Qualified Citizens of Nigeria No Longer Need A Political Party To Stand In Election-
The Nigerian Senate recently voted to amend some key elements of the country’s Constitution. One of which is the electoral law in respect of candidates who are qualified to stand for elections from Local government to Federal positions.
This is a welcome development especially during this time that agitations are rife from various groups and groupings in the country.
Our democracy is evolving. A Robust Democratic society started in like manner. Diaspora vote is next.
Permit me to digress from the topical issues of restructure and self determination.
You now have the power in your hands to bring about the desired changed, which change ultimately should be geared toward development and harnessing of the resources that abound in Nigeria. It is indeed a shame that Nigeria in this modern time, is still grappling with leadership matter or the lack thereof.
I recall in 1993 in Lagos when we all took to the streets in protest for the cancellation of the June 12 election of the late Moshood K Abiola as a civilian President.
Power was on the street of Nigeria, yet we didn’t know what to do with it. We were not trained or prepared for it. We had crippled the government at the time, rendered Nigeria ungovernable. NADECO had the power in its hands but didn’t see it. Wole Soyinka, Beko Kuti , Olisa Agbakoba, Gani Fawehinmi and host of others that we looked up to for directions were stifled. Central command was in disarray and most of us fled for our dear lives. I sought refuge in South Africa whilst others ran to Europe or to the neighbouring countries.
We shall no longer flee. To live our dreams, we must confront our fears.
I recall that we couldn’t seize the very rare but short opportunity we had to overthrow the government of Abacha. Very sad.
Now, by passing into law independent candidacy, the present democratic dispensation has handed us same power that we had left on the streets of Nigeria in 1993.
All we need do is to rally supports, organize ourselves, canvass with the same energies I am witnessing in the current agitations, so to bring about the desired changed. Our common destiny is in our hands.
It is time we stopped the culture of recycling our political leaders. In fact we do not need them because they all are members of the leading political parties, whose members are recycled and modified to suit their selfish ends. Let us ignore them and let them be what they are, political dinosaurs.
They have nothing left to offer us but shame. There is no originality of thoughts, there is no sincerity of purpose, no direction, nothing whatsoever.
We are unwilling recipients of what all they have to offer, these are, hate, kleptomania, vengeance, vendetta, division, evil, looting and everything that is not good.
We have the know-how, we have the tool, social media, networks, we have brains.
We need to start our own party, better still, stand as an independent candidate.
You are not too young to run.
We are equally viable and powerful should we organize ourselves and set our minds to achieving our common goal.
Yes we can.
Barrister Austin Okeke Writes from South Africa
OKEKE ATTORNEYS
P O Box 2012
Johannesburg 2000
South Africa
In October 2012, I chaired the Committee that organized Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s 80th birthday ceremonies. On the 16th of October, we organized an international colloquium on “Nigerian Federalism: Building on the Ekwueme Legacy” at the ThisDay Dome Abuja—and this was the highpoint of the 80th birthday anniversary. After some five years and three months, I am here today, at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, that has Alex Ekwueme’s imprimatur, to speak as we bid him farewell. For me, the loss is huge and the grief very deep. May his giant soul rest in peace!
Yes, Dr. (Chief) Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, GCON (Ide Aguata na Orumba) is dead. As it is usual with a moment like this, tributes from foes and friends will suffocate space. It is a fleeting moment of hyperboles that usually end on the Sunday of the outing service. Thereafter, the deceased joins the list of the forgotten dead or occasionally but perfunctorily remembered in sombre memorial events, while the living move on with their lives. It is the fate of all mortals but I pray that Ide’s shall be substantively different.
Ide was not God! He was human, with his own dose of human frailties and imperfections. But he was an exceptional human being. Tributes will pour in to celebrate Alex Ekwueme the architect, town planner and surveyor, lawyer, sociologist, historian, politician, philanthropist, Christian, husband, father and grandfather, technocrat, nation-builder, statesman, tennis lover and player, etc. Many will celebrate his uncommon intellect, his legendary character epitomized by integrity, his credentials as a thorough bred democrat and nationalistic federalist, or his humane, passionate commitment to people and his giant philanthropic strides. Like the proverbial elephant and the blind men, many will describe and miss him for different reasons. Few humans have successfully juggled the demands of family, community, profession, and national service like Alex Ekwueme.
