Nigeria Times

By Kolawole Anthony

Nigeria has quite terrible and horrible leaders. One of them is Gov. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, the Governor of Rivers state. Wike’s soul is gravely tormented and he unswervingly finds himself in a state of perpetual restlessness.

Gov. Wike is anguished or tortured by the spirits and blood of the innocent. The blood of those he spilled in his fiendish quest for political power has been his greatest misery in life. His soul is the permanent tent of the devil. It is under him; Rivers state earned the ignoble epaulet of “Rivers of blood.”

Therefore, if Wike does not find imaginary enemies to attack, he directs his irritabilities at everyone in sight. Gov. Wike is a lawyer by training; but there are no records which shows he became famous as law practitioner by winning celebrated cases. Its doubtful whether Wike still remembers court procedures anymore as a lawyer.

Its ironic that Wike has negatively mutated into political and executive brigandage or thuggery. He is the patron of hooliganism in Nigeria’s recent political history. Sometimes, when Gov. Wike speaks, its difficult to differentiate between a garage tout or what the Youbas call an “agbero” and a leader of a state.

He is infamous for it. Of course, what sanity does anybody expects from someone whose convictions about leadership is to murder every opponent on his path? Wanton killings, assassinations’, mysterious disappearance of opponents and barefaced executive brigandage defines the leadership of Rivers people by Wike.

If anyone is convinced that Gov. Wike is not possessed; he needs to approach a Pentecostal pastor for spiritual cleansing. Wike is a character who speaks without a full prehensile of his utterances. He acts without prior rumination; he flows with tide and dangles aimlessly like a street boy.

If anyone understands that lawyer Wike does not know, it is unlawful for an executive leader to resort to self-help, he deserves empathy. How else can anyone explain that in a democracy, Wike ordered the demolition of a hotel because the owner violated Covid-19 executive directives? But that’s what happens, when “madmen” dubiously amble themselves into positions of leadership and authority.

Gov. Wike is boosted by invisible and demonic spirits beyond his control. And they are too many. In his 2019 bid for reelection alone, Gov. Wike allegedly killed no fewer than 35 persons in his state. It has been his story sad tales in life.

He allegedly killed to secure the PDP governorship ticket in 2015 and also, murdered massively to get into Rivers state Government House the same year. Therefore, those who know him intricately are rather empathetic to him each time he vibrates like a lunatic undergoing psychiatric rehabilitation. No one with such magnitude of innocent blood on his hands would find peace with his soul.

The Governor in his characteristic manner defiled the sanctity and solemnity of the 2021-Armed Forces Remembrance Day. In Port Harcourt at the wreath-laying ceremony, Gov. Wike revived and also, practiced his meaningless parroting talents. He asked the Service Chiefs to resign in order to pave the path for “fresh ideas and strategy” in tackling the country’s resurgent internal insecurity threats.

He dreamily assumed the toga of a military and security expert. Therefore, Wike felt empowered enough to advise the Federal Government of Nigeria to change its strategy in combating internal insecurities in the country. Wike was particular that the current set of Service Chiefs have been unable to diminish the fires of Boko Haram insurgency and armed banditry among other security challenges, despite years of full military engagements.

But why would anybody devote his precious time on faulting Wike over his assertions? It’s doubtful whether Wike understands what is a military strategy. This is a lawyer who has never won any celebrated case in his life, but has the guts to advise military professionals and experts on how to combat terrorism and banditry.

Gov. Wike symbolizes the hypocritic and devious clan of leaders in Nigeria today. Wike served as Minister under the Jonathan Presidency for the years of that administration. Boko Haram and armed bandits became notorious and untamable under the administration he served.

It was the time Boko Haram annexed 21 LGAs in the Northeast. It was an era nearly 25,000 Nigerians were hostages of insurgents in different secret camps in the Northeast. It was a time Wike operated in Abuja with a lot of phobia because like some Nigerians coined; “the fear of Boko Haram was the beginning of wisdom.”

Yet, Gov. Wike as a member of FEC never advised the President to change his strategy in fighting Boko Haram. But the same person mouths now, when there is a positively changed narrative in combating acts of insecurities in Nigeria. So, he became an accidental military expert. But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride and Wike’s wish that the Service Chiefs should resign is not actionable by his command. Meaningless busybody!

