I'm Not Involved In Plans To Islamise Nigeria, I Told Buhari About Fulani Herdsmen Killings, Since He's Fulani, He's The First Suspect ~ Osinbajo Confesses

 The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has denied any involvement in the process of Islamising Nigeria when a Christian group, Greater Nigeria Pastors’ Conference, has told him to explain where he stands in the alleged killings of Christians and Islamising of Nigeria by All Progressives Congress (APC) government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Greater Nigeria Pastors’ Conference in a meeting held in Lagos at Faith Revival Apostolic Church, with the theme “Peace of Jerusalem” had Prof. Osinbajo as special guest of honour and the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode as guest, demanded from the Vice President through the Keynote Speaker, Apostle (Dr) Paul Obadare, to tell them if he was the Esther, Daniel or Nehemiah of their time in respect of targeted killing of Christians across the nation and the alleged planned Islamising of Nigeria.

Responding, Osinbajo told them that he was still a Christian and had not compromised his faith. He said he had never stopped to defend his Christian faith anywhere he went. He said that God had kept him in the position of number two citizen for a purpose. The Vice President said that he did not lobby to become the Vice President of Nigeria. He agreed that there were issues to be tackled in the country and that God was in control of the affairs of the nation.

He said that he had personally told President Muhammadu Buhari that since these killings were perpetuated by Fulanis and he was a Fulani man that he should be the first suspect. He said that the President responded to his query. He did not say specifically what the President told him

He went further to say that he worked directly with Mr. President and owed him the responsibility of allegiance. He said he would not stab the president in the back. He said that the issue of Islamising the nation is not in the agenda of the government.

He said that during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime that twelve governors implemented Sharia Law in their States and Obasanjo could not do anything to stop them because the Constitution had empowered them to do so as chief executive officers of their various States.

Osinbajo said that this government was working tirelessly to end the killings because the State owed Nigerians the obligation of protecting every citizen irrespective of tribe, religion or ethic affiliation.

The meeting with the group of pastors and Christians across the nation was held under close doors. The members of press were shut out from the meeting. However, our source was able to get the brief of the meeting and was reliably informed that the Convener, Reverend Yomi Kasali, would be organising a similar meeting in three weeks but the venue was not made public. 
Daily Independent)

Former Senate President, Sen Ameh Ebute Writes Saraki To Resign

The letter reads below.

Let me begin by extending my greetings to you and other members of the National Assembly. It is exactly eight years since God crossed our path and must be bold to say that knowing you as a friend has been an interesting journey all the way.

As a senior citizen of Nigeria, I feel I owe the younger generation of Nigerians the moral obligation to offer advice and counsel when public institutions are mismanaged. It is more compelling, especially, whenever I see the ship of state derailing or democratic tenets blatantly abused, as in our experience now with your leadership of the National Assembly. This is why I have decided to write this open epistle to you.

We all know that democratic governance rest on the pillars of the legislature, whose main responsibility is to enact legislations that would deepen democratic practices and good governance in any country of the world. A corrupt legislature is a bane to the country; while an upright, focused and virtuous legislature is an asset to Nigeria. The entire wheels of democratic governance are propelled and energized by the legislature.

Therefore, those who should populate the hallowed chambers ought to be men and women of proven integrity and trustworthy. The demands of morality and integrity on the Parliament, which is the conscience of democratic governance is very strict.

It is no longer in doubt to all discerning minds that your lofty position as the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigerian places a serious a moral burden on you, which your actions and utterances in the last three years have exposed you as very deficient.

Nigerians have watched with utter amazement how you have redefined leadership of the legislature in the negative sense. This to me as your friend is very shameful and immoral to say the least but still not too late.

The Senate under your watch has imported despicable autocracy and despotism into parliamentary engagements. And the resultant effects include, the dictatorial muzzling of opposition voices of colleagues during plenary and abusing their inalienable right of freedom to hold and express opinions on the floor of the hallowed chambers.

Your leadership of the Senate has shown an absolute proclivity to vindictiveness and witch-hunting of colleagues who share views opposed to your disposition. Such members are goaded to the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee peopled by your acolytes, who have accepted the loathsome job of serving as your hatchet men. They unduly or unlawfully punish dissenting voices for the audacity of holding an opinion contrary to your thinking.

The suspension of Senators Ali Adume and Omo-Agege are some of the few examples of your aberrational leadership of the Senate and the National Assembly. You have turned the Red Chambers into a combat theatre, protecting the abominable, but despising truth. This is the extent of your moral deficit, which has disqualified you from belonging or even leading an assemblage of honourable men and women.

Mr. Senate President Sir, you have consistently failed to pass the integrity and morality tests to continue to preside over Nigeria’s parliament. Nigerians recall with much sadness, your scandalous alleged purchase of the N298 million bulletproof Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), with fake documents and the evasion of Customs duties, which was impounded by Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

There is also the issue of your alleged false declaration of assets, a case still hanging at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), but you are frustrating judgment with frivolous court injunctions. This again testified to the obvious that you still own the Nigerian people an apology.

And your recent alleged shadows in the Offa bank robberies which claimed the lives of over 30 Nigerians, including security agents have cumulatively placed a moral burden on your leadership and disqualify you from holding the noble identity of a Nigerian parliamentarian, much more holding such exalted positions of Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly.

Sir, in my humble opinion, you are barren of every essential ingredient and honour to continue to preside over any parliament anywhere in the world. The abysmal performance of the Senate under your watch, the padding of national budget or the simmering regime of corruption your leadership has allowed to creep into the Senate strips you of any qualification to be a member of Nigeria’s National Assembly.

Nigerians have tolerated your leadership deficit enough and time has come for you to have a rethink and do the needful.
We are tired of your scandalous outings at every point. It is either, you are fingered in armed robbery today, or some illicit monies are traced to your account abroad, which are matters the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not approve of any public office holder.

