BREAKING NEWS: President Buhari Speaks On His Health…Read Full Details

President Muhammadu Buhari has spoken to Nigerians saying the result of the test he carried out in London had necessitated his continued stay.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday has revealed that the results of the series of medical checkups he carried out in the cause of his medical vacation had shown that he needs longer period of rest.

According to Buhari, the test results was what made him to extend his vacation in London, United Kingdom. Buhari said he had not planned to stay longer than he had conveyed to the National Assembly and thanked Nigerians for their prayers.

Explaining further, the President who revealed this in a four-paragraph made available to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina didn’t say how long he is going to stay before coming back to the country.

The statement read , “President Muhammadu Buhari thanks millions of Nigerians who have been sending good wishes and praying for his health and well-being in mosques and churches throughout the country.

“The President is immensely grateful for the prayers, show of love and concern.

“President Buhari wishes to reassure Nigerians that there is no cause for worry.

‘”During his normal annual checkup, tests showed he needed a longer period of rest, necessitating the President staying longer than originally planned.”

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God Is Great! Sheep Born With Six Legs In Niger State (Photos)

According to Facebook user, Baba Umar, a sheep with six legs was born today at Kpege, Niger State.

People all around the area gathered to watch the mystery creature with their phones in a very surprising mood. the cause of such is not clear as some says its the sign of end time and other people are saying its naturally possible.

See another photo below:

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Buhari Deserves Rest And Should Be Allowed – Gov. Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said politicians should allow President Muhammadu Buhari to enjoy his rest and stop disturbing him with needless visits.

The governor spoke on a live programme tagged, ‘Meet Your Governor’ aired on the state-owned Ekiti Television and Radio Stations on Saturday.

Fayose, while praying for sound health for the president, said his desire for a better Nigeria accounted for why he had been criticising the Federal Government when things were not done the right way.

‎He explained that he had stopped criticising the president since he travelled abroad for medical attention because anyone could fall sick and the president should be allowed to enjoy his rest.

“I don’t have any problem with the president; the only problem I have is with his handlers. They will say something today and say another tomorrow. Anybody can fall sick.

“I have not been criticising the president because he is sick. When he comes back and he is not doing the right thing, we will continue to criticise him,” he said.

Describing the visits by some All Progressives Congress chieftains to the president as a make-belief and too much of eye service, Fayose said it would not have been necessary if the people knew the truth from the onset.

“It is God that gives power to whoever He wills. As humans, we can fall sick. But people should allow him to rest.

“Some people are visiting him to convince people that he is well; that is a make-belief and too much of eye-service.”

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You Won’t Have Much To Inherit From Me, President Buhari Tells Family

President Muhammadu Buhari has told his children the only legacy he would be leaving for them is the acquisition of education

The president told his children to be self-reliant, noting that he would leave behind very little for them to inherit.

He said this in his biography written by American Professor, John Paden, titled “Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria.

“Buhari insisted that all of his girls continue their education through the tertiary level.”

According to the book: “This they did, although one continued in higher education after she was married. He told them explicitly that education would give them self-reliance, and that he would not have much in the way of an inheritance to leave to his family.

“Today, Buhari’s entire family are not only well educated but also speak English, and are comfortable within the broader Nigerian and international context.”

However, it is difficult to know the president’s worth thereby making it impossible to estimate what inheritance he might bequeath to his family since the president is yet to make full details of his assets public.

On September 3, 2015, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity provided snippets of information regarding his declared assets.

According to a press statement by Garba Shehu, President Buhari had N30 million in his bank account before taking office on May 29.

Going further, he said the president owns five houses in Kaduna, Daura, Kano and Abuja, and has two undeveloped plots of land, one in Kano and the other in Port Harcourt.

He also has farms, an orchard, ranch, livestock, including 270 cattle, 25 sheep, five horses, a variety of birds and a number of economic trees, according to the statement.

He has an unstated “number of cars.”

President Buhari has one bank account (with the Union Bank), no foreign account, no factory, no enterprises, and no oil wells, the statement said.

