Election as war
THE 2015 general election will no doubt go down in history as the most fiercely contested and intriguing. The build up to the poll gave a picture that it was going to be a make or mar election with the then ruling party Peoples Democratic Party and its arch rival (now the ruling party), the All Progressives Congress (APC) harping on each other’s inadequacies before, during and after the April 11 election.
Widespread violence was recorded in several parts of the country with casualties on both sides of the two leading political parties. In Lagos, not a few people were dispatched to their early graves while several others sustained various degrees of injuries during the electioneering campaign.
In January, Agege and Alimosho areas of Lagos State witnessed bloody clashes involving suspected PDP thugs who attacked APC members. The clashes left two persons dead with many sustaining injuries.
Apparently jittery at the momentum gained by APC, some suspected thugs again engaged APC members in the Obalende area of Lagos Island in March. The encounter left not a few members of the then opposition party with injuries and fractured bones.
As if that was not enough, the orgy of violence assumed a frightening dimension in Rivers State where many members and chieftains of APC were either brutalized or murdered.
Those killed include: Precious Dimari Pepple; Hope Allison, Emenike Obulor Sampson Oreke, George Eweh, Nwabueze Robinson, Clever Orukwowu, Miss Ada Wele, Saturday Lekia, Divine Dimkpa; Chima Uchendu; Ezekiel Thompson; Daniel okiridu, Paul Adube, Sampson Okike, Aduche Odinionwu; Chukwuebuka Mbamalu and Beatrice ledum Deadum.
Others are: Cyracus Wobodo; Christopher Adube and his two sons – Lucky and John Adube; his brother, Iyke Ogarabe and his driver, Samuel Chukwunonye.
The build up to the poll also brought in its wake attempts by the PDP to have the election postponed as top party officials and presidential aides canvassed postponement even when the electorate was more than ready to fulfill their civil obligation.
The election was eventually postponed from February 14 to March 28(presidential /Legislative) and April 11 (governorship) amid various litigations by partisan interests to discredit the umpire, INEC, over the use of the card reader device.
Boko Haram: Taming the terror
For the better part of the year, the fight against terrorism continued as Boko Haram insurgents carried out deadly attacks in motor parks, towns and villages in Northeast states like Borno, Yobe and Adamawa as well as Abuja.
On November 18, 2015, scores of people were killed in a deadly bomb attack at Tipper Garage in Jambutu along Jimeta bypass,Yola, Adamawa State. No fewer than 80 persons were injured in the explosion which occurred at about 7.20 pm.
The orgy of dastard killings by the terrorist group continued on October 2, 2015, multiple explosions rocked Kuje area of Abuja leaving many people dead and scores injured.
The spate of attacks continued on October 4, 2015 as bomb blasts swept through some communities in Borno State as residents fled their homes.
The attacks notwithstanding, the new administration which assumed office after President Goodluck Jonathan was voted out of office, renewed hope for an end to Boko Haram activities with a mandate for the military to terminate insurgency by the end of December.
To curry international support for the fight against insurgency, Buhari travelled to France, United States of America, among others. The trips yielded fruits as the US pledged $5 million to support the fight against terrorism.
On his return to Nigeria, President Buhari mapped out strategy to contain Boko Haram activities with the establishment of a Joint Multinational Force with neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger and Cameroon, while the Nigerian armed forces were mandated to take the battle to the terrorist group’s den.
The military have since given their all to the presidential mandate by taking the battle to the doorsteps of the insurgents in their camps spread across the Northeast where the insurgents had swayed without hindrance during the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The efforts yielded relative results as the enclave of the notorious group inside Sambisa forest and hideout in villages were destroyed while a number of their equipment and ammunition and captives were also destroyed, confiscated and rescued respectively.
Continuous search for Chibok girls
When the sleepy town of Chibok town was attacked in April 2014 and more than 276 innocent girls abducted by the Boko Haram sect from their dormitories in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, many had thought that it was a matter of time that the girls would be reunited with their parents. Unfortunately, the last administration led by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan foot dragged and the girls have since remained in captivity.
