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Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • Rape in AAUA: Don’t compromise, students, ASUU tell police

    STUDENTS of the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko, (AAUA), Ondo State, are urging the police to carry out a thorough investigation as regards one of their own who was raped by a soldier.

    The victim, a 300-Level student of the Religious and African Studies Department, was molested on Wednesday, last week by one of the soldiers in the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigeria Army at a checkpoint on Ikare Akoko-Akungba-Akoko road.

    Though the soldier involved in the act have been dismissed by the Nigerian Army and handed over to the police, the students are insisting that the police must resume from where the military stopped in order to give Nigerian students, especially the victim, some relief.

    Akingbondere Tunde, a 200-Level Law undergraduate of AAUA, said the rape issue called for some questioning.

    He said: “The questions remain: ‘Is this obvious threat to life and human dignity not an aberration of the constitution? Are soldiers trained with our common wealth to constitute threat by championing a war against human dignity? How do we plan to get over a system that already gathered enemies as friends?

    “I stand to call this an insult on the integrity of Nigerian Army and a mockery of their roles and duties.”

    Akingbondere insisted that the Federal Government must compensate the victim and complement its gesture with a public apology to the entire students whose rights he believed, had been abused.

    Similarly,  Eyinkofe Anthony Ola, a 300 Level Educational Management undergraduate, described the act as ‘callous’, noting that such behaviour was against the constitutional duty of the Nigerian Army who are supposed to, among other things, protect the territorial integrity of the nation.

    Eyinkofe’s stance was corroborated by Akin-Ademola Emmanuel, a 200-Level student of Mass Communication.

    He said: “It is so bad that the executors of the law are now the breakers. I am challenging the government to bring the suspects to justice.”

    Obagunwa Oluwasegun Daniel, a 300 Level Student of Guidance and Counselling, pitched his tent with the trio.

    “Any form of intercourse in which any of the parties does not subscribe to is simply a rape. I will, therefore, suggest that the culprit face the music,” Obagunwa submitted.

    However, Akinyemi Ayomide Samuel, a 300-Level student of Mathematical Science, had a different opinion. According to her, the victim might have lured her molester.

    “She might have worn a skimpy cloth that aroused the military men sexually because she is not the only female in the car. I will urge ladies to stop exposing their body to public and to the military men. Rape is a bad thing and the perpetrator should be punished for the wrongdoings,” he added.

    Oyedokun Ayodele, a final year Mass Communication undergraduate, noted that it is quite unbecoming of security officers whose roles are to protect lives and properties to be involved in such act.

    “I don’t even know that men of the Nigerian Army can try such because it’s not something anyone can hardly think about them. However, the management (of AAUA) should follow up on the matter after the government have given their word concerning the prosecution of the solders. The Students’ Union should also play the role of being a pressure group and monitor the process of serving justice to the soldier involved in the rape allegation.” he added

    Olorunsaanumi Olowookere, a 300-Level student of the Department of Mass Communication, said: “The case is still under investigation and I like the way the management has responded to it.

    “I want SU to stage a walk against rape and carry all students along just to let the entire nation know what is happening here in AAUA,” he added.

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of AAUA, described the rape allegation as barbaric and wicked.

    A statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Sola Fayose, stated that the alleged act is “against anything called humaneness, decency, and civility.”

    The union, which acknowledged that the police and military authorities, had begun investigations into the matter, urged the two security agencies to fast-track the processes of investigation and prosecution of the suspects with a view to bringing them to book.

     

     

  • Why emotional intelligence matters

    If your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can’t have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.” – Daniel Goleman

    A friend narrated a story of his experience when he was abroad recently which triggered an intense conversation that forms the topic of my intervention today. He boarded a train and was in the same coach with a man and his children. Some of the children were visibly unruly disturbing the peace of other passengers. There were grumblings but no one accosted the man. A middle aged man eventually stood up, went to the seat next to the father of the children and held his hand, a gesture the father acknowledged with a grateful shake of the head. The man took the action without knowing if the father was dealing with issues.

    A young man, who felt that action was appeasing the father for wrong behaviour, eventually stood up and politely asked him to call his children to order. He simply looked at the young man and said: “They just lost their mother!” The entire coach was quiet and people started reaching out to console the man. Apparently, being young, the children didn’t know how to process the painful fact that they would never see their mother again. The gentleman that sat and held the hand of that distressed father is emotionally intelligent.

