Something Worse Than Boko Haram Will Rock The Nation, Jonathan Should Drop His 2015 Ambition- Prophet Olabayo

Primate Theophilus Olabayo, 67, founder of Evangelical Church of Yahweh with  headquarters in Mende, Maryland, Lagos, had remained one of Nigeria’s respected prophets whose prophesies had shaken the high and mighty in the country. In this interview, the cleric says there would be a spiritual revolution that will rock the nation to its foundation and at the end of it, a new nation will emerge. Excerpts:

What really happened that you went off  the radar for several years?

I have been talking. A prophet doesn’t just say things. It’s when God asks me to speak that I speak. Many a times, I warn our leaders but they don’t have listening ears. I was the only one who said President Umaru Yar’Adua had a terminal disease and when the condition got worse, the wife called some of us to Abuja to ask of the chances of her husband. I said the husband would die and Jonathan would become president. I warned President Goodluck Jonathan that people would make the country ungovernable for him, but people said I was a prophet of doom. Is it not happening now? Let me quickly say this here that worse than Boko Haram is about to happen.

It’s no secret that you had some health challenges which may have been responsible for your absence for some time. What is the nature of your ailment?

I did not lay off. Elijah was sick and he was still doing God’s work. I had an attack. A spiritual attack but I am still hale and hearty. Spirit cannot die. The spirit of God cannot die in you. The body may be weak, it doesn’t matter. But the spirit cannot die. God will continue to speak through you.

Is it true that you had stroke, Sir?

It’s not a big deal that someone has stroke but I am okay. While on a trip to Kaduna, God had revealed to me that I would have stroke and would be away for some time. So I looked for someone who knew about stroke; one of my pastors.

How did it happen and what was your first reaction?

I was going for a revival in Kaduna and God told me to go with somebody who knows about stroke. The man had to follow me to Kaduna. When I got to Kaduna, they told me one of my townsmen was sick and when I got to his place, God said I should not do anything though he was suffering. I got a room for him, paid his bills and left after praying for him. As I was returning to the church in Kaduna, I had the attack.

And did you have any medical treatment?

Definitely!

Why do you think it’s a spiritual attack?

I know because God told me about it. I know it could be exhaustion because I pray and fast a lot.

There was this rumour among the people that one of the reasons your church went down was because you were caught in adultery with somebody else’s wife. Is it true sir?

God will forgive you. Where? That is why Nigeria cannot move forward. How do you expect me; I preach the Word of God, I preach against adultery, then I’ll be caught in such an act! Impossible! Anybody can lie against you.

At your age sir, are you thinking of passing over the baton to someone else soon?

I am a prophet and it is not hereditary. God can choose anybody. When it’s time for me, God will tell me to lay hands on the person. God has not told me yet, I’m still a young man. There are so many people that are coming up, not only one person. Among them, God will raise up leaders. We have young pastors coming up in the church who have the gift of the Word of God, the Bible. Not only vision, people believe that it’s when you just speak in tongues alone or see vision. No! There are different types of gifts.

There are churches as soon as the founders pass away you don’t hear much from those churches…

It can’t happen here because it’s God that called me. When it is time, God will raise up another leader among us.

What do you foresee for Nigeria?

We are sitting at the keg of gunpowder. We are looking at total darkness in the nation. We need to pray very well because these political people are not doing the right things. Nothing is working; the worst corruption is in Nigeria. There has never been corruption as worse as this. The name of Nigeria is now corruption and some of the journalists are not helping matters. People are being bribed. But there’s going to be a revolution. The poor will overtake the rich. You’ve not seen anything. You’ve not seen Boko Haram. Worse Boko Haram is about to happen and we have to pray against religious war that may last seven years.

Let Jonathan drop his ambition for 2015. Let him work and allow his work speak for itself. Most of his political alleys especially from his Niger Delta are deceiving him and are talking carelessly. They will be consumed one after another. They are already beating war drums if he fails to return in 2015; let them keep quiet. They are not helping matters. Very soon they’ll start bombing.

The chairman of PDP is going to face another problem because there’s going to be crisis and if care is not taken, he is going to be removed. They are going to scatter them and cause confusion between him and the president. Most of these governors that are being sacked are going to join hands together to form another party. A new party will emerge which will be more powerful than PDP. Not APC! Gov. Rotimi Amaechi’s current challenges will create more problems in this country.

What’s the way out of all of these? How can we prevent this doom from coming to pass in Nigeria?