My friend Senator, I have no hesitation to say, you have regrettably become an opposite of honour or integrity, both at home and abroad and a shame to Nigeria, a country President Muhammadu Buhari is spending sleepless nights to reposition and rejuvenate on the path of progress and public morality. We cannot allow you to reverse these gains.

Though, the mistake was made right from your home state of Kwara, where the people of Kwara Central senatorial district failed to see your odd characters, underserving of leadership patronage and proceeded to entrust you with their mandate. Even this is now questionable having listened to some criminals confess openly how they manipulated your elections to give you victories against the people’s wish .

These negative virtues are innately part of you, and there are no restrictions. You even irresponsibly besmirched and desecrated, the Elder Olusola Saraki, your own father by shamefully humbling a man that brought you into this world and even politics by extension.

Therefore, at the behest of all men of good conscience and lovers of Nigeria, I am advising you to do the needful. Please, withdraw your membership of the National Assembly by resigning your position. And the time to act appropriately is now. It is the collective desire of all Nigerians to see their country progress. We cannot continue to stomach or tolerate a leadership liability like you anymore.

Thank you for the patience of reading this open letter and may you be guided accordingly.

You may permit me to share this with our friends in the diplomatic circle as witnesses to my call for you to do the needful. This is to put everyone on notice should masses decide to emulate your style of doing things by removing you from office in the days ahead.

The Itakpe-Warri Rail Line runs from Itakpe in Kogi State, first to Ajaokuta, also in Kogi, and then across Kogi, Edo and Delta States, terminating in Warri, Delta State. It was conceived more than 30 years ago to connect Nigeria's Iron Ore Mining and Steel Production belt (Iron Ore Mining Company in Itakpe, Ajaokuta Steel Company, and Delta Steel Company in Aladja, Warri), and also link it to the Warri Port.

Most of the track laying was done under the Babangida Administration (he commissioned the Itakpe-Ajaokuta leg, and laid the foundation for the Ajaokuta-Warri leg) and then subsequently abandoned. There were efforts and moves to restart and complete it under subsequent administrations, but no real progress was made, until the Buhari Administration took over, and decided to prioritize it as part of the National Rail Modernisation Programme.

Work finally resumed onsite around August/September 2017, and has continued since then, focusing on

- the rehabilitation and modernization of the tracks already laid more than two decades ago (parts of it vandalised over the years);

- completion of track laying (the Ajaokuta-Warri stretch had apparently never been completed).

- construction of a modern Railway Village & Maintenance Yard in Agbor

- construction of passenger Stations (12 in total) between Itakpe and Warri. Station Towns include Igbanki, Agenebode, Uromi, Agbor, and Abraka.

The Line is now being envisioned as the Central Line of the National Standard Gauge Rail, complementing the other 3 lines planned:

Western Line - Lagos-Kano (Lagos-Ibadan leg currently under construction; Abuja-Kaduna spur line completed)

- Eastern Line - Port Harcourt-Maiduguri

- Coastal Line - Lagos-Calabar

The total length of the Itakpe-Warri line is about 327 km: about 50km between Itakpe and Ajaokuta, and 277km between Ajaokuta and Warri. There are future plans to extend it to Lokoja, and then to Abuja, where it will link up with the Abuja-Kaduna Rail. When this is done, it will mean that you can travel by standard gauge rail from the Niger Delta all the way into the heart of Northern Nigeria.

The Rail system is designed to run at speeds between 120 and 150km/hour, meaning that it will be possible to cut travel time between Warri and Lokoja by half

By Marcus Ekure

I once spoke to a politician on the need to empower his constituents! You want to know his response?

"Marcus leave them the way they are! If everyone is empowered, then who would be loyal? If you empower these youths and women, you would lose their loyalty. As much as you keep buying them drinks whenever you come around, they would hail you and remain loyal to you''.

Wow! I heaved a sigh of bewilderment! Surprisingly, not quite a minute after he dropped that bomb, one of the community youths came hailing him, ''my leader, your boy loyaoooo''. And his response to him was, '' are you sure? Ok go tell Maddam xxx to give you beer''.

My plan was actually to discuss an empowerment initiative with him that would benefit his people but my spirit was killed by the experience. Taking a lead from book he claimed to have read, he said '' do not empower your followers to stand lest they may not need you anymore and if they don't need you anymore, you have lost the ability to control their power of decision".

This is part of the reason most politicians do not see any sense in genuine initiatives targeted at making lasting impact in their constituent's lives. No matter how cheap the proposal, they would turn deaf ears to it!

Hmmm! I sighed again and again! And I imagined, no wonder the most common  empowerment majority of our politicians give to their followers, especially when elections dates are close are: Okada and Keke (which has killed many beneficiaries), will barrow, car gifts to those who have no means of livelihood, cash gifts that wouldn't enable them do any meaningful thing other than to buy beer, taskforce, ticketing, motor pack chairmanship just to mention few.

Oh, I recall what my master, Dr Apoki told me some time ago, "the chains most politicians use in binding their victims(the electorates) is HOPE CAPITAL". He said if you want to chain a man and make him your slave for ever, dangle crumbs at him daily but create a fictitious and unattainable hope for him.

Whenever you perceive the hope is waning and he is losing patience, all you need do is to renew the hope with a make belief scenario! To many, these revelations may be strange but deep inside, you know you are not sincere to yourself as you are feeling being used! Far from it, it is because you are mentally poor and suffering from common sense deficiency syndrome. There is really nothing wrong in serving a master but a master who has no genuine interest of his followers at heart is a mirage!

OK let's break it down a little, you've been working with him for the past ten to fifteen years. He is prospering yet, all you get, is don't worry I have plans for you! The day you take a business idea to him for funding, he tells you the timing is wrong and that something good is coming. Yes something good might really come but what if it doesn't come? Do you have a plan to cushion the effects?

