Presidency to Atiku: You Contributed to Escalation of Insurgency

Presidency to Atiku: You Contributed to Escalation of Insurgency

05 Nov 2014

 Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar

• End regime of gangster politics, Atiku group tells Jonathan
Chuks Okocha and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

As insurgent activities continue unabated in the North-east geo-political zone, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has berated former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for his recent comments on insecurity in the region, saying that some past utterances of Atiku contributed to the escalation of insurgency in the North.

Okupe stated this while speaking on the last day of Public Affairs Forum, a programme organised by his office to enable ministers give an account of stewardship to members of civil society organisations, professional groups and artisans in Abuja.

While making reference to a statement that ‘those who make peaceful change impossible will make violent change inevitable,' made by Atiku at the northern stakeholders’ forum in 2010, Okupe said it was unfortunate that those who desperately stoked the fire of insurgency are now laying the blame on the shoulders of a government that is working hard to put out the fire.

According to the president’s aide, it is a mark of unpatriotism for Atiku to talk down on the military which he hopes to lead if elected President of the Federal Republic.

Okupe said the former vice-president was not known to have taken any hard position on terrorists and terrorism in the past and shouldn't expect to gain any political mileage from the unfortunate killings and kidnappings in some parts of the North by presenting himself as being on the side of the victims of insurgency.

He advised the APC presidential aspirant to learn from political leaders in other climes who drop the toga of partisanship in moments of mational crisis by supporting their government to raise the hope of citizens and defeat enemies of civilisation.

Okupe said President Goodluck Jonathan would not be distracted by negative comments from Atiku and a few others whose only concern is politics rather than nation building but he (Jonathan) would continue to work assiduously with security chiefs and community stakeholders to restore peace to Northern Nigeria in the shortest possible time.

Meanwhile, a political support group working for Atiku, the Turaki Vanguard, has asked President Jonathan to stop abusing the rights of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

The group said the call became necessary because it believes the  country is governed by civil law and that no individual or political party must revert our norms and behaviours to gangster rules.

A statement issued Monday by the National President of the Turaki Vanguard, Oladimeji Fabiyi, also urged the presidency to stop trading words with people but rather to deploy efforts on how to recover our lost territories from the insurgents.

On the controversy generated by the withdrawal of the security details of Tambuwal,  the group said there was no doubt that our democracy had grown past the age of arbitrary politics when a sitting president sees the whole country as his chiefdom.

According to the group, in line with the laws of the land, the Speaker has committed no infraction for which he should be denied security protection as the number four citizen of the country.

"We also believe that the action of the presidency in instigating the withdrawal of the security attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, is a manifestation of gangster politics. Such action from the PDP-led federal government at this point of national emergency amounts to a set-back to the country’s democratization process.

"There is subsisting judicial pronouncement on the matter of defection, but if the Presidency and the security agencies, were in doubt, should have sought judicial interpretation from the court," the group said.

BBOG Group Condemns Purported Ceasefire and Carnage in North-east

BBOG Group Condemns Purported Ceasefire and Carnage in North-east

05 Nov 2014

 Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili
Chiemelie Ezeobi

The BringBackOurGirls campaign group yesterday condemned the purported ceasefire and escalating carnage in the North-east, even as it called on the federal government to immediately protect and restore the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

The group in a statement made available to THISDAY, expressed their shock at the seeming spread of the insurgency within cities in the North-east zone despite the purported ceasefire the federal government announced weeks ago.

The statement was signed by Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili and other members.

It read in part: "We wish to commiserate with all Nigerians who lost loved ones in Mubi Local Government Area of Adamawa State and neighbouring communities as the towns and villages came under heavy and horrendous assaults from the Boko Haram insurgents in the last few days.

"We also condole families of the victims of the Gombe bomb blast. We are extremely shocked and gravely perturbed that the insurgency seems to be engulfing more cities within the North-east zone even at a time the federal government confidently announced a ceasefire of its counter terrorism war.

"Let no one pretend that we are not facing the most substantial threat to the integrity and existence of our country.

"What more extreme manifestations are we waiting for than the evidence of a rampaging group of terrorists carrying out heinous carnage in Mubi in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Gombe States barely two weeks after the Chief of Defence Staff publicly conveyed a standdown order to our troops who were in the front prosecuting the war?

"We, like most Nigerians are at a loss on what the latest development means for our counter insurgency war and for the safety of our citizens and territory. Has the purported 'ceasefire' failed, in the assessment of our military and the federal government?

"What explains the gruesome reality that after the "ceasefire" announcement of October 17, the terrorists have been attacking many more communities, especially in Borno and Adamawa States and today, Gombe which used to be relatively peaceful?

"How do we explain the escalating number of innocent citizens being killed or taken hostage after they had been informed by our government of a negotiated truce and détente?

"Has our federal government through the military given a new and countermanding order to our soldiers to resume the war and protect our citizens and territory?

"We do not speak without factual distressing context on this subject. Our movement is privy to several on-the-scene reports of the bloody and horrendous attacks on Mubi as told by affected Nigerians.

"For example, a family of two of our abducted #ChibokGirls was involved in an accident on Tuesday in which two of their daughters sustained injuries while fleeing Mubi."

"Another case concerns a member of our Movement who has lost contact with about thirty members of his nuclear and extended families resident in Mubi until yesterday's gruesome attack by terrorists.

"Even more heart wrenching are confirmed reports of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camped in Mubi town who are yet again on the run now, unsure of destinations to find safety.
These are just a few of the many dehumanising experiences our citizens are experiencing without effective support from our authorities.

"While we in #BringBackOurGirls movement will continue to fiercely hope for the best outcome despite these troubling developments;

"We firmly demand that the Federal Government moves immediately to protect and restore the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

"We also demand that the worsening humanitarian conditions of all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) be immediately addressed and their sufferings ameliorated.

"Lastly, we demand the immediate rescue of our 219 Chibok girls. We cannot but remind our federal government that time is running out and that these endangered daughter of our nation have been in travail for too long.

"Today is sadly day 200 since their abduction on April 14 this year. Following the high hopes and anxiety that emanated from the federal government two weeks old announcement that our girls would be brought back within days, a number of their agonising parents have been hospitalised for hypertension.