While the last administration led by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was accused of not doing enough to free the girls, the pessimism expressed by President Muhammadu Buhari during the first anniversary of the abduction of the more than 200 girls sent jitters through the spines of many Nigerians.
The President was quoted to have said: “As we remember the kidnap of the girls, it is time to reflect on the pain and suffering of the victims, their friends and families on account of the heinous crime…we do not know if the Chibok girls can be rescued. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
“As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find them. But I say to every parent, family member and friend of the children that my government will do everything in our power to bring them home.”
Among the efforts made by the Nigerian government to see that the girls return to their parents was the encouragement given to Nigerian soldiers in their incursion into Sambisa forest where the girls are believed to have been kept by the militant Bokom Haram sect.
While it would appear that the hope of bringing them back is bleak, the present administration has also sought the cooperation of neighbouring countries. The President visited Niger, Chad and later Cameron as part of his efforts in searching for the girls. The visits have paid off with the success recorded so far against the sect.
Multinational taskforce has been put in place more or less with headquarters in Ndjamina and with a Nigerian General as Commander. The troops delegated by each of the countries are to be put in place by the end of the month.
Although it is more than a year since the girls were taken away, Chibok girls remains an issue in the outgoing year because more than before, the terrorists became more daring as they are believed to be using them as suicide bombers. Most of the bombings that have taken place in the northern part of the country are suspected to have been carried out by the hapless girls.
Aside the military option, President Muhammadu Buhari had considered the option of releasing some Boko Haram fighters in detention in exchange for the return of the schoolgirls. He told AFP in an interview during a visit to Paris that he was confident “conventional” attacks by the group would be rooted out by November. But he cautioned that a spate of recent deadly suicide attacks, some of them waged by children, were likely to continue.
He said that the few (insurgents) that were being held could be used to negotiate the release of Chibok girls.
“If the Boko Haram leadership eventually agrees to turn over the Chibok girls to us – the complete number – then we may decide to give them (the prisoners) amnesty,” Muhammed Buhari was quoted to have said during his visit to Paris.
Rivers as election killing field
Barring the Supreme Court’s reversal of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday that a rerun of the governorship election in Rivers State be conducted, the days of the sitting governor, Nyesom Wike are numbered as the chief executive of the state. In a 110-page ruling delivered by Justice M.B. Dongban-Mensem the Court of Appeal ruled that the election of Nyesom Wike did not conform with the electoral act and therefore ordered a rerun within 90 days. The judgment was an affirrmation of an earlier one delivered by the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal, which ordered that the election should be rerun because Wike was not validly elected.
Although the Wike camp has cried foul and threatened to take the case to the Supreme Court, not many who were familiar with the huge death tolls that were recorded during the polls in Rivers State were surprised at the judgment. Scores of people were reckoned to have lost their lives during the governorship election that produced Wike on April 12 while scores of other hapless voters were injured. The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Dakuku Peterside and his party had described the election as a charade that would not stand the test of time.
A commission of enquiry constituted by the state government in April 2015 while Hon. Rotimi held sway as governor to probe politically-motivated killings and destruction of properties before and during the 2015 general elections.indeed said a monthly average of 19 killings occurred in the state between November 2014 and April 2015. At the presentation of the final draft of the report to the Rivers State Government, the commission noted that out of the 97 allegations of killings it received, 94 of them occurred between November 15, 2014, and April 11, 2015.
“This report reaffirms that no state or country should allow a repeat of such violence in the name of politics,” said Chidi Odinkalu, a professor of Law and chairman of the commission.”It also shows how and why Rivers State and Nigeria must end impunity for political violence.”
Anti-corruption war: Cleaning the ‘augean stables’
Majority of the people who were bent on stopping President Muhammadu Buhari from becoming the president were politicians who had one thing or the other to hide, and they knew Buhari’s tough stance on corruption. Buhari started his fight against corruption with the inauguration of an advisory committee on anti-corruption war.
He said he was going to step on big toes, and true to his resolve, he is already stepping on a lot of them.
