The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Peace

  • All for peace on campus

    All for peace on campus

    The students’ Affairs Division of the University of Ibadan (UI) has held a seminar for students’ leaders to engender mutual understanding between the management and students. HAMMED HAMZAT (400-Level Education Management) reports.

    MANAGEMENT of the University of Ibadan (UI) and the students may have found a way to smooth relations through periodic meetings. Since the restoration of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) four years ago by the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Isaac Adewole,  these meetings become sounding boards before decisions are taken.

    More than 100 students’ leaders from Halls of Residence, departments, faculties, Student Representatives’ Council (SRC) and Students’ Union Government (SUG) executive attended a two-day leadership seminar organised by the Students’ Affairs Division, with the theme: Operating Students’ Union as a formidable partner in university administration.

    The objective of the workshop, which was held penultimate week, was to equip the students’ leaders with necessary skills on how to deliver on their promises  and how they can engage the management on the welfare of students without rancour and protest.

    Declaring the event open, Prof Adewole was optimistic that the union, which his administration brought back in 2010, would continue to be responsible. He said he had no regrets resuscitating the union, considering the way students had conducted themselves in leadership position since then.

    The VC restated that the management would not hesitate to address the students’ need and prioritise programmes that would  enable students to achieve excellence.

    Prof Adewole urged the SRC members to review dues paid by students so as to have independent unions.

    On the first day, participants listened to the UI chapter chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Olusegun Ajiboye, who spoke on: Understanding partnership as a corporate responsibility. The professor of Social and Environmental Education identified students as partners in progress and development for any university, noting that management’s decision must consider students’ interest to achieve its vision.

    Prof Ajiboye said alliance and cooperation were required for university management and students’ leaders to co-exist, adding that none of the parties could progress without the input of the other.

    Prof Clement Kolawole, another speaker, harped on the need for effective communication between students’ leaders and management to forestall unnecessary crisis.

    A professor of Conflict Resolution, Olawale Albert, spoke on Peaceful negotiation and peace building in sustainable leadership. He tutored the students on how to use negotiation to achieve peace and build sustainable leadership for the union.

    Dr Ayo Hammed of the Department of Guidance and Counselling spoke on Understanding the concept of win-win partnership.

    The second day of the seminar started with a lecture by the Dean of Postgraduate School, Prof Adeyinka Aderinto, who urged the students’ leaders to always accept responsibility and be accountable to their colleagues. He advised them not to implement policies that would not benefit majority of students.

    The Dean of Faculty of Arts, Prof Remi Raji-Oyelade, canvassed for change of perspective among lecturers in the way they deal with Students’ Union leaders. He said some lecturers would look down on members of Students’ Union as unserious and irresponsible.

    He said: “We must understand that the people here are leaders of thousands of students whose academic pursuits we are managing. Any injustice to the people here would mean injustice to all students. This is why we must change our manners with which we relate with them and accord some respect.”

    The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof Akinola Alada, advised the participants to apply the knowledge learnt from the seminar. He said the speakers had experience in unionism being students’ leaders during their undergraduate days.

    Speaking with CAMPUSLIFE, Sylvester Adesemoye, President of Nigerian Association of Food Science and Technology (NAFST), who attended the seminar, said what he learnt would be put into practice. He praised VC for carrying students along in the administration of the university.

     

     

  • Issues in Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election: Peace and security

    As the February presidential and other elections approach, the most important considerations with most Nigerians, and with most observers of Nigeria in the wide world, are peace and security. It is true that Nigeria is, endemically, an incoherent, chaotic, and unstable country, but hardly has it ever come under such a dark and heavy cloud of insecurity and violent turmoil as it does today. It is also true that our elections are perpetually managed with very truculent crookedness, resulting usually in countless violent deaths and massive destruction. Still, though I have witnessed Nigerian elections since 1952, I cannot remember one other election whose approach is so fearsomely loaded with so much certainty of death and doom. A few weeks ago, one of our leading national newspapers asked: Are our politicians preparing for elections or for war? We see and hear motions and echoes of electioneering campaign no doubt, but, in the balance, we hear and see more of threats and preparations of war. More and more, as 2015 dawns, it seems as if some apocalyptic force is dragging us towards violence, war and national collapse – without our being able to resist in the least.

