeroed in on the fact that unless we merge, we can’t beat PDP. It is not that PDP has ever won any election; no. PDP’s manipulations of results through manipulating all the institutions can only be checkmated when you have a party that can look at PDP eyeball to eyeball and that is APC. But there is a lot of work to do. The journey has begun, the battle lines are drawn.  We want peace in this country; we want to deepen our democracy.  We don’t just want to take power from PDP, we want to sell and market what we have for Nigerians that the PDP has not given them in the last 14 years they have been in power. We have more than enough money to grow Nigeria. That money will be appropriately channeled, if Nigeria gives us the chance to manage its own affairs. Look at ASUU strike, look at doctors strike. Are you telling me there is no money to pay them? People just sit down and share the money and we are saying it can’t happen again.

As  former Minister of Information and Culture, your role was to manage the image of   government. If you were given another opportunity to perform the same role, would you be able to manage the image of the present government?

I won’t be in a position to be Minister of Information and Culture again. I was Minister of Information and Culture in 1986 to 1990. I empathize with my colleague who is now the Minister of Information and Culture-Labaran Maku. I pray for him to be a successful Minister of Information and Culture.

TheSun

Wife of LAX shooting victim: He 'took pride' in TSA mission

Ringo H.W. Chiu / AP

Ana Hernandez, wife of Gerardo Hernandez, victim of the LAX shooting, during a press conference in Porter Ranch, Calif., on Saturday Nov. 2, 2013.

By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News

The widow of a Transportation Security Administration agent killed in a shooting at Los Angeles International Airport remembered her husband on Saturday as a “great man” who loved his family and took pride in his work.

Courtesy Hernandez Family / AP

This photo released by the Hernandez family Saturday shows Transportation Security Administration officer Gerardo Hernandez. Hernandez, 39.

Ana Hernandez told reporters outside her home that she and her husband, Gerardo I. Hernandez, met as teenagers and got married on Valentine's Day in 1998.

"We met in 1994, I was 16 and he was 19, and we have been together ever since," she said. The couple had two children together.

"Gerardo was a great man who always showed love for our family," Ana Hernandez said, adding that her husband would have turned 40 next week.

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Hernandez is the first TSA agent to die in the line of duty in the agency's 12-year history. 

Authorities identified the gunman as Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, of Los Angeles, who was shot in the chest by law enforcement during the attack Friday and hospitalized in critical condition.

Clues on a possible motive for the armed assault at LAX emerged Saturday, with reports indicating the suspect was carrying a “manifesto”associated with the antigovernment “patriot” movement and a note saying he intended to murder at least one TSA officer.

John Pistole, TSA administrator, visited to Ana Hernandez’s home to express his condolences and offer support. The widow said her late husband was proud of his work with the agency.

"He was always excited to go to work," she said. "He was a joyful person, he took pride in his duty for the American public and for the TSA mission."

The youngest of four brothers, Hernandez was born in El Salvador and moved to the United States when he was 15.

"I’m truly devastated,” Ana Hernandez said. “We are all heartbroken. We will miss him dearly.”

TheSun

The church must fight corruption

By WILFRED JIBRIL

The essence of ministry, as I have emphasized severally in my previous articles, is to rescue the perishing souls and to prepare them for the coming of their Maker, the Lord Jesus Christ. But in Nigeria, ministry has been given a new name. Preaching for the genuine salvation of souls has now taken the back seat while prosperity has become the main focus of most ministers. It is unfortunate that the church, as we have today, is the antithesis of what the Lord Jesus Christ envisioned which is a Church bereft of spots and wrinkles.  The love of money has so much destroyed the body of Christ that heaven is no longer the focus of most believers. It is ludicrous and preposterous to read about ministers who claim they have the anointing to make people millionaires.
The question I have for such ministers is, who bestowed such anointing on them? And where is it written in the Bible that we are called as ministers to make people millionaires? The Holy Book does not tell us that the Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, made some people millionaires. His primary mission on earth, according to the scriptures, was to reach out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel so that they could inherit the kingdom of God after their earthly sojourn.  Ephesians 4: 11-13 dwell on the primary purpose for which gifts are given to ministers of God: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. Maybe their Bible is different from mine.
Consequent upon the misdemeanour of these ministers, most church members have been misled into believing that there is nothing wrong in acquiring wealth by hook or by crook as long as they pay tithe on such money. This, undoubtedly, explains why everybody now wants to do anything to acquire money.

In their foolishness, they opine that paying tithe on stolen money legitimizes it. In I Timothy 6: 9-12, the Bible says: “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses”.
If this category of Christians reads the Bible, the above verses must have been erased from their copies of the Holy Book or the page containing them has been torn off.
How else does one explain a situation whereby a Christian, who reads the aforementioned verses, still defrauds an organisation and rushes to church to pay tithe? Trust these greedy ministers. They will not query the source of the money. They will accept the tithe and extol the giver to high heavens. Sometimes, those who pay such fat tithe, get special seats in the church.  A Christian paying tithe on stolen money!

