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Kogi: A twist in the tale

Senior Correspondent JOSEPH JIBUEZE, who monitored the governorship election in Kogi State, relives his experience.

I arrived in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, on the evening of November 18. It turned out that most of the hotels had been fully booked, mostly by those who were in Lokoja for the governorship election – voters, observers, and ad-hoc staff, among others. However, I was able to get one through the help of The Nation’s Kogi Correspondent James Azania.

I had been asked to do situation reports for our Saturday edition, which must be sent the following day (Thursday). With news reports to file as well, I needed to get a press accreditation. So, I went to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Thursday morning for the accreditation and to assess the commission’s level of prepardness.

The accreditation took less than 10 minutes. It was unlike some other states where the process is like passing through a needle’s eye. There was no rowdiness or reporters chasing after INEC’s spokesmen. No one was kept waiting. The requirements were minimal. After identifying myself, I was given a bag containing a tag, a jotter, a vest and a cap. Dressed in my new outfit, I moved around the headquarters freely to observe activities despite the heavy security presence.

I heard about a pre-election briefing by Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), and I went to the venue. As soon as it was over, I headed for the Kogi Police Command Headquarters, to speak with the Commissioner of Police or whoever was in charge, to get an assessment of the security situation.

I met the police spokesman Ovyie William who briefed me on security arrangements so far. He also told me that the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police Sotonye Wakama would address a press conference the following day. But, then, it was getting to 3pm. So, I returned to the hotel to file my reports.

At the briefing on Friday, the DIG said the police uncovered plans to import thugs and arms into Kogi, and that those passing through the state would be thoroughly screened. Warning trouble makers to steer clear, he revealed that his men would do video recording of incidents at polling units. Afterwards, I joined other reporters for a briefing by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, a coalition of 70 groups that monitored the election.

On the Election Day, I was asked to cover Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Governor Idris Wada and to monitor the poll in his local government area. My colleague Azania was assigned to follow the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, the late Prince Abubakar Audu.

Governor Wada hails from Dekina Local Government Area, which is in the Kogi East Senatorial Zone. It has 12 wards and 217 polling units. The journey from Lokoja to Dekina took at about three hours, partly due to several security checks by stern-looking policemen and soldiers along the way. Some asked all passengers in the vehicle to disembark for a search. Despite the delays, we arrived the Odu Ogboyaga Market where the governor would vote. The road to the town was not rough. The people were friendly, willing to answer questions, and enthusiastic to exercise their franchise.

Wada arrived his unit by 11.20am for accreditation, but it was not a smooth process for him. The Card Reader failed to verify his Permanent Voter Card (PVC). He was not accredited until about 20 minutes later. Several attempts to make the Card Reader work failed.

The presiding officer, in a shaky voice, said: “His Excellency needs an incidence form.” On failure of Card Readers, an obviously agitated Wada said: “How can that happen?” His wife, Halima, could not find her name on the register and also had to fill an incidence form.

Wada returned about 3.30pm to vote, but had to wait in his car for 10 minutes as INEC officials were still stamping the ballot papers. He was the first to vote in his unit. Displeased with the process, he alleged there was “a deliberate attempt to frustrate” the election. The plot, he said, was hatched in Kogi, not Abuja. But, he did not name who was behind it.

Due to the malfunctioning Card Reader machines and lack of incidence forms, accreditation was still ongoing in Wada’s unit as at 2pm. But, it was over on time in some of other polling units visited. As a result of shortage of incidence forms in some polling units, officials had to resort to using papers to enter voters’ details.

With several interviews to transcribe and an election report to file, it was an anxious journey back to Lokoja, as I left Dekina at about 4pm in the company of other journalists. I also needed to feed our website with updates constantly, which was not always smooth due to weak network signals.

While working on the report, I got information that INEC may announce some results later on Saturday. Soon after filing my report and confirming from the Sunday Editor that it had been received, I set out for INEC headquarters. A projector was being set up in the about 22ft by 20 ft hall. It was already past 10 pm.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Halilu Pai had said results would be announced as they came in. Reporters struggled for vantage positions to sit. Tempers flared as cameramen stepped on one another, while trying to set up their tripods. An INEC official and a reporter had to be separated after the former accused the latter of almost damaging the projectors he was setting up.

But, all the troubles came to naught as the REC announced a few minutes past midnight that no result was ready and that announcement would resume 6am. The hall soon emptied, with already yawning newsmen disappointed.

As early as 6am, the INEC conference hall was filled up. It was hectic for security operatives keeping people out to prevent the hall from being too congested. Announcement of results began soon after, one council area after another. Everyone waited with bated breath as the final computation was being done by the returning officer, Prof Emmanuel Kucha.

When he picked up the microphone, what came next was a shock to many. As election could not take place in 91 units in 18 local government area, the election was inconclusive, he declared. Registered voters who could not vote – 49,953 – exceeded Audu’s winning margin, which was 41,353. But, the bigger shocker was to come later after as news filtered in that Audu had passed on.

There were mixed reports by election monitors. The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said some electoral officials were not adequately trained due to last minute replacements. It said trained ad-hoc officials were replaced with non-trained one, which in some instances resulted in the display of a lack of understanding of basic procedures, as well as the use of the Card Reader.

It said logistical difficulties remained persistent, with very limited provisions made for the basic needs of most of the security personnel mobilised from distant locations. It faulted the citing of polling units in shops, open street corners and bus stops and in front of palaces, unlike traditional locations such as public schools.

The Situation Room urged the authorities to work out better mechanisms for ensuring safety and security without hindering movement, especially when citizens have to cross state boundaries in the course of earning their livelihoods. It also said there was the need to improve the quality of training for electoral officers, including those to be on standby; and provision of finger-cleansing materials at polling units to ensure ease of fingerprint authentication during accreditation.

TMG, which deployed the Quick Count system using 300 citizen observers noted that across the state, 76 per cent of INEC’s officials were present at their assigned units by 7:30am. On the average, each polling unit had four officials, one of which was a woman. It observed that by 1:30pm, voting had commenced in 35 per cent of polling units.

TMG’s Quick Count estimates showed that the APC candidate garnered 51.7 per cent of the valid votes cast, while Wada had 43.8 per cent. Its observers reported 22 critical incidents bothering on intimidation and harassment of voters or poll officials, observers or party agents, closely followed by Card Reader malfunction. Ballot box snatching and vote buying incidents were also observed and reported but in few polling units. In few instances, campaigning and the display of campaign materials were seen in polling units, the group said.

TMG said the use of Card Readers largely ensured the credibility of the election, although the biometric verification process continued to be challenging with almost one in three voter fingerprints not being read. It urged INEC to re-evaluate the biometric verification process in the light of the subsequent off cycle state elections.

The group expressed disatisfaction with the turnout figures as it did not show any improvement from the 2011 election.

With my job done for the time being, I headed back to base after an incident-free monitoring.

December 1, 2015
Tale of Ekiti community’s mystery stones

SOME call it a mystery town, while others refer to the town as a place blessed with huge mineral resources. But the king’s palace which is worth visiting has been the cynosure of all eyes despite the high level of education of the townsmen, for they still use stones to count the number of their past monarchs.

Not only this , the town , Ijero, is the only town in Yoruba land that has the masquerade called Aje ( witch/wizard) which comes out annually .

On how Aje came to be , the monarch said: “In the days of old when children were falling sick and some were dying, our forefathers brought Aje out to come and rescue the town, and since it cured people and released them from their bondage, it was turned into a god being worshipped. Whoever is ill is healed, while progress comes to the town and it wades off calamity from the land.That is why we have been celebrating and worshipping Aje. we also called it Ako Egungun (husband of all the Egungun).

