Netanyahu Directly Addresses Controversy Over His Speech To Congress

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Read Time:4 Minute, 12 Second

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his upcoming address to Congress on Monday by referencing the historical subjugation of the Jewish people, telling a friendly audience at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference, “The days when the Jewish people are passive in the face of threats to annihilate us, those days are over.”

Netanyahu arrived in Washington D.C. on Sunday at the invitation of House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to deliver a speech to Congress on Tuesday that is expected to dissuade the United States from reaching a diplomatic agreement with Iran over its disputed nuclear program. Those talks are currently ongoing.

The Prime Minister directly addressed the controversy surrounding his speech and concerns among American and Israeli officials that the appearance, which was scheduled without input from the White House, could damage the long-standing alliance between the two countries.

“My speech is not intended to show any disrespect to President Obama or the esteemed office that he holds. I have great respect for both,” he said. “The purpose of my address to Congress is to speak up about a potential deal with Iran that could threaten the survival of Israel.” Referencing the historical persecution of the Jewish people, Netanyahu added, “Today, we are no longer silent. Today we have a voice. And tomorrow as prime minister of the one and only Jewish state I plan to use that voice.”

The remarks come as tensions between Israel and the United States have reached an all time high, with American officials accusing Israel of deliberately leaking details of the ongoing Iranian nuclear negotiations in order to undermine any final deal.

The United States, along with negotiating partners Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, would permit Iran to retain its nuclear infrastructure but delay the “breakout” period for developing a weapon by more than a year and subject the country to rigorous inspections to ensure that it does not maintain covert nuclear facilities. Israel fears that any deal with Iran would accept Iranian enrichment as a new reality, thus posing a threat to the Jewish state’s very existence.

“I plan to speak about an Iranian regime that is threatening to destroy Israel,” Netanyahu said at AIPAC, “that’s devouring country after country in the Middle East…that’s developing as we speak the capacity to make nuclear weapons. Lots of them.” Recently released intelligence documents, however, contradict Netanyahu’s claims about Iran’s imminent abilities to produce a nuclear weapon. Israel’s intelligence agency has concluded that while Iran was working to “reduce the time required to produce weapons,” the country is “not performing the activity necessary to produce weapons” and “does not appear to be ready” to enrich materials to the level necessary for weaponization.

But both Netayanhu and the American ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power — one of two Obama administration officials to speak at the AIPAC conference — took great pains to highlight the strong diplomatic relationship that binds the two nations.

Power, who received multiple standing ovations from the AIPAC audience, stressed that America’s alliance with Israel “transcends politics and it always will.” “The United States of America will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Period,” she declared to raucous applause from the audience. “Talks, no talks, agreement no agreement. The United States will take whatever steps are necessary to protect our national security and that of our closest allies.” Power spent the vast majority of her remarks providing examples of that commitment.

Netanyahu too insisted that disagreements between allies “are natural.” “[O]ur alliance is sound, our friendship is strong, and with your efforts it will only get stronger in the decades to come,” he announced.

But despite those efforts, cracks between Israel, its supporters, and the Obama administration are only widening.

On Sunday, AIPAC publicly broke with the administration over the Iranian negotiations. Speaking for the organization, Executive Director Howard Kohr said that any final deal should completely dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and must be approved by Congress. AIPAC also called for additional sanctions against Iran should it fail to reach a deal, conditions which the White House strongly opposes.

“Congress has a critical role,” Kohr said. “Congress’s role doesn’t end when there is a deal. Congress must review this deal.”

Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress remain split on whether Netanyahu should address Congress and are uncertain whether they will stand with Obama on the Iranian issue, particularly in the mist of an election year. As the New York Times reports, “So far, 30 Democrats — four senators and 26 representatives — have said they will not attend the speech.”

Netanyahu will face Israeli voters for an unprecedented fourth term on Tuesday, March 17.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Buhari may drop out from presidential race as his family members finally step in, concern over his poor health condition.

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Read Time:2 Minute, 11 Second

Nigerians should in matter of urgency pray for Buhari instead of condemning him on a daily basis, this is the word of a close family member who said Nigerians should know that Muhammadu Buhari is no longer interested in running for the office of the presidency.

Buhari has made this known to top APC leaders, but it didn't go down well with few of them especially those that have committed a lot of money to sell Buhari to Nigerians.

Buhari is purely acting on instruction of his doctors both home and abroad, the general have been suffering from these illness for some time now “prostate cancer, acute asthma and recently dementia”. Though dementia is only detected recently but it haven't gotten to the severe stage.

It's good to note that Buhari is in a very stable condition until the middle of their campaign, Buhari had literally complain about his bad health during their campaign that he can't make it to all the 36 states of the federation but APC leaders ignored him, all plea by Buhari's family members to give Buhari some rest were turned down. All APC did was to have two doctors and ambulance on standby in majority of the rallies.

One of the top APC leader also plead for Buhari to have some rest considering that Buhari haven't had this level of campaign before now, unlike his three previous campaign where he only campaign in northern part of Nigeria but it was vehemently ignored by Tinubu himself.

The plan APC leaders are putting on table should they win is for Buhari to stay in office at least for one year before resigning on the condition of his bad health.

