Strategies against B’Haram not working – Govs

  
Nigeria governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum have said the current strategies against the Boko Haram insurgent is not working.

They therefore asked the Federal Government and the security agencies to review their tactics in order to make it achieve maximum result.

The governors also condemned the spate of killings in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States .

They particularly said they were alarmed at the killing of students in Yobe and what they described as unproved attack on the civilians by the attackers.

A statement by the Chairman of the NGF, who is also the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi in Abuja on Friday, also commiserated with the families of the students.

However, he said that time has come for the Federal Government to comprehensively review the strategies with which it is fighting this insurgency.

He said, “The current approach is definitely not working and it is important that all of us are humble and sincere enough to accept this reality and then work out a stronger and more workable strategy.

“Of course the Federal and state governments should not be left alone to fight the terrorists.

“Citizens need to help our security agencies with accurate and timely information. But government itself needs to engage new allies wherever they may be in the world.”

He urged the Federal Government to continue to support affected states in the bid to check violence and that the Federal Government should remain focused and continue to provide leadership until every part of Nigeria is rid of violence and insurgency.

Amaechi added that the governors were alarmed with the killings of students and others during the attacks.

He said, “We in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum hereby condemn the recent spate of killings in some parts of our country – Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states – by the Boko Haram sect. We are alarmed by the slaughter of 29 pupils at the Federal Government College in Yobe and the unprovoked attacks against defenceless people in those states.

“We commiserate with the people and government of those states, the families of the victims, and pray God to give them and indeed every Nigerian the fortitude to bear the loss.

“This is a very difficult period for our country and its people and we must collectively pray and rally round families, friends and fellow citizens affected by these tragedies. We must provide whatever support and save the lives of those still alive.”

Amaechi said that while security agencies should continue to do their jobs as professionally as possible, he appealed to all aggrieved individuals and groups in Nigeria to appreciate the fact that violence can never be a solution to any problem.

He said Nigerians should know that they have no other country to call home and that it was important that “we understand the danger and futility of destroying our land in the pursuit of a selfish agenda.”

He added that it was gratifying that government – Federal and State – were working hard to get to the root of the killings and nip these orgy of violence in the bud.

He also commended the security agencies for the selfless sacrifice he said they were making in the interest of all Nigerians to restore calm to all parts of our country.

Senator laments B’Haram attacks on Nyako

    
Senator Mohammed Jibrilla Bindo (APC, Adamawa) on Friday said the attack on Governor Murtala Nyako “has now demonstrated that nobody is safe in Nigeria” and called on the security agencies to change their operational strategies.

He described as instructive, the resolution of the Senate committee on Defence on Wednesday directing the relocation of the army headquarters to the 7th division in Maiduguri in order to tackle the Boko Haram sect.

He said, “I condemn in strongest terms the attack on Governor Murtala Nyako. The governor was on an assessment and condolence visit to areas recently attacked by insurgents when he came under attack.

“This shows that nobody is safe and even after the recent attack, security is still not tight even as there is state of emergency in place.”

Bindo assured the general public that “the National Assembly will continue to do all within its power to help the security agencies defeat the Boko Haram sect”. He urged Nigerians to intensify prayers for the restoration of peace in the country.

13 terrorists killed in military raid -DHQ

    
The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, has said that 13 insurgents were killed in a military raid on makeshift terrorists camp located between Borno and Adamawa states on Friday.

Olukolade said in an electronic mail on Friday that the special forces also arrested some of the insurgents who escaped the raid in Maiduguri and its environs.

He did not give the exact number of insurgents arrested in the raid.

Olukolade said calm had returned to Shuwa community, which was attacked by the insurgents on Thursday after the confusion and panic in the community when the people mistook the convoy of troops in pursuit of the terrorists for the insurgents.

He said the community members became panicky when they saw the column of military trucks because they mistook them for insurgents on a mission for another attack.

Olukolade said the confusion sparked the rumour that the Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, was attacked while visiting the community.

He said, “The troops were deployed to block a discovered entry and exit point of terrorists into the country through the state.

B’Haram: We are dealing with serious enemy, says Presidency

    
Following the renewed attack on civilians in the North-East, the Presidency has said Nigeria is currently dealing with a serious enemy.

It also likened the activities of the members of the dreaded sect to that of a war situation.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who stated this while speaking on Channels Television in Abuja on Friday, however gave an assurance that the military was on top of the situation.

He said, “We are dealing with a very, very serious enemy. We are engaged in a war that has been internationalised.

“It is very difficult, very costly in terms of lives lost. But we will overcome. We are in the dying phase of this insurgency.”

Okupe said there was no way the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Keneth Minimah will obey last Wednesday’s order by the Senate Committee on Defence to relocate his office to the 7th Division of the Nigeria Army, Maiduguri, Borno State so as to give verve to the war against Boko Haram insurgents.

The Presidential aide said there was no way the army chief would honour the order because, according to him, the Army cannot take orders from civilians.

According to him, “They (military) can only take order from the President who is their Commander in chief. The army does not take order from civilians.”

He said the leadership of the army had been visiting the site of the war against the extremists on their own and that “they don’t need you and I to tell them” before doing that.

He appealed to Nigerians to be patient, adding that the military was well trained to handle the challenge.

Okupe said, “We only need to have confidence in the people that are working for our country, unless you don’t have confidence in the process that produces them.

“But by the time a man left the NDA, he became a Major General, he became Chief of Army Staff, you have to defer to his opinion on military things.

“Things may not be working, but that does not mean people are not doing what they are supposed to do.”

