President Buhari has clearly shown that he belongs to somebody

"I belong to everybody. I belong to nobody." That was the golden
statement or word on marble credited to President Muhammed Buhari,
GCFR as part of his Inauguration Speech on the day of his Inauguration
on Friday May 29th, 2015 at Eagle's Square, Abuja.

With that particular statement, among other highlights of his
Inaugural speech, the nation that has been put in a reverse-gear and
in a state of despondency suddenly seemed to be revived and had her
hope rekindle that her tomorrow would be better and alright.

But some of us with the eyes of the Spirit by God's grace, refused to
be cajoled by that statement. The contents of our rejoinder titled
"President Buhari Belongs to Somebody", widely published online and by
national newspapers like The Punch and The Sun, say it all.

In that article, we debunked that particular statement and remarked
that the President actually belongs to the North (especially the
Hausa/Fulani) where he hails from and his party- All Progressives for
Change -APC (the party that produced him as its presidential
flag-bearer).

But some distrust Nigerians, including a well-respected Man of God who
is an ardent supporter of Mr. President found it difficult to be on
the same page with us on the views expressed in that article. Although
this writer is also a supporter of President Buhari but definitely not
a blind supporter or follower.

I belong to a section of supporters who still have their eyes
wide-open and regularly points out the pit-falls that the new
administration may not be conscious off. And true to the prophetic
insight clearly expressed in our rejoinder then by God's grace, the
President has begun to come up with his sets of appointments which
clearly show where he belongs- the North.

President Buhari rattled everybody including his Party-Chieftains whom
God used to work for his good success at the presidential polls
against all odds.

The clear-cut lopsidedness in the recent appointments into boards of
parastatals and key sectors of the Economy and the security apparatus
have left no-one in doubt of where President Buhari's spirit, soul and
body belong- the North with a particular reference to the Hausa/
Fulani.

This unfolding scenario seems to have left the Ruling Party (APC) to
be dumb-founded and rattled. No one is sure of the President's next
move. Not even his presumed Chief Advisers or handlers from the South-
West could predict him.

He has clearly shown to them that the statement in his inaugural
speech credited to him was just a political statement to cool down the
nerves of Nigerians and the tension in the land then. And if anybody
still chose to believe that statement, that person may still be living
in a fool's paradise and may have refuse to awake and see the
realities on the ground.

Consequently, the President's high popularity rating at his
Inauguration period has began to drop. And anybody that thinks
otherwise must be an UFO (Unidentified Foreign Object) living in
another planet other than the earth.

But for these shortcomings- lopsidedness in key political and
military/security appointments, pockets of extreme cases of religious
intolerance, inability to find lasting solutions to the Niger-Delta
militancy/criminality that has spread beyond its region to other
geo-political regions like the South- East and the South- West, the
nation would have heaved a sign of relief of moving in the right
direction towards our Canaan land-our Promised land where Nigeria will
be truly great and occupy her eminent position in the Comity of
Nations.

Despite all these shortcomings, a living dog is still better than a
dead lion when this new administration is compared to the one that
proceeded it- the former President Goodluck Jonathan's led
administration when the economy was in comatose and corruption in high
places seemed to be the order of the day. "For him that is joined to
all the living, there is hope; for a living dog is better that a dead
lion". Ecclesiastes 9:4, KJV

Politics apart, the nation was almost dying before this new
administration came on board and God has used it to inject some life
into it which enabled the nation to escape from our house of bondage
in Egypt, metamorphorically speaking.

But having crossed our Red sea and heading towards our Canaan land,
the nation is currently stranded in the wilderness and hoping for a
new sense of direction except our current set of Moses and Aaron find
solutions to the aforementioned shortcomings and desist from their
current policy of sectionalism and aloofness.

Nevertheless, the good news is that God will never leave this nation
stranded. He will still come to our recuse as we continue to look up
to him.
We can therefore cry for national deliverance using the words of
Psalms 60:1-12, KJV. "Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help
of men".

-Vanguard

How Police attacked Ahiara Catholic parishioners

THE Administration of Ahiara Catholic Diocese, Mbaise, Imo State, has
deplored the invasion of the Cathedral by the Imo State Police
Command, which it said unleashed a violent attack on a large number of
the Catholic faithful who had gathered seeking God's intervention in
the long-festering bishopric crisis in the diocese. This follows the
allegation made by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo
Lakanu that youths of the diocese set up bonfires, barricaded the
highway and disrupted the peace of the town when the national
president of Catholic Women Organisation, CWO, Mrs. Agnes Erogunaye,
visited St. Rose Catholic Church, a parish in the diocese.