    A couple of years before my late father passed away, he came very late to the funeral of a prominent son of our village covered with blood stains. I was shocked when I saw him thinking something terrible had happened to him. But from his facial expression, he looked perfectly alright. It turned out he got to an accident scene and had to alight from the vehicle he was in with other passengers to assist the victims and help evacuate the wounded to the hospital. He even stayed with the dead until they were evacuated to the morgue. Incidentally, the wounded and the dead were also on their way to the same funeral.

    From that time until his death, I looked at my father with a special kind of respect and admiration that words cannot qualify. That he and the other passengers stopped to assist speaks volumes of their characters; others would have moved on, or probably call the concerned authorities to take it from there. But there is always something when we physically help those in need or the vulnerable in our societies. These two stories are examples of being emotionally intelligent.

    Prior to 1990, the term Emotional Intelligence (EI) belongs practically in uncharted territory. What we were familiar with was Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Scholars believe that to be truly successful in life goes far beyond being intelligent. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage personal emotions, as well as recognising, influencing and assisting others manage theirs. The term was first coined in 1990 by researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey, but was later popularised by psychologist Daniel Goleman.

    Goleman highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence, especially in leadership this way: “The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant. They do matter, but…they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions.”

    Over the years, EI has evolved into a must-have skill. A recent research by EI provider TalentSmart shows that emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of performance. As a result, employment consultants took notice. In a workplace survey by CareerBuilder, 71 percent of employers said they value EI over IQ, reporting that employees with high emotional intelligence are more likely to stay calm under pressure, resolve conflict effectively, and respond to co-workers with empathy.

    While I was busy writing this piece, I stumbled on a BBC documentary, “Secrets of Singapore” which explored the history of this small but remarkable country. Like Nigeria, Singapore is a melting pot of several ethnicities. One of those interviewed, whose great grandfather emigrated from India, narrated how the country had its fair share of ethnic, religious, economic and identity crises which it eventually surmounted with time. Though the documentary did not delve into politics and governance, the impact of one of its leaders, Lee Kwan Yew came straight to my mind. I had read how he transformed Singapore from a third to a first world which was captured in his book of the same title. The book clearly showed that Yew was an emotionally intelligent leader.

    It is therefore not surprising that corporate organisations tapped into the importance of EI in growing organisations because they discovered that intellect alone cannot get the job done. The good thing about EI is that it cuts across board; in essence, it applies to rich and poor, the leader and the led etc. Many of us believe great leaders are born, specifically, we attach certain characteristics to our version of what we believe is successful.

    So, what are the key traits most of us believe a leader should possess? Passion, vision, fearlessness, infallibility – might top the list of what is deemed as positive characteristics to define a leader. Great leaders are aware of their own leadership style. For them, having awareness of how their style influences their citizens (team) makes these already great leaders, exceptional. Truly great leaders identify, understand and not only manage their own emotions, but are able to do that with others in a very empowering way. This is what EI is all about.

    As I look around in my daily interactions, listen to the news and read newspapers, I’ve discovered that we as a people have deviated from the deep empathy that used to define our nation. I’d like to now identify some of the traits I believe a leader should imbibe in order to lead effectively. Leadership here cuts across board – politics, schools, public/private institutions, the home etc. Top on my list is compassion. Leaders who possess EI are compassionate, they strive to understand and feel what the people feel. They bring this compassion to bear in policy formulation.

    The EI leader, in my opinion, must also be an effective Communicator. He must share his vision or strategy often with those around him, so everyone is on the same page. This is because motivation comes from effective communication. This extends to being able to listen without judgment, keeping emotions under control and to ask questions when necessary to seek to understand.

    Self-awareness is also another crucial trait. Clarity on strengths and weaknesses is important for any leader to recognise. With self-awareness a leader can focus on the strengths he or she possesses by incorporating individuals who perform well in areas where the leader lacks astuteness. Having awareness includes understanding others and promoting their strengths. If a leader lacks awareness, this may encourage subordinates to take actions that are antithetical to the overall vision.

    An EI conscious leader should also be authentic. Lao Tzu once said: “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realise that you have enough, you are truly rich.” In essence, knowing oneself and acting from that truth draws people to the leader. Being real, making decisions that are in alignment with how a leader truly operates rarely requires second-guessing. Such leaders must understand their own values and be consistent in applying them. As part of that, the leader needs to possess the courage to hold true to them, without losing sight of reality.