Eegun Aje

The arrival and mere seeing Aje charges everywhere as there are cries of happiness immediately he is sighted on its arrival from ‘heaven,’ while many run to it to be whipped with its cane. Many beg it to cane them. A young man , Yemi Olutayo, said he offered himself to be caned to receive its blessing.

“I am glad for having the opportunity to be caned. It is a physical and spiritual blessing .I know it has answered my prayers and my life cannot be the same again as things will improve for me next year”.

Joshua Oyewande Olukolade ,an educationist, boasted that the palace would soon be a tourist centre where people would come from different places to visit in the nearest future.

He argued that despite their high level of education, their system or method of keeping of dates and numbers cannot be erased as one could see how they keep number of the monarchs that had passed on.

With the palace’s fantastic architectural design, it can boast of having a museum as the monarch and some eminent persons in the town are pleading to the state and federal government to come and see what their forefathers had done.

OSIRIGBONGBO

At the centre of the town is a giant statue of one of the founding fathers of the town, holding a small gourd and a sword in his pouch which is strapped on his side .

The statue of OSIRIGBONGBO who was a warrior is highly respected and honoured , though it is at the centre of the town where some people offer sacrifices. Some use it as a meeting point and, of course, where town criers make necessary announcements.

One thing is still certain. The statue is revered and in terms of problems, the man is offered sacrifice. It is at this place that social activities take place. An educationist and one of the community leaders, Joshua Oyewande Olukolade, described how Osirigbongbo looked like.

He said: “The man , Osirigbongbo, according to our forefathers, was a giant with intimidating stature. Being a warrior , Osirigbongbo was always ready to rescue the town from being plundered and taken into captivity”.

Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti

The town’s monarch, the Ajero of Ijero, Oba Joseph Adebayo Adewole, said: ” The story of this man is mysterious , as legend has it that he was the giant warlord that no one had the effrontery to look at his face. No man ever has the measurement of his height as he was the tallest man in the community, as no one could reach his shoulder. He was said to be so powerful that his men used pestle to wake him up”, the monarch stated with authority.

The monarch continued: “On his war exploits, Osirigbongbo would go to war without war tools .When he gets to the hottest war zone, he would go for the leader of his enemies and use his bare hands to tear him apart and would use his victim’s torn legs to be fighting in the war”.

On the mysterious man’s feeding , the monarch said: ” We were informed by our forefathers that the Osirigbongbo used to eat a morsel with the head of a cow. He was said to have a giant muzzle. He never prepared any weapons like arrow, cutlass, knife whatsoever, but depended on his magical power .Legend says when he goes to any war he would go straight to the leader (enemy) , seize his ammunition and would tear the man’s body which he would use as his tool to fight .He ate a morsel of pounded yam with the head of a cow. They use pestle to wake him up .Many strange stories were said about him.

Stones

Mysterious Stones

Outside Alajero’s palace is a sacred place where tourists go to and it is kept sacred , while it is kept neat always .According to the monarch, each stone represents a king that had passed away , he said ,counting the number of stones there.

“If you start counting the stones one, two, three, you would miss it and will never be able to finish counting them as you would get confused. And if you go back and start counting again, you will get confused no matter how smart or brilliant you are.

“No man knows the number of the stones deposited here. But it is only the olori ( wives of the king) and the monarch that know the number.The place is a sacred place and one must not go there, or throw things or rubbish into the place, and whoever does that would see its repercussion. No one ever tries it”, he said .

Still on the stones , the king said: “The sacred place where we keep stones started long time ago when our forefathers were not educated. Whenever a king dies, the community would place a stone there .So if you want to know how many kings that had passed away, you will have to count the number of stones. Despite our civilization , education and modern world, we refused to jettison the idea .When I pass away too, a stone would be placed there.”.

Tree

A big tree has been there for more than 800 years. It is called ISAGUN. According to the monarch, “it is a special place where princes and princess go to for initiation when they are being welcomed into the royal family .They must go round the tree seven times, wearing white apparels and this is an initiation into the royal house .Its like a church where they observe baptism and confirmation .Anybody that does not do that is not considered to be from a royal house and cannot publicly claim this”.

Eyekun-Aafin

A statue at the shrine shows the sculptor of a woman with beads on her neck and holding a cloth. According to Yewande , Ijero will never forget the woman in a hurry because of her contribution to the town . According to the monarch, she was the woman who started using stones to list the number of monarchs that passed on. She was a great woman warrior. ”

yeye

17th shrine

The monarch claimed that the town has 16 shrines, but when he came to the throne in 1991 he added another one to make it the 17th one. He said: “ We have about 16 shrines here, but it has become 17 and that is the church I go”.

According to him, the town has shrines for the Ogun, Masquerade, Esu and so on, while we all belong to the supreme deity .But when I was enthroned, I built another shrine , and that is a church where I worship God who is the Supreme Being ”

Asked how he manages to practise the three religions , he said since he is the head of the community ,he then belongs to all the three major religions , and when it is time to offer sacrifices, he would supply all the needs and give them to the chief priest of the town .

“I supply their needs for sacrifice .Since I am the community head. I am a Christian, but I observe all the religions, including the African tradition religion. It is part of our culture and we cannot stop it”.

Joshua Oyewande Olukolade said if the federal and state governments could invest in tourism in the town, many would be employed.

He said: ” China , Kenya and some countries make a lot money from tourism. We should emulate these countries. Nigeria is blessed with all these. I believe we would still get there. It is only a matter of time”.

October 10, 2015
VI: Tale of a deserted island

Once the choice of the rich, and the powerful, but Victoria Island is being deserted, MUYIWA LUCAS reports.

Victoria Island (VI) is a prestigious real estate destination in the Eti Osa Area of Lagos State. It enjoys proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Lagos Lagoon. This makes it an attractive location for corporate bodies and multinationals.

The same category of people also put up residential buildings for their staff, for its proximity to their work.

This makes Victoria Island an exclusive preserve of the rich. For example, an exquisitely-furnished four-bedroom Penthouse for rent in Victoria Island is available for N24 million per year, while in lower options, a self-contained apartment at Oniru Estate, an extention of Victoria Island, goes for N450,000 yearly.

Owning a property or residing on VI used to be the exclusive preserve of the super rich. However, in recent times, the fortunes of VI seem to have nosedived. There are a lot of buildings unoccupied in the area. A walk around VI presents you with the stark reality of empty houses.

Originally designated as an upscale residential area, failing infrastructure and overcrowding in the old business district on Lagos Island and tax zoning enforcement on Victoria Island led to a mass migration of businesses over the last 25 years. Today, Victoria Island is one of Nigeria’s busiest centres of banking and commerce, with most major Nigerian and international corporations headquartered on the Island.

However, the influx of banks and other ventures have changed the formerly serene atmosphere of the Island. Long-time residents complain about the increase in traffic and influx of street traders, who cater to bank employees and businessmen.

Now, a growing trend on VI is the unoccupied flats and buildings. The properties, though are exquisitely and tastefully finished with top-of-the range facilities and services, they have not been able to attract tenants. Usually, the properties come with well-cut lawns, fitted kitchens, fitted bedrooms, gym, table tennis, 24-hour electricity, and bar, among others.

The Principal Partner, Bode Adediji and Co., Mr. Bode Adediji, blamed the rising number of unoccupied buildings or apartments on the absence of the middle class in Nigeria.