It said the president has shares in Berger Paints, Union Bank and Skye Bank.

Two of his houses in his native Daura are mud-made, the statement said.

“He borrowed money from the old Barclays Bank to build two of his homes,” the statement said.

“The documents also showed that the retired General uses a number of cars, two of which he bought from his savings and the others supplied to him by the federal government in his capacity as former Head of State. The rest were donated to him by well-wishers after his jeep was damaged in a Boko Haram bomb attack on his convoy in July 2014.”

Premium Times reports that it remains unclear whether the president plans to dispose of some of these assets or pass them all to his family.

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Oyo Workers Threaten Showdown Over Unpaid Salary (Read)

Some workers in the employment of Oyo State have said they can no longer guarantee the industrial peace with the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters with the way it treats workers and pensioners under it.

The workers under the umbrella of various unions including Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) while addressing a press conference in Ibadan on Monday expressed concern over what they termed the poor condition of their members in the state.

The unions in a statement jointly signed by NULGE President Com. Titilola Bayo Sodo; NUT Chairman Com. Akano Samuel Oluniyi as well as NUP Chairman Pa. Gbadegesin Akande, accused the supervisory ministry of witholding the allocations for a minimum of two to three months before releasing them to pay workers’ salaries and pensions.

“While the Oyo State Government disburses its monthly allocations promptly to pay workers and pensioners, the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters hiding under a punitive and self-serving of Joint Account Allocation Committee, JAAC to hold allocations for upwards of two to three months before releasing them to pay workers’ salaries and pensions.

“While the allocations are kept in the banks for unknown reasons, workers and pensioners wallow in undeserved poverty.”

“Right now, while Oyo State Government had paid its workers and pensioners two months salaries and pensions from Paris Club fund and a month allocation, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters is yet to release fund to pay local government workers and pensioners, serving Primary School Teachers and retired Primary School Teachers.”

The workers further accused the Ministry of claiming that the addition of State Internally Generated Revenue, IGR which was not forthcoming from the State Government was stalling the payment of the arrears, while noting that if N2 billion needed to be released to pay the arrears and N1.8billion is available, the Ministry should go ahead to use the available fund to pay the arrears until the remaining N200million is accessed.

“From now on, we demand that payment of salaries and pensions of Local government workers/pensioners, serving primary school teachers and retired primary school teachers be made on the first line charge and in full.

“That the subsisting memorandum of understanding entered into by the joint labour centres with the state government in June, 2015 that 100 percent of allocations be dedicated to the payment of salaries and pensions be implemented henceforth by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.

“That, henceforth, allocations should not be held again in banks for upward of two to three months before salaries and pensions are paid. Workers and pensioners should be paid immediately federal allocation is paid.

“That every month, all workers and pensioners who draw their salaries/pensions from the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters be paid regularly and promptly.”

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It’s Sad But Buhari Will Die In Office – Prophet Emmanuel

Prophet Emmanuel Chukwudi of King of Kings Deliverance Church, Mgbo Court in Ohaukwu area of Ebonyi state, has made startling revelations concerning the future of governance in the United States, Nigeria and Ghana.

Prophet Emmanuel told reporters that the former president of the US, Barack Obama, will join forces with certain elements in a fierce battle to oust President Donald Trump, “if urgent steps are not taken, I see his presidency shaking.

“They have vowed to make his government uncomfortable. Obama and other enemies of Trump are the ones behind it, and they are planning to remove him.”

In 2011, Chukwudi had told people close to Buhari that he would lose to Jonathan, but had also in 2014, prophesied that Buhari would win the 2015 polls.

He had equally in March 2015 prophesied victory for Trump, a prophecy he sustained until the elections proved him right.

The fiery prophet, whose kinsmen gave the title of ‘Prophet Onye Ruo Uka Ofu N’anya’ (meaning; doubters will see and believe), reacted to questions about the health of President Muhammadu Buhari, who has been away for one month now.

