Source: Sahara Reporters

I have read many articles, intelligent and painfully ignorant, about the current crises, which any Northerner or perceptive observer could have predicted. I am neither shocked nor confounded by the riots and the killings.

I choose to ignore the ignorant comments especially from people who live on the other side of the Niger behind computers and blackberry’s that have no clue about the complexity of this ‘North’. This crisis is a bit different in my estimation from the other mindless religious conflicts that have visited the north. For the first time in the North (especially the Muslim North), I heard young uneducated men expressing hope that for once there is a worthy man on the ballot; that at last their time has come. For the first time, there was actual trust in a person to whom they bequeathed all their dreams.
 This man was General Buhari. Anyone who speaks Hausa and knows the Hausa speaking people will know the importance of the concept of ‘amana’. Trust. It is the one thing that is cherished above most things in the Muslim North. It is not uncommon for you to meet a Hausa petty trader to give you goods without money or collateral, regardless of whether he knows you or not. In fact I still remember how my mother at the market in U/Rimi in the North of Kaduna city, would stop a Hausa motorcyclist (she always insisted on a Hausa man) whom she had never met, give him her shopping sometimes worth thousands and describe her house to him. She would pay him and not fret about the things reaching home.
 My mother always only bought meat from Hausa Muslims because she trusted that it would be fresh and that it was not a dead animal. In Hausa communities, shops would be left open when people went to say their prayers. Amana. Trust. This is the trust that has been squandered by Northern leaders, notably in the past 12 years-members of the PDP led ruling class, and before that, military and traditional leaders. These Northern leaders have destroyed every level of trust given to them without questioning by their people. One man seemed to rise above all the filth, above all the distrust. They noticed his lifestyle. They didn’t see flashy cars in his drive way.
 They didn’t see his kids drive around town recklessly with loud music spending plenty money on their pre pubescent girlfriends. They didn’t hear scandals of massive overseas accounts. They met him at petrol stations. They saw an honest, straightforward, religious man.
 So when they went to the streets, they went first after their own leaders who had squandered this trust and those who they perceive had abetted them. Sadly, as with all mob actions, it provided the perfect cover for criminals, miscreants and those with sinister agendas (and there are plenty in this North- politicians, thieves and fundamentalists). So eventually, churches were burnt and innocent people killed. However, the man is a Muslim and unapologetically so. He has not been afraid to express his ‘Muslimness’ in public.
 This alone is enough to constitute a problem in the North. For we are not one North. We are many North’s. There is the Muslim North. The uneducated rural North. The aristocratic North. The cosmopolitan North. The Christian North… each with its own interests and sometimes as different from each other as people from different countries. The marginalisation of minority groups in the North has also hurt Buhari who is seen as the face of the oppressor by at least some in the Christian minority.
 The countless religious crises have divided the North and created mutual suspicion, further highlighting the fact that the idea of a single united North is a myth. Some have suggested that Sardauna created one North and that we only recently created divisions.
 This is far from the truth. The facade, which was One North, was in fact a mix of dominant and dominated people, peace existing only because the quiet grievances of minorities like non-Muslims had not concretised into vocal movements for the exercise of rights. The Jos crisis is a classic example of the manifestation of decades of frustration among the minorities.
 That manifestation though reactionary is more than a knee jerk reaction. It is minorities paranoid about the increasing dominance of the majority and taking rash actions to hold onto power, land and resources in a region where the dominant sentiment among minorities is that if you are not Hausa Fulani or Muslim, you will be marginalised. The decades of injustice meted out on Nigerians by their leaders have made eventual violent reaction inevitable.
 The many poisonous variables in our polity, which have been allowed to interact under the lazy watch of Nigeria’s thieving political class, have fixed themselves firmly in our polity. What we are now dealing with are just the early warning signs of a cancer that is malignant. Our mutual suspicions make us easy to exploit and set against each other, so that while we are fighting over whose god is bigger, our government loots the commonwealth.
Where there is no justice there cannot be peace. An aggrieved man is many times an irrational man. It is wrong to always judge a reaction, which is unplanned, when you do not judge first, the action, which is planned. A reaction is many times worse than an action, for it is delivered without a sense of proportion, only a sense of wanting release.
There is usually more passion in a reaction. He who sets a ball rolling should prepare to follow it wherever it rolls to. This government has a choice. To move beyond its rigged landslide victory and actually give its citizens a semblance of justice.
To move from the hawks that now have it by the scrotum, namely PDP party investors, and work for its citizens- give them roads, electricity and rule of law. To provide infrastructure and stop the massive looting of government resources that is now going on. Or. To oversee the early days of the disintegration of a Nigerian state that has miraculously held on for the past 50 years.

