Premium Times sacks reporter over false report on Miyetti Allah

Premium Times, a popular online newspaper, has sacked its Jos-based reporter, Mr. Andrew Ajijah, over a false story credited to Miyetti Allah on the mayhem in Plateau in which 100 people were killed.
The management of Premium Times has also resolved to apologise to Mr. Danladi Ciroma, the North Central leader of the apex cattle breeders’ organisation over the story published on June 25.
The story with the headline, “Killing of nearly 100 people in Plateau ‘retaliatory’ — Miyetti Allah’’ turned out to be false.
The Premium Times had reported that the violence that erupted in 11 villages in some local governments was retaliation by the herders whose cattle were killed.
Mr Ajijah’s report in Premium Times quoted Ciroma as saying: “These attacks are retaliatory. As much as I don’t support the killing of human being, the truth must be told that those who carried out the attacks must be on revenge mission.”
“Fulani herdsmen have lost about 300 cows in the last few weeks – 94 cows were rustled by armed Berom youths in Fan village, another 36 cows were killed by Berom youths. In addition to that, 174 cattle were rustled.”
Miyetti Allah distanced itself from the report that went viral and the insinuations that it justified the killings of over 100 people in Plateau State.
Ciroma, was reported as saying that the killings were a retaliation of previous acts of deadly aggression against Fulani residents and pastoralists in the state.
PREMIUM TIMES published the alleged statement, which was the first to be attributed to Miyetti Allah in the wake of the chilling massacre.
The denial and strong protest by Ciroma led to an extensive investigation by the respected online newspaper which discovered some infractions on the part of the reporter.
Premium Times therefore stated as follows:
“While Mr Ciroma acknowledged speaking with a reporter on Monday in Jos, he insisted to PREMIUM TIMES that he did not make the statement credited to him. In fact, he said what he told the reporter was the opposite of what was reported.
“I told the reporter that leaders at the local and national levels should come together and resolve this crisis before it is too late,” Mr Ciroma said by telephone Wednesday night, protesting strongly the comments attributed to him.
“An internal investigation by PREMIUM TIMES found that there was no recording of any interview in which Mr Ciroma made the statement, neither was any statement signed or circulated by him that contained the quotes.
“The error was traced to our outstation reporter based in Jos, whose failure to properly attribute the source of the purported statement by Mr Ciroma misled the editors into believing that it was e-mailed to the reporter.
“The reporter filed the story on Monday morning based on ‘a statement’ from Mr Ciroma. But checks by PREMIUM TIMES following Mr Ciroma’s protest on Wednesday afternoon showed that the quotes were lifted from The Nation Newspapers.
“The Nation’s reporter in Plateau State also circulated the quotes in the WhatsApp group of reporters on the government house beat in Jos, telling his colleagues they were the full transcription of his interview with Mr Ciroma.
“The reporter later admitted to PREMIUM TIMES that he did not have a recording of his call with Mr Ciroma, but said the quotes mirrored the Miyetti Allah leader’s position on the latest killings in Plateau State.
“The Nation published the purported quotes by Mr Ciroma hours before our reporter in Jos lifted it without attribution, thus misleading his editors in Abuja.
“PREMIUM TIMES management has initiated an ethics and professional review of the reporter’s work; how it came to be that his sourcing for the story fell below house standards, and how his documentation fails to measure up to expected standards for verification and accuracy.
“Even if Mr Ciroma made the purported statement, newsroom managers agreed yesterday, the expectations would be to report it with proper recording or digital footprints, for the simple reason that ethical journalism places the onus on the reporter to document proof of sources’ contribution to a story.
“When one of the editors on duty called our reporter to find out how the story was sourced shortly before passing it on Monday morning, he said it was personally sent out by Mr Ciroma. This turned out to be the WhatsApp group broadcast by The Nation reporter, which several other Jos-based print and electronic correspondents sent to their respective media organisations throughout Monday.
“This again brings to fore the limits of a common culture in Nigerian beat reporting where correspondents share stories amongst themselves in the manner of pool reporting. While journalists cannot be at two or more events simultaneously, standards in ethical reporting require reporters to ensure thorough verification of any second-hand information”.
PREMIUM TIMES publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi, admitted in a meeting with newsroom senior editors yesterday that the paper was substantially in error with respect to its reporting on Mr. Ciroma’s role in the conflict in Jos.
“This is very much below the standards of verification we strive to maintain and for which we have come to earn the trust of our readers. As a first step, we are sending an apology letter to Mr. Ciroma regretting the mischaracterisation of his role, and assuring him that a disciplinary process is currently apace to ensure accountability for the breakdown in our editorial procedures.”
The controversial attribution to Miyetti Allah came as the media were facing allegations of bias in its coverage of the ongoing killings in the country.
In February, presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu disparaged the media for its coverage of the killings. PREMIUM TIMES largely restrains from using potentially harmful stereotypes or slurs save for where authoritative references have linked an incident to a group pattern.

Source: Premium Times

Details of causes of present Plateau State crises 2

BEFORE THEY MISLEAD YOU ABOUT THE UNFORTUNATE KILLING IN PLATEAU STATE, READ THIS PLEASE!!

