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Tag: hunting

  • Senate vs IGP: Hunting the hunter

    Senate vs IGP: Hunting the hunter

    The Senate has threatened to order the arrest of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, if he shuns its invitation at the end of the deadline today. Can the lawmakers make such an order? How would it be implemented? ROBERT EGBE asks. 

     

    The arrest of an Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on the orders of the National Assembly has no precedence in Nigerian history.

    But, last Thursday, the Senate vowed to issue a warrant for the arrest of IGP Ibrahim Idris, unless he met today’s deadline to appear before its ad-hoc committee.

    The committee, chaired by Senator Francis Alimikhena, is investigating allegations of abuse of office against Idris.

    Alimikhena issued the threat after the IGP shunned a scheduled investigative hearing at the Senate.

    The Edo North senator said the IGP was summoned by the panel on October 16, to respond to allegations made against him by Senator Isah Hamman Misau.

     

    Senate’s summons

    The basis of the Senate’s invitation of the IGP is the claims of a former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), now Senator Misau.

    Misau (Bauchi Central) stirred up the hornet’s nest when he alleged that police officers paid as much as N2.5 million to get special promotions and postings.

    He accused the police boss of diverting money meant for the purchase of Armoured Personnel Carriers, Sports Utility Vehicles and other exotic cars.

    He told the probe panel that the IGP purchased two jeeps for the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari.

    Misau also alleged that the IGP misused over N120 billion generated by the Police in one year from providing security for private firms and privileged individuals

    He further alleged that the police boss impregnated a serving police officer and hurriedly arranged a marriage ceremony in Kaduna.

    Idris, through the Police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, dismissed the claims as unfounded and a smear campaign against the IGP.

    The police spokesman asked Nigerians to disregard the allegations against the IGP

    In like manner, Mrs. Buhari also denied the purchase of cars for her by the IGP.

    On October 11, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, filed two separate fraud charges against the Senator for making ‘injurious statements’ against the IGP.

     

    The IGP’s suit

    Idris, in a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked FCT/HC /CV/ 3158 /17, asked the court to declare both the Senate committee, set up to probe the allegations and the conduct of the committee as unconstitutional, null and void.

    The police boss also wants the court to make an order stopping the committee from inviting him, sitting, conducting any hearing on the allegation, discussing or making any report in respect of the planned investigation pending the determination of his suit.

    Through his team of lawyers, led by Charles Ogolu , Idris contended that the Senate President , without regard to relevant constitutional requirements in respect of the role of the Senate in investigations of allegations , set up the committee “ in reaction to “these frivolous allegations “ by Misau.

    The IGP contended that “the act of the first respondent (Saraki) in constituting the committee is ultra vires, unconstitutional, null and void.

    “The said committee so constituted is acting ultra vires, unconstitutional, null and void.”

    Idris also faulted the constitutionality of the committee set up to probe him, seeking, among others,“An order restraining the President of the Senate and the entire Senate from receiving and discussing any report submitted to it by the committee set up to investigate the allegation against Mr. Ibrahim Idris pending the determination of this suit.”

     

    Arrest: extent of lawmakers’ powers

    The National Assembly’s powers to summon or issue warrants of arrest are as contained in Section 89(1) and (2). According to S.89(1)(d), the warrant is only for the purpose of compelling appearance.

    Alimikhena said: “We invited the IGP to appear before our committee. This morning (last Thursday), we got a letter from his lawyer, Alex Iziyon, that he will not appear before this committee. He said the IGP has already gone to court and appearing will be sub-judice.

    “It is our duty as a parliament to investigate the allegations raised. This committee was set up before they went to court. We cannot be stopped. No court can stop us from carrying out our duties. There is a separation of powers. No court can stop us.

    “We will invite him again next Tuesday. There are issues about virement in the 2017 budget which Misau also raised. We need him to respond to these allegations. We will invite him again and he will appear before us. If he fails to appear, we will invoke Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.”

     

    Who can arrest an IGP?

    A former IGP, Sunday Ehindero, in his book, Police and the Law in Nigeria, defines arrest as consisting in “the touching of a man’s body with a view to his restraint. Words may, however, constitute an arrest if they are intended to, and do in fact bring to a person’s notice that he is under compulsion and he submits himself to such compulsion.”

    Theoretically, the IGP has no immunity from arrest. According to Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), only the President, the Vice President, governors and deputy governors enjoy that privilege, while in office.

    But, practically speaking, the IGP, like the heads of military or armed para-military organisations, appears to enjoy a de facto immunity from arrest which is tied to the President and safeguarded by the armed men under his command.