The big questions now are, who is going to be the president if Buhari resign within one year as plan? Constitutionally the vice president should take over, but considering that Pastor Yemi Osibanjo had sworn an oath to resign his office within six months in office paving way for Bola Tinubu.

Will I be right to say that Bola Amend Tinubu will become Nigeria president by 2017 should APC win come this March? Or will Pastor Yemi Osibanjo defile his oath to Tinubu and stay put as the vice president which will automatically make him the president of Nigeria by 2017? Time will tell.

Meanwhile effort have been intensify by Buhari's immediate family in seeking legal advice on a way to stop APC financiers not to hold Buhari to ransom in case he decide to drop out before election.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Guardian Editor explains how Garba Shehu ‘conned’ the paper into using a ‘lying’ photo of GMB

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Read Time:7 Minute, 45 Second

If I were the All Progressives Congress (APC), I would not lie about the health of General Muhammadu Buhari. If the man is actually ill and has gone abroad to seek medical attention, the party, through its national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, or any other spokesman, should simply say so, and not lie about it. To posture and make it seem as if Buhari cannot fall ill because there is a presidential election to contest and win is to make the man appear superhuman.

All human beings must cave in to ill health and ultimate death at some point. Everybody, including the politicians of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), knows this. That was why the party tried to disconnect itself from Governor Ayodele Fayose’s ‘death wish’ advertisement on Buhari.

Whether in Christian or Islamic theology, others are required to show sympathy through prayers to people who are ill. Even animists and atheists do same. But nobody has said Buhari is ill and has gone to London for medical attention. What the APC said was that its presidential candidate left for UK last week to continue his campaign to become Nigeria’s president by way of interaction with Nigerians living in UK. It was only Governor Fayose, who has been all over the old man like a gadfly that said Buhari was admitted to Cavendish Hospital in London.

Because people say Fayose is always shouting wolves when there are even no sheep in sight, nobody took him seriously when he said that the APC was on a mission to misinform Nigeria about Buhari’s visit to London. Soon, pictures were floated in the air to support the APC position that Buhari was in London for a different purpose, which included speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, otherwise known as Chatham House, on his presidential ambition.

There was apparent desperation to create a scenario that never existed regarding Buhari’s visit to the United Kingdom. And this was where the publicity machinery of the APC got it all wrong. Dummies were sold to newspapers as photos of Buhari in London. One showed him with former British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and former governor of Kwara State, now a senator, Bukola Saraki. That was confirmed real by some people. But another captioned: Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (right) with the Chief Executive Officer, All Eyes TV Show, Kemi Fadojutimi (left), during Buhari’s working visit to United Kingdom also came.

Coming from Mallam Shehu Garba, media director of the Buhari Campaign Organisation and a fine professional and Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the national publicity secretary of the APC, I did not probe to uncover any hidden motives. And I am sure most editors did not, which was why either of the photos made prime news pages last Sunday. When my Executive Director, Mr. Toke Ibru, first mentioned it that I had put a fake photo on the front page, I urged caution so that we did not hastily contradict ourselves on the right point.

But before the end of day, my phone had been inundated with messages from readers, analysing the graphics of the photo and saying why the shot was taken at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja, and not a location in the UK as claimed in the photo caption. I tried to piece together the puzzle, but nothing was adding up to anything meaningful. I mean, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Mallam Sehu Garba and then fake photographs of General Buhari in London coming from both of them. What could be the purpose behind that piece of propaganda? To prove that they could do better than a Joseph Goebbels in the art of misinformation when there was no Second World War to prosecute and win?

Ever before Ayo Fayose left for Hilton Abuja to conduct a ‘forensic’ investigation of the photograph of Buhari’s media interview in London, Pat Enechukwu, who follows this column every Sunday, had done his and sent to me his findings: “My brother good afternoon. Please look at that front page photograph of Buhari critically and watch issues I am raising. That bottled water on the table (Aquafina) is a Nigerian product. The newspapers are Nigerian papers with the one on top looking like The Guardian and I mean our own The Guardian and not London Guardian that I have bought and read severally in London. The magazine on top is DSTV Magazine. What’s DSTV in London and who uses DSTV in London?”

Governor Fayose did something far more comprehensive and after watching him debunk the controversial photo with striking facts, I was convinced that I had been used to push forth a lie to Nigerians. I was conned by the APC to put it lightly. I called Shehu Garba to reconfirm the photos. He did, dismissing the people raising issues, and I guess that should include my Executive Director, as Buhari detractors. We went ahead to correct the error in our Monday, February 23 edition, in spite of Mr. Garba and the APC. He has not called me to straighten issues one way or the other.

I cannot understand the point the APC media machinery was trying to make. Till date, nobody has explained anything to whatever effect. At least, let something, just anything, no matter how improbable, be said. For instance, something like the devil or more precisely the PDP, had hacked into the APC’s works to send the lying photograph to media houses to cause the recalcitrant APC this huge corporate embarrassment. They just kept quiet as if nothing was amiss. In their deafening silence, they seem to be saying ‘we are APC; we equate truth and positive change and nothing false comes from us.’ Or could the aloofness and lack of remorse, even when guilt is established, be flowing from the APC’s belief that it has converted all newspapers in the country to its official newsletters, where anything can be off-loaded and no questions will be asked?

