The heaviest rain in decades have pounded Nigeria causing more than a dozen deaths and forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. Many of the displaced are now sheltering in camps set up by rescue organisations as floods continue to sweep across the country.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Video - Thousands displaced by floods in Nigeria
The heaviest rain in decades have pounded Nigeria causing more than a dozen deaths and forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. Many of the displaced are now sheltering in camps set up by rescue organisations as floods continue to sweep across the country.
171 female Nigerian pilgrims deported from Saudi Arabia
A total of 171 out of about 1000 Nigerian female pilgrims detained at the King Abdul-Azziz International Airport, Jedda and Madina in Saudi Arabia were yesterday deported to Nigeria through the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
The deportation process began yesterday as Vice President Namadi Sambo was meeting with the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Nigeria Khaled O.Y. Abdrabuh in the series of diplomatic effort to resolve the impasse.
President Goodluck Jonathan had also approved the constitution of a Presidential delegation under the leadership of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to interface with the Saudi authorities over the issues surrounding the detained Nigerian female pilgrims.
The first batch of the deportees made up of 111 pilgrims from Katsina and 60 from Taraba arrived in Kano at about 4:55pm yesterday on board Max Air.
The Taraba pilgrims, mostly from Sardauna and Wukari local government areas of the state, were taken straight away to Kano Hajj Camp after alighting from the plane based on an arrangement at the instance of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), while those from Katsina were flown to Katsina aboard the plane.
In view of the deteriorating situation, NAHCON yesterday announced temporary suspension of all Hajj flights for the next 48 hours.
National Commissioner in charge of operations, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad said last night that the decision was reached after consultations with stakeholders.
Kano State Pilgrim Welfare Board had earlier said it had suspended further airlifting of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Laminu Rabiu said the decision was taken as part of efforts to address the current impasse between Nigeria and Saudi governments.
The pilgrims were denied entry into Saudi Arabia by the country's officials for alleged failure to travel with their muharram (male relatives).
Our correspondent reports that some of the deportees looked tired and hungry on arrival, as they were boarding a waiting vehicle that would convey them to the hajj camp not far away from the airport.
Many of them narrated grim stories about their alleged maltreatment during their stay in Medina airport, saying they were left without food and in the cold since they were flown to the holy land.
They alleged that they were deported despite their wailing and pleas to the Saudi officials to allow them to carry out the religious ritual.
One of the deportees, Amina Jalingo spoke in tears: "We were held in Madina for two days without food. None of us could sleep because it was so cold. Most of us collapsed on the floor, sobbing and pleading after we were told that we would be deported. But our pleas fell on the deaf ears...Right now we are very hungry and tired".
On her part, Aishatu Muhammad, claimed that she was turned back even though she travelled with one of her relatives.
"When we arrived in Madina, my muharram was allowed to pass freely, but my own passport was handed back to me by the Saudi officials. We don't know what sort of male guardians the Saudis want us to present," she asked.
"We are unhappy with this development because our opportunity to perform the hajj has been lost. The officials did not even consider our screaming and appeals," she added.
Daily Trust also learnt that the returnees were brought back because the detention facilities where the initial 1,000 female pilgrims had been kept was so congested that they could not accommodate more pilgrims. According to unconfirmed reports, about 200 pilgrims among the 1,000 in detention shared a single toilet.
A source also told our reporter that when the intending pilgrims attempted to protest their deportation, the Saudi authorities sent troops to the airport in Medina to contain any situation.
Intending female pilgrims from federal capital territory, Kogi and Niger states, yesterday expressed fear over what they described as unjust and unfair treatment of Nigerian women on arrival at Saudi airport.
Meanwhile Sheikh Ahmad Mahmud Gumi, yesterday said the treatment of the Nigerian female pilgrims in Saudi Arabia was caused by government's incompetence as well as the indiscipline, which Nigerians exhibit in foreign countries.
Sheikh Gumi said the action of the Saudi authorities did not come to him as a surprise because of the way and manner female pilgrims conduct themselves while in the holy land.
"During the days of President Yar'adua, I have severally called his attention to the atrocities committed by our female pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. Some of them would go to the holy land and banish. They stay there to engage in acts that are not only against our religion but against even common sense and morality. I know the Saudis have respect for women but what our women do in the kingdom have made the Saudis to regard them as criminals. I once had an encounter with a taxi driver in Saudi Arabia who told me that if he were the president of Nigeria, he would make a law to stop all women between the ages of 15 to 50 from going to pilgrimage. This is to tell you how bad the situation is," he said.
