Ministers: Nothing wrong with recycling ex-office holders- Adesina

Adesina

Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, was guest on Kakaaki, a program of Africa Independent Television (AIT) on Thursday, October 1.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

First of all, let’s look at the President’s October 1 broadcast. What do you make of it?

We must recognise that it is a National Day broadcast, and he started by reviewing the state of the polity, particularly our march towards nationhood 55 years after independence. Are we a nation yet? Are we just a conglomeration of ethnic nationalities? I think on a day like this, that is the most important thing, all the others are ancillary, though important. It was an efficient broadcast, it may be short but it touched a number of crucial issues.

One issue that has been generating lots of reactions is the ministerial list. The President did promise sometime in July that he was going to name his ministers in September. But what we saw was a submission of ministerial list to the National Assembly.

We also need to mind the process and the procedure; Our federal lawmakers would be the first people to kick if the President just reeled out the names of the ministers and their portfolios. That would not be in order. What he does is to nominate and send to the Senate and after clearance, the ministers begin to work. At any given time, procedure must be followed.

Part of the broadcast that a lot of people would have loved to hear more from the President is the issue of national unity and inclusiveness in running the affairs of state. It appears that the President did not dwell on that and a lot of people looking at Nigeria believe that national unity and inclusiveness appear to be quite elusive. One would have expected the President to reassure the country that Nigeria stays as one and this is what I am going to do so that everyone has a sense of belonging.

Well, let me read this paragraph if you will permit, the President says here, “We have all the attributes of a great nation, we are not there yet because the one commodity we have been unable to exploit to the fullness is the unity of purpose .This would have enabled us to achieve not only more orderly political evolution and integration, but also, continuity and economic progress. Countries far less endowed have made greater coherence and unity of purpose.” So, he touched on what you said.

Yes, he touched on it, but what I mean is that he should have dwelled on it, talking about Nigeria at 55.

You should also realize that he is President, and he should not be dwelling on just challenges, rather he should be working to achieve solutions , which is quite better.

There are some agitations that the President seems to favour some parts of the country, so the eagerness to see who and who will make the ministerial list…

He also said that order is better than speed. What Nigerians want in these appointments appears to be speed, so that they can calculate how many are from the North, South, East and West, and all that. But we will get there, that is what the President is saying.

 The President wants to manage the country’s resources and he didn’t make any statement about the economy or the real sector, why is this so?

I think we are forgetting that it is a National Day broadcast. It is about Nigeria, our people, the way we have lived together. What are the challenges and how are the challenges being surmounted? All those other things cannot necessarily come into a National Day broadcast, that is what I feel.

How long shall Nigerians wait for the President to say something on the economic direction?

The economic direction is not an opinion of one man but an aggregation of what a team feels and what they have agreed upon. That team is unfolding, we have a list of proposed ministers, that list has not been unfolded and when they are approved with their portfolios , they are the ones that will articulate the economic direction. What if the President as one man has said ,this is the direction and the team comes and feels different?

Not as one man, because he has said that he has been in consultation with the Vice President and some other individual concerning solutions to our problems . Based on that statement, Nigerians are expecting that …

 That would still not amount to an economic direction.

Let us talk about some things. It was reported that the President says that his relationship with the Senate president would depend on the outcome of the Code of Conduct trial. Could you confirm that ?

I was at a session in New York when the President was granting that interview to Sahara TV and he said the relationship between them is cordial. The interviewer asked if they communicate and he said , yes, many times. There were some appointments that he couldn’t have made without writing the Senate president. He was further asked what would be the relationship in the light of the code of conduct tribunal trial that is going on, and he said, “Yes, I have to wait for that process to end and that would determine the relationship,” which I think is just right.

Okay, I think that you need to break it down further, when he said that he needs to wait for the process before the relationship becomes cordial. Does it mean, it is not cordial right now?

There is separation of powers between the executive and legislature…

 The President and Senate president are from the same party and they need to have a very cordial working relationship for the President to succeed.

Is there an indication that the relationship is not cordial?

From the statement of the President that he is awaiting the outcome of the trial, it has pitched him on a particular level… it seems the President is saying that the Senate president should not come close to me pending when the trial is over, to know whether you are clean enough or not.

What the President meant was that he was not going to interfere in any way and the process must play out. He was emphatic about that and of course if the process finishes, whichever way it goes, it determines the relationship between the two individuals. For a government that pays high premium on transparency and accountability, it is very important that whoever is in a top decision must be seen to be accountable to the people.

 One would also ask if the President is conscious of the assumption of innocence until proven guilty.

In all he has said, there is nowhere that assumption has been breached, No way and nowhere that it has been breached. He says that the Senate president is innocent for now and when the process ends, they continue the relationship.

Okay now, let’s look at the ministerial list that was sent (September 30). We understand from what is in the news that just a few names were sent to the Senate, can you confirm this? And when would the rest be sent?

The President himself was clear about that, he said the first batch but nobody knows how many is in the batch

I am sure that you know…

(laughs) … No…No…, you know, you are a news person and you can’t depend on everything you hear. It has been addressed to the Senate president. The list is there, he will unfold it officially. Nobody can say precisely how many. You said a few; you can’t be sure because the Senate president has not unfolded it.

How many people are in the batch?

A: Well, it depends on the President. There are certain prerogatives that the President has. Ministers are one of them. He has said that this is the first batch, I think that we should wait and see who are those in the first batch and after that we know how many remains, because the constitution already states that there must be a minister in each of the states. We have 36 states in the country, so when the list is unfolded, we know how many remains.

 You have just returned from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, we heard that a lot of things happened there, like missing meetings that the President was supposed to attend.

Now, let me talk about the supposedly missed meeting. The truth is that, you don’t miss meetings that you are not scheduled to attend, That is just the truth. If you are not scheduled for a meeting, can you miss it? No.

Was Nigeria not scheduled for the meeting?

No, Nigeria was not scheduled to be at that meeting. That is the truth.

O’Brien of the UN was reported as saying that he was quite disappointed that Nigeria was not at that meeting.

