Boko Haram: Northern Govs Make Shocking Allegation

The 19 northern states governors have reportedly given another side to the ongoing destructive activities of the Boko Haram terrorists group in the northeastern part of the country. Leadership reports that chairman, Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and governor of Niger State Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, while speaking on Monday in Abuja, at the 7th general assembly of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria tasked Nigerians. Aliyu reportedly called on Nigerians to carefully look and ascertain if the attacks unleashed on the northeastern states of the country by the Boko Haram sect were not a foreign war against the country. The governor, who made the observation, also stated that insurgency was a social problem that should be addressed from an international perspective rather than domestic. He lamented that the Boko Haram menace had taken graver dimension and urged Nigerian government to look beyond the shores of the country to properly nip the problem in order to be able to come up with a lasting solution. “This may be the time for us to dig deeper to find out what we really have on our hands. Are we truly fighting Boko Haram insurgency, a criminal franchise or indeed a foreign war which we have unfortunately domesticated,” he asked. The NSGF chairman further pleaded with traditional rulers to use their privileged positions and closeness to the people to evolve a holistic plan aimed at restoring the battered cultural and moral values among Nigerians in a bid to ensure continued stability, unity and progress of the nation. “As traditional leaders, you can assist the development process in the society by involving yourselves in areas of education, poverty eradication and fighting illiteracy. You must be bold in upholding and promoting the highest standards of morality in the national interest,” he said. Aliyu also appealed to the traditional rulers to make sure that security and welfare always form the crux of their deliberations. It would be recalled that governor Aliyu, recently explained why the proposed extension of emergency rule in the troubled north eastern part of the country should be granted quickly. The governor while speaking at the Adesoye College Offa, hinted that he had been proactive in sacking Darul Salam sect where some Boko Haram leaders were once encamped in the state in 2010. while the NSGF had earlier called on President Goodluck Jonathan to declare war on the Boko Haram terrorist group, whose arms struggle have claimed thousands of lives in the northern part of the country. Meanwhile, on November 13, 2014, the outspoken governor insisted that the country could have been in a better situation with Boko Haram terrorists if the then military administration had taken control when the crisis started about 14 years ago in 1990.

North Korea's internet is down. You go, USA!

If you've been following the Sony, North Korea and the US government saga then you should know what this is about. But let me give a brief summary because I'm about to board a flight. Sony Pictures released a movie called The Interview, a comedy about a fictional assassination of North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un.. North Korean didn't find it funny and hacked into Sony's computers, rendering thousands of computers inoperable and forced Sony to take its entire computer network offline. That wasn't enough, they then threatened terror attack on US citizens if Sony doesn't cancel showing the movie, forcing Sony to pull the interview from theaters and losing almost $200m. Then the US govt got involved and told Sony to go ahead and release the movie, that they don't take lightly to threats and promised to retaliate for the attack on Sony. It looks like they've kept their to promise. North Korea is currently offline. Lol "Internet connectivity between North Korea and the outside world is currently suffering one of its worst outages in recent memory, suggesting that the country may be enduring a mass cyber attack a few days after President Obama warned the US would launch a "proportional response" to North Korea's hack against Sony North Korea, which has four official networks connecting the country to the Internet -- all of which route through China -- began experiencing intermittent problems yesterday and today went completely black, according to Doug Madory, director of Internet analysis at Dyn Research in Hanover, New Hampshire." Bloomberg reports. I find this so hilarious! Moral of the story, don't mess with the US. Will be MIA for a few hours... traveling out of the country. See you guys soon!

