The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Danladi Umar: When power intoxicates

    Danladi Umar: When power intoxicates

    By Abachi Ungbo

    SIR: Recently, Justice Danladi Umar of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), walked into the eye of the storm with reckless abandon; in a saner society, he would have by now jumped or be pushed out of office.

    Subjecting a security guard to indignities for innocuously asking for compliance with the parking rules was a naked display of power. And it reminded me of the advertisement slogan of the iconic tyre makers Pirelli that – “Power is nothing without control.” The reprehensible action has brought sharp focus on unbridled power and its misapplication by powerful people.

    Consider the power of gushing water. It could be destructive or beneficial depending on how we channel it. So, power is neutral. It is left for the holder to decide on how to use it.

    The quest for power and influence is inherent in mankind but the need for control and influence through acquisition of so much of it comes with a corrupting effect. Every day, the seduction of power impels otherwise ‘normal’ people to lose balance between power and control.

    Not few of our leaders are routinely betraying signs of megalomania and its close cousin narcissism. They are in a delusional state that constrains them into thinking that they are superior to others and any perceived challenge on their power in whatever form is not taken kindly.

    Indubitably, strange things happen in the brains of powerful people. Not a few studies have shown the effect of power to the brain and psychology of the holder. Dacher Keltner, psychologist and author of “Paradox of power “with two decades in research lucidly and exhaustively provided explanation. He established inextricable link between power holders and impulsivity; proved that power makes people more likely to break rules because they believe rules and laws are not made for them and also show tendency to objectify people-see other people as a means to their grandiose ends and exhibit a sense of entitlement. In addition, they easily lose self-restraint, break social codes, show less empathy and compulsively lie.

    So, those completely under the tight grip of power prioritize their interest, thinking, desires against the views of others. Aside the psychology factor, the social factor plays a part in the misuse of power not least the people around them and also the larger society acting more as enablers by failing to make them accountable.

    Sadly, as the pathology burgeons, they seek to dispense with objective aides and instead surround themselves with pliable and sycophantic underlings.

    A lot of people carry with them inflated images. They simply carry on with an immortality swagger! The allure and lustre of the office is so blinding that they fail to see the transience of today. Political power holders need to remind themselves every day that “Power has only one duty- to secure the social welfare of the people.” Holders of power need to evaluate themselves routinely, stay humble and rooted in reality.

    Silence is an oblique form of acquiescence to unacceptable actions by power holders. Impunity shouldn’t be enabled by silence. They need to be held accountable.

    • Abachi Ungbo, abachi007@yahoo.com
  • Matawalle: Now, the ‘North’ is angry!

    Matawalle: Now, the ‘North’ is angry!

    By Sanya Oni

    Sadly, if one had thought that the nation had reached that point where voices of moderation would drown the babel calling not just for a showdown but baying for blood, recent events would seem to have reduced such to mere illusions. In other words, if we thought that we had had enough of the conflict entrepreneurs stoking the fires across the board; it is only because we are yet to reckon with their co-travellers on the other side of the opportunistic train: the ethnic champions with their galling exceptionalism, and whose sense of justice is as warped as their psychology of entitlement is egregious.

    These are interesting times no doubt. The other day it was Bala Mohammed, the Bauchi governor with a rather strange doctrine of extra-territoriality as touching the Fulani nationality. The Fulani, he said, could not be restricted to any part of the sub region. They are, according to him, citizens of the world and so are free to move to anywhere of their choosing in the promotion of their trade of pastoralism. Then, he did say also that simply because the Fulani “has been exposed to cattle rustlers who carry a gun, kill him and take away his cows, he has no option to carry AK 47 because the government and the society are not protecting him”.

    By the way, that is supposed to preclude the other victims – the farmers who in recent time, have had to bear the brunt of the intransigence of the pastoralist Fulanis.

    And talking of the ownership of the forest ranges, he would aver, in reaction to the eviction notice served on illegal occupants of the state’s forest reserves by Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, the Ondo State governor based on security reports on the untoward activities of some criminal herders residing there that:  “Nobody owns any forests in Nigeria, it’s owned by Nigeria. Under section 23, 24 and 25 of the constitution, every Nigerian is free to stay anywhere”.

    Those provisions, at least in the opinion of the governor, would suffice to extinguish the rights of other Nigerians to acquire property – and that to a brother governor, a learned Silk! A case of the rights of those herders to reside albeit illegally in the state reserves being superior to the rights of others including to the security of the generality of the people of the state!

    That was Bala Mohammed, some months past.

    Now, a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahamah Dambazau (rtd), has since picked up from there. Addressing participants of Course 5 of the War College last week, the former army top brass puts the activity of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) on the same pedestal as the Boko Haram’s bloody campaign in the northeast!

    Take note of his clever (opportunistic) choice of words: “The two groups have been making efforts to ignite nationwide inter-ethnic conflicts through their violent attacks on northerners resident or transacting businesses in the south as a quick way to realise their dream for a divided Nigeria”.

    “We” – I guess he could not have meant any other group other than his beloved North – “see parallels between Boko Haram, a religious extreme (sic) group, and the IPOB and OPC, both ethnic extremist groups. All the three groups operate on the platform of extremism.”

    The army chief is no doubt entitled to his views. Not so however, his deliberate mischaracterisation of the different groups. That is not only opportunistic but is patently disingenuous. The truth of course is that the three groups are different in their stated missions and objectives as indeed their modus operandi. If there is anything that unites them, it would seem in their common rejection of the way the country is currently constituted.

    Interestingly, he has not a word for the other source of terror – the activities of the criminal herders known to give vent to the simmering tensions between tribes and regions – and of which the entire world – save the leadership of the north – has long acknowledged as posing the most existential threat to all!

    That takes us to the latest offering by Bello Mohammed Matawalle, the Zamfara governor. Again, this is typical. Here is a man whose domain is not only besieged but seems set to be overrun by the bandits but is nonetheless convinced that the source of his headache lies elsewhere.