I have come today to join in celebrating Ide Aguata na Orumba. But beyond the usual platitudes for an exceptionally eventful life, I want to devote this tribute as a message from Alex Ekwueme to all of us, the living. I was converted into a self-appointed apostle of Alex Ekwueme because of the message of his life. Growing up in this clime, the philanthropic exploits of the man better known around OAU as “Ekwueme Oko” was news and ennobling. As a pioneer student at Uga Boys Secondary School, one of Ekwueme’s beneficiaries, Cyprian Ifekanandu Okafor, was my classmate and he told many enchanting stories about this exceptional man.
In August 1980 and as we were waiting for our JAMB results to go into the university, I was excited to join a crop of activist OAU students which included Romanus Achusi (Isuofia), Chidi Ezeaguba (Nanka), etc as foundation members of the EKWUEME MOVEMENT, and with Dr. Anene Uzuakpunwa as Coordinator. In 1981, I became the Secretary of NPN students’ wing at UNN, and later in 1982, the Chairman. Simultaneously, I was the chairman of OAU students’ wing of NPN from 1982 and coordinator students’ wing of NPN (old Anambra and Imo— current South East zone) in the 1983 presidential election. On the 19th December, 1982, I was miraculously saved from a ghastly motor accident along Oko-Ufuma road as we were traversing the communities of OAU campaigning for our own IDE. From 1980 until his death (37 years) I was a devoted student and apostle. We were there for him when he made his bids for Nigeria’s presidency, and remained sufficiently close to him until death.
Why was I such an unapologetic devotee? The answer is simple: I saw in Alex Ekwueme a man who came before his time; a man who realized and lived out the full essence of life which is to leave society better than we met it; a man who refused to join them even when he could not beat them but instead insisted on fundamental principles as beacons for social progress; a man worthy of emulation in many respects. I am a devotee because Alex Ekwueme exemplified an impactful life. He impacted his environment— and it is evident that Oko, OAU, Anambra state and Nigeria became better because he lived.
I must admit that Alex Ekwueme was one of the early influences on my life. I believe that our lives only make meaning when we live for others, and that at a macro level, public service is the best form of philanthropy. Alex Ekwueme exemplified these, and that’s part of why I was a devotee. It seems to me that American President Theodore Roosevelt foresaw the life and times of Alex Ekwueme when he spoke about “The Man in the Arena” at a speech he delivered on the 23rd April, 1910 in Sorbonne, Paris, France. According to Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat”.
For much of his entire life, Alex Ekwueme was “the man in the arena”! But he was not just in the arena: he was in the arena with a purpose. Perhaps, Rick Warren knew of the life and times of Alex Ekwueme when he authored the bestselling book: “A Purpose Driven Life”. In his classic also, “The Wretched of the Earth”, Frantz Fanon observed that “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil it, or betray it”. Ide bore the beacon of his generation and swore not to betray its mission. He discovered his mission in life very early on, and strove to exemplify a purpose driven life.
Ide lived out a purpose driven life not only through his devoted Christian life, but through prodigious private charity/philanthropy, and stayed long in the arena to alter the macro environment through public service and statesmanship. In other words, Ide served out a lifetime of service to God by changing the fortune of mankind. That is the true meaning of a purpose driven life. On private charity/philanthropy, Ide lived out the content of John Wesley’s injunction to: “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can”. Ide was a community builder, built or facilitated in building of schools, hospitals, and churches, offered countless scholarships, created jobs, and mentored hundreds.
The Bible enjoins us to devote 10% of income to “make food abundant in God’s house”. Rick Warren admonishes us to reverse that, and instead devote 90% to public cause. I don’t know what percentage Ide doled out, but he certainly left a huge challenge to all of us. What is the purpose of accumulating wealth if not for the purpose of touching lives beyond ourselves and family? That is the question Ide leaves with us!
But private philanthropy is not enough. Alex Ekwueme agreed with Martin Luther King Jr. that “philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary”. In more than 50 years of perseverance in the public arena, Ide served Nigeria as Vice President and gave us the six geopolitical zones as a framework for national cohesion. He also taught us an enduring lesson: if you have the conviction of purpose, never quit. Alex Ekwueme never quit. From the early 1960s, he contested election into the Eastern Regional House of Assembly under the NCNC and lost. He probably never won any individual election as a candidate under a political party system, but he never quit politics. He lost the NPN gubernatorial nomination to Chief C. C. Onoh in 1978 but he never quit. He later served as VP and was jailed in spite of his exemplary public service, but he never quit. He led the G-34 and co-founded the PDP which twice denied him nomination as its presidential candidate but he did not quit. He was all but shoved aside and humiliated countless times by the party he founded but he did not quit. He founded the PDP and died as a PDP member. There are very few Nigerians who can make a similar claim. In the end, the history of the Nigerian arena belongs to Ide and a few others. And that is what counts!