According to him, the luxury apartments were not built for lower income group, but for the upper middle income group. “Therefore, once the economy does not support the growth of that income bracket, then, we are only building speculatively,”he said. But in terms of the indices on the ground, Adediji said the volume of demand could not justify the massive influx of luxury apartments into premium locations, such as VI and Ikoyi.

Experts say the infrastructural decadence on VI and in Ikoyi was an unfortunate development that affected property value and occupation in the area. They maintain that, despite the huge taxes generated from the area, in return, investment in infrastructure is negligible.

“By the time you take away the main arterial roads – Awolowo Road, Bourdillon, Adetokunbo Ademola – there is nothing you can trace as active acknowledgement and contribution of government of upgrading this environment where the majority of her tax income spinners work and live. Eighty percent of the banks have their headquarters here, yet they benefit next to nothing as against the volume of what they contribute. Land use charge alone, the bulk of it actually emanate from this axis, yet the bulk of the roads are still what they were prior to the introduction of this land use charges,” Adediji said.

Stakeholders maintained that the conversion of VI from a residential area to commercial has nothing to do with the unoccupied buildings that now adorn the area. However, they put the blame at the government doors for refusing to plan ahead.

“As you witness changes, you have to re-examine your plans to conform. For instance, it is the inability of Nigerians to create highly-designated and controlled commercial preccints that make people to convert their residential places to commercial use. On Victoria Island, there is a CBD, but it is just about one square kilometre; they never envisaged the volume of growth in business around the area,” Richard Ibilola, an architect said.

Many stakeholders are of the view that the development in Lekki is part of VI problem. As adjacent neighbourhoods grow, the primary source of meeting their demand would be from the existing neighbourhood.

The situation has forced occupiers of VI. according to Oyedele, to relocate to Lekki, where we have, for the first time, the concept of gated communities, which is absent on VI.

“So, why would you have to pay $70, 000 for an apartment on VI when, for one-third of the amount, one can get a better apartment in Lekki with better facility and ambience?” Adediji asked.

A past National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), and newly elected Chairman of the Lagos State Branch, Mr Sam Ukpong, said the glut is an interplay of demand and supply.

He said many houses have been supplied to the market without effective demand. He explained that when the Federal Government sold its properties in Ikoyi, some years ago, most of the buildings had large expanses of land with single occupants, which its new buyers converted to storey buildings for multiple prospective tenants.

He said the demand for the properties is not as high as supply – thus, leading to a glut. Besides, he further said, the disposable income of people and even companies have shrunk to unimaginable levels.The developers of these houses, most times, lack construction knowledge or trends in housing development and build what will not easily be taken up by tenants.

Ukpong also blamed the development on the concept of building a functional house. For instance, he said that some developers build wrongly, by either not having a kitchen or sitting room big enough for tenants’ need. So, people inspect such buildings but they are not usually satisfied with them.

A former Chairman, NIESV, Lagos branch, Mr. Shola Fatoki, said the property glut is a mirror of the downturn in the economy.

This, he said, could be seen in the movement of some residents from the upscale areas to places, such as Gbagada and Ilupeju, while the former residents of those middle class abode have since relocated to Ogba, Agege and Mowe/Ibafo in Ogun State.

A developer, Mr Kayode Oyedele, confirmed the high vacancy rate in the VI area. He said it was more visible on VI and Lekki, where a great percentage of houses carry the “to–let”banners and boards. He said some properties are over-priced by their owners – making it impossible for them to be sold or let out quickly. He said it was more worrisome where houses which do not have competitive facilities or services are prized so high. He, therefore, urged developers to be realistic and also work in tandem with current economic realities to beat the property glut.

Within the Victoria Island/Ikoyi axis, there are commercial spaces whose rents go as high as $1,100 per square metre yearly and residential apartments whose yearly rents are above $130,000. Examples are the Maersk Building and the Ocean Parade apartments for commercial and residential tenants.

But with a huge housing deficit, can the nation afford to have buildings unoccupied? What can be done to arrest the situation?

A real estate lawyer, Rotimi Jaiyesimi, said as obtains in developed economies, property speculation and arbitrariness is discouraged through special levies on vacant properties. Known as “The fee structure”, it is a motivation for property owners to realistically pursue the sale of the building or find a productive use for it by possibly dropping the price at which it can be rented or sold.

“In developed societies, there are laws that force owners of buildings vacant for over 90 days to register them, and fees are imposed after the first year, at $500 a year, and increased to $5,000 a year after 10 years,” Jaiyesimi said.

This, he said, will discourage property owners from keeping their buildings in the city vacant and unproductive.

Stakeholders canvass that a timely intervention to reverse this trend is needed, especially given that vacant buildings are potential public safety and fire hazards. Besides, people who may be involved in criminal activities also occupy such properties.

July 23, 2015
A tale of woes

For the parties, it was a week of primaries. But the exercise was full of woes for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)in Kano, Kwara, Adamawa, Abia, Delta, Kogi, Oyo, Ondo, Rivers, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kogi and Lagos States, among others, it was chaotic at governorship and assembly primaries. What does this portend for democracy and the rule of law? Lawyers share their views with PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU .

TO many, it is worrisome that 15 years after the return to democracy, politicians are yet to learn to accept defeat. Politics without rancour remains an illusion. The do-or-die approach to seeking political office has become the norm. Many, are yet to imbibe democratic ethos.

The desperation to achieve power by all means, fair and foul, was witnessed during the governorship and assembly primaries. It was tales of crises in nearly all the states involving Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants.
The All Progressives’ Congress (APC) has however, been exemplary in this respect. In all its primaries, which climaxed with its national convention in Lagos, there were no reports of rancour. But not so for the PDP.

Tales of violence, deaths, lawlessness, malpractices and protestations greeted the ruling party’s primaries bringing to the fore the desperation to grab power at all cost among the political elite.

Nigerians watched in awe, as politicians moved against themselves. In some states, stooges replaced ‘preferred aspirants’. In others, the delegates’ lists, a prerequisite for the primaries, simply disappeared.

In Rivers and Lagos States armed thugs were used to scare away other aspirants and their supporters.

Tales of violence

In Anambra State, a member of the House of Representatives, Victor Ogene, who sought re-election on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), dumped the party for APC, after alleging unfair treatment by Governor William Obiano.

He claimed that the governor had ‘doctored’ the list to favour his preferred candidate.

Aggrieved party faithful in Abia State claimed the assembly primaries did not take place as preferred candidates’ names were written and submitted to the headquarters. Where primaries were allowed to take place, the accreditation processes were marred with alleged fraud and irregularities to ensure the emergence of an anointed candidate. People alleged that elected and statutory delegates’ lists were tinkered with since the names were not matched with pictures nor spelt out.

In Rivers State, 16 aspirants and their supporters have threatened to dump the party over what they termed favouritism and imposition of Nyesom Wike, as dictated by the presidency.

It was learnt that some of the aspirants led by Tony Princewill and Bekimbo Dagogo-Jack stayed away from the primary because of a pending suit on the outcome of the state congress, which they said was a sham.

The story was similar in Ebonyi where Governor Martin Elechi, and former Health Minister and governorship aspirant, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu with other Elechi’s loyalists boycotted the exercise for want of credibility.

They kicked against the emergence of Elechi’s deputy, Dave Umahi as the party’s standard-bearer. Elechi threatened to leave the PDP if the situation is not addressed.