    Imagine such an individual thrusting himself forward as the champion of the northern interest! These are strange times indeed.

    To Matawalle, the time for fine preachments is long past; the north, his beloved region, is not only aggrieved, but is prepared to reply in kind to provocations from any quarters, especially those he claimed has made his people ‘target sport’.  Northerners, he claims are facing unsearchable conditions in many parts of the Southwest and Southeast in particular. He was particularly miffed by the clashes in Sasha Market, Ibadan, Oyo State and the reported killings of northerners in Imo State.

    “We have seen the destruction, the killings and the devastation recently at Sasha Market against northerners and their economic interests.

    “Properties worth billions of Naira were lost in addition to human lives, yet some leaders in the Southwest are downplaying the atrocities committed or, worst (sic) still, justifying it”, he claimed.

    He wondered why northern leaders and elites have remained silent while they are supposed to stand firm, in the manner in which other leaders of the south are doing “even when they know that their people are at fault”.

    On the alleged killing of northerners in Imo State last Saturday, he called on all leaders with conscience and fear of God to speak out “against this continued barbarism and hatred.”

    “We will not take that any longer as no human life is worthier than another,”

    He then followed with a dire warning – no community or region has the monopoly of violence.

    Said he: “If northerners and their means of livelihood will not be protected, accommodated and be dignified anywhere they choose to stay in any part of the south, southerners should not expect protection from the north as the north has more than what it takes to respond to any kind of aggression and hatred.”

    We must of course be clear about the general meltdown in the security situation in the country. Whether it is in Ibarapa area in Oyo State where non-state actors are having a free reign in the clear vacuum created by the absentee national government that insists on holding on to the security apparatus even when things are falling apart, or in Imo as elsewhere where criminal elements continue to unleash mayhem for the same reasons; these are unfortunate as they are condemnable.

    But then, the tragedy must be seen in the low grade leadership foisted on the country at all levels. One refers here to a leadership class which sees problems through the blinkers of ethnicity and religion and has no shame about pushing noxious notions of unequal citizenship. And yet would say in another breadth that Nigeria belongs to all!

  • Ighalo to boycott social media over racism

    Ighalo to boycott social media over racism

    Agency Reporter 

    Former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo is prepared  to join a potential collective boycott of social media if it helps end online abuse.

    The  former Nigeria international has expressed worries over the racist abuse online , threatening to boycott social media.

    He said: “If boycotting the social media is going to change things by bringing sanity and peace to football, I am going to do it 100 percent. We want things to chance in football as it cannot continue like this as we must take away racist abuse from the beautiful game.”

    Ighalo’s loan move to Manchester United from Chinese outfit Shanghai Shenhua in January 2020 is still considered as  one of the unlikeliest transfers of recent windows.

    Despite the move to Old Trafford being a brief one, leaving in January 2021 to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab, it will be one the 31-year-old will never forget. In 23 appearances for United across all competitions, Ighalo scored five goals and described his experience at United as one of his best moments of his career.

    Ighalo said having played in six different countries, he is ready to take up any challenge in any country. “I’ve played in six or seven different countries now and I enjoy my football, so who knows the next destination! I’m not afraid to go to a new country, a new league, a new culture, and learn a new language. I’m ready for whatever opportunity,” he said.

    On life after football, he said: “I’d love to still be involved in football, maybe an agent or a coach but let’s see what happens.”

  • Alake’s bad blood vs Obj’s bad belle

    Alake’s bad blood vs Obj’s bad belle

    Hardball

    One historic tragedy.  One victim.  Two utterances.  Lost ironies.

    That was the situation on April 11, at an Abeokuta Club function referencing June 12: that watershed crisis of 1993, which marked the beginning of the end for Nigeria’s political soldiers; and which, after six years of unimaginable tension, in 1999 birthed Nigeria’s current democracy.

    But first thing first: The Nation report claimed MKO Abiola “presumably won” the June 12 election, which Gen. Ibrahim Babangida annulled.  Absolutely no presumption.  MKO won. “Presumed to have won” was the shifty media apologia smuggled into the fray, to explain away that high crime.

    But it’s good MKO has received a posthumous honour on the matter, with June 12 becoming Nigeria’s Democracy Day, instead of May 29 that former President Olusegun Obasanjo actively pushed, throughout his eight-year presidency, and among his partisan power successors, before President Muhammadu Buhari got MKO justice.

    But back to the Abeokuta Club event, at which Obasanjo was named a club trustee; and MKO, posthumous vice-patron.

    The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo dismissed, as “bad blood”, the high conspiracies that robbed MKO the presidency, despite his epochal win at the polls.  That was spot on.

    It was bad blood that penetrated the top brass of Nigeria’s politically ravaged military, which eventually destroyed all of those political soldiers; and left the military itself a mere shell.  The Egba monarch should know, though he retired as a colonel in 1985, well before the high-stake power conspiracies of 1993.

    But the irony of the “bad blood” comment appeared totally lost on Obasanjo, made doubly ironical by trying to say nice things about MKO and his June 12 bona fides, after his orchestrated attempts to rubbish the MKO ideals, thinking only that would give his own May 29 emergence historical life.

    That plot fell flat, though after being floated for no less than one-and-a-half decades, under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Obasanjo old order.

    Which brings the discourse to the ringing, multi-dimensional ironies of Obasanjo’s

    own “bad belle” comment, at the occasion.  Though Obasanjo tried to be nice to MKO’s memory, the Ebora Owu was an active and baleful spirit in the anti-MKO June 12 manoeuvres, even when MKO was alive and fighting for his mandate.

    Obasanjo’s Pauline morphing, from nastiness to niceness, is appreciated.  But that can’t be at the expense of ghosting history.  He was part and parcel of the “bad belle” he spoke of; and it was really rich trying to push it as the sole fault of IBB and other deluded hot heads.

    Then, the costly Freudain slip: Obasanjo’s basic take, in all of the June 12 catastrophe, appears a regret over the non-actualisation of power vanity, personal and collective, concerning Abeokuta and its sons.

