Nigeria's Unity Is Settled And Not Negotiable - Broadcast By President Muhammadu Buhari

The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari spoke the mind of Nigerians who cherished the unity, peace and collective progress. He spoke as a Nationalist.

President Buhari sent a clear message to terrorists, ethnic irredentists, secessionists and champions of sectionalism that this union is an indissoluble matrimony in all circumstances. The President speech was a Lion's roar meant to reaffirm and reinforce the unity of a nation showing signs of disintegration during his absence.The President speech was a Lion's roar reestablishing full control of a staggering Clime heading to an engineered implosion during his absence.

The Southern Kaduna killings By Editorial Board, Guardian Newspaper

Tragic as the horrendous killings of indigenes by so-called herdsmen in the southern part of Kaduna State have been, the indifference and prevarication of state actors at both state and federal levels, who exhibited criminal negligence instead of being proactive in halting the carnage is morally wrong and despicable.Now, fear and distrust reign and a whole race of people is feeling let down by a state in which the people are supposed to have a stake. Nigeria can and should do better.

The poor approach to the crisis was earlier sign-posted by the alleged payment of some ransom to the herdsmen by the Kaduna State government under the leadership of Nasir El-Rufai. Indeed, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) had demanded to know the identity of the Fulani herdsmen to whom ransom was being paid and the amount involved. In response, the government has claimed that it was only implementing aspects of the recommendations made to the previous government of the late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa by a committee on the same crisis. That committee recommended compensation for cattle killed during the post-2011 election crisis in the same area. Meaning the El-Rufai government’s claim to a solution is actually an exacerbation of the problem.

PRESIDENT BUHARI WILL LEAVE NIGERIA CLEANER AND SANER--FEMI ADESINA

Shortly before the one year anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, spoke to PREMIUM TIMES’ Festus Owete and Sani Tukur, on the achievements of the administration, how the president spends his time outside official hours, his family life, and capacity to govern Nigeria.

Read the interview below:

PT: One year after, how has the journey been?

Adesina: So far so good, I will say. Because, if you recall how our country was this time last year and compare it with how it is today, you will see that there is a big difference, particularly in the area of security, in the area of the anti-corruption war, you can say that this government has done very well. The third one is the economy. That one is still tricky and it is work in progress. Then you take it one by one because there are three key promises APC made while campaigning. The president believes that you cannot administer a country you have not secured. And that is why he has gone all out to try and secure the country. You recall that by this time last year you weren’t quite sure where Nigeria was headed. Boko Haram was not just in the north east, it was in the north west, it was in north central and it could go down south anytime. That was the fear in the country. After some time the military pushed them back, got them circumscribed within the north east and as we speak they are even in the narrower area which is the Sambisa Forest. You can say other battlefronts have been opened in Niger Delta, herdsmen, kidnapping. Those are issues but one thing that is not in doubt is that this government has the capacity to deal with all the issues. I am not saying they are all going to be by armed conflict or by force of arms. Where they need to dialogue, they dialogue and where they need to negotiate, they negotiate. But this government does not lack the capacity to secure this country. So that gives us a lot of hope. Security wise, the government has done very well. On anti-corruption, of course we know what has been uncovered in this country. I remember in the UK about two weeks ago, one foreign media asked the president – did you know it was this bad? He confessed that he knew it was bad but he didn’t know it was that bad. It has turned out very, very bad. But it is also something that the government is tackling and the president is determined to leave a saner and cleaner Nigeria in terms of accountability and probity by the way he is going. No matter what anybody says about this corruption war, no friend no foe, no retreat, no surrender. Anybody, irrespective of who he is, if he has questions to answer on corruption, he will have to answer. I hear people say that it is selective. They need to prove. He who alleges must also prove. The anti-corruption war is going on and going on very well and it has earned Nigeria a lot of respect in the international community. The third promise he made was to revive the economy. Like I said earlier, that one is still key and touchy but it will be done because when the economy collapses as Nigeria’s did, it is not something you bring back by a snap of the fingers. It takes a lot of re-tooling and re-engineering to bring it back. It is work in progress and we will get there. No doubt, jobs will come from agriculture and solid minerals and other policies will stimulate the economy. It is a N6 trillion budget for instance for the first time. If it is properly implemented, and there is no reason why it will not be properly implemented, it will stimulate the economy. There will be more spending money at the disposal of Nigerians. So, I will say so far so good, the government is on course. I have used this illustration before, and I will use it again. Nigeria is like a plane that has taken off and is gaining altitude, with its nose in the air. As long as its nose is in the air, it is climbing. If the nose is down it is a danger signal.

Farmers, Herdsmen Conflict: Senate to Find Solutions, Says Saraki

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has appealed to herdsmen and farmers across the country to maintain peace as the National Assembly is ready to proffer lasting solution to the perennial clashes over grazing by cattle.

Speaking yesterday when a group of herdsmen from Kautal Hore Socio-Cultural Association Jigawa state branch visited him, the Senate President who described the perennial clashes between the farmers and herdsmen as unfortunate, also appealed to the herdsmen to maintain peace at all times.

