NEWS REEL:SATURDAY MORNING NEWS HEADLINES.

Military doubts Boko Haram ceasefire, expects deadlier attacks 
SELF-acclaimed Secretary General of Boko Haram, Mallam Danladi Ahmadu, has blamed armed robbers and hired assassins among other criminals, who he said  had infiltrated the terrorist group for breaching its cease fire agreement with the Federal Government, saying that the agreement is on course.
Ahmadu spoke in an Hausa Service programme of the Voice of America, VOA, monitored in Yola, Adamawa State, yesterday. Ironically, Boko Haram has killed over 12,000 people, kidnapped many young girls and women, attacked and looted homes and banks in the last four years.
However, Military sources said that the intelligence reports in their possession indicate that  Boko Haram was plotting deadly attacks across the northern part of the country.“Boko Haram is planning simultaneous and co-ordinated  attacks in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Gombe and Taraba states, the sources said, pointing out that the Islamic group
had plans to further carry out the same pattern of attacks in Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, apart from Plateau, Benue and Niger states, using several fronts and disguises in a bid to create serious instability in the country.

“We are in receipt of intelligence reports heralding simultaneous attacks across the north with the aim of bringing the region down at a go. They intend to make it wide and to stretch us beyond capacity with deadly attacks across the north. We are in receipt of other details about their fortified capacity and movement across Mali, Niger, Libya, Somalia, Cameroon and Chadian axes to get us on all angles.
“Many confessions of those we arrested at different battle zones and entry points into the country corresponded with the intelligence reports at hand,” the sources said.
We’ll finalize cease-fire agreement on Monday –B/Haram
However, Boko Haram’s  Ahmadu stressed that the final meeting between the group and the Federal Government to finalize the ceasefire agreement has been scheduled for Monday in Ndjamana, Chad to be supervised by the Chadian leader, Idriss Derby.
He stressed that the Chibok girls would surely be released on Monday to the Chadian President, Idriss Derby for onward presentation to the Nigerian government.
According to him, an enlarged meeting of the group has been fixed for the weekend to prepare ground for the Monday’s meeting with the Federal Government, even as the final ceasefire and the release of the Chibok girls remain promises that will surely be fulfilled by the group.
He further said that the Federal Government was in close consultations with Boko Haram over arrangements for the Monday meeting in Chad, pointing out that all things being equal, the issue of confrontation between the Nigerian military and the insurgents or vice verse would soon be a thing of the past.
On the latest kidnap of over 40 women and girls in the border villages of Adamawa and Borno states, Ahmadu maintained that as far as the Boko Haram was concerned, it was not aware of the incident, pointing out that although the matter was being investigated, the latest kidnap incident or attacks were carried out by many anti-social groups that had infiltrated Boko Haram.
Ahmadu stated that political thugs, armed robbers, kidnappers, hired assassins and other anti-social groups now parade themselves as members of the sect, but quickly added that if the cease fire agreement was sealed all the groups would fizzle out.
Last week, the Federal Government announced a cease fire with Boko Haram following agreement that the abducted Chibok girls would be released but the hopes were dashed about 48 hours later when suspected members of the sect carried out fresh rounds of attacks killing several Nigerians and abducted another set of 50 women and girls in Adamawa and Borno states. The abductors reportedly freed the old women among the captives and married off about 40 girls.
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Why I built new Ekiti Government House – Fayemi

IN a publication that pictorially showcased ex-governor Kayode Fayemi’s exploit in Ekiti, titled: ‘Leapfrogging Ekiti from Obscurity to Prosperity’ the conception and funding of the new controversial government house were clearly stated that ‘’The administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti State places much premium on infrastructure which it believes is a catalyst for modernizing the state.
Infrastructural development is the second policy thrust of the 8-point agenda of the Fayemi administration otherwise known as the “Roadmap to Ekiti Recovery.‘’Desirous of being remembered for good by citizens of the State, the Fayemi administration conceived what it called “Legacy Projects” bequeathed to the generations yet unborn.
‘’In conceiving the projects, the administration took cognizance of the need to execute projects that accord with the needs of the government and people of Ekiti and critically also, positively project the Land of Honour in the comity of states in Nigeria.
‘’Not ready to be encumbered by the meagre allocations from the Federation Account as the state is 35th out of 36th on the nation’s revenue ladder, the administration secured a N25 billion bond from the Capital Market.
‘’Upon accessing the first tranche of N20 billion, the administration immediately embarked on the mission to change the face of the state with the Legacy Projects which the new Government House is one of them.”
According to Fayemi, ‘’Ekiti State has lived with the challenge of having a befitting Government House since the state was created on October 1, 1996. The first Military Administrator, as he was designated, Col. Inua Bawa (rtd), was holed-up in a borrowed apartment  before building an official residence with bricks sourced from Ire-Ekiti Burnt Bricks Factory.
‘’Successive administrations since then made do with some buildings in the Government House complex, including the present abode of the state’s number one citizen known as the Osuntokun Lodge. The fact that the Lodge lacked many facilities befitting of the residence of a governor and therefore “very inferior” to other Government Houses in the country, made the need for a new Government House in Ekiti very imperative.
‘’This inadequacy came even more to the fore at the death of the former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, with guests pouring in from all over the country to commiserate with the government and people of the state on the monumental loss. To add to the state’s sorrow, the governor could not receive two sets of guests at the same time.
‘’But that rather embarrassing experience has become history with the  construction of the new Government House situated on the Ayoba Hills in Ado-Ekiti, the new edifice, like the biblical “House on a Hill” can be seen from all parts of the city.
‘’While dismissing the claims of the opposition that the project is self-serving, Fayemi argued that the new Government House belongs to the people of Ekiti and not his personal property.
‘’He added that it would continue to serve as the official residence of all coming governors, long after he would have left office. The new Government House,  will go down as an important statement of the New Ekiti that the Fayemi administration has always thought possible: It is an Ekiti State that plays second fiddle to none.’’
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Lagos 2015: Dr Kasali recalls how Tinubu wanted him to be governor

