Following the withdrawal of the security details attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, 60 All Progressives Congress members of the House now move around with him to serve as security for the Speaker.
Tambuwal, Tinubu
SUNDAY PUNCH learnt the 60 Reps have been accompanying Tambuwal around Abuja to protect him against potentialsecurity threats.
The lawmakers do not only drive along with him in a motorcade, they also form ashield around Tambuwal to protect him.
Tambuwal had, on Tuesday in Abuja formally defected from the PeoplesDemocratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, following weeks of speculation and intrigues.
One of the lawmakers providing shield for Tambuwal, Mr. Ahmad Ali, said, “We are covering him and we will continue to fight this illegality until it is quashed.
“We all went with him to the (Federal High) court today (Friday) to challenge the withdrawal of his security personnel.”
Ali, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Justice, said the members would do everything within their power to protect Tambuwal.
Tambuwal and the APC have since defended his defection, claiming that the PDP had factions, in addition to arguing that the courts have yet to resolve pending cases on defection before them.
It was also learnt that the speaker and his loyalists were working to ensure that the alleged plot by the Presidency and the PDP caucus to reconvene the House before December 3 is frustrated.
Tambuwal had adjourned the House till December 3 soon after he defected to the APC from the PDP on Tuesday last week, a decision that did not go down well with the Presidency and the PDP leadership.
The PDP caucus declined to comment on the alleged plot to reconvene the House before December 3.
When contacted, House Deputy Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, instead called for the restoration of Tambuwal’s security personnel.
There have been fears within the APC quarters that the Presidency and the PDP may be pushing for the reconvening for the members to pick a new speaker.
Tambuwal’s defection is being considered as not only an embarrassment to the party, most party loyalists see it as an affront which should not go unpunished.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered in Abuja, on Friday, that the national leadership of the PDP was at a loss over how best to compel its members of the House to face this challenge.
Leading members of the party hierarchy, who pleaded for anonymity for fear of retribution, confirmed the party’s dilemma.
They noted that the timing of the speaker’s defection made things difficult for the party because it happened at a time the party could not guarantee any of its members in the House an automatic ticket.
A member of the National Working a Committee of the party, who spoke with one of our correspondents also on the condition of anonymity, said they would rather support the Presidency in dealing with Tambuwal.
He said the party was already considering a scenario whereby some of its aggrieved members would return after the party’s primaries and pit their tents with Tambuwal if they lose out.
He said, “But we are also not resting on our oars. We will win more and lose few, we know how to deal with the situation.”
Asked to expatiate on how the party intends to deal with the situation, he said the party would go to court and challenge the defection and also work on the other members of the leadership of the House to see if they could muster enough courage to recall members of the House.
Another source said that the Federal Government and the party would not want Tambuwal to preside over the House during the debate on the 2015 budget.
Besides, he said the speaker could again use the opportunity to lambast President Goodluck Jonathan and the government for alleged poor implementation of the 2014 budget.
“You know he likes playing to the gallery. Even while he was with us in the PDP, he usually attacks the party and the Federal Government. The situation would be worse now that he has left us,” the source added.
It was also gathered that the party and the government was already working on Ihedioha with the hope of asking him to give a brief summary of the House finance.
The plan, it was gathered, was to refer the matter, if the books “are not clean enough,” to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission with a view of getting the speaker arrested.
It was also gathered that the party and the government was also considering how to frustrate his alleged governorship ambition in Sokoto State.
But up till Friday evening, the national leadership of the PDP claimed it was not aware of the withdrawal of the security details of Tambuwal.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja.
When told that the police boss had issued a statement to that effect, he said he had not read it.
Metuh said, “When did it happen? Today? I’m not aware. I have not read the statement anywhere and therefore I cannot comment on it.”
However, the opposition All Progressives Party is not resting on its oars and is preparing to do “battle” to protect the speaker.
The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lai Mohammed, said, “This level of impunity by the PDP-led administration will certainly not go unchallenged. I assure you.”
No fewer than 300 Nigerian soldiers fled to Cameroon when Boko Haram insurgents overran Mubi, the second largest city in Borno State from security forces on Wednesday, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
Soldiers in Borno fighting Boko Haram
Cameroonian military sources told our correspondent that Nigerian soldiers fled the north-eastern part of Nigeria, where the insurgency launched by the sect was raging, and crossed the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
The sources also said more Nigerian troops might have fled to other border towns in Cameroon after the Mubi attack. However, he added that their number had yet to be ascertained.
SUNDAY PUNCH also learnt that the deserting Nigerian soldiers would be moved away from the border areas to more secure locations, where they would be disarmed, fed and eventually repatriated to Nigeria.
The insurgents had taken over Mararaba Hildi, some few kilometres to Mubi town, on Tuesday, prompting a mass exodus of residents.
Hundreds of soldiers were said to have fled Mubi, which hosts two universities, as insurgents made advances to take over the town on Wednesday.
Speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday under the condition of anonymity, a senior Cameroonian military officer involved in the provision of welfare materials to the deserters, said, “They (Nigerian soldiers) are mostly around Boucla village in Bourha sub-division.
“So far, we can estimate the number of arrivals to be at about 300. These are the ones who arrived in uniform but we know that there are several others who shed their uniforms for civilian attires.”
The Mubi rout also forced thousands of Nigerian civilians to hit border villages in Cameroon in Benoue and Mayo Louti Divisions, and around Gachiga town.
It was, however, learnt that Cameroonian government was worried about the increasing number of refugees and where to keep them.
