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Minister of State for Works, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, weekend boasted that there would be another victory dance in the Osun State this week for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Ekiti State has through our Governor-Elect, Dr Ayodele Fayose opened the floodgate of victory for the PDP in the Southwest and nothing will stop the victory ship from berthing in Osun State on Saturday,” he said.

In a statement in Ado-Ekiti, the Minister said Nigerians should ask Governor Rauf Aregbesola why he was contesting the August 9 election meant for Osun State, noting “it is funny that Aregbesola, who calls himself Governor of the State of Osun is contesting Osun State governorship election.”

According to him, “In Ekiti, cooperative funds running to several billions of naira deducted from March, April, May and June salary of the government workers are yet to be remitted into the accounts of the cooperatives societies. The situation in Osun is not different, as funds had to be mobilised from other APC controlled States before the workers could get May, June and July salary.

“The entire education system in Osun State has been destroyed with the merger of Muslim Schools with Christian Schools, and demolition of schools established over 50 years ago.

“Therefore, the people of Osun are eagerly waiting for Saturday to come so that they can put an end to the APC misgovernance in their State, and no amount of noise-making, propaganda and falsehood can stop PDP victory.”

Former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, weekend allayed fears raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State over the use of soldiers during the August 9 governorship elections, saying similar move had produced positive results.

Ladoja, national leader of Accord, who spoke at his Bodija residence, Ibadan, recalled that the same security measures were used in the 2007 elections.

He argued that the use of security agents gave people sense of security in Ekiti State, but however, warned that the deployment of massive security in 2015 to states would not be possible.

“Soldiers have always supervised elections in Nigeria. So there is nothing new. In 2007 the GOC gave evidence at election petition tribunals. The deployment of heavy security in Ekiti was due to the hype at that time between the forces of PDP and APC. Maybe if security had not been deployed people may not have come out to vote. The fact that the election recorded more voters than ever before shows that people had confidence to come when they knew security was in place.

“But whatever happen in Osun and Ekiti cannot happen in Oyo state. Where will you get five police, two soldiers to man one pooling booth during 2015 general elections? Also the deluge of people moving around will not happen because all politicians will be in their states fighting for survival. so this should not disturb us. They are used because they are available and to tell the world that Nigeria can conduct free and fair elections. But we should get to a stage where we can monitor our elections by ourselves.”

Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has said Nigeria needs strong leadership to overcome its security challenges and not someone who relies on luck to rule.

“What the President must realise is that nobody can run a country by luck. You can win election by luck, but you cannot be lucky all the time. So Goodluck as his name implies should look beyond luck in handling the affairs of this country. What Nigeria requires is a strong leadership that will stop all this nonsense or in the alternative, negotiate from the point of strength with the insurgents,” Kwankwaso said.

Kwankwaso said this yesterday, while speaking with reporters at his office. He advised the presidency to reduce the level of hatred and bitterness among Nigerians, if the government was actually interested in resolving the problem of insecurity.

According to him, the real cause of insecurity in the country is bad leadership being experienced in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) -led government, noting that the inability of President Jonathan to tackle the issue of insurgency in the North and insecurity in other parts of the country has exposed Jonathan’s incompetence to preside over the affairs of Nigeria.

“Now, they are just using propaganda. Look at the issue of the abduction of Chibok girls. The schoolgirls have been in captivity and they kept arguing —where are the names, who are they, where are the photographs; they didn’t believe that over 200 children were abducted. Haba! Even if it is 20 tortoise or goats! Won’t you look for them? One of the reasons I love this country is that we have people of integrity in all the regions, in all the states like my former colleague, former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili.

“This is somebody who worked at the World Bank, but now she has devoted her time to the cause of these girls. She is not from this part of the country, but she felt she had to take the bull by the horns and that is what we are seeing in developed countries — fight injustice, save people, help them, if you have the opportunity to do so. They sent some hawks to go and stop the protesters. The other day, I went to Abuja, I saw an advertisement, while Ezekwesili was saying ‘BringBackOurGirls’, some people were saying ‘vote for us, we want to stay and maintain the status quo; look at my photograph, I am smiling.’ And they don’t know time is of essence.