    I must equally add respect. Respect is not just about others; the EI leader practices self-respect. How leaders treat themselves matters, because it is reflected back in the people they manage. Leaders who respects themselves and others do not speak disrespectfully at any time, even when mistakes happen. The way to get the best out of people is not through demeaning behaviour, but by respect, whether the person is a friend or foe.

     

  • Sowore and his ‘revolution’

    There is a lot in common between the spates of banditry that various gangs of outlaws have been unleashing against the lives and property of many law-abiding citizens and the latest political violence by the ranks of misguided urban youth recruited by Omoyele Sowore in pursuit of a “revolution”.

    Both groups seek to reap where they have not sown. They both share the desire to short-cut their way to satisfy inordinate urge to acquire wealth and power at the expense of innocent lives, property and ultimately, stability of the nation. The two groups resorted to self-help as a result of failure to “make it” from lawful endeavours.

    Sowore’s agenda for using the 2019 presidential elections to leap-frog from a political neophyte and a New York-based, self-exiled online journalist and publisher, generously supported by the American Ford Foundation and the Global Information Network to publish his Sahara Reporters, to a presidential candidate was never hidden.

    On arrival in 2018, he had boasted: “I am coming from New York and I have just arrived Nigeria to lead a movement to change power in the country. I have been doing activism for over 30 years; I have never done anything less than national politics. So, there is no less position. The position that is most important to Nigerians today is the position of the president. I am more than qualified. There is no need going to become a local government chairman, councillor or a senator when I can run the country as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

    Disguised as “political activism,” the ultimate objective of Sowore was “regime change” by creating confusion in Lagos, Abuja and other major urban centres across the country. His African Action Congress (AAC) special purpose vehicle easily fulfilled conditions for registration but the reality of political inconsequence was stark. Sowore came 10th in the presidential elections with 33,953 votes – far less than what an average local government contestant can record. President Muhammadu Buhari’s won the election with 15 million votes.

    Sowore’s next assignment was in fulfilment of his oft-expressed mission reflected in his choice of identity for his online platform, Sahara Reporters, “named less for geography than to symbolize his desire to kick up a storm across Nigeria.” He was no less truthful about his new mission by tagging it “#RevolutionNow”, knowing that Cambridge online dictionary defines revolution as “a change in the way a country is governed, usually to a different political system and often using violence or war”.

    The bottom line of the Sowore strategy is that he is now emerging in his true colours. He has now dropped all pretences of pro-democracy activism and dared to don the cap and cloak of an agent provocateur to undermine the stability of his fatherland because he has another country, US, to call his own.

    If he were genuinely “pro-democracy” he would have staked his resources in raising his political profile and winning more hearts and minds across Nigeria preparatory to the 2023 elections. Instead he has been spear-heading the hostile agenda of a foreign country to “kick up a storm across Nigeria” by instigating a revolution through which his foreign masters can infiltrate our country, to exacerbate unavoidable conflicts that will erupt.

    Sowore is certainly unsuitable and ill-equipped for office of a local government chairman and lacks the followership of less than half the 33,000 votes he allegedly scored, considering that virtually all those who voted for him were misled.

    A bold indication of his pedigree and partners was again flaunted when he visited the one steeped in dismembering Nigeria – Nnamdi Kanu, a man who jumped bail, betrayed his sureties and abandoned his “Biafra army” for the London haven provided by his foreign masters.

    Nigerians must always remember that we have been successfully operating a full-fledged democracy since 1999. When unpatriotic elements, devoted to the agenda of enemies of the sovereignty of our father land provoke them into so-called pro-democracy activism, confrontational street protests and “revolution”, they should ask them to form a political party and be a constructive contribution to building our democratic dispensation.

    All over the world, there is no civilized and accountable alternative system of government than democracy. It is because there can be no perfection in governance that democracy provides periodic opportunities for peaceful, transparent and systematic general elections into its institutions for the people to choose their representatives.

    Sowore’s oft-repeated credential is that he is an “activist”, but it only diminished his leadership qualifications beyond street protests. Today, his Africa Action Congress, the party he formed for his failed presidential bid has disowned him. His successor as national chairman, Leonard Nzenwa says of his bid: “We acknowledge the constitutional rights of citizens to peaceful protest against the government, but we are aware that this constitutional right does not include the right to resort to unconstitutional takeover of the government of the country or any part thereof.” Swooning from revolutionary stupor, Sowore insists: “I can run this country in my sleep.” He must be very busy now!

