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Nigeria is one of the potential areas for instability, the United States director of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Porter J. Goss, told the Congress yesterday.


By Moses Jolayemi with agency report, 02.17.2005

“In Nigeria, the military is struggling to contain militia groups in the oil-producing south and ethnic violence that frequently erupts throughout the country," he said.
According to the CIA boss in a report titled “Global Intelligence Challenges 2005: Meeting Long-Term Challen-ges with a Long-Term Strategy” delivered to Senate yesterday “extremist groups are emerging from the country's Muslim population of about 65 million.”

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Originally posted by Rick:
This Confederate/Othamiel is sounding like a typical Nigerian of the 80s in the United States who just received a green card and warning other Nigerians that he would send them back to Nigeria.

So, we still have them around?

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Originally posted by olusolaa:
How does he ever know that one can contract OLUSOLAA to OLU if he's not a Nigerian? Why not OLUS or OLUSO, the guy is a fake.

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Originally posted by MeBiafran:
njiko umuigbo:

Your questions are great. Your pain is our pain therefore, direct these questions to people like Fumi, AdeCONle who see no evil unless that angel has an Igbo name or appearance only then will it be termed evil. Take my advice and leave olu, he does not cheer to foolishness. Read him well. Can I remotely say the same about the flies that allow the debate or ideas to descend to a gutter level? No, no, no! Methinks the awusa boy, daud’s jitteriness could be traced to these debates where ideas are proffered on how to abandon them to their waste. I sincerely have the feelings that this is what aremu would eventually do, surgically and systematically clip their tired wings by isolating the northern blood suckers from the rest of us at the appropriate time (2006). Failure to do this would only quadruple the pain and distress that the islamist would unleash on them at a later date. Obasanjo can’t be that stupid, he may be a crook and a killer but not dumb.

olu

Please do not, I repeat do not take the things we discuss here lightly. Make it a daily habit to go over these things with your folks at home. The lazy awusas have no agenda, theirs is about "bring am make we chop," chop something they didn't cultivate. "I sincerely have the feelings that this is what aremu would eventually do, surgically and systematically clip their tired wings by isolating the northern blood suckers from the rest of us at the appropriate time (2006)."

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Presidential aide protests threats from US official

MUSA SIMON REEF

The Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has resolved to write a letter of protest to the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. John Campbell over altercations with an official of the embassy.

The quarrel was triggered by the report released by the United State Congress alleging gross human rights violations under the present federal administration.

The 23-page report, which was recently presented by Mr. Rusell Hanks, US Embassy’s Deputy Political Counsellor, had described the last local government elections in the country as anything but fail ("fair" is what the reporter was trying to spell)(I wonder if he mispelled it on purpose).

In his reaction to the report, Fani-Kayode had said that the report was not a true reflection of the official position of the United States, just as he said, “there was no political prisoner in Nigeria.”

Sunday Punch, however, gathered that his condemnation of the report enraged the American official, culminating in a verbal exchange between him and Hanks on the phone.

The diplomat was said to have threatened the presidential aide with a raw treatment for daring to condemn the report.

Though the American reportedly claimed that the report was not the official position of the American Government, the diplomat, however, was angered by the response of the Presidential aide.

“The presidential aide was threatened over the manner he condemned the report as not being the representative of the views of the American Government and that of President George Bush.

“During the telephone exchange between Fani-Kayode and the American official, which was placed on speaker’s phone, the American threatened to deal with him on the issue.

“Unknown to the American, the phone was placed on speaker and some journalists present heard the threat by the diplomat. When the presidential aide asked him to state whether the report was the official position of the American Government, the embassy staff replied in the negative,” a source disclosed.

When asked on the motive behind the report as it did not represent the American position, the enraged staff allegedly said: “Nigeria is too small a country to be commented upon by the States Department.

“It was at that point that the presidential aide slammed the phone on the American for what he considered as denigrating his status as an official of the country and that of the presidency”, the source added.

The American, claimed the source, later sent a text message to Fani-Kayode apologizing for the altercations on phone. A Nigerian close to the American also pleaded with Fani-Kayode to forgive the official and forget the issue.

Contacted over the alleged threats on the issue, Fani-Kayode confirmed that he had a misunderstanding with an embassy official on his reaction to the human rights violations report.

He neither confirm nor denied the story that he planned to write a letter of complaint to the American Ambassador.

Fani-Kayode said that his response on the human rights violations report was not targeted at the American Government but at a few individuals that are determined to spread lies about the true position of things in Nigeria.