The relocation of Nigerian refugees was said to have become necessary as insurgents had previously attacked locations where fleeing Nigerian soldiers were housed.
Protests by indigenes of the border towns over attacks on the camps were said to have forced the Cameroonian government to adopt a policy of moving deserters far away from the border and out of the reach of Boko Haram.
It was further learnt that Cameroon had begun screening of deserters and refugees to prevent infiltration by insurgents.
“This time around, we are conducting a more thorough screening to avoid letting in Boko Haram infiltrators, who are known to inhabit the ranks of the Nigerian military,” an official of the Cameroonian government had told our correspondent in confidence.
Another Cameroonian military officer, who insisted on anonymity, expressed fears over possible infiltration of the country’s system through the refugee camps. He declined to give further details on how the screening was being conducted.
He said, “Taking them in is not something to make noise about. You and I know that we are in a military situation here. This is a war zone with Boko Haram spies crawling all over the place.
“The number we take and where we take them are obviously a military intelligence affair and nobody can give you that information, even if you were to approach the authorities in Yaounde.”
In a related development, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that Boko Haram had been cultivating and recruiting local fighters among Cameroonian youths.
The sect is operating cells that have been in operation in Cameroon for over three years, recruiting through what a source described as “financial enticement and intimidation.”
Community leaders in the Far North region says thousands of Cameroonian youths had joined the ranks of Boko Haram since the beginning of the year.
“These are mostly young unemployed Cameroonians lured by handsome financial proposals by Boko Haram point men. Other Boko Haram sleeper cells are run by senior Islamists intimidated into doing the bidding of the sect,” one of the traditional leaders in the area, who refused to have his name in print, told our correspondent.
Recruitment of youths by the sect is said to be gaining ground in Cameroon and other neighbouring countries, raising fears that the activities of the insurgents might spread to other parts of West-African sub-region.
The sect had abducted seven members of the Fournier family from France in Cameroon in 2013. They were later released after a huge amount of money was reportedly paid as ransom.
Senior military sources confirmed that some high-ranking Boko Haram members arrested in Cameroon were exchanged for the release of the wife of the Cameroonian Vice-Prime Minister, Ahmadou Ali, and 16 members of his family who were abducted in Kolofata on July 27, as well as 10 Chinese road workers abducted in Waza in April, 2014.
In another related development, top Cameroonian military officials have insisted there is a close cooperation between the Nigerian and Cameroonian armies.
Information on the total number of Boko Haram insurgents detained in Cameroon has been classified as military intelligence.
However, it was learnt that the Cameroonian military had invited their Nigerian counterparts to interrogate Boko Haram suspects, Abakar Ali alias Mustapha Umar, Mahamat Ali and Issiaka Guere, who were arrested on September 23, 2014.
Other suspected members of the sect in detention, who include Cameroonians, will be tried by a special military tribunal in Yaounde, Cameroon, it was learnt.
“We cannot tell you their numbers now because investigations are still going on. When the investigations will be completed, there is the possibility that some of the people being held now on suspicion of being members of Boko Haram might be found to be innocent.
“Others would surely be finally identified as Cameroonians. The decision as to the fate of those found to be foreigners will be taken after the conclusion of the investigations. But I must tell you that besides Cameroonians and Nigerians, there are also members of Boko Haram from other neighbouring countries, which names we cannot cite now”, an official involved in the investigation disclosed.
However, the Cameroonian authorities are said to be reluctant on the repatriation of suspected leaders of the sect in their detention, as they might return to the battlefield should they escape
When our correspondent contacted the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, for his reaction to the issue, he said he would not comment on it.
“I won’t comment on that,” he said.
In August, the Cameroonian Army Spokesman, Lt.-Col. Didier Badjek, had said Nigerian troops had fled to Cameroon after intense fighting with Boko Haram.
But Olukolade, had refuted the desertion claim, saying the soldiers merely strayed into Cameroon.
While Cameroonian authorities said over 700 Nigerian soldiers fled Boko Haram advances into Cameroon, Nigerian authorities had insisted that only 480 went into Cameroonian territory on “technical manoeuver.”
In recent times, Nigerian military have been battling with mutiny and have set up court martials to try soldiers who fled from battle.
On August 27, the military leadership arrested several soldiers, who deserted the army. The arrested soldiers came from different battalions.
A month after, the Defence Headquarters announced that another set of 60 soldiers would be arraigned before a General Court Martial by military authorities in Abuja on October 2 for mutiny. The soldiers allegedly committed mutiny on August 4, 2014 by refusing to join troops in Maiduguri for “an operation.”
Their arraignment which was to take place at the Sani Abacha Barracks in Abuja came as some of the 12 soldiers convicted on September 15, 2014 by the GCM notified the Court of Appeal of their intention to challenge their sentences.
The GCM headed by Brig. Gen. C. Okonkwo had sentenced 12 out of 18 soldiers found guilty of mutiny among other offences to death. Five of them were discharged and acquitted and one sentenced to 28 days’ imprisonment with hard labour and reprimand.
When last year Chief Anthony Anenih came to town with his declaration that the best thing to do in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, regarding its choice of a presidential candidate for the 2015 presidential election would be to grant incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan the Right of First Refusal, many frowned at the thought.
Tony Anenih
However, after just about a year since he made the statement, the party, rightly in its wisdom, has finally granted Jonathan the Right of First Refusal. But what does this all mean?
Common sense dictates that you do not change a winning team or a replace a winner.
The story of Jonathan’s final emergence as the sole candidate for the PDP needs telling here.
