NIGERIA BECOMES EBOLA FREE NATION -WHO. Nigerians Praise Jonathan’s Leadership, Fashola’s Efficiency, Chukwu’s Doggedness.

Goodluck Jonathan

Nigeria  join Senegal as the only two countries that have been declared free of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since the current outbreak of the disease in Guinea at the beginning of the year.
Other countries still battling to contain the virus include the worst hit in West Africa – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea – as well as the United States of America and Spain. Another strain of the Ebola outbreak has been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which has killed close to 50 persons.
Credit must be given to President Goodluck Jonathan for immediately releasing resources to the states and declaring an Ebola emergency in the country; Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola for the efficient manner in the state’s handling and containment of the disease in the first urban centre in the world, and leading the way for other states to follow suit; former Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, for providing oversight as the chief medical officer of the federation to all state commissioners for health, providing daily updates and leading in the sensitisation campaign; and the doctors, nurses and volunteers who worked tirelessly at a huge risk to their lives to check the spread of the disease
Through the determination of these individuals and the heroism of First Consultants Medical Centre and its senior consultant, the late Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, Nigeria was able to limit the spread of the virus to just 19 persons, of which seven were lost to the disease.
Many feared the worst when Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian national, died on July 25 at First Consultants, a private hospital in Lagos, which is home to more than 20 million people, with poor sanitation and inadequate health facilities, reported the AFP.
Doctors were on strike at the time over the conditions in the public health sector, where many state hospitals lack running water, let alone soap and other basic equipment. Yet the doomsday scenario of the rapid spread of the disease among a 170-million-strong population, devastating Africa’s leading economy and oil producer, did not materialise.
"Nigeria acted quickly and early and on a large scale," John Vertefeuille, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told AFP. "They acted aggressively, especially in terms of contact-tracing."
Also key to the response was the community approach adopted by Lagos and other states as well as an existing plan for a mass outbreak of polio, which was adapted to Ebola, and a rapid appeal for foreign help. The Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EEOC) prioritised contact-tracing and twice-daily monitored those at risk, with experts aware that every Ebola case was in contact with about 50 people.
Through the community approach, considerable sensitisation and education was achieved and heightened the level of hygiene-compliance among Nigerians nationwide. In all, nearly 900 people were monitored in Lagos and Port Harcourt, where a contact of Sawyer travelled after evading surveillance, going on to infect another doctor.
Some 1,800 people were trained to trace and monitor those at risk, as well as decontaminate infected places and care for the sick, said the head of the EEOC, Dr. Faisal Shuaib.
But in spite of the successful containment of Ebola in the country, it would be foolhardy for Nigeria to rest on its oars.
The disease continues to ride roughshod in neighbouring West African countries, still placing the country at maximum risk.
This means that the health authorities cannot afford to relax the screening measures put in place at its airports, seaports and land borders. Neither can the authorities afford to be complacent over its health care facilities or stop research for possible treatments of Ebola.
Like Chukwu said recently, as long as there is a single case of Ebola in any country in the world, all others are at risk. Nigeria might have been lucky this time around that she curtailed the spread of the disease, she might not be that fortunate should the virus make its way into the country a second time.

Buhari Declares for Presidency, former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar rattles by the presence of APC governors at the Buhari declaration rally

Buhari

Former military Head of State and three-time presidential contender, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), Wednesday formally declared his intention to enter the presidential race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), promising to fight corruption and wipe out Boko Haram, which he described as “ungodly”.

Also Wednesday, one of the presidential aspirants and former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, might have been rattled by the presence of APC governors at the Buhari declaration rally.

But a source at the Atiku media office has said Atiku's campaign team explained that the reason more leaders of the APC attended the Buhari declaration rally in comparison to the former vice-president’s, was because they were not invited so as not to compromise their neutrality.

Buhari, who was accompanied to the podium by four APC governors from Lagos, Rivers, Edo and Nasarawa States, said he was putting himself forward to contest for the party's presidential ticket.
“This is an occasion to celebrate our efforts and to resolve to continue until victory is won. I humbly wish to present myself before you, before all of Nigeria and before God seeking to be elected as APC’s presidential candidate,” he said.

The former head of state also used the opportunity to highlight his priority areas if elected president.

Among the areas, which Buhari said his government would give priority to, were the protection of lives and property, pursuing economic policies for shared prosperity and youth employment.

He said proper attention would be given to the provision of quality education for development, modernity and social mobility, agricultural productivity to ensure food security, adding that he would ensure that millions are out of poverty.

Other areas, which Buhari pledged to focus on, were the revival of the industries to generate employment, developing solid minerals exploitation, restoring honour and integrity to public service, and tackling corruption.

Lastly, the former head of state said he would respect the constitutional separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary and respect the rights of citizens.

Buhari did not spare the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he said had presided over the country’s decline.

“Since 1999, PDP has presided over our country’s decline. Nigeria in my experience has never been so divided, so polarised by an unthinking government hell bent on ruling and stealing forever whatever befalls the country.

“Interference in the form of rigging which PDP government has practised since 2003 is the worst form of injustice – denying people their right to express their opinions. Whether they like it or not, injustice cannot endure,” he said.

Buhari paid tributes to Nigerians who have endured all kinds of difficulties, especially those facing the conflict and marauding insurgents in the North-east.

While expressing concern over the growing insecurity in the country, Buhari lamented the activities of the marauding murderers in towns and villages and armed robbers on the highways.

He nonetheless commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their efforts to deal with the insurgency.

“It is everyone’s duty to resolve and help the national effort to overcome these immense challenges. I would like us to place on record our appreciation for the efforts of our Armed Forces under a new leadership and police in confronting these challenges,” he added.

On the economy, he said the situation had continued to deteriorate while the agricultural and the industrial sector had all spiralled downwards.

On the power sector, Buhari said when PDP assumed power in 1999, Nigeria was generating 4,000MW of electricity, however, the situation has worsened.