The problem with Nigeria is leadership. We are so corrupt and wicked. We manipulate things and we don’t allow God to work. They don’t believe in God. They go about looking for protection; some of them think they are untouchable. They don’t believe there’s God. One day they are going to give account. God is going to intervene in the affairs of Nigeria very soon and a brand new nation will emerge from the ashes of a revolution. The president is being caged by some few people. When you are saying the truth, they arrest you. Some of his close people are enemies and he doesn’t know. If he’s not careful, they are going to run him down.

There are things to be done spiritually. I don’t need to discuss all these with the Press because our leaders don’t have listening ears. We need to come together and work for this nation because we have children. We don’t want our children to suffer. Because if there’s war in Nigeria today, Ghana cannot accommodate the number of refugees. They are holding notional meetings. If they want to do something, somebody will talk today; they will give him millions of naira to keep quiet.

They are not saying anything, they are only exchanging money and that is what is destroying this country. Our refineries are not working; the roads are bad, armed robbers have taken over; there’s no work, now they want to sack people. The man is making more mistakes everyday. Every step he takes, he’s making wrong decisions. Many of his advisers are selfish and wicked people. They are just accumulating wealth. And they are old. They don’t give up. They are acquiring properties.

Some say Nigeria might not survive beyond 2015. Do you agree?

I went to America of recent and I prophesied and it happened. Let me tell you, it’s not America that will dictate for us. God is saying that we should avoid war; religious war.

Sir, is there anything the Church or anybody can do to avert a violent revolution?

As I am prophesying now, some church leaders and prayer contractors will take it to them to get money, to get oil blocks and buy aeroplanes for themselves. That will not solve the problem.

Despite the health cha-llenges, you still talk like this. When are you ever going to get tired?

I can’t be tired. They have tried me. I was the only one condemning Sani Abacha. One day they sent one brig-adier to me, I was in my house. As he came, I said something is in your stomach, he said yes, Sir. They said you should come and arrest me, he said yes Sir. I said but you have a daughter, he said yes sir. That day, my phone just stopped working I know it was their handiwork. When he came, God revealed to me and I told him you are going to land into problem, your oga will die.

Before Abacha died, one Austin came to me. He said he has a friend of Abubakar, I said he’s going to be next president and Abacha would die, and it happened. There’s nobody that God cannot catch. If 100 pastors and mallams are praying for them, they can’t survive. God is about to move if they don’t change and repent because they have put us under bondage for long. These pastors, let them change. They will say we are Pentecostals, that doesn’t mean you cannot speak truth. There was a time it was only me and Idahosa that were speaking during Babangida’s era. Most of these pastors that were condemning prophec-ies, are now prophesing. Where did they see it? Jealousy and envy are the things killing them.

What is your own assessment of late Pa Obadare?

He’s a man of God. He’s one of the chosen men of God, a soul winner, has the fear of God. That’s one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He was a blind man and was quoting the Bible. A good preacher of God. He’s one of the best in the Body of Christ that we miss.

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NGF Leadership Comedy : Amaechi, My NGF Chairman; Jang PDP Faction Chairman – Oshiomole Mocks At NEC Meeting

The Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, venue of the monthly National Economic Council meeting was momentarily turned into a theatre hall, yesterday, as both Governors Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Jonah Jang of Plateau State who are both laying claims to chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, met for the first time after the disputed NGF election. 

Before now, the seat of the chairman of the governors forum was next to that of the President and would be boldly identified as such.

But in a move that is seen as an attempt by the Presidency to delicately navigate the crisis in the NGF, the seating arrangement at the monthly meeting was slightly altered to play up a seeming neutrality of the Presidency in the crisis.

In order to balance the importance of the two dramatis personae in the crisis, the two governors were seated beside each other at the council chamber where the meeting of the 36 governors with the vice-president and ministers of Finance and National Planning held.

As soon as the two governors entered the council chamber, a  mild drama played out shortly before the commencement of the meeting when supporters of Governor Amaechi tried to drag Governor Jonah Jang to where Amaechi was standing to pay ‘homage’ to the Rivers State governor.

Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Governor of Niger State, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, a staunch supporter of Amaechi drew Amaechi’s attention to the sitting arrangement when he asked the Rivers State governor, “so you are going to sit with Jang. This is very nice oh. Somebody is trying to be diplomatic here.”

Governor Amaechi who had earlier noticed the sitting arrangement  replied: “We are still together. So, I am going to sit with him. The real chairman and the… “he said to loud laughter from those governors present.

