BREAKING NEWS :Adamu Mu’azu is new PDP National Chairman

Adamu Mu’azu, 58, was unanimously adopted on Sunday night at a meeting attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih; Senate President David Mark and all the state Governors elected under the PDP amongst others.

We gathered that Mu’azu was later invited to join the meeting at the Presidential Villa after the leaders had agreed on his choice.

We further gathered that he gave a commitment that he’ll reposition the party and strengthen it ahead of the general elections.

We also gathered from our source, who is a very influential member of the party, that Mu’azu will be unveiled formally on Monday at a Special NEC meeting of the party.

Update:

The meeting started at about 10.pm (local time) inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja and lasted for about 3 hours.

Mu’azu topped about 15 other aspirants for the chairmanship following last week’s forced resignation of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur from the post.

Some of the aspirants included a former member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Mohammed Wakil and the incumbent Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, the two preferred candidates of President Jonathan and his wife, Patience.

Also interested in the position were former Police Affairs Minister, Adamu Maina Waziri; former Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji; former National Chairman of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM), Alhaji Gambo Lawan, Senator Abubakar Mahdi; TETFUND Chairman, Alhaji Musa Babayo; and former Commerce Minister, Alhaji Idris Waziri, amongst others.

Mu’azu was Governor of Bauchi State from 1999-2003. He had earlier worked as a civil servant for the Governments of Kano and Bauchi and became a businessman thereafter before his election as Governor.

He was indicted and banned from holding public office for ten (10) years by a Judicial Commission set up by his successor, Mr. Isa Yuguda, for misappropriating about N20 billion belonging to the Bauchi State Government during his 8 year rule of the state. Though he denied the charges citing the cold war between himself and his successor, Mu’azu fled the country when anti-graft agency, the EFCC, started investigating his tenure.

In October 11, 2010, the agency issued a statement it was still investigating the politician for corruption after a local newspaper reported he had been given a clean bill by the agency.

“We wish to state emphatically that ex-governor Adamu Muazu is still being investigated and as such could not have been cleared of graft allegations against him.

“The former governor who until recently has been out of the country is still expected to honour an invitation to interview a team of operatives investigating the case against him”, the statement said.

The EFCC has however remained mute on the outcome of its investigation and has not charged the former Governor.

In 2011, he was cleared to return to Nigeria by President Jonathan as he moved to build a coalition in the north ahead of the Presidential election and appointed Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), a development that irked anti-corruption activists, prompting two lawyers, Mr. Ogenovo Otemu and Mr. Alexander Oketa, from the firm of Festus Keyamo, to file a suit at the Federal High Court (FHC) Abuja seeking the nullification of his appointment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/186/2011.

The plaintiffs in an originating summons obtained by news men had asked Justice Adamu Bello to determine as follows: “Whether the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007 is not a valid and binding document on all authorities and persons in Nigeria, including the Defendants, until set aside by a Court of competent jurisdiction.”

“Whether by virtue of the Recommendations and the Bauchi State Government’s position which banned the 1st Defendant from holding public office for a period of ten years and which is contained and/or published in the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007, the 1st Defendant can be appointed by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants into any public office until 2019, and “Whether the appointment of the 1st Defendant as Board Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency by 2nd Defendant is not null and void by virtue of the Recommendations and the Bauchi State Government’s position which banned the 1st Defendant from holding public office for a period of ten years and which is contained and/or published in the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007.”

Following Mu’azu’s indictment, the plaintiffs had also sought the following reliefs: “A declaration that the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007 is a valid and binding document on all authorities and persons in Nigeria, including the Defendants, until set aside by a Court of competent jurisdiction.

“A declaration that by virtue of the Recommendations and the Bauchi State Government’s position which banned the 1st Defendant from holding public office for a period of ten years and which is contained and/or published in the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007, the 1st Defendant cannot be appointed into any public office until 2019.

“ A declaration that the appointment of the 1st Defendant as Board Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency by the 2nd Defendant is null and void by virtue of the Recommendations and the Bauchi State Government’s position which banned the 1st Defendant from holding public office for a period of ten years and which is contained and/or published in the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007 and “An order nullifying the appointment of the 1st Respondent by the 2nd Respondent as Board Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.”

