The Nation Newspaper

Tag: battle

  • Army seeks citizens’ support in terrorism battle

    Army seeks citizens’ support in terrorism battle

    The Army yesterday appealed to Nigerians to support its efforts to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Making the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri, Maj.-Gen. Yushau Abubakar, the Theatre Commander, Operation “Lafiya Dole”, said one of the key roles the people could play was volunteering vital information.

    Abubakar explained that the war could not succeed through military operations alone.

    “I want to inform all that this operation should not be seen as purely military; it should be seen as an inclusive peace operation, where everybody has a role to play.

    “This battle can best be won at the quickest time with the co-operation of all stakeholders.

    “We need information; we need co-operation; we need synergy, we need support, support in the sense that we have lots of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), which I believe, good Nigerians, good organisations, either domestically or internationally, can always come to assist.

    “While this is being done, the military is faced with the task of degrading, destroying and arresting the terrorists,” he said

    The commander said wealthy individuals and corporate organisations, should also assist by providing logistics to the military to aid its operations.

    “In a situation where you find us in more areas than expected, then our attention will be diverted, That is why we need the co-operation of other stakeholders.

    “About two weeks ago, Toyota Nigeria Limited came and made a donation; such support will enhance our efficiency.” Abubakar said.

    He also advised Nigerians to form vigilante groups in their localities and places of work, to prevent terrorists attacks.

    “We are appealing to everybody to take charge of security in his or her environment by being vigilant and reporting strange happenings.

    “The military will do all it takes to secure the society, but Nigerians must help out by being vigilant,” he added.

    He lamented that spate of explosions in motor parks in spite of the fact that the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), is one of the strongest unions in Nigeria in terms of membership and organisation”.

    “Unfortunately, we always have challenges or cases of bomb blasts in motor parks.

    “I will appeal to NURTW, market organisations and religious bodies that security should be our collective responsibilities,” he said.

    He, however, commended Nigerian journalists for their support in the anti-terrorism war.

    “It is important that we should always be interacting with journalists, so that Nigerians will know what we are doing; so that our efforts will not only be appreciated by the military high command, but also the citizens of the country, who want peace to come back to this part of the country,” Abubakar said.

  • How to win corruption battle’

    How to win corruption battle’

    The  majority  of  Nigerians  who voted  for  President  Muhammadu Buhari  in  the  2015  general elections did  so  because  they  were  fed  up  with  the  sickening  levels  of  corruption  that  pervade  Nigerian  society.

    It  is  a  generally  accepted  fact  that  corruption  in  Nigeria  has  reached  endemic  proportions  and  people  have  had  enough  of  it;  at  least  people  other  than  those  who  are  direct  or  indirect  beneficiaries  of  this  corruption.

    A  former  President,  Chief  Olusegun  Obasanjo,  when  he  signed  the  Independent  Corrupt  Practices  Commission  Bill  into  law  on  13th  June  2000  stated  thus:  “with  corruption,  there  can  be  no  sustainable  development  no  political  stability.    By  breeding  and  feeding  on  inefficiency,  corruption  invariably  strangles  the  system  of  social  organization.    In  fact,  corruption  is  literally  the  antithesis  of  development  and  progress.”

    Although  there  is  considerable  skepticism  as  to  whether  Chief  Obasanjo  himself  practiced  what  he  preached  whilst  he  was  in  office,  it  is  to  his  credit  that  it  was  under  his  administration  that  corruption  was  first  identified  as  a  substantial  problem  in  Nigeria  with  specific  legislative  steps  taken  to  combat  the  scourge. President Buhari’s battle against corruption has commenced.

    However,  as  has  often  been  found  in  Nigeria,  when  you  fight  corruption,  corruption  fights  back  and  given  the  sums  reportedly  generated  by  corrupt  practices,  those  involved  have  more  than  enough  resources  to  fight  with.

    It  is  for  this  reason  that  we  think  the  government  needs  to  take  the  fight  against  corruption  to  another  level  if  it’s  going  to  stand  any  chance  of  reducing  it  significantly  even  if  it  cannot  eliminate  it  completely.

    Drastic  problems  require  drastic  solutions  and  we  propose  some  solutions  that  may  be  considered  drastic  but  which  we  feel  are  justified  by  the  enormity  of  the  problem  corruption  constitutes  in  Nigeria.

    Information  obtainable  from  the  website  of  Transparency  International  accessed  at  http://www.transparency.org/news/feature/nigerias_corruption_challenge,  quoting  Global  Financial  Integrity,  asserts  that  Nigeria  has  lost  an  estimated  $157  billion  to  corruption.

    We  get  a  proper  perspective  of  the  enormity  of  the  problem  when  we  think  of  it  in  terms  of  the  infrastructure,  housing,  health  care  facilities  amongst  other  that  could  be  enjoyed  by  Nigerians  if  these  sums  were  saved  and  applied  towards  these  ends.

     

    Entrapment 

    Entrapment  is  the  process  by  which  law  enforcement  authorities  and  personnel  proactively  create  situations  and  scenarios  in  which  a  person  commits  a  crime,  with  a  view  to  apprehending  the  person  and  securing  his  or  her  conviction  for  the  crime.

    In  a  paper  published  in  the  Nigerian  Institute  of  Advance  Legal  Studies  Journal  on  Criminal  Law  and  Justice  in  2011,  Akinola  Akintayo  of  the  Faculty  of  Law,  University  of  Lagos  examined  the  various  types  of  entrapment,  drawing  distinctions  between  “fair”  and  “unfair”  entrapment.

    According  to  him,  fair  entrapment  occurs  where  the  law  enforcement  authorities  merely  provide  an  opportunity  for  the  accused  person  to  commit  the  offence  or  facilitate  the  commission  of  the  offence;  whilst  unfair  entrapment  occurs  where  the  law  enforcement  authorities  actively  induce  the  accused  person  to  commit  the  offence.

    Mr.  Akintayo  acknowledges  that  the  distinction  between  the  two  types  of  entrapment  is  often  difficult  to  draw  and  that  the  determination  whether  a  particular  instance  of  entrapment  is  fair  or  unfair  will  depend  on  the  facts  of  the  particular  case.

    Whilst  entrapment  is  not  specifically  recognised  as  a  defence  to  criminal  liability  under  Nigerian  law,  Mr.  Akintayo  argues  that  “unfair  entrapment”  implicates  the  breach  of  various  constitutional  rights  protected  under  Part  IV  of  the  1999  Constitution  as  amended,  whilst  “fair  entrapment”  could  be  justified  pursuant  to  the  provision  of  section  45  of  the  same  Constitution,  which  empowers  the  government  to  pass  laws  that  derogate  from  these  constitutional  rights  where  such  laws  are  reasonably  justifiable  in  a  democratic  society  in  the  interest  of  defence,  public  safety,  public  order,  public  morality  or  public  health.

    In  our  view,  the  endemic  proportion  that  corruption  has  attained  in  Nigeria  makes  it  eminently  justifiable  that  government  deploy  all  means  at  its  disposal  to  discourage  corrupt  practices  and  will  justify  the  express  legislative  adoption  of  entrapment  as  a  tool  for  discouraging  corruption.