Nigerians do not need to consult a soothsayer to know their enemies or instigators of insecurities anymore. And some time last year, when Governors Yahaya Bello and Aminu Bello Masari asserted separately that some politicians are behind the resurgent insecurities in the country, most Nigerians failed to grasp their prophetic insights. But Wike’s utterances today are an indisputable indication of his complicity. He is privy to it.

Like many other detractors of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Rivers Governor is angered that in spite of the clandestine efforts to undermine the Buhari Presidency through organized and sponsored insecurities, the President has always broken the hurdles. The camp of opposers is baffled.

And Wike knows that the current Service Chiefs are the reason, the plots of the opposition elements to discredit the administration of Buhari is permanently met with a bulwark. The latest trick now is to cleverly goad Mr. President to sack them in order to create a window for the opposition use insecurities in feasting on Nigeria. But Buhari is smarter than all of them.

So, it was baffling that Wike desecrated the graves of the unknown soldier and those still in service. The occasion was not designed for such partisan campaigns, with the Service Chiefs as nectars. It was a ceremony and a day set aside to remember and celebrate our fallen heroes and heroines as well as those still in active service. He mocked these gallant officers and soldiers on a day, all Nigerians were celebrating their exploits and sacrifices for the nation.

A senseless Wike did not know the occasion was not designed for such partisan campaigns. Surprisingly, he turned his weird leadership activism on the Service Chiefs and the arena into a platform for the anti-Service Chiefs campaigners.

Anyway, those expecting Gov. Wike to see the Service Chiefs as friends and partners in nation-building have misfired. It’s impossible to contemplate it. Wike is a violent, bloody and loquacious election rigger. Certainly, he cannot be a friend of the Military and especially, a repositioned Nigerian Army which blocked most of his rigging tracks in the 2019 governorship elections. He succeeded, but not as easy as he envisaged.

Gov. Wike attempted to bribe everyone or group involved in the conduct and monitoring of the elections; he attempted to bribe soldiers deployed to Rivers on election duty to compromise the ballot; he attempted to bribe consulate officials of the British High Commission in Nigeria to fabricate the report of election observers. Wike is a desperately devious political fly.

Indeed, If wishes were to be horses, it is Gov. Wike who would have been sacked ab initio by President Buhari. But Mr. President is a kind leader. He allowed Wike to twice escape with an obviously stolen mandate. That’s why today, Wike, a low-class lawyer feels, he is competent to offer professional military advice to Mr. President in combating acts of insecurities.

Wike regales in the mere appellation and protocol as “chief security officer” of his state. But it does not translate into his expertise knowledge on security matters. When Mr. President is seeking for advisers on political thuggery, executive brigandage and ethnic militias, Wike would emerge as an unopposed candidate. He has no rival in today’s Nigeria.

Gov. Wike is under the misleading delusion that Nigerians are not aware of his sole sponsorship of the campaign of calumny against the Nigerian military, particularly in the South. It is his tent the street activist Deji Adeyanju frequents on a monthly basis to renew his venoms (Dollars) in nourishment.

Wike is free to keep playing the fools game with himself. But the issue of Service Chiefs is clearly outside his purview. Wike should be patient enough to wait until his rigs his way to political leadership as President of Nigeria to thereafter, depend on street counsels for the appointment or sack of his Service Chiefs. President Buhari cannot be outsmarted with such infantile antics. #

Kolawole PhD is a University teacher and wrote this piece from Keffi, Nasarawa State.

By Philip Agbese

Jesus Christ acquiesced to his challengers because he was on a divine mission. So, it was needless disrupting the course of its divine fulfilment. Nigeria’s leadership by President Muhammadu Buhari aligns with the same tenor.

Like Christ, the President is on a messianic, redemptive and regenerative mission in Nigeria. He came with an unalloyed mind and spirit. Therefore, he silently accepts senseless tantrums hurled at him; he accepts the hurtful banters with admirable mien; the criticisms, spleens, the meaningless blabs and painful persecutions from his adversaries and powermongers resiliently. He has never bulged.