"What this means is that our government must urgently avoid a situation that would be fatal for these long suffering families of our Chibok girls."

Speaking to the president, the group said, "To our President, we have but one message from all the members of our Movement as well as Nigerians who share in our cause.

"It is this: Mr. President, it is time to end all distractions that evidently stand in the way of Nigeria winning this counter insurgency war under your leadership.

"The only venture worthy of our Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces at this critical time that portends danger for the future of our country; is to unflaggingly concentrate on the security and welfare of the people of Nigeria.

"According to our 1999 Constitution, that is besides any other thing, primary purpose of government. Therefore, nothing else matters to Nigerians during these moments of daily national tragedies, Mr. President."

House Moves to Take over Appointment of Auditor-General of the Federation

House Moves to Take over Appointment of Auditor-General of the Federation

05 Nov 2014

Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal
Seeks to establish audit commission

Muhammad Bello in Abuja

The House of Representatives is angling to arrogate to itself the power to appoint an auditor-general for the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAGF).

The House is contemplating this via the instrumentality of the "Audit Bill 2014," a fact made known at a public hearing held in Abuja on Tuesday.
.
The bill, adopted by the House Committee on Public Accounts, if passed into law, will empower the auditor-general of the federation to operate without recourse to the President. It seeks to repeal the Audit Ordinance Act of 1956 and the Public Accounts Committee Act 1990, to re-enact a new legislation.

The Speaker of the House, Aminu Waziri, Tambuwal, declared the meeting organised by the Hon. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola-led Public Accounts Committee, the Hon. Ali Ahmad-led Committee on Justice and the OAGF open.

The Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, appealed for the detachment of the office from the presidency and called for the establishment of an Audit Service Commission.

Tying the growth and sustenance of the country's economy to the effectiveness and autonomy of the national audit office, Ukura regretted that the 58-year-old audit statute was defective and inoperable for the times.

"The Finance Controls and Management Act of 1956 which was inherited from the colonial masters provided also, the Audit Act for the audit of government transactions. This Act remained in operation till 1979 when the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria was promulgated.

"The provisions of 1979 Constitution pertaining the auditing of government accounts were replica of that of 1956. Same pattern was also adopted in the amendment of the constitution in 1999.

“Also, the 1999 Constitution as amended to date, adopted the abridged method of providing for the duties, roles and responsibilities of auditor general for the federation as contained in the aforementioned years.

"Therefore, it is evident that the Act, till date, had never been amended to suit the expenditure pattern of the government since the discovery of oil and global advancement in the use of information technology," Ukura stated at the public hearing.

Among the highlights of the bill are: ‘The National Assembly to appoint independent auditor to audit financial statements of the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.

The National Assembly would be appointing the independent auditor to audit the accounts of the Audit Service Commission’.

Court Refuses to Stop Inquest into Synagogue Building Collapse

Court Refuses to Stop Inquest into Synagogue Building Collapse

05 Nov 2014

Symbol of justice


Davidson Iriekpen

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday refused to grant a restraining order against the ongoing inquest into the collapsed building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations  (SCOAN) until it hears the case on its merit.

The judge, while delivering a ruling on the oral application by a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, seeking to stop further sitting of the Coroner's court pending the outcome of the suit, said it was not necessary to grant the order.

Recall that on September 12, a six-storey building within the premises of the church collapsed in Lagos.

The incident led to the death of over 100 people most of whom were foreigners.

The Lagos State Government had however on September 26, constituted a Coroner's Court to unravel the circumstances leading to the incidence.

Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe was appointed Coroner.

On October 28, Ogungbeje filed a suit seeking an order, restraining further proceedings in the suit pending the determination of a substantive suit at the court.

Listed as defendants in the suit are: the Lagos State Government, the  state Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye, and Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe.

When the case was mentioned yesterday, counsel representing all the respondents, Mr. Akinjide Bakare, informed the court that he had been served with the processes filed by the applicant.

He however, prayed the court for a short time to regularise his responses.

In his reaction, counsel to the applicant, Mr. Nelson Okedinachi, said although he was not opposed to the adjournment, it was important for the court to issue an order, restraining the Coroner from further inquest.

He informed the court that the General Overseer of the Church, Prophet T.B Joshua, had already been summoned to appear before the Coroner on November 5, adding that it was important to stop them.

According to Okedinachi, "The draconian speed at which the coroner's court is sitting, simply means that after it summons Joshua, it would makes it findings and submit its report, then this entire suit will be a waste.

"It is therefore, important for my lord to restrain them from further inquest in the suit."
In response to this, Bakare informed the court that since he had been served with the processes of the applicant, it was important for him to put in his response.

He noted that the said Joshua was not held in detention, and had not declined to appear before the Coroner, adding that there was no basis for the application for restraint.

"The said T.B Joshua is not held in detention and has not refused to appear before the court, so I wonder why a man will take Panadol for another man's headache," he said

After listening to the submissions of counsels, Justice Ibrahim Buba held that an order of interim injunction was not necessary in the situation, since the applicant was not personally affected by the inquest.

"Although, Okedinachi wants an order of interim injunction restraining T.B Joshua from appearing before the coroner, I must say that he is not a party to the suit, neither is he held in detention.

"The respondents were served with the court processes on Friday, and by the rules, they have five days to respond, but time was abridged and they accepted, and so, let us not loose sight of the issue here.

"If Ogungbeje was the party summoned before the coroner, then the issue of a restraining order will arise, but in this situation, how can I restrain the whole world.

"The applicant has not shown that he will suffer any danger if the restraining order is not granted, and so, I will hear this case on its merit on Thursday, Nov. 6, and I will not grant any restraining orders; this is the ruling of this court" he said

The applicant in his suit, averred that the composition of the Coroner's Court, was a negation of the principle of natural justice and Section 36 of the Constitution, and as such, was unconstitutional and void.

He averred that the inquest was constituted by the Lagos State government after the agencies of the state government had indicted the Church of erecting additional structures on an already existing building without approval.