The caucus of the party met and decided without much fuss that its best option was to re-present the man who has transformed Nigeria beyond what people thought was possible when he mounted the saddle. Indeed, from the transport sector, to power, healthcare delivery, foreign relations, macro and micro economic development, Jonathan has almost always proved his critics wrong.
Therefore, at the caucus level, it was an easy deal relating with the postulations of the man that is known as the Leader. And because he is the Board of Trustee, BoT, Chairman, discussing the issue at that level did not also present any serious challenge.
Therefore, when at the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the party, the unanimity of opinion was that President Jonathan should be granted the Right of First Refusal, it was more like a prophecy by the leader coming to pass.
But the party went a useful step further. The party also granted its state governors who were entitled to a second term of office the same Right.
Putting these in context, it would be appreciated that what an elder sees while sitting, a young person would not see even when standing on a tree top.
This would not be the first time that Anenih’s persona would dominate.
During the battle to secure the PDP presidential ticket in 1999, Anenih it was who played the role of a workman at the convention ground in Jos, Plateau State.
At the height of the Obasanjo/Atiku face off between 2002 and 2003 preceding the presidential primary, it was Anenih who played the role of a stabilizing figure in the pursuit of Obasanjo’s ticket for a second term.
Even last in 2010/2011 when the debate raged as to the appropriateness of Jonathan’s candidacy for the presidential election of the latter year, it was Anenih who brought out documentation as to who did what, when, where and how.
While some people argued that the ticket should be reserved for the North based on a zoning arrangement in the PDP, Anenih let it be known that since 1999 when the party once allegedly reserved the spot for the South, some people from the North paid for the presidential form and went ahead to contest against Obasanjo both in 1999 and 2003.
And in 2007, when power was expected to revert to the North, some people from the South contested against Umar Musa Yar’Adua too.
Now that Jonathan has picked his expression of interest form and the form for the presidential ticket, Nigerians await what next would come from the oracle of Uromi.
The military, yesterday, said it had stepped up “necessary deployment of troops and equipment to reverse all recent violation and breach of security by terrorists and criminals operating in parts of the country.”
Nigerian soldiers on armour tank seized from Boko Haram in Konduga
In a statement on DHQ website, it claimed “the highly coordinated air bombardment is already yielding required results in the mission to repel the unwarranted attacks on citizens especially in Adamawa and Borno States as land forces are also conducting mopping up operations to apprehend retreating terrorists and facilitate restoration of normalcy in some of the affected communities”.
It explained that the content of the video released by Boko Haram on Friday was being studied, promising to release further information on subsequent position on the issues as appropriate in due course.
“The military will continue to accord due recognition to any ongoing mediatory efforts towards bringing our girls home and terminating the insecurity in parts of the country. Citizens are assured that the military and security agencies remain committed and optimistic for positive outcome of ongoing operations”, the DHQ said.
In a related development, Sunday Vanguard learnt, at the weekend, that disagreement in the three blocs within the Boko Haram leadership over the release of 219 Chibok girls and cooperation with the Federal Government to end insurgency may have been responsible for the renewed attacks in parts of the North-East.
It was learnt that while two blocs-the political wing and the Jama’atul Ahlus Sunna Lid Da’awatis Jihad, JAS – had agreed to enter into peace deal with the Federal Government and free the girls, the last bloc, loyal to Shekau and Ansaru, insisted on the arrest and prosecution of a former governor, whom they committed crimes against their members.
A security expert close to the groups involved in the negotiations said that the faction, which has many commanders and fighters, are unhappy with government for not arresting and prosecuting the said top politician but treating him as if he is above the law of the country.
The source said that the Boko Haram leadership was disappointed that government was rather wining and dining with the politician, who also has close links with some Nigerian neighbours while trying to make peace with them.
“Let me tell you the truth, some of the JAS and the political wing of Boko Haram had agreed to make peace with the Federal Government and release the Chibok girls to their parents but when those opposed to them learnt of it, they threatened to execute the commanders if they enter into any negotiation with the government,” the source said.
“The renewed violence unleashed on the country today is a reaction of Boko Haram faction opposed to those trying to seal a peace deal with the government in Chad.
The wife of a Nigerian pastor, Oritsejafor, Helen Oritsejafor, who was in a arms deal saga lately has spoken on the issue of the arms deal and how surprised the pastor was, seeing the comments and statement from Nigerians.
Ayo oritsejafor
In an interview with vanguard correspondent, she also disclosed that using the pastor’s aircraft was like a way of tarnishing his image knowing that he speaks against the regular killing of Christians in the North. Mrs Oritsejafor expressed sadness that the Christians in the North love and respect her husband compare to the way the Southerners look at him.
Below is the excerpt:
Your husband, the CAN president, has received a lot of bashing lately. How do you react?
For us southerners, we might not really appreciate what Papa Ayo Oritsejafor is doing and the role he is playing in Christianity in Nigeria because we are not directly affected by the activities of the terrorist group, Boko Haram. Christians in the North are the ones experiencing it, they are the ones losing fathers and mothers, children; being dislocated.
They are the ones who see people’s throats being cut off as chickens; their houses being burnt by petrol bombs and their young ones both boys and girls being abducted on daily basis. They value him so much. They know that whatever he is going through today is because of them. It was actually them who came to persuade him to run for CAN presidency.
The first time they came, he used wisdom for them and said he would think about it. They came back again and kept coming because they know who he is. He is a good man. If there is anything I know my husband to be is that he is a good man to a fault, and sometimes I really feel for him. Unfortunately, the society of nowadays does not value a man like this especially those of us in the South. He is much respected in the North.
