The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Coalition

  • Coalition of civil societies knock AI report on Boko Haram 

    Coalition of civil societies knock AI report on Boko Haram 

    A coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of Coalition of Nigerian Election Observers, yesterday slammed the Amnesty International’s report on alleged civil rights abuses by the military in the prosecution of the Boko Haram war.

    The over 100 civil society bodies spoke when they visited Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu in Abuja.

    Coalition Convener of the groups, Dr. Nwambu Gabriel, urged the Senate to also denounce what it described as Amnesty’s “blatant act of irresponsibility.”

    Gabriel said the National Assembly, especially the Senate, should begin to defend the military.

    He said: “We believe that the Amnesty report, in addition to be a distraction of the Armed Forces from its determination to eliminate the insurgents from Nigerian soil is equally an attempt to denigrate the efforts of our gallant officers and men daily who lay down their lives for our collective security.

    “We, therefore, call on you and your esteemed colleagues in the Senate to not only condemn this blatant act of irresponsibility but, also, rise up in defence of our gallant military.

    “Even the International Red Cross absolved the Nigerian military of any wrongdoing. But we were surprised that the Amnesty International that is so respected could come up with such report.

    Ekweremadu saidthat since electioneering is over, it’s time to face governance.

    He also assured of Senate’s support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption fight and other programmes the President has for the country.

    He said:”Today, we have a president who is prepared to eradicating corruption, fight poverty, defeat terrorism and we in the National Assembly are prepared to support him in this respect.

    “As I said, from the beginning, we have finished with politics, we are now ready for governance…we must begin to show statesmanship to ensure that once election is over, whether you won election as governor, a local government chairman, or a legislator or President, what matters is for everybody to provide for his constituency.

    “What matters is that greater part of Nigerians voted for you but now that the election is over, you must be ready to carry along both those who voted for you and those who didn’t vote for you.”

    The Deputy Senate President also disclosed that Senate is still interested in electoral reforms, which is started since 2007

    Ekweremadu added, “The sanctity of the ballot box must be respected in this country. 

    “Once election is done what is remaining is governance. We must begin to show statesmanship to ensure that once election is over, whether you won as a Local Government Chairman or a president, that  everybody becomes your constituents because I have never seen anybody who has won with 100 per cent of the votes, it never happened.

    “We must understand this. We are very interested in purifying our electoral process and we have been working on this since 2010.

    “The first amendment that our constitution focused was first electoral reform which helped us in 2011 elections.

    “We followed it through with further amendment and I am happy that we are beginning to get it right.

    “We are beginning to see the rewards for those reforms. But you see it can never be enough. Reform is a continuous exec rise, that is why we believe that we  can also work with you and where we see observations regarding election and areas of improvement, we are prepared to legislate on those areas.

    “Now we are trying to formulate our legislative agendas at National Assembly, the House of Representatives and Senate are working on it and ultimately we are going to synchronise because we have one National Assembly.

    “We need to look at last election and other elections and see how areas of improvement and bring about further reforms so that we have a system which other parts of the world can benefit from.

    “Today we are proud of our conduct in election management and I believe that  it can only  get better because we have an active civil society in Nigeria that has been of help not only in electoral matters but other areas that require reform like good conduct, good governance, reduction in corruption and making sure that we have sound education and good health system.

    “It is therefore important for us to partner with all the civil society organisations because it is important for everybody to bring about its contribution.

    “Nigeria deserves a lot of respect in Africa and in the whole world and we are calling the international community to come and invest in our country but they  can only come when they look at our conduct.

    “So it is important for us to reform our conduct to attract them to invest and to attract their respect as development partners.

    “We in the National Assembly must do our oversight functions patriotically and those in different arms of government must perform optimally.

    “Today we have a president who is dedicated to eradicating corruption, to fight poverty and eradicate terrorism and we in the National Assembly are prepared to support him in this respect.

    “What is remaining now is governance and this country belongs to all of us and the constituents are not interested whether you are APC or PDP.

    “What they want is good governance and we must unite as a people to give Nigeria good governance.

    “The issue of bickering and differences do not have any place in the minds of our people. What they want is performance, they want to see good governance and we must unite.”

  • Coalition to APC: watch out for bad elements 

    Coalition to APC: watch out for bad elements 

    A coalition, Patriotic Northern Coalition for Justice, Peace and Equity, has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) leadership to watch out for some politicians and elements within the party plotting to undermine the party’s National Leader and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Its national coordinator, Alhaji Babangida Sule Jnr, told reporters in Kaduna yesterday that “Tinubu remains the bedrock of APC and still commands great respect in his region and in the party”.

