Buhari is awesomely an intriguing leader and to me, he is not just a cerebral force, but someone in the region of an impenetrable being, who has overpowered all human debilitations, like some gods. Elsewhere in the world, leaders derive their sacredness and veneration from the effervescent of unassailability. And candidly, a leader is not just a piece of cake on a street shop to instantly decode in shape, colour and countenance. So, President Buhari has a big and matured heart. He rarely speaks, but believes more in action.
Today, President Buhari has proven that he emerged not just as an enigma on Nigeria’s political firmament, but on Africa’s delicate leadership ladder to rescue the continent. When one recalls African fables, and the thrilling roles of a talisman, the image of Buhari assail the senses defiantly.
So, when he sought leadership of Nigeria for the fourth time in 2015, many Nigerians, Africans and the world generally thought, this Mr. Uprightness was coming to battle corruption alone. They misconstrued him and underrated his personage.
I keep recounting that throughout his tedious campaigns for Nigeria’s presidency in 2015, the words “corruption and insecurity,” consistently dropped from his lips. His audience, supporters, haters and traducers alike heard him this loud, but never believed that he could do anything else outside battling the monster of corruption in Nigeria. Nigerians who busied themselves with such satanic mindsets, least remembered that President Buhari inherited a country on the cusp of extinction, propelled by these two vices, insecurity and corruption.
I can bet that Nigerians with good retentive memory would reminisce how the engaging immediate past first lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan, echoed at the peak of the electioneering campaigns in the early months of 2015 that Nigerians should avoid conceding power to General Buhari.
And her simplistic reason was that if given the Presidency of Nigeria, Buhari would build more prisons to incarcerate many Nigerians, up to 300 years in jail. She sumptuously and contemptuously dwelt on Buhari’s years as military leader of Nigeria. She was emphatic that she has no resources to feed her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan in jail, then, President Buhari’s main contender in the 2015 general elections.
But today the reality is different. Among Nigerians and stretching further, the international community, I might be one soul who may not necessarily trust President Buhari as the liberator of Nigeria. I could even prefer to freely flow with his antagonists and critics to maliciously proclaim how worse or the depths he has rendered Nigeria prostrate.
Whatever negative excuses, or grudges the anti-Buhari elements have nursed against him in other sectors, I don’t want to know or give a thought to it. They have their reasons, whether false or genuine. But on security and corruption, which these adversaries have often attempted to flatten him, the world has continued to persistently acknowledge his outstanding performances. Buhari is like no any other Nigerian leader since independence in 1960. He’s just in his own metaphysical realm, and I cannot stop admiring him.
We may disagree with President Buhari, and even insult his ancestors for breathing life into him. But in sober moments, we all accept it as unfair and influenced. The good works he is executing in Nigeria or the positive impact on leadership of this country has not escaped the lenses of the world in appreciation.
So, the doubting Thomases were again shocked when Nigeria cum President Buhari’s efforts on security or precisely, on defeating terrorism were celebrated globally, as impactful to reduction in terror-induced deaths across the world. Nigeria was part of the marginal reduction of 22 percent in five countries and as one of the nations which recorded 33 per cent fewer deaths on global terrorism index rating. We look back at 2011, 2012 and up to 2014; yet, we prefer not to see the changes on terrorism in 2016 and 2017.
But nothing has gladdened my heart in recent times like this global endorsement that in five countries around the world, most tortured by terrorism and condemned to its consuming inferno, Nigeria is mentioned in the report positively. Nigeria is one among the four countries , namely, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, which were in the furnace of terrorism, but have managed it effectively, thus contributing to global reduction of terrorism . The report expansively covered 163 countries, some 99 percent of world population.
The American-based Institute for Economics and Peace’s report titled, “ Global Terrorism Index 2017,” officially launched at the Royal United Services Institute in London, a few days ago, published a comprehensive synopsis of “ global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 17 years.” It highlighted its peak in 2014, on the eve of Buhari’s Presidency and cheeringly disclosed a decline in years 2016 and 2017.
And the indicators’ upon which the report was based were incisive and commendable too. It looked at terrorism in Global results and trends, Terrorism trends in Europe and other developed countries, Characteristics driving terrorism recruitment, Profiles of the four most deadly terrorist groups and the Economics of terrorism. Yet, Nigeria came up tops.
And the most critical of audience within and outside Nigeria are unconsciously singing songs of Nigeria’s redemption under Buhari. Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) has led the pack of appreciators of President Buhari’s volte force on security, eloquently and elaborately commending his commitment to ridding Nigeria and the world of the de-humanizing crime of terrorism.
NDMG’s President, Dr. Ibukun Ola, succinctly submitted that Nigerian Army’s operations like ‘ Operation Python Dance,” “Scorpion Sting”, “Lafiya Dole,” “Crocodile Smile” are the backbone to such amazing accomplishments’ in security ranking of Nigeria. But some demented and cursed opposition elements never thought it wise to say “thank you, Mr. President.”
Nevertheless, diasporan Nigerians led by Dr. Ola pricked their conscience in these words, “We note particularity the report by the Global Terrorism Index and that of the BBC on the development which has confirmed Nigeria’s contribution to winning the war against global terrorism and other crimes against humanity…the number of terrorism related deaths around the world fell according to the report for a second year in 2016, showing that the biggest drop was recorded in Nigeria where there’s being an 80% reduction.”