“When PDP came to power in 1999, Nigeria was generating about 4,000MW of electricity. After 15 years and $20 billion spent, we are generating between 3,000MW and 4,000MW. No failure is more glaring than this,” he charged.

The former National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who was called to introduce Buhari, said one of the key priorities of APC would be to generate jobs for the teeming unemployed youths of the country.

He disputed the appellation that Buhari is a religious fanatic, saying the former head of state does not in any way manifest religious fanaticism or bigotry, stressing that Buhari could be trusted as an honest and selfless politician.

According to him, Buhari's interest is to come and stabilise the polity and step aside.

While welcoming party members and Buhari supporters to the event, the former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Silva, who chaired the organisation of the event, said amongst others that the country's economy needed proper intervention.

According to him, Buhari had shown in his lifestyle and past performance in government that he is the one to proffer solutions to the country’s problems.

Commenting on the notion that Buhari is too old to rule, he said age will not be an issue in the election because Buhari has a lot of experience and integrity to his advantage which other candidates are lacking.

Senator Olorunimbe Mamora from Lagos State also addressed the gathering on behalf of a group known as the National Elders of APC.

He said the wind of change was blowing and that come 2015 “we will have an APC government at the centre”.

He listed the problems of unemployment, poor power supply, decay in the education sector and insecurity as some of the biting problems that an APC government would tackle if voted into power.

Another stakeholder of the party and the Minority Leader in the Senate, Senator George Akume, spoke of the exploits of Buhari while he was the Petroleum Minister where he was able to manage the resources creditably.

A woman leader, Hajia Rabiu Ishaq, on her part, urged fellow women to support Buhari whom she said is the leader they can trust to ameliorate the plight of Nigeria women.

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi said change was certainly in the air, adding that in the past, the opposition party could not boast of the present number of serving governors at its rallies.

“The governors have agreed to work together for change and whoever wins the party’s ticket, we would all join hands to campaign for him,” he said.

He said only APC could boast of an incorruptible personality like Buhari, adding that about N1.106 billion was spent by Rivers State to control the spread of the Ebola virus, while the president only gave the state a paltry N200 million and accused the federal government of politicising the disease.

He said APC has a firm grip on Rivers, Kano and Lagos States, adding that the party intends to adopt the strategy it used to win in Osun State during the 2015 general election.

Speaking on the failings of the country in the power sector, Amaechi said President Goodluck Jonathan had failed in his promise to deliver stable power supply in the country by 2014.

Buhari was driven into the arena at exactly 12.25 pm in an open roof sports utility vehicle (SUV) from which he waved to his supporters.

His frenzied supporters ran alongside the motorcade conveying him till he went into the VIP stand.

As early as midnight Tuesday, all the roads leading to the Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the declaration rally, was swarmed with hundreds of his supporters who arrived the capital city in several convoys of buses.

Security men and party officials had a hectic time controlling the enthusiastic and near-fanatical youths who took over the entry points to the covered stands, waving and displaying campaign banners. The ecstatic supporters drummed and danced around the arena endlessly till the end of the programme.

Reacting to the calibre of personalities that graced Buhari's declaration, a source in the Atiku media office said the former vice-president viewed the presence of some governors of APC as something that may endanger their neutrality before the presidential primary

The source said Atiku had deliberately avoided extending invitations to the leaders of APC and the party's governors “because he didn't want to compromise their neutrality”.

He explained that since the party’s national leaders and the governors did not endorse any presidential aspirant, Atiku had no need to invite them to his declaration, which might send the wrong message.

Elaborating further, the source said since the party’s national leadership made it clear that they would create a level playing field for all presidential aspirants of the party, inviting any of them to Atiku's declaration could have led to the perception that they had endorsed him.

To avoid that controversy, the source said Atiku chose to make his declaration essentially a youth event, because they are the main victims of poverty and unemployment, critical agents of change and the focus of his agenda on job creation.

Another reason the source gave was that Atiku did not want to turn the event into a campaign rally as opposed to a symbolic declaration of intent to seek the country’s presidency in 2015.

Some of the leaders of APC who were at the event included Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiohmole, Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura, and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari.

Others were the National Vice-Chairman of APC (North-east), B.D Lawal, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Ahmed Yerima, Senator Abba Buka Ibrahim, Silva, Muoghalu, Sharon Ikeazor, Alhaji Mustapha Habib, Osita Okechukwu, Hajia Hadiza Usman of Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG), Tony Momoh, Prof. Tamuno David-West, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, Oluwatayo Oluwa and Rotimi Akeredolu.

However, his rivals for the ticket of APC – Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah were absent from the vent.

Also reacting on Buhari’s entry into the presidential race, and his derision of the ruling party, the PDP said yesterday that it was pleased to welcome him to the 2015 contest, but debunked his assessment of the party and the Jonathan administration.

PDP said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh: “While we congratulate and wish him well in his ambition, we have noted some distortions and misrepresentation of facts in his speech and consequently wish to put the record straight.

“According to General Buhari, Nigeria was generating 4,000MW of electricity in 1999 but has today fallen short of that capacity under the PDP.

“The fact remains that as at May 29th 1999 when PDP took office, Nigeria was generating 1,600MW.  We urge Nigerians to fact-check this. Corroboration of this figure can also be sought from the World Bank, the IMF and multiples of other authoritative sources.

“In contrast, it is common knowledge that under the transformative leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria now generates 4,568MW of electricity, triple what was generated in 1999.

“Again, General Buhari stated that the growing economy which the PDP inherited in 1999 has been destroyed within 15 years in office. This also does not represent the reality on the ground.”

PDP said these facts could be verified from the handover notes of the military as well as from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), adding that at the time, Nigeria was the third largest economy in Africa, behind South Africa and Egypt.

PDP also said the nation was rated number 48 in the world in terms of its foreign reserves which stood at $3.6 billion while its foreign debt stood at $36 billion.