This is the eyewitness account of the unfortunate crisis that claimed over 100 hundred lives with 50 people injured and the destruction of properties worth millions of naira.

The youths of berom staged a deadly protest against the arrest and detention of Jona Jang, fmr gov of plateau state.
The youths were chanting songs in support of Jang saying, “why did Buhari arrest Jang” “the moni Jang stole, is it Buhari, s moni? ” “na plateau moni” and so on.

While this was going on, the youths resulted in attacking fulanis that were going to the market killing them and stealing their cows and their money.
This is the true story of the unfortunate and avoidable deadly crisis.

#Is_An_Unfortune_Situation
May God be with us Ameeeeeeen……..

Details of causes of present Plateau State crises 1

Just when we thought everything is over, the enemies of peace and Nigeria are at it again. But to set the records straight, let me breakdown some details of how things unfold that led to the recent breakdown of Law and Order in Barkin Ladi LGA and environs. These unfortunate incidents led to a full blown tribal/religious crisis in Plateau North Senatorial District. In the past decade a lot of crisis erupted in Plateau State, people have moved on in some of the areas, but why are we still having crisis that is leading to loss of lives and property in Berom Land? Governor Lalong should deal with these issues decisively, some people are out there to cause trouble just to discredit the Government at State and Federal level.

If you think I am joking drive a pickup van with cows in the trunk and pass via Kassa, Heipang, Mararraban Foron, Marraban Jama’a, Anguldi or alternatively through Nafang, Fan, Bisichi, Foron and Du villages and see whether you will come out alive, the hatred is too much and incomprehensible. Some people stay on the highways and give their allies details of vehicles conveying Fulani Men or anybody that looks like them taking their COWs to the popular Kara (COW Market) in Bukuru (Jos South LGA), once they pass through any of the two routes coming from Mangu, Pankshin, Bokkos and other LGAs through berom they block them, lynch them and rustle their COWS. The below unfortunate events took place all within the month of June 2018.

1. On the 8th of June Four (4) young Fulani men coming back from Kara Cattle market in Bukuru were shot immediately after Kassa Hill Military check point, less than 2Km from the check point.

2. On 12th of June at around 8pm some Fulani people of Quanpan LGA of plateau State coming back from Bukuru Kara market were shot at Kassa hill before Barikin Ladi LGA secretariat unfortunately one of them lost his life.

3. On June 13th a minor Jaafar Salihu herding his parents COWs, was killed at Nding Village also around Kassa hill and they removed his head till date the head wasn’t recovered, he was buried like that.

4. Then the last aggression took place on Jun 21st at about 6pm Some Fulani men Bala, Lawal and Ibrahim Kuwait on their way coming back from Kara market in Bukuru were shot, killed and their vehicle was set ablaze at Heipang village to be precise inside the railway round about, pictures attached.

5. A day after Sallah Jun 16th 2018 at about 14:00 hours some Hausa Boys of Barikin Ladi town driving a Vectra Opel vehicle with reg number JJN 54 CF heading to Mangu LGA narrowly escaped death with minor and major injuries and the car wrecked, as Berom youths launched an attacked on them in front of the Military Check point, what’s their offence? Ans: They are Muslims and the berom youths want to avenge an attack on some villages made by Fulani herders.

6. On Saturday 23rd Jun 2018 the people of Mangu blocked the highway and said nobody is going to pass until justice is done to one of their men that was killed in a Berom community between Dorowa village and Mangu Hale, until his demise he was a butcher and he went to collect his money from one of his customers he gives meat, he was simply killed because he is Muslim, is he a herdsman?

I blame the Men and Officers of Operation Safe Heaven for their poor handling of the following issues that took place in Barikin Ladi and environs, had it been they acted promptly this avoidable incidents would’ve been averted. I call on the security to be up and doing, they should deploy modern techniques in managing attacks and counter attacks if not the carnage will probably continue until the realities on ground are rewritten to reflect the reality of modern war. Instead of reflecting on why the current strategies are not working, FFK, CAN, TY Danjuma, Jerry Gana and their associates have an opportunity to pour out the anti-Islamic venom on an issue that is purely criminal. Facebook online commentators will follow along the same path. If they are not abusing the ‘clueless’, ‘certificateless’, ‘Boko haram sponsor’ etc. at the top they are attacking Islam for being a jihadist, blood-spilling religion.

1. Our problem as a people we now don’t have respect to our divergent identities, we don’t even tolerate one another, we have come to adopt the destruction of the lives and properties of people on the other side as the greatest way to establish the superiority of and defend our identity. Do not forget that when we meet in public places, schools and markets, we pretend to be friends and brothers, but when we return to our homes and places of worship, the identity changes, and is let loose at the slightest provocation. This is the situation of the nomadic Fulani and indigenous communities of North-Central Nigeria. In more recent times in North-Central Nigeria, the difference between herdsmen and crop farmers has become more dreadfully amplified than at any other time. And since the onset of the past decade, Plateau State has become quite symbolic and representative of ethno-religious conflict. When elder statesman like General TY Danjuma calls on his people to protect themselves, it is merely a reminder to the fact that the state is losing its ability to protect the common man against armed aggression. While Danjuma’s call may sound obscene and insane to an outsider, it might be the only alternative left for a helpless villager. However, with the proliferation of arms that threaten to saturate the Northern part of Plateau State, preventing and resolving ethno-religious conflict would demand for an extreme political will.

