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Tag: protests

  • Trump defends travel ban as Obama backs protests

    Trump defends travel ban as Obama backs protests

    Business giants kick

    1.3m sign petition in UK against president

    Former United States President Barack Obama yesterday gave his backing to the global protests against the travel ban by President Donald Trump.
    Citizens of seven mainly-Muslim countries have been banned from entering the United States for 90 days while refugees have been prevented in an executive order signed by Trump.
    The countries affected are Libya, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan – they have all denounced the order with some of them vowing retaliation.
    In his tweets yesterday, Trump blamed “big problems at airports” on the demonstrators themselves, an airline’s technical problems and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who teared up while discussing the ban. (Delta suffered technical issues Sunday evening — 48 hours after Trump signed the immigration order — that canceled about 150 flights.)
    “Only 109 people out of 325,000 were detained and held for questioning,” Trump tweeted. “Big problems at airports were caused by Delta computer outage…..protesters and the tears of Senator Schumer.”
    Business giants are uncomfortable with the ban.
    Ford CEO Mark Fields and Chairman Bill Ford strongly rebuked Trump’s travel ban in a joint statement yesterday, breaking with other major automakers who have largely remained silent so far.
    In the first statement released since leaving the White House, Obama’s new spokesman Kevin Lewis said: “President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country.
    “Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organise and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake.”
    Lewis added that Obama “fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion.”
    He noted that in Obama’s farewell address to the nation earlier this month, he spoke about “the important role of citizen” not just on Election Day, but every day.
    Also yesterday, dozens of U.S. diplomats around the world were set to formally criticise the immigration restrictions, according to U.S. media report.
    A “dissent cable” has been drafted for senior State Department officials, ABC News and the Associated Press reported.
    Draft text seen by the BBC says that the ban on nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries will not make the US safer and is un-American.
    President Trump issued the restrictions on Friday.
    His executive order halted the entire U.S. refugee programme for 120 days, indefinitely banned Syrian refugees and suspended all nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
    The list does not include Saudi Arabia, where most of the hijackers in the 9/11 attacks came from.
    News of the complaint from U.S. diplomats comes amid a global chorus of condemnation of the new policies. The White House has defended the restrictions as necessary safety measures.
    The statement by Ford’s CEO and chairman, said: “Respect for all people is a core value of Ford Motor Company, and we are proud of the rich diversity of our company here at home and around the world,” Fields and Bill Ford said in the joint statement.
    “That is why we do not support this policy or any other that goes against our values as a company.”
    The travel ban has impacted people with green cards who were previously approved to travel freely.
    The fourth American automaker, electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors, denounced the Trump immigration policy on Saturday. CEO Elon Musk has pledged to pursue a consensus among fellow Strategic and Policy Forum members on needed changes to the plan to propose to the president.
    Other major automakers have not spoken but a group of other majr form’s CEOs have lashed out at the order.
    Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein became the first major Wall Street leader to speak out against the order.
    .In a voicemail to employees on Sunday, Blankfein said diversity was a hallmark of Goldman’s success, and if the temporary freeze became permanent, it could create “disruption” for the bank and its staff.
    “This is not a policy we support, and I would note that it has already been challenged in federal court, and some of the order has been enjoined at least temporarily,” Blankfein said, according to a transcript seen by Reuters.
    Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, wrote to employees with “deep concern and a heavy heart” about the executive order from the U.S. president two days earlier.
    Schultz said he would hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years at Starbucks businesses worldwide.
    “We will start this effort here in the U.S. by making the initial focus of our hiring efforts on those individuals who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel,’’ he said.
    Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to twitter to voice his concern.
    “The blanket entry ban on citizens from certain primarily Muslim countries is not the best way to address the country’s challenges.
    “Many people negatively affected by this policy are strong supporters of the U.S. They’ve done right, not wrong and don’t deserve to be rejected,’’ he added.
    CEO Travis Kalanick said Uber would be supporting all of its drivers who are citizens of the countries named but who were currently stuck outside the U.S. because of the president’s “unjust immigration ban”.
    And Jamie Dimon, the company chairman of America’s biggest bank JPMorgan Chase, also said that employees would be supported if they were affected.
    Dimon, Kalanick and Musk are all members of Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, a group of business people called together by the president to advise him on economic policy.
    The CEOs of the top three advertising holding companies also issued statements vowing to protect their employees.
    “We are a talent business and we’ve long been committed to making diversity and inclusion a core part of our company’s DNA,” said Interpublic Group Chairman and CEO Michael Roth, in a statement. “We therefore remain committed to protecting our colleagues, and will provide whatever assistance is necessary to keep our employees and their families safe and a valued part of our organisation, no matter their nationality or religious beliefs.”
    While IPG is based in New York City, the holding company has agencies and employees in more than 100 countries worldwide. Though Roth made no specific mention of the ban in his statement, it was issued in response to requests to address the situation.
    Likewise, John Wren, CEO of Omnicom Group, issued a brief statement emphasising the company’s concern for its workforce. “Our people are our greatest asset and right now, our top priority is to protect and support employees, their families and all those otherwise affected,” Wren said.
    Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, issued a somewhat more extensive statement that cited his family history and a longstanding distaste for such measures.
    Regarding the effect of the ban on WPP employees, Sorrell said there had been “no immediate impact we are aware of in the first few days of the ban.”
    He added that WPP is “concerned about the impact it may have on our people and their families both inside and outside the USA and on innocent people generally.
    “As the grandson of Eastern European grandparents, who were admitted to the UK in the very late 19th and early 20th centuries, I have an instinctive dislike of such measures,” said Sorrell.
    Though prominent industry partners such as Nike, Google, Twitter and Apple made their opposition to the travel ban public over the weekend, the major holding companies and agency leaders had remained silent until Monday morning. Individual agency leaders have still refrained from commenting on the matter publicly.
    On Saturday, a U.S. federal judge issued a stay that forced the administration to release certain travelers being detained in airports. The administration itself revised the ban on Sunday to allow freer travel for U.S. residents in possession of green cards.
    At the DealBook conference hosted by New York Times columnist Andrew Russ Sorkin last week, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said she fielded questions from her employees who were “all crying” after the election. She said: “The question that they’re asking, especially those who are not white: ‘Are we safe?’ Women are asking: ‘Are we safe?’ LGBT people are asking: ‘Are we safe?’ I never thought I’d have had to answer those questions.”