“I want to maintain here that my response denying the report as not representing the view of the United States Government was not aimed at attacking the US, but was aimed at debunking the falsehood of the report, which was grossly unfair to the efforts undertaken by the Obasanjo Administration in upholding the rule of law and protection of human rights”, Fani-Kayode said.

On if he regretted his response, the presidential aide said, “Let me declare that I stand by every word that I said before. I do not have any regrets over my response, which I believe was done in the best interest of Nigeria and the government. We still believe that the report was based on misinformation, misrepresentations and full of lies.

“Contrary to impressions being given in certain quarters within the American Embassy, this report is not the true position of the United States Government and that of President George Bush.

“The report was rather commissioned by the US State Congress and put together by an NGO. I stand to question the motive of that NGO on human rights violations. The report was completely false and keeping silent on the issue amounts to allowing the triumph of falsehood.

“There was this allegation that the 2003 Elections were unfair. You must understand that Nigeria, since the dawn of democracy has been involved in promoting the rule of law and sustainable democracy. Even President George Bush has had cause to congratulate Mr. President on efforts aimed at promoting democracy and respects for human rights.

“Let me inform you that Mr. President has done well in the areas of promoting human rights and sustainable democracy. If any one is upset with our reaction, it is their problem and not ours”, the presidential aide added.

All efforts made to get comments from the embassy on Saturday did not succeed.

Sunday Punch, March 13, 2005

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Diplomatic Row Likely Over Envoy's Comment



This Day (Lagos)

March 6, 2005
Posted to the web March 7, 2005

Chuks Okocha
Abuja

Nigeria and the United States(US) may be heading for a diplomatic row over the comment of a US Envoy, Russell Hanks, the Deputy Political Counselor in the United State Embassy in Abuja accusing the Federal Government of human rights violations.

Already a memo asking for the recall of Russell Hanks is said to be awaiting President Olusegun Obasanjo's approval. According to a presidency source that spoke to THISDAY "Nigeria is a sovereign country, we are not an appendage of the United State Government, the comment of the envoy is in bad taste and undiplomatic. A memo is currently awaiting the President's attention for the recall of the Deputy Political Counselor in the US Embassy." Hanks said on Thursday in Abuja that the Federal Government has failed to address human rights abuses in the country.


Specifically, Hanks was quoted as saying "The Nigerian government human rights record remained poor, and the government continued to commit serious abuses. "There were politically motivated killings by the government and its agents. national Police, army and security forces committed extra judicial killings or used excessive force to apprehend criminals and to disperse protesters during the year (2004) when crowds were perceived by the Police as possibly becoming violent.

"Police and the armed forces are instructed to use lethal force against suspected criminals and suspected vandals near oil pipeline in the Niger Delta Region."

The report released by Hanks also accused government of restricting freedom of speech as well as assembly, stating that government always uses "security concerns" as reasons for its action. The source that spoke to THISDAY said "the action of this envoy is becoming embarrassing to government. Government is aware of his role during military rule in the country. What he wants to do is to incite the people against the government. It will not be taken lightly." When THISDAY contacted the Special Assistant to the President on Public Matters, Chief Femi Fani Kayode for his comment, he said "I am more interested in what the United State President, George Bush and the State Department will say of Nigeria. I am not interested in the comment of a junior officer."




According to Fani Kayode "his comments are quite at variance with the comments of President Bush who has been commending President Obasanjo over the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria since 1999.

"President Bush and the US State Department have always commended the Federal Government over the rule of law, respect for human rights, the concept of separation of power between the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary." Fani kayode who described the comments by Hanks as "bias based on tissues of lies, disinformation, falsehood and half truth" said "Government rejects the insinuations contained in the report in its entirety." He also stated that the Nigerian Government is not going to lose any sleep about the report, it is comment of a junior officer and not the position of the US President or that of a the State Department." The President's aide alleged that Hanks has a personal motive to achieve for ascribing the report to come from the State Department, whereas, it is a Congressional Report.

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Originally posted by Chima Njuko

...because of the immunity he enjoys by virtue of the provisions of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution. The section precludes the president, vice president, governor and deputy from prosecution.

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According to Fani Kayode "his comments are quite at variance with the comments of President Bush who has been commending President Obasanjo over the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria since 1999.

"President Bush and the US State Department have always commended the Federal Government over the rule of law, respect for human rights, the concept of separation of power between the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary."


This Day (Lagos)

March 6, 2005
Posted to the web March 7, 2005

Chuks Okocha
Abuja

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Washington is also said to be unhappy with the rude and uncultured reaction of a Nigerian government official to the country's report on human rights and described the action of the official as a threat.

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