    His top regret was that “bad belle” robbed the Egba trio, of himself, Ernest Shonekan and MKO, a power hat trick (to borrow that football lingo), to the glory of Egbaland.

    Nice — but bad — joke!  In truth, it was two Egba sons (Obasanjo and Shonekan) that actively plotted against another Egba son (MKO) and his historic June 12 pan-Nigeria mandate.

    Nigerian history would perhaps have been better off without that plot.  So, let the Ebora Owu not glibly falsify history, and make light of that treachery, after making merry at the Abeokuta Club.

  • NYSC garment factory… Harnessing talents for national development

    NYSC garment factory… Harnessing talents for national development

    The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) Garment Factory in Anambra State boasts of over 15,000 production capacity of khaki suits, plain vests and shorts each. EMMA ELEKWA reports that it is contributing to the economic growth of not only the state but that of the nation.

    Advocators of the scrapping of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme over growing wave of insecurity as well as those who argue that the scheme had outlived its relevance especially in recent times may likely have a change of mind, particularly after visiting the garment factory of the scheme in Anambra State.

    The factory located inside the State Polytechnics in Mgbakwu, Awka North Local Government Area of the state which boasts of over 15,000 production capacity of khaki suits, plain vests and shorts each, have continued to contribute to the economic growth of not only the state but that of the nation at large.

    With the engagement of no fewer than 100 workforces, comprising corps members, NYSC staff and other skilled workers, mostly drawn from within the community, the factory has also increased the standard of living of the people of the area, as well as boosted the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of both the state and federal governments.

    •Onifade

    Commissioned in July 2002, the garment factory, which is one of the two factories in the country, is not only into the production of corps members attires but also serves as a training centre for Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurial Development (SAED) where both corps members and unemployed youths are empowered with different skills.

    The factory, regrettably, had not fully maximised its potentials party due to lack of adequate machines and manpower. The facility had reportedly suffered this under-utilisation challenge until the recent deployment of one of the Assistant Inspectors from the NYSC Directorate, Mr Joshua Onifade to resuscitate it.

    Onifade said his deployment followed the decision of the Director-General of the scheme, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Shuaibu to ensure the factory was resuscitated in line with his fifth policy thrust of reinvigorating the NYSC ventures, skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development programme in the scheme for greater achievements.

    He expressed joy over the unprecedented positive change the factory had recorded since his assumption of office barely five months ago, attributing it to the injection of both machines and manpower.

    He said: “The DG said he had to scout for a long time for who would assist him actualise his policy thrust. I could remember the time he sent me on an inspection of the activities here. I also went to Mina, Niger state and later sent him my report. I didn’t know he observed all I did. So one day he called and said I’ll be going to work in the factory. He said I’m in the best position for the job, in addition to my experience as a procurement officer. So who am I to say no to my DG?

    “The production level of the factory was nothing to write home about when I took over. I met 18 sewing machines, 12 functional but old. I decided to ensure the 7 in critical condition were repaired. Again, I said, if actually, we’re to achieve the mandate of the DG, I must go out of my way to do more. I had to get back to him for support. That he did and still doing.

    “Within a space of 5 months, I was able to increase the number of machines from 18 to 41. We have two types: interlocks and straight sewing machines. We bought more of them. Those that were down, including the buttonhole machine, I fixed all. Our production capacity was boasted.

    “Before my resumption, they were majorly outsourcing from existing contractors. When I came, I saw it as an aberration because it’s more or less working for the contractors. We were running at deficits after making statutory deductions from the government. That was why we decided to make use of what we have.

    “The production was about 2000. But presently, we have 15,000 capacity of khaki suits, 15,000 plain vests, 15,000 PE shorts. The only item I didn’t want to involve myself in is the crested vest because it’s done manually and it’s costlier to produce.

    “Until I get a screen printing machine with the capacity of producing 1,200 per day, we will not commence the production. Then, it will be massive. For now, we’re concentrating on the plain vest. We’re not also producing jungle boots, caps, belts and tennis because we don’t have the machines. But all of that are in the pipeline. By the time these become stabilised, we’ll go into that.

    “Initially, our members of staff in government payroll were just 10. We relied on tailors from outside. We employed them whenever we needed their services because there was no job. But on assumption, I requested the State Coordinator to give me corps members with fair knowledge of fashion designing and painting who we could train.

    “He posted 11 of them, six female and five male and I rented an apartment for them within the neighbourhood. He just posted another corps member to me yesterday, making it 12. Besides, I said if we must increase our production capacity, we needed more tailors. So I had to engage more than 41 tailors who we pay wages to boost their morale to handle the 41 machines on the ground.

    “We have a cutter who is a professional. We also have a staff assisting him. But we need more cutters who we can train because their work is very important. The one on government payroll is getting old and will soon retire. So we need to have a succession plan. Presently, I’m talking with the people in the community, especially those with school certificate to join us so they can eke their living here.

    “I’ve also met with the Rector of the State Polytechnics who’s coincidentally our neighbour, appealing to her that we would like to engage her students. She obliged to give us some indigent students who we can engage and assist to pay their fees from the proceeds they make. They’re here with us. All in line with the policy thrust of the NYSC.”

    On how long it takes to produce the 15,000, Onifade said: “Within 6weeks, we produce the 15,000 each of the 3 items simultaneously. If it’s replicated, we’re expecting to have over 60,000 production capacity of the 3 items, khaki suits, plain white and PE each in a year. That will come to a total of 180,000 pieces annually.

    “We supply the items directly to the central store at the headquarters from where they would be distributed to corps members across the country. Presently we have corps members in camp. Another batch is expected to be deployed in May, July and November/December.

    “I’m working for NYSC which is invariably working for the government. Whatever profit accruable from the proceeds is paid into TSA, thereby boosting the IGR of the scheme and economy of government.

