An international non-governmental organisation with offices in Abuja, Jos, Maiduguri, Adamawa and Portharcourt has planned a 3-day training for journalists on conflict/sensitive reporting within the framework of freedom of religion and belief in Nigeria.
In an invite signed for the organization, ‘Search for Common Ground’, by Senior Media Officer (PP- FoRB), Katlong Dasat, it explained that 30 journalists from various media houses identified through channel mapping assessment across Nigeria will be at the training scheduled to hold in the first week of October at Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
Search further explained that it uses innovative approaches in fostering understanding and peace across ethnic, religious and gender lines in areas of tension.
It described the media as valued stakeholder in its ongoing efforts to promote peace building and religious acceptance in Nigeria, which it said started since 2004.
“Search understands the immense power that media holds, and believes that with the right knowledge and training, journalists can play a vital role in promoting tolerance, respect, and understanding”.
The group also stated that in line with its mission, it is currently implementing a project aimed at promoting and protecting freedom of religion and belief (PP-FORB), and addressing potential conflict issues related to religious tolerance and tensions in Nigeria.
“Over 36 months, our goal is to empower actors to prevent and address conflicts along religious lines, establish effective Early Warning/Early Response (EWER) and referral mechanisms for addressing FORB violations and violence, strengthen support mechanisms for individuals at risk of FORB violations, and enhance public understanding of interfaith conflict and the importance of religious freedom”.
… as BOT Chairman, Reverend Okoye tasks members on rebuilding chaplaincy
United Nigeria Chaplaincy, a paramilitary group, has sought the cooperation of the media to ensure that its humanitarian services get to the knowledge of the public.
Speaking when members of the group paid courtesy visit to the Managing Director of Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS, Sir Chido Obidiegwu, the group, led by the Anambra State Commandant, Mr David Arinzechukwu said UNC, databased by the federal government in 2011, is functioning in different parts of the country where there is need for peace building.
He said though still self-funded and awaiting formal recognition by the federal government, the group needs government support in the area of funding, but maintained that lack of it will not deter them from carrying out humanitarian services, as their existence will diminish if they stop.
In Anambra, the group said they are in peace building process in troubled communities, including Omor and Anaku; both in Ayamelum Local Government Area, and can do more with necessary support of the government.
Contributing, the National Director for Logistics, Mr Eugene Okeke, said non-recognition of the group by the federal government and lack of funding are still challenges to members, adding that when recognized, the group will continue to help in bringing peace where there is peace fall.
Responding, the Managing Director of ABS, Sir Chido said the establishment has a responsibility of disseminating information that will help in building the society.
He noted that non-recognition of the group by the federal government negatively affects people who may wish to collaborate with them, and urged members of the group to sustain public relations campaign aimed at rebuilding the group’s image, promising the help of the establishment.
Joined in receiving the United Nigeria Chaplaincy delegation were the Acting Director of News and Current Affairs of the ABS, Mrs Juddy-Jeff Nwabueze, and the Director of Commercial Services, Mrs Beatrice Akwanamnye, while the United Nigeria Chaplaincy delegation included, National Director for Training, Mr James Obasi, Anambra State General Secretary, Mr Ben Odiwe, Deputy Operations, Anambra State Command, Mr Nnamdi Enechukwu, and National Storekeeper, Mrs Esther Obiozor.
The group was later led by the Commandant General, Dr Chris Daniels on a visit to their BOT Chairman, His Excellency, the Right Reverend Eliezer Okoye, who encouraged them to make necessary sacrifices, and not to relent in rebuilding the chaplaincy, even as he emphasized the need for reward for all engaging Chaplains.
Right Reverend Okoye further enjoined members of the United Nigeria Chaplaincy not to allow further unscrupulous activities of their past leader and his gullible members to continue.
Umuahia – The Minister of Works Engr David Umahi has commended Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, for bringing visible developments in Abia just a few months that he has been in office.
Umahi, who was in Abia on Thursday to inspect ongoing Federal projects in the state, said even though he is not an apostle of 100 days celebration, Abia residents and indeed the South East are blessed to have Governor Otti as his handwork is already showing.
“Let me thank you for a lot of improvement that you have done in the State just few months now. I don’t believe in 100 days in office, I don’t believe in two years in office, I believe in working for the people and let the people see what you are doing.
