Over 2000 CSOs Shutdown NASS, call for Kazaure’s arrest over unfounded allegations against Emefiele

Over 2000 Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, under the auspices of Coalition of Civil Society Organizations on Good Governance, CCSGG, Friday, staged a protest that blocked gate of the National Assembly, and called for arrest of a Member of House of Representatives from Jigawa State, Hon Gudaji Kazaure, over unfounded allegations on the alleged N89 trillion stamp duty fraud against the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele.

The CSOs were led by its President, Etuk Bassey, who spoke on behalf of members of the CSOs, described Kazaure as liar who is out on a mission to tarnish the image of Emefiele.

The group in their large numbers displayed different sizes and shapes of placards with inscriptions reading; “We support CBN Gov policies”, “Plans to discredit cashless policy will be resisted”, “Cashless policy a solution to poverty”, “Corrupt Nigerians are after CBN Governor, “Civil Society and youths support CBN Governor”.

Other placards read, “Cashless policy a pass mark to Buhari’s administration”, “Buhari and Emefiele carry go!”, “Security arrest Hon Kazaure now. He is a blackmailer”, “N89trn stamp duty is a blackmail”.

Bassey said: “Political propaganda and as well as witch-haunting against the person and image in person of the Governor of the CBN.

“Again, this man has been lying that he is investigating the Governor of the CBN and has been dropping names and that he met with the President, and we have so much respect for President Muhammadu Buhari, and we know that the President loves Nigerians and would not allow this to happen.

“We are saying here today that Hon Kazaure should be arrested forthwith and be prosecuted.

“We will not allow that to happen again, these lies are too much. We will not allow these miscreants to take over our commonwealth.”

He also accused Kazaure playing the script of his paymasters to tarnish the image of the CBN Governor and that of the President.

He vowed that the CSOs will not allow that to happen at all as they will stop that move

“Election is around the corner, we cannot allow them to take us for granted.

“We want to believe the actions of Hon Kazaure is perpetrated by his fellow cohorts band politicians that want to bring down the CBN Governor and as well tarnish the image of Mr President. We will not take that.

“Enough of this rubbish, enough of these lies, we will not take it. How on earth an Honourable Member come out and start lying?”

It will be recalled that Hon Kazaure made an allegation against the CBN Governor over N89 trillion Stamp Duty Fraud, which Presidency dismissed his claims.

2000 CSOs Back Emefiele, Condemn Kazaure Over Stamp Duty Fraud Allegation

….blast CBN Gov’s critics, say they’re caught by reform policies

…urge Nigerians to discard cheap blackmails

Over 2000 Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, under the auspices of Coalition of Civil Society Organizations on Good Governance, CCSGG, Thursday, blasted critics of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, on lies and founded allegations.

The CSOs in a statement jointly signed by its president, Etuk Bassey Williams and Abubakar Ibrahim, secretary of the group, said the persons who are taking to some media houses to ooze out lies against Emefiele are those whose evil deeds of corruption are being exposed and strangled by the recent Naira Design and Withdrawal policy.

The statement reads in part, “It is very important for us at this point to voice out over the lies and cheap blackmail some corrupt politicians and so-called business men and women are peddling on the pages and websites of some media houses alleging what they have conspired against the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele.

The false allegations by a Member of House of Representatives from Jigawa State, Hon Gudaji Kazaure, of the alleged N89 trillion stamp duty is a lie from the pit of hell.

Kazaure is a serial and pathological liar and he is publicly known for his stock in trade.

“The Presidency recently defused him on this allegation of N89 trillion Stamp Duty, and he is shamelessly going to media houses to fly his kite of lies to woo Nigerians to his side.

“His personality is already marred and destroyed by his lies. His paymasters have failed already, and if his Buhari’s Government they want to rubbish with such lies they have goofed.

“Kazaure and his lies should be discarded band taking for nothing because he is just ranting his frustration.

“This conspiracy is very clear and it is not far-fetched, which is because
of the policies implemented by the Emefiele-led CBN.

“You can imagine the stolen and hidden monies in water tanks, underground, hug sacs, and bank accounts they have kept at the detriment of Nigerians and the economy is now become useless.

“These terrible people who are speaking all sorts of lies are shameless and wicked because those monies they stole could not be taken to banks for fear of being arrested, and now are frustrated and made foolish.

“Their fraud allegations against the wise and foresighted strategist Mr President have placed at the CBN are all tissues of lies, baseless and unfounded.

“These people are not speaking in the interest of Nigerians but for their selfish and evil aims that does not hold water.

“They are angry because they were taken unawares and surprisingly.

