3 weeks later, another INEC office razed by fire in same zone

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) area office in Katsina-Ala, Benue, was razed by fire in the early hours of Sunday, April 19, NAN reports.

No sensitive materials were lost to the inferno, according to the Commission.

INEC Public Relations Officer in Benue, Louis Ochai, said the commission had removed sensitive materials, such as card readers, from the building immediately after the elections.

In the past three weeks, two other INEC offices had been razed by in the senatorial zone, the April 19 incident makes it the third.

The office serves as the commission’s collation centre for the Benue North-East Senatorial District.

It’s false and embarrassing,’ Presidency responds to 2trn campaign fund report

President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed the report, originally published on Sunday Punch of April 19, stating that the incumbent demanded a refund of over N2 trillion disbursed for the purpose of election campaigns.

Reacting to the report in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati on Sunday, Jonathan also denied setting up a five-man committee to audit and retrieve the rest of the fund.

The story, which was also reported by Pulse, said the millions of naira were shared within government officials, Peoples Democratic Party, traditional rulers and others.

Abati however described the claims as “mischievous, false and embarrassing.”

The presidential spokesman said, suggesting that N2 trillion was spent on election when the country’s budget is a little above N4 trillion insinuates that the people behind it meant to instigate a national crisis.

The statement reads in part, “the front-page story of the Sunday Punch of April 19 alleging that the Presidency spent a whopping N2tn on the 2015 general elections, and that a Committee of Five has been set up by President Jonathan to conduct an audit of how the funds were disbursed by party members and state officials is mischievous, false and embarrassing.

“The President has not set up any committee as alleged in that story. It is also not true that the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party used state funds, or spent N2tn on the campaigns. The innuendoes are wrong-headed; the motives behind the story are suspicious.”

He insinuated that some people have been trying to diminish Jonathan’s presidency since the March 28 and April 11 general elections.

Our people are preparing for war against all foreigners

Itunu Bodunrin, who on Monday had attended his master’s degree graduation ceremony at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, is now stranded on the University campus due to the xenophobic attacks happening in the city.

He forwarded a text message which, according to him, had been circulated among South African residents via an instant messaging mobile application, WhatsApp.

In the message, signed by several groups, including the Patriotic Movement, Pan Local Forum, Unemployed Workers Forum and Anti-Crime Movement, Nigerians and other African foreigners were warned to leave the country.

It read partly:

“Dear neighbour from Africa and other parts of the world, we have travelled the world and have not found one country that allows the floods of humans across its borders as South Africa is experiencing. Even in war-torn parts like Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and Somali.

We were seven million people in Johannesburg city in 2011. Today, we have an estimated 13 million. In Johannesburg alone, you have taken over entire suburbs: Yeoville, Berea, Bez Valley, Turfontein, among many. You have even moved into rural parts of our country that have 80-per-cent unemployment, and there are no visible signs that you have jobs either.

We want to be proudly part of the geographic construct called Africa, but we are as different from one another as Kenyans are from Nigerians; Ivorians from Chadians, etc.

We are pleading with you to return to your home countries. Go and build up those countries so that we can all live in economic, social and political prosperity and peace as neighbours. The genocide in this corner of Africa will be far worse than what happened in Rwanda in 1994. Then the entire continent will be condemned to ashes. Is that what you want?

South Africans not fully employed or who were found guilty of crimes, were recently repatriated from Nigeria and rightly so.

Our people are preparing for war against all foreigners (from Bulgaria, Pakistan and Bangladesh to Africa, north of the Limpopo) and we are all very scared. Please go home and build Africa. Millions will die if you don’t. This we can guarantee."

Xenophobia: 50 Nigerians affected in South African attack

•Buhari backs FG on decision

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as provocative and completely unacceptable the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.

A number of migrants including Nigerians are believed to have been killed in a wave of xenophobic attacks in recent days by South Africans on foreigners, who they accused of snatching their jobs.