However, this much needed political will cannot come from a state that has always seen and heard a single side of the conflict. Where the state [media] focuses its camera on only one side, the inevitable danger of a single story is more destructive than that expressed by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The nomadic Fulani does not have the qualification or interest to participate in politics or democratic governance. The Fulani does not have a voice in the state owned media [Plateau be it TV, Print or Radio], therefore the state does not get to hear his own side of the story. I might sound to be on the side of the Fulani here, and I have no apology for that because people like me get caught in the crossfire for the simple fact that we share religious identity with the majority of the Fulani. Where indigenous people of North-Central states would stop travellers on federal highways simply because they wear kaftan, look Muslims or have beard, there is a serious need for government to be active and proactive instead of been reactive. Now, for us to have a permanent solution to this conflict, the state must at least ensure balance in media reportage of the conflict. When communities are attacked, we must sympathize with them irrespective of our differences of identity. Those hiding in the bushes and shooting innocent people going about their legitimate business must be stopped. Also people should stop putting poison on cattle route and rivers for cattles to eat/drink and die. Herders should/must allow farmers go to their farms and do their legitimate business of farming. We are better off

Finally, may God restore our sense of sanity so that we can appreciate the need for peaceful coexistence. No place on earth will develop without having others around you, even America that we see as a great nation accommodate others, God Almighty has created us and he has destined for us to live together, then why not live in peace and harmony? If God wants we can all be the same tribe and religion but He has chosen for us to be grouped and sub grouped into different nations and entities as He so wishes, then why undo what God has ordained?

Different life’s views make situations different

One of the most important lessons of my life I have learnt from a mad man, yes a mild non-violent lunatic if there is anything like that. Anybody familiar with Awolowo Avenue old Bodija around 1999 will know Mr Ade, some people call him Londoner, He is always going about the street politely begging for five naira. “Brother e joo e fun mu ni 5 naira” meaning bros please give me 5 naira. He is always well dressed and polite, I bet you will be willing to give him. I had sometimes heard a rumour that he was formerly in the UK and was conjured home by his family magically, this eventually had effect on his sanity. While I cannot authenticate the story, I can confidently say he was a very polite mad man.
On this faithful day as I was standing in front of the gate of my Uncle’s house, Mr Ade passed bye soliloquising, he eventually turned to me and begged for the usual five naira, unfortunately, I had no five naira change with me, so I told him I have no money, at least I used to give him, but the look on his face shows so much need, he must be really in need, I changed my mind and called him back, I gave him twenty naira.
Twenty naira at this time will buy you a complete lunch with a bottle of coke in Zik hall cafeteria, hence to both of us, it was a big money. He was happy and with joy and trust he moved close to me and said “can I ask you a very important question”, I nodded in acceptance, and then he asked “am I a mad man?” The obvious answer from a sane person will be no, and that was what I said. “Thank you!” he replied, then he said, “just because I don’t see things the way other people do, does that make me a mad man?” No, I answered again.
He bent down on the floor, and wrote “W” and asked me what he wrote, At this point, I was already feeling ashamed getting involved in a lengthy conversation with him, in a hurry to leave, I said “w”, but I was amazed when he replied to my answer, “You only see “W” because of the angle at which you are looking at it, if you turn upside down you ll see “M”, from the right side it is “3” and from the left side it is “E”. The fact that I don’t see things at the perspective that everyone is seeing it doesn’t make me a mad man, he said. Then he left.
I pondered for so long about this though, and more, its application to life, we act and relate to people based on the perspective at which we are looking at their situation, have you taken your time to look at other possible perspectives, views and angles, maybe a little from their own view before we judge them. I then decided before I go angry or act against or judge anyone that has done something unfavourable to me, I will view it in at least three possible perspective, mine, theirs and other’s view.
So before you judge people, before you rage your anger on them, take a little time to view their angle or perspective and if you still cannot see a reasonable reason, then you can.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Please note that Mr Ade Adeyemo was rehabilitated and taught Physics in Oke Ibadan High School till 2004 when he passed away. His students were proud of him, they told me so. I am glad I met him.
(copied)

MKO Abiola’s children’s reaction to previous failed attempts to honour him

I tried thrice to get Jonathan to confer GCFR on MKO — Kola

 

Mr. Kola Abiola, the oldest son of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, said he made three attempts to make former President Goodluck Jonathan bestow the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic title on his late father.

Kola, however, said for political reasons, it just could not be done.

He said this during a programme titled, ‘Question Time’, which aired on Channels Television on Thursday.

According to MKO’s son, he first approached the then Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), to honour his father during the Centenary celebration in January 2014 but a gold award was given to the deceased, which was rejected by the family.

Kola said during his second attempt, he wrote a letter to Jonathan through the Serving Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, during the build-up to the 2015 elections but nothing was done.

