Five young Nigerian men kneel in front of police officers at Plateau State CID Headquarters in the city of Jos.
“I killed three people,” admits one youth in the local Hausa language. He looks almost child-like.
But he is referring to the horrific slaughter of at least 100 people in three nearby villages in the latest round in a brutal cycle of violence between Hausa-speaking Muslims and Christians from the Berom community.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Nigerian Army has denied complicity in last Sunday’s attacks on three communities of Dogo Nauwa, Ratsat and Jot in Shen Village of Jos South Local Government Area.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
NIGERIANS this week buried the victims of a massacre near the central city of Jos. Many of the preÂdominantly Christian villagers who were killed were women and children. Mechanical excavators were used to prepare mass graves for those who had been killed in three villages in the small hours of Sunday morning. Continue reading →
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
It is so sad and extremely frustrating to hear every day horrible mascaras targeting peaceful Christian civilians in Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria among many other countries where murder with cold blood and barbarism against minorities is a trend and a life style that goes back to the stone ages.
What do these merciless, sadistic killers and their leaders, clergy or masters achieve when they butcher, slaughter and decapitated unarmed, peaceful and poor civilians including children, women and elderly for just being Christians? Is such brutality is a Jihad war (holy War)? For heaven’s sake which God sanctions such savage acts!!?
Witnessing and hearing about such horrific massacres one wonders if we are actually living in the year 2010 or still in the dark ages, or even in pre historic times?
The question is why the United Nations, the religious authorities, Human Rights organizations and the free world and Muslim countries allow such crimes to occur, and why the regimes that either advocate for such barbaric atrocities or turn a blind eye on those who commit them are not punished and put on trial?
International Christian Concern (ICC) has stated in a release issued on March 08/10 that on March 07/10 “Nigerian Muslims murdered 500 Christians in the village of Dogo Nahawa, near the city of Jos. Most of the victims are women and children. The Muslims invaded the village at 2 AM local time and slaughtered the Christians with machetes”.
According to the ICC, “In some cases the Muslims wiped out entire members families. They also burned down the homes of several Christians. A local government official told ICC that around 380 Christians were buried in one mass burial space. He added that other victims were buried by their families and there are still bodies being collected. The official, who requested to remain anonymous, also said that police have arrested 93 people and recovered guns, knifes and other types of weapons from the suspects”
The ICC, denounced the massacre and said: “The genocide committed by Muslims against innocent women and children is another clear demonstration of Muslims brutality and intolerance of Christians in northern Nigeria. The Nigerian government must bring those responsible to account for this evil crime against humanity. The right to freedom of religion must not just be written in our Constitution but must be seen to be in practice. We are appealing to Christians all over the world through ICC and continual prayers for believers in Northern Nigeria,†said Reverend John Hayab”. Reverend Hayab is the Secretary General of Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State.
This latest anti Christian Jihad came on the heels of a conflict between Christians and Muslims in Jos in January of this year. During that conflict, over 300 people were killed. Over 13, 750 Christians have been killed by Muslims in northern Nigeria since the introduction of Sharia laws in 2001. ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa and South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said, “We condemn in the strongest words this latest Jihad attack against Christians. It’s both unconscionable and extremely heinous for the Muslims to slaughter women and children in the middle of the night simply because of their religious belief. This is yet another example of danger of Islamic fundamentalism. The international community must assist the victims and their families. Nigerian officials must be held accountable for their failure in protecting Christians from Muslim aggression.â€
We deplore these horrible crimes in the strongest of terms and offer sincere condolences to the families and friends of those innocent victims who lost their lives in the massacre and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
Moral, ethical, human and legal obligations demand that the UN, Vatican, Human Rights Organizations, and all Free World and Muslim countries take a courageous stance and step in immediately with all available means to put an end for such genocide not only in Nigeria, but in all other countries where either Christians or other minorities are being murdered or deprived of their rights. All killers and their leaders need to be put on trial.
Meanwhile, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian Acting President, has a legal and national obligation to ensure accountability for those who committed the crimes and also for those who have perpetuated the inter-communal conflict in recent years.
At the same time the Nigerian Government is encouraged to continue to pursue efforts to address the root causes of this recurring violence, and urge communities to continue working together to build a peaceful society.†Elias Bejjani is a human rights activist, journalist & political commentator who writes for the Global Politician about issues concerning Lebanon. He is the Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF) and the Media Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC) E-Mail: phoenicia@hotmail.com LCCC Web Site: http://www.10452lccc.com
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
It is so sad and extremely frustrating to hear every day horrible mascaras targeting peaceful Christian civilians in Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria among many other countries where murder with cold blood and barbarism against minorities is a trend and a life style that goes back to the stone ages.
