The Nation Newspaper

Tag: INSECURITY

  • ‘Insecurity, power bane of unemployment’

    ‘Insecurity, power bane of unemployment’

    A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Ojo 1 constituency, Muyibat Adeyemi Rufai, has identified insecurity and unstable power as the reasons for high rate of unemployment in the country.

    The lawmaker stated this at a weekly ‘Time out with the press’ question and answer programme organised by correspondents at the Lagos Assembly.

    According to her, because of this twin factors, a lot of companies have either had to relocate to neighbouring countries or close down completely thereby denying many employment opportunities.

    “And even those among the unemployed who want to go into private businesses are also discouraged from doing so because of lack of power and insecurity. Even artisans are also suffering from the same malaise.

    “The private sector is supposed to provide the highest number of employment for citizens than the governments at the three tier but the private sector is handicapped because of this same twin problems,” Rufai said.

    She laid the whole blame for the current situation on the doorstep of the  federal government saying, “the federal government has failed us in this country and that is why today they are begging investors to come and invest, but the prevailing insecurity and power problem scare the investors away.”

  • Muslim youths condemn insecurity

    Muslim youths condemn insecurity

    The Youth Wing of the Nasrullahi-li-Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) has urged government to improve the security situation in the country.

    It also urged Nigerians to be more security-conscious.

    The Zonal Head of Da’wah of the society, Nurudeen Balogun, said: “Security is not for the leaders alone; the various communities and people need to be up and doing in terms of the protection of their lives and property.

    “Security is essential at this time of insurgency; we should be mindful and watchful of those around us. This is vital  for us to be able to reduce insecurity.”

  • Nigeria’s cloud of uncertainty & insecurity- 2

    I started this column last week with the words: “We Nigerians live in a cloud of uncertainty… It is impossible to imagine any other country comparable to ours in this. Uncertainty and insecurity pervade every facet of our lives as a country”.

    In that first article on the subject, it was not possible for me to touch more than a few areas of Nigeria’s life of uncertainty and insecurity. I intend now to touch some more areas.

    A few weeks ago, our Federal Government celebrated before us – the nearly 170 million of us ordinary Nigerians – the great news that some international monitoring agency had declared the economy of our Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa. We were supposed to rejoice at such wonderful news. But, in reality, was there anything to celebrate? Did the announcement put any improvement into the economic life of any of us?  Absolutely not.

    In fact, a very huge negative was soon to follow as far as international announcements are concerned. According to an October 9 report in the Vanguard, the World Bank has published the horrible, but not surprising, information that Nigeria is one of the foremost contributors to poverty in the word! It added that Nigeria is not only “currently contributing heavily to global poverty”, but also that “Nigeria will be one of the ten countries that, in the year 2030, will remain as the main contributors to global poverty”.

    What does that mean? It means that, while most countries of the world would have, by 2030, moved ahead in economic development, and would have greatly improved the quality of life of their citizens, the citizens of Nigeria (if Nigeria still exists by then) will still be sunk in deep poverty. Nigerians will still be among the poorest folks on earth. Nigerians will still be among the world’s most backward humans, the ones  who have the least access to such dynamic values as regular electricity supply, pipe-borne water, good roads and transportation services, modern and efficient agriculture and food production, quality education, good health-delivery services, good inflow of foreign investments, efficient foreign trade, business opportunities, fair employment opportunities and family incomes, dependable security services, access to economic opportunities in general, good quality governance, etc. In short, poverty, even “absolute poverty”, will continue for a very long time to be the lot of most Nigerians, while almost all other peoples of the world would have marched on to richer, more productive and more comfortable lives. It is a bleak prospect – a depressing prospect. It is the ultimate in uncertainty and insecurity of life.

    Let us look in another direction. As far as the 170 million of us, ordinary Nigerians, know, next year, 2015, is the year of our general elections – the year during which we will elect our President, Senate, House of Representatives, State Governors, and State Houses of Assembly. That sounds simple, clear and certain enough – doesn’t it? It does on the surface.  But our country happens to be Nigeria – and what you see on the surface in Nigeria has little to do with certainty or reality. In fact, one day this past week, a columnist in a national newspaper felt compelled to ask the question, “Are they preparing for elections or for a civil war?”

    We ordinary citizens have no way of knowing for sure; as citizens of Nigeria, we are entirely in the hands of factors and forces beyond our knowledge or understanding. If our rulers and leaders were preparing for elections, why are they doing the things they are doing now? From the little bits of information seeping through to the public domain from time to time, there is no doubt that different groups of Nigerian politicians are secretly shopping for arms and ammunitions abroad and smuggling them into Nigeria. Various official reports paint a frightening picture of weapons smuggling into Nigeria as the 2015 elections approach.