A: We have a Permanent representative at the UN, Prof. Joy Ogwu. The invitations Nigeria received are seven pages in all. I have them. You won’t see that meeting in any of the invitations that we got. Nigeria was not invited to that meeting and not scheduled to be there. With the passion that our President has on the Boko Haram, do you think that he will receive an invitation to a meeting that will discuss that issue and he will not be there? The truth is that Nigeria was not invited. We have said it and even the President has said in an interview before leaving New York and I guess that should rest the matter. What is happening, as far as I am concerned is storm in a teacup. A lot of people just want to find faults unnecessarily. Nigeria was not invited to that meeting, if she had been invited , she would have been there.

Secondly, it was a meeting on Boko Haram and insurgency. There were two high levels meetings within the General Assembly days and Nigeria was at those meetings. It simply shows that she was not invited to the earlier one. Let me make this statement: it’s like Nigerians have been lied to so much that they find it difficult to now believe the truth. And the truth is that Nigeria was not invited to that meeting.

Even if the President was not invited, was the Nigerian delegation aware of that meeting?

A: How could the Nigerian delegation be aware, when it was not scheduled? I have told you that every meeting that Nigeria was scheduled to attend, I have the list here and that meeting was not there. Nigeria was not scheduled for the meeting.

What would have informed the President’s desire to want to become the Minister of Petroleum, when he is talking about reforming the NNPC, making it transparent? Does he not trust anyone or believe that there are capable people who can be trusted to manage this ministry properly?

I think the question, we will ask ourselves is: What would the President be bringing to the table, if he is going to supervise the petroleum ministry? He has been Minister of Petroleum about 32 years ago. That is a lot of experience. Those were years that things were done fairly properly in this country.

 A lot of people will say that things have changed over the years and lots of structures have also changed and those days may have gone….

But there are things that never change in life. These include integrity, transparency, truth and responsibility. Those things never change and those are the things the President would bring to bear.

 In the newspaper review this morning, it was reported that 21 names made the ministerial list. Now, based on the constitution, a minister must be selected from every state. So, if the President wants to supervise the ministry of petroleum resources, how will this work out eventually? Does this mean that a particular state will have two slots?

The constitutional requirement you quoted talks about the minimum , it states that there must be 36 number of ministers, at least one from each state. We have lived in this country where we had 46, 48 ministers and all that. That already shows you that 36 is the minimum requirement but this administration is one that wants to cut cost. We don’t expect that it would have a ballooned number of ministers.

What would you say to Nigerians out there, who think that perhaps if some institutions are working, talking of EFCC, ICPC and some other regulatory and enforcement agencies, we won’t be talking about recycling of ministers or minister of petroleum in the person of President Muhammadu Buhari.

What is wrong with recycling if that person has something he is bringing to the table? Recycling would be wrong if that person is adding no value. But if he is adding value, what is wrong with recycling? I tell you that this is one appointment, if you can call it so, that will bring a lot of value to that ministry.

 You said earlier that the President is bringing in honour, integrity, truth all those virtues into the ministry’s package. And the President has taken over three months to appoint ministers. I wonder, has he not found a Nigerian with all these qualities to run that office? We have seen in this country, where a former president oversaw this sector and there was not much difference.

Don’t forget that the buck stops at the President’s table. At the end of his administration, it is going to be called the Buhari administration and not the name of any minister. Therefore, it is very important that what the President feels would make a difference in the country is what he does. At the end of the day, that administration would be rated with his name and not any other name.

The last words from you Mr. Adesina before you go

Well, I will just like to say that Nigerians trusted this President, they elected him into office, let them continue to maintain that trust, and at the end of the day, they will not be disappointed.

PDP, Sylva trade words ahead of Bayelsa poll

… Sylva not electable – Party

… Dickson will soon be history – Ex-governor

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bayelsa State chapter, and the Campaign Organisation of Timipre Sylva, on Friday attacked each other verbally over the candidacy of the All Progressive Congress (APC) flag bearer for the December 5 governorship election.

Sylva, who emerged the APC candidate, will slug it out with the sole candidate of the PDP and incumbent state Governor, Seriake Dickson.

But the PDP said Sylva is not electable.

The state Secretary of PDP, Keku Godspower, in a statement in Yenagoa on Friday, said the emergence of Sylva was a shame and insult to the collective sensibilities of people of Bayelsa and APC members.

Keku said APC’s decision was an indication that it was not prepared for any serious outing in the election because “everybody in Bayelsa knows that Sylva is not electable.”

He, however, claimed that since Sylva’s emergence, there was palpable fear, tension and apprehension among people of Bayelsa following the violence that marred the recent APC primary in the state.

Keku also alleged that Sylva had a record of violence and that his second coming would not be different.

He alleged that since the primary, the state had witnessed the influx of cultists and militants.

He added that the development, if not checked, could lead to relapse of violence in the state and the entire Niger Delta region.

Keku, however, said he was confident that possible violence would be contained by security agencies, assuring the people that the state would deal with anyone caught breaching the peace or molesting anyone.

He advised Bayelsans to go about their lawful businesses without fear of intimidation, urging them to report any suspicious character to security agencies.

He asked the people to vote for PDP and also called on the Federal Government to direct its security agencies to take urgent steps to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.

But Sylva’s campaign organisation in a statement signed by Doifie Buokoribo, said the PDP was jittery because its candidate, Dickson, would soon become history.

He said: “We know the PDP game plan was to prevent the emergence of a strong and popular APC governorship candidate so that they can easily repeat their trademark shenanigan of aborting democratic competition and stealing victory without a contest.

“With that deception, they stole the mandate of the people in 2011, when both Chief Timipre Sylva and Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe were dubiously excluded just to give Hon. Henry Dickson victory without a real electoral contest.

“All the frenzied disparagement of Sylva now by PDP is an understandable manifestation of fear and frustration over their impending, indubitable defeat at the December 5 election. That frenzy is understandable. We will make Dickson history.”

Fear of attacks: Kwara cancels independence parade

Gov Ahmed

The Kwara State government yesterday cancelled the 55th independence anniversary parade scheduled to hold at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin.

In a statement, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, said the cancellation followed security reports that certain individuals arrived the state overnight to disrupt the Independence Day celebration.

He regretted any inconvenience the cancellation might cause, stressing that the government considered public safety paramount.

Despite the cancellation, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said Nigeria had a lot to celebrate.