“We want to tell them that as credible Civil Society Organizations number over 2000 are solidly behind the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, and we are ready to go at any length to unearth these unscrupulous elements who are have stolen this country dry via their dirty ventures. We will not take these clandestine moves to win the sympathy or support of unsuspecting and innocent Nigerians they want to sway to themselves against a workaholic and patriotic Nigerian in the person of Godwin Emefiele.

“We have met and resolved that corrupt politicians whom we know make such baseless allegations will be stopped by our structures across the country from winning any elective position ahead of 2023 general elections.

“They cannot intimidate the CBN Governor who have put in his very best to stabilize the economy, and have worked hard to rescue the economy from recessions.

“His monetary policies have helped to sustain the Naira from being killed by these evil minded persons tarnishing the image of the CBN Governor.

“Our farmers have received a better deal under the CBN Governor, and also a lot of businesses have received boost to continue bin business and also ensured that economic activities are moving unhindered.

“His reforms have kept the economy afloat as non-oil exports have experienced tremendous growth and development, and more investors are coming into the country for business.

“Also we can see that there is stabilisation of the currency and that has been sustained for long.”

The CSOs, also called on Nigerians not to be carried away by the false allegations leveled against the CBN boss.

“We want to call on Nigerians to discard the false and fake news these unscrupulous elements are peddling on the social media and conventional media.

“These are people who are seeking your attention and sympathy for no cause. They have stolen your wealth and starched in banks, water tanks, burial grounds, and other place but the good policies of the CBN Governor have exposed them so they are reacting to tell lies to destroy this good work that is in your interest.

“These are politicians who are drowning and want to hold anything and get lost, hence the intentional moves to tarnish the image and personality of the world respected Governor of Nigeria’s Apex Bank.

“They will continue to get frustrated. Don’t accept their lies and allegations published online and on pages of newspapers because they cannot prove their falsehood”, the statement added.