Alex Ekwueme was “the gentleman” of Nigerian politics in a game dominated by street urchins, dirty money, and by those Awolowo described as ‘men and women of easy virtue’. He fiercely stuck to politics of ideas, principles and rules— and was continuously “surprised” that most of his contemporaries played politics of convenience and took no prisoners. He could not compromise honour, decency and integrity in public service. It was always refreshing hearing him talk about “merit” and “qualifications” in a terrain where it was believed that just anybody was “qualified” to do any job. Ide’s values in politics should be a serious subject of study.
Ide Aguata na Orumba left an even more profound message to us all. Ide was a professional and in all his years in the public arena, he had verifiable and sustainable sources of livelihood. He was not in the arena as a source of livelihood but as a platform for selfless public service. This is what separates Ide from most others and is probably a major reason for his uncompromising set of pristine principles. As the saying goes, a hungry person does not philosophise. Ide was different. Modesty and contentment characterised his outlook and lifestyle in spite of his personal wealth. Ide paid to serve, and served selflessly. He was probed for years after office as Vice President and it was concluded that he left office poorer than he was when he took oath of office. That is a badge of honour and integrity, uncommon in Nigeria, which Ide Aguata na Orumba will carry to heaven. With this lesson, Ide leaves us with a message and a challenge. Igboland and Nigeria are in search of men and women of high virtue who, though hungry, can still refuse a pot of porridge. Where are the new Alex Ekwuemes of Nigerian and Igbo politics?
Yes, Ide Aguata na Orumba has lived and gone. But he also left several messages to Nigeria and humanity. The graveyard is filled with thousands of geniuses whose brilliant ideas either never saw light of the day or passed as flickers. Those that survived have one thing in common— they have determined disciples. Where are the disciples of Alex Ekwueme? This is the time to stand up to be counted. It is not the empty words that we utter at this moment or the fleeting display of solidarity for public show, but the steps we take each day and every year to live out the true meaning of the Alex Ekwueme’s message, and transmit same to the next generation, that will count. Whether it is in the area of giving back to society unconditionally and leaving society better than we met it, or selfless public service and unique ideas/values that last, or as beacon of character and industry, Alex Ekwueme has left us with enough new grounds to form the fulcrum of the NEW Ekwueme Movement.
Yes, I call for a NEW Ekwueme Movement. Alex Ekwueme died as a person. But he lived as an institution. The institution must not be allowed to die. Alex Ekwueme as an institution deserves and needs urgent volunteers as disciples to carry on with the message and legacy left behind. How can we become Alex Ekwuemes in our individual lives in our communities, local government, state and Nigeria and how do we organize to collectively ensure that Ekwueme as an institution lives? Yes, there is the Ekwueme Square at Awka, and we hear of the Alex Ekwueme Foundation; yes, the Federal Polytechnic Oko needs to be renamed and upgraded to Alex Ekwueme University of Technology, Oko; and yes, there should be several other artefacts to remind us that a great soul passed through this clime. But the most important is that Alex Ekwueme as an idea and as an institution must live in our hearts and minds, today and tomorrow. The greatest tribute to this genius should not be mere words, though important. The greatest tribute is to answer the call to discipleship. The moment is now, for I dare to ask: if not you, then who; and if not now, when?
Goodbye Alex Ekwueme the man!
Hello Alex Ekwueme Movement the institution!
Let the Movement begin!
May his gentle soul have eternal rest!
NNEWI—THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has accused the Federal Government of conniving with the judges handling its cases to frustrate the body, through deliberate delay and refusal in approving its applications for certified true copies of processes it filed.
This came as the leader of Biafra Independence Movement,BIM, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has again, appealed to the United States President,, Donald Trump to accord recognition to Biafra as he did to Jerusalem, the Isreali capital.
IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful alleged that “IPOB has appealled to Justice Abdul-Kafarati after his ruling, that his expeditious approval of our application for the certified true copy of processes filed in the suit is needed to lodge immediate appeal against his ruling, but it was denied. “Shortly after ruling on our application to vacate the obnoxious order proscribing IPOB, we respectfully brought to the attention of the Judge, our desire to appeal his ruling almost immediately. We also pointed out the frustration we suffered in the past and continue to suffer in getting Nigerian judges to approve our applications for certified true copies of their judgments to enable us proceed to court of appeal, but our request was not granted.
The exparte order proscribing IPOB granted on the 20th September 2017 by Justice Abdul-Kafarati is a case in point. “In the past, we have through our lawyers, requested all processes filed in the suit by the Attorney General of the Federation to be certified by the judge to no avail. This request took the judge almost one month to grant. “Approval of application for certified true copy of processes filed in a suit is the most menial administrative duty to be performed by a serious minded judge. But in our own case, the reverse has always been the case. “This exposes high powered conspiracy and a judge playing to the script of the cabal who are hell bent on frustrating the efforts of IPOB to clear it’s name through a legal system that is dominated by those that desire to Islamize non Muslim Southern Nigeria by force of arms. “In an open court on the 18th day of January 2018, before local and international media, an appeal was made by IPOB attorney to Justice Abdu-Kafarati after his ruling, that his expeditious approval of our application for the certified true copy of processes filed in the suit is needed for us to lodge immediate appeal against his ruling, but at the time of this press statement Justice Abdul-Kafarati, 24 hours after his ruling, has refused to approve our application for leave to appeal his ruling.
“All orders made in the suit and exhibits relied upon by the government must be made available to IPOB by law, to enable us promptly proceed to the court of appeal, but the Nigerian government through the judges handling our cases deliberately refused to obey what the law said, just to please their pay masters.
“It is unfortunate that this is the same government that claims to be fighting corrupt judges by arresting and prosecuting them in the courts, yet they have turned blind eyes to what the judges handling our cases are doing simply because they are playing their script. Nigerians should therefore not take this government serious in their purported fight against corruption. “The fight against corruption in Nigeria should be extended to Judges handling IPOB cases if Nigerians and the world must take the APC government serious when they talk about fight against corruption. “It is high time Nigeria does away with these establishment judges who have been known in Nigeria for handling ‘dirty’ cases and giving kangaroo and black market judgments meant to please governments in power. We know the predispositions of such Judges. They still abound in the Nigerian judiciary.” Give us Biafra, Uwazuruike begs Trump In his appeal to Trump, Uwazurike cited the failure of the All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal government of Nigeria to protect lives and property of its citizens by giving free hands to northern militias like the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgents. Uwazuruike stressed that a free state of Biafra will assist America in the global war on terrorism and other vices which portend danger to the free world. In a statement issued to newsmen and signed by BIM’s Director for Information, Mazi Chris Mocha, Uwazuruike added that the New Biafra upon its recognition as a sovereign state, would definitely move its Embassy to the Israeli capital in Jerusalem. It is unfortunate Buhari is still confused about reasons for struggle .
The return of fuel shortages across the country in December 2017, after two years of reprieve, has been a source of worry to stakeholders and Nigerians in general.
Despite repeated assurances from the Federal Government represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), that it was taking steps to address the shortfall in supply, the reality on ground suggests otherwise.
Indeed, Nigerians celebrated a bleak Christmas in 2017, which was characterised by energy crisis as most fuel stations across the country were out of stock.
The ugly development eventually snowballed into the New Year in 2018 but later got a bit better after the first week as there was intermittent supply of products to the fuel stations.
But by the third week of this month, the fuel queues were back again, subjecting Nigerians to untold hardship with many man-hours lost at the fuel stations while commercial vehicle operators have cashed in on the situation to hike transport fares.
The frequent shortages in fuel supply has been attributed to the decision of the NNPC to assume the role of a sole importer of petrol, a decision that stakeholders have faulted, saying government does not have any business to be in business.
On the other hand, government equally placed the blame at the doorstep of fuel marketers, saying they engage in all forms of unethical and unpatriotic practices to create scarcity, through hoarding and diversion of petroleum products, a claim the marketers equally refuted.
But oil and gas operators believe that unless government summons the courage to deregulate the downstream sector, free up the market, and allow private sector to take control of importation of petrol, fuel scarcity will continue to be a recurring decimal.
They argued that a situation where NNPC wants to operate as a monopoly or continue to fix prices of fuel, will do the sector more harm than good as investments will be locked down.
