Emir of Kano former central bank governor Lamido Sanusi calls Nigerians to arms over Boko Haram

One of northern Nigeria's most influential Muslim leaders has called on people to defend themselves against attacks by the Boko Haram militant Islamist group.

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, said residents should "acquire what they need" to protect themselves.

The BBC's Will Ross, in Nigeria, says such an intervention is very unusual.

A police spokesman said the Emir's comments were a "call for anarchy" and should not be acted on.

The emir, who until earlier this year was governor of Nigeria's central bank, normally stays silent on political matters.

He made the comments at a prayer meeting, following several further attacks in recent days blamed on Boko Haram.

Jihadists from the group continue to cause havoc in parts of north-east Nigeria, capturing towns and villages where they have been imposing their own strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Primary schools in one of the worst-affected areas have begun reopening after being closed for the past eight months.

Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden", often attacks educational establishments.

Some of the schools are to be protected by self-defence groups.Deserting soldiers

The emir, who strongly criticised the government when he was a banker, said people should not be afraid of the militants and should prepare to defend themselves.

"These terrorists slaughter our boys and abduct our girls to force them into slavery," he said.

"People should not sit idle and say prayer is the only solution. People should be made aware of the importance of being in a state of preparedness and make sure they acquire what they need to protect themselves. We should be ready to give our lives."

The emir said residents should not wait for help from the military. There have been numerous reports of soldiers deserting, saying they are not as well equipped as the militants.

Police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said: "Any call for citizens to arm themselves is a call for anarchy and lawlessness. And this is not allowed under our laws. Such a call should be disregarded. The police [force] is living up to its duty to protect lives and property."

Civilians have already played a key role in fighting the insurgency by forming local vigilante groups (known as civilian joint task forces) and this is now a wider call for everyone to stand up and be counted.

The emir may not have mentioned the group known as Boko Haram by name but this was a strong condemnation of the insurgents. It is highly unusual for the emir of Kano to be so outspoken on this issue.

Muhammad Sanusi was a persistent critic of the government when he was central bank governor and some of his detractors may criticise him for speaking out now but there is no denying that the situation in north-east Nigeria is deteriorating.

The emir's strong message contrasts sharply with the government, which has stayed almost silent on the conflict except for the oft-repeated promise that the insurgents will be defeated.

Over the weekend a local vigilante group helped the military recapture the town of Chibok which Boko Haram had seized 48 hours earlier.

Boko Haram fighters kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the town in April, sparking global outrage.

Schools reopening

Boko Haram, which says it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria, has repeatedly targeted villages in Borno state in recent months.

There are reports of many Boko Haram members being killed in Sunday's raid.

Schools in Borno state were shut down eights months ago because of security concerns after attacks by the militant group.

State officials said 450 primary schools were expected to reopen on Monday in a staged process intended to lead to the reopening of almost 1,400 schools in the state.

The BBC has confirmed that some primary schools in the state capital, Maiduguri, have already reopened.

The chairman of a state committee on education, Mohammed Dongel, said fencing had been erected around schools and security guards were ensuring "24-hour surveillance".

Secondary schools in Borno are due to remain closed until internally displaced people sheltering in them can be moved to alternative accommodation.

BBC


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Video - Nigerian short film Chuks premieres at Toronto International short Film Festival

On November 14th, 2014. Nigerian filmmakers premiered their short film titled Chuks at the Toronto International Short Film Festival.

Chuks is a businessman who deals in a peculiar business. For a handsome fee, he facilitates the transportation of desperate Nigerian illegal immigrants looking for greener pastures in North America.
 

Official selection at 2014 Toronto International Short Film Festival.

Official selection at 2015 Pan African Film Festival Los Angeles.

Cast: Udoka Oyeka, Emeka Menakaya, Selena Broughton, Uzo Menekaya

Directed by Chidi Nwaozomudoh

Written by Chidi Nwaozomudoh and Chiedu Nwaozomudoh

Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka says Nigeria lacks genuine leaders

The Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka yesterday lamented the insecurity in Nigeria and blamed it on lack of genuine leadership.

Speaking after receiving the honourary award of the university of Ibadan, he said if the country had genuine leadership, Nigerians would not be at the mercy of Boko Haram.

Soyinka who specifically asked the representative of President Goodluck Jonathan at the award ceremony, the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau to deliver his message, cautioned the president on the huge amount of money being spent on sports.

While noting that the president had spent so much on sports, he suggested that more money be allocated to education and enlightenment.

He said that Nigeria was covered with cloud of shame and dereliction of responsibilities, adding that what was happening in institutions of learning in the north could happen in any part of the country.

“Something happened. It is what we are doing today. Yes, it is a festive occasion. But, we are here and we know we are sitting under a cloud, it’s heavy cloud; it’s cloud of embarrassment of shame, a feeling of dereliction or solemn irresponsibility towards the children.