Whichever, I am still not able to figure out what the APC was trying to hide. That Buhari wasn’t in London for medical checks? And if I may ask, what is wrong if Buhari falls ill and goes to London to seek medical attention? People far less than him in status do so even more frequently. This man we are talking about was a head of state 30 years ago. In case we are confusing issues, let me state clearly that in Nigeria, no former director in the civil service, not to talk of permanent secretary, state commissioner, state and national legislator, minister and governor treats even malaria at home. I mean malaria, which is strictly a tropical disease that does not attract good medical space in the operations of hospitals in Europe and America. They go abroad, even to India, to be given the same anti-malaria combination drugs that are readily available and more effective in Nigeria.

And so, I don’t understand the fuss about a whole Buhari at 72 going abroad for medicals. Is he not human? Or is it because people say he is the messiah God has sent to save Nigeria, he has now become a deity that does not fall ill? Buhari had withstood the rigours of about 60 days of intensive campaigns across the country to convince voters to give him the mandate to be president and just when he thought it was all over, ‘enemies’ conspired to shift the presidential election by six weeks, which means, more campaigns and jetting around. Not all young men can stand straight under such intense pressure.

Therefore, if the man ran to London to catch some breathe after the long stretch and also used the opportunity to run checks on his state of health while equally squeezing in some time to talk at Chatham House, in order to remain politically fashionable, nothing spoil at all. The APC should have simply said so and nobody would be hurt. Instead, the party embarked on a deliberate mission of misinformation to imbue Buhari with transcendental attributes of never-sick and never-die.

The APC can still make good points without intrigues. Not long ago, the intrigues were of a different colouration when news came that the Lagos Home of the APC’s national leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, was under surveillance by military men, apparently put there by the PDP controlled Federal Government. And then another piece of propaganda, saying General Buhari had braved all the odds to visit Chibok and had useful dialogues with the folks up there. This is not the way to represent change in Nigeria.
All said, I am still waiting for someone in the APC camp to mount the podium and explain with good reasons what caused the translocation that turned Hilton Abuja to some spot in London.
Garba was to later send what he conceived to be an explanation of the blunder yesterday, through a third party. It still does not add up and cannot vitiate my argument here.
– This Best Outside Opinion was written by Abraham Ogbodo/Guardian

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Fani-Kayode to Tinubu: I’m not Funsho Williams, I cannot be killed like a chicken

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Read Time:2 Minute, 22 Second

The verbal assaults between Femi Fani-Kayode, director of media and publicity for the PDP presidential campaign organisation, and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a new turn on Monday. Reacting to the criticisms directed at him for insinuating that Yemi osibanjo, the running mate to APC’s presidential candidate, was planning to step down for Bola Tinubu, Fani-Kayode pointed accusing fingers at Tinubu over the death of Funsho Williams. Williams, a gubernatorial candidate in Lagos, was murdered under controversial circumstances on July 27, 2006. “I do not believe in violence and I do not threaten people neither do any of my boys or any of those behind me,” Fani-Kayode wrote on Facebook. “Tinubu should not start this. I am not Funso Williams.

I cannot be killed like a chicken. I cannot be destroyed. I cannot be taken before my time. My name is Femi Fani-Kayode, and nobody can kill me before my time. Nobody can cut me short. “I harbor no fear of violence but I do not take threats lightly. Neither do I fear for my life; because I have never shed innocent blood and because I do not believe in violence or worship the devil, the angel of the Lord will strike dead any person or any group of persons that seek to take my life or the life of any of my loved ones.” Earlier, Tinubu accused the PDP campaign spokesman of being deranged and Lai Mohammed, APC’s publicity secretary, also said: “Fani-Kayode may have unhinged, perhaps as a result of a relapse into an unhealthy lifestyle of substance abuse.” But he would have none of that so he hit back at the APC stalwarts. “It is not Femi Fani-Kayode but rather Bola Tinubu that slurs when he speaks,” he said. “It is not Femi Fani-Kayode but rather Bola Tinubu that has to take 20 pills before he can go out. It is not Femi Fani-Kayode but Bola Tinubu that his hands shake when he tries to lift his fork and knife and eat. “It is not Femi Fani-Kayode but rather the spokesman of the APC, Lai Mohammed, that is rotting from inside and that has the chronically bad breath of a rabid poll cat. “Lai’s breath is so bad that it is enough to knock out a polar bear from across the street.

It is not Femi Fani-Kayode but rather Lai Mohammed who is suffering from loose bowel movements and who defecates every other minute to the point that he often has to wear pampers when he goes on long journeys. So, if anybody wants to talk about ill-health, they should talk about themselves and not about me.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Igbo Language And Its Downward Trend

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Read Time:9 Minute, 3 Second

The Longman dictionary of contemporary English defined extinction as ‘’when a type of person, custom, language stops existing’’. Examples of extinct languages in Nigeria includes (a) Ajawa; formerly spoken in Bauchi State, Nigeria. It became extinct between 1920 and 1940 as speakers switched to Hausa. (b) Kpati; formerly spoken in Taraba state, speakers now speak Hausa. (c) Basa Gunma; it’s an extinct Kainji language of Nigeria formerly spoken by people around Niger and Nasarawa states, speakers now speak Hausa. This is to mention but a few. You can check this link for more on extinct Nigerian languages.

