DEMOCRACY DAY: President Muhammadu Buhari’s full speech

May 29, 2018

ADDRESS BY MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 2018 DEMOCRACY DAY CELEBRATION, TUESDAY, 29TH MAY, 2018

My Dear Nigerians!

Today marks the 19th year of our nascent democracy and the 3rd Anniversary of this administration. I am thankful to Almighty God for bringing us thus far. This administration came at a time that Nigerians needed Change, the Change we promised and the Change we continue to deliver. We have faced a lot of challenges on this journey and Nigerians have stood by us in achieving the three cardinal points of this administration namely; Security, Corruption and the Economy.

2. The commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day is a celebration of freedom, a salute to the resilience and determination of Nigerians and a recommitment by Government to keep its promise to lead Nigeria into a new era of justice and prosperity.

3. Public safety and security remains the primary duty of this Government. Before this Administration came into being 3 years ago, Boko Haram held large areas of land spanning several Local Governments in the North East.

4. Today, the capacity of the insurgents has been degraded leading to the re-establishment of authority of government and the release of captives including, happily, 106 Chibok and 104 Dapchi girls, and over 16,000 other persons held by the Boko Haram.

5. In order to minimize the impact of the insurgency on Internally Displaced Persons, Government has established secure IDP Camps and has improved the mechanism for the distribution of basic aid, foods and essential commodities using various strategies in collaboration with local and international Organizations.

6. Efforts are in process for resettlement of IDPs in their home communities by providing schools, hospitals, clinics, water, and sanitation to facilitate a quick return to economic activities. Government is similarly implementing de-radicalization and rehabilitation programmes to facilitate sustainable peace and development.

7. The unfortunate incidences of kidnappings, herdsmen and farmers clashes in several communities which have led to high number of fatalities and loss of properties across the country is being addressed and the identified culprits and their sponsors shall be made to face the full wrath of the law. All the three tiers of Government are presently engaged with communities and religious organizations to restore peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

8. I want to commend members of the Multinational Joint Task Force drawn from Niger, Benin, Chad, Cameroon and our own country in collaboration with the International Community who are assisting in the fight against insurgency in the North East. I also commend the gallantry of members of our Armed Forces and other security agencies that have continued to provide security for lives and properties across the country. State and Local traditional authorities are helping with much needed intelligence in this fight against insurgency.

9. This administration is pained over the grievous loss of lives and properties occasioned by the carnage of insurgency and other forms of criminality in the country. I wish to assure Nigerians that we will not rest until all criminal elements and their sponsors are brought to justice. Government is boosting the capacity of our security agencies through recruitment of more personnel, training and procurement of modern equipment, enhancement of intelligence gathering as well as boosting their morale in the face of daunting challenges.

10. The Niger Delta Region has enjoyed relative peace through social inclusiveness and cooperation of the Elders and the good people of the region. Government is committed to implementing the comprehensive peace, security and development plan for the region. The environmental clean-up of the region which commenced with the launch in Bodo, Ogoni in June, 2016 is progressing satisfactorily. Furthermore farming assets are being revived and investors in cocoa and palm oil plantations are showing serious interest.

11. The second primary object of this Administration is to fight corruption headlong. Like I have always said, if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will destroy the country. Three years into this Administration, Nigerians and the international community have begun to applaud our policies and determination to fight corruption. We are more than ever before determined to win this war, however hard the road is. I therefore appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to support us in this fight.

12. Various policy measures already put in place to stem the tide of corrupt practices are yielding remarkable results. Some of these key reform policies include:

a. The Treasury Single Account (TSA) has realized Billions of Naira being saved from maintenance fee payable to banks. N200 Billion has also been saved from elimination of ghost workers in public service.

b. The Whistle-Blowing Policy has helped to recover over N500 Billion;

c. The Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit set up with a mandate to validate controls, assess risks, prune personnel costs, ensure compliance with Public Financial Management reforms has helped to identify and remove over 52,000 ghost workers from the Federal Government MDAs Payroll;

d. The Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) aimed at expanding tax education and awareness has offered the opportunity for tax defaulters to regularise their status in order to enjoy the amnesty of forgiveness on overdue interest, penalties and the assurance of non-prosecution or subject to tax investigations.

e. The Sovereign Wealth Fund project portfolio has been expanded with an injection of US$650 million so as to strengthen its investment in local infrastructure, power, health, re-construction of Abuja-Kano road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, East West Road (Section V) and the Mambilla Hydro-electric Power project as well as the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge.

13. The fight against corruption through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has resulted in recoveries of Billions of Naira, as well as forfeiture of various forms of assets. This alongside other efforts has improved Nigeria’s international image and regional cooperation.

14. We have retained the services of one of the world’s leading assets tracing firms to investigate and trace assets globally. This is in addition to the exploitation of provisions of existing Treaties, Conventions as well as Bilateral Agreements with Multilateral bodies and Nations. Nigeria has also signed Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements to ensure that there is no hiding place for fugitives.

15. This Administration has therefore focused on revamping the ailing economy it inherited in 2015. In 2016, Government executed an expansionary budget and developed the Strategic Implementation Plan. For the first time, 30% of the budget was earmarked for capital expenditure which represents an upward review when compared with the 2015 budget. The SIP was followed by the development of a comprehensive medium term plan – the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017 – 2020.

16. The broad strategic objectives of the ERGP were to; Restore and sustain economic growth; Build a globally competitive economy; and Invest in our people. The implementation of the ERGP has started yielding results. The National Bureau of Statistics reports that the economy grew by 1.95% in 1st quarter 2018, which is a good performance when viewed against -0.91 in 1st quarter 2017 and -0.67% in 1st quarter 2016 respectively.

17. Our foreign reserve has improved significantly to 47.5 billion USD as of May, 2018 as against 29.6 billion USD in 2015. The inflationary rate has consistently declined every month since January, 2017.

18. Recently, Government conducted Focus Labs in three key sectors of the Economy namely, Agriculture & Transport, Manufacturing and Processing as well as Power and Gas. These have yielded significant prospects for investments and Job creation to the tune of US$ 22.5 billion with a potential for creating more than 500,000 jobs by 2020. These investment generation initiatives are expected to increase capital inflows in the form of foreign direct investment. There is a high prospect that the cumulative investments from this first phase of the Labs will hit US$39.2 billion by 2025.

19. Under agriculture, Nigeria continues to pursue a strategic food security programme built around self-sufficiency and minimization of import dependency. As a result, rice importation from other countries has been cut down by 90% which has a direct impact on foreign reserves.

20. The Social Investment Programmes (SIP) has been created as a means to graduating our citizens from poverty through capacity building, investment and direct support. The major strategic objective is to restore livelihood, economic opportunities and sustenance for the poor across the country. The SIP programmes and projects include:

a. Home Grown School Feeding Programme – About 8.2 million pupils are currently being fed from 24 States of the Federation with over 75,000 Catering Staff engaged under the programme.

b. The Conditional Cash Transfer has so far recorded over 297,000 caregivers and being trained by 2,495 Community Facilitators in 21 states. Less privileged Nigerians are now being paid N5,000 monthly stipend in 9 pilot States of Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Osun and Oyo. Eventually the scheme will cover all the 36 states of the federation including the FCT.

c. Under the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme – About 264,269 loans had been disbursed to 4,822 societies in the 36 States and FCT, while another 370,635 are awaiting release of funds.

d. N-Power Job creation Scheme – is targeted at providing jobs for unemployed young graduates and has so far recruited 200,000 youths while the next batch of 300,000 have been selected, verified and would soon be deployed across the 36 States and the FCT. Furthermore, 20,000 non-graduate volunteers have also been selected to kick off the N-Build programme in collaboration with the National Automotive Design and Development Council and the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria.