Buhari Will End Boko Haram And Generates Jobs – Prof. Osinbajo

Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, had on Monday, December 22, 2014 entertained questions from Nigerians on Twitter where he addressed several problems which include the sporadic assaults from the Boko Haram terrorist and the rate of unemployment in Nigeria. Prof. Osinbajo while responding to questions from some of his followers on twitter stated that the present government has politicized boko haram as he claimed that level of corruption around the defense funds has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped and motivated with necessary arms. “The current administration has politicised boko haram. The corruption around defence funds has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped/motivated. GMB wiped out Maitatsine, another Islamic insurgency in his own administration by sincerely identifying the problem as a challenge to the authority of the state to maintain law and order. The administration took command and funded the military transparently and that’s what we need to do now to end this insurgency. Addressing the rate of unemployment in the country, he said that his administration which shall be lead by Gen Muhammadu Buhari will make unemployment a history as every state shall be supported to create at least 20, 000 jobs in the first quarter shall effect a consistent payment of stipends to Youth Corps member for a year while they seek for job. “We expect every state will be supported to create 20, 000 jobs directly funded. The FG will also match the creation that for every additional job created over 20, 000 mark. FG will pay a stipend to every youth corper for a year while they are looking for employment and in that year will give vocational training. FG will undertake a massive public works programme; this is expected to have multiplier effect of producing hundreds of thousands of jobs. FG will give tax breaks and recognition to employers of labour who provide a certain minimum number of jobs”. Home / EDITOR'S PICK / Buhari Will End Boko Haram And Generates Jobs – Prof. Osinbajo Buhari Will End Boko Haram And Generates Jobs – Prof. Osinbajo Buhari Will End Boko Haram And Generates Jobs – Prof. Osinbajo Posted by: Linda Ikeji's Blog in EDITOR'S PICK 3 hours ago 0 7 Views Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, had on Monday, December 22, 2014 entertained questions from Nigerians on Twitter where he addressed several problems which include the sporadic assaults from the Boko Haram terrorist and the rate of unemployment in Nigeria. Buhari Will End Boko Haram And Generates Jobs - Prof. Osinbajo

Prof. Osinbajo while responding to questions from some of his followers on twitter stated that the present government has politicized boko haram as he claimed that level of corruption around the defense funds has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped and motivated with necessary arms. “The current administration has politicised boko haram. The corruption around defence funds has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped/motivated. GMB wiped out Maitatsine, another Islamic insurgency in his own administration by sincerely identifying the problem as a challenge to the authority of the state to maintain law and order. The administration took command and funded the military transparently and that’s what we need to do now to end this insurgency.

Addressing the rate of unemployment in the country, he said that his administration which shall be lead by Gen Muhammadu Buhari will make unemployment a history as every state shall be supported to create at least 20, 000 jobs in the first quarter shall effect a consistent payment of stipends to Youth Corps member for a year while they seek for job. “We expect every state will be supported to create 20, 000 jobs directly funded. The FG will also match the creation that for every additional job created over 20, 000 mark. FG will pay a stipend to every youth corper for a year while they are looking for employment and in that year will give vocational training. FG will undertake a massive public works programme; this is expected to have multiplier effect of producing hundreds of thousands of jobs. FG will give tax breaks and recognition to employers of labour who provide a certain minimum number of jobs”. Buhari Will End Boko Haram And Generates Jobs - Prof. Osinbajo

Reacting to further question on his twitter handle, he also condemned the system which the current administration is adopting to fight corruption and assuring that APC government will not negotiate tramsparency. “One of the fundamental problems is that there is no consequence for corruption, I think that what everyone will agree to about a Buhari government is that it will not tolerate corruption. If the number one citizen has a clear and uncompromising anti-corruption stand then the anti-corruption policy will work. If the number one and two have a strong stance on anti-corruptrtion then our policy can succeed. In Lagos state, we were able to deal with judicial corruption by dealing with issues of remuneration and a strict policy on consequence in sanctions where judicial personnel are found to be corrupt. That model can be replicated,” he noted.