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Governor, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, Ahmed said he was optimistic that the country would overcome the economic, social and security problems.

He said: “My conviction is driven not by blind hope. My optimism is based on confidence in the indomitable Nigerian spirit, our limitless national endowments and our current leadership’s drive and capacity to positively change our country.

“However, we can only achieve these if we stand as one and defy the forces that threaten to divide us for selfish benefits. We must unite behind our collective aspirations for greatness, our desire for a better country and support our leadership at all levels to achieve them.”

MINISTERIAL LIST: Why Buhari holds on to 15 other nominees

There are feelers from the Presidency that the remaining 15 names of ministerial nominees will hit the Senate early next week after what sources described as ‘laborious’ security checks and vetting of the prospective nominees.

The high-wire tension and expectations with which Nigerians awaited President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees have been doused with his submission of names of 21 nominees to the Senate.

As of last night, the various security agencies were said to be working frantically to beat the new deadline said to have been given to them by the President.

Vanguard gathered that the security checks on the remaining nominees are being carried out within and outside Nigeria.

NIGERIA @55— Third from left: Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari; Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Chief Justice of the Federation Mahmud Mohammed and others, cutting the cake to celebrate the 55th Independence Anniversary of Nigeria at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.

The President on Wednesday forwarded to the Senate, names of 21 nominees for confirmation, with a promise to send the others in due course.
Each state of the federation is, by virtue of the constitution, entitled to a ministerial slot in the federal cabinet.

Vanguard gathered, yesterday, that the Presidency insisted that more background checks be conducted on the nominees, especially against the backdrop of the need to avoid making mistakes in appointing the wrong persons into the cabinet.

It was further learned that the names of those transmitted to the Senate on Wednesday were those whose background checks had been concluded.

“It is not certain when the checks on the remaining 15 will be completed. This explains why the President, in his independence anniversary speech, did not give a time frame because it is dependent on when the security agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will conclude their job on the nominees,” a source said last night.

The source said the 21 names already with the Senate had gone through the same process, adding that the issue had taken so much time because of the need to do a thorough job.

“If the President had his way, the process of appointing ministers would have long been concluded but the security people handling the checks pleaded for time to do a thorough job,” a reliable source told Vanguard.

Horse-trading
Apart from the checks, Vanguard investigation also revealed that the cause of the delay in submitting the 15 names is the horse-trading still going on within the All Progressives Congress, APC, over their nomination.

It was further learned that there was no consensus yet on the choice of the nominees by leaders in their states.

Next batch hits Senate next Tuesday – Garba Shehu

In his reaction last night, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the next batch would be sent to the National Assembly, Tuesday.

He said: “To be honest with you, I have been travelling in the last two days. I came in early today (yesterday). I am not privy to any list. However, every government from 1999 till date under this constitution, has not given the names of ministers from day one.

“They (ministerial nominees) have always been sent to the National Assembly in batches, this is nothing extraordinary. Where is the balance? I do not know. May be by Tuesday next week when they come back, they (National Assembly) will probably have the balance waiting for them but if it will take a longer period, the President will decide that.”

Although the Senate is yet to officially make public names of the 21 nominees forwarded to it by the President, media reports reeled out names, including Dr. Chris Ngige (Anambra), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Gen. Abdurrahman Dambazau, retd, (Kano), Aisha AlHassan (Taraba), Ogbonnaya Onu (Abia), Kemi Adeosun (Ogun) and Abubakar Malami, SAN, (Kebbi).
Others are Senator Sirika Hadi (Katsina), Adebayo Shittu (Oyo), Sulaiman Adamu (Jigawa), Solomon Dalong (Plateau), Ibe Kachikwu (Delta), Osagie Ehanire (Edo, Udoma Udo-Udoma (Akwa Ibom), Ahmed Isa Ibeto (Niger), Ibrahim Jibril, Audu Ogbeh (Benue), and Amina Mohammed (Kaduna).

I doubt the names reported by the media – Babatope
However,former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said he doubted the authenticity of the list. He said: “I am not a member of the APC. What comment do I want to make on people who are not members of my party? I do not know them, I only know them by their names. All I can say is to wish them the best of luck when they are appointed. Anyway, they have not all been appointed. Buhari told us that he would be releasing their names piece-meal, so we will wait for the rest of the names. We do not know if the list is authentic because the President of the Senate said he would disclose their names on October 6, so, let us wait and see what happens.”

Be patient with Buhari – Ogunlewe
Former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the President as far as the ministerial list is concerned.

Ogunlewe said: “It is at the discretion of the President to send the names but we must first commend him. Why can’t we wait till October 6 because all these things we are reading are speculations.

“What Saraki said is that he has the list sealed and that he would not allow anybody access the contents until Tuesday. My suggestion is: Let everybody wait because we do not know the number of names on the list. We have to be patient with our government and reasonable. It is not every time we criticise, that is my own position.”

Buhari wants  the best – Fasehun
Founder of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, said: “Probably the President does not want to over work the Senate. That is why he is taking his time in sending the names, making it to look as if he has embraced a piecemeal method. As a man with a vision of what he wants for the country, I want to believe that the President is not in a hurry to send all the list because he wants the best hands for the job.”

Also reacting, retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, urged Nigerians to support the President in his war on graft, saying “we hope and pray that the corrupt and selfish elite will repent and give Buhari maximum support to take Nigeria to the next level.”

Nothing unique – Odumakin

National Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin said, yesterday, that President Buhari would have submitted the names of the ministerial nominees at Eagle Square rather than to the Senate.

Reacting to the speculated names of possible ministers, Odumakin, who noted that there was nothing unique about the list, said the President did not surprise anyone.

According to him, the names are not worth waiting for a period of four months.

“There is no excitement or surprise in the list. They are mostly run-of-the-mill people that do not warrant the nation waiting four months. Those names could have been submitted at Eagles Square on May 29.”

Buhari didn’t  need to wait this long —Sen. Urhoghide
Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South) shared Odumakin’s views. He said it was not necessary for President Buhari to have waited this long before coming up with the list he made available.

According to Senator Urhoghide, the persons whose names were submitted have been around and known to the President, especially the nominee from Edo State, Osagie Ehanire.

Urhoghide, who noted that though the character and personality of the nominees were not in doubt, said what was paramount was performance as ministers.