A statement issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, on Saturday, in Abuja, said the attacks were “outright barbaric, primitive and cannot be justified under any guise whatsoever,” adding that it was “unfortunate and disheartening that South Africans by this attitude have shown that they are not appreciative of the roles played by Nigeria and other African countries in liberating their nation from the clutches of the obnoxious apartheid system.”

Meanwhile, facts emerged, on Saturday, about the undercurrent of hatred and constant xenophobic attacks on black Africans in South Africa, as the attacks have been described as an “institutionalised crime aided by top South African government officials to deliberately obliterate and distort the contributions of some African countries to the liberation struggle of South Africa during apartheid.” A South Africa-based Nigerian media practitioner and Chief Executive Officer of Better Africa Communications and Consults, Mr Femi Oshin, disclosed this in a telephone interview with Sunday Tribune, yesterday, just as he said that many young South Africans were ignorant of the contributions of many African countries to the liberation struggle waged by the African National Congress (ANC) against white settlers in the country.According to him, “one of the major causes of xenophobia and Afrophobia in South Africa is the paucity of knowledge, in terms of Nigeria’s contribution and that of other African countries towards the dismantling of apartheid system in South Africa,” he noted.

Quoting the late foremost Kenyan political writer, Ali Mazrui, Oshin, who produces “Agogo Ayo”, a magazine programme for M-NET DSTV, South Africa, said many South Africans saw many Africans who lived in their country as new colonialists, and that Nigerians were the most domineering among them, hence the constant attacks on them.

“According to Mazrui, South Africans see Nigerians who live in their country as new black colonialists, who have come to take out of their hard-earned resources, which they jostled for for many years.

“The attacks have been on for many years, and government officials in the country are fuelling it up so as to wipe off the claim that African countries contributed to the freedom of South Africa from the stranglehold of white colonialists,” he added.

The television producer/presenter disclosed that he was the victim of xenophobia in 2005 when South African police officers ambushed him on the street of Johannesburg and started beating him, though he didn’t commit any offence.

“Many Nigerians and other African nationals have been clobbered to death in broad daylight on the street by the South African police officers, not because they committed any offence, but because they just hate seeing them in their country.

“What is happening here is beyond what you hear in Nigeria or see online. Xenophobia or Afrophobia is an organised crime against black Africans, especially Nigerians. The fact is that they hate hearing that Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe or what have you helped them to secure freedom from oppression, and to end the claim, young and ignorant South Africans are often incited to foment trouble against black Africans.

“I have been here for years, and know them very well,” he said, noting that the poor attitude of the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa towards the welfare and complaints of Nigerian nationals in the country has further worsened the situation, as this has emboldened South Africans to “kill Nigerians at will.”

But the PDP called on the government of South Africa to take urgent steps to halt the attacks, saying: “whilst we are aware that this unfortunate incident is a fallout of incendiary utterances by certain leaders in South Africa, we call on the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and South African government to take urgent practical steps to stem the tide and guarantee the safety of lives and property of Nigerians and other nationals targeted by the xenophobes.”

Buhari commends FG on safety measure

In a related development, president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, said that he is in full support of the steps taken so far by the Nigerian government in its efforts to protect the country’s citizens from the wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

In a statement released in Abuja by his Presidential Campaign Organisation, General Buhari said that Nigeria’s Head of Mission in Pretoria had taken the right steps by advising the Nigerian community in South Africa to close their shops; stay home and keep out of trouble, while ensuring that they obey the laws of their host country.

The statement further stated that, “we equally understand that the South African government is making efforts to bring an end to this unfortunate situation” stressing that, “in the meantime, Nigerians in South Africa should abide by the words of caution extended them by their government representative in Pretoria.”

General Buhari also commended the Nigerian government for its decision to monitor the situation in South Africa and evacuate its citizens at any sign of escalation.

Nigerian Union to resettle 50 Nigerians attacked by S’Africans

The Nigerian Union in South Africa has said that it has concluded arrangements to resettle 50 Nigerians affected by the ongoing xenophobic attacks.

The President of the union, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on phone from Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday.

