Friday, January 23
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz dies
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died, royal officials have announced, weeks after he was admitted to hospital.
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz was the fifth of his brothers to take the throne.
Abdullah, who had ruled since 2005 and was said to be aged about 90, had been suffering from a lung infection.His 79-year-old half-brother, Salman, has been confirmed as the new king.
Within hours of his accession to the throne of the oil-rich kingdom, King Salman vowed to maintain the same policies as his predecessors.
"We will continue adhering to the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment," he said in a speech broadcast on state television.
Abdullah had suffered frequent bouts of ill health in recent years, and King Salman had recently taken on the ailing monarch's responsibilities.
Prior to announcing Abdullah's death, Saudi television cut to Koranic verses, which often signifies the passing of a senior royal.
A statement said Abdullah had died at 01:00 (22:00 GMT Thursday).
BBC News, Jeddah Correspondent Sylvia Smith,
Here in Saudi Arabia's second city, the streets were quiet
this morning as many people flocked to mosques for Friday prayers. There
is a subdued sadness in the air as Saudis take in the loss of their
king. People throughout the kingdom are mourning a man whom many viewed as a good monarch. A Jedawi I spoke to said that although it was known that Abdullah was ailing, to wake up to news of the king's death was distressing. Another Jedawi referred to the loss as like a family member passing away.
It is only after the king is later laid to rest, that people here and in the kingdom at large can begin to adjust to his passing.
Abdullah, Salman and Muqrin are all sons of the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz, usually referred to as Ibn Saud, who died in 1953.
King Salman called on the royal family's Allegiance Council to recognize Muqrin as his heir. He swiftly appointed Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as deputy crown prince, making him second in line to the throne, and named his own son, Mohammed bin Salman, as defense minister.
Other ministers, including foreign, oil and finance were kept in place, state TV reported.
- Born on 31 December 1935
- Son of Princess Hassa al-Sudairi
- Governor of Riyadh from 1955-1960 and 1963-2011
- Appointed defense minister upon death of his brother Crown Prince Sultan
- Owns important stake in one of the Arab world's largest media groups
In keeping with traditions of Wahhabism - the ultra-conservative form of Sunni Islam followed by the kingdom - King Abdullah will be buried in an unmarked grave immediately after Friday prayers.
The Saudi religious establishment views every aspect of life and death as a submission to God's supreme will, and protocol permits no official mourning period. Government offices stay open and flags remain at full mast.
Saudi Arabia is now sandwiched between an aggressive Islamic State (IS) to the north and al-Qaeda in Yemen to the south. Saudi warplanes have joined the US-led coalition in air strikes against IS, but this is deeply unpopular with many Saudis.
The government has yet to find a way to cope with mild calls for reforms, and is abusing anti-terror laws to silence reformers and punish its critics. Longer term, it faces a growing unemployment problem. About half the population is under 25 and there are nowhere near enough meaningful jobs for young Saudis.
But the country does at least have oil in its favor. With prices below $45 a barrel, Saudi Arabia is one of the very few exporting countries to still make big margins on production and exploration. That puts it in a powerful position on the world stage.
"As a leader, he was always candid and had the courage of his convictions. One of those convictions was his steadfast and passionate belief in the importance of the US-Saudi relationship as a force for stability and security in the Middle East and beyond," he said.
Vice-President Joe Biden tweeted that he would lead a delegation to Riyadh to pay respects.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said Abdullah would be remembered for his "commitment to peace and for strengthening understanding between faiths".
Jordan's King Abdullah II cut short a visit to Davos, Switzerland, to travel to Saudi Arabia, as Jordan's royal court declared 40 days of mourning.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin praised Abdullah's "grounded, considered and responsible leadership", while Iran offered Saudi Arabia its condolences and said its foreign minister would travel to Riyadh for an "official ceremony" on Saturday.
Frank Gardner says Saudi Arabia could face an increasing internal security problem following the death of King Abdullah
In 1962 he was appointed commander of the Saudi National Guard, where he earned the respect and loyalty of the desert tribes.
When he came to the throne in 2005 he succeeded another half-brother, Fahd. However, he had already been Saudi Arabia's de-facto leader for 10 years because his predecessor had been debilitated by a stroke.