How did the news of his jet’s involvement in the $9.3m money for arms saga hit you?
I was really surprised. I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t know our plane was out of the country because we leased it out to a company in Abuja so that we will be able to utilize whatever comes out of the deal for the maintenance of the plane because it is quite expensive.
So we didn’t know. We read and heard comments some people made concerning it, unknown to us that our plane was actually involved. We were really surprised just like many other people.
In all honesty, by the time we got to know that it was Papa’s plane, we knew that enemies were trying to play some prank. It is natural because he is a symbol of Christianity in Nigeria. If anyone wants to move against Christianity in Nigeria, it would be easier for the one to go after the symbol. The only thing is I wasn’t expecting people to get really dirty as they did.
The whole episode appeared as if somebody was out for some sinister joke…
It’s quite obvious. Take for instance, why was it that it was Papa’s plane that would be hired? How would it be that it would be his plane of all planes in Nigeria that they needed for that mission? It’s still very baffling. Number two, it became obvious that it was orchestrated and the whole essence of it is to see how they can give him a name God has not given to him, and all because he has been a very outspoken man.
I know him too well, he is a very down to earth person, and he doesn’t know how to hide his feelings. He is a very quiet and reserved person. But then when there is a need for him to speak about anything, he would rather confront things the way they are rather than to hide behind his fingers. That is not him. I know quite a number of people have been very uncomfortable with that especially with the Boko Haram situation.
Let’s be frank, who would not be affected? You are leading a body and gradually, there seems to be an elimination of this same group of people. You would be a wicked leader not to react. I wouldn’t even call you one not to have reacted towards what was really going on in Nigeria and is still going on by the way.
So he made every effort. He noticed that our government wasn’t really upcoming with a lot of things; we seem to try to politicize a lot of things in Nigeria which is quite troubling.
He went out of his way to go address the US Congress. It was quite obvious that terrorism was being financed not just from within but from outside as well, whether to destabilize or in a way, indirectly force on Nigeria a particular religion which is quite shameful.
And he was not comfortable with that. If you would know, this was injustice. So he is now paying the price for being an outspoken man, defending his people, defending Christianity in Nigeria, and do not want Nigerians having to hide their heads later on in life because whichever way we look at it, history will tell.
Why do you think that some people would politicise a purely security issue like that?
Well it’s natural. Number one, it is the perception. By the special grace of God, a man who has lived a life that is worthy of note, a man with an integrity that is without blemish, who will never compromise his stand whichever way it is; automatically, that man has added so much value to Christianity and of course the umbrella of Christianity in Nigeria which is Christian Association of Nigeria.
So a personality like Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, is a threat to anyone who sees him as one because they believe he has a voice, he has a clout, coupled with the fact that the present president of Nigeria happens to be a Christian who is also from the South-South. So they believe that this man is definitely going to support his brother, he would want him to come back being a Christian as well.
Without having to say too much, if I could say this, it is quite shameful. At a point, I was going to actually call some of the wives of these so-called people who were going outside saying a lot of things about my husband, having to engage them as well and see how it looks like, telling them to come out and look at the issue, how would they feel, how would people condescend so low?
A lot of things I read in the newspapers, sometimes they amuse me, sometimes I’m a little bit surprised. But when people begin to fabricate stories and they are doing everything in their power to hang a man. It’s quite surprising to me because I would think that what we should be talking about should be the dividends of democracy.
We don’t even have what they call political surgery. In developed countries, they have surgery where there’s what we call town house where it is expected at the local government level, state level and at whatever level, where people would be able to ask certain questions to the leadership, and challenge them on how they are piloting the affairs of the nation. With what I have seen, Nigeria is yet to get to that level and that is why we look for every necessary means to pull down people instead of fixing the issues on ground.
At least now we all know that it is the National Security Adviser who hired that plane out, who happens to be a relation of the Defence minister and who happens to be an in-law to the Sultan of Sokoto. I had a lot of respect for the Sultan of Sokoto. Before this issue of Boko Haram and so on, himself and my husband used to be very close. I could remember every now and then when he wanted to talk to my husband; he would often ask how is mama?
If there were issues in the newspapers and all that, he would call in to find out things and so on and so forth.
I so much cherished his relationship with my husband. But I’m a little bit surprised because no matter how it is, you know your friend. We must not allow bigotry to take away our innocence, our integrity, our corner in the name of what we are trying to get. We must not allow that to happen. We must always remember posterity because one way or the other, posterity will always judge.
And we must not throw caution to the wind because of whatever we are trying to achieve. We must also remember that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is a husband of a woman who has children as well; regardless of whatever we are trying to do. This is a man that I know, and some Nigerians also know that this is a man who is so loving and caring.
If there’s anything this man can do to alleviate the downtrodden ones in the society, he would do. He’s done many. Many times over and over again, he goes out of his way to buy brand new cars, tricycles, grinding machines and so on to alleviate poverty in this country.
He is a person who decided to start a micro finance bank, not necessarily to make money, but to see how he can help lift someone’s head up; in bridging gap between the poor and the rich.
He believes the poor in our midst deserves every right to be somebody in life. This is a man who has sent thousands of people to universities through his Indigent Scholarship Scheme that he has in place over the years.
This is a man who actively participated in the peace initiative of Delta State that we are enjoying today. As a matter of fact, but for a man such as this, I do not think that Delta State would have been what it is today. There was nothing he didn’t do. He went out of his way to the creeks to speak to the militants, confronted situations headlong just to make sure he brings about peace.