21. In the area of power generation, Nigerians from all parts of the country continue to report better power supply and less use of generators. This underscores the effectiveness of the methodical plan to deliver incremental and uninterrupted power supply to our homes, markets, offices and factories.

22. The country achieved 5, 222.3 MW representing the highest peak of power generated onto the national grid and delivered to customers in December, 2017. With new facilities, repairs and rehabilitations by Government and private investors, generation capability now exceeds 7,500 MW.

23. This Administration is committed to lawful interventions to ensure the operators of the distribution business live up to expectations especially in the areas of distribution capacity, service delivery, collection efficiency, and metering to eliminate contentious estimated billing.

24. The Transportation Sector continues to undergo a series of reforms in order to sustain the international best practices and ensure safety and security. The nation’s major airports have witnessed reconstruction of runways, installation of navigational equipment and new international terminals due for commissioning in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Enugu. Bilateral Air Services Agreements between Nigeria and the Governments of other countries will significantly open up new flight routes.

25. As a result of strict regulatory and compliance policies, Nigeria retained her Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category 1 status, after a routine international audit. Recently, a new Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility with capacity for aircraft C-checks and other comprehensive levels of maintenance was established in Lagos. This would save the country an estimated $90m annually.

26. Giant strides have been recorded over the past three years to improve road transport infrastructure in all geopolitical zones of the country.

27. The Railway Sector has also received tremendous attention as this Administration is committed to the goal of linking all State capitals in the Federation by rail network to ease the movement of goods and passengers.

28. The Education Sector especially at tertiary level has continued to witness expansion in order to improve access to higher education by millions of youths in Nigeria. Over the last three years, Government has approved the establishment of 1 new Federal Polytechnic, granted licenses for the establishment of 4 State and 14 private-owned Universities as well as 12 private Polytechnics.

29. Government has also continued to support the implementation of various initiatives aimed at improving the quality of Basic Education delivery. Thus, it has ensured proper funding at the Basic Education level with the disbursement of N42.2 billion UBE Matching Grant to 26 States and the FCT, N851.5 million Special Education Grant disbursed to 23 States and private providers of Special Education and N2.2 billion Teachers Professional Development Fund to 33 States and the FCT.

30. The Federal Government has continued to support fiscal sustainability at the sub-national governments through the implementation of the Budget Support Facility which was accompanied by the 22- point Fiscal Sustainability Plan. Thus, bailouts funds were made available to States to ease their fiscal challenges and other obligations including payment of salaries.

31. In addition, a total of 73 Ecological Fund projects for the control of gully erosion in different communities across all geopolitical zones have been completed in the last three years and are undergoing commissioning while 53 other projects are ongoing. The execution of these projects has generated 357 skilled jobs and 1,350 unskilled jobs during this period.

32. It is pertinent to also make mention of the immeasurable contributions of the Nigerian woman to national development and advancement of democracy, over the last three years. The government and people appreciate you all as mothers of our great country.

33. My dear country men and women, as we all celebrate our democratic experience, let us resolve to avoid hatred and intolerance; we can only achieve our objectives in an atmosphere of harmony and peaceful co-existence.

34. Finally, the up-coming months will usher us into another season of general elections. Let me use this opportunity to urge us all to conduct ourselves, our wards and our constituencies with the utmost sense of fairness, justice and peaceful co-existence such that we will have not only hitch free elections but also a credible and violence free process.

35. In few days to come, I will be joined by many promising young Nigerians to sign into law the “Not Too Young to Run” Bill

36. I thank you for your attention.

Pro Biafran Groups Present A Common Front For 30th May Celebration

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May 28, 2018

A coalition of pro Biafran groups which agreed to speak with one voice in one accord with unity of purposes met and insisted on the earlier resolutions on 18th of April after our fifth monthly meeting that the annual May 30th celebration of the Biafran people will hold this year in a unique formula.

The groups which includes the following organisations :-

– Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign state of Biafra (MASSOB),

– Eastern Peoples Congress (EPC),

– Igbo Youth Cultural and Restoration Initiative (IYCRI),

– Bilie Human Rights Initiative (BHRI),

– Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria (MOBIN),

– Biafran National Liberation Council (BNLC),

– Biafran Revolutionary Organisation (BRO),

– Biafran Liberation Crusade (BLC),

– Joint Revolutionary Council of Biafra (JRCB),

– Biafra Revolutionary Force (BRF),

– Biafran Central Council (BCC) and

– Biafran United Liberation Council (BULCO)

And proudly supported by Biafra Customary Government

insisted on a more eloquent and interactive commemoration anniversary where the members and people of Biafra will interface and reflect soberly on the real issues concerning Biafra emancipation.

As every revolutionary struggle for emancipation have its own methodologies, the coalition of pro Biafra groups will continue to introduce new and positive dimensions that will eloquently and convincingly harps on the need of the hours. Until the diverse ethnic nationalities that makes up the Biafra nation comes together, liaise together, interface together and agreed on the strategic ways forward, Biafra actualisation may be a mere wishes.

Coalition of pro Biafra groups is not against any pro Biafra group that prefers to go solo or operate alone. We know and understands that no singular pro Biafra group can actualise or restore Biafra alone because our people are republican in nature. Everything concerning the future, security and affairs of our people must be discussed by our people.

Pro Biafran groups have unanimously agreed and resolved to jointly observe, commemorate and celebrate the 51 years anniversary of Biafra declaration by our foremost leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu on 30th May, 2018.

Coalition of pro Biafra groups will observe the May 30th Biafra day in a unique form. There will be a candle night procession called holy vigil on the night of May 29th with a team of Christian clergymen coming from Europe, Igbo clergymen, Jewish priests from direct descendants of Gad, the 5th son of Israel and traditional Igbo native priests to celebrate with Biafrans on the night of the great Passover.

On 30th May, the members of all pro Biafra groups and entire people of Biafra will converge in a stadium for the Biafra anniversary convention where two reputable professors from two highly respected high institutions will deliver speeches on Biafra and her glorifications.

The May 30th anniversary convention will also attract notable Biafra leaders from Ikot Ekpene, Ijaw, Igbo, Calabar and Bakassi people. There shall be a special prayers and supplication for the fallen Biafra heroes during the Nigeria-Biafra war and our comrades that were killed by Nigeria security agents including the people of Biafra that died in the hands of Islamic Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen.

There will be a candle night procession on the night of 29th May. The people of Biafra all over the world are enjoined to observe the candle night prayers in their respective homes if they can not participate in the holy procession. This year’s anniversary will be celebrated by the people of Biafra not as a pro Biafra group. It is a mark of respect and honour to our father land, it is also a reminder to the visions and commandments of our great ancestors that we are not Nigerians but Biafrans.

We enjoin our people to get ready for the celebration of this great anniversary which we will hold to remind ourselves to continue the self determination movement for Biafra actualization and restoration.

Signed >>>

Comrade Uchenna Madu for (MASSOB),

Comrade Felix Anochirimonye for (EPC),

Comrade Rita Anigbogu for (MOBIN),

Engr Innocent Amadi for (BHRI),

Comrade Vincent Ndubuisi for Customary Government of IPOB.

