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Tag: protest

  • Protest rocks Akure over Deji’s appointment

    Protest rocks Akure over Deji’s appointment

    •Regent ‘not aware of any process’  •Aladetoyinbo to get staff today

    Residents of Akure, the Ondo State capital, yesterday marched on the Governor’s Office to protest the kingmakers’ choice of Kole Aladetoyinbo as the  Deji of Akure.

    Kingmakers, led by the Lisa of Akure, High Chief James Olusoga, on Sunday picked Aladetoyinbo.

    He emerged the best of the 13 contestants from the Osupa ruling house.

    As early as 8am, the protesters walked from Akure City Hall to the Governor’s Office, calling for the reinstatement of the deposed Deji, Oluwadare Adesina Adepoju.

    They said the installation  should be discontinued to prevent undue instability in the town.

    The placard-carrying protesters stormed the Governor’s Office, shouting invectives against the Deji-elect.

    Some of the placards read “Mimiko: bring back our Kabiyesi”; “Kole Aladetoyinbo is a bald headed man: he can’t become Deji”; “Iroko save Akure from Fasonranti, Falae, kingmakers”, among others.

    One of the protesters, Mrs Adero Adebayo, said market women would not accept anybody except Adesina.

    The spokesman of Osupa ruling house, Prince Dapo Adepoju, lamented that the selection violated Akure culture and tradition.

    He said: “We want Mimiko to temper justice with mercy because we believe that Adesina’s sin is pardonable, considering that such happened in Owo when the late Olagbegi was deposed and Oba Ogunoye was enthroned as king.

    “But after Ogunoye’s death, Olagbegi was reinstated by former Governor Bamidele Olumilua.

    “The Osupa ruling house has a pending case in the Court of Appeal, Akure, challenging his deposition and banishment.”

    No government official was available to address the protesters but the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of A Division, Adekimi Ojo, appealed to them to return home and promised to deliver their message to the governor.

    The spokesman of Akure kingmakers and Asamo of Akure, Chief Rotimi Olusanya, insisted that nothing could stop the installation and performance of traditional rites for the new Deji.

    The deposed Deji, at the weekend, sought a court injunction to restrain the kingmakers from selecting a new Deji.

    He claimed that he was still entitled to contest for the stool, as according to him, he was wrongly removed by the government.

    The government dethroned Adepoju on June 10, 2010 for allegedly battering his wife, the late Mrs. Bolanle Adepoju

    Mrs. Adepoju, who died in 2012, said the incident that led to her husband’s banishment was exaggerated.

    The development led to the installation of the late Oba Adebiyi Adesida from Ojijigogun ruling house, who was installed in 2010 as the 46th Deji of Akure.

    He died on December 1, 2013.

    His daughter, Princess Adetutu Adesida, was installed the Regent of Akure kingdom.

    Princess Adesida has said she was not aware of the selection.

    She said it would not be in the interest of peace and tradition to be caught unawares by the installation process being embarked upon by the kingmakers and the government.

    Princess Adesida said the kingmakers should have informed her about the process so that she could be psychologically prepared for her exit from the palace.

    She said traditionally it would be a taboo for the new monarch to meet her in the palace.

    Although she admitted that the regent has no role to play in the selection and installation of the monarch, she however said she deserves the right to be carried along as a critical stakeholder in the town.

    Princess Adesida said: “The process, to me, is vague. I was not informed initially. Of all that has been done so far I am not aware of anything.

    “The kingmakers did not carry me along. I am a major stakeholder and I should be informed. I want due process to be followed. Things should be done in a proper manner.”

    The State Executive Council has approved Aladetoyinbo’s appointment.

    In a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, the Council gave the approval yesterday at its meeting.

    He said the approval followed the unanimous decision of the kingmakers.

    Aladetoyinbo will be presented with the staff of office today.

  • Fashola stops widow’s planned protest at Govt House

    Fashola stops widow’s planned protest at Govt House

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday moved fast to stop a nonagenarian proprietor, Madam Roseline Ololo, from occupying his office.

    Last week, Madam Ololo, 91, threatened to occupy the governor’s office over the government’s alleged refusal to return her school.

    Madam Ololo and her late husband co-founded Metropolitan College in Isolo, Lagos in 1955.

    Through her lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo, the nonagenarian, on Monday, notified the police of her protest at the governor’s office from yesterday.

    But, when she and her family members got to the governor’s office entrance yesterday, her lawyer informed waiting reporters that they got a call from Fashola to shelve the planned action.

    He said: “We were already on our way here when we received a call from the governor, who asked us to shelve the planned protest and come for a meeting on Friday at the Ministry of Education.”