Inefficient refineries
Experts believe that unless the refineries are rehabilitated and running at 100 per cent installed capacity, the country will continue to run in endless circle of fuel shortages.
Nigeria has three refineries – Port Harcourt Refinery: 210,00bpd; Warri: 125,000bpd and Kaduna: 110,000bpd. This brings the total installed capacity of the three refineries to 445,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Even at optimal capacity, the refineries cannot meet the 55 million litres daily consumption demand of the country but will go a long way in bridging the demand gap.
The domestic crude oil supply of 445,000bpd can only guarantee less than 30 per cent of the 55 million litres’ national requirement for petrol. But due to poor maintenance, vandalism and corruption in the running of the refineries, the capacity of the refineries to run optimally began to nosedive until they attained zero production capacity, forcing NNPC to assume the role of a sole importer of petrol.
The last tim
e a comprehensive Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) was conducted on the three refineries was in 1992.
Why there is shortfall in fuel supply
A major reason why the country will continue to experience shortfall in product supply is the distortion in the fuel import ratio.
Historically, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) members import about 65 per cent of the nation’s total fuel consumption; Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), 15 per cent and PPMC/NNPC import the balance of 20 per cent
.
But since October 2017, NNPC has been the sole importer of petrol into the country, a development that led to the energy crisis last December till date. ‘‘Sadly, some people have blamed marketers for hoarding products. Unfortunately, this is so far from the truth. Hoarding is regarded as economic sabotage and we assure all Nigerians that our members are not involved in such illicit acts,’’ said DAPPMA Executive Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Adewole.
As it stands today, NNPC has been the sole importer of PMS into the country since October 2017 due to the following reasons:
‘‘We all know that we presently run a fixed price regime of N145 per litre for petrol without any recourse to subsidy claims. However, we also have no control on the international price of crude oil.
“Current import price of petrol is about N170/ltr. NNPC, which absorbs the attendant subsidy on behalf of the Federal Government, is the importer of last resort,’’ he explained.
Adewole disclosed that NNPC meets fuel demand largely through its Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) crude for product framework, stating that due to price challenges on the DSDP platform, some participants in the scheme failed to meet their supply quota of refined petroleum products, especially petrol, to NNPC, which is now the main reason for this scarcity.
On the other hand, he said the international price of petrol went up during the hurricane Katrina and has not dropped below $600/metric tonnes (MT) while exchange rate of dollar to the naira is N306 for petrol imports, banks’ interest rate charge is above 25 per cent.
The DAPPMA boss maintained that based on the scenario above, landing cost of petrol in Nigeria is currently above N145/litre, which means any of its members that imports would have to resort to subsidy claims, a policy already jettisoned by the Federal Government.
Porous land borders
The porous state of the nation’s land borders also contribute to fuel scarcity as fuel meant to be consumed in-country finds its way to neighbouring countries including, Republic of Benin, Togo, Mali and Senegal where it is sold at exorbitant price.
Last week Wednesday, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, raised the alarm over the sustained nefarious activities of some cross-border fuel smuggling syndicates and hoarders, which have so far impeded efforts by the corporation to sanitise the fuel supply and distribution matrix across the country.
The alarm raised by Baru may not be unconnected with the arrest by men of the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of eight trucks laden with a total of 469,000 litres of petrol and their drivers in Mokwa, Niger State, on their way to Babana, a border town between Nigeria and Republic of Benin.
Baru had told the Joint National Assembly Committee on Petroleum Downstream that if the activities of the fuel truck diverters and smugglers were left unchecked, it would be absolutely difficult to guarantee round-the-clock availability of petrol throughout the country due to the massive leakages wrought on the fuel supply and distribution network by the smugglers.
In a detailed presentation to the Joint Committee, the NNPC boss informed that the sudden and unnatural shock in fuel consumption to record levels has over-stretched the DSDP crude for product supply arrangement, which was originally based on 35 million per day petrol consumption pattern.
He lamented that with the current unprecedented average daily fuel evacuation of 55 million litres since December 1, 2017 to date, it was imperative for security agencies to close-in on the smuggling syndicates who were cashing in on the obvious petrol price differentials between Nigeria and neighbouring countries to make illicit profit.
What should be done?
Former Managing Director of Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries, Mr. Anthony Ogedengbe, is one of the experts who believes that the scarcity might not be stopped totally with the ongoing measures. Ogedengbe had in a recent interview insisted that the queues will keep reoccurring if the government does not put real measures in place to permanently stop the scarcity.
