2015: Why I want to be President – Buhari

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA—Former Head of State, and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday in Abuja formally declared his intention to seek his party’s nomination to contest next year’s presidential election, saying the country is tired of 15 years of purposeless leadership by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The expression of Buhari’s intention is coming exactly one week after former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, another presidential aspirant declared to run for the plum office on the party’s platform.
By this development, Buhari has become the second person to declare his presidential ambition in the party.

BUHARI DECLARES: General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) declaring his intention to seek the All Progressives Congress, APC, nomination to contest next year’s presidential election yesterday.

Addressing a crowd of supporters under the aegis of Buhari Support Group Centre in Abuja, the former military ruler said he would make formal statement on his intention soon.
He however urged his supporters to be ready to take the support beyond his person to ensure victory for  APC.

He said: “Within the next few weeks, the party will hold its convention to choose the flag bearers who will stand election on its platform. Your duty as supporters and volunteers will, among other things, include participation in the preparation for these primary elections and seeing to their successful conclusion and getting yourselves ready to do all it takes to wrest power from the PDP.

“With your support, I intend to offer myself for the position of the president of the republic on the platform of our great party. I intend to make a formal announcement soon and I hope I can count on your continuing support and sacrifice.

“However, I would like to point out to you that to be more meaningful, your support must extend beyond my person and always be available to the party and all those the party puts forwards; because it is the party that is the platform.

“You must remember at all times that APC is a party with several qualified people for each and all the positions that will be contested, including that of the president.

“It is the primaries that will determine who eventually represents the party in which capacity. If I get the nomination, I expect you will redouble your effort and commitment until we clinch the presidency. But in the event that it happens to be one of the other aspirants who wins, I will expect you as good party men to extend to him your total support.

We are a united party, and united we shall remain because  our strength lies in our unity.”
Apparently tired of having his name associated with pre and post election violence, Buhari warned his followers to desist from any unruly behaviors.

“For this and for other reasons, I must  warm all my supporters, volunteers and other well-wishes within the party or even out of it not to insult or be rude to any other aspirant or party leader on my behalf.

“My supporters must not engage in any kind of behavior or conduct that will tarnish the image of any leader or promote division or rancour within the ranks of the party. Whoever does that should know he or she is working for the enemy”, he said.

…Says we are in 15 years of PDP purposeless leadership
Taking a swipe at the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  he said the party in its 15 years of existence was clueless about the challenges facing the country. According to him, change was imminent.

His words: “Today, we are in the 15th year of purposeless leadership by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and all we have seen is unprecedented deterioration in the security and law and order, astronomical rise in the incidence and intensity of corruption, and in the failure of governance.

“And as we reach this last lap of the journey, I would like to request that we concentrate all our effort and energy toward realising and achieving change in how this country is run. The only way to meaningful change in this country is to vote the PDP out of power to which it was never legitimately elected, anyway.”

…Maintains APC is hope of Nigerians

Buhari who has been a contender for the position since 2003 boasted that APC was the alternative party Nigerians were waiting for.

He said: “We are the alternative the nation has been waiting for. We are committed to democracy and entrenching its culture in Nigeria. We are committed to the principles of good governance and making them work in this country. We are committed to public probity and entrenching a culture of accountability in the conduct of government business.”

“Because we are committed to developing the potentials of this nation into true greatness, we shall bring about transformative change in this country-change in the way things are done and change in the way things are undone; change in the way this nation is left unsecured and mismanaged; and change in the way corruption is pampered and worshipped; and we shall install a culture of openness in the public affairs. We shall develop this land and go after prosperity and get it for our long-suffering people.”

Lawyer docked over N50.3m theft

By Onozure Dania

Lagos—A 37-year-old lawyer, Yetunde Fashesin-Souza, was yesterday arraigned before a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere for allegedly stealing N50,280,000.

The defendant, who resides at plot 4 Ogunusi Road Omole Junction, Ikeja, Lagos, is facing a count charge of stealing preferred against her by Lagos State government.

The prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oduntola, told the court that sometime in 2011, the defendant being a legal practitioner to a company (Food and Cold Storage) Ltd, NFS Lagos, did steal N50,280,000, belonging to the company.

She said Fashesin-Souza stole the said amount at the premises of the company located in Apapa area of the state.