    As  Mr.  Akintayo  notes  in  his  paper,  one  of  the  strongest  arguments  proffered  for  the  practice  of  entrapment  is  the  deterrent  effect  that  it  has  on  wrongdoers  and  their  natural  reluctance  to  participate  in  wrongdoing  once  they  are  uncertain  whether  their  co- participants  are  law  enforcement  agents  (full  time  or  part  time)  merely  luring  them  into  a  trap.

    One  of  the  greatest  facilitators  of  corruption  in  Nigeria  has  been  the  impunity  with  which  it  is  perpetrated  and  the  general  belief  that  there  is  no  sanction  for  corrupt  practices.

    A  review  of  our  laws  and  the  specific  encouragement  of  entrapment  as  a  policy  has  the  potential  to  change  this  dynamic  immediately.

    Once  there  are  a  few  examples  of  persons  successfully  entrapped  engaging  in  corrupt  acts,  this  will  serve  as  a  strong  deterrent,  as  persons  will  be  wary  of  demanding,  offering,  accepting  or  receiving  bribes  or  other  corrupt  inducements  when  they  don’t  know  whether  the  demand  or  offer  is  a  trap  that  could  lead  to  prosecution  and  jail.

    Of  course,  the  process  by  which  entrapment  can  be  implemented  as  a  specific  policy  aimed  at  fighting  the  scourge  of  corruption  has  to  be  carefully  thought  through  and  necessary  safeguards  have  to  be  put  in  place  to  ensure  that  it  achieves  the  desired  result  and  is  not  used  as  a  means  of  arbitrary  persecution.

    President  Buhari  has  recently  inaugurated  a  Presidential  Advisory  Committee  on  Anti- corruption  headed  by  Professor  Itse  Sagay,  SAN.

    We  recommend  that  the  Committee  should  advise  the  government  to  push  for  specific  legislation  authorizing  the  use  of  entrapment  as  a  legitimate  means  of  apprehending  persons  engaged  in  corrupt  practices.

    We  also  recommend  that  government  should  be  advised  to  set  up  or  re- energize  task  forces  such  as  the  National Anti-Corruption  Volunteer  Force  set  up  by  the  Independent  Corrupt  Practices  Commission.

    These  task  forces  should  be  constituted  in  various  spheres  and  sectors  of  society  and  of  the  economy  and  should  enlist  willing  Nigerians  to  participate  in  this  crusade  to  rid  our  country  of  corruption  and  entrapment  should  be  a  legitimate  tool  to  be  utilised  in  the  fight.  Make  anti- corruption  lucrative  The  motivation  for  all  corrupt  acts  is  financial  reward.

    Thus,  if  the  corrupt  realise  that  rather  than  bringing  them  financial  reward,  engaging  in  corrupt  acts  could  cause  them  financial  loss,  that  is  likely  to  be  a  strong  deterrent  to  engaging  in  corruption.  There  are  many  sides  to  this.

    The  first  side  is  by  the  imposition  of  stiffer  financial  penalties  for  corrupt  acts.    Such  penalties  could  be  flat  or  graduated  rates  or  could  be  calculated  based  on  multiples  of  the  illicit  reward  that  the  corrupt  gained  or  hoped  to  gain.

    The  imposition  of  such  financial  penalties  could  be  in  addition  to  or  in  lieu  of  jail  terms  and  is  likely  to  be  a  more  effective  deterrent  to  corruption.

    The  Corrupt  Practices  and  Other  Related  Offences  Act  and  the  Economic  and  Financial  Crimes  Commission  Act  both  make  some  provision  for  the  imposition  of  financial  penalties,  but  these  penalties  are  not  stiff  enough  in  our  opinion  and  the  emphasis  thus  far  has  been  more  on  sending  offenders  to  jail.

    Given  the  prevalence  of  corruption  in  Nigeria,  the  emphasis  on  jail  terms  will  require  a  considerable  investment  in  the  construction  of  many  more  prisons,  if  the  enforcement  of  anti- corruption  is  to  be  taken  seriously.

    Moreover,  a  jail  term  is  not  too  much  of  a  deterrent  where  the  perpetrator  of  the  crime  can  serve  his  or  her  sentence  and  then  come  back  into  society  to  enjoy  the  ill- gotten  gains.

    Such  jail  terms  will  seem  less  of  a  holiday  where  the  perpetrators  of  corrupt  acts  suffer  financial  ruin  in  addition  and  this  may  even  suffice  in  lieu  of  jail  terms.

    Another  side  to  this  is  that  effective  pursuit  and  prosecution  of  corruption  could  prove  very  lucrative  for  the  Nigerian  government.

    Information  obtainable  from  the  website  of  the  United  States  Securities  &  Exchange  Commission  accessed  at  http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/fcpa/fcpa- cases.shtml  indicates  that  between  1997  and  2015,  the  Department  of  Justice  and  the  Securities  &  Exchange  Commission  generated  sums  in  excess  of  4  Billion  Dollars  in  fines  and  penalties through  active  and  aggressive  prosecution  of  companies  and  individuals  found  to  have  run  foul  of  the  Foreign  Corrupt  Practices  Act  (FCPA).    This  is  a  model  that  Nigeria  would  do  well  to  follow.

    Aside  from  stemming  corruption,  it  might  also  help  to  shore  up  government’s  finances!  The  third  side  to  this  is  that  government  should  actively  promote  and  reward  whistleblowing  and  entrapment  of  corrupt  persons.

    One  of  the  reasons  why  corruption  has  thrived  is  because,  aside  from  attaining  a  moral  high  ground  or  standing  on  principle,  there  has  been  no  incentive  for  people  who  are  not  corrupt  to  actively  participate  in  reporting  and  prosecuting  those  who  are.

    One  way  of  signaling  government’s  seriousness  about  stamping  out  corruption  is  to  reverse  this  dynamic.    Government  should  promote  legislation  that  would  provide  healthy  rewards  for  persons  who  report  corrupt  practices  and  cooperate  and  participate  in  the  successful  prosecution  of  the  corrupt.    This  will  turn  the  tables  on  corruption  and  make  anti- corruption  attractive  and  lucrative.

    Indeed,  in  appropriate  cases,  the  level  of  reward  could  also  be  linked  to  the  amount  by  which  the  public  purse  has  been  protected  from  depletion  by  the  courage  of  those  who  take  it  upon  themselves  to  report  and  expose  corruption  in  the  public  sector.

    Legislative  amendment Implementation  of  these  proposals  will  require  legislative  action  either  by  way  of  fresh  legislation  or  amendment  to  current  legislation.

    The  willingness  or  otherwise  of  the  legislature  to  endorse  and  support  such  legislation  will  be  a  barometer  of  whether  and  to  what  extent  the  legislature  is  part  of  the  problem  of  corruption  in  Nigeria.

     

  • Battle against same-sex marriage far from over

    Abhorrent pratices like homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality and their pervasive influence on governance recently engaged the attention of Rev. Chris Okotie’s Fresh Democratic Party (FRESH) mainly because the western world is determined to brow beat the whole world into accepting this immorality as the new norm. As a long-standing member of the Pastor’s Household of God International Ministries, I listened to his insightful teachings on what he called the ‘cult of the beast’, a broad title he used to describe the power of homosexuality and those who engage in such pervasion on government and other institutions of society. You only need to observe the frenetic urgency with which western nations are embracing this trend, as if the growth of their economies is dependent on it. Maybe it indeed is!