For his part, Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yussuf, advocated urgent need for the Federal Government to liberalise the nation’s downstream petroleum sector and create a robust private sector space for private investors to do business.
He said the development is the best measure to free the nation from the current excruciating fuel scarcity in the last few weeks.
He frowned at the monopolistic right accorded the NNPC to import fuel, saying the model is fraught with inefficiency, transparency issues, perpetuation of culture of patronage and imposes a huge burden on the treasury of government.
He reasoned that a fundamental policy review is imperative and urgently needed to correct the anomaly.
There was a display of anger on Tuesday January 22, 2018 at the Federal High Court sitting in Owerri by lawyers and members of Bilie Human Rights Initiative representing Biafrans after Justice Louis Alagwoa announced that he was compelled to transfer a case from Owerri to Abuja. The said case was instituted by Bilie Human Rights Initiative for Biafrans against the Federal government seeking declaration of the court on whether the Indigenous People of Biafra have the right for self determination as stated in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
While Professor Francis Dike SAN representing BHRI described the decision of the court as an abuse of court process, the President of Bilie Human Rights Initiative Engineer Innocent Amadi said it was a ploy to kill their genuine case against the Federal government.
The said Judge came into the court and sat down and he said, “Prof happy new year, I don’t know how to say this now, but I must have to say it. I was directed to transfer the case file to Abuja”.
Professor Francis Dike SAN puts the question back to the Judge and asked, “can my Lord call up the matter officially as the court sits? The judge quickly replied and said, “it will be improper for me to call up a case I have already transferred”. It was at this point that Professor Dike expressed displeasure the manner federal government has conducted itself and said “if Owerri is no longer part of Nigeria where cases can be instituted and finally determined by the court, we want to know”.
In an interview outside the court, Professor Dike stated that he would as soon as possible challenge the decision of the court and subject same to judicial review since the case of transfer was purely administrative.
“Naturally I feel so disappointed. We filed a suit in Owerri and Owerri is part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. How can the registry in Abuja insist that a case be transferred to Abuja which never originated from there. So if he does not want us being the law abiding citizens of this country to vet our anger under the law,then violence is being encouraged. We have nothing against the federal government except a normal quarrel and legal issues to be determined by the court of competent jurisdiction like the Federal High Court, Owerri. So the matter was instituted in their own court because I never thought of any bias against the federal government. So it is an act of cowardice for the federal government to seek that the matter be transferred. We also filed that IPOB should not be proscribed . The process to which it was done is unlawful in itself.
But we will file for a judicial review in this same court. If they also want to transfer the case of judicial review, we will also appeal against it until they are ready to do the right thing. I am offended and not given to this type of sentiment. I have been a lawyer close to 60 years now and what has happened now is bad for this country”, Professor Dike lamented.
According to Engineer Innocent Amadi being the President of Bilie Human Rights Initiative he said, “the federal government had earlier came up with frivolous objections and they were defeated, it also demanded that the case be struck out on the basis that Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB has been proscribed and it didn’t also work. The final move now is to kill the case by demanding that the case be transferred to Abuja”.
The Buhari administration has issued its first formal response to a blistering attack by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who said the president has failed, and should not to seek re-election in 2019.
In a 13-page public statement Tuesday, Mr. Obasanjo issued a scathing rebuke of Mr. Buhari and his government, accusing him of being incompetent, sectional and sloppy.
The presidency refused to respond to the letter on Tuesday, with a presidential aide managing to dismiss the statement on Wednesday as an “insult”.
In an official reaction Wednesday, Information Minister Lai Mohammed thanked the former president for his “positive comments”, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Mr. Mohammed said the government received the statement in good faith.
He also assured Nigerians of better life ahead.
Read the full statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, ON WEDNESDAY, 24 JAN. 2018
We have read the press statement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the State of the Nation.
For the record, Chief Obasanjo is a patriot, and he has proven this time and time again. We appreciate what he said concerning the Administration’s performance in two out of the three key issues that formed the plank of its campaign: Fighting corruption and tackling insurgency. Specifically, the former President said President Buhari must be given credit for his achievement so far in these two areas. We thank him for this.
Apparently, the former President believes that the Administration does not deserve a pass mark in the area of the economy, which is the third of our three-pronged campaign promises.