Metuh said it was incontrovertible that in the last 15 years of PDP leadership, especially the last three years of dynamic and purposeful administration provided by Jonathan, Nigeria's economy has become the largest in Africa and the 26th largest in the world.

“Similarly, our foreign reserve now stand at over $39 billion and our foreign debt reduced to less than $7 billion from $36 billion,” he said.

Besides, the ruling party took on Buhari on Nigeria’s agricultural sector, saying his statement did not reflect the reality on the ground.

“Verily, the fact remains that in the last 15 years under the PDP, indeed, in the last three years of vigorous application of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, there has been an unparalleled government input in agriculture, thereby pushing production to an all time high. Moreover, Nigeria food importation has reduced from N1.1 trillion in 2010 to N684 billion.

“While we understand that the APC is hell bent on using every opportunity at its disposal to discredit the PDP in its quest for political control, we urge their handlers to always cross-check their facts and stop making a mockery of respected Nigerians in the mould of General Buhari.

“Finally, the PDP again welcomes General Buhari into the presidential race and hopes that in the future, he will not allow himself to be further embarrassed in the course of his campaign,” the PDP said.

THE GLOBAL NETWORK FOR PEACE IN NIGERIA`S WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE SECURITY, ECONOMY, INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND GENERAL STATE OF NATION HOLDING TODAY THE 14TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 2014.

Don Darlington O. Ray Okpebholo

PRESENTED BY DARLINGTON O RAY,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PROJECTS AND LOGICTICS.

Distinguished gentlemen of the press,
We welcome you to this world press conference today where we hope do a general assessment of the security situation in the country with special concentration on the north eastern part of the country.
We, the GLOBAL NETWORK FOR PEACE IN NIGERIA, a peace advocacy nongovernmental organization operating both in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, having carefully assessed, reviewed and analyzed the current insecurity situation in some parts of the north, we have resolved to continue to be in the vanguard of peace advocacy in Nigeria.

With over 1, 500,000 card carrying members across the 36 states and the FCT, we have been able to sincerely assess what the true situation has actually been in the last few months since the administration of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has gone all out to put an end to the insurgency situation in the north east. Our members who are fully on ground in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, (3 states under emergency rule) have in the last 8 weeks been testifying of the improved security situation in those states and we must commend the effort of the commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces of the country, and the Nigeria Military for the good works they have been doing. We must also specifically commend our gallant soldiers for putting their lives on the line for the protection of lives, properties and the territorial integrity of our dear country, Nigeria.

GNPN GROUP PHOTOS

We have also witnessed massive infrastructural and economic advancement in the country in recent time. We are seeing the road, railway, agriculture, aviation, power, health and other sectors experiencing total transformation and of note worthy is the recent combating, terming and total eradication of the dreaded EBOLA virus out of our country. We have seen also the influx of foreign investors into our country which suggests that the administration of GEJ is seriously on top of the security situation.

In view of the aforementioned, our organization has therefore resolved to pull its weight behind the current administration as led by our dear president Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, Commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In doing this, we have outlined series of projects and programs to push our campaign for peaceful co-existence in Nigeria. Some of the Programs are highlighted below.

Arrival of Guests

1. GNPN NATIONAL UNDER 19 FOOTBALL COMPETITIONS (BOYS & GIRLS) TAGGED GNPN PEACE CUP
2. GNPN CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIOLENT ELECTION (CAVE)
3. GNPN EMPOWERMENT OF THE LESS PRIVILEGED AND SKILLS ACQUISITION (WOMEN& CHILDREN)
4. GNPN FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR OLD PEOPLE AND CHILDREN IN SOME RURAL AREAS IN THE 6 ZONES OF THE COUNTRY.
5. GNPN PEACE RALLIES IN THE 6 ZONES OF THE COUNTRY AND THE F.C.T.

For us at GNPN, we strongly believe that the, economic and infrastructural development we are witnessing at the moment and the relatively peaceful atmosphere that the country is going through at present should be consolidated on and sustained. We wish to state also for the president to be able to build on the successes his administration has recorded, Nigeria has to be in peace and for Nigeria to remain peaceful and the peace sustained to an appreciable level, the President has be allowed to complete the good works he has started.

Arrival of Guests

For these above mentioned reasons, the Founder and National coordinator, Amb. Odion C Okpebholo, our Patrons, Eyitayo Fakehinde Chief Solomon Iyobosa Edebiri JP (MON) and all members of GLOBAL NETWORK FOR PEACE IN NIGERIA world-wide, hereby align with numerous Nigerians, institutions and organizations in calling on Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to heed to this clarion call and come out to contest the 2015 Presidential Election to continue his good works of transforming Nigeria.

Press Time

Thank you very much for your time.

Signed:
Darlington O Ray
Executive Director
Projects and Logistics
GNPN.

OBAMA AUTHORIZES STRIKES IN SYRIA, MORE TROOPS HEADED TO IRAQ

President Barack  Obama

President Barack Obama outlined a new, expanded strategy to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the extremist group calling itself the Islamic State (also know as ISIS or ISIL) with a primetime speech Wednesday night. Speaking from the Cross Hall in the White House, Obama vowed to "eradicate" the group.

FULL SPEECH.

My fellow Americans – tonight, I want to speak to you about what the United States will do with our friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL.  

As Commander-in-Chief, my highest priority is the security of the American people. Over the last several years, we have consistently taken the fight to terrorists who threaten our country. We took out Osama bin Laden and much of al Qaeda’s leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We’ve targeted al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, and recently eliminated the top commander of its affiliate in Somalia. We’ve done so while bringing more than 140,000 American troops home from Iraq, and drawing down our forces in Afghanistan, where our combat mission will end later this year. Thanks to our MILITARY and counterterrorism professionals, America is safer. 

