I Made Mistakes As President, But They Were “Successful Mistakes” – Obasanjo!

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday admitted making mistakes as Military Head of State and civilian president, but he took responsibility for all his mistakes. He however declared that the mistakes he made were “successful” mistakes.

Speaking during the 50th anniversary lecture in Ibadan, Oyo State, in commemoration of the call to the Bar of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), Obasanjo, who had been criticised by many and recently accused by a civil war veteran and former Chief of Staff of the 3rd Marine Commando Division, Nigeria Army, Gen. Alabi Isama (retd), of committing numerous blunders during his reign in government, spoke proudly of his mistakes.

Obasanjo said, “One mistake I made that turned out to be successful was when I was looking for somebody to give leadership of the University of Lagos to and I chose Babalola. Some people said I made a mistake but it turned out to be a successful mistake.

“My mistakes as people say were mostly in appointments. I appointed the UNILAG Pro-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor and the university became the best. The Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor that I appointed were acknowledged as the best at the time.

“The mother of all the mistakes was that the exposure and involvement of Babalola in the affairs of UNILAG led to the establishment of the Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti.

“If you have not seen ‘instant wonder’, go to ABUAD. Babalola used his experience as the Pro-Chancellor of UNILAG to build what today is the best and fast growing private university in the country.”

Obasanjo spoke highly of the revered lawyer as he inaugurated the extension of Babalola’s Emmanuel Chambers on the occasion.

“There are many Nigerians,” he said, “but, there are not many good Nigerians of Babalola’s sterling qualities.”

President Goodluck Jonathan also spoke reverently of the senior advocate. Represented by Solicitor-General of the Federation, Ahmed Abdulahi, Jonathan described Babalola as a product of courage, perseverance, determination and humility.

The Guest Speaker at the occasion, retired Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, while delivering a lecture entitled, ‘The future of Law in Nigeria’, stressed the need to improve legal education in the country.

He said, “Our legal education should be re-invigorated and made more robust. For instance, we should begin to encourage inclusion of Comparative Law in every aspect of our legal education.

“We can only neglect the history of the principles of the common law at a disadvantage. Our law faculties should be fully equipped with the access to jurisprudence and decisions of other jurisdiction to protect our laws.

“We delude ourselves in this country if we believe that, we can be a great nation without a great legal system. The path to the greatness of our nation is through a reliable, efficient, trustworthy and value-driven legal system.”

Former Pro-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Chief Wole Olanipekun, (SAN) described Babalola as a reformer, revolutionary and educationist who contributed to national and legal development.

Dignitaries present at the occasion include Governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and a former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni among others.

Boko Haram Confirms Ceasefire, Begs For Forgiveness!

Imam Muhammadu Marwana, an influential member of the Islamist sect Boko Haram led by Abubakar Shekau, yesterday, confirmed a ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government to end their deadly activities across most states of Northern Nigeria, which have claimed about 4,000 lives and destroyed properties worth billions of Naira since 2009.

The agreement came exactly 82 days after the Federal Government raised a 25-man committee to work out modalities for granting the amnesty to the sect.

“We are seeking forgiveness from the people over the number of people killed in the country,” Marwana said.

“I appeal to those who lost their loved ones to our activities to forgive us and on our side we have forgiven all those who committed atrocities against us. I want to state clearly that we have no hands in the unfortunate attack on the secondary school (Government Secondary School, Mamudo, Yobe State).”

Speaking further, Imam Muhammadu Marwana said: “This ceasefire, Insha’Allahu, from the time I am talking to you (Radio France Hausa Service) we have ceasefire because of the discussion held so as to have peace over this struggle.”

The Federal Government, had yesterday, said that it had signed a ceasefire agreement with the militant group, with the Minister of Special Duties and Chairman of the Peace and Dialogue Committee in the North, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki announcing the ceasefire agreement on the Hausa service of Radio France International monitored in Kano.

The truce is apparently not unconnected with the commencement of the Muslim fast, as the announcement came on the eve of the Holy month of Ramadan expected to commence today throughout the world.

Turaki who spoke on RFI in Hausa also said that the Boko Haram insurgents had agreed to lay down their arms.

“We have sat down and agreed that Jama’atu Ahlul Sunnah Lidda’awati wal Jihad, known as Boko Haram will lay down their arms as part of the agreement so as to end the insurgency. Government agreed with ceasefire and will look into ways to ensure that the troops relax their activities till the final take off of the ceasefire,” Turaki told his interviewers.

On how the agreement was reached, a member of the presidential committee told Vanguard, “Shekau’s leadership came out through several fronts and set traps for us. The government gave them confidence, the confidence led to trust and they said they will call their men to cease-fire and they have done so.”

NASA Finds Message From God On Mars!

NASA announced that its Curiosity Rover has found an unambiguous message from God written on tablets in a Martian cave.