Peter Obi and his IPOB terrorists

By Eseh Edeh

There is scant any country in the world that will allow a terrorist leader to emerge as its president, which is why Nigerians must be circumspect in their choice of who leads the nation when they go to the polls in February 2023. Of the four leading candidates, some analysts pegged that down to three, the Labour Party candidate, Mr Peter Obi has openly shown his pro-terrorism outlook but the demagoguery he has built around him has inured his followers into a fanatical frenzy that has erased all sense of reason to question his terrorist credentials.
Supporters of the other candidates have latched onto Obi’s unrivalled penchant for telling lies as a basis to distrust his candidacy, they often fact-check him with the inevitable outcome that he sells cram to the electorate. They have also accused him of being an irredeemable bigot, who is incapable of seeing beyond running a patronage system that favours his Catholics of Igbo descent – so pathetic is this trait that Obi chose a Mr. Ifeanyi Ezeagu, an Igbo, to lead his campaign team in Sokoto State in the northwest of the country.
Obi is also known not to be straight in his dealings as the Pandora Papers revealed that he broke extant legislation without remorse. He would do anything to game the system, including stashing his assets in tax havens while gunning to superintend funds raised from taxes paid by diligent honest Nigerians. He is okay with sabotaging the Nigerian economy, into which he admitted importing Heinz products on a gargantuan scale, without ever thinking of obtaining a licence or franchise to locally manufacture here in Nigeria – his focus is on profit-taking, and he is proud to display his importation racket as an achievement that makes him electable.
However, these negative attributes and chronic addiction to infamy are not the reason the electorates should be wary of electing Peter Obi. The real reason Obi should not be allowed anywhere near power is the reality that he plans to use the position to supervise the balkanization of Nigeria or at the very least run a vengeful government that would provoke other ethnic nationalities to break away from Nigeria and leave the Igbo behind inside whatever is left of the country.
To understand how this apprehension is a legitimate concern, one needs to only make a historical review of all the interventions Obi has ever made on the contrived revival of the agitation for the defunct Biafra republic, the subject of a civil war that pitched Nigerians against each other for over three years in the late 60s when the Igbo attempted to secede. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), which the court ruled is a terrorist organization, is at the forefront of the renewed agitation; it has a militant arm, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), which alternates identity as ‘Unknown Gunmen’ when it is convenient.
Even though IPoB’s rhetoric has directly led to ESN and Unknown Gunmen unleashing a murderous anti-Nigeria campaign in the southeast, Peter Obi has never marshalled the courage to openly condemn the separatist bend of these criminal entities. Instead, he is on record saying that IPoB is not a terrorist group even when ESN and Unknown Gunmen always make it abundantly clear that they are pursuing IPoB’s agenda. As the patron of IPoB, Obi glosses over their atrocities, which is not surprising since the brand of beer produced by his company, Hero Larger Beer, bears the Biafra flag depicting the rising sun. A man, who at significant risk to his business, persists in using a terrorist-linked insignia as the label for his product is conspiring with the terrorists. He has even said IPoB is not a terrorist group, which implies he considers himself superior to the court that had ruled that this group is a terrorist organization.
As further proof of his affiliation with IPoB, including with the rogue faction of the group, Peter Obi shamelessly structured his presidential campaign itinerary in the southeast to exclude Mondays, the day that the terrorist group enforces a crippling sit-at-home order in solidarity with IPoB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is in custody and on trial for treasonable charges. Avoiding campaigning in Igboland is not an act of cowardice as people surmised, it is evidence of Peter Obi showing solidarity with IPoB, an organization that says Nigeria must be destroyed, the same country Obi is seeking to lead.
In addition, anyone that has been paying attention to trends online will notice that the account handles behind the rabid IPoB’s anti-Nigerian vitriolic are the same accounts that are now pushing the OBIdient propaganda. The other accounts that have switched sides to support the OBIdient propaganda are those belonging to the people that incited the destructive #EndSARS protests, which again were in part directed by Nnamdi Kanu, as evidenced by a recording of his voice ordering his followers to destroy businesses owned by other ethnic nationalities and to kill law enforcement officers. The terrorist component of the OBIdient Movement is the reason Obi’s supporters persistently exhibited intolerance for other Nigerians to independently hold ideas that vary from theirs, which is responsible for the online trolling of those that differ with the OBIdients, threats to supporters of other political parties and isolated instances of actual physical attacks. On this, Obi has been silent.
Obi’s continued silence on IPoB’s atrocities is exceptionally deafening considering that weeks before the elections, ESN and Unknown Gunmen have intensified attacks on federal government locations, notably facilities belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security organizations, to prevent the election from holding because they know their patron cannot win. They are targeting INEC as part of an alleged plot to write all the votes in the southeast to Peter Obi after destroying facilities for conducting elections in the region, which is a hare-brained plan since the 2023 General Election is too digitized to be so manipulated.
Given the foregoing, the ongoing arson, killings, and violence against citizens who exercise their right of choice to support candidates other than IPoB’s Peter Obi are of concern since the candidate that these murderers are supporting, on whose behalf they claim to be committing these crimes has not come out to properly disown them. It is logical to then hold Peter Obi, as a sponsor of IPOB, responsible for the recent atrocities being committed by the group.
Nigerians must look beyond the populism upon which Peter Obi is riding to interrogate his tolerant views and stance on terrorism so that they do not empower someone who will see Nigerians of other ethnic nationalities as fair game to be terrorised by his lackeys in IPoB and ESN. We must not make the patron of a terrorist organization our next president.

Edeh wrote this piece from Uwani, Enugu.

