Author: The Messenger Voice

By V. AL-PEA

The Plateau State Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Idi Waziri, has promised to replace old, worn out pipes within Jos.

During a tour of the city, Waziri stopped at the motor park opposite the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), where water was gushing out from a control valve. The Commissioner immediately instructed the maintenance unit of the board to rectify the problem, which they did with expediency.

At the board’s treatment plant situated near the British American Junction, Waziri noticed with dismay that illegal buildings were springing up. He subsequently ordered an immediate stop and declared that government will take drastic action, including demolition of illegal buildings around the area.

The Commissioner then visited the Bingham University Teaching Hospital (Jankwano) where the management complained about poor water supply, stating that it impedes their operation.

Research into the matter revealed major water leakages springing from damaged underground pipes, contributing to poor water supply in the city. Pools of water can be witnessed from underground pipes, making it impossible to deliver it to needy residents even when the water is available. Thus, water problems have persisted in Plateau State.

BY V. AL-PEA

A young man in Kunga II Ward of Jos north local government area of Plateau State was shot by an unidentified gunmen on January 31^st, 2012. The incident occurred around 9:00 p.m. near a filling station about 45 meters away from a military checkpoint. The shooting generated a pandemonium among the predominantly Anaguta residents, who subsequently barricaded the major road from neighboring Bauchi State until security agents stepped in to calmed the irate youths.

Narrating the ordeal to TMV, the father of the deceased, Elder Sani Idi said that the victim, Yusuf Daki was walking home when two Opel Vectra cars suddenly pulled up beside him. The occupants stopped and fired repeatedly, killing him instantly and then speeding towards Bauchi State.

“That night we were home, then suddenly we heard sporadic gunshots and we quickly mobilized and ran to the roadside, the direction of the shots. Then we saw two Opel Vectra cars take off and speed towards Bauchi. We tried to pursue them, but of course we were on foot and were no match for them”. It was a few minutes later that Idi learned his son, 48 years old; husband of two wives and father of 6 children was the victim.

TMV visited the police outpost in Kunga to get comments on the murder, but the officer on duty coldly claimed ignorance. The officer advised TMV to visit Angwa Rogo Divisional Headquarters for details on the case.

Calling on the government and security agents to be more vigilant, Idi lamented that this was the third time such gory incidents have occurred in the community. One of the attacks apparently occurred on January 1st, 2012, but fortunately the victim sustained a nonfatal injury.

BY V. AL-PEA

Operation Rainbow, the security initiative undertaken by Plateau State and the federal government graduated 1700 operatives on Thursday, 21^st January 2011. The Nigerian Police, Civil Defense, Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Immigration Services subjected the graduating class, who are mostly from the southern part of Plateau State, to two weeks of information gathering techniques.

Meanwhile, a law to back the Plateau State neighbourhood security network is to be enacted. This was made known when the State Coordinator of Operation Rainbow, Air Vice Marshal Danbaba Bala (RTD) disclosed this yesterday during the graduation ceremony of the class at the Zang Commercial Secondary School.

 (Click here to read a previous TMV interview with Air Vice Marshall Danbaba Bala)

While charging the graduating operatives to work closely with people in respected communities, Danbaba Bala also said that the group would be involved in a lot of intelligence gathering. He also enjoined them to imbibe the virtues of humility and discipline in the discharge of their duties so that they could expose criminal activities in their wards.

There were similar good will messages from Commissioner of Police, Dipo Ayeni who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations. Moreover, the group was also addressed by Austin Ekechukwu, the state director of State Security Service and Special Adviser to the state governor on security.

It should be noted that Operation Rainbow graduated a higher number of operatives from the Northern and Central zones December 22^nd of last year.  

BY V. AL-PEA

The executive governor of Plateau state, Da Jonah Jang swore in new management committee chairmen of 17 local government areas in the state on January 21st, 2012. According to Jang, it is the climax of an exercise which started with the nomination of appointees by the stakeholders.

As the chairmen took oath of office at the Government Office in Jos, Governor Jang disclosed that the government had wanted to conduct elections before the expiration of previous council chairmen and councilors. However, the plan was scrapped because of the reconstitution of PLASIEC last December, 2011.

Jang admonished a new chairmen, asking them to see their appointments as a call to service. He asked them to fill the code of conduct forms, focus on the completion of uncompleted projects, cooperate with security agencies towards peace and to swear in secretaries and other members of the committees by the next day.

Five previous chairmen were returned and they include Mohammed Zakari of Wase local government. Other returning chairmen are Barr. Timothy Buba of Jos North, Theophilus Shan of Quan Pan, Nicholas Kemi Nshi of Shendam and Emmanuel Loman of Barkin Ladi.

Here are the other chairmen and the local areas they represent: Langtang South, Nanman Barko; Langtang North, Binkur Binding; Pankshin, Philemon Tangni; Bokkos, Zakka Akos; Kanam, Abubakar Dashe; Bassa, Andrew Isa; Mikang, Isa Fomwai, Mangu, Shuaibu Shikben; Riyom, Samuel Audu; Jos East, Daniel Izang; Jos South, Peter Dung.