Jang walked in, shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with his colleagues, including Amaechi. After being told he was to sit beside Amaechi, he did and Amaechi accepted his greetings, saying: “You are welcome, I am the authentic chairman.”

Jang didn’t respond and both governors sat without saying anything to each other for a while before other people came into the picture.

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole who noticed the arrangement, held Jang’s hand and pointed to Amaechi, saying “that is my chairman” adding that Jang was the leader of the other PDP extended faction. This drew laughter from those present.

Though Oshiomhole’s comment drew loud guffaws from the governors, Governor Jang wore a bland face as he neither commented nor displayed any emotions.

It is the first time that the governors would meet in the same hall after the controversial election of the NGF that produced two chairmen.

Thursday meeting of the National Economic Council was to discuss the disagreement between the governors and the Federal Government over the allocation of funds from the Federation Account, which led to the state commissioners of finance walking out on the Minister of Finance at the last meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee.

The governors were accompanied to the meeting by their respective commissioners of finance and education.

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Shekau Boko Haram Leader Hails From Niger Republic

Leader of the Boko Haram sect Imam Abubakar Shekau hails from Niger Republic, according to the report of a Senate joint committee that investigated the deadly violence in Baga town of Borno State in April.

Shekau is widely believed to be from Shekau village of Yobe State, but the Senate committee in its report submitted yesterday said Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima told visiting senators that the man was actually from the neighbouring Republic of Niger.

The report, a copy obtained by Daily Trust, said senators were told that “although the Boko Haram sect members have some Chadians and Cameroonians within their midst about 80 per cent of them are of Kanuri tribe, adding that the leader of the sect Abubakar Shekau is a Kanuri from Niger Republic.”

Shekau became leader of the group in 2009 following the death in police custody of erstwhile leader Mohammed Yusuf.

He is believed to have spearheaded the regrouping of the sect, which quickly graduated from conducting targeted drive-by shootings in Maiduguri to launching massive bomb assaults in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and other places in the North.

Although he has not been seen in public since July 2009, Shekau has released occasional internet videos in which he makes claims of responsibility of attacks and taunts the Federal Government.

‘Exaggerated’

The Senate on April 23 mandated its committees on Defense and Army, Police Affairs, and National Security and Intelligence to investigate the Baga violence in which local leaders accused soldiers of killing 185 people and destroying more than 2,000 homes.

Military authorities had denied conducting indiscriminate killings, saying only 37 people died in a gun battle between soldiers from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and Boko Haram fighters.

In its report, the Senate committee disputed the Baga death toll given by both sides but failed to provide a specific figure.

“The death toll of 185 was exaggerated but there may be more than 37 deaths. This is possible as there is no documentary evidence from either the natives or the military to ascertain figure quoted,” the report said.

The report also tried to exonerate the military, saying the incident was caused by Boko Haram who pulled out an army officer from a bus and killed him on March 29, and also killed another soldier on April 16. It said MNJF troops sent 70 soldiers to repel the Boko Haram fighters in Baga on the night of April 16, resulting in a shootout that caused “some deaths.”

But the report said the military carried out a hasty operation and this might have contributed to the level of destruction.

“The operation to flush out the Boko Haram members between 20:30HRS and 2100HRS on April 16, 2013 was carried out hastily. The MNJTF should have cordoned the area till day break and carry out house to house check; this would have reduced number of casualties and damages,” the report said.

On the destruction of houses, the report also said the “quantum of destruction of houses, vehicles and motorbikes were exaggerated. There was actual physical count of 155 houses burnt as against the figure of 2000 given by Governor Shettima and 3,059 given by the district head.”

Shettima, the report said, classified Boko Haram into three categories: “criminal elements that send text messages to individuals to extort money, political Boko Haram who sought to advance their political interstate and the real Boko Haram which are made up of moderates that are prepared to dialogue with government and the crazy religious elements who are die hard and are not ready for compromise.”

In its recommendations, the 28-member Senate panel urged troops on internal security operations to adhere to the provisions of the Geneva Convention, Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement in order to minimise casualties.

The committee called on President Goodluck Jonathan to direct the armed forces to carry out urgent recruitment of soldiers and officers as insurgency has overstretched the military.