Flashback: The coup speech that overthrew Buhari on August 27, 1985…

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May 26, 2018

Flashback: The coup speech that overthrew Buhari on August 27, 1985

I, Brigadier Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro, of the Nigerian Army, hereby make the following declaration on behalf of my colleagues and members of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Fellow country men, the intervention of the military at the end of 1983 was welcomed by the nation with unprecedented enthusiasm. Nigerians were unified in accepting the intervention and looked forward hopefully to progressive changes for the better. Almost two years later, it has become clear that the fulfillment of expectations is not forthcoming.

Because this generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations have no other country but Nigeria, we could not stay passive and watch a small group of individuals misuse power to the detriment of our national aspirations and interest.

No nation can ever achieve meaningful strides in its development where there is an absence of cohesion in the hierarchy of government; where it has become clear that positive action by the policy makers is hindered because as a body it lacks a unity of purpose.

It is evident that the nation would be endangered with the risk of continuous misdirection. We are presently confronted with that danger. In such a situation, if action can be taken to arrest further damage, it should and must be taken. This is precisely what we have done.

The Nigerian public has been made to believe that the slow pace of action of the Federal Government headed by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was due to the enormity of the problems left by the last civilian administration.

Although it is true that a lot of problems were left behind by the last civilian government, the real reason, however, for the very slow pace of action is due to lack of unanimity of purpose among the ruling body; subsequently, the business of governance has gradually been subjected to ill-motivated power play considerations. The ruling body, the Supreme Military Council, has, therefore, progressively been made redundant by the actions of a select few members charged with the day-to-day implementation of the SMC’s policies and decision.

The concept of collective leadership has been substituted by stubborn and illadvised unilateral actions, thereby destroying the principles upon which the government came to power. Any effort made to advise the leadership, met with stubborn resistance and was viewed as a challenge to authority or disloyalty.

Thus, the scene was being set for systematic elimination of what, was termed oppositions. All the energies of the rulership were directed at this imaginary opposition rather than to effective leadership.

The result of this misdirected effort is now very evident in the country as a whole. The government has started to drift. The economy does not seem to be getting any better as we witness daily increased inflation.

The nation’s meager resources are once again being wasted on unproductive ventures. Government has distanced itself from the people and the yearnings and aspirations of the people as constantly reflected in the media have been ignored.

This is because a few people have arrogated to themselves the right to make the decisions for the larger part of the ruling body. All these events have shown that the present composition of our country’s leadership cannot, therefore, justify its continued occupation of that position.

Furthermore, the initial objectives and programmes of action which were meant to have been implemented since the ascension to power of the Buhari Administration in January 1984 have been betrayed and discarded. The present state of uncertainty and stagnation cannot be permitted to degenerate into suppression and retrogression.

We feel duty bound to use the resources and means at our disposal to restore hope in the minds of Nigerians and renew aspirations for a better future. We are no prophets of doom for our beloved country, Nigeria. We, therefore, count on everyone’s cooperation and assistance.

I appeal to you, fellow countrymen, particularly my colleagues in arms to refrain from any act that will lead to unnecessary violence and bloodshed among us. Rest assured that our action is in the interest of the nation and the armed forces.

In order to enable a new order to be introduced, the following bodies are dissolved forthwith pending further announcements: (a) The Supreme Military Council (b) The Federal Executive Council (c) The National Council of States. All seaports and airports are closed, all borders remain closed.

Finally, a dusk to dawn curfew is hereby imposed in Lagos and all state capitals until further notice. All military commanders will ensure effective maintenance of law and order. Further announcements will be made in due course. God bless Nigeria.

CAN ANY NIGERIAN TELL US THE DIFFERENCE THEN AND NOW after over 40years. I’m all ears.

IGBO SUMMIT: ADF Rejects Ohaneze Position on Restructuring

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May 26, 2018

ADF STATEMENT ON THE DECLARATION OF IGBO POSITION BY THE LEADERSHIP OF OHANAEZE:AT EKWUEME SQUARE, AWKA ON MAY 21, 2018 .

1. Prelude – Meeting of Imeobi Ohaneze on May 8, 2018

i. On May 8, 2018, a meeting of the Ime-Obi Ohanaeze was convened to discuss the proposed Ohanaeze document on the Position of the South-East. Out of six ADF members that attended, only ADF President, was allowed in.

ii. At this meeting a document was read by Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as the Position of the South East.

iii. The President of ADF made three salient observations, namely

• That it was not proper for a body that goes by the name Ohanaeze Ndigbo to present to the world a position of only a part of Alaigbo, excudog Igbos in Anioma, Rivers State, and even Kogi and Benue.

He advised that what was needed was a document representing Ndigbo the osition of the entire Igbo nation as the Yoruba did, What they declared was the position of the Yoruba Nation 9including Kwara, Kogi and Edo Yoruba,

• That the way and manner the Position of Ndigbo on their Future was being forged was not in the interest of Ndigbo.

For example, there has not been any serious attempt to get major stake-holders and representatives of interest groups in Alaigbo to a round table to discuss and determine what can be truly regarded as Igbo Position.

He said he had spoken to many elders and statesmen among Igbo leaders. They all complained that they were not being involved in a matter that has to do with the destiny of over 100 Igbo world-wide.

He referred in particular to the ADF Memorandum on the Future of Alaigbo and the Federation of Nigeria which the Alaigbo Development Foundation submitted to the President-General of Ohanaeze, to which there has not been any acknowledgement up till that moment.

He referred specifically attempt to convene meetings to discuss Igbo position which was based on fake documents, The discovery of this led to the withdrawal of Senator Eninna Abaribe from presiding over what amounted to a fraudulent exercise,

• The President of ADF referred to the very core statement in the document which asserted that there are two choices to make, namely

– To choose between RESTRUCTURING or

– SELF-DETERMINATION AND SECESSION.

To which Prof. Soludo asserted that their finding is that Ndigbo want RESTRUCTURING and do not want

SELF-DETERMINATION AND SECESSION.

To this, the ADF President expressed horror that anybody who calls himself Nwafor Igbo let alone Igbo leader could make such assertion to the attention of the world. And such an assertion is made in a document which we know was going to be advertised to the whole world!

THAT NDIGBO DO NOT WANT SELF-DETERMINATION! THAT THEY WANT TO REMAIN IN NIGERIA AS SLAVES WITHOUT A CHOICE AS TO HOW THEY WOULD REMAIN, IF REMAIN THEY MUST!

Although the President did not look kindly to the ADF President’s intervention, he, however, asked Prof Soludo to invite him to the next meeting of his Committee. The ADFF President did not receive any invitation to any meeting.

In a discussion with the ADF Vice-President. Prof Elochukwu Amucheazi, the later informed him about Prof. Soludo’s visit to him. Apparently this was when Soludo collected the document which Prof. Nwabueze’s Igbo Leaders of Thought which he referred to in his speech at the Awka declaration. It must be stressed that the later document was not prodced in liu of the Aka event.

2. ADF has since issued a Report of what transpired at the Ime-Obi and the President’s intervention. Secondly, ADF did an analysis of the text as presented to Ime Obi, And finally, ADF prepared what is considered and given the title as

“ADF Proposal To Ndigbo and Ohanaeze –

A More Realistic Text for Declaration as Igbo Position.

