COLLAPSE OF CEASEFIRE: MEND issues two-week ultimatum

SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 10, 2016,PAGE 5
For Shinkafi
(L-R)Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, with former Head of State,
General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), when the latter paid a condolence visit to Sokoto over
the death of Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi.
MONGUNO’S PASSAGE
Buhari, Saraki pay glowing tributes
Monguno, one of finest statesmen, politicians in Nigeria-Buhari
By Henry Umoru,
Levinus Nwabughiogu
and Joseph Erunke
President Muhammadu
Buhari has described the
late Minister of Mines, Power
and Petroleum, Alhaji
Shettima Monguno, who died
last Friday, as “one of the finest
statesmen and political
actors Nigeria ever had and
who would always remain a
fountain of inspiration in life
and death.”
In a related tribute,
President of the Senate,
Senator Bukola Saraki has
described the late elder
statesman as a detribalised
Nigerian and worthy
ambassador.
He was one of the finest
statesmen - Buhari
The President’s tribute was
contained in a statement
issued by a federal
government delegation led by
National Security Adviser,
NSA, Major General
Babagana Munguno (rtd) to
the burial in Maiduguri on
Saturday.
President Buhari said the
late elder statesman from
Borno State “ranked among
the most respected public
figures in Nigeria while in
office and while in private
retirement life.”
The President recalled that
in the course of his public
service as a parliamentarian
and a Federal Minister of Air
Force and Internal Affairs
during the First Republic, the
late Shettima Monguno “had
left behind a legacy of
untainted and unblemished
career”, which he said should
be emulated by Nigerian
leaders at all levels.
According to President
Buhari a “man’s greatest pride
is to leave behind a good
name and that the late
Monguno had achieved that
desire.”
The President prayed the
Almighty God to grant the
soul of the deceased eternal
rest.
Other members of
government delegation
included the Minister of
Education, Malam Adamu
Adamu, the Minister of the
FCT, Mohammed Musa
Bello, and the Senior Special
Assistant to the President on
Media and Publicity, Garba
Shehu.
MONGUNO was a
detribalised Nigerian -
Saraki
(First right) Wife of the President, Haji Aisha Buhari, greets Governor Aminu Waziri
Tambuwal of Sokioto State (first left) and other dignitaries at the airport when she arrived
Sokoto on a condolence visit.
According to Senator
Saraki, the former Minister
of Mines and Petroleum in the
First Republic who is one the
last sets of Nigeria’s founding
fathers, would be sorely missed
considering his giant political
strides and contributions to
the building of the Nigerian
nation, starting from his birth
place, Borno State, to all the
nooks and crannies of the
country.
In a statement yesterday in
Abuja by his Special Adviser,
Media and Publicity, Yusuph
Olaniyonu, Saraki described
Monguno’s death as painful
especially coming at a time
when the Federal
Government has successfully
turned the tide against
insurgents in the North East.
He said, “The late politician
was a victim of the insurgency
when he was abducted by
gunmen at a mosque before
he was later rescued.”
Saraki said, “Elder
Monguno was a special breed
who contributed immensely
to the attainment of the
nation’s Independence in
1960, became a
parliamentarian in the First
Republic and thereafter a
Federal Minister. His
disposition towards effective
nation building remains
unparalleled. He lived for the
welfare and security of the
common man.”
He urged the family of the
deceased, the government
and people of Borno State,
to be comforted by the fact
that Monguno served Allah
and mankind diligently
and worked hard to make
his country great. He said
the deceased left a worthy
legacy of selfless service and
a good name.
Saraki prayed that
Almighty Allah should
grant the late leader a
place among the righteous
ones in Aljannah Firdaus.
“May Allah also grant
members of his immediate
family, the people and
government of Borno State,
the fortitude to bear this
irreparable loss.”
Ambode orders immediate completion of abandoned road projects
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
G
o v e r n o r
Akinwunmi
Ambode has directed
Lagos State Public Works
Corporation, LSPWC, to
complete Isaac John
Street, Government
Reserved Area, GRA,
Ikeja, road project, among
others, abandoned four
years ago.
The Chief Executive
Officer and Special
Adviser, LSPWC, Engr.
Ayotunde Sodeinde, said
upon last week directive
by the governor, the
corporation mobolised to
the site.
His words: “Following
the directive of Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode on
the reconstruction of the
terribly bad stretch of
Isaac John Street, which
is a beehive of business
activities, the LSPWC has
since moved to site to fix
the road.
“The road measuring
By Dapo Akinrefon
The
National
Coordinator of the
Oodua Peoples Congress,
OPC, Otunba Gani Adams,
says recent killing of the
Yoruba in some Lagos and
Ogun communities by
suspected Ijaw militants was
unfortunate but said the OPC
about 1,650m, which links
Joel Ogunaike and Sobo
Arobiodu, is presently
undergoing major
scarifying and base
preparation work by the
LSPWC gangs.”
Sodeinde, during the
inspection of the road
project, yesterday,
explained: “The governor
directed us to move in six
days ago. It is a busy road
and when we moved in,
it was in a terrible state
which impeded vehicular
movement around the
area.
Ikorodu massacre: Why OPC won’t
confront militants —Gani Adams
will not confront them.
He, however, assured that
the OPC has the capacity to
repel them.
Adams, who spoke in Lagos,
said: “With what has
happened now, we have
realised that there is a lot of
threat confronting the South
West.”
Condemning the wanton
killings and destruction of
property, the OPC leader said:
“We are still talking about the
menace of herdsmen and
some hoodlums
masquerading as kidnappers
or militants started to kill our
people to the extent that the
Ogun State deputy governor
came to the area and they
chased the security of the
“The road project was
awarded four years ago
and His Excellency was
not satisfied with the pace
of work on site which
looked almost abandoned
and directed that the
LSPWC should
immediately fix the road.”
deputy governor and the
police could not do anything.
The law enforcement agents
should tell the whole world
how many of the criminals
that they have arrested after
more than 50 people have
been massacred.”
Assuring that the group has
the wherewithal to confront
the hoodlums, he called on
leaders from the South West
to support the OPC to fight
for their interest.
Two soldiers, 16 terrorists killed as troops repel Boko
Haram attack in Borno
By Kingsley
Omonobi-Abuja
The Nigerian Army
said last night that
remnants of Boko Haram
terrorists in their numbers
attacked troops location at
Rann, Kala Balge Local
Government Area of
Borno State and that, after
a heavy gunfire
confrontation, 16 of the
terrorists were killed.
A statement by Col Sani
Usman, Acting Director,
Army Public Relations,
said, “The terrorists came
with motorcycles borne
improvised explosive
devices (MCBIED), antiaircraft
guns and other
weapons at about 5.00pm
and the exchange of fire
lasted for some hours
before they were
overwhelmed by the
troops firepower.
“Unfortunately, one of
the suicide bombers
detonated himself at a
gun truck, killing the
driver and the gunner.
“The truck and the
mounted weapon were
also damaged beyond
repairs. In addition, two
soldiers were wounded in
action while three others
sustained minor injuries.
“The troops killed seven
of the attackers instantly
while quite a number
escaped with gunshot
wounds.
“During clearance
operations this morning,
the troops discovered nine
more Boko Haram
terrorists dead bodies in
the surrounding areas.
Therefore the total
number of terrorists killed
was 16.
“The troops also
recovered a General
Purpose Machine Gun,
Rocket Propelled
Grenade, ammunitions
and captured two of the
terrorists alive.
“The bodies of the two
fallen heroes and the
wounded in action
soldiers have been
evacuated to Maiduguri,
while reinforcement was
sent from Gomboru
Ngala”.