    From most regions of Nigeria, leading citizens are spitting fire and venom and threats of war. From the South-south, the small region which produces most of Nigeria’s oil wealth, which nevertheless suffers horrendous neglect and underdevelopment, and where an insurgency against Nigeria’s Federal Government has existed since independence, prominent leaders of the insurgency have become very massively empowered in the course of the past five years under the presidency of their native son,  Goodluck Jonathan. Now, they are saying that if President Jonathan does not win election for another four-year term in 2015, they would shred Nigeria. A statement credited to one of their main leaders on the internet threatens to destroy Yorubaland in the South-west first and then proceed to go and do the same to Northern Nigeria.

    Similar threats have been frequently emanating from the Muslim North (or Arewa North) for years. On this column about one year ago, I had occasion to rebuke one of the most prominent intellectuals of the North for endlessly threatening that the North would go to war if the political process fails to return presidential power to the North, that the North would make Nigeria ungovernable, and that the North was prepared for war. But the persons who have been issuing these threats are so bent on what they are saying that nothing can make them stop – which means that we should absolutely expect some violent action from them. In fact, recently, another prominent northerner raised the rhetoric of war and death to new heights. If anybody tried to withhold presidential power from his people in 2015, he wrote, “We will kill, maim, destroy and turn this country into Africa’s biggest war zone and refugee camp”.

    Proofs that these threats are no empty words are plenty. For years now, the world has been aware of secret and illegal weapons purchases by prominent Nigerians all over the world. In recent months, such illegal arms purchases by Nigerians have reached an absolutely frenetic pace. That is, below the surface of Nigeria’s politics, a massive and dangerous arms race is in progress. It is not limited to small arms (like sophisticated rifles, grenades and such); it includes grenade-propelling rockets, gun boats (which most Nigerians call war ships)and perhaps even helicopter gunships. At home in Nigeria, especially since 2013, Nigeria’s law enforcement authorities have been extremely busy over tracing, finding and confiscating illegal caches of arms. Given the universal corruption characteristic of Nigeria’s governance and public agencies, it is not difficult to imagine how much of the illegal arms must remain in the hands of their importers. In short, many segments of the Nigerian political elite are ready to settle the issues of Nigeria with a military showdown. As is well known from history, arms races hardly ever end peacefully; they usually end in the actual use of the arms – that is, in war.

    But it is not being suggested here that the war is unavoidable. It is avoidable. However, for us to avoid it, we Nigerians, especially the leading ones who direct Nigeria’s affairs, will need to make very serious changes in the way they handle Nigeria’s affairs. Some changes along such lines were proposed some days ago by the former Nigerian Foreign Minister, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi. Particularly, Prof. Akinyemi proposed that the two candidates in the 2015 presidential election should meet and sign a joint undertaking to ensure that their supporters would not start violence before, during and after the election.

    Unfortunately, the willingness to make such changes does not exist among most of Nigeria’s leading politicians. Thus, while some assistants of General Buhari have said that Prof. Akinyemi’s suggestions are not unreasonable, a leading spokesperson for President Jonathan has responded that, since the president’s record of elections demonstrates his commitment to free and fair elections, there is no need for him to enter into any peace undertaking with anybody. Meanwhile, also, not a single one of those who have been making incendiary threats of mass killing and war has come forth to withdraw their threats. And much more importantly, it is indicative of the direction that some Nigerian leaders believe they must go that government has asked no question concerning the news that a citizen has bought some warships. In what other country in the world can a citizen take such a step without question?

    What all these mean is that, though war is not necessarily inevitable as a means of sorting out dissolving our country, we are, almost certainly, going to slip into war in the 2015 election – or even earlier. The fundamental essence of our interrelationships as nationalities in Nigeria seems now to have reached the point at which we must settle matters by blood and iron. From this point on, therefore, groups that have not prepared for war and that have been regarding war as unnecessary and foolish, would now, almost certainly, begin to find ways and means for defending themselves. For any group to neglect to take at least such a step would be utter folly.

    Increasingly, the masses of ordinary Nigerians in Nigeria, as well as the millions of Nigerians resident abroad, are helpless. In the wide world, informed people who are watching developments in Nigeria are doing so with increasing alarm and worry. There doesn’t seem to be much more anybody can do.

  • Glo urges peace, reconciliation at Yuletide

    Glo urges peace, reconciliation at Yuletide

    National Telecoms provider, Globacom,  has wished all Christians in Nigeria a very joyous Christmas celebration and called on Nigerians to live in  peace with one another in line with the teachings of Jesus  Christ who is the reason for the season.

    The company  urged the Christian faithful in the country to use the  season of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ to  spread the joy of the  season and pray for the progress of Nigeria.

    In a goodwill message issued in Lagos, Globacom wished Christians a season full of love, unlimited happiness and  celebration.