He said that although he hoped that the president is really hale and hearty as the presidency had said he is, the Lord has told him several times very categorically that Buhari will not complete his first term as president of Nigeria. “Osinbajo will rule in his stead,” he added.

He also said: “Buhari will die in office, if he does not die, then I am not God, says the Lord. I told them a long time ago to pray for their master, that he needed urgent prayers to avert the calamity of death at Aso Rock, but they were lazy. No one has bothered to reach me, now see what is happening. They don’t want to come for prayers. Things will get worse.

“I said he will be president, today he has become president, I said he will die, see what is happening. Nobody wants to come and see the man of God, no one cares. You think it’s like something you can wish away. You cannot wish it away.

“You people around the president, you are sleeping. You won’t do anything to pray for him. Let me tell you, until you come before the man of God, and kneel down and pray for the president, you are also heaping curses upon yourself.

“You think the calamity will visit only him? It will visit those who also heard and refused to do anything to save the president. While it’s still early, seek the face of God for the sake of Nigeria for the sake of President Buhari, and save the situation…”

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I Was Asked To Kill My Own Son – Kogi Governor’s Wife

Wife of Kogi State governor and Founder of Hayat Foundation, Mrs. Amina Bello, has suggested that government should enforce the provision of wheelchairs for physically challenged children and “shut down any school which discriminates against them.”

She told journalists in Abuja how close friends and some family members mocked her for having a son who has cerebral palsy.

Mrs. Bello said she was advised to inject her son with a lethal substance to end his life.

She said, “Schools which discriminate against children who are living with physical and developmental challenges should be shut down. Before you set up a school, it must be accessible to these children with special needs. You must have special teachers or therapists in every class and of course you should be certified fit to open a school for special needs children.

“There is also the stigma which starts from your immediate environment. People will be whispering when a child with special needs or his parents are around. This has made a lot of parents to live in depression. This is the reason why some parents choose to live in denial and lock up such children. I was advised to inject my son with harmful substance and some people advised me to take him to the village.”

The foundation, she said, will establish an institute that will focus on severe cases of cerebral palsy and open a training centre for behavioural and occupational therapists.

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‘No Cause For Alarm, President Buhari Is Healthy and Witty’- Saraki Confirms

Senate President, Dr Olusola Saraki has assured that President Muhammadu Buhari who is on extended vacation in London on medical grounds is “healthy, witty and himself.”

In a statement issued after he visited Buhari along with Speaker of the House of Representstives, YakubunDogara , Saraki said there is no cause for alarm over the President’s health.

” We were delighted to see that President Buhari is doing well, was cheerful and in good spirits

” The Presdent l saw today is healthy, witty and himself.

” The President’s absence and imminent return show that there is no vacuum in government and our system of democracy is working with all organs of government fulfilling their mandate. And let me use the time tested cliche, there is no cause for alarm,” Saraki stated.

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1 Cloth President! Why You Might Doubt Buhari’s London Pictures (See New Evidence)

A section of Nigerians have welcomed the latest pictures of President Buhari in London with disbelief as they point out loopholes in the purported hoax.

Since the Presidency released pictures of All Progressives Congress chieftains, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande paying an august visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Abuja House in London, cynics have raised eyebrows about the authenticity of the pictures.

One social media user, Thompson Idagu Yeche has made a case against the originality of the pictures via his Facebook page. The netizen questioned why President Buhari with his highly esteemed and privileged status will be wearing one single brown Jalabia at every major visit paid to him in London where he is currently recuperating.

A vivid study of Buhari’s wardrobe and physical appearances reveals the Nigerian leader of Fulani descent isn’t known to evidently repeat clothes as shown during his controversial vacation in Europe.

“I wonder why someone would intentionally choose to wear the same outfit since he traveled to London”.

“Is someone telling me now that our president went to London with one cloth?”

“Na kwesion (question) I dey ask so no carry your hatred come my wall.” he asked.