He argued that if allowed to continue, the proceedings of the Coroner inquest would occasion a miscarriage of justice, as the same Coroner would based its decision on the testimonies of the same agencies of the state.

The lawyer alleged that the Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Building Control Agency, and the Lagos State Fire Service, had made prejudicial reports that the building collapsed due to additional structures.

He averred that the contention of the Church that the building collapsed as a result of an aircraft hovering round the building moments before it collapsed, was ignored.

Ogungbeje averred that The Lagos State Building Control Agency went ahead to seal up the main building of the church.

The lawyer, is therefore, seeking an order nullifying the composition of the Coroner and the proceedings so far, as well as an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the defendants jointly and severally from further proceedings.

He wants every sitting, investigation, fact-finding or any action in any manner whatsoever on any facts connected to the case, to be put on hold until the suit is determined.

Headwinds Ahead, PDP Senators Join APC in Support of Tambuwal

Headwinds Ahead, PDP Senators Join APC in Support of Tambuwal

05 Nov 2014

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal

•  Threaten to impeach president 
• Speaker turns up at the House, Adeola-Akande distances self from adjourned sitting

Omololu Ogunmade and Muhammad Bello in Abuja  

President Goodluck Jonathan’s stranglehold on the Senate appears to have finally been broken as the upper legislative chamber on Tuesday declared support for last week’s defection of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Senate also vowed to team up with the House to impeach the president if doing so eventually becomes an option the National Assembly has to explore.

This decision was the fallout of the closed-door session held by the PDP caucus in the Senate in protest of their losses at last Saturday's congresses of the ruling party in their various states.

Most of the senators lost out because of the alleged betrayal by the president whom they said they had supported to the hilt prior to his emergence as acting president on February 9, 2009 up to this last weekend.

Demonstrating their bitterness towards the president, the senators shut down the Senate as they boycotted legislative activities by adjourning sitting without considering a single item on the Order Paper.

Although plenary was adjourned till Wednesday, the senators also vowed to repeat the same action today, threatening that the trend would continue indefinitely until the president addressed their grievances.

The action is, among others, meant to frustrate the consideration and prompt passage of the 2015 budget and Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), as they threatened to also shut down the government in pursuit of their personal goals.

After the meeting, one of the senators assigned to brief journalists on its outcome, said with their resolve to abandon legislative business indefinitely, the president is not only losing the House of Representatives but has also lost the Senate, his hitherto stronghold.

He said: “You are aware that we adjourned sitting today. That is what we will continue to do. President Goodluck Jonathan has lost the Senate. Since he has left the PDP structures in the hands of the governors, let the governors also come and do our jobs. We are going to shut the government.

“What is it that the president asked that we’ve not given to him?  We are going to show solidarity with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal. We will not sit again. There will be no consideration of the MTEF (Medium Term Expenditure Framework) and there will be no budget. We may also begin his impeachment.

“When we invoked the doctrine of necessity, we even proceeded to give him the full option. We did the same thing on the state of emergency. But now, he has lost the Senate. By the time the House of Representatives resumes on December 3, most of the PDP members in the House would have lost their return bids and they will quickly move to APC and populate the party.”

Tuesday’s session was presided over by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, while the Senate President David Mark was attending the National Council of State meeting at the Presidential Villa.

However, the senators who said they had the full backing of their APC counterparts in their resolve to shut down the chamber, added that if Mark opts to stall the move, he would have to be abandoned and be left to preside over an empty chamber.

According to him, following the handover of PDP structures to the governors and PDP senators stripped of return tickets, their political careers had been ruined while those of the governors had again been brightened, insisting that the governors preferred by the president should also be deployed to legislate for his government.

The drama started after the chamber had adopted votes and proceedings for Tuesday, October 28. Thereafter, Ekweremadu read a letter addressed to Mark by the president, imploring the Senate to confirm one Okwu Joseph Nnanna as a Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, who is one of those who reportedly lost out at the ward congress in his home state, Cross River, immediately moved the motion that all items on the Order Paper be stood down and sitting adjourned till Wednesday to enable them attend a caucus meeting of PDP senators.

While watchers expected stiff opposition to the motion from APC senators, as had been the case, they were shocked to see that the motion was passed; unknown to spectators that both groups were altogether acting a script.

With the speaker’s retention of his seat and position gaining traction in the National Assembly, Tambuwal on Tuesday made a sudden appearance in the precinct of the House.

He appeared in his trademark white attire at the formal declaration of a one-day public hearing on a “Bill for an Act to Repeal the Audit Act of 1956 and Re-enact the Audit Act of 2014”.

After delivering his opening address, he took his leave and did not respond to waiting journalists who besieged him.

Before he departed the venue of the hearing, Tambuwal harped on the constitutional responsibility of the legislators, which is making laws to ensure that there is good governance.

“As parliamentarians, it is our constitutional mandate to make laws for the peace and the good governance of the country. The legal mandate to make laws does not necessarily guaranty the making of good laws,” he said.

He explained that in order to accomplish this task, “it is necessary for parliament to consult with all the stakeholders, relevant experts and the general public".

“Besides, it is not enough for us as parliamentarians to follow the constitutional procedures and processes of enacting laws. As the
peoples’ representatives, it is necessary that laws enacted by the National Assembly are not only valid but legitimate as well.

“It is the general acceptance by you the members of the public of the laws enacted by us that confer the status of the legitimacy on such laws. This aspect of law making cannot be ignored by any responsible
parliament,” he said.

He threw posers about the definition, purpose and consistency of the bill with the purpose and provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

In his welcome address, Chairman of the House Public Affairs Committee (PAC), Solomon Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Lagos), said the extant Audit Act 1958 “is one of those old legislations bequeathed to us by the colonial masters”.

He observed that with the advent of technology and information dissemination, it is no longer adequate, thus the need to “repeal and re-enact” it in order to make it “more functional and relevant to our times”.

Meanwhile, House Leader, Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande, tuesday debunked insinuations that she colluded with the leadership to adjourn sitting till December 3. 

Adeola-Akande, who said she only moved the motion for adjournment in fulfillment of her role as the leader of the House, explained that she was not told that Tambuwal was going to defect on¨that day. 