Dr Tola Kasali is a former commissioner in Lagos State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In this interview, he says that choosing the next the governor of Lagos State should not be based on religion. He also talks on his plans for the state if he emerges the standard bearer of the APC in the governorship race in the state. Excerpts:
How did you get into politics?
I got into politics through the encouragement of my father. He came to me one day and said, ‘You look like someone who is not living in Nigeria, a foreigner.’ But we are from a very rural background. Ibeju-Lekki used to be the most rural part of Lagos State. So, he said, ‘We can’t have a son like you here and be living in this kind of situation.I want you to join the people who are directing the affairs of the state, particularly our local government.’ I told him that what I gathered was that they kill people in the area and he said, ‘I have never killed anybody in my life and I have never done anything wrong to anybody’s children, so, God will be with you. Join politics and do something to better the condition of our people.’
That was how I joined politics and I decided that I would do it with zeal. Even in my hospital, I treated indigenes of Ibeju-Lekki free and gave them transport fare to return home.
I was making money because then, I had retainer-ship with Texaco, Union Bank and Afribank. So, I was making money and I was supporting people who were doing politics in Ibeju-Lekki, thinking that was where we could have a local government that is completely rural.
Then, in 1998, when the new dispensation started, the people said, ‘You told us that local council can provide electricity, then come and contest the chairmanship seat.’ It was so difficult for me because before then, my younger brother was the vice chairman of the council. So, I wondered how I could become the council chairman. Is it the Kasali family they are trying to worship? And the people said no. Eventually, I accepted. That was how I ran for local council chairmanship election in 1998. The election was held on December 5 and I was sworn in on June 2.
On what party’s platform?
The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but it was called All Peoples Party (APP) then.
You were persuaded to vie for the governorship ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) then by the likes of Chief Dapo Sarumi, which was before the disqualification of then candidates, but you refused. Can you share the reason and considering the intrigues then, would you have won the election?
I would have won because we were holding series of meetings then and my name was on the lip of everybody. All our leaders in Epe division were saying if I had been picked, they would have supported me. They also told Alhaji (Lateef) Jakande that I was their man but I told them I would rather become a councillor because then, I had never taken up any political appointment.
You have attributed your political journey in life to destiny, why?
Eventually, we (in SDP) picked Yomi Edu from our group, and we lined our followers behind him. He won the primaries against Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, but he eventually lost the election (to Sir Michael Otedola) and people were saying if I had accepted to fly the party’s flag, I would have won the election. That one went away.
When I became the council chairman in 1999, I did a lot of rural electrification projects in Ibeju-Lekki. I did a lot of road projects and many other things. When the then state governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, was touring local governments and he came to Ibeju-Lekki, he began inaugurating my projects at 10.00 a.m. and when it was 7.30 in the evening, he said, ‘no, we have to go.’ This is because we did massive rural electrification projects in 22 places, did high tension that covered 32 kilometres and reconstructed many schools. We did all this with the amount the council was earning.
Then, in 2002, our tenure expired and we left the council because there was no election. A caretaker committee was put in place. In 2003, we had the general election and Senator Tinubu won his re-election. The same week, I went to greet him at Marina and as he was seeing off some people, he called me to his inner room and said, ‘I know your people want you to go back to the council, but I want you in my cabinet to do all the things you did in Ibeju-Lekki in all the rural areas of Lagos State.’ He then asked: ‘Do you agree?’ I said, ‘your wish is my command.’
He travelled and he came back, but I didn’t see him until the announcement was made. That was how I became Commissioner for Rural Development in Lagos State. In 2005, he (Tinubu) said, ‘I feel like handing over to you as the next governor of Lagos State’ and I said, ‘Oga, do you know I am from Ibeju-Lekki?’ He said, ‘Yes. Is Ibeju-Lekki not part of Lagos State?’
After two weeks, he called me again and asked: ‘What about what I told you?’ It was then I started consulting the elders of the party and that was how I was drafted into the governorship race. Then, it got to a point when everybody thought I was going to be the governor, then the (Babatunde) Fashola issue came up and at the end of the day, he was picked.
When Tinubu looked at you and said he felt like handing over to you and at the end of the day, he went for Fashola, did he explain his decision to you? And how did the development make you feel at that time?
We had a lot of discussions then, which I would like to keep secret because I am an honest and loyal man. I did what I did in the interest of our party, in the interest of Lagos State and in the interest of my area, and that was it. It was without bitterness. I took it as my destiny, an act of God.
I looked at it this way: if I had forced myself on the people and I become governor and died the following day, what would I have achieved? The situation is different now.
Senator Tinubu is a Muslim, so also is his successor. You are also a Muslim. What do you make of that in view of the yearning of a section of the people for a Christian as the next governor of the state, for a change? Recently, too, at a book launch, the Oba of Lagos said it must be Akinwumi Ambode and not any other person...
(Cuts in) My answer to that is that all power belongs to God. He gives power to whoever He wishes. Religion has no place in Lagos politics, even in the politics of the South-West. In politics generally, religion should not play any role. If you look at the history of Lagos State, when Jakande was governor, Jafojo was his deputy. Both of them were Muslims. Nobody talked about religion then. Even if you look at it closely, you will find that the dominant people in the state are Muslims.
We should not play on religion. There was a time in this country when we had Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket, that is, M.K.O Abiola and Babagana Kingibe. Nobody raised an eyebrow and they won the election. If that election had not been annulled, they would have been declared winners. So, we should not introduce something that will jeopardise the future of our people. We should not introduce something that will bring conflict. We should not introduce something that will start affecting the consciousness of the people. We shouldn’t put in the people’s consciousness what they were not thinking about before.
So, I don’t see any issue in that, Lagos is for everybody. In Lagos, being a cosmopolitan state, everybody has a stake. We don’t talk about indigeneship because we have a lot of other people in Lagos, and the state is accommodating. You can’t compare Lagos with Ogun, Oyo or any other state.
If you look at the past governments in Lagos State, we have a cabinet of 40 members and if we analyse the cabinet, we can hardly find half of the number being Lagosians. It shows the type of accommodation we have for others in Lagos. It shows the type of interaction we have in Lagos. It shows the type of politics we play in Lagos. So, we don’t discriminate. People should not bring such item into the consciousness of Lagosians because if we start talking about religion or indigeneship, somebody from Lagos State will not be anybody in any other state. Our situation is different; we are a cosmopolitan state and we accommodate ourselves in our cabinet.
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‘How civil servants sell govt land’