    The IGP is a direct appointee of the President and, unlike other officers under his command, he is not subject to the disciplinary powers of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

     

    Why PSC can’t intervene

    The PSC is empowered under the law to appoint for promotion and exercise disciplinary control over persons in the Nigeria Police.

    But under Section 6(1) of the PSC Act, such powers do not extend to the IGP. In other words, such powers belong to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    On October 8, 2017, the PSC, in a statement by its Media, Press and Public Relations Officer, Ikechukwu Ani, confirmed its limitations in the Misau-Idris face-off.

    “The Commission also wishes to state that its powers to do this do not cover the office of the Inspector-General of Police,” he said.

     

    Legal views

    Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) Seyi Sowemimo and Festus Keyamo agreed that no law confers immunity on an IGP. They, however, noted that the court case aside, it may be near practicably impossible to physically compel an IGP to go where he does not want.

    Sowemimo said: “An IGP doesn’t enjoy any immunity under the Constitution, so, there’s no reason why he cannot be arrested, but who is going to arrest him? Certainly none of his policemen would do that.

    “So, these are the practical difficulties that the Senate faces. Yes, it has the power to issue a warrant for the arrest of anyone who holds the Senate in contempt, but now the man is saying there’s a case in court.

    “Ordinarily, if there’s a case in court which touches on what the lawmakers are investigating, they have to defer to the case in court. They cannot resort to self-help; they should allow the court to pronounce.

    “It is just one of those irritating things about the law, because we all know that the suit in court may be an avenue for him to avoid the Senate invitation.

    “Unfortunately, our courts too allow themselves to be used, because a judge in such a situation should hear that matter quickly and probably direct that there is no ground, he should go and face his invitation at the Senate. But this matter could be dragged on for so long.

    Sowemimo urged the Senate to await the decision of the court.

    “It is sub judice and the lawmakers should not expect him to come and be answering them if he’s pursuing a case to restrain them in court.”

    According to Keyamo, the court case is a ground for the Senate to suspend its invitation, “if they have been served.”

    He noted that if the IGP failed to serve the lawmakers, then he had a duty to honour the invitation, otherwise, he would be giving the President a ground to remove him from office.

    Keyamo said: “The IGP is not above the law. If they issue a warrant of arrest for him, he ought to take himself there because the warrant of arrest is usually directed to his office, to arrest anybody and bring before the Senate.

    “Now he is the one involved, if he fails to obey and take himself there, it could be a ground for the President to remove him from office as IG, because that means that he expects everybody to obey the law and he, who is expected to enforce the law, is not obeying it.

    “But, it may not be possible for somebody to arrest and take him to the Senate because he is the IG and no inferior officer can arrest him, except another agency altogether and those other agencies may not be empowered to do so.”

     

    Can the Senate ask another agency to

    arrest the IG?

    Section 89(2) of the Constitution does not limit the execution of a warrant issued by the National Assembly to the Police. Thus, the lawmakers may authorise “any person” to effect service.

    But the senior lawyers do not find that probable.

    “That would be chaotic,” Keyamo said, “because the IG has ‘troops’ at his disposal.  So, it would be practically impossible to invade the police headquarters and arrest the IG. What kind of troops will do that? There’ll be a shootout, there’ll be dead bodies. It’s only the President that he’s answerable to.”

     

    Has an IGP ever been arrested?

    Nigeria does not have a history of arresting police bosses, but on April 4, 2005, four months after leaving office, former IGP Tafa Balogun was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and successfully prosecuted for corruption. He bagged six months in jail after a plea bargain.

     

    Iran’s experience

    On March 10, 2008, the police chief of Iran’s capital city, Tehran, Reza Zarei, was arrested after allegedly being found nude in a local brothel with six naked women. Zarei was in charge of a programme for the “moralisation of the city”.

     

    Will Idris honour the invitation?

    The IGP seems to be undecided as to whether he will honour the Senate’s invitation. Last Friday in Abuja, he told State House correspondents that his appearance was conditional, on the advice of his legal team.

    He said: “These are legal issues; we are discussing with our legal team, obviously if there is need we are going to appear for the sake of having respect for the senate, I will appear before them.”

     

  • Putting more energy behind your job hunting

    My job hunt is stuck in the mud. I know I need to fix it, but I’m feeling overwhelmed and I’ve got no energy left. I’ve tried everything, and nothing seems to work.” Does this sound like you or what you feel now?

     

    The simple truth is:

    Hunting for a job can be tiring, demoralising, and frustrating for people who have internalised their inability to find work as a sign of personal failure. Confidence and self-image suffer. Not to mention the economic embarrassment. As that happens, it becomes increasingly difficult to present the optimistic, energetic “can do” persona that employers seek.