    The  telecoms operator urged all Nigerians to use the occasion of the  Yuletide to make peace and reconcile all differences.  “On all fronts, we  need to encourage cordiality and peaceful co-existence; between friends,  families, political opponents , tribes, ethnic groups  and religions,” Globacom said in the  statement.

    “Nigeria can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace and unity. Therefore, Nigerians should imbibe the spirit of tolerance, forgiveness  and forbearance as exhibited by our Lord Jesus Christ. Ethnic, religious and political differences should therefore be transformed into the plank for enduring unity, and not be pushed to extremities”, the statement counseled.

  • Peace campaign takes off in Ebonyi

    Peace campaign takes off in Ebonyi

    The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has flagged off a statewide peace advocacy programme in Ebonyi to hammer home the imperatives of tolerance and harmonious coexistence among the people in the run-up to a momentous election next year.

    At the flag-off which took place at Ndiulo Ngbo Development Centre in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, the National Orientation Agency Director-General, Mr Mike Omeri enjoined all traditional, religious, community and political leaders to champion the cause of peace within their spheres of influence.

    Mr Omeri, who was represented at the event by the state Director of the NOA, explained that the programme became very necessary because of the need for the country to triumph over insurgency and to conduct a violence-free, fair and credible election next year.

    He also explained that the programme was aimed at sensitising Ebonyi residents on the need to build alliances and dialogue in order to consolidate peace and security in the society.

    The NOA Director-General called on Nigerians to be mindful of the  need to maintain peace and security by preventing conflicts and violence in the society, adding, “Peace is one of humanity’s most precious needs. Our societal peace and security ought to be consciously sustained through development of good strategies for managing early warning signs and defining of early response for conflict prevention.

    He enumerated the signs of conflicts and violence to include sudden demographic changes and population displacement; rising unemployment rates; economic shocks or financial crises; destruction or desecration of religious sites; discrimination or injustice; destabilising of referenda or elections; rise in “societal” intolerance and prejudice; increase in numbers of demonstrations or rallies; foreign intervention; influx of refugees; drought, famine; erosion; flooding; fire disaster; earth quake, among others, and urged Ebonyi residents to beware of these signs.

    In their goodwill messages, officials of some security agencies at the occasion- DPO Ngbo Division (Simon Njoku), Nigeria Immigration Service (IgweIkechukwu) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (OgbatuUchechukwu) – appreciated NOA for the information which they said will boost up their efforts to work assiduously before, during and after the elections to ensure that peace and tranquility regain their normal place in the society.

    In his speech, the Coordinator of Ngbo Central Development Centre, Hon Uche Ubochi, allayed people’s fears that the elections in his domain will be violent and promised to deploy all strategies to see that the revise becomes the case.

    Honourable Ubochi, who was represented by Mr Chijioke Onwe appreciated NOA for her efforts at making the people cohabit peacefully and pledged to work with Ward Executives to further cascade the message of peaceful coexistence of one another to the hinterlands.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the Occasion, Dr Sunday Onwe, extolled NOA for the programme saying that it was apt and encouraged them to continue to discharge their constitutional mandate dutifully.

    The NOA Assistant Director, Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone, Mr Anthony Uguru regretted that absence of peace and insecurity in Nigeria is jeopardizing her goodwill and made a clarion call on all Nigerians to desist from all acts watering-down the efforts of the nations past and present heroes. He also thanked the people for honoring his invitation.

    Some of the participants at the event- Mrs Monica Okabe and Jacinta Chibuzo- promised to contribute their quota to the success of the peaceful move.

     

  • Chief Justices sign Korean peace activist’s anti-war proposal

    Chief Justices sign Korean peace activist’s anti-war proposal

    An agreement for the enactment of an international law to end all wars proposed by world renowned peace activist Mr. Man Hee Lee has been signed by Chief Justices from across the world.

    The agreement was signed at the International Conference of Chief Justices of the World (ICCJW) held in India from December 13th – 15th attended by 160 judicial officers from 43 countries.

    The Chairman of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light, ( HWPL) Mr. Lee in the keynote address at the conference on December 13 noted that the enactment of the international law is the solution to achieve world peace and cessation of wars.

    “If the leaders truly want world peace and love their nation and its people, then they must add a clause to end all wars in the international law and sign the agreement for world peace,” Mr Lee said in his congratulatory remarks to the conference.

    In his speech on December 14, Mr Lee noted that the “the world is living in anxiety and is in chaos: nations fighting nations, civilizations fighting civilizations, fellow countrymen killing each other, believers killing other believers, the youth killing the youth.”