I watched the horrors of the expired Year 2020 and wished it ebbed with the speed of a tornado for a fresh year. The resurgence of insecurities; lethal political combats by muscle-flexing politicians; the economic saboteurs; the inconveniences of the global pandemic Covid-19 and it’s induced economic catastrophes consistently animated my anger against a world and a destiny I deemed cruel.

Nigerians were mesmerized; the President was troubled and terrified at the rapidity of these occurrences which increasingly reinforced the sermons of life’s nothingness. We wrongly assumed the afflictions visited on us is the symbolic failure of President Buhari to offer genuine leadership to the nation.

But while we moaned, lamented and ferociously kicked at Mr. President, particularly on the touchy resurgent insecurities, he was busy working undercover to birth respite to us. I was thrilled when it started manifesting in relieving surges. And from mid- 2020 to this moment, our tormentors; evildoers, satanic agents, detractors, economic sabs, their conspirators and forces of darkness have been compelled to boil in their own pot of hot water.

Mr. had President vowed never to allow the enemies cast Nigeria to the ravenous dogs and cartel of armed criminal gangs and their patrons for a feast. So, the Service Chiefs re- bounced back to assiduous work with a renewed presidential order on quelling insecurities.

Nicely, in the last months, and from Zamfara to Bayelsa ; from Damboa to Idiroko, it’s being incessant hell let loose on our tormentors by our resilient Army. Now, even without the aid of artificial lenses, I have sighted those who schemed furiously to snatch our peace and security. They are languishing in pains and the self-consuming fire they lighted on themselves. They can no longer breathe like America’s Donald Trump. They have lost the nerve, zeal and energy to tether us to the stalk of servile insecurities. Our President is alive; our Armies are ever combat thirsty.

And President Buhari has continued to sustain the fires of organized armed gangs amassed against Nigeria. Even five days ago, in the Northeast region, I learnt troops of the newly launched “Operation Tura Takaibango” under the flagship of “Operation Lafiya Dole” squeezed living juice out of over 28 rampaging Boko Haram criminals at Gujba LGA of Yobe state who assembled in the vicinity and plotted to ambush troops. But it backfired, as the insurgents were neutralized, others severely wounded and weapons, including Anti-Aircraft Guns were seized from the terrorists.

Our troops of “Operation Sahel Sanity” are very impatient with armed bandits, kidnappers and cattle thieves in the Northwest region. I was excited to read news on last New Year day of the arrest of suspected armed bandits at Maraban Maigora in Faskari LGA who had planned to shatter the joy of our festivities. And some of those napped had criminal nexus with a notorious armed bandit leader in Madachi village in Sabuwa LGA of the state. Soldiers are on his trail.

There are countless positive narratives of fruitful decapitations of armed bandits and kidnappers in the New Year. We have assailed them on all fronts. Troops of “Operation Hadarin Daji” accosted the criminal gangs and rescued seven kidnapped victims at Gidan Dan Nunu and Dutsi villages in Zurmi LGA of Zamfara state.

Likewise, on the eve of New Year, two women and a child kidnapped at Kimbisawa village of Batsari LGA in the same state were rescued by our gallant troops who are always gallivanting the troubled areas. In the same New Year, troops encounter with armed bandits in Kuriya village of Kaura Namoda LGA of Zamfara state also sniffed life out of no fewer than 50 armed bandits in a single operation.

Our determined troops are working day and night to deny all criminal elements the opportunity to operate freely in any location in the Northwest. Zamfara state has regained her lost peace. Furthermore, our courageous troops of “Operation Accord,” descended a sledge hammer on armed bandits and rescued some kidnapped victims, also on New Year day at Tungar Ruwa village in Anka LGA of Zamfara State; while soldiers of the “Operation Sahel Sanity,” crushed an armed banditry gang at at Garin Garus and recovered assorted weapons.

And the dossier of victories speaks volumes about the professional competence of the COAS and leader of the counter-insurgency operations, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai. Also troops of “Operation Safe Heaven” apprehended suspected gunrunners at Kafanchan and at Ungwan Carpenter village in Jema’a LGA of Kaduna state as well as in Fobur village in Jos East LGA of Plateau state this year. What about the Kankara and Mahuta schoolchildren?

