THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2012
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NEWS I’m committed to Aba’s facelift, says Orji
Biafra: MASSOB says BZM is childish Continued from page 1
peace and non-violent method as greatest tool for actualizing our dream” He added that the leader of the BZM has no valid address of no house, adding, “the group is trying to cause problem in the Southeast because the leadership consists of faceless people who have no house or anything to identify them.” “MASSOB urges the public to dismiss them as attention seekers; we have overgrown the era of marching the
streets with Biafran flags. MASSOB is now consolidating on building structures and diplomatic negotiations with other countries, including the re-declaration of Biafra in May 22nd, 2000, submission of Biafra Bill of rights to United Nations and Chief Uwazuruike’s attendance of OAU Summit in Lome, Togo in 2000 among other achievements”. The Campaign for Democracy (CD), Southeast region urged President Goodluck Jonathan to order the uncon-
ditional release of over 500 BZM members, who have been detained by the police following the Enugu rally. In a statement in Onitsha, CD said: “It is very unacceptable and wicked for police in Enugu to arrest defenseless activists, who are not armed with any weapon. “The movement was just agitating for their freedom as enshrined in Chapter 4; Sections 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 of the amended 1999 Constitution, which provides the freedom of association and
peaceful assembly,’’ it said. The statement condemned the “kangaroo” manner which the BZM activists were arrested, arraigned and remanded in prison custody. “This is very sad and acceptable to the entire Igbonation, going by the on-going killings by the Boko Haram religious sect in the northern part of the country. “The Federal Government is not doing enough to checkmate their criminal activities against the Nigerian nation.”
CPC rejects Buhari’s nomination by Boko Haram Continued from page 2
deck’’ to tackle corruption,” he said. The Archbishop, Metropolitan Primate Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, the Most Revd Okoh, described the Boko Haram sect as a “faceless mafia.” Speaking at the Second Edition of the Divine Commonwealth Conference in Abuja, Rev. Okoh said the “Christian faith is something which must be defended.
“Every Christian is a defender of this faith . Every Christian of every generation must defend it. It is the duty of every generation to pass it on uncorrupted and unperverted,” he said, adding: “There is scarcely a common understanding of how to begin to approach the advance of violent Islam- some canvass fire-for-fire approach; others believe that good Christians must continue praying and even try to
preach to the Muslims to change them; meanwhile, the killing and Muslim advance continue unchecked. In between the two extremes are those who believe in dialogue and seminars. Unfortunately, Boko Haram is a faceless mafia, which makes this proposition merely academic, and non-effectual.” According to the Archbishop, Boko Haram has stated that it wants to weed Christianity out of Northern Nige-
ria . While Executing its mission, the sect, said Okoh, has been bombing, shooting, slaughtering and maiming Christians. He added that due to the violence, many Christians have become intimidated and relocated to other places. He lamented that “Our dioceses in Maiduguri, Damaturu, Kano, Bauchi, Yola, Zaria, Jos, among other are, now drastically depopulated.”
•Orji
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BIA State governor Theodore Orji has restated his commitment to the service of the state. He dismissed the activities of those he described as “having sworn to mislead the public through their trade mark of political mildslinging.” In a statement by his Special Adviser on Public Communication Mr. Ben Onyechere, Orji said the development of Aba will go on without hindrance. He criticised those who are generating sentiment around what they described as the underdevelopment of Aba. The statement said: “Nothing can come between me and the development of the state because I have committed myself to the promises I made to the people which is
to give the state a befitting status such that it can have the semblance of statehood. “In doing so, we have laid out a work plan which must be enacted procedurally because of other contending issues which demand equal attention due to long period of neglect by successive administrations. “But irrespective of our avowed commitment and responsibility to the people we will refuse to be stampeded by those who have sworn to mislead the public through their trade mark of political mudslinging because this government has gone beyond blackmail. “The reconstruction of road in Aba will continue unabated so as not to hinder commercial activities for which the city is known. ‘Government will source for partnership with concessionaries as well as gear up its instruments of internal generation of funds. “It is important to urge the people of Aba to cooperate with the government by paying their taxes without which government may find it difficult to re-engage in the huge burden of giving Aba a face lift.”
Bayelsa didn’t collect N17b, says Dickson Continued from page 2
•A lorry-load of relief materials donated by Adenuga Foundation to Bayelsa flood victims...yesterday
Army faults Amnesty report on rights abuses
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HE Army has condemned the recent Amnesty International reports which accused the Joint Task Force (JTF) of gross human rights violations in some parts of the North. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, told reporters in Abuja yesterday that the methodology used by the International Human Rights Group was faulty. Represented by the Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Maj.Gen Bitrus Kwaji, he described the report as unbalanced and highly subjective in favour of the aspirations of Boko Haram. He said the military was never contacted or consulted when the Amnesty International was gathering information and conducting interviews from members of the sect from which they concluded their report. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Amnesty International last week in a report entitled: “Nigeria: Trapped in the Circle of Violence’’, highlighted the nation’s security challenges, oil spills and demolition of houses.