    The smuggling rose sharply in 2013 when, according to official reports, the amount of weapons seized by the authorities was seven times as much as the amount seized in 2012. Since 2013, the volume has continued to rise steadily. The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the State Security Service (SSS) are under escalating pressure trying to detect and seize caches of weapons being smuggled. Large containers of weapons, usually concealed with legitimate merchandise, have been detected and seized at the Apapa ports, Port Harcourt Port, various airports, and various border posts – such as the border of Benin Republic with Oyo State, and, particularly, the border of Niger Republic with Sokoto State. In recent days, this atmosphere has been further heated up by the revelation of secret arms purchases by Nigerians in South Africa. The Federal Government’s claim that the purchases are official hardly lowers the heat.

    Moreover, the language of Nigerian politics sounds more and more these days like the language of hostile nations heading towards collision and war, rather than the language of a country’s political parties angling for electoral advantage. We hear such language of war or threat of war from most parts of Nigeria these days – usually mostly from the North-west, and least of all from the South-west. But, no other Nigerian politician (or pseudo-warrior) has uttered a more infamous threat of war than the one which emanated from the Arewa North in the past week, and which is now circulating around the world. Though I quoted chunks from that threat last week, I must quote some more or repeat some today. Nigerians need to hear more of it.

    Demanding that the presidency of Nigeria must be given to the Hausa-Fulani in 2015 and to no other Nigerian of any other nationality (because “Allah has given it to the Hausa-Fulani” alone), he threatened:

    “No Goodluck or anyone else will stop us from taking back our power next year. We will kill, maim, destroy and turn this country into Africa’s biggest war zone and refugee camp if they try it…Many say we are behind Boko Haram. My answer is what do you expect? …We …will fight back in order to keep it (the presidency). They have brought in the infidels from America and the pigs from Israel to help them but they will fail. The war has just begun, the Mujahadeen are more than ready and by Allah we shall win”.

    Well, those of us ordinary Nigerians who have been expecting that we shall have general elections next year must now begin to ask serious questions of ourselves. As things look, it seems we will need to struggle to prevent many armies from springing into action in Nigeria in 2015 – two armies from the Muslim North (a re-energized Boko Haram striking all over Nigeria; and a Mujahadeen army comprising well-armed infiltrators into the ranks of the Northern cattle herders already well deployed all over the South and Middle Belt); a South-south army; and South-east and South-west armies springing hurriedly into existence. Will there still be a Nigeria after all these would have gone into action?

  • Ogun community tackles insecurity

    Ogun community tackles insecurity

    After years of incessant attacks by robbers and other social miscreants, the people Pejuola community in Abeokuta, Ogun State have resorted to self help to secure their lives and properties. ERNEST NWOKOLO reports.

    Residents of the seedy Pejuola community in Idi – Aba, Abeokuta, rose at the weekend to tackle the long standing security challenge confronting them.

    The rainbow community of the elite, the middle and lower income classes respectively, say it is a task their leaders must accomplish because security threats are not directed to the landlords only, but also to the tenants and visitors.

    Toyin, an undergraduate and resident of the area said miscreants are in the habit of robbing people, snatching women’s bags, handsets and other valuables while girls are also sexually assaulted.

    She told The Nation that the situation was quite pathetic five years ago but added that respite appeared to have returned with the present administration in the state.

    The area now called Pejuola was hitherto a large expanse of land and home to bushes, thick forest and sparsely populated by people who could challenge wild animals and reptiles that frequently strayed into residential compounds then.

    But with the creation of Ogun state in 1976, coupled with the Pejuola’s government approved layout plan, it soon became an attractive location for many.

    And this was followed by an upsurge of building activities as people equally eager to live there surged in.

    The Nation gathered that the attendant security challenges did not only increased, but also took a new dimension.

    Residents already used to shoeing off threats posed by reptiles and other dangerous animals began to face new threats from marauders, robbers and petty thieves unprepared.

    According to Chief Adeniyi Abiola, a resident, “the early inhabitants were of necessity compelled to form themselves into vigilance groups for safety of their lives and properties in 1981.

    “The early settlers worked together then regardless of who was landlord, tenant, adult or youth because the intruders did not limit their invasion to the landlords only.”

    And to bolster their chances of gaining upper hands over their foes, the residents largely divergent then on many grounds, decided to come together formed a cohesive community and adopted the name Pejuola in early 80s.

    Late Pa Aroyewun popularly called Baba Ibadan was one the early inhabitants who facilitated the birth of Pejuola Community to enable residents draw strength from its number and unity to surmount the challenges they contend with,  particularly security.