THEWILL

BREAKING NEWS :Adamu Mu’azu is new PDP National Chairman

Adamu Mu’azu, 58, was unanimously adopted on Sunday night at a meeting attended by President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih; Senate President David Mark and all the state Governors elected under the PDP amongst others.

We gathered that Mu’azu was later invited to join the meeting at the Presidential Villa after the leaders had agreed on his choice.

We further gathered that he gave a commitment that he’ll reposition the party and strengthen it ahead of the general elections.

We also gathered from our source, who is a very influential member of the party, that Mu’azu will be unveiled formally on Monday at a Special NEC meeting of the party.

Update:

The meeting started at about 10.pm (local time) inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja and lasted for about 3 hours.

Mu’azu topped about 15 other aspirants for the chairmanship following last week’s forced resignation of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur from the post.

Some of the aspirants included a former member of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Mohammed Wakil and the incumbent Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, the two preferred candidates of President Jonathan and his wife, Patience.

Also interested in the position were former Police Affairs Minister, Adamu Maina Waziri; former Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji; former National Chairman of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM), Alhaji Gambo Lawan, Senator Abubakar Mahdi; TETFUND Chairman, Alhaji Musa Babayo; and former Commerce Minister, Alhaji Idris Waziri, amongst others.

Mu’azu was Governor of Bauchi State from 1999-2003. He had earlier worked as a civil servant for the Governments of Kano and Bauchi and became a businessman thereafter before his election as Governor.

He was indicted and banned from holding public office for ten (10) years by a Judicial Commission set up by his successor, Mr. Isa Yuguda, for misappropriating about N20 billion belonging to the Bauchi State Government during his 8 year rule of the state. Though he denied the charges citing the cold war between himself and his successor, Mu’azu fled the country when anti-graft agency, the EFCC, started investigating his tenure.

In October 11, 2010, the agency issued a statement it was still investigating the politician for corruption after a local newspaper reported he had been given a clean bill by the agency.

“We wish to state emphatically that ex-governor Adamu Muazu is still being investigated and as such could not have been cleared of graft allegations against him.

“The former governor who until recently has been out of the country is still expected to honour an invitation to interview a team of operatives investigating the case against him”, the statement said.

The EFCC has however remained mute on the outcome of its investigation and has not charged the former Governor.

In 2011, he was cleared to return to Nigeria by President Jonathan as he moved to build a coalition in the north ahead of the Presidential election and appointed Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), a development that irked anti-corruption activists, prompting two lawyers, Mr. Ogenovo Otemu and Mr. Alexander Oketa, from the firm of Festus Keyamo, to file a suit at the Federal High Court (FHC) Abuja seeking the nullification of his appointment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/186/2011.

The plaintiffs in an originating summons obtained by news men had asked Justice Adamu Bello to determine as follows: “Whether the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007 is not a valid and binding document on all authorities and persons in Nigeria, including the Defendants, until set aside by a Court of competent jurisdiction.”

“Whether by virtue of the Recommendations and the Bauchi State Government’s position which banned the 1st Defendant from holding public office for a period of ten years and which is contained and/or published in the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007, the 1st Defendant can be appointed by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants into any public office until 2019, and “Whether the appointment of the 1st Defendant as Board Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency by 2nd Defendant is not null and void by virtue of the Recommendations and the Bauchi State Government’s position which banned the 1st Defendant from holding public office for a period of ten years and which is contained and/or published in the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007.”

Following Mu’azu’s indictment, the plaintiffs had also sought the following reliefs: “A declaration that the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007 is a valid and binding document on all authorities and persons in Nigeria, including the Defendants, until set aside by a Court of competent jurisdiction.

“A declaration that by virtue of the Recommendations and the Bauchi State Government’s position which banned the 1st Defendant from holding public office for a period of ten years and which is contained and/or published in the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007, the 1st Defendant cannot be appointed into any public office until 2019.

“ A declaration that the appointment of the 1st Defendant as Board Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency by the 2nd Defendant is null and void by virtue of the Recommendations and the Bauchi State Government’s position which banned the 1st Defendant from holding public office for a period of ten years and which is contained and/or published in the Government White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Management of some Ministries, Parastatals, Extra Ministerial Departments of the Public Service of Bauchi State from May, 1999 to May, 2007 and “An order nullifying the appointment of the 1st Respondent by the 2nd Respondent as Board Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.”

