The Nation Newspaper

Tag: voices

  • Colours, voices at June 12 celebration in Niger Delta

    Prominent individuals from the Niger Delta converged on the highbrow Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital to celebrate June 12 and the winner of the 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola. BISI OLANIYI, Southsouth Bureau Chief, reports that the participants maintained that what the country sorely needs is good governance for development.

    After two decades and six years of struggle by pro-democracy activists for successive administrations to recognise June 12 as the authentic Democracy Day, President Muhammadu Buhari, has signed into law the bill which legalises the day.

    The country celebrated her maiden June 12 Democracy Day penultimate Wednesday – in recognition of the June 12, 1993 election – Nigeria’s freest and fairest ever. The election was won by frontline businessman Moshood Abiola, who died in a bid to claim his mandate.

    In the Niger Delta, a group known as the Unity House Foundation and the Garden City Leadership Initiative organised a lecture to mark the day. It was the second edition of the event since the group’s inception last year.

    During the celebration, which featured lectures and other events, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Unity House Foundation, Kingsley Wali averred that corruption is Nigeria’s greatest problem, even as he added that good governance must be the fulcrum of our democratic experiment.

    The lecture was aimed at celebrating the historic day of freedom from oppression and dictatorship and the winner of the fairest, freest and the most credible presidential election ever held in the history of Nigeria, the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

    It is generally agreed that Abiola laid down his life for the survival of democracy in Nigeria. Any wonder President Buhari shifted Democracy Day celebration to June 12 from May 29.

    This year’s June 12 lecture, which took place at the highbrow Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, had as its theme “National Security: Beyond Power, Passion and Politics.”

    The guest speaker was the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada in Edo State, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, while the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof. Ndowa Lale, was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Hakeem Fewehinmi.

    Panelists at the lecture included Prof. Eme Ekekwe of UNIPORT; a frontline activist, Elder Timi Ogoriba and an Abuja-based lawyer, Ibiba Okunye; while topic of the lecture was: “Insecurity – Bigger than Recession and a Bigger Threat to Democracy.”

    Also present at the event was the Deputy Commandant and Head of Private Guard Company (PGC) Department of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Rivers State Command, Claire Nnenna Okpo.

    The guest lecturer, Prof. Osaghae expressed his optimism that Nigeria would soon be a country where people would live in peace and be secure.

    He said: “There is hope for Nigeria. There cannot be absolute security. Security is relative. There is as much insecurity in Nigeria, as in the United States of America, United Kingdom and other developed countries of the world. Insecurity makes Nigerians to look for alternative security, such as vigilance groups, militants or cult groups, which leads to greater insecurity.

    “Hunger can provoke someone to abnormal behaviour. Food security and the security of tenure/work are very important. Corruption is provoked by insecurity. Humankind is the essence of security. If there is no humankind, we cannot talk of recession and democracy. We must first be alive, before being democratic. Intelligence gathering thrives on volunteerism to get reliable, timely and useful information.

    “Government has fund, but it is unable to deliver on security. The current federal system is dysfunctional, because it is highly centralised. It must be decentralised in order to move forward. Nigerians need to specially consider community and state policing, which must be tailored to our peculiarities, with adequate checks and balances to avoid abuse.

    “Insecurity in Nigeria must be frontally tackled to pave way for peace and development. If a state/country cannot deliver on security, the state/country has failed.”

    Prof. Osaghae, who now teaches at the University of Ibadan (UI) Oyo State, also stated that providing adequate security should not be left for the Federal Government alone, stressing that the state and local governments must be involved. He added that hunger and unemployment must be tackled adequately in order to ensure safety of lives and property.

    The don noted that the two fundamental responsibilities of any government are provision of adequate security and caring for the welfare of the citizens, which he said should be taken very seriously to ensure peace.

    He said: “Nigeria will get better. It has taken longer to get to the point of having Democracy Day on June 12, but reconceptualisation through rethinking is very important. We also need value reorientation.

    “Security is accountability. We must hold our leaders accountable. We cannot continue to allow the state and its officials to misbehave. One person’s insecurity is our collective insecurity. Security is a collective responsibility.”

    The guest speaker also advised all Nigerians to continue to contribute to societal development, stressing that generations unborn would appreciate their efforts.

    While speaking at the event, one of the panelists, Prof. Ekekwe noted that part of the problems in Nigeria was that the people do not know their history; a situation he described as unfortunate. He insisted that leaders must be able to take constructive criticisms and that the ruling class should not be myopic.

    Ekekwe also stated that Nigeria’s military deserved more than they were currently getting from Nigerians and the government at all levels.

    He said: “In Nigeria, truth is very costly. There should be adequate training and retraining of the security personnel, especially in the area of intelligence gathering. The security agencies should also be adequately equipped and funded.

    In her remarks, Ibiba Okunye described insecurity as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy, adding that some politicians and top government officials had been encouraging insecurity.

    The Abuja-based lawyer noted that no country could flourish with poverty and insecurity, stressing that most government officials and politicians had failed, making most young people to lose hope in Nigeria.

    Also speaking, Elder Ogoriba stressed that when criminals were not adequately punished as a result of weak judicial system, crimes would flourish. He urged Wali and other organisers of the event to sustain the June 12 lecture initiative.

    He noted that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was not being properly funded by the Federal Government, stressing that the June 25, 2009 offer of amnesty to repentant Niger Delta militants was because the Federal Government was only interested in the crude oil and gas available in the region.

    The frontline activist reiterated that Abiola died while pushing to be president to make Nigeria better, declaring that the late business mogul sacrificed his life for Nigeria’s democracy. He wondered why the youth preferred to be thugs to politicians whose children would be in the best schools overseas. He added that the government must be responsive and responsible.

    In his address on the occasion, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai stated that the Nigerian Army had restored normalcy to the creeks of the hitherto volatile Niger Delta, thereby increasing the level of socio-economic activities in the region.