    1.3 million sign petition to stop Trump’s UK visit

    More than 1.3 million people have signed a petition urging the British government to call off President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK, amid a row over his recent immigration measures.
    Downing Street, however, said Prime Minister Theresa May was looking forward to the visit.
    Mr Trump’s executive order on immigration has caused anger worldwide.
    Protests in response to Mr Trump’s order took place yesterday in London, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, York, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Swansea and other UK cities.
    Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the row.
    The Foreign Office said on Sunday the clampdown should not affect UK nationals travelling to the U.S., even if they had shared nationality with one of the countries on which restrictions have been placed.
    But the US embassy in London has issued a statement telling any citizens of the seven countries in question and also those holding dual nationality not to apply for a visa for the time being.
    The petition is now the second-most popular on the government’s website, which was set up in July 2015.
    Downing Street said on Monday that Mrs May “extended an invitation on behalf of the Queen – and she was very happy to do so.
    “The USA is one of this country’s closest allies, and we look forward to hosting the president later this year.”
    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also urged the postponement of the visit.
    “Donald Trump should not be welcomed to Britain while he abuses our shared values with his shameful Muslim ban and attacks on refugees’ and women’s rights,” the Labour leader said.
    State visits are grand occasions requiring an invitation from the Queen, and are distinct from regular visits by heads of state. The Queen usually receives one or two heads of state a year.
    When the petition passed the million mark, it was found that about 30,000 came from outside the U.K.
    It is now second only to last year’s petition signed by more than four million people calling for a fresh referendum on whether to leave the European Union.
    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the visit should not happen while the executive order was in place.

  • Union protests over N150m loan misappropriation

    The Association of Agricultural and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria (AAEUN) has protested over the alleged misappropriation of its fund by the National President, Comrade Simon Anchaver.

    The protest, which took place at the premises of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Iyaganku, Ibadan, involved state leaders and members.

    During the protest, the Lagos State Chairman of the union, Comrade Obafemi Oyenubi, alleged that the national president took a loan of N150 million on behalf of other members from Heritage Bank without their consent.

    He said the document, which was presented to them, showed that the money was for the purchase of the union’s national secretariat in Abuja, adding that the money was, however, diverted into private pockets.

    “This fraud was discovered when the bank started calling us individually to start paying the loan. So, we engaged the bank to find out what was happening and we were told that Comrade Anchaver obtained a loan on our behalf, with our pictures and without our consent.