“There is nothing meaningful that anybody who intends to work can achieve in 100 days. You may not even design a meaningful project in 100 days. But we have been seeing what you’ve been doing because you’ve been around, you understand the pains of your people.
“And so I commend you and also congratulate Abia people because they are going to see quite progress,” Umahi said during a courtesy visit to Governor Otti, while assuring that Otti will make Abia and the South East proud.
The Minister, who was former Governor of Ebonyi State, told Dr. Otti that Abia has about 11 Federal road projects ongoing in the state. Some of the roads that he mentioned are: Section One of the Port Harcourt-Enugu Express Road, which runs from Lokpanta to Abia Tower in Umuahia, which is hundred percent completed with a Trailer Park; Section Two of the road runs from Umuahia Tower to Aba; Rehabilitation of Umuahia-Ikwuano to Ikot Ekpene-Umudike Road with a length of 49.2 kilometers; Section of Nkporo-Abiriba-Ohafia Road, awarded in 2012, that has been abandoned; Bende-Arochukwu-Ohafia section one, awarded in 2018; Aba-Owerri Road, awarded in 2012, that has been abandoned; Bende-Arochukwu-Ohafia section one, awarded in 2018; Aba-Owerri Road, awarded in 2020 and others.
He solicited Governor Otti’s help to sort out the issues affecting the building of a trailer park at Arungwa Aba, saying that the State government should acquire the place and partner the Federal Government to develop it with the private sector.
Governor Otti thanked the Minister for visiting Abia and expressed his government’s readiness to partner with the Federal Government to fix the Federal Roads in the State.
He decried the stress people go through to get to Aba from Port Harcourt and vice versa, saying that a journey of 30 minutes now takes people not less than three hours to complete.
According to the Governor, this has dealt a deadly blow to the markets in Aba. He informed the Minister that he had already engaged a construction company, CCECC, to do some palliative works on the road and get one of the lanes working.
The Governor told the works minister that he would also like to engage with him on the Umuahia-Bende-Abriba-Ohafia, all the way to Arochukwu, Federal road, which was first awarded by the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) when former President Muhammadu Buhari was the Chairman of PTF, under General Sani Abacha, and was abandoned and later re-awarded in 2011 by erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan and also abandoned.
“If I’m able to find money, I will like to do the road and whenever he is able to, he will reimburse us. We believe that we should support the Federal Government in delivering dividends of democracy to our people.” Governor Otti remarked.
Umahi was joined in the visit by Senator Onyekachi Nweobonyi, Deputy Chairman Senate Committee on Public Accounts and Engr. B. U. Obioha, Southeast Director Federal Highway, among others.
Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna has sacked Governor Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress. The petition was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru. The tribunal also declared the 2023 governorship election which was held in the state on March 18, 2023 as inconclusive.
In a split decision of a ratio of 2:1, the three-man tribunal panel led by Justice Victor Oviawe declared that the election was inconclusive and thus directed that a supplementary election should be held by the Independent National Electoral Commission within 90 days. The PDP had baked its arguments on the grounds of alleged irregularities and electoral fraud, deposing that its candidate (PDP candidate), Isa Mohammed Ashiru, won the election.
The tribunal ruled further that INEC is to conduct election in seven wards, four local govts, 24 polling units consisting of 16,300 registered voters.
During the hearing of the petition, the PDP and Ashiru called 24 witnesses and presented claims and documents to prove their case.
The labor union was reacting to a statement from the Ministry of Labor and Employment said that it does not have any agreement with the government to shelve its planned strike. NLC’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah said this in a statement on Tuesday.
Countering a statement by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Mr Upah also said the NLC did not have any date for a meeting with government that may lead to the suspension of the proposed strike.
“We do not have any agreement with the government to suspend the planned strike action. Neither do we have any date for a meeting with government that may lead to the suspension of the proposed strike,” he said.
“While we do not intend to demean or minimize the office of the Honorable Minister of Labor and Employment, this matter is beyond the Ministry. This should have been obvious to them during our most recent meeting”.