“At the moment, the country is in a critical situation, and if this madness is not stopped and if it is allowed to degenerate, and becomes the order of the day, whereby innocent people are being killed every day, then something is wrong with the leadership.

“What Nigeria requires now is a strong leadership that can effectively tackle the insurgency in the North-East, and other topical security challenges,” he said.

Kwankwaso then suggested that one major way to restore normalcy in the northern part of the country was to draw out a Marshal Plan for the region, and urged Jonathan to stamp his feet as the Commander –In-Chief of the Armed Forces, to tackle this security issue.

The governor challenged the President to think seriously about the statement made by General T.Y Danjuma, (rtd), who suggested that President Jonathan lead Nigerians to Sambisa Forest to rescue the abducted Chibok girls. [Vanguard]

PHOTO CREDIT: PREMIUM TIMES

The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, has dissociated himself, from posters in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, portraying him as a vice-presidential aspirant on the platform the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.

The posters which surfaced in strategic locations in Abuja, suggested Ihedioha as a running mate to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who has also distanced himself from the campaign posters.

The deputy speaker, who represented the Senate President, David Mark, at the grand finale of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign rally in Osogbo, Osun State on Saturday, said that he remained a member of the PDP and asked the public to ignore the posters.

Speaking through his Press Sceretary, Mr. Oke Opia yesterday, Mr. Ihedioha said the pasting of the posters was the handiwork of mischief makers.

“The deputy speaker is fully focused on, and committed to rebuilding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nationally and in Imo State where he has remained a bulwark of the ruling party since the opposition took over the reins of government at that level in 2011”, Opia said.

A group known as the Rivers PDP Third Force, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, to call the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, to order over his utterances on the 2015 governorship election in the state.

The group faulted Wike’s claim that he remained the only politician that could win the 2015 election, insisting that the minister must be stopped from contesting the poll.

The minister had during an interaction with journalists in Port Harcourt, the state capital, last week, boasted that he would win the 2015 governorship election, if he decided to throw his hat in the ring.

A statement by the Secretary-General of the socio-political group, Mr. Oprite Amachree, said posterity would hold the PDP national leaders accountable, should Wike be allowed to breach the political order in the state, since he (Wike) came from Ikwerre, the same area the incumbent governor, Rotimi Amaechi, hails from.

The group said, “We urge the National Leader of the PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, to be wary of the new seed of destruction in PDP (Nyesom Wike), who has clearly shown with his utterances and unrestrained ambitions that he cannot be tamed.

“They (PDP leadership) must put an end to this endless hair-splitting in Rivers PDP and stop Wike from his inordinate ambition. Otherwise, posterity will hold them accountable for any political disorder that arises from Wike’s ambitions.

“As fathers of our great party, they ought to play their role when it matters most. We disagree with the views expressed by the minister on the Rivers PDP gubernatorial ticket, where he stated that he is the only person in the Rivers PDP and that there are no known or notable politicians of Rivers extraction who could deliver for the PDP, if given the mandate.

“We believe that his statement is in very bad taste, as it seeks to denigrate the entire members of our great party. This hegemonic stranglehold over the Rivers PDP portrayed by the Minister of State for Education has led to a breach in the ranks of the party”.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State says it is not interested in wooing or begging any one to fly its flag in the by-election to replace impeached Governor Murtala Nyako.

The party was reacting to media reports that it was wooing former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, to join the PDP and contest the election on its platform.

The state PDP chairman, Chief Joel Madaki, who spoke while addressing party stakeholders at Government House, Yola, on Friday, boasted that the party has many qualified people in its ranks to win the governorship poll.

He, however, declared the PDP’s doors open to all indigenes of the state interested in joining it.

He promised equal treatment for all.

He insisted that the PDP was not shopping for a governorship candidate.