    “We wrote a petition to the Economic and Financilal Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the former president of the union, Comrade Anchaver, who wrote our names, about 102 of us, opened an account on our behalf and obtained a loan to the tune of N150 million. We brought it to EFCC because we know that what he did was wrong and it is a criminal offence,” Oyenubi said.

    Oyenubi said the EFCC invited the two parties and promised to look into the issue critically.

    He said other national executives of the union were involved and have saying what they know about the case.

    He urged the EFCC to address the issues without bias, adding that they should emulate the current administration in tackling corruption.

    Speaking with The Nation, Comrade Anchaver admitted the allegation. He, however, said that the issue would be addressed.

  • Ondo protests: Call Mimiko to order, AD urges Buhari

    Ondo protests: Call Mimiko to order, AD urges Buhari

    The Alliance for Democracy(AD) in Ondo State has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari not to be cajoled by the antics of the Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko over the mayhem that occurred on Friday on the choice of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the State.

    According to a Press Statement by the State Secretary of the AD in the State, Dr Sola Agboola, on Saturday, instead, the Governor should be held accountable for the organised mayhem which he regretted, “has even continued since Saturday morning.

    The AD alleged that PDP thugs and street urchins hired to carry out the acts of brigandage have been blocking roads in Akure, the State capital to sustain the ” lies
    concocted by Mimiko to the President that the State was on fire owing
    to the list pasted by the Independent national Electoral Commission
    (INEC)”.

    The AD while describing the situation as an irony and a sad pointer that Olusegun Mimiko who got into office via the instrumentality of the court could surreptitiously resort to violence even while before an appellate court to redress the matter, said that it amounted to deceit to resort to violence to seek justice.

    While describing AD as a peaceful party committed to the peace and
    tranquillity in the State, the Secretary wondered why Dr Mimiko should attempt to impose the wish of a tiny members of his party over those of the majority who are contented with the court and INEC’s verdicts.

    “In order to make his subterfuge work, the embattled Governor threatened the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo with deposition if he fails to incite the market men and women and force close the Main market in order to make his ploy seem real.

    “At the same time, hired thugs from outside of the State in cahoots with the some members of the drivers’ union, whose State Chairman is the Governor’s kinsman from Ondo, caused mayhem in order to whip sentiments for his minion, who regrettably is a lawyer.

    “We are calling on the law enforcement agencies to call Governor Mimiko and his protégé, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to order and hold them responsible for any infraction and breakdown of law and order. They are the authors of this organised mayhem.

    “The AD as a peaceful party abhors violence and destruction of public properties and we view with seriousness this shameful act of brigandage to force the hands of the law to do your wish by fire by force as Mr Mimiko is doing. The present mayhem is an organised one being perpetrated by the Ondo State Government and not that of the reaction of the people. Besides, that it came a day after the said incident happened and far into the midmorning when workers, market men and women, school children have gone to their respective offices and schools speaks volumes,” Agboola stated.

  • Edo polls: Ize-Iyamu leads protests, says God asks him to recover mandate

    Edo polls: Ize-Iyamu leads protests, says God asks him to recover mandate

    The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just-concluded governorship election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, yesterday joined other leaders of the party to lead a street protest against the outcome of the election.

    The protest began from theIkpoba slope junction along Akpkakpava Street, through Second East Circular to New Lagos road and other major streets within Benin City metropolis.

    The protesters wore black attires to mourn what they termed death of democracy.

    Addressing the protesters, Pastor Ize-Iyamu said  God has told him to, “pursue and recover”, his mandate, which he claimed he was robbed of by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Pastor Ize-Iyamu said he is committed to seeking justice over what he termed fake results declared by INEC.

    Ize-Iyamu vowed to pursue the case from the tribunal through the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court if necessary.

    He said it was lamentable that those who were given victory by INEC were ashamed of celebrating the victory.

    He said: “Let me assure you that the robbery of the Edo peoples mandate will not stand. In the past few days, I have been seeking the face of God. I asked Him what do I do: do I leave them to their fate? Do I walk away? And God gave me a word. He said ‘pursue and recover’.

    Also speaking, the state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, said the party would do everything to defend democracy.

    Meanwhile, the governor-elect, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, while reacting, lampooned Ize-Iyamu for relying on results from the social media to brag about that the PDP won the election.

    Obaseki said he and the APC would not succumb to blackmail, as they have moved on as part of the progressive continuity to deliver on the promises of good governance to the people.

    Speaking through the media coordinator of his transition committee, Mr. John Mayaki, Obaseki said it was laughable for the PDP to parade themselves as winner of the election when Edo people gave their mandate to him.