But renowned Kano Islamic scholar Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kalarawi also said yesterday that the issue of Murraham is untenable given the tradition that pilgrims from Nigeria are always under the care of government officials throughout their stay in Saudi Arabia.
He said "if at all there is a serious offence committed by the pilgrims, the Saudi authorities should categorically tell Nigerian government in order to take the next line of action but to say our female pilgrims are detained because they could not produce Muharram is untenable".
Sheikh Kalarawi said unlike Umrah (the lesser hajj) which requires every intending female pilgrim to travel with her Muharram, the hajj proper is always a trip in groups where all the pilgrims including the females are strictly under the care of hajj officials at all government levels and it is an arrangement already known and accepted by Saudi authorities.
The deportation process began yesterday as Vice President Namadi Sambo was meeting with the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Nigeria Khaled O.Y. Abdrabuh in the series of diplomatic effort to resolve the impasse.
President Goodluck Jonathan had also approved the constitution of a Presidential delegation under the leadership of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to interface with the Saudi authorities over the issues surrounding the detained Nigerian female pilgrims.
The first batch of the deportees made up of 111 pilgrims from Katsina and 60 from Taraba arrived in Kano at about 4:55pm yesterday on board Max Air.
The Taraba pilgrims, mostly from Sardauna and Wukari local government areas of the state, were taken straight away to Kano Hajj Camp after alighting from the plane based on an arrangement at the instance of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), while those from Katsina were flown to Katsina aboard the plane.
In view of the deteriorating situation, NAHCON yesterday announced temporary suspension of all Hajj flights for the next 48 hours.
National Commissioner in charge of operations, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad said last night that the decision was reached after consultations with stakeholders.
Kano State Pilgrim Welfare Board had earlier said it had suspended further airlifting of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Laminu Rabiu said the decision was taken as part of efforts to address the current impasse between Nigeria and Saudi governments.
The pilgrims were denied entry into Saudi Arabia by the country's officials for alleged failure to travel with their muharram (male relatives).
Our correspondent reports that some of the deportees looked tired and hungry on arrival, as they were boarding a waiting vehicle that would convey them to the hajj camp not far away from the airport.
Many of them narrated grim stories about their alleged maltreatment during their stay in Medina airport, saying they were left without food and in the cold since they were flown to the holy land.
They alleged that they were deported despite their wailing and pleas to the Saudi officials to allow them to carry out the religious ritual.
One of the deportees, Amina Jalingo spoke in tears: "We were held in Madina for two days without food. None of us could sleep because it was so cold. Most of us collapsed on the floor, sobbing and pleading after we were told that we would be deported. But our pleas fell on the deaf ears...Right now we are very hungry and tired".
On her part, Aishatu Muhammad, claimed that she was turned back even though she travelled with one of her relatives.
"When we arrived in Madina, my muharram was allowed to pass freely, but my own passport was handed back to me by the Saudi officials. We don't know what sort of male guardians the Saudis want us to present," she asked.
"We are unhappy with this development because our opportunity to perform the hajj has been lost. The officials did not even consider our screaming and appeals," she added.
Daily Trust also learnt that the returnees were brought back because the detention facilities where the initial 1,000 female pilgrims had been kept was so congested that they could not accommodate more pilgrims. According to unconfirmed reports, about 200 pilgrims among the 1,000 in detention shared a single toilet.
A source also told our reporter that when the intending pilgrims attempted to protest their deportation, the Saudi authorities sent troops to the airport in Medina to contain any situation.
Intending female pilgrims from federal capital territory, Kogi and Niger states, yesterday expressed fear over what they described as unjust and unfair treatment of Nigerian women on arrival at Saudi airport.
Meanwhile Sheikh Ahmad Mahmud Gumi, yesterday said the treatment of the Nigerian female pilgrims in Saudi Arabia was caused by government's incompetence as well as the indiscipline, which Nigerians exhibit in foreign countries.
Sheikh Gumi said the action of the Saudi authorities did not come to him as a surprise because of the way and manner female pilgrims conduct themselves while in the holy land.
"During the days of President Yar'adua, I have severally called his attention to the atrocities committed by our female pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. Some of them would go to the holy land and banish. They stay there to engage in acts that are not only against our religion but against even common sense and morality. I know the Saudis have respect for women but what our women do in the kingdom have made the Saudis to regard them as criminals. I once had an encounter with a taxi driver in Saudi Arabia who told me that if he were the president of Nigeria, he would make a law to stop all women between the ages of 15 to 50 from going to pilgrimage. This is to tell you how bad the situation is," he said.