Still, we continue to face a terrorist threat. We cannot erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today. That’s why we must remain vigilant as threats emerge. At this moment, the greatest threats come from the Middle East and North Africa, where radical groups exploit grievances for their own gain. And one of those groups is ISIL – which calls itself the “Islamic State.”

Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not “Islamic.” No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al Qaeda’s affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria’s civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government, nor the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.

In a region that has known so much bloodshed, these terrorists are unique in their brutality. They execute captured prisoners. They kill children. They enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. They threatened a religious minority with genocide. In acts of barbarism, they took the lives of two American journalists – Jim Foley and Steven Sotloff.

So ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East – including American citizens, personnel and facilities. If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region – including to the United States. While we have not yet DETECTED specific plotting against our homeland, ISIL leaders have threatened America and our allies. Our intelligence community believes that thousands of foreigners – including Europeans and some Americans – have joined them in Syria and Iraq. Trained and battle-hardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks.

I know many Americans are concerned about these threats. Tonight, I want you to know that the United States of America is meeting them with strength and resolve. Last month, I ordered our military to take targeted action against ISIL to stop its advances. Since then, we have conducted more than 150 successful airstrikes in Iraq. These strikes have protected American personnel and facilities, killed ISIL fighters, destroyed weapons, and given space for Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim key territory. These strikes have helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women and children. 

But this is not our fight alone. American power can make a decisive difference, but we cannot do for Iraqis what they must do for themselves, nor can we take the place of Arab partners in securing their region. That’s why I’ve insisted that additional U.S. action depended upon Iraqis forming an inclusive government, which they have now done in recent days. So tonight, with a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat.

Our objective is clear: we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy.

First, we will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists. Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we’re hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offense. Moreover, I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven. 

Second, we will increase our support to forces fighting these terrorists on the ground. In June, I deployed several hundred American service members to Iraq to assess how we can best support Iraqi Security Forces. Now that those teams have completed their work – and Iraq has formed a government – we will send an additional 475 service members to Iraq. As I have said before, these American forces will not have a combat mission – we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq. But they are needed to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces with training, intelligence and equipment. We will also support Iraq’s efforts to stand up National Guard Units to help Sunni communities secure their own freedom from ISIL control. 

Across the border, in Syria, we have ramped up our military assistance to the Syrian opposition. Tonight, I again call on Congress to give us additional authorities and resources to train and equip these fighters. In the fight against ISIL, we cannot rely on an Assad regime that terrorizes its people; a regime that will never regain the legitimacy it has lost. Instead, we must strengthen the opposition as the best counterweight to extremists like ISIL, while pursuing the political solution necessary to solve Syria’s crisis once and for all. 

Third, we will continue to draw on our substantial counterterrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks. Working with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding; improve our intelligence; strengthen our defenses; counter its warped ideology; and stem the flow of foreign fighters into – and out of – the Middle East. And in two weeks, I will chair a meeting of the UN Security Council to further mobilize the international community around this effort.

Fourth, we will continue providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organization. This includes Sunni and Shia Muslims who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities. We cannot allow these communities to be driven from their ancient homelands. 

This is our strategy. And in each of these four parts of our strategy, America will be joined by a broad coalition of partners. Already, allies are flying planes with us over Iraq; sending arms and assistance to Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian opposition; sharing intelligence; and providing billions of dollars in humanitarian aid. Secretary Kerry was in Iraq today meeting with the new government and supporting their efforts to promote unity, and in the coming days he will travel across the Middle East and Europe to enlist more partners in this fight, especially Arab nations who can help mobilize Sunni communities in Iraq and Syria to drive these terrorists from their lands. This is American leadership at its best: we stand with people who fight for their own freedom; and we rally other nations on behalf of our common security and common humanity. 

My Administration has also secured bipartisan support for this approach here at home. I have the authority to address the threat from ISIL. But I believe we are strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together. So I welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that Americans are united in confronting this danger.

Now, it will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL. And any time we take military action, there are risks involved – especially to the servicemen and women who carry out these missions. But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years. And it is consistent with the approach I outlined earlier this year: to use force against anyone who threatens America’s core interests, but to mobilize partners wherever possible to address broader challenges to international order. 

My fellow Americans, we live in a time of great change. Tomorrow marks 13 years since our country was attacked.  Next week marks 6 years since our economy suffered its worst setback since the Great Depression. Yet despite these shocks; through the pain we have felt and the grueling work required to bounce back – America is better positioned today to seize the future than any other nation on Earth. 

Our technology companies and universities are unmatched; our manufacturing and auto industries are thriving.  Energy independence is closer than it’s been in decades.  For all the work that remains, our businesses are in the longest uninterrupted stretch of job creation in our history.  Despite all the divisions and discord within our democracy, I see the grit and determination and common goodness of the American people every single day – and that makes me more confident than ever about our country’s future.

Abroad, American leadership is the one constant in an uncertain world. It is America that has the capacity and the will to mobilize the world against terrorists. It is America that has rallied the world against Russian aggression, and in support of the Ukrainian peoples’ right to determine their own destiny. It is America – our scientists, our doctors, our know-how – that can help contain and cure the outbreak of Ebola. It is America that helped remove and destroy Syria’s declared chemical weapons so they cannot pose a threat to the Syrian people – or the world – again. And it is America that is helping Muslim communities around the world not just in the fight against terrorism, but in the fight for opportunity, tolerance, and a more hopeful future.

America, our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden. But as Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead. From Europe to Asia – from the far reaches of Africa to war-torn capitals of the Middle East – we stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity. These are values that have guided our nation since its founding.  Tonight, I ask for your support in carrying that leadership forward. I do so as a Commander-in-Chief who could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform – pilots who bravely fly in the face of danger above the Middle East, and service-members who support our partners on the ground. 

When we helped prevent the massacre of civilians trapped on a distant mountain, here’s what one of them said. “We owe our American friends our lives. Our children will always remember that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to protect innocent people.”