“We are sitting here under a cloud of impotence of a calamity that was not without notice.

“You all know why we are all here, it is in the course of learning and till death, we will not stop learning. It is all about learning and that is what life is all about. We never stop learning,” he said.

According to him, this cloud is made up of a sense of humiliation.

He lamented that school children were sent out on errand and they did not return, saying “the errand we sent is what we are celebrating today.

“This is what creates this festive atmosphere. Though, it is a festive mood, but our young protagonists went on that errand and they did not come back; we gathered them in preparation for this day and they never came back,” he added.

President Jonathan who was represented by the Minister of Education, Malam Shekarau, described education as the bedrock of nations’ development.

, saying the federal government would give necessary support to ensure provision of qualitative education at all levels through effective teaching, learning and provision of infrastructure.

To this end, he said government had increased budgetary allocation to education with a view to ensuring accelerated development.

While noting that funding of education should not be left for government, he called on the public sector to contribute to the proper funding of education in Nigeria.


Leadership


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Africa's richest man Nigerian Aliko Dangote to get oil refineries running in Lagos by 2018

 Dangote Group, controlled by Africa’s richest man, expects an oil refinery it is building in Nigeria to come on-stream in late 2017 or the first half of 2018.

The plant in the Lagos area will be able to process 500,000 barrels of crude a day, George Nicolaides, Dangote Industries’ operations director for petroleum refining, said in an interview at the Platts African Refining Summit in Cape Town today.

“The site is being cleared, the plant is being designed,” Nicolaides said. “We are close to the beginning of detailed engineering.”

In September last year, Dangote said it had agreed on a $3.3 billion loan with 12 Nigerian and foreign lenders to build the refinery as well as a petrochemical and fertilizer complex costing a total of $9 billion. At the time, the facility in Africa’s biggest economy was expected to be completed in 2016 and the capacity of the refinery was put at 400,000 barrels a day.

“We have a very ambitious construction schedule,” Nicolaides said. “I’m not sure about the history of those dates.”

While Nigeria is Africa’s top producer of crude oil, it relies on fuel imports to meet more than 70 percent of its needs. Four state refineries with a combined capacity of 445,000 barrels a day are operating at a fraction of that because of poor maintenance and aging equipment.

Dangote selected Engineers India Ltd. (ENGR) to do most of the detailed engineering work for the new plant. Construction contractors have yet to be appointed.

“Supplying the local market is the primary objective,” Nicolaides said. “Naturally we can move product to the region. The government is being very supportive, very enthusiastic about this project. We are not looking for or wanting any particular subsidies.”

The group owns Dangote Cement Plc, the country’s biggest company by market value, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Dangote Industries Ltd. and Dangote Oil Services Ltd. Its president is Aliko Dangote, who is worth $20.2 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Bloomberg

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Nigerian military take back Chibok from Boko Haram

The Nigerian army says it has recaptured the north-eastern town of Chibok, which was seized by Boko Haram militants on Thursday.

Boko Haram fighters kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the village in April, sparking global outrage.

The group, which says it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria, has repeatedly targeted villages in Borno state in recent months.

There are reports of many Boko Haram members being killed in Sunday's raid.

Correspondents say Chibok was retaken late on Saturday, after dozens of military vehicles were seen heading to the village.

A local vigilante force was part of the operation.

This was a joint operation by Nigerian soldiers with a large number of members of a local vigilante force. The success of the mission offers some hope of further success against the insurgents who have been seizing towns and villages in north-east Nigeria, often with little resistance.

The vigilantes would have been desperate to flush the jihadists out of the town and may have felt they had very little to lose by taking them on. A decision was clearly taken to retake Chibok as fast as possible. It is geographically no more significant than other towns and villages still in the hands of the jihadists but its name resonates around the world due to the tragedy of the 219 abducted school girls and so it was important for the government and military to win this battle.

Larger towns like Gwoza have been held by Boko Haram since August and it is surprising that there has not been more urgency to dislodge them from there. There has been a depressing diet of news from the north-east but the recapture of Chibok is a rare piece of good news from an area in crisis.

'Still dangerous'
"Troops continue pursuit of fleeing terrorists and arrest of the wounded. Normalcy is restored," Nigeria's army said on its official Twitter feed.

The military has clearly made it a priority to recapture Chibok, which was held by the insurgents for 48 hours, the BBC's Will Ross reports from Lagos.

However, many residents say the jihadists still have a presence in the surrounding villages and so the area is not safe, our correspondent adds.

Many Chibok residents have moved to other parts of the country, fearing more attacks.

Last month, the group dismissed the government's claims to have agreed a ceasefire. The government had said the ceasefire would set the stage for the release of the Chibok schoolgirls.

BBC

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