Madaki said: “PDP is a fully loaded party with experienced politicians who have held many laudable national positions in different capacities and who have been tried and tested to occupy any office hierarchy in the country.

“Adamawa State PDP is blessed with an array of qualified politicians; there is no need to bring somebody from outside the party to run on its ticket for the 2015 race.

“We are not wooing or begging anyone to be our governorship candidate. Are there no qualified candidates among all of you sitting here? It is an insult to all of us to say that we are wooing any person to be PDP governorship candidate.

“I want to make it clear that our doors are open for people to come in. We will give those coming equal treatment and a sense of belonging”.

Madaki commended acting governor Umaru Fintiri and members of the state assembly for restoring what he described as “PDP’s stolen mandate” by removing former governor, Murtala Nyako.

PHOTO CREDIT: PREMIUM TIMES

In what appears as a surprise combination for the 2015 general election, posters of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and Emeka Ihedioha respectively, as President and Vice Presidential aspirants under the banner of All Progressives Congress (APC), Saturday, sprung up in major streets of Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Although both men are members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, those behind the posters said “We have decided our choice 2015”.

But the spokesman for Mr. Tambuwal, Imam Imam, issued a statement last night distancing the speaker from the emergence of the presidential posters, just as he urged those behind it to beware of the nation’s laws as regards premature political campaigns.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has consistently warned politicians and political parties against abuse of campaign laws in the country, especially with regards to the 2015 election.

The statement by Imam reads in part: “While we thank them for deeming us fit for elective office in the country, let it be known that since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not given the go-ahead for those interested in elective positions to start mobilisation, it is inappropriate for any person or group to print campaign posters and have them placed in strategic areas all over the country.

“Laws of the Federation are meant to be obeyed by the high and mighty. The Honourable Speaker will make known the direction he will take with regards to his political future at the appropriate time”.

The 2010 Electoral Act (as amended), stipulates that campaigns should commence 90 days before any election.

Section 99 (1-3) of the Electoral Act says: “For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.

“A registered political party which through any person acting on its behalf during the 24 hours before polling day”.

“Procures for publication or acquiesces in the publication of an advertisement in a Newspaper for the purpose of promoting or opposing a particular candidates, commits an offence under this Act and upon conviction is liable to a maximum fine of N500, 000”.

The decision of Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to abandon the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), on whose platform he won election, has made him to become a drowning politician, the national chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh has said.

Speaking with journalists in Umuahia, Abia State capital, Umeh said Okorocha embarked on a “misadventure of leaving APGA for the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.

He also closed the door against any attempt by Okorocha to return to APGA, saying the Imo governor had become a political liability.

“Okorocha has been swallowed by his misadventure and it is normal that he will be saying anything. Of course, he has been sending people to me that he will like to return, but you see him quickly refuting it”, he said.

The APGA national chairman said he had always said no to Okorocha’s clandestine request to return to the party that made him, but because he “did not behave well, we can’t entrust him with APGA again to do anything”, adding that it was now obvious that Imo people have rejected Okorocha, hence his desperation to return to APGA in order to repair his battered image.

Umeh dismissed Okorocha’s rescue mission agenda as a ruse, noting that the Imo governor lacked the Igbo spirit to implement such a programme.

“We have capable people that can rescue Imo State. He said he is on a rescue mission but rather, he imprisoned Imo State. We have capable people in Imo who will rescue Imo people, people with true Igbo spirit that is lacking in him”, the APGA leader said.

He said that Okorocha’s brand of politics was against the interest of Ndigbo, “he’s not somebody you can describe as a proud Igbo man”, he added.

According to Umeh, APGA would in 2015, take control of Imo and hold Okorocha “accountable for his misdeeds”, and pay him back in his own coins for betraying the party after what he called “strenuous efforts” to make him governor.

Umeh also vehemently denied the insinuation that he collected $2 million to re-admit Okorocha in APGA, “I have proved myself in Nigeria politics as somebody who can’t be purchased by anybody no matter how much money you have”.