    He also assured that the Nigerian Army was poised to live to its constitutional responsibility by ensuring that all threats to the country’s national security were nipped in the bud.

    Buratai, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) six Division, Nigerian Army Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham described Nigeria as a blessed country.

    Buratai, who spoke as a special guest of honour reiterated that Nigeria was passing through a difficult period of its history.

    He said: “The topic of the lecture is very contemporary and very relevant, as we mark the first Democracy Day on June 12. The security challenges facing the country at the moment have stretched the police and the military and, indeed, other security agencies in personnel and resources.

    “The Army, whose primary role is the defence of the territorial integrity of the country, is currently deployed in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, on the secondary role of ‘Aid to Civil Authority.’ This reality is, by no means strange, as other great nations have passed through similar experiences in their history.

    “A lot of progress has been made in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency, which hopefully is at its last stage. The main efforts have been achieved as the insurgents’ capacity to hold territories have been greatly degraded.

    “The Nigerian Army is at the stage of conducting stabilisation operations, which will ensure that the civil populace in the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs’) camps returns to their homes for socio-economic activities to thrive in their communities.”

    He also stated that crimes such as pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, sea piracy and kidnapping had been reduced to the barest minimum, while assuring that the Nigerian Army would ensure that the criminals are brought to justice.

    Buratai praised members of the Unity House Foundation and Garden City Leadership Initiative for putting together the lecture, stressing that the initiative proved that the next generations were ready to take over the mantle of leadership of the country and tackle the challenges of their time.

    He said: “I wish to encourage you to continue in this stride, as there can be no progress without a vision. It is through visions that we can take the country to its full potential.

    “The biggest resource any country can have is its human capital, which, when harnessed, can take any country to greater heights.”

    The Chief of Army Staff also urged members of the public to always volunteer useful and timely information to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, assuring that their identities would be protected.

  • Return-home voices grow louder

    The founder of John 3:16 Ministry, Aba, Abia State and an ardent believer in the Biafra project, Bro. Samuel Ajayi has urged Ndigbo in the North not to hesitate to return to the East, saying their lives were worth more than the huge investments in the region.

    He is not a lone ranger. A coalition of 14 pro-Biafra civil rights groups has toed the clergy’s line, appealing to Ndigbo in the North to return home and not repeat the mistake of 1966.

    Ajayi was speaking in Aba, the Abia State commercial nerve, against the backdrop of the October 1 ultimatum given by Arewa for Ndigbo to leave the North.

    Ajayi was incensed by the argument in some quarters that it would be difficult for the Igbo to abandon their investments in the North put at about N44 trillion and return home. He said life matters much more than wealth.

    Admonishing the Igbo in the North, the clergyman said, “No amount of money can buy your life. If you are alive, you can still make money and build houses, industries and what have you in the East, but once your life is cut off, you become history.”

    The founder of John 3:16 Ministry said that the atmosphere in the country now is more charged than it was in 1966 when thousands of Igbo were massacred in the North. He warned that the threat by the Arewa youths should not be taken lightly.

    He said it was only those possessed by the demon of mammon that can love money or other material things of the world more that their lives and called on Ndigbo to leave the North without further hesitation since, according to him, those they are living with no longer want them.

    The clergyman, who said it was revealed to him that Biafra would soon be actualised, urged Southeast governors and other political leaders from the zone to put things in place that would ensure the smooth return of the Igbo in the North to their fatherland.

    Meanwhile, the Igbo Civil society Coalition comprising 14 civil society organizations and activists from the Igbo nation in calling on Igbo in the North to return home said they have henceforth come together to advance the fundamental human rights of Ndigbo.

    In a release obtained from Orji Okechukwu, one of the conveners of the meeting, the coalition condemned the ultimatum issued Ndigbo by the Coalition of Arewa Youths and endorsed by Northern Elders Forum to leave the Northern Nigeria on or before October 1, 2017 and the threat of violence accompanying the ultimatum.

    It however welcomed the decision of the Arewa youths which it said was one of the greatest things that ever happened to the Igbo nation.

    “We wholeheartedly accept the call by the Arewa youths for everyone to go their separate ways. We are therefore calling on all Igbo in various positions of power and responsibility to make immediate and effective arrangements for the protection of all Igbo persons in the context of the fullest implementation of that ultimatum.”

    It urged all Igbo in the North to carefully document their properties in the North as none of them would be lost as a result of their returning to the East.

    A group, Biafra Liberation Council (BLC) has also joined the come-back-home chant. So has the chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) Aba unit, Dr. Charles Chinekezi who urged the Igbo living in the North to wind up their businesses and return to the East or any other part of the country.

    In a chat, the BLC’s administrative Secretary, Austin-Mary Ndukwu, described the recent call by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) as a welcome development, stressing that it was a long awaited action from the northerners.

    BLC warned that they would not hesitate to carry out a reprisal attack against the North if they molest or harm any Easterner, who by their call, decided to relocate to the east.

    “Let nobody pull our legs because no single nationality has the monopoly of violence. We can’t be caught napping this time around. To our people in the North it’s time they reconsider their stay in those hostile territories. The North hates us with passion and it is only natural we keep them at arm’s length and watch every of their moves,” Ndukwu stated

    Chinekezi while calling on the acting President Yemi Osibanjo to rise up to his responsibilities and urgently address the situation before it goes out of proportion, however accused some northern leaders for stoking the amber of hatred and discord.

    He said, “The people who have governed this country after the first civilian rule have been completely irresponsible, self-centered and completely directionless.

    “That is most unfortunate because all these leaders are involved in this gigantic failure. My advice is that, Nigerian must right away try to get themselves back on track if they want to save this republic from the racial and tribal acrimony coming from the north through that hate speech issued by Arewa Youth Consultative Forum. They must eschew their usual criminal silence and act. The acting President must speak to Nigerians and all security chiefs must rise because if they fail to do this, they must be ready to burn beyond repair.