The NLC also faulted the position of the Ministry of Labor and Employment on the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
“While we appreciate the role played by the Honorable Minister of Labor and Employment, Barrister Simon Lalong in securing the release of the executives of the National Union of Road Transport Workers from unlawful/illegal police detention, we take exception to the Ministry describing these executives as factional leaders,” it said.
“They were lawfully elected into office. We still find it necessary to advise the police and those elements behind their travails to desist from this despicable and shameful conduct. They are advised to retrace their steps.
“If democracy is to be of meaning to us, then we should resist the urge or temptation for impunity. Enough is enough”.
Protesting workers at the Ministry of Works confined the minister of works, Davde Umahi , in his office on Thursday, September 28.
The staff accused Umahi of being tyrannical, claiming that the minister barred staff who were late for work from entering the ministry. The union members in the Housing and Works Ministry decided to lock up the ministry. The workers also prevented entry and exit into the building thereby preventing the minister from leaving the office.
They also claimed that Umahi, “stopped engineers and directors from doing their work, and has been breaking public service rules since his appointment, by bringing in consultants to run the affairs of the ministry”. A union representative, Williams Kudi, told AIT that the minister has refused to give them an audience to explain their concerns.
The authors of the iconic book “Why Nations Fail,” Daren Acemoglu and James Robinson, stated that it is the parasitic political and economic classes that are the primary cause of why nations fail. What counts to them is what they get out of the system, not what they put into it. Nigeria has not only the worst breeds of them but has also added to the mix ethnic jingoism.
Nigeria has fallen into the abyss. History frequently repeats itself. Muhammadu Buhari, who left Nigeria like a lawless state, presided over some of the worst periods for the country. It may take decades to recover from the calamity that he brought upon Nigeria during his term as president. The greater sadness however is that his successor Bola Ahmed Tinubu is continuing and even escalating the abnormalities that have rendered the nation prostrate rather than making amends.
Impunity, which manifests in reckless abuse of power and the complete absence of political will needed to administer the country for the common good, and national growth to command national loyalty, lies at the root of these misrules. Evidence abounds showing that Tinubu is still following the same course, refusing to combat corruption except for a few person hunts that seem more like personal vendettas. Notable are the cases of Abdulrasheed Bawa of the EFCC who has been held without charge for three months and the suspended CBN governor Godwin Emefiele.
The primary areas where corruption has been causing the economy to hemorrhage are ignored. As Tinubu put it, “We met an empty well,” referring to the economic situation he was confronted with on assumption of office. But he disregarded the areas where the stolen trillions can be found by following the paper trails that can be found all over the place. For instance, the NNPC, limited or unlimited, is yet to be made to explain the extraordinary corruption in the oil industry.
Recently, Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser, warned the populace that the country continues to lose more than 400,000 barrels of crude oil each day to theft. The country’s waterways are under the jurisdiction of some persons. Nevertheless, vessels illegally carry crude from the nation’s waters and depart unchallenged. Something doesn’t seem to add up.
The ‘Yorubanization’ of the economy, which is replacing Buhari’s ‘Fulanisation’, a term coined by the nation’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, to describe the desecration of the nation’s 1999 Constitution in Buhari’s federal appointments, is another troubling legacy that the former president left and Tinubu is now escalating.
At one point, the Muslim North manned up to 70% of the country’s important MDAs. With a similar number of the nation’s top MDAs, particularly in the fields of the economy and security, now in the hands of the Yoruba ethnic group, Tinubu’s appointments have followed the same trend. That is what the Arewa Economic Forum (AEF) and many patriotic Nigerians are now pointing out.
President Bola Tinubu is now replicating and perfecting this trend, which is a very dangerous precedent that Buhari set. The breach of the country’s constitution and other existing laws governing the inclusive principle of Federal Character is very damaging, and its intended and unintended effects will soon show, as they did under Buhari.
In a federation with more than 250 different ethnic groups, it is wrong to give one ethnic group control over the economic and security infrastructure even if the constitution does not forbid it. That is why the military governments introduced the federal character principle as a measure to restrain dominance and promote a sense of belonging and balance in Nigeria’s political and administrative structure. If the military could be committed to maintaining Nigeria’s unity and fairness their civilian counterparts ought to sustain the policy.