     

    • Donbruce runs an NGO in Asaba.

  • Random musing on ‘revolution’ (II)

    The law –for all its vaunted rectitude- has not always strictly been about what is ‘right’ or what is ‘wrong’. It has always been about what is permissible from what is not. Nor are the conventional norms regulating electoral democracy some kind of Mosaic tablet hauled down from Mount Sinai unto the Rock of Gibraltar. Whatever the majority in a democracy chooses, provided it is not inconsistent with the law and the constitution, that cannot be wrong. Plus the democratic majority has the liberty also to use its numbers to amend the law, -sometimes even to make it amenable to its shifting whims. The democratic minority may inquisition the lawful conduct of the majority, but it cannot contain, control or curtail it. The minority grouching about the lawful conduct of the majority is as ineffectual as what the English describes as ‘the howling of Irish wolves against the appearance of the moon’. This is a poignant metaphor revealing the limit of minority right, -that it’s right to a ‘say’ though necessary in a democracy, must not necessarily change a thing. It is such a cruel fate really that even if the democratic majority whimsically and capriciously steers the ship of state into troubled waters, all that the minority has the right to do is wail. It can scream, it can yell, but it dares not kick; because to kick is to resist the lawful discretion of the democratic majority and is tantamount to wanting to have a ‘way’.

    Charlie Boy’s ‘Resume or Resign’ campaign ignored this limit, until a whiff of the majority’s anger at Wuse Market missed him by the whiskers! They had had their ‘say’ just singing ‘our mumu don do!’ They should just have left it at that. They had no right to determine when the ‘mumu’ of the majority should be enough. The majority can choose to be wise or foolish –including also choose how long to remain so. Truth is the minority has no democratic right to make demands or give ultimatums. And so, the only ‘right’ that a ‘minority’ can have in a democracy, is strictly the right to ‘dissent’ without creating ‘dissension’; or the right to ‘disagree’ –without being ‘disagreeable’. As historian Daniel J. Boorstin would say: “A liberal society thrives on disagreement but is killed by dissension. Disagreers he said “seek solutions to common problems” but that dissenters seek power for themselves.” Having a ‘say’ in a democracy means that the minority can sing ‘we shall overcome’, but it cannot go ‘swinging’ physically to overcome.

    And maybe it is the reason that democratic minorities in their desperate bid to justify their right also to the expression of revolutionary anger, prefer the term ‘moral minority’ -suggesting that during seasons of anomie, when virtually all the normative values of a society appear to have broken down, even they can be avenging angels –arrogating the right to a revolutionary ‘way’ in addition to their right to a constitutional ‘say’ but truth is, not even a ‘moral minority’, outside the due democratic process, should have the justification or suffer the obligation either to save the ‘people’ from a political ‘affliction’ that they are determined to bear, or to confer on them a ‘relief’ that they are not disposed to regale in. It is the way of all ‘civilized’ democracies, that even self-righteous oppositions must be patient to bide their time with superior argument –not to seize opportune moments with lethal narratives, to subvert the system.  Or by the way, ‘morality’ too is what the majority says it is. Said the British philosopher A. N. Whitehead: “What is morality in any given time or place? It is what the majority then and there happen to like”.

    The power of the ‘people’ in a democracy to ‘freely’ elect or remove their governments is sacrosanct; and at no time and under no guise should it be abridged by any –even if for the reason that the people may not be sophisticated enough to handle it. The people may freely install ‘bad governments’ or even bring down ‘good’ ones, provided they do so through the due democratic process. Because it is in the periodic exercise of this power that they assert themselves as the repository and conferrer of political authority. And in addition to possessing this power –ad nauseam or ad libitum– the people also possess the right to exercise it however they wish! And maybe it is the reason John Patrick said democracy is “the right (even) to make the wrong choice.” Or as the 18th century poet and diplomat, James Russell Lowell said, that democracy) “gives every man a right to be his own oppressor”. Nothing is truer than that democracy is ‘four wolves’ and a ‘lamb’, voting on what to have for lunch.’ And that is just the way that the democratic ‘cookie’ crumbles. What the majority sows on election day the nation reaps in all the days of (mis)governance. It is neither in vain that the other name for democracy is ‘majority rule’ nor is it in vain that they say ‘the majority’ is always right’. Not in the sense of being morally truthful –but in the sense of being numerically correct. The ‘minority’ being a ‘tail’ in the democratic enterprise, is to be wagged by the dog. It has not the wherewithal to ‘wag’ the ‘dog’. But it still makes even moral sense that the ‘many’ alone should decide the fate of the ‘few’ and not that the few should decide the fate of the many.