But renowned Kano Islamic scholar Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kalarawi also said yesterday that the issue of Murraham is untenable given the tradition that pilgrims from Nigeria are always under the care of government officials throughout their stay in Saudi Arabia.
He said "if at all there is a serious offence committed by the pilgrims, the Saudi authorities should categorically tell Nigerian government in order to take the next line of action but to say our female pilgrims are detained because they could not produce Muharram is untenable".
Sheikh Kalarawi said unlike Umrah (the lesser hajj) which requires every intending female pilgrim to travel with her Muharram, the hajj proper is always a trip in groups where all the pilgrims including the females are strictly under the care of hajj officials at all government levels and it is an arrangement already known and accepted by Saudi authorities.
Related stories: About 1000 female Nigerian pilgrims in detention in Saudi Arabia
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
About 1000 female Nigerian pilgrims now in detention in Saudi Arabia
About 1000 female Nigerian pilgrims are still detained by Saudi authorities even as the two countries are still involved in "high level diplomatic talks" to resolve the impasse, Daily Trust learnt last night.
However, high level sources hinted last night that the federal government is trying to sort out the issue through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even as the House of Representatives resolved yesterday to probe the issue.
"A letter signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs has already been delivered to the Saudi authorities over the issue. We don't know whether they will accept it," the source who is involved with the issue told Daily Trust last night.
Investigations revealed that apart from the initial 400 pilgrims who arrived at the holy land on board flight 17 last Sunday, 600 additional female pilgrims on flights 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, from Katsina, Kano and Zamfara states were also detained at the airport on arrival.
The female pilgrims were detained on arrival when they couldn't produce individual maharram, that is, the approved male companion accompanying them on the trip, usually a husband, father or brother, demanded by the Saudis.
But the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON)'s Commissioner of Operations, Alhaji Muhammad Abdullahi Mukhtar told our reporter yesterday that the it is not true that the pilgrims couldn't produce muharram. He said the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards (SMPWB) "qualify and identify as muharram of female pilgrims. And that has been the case for so many decades."
He said that the situation is so confusing that "the Saudis randomly select flights to screen and detain."
"All the 10 flights that landed in Medina were allowed into the country without any incidence. Also, flights 23, 24 and 25 were not touched at all," he said.
Mukhtar wondered why only Nigerian pilgrims were selected for this treatment by the Saudi authorities. "In fact, there is no such issue in the memorandum of understanding signed between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia," he said.
He said that it was not true that the first two Max air flights conveying Sokoto and Jigawa pilgrims on Sunday "were intercepted because only women were aboard."
"Look at the manifest, all our flights carry both men and women," he said.
Another top official said that the Saudis' action is uncalled for because the fear of pilgrims refusing to come back home is no longer tenable.
"Since the introduction of e-passport by NAHCON adequately addressed the cases of pilgrims staying back in the holy land. In 2011, only 20 pilgrims absconded.
When did you see Saudi plane landing in Nigeria with deportees? The situation has been drastically addressed," he said.
Reports indicate also that the pilgrims are being detained in deplorable condition. One of the detained pilgrims, Bilkisu Nasidi, who spoke to the BBC Focus on Africa programme on Monday, said that the women were being held in "terrible condition."
She said there were about 400 of them (as at Monday) and they were being held in very unsuitable circumstance. She said they had been sleeping on the floor for three days, and an average of 200 women share four toilets.
She denied that all of them were without Maharram or guardian and that some of such guardians have opted not to leave the airport in order to give them some comfort.
"If they don't want us to go into Saudi Arabia let them take us home, we are tired," Bilkisu Nasidi said.
The Nigerian Consul in Jeddah, Ambassador Abdullahi Umar had told BBC Hausa Service on Monday that the Nigerian officials had been providing food and toiletries for the detained pilgrims, adding that a formal letter had been delivered to the Saudis and the issue was being taken up with the Governor of Makkah region, who would decide on the matter.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday commenced an investigation into the circumstance leading to the detention of the women whose number has now risen to about 1000 by the Saudi Arabian authorities in Jeddah.
Adopting a motion on matter of urgent national importance sponsored by Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Suleiman Kawu Sumaila (ANPP, Kano), the House mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs to interface with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and report back today.
In his motion, Sumaila expressed shock that the affected pilgrims were people who applied for Saudi Arabian visas, and were approved by its embassy without such rules made known to them.