”The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and to promote national unity and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or a few ethnic or other sectional groups,” states Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. This express provision is what makes the lopsided appointments by Buhari and now Tinubu illegal and an affront to the nation’s constitution.
It is obvious why the Constitution forbids the concentration of federal appointments in one ethnic group: a president will be compromising national unity and national loyalty in his promotion of ethnic jingoism when he disregards this federal character principle while appeasing his ethnic group.
Without compromising the federal character concept or jeopardising the integrity of the country, a responsive president can easily care for his people. Obasanjo managed to lead the entire nation effectively while providing for his Yoruba ethnic group fairly adequately. Even if one may not have liked Obasanjo for his abrasiveness, the reality remains that he led the country as a whole, and as a result, he recorded high economic growth and a great deal of unity under his watch.
The nation is now experiencing the opposite result for the reason of what Buhari did and what Tinubu is doing. Under Buhari, Nigeria was at its most polarised state, and under Tinubu, nothing much has changed and no one should anticipate any notable changes under Tinubu unless he changes Buhari’s approach.
For his ‘Renewed Hope’ quest, Tinubu needs all hands on deck — the best of the best. Apart from disrespecting the constitution, his Yoruba ethnic group, as smart as they are, cannot alone provide all that Nigeria needs to recover its lost economy, deal with insecurity, and ensure the happiness of Nigerians and national development. Exceptional Nigerian minds must be tapped both at home and abroad, and Tinubu demonstrated this ability when he served as governor of Lagos State 20 years ago. One is left to question what happened to his acclaimed reputation for fairness.
More importantly, it is crucial to recognise that Nigeria was created by law and government policies that offend the nation’s fundamental values, threaten its survival, and violate the constitution will end up attacking the foundation of the Nigerian nation-state. Nigeria has been gliding into the rule of men rather than the rule of law since the time of Buhari. If Tinubu wants to leave his mark on the positive side of history, he must abandon that posturing of state capture while administering the multiethnic Nigeria.
The nation’s current abhorrent situation, in which non-state actors have wreaked havoc on the nation with herdsmen massacres, banditry, and terrorism, is the result of the reign of men. The ungoverned spaces are expanding, questioning, and sharing the sovereignty of the country through their risk-taking operations.
Nigeria should be a democratic country because democracies are based on the rule of law, a powerful opposition, a thriving civil society, and organised labour. A government that disregards the rule of law is inviting instability, insecurity, and divisiveness as unintended consequences, setting an example of bad behaviour that the population can mimic.
Let it be said as it is: a nation can’t develop where peace has shown a clean pair of heels.
Some operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have whisked away the Editor-in-chief of the popular Hausa newspaper, Almizan, Malam Ibrahim Musa in Kano.
Musa, who was on his way to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj Umrah, accompanied by a family member Binta Sulaiman, was taken away by Nigeria’s secret police at the Aminu Kano International Airport in the early hours of Wednesday.
Speaking in a statement on behalf of the family signed by Abdullahi Usman, no reason was given to the family by the security agents who left behind the person he was with.
The family calls on the the authorities to unconditionally release Musa and ensure he is safe.
“Meanwhile, no reasons have been provided by the authorities for his abduction even as he is known for his role in the call for the release of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H), who was arrested at the wake of a clampdown and extrajudicial killing of about 1000 of his followers by the Nigerian government in 2015 in Zaria, Kaduna state.
“He was part of the campaign that got the Federal High Court judgement ordering the release and compensation of Sheikh Zakzaky, the leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, for which it is believed the security agents who lost in the case are displeased.
“Human rights organizations, especially the Amnesty International (AI), had pressured the immediate past Governor of Kaduna state, Malam Nasiru Elrufai to publicly announce that his government had buried about 350 people killed in the extrajudicial killing in a mass grave at Mando village in Kaduna.
“Ibrahim Musa is known to have been active in speaking against the acts of state terrorism, extrajudicial killings and marginalization of a minority group of Muslims by the Nigerian Government under president Muhammadu Buhari.
“He placed his life on the line to ensure justice is done and thousands of those arrested following the state managed mass murder were released by the government using available judicial means.
“We wish to call for the immediate release and safety of Malam Ibrahim Musa whose only crime is standing against genocide and disregard to law and order perpetrated by those in power under the Buhari regime.