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Military Men seizes Boko Haram’s online video equipment, computers-DHQ

Following attempts by fleeing members of the Boko Haram terrorist sect to regroup in a bid to fight back, the Defence headquarters, yesterday, said that communication equipment used by the group for shooting and posting online video messages of their leaders have been recovered.

The disclosure was made just as Special Forces of the JTF commenced night and day patrols to dislodge remnants of terrorists still hibernating in the camps and hideouts of the hilltops and forests where the terrorists had made their den.
The equipment recovered including laptops, mobile communication equipment (GSM phones) and others used for shooting and posting online videos, as well as locally made rockets and rocket launchers were among several items seized by the JTF from the arrested terrorists. They were displayed for a nine man Defence Headquarters Assessment Team that visited Borno and Yobe states, weekend.

A statement by Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information said: “As a follow up to scheduled assessment visits to troops in the North East of the country, a nine member Defence Headquarters Operational Assessment Team has returned from Yobe and Borno States to brief the Chief of Defence Staff with updates on the situation in the operational area of the Special Forces operating in the North East.

“The force which has been tasked in support of the implementation of the State of Emergency is conducting operations to stop terrorism and to restore normalcy to the security situation in north eastern part of the country. The team visited troop’s location in various parts of Borno and Yobe States. Interacting with the troops inside Sambisa forest, the team leader and Director of Operations in the Defence Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Olatunji Faloyin, conveyed the greetings and commendation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), whom he said was very proud of the troops”.

He expressed the CDS satisfaction with the high level of successes so far recorded in the operation and thanked them for a job well-done, urging them not to rest on their oars until the entire region was fully sanitized and cleared of all terrorists activities. The team also assured the troops of regular logistic supplies while the mission lasts.

Earlier, the team was briefed by commanders, on conduct of the operation to rid the forest of the insurgents who had made the location their sanctuary. They were told that some notorious leaders of the terrorists have been captured while some materials recovered in the camp have also provided useful intelligence for subsequent operations.

The team was told that some casualty in men and equipment were recorded on the part of troops during the operation. Commanders also disclosed that the troops were currently engaged in night and day patrols of the area to dominate the forest and apprehend any terrorist who may be lurking around.

Meanwhile, the nine man assessment team has confirmed that the military was still in control of the situation in the two states adding that the troops were combing the forests and the terrorist camps  to fish  out the remnants.

On fears that Boko Haram members were regrouping, AVM Olatunji Faloyin while delivering their report, assured the CDS that the possibility of the terrorists regrouping was not possible, because all the camps have been taken over by the military. He dismissed such rumour as coming from the segment of people who were not aware of what the military had done so far in the two states.

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Nigerian Military Force Capture Boko-Haram Leaders, Recover Weapons -Bri. Gen.Olukolade

The Federal Government troops deployed to Yobe and Borno have captured some notorious leaders of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, and recovered various weapons.

Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.

In the statement, Mr. Olukolade gave the report of a nine-member Defence Headquarters Operational Assessment Team, sent by the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim, to the two states.

Mr. Olukolade said the team visited troop locations in various parts of Borno and Yobe.

“The commanding officer narrated the conduct of the operation to rid the (Sambisa) forest of the insurgents who had made the location their sanctuary,” he said.

The spokesman quoted the commanding officer as saying that some notorious leaders of the terrorists had been captured while some materials recovered in their camp had provided useful intelligence for subsequent operations. He did not name the captured Boko Haram leaders.

“The team was shown the various weapons, including rockets and locally fabricated weapon accessories captured in the forest,” he said/

He said items recovered included a large number of Improvised Explosive Devices- making materials, laptops, mobile communication equipment used for shooting and posting online videos, as well as locally made rockets and rocket launchers.

“Also, seized vehicles of different brands were shown to the team.

“Several vehicles destroyed by the terrorists as well as their tailoring equipment apparently used in producing fake uniforms were also shown to the team,’’ he said.

He said the commanding officer told the team that the unit suffered casualties in men and equipment.

The defence spokesperson said troops were currently engaged in night and day patrols of the area to dominate the forest and apprehend any terrorist who might be lurking around. He said the Chief of Defence Staff expressed satisfaction with the high level of successes so far recorded in the operation.

Mr. Olukolade said he thanked the troop for a job well-done, and urged members not rest on their oars until the entire region is fully sanitised and cleared of all terrorist activities.

He said the troops were assured of regular logistic support.

(NAN)

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Out Of School Children: Nigeria Won’t Dispute International Statistics-Prof. Ruqayyatu

The Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufa’I has said Nigeria would conduct a head count of out-of-school children in 2014.