    Same-sex marriage is reminiscent of those who launder slush funds or black money from looted public treasuries, drug trafficking, illegal bunkering and illegal mining of precious stones. The ultimate aim of homosexuals is to control governments and fulfill Satan’s end-time objective, according to Rev. Okotie. The pastor-politician’s prediction in his book, The Last Outcast, that western nations would legalise same-sex marriage has come to pass, with its endorsement by the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Expectedly, many western nations have followed suit. At the last count, about 17 nations have approved what the major religions—Christianity, Islam and Judaism—considered to be an abomination. Now, what makes the homosexuality cult different from other sexual pervasions like adultery, fornication, etc? Cults are usually associated with the religious, and as heterosexuality is God’s way of continuing the creative process, homosexuality and lesbianism are cult’s way of perverting it. One can, therefore, appreciate the warning the FRESH Party gave President Mohammadu Buhari to resist western pressure to bring Nigeria into the emerging club of same-sex nations in the world.

    In The Last Outcast, Rev. Okotie brought to the notice of the world about 15 years ago that sodomy would become a new religion and why it would herald the unveiling of the Anti-Christ. Also, in an interview in Nigerian Compass of Monday, October 18, 2010, he told the reporter that “there are three levels of what I call the tripartite coalition of evil… We have elitism, satanism and mysticism. If you can understand these three, you will understand how politics works…” Yes, now we understand.

    To exert pressure on dissenting nations, a spokesperson for the British High Commission countered Nigeria’s signing of the Anti-Gay Act, saying that the law “infringes upon fundamental rights of expression and association which are guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and by international agreements to which Nigeria is a party.” It was seconded by

    U.S. Secretary of State, Sen. John Kerry, who said: “…It is inconsistent with Nigeria’s international legal obligations and undermines … democratic reforms and human rights protections.” This is the coalition of evil that Rev. Okotie is talking about.

    The US, like its western counterparts, where incongruous practices like homosexuality are welcomed and embraced acts of institutionalised endorsement of the horrific trend, is an evidence of how strong the power of the Devil is on the world today. A cleric recently appeared in court facing charges for exercising his constitutional right to refuse honouring a gay marriage request, while a clerk was found guilty on the same charge in Kentucky, US, and has spent time in prison. This is the country that played a major role in the launch of the Pentecostal revival.

    Here in Nigeria, our immediate concern is different, as the Act, which strengthens a previous Constitutional provision against sodomy, is under threat from forces within as much as from without. Despite the signing of the Act, and President Buhari’s uncompromising stance in defence of it, there is no contesting the fact that there are numerous secret adherents of these perversions in the corridors of power, corporate circles, citadels of learning and across different spheres of our nation, who are still ‘in the closet’. There is also its appeal which has been craftily infused into the global village with years of subtle advertisements in the media and with the political might of the western culture and economies.

    This translates into the future possibilities of a Nigerian generation, government or leader upturning this Act to gain relevance in an already primed world. Our youthful generation, which consistently interacts with peers across the globe, is most susceptible to these obscenities, as they are more receptive of such liberal ideologies, especially via the mainstream and social media. Mr. President should not be lost on this fact. He should call the relevant authorities to task on ensuring that all avenues like movies, music and fashion, which western nations use to glamorize this perversion are regulated. That is why extreme measures like censoring the media and internet content to weed out offensive materials was being adopted by several countries like China, Sri Lanka and Russia.

    In summary, it is instructive to refer to what Jesus Christ foretold over two millenia ago. He said: “… as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man… Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” That time is here, and we cannot be caught in its vortex. Rev. Okotie has sounded the warning, President Buhari has upheld the spirit of the Act; Nigerians must now take up the gauntlet for deviation from a course that will surely set man’s existence at odds with continuity.

     

    • Osewenghie Osagiede wrote in from Osun State.

     

     

  • Catholic bishops back Buhari’s anti-corruption battle

    Catholic bishops back Buhari’s anti-corruption battle

    President Muhammadu Buhari has got the backing of Catholic bishops for his anti-corruption crusade.

    The bishops urged Nigerians to cooperate with the Buhari Administration to ensure sanity in the polity by rejecting corruption.

    Acting under the aegis of Catholic Bishops Conference of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, comprising Ibadan Archdiocese, Ondo, Ilorin, Oyo, Ekiti and Osogbo dioceses, the clerics canvassed a “regime of justice and equity, where merits are respected and the rule of law exalted”.

    The call was made in a communique issued at the end of the second plenary meeting of the bishops held at the Jubilee Conference Centre, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State from August 17 to 18.

    The communique, signed by the Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin  and the Most Rev. Felix Ajakaye, President and Secretary, with the theme “Choose today whom you will serve” was made available to reporters by Rev. Ajakaye in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday.

    The bishops said: “We note the renewed hope for a new Nigeria generated in our country since the last general elections. We thank Almighty God for the relatively limited violence and bloodshed during the exercise.

    “We call on our compatriots to cooperate with the current administration to bring sanity back into our country by showing common determination to reject corruption, nepotism, favouritism and to enthrone in our country a regime of justice and equity, where merits are respected and the rule of law exalted.”

    Noting that the country had been recognised as one of the most religious in the world, the bishops said: “Our prayers can only truly be answered if we do the will of God as He has commanded.”

    Reiterating the Catholic Church’s unmitigated belief in the sanctity of human life and family life, the bishops emphasised the need for the government to ensure that lives are protected from conception to natural end.

    They said: “The society must do everything possible to facilitate the growth of family living as a way of promoting responsible parenthood, good upbringing of children and reducing juvenile delinquency.”

    Deploring youth involvement in violence, delinquency and sundry misdemeanour, the bishops challenged Catholic youth to strive to become credible agents of change and apostles of God’s mercy to families, the country and to the world through positive engagement with modern media and a deliberate commitment to good morals and behaviours.

  • ‘Battle for food security cannot be won by wishful thinking’

    ‘Battle for food security cannot be won by wishful thinking’

    Uduak Afangideh is a Biology professor and researcher (specialising on plant breeding and genetics) at the Faulkner University, Alabama, US. She is a member of the Genetics Society of Nigeria, the Agricultural Society of Nigeria and the Alabama Academy of Science. In 2011, Prof Afangideh initiated the first research and creativity day of the university, which has sparked interest in collaborative researches among different departments and with other universities in the states. She speaks with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on the differences in education standard between Nigeria and US, why she returned to the US to teach, why Nigerian professors and students should be exposed to research techniques and resources available internationally and how Nigeria’s battle for food security can be won, among other issues. 

    You chaired Faulkner varsity’s first research and creativity day committee. What was the research about and what were your experiences?

    In spite of the fact that Faulkner has existed as a university for over 60 years, until a few years ago, it was primarily a teaching university.  With recent increase in post-graduate degrees in various fields, faculty members began to be involved in research in different disciplines.  In 2011, I presented a proposal to the university’s faculty board on the need for a university-wide research day, in which the faculty and students would showcase the research that they are involved in in their fields of study. The proposal was approved by the Board and I was made the chairman of the planning committee for Faulkner’s first Research and Creativity Day.  The event has been successfully hosted twice by the university; and in addition to creating an awareness of the different research areas at Faulkner University, it has sparked interest in collaborative research among different departments and with other universities. It has become a biennial event in the university and the next one is scheduled for March 2016.