In Imo State, former governor, Ikedi Ohakim, called for the cancellation of the exercise alleging irregularities, bias and compromise from members of the electoral committee. Also, Ifeanyi Ararume cried foul over the emergence of Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives as the PDP governorship candidate. He hinged his grievance on alleged disparity in the number of accredited delegates and ballots cast.

Like Ararume, Musiliu Obanikoro, former Minister of State for Defence and Lagos PDP governorship aspirant decried what he termed a complete sham and eyesore where the number of votes cast surpassed the number of accredited delegates.

Obanikoro also kicked against the violence that marred the primaries, accusing one of the leaders of using hoodlums and unlawful means to impose his preferred candidate.

The situation was no different in Enugu State as two aspirants, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Ayogu Eze laid claims to being governorship candidates following parallel primaries. It was learnt that a disagreement arose between them, on one hand, and the electoral panel on the delegates’ list. The contenders including Prof. Onyeke Onyeke, claimed to be the party’s authentic flag bearer.

Akwa Ibom, Kwara, and Yobe States PDP had their share of alleged imposition, with 22 aspirants threatening to jump ship in Akwa Ibom for underhand dealings in the primaries that favoured the governor’s anointed candidate, Odum Emmanuel

It was the same story during the State Houses of Assembly and National Assembly primaries across political parties, including Ekiti where Dr. Ayo Arise accused the governor, Ayo Fayose of doctoring doctoring delegates’ list to favour his candidates.

In Lagos, four persons were allegedly killed at Apena, Mainland Constituency 1, during the APC House of Assembly primaries following alleged violent protest by supporters of a politician. There were also protests in Ifako/Ijaiye Constituency 2 and Kosofe Constituency 2, among others. In Nasarawa State, police claimed four people died during APC State Assembly primary but a source in the party denied the report.

Although analysts have described the hue and cries of some of the aggrieved aspirant as ‘bad-losers syndrome’, observers are of the view that the agitations if not properly handled, may sink democracy ship.

The tensions coming at a time the country is faced with security challenge; congested and perceived corrupt judiciary, economic crunch, among other issues threatening the stability of the country, observers fear political unrest may lead to an overthrow of democratic rule by the military.

Benchmark lowered?

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the primaries were of low standard compared to those of 2011.

Cross River Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini wondered why the delegates’ list, which is an equivalent to the voter’s register, was not made available to all stakeholders, including INEC observers in most cases.

He said: “The primaries process witnessed so far in the state (Cross River) are far below the standard of 2011 and this is not encouraging. It is strange that list of delegates, which is equivalent of voters’ register that should ordinarily comprise elected adhoc and statutory delegates for the various elections, that ought to be made available to all stakeholders including INEC has become a matter of conjecture and work in process.”

Is the umpire culpable?

In line with Paragraph 15, Part 1 of the Third Schedule and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) INEC under its current leadership, Prof. Attahiru Jega issued regulations for the conduct of political party primaries for the nomination of candidates for various positions.

Among the rules are that a party seeking to participate in any election organised by the commission must conduct primaries, wherein all eligible members of the party must be given equal opportunity to participate; political parties must not create rules or impose conditions or set high expression of interest or nomination fees that could exclude aspirants on the basis of sex, religion, ethnicity, circumstance of birth or wealth.

It further stated that no party should set criteria or conditions to pre-qualify an aspirant to contest in its primaries as candidate except such conditions are in line with the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the party’s Constitution, as approved by INEC, as well as the regulations, guidelines and directives of the Commission; and must within 21 days, submit a written communication to INEC primaries the date of its primaries, which must be held either directly or indirectly.

Lawyers speak

A former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) said the crises would not affect next year’s elections. He added that subsitution of candidates after election may no longer be possible.

“Such a situation can no longer occur because it has been settled that someone who did not sit for an election cannot be declared winner of a process he did not take part.

“The rancour was basically in the PDP and it is a reflection of the party. The APC primaries were transparent, free and fair. The aspirants have joined hands with the various candidates who emerged for the good of the party.

“The crises in the PDP will not affect the system because election the timetable is out, which will be strictly adhered to. If anything, it is the PDP that will be destroyed for its lack of internal democracy. Parties must be honest and have transparent process.

“Once processes are transparent, participants in a contest will have no reason to deny the result,” he said.

Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) blamed the unfortunate situation on INEC, insisting that if the commission had done its job as it should, political parties would have sat up.

“What is happening is because of the failure of INEC to do its job as it should. The model for primaries was the APC Presidential primary election where all contestants were allowed to participate and at the end of the day, the ballots were counted in public glare.

“INEC folds its arms and allow parties bridged their own constitution and even the country’s constitutional provision of fair hearing. INEC has not said anything about PDP’s adoption of the President as its sole candidate and so, the governors are following suit.

“If INEC had given a very strict warning to parties that it would not tolerate unlawful practices in the conduct of primaries, and even go ahead to reject candidates produced through such practices, the political parties would be forced to do the right thing,” said Ngige.

Constitutional lawyer Norrison Quakers (SAN) stated that lack of political ideology was the bane of the anomalies in elections.

He attributed the rancorous primaries to the problem of winner takes all, which is not about service but gastrointestinal considerations at different levels.

“To nip these abnormalities in the bud, well informed and mature electorate must emerge and a truly independent electoral institution put in place. The quest for political office is not about service, but about personal enrichment or financial liberation.

“These trends will be curtailed, if those who had corruptly enriched themselves in the service of the nation are prosecuted and their ill-gotten wealth forfeited to the state.

“Disqualification of candidates is not within the purview of INEC but the Court. I believe if the judiciary is allowed to fast track the hearing and determination of disqualification of cases before election for pre-election issues and election tribunals for post election issues, political parties would be careful in nominating and sponsoring candidates for elections.

“The Police and the DSS should be allowed to screen all candidates for party primaries and any candidate with criminal record or is facing criminal trial or insolvency suit should not be allowed to participate in party primaries. The enforcement agencies should be apolitical and non partisanship,” he said.

To Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture Abdul Oroh, a lawyer, corruption is the crux of the matter because power seekers do not have the intention to serve.

He stated that the inordinate quest for political power can only be quelled if the people are allowed to freely exercise their franchise.

“The road to democracy is hard because rules and procedures are observed more in the breach. If we follow the rules and allow the people to freely exercise their franchise in a transparent environment, rancour and will be removed and the process will gain legitimacy.

“Corruption is at the heart of this inordinate quest for power because public service is now basically the great wealth. If the intention of power seekers is to serve the people and the nation, there is likelihood that the rule of law would be respected and accepted. The case is worse in PDP because most of its members believe once you’ve gotten the nomination you will be elected either by hook or crook.

To Lagos lawyer and activist Theopilus Akanwa, the practice of anointed candidates should be discouraged and ‘godfatherism’ completely eliminated in the nation’s polity.

He said: “The idea of anointing a candidate over the other aspirations by the sitting governors are the major causes of the crises. Godfatherism also plays a serious role in the crises. The idea of anointing a candidate over others should be avoided as such an anointed candidate may not be the choice of the people.

“Let the will of the people be supreme. The attractions attached to political offices should drastically be reduced to avoid the do or die approach. Politicians should be made to understand that they are servants of the people.”

Former NBA Ikeja Chairman, Monday Ubani, said the PDP primaries, particularly in the southern part of the country, questioned the party’s internal democracy and exposed the absence of the rule of law.

“No one gives what he or she does not have. Democratic practices and observance of rule must start from the political parties which is the foremost institution in any democracy. Unfortunately after 15 years of return to democratic rule, we seem to have learnt and imbibe nothing as people who are in democracy.