THE IGBO POSITION On the Future of Alaigbo & The Future of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”

The leadership of ADF directed the ADF Secretary Prof. Nathaniel Aniekwu to forward this position to Chief Nnia Nwodo and Prof. Soludo; which he did on the 17th of May. Of course, as usual. No response.

3. Failing to get any reaction and without knowing what document that was going to be declared, ADF leadership issued the following brief statement on why ADF was not participating in the Awka Declaration.

“ADF ANNOUNCEMENT !!!

EVENTS AT AWKA TODAY!

ADF shall not be represented at the event at Awka. It is not even clear what it is – SUMMIT or DECLARATION?

ADF does not even know the contents of what they wish to present as the Igbo Position.

If it is the same document presented at the last Ime Obi, then we have published a commentary on it. It is subversive of the interest of Ndigbo.

Prof. Uzodinma Nwala

ADF President”

Although ADF as an organization was not officially represented, we did not debar those ADF leaders who wished to attend. Some of them were there. The soldiers threatened to beat one of ADF leaders who had tried to intervene, asking why they were beating innocent people who carried no weapon and were not attacking anyone but simply voicing their dissent against the charade that went on in the name of the Igbo Nation.

4. General Observations on the Event at Ekwueme Square Awka, May 21. 2018

i. The heavy presence of soldiers around Ekwueme Square, Awka City and Anambra State Generally.

As the military Column moved from 82 Division, in Enugu, the air was rented with ANOTHER PYTHON DANCE

ii. The absence of six out of the seven Governors of Igbo –Speaking Areas, namely, Abia, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers. This aises so much doubt as to the authenticity of the event which was heavily advertised as being sponsored by the Governors pf the South-East

iii. Absence of many stakeholders of Alaigbo.

iiii. The mass reaction of the people in the hall against the declaration that Ndigbo want only Restructuring of Nigeria

v. What was the purpose of the Awka event?

Certainly it was not a Summit. It was a Declaration of what has been put together as Igbo Position, which turns out not to be really representative of what Ndigbo want..

vi. The IPOB.

The event was not disrupted as many feared. All of us thank the IPOB leadership for not engaging in the feared suicide venture.

Good a thing Senator Ekweremadu (as reported by the Press or Senator Abaribe as an eye witness claims) did what the Ohanaeze leadership should have done, i.e, use the occasion to placate the IPOB. Only God knows why they did not do that, Only God knows they do things the way they do it.

– Let us make this historic observation – when the masses are driven into a state of intense mad frenzy, not even all the Sala dines, ferrets and armoured cars in this world can deter them from asserting their freedom.

Senator Ekweremadu or Abaribe did what was expected of the Ohanaeze leadership, namely, at least he condemned the declarationof IPOB as a terrorist organisation. The other day, it was observed that the condemnation of the Operation Python Dance by the Ime Obi Ohanaeze was not reflected in the minutes of the meeting. There was no reaction to the observation.

vii. On the booing that rented the air when the Ohanaeze President was about to speak

This is the Commentary from Nzuko Umunna, a whatsapp Chart Forum not known to be antagonistic to Ohanaeze leadership on the shouting from the as the crowd left the field shouting Go! Go! Go back to Ugwu Awusa! The Izu Umuna member who posted it wrote –

“I also gathered that the discordant tunes have no ipob voice `- just the well-behaved civil masses in “corporate (attendance”

Isn’t the movie still loading? Who is fooling who Umuigbo?

Another Commentator still on friendly Izu Umunna put his own as Breaking News thus –

“The MC of the Restructuring Summit just said the Igbos have accepted Restructuring, guess what happened

There was an uproar of No! From the young and old”.

viii. The Declaration was merely proposals for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution, Although the 1999 Constitution was rejected, why make proposals within the ambits of that Constitution

ix. The word Self-determination does not appear anywhere in the text presented by Prof Soludo at the Awka Declaration, which reflects the position of the authors of the document that Ndigbo do not want Self-determination

The temerity shown by the authors of the Declaration to tell the world that Ndigbo do not approve of Self-determination

x. THE EKWUEME SQUARE DECLARATION 2018 was made by the leadership of Ohanaeze under the heavy presence of Federal Troops. Why was it necessary for the Igbo Position to be declared under the watch of the Federal Troops? Was it to muzzle popular dissent which is allowed in any democratic assembly of free peoples?

Why not use the police to maintain order; Why not use the police to maintain civil order? Some have said that the occasion was another Operation Python Dance.

The heavy presence of the Nigerian army in an occasion where Ndigbo are invited to come and declare their position on their future in Nigeria tells volumes about the nature of the so-called THE EKWUEME SQUARE DECLARATION 2018

When the Yoruba Nation did their own declaration, there was no Nigerian army to supervise it. When the South-South did theirs, there was no Nigerian army to frighten those who held contrary views.

The case of Ndigbo must be different! Conquered People!.

But who invited the Nigerian Army to militarise the entire Awka City and the venue of the declaration? Ndigbo all over the world are asking this question. What other evidence is needed to confirm that Ndigbo are treated like conquered people in Nigeria.

According to Prof Soludo in his summary, ”what is presented is a summary, and the issues remain work in progress”.

The import of this is that there is room to consider alternative proposals. Hence, an alternative and more realistic text for Igbo Position is called for.

AD Secretariat.

May 24, 2018

Igbo Summit:We Must Not Beg For Freedom-Aniedobe Told Ohaneze

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May 26, 2018

Igbo greats:

Greetings to all whom this shall reach and great respects to all the outstanding Igbo sons and daughters gathered here.

I will be brief.

But first, let me thank Chief Nnia Nwodo for the outstanding leadership as Ohaneze PG. NdiIgbo are the most difficult group of people to lead and given all the resources at his disposal, Chief Nwodo has done an outstanding job. So my reflections should not in any way be construed as job approval rating for the Ohaneze PG.

While commending Chief Nwodo, I wish to also commend Prof Nwala for outstanding job of Igbo advocacy in his leadership of ADF.

The Ekwueme Square Declaration came across as academic and sterile and addressed to a rarefied elitist space. I appreciate every word that was so neatly crafted and flavored to achieve its aims, but it was over crafted and was consequently stripped of spunk and character. It appealed to reason and fundamental fairness of all Nigerians. Ordinarily, there is nothing wrong with that. But we are in Nigeria and not in Europe. We are addressing our issues to people of low political refinements, and I mean all Nigerians, and not to the European Parliament. This was an appeal to the status quo to change itself and not a demand that the status quo must change. In short, the declaration came across as bland, needlessly florid and compromised by a need to accommodate disparate interest groups and personal interests. It is an arm tied to the back, do no harm, upset no one declaration.

We cannot keep denying that we are in a struggle and we cannot keep wishing that others die our deaths. Contrast the Ekwueme Declaration with the Yoruba Declaration. The Yoruba Declaration carried punch, gravitas and had foretaste and aftertaste that left no ambiguity whatsoever that they had been pushed to the point where further accommodation of the status quo in Nigeria had become an existential endangerment.

Contrast the Ekwueme Declaration with the ADF Declaration and you can tell which one was crafted by Igbo men they way we used to make them. The ADF Declaration had the right mix of words and temperament, signaling to our compatriots that the Igbos are ready, willing and able to do what they must, including struggling for it, to win their emancipation in a rearranged Nigeria or a balkanized Nigeria.

NdiIgbo cannot and will not be taken seriously unless they demonstrate in words and deeds that joined with their Southern Compatriots, Nigeria must change or that united with Southern Nigeria, Nigeria must break up.