Many youths who have been in one political party or other with one political Oga or the other since year 2000 (that is 28 years gone), they are even worse off than they where as there is nothing to show for their followership. Yet they are still chanting the same old song, ''MY LEADER, MY LEADER YOUR BOY LOYAOOO". Your leader was a member of house of assembly for 2 tenures, you were loyal yet nothing happened in your life. He did 2 tenures again as house of reps member, the story remained the same! Now he is out of office seeking reelection. With white beareds now grown all over your head, you are still chanting songs of loyalty! Nor be course, maybe that is your destiny!

When the enthusiasm and spirit of loyalty is waning, do something to rejuvenate it and its refreshed! It is a barbaric, satanic and devilish rule from the pit of hell!

 Because he needs you again now, he calls and starts explaining how bad government has been financially. He tells you different fictitious things he had in mind which circumstances and time has not permitted, but as he is seeking reelection, the moment he gets to the house, you would be his first priority! Na so! Story. What is even the assurance that he would win?

The truth of the matter is a good leader is a good leader while a bad leader is bad. No man can give what he doesn't have. Most of our leaders do not want the youths to prosper so they can keep their freedom bound in chains! They are even afraid that you may wield so much financial muzzle to contend their interest if you are commensurately empowered! Every time, they complain economy is bad, yet they pay their children's exorbitant fees oversees.

The highest thing most of our politicians can do for their followers is to send them ten to fifty thousand naira when their wives deliver or during child dedication, marriage and funeral ceremonies. A leader who buys a car for a follower who has no sustainable means of livelihood has done more harm than good! Just like a politician who gives the wrongs skills to his constituents has not achieved anything. Or giving cash gifts without adequate paradigm shift.

Some times, you can't even blame the leader. Many of the youths following them for years now do not have anything of value other than nuisance value. I heard a story of how a politician attracted some technical job opportunities but could not find any of his followers worthy because they do not have the requisite qualification. Although this should not be an excuse for any leader at all because every man has a be fitting empowerment.

THE NOT TOO YOUNG TO LEAD MANTRA

The libration and political freedom of today youths is tied to economic empowerment. Our youths are poor materially and morally. Their sense of judgement has been diminished by quest for stomach infrastructure. This constitute one of the biggest challenges facing the NOT TOO YOUNG TO LEAD MANTRA.

The leaders do not believe in the youths because they see Nigeria as their personal project which they must guide from the clouts of youths which they see as restive and suffering from infantile narcicism. Even the youths do not believe in the youths  because, youths to them, no longer represent a reflection of what they now understand as future (money or wealth).

Today youths have lost it completely. It is only those youths whose hands have found something worthwhile doing, who have conquered stomach politics and who have enormous passion for true change we can rely upon as the true NOT TOO YOUNG TO LEAD ambassadors! We know them by their fruits, not by undue praise singing or psalms on social media. They are the only fellows we can rely upon for truth because, the truthfulness of a man today has become a function of his pocket. Poverty and quest to hammer has taken away truth, fairness and justice from our today youths!

My name is Marcus Ekure.

Galadima: “Tell me, in Buhari’s government, apart from the ACN people, who was not a PDP man? Just mention two people who had no links with PDP, from the lowest man to Buhari himself. Who are the people running this government today? Why should people be hoodwinked by propaganda and deception? Everybody in Buhari’s government except the few ACN people were in PDP or has PDP origin. Ninety percent of his ministers were PDP people. Every rogue, every thief, every filthy, every criminal that the PDP were called, all of them have migrated to the APC. Tell me anyone that is afraid of EFCC arrest that has not gone to the APC. As far as I’m concerned, anybody that is remaining in the PDP today is a clean person that I can do business with because any filthy man that has doubts about his sources of income would run to seek refuge in the APC and will be received with open hands, including those that established kidnapping and Boko Haram. All those that are alleged to have a hand in these things are in the APC. Those of us who are clean will also migrate and link up with the clean people in PDP if the need arises to bring about clean government”

About a fortnight now, I've been quite busy in preparing for the success of the only institution commissioned by our Maker; that's marriage. Glory to God, the African marriage ceremony/ rites has come and gone. I can now politick via pen across the Niger on standing on the knoll.

From people's perspectives and observations, there's a need for a change of torch in the incumbent occupant of the senatorial slot of northern Cross River State. The reasons are myriad as mixed reactions continued to trail all the so-called achievements of the senator, Dr. Mrs. Rose Okoji Oko. Many including TheScribe are of the opinion that fresh energy should be injected to the system to boost its work rate.

In line with the foregoing, a good number of persons have started pursuing this resolve with  determination and tenacity. Many of the aspirants are in the same league of Brutus and Casca. They're bereaved of idea. They enjoy plundering the peoples' patrimony. They really want to continue lording over the ordinary man.  They operation is analog is nature. They're unreceptive to modern style of leadership and governance.

Amongst the very few youths that have  taken the gauntlet without minding whose ox is gored  is Jude Ogbeche Ngaji. He's quite dexterous and prepared in his action and inaction towards his aspiration.

The latest contender is a young dynamic; agile, frisky and absolutely brisk in the art of gerrymandering union. He belongs to my contemporary. We played students' activism together in Unical. He was employed as administrative officer in University of Calabar. A couple of weeks ago, he abdicated his position as Admin Officer to pursue his ambition of squeezing the old and tired brain out of office. He's aspiring to be saddled with the responsibility of representing the good people of Cross North in the upper chambers of the National Assembly.

Comrade Godwin Nyiam is his name. He's talking tough. He believes he's set to effect positive changes. In days to come, TheScribe will be making an x-ray of him.