What some people don’t know is that we love the Muslims. We do not have anything against Muslims. A lot of people are sending wrong signals to a lot of people, particularly Muslims, thinking that Pastor Ayo is an enemy of Muslims. It is totally untrue.
There is no iota of truth in it. He has a lot of them as friends. Papa Ayo’s relationship with Sultan of Sokoto is still strong as ever. When Islamic fundamentalists were killing his Christian brothers and sisters in the North, he was forced to urge their leaders to speak against the killings.
Let us find solution to this, you have a right to practice your religion, I have equal right as well to do same and we must not be at each other’s throats; and somebody being at the receiving end and having to keep quiet, I must speak out because I am the leader. That’s who we are talking about here.
When the Niger Delta crisis was so heavy, a lot of Warri were closed down. They took off when the gunshots and so on were such a very messy situation. But he stood his ground. We have all kinds of tribes in Word of Life Bible Church today; there are people from the North, people from all parts of Delta State even at the time of the crisis. During the crisis, the church was functioning normally because he has always been a detribalized man.
He is man that deals with people based on who they are, not according to tribe or religion. He engages people based on who they are. He went out of his way to spend tens of million for internally displaced Ijaws at Ogbe Ijoh, shipping bags of rice, bags of clothes and all sorts of things just to bring succor.
And naturally, many Itsekiris grumbled saying he did not extend the same gesture to them and he asked them if the Ijaws were not our people too? Whatever is happening, peace will definitely reign, we must not go back at each other. It was later he had to balance the whole thing so that they won’t think he’s one sided.
When you look at all these, when you look at a man who can do anything just to make sure that another man is comfortable, why should any man, all because of his disposition towards his people, go after him in this manner? It’s amazing. What that goes to tell you is that they have looked for everything.
And I’m so proud of him. I’m proud of my husband. They have looked for every avenue. We have heard of one or two people caught in some unholy alliance and so on, thank God my husband was not involved. They have done everything they could do to try and pull him down. What they finally did was to use a gift that was given to him; he didn’t use his money to buy it.
Some people said President Jonathan bought it for him. I wish he did. I have the list of the names of people who masterminded this thing on our record. Hundreds and thousands of people, church folks who said this man served us with every vigor in him, we could see in him a great man and he’s not getting younger anymore. He is ever on the road constantly doing everything he can for the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; let us try as much as possible in elongating his life by blessing him with this gift. He didn’t buy it or put down money to say this is what he wants. He didn’t even know anything about it. I was aware of it.
What I would have loved for them to tell me is to show me the receipt of the plane that was bought by President Jonathan and the person who said he bought the plane. I have heard all sorts of lies that maybe somebody did it on behalf of somebody. There’s no human being that can stand up to say I bought this plane.
It’s a complete lie from the pit of hell. Because of his person, realizing the fact that what should he do with this plane knowing the amount of money that it’s going to cost to maintain it; if he was using church money to maintain it, they would have cried out to say he is using church money.
You can see how foolish people can be. If President Jonathan bought him a plane, can’t the same President Jonathan maintain the plane? Why must it be hired out so as to sustain the maintenance of the same plane if indeed it was the president that bought this plane? They politicize a lot of things. It’s really annoying.
Is Pastor Ayo really that close to President Jonathan as his accusers allege?
It is so amazing. I do not want to be rude or saucy so I’m trying as much as possible to hold my peace. Let me say this, I would love it if people can help me define that word ‘close’. Yes there’s a relationship that has to do with being in his position as the President of CAN and President Jonathan as the President of Nigeria.
Automatically, whether he likes it or not, there will be some level of interaction and that is what Nigerians are calling closeness. Maybe they should tell us how President Jonathan gave him one naira to buy a plane.
I don’t really think that Pastor Ayo is closer to the president than the Sultan of Sokoto, the co-chair of NIREC. This is not to say that Papa hates Jonathan, no he does not. He is a Christian and so as a Christian father to the nation, he tries his best to provide a guard. He speaks out whenever necessary.
He goes in to offer his own advice or suggestion as the case maybe whenever he is asked to. When he wants to see the president, he makes request just like everyone else. And mostly, it is to discuss the issue of the nation. Many times, he goes with his CAN executive council members to sit down with the president and confront him on certain issues all to see how the nation can be well piloted. What I have noticed is that whichever way you see it; if I say this man is not close to the president, they will say it’s because of what happened, if I say he’s close, they will say that is what we are talking about. I don’t even care what people might say concerning that because you can never please human beings.
What I am saying is that please before you start giving this man a bad name, find out the true position of things. Do not go out there forgetting that he is a husband to a woman and he is a father as well. Besides that, he is a man who has sacrificed himself. I think Nigerians even have him more than I do.
He is a very passionate person. When he believes in something, he’s driven by it. He goes all out to see how he can really push across whatever he is trying to bring in. That’s who he is. When he got the leadership, when he was elected to lead Christians in Nigeria, he made up his mind that he was going to do everything and anything possible to propagate what he has been given.
And he sees it as an assignment. Many times, people see leadership just to bear a name and enjoy it. I think if this man had wanted to enjoy the leadership as it were, maybe by now his relationship with the Sultan of Sokoto would be waxing stronger. And maybe he would have been enjoying more from the government as well. But he has decided to sacrifice all that just like Moses.
Moses sacrificed and said he was not going to allow the booting in Pharaoh’s house to override his judgment and so he shut himself out completely from the judgment at the palace and made himself a sacrifice for the liberty and freedom of the Israelites. That is what we are seeing now with our father as well. He has truly given himself out to the nation and then of course to the people who we call his constituents.