It is no longer news that UNESCO in 2012 predicted that Igbo language might become extinct in the next 50 years. To some it is impossible, but it unsettles me, and I make bold to say that it is a possibility. I will tell you why.

There are about 500 languages spoken in Nigeria today, in them you will find Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba being spoken by a larger population in Nigeria. In other words, these three are the masquerades (Mgbadike) of the Nigeria languages. The fact Igbo language instead of gaining communication height in the hierarchy of languages is currently moving in the downward trend because of the rate at which the Igbos especially the youths are shying away from their language with reckless abandon.

Let us use our parents as a case study to x-ray UNESCO’s prediction. There is no doubt that our parents understands and speak Igbo, but how many of their children can effectively communicate in Igbo language? Even the once that knows it prefers to communicate with their brethren in English. If in the next 50 years, our parents passes on to the great beyond leaving behind their children who cannot or refuse to communicate in Igbo, don’t you think that UNESCO’s prediction has come to pass then?

From my research and observations, it is only the older generation of Igbos (40 years and above) that speak the language both in the cities and in the rural places. The worst hit are the female folks especially the younger ones (30 years and below) they understand the language but refuse to speak it. Listen to a Hausa person speak to a fellow Hausa, you will never hear English in their communication, in the same way, when I speak Igbo to an Igbo person I make sure I don’t add English and yet over 90% of my female friends will reply me fully in English. This shows that they understand the language but refuse to speak it.

Among the male counterpart, it is only those that didn’t go to school that proudly speaks the language. It gladdens my heart anytime I go to the market to buy things (Lagos and Abuja), there you will see Igbo traders and business men proudly speaking the language, but it is not so when you visit our universities or meet our graduates on the road.

I once asked a female Corp member posted to serve in our office why she prefers to communicate in English instead of Igbo to her fellow Igbos, she told me that if she speak Igbo people will see her as an illiterate and a local girl. Gosh!!! Why do the Yoruba and Hausa people not have this type of silly mentality that is prevalent among Igbo Youths?

I feel ashamed that my Hausa and Yoruba colleagues will see their people and say stuffs like Inakwana, Inaoni, Ekaro, Ekaso (i.e morning and day greetings in those languages) But the Igbos will see each other and start saying things like: Nna how far, good morning and good afternoon. Hardly will you see an Igbo person that will greet you with: Nna kedu, Ututu Oma, Ibolachi, Kaoo, Jokwaa etc. This is not only prevalent among the Igbos of the South East, the Igbos of Rivers and Delta states where my mom hails from are equally guilty.

English is a means of communication between people of different tribes since Nigeria is a multilingual country. People of the same tribe should not use English to talk to each other. It is a sick thing for an Igbo person to communicate in English to a fellow Igbo, you will never see a Hausa person communicating in English to his tribal person. If you are Igbo and you don’t know how to speak the language, it is actually a shame, it’s your number one identity, and so you should go and learn it. Nobody is asking you to go and serve your ancestor’s deity but to speak your language.

Asking a young Igbo person to say the numbers or naira value in Igbo language is like asking them to trek from Abuja to Aba. I could remember an episode with an Igbo woman that sells roasted yam opposite PHCN office in Maitama Abuja. Below is our conversation.
Woman: Nna, Kedu ihe I choro? (Sir what do you want?)
Me: Biko nye m ji otu akpa ego (Please give me yam of N200)
Woman: I si gini (What did you say)
Me: A si m gi nye m ji otu akpa ego (I said you should give me N200 yam)
Woman: Gini bu otu akpa ego? (What is N200)
Me: Obu na ibughi onye igbo, I maghi ihe ana akpo ego na asusu igbo (Are you not Igbo, don’t you know the names of money in Igbo)
Woman: A mabu m ya mbu, mana e chefuola m ya (I know it before but I have forgotten it).
Me: (Gets angry) Biko nye m ji N200 naira ka m rie si ebe a puo. (Please give me yam of N200 let me eat and get out of this place.

This woman is not alone on this. These days, it is hard to find Igbos who knows the Igbo meaning for some certain things. Gather people from different tribes in Abuja or Lagos and ask them what some certain things are called in their native language and you will see them boldly telling you but ask an Igbo person the name for Chameleon in his native language and you will see them looking at the skies as if the answer is going to fall from there, the best answer you will get is I used to know it before.

Those that still manages to speak Igbo language mixes it with English. Listen to someone talk in Igbo, you will discover that 40% of their speech contains English. It’s only among the elderly ones in the rural places that you can still find someone that speaks Igbo language flawlessly without adding an English word.

Hardly will you see non Igbos visiting or residing in the Igbo states learn Igbo language anymore because the inhabitants of those lands no longer speak Igbo language. But reverse is the case when Igbos are visiting Yoruba or Hausa states, just give them 6 months there, they will come back and speak those languages more than the original owners.