The President/Founder of Greg Ikaba Ngaji Foundation (GINF), Chief Jude Ogbeche Ngaji has said that christian pilgrimage is a rewarding experience, worth embarking on and highly recommended to all Christians. He made this disclosure in his residence in Calabar while receiving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chapter Chairmen from Cross River North he sponsored who just returned from the holy land.

He stated that because of the importance of pilgrimage to Christians he would personally sponsor people to go on pilgrimage every year, emphasizing that he will ensure that every Christian from CR-North should be helped to go on pilgrimage at least once in a life time.

"The pilgrimage is a very important religious journey aimed at enlightening the people with a lot of value addition. Pilgrimage is part and parcel of enlightening the people and we believe that these pilgrimages are very important; they enhance good morals, strengthens spirituality and helps to open new windows of possibilities", he further added.

Speaking on behalf of the Chapter Chairmen, the Bekwara Chapter Chairman Odama Thomas Odama JP appreciated the gesture of Chief Jude Ngaji while reiterating that foreign travels is a way of education and exposure to the world. Odama said that the level of innovations of the Israeli people is something that would provoke any right thinking person because they have carved a niche for themselves in so many areas of human endeavors. He further applauded the president of the foundation on the sponsorship of the pilgrimage and presented to him with a gift of the statute of the blessed virgin Mary

In the same vein, the Chapter Chairman of Obudu LGA, Comrade Dennis Nchor JP said that any society that has good men like Jude Ngaji will be a better society because when most men prefer sending people to go and dance abroad, they were sponsored by Jude to the holy land for prayers, spirituality and sanctification. According to him: “we believe that our people should go to Israel and come back with a developmental strong agenda to refocus and strengthen their spiritual mentality.

      By Ikpen Ilefa

On the faces of the people, we smell poverty, monumental nullity, and backwardness. The people are hungry and angry why? Because the one we voted for have turned against our collective understanding and sympathy by brazenly and wantonly keeping that which is meant for public consumption for just the self.

Cross River North, prides as the bride of Cross River State, yet the people are hungry, profoundly impoverished and made worthless and poverty stricken.  The idea of building the youths into being productive citizens by way of entrepreneural trainings and skill acquisitions has been carried away with car empowerment, tricycle empowerment, Motorcycle empowerment and at best, Garri engine or 20,000 empowerment.

Our roads are wearing the worst look in the history of Cross River State, our schools and hospitals,  I'll equipped, our markets, scattered  to pieces with no building to prevent buyers and sellers from heavy or even light torrential rainfall.

Social media is constantly awash with projects that has no physical presence, bills and motions that has no bearing on the people, and assistance that are meant to massage our huge political ergo.

After a self introspection, I have carefully outlined various failures that is keeping Cross River North backward.

1. CHRONIC POVERTY : It has been observed that our people are suffering heavily because of hunger, our lands are no longer safe, there is serious rural migration to Calabar in the name of appointment, our females are almost becoming prostitutes and our males hoodlums, all in the quest to survive.It is so sad that, amidst this ugly circumstance,20,000 after three years to some selected few, is the best alternative to curb hunger in northern Cross River

2. JOBLESSNESS: Thousands of youths are daily graduating from secondary and tertiary institutions, only to compound the already saturated labour market. While we understand that some persons are unemployable, and should be trained on basic skills, we believe that, the employable could be assisted to create value, by assisting their ideas and entrepreneural mindset.  What we have today, is the constant turn down of job recommendations, job creation, proposals for business plan and the sort for family and loyalist gains. It is so sad that amidst this ugly circumstance, a car, a bike or kekenapep empowerment  to a selected few after three years and counting  is the best alternative to curb Joblessness in northern Cross River.

ELECTRICITY : Adequate supply of electricity is a sine qua non to great industrial growth. Our young ones who have decided to be employers of labour by creating their own businesses like computer centers, printing press, barbing saloon,  hair dressing saloons, viewing centers and the sort, needs adequate power supply. The case in Obanliku is no better than the one in Obudu, or Bekwarra, the worst is Ogoja. Yala enjoys from the benevolence of Abakiliki. Yet we have leaders from these regions, who at the mention of the word "transformer" or the  attempt to fix the power grid at Okuku road, everything will be fixed.  What is the job of our Senator who represents these regions or our Power Commissioner whose job, cuts across the entire state, with Northern Cross River inclusive. It is so sad that, amidst this ugly circumstance, a generator to a selected few after three years, is the best alternative to curb electricity problem in northern Cross River.

Obviously our problems are too many to be enumarated here, it cuts from security to endemic corupption and greed. It only leaves us to remember that northern Cross River is a rapped virgin.  A virgin  blessed both in form and in discretion. Blessed in size and wealth. Blessed in looks and in thoughts. She has accumulated resources peculiar to princesses and queens, her gait and configurations rattles, dazzles and baffles all those that come her way; her movement?  calculated, computed and configured; her steps? Resolves, absolves and dissolves into crystal lites, diamond, good soil that produces cassava, yams, groundnut, beneseed, rice and even palm oil.

All her prayers?  answered. She became popular and populous, she became enchanting, fascinating and charming. But behold, this feminine rapist of democracy, assassin of goodwill, world class frauder  and bogus - pocus suddenly emerged. To the virgin She grabbed. To the virgin she violently rapped and repeatedly, no guilt, no thoughtfulness and compassion. It is so sad that, after this vehement rape of three years and counting, the best alternative to say sorry is a day selected by power makers to change this rapist, an eve to our collective jubilation of the end of backwardness.  Yet even with this, a few supports this hatchet leadership so that their music may remain sung on the lips of gullible ones.  Too sad! Very sad!!