The war against corruption started with some members of his party. The The Senate President, Dr. Olusola Saraki, was the first to taste the bitter pill. He was docked by the Code-of-Conduct Tribunal; an action many had thought was impossible before now. Gosday Orubebe, one of the strongest supporters of former President Jonathan, who nearly scuttled the election, also has a case with the CCT.
The Treasury Single Account was also introduced to block loopholes that civil servants and politicians had exploited in looting the public treasury. The policy has exposed many politicians and civil servants who had in the past defrauded the government.
Though the Acting-Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has denied that the exit of former EFCC boss Larmode had something to do with the alleged corruption in the agency, many believe that Buhari’s resolve to sanitize the agency was one of the reasons Lamorde had to leave.
Buhari’s anti-corruption war peaked with the arrest of some former aides of President Jonathan. The arraignment of a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; a former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; Bafarawa’s son, Sagir on charges bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust by the EFFCC revealed the extent to which the country’s economy has been looted. With the way things are going, many influential Nigerians may go to jail if found guilty.
The EFFC has accused the six of diversions, misappropriation and breach of public trust in respect of N19.4 billion. They were arraigned on 22-count charge.
Also being probed are those who were involved in the N1.2 billion pension scam. The probe has also been extended to many institutions around the country.
While Buhari’s war against corruption has been criticized by some people, one thing that cannot be denied is that he is winning the war. Reports say that charter airlines operating in Nigeria have been losing at least half a billion naira monthly since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power and started his anti-corruption crusade.
In the last four months, investigation revealed, 10 charter airlines have lost a combined revenue of $10.395m (N2.048bn).
One of the forces he has to contend with in prosecuting the war is the judiciary. He once said: “Government’s attempts to recover such assets in accordance with the law are often faced with dilatory tactics by lawyers sometimes with the apparent collusion of judges.
“These tactics are often not directed at reaching any conclusion or affirming innocence or guilt, but at stalling trials indefinitely, thus denying the state and the accused person the opportunity of a judicial verdict.
“I wish to echo the sentiments of the vast majority of Nigerians in saying that we cannot afford to continue on this path.”
With Buhari’s anti-corruption war, the urge to loot government treasury is gradually losing appeal among civil servants and other public office holders.
Economic downturn: Era of belt tightening
There are different factors that define an economy. First, is its currency, followed by its foreign exchange reserves. For Nigeria, both factors are in red and need urgent fixing. The country, which has crude oil receipts accounting for 96.8 per cent of its total exports, the continued slide in oil prices poses a huge threat to the stability of the economy.
Brent crude price declined to $35 per barrel on December 11th, its lowest price since February 2009, before increasing to $38.45pb on December 15th. This has adversely affected almost all indicators in the economy.
For the naira, it has been a tough road to survival. At the parallel market, the local currency depreciated by 8.44 per cent to N270/ dollar on the 16th of December, touching a new all time low. At the interbank market, the naira remained relatively stable and appreciated marginally by 0.53 per cent to N197.49/ dollar. The external reserves level declined during the review period by 2.25 per cent ($680 million) to $29.48 billion as at December 15.
Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Limited, Bismarck Rewane, said that for the sake of the naira, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has continued to checkmate liquidity needs in the economy through various monetary measures like the weekly sale of dollars to Bureaux De Change Operators, Open Market Operation (OMO), the Monetary Policy rate (MPR), Net Open Position (NOP) and most recently the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR).
Rewane said despite these measures to reduce pressure on the local currency, it has continued to come under severe pressure from internal and external factors.
Inflation has also been affected. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, headline inflation increased marginally from 9.3 per cent in October to 9.4 per cent in November (year-on-year). The marginal rise was driven primarily by higher food prices and transportation costs that resulted from fuel shortages. The average inflation of the year so far is 8.99 per cent.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index also lost 2.41 per cent to close at 26,950.76 on December 15th and has a year-to-date decline of 22.29 per cent. Total market capitalization decreased by 2.32 per cent to N9.327 trillion due to he investor sell-offs in the face of weak outlook.