THEWILL

UN chief welcomes Syrian opposition's agreement to attend Geneva II

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Saturday welcomed the Syrian opposition's agreement to take part in next week's international conference in Switzerland to seek an end to Syria conflict.

In a statement issued here by his spokesperson, Ban said the decision was "a courageous and historic step in the interest of a negotiated political solution to a three-year conflict that has caused so much misery and destruction."

Ban said he looks forward to the opposition's expedited formation of a delegation that broadly represents the diversity of the Syrian opposition including women.

The Syrian National Coalition (SNC), Syria's main opposition bloc, announced earlier in the day after a vote in Turkey's Istanbul that it would join the peace talks, also known as Geneva II conference.

The Secretary-General will chair the event, which will be held in two parts. Following the opening session in Montreux on Jan. 22, talks between the two Syrian parties will start at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Jan. 24, facilitated by Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi.

According to UN figures, more than 100,000 people have been killed and more than eight million others driven from their homes since the conflict in Syria erupted in March 2011.

GOFAMINT VICTORY MONTH PRAYER POINTS: THE LOVE OF GOD THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE GOSPEL FAITH MISSION INTERNATIONAL (GOFAMINT)

DAY 19: MONDAY 20TH JANUARY 2014

FOCUS: THE LOVE OF GOD THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

TEXTS: ROMANS 5:5; I JOHN 4:7-20

INSIGHT FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYING

 Love, love, love, Love is an endearing and adorable virtue desired by all and sundry. It is an essential and a scarce commodity in our society. All Creature including, animals desire and understand the language of love. Everybody needs and wants it, but only few people have it to offer. On the other hand, God is an embodiment of it. God is love, inside out. His attitude and relationship with human beings are purely and fully in love. He loved the World so much that He gave us His only begotten Son. His love made Him to provide for the needs of all human beings. He made His rain and sun to fall and shine upon the good and the wicked. Our make-up and entire being is the product of His love. He made the earth and its fullness and handed it over to man without a charge. His love is higher, deeper and wider than human comprehension!

Human being is entirely opposite instead of love. Instead of love, man is full of wickedness against his neighbor, he hates, cheats, supplants, destroys, manipulates, degrades and disrespect fellow beings to say the least. Thank God for God’s greatest gift of love which is Jesus Christ. It is only in this divine gesture that the hope for love is restored to the fullest. It is through this divine love that sinners are restored back to God. It is in it that we pray and have answers from God. It is on this same platform that Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to us as our counselor and comforter.

When the Holy Spirit comes, He arms Himself with this all-important virtue of love. When one becomes a child of God through Christ and is filled with the Holy Spirit, one distinguishing characteristics that must be glaring in the life of such a person is love. Why? When the Holy Spirit comes into our heart, He spreads the love of God abroad in our lives (Rom. 5:5). This love works both vertically (towards God) and horizontally (towards men). In the early days of our Church, love was the watchword among the brethren. The situation is not the same today again. Hatred, disunity, quarrelling and mistrust is the order of the day. All these are done under the guise of spirituality and holiness.

Majority of us in the Church today are very critical and judgmental. We are too legalistic when handling issues that affect the welfare of our brethren. All these are done under the pretence that we want to help the people to be holy. Many of us have adopted “holier than thou”attitude in our relationship with our brethren. Oh, how satan is using God’s children against one another. Paul said, in Gal. 5:13: “But if ye bite and devour one another beware lest you be consumed by one another”. This is not saying those who erred in the Church should not be disciplined, no. But where is love in the process of our activities as it affects those who erred and those expected to restore.

Can the members confess that they do enjoy love from the leaders as well as other members of the Church? Can all our Ministers in our districts and assemblies say with confidence that they are relating in love and unity? If love is not in full demonstration, let us not make any unnecessary excuse, let us seek for it and ask the Holy Spirit to baptize us once again. We need love!

LET US PRAY

1.    We are sober today and unhappy that love is not in its rightful place among us again, please forgive us.

2.    In whatever way that we and our leaders have failed to demonstrate love, please be merciful unto us.

3.    We come to You today without excuse, that we are destitute of love, oh blessed Holy Spirit, baptize us with Your love.

