Bashir Tofa to Buhari free Nasturah’s immediately

by IBRAHIM RAMALAN

 

Bashir Tofa

An elder statesman and former presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention, NRC, Bashir Tofa, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the release of the convener of Katsina protest, Nasturah Ashir Sheriff.

Recall that Mr Sheriff, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNGs, was allegedly arrested by the police for organising a series of protests against the killing of innocent people by bandits in Katsina State.

Condemning the arrest through a statement on Wednesday, Mr Tofa advised the President to offer an ‘unreserved apology’ to Mr Sheriff, “before an avoidable conflagration consumes the entire North and eventually, the country”.

According to him, the arrest and detention of Mr Sheriff is utterly wrong, undemocratic and a very bad example of intolerance.

He said: “It is unwise and unjust. Not even during sensible and caring Military Rules, would citizens demonstrate peacefully about a matter that worries the entire country, and anyone be arrested.

“Is this a notice that nobody is allowed to say anything or to express a view, even peacefully? Is this the Democracy Nigeria is showing to the world? We hope not.”

The erstwhile NRC presidential candidate, also pointed out that so many people are angry about so many things.

“If this collective anger is tickled and pushed by a few who may have started some illegal action somewhere, it will easily spread.

“The 2011 violence, destruction and death that occurred when it was rumoured that Gen. Muhammad Buhari was denied his victory will be a child’s play this time around.

“Nigerians are very angry! Insecurity everywhere, poverty, joblessness and now Covid-19, disease, despair and desperation have eaten deep into people’s patience and good sense.”

Mr Tofa maintained that for the police or the security services to arrest anyone over the peaceful demonstration, is not only illegal, but a deliberate attempt to dishonour this Government and cause more hatred against it.“

Just today, because of Nasturah’s uncalled for arrest, I have the nasty and angry, often abusive words, uttered against the President by hitherto his supporters.

“President Buhari should be very careful. He should begin to know and appreciate his true and sincere friends, and get rid of his enemies, who do tremendous harm to his image and his own future well-being and safety.

“He must remember that in three years, someone else will be President. I, and millions of other Nigerians, condemn the arrest of Nasturah Sheriff and other Nigerians who were either killed or injured simply because they came out to demonstrate and make their views known in a peaceful manner.

“We demand Nasturah’s immediate release, and all those in detention for such purposes. We are in a Democracy,” the ex-NRC chieftain said.

IF YOU THINK SO, KNOW SO BY OBINNA ONWUELINGO

Why does an average apology sound this way " I am sorry, I thought............? When are we going to stop "thinking" and start knowing?

'It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows" - Epictetus

I remember during the Covid 19 lock down, when a picture of a little boy drinking water from a  UNDP water tank supposedly meant for hand washing started trending on social media with captions like "How do we wash our hands when we don"t  have water to drink",and within a few days almost everyone one I knew updated their status with the same picture and statement which suggested that the boy drank water meant for washing of hands because of hunger and thirst. I felt compelled to join the band wagon, after-all, I am human and seeing such a little boy in that state was heart wrenching but then I decided to google the same picture and behold within 1 minute I realized the picture was taken in Dafur region some years ago during the refugee crises and that the small water tank was actually drinking water. (I don't think you heard me, I said within the space of "One minute" )

Now, imagine the countless times you have carried one news or thought or opinion from here to Australia only to realize that what you have held on to for years was a lie or a distorted fact. Imagine the number of relationships that have been lost simply because we stopped at "thinking". In my opinion, thinking is a raw material while knowing is a finished product. Thinking is not an end in itself rather it is a process. Didn't the bible tell us to test all spirits ? (1 John 4:1) why then are we all guilty of thinking without making extra effort to say "I know so rather than I think so"?

How many of us if accused of killing somebody yesterday would say "I think so"? I am sure we would refute the allegation with everything we've got simply because "We know so". Why are we so quick to run with information about other people without at least  putting ourselves in the person's shoes, checking for inconsistencies, understanding the circumstances surrounding the action or the motives of the story teller.

"An apology for the devil; It must be remembered that we have heard one side of the case" - Samuel Butler.

My bible (Which I firmly believe in) tells me that the devil is the father of all lies (John 8;44 ) so I do not intend to dwell on the literal meaning of the quote above by Samuel Buttler but it is important to take some learning points from his line of thought which is that no matter how much we may love the figment of our imagination or how well what we think fits into our story or purpose, we must go a step further to confirm the veracity of these thoughts.

To think becomes positive when it drives us into deeper knowledge that we no longer think but know.

Imagine how apologies would sharply decline when we stop thinking for people, when we stop Judging them by our standards instead of theirs.

"Don't be confused between what people say you are and what you know you are" - Oprah.

Think, Know, Create, Grow.

Obinna Onwuelingo

Life Coach

http://www.obinnaonwuelingo.com.ng

info@obinnaonwuelingo.com.ng

You’re lucky this is democracy, Presidency hits back at northern group

• 

Garba Shehu

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

THE Presidency yesterday berated the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, for dissociating themselves from Democracy Day and accusing the government of not doing enough to protect the north from insurgents.

The Presidency in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in Abuja told the group to thank their stars that the country was operating a democratic government where the right of free speech is guaranteed and protected.

