Ruggedman professes love to Chidinma on Radio

Rapper, Michael Stephens Ugochukwu, aka, Ruggedman, took fans aback when he openly professed love to the Kedike crooner, Chidinma in a radio programme which had two of them in attendance. The petite beauty was dazed as the rappers words seemingly hit the right spot. The MTN project fame winner, Chidinma, smile and promised to feature the rapper in her next music video, according to report from Vanguard. Ruggedman, also known as Ruggedy Baba, came into limelight through his controversial hit track, ‘Ehen’, which featured Nomoreloss. He also later dropped ‘Baraje’ single, which ruled the airwaves back then. Recall that recently, Ruggedy Baba, was made the United Nation’s ambassador for peace. He is also CEO Rugged Records.

In response to the attack by Boko Haram insurgents on the Gwoza Training camp of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (PMF), Acting Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba has ordered the tightening of security around police facilities in the country, in addition to efforts to further protect life and property.

A statement by police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu recalled that an attack on the camp on August 7 was repelled by the Police, but that a fresh offensive was launched on August 20 in which the policemen on duty engaged them in a fierce battle.

“The search and rescue party launched immediately has located and brought to safety all Police officers in the Training College at the time of attack,” he said.  “So far, thirty-five policemen who are still missing from the facility as a result of the latest attack are being searched for with very promising prospect of locating them.”