How did he receive the news of the plane saga?
He didn’t also know. When everything happened, according to what we heard, the plane was released immediately and it came back to Nigeria. They didn’t even bother to contact us to tell us what happened.
No one said anything. Someone called him and asked ‘where is your plane?’ And he said he didn’t know but he would find out from his wife. I have been the one managing it. When everything happened, they put it on him, but I have actually been the one running it. So he called me and asked where the plane was, I said I didn’t know promising to call him back.
The person who called him told him the plane was impounded in South Africa. So the gentleman said something happened. It was at that point he said one John came to hire the plane to fly South Africa.
The next they heard was they discovered this and that. However, since they knew that the plane and the crew members had nothing to do with the transaction, they let the plane go which is the normal practice. The only thing they do is that once that occurs, the next thing they do is to search whoever that is involved, pick the person and that’s it. No one is now going to start putting it on the plane or the owners or even the crew. The next thing he said was ‘Oh my God’.
He said these people are after something. I actually thought it was a joke because I wasn’t expecting anyone to condescend. I expect someone to be able to see between the lines. Please let us not belittle our government. Are you telling me that a whole Federal Government of Nigeria would need a pastor to help him move money to a location to buy arms?
That is an insult on this nation. For anyone to even phantom it, it shows how small minded we are really, and that we don’t look at things wholistically. It just does not make any sense at all other than the fact that certain people just said since it is his plane, let us just see how we can rope him with it so that we can malign him at the end of the day since we have been unable to hook him to anything.
We were also told that the same people leaked the transaction to the media…
That’s the truth. They did.They leaked it. When we now did our own investigation, we discovered that by the time the plane touched ground in South Africa, the picture was already taken. And some people were already having a meeting in London, and coming up with all sorts of stories and so on and so forth about him even before everything finally blew open. So it was all orchestrated right from Nigeria.
Whoever such people are, they are not true Muslims or Christians. These are enemies of progress. These are people who are doing their very best in causing unnecessary discord between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria which is very sad. To use an innocent man to throw this sling is very sad.
Why is it that Christian leaders did not even see between the lines?
I think the greatest challenge in Christianity is that unlike our other side; they have a leader and regardless of how they feel, when that leader speaks, it is final. But in Christianity, everyone is a leader.
The unnecessary rancor that actually takes place in our fold is quite sad and shameful. So it’s always very easy for these people to pounce on them and manipulate them against themselves. What they don’t even know is that they are the target. Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is not the target; it’s every Christian in Nigeria.
We are all the target. We are the ones they have targeted but of course they can’t get to everyone so they have to look for the person who represents Christianity in Nigeria and that is what we are experiencing.
It’s sad to see Christian leaders calling for the resignation of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and so on when some of them don’t even know the details of what happened.
It’s manipulation. And some of them too have betrayed themselves. We also know the lives they live. I don’t even see some of those people as Christian leaders. I want to use this opportunity to appreciate our brethren at Catholic, our brethren at Baptist and all of the five blocks of Christian Association of Nigeria who stood their grounds knowing who they have as their leader and of course standing to confront anything negative concerning him.
When I read the communiqué after a meeting they had in Abuja, they said this jet wasn’t bought by President Jonathan, but if anyone has evidence to this effect that it was bought by President Jonathan, make it public. Number two, they also said that this particular plane was leased out before now. If anyone has an evidence to show that it was not, make it public. I’m still waiting.
I haven’t seen anyone to do that. I think it is at that time they will know that my own is more than my husband. I have just been holding myself because of him. Otherwise I would have loved to scream and shout and show up on television and call out to Nigerians to say that they should not kill my husband.
The only thing this man has done is to sacrifice himself for you. So if you do not appreciate him, then what is the need for him making these sacrifices, putting his 42 years in ministry on the line just because of you and I. I think he is a man who is worthy of commendation, who is worthy to be praised amongst men. A lot of people chicken out because they want to appear in the good books of everybody. No one really wants to come out. Everyone tries to shy away from anything that has to do with things like Boko Haram or anything.
He is the only one by the special grace of God, and no wonder God decided to put him in this position for such a time like this. If we had had a weakling there, I don’t know what would have happened to this country by now. It would have been a different ball game entirely.
Suffering, indeed, is an equalizer in the human experience. It knows neither rich nor poor, religion nor ethnicity.
It was tears, sadness and gratitude to God, all at once as some victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East recounted their experiences to Sunday Vanguard in Adamawa State recently. Some of the experiences were reminiscent of experiences of non-Nazis in Nazi Germany.
Boko Haram survivor
At St. Theresa’s Cathedral, Yola where some displaced persons had gone to get foodstuffs and receive medical care courtesy of the Catholic Diocese of Yola in conjunction with the American University of Nigeria, individuals, organisations and societies within the church, Sunday Vanguard spoke with some of the displaced persons who told their story of torture in the hands of the insurgents and eventual escape.
Cecilia Sumaila from Madagali said: “When the Boko Haram insurgents came to my house, they met me and said they have been looking for me and I asked them why?
They said they want me to convert to Islam and I told them I could never do that. They said ok, if they cannot convert me to Islam, then they would kill me.
They tied my hands and legs behind and said they will take me to Sambisa forest and slaughter me and my children will never see me again. So everyone at home was kneeling and crying, including my mother in-law who held my feet and said they will not take me anywhere.
They were crying and begging that I should not be taken away but they insisted, saying I am very stubborn because I refused to convert to Islam.