Source: Vanguard

ABUJA- PRESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said, weekend, that in the aftermath of the presidential elections, he is now focusing on building the nation, even as he, in his Easter message, urged all Nigerians to renounce violence and unite in the interest of peace and development of the country.

President Jonathan who spoke when a delegation of the G-20 Northern Political Summit Group paid a congratulatory visit to State House, said: “Now that the presidential election has been concluded, it is time to build our nation.”

He challenged political leaders in the country to work together for the common interest of the nation, adding that they should serve as the pillars upon which the future of the country would be built on.

President Jonathan said the G-20 deserved to be congratulated for “working so hard to dilute the ethnic divisions” in the country during the campaigns.

While lauding the G-20 Northern Political Summit Group for hosting the Northern Economic Summit, he said Government would consider the recommendations for implementation in order to improve the economy of the North.

Earlier, Alhaji Hassan Adamu, Wakilin Adamawa, and leader of the G-20, had congratulated President Jonathan for his success in the presidential elections, and prayed for  the success of the administration.

He said that when the group advised him to seek re-election, “we knew at that time that you were chosen by God and at that time also, we knew that nobody will beat your ticket.”

Adamu said: “We pray that Allah continue to give you and the Vice President the good health and wisdom. During your campaigns you said you will be the President for all Nigerians, therefore, it is time for all Nigerians to support you in your quest to transform this country.”

In his Easter message, Jonathan expressed warm felicitations to the nation, and Christians in particular, stressing that they should apply the lessons of peace, love, selflessness and sacrifice for the common good.

Noting that this year’s Easter comes in the midst of historic elections that will further consolidate progressive democratic governance in the country, the President urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the season to reflect on its lessons, forsake hate and violence, and embrace peace and unity for the successful conclusion of the elections.

Adams Oshiomhole, Edo State Governor

The governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has said he recently sacked some commissioners and Special Advisers from his cabinet because their communities did not vote for the Action Congress of Nigeria in the national assembly poll.

Mr Oshiomhole, who gave the explanation at the commissioning of a water project provided for the Ekpoma community by his administration, also said the failure of the appointees to win in their communities indicated that they were not working effectively.

“Perhaps, this is the right opportunity to clarify few issues,” the governor said. “It is true that I dropped two commissioners and I also dropped a number of special advisers as well as board chairmen.

The governor observed that if the affected commissioners had worked hard, their people would have voted for his party during the recently concluded national assembly election.

“I believe that when you work and work hard, the best way to measure whether your people appreciate your work is the way that they vote, that is the beauty of democracy. If people vote against you it means that you are not working hard. So if a commissioner cannot win his area, I don’t need any further statement that the people have rejected him and if your people reject you, then I will drop you.”

“The appointment of those commissioners was based on certain considerations. It is within the discretion of the governor to appoint and to remove.

“But the good news is that commissioners will come and go; what is permanent is the people. Commissioners don’t share their salaries with their communities, they pocket it in their pockets. What the community needs is services. Whoever cannot deliver on those services would have to be excused.”

‘They did not perform’

According to Mr Oshiomhole, “whoever wishes to be in government must re-connect with his community”.

The also refuted claims that the his action was informed by ethnic politics.

“I do not want people to confuse my decision to drop some commissioners and special advisers to mean that I have any grievances against the people.”

Mr. Oshiomhole observed that the beauty of democracy was that those who want to remain in the system must work hard for their people.

