Military not arming Fulani herdsmen to kill Christians, says Govt

The Federal Government yesterday warned religious leaders against incendiary messages capable of causing religious war in the country.
It also said allegations bordering on Islamisation of Nigeria and persecution of Christians were mere fallacies.
It said conflicts between Muslims and Christians were often fuelled by political motivation, ethnic differences, extremism, intolerance and terrorism.
It described as ridiculous the accusation by some leaders that the military was arming Fulani herdsmen to kill Christians.
Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed made the government’s position known at the North Central Town Hall meeting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, yesterday.
The session was the eighth in the series of the Town Hall Meetings which was started in Lagos on April 25, 2016 by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mohammed said the government was worried about comments from religious leaders.
The Minister said: “Without equivocating, let me say that a lot has been achieved by this administration, despite the challenges that we have faced since assuming office. But whatever has been achieved in all spheres will pale into insignificance if there is no peace in the country.
” And there is no bigger threat to the peace and unity of our country today than religion-coated incendiary messages, which are being carelessly sent out there by some religious, political and opinion leaders.
“In recent times, the media has been increasingly awash with incendiary statements that seem designed to pitch the adherents of the two prominent religions in the country, Christians and Muslims against one another.”
He described as fallacies such insinuations that the government was either out to Islamise Nigeria or persecute Christians.
He added: “Such fallacies like the Islamisation of Nigeria, the killing of Christians by Muslims, the labelling of Nigeria as the most dangerous place for Christians in the world can only serve one purpose: trigger a religious war. Needless to say that no nation ever survived a religious war.
“Those who are making these allegations know that they are not true, but they have found in religion another tool to demonise the government of the day, divert attention from the government’s anti-corruption stance and create undue tension in the polity.
“The alleged Islamisation of Nigeria under the current Administration is totally false and should be perceived in its entirety as a campaign of calumny.
“The secular nature of Nigeria’s Constitution makes the issue of religious dominance and impunity improbable.”
Mohammed said the government believes that some comments by religious leaders had political connotations.
He said: “It is also important to note that the underlying principle of religious conflict may not be purely religious, but more often than not coloured with political connotations as vividly depicted in the case of the terrorist group Boko Haram.
“And more often than not, conflicts between Muslims and Christians are fuelled by political motivations, ethnic differences, extremism, intolerance and terrorism.”
He said the government considers it ludicrous to claim that the nation’s military was arming Fulani herdsmen to kill Christians.
He said: “Before I end my speech, let me appeal to the media to desist from providing a platform for exponents of incendiary statements, those who will latch on to religion and ethnicity to divide us, and those who have no qualms about leveraging their privileged positions to give Nigeria a bad name in the international community.
“Their foreign collaborators, including a section of the international media, have even gone as far as accusing the Nigerian military, a symbol of the country’s unity, of arming Fulani herdsmen to kill Christians, as if the army is made up of officers and men from only one religion.
“The Federal Government rejects this ludicrous and nonsensical accusation against the military and warns those behind it to desist forthwith.”

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Nigerians cannot aford one good meal a day - NLC to Buhari

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday urged the Federal Government to end the woes of Nigerians.
The labour body said Nigerians, even the working class, cannot longer afford one good meal per day as a result of lack of good governance which has led to non payment of salaries and pensions across states.
The NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who spoke at a news conference in Abuja, said it was unfortunate that several states have not prioritised the welfare of their workers and are owing salaries.
He added that the Congress, in conjunction with the Trade Union Congress (TUC), was organising a mass rally in Lagos and Abuja to press home their demand for good governance.
He said: “We thought that we should canvass for the issue of good governance because despite the Paris Club refund to some of the states, many of them have not done well in making sure that workers interest is given the priority it deserve.
“Some of the states have done their best to ensure that the liability of salaries and pensions is paid as and when due. For example, in Bauchi, about 90 percent of those funds was fund to defray salaries and pension. For now, the best example we have is the case of Jigawa where they don’t have liability of pension and salaries as well as gratuity.
“In most of the states, gratuity is building up and it is a very important component of the benefit of the worker. In some states, we have gratuity running into about 77 months.
“The worst case scenario is Imo State where gratuity and pension is in arrears of 77 months and the governor has contemplated saying those pensioners who have not earned their pension for 77 months will be paid in percentage. He proposed 60 percent which the pensioners have rejected.
“We have also tried to go to those states and see how we can assist those pensioners. This portends a lot of danger and challenge because in some states, they don’t look at payment of salaries as a priority. I remember one of the governors saying he was not elected to pay salaries.
“But he also knows that his predecessor lost office because he could not pay salaries and at the time he took over, there was liability of three months which have now increased to six months.
“These are the challenges and we think that we must situate all these things in the campaign for good governance and try to see how our political elites get their priorities right.
“We realised from the data we have that it is not about how much those states earn, but how transparent the process is in those states. Some states receive less and yet don’t have liabilities of salaries and pension, while some receive so much and yet have not given priority to the payment of salaries, pension and gratuity of workers.
“So, side by side with our quest for a review of minimum wage, it is important for us to engage the process and get the people on the same page on the issue of campaign for good governance and also the issue of corruption.
“Basically, whether we like it or not, corruption will continue to fight back and except we wage a serious war, it is not going to be easy for us to defeat those forces that have been part of the problem.
“It is not about resources, but getting our priorities right and that is why you discovered things have not improved in some of those states, but there are states receiving less but have gotten their priorities right and those challenges are being addressed.
“This rally will encompass all issues, including the issue of minimum wage, anti-corruption because good governance is about having a system where the rule of law will be respected, where collective agreement will be respected and the right of citizens, particularly the working class receive appropriately attention. It also include the payment of salaries.
“Side by side with this is the fact that the fight against corruption is NLC limited to the centre. In the states and local governments, we still have people behaving as if nothing is happening.”
That is why we think that these issues should be placed along side core labour issues and other national issues.