Vigilantes Vs Boko Haram

Business Week brings an insight into how these vigilante groups operate in one of the most dangerous region in the world. Allahu Akbar!” local Nigerian militiamen known as vigilantes shout as they go into battle against the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram. They chant partly to bewilder the insurgents and partly because they too believe in the Islamic faith and that they have God on their side in a war in northern Nigeria that is pitting Muslim civilians against militants trying to set up an Islamic State-style caliphate. “They become confused about who is saying the slogan, we lie down and hide, and as they approach we then open fire on them,” Tasiu Musa, a 40-year-old father of four in Maiduguri told Business Week. Musa and thousands of other Muslim volunteers like him have taken up arms to defend their towns and cities from Boko Haram, the group whose name roughly translates as “Western education is a sin.” Armed with flintlock muskets and bows and arrows, the militiamen are winning back territory that the army has failed to recapture in the region. Our town is ruined by insurgency, our people are being killed on a daily basis,” said Haruna Ibrahim, another Maiduguri resident. Ibrahim, a 32-year-old bricklayer, said the insurgency has wrecked the local economy and cost him his job. Religion has nothing to do with the militants’ cause, he said. A veteran of battles in the towns of Damboa, Meiha and Gombi near Boko Haram’s stronghold in the Sambisa forest, Ibrahim said the militants rob people, shops and banks. “They relate themselves to Islam and Muslims, but they are killing everyone: Muslims or Christians,” he said. “This will tell you that they are not fighting for Islam — they are on a rampage to acquire wealth and their ideology is not Islamic.” The vigilante groups are acting out of desperation. As Boko Haram expands its attacks in the region in its five-year-old campaign to establish Shariah, or Islamic law Nigeria, leaders like the newly installed Emir of Kano have urged residents to take up arms and fight the militants. Bloomberg reports that the vigilantes’ effectiveness has prompted some states to consider registering and employing them. Adamawa state said last month it had set up a committee to find out the best way to hire hunters and militiamen and will screen about 10,000.

Heroes Of 2014: Wole Soyinka

omiswit.blogspot.com offers you a chance to think and to choose the one and only Nigerian who could be named the most prominent and influential person of the year 2014. Every working day, starting from December 15, we shall introduce 1 of the 10 nominees to you. As soon as we’re done, our virtual ‘elections’ commence! The person who gets most of the votes will be titled omiswit.blogspot.com Internet Person Of The Year. Akinwande Oluwole “Wole” Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright and poet from Yoruba ethnic group. He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature. Wole Soyinka was the first African to be honoured with this award. The African Heritage Research Library and Cultural Centre built a writers’ enclave in his honour. This enclave is located in Adeyipo Village, Lagelu Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo State. The enclave includes a Writer-in-Residence Programme that enables writers to stay for a period of two, three or six months, engaging in serious creative writing. The well-known writer and activist has overcome a hard health issues during the year. In December 2013 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. However due to the early detection and proper treatment he manages to remain stable. Soyinka stresses the importance of awareness and preventative measures in stopping the disease from progressing. “The important thing is that I am convinced that we have enough funds in this nation to build cancer centres, including research that this nation require. It is very capital intensive, some of it, but there are many ways and treatments for cancer just like there are many kinds of cancer. Even diet forms an important part. Diet is critical,” the Nobel laureate stated. Our editorial team wishes good health to this prominent Nigerian and is sure that he deserves a place in the shortlist for the 2nd annual omiswit.blogspot.com Internet Person Of the Year award.

OAU Female Hostel Razed By Fire

The fire started from an electric spark from a hotplate in one of the rooms in the hostel, according to reports. One of the females hostels, Moremi Hall, at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife in Osun state, was devastated by fire this morning December 18, 2014.

FG Declares Public Holidays For Xmas And New Year

The Federal Government has declared Thursday 25th and Friday 26th of December, 2014 as Public Holidays to mark Christmas and Boxing Day Celebrations. This was contained in a statement today by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Eng. Abubakar Magaji. Similarly, Thursday 1st January, 2015 has been declared a public holiday to mark the New Year, the statement added.