Tea gifts from China at COP15-2 mirror country’s progress in biodiversity

By Feng Xuan, Sun Yong, Li Xiaohang, People’s Daily

On the “Zhejiang Day” sub-event held at the China Pavilion of the second part of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15-2) in Montreal on Dec. 9, small cans of black tea attracted attention from the representatives attending the conference.
These tea cans were gifts brought by Chinese representatives. On the red cans, it was printed “Official Collection of COP15” in Chinese, as well as “Haishu Longguan” that indicated the tea’s place of origin – Longguan township of Haishu district, Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang province.
The COP15-2 came just days after China’s traditional tea-making techniques and associated social practices were officially added to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Humanity by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The tea in the red cans, picked in April this year, was a local specialty of Longguan township. It is a top prize winner at the Zhejiang Agricultural Fair.
Yu Ting, the party head of Longguan township, said the philosophy of carbon reduction was embedded in all production procedures of the tea, from planting to picking and from processing to transportation. He called the tea “an outcome of the biodiversity protection of Longguan township.”
The tea was grown in a 66.7-hectare plantation on Siming Mountain in Longguan township. The plantation, which also grows green tea and white tea, is activeand busy all year.
Yang Jinliang, owner of the plantation, told People’s Daily that the plantation is a beneficiary of the sound ecology and also contributes to further improving the ecology.
Under the guidance of local authorities, Yang and other tea farmers have been striving to reach the carbon reduction goals in all industrial chains of tea production. Today, carbon emissions by the plantation in tea planting, processing, transportation, consumption, and waste gas treatment are monitored online.
Yang has also joined the making of Chinese carbon labelling standards for tea products. “In the future, the labelling will not only improve products’ added value but also enhance people’s awareness of purchasing low-carbon agricultural and sideline products,” he said.
The Guideline for Biodiversity-friendly Township Planning was published at COP15-2, in both Chinese and English. The guideline was compiled by the government of Haishu district and mirrored the experience in biodiversity protection gained by the district over the years.
The guideline proposed to include biodiversity conservation in township planning in a systematic, eco-friendly, economic, and inclusive manner and provided eight steps to implement biodiversity protection, such as establishing planning teams, evaluating resources, developing partnerships, and collecting ecological information. It covered four aspects of planning, including developing eco-based industries, advocating close-to-nature lifestyles, restoring authentic ecology, and carrying out inclusive treatment.
The guideline drew experience of Longguan in building a biodiversity-friendly township. At the end of 2021, Haishu district launched China’s first pilot project of the construction of biodiversity-friendly township, which attempted to integrate biodiversity conservation into rural governance, production, and people’s daily lives.
Guided by the vision of biodiversity protection, Longguan replanned the construction of a local mountain road to maximally reduce the transport project’s damage to local forests.
It moved over 100 rare plants to the botanical garden of Ningbo and ensured minimum intrusion into the living space of plants and animals when building plank roads and observation decks.
The township also set up some 20 small protection bases for ferns, Isoetes sinensis Palmers, and other plants, and built over 300 artificial bird nests and “insect hotels.”
Longguan township, covering an area of 73 square kilometers, now boasts a forest coverage of 85 percent and 25 plant and animal species under first-and second-class national protection.
From the perspective of global development, townships are an important part of biodiversity construction, said Yu Wei, one of the makers of the guideline and the executive director of the research center for carbon neutrality and green development at China Jiliang University.
He said the biggest highlight of the guideline is that it offers a standard that guides townships to incorporate biodiversity into their planning, which is a key issue in the construction of biodiversity-friendly townships.
“It sheds light on the sustainable development of townships around the world,” he added.

Chinese business delegations go overseas for economic, trade activities

By Du Yifei, People’s Daily

Chinese provincial governments are sending business delegations overseas for economic and trade activities, through charter and shared flights, to promote economic recovery and get rid of the impacts from COVID-19.
Recently, a trade delegation consisting of 59 foreign trade enterprises from southeast China’s Fujian province attended the ISPO Munich, a leading international trade show for the sports business in Germany, and made over $300 million of intended deals.
Suzhou of Jiangsu province in east China chartered planes to send business delegations to Japan, hoping to sign deals of over $140 million.
On Dec. 4, Zhejiang province launched an action plan to send 10,000 foreign trade enterprises overseas to attend exhibitions and visit clients before the end of 2023, so as to help them gain more opportunities.
“In just two days, we have met 110 clients and reached intended deals of around$43 million ,” said Min En’guang, sales manager of Brilsta, a high-tech enterprise specializing in the research and development and sales of food raw materials, at the Health ingredients (Hi) Europe, a leading nutritional ingredients event held in Paris.
Brilsta is a beneficiary of the action plan launched by Zhejiang province, and many other Zhejiang companies also attended the event in Paris.
As one of the three major drivers of China’s economic growth, foreign trade is of vital importance.
The spreading COVID-19 pandemic and the complex and volatile international situation have to some extent hindered the communication between Chinese foreign trade companies and their overseas clients in the past three years.
As China constantly optimizes its COVID-19 control measures, to advance economic development has become a consensus among all regions across the country.
An official with the commerce department of south China’s Guangdong province said that government-organized charter flights and other measures could help enterprises gain wider information about the overseas market.
“By offering ideas for enterprises and connecting them to the overseas market, the government has conveyed a clear signal of helping them expand business in foreign countries,” the official said.
As a matter of fact, the Chinese government has rolled out a series of policies this year to stabilize the foreign trade sector.
In April, the country stepped up export tax rebates to support foreign trade, and a month later, it issued 13 policies to help foreign trade companies navigate the trough.
A meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee proposed this month to boost opening up at a higher level and to further attract and make good use of foreign investment.
These measures have effectively stabilized and vitalized China’s foreign trade, and expanded the country’s advantages in the sector.
While Chinese enterprises are going overseas, foreign investors are also showing their confidence in the Chinese market.
In the first three quarters this year, foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, topped the 1-trillion-yuanmark, up 15.6 percent year on year.
This year, BMW Brilliance, a joint venture between BMW and China’s Brilliance Auto, put into use its Plant Lydia in northeast China’s Liaoning province, which is BMW’s third car assembly facility in China.Carl Zeiss AG, a leading manufacturer of optical systems and optoelectronics from Germany started building a new production base in Suzhou. Besides, German multinational chemical company BASF put into use the first plants of its Verbund site in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, with a total investment of about 10 billion euros (about $9.93 billion).
These cases all demonstrated the strong vitality and appeal of the Chinese economy.
Recently, the Chinese government issued 10 new measures to optimize its epidemic control. It is believed that these measures will further boost the recovery of the country’s economy and release more development potential.
As the world economic recovery faces headwinds, the stable development of the Chinese economy will boost confidence for the international community.
Morgan Stanley predicted that the Chinese economy will grow five percent in 2023, which is expected to contribute about one quarter ofglobal growth.
China’s sustained economic development added dynamism to the global economy, and the country is on the right side of history in keeping on promoting economic globalization, said former World Bank economist Mwangi Wajira, reckoning that China’s high-quality development will bring more confidence and opportunities for the world.