Correspondents say Abdullah was seen as a reformer at home, albeit a slow and steady one.
He allowed mild criticism of his government in the press, and hinted that more women should be allowed to work.
King Salman spent 48 years as governor of Riyadh Province before becoming crown prince and defense minister.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says it is thought unlikely that he will embark on any great changes.
In a recent meeting with the BBC in Jeddah, he appeared alert and well-briefed but walked with the aid of a stick, our correspondent adds.
Tuesday, December 9
You Can Contact us for:
You can contact me on facebook, twitter, via email too.
Email: whyteemilia444@gmail.com
Mobile: 08165048960
Twitter: twitter.com/@harrybblog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Harryb'sblog#!/
Please, DO NOT call me at odd hours and If I don't pick your call, please DROP A TEXT MESSAGE.
- Sponsored posts
- Advertisements
- Speaking Engagements
- Product Promotion
- Brand Endorsement & Sponsorship
You can contact me on facebook, twitter, via email too.
Email: whyteemilia444@gmail.com
Mobile: 08165048960
Twitter: twitter.com/@harrybblog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Harryb'sblog#!/
Please, DO NOT call me at odd hours and If I don't pick your call, please DROP A TEXT MESSAGE.
2015: FG will improve security in Northeast – Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday said that Nigeria’s Armed Forces and security agencies will sustain and intensify ongoing operations against insurgents in the northeast to achieve significantly improved security ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Speaking at an audience with the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Uriel Palti, President Jonathan said that Nigeria will also continue to work with neighbouring countries for the effective implementation of the regional security arrangements which were recently concluded to enhance multilateral cooperation against extremism, terrorism, insurgency and other cross-border crimes.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, President Jonathan told the Israeli Ambassador that the Federal Government was actively and progressively enhancing the ability of Nigeria’s Armed Forces and security agencies to deal decisively with terrorists and insurgents.
The positive effects of steps taken by his administration in that regard, he said, will become increasingly apparent very soon.
The Israeli ambassador conveyed the condolences of the country’s Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netenyahu, to President Jonathan and the people of Nigeria on the loss of lives in recent terrorist attacks.
He thanked President Jonathan for his recent visits to Israel.
Monday, December 8
BOKOHARAM AND APC'S CHANGING NARRATIVE
THESE are particularly trying times for Nigeria, make no mistakes about that. The nation is under constant attacks by a terrorist group, Boko Haram, which has sworn to impose its warped understanding of Islamic law on everybody. The other day, it was in Borno; and now, it is Kano and Damaturu.
As body counts continue to rise over the wicked bombing of the Central Mosque in Kano yet again by the merchants of death, so is the justified anger and frustration of the people over the ability of the security agencies to protect them.
Yes, when the body bags of innocent citizens, including women and children, cut down in mid-trajectory keep piling, it is natural to question the role of government in protecting its citizens. Yet in all the frustrations, can we find the sobriety and good conscience to consider, for once, if President Goodluck Jonathan has been fairly judged and treated in this matter?
It is patently mischievous, misleading and incendiary to link the government, let alone accuse it of throwing bombs at its own citizens just to score cheap political points. This is precisely what the statement released by Jama’atu Nasril Islam (NJI), the apex Northern Islamic body, headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar 11, on the recent bombing of the Kano Mosque, suggested.
These are the precise words of Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, the secretary of JNI at a press conference in Kaduna: “We are indeed shocked and pained beyond words over the news of the bomb blasts in Kano Central Mosque, which claimed the lives of over one hundred innocent Muslims … But must blood be spilled to justify the extension of the state of emergency? Why is it that any time the ineffective state of emergency is about to elapse and or an extension is being sought, attacks are carried out with sophistication?”
What the JNI and its political wing in the opposition, the All Progressives Congress (APC) conveniently forgot to tell Nigerians is that, there has been a series of bombings in the country each time it was anticipated that the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, would want to declare his re-election bid. In fact, a day before the President’s declaration, several innocent students were killed by a suicide bomber at Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Potiskum in Yobe state.
And as has been their script, the APC accused President Jonathan of insensitivity and callousness for not cancelling the political engagement that had long been fixed for that day because of the Boko Haram attack at the Potiskum College. This is the same Jonathan who is now being accused of sponsoring Boko Haram attacks on the very people who elected him some three years ago and the same people he is asking to renew the mandate in 2015. If this is a joke, somebody is definitely taking it too far!