    The woman with her late husband, Chief Michael Ololo founded the college in 1955 through their firm, Akaix West Africa Limited.

    The school and 47 others were taken over in 1976 under the military’s Education (Private Secondary Institutions Special Provisions) Law.

    Isolo Secondary School was subsequently established on the same premises as the Metropolitan College.

    In 2001, the then Bola Tinubu repealed the law and returned the affected schools to their owners, including Metropolitan College,  after reaching an agreement with the founders at an Arbitration Court.

     

  • Nonagenarian shelves protest

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola  has invited a 91-year-old proprietress, Madam Roseline Ololo, for a  peace meeting.

    Ololo, the co-founder of Metropolitan College, Isolo, had last week threatened to permanently occupy the Governor’s Office, if her request for the return of her school, and Isolo Secondary School were not met.

    Her lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo, on Monday notified the police of the protest.

    Yesterday, Madam Ololo and well wishers set out for the Governor’s Office with their personal effects.

    When they got to there, her lawyer told reporters that they received a call from Fashola on their way.

    He said: “We were on our way here when we received a call from the governor, who asked us to shelve the planned protest and come for a meeting on Friday at the Ministry of Education.”

    Madam Ololo and her late husband, Michael, founded the college in 1955 through their firm, Akaix West Africa Limited.

    The school was taken from them in 1976, following the military’s Education (Private Secondary Institutions Special Provisions) Law, which saw 48 private secondary schools collected from their owners in Lagos.

    Subsequently, the Isolo Secondary School was sited on the same premises as  Metropolitan College.

    In 2001, the Bola Tinubu administration repealed the law and returned the affected schools to their owners, including Metropolitan College, after reaching an agreement with the founders at an Arbitration Court.

    But, trouble allegedly started as a result of the Ministry of Education’s insistence to retain the Isolo Secondary School.

    Akaix West Africa had contended that the retention of part of the school was against government’s restructuring of the educational system of divesting and allowing the private sector invest in the educational system.

  • Bloodbath sparks protest in Plateau

    Bloodbath sparks protest in Plateau

    Youths in Jos, the Plateau State capital, have protested renewed violence in several Berom communities in which no fewer than 30 residents have been killed by gunmen. The protesters asked why neither the state government nor the military task force has failed to halt the attacks. YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU reports

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    •The protesters

    When some residents of Jos took to the streets, their protest was not particularly about violence in the Plateau State capital; it was about the bloodbath in several Berom communities in both Riyom and Barkin Ladi local government areas. Save for the occasional terrorist strikes in Jos, the city has been relatively quiet.

    Not so for such Berom neighbourhoods as Shonong, Sopp, Rim, Bangai, Bachi in Riyom, and Zakubang and Vat in Barkin Ladi. In the few weeks those communities have come under consistent attacks in a manner that has everyone wondering not just who the attackers were but why they attacked. No fewer than 30 people were said to have been killed in the attacks. The injured are much more than that, while properties destroyed have yet to be estimated, though reckoned to be staggering.

    One question the residents are asking is why the attackers strike mostly at the beginning of the planting season.

    Series of organised attacks against the Berom people are gradually becoming an annual ritual. The Berom who are predominantly farmers have been attacked in the last few years especially when the people returned to the farm.

    Before the latest onslaught, 10 people were killed in attacks on Berom communities in Riyom. Chairman of Barkin Ladi Local government Hon. Emmanuel Lomang who confirmed the attacks said, 17 people were killed in Vat village while 13 others were killed in Zakupang village, all of Foron District of the local government. She added that the attackers also looted the communities apart from killing the residents.

    The recent killings brought back bitter memories of the ugly past, sending shock waves down the spine of residents of the state.

    The residents are also asking why and how the killings could continue with the Special Task Force (STF) on the ground.

    The STF code-named Operation Safe Haven has its headquarters in Jos but the troops are not that far from Riyom and Barkin Ladi local government areas. Investigations revealed that because of the level of insecurity in these two local governments, the STF created sector commands in both councils, Sector 9 in Riyom, Sector 6 in Barkin Ladi.

    Despite the closeness of the federal troops to the people, residents of the two local governments have continued to witness attacks by unknown gunmen. Some residents of the state said the recent attacks left them thinking that insurgents fleeing from the Northeast may have found another safe haven in Berom land.

    They said the attackers’ methods bore a striking resemblance to the modus operandi of Boko Haram fighters, considering the weapons used and tactics deployed. Some of the natives said even the security agencies are scared of the gunmen. Some even said the security agents became all the more reluctant to face the attackers when the latter killed two troops.

