'Nigeria: the context for violence' (2006-2013)

[Stan]

The Nigerian name quoted is Northern, and Muslim. Doesn't help North-South, Muslim-Christian relationships.

Removing illicit arms and larger caliber projectiles from waring factions (among other things and destinations) was the intent of the sanctions, at least according to the Department of the Treasury's website here. But no, it probably won't do much for the current impasse in Nigeria.

Behineh Trading, the shipping company, and the Nigerian agent designated today were involved in a weapons shipment seized in Nigeria in late October 2010. This weapons shipment – orchestrated by the IRGC-QF and intended for The Gambia – is part of a larger pattern of Iranian lethal aid shipments to clients in Africa and around the world.

This however has some semblance of hope:

Bomb factory discovered in Kogi

[KingJaja]

Nothing illustrates a state in retreat/a failing state like this factoid - up to 70 percent of all schools in Lagos are privately owned! Think about it, in spite of the massive amounts of money available to Nigerian government over the last decade, the government has failed to (a) either provide the infrastructure for education or (b) adequately train teachers.

There are about 1.9 million children of school age in Lagos and out of that number only about 400,000 are enrolled in public schools. Since the literacy rate in Lagos is about 92 percent, one can assume that at least 1.4 million children are enrolled in private schools!

Lagos is the richest part of Nigeria. The situation in Lagos should give you an idea of what the difficulties would be in Northern Nigeria. Spending money on that part of the country simply won't do the trick. Government lacks the capacity to adequately administer Nigeria. Very troubling.

Lagos — A peep into the result of census of schools in Lagos conducted towards the end of last year has shown that most of the schools in the state are privately owned.

A comprehensive result of the census of primary and secondary schools conducted by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) beginning last year November would be made known in a later date.

ESSPIN Lagos State Team Leader, Dr. Gboyega Ilusanya, disclosed that as many as 70 per cent of all the schools in the state are owned by private operators. He, however, emphasised that the census is basically for data collection intended to develop the sector through strategic planning.

Ilusanya, who was guest at a recent media-training event in Lagos, also noted that the private schools were more willing to be part of the census, because they were assured that the exercise was not going to be used to deal with them for defaulting on standards.

He said the result of the census would aid in the provision of necessary information on enrolment, location and name-search for both public and private schools operating in the state.

EMIS State Specialist of ESSPIN (Kwara and Lagos), Dr. Joanna Harma, who explained the rationale for the schools' census in an interview with Daily Independent said, "The private school growth in Lagos has been spontaneous and unassisted by government, and these schools' ability to serve the population at nearly all socio-economic levels is highly significant. Therefore, the contributions of private schools needed to be recognised and better understood."

She remarked that the federal government's estimation of about 1.9 million children of school age in the state cannot be adequately backed by any document, adding that the state government can only account for 400,000 in public schools, meaning the rest of the children are out of the school or in private schools.

She also doused fears that the exercise was meant for inspection purposes and tax collection, adding that the data was basically to be used for planning purposes and possibly for designing intervention programmes to support private school initiatives in the state.

Ilusanya noted, "There is a peculiar issue in Lagos. The number of children in public primary school is documented by government. At the point of transition to Junior Secondary School, the state usually had more than 100 per cent transition. If we are expecting 100 from public schools to move into JSS or SSS classes in schools owned by government, we end up having more than 100 per cent enrolment. At that time one begins to wonder where they are coming from. This, most times, destabilises government plans, programmes and strategy for learning because the data of likely number that may come from the private schools is not accurate or non-existent and these are important and invaluable information needed for planning

[KingJaja]

I know that US foreign policy towards Israel is heavily influenced by evangelicals. What impact would these people have on US Africa policy if current Islamist inspired terrorism is presented as a struggle between Islam and Christianity for souls in one of the World's largest "mission grounds".

When are we likely to start hearing from Franklin Graham?

I recall that Gbagbo was presented as "Christian" being undermined by "Muslims". And that a serving US parliamentarian was openly in support of Gbagbo. Gbagbo is small potatoes, but Nigeria with its mega pastors and TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) superstars may be another matter all together.

[Dayuhan]

I know that US foreign policy towards Israel is heavily influenced by evangelicals.

The actual degree of influence is very much debatable. Lots of factors driving US support for Israel, difficult to say exactly how much influence any given one actually has.

What impact would these people have on US Africa policy if current Islamist inspired terrorism is presented as a struggle between Islam and Christianity for souls in one of the World's largest "mission grounds".