He added: “I am so focused and concerned on the affairs of this party and Igbo people and if you want to achieve that, you will not allow money to influence you”.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has alerted Nigerians to a devilish plot involving an unnamed unscrupulous INEC official and PDP stalwarts to rig next weekend’s gubernatorial election in Osun State.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said under the plan, some INEC IT staff allegedly handed over the entire electoral register for the state to a Special Assistant to a top PDP national official, with a view to manipulating it to disenfranchise many voters. The PDP is yet to react to this allegation.

“For those who may see this as outlandish, they should recall that an INEC official tampered with the voters register used during the last gubernatorial election in Anambra State to remove the names of many voters”, it said.

APC said the plan to tamper with the electoral register for Osun, coupled with INEC’s delay in issuing Permanent Voters Cards to registered voters, especially those who are APC members in the state, highlight the desperation of the PDP to win the forthcoming governorship election at all cost.

“The truth is that the PDP knows it cannot win a free and fair election in Osun state. Everything so far points to the fact that our party will win by a landslide if the election is free, fair, credible and transparent. In fact, a highly-credible opinion poll carried out by the globally-recognized TNS-RMS shows that the APC leads among voters in the state by 73%, compared to a paltry 19% for the PDP.

“Apparently stunned by the reality on the ground, as against the propaganda by the PDP, the party’s candidate, Iyiola Omisore, quickly conjured his own opinion poll, purportedly carried out by USAID, showing that he is leading the APC candidate and incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

“Fortunately, USAID has denied carrying out any opinion poll in Osun State, thus putting a lie to the PDP’s claim. There is no better indication of desperation than this”, the party said.

APC, therefore, called on all the good people of Osun state in general and its party members and supporters in particular, to be very vigilant in other to thwart the evil machinations of those who are averse to credible and violence-free elections.

“As we have said repeatedly, we ask for nothing beyond a level playing field for all the candidates in the Aug. 9th election in Osun State. Also, we want all registered voters to be able to exercise their franchise without hindrance, since popular participation is the bedrock of democracy.

“If the voting is done in the best tradition of free, fair and credible elections, whoever wins or loses will have no problem accepting the outcome,” APC said.

President Goodluck Jonathan will on Sunday leave for Washington DC to participate in a three-day United States-African Leaders Summit.

This is contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, by Dr Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

The statement said that the summit was at the instance of U.S. President Barack Obama, and it would focus on trade, investment, peace, security and good governance in Africa.

“The summit is the first of its kind between an American president and African heads of state and government.

“It is expected to greatly strengthen ties between the United States, Nigeria and other African countries.

“Jonathan will join Obama and about 50 other participating African leaders for discussions that are expected to lead to greater progress in key areas.

“They include expansion in trade and investment ties, promotion of inclusive sustainable development and expansion of cooperation on peace and security”.

According to the statement, the event will feature three special sessions on “Investing in Africa’s Future,’’ “Peace and Regional Stability”, and “Governing the Next Generation”.

“It will also feature side-events such as the United States-Africa Business Forum, aimed at boosting efforts to strengthen trade and financial ties between the United States and Africa.

“Others are creating partnerships that will accelerate job creation, and encouraging even more American investments in Nigeria and other African countries”.

It added that Jonathan would also hold meetings with key United States political, security and business leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Among issues to be discussed at the meetings are expansion of bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, and the war against terrorism.

The statement further said that the president would be accompanied to the summit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Aminu Wali, and his Finance counterpart, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Others are the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga; Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, and the National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki.

The president will return on Wednesday. (NAN)

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday assured the people of Osun State that the August 9 governorship election would be peaceful.

Speaking tough, the president also dared those parading themselves as political thugs to attempt to disrupt the election and risk being dealt with by security operatives, who he insisted, would be deployed in the state for the election.

The president, who said this at the Peoples Democratic Party governorship campaign grand finale in Osogbo City Stadium, added that despite protests by some parties, he would make sure that Osun State was ‘well-policed’ during the election.

