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Boko Haram: Group raises questions over journalists involvement in video
A humanitarian organization under the aegis of Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC), in Jos on Saturday expressed concern over a new Boko Haram video being promoted by a supposed journalist, Ahmed Salkida to stop threatening Nigerians simply because he lost out in the negotiations that led to the recent release of some 82 Chibok Girls.
The video, SHAC said, is allegedly being promoted by a known Boko Haram ally and propagandist, Ahmad Salkida, “who claims to be a journalist and is hiding under the noble profession to justify his possession of this terrorist material and other activities against humanity.”
The Executive Director of SHAC, Dr. Leonard Pukat, in a statement, said it had become apparent that the terrorists’ spokesman, Salkida is back to his old haunts and would do anything to seek relevance and ingratiate himself on the undiscerning.
He said, “His old trick was to cause panic and drive spanners in the wheel of progress and it is apparent this has not changed. We learnt Slakida, who fed fat on phantom peace deals and fictional ceasefires under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, lost out in the negotiations that freed the Chibok girls and is now trying to reinvent himself by promoting the supposed new video.
“The previous ceasefire talks he had been part of turned out to be nothing but well choreographed performance by paid actors and international jobbers. His present outing is nothing short of this fraudulent arrangement.
“Even when coming from a known fraud, we call on the Nigerian Military and other security agencies to keep an eye on Salkida and his associates. Such persons, who were at one time or the other campaign coordinators for Boko Haram to get soft treatment, might have become desperate and eager to cause panic and apprehension in the minds of citizens who are going about their peaceful life.
“Authorities must however not treat the threats from Salkida and the actors in his video with levity as past experience have proven that they would do anything, including killing and maiming the innocent with bombs, to make the point about their relevance.
“The nation’s security agencies must therefore go after Boko Haram’s propaganda arm now before they have the time rebuild their scare infrastructure using the swapped prisoners as justification to terrorize Nigerians. Salkida’s point of view tallied smugly with the projections of some other notable collaborators and roles of such people in reviving the terror machinery must also be investigated.
“Nigeria’s military, which observes the highest rules of engagement possible, must henceforth take a cue from the so called superpowers of the world that do not take terrorists prisoner since experience has shown that such criminals do not relent until they are eliminated in battle. Any Boko Haram prisoner that was swapped for the Chibok Girls and goes back to fighting the Nigerian state deserves no soft treatment even if a thousand Salkidas campaign for such.”
Zimbabwe’s justice minister introduced to parliament Tuesday a controversial constitutional amendment bill that would extend the term of the president, but faces fierce opposition and court challenges.
Parliament has to vote on sweeping changes to the constitution approved by the cabinet in February that include a provision that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term until 2030.
The measures would also do away with general presidential elections, giving parliament the power to appoint the president, and extend the terms of lawmakers from five to seven years.
The amendment has become one of the most contentious political issues in Zimbabwe, where Mnangagwa’s Zanu-PF party enjoys an overwhelming majority in parliament.
After introducing the proposal, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told journalists the government was determined to push the measure through a parliamentary debate.
He said a 90-day public consultation process was successful and widely supported.Related News
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Opponents say the consultations were marred by intimidation and violence, with anti-amendment activists assaulted by suspected state agents or arrested.
Several legal challenges seeking to stop or invalidate the amendment process are before Zimbabwe’s courts.
Critics say the bill would entrench the Zanu-PF, which has governed the resource-rich country since independence in 1980, overseeing crippling economic crises and accused of corruption and repression.
Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 in a military-backed coup that ousted Robert Mugabe, president for 30 years.
He was elected for two five-year terms, in 2018 and 2023, which is the constitutional limit for a president.
AFP
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Top 10 Performers:
- Kaduna State 73%
- Delta State 70%
- Anambra State 65.5%
- Niger state 65.1%
- Ekiti State 64.5%
- Akwa Ibom State 64%
- Lagos State 64%
- Oyo State 61%
- Enugu State 56.5%
- Borno state 54%
Middle 10 Performers:
- Kwara State 53.5%
- Abia State 52%
- Ondo State 51%
- Nasarawa State 50.5%
- Osun State 49.5%
- Ogun State 48.5%
- Kano 48.5%
- Kogi State 48%
- Edo State 47%
- Jigawa State 46.8%
Worst 10 Performers:
- Bauchi State 44%
- Ebonyi State 42%
- Katsina State 41.5%
- Gombe State 40%
- Kebbi State 34%
- Plateau 33.5%
- Rivers State 30%
- Benue State 25%
- Yobe State 22%
- Taraba State 20%
These rankings are based on the CIAPS Governance Performance Index (CGPI) report, which evaluates states’ performance in areas like e-governance, transparency, and accountability.
The CIAPS Governance Performance Index (CGPI) is an initiative of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, CIAPS. CGPI was conceived as a catalyst for benchmarking, documenting, measuring and encouraging good governance in Nigeria.
Following the conclusion of party primaries, Rising Up for a United Nigeria (RUN) as a civil society group championing the cause of all youths and middle age citizens has congratulated His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his landslide victory in the presidential primaries recently held.
RUN also congratulated Senator Godswill Akpabio for emerging unopposed and the wild jubilation that greeted his victory as the Senator representing his constituency, the good people of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large.
In a press release signed by Amb. Solomon Adodo and made available to journalists, a copy of which was sighted by our correspondent, the group described the win of the duo as beam of hope for Nigeria beyond 2027.
According to him, “the win of Asiwaju and Akpabio signals a beam of hope for Nigeria that beyond 2027, we shall be consolidating on the gains of synergetic partnership between the legislature and the executive as a precursor for rapid development.
“The support extended to Mr. President by the Senate President has yielded significant strides in fasttracking development across all parameters that affect national productivity”
The group therefore called on all Nigerians to come out in their numbers to support the president while outlining series programs with potentials to foster national unity across regional and religious lines.
“As a group representing the interests of Nigeria youths, we are determined to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President towards improving the skill set of Nigeria youths towards increased productivity and an end to unemployment”, the release stated.
The group expressed confidence in the possibility of a new Nigeria of our dreams with the victories of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Godswill Akpabio who will definitely be handed a second term as the Senate President “to continue synergizing with Mr. President for a better Nigeria”.
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