According to her, even as the plenary was in session, she asked her deputy, Hon. Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta), whether it was true that the speaker was going to defect, but he told her, “I want to listen to what the person who is on the floor is saying.”

She explained that although she had learnt of the speaker’s intention to defect in the media, nobody had told her anything.

According to her, “I turned to my deputy and said, Leo, is the speaker not moving again? And he said he was not doing it again. That was what he told me. And I am saying this without fear of anybody.”

She narrated that a day before the Speaker's defection, a meeting was summoned at his residence, to which she promptly responded. But on getting there, she discovered that other principal officers were yet to arrive, so she left.

After her departure, she said she got several calls from the speaker and deputy speaker to return to the residence for the meeting, which she reluctantly accepted as she was tired.

At the meeting, Adeola-Akande said the issue of the House’s adjournment was discussed and it was agreed that the House would adjourn for two weeks in the first instance.

But the House leader said she was taken aback the next day when at plenary a different scenario emerged.

“We went into the order of the day and nothing was said about whether the speaker was moving or not. At the meeting we had, nothing was said about that. Nothing was mentioned on whether he was moving or not even though it was in the air, in the media, and everybody was talking about it,” the House leader stated.

She expressed dismay that afterwards she heard from different quarters that “unilaterally” the speaker moved the motion for adjournment. 

“I thought it was necessary to clear the air on this. I have integrity and I am a very, very honourable person. And I will not say anything that has not happened,” she said.

UK to Return £6.8m Ibori Loot to Nigeria

UK to Return £6.8m Ibori Loot to Nigeria

05 Nov 2014

Ex- Governor James Ibori

• Will FG return funds to Delta?
The United Kingdom government is set to return an additional £6.8 million of the confiscated loot of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, to Nigeria.
The UK Metropolitan Police Senior Investigator, Mr. Rupert Broad, disclosed this in London yesterday at a meeting on “Supporting Policing in Nigeria: What Role for Police in the Nigerian Diaspora” held in the House of Commons, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.

However, commenting on the development, a public policy analyst wondered if the federal government would upon receipt of the £6.8 million, do the needful by returning the funds to the Delta State Government, which is the true owner and beneficiary of the Ibori loot.
While speaking on the UK and Nigeria’s anti-corruption partnership, Broad said: “Out of the £8 million confiscated from Ibori, £1.2 million had so far been retuned to Nigeria, while the rest was waiting for redistribution as to when it would be sent back to Nigeria.”

He also said an additional £80 million had been temporarily confiscated from Ibori and his associates, including one of his lawyers, Mr. Patrice Gohil.
“Approximately, £80 million is temporarily frozen and a confiscation hearing has been fixed for April 2015, where the judge will determine how much was stolen, after which it would be returned to Nigeria.”

The British Southcrown  Court in April 2012  sentenced  Ibori  to 13 years jail term for fraud and money laundering.

Broad, who attributed the success of the Ibori case to partnership with the  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said: “The case signified Nigeria’s commitment to the fight corruption.

“In the light of the Ibori case, Nigeria has done a fantastic job in tackling corruption.
“Corruption does not go away easily,  addressing it requires continuous process and the UK Metropolitan Police  will continue to collaborate with Nigerian authorities on cross border international investigation.”

Similarly, the Director of the UK Nigeria Police Forum, Mr. Nsikan Etuk, said the Diaspora was a powerful tool for the reformation of the nation’s police force.

Etuk, who spoke on “Supporting Policing in Nigeria,” expressed the commitment of the forum in collaborating with government in tackling challenges impeding efficiency in policing in the country.

He said the forum, whose membership included serving and retired police personnel, was established following challenges facing the Nigerian community in the UK.

In the same vein, the Nigerian Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Kunle  Bamgbose, said the nation’s police officers were among the brightest in Africa, adding that they were only impeded  by operational challenges.

He said: “Inadequate equipment such as communication gadgets, the lack of efficient forensic laboratories  and other logistic problems are some of the challenges facing the police force.”

Bamgbose, however, said: “It is difficult to impose UK policing culture in Nigeria because the environments are different.”

According to him, partnership in training and capacity building of officers will be an ideal area of collaboration.

The meeting, which had participants from the Nigerian community, was chaired by the Chairperson of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria, Mrs. Meg Hillier.

Boko Haram Digs in, Renames Mubi Madinatul Islam

Boko Haram Digs in, Renames Mubi Madinatul Islam

05 Nov 2014

Boko Haram fighters

•  Sultan expresses worry over annexation of towns
• Over 16 killed in attacks on Gombe, Katsina villages

Aminu Mohammed in Sokoto, Daji Sani in Yola, Ibrahim Shuaibu in Katsina and Segun Awofadeji in Gombe 


Despite the platitudes by the Nigerian military, Boko Haram has consolidated its occupation of the strategic town of Mubi in Adamawa State, among other towns in the North-east, and has renamed it  “Madinatul Islam”, meaning the city of Islam and peace.

The terrorist sect has also assured trapped residents in the ancient city of the dividends of democracy, security, freedom and an all-inclusive government, and has taken the step of asking other residents who have fled to return to their homes.

The insurgents had sacked Nigerian troops from Mubi last week after a fierce battle and taken full control to establish their authority on the conquered town.

A trapped resident in Mubi, Mallam Aliyu Bala, confirmed that the insurgents have renamed Mubi and given it a new name - Madinatul Islam.


He said the insurgents have mounted checkpoints and are monitoring every nook and cranny as they mount surveillance all over the town, adding that they are making efforts to establish a new government in Mubi so as to extend its territories by conquering more towns in the North-east.


Bala, however, said despite the promises of safety and security by the sect, thousands of residents have been sneaking out of the city for the fear of the unknown.



Also commenting, Sunday Joshua Wugira, a legal practitioner, who went to Maiha town to pick up his aged parents who fled to the town from Mubi, said despite the assurance by the insurgents, several trapped residents were still fleeing, including soldiers.

“I was in Maiha a few hours ago, the pathetic plight of the people I saw was simply beyond imagination. We were in a commercial bus when some fleeing soldiers said we must adjust for them to get space in the bus to flee, which we objected.
“It’s unfortunate that even soldiers
join civilians to run away,” he said.

