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I stayed 40days without food – Chibok Girl

I stayed 40days without food – Chibok Girl

In thanks giving service organized for the 21 girls released by the Boko haram one of the girls that spoke on behalf of the other girls said they are grateful to God for the miracle of their release.

 “I want to thank God for how we are alive today. I did not expect that I will see a day like this. A bomb was thrown close to me, I was seating under a tree but God spared my life. We have stayed for one month 10 days without food but we did not die, this we give God thanks.”

Photo from Dr. Emman Shehu Facebook wall.

The girl who spoke in Hausa was on Channel Television in the coverage of the thanksgiving service.

There was so much excitement by parents and relatives of the retuned girls. Emotions were high as most of the parents broke down in tears to express their joy and excitement for seeing their children freed at last. Meanwhile more than 100 other girls are still in captivity; the government assured the parents and Nigerians that they are working to ensure the release of the rest of the girls.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT, INTEGRITY AND CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT, INTEGRITY AND CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME

By Felix samari

I have no doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari has good intentions for Nigeria. I believe he desires that things were better than it is today. I am also sure that many Nigerians believe in him. With this any leader can succeed but, not until he has a team.

When a plane is high jacked the pilot’s knowledge is used against himself. This is seemingly the Nigerian situation. President Buhari’s current struggle seems to be about how he can put his house in order and this is taking Nigeria farther into the woods, causing the country more shame and embarrassment.

There are those who think copying other people’s work without acknowledgement or citation is nothing abnormal or illegal. It is very easy to find a professor who has copied and copied others’ work and has earned himself a big title of a “professor”. There are great works of arts stolen and personalized by the lazy smart guys, music and songs have been freely copied. This is a disposition that probably started by simply copying friend’s assignment and the fearless bootlegging of an entire project from a different University or Institution. I recall a case during my undergraduate days; some students were accused of lifting assignments done by others. When the Class-Rep collected the assignments they will take it from him, pick the best written and copy.

Today we are faced with a case of our dear President delivering a plagiarized speech. Poor Mr. President, he did not know that such a thing can be mentioned against him. I am glad that he understands the implication of what happened that is why he quickly apologies.

You see, when APC led government continue to make Nigerians feel that the devil left with the PDP I become concerned because I know that for many I personally know who are fans of APC have no integrity at all.

Associated Press (AP) an internationally renowned news source said, “Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari apologized Saturday for plagiarizing President Barack Obama's 2008 victory speech and said he will punish those responsible.” Now my concern is who must have employed these guys that would boldly plagiarize a popular speech without a premonition that it will be discovered? Is it that the president has not been able to find hardworking, disciplined and intelligent people that would never do such a thing? Can’t the presidency find to employed men of character and integrity? Why did the APC choose to rubbish Nigerian image by employing men who have not been purged of this kind of criminal tendencies? Or could it be that they do not know that plagiarism was a crime?

I think it is not about the learning of the speech writers of Mr. President, it is about their character. They may be worthy in learning but unworthy in character. One of the reasons why people resort to copying others is laziness. And lazy people can never be good actor of positive change.

Plagiarism saga of the “Change Begins with Me” Speech is a clear indication that the project was a failure even before it started. I am not pessimistic, I believe in the good of my country that is why I am writing this. Mr. President should be told that those who can cause this long needed change are dispersed and left out because they do not know a big man who will recommend them for such a job. Close relations of “bigmen” are getting the jobs and trash is going round in the country. This is how it has been. It has not change, when people assume office they employ their cronies and empower their relatives. Little or no consideration is given to merit and proficiency.

Tell me, how do you expect someone who has never worked hard under the burning sun of Nigeria (real world situation) but was pampered at Pampers or cuddled at Coronas, packaged and sent on a first class flight to study abroad with all forms of indulgence to want to write a creative speech that will be due to deliver in the morning? This is the Nigeria we have.

As much as it is expected that Mr. President delivered an impactful speech on a day like September 8, it would have been wonderful if he poured his heart and his desire to see change in the lives of Nigerians and in Nigeria. Such time was not supposed to be for orotundity and grammatical exercise. If Mr. President really desire to see that we have real change, then he should say it has he is feeling it.