Anyene said the Nigerians were displaced at Jeppes Town, near Johannesburg.

“We met about 300 Nigerians in Jeppes town, near Johannesburg, who fled for their safety and about 50 of them do not have any place to stay.

“We are making arrangements with the Nigerian mission in South Africa to get them a place to stay for their safety,” he said.

South Africans Speak: Nigeria Deported Our People, And Nobody Complained; Millions Will Die Here!

Nigerians says that currently WhatsApp messages are currently being distributed by xenophobic anti-expats in South Africa, telling them to go home or there will be more killings to come.

“We were seven million people in Johannesburg city in 2011," the message said earnestly, "today, we have an estimated 13 million. In Johannesburg alone, you have taken over entire suburbs: Yeoville, Berea, Bez Valley, Turfontein, among many. You have even moved into rural parts of our country that have 80-per-cent unemployment, and there are no visible signs that you have jobs either.

The message, signed by groups such as Patriotic Movement, Pan Local Forum, Unemployed Workers Forum and Anti-Crime Movement have asked Nigerians and other Africans to return to their home countries.

If there is a failure to comply, "the genocide in this corner of Africa will be far worse than what happened in Rwanda in 1994. Then the entire continent will be condemned to ashes. Is that what you want?"

“South Africans not fully employed or who were found guilty of crimes, were recently repatriated from Nigeria and rightly so.

“Our people are preparing for war against all foreigners (from Bulgaria, Pakistan and Bangladesh to Africa, north of the Limpopo) and we are all very scared. Please go home and build Africa. Millions will die if you don’t. This we can guarantee.”

Saraki Tells Buhari: Asset Declaration Can't Stop Corruption in

Nigeria – Senator Bukola Saraki has stated that declaration of assets by politicians and public office holders would not reduce the rate of corrupt practices in Nigeria, Tribune reports.

Days ago president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in a bid to curb corruption in Nigeria had said officers under his administration have to declare their assets.

However, Sen. Saraki has a different opinion: “I don’t think it is declaration of assets that would make you less corrupt or more accountable,” he said.

“I think it is your own individual commitment to your party and leadership provided, he added.

“Leadership is very important because the leader leads by example. Honestly, things will change. Instead of sitting with the president to seek favour, you come home and sit down with your people so that you can have the better chance of winning election.”

He however noted that the key areas which would be addressed by the incoming led government are the issues of corruption, security and jobs for youths in the country.

“There would be zero tolerance for corruption and because of the backdrop of that, you begin to see revenue coming up and you will have more money for infrastructural development.”

Re-run election: Security agents arrest 10 APC supporters, recover guns in Nasarawa

THE combined team of soldiers and members of the Nasarawa State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), on Saturday, arrested 10 supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with seven AK47 rifles at Agwan Mangu unit 032 in Chiroma ward of Lafia Local Government Area of the state.

Witnesses told Sunday Tribune that the APC members, who concealed the rifles and other dangerous weapons in their three vehicles, were moving from one unit to another within Chiroma ward, disguising as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, with a view to causing unrest and snatching ballot boxes, if they discovered that eligible voters were not voting for APC.

They were apprehended during stop and search on Jos/Lafia road in Lafia, the state capital, when security operatives searched their three vehicles, having told the security personnel that they were on election duty.

The accreditation for the re-run election for Lafia/Obi federal constituency, which had earlier commenced peacefully without hitches, later turned violence, when APC supporters began to humiliate eligible voters.

One of the voters, who did not want his name in print, alleged that many APC supporters besieged unit 032 with fake Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs).

According to another voter, Salihu, “Many APC women, whose units are not here, but because they used hijab in their PVCs, came here with their cohorts to cast their votes”.

When contacted on phone in Lafia, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ismaila Numan, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said he was out of the state for an official assignment.

It will be recalled that INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Danyaya, had announced that the result of the election for Lafia/Obi federal constituency was inconclusive, hence, the need for a re-run in 71 units of Chiroma ward, where discrepancies had been noticed.

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