It should be noted that the former Chairmen of Langtang North and Bokkos local governments, Brian Dadi and Iliya Amagon have obtained an injunction restraining the Plateau State government from truncating their tenure before the expiration of their three-year mandate.

By V. AL-PEA

The Messenger Voice (TMV) spoke to Bistu Yilji Johnson, who is Chairman of the State Youth Christian Association of Nigeria–YOWICAN. A Catholic and journalist with the Word of Life newspaper, Johnson discussed many things, including security. TMV wanted to know how Johnson views Nigeria’s battle with Hausa Islamic terrorism especially the one coming from Boko Haram. Here is our interview with him.

TMV: What exactly is YOWICAN and what are its activities in the state?

BISTU: YOWICAN is the acronym for the Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria. I am at the moment the state chairman of the branch here on the Plateau. The objectives of this organization cut across large activities, but to narrow it to a very concrete and direct statement the mission of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria is to bring together all the youth groups that fall within the five blocks of CAN.

TMV: Some say YOWICAN is practically politicized, hence, a political group. How can you react to that?

BISTU: I would not say totally that YOWICAN or CAN itself have no elements of politics. I would go to PDP or would go to ACN or I will go to any of the political parties, but my purpose of being in YOWICAN is to develop me spiritually and to make me unite and socialize with other youths of the Christian churches that belong to CAN.

TMV: How can you rate Jang’s government when it comes to youth empowerment?

BISTU: I will tell you that he has tried. He has tried and there is still room for improvement. I’ll give you reasons why Jang has tried. If you look at the cabinet that Jang has formed it’s made of young people. Count the elderly people in his administration and you will find out there is very few. So for youth empowerment you can give him kudos in that aspect.

TMV: In the wake of the growing insecurity in the country, the President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor recently called on Christians to defend themselves, especially whenever they are attacked. Do you subscribe to that?

BISTU: I will tell you absolutely yes because for me I think the government at the federal level is not decisive on issues of security. As a Christian I believe in one thing, God has given you life to guard jealously and if anybody is going to temper with this life God has given you. That’s common morals, not even spirituality. I am sure that it was out of pain that the national President of CAN made that remark. How can you expect him as a leader to say just goes home and sleep, that when they come, they kill you and go. We don’t believe in that.

TMV: Some say that the recent imposition of state of emergency on some parts of the state by President Jonathan was politically influenced. What do you have to say about that?

BISTU: I agree with it. Why I have to agree with it is that the government has the power to handle those issues and if they had handled it, it wouldn’t reach to the issue of state of emergency. But I’ll give you an example. Plateau has suffered state of emergency during the time of governor Dariye. What we see at that time is not close to what is going on in Maiduguri. Why hasn’t the Federal Government declared state of emergency in Maiduguri as a whole? Why choose some local governments? Comparing it with the situation we are having on the Plateau, ours is far better than that of Maiduguri. We have expected that if you will declare state of emergency on four local governments on the Plateau then you will declare the whole of Borno state for state of emergency. But why do that and then justify it with that of the Plateau? For me they are two different issues. Handle every state as an entity. What is the problem with Plateau should be the problem with Plateau; what is the problem with Adamawa should be the problem with Adamawa.

Via Vanguard

By AbdulSalam Muhammad, Kano

KANO – Sequel to conscious effort to bridge the gap between followers of Nigerian two top religion, Concerned Muslims in Kano made history Sunday in the ancient city when the y paid a solidarity visit to Christians in their various places worship.

The visit, the first of its kind in recent Kano history took the Muslims through five denominations of the Christian faith, that includes, Our Lady Of Fatima, ECWA (Hausa service), Baptist Church, Cherubim and Seraphim, and Calvary Life Assembly all located within Sabon Gari area of the municipality.

The solidarity came on the backdrop of move by the Group to douse the content of SMS circulated among Christian faithful by yet to identified individuals or Group warning them of a Jihad to wipe them from the city.

Led by a former National President of PENGASSAN, Bashir Is’haq Bashir in company of Chairman, local chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Ransom Bello assured the Christian Community of Muslim Brothers support all the time and more especially now that the Nation is experiencing serious security challenges.

His words “we are here to deliver a message, a message of peace, a message of hope, a message of peace, a message of solidarity that all Muslims all over Kano are with you, that they are not a source of threat to you but a source of security and in them you have a dependable ally”.

Bashir Is’haq Bashir stated that both faith must downplay our differences and emphasis such factors that bind us together, adding that ‘we must desist from rumour and spreading of falsehood in the collective interest of all.

The former PENAGASSAN activist tasked the follower of both faith from judging the two religion from the action of deviants, stressing that suspicion breed mistrust and mistrust make us drift apart.