We have no doubt that in the face of massive challenges in this area, this Administration has availed itself creditably. We believe that Chief Obasanjo, because of his very busy schedule, may not have been fully availed of developments in the government’s efforts to revamp the economy, which was battered by the consequences of over-dependence on a commodity as well as unprecedented pillaging of the treasury.
Today, most of the indices by which an economy is measured are looking up. Permit me to say, however, that Nigeria would not have exited recession through a mere order or if the Administration had not made use of ”good Nigerians” who could help.
This Administration is making steady progress in its determined effort to revamp the economy, and the results are showing:
* Foreign Reserves have peaked at $40b, the highest level in about four years, and up from $24 billion just a year ago, even though when we came in, the price of oil had crashed woefully.
* According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBC), headline inflation has fallen for 11 consecutive months, standing at 15.37% as at Dec. 2017. This is the lowest inflation rate since Jan 2017, and it has met and surpassed the target set for inflation in the Administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
* Our determined implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has stopped the hemorrhaging of the treasury. Some 108 billion Naira has been saved from removal of maintenance fees payable to banks, pre-TSA. The nation is being saved 24.7 billion Naira monthly with the full implementation of the TSA.
* The elimination of ghost workers has saved the nation 120 billion Naira
* At about 1.8 billion dollars, the capital inflows in the second quarter of 2017 were almost double the $908 million in the first quarter.
* In the wake of a stable Naira and increased investment inflows, Nigeria’s stock market emerged one of the best-performing in the world, delivering returns in excess of 40 percent.
* Nigeria rose 24 places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking, and earned a place on the List of Top 10 Reformers in the world.
* According to Q3 2017 figures, agriculture export is up year-on-year by 25%, solid minerals exports are up year-on-year by 78%, raw materials exports are up 70% year-on-year and manufactured goods exports are up 22% year-on-year.
* Government agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service are reporting highest-ever revenue collection, while JAMB, under the new management appointed by President Buhari in 2016, remitted N7.8billion to the coffers of the federal government. The total amount remitted by JAMB between 2010 and 2016 was a paltry N51 million!
These positive indices may not have immediately impacted positively on Nigerians, but Nigerians will definitely get a new lease of life a short while from now. This is because the good news from the agricultural sector, which is recording a bumper harvest, will bring down the cost of foodstuffs, especially such staple as rice, and our massive Social Investment Programme will ease the pain of the most vulnerable in the society.
When we assumed office in 2015, some 6 million farmers were involved in rice production. Thanks to the Anchor Borrowers’ programme of this Administration, we have grown that number to over 12 million farmers. The result is that our rice import from Thailand alone has dropped from 644 metric tonnes to 22,000 MT in just two years. This is phenomenal.
Apart from rice, Nigeria is also doing well in other grains, especially Millet, Sorghum and Maize. We are now the second largest producer of sorghum after the US, the third in millet after India and our breweries are now enjoying local sourcing of those commodities.
For maize, we are producing 10 million tons while we need about 13 million tons for both human and animal nutrition. Nigeria leads the world in the yam and cassava production. We account for 70% of the world’s yam production. In two years, we hope to be the world’s largest exporter of yam! Overall, our ambition is that agriculture should rise from 25% to 40% of GDP, so that we can banish poverty and overcome our economic anxiety.
Our Social Investment Programme is Nigeria’s most ambitious social welfare programme ever. Currently, 5.2 million primary school children in 28,249 schools in 19 states are being fed daily; 200,000 unemployed graduates have enlisted into the N-power Job Scheme, and a quarter of a million loans already distributed to artisans, traders, and farmers.
Finally, our investment in infrastructure is simply unprecedented. This is because infrastructure is key to faster economic growth and development.
Here is a synopsis of what we have done in this area:
* Power Generation at an all-time high of 7,000mw and all can be transmitted
* RAIL: Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge is on. Lagos-Ibadan sector ready 2019, Kano-Kaduna ready 2019; The entire stretch ready 2021; Negotiations on for Coastal Rail covering 15 cities from Lagos to Calabar.
* ROAD: 25 major highways being funded with the N100b Sukuk Bond, and all geo-political zones are benefitting equally
This Administration is not unaware of the enormity of the challenges facing the nation, but we are up to the task. We have taken the bull by the horns, and long-suffering Nigerians will begin to experience a new lease of life as our efforts yield fruits. We will not go into a state of funk for whatever reason.