Reuters Triple Misadventures in Nigeria

By Karen Goulding

Nothing happens in a vacuum. There must be an underlining objective. This much I learnt over time, hence my concern with the recent barrage from the French news platform Reuters. Nigeria is in their interest for inexplicable reasons.

The focus is the Nigerian Military in the prosecution of the war against terrorism in North East Nigeria. There is no other sector in Nigeria that interests Reuters. And the reason is not far-fetched. The Nigerian Military has recorded tangible gains in North East Nigeria, which has affected the French interest in the destabilization plot against Nigeria.

Some have argued that there is more than meets the eye. Some have also argued that, like other organizations against the interest of Nigeria, the French interest revolves mainly around economic interest. I say this for a reason.

North East Nigeria borders the francophone countries where France rules by proxy. The economic potential of North East Nigeria has continued to interest France. It is primarily responsible for the drive to ensure that the region stays destabilized so it can continue to exploit the enormous economic resources, especially in the Lake Chad basin region.

This recent drive by Reuters is by every stretch of imagination suspect. Reuters released three damming reports against the Nigerian Military in less than two weeks. While it is okay for a news platform to carry out investigative journalism, it is wrong when such reports are half-truths and illogical conclusions.

As mentioned earlier, there is a history. The attack by Reuters against the Nigerian Army dates back to when the Boko Haram crisis was at its peak. It was common knowledge then that whenever the Nigerian Military was making gains, Reuters was in the habit of churning out reports that would destabilize the troops and allow the Boko Haram terrorists to regroup and launch attacks against the Military.

This has been their stock in trade; therefore, the recent triple attack against the Nigerian Military didn’t come as a surprise. Aside from the fact that the reports lacked objectivity, they showed a strong disdain for Nigeria.

The report on forced abortion in North East Nigeria is, at best, a miscarriage in journalism. It was a highly defective enterprise that exposed the shallowness of the promoters of Reuters. It read like a low-budget movie. That is what it is.

The second report was more of a caricature of what news reportage represents. It promoted innuendos rather than facts. It granted a flashy headline but was empty in content. It was a rehash of previous failed reports that failed. It was, at best, a story meant for kindergarten.

The third report on massacred children is not a topic for conversation. It remains one of the most illogical articles from a supposed international news agency. I am at a loss how such a story was sanctioned for release, and Reuters promoted it like an award-winning story. It was a poor plot that was laced with mischief and malice. It reinforces the hatred the promoters of Reuters have against Nigeria.

I am tempted to assume that this drive is not any different from previous failed attempts to dampen the morale of the Nigerian Military in the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram terrorism. The pertinent question is, why now?

Why did Reuters elect to release three reports consecutively against the Nigerian Military? What is it that they know that we do not know? Maybe Reuters is aware that the Boko Haram conflict in North East Nigeria is ending, which might spell doom for the French interest in its economic postulations in Nigeria.

It is time to call Reuters to order on its reportage on Nigeria. This is important to spare Nigerians the fallacies on the operations of the Nigerian Military in North East Nigeria. The promoters of the news platform must retrace its steps and give peace a chance in Nigeria. This is on the heels that its numerous attempts at unsetting the polity have failed to gain traction.

The Boko Haram conundrum is gradually ending, and no amount of negative propaganda can bring it back to life. The efforts of the Nigerian Military in addressing the Boko Haram challenge have been noteworthy and received commendations from near and far.

I would be pleasantly surprised if Nigerians take Reuters seriously. The news medium has lost credibility; it has been identified as acting against the journalism creed. And they reinforced it with this new drive to cause disintegration in the country.

In case they do not know, there is a limit to mischief. There is also a limit to the public dance of shame. Some of us are aware of the interests and strategy. Unfortunately, according to the idiom, “those whom the gods want to destroy they first make mad”. This is the case of Reuters, and it is a pity that they can’t see the handwriting on the wall.