“The serious human rights violations carried out by the security forces include; enforced disappearance, torture, extrajudicial executions, the torching of homes and detention without trial,’’ the report said. Gen. Ihejirika, however, debunked such allegations as biased and ill-conceived with the intention of rubbishing the efforts which the military had been making to restore peace, protect lives and properties, law and order. According to him, I am happy to observe that Amnesty International recognised that
all the acts of Boko Haram are against Nigerian laws. “They also recognised the fact that Boko Haram attacks were against civilians, this was a crime against humanity. “We, however, disagreed with the mythology used to get the reports which did not give the military fair hearing. “In their report regarding the methodology used, it admitted it spoke with affected members of the public in Borno, Bauchi, Kano and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) “The Amnesty International also read newspaper reports and statements from
Gunmen kill two soldiers in Bauchi
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NKNOWN gunmen killed two soldiers and injured a civilian on Monday night along Kano-Potiskum-Maiduguri road, Azare, Bauchi State. The soldiers were attacked at a Suya spot close to an AA Kankani petrol station. The Second-in-Command to the Brigade Commander of 33 Artillery Brigade at Shadawanka Barracks in Bauchi, Lt. L. Adekanmbi confirmed the killings. “Yes, they killed our men -
two of them - we have received the report,” he said. The gunmen also took away their rifles. He said the bodies of the deceased soldiers had been taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Azare. A civilian who suffered a bullet wound to the leg was also taken to the hospital. Residents of the area said the two soldiers went to the joint to buy suya. The scene of the attack is the busiest spot in the town.
Boko Haram. “No where did they state that they got in touch with us. They never made any effort to reach us. We have our modes of operation, which were being complied with by our officers.”
JTF kills four
Continued from page 3
the arrest of four other suspects.” The JTF has also commenced the use of Sniffer dogs at different check-points in the metropolis. Lt. Eli said the Sniffer dogs are used for the detection of specially-concealed arms and nitrate-based materials used in the making of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at check points. He said: “Available information reveals plan by the terrorists group to smuggle arms into the state capital by all means necessary and cause mayhem in the city so we have to keep evolving new methods. According to him, it is necessary to remain ahead of the terrorists and in so doing, we have to employ all the resources at our disposal to ensure we achieve the set objective” he said.
there to create an impression of bias on the part of a hardworking, impartial federal agency that is doing its work. The truth, however is this: “Last year, the government of Bayelsa State in the last administration made some claims against Rivers State on the account of revenue collection due Bayelsa in respect of some disputed wells. “The government of Rivers State and its officials duly defended this claim and at the end of it there was a reconciliation of figures. At the end of the reconciliation, it was found and agreed upon by all parties, including officials of the Government of Rivers, that Rivers State government had wrongly collected the sum of N17bn that was due Bayelsa State. “That was determined and found to be a fact at the reconciliation. Therefore, an agreement was reached by all parties, including the representatives of the Government of Rivers State for a refund to be made. Government of Rivers State also made a counter claim of wrongful payment of some other wells in its territory to Bayelsa State and other neighbouring states. “The appropriate Federal agencies looked at these claims, heard from all the parties and found that as a fact that Rivers State government was entitled to refund of close of N15-N16bn again in defence, there was an agreement reached for refund, as a result of which all the states affected were made to refund that money. Refund was agreed upon to be made to Rivers State. Either all the states affected have paid or in the process of doing so. The government of Bayelsa State was made to pay about N2bn as refund to Rivers State based on that consensual un-
derstanding. The government of Bayelsa State consequently after paying our refund to Rivers state got about N15.1bn. In line with our transparent regime in this state, we duly declared this earning to the people of Bayelsa State. As I am talking to you, this sum is safely kept in the account of the government of Bayelsa State and when the flood and rain subside, we shall direct it into putting back our critical infrastructure. “It is mischievous for anybody to allege and create an impression that the sum of N17bn was ever kept in an escrow account and that a federal agency paid it out to Bayelsa State during the pendency of litigation. That is a lie that has been fed to the public to create the impression that the Federal agencies are biased. “That is the procedure and that is why we are convinced that the issue of derivation is best left for states to handle and not communities but since my counterpart from Rivers State has made it a communal affair, I believe that he will help us to tell the people of Rivers State, particularly the people of Kalabari Kingdom, who he claimed to be fighting for that the basis of our recent claim is that the government of Rivers state in the past couple of years has wrongly received about N120bn that shouldn’t have been paid to Rivers State. “I hope he will also tell the people of Rivers state, particularly the people of Kalabari, about the refund that was consensually agreed upon and effected in favour of Rivers state to the tune of about N15N16bn which he got about a month ago. We feel that this matter are best left for states and other stakeholders at the Federal level to resolve in accordance with laid down rules.”