He said even after Jonathan had lost and was preparing to leave office, he made another attempt to get him to honour MKO but it failed again.

Kola said, “Towards the election, I approached them again, this time in writing, and solicited the help of Pastor Bakare and told them that even if it was for selfish political reasons, this was something you could do to help your chances of winning elections.

“I really didn’t mind how he got it done. But we couldn’t get President Jonathan to get it done so we left that.

“After he lost the election, I approached him a second time also through the same Pastor Bakare to try to get him to do this as a legacy of his Presidency, something that Nigerians would never forget about him. Last minute, we couldn’t get it to happen.”

Abiola’s son said after President Muhammadu Buhari took office, he sent a letter through Pastor Bakare again to take to the President who was in Kaduna at the time.

He said Buhari bought into the idea and exceeded the expectations of the Abiola family as he did not only honour the deceased with the highest title in the land but also issued an apology to his family on behalf of the Federal Government.

Kola noted that he did not approach former President Olusegun Obasanjo to honour his father because he felt there was no point doing so as the answer would have been obvious.

He, however, said he approached the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who promised to address the issue but died in office.

When asked his view on Jonathan’s naming of the University of Lagos as Moshood Abiola University, Lagos, Kola said, “That was a mistake. They were trying to regionalise MKO. He was beyond that. This man was voted across Nigeria irrespective of religion.

“I went back to them and told them if they had consulted me, I would have told them what to do.”

Kola said there was no need demanding the release of the result of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections since it was obvious to all Nigerians.

He, therefore, faulted the National Assembly for asking the Independent National Electoral Commission to release the result.

Kola added, “Like Rochas Okorocha would say, ‘It is Ibeberism’ as far as I am concerned. How many times have I been to the National Assembly? All they do is just talk and it gets to the committee and it dies there. That is what they call filibuster in politics. How many times have they not done what is right?

“For me, Mr. President has done undoubtedly what no one was capable of doing and that apology given not just to my father but to Gani Fawehinmi’s family was more than what I bargained for when I was pushing for this.”

Hafsat Abiola:

I will only respond because my Sister Mo Demie asked for my view…
Please nobody should abuse my late father here o, I didn’t come to your page to comment: All this sudden noise and write up to show that “Buhari was playing politics”……
When did it become a crime for politicians to play politics? Were they not voted in to play politics? Will it be wrong to develop our roads, infrastructure, free education, return oil blocks to the State instead of individuals? What is this noise all about? Jonathan was voted for by the South West in 2011, the same SW voted for Buhari in 2015, what is all this noise all about the SW going for Buhari? Obasanjo, the direct beneficiary of #June12 is from the same State with MKO, why didn’t he play politics and declare June 12?
Jonathan had opportunity for 5 years to do same, he rather gave Abacha from the North posthumous honor, pardoned Ex-convict from the West, Alams from the South…What do you call that? Is that politics or chemistry? 16 years opportunity to acknowledge #June12 they refused to use the #PoliticalUndertone…
So are you expecting Buhari to use Biological or Chemical undertone to take such decision? Why are you guys fixated about those supporting Buhari, is it not a choice and must you dictate to others? You brought up religious sentiments prio to 2015 election, yet blamed Buhari fr being the religious bigot….
Jonathan was running from one Church to another, Sambo openly told them in the North that they must not vote for Buhari because Osinbajo is a Pastor of a big Church….Who is a religious bigot here? I mean, who was running from one religious organisation to another in 2015 because of politics? Pastor Bosun came up with that sudden apostasy, wrapped up Jonathan PDP politics in the name of “wake up call” message. I’m happy that I’m still here. I asked him when most of you were analyzing that heretic message that “Jonathan is fulfilling prophecy”…..
I asked a simple question: “Which prophecy is Jonathan”? Pastor Bosun went ahead to say “even if the Islamic party (APC) presents a Christian Governor in Lagos, you must not vote for him, you must vote for the other party(PDP)……Wait, who was using religion? Obasanjo removed Senate Presidents at will, removed any opposing voice, removed Fayose for a small insult, removed Ladoja with thugs in Ibadan….Who are you calling “DICTATOR”? BUHARI……… Obasanjo withheld Lagos State fund for 3 years, not minding how Lagosians would eat, Yaradua got there and released the fund…….
NASS members were abusing Buhari openly, messing up everything at will, Fayose has been abusing Buhari for 4 years now…..not a single State in Nigeria has been denied their constitutional rights because of politics till date, all their funds, Paris fund, bail out, FAAC etc…But who is the DICTATOR? BUHARI. Jonathan ensured that NASS opposition members were locked out including Tambuwa the Speaker of the house. They had to climb gate to gain access…..Jonathan empowered OPCs in Lagos and they were destroying anything in Ikorodu to Ojota that looked like opposition party. Orga of DSS was used to invade APC secretariat, Journalist arrested and Newspapers siezed, we forgot all these….
Ekiti was militarised, Fayose was given power from Aso rock to order Military guys at will. Fayemi the incumbent at that moment was rendered powerless that he was shouting when Police commissioner was used by PDP and a guy was shot…All these videos and pictures are still here (google is your friend)……