    “This time around this country may not survive it. The top leaders in the country I’m sure are seeing what is going on now. They are seeing it and let everybody be watchful. My advice to Igbos in the north is to immediately come back home. What those youth said, was said at the Secretariat of the Arewa Consultative Forum and not a place that is hidden from the surface of this earth.

    “The statement was made in the presence of the media and the main centre of northern leadership in Kaduna. The north has made their suggestions known that what they want is disintegration of this country, so to avoid bloodshed, let the Easterners return home fast.”

    Meanwhile a visit to Ariaria International Market, Aba showed that many Northern based Igbo traders and their northern counterparts have been coming to buy goods that they would take to their shops from their customers, not only at Ariaria, but other markets in Aba.

    Many Igbo traders who spoke were optimistic that the situation would be properly managed and when it becomes too much for the federal government to handle, they would relocate to the east or any other part of the country where they would be accepted to settle to do their businesses without any fear of molestation or harassment by any group of persons or individuals.

    One of them said, “There was nothing wrong if a landlord tells a tenant to pack out of his house, but the tenant must be allowed to pack his things and the landlord must know that he has children or relations leaving in other parts of the country who must definitely be asked by his or her landlord or landlady to pack out of his or her house as well.”

     

  • One war, discordant voices

    One war, discordant voices

    The Federal Government is being put to the strictest test yet of its anti-corruption campaign. The Senate is demanding that the Presidency clears the air over the alleged financial indiscretion of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal and the two security reports on Acting Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ibrahim Magu. Senator Shehu Sani of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has joined the fray, accusing the government of double standard in waging the war. Lawyers, in this report by Eric Ikhilae, suggest ways to address the seeming contradictions in the campaign.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been consistent in its criticisms of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s anti-corruption crusade. It argues that the anti-graft war is targeting only the opposition.

    But the government denies the claim, identifying some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who are also facing trial. They include Senate President Bukola Saraki.

    So, the dispute over the credibility of the anti-corruption campaign was between the opposition and the government until last week when a member of the ruling party, Senator Shehu Sani joined the fray.

    Sani (representing Kaduna Central) accused the government of double standard in waging the war and queried President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to the fight.

    Sani was reacting to Buhari’s letter to the Senate, refusing its recommendation for the sack of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal, for alleged corruption.

    The Senate ad-hoc committee on “Mounting humanitarian crisis in the Northeast,” which Sani headed, had, in its interim report, accused Lawal of abusing his office by influencing the award of a grass cutting contract to a company in which he has interest, under the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

    Based on its findings, the committee recommended that Lawal should resign or be fired by the President. On receiving the report, Buhari directed the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), to look into it and report to him.

    Apparently acting on the AGF’s report, Buhari wrote the Senate, declining its recommendations. The President said he could not carry out the demand, because the ad-hoc panel report was signed by three of its nine members. The SGF was not given fair hearing

    Sani dismissed as “false” the President’s claims on his committee’s report. The Senator suggested that the president’s defence smacked of double standard.

    Sani noted that contrary to the President’s claim, seven members of his committee signed the report. He said Lawal was accorded fair hearing, as he was invited to appear before the committee.

    He said an officer in the SGF’s office received the invitation to Lawal, ading that the committee also placed advertorials in three newspapers, inviting also the SGF and others involved in the investigation.

    Sani said: “Corruption in the Judiciary and others is treated with insecticide while corruption in the government is treated with deodorant.”

    Before Sani’s outburst, the Senate refused to confirm Buhari’s appointment of Ibrahim Magu as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman. The Senate hinged its decision on a damning report by the Department of State Services (DSS), linking Magu with some corrupt practices.

    Although the President has re-submitted Magu’s name to the Senate, the Senators believe that the issues raised in the DSS report on Magu must be sorted out before his clearance.

    Many are of the view that though the President’s commitment to the anti-corruption fight is not in doubt, the manner he is going about it, particularly his handling of the SGF and Magu cases gives cause for concern.

    Observers argued that, in handling the SGF’s case, the President should not have acted as his lawyer by querying the process leading to his indictment by the committee.

    They stressed that it was incumbent on the President, having received the Committee’s report to utilise executive mechanisms to establish the veracity or otherwise of the issues raised in the report rather than querying the process.

    By querying the process rather than the issues thrown up by the report, they argued that the President presented himself as someone working to protect the SGF by discrediting the process leading to Lawal’s indictment.

    They spoke on similar vein in the President’s handling  Magu’s case. To them, the President who swore to fight corruption in all forms should have been interested in getting to the root of the DSS report before resubmitting Magu’s name for confirmation.

    Having missed the opportunity of first, addressing the DSS report, Magu will continue to bear the burden of integrity if eventually he is confirmed, they said.

    Another issue thrown up by the Lawal and Magu cases, observers noted, is the conflicting interests within the Presidency, which account for growing cases of inter-agency conflicts among units prosecuting the ant-corruption war.

    With their positions on many issues, the AGF, the DSS and the EFCC have on many occasions, showed that there is no love lost among them, a development that portrays the Presidency as a house divided against itself.

    Critics are wondering why he DSS headed by an appointee of the President.

    They asked that, if the Presidency is not at war with itself, why should the DSS Director-General, Lawal Daura, prefer to first present such a damning report on Magu to another arm of government, rather than the President, when the President was before the Senate, vouching for Magu’s integrity and praying his confirmation as EFCC chair.

    Critics condemned what they called the seeming inability of the AGF to coordinate the activities of the various prosecuting agencies for the execution of the anti-corruption war.

    They said he had been quiet on many occasions when the DSS ignored valid court orders. They pointed to his justification of the DSS’ invasion of judges’ houses in the dead of night.

    Instances abound where proceedings in cases instituted by the EFCC and the office of the AGF were called off because of the DSS.

    An instance is the case involving a member of the Presidential Investigative Committee on Arms Procurement, Air Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd).