Oduntola further stated that the money was given to her for the renewal of the lease hold interest granted by the Lagos State government.

Oduntola, who said she was not opposing the bail application, said the matter was before Justice Samuel Candid-Johnson and that the defendant never appeared before the court until the bench warrant was issued.

According to the prosecutor, the offence is punishable under Sections 390 (9) of the criminal code cap C17 Vol 2 of Lagos State criminal law 2003.

However, the defendant denied the allegation when the charge was read to her.

The defendant’s counsel, Olakunle Williams, who applied for the defendant’s bail, told the court that he had filed an application of bail dated August 29, urging the court to grant the defendant bail since the offence was not a capital offence.

He told the court that the defendant has been in Kirikiri prison custody since August, contrary to the information that she was on the run, which prompted the court to issue a bench warrant against her.

Justice Adebiyi adjourned the matter till October 2, for ruling on the bail application.

Synagogue disowns Emeakayi’s defence over collapsed building

By Ikenna Asomba

LAGOS—The Synagogue Church of All Nation, SCOAN, yesterday, disowned Mr. Ken Emeakayi, over his defence on the collapsed guest house, during an interview programme on Monday, on one of the local television stations.

TB Joshua-Synagogue Church

Reacting yesterday, on its official Facebook page, T.B. Joshua Ministries, the church said even though Emeakayi is a member of SCOAN and an Emmanuel TV partner, he went to the media to air his personal views and not those of the church.

The statement on the page reads: “Our attention has been drawn to several articles circulating around the internet quoting Mr. Ken Emeakayi as an official representative of T.B. Joshua, The SCOAN and Emmanuel TV. The Vanguard Newspaper even called him ‘T.B. Joshua’s aide’ which is a misrepresentation.

“While Mr Ken is a member of The SCOAN and an Emmanuel TV partner, he went to the media on his own personal level to air his views concerning the incident and not to officially represent the church. Any official statement from The SCOAN will be published on our website and our official Facebook Page.”

Emeakayi had during the interview, refuted claims that the church was not given an approval by the Lagos State authorities to commence construction, saying that it was officially given an approval for a 12-storey building.

He said: “It is not true and I stand to be corrected. I want to also point out that whosoever said that was not saying the correct thing, because I also listened to a commissioner of Lagos State, when he came to your (Channels Television) studio. He said that when he got there, he discovered that there was no approval for the building, meaning that he has not been there before and there was nothing of such. Yes, the church had approval.”

Asked if the church had shown the approval to the Lagos State Government authorities, he said: “Yes, of course. Officials of Lagos State Government have been there severally. They have even come to look at other buildings in the church premises. So, there is no additional structure to the building. We are talking of a building that is on its own. We have the pictures. It’s a new structure.”

Foreigner nabbed for possessing terrorist videos, equipment.

By Kingsley Omonobi

ABUJA—The military has arrested a foreign computer expert who is said to be behind the several video shots sent to online media organisation and foreign media houses.

He was said to have been arrested with some sophisticated equipment and copies of some of the videos the terrorists had sent to online media houses on their escapades, including that of the abducted Chibok girls, it was learnt.

Military sources disclosed that the computer analyst who is currently being interrogated was responsible for configuring computer images website and internet accesses for the group.

Sources said he was arrested after a shoot-out when a group of the sect members mobilised and attacked Konduga with a view to recovering the body of the impostor of Abubakar Shekau for burial in a site they would later earmark as their shrine.

Vanguard further gathered that the foreigner has made shocking confessional statements about the terrorists’ plans and modus operandi as well as their backers that would aid the troops in their fight against Boko Haram insurgency.

“We have made a very big breakthrough; the computer analyst is opening up and has made very big revelations on the modus operandi of the sect.
“We also discovered that the ICT expert is the backbone of the signals and communication links of late impersonator, Mohammed Bashir, who always posed as Abubakar Shekau, whenever he is talking on “youtube”.

With the breakthrough, the military is said to be better informed on how the impostor of Shekau was able to reach out to the world and claim victory over Nigerian troops after several attacks.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/foreigner-nabbed-possessing-terrorist-videos-equipment/#sthash.uQsFAkxe.dpuf

Reps probe N4,000 NYSC call up fee

By Emman Ovuakporie & Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA—THE House of Representatives, yesterday, began a probe into the alleged N4,000 to be collected by the management of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as registration fee from corps members.