Jonathan, who walked round the pitch, alongside other PDP leaders, waving at a mammoth crowd of supporters, who had filled the about 30, 000-capacity stadium before his arrival, also restated his commitment to making sure that the votes of Nigerians count.

He said, “Some parties are even going to court saying that on the election day all the security operatives should be removed. We will recall that during the 2011 election, 10 youth corps members were killed. We will not allow that to happen again. So anybody to think that government would fold its hands and allow miscreants to take over the streets of Osun State, and cause havoc, that person is deceiving himself. We will make sure that Osun State is properly policed.

“Anybody who calls himself a thug or militant whatever name you call yourself, if you find himself in Osun State that day, be rest assured that the security operatives will deal with you according to law. Because we must show the world that we are capable of governing ourselves and that we are able to elect who will rule us.

“Our votes must count. One man one vote; one woman on vote; one youth one vote”, Mr. Jonathan said.

The president added that the Federal Government needed maximum cooperation from the Osun State Government to bring development to every part of the state and boasted that the PDP was the only party in Nigeria that had the credentials of a democratic party.

“Omisore and the government at the centre will work together to develop Osun State. All we need from you is your votes. We need you to elect Omisore on August 9. Bring Omisore to us as your governor and leave the rest for us”, he said.

The President, who had earlier congratulated Vice-President Namadi Sambo on his birthday which coincided with the rally, urged the people of Osun to ensure that PDP wins the governorship poll next weekend as a birthday gift to Sambo, who he called ‘my younger brother’.

To further express his assurance that the PDP would win the election, Jonathan referred to Omisore and his running mate, Adejare Bello, as governor and deputy governor-in-waiting respectively.

Sambo had said the mammoth crowd that received them in Osogbo was a sign that “the people of Osun State are ready to take back their mandate” just as he described the rainfall that ushered them to the state as a sign of divine endorsement.

Also speaking at the rally, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, said the PDP had patiently waited for the Osun election, saying it’s an opportunity for the party to take back its mandate that was taken away through the court.

Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, who boasted that he predicted Ayodele Fayose’s victory in Ekiti State two months ago and that there would be no litigation to his emergence as governor-elect, re-assured the people that the PDPGF has assembled a team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria to defend their votes in court should the need arise.

Prominent among chieftains of the party at the campaign were the vice president, Nnamadi Sambo; deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha; PDP national chairman Ahmed Adamu Muazu; chairman of BoT Chief Tony Anenih; chairman, Godswill Akpabio, and a number of his colleagues; Chief Bode George; Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole; Ayodele Fayose; Otunba Alao-Akala, Chief Buruji Kazamu, and a former deputy governor of Osun, Erelu Olusola Obada.

President Goodluck Jonathan has assured that Nigeria will soon be free from the embarrassment brought on it by the heinous activities of terrorist Islamic group, Boko Haram.

Jonathan said this while paying homage to Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade on Saturday before the mega rally of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore in the Osun State governorship election billed for August 9.

Jonathan vowed to rid the country of insurgency soonest, describing them as rascals.

According to him, his administration is poised to building formidable security agencies capable of dealing with the security challenges facing the nation.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised the alarm over the security situation in the country, describing it as appalling.

He also said the present administration lacks the political will to stop the menace being caused by members of the Boko Haram terrorist sect.

The former Vice President, who spoke in an interview with Voice of America (VOA) in Abuja and monitored by our correspondent on Friday, added that the security problem in the country was already having negative effect on the country’s image internationally.

Atiku said since he was born, has had never witnessed the type of security problems facing the country now, adding that even during the civil war, the situation was not as bad.

The Turakin Adamawa, who was a founding member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party but earlier this year defected to the All Progressives Congress, nonetheless suggested ways to end the security problem.

He said, “The security situation in the country, I must admit is appalling. I have never seen it this bad – not even during the civil war did we have this sense of insecurity all over the country?