My elder brother’s wife is from Edo state but schooled in Madonna University Anambra state. The first time I met her I greeted her in Igbo and spoke some simple Igbo to her but to my greatest surprise she told me that she didn’t understand anything in what I just said. I became embarrassed and told her that I spoke Igbo to her because I was told she schooled in Anambra state and should have used the opportunity to learn some basic Igbo language. She told me that during her school days, the Igbos who are majority in her school (over 80%) hardly speak Igbo to each other, they always communicate in English, so how was she supposed to learn the language since the owners of the language seldom speaks it.

I know some people will say that I am exaggerating, but I want you to know that this is a research that has taking me 5 years since I came back to Nigeria after my studies abroad (2010-2015) Don’t just hide behind the screen of your computer and gadgets and criticize me. Take a trip down to Nigeria if you are not here already, then you will understand what I am taking about. Visit all the major cities in Nigeria, south eastern states inclusive, then you will know that this downward trend of our dear language is really scary. If you think I am joking just pick up your phone right now and call any of your Igbo friend or family member and hear them speak then you will understand my lamentation.

Does it not bother you that we started Nollywood and over 80% of Nollywood stars have Igbo roots yet we don’t have a dedicated channel on DSTV whereas there are some channels dedicated to Hausa and Yoruba people.

If you are non-Igbo, I will advise that you steer clear of this thread, this is not the time for tribal war, it’s the time to bring to the consciousness of my Igbo brethren what is happening to us,but if you must contribute, please let it be constructive since nothing warms your blood than a thread that bashes the Igbos. And to my fellow Igbos, it is a wake-up call to all of us, it is time to bring this to bare, there is nothing to hide anymore, there is no better time to discuss this topic, it doesn’t matter if other tribes laugh at us now, the greatest scorn and laughter will be when UNESCO’s prediction will come to pass and we will be speaking English, Hausa and Yoruba in our villages. (A na eji bekee awa oji?) If we fail to do something fast, we will have a rude awakening and will become a laughing stock to other tribes soonest. And if nothing is done to correct this anomaly now, we will wake up one day to find Igbo language extinct like the others that have gone into extinction.

If you will make it a point of duty not to speak English to your fellow Igbos from today and to also spread this to your friends and family outside nairaland, I think our problem is already half solved. Be quick to correct your Igbo friends that speak English to you by reminding them that they are Igbos and should only speak Igbo language to you.

Igbo muru Nze muo Ozo, biko kulie nu na ura. Bido ta subara nwanne gi asusu Igbo.

#Suba asusu Igbo.

Ka Chineke mezie okwu.

Written by Nnamdi Ositadinma a.k.a Mba-ana-abara-Agu (the threat made against the Lion)

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Military Operations Force Boko Haram Back to Urban Warfare

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Read Time:6 Minute, 22 Second

Bomb attacks in Nigerian towns and cities look likely to increase in the run-up to the forthcoming elections, despite the military’s increasing successes against Boko Haram in captured territories.
At least 86 people were killed in explosions blamed on Boko Haram last week alone, all of them at crowded bus stations in the North-east, wider north and also in Plateau State.

The style of attack — using either explosives left in bags or suicide bombers — has prompted the government in Abuja to issue a warning for increased vigilance at "soft targets".

But with elections on March 28 that Boko Haram has already vowed to disrupt, security experts said there would be renewed fears about the safety of voters, particularly at polling stations.

“I think it's safe to say that as multinational counter-insurgency operations continue in the North-east, Boko Haram will intensify its urban terror campaign,” Ryan Cummings, chief Africa analyst at Red24 risk consultants, told AFP.

“Boko Haram will know that it lacks the resources or capacity to engage the Nigerian Army and its allies in conventional warfare, so its retributive attacks will increasingly focus on asymmetric warfare, which is resource-light but nevertheless damaging.”

Attacking towns and cities recalls Boko Haram’s previous tactics before it began capturing and seizing territories in the North-east in mid-2014, declaring some part an Islamic caliphate.

Cities such as Kano and particularly the Borno State capital, Maiduguri, were hit regularly until the government declared a state of emergency in May 2013 in three North-eastern states.

The military and civilian vigilante forces managed to push the rebels out into more remote, rural areas, where violence continued and in many cases intensified.

With soldiers thin on the ground in the countryside — and with apparent dissent in the ranks about the provision of weapons and equipment — Boko Haram launched its unprecedented land grab.
But since the attack on Baga on January 3, where hundreds of civilians, if not more, were killed, and rebel strikes in Chad and Niger, there has been a concerted fight-back.

Nigerian troops, aided by soldiers from Cameroun, Chad and Niger, have bombarded rebel strongholds in North-east Nigeria and have recaptured territories, including Baga last weekend.
President Goodluck Jonathan visited the ravaged town on the shores of Lake Chad on Thursday, telling troops that the conflict, which has killed more than 13,000 since 2009, would soon be over.

Observers have framed the claimed successes against the backdrop of upcoming elections in Nigeria, which were postponed for six weeks from February 14 because of the ongoing military operations.
The National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki said at the time that troops would not be available to provide security on polling day.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau vowed in a recent video that the elections, now scheduled for March 28, “will not be held, even if we are dead”.