But who is the dictator? BUHARI. Jonatahn met FX+ECA at $62 billion+. He DEPLETED it to less than $30 Billion in 5 years Jonathan sold crude oil for 5 years at an average of $100 per barrel of 2.2 million daily (2010-2014). Did he add a DIME to Nigeria purse in 5 years? NO. Buhari the ILLITERATE sold oil at an average of $50 of less than 700,000 barrel at some points because of militancy, yet had moved that FX to $47 Billion in 3 years. Don’t say how much did he borrow if you don’t even have the figure borrowed between 2010-2015 without adding a dime to FX. Who is the ILLITERATE? BUHARIIII. Jide Omokore, Aluko and oil goddess Alinson made an oil deal of N1 trillion and chose not to remit to Nigeria under GEJ. Did anyone raise eyebrow? INTEL of Atiku refused to remit to NPA, not until last year that “ordinary” Hadiza the NPA boss challenged INTEL and insisted the funds must be remitted. A Christian Professor had been leading JAMB all through Obasanjo to Jonathan yet for 40 years of JAMB, only N52 Million was remitted to FG….A Muslim Professor who was appointed just in two years of handling JAMB remitted over N15 Billion……FIFTEEN BILLION o….
So who is following after righteousness? For five years of Okonjo Iweala was paying over 45,000 ghost workers unabated, yet just within 3 years, “ordinary” Kemi Adeosun removed such nonsense…I ask again who is more effective? Ordinary Abuja metro lane took 11 years from OBJ period that he INIT

Hypocrisy and the Nigerian People

In recent times, President. Buhari has been vilified for his support of late Gen. Sani Abacha , yet most of his accusers are also guilty of the same offence. We are all guilty.

We all have individuals whom we take as heroes, no matter how evil or bad certain aspects of their lives and characters are.

Tuface has many die hard fans irrespective of the number of baby mamas he has. Likewise Davido. Increasing his number of baby mamas won’t reduce his love by his fans. No matter how many number of married or unmarried women the likes of Obesere, Pasuma, Osupa, KWAM1 lay with, their fans keep growing.

No matter the number of tattoos Tonko Dike has, or the number of divorces some artistes have, irrespective of the amount of “weed” Justine Bierber and Terry G smoke, all have their fans who take them as heroes.

Even as terrible as Adolf Hitler, Idi Amin and Napoleon were, they have their fans till date.

No matter how much Jonathan Goodluck looted Nigeria, he has his die hard fans whom most are WailingWailers. No matter how much IBB looted this country with his cronies, no matter how he spoiled Nigeria with his “I chop, you chop” mentality, no much how he institutionalized corruption in Nigeria, accused of killing many including Dele Giwa, plane crash victims in Ejigbo etc, he has his die hard fans.

Vilify Obj from morning to evening, he has his die hard fans. No matter how you claim Abdulsalami stole in 11 months what others stole in years, his fans remain.

No matter how much you claim Buhari has spoiled Nigeria and claim he is a religious fanatic, a regional and ethnic jingo, it won’t change my mind nor the minds of several die hard Buharists like me and other Buharideens. No matter how you vilify Abacha and call him wicked despot, he has his fans. Buhari happens to be one.

Apart from working as PTF Chairman under Abacha, both have and maintain a close family relationship till date.

Abeg leave Buhari alone joor because we are all guilty of the same offence. He who goes to equity must do so with clean hands. He who is without sin should cast the first stone. You no holy pass my brother and sister. Leave Buhari to worship and praise his hero joor, he doesn’t stop you from doing same to yours.

Full Result Of June 12 Election.

THE ARCHIVE: Full Result Of June 12 Election.

(NOT RELEASED OFFICIALLY )

The Cable

The number one topic in the polity at the moment is June 12, 1993 election, adjudged as freest and fairest in the history of the country.

The election was between Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC) and Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The National Electoral Commission (NEC) chaired by Humphrey Nwosu (pictured) declared the results in only 14 states before the regime of former military president Ibrahim Babaginda annulled the exercise.

RESULTS IN ABUJA AND THE 30 STATES IN EXISTENCE THEN.