If this government must succeed in the fight against any corruption, then integrity must be ensured. If you really love your country you must do everything within your power to ensure that you bring her respect and honor. No one with true sense of patriotism will stoop so low to copy a speech for his president. Mr. President should go ahead and punish anyone that is responsible for such irresponsibility. Let the person(s) be made to face the public embarrassment that this has caused the President and the people of Nigeria.

If it is true that #ChangeBeginsWithMe let us all see that it is no lip service.    

Kodomun massacre: Bwatiye Community calls for thorough investigation

Photo Source: TGNews

Kodomun massacre: Bwatiye Community calls for thorough investigation
The people of Bwatiye under their international body Pene Da Bwatiye called on the government and the international community to address the continuous killings of their people in Gerei and Demsa local government areas of Adamawa State. This called was made officially in a press conference convened by the association in Yola on Friday 6^th August, 2016. The President of the Association Prince Hezron A. Fada read the statement to the media.
The press statement which was tilled  “Press Conference Convened By Pene Da Bwatiye On The Invasion And Wanton Destruction Of Lives And Properties At Kodomun Town In Demsa Local Government Area By Fulani Herdsmen And Their Hired Mercenaries Between Friday 29th July, 2016 To Monday 1st August, 2016” was delivery in a solemn mode as the people expressed their disappointment in the government’s security agencies inability to protect her citizens. The president started by saying, “It is with a heavy heart that the Bwatiye Community represented by our umbrella organization, PENE DA BWATIYE wish to address you today. We draw attention to the massive destruction of the rural town of Kodomun in Demsa Local Government of Adamawa State and the brutal cold blooded murder of twenty five (25) persons comprising our revered elders, young and middle aged men, women and children. As we address you today, the entire population of about 2,500 inhabitants are now homeless and scattered in towns and villages as Internally Displaced Persons.”
The press statement went on to restate how in the past similar killings has taken place among the Bwatiye communities and how the matter was not well addressed.
“Please recall that from January to July this year, similar mass killings took place in the Bwatiye villages of Koh, Goron, Ndikajam, Tabongo, No-Ine Fawaire and Jimoh in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State where seventy two (72) deaths were recorded including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Vunoklang, a suburb of the Jimeta metropolis. These killings were perpetrated by suspected Fulani Herdsmen and their hired mercenaries. Upto this time, no one, to the best of our knowledge has been questioned or sanctioned by the authorities over the incidence and no compensation to the victims.
As painful as the destruction and looting of property and the brutal killings of our defenseless people and the removal of some vital parts of their bodies for ritual purposes have been, we have managed with difficulty, to implore our communities to refrain from taking the law into their own hands. While we continue to look up to the State Government for justice and protection, unfortunately, government failed in this regard. We find this failure of government unacceptable, as it is equally becoming more challenging to restrain our people from rising up to their own self-defense by every possible means against armed Fulani herdsmen that are using assault rifles and hard core military weapons, as did in Koh, Ndikajam, No-Ine, Tabongo, Goron, Fawaire and Jimoh in Girei Local Government Area.”
 The Organization stated that the killings seemingly can continue if the government has not taken a decisive action to dealing with it. And the association particularly pointed out the action the police Commissioner of Adamawa State who according the statement downplayed the massacre by claiming that no life was lost in the incident. “The impunity of these invaders will not stop unless the government ceases to treat them with kid gloves. We are gratified that the president of the Federal republic of Nigeria, President Muhamamdu Buhari has at last directed the security agents to disarm them. However, we wait to see what will happen, for with the likes of commissioner of Police of Adamawa State as law enforcement officers, we will be faced with either in action or complicity. You will recall that this Commissioner of Police on Tuesday 2nd August, 2016 said no life was lost in the invasion on Kodomun and that he did not allow his men to intervene in the attack because according to the Commissioner of Police, this was a Communal clash and to do so, would appear to be taking sides. We feel that this man is not fit for Command. He should be removed immediately by the Inspector General of Police.