Also, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Centre, NFIC, Bill scaled through third reading in the House.

The House, based on the allegation, urged NYSC to suspend forthwith the policy requiring prospective NYSC members to pay the amount with effect from 2015 before accessing their call-up letters.

Hassan Saleh (PDP, Benue), who sponsored the motion, expressed concern over “recent advertorials in some national newspapers that with effect from 2015, corps members will be required to register online with a fee of N4,000 to be able to access their call-up letters as an alternative to going to their various schools to collect the letters.”

He said: “As laudable as the idea of sending call-up letters through the internet may be, the decision requiring fresh graduates to cough out N4,000 to access letters appears insensitive and exploitative.”

However, just as the presiding officer, Emeka Ihedioha was about calling for voice vote on the matter, Uzo Azubuike (PDP, Abia), came up with a Point of Order, saying the Public Petitions Committee, which he chairs, was already on the matter.

After this observation, Ihedioha called on the Chairman, Rules and Business Committee, Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP, Taraba) to guide the House.

Sam-Tsokwa explained that since the public petitions committee had began investigating the matter, the honourable thing to do was for the motion to be withdrawn.
Ihedioha ruled that Commi-ttee on Youth Development and the sponsor of the motion be invited to be part of the panel that will conduct a session on the matter.

NFIC Bill
Also, a bill that seeks to establish NFIC, yesterday, passed third reading at the House of Representatives.

Moving a motion for its third reading, House Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, said when established, NFIC would be responsible for receiving, requesting, analysing and disseminating financial intelligence reports and other information to law enforcement, security, intelligence agencies and other relevant authorities.

Majority of the lawmakers voted in favour of passing the bill for third reading.

The House had last Wednesday adopted a report of the Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, which recommended establishment of the centre.

Subsequently, the House had on Thursday raised a six-man committee to meet with the Senate with a view to harmonising the positions of the two chambers on the adopted report.

The harmonisation committee would be led by Sam-Tsokwa, while members of the committee included Jagaba Adams Jagaba, Emmanuel Udende, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeju with two other lawmakers.

The committee was given two weeks within which it should meet with the Senate and get back to the House.

Happy 54th Independence Anniversary

TODAY Wednesday, October 1, 2014, marks the 54th anniversary of our independence from our colonial genitors, Great Britain. It is a moment of triumph for both countries.

The United Kingdom has just survived a referendum that would have seen the separation of Scotland from the rest of the country if the “ayes” had had it.

And for Nigeria, we are gradually reasserting our territorial integrity after the second bid by separatists to dismember the country and create a new identity out of a nation born exactly one century ago.

The gallant armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have started rolling back the threat of Islamist insurgency group, Boko Haram, which seized several towns in Adamawa and Borno States and claimed them as part of their putative “Islamic Caliphate”.

With victory imminent and in sight, Nigeria will demonstrate, once again, its ability to hold its own against internal insurrection and external aggression.

This is what nations that are viable and will be great can do. And this is a further incentive for Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the unity of our country, knowing that only a united Nigeria can protect Nigerians and provide them the security they need to actualise their individual and collective aspirations.

As we celebrate today, let us pause and reflect on some of the challenges that have stymied our growth and hampered our emergence to a solid economic and continental behemoth in spite of our natural and human endowments. We have held numerous constitutional and national conferences, the last being the recently-concluded edition in July this year. These conferences were meant as avenues to seek solutions to our problems, which are mainly ethnicity, sectionalism, regionalism and politicisation of our religious faiths rather than using them as means of seeking the face of God our Creator and doing His will.

For the original Nigerian dream for which our founding fathers struggled to free us from colonial bondage to be realised, we must cast aside these unwholesome forces of disunity.

We must see one another as people of one indivisible country bound by common destiny. This country belongs to all of us equally, and our constitution has given us all the right to aspire to the highest endeavours.

We must all go with the spirit and letters of our national charter and give to ourselves and our future generations a nation we can all feel at home in, and be proud of.

The whole world knows that the Federal Republic of Nigeria stands on the threshold of economic emergence. We must henceforth play our politics to ensure that we realise the good things that lie in store for this nation.

Happy birthday, Nigeria!