    The security agents who include men of the state-owned ‘Operation Rainbow’ and personnel of the STF beat a retreat after the incident while those stationed in Shonong were immediately withdrawn and sent back to the Sector 9 headquarters in Riyom on the orderS of the state Commissioner of Police.

    The withdrawal of the security agencies further worsened the situation of the civilians as they became helpless and vulnerable. The only alternative available to the helpless villagers is to flee their homes in search of safer heavens.

    Chairman of Riyom local government Mrs. Josephine Piyo is not comfortable with the increasing number of displaced persons in various camps at the local government headquaters, describing the situation as pathetic.

    She said in tears, “We are in a state of confusion, my people are helpless, I am also helpless, the local authority is helpless, the security cannot protect us as expected, the entire local government is in turmoil, we don’t know what to do anymore.

    “I was aware of the fragile security situation in Riyom LGA before I took over a year ago, so I made it a top priority to restore peace in the various communities; I established a peace parley among all the stakeholders of the local government, I mean the Berom, Fulani, the farmers, the cattle breeders, religious leaders, youth leaders and women leaders. We do meet regularly in my office to dialogue on how to achieve peace. And the dialogue process has produced results, there has been stability in the localities, the attacks were no more for some period.

    “In fact we counted over six months between the second quarter of 2014 up to the first quarter of 2015, there was no single attack by anyone within the period. All of a sudden, we started seeing attacks shortly after the presidential election on March 28, since then the council has not slept, the people are as helpless as the security agencies. If you ask me, I don’t know the causes of the latest attacks, I thought I had succeeded in restoring peace and we were busy planning to make sure the peace we achieved was sustained so that I can concentrate on providing social infrastructure for the people. But now we have been returned to square one I don’t know where to go from here, I need help.

    “The security agencies have tried their best, but the situation has not changed, the attacks continued almost on a daily basis and the gunmen are unchallenged. I think the soldiers on ground need re-enforcement. I pity the security agencies because they are not finding it easy, several of them are risking their lives, they are overwhelmed; more troops are needed here.”

    On his part, Chairman of Barkin Ladi local government, Hon Emmanuel Loman also said, “The insecurity in Berom land is becoming protracted and devastating, the federal government need to also give maximum attention they are giving to Northeast to Plateau North Senatorial zone. I said so because, since 2010, more than 10,000 Berom people have been killed by unknown gunmen, we keep crying out but the federal government seems not o take us serious. We have done within our own local power to stop these incessant attacks, the state government have equally done a lot, so what is required now is mass deployment of federal troops to the areas. And how long will the federal government wait to take decisive action, people are been killed on daily bases as if they don’t have the right to live. Something should be done urgently to save the defenseless people”.

    The Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly Hon. Daniel Dem believed that those carrying out the attack may be members if the Boko Haram insurgents. The Majority Leader who represents Riyom Constituency said “As a matter of fact my constituency is under siege by gunmen I suspect to be Boko Haram. They are heavily armed and they operate with impunity. They don’t spare the villagers, they also don’t spare the security agencies,

  • NANS, youth groups protest in Abuja

    NANS, youth groups protest in Abuja

    Youths groups, including the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), yesterday protested at MTN and Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) offices in the Maitama area, Abuja.

    The protest was organised to express the youth’s displeasure over the inhuman treatment being melted on Nigerians and other Africans residing in South Africa.

    The groups, which converged at the Unity Fountain as early as 8am, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Xenophobia is evil”, “An injury to one is an injury to all”, “Stop this evil attacks”, among others, caused heavy traffic gridlocks as they marched to the South African-owned companies.

    The protesting youth gave the South African government, led by President Jacob Zuma, a 72-hour ultimatum to address the causes of the attack, failure which youths and students in Nigeria will be forced to clampdown on South African investment.

    The NANS President, Tijani Usman, who led the protest, said: “It is aimed at showing our grievances and solidarise with our people in South Africa that are being affected by the xenophobic attack.

    “Africa is our own and we should not be seen as racist in our own continent. The act being exhibited by youths in South Africa is highly condemnable and it has to stop.

    “We condemn the act and we call on Jacob Zuma to address the inhuman treatment within the next 72 hours, otherwise the South Africans living in Nigeria will not find it easy again.

    “We will make sure they are deported and all their businesses will be shut down.”

     

    “This is a signal warning, we are giving them 72 hours’ ultimatum, after which they will face the full wrath of the law.”

    He urged the United Nations (UN) to call the Government of South Africa to order before it is too late.