    How do you feel getting your full professorship few years ago?

    Getting full professorship is a mighty feat in itself and considering that the promotion was achieved in a reputable American university, known for its high standard of scholarly activities, made it an even greater accomplishment.  I am aware that, like the scripture says, “promotion is not from the East or the West but from the Lord,” and so I give Him all the glory.

    You had your first and second degrees in the US before coming to work at Unical and got your Ph.D? What were the attractions returning to the US?

    After my Ph.D in Plant Breeding and Genetics, it became more and more obvious that the lack of sophisticated equipment, infrastructure, research materials and other resources would make it almost impossible to carry out meaningful research in Nigeria.  My desire was to grow in my field and to form meaningful connections with international geneticists and I knew this would be difficult to do unless I looked beyond the borders of Nigeria.  When the opportunity came to travel back to the United States, I embraced it with the full support of my Department at UNICAL.

    You were among three that got full professorship at Faulkner, and effectiveness in your discipline, commitment to scholarly pursuit and dedication were factors considered. How would you have felt if you did not get this recognition?

    I don’t think there was any doubt that I would be promoted to the rank of full professorship.  When you give 110% in your duties, working as if you are working unto the Lord, it quickly becomes obvious to your peers and your employers.  I think this was the case with my promotion.

    How regular does the varsity carry out such promotion?  

    The university has an equivalent of an Appointment and Promotion Committee (A&P) that meets annually, at the departmental and faculty levels. Those who meet the requirements for promotion apply and are either recommended for promotion or denied promotion based on evaluation of their academic contributions and achievements.

    How will you describe the education standard in Nigeria and US, using Unical and Faulkner varsity as case study, especially in your discipline?

    There are so many differences in educational standards in the two countries.  For starters, at Faulkner classrooms are well equipped, not just with enough tables and chairs for students but also with loudspeakers (in large classrooms), computers, projectors and other things that make for effective lecture delivery.  Compare this to teaching in University of Calabar where students scramble for chairs and tables and can barely hear the lecturer who is shouting at the top of his or her voice in front of the classroom.  Also, in 2013 Faulkner embraced ICT on its campus fully and every registered student since then is issued an ipad.  This empowers the students to take ownership of their learning and makes it easy for professors to increase student engagement and learning therefore becomes more of an interactive activity.  This is a far cry from what is obtained at UNICAL. Finally, one cannot teach science without well–equipped laboratories and facilities.

    At Faulkner, every science class has weekly laboratories whereas UNICAL students in my department are lucky to be engaged in three to five labs per semester.  I think this and other factors are reasons why there is such a disparity in the standard of education in both countries.  Having said that though, it is amazing that the Nigerian student strives to excel academically, in spite of the less-than ideal conditions in which they are taught.  The stamina and desire to learn displayed by the students that I teach at UNICAL is a testimony to the depth of the Nigerian spirit, and it is quite admirable.

    As a specialist in plant breeding and genetics, are there gaps between town and gown that are hindering the realisation of food security in Nigeria?

    Definitely! It is amazing that research done in our universities seem to be more curiosity-driven than driven by the need to solve problems that the country is facing.  Every year, we graduate hundreds of students who have carried out research in fields of agriculture and biological sciences, just to mention a few. Yet, the research projects are aimed at getting them good grades and are seldom transferred to practical applications for farmers and consumers.  I think it requires a change of mindset and a change of focus among professors who are the supervisors of research and the student researchers. Given the global nature of science, there is the need to expose Nigerian professors and students to research techniques and resources available internationally.  This requires collaboration between Nigerian professors and their counterparts in other parts of the world.  The fact that such collaboration is encouraged by UNICAL and other universities in Nigeria will go a long way towards bridging the gap between town and gown.

    How prepared is Nigeria in the battle for food security?

    I think for the reasons mentioned above, we still have a long way to go.  For an agrarian society, food security should not be a problem that we face but it is and that means that there is something fundamentally wrong.  Very few states in America are blessed with the tropical weather we have in Nigeria which favors food cultivation and yet they produce most of their food items and even export them to countries like Nigeria!  Why would a country like Nigeria import food items like strawberries which can be grown in parts of this country?  Why is the Tilapia sold in our local markets imported from China with all the Riverine areas we have in this country? The battle for food security is one that that can definitely be won, but not by wishful thinking. All hands must be on deck to ensure that we are prepared to win this battle.

    What profession would you have chosen apart from teaching sciences?

    I love education.  My husband and I are blessed to own a secondary school in Calabar, called The Christian Science College and impacting the lives of these young students gives me a great sense of fulfilment.  So if I wasn’t a biology professor, I think I would have gone into educational administration.

    How fulfilling is teaching especially in a foreign land?

    It is quite fulfilling.  Nothing surpasses the joy of seeing the light dawn in the face of someone when they finally grasp a concept.  Students everywhere seem to struggle with science and so I love being able to simplify complex concepts and make it meaningful to students at different levels.

    “Teaching at Faulkner allows me to combine the two things I love most: influencing lives and pointing people to the One who designed us as the master piece of His creation.” How do you mean, and is there any link to Christian Science College?

    There appears to be a tension between scientists and atheists, with people claiming that you cannot be a scientist and believe in a Creator.  For me, it is the reverse.  The more I study biology as a science, the more I am awed by the intricate design of biological beings that point to a Master Designer. Since Faulkner is a Christian University, the emphasis is on seeing God’s influence in everything we teach and I love being able to do that as I teach biology.  With reference to the Christian Science College, it is a dream come true for my husband and I. We are excited about the growth of the school and the doors of opportunity that have allowed us to affiliate the school with Christian universities in America. Along with parents, I think teachers are in a unique position to influence lives and I take this responsibility seriously.

    Raising children in Diaspora is a big headache to most Africans. How are you handling this in your family such that the children will not be lost to the world?

    I think raising African children in Diaspora is challenging for those of us who do not want our children to lose track of the things that make us uniquely African, but it is a challenge that we embrace in my family.  We intentionally inculcate traditional values into our children such as respecting their senior siblings, not addressing their elders on a first name basis, morning duties and family chores.  We incorporate African dishes into our daily diets, use our native language at home and dress in Nigerian attire on Sundays and on special occasions.  Our children are constantly reminded that they are Nigerians by Divine design and not by accident, and we make a point of spending as many holidays as we can in Nigeria.  I think it is great for them to be exposed to American culture and traditions but even more important for them to hold on to the things that are important to us as Africans.

     

  • PDP, APC in battle of titans over Lugard House

    PDP, APC in battle of titans over Lugard House

    As the Kogi State governorship poll draws nearer, aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have started making preparations for the primaries. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN looks at the issues that will shape the contest and the chances of the two parties.

    The Kogi governorship election, scheduled for November 21, will once again put to test the strength of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which suffered defeat in the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the recent presidential and National Assembly elections. The poll will also afford the APC the opportunity to prove that its victory during the general elections was not a fluke.

    Though there are about 19 political parties in the state, the contest will be a straight fight between the APC and the PDP, which has been in power in the state since 2003 when former Governor Ibrahim Idris defeated the Prince Abubakar Audu of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP).

