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Just Like Yesterday …Attack That Defined War On Terror
Yesterday, exactly ten years ago, the world recorded the worst yet of terror-based attacks on American soil and reduced to a combination of human and concrete rubbles what existed as the Twin Towers that once housed the world’s most famous Trade Centre. Nearly 3,000 persons; from virtually all nations on the face of the earth perished in that singular act of cowardice.
The world still remembers the dead. The horror of watching loved ones perish in an infamous act of moral depravity, of social degeneration and of the most shameful of disrespect for human life. We still remember what that day meant to international diplomacy, to all religions especially Islam and indeed the threat it signalled to world peace.
It happened Sept 11, 2011, and became known as ‘9/11’, a day that would never go away, each time acts of its kind happens on any soil across the globe. More than anything else, it redefined global perception of the danger we daily face as humans, the dangerous level, bad cowards can get in inflicting pain on others , for no rational reason, explains the global need for an outright war on terrorists.
As in previous years, the United States of America (USA) and Britain, among many other nations that lost loved ones will attempt to relive the measure of horror that day represented, the unity of purpose it fostered, the nature of political miscalculations that nearly diminished that unity and of course, the eventual killing , more than nine years after in May, this year, of the main mastermind of that dastardly act-Osama bin Laden, whose al-Qaeda terror group took responsibility for the mass destruction of human and material resources.
Today, as in other years, the question is still asked whether or not after the wars waged in reprisals for 9/11, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and elsewhere the world is safer or not.
In 2008, seven years after, both Republicans and Democrats in days leading to that year’s election made varying conclusion on the subject. Republicans, under whose presidency, America went to war, held that the attack on Iraq and eventual killing of Saddam Hussein was a strong message to anyone or nation-state that would ever again contemplate harbouring terrorists or sponsor same.
The Republican position then was that the war on Iraq was rational because Iraqi strongman, Saddam Hussein had attacked his neighbours earlier, and also threatened to use chemical weapons against various Western targets. Those weapons turned out to be products of the imagination of Western intelligence. They actually did not exist.
Democrats on their part held that the war on Iraq, at huge cost to America was a distraction to the move to track down, in good time, the actual brains behind the 9/11 attacks. Infact, they insisted at the time of waging the Iraqi war, US forces had already cornered Osama bin Laden in the caves of Tora Bora in Afghanistan and rather than finish the job, redirected all efforts into attacking Saddam Hussein before unseating the Taliban, which provided Bin Laden the time leverage to relocate and escape.
Democratic flag-bearer, in that election, President Barack Obama in his acceptance speech at his party’s National Convention, at Denver in 2008 even mocked his Republican opponent, when he said, “ for while, Senator John McCain was turning his sights to Iraq, just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face. When, John McCain said we could just “muddle through” in Afghanistan, I argued for resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama Bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. John McCain likes to say that he ’ll follow Bin Laden to the gates of hell-but he wont even go to the cave, where, he lives”.
But in a recent interview which former US President, under whose watch the terror attacks happened, George Walker Bush granted National Geographic Channel, a satellite TV station, a sober Bush relived the horrors of that day, the sacrifices of life made by rescuers, the piles off human flesh that caked within the rubbles and calls for immediate action by volunteers and first responders and said, none could ever imagine how he felt, as President, the urgency to having things done fast and the burning emotions that informed his decision to order a full-scale war on terror.
A visibly downcast, yet unapologetic Bush said with a familiar touch of finality “ as Commander-in-Chief, I needed to make a decision, and in the face of the challenges which evil posed to good, the decision to wage a war, was the best at the time”.
Along with the war, followed many other defining elements, invasion of Afghanistan, the Patriot Act, the Department of Homelead Security, Guantanamo Bay, the elusive search for weapons of mass destruction and eventual invasion of Iraq, and CIA-sponsored torture of terror suspects, all intended, from Bush’s perspective, to find answers and prevent a repeat and more importantly, beef security, find and gun-down master-minds of the 9/11 horror and above all else, send a warning signal to all other terrorist organisations that may again contemplate a repeat of such attacks.
Ten years after yesterday, the debate is no longer whether or not America and indeed the world is safer. What is key to President Barack Obama and indeed Americans is to celebrate, amplify and sustain the unity of purpose that day evoked among Americans and show family and friends who lost loved ones to that terror attack that they are , indeed, not alone. That, the world indeed remembers and shares their loss. The day should also send, in even stronger terms, warning that terrorists would never ever make Americans and all other countries live in fear but sustain the level of vigilance required to make terrorism most unfanciful.