The Managing Director, Afrinvest West Africa Plc, Ike Chioke belives the incorporation of a long term diversified strategy in fiscal policy is required to deliver the cushioning support for shocks in various segments of the economy.
For him, the persistent pressure on the naira could have been minimized if a counter cyclical fiscal policy is developed, as the CBN cannot continue to defend the naira with foreign reserves. “To reduce this pressure, an inward looking policy (tax incentives, infrastructure development and production subsidy) should be emphasized to reduce the dependence on imported goods,” he said.
Asides from oil receipts, the development of the Agricultural sector will in the short term reduce the foreign exchange burden of food imports and over the long term enhance foreign receipts if its comparative advantage in the sector is efficiently deployed.
Kidnappers, bank robbers, vandals on the prowl
Three robbery cases in Lagos in 2015 will in a long time to come continue to be an issue. The attacks on banks in Ikorodu, Agbara and Ajah were probably the most daring and deadly. During the raids, the robbers operated as if there were no security agencies in the country. The robbers did not only cart away money, they also sniffed lives out of innocent Nigerians. What many find difficult to explain is that the manners of their escape were similar. At the end of each of the robbery cases, the criminals escaped via waterways.
Kidnapping is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria. It was prevalent in the South-South and South-East, before it shifted to the South West during the year.
Only a few days ago, a gang of kidnappers released the bishop of Lagos Central Diocese of Africa Church; Rt Rev Gabriel Adebanjo, after an undisclosed sum was paid as ransom. Rather than release his wife who was kidnapped with him, the kidnappers chose to trade the woman for another ransom by not freeing her. The kidnappers had not stated their demands at the time of this report.
The robbery incidents and kidnapping cases in the outgoing year are not different from those of the past years. The only difference is that an issue that appeared to be alien to the South West became an issue.
Although there were several cases of kidnapping in the outgoing year, the case of the former presidential candidate of the Alliance for Democracy in 2003 and a chieftain of Afenifere, Chief Olu Falae, received more attention than any other for three reasons. First was the personality involved, the second was that the incident took place in the South West and thirdly, the kidnappers struck on the old man’s 77th birthday.
Also in Ondo State, the pastor of Apostolic Faith Church, Ilepa, Ikare-Akoko, Akoko North East Local Government Area, Ondo State, Rev. Japhet Obafemi was also kidnapped by suspected Fulani herdsmen, like Falae. He regained his freedom 10 days later.
As if medical doctors are different species of human beings, kidnappers also descended on medical doctors during the year, prompting the Nigerian Medical Association in Ekiti State to announce the suspension of emergency services across hospitals in the state.
Also in Ekiti State, a female lecturer at the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti and two women were kidnapped early in the year; a phenomenon which many considered alien in this part of the country.
The woman, Sade Alade, was travelling with her husband and the other two yet to be identified women when the suspected kidnappers ambushed their 4-wheel drive vehicle and ordered the man out of it. The abductors drove away with the three women afterwards.
In Lagos, a nanny made away with two babies she was supposed to be tendering.
As kidnappers descended on doctors in Ekiti, the same scenario played out in Rivers State. A medical doctor, Azubike Okara of the General Hospital, Emohua, Port-Hacourt, Rivers State was kidnapped while two other medical doctors with him were shot. Okara’s kidnap in the state was one case out of many that took place in the state in the outgoing year.
Although the family of Falae had to part with N5 million before he was released, not many of the victims were so lucky. Precisely 105 days after he was kidnapped, the decomposing body of Dr Paul Erie, a lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State was exhumed in the forest between Orhionmwon and Igueben Local Councils where he was buried by his captors after he allegedly died in their hands.
While the murder of Erie was tragic, the situation of Samson Siasia, coach of the Nigeria U-23 football team, was pathetic. His 72- year-old mother was kidnapped while he was preparing for the tournament from which he hoped to pick a qualification ticket for the Rio Olympics. It was a complete distraction for him. It took the appeal of many Nigerians and security agencies before his mother was left off the hook.