According to an official press release two giant stone slabs the size of small elephants were located deep inside a cavern abutting Aeolis Mons, a large mountain.

Upon one tablet is a copy of the Ten Commandments and the text of John 3:16 written in 12 languages – including English, Spanish, Chinese, Basque and Hebrew. On the other tablet is a simple message in English reading “I am real.”

According to top scientists who have studied the discovery extensively, these findings may have definitively established Christianity as the one true religion.

“This is amazing,” says Syms Covington, an Australian researcher working for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. “We went into the cave looking for water, and we found proof of God’s existence instead".

“I mean how else did those tablets get there? I can tell you one thing: there’s not a single atheist inside NASA’s control room now. What we saw was jaw-dropping.”

NASA’s Curiosity rover arrived on Mars in August of last year with a mission to explore the Martian climate and geology for signs for habitability.

Thus far the mission has been a success, with the discovery of an ancient seabed and chemicals needed for life suggesting that Mars was once suitable for life.

However the tablets, both of which are signed “Peace and Love – Yahweh,” represent the rover’s most significant find to date, and is perhaps the most important scientific event in history.

“When people find out about this, they will demand change in our society,” explains a political scientist at Georgetown University. “Democracy will have to give way to theocracy. We’re gonna have to build more churches and reintroduce prayer into schools. Abortion is defiantly going to be illegal within a few months.”

Despite its potential significance, Covington fears that the Earth-shattering discovery may not make the impact it should.

“Unfortunately, the mainstream media is so anti-Christian, they might not even pick up this story,” he explains. “But God is real. We have proof. And everyone deserves to hear the truth.”

ASUU strike meant to salvage Nigerian universities – don!

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike Chapter, Uzochukwu Onyebinama, has said that industrial actions by university teachers is meant to draw attention to the decadence in the system.



Mr. Onyebinama said in Umuahia on Wednesday that the union was not insensitive to the plight of the students.

The don said the agitations had always bothered on funding of universities by the Federal Government and to create the enabling environment for teaching and learning. He said the universities were grossly underfunded, leading to lack of basic infrastructure, teaching materials and educational facilities.
He noted that it was due to ASUU’s concern for students that the union embarked on strikes to ensure improvement in teaching and learning facilities.

“You will weep if you see the condition under which the students study,’’ he said, adding that students’ hostels, laboratories and lecture halls were in terrible conditions in the country.

Mr. Onyebinama said a needs-assessment study of universities carried out by the government showed a complete breakdown of facilities in all universities in Nigeria. He described strike as the last resort by the union to press for the implementation of the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government memorandum of understanding on the funding of universities.

He regretted that the failure of the government to implement the agreement showed that it did not take education as a priority.

“If it sees education as its priority, it should quickly address the problem of inadequate funding of the universities,’’ he said.

He appealed to the Federal Government to be more sensitive to issues concerning education in the country to avert future disruptions in the academic calendar.

ASUU had last Monday declared a nationwide strike involving all federal and state universities to demand the full implementation of the agreement.

Complete Chaos In Rivers State House Of Assembly!

 Rivers state House of Assembly witnessed a very rowdy session today for some minutes after two months of adjournment as pro-Governor Rotimi Amaechi legislators battled five renegade lawmakers rooting for the political opponents of the governor.


 
 
The minority lawmakers, whose agenda was to impeach the governor made the impeachment of Speaker Otelemaba Amachree and other principal officers the first priority. They thus stole into the House of Assembly at about 8.30 am earlier before the normal sitting of the House and smuggled in a mace.
But they met eight Pro- Amaechi lawmakers including the Speaker Otelemaba Amachree, Chidi Llyod, the majority Leader and six others in the assembly.
Frustrated that their coup was a mission impossible , one of the five rebels, Evans Bapakaye Bipi, went straight to Chidi Llyod’s seat and physically assaulted him.








As Llyod and Bipi were having a fisticuff, the Speaker who stepped in to separate them was also attacked by Bipi.
A free-for -all started, with blows being exchanged by both sides.