    He added that any plot against Tinubu’s interest would be counter-productive.

    Sule Jnr said the North was grateful to Tinubu for his contributions towards Buhari’s victory and that the coalition would do all within its power to stop anyone or group planning against the party’s national leader in the APC.

    He said: “Politicians are already strategising for 2019 and they will stop at nothing to achieve their aim. Some of them are in APC and we have uncovered that part of their aim is to undermine the party’s chieftain, Asiwaju Tinubu, because they see him as a stumbling block.ý  

    “We the Patriotic Northern Coalition won’t allow them because we are still grateful to Tinubu for what did for the North in the 2015 general elections, particularly his efforts in the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “We know that many people played crucial roles in the emergence of Buhari. But Tinubu tops them all. Personally, I know of the many times he came to Kaduna to meet with Buhari and assured him that he would do all he could to support him and ensure his victory.

    “I know all these things because sometimes, I was part of the groups that met with him on several occasions, including some APC governors today. Again, to ensure Buhari’s victory at the primaries, he used his influence to move the convention from Abuja to Lagos.

    “We know what happened after that and at the final election. So, we won’t allow anybody or group of persons to plan anything against his interest in APC. Besides, such plot will be counter-productive because Tinubu is an influential APC chieftain that commands respect in his region and some other regions. Moreover, any crisis in the APC today will be harmful to the nation because APC is the ruling party and whatever affects it can easily impact negatively on the nation.”

    He decried the moves by some people to form a caucus in APC just like what happened in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) then where some people formed the New PDP. Sule Jnr said such calculation was totally wrong and would not augur well for the party.

    He called on the APC and its leadership not to underrate the PDP too soon, saying that “it is still a strong political force”, which could cause the APC upset.

    The coalition’s national coordinator urged everyone, irrespective of party affiliation, tribe, religion and class to join hands with Buhari to transform the nation and deliver the dividends of the democracy to the people.

  • Coalition sues Fed. Govt over alleged war crimes

    Nine human rights groups have filed an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking an order of mandamus to compel investigation into war crime allegations.

    President Goodluck Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adoke (SAN) are the defendants/respondents.

    The plaintiffs are praying for an order of mandamus  to  compel them to conduct “a thorough, prompt, and impartial investigation into allegations  of  brutal  extrajudicial  killings/executions  and  war  crimes  made  by Amnesty  International  (AI)  on  August 5.”

    The civil society organisations are the Access to Justice (AJ), One Voice Coalition  for Sustainable  Development  in  Nigeria  (OneVOICE), Women  Advocates  Research  and Documentation  Centre  (WARDC), Human  Right  Law  Services (HURILAWS), and the Socio-Economic  Rights  and  Accountability  Project  (SERAP).

    Others are the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria Foundation (NOPRIN), the Nigerian Automobile Technicians  Association  (NATA), Centre  for  Constitutional  Governance (CCG)  and  Centre  for  Constitutionalism  and  Demilitarisation (CENCOD).

    They said: “AI’s  report,  accompanied  with  video  footage  depicts horrendous  acts of extrajudicial  killings  and  possible  war  crimes against  suspected  members  of  the  Boko  Haram  sect  carried  out  by members  of  the  Nigerian  military and  the Civilian  Joint  Task  Force (CJTF).

    “The  accompanying  video  footage  shows  horrific  images  of  detainees  having  their throats  slit  one after  the  other  and  their  bodies dumped  in  mass  graves  by  men who  appeared  to  be  members  of the  Nigerian  military  and  the  Civilian  Joint  Task Force  (JTF).  It  also shows  16  young  men  and  boys  all seated  in  line.  One  by one,  they are  called  forward,  and  ordered to  lie  down  in  front  of  a  pit  that served as  a  grave.  Five of them were reportedly killed this way.”    The  suit  follows  the government’s alleged refusal to demonstrate that  it  had  acceded to demands  by the applicants for a thorough  investigation  of the “serious allegations.” No date has been fixed for hearing.

  • Borno coalition seeks Sheriff’s probe

    Borno coalition seeks Sheriff’s probe

    A non-governmental organisation, the Borno Coalition for Good Governance, has called for an Independent Investigation into the alleged role by Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff in the sponsorship of Boko Haram.