Nduese Essien, former Lands and Housing Minister, former Chairman of South-South Parliamentary Caucus in the National Assembly and a delegate to the last National Conference was last week honoured by the Eket-speaking people of Akwa Ibom State to mark his 35 years active service to the community and Nigeria.
In this interview, Essien insists that given Nigeria’s rising oil wealth, the country has no reason to be poor and to seek foreign loans for its development. He also speaks on a number of other burning national issues and Akwa Ibom State politics.
Excerpts:
After 35 years of service to your father land, do you feel fulfilled or are there things that you are still looking forward to doing?
Somehow, I will say, I feel fulfilled with the services that I have rendered and with the role that I have played in my community, the state and the nation. But you know that having served for 35 years, there must some areas that you would want to treat differently if the opportunity arose again. Now, I have reached a maturity level, which makes me to look atcertain things differently. But since I cannot reverse what has passed, I just thank God for arriving at where I am today.
In all of the positions that you have occupied over the years, what has been the guiding principle in your life?
My guiding principle has been that one should take decisions with an open mind because when you have tentacles around you, commitments here and there, your decisions will tend to be influenced or you may not even feel free to take a position on issues because if you do, you will hurt one tentacle or the other. What I have tried to do all along is to keep myself free from entanglements that could impede my decision-making. I am saying this because I have come to see that some of the commitments that people make because of some situations turn out to influence them against a better position they would have taken at an appropriate time.
You started as the secretary of the Eket community in your area in Akwa Ibom state and you know what has transpired in the relationship between the oil producing company and the communities. How were you able to forge a cordial relationship between the warring oil communities and the oil company there?
My entry into community service was soon after my graduation, when I was appointed secretary of the village union and then the Eket Union. It was on that basis that I got involved with the various activities between the companies producing oil in our area and the communities.
You know, the company, Mobil, had just come into Akwa Ibom state and established in Eket and at that time, the people where not really interested in what the company was doing. But after ten years, it became clear that Mobil had made some wealth and where moving ahead, while the communities where still lagging behind. In 1979, there was a protest and I was invited to join in the negotiations between the community and mobil.
It was then that we told the company that it has left us behind, while it was far ahead in terms of development. We pointed out to the company that it was wrong for them to be building housing estates, flying in their staff and contractors from Lagos into Eket to work for them while the local people had nothing to gain from their operations.
We asked them to try to provide infrastructure, do other things and employ our people. So we succeeded in a way to get them to engage the communities.
Then, in 1989 there was another protest that resulted in Mobil coming back to construct several roads in the area in addition to providing electricity for the people as part of their effort to connect with the communities. Then in 1998, there was a military governor that was there and there was a protest because the company had again abandoned the community.
The governor mistakenly said that the people of Akwa Ibom state did not have qualified persons amongst them to serve in positions in their company. He said that the people only study Religion and History and cannot work in an oil company. That infuriated the crowd to boo the Yoruba governor and deface his official car. That also led to a major protest that led us to enter into negotiations for four months with the company resulting in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU.
We were able to stabilize relationship with the oil companies and I think it is a good omen for the state. I was a member of the MOU committee while still being secretary of the Eket community.
Have you ever thought about it in the course of your work, that Nigeria is not making progress commensurate to its potential?
Well, Nigeria is a very complex society. We have attained various stages in our march to succeed as a nation. Nigeria should have made more progress than it is today. Why do I say so? During the agitation for the end of colonial rule, it was people in the ages of 30–45 that led in the agitation with the elders backing them and of course the youths serving as activists.
That worked out and we were able to get the colonial masters to go. But soon after that, the military came. Again, it was people in the age bracket of 30-45 who were appointed military governors, the Head Of State himself was 32 years old. These people had a vision for this country. While they were at the forefront, they employed experienced civilians and other people to assist them and we made tremendous progress and became the envy of other nations of the world. Nigeria was highly respected globally. But since the democratic dispensation came, a dichotomy has risen, pitching the youths against the elders.
Now, the youths are saying that the period of the elders has since expired and that they should quit the scene for them alone. In other words, the youths do not think that the elders have any wisdom or idea to impart to them in the running of the system.
On the other hand, some elders who have been there for far too long are not prepared to relinquish the seats and allow the youths to gain the experience while they advise them. That is one level of setback that we have been having in this country.
The next one is that Nigerians have become so inclined to accumulating wealth, wealth that they can never use in their life time, wealth that is stored away in foreign countries and in most cases we lose it when they die. We should begin to feel that there is the need to develop our own country and make it good enough for us to stay. It amazes me  that many top Nigerians who have been travelling routinely from the country to other parts of the world and who have been seeing the way other countries organise public facilities, still come back to Nigeria and do the opposite.
They see the development in those other countries but they come back home to find a stinking airport, absence of road network and other vital infrastructure. When I went to Malaysia in year 2000, I saw shopping malls and was amazed, not having seen such back home in my country. So, you can see that many Nigerians are not really keen staying back in their country and doing the best they can for the nation. They rather want to accumulate wealth and store abroad.
They only think of taking the wealth from here and going outside; otherwise, how do you explain our current state when, since 1970, Nigeria has been having an increase in oil production on a yearly basis? At a certain point a certain Nigerian leader was telling the rest of the world that the problem of Nigeria was not money but how to spend it. So I wonder why have we made so much money but are still wallowing in poverty and still asking for foreign loan as if it is mandatory to receive foreign loans? Nigeria has no business asking for loans. And the Nigerian government is always talking about lack of money, insufficient funds to do projects despite all the oil revenues and all the loans that were taken. So, there have to be some solutions to this situation.
Let me take you to your brief tenure as minister of Lands and Housing. You knew that Nigeria had a housing deficit of 17 million and sadly there was nothing much you could do to help. What happened?
There is no way that I could have cancelled the housing deficit within the 13 months that I stayed in office as minister. Is it not so funny to be hearing of Nigeria having 17 million deficit every year as if nobody is building any house? For what I know, houses are being built on a daily basis and the 17 million figure cannot still be the same till date. When I came into office, I saw a programme that was to produce 500 houses per senatorial district of this country and we hailed the programme and announced it for local and foreign investors to take advantage and build more houses for Nigerians. Within a short time, a lot of foreign developers came in at that time because the property market in Europe and US had crashed. Many people were interested in coming to invest in Nigeria. So I believe that with that interest of property investors into the property market, we would be able to achieve the target of building the 500 houses per senatorial district.  But unfortunately, it took me six months in office before I could get a document showing me where the Federal Government land was available and this was a printed document that I obtained from outside the ministry. So you can now see the level of impediments against the development of housing for Nigerian by the government.
When I got that list and wanted to verify it, I realised that most of the plots of land  that were said to be owned by the government had already been encroached upon by either the owners or the civil servants who had sold them. I tell you, in most cases, land acquired by government for public purposes is sold by civil servants after the government might have used a very small portion. So since I couldn’t stay long to take care of the problem I couldn’t help the situation.
You were a member of the just-concluded National Conference. Are you satisfied with the outcome of the national conference?
At the end of the conference, you could see that Nigeria has the potential to remain a strong, united and developed entity, because all the cries and rumours that had erupted at different times in the country all collapsed in one day when we agreed that the status quo should remain and that we should continue. And then, you also find that the recommendations of the conference covered a lot of areas that if implemented, could bring about a prosperous nation that will be the envy of other nations.
Tell us more about this your reception by your people. Some may suspect that it is a platform to push you into the 2015 election. What is the reception all about?
From what I gather the reception is nothing more than an appreciation of the services I have been rendering to my community, state and the nation for a period of 35 years.
The uniqueness of it is that this time around, various other groups in the state joined to organise the reception and I am looking forward to the outcome. But in all honesty, it has nothing whatsoever to do with politics.
Let me tell you, in 1999 when I ran for the Federal House, I didn’t show interest to contest, I didn’t join any political party but it was my people, who came to me in Calabar and invited me to come and contest based on my relationship with them. So I came and they ensured that I won the election. I did not really put in much. In 2003, apparently because of my performance during my first term, I also won re-election to the House of Representatives. Thereafter, it has been a different story.
What is your philosophy in life?
It’s to live and let others live and assist people to move on.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com
Ojukwu knew Obi would dump APGA – Obiano’s aide