Ms. Rufa’I announced this when she received a delegation from UNESCO in Abuja on Monday.

She said President Goodluck Jonathan had directed the Ministry to partner with states and come out with a clear and workable strategy to address the issue of out-of-school children.

According to her, the ministry plans to reduce the number of out-of-school children significantly between now and 2014 as Nigeria has the highest number of such children in the world.

She said Nigeria was willing to accept statistics given by agencies as the country’s development partners.

“We will not challenge such statistics. What is most important to us is to address the main issue; and that is let every Nigerian child be in school, that is our target,” she said.

The minister said Nigeria was always ready to partner with organisations to enhance data to be used for development and measurement of progress.

Ms. Rufa’I, therefore, called on UNESCO to assist Nigeria in addressing the issues of enhancing data and ranking of Nigerian universities.

“Every Nigerian university has something to showcase, but because of inadequate ICT facilities and power instability, not much is discovered about them. This contributes to their being ranked low,” she noted.

The Director of UNESCO Office in Dakar, Ann-Therese Ndong-Jatta, pledged the agency’s support to help enhance Nigeria’s data quality for the development of the education sector.

Ms. Ndong-Jatta expressed UNESCO’s readiness to support Nigeria in the development of the sector, especially in the area of teacher training and development.

She said the Agency could only do that based on accurate and timely data.

She said education was a vital component of the agency’s mandate and called for an enhanced data on the sector to enable it to fulfil its mandate.

The director said Nigeria’s role in the actualisation of the agency’s goal was vital because it occupied a strategic position on the African continent.

She urged the country to speed up preparations toward post Education for All (EFA) Goal 2015 and support other African countries in doing so.

Ms. Ndong-Jatta urged Nigeria to mobilise other African countries toward the realisation of this goal as Africa is lagging behind.

UNESCO had recently released a shocking report indicating that one out of every five Nigerian children is out of school.

In what is clearly a national disgrace for a country that is the world’s eight largest oil producer, the UNESCO Education for All Global Monitoring Report (EAGMR) says Nigeria holds the world record of having the highest number of its young people out of school.

With approximately 10.5 million kids out of school, Nigeria dominates twelve other countries with which it accounts for 47 percent of the global out-of-school population.

The other countries are Pakistan (5.1 million); Ethiopia (2.4million); India (2.3million); Philippines (1.5million); Cote D’Ivoire (1.2million); Burkina Faso (1million); Niger (1million); Kenya (1million); Yemen (0.9million); Mali (0.8million) and South Africa (0.7million).

And of all these countries, UNESCO says Nigeria is among the four that has experienced the highest increase since 1999.

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Oshiomhole Blast NBA President On NGF Ban

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state has faulted the call by the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Okey Wali (SAN), for the proscription of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum saying the call negates the provision of the constitution on Freedom of Association.

While declaring open the 2013 Law Week of the NBA, Benin Branch Monday, the Governor said: “recently I watched the President of the NBA, saying in Yenogoa, Beyelsa State, that the Governors’ Forum should be discarded.  I think the factor of location influenced his conclusion. He betrayed his oath to defend Nigerians on the right to associate.

“One of the fundamental rights of every person, including Governors, Presidents, is the right of association. If Presidents have the right to African Union, to United Nation, to all the other formal and informal gathering, how can the President of a learned community suggest that the NGF be proscribed on account of difficulties whether sixteen is more than nineteen, although he is unable to provide the answer. If we unlearned people don’t know, the learned people should know.  Then if learned people don’t know that nineteen is more than sixteen, then I suggest that all of you should be proscribed.”

Oshiomhole explained that when a nation is led by characters who won’t stand by the truth, then that nation is doomed.

“I want to submit that the environment and the overall circumstances known and unknown that led the NBA President to call for the freezing of the right of Governors to associate borders on corrupt practice”, he added.

He maintained “I thought that given the role of the Bar in our history, if privileged people like the Governors went for an election and they have voted and the loser is being declared as the winner and the winner is being declared as the loser and NBA says scrap it, then there is a problem.

“Anybody who keeps quite in the face of compelling facts is not doing  the nation any good.  In any case, I do not need the Governors Forum to do what I have to do.  All I need is the Edo Forum”, he said.