From the foregoing, we could be tempted to assume that Cross River Northern Senatorial District is a failed district as it relates to the senate, and needs urgent solution as it is heading towards unavoidable disaster. It is almost like a giant airplane whose double engine automatically caught fire in mid heavens after briefly experiencing a turbulent storm and so is heading for major disaster with its 298 passengers.

How can we imagine a boy who was born fifty years ago with a silver spoon and still refusing to be called a man. Instead of being called a family man with wife and children, he is still tied to the apron strings of the mother as he is always seen crawling and creeping on the ground naked, sweating and bathing with sand.

Here is a giant that has been so blessed, yet remain wretched, hungry and angry as a result of repeated and vicious rape on her by her leaders. The market women needs good road to transport their products, the okade riders for whom our leaders have made them so and even those we give cars, need good roads to ply on. Our youths need mouth watering jobs like our children, they too, desire to be bankers,  Federal civil servants, to be contractors, to be officers of the Nigerian Army, Custom, Prisons, Police, Immigration, Civil Defence and Road Safety. They need meaningful empowerment that will last for a life time. Our farmers need grands, our students need yearly bursary, they need daily assistance, our workers need preferential treatment, our villages need light, there need water, there need healthcare and above all the people of northern Cross River State needs a leader.

Who will take this great and colossally blessed district to its eldorado?  The answer is God, through Jude Ogbeche Ngaji.

JOINT PRESS RELEASE BY THE SENATE PRESIDENT AND THE SPEAKER
July 30, 2018

Saraki, Dogara: Current Situation in Benue is a Desecration of Legislative Sanctity

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, have described as "a desecration of the legislative sanctity", the on-going situation in Benue State in which eight out of the 30 members of the State House of Assembly have commenced impeachment process against the Governor and with the support of the police, the 22 other members who constitute more than two-third majority are kept away from the Assembly Complex.

In a statement jointly signed by their aides in charge of media, Saraki and Dogara also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the police to order and stop them being used to achieve political purposes.

"We have monitored closely the development in Benue State in which the impeached Speaker, Terkimbir Ikyange, led seven other members to serve impeachment notice on the state Governor, Samuel Ortom, while the 22 other members who constitute more than two-third majority have been prevented from having access to the chamber. We believe this is illegality and does not conform to parliamentary procedure on impeachment.

"We also note with surprise the role of the Police in this undemocratic event in which the minority is seeking to impeach a Governor against the position of the majority. We believe it is the sacred institution of the legislature that is being desecrated and rubbished in all these negative developments.

"The situation in Benue State House of Assembly has grave implication for the nation's democracy  and it represents a throw-back to the period of dictatorship in our country. It also represents how the Nigeria Police are being misused to achieve political end. In a statement recently, the Presidency derisively referred to an era in the past where a minority number of legislators was used to impeach Governors who were unfriendly with the Federal Government. What we are seeing in Benue now is a return to that inglorious era.

"We believe this unlawful and unconstitutional move to impeach Governor Samuel Ortom by a minority should be condemned by all lovers of democracy, at home and abroad. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the police to order and prevent a break-down of law and order. We also call on friends of Nigeria in the international community to lend their voice in condemning the perpetration of illegalities and actions that can subvert our democracy.

"There is already a tense atmosphere in Benue State following the recent killings. Nobody should encourage any action or move which may exacerbate the security situation in the North Central State. As leaders of the Federal legislature, we are ready to work with our colleagues in both chambers of the National Assembly to prevent any attempt to destroy any state legislature or use it to derail democracy", Saraki and Dogara stated.

Signed

Yusuph Olaniyonu
Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to Senate President

And

Turaki Hassan
Special Adviser (Media and Public Affairs to Speaker, House of Representatives)

Latest report as Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation minister, Monday morning revealed why President Muhammadu Buhari is allegedly a plague and curse to Nigeria.
He said the many killings of innocent Nigerians, destruction, poverty, sorrow, division among others were enough reasons to believe that Buhari was “a plague and a curse” to Nigeria.
In a series of tweets, Fani-Kayode wrote: “How many more innocent people have to be slaughtered before we acknowledge the fact that Buhari is a plague and a curse? Death, destruction, devastation, sorrow, poverty, division, misery, strife and failure follow him wherever he goes. He has killed Nigeria with his bad spirit.
“Anyone that refuses to condemn the killings that are going on in the north can never enjoy my respect, support or friendship. Those that turn a blind-eye to mass murder, ethnic cleansing and genocide are as guilty of crimes against humanity as those that actually do the killing.
“83 year old former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon says Miyetti Allah must be questioned by security agencies for the mass murder being perpetrated by Fulani terrorists in the Middle Belt. In response Miyetti Allah says”old age is worrying Gowon”. Wither Nigeria?
“80 year old former Chief of Army Staff and former Min. of Defence Gen. T.Y. Danjuma says the Middle Belt is being subjected to ethnic cleansing by Fulani terrorists in collusion with the Army. In response Miyetti Allah threatens, insults and tries to rubbish him. Wither Nigeria?”

Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom has reacted to his impeachment by 8 APC lawmakers today.
In a statement through his media aide, Terver Akase, Ortom maintains that he is still the governor of the state. The statement read;

“Ortom is still the Chief Executive of the State. You can’t just impeach a Governor in a flash. You have to go through all the legal and constitutional processes.

They have not been able to form a quorum, so it is not possible. Only eight people served the governor the notice, even at that, 2 other members who were part of the kangaroo sitting were on the side of the governor, so how can anybody call that an impeachment notice. It’s laughable and must be ignored completely.

And for the record, there is a court injunction restricting the impeached Speaker from parading himself as the Speaker of the House and that court injunction has not been vacated.

He has been suspended for 6 months, he doesn’t have any constitutional right to go back to that Assembly.

He has done nothing to vacate that injunction so whatever he did stands null and void.”