Let’s just be frank to ourselves. The problem with Nigeria is that we are locked in a clash of civilizations with fundamentalists of irreconcilable world views as it were. The struggle about which this generation of UmuIgbo is concerned is not freedom to hate the far North but freedom from hate from the far North. Neighboring nations or one nation, we cannot afford to hate the North but we cannot continue to live in constant apprehension of death and dismemberment in the hands of our compatriots who readily resort to violence as their preferred way to settle political conflicts. Nor can we be locked into the rigid religious doctrinaire about which their lives revolve. We demand individual, social, and political autonomies in accordance with our own world views and we should stop apologizing for it.

In the end, in trying to please everyone, Ohaneze displeased the key Igbo constituents who speak the language that Nigeria understands. The proBiafran group, not just IPOB, understand that this is a struggle and not an academic exercise. Ohaneze needs to join the struggle or take a back seat to IPOB and ADF and other self -determination groups that understand the issues better. These self determination groups understand where the Igbos need to go and how to get there. Ohaneze on the other hand is end point inclined, dreaming ruefully about the end point without a sound strategy as to how to get there other than mere appeal to reason.

Many Igbo elite do not want to take chances with their political viabilities in Nigeria. They are engaged in the struggle but are ineffectual because their biggest care and concern is that the Fulani’s do not brand them as unpatriotic and so they skirt around the issues and pick their words carefully so that come time for political opportunities, the same Fulanis who have done everything under the sun to alienate their countrymen would not deny them opportunities as deemed unpatriotic Nigerians.

If demanding for self-determination makes us less Nigerians than the Fulanis, then less Nigerians we must be. Period. We cannot keep apologizing for our right to self-determination. We demand it for all Nigerians, including the Fulanis.

To be very clear, WE have gone beyond appealing for our right to self determination to demanding for our right to self determination. The two postures are different. ADF’s position is a demand declaration. Ohaneze’s Declaration is an Appeal Declaration. The flavors are different. Demand signifies political muscularity which repudiates the status quo and demands that it moves or it will be made to move by any means necessary.

Standing in solidarity with the rest of Southern Nigeria, Ohaneze has to change its tone to a demand tone going forward. More than just a demand tone, Ohaneze needs to understand that it is time to organize to stare down our compatriots who would not accede to self-determination and show that we are braced for the push back. Emphasis is on the word organize. In solidarity with the rest of Southern Nigeria, we have to be committed to an organized struggle, emphasis on struggle, under a pan regional platform to demand the changes which we believe are fair and just for all Nigerians. And if they are not interested, then we must move with a coalition of our Southern neighbors to a separate and independent political formation that will guarantee our rights to freedom and pursuit of happiness.

Emphasis is in solidarity with Southern Nigeria. While I appreciate the proBiafran camps, I believe that a panregional, Southern Nigerian Self Determination and Independence movement is the proper vehicle in muscle and scope to wage the kind of struggles that the circumstances demand.

We owe it to our children to not pass this struggle to them. WE cannot continue to appeal to a people who are tone deaf with all the benefits of unitarism. We owe it to the lands that our forefathers bequeathed to us to not abandon them and flee. We owe it to ourselves to boldly demand freedom from hate. While we must continue to sue for peace as always necessary, we owe it to ourselves and the fine traditions of liberty that flows in our veins to demand our freedom, and if necessary, die struggling for it.

Respectfully,

Dr Chris Aniedobe

Imo: I’ll not leave APC for anybody -Okorocha

bvichannel1

May 23, 2018

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has vowed not to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he claimed to be one of its founders in the state.

He said when he took the mainstream of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to join the merger that gave birth to APC, he was not under any pressure to do so, adding that he even made the move at the risk of his second tenure as governor.

Governor Okorocha, who said this in a press statement he issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, added that he became the propeller of APC in the state and the whole of South East by mobilising people for the party in Imo, Ebony, Abia, Enugu, and Anambra states.

He added that he became the rallying point of the party in the overall interest of the South East and APC.
The statement said: “If Governor Okorocha did not take a good percentage of APGA members to APC, the party would not have had the kind of national spread it has today. For that reason, they called him all sorts of derogatory names which Nigerians know, including Alhaji in Government House, Okoro-Hausa and Rochas Buhari.

“When APC came for campaign in 2015, in Imo and all the states in the South East, he was the point man. Today, APC has become the party to envy. Nobody is talking about Okorocha and Buhari going to use APC to Islamise the Igbo.
“Today, the same people who called him names have begun to market falsehood against him, including the fake story of his leaving APC for APGA. All these show the level of frustration on the side of the 10-man coalition. They are being hunted by their inglorious actions.

“One may also wish to know that while the unfounded story of the governor leaving APC is yet to dry, they have also come up with another one, that the governor is in coma. These people do not know God and, of course, they are afraid of both the present and the future.”

Okorocha said he won’t allow his detractors to reap where they never sowed and added that their deceit would expire in no distant time.

“No landlord leaves his house for unfaithful tenants. The name Okorocha is the fibre of APC in Imo and the whole of South East. And anybody who says it is not true should tell Nigerians why it is only in Imo you have APC governor, 24 out of the 27 House of Assembly members, three House of Representatives members and one senator, in the whole of South East. Time will tell what happens in APC in Imo and the whole of South East,” the statement said.

SOURCE : SUN

12 dead, 100 feared infected in Adamawa Cholera outbreak

bvichannel1

May 23, 2018

About 12 people have been confirmed dead as a result of a Cholera outbreak, while over 100 others might have been infected by the disease in Mubi town of Adamawa State, a medical official confirmed, on Wednesday.

“So far 12 people have died from the disease and there are many more.

“We have little medical personnel to deal with an outbreak of this magnitude because nurses are on strike,” Dr. Ezra Sakawa, the medical director of the General Hospital for Mubi explains.

Mubi has been the subject of incessant Boko Haram attacks and many of the residents of the community are still struggling with economic realities of life after insurgency after losing nearly everything to insurgency.

With two major tertiary institutions of Adamawa State University and Federal Polytechnic Mubi located in the centre of the city, the infection rate might be expected to go up if the disease is not checked on time but as it stands right now, the medical staff are facing an uphill task in curtailing the outbreak.

Those conditions are ripe for any outbreak of disease, such as cholera, to be deadly on a wide scale, humanitarian workers say.

Mubi, although less affected by the humanitarian crisis, has been attacked repeatedly by suspected Boko Haram militants, killing scores of people.

Source : Sun

Wife shows up at wedding of husband to another woman

Queen Madu

May 22, 2018

A wedding at Gutu Magistrates’ Court didn’t turn out as expected as the groom’s legal wife showed up just as the couple was about to exchange their wedding vows.

According to iHarare’s reports on Tuesday, the man’s legal wife just showed up out of the blues during the court wedding.

The groom, Dzingai Chagwiza, 49, of Old Location in Mpandawana in Gutu and his mistress were standing before Magistrate Victor Mohamadi when the Magistrate asked if there was anyone with a good reason why the couple should not be wedded to stand up and say it when his wife Queen Vhondo stormed the courtroom to object to it.

“I was tipped by some of my friends that my husband was dating Dube, who is a vendor at Mpandawana. I came to court and was surprised to see a big cake in front of my husband,” said Vhondo.

punch

Igbo summit: Security overwhelms IPOB

bvichannel1

May 21, 2018

THE threat by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB to scuttle Monday’s Igbo summit on the restructuring of Nigeria in Awka turned out to be an anti climax, as the pro-Biafra group was overwhelmed by the large number and fierce-looking security personnel in the Anambra State capital.