    Today, the community is bounded by Lisabi Elite road in East, Baptist Mission Premises in the South, Olorunsogo village in the West and Salamu Kaola – Lantoro High School in the North.

    Abiola, who is an engineer and  past president of the Pejuola Community Development Association(PCDA) said when the “menace of the marauders were curtailed,” the residents decided to elect their first 10 – man officers in March 10, 1984 with Pa Aroyewun as patron, for its proper administration.

    Chief Michael Ogunmuyiwa, said ensuring security of lives and properties comes first on the priority of needs of the residents and which should also be attended to.

    Ogunmuywa who was inaugurated the new President of PCDA last Saturday told The Nation that part of measures he and members of his executives have mapped out to check criminality include presenting of jackets and identification cards to all commercial motorcycle operators that ply the community as well as car stickers to car owners.

    According to him, this would assist members of the vigilante group and the Police who would be brought to secure the residents, curtail hoodlums who carry out criminal acts on residents under the pretext of being commercial motorcycle operators.

    He also  noted that a dozen entry points or exits in the community would be provided with gates and urged the residents to cooperate with the new security arrangements so that criminals in and around the community could be identified and flushed out with ease.

    According to Ogunmuyiwa, efforts would also be made to improve upon the community’s roads networks, the drainage system, develop its landed property and sink boreholes for the use of the residents.

    Also, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command,  Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the police would render necessary help to adequately secure the area.

    Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the Command would visit the community leaders as is its practice to give them tips periodically on how to keep their domains safe and secured.

    According to him, the police are also building cordial relationship with the local hunters and towing van operators on intelligence gathering as they are very useful in cases of kidnapping and other vices.

    But Abiola who recalled that few years ago, daylight robbery, snatching of bags and raping of girls were common phenomena, expressed a sigh of relief that the situation is being brought under control with the current administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

    He told The Nation that with the approach of another general elections,  it is now pertinent that the residents reflect deeply before casting their votes for politicians seeking elective offices in the state to avoid a return of the past era of criminality and fears in Pejuola community.

    He said:”the security situation was bad few years ago. By 6.30pm, people started watching their back daily. Bags of women were being snatched, girls were often attacked and abused but relative peace has returned with the present administration in the state.

    “We don’t pray for the return of that era. That is why we have to be careful about whom we would choose as governor at the state level during the forthcoming general elections. We don’t want a return of the era of security breaches.”

  • Nigeria’s insecurity is self-inflicted, says activist

    Nigeria’s insecurity is self-inflicted, says activist

    Chief Adegboyega Adeniji is the Chairman of the Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC), a coalition of 150 civil society groups. In this interview with  Musa Odoshimokhe, he reflects on 15 years of civil rule, national security and other issues. 

    Fifteen years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria, how will you score the level of governance so far?

    There is absolutely no cause for jubilation so far. We are all witnesses to the staccato of crisis — social, economic, cultural and political — tearing the country apart. Taking stock of our democracy, the MFC deems it fundamentally important to rouse Nigerians to examine our brand of democracy and decide if indeed the country can possibly continue the way it is going at present. This is why the MFC has come up with the score card on our democracy. We have relied strictly on conservative official statistics. Yet, what stared us in the face at the end of the exercise is extremely damning of the present political class, the vampire economic system it has spurned in the past 15 years and the resultant social anomie.

    What are the anomalies identified in the system?

    The present crop of leaders is parochial, egocentric, gluttonous lack discipline. Nigeria remains one of the most corrupt nations in the world, according to the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2013 released by Transparency International, a global watchdog. In the last survey released on December 2, 2013, Nigeria remained at 14th position out of 177 nations in the world, scoring 25 points out of 100. We were ranked alongside crisis-torn Central African Republic and Cameroun. Never before in our history did we witness the spate of unabated looting of public resources being witnessed now, the most recent of which are: the N2.6 trillion lost to fuel subsidy scams, N32 billion police pension scam and crude oil worth about U$2 billion stolen monthly. There is also the 24 million barrels of oil worth $1.6 billion stolen through signature forgery and the $20 billion reported missing by former CBN governor, Sanusi  Lamido Sanusi,  which earned him a sack. The list is endless.

    Another pitiable situation is our declining social services. Professionals in the educational sector continue to protest the abysmal conditions of learning and research in educational institutions due to poor funding; shortage of quality staff; dearth of infrastructure; inadequate classrooms and offices; inadequate laboratories for teaching and research; shortage of books and other learning materials, among other lapses in that sector. This is responsible for the number of children out of school, which represents the highest in the world, particularly in the Northeast. Any wonder that the Boko Haram tragedy is feeding on this massive layer of uneducated, unskilled unemployed and unemployable youths?

    What is your take on the security situation in the country?