    That is the nature of all democratic majorities, -that whether they are achieved by the simplest or suppermost of margins, they are bound always to get what they want -if not by right, then by might. When the majority exercises its constitutional right to approve a measure, that measure does not have to be the best; in fact it will not matter that it is the worst. Conversely when it rejects a measure, the measure does not have to be bad, or even the best. It is the reason that Lord Acton, the British historian said “The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority”. Call it dictatorship of the majority. Or the despotism of the ‘many’ over the subservience of the ‘few’. It is not necessarily in the merit of its choice or in the morality of its position that the majority is entitled to ride roughshod over the minority, it is merely in the greatness of its number. This rampaging power of the majority David Robertson said, has continued to be the concern of political philosophers “whether or not a majority vote really represents a positive preference, or simply a relative preference for one rather than another of a set of unpopular alternatives.”

    Whatever the law subordinates to the electoral process it has technically subjugated to the caprices of the democratic majority. Often in parliaments, some of the best legislative measures are voted down by the faintest –often un-discernable- ‘majority voice vote’. Fact is, no matter how the democratic minority dislikes the way the democratic majority governs, it only has recourse to the courts to challenge obvious breaches of the constitution, or to wait till the next election -or simply wail and wail. It is only in Nigeria that any partisan Tom, Dick or Harry can proclaim ‘Nigerians are tired of this government’; and then arrogate a most ludicrous entitlement to demand the resignation of the President.

    Sowore who had a measly 33,000 votes and whose party did not even win a council seat- said 85% of Nigerians (about 160million) supported his ‘RevolutionNow’! And he wanted a democratically elected president to vacate office, who won 16million votes and whose party won about 70% governorship seats, several hundred seats in parliament and hundreds and thousands of local government chairmanship and councillorship seats respectively. What Sowore wanted was that we sacrifice the will of the majority on the altar of his failed presidential ambition. And you wonder, who the American writer, Wyndham Lewis was referring to when he said “The revolutionary simpleton is everywhere”!

     

    • Concluded

  • Parents reward Mind Builders best with laptop

    The Parent -Teacher Forum of Mind Builders High School, Alausa, Ikeja, surprised the overall best graduating pupil, Moboluwaji Olajiga with a laptop during the school’s 2019 Valedictory Service and Graduation/Prize-Giving Day held at the school’s hall.

    The School’s Education Director, Mrs Bolajoko Falore, who told the boy to unwrap the gift at the event, said she was impressed with the PTF, chaired by Mrs Folake Albert for packaging such an expensive and resourceful gift at a short notice.

    She described Boluwaji as a thoroughbred Mind Builder’s pupil who started his pre-school education at the school.

    “The PTF has actually done very well with this.  It will motivate the SS1 and SS2 pupils to work hard.  Boluwaji started with Mind Builders from nursery school.  So this is a Mind Builders product from the scratch,” she said.

    In her speech, Mrs Falore advised the graduating SS3 pupils to appreciate the sacrifices of their parents.

    “Today would be a good day to hug them and thank them for supporting you, because as much as this is your achievement, it is also the achievement of people who care about you.  They want you to be your best and live up to your potentials.  Graduations can be seen as coming of age, a sort of official way to recognise when a person steps into the next stage of life, and graduates, ou are stepping into a new stage,” she said.

    Speaking on the theme: “Changing the World,” guest speaker at the occasion, Mrs Stella Okpala, said the graduating pupils had received quality education at the school to help make the world a better place.

    “At Mind Builders you have received quality education that emphasizes the need to love one another.  As you go into the world with your solid foundation, you will represent the change you want to see in the world.  We look forward to seeing among you the Nobel Laureate; next Orange Prize winner… our hope is that with the knowledge you gained, always remember you have within you the strength and passion with which to change the world,” she said.

    In an interview, Boluwaji, who also received 17 other prizes, said he had always excelled throughout his secondary education.

    “I feel blessed.  From JSS1 I was the best.  I was the best graduating pupil in primary school.  So I had the idea that I would be the valedictorian.  My parents did not believe in coming second,” he said.