They placed me on their motorcycle and for about two hours, they were threatening to take me to Sambisa and slaughter me but I insisted I was not going to convert. In the end, they said if not for my mother-in-law, they would have slaughtered me. They released me and I ran away and eventually came to Yola.”
Were they from Madagali?
“We see them in their long attires and guns going around town.”
Martina Ibrahim from Gulak: “When they came to my house, they met four of us, so they asked if we are Christians or Moslems and we said we are Christians so they said we should follow them so they could convert us to Islam. They took four of us to a big house still in Gulak.
Fortunately, one of the women being held there helped me escape. She helped me to climb the wall and I scaled the wall to freedom. Sadly, I don’t know whether the woman eventually escaped or she is still there in captivity. I don’t know where my husband and children are, whether they are alive or dead, I can’t say.”
Elizabeth Chutsi from Bazza: “It was on a Sunday and some soldiers told us to leave because Boko Haram insurgents were coming. I just came back from the stream and entered a neighbour’s house to say hello.
There was an aluminium pot on the fire but she was not around, so I was asking where she could have gone leaving her pot on fire. As I was coming out of the kitchen, two members of the Boko Hara sect came in with two turkeys and two chickens.
They asked why I did not run and I said I was having stomach ache. They said I should not be afraid, that I should stay there and kill the turkeys and chickens and cook for them. So I asked them to allow me go and get my children so we could all do the job and they said I should go. I was walking as if I was going to drop dead at any moment.
They had guns and cutlasses. As I opened the door, I saw some youths firing shots at some rocks. Those two were still in the house waiting for me to return. I went behind the hill and ran away.”
Mary from Michika:
“When the insurgents came, they were searching houses, looking for men. They would enter a house, ask for the men and if they found none, they would leave and enter the next house.
After I locked my house, I came back to see that they had broken down the door and entered to search again. They found nothing. We became afraid and I told some of my neighbours (women) that there was no point staying there, that it was better for us to run. So we left for Michika.
Two days after we arrived in Michika, the insurgents started coming that way.
We were afraid and I told the women that we should go back to Gulak. We all went to Gulak and spent one night. By 10 am the following day, some insurgents came and took us away. We were 10 women.
They took us to a big house. They were speaking Kanuri language and, fortunately, I understand the language. They were saying they needed to carry us to Sambisa as quickly as possible because another set was coming.
I was in the midst of about 40 other women and I was the only Christian. I knelt down and was praying to God to intervene. They were speaking Kanuri language and laughing. So I stood up to speak to them.
My neighbour asked if I was not afraid of them and I said no, that I wanted to speak to them, after all, our staying there was death already because, at the end of the day, they would take us to Sambisa. I raised my hand and they asked if I had something to say and I said yes.
I spoke to them in Kanuri, telling them that I left my young children at home and no one was looking after them and since they said they were going to take care of us, they should allow me to go and get them so we could all be together.
They asked where my husband was and I told them he was on admission in a Kano hospital. They allowed me to go and get the children. That was how I escaped to Yola through Kamale. My children were already in Yola at this time.
Kiviana John from Gulak. “When this crisis happened in Madagali, we were deceived into believing that it will never get to Gulak. But as days went by, people began to pack foodstuff to hide in the forest.
As a widow, I had no one to help me, so a kind-hearted neighbour helped me to take two bags of guinea corn. Shortly after, the insurgents entered Gulak and people began to flee into the bush.
We were in the bush for one week without food. One day, my sister said we should go and look for food as others were doing since the children were hungry and sick. She insisted we go and look for food. We decided to go to Gulak because my children were really hungry and sick.
We went in the night and got the food quite alright but on our way back to the bush, some insurgents sighted us, arrested us and were forcing us to go with them to their camp.
By this time, my mother-in-law had taken my children away from me so I didn’t even know where they were. The insurgents asked one of them on motorcycle to lead us to their camp.
As he rode slowly and we followed behind, he was cursing us, calling us heathens whom Allah had sent them to save but we prefer darkness to light. ‘You heathens, we want to make you clean and show you the light so that you will follow the way of truth but you prefer darkness, we will deal with you.’
I said no problem, if death comes while following Christ, no problem but I will not abandon my faith for Islam.
The other women with me could not utter a word. I told them to say something, that even if we are to face death, we should die in Christ. He went ahead of us on his bike as we followed behind.
Whenever he look back, we would hasten our steps and whenever he turned his face away from us, we would slow down. At a point, he turned into a corner and could not see us.
We quickly dropped the foodstuff to save our lives. We ran into a tomb and stayed for some time. They were looking for us all over the place and when they could not find us, they left, that was how God saved us and we escaped being taken to their camp.”
Yohanna Haman works as the chief security officer of St Pius Catholic Church, Shuwa in Madagali Local Government Area. His story was like a scene from a James Bond movie.
His words: “This happened in September. I was at the gate when some Muslim brothers came to us and asked us to leave the compound and run away.
We did not listen to them because they were military people and they came in their armoured car. They told us to leave because insurgents were on their way to the area. They said I should lock the gate and leave because if they met me there, they will kill me.
They then escaped in their armoured. They had weapons but they all escaped. I refused to leave. I went into the church and told my parish priest what the soldiers said. The priest said we should leave because Boko Haram had already entered Gulak. He came out and saw the soldiers escaping.
He asked if I was going home and I assured him I was not going to leave him there all alone for the love of Christ. Within 30 minutes, we started hearing gunshots and bombs exploding at Gulak. We spent the night in the church.
On Saturday, some people came to the church and asked me to leave because the insurgents were looking for us. I told them I was going nowhere. I told my priest and he left for Michika saying if I hear gunshots, I should escape. After he left, I was all alone in the parish. I spent the night there.