    The cause of insecurity in the country is the result of the widening gap between the ruling class and the people. Ostentatious lifestyle of the political leaders, especially those occupying public offices is outrageous. It gives the ordinary man the impetus to get rich by all means, hence the prevalent heinous crimes pervading the country, such as kidnapping, cyber crime and all sorts of vices that have been aggravated by the Boko Haram insurgency. Aside from terrorism, ritual murders orchestrated by politicians, extra judicial killings by police and other security forces etc compound a gory scenario of a society in the throes of social cannibalism.

    What other impacts are these social malaise having on the economic well being of the people?

    Poverty level in Nigeria grew from 54 per cent in 2004 to almost 70 per cent currently; meaning that over 100 million Nigerians live in absolute poverty. Youth unemployment stands at a conservative estimate of 54 per cent of all employable youths. This translates to at least 40 million young people without jobs.

    Nigerian’s wealth increased from $290 billion in 1990 to $510 in 2014, making it the country with the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa. Nigeria also boasts of one of the highest economic growth rates in the world. No wonder the country now boasts of 12 new multi-billionaires in US Dollars, and several thousand multi-millionaires in US Dollars, according to Forbes magazine.

    It is scandalous that government officials and political appointees in Nigeria are among the highest paid in the world. The (Nigerian) Senate President earns several times the salary of the President Obama of America, while President Goodluck Jonathan has nine aircrafts in his presidential fleet with ministers and governors incurring billions of dollars from private aircraft charters, in a country where the ordinary citizen can barely afford three square meals daily.

    How does the MFC intend to bring about the well-desired changes in governance?

    The MFC has resolved to work assiduously with morally upright intellectuals and captains of industries with high integrity to bring back our value system to international best practices, and enthrone severe punishment for indiscipline within all strata of the society. This would be achieved through mass mobilization of the people to agitate for change through democratic means. There must be punishment for indiscipline in all its ramifications.

    All acts of indiscipline, impunity, imposition, arbitrariness and other maladies running down our democracy must be totally eradicated. We need to encourage international best practices and bring morality to the fore. It is most unfortunate that the present system we run has relegated morality in place of illegality. That is why we have congestion in our courts, and high level of corruption in our judiciary.

    What is your strategy towards the 2015 general election?

    The MFC will first and foremost build confidence in the people by identifying new set of leaders with high moral standard, integrity and observance of the rule of law for presentation to the electorate. Once we have the confidence of the great people of Nigeria, the people shall decide the political platform they want to use to actualize their noble cause.

    Moreover, we need to stress that MFC was formed by Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), the Congress of Political Leader, the committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), and other civil society groups that belief that Nigeria can be greater than it is presently.

  • Insecurity in Northeast worries NUPENG, TUC

    Insecurity in Northeast worries NUPENG, TUC

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have expressed worries over  current insecurity in the Northeastern part of the country where Boko Haram insurgents are over-running towns and villages.

    The union noted that  towns such as Gulak, Madagali, Michika, Uba, Bazza in Adamawa State have fallen to the insurgents, while Banki, Gwoza, Bama have been taken in Borno State as the onslaught and senseless killings  continue.

    NUPENG President, Mr Igwe Achese and General Secretary, Mr. Isaac Aberare, in a statement,  said the union is calling on the military to declare the area as war-zone and flush out the insurgents as there cannot be a caliphate within a republic.

    The oil workers’ union leaders said  the military must be fully equipped with modern weapons to challenge the insurgents carrying sophisticated arms and ammunition, adding that the union wants a concerted effort with the support of neighbouring countries such as Cameroon, Niger and Chad to help stem the tide.

    The Federal and state governments in the Northeast, NUPENG said, must address the problem of people running out of the disaster zone, while the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) must deploy more men and relief materials to assist them.

    TUC urged the Federal Government to take necessary measures to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country.

    Its President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, in a statement in Abuja, said the call became imperative following reports that some major cities in Borno and Adamawa states had come under threat and may have fallen into the hands of Boko Haram militants.

    He pointed out that if the insurgents were allowed to establish their footholds in any city in Nigeria, it might spell doom for the territorial integrity and continued existence of the country as a corporate entity.

    “If any part of Nigeria becomes the base for the insurgents, no part of West Africa will be safe and the human tragedy that will follow is better imagined than experienced.

  • Union urges govt to address energy, insecurity

    The Textile Garment and Tailoring Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (TGTSSAN) has called on the Federal Government to ensure  adequate supply of energy and subsidise electricity consumption, diesel and black oil in order to revive the sub-sector.

    In a communiqué issued this year’s  industrial relations seminar in Enugu, its National President, Comrade Ambi  Karu,  called on the government to tackle the insecurity in the country.