(1)-Abuja (FCT)☆
NRC-18,313 47.84
SDP-19,968 52.16
256,500
WINNER:-ABIOLA

(2)-Abia☆
NRC-151,227 58.96
SDP 105,273 41.04
334,490
WINNER:-TOFA

(3)-Adamawa☆
NRC-167,239 54.28
SDP-140,875 45.72 414,129
WINNER:-TOFA

(4)-Akwa Ibom☆
NRC-199,342 48.14 SDP-214,787 51.86 371,288
WINNER:-ABIOLA

(5)-Anambra☆
NRC-159,258 42.89 SDP-212,024 57.11 847,274
WINNER-ABIOLA

(6)-Bauchi☆
NRC- 524,836 60.73 SDP-339,339 39.27 406,132
WINNER:-TOFA

(7)-Benue☆
NRC-186,302 43.06 SDP-246,830 56.94
282,180
WINNER – ABIOLA

(8)-Borno☆
NRC-128,684 45.60 SDP-153,496 54.40 342,755
WINNER-ABIOLA

(9)-Cross River☆
NRC-153,452 44.77 SDP-189,303 55.23 472,278
WINNER-ABIOLA

(10)-Delta☆
NRC-145,001 30.70 SDP-327,277 69.30 308,979
WINNER-ABIOLA

(11)-Edo☆
NRC-103,572 33.52 SDP-205,407 66.48 427,190
WINNER-ABIOLA

(12)-Enugu☆
NRC-284,050 51.91 SDP-263,101 48.09 349,902
WINNER-TOFA

(13)-lmo☆
NRC-195,836 55.14 SDP-159,350 44.86 228,388
WINNER-TOFA

(14)-Jigawa☆
NRC-89,836 39.33
SDP-138,552 60.67 726,573
WINNER-ABIOLA

(15)-Kaduna☆
NRC-356,860 47.80 SDP-389,713 52.20 324,428
WINNER-ABIOLA

(16)-Kano☆
NRC-154,809 47.72 SDP-169,619 52.28 442,176
WINNER-ABIOLA

(17)-Katsina☆
NRC-271,077 61.30 SDP-171,162 38.70 286,974
WINNER-TOFA

(18)-Kebbi☆
NRC-144,808 67.34
SDP-70,219 32.66
488,492
WINNER-TOFA

(19)-Kogi☆
NRC-265,732 54.40 SDP-222,760 45.60 352,479
WINNER-TOFA

(20)-Kwara☆
NRC- 80,209 22.78 SDP-272,270 77.24 1,033,397
WINNER-ABIOLA

(21)-Lagos☆
NRC-.149,432 14.46 883,865 85.5
357,787
WINNER-ABIOLA

(22)-Niger☆
NRC-221,437 61.90 SDP-136,350 38.10 484,971
WINNER-TOFA

(23)-Ogun☆
NRC-59,246 12.22
SDP-425,725 87.78 964,018
WINNER-ABIOLA

(24)-Ondo☆
NRC-162,994 15.58
SDP-883,024 84.42 437,334
WINNER-ABIOLA

(25)-Osun☆
NRC-72,068 16.48
SDP-365,266 83.52 641,799
WINNER-ABIOLA

(26)-Oyo☆
NRC-105,788 16.48 SDP-536,011 83.52 676,959
WINNER-ABIOLA

(27)-Plateau☆
NRC-259,394 38.32 SDP-417,565 61.68 1,026,824
WINNER-ABIOLA

(28)-Rivers☆
NRC-6408,973 63.37
SDP-370,578 36.63
469,986
WINNER-TOFA

(29)-Sokoto☆
NRC-372,250 79.21
SDP- 97,726 20.79 469,986
WINNER-TOFA

(30)-Taraba☆
NRC-64,001 38.58
SDP-101,887 61.42 176,054
WINNER-ABIOLA

(31)-Yobe☆
NRC- 64,061 38.41
SDP-11,887 63.59
38,281
WINNER-ABIOLA

According to unofficial results, Tofa got a total of 5,952,087 (41.64%) of votes nationwide while Abiola, running on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), scored 8,341,309 (58.36%).

The total vote cast was 14,293,396. Abiola won 19 of the 30 states and in the FCT, leaving Tofa with 11 states.

Source: The Cable /
The Nigerian History Channel,Unofficial Results.

The Sacrificial life of Great Missionary , Explorer and Evangelist David Livingstone

This is a good follow up to one of the supporting stories in one of the devotionals I read today on how David Livingstone was won over by one of the sermons of Robert Moffat to decide to take the gospel to Africa!

David Livingstone was born in Blantyre, Scotland in 1813.

He was born into a home where his father used to put him on his knees and read to him stories of great missionary exploits, particularly that of Karl Gützlaff, the Dutch missionary who doubled up as a medical missionary too.

Young David used to look into his father’s eyes and say, “You know, daddy, one day I’ll be a man like that. I want to be a missionary. I want to be a doctor. I want to serve God.”

David Livingstone got to his knees one day and said this prayer, “Lord, Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties, but the ties that bind me to your service and to your heart,” and the words of God came to him “Lo, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.”

He packed his bags and went off to Africa.

And when he took one glimpse of Africa from a distance, he penned in his journal these words: “The haunting specter of the smoke of a thousand villages in the morning sun has burned within my heart.”

He married a woman of the famous Moffat Family – Mary was her name. Her father was a great missionary. They went to Africa. But David Livingstone’s life was that of an explorer and he would move from place to place and his only goal was Jesus in the hearts and lives of men and women – thousands of them.

Finally his wife and his young family couldn’t keep up with him anymore. Some of his children were dying out of sickness and disease so he said to his wife, “Mary, why don’t you them home, and I will see you shortly and spend some time with you. It’s too dangerous for us to go on.”

So he sent his dear wife Mary back home and letters would take months to exchange, but some of the fondest letters of love and romance were sent between David and Mary and you know when he saw her the next time? Not five weeks. Not five months. Five years.