The insurgents, nonetheless, have continued to appeal to displaced residents of captured communities in Adamawa State to return to their homes as they continue to be assured of safety.
Residents said the insurgents have informed them that they would be more secure in the new Islamic Caliphate than in the Nigerian state that is unable to provide them with security and the basic necessities of life.

One of the trapped residents, Bello, said the insurgents have been persuading them daily that the people should give them a chance to exert their authority on them promising a peaceful atmosphere.

The insurgents have also been reportedly persuading the residents of the four local governments of Michika, Madagali, Mubi North and Mubi South of Adamawa State to go about their normal businesses.



A resident of Uba town, Mallam Salisu Baba, said normal activities have started picking up in the captured territories as Boko Haram enjoins residents to go about their daily affairs, while asking them to open their shops for business.



The resident added that the insurgents have warned politicians not to try to hold any elections in the state, vowing to scuttle the polls and restating their resolve to capture the whole of Adamawa State in no distant future.




“The insurgents have assured people of unassailable freedom and have been telling shop owners to open their shops threatening that anyone who fails to open his or her shop will have the shops broken into.



“Whenever the insurgents want any commodity, they pay for it. This encouraged meat sellers, tea sellers and others to open for business.



“They provided security during the market day in Uba town last Thursday while promising to continue to give traders and residents who come to the area utmost security as long as they comply with Islamic tenets.



“They have opened one of the filling stations belonging to A.A Garba in Uba town, as motorists troops to buy petrol due to high demand,” Baba revealed.



In another development, as part of measures to contain the security situation in Adamawa, the
state government has banned the operation of commercial motorcycles in seven local government areas.




A statement by Mr. Phineas Elisha, Director Press and Public Affairs to the governor, urged the public and security operatives to ensure compliance.




The affected local governments are Hong, Gombi, Song, Girei, Numan, Demsa and Fufore.




Also, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, on Tuesday joined other northern leaders to express concern over the annexation of towns and villages in the North-east by the Boko Haram insurgents, describing the situation as sad and worrisome.

On Monday, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha, had decried the annexation of several towns in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

Listing them, Atiku had said Boko Haram presently controls about 16 local government areas in Borno (9), Adamawa (5) and Yobe (2).

Also concerned about the disheartening development, the Sultan called on the federal government to provide sophisticated gadgets, ammunition and equipment to security agents to combat the insurgency and ensure proper surveillance in the border areas.

The monarch made the call at a North-west Zonal Command Travel and Alien Control (TAC) land border security seminar held at Giginya Hotel, Sokoto.

He noted with deep concern the security situation in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States where insurgents have taken many towns and villages.

“We are deeply worried over the insecurity in the country. We have seen that insurgents have taken many towns and villages in the North-east. Who knows the next town they will move to and where will they will stop?

“So we must come together irrespective of tribe and religion to confront the problems bedevilling our country,” the Sultan said.

He underscored the need for the federal government to provide the security agents with modern gadgets and sophisticated equipment to ensure proper surveillance at the border posts, adding that though border surveillance was expensive, there was a need to equip security agents with sophisticated gadgets that could detect goods coming into Nigeria from neighbouring countries.

The Sultan advised the government to ensure that money budgeted for security is used for the purpose it is meant for in order to achieve the desired objectives.

He also called on the political leadership in the country to fear God and provide good governance to Nigerians.

In his remarks, Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, said Nigerians were currently going through pains as a result of the insurgency in the North-east.

He also urged the federal government to provide adequate funds and equipment to the security agents in order to patrol the borders effectively.

“We know that the border posts are porous but the problem has to do with lack of modern gadgets. You cannot fight crime with bare hands and unless security agents are effectively equipped, we will not achieve our desired objectives,” Wamakko said.

However, as the Sultan and the Sokoto governor proffered solutions to ending the insurgency, Boko Haram continued to wreak havoc on the North-east where gunmen suspected to be members of the terrorist sect invaded Nafada, the headquarters of Nafada Local Government Area, a Gombe northern border town on Tuesday.

This was the second attack by the sect on Gombe State in less than a week.

A source in Nafada told THISDAY that the marauders invaded the town on about 50 motorbikes between 11 am and noon and more than 10 people were suspected to have been killed in the process.

He said they went in through Ngalda, a neighbouring community in Yobe State and fired at the soldiers at the checkpoint located at the entrance of the town.

He said they went straight to the police station, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat, then the local government secretariat.

According to him, they thereafter went to the residence of one Sheikh Adamu Misira and opened fire on him and the people around him, killing over 10 people in the process.

The source said he could not ascertain how many security agents were killed at the checkpoint but one of them called him on the phone to say he managed to escape unhurt.

“In Nafada, they went straight to the police station and opened fire on it. From there, they went to the local government secretariat and opened fire.

“They thereafter went to the house of Sheikh Adamu Misira and opened fire on him and his people, killing at least more than 10 people on the spot.

“I cannot tell how any soldiers died, but one of them spoke to me on the phone saying he escaped but did not comment on the casualties,” he said.

He said nobody as at the time of filing this report had left Nafada.

“They told us that nobody should run, everybody should stay put and nobody should leave his home and that if we heard of the arrival of security operatives, we should just go inside and lock ourselves indoors and leave them to us,” he said.

At the time of speaking to the source at 4.10 pm yesterday, he said the security agents were yet to arrive the town.

When contacted, the telephone of the spokesman of the Gombe State Police Command Atajiri Fwaje (DSP) was switched off.

The state Police Commissioner Kudu Nma, who spoke to newsmen, said he was yet to hear of the incident. He however promised to brief the press as details of the attack reached him.

In another incident, six people were reportedly killed and scores of buildings razed when suspected gunmen on Tuesday attacked Shinfidda village in Jibiya Council Area in Katsina State.

An eyewitness, Ado Baba, said residents of the village scampered for safety when the attackers stormed the area at noon wielding dangerous weapons including sophisticated guns.

Baba said the attackers, whom he claimed were suspected cattle rustlers on a robbery mission, were believed to have emerged from Dunburum forest that traverses Jibiya in Katsina, Zurmi in
Zamfara and Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.

