Nigerians mourn Dora Akunyili

Dora Akunyili

Professor Dora Akunyili, a delegate at the ongoing National Conference and former Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is dead.

She died at 10:00am in a specialist cancer hospital in India on Saturday. Before her death, she had been battling with cancer for two years.

Since the news of her death broke, many Nigerians have expressed their sadness and paid tributes to a woman many considered as brave, incorruptible and an amazon.

Among those that have paid glowing tributes to her are President Goodluck Jonathan; a former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, who officially announced her death; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu; and Chris Ngige, Paul Ohii.

Akunyili was forthright — Jonathan

President Jonathan on Saturday said he received with shock and sadness the news of the sudden and untimely death of Akunyili, who was a former Minister of Information and Communications.

Swiss defender Senderos agrees deal to join 

Villa

By Brian Doogan

Philippe Senderos, who will fly to Brazil tomorrow with the Swiss national team to take part in his third World Cup finals, has agreed to join Aston Villa on a two-year deal beginning July 1.

The 29-year-old former Arsenal and Fulham defender becomes the first signing by Villa manager Paul Lambert this summer.

Jonathan orders total war against Boko Haram

President Goodluck Jonathan
| credits: Reuters

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the armed forces   to launch a full-scale military operation against Boko Haram and other violent organisations to put an end to their impunity   in the country.

“I am determined to protect our democracy, our national unity and our political stability by waging a total war against terrorism,” he said in his nationwide Democracy Day broadcast in Abuja on Thursday.

It was not immediately known what such an offensive could entail given that the North-East where most of the activities of terrorists take place   has been   under   emergency rule and a full-scale military operation for a year now.

But a top Defence Headquarters official toldThe PUNCH shortly after the broadcast that the Special Forces and other security operatives involved in the prosecution of the anti-terrorism campaign would have a near unlimited space to operate.

The phrase “total war”, however, was used by Chad’s President Idriss Deby following a meeting of Nigeria’s neighbours in Paris in mid-May, in which they sought a common strategy to fight the militants.

“I assure you … that these thugs will be driven away. It will not happen overnight, but we will spare no effort to achieve this goal,” Jonathan said.

UPDATE: Boko Haram kills Gwoza emir, attacks others in Borno

Suspected members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect on Thursday ambushed three traditional rulers between the Biu –Azare-Garkida Road in Borno State.

The royal fathers are the Emir of Gwoza, Idrisa Timta, and his counterparts from Askira Abdullahi Askirama, and the Emir of Uba, Ismaila Manza.

A security source said on Friday that the Gwoza Emir was killed by the attackers while the Emirs of Askira and Uba were missing as at the time of filing the reports.

The Defence Headquarters however said the Emirs of Askira and Uba were rescued by Special Forces who were deployed in Garkida.

          Raw fact about

d student kidnapped. (Let ask
ourselves dis Questions)
234 girls are missing and 234 is
Nigeria’s country code…is there
sum coincidence???
I have been pondering over this
kidnap situation and something
dont add up hence these
questions.
The students are said to be SSS3
student writing physics
examination.
QUESTIONS: 1. Why are their
names not yet published by the
school, state government and
WAEC?
2.Why are their pictures not over
the news media?
3. How come all 234 students are
in SSS3 and all came to write
physics examination when the
total number of students in the
whole school are
around 1200?
4. It was announced that the

Devastating attacks show reach of Boko Haram – CNN

 

A large part of northern and central Nigeria is now at the mercy of intensified attacks by Boko Haram, and the group seems to be embarking on a new phase of its campaign against the Nigerian state — piling further pressure on the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The last four days have seen devastating bomb attacks in Jos, in central Nigeria, as well as a suicide bombing in Kano – the largest city in the north. Two more villages in the state of Borno, Boko Haram’s stronghold in the northeast, came under attack, with at least 30 civilians killed. There have also been two bomb attacks in the federal capital, Abuja, in the last five weeks.

Direct your protest to terrorists – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday urged those who have been protesting the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, to henceforth direct their protest to the Boko Haram terrorists and not the government.

The President also urged the protesters to learn from citizens of other countries who do not blame their governments for any terrorist act.

He has however admitted publicly for the first time that his administration was currently consulting with some stakeholders with a view to exploring what he called alternative methods of resolving the present crisis.

Jonathan made the disclosure in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide, to a team of #BringBackOurGirlscampaigners, led by a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwezili.

The protesters, who had planned to take their protest to the Presidential Villa where they wanted Jonathan to address them were restricted by security agents to the Federal Secretariat within the Three Arms Zone, a few metres from the Villa gate.

Those who joined Akinjide in the delegation that represented Jonathan at the rally included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed; Minister of Information, Labaran Maku; Minister of Women Affairs, Zaynab Maina; and Minister of Environment, Lawrencia Laraba.