Author: The Nation

By Adebisi Onanuga

The leadership of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) will today meet the Minister of Labour and Productivity to discuss the way out of the present strike action, which enters its tenth day today.

Another meeting has also been slated for Wednesday  with the representatives of Governors Forum to find lasting solution to the on-going strike.

JUSUN had embarked on the nationwide strike to back their demand for full financial autonomy for the judiciary.

Organising Secretary of JUSUN, Comrade Ali Mustapha, said in a statement yesterday that the association’s National Executive Council (NEC), met at its National Secretariat , Abuja to review it ongoing industrial action and to appraise  the meeting it held with the members of the National Executive Committee of the NBA in Abuja.

The statement stated that  after extensive deliberations, they  resolved to honour the invitation of the Governors forum, “to interface with it leadership, to find a common ground to resolve the issue of Financial Autonomy of the Judiciary”.

Mustapha said the decision to call off the strike will depend  on the positive outcomes of the meetings with Nigeria Governors Forum and that of the Minister of Labour and Productivity.

 

By Tony Akowe, Abuja

House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has advocated for proper synergy among the three arms of government for Nigerians to enjoy the benefits of democracy.

He said those expecting the Legislature to fight with the Executive arm of government are ignorant of what separation of power is all about.

The Speaker also dismissed the belief by some Nigerians of the existence of a number one, two or three form of government, saying the three arms of government are equal with no senior or junior partner.

The Speaker, who spoke in an interview published in the current edition of the Green Chamber Magazine, an official publication of the House, also said until Nigerians begin to tune their minds to politics of issues, the nation would not get anywhere fast.

He was also of the view that Nigerians have assigned to them responsibilities they are not elected to perform and are not equipped to handle.

He said by nature of the system of government practised in the country, the three arms of government are independent of themselves and they are also dependent on each other for the smooth running of government.

Admitting the need to continue to work for the independence of the legislature, he said: “I think the Legislative arm of government is independent, but within that independence exist some dependence.

“We have three arms of government and what we need to understand is there is no number one, two and three. They are co-equal arms of government. There is no one part that is senior to the other. They have different responsibilities, which may appear and make one think that there is, but they are equal arms of government.

“We have to learn to depend on each other, we have to have a similar relationship and when there is that synergy, then, the people out there will begin to enjoy democracy. Democracy is the best form of government; but it depends on how you apply it.

“So, when I hear people talking about or expecting all three arms to clash, I know that they kind of miss the concept of democracy, just as they miss the idea of Separation of Powers and the Three Arms of Government.

“You don’t have to be in bed with each other, you don’t have to fight with each other either. But, as long as you can agree in the national interest, you can complement each other and that’s what we are doing. We are expected to do something called checks and balances.”

By Tajudeen Adebanjo

The O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC) said the former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdurahman Dambazau is gradually losing touch with the realities of the moment.

Its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Oguntimehin, said the statement credited to the former minister that the OPC was the same as the dreaded Boko Haram was capable of heating up the polity and disrupting national peace.

Oguntimehin described Dambazau as a northern extremist popularly noted for his unguarded statements and utterances.

He said: “Dambazau’s statement that OPC and IPOB are very much the same as the dreaded Boko Haram was made in bad faith and such statements have raised some fundamental questions about his intentions, interests and morality as a former COAS and minister of Interior… Such high profile ex-military officer cannot be trusted in the fight against insurgency.

“So, for such a person to have said that OPC is the same as Boko Haram is not only derogatory, but it is most unfortunate to say the least.”

According to Oguntimehin, “Boko Haram is adjudged globally as the third most dreaded terrorist groups in the world. And up till today, it remains as such with various cases of killings across the North.”

The OPC publicity scribe stated that the group has since its existence in 1994 remains one of the most dependable organisations  that have been defending the interest of the people of the South-west.

 

General Overseer of the Victory Life Bible Church International Apostle Lawrence Achudume has urged Nigerians to choose tested administrators into positions authority and not just mere politicians.