From the collage of pictures, a frail-looking Buhari wore his seeming favourite brown Jalabia with the same white cap while attending to the executive governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and then yesterday while meeting with a former governor of Lagos – Bola Tinubu and his closest ally, Bisi Akande.

These claims popularly shared among Nigerians is coming on the heels of rumours that the President could have either passed away in the United Kingdom or is currently in a ‘vegetable’ state concealed from Nigerians by an influential cabal.

Meanwhile, the wild rumours might vanish into the thin air like smoke if Buhari returns to Nigeria tomorrow, Saturday according to a Presidency source.

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Sad! A Policeman Allegedly Shot Dead During Shootout With Bank Robbers

Rivers Police Command said it foiled a bank robbery and lost a personnel at Rumuibekwe area of Port Harcourt on Monday.

The Spokesperson of the command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt that a police Sergeant was also wounded during the shoot-out with the robbers.

He said that policemen from the mini-Okoro division on foot patrol encountered the robbers at 10:00am and engaged them when they attempted to invade a new generation bank in the area.

“At Rumuibekwe extension, near the Shell residential area, six armed robbers at 10:00am were heading to carry out an operation at a new generation bank, but were repelled by policemen on foot patrol from Mini-Okoro Police station,” he said.

According to Omoni, during the shootout, a police personnel died while another was wounded and is receiving treatment in a hospital.

He said no arrest had been made but that the police had commenced serious manhunt for the robbers.

“Efforts are on to apprehend the hoodlums and make them face prosecution. The bank operated today and the police are on top of the situation,” he said.

Omoni appealed to the public to give the police useful information that would assist it fight crime in the state.

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Boko Haram Suicide Bombers Now Use Babies To Carry Their Bombs – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters has revealed that female suicide bombers in the North East now use infants to evade detection.

The organisation said the suicide bombers carry out their dastardly act by carrying babies on their back, so that they are passed for innocent nursing mothers.

The Acting Director Defence information, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said in a statement in Abuja on Friday that the attention of the DHQ had been drawn to the new tactic.

It was revealed that the two recent suicide bomb attacks in Madagali, Adamawa State followed this pattern.

Abubakar said: “The DHQ wishes to seize this opportunity to appeal to members of the public to be patient and cooperate with the military and other security agencies while carrying out thorough security search and checks as the essence is to nip in the bud the murderous intention of the Boko Haram suicide bombers.

“The DHQ wishes to state further that the usual traffic “go-slow” at military and security check points as a result of rigorous security checks are not meant to cause public discomfort or a deliberate action to induce traffic disruptions on our roads, but an effort put in place towards protecting the lives and properties of our innocent citizens.

“Members of the public are, therefore, urged to always volunteer useful information to the military and other security agencies that would assist in exposing Boko Haram and their evil machinations in our society and to make our communities safe and secure for all to live.”

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If Buhari Is Alive, He Should Come Out And Address The Nation – NLC

– The NLC called on the president to dispel rumour of his death by addressing Nigerians

– The TUC however said this was unnecessary as he was on vacation

– The presidency has insisted tha Buhari is alive

The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to come out and address the nation so as to dispel rumour about his death.

Since his trip to the UK, there has been rumour circulating about the president’s state of health and alleged demise although this has been refuted by his media aide.

In an interview with CNBC Africa, Femi Adesina who is the special adviser to the president on media and publicity said the claim about the president’s health was false and insisted he was on vacation in the UK.

The Punch however reports that Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson who is the general secretary of the NLC spoke on Thursday, January 26 urging the president to put the rumour of his death to rest by addressing the country.

He said: “In the social media, stories circulate without confirmation; I think that the easiest way is to talk publicly to the nation because the citizens are concerned about their leaders’ whereabouts.

‘If there are those who orchestrated rumours and they are not true, the easiest way is for him to reach out to Nigerians through a public appearance and a statement.

“Nigerians have a right to be certain about the health situation of their President and the people who orchestrate rumours and unsubstantiated reports, one would wish for him to call their bluff by publicly addressing the citizens.”