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Oil prices rise to $57.01 on weaker dollar

Oil prices rose yesterday with traders shifting money into crude futures as the dollar weakened and on concerns that new U.S. sanctions against Iran could be extended to affect crude supplies.
But markets were held back by more signs of growing U.S. production and by worries that import demand in China could slow.
International Brent crude futures were trading at $57.01 per barrel at 0620 GMT, up 20 cents from their last close.
U.S West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were up 19 cents at $54.02 a barrel.

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9-year-old girl abused on the street not in my school – Headmistress of Warri school

The Headmistress of Agbasa Primary School in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Mrs. Ayodele Bridget Dowe has debunked the rumour making the rounds that a primary two pupil of the school, Ogheneroro Gabriel was sexually abused by unknown persons within the school premises.

Dowe debunked the rumour in a chat with DAILY POST this morning at the school’s premises following the absence of Ogheneroro who was alleged to have been sexually abused by unknown men along Hausa quarters in Warri whenever she went hawking with some Hausa neighbours for her grandmother.

Although no suspect has been arrested over the matter, Dowe said, ” Nothing like that happened here. I have not heard anything like that. There could be possibility of sexual abuse on the girl but it happened elsewhere and not in this school. We in this school handle such matters to the best of our abilities because we don’t condone evil,” adding,” if there is anything like that, we would have exposed it before you even came in.”

Dowe claimed that she on behalf of the school jointly provided school badge and other materials before admitting Ogheneroro who was brought in by an official of Education Marshal, Miss Mercy Muoboghare last year.

Dowe claimed that Ogheneroro absonded from school throughout last year.

Ogheneroro’s class teacher, Mrs. Veronica Omohiro described the nine year old girl as a “truant.”

Omohiro claimed that she asked Ogheneroro who had consistently coughed in class to go home and treat herself and return with her parents.

Omohiro also tendered a register indicating Ogheneroro’s consistent absence from school.



According to her, “in week one, we did not open. Week two, she came only one day. Week three, she came one day. Week four, she did not come to school. Week five and six, she did not come. Week seven, she came one day out of three days. Week eight, she came three times. Week nine, once. Week ten and eleven, she did not come. Week twelve, once. Week thirteen and fourteen she did not come. Continous Assessment also shows she did not do test for first term.”

Ogheneroro’s Mother, Mrs. Helen Gabriel, also in a chat with DAILY POST at her Old Welfare residence confirmed that her daughter was not sexually abused in her school, pointing out that it was in her grandmother’s place around Hausa quarters in Warri that she was allegedly abused by some unknown persons.

The mother of seven claimed that she was not aware that her daughter was abused until four days ago when she was informed by a relative, Success Ononoje.

” Nor be for here, nor be for school dem for abuse her na for her grand mama place.” “dem nor tell me oo. Na few days ago i hear the matter.I nor know anything concerning the matter. Na about four days ago one girl one girl wey dey stay their for their grand mama place dey tell. I come tell her say you know all these since nai you nor tell me or tell the papa.”

Helen stated that her daughter, Ogheneroro is no longer in school because her husband could not cater for the educational needs of the child.

Helen claimed that Roro alleged she was driven out of examination hall last term for failing to pay examination fees.

” I tell her say make she go tell her Papa but he say he nor get money to give pilkin go school. I come say no need to born children for you. Na him even make the children dey house.”

When Our Delta Correspondent visited the office of the Edumarshals in Warri, its officials declined comments on the matter.

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