“I monitored PDP primaries all over the country, especially that of Abia where I come from, and my findings and conclusions are that the political elite are not ready to do Nigeria and Nigerians any good, rather, what motivates and rules over their lives is self; how much they can grab and steal from Nigeria’s treasury as a conquered territory. Their devilish plans start from congresses through which delegates for the primary elections are elected. The governors or the godfathers in places where the state is not controlled by them do not allow elections to hold at the wards or at the states.

“I am not surprised with the hullabaloo that greeted the outcome of these primaries because the party has murdered internal democracy and they will not dare to sleep until they put their house in order. The most grievous of them all is that PDP national office did set up an Appeal Panel that receives appeal from aggrieved candidates but deliberately do not attend to such petitions, yet they will punish any member who goes to court for a redress of the injustice on the ground that such a member has not exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanism, when they know that such does not exist.

‘‘The desperation must be nipped in the bud if we want to make progress. The party must make a conscious effort to enthrone transparency in the process. All the lapses enumerated above are the handiwork of the party and, most times, they are allowed deliberately to ensure the emergence of their preferred candidates who most of the time may not be acceptable and credible. It is a costly act for them unless they correct themselves before the national election.”

December 16, 2014
A tale of two friends

I do not know when their friendship started, all I know is that a strong bond existed between them then. The late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) and Dr Olu Onagoruwa (SAN) were like Siamese twins at a time. They did everything together. Where you saw one, the other would not be far behind. Theirs was more than friendship . It was more of kinship.. They were there for each other.

Their friendship was the envy of many of their colleagues who wondered what brought both men together. They wanted to know what the late Fawehinmi and Onagoruwa shared in common that made them to be so close. Whenever the late Fawehinmi was in trouble as he often was, Onagoruwa was always there for him and vice versa. But, most times, it was the late Fawehinmi who was always in the news because of his legendary fame of bucking the system.

Onagoruwa is no push over too in challenging the establishment, but he was no match for the late Fawehinmi, who seemed to have capacity for trouble. In the late 1980s and 1990s, it was fun watching these men going in and out of court, challenging the military government on one infraction or the other. It was a time that challenging the military, in whatever form, was a taboo. As far as the late Fawehinmi, whom many simply referred to as Gani, and Onagoruwa were concerned the only taboo was for them not to speak out or act against injustice.

These brothers, these friends were a two-man army, who fought side by side. They paid the price for their decision to be on the side of the people and by implication on the side of truth. They were denied certain privileges by their professional association and the government of the day also made life difficult for them. Friends also kept a distance from them for fear of being blacklisted by the government of the day. To be a friend of the late Fawehinmi or Onagoruwa was unheard of then simply because they were seen as rebels.

But they were rebels with a cause, who fought for the betterment of society. Both men walked where angels feared to tread. They understood each other perfectly well. One knew what the other should do in case of any trouble. This was why for years the military could not decipher what made both men tick. The duo may be on short fuse and I should know, having been at the receiving end of their anger, this does not detract from their humanity. Let me cite two instances to buttress my point.

Shortly after his release from one of his many incarcerations by the Babangida regime sometime in 1989, The Punch, which I worked for then, ran a story which the late Fawehinmi considered offensive and pronto, he fired a letter to the editor, asking that the paper should retract the report or he would go to court. Barely 24 hours after, a lawyer from his chamber was in the editor’s office, with another letter from him, asking that the paper should ignore his threat, adding that he could not afford to fight a paper which did so much for him while in detention.

I was to run foul of Onagoruwa sometime in 1990 while handling the Inside the Courts page at The Punch. In an article on the page, I used a word which Onagoruwa did not find funny. Despite being a lawyer to The Punch then, he still complained to Justice Augustine Ade-Alabi about the article, which he said described him in words he did not find funny, and urged the court to order the reporter to mind his language, henceforth. Justice Ade-Alabi noted the complaint of Onagoruwa, who said he would not push the matter further because he is the paper’s lawyer, and directed the reporter to choose his words whenever he is writing. I learnt one or two things about the tort of libel from that episode.

I have gone this length to establish the relationship between the late Fawehinmi and Onagoruwa for the benefit of those unaware of their cordial relationship to know how close they were before the break-up. What led to their parting of ways was Onagoruwa’s decision to serve as attorney-general and minister of justice in the late Gen Sani Abacha regime. The late Fawehinmi did not want his bosom friend to take up the job. But Onagoruwa was prepared to serve the nation to prove a point that you could be in government and still do what is right.

The late Fawehinmi did not see it that way. He believed that his friend would compromise on becoming part of the government and asked him not to take the job. It was a painful parting of ways. For those who know, the late Fawehinmi did not do things in half measures. Whenever he drew the battle line, there was no going back. It was so in this instance. Right from the time his bosom friend took up the nation’s chief law officer’s job, he saw nothing good in him again, even after Onagoruwa had left office. The late Fawehinmi was highly critical of Onagoruwa that many did not know that they were so close before Onagoruwa came into the late Abacha regime.

Onagoruwa lived up to his promise to be his own man in government. He resigned in 1994, barely a year after coming into office following the promulgation of decrees, which he said he knew nothing about. His action cost him a lot. His lawyer-son, Toyin, who was managing his chambers, was killed some months later. Onagoruwa himself was a target of many attacks from which he miraculously escaped. But, his family suffered. Onagoruwa lost his wife and his health took a nosedive. In the past 20 years, the man has been pining away.

But no matter, God will always honour His own. Though it may tarry, it shall come to pass. For years, both men were denied the highest honour of their profession which they deserve. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is an honour which many lawyers covet, but it is given to the chosen. Many believe that they deserve it, so year in, year out, they apply for the title. In bringing their applications, they count on others to get them approved. No matter how brilliant a lawyer is, if there are no good words from members of the Legal Practitoners Privileges Committee (LPPC), which sits on these applications, on his behalf, he would not be made a senior advocate. It is as simple as that.

To become a senior advocate, a lawyer must be in good standing with those who will determine his fate. For long, the late Fawehinmi and Onagoruwa were not and the title passed them by and the legal profession was the poorer for it. In 2001, the late Fawehinmi, who for years was referred to as Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM), was given the title. The late Fawehinmi became SAN without an Onagoruwa beside him to celebrate the well deserved honour.

Thirteen years later, Onagoruwa’s turn came. As fate would have it, Onagoruwa became SAN five years after Fawehinmi’s death in 2009. I watched brokenhearted as Onagoruwa was being conferred with the honour by Chief Justice Aloma Mukhtar in her chambers and not in full public glare on Tuesday. Onagoruwa was on a wheelchair as he received his well deserved honour. At a stage, he broke down in tears, wiping his face with a white handkerchief. It was not an occasion for tears; it was one of joy, but something would have made him weep. What is it?

Was he shedding tears of joy? Was he remembering his late wife and what would have been if she had been alive? Was he remembering his friend who became his harsh critic when he took up the job of attorney-general and minister of justice? Was he remembering how unfair the system has been to him – and of course many other Nigerians in the same shoe with him – over the years? Sir, your days of weeping are over. Rejoice because you lived to see this day. Though it was delayed, it finally came, to show that whatever will be, will be (Que Sera, Sera). Congratulations.