Five years later when he set eyes upon his wife, she could not recognize him because at one stage in his jungle travels going to preach he walked into a branch of a tree that had completely blinded him in one eye and marred the other. His face had been burned under the African sun to a crisp of leather and his skin, which had not been pigmented for it, had been roasted to the point that his body could not take it any longer. His face marred and scarred and his eye blinded and at one time he had been attacked by a lion that had torn one of his shoulders apart. He miraculously escaped.

Now she saw her husband hobbling in with a marred face and a disfigured physical countenance. Hours before he arrived, they had buried his father. David wept because he had longed to tell his dad firsthand of the stories his father had only told him thirdhand.

Biographical sketches tell us that when David Livingstone walked into any university in the British Isles, students and faculty would rise to a standing ovation because they knew they were standing in the presence of a giant of a man.

Finally he went back to his wife one day and he said, “Mary, the haunting specter of the smoke of a thousand villages in the morning sun is still burning within my heart. We need to go back.” She decided that he should go – she had to be with the children. She said, “When they are all old enough I will join you again, David.”

And he set off on his lonely journey to preach to the African people who was so much within his heart.

Finally after a long time, Mary joined him and the day she set foot on African soil, she contracted a disease they had so dreaded she would contract. The very day she set foot on Africa, she got that disease and a few days later, he was burying her.

Lowered into the soil of the African earth there, an eyewitness said David Livingstone knelt beside the grave, weeping his heart out, and they overheard him praying, “My Jesus, my king, my life, my all, I again consecrate my life to thee. I shall place no value on anything I possess or in anything I may do except in relation to thy kingdom and to thy service.”

Through it all came the words of God to my heart, he said, “Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the age.”

He picked up his belongings and walked back to his hometown village of Ujiji. When he arrived and went into his little home there, he found that someone had played a cruel joke on him and had stolen his medication that he so needed because his body was racked with pain, untold pain. He walked in constant agony. And they said in one of the very few points in his life, he prayed for himself, he got on his knees and said, “God, you promised you would always be with me! I need that medication if I am to continue preaching the gospel!”

As he prayed, he heard steps, and as the story goes, he saw a pair of feet planted in front of him and his countenance lifted for the first time in a long while – he was looking into the face of a white man who didn’t live in Africa.

He said, “Who are you, sir?” And the man replied, “Doctor Livingstone, I presume?” (Those famous words) He said, “Yes, sir.”

“Mr. Livingstone, I’m a press reporter, I’ve been consigned to do a story on your life. I want you to know two things about me.

Number one, I’m the biggest swaggering atheist on the face of the earth. Please don’t try to convert me. Number two, somebody sent some medication for you.”

David said, “Give me the medication please.”

So Mr. Henry M. Stanley started to travel with David Livingstone. Four months later, the biggest swaggering atheist on the face of the earth knelt down on African soil and gave his life to Jesus Christ.

One of the best biographies you’ll ever read on David Livingstone – two volumes entitled “Livingstone of Africa” by Henry M. Stanley. Stanley said, “The power of that Christ life was awesome and I had to buckle in. I could not hold out any longer.”

Finally his body began to shrivel with high temperatures and pain (they used to carry him around from village to village on a stretcher). One day, preaching from a stretcher, literally trembling, he finally looked at two of his national brothers and said, “Please take me back home. I am very very ill. I’m very tired, I need some sleep.”

They brought him back to his home and were about to spill him on to the bed when he said, “No, please help me on to my knees.”

Livingstone buckled down to his knees by the side of his bed and clasped his hands and started to pray. His prayers were so profound, his sanctuary was so unique that his African brothers felt it was blasphemy to stay in his single union/communion with God and they stepped out of his little room.

Then somebody came running and said, “I need to see Mr. Livingstone for a moment.” They said, “Sshh! Quiet, please. He’s praying.” Five minutes went by, they looked in. He was still on his knees. Several minutes went back, they looked in. He was still on his knees. After a protracted period of time went by, they looked in. He was still on his knees.

One of them felt that the man was too tired to continue to pray. He needed to get some sleep. He walked over to him and one of them shook him by the shoulders and inquired, “ Wana ? Wana ?”

Livingstone fell over. He was dead.

He died exactly the way he had lived – in the presence of his Lord.

He didn’t run from His voice. He didn’t wave a lamp that had no light in it. He didn’t sell a soul for some earthly pleasure. But the haunting spectre of the smoke of a thousand villages had burned itself within his heart so that he could say, “My Jesus, my king, my life, my all, I again consecrate my self to thee.”

————————————————–

This is told by Dr Ravi Zacharias , each time I read this it brings tears to my eyes, there’s more work to, there are more souls to win, there are more lands to conquer, and today it is given to us to go…

Yield to the saviour today and hear the cry of souls languishing in sins yearning for a saviour that they are clueless about

They await thee

I hope this meets you well.

THE DANGERS OF ALLOWING YOUR SPOUSE LIVE ABROAD OR IN A DIFFERENT CITY FROM YOUR RESIDENCE.

When I was appointed the managing director of the Orient Bank of Uganda in 2013, I couldn’t wait to return home to break the news to my wife.

The appointment I reckoned would improve my earnings, career and was in line with my set objectives.

