The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fights

  • Corruption fights back?

    •Reports that senior advocates have turned down offers to prosecute judicial officers accused of corruption is neither in the interest of the Bar nor the Bench

    It is disheartening that senior members of the inner Bar are refusing to be part of the resolve of the Federal Government to rid the judiciary of corruption. Following the October 7 and 8 raids of courts by the Department of State Services (DSS), prosecution of the judges has been stalled as the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is reported to be having difficulty constituting panels to handle it.

    As is customary in prosecuting high profile corruption cases, the AGF had thought senior lawyers who had been part of those handling such cases as members of the National Prosecution Coordinating Council (NPCC) would readily agree to take the job but they declined on the flimsy ground that the Federal Government was  persecuting judicial officers. Ironically, the lawyers feel at home with handling the defence.

    About 18 months after President Muhammadu Buhari who had made the War Against Corruption a major plank of his electioneering campaign assumed office, Nigerians have started grumbling that the move to recover stolen assets and punish perpetrators of fraudulent acts in all facets of life has failed to yield much result. Towards the end of last year, the President promised to ensure that some of the suspects would have been successfully prosecuted before the end of the first quarter of 2016. This was not to be as many of those arraigned in court found ways of stalling their trial.

    Obviously, this informed the decision by government, acting on the recommendation of the Professor Sagay Committee, to put together an 80-member NPCC. The council is divided into 20 groups, each headed by an experienced Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). We find it difficult to accept that the SANs, in rejecting the assignment, were guided by the noble ideal of defending the judiciary. How did they arrive at their position? It is clear that every accused is presumed guilty until convicted by the court. The fact that they are being arraigned is therefore enough opportunity to prove their innocence; but, just as every accused has the right to secure the services of a counsel of his or her choice, the government, acting in the interest of the state, has the duty to assemble a competent team to handle the prosecution.

    The prosecutors have the right to diligently put the accused through the grill with a view to establishing the truth. By dodging this assignment, after signing on to work with the prosecution council, the senior lawyers must have a motive other than noble.

    It would appear that their action is not unconnected with the concurrent arrest and arraignment of some other SANs. Godwin Obla and Rickey Tarfa are among those the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting. Shamefully, the Body of SANs found nothing strange with what Tarfa was accused of – hiding foreigners accused of economic sabotage in his car with a view to shielding them from trial. The senior lawyers embarked on protest like exuberant school children and filed out in court with a view to intimidating the judge. This is contrary to the practice in other countries where the outer and inner Bar lead the bid to rid their ranks of unethical conduct.

    Being a senior advocate should be synonymous with decency and integrity. A close look at all the ignoble deals being exposed by the current administration shows many involve men who ordinarily should be seen as officers in the temple of justice. We are however pleased that some experienced international prosecutors have willingly accepted the offer. We call on the AGF and the EFCC to look for other senior lawyers who feel affronted by the stain on the integrity of the Bar and the Bench to join the prosecuting team.

  • UI crisis: Facts, fictions and fights

    The current financial crisis rocking the University of Ibadan (UI) in which the management team says it can no longer pay some allowances, after struggling to pay salaries, clearly confirms what has always been suspected: insolvency, if not bankruptcy. Following the crash of prices of crude oil in the international market, observers had predicted that there would be tough time for the country.

    Indeed, the tough time is here. Many states across the country are not only impecunious, their workers are as indigent as their dependents who are in the poverty trap as a result of non-payment of salaries. The distress scenario is fast spreading to federal government’s agencies and institutions with major shortfall in financial allocation. This is the genesis of the on-going crisis in UI where workers are giving the new Vice Chancellor , Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka sleepless nights over non-payment of what they called “earned allowance” for the month of February.

    This “earned allowance” which is a fallout of the 2009 agreement between the government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is being paid in installment through the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), pending  when the government will reimburse the university. But with the shortfall in personnel grant released by the government, the VC had no choice but to cry out that the university will not be able to pay the allowance. The workers, under different unions, including Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) scoffed at the dilemma, insisting that the allowance must be paid. They believe that UI has the wherewithal to pay the money.