September 25, 2014
Tale of two parties
The essence of this piece is to offer my thoughts on a topic that continues to be debated. In the event that Nigeria is said to have two dominant parties, the ruling PDP and the opposition APC, it only makes sense to presuppose that the two entities will essentially be different. Different in the sense that even in a situation where you have two parties with exact same ideology, they cannot be said to be the same which is why they have different identities to start with. Or perhaps would it be correct to say that the Anglican church is the same as the Catholic church because the membership of both is composed essentially of Christians, some good some bad? In the event that the PDP has found itself in a reputational dirt-pit, it finds it convenient to proclaim that the APC is no different from it and often the fact that many members of APC are former (and perhaps future) members of PDP is cited as proof.

Nuhu Ribadu, erstwhile APC chieftain and now PDP governorship wannabe, in the resulting confusion of his suicide plunge into character immolation and reputational lights out, defended his obviously opportunistic defection on the grounds that the two parties are the same. So what was the motivation if he believed this to be true? Anyway this piece is not about Ribadu.

I argued in a piece many years ago, that Nigerians do not really believe that political leadership impacts with any meaningfulness on their well-being. This attitude manifests in the general lack of the deserved seriousness attended to the choice process in our democracy. It would appear that the generality of Nigerians after several years of disappointment have developed the attitude that dependence on government is futile and so place their well-being on overcoming mis-governance and being self-sufficient or perhaps we can say that Nigerians prefer to ‘government-proof’ their lives. This is however a very unhelpful attitude and is responsible for successive governments at all levels not living up to their responsibilities and taking the people for granted, if not for a ride. Governments exist to put order in our collective well-being and provide the requisite environment and infrastructure for us to enjoy a meaningful existence generally. Allowing governments to get away with not satisfying our basic needs is tantamount to throwing away our sovereign rights. We throw away our sovereign rights when we do not care sufficiently about who or which party manages our affairs. We do not care about who or which party manages our affairs when we fall for ‘they are all the same’ propaganda. So if ‘they are all the same’ and we are getting rubbish, can we not use our sovereign rights as ‘the people’ through our votes to send a clear message that whether you are all the same or not, these are the kind of people or parties that we need?

Nigerians are taking this ‘I don’t care’ attitude to a ridiculous and suicidal level and it is not restricted to political governance. Using the church as an example, the fact that an owner/pastor is exposed to be in breach of his pastoral vows and setting a bad example by engaging in sinful conduct, will not necessarily result in a depletion in the numbers of the worshippers in that church. If you ask any of the worshippers why they still attend a church where the pastor is the lead sinner, instead of moving to a different church, typical responses will be ‘who is perfect? ‘Are they not all human beings? “Will I change my church every time a pastor is exposed as a fake?”

This attitude of condonation is counter-productive and in my view the approach should rather be geared towards constructive reprimand. Leaving for another church will send an unmistakable message not only to the offending pastor but to all others that certain acts will not be tolerated. The pastor, who is conscious of your reason for defecting to a new church, will be kept on his toes because of the exhibited ‘no time for nonsense’ posture.

On the contrary, if you stay put, it is likely that things will only get worse given that human beings typically respond to only coercion by whatever form. And also we all typically will keep pushing our luck until we are stopped. Young people starting out in the art of seducing the opposite sex, will typically if on a stroll, hold the waist. If there is no resistance, the hand is bound to go lower! That is just the way we are! The whole church system is also affected by this attitude because there is no stricture for bad behaviour, so general malaise envelopes the church and standards fall to the detriment of the generality. In a nutshell, by moving over to another church you clearly lay down your standards. Even the church you are leaving will endeavour to lure you back but only by striving to meet your standards – so you create a win-win situation for the membership of the church community.

We are not going to have any party with only saints, never! Given the fact that the parties have a profound bearing on our well-being, it is left to us to shape them. If a party disappoints it must be rejected for another so as to engender positive competition for our support. Let me discuss the PDP and APC briefly and in conclusion. Tom Ikimi has perhaps unwittingly drawn a major difference between both parties. In his confused diatribe for re-defecting back to the PDP, he said he was denied the APC chairmanship because he, during the Abacha years was a prominent supporter of that brutal military dictatorship as opposed to a majority of the APC leadership who were part of the democratic coalition (NADECO) against the dictatorship. For me personally the Abacha years were the most soul-wrenching of my life and the pervading air of helplessness will forever remain in me. I was thoroughly disgusted by the actions and pronouncements of the regime collaborators and heartened by my brave countrymen who stood with me at that time. Thank God we overcame. Thank God for memory because some of us will never forget. Thank God many of the operators on both sides are still active today and thank God Ikimi has pointed out that they are indeed in two separate parties. Thank God, Ikimi has declared that he is going back ‘home’. Thank God that other notable Abacha supporters have remained at ‘home’ and those like Sheriff who wandered into APC have opened their eyes and redirected their steps towards ‘home’. Thank God indeed because until they left, I for one would not have been able in good conscience to support a party with these elements. Thank God that in the week after the Ebola outbreak, APC governors of the South-west convened a meeting to rub minds and plan for containing the disease. The same day PDP governors and elders from the South-south were also meeting – to declare their support for President Jonathan’s 2015 presidential bid. Thank God I know that both tendencies are not the same and nobody’s confusion will shut my eyes and ears from the reality. Finally, I thank God for the commonsense to know that in a contest between two parties, even if both score below the pass mark I will not leave the party with 30% and support the one with 20% simply because both are failures and hence ‘the same’. That will make me the same as a man who must climb into one of two sinking ships. One ship has sunk lower than the other and the man decides that since they are both going to sink anyway he may as well climb into the one that will sink first. I will rather climb unto the one that that has more showing form because it has a better chance of survival, more so if it is evident which crew is showing better focus to salvaging the sinking vessel. Thank God that Nigeria my country will not sink!
- Ukpong is a legal practitioner
September 4, 2014
A tale of two friends

As part of activities marking its Founder’s Day, the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) has honoured CFAO chairman Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas and Premier Lotto (A.k.a Baba Ijebu) founder Chief Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos. JOSEPH ESHANOKPE reports

THEY share some things in common. They were born in the same year – 1935; attended

the same secondary school – Baptist Academy, Lagos; are philanthropists and are involved in the same business in one way or the other. Indeed, they are giants in the turbulent world of business, where they have made their marks.

The duo are giants in business world.

In appreciation of their contributions to society, the friends, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas and Chief Kessington Adebukunola, were honoured penultimate Friday by the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos.

Chief Okoya-Thomas, a six-footer, stood tall in his white brocade and cap to match when he was called out for the reading of his citation and award presentation.

As the master of ceremony (Mc), Dele Aina, read the citation, member of the audience were amazed Okoya-Thomas’ achievements. At a point, the MC sought permission to abridge it to save time. The audience roared in laughter.

“Who would not clap for a man who is chairman of over 10 successful corporate and non-corporate organisations, including CFAO Nigeria Plc, where he has surpassed his father’s 52 years service to the multinational corporation by three years,” The MC wondered.

According to him, Okoya-Thomas joined CFAO Nigeria in December 1959 as an accountant and became a director 16 years after at 45.

In 1981, he was promoted deputy managing director, and he took over the company’s chair six years later. He retained the position till today.

The MC also regaled the audience with Okoya-Thomas’ other laudable achievements, such as when as chairman of the National Sports Development Lottery, recalling that during the Third All African Games, the honouree returned to the national coffer N97, 511, 946. 99.

The immediate past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Doyin Owolabi, who chaired the ceremony, conferred the award on Okoya-Thomas. He described the recipient as ”a daddy” in their profession and beacon of hope and light to the younger generation.

He described the Asoju Oba of Lagos and sponsor Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championship for the past 45 years as a “mentor”. He recalled that he has known him since his undergraduate days.