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) however said since Buhari has duly handed over to the vice-president, it was unnecessary to be talking about his state of health except he fails to return at the stipulated time.

Mr. Bala Kaigama who is the president of the TUC said there was no need to make noise about it as the president would come back.

“Why do we have to make noise about this? He is coming back; if he were to go and stay for a very long time, it is a different thing. If we have patience, he will come back. We are just being unnecessarily demanding.

“This is somebody who demanded a rest and he has handed over the government to the Vice-President. So our concern is how the VP is handling it; but it his health that has become the issue of the moment.

“But we should allow the old man to have his rest. It is normal for somebody of that age to need rest from time to time. If he goes to rest that does not mean that government will not work now. Let the old man enjoy his rest.

If he does not come back on the day he is supposed to come, that is when can talk, but for now, let’s allow him to have his rest, why does he have to come and address us? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Ebenezer Oyetakin who is the executive secretary of the anti-corruption network said it was mischief to call on the president to address the nation.

“I do not subscribe to that. It smacks of mischief from such people. We are Africans. We have cultural discipline on some issues.

“He has done the appropriate thing by handing over to the VP as Acting President. Let us be patient and maintain a sense of decorum and respect to the institution of governance.”

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Too Sad!! Two Dead As Gas Explosion Rocks Ogun

Two persons were killed while several others were injured Thursday morning in gas explosion at a filling station in Adigbe area of Abeokuta, Ogun State.

It was gathered that the explosion also caused an inferno which destroyed over seven makeshift shops, as well as a motorcycle popularly called Okada parked near the scene.

The intervention of the state Fire Service halted the fire from causing further havoc.

The incident occurred at about 11:00 a.m on Thursday when a welder was carrying out a repair work at RAB Engineering Petrol Station in the area.

The Ogun State Director of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), ‎Shakiru Adebakin, who confirmed the incident, told newsmen that the fire was caused by a man-made error that could have been averted if the owner of the filling station had adopted simple safety precaution.

Also, the state Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Aboluwoye Akinwande, who confirmed that two people died in the incident, said quick intervention by relevant agencies prevented the fire from spreading to several places.

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“Pastor Prays For Recharge Cards From Heaven Into His Members Phones” | See What Happened Next..

This is really funny… Controversial Lusaka based pastor -Prophet Anointed Benard, who is known by his members as Commander 1 -was pictured praying on mobile phone in a bid to show the congregation how powerful God is. According to multiple trending reports, the pastor asked them to bring out their mobile phones and prayed that God should miraculously credit their phones.

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Brazil beat Colombia in Chapecoense memorial friendly that raised over $300,000 for the victims family

Brazil beat Colombia 1-0 in a friendly that raised
over £300,000 for the families of the Chapecoense
players and staff who were killed in a plane crash
in November.
The friendly at the Olympic Stadium in Rio De
Janeiro was decided by Dudu's early second-half
goal, but that was just a footnote as fans
remembered those who died in the disaster which
included 43 Chapecoense players and staff on their
way to the Copa Sudamericana final.
Tributes were paid to the three surviving players
-- goalkeeper Jackson Follmann, defender Neto
and winger Alan Ruschel -- before kickoff as they
were paraded on the pitch.
And more than 1.2 million Brazilian Real (£300,000)
was raised for the families of those that died.
A post on Brazil's official Twitter feed said: "The
most important result £JogodaAmizade: more than
R 1,200,000.00 for £FamiliaChapecoense.''
Chapecoense drew 2-2 against Brazilian
champions Palmeiras on Saturday in their first
match since the crash.
The club has rebuilt their squad with most of its 22
new players arriving on loan from other clubs.

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NAFDAC Destroys 11 Containers Of Fake Drugs

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has destroyed eleven containers of fake drugs worth over nine billion naira.

The destruction of the counterfeit drugs was supervised by the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewale at NAFDAC dump site in Igwuruta, Rivers state.

Adewale said the fake drugs were mainly pain killers and chest enhancement drugs capable of destroying human lives.