What Gordon Brown, Clinton, others told me about Buhari, by Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed the impression of some world leaders about President Muhammadu Buhari.

The ex -President, who spoke with reporters at his Abeokuta home yesterday,  added that despite Nigeria’s “mistakes and missteps,” it is not doing badly at 55 as a nation.

Obasanjo added that 55 years in the life of a nation was still relatively young and notwithstanding this, the country had managed to be dynamic and progressive.

He said: “I heard some of the comments of those he (Buhari) met; the comment that probably will not come back to him. He met Clinton for almost one hour and President Clinton, when I joined him for his global initiative talked to me about the impression of our President, it was favourable.

“Gordon Brown and I met him and we talked about issues. The few other leaders who met him gave me their impression and his debut so to say, it has been good. I think we are at the table, what they use to say that Nigeria is not at the table, now we are present at the table.”

He said Nigerians should be willing to learn from past mistakes while core national values should also not be eroded to enable the real growth and progress become manifest.

He noted that Nigeria was now well positioned with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for both recognition and active participation in global politics in a manner that would likely elicit positive attention from the international community.

According to Obasanjo, feelers from the world leaders and statemen during the recent UN summit showed that President Muhammadu Buhari did not only have a good outing there, but also helped to place Nigeria at a strategic position for global politics.

He identified youth unemployment, education, security, justice, the economy among others as areas the country should not joke with particularly corruption, saying it has the capacity to destroy everything noble about Nigeria.

Obsanjo said: “Fifty five years in the life of a nation is comparatively young, growing and when you look at the life and history of those that you may call settled societies or reasonably matured countries, we are not doing too badly.

“They have had missteps just as we are having missteps, they have made mistakes and most of them have learnt from their mistakes, they have been dynamic in the way they have progressed and I believe that we are doing the same thing.

“What is important is that certain cardinal pinches, cardinal features of our national live, values, should not be eroded. And then we should also be willing to learn from out mistakes.

“The President in his statement said Nigeria has the marks in making the potentialities of a great nation is just question of actualising our potentialities and that will require all hands on deck; men, women, muslims, christians, young and old, irrespective of our location, our tribe, our social standing, Nigeria needs all hands on deck.

“And we must also realise important issues that we must not play with, we must not play with the issue of education, we must not play with the issue of health for our people.

“We must not play with the issue of employment for our teeming population particularly for our youths, we must not play with the issue of economy, we must not play with the issue of security, peace and justice. Justice and peace go hand in hand, we can’t have injustice and expect peace to reign supreme.”

Jonathan not target of any probe, says Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday dismissed suggestions that the Buhari Administration is witch hunting former President Goodluck Jonathan with the probe of the activities of some agencies.

On the contrary, he said the administration’s anti-corruption stance is designed to check corruption in all areas of the nation’s life.

“It’s not about a probe of a past government, that’s not what this is about. We are talking about our future, we are saying that we must put in place a clear strategy going forward,” the vice president said at the funeral of Madam Elizabeth Adesola Mamora, mother of Senator  Olorunmibe Mamora, at  the First Baptist Church, Ijebu-Ife, Ogun State..

“Not just about ensuring that people are made to pay for looting the treasury, our system of justice must be fair to ensure that anybody who does anything that is wrong is brought to account. We can’t allow impunity to continue. So it’s not about the previous government, it’s about any form of impunity,” he stressed.

Vice President Osinbajo said the anti-corruption effort of the government is a genuine programme aimed at sanitizing the country.

In his sermon at the service, the head of the Baptist Church in Ogun State, Pastor Segun Jaiyesimi, challenged political leaders to make positive change while alive, especially when they are holding public office as there will be no opportunity to do so after death.

The ceremony drew a large crowd of friends, associates  and relations from far and near including APC leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief  Bisi Akande, Governor  Ibikunle Amosun  of Ogun State, Governor  Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, former governors of Ogun, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and the immediate past governor of Rivers, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

Testimonies galore at RCCG convention

The 63rd annual convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, with a theme, “The All-Sufficient God”, comes to a fitting end today with the promotion of 1,184 assistant pastors to the rank of pastors to feel gaps created by the phenomenal growth of the church across the nations of the world.

The number of pastors this year is slightly higher than the figure of 1,125 of last year and their ordination and a charge by a senior minister signals the end of the convention which

General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye recently reminded Nigerians that when the church was still very small he predicted   that it would play host to presidents and big time leaders but his listeners’ response was subdued.

“I moved further to say that God said presidents will be members of the church. They will be ushers but the members then found it difficult to swallow that but mark my words, whenever God speaks, the Holy Spirit sanctioned it”, he said matter of factly at a recent Church programme subtly telling doubting Thomases that those prophecies are already manifesting.

One of the highpoints of this year’s annual convention of the church tagged; “The All-Sufficient God” were two remarkable testimonies given by two high profile officials of government, giving credence to the fact that the church’s influence is waxing stronger and stronger. Recall that current Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is a senior pastor with the church.

Major General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, Nigeria’s 16th Chief of Defence Staff and Benue State governor, Deacon Samuel Ortom who attended the Holy Ghost service of the convention in company of the Vice President and the Ondo State governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, gave testimonies of how their respective elevations were products of Pastor Adeboye’s prophetic utterances. Whereas the chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff’s recent elevation was prophesied by Adeboye at the July Holy Ghost service on July 3 and his appointment was announced 10 days after, that of Ortom was a direct prayer from the man of God.

“In May Holy Ghost service, our Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo thanked the Lord for victory during the general elections. In June Holy Ghost service, the executive governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was also here to bless God for victory. In July Holy Ghost service during Daddy’s ministration, he declared that somebody’s level was about to change and I am here to announce that the prophecy was fulfilled in my life. I am here to bless the name of the Lord because He has changed my level,” the CDS testified.

Ortom’s testimony was as intriguing as it was inspiring. He was written off in 1979 when he dropped out of school in Form Four, worked in a motor park but managed to upgrade himself educationally before delving into the murky waters of politics and rose through the ranks. He resigned his ministerial appointment after Pastor Adeboye prayed for him ending the supplication, saying “my testimony was that in 1979, I dropped out of school in Form Two. At the same time, I met the All Sufficient God. Today through tutorials and distance learning, I have a Ph.D.