Former Governor Peter Obi’s recent defection from All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is still causing ripples, with Governor Willie Obiano’s senior special assistant on inter party affairs, Chief Ben Obi saying yesterday that the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu knew that the former governor would dump APGA.
Addressing reporters in Awka, Ben Obi, who also served as SSA to former Governor Obi said that it was in his presence that the late Ikemba Nnewi asked Obi three times if he would leave APGA to which the former governor vowed that such a thing would never happen.He said: “I saw his defection coming because I worked with him as SSA on inter party affairs and throughout the period he was in court fighting to get his mandate back.
“We grew up together and attended the same school and I knew that Obi is very crafty, which sometimes fail him.
“During his tenure, we were at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Onitsha  when Ojukwu fainted. I had to carry him in my Hummer Jeep to the nearby Waterside Hospital for treatment and as I was singing a song to him, Obi came in.  At that point, Ikemba raised his head and asked Obi if he was sure he would not leave APGA and he answered yes. Ojukwu repeated the question two times and this made Obi to swear with a bible he was holding that he would never leave APGA to any other party.
“Ojukwu asked this the question because he suspected that the former governor would dump APGA as soon as he (Ojukwu) was no more. It was unfortunate that he he did not keep to that promise.”
He (Obi) once said that leaving APGA to PDP was like going to Iraq, adding that by eventually joining PDP, he is in Iraq and he knew the consequences.
He also said that it was unfortunate that the former governor castigated Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State for leaving APGA when he too was planning to do the same thing as soon as he left office.
Obi also said that it was because of the former governor that APGA lost all the senatorial seats in 2011, particularly that of Anambra Central contested by the late Professor Dora Akunyili.
He said further: “He did not want Akunyili to be in the senate because of his own ambition of going to the senate in 2015. If he wanted Akunyili to go to senate, why did he take her to the Head Bridge Drug market, Onitsha to campaign knowing the role Akunyili played in fighting fake drug producers in that market as the director general of NAFDAC?
“Besides, Head Bridge is not even part of Anambra Central and he took her there just to mess her up and he got what he wanted because we were stoned by the traders who were still bearing grudges against Akunyili.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/

Chibok girls: FG, B’Haram to meet in Chad again


The Federal Government and the Boko Haram Islamic sect will on Monday meet in Chad to further discuss the release of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok, Borno State in April 2014.

This came a week after a botched ceasefire agreement reached by the Federal government and the sect.

The peace talk between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram sect, which is being mediated by the Chadian government, had been called into question since it was announced by the military last week following the refusal of both parties to respect the ceasefire deal.

Boko Haram has yet to comment on the ceasefire and its fighters have continued to attack villages in the North-East.

The insurgency group is responsible for the killings, abductions and the displacement of many Nigerians in the North-East.

The Chadian government, however, confirmed that Nigeria’s deal with the sect to free the schoolgirls would still go ahead despite the breakdown of a truce.

A very senior official, Chad’s foreign ministry, Moussa Dago, who spoke with Reuters on Friday, said that the key to the agreement would be a prisoner swap.

He said it appeared some Boko Haram factions were refusing to abide by the deal.

Dago said, “Quite possibly, those who are fighting are dissidents that even Boko Haram isn’t able to control. So far, there is no reason for others to doubt this agreement.

“What I can say is that those that negotiated with the Nigerian government did so in good faith … We are waiting for the next phase which is the release of the girls.”

Dago said he was confident that the negotiators had the authority to speak on behalf of Boko Haram’s reclusive leader, Abubakar Shekau, who has allegedly been killed by the Nigerian military more than once.

“They are envoys who answer to their leader Shekau, who himself confirmed that these emissaries spoke on his behalf. That was confirmed in writing to the Chadian government,” he said, confirming local press reports that the negotiators were named Cheikh Goni Hassane and Cheikh Boukar Umarou.

Dago admitted that it would be embarrassing for the Chadian President Idriss Deby’s government, which has played a lead role in diplomacy in Africa’s turbulent Sahel region in recent years, if the girls were not freed.

“It would be very disappointing. We are engaged in this now. If this negotiation doesn’t succeed, that would be damaging to Chad’s facilitating role,” he said.

Dago told Reuters that the two sides agreed verbally to a series of points summarised in a document he had seen, including the release of the schoolgirls and of jailed Boko Haram fighters.

Dago said, “The starting condition of Boko Haram was the liberation of some of their members; that is the compensation.”

He added that the specifics on the names and number of Boko Haram fighters still to be released had not yet been agreed.

He said he still expected the girls to be freed but he stated that the Boko Haram negotiators were no longer in Chad even though they had agreed to return in October after freeing the girls to hold more talks.

“We remain optimistic. The two sides agreed to find a negotiated solution and to show their good faith they already freed some hostages and announced a ceasefire,” he said.
read more at punchng.com

JONATHAN CAN NOT WIN IN 2015 BECAUSE HE HAS NEVER WON AN ELECTION IN THE PAST.-JUNAID MOHAMMED.




