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NIGERIA’S MILITARY AND presidency has claimed to have reached a deal with Boko Haram militants on a ceasefire and the release of more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls.
“A ceasefire agreement has been concluded between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (Boko Haram),” Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Alex Badeh said.
“I have accordingly directed the service chiefs to ensure immediate compliance with this development” in the field.”
Separately, President Goodluck Jonathan’s Principal Secretary Hassan Tukur told AFP that an agreement to end hostilities had been reached following talks, as well as the release of 219 girls held captive since April.
Tukur said that he had represented the government at two meetings with the Islamist rebels in neighbouring Chad mediated by that country’s President Idriss Deby.
“Boko Haram issued the ceasefire as a result of the discussions we have been having with them,” said Tukur, adding that the announcement was made “last night”.
“They have agreed to release the Chibok girls,” he continued, referring to the 219 teenage girls held hostage after their April 14 kidnapping from a secondary school in Chibok, northeast Nigeria.
But questions surrounded the purported deal, given that Jonathan is expected to declare his re-election bid and positive news about the hostages and violence could give him a political boost.
There was also uncertainty about the identity of Danladi Ahmadu, who was said by Tukur to be Boko Haram’s representative at the talks and who gave a radio interview broadcast on Friday morning.
Multiple analysts cast doubt on Ahmadu’s credibility as a Boko Haram envoy while Nigeria has made similar ceasefire claims in the past which failed to materialise.
“I have never heard of such a man (Ahmadu) and if Boko Haram wanted to declare a ceasefire it would come from the group’s leader Abubakar Shekau,” said Shehu Sani, a Boko Haram expert who has negotiated with the group before on behalf of the government.
Another source with intimate knowledge of the group said:
This whole thing is hoax. Ahmadu is not a part of Boko Haram.
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Libraries are wonderful places and we need to get our kids off their phones and into the library.
I don’t want staff less libraries.
Is is really such a big drain on resources to staff a library?
We are ripping the soul out of our communities in our pursuit of cost saving.
What hyperbole. How does the library staying open a little later without staff ripping the soul of of a community?
Tom’s referring to the pursuit of cost savings, of which staffless libraries are a ludicrous example. If Lenihan hadn’t guaranteed unsecured bonds, and FG upheld his anti-capitalist action (secured bond holders pay a premium) we might have had extended hours with actual Irish workers manning the libraries and paid for their work.
Tailgating? These library’s must be huge.
Big enough to teach you the plural of library
The drunkenness and the children left unsupervised highlight a big flaw in this crazy idea, Health & Safety.
Another big flaw is the countless community events and children learning sessions which will no longer be run.
Well done to the councillors that voted against this.
@Paolo:
How much of this kind of behaviour happens when they are staffed? A comparison would be useful
Why couldn’t communities organise events in libraries regardless? The only blame’s on the stupid parents who drop their child off to use a library after dark with no staff there, as I see it. Why wouldn’t they pay a babysitter to look after their child?
In Fingal, last month FF, FG & so called Independents aligned to both parties came together to vote down my emergency motion to end the scheme.
Oh so staffless libraries are a success? It would be cheaper to hire actual staff than to roll out this nonsense! And destroying my livelihood..
It’s the twenty first century. Time to leave things like libraries, quills and penny farthing bicycles behind.
Seeing as how a person can get a book for free in a library, they’ll always have a certain advantage even over a kindle. Putting them in the same bracket as quills and penny farthings is beyond stupid.
Librarys are without doubt a wonderful amenity. And they do seemto keep up with the times. My only issue is with staff wages. Head librarians are pulling 60k – 70k. The person running the local supermarket is on half that…..
I didn’t say anythimg about switching to Kindles, but there is nothing stopping free book-lending from being done electronically. Personally, paper libraries are useless to be as I am vision impaired, yet I am expected to pay for them throug my taxes.
Ironically, the people tasked with bringing literature into the 21st century have n9 imagination, and continue to tinker around the edges with gimmicks like self-service libraries. Meanwhile, people who don’t live near a library are crying out for broadband services that could benefit everybody.
There’s nothing wrong with my eye sight, but yet in all I have to pay for the “blind persons” tax credit and relief through my taxes.
Libraries are also information and advice centres and are one of the places where citizens can get access to further education, official forms and publications, remedial education, groups and clubs, local announcements, talks etc.
There is usually a librarian and library assistants. The librarian would be qualified at third level in social sciences.
Staffless libraries are book-swap facilities and I’d worry they would excuse councils for continually cutting hours. Libraries in Dublin used to open until 8 every weekday and 5 on Saturdays. That has been cut since the 80s and once cut it doesn’t revert.
My local library still does open until 8 pm, and on Saturdays. In Dublin. Not sure how valid your other points are now.
You’re right about the lack of decent broadband, but where else can people get large print books short of buying them? Libraries have a lot more to offer than books too. A friend of mine got great service there after an eye operation. They have enlargers now for books, large keyboards, online access for people without web access, and DVDs and magazines. I couldn’t subscribe to all the ones I read and am glad to keep up with developments.
@Neal, not Neil.: tell me what library stocks quills and penny farthing bicycles because I’d like to have a look at them. Our library just has books and computers – the computers especially are in great demand and provide a great service.
I’ve been a member of Walkinstown library for 45 years and can honestly say that the staff are the reason that its such a wonderful institution. They brought in a machine a while ago that you can use to take out and return books but I won’t use it. The knowledge that the staff have in recommending authors based on your reading pattern can’t be replaced by machines . Sometimes the old fashioned way just doesn’t need changing and surely with extended opening hours as normal in most areas you don’t need access to an empty library ( unless you’re dropping the kids for free baby sitting ffs)
have your say