Oshiomhole disclosed “in Edo State, all men and women are equal before the law and we must demonstrate it by action.  The law must be operated as if there are no rich men, big men or poor men.  Everybody, whether corporate or individual must be seen to be equal before the law and the State must be seen to have the capacity and the will to deal with anybody who operates in an environment”

Oshiomhole argued that we can only have an egalitarian society “when those who are privileged to be entrusted with the powers of the State use those powers judiciously.

“I think in Edo we have tried to do that and before my turn is up, I intend to do more,  such that by 2016 when I would be out of here, it would be said that when I was here, no one was too big to be dealt with when he infringed the law”, he added.

The Governor reiterated his opposition to the revenue allocation formula saying “we must give Abuja less money”.

He said Nigerians should stop lamenting that fourteen years after, Nigeria’s democracy is not delivering to the people, saying the beauty of democracy is that the people have the power to hire and fire and since Nigerians know the party that has been at the helm since 1999, it is in their hands to decide if they still want the party in power.

In a keynote address delivered by Mr. Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN) on the theme “Democracy and Socio Economic Imbalance in Nigeria; Role of the Law”, he said Democracy has been rated as the best system of Government adding that it is a system that allows citizens to participate directly in governance.

According to him “the courts have a duty to ensure that there is no anarchy in the land.  There is a major link between law and democracy.   In the first place law establishes democracy and democracy guarantees the availability of law”.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria noted “the impact of the economy on Nigeria is negative.  For democracy to thrive we need to have a socio-economic balance.  The average Nigerian does not see himself as a Nigeria, but rather as an Hausa, Yoruba or Ibo man

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Jang asked court to strike out Fashola’s suit over NGF Crises

Factional chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang, has asked an Abuja High Court to strike out the suit filed against him by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State for being frivolous.

In a preliminary objection he filed before the court, Jang maintained that the Lagos State governor does not have the right to seek for an order that will restrain him from parading himself as chairman of NGF.

He further challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear and adjudicate on the matter, contending that “any dispute within NGF cannot be taken to an Abuja High Court by virtue of Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA, which prescribes that disputes should be resolved at the Federal High Court instead.”

Consequently, Jang, through his lawyer Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), prayed the court to terminate Fashola’s suit at the interlocutory stage for want of jurisdiction and for the fact that the plaintiff lacked the locus to institute the action.

Describing the dispute bedeviling NGF as “non-justiceable as it relates to a mere dispute as to political dignity,” the Plateau State governor argued that the fact that his Lagos State counterpart never contested the NGF chairmanship election, stripped him of the legal right to institute or sustain the action.

He argued that Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, whom Fashola claimed won the election, did not complain to the court that his mandate had been usurped or was named or joined as a party in the suit.

Jang further maintained that going by the way the suit was couched— “between the Governor, Lagos State and the Governor, Plateau State”— the plaintiff suggested a dispute between Lagos and Plateau states’ governments, which automatically strips every court of jurisdiction, save the Supreme Court, which is bequeathed with the exclusive jurisdiction to determine or resolve disputes between governments of states or state governments and Federal Government.

He said: “Traditionally, NGF does not hold elections to produce a chairman. It is the practice that the chairman of the Forum is appointed by consensus of the members.

“Where a consensus cannot be reached, the candidate supported by a simple majority would become the chairman.

“In pursuance of the fact above, Governor Amaechi was informed that 19 of the 36 governors of the states of the Federation have indicated in writing their decision to support Governor Jonah Jang as Chairman of NGF.

“Despite the fact above, Governor Amaech still insisted that there must be an election and that he must preside at the meeting.

“At this stage, Governor Amaechi produced ballot papers which were unilaterally printed without prior authority of other members of NGF and started distributing same for the purpose of the so-called election.

“When Governor Amaechi refused to step down as Chairman of the Forum, but insisted on presiding to conduct the election, 18 out of the 35 members present at the meeting immediately indicated their unflinching support for Governor Jonah Jang as the new Chairman of the Forum without prejudice to their objection to the insistence of Governor Amaechi on presiding over the election process.

“Despite the fact that 18 of the members present supported the 1st defendant as the new chairman of the Forum, Governor Amaechi and the 2nd Defendant still went ahead to announce to the public that Governor Amaechi emerged as the winner of the election.

“As soon as the announcement was made, 18 out of the 35 governors, who were present and supported the 1st defendant, stormed out of the venue of the purported election to demonstrate their disapproval of the political charade.”