4.    We want to be like God as embodiment of love, dear Lord, fill us with the spirit and power of love in Jesus’ name.

5.   Perform Your operation in our lives and remove every bit of hatred element from our hearts oh God.

6.    Dear father, make me an instrument of love to demonstrate the agape love to the Church and the World.

7.  Make GOFAMINT as a Church an emblem of love and make our assemblies love arena. Let love be visible in our midst.

8. We pray today for every family, especially couples who are destitute of love, overwhelm them with the anointing of love oh dear father in Jesus’ name.

9.  In whatever way some people in our midst have not been considerate in administering discipline, to the detriment of the welfare of those disciplined, intervene and remedy the situation, Lord.

10.  Whoever that might have been brutalized or felt offended through miscalculated judgment, heal and restore them oh Lord.

11.  Help our leaders at different levels of the Church to maintain standard and balanced it with compassion in their ministrations, Oh Lord.

12.  Help our leaders at every level of the Church to be models of love within themselves as ministers and with their members.

13.  Gal. 6:1-3: Grant unto our disciplinary committee at every level of the Church to handle every case with the spirit and mind of God.

14.  Holy Spirit of love, cover us all and fill our lives and Churches totally. Help us to know that we miss nothing when we love and gain nothing when we hate others in Jesus name.

Syrian Peace Talks: UN Secretary-General Formally Invites Iran

The United Nations has formally invited Iran to join this week's long-awaited Syrian peace talks in Switzerland.  told reporters Sunday that he believes Iran "needs to be part of the solution in Syria."

He said Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has assured him that Iran understands the basis of the talks, which are set to begin Wednesday in Montreux before shifting to Geneva.

" and I agreed that the goal of the negotiations is to establish by mutual consent a transitional governing body with full objective powers. It was on that basis that Foreign Minister Zarif pledged that Iran would play a positive and constructive role in Montreux."
The goal of establishing a transitional government was laid out at a 2012 international peace conference.

Iran has long rejected that declaration because a transitional authority would likely exclude President Bashar al-Assad, who is a major Iranian ally.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States remains "deeply concerned" about Iran's support of Mr. Assad's government, and that Iran must publicly accept the peace conference's goals or be uninvited from the talks.

Russia, another Syrian ally, has called for Iran to be a part of the negotiations.

Mr. Ban also has invited nine other nations that have an interest in the Syrian civil war to join the talks. He says their presence would be an important show of solidarity.

The U.N. chief also welcomed the main opposition group's decision to attend.

Syria says the issue of Mr. Assad giving up power is not up for discussion, so few experts expect the talks will reach this goal. 

But they say they do hope the discussions will result in increased humanitarian access and local cease-fires to make life easier for Syrian civilians.

How Boko Haram Prevents 9,000 Students From Graduating

No fewer than 9,000 final year Arabic language students in various higher institutions of learning have not been able to graduate in the last two years as Boko Haram insurgency prevents them from going to take a vital acculturation test at the Nigerian Arabic Village in Gambour-Ngala,  officials said.

It is part of an academic pre-requisite for all students of Arabic languages in any higher institution of learning to attend a mandatory acculturation exercise at the Arabic village Ngala for one year in the case of university undergraduates and a semester for students of Colleges of education, before they are awarded their desired certificate.

The Nigerian Arabic Village being the second language village established together with the Nigerian French village in Badagry is located in Ngala, a locality that is presently threatened by the Boko Haram insurgency.

According to the new chairman of the governing board of the school, Mallam Mohammed Sani Idris Al-Bulaturee, who made this know to newsmen yesterday though the security situation has improved now, the school had suffered a set back of not having a whole  academic session.

Leadership

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Monday 20 January 2014 "ATTRIBUTES OF GOAL GETTERS"

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Monday 20 January 2014 "ATTRIBUTES OF GOAL GETTERS"

Memory Verse: Proverbs 22:29 :  Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.


Read: 1 Samuel 17:20-33

20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 
21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. 

22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 

23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. 

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 

25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. 

26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 

27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 

28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 

29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? 

30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. 