    “The community where the factory is located is already feeling the impact. Over 40 women working with us fall back to the community and you can imagine the multiplier effect, directly or indirectly. The same goes with the 41 tailors. If you put all the manpower together, we have close to 100 workers on our payroll. All these increase the standard of living of the people. That’s what NYSC is doing over 47 years ago of its existence, particularly under the able leadership of the current DG.

    “Some of the corps members we engaged decided to stay back after service. You know leaving service without anything to do is a fundamental problem in the country which can be frustrating. That’s why NYSC is going further to engage youths to ensure they can live anywhere in the country. For example, I have a corps member from Edo state and another from Nasarawa state. They’re all working here. They’ve mingled with the community so much that it’s likely they may decide to stay back. By large, the unemployment rate is drastically reduced. The skills we’re teaching them here are what they convert to employment.”

    The Manager listed the various sections of the factory to include the store where the finished products, as well as raw materials, were packed, the SAED training section, printing section, among others. He further revealed that all materials in the factory were locally sourced in line with the local content of the federal government to boost the economy and create employment for the teeming youths.

    “You can imagine the impact on the local manufacturers of the fabrics, as well as button and tread. There are already made market for them. No material here is imported. All are locally sourced from Lagos, Onitsha, Aba and other parts of the country. The money still circulates. You can imagine the millions being invested in the production of these materials,” he added.

    Reacting to the challenges facing the factory, Onifade highlighted funds, power and roof leakage as major impediments confronting the growth of the factory.

    He said, “Our challenges are enormous, finance is a major one. But God has been faithful. We’re approaching it in various ways. But we don’t want to take the loan, which I see as killing, with due apologies to the bankers. We rather collaborate with spirited individuals, corporate bodies. I’ve approached some into garment factories. Most of them have shown willingness to support.

    “This collaboration doesn’t necessarily involve money. For me, all I want are materials, fabrics and other sewing materials. We just agree on the formula for profit sharing. All these definitely will be approved by the headquarters. But at our local level, some of our colleagues have keyed in to what we’re doing as they see it as saving against their retirement.

    “Another major challenge here is power supply. When I came here, we were not connected to the national grid. I had to insist on our being connected and made the EEDC management and we got it connected. So far, we enjoy their services within the period they provide light. But you know how epileptic it can be. But we make sure we maximize those few periods they give us light, including midnights. Like last night, they worked till 4 am when the light went off before they went back home. Yet, they’re back this morning. In the interim, we make use of two domestic generating sets at a time, to be able to substitute power. But we need a 35 KVA soundproof generating set, will to power all of our machines and other gadgets. Though I have also informed the DG and he promised to help.”

    Comparing the factory with that of Minna, Niger state, the Manager said: “I’m making them wake up from their slumber and run. Thank God my colleague there is not only understanding but well experienced. I brief him from time to time and he takes our advice seriously. He’s doing well. For me, it’s a healthy competition.”

    He also described his transition from Abuja to the state as divine, saying he had found joy and fulfilment working in the state.

    The NYSC Coordinator in the state, Kehinde Aremu, had during a recent visit to the factory, expressed satisfaction with the level of transformation going on at the factory.

    He commended the Factory Manager for the proactive measures he took which has resulted in an increase in production output.

  • Addressing security challenges, kidnapping

    Addressing security challenges, kidnapping

    Almost no day passes without one abduction being recorded on the Kaduna-Abuja highway. In this special report, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) speaks to experts on how to address the malaise.

    In recent times, Kaduna-Abuja highway of more than 200 kilometres as a gateway to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been in the news for notoriety in kidnapping, banditry and robbery, among others, observers note.

    They observe further that due to poor road network that has allowed this development, travelling on the highway has become a nightmare to motorists.

    Serving state and federal lawmakers, foreign expatriates, high-profile persons and a former minister, have been reported kidnapped on this highway.

    Concerned residents of FCT have, on many occasions, expressed concern about frequent incidences of kidnapping among other security challenges in FCT which they observe as a strange development.

    •Acting IGP Alkali Baba

    Some of the residents suspect that since FCT is bordered by states where kidnapping is rampant — in the north by Kaduna State, South-East by Nasarawa State, South-West by Kogi and in the West by Niger — kidnapping activities are possibly slurring into the territory from the neighbouring states.

    But Mrs Mariam Jaiyeoba, a resident of FCT, notes that whether or not the bandits and kidnappers infiltrate FCT via border communities, the response ought to be the way forward to check kidnapping and other security challenges in FCT.

    In apparent response to Jaiyeoba, Mr Joshua Ibiloye, a Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), said that terrorism and kidnapping, which were not known in Nigeria in the past, had now become rampant, even in FCT.

    Speaking on behalf of Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola at a security meeting in Abuja, he observed that security agencies must work together to win the war against kidnapping and other crimes.

    “Fight against insurgency and kidnapping is asymmetric warfare where those engaged in them do not respect or comply with international laws of engagement. They kill women, children and the aged.

    “We are all at risk, thus, there is need for synergy, we can’t win in such war unless and until security agencies synergise effectively and improve on intelligence gathering and sharing. We should be proactive than reactive.

    “Also, security agencies need to win the trust of the people through advocacy; at times, citizens do not trust security agencies, thus we need to win their trust to make us do better,’’ he said.

    He also suggested that there was need to end proliferation of light weapons across the country to minimise or eliminate crimes.

    Similarly, the NSCDC says it has deployed military trained personnel to combat kidnappers and guarantee security.

    Mr Ahmed Audi, Commandant-General of the defence corps, said that the personnel deployed were trained to combat asymmetric warfare, assuring Nigerians of the corps’ capacity to check insecurity.

    However, the Police Command in FCT says it has stepped up its operations to stimulate aggressive fight against kidnapping and banditry in the territory.

    ASP Mariam Yusuf, FCT Police Public Relations Officer, said due to intensified fight against kidnapping, the command had in recent time arrested many suspected kidnappers, including six kidnapping suspects in Apo, FCT.

    Yusuf said the suspects were arrested following credible intelligence report, indicating that they had abducted three persons.

    She said the suspects were arrested by police operatives on routine patrol, while attempting to relocate one of their victims.