    “I am sure they want us to throw a lavish party in the manner of Chief Osawaru Igbinedion who would organize parties for the space of a whole month across the world. But the governor-elect is a responsible person.

    “What the PDP is doing is to incite the people to create violence. But Edo people are peace loving and would not succumb to political skullduggery of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

    “We would not join issues with Ize-Iyamu and the PDP since they want to continue to dwell in the past. The campaign is over and the Governor-elect is focused. We are very confident that whichever avenue they want to seek redress, the APC and the Governor-elect wont succumb to blackmail.

    “The PDP as a party relied on social media results, which they manipulated and published to delude themselves. But we are confident that the people cannot be blackmailed. The people have chosen the path of progressive continuity, good governance and won’t go back to the era of pestilence

  • Protests in Ekiti over Fayose’s plan to demolish more houses for flyover bridge

    Protests in Ekiti over Fayose’s plan to demolish more houses for flyover bridge

    Residents of Okesa area of Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Thursday protested against the latest plan by the state government to demolish more houses in the neighborhood to make way for the ongoing construction of a one kilometer flyover.

    Governor Ayo Fayose during his monthly media chat, Meet Your Governor, aired on the major electronic media in the state on Monday  had unfolded the plan to demolish more buildings to construct an outer road for the flyover to aid mobility.

    Fayose explained that the demolition exercise will commence on Monday, September 12 which falls on the Eid el Kabir day.

    But scores of house owners and landlords in Okesa staged a public demonstration against the plan by the Fayose administration to pull down their structures in furtherance of the flyover project.

    Acting under the aegis of Okesa Landlords Association, the protesters marched from their neighborhoods through the Secretariat Road before terminating their protest at the Ekiti House of Assembly.

    The protesters were received at the Assembly complex by the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, who appealed for calm and promised to communicate their grievances to the governor.

    The placard-carrying protesters claimed that the decision to demolish their houses came to them as a shock as they never expected another round of demolition which they said would turn them to “refugees and homeless destitute.”

    According to the spokesman of the house owners, Dada Adesanya, they are gripped with fear about where to relocate after their buildings might have been demolished by government bulldozers.

    He said: “Most of the owners of the buildings are old people who have no money to build new houses. A notice of three days is too short for them to relocate.

    “Apart from this, the initial agreement of 15 meters to the road was what we agreed with the government before they now came with 30 meters which we find too shocking  and sudden.

    “Most of the occupants of the affected structures are aged people who had lived for over eight years in the ancient buildings and could not afford to build another house owing to financial constraints.”

    Adesanya said the people appreciate he developmental project of the present administration but urged the government to have a rethink on the hardship the project would unleash on the people.

    Responding, Speaker Oluwawole commended the peaceful conduct of the protesters  and told the house owners that the intended demolition was to guard against vehicles ramming into the buildings.

    Oluwawole explained that government meant well for the people hence the need to embark on developmental project that would attract investment and industrialization.

    The Speaker advised the people to carry the authorities of the Ministry of Lands and Housing along in their agitations as the Assembly was also ready to wade into the matter.

    He, however, added that all citizens of the state should be ready to make sacrifice when necessary to pave way for economic prosperity and infrastructural development.

    Oluwawole said: “I like the way you have been peaceful, we will take your case to the executive. Every citizens must be ready to make some sacrifices.”

  • Protests over Ondo APC governorship election primary

    Protests over Ondo APC governorship election primary

    Party chiefs urge appeal committee to cancel exercise

    Senatorial chair resigns over primaries outcome

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Ondo Central Senatorial District Chairman Adegboyega Adedipe yesterday resigned his position in protest against the handling of the party’s governorship primary election.

    Adedipe, one of the leaders of the party who petitioned the leadership over the ‘fraud’ that pervaded the primary, calling for the cancellation of the “corrupt outcome.” He claimed that the list of delegates from his senatorial districts was “padded”.

    Publicity Secretary of the party Abayomi Adesanya, confirmed the resignation of Adedipe, adding that the party official had returned all the party’s property in his care to the secretariat in Akure, the state capital.

    “I can confirm to you that Mr. Adedipe has resigned as the chairman of Ondo Central Senatorial District of the APC. He said he took the decision for peace to reign in the party and also for the progress of the party”, he said.

    It was learnt that State Chairman Isaac Kekemeke, who was disparaged by Akeredolu before the primary, might also resign.