    “ The world is in the midst of this conflict where nation and ideology are divided because there is no clause in the international law to end all wars on this earth and create peace.”

    The pragmatic solution to the global problem according to Lee is to have former and current heads-of-state implement the cessation of wars and world peace in the international law with HWPL.

    Legal, political, and religious leaders are already involved in the movement.

    Among participants at the conference were Former President Emil Constantinescu of Romania, Former President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa, Chief Justice of the Afghan Supreme Tribunal Abdul Salam Azimi, Indian First Secretary to the Permanent Mission to the UN Prakash Gupta, Chairman of the International Judicial Conference, USA Frederick Furth, and other former and current heads-of-state.

    Soon after the conference, Mr. Lee joined the Peace Walk at Montessori School with more than 2,000 students, judicial officers, former and current heads-of-state to promote world peace and the cessation of wars.

    Peace Walk City Montessori School (CMS)Students in India
    Peace Walk City Montessori School (CMS)Students in India

    Before this trip, Mr. Lee had embarked on 15 journeys around the world, visiting 56 different nations and presenting a pragmatic solution for world peace. During his 16th grand peace journey, before arriving in India he visited the United Nations Headquarters in New York and then also visited Los Angeles, USA.

    While visiting the UN HQ, he discussed the reformation of the international law to end all wars and ways to resolve the religious discord in the conflict areas in Africa.

    In Los Angeles, Mr. Lee met and pleaded to Los Angeles County Superior Court Justice Presiding Judge the Honorable David S. Wesleyto join the enactment of the international law for world peace.

    Presiding Judge David S. Wesley promised to help with this endeavor as an advisor of HWPL.

    Meanwhile, Mr. Lee and Ms. Nam Hee Kim, the chairwoman of the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), both received the news that the City of Carson, USA had designated May 25th as “Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) Day” to commemorate annually the first day that the World Peace Declaration was proclaimed.

    In September, HWPL held the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Summit in Seoul and since then the organization has continued working to end wars and usher in world peace pragmatically.

    Assembled at the Peace Summit were national and international political, religious, and youth leaders and members of media from 170 nations.

    Each party promised to contribute to the achievement of global peace. Political leaders signed to collaborate for the enactment of the international law, religious leaders signed to unite as one, and the youth and the media made commitments to do their part to bring about peace.

     

  • Community relishes peace, growth

    Community relishes peace, growth

    The horrible spell is behind them now and the people can savour a stream of fresh air in their community. Okposi Development Centre in Ebonyi State was once engulfed in crisis no one is happy to remember. Violence descended on it in the form of youth restiveness, kidnapping, looting and murder, among other vices.

    But since Nze Magnus Eze took over as the Centre’s coordinator, his mantra has been peace and growth.

    The former coordinator, the late Ihebunadu Okorie, was kidnapped during a church service in Okposi and later killed by his assailants in a forest at Afikpo South Local Government Area of the state. Over three youths lost their lives as the community gradually became a den of criminals.

    On April 15, Governor Martin Elechi appointed Eze as Okorie’s replacement. Not long after, peace gradually started returning to the ever-busy and hospitable community of Okposi, thereby giving room to various forms of development.

    Now, the community made up of several villages including Amenu, Umunuka, Amechi, Umuka, Umuakuma, Mebi-Ameke, Ameluagu, Mebiowa, Mgbom Enu, Mgbom Ani, Isinkwo, Okposi Achara, Avu/Umuiwa and Okposi Okwu have witnessed the flag-off of a significant road construction work in the area.

    The exercise attracted representatives of the villages and prominent sons and daughters of the community who sang and praised God for the restoration of peace and the new wave of developmental initiatives gaining sway in the community.

    The coordinator who is the founder of a movement: “Mezie Okposi” movement is seen at different forum preaching peace and unity among the three autonomous communities namely Okposi Okwu, Mgbom N’Achara and Okposi even as he stressed that no meaningful development will come to a community where there is reign of terror and war.

    To ensure lasting peace in the area, Magnus Eze had the arduous task of bringing back Okposi people to once again have confidence in government by arresting youth restiveness that ravaged the area.

    So the security of lives and property was a top most priority.

    He was able to institute Security advocacy tour of the 12 villages that make up the DC, set up Enuakwa neighborhood watch, who in partnership with the Police and other security agencies provide security within the DC especially Court Area, the commercial hub of Okposi.

    Then, as part of youth empowerment scheme, he initiated the  training of 15 youths in various skills in partnership with National Directorate of Employment, NDE as part of the DC N10m capacity building and empowerment programme for the youth.