Militants have even distributed fliers calling on people not to vote.
Mark Schroeder, a political and security risk analysts in Stratfor, said the recent bombings in Kano — the north's biggest city — and the central city of Jos, raised a new security threat.
“The Nigerian military, with renewed government backing, may achieve the easy steps of a counter-insurgency of asserting control in remote urban areas of the North-east,” said Schroeder.

“But stopping Boko Haram from counter-attacks against civilians elsewhere is very difficult.

“You could say Boko Haram is merely being displaced while the Nigerian government publicises gains in Baga and elsewhere.”

Boko Haram, which has invigorated its propaganda campaign with slick, Islamic State-style videos, will no doubt claim that such attacks put paid to government's claims that it is being defeated.

Cummings argued that the return to guerrilla tactics in towns and cities could stretch security resources.

Abdullahi Bawa Wase, a Nigerian security analyst who tracks the Boko Haram conflict, described the bombings as “desperation” on the part of the militants.

But he noted that such attacks had not stopped during the change in tactics to seize territory but were now taking place in tandem with hit-and-run strikes, “to show they still have the capability”.

“We are only going to see an intense increase of this bombing in the next weeks,” which could possibly force another postponement in the election, he added.

In response to the increased spate of bombings in the north, the military have issued an advisory call on Nigerians to be extra vigilant.
In a statement yesterday from PR Nigeria, a media consulting firm for government security agencies, it quoted top intelligence sources as stating that following the routing of the terror group from towns and villages in the North-east, “Boko Haram terrorists have once again reverted to the use of suicide bombers in its evil campaign against Nigeria”.

The statement added: “A security alert has thus been sounded for Nigerians to be vigilant and on the lookout for potential suicide bombers already brainwashed and probably drugged by the terrorists.”
PR Nigeria gathered from top intelligence sources in Abuja that Boko Haram members, in their desperation to escape the military onslaught and in a bid to retaliate such offensive, has resorted to suicide bombings which was their hit-and-run tactic used for some years until 2014.

“This time around, however, the terrorists have been using children and teenagers especially female to perpetrate their nefarious activities on soft targets in some northern states. Their major mission is to attack soft targets like bus parks, schools, worship centres and markets, among others, to extract maximum casualties among the citizens,” the media consulting firm said.

It added that some of the explosive devices used for suicide bombings where stolen from quarry industries within and outside the country.
“The collaboration against religious extremism forged by countries around the Lake Chad Basin has so far frustrated the insurgents that it is now difficult for them to strike in Nigeria and run to neighbouring countries who have sealed off their borders against the terrorists.

“In the last two weeks, several towns and local governments in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States including the training facilities and logistics dumps of the insurgents have been reclaimed by gallant Nigerian troops,” it said.

Also speaking on the development, the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) has called on Nigerians to be very vigilant whenever they are in crowded areas.

In a release issued at the weekend, the DSS spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, said: “It has become evident that following the successful sustained air raids and intense combat operations by the military on insurgents’ positions in the northeast, which have effectively degraded the capacity of the terrorists, its members are now in disarray and have resorted to taking out their anger on hapless civilians and soft targets.
“This development accounts for the recent spate of attacks recorded in Yobe, Kano, Borno and Plateau States with intent of distracting security forces.

“Accordingly, this service wishes to advise members of the public to be vigilant especially in crowded environments and when travelling. Commuters should desist from boarding unmarked vehicles along the road and only use designated bus parks.

“We also reiterate our call on bus park managers to ensure proper screening of vehicles, persons and luggage entering their premises. They should also look out for new faces who show up as drivers and conductors,” she said.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Olejeme Confident of Jonathan’s Re-election

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Read Time:2 Minute, 29 Second

 The Deputy Chairman, Finance Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, said she is confident President Goodluck Jonathan would be returned to power in the March 28 presidential elections.

“PDP will have a resounding victory. That is very clear,” she told Niger Delta youths at the weekend in Asaba

Olejeme, who sought the support of the young and old to make Nigeria great, said President Jonathan would work closely with all Nigerians.

“The youth are Nigeria’s future. To this end, the PDP government will continue to spread employment opportunities across the country and ensure every youth has access to quality education that could secure them a place in a globalised and highly competitive job market.

Promising that President Jonathan will continue to accelerate the social, political and economic development of Nigeria, Olejeme cited environmental protection, social safety nets for the vulnerable population,  development of the agricultural, livestock and fishing industries,  expansion of infrastructural projects, especially roads, energy and transport, expansion in jobs, food security, national security, people-led governance,  quality education, health care, and national unity as top priority items in the Jonathan-led PDP government.

The Jonathan-led PDP government, she said, not only put in place transparent systems but revitalised the country’s manufacturing, agriculture and tourism sectors.

“President Jonathan established 12 federal universities. His administration through the National Universities Commission (NUC) gave rise to quality international and local private universities across the country. He tarred over 25,000 kilometres of the 36,000-kilometre of federal roads. He completed over 90 per cent of narrow gauge rails. He implemented the Nigerian content law in the oil industry, thus improving the participation of Nigerians in the industry.
He also implemented the cabotage law with Nigerians now owning ships and more Nigerians employed in the shipping industry. He also established Maritime University for high-powered manpower development in the maritime sector.