What do these merciless, sadistic killers and their leaders, clergy or masters achieve when they butcher, slaughter and decapitated unarmed, peaceful and poor civilians including children, women and elderly for just being Christians? Is such brutality is a Jihad war (holy War)? For heaven’s sake which God sanctions such savage acts!!?
Witnessing and hearing about such horrific massacres one wonders if we are actually living in the year 2010 or still in the dark ages, or even in pre historic times?
The question is why the United Nations, the religious authorities, Human Rights organizations and the free world and Muslim countries allow such crimes to occur, and why the regimes that either advocate for such barbaric atrocities or turn a blind eye on those who commit them are not punished and put on trial?
International Christian Concern (ICC) has stated in a release issued on March 08/10 that on March 07/10 “Nigerian Muslims murdered 500 Christians in the village of Dogo Nahawa, near the city of Jos. Most of the victims are women and children. The Muslims invaded the village at 2 AM local time and slaughtered the Christians with machetes”.
According to the ICC, “In some cases the Muslims wiped out entire members families. They also burned down the homes of several Christians. A local government official told ICC that around 380 Christians were buried in one mass burial space. He added that other victims were buried by their families and there are still bodies being collected. The official, who requested to remain anonymous, also said that police have arrested 93 people and recovered guns, knifes and other types of weapons from the suspects”
The ICC, denounced the massacre and said: “The genocide committed by Muslims against innocent women and children is another clear demonstration of Muslims brutality and intolerance of Christians in northern Nigeria. The Nigerian government must bring those responsible to account for this evil crime against humanity. The right to freedom of religion must not just be written in our Constitution but must be seen to be in practice. We are appealing to Christians all over the world through ICC and continual prayers for believers in Northern Nigeria,†said Reverend John Hayab”. Reverend Hayab is the Secretary General of Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State.
This latest anti Christian Jihad came on the heels of a conflict between Christians and Muslims in Jos in January of this year. During that conflict, over 300 people were killed. Over 13, 750 Christians have been killed by Muslims in northern Nigeria since the introduction of Sharia laws in 2001. ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa and South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said, “We condemn in the strongest words this latest Jihad attack against Christians. It’s both unconscionable and extremely heinous for the Muslims to slaughter women and children in the middle of the night simply because of their religious belief. This is yet another example of danger of Islamic fundamentalism. The international community must assist the victims and their families. Nigerian officials must be held accountable for their failure in protecting Christians from Muslim aggression.â€
We deplore these horrible crimes in the strongest of terms and offer sincere condolences to the families and friends of those innocent victims who lost their lives in the massacre and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
Moral, ethical, human and legal obligations demand that the UN, Vatican, Human Rights Organizations, and all Free World and Muslim countries take a courageous stance and step in immediately with all available means to put an end for such genocide not only in Nigeria, but in all other countries where either Christians or other minorities are being murdered or deprived of their rights. All killers and their leaders need to be put on trial.
Meanwhile, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian Acting President, has a legal and national obligation to ensure accountability for those who committed the crimes and also for those who have perpetuated the inter-communal conflict in recent years.
At the same time the Nigerian Government is encouraged to continue to pursue efforts to address the root causes of this recurring violence, and urge communities to continue working together to build a peaceful society.†Elias Bejjani is a human rights activist, journalist & political commentator who writes for the Global Politician about issues concerning Lebanon. He is the Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF) and the Media Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC) E-Mail: phoenicia@hotmail.com LCCC Web Site: http://www.10452lccc.com
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
“Political dynasties are families that have exerted disproportionate influence on the politics of their societies. If they are successful, they may produce more than one Head of State or Head of Government. But at the very minimum, political dynasties have produced political leaders in varied ranks of the political processâ€. (Prof. Ali A. Mazrui, 2008, Political Dynasties in African Politics)
According to definitions, a dynasty is a succession of people belonging to the same family, who, through various means and forms maintain power, influence or authority over the course of generations. Though in elected governments, rule does not pass automatically by inheritance, political power often accrues to generations of related individuals even in republics. Eminence, Influence, familiarity, tradition, genetics, corruption and even nepotism may contribute to this phenomenon. (Please note the words, corruption and nepotism)
In the past 100 years, I can only recount of a very few REAL political dynasties: The Bush family in the US is a political dynasty which has so far produced two presidents: George Herbert Bush and George William Bush. And of course, the most famous political dynasty in the world, the Kennedy family is a US political dynasty. One brother (John) became president; another (Robert) became Senator and then Attorney General, and the third (Edward) has been a Senator and would probably have become president but for the Chappaquiddick tragedy.
In Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was executed as Prime Minister. Ultimately, his daughter, Benazir Bhutto, became Prime Minister of Pakistan twice before her own assassination. In Indonesia, Megawati Sukarnoputri eventually succeeded her father, the late Sukarno, as Indonesia’s Head of State. Of course, in India, the Nehru-Gandhi family are a political dynasty.
Some other notable political dynasties: the Macapagal Presidential Family and the Aquino Revolutionary Dynasty (Philippines); the Beazley and Crean families (Australia); Ziaur Rahman’s and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s families (Bangladesh); the Soekarnos (Indonesia); Aung San Suu Kyi’s family (Burma); the Kims (North Korea); the Lee Kuan Yew’s family (Singapore); the Solomon Bandaranaike’s family (Sri Lanka); the Assads (Syria); the Churchills/Dukes of Marlborough) (UK); the Adamses, the Long family, the Roosevelts, the Tafts and the Udalls, all of the US.
In Africa, the Odinga family of Kenya is becoming dynastic. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga rose as high as Kenya’s Vice-Presidency. Politicisation of Raila Odinga is turning the Odinga family into a political dynasty.
The Kenyattas might also evolve into a political dynasty. In 2002, Uhuru Kenyatta attempted to become President of Kenya like his father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. Uhuru is young enough to ascend to the pinnacle of power in the future.
It will be useful to consider the achievements of these aforementioned notable political dynasties from the various countries around the world and try and compare them to our so-called, self-publicising, arrogant, selfish and corrupt political families in Nigeria. Any basis for comparison? I doubt it.
A country, where for the past 50 years, the political and military classes have contrived to ruin the country, keep the people in poverty, made the infrastructure left by the colonial rulers moribund, through sheer greed, unbelievable selfishness, absolute and profound lack of vision and focus, mismanagement and corruption.
Then some children of these political and military classes have been expressing themselves as saviours of the masses, with desires and ambitions to run for office (some of them have already succeeded in getting political offices, mostly through rigging and god-fatherism, etc).It is, to my mind the ultimate insult on the people of Nigeria.
Probably this article needs not be written, but for Nigerian political rogues are now trying to put themselves and their “achievement and contributions†to Nigeria (the mere thought of this makes me angry) with such families as the Kennedys, the Bushes, the Gandhis, it is even an insult to the memories of these great Statesmen.
What I have concluded from their utterances and ambition is that they are insensitive, selfish, greedy and most poignantly, do not realise that their parents (some of them, to avoid a wide generalisation) have committed grave sins against the people of Nigeria. On the other hand, they may actually be used by their infamous parents to continue to perpetuate their crimes and themselves on the people. It is again an example of the sad indictment of our society that the children of rogues, corrupt and discredited politicians and thugs will now come out and start to “re-brandâ€, apologies to Dora Akunyinli, their mostly infamous parents
Let me first say I respect and hold in very high regards our REAL “heroes past†like late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Aminu Kano and Sir Tafawa Balewa. I could join Chief Peter Enahoro, J S Tarka, Herbert Macauley and a few others. But taking these real and true heroes, which of their progenies are shouting their fathers’ names to the high heavens? Like they say, the empty drum sounds the loudest.
To my utter chagrin and consternation, recently we have had children of very minor or even insignificant political players in our chequered history, coming out with delusions of grandeur to claim that (1) they want to contest election in 2011 – and mind you, I have nothing against any of 140 million contesting elections, it is their right – using their fathers’ names as some kind of anointment, (2) their parents were political giants in the affairs on Nigeria for the past 50 years, (3) that they can do a lot better than their fathers (I use the masculine because the parents were invariably, male anyway), and (4) to compound their illusion and delusions, claiming that ordinary Nigerians are jealous and resentment of them because of their “famous†fathers!
I was annoyed at this last bit – resentment and envy? What famous fathers? More like infamous and worthy of prison, most of them. These children either innocently do not know the evils their fathers perpetrated on this country, or maybe they were really shielded from such acts committed by their fathers, or maybe they are just being deliberately mischievous.
One of them, a son of a failed and ignoble former Governor of Oyo state, says he wants to become the next Governor of the state, and while claiming not to be using his father’s name, he is ensuring the father’s first and surname is prominent. He calls himself Lam Adesina. Why didn’t he just call himself Adesina? That way, he will just be another Adesina in Oyo State.
Even Iyabo Obasanjo was the most notorious. She was Mrs Iyabo Bello before her father became the President. The moment OBJ was in power, Iyabo Bello became Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello and now simply Iyabo Obasanjo after separation/divorce from Mr Bello. I was in Abeokuta recently and I could only shake my head in disgust at seeing large billboards with her picture and the message “Ko si omo to dabi Iyabo†(There is no child like Iyabo) all over the old city.