Also in Kogi State, a 71-year-old American missionary, Reverend Phyllis Sortor, was abducted from a church academy compound in Emiworo, early this year. Although she was eventually released, the
Kogi State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Stephen Mayaki, was also kidnapped.
The outgoing year also saw the wife of the Managing Director of The Sun was kidnapped. It took the intervention of the media and security agencies to get Nwosu’s wife off the hook.
Under the immediate past administration, pipeline vandals had a field day, resulting in massive loss of crude oil and other petroleum products valued at N59.597 billion to pipeline vandalism .
The vandals took their nefarious business to the creeks of Lagos and other parts of the country, especially the Niger Delta region where they even engaged security agents in shootouts.
To checkmate the trend, security forces including the police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among other law enforcement agencies, were directed to contain the activities of the vandals and ensure security of oil installations across the states of the federation.
Fuel scarcity: Different strokes for different folks
Going by the promise made by the All Progressives Congress during the last election, many had thought that fuel scarcity would become a thing of the past, but the evil persists. While the government is making frantic efforts to make sure that Nigerians do not experience hardship, government’s efforts are like pouring water into a basket. The federal government had made available N413 billion to oil importers, unfortunately, due to stringent foreign exchange policy, many of the oil importers are finding it difficult to access foreign exchange.
Many of them confirmed receiving Sovereign Debt Notes which were submitted to the Debt Management Office for onward payment to their respective accounts.
It is an issue in the outgoing year because the crisis could linger till next year, especially with the revelation by the federal government that pump price of fuel will be increased to N97 in 2016. They said that the crisis may continue in 2016 if the relevant government agencies fail to take action.
The Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) issued an ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari to end the ongoing fuel scarcity.
The question many have continued to ask is why is it that the fuel scarcity lingers even when the Senate has approved the supplementary budget of President Muhammadu Buhari, increasing it from N465 billion to N574 billion to cover fuel subsidy claims?
The federal government has acceded to the requests of the oil marketers.
Pro-Biafra protests: Tension that later simmered down
Never has the agitation for Biafra been as serious as it has done this year since the end of the civil war in 1970. The struggle was championed by a young man, Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who set up an illegal radio station to champion the cause of the Igbo, especially the agitation for self determination. The radio station was mainly used to wipe up sentiment against the Nigerian government.
The group said the aim of the protest was unconditional release of the director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu and all other Biafrans in the zoo custody as well as their right to self-determination.
The radio aired anti-President Muhammadu Buhari’s programmes, which gave the Federal Government serious concerns with the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) jamming the station.
Kanu was eventually arrested by security agencies; a situation which sparked protests in some parts of South South and South East of the country, including Anambra and Onitsha and Aba
The propaganda paid off when the group shut down the city of Port Harcourt for many days. The success of the protest in Port Harcourt buoyed the group to take over the Onitsha Head Bridge. It took the intervention of soldiers and members of the JTF the second day before IPOB protesters were dislodged, but not until the protest had claimed the lives of two policemen and about eight IPOB members.
Right now, the group is battle weary. In one of it releases, the group said it was suspending protests because “we have decided to halt our demonstration,protest to pave way for the much publicsed dialogue on Nnamdi Kanu’s release. Our withdrawal from the major cities of Biafraland is not out of cowardice but to prove maturity, professionalism as a decent self-determined group.
“We hereby issue an ultimatum to the Federal Government to prove their seriousness and sincerity on the much published dialogue on the release of Nnamdi Kanu. We shall continue with our nonviolent self-determination on Biafra. MASSOB, IPOB will never relent or backside on the agitation for Biafra actualization. We condemn the stupidity, sabotage statement of Ralph Uwazuruike that IPOB, MASSOB introduced violence in Biafra struggle.”
Kanu got a reprieve on Wednesday when a Wuse Zone 2 Senior Magistrate Court in Abuja Wednesday struck out three count charge of criminal conspiracy, intimidation and belonging to unlawful society preferred against him.