The police was noticed on Sunday night around the Alex Ekwueme Square, venue of the summit, with bomb detonation experts lined up several kilometers around the area. Many people who tried to enter the venue were thoroughly screened and those who could not identify themselves were turned back. Many of them later staged peaceful protest outside the venue. Those who managed to enter the massive arena however betrayed their bias to the summit when they started shouting down the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo-Chief Nnia Nwodo as he wanted to address the gathering. On his part ,Soludo had listed a national conversation, new constitution, convocation of a constituent assembly, six-year tenure for the president and five vice presidents from the geopolitical zones with the VPs holding key ministries, rotation of the president among the geopolitical zones, scrapping of local government system, creation of additional state for the South East before considering creation of more states in the country, among other demands as the position of the Igbo. With shouts of Noo, many youths and women trouped out of the arena, with some of them shouting that they did not want restructuring, but Biafra Republic. Their departure, however, did not stop the summit from coming to a logical conclusion. President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo said all the arms of Ohanze accepted the recommendations by the various committees that drafted the stand of Ndigbo on the restructuring, adding that Nigeria needed a constitution because ‘the present constitution was dead.’

Chairman of the occasion, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, in his speech, observed that in the life of any nation, there should be a time to pause and reflect into the past, reflect on the present and peep into the future, adding that though Igbo had a great past and great people that championed Nigeria’s Independence, they have not had a fair deal in Nigeria. He said: “Today, things are no longer the way we want them. In as much as I believe that the future of the Igbo is great, there are some concerns. In 1966, Igbo didn’t know about the coup, but they were slaughtered in the civil war that lasted 30 months. “Today, the killings are taking place in Benue State and it may be others in future. People talk about Fulani herdsmen, but we have Fulani people in government, as senators, as ministers and traditional rulers, yet the killings have continued. “The federal government of Nigeria should be grateful to Ohaneze Ndigbo for coming up with the programme for the restructuring of the country for the benefit of all. When Abuja was being created, we were told that there would be no issue of indigene is rearing its head and nobody is doing anything about it.”

source :vanguard

The Position of Ndi Igbo On Restructuring Nigeria

bvichannel1

May 21, 2018

*RESTRUCTURING THE NIGERIAN FEDERATION:*

THE POSITION OF NDI IGBO.

Adopted at the Igbo Summit organized by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, 21st May, 2018, at Ekwueme Square, Awka

THE EKWUEME SQUARE DECLARATION 2018

Preamble

The Nigerian project is at a crossroads. It does not command universal acceptance at home and it is much diminished abroad. For some sections of the population, the promise of Nigeria: peace and unity, faith and progress are becoming broken dreams. The capacity and objectivity of the Nigerian state, its leadership, critical institutions and agencies are questioned by many. On the global stage, Nigeria is rapidly fading from any serious reckoning. It cannot secure and fend for its citizens at home; neither can it project power to protect its citizens abroad. Despite its abundant potential and promise, most Nigerians agree that Nigeria as currently structured and governed is not sustainable.

In the run up to Nigeria’s independence and after independence (in the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions), our founding fathers like The Rt. Hon. Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and their compatriots from all the then Southern and Northern minority ethnic groups, negotiated and gave us truly federal constitutions which embodied the basic principles of federalism, namely, autonomy of the federating regions, fiscal federalism, devolution of powers, citizenship/indigeneship rights, etc. Under these constitutions, freely negotiated by the Nigerian people, there was a consensus that a truly federal structure was the best for a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious society such as Nigeria; to guarantee justice, fairness, equity, freedom, liberty as well as a balanced and competitive political and economic structure to give every citizen and section of the country a framework to maximize their God-given potential.

The present 1999 Constitution foisted by the military regime (falsely dubbed a federal constitution) unhinged all the structures of true federalism and bequeathed a de facto unitary system with concentration of powers and resources at the centre. With the choking unitary system and all its dysfunctionality for a diverse country, Nigeria has remained relatively unstable, oscillating unpredictably between the flickers of hope and despair.

Most Nigerians agree that this system cannot survive and endure for much longer. The genius, Albert Einstein, said that the definition of insanity is to repeat the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome. For several years, many organized groups, intellectuals, statesmen and women have persistently called for a re-examination of the structure of the federation, to make it work for all Nigerians. It started first as calls for a sovereign national conference. In recent times, the calls have become even more strident and desperate: the Yoruba nation has held a rally at Ibadan in September 2017 and published its agenda for restructuring Nigeria; the South-South geopolitical zone held its own summit in Yenagoa in March 2018 and endorsed its template for restructuring; the All Progressives Congress (APC) set up a Committee on restructuring and its recommendations are public knowledge; the 19 states of the former Northern Region have also set up their own committee on restructuring and its report is expected; the Middle Belt zone is scheduled to hold its own summit on restructuring, while several political parties have made ‘true federalism’ the centre piece of their manifestos for a better Nigeria. At no time in Nigeria’s recent history has there been broader support for restructuring the federation than now.

For the estimated 57 million Igbos scattered in all villages, towns and cities of Nigeria as well as around the world, the demand for a restructured Nigeria that guarantees security of life and property, freedom and liberty, equity, justice and development, has a unique significance. No other ethnic group has a greater stake in the Nigerian project than Ndi Igbo by virtue of tens of millions of Ndi Igbo who live and invest everywhere in Nigeria outside Igboland. But they are also victims at every turn: every now and again, threats to their lives and properties as well as brazen discrimination and marginalization in critical areas underscore their general treatment as unequal citizens of Nigeria. Consequently, there is a segment of Igbo society that has lost hope in the Nigerian dream; believes that Nigeria will never work for the Igbos and hence agitate for an exit from the union. But a preponderance of views among Igbos is that a restructured Nigeria that works for all remains the best option.

The Agenda presented here distils from accumulated years of work on the subject by successive regimes of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, various Igbo think-tanks especially the submissions of the Igbo Leaders of Thought for the 2014 National Conference; various Igbo positions for the 1994 Constitutional conference and 2005 and 2014 national conferences; the report of the Committee set up by South East Governors on the review of the 1999 Constitution; the report of the World Igbo Summit by the Igbo Renaissance Centre, Uturu; various submissions/reports by Aka Ikenga; Izu Umunna; Nzuko Umunna; the Igbo intelligentsia; the World Igbo Congress; reports of various meetings and conferences of Igbo stakeholders and leaders; etc. The Ohanaeze Planning and Strategy Committee and the Organizing Committee for the Summit on restructuring also embarked on town hall -style consultative meetings in Abuja, Lagos, and Enugu to collate inputs from major segments of Igbo society. Memoranda and inputs were also received from over 40 pan-Igbo groups, NGOs, and individuals. A draft was presented and debated at the National Executive Committee and the Imeobi of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

What is presented is a summary, and the issues remain work in progress. The position of Ndi Igbo is to seek a transformed Nigeria that works for every Nigerian citizen, a level playing field for all Nigerians to enjoy freedom, liberty, fairness, equity and justice to maximize their fullest potential. Ndi Igbo are uniquely positioned, by virtue of their huge stake in Nigeria, to join hands with every willing party to champion a pan-Nigeria agenda. We do not seek any preferential or differential treatment from Nigeria. Ndi Igbo want a Nigeria that works—to maximize their security, prosperity, and happiness. Igbos also want a Nigeria that allows every part of Nigeria the latitude and opportunity to develop at their own pace. We want a national conversation to create a new and better Nigeria for all Nigerians. The outline below seeks to achieve this objective..

