The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Category: Politics

  • IBB: June 12 secret

     

    Nigeria’s former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), has opened up on why he annulled the June 12, 1993 the presidential election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party.

    In an interview with Arise TV on Friday, the former head of state admitted that there was a lot of pressure from within and outside the military and noted that if the true results of the election had been declared, the army would have staged a coup which would have turned very bloody and set the country backward.

     

     

     

    Though the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had declared June 12 Nigeria’s Democracy Day, Babangida said that it took the manoeuvring of his regime to stabilise the country at the time to avoid a bloody coup.

     

    “If June 12 had materialised, there would have been a coup d’état which could have been violent,” he said. “That is all that I can confirm. It didn’t happen thanks to the re-engineering and the way we manoeuvred. It could have given room for more instability. There was pressure from outside and within the military. The military could have done it because they had the weapons to do it.”

     

    Speaking on the agitation for secession by separatist groups like the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and Ilana Omo Oodua, he said even though everyone has the right to agitate, the issue of breaking up should not come up because according to him, it has been long established that Nigeria’s unity is non-negotiable.

     

     

     

    He said: “We always believe that the person who should run the country must believe in Nigeria and that is why we supported Olusegun Obasanjo for President. If he didn’t believe in Nigeria, we would not go for him at all. Even if it is democratically or militarily imposed, you must have that core belief. It is good to agitate for what you want but because there is this belief that this country should be one and when you talk about war, you see that Nigerians usually don’t want anything that would disturb their peace of mind.

     

    “When we were in the military, we talked about certain issues and the unity of Nigeria was one of them. As far as we were concerned, the unity of Nigeria, free market, federalism were all settled issues. The unity of Nigeria for us was non-negotiable. We decided to be one many years ago. Why should we keep on repeating conferences on how to remain one? There are issues we should not still be talking about now. We have already decided that Nigeria will remain united, so what we should be talking about is how to strengthen the unity of the country.”

     

    On the high rate of insecurity across the country, especially in the North East, he attributed it to the failure of leadership. He said that there is disconnect between the leadership and the followership and that we don’t have core values that everyone defends. He also said the problem with restructuring is that it means different things to different people and until there is a unified definition and understanding of the concepts, it will not be actualised.

     

    His words: “The problem of insecurity is due to leadership. If there is no disconnect between the leadership and the followership, when people relate with each other at various leadership levels, then we would not have problems. We don’t have core values in the country that everyone defends.

     

    “Conferences have been done but the tyranny of the elite is the main problem. The leaders should understand Nigeria and Nigerians. Anyone who wants to lead Nigeria should be able to use his intellect. Nigerians are very resilient people, so if you want to lead them, you have to take a lot of things into consideration.

     

    “The problem with restructuring is that it means different things to different people. We don’t have a common interpretation; we have not defined it. My definition is to give the people from the lowest level of governance to the highest, the opportunity to participate in how they are governed.”

     

    The former military ruler also gave his opinion on the crisis rocking the two major political parties in Nigeria while dismissing fears that the country is gradually slipping into a one-party state. He said Nigerians will never allow a one-party system and would protest if anyone supports it.

     

    Also speaking on zoning the presidency in 2023, he said the qualifications and competence of whoever will emerge president should be the most important rather than where the person comes from.

     

    “Nigerians would never allow a one-party state to happen. Whoever would attempt to do that will not be allowed to succeed and this is the good thing about this country. They will talk, demonstrate and engage you so that you don’t do the wrong thing. I am not involved in any party because I am an elder statesman right now. However, I still maintain that a two-party state is the best thing for the country. We set up a committee to tell us why things went wrong and it was very revealing. We found out that up to the first and second republic, everybody was gravitating towards a two party system even though there were a lot of other parties. Now we have over 70 parties but no one is talking about them except the APC and PDP. During Obasanjo’s time, we came up with five parties but they all gravitated towards a two party system, so Nigeria can do well with a two-party system.

     

    “On the zoning of the 2023 presidency, we have to make a choice. Do we want to practise democracy the way it should be practised or the way it is being practised? Or, do we define it according to our whims and caprices? If we are going to do it the way it is being done all over the world, we should allow the process to continue because it is through the process that we would be able to come up with a candidate that would lead the country. His qualifications should be more important regardless of where he comes from. I have started visualising a good Nigerian leader, a person who travels and has friends everywhere he travels, a person who is vast in economics and a good politician. I have seen one or two already who are in their 60s,” he said.