    Umar was kept in DSS custody for over five months after his arrest last June 19, despite two orders by two judges of the Federal High Court, directing the DSS to release him.

    He was released last December 2, after Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja refused to proceed with Mohammed’s trial as requested by the prosecution.

    Mohammed, 54, last September re-arraigned with his company – Easy Jet Integrated Services Limited – before Justice Tsoho, on an amended four-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/145/16.

    The judge granted Mohammed bail and ordered, among others, that he should be remanded in prison custody until he meets the bail conditions.

    Last November 28, a lawyer from the office of the AGF, Labaran Magaji (who is prosecuting the case) indicated the state’s readiness to start trial. But the defence led by Hassan Liman (SAN) objected to the begining of the trial because the court’s previous order was not complied with by the prosecution.

    He said his client was still being held by the DSS contrary to court’s order. Liman said the prosecution did not transfer the defendant to prison as ordered by the court and  refused to release him even after he met the bail conditions.

    On being informed that the defendant was still being held in DSS’ custody, Justice Tsoho said he would not subscribe to the beginning of the trial when his earlier orders had not been complied with. He declined to take any further steps in the case until Labaran reported last December 21 that the DSS has released Mohammed.

    A similar incident played out before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba (also of the Federal High Court, Abuja) before who Mohammed and his company were earlier arraigned last July 21.

    Justice Dimgba granted Umar N100million bail, with two sureties at N50million each, who could be private citizens or public officers, with landed property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Mohammed met the bail conditions, but the DSS refused to release him or transfer him to prison as ordered by the court.

    The judge, who was angered by the refusal of the DSS to comply with his orders, elected not to take any further steps in the case until his orders were obeyed.The case remained stalled until it was later re-assigned to Justice Tsoho by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

    Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki has been granted bail by three  courts. The Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has equally declared his detention illegal, but he is still being held by the DSS.

    The administration has equally been criticised for its handling of the cases involving some judges.

    Many believe that the government should have worked with the top hierarchy of the Judiciary to ease out judges accused of corruption instead of taking them to court.

    Lawyers, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) Chairman, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), added their voices to the debate on the administration’s handling of the anti-corruption fight.

    Sagay faulted Sani’s position, noting that despite the senator’s background in civil society and activism, he did not support Magu considering the Acting EFCC chairman’s efforts in leading the anti-corruption battle.

    He said: “I don’t really know the basis of that comment he made. I think it’s a political statement. It’s not factual. He’s a political antagonist of his own party.

    “He doesn’t get on well with the governor of his state, and he doesn’t get on with the Federal Government. So it is his political battle that is colouring his statement. It’s not factual.”

    The PACAC chair said Magu was being victimised, adding that senators who rejected his first nomination were not representing the interest of Nigerians.

    “I expected Senator Sani as a human rights person, as far as I know a person from the civil society, that he should have stood up for the truth. He should have known that Magu was victimised deliberately. He should have stood up against that.

    “He should have stood for the oppressed person who has been doing a marvellous work in the fight against corruption. But this time he stood on the wrong side.

    “ Maybe the Senate has its own interest which is contrary to the interest of the country. And he’s standing with that Senate in that regard. So that’s his business,” Sagay said.

    Ozekhome (SAN) urged the President to first address the issues raised in the DSS report on Magu before seeking his confirmation by the Senate. he argued that, no matter how the issue of Magu’s clearance was resolved, the credibility of this administration’s anti-corruption fight will be tainted without him addressing the allegations by the DSS.

    Ozekhome said: “I am worried that the President will be pushing for the confirmation of Magu, knowing full well that, as the number one anti-corruption czar in Nigeria, he must not only be incorruptible, but must also be seen to be so.  The Senate’s earlier refusal to confirm Magu was based on a damning report by the DSS. The issues raised in that report have to be addressed first.

    “One would have expected that there ought to be a synergy between the SSS, the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the police and the Presidency since all of them are controlled by the President under Section 5 of the Constitution.

    “It is inconceivable to believe that the DSS could have sent such a damning report to the Senate without the knowledge of Mr. President. The anti-corruption fight will be discredited with this moral burden and serious case of credibility crisis if the President continuous to push Magu’s name.

    “If the SSS was to recant on its earlier report, not many Nigerians will believe it. Many Nigerians will believe it was compelled to recant. So, Magu’s case is not necessarily one of legalism. It is one of serious moral and credibility crisis that will afflict his tenure and afflict the entire anti-corruption fight.

    “There are many capable Nigerians who can do this job. And, there are many areas where Magu can also perform creditably well. The President does not necessarily need to force him on the country or on an unwilling Senate, because the Senate, under sections 4, 88 and 89 has its own functions to performed under the doctrine of Separation of Powers.

    “The President should save Magu, an otherwise hard working young man, the embarrassment of being rejected the second time and save the Senate of a moral burden if it should confirm Magu, with the allegations against him left unresolved.

    “Under Section 2 of the EFCC Act, the Chairman of the EFCC cannot act without the confirmation of the Senate. This means that all actions taken while in an acting capacity may be challenged if he continues in office as acting Chairman.’’

    Prof Akinseye-George and Kehinde frowned at the seeming helplessness of the AGF in the face of continued disregard of court orders by security agencies, including the DSS.

    They urged the AGF to act as the nation’s true number one law officer by ensuring that every security and prosecuting agency is subject to the dictate of the rule of law. This, they said was important in view of its implication for the administration’s image and the fight against corruption.

    Akinseye-George said: “Disobedience of any agency, either DSS, police, EFCC or ICPC of court order is anti-democratic. It can lead to anarchy. They, by the Constitution, must be subject to civil courts. Otherwise, our claim to being a democracy is questionable.

    “We need to speak to the authorities of these various agencies that their personnel, who are reported to be acting in disrespect of constituted authorities. In the Dasuki case for instance, where about three different courts have granted him bail, the government has no reason to further keep him in custody under any guise.