    She said further investigations led to successful rescue of two other victims who identified the suspects as kidnappers.

    In another instance, Yusuf noted that children between the ages of two years to 13 years were taken from their parents by suspected traffickers in February in Lapai, Niger, with the pretext of providing them education.

    She said investigation revealed that the traffickers distributed the children to different people, noting that the suspects would be arraigned in court after investigation.

    She also said that the command had deployed covert and overt crime fighting strategies to strengthen security across the FCT, especially in areas with cumbersome terrain.

    Yusuf said that the command was working closely with sister security agencies, key stakeholders and community leaders to rid the FCT of criminal elements.

    She called on residents to remain calm and law-abiding, enjoining them to report suspicious persons or activities around their vicinity to the nearest police division via any of the FCT Police Command Control numbers:  08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653 and 08028940883.

    As part of efforts at ridding the FCT of kidnapping and other security challenges, the Nigeria Police say the force secured the release of Mr John Makama, father of Bwari Area Council Chairman, Mr John Gabaya, and two others who were kidnapped on February 2 in FCT.

    Divisional Police Officer in charge of Bwari Police Station, Mr Biodun Makanjuola, said that Gabaya and the other captives were released but he could not ascertain whether or not any ransom was paid by the family members.

    Makanjuola said that Makama was released alongside two other family members unhurt and had since returned to their home in Tokolo village in Bwari.

    He also said that four persons were earlier arrested in connection with the crime and were kept in custody.

    Similarly, following rising cases of abduction in the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigeria Police in February, deployed 150 operatives, including riot policemen and special forces in Abuja.

    The police believe that the personnel will beef up security in the nation’s capital described as the target of kidnappers recently.

    The police also assure the public that the deployment will strengthen security, dismantle and dislodge all criminal hideouts, especially kidnappers’ camps within the FCT.

    Giving the residents of FCT further assurance of safety, Mr Abdullahi Candido, the Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), said that his administration established a community policing security outfit known as the AMAC Marshals.

    He said that the security outfit that has been working with NSCDC was established to argument the efforts of the conventional security to protect lives and property of residents.

    But Mrs Kemi Okenyodo, a governance, security and gender expert, believes that ransom payment has made abductions lucrative for criminal gangs.

    “The decision on payment of ransom should be reviewed. What are the best steps to take in preventing the abductions so we avoid the payment of ransom’’, she asked.

    Sharing similar sentiments, analysts note that the adverse effects of kidnapping in the country have become worrisome.

    According to them, state governments must review their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles as such a policy has the potential to backfire with disastrous consequences.

    They, nonetheless, suggest ways to prevent kidnapping, including stopping routine movement and avoiding discussion on family members and money matters in public.

    Among other precautions, they advise to do proper checks before employing workers and to avoid flamboyant lifestyle; never to reveal too much about oneself and family members via social media.

    According to them, getting too close to a stranger could be dangerous and letting someone know our whereabouts would help in avoiding kidnapping.

    They advise further never to reveal addresses and places you frequent on social media as kidnappers rely on such information.

    All in all, security experts advise that whenever we notice any threat of kidnap around us, we must attract the attention of people around by screaming or shouting until people gather around to rescue.

  • Insecurity: Can special courts do the trick?

    Insecurity: Can special courts do the trick?

    Banditry, terrorism and kidnappings have reached a crisis point and everyone agrees that the country must find a way to stem the tide. But can establishing special courts to try these crimes be the solution, writes ADEBISI ONANUGA

    Last Sunday, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi led a delegation to meet with former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    Discussions at the meeting was said to have centred on the need to find solutions to banditry, kidnapping and all other forms of insecurity bedevilling the country.

    Gumi, on arrival at Abeokuta Obasanjo Hilltop mansion, went into a private meeting with the former president.

    Gumi was accompanied by Prof Usman Yusuf; Mallam Tukur Mamu; Dr Umar Ardo; Dr Ibrahim Abdullahi; Suleiman Gumi; Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu and Mallam Buba Mohammed.

    The visiting team was received by Chief Obasanjo; Agura of Gbagura Oba Babajide Bakre; Ogun State chapter Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN); Bishop Tunde Akin-Akinsanya; Chief Imam of Egbaland Sheikh Sa’addallah Alade Bamigbola; Chief Kenny Martins; Chief Ola Babajide Jaiyeoba; Rev. Tony Ojeshina; Chief Imams of Oke-Ona, Gbagura, Owu and Mr. Vitalis Ortese.

    In a statement issued after their meeting, they agreed among others that special courts should be created to deal promptly with cases of banditry, kidnapping, ransom-demanding and unlawful carrying of weapons.

    Obasanjo and the cleric appealed to Nigerians not to advertently or inadvertently encourage or support criminality, lamenting that the security situation had gone beyond tolerance.

    They identified the various forms of insurgency, particularly banditry and herdsmen crisis as “micro ethnic conflict” between the Fulani and their host communities and the remote causes as educational and economic disparities, the negative use of religion and ethnicity by unscrupulous politicians.

    The meeting provided short, medium and long term based solutions which they said must be composed of stick and carrot for the offender and the vulnerable.

    They said: “All well-meaning Nigerians have to be involved in finding solutions by: desisting from blame game; desisting from ethicising these crimes; desisting from religionising these crimes; desisting from regionalising these crimes.”

    They agreed on the slogan: ‘Security is the responsibility of all Nigerians.’

    They also agreed to continue to work together for the security of Nigeria and to seek others to join them in this new cause.

    Prior to his last Sunday’s visit to Abeokuta, Gumi had attracted notoriety for speaking for the cause of the bandits, notwithstanding the havoc, including deaths they had caused in many villages that they attacked in many parts of the North.

    Gumi was reputed to be the campaigner for amnesty for bandits and ‘killer’ herdsmen. He was also reported to have held meetings with some banditry gangs in Kaduna, Niger, and Zamfara to negotiate their peaceful surrender on their behalf.