    It is necessary to state that another batch of 38 beneficiaries of Youth Capacity Building and Empowerment Programme was officially inaugurated on October 17, 2014.

    The Development Centre sponsored 15 wrestlers to qualify as state athletes for NAFEST, School Sports and National Sports Festival and paid N2.1m Bursary to 7 students in the  Nigerian Law School.

    It also inaugurated the Attitudinal Change Vanguards for moral rebirth of especially the youth and promoted the Mgba Okposi Festival 2014 (traditional wrestling contest).

    All these initiatives were necessary to redirect the minds of the youths and the entire community towards development and progress instead of violence.

    The 3km Umuakuma Road project which was flagged off by the chairman of Ohaozara Local Government Area, Hon. Enekwachi Akpa was wooed to the state from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development by an Abuja-based  lawyer, legislative consultant and son of the soil, Dr. Eze Anoke

    Dr. Anoke is also the President General of Okposi Community Development Union and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP aspirant for Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo (Ohanivo) federal constituency of the State in the 2015 general election.

    The road aside serving Umuakuma and Mebiokpa villages will also enable easy evacuation of sand from the Asu River.

    Speaking with The Nation, Dr. Eze Anoke stated that he used his connection at the National Assembly to ensure the road was funded in the 2014 budget and that he will ensure its continuous funding in 2015 budgetary allocation.

    He enjoined the people to see the project as their own and advised the contractors to work according to specifications.

    Responding, the engineer representing the indigenous company, Divine Favour construction company  handling the project, Mr. Matthew Godwin said the company was presently implementing the first phase of the project which would gulp over 200 million as it will be completed on December 31, 2014.

    Chairman of the council, Enekwachi Akpa while flagging off the project, thanked Nze Magnus for the return of peace to the community without which the project will not have commenced.

    He also charged the people to protect the equipments of the contractors and to give them all necessary assurance to ensure that they complete the work on schedule.

  • Aspirant sues for peace

    Aspirant sues for peace

    Ahead of the primaries of the All Progressives Congress, an  aspirant to the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Kola OKesanjo, has called for peace and harmony among party members.

    In a statement in Lagos, he said that the circumstances in the party required that every leader and member should eschew any action capable of causing violence, adding that the exercise should be done in consonance with the principles of democracy.

    According to him, the objectives of democracy can only be realised in the atmosphere of peace and decorum. He said members should embrace peaceful and see the primaries as an avenue to select leaders who will serve the people.

    “It is important to enjoin our teeming supporters in Lagos State to be actively involved in the scheduled primaries at the weekend and should do so in a peaceful manner. It is an avenue to pick dedicated leaders who are genuinely interested in the service of our people. It is basically a democratic exercise and everyone will agree with me that in all of this, peace is very significant if we truly believe and embrace genuine democracy. It should not be a do or die affair”, he added.

    Okesanjo appealed to the APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to remain focused as the guardian of the process.  He urged win to disregard the sentiments initiated by an aggrieved characters to cause mischief and distraction among leaders and members of the party in the state.

    He said that the APC  is a formidable party, which will not only continue to flourish but win in the general elections.

  • How to achieve peace in Niger Delta

    How to achieve peace in Niger Delta

    The Niger Delta Students’ Union Government (NDSUG) has held a symposium on how militancy could be stopped in the oil-producing region. The event featured inauguration of the union’s leaders. EMMANUEL AHANONU (NYSC Enugu) reports.  

    How can the government ensure a lasting peace in the Niger Delta? It is through quality education for the youth. The answer was given at the one-day seminar organised by the Niger Delta Students’ Union Government (NDSUG) with the theme: Education as panacea for peace building in the Niger Delta.

    The event, held on Saturday at Omasi Hall in Bellwood Hotel in Asaba Delta State, also marked the end of tenure of Tonbara Yalah-led administration of the union and inauguration for new executive.

    Dignitaries at the event include Comrade Edward Odum, the coordinator of Nigerian Youth and Community Development Association, who was the guest speaker.

    In his lecture, Odum noted that quality education was key to building a sustainable Niger Delta. He explained how discovery of oil in Olorbiri in 1958 turned “blessing to the region” to “story of murder and restiveness”, which he said led to the unjust killing of Ken Saro Wiwa and others activists in the Niger Delta.

    He said: “Certain lines in the national anthem should guide our activities to bring back peace in the Niger Delta. This means that youths are to commit totally their energies and education to bring about the desired peace, which would bring about togetherness. If the youths speak in one voice and in unity, there would be nothing we cannot achieve. But quality education remains the challenge to achieve this aim.