The raging battle between the presidency and powerful interests in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, is far from over as more senators are planning to dump the ruling party.
A senior legislative source has given an insight into the “discussion” President Muhammadu Buhari had with the senators that are left standing with the APC last Wednesday.
The meeting at the Presidential Villa was called after 13 senators elected on the platform of the party dumped it for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the day before.
At the meeting, It was gathered that after dinner was laid out, the president thanked the federal lawmakers for keeping faith with the party, before launching into what the senatorial source described as “self-praise.”
“Can you imagine that the president didn’t ask what the problems were with those who defected, those who returned after defecting and those who put off defection at the last minute, those who are still aggrieved and their grievances not yet looked into, and why the party is generally factionalised in almost all the states of the federation. He didn’t give any tangible assurances, reasons or roadmap to peace and how to unite the party.
“He just said they (himself and his caucus) had been trying their best and will continue in so doing. Nothing concrete to assure senators with troubles at home (with their state governors) that the national leadership under him, had things under control. He thanked senators present for being by his side and assured them that the government and the party would continue to do their best. The president mentioned Shehu Sani (one of the senators from Kaduna) for gratitude, but did you not see what happened 24 hours after the presidential commendation? The party in Kaduna said Sani’s suspension was still in force. Look at Ogun (State) and Senator Lanre Tejuosho. The state chapter contradicted the president’s position on his membership of the party.
“Well, everybody clapped, smiled, shook hands and left the meeting Wednesday night, but I can tell you things are going to get worse for the president camp.
“The questions many senators are asking is whether the president doesn’t know how to conduct the business of politics or he is simply playing games. Many expected him to ask specific questions about the crises in the state chapters and why some still wanted to leave the party, despite his intervention. That meeting has opened a new door. Watch out in weeks to come” the legislative source revealed.
The source further explained that beyond the National Assembly defection, the president as the statutory leader of the party should be asking questions about the crises in the state chapters with possible grave electoral outcomes, instead of allegedly relying on the assurances from “Abuja” (leaders outside of their base) politicians.
As fallout of the meeting with the president and the obvious reality that nothing might change, some pro-Buhari senators are reportedly scheduled to meet certain opposition elements (names withheld) in a Middle East country during the recess, to finalize their movement out of the ruling party in September.
Though the spirited moves by President Buhari and some leaders of the APC slowed down a number of lawmakers and their planned defection, it was said that that had changed after the meeting.
“At least 11 lawmakers are still on the cards of defecting to the PDP from the APC. The said 11 lawmakers are almost at the bus stop. And notwithstanding the pressure from different quarters, the defection would sail through,” a source said.
However, it was gathered that the two chambers of the National Assembly are planning a one-day emergency sitting to debate the budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2019 election.
The source that confirmed this said that the single day sitting would just have a single item on the agenda, to consider and pass the INEC budget.
Sources said that the plan by the Presidency to utilise that planned one-day sitting to effect a leadership change, especially in the Senate was being watched by the leadership of the two chambers.
“The leadership of the Senate and the House are watching the situation. When it is safe, the one-day sitting can be called and one thing Nigerians should expect that day is more defections from the APC,” a source added.
The source said that the executive and the leadership of the APC “cannot catch” the National Assembly unawares any longer in the game of wits currently ongoing.
“Though they don’t have the number to remove SP (Senate President Bukola Saraki), nothing would be left to chance. How can you say they are in the majority? You know their number before Tuesday, remove 13 from it now” the disaffected APC legislative source said.
Beyond the account given by Saraki on how he foiled the attempt to stop the Tuesday plenary where some APC senators and members of the House of Representatives defected to opposition parties, new information available to Sunday Tribune claimed that a tip-off from a top leader of the pro-Buhari senators saved the day for the Kwara-born politician.
Following an alleged disagreement on who should replace Saraki as the senate president after an impeachment plot was allegedly hatched by the pro-Buhari caucus, a leader of the camp was said to have reached out to Saraki on Monday, detailing the plan to take him out and keep him in the cooler.
The script allegedly written for the senate president was to start early Tuesday morning when he was to be picked from home to a magistrate court in Abuja (identity withheld) and be arraigned over the Offa robbery saga.
The magistrate’s court was expected to decline jurisdiction but a holden charge would have ensured his detention for 21 days (three weeks) for further investigation and eventual arraignment before a high court.
His deputy, Ike Ekweremadu was allegedly to be taken in by a security agency and be released to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) if too much noise is made over his detention.
EFCC said he was wanted for alleged money laundering and corrupt practices.
Following the reported tip-off by the disgruntled leader in the Buhari camp, Saraki allegedly sought home elsewhere Monday night and came to the plenary the next day, straight from his “emergency” abode.

The convoy supposedly meant for him, which was blocked from setting out at his official residence, was said to be a decoy, to set the security agencies on a wild goose chase.
Ekweremadu, though aware of the plot, reportedly stayed back at his residence and allowed himself to be blocked inside, as a way of further exposing what the executive arm was up to.
Police denied blocking Saraki’s home despite pictorial evidence contradicting the claim.
EFCC said it was in Ekweremadu’s home for the summons it issued on him.
After the defection at the Tuesday plenary, security agencies had gone soft on taking the duo in again.
While police quizzed Saraki in his office last Thursday, EFCC had been silent on Ekweremadu.
Opposition camp in the Senate is also being snitched on, Sunday Tribune learnt, with a North-Central senator identified as the alleged mole.
“If he suffered further heartache in APC, information available suggests that the opposition might also deal unpleasantly with him if he eventually defected. If APC became too hot, the said senator is tipped to join Social Democratic Party (SDP) which is in alliance talks with PDP,” the source said.
Meanwhile, senators who defected to ADC are reportedly being worked on to resume in September as full PDP senators, to allow for proper change of guard in the senate leadership.
Credits: Tribune

Welcome to Jude Vanguard. This is an independently owned Cross river based group with the simple objective of promoting peace, unity and economic growths in Cross river States. Cross River is still facing some economic and political limitations because of high level of misrepresentation, some external factors and divisiveness ; however, we are convinced that our recommendations if executed in those areas will start the unifying and healing processes that will definitely promote peace, unity and economic growths.