“They killed many people including innocent children and old people, and burnt houses. As I speak to you, I am in the bush where I ran for safety,” Baba said.

Another source told reporters that some youths of the village exchanged fire with the attackers, revealing that some of the attackers were killed but they ran away with their dead bodies.

It was further gathered that a detachment of security personnel comprising policemen, soldiers and men of the security and civil defence corps were drafted to the area to restore normalcy.

Spokesman of the Katsina Police Command, DSP Aminu Sadik Abubakar, declined comments when contacted.

Nda-Isaiah: I Will Unite Nigeria, Fight Crime if Elected President

Nda-Isaiah: I Will Unite Nigeria, Fight Crime if Elected President

05 Nov 2014

Sam Nda-Isaiah, APC presidential aspirant

•  Promises to provide security, create jobs
Aisha Wakaso in Minna 


A presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and founder of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Nda-Isaiah, on Tuesday said he would make the unity of Nigeria a top priority of his administration if elected into office as president next year in order for the country, which has been divided along ethnic lines, to make progress.

This is just as he vowed to spare no sacred cows in prosecuting the war against all types of crimes in Nigeria, saying no matter the nature of the offence, he would ensure as the president, that every criminal is caught and brought to book, unlike the present situation where crimes go unsolved and unpunished daily.

Nda-Isaiah made these promises while delivering his speech during an event to declare his intention to contest for president in 2015 in Minna, Niger State.

He stated that to achieve security, his plan, which is highlighted among the “Big Ideas” he is bringing to office if elected, includes dealing with all Nigerians with sincerity, justice, fairness and charity in order to make them unite in moving the country forward.

On security, apart from ensuring that all crimes and criminals face the full wrath of the law, he would adequately equip and train the military, expand the size of the police force and create special forces drawn from all services to respond to difficult security situations and relieve the military of its present role of first line defence and place it in a position to not only lead Nigeria's defence, but that of Africa as a whole.

“The first thing our government will do is to unite the whole of Nigeria as quickly as possible. As I have said in several fora, Nigeria is currently too divided to be called a nation.

“No country ever makes progress with the kind of divisions we see in our country today. Confronting this challenge is the simplest thing a serious leader can do. There is no magic about it. All a leader needs to do is be sincere about it.

“I will need to unite the whole of Nigeria behind me as quickly as possible in order to be able to work the big ideas that will change this nation forever.

“Any president who governs his country with fairness, justice and charity to all will have no problem uniting his people, no matter how disparate they may be.

“Under my presidency, all crimes will be punished, no matter how long it will take to apprehend the criminals. We shall send a clear message to criminals that whoever commits a crime will be apprehended and brought to justice according to the law – whoever they are, no matter where they come from and no matter how long it takes.

“I will not be that president who would say that people are killing themselves because they don’t like me. I will not only be in office, I will also be in power for the good of the majority of the people. All murderers will face the full weight of the law,” he promised.

Elaborating further, Nda-Isaiah said with the business of uniting the nation, he shall also quickly secure Nigeria and Nigerians, adding: “Security is the most elementary duty of any leader.

“I will do this by retooling the entire security and intelligence infrastructure of the country and by being that president who takes his duty as commander-in-chief seriously.

“Luckily for us, Nigeria still has some of the best soldiers, policemen and intelligence service personnel anywhere in the world. All they need is competent leadership, training and re-training as well as 21st century equipment to meet the challenges of the modern world.

“One of our major problems is that we are still using the 1960s and 1970s methods and equipment to fight today’s crimes.”

The presidential aspirant also pledged to expand the various security services to match the challenges of the country’s current size.

“We are going to modernise and increase our police strength from the current 370,000 to at least 1,000,000 immediately and then gradually grow it to at least 4,000,000.

“We shall do most of the recruiting from among the millions of graduates that roam the streets in search of jobs. A serious nation of 178 million people should not have just 370,000 policemen,” he stated.

In recognition of what the increasing number of unemployed youths in the country portends, the founder of the Leadership Group said he has big ideas on how to create jobs for them, adding: “Our government will create an army of entrepreneurs all over the country.

“We shall create five million small businesses in the first instance. A small business creates between two and five new jobs – that means potentially creating 25 million new jobs. That’s a heck of a big idea!”

He described Nigeria’s current level of unemployment as a bomb waiting to explode. “By conservative estimates, there are 48 million unemployed Nigerians and a troubling 54 per cent of the Nigerian youths are unemployed.

“Even though the economy has grown, poverty rates have increased, precisely because the sectors driving the growth are not the ones in which the majority of Nigerians are accommodated.

“We must, therefore, bring more youths into agriculture, online business, manufacturing and housing. Since 48 million jobs are not immediately available, they would have to be created. Only big ideas can solve a challenge this magnitude,” he said.

He went further to add that his government shall construct one million new housing units yearly, for two reasons: one, to bridge the housing deficit and, two, to create jobs while noting it has been estimated that building one million housing units can create up to 30 million new jobs as several people including engineers, architects, plumbers, block makers, insurance companies, mortgage banks, estate agents, cement, tile and paint sellers, food vendors, furniture manufacturers, etc, would be engaged.

The presidential aspirant also said the big idea his government would bring into the area of sports will be to create a soccer economy. “Nigeria has talent and Nigerians have passion for the game. There is no reason we should not profit from this as so many other countries do. We can organise ourselves to achieve this easily,” he stated.

While promising to improve the current power situation in the country, he also promised to diversify the economy to focus on non-oil investments scattered all over the country because oil would soon lose its critical global value due to improvements in fracking technology among the biggest consumers of oil.

Addressing concerns that he lacks prior experience in public service, he noted that everyone is now in a race for the future, though nobody has the experience of the future, while stressing that he has been able to build businesses from the scratch to becoming a successful brand.

“All experiences people claim to have are experiences of the past. And our uninspiring past cannot be a guide for our future, as we need a clean break from our past. Nigeria should be in a race to the First World and what is needed more than anything else is vision.