“We also wish to draw the attention of the authorities and other stakeholders to the dangers behind extending the murder activities in which innocent men, women and children were extrajudicially killed by the immediate past regime, to the current regime of President Bola Ahmad Tinubu.
“We want to believe that the current government of President Bola Tinubu would not want to identify itself with the abuse of democratic tenets, human rights abuse and intimidation through genocide perpetrated by the immediate past regime” part of the statement reads.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has approved the immediate termination of the appointments of 21 heads of parastatals, agencies, and government companies of the FCT Administration (FCTA).
Wike, in a statement by his Director of Press, Office of the Minister, Anthony Ogunleye, on Wednesday, ordered the affected appointees to hand over the affairs of their offices to the most senior officers in rank.
See the full statement below:
FCTA PRESS STATEMENT
The Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike CON, has relieved the heads of the following parastatals, agencies and government companies of the FCTA of their appointments with immediate effect.
They are:
1. Group MD/CEO, Abuja investment Company Ltd
2. CEO/MD, Abuja Markets Management Ltd
3. MD/CEO, Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company
4. CEO/MD, Abuja Property Development Company
5. CEO/MD Abuja Technology Village Free Trade Zone Company
6. CEO/MD Abuja Film Village International
7. CEO/MD Powernoth AICL Equipment Leasing Company Ltd
As the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) holds its crucial National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to decide on its planned nationwide strike on Tuesday, the federal government on Monday appealed to the trade union center to step down the planned industrial action.The NLC summoned the NEC meeting specifically to take final decision regarding its planned to commence on a nationwide strike following the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued to the federal government to resolve the dispute over fuel subsidy removal palliatives.
However, the federal government said having secured the release of the detained National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members which was one of the demands of NLC, it expects the labor movement to reconsider its threat to go on strike.
A statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations Unit,Olajide Oshundun said the Minister of Labor and Employment, Simon Lalong, made the appeal to NLC during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the NURTW on Monday.
Lalong, noted that securing the release of the detained NURTW members was one of the demands of the NLC at last week’s meeting between the Congress and the ministry. He assured them that the processes leading to the fulfilment of the other requests of the NLC, especially wage award, were on course, and would be concluded soon.
“The Minister therefore called on the NLC not to embark on their planned strike, and allow government work to resolve all pending issues,” Oshundun said.
While suing for peace between the two factions of the NURTW, Lalong maintained that industrial harmony remained key to the socio-economic development of any nation and urged the Union to work in synergy with the federal government in moving the country forward.
The statement said the NURTW visited the Minister to thank him for securing the release of some of their members, who were arrested two weeks ago by government agents.
‘Alhaji Ibikunle Baruwa, who led a team of four members of the NURTW on a thank-you visit to the Minister, appreciated the efforts of both the Minister and Minister of State, Labor and Employment, in facilitating the release on bail of the affected members,” it added.
In the same vein, Minister of State, Labor and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, appealed to the NURTW factions to maintain peace, as the Ministry wades into their dispute for amicable resolution.
In line with the resolutions reached at its National Executive Council Meeting on August 31, 2023, the NLC had threatened to embark on a total and indefinite shutdown of the nation within 14 working days or 21 days, until steps are taken by the government to address the excruciating mass suffering and impoverishment being experienced around the country.
The NLC had first observed a two-day nationwide warning strike on September 5th and 6th, 2023, to show its readiness for the indefinite strike later in the month.
In a notice for the virtual NEC meeting holding on Tuesday, that was signed by the General Secretary of the NLC, Emma Ugboaja, the labor movement had said it would commence deliberations by noon on Tuesday.
Apart from demanding for reasonable palliatives to cushion effects of removal of fuel subsidy, the NLC has also demanded that Police vacate the illegally occupied National Headquarters of the NURTW and free its detained leaders.
A conciliatory meeting convened by the Minister of Labor and Employment, Hon. Simon Lalong last week to resolve the dispute had failed to resolve issues.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, had on Sunday, accused the federal government of trying to undermine the strike, demonize NLC leadership and to create division among the trade unions, adding that if such time was used to seek for solution, it would have been found and the problem would have been solved.The NLC boss had said the mission of the labor movement was to redeem the poor.