    On Friday, February 19, 2021, Gumi reportedly met with Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, to discuss the result of his negotiation with some bandits that allegedly kidnapped the Government Secondary School  (GSS), Kagara, students.  Gumi had then told reporters that the bandits were victims themselves, that “They were persecuted, arrested, lynched. The Federal Government should give them a blanket amnesty.”

    He stated that the easiest and safest way to end insecurity in the north is to negotiate peace with the bandits.

    Endless banditry, kidnapping waves

    A March 2, 2021 report by UNHCR, a United Nations refugees agency, stated that about 77,000 Nigerians are taking refuge in Republic of Niger’s Maradi region, following the spread of banditry and armed attacks.

    Only a few days into 2021, gunmen attacked Rambadawa, in northern Nigeria, to loot the village and steal cattle.

    The attack on Rambadawa is one of a growing number in north-west Nigeria. The surging violence is driving displacement into Maradi, which now hosts nearly 100,000 displaced people, including the 77,000 Nigerian refugees, 7,660 of whom have fled to the place since the start of the year.

    According to UNHCR’s representative in Niger, Alessandra Morelli, “The rise in cross-border activity by criminal groups since the start of the year is a cause of real concern. We are adapting our response to the waves of forced displacement caused by growing insecurity and we are providing protection and access to basic services such as health, education and access to water.”

    On Friday January 29, 2021, according to a BBC report, gunmen ambushed the Kungi village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State and carried out house-to-house search before kidnapping 30 people.

    Although, there are security personnel in the village, their presence did not stop the gunmen from invading.

    According to reports, Birnin Gwari is now full of internally displaced people, fleeing continuous attacks by bandits in neighbouring villages.

    In the North, kidnap-for-ransom industry seems to be growing as each kidnapping seems to inspire another and it is not just the well-off who are at risk, but poor villagers and ordinary schoolchildren who are the victims.

    In the Southwestern state of Ogun, residents of Yewa and Imeko-Afon Local Government Area have of late been fleeing to Benin Republic towns as refugees, following attacks by herdsmen which have become a frequent occurrence.

    Herders

    As the nation continues to groan under the pains of insecurity, stakeholder hold divergent views on events in the country.

    Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) Secretary-General, Othman Ngelzarma, explained that herders are lured into crime due to ignorance and poverty. He said some of the herders were impoverished after their cattle were stolen.

    Ngelzarma who was addressing the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) National Executive Council (NEC) led by Chief Audu Ogbe in Kaduna said the solution to herdsmen attacks is to settle the pastoralists within a place and educate them.

    According to him, the criminal herders have powerful backers.

    “The merchants take advantage of the ignorance of the young Fulani and their poverty to engage them in crime. Crime is everywhere. When you catch criminals, you always get Fulani among the group because of their lack of education, their ignorance and their poverty,” Ngelzarma said.

    Acting IG to the rescue

    Last Thursday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, while decorating the new acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, told him that that there was a lot to be done and charged him to rebuild trust with the Nigerian public.

    Osinbajo said: “The organisation you are leading is one that is itself facing several challenges; your officers work in extremely difficult conditions and some face the threat of physical harm by terrorists and hostile non-state actors while in the line of duty.

    “Under your leadership, the Police must now rebuild some bridges of trust and regain the confidence of the citizens. This is an on-going challenge and task that the Police Force and all the senior members of the Police must take on as a responsibility.”

    The VP also charged him to implement the Community Policing Policy which had already taken off as well as restore the dignity of the Nigeria Police.

    “One of the ways you can restore confidence and build trust is by implementing the Community Policing Policy which has already taken off and reconceptualising policing as a task carried out in partnership with local communities and officers who are members of these communities”, he said.

    Responding, Baba pledged to tackle insurgency and other security threats in the shortest possible time, restore security and order, and return the country to the path of national unity.

    To achieve the task, Baba said he would rejig Police operational strategies, asked Nigerians to “expect improvement in the security situation” and pleaded for their collaboration and cooperation.

    Special Courts

    Agitation for specialised courts is not a new concept in Nigeria. Specialised courts are often established to adjudicate and fast-track the trial of special criminal offences and minimise delays. Some special courts in the country include the National Industrial Court which handles disputes in work places; the Courts of Arbitration, the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse to quicken civil matters among others.

    Challenges in the trial of high profile corruption cases, increase in criminal matters like kidnapping and sexual assault led to the establishment of the Special offences courts and Domestic and Sexual Offences Courts in Lagos State by its former Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke in February 2018. The decision followed a directive and issuance of necessary practice direction by a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen issued in 2017 to heads of courts in the country for the establishment of such special courts. The special courts took off in Lagos as pilot scheme for other states to emulate.

    Special Court for banditry, kidnapping

    A special court for banditry, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms and others as proposed by Obasanjo and Gumi is not alien to the Nigeria’s judicial system. But some stakeholders consider this as unnecessary, a waste of effort and a duplication of various criminal courts across the country with practice directions giving vent to acceleration of criminal trials. Those of this opinion noted the situation has already been taken care of by a 2013 practice direction from the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) with specific direction on accelerated and speedy trials of criminal matters.

    Stakeholders’ concern

    Banditry, kidnappings, and other violent crimes have increased in many parts of the country and no part of the country is spared from insecurity. There is the Boko Haram issue in the Northeast, banditry in the Northwest , Northcentral and the Middle Belt, herdsmen attacks in the west and the east while kidnapping is in every part of the country. Stakeholders noted that several possible solutions to address the country’s hydra-headed insecurity issues have been suggested to the government but none seems to be working so far.

    Can special courts curtail or end banditry and other forms of insecurity?

    Lawyers did not think so. Those who opposed the idea included a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba; Dr Fassy Yusuf; a lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Wahab Shittu; and a former Commissioner, Ogun State Judiciary Service Commission, Abayomi Omoyinmi.

    Special court not solution – Agbakoba

    Dr Agbakoba argued that Special Courts will play “absolutely little or no role and have no influence” on the spate of banditry terrorism kidnappings etc, now engulfing Nigeria.