    According to him, it has hindered investors and stopped the movement of finished goods to the northern part of the country.

    The communiqué read in part: “Government should step up efforts to ensure adequate supply of energy and subsidise electricity consumption, diesel and black oil that are used in the factories.

    “Government should tackle the insecurity in the country that has hindered investors and stopped the movement of finished goods to the northern part of the country.

    “Government should reduce duties on chemicals and dyes-tuff and lift the embargo on the payment claims on Export Expansion Grant (EEG). Government should implement the recommendations of the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment that Nigerian officials and all our Military, Para-Military and Agencies should use made-in-Nigeria textiles”.

    The government through the Ministry of Labour and productivity, Karu said,  should ensure that workers are given free hand to unionise without undue interference from managements, adding that the government should implement its recommendations contained in the team analysis document presented from the office of the Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment on ‘How Nigeria can revive her cotton, textiles and garment sub-sector’.

    In a related event, unions have been urged to organise their practices in order defend the rights of workers and the Nigerian masses. The President, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade Oladele Hunsu, disclosed this during a three-day capacity building and skills development workshop organised by the union in Ilorin, Kwara State.

    Hunsu tasked members to organise to save the movement from collapse, adding that the “union’s effort should go beyond organising workers in the factory and organise ways to save the industry”.

  • How to tackle insecurity, by Belgore

    How to tackle insecurity, by Belgore

    Kwara State  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain  Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN) has reflected on the security situation, urging Nigerians to support government’s efforts.

    He said the Boko Haram insurgency is a national headache, which can only be cured through collective effort.

    Belgore called on federal and state governments  to collaborate in the fight against terror.

    The governorship aspirant spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, at the official inauguration of the Jonathan  Actualisation Movement. His keynote address was titled: ‘Security challenges, peace and sustainable development in Nigeria.’

    He said: “When there is collaboration, problems are better addressed and solved. A good example is the current struggle against the Ebola virus that has unfortunately been dumped on us.”

    He pointed out that the Boko Haram crisis cannot be resolved by the President or Federal Governments without the assistance of Nigerians.

    Belgore added: “The collaboration between the Lagos State and the Federal Government has helped tremendously to curb what would have been a major national calamity. There have been no finger pointing, personal insults or abuses of any kind. The two parties have worked closely together and are now winning the battle.

    “There is a big lesson for us all in this, as we combat the Boko Haram menace. That lesson is that, if we work together, we can overcome all the security challenges we currently have.”

    The legal luminary called on the government to also address the “main causes of insecurity,” which  include “youth idleness due to mass unemployment, lack of hope for a better tomorrow, religious fanaticism, desperation, ignorance, exploitation, misguidance, indiscipline, poor leadership and societal influence.”

    Belgore said: “Government must come off the thinking that giving N20,000-a-month-job to a few  youths would ebb their restiveness.

    “We have to provide our youths with gainful employment that will keep them away from all antisocial activities. Employing a few thousands youths and paying them a stipend like N20,000 per month is not it. There needs to be massive job creation to employ millions of people,” he added.

    “Both the federal and state governments need to work together on the creation of our own equivalent of the ‘Marshal Plan’ that was established in Europe after the second World War to put the millions of people back to work.”

    Belgore urged the government to bring  to bring perpetrators of crimes to book to reduce the culture of tcrime.

    He added: “We shouldn’t just be tough on Boko Haram and their likes, on cultism, kidnapping and urban violence, we should dig deep and be tough on the causes of such crimes. This is not to suggest that there is any valid justification for those crimes, but, we should critically examine societal problems that make young men and women easy preys to such crimes – issues of unemployment, falling moral standards, declining parental responsibility, and decaying educational system.

    “Addressing the crime without addressing their possible causes would merely be scratching the problem on the face. It would not make for a lasting solution.”

  • ‘I ‘ll tackle insecurity in Adamawa’

    ‘I ‘ll tackle insecurity in Adamawa’

    Adamawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa spoke with reporters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on his ambition and plan for the state. Excerpts:

    How are you preparing for PDP primaries?

    We have secured waivers. Now, we are preparing for primaries. There is a provision in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) constitution, which says all members who aspire to run for any office, whether the party’s position or actual government or elective positions, should have spent a minimum of two years,  failing which they will not be able to run, unless they are granted a waiver for this position.

    When the former chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, became the chairman, you will recall the party structures were dissolved and new congresses were organised for the party and all those new members that crossed over from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) spent less than two months and were deemed qualified to run in the congresses and today, they remain in elective positions.