“President Jonathan will continue to advance the rights of the marginalized. He will bring peace and security to the country and fast-track economic development in all parts of the country. He will shape our country for the better, foster unity, ensure economic growth for all and greater transparency in public life, business and civil society.

“He will continue to provide grants to young people so that they can set up and run their own businesses. He will continue to focus on issues that resonate with the public.

“President Jonathan’s transformation agenda will continue to focus on ways of ensuring a strong, inclusive, non-inflationary economic growth, employment generation, poverty alleviation, and sustained improvement in the well-being of all classes of Nigerians as well as value re- orientation that targets a robust anti-corruption campaign.

“His administration will continue to focus on security, the investment cycle, job creation and also meet the great expectations’ of the people,” she added.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Chevron Seeks to Transfer Disputed Oil Blocks to Seplat

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Read Time:4 Minute, 10 Second

Contrary to the order by the Supreme Court that the parties in the case before the court in a suit involving Brittania-U Nigeria Limited and Chevron, Seplat Petroleum Development Company and others, on Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 52, 53 and 55, should not condone or allow any action that overreaches the case, Chevron is still seeking to conclude the transfer of OMLs 53 and 55 to Seplat by April 6, 2015.

When the case came up at the Supreme Court on February 24, 2015, the presiding justice on the panel, who sat on the appeal, Hon. Justice Fabiyi, told the counsels to the parties that it was their duty, being very senior members of the bar, to advise their clients on the need to respect the authority of the court as case was ripe for hearing, and not do anything that may overreach the case.

But a source close to Seplat told THISDAY last night that there was no order by the Supreme Court for the parties to stay action, as the statement credited to the presiding justice admonishing parties not to take actions to overreach the appeal was a “mere introductory remark and not an order of the court”.

“The Supreme Court did not make any order. It was just by way of introductory remarks that the presiding justice admonished parties not to take actions to overreach the appeal. It was not an order.

“So I don’t know where the order they are talking about is coming from. In fact, Brittania-U’s lawyers wanted an interlocutory injunction granted but the lawyers to Chevron and Seplat said that since they had filed all the briefs, there was no need for interlocutory injunction.

“So they agreed that since all the briefs had been filed, the main appeal should be argued. No date has been fixed for the main appeal and what is going to be argued is even clearly irrelevant at this point,” the source said.

In two separate letters dated February 23, 2015, which were addressed to the Managing Directors of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Addax Petroleum Development (Nigeria) Limited,
Chevron said it had transferred its interest in OMLs 55, and 53 to Belemaoil Producing Limited and Seplat respectively.

The two letters, which were obtained by THISDAY, were signed by the Director of NNPC/Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture, Mr. Supo Shadiya

According to Chevron, the operatorship of the two assets will be transferred to Seplat after a transition process, which commenced on February 5, 2015 is concluded on April 6, 2015.

In the letter addressed to Shell, with reference number REG-LEG-CNL-SPD-LEK-0020L, Chevron stated that OML 55 will be operated by Seplat on behalf of the new joint venture between Belemaoil and NNPC, adding that Seplat was a part owner of Belemaoil.

“Consequently, title to the assets and production from OML 55 now belongs to the NNPC/Belemaoil JV operated by Seplat. Although operation of the assets is still being handled by Chevron Nigeria Limited, this is being done on behalf of Seplat for the NNPC/Belemaoil JV under a transition process, at the end of which custody and operatorship of OML 55 will be handed over to Seplat,” said the letter.

Also in the letter addressed to Addax, with reference number REG-LEG-CNL-ADX-LEK-00005L, Chevron disclosed that OML 53 will be operated by Seplat on behalf of the new joint venture between the NNPC and Seplat.

“Consequently, title to the assets and production from OML 53 now belongs to the NNPC/Seplat JV operated by Seplat. Although operation of the assets is still being handled by Chevron Nigeria Limited, this is being done on behalf of Seplat for the NNPC/Seplat Joint Venture, under a transition process, at the end of which custody and operation of OML 53 will be handed over to Seplat,” the letter stated.

Despite pending litigations at a Federal High Court, Appeal Court and the Supreme Court, Chevron went ahead to sell the disputed blocks.
Before the leases were sold by Chevron, the lawyer to Brittania-U, Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN), had cautioned the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and NNPC not to be manipulated into pursuing extra-judicial advantage in contempt of court.

This caution came a few days after lawyer to Seplat, Mr. D. D. Dodo (SAN) on July 30, 2014, wrote to the minister and NNPC, requesting them to grant consent to the bid process and divestment of the disputed oil blocks in favour of his client.

But Tarfa, in a letter dated August 7, 2014, urged the minister to jettison the request by Seplat’s lawyer, stressing that if the minister gave consent to the bid process and divestment of Chevron’s interest in the three leases, it would serve as an affront to the authority of the courts seized with the suit.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Nigeria’s Revenue Shrinks by 28% Amid Oil Price Slump

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Read Time:3 Minute, 48 Second

The sharp fall in oil prices in the last seven months has resulted in a 28.05 per cent drop in Nigeria’s revenue. The country’s gross receipts fell to a total of N3.676 trillion between July 2014 and January 2015, figures compiled by THISDAY have shown.