In this interview with JOHN ALECHENU, a Kano State delegate to the just concluded National Conference and convener of the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, speaks about his brush with the law and other sundry national issues. Excerpts

You were once arrested by the State Security Service for a statement you made which it considered inciting. What do you make of your arrest?

It was true I was invited. That was the word they used. I was invited by the SSS to present myself at their Kano State office which is about one and half kilometres from my residence. Before I arrived Kano from Abuja, there were some shadowy characters who were following me. The order for my arrest came directly from the Director of Operations, an Igbo man. Apparently, he does not like anyone who says anything uncomplimentary about Igbo people and their greed. I think he was particularly very unhappy because I said Igbo have taken charge of the economy and that they have also grabbed most of the land especially for estates in Abuja; where they don’t have any historical claims or any other logical claim to even one square foot of land in Abuja. He was also unhappy because I said what was taken out of the North and converted into a national land holding is about two and half times the size of Lagos. I don’t see any Nigerian ethnic group, zone or region that could be prepared to cede that kind of virgin land in addition to the valuable mineral which is under the land. When I got there, some small boys started asking questions which I answered. I spent about half an hour and somehow; because of the many calls that were coming into my telephone from a number of media people and civil society groups, I think somehow they got a bit jittery and allowed me to go. That was what happened. I believe what was done was deliberate and it had the blessing of people in government at the highest level and those in the security services. It was done primarily with a lot of ethnic bias. I am aware that long before now, SSS had tried to get me arrested months before what happened. They even took my name to the office of the NSA and other people trying to frame me up for things I didn’t do because they said I was unhelpful and that I am a threat to the government of Goodluck Jonathan; I wish I were. Every patriotic Nigerian must do what he or she can do legally to constitute a threat to this government. This is the most irresponsible, most corrupt and the most incompetent government in the history of Nigeria. These are people who are not only tribalistic; they are also sectarian and they are very clannish. Their greed and stupidity is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

But people say you’re chronically tribalistic going by your statements on national issues.

I want them to tell me what makes me tribalistic, let them mention the statements they are referring to. If saying about 42 per cent of the key positions in the economic sector of Nigeria is dominated by Igbo, if that is what they call tribalism, then I stand by that tribalistic statement because these are verifiable facts and whenever I made that statement, I mentioned names and positions and institutions. For example, I said the most powerful person in this country is the Minister of Finance who is in fact, the de facto Prime Minister. What it means is that she is the de facto head of government. For a person who was not elected and the legitimacy of the government that appointed her still in doubt, anybody who thinks saying this is being tribalistic, so be it. They can burn to ashes and go to hell. Two, I said the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria is also an Igbo person, next I said the DG, Nigerian Economic Summit Group is an Igbo man, the DG, Sovereign Wealth Fund, is also an Igbo person, the DG, Securities and Exchange Commission is also an Igbo person, the DG, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria is also an Igbo person, other ministries which are very critical to the running of the economy like aviation, are also in the hands of Igbo people. So, what are we talking about? Igbo remains one ethnic group in Nigeria that is so devoid of any shame to show their greed, selfishness and contempt for other ethnic groups. I said and I will still say that the first time Igbo officers staged a coup and assassinated wholesale the political leaders of most other ethnic groups was when we had General Aguiyi Ironsi as the Supreme Commander of the Nigerian Armed Forces. He was involved in the coup where the entire political leadership, the military and economic leadership of other regions especially the North was decapitated under him and he was from Umuahia. The next time we had another Igbo man as Chief of Army Staff was at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency and that man was (Azubuike) Ihejirika, who also comes from the same Abia State, from the same Umuahia. So, if this is what they use to call me a tribalist, then they can go to hell.

Are you one of those who believe Northerners are born to rule and that a Northerner should be President in 2015?

I have never said a Northerner should rule Nigeria in 2015. There was never a time in my entire political career when I said a Northerner must govern or rule Nigeria under any circumstance. I will not dignify this question with an answer. Next question.

Why did you say that President Jonathan will not win a credible election in 2015?

Because he never won any election in the past. The election which brought him to power as number two to Umaru Yar’Adua was not a credible election. The election he was alleged to have won in 2011 was not credible and I don’t believe he could win any election if anybody is to vote rationally- by this I mean, if people are to vote for a man on the basis of his performance and that performance must tally with what he promised to do, there is no way-let me tell you, we have a saying in American English ‘at the end of the day, all politics is local.’ As far as I am concerned, if he is to be voted for without recourse to ethnicity and religious bias and people are to vote for him on the basis of performance, there is no reason why any part of this country should vote for him- apart from the mercenary Igbo and of course, the Ijaw who are opportunistic, they are the only people who will have occasion to vote for Jonathan. When I say Ijaw, I choose my words carefully because most of the people who got appointments in this government are Ijaw, not Kalabari, their cousins, not the people of Akwa Ibom whether they are Anang or Ibibio and not even the few other tribes who are not associated with Edwin Clark. None of them got anything. The Igbo are mercenaries; they are there for sale. If the devil were to come today to say, I am the devil about whom the Bible and the Quran have spoken, I am prepared to give money, the Igbo will take the money and vote for him. Quote me!

You once described President Jonathan as a bad president. Is it because he’s not a Northerner?

I knew Jonathan before most of you. I employed him and Chief Horsefall is alive. I employed him (Jonathan) as Assistant Director when I was a Federal Commissioner in OMPADEC in Port Harcourt. To be fair to President Jonathan, he has never denied me nor has he ever denied circumstances surrounding my employing him. If I hated him, why should I be the one who was instrumental in his getting a job as Assistant Director in OMPADEC? Two, I said he was a bad President but I never said he was a bad director of ecology because that was what I recommended and insisted he should be employed as and he was employed. I did not say he was good enough to be president but I said he was good enough to be director of ecology because he comes from an educationally disadvantaged area and that to me is important. I come from the North which is also educationally disadvantaged and I believe people who are underrepresented in such circumstances especially in the Federal Government institutions should be employed. I believe every Nigerian has a right to be given a sense of belonging and I believe one of the good aspects of a government is how inclusive it is so that every Nigerian should have a sense of belonging. I have never hated him and he himself has never said I hated him.

Some people say that you hate Igbo people, is that the case?