“That means that I’m resigning right away”, was my wife’s instant response to my announcement of the appointment.

She was not yet done. “The children will also go with us. I shall make enquires about good schools in Uganda to ensure that our children don’t lose a session”.

For my wife, she would not sacrifice her marital harmony for economic benefits or career. She was a branch manager of a topmost bank in Nigeria.

I was shocked.

I pleaded, “please give me some time to go to Uganda, settle down, familiarize with the new country, say for one year and I shall come for you and the kids”.

I was talking to a statue. She wouldn’t take that.

My wife insisted that they would join me within three months of my travel aside from the fact that she would accompany me on my first travel and return a week after.

I was not surprised at my wife’s philosophy of marriage and her belief in the pre-eminence of cohabitation of a married couple.

I initially deemed her stance too suffocating until I started looking around me, comparing notes, to see the effects of career or economic induced separation on marriages and family harmony.

The case of Mr. Oyiboka Akidi was very eye-opening and very pathetic.

Mr Akidi had relocated his family to Calgary in Canada in search of better life opportunities. He wanted his children to get better education and the wife to further her education and also work.

Akidi, an assistant general manager in a Nigerian bank, had saved and paid for the trip, initial accommodation and one year school fees for the kids. He also gave the wife some money to meet their needs pending when she secured a job.

The plan was that Akidi would travel to Canada once in a year during his annual vacation to visit his family.

Everything was fine until two years after when Akidi noticed that the wife was no longer looking forward to his calls or enthused by his announcement of the date of his visit to Canada.

He had asked his close friend to find out what was happening but the friend declined. The friend knew what was happening but would not want to be quoted. He would rather connect Akidi to a private detective who did a good job.

Mr. Akidi’s worst fear was confirmed when the paid agent sent him a dossier on how his wife rocked younger Nigerian men in Canada. He introduced the men to her kids as their distant uncles.

When confronted with the facts, Mrs Akidi filed for divorce. The children believed their mother and the rest is history.

In the calculations of a better life for his family, Mr. Akidi forgot to factor in the fact that Calgary is very cold and that excessive cold could trigger off certain needs like cuddling and sex. Hence, Mrs Akidi cannot be blamed alone. It was a joint decision that backfired.

So many men that left their families in Nigeria in search of Golden Fleece in the UK, USA and Canada have committed worse marital crimes. Theirs are even more heart-rendering.

The men, usually escorted to the airports’ departure halls by their loving wives and kids, would immediately re-marry upon arrival in their new countries in the name of route for citizenship. Many others have completely abandoned their wives and kids and had married more fascinating or updated women in their new places of residence. Some no longer pick calls from home.

Let nobody raise the issue of trust and infallibility of their spouses here considering that Adam and Eve were manufactured by God himself with his own hands, still they failed.

Which man would be loved by God more than David still he was overwhelmed by the allure and curves of married Bathsheba?

Which man would be wiser than Solomon yet he was mesmerized by very beautiful Queen of Sheeba? Just like married Abigail could not stand the magnetism and personality of David.

What didn’t Delilah do with Samson?

As couples plan economic improvement or migration for a better life, they should factor in the fact that staying apart for too long could be dangerous.

A man or woman who lives in Lagos while his/her family lives in Enugu or Kano and who rarely visits home faces similar risks as those abroad.

I must reckon with the fact that some few couples have exceptionally weathered the storm or successfully kept their secrets.

There is no doubt that staying apart creates a room for temptation or change of taste. While some people can hold on, many humans react positively to a better offer.

Only God knows how long and how far Adam was when the serpent arrived and had enough time to convince his wife to eat the fruit that changed not only their destinies by that of all human race.

For any good husband, there is a better man out there and for any fantastic wife, there is a better woman somewhere. All it takes to get displaced as a husband or a wife is time and chance.

Finished is a man whose wife had tasted the groin of another man who is far better than him in bed and who is also more comfortable and capable to provide for the wife those things she had hitherto dreamt of but never received.

In the same vain, a wife loses it all whenever her husband falls into the hands of a more exposed, courteous, romantic and sexually awesome lady. It’s a natural effect of displacement.

Therefore, let no spouse be too confident.

It pays to either stay or move with one’s family.

If you must move or let your family relocate, please don’t stay away for too long else you…….

DOES THE BIBLE SAY THE EARTH IS 6000+ YRS OLD?

“(1)In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2)And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water”(Genesis1:1,2).

The Bible introduced us the age of calendar (if am right), i.e the advent of the numbering of days began with the introduction of man on earth. And then we can say from Adam till date is about 6000 yrs. But there is the dateless eternity past before Adam that no one knows nothing about. Nowhere can it be deduced from the account in Genesis that the age of the earth is 6000 yrs. That assumption is a gross misunderstanding of the revelation. The evolutionists perched on science carbon dating as if it invalidate the Bible. The earth and the universe might have been billions of years old and more but sure have their beginnings in God and that’s what Gen1:1 says.
If we can read between the lines, Gen1:2f only narrates the kind of facelift God gave to the earth and then the introduction of Man to the earth. The earth can never be 6000+yrs old neither does the Genesis account imply that nor do the christians so believed.