“I started working in motor park as motor park tout but through the grace of God, I went through series of leadership positions at the local, state and federal levels; the recent one was being a Minister of State for Trade and Industry. Before contesting the last election, I came to the camp with my pastor for God’s direction and I was asked to go ahead. I told Daddy Adeboye about my intention and he prayed for me, and I still remember the last statement of our daddy. He said: ‘God give me a testimony that May 29, 2015 that my son will be sworn in as the governor of Benue state.’ After passing through various trials, he usually told me that all will be well and today I   am the governor of Benue State,” he narrated.

There were several mind boggling testimonies of the goodness of God in the lives of people. Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker, Pastor Kola Oluwawole also traced his latest success in politics to his association with the ministry of pastor Adeboye, saying: “The journey of my life in politics as a pastor started 15 years ago. Exactly eight years ago, I contested a primary election, I won but the ticket was taken. But I remember that Daddy Adeboye said that God is aware of our tribulations; God is with us and that at the end of the journey there will be victory. I contested again and to the glory of Lord, on June 5, 2015, I was elected the Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly.”

Deaconess Oguntade Grace from Lagos Province 22 also declared: “I have been waiting on the Lord for 20 years for the fruit of the womb but last year Daddy G.O. came to our Province 22 in Ikorodu and publicly express surprise as he was not scheduled to visit another church. “Immediately, I told my husband that Daddy was there for our miracle and shortly after the visit, the womb that doctors said cannot carry a pregnancy carried, not only one, but twins. This is marvelous work of the Lord in my family.”

Brother Olubunmi Ayodele’s aunty was also delivered of a set of twins after 16 years of years of barrenness. “I came to the 2014 convention with a prayer request on behalf of my aunty who has been looking for the fruit of the womb for the past 16 years. I prayed at the auditorium altar and God instructed me to walk round the camp seven times and I was afraid if I could do it but God helped me. Few months after she got pregnant and delivered twins.”

Mrs. Treasure Bello from Delta Province 4 said: “As a teenager, I was possessed by marine spirit but because I renounced and rejected them when I gave my life to Jesus Christ, they tormented me, made me deaf, dumb and paralyzed. My parish pastor came to me, prayed for me and I vomited two keys and since that day I was totally delivered.”

One other feature of Friday’s miracle service was the prayer for all nations of the world especially nations passing through crises and various socio-political challenges, which was handled by the wife of the General Overseer, Pastor Folu Adeboye. The woman of God said Nigeria is lacking lots of things due to sin and that without the help of the All Sufficent God, the giant of Africa can do nothing and therefore urged the congregation to pray against the plagues of sin, corruption, darkness working against the progress of the country.

Leaders occupying place of authority including kings were not left out in the prayer, as the people prayed for divine wisdom and knowledge for the nation’s leaders to rule according to God’s instruction so that Nigeria can move from obscurity to greatness.

“Lord let Your light shine wherever darkness is hibernating in our nation, we cancel any iota of darkness, we challenge them in Jesus’ name. Those in authority from the kings to our president, we concel any power that will not allow them to do God’s will. We pray they will rule with the fear of God for us to live abundant lives, have more than enough so that our nation can move forward and attain her greatness. We are tired of stagnation. God open the gates of heaven and let there be rain of peace and joy.”

Also speaking at the convention, Rev. Joe Olaiya of Living Faith Foundation who preached at one of plenary sessions told our reporter in an interview that Nigeria needs faith and love to overcome the current challenges. Said he: “We need faith, love and truth. Have faith in God. What you want to do to others make sure it is what you want people to do to you. Be truthful and fair. Once we do that, we won’t have problems in life.

“The challenge is that the Church must know that the signs of the last days are complete, with the gay factor being acceptable to leaders of the world, it just shows that the days of Sodom and Gomorrah are here. If you want to know, judgment and rapture are close at hand. It’s better for the Church to wake up and get its harvest and be ready,” Olaiya stated.

Before his main message titled, “The All-Sufficient God”, Pastor Adeboye announced to the mammoth crowd of worshippers that 81 babies had been delivered during the convention, 41 of them being male and the rest 40 females.

He maintained that “God is sufficient for all our needs; physical needs because He is the God of all flesh if only we believe in Him. He is more than sufficent for material, emotional, needs. He is the only One who has the ability to promote man, He can pick someone from the dunghill and set him among princes in the palace. He is able to save to the uttermost end, He also has the ability to pick the worst person to be an Apostle of the gospel.”

One of the expectations of worshippers was to host the convention at the new Arena but Pastor Adeboye told the participants that it was not ready due to the paucity of funds and appealled to his friends, children and supporters to support him to complete of the 9 kilometre square Arena located at Simawa area of Ogun State.

“The new arena is yet to be completed because there is no money. All the people that promised big money have not shown up and I believe they will show up one day,” Daddy G.O. said, adding “for the first time in my life, I am almost becoming a begger. I have never asked for offering online. I did not know how to do fine bara, it is just circumstances beyond my control.”

Adeboye went ahead to appeal for more support for the project, stressing that God will keep on providing for the needs of the congregation and expressed optimism that the arena will be available for use during the December Holy Ghost congress.

Why the phones no longer ring

Dr. Reuben Abati

I read with interest the article written by the former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity Dr. Reuben Abati titled “The phones no longer ring.” The article which generated mixed reactions was a reality of what becomes of a public office holder when he is out of office. As a matter of fact, the frustrations of a very prolific Abati that we used to read in The Guardian newspaper in those days to improve our writing prowess are well understood.

For an Abati, the phones will no longer ring like they used to, at least for now. As a matter of fact, the votes of Nigerians silenced the phones of his former boss from the moment the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Muhammadu Buhari winner of that memorable election.

Foremost, I have never been bothered about any ex- employee or appointee of former President Goodluck Jonathan because they have ‘Buhariphobia’ which is more than enough to cope with if found wanting and needing to make some ‘refunds’ to Nigeria.

However, I must say that I observed clearly an attempt by Abati to make his literary prowess a pedestal for which he needs to launch back into public space which he has hitherto missed during his sojourn to Aso Villa where his phones ranged for four years.