It will be recalled that Fashola had asked the high court to stop Governor Jang from parading himself as the leader of the NGF and also issue an order of injunction restraining him from using the name “Nigeria Governor’s Forum” in respect of any other organisation that does not have the 36 governors as members and/or in any other manner inconsistent with the Constitution of the forum.

He equally urged the court to restrain one Mr. Osaro Onaiwu (3rd defendants) from parading himself as the Sole Administrator of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.

In a 19-paragraphed affidavit that was personally deposed to by Fashola, he told the high court that all the Governors had met on May 25 and participated in a voting process that saw the re-election of Governor Amaechi as the Chairman of the NGF.

According to him, “the 36 elected governors in Nigeria are members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and have the right to participate and vote in its meetings.

“The election into the post of the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum took place at the Rivers State Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja on Friday, May 25, 2013.

“The governors of Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara states took part in the said election.

“The four candidates, who submitted nomination forms for the election, were the governors of Bauchi, Katsina, Plateau and Rivers states.

“Before the said election the governors of Bauchi and Katsina states withdrew from the election leaving the contest for the governors of Plateau and Rivers states.

“The 35 governors voted for the candidates of their choice.

“At the end of the voting the Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State scored 19 votes, while his rival, the governor of Plateau State, David Jang, scored 16 votes.

“Consequently, Governor Amaechi of Rivers State was declared the winner of the election.

“Although the 1st defendant lost the election, he has been parading himself as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

“The 1st defendant has purportedly appointed a Sole Administrator to take over the duties of the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum contrary to the provision of the Constitution of the Forum, which made no provision for Sole Administrator.

“The 1st defendant has purportedly relocated the Secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum from 1, Deng Xiaoping Street, Off AIT Junction, Asokoro Extension, Abuja to 2, Nana Close, by Ene Crescent, Off Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja.

“The 2nd defendant, Asishana Bayo Okauru, is under pressure from the 1st defendant to handover the assets and documents of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to him and his Sole Administrator.

“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum is a registered organisation of all the elected governors in Nigeria.

“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has a registered Constitution, which will be relied upon at the trial of this suit.

“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has a secretariat lying and being at 1, Deng Xiaoping Street, Off AIT Junction, Asokoro Extension, Abuja. That I make this declaration in good faith.

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Catholic Church bombing: Kabiru Sokoto You’ve case to answer- Court

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, Friday, held that the alleged mastermind of the Christmas day bomb blast that killed about 44 persons and wounded 75 others at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, in 2011, Kabiru Umar, a.k.a Kabiru Sokoto, has a criminal case to answer.

Dismissing a no-case application that filed by the alleged kingpin of the Boko Haram sect, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, also ordered him to produce his witnesses in court on July 5, with a view to establishing his innocence to the terrorism charge against him.

The judge said he was satisfied that going by the totality of the proof of evidence before the court, the government, had successfully established a criminal case which would warrant further explanation by the accused person.

Sokoto who is answering a two-count charge against him by the government had through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Hassan Lukman, maintained that the government failed to establish a prima-facie case capable of warranting his trial and conviction.

While praying the court to discharge and acquit him, the accused person, Lukman contended that none of the six witnesses that testified against him in court was able to establish a nexus linking him to the  alleged terrorist act.

Sokoto further queried the propriety of allowing him to undergo trial “in view of the fact that the prosecution has failed to tender any evidence connecting him to the alleged offence.”

He was initially docked before the High Court on May 20, 2013.

Aside allegations that he trained over 500 men on how to manufacture and detonate Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, the Federal Government, said that he had prior knowledge that the sect planned to bomb the church on Christmas day but failed to disclose it to any law enforcement officer as soon as reasonably practicable. The said terrorists’ training camp was instituted at Abaji, a suburb of Abuja

He was said to have between 2007 and 2012, at Mabira Sokoto, Sokoto State, facilitated the commission of terrorist acts  including planting bombs at the police headquarters and some government organizations in the state.

Though he was previously arrested by the police in Abuja on January 14, 2012, he was however declared missing two days later. He was re-arrested on February 10, 2012.

His mysterious escape from custody culminated to the sack of the erstwhile Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim and former Commission of Police in-charge of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT,  Zakari Biu.  Biu was out rightly dismissed from the Police Force.

The last prosecution witness had told the court that Sokoto confessed that one of the recognized leaders of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, told him that only members of the sect that had been initiated into the “Shurah” cadre, were allowed to know the ideology behind the current insurgency in the Northern parts of the country.