     

  • Youths protest in Imo

    Youths protest in Imo

    Another round of protests rocked Owerri, the Imo State capital yesterday, as youths barricaded major roads, condemning INEC’s refusal to declare the winner of the governorship election.

    Over 4,000 youths accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Gabriel Ada, of conniving with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to undermine the people’s will.

    They alleged that the REC accepted the results manipulated by the PDP but rejected others, though it was obvious the All Progressives Congress (APC) won convincingly.

    One of the youths warned that the stalemate might snowball into a crisis if INEC failed to do the right thing.

     

  • Protest at TV College over babies’ disturbance

    Should nursing mothers bring their babies for lectures? This is a poser the management of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Television College (TV COLLEGE) in Jos could not answer, which led to disruption of activities at the college on Thursday.

    At 9am, the campus stood still when 300-Level students stopped all lectures and blocked the only entrance to the college. Their colleagues from other levels of studies joined them in the peaceful protest to draw attention to what they called “babies’ disturbance” at lectures.

    The protesters did not allow the Rector, Ms Halima Bewell, an entry into the campus. The Rector came down from her car and pleaded with students, assuring them their complaint would be addressed.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that protesters had initially registered their displeasure to the school authority over the habit of some of their colleagues breast-feeding babies during lectures. The babies, they complained, cry and disturb classes.

    After the protesters were pacified to return to their classes, Ms Bewell went round the campus and summoned all nursing mothers to her office. She advised them to either defer schooling to nurture their babies or leave their babies at home while they go for lectures.

    Students praised the management’s decision, hoping their concerned colleagues would heed the advice.

  • Women, security operatives clash at Jonathan’s town hall meeting

    Hundreds of women protesting the takeover of the Women Development Centre in Owerri, the Imo State capital for President Jonathan’s town hall meeting with a faction of traditional rulers headed by Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, were Tuesday teargased by stern looking security men who barricaded the road leading to the Centre.

    The women, who defied all entreaties by the heads of the security agencies in the state, took over the roads leading to the venue of the town hall meeting, chanting anti Jonathan slogans.

    Scores of them were wounded, while several others suspected to be asthmatic fainted after inhaling the tear gas fume.

    The Director General of the Centre, Hon Ndidi Iheme, stated that the over 2500 women drawn from across the 27 Local Government Areas of the State, were billed for a training at the centre on the conduct and role of women in the 2015 general elections.

    She stated further that the centre has been locked up for the past five days without any explanation, adding that, “there is no court injunction whatsoever restraining us from having access to our office but we have been locked out for over five days without explanation.”

    According to her, “we have slated a training for the women today at the centre and we came this morning to start but were denied entrance by the security men. We were not given any prior notice about the President’s visit or any information that the centre was going to be used for any town hall meeting of any sort and we have resolved that we are not going to allow this intimidation.”

    However, The Nation gathered that President Jonathan’s decision to visit the Eze Ilomuanya led faction of the Traditional Rulers’ Council may have provoked the authorities in the state.

    Ilomuanya, who was deposed as a traditional ruler by the state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, over his romance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was recognized by President Jonathan, obviously to spite the state government.

     

     

  • Pipeline contract: Urhobo protest exclusion

    THE Urhobo ethnic group of Delta State, at the weekend, protested their exclusion from the pipeline surveillance contract awarded by the Federal Government.

    Their spokesman General Evans Akponana said the Urhobo should not be taken for granted because of their peaceful disposition.

    He said: “We read with dismay in The Nation of Thursday, March 12, a story, headlined: ‘Jonathan okays oil jobs for Tompolo, Dokubo, others’. In the piece, companies belonging to individuals from different ethnic groups were mentioned as beneficiaries.

    “Of the beneficiaries, the Urhobo was clearly, but strangely missing. It stands logic on its head, to think that the Urhobo was NOT considered fit as a beneficiary of this contract by whatever criteria the Federal Government adopted.

    “I do not want to mention that the Urhobo is the fifth largest group in the country as of today. I do not want to mention that we are the largest ethnic group covering an entire senatorial district of eight local governments and beyond in Delta State.

    “I do not want to mention that the Urhobo are host to the Ughelli Quality Control Centre, Eruemukowharien, the Agbarha Oil manifold, which is the largest in West Africa. I do not want to mention that we are also host to the Otorogun Gas Plant in Otu-Jeremi, with pipelines and oil facilities criss-crossing every community in Urhobo land.

    “All we ask is which criteria was used such that the Urhobo are excluded from these oil pipeline surveillance jobs?

    “May I inform Mr. President that the president-generals and secretaries, as well as traditional rulers of oil/gas producing and bearing communities in Urhobo have given the Power of Attorney and recommendation to one of their own for the surveillance job.”