My guess would be none. There's a very strong resistance in the US to involvement in African conflicts, it's seen as a black hole from which no positive escape is possible. I doubt that the evangelicals could overcome that resistance, or even that they'd try very hard.

[KingJaja]

Seems like Boko Haram again. Later reports suggest two suicide car bombs. Quite worrying as Northern Nigeria seems to have no shortage of suicide bombers.

(Reuters) - A car bomb exploded in the north Nigerian town of Kaduna on Easter Sunday, killing several people, after security officers stopped the driver from approaching a church, witnesses and emergency services said.

"A suicide bomber in a vehicle was moving towards the ECWA Church and the All Nations Christian Assembly," said Tony Udo, a Kaduna resident.

"Security agents accosted and repelled him. While he was driving away, the bomb went off at Junction Road, near the Stadium roundabout, killing the bomber and some commercial motorcyclists," Udo told Reuters.

"The blast from the bomb also shattered the windows of the church, some nearby houses and vehicles parked nearby. The area has been condoned off by security agents," Udo added.

Nigeria has ramped up security across the largely Muslim north before the Christian Easter holiday because of fears of a repeat of attacks by the Islamist sect Boko Haram that killed dozens on Christmas Day last year.

One of the sect's Christmas Day bomb attacks in the north killed at least 37 people and wounded more than 50 at a church.

Boko Haram, a movement loosely styled on Afghanistan's Taliban, has killed hundreds this year in bomb and gun attacks that mostly target police, the military and the government.

The sect says it wants its imprisoned members released and sharia, Islamic law, applied throughout Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation.

In the remote northeast town of Maiduguri, Boko Haram's homeland, the military outnumbered the public on some streets on Sunday.

"Patrol is being intensified to forestall any breakdown in law and order," a spokesman for the joint military task force told Reuters.

In Nigeria's second biggest city Kano, where coordinated attacks in January killed 186 people, authorities deployed trucks of soldiers and a helicopter to try to prevent violence.

"I will stay away from church because we have been told by our pastor to be careful. We are afraid, everybody is afraid because we don't know when the next attack will come," said Jenifer Paul, a housewife in Kano.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/0...83705P20120408

[KingJaja]

CAN stands for Christian association of Nigeria. How significant is this statement? Very. It means that the Christian community will assume that the US government is allied with "Northern elements" sympathetic to Boko Haram.

There are two very prominent US friends of the Northern elite - John Campbell and Jean Herskovits and they are seen by the Christian community as (a) influencing US policy in Nigeria and (b) sympathetic to Boko Haram.

I think a wiser course of action for the US is to maintain a low profile (like the Brits) and allow Nigerians to sort themselves out. Telling the Nigerian people "what their problems are" or that "you understand the Nigerian situation better than they do" or "telling them how to solve their problems" openly was always going to backfire.

In the first place the US doesn't know jack about Nigeria and even less about its internal politics. Statements may be true, but politically uncalled for. The US hasn't learned the importance of keeping out of the internal politics of deeply polarised nations.

PRESIDENT, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has said the association reject the views of the American govern-ment as expressed by its Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mr Johnnie Carson, on Boko Haram.

CAN, in a press release made available to the Nigerian Tribune, said it rejected the reason being pedlled by the American government and some Boko Haram apologists in the North that poverty and injustice was the spark for the action of the sect members.

Insisting that Boko Haram was a product of extreme religious ideology, CAN said the kind of arms and ammunition in the hands of the sect could only be purchased by those with heavy financial power.

“A fair comparison of any other region with the North shows that the section of the North referred to by Carson has been the greatest bene-ficiary of the project called Nigeria.

“The north has been in leadership for the greater part of Nigeria’s Golden Jubilee and its greatest annoyance seems to be the displacement from this position, because this same section of the region believes that they are born to rule,” the release said.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news...-on-boko-haram

[KingJaja]

For your information.

Abuja — Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Olusola Obada, yesterday confirmed speculations that weapons stolen from Libyan armoury have found their way to Nigeria.

In the dying days of the regime of Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Gaddafi, the armoury was looted and some sophisticated weapons were reportedly stolen.

There had been unconfirmed reports that some of the looted weapons, which included surface-to-air launchers, had found their way into Nigeria and might be part of the Boko Haram armoury.

Obada, speaking in Abuja when a delegation of the National Defence University of Pakistan visited the Ministry of Defence, confirmed the report but expressed confidence that Nigeria is at peace with all countries of the world and, therefore, free from any form of external security threats, especially from its immediate neighbours.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201204110266.html