This represents a reduction by N1.433 trillion, compared to N5.109 trillion gross federally collected revenue recorded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in its economic report for the first half of 2014.

Brent crude price which peaked at $115 a barrel in June last year, declined to about $45 per barrel by January this year before rallying to $60 per barrel last month.

Crude oil accounts form about 90 per cent of Nigeria’s export earnings and 70 per cent of total revenue. As such, any drop in the price of oil has a significantly negative impact on the Nigerian economy resulting from the revenue shortfall.

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) report between July 2014 and January 2015 compiled by THISDAY showed a decline in the country’s gross receipts, just as the net distribution among the three tiers of government also slumped.

FAAC holds monthly meetings on the monthly distribution of revenue accruing to the Federation Account to the federal, state and local governments.

The figures revealed that while Nigeria’s gross receipt in July 2014 was N630.3 billion and N601.6 billion in August 2014, it further dropped to N502 billion in September 2014, N536.6 billion in October, N500 billion in November 2014 and N490 billion in December 2014. The country recorded further heavy decline in gross receipts in January 2015, as revenue dipped to N416 billion.

On the other hand, the net distribution shared by the federal, state and local governments in the last seven months stood at a total of N4.172 trillion. A breakdown of this showed that in July 2014, a total of N654 billion was shared among the three tiers of government, N611.7 billion was shared for August 2014, N603.5 billion for September 2014, N593.3 billion for October 2014, N628.7 billion for November 2014, N580.3 billion for December 2014 and N500.1 for January 2015.

A former Chairman of the Asset Management Division of Goldman Sachs Group, Dr. Jim O’Neill, in a recent interview with THISDAY, had advised policy makers in Nigeria to use the opportunity of the drop in crude oil prices to speedily diversify the economy.

According to O’Neill, the falling crude oil prices would test the flexibility of the Nigerian economy.

The renowned economist said: “In my opinion, for all oil producing economies, it is important that as oil prices decline, they should diversify and not just depend on oil prices.

“It is very dangerous for oil producing countries to just depend on oil. In some way, declining oil prices are an important test of Nigeria’s economic resilience.”

Also, Senior Consultant/Chief Executive Officer, RTC Advisory Services Limited, Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje, stressed the need for the government to create policies and incentives that could promote non-oil exports by Nigerian firms.

He pointed out that although the current structure of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shows that the country has achieved significant diversification in terms of local production and consumption, there is need for Nigeria to be competitive in the area of non-oil exports of goods and services by the private sector.

Agbaje cited the case of South Africa, whose export revenue is driven largely by private sector firms such as MTN, DSTV and South African Breweries, among others.

“The challenge for the Nigerian economy is for government to create policies and incentives that will allow our private sector to become exporters.

“If our export revenue was earned by thousands of Nigerian companies exporting their services, we would not collapse anytime the price of oil falls.

“We also need to start refining our oil domestically and exporting it. We should be one of the biggest exporters of refined petroleum products in the world.

“There are significant opportunities in Nigeria. If you look at the structure of Nigeria’s GDP, you will see that huge opportunities abound in Nigeria.

“In terms of the structure of domestic production, we have done a good job of diversification, but the problem is that in terms of the structure of export and government revenue, we have not done enough,” he said.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Mob Kills Suspected Female Suicide Bomber in Bauchi

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Read Time:1 Minute, 57 Second

A crowd beat to death a teenage girl accused of planning to be a suicide bomber and then set her ablaze on Sunday, according to police and witnesses in Bauchi State.

A second suspect, also a teenage girl, was arrested at Muda Lawal Market, the biggest market in Bauchi city, reported the Associated Press (AP).

A spate of suicide bombings has been blamed on Nigeria's homegrown Boko Haram Islamic extremist group, which wants to enforce strict Islamic law across Nigeria. The group has threatened to disrupt Nigeria's March 28 presidential and legislative elections, saying democracy is a corrupt Western concept.

In Bauchi, the two girls aroused suspicion by refusing to be searched when they arrived at the gate to the vegetable market, said yam vendor Mohammed Adamu. People overpowered one girl and discovered she had two bottles strapped to her body, he said.

They clubbed her to death, put a tyre doused in fuel over her head and set it on fire, he said.

It seems doubtful the girl was actually a bomber, as she did not detonate any explosive when she was attacked, said Police Deputy Superintendent Mohammad Haruna. He described her as the victim of “mob action carried out by an irate crowd”.

Recently, some girls as young as 10-year-olds have been used to carry explosives that were detonated in busy markets and bus stations, raising fears that Boko Haram may be using some of hundreds of its kidnapped victims in bomb attacks. It's unclear whether such girls detonate explosives themselves or whether the bombs are controlled remotely.

President Goodluck Jonathan last week condemned the Boko Haram insurgents for choosing soft targets and said the series of bombings were a response to the Nigerian military's recent success in seizing back a score of towns that had been in the hands of the extremists for months.

A multinational military force including Nigeria's neighbours has been formed to stop Boko Haram's attacks outside Nigeria's borders.
Some 10,000 people died in Nigeria from Boko Haram's violence last year, compared to 2,000 in the first four years, according to the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, and some 1.5 million people have been driven from their homes.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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