He stressed that Muslims and Christian in Nigeria must unite to put all the evil forces that are pulling us apart to shame, quoting a verse in the Quran that says “I have made you Nations and tribe so that you may appreciate one another , and the best among you in the sight of Allah is he who is best in conduct”.

Is’haq Bashir declared that going by several teaching of Quran and saying of the Prophet of Islam enjoin Muslim to accept Jesus as Prophet of Islam and accord him the necessary respect whenever his name is mention.

The leader of the Concerned Muslim Brothers who addressed Christian faithful; amidst thunderous applause and shout of Hallelujah tasked both faith to unite and fight corruption, bad Governance, stressing that Muslims and Christian should be their brothers keepers to the Nation to achieve greatness.

According to Is’haq Bashir “we must tell Muhammad the child to be compassionate to Emanuel the child and enjoin Emanuel the grown up to take Muhammad as the best man in his wedding day, so that when they grow up they will not be burdened with the excess luggage that we have been carrying this long”’.

In his response, the CAN local Chairman, Bishop Ransom Bello described the visit to Churches of Concerned Muslim Brothers in Kano as beginning of new era, adding that “its sign of positive thing come while expressing confidence it would go along way to put the state on permanent religious harmony.

Ransom Bello explain that the ‘gesture will certainly open up a new charter in the history of Kano and peaceful coexistence, maintain the need to expand the frontiers in the interest of lasting peace.

Prayers were offered by various Church leaders for continued peace in Kano in particular and the Nation in general, while they enjoin their flock to pass the message to those who were not privileged to host the visitors.

A BBC Report

A British-based arms dealer helped organise the shipment of thousands of guns from China to Nigeria without the necessary licence, a court has heard.



Gary Hyde, 42, partly arranged and organised the shipment in 2007 of 80,000 rifles and pistols and 32 million rounds of ammunition.
 
Southwark Crown Court heard he did not receive permission from the relevant government department.
 
Mr Hyde, from Derwent near York, denies the charges.
 


The court was told the shipment involved 40,000 AK47 assault rifles, 30,000 rifles and 10,000 9mm pistols.
 
Profits ‘concealed’ 
 
Prosecutor Mukul Chawla QC told the jury his actions were a “deliberate and calculated breach of the law”.
 


“In order to ensure that his criminality, his illegal activities were not drawn to the attention of the UK authorities, he placed and thus concealed profits from his illegal trade into his bank account in Liechtenstein.”
 
Mr Chawla said the shipment required permission from the relevant government authority because it had been partly arranged and organised from the UK by Mr. Hyde. 



The prosecutor told the jury Mr. Hyde had made a statement through his solicitor in November 2009 which said: “I do not believe that I engaged in any activity in the UK which I understood required a licence but where instead I decided to ignore that obligation.”
 


Middle men Mr. Chawla said: “The prosecution case is that the claim that he made in November 2009 is palpably false and that Mr. Hyde deliberately engaged in activity within the UK which required a license.”
 


Mr. Hyde carried out his part in the deals with his business partner Karl Kleber, a German national based in Germany, the court was told.
 
The pair acted as middle men between two Polish companies acting for the Nigerian buyers and Chinese companies, the court heard.
 
Mr. Chawla said commission payments for the deals totalled around $1.3m (£840,000).
 
The trial continues.



January 9, 2012 by Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday alleged the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, had infiltrated his government.

He claimed some of members of the group, which had claimed responsibility for the killings in parts of the North, were in the executive, legislative and judiciary arms of government as well as the police and armed forces. Jonathan spoke during an inter-denominational service to mark the 2012 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. He said the situation had made it more difficult to combat Boko Haram.

The President described the current security situation in the country as worse than the civil war experience. He said, “This is a particular time when the country has major security challenges. There are explosions every day, people are dying and are being killed daily without any reason.

“It is a period we also call on the armed forces, including those that have retired to hang with their colleagues that are still in service and government to see how collectively we can protect our nation.

“I believe we will overcome our immediate challenges. The situation we have in our hands is even worse than the civil war that we fought.

“During the civil war, we knew and we could even predict where the enemy was coming from, you can even know the route they are coming from, you can even know what calibre of weapon they will use and so on.

“But the challenge we have today is more complicated. I remember when I held a meeting with elders from the North-East and some parts of the North-West where the Boko Haram phenomenon is more prevalent, somebody said that the situation is bad that even if one’s son is a member, one will not even know.

“That means that if the person will plant a bomb behind your house you won’t know.

“Some of them are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary/legislative arm of government while some of them are even in the judiciary.

“Some are also in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies. Some continue to dip their hands and eat with you and you won’t even know the person who will point a gun at you or plant a bomb
behind your house.”

The President identified greed and selfishness as what he called the twin evil facing the country, saying corruption is only a symptom of the two.

He said only greed and selfishness would make a marketer to smuggle petrol which has been subsidised by government to neighboring countries.

Jonathan said the two evils were not limited to government functionaries only. He reiterated his position that though Nigerians might suffer a little, the nation would get to the promised land.