I was pained that since Nigerians loudly wailed about resurgent insecurities; critics had a field day in lampooning President Buhari and scolding of the Service Chiefs as “expired” military officers; while the National Assembly distracted itself by suspending legislation and oversight functions to resort to frequent passage of somewhat dubious resolutions against Mr. President and the Service Chiefs. But it’s a different tale now. Incredible positive results on extinguishing the fires of resurrected insurgency and insurrections have condemned the vilifiers.

Except some of us who are blind; or have chosen to be blind or veiled by partisan lenses, we can attest that in the last few months, Nigerian troops have neutralized over 2,403 terrorists and armed criminals throughout Nigeria. I believe it is a big blow on the human resources’ strength of these armed gangs.

And the good news is really troops’ rescue of over 864 of our brothers and sisters; whether adults or children from the claws of kidnappers in different locations in Nigeria. On the economic plane, troops have recovered a total of 9,684,797 litres of stolen AGO and 33,516,000 litres of DPK from maritime specialized armed criminal gangs; 46,581.8 barrels of stolen crude oil and 22,881,257 litres of stolen Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were recovered by the troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in Southern Nigeria in these few months.

And can we truly seek to obviate or beat the records of troops which shows that over 1,910 criminals have been arrested and large cache of arms, ammunitions and equipment are confiscated from them? Who is not excited that our troops overpowered these satanic forces; conquered these terrorists and armed gangs at the point of unleashing their planned heist on us very destructively?

Therefore, when I reviewed the year just ended and the magnitude of successes of the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in 2021, I was religiously humbled. I must be economical with the truth, if I fail to admit in all ramifications that the disparaged President Buhari and the Service Chiefs have ushered in the much desired and long-awaited salvation for our country.

The enemies of Nigeria are now in pains. They have made up their minds to let us go; they have no alternative than to free us like the Biblical King Pharaoh who reluctantly released the Israelites’ from bondage by God’s divine command.

Let me ask Nigerians in truth; If we have our ways to sack the Service Chiefs, as vigorously campaigned earlier, would anyone be courageous to agitate for it again for any genuine and patriotic reasons? The answer is obviously NO! I can sense some quietness now. Those who wanted the Service Chiefs sacked have relapsed into what I can best describe as a state of amnesia.

Something pricks me fervently that if the Senate has any option today, they would rather demand that the current set of Service Chiefs be given another five more years to stay on board in order to thoroughly cleanse Nigeria of these conspiratorially armed gangs. This is nothing but the truth. But it’s rather unfortunate that the sack or sustained retention of the Service Chiefs is what only the Commander-In-Chief, President Buhari can determine. And he is satisfied with their performance.

However, let us be human enough to confess that truth has finally prevailed. Our salvation has come. The end of insecurities has come. Our total resolve that a full kinetic approach be given to the resurgent violence and bloodshed is now paying off. I appreciate the Chief of Army Staff for bringing salvation to us.

I eulogize the Nigerian Military for our salvation; I thank President Buhari for being the symbol of our salvation and the Nigerian Armed Forces for beating the drums of our liberation in loud symphonies and gingering exciting dance gyrations. Happy Armed Forces Day to all the citizens of our great country.

Agbese is a publisher and patriot writing from Agila, Benue State.

By Philip Agbese

All the media aides of President Muhammadu Buhari occupy a special place in my heart. It is not easy to discharge the arduous obligation of defending a leader who is deliberately and nastily persecuted. Of all the presidential aides, Mr. Femi Adesina and Malam Garba Shehu have caught my endless admiration.

Each time I read their piece, it gives me a feeling of soul-renewal and rebirth. Their catchy dictions, choice of words, the simplicity, composition mien, conciseness and potency of the message expressed in subtle ricochet of an otherwise, explosive national issue, disarms and impresses me infinitely.

Just yesterday, Mallam Garba Shehu stole my heart again. The presidential spokesman vibrated in one of his usual public write-ups with the caption: “Service Chiefs: Buhari sees what critics don’t see.” He generously repeated the caption in the body of the brief statement. Garba’s assertion is not only true about a leader and his followers, but an unassailable truth in every clime.