    It was gathered that Kekemeke had removed his personal effects including his photographs from the secretariat.

    AFTER the initial calm that followed its Ondo State governorship primary, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday got the signs that all was not well.

    Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) was declared the winner of the election, which some stakeholders have rejected, urging the party to cancel the exercise. They said the list used for accreditation of delegates was not authentic.

    One of the petitioners, Mr Akintunde Temitope, chairman of APC, Ondo East Local Government, premised his disapproval of the primary election on what he described as doctored delegate, list used for the exercise in his area. He attached the list of delegates and marked out fictitious names in the list.

    Temitope said: “We were shocked to discover the massive fraud that characterised the September 3, governorship primary.  A strange delegate list was introduced on the night of the election after everybody had gone to sleep only for us to wake up on the morning of election to see a massively adulterated delegates list.”

    According to him, names of 47 per cent of the legitimate delegates in Ondo East Local Government were either deleted or substituted with people who were not known to the party as executive committee members.

    He said contrary to the agreement between the APC national secretariat and the aspirants  that only the list of those who had voted in the National Assembly election and other previous primaries  would be used for the governorship primary,  the list used was different.

    “The national secretariat of the party released a definite delegates list, which is in tandem with correct realities in our Local Government,  among others, to all the aspirants three days to the election  on Wednesday 31st of August, 2016, only for the midnight list to surface on the morning of the election.

    “We wrote a petition to the Primary Election Petition Chairman on the morning of the election and he repeated the fact that only people that had been voting in previous primaries would be allowed to vote, with a promise to stand down the voting process for Ondo East and Ondo West Local Governments. We were shocked that the committee never honoured the pledge,” he stated.

    APC Ondo Central Senatorial District Chairman Mr Adegboyega  Adedipe said the result “is not anywhere near  the true reflection of the opinion of our party in the state”.

    Adedipe stated that “the delegates list used for the primary was so padded that no meaningful results could be based on such a warped list. Ondo East and Ondo West were the worst-hit in my senatorial district where about 50 per cent of the legitimate delegates were disenfranchised.

    “Many non-delegates were seen  voting on Saturday with the connivance of the corrupt security agencies. In view of the corrupt practices that dominated the primary, Ondo Central is calling on you to quickly investigate the huge fraud and order a fresh primary that will be a true reflection of the opinion of our party.”

    In a letter of protest, the APC Chairman, Ondo East Local Government, Mr Akintunde Samuel said it was disheartening that the election committee had reneged on the promise to use the official delegates list released by the APC national secretariat which had been previously used for primary elections.

    The letter dated September 2, 2016 which was addressed to the Chairman, Governorship Election Committee, the leader of APC in Ondo East said: “We were shocked to find fictitious names thaty have never voted before, and even names from Ward 2 that never held congress, talk more producing delegates from same.”

    An APC chieftain,  Comrade Sola Iji,  said the delegate list was manipulated . He cited the case of Ondo South Senatorial District Woman Leader, Ms Toyin Ajinde whose name was substituted with unknown name. He said there were similar cases of authentic delegates whose names were missing on the list.

    Iji said on the surface value the process appeared transparent but the exercise was bungled with multiple delegates list flying around among the aspirants and stakeholders.

    A staunch supporter of Chief Sola Oke, one of the aspirants, Mrs Simisola Jegede-Ayoade, said: “When we heard about 3 a.m. on Saturday the day of the election that they had changed the delegates list, we called our candidate to ask if he was aware. Chief Oke told us he was aware but that nothing could be done about it because the time was too short.”

    Mrs Ayoade said there was confusion over list for Ondo East, Ondo West and Ondo South. “Even Ese-Odo Local Government, where Oke hails from, only 11 delegates on the list were authentic. Oke has every right to complain. If he had started raising alarm on the day of election, people would have misconstrued his position.”

     

  • The Colour of our Protests

    The destruction of public properties during a protest has only one colour; it is called Colour Stupid

    I love colours. They not only define the personality, they also say a lot. This is why conventional wisdom of signs has given colours different tags. For some strange reason, convention thinks that white represents peace. This is why the white handkerchief is never out of my handbag. Before the altercation begins, man, I am already waving the blessed white cloth in the face of my accuser: peace, peace, be still. I do not want to go to jail for having my bumper bashed. Oh yes, it has happened.