Happening Now! Fulani herdsmen Attacking Akpakume Nze, Udi LGA, Enugu State

An unconfirmed Reports reaching us has it that fulani herdsmen arecurrently attacking the people of Akpakume nze in Udi LGA of Enugu State. The report has it that several people have been killed in the ensuing attack by the invading herdsmen. 

More information coming shortly

Herdsmen and the Killing Field...2

The verdict By Olusegun Adeniyi

Early in 2012, I took my son to the birthday of a classmate of his at Maitama Amusement Park, Abuja where I noticed a familiar face. As I muttered almost to myself, “is that not Mrs. Maryam Abacha?” my son, then eight years old, replied in the affirmative. “Yes, that is his grandmother. His grandfather was General Sani Abacha that you wrote about in your book.” Although I didn’t say anything to that, my son then added: “They say his grandfather was a very wicked man. But he (the classmate) is not wicked. He is a good person.”

I didn’t need any reassurance about this particular well-mannered classmate of my son even though I had no inkling until then that he had any relationship to the late General Abacha. However, my son was probably concerned that I might have been trying to judge the boy by my prejudices against his grandfather. That was one message I took away from the testimonials he was reeling out. As amused as I was, that also taught me a lesson about how we judge others, not necessarily by who they are but by the family or ethnic group they belong to or the religion they practice.

Audu Ogbeh Confirms FG Plan to Create Grazing Reserves for Herdsmen Across the Country

The Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, yesterday finally confirmed that the Federal Government was planning to create grazing reserves for herdsmen across the country in order to stem the orgy of renewed violence involving farmers and Cattle herders.

There have been many rumour and speculation on wether there is National Grazing Reserve Bill before the National Assembly or not. The two legislative chambers have seperately denied the existence of such a bill.

But Ogbeh, who stated this in his presentation before the House of Representatives at the ongoing sectoral debate on the economy, explained that the idea behind the grazing reserves was to discourage cattle roaming and indiscriminate grazing. He told the lawmakers that each state was expected to provide them 5000 hectares of land, which would be re-grassed by the government and provided with schools and other facilities for the comfort of the herdsmen and the cattle.

Mr President, should we wait to be killed or fight?

“All animals are equal; but, some animals are more equal than others”. George Orwell, 1903-1950 in ANIMAL FARM. 

“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.”—Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, wife of late American President. 

From Agatu to Akure to Aba the story is the same. For that matter from Abia to Zamfara states and the Federal Capital Territory, the Federal government and its security agencies have apparently created two classes of Nigerians – herdsmen and the rest of us.

Notice, please that I did not add Fulani because they are not all Fulani or even all Nigerians. The reason is simple, I was once a cattle owner and several of the nomads engaged by the later supervisor, Yinusa Idi, who lived in a settlement near Gezawa in Kano State, were Fulani or Nigeriens.

Nigerian Police: 4 killed, 30 houses set ablaze as herdsmen attack Taraba village

The Nigeria Police in Taraba State on Sunday in Jalingo said gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked Dinya village in Gassol Local Government Area of the state and killed four persons. ASP Joseph Kwaji, the Police Public Relations Officer, Taraba State Police Command, who confirmed the incident while briefing newsmen, said the gunmen also set 30 houses on fire.

“The police, on arrival at the scene of the attack, recovered 13 empty shells of AK47 rifle, four cartridges and an assault rifle,” Kwaji said.

Islamist Boko Haram Kill Four, Torch Houses In Borno State Village

A group of 30 suspected Boko Haram gunmen in Borno State attacked Azir village in Damboa council area of Borno State early hour of  Saturday. Four residents were murdered, while seven sustained injuries.

Borno  state - Azir village is a community of farmers and herdsmen, located about 107 km South of Maiduguri, the state capital. Boko Haram attackers, armed with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and petrol bombs, also torched several houses and shops before fleeing into the Sambisa forest, East of the village.

FG sets up technical committee to tackle herdsmen, farmers' border clashes in 17 states

The National Economic Council, NEC on Thursday moved to tackle the problem of the clashes between herdsmen and farmers which have resulted into deaths of hundreds across the country in the past few months with the setting up of a technical Committee to tackle the crisis.

Benue Again, 27 Feared Dead

At least 27 persons are feared dead in a brutal attack which took place in the Agena village of Mbaalom, in the District of Gwer-East local government of Benue state in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Survivors and eyewitnesses accounts revealed that the invaders launched the attack on the community at around 5am, waking up many with the sound of gunfire coming from their blazing guns. The invaders were alleged to be the same group of herdsmen who local police seem powerless to stop, or apprehend.

HAPPENING NOW: IGP meeting with Zonal AIGs at FHQ #Abuja On How to end Terrorism and Herdsmen Killings

The Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force {IGP}, Mohammed Abubakar is currently in a meeting with Zonal AIGs at Force Headquarters in Abuja brainstorming on challenges of terrorism, herdsmen and farmers clash, and other security challenges facing the country.

The Islamist fundamentalist, Boko Haram Group has refused to dialogue with the federal government with like never to end continuous killing in the North-Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, attacking both the security personnel and cruel killings of the innocent civilians.

The Fulani Herdsmen in Benue has also claimed many live, with the killing in many villages. Weekend deadly and separate attacks in both Benue and Borno States claimed at least 90 people with many others injured.