He said the use the fake drugs may kill many ignorant citizens if it had infilterated into the Nigerian market.

He said, “It is very unfortunate that people produced such magnitude of substandard products and send into a country.

“On close check we discovered that the counterfeit drugs are mostly pain killers and chest enhancing drugs. If they had gotten into our markets many people would have died as a result of taking these drugs.

“We commend the Nigerian Customs Service for being proactive in achieving this feat.”

On her part , Acting Director-General of NAFDAC, Yetunde Oni described the seizure as the biggest in recent times.

Oni said the eleven containers of drugs were seized over one year ago at the Onne Port with the aid of officials of the Nigerian Custom Service.

In the meantime, the Nigerian Custom Service, Zone C Port Harcourt, Sanusi Umar disclosed that some of the importers of the substandard drugs have been arrested and charged to court.

Umar called for the assistance of the general public in arresting those dealing in fake products.

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewale commissioned NAFDAC’s South South Zonal office in Port Harcourt.

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Jamie Vardy and wife unveil their new born son in cover of OK ! magazine

Leicester City star, Jamie Vardy and his wife ,
Rebekah have finally unveiled their new born son
to the world by appearing on the cover of the
January 31 edition of OK ! Magazine. They
welcomed their son , Finley Vardy on January 8 .

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Heartbreaking!!! See How Nigerian Kids Are Now Professionals In Begging

This is beyond heartbreaking. Someone must have taught him the trick. He is just very good at it... but its too bad for his age

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Couple who invested over N2m in MMM, others lament...see what happens to MMM acc

Mavrodians, the name of account holders in
MMM Nigeria, are still unable to get paid a return
on their investment more than 96 hours after the
Ponzi scheme returned.
TheCable quoting some MMM participants said
that although they were able to request for their
money, they have not been paid as the system is
still frozen, just as it was in December 2016.
Kolade Ogunwande, who said he put in N100,000
in November 2016, and referred two other people
to the scheme, said his money had appreciated to
N214,000 as of Friday, so he immediately request
for it.
“They have not paid me anything, but they said
we should be wait patiently to be matched with
participants willing to invest in MMM. I have no
choice than to be optimistic,” he told TheCable.
Lara Makanjuola, who also invested N100,000 in
the scheme, said she was expecting N186,000,
but she had not been able to request for her
money.
She said anytime she requested to get help, the
website said “mavros are not available for
withdrawal”.
“I was supposed to collect my money two days to
when accounts got frozen, but the person I was
matched with didn’t pay.”
An Abuja-based couple, who requested not to be
named, invested over N2 million in the scheme;
they have also not been able to withdraw their
money.
As of Monday, when any participant sought to
withdraw, the website put up a message that
linked them to its previous freeze message,
below:
“As usual, in the New Year season the System is
experiencing heavy workload. Moreover, it has to
deal with the constant frenzy provoked by the
authorities in the mass media.
“The things are still going well; the participants
feel calm; everyone gets paid – as you can see,
there haven’t been any payment delays or other
problems yet – but!.. it is better to avoid taking
risk.: (Moreover, there are almost three weeks
left to the New Year).
“Hence, on the basis of the above mentioned,
from now on all confirmed Mavro will be frozen
for a month. The reason for this measure is
evident. We need to prevent any problems during
the New Year season, and then, when everything
calms down, this measure will be cancelled.”
Mavrodians, as MMM participants are called, are
optimistic that their pay will come through,
considering, the scheme’s last message of “hope
for the poor”.
In the message, MMM said it “will only pay a
certain amount per day”.
“Please, be prepared to wait for a couple of days.
We are certain things will then calm down, and
the System operation will return to normal,” it
said.

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Obama leaves symbolic legacy in Africa

It was always going to be hard for outgoing US
President Barack Obama to live up to
expectations in Africa.
Born to a Kenyan father who once herded goats,
the first black US president was seen as Africa’s
prodigal son who would understand the continent
in a way white presidents never could.
Nelson Mandela said Obama’s historic victory
was proof everyone should “dare to dream” and
Africans gave the new president a hero’s
welcome.
Six months after taking office in 2009, Obama
travelled to Ghana to lay the foundations for future
policies that emphasised responsibility and trade.
“Africa’s future is up to Africans,” he said in a
speech in the country’s capital of Accra.

“Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong
institutions,” he added, referring to the countless
leaders who cling to power and enrich
themselves in countries where poverty is
rampant.
The speech electrified the crowd but the thrill
wore off. The trip was his last visit to Africa in his
first term.
He took a different approach in his second term,
launching his signature Africa initiative in 2013
after a visit to Robben Island, the apartheid-era
prison outside Cape Town that held Mandela for
more than 20 years.
His Power Africa programme to double access to
power in sub-Saharan Africa was designed to
bring governments and the private sector
together.
“That’s a big part of his legacy, to change that
perception that Africa is not the dark continent, it
is rising and there is opportunity there,” US-
Africa specialist Scott Firsing told AFP.
“Obama changed aid to trade,” added Firsing,
from the University of North Carolina.
– Growing terror threat –
Obama, who has said that one of his greatest
achievements in office was “taking out” Al-Qaeda
leader Osama bin Laden, also took the fight
against rising Islamist extremism to Africa.
He ordered an expanded military presence
against Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)
in Mali, Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Shabaab
in Somalia.
Drone bases were set up in Niger, which borders
both Mali and Nigeria, and northern Cameroon,
while there were targeted strikes in Somalia.
“Frankly the US military didn’t have much cause
to focus on Africa, but now, unfortunately, there is
cause to be there,” said the former head of US
Africa Command, retired general Carter Ham.
The breakdown in Libya following the death of
strongman Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 saw
weapons and radicalised fighters spread across
Africa.
“There clearly was a follow-on effect that was
detrimental,” said Ham, who led the initial military
intervention against Kadhafi.
Tackling the threat was a priority for Obama, he
said, adding: “I think he was genuinely concerned
for stability and security in Africa.
“If left unaddressed it was only a matter of time
before those organisations would fulfil their stated
intention of attacking the West.”
Shabaab gunmen confirmed those fears in 2013
when they killed at least 67 people at Nairobi’s
Westgate mall, a favourite shopping destination
for Westerners.
– ‘Transcendental awareness’ –
Obama’s tenure has by no means been perfect.
His administration faced heavy criticism for
supporting countries such as Ethiopia with poor
human rights records.
Sometimes he misjudged the mood. Senegal
cheered in 2013 when its president Macky Sall
rebuffed Obama for hitting out at discrimination
against gays.
And detractors say Power Africa is also falling
short of its goals.
Obama is generally seen as having advanced US
interests in Africa and deepened relationships,
not least by continuing his predecessors’ flagship
projects.
George W. Bush’s President’s Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is credited with having
given life-saving treatment to millions of people.
Bill Clinton’s African Growth and Opportunity Act
(AGOA) has boosted trade with sub-Saharan
Africa.
Bur arguably Obama’s most enduring legacy is
his example.
“Having a leader like him has an important
psychological effect on Africans,” said Mzukisi
Qobo, associate professor of politics at the
University of Johannesburg in South Africa.
“Despite his weaknesses and shortcomings,
there is a sense of pride in seeing someone like
Obama.
“He seemed to have a more transcendental
awareness of the challenges of the world rather
than looking at it through a white Western lens.”
In Accra in 2009, Obama declared he had “the
blood of Africa” within him.
Last month, Ghanaians remembered his words
when president John Dramani Mahama lost an
election to opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo.
The vote was hotly contested but generally
peaceful. Mahama conceded and the transition
was smooth, just as in Nigeria, when
Muhammadu Buhari beat incumbent Goodluck
Jonathan in 2015.
“I remember Obama’s famous speech ‘we don’t
need strongmen’,” said 28-year-old Daniel Apau
Ofori as he celebrated outside Akufo-Addo’s
house.
“It had an impact. This has been the most free
and fair election.”

Source: vanguardngr

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