    He said the systemic nature of violence, according to leading criminologists, has always been associated with poverty and exclusion.

    “The leading authority in the world on the subject of exclusion is the indomitable Professor Thomas Pikety. His theory is simple that the cause of violence of any kind is rooted in extreme want and exclusion,” Agbakoba said.

    There is no question, he added, that exclusion in Nigeria is “a massive problem.”

    Agbakoba recommended that government policies should provide for and include “the fragile people living on the margins of extreme want.

    “The other important factor is simply to create new economic opportunities other than the political pyramid at Abuja. I strongly suggest that devolution of political and economic power will disperse prosperity and new opportunities at the base of Nigeria, namely the local governments, where active recruitment of violent manpower occurs. So, I disagree with respect with President Obasanjo and Sheikh Gumi.”

    Government must be strategic – Yusuf

    Like Agbakoba, Dr Yusuf said creating special courts is not the solution.

    “The solution should be more profound, should be more strategic and we need to put on our thinking cap,” he said.

    According to him, “fundamentally, the security architecture of the country has collapsed and those saddled with the responsibility of ensuring security of life and property have failed in every material sense. Intelligence gathering is nil and our security operatives are not doing what they were supposed to do. The society is not cooperating with them, maybe because there is a loss of confidence or because government on its own is not sincere. The insincerity of government has led to apathy. So, when you see a crime about to be committed near you, you turn the other way because you don’t want to be involved.

    “So setting up of special courts to try bandits or kidnappers, how would that solve the problem? It would only cause problems for the judiciary because those judges you are asking to try cases of banditry, kidnappers would be left with just those cases. The regular cases they are handling would be left undone and as they say, justice delayed is justice denied. We cannot afford a situation where the judiciary would become the weeping voice.

    Amend constitution to accommodate State Police

    To end banditry and other forms of insurgency, Yusuf said the first thing to do is to amend the constitution to allow for state police and even local government police.

    He said: “The country is under policed and the federal Police, that is Nigeria Police is detached from the people. The orientation of the present crop is largely skewed. Most of our policemen and policewomen are after financial gains.

    “Corruption has eaten deep into the fabric of Nigeria Police. The same corruption has taken over nearly every spectrum of the country including other security agencies, the SSS, the military intelligence, Customs Service, Immigration Service, Naval intelligence. How do we explain to the outside world, the massive and the humongous arms and ammunition that we see in this country, all in the hands of criminals?”

    Yusuf expressed worry over how hoodlums nearly overran Owerri during Easter Monday. “Criminals, hoodlums took over Owerri, bombed Nigerian Correctional Service overpowered Nigerian Police state command headquarters and other areas! Look at the way bandits have taken over in other parts of the country. Look at the insecurity we are experiencing in the Southwest, in the Southsouth. In fact, no place is spared. We have people charged with the responsibility of ensuring security of life and property. These are indices of a failed state.”

    He contended that Nigeria can only get out of this situation “if we are serious with ourselves and are ready to take the bulls by the horn.

    Yusuf said: “Let us decentralise the Nigeria Police Force and let every state including the local government have its own Police force, let them carry arms and let us spread our intelligence network. The government should be proactive. Anybody that is found culpable or not performing his or her job, should be dismissed with ignominy.”

    According him, government has been lethargic, that is why the citizens, the police and other security agencies are not performing.

    He lamented proliferation of arms and ammunitions in the country and indicted the police on the issue. Patriotism, he added, has dwindled.

    He urged government to lead by example

    Yusuf said: “The government has to set the pace. To me, it is a problem of leadership. If the leadership is willing to navigate change, is willing to make a difference, I believe Nigerians will take a cue and follow. So, we must as a nation be proactive in our security architecture and if we cannot do it, we can invite experts and give them free hands to work. The era of ethnicity, affection should stop in governance.Accountability, transparency, proactiveness must be our watchword. That is the path to ending banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity in the country.”

    Poverty, hunger root cause of banditry – Shittu

    Shittu said putting an end to banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity require a multi- pronged approach. He said the critical factor will be to address the root causes of the manifestations of insecurity in the land.

    He noted that “at the heart of this needless violence are the elements of ignorance, hunger, disease, poverty, illiteracy, underdevelopment and bad leadership. We need to put in place proactive policies to address of all of these symptoms of underdevelopment. Setting up special courts as proposed will partly address the effects of insecurity not the root causes of the malaise.”

    Shittu suggested sustained campaigns and sensitisation aimed at changing the mindset of those who view deployment of all kinds of violence as objects of pleasure to end insecurity. According to him, “a deliberate policy of constructive engagement with the population is fundamental. Thirdly, entrenching core values in our youths vulnerable to such tendencies at all levels of society’s critical structures cannot be over emphasised.”

    He argued that the family unit, the school system and all the tiers of the government structure must enlist in this crusade.

    Shittu added: “Of course setting up special courts will assist in the sphere of criminalisation and penalisation as critical tools of law enforcement. Trials of suspects will be fast- tracked. This is also critical because it will enthrone a regime of consequences for criminal infractions.

    “The point I’m making is that setting up special courts will be useful as part of a holistic package measures to stem insecurity in the land. It is, however, not one option alone that will deliver us from this malady. We will also need to strengthen our security agencies, institutional frameworks including enhancing international cooperation, capacity building, information and intelligence sharing including technical assistance in line with best practices for stemming insecurity.”

    State Police not special court – Omoyinmi

    For Omoyinmi, the government both at the federal and state should do a lot more to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to book.

    He said: “Perhaps this again leads us to the issue of state police as a way out. I do not subscribe to the idea of creation of special courts as such will serve no actual purpose in solving the problems associated with these offences and crimes. The regular high courts as a creation of the constitution have jurisdiction to try all criminal offences. There is really nothing special about trial of persons or persons who commit banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity that will warrant government creating special courts.”