It further stated that the Minister of Interior, Comrade Patrick Abba Moro, used the medium to urge all Christian faithful and Nigerians in general to extend the spiritual benefits of Christmas to their daily living and contribute to the development of the nation. “Comrade Abba Moro further urged Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for peace and unity across the country,” the statement said. The minister, the statement added, wished all Nigerians a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year celebrations.

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has said it does not dabble into politics in any shade or colouration

Apparently reacting to rumours making round that the General Overseer of the Church Pastor Enoch Adeboye gave his blessings to the vice-presidential ambition of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the RCCG dissociated itself from the report.

Osinbajo, a former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who is said to be Adeboye’s close ally, had been chosen as the running mate of the APC presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on December 17, 2014, Wednesday. Taking to its official twitter handle, the RCCG denied celebrating the emergence of Buhari’s running mate, who pastors its Olive Parish located on Banana Island, Lagos.

Shekau, Releases New Video; Vows To Attack Emir Sanusi Of Kano

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to attack the Emir of Kano, Muhummadu Sanusi II, in retaliation for the Emir’s call on Kano residents and other Nigerians to arm and defend themselves against the terror organization.The Emir had earlier issued a call to arms after a series of deadly attacks by suspected Boko Haram militants in Kano.

Speaking at Kano’s central Mosque in October, the Emir charged the people of Kano to arm and defend themselves against the sect, which is responsible for more than 13,000 deaths. Militants later launched a deadly assault on the Mosque on Friday, November 28, detonating multiple bombs and shooting worshippers to death. Over 100 people died in the attack which was believed targeted at Mr. Sanusi. The Emir, who had travelled out of Nigeria at the time, visited the Mosque on his return, and re-affirmed his vow that the Kano people will not cower in the face of Boko Haram’s threats. In a 19-minute new video first released Saturday, Mr. Shekau did not claim responsibility for the Mosque attack. But he said his group remains prepared to fight and kill anyone who challenges its ideology, and all non-Muslims and “fake” Muslims like the emir. “Before I start talking to my brothers who believed in me and the religion of Allah not the religion of democracy, not that of western education, those who believed in the religion of the Quran not that of the constitution and not religion of the Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Jonathan, Obasanjo, Atiku, Babangida, Obama, Bush, Clinton, but the religion of Allah,” he said. “Now listen to me Emir of Kano. I am talking to you and only you because of your recent utterances. “Let me inform you now that you are late, you are should know that you are only but the King of Kano, King of Central Bank, King of money, you are only Sanusi Lamido,” he said. Mr. Shekau denounced the Emir’s religion as religion based on constitution, idol worship and homosexuality. “Our own government is defined as government of the Allah by the Allah and for the Allah not as you define you own government as the government of the people by the people and for the people,” he said. Mr. Shekau said his group will fight local vigilantes and hunters, who have successfully crushed the advances of its fighters in some parts of Nigeria’s northeast. “Emir of Kano Sanusi you are late, that our triumph is just for a period of time so you said. Even your predecessors who are renowned idol worshipers in Islamic history like ‘Abujahal’ could not succeed fighting Islam. Yes you can say that our success is for a period of time, because you are a king of Bank and a loyal citizen of his country,” Mr. Shekau said. The terrorist leader said his members are ready to be slaughtered and killed so they can rest in heaven. “Because you are made the Emir of Kano that is why you got angry and was calling on the Vigilante groups and hunters to attack us. Let me tell you that the hunters and the vigilante groups will fail and you will also fail,” he said. He condemned all other Islamic sects in the country calling them pagans. He said the Izala, Tijjaniyya, Qadiriyya and Shiite Islamic groups are pagans and his group will continue to kill their followers. He also condemned the government Saudi Arabia saying they will all perish in hell. “We will kill you people, we will capture hostages and keep selling some.”