That is the difference we make in the world. And our own safety – our own security – depends upon our willingness to do what it takes to defend this nation, and uphold the values that we stand for – timeless ideals that will endure long after those who offer only hate and destruction have been vanquished from the Earth.

May God bless our troops, and may God bless the United States of America.

Police Report Exercise In Madrid. The NNA President Speaks.

Comrade Lampty 

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK: Comrade Lamptay Ikponmwonsa Oriakhi.

Fellow Nigerians,

"...Without trying to hide under the excuse of it being the first time we are handling an exercise like this, we have come to realize our mistakes in planning and have begun to put measures in place to curb any semblance of re-occurrence when the exercise returns to Madrid on September 29th."

In view of recent developments vis-à-vis the conduct of the recent Nigerian Police Report exercise which started in Madrid and is currently on-going in other cities in Spain; I am poised to break the silence at this time to set records straight.

First, I like to state for the records that this exercise is happening at this time because of the invaluable effort of the Nigerian Embassy, officials of the Federation of the Nigerian Communities in Spain as well as regional Nigerian Associations in the Kingdom of Spain. Hence, the chosen center of the exercise in Madrid is at the instance of the Nigerian Nationals Association.

Having had a four strenuous days of the exercise which lasted between Monday the 18th and Thursday the 22nd of August 2014; I am sad to admit that the feedback have not been very encouraging in some serious respects.

This is particularly so because of the many back door reports and feelers that have been filtering in. Sadly, we came to understand that while some of my officers and I were working hard to meet the expectations of more than a thousand Nigerians that were gathered at a time, some others around us were helping themselves by taking bribe from Nigerians in other to help them get quick service before others who may have been waiting for days.

We equally came to understand that various means and ploy were employed to aid different kinds of racketeering in the course of the exercise. Some of the ploys made the management of the crowd even more cumbersome for my officers because there were some amongst us who have been alleged to be fulfilling different motives.

Some of these short comings that we have noticed, I have considered as failure on our path and as President, I take responsibility for it.

Without trying to hide under the excuse of it being the first time we are handling an exercise like this, we have come to realize our mistakes in planning and have begun to put measures in place to curb any semblance of re-occurrence when the exercise returns to Madrid on September 29th.

Meanwhile, rising from our last executive meeting which held on Wednesday the 27th of August 2014; we are resolved on bringing all indicted defaulters to book as an association. To this end, we are urging all those who may have given bribe willingly or coarsed into giving bribe to anyone to come forward and identify such a person with a view to helping us put things right and put the association on a more disciplined platform.
Furthermore, while we condemn the bad eggs amongst us; we also express great displeasure at those who willingly want to jump the queue by looking for whom to bribe to gain underserved access to quick service.

I hereby wish to use this medium to inform Nigerians that from September 29th when the exercise shall return to Madrid, we would have put more effective measures in place to curb all unholy excesses of bad eggs amongst us. I equally wish to assure everybody that we have the word from the police and the embassy that everybody who need police report would be attended. Hence, I advise everyone to be calm and follow the rules of engagement set by the Association.

On a final note, I wish to thank Her Excellency, the Ambassador of Nigerian to Spain, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu and the Nigerian Embassy staff for their efforts in the course of this exercise. I equally express my profound gratitude to Pastor Philip of Royal Gospel Power Ministry Fuenlabrada for making available his church as a venue for the exercise in Madrid. My gratitude equally goes to my hard working executive members of the Nigerian Nationals Association, volunteers and members of the Federation of Nigerian Communities in Spain for their efforts so far.

More information will come your way soon.

May God bless you all and may God bless Nigeria
Comrade Lamptay Oriakhi
President

APC ON FIRE: Six Presidential Candidates for Primaries may Emerge; Buhari, Atiku Abubakar, Senator Bukola Saraki, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rochas Okorocha and yet to decamp; Aminu Tambuwal.

Though, formal campaigns for next year’s general election are yet to begin, the race for the presidential tickets of the major political parties is certainly hotting up. The parties are also exploring possible permutations that would give them political advantage in the various geopolitical zones.

While President Goodluck Jonathan may not have any strong challenger for the Peoples Democratic Party presidential ticket, in the All Progressives Congress, it looks set to be a four horse race between former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki; and Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso. Each of the aspirants has some things going for him in the race, and downsides, too.

This is inspite of the fact that Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday declared his intention to run for the presidency on the platform of the party and newspaper publisher, Sam Nda-Isaiah, has been holding consultations about his presidential aspiration.

Buhari, a native of Daura in Katsina State, ran unsuccessfully for the presidential office in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 general elections. He has a strong grassroots support in the North, and across the country. Buhari is famous for an impressive record of honesty and a tough anticorruption stance. He is generally seen as the foremost contender for the APC presidential ticket.

The modified direct primaries approved on August 21 by the national leadership of APC for the choice of the party’s presidential candidate, beginning October, also appears to put the former Head of State in pole position. The system, which will involve about 300, 000 party members chosen from the ward, local government, and national levels voting to elect the presidential candidate, is hailed for its ability to reduce the influence of moneybags.

But, Buhari, a Muslim, is criticised, especially, in the South and among the country’s Christian population, for his alleged strong religious views. He is also believed to lack the wherewithal to finance an effective campaign and maintain strong political structures in the different states of the country. At 72, it is thought in some quarters that Buhari may not have the energy and drive to effectively lead a large and diverse country like Nigeria.

Atiku, 68, is from Adamawa State. He was presidential candidate of Action Congress in the 2007 election. Ahead of the 2011 general election, he was consensus candidate of the Northern Political Leaders Forum and contested unsuccessfully against Jonathan for the PDP presidential ticket. He also contested the presidential primaries of the now defunct Social Democratic Party in 1993 and placed third after Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe.