Section 1: A New Constitution of Nigeria.

We demand a constitutional conference, backed by a law enacted by the National Assembly, where the people of Nigeria will agree on a new, truly federal Constitution. A Constituent Assembly should be constituted to agree on a new Constitution for a new Nigeria. Such a Constitution—the People’s Constitution– should be approved by the people of Nigeria through a referendum to give it legitimacy and validity. Thereafter, the National Assembly should repeal Act 24 of 1999 (of which the 1999 Constitution is only a Schedule), thereby effectively voiding the 1999 Constitution.

Section 2: Form of Government

a) The presidential system of government should continue to operate at the federal level, with a bicameral legislature. The Regions or States have to determine the type of government to operate at that level as enshrined in their respective constitutions (whether parliamentary or separate Executive and legislative organs). It would be desirable however for the same form of government be adopted at the regional levels for comparability and ease in transaction of government business in the federation.

b) The tenure of office of the President will be a single term of six years. There will be five Vice-Presidents, one from each of the geopolitical zones or regions except the region/zone of the president), and each also to serve for a fixed term of six years. Each of the Vice-Presidents will be assigned supervisory responsibility over two or more ministries such as Defence, Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Infrastructure/Works, etc. This is to give every zone/region a sense of belonging and a strong voice in major decision making. The office of President will rotate among the six regions/zones of Nigeria.

c) The Governor and Deputy Governor of the Region/State should have a single term of six years only. The office of Governor will rotate among the senatorial districts, or among such other configurations as may be enshrined in the Constitution of a Region/State.

Section 3: Federating Units and Structure of the Nigerian State

a. Nigeria will remain a federation with the existing six geopolitical zones forming the federating units or six regions of the country. There will therefore be six regional governments, each comprising the current states within each zone and any other state(s) that may be created within the zone from time to time.

b. Each Region will have its own Constitution, for the good governance, peace and development of the region. Such Regional Constitutions have to clearly delineate levels of authority between the regional government and the component states (that is, defining powers that are exclusive to the Region and powers that are residual to the states). The Regional Constitutions will not be inconsistent with the Constitution of the federation, and will be invalidated to the extent of its inconsistency with the federal constitution.

c. If the national consensus is that the states as currently constituted remain the federating units, the existing six geopolitical zones will be enshrined in the constitution as the basis for sharing national political, economic and social amenities, offices and opportunities in an equitable manner among the zones.

d. In such a situation as in (c) above, Ndi Igbo demand that Nigeria give effect to the recommendation of the 2014 National Conference which states that “in the spirit of reconciliation, equity, fair play, and justice, there shall be created an additional state for the South East Zone; and all other requests for state creation shall be considered on merit”. One additional state in the South East should be the irreducible minimum.

e. But if States remain the basis for sharing resources and opportunities in Nigeria, Ndi Igbo demand an equal number of states per geopolitical zone or region.

f. Local Governments should be scrapped from the Constitution of the Federation. Local Government should be in the Exclusive list of the Regional/State Constitutions.

g. If States remain the federating units and some states wish to merge to be viable in the absence of distributable resources from the centre, they may do so provided that :

(i) A two-thirds majority of members of the Houses of Assembly of each of the affected states support the merger by a resolution, and;

(ii) A referendum is conducted in each of the states proposing to merge, and 60% of registered voters in the States who vote are required to approve the merger.

h. Any group of people or communities that wish to belong to a contiguous zone other than the zone in which they currently belong, may do so provided that 60% of registered voters who voted in the affected area approve the merger in a referendum.

Section 4: Equality of Regions or Geo-Political Zones

Whether the Regions or States become the federating units, and whether or not equal numbers of states are created in each zone, Ndi Igbo demand that equality of the six geopolitical zones should be enshrined in the Constitution. Politically, representation at the federal cabinet as well as the twin chambers of the federal legislature should be based on equality of zones/regions. Furthermore, sharing of revenues, distribution of infrastructure by the federal government, and federal character principle will be applied on the basis of equality of zones.

Section 5: Citizenship/Indigeneship Rights:

a) Nigerian citizenship is acquired through the criteria for citizenship as provided in the Nigerian Constitution.

b) The concept of State of Origin should be scrapped from the Constitution of the Federation, and replaced with State of Residence.

c) As an alternative to (b ) above, minimum residency and civic rights and responsibilities should include the following two conditions:

1) Any child born of Nigerian parents anywhere in Nigeria will acquire the indigeneship (residency) rights of the area at birth.

2) Similarly, any Nigerian citizen who has resided in any part of Nigeria and paid taxes there for a period of ten years can acquire the indigeneship (residency) rights of the area, except for the right to their traditional stool.

Section 6: Internal Security:

a) There should be a two or three-tier police structure with defined responsibilities as follows: a Police Force for the Federation and controlled by the Federal Government, and the Regional/State Constitutions to establish separate Police Forces for each region and each state.

b) The Police Force at every level will be headed by a non-partisan professional. The power to appointment and remove such a head of police will be vested in an independent body.

Section 7: Sharing of Financial Resources:Fiscal Federalism

a) Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution is a negation of the principle of federalism. It should be abrogated. In its place, a truly federal system that gives control of resources to the component units and replaces the current system of unconditional transfers with conditional transfers from the centre as follows:

b) The states will have control over all the natural resources within their territory. Fiscal federalism presupposes the revocation of the Land Use Act of 1978, the Solid Minerals Act, as well as the various Petroleum/Gas Acts and amendments since 1969. The right of ownership, control and exploitation of these and other assets should be returned to the states and/ or federating units.

c) The taxation powers of the various tiers of government should be reviewed to give the federating units greater flexibility and scope to generate revenue internally.

d) States within the federating units should collect and keep 50% of rents, royalties and profit taxes on minerals derived from their states; pay 20% to the regional government, and 30% to the federal government; provided that each tier of government will save at least 5% of the receipts from natural/mineral resources as Future Generation Fund.

e) The Federal Government should set aside 40% of revenue collected from the states/regions as a Distributable Pool Account (DPA). The balance of 60% plus 60% of its own independent revenues such as customs duties, federal VAT, federal income tax, etc. will be deployed to its diminished responsibilities. The sharing of DPA should be equitable and should replace the present unconditional revenue allocation to the states and local governments. Among other things, the DPA should be deployed to the following:

i) Emergency transfers from the DPA made only to distressed states/zones consequent upon natural and environmental emergencies, such as, floods, erosion, earthquakes, desert encroachment, man–made disasters – conflicts insurgency and war.

ii) Distributable Capital Account (DCA) – The balance in the DPA would serve as distributable capital (DCA) from which conditional grants are made to the federating units for capital projects only, on the basis of accountability subject to project- performance monitoring. The DCA would replace the current unconditional monthly allocation, and operate almost as matching grants.

f) The states within a region should collectively decide what percentage of their consolidated revenue they will allocate to the regional government for its operations provided that such contributions will not be less than 10 per cent of the respective states’ gross revenue.

Section 8: Merit and Federal Character Principle

a) Nigeria must maintain an appropriate balance between merit and affirmative action in the conduct of national and regional/state affairs, and the distribution of appointments, amenities, opportunities and privileges among constituent parts. For example, while 60% should be reserved for merit, 40% could be reserved to ensure federal character principle or affirmative action.

b) We recommend that the Federal Character Commission be replaced with Merit and Equal Opportunities Commission.