He said that the action of the Saudi authorities negated the long standing understanding between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on Hajj performance.
Also, Rep. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP,Abia) who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said her committee was interfacing with officials of the foreign ministry to secure pilgrims release.
However, Rep. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (PDP, Kano) blamed the Nigerian ambassador to Saudi Arabia for treating the issue with laxity by claiming that "he is on top of the situation" whereas "it is the situation that is on top of him."
Meanwhile a Saudi embassy official in Abuja told Daily Trust in confidence last night that officials of the two countries were making diplomatic efforts to sort out the matter and they will address the press when the matter is settled.
However, high level sources hinted last night that the federal government is trying to sort out the issue through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even as the House of Representatives resolved yesterday to probe the issue.
"A letter signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs has already been delivered to the Saudi authorities over the issue. We don't know whether they will accept it," the source who is involved with the issue told Daily Trust last night.
Investigations revealed that apart from the initial 400 pilgrims who arrived at the holy land on board flight 17 last Sunday, 600 additional female pilgrims on flights 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22, from Katsina, Kano and Zamfara states were also detained at the airport on arrival.
The female pilgrims were detained on arrival when they couldn't produce individual maharram, that is, the approved male companion accompanying them on the trip, usually a husband, father or brother, demanded by the Saudis.
But the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON)'s Commissioner of Operations, Alhaji Muhammad Abdullahi Mukhtar told our reporter yesterday that the it is not true that the pilgrims couldn't produce muharram. He said the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards (SMPWB) "qualify and identify as muharram of female pilgrims. And that has been the case for so many decades."
He said that the situation is so confusing that "the Saudis randomly select flights to screen and detain."
"All the 10 flights that landed in Medina were allowed into the country without any incidence. Also, flights 23, 24 and 25 were not touched at all," he said.
Mukhtar wondered why only Nigerian pilgrims were selected for this treatment by the Saudi authorities. "In fact, there is no such issue in the memorandum of understanding signed between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia," he said.
He said that it was not true that the first two Max air flights conveying Sokoto and Jigawa pilgrims on Sunday "were intercepted because only women were aboard."
"Look at the manifest, all our flights carry both men and women," he said.
Another top official said that the Saudis' action is uncalled for because the fear of pilgrims refusing to come back home is no longer tenable.
"Since the introduction of e-passport by NAHCON adequately addressed the cases of pilgrims staying back in the holy land. In 2011, only 20 pilgrims absconded.
When did you see Saudi plane landing in Nigeria with deportees? The situation has been drastically addressed," he said.
Reports indicate also that the pilgrims are being detained in deplorable condition. One of the detained pilgrims, Bilkisu Nasidi, who spoke to the BBC Focus on Africa programme on Monday, said that the women were being held in "terrible condition."
She said there were about 400 of them (as at Monday) and they were being held in very unsuitable circumstance. She said they had been sleeping on the floor for three days, and an average of 200 women share four toilets.
She denied that all of them were without Maharram or guardian and that some of such guardians have opted not to leave the airport in order to give them some comfort.
"If they don't want us to go into Saudi Arabia let them take us home, we are tired," Bilkisu Nasidi said.
The Nigerian Consul in Jeddah, Ambassador Abdullahi Umar had told BBC Hausa Service on Monday that the Nigerian officials had been providing food and toiletries for the detained pilgrims, adding that a formal letter had been delivered to the Saudis and the issue was being taken up with the Governor of Makkah region, who would decide on the matter.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday commenced an investigation into the circumstance leading to the detention of the women whose number has now risen to about 1000 by the Saudi Arabian authorities in Jeddah.
Adopting a motion on matter of urgent national importance sponsored by Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Suleiman Kawu Sumaila (ANPP, Kano), the House mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs to interface with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and report back today.
In his motion, Sumaila expressed shock that the affected pilgrims were people who applied for Saudi Arabian visas, and were approved by its embassy without such rules made known to them.
He said that the action of the Saudi authorities negated the long standing understanding between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on Hajj performance.
Also, Rep. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP,Abia) who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said her committee was interfacing with officials of the foreign ministry to secure pilgrims release.
However, Rep. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (PDP, Kano) blamed the Nigerian ambassador to Saudi Arabia for treating the issue with laxity by claiming that "he is on top of the situation" whereas "it is the situation that is on top of him."
Meanwhile a Saudi embassy official in Abuja told Daily Trust in confidence last night that officials of the two countries were making diplomatic efforts to sort out the matter and they will address the press when the matter is settled.