What an abomination and disgrace to the body of Christ! The ministers are culpable in that they are indirectly encouraging these light-fingered members to steal. To clip the wings of these thieving members, the ministers should start questioning the source of such money now. For instance, if a church member, who earns N2 million per annum, pays a tithe of about N50,000 from his/her monthly salary, he or she  should be queried. Another way to nip this scandalous development in the bud is for ministers to stop asking members to sow what they call seed of faith. Christians should be allowed to give willingly and cheerfully.
Furthermore, I will suggest that ministers of God should form the habit of preaching messages of judgement against believers who have unbridled desire to acquire ill-gotten wealth. If every church is doing this at every service, there will be no hiding place for these thieving ‘christians’. That way the church of Christ would have been purged of these kleptomaniacs. It is wrong for ministers to cajole members to give money or sow seed, as they say. If members of their congregation are born again, they don’t need to be cajoled before they give for the work of the Lord. The Spirit of God will always lead them to do so. In fact, giving is not compulsory. It is done according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and it must be done willingly and cheerfully. It is this type of giving that brings blessings to the giver.
The recent case of a convicted Army officer who allegedly defrauded a state government to the tune of N150 million and allegedly paid a tithe of N11 million in two installments to a church is an embarrassment to the body of Christ. This is not the first time we are being regaled with a story of a monumental scandal involving a Church. In 2003 or thereabouts, a self-styled Christian bought a massive generator and donated to another church from the money he allegedly pilfered from his employer.
These churches are guilty as charged because they cannot claim not to know the source of their sudden wealth. Imagine a salary earner paying a tithe of N11 million. The church did not query the source of his sudden wealth; neither could any of the ministers in the church discern the source.  Don’t they have the spirit of discernment?  Do they operate in the flesh? That is one of the reasons we ministers of God must operate in the spirit.
Since the church is not a business venture, ministers should start querying members who pay questionable tithes. My take on this issue is that churches, whose preoccupation is prosperity, have the proclivity to fail into such temptation. The Lord expects these erring ministers to turn a new leaf by de-emphasising prosperity in their messages. Prosperity is not a message ministers of God should dissipate their time preaching. In fact, the beginning of prosperity is Matthew 6:33 which says: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. The meaning of this verse of the scripture is simple. Give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ and live a righteous life and you will prosper.
•Wilfred Jibril (wilfredjibril@yahoo.com; 08037831431)

TheSun

My President, This Is My Story: Minister Of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah

The embattled Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has written to the president to explain her side of the purchase of N255m BMW 760 cars story.

We gathered that the President on Tuesday issued query to her to explain her role in the purchase of the armoured cars. Her defence titled: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ON THE PROCUREMENT OF NCAA OPERATIONAL VEHICLES, she wrote: “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, is the statutory regulator of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Industry.

Consequently, the NCAA is charged with oversight responsibilities over all civil aviation operations in the country, including safety, security and strict compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, SARPs, and Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, NCARs.

 2. Towards the effective implementation of its statutory regulatory responsibilities, therefore, it is imperative that the NCAA is fully equipped with highly specialised tools and facilities, including adequate operational vehicles to cover all 22 national airports and over 400 airstrips. In keeping with standard practice, provision is therefore made annually for the replacement of obsolete, inadequate and unreliable monitoring equipment.

3. In the 2013 budgetary appropriation, provision was made for the procurement of specialised equipment (including operational vehicles) to complement and in some cases replace obsolete ones.

Furthermore, the fact that NCAA, as the regulator of the industry, often plays host to dignitaries from ICAO, IATA, US FAA, AFRAA, AFCAC BAGASO, CANSO, ACI and a host of others makes it necessary to have specialised operational vehicles.

4. With regard to the procurement of additional operational vehicles (including BMW Security Vehicles), the following due process was observed:

(I) By letter dated April 15, 2013, NCAA officially requested authorisation from the Federal Ministry of Aviation to procure 56 operational vehicles through lease financing. This option was proposed to the ministry to enable the NCAA make 36 monthly payments based on receipts from Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.

Approval

The Ministry therefore granted due approval.

(ii)Based on the ministry approval, the NCAA invited Expressions of Interest from all Banks in Nigeria for the financing of the said vehicles. EOI was adopted because the procurement is two sided. First, the financier would have to be selected before the supplier is determined. This is in line with procurement best practices.

(iii) On May 24, 2013, the response received from the various banks to the Expression of Interest, EOI, request was opened publicly and minutes of the opening exercise was duly documented. During the EOI opening exercise, NCAA got commendation from one of the Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, approved by BPP who were invited for the opening exercise.

(iv) The evaluation of the expression of interests was held on May 31, 2013 during which First Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc and Stanbic IBTC emerged most responsive. On the June 10, 2013 the above three banks were invited to submit Financial Proposals. Thereafter, First Bank emerged the highest rated responsive bidder.

(v)Between June 20 and 25, 2013, invoices were received from various accredited motor vehicle dealers during which only Coscharis Motors Limited quoted for BMW Security Vehicles. Tenders Board

(vi) On June 28, 2013, NCAA Parastatal Tenders Board approved the selection of First Bank Ltd for the Lease Financing as well as Metropolitan Motor Vehicles and Coscharis for the supply of the vehicles. All necessary approvals were duly sought and obtained accordingly.

(vii) Between July 8, 2013 to August, 12, 2013 various meetings were held with First Bank Ltd, contract agreement was signed and necessary documentation executed.

Your Excellency is respectfully invited to note:

(i) The crucial statutory role of the NCAA in regulating civil aviation operations in the country, including safety, security and strict compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs).

(ii) The need for NCAA to be fully equipped with highly specialized tools and facilities (including operational vehicles) to enable the effective implementation of its statutory functions.

(iii) The procurement of specialized operational vehicles is duly provided for in the NCAA 2p 13 (IGR) Budget and the need for adopting instalment lease payments over 36 months.

(iii) That Due Process was followed in the procurement of the said operational vehicles.

Please your Excellency my continued loyally and esteemed regards.

Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, OON, Honourable Minister.