    To observers, the election would be a keenly contested one. They contend that the profound changes occurring in the political arena and the twist in the conscience of Kogi people will thwart the machinations of aspirants that rely on primordial factors for victory at the primaries and the election.

    They are of the view that the election will be determined by many factors: the platform on which the candidates are contesting; the candidates and the parties’ antecedents and the process through which the candidates emerged. The results of the recent presidential and National Assembly elections in which incumbent Governor Idris Wada lost all seats in his local government suggest that he has lost grip and political relevance. What took place during the general elections in Kogi has clearly established that the power of incumbency may no longer remain relevant in future, especially in cases where the candidates being imposed on the people are unpopular.

    However, observers have warned that the APC not to be carried away by its victory in the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. The party has been enjoined to go for a saleable candidate. According to analysts, there were instances where voters support the presidential candidate of a party, yet they would not back the governorship candidate of the same party.

    They recalled that, in 2011 general elections, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) had a sweeping victory in Kano State, but the party’s  governorship candidate  had a very poor outing; he lost to his PDP counterpart. The reason adduced was that, despite the fact that the CPC was adjudged to be a core and famous northern party, it lost its governorship bid in Kano because it dropped a popular candidate, who had emerged through the primaries, but was denied the ticket. Thus, protest votes gave the PDP victory.

    Indeed, the impunity displayed by the leadership of the defunct CPC in Kano in 2011 governorship  is not different from what happened in Kogi State in 2011 where Jibrin Isa Echocho was dropped in favour of the incumbent Governor Wada. The only dissimilarity with Kogi is that despite the obvious undemocratic process which led to Wada’s emergence, the PDP was noted to have been able to manipulate the election to its favour.

    However, the APC state chairman, Alhaji Haddi Amentur, is very optimistic that his party would emerge victorious in the coming governorship election. He said the party would repeat its performance during the presidential and National Assembly elections because the people are tired of the PDP’s bad governance.

    He said: “The people are tired of the PDP and they desire change, which the APC represents. The PDP cannot boast of any achievement, despite being in power in the last 13 years. This is a plus for the APC. The people want development and not hopelessness. The people are yearning for change and that change will come through the APC. The people cannot afford to make another mistake during the next election because it would be another opportunity to ensure development of the state.

    “When you look at the state, the only positive development that is visible is what the opposition did under former Governor Abubakar Audu. The PDP has spent 13 years with nothing to show for it. What will they use to campaign? Is it the bad roads that dot the capital city and other parts of the state?”

    Also speaking on the chances of the APC, a chieftain of the party, Mr Yori Afolabi said he was confident that his party would win the election, if it presents a credible candidate and observe due process in the shadow election where the governorship candidate would emerge. Afolabi, the former Minority Leader in the State House of Assembly, said the chances of the opposition were very high, given the woeful performance of the PDP.

    He reiterated that the personality and character of the person that the APC would present matters a lot in the crucial governorship election. “Nigerians are becoming wiser and politically enlightened. They don’t vote for party alone. They consider the candidates involved. People are tired of the PDP. They want change and they see that change in President Muhammadu Buhari,” he added.

    But, a PDP stalwart, Mr John Ele, did not see it that way. He said the National Assembly elections should not be used as a yardstick to judge the outcome of the governorship election. According to him, the dynamism of state governorship election is quite different. He noted that despite the fact that the APC won the presidential and the National Assembly elections, the PDP won the highest number of seats in the House of Assembly. Given this scenario, Ele said the PDP would have the upper hand in the election scheduled to take place in November. He added: “All that we need to do is to put our house in order.”

    Another factor that will affect the outcome of the governorship poll is the alleged marginalisation of certain areas in the state. Kogi West and Central Districts have teamed up to challenge the dominance of Kogi East District. Both zones have resolved to present a single governorship candidate for the election. They also vowed to disown anyone from their zones who accepts to be the running mate of any candidate from the East senatorial district.

    Their grouse stems from what they describe as “unconscionable level of marginalisation and oppression of the people of the Central and Western districts.” Available statistics show that the two zones account for 55 per cent of the state population and about 85 per cent of the internally generated revenue, but in terms of appointments and recruitments into the civil service, as well as resource allocation, Kogi East district has continued to dominate. It has also been producing governors since the inception of the state.

    Many aspirants have indicated their interest to run for the governorship election. The APC has the highest with over 10 aspirants jostling for its ticket. So far, only two aspirants have shown interest in the PDP ticket.

     

    Idris Wada

    Although Governor Wada has not publicly declared his interest for a second term, his body language suggests that he is the candidate to beat. He emerged the PDP governorship candidate in 2011 in a rescheduled primary skewed in his favour, following the cancellation of the earlier exercise that produced Echocho as party flag bearer. Wada polled 300,372 votes to emerge winner of governorship election, while his closest rival, Prince Abubakar Audu of the defunct ACN polled 159,913 votes.

    Things will not be as rosy as it was for Wada in 2011 this time around because of certain developments. First, the people of Kogi are not impressed by his performance; his four years in office has not witnessed any significant development. Secondly, Kogi elders who were instrumental to his victory in 2011 are divided over his re-election bid. Many of them have withdrawn their support for him. Thirdly, the support of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) for Wada’s re-election bid is in doubt. The NWC had cancelled the delegates election held on June 27. According to party sources, the result favoured Wada’s camp which would have made it easy for him to emerge as party’s governorship candidate at the primary. Fourthly, even if he wins the primary, he will have to go the extra mile to win the governorship election. According to observers, this is because a lot of disenchanted leaders of the PDP in Kogi have dumped the party for the APC, with their teeming supporters.

     

    Abubakar Audu

    Audu is a foundation member of the APC. It was by virtue of this fact that he became the party leader in Kogi State. He was elected governor in 1999 on the platform of the ANPP. Since he was defeated in 2003 by the PDP’s Ibrahim Idris, all attempts to return to Lugard House, Lokoja, the seat of power, have been unsuccessful. Audu believes this is his finest hour in Kogi’s politics, as he led the party to electoral success in the last general elections. Hence, he has expressed his aspiration to contest the November 21 governorship election.

    Some APC leaders have challenged Audu’s leadership. A group known as the All Progressives Elders Vanguard alleged that Audu has hijacked the party machinery to his benefit, warning that the APC would lose the goodwill it enjoyed during the presidential election, if Audu was not called to order. In the same vein, another group, Kogi Renewal Group, has kicked against Audu’s quest to get the APC governorship ticket. The group leader, Dr Abubakar Yakubu, said the return of Audu to Lugard House is not the change the state needs.

    However, a group loyal to Audu, Confluence for Change insists that the former governor is the leader of the APC in the state and that he remains the rallying point for the APC not only in Kogi, but in the Northcentral zone. On the rationale of Audu’s bid to return to power, it said since the former governor left office in 2003, the state had collapsed socially and economically, adding that they wanted him to come and save the state from bad leadership.

     

    James Ocholi

    A legal practitioner, James Ocholi (SAN) is a leading aspirant on the platform of the APC. A Lokoja-based group, the Network for Change and Good Governance, said Ocholi stands tall among other aspirants. They noted that though he is not a moneybag politician, he is credible, dependable, honest and of high integrity.