I know, some people hate President Buhari. The irony is that some of those who hate him cannot give any real reason for the hatred. All they know is that some leaders must be hated; they must be despised and belittled. But my President does not care about it. He loves everyone and every Nigerian. He believes we all have a shared destiny in this country and everyone should act his part.

But in spite of his apathy to the invasive eruptions of haters and the indifference to their antics against his administration, others have chosen to become wailers. They are nervous that he does not care about their bellicose vituperations on him. So, this clan of Nigerians freely whine about President Buhari. They obtrude faces and cheeks with dry tears every now and then over his “change” administration; they condemn every decision by President Buhari.

Sometimes, certain people make me feel the democratic doctrine of the rule of the majority is an ass. But it is not! We cannot all perish with a twine on our necks because of the silly and sinister indiscretions of others.

I know a few of the wailers. Where are the wailers now? The obsession now is with the Military and President Buhari’s discretion to retain the Service Chiefs. The wailers want them out by all means. We think, President Buhari is brainless enough and so, must govern Nigeria with the template defined by each one of us. Where are those who want the military out of Borno? Where are the political jobbers who want the Service Chiefs sacked? The howling irony is that the campaigners fail to convince me and the man on the street over their verdict on the Service Chiefs.

They tell us the Service Chiefs have overstayed their tenures in office. This is too simplistic. The few sane ones say, the Service Chiefs are not performing enough in quelling Nigeria’s litany of insecurities. Therefore, their sight is perpetually blurred to notice the much Nigeria’s Service Chiefs have done in securing the country.

But yesterday, the same scoffed Service Chiefs secured the freedom of the kidnapped Kankara and Mahuta schoolchildren. And today, it is public knowledge that the formerly invincible Boko Haram factional leader, Abubakar Shekau is crippled in the frontlines and cannot lead his co-fighters to battle against Nigeria. Today, Nigeria is no longer sharing any part of her territory with insurgents or terrorists. But our lips are too heavy to echo a simple and priceless “thank you.”

I am excited that the permanent wailers are silent now. They are hibernating in their cocoons and in shame. The Military have silenced them all. Our service chiefs have put all the naysayers to shame and conducted a mass “funeral” for the wailers. And in conformity with our sworn idiosyncrasies, we have refused to recognize that the Chief of Army Staff and his men were fully on ground throughout the last Yuletide/New Year festivities and thwarted all the plans of the enemies to cause us pains.

We never experienced the carnivals of bloodbath akin to such seasons. In Zamfara state alone, over 50 bandits were killed and several of their evil camps and dens, destroyed in less than 30 days by men of “Operation Sahel Sanity.” This milestone forced Deji Adeyanju, one of the paid critics of the Buhari administration to say, 2021 is a year of the Nigerian Army. Lt. Gen TY Buratai is doing the wonders. He is doing all the magic and performing the miracles on insecurities. He desires and labours to see all Nigerians sleep with two eyes closed.

Now, can we sight salvation at last or see the wisdom in President Buhari’s decision to maintain his Service Chiefs or forever remain blind critics. Like my brother and friend, Mallam Garba Shehu said; “it is indeed true that President Buhari sees what wailers cannot see.” The President knows the Service Chiefs by their names; he knows the traits of each one of them and he knows their professional competence. He knows the problem of insecurities in Nigeria and can still tell how best to resolve the challenges.

Not all valleys are decked by blue colours at sunset. The decisions of a leader may not appeal to the peripheral senses of some of us. But incontrovertibly, these decisions are proven to be worthy with time, like the issue of Service Chiefs. No leader plans to fail; every leader angles to succeed. In the quiet moments of a leader, his mind is invaded with multiple incongruent thoughts; both genuine and fake. He must be imbued with King Solomon’s wisdom to break even.

Regrettably, unknown to a reasonable proportion of homo sapiens, the most dangerous and tormenting times, one’s life are the bubbles of undulating thoughts in sober moments. I initially underrated sobriety as merely one of the several mysteries of nature. But I have come to understand these moments as the most perilous of times in one’s life.

And it does not matter whether sobriety grips a leader, such as a President, Governor or parliamentarian. The unalterable truth is that sober moments are no respecter of persons, gender, marital status, biological roots or professional calling, urchins and even beggars. We find ourselves in the same plane.