    We all hear the longer you are out of work, the harder it is to get work. One of the reasons for this is that employers are looking for you, Mr/Ms. Jobhunter not to be jaded, tired, and “down.” And, they fear that the longer you are out of work, the more likely it is you won’t have the vim and vigour they seek.

    How can you put more energy to your flagging job hunting campaign?

    There are things you can do to energise your job hunt. Below are my suggestions. This list is hardly exhaustive, but it’s a good start:

     

    Remember getting a job is a job

    Treat it with the same sense of professionalism that you would bring to any employment. Show up on time every day. And, at the end of the day, don’t feel guilty about packing the work up, and transitioning to “personal” or “family” mode. As with any job, it’s important to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

     

    Recognise and confront your self-imposed roadblocks

    Are you frozen in place by fear of possible future failure? Many people have experienced so much rejection that they are afraid to have any more piled on. Such feelings are real, and they need to be acknowledged.

    Sometimes inaction can be psychological defence mechanism. It’s important, however, to understand that inaction is a certain road to the status quo. Try to move forward every day – even if you only do one or two small “baby step” things that can help to build up your self-confidence.

     

    Break out of your isolation

    Figure out who are the members of your support system – your family, friends, other job hunters you meet at networking groups, members of your church or synagogue and so on. Talk to them regularly. Tell them what you’ve been up to, what seems to be working, and what seems to be frustrating you. Make them part of your team. Ask for their feedback and advice. Help them to help you by creating a context of “us” instead of “me.” And of course: seek a good job hunting coach who can understand and relate to you, and provide both guidance and the occasional “kick in the pants” when it’s called for.

     

    Balance your job hunting

    activities

    You can’t be everywhere, all the time. Strive to create a balance over the course of a week or two in a cycle. If you think of your search for work as a job hunt, then imagine each tool or tactic as one arrow in your quiver. You need a variety of arrows including: informational interviewing; attending professional meetings and seminars; social networking utilising LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; writing your blog, and so on.

    However, important online activity has become, remember that social networks are but the means to the end of building personal relationships. Nurture your relationships both in the real and virtual worlds.

     

    Stay focused and use

    your time wisely

    People who work out of their homes often say that one of the biggest challenges they face is managing their time. It’s easy to be distracted by kids, pets, housework, TV, internet, computer games, and so much else! Organise your day and week in advance. Create an hourly schedule and stick to it by setting alarms on your computer calendar or wherever they will best be seen and heard.

     

    Practise, practise, and practise some more

    Rehearse your elevator speech out loud and prepare answers to interview questions that you can anticipate. For example, don’t allow yourself to be flummoxed by opening queries like, ”Tell me about yourself.” Did you know Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, shot 1,000 baskets EVERY DAY! He was great because he understood the need for constant repetition and skill building.

     

    Maintain your mental and

    physical health

    Eat healthy. Exercise at least three times each week. If it’s been a while since you exercised with any regularity, start slow and gradually build yourself back up. Get those endorphins flowing and you will look better, have more energy, and feel better about yourself.

     

  • Putting more energy behind your job hunting

     

    My job hunt is stuck in the mud. I know I need to fix it, but I’m feeling overwhelmed and I’ve got no energy left. I’ve tried everything, and nothing seems to work.” Does this sound like you or what you feel now?

     

    The simple truth is:

    Hunting for a job can be tiring, demoralising, and frustrating. Often, people who have internalised their inability to find work as a sign of personal failure. Confidence and self-image suffer. Not to mention the economic embarrassment As that happens, it becomes increasingly difficult to present the optimistic, energetic “can do” persona that employers seek.

    We all hear the longer you are out of work, the harder it is to get work. One of the reasons for this is employers are looking for you, Mr/Ms. Jobhunter not to be jaded, tired, and “down.” And, they fear that the longer you are out of work, the more likely it is you won’t have the vim and vigor they seek.

    How can you put more energy to your flagging job hunting campaign?

    There are things you can do to energize your job hunt. Below are my suggestions. This list is hardly exhaustive, but it’s a good start:

     

    Remember getting a job is a job

    Treat it with the same sense of professionalism that you would bring to any employment. Show up on time every day. And, at the end of the day don’t feel guilty about packing the work up, and transitioning to “personal” or “family” mode. As with any job, it’s i mportant to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

     

    Recognise and confront your self-imposed roadblocks

    Are you frozen in place by a fear of possible future failure? Many people have experienced so much rejection that they are afraid to have any more piled on. Such feelings are real, and they need to be acknowledged.