    Determined to douse tension, Prof. Olayinka in a release dated February 22, explained the financial situation to the workers, citing paucity of funds as his headache. According to him, In 2015, the institution received N932,714,026.24 from January up to November. In December 2015, the allocation on personnel cost was drastically reduced to N663,972,634.60 – a reduction of N268,741,391.64. He stated that the shortfall accounted for why deductions for the month of December 2015 could not be paid to all deserving cooperative societies and unions.

    For the month of January, instead of a monthly allocation of N1,080,954,864.75, the institution got N782,346,495.95, a reduction of N298,608,369.16 – the reason it could not meet up with 100 percent  of its commitment on personnel cost .

    Unfortunately, the workers believe that there is money in the system to pay the allowance. However, since the union leadership appears to know better than the ordinary members, a congress was called in which members of the three unions, excluding Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) were enjoined to converge on the main entrance of the university. As early as 7am, staff members had taken over the place, itching to be updated. The gates had been locked as usual. The vehicular movement had been effectively paralyzed.

    Wale Akinremi who spoke on behalf of other leaders, called the vice chancellor Prof. Olayinka unprintable names. Much sadder still, and more disappointing was the way he spoke with mannerisms of a street fighter, boasting with garage argot “ Omo Igboro l’emi o, mo de le ba anybody loju  je. Wa sa kaba kaba” roughly translated to mean “I am from down town and I can dent anybody’s face, you will run in defeat.

    This is indeed a sad commentary on civility, coming from a decent academic environment of Ibadan status. It is impertinence of the worst kind which must be condemned by all men and women of good moral standing. By the way, how did Mr. Akinremi emerge as SSANU chairman of Ibadan chapter? Well, what do we expect when decent people avoid politics and unionism like a plaque, leaving just any character to parade himself as chairman? One had thought Akinremi was too well bred and too fine a person to make a public display of such appalling bad manners, more so when he is said to have read Law from a sister’s institution. Beauty is truly skin deep. How else is indiscipline spelt?

    Respect for elders is one of the cardinal imperatives of our traditional customs. Anyone who could be audacious enough to make the UI VC the butt of his public grandiloquence, calling him unprintable names and describing him as “bastard” simply lacks good breeding.  Such a person doesn’t deserve to lead a union. A union leader who is worth his salt must employ cultured language and definitiveness of logic to fight his battle. Decent use of language is, to me, a maturity index. Importantly, linguistic competence dictates that one must be familiar with principles of politeness in spoken discourse. Insulting the VC, pelting him with a satchet of pure water as someone reportedly did at an earlier meeting is not only satanic, but repugnant to good conscience. It is a desecration of culture of civilization.

    Perhaps it is relevant to ask for Prof. Olayinka’s offence in all of this. Is he the one who caused economic crisis? Did the VC get more allocation than he has disclosed? Akinremi alleged that Prof. Olayinka did not behave as his predecessor, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole! Haba! No two individuals are ever the same. Not even twins who passed through the same womb. In 2009, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua offered amnesty to the Niger Delta boys and achieved peace. The former President Olusegun Obasanjo had approached the same problem with force and failed. Does it mean Yar’Adua was the wisest president ever? Does it mean Obasanjo did not succeed in other areas? Every leader comes to the stage with his peculiar style and flavour. Therefore, it is invidious comparing Olayinka with his predecessor.

    Again, the VC was accused of reporting the union leaders to the security agents, the move which they said exacerbated the crisis. However, going by Akinremi’s pugnacious conduct and sadistic temperament, only a VC who will like to see UI burn will not report to the Directorate of State Security. Here is a supposed union leader who has created an impression that there is no evil from hell that is too heinous for him to sprinkle on his perceived enemies. Clearly, the threat deserves the attention of the Commander-in-Chief in Abuja!

    It is obvious that Prof. Olayinka has been unjustifiably maligned and publicly denigrated. He deserves apologies. Although that is part of the sacrifices he has to make as the 12th UI VC, he nonetheless deserves respect. His office as well commands regard of those who truly cherish intellectualism. Here is a man who has been demonstrating admirable maturity and wisdom since he took over on December 1, 2015, the mindset you associate with humble and confident learner-leader. He remains the leader to be proud of. He is the symbol of our collective academic excellence and achievement. Why then should anybody take joy in disparaging him?