32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 

33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.


Message

The children of Israel were intimidated for forty days by Goliath. David came to the scene and made enquiries about what would be done to whosoever defeated the giant. The reply he got fascinated him and straightaway, he set for himself the goal of defeating the giant. 
To David, nothing could stop him from being the king’s son-in-law. When Eliab, David’s brother heard about his intention, he rebuked him. Eliab was angry with David because he was jealous. He was jealous because David had been anointed as king instead of him earlier on. 

Goal getters would not be deterred by any act of jealousy. What did David do to reach his goal? He ignored Eliab. Anyone who wants to reach his or her goal must not be distracted by envious criticism. If your goal is to work for God, do not listen to what anybody may be saying. 

Focus your attention on the Almighty God and do not be mindful of the scornful (Psalm 1:1). You have to press on if you want to reach your goal. There will be those who may want to slow you down but you have to push them out of the way and keep doing what you know God wants you to do. This is one way to reach your goal.

There are many lessons in the Bible reading of today for those who aspire to achieve the set goals of their life. It is not how long but how well. Within a short period of getting to the battlefield, David was already standing before the king! The Bible in Proverbs 22:29 says,

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”

If David had not been a diligent person, when his brother rebuked him, he would never have gotten to King Saul; he would have been discouraged. It took diligence for David to run towards the battle when the giant rose to crush him to death. The Bible in 1 Samuel 17:48 says:

“And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.”

The rest was history for Goliath when the smooth stone from the sling of David sank into his forehead. As if that was not enough, when Goliath fell, the Bible says that David still ran and stood upon the Philistine, took the sword of the giant all by himself and cut off his head. David was diligent enough to feel the pulse of the Philistine to know that he was still breathing. He then diligently completed the assignment. I pray that as you focus on God with diligence and with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will reach your goal in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:

Father, please remove all obstacles hindering me from reaching my goal, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 THESSALONIANS 1 - 4 and PSALM 19:7-14

ANTI-GAYNIGERIAN GAYS TO PROTEST IN ABUJA

Nigerian gays and lesbians, under the aegis of ‘The Right Defense’, are daring President Goodluck Jonathan, and would soon stage a demonstration in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, they said in a statement on Saturday.

The protest is against the anti-gay law signed by the president on January, 7.

They added to the statement the masked pictures of themselves noting they were protesting against an “undemocratic and unlawful discrimination” of gays and lesbians and trans-genders in the country.

The demonstration in Abuja, they said, has become necessary to condemn what they call “an increase in threats against fundamental human rights of certain persons including LGBT in the country.”

According to the group, they also want to challenge the existence of the Nigeria human rights body, the National Human Right Commission “for its lack of integrity and principle in the fight against discrimination and violation of individual rights.”

The group said many Nigerians have in the past fled the country due to threats to life and harassment in their communities. Those who have fled include Alimi Bisi, Philip Temidayo Adabayo, Desmond Patric, Nkechi Ugo, Lara Abiodun Akinniyi, Simeon Demola Adesanmi, Penu K. Z.

“The planning for the unviolent rally is to avert the continuous attacking of the unarmed citizens and the unlawful and arbitrary arrest of wanted individuals,” the group said.

Explosion Rocks Pakistani Military Compound, Army says 28 dead after suspected miltants target vehicle carrying paramilitary troops in Bannu region

A bomb blast has ripped through a vehicle carrying security forces inside a Pakistani army compound in the country's volatile north-western region, killing 20 people, most of them paramilitary troops, and wounding 30 more, a security official said..

The Frontier Corps unit was moving from the compound in Bannu to Razmak in the volatile North Waziristan tribal region when a bomb planted inside the vehicle exploded, the official said, requesting that he not be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the news media. The official said a road curfew was in place on Sunday to secure the transportation of troops to and from the tribal region, where military convoys have been hit by roadside bombings and ambushes.

The troops, the official said, were to be ferried in an unmarked vehicle. “The vehicle was rented from a local bazaar. We have a shortage of vehicles,” the official said. “Most probably, the bomb was already planted inside the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle has also been killed.”

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella organization representing Pakistani militant groups, has taken responsibility for the bombing.