Of course, the truism that “he who pays the piper dictates the tune” cannot be left out of the situation the former spokesperson found himself. My reaction was orchestrated by my observation in what has become the personality of Abati in the last few years, even as he wrote his first article to regain back fans in his literary space.

The narration of Abati was a description of a service in a destabilised, defensive, disorganised and unwilling system. Think of this for a moment, from day one in office, Abati got a clear picture of what he was hired to do and was willing to play the card either for the glory of his esteemed office as a spokesperson for the then President and/or any additional reason(s) best known to Abati himself.

In reality, considering the cluelessness of the Jonathan government, all professionals hired to serve in that government were required to make up for the weakness of their boss which was lack of capacity to deliver on the designated tasks.

Even when out of office, Abati still referred to the then opposition All Progressives Congress as “desperate and hyper negative.” But today, the class Abati referred to as hyper negative elements are making clear difference to school him and his former principal how to run a government with adequate consideration to the feelings of everyone.

In Abati’s submission, I am worried that it is still not clear to him that one can speak for a government without recourse to insulting those with dissenting opinions about the policies of same government one works for. In most civilised world like America and Europe, spokespersons to the President or Prime Minister speak for the government but do not speak against the people as there is a clear cut difference between the two.

But it is obvious that because Abati is used to defence as conflicting strategies he has lived with for few years back, his very first article was premised on making an expose of the kind of pressure he went through in the hands of Nigerians begging for money or for favour. This is a sharp defence mechanism to attract pity and sway emotions on his side as a helpless former public office holder.

To Abati, a very friendly memoir of his account of office suitable for everyone’s consumption, possibly humorous, would have been a very good way to launch back to public space. Well, Abati has become used to verbal missile over the time. There is truly something missing in the public relation skill expected of an ex-spokesperson to the President of a country. The people win no matter how one looks at it.

Clearly, Abati is coping with the loneliness of his time, more so when the glamour of celebrating people who served with a bad government is gradually being detached from our system with on-going seriousness of the present government. I think that if not for ‘Buhariphobia,’ Abati would have bagged several post service awards of excellence weeks after he left office.

Simply, Abati missed those invitations for awards and accolades that would immediately follow his exit from public office.

And now, he should know the reasons why his phones are no longer ringing. The people are simply not interested in talking with him even if he is ready to do so.

Olulade is a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Epe Constituency II

FROM BUS CONDUCTORS TO POLITICAL LEADERS

LOOKING at a king’s mouth, one would think he never sucked at his mother’s breasts, says an African adage. That seems the case with some occupants of high public offices in the current political dispensation. From total obscurity, they rose to national prominence through determination and a dint of hard work.

From Lagos to Ogun, Ekiti and Benue states, stories abound of individuals who had worked as commercial bus drivers, conductors, motor park touts and other lowly vocations, but are now functioning as governors, commissioners and other high profile portfolios. Numbered among them are Benue State governor, Samuel Ioraer Ortom; Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose; the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa and frontline lawyer and commissioner in the recently dissolved cabinet of Governor Ibikunle Amosun in Ogun State, Barrister Segun Odubela.

Samuel Ioraer Ortom

Few individuals’ stories can be as inspiring as that of Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State. On Wednesday, 6th July, 2011, he had told the Senate the moving story of his life as he was being screened on the floor of the upper chamber over his nomination as a minister.

Ortom’s account of his life as a school dropout, a motor park tout and one who struggled to attain education through very difficult means to become a highly successful businessman did not only draw a rapturous applause from the senators but compelled them to ask him to just take a bow and go.

The young Ortom was faced with a very bleak future after he dropped out of secondary school in 1979 because his father was unable to pay his school fees. But rather than give up, he girded his loins and found a job as a tout at the motor park in Gboko, Benue State. But like a man destined to succeed, it took a single encounter with a Good Samaritan to change his story. The Good Samaritan taught the young Ortom how to drive while another helped him to obtain a drivers’ license. With the training, he secured employment as a professional driver.

Ortom said: “As a child, I had dreamt of becoming a medical doctor in my primary and secondary school days. Unfortunately, my secondary education was aborted in Form 3 in 1979 because of my father’s retirement from the police. I came back to Gboko on holiday, just like every other child from Idah, which was then part of the present day Benue, for holiday, but couldn’t go back to school because there was no transport fare.

“But instead of idling away or taking to social vices, I decided to join motor park business. It was at the park that a Good Samaritan taught me how to drive a car, perhaps because of my honesty and dedication to duty.”

His diligence and dedication to duty led him to a prominent Gboko-based Christian leader and politician, Pa Samuel Ihugh. His decision to embrace Jesus Christ while he worked as the man’s driver, he said, marked the turning point in his life.

“I must confess that I came in contact with the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. “I became a born again Christian and in fact, the turning point in my life was that singular move and decision to embrace Christ.

“That was the time I completely embraced the precepts of the Book of Job: 36 verse 11, which says, ‘If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures.’ And verse 12 which also says, ‘But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.’

“From this passage, I found that the recipe for success and failure was embedded in the scriptures. God made it clear to me that if I desired to succeed, I must have faith in Him and also be determined and work hard, because God can make it happen.”

One day, after the close of work, Ortom was sitting on a bench outside his boss’ house when the wind blew a piece of paper in his direction. He picked up the piece of paper and saw an advert for enrolment into the National School of Salesmanship, Manchester, England. He decided to enroll for the course by correspondence and became a proud holder of Diploma in Salesmanship.

His success at the School of Salesmanship prompted him to sit the General Certificate of Education (GCE), which he passed with four credits at the first attempt.

Armed with the two certificates, he enrolled at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained both the Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) certificate in 1995 and Diploma in Journalism in 1998. He also attended the Benue State University where he obtained the Advanced Diploma in Personnel Management in 2001, as well as Master of Public Administration (MPA) in 2004.

He crowned his pursuit of educational excellence with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the Commonwealth University, Belize, through distant learning.

Ortom later secured employment as a salesman at Gyado Foods Company Limited and rose to become the company’s sales manager.

His meteoric rise in politics began when he was elected as the Executive Chairman of Guma Local Government Area on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) between 1991 and 1993.