The IGP enjoined all Nigerians to remain calm and to join hands with the security forces in the collective fight against insurgency, restating his determination to work closely with other security agencies to stem the tide of terror in the country.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of playing politics with the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. The presidential spokesman who said this during an interview with Punch also described claims credited to the APC that the $1bn loan the President is seeking to fight Boko Haram is actually meant for his 2015 election campaign as “irresponsible”. Reuben Abati also dismissed reports that the emergency rule has not been able to curb violence in some of the affected states,”President Jonathan has declared a state of emergency about three times now in the affected areas. By the second time the declaration was made, the scope of the terror reduced. Normalcy returned to the greater part of Adamawa and Yobe states. At a time, all three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa were in turmoil almost on a weekly basis. But that reduced because the security forces went in more vigorously and aggressively to the extent that the curfew that had been imposed by the state governments was eventually Iifted and all the markets and offices that had been shut were reopened.” Abati listed transport, infrastructure, education, economy, job creation, oil and gas, agriculture, trade and investment, foreign relations, governance as the President’s achievements that will merit him a second term. Excerpt from the interview below: How confident are you that Nigeria will win the current war against terror? I am very confident that Nigeria will win the war against terror because it is not something that we can live with. Terror is evil and a country or a government cannot elect to live with evil. Terrorism is an assault against our common humanity and no government or country can afford to tolerate the kind of crimes against humanity and the kind of assault against human freedom that terrorism represents. That is why the position of the President is that no matter how long it takes, whatever it takes, the war against terror must be won. This is because if we don’t win the war against terror, it will be difficult for us to achieve our development objectives. Why has emergency rule failed to stop violence in the affected states, especially in Borno? That is not true. The declaration of a state of emergency has been most useful. It is important to understand what a state of emergency is. Under emergency rule, the security forces are given greater scope to be able to deal with a threat situation. Certain restrictions under the constitution will be lifted so that the security forces will have greater latitude to be able to cover the entire territory. President Jonathan has declared a state of emergency about three times now in the affected areas. By the second time the declaration was made, the scope of the terror reduced. Normalcy returned to the greater part of Adamawa and Yobe states. At a time, all three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa were in turmoil almost on a weekly basis. But that reduced because the security forces went in more vigorously and aggressively to the extent that the curfew that had been imposed by the state governments was eventually Iifted and all the markets and offices that had been shut were reopened. The unfortunate thing is that by April this year, the insurgents came back. It was like they retreated and regrouped. By that time, they had been restricted to only a part of Borno State from where they would come out, make incursions, and then disappear. Even with what we are witnessing now, government is again confronting them. In the last one month, there have been reports of theirintelligence chiefs being captured. There have been reports of their armouries being uncovered and many of their operatives being arrested. All these are parts of the operation to get the abducted Chibok girls back and break the hold of terrorists on the limited areas where they are still operating. So it will not be fair to say that the state of emergency is not succeeding. The state of emergency has helped to deepen government operations, and convey a strong signal to the terrorists about government’s determination. What is your reaction to the claim by the APC that the $1bn loan the President is seeking to fight Boko Haram is actually meant for 2015 election campaign? The APC is misinformed, mischievous and that statement by the party is totally irresponsible. After the April 14 abduction of the girls, one of the first things the President did was to summon an expanded National Security Council meeting to which the governors were invited. He also subsequently called a Council of State meeting. At both meetings, the resolution by all the parties present was that the issue of terror is beyond politics and that it requires a bipartisan approach, that nobody should play politics with it because human lives are involved. During the press briefing after one of those meetings, one of the APC governors was one of the spokespersons. He himself made it clear that that was what they agreed on. But after that meeting, what did the APC do? They went back to begin to play politics with the abduction of the girls and with terrorism. That is why I say that they are dishonest by playing politics with something that requires collective action and support. What government requires in its efforts is support and solidarity, not the kind of politics that APC is bringing into it. The second leg of it is that the National Assembly is made up of people from every political party. The message that is out there from the National Assembly is that as a body, the assembly stands solidly behind President Jonathan in the prosecution of the war against terror. On this issue of the $1bn which is to be used to further strengthen the security forces, the National Assembly has also said that the objective of the Federal Government is consistent with its own resolution that whatever is necessary must be provided to strengthen the fight against terror. That National Assembly is made up of every political party. And it agrees in principle that the war against terror must be prosecuted vigorously. So if the APC secretariat is saying a different thing, to the best of my knowledge, that is not the position of the National Assembly which has the oversight responsibility to approve the loan. Talking about the abducted Chibok girls, they have been in captivity for over 100 days. How long will their parents continue to wait for them to be reunited with their children? President Jonathan met recently with the parents of the abducted girls, the girls that managed to escape as well as opinion and community leaders from the affected area. The President made it very clear to the parents that government is working very hard and security forces are also working very hard to ensure that the girls are brought back home. Government’s priority is however not haste. Government’s priority is to ensure that these girls are brought back home safely. If there is anything that may jeopardise the operation, or result in the massacre of those girls, government will rather tread on the side of caution until it is able to make sure that those girls can be rescued safely. The thing to note is that these same terrorists have boasted that if there is any kind of assault on them in a way they feel uncomfortable with, they will not hesitate to massacre the girls. We all want the girls back home safely; there is no question about that. What would the President list as his achievements to merit second term? I have already talked about the achievements of his performance-driven administration in various sectors of the economy: transport, infrastructure, education, economy, job creation, oil and gas, agriculture, trade and investment, foreign relations, governance and so on. President Jonathan promised Nigerians in 2011 that he will transform their lives positively and move this country ahead. He has kept that promise, he is still keeping it and he has chosen to remain focused on service delivery. He has not yet made any categorical statement about 2015, other than that when the time comes, he will do so.

The commandant general of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr Ade Abolurin who on inspection and assessment tour of disposable forfeited items along with other committee members from the Nigerian Army, EFCC, ICPC, office of the Attorney General of the federation among others came under siege when a suspected police inspector attempted to open fire on them at Ikorodu, Lagos state. The attack was orchestrated by the arrest of some suspected vandals and oil thieves on the waters in possession of petroleum products in several jerry cans, including two big Cotonou boats. The suspected police team who came in an unmarked danfo bus carrying AK47 riffles challenged the CG that they are in charge, so, he has no right to visit the area because it belongs to the police. The committee which the CG, NSCDC is the chairman was constituted by the office of the Attorney General of the federation and have for some time now been on assessment tour of the country for disposable forfeited items used for vandalism of critical infrastructure. However, attempt by members of the committee to caution the officer was rebuffed by him and members of his team claiming that they are on a mission here so everyone should steer clear. Further investigation reveals that a distress call was put across to the suspected police team by the arrested vandals and upon arrival, their aim was to set them off the hook of NSCDC by threatening to shoot the CG who masterminded the arrest of their partners in this illicit business and secondly to prevent the committee from confiscating the recovered items which has become exhibits in event of prosecution. It is however unclear if the suspected officer was working on a written script by a superior authority or just acting in his own capacity as a vandal in uniform. What is however clear is that, this is the umpteenth time that officers and men of the corps has been brazenly harassed, molested, assassinated or maimed by officers of the Nigeria police in recent time in the cause of carrying out their legitimate assignments. Still fresh in our memory is the killing of two men of the anti vandal squad of the Lagos state command of NSCDC namely AIC Gabriel Adaji and IC Innocent Akegbe by the police in 2013. Meanwhile, the Act establishing the NSCDC is unequivocal in its assignment of the duty of protection of critical infrastructure of government and national assets to the corps with tremendous record of achievement by the organization as evident in the various arrest of vandals in different parts of the country and prosecution of same to serve as deterrent to others and to ensure that Mr President’s effort in ensuring that life becomes more meaningful for Nigerians through the provision of basic amenities such as unfettered supply of petroleum products, uninterrupted power supply among others is actualized