A government official who also asked not to be identified said that paramilitary and other security forces routinely rented unmarked vehicles as a cover to hide the identity of the passengers.

There has been a spike in terrorist attacks after a brief lull following the death in a drone strike of a militant commander, Hakimullah Mehsud, in November. A security official said there had been 42 attacks this month in the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including the Sunday bombing.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government is seeking a peace dialogue with militant groups in the tribal region, but the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has resisted, saying it will not talk to a government subservient to the United States.

The militant group ruled out peace talks with the government after an American drone killed the leader of the organisation, Hakimullah Mehsud, on 1 November although even before that many analysts had little faith the negotiations would be successful. 

Previous peace talks have quickly fallen apart, and many analysts say such negotiations are generally used by the militants to regroup for future fighting.

The militants accused Pakistan of helping the US target Mehsud. Islamabad vehemently denied the allegation and accused Washington of sabotaging its attempt to strike a deal with the Taliban to end years of violence.

The militant group vowed to step up its attacks against the government and the military, and Mehsud's replacement, Mullah Fazlullah, is not seen as a supporter of peace.

Fazlullah was the leader of the Pakistani Taliban in the north-west Swat valley and fled to Afghanistan after the army launched an offensive there in 2009. He is known as a particularly ruthless militant who planned the attempted assassination of teenage activist Malala Yousafzai in 2012.

Jonathan may settle for Idris Umar as Tukur’s successor

As several blocks within the troubled Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, jostle for the control of the party through the appointment of a new chairman, indications emerged yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan might have settled for the Minister of Transport, Idris Umar.

Incidentally, Umar, an unassuming but active politician from Gombe State, is the same candidate that the President’s wife, Patience and the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, are soliciting support for to emerge as the new National Chairman of the party.

A close source to the Presidency told Saturday Vanguard that the President was favourably disposed to supporting the emergence of Umar, who had been showing what it called ‘absolute loyalty’ and support to the administration since coming on board as a minister.

The source said, “It is clear that the post will be given to Umar because of the fact that the President has already given a nod to his candidature.

“Barring any change in the way things are, Umar will be announced as the new Chairman of the PDP,” the source, who pleaded anonymity, said.

It was gathered in Abuja yesterday that in a bid to pave the way for Umar to move into the new role, he might be dropped in an impending cabinet reshuffle to be announced by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The President  had even given a hint of tinkering with his cabinet when he told a delegation of PDP stakeholders from the North-West that the list of new ministers to be appointed by him would be forwarded to the National Assembly, which is expected to resume from their Christmas and New Year break next week.

Although it was not clear, who would replace Umar in the event of his being dropped in order to take up the new challenge, a source said that Jonathan was planning a major cabinet reshuffle that might sweep away the jobs of no fewer than 25 ministers.

The purge, it was learnt, was to pave the way for the emergence of ‘politically relevant’ ministers, who would be able to deliver the needed support for Jonathan to win his second term election and stay till 2019.

Findings by Saturday Vanguard showed that in a bid to counter the G5 governors and win election in those states, Jonathan had pencilled down the names of top PDP politicians who can match the governors politically.

A source close to the Presidency pointed out that in Rivers State for instance, two former Deputy Speakers, Austin Opara and Chibudum Nwuche, were being considered for ministerial appointment so as to be able to tackle Amaechi and win the state for PDP.

Amaechi was among the five PDP governors, who recently defected to the APC. The governors vowed on Thursday not to return to the PDP even with the removal of Bamanga Tukur, insisting that the virus of impunity and lawlessness had affected their former party.

In Niger State, the name of the former governor of the state, A.Y.Kure, who is believed to still enjoy  a strong followership in the state might also emerge as a minister in the new cabinet being put together by Jonathan. The move is to ensure that Kure wins support for Jonathan in 2015 should the outgoing governor, Babangida Aliyu, who is torn between the PDP and APC, finally ditches his party.

The Presidency has also pencilled down the names of Boni Haruna, former Adamawa State Governor, as a potential minister in his cabinet so as to checkmate Governor Murtala Nyako, who has already moved over to the APC.

The same scenario is also playing out in Kano, where the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’aba is being considered as a minister from the state so as to counter the influence of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is not politically friendly with Jonathan.

By SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North Vanguard