“What we need to have in place is a political leadership that has the will, the courage and the determination to restore law and order. Restoring law and order is a multifaceted approach; both social, economic as well as security

“You must have a political leadership that has vision, the will and the courage to pursue those multifaceted approach”.

Atiku said it would be wrong to attribute his criticism of the government’s handling of the security situation to his membership of the opposition party.

He also called for an end to the blame game if the country is to surmount its present challenges.

According to him, “It’s not supported by any empirical evidence. I think we should stop passing the buck at each other.

“As long as this security situation is concerned we should work as a team, the whole country. Whether opposition whether ruling party, we should work as a team to make sure that we restore peace, unity and stability”.

Asked about the possibility of the APC dislodging the ruling party in the 2015 general election, he said it was possible.

He said, “I have never seen a climate that gives the opposition so much hope than today. Because since the return of democracy, Nigeria has been governed by only one ruling political party, and Nigerians really want to see a change.

“I toured the country and this sense of change is pervasive. So if the APC can put its house in order, Nigerians will give that party the opportunity”.

On the rift within his party, the former VP said as chairman of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the APC, he has been touring the country to appease aggrieved members.

He, however, said it was wrong to say he was using the position to enhance his alleged presidential ambition.

Atiku said, “All I was trying to do is to make sure that we provided Nigerians an alternative opposition. This is because I am a firm believer in a two-party system. A two-party system will provide Nigerians with alternatives from time to time.

“A single major or powerful political party will result into a one party system and will ultimately land us into the hands of a dictator. And God-forbid I don’t wish to live and see a dictator in Nigeria”.

A group known as the House-to-House campaign organization, has advised the All Progressives Congress to stop denigrating the office of the President of Nigeria.

Director-General of the group, Hon. Ogidi Bara Benjamin, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, decried what he described as unnecessary and unwarranted barrage of scathing and vitriolic criticism of the APC on the presidency.

“The APC since its emergence as a political party has been engaging itself in a voyage of baseless and destructive criticism of the office of the President without proffering any iota of solution to correct and address what could have been an alternative means of solving the problems confronting the Nigeria state”, Benjamin said.

He said that the APC, instead of forming a formidable political party, has remained a party with nothing to offer except attacking the office of the president.

Benjamin lamented that the APC does so even when it is glaring to the public that the current administration under President Goodluck Jonathan is embarking on people-oriented programmes which will sustain the tenets of democracy in the country.

A total of N58.79 billion was realised at Thursday’s fund-raising dinner for President Goodluck Jonathan’s Victims Support Fund, his office disclosed in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

The statement, issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, said the sum exceeded the initial target of N50 billion by N8.79 billion.

It expressed Mr. Jonathan’s appreciation to those who responded to his call for collective action to support victims of terrorism in the country, for which the fund is meant.

“The President said he was overwhelmed by the expression of support, co-operation and solidarity by Nigerians and friends of Nigeria from all walks of life.

“It shows that the public is genuinely concerned about the threat of terrorism to our common humanity and stands ready to support worthy causes and pro-people policies.

“Jonathan notes that the overwhelming demonstration of support for the fund has greatly inspired the government to continue to adopt every possible measure to bring terrorism to an end in the country,’’ the statement said.

It also conveyed Jonathan’s appreciation to the fund’s Chairman, Theophilus Danjuma, and members of the Victims’ Support Foundation for accepting to serve the nation in this regard.

The statement expressed the President’s conviction that the Foundation would make judicious use of the fund to ameliorate the negative impact of terrorism in the affected areas.

It also expressed Jonathan’s appeal to other Nigerians and friends of the country to make their token contributions to the fund as the foundation seeks further support.

Some of the largest donors on Thursday night included Theophilus Danjuma, $10 million;

Aliko Dangote, N1 billion; Jim Ovia, N1 billion; Tony Elumelu, N2.5 billion; Mike Adenuga, N1 billion; Wale Tinubu, N1 billion; Arthur Eze, $5 million; Mohammed Ndimi, $5 million; Kabiru Rabiu, N500 million; Dahiru Mangal N500 million; and Folorunsho Alakija, N500 million.