The Nigerian Medical Association says it has suspended a public sector doctors strike to help efforts to contain Ebola in the country. The association on Sunday directed doctors to return to work Monday. The strike started on July 1, before Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer flew into Nigeria and introduced the virus in Lagos, the commercial capital. Nigeria’s government says the country has 14 confirmed cases. The association also demanded the government restart a residency training program it suspended on Aug. 13. Nigerian Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said Friday two spouses of patients who died of the virus tested positive for Ebola. All cases of Ebola contraction in the country have been tracked back to Sawyer.

Boko Haram’s leader said he has created an Islamic caliphate in a northeast Nigeria town seized by the insurgents earlier this month, in a video obtained by AFP on Sunday. “Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in (the town of) Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate,” Abubakar Shekau said in the 52-minute video. He declared that Gwoza, in Borno state, now has “nothing to do with Nigeria.”

Tambuwal’s aide, Mohammed Isa declares for Katsina Assembly on APC platform

The Senior Special Assistant on Print Media to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal — Mallam Mohammed Isa — has reportedly indicated his intention to contest for a seat in the Katsina State House of Assembly in the 2015 elections. Isa will be contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC. This is coming on the heel of allegations that the speaker is set to jump ship and join the APC. It was gathered however that Tambuwal is currently consulting on whether to join the Presidential or Sokoto gubernatorial race under the All Progressives Congress.

EBOLA OUTBREAK: ‘Nigeria’s case will not be up to six months

The Ministry of Health has expressed it determination to halt the spread of the deadly Ebola virus Disease in the country before the six months predicted by a non-governmental organisation, Medecins Sans Frontieres, aka Doctors Without Borders elapses. The NGO had said that it would take at least six months to contain the spread of the virus after it President, Joanne Liu, said the situation was “deteriorating faster, and moving faster, than we can respond to.” The spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Dan Nwomeh, has said that the ministry had partnered with the Federal Government and the 36 states to curb the spread of the disease before the period predicted by Doctors Without Borders. He said, “What the ministry is doing is probably what you know. The Federal Government, with the ministry, has put certain measures in place to ensure that the outbreak does not last up to the predicted six months.” Nwomeh added that the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, had expressed confidence that the disease would soon be brought to an end in the country. He said, “The minister is very confident Nigeria’s case will not be up to six months. The World Health Organisation was only referring to West Africa as a whole, not specifically Nigeria.

Ethiopia Surpasses Kenya, Hosts Largest Number Of Refugees In Africa

e United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) made reports August 20 that Ethiopia now hosts the largest figure of refugees in Africa, surpassing neighbor Kenya.

This in turn has raised concerns with the UNHCR, due to the fact that Ethiopia’s “capacity to help displaced people may be overstretched".

The large inflow of refugees to the country is a result of the violent conflict currently plaguing South Sudan since December of last year, following President Salva Kiir accusation of his former vice-president, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup.

A refugee camp in Ethiopia's Gambella regionZacharias Abubeker/AFP/Getty ImagesAccording to UNHCR, roughly 630,000 refugees populated Ethiopia by end of July, with 188,000 of them from South Sudan, since the start of the recent civil unrest in Eastern Africa.