185 women and children reportedly abducted in Borno state

According to a CNN breaking news, 185 women and children were kidnapped by Boko Haram men during a raid on Gumsuri village 20km from Chibok in Borno state on Sunday December 14th. Men were shot, homes were burnt and women taken away. This is the largest rounding up of women and children since the abduction of Chibok girls in April 2014. 32 people including the Chief Imam of the village were killed. Leaders of the opposition vigilante were also killed. Word of the attack was slow to emerge due to the destruction of telecoms towers in the community. Nigerian military are yet to react to this latest attack. But how do these terrorists take 185 people away? They come with many vehicles?

Hon. Gbajabiamila on the fence-jumping fiasco at the House of Assembly

Nike Oshinowo talks to Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the man at the center of the fence jumping story at the House of Rep a few weeks ago. They also have a heated-debate about the state of the nation. See pictures from tonight's show at 11pm on AIT

Dieziani Alison-Madueke appointed President of Gas Exporting countries forum

Nigeria's Minister of Petroleum resources, Dieziani Alison-Madueke has been appointed the President of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum GECF. Her appointment as president was announced today Dec. 16th at the 16th Ministerial meeting of the forum holding in the Qatari capital of Doha. Only Last month, Nov 27th, she was made the President of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC. Madueke was not present at the forum's meeting due to her negotiations with the striking members of NUPENG. She was ably represented by NNPC's Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Dr David Ige and Nigeria's Ambassador to Qatar, Mr Shuaibu Adamu Ahmed.

Come 2015, Who Will Be The Real Loser When Goodluck Jonathan Wins? By Olu Akinmade