The following day being Sunday, by 7.30am, the priest called me and said he was on his way back to the church; so I went to dress the altar for service. When he came and started the mass, I told him to continue, that I was going to stay outside to keep watch and if I see the insurgents coming or hear gunshots, I’d let him know.
Within 30 minutes, the mass, attended by 15 people, was over and the priest told me he was going to outstation. I was once again alone in the church. Within 30 minutes, the insurgents came. They blocked the whole road and nobody could go out.
As soon as I sighted them, God helped me to quickly lock the gate and stayed within the parish until 6.30pm when I scaled the wall to escape, I found out they had taken over the road so there was no way I could cross to my house without being seen.
I went to the bush behind my house where I stayed till 2.30am and then scaled the fence into a neighbour’s compound and stayed. At about 5.25am, I went back into the bush and, from there, climbed back into the church premises. I went into the priest’s sitting room and locked myself inside.
Within a short time, the insurgents came through St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary, Shuwa, and surrounded the seminary and came to our parish and surrounded it also.
I heard gunshots, they were shooting the padlock, trying to enter the church premises but they could not. They decided to find another means of breaking the gate to gain entrance into the church. At this point, I opened the sitting room door and came out.
I saw one of them outside the gate, so I took the opposite direction and jumped into the convent. Some of them saw me and pursued me.
I scaled the fence. They began following on motorcycle and shooting at me. It was a miracle that I was not hit by bullets. I fell on the ground and they felt I was dead, so they left me. Later, I found my way out of Shuwa.
Barnabas Paul Mbiya from Michika: “When the insurgents attacked Gulak, we were not aware they were coming to Michika but people were running up and down. I even took my family to the mountainous area and left them there and came back home to sleep. We were only three in the whole area. I saw soldiers arriving that evening and that boosted my confidence to stay.
On Sunday, we went to church; after service, my sister called me from Shuwa to say insurgents were in Shuwa and that I should find my way out; so I told some of my friends that we should leave the town. I went home and packed a few things and my documents and tied on my motorcycle.
I left every other thing in the house including my animals and about 60 chickens. As I coming out, the insurgents entered Michika, they were pursuing soldiers because at that point, they were not concerned about civilians, only security agents. The soldiers asked me to go back but I refused because if I went back, the insurgents would attack me. I decided to climb the mountain.
We spent three days on the mountain with no food. On the third day, I decided to go down and find my way to Yola. People were telling me not to go down but I had made up my mind. I took my family and went down and, from there, we paid N2,000 to Mubi Road on motorcycle and boarded a bus to Yola.
Mbiya believes that some of the soldiers are sympathetic to the insurgents. He said:
“We cannot say they are sympathisers but some of the commanders have already sold out the soldiers. That is what is happening. So when they attack, the commanders will not command the troops to attack them. They just keep withdrawing instead of attacking.
But I think some of the soldiers are members of Boko Haram; in fact, many are sympathetic to the sect because some of the soldiers don’t shoot at the insurgents, they just shoot into the air to exhaust their bullets. Some have been known to shoot at fellow soldiers instead of the insurgents.”
Regina Bitrus:
“We were working on the farm on the fateful day when around 3.00pm I decided to go home. But when we got to the stream, my son said he wanted to bathe. I was carrying one of the children on my back; suddenly, a man came out of nowhere, all covered up; only his eyes were visible.
When I turned and saw him, I ran. He caught me by the hand and we began to struggle and I was able to push him down. If not that I held his hand, he would have slaughtered me and my children.
I ran home and told my people that I was leaving the village. They said they were going to look for the man but that I should leave everything to God. I had four new wrappers worth N8,000 which someone bought for N1,000. I used the money to transport myself and children to Kamale to Sina-gali then to Mubi and Yola.
Naomi Zira from Michika: The insurgents met us at home. All our neighbours had left town, including my father and siblings.
My daughter saw one of them coming from behind our house and alerted me. But I couldn’t run. I was pregnant. My daughter fled into the bush and they entered and met me. They asked what I was doing and I said I could not run. They asked if I had food and I said even if I had nothing to eat, I would still not run. They asked where my husband was and I said they should go in and search because my husband had left three days earlier.
They said they would be back in the evening to convert me to Islam and I said I should convert to Islam at this age? I said even if they decide to kill me, I will not convert. They said they will leave but if they came back and still met me there, they would slaughter me. As they drove off, I took the bush path taken by my daughter. I got to a rice farm and met other members of my family there. We spent two nights there. I didn’t have money to travel, we were helped by some people to get here.”
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe has taken on Buhari, El-Rufai, Bola Tinubu and the Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi
In a series of tweets by the President’s assistant on Saturday, he noted that one of the major presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari is being manipulated by three groups.
He said ” General Muhammadu Buhari is sadly a pawn on the national political chess board being manipulated by three groups. Young northern turks, El-Rufai, Bola Tinubu and Amaechi
El-Rufai and co hate GMB but his candidature will catapult them to high political offices of their dream
Tinubu and co have been constrained all their political lives as local champions to the South West. GMB is the bridge to access the national treasury”
Okupe also lashed at Amaechi, addressing him as a political lilliputian.
He said ” Amaechi is an infantile political lilliputian of low pedigree who plots on a remote chance of GMB victory as a shield post in 2015″
He also attacked Buhari saying ” GMB the grand master of treachery and mischief is aware of these polots but wants 2 exploit their greed for power to win and punish all friends and foes”