In light of the foregoing, we unequivocally affirm that it is not a coincidence that the brunt of these murderous attacks have been directed mainly at the ethnic nationalities and other well-meaning citizens who are opposed to this diabolic agenda.”
Following the records of similar occurrences in Adamawa in the past and some parts of Nigeria where the so-called Fulani Headsmen have killed innocent citizens the Association mentioned that it the activities is not unplanned or reactionary.
“The activities of these evil men are not limited to the Bwatiye alone, it is rather a carefully calculated and orchestrated agenda by these dangerous external Fulani Marauders in collaboration with their local herdsmen and sponsors to lay state, sack and take over the fertile agricultural lands of the indigenous groups.
First they struck in Dumne and massacred several Yungur people. In 2012, they invaded Lamurde LGA and touched several of the Sobo settlements through a highly sophisticated mercenary force whose advance was only checked through the late intervention of a combined team of police and military troops.
Between 2010- 2014, through the diabolic Boko Haram sect, these blood thirsty organizations laid waste to the largest concentration of ethnic nationalities in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States destabilizing in the process the Marghi, Higgi, Fali, Gude, Janyi, Kilba, Hona, Lala, Bura, Ga’anda, Mboi, to name a few. The strategy they employed is a simple one isolate the different ethnic nationalities and strike them at will. They started this in Plateau State, then moved to Nasarawa and Benue States. They have laid siege to Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo, Enugu, Delta, Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara, Nasarawa States etc. This is therefore, a wake-up call on all and sundry to stand up and fight this common evil by all well-meaning and peace loving Nigerians.”
The Bwatiye therefore demanded that the government immediately get into action and investigate thoroughly the incidences including the actions and inactions of the government security agencies.
“That, as a matter of priority and urgency, government should immediately come to the aid of the victims of the Kodomun massacre through the provision of relief materials. Government should also rehabilitate and settle the affected community as houses and property have been destroyed and they could hardly afford to provide shelter for themselves.
We as a people have a well known attribute of love for peace and good communal life with all people who seek sojourn in Bwatiye land. We would cooperate with Government in finding ways to ensure that justice is done through the CONSTITUTION OF HIGH POWERED JUDICIAL PANEL OF ENQUIRY with task to ascertain the true position of the immediate and remote causes of all these deadly attacks on innocent and defenceless people, in all cases by surprise in their sleep, on their farms or as in the case of Kodomun as the people gathered to bury their dead. We call on the government of Adamawa State, His Excellency Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla to take this important step to provide a permanent settlement to the raids and feuds in the interest of peace in Adamawa State.
We assume government is aware that unless culprits are brought to book, we run the danger of communities resorting to the dreadful steps of securing justice against the tenets of civilized society. The danger is that as no section of the citizenry or ethnic group has a monopoly on violence, other groups will take measures to protect themselves and their property. The result is going to be chaos and disorder in the country beyond the scope of government to control, should it desire to do so at this stage, we call on the government to check this dangerous drift to anarchy.
Consequently and more importantly, we demand the immediate disarming of Fulani Herdsmen and immediate proactive steps towards restoring amicable farmers / grazers relationship for the benefit of peace and harmony in Adamawa State.
In conclusion, PENE DA BWATIYE WORLDWIDE here again calls loudly to all Bwatiye sons and daughters and other ethnic nationalities to inspite of our distress, to keep the faith in the Federal and State Governments, to remain law abiding, respecting all constituted and responsible authority.
We appreciate you the media and look forward to your reports.”  
Prince Hezron A. Fada, National President, Pene Da Bwatiye. Signed the press statement on behalf of the Bwatiye Worldwide.
Nigeria in 2016 has been through a lot in the hands of the headsmen in so many communities across the country. This have been a matter of concern to many Nigerians as these headers usually snick into the communities of their victims in large numbers with sophisticated weapons killing, destroying and looting.