    The 16-year old who wants to study Electrical/Electronics Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said he gained a lot from the school.

    “The school taught us a lot.  I was not very well behaved in junior school.  The level of academic standard is very high.  I am very grateful to the school because without them, I wont be where I am today,” he said.

     

  • UPDATED: Liverpool wins 2019 UEFA Super Cup

    Liverpool won the Super Cup for the fourth time in their history by beating Chelsea 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Istanbul.

    Goalkeeper Adrian kept out Tammy Abraham’s spot kick to secure victory for the Champions League winners.

    Chelsea had taken the lead in the first half through Olivier Giroud’s clinical strike but Sadio Mane scored twice to give Liverpool the lead.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Liverpool wins 2019 UEFA Super Cup

    Jorginho’s spot-kick took the game to penalties, where Liverpool triumphed.

    The win comes just two months after Jurgen Klopp won his first trophy as Liverpool boss when he led the Reds to a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Champions League final.

    Games between these two sides in Europe have historically been tight affairs, with just one of their 10 previous meetings having been won by a margin of more than one goal.

    It was the same again on Wednesday night as the two teams tussled for 120 minutes in a game that did not finish until almost 1am in Istanbul.

    In the end, it came down to who could keep their cool in the sweltering heat and after nine excellent penalties, Abraham placed his shot too close to Adrian to hand Liverpool their first silverware of the season.

    BBCSports

  • BREAKING: Liverpool wins 2019 UEFA Super Cup

    Liverpool have won the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, after defeating Chelsea 5-4 on penalties

    Tammy Abraham missed the decisive spot kick for Chelsea to gift the Reds the Super Cup

     

     

    Details Shortly……

  • El-Zakzaky asking for five-star hotel, refusing to stay in hospital, says FG

    The Federal Government has accused leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky of being unruly in India.

    It denied hindering his treatment, stating the sect leader was instead requesting for five-star attention during his medical trip.

    In a statement Permanent Secretary Ministry of Information and Culture, Grace Isu Gekpe, the federal government said since El-Zakzaky had a stop over in Dubai, he has been displaying ulterior motives against laid down procedures.

    It stated the situation became worse in India as the IMN  leader refused to subject himself to preliminary medical checks.

    The federal government said he was also demanding for free movement and access to visitors of all kinds as well as requested to be allowed to check into a five-star Hotel instead of being admitted in the hospital.

    The statement said:  “The Court on 5th August, 2019 granted Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky leave to travel to India for medical treatment.  Consequently, the Government and its relevant agencies took steps to comply with the Order.

    “In line with the Court Order, El-Zakzaky was approved to embark on the trip with State officials and his choice to be accompanied by his aides and personal Doctors was not opposed by the government.

    “On 12th August, 2019, he and other members of the entourage went to India via Dubai. It is to be noted that El-Zakzaky particularly chose Medanta Hospital, India. However, on reaching Dubai, El-Zakzaky began to display ulterior motives against laid down procedures.

    “He requested that his passport be handed over to him but the State officials would not budge to his pressure. The situation became worse in India as he refused to subject himself to preliminary medical checks.

    ” In addition, he demanded free movement and access to visitors of all kinds as well as requested to be allowed to check into a five-star Hotel instead of being admitted in the hospital.

    Read Also: El-Zakzaky begins treatment in India

    “The request was refused on the ground that he came into the country for medicals and not as a tourist (more so that his Visa was issued on medical grounds and not for tourism).

    “He also demanded that Police protection be withdrawn from him by the Indian authorities.

    “Against medical ethics and standard practice, he requested to nominate doctors of his choice to join the ones tasked by Medanta Hospital to perform medical treatment on him and his wife

    “This created a stalemate, which the Hospital insisted that he would not dictate to it on the choice of medical personnel to carry the required medical treatment.

    “Frustrated by his antics, the Indian authorities have expressed willingness to return him to Nigeria with immediate effect

    “This is on the account that they will not allow him use their country to internationalize his group’s activities.

    “Against this background, the Nigerian government wishes to commend the stand of the Indian Government as well as apologise to her for the unruly behaviour of El-Zakzaky

    “Similarly, the attention of the public and indeed the international community is hereby drawn to these unfortunate developments.

    “The government also wishes to use this opportunity to affirm its readiness to undertake the prosecution of El-Zakzaky through due process if and when he is returned to the country.