He said as the 2023 electioneering campaign is gathering momentum, Nigeria needs “administrators with credible track records and not politicians with crowd”.

Apostle Achudume, who spoke yesterday while rounding off the church’s extra-ordinary convention with the theme, “The Verdict”, said if Nigerians want the desired change, they should stop voting people into power due to their large followership, but based on what they can offer.

“What we need is for Nigerians to choose leaders with intelligence; leaders who are business-minded, not leaders who are money-minded or those who come to office and think they are doing us a favour and begin to throw crumps at people.

“We need credible leaders and administrators at the helms of affairs, even as ministers, governor or president. Not those who have followers, but those who can do the work of building the nation,” the general overseer said.

Lamenting the fact that there are too many beggars around, Apostle Achudume said Nigerians should learn to work with their hands.

Akwa Ibom State Governor Emmanuel Udom, who was the special guest at the event, attributed the success so far recorded by his administration to the power of vision backed by prayers and hard work.

He, therefore, urged people to always follow their vision with actions and hard work to achieve success, saying: “When you persistently pray about your vision and work hard towards it, you will achieve success.”

Udom said whatever God has called people to do, they must do it diligently and consistently.

He said: “For instance with my meagre allocation, there is no way I could have paid salary and still build the Ibom airlines, which today is making wave. It is a miracle and a result of vision backed by prayers and hard work.

“When you have vision, keep working and praying about it. It will surely lead to success.”

The governor added that the state government would soon launch the regional arm of the Ibom Airline while two new additional air buses would be purchased to upgrade the airline by the time he would be marking the second year of his second term in office.

By Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Makurdi Branch, has urged  President Muhammadu Buhari to order probe into the invasion of Konshisha and Gwer East local government areas of Benue State.

The appeal was contained in a statement yesterday  in Makurdi by its branch chairman, Justin Gbagir.

The Defence Headquarters had claimed that unknown men killed an Army captain and 11 soldiers on Achoho-Oju road in Konshisha.

According to the Defence Headquarters, the soldiers were on special operation to bring peace to the warring communities of Bonta and Okpute.

But, Gbagir appealed to President Buhari to urgently caution the military and order investigation into the invasion of the two local government areas.

He said the military had on April 7 and April 8 invaded eight communities in Konshisha and Gwer East local government areas, killing and destroying property worth billions of naira.

Gbagir named the communities as including Bonta, Gungul, Adoka, Guleya, Agidi, Gbinde, Agune in Konshisha and Mbayase of Ullam in Gwer-East Local Government Area.

He said NBA condemned  the killing of innocent people in whatever guise by either the security operatives or civilians.

“Consequently, we are worried given the explanations offered by the military on the assignment of the military officers and the length and the depth the operation nosedived and the armoury employed on helpless civilians.

“We call on President Buhari and the Military High Command to conduct an investigation into the real intent of the operation, which has brought in a load of humanitarian crisis that left innocent citizens homeless.

“The incident also led to the destruction of foodstuffs, economic trees and alleged loss of human lives.

“This is one destructions too many, which fuels the thinking that it is premeditated, properly planned and executed with the agenda to decimate and exterminate the Tivs,” he said.

Gbagir questioned the operational guidelines issued to the officers on the said rescue mission of the missing soldiers as they were currently destroying villages and killing people in areas outside the scene of the act.

“If this was actually the mission of these officers as designated by their superiors, then switching the touch pads of the trigger on helpless communities outside the warring areas of Bonta and Okpute is a matter of concern.

“This also leads to solemn contemplation as to the real motive of the Army.

“We further lament the brazen, uncivil, beastly and commando approach of the Nigerian Army on the lives and properties of the communities.”

According to the branch chairman, the NBA would continue to respect the rule of law and promote the sanctity of human life in the country.

“The proper thing to do in an allegation of crime is for the accused/perpetrator as the case may be to go through the full procedure of criminal trials as provided under the country’s law,’’ he said.

He appealed to the Benue Government to urgently provide shelter and relief materials to the affected communities.