This group will take-off in Northern senatorial district of Cross  river state because of the strategic and economic importance of Northern senatorial district  to Cross River.

The group is well informed of the fact that Cross river is the heartbeat and oxygen that supplies bloods to many Nigerian states  and beyond; all our efforts will be highly centered in Northern senatorial district , because we believed that once we get the Northern senatorial district going, half of the  problems will be solved.

Northern Senatorial district is one of the richly blessed senatorial district in Nigeria, yet we have been victims of bad representation.

 To get Nigeria to start moving forward again, will take collective efforts of the Cross river state and not just Northern senatorial district alone.

.
Objective:
Our primary objective will be to simply promote peace, unity and economic growths in the Northern senatorial district of cross river state, and position the
 play significant and positive roles in the new one world order.

The group tends to accomplish the objective through the following actions;
A. To act as an independent body between Cross river governments and their citizens in formulating policies and programs that will encourage peace, unity and economic growths.

B. To without fear or favor encourage, and if need be pressure Cross river governments to embark on reforms that will create jobs, and improve quality of lives for the masses.

C. To without fear or favor encourage Cross river state local councils to rigorously bring down poor representation to a manageable levels.

D. To encourage and if need be pressure Cross river governments to promote peace, unity and economic growths through transparent governance in the state.

E. To encourage and if need be pressure stakeholders to force Cross river  governments to embrace reforms that will promote peace, unity and economic growths in the state.

F. To encourage and if need be pressure Religious bodies to promote peace, unity and economic growths through unifying programs in the state.

G. To educate and encourage the masses to work with their governments to achieve peace, unity and desire economic growths.

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H. To discourage the youths from joining men of the under-ground world, in other to bring crimes down in the state.

I. To without fear or favor conduct research and independent opinion polls to help the governments know exactly what the true state of events in their respective senatorial district and local councils.

J. To encourage the governments to bring the cost of running government  down by transparently establishing institutions that will promote this dream.

K. To work with other NGOs, Sovereign governments, corporate bodies and individuals those that are working towards a better Cross river.

Membership:
Membership to the group is open to the public, and individuals are highly encouraged to be part of this history making group.

 A life is a dreadful thing to waste, so let us join hands together and save millions of lives that are murdered annually through bad representation.

Membership is free, and we encourage members to post and respond to other postings in our face book wall that will reflect what Cross riverians are going through and suggestions on how to promote peace, unity and economic growths in Cross river.

Sign:.....................................
Patrick Adoga
DG
Jude vanguard
Adoga Michael Oyi
Secretary
Jude Vanguard

*Alleges that arrest of herdsmen in connection with Barkin Ladi attaks reason

for action 


*Asks DHQ  to rescind decision



Supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election project under the aegis of Buhari Tarzarce Vanguard,BTV,  has picked hole in Monday's redeployment of the commander of Operation Safe Haven, OPSH, by the Defence Headquarters, asking the latter to immediately rescind its decision.


The group, at a press conference, Tuesday, in Jos, alleged that the courage displayed by the commander in arresting the herdsmen involved in recent attacks on villages and killings in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, was the reason the military authorities moved against the commander.


To this end, the group at a press conference addressed by its Coordinator, Alhaji Muhamed Bida, in minna, yesterday  insisted that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, must reverse Atolagbe's redeployment else the Plateau people would hold the authorities responsible for any further bloodshed in the state.


Recall that a forthnite ago, the organization after an extraordinary emergency meeting,  issued a communique where it called on the president to review  the plan to redeploy Major General Anthony Atolagbe.


The group said its call for Atolagbe's redeployment to Plateau State was based on the confidence it reposed in the commander given the rare courage he displayed in arresting assailants of victims of recent Plateau attacks.


The group, in a prepared text read by Alhaji Biba, said: "Because the security situation was tense at the period,  and given the proactive and professional competence the commander displayed to curtail the situation,  citizens   developed much confidence in his approach to protect lives and property. Indeed,  within a few days,  he personally relocated his operational base to Barkin Ladi which was at the center of the attacks.


It particularly appealed to President Buhari to prevail on the military high command to reverse the redeployment, noting that allowing the development to stand would create impression in the minds of the Nigerian citizens as a whole that the arrest of herdsmen was the key reason for the military’s action.

"While  BTV appreciates the fact that postings and redeployment is a routine military traditions, we must state that  this particular one is done in a bad faith and will greatly affect our chances in North Central in 2019 and the Presidency  must act now to forestall further damage.


"Our  party is already facing a lot of challenges in the North Central states due to the farmers/ herdsmen conflicts and if this posting is not reversed  immediately,  sentiments will rise and will greatly affect our chance, "the statement further said.


The BTV, according to the statement, asked:" The question begging for answers is that,   why didn't they redeploy the  General before he started making the arrests?  Why the transfer after the arrest of 25 suspects  directly connected to the attacks?  Why the posting of an officer who has the courage to tackle these  criminal herdsmen spoiling the name of the President   and our great party?"


"It is on this premise that we appeal to Mr President  to urgently direct the chief of Defence Staff to immediately reverse the deployment of the commander of OPSH and equip the STF with more vadgets to do their work,"it added.


It noted with delight that  several  arrests were made and were still being made till date, just as it said" more importantly,  so many heart rending confessions have been made by the suspects taken into custody so far as we learnt."


"This singular act of arrest, restored confidence in the public and normal daily routine live was enhanced, "it said.