    Nobody asked them for waiver and none was given. Based on that,  we had full confidence that waiver will not be an issue. In  any case, another fundamental thing is that almost everybody in the party will ask for waiver because a fresh registration took place at that time and so, you will find out almost everybody has spent less than two years in the party.

     What are your plans for Adamawa State, if you are elected as governor?

    By the grace of God and because of  the fear of God, our deep sincerity and commitment, our capacity for hard work , our propensity to excel and care for the downtrodden, those things that I did in Borno and Lagos states,  I will multiply them because you have to build on previous records. My state is unfortunately at the bottom of the ladder of all states due to unsatisfactory leadership.

    All the indices of progress beginning from security in the Northeast, I will bring to bear my background, my training, my experience and capacity to face squarely these  challenges  and, by the grace of God, working with other stakeholders and security agencies,  we should bring this issue of insecurity to a successful resolution. I am not saying that I General Marwa will resolve all these challenges, I am saying with my experience I will contribute meaningfully towards the resolution of these issues, having been governor in the same Northeast.

     What is your view on consensus candidacy?

    I think  we have to be very careful with the word consensus. The word, by definition, is an understanding of agreement reached among contestants, not somebody foisting it . Fine, if the issue of consensus is to be contemplated, there is absolutely nobody who wants to go through the rigour  or stress. But,  having said that, I know the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a party that wants the electoral process to be properly followed and this has happened in Ekiti, and Osun states and there is no reason why the same process should not  be followed  in Adamawa State.

    Are you afraid of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s entry into the race?

    The word must be carefully examined. When  you say afraid, maybe, other people  are afraid of Marwa. Maybe, that is what you mean. Nobody drafted anybody. Everyone of us willingly joined the race. It depends on what everybody has done.  The electorate will have the final say.

    Ahead of primaries, has there been interface among aspirants?

    I can confirm  that I have held meetings with few of the aspirants. It is a continuous process. There is absolutely no reason why all of us intending to build our state, if given the mandate, should not be talking to ourselves because we are not enemies. We built  the Adamawa State PDP and  I will remain in the PDP.

     

  • How to end insecurity, poverty, by lawyers

    How to end insecurity, poverty, by lawyers

    The Ebola did not scare lawyers away from the 54th Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General  Conference in Owerri, the Imo state capital, last week.  No fewer than 7000 of them, including House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), gathered to examine the theme: Nigeria, a 100 years after. The highlight of the event was the passing of the NBA leadership baton from Mr Okey Wali (SAN) to Mr Augustine Alegeh (SAN), who unveiled some  reforms in his agenda. JOSEPH JIBUEZE reports.

    It is a gathering which lawyers look forward to yearly. Since this year’s annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) coincided with the country’s centenary celebrations, its theme was: Nigeria, a 100 years after.

    Not even the fear of Ebola could scare the lawyers from attending the conference on large number.  No fewer than 7000 of them were in conference.

    President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), opened the week-long event, which was chaired by former Head of State  Gen. Yakubu Gowon. A historian, Dr George Kwanashie gave the keynote address.

    The conference featured a showcase session with discussions by Delta and Imo State governors Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and Owelle Rochas Okorocha on the topic: Nigeria’s biggest problem: Corruption or impunity?

    NBA subdivisions, such as Judges Forum, Section on Business Law, Section on Legal Practice, Section on Public Interest and Development Law, Human Rights Institute, British-Nigeria Law Forum, Military Law Forum, Academic Forum, Women Forum, Corporate Council Forum, Young Lawyers Forum, Lawyers in the Legislature Forum, Lawyers in the Media Forum and NBA Anti-Corruption Commission, also held separate sessions.

    Delivering the president’s speech, Adoke said security agencies  were working hard to check the activities of Boko Haram  and prevent the sect from spreading its tentacles to other parts of the country.

    “The challenges are enormous and all Nigerians must appreciate the difficult circumstances under which our security forces are operating.

    “Government has, however, insisted that the war against terrorism and insurgency must be fought without sacrificing the tenets of the rule of law,” he said.

    The minister explained why President Jonathan asked for $1 billion to fight terror.

    “It is beyond doubt that a lot resources are needed to equip and re-train our security forces for this challenge. This request for the sum of $1billion recently made to the National Assembly is to enable government to fully equip our armed forces for the war against terrorism and insurgency…”

    He urged Nigerians to remain united and to appreciate that terrorism is a global phenomenon which requires concerted efforts of all nations of the world.

    “Equally important is the need to forge a united front to combat the common enemy. Terrorists would rather have us divided along sectional, religious and political lines as the division would not only help their cause, but also further diminish our efforts to collectively and effectively wage war against them,” he said.

     

    ‘I see worsening poverty’

    Tambuwal said the common man’s life is yet to experience any positive change, despite a purported economic growth, which he attributed to what he called “a circle of error.”