Others include a group of oil sector players, N17 billion; bankers N15 billion, telecom sector players N1 billion; state governors, N3.7 billion; and ministers, N50 million.

(NAN)

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has raised an alarm that the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP-led federal government has deployed thousands of masked operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, to Osun State ahead of the August 9 governorship election.

In a statement issued in Lagos, Friday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party wondered why the federal government would send DSS operatives “masked and clad in black” to harass innocent citizens of the state.

“As widely reported, DSS agents, armed to the teeth and riding in over 50 trucks, drove around Osogbo and other parts of Osun State on Wednesday blaring siren and shooting sporadically in the air, thus disrupting the normally peaceful life in the state”, Mr. Mohammed said.

“Residents who were visibly traumatised by the shameful display of state power ran helter-skelter and wondered why their government has sent masked men, or ninjas, to terrorize them. They now understand that the masked thugs who have been following the PDP candidate around on his campaign trail were actually government sanctioned. This is a power show taken too far, even with the well-known impunity tendencies of the Jonathan Administration”, the APC added.

The party said information at its disposal showed that 5,000 more DSS men were being dispatched to the state before the election, on the basis of an orchestrated petition alleging that certain APC leaders are planning to foment trouble during the election.

“The real purpose of this fake petition and the consequent deployment of thousands of secret police to Osun is to harass, intimidate and arrest the leaders of the APC in the state, in a repeat of what transpired in Ekiti”, Mr. Mohammed continued.

“Flooding Osun with irresponsible DSS officials to terrorise the residents is another low for a government that is notorious for abuse of power and federal institutions. It is no longer news that the military, the police and other security agencies are working for the Jonathan Administration, rather than for all of Nigeria. What is new is that the security agencies have now been unleashed on the citizenry. What rankles even more is the constant assurances by President Jonathan that the election will be free and fair. How can we have a credible election in an atmosphere of state-led gangsterism? How can we have a credible election when the FG that is supposed to protect the people and ensure violence-free polls is the same one that purveys violence? Where else in the world do secret police announce themselves by firing to scare away harmless citizens? When did masks become part of the uniform of the State Security Service agents?” the party added.

It reminded the DSS officials that the guns they were using to terrorise the people of Osun were provided for by taxpayers, and that they were indeed trained at the expense of taxpayers, hence it was totally irresponsible and unacceptable for them to turn their guns on the taxpayers.

The APC implored local and international election observers to take note of the pre-election intimidation tactics of the PDP/Goodluck Jonathan Administration which, it said, were designed solely to scare people away from the polling booths and provide the necessary atmosphere for electoral malfeasance to favour their candidate.

The party insisted that it would not accept the same “hear-no-evil, see-no-evil disposition” of President Jonathan, who on one hand assures the international community of credible polls under his watch while at the same time turning a blind eye as his cabinet ministers, other appointees and the security agencies under his control break the law with impunity and become agents of terror.

”Mr. President, you are responsible for the actions of the men and women you appoint into your cabinet. You are the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces,” said Mr. Mohammed.

“You bear the ultimate responsibility for the acts of omission or commission of this category of public officials, as well as the security agencies. You must call them to order if indeed they are not acting under your orders”, Mr. Mohammed added.

Determined to prove his innocence before the people that put him in office, the embattled Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, has offered to waive off his immunity to appear before the seven-man investigative panel set up by the state Chief Judge on alleged mismanagement of state funds.

The seven-member panel headed by Mr. Yusuf Usman, which is scheduled to begin public sitting on Monday in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, has notified all the parties involved, including the House of Assembly.

Confirming his decision to appear before the panel yesterday, Governor Al-Makura simply said: “I think I will make first appearance on Monday, and then my counsel can thereafter take over.

“I hope my counsel will allow me to have the first shot before they go ahead with the legal representation”, he added.