Separately from South Sudan, there is a large increase in number of refugees coming from Eritrea (closely 100,000), as people flee from the autocratic government, and Somalia (approximately 245,000).

Kenya on the other hand, is accommodating nearly 575,000 registered refugees overall.

UNHCR’s Spokeswoman for East Africa, Kitty McKinsey, feels that the nearness of the countries has a correlation to the number of people escaping to the refugee camps.

“Generally, when a person’s life is in danger, they flee to the closest safe country,” McKinsey said. “Most of these people walked to get to Ethiopia.”

Kisut Gebreegziabher, Public Information Officer at UNHCR’s Ethiopia office, feels Ethiopia will suffer major consequences as a result of trying to be a ‘good Samaritan’.

“Resources have always been scarce but the continuing influx of refugees from South Sudan in particular is putting further strain [on our operations],” Kisut said.

There is an estimated 25,000 new refugee arrivals each month, which in turn, UNHCR said have put a strain on East Africa’s refugee infrastructure.

UNHCR also stated, “Up to 1 million South Sudanese could be displaced in neighbouring countries by the end of this year,” with 300,000 South Sudanese fleeing to Ethiopia alone if the current conflict lingers.

Eritrean refugees in EthiopiaAdrian Edwards, a Spokesman at UNHCR, said that the Ethiopian government has collaborated with agencies in providing protection and humanitarian aid at five transit sites across Ethiopia and 23 refugee camps. Edwards added that though three camps opened at the start of this year, they’ve already reached their limit and as a result, they were adding two new ones.

Though the refugees have been openly accommodated in Ethiopia, conditions have “complicated the situation” for 18,000 of them currently living in three temporary sites in western Gambella, Edwards said.

Severe flooding has occurred in some of the camps as a result of the drenching rain, which is expected to last until October, which is causing health concerns.

“In recent weeks, heavy rain has flooded three of the low-lying sites in this areas as well as Leitchuor Camp, where the situation is most serious,” Edwards said. “Some 10,000 refugees, about one-fifth of Leitchuor’s population of 47,500 ,have been hit by flooding. Many tents and shelters are under water and latrines have collapsed.

Edwards also stated the effects the heavy rain has had on the refugees in terms of health, especially since 12 of them have died from Hepatitis E as of April.

“Much of the refugee population arriving in neighboring countries has been children throughout this crisis. They have particular vulnerabilities,” he said.  “We have stepped up measures to contain Hepatitis E among South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia. The disease has spread across South Sudan over the last two years and it has now appeared in the border camps in Ethiopia.”

A spokeswoman from Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) shared an effort the organization has been making.

“Because of the cholera epidemics in South Sudan, MSF is planning a vaccination campaign in the Gambela area for a target population of 187,000, to include both refugees and the host community,” she said.

The UNHCR has been working with the Ethiopian government, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners to try to combat the diseases, starting with sanitation improvements.

The attempt to snuff life out of one of Nigeria’s most revered former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, in a fiendish operation would have passed for a routine Boko Haram attack if their hand had performed their enterprise, and would have thrown Nigeria inturmoil of unimaginable proportions as President Jonathan submitted days ago.

General Buhari

The failed “assassination attempt,” as Buhari tagged it, may not be unconnected with the grand plot to silence the opposition. This is coming on the heels of the impeachment of GovernorMurtala Nyako of Adamawa state and the tightening of impeachment noose around Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state. Clearly, the shades of thevarying scope of operation to hunt down those who pose a threat to the present government as enshrined in the alleged sniper’s list former President Olusegun Obasanjodivulged in his missive is being made manifest. Surely, the mere knowledge of an alleged sniper’s list should beinstructive to the opposition party leaders. Impeaching opposition Governors one after the other, it now appears,is part of the grand scheme.

To underscore the gruesome motive of the perpetrators, eyewitness accounts said the bomb-laden car single-mindedly targeted the vehicle conveying the APC chieftain to Daura, his ancestral home from Kaduna. It hit target but the bulletproof construction of the SUV ensured the General escaped death by the whiskers. To the ‘terrorists’, they came agonisingly close.