    However, the earlier the workers in UI adjust their budgets to the current economic reality in the country the better. Manna does not fall in perpetuity. Heaven will not fall if the government directed the management to reduce the workforce by 30 or 40 percent because there is no money to pay everyone. Many will lose their jobs. They won’t be able to protest and lock gates.  Already, many state governments have started retrenching. Who says federal government cannot do the same? It is better we don’t push our luck too far. Incessant strikes over agitation for sundry allowance should be checked. It may sound stupid to those who have capacity to challenge their opponents to a roadside brawl, and dance naked in a market place, the fact is that the universities across the country should watch it.

     

    • Saanu is of the Directorate of Public Communication, University of Ibadan.
  • Buhari fights corruption with nostalgia

    Buhari fights corruption with nostalgia

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is considerably besotted with nostalgia. Whenever he speaks with the Nigerian community in the diaspora anytime he travels, he is even more voluble and revelatory. During a visit to South Africa a month after he assumed office, he bemoaned the inevitable limitations age would place on his performance as a 72-year-old president. “I wish I became Head of State when I was a governor,” he grumbled, perhaps to the exasperation of his aides and media managers. “Now at 72, there is a limit to what I can do.” President Buhari was governor of the then North Eastern State when he was a 33-year-old military officer. Now he is president at 72. Last week in Iran, again speaking with the Nigerian community, the president regretted that democratic strictures, especially the rule of law, limited the swiftness with which he would have loved to tackle corruption.

    President Buhari must learn to move on. He must strenuously begin to resist comparing the present with the past, particularly his past, if his present and his presidency are not to be stymied by policy and bureaucratic distortions and anachronisms. The extent to which he can escape his past will, however, be connected with how effectively his handlers and critics can coax him to reassess his extempore speeches and break down and remould his ossified worldview. It is indeed an urgent task for him.

    Proof that he needs to move on to the present is contained nowhere else than in his last interaction with the Nigerian community in Iran. His audiences in Iran and South Africa were reportedly  animated by his presence, and might have been inured to the inconsistencies and inappropriateness of his personal comparisons. But for those who had the luxury of analysing his references and even psychoanalysing the hidden meanings of his messages days after he had delivered them, they would be flummoxed  by the dangerous import of his views, not to say the suggestive messianism that sometimes crept into them.

    In Iran, according to his media aide, Garba Shehu, the president had told his fretting and questioning audience that the need to comply with the due process of the law was responsible for the delay in prosecuting looters. That statement sounded apologetic. But complying with due process should be routine, one of the ennobling essences of democracy and modernisation. It should not be an issue for discussion or reference, let alone be a subject of emotive distress. By suggesting that due process delayed prosecution, the president came across as stigmatising that aspect of the law as an inconvenience, a hindrance in fact. Yet, due process helps to check prosecutorial excesses, tame judicial exhibitionism, and curb the general predilection for lynching and mob tyranny.

    It appears President Buhari is inherently impatient, and for a man who sets great store by his famed slowness and meticulousness since he assumed office in May, he is paradoxically unaccustomed to the beatifying deliberateness of the millstones of justice grinding slowly and grinding fine. In 1984, he had baffled Nigerians by railroading three drug traffickers to the gallows, one or two of whom suffered the corollary of the then Gen Buhari’s application of retroactive justice. The world was astounded, and Nigerians were shocked. Decades later, during his presidential campaign in 2015, the electorate graciously overlooked the misapplication of justice in 1984 and voted for him. The president didn’t see any reason to be contrite, and it seems that even if he had been punished by the electorate’s withheld  votes, he still wouldn’t be penitent. All he said to questions asked on his peremptory application of military justice was that he accepted responsibility.