Section 9: Elections

a) Elections into the office of the President and federal legislature will be conducted by the electoral body of the Federal Government. Elections into regional/state offices will be conducted by electoral bodies set up by the regional/state Constitutions or laws.

b) It is believed that the current system of simple Plurality System (with a simple relative majority as winner) encourages minority governments and is considered out of date. We hereby propose a majoritarian system whereby a winner must score at least 50% of the votes cast to win an election.

c) Independent candidates serve as a form of protest to political parties and should be allowed in the electoral system provided that such candidates meet the minimum criteria to be on the ballot.

Section 10: Judiciary

a) Each federating unit will have its judicial system with courts of first instance, appellate court and Supreme courts to adjudicate on matters that are in the concurrent and residual lists as well as matters exclusively preserved for the federating units.

b) Where the states are the federating units, there will be state high courts, and zonal/regional court of appeal and zonal/regional Supreme Court on matters pertaining to the states and zones/regions.

c) It is the states or regional courts and their appellate courts that will have jurisdiction over electoral matters in their respective states or regions except matters pertaining to the presidential election or federal elections.

d) There shall also be the federal high court, federal appeal court and federal supreme court— to deal with matters on the exclusive list of the Constitution, as well as constitutional matters or conflicts between the federating units and the federal government.

ANNEX A: DEVOLUTION OF POWER:

a) The long list of items on the Exclusive List of the 1999 Constitution should be considerably reduced to the basics required of the central government in a federation including but not limited to: defence, immigration, currency and monetary policy, customs and excise, foreign affairs.

b) Under the 1999 Constitution, the Federal Government controls both the Exclusive and Concurrent lists in the Constitution because federal legislations on matters in the concurrent list supersede the state legislations. It is proposed that on matters on the concurrent legislative list, the Federal Government should be concerned with regulation to ensure minimum national standards, and leave the regions/states to be innovative and competitive in the design of their policies, programmes and regulations relating to such concurrent items.

c) Where conflicts arise between the federal and regional/state legislation with regard to matters on the concurrent list, such conflicts will be resolved through ‘mutual consent’.

Federal Exclusive Legislative List

Items

Accounts of the Government of the Federation and officers, courts and authorities thereof, including audit of those accounts.

Archives, other than the public records of the Governments of the Regions or States

Aviation standards

Bills of exchange and promissory notes.

Borrowing of monies outside Nigeria for the purposes of the Federal Government or of any Region, other than borrowing by the Government of a Region/state on the security of any funds or assets of that government held outside Nigeria or borrowing that is not the liability of the Federation

Borrowing of monies within Nigeria for the purposes of the Federal Government.

Currency, coinage and legal tender.

Customs and excise duties, including export duties.

Defence.

Deportation of persons who are not citizens of Nigeria.

Exchange control.

External affairs.

Extradition.

Prescription of minimum standards of education at all levels.

Immigration into and emigration from Nigeria.

Legal proceedings between the Government of the Federation and any other person or authority or between the Governments of Zones or States.

Prescription of standards with respect to maritime shipping and navigation, including:

Shipping and navigation of tidal water

Shipping and navigation on the River Niger and its effluents and on any such other inland waterway as may be declared by the National Assembly to be an international waterway or to be an inter-Regional waterway;

Lighthouse, lightships, beacons and other provisions for the safety of shipping and navigation;

Such ports as may be declared by the National Assembly to be Federal ports (including the constitution and powers of port authorities for federal ports), provided that where such ports belong to the regions/states, the declaration as a federal port willl be with the consent of the region/state.

Meteorology

Museums established by the Federal Government

Naval, military and air forces.

Nuclear energy.

Passports and visas.

Patent, trade mark, designs and merchandise marks.

Pensions, gratuities and other like benefits payable out of the Consolidated

Revenue Funds or any other public funds of the Federation or federal government?.

Posts, telegraphs and telephones, including post office savings banks.

Powers, privileges and immunities of each House of the National Assembly and its members.

The public debt of the Federal Government.

Public relations of the Federation.

The public service of the Federation, including the settlement of disputes between the Federation and officers in the public service of the Federation.

Tribunals of enquiry with respect to all or any of the matters mentioned in this list

Trunk roads, that is to say, the construction, alteration and maintenance of such roads as may be declared as federal trunk roads.

Water from such sources as may be declared by the National Assembly to be source affecting more than one territory.

Weights and measures.

Wireless, broadcasting and television other than broadcasting and television provided by the Government of Regions or States; allocation of wavelengths for wireless, broadcasting and television transmission.

The matters with respect to which the National Assembly is empowered to make laws by provisions of this Constitution.

Any matter that is incidental or supplementary:

To any matter mentioned elsewhere in this list; or

To the discharge by the Government of the Federation or any officer, court or authority of the Federation of any function conferred by this Constitution.

The Concurrent Legislative List

Items:

Antiquities.

Arms and ammunition.

Bankruptcy and insolvency.

Census.

Chemical Services, including analytical services.

Commercial and industrial monopolies, combines and trusts.

Control of capital issues.

Control of the voluntary movement of persons between territories.

Such drugs and poisons as may with the consent of the governments of the Zones or States be designated by the President by order.

Fingerprints, identification and criminal records.

Higher education, that is to say, institutions and other bodies offering courses or conducting examinations of a university, technological or of a professional character.

Incorporation, regulation and winding up of bodies corporate, other than cooperative societies, native authorities, local government authorities and bodies corporate established directly by any law enacted by the legislature of a Region or State.

Insurance other than insurance undertaken by the Government of a Zone or State but including any insurance undertaken by the Government of a Zone that extends beyond the units of that Zone.

Industrial Development

Labour, that is to say, conditions of labour, industrial relations, trade unions and welfare of labour.

The legal and medical professions and such other professional occupations as may with the consent of the governments of the Zones be designated by the President by order.

All marriages, customary, statutory.

National monuments, that is to say, such monuments in a Zone as may with the consent of the Government of that Zone be designated by the President by order as national monuments.

National parks, that is to say, the control of such areas in a Zone as may with the consent of the Government of that Zone be designated by the President by order as national parks.

Prisons and other institutions for the treatment of offenders.

Promotion of tourist traffic.

Railways, including ancillary transport and other services

Taxes on amounts paid or payable or the sale or purchase of commodities except: produce; hides and skins; motor spirit; automotive gas oil sold or purchased for use in road vehicles; AGO sold or purchased for other than industrial purposes.

The maintaining and securing of public safety and public order; the providing, maintaining and securing of such supplies and services as may be designated by the President by order as essential supplies and services.

Quarantine

Registration of business names.

Scientific and industrial research.

10.

Service and execution in a Zone of the civil and criminal processes, judgments, decrees, order and other decisions of any court of law outside Nigeria or any court of law in Nigeria other than the Supreme Court, the High Court of that Zone or State or any court of law established by the legislature of that Zone or State.

Statistics.

Traffic on Federal trunk road

Tribunals of enquiry with respect to all or any of the matters mentioned elsewhere in this list.

Trigonometrical, cadastral and topographical surveys.

Water; Energy; Electricity.

The matters with respect to which National Assembly is empowered to make provision

Any matter that is incidental or supplementary to any matter mentioned elsewhere in this list.

On Monday, May 21, 2018

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