Lloyd was injured, while Martins Amaehule another anti-Ameachi Lawmaker representing Obio-Akpor was also injured and rushed to St Patricks Hospital at Ogbunabali in Port Harcourt for treatment.
As the fracas degenerated, some of the pro-Amaechi lawmakers ran for their dear lives because of the many thugs brought into the Assembly premises by Bipi and his group.
The moment was seized by the minority lawmakers, as a member of the group, Victor Ihunwo, representing Port Harcourt constituency stepped into the Speaker’s seat to “Pilot “ the affairs.
Martins Amaehule moved the “motion” for the “Impeachment” of the Speaker who has been rushed out after the physical assault. Kelechi Worgu an anti-Amaechi, representing Omuma Constituency “supported” the motion and thereafter announced Bipi as the new “Speaker.”
Governor Amaechi who was alerted about the fracas and the breakdown of law and order at the Assembly, arrived at the Assembly chambers, just in time to hear Evans Babakaya Bipialaka give a vote thanks for his ‘election’ as speaker of four other members.
According to witnesses, Bipialaka on sighting the Governor, ordered some thugs and policemen to “shoot him…shoot him”, pointing at the Governor.
Amaechi was said to have walked towards him and replied: “Shoot me?”
The Governor thereafter ordered his security men that came with him to arrest Bipialaka. But Bipi’s orderly and Policemen who came with him resisted the arrest.
Bipi is the lawmaker who represents Ogu-Bolo Constituency, whose wedding was attended several weeks ago by Mrs Patience Jonathan as a Special Guest of Honour and Mother of the Day.

 After the confrontation with the governor, Bipi and other other four lawmakers opposed to Amaechi left the assembly with their thugs.
 
After calm was restored, the house was re-convened at exactly 11.40 am with the Speaker, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, presiding with 22 Lawmakers present.
P.M.News observed that there was still tension with thugs supporting the anti-Amaechi shouting that they be allowed into the Assembly but were prevented by pro-Amaechi supporters and House of Assembly Policemen.
The Governor later presented a minor amendment of the 2013 budget as it affects the capital expenditure only.
Mr Tele Ikuru,the Deputy Governor who read the proposed minor amendment on behalf of the Governor explained that the minor amendment only affects the capital expenditure.

 Deputy Leader Robinson Nnam Ewor moved a motion for the adoption of amendment and was supported by Mrs.Irene Inigba,the Chief Whip supported the motion.
Golden Chioma ,representing Etche Constituency II moved a motion that the amendment should be committed to the committee of the whole house.
The Speaker asked if there was a counter-motion but there was none.

The amendment was committed into the House of the whole of 22 members present and was later adopted. Amaechi had 28 members on his side since the political fight started. Those that were not at the sitting were said to have sustained injuries and were undergoing medical treatment.
However, Freddy Itolo-Ofen,the Press Secretary to Bipi told P.M.News in an interview that his boss was properly elected as the Speaker of the House by the Five lawmakers.
“Hon Evans Bipialaka the New Speaker was making his vote of thanks when the Governor arrived and ordered that he should be arrested, but was resisted by Bipialaka and his orderly”.

YOBE ATTACK: You’ll Burn In Hell, Jonathan Tells Sect; Borno Shut Down Schools!

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday described the killing of over 40 students and a teacher of Government secondary school in Yobe state by suspected boko-haram members as 'horrific, wicked and barbaric; saying any person who targets innocent children as a result of emotional dysfunction will certainly burn in hell.


Meanwhile, a public affairs analyst, Mahmoud Othman, has advised the Borno state government to also shut down schools in the state following the deadly attack on Government Secondary School Mamudo in Yobe state which led to the death of 25 students and 1 teacher.



While speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, warned that “you have to save the children. You have to save education.”
The military Joint Task Force (JTF) on Sunday confirmed that students of the school and a teacher were killed on Saturday by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.

Mr Othman who described the attack as ‘unprecedented and uncalled for’ faulted the continued directive that all telecommunication systems be disconnected as a result of the military onslaught against the Islamic sect in states where state of emergency was declared.

The availability of mobile network would have allowed the students to call for help, he said.

Last week’s attack on a school was by suspected Boko Haram members, who are described as a group of religious extremists, a claim Mr Othman disagrees with.

“The tenets of Islam does not really allow anybody to attack anybody” he notes, implying that the attack has nothing to do with religion. According to him, the situation in Northern Nigeria as a state of anarchy.


Soft Targets
Mr Othman accused security agents of being lax about their duties and averred that schools should not have been left unguarded after other schools had been previously attacked.

“If the security agents are doing their jobs all this will not be happening.”
He said there should have been check points near places regarded as ‘soft targets’ such as the boarding school were the attack was carried out.
“The security people in that corner of the country are very scared of themselves because they are number one targets.”

He called on the security agents in the region to be at alert because members of the insurgents take note of their weakness such as chatting on duty
“Every security agent in the north east of Nigeria and even other parts of Nigeria (because attack can take place anywhere) should be on the alert. They should not behave as if nothing is happening”

On whether the curfew placed on three Northern states should be relaxed or heightened, he said the security agents should do their jobs properly.
He cautioned that everybody who is not a member or supporter of the extremist group is a target.

Dozens Killed In Cairo By Shots Fired At Pro-Morsi Gathering!

Supporters of the ousted president had gathered outside the facility where it's believed he's being held. There are conflicting accounts of what happened. What's known for sure is many of Morsi's supporters were killed by gunshots. Hundreds more were wounded. It's feared there will be more clashes.