    “They can release him and then, keep him under watch. Watch him because he is a person of interest. You don’t have to detain him.  This administration that preaches change must consciously encourage respect for the rule of law. It must be one of the pillars,” Prof Akinseye-George said.

    Kehinde warned that if there is no conscious effort of the prosecuting agencies to obey lawful orders of trial courts, then we are not going anywhere.

    “And that is why I am calling on the Attorney- General of the Federation to step in at this point. The AGF is the chief law officer of the federation and his primary duty is to see that the rule of law and due process are observed.

    “That is why I am also of the school of thought that the office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney general of the Federation should be separated so that there will be no political interference.’’

  • ‘My generation needs voices that speak life’

    ‘My generation needs voices that speak life’

    Israel Afangideh is an Akwa-Ibom State born sophomore student at Faulkner University, Alabama, Montgomery, United States (US) with a dual major in Sports Management and Business Administration. The young lad, who turned 17 recently, is a man of many parts. His interest spans music, poetry, law and martial art. He has a second degree black belt in Taekwondo and dreams of opening a Martial Arts Academy in future. But his current musical single ,No borders, was inspired by the shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, US, in June, by Dylan Roof, a white American boy, who went into an African-American church and opened fire, killing several worshippers. He speaks with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on  his new musical project, growing up in America, his dreams, what endears him to his roots-Nigeria, among other issues. 

    At 17, how prepared are you for the task of moving into adulthood?

    I don’t really think being an adult has much to do with age, being an adult has much more to do with life’s experiences and mindset. I feel that so many people of my age limit themselves thinking they have to wait until they get older to become the people they’re meant to be, but that’s simply not true; there are advantages to youth that should not be wasted.

    Tell me about yourself as a Nigerian born American youth?

    I feel that God blessed me to be able to be born in a country as amazing as Nigeria. Learning Nigerian values and being influenced by Nigerian culture from a young age has really helped to shape who I am and who I will become. I was even more blessed to be born into the Afangideh family; a family that constantly pushes each other to be the best that we can be. My father, Peter Afangideh, is a lawyer and the Director of the Christian Science College. My mother, Dr. Uduak Afangideh, is the wisest woman I know and her guidance and support have been invaluable in helping me find the right path and follow it. My elder sister, Salem Afangideh, is an American lawyer, and her numerous accomplishments in many diverse fields at such a young age, remind me never to limit myself. My little brother, Elias Afangideh with his quick sense of humour and zest for life has taught me to have fun and never to take life too seriously.

    Tell us about your academic sojourn

    I completed my Nursery and Primary School education in Nigeria before going to America and completing my Secondary education there. I am currently in my second year at Faulkner University with a dual major in Sports Management and Business Administration. School is important, not because of the facts you learn there or because of the endless theories and lectures students are forced to sit through; school is important because of the discipline it teaches and because it teaches you how to find, absorb and retain information.

    Aside your studies, what are your other interests?

    I have many interests ranging from music and law to poetry and Martial Arts. I have a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, and dream of opening a Martial Arts academy. If I had to put myself in a box, however, I would say I’m an entrepreneur. I like envisioning things and then watching them become reality. I have always been a dreamer. I’m the kind of person, who is never satisfied with the status quo. I like to swim against the tide, to buck the trend. I guess I’m a little bit rebellious and stubborn and I don’t think those are negative attributes for young people to have at all, as long as we rebel for the right things. My relationship with God guides everything else I do in life, whether in Martial Arts or in music, I don’t see my Christian life as separate from my everyday life. They are intricately connected.

     What musical project are you working on and when did you start it?

    I had the idea back in January to make a song that addressed the tendency we have as human beings to discriminate against each other based on the boxes we put ourselves in, whether it is race or nationality or gender or social class. Whatever box it was, whatever walls we built to separate ourselves from each other, I wanted to tear them down. By April I had the specifics of the song and I contacted my friend and fellow rapper Benjohn Ofem Otu to see if he would be interested in having a part in the song. He was. While we were trying to figure out what exactly we wanted the song to say, I heard about the church shooting in which a white American boy went into an African-American church and opened fire, killing several people. In that instant I knew that there would be no better place to talk about racial violence than in Africa with a fellowAfrican. That was how the song, No Borders, was born. I also decided to create a project called Real Music, as a banner under which I and other musicians could create songs that have a positive message.

    What inspired the Real Music project?

    Real Music is an idea I have entertained for a long time. It is the result of studying popular culture for the past three years. I noticed that almost all songs that become popular promote objectifying women, worshipping money, laziness, drug addiction and other vices. This didn’t make sense to me, why would musicians create songs that would misguide and destroy the people who were looking up to them. That was how Real Music was born. We want to make sure that whenever someone plays a song produced by Real Music, featuring one of our artistes, they will get a song with a message, a song filled with hope. The song, No Borders, can be found on YouTube and it can be downloaded for free on Soundcloud. It can also be found on our Facebook page.

     Who are your target audience?

    My generation needs voices that speak life. We need voices that will create instead of destroy. We need role models that not only know the right path, but won’t point us down the wrong one simply because they want to make more money from their music. However, my target audience isn’t limited to those who fit into my age bracket. I want the world to hear my music because I know that real music changes lives. 

    What are your dreams?

    I dream of a world undivided by the prejudices inherent in the human nature. I dream of a world where every human being is free from pain and is living up to their potential. I have personal dreams and aspirations as well, but I know that if I can create the world I see in my dreams everything else will fall into place.

    Growing up in Alabama as a Nigerian youth, what challenges did you face?

    There are challenges. It can be difficult to find my identity, and at times it can feel like I don’t belong anywhere. I’m in America, but not American. I’m African, but not African-American. America has its advantages, but there is no place like home.

    What endears you to Nigeria, your home country?