    The group spokes in a statement yesterday by its Project Manager Modu Wulgo and Secretary John Ndirbula, in reaction to the claim by Australian negotiator Stephen Davis that the ex—Borno State governor was a sponsor of the sect.

    Asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) to intervene, the group raised some posers:

    “Why did Buji  Foi, the late commissioner for religions affair seek to have audience with Governor Sheriff  before was he executed in 2009.The soldiers honoured  of Buji Foi’s wish , but on  hearing that the late commissioner wanted to see him, Sheriff quickly drove out of Government House, Maiduguri on that fateful  day. When the soldiers brought Buji Foi in a Toyota Hilux van in handcuff twenty minutes later, Sheirff was nowhere to be found.

    “Why did late Mohammed Yusuf throughout his preaching in 2009 and after his arrest continue to accuse Sheriff of betraying him. “Why Sheriff did quickly ask the police to execute Mohammed Yusuf?”

    It insisted that the ICC must be involved

  • Coalition cautions politicians over anarchy

    Coalition cautions politicians over anarchy

    A Non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa, has blamed the the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the tension in the polity.

    The Coalition, in a statement by Mr. John Mayaki, said: “Members of the ruling PDP should not jubilate at the on-going disobedience to the rule of law in the Edo State House of Assembly face-off, the impeachment of opposition party governors, insecurity, cheap political arrogance of winner-take-all mentality and corruption because, we are all losers at the end of the day, without exception.

    “Today, it’s Governor Oshiomhole. Tomorrow, you could be victim of this conspiracy. Yesterday, it was Governor Fayemi and Nyako. Today, it is Al-Makura, but you never can tell whose turn it would be tomorrow. Governor Rotimi Amaechi has a bitter experience already. Besides, this country belongs to all of us and as such, we are all losers both individually and politically.

    “In Edo State, for instance, we see the flagrant disobedience to the rule of law and the constitution. We see legislators who disobey High Court orders and Appeal Court rulings yet, they claim they are seeking redress at the Supreme Court and until then, they are not obliged to obey a valid Court order or ruling, this is particularly worrisome.

    Mayaki said: “Generally, across the country, the situation we face on a daily basis is worrisome and brings us to a journey that is as illuminating as it is grueling, where the ruling party is more effective in carefully building up hate and thoroughly destroying the heroic foundations of our Dear Nation and State.

    “The point is simple. That power corrupts and absolute of it corrupts absolutely. We are in a harrowing but sober volume, relentless in scope and distressing in its intensity but, this unfolding script that could form a heavy book could also be light in reading because of its so unfashionably straight forwardness.

    He added: “These actors are not strong but for the back up of state apparatus, they become strongmen and monsters. And, dramatic as these tyrants’ tales maybe, they are less revealing and so convincingly shows that it is bad leadership first and foremost, that has held Nigeria and Edo State backward.

    “Permit me to at this point admonish President Goodluck Jonathan not to be accustomed to a diet of endless praise.

    “The truth, the President must be told and the truth, though often bitterly unpleasant, he must accept as a leader otherwise, these praise singers, after wearing him out, and when the chips are down, have their fathers name to bear while bookmakers are won’t to commit him to history.

    Mayaki urged the President to steer the country from doom. He said: “Mr. President sir, tomorrow is another day; an uncertain pregnant future. Power is transient just as ephemeral. There is nothing without an end just as it’s beginning. Your name is more important Mr. President. Do not allow anyone to hide under the guise of protecting your interest damage your image.

    “One thing is certain and sure, only a disciplined mass party, centrally directed with national interest is an effective means to overcome tribal and religious divisions, to inspire a sense of nationhood and to mobilize the population for economic development and not a gang of old pals having it good on nice food at the expense of the people.”

  • PDP’s split may lead to grand coalition with APC—sources

    PDP’s split may lead to grand coalition with APC—sources

    THERE were strong indications yesterday in Abuja that the emergence of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party at the party’s mini convention may be the beginning of a grand design to form a powerful coalition with the All Progressives Congress towards the 2015 elections.

    According to a highly placed member of the faction, who spoke to our correspondent last night, those who thought the PDP remains the party to beat in the forthcoming elections should have a rethink as Nigerians would soon be witnessing the coalition of all the political forces into one grand party including the APC.

    Explaining why seven governors and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar walked out of the mini-convention, the source said the aggrieved persons could no longer tolerate a situation where a party presumed to be the largest political gathering in Africa is subjected to the whim of one man.

    He said when it became apparent that those who hijacked the party’s machinery were not ready to toe the path of peace, the only option left for those interested engendering party discipline was to form its own faction and seek for people of like minds in other parties wherever they may be found.