    Sometimes inaction can be a psychological defense mechanism. It’s important, however, to understand that inaction is a certain road to the status quo. Try to move forward every day – even if you only do one or two small “baby step” things that can help to build up your self-confidence.

     

    Break out of your isolation

    Figure out who are the members of your support system – your family, friends, other job hunters you meet at networking groups, members of your church or synagogue and so on. Talk to them on a regular basis. Tell them what you’ve been up to, what seems to be working, and what seems to be frustrating you. Make them part of your team. Ask for their feedback and advice. Help them to help you by creating a context of “us” instead of “me.” And of course: seek a good job hunting coach who can understand and relate to you, and provide both guidance and the occasional “kick in the pants” when it’s called for.

     

    Balance your job hunting activities

    You can’t be everywhere, all the time. Strive to create a balance over the course of a week or two in a cycle. If you think of your search for work as a job hunt, then imagine each tool or tactic as one arrow in your quiver. You need a variety of arrows including: informational interviewing; attending professional meetings and seminars; social networking utilising LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; writing your blog, and so on.

    However, important online activity has become, remember that social networks are but the means to the end of building personal relationships. Nurture your relationships both in the real and virtual worlds.

     

    Stay focused and uses your time wisely

    People who work out of their homes often say that one of the biggest challenges they face is managing their time. It’s easy to be distracted by kids, pets, housework, TV, internet, computer games, and so much else! Organise your day and week in advance. Create an hourly schedule and stick to it by setting alarms on your computer calendar or wherever they will best be seen and heard.

     

    Practice, practice, and practice some more

    Rehearse your elevator speech out loud and prepare answers to interview questions that you can anticipate. For example, don’t allow yourself to be flummoxed by opening queries like, ”Tell me about yourself.” Did you know Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, shot 1,000 baskets EVERY DAY! He was great because he understood the need for constant repetition and skill building.

     

    Maintain your mental and physical health

    Eat healthy. Exercise at least three times each week. If it’s been a while since you exercised with any regularity, start slow and gradually build yourself back up. Get those endorphins flowing and you will look better, have more energy, and feel better about yourself.

  • Top seven job hunting tips to getting your dream career

    Looking for work is no tea-party. And to be honest, it is not funny. Seeking for employment will surely require a lot of your time energy and resources. Moreover, it could be very overwhelming physically emotionally and sychologically. Thus job hunting tips are really, important to those who are in serious need of employment. Here are some of the top strategies employment seekers could try.

    Know yourself

    Begin with an honest analysis of what your real strengths are. Who are you? Your interests, skills, aptitudes, likes/dislikes, etc Then know which of your skills are transferable. This means you need to be definite about what you can offer the marketplace and how you are going to carry it out. That is being customer-centric. Reality- it is not what the job can give you, but you have to offer the employer.

    Determine what you want

    You cannot go anywhere with your employment search if you don’t know exactly what you want. Believe it or not, most people have already spent some years working for a company before they ask themselves if they have the right career fit. That could be frustrating.

    Take time to list your key skills, experience level and relevant qualifications. Also identify the salary and benefits you wish to have and the career development opportunities you might be looking forward too. On the opposite side of your list include the name of companies you wish to work for, the actual opportunities available at the moment and the future trends for these opportunities.

    Get some career guideance

    First and most given advice to fresh graduates, it could also be helpful to those who have been employed but seeking for a new job. In fact, interview preparation assistance, resume writing and career advice may be useful/necessary. Local cities and counties provide career placement services as well. Professional career advisor can help you figure out exactly what you want to do and guide you on maximising your resources and qualifications.

    Review and update your resume

    The main purpose of your resume is to market you to prospect employers as you find a new job. And so it must highlight your qualifications, achievements and compatibility with the job that you are applying for. If your resume only includes a summary of your accomplishments up to the date of its creation, ensure to include a short explanation of how each of them was achieved. While you can always compose resume it is still best to do it under the guidance of a professional.

    Approach companies

    If there are companies that you really want to work for, contact them directly. Though most job seekers do not want to do this, employers usually prefer job seekers who apply this way. Search for their respective career websites and register your interest for specific employment opportunities they might have.

    Prepare for interviews

    This may be the last but definitely not the least in importance among the job hunting tips. In fact there can be a better advice on job interview than this. Do your research on the company, the industry, the people involved, etc. Doing this can help you feel calm and focused on the interview day.

    As you have already practised with a coach or a friend, you are able to think in advance great answers to commonly asked questions.