Another, a legislator, sought and got his elective position through a notorious late Godfather in a SW state. When he was campaigning, he never used his father’s first name; in fact he distanced himself from his father’s name and poor reputation in his home-city. The moment he got rigged in, he started adding his father’s first name to make a compound double-barrelled name. He felt he could now bandy his father’s name about.
The son the Godfather himself rigged into the Senate now sees his father as a political dynasty. But let’s look at it this way; the godfather or rather “thug-father†was never a politician per se, he was a political thug, and thugs hardly made dynasties, do they?
It is very convenient to forgive them. But we can’t forget. I would say the Sarakis, the Akinloyes, the Lam Adesinas, the Fani Kayodes, the Akinjides, the Adedibus, the minor insignificant players like Omololu Olunloyos, took from Nigeria rather than give back to Nigeria. The fathers made money and name via the corrupt political system they operated in, and perpetuated, without complaint. Up till now, I have failed to see exactly what they benefitted their people.
Is it the failed Societe Generale Bank, where thousands of depositors lost their money, and the owners of the bank, the Sarakis, absolute owners of Kwara State, were never brought to book and never showed any remorse or apologies? Who can point to any single worthy thing that Baba L’Oje did in Ibadan, his hometown, since he was in politics from the late 1950’s until he died a few years ago? Can I go to Ibadan and be able to point out any significant projects initiated or established by Ibadan legal luminary, several times in different governments, Federal Minister, Chief Richard Akinjide? Yet he was trying to manoeuvre his son to become the Deputy Governor during the Ladoja/Alao-Akala crisis.
“Femi Fani-Kayode, a distinguished Nigerian politicianâ€, “Hon Gbemi Saraki – representing Kwara in the Senate and Nigerian women everywhere!” “Hon Olusegun Adisa-Akinloye – scion of an Ibadan political dynasty†– these are the nonsense I have read recently in the papers.
Please note that I am of the conviction that any Nigeria has a right to aspire and indeed go for any public office. These children of politicians are included. They have every right to become politicians and contest for positions. My beef with them is trying to hop on the ignoble backs and discredited names of their parents, and trying to form another clique or cabal and thinking of themselves as special Nigerians.
“The sins of the father shall be visited on the son†– please feminise this – so the Holy Bible says. And so shall it be. I am sure there’s a similar saying or tenet in the Holy Koran too. “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones†– (William Shakespear in Julius Ceasar)
Ignis fatuus (Latin, from ignis, “fire” + fatuus, “foolish”) is a Latin term for something that misleads or deludes; an illusion. A delusion is a false belief about oneself or other people that persists despite it being at variance with the facts.
Sadly, these set of Nigerian politician children who think of themselves as political dynasties and indispensable to the Nigerian political scene appear to suffer from this ignis fatuus, a definite and infinite inferiority complex that tend to exist in communities where good governance, conscience, selflessness and uprightness have been thrown to the wind in favour of selfishness, corruption, oppression, arrogance and egotism, and self-centredness.
I believe it is an attempt by the incorrigible and unrepentant parents and families to continue to perpetrate their corruption and oppression of the Nigerian people. There was nothing of note that they did for this country – how else did we find ourselves in this problem? – except lining their pockets from the treasury, laying false trails of nationalism and patriotism as well as giving the false impression that what they did was serve Nigeria.
Did they truly serve Nigeria, and not themselves and their families and friends? Let any of them defend this.
I have really tried very hard not to be too hard on these children in this article. Believe me, I have, because several of them are my friends, but the Truth must be said always.
“Political dynasties are families that have exerted disproportionate influence on the politics of their societies.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Dearest Tunde (Pastor) Bakare, what I am not sure is, if you got a copy of my appeal to Leaders of Faith Organizations in Nigeria published last year (2009) on my blog and on most national newspapers. But whether you got it or not, your actions and deep involvement with the Save Nigeria Group are exactly the responses solicited from that appeal.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
KARACHI, Pakistan – Two Pakistani officers and a government official said Sunday that an American charged with treason for working with al-Qaida had been captured, a development that could deliver another significant blow in the U.S.-led battle against the terror network.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
As President Umaru Yar’Adua returned to Abuja last week, after three months of medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, the country appeared to be sliding back to the precipice of a constitutional crisis regarding who was in charge of affairs of state. Continue reading →
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The increase of 3,362mw of electricity generation recorded by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) last weekend may be short-lived as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has again threatened to shut down its Sapele Gas Plant.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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