  • APC protests indiscriminate killing, arrest of members in Rivers

    APC protests indiscriminate killing, arrest of members in Rivers

    Thousands of protesting members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Thursday shut down Port Harcourt, kicking against the indiscriminate killing, arrest and detention of members of the ruling party in the state.

    The protesters, armed with placards bearing various inscriptions and chanting anti-Federal Government songs, occupied the Rivers police headquarters on Moscow Road for some hours, vowing to continue doing so daily, until the police stopped the indiscriminate arrest of APC members in the state.

    The leaders of the protesters were later received by the Rivers Commissioner of Police, Dan Bature, and they subsequently proceeded to the state’s headquarters of the Department of State Security (DSS), both in Port Harcourt.

    The aggrieved APC members were led by the Rivers Commissioner for Agriculture, Emma Chindah, and the Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Council of the state, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.

    As early as 6 a.m., the protesters had taken over the major roads and streets in Port Harcourt, leading to huge traffic, with the Rivers police command deploying many Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and Toyota Hilux patrol van, having many battle-ready officers and men, but nobody was harassed for the over five hours that the peaceful protest lasted.

    Some of the placards read: “Another Mbu is here”, “Stop politically-motivated arrest of APC members”, “CP Bature, be neutral”, “Nigeria police or PDP police”, “CP Bature, be professional”, “Use police against criminals, not against citizens”, “Leave Rivers APC members alone, Nigeria police”, “Is Nigeria Police Force an arm of PDP in Rivers State?”, “Don’t make Rivers a police state”, “Have police stopped being our friends? CP Bature, please answer us now” and “We say no to indiscriminate arrest of APC members.”

    Others included: “Mbu and Bature, any difference?”, “Stop harassing and arresting APC members in Rivers State, Nigeria Police”, Nigeria Police Force, agent of PDP”, “Release our brothers now”, “Police in Rivers State acting as security of PDP”, “Democracy is threatened by police in Rivers State”, “Release our husbands now” and “We say no to violent elections, unjust arrests in Rivers State.”

    The Rivers agric commissioner said: “What we want Nigerians to know is that before the whole world, at an APC rally on February 17 in Okrika, PDP’s armed thugs came to the place (playground of National School, venue of the campaign of Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside), in a programme transmitted live on national television stations and started shooting indiscriminately. A policeman was killed and over 50 persons were injured. Imagine killing a policeman in uniform and keeping his family members in the situation they have kept them. Till today, we do not know those who have been arrested by the police.

    “Every now and then, APC members are arrested in Rivers State. Have police become an arm of the PDP? Is indiscriminate arrest part of their tactics for the elections? The people of Rivers State have come here to say in unequivocal terms that it will not work.

    “If we check and there is no change, we are going to occupy permanently, the Rivers State Police Headquarters, in a lawful manner, until they give us justice. We have come here to look for freedom. The freedom we are looking for is from the Nigeria Police Force. The policemen in Rivers State have turned themselves into the arm of the PDP. Rivers State needs freedom. Rivers State cannot be turned to a police state. We have elections in nine days. Virtually everybody who is here has been marked for arrest, including myself, probably after making this speech. We have to look for our freedom. Freedom we must get.”

    The chairman of Asari-Toru LG council, in his remarks, declared that the members of the APC in Rivers had lost confidence in the police in the state.

    Flag-Amachree said: “The Chairman of Etche LGA (Charles Anyanwu, of the APC) is already in detention. We are not comfortable with the way the police are harassing and arresting APC members in Rivers State. CP Bature has assured us that the police will make sure that everybody in Rivers State will be protected. We want free, fair and credible elections in Rivers State.

    “CP Bature told us that the matter of the arrested APC chieftain is in court and that we should go to court. The truth is that we do not have confidence in the police. That is why we are here (Police Headquarters in Port Harcourt). We have registered our complaint. We are going to be watching them as the days go by. Police are now an arm of the PDP.”

    While also speaking, one of the protesters, Victor Chioma, who is from Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers state, where the governorship candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Nyesom Wike, hails from, expressed displeasure that President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience, are both ruling and mismanaging Nigeria, in spite of the fact that Nigeria’s constitution did not provide any role for First Lady.

    Chioma also stated that the upland/riverine dichotomy in Rivers state must be upheld, while condemning Wike’s scheming to succeed Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who are both Ikwerre from the same Rivers East Senatorial District.

    Another protester, Peter Ibianga, noted that policemen were arresting and detaining APC members in Rivers state, in order to prevent them from being around during the March 28 and April 11 elections.