They keep churning fallacies to their unsuspecting readership. There is nothing worse than the Reuters misinformation on Nigeria. Their credibility is on the fringes of extinction. Reuters must leave Nigeria alone. We are a strong and united country. We are not francophone and a former colony. We are Nigeria! They should learn from the Amnesty International example. A word is enough for the wise.

Goulding writes this piece from the United Kingdom.

CSOs laud CDS Irabor, military on improved security ahead of 2023 polls

The Centre for African Liberation and Socio- Economic Rights (CALSER) says the Armed Forces has demonstrated preparedness and zeal towards a credible, transparent and violence-free elections in 2023.

The Centre noted that the apolitical stance of the military is reassuring and enough reason for Nigerians to celebrate the protection and perseveration of their nascent democracy.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, Executive Director, Dr (Mrs) Cecilia Ikechukwu, described the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor as the gamechanger in the war against insurgents, bandits and other criminal elements.

She said as a leader, the CDS understands the value of teamwork which he has entrenched since his appointment.

“We must admit that the Armed Forces’ involvement in internal security operations has indeed been the game changer in our efforts to address the threats posed by criminal elements and their sponsors across the country,” Ikechukwu said.

“This much has been evident in the numerous gains recorded in the war against Boko Haram terrorists, separationist agitators, kidnappers, bandits, religious extremists and other acts of criminalities.

“The level of inter-agencies collaborations championed by the indefatigable Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, is worthy of commendation. It goes, therefore, to highlight that the Chief of Defence Staff as a leader, understands the value of teamwork, which he has entrenched since his appointment to lead the critical Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“As a group, we are not surprised by the exploits of the Chief of Defence Staff because of his track record, which includes but is not limited to Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, where he led the ascendency of the military over the Boko Haram terrorist group in 2016 that saw to the recapturing of several local government areas that were hitherto under the control of the Boko Haram terrorist group, including the operational headquarters of the Boko Haram terrorist in Sambisa Forest.

“Our special commendation also goes to all heads of the various security agencies for putting the country’s interest at heart in ensuring that activities of criminal elements are neutralized and we have a country.

“We are buoyed by the fact that the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has risen above sentiments to give us a country by toiling night and day to ensure that we sleep with our eyes closed. This is remarkable and an indication that tough times await those planning to use the forthcoming general elections to cause unrest in the country.

“The capacity of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to deal with unscrupulous elements has never been in doubt. The apolitical stance of the Armed Forces is reassuring. It should give Nigerians a cause to celebrate in the protection and perseveration of our nascent democracy.

“As concerned stakeholders in the Nigerian Project, our position remains that the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have proven to be reliable and well-positioned to defend and protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The Centre, therefore, called on all well-meaning Nigerians to extend their support to the Armed Forces in the preservation of our democracy cannot be overemphasized.

She added: “Our commendation and appreciation are high. The Chief of Defence Staff has demonstrated that purposeful leadership is all that is required to address the country’s numerous challenges.

“The Service Chiefs, the Commanders, officers, and men of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are indeed heroes of our democracy. We pledge our continued support in the country’s fight against crime and criminalities.”

The Centre, however, urged the Chief of Defence Staff not to rest on his oars in leading the Armed Forces in the most proactive and operationally effective manner.

Appreciating Gen Irabor’s Rare Wizardry

By Philip Agbese

It was a tragedy for Nigeria when, on 28th March 2022, the Abuja-Kaduna train came under attack leaving some passengers dead and many kidnapped by the bandits or Boko Haram as alleged.
While ransom was paid in bits, the kidnapped victims were also being released in bits; a situation that halted the Abuja-Kaduna train from resuming operations. This development plunged the country into chaos and fear as scores were held captive.

When hope of having all of them released seemed to have been lost, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, waded into the matter and tactically brought the situation under control with the eventual release of what was left of the abducted train victims.
This particular development and special operations that involved a carefully crafted presidential think tank was made possible with the involvement of General Lucky Irabor and his show of patriotism, responsibility and desire to see that Nigerian citizens anywhere in the country are safe. It shows, in all ramifications, the mastery of the military art and craft by the gentleman General Lucky Irabor.
Hence, in General Irabor’s desire to secure the release of the train attack victims, he set up a seven-man committee, better known as the Chief of Defence Staff Action Committee, that was mandated to look into the situation and ensure the release of the remaining 23 victims that were still being held captive by the train attackers at the time.
In not mincing words, the Chief of Defence Staff Action Committee is the most efficient and effective committee so far in the country. Within a short period, the committee was able to articulate workable strategies that helped the Nigerian military achieve results in securing the release of the 23 victims that were left in the abductors’ den. This committee showed high intellectual capacity and military prowess and was able to have the armed forces and the various security agencies collaborate in the clandestine operation that was initiated, carefully planned and executed.