There is no argument that Boko Haram considers any Nigerian who believes in a free society a targeted enemy. The insurgents have been killing both Muslims and Christians without any discrimination. That said, no one can contest the fact that more Christians have been slain by the murderous insurgents in their jihadist campaigns. More churches have equally been destroyed in the Northeast. What point is being made here? President Jonathan is a Christian. Hey, he is the victim here; not the aggressor!
It is very unfortunate and intriguing that JNI, an organisation headed by the Sultan, which has been very reticent in condemning the nefarious and terrorist activities of the Boko Haram group for the past three years is now finding its voice. Are there any fears that the attacks are gradually coming closer to Sokoto? Or, is this part of the APC script to get Jonathan out of power by any means possible? As you might have known, another Sokoto boy in APC is already spear-heading the impeachment of the President in the House of Representatives, lest Jonathan wins in 2015 and keeps the North waiting again till 2019.
What the apex Muslim organisation in our country, the JNI, may have wittingly or unwittingly achieved with its incendiary statement is to play into the hands of the Boko Haram sect. One of the apparent strategies of the group apart from terror is to create animosity between Christians and Muslims and thus divert their attention and concerted efforts in confronting what is the common enemy of the people. Nobody should lose sight of the fact that our soldiers, policemen and women, staff members of the Department of State Security (DSS), hunters and members of the civilian JTF on daily basis put their lives on the line in the fight against this insurgency. Many have been killed so far trying to protect all of us including those fanning the embers of insurgency. We cannot throw away all their sacrifices in one feat of anger and bickering.
If there is anything the opposition politicians in the APC wish they can achieve as the nation inches towards the 2015 general elections, it will certainly be to change the narrative of the Boko Haram terrorism in the country.
Not a few of our countrymen and women rightly or wrongly believe that there is something about the Boko Haram insurgency that the APC people know about. Not with the fundamentalist antecedents of some of their leaders, and the way they often gloat whenever Boko Haram bombs rip open the entrails and shatter the limbs of Nigerians, by seeing it as another problem for Jonathan to deal with.
They are even going about boasting of how they will stop the insurgency once they are elected in 2015. That perhaps explains why the Janjaweed cloth that Olisa Metuh, the spokesperson of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sew for APC has fitted very well. Give it to the opposition; they have been very strong in the media. In fact, the ruling PDP ought to go on apprenticeship in publicity and propaganda at the APC secretariat. Yet, in spite of all their skills, the APC people know that the association of their party with insurgency is a masterstroke in the hands of PDP and they are leaving no stones unturned in order to change the narrative.
It all started with, one Steven Davis, a self-appointed Boko Haram “negotiator” who opened his mouth and claimed that the former Chief Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika, who gallantly routed the insurgents and pushed them into the Sambisa forest was one of the main sponsors of Boko Haram.
Today, APC is claiming that Jonathan, the man whom its members promised a hellish time as president, is now the sponsor of the same insurgency targeting to bring down his presidency simply because he wants to renew the state of emergency in the three north-east states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. C’mon, APC, you can’t spin this!
Mr. Femi Ayelabowo, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Ibadan, Oyo State.
As body counts continue to rise over the wicked bombing of the Central Mosque in Kano yet again by the merchants of death, so is the justified anger and frustration of the people over the ability of the security agencies to protect them.
Yes, when the body bags of innocent citizens, including women and children, cut down in mid-trajectory keep piling, it is natural to question the role of government in protecting its citizens. Yet in all the frustrations, can we find the sobriety and good conscience to consider, for once, if President Goodluck Jonathan has been fairly judged and treated in this matter?
It is patently mischievous, misleading and incendiary to link the government, let alone accuse it of throwing bombs at its own citizens just to score cheap political points. This is precisely what the statement released by Jama’atu Nasril Islam (NJI), the apex Northern Islamic body, headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar 11, on the recent bombing of the Kano Mosque, suggested.
These are the precise words of Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, the secretary of JNI at a press conference in Kaduna: “We are indeed shocked and pained beyond words over the news of the bomb blasts in Kano Central Mosque, which claimed the lives of over one hundred innocent Muslims … But must blood be spilled to justify the extension of the state of emergency? Why is it that any time the ineffective state of emergency is about to elapse and or an extension is being sought, attacks are carried out with sophistication?”