Before he became the governor of Benue State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the April 2015 general elections, he had held several other political offices, including the State Publicity Secretary of the National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN); State Treasurer of the All Peoples Party (APP) and State Secretary as well as Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He was also Director of Operations of the PDP governorship campaign in Benue State in 2007 and Director of Administration and Logistics of the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2011. He was PDP National Auditor before his appointment as Minister of State for Industries, Trade and Investments in July 2011.

Ayodele Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, recently revealed that he was no exception to young men who struggled to make a meaning of their lives. He roamed the streets in search of menial jobs that would give him enough to keep body and soul together.

Speaking recently during the swearing-in of the new state executive of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria in Ado Ekiti, the governor told a shocked crowd that he was once a danfo (commercial bus) driver and even had to sponsor himself to school from the proceeds he got from the vocation.

Admonishing members of the transport union not to allow themselves to be used for kidnapping and other criminal and anti-social activities, Fayose said: “I want to commend you for contributing immensely to the development of the state’s economy. But don’t allow yourselves to be used by evil doers.

“You can see that some kidnappers were paraded recently. Information from them revealed that they have been using some of your members.

“I was once a driver like you. I used the money I got from driving to sponsor myself for HND at Ibadan Polytechnic. But I did not get desperate.

“All I’m saying is that being a driver, you can make it in life. You will become what you want to become in life with hard work.

“Don’t join evil gangs for you to get rich overnight. Try and rise through the ladder like we did.”

As a former commercial bus driver, the governor sure know that the greatest problem most drivers battle to overcome is the ability to resist alcohol and to obey the ‘don’t drink and drive’ rule.

So, while addressing the drivers, Fayose warned: “Though I am part of you, if you breach the law, I won’t save or spare you. You will be arrested and prosecuted by the security agents. I don’t want to be the enemies of drivers; I want to be your friend.”

Segun Odubela

Prior to his appointment as a member of the cabinet of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s government in Ogun State, most people only knew the immediate past Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in the state, Barrister Segun Odubela, as a brilliant lawyer. The other side of him they never knew was that he was once a danfo (commercial bus) driver and conductor in Lagos.

Coming from a humble background, Odubela recalled how he and another friend whose parents owned a bus used the vehicle for commercial purposes in order to earn some money.

He said: “Mine has been a mixture of memories, coming from a humble background. At a time, my friend and I had an adventure. His mother gave us a Kombi bus and we plied the road from Obalende to Ogba (both in Lagos). When he was the conductor, I would be the driver, and when he was the driver, I would be the conductor.

“My friend is the son of a former secretary of NUT (Nigeria Union of Teachers). So for me, there was a period in life when I also struggled. It wasn’t all a bed of roses. There was a time when I struggled to make ends meet. Definitely, it has been a mixture. There were good days in my early life, but also there were challenging days that inspired me to hard work.

“More importantly, what I have found out in life is that wherever God has destined you to be, nobody can change it. So for me, it’s all about appreciating God. “

But in spite of his exploits as a lawyer and statesman, Odubela is still desirous of earning for himself the title of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

He said: “I still pray to God to assist me since I still wish to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). It is in God’s power to do so. I am working hard towards that. I have attended a number of interviews and I have been qualifying since 2005. I even did interviews till 2012. However, I believe that God’s time is the best. I look forward to becoming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria since it is the profession that I enjoy deeply.”

As a young man, Odubela had fallen in love with the police and dreamt of the day he would become a policeman like the young officers around his neighbourhood. To realize his dream, he planned to study Political Science in the university, but his father had other ideas. The old man wanted his son to study Law.

He said: “Initially, I wanted to study Political Science because I loved and wanted to join the Nigeria Police Force. But my father said no, that I must study Law. I just liked the police force. I had seen some young officers and I loved their outlook. I wanted to be like them. That made me to start thinking in that direction. I developed the interest. I also saw many people who worked in the police force; they were actually not doing badly. They usually looked professional to me, and that led to my initial interest.”

Mudashiru Obasa

His story is both inspiring and interesting. As supporters and hangers-on mill around him today, all seeking one form of favour or the other, only a few of them would know that the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly was once a hawker of nylon bags on the streets of Lagos.

Rt. Hon. Obasa, the lawmaker representing Agege Constituency 1 in the House of Assembly, actually started life as a hawker, selling nylon bags and wrist watches. He later changed jobs to become a bus conductor and labourer just to eke out a living.

Recalling the tough old days, he said: “I grew up in the Papa Ashafa area of Agege and there is hardly anything I have not done to make money, except armed robbery. Maybe I was too young to be an armed robber, but talking about hustling, there is hardly any type I have not gone into.

“I did all this on my own volition and not because my father could not afford to pay my school fees. The friends I grew up with were always in one engagement or another. We would go to Agege Motor Road to sell nylon bags.

“Then, 12 nylon bags were sold for half the price. So, when we bought, we would make two times the amount we invested. Within a few hours, we would have sold an encouraging amount.

“I was also once a bus conductor, I was a labourer. Just mention them.”

Little wonder Obasa says he hates to see young men idling away instead of engaging themselves in some positive and rewarding ventures. Hence, he is baffled when he is approached for assistance.

He said: “For me, I don’t believe in staying idle and that is why when people approach me, asking for assistance to help them pay their children’s school fees, their accommodation and others, I ask them who is going to pay the next one. So, why don’t you find something to do?

“That’s also why I don’t strongly believe in unemployment. If your father is not a Dangote or Otedola and co, then you must look for something to do. It is only one with such people as a father that can dictate where he wants to work. You have to be engaged, you have to do something to cross to another level.”

A fourth term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Obasa was elected as the Speaker for the eighth session of the state Assembly.

Give Nigeria weapons to fight Boko Haram, Air Marshal Amosu tells US

Immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu disclosed yesterday that there are military equipment meant for the airforce with capability to track and neutralize Improvised Explosive Devices mostly used for soft target attacks and bombings, which the Boko Haram terrorists  have used to inflict pain and anguish on hundreds of innocent Nigerians.

He however pointed out that this hardware and other such equipment which are produced by the United States of America and could be of immense benefit to Nigerian Airforce can be sold to Nigeria, even as they are only meant for NATO countries and are barred from third world as well as African countries.