“I find my lack of experience in government a strength instead because I have not been part of the rot of the past. In any case, I have the most important experience, which is being a serial entrepreneur. I have created institutions from Ground Zero.

“That is the most important experience anyone who wants to be president needs at the moment. In fact, a lack of entrepreneurial experience among those who lead us has been one of our problems so far.

“And talking about experience, you cannot have more experience than President Jonathan. He has been a deputy governor, a governor, a vice-president and acting president before becoming president, and see what this huge experience has done to our dear country. So much for experience,” he said.

Nda-Isaiah pointed out that some of the greatest leaders the world has had had no government experience before assuming power.

“The South African presidency was Nelson Mandela’s first job in government. The prime minister’s job was Lee Kuan Yew’s first job in government. And by the time Tony Blair became prime minister of Great Britain in 1997, he had never worked in government. Ditto for David Cameron.

“Most importantly, we intend to change how government works. Governments even in the best of countries, but especially in our country, have a problem of inefficiency, bureaucracy and corruption directly impeding well-intended plans.

“To change our country, we must change the way government works first. Our government will achieve this by the appointment of CEO-style ministers and heads of government agencies with clear targets and commensurate salaries and bonuses,” he said.

We have seen how leadership has transformed countries ranging from small countries like Singapore, Rwanda and South Korea to the big countries like Brazil, India and China. I believe that, with faith in God, you and I together can keep this appointment with destiny,” he said.

On the Jonathan presidency, he described it as a failure, adding that Jonathan had been unable to perform the most basic of responsibilities of any leader.

According to Nda-Isaiah, the president’s failure to perform his duties had turned Nigeria into a laughing stock, noting: “President Jonathan has been totally unable to perform the most basic responsibility of any leader, which is provision of security to the people of his country. Nigeria has been degraded to unimaginable levels. We are now the laughing stock of countries we used to laugh at.”

Nda-Isaiah also lamented about the $1 billion loan the president was going to borrow to fight insurgency, saying it is outrageous and a way of stealing the people's money.

“Nigeria fought a civil war and did the post war reconstruction without taking a loan,” he said.

Also speaking at the occasion, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who is also an APC presidential aspirant, said any of the party's presidential aspirants was more capable than Jonathan.

“Any of the APC aspirants is better than Jonathan. Whoever wins the party primary is better than President Jonathan.”

Atiku, who described Nda-Isaiah as a personal friend, said all the aspirants in APC had resolved to support who ever emerges.

"We (APC aspirants) are united. We have resolved to support whoever emerges. We are not fighting each other. That is why I am here today. Our target is to rescue the country from the mis-rule of the PDP,” he said.

Rivers State Governor Chibuike Ameachi was also at the declaration and accused the security agencies of becoming the armed wing of the PDP.

Speaking on the withdrawal of the security aides attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Amaechi stated that the security agencies were no longer doing their constitutional job of protecting the lives of Nigerians.

“I heard today that the Department of State Security Service (DSS) have withdrawn their men from the speaker, a few days after the police withdrew their men leaving him defenceless.
“The police and SSS have no right to do that as far as he is still the speaker, only the court and National Assembly can give a order like that.

“This goes to show that the SSS and the police are for the PDP, they are the armed wing of PDP and we have to make a departure from this abuse of constitutional powers,” Ameachi said.

He called on Nigerians to vote out PDP and accept APC as the party that would bring about the needed change in the nation.

Tambuwal dares PDP

November 5, 2014 by John Alechenu

Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal
| credits: File copy

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, on Tuesday dared the Peoples Democratic Party by paying a working visit to the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

The PDP had after Tambuwal announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress last week, asked him to resign as speaker or be impeached.

It also initiated moves to compel its caucus in the House to reconvene on Tuesday (yesterday), instead of Deember 3 which the Speaker had adjourned sitting of the House.

On Monday, Tambuwal and the APC got a relief from a Federal High Court in Abuja which directed that the status quo in the House be maintained till Friday.

Ostensibly buoyed by the court order, the Speaker arrived at the assembly on Tuesday to declare open public hearings by two committees of the House.

The Speaker personally drove his official Range Rover SUV into the   premises without security personnel.

He was however   was shielded to the venues of the sittings by APC lawmakers led by the Chairman, House Committee on Education,   Aminu Suleiman.

One of the meetings he declared open was a hearing by the Committee on Public Accounts on a “Bill for an Act to Repeal the Audit Act of 1956 and to Re-Enact the Audit Act of 2010…”

Tambuwal declined to speak with journalists   as he was quickly shielded back to his car by the APC members after the ceremonies.

The much speculated reconvening of the House by PDP members on Tuesday did not take place.

The doors to the chambers which were shut last week when Tambuwal adjourned sitting till December 3, remained so on Tuesday.

The Majority Leader of the House,   Mulikat Akande-Adeola, has   accused the   Speaker,   his Deputy, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, and the Deputy House Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, of playing a game on her over Tambuwal’s defection.

Tambuwal had cashed in on a motion for adjournment moved by Akande-Adeola and adjourned the House.

The majority leader came under heavy criticism from the PDP, which blamed her for allowing the speaker to defect under her nose and getting away with a lengthy adjournment of the House.

But Akande-Adeola told journalists at the National Assembly complex on Tuesday that she had no concrete evidence that Tambuwal was defecting until the announcement came abruptly on October 28.

She added that it was until he defected that it dawned on her that there was a game going on, which Tambuwal, Ihedioha and Ogor knew about but kept her in the dark.

Akande-Adeola said, “At that point in the chamber, I didn’t feel anyhow but after he made his statement then I knew that there was something that must have been planned that I was not aware of.

“Because if you know me very well,   I deal with everyone on equal basis and I have a very open mind. I don’t think it would have been out of place for the speaker to even tell me he was moving . I don’t think that would have been out of place.

“The only thing would have been may be to ask him a few questions and all that. We are colleagues in the House. We represent different constituencies.

“What is good for him may not be good for me. He has his reasons for doing whatever he has done. But I would have expected that I was told no matter what. So, that is just it.”

She recalled that before the motion for adjournment was moved, she asked Ihedioha and Ogor if the speculated defection plan of Tambuwal was true   but both officials brushed off her question.