What the JNI and its political wing in the opposition, the All Progressives Congress (APC) conveniently forgot to tell Nigerians is that, there has been a series of bombings in the country each time it was anticipated that the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, would want to declare his re-election bid. In fact, a day before the President’s declaration, several innocent students were killed by a suicide bomber at Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Potiskum in Yobe state.
And as has been their script, the APC accused President Jonathan of insensitivity and callousness for not cancelling the political engagement that had long been fixed for that day because of the Boko Haram attack at the Potiskum College. This is the same Jonathan who is now being accused of sponsoring Boko Haram attacks on the very people who elected him some three years ago and the same people he is asking to renew the mandate in 2015. If this is a joke, somebody is definitely taking it too far!
There is no argument that Boko Haram considers any Nigerian who believes in a free society a targeted enemy. The insurgents have been killing both Muslims and Christians without any discrimination. That said, no one can contest the fact that more Christians have been slain by the murderous insurgents in their jihadist campaigns. More churches have equally been destroyed in the Northeast. What point is being made here? President Jonathan is a Christian. Hey, he is the victim here; not the aggressor!
It is very unfortunate and intriguing that JNI, an organisation headed by the Sultan, which has been very reticent in condemning the nefarious and terrorist activities of the Boko Haram group for the past three years is now finding its voice. Are there any fears that the attacks are gradually coming closer to Sokoto? Or, is this part of the APC script to get Jonathan out of power by any means possible? As you might have known, another Sokoto boy in APC is already spear-heading the impeachment of the President in the House of Representatives, lest Jonathan wins in 2015 and keeps the North waiting again till 2019.
What the apex Muslim organisation in our country, the JNI, may have wittingly or unwittingly achieved with its incendiary statement is to play into the hands of the Boko Haram sect. One of the apparent strategies of the group apart from terror is to create animosity between Christians and Muslims and thus divert their attention and concerted efforts in confronting what is the common enemy of the people. Nobody should lose sight of the fact that our soldiers, policemen and women, staff members of the Department of State Security (DSS), hunters and members of the civilian JTF on daily basis put their lives on the line in the fight against this insurgency. Many have been killed so far trying to protect all of us including those fanning the embers of insurgency. We cannot throw away all their sacrifices in one feat of anger and bickering.
If there is anything the opposition politicians in the APC wish they can achieve as the nation inches towards the 2015 general elections, it will certainly be to change the narrative of the Boko Haram terrorism in the country.
Not a few of our countrymen and women rightly or wrongly believe that there is something about the Boko Haram insurgency that the APC people know about. Not with the fundamentalist antecedents of some of their leaders, and the way they often gloat whenever Boko Haram bombs rip open the entrails and shatter the limbs of Nigerians, by seeing it as another problem for Jonathan to deal with.
They are even going about boasting of how they will stop the insurgency once they are elected in 2015. That perhaps explains why the Janjaweed cloth that Olisa Metuh, the spokesperson of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sew for APC has fitted very well. Give it to the opposition; they have been very strong in the media. In fact, the ruling PDP ought to go on apprenticeship in publicity and propaganda at the APC secretariat. Yet, in spite of all their skills, the APC people know that the association of their party with insurgency is a masterstroke in the hands of PDP and they are leaving no stones unturned in order to change the narrative.
It all started with, one Steven Davis, a self-appointed Boko Haram “negotiator” who opened his mouth and claimed that the former Chief Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika, who gallantly routed the insurgents and pushed them into the Sambisa forest was one of the main sponsors of Boko Haram.
Today, APC is claiming that Jonathan, the man whom its members promised a hellish time as president, is now the sponsor of the same insurgency targeting to bring down his presidency simply because he wants to renew the state of emergency in the three north-east states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. C’mon, APC, you can’t spin this!
Mr. Femi Ayelabowo, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Ibadan, Oyo State.
RISE OF OIL SUBSIDY UNDER GOODLUCK JONATHAN BY RT. HON CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMEACHI
PORT HARCOURT: Governor Chibuike Amaechi has lashed at the federal government for mismanaging the fuel subsidy program, saying it confirmed the high level of corruption at the centre.