The former vice president maintains robust political structures across the country and he is believed to have cross-party sympathy. Atiku is thought to have a huge war chest for campaigns and maintenance of his structures. He runs a media office that is widely adjudged to be the most vigorous in the country at the moment. His wide political network fits perfectly into the modified direct primaries approach adopted by APC for the election of its presidential candidate.

However, Atiku does not seem to have strong grassroots popularity. The October 11 governorship bye-election in his native Adamawa State may also be a hurdle before Atiku, as sources within APC say it may be taken as a gauge of his popularity and strength in his home state and, thus, his capacity to effectively hold the party’s presidential ticket.

Saraki, a native of Kwara State, is a medical doctor and senator. He successfully led the Nigeria Governors’ Forum as governor of Kwara State.

Saraki comes from a strong political background and he, apparently, leveraged his position as NGF chairman to make a lot of contacts across the country. He has a good control of APC in his state, and the party, the ruling party in the state, has a big chance of  retaining control of the state in the next general election, which stands Saraki in good stead in the presidential race. Saraki, 52, also has age on his side.

But Saraki’s North-central origin may not count in his favour in the North, as most people in the region may likely prefer someone from the North-west or North-east.

Kwankwaso, 58, has a strong experience in the civil service and politics. He was the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives in 1992 and delegate to the Constitutional Conference in 1994. The former defence minister swept to power in 2011 with a strong political ideology anchored on the Kwankwasiyya Movement, eight years after losing the governorship seat to Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.

Kwankwaso has strong support among the APC governors and in Kano State he is widely admired for his excellent performance. The Kwankwasiyya Ambassadors of Nigeria, a group backing his presidential aspiration, though based in Kano State, is a strong political force trying to take the message of his performance beyond the state.
However, Kwankwaso does not seem to have political structures beyond Kano State that can support an effective presidential campaign.

Besides the four aspirants, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal is also widely speculated to nurse a presidential ambition on the platform of APC. He is currently a member of PDP, but there is a strong suspicion he may soon defect to APC.

Meanwhile, ahead of the presidential election, PDP and APC are plotting strategies focused on gaining advantage in states and geopolitical zones with high voting strength.

LoudNewsToday gathered that PDP strategists are banking on support from the South-south and South-east, while APC is counting on the North-west and North-east, with both parties readying to slug it out in the North-central and South-west, which are seen as battleground zones.

A senior presidency official said, “The general permutation for the 2015 presidential election is based on the support of the South-south states, irrespective of the fact that Edo State and Rivers State are technically in the hands of the opposition APC.” 

PDP estimates to get at least 70 per cent of South-east votes. It hopes to get even more in the South-south, Jonathan’s native zone. But whatever PDP may lose in the South-south and South-east, it hopes to cover in the North-central, whose states are governed by PDP, except Nasarawa State, the source said.

“The low population strength in the two geopolitical zones of South-east and South-south is reinforced with the voting strength in the North-central.” The source explained that Jonathan would get more than 25 per cent of the votes in the North-east and North-west states. He said PDP strategists believed the party would get between 40 and 50 per cent of the votes in the South-west, which they recognised as the stronghold of the opposition.
The South-west has the second highest voter population after North-west.

An APC chieftain, who is among the main strategists of the party, told  LoudNewsTody  that whatever votes PDP could garner would be countered in the states of Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna and Katsina, which he described as the stronghold of the opposition.

Australian Negotiator: Politicians Funding Boko Haram.

Davis

A Perth-based international adviser, Dr. Stephen Davis, who survived months of extreme danger to try to rescue more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by terrorist group Boko Haram, has alleged that one of the primary sources of funding for the terror group is Nigerian politicians.

“That makes it easier in some ways as they can be arrested, but of course the onus of proof is high and many are in opposition, so if the president (Goodluck Jonathan) moves against them, he would be accused of trying to rig the elections due early next year,” he said.

LoudNewsToday had exclusively reported that one of the key federal government negotiators trying to secure the release of the Chibok girls from the clutches of Boko Haram was Davis.

Davis has worked in Nigeria in the past with the Archbishop of Canterbury and Head of the Church of England, Justin Welby, to negotiate the release of kidnapped oil industry workers in the Niger Delta.
Speaking yesterday in an interview on ABC News, an Australian television station, Davis, 63, said he had realised the only way to stop the kidnappings was to stop the sponsors of Boko Haram.

While Al Qaeda was involved in training Boko Haram recruits, Davis said one of their major sources of funding - aside from raiding banks - was Nigerian politicians.

“That makes it easier in some ways as they can be arrested, but of course the onus of proof is high and many are in opposition, so if the president (Goodluck Jonathan) moves against them, he would be accused of trying to rig the elections due early next year,” he said.

“So I think this will run through to the election unabated. These politicians think that if they win power they can turn these terrorists off, but this has mutated.

“It’s no longer a case of Muslims purifying by killing off Christians. They are just killing indiscriminately, beheading, disembowelling people - men, women and children and whole villages.

“I would say it's almost beyond the control of the political sponsors now. Terror groups are linking up in Somalia, southern Sudan, Egypt and we have fairly strong evidence they are talking with ISIS members.
“They will link up with ISIS and Al Shabaab and I think that what we are seeing in that region is the new homeland of radical Islam in the world,” he told his interviewer.

Davis, who returned to Australia after a four-month sojourn with rare footage of the intense fighting in Nigeria's North-east, as Boko Haram stepped up efforts to establish an Islamic state, said he established extensive contacts with tribes and terrorist groups in Africa, including three small cells of Al Qaeda, while working as a troubleshooter for oil and gas company Shell in the Niger Delta.

When news broke in April about the girls’ kidnapping from a school in the village of Chibok, near the Cameroun border, Davis, who had recently moved to Perth from London, decided he could not sit on his hands.

During the journey in North-eastern Nigeria, his life was threatened more than once, but his Australian passport saved him.

“When confronted by groups with an AK-47 in my face they'd say, ‘you are American, we have to kill you’,” Davis said.