Alleging that the PDP was sharing money to buy votes for the state House of Assembly election, the governor said he would rather provide services for the people to gain their votes

Source: Complete Sports

GROUP A TABLE

Team           P  W  D  L  GF GA GD Pts 

Mali                2  2  0  0  5  2  3  6 

Egypt             2  1  0  1  2  1  1  3 

South Africa  2  1  0  1  4  5  -1  3 

Lesotho         2  0  0  2  1  4  -3  0 

GROUP A FIXTURES & RESULTS

17/04/2011  South Africa  2-4  Mali 

17/04/2011  Egypt  2-0  Lesotho 

20/04/2011  Mali  1-0  Egypt

20/04/2011  Lesotho  1-2  South Africa 

23/04/2011  South Africa v Egypt   15:00   Dobsonville  

23/04/2011 Mali v Lesotho   12:00   Milpark 

GROUP B TABLE

Team  P  W  D  L  GF  GA  GD  Pts 

Cameroon  2  2  0  0  2  0  2  6 

Nigeria  2  1  0  1  2  1  0  3 

Gambia  2  0  1  1  1  1  0  1 

Ghana  2  0  1  1  2  3  -1 1 

GROUP B FIXTURES & RESULTS

18/04/2011 Ghana  1-2  Nigeria 

18/04/2011 Cameroon  1-0  Gambia 

21/04/2011  Nigeria  0-1  Cameroon

21/04/2011  Gambia  1-1  Ghana

24/04/2011 Ghana v Cameroon    12:00    Dobsonville  

24/04/2011  Nigeria v Gambia    12:00   Milpark  

SEMI FINAL FIXTURES

13 1st A v 2nd B    28/04/2011 TBC      Dobsonville   

14 1st B v 2nd A    28/04/2011 TBC      Dobsonville   

3RD PLACE MATCH

15 L 13 v L 14    01/05/2011 12:00     Dobsonville   

FINAL 

16 W 13 v W 14   01/05/2011 15:00      Dobsonville

Source: Sahara Reporters

The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria has warned the PDP that any attempt to rig elections in Lagos or any part of the South West in the oncoming governorship election will truncate the present democracy. It therefore warns the PDP to cease from setting the country on fire through the type of massive rigging it has perfected and which has presently set the country on fire. In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Joe Igbokwe, the party says it is aware of subterranean moves by the PDP to rig the governorship election, not just in Lagos or the South West but the entire country but warns that such move would be counterproductive as the aftermaths of such a dastardly act will set the country on fire. It warns the PDP to start learning how to play by the rules instead of thinking it will be allowed to continue stealing the mandates of the people for selfish purposes. “In the aftermath of the post electoral violence that had hit most parts of the North as a result of alleged manipulations of the presidential election in the South East and South South, it would be fool hardy for the PDP to think Nigerians will allow it to continue manipulating elections in the country. We want to let the PDP know that objective and serious thinking Nigerians know that the root cause of the problems we are experiencing in Nigeria including the recent post-election violence that hit the North are traceable to the attitude of the PDP, which sees elections as not a fair game that could be won through the votes of the people but a manipulable game that could be subjected to all manners of fraud. “Once again, we are inundated with facts of planned rigging and manipulation of the coming governorship election in the South West, when the nation is yet to live down the ugly scepters of the presidential election. Perhaps, the PDP thinks that Nigerians are not aware of the root causes of the election turmoil that hit the North, which is PDP’s refusal to play by the legal rules of the game. We want to let them know that rigging the election in the South West and other parts of Nigeria will certainly help us address this malignant disease that has afflicted the PDP since it berthed in Nigeria to propagate election rigging, treasury raiding, impunity, kidnapping, bombing, killing, etc. we want to let the PDP know that Nigerians are alive and awake and any attempt to trifle with their interests will be met with such stiff resistance that no will certainly work towards the end of this hugely manipulated democracy. We want the PDP to remember Operation Wetie and the June 12 struggle and know that Nigerians are not as docile as they would want to believe. “Lagos ACN wants to charge Prof, Jega and his INEC to sit up and address the many allegations of rigging, with which the PDP has rendered his carefully worked out electoral plan a huge joke. If he wants to gloss over these mounting and obvious cases of electoral malfeasance, we wish him the best of luck but he needs to know that the present elections are hugely manipulated especially at the collation centers and he must do something about it to prevent the implosion of the country. We want Jega to rein his Electoral Officers, especially in Lagos and the entire South West against being used to set the country on fire. We want to warn any