    Most people think blue is the colour of love, when the going is good, that is. No one has ever told me what the colour of a failed love is – red, do you think, or blue and red? I know people think red is the colour of danger but I think that’s because it coincides with the colour of blood (dangerous, man!) and the fact that even the worst cataracts can discern a red cloth tied to the rear end of a vehicle ferrying some long iron rods that can inadvertently penetrate the brain of an unwary speed racer. Oh yes, it has also happened.

    So, all these colours stand for one thing or the other, but please don’t tell the women and men, mothers and fathers, brides and grooms who choose wedding colours for themselves or their wards. Neither they nor I have any idea of what colours like burgundy, champagne, turquoise, teal or fuchsia stand for: confusion perhaps?

    Someone once wrote that a country should please change the colour of their problems because people were arguing needlessly over the colour of a few busses. So, if problems can have colours, me thinks, so can protests. Such colours would range from white – meaning peaceful protest, to crimson red – meaning ‘everyone, take cover!’ All the colours in-between would signify anything from ‘join the protest’ to ‘stay at the back waving your handkerchief and smiling’.

    Right now though, good people, I am protesting so many things and I am not smiling. To start with, Nigeria lost to Germany in the current Rio Olympic Games. Imagine that; considering that Nigeria used to supply Germany with players for her teams. Worse still, I don’t know if we can undo that loss or the damage that has done to my psyche. I don’t know, but I probably will not be able to eat again.

    Something else that might have cheered me up is getting my wish that the budget padding story would just go away. This means of course that it should disappear from national discourse like so many other stories of great embezzlements that have done the disappearing act in this country, and leave us with our peace. He who knows no difference knows no pain.

    Instead of going away, however, the padding story seems to be thickening in all of its dimensions like the falling Naira and we are all watching in dismay. I tell you, that Naira is fast becoming one vacant plot! At this rate, my ambition to build my own skyscraper this year is being greatly devalued, again, like my Naira.

    Unfortunately, I am also not cheered by all the news I am reading in the papers these days. How on earth we expect to prosper in this country when we are so destructive still beats me. Here, we have all complained that our political leaders hardly know the difference between stealing and corruption, abusing and desecrating or even between destroying and pulling down. Why, as far as Nigerian politicians are concerned, they are not destroying the state, they are only pulling down its structures. More, many of them do not think they are desecrating their fatherland; they are only guilty of a few abuses such as stealing, which by no means can be called corruption.

    Here then are the youths who appear to have been very studious of their politician-fathers’ pastimes and have joined in the desecration, sorry abuse of their fatherland by destroying, sorry pulling down of a few structures. Imagine my surprise to read that students of a south-western university went out in a protest and promptly burnt at least seven cars! Can you just imagine that?

    According to the report, the students were protesting the fact the school’s authorities did not seem to care that their off-campus hostel was being attacked frequently by robbers. I mean, they were protesting about their off-campus hostel! Oh sorry; did I say that already? Well, as a result of that protest at least seven offices or innocent persons are without their cars now courtesy of students deciding to take up arms against the body they can catch. It’s a case of if you can’t get the ball, then get the leg that plays the ball, as we professionals say in football.

    Something much worse but in the same vein is said to have occurred in Lagos sometime ago. Some unfortunate okada rider was said to have contravened the law against using the lane dedicated to the BRT and Emergency services and got crushed in the process. In retaliation, a mob quickly gathered and acted as judge, jury and executioner by destroying forty-seven of those buses that serve the public. I ask you! How on earth is one to explain that kind of protest? What colour was it wearing? The most worrisome part is that I have not read any news report on the matter telling me that someone or ones have been arrested and held responsible for that action. Yet, someone started it.

    Unfortunately, the protest that comes in this colour has seemed to replicate itself greatly in many Nigerian cities. Groups of people feeling cheated and disgruntled about one facet of Nigerian life or the other just take it into their heads to let go their anger and begin to destroy public properties. And yet, here we are crying about insufficiency in Nigeria. Here we are crying about failed infrastructures. Here we are indeed crying about so many lacks in our national life. As the common parlance goes, I wonder what part of the fact that Nigeria is poor (to all intents and purposes) they do not understand.

    Seriously, I think we better watch out. This new method of protesting can only grow worse; it never gets better. The destruction of public properties during a protest has only one colour; it is called Colour Stupid. How on earth can you justify the burning of forty-seven BRT buses, each of which costs millions of Naira in real and inflated values? Each of these buses serves thousands and thousands of people and helps them get to and from work and home each day more cheaply and more orderly, Lagos considering. How can you also justify the burning of private and public vehicles just to drive home a pointless point? Yet, some philistines think that their protests cannot be colourful enough if something dear to the public does not go up in flames.