In early days in school I had no shoes, no school bags. I carried my books in my hands but never despaired, no car to take me to school, but I never despaired. These were words that saw an underdog zoologist from Otuoke, Bayelsa State come to notoriety and went on to be elected or selected in his first term as the President and Commander In Chief of Africa’s most populous nation depending on where you are watching from. President Goodluck Jonathan Amidst the carnival that was the 2011 PDP Presidential election campaign train that moved powerfully from state to state, this rhetoric by the PDP Presidential candidate, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, rang through the whole nation at the time as it was oft-repeated in what was an attempt to sound profound and inspirational with a concluding tag line: “Fellow Nigerians, if I could make it, you too can make it!”. A lot of people empathised, some jeered, some were indifferent. It worked! As the majority of the unsuspecting populace lapped it up because they could identify with not having shoes growing up. Indeed we can, in one way or the other, identify with not having shoes growing up with epileptic power supply, lack of potable water, poor healthcare, substandard education, zero infrastructure, Insecurity, etc. So yes, we felt you bro.. But beyond the Fanfare, Empathy, Cynicism and Indifference perhaps the more appropriate question we should have asked, at the time, was whether GEJ had the right shoes to run the present day national race he was being enlisted for. The type of shoes you accessorise your feet with in life is determined by the kind of journey you are about to embark on. If you are going for a jog, you put on a pair of trainers / running shoes; If you are going mountain climbing, you put on appropriate anti-skid climbing gear; If you are relaxing at home, you put on flip flops… To continue not to have shoes means you are not planning on going anywhere and that the country with you! The Christian religious leaders, for obvious selfish interests, were not left behind in this ruse as they played their part in the Muslim/Christian divide and rule adding slogans like “A nominal Christian is better than the best practising Muslim”. Seriously??? The Muslim leaders also encouraged the Muslim faithfuls to go out in their numbers to vote for their anointed candidate. The regional North/South power rotation case was also made powerfully. In all of these canvassing for their candidates, no one was asked to vote for NIGERIA – For what is best for Nigeria. Over the last 4 years of President Jonathan’s lacklustre attempt at leadership, you cannot but come to the conclusion that the ‘lack of shoes’ plagues GEJ in more ways psychological than physical to this day as the lack of shoes appears to have left an indelible scar beyond the visible soles of his feet. In contract law, there is a legal rule called the Nemo Dat rule which in Latin says Nemo dat quod non habet, literally meaning “no one gives what he doesn’t have”. It simply states that the purchase of a possession from someone who has no ownership right to it also denies the purchaser any ownership title. We the Nigerian people have, unfortunately, signed a contract with questionable title. The same is also true that you cannot lead people where you haven’t been yourself. Leadership requires Honesty, Compassion, Conviction, Drive, Courage, Boldness, Vision, Direction, Creative Thinking, Intellectual Perspicacity among other virtues. Sadly, as a people and in our characteristic E-Go-Better attitude we seem to be expecting the impossible virtues from GEJ. I think the time has come when we need to be honest with ourselves and come to terms with, in some cases, our choice and for the most part, what was ‘selected’ for us. I haven't read OBJ's My Watch but I have read some excerpts with People blasting Baba that he has no right to speak on the matter as he 'selected' GEJ for us in the first place. Whilst I know Baba can be as vindictive as the next guy if he doesn't have his way or say, one thing you can never take away from him is his interest for One Nigeria. Baba is a nationalist to the core. Even if OBJ's critics were right in their claim that he lost his right or place to speak, I have never admired Obasanjo's leadership more than now by him showing courage to man up and speak up for Nigeria at a time that it mattered most! When the PDP circus came back to town 4 years ago, I told some of my friends back then that with GEJ in the saddle, we needed to brace ourselves for very little forward movement the next 4 years, if any. 4 years on and it’s that time again. Does Nigeria deserve another 4 years of shoe-less or leg-less leadership? How can a nation lose 8 whole years because a person still does not have shoes? A popular adage of the Yorubas says “Ti a ba bi ni, o ye ka tun ara eni bi” which literally means that no matter the condition of your birth, you need to give yourself a rebirth or be Born-Again in every sense of the word. In more ways than one, like most Nigerians, I did not have shoes growing up but the fact that I grew up without shoes didn’t mean I had to stay without shoes. That lack of whatever essentials I lacked stirred something in me that drove and still drives me to start designing shoes in my mind and If I can’t achieve that I will surround myself with those who can design bright, colourful shoes of the future till we eventually start our own shoe company! The shoes of leadership are developed over time in the valley of experience. Just like George W. Bush, you really know what GEJ is made of in the psychological shoe arena whenever he goes off script. Case in point, when as a Presidential candidate GEJ promised to build airports and universities in every state of the Federation! Then we had a sneak preview of how deep this shoe thing was. Or was it when the President of my beloved country went on national media recently and cited the ownership of private jets as indices of national prosperity. Nna men, This shoe thing is deeper than we thought! I have heard people use words like inept and clueless to describe Mr. President but I think that is quite harsh. The guy simply just doesn’t have it. He did not show up for the class Leadership 101. He has never had it and sadly, is not capable of having what it takes to lead. Looking through his resume, I realise GEJ has never held any position that has placed any significant leadership demand on him until he became President! So little wonder that when it is time to lead or show leadership like in the case of the Chibok girls, GEJ opts to focus on 'Enemies' whilst pertinent matters of the state go unattended. Only in Nigeria! I don’t have anything against President Jonathan as I’m sure he is a nice enough guy. My only issue is he doesn’t have the mettle to get the job done! GEJ cannot effectively run the affairs of a local government yet he's being compared in an ad campaign to doers like Barack Obama, Martin Luther King and Ghandi as 'doing it'! These Anti-Nigeria clowns close their ad with a juvenile at the same time comical line 'Those that are with you are more than those against you. Even on his best day in office this last 4 years, which on reflection I struggle to remember one, you could not expect a ‘Presidential performance’ from Mr. President. So we have a guy at the helm who at best is playing political Ludo with the destinies of millions blagging it every step of the way. This opportunity of a lifetime is one that gives the few opportuned to have it with a shot at carving their names in the Hall of Fame of our nation. Those who can really and truly say: I came, I saw and I conquered. I impacted my generation. I improved the lot of my people. How did we get to a place where we made decision based on shoes and the name ‘Goodluck’? Nigeria is blessed as if not so, I’m surprised at how there is anything left with years of plundered resources. Nigeria is truly blessed but our ‘I better pass my neighbour self-serving attitude’ has eaten so deep into our moral mien that with all that is wrong with us be it subsidy removal, or some other issue, we each look at how it affects us, make the necessary slight adjustment and jog on with no consideration for those who have no wiggle room left for any more adjustments. That is how we have gotten this far as a people – Adjustments and Compromises. Successive Military administrations came and we made Structural Adjustment Programs. Civilian era came and we are still making adjustment hence the political class will foist the likes of GEJ on us because it does not regard the power of the Nigerian people to effect a sustained action for positive change without, before long, adjusting back to the comfort of our adjusted lives. The reality is that, come 2015, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will win the Presidential election into his second term in office and Nigeria will lose yet again! Sadly, there is nothing we can do about it with: The INEC we all pretend to be independent; The PDP political machinery primed and good to go do whatever it takes; The religious and regional propaganda well on the way; The war chest stacked with monetary inducements to sway voters; Hunger fixed for the moment (An olodo of Garri will sway many grassroot voters enough to forget the present hardship). Yes, Jonathan will win in 2015 and Nigeria will lose yet again for another 4 years. The writer of this opinion piece is Olu Akinmade Esq.