I have an Igbo daughter. I don’t see how I can hate my daughter. My daughter speaks better Igbo than Hausa. Nobody can make me hate my daughter. I also have a Yoruba daughter and I have an Ijaw daughter who is doing her Master’s degree at the University of Ghana, Legon. I don’t hate Igbo but I see no reason why I should spare them when they have done more damage to the psyche, to the sovereignty and the existence of Nigeria. Some of my closest friends for life are Igbo and one of them is Uche. S.G Ikoku is someone I regard as my political mentor even more than the late Aminu Kano-as far as I am concerned, and he was an Igboman. I can tell you many more. I have never associated with other Nigerians (who are either majority or minorities) who have accused me of being a tribalist.

You have said a lot about the 1966 coup, where some northern leaders were killed. What about the killing of Igbo in the North, weren’t you bothered about that too?

I have always said that tit for tat killing is not a characteristic of human beings. I have always said that an eye for an eye is not a way of running a society. If you continue an eye for an eye, at the end of the day, the world will be blind. I am not a believer in an eye for an eye and I never believed that what the Igbo did which was purely on tribal basis, politically motivated-it was also motivated by tribal hatred- was right. Even if what they did was deliberate; I believe it was deliberate. The frenzy which somehow took over the North was wrong because I believe there was a way in which that issue would have been handled differently in a much more humane and sensible manner. That is number one. Number two, when you look at what happened during and after the Igbo coup and the action of the Igbo, you don’t justify what happened, but you have to agree that the Igbo themselves contributed to the severity of what happened after their own tribal coup because I was alive and well and I knew what the Igbo were saying afterwards. They were showing photographs of the Sardauna and saying we killed your father. I saw that, in addition and if you look at the long term consequences of the Igbo coup and the civil war afterwards, you will notice that first and foremost, the North treated the Igbo much more humanely, much more honestly and as fellow citizens than the rest of the country. My first job in government in 1968/69 was as an abandoned properties officer in Sabon Gari, Kano. At that time and up till now, Sabon Gari is one of the most developed parts of Kano metropolis. When I finished my assignment and had to leave for the Soviet Union, I handed over to another person. The sum total of what I am saying is that not a single Igboman can claim that he came back to Kano and that his house or property was alienated. Every Igboman who came back got his property back and I challenge any Igboman to tell me that he came back to Kano or any part of the North for that matter and he found that his land had been taken from him or his house or his market stall or anything of that nature. I can give you an example of a good friend of mine, Prof. ABC Nwosu who was formerly Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and later Minister of Health during the first term of Obasanjo’s administration. He was the one telling me and he is alive- he said but for the houses his father left in Kano which he recovered completely when he came back, he and six of his brothers would never have gone to school. You can crosscheck this with ABC Nwosu. If I hate Igbo, he will not tell me that. He is a good friend of mine and Governor Sule Lamido; fact must be fact.

You said that Gen. Buhari is not fit to rule Nigeria again. Do you have any other Northerner in mind who will offer good leadership to Nigeria?

Where and when did I say that? I never said that.

You said that the PDP cannot win the presidential election in 2015. What will you do if the party wins?

There will be mayhem. The party cannot win a free and fair election. It is not beyond it to connive with Attahiru Jega the way they did in 2011. And if they do that, there will be mayhem.

Why do you think that Abuja should go with the North if Nigeria divides? Is Abuja not central to the country?

Abuja has been and remains central to Nigeria but it is also central to the North. In creating Abuja, not one square foot of the other regions was incorporated into Abuja. In fact, 80 per cent of the whole land of Abuja came from Niger State. The remaining 20 per cent came from the northern states of Kaduna and a small fraction of Nasarawa when it was part of Plateau. How can you then say if Nigerians decide to go their separate ways, Abuja will remain central? I have said it before that if you draw a straight line from Abuja southwards, you will have to go over 351,000 kilometres before you reach the end of the North. That is where the border will be in case of a break-up. I invite you and the Igbo irredentists and all the historical revisionists to see what happened recently when the North and South Sudan split. The North retained Khartoum. The stretch from Khartoum to the border is more than the distance between Abuja and Okpila. Even Okpila where you have the cement factory is originally Igbira land and if we want to reacquire it, we will re-acquire it, it is Northern land. If Nigeria was to break up, Abuja will not only remain a northern territory, it will also remain the capital of a new Nigeria. It will be unfortunate, but there is no alternative. If Nigeria were to break up tomorrow, the North with Abuja as capital will acquire all the assets and liabilities of Abuja.

Many think if President Goodluck Jonathan wins in next year’s poll, the current Boko Haram crisis will not subside. Do you share this fear?

I believe that this government is involved with Boko Haram directly and indirectly with some of the terrorists in the Niger Delta. Anybody who believes that there is a direct connection knows that this Boko Haram insurgency is not coming out of the blues; it is being financed indirectly or directly by the government. If as they tried to do during the (Peter) Odili tenure in Rivers, to encourage people to unleash violence and after the election, they abandon them, those people will take up arms and unleash terror on them. The fact is this, government is irredeemably corrupt and incompetent.

Do you think that negotiation is the key to curtailing the Boko Haram crisis in the North-East?

Who are you going to negotiate with? Modu Ali Sheriff, Asari Dokubo, Edwin Clark or the President himself who are all implicated? How do you talk about stopping armed robbery with a confirmed armed robber?

You seem not to see many good things about the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. What is your rating of his administration?

I am sorry to say and I hope that I don’t sound too negative, I challenge anyone who has anything positive to tell me. The first responsibility of any government is the maintenance of law and order, is there law and order in Nigeria today? No. One of the first promises made by this President was that he was going to get rid of corruption, has he done that? He promised he was going to get rid of poverty, the poverty level has risen beyond belief. Tell me what he has done about infrastructure? On a daily basis, I spend more on petrol than I pay on a monthly basis for my entire NEPA bill. I live in a small bungalow, my bill has been in excess of N2,000 for the past six months, I have not paid more than that. And there is no water, no major state in Nigeria has reliable water supply. And the Igbo who have been running the ministry of aviation have taken it upon themselves to deny other airports particularly Kano Airport of commercial venture. They want to destroy the airport as a commercial venture, they have refused other airlines who had expressed interest in coming to Kano. Starting with Stella Odua and now Osita Chidoka, I challenge those who say Jonathan has performed to tell me what he has done in terms of what he claims he would do.
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FAYOSE SUPPORTERS PROTESTS THE ALLEGED BID TO IMPEACH HIM..