Akande-Adeola revealed that a meeting of the leadership had taken place on October 27 where the issue of the appropriate date for the adjournment was discussed.

She claimed to have opposed the lengthy defection to December 3 because it did not tally with that of the Senate, which is November 4.

The leader added that she even reported to the meeting that December 3 was not realistic because the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, had already briefed her that the Senate would reconvene on November 4.

However, she said her position was overruled by the majority of the nine members of the leadership in attendance, including Tambuwal.

She admitted that the meeting eventually agreed on December 3   after everyone agreed   that the period would be used for oversight duties and party primaries.

She clarified that Tambuwal’s defection was not an item on the agenda of the meeting, neither was mention of it made throughout the session.

The House Leader added, “After all the reasoning and everything, we agreed that   first, members should go and work on their tickets and that the House will adjourn for the first two weeks to allow   members conclude all the reports in their various committees. And the following two weeks will be for oversight functions towards the budget. That was what we agreed on.”

However, Akande-Adeola did not meet with Tambuwal. She went straight into her office after speaking with journalists while the Speaker was still busy at the sitting of one of the two committees.

When contacted, Ogor dismissed the allegation that he joined Tambuwal and Ihedioha to play a game on the leader over the defection.

He described the allegation as “strange” and called for proof.

“If I was aware, it became my responsibility to tell her. I was not aware (of the defection). He who alleges must show proof.”

Ogor also spoke on the views expressed by the APC caucus that only Tambuwal could reconvene the House.

He argued that the speaker’s consent was not required in this “peculiar” circumstance to reconvene the House because Tambuwal was the subject matter.

Ogor said, “The Speaker is an interested party and cannot be a judge in his own case.

“The principles of fair hearing demand that it is very difficult for him to be the one to reconvene the House.”

Ogor explained that the rules of the House recognised the existence of other minority parties outside the APC.

He claimed that the other parties and the PDP could reconvene the House without the consent of Tambuwal so long as a quorum of 120 members was formed.

Fashola declares federal task force illegal

on November 05, 2014   /   in News 7:34 am   /   Comments

Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS—Following the invasion of some highways by persons in black uniforms, known as Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme and Federal Road Maintenance Agency, SURE-P/FERMA taskforce officials, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, urged residents to resist any attempt by them to manage traffic on 117 federal roads in the state describing their operation as illegal.

President Jonathan and Gov Babatubde Fashola of Lagos

The taskforce officials dislodged officers of the  Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA from some major federal roads in the state on Monday.
Fashola who spoke at the fifth year anniversary of the Uniformed Voluntary Clubs in Lagos State public schools held at the Police College, Ikeja, said that the agency was not established by law and do not have the legal right to manage traffic in the state.
The governor described the  officials as ‘illegal’, alleging that their establishment was done by some politicians to  create confusion during the 2015 general elections in the state.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/fashola-declares-federal-task-force-illegal/#sthash.c7b5j5IQ.dpuf

Fashola declares federal task force illegal

on November 05, 2014   /   in News 7:34 am   /   Comments

Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS—Following the invasion of some highways by persons in black uniforms, known as Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme and Federal Road Maintenance Agency, SURE-P/FERMA taskforce officials, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, urged residents to resist any attempt by them to manage traffic on 117 federal roads in the state describing their operation as illegal.

President Jonathan and Gov Babatubde Fashola of Lagos

The taskforce officials dislodged officers of the  Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA from some major federal roads in the state on Monday.
Fashola who spoke at the fifth year anniversary of the Uniformed Voluntary Clubs in Lagos State public schools held at the Police College, Ikeja, said that the agency was not established by law and do not have the legal right to manage traffic in the state.
The governor described the  officials as ‘illegal’, alleging that their establishment was done by some politicians to  create confusion during the 2015 general elections in the state.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/fashola-declares-federal-task-force-illegal/#sthash.c7b5j5IQ.dpuf

Minister orders completion of new Lokoja prison in 2 weeks

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro, has ordered the contractor handling the new Koton-Karfe medium prison in Kogi state to complete the facility within two weeks or risk sanctions.
Moro gave the order on Tuesday in Koton-karfe while assessing the level of damage done to the old facility by gunmen who attacked the prison on Sunday night.
Gunmen armed with grenades attacked the prison on Sunday night, freeing 144 inmates, out of whom 15 had returned, while one died in the process.
The minister condemned the attack and said that the Federal Government had ordered that security be beefed up around the facility and other prisons across the country to forestall a recurrence of such act.
He said “the attack on that prison is most unfortunate, particularly that it came on the heels of a previous attack on the prisons.
“We have gone there and we saw what happened and the attack virtually took the same pattern — use of explosives to break the walls of the prison.
“What we have done now is to ensure that we step up our security and also encourage prison warders, the police and soldiers to continue to increase their level of security and surveillance around the prisons.’’
He described the Koton-Karfe prison as obsolete, saying that was what informed the construction of the new prison which was nearing completion.
Moro, who also took an assessment tour of the new prison which was few kilometres away from the old one, expressed optimism that the new prison, when completed, would forestall such jail breaks.
He said most of the inmates of the old prison would be moved to the new prison to decongest the facility and ensure maximum security in line international best practice.
The minister said “I have directed that given the level of work that has been carried out here already and given the circumstances in which we found ourselves, I have given an ultimatum of two weeks within which the contract for this new medium prison should be completed.
“And the contractors have given assurance to abide by the ultimatum.’’
Moro assured that appropriate authorities were working hard to re-arrest the 144 prison inmates who were freed and commended the 15 that returned to the prison.
“For these criminals to escape, it adds to the level of insecurity in the country. On our own part, we cannot allow them to perpetrate evil in the society.
“We are working in partnership with other security agencies and the community to ensure that they are re-arrested and brought to book,” he said.
He said that the ministry was doing a lot to decongest prisons across the country.
He also stated that the ministry was working with appropriate authorities, especially the Ministry of Justice, to ensure that those awaiting trails were not unnecessarily kept in prison.
The new Koton-Karfe Prison is designed to accommodate 80 inmates in line with international standards, although the minister said the facility can be subjected to further expansion.