    Omoyinmi urged government to be proactive, budget more funds to security forces and manpower, invest more on acquiring equipment that will enable the security forces secure the country, pay more attention to the issue of drones as widely suggested by security experts.

    He added: “The government should also create enabling environment for our youths to get jobs by also engaging them in meaningful activities like enlarging the scope for huge investment in agriculture. And perhaps the government should take a second and final look at the issue of state police.”

  • CCB to launch website for online asset declaration

    CCB to launch website for online asset declaration

    By Adebisi Onanuga

    The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) is to launch a website for the submission of asset declaration forms by public servants soon.

    The initiative is part of efforts to ease the asset declaration through the use of technology.

    CCB Justice Danladi Umar disclosed this in Lagos  at a High-Level Meeting on Promoting Transparency and Accountability in Asset Declaration by High-Ranking Public Officer in Nigeria organised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

    Umar, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Dr Mustapha Musa, said the website was ready for use.

    He said the  website would be launched soon and that the staff that would be responsible for its operation would soon be receiving documents on its platform electronically.

    According to Dr. Musa, the CCB asset declaration website is live and online, with all security features and certifications necessary for its takeoff.

    “Information on the website regarding asset declaration can only be assessed by the CCB and the site is https://assetdeclaration@ccb.gov.ng,”  he said.

    Umar said that the CBB can only give access to information regarding declaration of assets to any citizen on application as provided by the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act subject to conditions given by the National Assembly.

    He noted that the rule was subject to the provisions of Paragraph 3 (c) part 1 of the third schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “This is a specific provision that is exclusive to the CCB.

    “The provisions of the FOI Act are general, general on all agencies, Ministries, departments and bodies of government but this paragraph is specific on the Code of Conduct Bureau”, he said.

    “It is not that the Code of Conduct Bureau is not willing to give information to applicants.

    “The Constitution states that we can only give such information subject to some conditions or guidelines to be given by the National Assembly.

    Speaking, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Tayo Oyetibo said that the issue on whether the public should have assess to information on the assets of public officer has been at the centere stage of discourse  for years.

    Oyetibo who was represented by Mrs Mobisola Odimegwu, the Managing Associate of Tayo Oyetibo and Co. said that the courts can intervene in situations where a citizen’s request for information has been declined by CBB.

    According to her, “the Court of Appeal in the case of Code of Conduct Bureau vs Nwankwo noted that there is a restriction that the National Assembly has to provide terms and conditions.

    “However, it said that the fact that these terms and conditions have not been provided does not obliterate the fact that citizens have the right to access this information.

    “The court noted that the asset declaration of a public servant is a public document.

    “Paragraph 3 (c) of the third schedule of the Constitution deems any citizen of Nigeria the right to inspect the asset declaration of any public servant.”

    She said since the right to inspect the asset declaration of public officers is a constitutional right, failure of the National Assembly to prescribe the terms and conditions does not obliterate or take away such right.

  • Wema Bank, MOD unveil scheme for foreign students

    Wema Bank, MOD unveil scheme for foreign students

    By Collins Nweze

    Wema Bank Plc has launched an advisory and loan scheme, the Education Advisory Service, in partnership with MOD Education for young Nigerians wishing to study abroad.

    The event held last weekend in Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Divisional Head, Retail Business, Wema Bank, Dotun Ifebogun explained that the initiative would aid Nigerians requiring support in paying for their wards in foreign schools.

    He explained that Wema Bank does not want the aspirations of Nigerians desirous of foreign education truncated, hence the support.

    Read Also: Wema Bank assures on financial fundamentals

    “We are interested in everything that concerns our customers, and education is one of them. Some parents and guardians desire a certain quality of education for their wards outside the shores of Nigeria, and we would be able to assist them with this product. Our school fees advance loan results from the requests of parents and guardians who need to get short term financial support to meet the tuition obligation of their wards irrespective of the constant increase in fees.

    “There’s nothing as heartbreaking as withdrawing a child already in a foreign university or being unable to raise the requisite forex for a child offered admission in a top-rated foreign institution of higher learning. But our school fees advance loan will take care of this problem and help secure the futures of such students – both undergraduates and postgraduates. The fact that you get counsel from the right sources at any particular time is another benefit of this product.

    Also, the Managing Director, MOD Education, Michael Dosunmu, expressed gratitude to Wema Bank for the partnership. “Wema Bank has been supportive to us as a business and it was just a natural marriage. We trust the bank enough to bank with them, and our trust is enough to recommend it to others.”

     

  • FATE Foundation marks 20th Anniversary

    FATE Foundation marks 20th Anniversary

    By Collins Nweze

    FATE Foundation has launched a report as part of activities marking its two decades of funding businesses.

    The report also covered its COVID-19 response, through the FATE Philanthropy COVID Coalition support funds.

    Also, the report chronicles FATE its journey of supporting Nigerians and their businesses from inception in March, last year, highlighting the foundation’s inception stories, programme offerings and how they have evolved over the years.

    It equally captures the  impact, entrepreneurs and initiatives supported, volunteers who have supported the foundation, partners who have collaborated, and various stakeholders who have enabled their work.

    Executive Director, FATE Foundation, Adenike Adeyemi draws attention to how the impact learnings from the report is helping the foundation envision to make more impact in the nation’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

    She shared insight on some projects inaugurated to make this a reality and to celebrate the 20 years’ milestone like the Nigerian Entrepreneurship’ Handbook Series, Ecosystem Mapping tool, The FATE Story Documentary, INSIGHTS by FATE Foundation and E-learning Platform to provide asynchronous and self-paced entrepreneurship training.

    Adeyemi further expressed that the report captures the foundation’s dedication to tackling unemployment through impact-driven enterprise development initiatives over the course of two decades and presenting entrepreneurship as a compelling alternative to paid employment for graduates.

    “I am incredibly proud that through FATE Foundation we have disseminated values of integrity and resilience, and a culture of enterprise, innovation, and solutions. FATE businesses are solutions to economic problems and gap in the market. FATE entrepreneurs are distinguished by their resilience and their sense of community.”