Hundreds of supporters of the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, on Friday trooped to the streets, protesting alleged plan by members of the state House of Assembly to impeach the governor.

The protesters, under the aegis of Positive Minds Club for Teachers, converged on Fajuyi Park in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, with placards bearing various inscriptions criticising the Assembly.

They proceeded from the popular Fajuyi Park to Ijigbo roundabout where they were addressed by two of their leaders.

Some of the placards read, “No to impeachment,” “We want peace in Ekiti,” “Return the N100m bribe to your leader,” “No going back on June 21 election result” and Tinubu stay away from Ekiti,” among others.

The group’s President, Mr. Ojo Patrick, and Treasurer, Mr. Bello Akande, vowed to mobilise the people of the state to move against any plan to remove the governor.

Patrick said, “It is a peaceful protest and the police are here to ensure that the protest is not hijacked. We are going to maintain peace throughout the protest.

“We just want to show to all Ekiti people that we stand by the result of the last governorship election and our mandate.

“If the members of the House of Assembly want us to come and dialogue with them, we are ready. We learnt that they went for a meeting in Lagos State with Tinubu and each of the lawmakers collected N50m while the Speaker got N100m to impeach the governor and to make sure that Ekiti State is made ungovernable for Fayose.”

Patrick, however, appealed to the lawmakers “in the interest of all Ekiti people to stay clear of any move to impeach the governor.”

The state House of Assembly had on Thursday at a press meeting denied collecting money to remove the governor.

The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Mr. Churchill Adedipe, said the meeting they held in Lagos was to discuss the forthcoming All Progressive Congress presidential primary.( So soon, was he not just sworn in about a week ago?)

NIGERIANS BERATES JONATHAN ON HIS 2015 RE ELECTION  BID...


Some Nigerians have described President Goodluck Jonathan as an insensitive leader. This followed his moves to formally declare his re-election bid amid his administration’s failure to ensure the release of the 219 Chibok girls abducted six months ago in Borno State by the violent Boko Karam sect.

They said they were worried that the President seemed to have abandoned his responsibility of protecting lives and the property of the citizens while focusing on his re-election ambition.

The President had on Thursday set up a Presidential Declaration Committee with a former Minister of Defence, Dr. Bello Haliru, appointed as the chairman.

Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, was appointed as the Deputy Chairman and Senator Anyim Pius Anyim will serve as secretary of the committee.

The declaration will hold on November 11, 2014.

The President had insisted some years back that he would not stay in office beyond 2015.

But concerned Nigerians believe that the President ought to have secured the release of the girls before he declares his intention to seek re-election.

The Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said the fact that the President had chosen to concern himself about returning to power at this time amounted to insensitivity.

Mumuni, who spoke with one of our correspondents in a telephone interview on Thursday, said the President could simply have delayed his declaration until when the Chibok girls are rescued.

He said, “But in Nigeria, politicians at all levels, not just the President, think mostly about the moment rather than the future. It has become customary that they don’t bother about the situation in the country when their political career is concerned.

“There were reports that the girls would be released last Monday but this is the end of the week and nothing has happened. What the President should have done was to address the nation on this issue and tell us why nothing has happened.”

The Executive Director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, Mr. David Anyaele, expressed worry over the President’s seeming reluctance to prove to Nigerians that he could provide adequate security for them.

He, however, urged the President to ensure that the Chibok girls are rescued immediately.

He said, “Nigerians should demand that the President should produce the girls right now to show he has the capacity to provide security for the country beyond 2015 and that he is not insensitive.”

The spokesperson for the BringBack Our Girls Campaign, Mr. Rotimi Olawale, who spoke on behalf of the parents of the Chibok girls, said it would be unfair to the abducted girls for the President to put politics above their safe return.

He said, “For us at BBOG campaign, one of the things we have been demanding is that we need to see a resolve from the Presidency that rescuing the Chibok girls and other boys and girls who have been kidnapped in the past remain number one on the agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Unfortunately, this is a time we have different political intrigues and the 2015 elections close by. Sometimes we feel they have placed politics above the return of the girls.

“We demand that the government should rescue the girls and communicate with the families of the girls who have been kept in the dark since the news broke that there was a ceasefire and a negotiation.”

An Abuja-based lawyer and social commentator, Mr. Jide Oluyemi, believed that it was shameful for the President to seek re-election in the midst of the security crisis in the country, especially in the North-East.

He said that the action showed that the President was not sensitive to the plight of Nigerians.

Oluyemi said, “Six months ago, Boko Haram abducted over 200 Chibok schoolgirls and they have yet to return home. There are thousands of people displaced and yet President Goodluck Jonathan still has the gut to declare his ambition to seek re-election.

BUILDING COLLAPSE: TB JOSHUA TO APPEAR BEFORE THE CORONER ON THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER.


The founder and General Overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Pastor T.B. Joshua, has been slated to appear before the coroner investigating the cause of the church’s building that collapsed on September 12, 2014.

Joshua will be appearing on November 5, 2014 alongside the contractor handling the collapsed six-storey building. No fewer than 115 died in the collapsed building.

The coroner, Magistrate O.A. Komolafe, during the sitting of the court on Friday, stated that the appearance of the church’s founder was important to the findings of the court.

Though counsel to the church, Mr. Jude Nnadi, said Joshua’s appearance would not be necessary because he was not an eyewitness to the incident, Komolafe insisted that he must appear.

The magistrate, who said he had heard that Joshua had addressed the press at various times, said he must also appear before the court to give evidence.

Komolafe said, “We have heard that he has been addressing the press at various times, let him come and address the court.

“The court has summoned him, let him come and tell us what he knows. He cannot sit over there and be sending words to us that he cannot come.

“The court has said that for the purpose of what we are doing that he should come over.”

Meanwhile, a Chief Operational Officer with the Lagos State Fire Service, Adebayo Musiliu, told the court on Friday that his observation revealed that the building did not collapse as a result of explosion.

Musiliu, who said he has 34 years of experience in rescue operation, insisted that there was nothing to suggest that the accident occurred as a result of explosion.