    Odum said students’ union should be a pressure group that would help the government to respond to the people’s wishes through populist policies that would bring peace and development to the society. He said students must rise up to educate the government on policies that would attract development because of their voting strength.

    He urged the students to acquire good education to make them prepare for the future, adding: “It is important to state that ignorance is a disease and every disease needs cure. The cure of ignorance is education, which would make you to study issues rather than resorting to self-help. Therefore, quality education is key for peace building in Niger Delta because an ignorant man only knows how to destroy everything.”

    The highpoint of the event was the inauguration of the leaders of the union, which was conducted amidst excitement.

    In his acceptance speech, Obada Akpomiemie, the new NDSUG president, pledged to use the union as a platform to bring educational opportunities to Niger Delta students. He said: “We pledge to transform the union to be a development partner in the country. This transformation will be achieved by harnessing the creative energies of students of Niger Delta origin and make available to them lofty educational opportunities. It is also a great responsibility on our head to achieve these objectives to make our region free of violence.

    “We will introduce programmes and policies that will benefit students and improve their standards of living on campuses. Attention will be focused on liaising with all necessary organisation and government bodies to creating greater access to quality education.”

    Obada promised to step up efforts to reach out to governors in Niger Delta to pay students’ bursary and scholarship.

    The pioneer president, Genesis Idikibiebuma, advised the executive members to maintain unity within the union and urged them to improve on the programmes of their predecessors.

    The outgoing President, Tonbara, rendered account of his stewardship, noting that his administration created job opportunities for graduates from the region. He handed over the union’s bus and other property in his care to the president.

    The union legal adviser, Mr Kalada Nonju, noted that the constitution of union was not properly written, urging the new leaders to amend it. He urged Obada to carefully set his priorities and avoid pitfalls that marred the tenure of the last administration.

    Before the event came to an end, a drama played out when Tonbara prostrated before Obada to pledge his loyalty to his successor. Obada reciprocated, rolling on the floor.

    The drama happened before dignitaries at event, including Commissioner for Ijaw Affair, Dr. Felix Tuodolo, who chaired the occasion, Cross River State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Godwin Ettah, and Hon. Emmanuel Oruebo, Special Assistant to Minister of Sports, among others.

  • Peace retreat for stakeholders in Niger Delta

    Partners for Peace in Niger Delta (P4P), a network of civil society groups that are in the forefront of peace-building activities, in conjunction with Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in Niger Delta (PIND), has evolved a new strategy aimed at mainstreaming peace and conflict resolution as core values during the forthcoming general elections.

    To this effect, a five-day peace retreat has been organised in Akure, the Ondo State capital, for stakeholders in the nine states of the Niger Delta ahead of next year’s general elections.

    Participants were drawn from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers states where resource persons, including the Partners for Peace Technical Advisors from the Fund For Peace, United States of America (USA), Nate Haken and Patricia Taft, Team Leader of Partners for Peace, Mr. Michael Gonzalez, Network Coordinator, Peace Ambassador (Chief) Africas Lawal and Dr Austin Onuorah who spoke on issues of peace-building, conflict management and resolution.

    Declaring the peace retreat open, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Princess Jumoke Akindele said the choice of Ondo State as the host state for the peace retreat is commendable as the state is reputed as most peaceful in the Niger Delta region.

    The Speaker further said the state government has placed priority on peace, security and development by promoting means of livelihoods to all categories of people and working with security agencies to secure lives and property in cities, towns and villages.

    Princess Akindele said the forthcoming general elections will be peaceful, even as she described the people in the Niger Delta as law-abiding, lovers of democracy and supporters of good governance which is openly demonstrated by their active participations in the political process and activities.

    She, however, warned against political violence, hooliganism and intimidation of law-abiding citizens during the coming elections.

    The Team Leader of Partners for Peace, Mr. Michael Gonzalez of the Fund for Peace, Washington D.C., said the aim of the peace retreat was to share experiences and capture the success stories and challenges on peace-building activities, as well as mapping election conflict assessment scenario and make the youth shun violence during election processes.

    He noted that the peace retreat is also aimed at examining the achievements of Partners for Peace and ratify the Charter of Partners for Peace in Niger Delta. While highlighting the background of the project, Mr. Gonzalez said Partners for Peace began its activities with engagement of some people already involved in peace-building across the states in the Niger Delta region last year, during the Peace Camp in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The Partner for Peace Network Coordinator, Peace Ambassador (Chief) Africas Lawal revealed that state chapters of P4P are now working on peace initiatives based on the lessons from conflict assessment training. He said the P4P has constituted a central working committee (CWC) to drive the initiative.