Speaking with Vanguard, the Secretary of Ahiara Diocesan Catholic
Youths Organisation, Mr. Victor Uzodimma decried the unwarranted
attack on the Catholic faithful because they refused to welcome
Erogunaye. He said: "What occasioned the attack on unarmed Catholic
faithful by the Nigeria Police Force was the planned visit of the
president of the National Council of Catholic Women Organization, Mrs.
Erogunaye, to Ahiara Diocese at the instance of pro-Bishop Okpalaeke
group.

"The faithful had gathered at the Cathedral to show their disapproval
of the visit of Mrs. Erogunaye whom they alleged had proven in her
short reign as the national leader of CWO to be an enemy of Ahiara
Diocese. However, the Ahiara Catholic faithful were determined to
resist the visit in a peaceful way through prayer and wearing of black
attires.

"Since assuming office as the national leader of the National Council
of Catholic Women Organization [NCCWO] in Nigeria in November of 2015,
Mrs. Erogunaye has made it her sole project to suppress, disgrace and
humiliate the Catholic faithful of Ahiara Diocese through the national
CWO.

"She wants to make a name for herself as the woman who defeated the
Catholic faithful of Ahiara Diocese in their quest to remove the
shackle of injustice and oppression that was visited on them with the
unjust appointment of Bishop Okpalaeke as their diocesan bishop," he
explained. The Diocesan Youth Secretary further explained that the way
and manner Erogunaye visited, coupled with the influx of the police at
the Cathedral smacked of a grand design to intimidate the people of
the diocese.

According to him, "that visit was remarkable given that it was the
first time the national leadership of the NCCWO was being dragged into
the Ahiara Diocesan bishopric crisis. "According to reports, the
pro-Okpalaeke women as well as CWO delegates from nearby dioceses were
instructed to put on the Ahiara Diocesan CWO uniform and gather at St.
Rose parish, Ihitte to welcome the national president of the CWO where
there would be demonstration against the diocesan priests who have
remained resolute in their rejection of Bishop Okpalaeke as bishop of
Ahiara diocese.

"However, when the plan of the pro-Okpalaeke group filtered into the
ears of the Catholic faithful of Ahiara diocese, they decided to carry
out a peaceful counter-demonstra-tion on the same day in the Cathedral
premises. "As early as 6:30 a.m. that Saturday morning, men, women and
youths dressed in black attires had already assembled at the Mater
Ecclesiae Cathedral premises, where they embarked on a rosary
procession around the premises.

"Meanwhile as the prayers were going on, several police Hilux vans
arrived at the Cathedral with fully armed policemen led by their DPO,
Mr. Danjuma Ragga. After address-ing the people outside the Cathedral
gate, the first contingent of Police-men left the scene. "But at 10:50
a.m., over 40 Police-men in eight Hilux vans returned to the cathedral
and without any pro-vocation from the youths, began shooting canisters
of teargas into the crowd. Many people fell and were matched upon with
several injured in the stampede that followed.

"They arrested some persons in-cluding priests and seminarians and
fired teargas into rooms and kitchen of the bishop's house where many
had run for safety," the youth secretary narrated. It will be recalled
that the Catholic faithful of Ahiara Diocese have been resisting the
imposition of Bishop Peter Okpalaeke, considered an outsider, whose
appointment is contrary to the provisions of the Vatican, which stated
that a candidate for the office of the Bishop should be close to the
people.

-Vanguard

FC Ifeanyi Ubah’s players, coaches, fans attacked by Heartland FC’s fans in Owerri (PHOTOS)

FC Ifeanyi Ubah's players, coaches and fans were Saturday evening,
allegedly attacked by irate fans of Heartland FC after both clubs
played out a goalless draw in Owerri, the Imo state capital.

FC Ifeanyi Ubah players and fans who were navigating their way out of
the Dan Anyiam stadium after the keenly contested match were met with
violence by the enraged Heartland's fans who hurled stones and bottles
at the team's bus.

The players and fans were then ambushed by the irate fans as they
attempted to flee for safety on foot. Players and fans were beaten
while others were taken away.

FC Ifeanyi Ubah team's buses were destroyed as the windows were
smashed and the tyres punctured to restrain movement of the vehicles.

An eye witness who pleaded anonymity said "I have never seen anything
like this before. The level of hooliganism and thuggery shown by these
people was beyond belief. Can you imagine that they were hurling
stones at the girls? Young girls who just came to support their team.
It was so sad to see."

About 30 people were said to have been taken to different hospitals in
Owerri for treatment, while the whereabouts of others were unknown as
at Press time.

See photos.

--Vanguard