    The people; Nigerians are what make Nigeria as amazing as it is. We are tenacious and we can make the most out of the worst situations. Nigeria is a country with promise and we shouldn’t get discouraged because we might not be where other nations are right now. No nation was perfect at 54 and even though I’m a little biased, I think Nigeria has the potential to be one of the greatest nations on the planet.

  • Ogunsola, Adesina lead launch of Voices Beyond the Newsroom

    Renowned actuary and former Chairman of Punch Newspapers, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, will chair the formal presentation of a study of media leadership produced by a media scholar at the Pan Atlantic University.

    The Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Femi Adesina, would also be on hand to support the chairperson.

    Nigerian Media Leaders: Voices Beyond the Newsroom features conversations with more than 75 media leaders across print, broadcast and the academia.  Media scholar, Richard Ikiebe of the School of the Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, edited the four-volume work.

    The research is a collaboration between the School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University and the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

    Hosts for the event are the Vice Chancellor of the Pan Atlantic University, Prof Juan Elegido, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Garbadeen Muhammed, and the Dean of the School of Media and Communication, Dr Ikechukwu Obiaya.

    As Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited for several years, Ogunshola is a celebrated media leader for successfully spearheading the turnaround of the fortunes of the Punch newspapers into one of the most successful media enterprises in Africa.He was one of the leaders interviewed for the book.

    The September 22 presentation of Voices Beyond the Newsroom would be a gathering of leaders in the media, politics and public service, academia, advertising and the larger business and financial community.

    Leaders interviewed in the book cut across various arms of the media.

  • When special pupils raised their voices

    When special pupils raised their voices

    Citizens with special needs have identified areas that would improve their welfare and lift the nation.

    Director, Bethesda Home for the Blind (BHB), Yaba, Lagos State, Mrs Chioma Ohakwe, hopes more money from the nation’s budgets would be earmarked for the welfare of citizens with special needs.

    in an interview, she said: “In many countries, people with special needs receive a certain allowance in form of cash from the government as a form of assistance, because they know that not all of them would be able to do as much as their able body counterparts. I hope this nation will also get there someday.”

    Mrs Ohakwe said funding constitutes a major challenge of the institute. She sought better orientation and provision of facilities, such as the Apex Graille machine, to enlighten students with special needs, especially the blind, about the new Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination-Computer-Based Test (CBT).

    However, Mrs Ohakwe is upbeat the Lagos State governor-elect Akinwumi Ambode, would hearken to their cry.

    Students of the home also expressed their excitement for being able to cast their votes, describing it as a sign that the government had them in mind.

    Ifeanyi Ukweze, who has been a housemate for almost three years, was pleased at the opportunity the institute accorded her to exercise her civic duty. Nonetheless, she hopes the incoming government would give people like her a better sense of belonging by providing the means of livelihood for people with special needs, adding that securing a job is a major challenge.

    Another student, Christopher Essien, who had been in the institute for more than six months, wants the government to establish and fund more homes like BHB which, he said, helped him regain his self worth.

    He said: “The government has to ensure that this kind of home is established across the nation, because the few we have cannot cater to all the people with special needs. I have achieved so much within the short period of time I have been here. I can now type, make hand crafts and communicate with people effectively. I can even go back to school and finish my education, which I had to stop because I suddenly became visually impaired. I have also regained my self-confidence.”

    Rev Sister Jane Onyeneri, Principal Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children, Surulere, Lagos is very angry. She declined an interview with our reporters.

    The cause of her anger – negligence of special schools by the government, despite her school’s continuous call for help.

    “The media houses get information from us and then nothing happens,’’ she lamented.

    She added: “The children are abandoned; the handicapped kids are not treated like part of the society. In fact, they are not part of the society; so, what do you want their opinion for? The attitude of the society towards the handicapped children is appalling. You should probably go and ask the government if they have been doing their duty, because writing about it doesn’t work. What we need are practical solutions, not writings or interviews without result.”

  • Voices to an enigma

    Voices to an enigma

    A lot cannot be exhausted about this man. He has written about himself, others have written about him. Depending on the angle he is viewed from, Olusegun Obasanjo could be perceived in varying lights – great, villain, thug, joker, soldier, chicken farmer or just a jolly old man. His rambunctious character has been the subject of many books. Yet, Akanda Eda: The story of Olusegun Obasanjo, a new book, joins the array, unfolding the continuing enigma.

    Several authors, including Obasanjo himself, exhaust their opinions about the soldier, leader, Owu Chief, African statesman, and global leader via apt essays and pictures. In all, OBJ as Obasanjo is popularly referred to, emerges as a great person, or Akanda Eda, which in Yoruba, the language of OBJ’s birth, translates as ‘the special breed.’

    Unlike many books, it skips the bullshit usually associated with many biographical narratives – drawing on tedious genealogical lineage and heavy leanings on accounts of very early years. Rather, Akanda Eda quickly jumps into the main narrative of Obasanjo in public life with an introductory essay by the editor of the book, Dare Babarinsa, titled: ‘Born To Be Different.’

    Other essays would skim about Obasanjo’s formative years – his birth, school at Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta between 1952 and 1956, how he had to enlist in the army in 1958 after secondary school. Through the army, Obasanjo would acquire engineering training. The essays also dwell on Obasanjo as military head of state, life as a farmer, and as a politician and Nigerian civilian president.

    In the book, OBJ writes about how in 1957 he had passed the examination for admission into University of Ibadan but because of paucity of funds, he could not attend. About how Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone also offered him admission, while the UN offered him a scholarship to study geology either in India or the US. He, however, opted to go for the Officer Cadet training in Teshie, Accra, Ghana. At that period, he was faced with the tough decision of how to tell his mother he had enlisted in the military. He never did. Instead, he merely said he was going for further training as a teacher. When he joins the army, he recalls his girlfriend, Oluremi, who later became his wife, feeling he made a bad decision.