“When you say, no I’m not American, they think you are British, and say you will still die, but when I said I’m Australian, they said that’s all right. I have no idea why but it’s certainly been helpful.”
The devout Christian managed to smuggle out of the country footage of a handful of schoolgirls who escaped from Boko Haram.

They detail the atrocities they endured, including being raped almost on a daily basis.
Following media reports that nobody knew where the girls were, he decided to reach out to his contacts.
“I made a few phone calls to the Boko Haram commanders and they confirmed they were in possession of the girls,” he said.

“They told me they’d be prepared to release some as a goodwill gesture towards a peace deal with the government, so I went to Nigeria on the basis of being able to secure their release.”

Arriving in Nigeria, Davis quickly set up talks with commanders and he believed he had brokered a deal.
Fearing being arrested, the Boko Haram commanders - holding the girls across the border in Cameroun - had a list of conditions.

They wanted the military to stand down and promised to drop the girls in a village before phoning to give their exact location.

Davis said they lived up to their promise, but in a region ravaged by war and corruption, the rescue was sabotaged.

“The girls were there, 60 girls, there were 20 vehicles with the girls,” he said.
“We travelled for four-and-a-half hours to reach them, but 15 minutes before we arrived they were kidnapped again by another group who wanted to cash in on a reward.

“The police had offered a reward of several million naira just 24 hours before we went to pick them up.
“I understand, from the Boko Haram commanders I spoke to, the girls eventually ended up back with them.

“I don't know what happened to the group that took them but I suspect it wasn't good,” he disclosed.
Davis said a young man kidnapped by Boko Haram and used as a driver later helped a handful of girls to escape.

One kidnapped girl, who managed to avoid having her mobile phone confiscated by turning it off and hiding it in her bra, managed to call her family while hiding in bushes, but had no idea where she was or which direction she should be heading.

After being told to walk west by following the sunset each evening, the four girls managed to cross the border from Cameroun and into Nigeria before being reunited with their families.
So far they are the only girls to have escaped from a Boko Haram camp.

When Davis later tried to contact, via text, the young man who helped them, he received a sobering reply.
“The person you are trying to contact has gone on a journey from which there is no return,” the reply read. “He was an infidel.”

Davis said the longer he stayed in Nigeria the more it dawned on him the kidnappings would not end.
“It became very clear that if I was able to get 50 girls released, then another group would kidnap 70 or 80 more. So by freeing 50 you were consigning 70 or 80 more to the same fate,” he explained.

Davis said initially journalists from around the world including CNN, the ABC and BBC flocked into the country, but they concluded it was far too dangerous to send any crew into the North-east of the country.
He said since then, the violence in North-east Nigeria and the threat of foreign journalists being kidnapped and beheaded, there has been limited coverage of the crimes being committed by Boko Haram.

“Boko Haram used to telephone Nigerian journalists and give them a story, but that doesn't happen anymore,” he said.

“They go straight to social media. They post their own material and they’ve learnt to become very savvy on social media and use it as an instrument to terrorise.”

Davis, who has a PhD in political geography, has worked as an adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

He also worked for Shell in Nigeria in an advisory capacity between 2002 and 2004.

B-O-M-B-S-H-E-L-L!!! Nigerian Made The British To Leave, What Are The Fulanis From Guinea Doing In Nigeria?.

fulanis

Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo speaks.

**Ilorin is a Yoruba city, Emir of Ilorin is a Fulani. Bida is a Nupe town, Emir of Bida is a Fulani. Birnin Gwari is a Gbagi town, the Emir of Birnin Gwari is a Fulani. Why?

Boko Haram is not fighting for anything other than the seizure of political power by the Fulani people. They are using Kanuri territory to perpetrate the evil, but the main people instigating this bloodletting are the Fulani from Futa Djallon. We know where they came from. They are colonialists and if we made the British to leave, what are these people doing here? They are also colonialists.
You have to reflect and ask yourself some questions.

Kano is a Hausa city, the Emir of Kano is not a Hausa man; he is a Fulani. Ilorin is a Yoruba city, the Emir of Ilorin is a Fulani. Bida is a Nupe town, the Emir of Bida is a Fulani. Birnin Gwari is a Gbagi town, the Emir of Birnin Gwari is a Fulani. The Lamido of Adamawa who is residing in Yola is a Fulani, who claims he has other Fulanis in Cameroon and other places. These are not Fulani cities. We know where they all came from.

They all migrated from far-flung places to their present locations. So if we know where they come from and we know that they are not from here, they came to colonise these territories. What are they still doing here? If the British left, the French left, the Germans left, the Portuguese left, the Belgians left, what are these people doing here? They are also colonialists, but this is what our elites are ready to accept.

Why should we allow foreigners to dominate the aborigines? When people like us talk, they say these are very sensitive issues, don’t touch them. Why should we not touch them? Why should the Sultan of Sokoto be the head of Muslims in Nigeria? Where did we meet and make the Sultan our head? So these are the things. But a lot of people don’t look beyond the surface. A man says he is born to rule; you have not asked yourself, if that man is born to rule, what about you? If the man is born to rule, you are born to be ruled.

So you become drawers of water and hewers of wood. A wise man in one of the great books I have read said: For I have seen a grave injustice on the surface of the earth that I saw the servants riding on horseback and princes walking on foot. The Hausa man in Kano is walking on foot; Sanusi, a Fulani man, a Gambari from Guinea is riding on horseback.

Fulani Sulu-Gambari in Ilorin is riding on horseback. These are the issues that we’ve not been able to capture. Why should injustice continue? Why should the indigenous Hausa population in Kano not be given back what rightfully belongs to them? Why is it that in Ilorin, the indigenous Yoruba people, the ones they call Baba Agba, are not given back what rightfully belongs to them? .

Chief Tom Ikimi is Political Warhorse when it Comes to Politics.