Related story: 400 Nigerian women detained in Saudi Arabia during Hajj
Mikel Obi recalled to Super Eagles squad
The list comprised 23 home-based players and 15 foreign-based professionals.
However, Keshi once again left out West Brom forward, Osaze Odemwingie, from the team but handed Lazio young midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, a surprise first call-up to the senior national team.
Israel-based goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, while captain Joseph Yobo, Elderson Echiejile and new Celtic signing, Efe Ambrose, are the foreign-based defenders invited for the clash.
Inter Milan’s Joel Obi, who just recovered from an injury lay-off, also got a recall alongside Nosa Igiebor, and Obiora Nwankwo, who reportedly had a bad game in Monrovia in the first leg. They will battle Mikel and Onazi for midfield places.
Chelsea’s Victor Moses also got a call-up. Other foreign-based forwards also invited are CSKA Moscow’s speedster, Ahmed Musa, Ike Uche, Emmanuel Emenike and Brown Ideye.
The home-based players, who are expected in camp on Sunday in Abuja, are led by Warri Wolves keeper, Chigozie Agbim, his team mate Azubuike Egwueku, Godfrey Oboabona and Juwon Oshaniwa.
The foreign-based players will join the team on October 8 in Calabar.
“We hope to have at least five training sessions together and that should be enough for the team to do well against Liberia,” Keshi was quoted as saying by Eagles media officer, Ben Alaiya.
Related stories: Stephen Keshi drops Obi Mikel and Osaze
Wole Soyinka calls for armed intervention against Boko Haram at the United Nations
"This is a violent organisation," Soyika told IPS. "What do you do with them? I am sorry, but you must fight them."
On Sep. 21, 2012 the International Day of Peace was celebrated with a debate about how to build a global culture of tolerance. Invited to participate were such superstars as actor Forest Whitaker, economist Jeffrey Sachs, and Wole Soyinka, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.
After his speech, Soyinka spoke to IPS about the situation in his native Nigeria, where the Islamist militant group Boko Haram is responsible for thousands of deaths and the bombings of several churches in Nigeria in recent years. The group seeks to establish sharia law in the country. Their presence is particularly strong in the north of the country.
"We have an organisation which closes down schools, shoots faculty teachers, knocks out children and turns most of the north into an educational wasteland. How can we reach the children there? We must first get rid of Boko Haram," Soyinka lashed out.
"We have a contradiction," he acknowledged. "How do we get rid of Boko Haram? Violence must become involved. That is a dilemma."
Calling for armed intervention on Peace Day may certainly seem like a paradox. But Soyinka's call for attacking Boko Haram in order to stop the group's attacks on schools made more sense after Friday's debate, where speaker after speaker highlighted the importance of education to enable a global culture of peace to grow.
As stipulated in the 1999 Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, the United Nations' primary goal is to "create and maintain world peace" through economic, social and political agreements, and in the worst cases through military intervention.
In order for such a framework to succeed, a foundation of peace and a culture of tolerance must to be built. A cornerstone in building this culture is inculcating respect for others in children.
"The real weapon of mass destruction is ignorance," said British-Iranian philanthropist Nasser David Khalili, one of the speakers during the event to emphasise the importance of schooling building a culture of peace. "The solution must be education."
Another important point came from Jeffrey Sachs, professor of sustainable development at Columbia University. "As an economist it strikes me... how hunger and poverty are incendiary parts of war," Sachs said. In the Sahel region of Mali this summer, for example, a famine sparked conflict between nomads and farmers over access to water.
Sachs drew attention to the fact that critical issues such as these receive too little attention, describing the great frustration he felt as he failed to raise money from the World Bank on behalf of Mali. "Shout Al-Qaeda, and you get millions for missiles. But try to do something preventive, and you do not get anything."
He urged global leaders to invest in "development rather than military". Globally, "we are spending more than 10 times more on the military than we do on development," Sachs said. "In the U.S. the rate is 30 to one."
U.N. Women's Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri continued with the theme of social justice in order to achieve peace, highlighting the importance of including women in poverty eradication programmes. "Women bear the brunt of poverty," Lakshmi said.
After her speech, Lakshmi told IPS that it is important to remember that even religious freedom has its limits, in reference to the use of religion as an excuse for acts of violence. "We believe that no religion sanctions, or in any way justifies, violations of human rights and women's rights," she stressed.
Film star and UNESCO goodwill ambassador Forest Whitaker concluded the event. "We must never believe that it is right to inflict pain against others, even if we do not agree with them," he said.
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