Speaking during his flying out ceremony at the NAF base, Abuja, Amosu said, “The decision of the American government to review its ban on sale of military equipment to the Nigerian military is a welcome development. There are some capabilities particularly for the air force that are needed to enhance operations. Essentially there are three issues that affect the operations of this nature (war on terror); one of them is the mission responsiveness; another one is the flexibility and capability, and when it comes to capability, whatever we can get from any nation is welcome.

“These platforms or equipment will come with training. It will come with platform particularly for surveillance, because the kind of enemies we are dealing with, I will like to call them evasive enemies, so we need a lot of surveillance capability.

“With this capability, particularly when it comes to force protection, we can actually do most of the surveillance here so that we will be able to detect if you have IEDs around location with ease. But right now we are not enjoying that so we are hoping that the US will lift ban on that area, and let us have the capability that they extend to NATO nations which I think will be fine”.

Describing the threat of terrorism as very real, and that if the terrorists succeed, no part of the nation will be spared, Air Marshal Amosu said, “hence, it is absolutely critical that we match the determination of the terrorists with an even more ruthless determination of our own to overcome their threats”.

“The fight against terrorism is going to receive higher boost. I want to assure you that the people we have left behind are part of the team, and of course we know that the freedom of movement and action of the Boko Haram terrorists have been substantially depleted. What is left now is mop up exercise and to make sure some of our borders are completely closed and secured”.

Continuing he said, “Nigeria needs its gallant armed forces to rise to the challenge of defending the country against the scourge of terrorism and restoring the peace and security necessary for sustained development. Security and peace will return and then the atmosphere for prosperity will take effect. We are very sure and confident that we are leaving the services in capable hands.”

B’Haram terrorists’ ability to confront military now non-existent – Minimah

Immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah (rtd) has declared that his actions of sanctioning hundreds of soldiers who reverted to deserting the force, running away from battle and playing the roles of fifth columnists in the wake of the operations to dislodge Boko Haram terrorists from Nigeria territories during ‘Operation Zaman Lafiya’, helped to inspire and rekindle the fighting spirit in the Nigerian military.

He said: “I am happy to state that the story is different today and the situation much better than I met it. Today, the country is more secured and stable. The ability of Boko Haram terrorists to confront our security forces in open combat is virtually non-existent. Its leadership is in hiding, afraid for their lives and no longer intimidating the public with their propaganda videos.”

Recalling that the situation of the Nigerian Army when he assumed office on January 16, 2014, was one that called for concern, Minimah, who spoke at the pulling out ceremony in his honour said: “As I settled down to work, I was confronted with the decay in the service due to long periods of neglect the army had suffered.

Former Chief of Army,Staff. Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah at his pulled out ceremony at the Abacha Barrack in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan

“As you would recall, my appointment came at a time our army and indeed the nation was going through one of its worst crises in our history. The level of violence and insecurity unleashed on innocent citizens by Boko Haram terrorists had reached unprecedented heights. There was spate of bombings across the country. Attacks on soft targets such as civilians, and vulnerable communities were on the increase.

“The armed forces and security agencies appeared helpless to address the situation and sadly, the nation began to lose confidence in its army and military. The situation was no less grim in the North Central and North Western zones where armed bandits, cattle rustlers and ethnic militias held sway. The nation seemed to be heading towards the much publicized disintegration many had predicted would occur in 2015.

“An assessment of the situation revealed that the Nigerian Army needed to harness its capabilities and optimize its capacity to deal with the challenges that bedevilled the nation. I, therefore, prioritized efforts towards enhancing our overall operational readiness through the three pillars of improved training, modernization of equipment and enhancement of troop’s welfare. Above all, I inspired and rekindled fighting spirit in troops backed by military sanctions.

“Sensing imminent defeat, Boko Haram has resorted to targeting innocent and vulnerable civilians. I am convinced that this also would soon be a thing of the past as the days of terrorism and insurgency are numbered. In the same vein, I can confidently say that the security threats in the North Central and North Western zones have been sufficiently addressed.”

Threat of terrorism rapidly expanding

Warning that the threat of terrorism is rapidly expanding across the globe and demands the collective action of all nations, Gen. Minimah said: “Boko Haram may have its greatest impact in Nigeria but its ability to hurt other nation’s interests no matter the distance, is real. In the last decade, we have seen the extent to which people who habour evil against their fellow humans can go to inflict pain and death on innocent people.

“This is the time for all to rise in unison to not only condemn but take actions against the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists and other criminal elements in order to foster peace and security in our society. Perhaps, if we all stood against the terrorists at the onset through public condemnation of their activities and active collaboration with the military to confront them rather than use it as a tool to advance sectional, tribal, religious and political interests, we would not have been where we found ourselves today. We must, therefore, all unite and support our government and security forces to tackle the current security challenges.”

Thanks media

While thanking the media for its support in the fight against insurgency, Minimah said: “Though our relationship was not always smooth, due to what we perceived to be media insensitivity to our operations and national security, I am glad to note the change in attitude especially when the tide of war changed in favour of our forces in the field.

“While inviting the Nigerian media to be an all-weather ally of our armed forces, I would implore them to always exercise caution and restraint when reporting on national security issues. The call is for the media not to promote the activities of terrorists over those of the security forces or join some foreign adversarial media to castigate or malign our troops who sacrifice their lives to bring peace, stability, security and development to our nation, as no foreign national can love Nigeria more than Nigerians.”

On his advice for the nation, Minimah said: “A nation is as strong as its armed forces and the strength of the armed forces is in the quality of the individual soldier and his fighting spirit. Fighting spirit imbues him with confidence to stand up to the adversary rather than flee like we witnessed in the recent past; while adequate attention to his welfare demonstrates his nation’s commitment to his well-being and motivates him to sacrifice everything including his life; discipline and sanctions confines him within the military laws.

“For long, our nation has toyed with the health and vitality of its military. This is the time for our country to reinvigorate the armed forces by investing in the armed forces.

“Government must provide the necessary resources and right political environment to recruit, train, equip, kit and remunerate our servicemen. We all have a role to play to make our armed forces great again.

“Sometime, all it takes is a simple thank you and encouraging words to the men and women who watch over our freedom and liberty. Never; Never Again’ should we allow ourselves to walk this path. Never Again.”