    Ocholi was a member of the CPC, one of the legacy parties that merged to form the APC.

     

    Yahaya Bello

    Bello is one of the aspirants contesting for the APC ticket. The youths, under the aegis of Kogi APC Youths Arise Movement, are rooting for him. The group leader, Mr. Edward Onoja, said Bello stands out as the most pro-masses and youth friendly. He said: “As youths of Kogi State, we see Yahaya Bello as the carrier of our hopes and aspirations. His blueprint is pro-youths and it addresses the germane issues that concern our demographic needs.”

     

    Jibrin Isa Echocho

    Echocho won the PDP ticket for the 2011 election, at a primary conducted by the party in 2010. But, he was dropped in favour of the incumbent Governor Wada. The fallout of this development has not been addressed by the party. So far, it has resulted in mass defection of its members. This deliberate mistake of the PDP has not only weakened the electoral capacity of the party, it has also grossly contributed to strengthening the APC. Echocho worked for the APC’s success at the recent polls. He is hoping to realise his governorship ambition on the platform of the party.

     

    Yakubu Mohammed

    Veteran journalist Yakubu Muhammed was former editor of the defunct National Concord. He was co-founder of the rested Newswatch magazine. He vied for the PDP ticket in 2009, but lost. He is of the Igala ethnic nationality, the dominant tribe in the east senatorial zone. He believes his integrity will make up for what he lacks in financial wherewithal.

    There are other aspirants from the APC that have declared their intention publicly. They are Suleiman Ali, Habib Yekeen and Zakari Jiya.

     

    Mohammed Ali

    Ali is the former Chairman of Dekina Local Government. He is the only aspirant that has come out to slug it out with Wada at the PDP primary. His posters bearing the PDP logo have flooded major towns in the state. The under-40 aspirant represents generational shift and effective management of the state’s largely untapped resources. Observers see him as the bridge between the new and the old order in the state. They are of the view that almost all persons that have worked with him in the past are supporting his aspiration to become governor speaks volume of his character and leadership quality.

  • Buhari, Obama and the battle of ideas

    When  Nigeria’s  President Muhammadu  Buhari visits  US  President Barak  Obama next  week it will be a meeting of two titans or leaders  at  the crest of their popularity and  leadership  charisma. They  meet with their heads held high as proud  representatives of their nations  very  much in cordial relations in terms of diplomacy , economic cooperation, political  and   military  collaboration.  Indeed in  mind as  in  spirit  the two  leaders  are in harmony as are their two nations. It  is in the area  of ideas  however that they  must wrestle to fashion out a solution that will  not throw their bilateral relationship  into  disharmony or be an harbinger of discord or friction.

    The  two leaders meet at a time when terrorism or precisely Islamist militancy  is threatening world peace and harmony and in particular is attacking  global  democracy and the free market  economy which are the ideologies the US and its allies in Western Europe or the EU have been marketing around the world as the best  form of government in our time.

    The  two  leaders come with  impeccable  democratic credentials to their  meeting although their age and the experience in the practice of democracy  is inversely proportional. Obama is a young man compared to our president but the US is a far older democracy  than Nigeria. Buhari’s  tall  and stately figure is equally matched  by the  imposing  basket baller height  of the US  president. Both have arresting and dignified presence. Yet our president brings into this meeting the full  weight of  Nigeria’s  travails and challenges with democracy which  he expects the US president  to appreciate and understand and help without any loss  of face on the part of the Nigerian  people  and nation. That really  is the Gordian knot of this visit  as Nigeria goes  to  Washington to get help  not only to fight Boko  Haram  but to kick start  our  economy and our  presidential system  after an unexpected legislative hiatus so  soon after a smooth election that the US was amongst the first  nations to congratulate us on its  success.

    Let  me state clearly from the onset here that Nigeria and the US  face a long  and challenging  battle of ideas in their relations and this meeting is just  the tip of the icebag. Both  nations have a shared background in terms of their big size and  diversity and cultural  plurality. Nigeria’s  motto is Unity in  Diversity while that of the US is In God  we trust.  Nigerians  in  particular worship  God in mosques  and churches so  much that religion is such a booming  business nowadays  such  that pastors are  the  most   eligible bachelors amongst our youths, outpacing youthful bankers, oilmen and  IT magicians who  used to be favorites of our fairer sex before. That  however has not prevented the emergence of  Boko  Haram the terrorist  group  that has been  killing Nigerians with impunity  for some years now and whose blood  letting must be the priority  on the agenda of the meeting of the two presidents next week.

    In  the last  one month  Boko  Haram  has killed about  5OO innocent  Nigerians and this no doubt  has prompted  the replacement of Nigeria’s  security and military  chiefs  by the Nigerian  president. A move that has made Nigerians to heave a very heavy sigh  of relief  of  hope that Boko  Haram will at last be contained and destroyed  by the Buhari  Administration.

    More  importantly  and  unbelievable as it might sound Nigeria faces difficult  problems on the issue  of  democracy  as a concept and its understanding and practice  which  the Americans have  to be apprised of  before  it is too late. I presume it was some knowledge and anxiety in this direction that prompted the unpopular US prediction that Nigeria will  collapse in  2015. Now  Nigeria has seen  2015  and  has had a successful  election that has brought in a president of hope contrary  to this US doomsday prediction. That president  is needed  by the US to lead the ECOWAS region  in the fight against  ISIS  which  is the sole and  worst enemy  of the US in  the war on terrorism which  the US   has  finally, if belatedly,  admitted is a battle  of ideas stretching far beyond the global theatres  of war in the Middle  East  and the rest of the world.  Boko  Haram  is the proxy  of ISIS in the  Sahel covering Niger Republic, Cameroon and  Chad   and  Nigeria’s North  East  and has continued  killing Nigerians even  during Ramadan , the holy month  of  Islam.  Yet it claims it is,  together with ISIS, trying to establish  borderless caliphates in which  it hopes to practice its bloody  brand of religion that says No  to western  education.

    In  addition the two  presidents have to make each  other know the way democracy is understood and practiced in their two nations.  Former US President  Abraham  Lincoln defined democracy as government of the people by the people  and for the  people.  On  the other  hand  Tony  Blair the  former  British  Prime  Minister in his Memoirs called  simply ‘A Journey ‘ – in explaining  the creation  of New Labor  which kept him in  power  for  a decade as the  British  PM, identified  a situation whereby government was not for the people but above  them and  used  the correction of  that  anomaly  to change the Labor  Party and  defeat the Conservative  Party  led  by John  Major  at that time. Nigeria I  am afraid  is in that dismal  situation right now  whereby the  government has been  above the people and   not for them in anyway even though it got elected into office by them  in the 2011  elections.

    That  really was the  origin  of the  momentum of change and expectation  that saw President Buhari elected into office on the platform of his party the APC and  his assumption of office on May  29 2015. However  the  legislative elections of June 9  2015 which brought into legislative power a new leadership of the  legislature unknown or approved by the party in majority in the legislature has brought back  the hand of the clock in the progress made by Nigerians in electing the APC into power and Buhari as president. The  June 9 legislative leadership elections  in  Nigeria  has created what Tony Blair and  New  Labor  uprooted in winning the mind  of the British electorate which is government above the people  as  opposed  to the much needed government for the people and for the people which is what  democracy is all about.