It said, if the group had dared to issue the comments under a non-democratic system of government, they would have met a swift and harsh retribution from a dictatorial government.

Recall that a coalition of Northern groups had on Monday bemoaned the growing insecurityin the region and called on the Federal Government to implement sweeping measures.

The group had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to “immediately relieve the service chiefsof their duties,” saying unless killings in the region stop within 14 days, the coalition would “mobilise citizens to take to streets until the government is completely shut down.”

But the Presidency in its reaction said the Buhari administration has done more than any other – elected or not elected – to curtail and beat back terrorism in the country, adding that the President was working hard to fix all the ailing areas in the country before it hands over a clean state of affairs to the youths.

According to the statement, “For as many times as he met youth leaders, President Buhari has said to them again and again that we are fixing the ailing state to hand it over to you.

“It then amounts to a grave mistake, for this group of otherwise promising northern stars to dissociate themselves from Democracy Day and, in effect de-cognizing democracy as a chosen system of government.

“Nigeria recognises Democracy Day because, for many decades since independence, the fight for the right for Nigerians to choose their own government in their own name was not complete. A prominent citizen of the country, Chief MKO Abiola died trying to do just this.

“When independence was won, and then swiftly replaced by unelected government, it was not much of a change.

“For the challenges Nigeria faces today, lack of universal suffrage or lack of elected politicians is not one of them.

“We are facing severe hardships because of the coronavirus pandemic. And we continue to face the challenges posed by the terrorists Boko Haram.

“Yet when groups such as the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) put out statements claiming that Democracy Day holds no purpose and the government somehow wishes for the northern states to be struggling it is embarrassing not for the government but for the group, its members and their sponsors.

“For a start, if the group dared to issue such a comment under non-democratic method they would have met a swift and harsh retribution from a dictatorial government.

“They should thank their stars that we are operating a truly democratic government where the rights of free speech are guaranteed and protected.

“This government has done more than any other – elected or not elected – to curtail and beat back the terrorists.

“Similarly, no government has done more to foster democracy and freedom of speech in Nigeria than the current administration.

“The fact that CNG is freely able to transmit garbage to the media in the hope they will be widely reported is a testament the freedom of expression and media liberty that exists in our country today.

“Equally, the fact that the government is issuing this statement, in response to the puerile message is a testament that today Nigeria is a country where disagreements can be aired publicly through the press, not through less gentlemanly methods used in the past.

“We hope that CNG will consider the facts and reconsider the unhelpful and inaccurate message their statements contain when issuing them in the future.”

Ajimobi is now APC Acting National chairman

Abiola Ajimobi

 

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress(APC) has named Senator Abiola Ajimobi as acting national chairman of the party.

The development followed affirmation of the suspension of National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by an Appeal Court.

 

Ajimobi has functioned as the National Deputy Chairman South of the party.

A statement by the Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu said the elevation was in line with constitution of the party.

Details shortly…

Nwodo calls out Igbo youths,asking them to be diplomatic

By Lawrence Njoku (Enugu)

President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has asked Igbo youths and other pro-Biafra agitators to employ diplomacy in their quest for self- determination.

Nwodo, who said that Ndigbo were not known for violence, advised the youths to continue to maintain decorum and peace no matter the level of provocation.

The Ohanaeze leader gave the advice when he kicked off distribution of Covid-19 palliatives procured by the president of the youths arm of the group, Arthur Obioha, for the young Igbo. The materials which included rice, beans, organic fertilizer and seedlings were meant for distribution to Igbo youths across the country.

At the kick off of the distribution at the national secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu, Nwodo insisted that Ndigbo should think inwards and create opportunities for the survival of its people, so as to reduce dependence on other parts of the country for survival and development. He said: “There are two kinds of war that face us as a people in this country. They include hunger and ignorance.”

The moment we are able to solve these challenges, we can become anything we want to. If you look at all rich countries in the world today, you would see that one thing that is driving them is knowledge. It is no longer oil. Oil will continue to fall because alternative sources of energy have emerged. If you look at the number of cars bought in the USA at the moment; they have bought more electric cars than fuel oil cars.

“America has drone technology and can go to war without firing a gun. The power of knowledge is the new way. The entire knowledge of the world is inside a computer. This is an area our people must invest resources and time in.

“We have to know that our strength lies in our knowledge and in our capacity to deploy it. We can deploy the same strength and resources used for Biafra in improving knowledge and technology to be able to get our people into gainful employment,” Nwodo said. He praised Obioha for the gesture, stressing that empowering Igbo youths, especially at the time of the ravaging coronavirus would make them shun crimes.

Obioha stated that the palliatives were procured in conjunction with the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and other Igbo organizations.

According to him, the organic fertilizers were procured from Thailand and crop seedlings from Philippines to enable the youths go into agriculture.
“We want to curb hunger and our plan is to ensure that a bag of rice is sold for not higher than N1000 in this country. This is to support the fight against hunger, poverty and unemployment in the Southeast n this article:

Buhari look alike just got Married

Buhari's lookalike,  Obinna Simon, popularly known as MC Tagwaye marries his northern lover.

MC Tagwaye is an Igbo man who grew up in the north thus where he learnt the language.

This will encourage inter-tribal marriage and also further cement the Igbo /Hausa relationship.  I urge everyone to emulate this step.