In his nature, swiftness and artistry, the Nigerian Armed Forces, under the command of General Lucky Irabor, was able to take the Kaduna train attackers and kidnappers by surprise, dislodged them and successfully rescued the remaining 23 victims in their den without recording any casualty.
In Nigeria’s leadership of the Armed Forces of all times, the personality, character, courage, charisma and purposeful leadership being experienced by the Nigerian Armed Forces under the amiable Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has not been heard of. The Armed Forces is lucky to have such a gentlemanly general dedicated to seeing an active and successful military living up to its responsibility and ensuring peace and security are restored in the country. General Irabor has repositioned the Nigerian Armed Forces to an enviable height as one of the finest militaries in the world.
The heightened insecurity that Nigeria faced before the appointment of General Lucky Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff is now a thing of the past. Aside from pockets of security threats being experienced from time to time in different parts of the country, insurgency and organized crimes, as were experienced with the activities and menace of Boko Haram and bandits, have entirely reduced if not eradicated. Thanks to General Irabor’s determination and focus on ensuring that Nigerians are safe and that their security is paramount.
General Lucky Irabotr has proven that results will always be achieved with exemplary leadership. In the fight against insecurity in Nigeria, the military has continued to pay the supreme price and has shown serious commitment to security. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that the armed forces continue to get the necessary support to keep delivering on security operations and further ensure that the peace and security that have now been restored in the country are sustained.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, whom the country owes a debt of unalloyed gratitude for his purposeful leadership to the Armed Forces. Under his watch, the Nigerian military has brought insurgency and banditry under serious check and control. Almost nothing is heard of Boko Haram and bandits in addition to the general insecurity that almost overtook the country
earlier.
Undoubtedly, the security achieved under General Irabor is just the beginning of the security to be enjoyed by Nigeria and Nigerians. With General Lucky Irabor in charge, Nigeria’s overwhelming security threats and challenges are over. The Chief of Defence Staff is a man of competence, integrity, and capacity and an excellent military leader. He is success-oriented and has continued to push the armed forces to achieve nothing short of victory.
While we are grateful to the Nigerian military for their patriotism and commitment to tackling general insecurity in the country, we are thankful to General lucky Irabor, under whose watch; achieving security in Nigeria has been made possible. He set a standard that is worthy of commendation.

Agbese is a UK trained human rights activist and author.

2023 : I will ensure arrest, prosecution of violence promoters in Toto LG, says Nasarawa Speaker

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“… as Ohimege Opanda warns politicians, supporters against campaign of calumny, directs military to arrest trouble makers in his domain … “

Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, says he would not hesitate to direct security agencies to arrest promoters of violence in the name of politics in Toto Local Government Area of the State.

The Speaker disclosed this when he and his entourage visited the palace of Ohimege Opanda, Umaisha, HRH Alhaji Usman Abdullahi to receive the royal father’s blessings ahead of flag off of his third term campaign .

He said that he would not allow some selfish individuals and opposition parties to threatening the existing peace being enjoyed in the area in the name of politics.

” His Royal Highness, we will not allow those who did not wished Toto LG well to continue to cause disharmony and threatening the existing peace we are enjoying in the name of politics.

” His Excellency, Engr Abdullahi Sule and I made serious security efforts in which we have dismantled Darul-Salam and other terrorists in Toto Local Government.

” As we are all aware that before now, our people cannot go about their normal business and farms for fear of attacks but today our people are going with their normal business without any hindrance as peace has returned.

“” I will not hesitate to arrest the perpetrators and promoters of violence in Toto Local Government to serve as detterent to others and for peace to continue to reign in Toto,” he said.

He assured the first class traditional ruler of issues-based campaign at all times in the interest of peace and development.

The Speaker promised continous quality representation at the state legislature, if re-elected come 2023.

Responding, HRH Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, the Ohimege Opanda, has blessed and wished the Speaker well in his third term ambition.

The first class traditional ruler urged all stakeholders, political leaders of parties to caution their supporters against violence

” I have called on leaders of PDP, APC and other political parties here to play politics of decorum devoid of violence and character assassination.

” I have directed the military and other security agents to arrest trouble makers who are bent in causing disharmony and threatening the existing peace being enjoy in Toto Local Government.

The first class traditional ruler also urged politicians in the area to always engage in issues-based campaign in the interest of peace and for the overall development of the state.