The governor, however, refused to talk further insisting that he has tremendous respect for the House of Assembly and constitutional guidelines on the ongoing impeachment proceedings against him.

Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, dominated Nasarawa Assembly had leveled 16 allegations against the governor and directed the Chief Judge, Justice Sulaiman Dikko, to constitute a seven-man panel to probe the allegations. However, the members have rejected two out of the seven members of the panel, alleging that they are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state.

Youths groups under the aegis of the Niger Delta Youth Leaders Council on Thursday announced a last minute cancellation of their one million man march on Abuja, the nation’s capital, in support of President Goodluck Jonathan to declare his ambition to run for second term in office.

The groups said they decided to shelve the rally planned in honour of people who died from suspected Boko Haram bomb blasts during the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Abuja, coordinator of the groups, Barrister George Turnah, said after series of consultations with stakeholders, it was resolved that the rally be suspended based on the “mood of the nation and security reasons and as well to condole with our brothers in the north who lost loved ones during the several bomb blasts in Kaduna, Borno, Yobe and Kano states”.

According to him, a new date will be announced for the rally later.

Recall that the pan-northern socio-political organization, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, had on Wednesday said the planned rally was ill-timed and a disregard to the feelings of Nigerians, particularly those in the North, who are under constant threat of terror attacks. It also urged northern youths to participate in the rally.

Turnah said the Nigerian youths also condole with President Jonathan on the issue of terrorism and urged him to “go ahead in his efforts in securing the abducted school girls”.

He urged politicians to put Nigeria’s interest first before their personal interest in the fight against insurgency.

THE SUSPECT, BOTTOM LEFT, WHO ALLEGEDLY FINGERED ASARI DOKUBO AS THE SPONSOR OF THE ATTACK ON GEN. BUHARI’S CONVOY

The leader of the disbanded Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations he sponsored the recent assassination attempt on former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

Following the July 23 bomb attack in Kaduna that killed about 85 people and which allegedly targeted General Buhari and prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, the social media was awash with reports that one of the suspects in the incident, who was arrested by security agencies, claimed the former Niger Delta militant paid them N5 million to carry out the attack.

In the petition signed by his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, Esq, and addressed to the Director-General of DSS, Nta Ekpenyong, Dokubo-Asari urged the agency to investigate the allegations contained in the publication so as to put an end to the threat to his life and family.

The National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) on Thursday said contrary to the claims by some individuals that the Federal Government was behind the recent assassination attempt on the life of former head of state, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), the Boko Haram sect was responsible.

The NSA recalled that as far back as February, leader of the terrorist sect, Abubakar Shekau, had threatened Buhari and some other prominent northerners, calling them infidels that must be dealt with.

Dasuki spoke while fielding questions from State House correspondents after the Council of State meeting during which the issue of the attack on Buhari came up for discussion.

He said, “We said something about the attack on Buhari and Sheik Dahiru Bauchi.

“There was a threat as far back as February this year issued by Shekau calling them infidels by names and positions saying that they were in trouble and they were going to see.

“Well, the government was not responsible, and if you say that the government was responsible in the case of General Buhari, why don’t you say the same in the case of Sheik Dahiru Bauchi?

“We said it not because we had facts but because it is what sells the paper. That is the most unfortunate thing. And we want to say that it was not only General Buhari, there were others mentioned too”.

Dousing the fears that Boko Haram might have started turning the abducted Chibok schoolgirls to female suicide bombers, Dasuki said government did not have control over the girls as long as they are still in captivity.

He, however, said when they are released, government would put in place a reorientation programme for them before they would be reunited with their parents.

He said, “What really can anybody do? The Chibok girls who are in captivity are not under Federal Government’s control.

“The only thing we do is to try and address those who are outside. There is already a programme we will put them through if they are released today to make sure that if there is any indoctrination, we will try and reduce the intensity.

“That is all we can do before they go back to normal life. We can’t do anything to stop them from being indoctrinated.

“The girls who are doing these things are not by any means indoctrinated. That is not what we have as at now”, Dasuki maintained.