    The Field Project Manager of the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), Mr. Sylvester Okoh said the initiative’s goal is for the Niger Delta area in Nigeria to continue to prosper as a peaceful place for economic growth.

    He said the strategy is to identify and strengthen conflict resolution initiatives within the Niger Delta region and to enhance a more en

  • ‘Why our criminal law cannot deliver peace’

    ‘Why our criminal law cannot deliver peace’

    Mr. Benson Ngozi Iwuagwu is the Executive Director, Prison Fellowship Nigeria (PFN). He holds a post-graduate diploma in Restorative Justice from Queens University, Ontario, Canada. Between May 2011 and last December, he was the Prison Fellowship International (PFI) Envoy for Anglophone Africa. He has been involved in Prison Ministry since 1980. In this interview with Legal Editor, JOHN AUSTIN UNACHUKWU, he speaks on the Oneosmus project and how to reduce crime.

    What is the essence of the Prison Fellowship International?

    Prison Fellowship International, with the vision of “being a community of restoration for all those involved in and affected by crime, in demonstration of the love of God through Jesus Christ”, is the global body of countries, where churches have come together under the common name – Prison Fellowship. Presently, PFI has over 127 countries as members with category 2 consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Socio Cultural Committee (UNECOSOC). Prison Fellowship Nigeria has been chartered with PFI since 1992. Our membership in PFI affords us a massive network and programme resource base around the world. We have concrete and material presence in 25 states of our country. From Borno to Delta, Adamawa to Akwa Ibom States, thousands of our volunteers daily visit the prisons to provide spiritual, medical, material, literacy and legal support to the inmates. Spouses and children of inmates are not forgotten, within our limited resources we pay rents, school fees and provide, in appropriate cases, family upkeep allowance.

     

    What is the impact of this fellowship on inmates?

    The impact of Prison Fellowship Ministry on our prison inmates, with all sense of modesty, is monumental. What an inmate wants most for stabilisation in and out of prison is psychosocial support, which we provide in structured and consistent measure on the basis of God’s love through Jesus Christ for their reformation and the peace and good of our society.

     

    Do you have any programme to monitor the lifestyle and condition of freed inmates to stop them from doing things that are likely to return them to the prison?

    The unique nature of our church based membership makes it easy to link an exiting inmate to a member church near where he or she decides to settle. This arrangement provides the very critical post release support circle for follow up and basic provisions. In appropriate cases, we assign specific mentors to exiting prison inmates, who help them in planning and implementation of their life plan, often drawn up by the inmate before release. This area has been very challenging for a number of reasons-hostile social receptions for returning ex-inmates, discriminatory statutory barriers and very limited resources in the face of mounting needs. To mitigate this, we intend to launch a social engagement and participation programme, tagged: “Green Ribbon Campaign” an attitudinal change campaign to create conducive social environment for re-entry of ex-prisoners back to society. Rehabilitation and re-integration of ex-prison inmates is a social responsibility, being sanctimonious and discriminatory against returning ex-prison inmates is akin to biting the nose to spite the face.

     

    What is this Onesimus learning programme all about? 

    Life Recovery Pre-release Empowerment Programme, a.k.a “The Onesimus Project”, presently running in the medium security and female prisons in Kirikiri, is a mentoring, personality and skill enhancement programme with set curriculum primarily targeted at inmates with 6 months to completion of their sentence and continues 12 months post release. Admission is open to all inmates, regardless of beliefs, so long as the individual is able to understand some English Language and be committed to attend classes and do assignments.

     

    How does the programme run?

    “The Onesimus Project” is run in partnership with Covenant University, their professors and lecturers come all the way from Ota to hold classes, conduct psycho-clinicals and counseling. The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), takes care of the Business and Entrepreneurial development component of the programme. Their specialist trainers come to train the inmates. Prison Fellowship takes care of the spiritual instructions and vocational skill component of the programme.

     

    What is the duration of the programme?

    At the end of the six months’ training, graduation holds at which successful inmates are issued certificate of completion, signed by the four partnering institutions: Nigerian Prison Service, Covenant University, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and Prison Fellowship Nigeria. The Certificate, prima facie, is a testimony of refinement and training. It makes the holder eligible for post release small business support and venture seed capital. To date, we have matriculated about 130 and graduated about 90. We are constrained by infrastructure and funding to take a limited number each session.

     

    Do you have other collaborators?

