Corruption stalls Nigeria’s war against B’Haram –US

United States Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall

The United States Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, has said that corruption is hindering Nigeria’s efforts at ending   insurgency in the North-East.

Sewall, who appeared before a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, alongside a Pentagon top Africa official, Amanda Dory, added that the military must overcome entrenched corruption and incompetence for it to   rescue the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram on April 14.

She said that despite Nigeria’s $5.8bn security budget for 2014, “corruption prevents supplies as basic as bullets and transport vehicles from reaching the front lines of the struggle against Boko Haram.”

Sewall, according to the New York Times, also told the committee that morale was low and that desertions were common among soldiers in the 7th Army Division fighting the insurgents.

She sidestepped a question from one lawmaker asking for an update on the abducted girls’ location and welfare, saying, “Given time, I am hopeful that we will make progress.”

Sewall had on May 13 clarified the level of involvement of US personnel in the rescue of the abducted girls, saying it   would not be combative.

She told select journalists   in Abuja that it was up to Nigeria to accept or reject the prisoners exchange offer made by   Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.

In her testimony, Dory said that Pentagon believed that the girls might have been dispersed into multiple smaller groups.

Blasts: Jonathan deploys Defence chief in JoS

 

Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh
| credits: http://www.nigeriancurrent.com/

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, on Thursday arrived in Jos, Plateau State, for on the spot assessment of the twin bomb blasts that left more than 100 people dead and 50 others injured on Tuesday.

The Coordinator of the National Information Centre for the ongoing war against insurgents, Mr. Mike Omeri, told journalists at a news conference in Abuja, that Badeh was directed to do so by President Goodluck Jonathan .

Omeri also warned Nigerians against circulating photographs and information capable of subverting the war against insurgency in the country.

According to him, relevant agencies will investigate the sources of the photographs of soldiers circulating in the social media who were said to have died in the war against insurgency in the country.

He said, “Following the incident in Jos, Mr. President has directed the CDS to proceed to Jos for further assessment of the situation on the ground.

“The Inspector-General of Police(Mohammed Abubakar) had earlier visited the scene of the blasts . These are all parts of the   efforts by the government in uncovering the authors of the crime, bringing comfort and succour to our people and in the long run, helping to defeat terrorism and other forms of criminality.

“The centre notes the emerging trend of misleading photographs by the media to illustrate their stories. The truth is that these photographs create wrong impressions in the minds of members of the public about the efforts of the government in checking the current security challenge in the country.

Chibok: Police halt protest march on Presidential Villa

   

Protesters during a protest on the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, in Abuja … on Thursday
| credits: Olatunji Obasa

The plan by a civil coalition group to march on the Presidential Villa, Abuja in protest over the abduction of the over 200 female students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, was halted by the police on Thursday.

The police blocked the National Assembly junction with personnel and trucks and prevented the protesters from accessing the road that leads to the Presidential Villa.

The police operation was led by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba and FCT Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu.

The coalition group under the name, “#Bringbackourgirls” had earlier written to the Presidency about its intention to take their daily protest to Aso Villa, but got no response from the authorities.

The group, led by a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, led the protesters wearing red T-shirts, from the Unity Fountain along Shehu Shagari Way to the Federal Secretariat, where their march to the villa was cut short by the police.

The crowd of protesters caused a traffic jam along the ever busy way and policemen had to divert vehicles to other roads as the demonstrators took over the entire Shehu Shagari Way.

Chanting solidarity songs intermittently, the group massed at the junction to the National Assembly where they were addressed by the FCT Minister of State,Olajumoke Akinjide, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan.

                B’Haram kills 29 in Borno

Boko Haram members

Nigerians have fled into Cameroon as Boko Haram attacked another Borno village, killing 29 persons.

It will be recalled that about two weeks ago the outlawed sect attacked Gamboru Ngala, a border town with Cameroon, killing about 300 persons and destroying million of Naira worth of property.

It was gathered that some suspected members of the Boko Haram sect, laid ambush on the village on Wednesday morning.

The attack, according to a resident, Mallam Bakura Mustapha, occurred barely 10 days after the withdrawal of troops from the village.

Sources said the gunmen drove into the village in 15 vehicles and several motorcycles and were armed with AK47 rifles, Improvised Explosive Devices and petrol bombs.

It was gathered that they stormed the village at about 11am on Wednesday and opened fire on armless residents killing 29 people and burnt many buildings.

Another source said, apart from those killed, there were several injuries sustained and many residents of the village who sustained gunshot wounds “are now receiving treatment at one of a hospital in Cameroon Republic.”

Efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, to comment on the attack failed, but a top security source who is not authorised to speak to the press, confirmed the incident

Football | Ghana

Kwesi Appiah © Action Images

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Appiah to get new two year deal

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The Ghana FA are concluding contract renewal talks with coach Kwesi Appiah before reaching Brazil.

Appiah will be given a two-year extension after his current deal is expected to expire after the World Cup.

“We have met with the coach and have had initial discussions over his contract renewal,” Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi told Peace FM in Ghana's capital.

Toure wants no regrets

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Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure on Thursday urged his national teammates to work hard and make sure the Elephants do not return from the World Cup with regrets.

The 33-year-old Liverpool centre back and the rest of the 28-member squad are fine tuning in Dallas, Texas, after which two friendly matches will be played against Bosnia on May 30 and Salvador on June 4.

Pitted against Colombia, Japan and Greece in Group C, the former Arsenal and Manchester City defender said the Ivorian team fell in a balanced group this time.

“Our Group C is balanced unlike in previous editions when we had difficult situations,” Kolo said.

“We played against Brazil, Portugal and Argentina and those times were our first and second appearances in the World Cup finals. This time, we feel the group is quite balanced and we’ll be able to have our say.”

“But beside our initial objective of progressing from the group stage, we don’t want to return home with regrets, that is being unable to do the things we were capable of doing. That’s what I have been telling my mates,” he said.

Football | Africa

Yaya Toure © Action Images

Kanu lauds Yaya Toure

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Nigerian football legend, Nwankwo Kanu has nothing but praise for Ivorian midfielder, Yaya Toure whom he rates as the best in his position in the world.

Kanu feels there is no other midfielder in world football who can currently match the Manchester City star.

The former Inter Milan forward believes Toure, who pipped his compatriot, John Obi Mikel, to the post in the latest African footballer of the year poll, is world class.

"If you say who is the best midfielder in the world now, for me I would say Yaya Toure. Not only in Africa, but the world," Kanu told africansoccer.weebly.com.

Kanu also took the time to salute the goalscoring exploits of the 31-year-old insisting that the Ivorian “scores goals like a striker.”