    “On this note, his foul cry that he is being held in circumstances worse than he was in Nigeria should be disregarded.”

     

     

  • Dabiri-Erewa condemns killing of Nigerian pastor in China

    The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has demanded for thorough investigation into the death of a Nigerian Pastor in China, Joseph Ogenna Nwajueze from the Chinese authorities.

    Nwajueze was alleged to have been killed by the Chinese security operatives.

    Dabiri-Erewa in a statement issued in Abuja by the NIDCOM Head of Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stated that the death of the Nigerian Pastor based in China was condemnable.

    She said the killing of the Anambra -born pastor, who was living with his wife, Chinwe and four children in China, by the Chinese security operatives must be thoroughly investigated and the culprit punished.

    Dabiri-Erewa said that reports had it that the late Pastor was doing his legitimate business in China and as such; there was no reason for his unjustifiable killing.

    She equally condemned the stigmatization of Nigerians living in China, saying those who were found guilty of the country’s law should be prosecuted.

    Read Also: Don’t carry drugs to holy land, Dabiri-Erewa warns pilgrims

    While condoling the family of the deceased Pastor, she reiterated her resolve to ensure justice is done by fishing out those who were responsible for his death.

    It was learnt that Pastor Joseph Nwajueze was chased to his death by Chinese security operatives over alleged immigration formalities.

    Sources said the Chinese security personnel, in an attempt to capturing the fleeing Nigerian pastor, used a security gadget that illuminates light on him, in order to demobilse him.

    It was also gathered that the security gadget made the pastor numb, leading to his fall, which eventually led to his death.

    Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa however appealed to angry Nigerians in China to be patient and not take the law into their hands as the Federal government will ensure that justice is done.,

     

  • FG urges Nigerians to disregard El-Zakzaky claims

    The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to disregard claims by Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky that the government is hindering his treatment .

    In a statement signed by Grace Isu Gekpe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture, since El-Zakzaky got to Dubai and India, he has been displaying ulterior motives against laid down procedures.

    Besides, the permanent Secretary said the situation became worse in India as the IMN leader refused to subject himself to preliminary medical checks.

    In addition, he was said to be demanding for free movement and also access to visitors of all kinds as well as requested to be allowed to check into a 5-Star Hotel instead of being admitted in the hospital.

    The story reads: “The Court on 5th August, 2019 granted Sheikh Ibraheem EL-Zakzaky leave to travel to India for medical treatment.  Consequently, the Government and its relevant agencies took steps to comply with the Order.

    “In line with the Court Order, El-Zakzaky was approved to embark on the trip with State officials and his choice to be accompanied by his aides and personal Doctors was not opposed by the government.

    “On 12th August, 2019, he and other members of the entourage went to India via Dubai. It is to be noted that El-Zakzaky particularly chose Medanta Hospital, India. However, on reaching Dubai, El-Zakzaky began to display ulterior motives against laid down procedures.

    “He requested that his passport be handed over to him but the State officials would not budge to his pressure. The situation became worse in India as he refused to subject himself to preliminary medical checks.

    “In addition, he demanded free movement and access to visitors of all kinds as well as requested to be allowed to check into a 5-Star Hotel instead of being admitted in the hospital. The request was refused on the ground that he came into the country for medicals and not as a tourist (more so that his Visa was issued on medical grounds and not for tourism). He also demanded that Police protection be withdrawn from him by the Indian authorities.

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    “Against medical ethics and standard practice, he requested to nominate Doctors of his choice to join the ones tasked by Medanta Hospital to perform medical treatment on him and his wife. This created a stalemate, which the Hospital insisted that he would not dictate to it on the choice of medical personnel to carry the required medical treatment.

    “Frustrated by his antics, the Indian authorities have expressed willingness to return him to Nigeria with immediate effect. This is on the account that they will not allow him use their country to internationalize his group’s activities.

    “Against this background, the Nigerian government wishes to commend the stand of the Indian Government as well as apologize to her for the unruly behaviour of El-Zakzaky. Similarly, the attention of the public and indeed the international community is hereby drawn to these unfortunate developments.

    “The government also wishes to use this opportunity to affirm its readiness to undertake the prosecution of El-Zakzaky through due process if and when he is returned to the country. On this note, his foul cry that he is being held in circumstances worse than he was in Nigeria should be disregarded.”