    Our major collaborators are the hundreds of churches, who provide thousands of foot soldiers and support. Covenant University, Ota, provides the very critical and vital professional competences and skills in the core and sensitive areas of human personality dysfunction, evaluation and therapy. SMEDAN comes in to equip the inmate with knowledge and skills in business and enterprise development to be their own employers. By the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the partners, each partner bears its own costs.

    Graduates of “The Onesimus Project”, have shown more resilience in the face of adverse social conditions, recidivism rate among our Onesimus graduates is about 20 per cent, against the general average of 70 per cent.

     

    What level of support and collaboration are you enjoying from the government?

    We have enjoyed the basic and primary support of access to prisons and collaboration from government at the various state chapter levels, and Prison Commands. SMEDAN is a Federal Government agency in the Presidency and a very strategic partner in the Onesimus Project. We have the understanding to replicate Onesimus Project in other prison commands in the country. We have had support from the Ministries of Health, Justice and Social Welfare during specific inmate welfare intervention programmes. A lot more however remains.

     

    You have been on the crusade for restorative justice as an integral part of our criminal justice administration. How would it work?

    Restorative justice for a while has been in the global eye as an emerging criminal justice system that more readily encapsulates the concerns and varied interests connected with the commission of crime and its aftermaths; the offender, victim and community. The United Nations Basic Principles on the use of Restorative Justice in criminal matters, endorsed in 2002, does not define Restorative Justice, but assigns usages to the terms “Restorative Process” and “Restorative outcomes”; these are very significant and underscore the distinction of restorative justice as meeting the true ends of justice which is peace. Whilst our extant criminal justice system views crime as a violation of law and the state, Restorative Justice views crime as a violation of persons and relationships; the former aims for punishment and deterrence and the latter for reparation and healing.

    Our criminal law is adversarial, technical and impersonal without cognisance for the victim or even for the society. Its primary intent is to punish the offender as deterrence to other would be offenders. Restorative justice on the other hand, views crime differently, aims to heal the harms and hurts caused by the offender; give him opportunity to account for his or her actions, take responsibility and in conference with the victim and community and agree on how to make up for his or her actions.

    Restorative justice is not a demonisation of our extant criminal justice system, but it does provide a viable complement and option worthy of serious engagement.

     

    Is restorative justice system applicable to Nigeria only or is it applied by other countries of the world?

    South Africa and Zimbabwe are other African countries are using the Restorative Justice options. The horrendous overcrowding and its concomitant dehumanisation of our inmates, absolutely makes any form of reform a tall dream. Prison governors after prison governors bemoan the impossibility of inmate reformation in the face of suffocating congestions. No amount of rejigging a wrong headed and premised criminal law will work. It is trite once the premise of an argument is wrong its conclusions cannot, but be irremediably flawed. Restorative Justice is based on human values, rights and communal safety, more reflective of the intents of the social contract upon which law and government began. Our criminal law is based on the abstract and nebulous concept of state and the king’s peace. It just cannot deliver peace. England has a well developed Restorative Justice Protocol and practice, so does Canada.

    It is heartwarming that the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, in its characteristic trail blazing initiatives, has entered into an understanding with Prison Fellowship Nigeria to do a Restorative Justice Pilot project in the state.

     

     What do you think is responsible for rising crime?

    At the root of crime and criminality are a conundrum of predisposing factors, basic of which is lack of provision of food, clothes and shelter for the vast majority of our people and the perception of how our commonwealth is being managed. The average Nigerian is on his or her own, at home or abroad. The late musical icon Fela Anikulapo Kuti, we may not agree with his social life style, but most of his songs highlighted the problems-high handedness of the ruling class, selfishness and greed, oppression of the poor. The social injustice around us is simply nauseating.

     

    How do we address the problem of crime in the society?

    To begin to truly address crime, the government must, in some way, begin to give a sense of belonging to the citizens. Yes, it is said, do not ask what your country will give you, but what you can do for your country. But you first must belong to the country! Our ruling elite and their bourgeoisie club members, with due respects, are no better than the colonial masters- oppressive, exploitative and aloof. In pursuit of their political spoils, they arm the youths, dose, use and dump them. What do you expect? That the youths will fold their hands? Go into any of our prisons, they are brimming with young men and women. Tell me, can you walk up to your local government or state and demand as of right as a citizen? Our political tacticians now talk of “stomach infrastructure” by which thy mock the poor, yet it’s a tool in their hands. Poor Esau sold his birth right because of hunger. Anyhow, the thing is, the poor man has sense and may just be waiting for his opportunity. The Arab spring, a replay of the spirit of the French Revolution should be instructive to our resource managers to please, in some way give every Nigerian a bite of the cheery and thereby a reason to hope and persevere.