Those who expected fireworks between the former ICAN chief and Okoya-Thomas, a fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) were disappointed as Owolabi kept on praising the honouree who will be 80 next year.

“Two fellows of ANAN and ICAN in the same boat? In those days, it would have been a different scenario,” a man mused.

Adebutu, the MC said, is a man of ”uncommon integrity, hard work and sincerity of purpose,” who rose from grass to grace. A former clerk with the defunct Nigeria Telecommunication Ltd (NITEL), he subsequently joined Claffin Chemicals where he became the Regional Sales Manager for Lagos and Midwest states.

Baba Ijebu as Adebutu is fondly known, because of his lotto business has touched many lives. He donated N50million to the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye Development Fund, built the Law Faculty for Houdegbe North America University, Benin Republic and a secretariat for the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Ajegunle, Apapa branch.

The MC described Adebutu as a rare breed who has special love for mankind.

Okoya-Thomas recalled their days in school, noting that Adebutu, who was small then had become an iroko in business. Describing Adebutu as a friend indeed, he said Adebutu had told him shortly before he (Okoya-Thomas) travelled abroad for further studies, that by the time he came back, he would have become a millionaire.

”When I returned, he had not only become a millionaire, but also a multimillionaire,” Okoya-Thomas enthused.

The audience applauded, but more was to come, which made many to wonder that if Okoya-Thomas had not become an accountant, he would beaten Ali Baba to his joke-cracking game.

Earlier, after the MC was done with reading his two-page citation, Okoya-Thomas enthused that he could have held his breath and saved his time and energy by just saying the awardee was his friend. Again, the audience responded with laughter. Not one to be beaten in a situation like this, the MC, who loved the jibe, was to remind the audience intermittently that he was happy for the encomium, adding that he hoped to maintain the relationship.

Both awardees thanked BSN for the gesture. “We appreciate this. Of all the awards I have got so far, this is very meaningful,” Okoya-Thomas said.

Adebutu said the award was a clarion call to duty. “This award means I should keep the good work going. It means I should get nearer to God,” he added.

But both men refused to comment on partisan politics, saying the terrain should be left for the practitioners. They urged Nigerians to pray for them.

Earlier, the guest speaker, Prof Vincent Anigbogu urged Nigerians to show Christ-like attitude towards their work. Using Genesis chapter 1 as an illustration, he said, workers in the public and private sectors should be competent, committed, and dedicated to national development. ”Let the light of Christ be a standard in the world,” he added.

The Director-General, Institute of National Transformation, who spoke on the theme Transparency in service, the hallmark of true leadership, also urged political leaders to lead by example and be tolerant, noting: “A leader is a bench-maker, he sets a standard.”

BSN’s Secretary-General Rev Dare Ajiboye, who was celebrating the Founders’ Day for the first time since he took over last year, canvassed financial assistance for the body’s programmes and projects.

Pupils of Bethesda Home for the Blind, Lagos and Great City Montessori Academy, Lekki added colour to the celebration with their scintillating bible reading and drama presentation.

At the event were Nigeria’s first female Vice Chancellor Prof Grace Alele-Williams, who was guest of honour; Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria Dr Samuel Uche; Lagos State Governor’s representative Rev Sam Ogedengbe; former Four Square General Overseer Rev Wilson Badejo, Pastor S. Okon, among others.

February 21, 2014
Stellagate: It’s a familiar tale

SIR: Like previous high profile corruption cases, the raging scandal involving Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah and officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) would go the way of others. It will fizzle out pretty soon and life will go on smoothly as if nothing happened.

Yes, this is Nigeria, where we are good at barking at every evil act, but lack the guts to attempt a bite.

Hardly does a day pass that the world is not dished a portion of Nigeria’s abursidity, courtesy of the funny characters masquerading as leaders. No-one, including our so-called elder statesmen and clergymen seems bothered by Nigeria’s fast drift to anarchy and failure. Amidst allegations of rising malfeasance, which now define our system, we are so relaxed with an affirmation that all is well. We are at a crossroad. We continue to delude ourselves that the myriad of human-induced challenges staring would fizzle out pretty soon.

Princess Stella Oduah’s show of obscene taste and display of extravagance as revealed in the purchase of armoured BMW cars valued at N255 Million provides an insight into the reckless manner our collective resources are being plundered by the elites.This is a sin against God and crime against humanity. This is the height of wickedness and irresponsibility. It beats one’s imagination to discover that a serving public official sees nothing morally or legally wrong in acquiring cars with such a huge amount in a country where thousands go to bed daily on flat empty stomachs.

This amount is enough to pay the annual salaries of 50 professors in our beleagured public universities. The humongous sum is enough to build 100 healthcare centres across villages in Nigeria.

Without pre-empting the outcome, this abuse of office will no doubt go the way of others. Frankly speaking, the panels amounts to huge waste of time and resources. Such time and resources should be channeled into productive ventures.

Where is the report of the oil subsidy probe panel that indicted some lawmakers? What about the Malabo Oil deal involving the top echelon of the justice ministry? What about the corruption case against former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada? Undoubtedly, this particular high profile corruption case will go the way of others.

Abdullahi Yunusa

October 29, 2013
A tale of two Nollywood sisters

IF there is any rumour that’s hot on the lips of everyone right now, it is the tale of two beautiful Nollywood ‘sister’ Liz da Silva and Laide Bakare who are presently caught in the same web.

While it is not’s news that both ladies would need a DNA to prove the paternity of their new born, for Laide and Liz when she’s eventually delivered of her baby. What is however confounding is that both are keeping mute over the issue.

For those who have followed the career of the former, it may not really come as a surprise that she’s the one to be trailed by paternity issues. She once said in an interview she granted sometime last year; “If God says I should get married, I will. I am not keen on marriage. What I actually want is to have a child. If marriage comes, I will grab it. But if it doesn’t come, it is okay by me. It is not as if I want to be a single mother. I can live with a man without necessarily being married to him. It is not a big deal. What I want most is to have a child. It supersedes everything and it is my ultimate goal, with or without getting married. I don’t care if I get married to the person I am dating”.

So, while her fans and critics are crying blue murder, Liz as she is fondly called, obviously cares less about what they think or feel.

Laide on her part however has a different disposition on the matter as she was quoted to have said through her publicist that she will open up on the matter in four weeks following actress, Laide Bakare’s official press statement. This was a few weeks back where she referred to her husband as a bigamist, accusing him of being married before they met. The man in question, Olumide, however is not relenting in his effort to get a DNA test to affirm the true paternity of both his first and the actresses new born.

June 15, 2013
Obafemi Awolowo and Chinua Achebe’s tale of fantasy

I am a historian and I have always believed that if we want to talk history, we must be dispassionate, objective and factual. We must take the emotion out of it and we must always tell the truth. The worst thing that anyone can do is to try to re-write history and indulge in historical revisionism. This is especially so when the person is a reverred figure and a literary icon. Sadly it is in the light of such historical revisionism that I view Professor Chinua Achebe’s assertion (which is reflected in his latest and highly celebrated book titled ‘’There Was A Country’) that Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late and much-loved Leader of the Yoruba, was responsible for the genocide that the igbos suffered during the civil war. This claim is not only false but it is also, frankly speaking, utterly absurd. Not only is Professor Achebe indulging in perfidy, not only is he being utterly dishonest and disengenious but he is also turning history upside down and indulging in what I would describe as ethnic chauvinism.