Remember history, safeguard peace

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

On Dec, 13, 1937, invading Japanese troops captured Nanjing and committed the extremely cruel Nanjing Massacre, slaughtering about 300,000 Chinese people. It marked a horrifying anti-human crime and an extremely dark page in human history.
The people today must be on the lookout given what had happened in the past.
On the ninth national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre, China once again held a solemn ceremony to mourn the victims of the massacre. It demonstrated the Chinese people’s determination to remember history and firmly safeguard peace.
The Nanjing Massacre is a memory of China, of the Chinese nation and of the world.
On Dec. 18, 1937, journalist Charles Yates Mcdaniel from Associated Press wrote: “My last remembrance of Nanking: Dead Chinese, dead Chinese, dead Chinese.”
Marjorie Garrett, daughter of late U.S. physician Dr. Robert O. Wilson who personally witnessed the Nanjing Massacre, said the history of the mass killing shall be told to the young generation.
Megan Brady, great-granddaughter of Richard Freeman Brady, a surgeon who stayed in Nanjing during the Nanjing Massacre, composed a song titled Mercy to eulogize the vitality of life and the hard-won victory.
These voices from the international society condemning the atrocious crime and calling on people to remember the history are constantly arousing people’s aspiration for and adherence to peace.
History will not be changed with the course of time, and facts will never fade away due to repudiation from the artful tongue.
Recently, the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders held a press conference on the newly acquired cultural relics and historical data. A new batch of 453 historical materials was added to the memorial hall collection as new evidence of war crimes related to the Nanjing Massacre, including the original diary of Japanese soldier Jun Arai and photos of the Japanese army’s Unit 1644, which was as notorious as Unit 731 and committed heinous crimes of performing germ experiments on human beings in China.
Besides, in November, an American pawnshop owner donated to the Consulate General of China in Chicago a World War II (WWII) photo album that sheds light on the atrocious crimes committed by the Japanese army in China during WWII.
However, Japanese right-wing politicians are still adhering to a wrong perception of history, visiting or sending ritual offerings to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine that honors Class-A convicted Japanese war criminals from WWII, glossing over and even denying the Nanjing Massacre and disavowing the issue of “comfort women.” They even publicly questioned the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Declaration and the Tokyo Trial.
These practices seriously hurt the dignity and feelings of the people in the victimized nations in Asia, and represent a countercurrent that challenges the victorious outcomes of the World Anti-Fascist War.
Those who try to turn back the wheel of history are bound to find themselves on the wrong path again. There has been an obvious shift to right-wing politics and a rising trend toward military provocation in Japan over the recent years, which brings a sense of insecurity to the peace-loving people in Japan and the rest of the world.
Japan’s defense budget has kept growing for 10 consecutive years and the country is fanning up regional tensions to seek opportunities to further its military development. This is extremely dangerous and makes Japan’s Asian neighbors and the international community doubt whether the country could still stick to its “exclusively defense-oriented” commitment and follow a peaceful development path.
Japan must understand that only by facing and having deep reflections on its history of aggression, and making a clean break with militarism, can it win the trust of its neighboring countries in Asia and the international society, and go into the future with a responsible attitude.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. Half a century ago, the two sides, with extraordinary strategic vision and political courage, made the decision of normalizing ties and opened a new chapter in bilateral relations.
Over the past five decades, the two sides have successively reached four political documents and a series of important common understandings. They have reaped fruitful results in their cooperation in various fields, brought about important benefits to the two peoples and promoted regional peace, development and prosperity.
The two countries need to treat each other with sincerity, engage each other with trust, abide by the principles of the four China-Japan political documents, and draw lessons from history. They should view each other’s development in an objective and rational manner, and translate into policies the political consensus that the two countries should “be partners, not threats.”
Major issues of principle such as history and Taiwan bear on the political foundation and basic trust in China-Japan relations, and therefore must be handled in good faith and appropriately.
The Japanese side should keep its promise, refrain from overstepping and crossing the line, and ensure that bilateral relations do not flip-flop or backpedal.
The solemn ceremony to mourn the victims of the massacre was held with the purpose to promote peace in the world. When the bell of peace rang up in the air of Nanjing, the conviction of remembering history and cherishing peace was passed on.
Justice will prevail! Peace will prevail! The people will prevail! It is the great truth of history. Today, China’s national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability and China has grown into a great country that is able to safeguard peace for its people.
The country will always stand on the right side of history and the progressive side of humanity, firmly follow a path of peaceful development, and work with all peace-loving countries and peoples around the world to make more contributions to the long-term peace of the world.
(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)