    ‘She asked me if I would turn out like one of the ordinary soldiers living in her father’s house in Abeokuta,’ he writes. ‘I said yes. She was not amused by my answer, and for the six months I stayed in Teshie, she never replied any of my letters.’

    However, it was in the army that greatness was thrust on him multiple times. From missing death by the whiskers on more than one occasion, he became president of Nigeria in 1976 at the age of 39. He would relinquish power to a civilian president, only to become a civilian president himself 20 years later. Eight years after serving two four year terms, the 78-year-old Obasanjo is still vibrant. The essays in Akanda Eda attempt to capture his story. It does not fully succeed, becoming rather a mere teaser.

    Hate him or love him, OBJ’s greatness cannot be dismissed. But there are many reasons for people to love and hate him. In fact, he widely commands both. Perhaps, the editor falls into the category of those who ‘love’ OBJ because Akanda Eda seems to dwell more on Obasanjo’s achievements. This way, Obasanjo’s personae is not fully captured, considering the slants of essays chosen.

    Aside confronting and ensuring reforms in some sectors of the economy like the telecoms and the power, introducing anti-corruption watchdogs, some slights of the former Nigerian leader were glossed over in the selected essays. For instance, no essay mentions some of the controversies which have trailed his time in public service. One of such is whether he actually wanted a third term. But reading OBJ’s letters, including the ominous missive he recently wrote to President Goodluck Jonathan, one gets the feeling that even out of power, OBJ still remains a passionate Nigerian. The prose employed by the indefatigable letter writer drips with brilliance, whether he is castigating or mending. But OBJ is also a man of action too.

    In chapter 12, Africa’s Elder Statesman, written by John Iliffe, various exploits of Obasanjo are detailed. It is poignant to note how Obasanjo restored the leader of Sao Tome and Principe after he was ousted by the military in that country. Other events as recorded in the article also show the leadership role which Obasanjo has played in global affairs, especially on the African continent.

    The book also reveals Obasanjo as a husband, father and family man. However, he is not just concerned with his children. The article written by John Olowofela explains what transpired when Obasanjo went on an official visit to Akwa Ibom State where he met a widow who pleaded for help.

    “He there and then asked the barefooted son of the widow to be brought to Aso Rock Villa where he put him in a first class primary school in Abuja,’’ writes Olowofela. ‘The boy has now completed his secondary education at The Bells, the school owned by Obasanjo in Ota and has moved on to the university.’

    The all-colour book is rich with photographs – pictures of Obasanjo with different people and many people mentioned in the essays are plentiful. However, unlike the essays which have by-lines, the identities of the photographs are mostly obscure. And while the subject of the book is interesting and the layout is rich with colour, the publishers did not pay adequate attention to some cheap errors.

    Akanda Eda hardly provides any new insight to understanding Obasanjo. Rather, it offers bits of his personae in a book filled with pictures, ensuring less monotony that boring texts on grey pages often bring. It offers a wide populace an easier avenue to leaf through the many sides of Obasanjo. And that is perhaps the best thing the book has to offer.

     

  • Aso Villa voices and follies

    There are times when the reverse appears more profound than the original. This is the case with the fascinating quote by Walter Lippmann: “It requires wisdom to understand wisdom.”  Perhaps more insightfully, it may be said: “It requires folly to understand folly.”

    Such knowing folly was effectively exhibited by the Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Brig. Gen. Jones Arogbofa (retd), in an interview that betrayed the quality of those who work with the man at the top.  To be fair, Arogbofa said: “In politics, your loyalty is to your party, it’s to your boss, it’s to your leader.” In other words, he is guided in office by the notion that the boss is always right.

    He also said: “Out of nowhere, Jonathan picked me up and made me his Chief of Staff. It is a position of confidence, a position of trust, a position where you expect somebody loyal to sit and be able to watch your back.”  That must be why his response to a question on public criticism of Jonathan was: “In the first place, I don’t even know what they are criticising him for. So if you feed me, maybe I will be able to have a better answer.”

    With such a Jonathan-can-do no-wrong mentality, it was understandable that Arogbofa went on to say: “I haven’t spent much time here, I have spent barely one year here and I’m learning, I am learning through a very good master, in person of Mr. President. He is such a teacher who allows everything to be perfect. You can’t make a mistake with him not to cross your ‘Ts’ and dot your ‘Is’, he will call your attention to it that you can’t do this, you have to do it right. So it’s been a wonderful period of time for me.”  He continued: “And when you work with a master whose mastery is awesome, you have to be on your toes all the time.”  This romantic delineation of Jonathan prompts an important question: Could he be speaking about the same allegedly “clueless” Jonathan?

    Interestingly, his answer to a question related to the widely condemned mountainous scale of official corruption in the country inadvertently revealed why corruption is king. Arogbofa said: “Even my conduct, my integrity and so on, they border on corruption. If I am sitting before you now and I am lying to you about what is not happening here, then am I not corrupt?  This is so because I am misguiding the people and that’s not supposed to be the situation.”  If Arogbofa consciously believed his hard sell, or expected the people to fall for his performance hook, line, and sinker, it would suggest how well-adjusted he must be among the corrupt and the corrupted or how little he thinks of the collective intelligence.   Arogbofa reinforced his simplistic reasoning by adding: “So I believe that Goodluck Jonathan is fighting corruption; he is doing his best. I cannot go and meet him as a man and say, sir, approve this for me, no way. He will be sure that what you want from him is what you need to get the job done and that is the true position of things.”   If this is all it takes to qualify for an anti-corruption crown, then the anti-corruption war must be far from a crowning glory.

    This voice of folly is in good company at Aso Villa, considering the collaboration with Jonathan’s spokesman and media adviser Reuben Abati who has pushed his obsession with his boss well into the realm of foolishness.  Abati curiously insists that the electorate needs a presidential debate to make a choice between President Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential poll rescheduled for March 28. It is noteworthy that he noted in a statement on Buhari’s alleged avoidance of a debate: “There is no gainsaying the fact that President Jonathan and General Buhari are the main contenders in this election. Every Nigerian would love to see the two of them debate. That would be good for our democracy.”