The text read further:"In order to follow up and consolidate on the successes, the commander ensured  that meticulous intelligence gathering was top notch and human rights violations were not contemplated at all in his approach,  yet tremendous arrests and successes are being recorded on daily basis and in droves.


"We are constrained to note that,  upon all these milestone achievements, which are in line with president Buhari’s policy direction on security ,  it was left to be seeing why and how the defense headquarter could contemplate the commanders redeployment at this critical time when opposition are looking for campaign reasons.


"Exactly two weeks today,  we are inundated  with the unfortunate and disastrous news that Major  General Anthony Atolagbe would be redeployed at the peak of his earthquaking arrests and discoveries which no doubt would bring an end to the continued killings on the Plateau.


"We are indeed shocked! When we woke up this reality  citizens  are thrown aback by the decision of the Defense Headquarters  to further dined our chance in 2019 by redeploying a focused military officer who was bent on restoring lasting peace to the North Central.


"This is not only sad,  but very disheartening and does not project our great party and Mr President's fight  against terrorism in good light."


The statement added:"How do you redeploy an officer who has made far- reaching positive discoveries on the most challenging and hidden sources of problems bedevilling the entire country? What is the reason for his sudden redeployment?


"Why is the redeployment coming at a time that very critical arrests have been made and useful revelations made indicting prominent people? Why the deployment at a time the opposition are maliciously accusing the Presidency  and the North  for being behind these herdsmen?


" Is it that the  military high command doesn't really want an end to this conflict for their game? The president must rise up and stand with the people once again by ordering  immediate reversal  of the posting of Commander of STF in Jos, this will restore confidence in the entire North Central states."

Thirty-Three members of the House of Representatives have just defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Four others defected from the ruling party to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the political party formed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM).
Details soon…

The Gail of defections rocking the National Assembly crept to the House of Representatives just now as 37 lawmakers under the All Progressives Congress (APC), dumped the Party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Party (ADP).
Announcing the letter of their defection on the floor of the House at the plenary, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said that 32 of the lawmakers defected to the PDP while 4 defected the ADP. respectively and as the loud ovation that followed the defection was in progress, another APC lawmaker, Hon Okey Jev, the Chairman Committee on Rules and Business, from the APC announced his defection to the ADC
Some of the defectors to the PDP are Honourable Aminu Shehu Shagari, Funke Adedoyin, Zakari Mohammed, Bode Ayorinde, Segun Ogunwusi and Sunday Adepoju.
Four of the members from Oyo state under APC defected to the ADC.
The Speaker said that the lawmakers cited the division in their State Chapters of the APC as the reasons for their leaving the Party to pursue their political careers from where there were divisions
More details later…

BY: Paul Odey Ohiero.

Certain liberties exercised by the state and other ruling elites (private sector/commercial interests), that have an exploitation impact would be curtailed when decision-making regarding use of local resources is owned at the local level. This in turn would mean that leverage or
negotiation power is equalized and thus resource sharing equalized. Hence poverty reduction
would hopefully ensue.

Empowering people by giving them a good education that will prepare them to have a carrier and to hold a job that will make them more confident, give them the chance to learn from others, allow them to earn a good living to help their children to live a better life.

We had a few years back a symposium in Northern Cross River where we asked experts whether poverty was eradicable in Cross River. The answer: "Very much eradicable. We could have eradicated it long time back. We had the resources." What then was missing? The answer by them: the political will. What was to be this political will? It is supposed to be power-linked determination. The crux of the problem: those who have (political) power do not have hunger and those who have hunger do not have power. Hence poverty gets a backseat as a problem to address urgently.

If power comes to those who have hunger, poverty eradication will be on war footing basis. And what is power? We gave our own simple description: to have power is to have an effective say and to have a say we need forums. Hence empowerment and poverty eradication will not happen unless adequate steps are taken to ensure that the required inclusive, small-sized,neighborhoodbased multi-tiered forums as mentioned above are in place.

Giving more power through education, information, coaching and counseling, and amplify the possibilities to get or create a job or business, trough micro-credits, access to ICT networks is the best way to achieve poverty eradication. Empowering have to also mean give the primary needs to someone: water, food, house, communications, energy, job, health. Education as an empowering tool might help people to change the conditions of their lives by taking action while having knowledge and skills of a trade that will make them
competitive in the particular productive field holistically not a selected few and make us belief that Democracy is the Madness of many for the benefit of the few.

It would help using people's experience and knowledge, tapping and channeling their energy, intelligence and capacity positively. Empowerment can come through community mobilization and volunteer efforts that are based on bottom up efforts, allowing communities to identify and formulate their priorities. Empowerment starts from the individual who needs to trust in his/her capacities. People, who have not gone through formal education, often totally
underestimate how much they know, just because they don't speak the sophisticated language and can't write it down in the same way as the ones with an academic background. People, who have contributed to identifying problems and developing priorities, feel more responsible for the delivery and sustainability of the solutions developed. Empowerment leads to ownership and increases accountability as people are more interested in the delivery of results that they have themselves contributed to identifying.

Motivating governments, NGOs, private and public organizations to recognize that eradicating poverty is not as easy as simply dipping into the pockets of the "haves" of the world.

To specifically target attitudes and cultural nuances to recognize that teaching the poor that a "handout" may solve the immediate problem but to have long term success educating and training the poor to build logistics and infrastructure to solve poverty on their local level is most
important - not just providing the "fish" but teaching "how to fish" and market their subsequent skills. That in essence takes more in terms of individual involvement than it does millions of dollars in cash.

When people get to know their skills, energy and abilities and put it in the right place, they can improve their standard of living. They can rely on themselves to find jobs that suite
their abilities. This will open opportunities for them and for others to utilize their skills and capabilities.

Team Jude is building generation now for the generation next, join us to take Northern Cross to Eldorado.

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