    Something needs to be said about the state response to these destructive habits during protests. Not only that no one is charged when these incidents occur, the governments even appear to go out of their way and bend over backwards to placate the protesters instead, ‘so that things don’t break down completely.’ Oh yeah?! And when would things show they have broken down completely? Would that be when forty-seven buses are burnt alive? Oh yes, when forty-seven buses BRT are burnt alive.

    I know people are hungry these days. We all are. We are also angry, being so deprived and all; so anything can light the fuse of our protest. However, we need to know that when that fuse is lit, it does not discriminate on what it consumes. Before you know it, the protest soon changes to Colour Dangerous and EVERYONE gets burnt. We must watch out.

  • AI protests planned execution of five Nigerians, others by Indonesia

    AI protests planned execution of five Nigerians, others by Indonesia

    Amnesty International (AI) Nigeria has protested plans by the Indonesian government to execute five Nigerians and others on drug-related offences.

    Leading a protest march to the Indonesian Embassy in Abuja, where it submitted a letter, AI said that it had received credible reports that dozens of death row prisoners could be executed as soon as this weekend, many of them for drug-related offences.

    AI’s interim Country Director Makmid Kamara stated that the group’s letter basically calls on the Indonesian government to halt the executions of at least five Nigerians and 10 other people who are at risks in the Asian country.

    Kamara added that the protest was not just a Nigerian, but global campaign, and that as an organisation, AI is opposed to death penalty under any circumstance.

    His words: “We are urging the President of Indonesia and the Indonesian government that the people at risk of execution are commuted transferred to prison terms rather than the death penalty.

    “The letter we submitted is basically calling on the Indonesian government to halt all plans to carry out executions of at least five Nigerians and 10 other people who are at eminent risks of execution in Indonesia.

    “This is not the first time that Nigerians in Indonesia are at risk of being executed, Nigerians have been executed in the past for drug related offences and Amnesty International opposes the death penalty under all circumstances and we don’t think that drug related offences are serious crimes to warrant the death penalty.

    “So, we are calling on the Indonesian government and all governments across the world to abolish the death penalty, to change the death penalty to prison terms especially for those who are currently at risk of execution.

    “We want the Nigerian authorities and people to also put pressure on the Indonesian government to save the lives of these Nigerians as well as the other nationalities as risk of being executed.

    “This is the first time that Amnesty International in Nigeria together with our supporters and activists are calling on the government to ensure that people at risk of executions are not executed.”

    Kamara also stated that “Indonesian President Joko Widodo will be putting his government on the wrong side of history if he proceeds with a fresh round of executions.

    “President Widodo’s era was supposed to represent a new start for human rights in Indonesia. Sadly, he could preside over the highest number of executions in the country’s democratic era at a time when most of the world has turned its back on this cruel practice.

    “Amnesty International has learned that at least a dozen death row prisoners could be executed as soon as this weekend, many of them for drug offences.

    “The organisation is also concerned that some of the prisoners who could face the firing squad were convicted in manifestly unfair trails and have not submitted clemency request to the President.”

    Representative of the Ambassador, in charge of Political Sections, Indra Noer, promised to pass the AI’s message to the ambassador and their home government in Jakarta, Indonesia.

  • Youths to Melaye: apologise to Tinubu or face protests

    A group, the Grand Council of Yoruba Youths, has asked Senator  Dino Melaye to apologise to Senator Oluremi Tinubu for attacking her.

    The group said it would mobilise 3,000 youths to protest at the National Assembly within seven days should Melaye fail to say sorry.

    The Kogi West Senator came under attack for charging at Senator Tinubu during the executive session of the Senate on July 12.

    The group, in a statement by Mr. Awa Bamiji, said Melaye used “other abusive, derogatory, arrogant and immoral language” against Mrs. Tinubu during a media briefing after the incident.

    “We, therefore, demand that he should tender an open apology to the entire country,” the group said.

    According to the group, no woman deserves such an abuse by any man, no matter the circumstance.

    It said Melaye does not only owe Mrs. Tinubu an apology, but the nation for using derogatory language against a woman and a mother.

    “His action can be best described as ‘Ijangbon de part 2’, considering what he did at House of Representatives before.

    “If he’s so bold to do what he did openly, how much more if he got angry in the dark?

    “We give him a week ultimatum to tender an apology, failing which we shall mobilise 3,000 Yoruba youth to protest against his ungodly behaviour at the National Assembly,” the group added.