Taliban Fighters Kill At Least 120 School Kids In Pakistan | Al Jazeera

At least 126 dead, many children, in raid that Pakistani Taliban says was retaliation for military's offensive

Taliban attacked a military-run school on Tuesday, killing scores of students, because they wanted revenge for the Pakistani military targeting their own families, a spokesman said. Al Jazeera At least 126 people were killed and 122 injured, a provincial official said. "It may rise," said Bahramand Khan, director of information for the Chief Minister's Secretariat. He said more than 100 of the dead were children. It was not immediately clear whether some or all of the children and adults were killed by the gunmen or in the ensuing battle with Pakistani security forces trying to gain control of the building after the early morning attack. About 500 students and teachers were believed to be inside the school at the time of the raid. The school is located on the edge of a military cantonment in Peshawar, but most of the students are civilian. Muhammad Khorasani, spokesmand for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistani Taliban, told Al Jazeera that six suicide bombers were sent to the school with orders to allow the youngest students to leave, but to kill the rest. The attack was in retaliation to an ongoing Pakistan Army operation against the TTP and its allies in the North Waziristan tribal area, Khorasani said. “We selected the army's school for the attack because the government is targeting our families and females," he said. "We want them to feel the pain.” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack and said he was on his way to Peshawar. “This is a national tragedy unleashed by savages. These were my kids,” he said in a statement. The attack began in the morning hours, with an initial blast as the attackers hit the school, followed by a second explosion. Gunmen entering the school — which has students in grades 1 through10 — and shooting at random, said police officer Javed Khan. Outside the school, shooting was initially heard along with one loud bang of unknown origin. Details were sketchy in the unfolding situation and it was unclear what was going on inside and if there were any hostages among the students. Army commandos quickly arrived at the scene and exchanged fire with the gunmen, said Khan. Small-arms fire was heard throughout the raid as security forces tried to retake the school. Pakistani television showed soldiers surrounding the area and pushing people back. It was not clear whether the soldiers were already on the scene when the violence began or was part of the troops who responded. “We were standing outside the school and firing suddenly started and there was chaos everywhere and the screams of children and teachers,” said Jamshed Khan, a school bus driver. Shaukat Yousafzai, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's health minister, said a school function had been going on in the senior section of the school when an explosion went off. There were reports of as many as three explosions. “This is a very saddening event, and these are our children, the children of Pakistan. By killing these children, I am not sure what service these terrorists have done to Islam.” A heavy contingent of security forces arrived at the school shortly after the attack began and launched the rescue operation. The army said in a statement that many hostages had been evacuated but did not say how many. One of the wounded students, Abdullah Jamal, said that he was with a group of 8th, 9th and 10th graders who were getting first-aid instructions and training with a team of Pakistani army medics when the violence began for real. When the shooting started, Jamal, who was shot in the leg, said nobody knew what was going on in the first few seconds. “Then I saw children falling down who were crying and screaming. I also fell down. I learned later that I have got a bullet,” he said, speaking from his hospital bed. The Pakistani military began Operation Zarb-e-Azb against the TTP and its allies on June 15, and says that it has so far retaken larges areas of territory from the group, killing more than 1,270 people The army is also carrying out a military operation in Khyber Agency, which borders Peshawar, where it says it has killed at least 179 fighters. The Pakistani Taliban have vowed to step up attacks in response to a major army operation against the insurgents in the tribal areas. They have targeted security forces, checkpoints, military bases and airports, but attacks on civilian targets with no logistical significance are relatively rare. Al Jazeera and wire services