Tom Ikimi

Chief Tom Ikimi is political warhorse when it comes to politics. He has seen it all as a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct National Republican Convention and a minister under General Sani Abacha.

He was also there when Gen. Muhammadu Buhari ran against Obasanjo when Prof. Maurice Iwu held sway at INEC. In short, Ikimi has fought many a political battle; some he won, others he was bruised but he came out a better man.

So, it was not surprising when recently he wrote a long letter to his party’s leadership, the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Ikimi has come far to know when danger lurks. For him, the APC was derailing and fast too. He has raised concerns that some critical decisions are shrouded in secrecy. According his letter, he accepted to become Vice National Chairman for the greater benefit of the party but developments have left him befuddled.

The political tactician might just be coming to a new reality; a reality that nothing looks like they seem. Perhaps, age has dimmed his acute sense of the future; maybe he hoped it would be different, but from all intent and purposes, this is one bitter pill he has to take into retirement. Time will tell!

Recently, he said that Tinubu has turned APC into private property and further declared that

no individual claims ownership of PDP like Tinubu is doing in APC.

He said, “The governors and the Tinubu groups decided on a zoning process that was limited only to party offices as well as the choice of individuals to fill them. They proceeded nin a manner that was neither open nor transparent. Most undemocratic and bizarre procedures then prevailed.

“The governors initiated a zoning plan that allocated the national chairman to the South-South. This proposal was reluctantly accepted by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whose well-known preferred option had been to retain Chief Bisi Akande as the chairman forever. Nevertheless, he in the circumstance, proceeded to draw up a list of his cronies for the entire national executive all by himself. Very strange as this may sound, it was the reality. Nothing was ever referred to the National Interim Executive Council for approval or even information.”

Ikimi also lambasted Tinubu for parading himself as the national leader of the APC, saying no one gave him such a position. He added that it was unfortunate that some members of the party had tried to justify Tinubu’s unilateral appointment of Oyegun as the national chairman as a concession done to him as the national leader.

He said his problem with the ex-governor began when he opposed the Muslim-Muslim presidential and vice presidential ticket of the party.

“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu may recall that mostly for the same reasons I opposed his desire to run as vice presidential candidate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar under the Action Congress banner in 2007. We settled for Senator Ben Obi from eastern Nigeria.“I know he nurses a grudge against me for the position I took which was strongly supported by leaders from five zones apart from the South-West. I have no regrets whatsoever for my courage to stand up against oppression or dictatorship. No matter what anyone might say against the PDP, no individual claims ownership of that party,”

I May Retire Very Soon As I Have Only 2-3 Years More To Live - Pope Francis

Pope Francis

The Pope has spoken publicly for the first time about his own death, suggesting that he only has two to three years to live and may retire early.

Pope Francis, 77, made the claims during a press conference on his return flight from a hectic, five-day visit to South Korea.

When asked how he was coping with his huge popularity, the Pontiff replied: “I try to think of my sins, my mistakes, so as not to think that I am somebody. Because I know this will last a short time, two or three years, and then to the house of the Father.”

He then made a chopping gesture with his hand and whistling noise.

If the Pope is proved right, it would bring the curtain down on a revolutionary papacy during which he has already shaken up - over the course of months since his election last year - Vatican institutions which have remained unchanged for centuries.

On the plane back from Korea, the Pope looked in good form and stood for an hour as he took questions from reporters, but he admitted he was struggling to keep up with his appointments, recalling how he cancelled a visit to a Rome hospital in June.

“The day I should have gone to the Gemelli (Hospital), up to 10 minutes before I was there, but I could not do it. It is true, they were seven very demanding days then, full of engagements. Now I have to be a little more prudent,” he said.

The hard working pope, who grew up in Buenos Aires and became archbishop there in 1998 before his election as pope, revealed his last holiday outside the city was in 1975, but he added that he was a dab hand at holidaying at home.

“I change rhythm. I sleep more, I read the things I like. I listen to music. That way I rest. In July and part of August I did that,” he said.

Pope Francis admitted that he had “some nerve problems”, which required treatment. “Must treat them well, these nerves, give them mate (an Argentine tea) every day,” he joked.

On Tuesday, bookmakers Paddy Power made Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson 7/1 favourite to succeed the Pope, followed by Canada’s Cardinal Marc Ouellet at 8/1. England’s Cardinal Vincent Nicols stood at 20/1.

On the plane the Pope again supported the decision by his predecessor Pope Benedict to retire - the first pope to do so in 600 years - and suggested he might do the same.

“Let us think about what he said,” the Pope said of Benedict. “I have got old, I do not have the strength. It was a beautiful gesture of nobility, of humility and courage.”

The Pope pointed out that 70 years ago, bishops rarely retired. “They did not exist, but today emeritus bishops are an institution,” he said.

“I think that the emeritus pope is already an institution because our life gets longer and at a certain age there isn’t the capacity to govern well because the body gets tired, and maybe one’s health is good but there isn’t the capacity to carry forward all the problems of a government like that of the Church,” he said.

“I would do the same,” he added. “I would pray, but I would do the same. He (Benedict) opened a door that is institutional, not exceptional.”

Despite his talk of death and retirement, the Pope was also keen to lay out plans for future foreign trips, suggesting he still has plenty of energy.

After suggesting that the UN should get involved in halting the advance of the Islamic militants in Iraq, the Pope said he was willing to visit northern Iraq, even though “at the moment it is not the best thing to do”.

He said he was aiming to visit Philadelphia next year, had been invited by Barack Obama to the US Congress and by the secretary general of the United Nations to visit the UN in New York.

“So maybe the three cities together,” he said. “Then there’s Mexico. The Mexicans want me to go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, so we could take advantage of that too, but it’s not certain.”

He was also mulling a quick trip to Spain, he said.

Following trips to Brazil, the Holy Land and South Korea, the Vatican has confirmed Francis will visit Albania in September and Sri Lanka and the Philippines in January.

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