    “We suffer gross infrastructural deficit. We are growing our socio-political and economic institutions with perplexing reluctance.

    “Our overall economic growth and indices speak contrastingly with our human development indices, yet true development is people-centered.

    “When we celebrate magnificent growth indices in the face of worsening abject poverty, the true implication must be that there is something fundamentally wrong.

    “What the nation needs desperately now is to extricate itself from this circle of error and I dare say that we possess the capacity to do so,” Tambuwal said.

    He said although he is part of government, he speaks on “governance failings” because he believes “the greatest disservice that man can do to himself and society is to indulge in self deceit.”

    “If I see magnificent growth indices and after traversing our rural communities what I see is worsening poverty I should have the courage to tell myself the truth no matter how bitter,” he said.

     

    “Nigeria is not a lightweight”

    For Gen. Gowon, despite the country’s challenges, Nigeria deserves regard for having existed for 100 years.

    “Without argument, any nation or institution that attains the century landmark cannot be seen a lightweight. Neither can it be treated with disrespect, regardless of whether or not the positive achievements in society outweigh the challenges of nation building or vice-versa,” Gowon said.

    He, however, admitted that there is still a long way to go. “Nigeria at 100 years of age has not achieved its full potential,” he said.

    Part of the problem, he said, is a conflict of ideologies. “For me, the issue is not to say who is right or wrong but what is right or wrong.

    “One of the issues that may not easily lend itself to easy resolution in this regard is the conflict of ideologies between liberal democracy and sharia… I am confident that the conflict can and should be resolved by the reconciliation of both ideologies,” he said.

    Chief Solomon Asemota (SAN), said the two ideologies must be reconciled in the country’s interest.

    “We must celebrate our diversity and fight to enshrine national unity and reconciliation, factors that are necessary in shaping Nigeria’s two ideologies Islam and liberal democracy and the relationships between them.

    “The Sharia proponents, as has been shown are at war with the Constitution.  There is need therefore for reconciliation of the two ideologies if it is possible,” he said.

    On how to achieve such a reconciliation, he suggested: “For the future peace and development of Nigeria that would include industrial revolution, the NBA must promote the following actions:

    “(1) Draft two bills for the consideration of the political parties viz: (I) Reconciliation Commission Bill very much like the Truth Commission Act of South Africa with emphasis on Ideology and Reconciliation; (II) A Constituency Assembly Bill with emphasis on Ethnic Representation in which every Ethnic Nationality must have not less than one and not more than ten representatives.

    “These two drafts should be sent to all the political parties interested in the 2015 elections for their consideration and the political parties should eventually make same the bases of their campaign,” he said.

     

    Okorocha’s unique economic theories

    The showcase session featured Uduaghan and Okorocha, who thrilled guests with their sense of humour.

    Uduaghan said anger is at the heart of Nigeria’s problems, including insecurity. He urged politicians to get rid of anger and watch things change for good.

    According to him, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has become the “Angry Peoples Congress” because it is where those angry with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) go to.

    “When you’re angry with the PDP, you go to APC. That is what is happening now,” Uduaghan said.

    But Okorocha, who is in APC, disagreed. “Let me say to my colleague: I’m not angry,” he said, adding that Nigeria is in need of good leadership.

    There was a mild drama when Okorocha’s speech was interrupted as Uduaghan got up to leave. It was while the Imo governor was highlighting his state’s “meagre” allocation compared to what the likes of Akwa Ibom and Delta get.

    Okorocha spoke about governors who are “executive cashiers” and those who create wealth, saying government is not about awarding contracts but transforming the common’s man’s life.

    He also explained the economic principle of “Rochonomics”, “Kwashiokorism” and “Ohasierism” which he propounded.

    He said: “Rochonomics is an economic theory for the supersonic transformation of the country,” he said. According to him, Nigeria has a “big head” with a “bulging tummy” and tiny legs.

    “Nigerian economy is suffering from what we call kwashiokorism. It’s not balanced. Let me ask you, gentlemen: if you see a woman with a big head, bulging tummy and feeble legs, you will not marry her. But if you see a woman with a small head, moderate tummy with a big balance, you will marry.

    “That’s why nobody can marry Nigerian economy. That calls for systematic devolution of power to shed this big head, bring it back to the legs so it can move fast.

    “That is what is called Ohashierism (meaning Oha siere ofu onye, ofu onye agaghi ericha) (A person cannot finish the food cooked by many people).”

    According to him, most leaders do not have the vision or the passion to move the country forward, adding that a man who cannot manage resources cannot manage a nation.

    “You cannot give what you don’t have. You cannot go beyond your capacity. That is why we must allow people who have the vision to lead us irrespective of where they come from.