    It is impossible to return to that freewheeling era when the head of state’s word was law. Things might have been done quicker and, as they used to say in those days, with immediate effect and automatic alacrity. But comparatively, things were not done better. By their brusqueness, the military bastardised the civil service, destabilised the polity and assaulted the people’s freedoms and liberties, and generally ended up weakening institutions and distorting and rending the fabric of civilised society. Had Nigerian heads of state been capable of the reflection and contrition necessary to properly evaluate the past, it is unlikely they would romanticise their fast but often destructive pace of doing things. The past may be the present’s rearview mirror, and may even be necessary for progress, but President Buhari sometimes gives the impression the past teaches far better lessons and signposts the future much more acutely than the present.

    He regards his period as a military governor at the age of 33 as a time of great ebullition, a time of unlimited possibilities, when he was not constrained by age, fear and perhaps the pathologies of age. Conversely, he sees his advanced 72 years of age as a natural and irresistible constraint. It took his spokesman, Femi Adesina, to begin philosophising on the values and blessings of old age, rephrasing the president’s message and redacting his sentences to fit idiomatically into a newer and more ingenious interpretation of age and wisdom, and their symbiotic relationship. Mr Adesina made sense; but what he said had nothing to do with the original message of the president. President Buhari was simple and direct. He wished he had the energy and vibrancy of the past, and could apply both to the present and his presidency. He said nothing about the wisdom that comes with age, nor of the patience and control that frequently ennobles advanced years. His mind wandered along only one tract, of energy and zealotry, a tract that opens a disturbing window into his suspiciously narrow worldview.

    Rather than seem to mourn the constraining properties of due process and rule of law in his battle against corruption, rather than make his regular and depressing references to the past, it is time President Buhari looked optimistically to the future. Many commentators have suggested he should set out the rubrics of Buharinomics. Great. But more importantly, it is time we began to hear from him his original ideas of the modern society, of modern Nigeria in particular, and of how the law scrupulously applied, without abridgement of any sort, can be deployed to build a stable, just and equitable society. His economic team can help him build Buharinomics; but they cannot help him conceive an original and intuitive philosophy of a modern Nigerian society, better than any in Africa, and one of the best in the world.

    But perhaps this column is investing President Buhari with a transcendental assignment far superior to anything he is ever capable of conceiving. Perhaps all he wants is just to arrest corruption or minimise it, knock insecurity into a cocked hat, get the economy on an even keel, and vacate office not as the failure his humiliating overthrow in 1985 presupposed, but as a fairly successful returnee and elected president who had served one term or two. Whatever his ambitions are, modest or vaulting, his constant and instinctive resort to the past will continue to hamstring his presidency, constrain his already limited elbow room, and widen the gap between his aspirations and capabilities. It is time President Buhari put a stop to rule by nostalgia.

  • Firm fights crime with tricycles, motorcycles

    It was a case of killing two birds with a stone. Provide youths with a means of livelihood and you would have helped to check crime.

    That was exactly what a firm, SaveQuick Co-operative Investment, did when it distributed 10 motorcycles and the same number of tricycles to 20 youths in Onitsha, the commercial capital of Anambra State.

    The President of the investment firm, Mr. Okonkwo Gilead, said they were excited about the manner in which the youth are forsaking crime and choosing to earn their keep rather than roam the streets in search of white collar jobs.

    He said: ”This day, we are all gathered to celebrate our success in our first month of live transaction of our E-thrift Technology, a journey that started over five years ago. We are here to celebrate and inform the BoT members, interested partners and prospective investors that we have live records and the acceptability of our product in the market where we operate. We are here to reaffirm our vision, mission and goal.”

    Okonkwo commended Mr. Peter Obi who he said has not only fought criminality to a standstill in the state but also restored the dignity of his people by providing the enabling environment for investors, thus offering employment to youths.

    He said his office has introduced E-saving, E-payment, Mobile User, Online investment and trading among others, Mr. Gilead who is the inventor of the group revealed that the beneficiaries of the moveable assets were picked from their co-operative societies.

    It would be recalled that SaveQuick Co-Operative Investment, on its arrival in Onitsha one year back, has gone into grassroots campaigning for people to come and have their co-operative societies registered with them as an avenue for assisting people who need help.

    Today, he said, there are good testimonies that the group has delivered.