He said, “All the bodies recovered were not dismembered or burnt. There were also no scattered bricks. The floors and pillars were also not shattered; rather the six-storey collapsed on top of each other. The collapsed building did not depict any sign of explosion or implosion.”
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Falana blasts Buhari over presidential form ‘loan’

As reported by Premiumtimesng.com,Senior lawyer, Femi Falana, has faulted the decision of a presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammad Buhari, to take out a bank loan to purchase his party’s intent form for the presidential race.
Mr. Falana spoke on Thursday in Abeokuta at the 2014 Press Week of the Paramount F.M chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ogun State Council, on the topic, Current Security Challenges; Implications For 2015 Election.
“That action of taking bank loan is indefensible. I have condemned it and political parties should do something about that. If you are obtaining loans for forms, what about elections? Elections cost billions in Nigeria and that should be discouraged,” Mr. Falana said.
He enjoined Nigerians to shun ethnic, religious and other primordial sentiments in voting in candidates.
He said what Nigerians should look out for are qualities that will fix roads, reduce poverty and deal with insecurity issue.
Similarly, Mr. Falana charged the media not to extend undue favour to any candidate or political party. He said their report should also be issue based, while more effort should be directed at fighting corruption.
Mr. Falana stressed that only individuals with competence and commitment should get Nigerians’ votes.
On local government autonomy, Mr. Falana said in the true sense of the word, no arm of government in Nigeria is truly autonomous, arguing that as long as states continued to run to Abuja for survival, autonomy exists only on paper.

PDM sets fee for presidential nomination form at N25 million

The Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, will hold its inaugural National Convention on October 31st and November 1st 2014 at International Conference Centre, Abuja to elect National Officers of the Party, according to the time table released by the PDM National Secretariat on Thursday October 23rd, 2014. This follows a resolution of the National Executive Committee of the Party at its meeting of Thursday, October 16th, 2014 held at the National Secretariat in Abuja.
The National Convention will be preceded by Zonal Congresses earlier on Friday, October 31st at the same venue at which delegates are expected to elect a National Vice Chairman from each of the six geo-political zones.
It will be recalled PDM Conducted its Ward, Local Government Area and State Congresses in 28 States of the federation on August 30th and September 1 and 3rd respectively. The 28 States included Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo in the South East; Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo in the South West; Niger, Plateau and FCT in the North Central; Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe in the North East; and Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara in the North West. Four more states, Adamawa, Kogi, Nasarawa and Rivers states will hold their congresses on Saturday, October 25th 2014 to bring the number of states that have concluded their congresses to 32. Article 17, Sub-section 17.2.3 of the Party’s constitution requires that two-thirds of the states of the federation are represented at the National Convention.
In addition to electing National Officers, the National Convention will approve amendments to the Party’s constitution to reduce the number of delegates to the Convention which currently stands at about 150,000 a number considered rather unmanageable by the Party’s NEC. The Convention will also consider and approve, among other things, the mode of selection of members of Board of Trustees and the Party’s Audited Accounts.
In a related development, PDM has released the time table and fees for nomination of aspirants to run for primary election and emerge as the Party’s candidates for various offices in the general election of 2015.
According to the time table released by the National Secretariat of the Party on Thursday, collection of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for various offices will open on November 3rd and close on November 10th, 2014 while all collected forms must be returned to the National Secretariat by 5.00 p.m. on November 13th 2014.
Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for State House of Assembly are to cost N50,000 and N200,000 respectively; House of Representatives N150,000 and N350,000; Senate 500,000 and N2 Million; Governor N1 Million and N4 Million; while Presidential aspirants are to pay N5 Million and N20 Million respectively. All fees are to be paid for into the Party’s designated bank accounts at First Bank and Zenith Bank while all forms are to be collected at the Party’s National Secretarial in Abuja on presentation of evidence of payment obtained from the banks.
According to the Party’s time table, primary election for State House of Assembly will hold at designated places across the states of the federation on November 25th; House of Representatives on November 30th; Senate on December 2nd; while Governorship will hold on December 6th. The Special National Convention to elect the Party’s presidential flag-bearer will hold in Abuja on December 9th, 2014.
The Party called on its members and the general public to take note of these events, dates and fees as no changes or review will be entertained.
Ahmed Rufai Abubakar
(National Publicity Secretary)

FAAN explains fire at Lagos airport

The fire incident at the departures hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday was caused by an electrical fault, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has said.
The fire outbreak, which sent travellers and aviation staff at the terminal scampering to safety as smoke billowed into the sky, was quickly extinguished by fire fighters.
Yakubu Dati, FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, described it as a “minor smoke incident.”
“The smoke was quickly traced to the electric panel room on the second floor of the terminal by a combined team of FAAN’s electrical engineers and fire officers,” said Mr. Dati.
Preliminary investigation, according to Mr. Dati, revealed that the incident was caused by a short circuit at the panel room which was arrested by the engineers on duty.
“The Authority wishes to assure the travelling public and other airport users that there was no immediate danger to anyone as a result of the incident neither did it affect flight operations at the terminal,” Mr. Dati said.
“The Authority has directed the Directorate of Engineering and Maintenance to commence immediate investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the said short-circuiting of the cables.”
Two years ago, a similar incident, also caused by an electrical spark caused a blackout at the airport’s international terminal.
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2015 election will be violence-free, says Mark

The Senate President, David Mark, has assured opposition political parties and Nigerians in general that the 2015 elections will not be bloody.
Mr. Mark assured that the elections would free, fair, credible and acceptable.
“Those who lose should accept defeat. People should be reminded that whenever you go into an election, the tendency is that either you lose or win. For every competition there must be a winner and losers should accept defeat,” he said.
The senate president gave the assurance on Thursday in Jos, Plateau State, during the constituency empowerment and development programme of Gyang Pwajok, the senator representing Plateau North Senatorial district, as part of activities to mark his two years in office.
Mr. Pwajok was elected as senator after the death of Gyang Dantong in 2012.
Mr. Mark said Nigeria was witnessing insecurity challenges, but it will not detract from the elections.
According to Mr. Mark, in spite of the insecurity, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP will ensure that the 2015 general elections are conducted into various positions.
“We have challenges, but we are gradually overcoming the challenges and we need the contribution of every Nigerian to be able to overcome the challenges,” he said.
Mr. Mark, on behalf of Mr. Gyang Pwajok, presented a 14-seater bus to the state secretariat of the PDP.
Other items presented were wheelchairs for the physically challenged, medical equipment, 500KVA electrical transformers and computer sets.
The state governor, Jonah Jang, was represented at the event by his deputy, Ignatius Longjan.
There was tight security at the event. Security officials were seen conducting stop and search on people
.-premiumtimesng.com