Robbers attacked Rev Dr. Caleb Ahima

Robbers attacked Rev Dr. Caleb Ahima The President of Christian Reform Church of Nigeria CRCN Rev. Dr. Caleb Ahima was waylaid by robbers along Kaduna-Akwanga way on the 23th May, 2016 while returning from a TEKAN/ECWA blog meeting in Kaduna. The TEKAN/ECWA meeting was rescheduled to review the nomination of blog candidate who will be presented to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) President election coming up later in June. The CRCN president was with his wife and driver in the journey when the robbers stopped them and collected his car and all that is belonging to him. They were left in the bush until his colleague (the President of Evangelical Reform Church of Christ (ERCC) Rev. Dr. Madibo) who was coming from behind came along and found him. TEKAN/ECWA group had had long disagreement on an election which was hurriedly conducted to choose a candidate for the CAN leadership. The election which was said to have been won by Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Gado of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA). The election was not accepted by TEKAN because the 15 member church group said their president who is also the Leader of the blog was in captivity in the hands of Kidnappers when the said election was conducted, therefore it was not fair to conduct an election talk-less to declare a winner. The blog rescheduled a meeting in Kaduna on 23th of May to be able to resolve the decision of who will represent TEKAN/ECWA in the CAN election, the meeting ended in another deadlock due to their inability to agree. Meanwhile, the TEKAN has substituted their candidate with Rev. Dr. Caleb Ahima. The initial candidate filed was Rev. Dr. Jerry Madibbo who decided to back out his candidacy due to ill health. Dr Madibbo had a serious attack after the first election in Jos he was hospitalized and placed on oxygen, he was in the hospital for two weeks. The TEKAN/ECWA blog is hoping to pick the CAN presidency for the first time but the blog has failed to agree. Since the process started the TEKAN group has suffered several calamities. The President of TEKAN was kidnapped along other pastors and one of the pastors Rev Anto Iliya died in the custody of the captors. It followed by the illness of Dr Jerry Madibbo and now the substituted candidate have been attacked and his car and other valuables taken away. The TEKAN General Secretary Rev Moses Ebuga told our reporter that the TEKAN is pained by all that has happened and they call on the government security agencies to ensure that the robbers are brought to book. He also showed his concern over what is going in the blog. He expressed his concern over the unity of the body of Christ especially in northern Nigeria.

Rev Dr. Akanji calls for true stewardship in church

Rev Dr. Akanji calls for true stewardship in church

The President of the FCT Baptist Conference Rev Israel Akanji who is also the CAN Chairman FCT and Pastor in Charge of the First Baptist Church Garki Abuja called on church workers to be committed in their service to God as it is very rewarding. He made this call at the Deacons Ordination, Church dedication and fundraising of the Maranatha Baptist Church Bukuru Jos on the 30th April, 2016. Rev Akanji who was the Guest Speaker at the programme read from the book of Mark chapter 6 verses 14-29; he said the ability for a young girl to dance well made her earn a gift of her heart desire. According to him, though it was unfortunate that the young girl could not utilize the opportunity to ask for whatever that Herod would offer but she asked for the head of John the Baptist to satisfy her mother’s hatred for the servant of God. Rev Akanji said, “People with wickedness in their heart can never make the right choices.” According to the preacher, the church is looking for men and women who will dance well in the house of God to bring glory to the name of God. “You don’t just go to dance before the king you have to be perfected.” He charged the Deacons to be people that are willing to learn and improve themselves in the service of God. He said before the call and their ordination they were all in their corners but have been brought to the centre stage for everyone to see. “What you have learned over the years in secret will begin to grow fruits. You must know yourselves to be better than you used to be. You have to carry each other along and be a good team player, you must be eager to lift up others. Rev Akanji told the congregation his life story to encourage the Deacons. He said as a child he had to content with a lot of disappointments because his father was working for God so they could not afford some luxuries of life. But because the father paid the price, he has been so blessed today. “Continue to dance for the Lord; your children will thank God for you. God will not forget the labour of his faithful ones.” The Deacons ordained are Dn. Dan Mamman, Dns Ruth Gbemisola Ogunbiyi, Dn. Jmaes Olayiwola Adisa, Dns. Grace Olayemi Babalola, and Dn. Daniel Lamido Jibro.

kidnapped Church leaders realeased

The President of TEKAN Rev Dr Emmanuel Nzigggau and Retired Rev Yakubu Dzarma have returned home in Kaduna after sending 10 days in the hands of kidnappers. But Rev Anto Iliya died while in the custody of the kidnappers.
The church leaders where kidnapped at the church site on Monday 20th March 2016 and regained fredoom on 30th March. The General secretary of TEKAN Rev Moses Ebuga told our reporter that the church received the sad news of the dead of one of the pastors who died in the bush. He also thanked God that the rest of the kidnapped have been reunited with the love ones. He told the Church day the two elders were undergoing medical checkup.
Rev Dr Emmanuel is aslo the kidnappers President of HEKAN.