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/happy-54th-independence-anniversary/#sthash.KoaMgcpj.dpuf

@54: Who is your Nigeria hero

For every stride achieved by all well meaning nations, there are heroes who are well known for the significant roles played in relative field towards the attainment of set national goals.

Today, we enjoin you to join us in naming 54 national heroes as Nigeria celebrates her 54th independence anniversary.Share the thoughts of who your Nigeria hero is and give us reasons to back your choice.

Happy Independence Day!

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/54-nigeria-hero/#sthash.NQUJhZhX.dpuf

Terrorism: 1,200 Nigerian security personnel leave for Russia

By Ben Agande

About 1,200 Nigerian security personnel including members of the Armed Forces, the police and members of the Department of State Services, DSS, have so far left Abuja for anti-insurgent training in Russia.

Their departure for training as Special Forces, security sources said, followed alleged snub or  nonchalant attitude of both the United Kingdom and United States towards Nigeria in her fight against Boko Harm terrorists.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that 400 security personnel left the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in a chattered aircraft at about 5pm weekend, accompanied by top security officers as well as Russian instructors who had been in the country to part of the initial selection process for the officers and men that would take part in the training.

It was further revealed that two other batches of 400 troops each had earlier departed for the training, bringing the total number of officers so far to about 1,200.

Saturday Vanguard had exclusively reported that following the dithering of the some western nations especially, notably Britain and the United States of America over the training of Nigerian security personnel to confront the Boko Haram insurgents, the Federal Government had decided to turn to Russia to meet some of its immediate security needs pending the resolution of the diplomatic difference between Nigeria and the two Western countries.

According to sources the latest batch of Nigerian security personnel are joining three batches of their colleagues who had left for training in Russia earlier this year.

The last group would be in Russia for four months before returning to the countryearly next year to form a nucleus of the Special Forces Brigade to be set up by the country.

A similar scenerio played out when Nigeria faced sanctions following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections won by the late Moshood Abiola by the then Military  government led by late General Sani Abacha as the Federal Government turned to China and India for its miltary needs.

The emerging scenario in the fight against terror and the steps Nigeria’s government has taken would have resulted in global sensation during the cold war as the West would have fought to keep her allies to the then Soviet Union as now represented by Russia which has, although, embraced free market economy.

Nigeria, for years, enjoyed close ties with the West and was seen as a US ally. But the seeming nonchalant attitude towards it by its traditional allies has reportedly compelled the country to turn to Russia and China for the training of its military as well as acquisition of military hardware to fight Boko Haram.

However, highly placed military and intelligence sources told Saturday Vanguard in Abuja that the decision to turn to the other two world military powers was an interim measure to roll back the advances made by the Boko Haram insurgents who have gained some grounds in seizing and controlling some towns and villages in the north eastern states of Borno and Adamawa before the latest defeat suffered by the insurgents in the last two weeks due to the increased performance of Nigerian troops, leading to the killing of the insurgents leader, Abubakar Shekau.

Following the increasing sophistication of the tactics employed by the Boko Haram terrorists, the Nigerian government had reportedly approached both the US and British governments to procure arms for its armed forces in order to effectively counter the insurgents but the two governments continued to dither, a situation that might have been responsible for some of the gains recorded by terrorists in recent times.

A senior security official told Saturday Vanguard: “the United States and Britain appear unwilling to provide arms to our armed forces. It is surprising because these are two friendly countries to Nigeria which is under threat from terrorists. We have no option but to look somewhere else for our needs pending when the issues are resolved at the diplomatic level by our government.”

However, Russia which has always been willing to supply weapons and some other logistics to Nigeria when other western countries are not forthcoming readily accepted the Nigerian proposal as the Nigeria Air Force, NAF, has several Russian fighter jets in its fleet.

Already, Nigeria has entered into contract with Russian arms manufacturers for the supply of high calibre weapons to the Nigerian Army to combat the insurgents in the North east and has also begun discussion with the Israeli government on possible supply of military hardware.

“When the Chief of Army staff said recently that the Nigerian army would soon take possession of weapons that would reverse the trend in the North east, he was referring to the deal between Nigeria and some Russian arms manufacturers. We are also in discussion with Israeli companies. We don’t want to be held ransom by our traditional allies. That is why we are expanding our sources of supply,” the source said.