The governor who spoke in Government House, Port Harcourt, when he received a presidential aspirant in his party, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso who was in the state to seek support of delegates, also blamed what he termed the indecisiveness of the federal government for the worsening security situation in the north eastern part of the country.
“You are aware we met in the governors’ forum. Under Obasanjo, oil subsidy was N200 billion and rose to N300 billion. Under President Yar’Adua, it remained at N300 billion. President Yar’Adua died in 2011, six months of President Goodluck Jonathan, oil subsidy rose from N300 billion to N2.3trillion. You can ask him, it’s public knowledge,” Amaechi said.
Governor Amaechi charged delegates of the party to ensure they worked for victory of the party at the general polls, stressing that there was need to vote out the Peoples Democratic Party.
He further assured that delegates of the party had resolved to work with any aspirant that would emerge from the party’s presidential primaries.
“Delegates of the party have all agreed to work with any of the Presidential aspirants that emerges as the Presidential flag bearer of the APC. I urge all the party delegates to be watchful and ensure total commitment to support APC to win the 2015 general elections,” He said.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubarka , a presidential aspirant of the APC was also in the state to solicit the support of delegates.
WHY I DID NOT CONTEST FOR PRIMARIES. DABIRI-EREWA
A federal lawmaker, Rep. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Sunday said she decided not to return to the House of Representatives in 2015 to give others the chance to contest.
Dabiri-Erewa, an APC member, who presently represents Ikorodu Federal Constituency, spoke with newsmen in Ikorodu, Lagos.
She was among delegates who voted at the APC primary election for the House of Representatives in Ikorodu.
The legislator said she would, however, continue to work for the party’s success as she was among the founding members in the South-West.
“My decision not to contest in the next election was a hard one.
“But I took the decision to allow others come in to gain experience and also to allow true democracy prevail.
“The constitution allows us to contest as many times as we want but having run for three times, we should give another person the chance to run and gather experience,” she said.
On the APC primaries for federal constituencies, she said that she hoped the best candidates would emerge.
She said that the peaceful nature of the primaries showed that APC would be the party to beat in 2015.
“I have the belief that APC will triumph at the forthcoming 2015 general elections to enable Nigerians experience the desired change.
“I’m not only being optimistic at winning in Lagos State but also sure that APC will triumph at the federal level,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
She urged Nigerians to go out and vote for candidates of their choice.
Dabiri-Erewa, an APC member, who presently represents Ikorodu Federal Constituency, spoke with newsmen in Ikorodu, Lagos.
She was among delegates who voted at the APC primary election for the House of Representatives in Ikorodu.
The legislator said she would, however, continue to work for the party’s success as she was among the founding members in the South-West.
“My decision not to contest in the next election was a hard one.
“But I took the decision to allow others come in to gain experience and also to allow true democracy prevail.
“The constitution allows us to contest as many times as we want but having run for three times, we should give another person the chance to run and gather experience,” she said.
On the APC primaries for federal constituencies, she said that she hoped the best candidates would emerge.
She said that the peaceful nature of the primaries showed that APC would be the party to beat in 2015.
“I have the belief that APC will triumph at the forthcoming 2015 general elections to enable Nigerians experience the desired change.
“I’m not only being optimistic at winning in Lagos State but also sure that APC will triumph at the federal level,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
She urged Nigerians to go out and vote for candidates of their choice.
Friday, November 28
Man Buys $1 Million Supercar, Crashes It 24 Hours Later
An unlucky driver who bought $1.15 branded supercar wrecked
his it 24 hours later, Dallas, Texas, USA.
2015 McLaren P1 is a seven-speed that goes from 0-62
mph in 2.8 seconds, it also boasts the twin-turbo V8 and its top speed
of 217 mph. The vehicle was one of only 375 models that were made
which base price is $1.15 million.
Images of the possibly the most exciting road car ever built quickly circulated around social media. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The vehicle was one of only 375
models that were made
According to police reports, the 27-year-old owner of the car who bought it on Tuesday as early as Wednesday morning lost control and crashed into a guard rail. The driver and the passenger were injured in the crash and immediately rushed to hospital.
Images of the possibly the most exciting road car ever built quickly circulated around social media. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)