How can we forget retired General Muhammadu Mamman Shuwa? In November 2012, the civil war veteran was killed in cold blood by unknown gunmen in his Maiduguri home yards away from soldiers idling away in enforcement of law and order. Boko Haram, the usual suspects were fingered. Had Buhari suffered a similar fate, the perpetrators would use the sect to divert attention from the perpetrators.

The PDP have sold a dummy to Nigerians for too long that the sponsors of terror were members of the opposition, All Progressive Congress (APC), but this attack have vindicated the much maligned progressives. Buhari has openly challenged those who accuse him of religious fundamentalism to come out and show proof. No one till this day has any clue.

For irredentists, who think the attack on Buhari's life was stage-managed, let them continue to stew in their bitterness and wallow in their chutzpah. Same people who peddle such falsehood of a self-masterminded attack won't roam within a metre radius of a spot of a bomb scare. Any reasonable Nigerian will acknowledge the risk in masterminding such an attack as the probability that it could spiral out of control is higher than its success.

The political elite in the ruling party must truly be frightened by Buhari's growing popularity ahead of the 2015 elections even though the media coverage on the General is frequently negative with unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations. It has rather won him more support from discerning Nigerians who cannot bemisinformed or misled by needless propaganda. For his loyalists across the country, they can boldly say of him, "All I need from Buhari is his word, I can take it to the bank." Such is the cult-like following that Gen. Buhari wields that he need not rent a crowd, or share rice to garner support.

This is because of his glowing and incorruptible antecedents. Very few people in this country will occupy the number one position to live a modest and Spartan lifeafterwards like him. He occupied lofty positions like theGovernor of the defunct North-Eastern State of Nigeria, Head of State, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources and Chairman of NNPC, Chairman of Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF). He could easily be one of Nigeria's wealthiest politicians with oil blocs to boot because he birthed and supervised the establishment of our existing refineries. Today, we import 70% of the fuel we use because those after him have literally crippled the refineries. He could have retired into stupendous opulence like the Danjumas, Obasanjos, and Abachas of this world. But Buhari bucked the trend and chose the honourable path.

His detractors and traducers are uncomfortable with him around the political scene. Maybe he scares them with his incorruptible, uncompromising, sober, painstaking personae he exudes; his intolerance of impropriety - a major fault of the privileged political elite – scares them. He is everything they are not.

There have been various attempts to erode the electoral value of a man who has validated his cast iron reputation for accountability and transparency coming out unscathed from probes regarding his tenure as Chairman of PTF. And as Buhari’s staunch loyalist in Mallam Nasir el-Rufaiposited that his antagonists "have changed our politics into that of ethnicity and religion to divert attention from their incompetence, lack of capacity and looting of the treasury… PDP is scared of Buhari’s integrity and his track record of doing the right thing and ensuring that people are brought to justice when they break the law. They are afraid of that day when he will become President."

With the failed attempt to take General Buhari's life, the burgeoning army of opposition against the General of impeccable integrity would now sit back, maybe have a rethink, recall their foot soldiers masked in the toga of Jihadists cutting short the lives of “infidels” they see as living corpses.

In the 2011 presidential elections, the man they hate to see even in their dreams got over 12 million votes, with a party that was formed barely 10 months to the election without the support structure and votes a state Governor or even a Local Government chairman would have brought in. He had no war chest or federal might to manipulate voters and electoral officers, a trick the PDP has perfected over the years. But Buhari’s enormous star power earned him a couple of senators and a state governor after the elections. It won’t take a political scientist, a Nostradamus or some prophetic unction to work the numbers in votes the General will pull in 2015 with the 15 Governors in the APC fold!

Those who plotted the dastardly act are enemies of Nigeria, they neither seek its prosperity nor tranquility but thrive and profit from the chaos, bloodshed and colossalsleaze. They are afraid of the intimidating profile of the former Head of State and his acolytes in the opposition party.

Whoever wanted Buhari dead has made a super hero of him. Of all the reasons why Buhari was wanted dead, the 2015 general elections keep popping out of every possibility and conspiracy theory. Inadvertently, they only succeeded in raising his popularity meter. With theoverwhelming outpouring of emotion and support, theretired General has reaffirmed his status as a political heavyweight and gladiator who remains a top contender for next year’s general elections.