electoral officer that plans to come to the South West to rig election to try something else as he or she would live to regret it. “We want to alert all out members and supporters in Lagos, the South West and the entire country to be vigilant and monitor every action from polling booths to all the collation centers till the announcement of the final results. We want to charge them to insist on preventing rigging and ensure they thwart any effort by the unscrupulous elements in the PDP to rig the coming election. We want to warn that whoever attempts to rig the coming governorship election in Lagos, South West and the entire country will live to regret such dastardly action.” “Rig Governorship Election and Prepare for Fire” Lagos CAN Wams PDP Source: Sahara Reporters The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria has warned the PDP that any attempt to rig elections in Lagos or any part of the South West in the oncoming governorship election will truncate the present democracy. It therefore warns the PDP to cease from setting the country on fire through the type of massive rigging it has perfected and which has presently set the country on fire. In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Joe Igbokwe, the party says it is aware of subterranean moves by the PDP to rig the governorship election, not just in Lagos or the South West but the entire country but warns that such move would be counterproductive as the aftermaths of such a dastardly act will set the country on fire. It warns the PDP to start learning how to play by the rules instead of thinking it will be allowed to continue stealing the mandates of the people for selfish purposes. “In the aftermath of the post electoral violence that had hit most parts of the North as a result of alleged manipulations of the presidential election in the South East and South South, it would be fool hardy for the PDP to think Nigerians will allow it to continue manipulating elections in the country. We want to let the PDP know that objective and serious thinking Nigerians know that the root cause of the problems we are experiencing in Nigeria including the recent post-election violence that hit the North are traceable to the attitude of the PDP, which sees elections as not a fair game that could be won through the votes of the people but a manipulable game that could be subjected to all manners of fraud. “Once again, we are inundated with facts of planned rigging and manipulation of the coming governorship election in the South West, when the nation is yet to live down the ugly scepters of the presidential election. Perhaps, the PDP thinks that Nigerians are not aware of the root causes of the election turmoil that hit the North, which is PDP’s refusal to play by the legal rules of the game. We want to let them know that rigging the election in the South West and other parts of Nigeria will certainly help us address this malignant disease that has afflicted the PDP since it berthed in Nigeria to propagate election rigging, treasury raiding, impunity, kidnapping, bombing, killing, etc. we want to let the PDP know that Nigerians are alive and awake and any attempt to trifle with their interests will be met with such stiff resistance that no will certainly work towards the end of this hugely manipulated democracy. We want the PDP to remember Operation Wetie and the June 12 struggle and know that Nigerians are not as docile as they would want to believe. “Lagos ACN wants to charge Prof, Jega and his INEC to sit up and address the many allegations of rigging, with which the PDP has rendered his carefully worked out electoral plan a huge joke. If he wants to gloss over these mounting and obvious cases of electoral malfeasance, we wish him the best of luck but he needs to know that the present elections are hugely manipulated especially at the collation centers and he must do something about it to prevent the implosion of the country. We want Jega to rein his Electoral Officers, especially in Lagos and the entire South West against being used to set the country on fire. We want to warn any electoral officer that plans to come to the South West to rig election to try something else as he or she would live to regret it. “We want to alert all out members and supporters in Lagos, the South West and the entire country to be vigilant and monitor every action from polling booths to all the collation centers till the announcement of the final results. We want to charge them to insist on preventing rigging and ensure they thwart any effort by the unscrupulous elements in the PDP to rig the coming election. We want to warn that whoever attempts to rig the coming governorship election in Lagos, South West and the entire country will live to regret such dastardly action.”