    He said: “Let me tell you something that will shock you. Don’t ever think that this is just another political ploy to score cheap political points. This is clearly more than that. Very soon, Nigerians would see the kind of political merger that has never been witnessed in the history of this country. I am talking of a merger that will break all the barriers.

    “I am aware that some people are busy deceiving themselves that they will win the 2015 elections through the support of their kith and kin. But they forget that the North-west and the Southwest account for over 51 per cent of all the votes cast in the country. We know our game plan and when we finally merge, we will see how far they can go with that arrogance.

    “The time has come for someone to put an end to the impunity and abuse of power. We have waited for long to see if common sense would prevail. But it is clear that those urging the leadership of the party to go on have taken our patience for granted for too long. We will soon show them that, in this game of politics, number plays an important role and we do have the number on our side.”

     

  • Coalition kicks against local govt’s autonomy

    •Honours Suswam’s aide

    THE Coalition of Civil Society Organisation For Transparency in Governance (CCSOTG) has kicked against local government autonomy, saying it is against the principle of check and balance.

    President of the coaliation, Jacobs Osaji, argued that granting autonomy to local councils will exacerbate corruption at the grassroots.

    He spoke while presenting the Transparency Watch Award to Prince Solomon Tor-Wombo, the Special Adviser Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam.

    Osaji said existing laws should be strengthened for local councils to live up to their responsibilities.

    He called on the National Assembly to reject the proposed local council autonomy to prevent abuse.

    The group stated that the “Prince of Sankera”, who is the head of the local government administration in Benue State, deserved the award having distinguished himself in office and lived above board.

    Tor-Womb noted that payment of salaries in councils in Benue State remains a top priority, insisting that chairmen in the state have been up and doing because it is no longer business as usual.

     

  • Israel coalition talks to begin

    Israel coalition talks to begin

    Coalition talks are set to begin in Israel after general election results predicted right-wing and centre-left blocs tied on 60 seats each.

    BBC says President Shimon Peres is expected to ask Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attempt to form a new government.

    His Likud-Beitenu alliance lost a quarter of its seats in parliament, but remains the largest grouping with 31.

    He has offered to work with the newly-formed Yesh Atid party, which shocked observers by coming second with 19.

    However, its leader, popular former TV presenter Yair Lapid, has demanded reform of a law under which ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students can defer their military service.

    Religious parties in the current governing coalition are strongly opposed to any changes.

    Mr. Lapid has also said he would only join a government that was committed to revive the peace process with the Palestinians, which has stalled since Mr. Netanyahu took office.

    On Wednesday morning, Israeli media reported that with 99.8 per cent of votes counted, the joint electoral list of Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party and the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu (Israel is our Home) party of his former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had won 31 seats.

    That would be 11 seats fewer than the two parties’ combined total from the last election and below the forecasts of recent polls.

    The ultra-nationalist Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home), which rejects the notion of an independent Palestinian state, won 11 seats, as did the ultra-Orthodox religious Shas party.

     

  • Coalition wants electoral reforms now

    Coalition wants electoral reforms now

    In its bid to sanitize the electoral system, Coalition of Civil Societies, Partners for Electoral Reforms PER is demanding far-reaching electoral reforms as part of the on-going amendment of the constitution.

    The Coalition said one major impediments to the conduct of credible elections is the power granted the President to appoint the chairman, national commissioners and resident electoral commissioners

    The group identified the same measure for state governors to prevent them from selecting heads of the State Independent Electoral Commissions SIEC.

    Coordinator of Centre for Policy Advocacy and Leadership Development CPALD, Ezenwa Nwagwu, who spoke with the move will clear doubts in the mind of the electorate and further guarantee that voters’ interest is represented.

    Section 153 and 154 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended empowers the President to appoint INEC board and Resident Electoral Commissioners RECs. Other similar constitutional provisions empower governors to appoint board of the SIECs.

    Nwagwu said: “It is important that the FG, especially the President, is relieved of the powers to appoint the INEC chairman, its commissioners, and resident electoral commissioners while the state governors are also relieved of doing same for their state independent electoral commissions.

    “Those in elective positions must withdraw from determining membership of the various electoral positions. This seriously erodes sovereign trust and undermines confidence of the public in the government.”

    Coordinator of the Transition Monitoring Group TMG, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, restated that for the electoral body to be truly independent, its leadership should be selected through public forum, not by elected public officials.