In that spirit and in keeping not just his promise to Americans but also to help ensure a safer world, President Obama has ordered a communications campaign against terrorists groups outside the US, especially, in countries like Nigeria, where terrorist activities are increasingly feared and elsewhere, where they have found roots.
The US government also announced that its Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP) has been made available to Nigeria among other countries, which have suffered one terror attack or the other, in recent times.
A statement from the US Treasury Department at the weekend, said the programme which was initiated in 2001 “to identify, track and pursue terrorists and their networks, is indeed useful”.
It said, “the TFTP has since provided thousands of valuable leads to US agencies and other governments that have aided in the prevention, or investigation of many of the most visible and violent terrorist and attempted attacks of the past decade”.
The US Treasury Department statement cited Nigeria as a recent beneficiary of the programme and said, “ for example, TFTP-derived information has played an important role in the investigation of the October 2010 Nigerian Independence Day car bombings in Abuja, Nigeria. It has also provided crucial information that has been used to identify persons linked to these attacks”.
This year’s remembrance of the horror which the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Centre, in which nearly 3,000 persons of various nationalities perished, truly represented, will be meaningless unless, well-meaning countries of the world key into the new security consciousness, the US has engineered, the sense of unity it evoked and indeed the endless war against evil by good, which the times truly demand.
The fourth Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Matthew Hassan Kukah captured the theme aptly when in response to the recent United Nations (UN) House Abuja bombing said, these acts of terrorism are not carried out by true Moslems or Christians but by evil men, who should be seen as mutual enemies and fought as such.
Rather than capitalise on the unfortunate occurrences to attempt to diminish the Nigerian presidency, as several have tried to do for cheap political reasons, as a people and citizens of same destiny, all well-meaning Nigerians should take a clue from the American example and allow our misfortunes of a terrorist kind, to unite us, not divide us.
My Agony is that there are still pockets of influential people who see the UN Office attacks as product of lapses in security or the ineptitude of President Goodluck Jonathan. That cannot be true, in any sense.
For were it to be so, what is today globally known as 9/11 would not have happened in New York City, in the United States of America, debatably, the most secure nation on the face of the earth.
Like the Americans are today united by memories of 9/11, let our unfortunate taste of the acts of cowardice by terrorists rather than divide us, strengthen our resolve to stand for hope not fear, love not hate, unity not division and mutual respect for every religion that teaches men to be good.
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DEPLOY YOUR CAPACITY, TECHNICAL KNOWHOW TO REVITALISE SONGHAI FARMS, FUBARA TELLS TASK FORCE
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable because of the need to solve the problem of food shortages while also providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
These, he said, are the reasons why great care has been taken to critically look at the prospects of revitalising the Songhai Integrated Farms, which is located in Bunu Tai, in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Fubara insisted that if the problem associated with food shortages is tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current problems of economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been solved.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while inaugurating the Chairman, Mr Biedima Oliver, and members of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms by its partners: Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Other members of the task force included, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Dr Ayebaesin Beredugo; and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
The Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that shown such interest.
Governor Fubara stated that a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who latter showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such task.
He said, “As a matter of fact, if few of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he has the capacity, we said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5billion bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have the N5billion, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
Governor Fubara said now that two separate companies have come together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is delighted to see them meeting that expectation.
Governor Fubara pointed to the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis.
That expectation, he insisted, is also what his administration wants to see actualised within its lifespan.
He noted, “We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on board, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in this country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved.”
Governor Fubara also stated that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, but warned that he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
The Governor said, “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not when we start now, after we had finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
Governor Fubara, however, praised the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver, saying that incidentally, he was one of the personnel that convinced the then administration to develop the Songhai Farms, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to manage the project.
He said, “He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
Governor Fubara assured that his administration will remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success.
He added, “So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: Do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Task Force to Supervise the Revitalization of Songhai Farms with Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, Mr. Biedima Oliver, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms.
Mr. Oliver assured that they will deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and doing so on time and on target so that the good people of Rivers State can eventually be happy and also benefit from the huge investment.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that all the policies and programmes of his administration are tailored towards the protection of interest of Rivers people, especially the youths.
This, he said, is borne out of the importance his administration attaches to youths’ development and empowerment as leaders of tomorrow.
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he received the youths of Emohua Local Government Area under the auspices of “Emohua Youths For SIM” on solidarity visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He said that his administration has put in place modalities that will boost the livelihoods and well-being of Rivers citizens, which youths of Emohua will also benefit when they materialise.
The governor, who spoke through the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, pointed out that the recently awarded Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku Road, the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road, reinstatement of illegally sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Area and the approval for electrification of the area, are part of deliberate measures to open up the area to make life conducive and more meaningful for the people.