    “Governance is not about Federal allocation. It’s about ability to create wealth. Any leader who cannot make sacrifice has no business in governance,” Okorocha said.

     

    Alegeh’s ‘populist’ policies

    A new NBA leadership led by Augustine Alegeh (SAN) was inaugurated. The new NBA President reversed some of the policies he inherited from the outgoing president Okey Wali (SAN).

    First, he said all lawyers who have been verified in the NBA Data Base shall be issued with NBA Identification Cards.

    The card would contain name of the lawyer, photograph and Supreme Court Enrolment Number. The card would also function as a payment card for ATM, POS and online transactions.

    The card would entitle a lawyer to a variety of discount and other packages negotiated by NBA. The best news is that the card would be issued free of charge to lawyers.

    Alegeh also reduced Bar practising fees by 10 per cent for all lawyers except SANs.

    He surprised the packed hall by slashing the association’s conference fees by 40 per cent from what was paid for the 2014 conference.

    Alegeh condemned what he described as the “secret shrouded” appointment of judges, and called for a system that is more transparent where merit rather than cronyism is the basis for appointments and promotion of judicial officers.

    “The fight to rid the judiciary of corruption would remain a mirage unless and until the appointment and promotion system is reviewed.

    “We cannot expect judicial officers appointed through the back door to be incorruptible especially at this time when those who arranged the appointments have retired but rather than stay quietly at home to enjoy their retirement, now masquerade themselves as consultants in cases where they have never seen the court processes.

    “Their main claim to fame and consultancy fees remains the fact that the judge is ‘my boy’. This is utterly disgraceful. It should be discouraged. It should be condemned,” Alegeh said.

    He called for the passage of the several justice sector bills pending before the National Assembly, which, when passed, would enhance justice delivery system in Nigeria.

    On the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), he said: “A child conceived at the same time as our PIB would have finished school, started work and be married with children by this time.

    “Countries that came to Nigeria to get a peek at our PIB when it was conceived has since passed and amended their PIBs several times.

    “We are a country dependent essentially on petroleum and yet our National Assembly is playing poker with our collective fortunes and future.

    “I believe we still have men of integrity, courage and valour at the National Assembly and I call on them to take up the challenge of ensuring that the PIB is passed without further delay,” Alegeh said.

    He expressed doubts that the $1billion being sought for the military would have any positive effect on the war against insurgency.

    “It is surprising that the military only realised in the middle of the insurgency that they had no weaponry. Strange, indeed!

    “The military should at least help locate and free the Chibok girls to redeem our collective pride. That is the least we expect from our military,” he said.

     

    Lawyers conquer Ebola fear

    Prior to the conference, there were calls that it should be cancelled to prevent the spread of Ebola. However, all participants were screened for the virus before being allowed into hall, while hand sanitisers were provided.

    Lawyers were not afraid to shake hands and hug each other. It was as if Ebola was not a factor.

    “We must also thank God for keeping Ebola away from this conference,” Alegeh said.

    However, lawyers complained of not receiving conference materials in time, despite the “high fees” charged by Wali’s administration. Besides, nearly all the sessions started behind schedule.

     

    Statutory reports

    A highlight of the conference was the annual general meeting, where NBA announced that it has a cash balance of over N131million in its account.

    Statutory reports were also presented by the Council of Legal Education, Legal Aid Council, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

    The Nigerian Law School said it would not close down its unfenced campuses in Kano State and Yola in Adamawa State due to insurgency in the Northeast.

    The Council of Legal Education (CLE) has been under pressure to close the campuses following the kidnap of the school girls in Chibok, Borno State, on April 15.

    The two campuses are said to be unfenced, making them even more vulnerable

    But the Law School Director-General, Olanrewaju Onadeko, said so far, there has been no incident that justifies the fear expressed about those campuses.

    He said the management had embarked on fencing of the campuses “to forestall their apparent vulnerability”.

    Onadeko said: “We have also secured the support of the Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff and the State Security Services for the deployment of plain clothes officers and men to the precincts of all our campuses.

    “Within our modest means, we have also acquired and deployed modern security gadgets at all campuses. We also have in place CCTV camera at strategic locations on the advice of our security experts to aid the operation of our security personnel.”

    Onadeko said the Law School is also faced with the challenge of violation of admission quota by law faculties of universities.

    He also bemoaned increased number of applicants from “foreign universities” such as those in the Republic of Benin, Ghana, Cameron, Saotome and Principe, among others. He said the school would admit only law graduates from faculties whose programmes are recognised by the Council of Legal Education.

    “There is a moratorium on recognition of programmes of new foreign faculties in place,” he said.