FG urges polytechnic teachers to end strike

    
The Federal Government has urged the Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics to prevail on striking lecturers of the institutions to accept the offer made them.

The Federal Government had offered N40 billion for the payment of CONTISS 15 arrears in two instalments.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, made the call on Friday at a meeting with the chairmen of the

Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics in Abuja on Friday. He said the government was determined and remained committed to the payment of CONTISS 15 in two instalments, with the first in March and the second in November.

He said that the Federal Government’s offer also applied to striking members of staff of Federal Colleges of Education.

He said that the two instalments of the payment of the arrears to both polytechnics and colleges of education was put

at N40 billion.

At an exhaustive meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, we agreed on the two instalment payment

of the CONTISS 15.

We have since raised a memo to the President to this effect. I took the risk of committing government because we are deeply

worried over the prolonged strike.

Thereafter, ASUP wrote to inform us that they have rejected this offer.

“Please, as chairmen of Polytechnic Governing Councils, we ask that you communicate our commitment to adhering to the schedule of payment. All the processes are on and we are committed to resolving the strike action.”

He called on the chairmen of Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics to prevail on striking Polytechnic staff to accept

the offer to pay outstanding CONTISS 15 arrears in two instalments.

Wike said that their acceptance would lead to the immediate resolution of the ongoing strike and stressed that the Federal Government was unhappy that polytechnic students were at home.

He said that the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation was already concluding work on the release of the

white paper on the report of visitation panels to the institutions.

The minister added that work on the Needs Assessment for polytechnics and colleges of education were about being concluded.

According to him, the Jonathan administration will tackle the rot in the institutions the way it is implementing the Needs Assessment report on universities.

He, however, appealed to unions of polytechnics and colleges of education to focus on the welfare of their members and not on

the appointment of rectors and provosts.

Chief Ebenezer Babatope, Chairman of the Committee of Chairmen of the Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics, commended the determined efforts of the minister to resolve the strike by polytechnic staff.

Babatope said that with the detailed briefing by the minister, the governing councils would inform staff of their respective

polytechnics on the commitment of the Federal Government to pay CONTISS 15 in two instalments.

He said Nigerian polytechnic staff needed to return to their jobs so that further progress could be made.

Niger Assembly: Rapists to get 21 years jail term

In a bid to stop incessant rape cases in the country, Niger State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed into law, a bill seeking the establishment of Sharia Penal Code for the State and set aside 21 years jail term for anybody convicted of rape. The bill also states that any Nigerian who professes Islam as his religion should not marry more than four wives.

The Chairman, House Committee on Judicial Matters, Alhaji Isah Kawu, moved the motion for the House to receive the report of his committee on the mentioned bill.

He said the bill was an improvement over the previous bill which set aside 14 years jail term with option of a fine, while the passed bill provided for 21 years jail term without an option of fine for a convict under Sharia Penal Code.

He said, “The passage of the bill would greatly stem the tide of rape cases in the state and serve as a lesson to perpetrators”.

He added that the bill makes it an offence for any Muslim to marry more than four wives as provided by the Holy Quran and the offender risked severe punishment to be determined by the judge listening to the case.

“In Islamic teaching of four wives is what has been accepted as a norm, we are creating a guide to ensure it is adhered to,” he said.

He said the law was not applicable to traditional rulers and non-Muslims as the nature of the society will contradict the law.

The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Adamu Usman, in his ruling said the new Sharia Penal Code Law seeking to say that whoever was found to have raped a lady or a girl shall be liable for 21 years imprisonment and anybody who had married more than four wives before, would not be affected by the new law.

The bill would be sent to the Governor for his accent.

Reacting to the bill, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Niger State threw its weight behind the Niger House of Assembly for passing into law a bill that set aside 21 year jail term for anybody convicted of rape.

The Chairperson of FIDA, Hajiya Fati Suleiman Takuma, commended the lawmakers.

“With this bill passed into law women are more enriched and better equipped in dealing with all forms oppression or violence against the less privileged and vulnerable in the society,” she said.

Ukrainian ex-leader vows fightback

Ukraine’s ex-President Yanukovych has made his first public appearance since being ousted, telling a news conference in Russia he would fight for his country.

Mr Yanukovych said he was “not overthrown”, but was compelled to leave Ukraine after threats to his life.

He said the current parliament was “illegitimate”, and described those who drove him from power as “young neo-fascist thugs” representing only a minority of Ukrainians.

Mr Yanukovych was ousted on Saturday, after a sustained campaign by protesters ended in a bloody crackdown.

Tensions have risen since he stepped down, especially in the Crimea region.

On Friday, Ukraine accused Russia of carrying out an “armed invasion” there, by sending naval forces to occupy Sevastopol airport.

Reappearance

“I intend to continue to struggle for the future of Ukraine, against terror and fear,” Mr Yanokovych said.

“What’s going on now is lawlessness, lack of authority, and terror. Decisions in parliament were taken under duress,” he said. “I can’t find words to characterise this new authority. These are people who advocate violence – the Ukrainian parliament is illegitimate.”

He said the only way out of the crisis was to implement in full the agreement he signed last week with opposition leaders and three European foreign ministers in Kiev.

The news conference is being held in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, near the Ukrainian border.

Mr Yanukoych disappeared after leaving office but resurfaced in Russia on Thursday, asserting that he was still Ukraine’s lawful president.

Earlier on Friday, Ukraine’s general prosecutor said he would ask Russia to extradite Mr Yanukovych.

BBC