Nigerian Newspapers
The Fifth Columnists?
The journey from Port Harcourt airport to Yenegoa takes approximately two hours, despite the poor state of the road leading to Bayelsa.
From the Port Harcourt airport, you drove through smooth, dual carriageway up to a point where the good road stops and you began to dodge potholes along the famous—or rather, controversial( ?)East-West Road, pitching Governor Chibuike Amaechi and Niger Delta Minister, Godsday Orubebe. A few kilometres later, you see the signboard that reads, Welcome to Bayelsa State.
There is nothing special about driving through pothole-riddled roads in Nigeria. I mean, we are used to it in Nigeria — whether you are talking about Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ore—Benin Road, Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, which once pitched Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and President Olusegun Obasanjo/Chief Tony Anenih into a war, or any of the major and minor highways.
That’s why you have far more SUVs in Nigeria than, perhaps, any other country in the world. It could be said that Nigeria is a dumping ground for all kinds of SUVs, monstrous fuel guzzlers coming with no age limits, unleashing, maximum pollution on our environment.
But still, as you drive into Bayelsa, you still have to wonder, “Does the president also pass through this road to his hometown?” It was more of a rhetorical question. There is only one highway leading into Bayelsa State.
Unless the president uses any of his presidential helicopters — more likely, of course, — he’d have to meander through that same highway. As Soyinka once argued, bad roads are no respecter of sirens, very important personalities or presidential personages.
But as the road stands now, it would be a security risk for the president to return to Bayelsa by road.
If he does, then like us, he would have to move from one side of the road to the other; when the road cuts off, he would have to join the single lane and do one way like the rest of other road users — that is, if the traffic is not blocked for a full day to allow his passage.
We were navigating the road like that when we came to a traffic diversion and followed. Unfortunately, the vehicle ahead of us sank in the sand. Somewhere ahead, another vehicle was sputtering in the sand too.
Didn’t they say that if you find yourself in a hole, the first wisdom is to stop digging? But not so these desperate and panicky drivers. They kept revving their engine, their tyres spinning in the mud, sinking deeper.
I sensed trouble. My host had provided heavy duty Range Rover SUV to pick me and a colleague from the airport. If the lighter vehicle ahead of us could sink, we would probably do worse. If we are grounded here and some miscreants showed up, they’d mistake me for one of the oppressors! I felt quite vulnerable out there in the miry traffic jungle.
Ten minutes of struggle later, our driver, a calm and experienced soldier, dexterously used reverse to maneuver us out of the troubled spot. Or so we thought, for a moment later, the world came to standstill at the Mbiama junction area, which leads to a long bridge. The dual carriage lanes were being rehabilitated at the same time with heaps of soft red sand swallowing unwary vehicles.
Several kilometres stretch of traffic had built up from the Bayelsa end, with the result that those with siren lawlessly decided to use the one way, until we all came to a perfect gridlock. In a land where everybody is a warlord, the blaring of sirens is ultimately a meaningless status symbol.
With many vehicles sunk into the sand, the road blocked, sirens wailing, I remember the president! How come the road to the president’s state is still like this three years after he had been in power?
We can’t go forward, we can’t go backward. This is a veritable state of anarchy. While some heavy duty trucks are helping to pull out some commercial and private vehicles stuck at different spots, bigger caterpillars came to the rescue of the trucks that sank as well.
“This is big news,” my co-passenger, Pastor Dickson Anyanwu, burst out. “Write about this! Many years ago, you told me that news is extraordinary bad things happening. This road is extraordinarily bad! The road to our president’s home state!”
Now, if the road to the President’s state is this bad, then there must be a fifth columnist somewhere, playing the spoiler. Who is the fifth columnist? How could the road to the president’s state be left undone until now, after he had spent three years in power? Who is after the president’s job?
When you look at it carefully, it is not members of the newly registered APC or perhaps, even the internal enemies within PDP. The real enemies of the president are within—those inner circle members, who didn’t persuade him that charity begins at home, that the road to Bayelsa needs urgent attention, that if the road is not quickly finished, that General Mohammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the ace strategist, would mobilise members of APC to that sinking spot at Mbiama, allow their campaign vehicles to sink there and invite the world media to watch them pushing their vehicles in their bid to go to Yenegoa for campaign!
I learnt a thing or two about the theory of the fifth columnist during the Buhari/Idiagbon regime. One day, some soldiers stormed the Park Lane home of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, ransacked the place in search of some documents to try his associates already languishing in jail.
The search was designed to generate maximum outrage among the vocal elite of the civil society, especially the Yoruba and it did. But it turned out that the head of state, General Buhari didn’t order the raid nor was he even aware of it.
The order came from the top echelon of the regime, but Buhari, rather than Awo, was the real target. The fifth columnist wanted to set him up, to demonise him, to make him enemy of the vocal civil society, in preparation for the coup that ultimately ousted him. They succeeded.
Since then, I have learnt to be more circumspect when you have overzealous followers, who push you to do brazen things.
Overzealousness is probably the culprit when some people suggest to the president that 16 votes are majority over 19 votes. Overzealousness is at play when the ardent acolytes of the president convince him that five legislators can overthrow 27 legislators and, perhaps, ultimately impeach the governor! The voice of the fifth columnists would say, Are you not the commander in chief of the armed forces, who can do all things?
As the commander in chief, you can walk on water, turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man, who can question your power? Yeah, as the commander in chief, you can freeze the air on the land, in the sea or in the airspace, who can challenge your power?
Perhaps, none. But man of power, be careful. Beware of overzealous men, for in the end, some of them may turn out to be fifth columnists.
The real commander in chief is the one, who uses such enormous powers to pave our roads, combat unemployment, create infrastructure and set Nigeria free on the road to prosperity.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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