    Abati further said on Buhari: “His deliberate avoidance of a Presidential debate is akin to an examination malpractice. It is not good enough for a man who wants to be President of our country. He is short-changing the Nigerian electorate by denying them the opportunity of assessing him properly in an open debate.” He added: “While a Presidential debate is not a constitutional requirement, it is an established convention that deepens and enriches the democratic process.” According to Abati, “President Jonathan is ready to meet him in an open debate, any day, any hour, and at any venue of his choice.”

    Now, how would Abati describe the jolting rearrangement of the election dates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), allegedly influenced by the Jonathan camp? What kind of “malpractice” could this be, and what does it say about a man who is seeking presidential reelection?

    It is a pathetic reflection of Abati’s distance from reality that he regards “an open debate” as an opportunity for the electorate to “properly” assess the candidates. He conveniently downplayed the defining value of electioneering as well as the wisdom of the electorate. Abati must be living in a fool’s paradise to believe that a presidential debate of an hour or so would conclusively convince voters to reelect Jonathan, when his low-grade performance in office and his unconvincing political campaign speak of failure.

    What this means is that Abati’s promotion of a presidential debate is much ado about nothing. It is unlikely that any perceptive voter would need to listen to Jonathan and Buhari debate before taking a voting decision. In case Abati doesn’t understand, and that seems to be the case, the candidates have been engaged in an informal but discernible debate based on their antecedents, their personalities and what they represent; and the people have followed this debate by other means with a keen and concentrated interest.

    For instance, when Buhari is portrayed and recognised as a game-changing player of unstained integrity, and Jonathan is seen as a cunning champion of corruption, the collision has the ingredients of a debate.

    In particular, it is evident from Abati’s fixation with a debate that he must number among the parochial who failed to grasp the import of Buhari’s February appearance and performance at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House in London. Buhari’s lecture was fittingly titled “Prospect for Democracy Consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s transition”; and he glowed impressively during the question-and-answer session that followed.  It was certainly not a picture of a debate-shy man. But Abati is clearly reality-shy, not to call him narrow-minded.

    Arogbofa and Abati are a study in how the mind operates in Aso Villa; they are also a study in how the mind does not work at The Villa.

  • First timers’ voices for the world

    First timers’ voices for the world

    For the first time in Nigeria, The World Voice Day was celebrated at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) a few days ago.

    The event, according to head of the Department of Creative Arts at the university, Anthony Ekelezie Mereni,was “actually the first time ever, that the World Voice Day is being celebrated in Nigeria and the entire Africa. We owe the knowledge to one of our visiting lecturer, an American, Aaron Carter Cohn, a student of music, who is on scholarship to stay with us for a full year. Immediately he told me about it, I bought the idea and we had to put this together to become the first ever black African country, to celebrate the world voice day.”

    The event, which took place at the main auditorium, was witnessed by members of the diplomatic corps, the university community and the general public.

    Mereni said: “Being the first time, it is difficult to assess our performance. We have no measure for comparing one celebration to another, and we have not watched or seen any celebration in other parts of the world. It is our maiden celebration in Nigeria. I think that it is not a failure, we can only hope to add to what we have been able to do today. We have choir singing, people have come on stage to use their voices to talk, and we’ve had a symposium whereby some people spoke about the voice, on how we can use the voice as a therapeutic instrument. So, I think that we can only add to what we have done here today. We can’t say whether we have under celebrated or over celebrated. We just think that it is a very good beginning.”

    The day, which is celebrated as a major event across the world, featured concerts, symposia, open house at voice clinics and voice education institutes. The aim is to demonstrate the “enormous importance of the voice in our daily lives,” as a tool of communication.

    But when did the celebration of the day start? Carter-Cohn believes it started in 1993.

    His words:“I know that about 100 countries around the one that it is being celebrated now. And Nigeria is the only one in Africa. Egypt was to have one celebration too but they are having issues. The celebration is going on with symposium, mass choir of about 350 people, singing in many Nigerian languages. The rendition of the theme song was great and we are going to have it again at the close of the ceremony. We had comedy and then Pat of Midnight Crew sang the popular ‘Igwe song’, and female comedian/radio presenter Helen Paul talked about being an entertainer and being a voice professional gave inspiration to the students, because if you look at the crowd , here, it is 70per cent students from the secondary schools and the university students. We are keeping it moving, we have some of the best choirs on this programme, acapela and some doing poetry.”

    The event came with its own challenges. Carter-Cohn said:“I think the greatest challenge was finding money to put the event together. We only had about two months to raise the funds, because we wanted to be sure that we will be able to feed the large number of students that would be attending the programme, we wanted to be sure too to have sound instruments and we were lucky to have google that helped us today with the webcast, so that people can watch around the world on You tube. Google has helped us to do that free, and that has saved us a lot of money. I am here for a full year scholarship, so I have time to do projects, and for this programme, we were sponsored by the US Government through the US Consul in Nigeria.

    On what the impact of this will be, Aaron said: “I know that this will continue it will generate more interest, improve sound and the use of the voice. I also hope to be here next year too.” Professor Laz Ekwueme, a notable musicologist, praised the organisers, but wondered why it took an American for Nigeria to know about the event! He also wondered why it took the music community, this long to celebrate the event with the rest of the world.

    Joshua Alabi, a student of Creative Arts, University of Lagos, said: “The celebration is not just about how to use the voice but also, an avenue for young people to use their voices for the development of the society. It is a call for young people to rise up and do something that will advance the country in all fields of endeavour. This is benefiting for me because as an artiste, my troupe has performed on stage, so we have showcased what we know how to do and what we have learnt over the years. It is an avenue for us to network, meet people because after school, there’s a market that we all have to go to.”