At such lone moments it becomes extremely difficult to filter from the surfeit of conflicting views, chaffs from the grain or perspectives which are genuine or fake. That’s when a man, especially a leader needs to be careful to allow his conscience and soul speak truth to his person. It’s worse for leaders, who are bombarded with irrationalities in the guise of advices and counsels. These advisory pressures emanate from disparate backgrounds and interests.

Any wrong step or decision automatically translates into an irreversible calamity proportionate to the prophesied apocalypse. Our leaders face this dilemma every day, they wake up and go to bed for a night rest. The faint-hearted hardly withstand these pressures; only the strong breed deflates them to the end in glorious ambience.

My heart is gladdened because President Buhari has overcome these leadership foibles. He easily wades off unnecessary pressures of lobbyists and critics. He sighted the treasures in the Service Chiefs and punched the pressures to retain them.

And like Garba inferred; “The engagement of the Service Chiefs is not a tenured appointment. There is no part of the law that says the Chief of Army staff must serve for two years. Then, after two years, he must go. He serves at the pleasure of the President. Now, the President has said he will make changes. When will he make those changes? It is entirely up to him. I think Nigerians should give him the benefit of the doubt.”

I am a proud nationalist and fully in support of the Armed Forces of Nigeria now. I am in support of Gen. TY Buratai and the Nigerian Army. I am a proud supporter of the Buhari Presidency. Nigeria must succeed. No turning back. And in 2021, the Nigerian Army will continue to conduct mass burial for its wailers and maligners.

Agbese is the Okanga 1 of AgilaLand and wrote from Benue State.

By Sharon Pande

It is obvious that members of United Kingdom House of Lords who called on the UK Government to apply sanctions on Nigeria due to their shallow understanding of what constitutes the security problems in the country are, were not looking at the big picture.

From all indication, their conclusion is projected on a myopic mindset at variance with what can be referred to as the general good of the people. 

They assume that the regime of sanctions is imperative only to an administration without scrutinizing the merit for such calls.

Since the EndSARS protest which ended in mass destruction of public property and loss of lives including those of security agents, those who had an axe to grind with the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari decided to add the call for sanctions on Nigeria as part of their demand to achieve the partisan and parochial aim of bringing the administration to its knees.

The projection is based on the belief that when the sanctions are imposed on Nigeria and things begin to get difficult for the government and people, then the opposition elements could use the scenario to tar the administration in dour colours and claim it has failed.

But there is no way anyone with a fair knowledge about what is happening in the country would call for a sanction on Nigeria because, 1) there is absolutely no need for that, 2) it willl compound the socio economic problems in the country, 3) it would further encourage the terrorists and their sponsors to step up the campaign towards destabilising the country and 4) worsen the security problem in the country.

Sanctions generally are of different types and they could be applied  either diplomatically, economically, militarily or through sports.

Sanctions in the UK is said to fall under the authority of several different departments like the  Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) which is responsible for negotiating international sanctions and has overall responsibility for the UK’s policy on sanctions and embargoes; the HM Treasury (HMT) which is responsible for making designations under UK domestic financial sanctions and for the implementation and enforcement of all financial sanctions in the UK; the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills which implements some trade sanctions and embargoes.

The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act (2018) allows the UK to impose autonomous sanctions which includes specific provisions for sanctions that punish human rights violations around the world, allowing the UK government to target individuals, organizations, and regimes (rather than countries) that violate international laws. 

This is said to be intended to help the UK address the unlawful killing of journalists, media workers and campaigners, along with human rights abuses that are motivated by religion or belief.

From mere observation, it is from this provision that those calling for sanctions on Nigeria and their sponsors wish to take advantage of.

This is not the first time the misguided elements would try to take this route but each time they try it, they’re seriously rebuffed.

Last year, the House of Commons held a debate  on whether sanctions should be imposed on members of the Nigerian government and security services involved in alleged human rights abuses in response to the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigerian police and the alleged killings of protestors at the Lekki toll gate.

This did not sail through. 