    It  behoves  the US  president then to  direct  its  foreign  and  diplomatic  officials  as well as those of  its allies in the EU nations  to steer  clear  of  the leadership of the Nigerian legislature  until  it is democratically  sanitized  from the opprobrium it brought  on itself  from the June 9 2015  electoral  malfeasance.  This  is really  is to save the face of democracy as promoted  by the US and EU  as many Nigerians were  nauseated  by the trooping of Western  European and US ambassadors  to the legislature to congratulate both the Speaker and President of the Senate while the Nigerian nation was still in a very  deep  shock  and trauma over the manner of their emergence  and election.  Surely  democracy in  principle  as well  as  in practice either  in  Nigeria or  globally deserves better recognition and acclamation  than  the one put on display by those marketing it as the best and fairest form of government  in the world today given  their  reaction  to our last  leadership  elections in our  legislature.

    We  recall  that in August this year it will be 30  years since our new president left office as a military  leader.  He  has moved on since to contest elections thrice and losing before being elected last time around.  He  has paid  his dues in terms  of leadership  experience and he knows his nation and his people like the back of his hands.  He  is a devoted Muslim and has condemned  Boko  Haram in the strongest terms as anti  Islam.  Undoubtedly  on gay rights he will  not mince words in telling the US president  that that is a no go area in terms of any change of attitude   on  the part  of  Nigeria   which  he presides  over  and its  people. He  can say  this clearly and mightily because he was  just  newly  given  his mandate. Unlike  the US  president who is  fastly running out of time and tenure and has become a lame duck  president giving parting gifts  to the US electorate. Unfortunately  he has had to use threats  of presidential  veto to  cement his departure presents to the  US electorate such  as the threat to the US legislature to veto any  opposition  to the controversial Nuclear Deal  with Iran.

    Historically  however the two leaders saddled  with containing  terrorism globally  and  in their  domain remind me of one or two famous world  leaders.  Obama  reminds me of  Abraham  Lincoln who  fought the US Civil  War  to  free slaves  although  I wonder  how  Lincoln  would  react  in his  grave on the gay rights that Obama  has given legality  to.  Our  president reminds me in terms of  his  figure and stature  of Field  Marshal  Bernard Montgomery  of Alamein the Second  World  War British   military  hero  nicknamed  the Spartan  General  who defeated  Erwin Rommel  the  German  general in the same war. Which  really  is  my own way of wishing our new president every success in defeating , first  Boko  Haram, Corruption  and  false  democracy over fake election  rules.  Just  like Montgomery  became  the nemesis  of Rommel in the hot deserts of  Egypt in Alamein so many years  ago. Again  long  live the  Federal Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Battle against Boko Haram prisoners

    Battle against Boko Haram prisoners

    In combat or captivity, insurgents are dreaded in equal measure. NWANOSIKE ONU reports that the relocation of Boko Haram prisoners to the Ekwulobia Prisons in Anambra State is still being resisted in the region

    Boko Haram fighters are pretty much like the proverbial lion, avoided in life and death. Even in captivity, guarded by prison officials and the military, no one wants to have anything to do with them. In Ekwulobia, Anambra State, to whose prison some insurgent prisoners have been shipped from the northeast, there have been protests since the relocation about two weeks ago. Across the region, the resistance has been just as vehement.

    •A school hostel in Yobe State once destroyed by Boko Haram
    •A school hostel in Yobe State once destroyed by Boko Haram

    Boko Haram fighters have amply shown such mindless thirst for blood and maximum violence. Their bombs have ripped apart huge structures including churches and mosques, among other buildings. They have decapitated and, reportedly, even beheaded victims. Their suicide bombers, among whom women and young girls, some as young as 12, have blown people apart.

    Thus, since the relocation of captured insurgents to Ekwulobia, the residents and people of the Southeast have not rested. It was said that about 47 Boko Haram prisoners were brought to Anambra, but more have been shipped in to join the ones earlier relocated.

    The development triggered outrage from the zone. Traders under the aegis of Anambra State Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) led by Chief Chukwudi Ezenwankwor protested in the streets.

    The action by the Federal Government has also drawn the ire of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), with the evangelical organisation describing it as spiritual warfare.

    The governors of the Southeast states, led by Owelle Rochas Okorocha (Imo), have brainstormed the issue in Owerri, the state capital. Their meeting ended without a clear way forward.

    The situation has created panic among the residents of the state, while some in Ekwulobia have started relocating to other communities.

    Not only that. The region’s youths have threatened to declare war if the Federal Government fails to rescind its decision of dumping the high-risk insurgents in the area.

    Though, the military had been deployed to take charge of the area for safety purposes, the youths declared that it will not deter them any time they want to take action, if nothing is done.

    The state CAN led by its chairman, Superintendent Senior Apostle Tim Okpala, has declared fasting and prayer.

    Less than a week ago, the Christian fold in the state assembled at Emmaus House in Awka alongside the youth, women and other clergy to protest the federal government action.

    Among those present during the protest and spiritual warfare were the Anglican Archbishop on the Niger and Dean, Church of Nigerian, Most Rev Christian Efobi and Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor.

    Also, in the procession were Anglican Bishops of Awka, Most Rev Alex Ibezim, Bishop of Niger-West, Most Rev Johnson Ekwe and Bishop of Ogbaru, Most Rev Samuel Ezeofor.

    The women and youth members of the various denominations carried placards that read, “Anambra CAN says no to Boko Haram, we have no accommodation for Boko Haram, we have not slept since then, WOWICAN rejects Boko Haram among others.”

    Apostle Okpala warned against violence. He told The Nation that the war the youths said they would declare should be spiritual, not with arms.

    He said, “The youth should remain calm; there is no need for such because we have seen war before, going to war will not solve the problem, CAN is not in support of that. Our own war is spiritual; we are going to take our own weapon which is prayers to fight this battle.

    “What we are saying is that the prisons belong to the federal government, but they should take these high risk prisoners back to the North; Southeast is not a home for them, we do not need them in this peaceful environment.”

    “The issue of insurgencies which is a global dread, could inflict emotional injuries to the people in a relatively peaceful environment like Anambra State”

    “Bringing inmates of insurgents constitutes a serious security risk to the lives and property of the people inside and outside the prison.”

    “These people are not our brothers and sisters, they should go back to where they belong; we condemn the act of bringing insurgents to an ordinary prison like Ekwulobia prison.”

    CAN urged the public to be calm in the situation, calling for prayers from Nigerians for security of life and property in the country.

    It has become a blame game between the former governor of the state, Peter Obi and his successor, Willie Obiano, who accused Obi and former president Goodluck Jonathan of being behind the current situation when they allegedly signed a pact in 2012 to relocate the inmates. Obi has fired back, calling his successor a liar. Chinedu Obidigwe a special adviser to Obiano on political matters reportedly pointed the finger of blame on Obi, while the former governor’s media aide, Valentine Obienyem responded on behalf of his principal.

    As the fire rages on, the federal government has continued to keep mum over the matter, but one thing is clear, the people of the Southeast have said there is no going to sleep till the issue is resolved.

     

  • Battle for UNIOSUN soul

    Osun State University (UNIOSUN) Governing Council has fired the registrar and bursar. It recommended that the Vice-Chancellor be sacked. Some workers contend that the council’s action is an abuse of power. They are calling for the release of the White Paper on the Visitation Panel’s report on UNIOSUN crisis, reports ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, who visited the school. 