  • Sen. Tinubu seeks police protection over Melaye’s threat

    Sen. Tinubu seeks police protection over Melaye’s threat

    •Assembly urges APC to discipline erring members
    •Kogi lawmaker gets seven days to apologise

    Aggrieved women yesterday turned out in large numbers in Ondo and Lagos states in protest against Senator Dino Melaye for “threatening Senator Oluremi Tinubu” at the Senate last Tuesday.

    This came on a day the House of Assembly, at plenary, urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to discipline any erring member who has brought insult and dishonour to its fold.

    In Abuja, the Coalition for Women Advancement in Africa (CoWAA) issued a directive to the Kogi West senator to tender an unreserved apology to Senator Tinubu.

    At the Akure protest, women, on the aegis of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women for Women (WFW) marched on the streets of the state capital, chanting solidarity songs in support of Senator Tinubu.

    The women carried placards with anti-Melaye inscriptions.

    They were from the 18 local governments.

    The protesters gave the lawmaker seven days to apologise to women for insulting Senator Tinubu, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women Affairs.

    Addressing reporters after the rally, the Ondo State Coordinator of WFW, Mrs. Fola Olaseinde-Vincente, a former lawmaker representing Ose, described the attack on Mrs.  Tinubu as “too many” on women.

    The lawyer said: “Never are we going to accept this kind of assault on women to go with impunity. We are calling on women across the world to rise up against assault on fellow women because an attack on any woman is an attack on all women.”

    The APC state chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, hailed the women for their solidarity with Senator Tinubu, urging them to work together in mobilising the citizenry against discrimination against them.

    In Lagos, scores of women under the aegis of the Concerned Group yesterday stormed the Office of Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode to protest the verbal attack on the Senator representing Lagos Central.

    The women, drawn from the three senatorial districts, paraded with placards, saying: “Melaye, Senate is not your father’s house”; “Dino, leave Tinubu alone”; “We say no to violence against women”; “Womenfolk, stand up against Dino” and others.

    The leader of the group, Mrs. Anike Adekanye, delivered a protest letter to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the Lagos House in Alausa for transmission to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    She said Melaye’s actions brought shame to himself, Kogi West, the Senate and the country.

    According to her, Melaye exhibited convincingly that he lacked the “poise, panache, fitness and minimum character to occupy a seat among sane, revered and distinguished men and women in the Senate”.

    The group urged Buhari to direct relevant security agencies to institute criminal action against Melaye should he fail to apologise within an acceptable time-frame, to serve as a deterrent to others as well as send a signal to young people, who might have erroneously viewed Melaye’s “disgraceful action” as an ideal conduct in a sane and civilised society.

    Receiving the protesters on behalf of Ambode, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Lola Akande assured the women the letter would be delivered to the President and that action would be taken.

    The House of Assembly, as part of its resolutions yesterday while reacting to a protest to the Assembly by the Concerned Group, resolved to write and attach its letter to the petition submitted by the protesters.

    It promised to send same letters to the Senate and the APC for investigation and disciplinary action.

    Deputy Speaker, Eshilokun Sanni, who received the protesters, raised the issue at plenary under matters of urgent public importance, calling on his colleagues to take action to call Melaye to order.

    Hailing the protesters for the way and manner they conducted themselves, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa said the protest showed that Lagosians were “sophisticated, advanced and concerned about the mandate given to their representatives”.

    “The protesters are sending a message in strong terms through that protest that we have not abandoned our representative, that we are behind her and that Melaye must not molest or assault her and to warn him to desist from such action,” Obasa said.

    The Coalition for Women Advancement in Africa (CoWAA), in Abuja, called on the senator representing Kogi West to tender an unreserved apology to Senator Tinubu.

    It said Melaye and his like posed great threats to women advancement in Africa.

    In a statement, the coalition said Melaye “is symptomatic of an emerging undesirable breed of men that objectify and belittle women contrary to the global trend of promoting equality”.

    It demanded that Melaye should apologise for his offence.

    The statement, signed by the CoWAA’s Executive Vice President, Jummai Samuel, berated a columnist, Sonala Olumhense, for his alleged assault on the wives of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

    Olumhense, allegedly in his article, ridiculed the wives of Buratai, by suggesting that they were not independent enough to own property or contribute to their family’s investment.

    CoWAA demanded apologies from both men with the explanation that it was necessary to discourage other menfolk from following in their footsteps.