Days before that, a young UK parliamentarian incurred the wrath of Nigerians when in the attempt to call for economic sanctions on Nigeria, claimed that its former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon had ran away with half of the nation’s wealth. 

It was clear he acting a script but has not done his homework well.

But from all available records, Nigeria does not fall into the category that warrants the call for the invocation of such measures.

This because since the Boko Haram terrorism started in 2009, the various Nigerian governments have tried to deal with it in ways they considered appropriate but none has been able to take the bold initiative of the current administration. 

President Buhari for instance on assumption of office in May 2015, gave orders to the military to deal with threats to internal security in the country. 

Within six months of the order, the operational headquarters of the millitary action against terrorism and insurgency moved to the Northeast of Nigeria leading to defeat of the terrorists and the capture of their operational headquarters while their leaders and few of their commanders fled.

Territories held by the insurgents were recaptured and many that fled from their homes and were putting up at camps for internally Displaced Persons returned to their communities.

The military has since then secured such places and have constantly repelled the terrorists from launching further attacks on towns and communities and driven them further to border communities.

The Nigerian military has also been commended for the professional manner it has conducted itself in the fight against terrorism and insurgency by avoiding civilian casualties and causing genuine repentant terrorists to surrender. 

On the economic front, the Buhari administration has also been able to recover large sums of money that were stolen in previous administrations and has been able to put in place measures that have it made it difficult to siphon public funds which has revived Nigeria’s economy.

So it is shocking for anyone with a fair knowledge of Nigeria to call for sanction on this administration that has done so much to make life better for its citizens. 

It is therefore in order to call the misguided House of Lords members to stop embarrassing themselves by getting their facts about Nigeria right before delving into issues they know nothing about.

It is also most appropriate to warn the UK parliamentarians against promoting meaures that would encourage activities of terrorists in Nigeria as calling on the UK to sanction Nigeria over organized falsehood promoted by terrorists and their sponsors will amount to promoting terrorism in Nigeria. It is a route no House of Lords member should contemplate. Nigeria and Nigerians deserve their peace.

Pande wrote from the United Kingdom.

By: Stanley Nwanekezie

Equality they say is the cornerstone of most value systems, but we have yet to reap all of its rewards. Sure, our society has tremendously evolved for the better during the last, say, 100 years, but a long journey is still ahead, and the vast array of double standards that still divide people to this day highlight this perfectly.

The days of good men they say, are over. In the past great men are known for exposing all forms of illegality, despite the close relationship with the guilty one.

This they have done without fear or favour from any quarter, they tilt towards the position of justice and equality for the sake of mankind,but the reverse is the case today.

Katch Ononuju and his  falsehood syndicate continues as he’s hell bent on tarnashing the image of hard working Nigerians,just like he has done continuously on  President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

While his beloved son wallows away deep in gangsterism and drugs, 

Katch, a strong critic of Buhari’s government has always been quick to condemn the actions of President Muhammadu Buhari without any effort for proper research and knowledge of the issues.

One would think as someone who claims to know it all,he would apply the same energy and time he uses in condemning others in watching over his household. 

The latest news making the rounds is of his son being a gangster in a hard drug cartel as he and his cohorts go about looking for ways of initiating unsuspecting teenagers around into hard drugs and gangsterism while extorting them at the same time.

Katch likens himself to a saint, however the reality is a complete irony of his personality as he’s been caught living a life of double standards.

This can be likened to a case of someone that wants to take off a strand of hair from another, while he’s got a chunk of it hanging on himself.

Recall that in the same vain, some time in 2019, Katch  was very critical on the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo as most of his corruption claims on the hard working VP were unsubstantiated.

Katch championed and orchestrated several media reports, aimed at discrediting the Vice President for reasons best known to him and his pay masters,where he claimed there is a power tussle between the Vice President and a cabal which wants to edge  out of the presidency due to his 2023 presidential ambition because of succession politics.

After all the falsehood by Katch, one of he major breakers of the defamatory publication, Vanguard newspaper,apologised to Mr Osinbajo over a news report alleging that he mismanaged N90 billion said to have been released by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2019 general elections.

I think it’s high time, charlatan is called to order, as his continuous trade of propagating falsehood would burn the nation.

Nwanekezie writes from Abuja