Online Poll Finds Nigerians Prefer Amaechi

Online Poll Finds Nigerians Prefer Amaechi As Buhari’s VP Candidate, Over Fashola, Fayemi, Tinubu Seizing an overwhelming 40% of the total vote in an informal poll conducted Friday, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was the public’s choice for running mate to All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. izing an overwhelming 40% of the total vote in an informal poll conducted Friday, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was the public’s choice for running mate to All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

The poll, conducted by SaharaReporters between Friday, December 12 to Saturday, December 13, garnered a total of 7,951 votes. Of these, 3162 respondents voted for Amaechi. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, another favorite ahead of the party’s decision, received 2138 votes representing 27% of the votes cast. Governor Rotimi Amaechi Sahara Reporters Media Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole, and former Attorney General of Lagos State, Prof. Yemi Osibajo, received 855 votes (11%), 859 votes (10%), and 699 votes (9%) respectively. Former Lagos State Governor and APC national leader Bola Tinubu came in at the bottom of the billing, receiving 238 votes, 3 % of the total vote. The survey, conducted through the online service POLL, does not allow repeat voting. Commenting on the canvass, many respondents said that they selected a candidate from the polls choices based on careful knowledge of the country’s makeup, a strategy many believe the party will follow. “The politico-religious hegemony presently predating our people will demand wisdom in choosing a VP from the South West, should the party decide the South West should have it,” a respondent said, writing further, “since Buhari is a Muslim, wisdom demands that at this time, a Christian Southwesterner should be appropriate.” Despite the overwhelming support for the Amaechi, many disagreed with his proposed candidacy. “Nobody who knows Amaechi's history will vote him especially those living in Rivers State,” a participant wrote, citing failed infrastructure projects under the two-term Rivers State Governor. “Amaechi is synonymous with arrogance, pride and tyranny,” another commented, criticizing Amaechi for his publicized disputes with current President Goodluck Jonathan. Still others pushed for candidates not included in the choices given. Most notable of those pushed for was former Minster of Education, Oby Ezekwesili. “Oby Ezekwesili for VP,” a respondent commented. “It's about time we had two formidable heads at the helm of affairs in Nigeria.” Support poured in from both men and women for “Madam Due Process,” as the former minister and a principal protagonist of the #BringBackOurGirls movement is fondly called. Voters also showed support for Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, who has gained popularity steadily since the APC presidential primary last Wednesday based on his oratorial skills which was on display during the party's national convention in Lagos. “Okorocha will make a better VP to Buhari because he has a great charisma,” a participant wrote. “He can do the same thing that Tunde Idiagbon did during 84-85 (sic). Everyone knows that Buhari is not outspoken, he really needs someone like Rochas.” While the party has yet to decide officially on a Vice Presidential candidate, the survey presented a unique opportunity for the public to discuss and analyze the viability of several different candidates for the position.