The witness told the court that Sokoto had further disclosed that whereas members of the “Shurah” which he belongs to, plan and mastermind attacks, others were recruited to execute terrorist agenda of the sect.

However, Sokoto, through his lawyer, faulted the testimony of the masked witness, maintaining that he used the Hausa word “Anche” in his statement, a word he said means “they said.”

He told the court that he was only referring to what he was told by those affiliated to the sect.

One of the witnesses had earlier narrated before the court how a donation of N40million divided the sect.

According to the witness, Sokoto had in a statement he made on January 14, 2012, confessed that out of the said N40million which he said was received from another terrorist group in Algeria, he got N500, 000, being the recognized Governor of Sokoto State in the hierarchy of the group.

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APC Set To Comply With Electoral Act On Party Registration

The All Progressive Congress (APC), has expressed its readiness to do “everything possible” to comply with the Electoral Act to ensure INEC registration for it to become a political party.

Mr Rotimi Fashakin, a member of APC Merger Committee, said this on Friday during an interview in Abuja.

Fashakin promised that APC would increase the number of its National officers earlier submitted to INEC, to facilitate the registration of the association.

He further said that the increase was imperative to ensure that the association complied with the requirement for registration.

Fashakin added that the National Chairman, National Secretary and National Treasurer of each of the merging parties had signed the final document for the registration.

He named ACN, CPC, and ANPP as the parties whose national executives had signed the document.

“We have been making effort to expand the number to ensure the enlargement of the committee we earlier submitted to INEC,” he said.

According to him, since merging committed has just ended its scheduled assignment, the leadership of the merger parties will now pursue and ensure the registration of APC.

He said the leaders of the merging parties would iron out the issue of interim national officers as demanded by INEC.

Fashakin added that APC would improve on the social and economic wellbeing of Nigerians, if registered and it won election in 2015

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Jonathan’s Endorsements For 2015 Are Sponsored; …No Threat To APC – Lagos Assembly

The Lagos State House of Assembly has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of sponsoring some endorsements for his re-election in the 2015 general election.

According to the lawmakers, in a statement signed by their spokesman, Segun Olulade, the series of paid endorsements of Jonathan for second term by some groups are just mere demonstration of the deep fears and trepidation being nursed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the 2015 general elections beckon.

The House maintained that such endorsements are no threa to the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates in the coming elections.

The endorsement of Jonathan by the Southwest caucus of the PDP in Lagos on Tuesday, according to the House, “can in no way prevent the APC from taking over from the PDP come 2015.

The statement pointed out that the poor performance rating of the Jonathan administration in addressing the various challenges facing the country, as well as, the incessant crises that have rocked the PDP structures nationally and in many states of the federation, have made its leaders to become more desperate, making them to resort to crude ploys aimed at cajoling Nigerians and the rest of the world that all is well with the country.

Olulade, in the statement, stressed that “Nigerians are not only tired of the PDP but are well prepared to carry the banner of the APC as a better alternative to the ruling PDP”, adding that “the APC will not only win elections in over 30 states of the federation but also at the centre come 2015.”

The lawmakers pointed out that the APC symbolises change. “It is the party that is capable of restoring the lost hopes and redeeming the bad image of Nigeria in the comity of nations. The great transformation going on in the ACN-controlled states; the giant strides of the Rochas OKorocha administration in Imo State, as well as, the performance of ANPP and CPC governors in their respective states are eloquent testimonies to the chances of the APC to defeat the PDP come 2015,” the statement read in part.

Olulade took exception to the reasons adduced by the PDP South-West caucus for endorsing Jonathan for second term, saying “it is ridiculous and laughable for the PDP to have described Jonathan as someone with exceptional leadership qualities in spite of the huge failure of his administration in moving the country forward.”

He also reacted to the statement made by the Chairman of Caretaker Committee of the Southwest PDP, Chief Ishola Filani, who accused the ACN of poaching PDP members to field them as candidates during elections. He said the allegation is frivolous and it can only be a figment of Filani’s imagination.

Olulade added that contrary to the allegation against the ACN, “it is the members of PDP themselves who migrate to the ACN when they realised that the PDP does not have any credibility or integrity whatsoever that could help them to realise their political aspirations.

“PDP members often turn to ACN to seek for refuge and political survival having realised the reactionary and retrogressive tendencies of the PDP,” said Olulade.

The House added that ACN, and indeed the APC, will continue to welcome all repentant members of PDP to its fold in as much as they are ready to conform with the progressive posture of the party.

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