On the Herders/Farmers’ clashes, this Administration is determined to end the crisis resulting from this once and for all, not minding the fact that the clashes predate us. we urge Nigerians to have faith in the Administration’s ability to resolve the crisis, and to watch out for concrete measures in this regard.
On whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari should run for another term, it is true that many Nigerians have been calling on the President to run again, while others are opposed to his return.
However, we believe this issue is a distraction for the President at
this time. This is because Mr. President spends every waking hour tackling the enormous challenges facing the nation, most of which were bequeathed to his Administration by successive past Administrations.
He is committed to fulfilling the mandate given to him by Nigerians in
2015. And that’s where we are right now!
Finally, we have no reason to believe that former President Obasanjo has any motive beyond the well-being of the nation in issuing his Special Press Statement. We have also taken his admonition in good faith, and we thank him most sincerely for taking time off his busy schedule to pen such a long statement.
Youths all over Nigeria are advised to wake up for the greatest youths revolution that will start soon in preparation for 2019 general election.
Youth revolution movements (YRM) is a volunteer youths forum that connects and enlighten all the youths in this federation the need for youths active participation in politics, it quickens and opened our eyes on the power we posses to determine who rules in Nigeria and we still have that power to vote out any one who draws Nigerians image to the mud just like the APC Government.
With our permanent voters card (PVC) , the youths can decide.
‘Very soon a WhatsApp, facebook, twitter handles etc forum will soon be established where all youths despite your tribe will come out angrily and voluntarily say no to BUHARI APC RULE, we will embrace any political platform that will take care of our future and reconstruct Nigeria into Regional Government’ The group Coordinator in Anambra State -Victor Ngwu told BVI Channel 1 Reporter.
THe BBOG convener narrating what led to her arrest at the Unity Fountain, Abuja called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the release of all the members of the group.
She said “Today we gathered to do our usual march, and the Nigerian police refused for us to leave the Unity Fountain (in Abuja).
“Some of our colleagues have already gone and they are going to be giving their press statement there.
“Those of us that they have locked in here, in particular, they have refused that I should move.
“They have built a human prison and have violated my fundamental right to freedom of movement and association and therefore I want it to be on record that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has infringed the constitution by violating my fundamental right to freedom of movement and association and this cannot be allowed to happen in a democracy.
“If there is anyone there listening to this, they must tell President Muhammadu Buhari to instruct the IG of Nigerian police to let the officers who have imprisoned me in broad daylight, to let me go about my business.
“I am a law-abiding citizen of this country. I see no reason why my right should be violated. And so right now I will continue to insist that these officers allow me to move out of the Unity Fountain.”
However, When DAILY POST contacted the FCT police spokesman, DSP Anjuguri J. Manzah, he denied claims that Ezekwesili and some BBOG members were detained.
Manzah said they were just taken to the command headquarters to prevent breakdown of order following their protest.
“The FCT Police Command wishes to clear the air and set the record straight that it did not arrest or detain Prof Oby Ezekwesili and some members of the Bring Back Our Girls group (BBOG) as being speculated on some social media platforms.
“It is pertinent to state that they were only brought to the Command to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order as some members of the group reacted violently and broke down security barriers set up by the police to restrict their protest to Unity Fountain.
“The members of the group were addressed by the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Sadiq Abubakar Bello who reiterated the commitment of the Command to protect lives and property and enjoined the Bring Back Our Girls members to go about their lawful businesses.
“After the briefing by the Commissioner of Police, the members of the group left the Command,” Manzah said.
The police in Abuja has issued the statement below in response to reports that it arrested some members of the #BringBackOurGirls movement as they moved to stage a march to the presidential villa.
One of those restrained is a former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili.
But despite those claims by the activists, below is the police’s version of the incidence.
The statement reads, “The FCT Police Command wishes to clear the air and set the record straight that it did not arrest or detain Prof Oby Ezekwesili and some members of the Bring Back Our Girls group (BBOG) as being speculated on some social media platforms..
“It is pertinent to state that they were only brought to the Command to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order as some members of the group reacted violently and broke down security barriers set up by the police to restrict their protest to Unity Fountain.
“The members of the group were addressed by the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Sadiq Abubakar Bello who reiterated the commitment of the Command to protect lives and property and enjoined the Bring Back Our Girls members to go about their lawful businesses.
“After the briefing by the Commissioner of Police, the members of the group left the Command.”