I am one of those that has always had tremendous sympathy for the igbo cause during the civil war. I am also an admirer of Colonel Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who stood up for his people when it mattered the most and when they were being slaughtered by rampaging mobs in the northern part of our country. At least 100,000 igbos were killed in those northern pogroms which took place before the civil war and which indeed led directly to it. This was not only an outrage but it was also a tragedy of monuemental proportions.Yet we must not allow our emotion or our sympathy for the suffering of the igbo at the hands of northern mobs before the war started to becloud our sense of reasoning as regards what actually happened during the prosecution of the war itself. It is important to set the record straight and not to be selective in our application and recollection of the facts when considering what actually led to the starvation of hundreds of thousands of igbo women, children and civilians during that war. And, unlike others, I do not deny the fact that hundreds of thousands were starved to death as a consequence of the blockade that was imposed on Biafra by the Nigerian Federal Government. To deny that this actually happened would a lie. It is a historical fact. Again I do not deny the fact that Awolowo publically defended the blockade and indeed told the world that it was perfectly legitimate for any government to impose such a blockade on the territory of their enemies in times of war. Awolowo said it, this is a matter of historical record and he was qouted in a number of British newspapers as having said so at the time. Yet he spoke nothing but the truth. And whether anyone likes to hear it or not he was absolutely right in what he said. Let me give you an example. During the Second World War a blockade was imposed on Germany, Japan and Italy by the Allied Forces and this was very effective. It weakened the Axis powers considerably and this was one of the reasons why the war ended at the time that it did. If there had been no blockade the Second World War would have gone on for considerably longer. In the case of the Nigerian civil war though the story did not stop at the fact that a blockade was imposed by the Federal Government which led to the suffering, starvation, pain, death and hardship of the civilian igbo population or that Awolowo defended it. That is only half the story.

There was a lot more to it and the fact that Achebe and most of our igbo brothers and sisters always conveniently forget to mention the other half of the story is something that causes some of us from outside igboland considerable concern and never ceases to amaze us. The bitter truth is that if anyone is to be blamed for the hundreds of thousands of igbos that died from starvation during the civil war it was not Chief Awolowo or even General Yakubu Gowon but rather it was Colonel Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu himself. I say this because it is a matter of public record and a historical fact that the Federal Government of Nigeria made a very generous offer to Ojukwu and the Biafrans to open a road corridor for food to be ferried to the igbos and to lessen the suffering of their civilian population. This was as a consequence of a deal that was brokered by the international community who were concerned about the suffering of the igbo civilian population and the death and hardship that the blockade was causing to them. Unfortunately Ojukwu turned this down flatly and instead insisted that the food should be flown into Biafra by air in the dead of the night. This was unacceptable to the Federal Government because it meant that the Biafrans could, and indeed would, have used such night flights to smuggle badly needed arms and ammunition into their country for usage by their soldiers. That was where the problem came from and that was the issue. Quite apart from that Ojukwu found it expedient and convenient to allow his people to starve to death and to broadcast it on television screens all over the world in order to attract sympathy for the igbo cause and for propaganda purposes. And this worked beautifully for him.

Ambassador Ralph Uweche, who was the Special Envoy to France for the Biafran Government during the civil war and who is the leader of Ohaeneze, the leading igbo political and socio-cultural organisation today, attested to this in his excellent book titled ‘’Reflections On The Nigerian Civil War’’. That book was factual and honest and I would urge people like Achebe to go and read it well. The self-serving role of Ojukwu and many of the Biafran intelligensia and elites and their insensitivity to the suffering of their own people during the course of the war was well enunciated in that book. The fact of the matter is that the starvation and suffering of hundreds of thousands of igbo men, women and children during the civil war was seen and used as a convenient tool of propaganda by Ojukwu and that is precisely why he rejected the offer of a food corridor by the Nigerian Government. When those that belong to the post civil war generation of the igbo are wondering who was responsible for the genocide and mass starvation of their forefathers during the war they must firstly look within themselves and point their fingers at their own past leaders and certainly not Awolowo or Gowon. The person that was solely responsible for that suffering, for that starvation and for those slow and painful deaths was none other than Colonel Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the leader of Biafra, himself.

I have written many good things about Ojukwu on many occassions in the past and I stand by every word that I have ever said or written about him. In my view he was a man of courage and immense fortitude, he stood against the mass murder of his people in the north and he brought them home and created a safe haven for them in the east. For him, and indeed the whole of Biafra, the war was an attempt to exercise their legitimate right of self-determination and leave Nigeria due to the atrocities that they had been subjected to in the north. I cannot blame him or his people for that and frankly I have always admired his stand. However he was not infallible and he also made some terrible mistakes, just as all great leaders do from time to time. The fact that he rejected the Nigerian Federal Government’s offer of a food corridor was one of those terrible mistakes and this cost him and his people dearly. Professor Chinua Achebe surely ought to have reflected that in his book as well. When it comes to the Nigerian civil war there were no villains or angels. During that brutal conflict no less than two million Nigerians and Biafrans died and the yoruba who, unlike others, did not ever discriminate or attack any non-yorubas that lived in their in their territory before the civil war or carry out any coups or attempted coups, suffered at every point as well. For example prominent yoruba sons and daughters were killed on the night of the first igbo coup of January 1966 and again in the northern ‘’revenge’’ coup of July 1966. Many of our people were also killed in the north before the outbreak of the civil war and again in the mid-west and the east during the course and prosecution of the war itself. It was indeed the predominantly yoruba Third Marine Commando, under the command of General Benjamin Adekunle (the ‘’Black Scorpion”) and later General Olusegun Obasanjo, that not only liberated the mid-west and drove the Biafrans out of there but they also marched into igboland itself, occupied it, defeated the Biafran Army in battle, captured all their major towns and forced the igbo to surrender. Third Marine Commando was made up of yoruba soldiers and I can say without any fear of contradiction that we the yoruba therefore paid a terrible and heavy price as well during the war because many of our boys were killed on the war front by the Biafrans.

The sacrifice of these proud sons of the south-west that died in battle to keep Nigeria one must not be belittled, mocked or ignored. Clearly it was not only the igbo that suffered during the civil war. Neither does it auger well for the unity of our nation for Achebe and the igbo intelligensia that are hailing his self-serving book to caste aspertions on the character, role and noble intentions of the late and reverred Leader of the Yoruba, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, during the civil war. The man may have made one or two mistakes in the past like every other great leader and of course there was a deep and bitter political division in yorubaland itself just before the civil war started and throughout the early ‘60’s. Yet by no stretch of the imagination can Awolowo be described as an igbo-hating genocidal maniac and he most certainly did not delight in the starvation of millions of igbo men, women and children as Achebe has tried to suggest. My advice to this respected author is that he should leave Chief Awolowo alone and allow him to continue to rest in peace. This subtle attempt to denigrate the yoruba and their past leaders, to place a question mark on their noble and selfless role in the war and to belittle their efforts and sacrifice to keep Nigeria together as one will always be vigorously resisted by those of us that have the good fortune of still being alive and who are aware of the facts. We will not remain silent and allow anyone, no matter how respected or reverred, to re-write history. Simply put by writing this book and making some of these baseless and nonsensical assertions, Achebe was simply indulging in the greatest mendacity of Nigerian modern history and his crude distortion of the facts has no basis in reality or rationality. We must not mistake fiction and story telling for historical fact. The two are completely different. The truth is that Professor Chinua Achebe owes the Awolowo family and the yoruba people a big apology for his tale of pure fantasy.

October 8, 2012