The group added, “In the South-south region too, the President has through the launch of military operations and other subtle and diplomatic means, been able to nip activities that could graduate into terrorist acts in the bud… these are by no means incidental but results of meticulously designed and worked-out templates borne out of experience in intelligence and strategy that culminated in the appointments of tested Generals who could key into the programme leading to the formulation of the military interventions across the nation.”
I cannot be less proud of my country. The wailing wailers can go and burn themselves in whatever fire pleasing to their souls. But for me, I am proud of President Buhari for ingraining his name in gold prints on global map of nations indubitably committed to rescuing humanity with fatal blows on terrorism. It is his prestigious seat in the history of the global fight against terrorism.
Quite strongly, I am grateful to the COAS, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai, and leader of this delicate counter-insurgency war and an incontestable emancipator of the afflicted masses of Nigeria. No current serving Service Chief of the Nigerian federation deserves lesser commendation and ovations.
The entire grain of the Nigerian military, especially, Nigerian soldiers have all occupied this hall of global fame and etched their names on the marble. If opposition Nigerians are not grateful and appreciative, I am truly and unfathomably grateful. And like the Late Captain Thomas Sankera of blessed memory once echoed, and I paraphrase, I stand to raise a voice for every liberated Nigerian, who cannot find a medium to raise a voice in appreciation of the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff and the President.
Okanga, is a traditional warrior from Agila, Benue State.The post Buhari’s tall ranking on terror war appeared first on Within Nigeria.
Aside owing Hassan the sum of N4.8million salary arrears, Mr. Nda-Isaiah had also refused to pay Hassan the commission from the 400 pages advertisement he single-handedly secured for the newspaper from the Kogi State government.
The Pharmacist, turned publisher, who is one of newspaper publishers known for treating their staff shabily, aside his non-payment of salaries also subjected Hassan to all forms of Police harassment, intimidation and detention.
For more than a week now. a full page advert of ‘Disclaimer’ has been running in the newpaper against Mr. Hassan.
Addressing judiciary correspondent in Abuja over the weekend through his lawyer, Barr. Olamide Ayoola, Hassan, urged innocent innocent member of the public who may not have known the genesis of the crisis to disregard the disclaimer advert in the LEADERSHIP newpaper.
“Mr. Nda-Isaiah is known for cheating his staff when it comes to the issue of their welfare. He decided to start running disclaimer adverts against me simply because I refused to be cheated.
From reliable source, my lawyers told me that Nda-Isaiah called the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, who is his kinsman on phone to intimidate and harass me despite being cheated.”
He said all the adverts placed by Kogi State Government is about N100m out of which he only paid a month salary for all his staff.
Adeleye explained that Hassan who was employed by the newspaper in 2011 until he resigned voluntarily in July 2017 had three years outstanding arrears of his salary to the tune N4.8million unpaid.
The lawyer, however, said his client fell apart with the newspaper when Hassan, through the good relationship he had established in the past secured a 400 pages advertisement from Kogi State government to the tune of N45.5m.
“The payment for this advert was done through Hassan’s personal account. The monies were paid into his account in his individual capacity and not as a staff of leadership newspaper but more or less as an agent through which they could have paid the assignment through other newspapers since he became a free agent after his resignation from the newspaper in July, 2017.
“In the course of this payment, some monies were lodged to my client account which he appropriately remitted to LEADERSHIP newspaper and took less N3M as commission which was an agreement between him and management of the newspaper. This N3m was a token out of the contract worth N45.5million.
” The explanation for this is that he paid N39.5m into leadership newspaper, took N3m as agreed between him and the management of leadership newspaper and another N1m which was supposed to be given to the Kogi State government house staff to facilitate the payment as agreed and approved by the management of leadership newspaper as well.
“My client also took N2m, part of the salary arrears; this was also done with the agreement of the management of leadership newspaper” the lawyer stated.
Hassan lawyer expressed shocked that instead of honouring the agreement with his client, Nda -Isaiah resorted to intimidating and harassment of his client with the police.
” My client was harassed, arrested, intimidated and detained by the police for no crime committed under our laws. As a law abiding citizen, he has always made himself available at every given time as requested by the police force” he added.
Meanwhile, Hassan has expressed surprise over a full page disclaimer the newspaper carried in his name.
The disclaimer, according to the lawyer has projected his client’s image in bad light
He said his client has received several calls both locally and internationally asking him what he had done to have necessitated such disclaimer.
“On the disclaimer, we have today sent a letter to leadership newspaper making various demands prominent among which is his salary arrears, the illegal deduction made on his salary for all the years he had worked with the paper.
“His one year salary which was taken from him over advertisement he knew nothing about should be paid.
“We have all the evidence and facts to prove all this. These are facts that will be clear for the court to see when the time comes.
The issue of staff unfair treatment in Nigeria has become so common. This battle should not be treated lightly because if this should happen to Durojaiye today, it can happen to anybody”.
The post Sam Nda-Isaiah, LEADERSHIP newspaper publisher fights ex-staff over 400 pages advert commission appeared first on Within Nigeria.