According to him, “Everything about the governor is putting the interest of Rivers State first. He is looking at and taking action on those things that we need to do to restart the wheels of progress in Rivers State.
“There are many things the governor has planned and is already doing that will boost the life and welfare of every citizen of Rivers State, but most importantly the youths.
“Growing up, I learnt that Egbeda is one of the biggest communities in the whole of Ikwerre, and it’s predominantly an agrarian community. They have food in Egbeda, they have food in Ubimini, they have food in Omudiaga and other natural resources. The whole world is tilting to agriculture, and this is the way to go.
“The Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Omoku road, when completed, will open up the area for real development. Your food and everything you produce there will now have value, they will no longer be thrown away. In all these, you the youths are going to be the utmost beneficiaries.”
He added, “Same will be applicable to the Emohua-Kalabari Road which will also, trigger development in the area, and you will be the greatest beneficiaries. When the LGA is also electrified, you will be having 24 or 20 hours of electricity, and those things the youths can do with electricity, you can stay at home and create wealth for yourself and children.
“All the totality of what the governor is doing, when they are completed, or even as some are completed now, the youths are going to be utmost beneficiaries.”
While acknowledging that youths are the true leaders of tomorrow and any government that fails to carry them along in the scheme of things is doomed to fail, the governor assured them of his administration’s commitment to always address issues concerning youths and ensure that they are part of his government.
He commended the youths for toeing the path of truth by identifying with his administration, urging them to sustain the tempo and shun evil, as his government will ensure that the trend whereby politicians turn youths to beggars are over.
He said, “Youths are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow. The time of youth is a very important time. It a time that your parents or whoever is your leader at that time have to make the greatest investment in you. And any Government that decides to only carry the elderly, chiefs aling and abandon the youths is bound to fail,” he asserted.
“But I am happy that Governor Fubara has concentrated his energy on everything that will benefit the society, especially the youths.
“And based on these, I want to thank you for recognising what is good and calling it good, for shunning what is evil, for saying the Governor is standing for you.
“Let me tell you, you are on the right direction. Let me tell you again, Rivers State is the bride of Nigeria. The whole Nigeria is looking at what will happen here. As they look here and see you standing on the path of truth, this is a very important step that you have taken to right all the wrongs of the past, to make Rivers State stand on the tripod of justice, peace and security. That is what we are going to gain through the governor, taking all the wise actions that he has already initiated.
“The projects the governor is embarking on are meant to prepare nets for the youths to fish and put food on their table, hence you should continue to follow him.
“The SIMplified Movement brought upon by the governor will ensure that Rivers youths stop the habit of going to bow down before politicians, pledging loyalty before they can eat.”
Earlier, spokesman for the Emohua Youths for SIM, Comrade Ovamale O. Ovamale, had said that the visit by youths from the 14 political wards in Emohua Local Government Area was to thank the governor for the award of the Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku road, the approval for electrification of the area and reinstatement of sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Council, of which the youths were mostly affected.
According to him, “Siminalayi Fubara of recent has given Emohua Local Government road that links Elele to Omoku, which comprises over four communities in the local government.”
“Emohua Local Government has also been in darkness for eight years. No community in the local government that has light. But, of recent, because of the passion and love the governor has for the people of Emohua, he has approved the electrification of the local government.
“Also, the illegal sack of Emohua Local Government workers, for which the youths were mostly affected and without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission, the governor, in his compassionate nature, has reinstated them, and that is why we said we must come and thank His Excellency”, he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will collaborate and continue to consult widely in delivering a liberated State experiencing enduring peace.
Fubara said, in doing so, he would not operate as a dictator but as a member of a team that has the best interest of the State at heart and determined to leave a lasting legacy that can be celebrated.
The governor spoke during the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Michael Tom, as first class tradition ruler, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Fubara stated that, during the Sixth State Executive Council meeting, N80.8billion was approved with 50 percent contract value paid already as the Government awarded the construction of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road.
He said the project will be funded from the savings from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to underscore his administration’s prudence without also borrowing to complete the project.
“We are at a crossroad in our State where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a life time. So, for now, be one of those people that will be in the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace in our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State.
“We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led”, the governor said.
Fubara explained that he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits in recognition of his efforts in promoting peace in Okrika, and indeed, the State, and urged him to continue to do justice to everyone.
In his speech, Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Charles Amadi, congratulated King Ateke Tom for being formally presented with the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office as first class traditional ruler.
Also speaking, former Transport Minister, Chief Abiye Sekibo, thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise of upgrading the traditional stool of Okochiri Kingdom, and pledged the support of Kirike Se people to his administration.