    •Governing Council’s sanction of VC, others sparks row

    • Okesina
    • Okesina

    Since the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) Governing Council moved against the Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof Bashir Okesina, and two other principal officers last week, the institution has known no rest. The council fired the Registrar, Dr Julius Faniran; the Bursar, Mr Fatai Lasisi, and recommended that the VC be sacked.

    The Nation learnt that the registrar and bursar refused to sign for their sack letters which were delivered to their offices by email.

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Union of Universities (SSANU), and a council member, Prof Alagbe Gbolagade, condemned the council’s action. They are calling for the release of the White Paper on the  Visitation Panel’s report on UNIOSUN crisis.

    The panel constituted by Governor Rauf Aregbesola last February to probe the principal officers for alleged  financial misappropriation did not recommend their sack, The Nation gathered. An investigating panel set up by the council Chairman, Prof Gabriel  Olawoyin (SAN) recommended their sack before the constitution of the visitation panel.

    Last Friday, SSANU rose from its  congress, condemning the council’s decision. In a statement, its Chairman and General Secretary, Comrade Lekan Adiat and Comrade Adesigbin Akeem, asked the council to exercise restraint.

    “The congress is of the considered position that the Governing Council should await the decision of the Visitor and the proprietor of Osun State University. We are also aware that the White Paper on the Visitation Panel is at finishing stage of completion and submission to the Visitor,” they said.

    In an interview, Adiat said the congress followed a directive by SSANU national to compel the government to release the White Paper.

    “It was SSANU national that actually directed us to react. If I had not called that congress, our members would have accused us of not carrying them along.

    “We had a directive from our national body to hold that congress so as to prompt government to release that White Paper as quickly as possible. SSANU believes that the release of the document will not only end this crisis, but show the university the next direction it will go,” he told our reporter in Osogbo, the state capital, on Sunday.

    Contacted on phone, Okesina said he would speak after the white paper is released.

    “I do not want to speak for now. All I know is that the governor has set up a Visitation Panel which has since concluded its investigation and submitted its report. But, rather than talk, I will wait for the report of the panel and government’s White Paper on it. I am confident that, in the end, justice will prevail.”

    Olawoyin said he would not join issues with ASUU and the others.

    He said: “I have read the report by ASUU but I do not want to join issues with them. I also do not want to discuss issues about the university on the pages of newspapers for now. I remember I have done that before and I regretted my action. This is why I’m being careful this time around.

    “But let me tell you categorically that sooner or later truth will come out. There are some bits of information I do not wish to make public for now. This is why I’m ceasing further comments.

    “The truth, however, is that whether anybody likes it or not UNIOSUN will survive. We all want UNIOSUN to survive and it shall survive by God’s grace. Whatever we do, It is the image of the university and its survival that should be uppermost in our minds. Thank you.”

    • Gbolagade
    • Gbolagade

    In a four-page letter to the governor, Prof Gbolagade stated why he is against the council’s decision.

    He said it was wrong of the council chairman to have suspended Okesina, citing the law to buttress his point.

    His letter reads: “The Governing Council’s suspension of the vice-chancellor is faulty because it has  no basis in the University Establishment Laws of 2006, as the power to determine the appointment of the vice-chancellor is strictly inherent in the Visitor. The Interpretation Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria also establishes that he who hires can fire, which were all not taken into consideration by the Governing Council while acting on the suspension of the vice-chancellor.”

    Section 21(2) of the Osun State University Law (2006) obtained by this reporter grants the Visitor the power to raise a Visitation Panel every five years to look into the school’s affairs.

    However, Section 23(1) empowers the Governing Council to sack any worker be it administrative or academic following a committee’s report indicting the person. The law exempts the Chairman of Council and the Vice-chancellor.

    Section 23(1) states that the removal and discipline of academic, administrative and professional staff can be done: “If it appears that there are reasons for believing that any person employed as a member of the same academic or professional staff of the university, other than the vice-chancellor, should be removed from his office or employment on grounds of misconduct or of inability to perform the function of his office or employment.”

    According to that section, a person accused of wrongdoing must have been served a notice by the council. A representation on the same issue will be made by the council which will direct that a committee be set up before which the accused will be afforded the opportunity to appear and defend himself. This will be followed by sanctions which will be communicated to the person if found guilty.

    Contacted Director, Bureau of Communication, Osun State Mr Semiu Okanlawon said: “Kindly note that a panel of inquiry was set up by Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the crisis at the university and the panel has submitted its report and we expect all parties to wait for the decision of the government on the recommendations of that panel. The panel that recommended termination of the appointment of the vice chancellor is not the one set up by the governor. So, it is important all parties await the decision of the government.”

    • Olawoyin
    • Olawoyin

    The battle of wits between the pro-chancellor and the VC dates back to 2013.  Last year, Olawoyin reportedly accused Okesina of “nepotism, insubordination to higher authority and drawing unauthorised allowances.”

    He also complained about the VC to Aregbesola.  The vice chancellor defended himself in a letter dated October 2, 2014.

    Things came to a head when the council suspended Okesina, the registrar, Faniran and Lassisi, on February 3.

    On February 11, Aregbesola named a five-man Visitation Panel to investigate the crisis.  The panel’s terms of reference included: “Investigate the basis of the simmering crisis in the university; determine the role of individuals and groups in the crisis; investigate the misunderstanding between management and Council with a view to finding lasting solutions.”

    Others are to: “Proffer solutions to address the issue of disintegration in relationship between students in the institution with special reference to Ikire Campus ‘The professional Students Syndrome’ and produce detailed report and recommendations.”

    The panel was chaired by Prof. Adebiyi Daramola of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. Its members were Prof Jacob Laoye Ladipo, Prof. Omotoye Olorode (Department of Plant Science and Applied Biology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State), Babatunde Adebayo. Mrs. O. O. Kolawole, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology, served as secretary.

  • Salzburg battle Man United, Esperance for Awoniyi

    Salzburg battle Man United, Esperance for Awoniyi

    SL10.ng has been told that Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg have leapfrogged Manchester United, Esperance and Porto in the race for Taiwo Awoniyi.

    The future of the much coveted Flying Eagles striker will be decided after the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has delayed making a decision with regard to his ownership rights so he doesn’t get distracted before the tournament in New Zealand.

    Having said that, Red Bull Salzburg have started laying the groundwork for a bid for the United Academy product in the summer.

    According to sources in the know, the Red Bull Arena outfit are preparing a 650,000 Euros bid for the services of Taiwo Awoniyi, and if the commission paid to intermediaries is added, that figure could rise to €1 million (approximately N223m).

    A representative of Red Bull Salzburg and the attacker’s agent will travel to Germany in the coming days to thrash out terms with the Nigerian, with the player expected to agree to a four-year deal if all goes well.

    Meanwhile, Esperance have hope that they can steal a march on other interested clubs by buttering up Taiwo Awoniyi’s parents but the player is refusing the advances of the Tunisian club, saying he wants to start his professional career with a team in Europe.

    Olympiakos, Panathinaikos and Vitesse Arnhem are also believed to be showing significant interest in the 17-year-old.