     

    When asked about his regime’s performance in the aspect of the economy and the fight against corruption, he said what happened during his administration cannot be compared to the level of corruption today. According to him, those in his regime were ‘saints’. He also said he has no regrets on the economic policies of his regime, insisting that those who followed his policies are the ‘towers of industry’ today.

     

    “You can’t compare what happened during my administration with the facts on the ground now. From what I read in the media, I think we were saints when compared to what is happening under a democratic dispensation. I sacked a governor for misappropriating about N313, 000. Today, those who have stolen billions are parading themselves in the streets. So who is better at fighting corruption? Nigerians voted for APC based on what they promised on the economy, corruption and security, so it is also Nigerians that would decide for themselves and know if these promises have been met.

     

    “Having left office for the last 28 years, I think the decisions that my administration took were right. A lot of things have been happening since then which convinced me that we didn’t do badly; it is just that we were misunderstood. I told Nigerians that those who will take advantage of Structural Advancement Programme (SAP) would succeed in life, but those who couldn’t would go under. Today, I’ve been proven right. People who took advantage of what we did are today the towers of industry. I think I made a contribution in society on how to make it better.

     

    “I didn’t declare war on the media, rather, I liberalised it. Today, you have private televisions and newspapers. I believe that the media is an essential part of society, and they should play their role for the country. The media and the public would not allow the government to clamp down on them. You can’t intimidate Nigerians,” he said.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Common wealth monitors repression of human rights in Nigeria

    The Commonwealth has said it is closely monitoring developments around the suspension of Twitter and allegations of repression of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, media freedom and disregard for the rule of law in Nigeria.

     

    Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Ms. Patricia Scotland, said the observation followed an appeal by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) demanding the application of “the Commonwealth Charter to hold the Nigerian government to account over the unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and the resulting repression of freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.”

     

    This was disclosed, yesterday, by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

     

     

     

    In the appeal, SERAP had stated: “The Nigerian government has repeatedly demonstrated that it is not committed to protecting human rights. The Commonwealth should take a clear stand to ensure accountability of institutions, freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom in Nigeria.”

     

    Responding, the Commonwealth in a letter signed on behalf of Ms Scotland by Roger Koranteng, Officer in Charge, Governance and Peace Directorate said: “All Commonwealth member countries, including Nigeria, have obligations and commitments to uphold freedom of expression as one of the core values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter. This underscores a commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights covenants and international instruments.

     

    “The Commonwealth Secretary-General has been following the developments in Nigeria very closely and she is engaging the relevant stakeholders. Please be assured that the Secretariat will remain engaged with the authorities in Nigeria and encourage a speedy resolution of this matter. All Commonwealth member countries, including Nigeria, have committed themselves to upholding freedom of expression as one of the core values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter, which underscores a commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights covenants and international instruments.”

     

     

     

    Oluwadare expressed delight that SERAP’s letter and concerns it raises had caught the attention of the Commonwealth Secretary-General.

     

    “Given her public record for justice and human rights, we have absolutely no doubt that she will prevail on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to lift the unlawful suspension of Twitter, respect human rights, and obey the rule of law. But it should never have reached this level, as the government has absolutely no justification to suspend Twitter in Nigeria. The Buhari administration ought to have complied with the Commonwealth Charter and other similar human rights standards as a matter of routine.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Arewa Chairman says restructuring and segregation not the Solution to Nigeria’s problem

     

    Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Chief Audu Ogbeh, has said restructuring and secession are not the solutions to the problems facing the country.

     

    The former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said if the United States of America recognised the union of many parts as inscribed in its coat of arms, Nigerians too must recognised it as well.

     

     

    Ogbeh’s remark is coming amid calls for the restructuring of the country and secessionist agitations in the the South East and South West of the country.

     

    Ogbeh who spoke during the inaugural edition of the Sam Momah Annual Lecture Series in Abuja, said long before the unduly acrimonious debate on restructuring, the late General Sam Momah (retd) in whose memory the lecture was held, wrote about restructuring.

     

    Ogbe, who is also a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said Momah took time to look, not only at the political aspect of restructuring, but the problem of managing the Nigerian environment, such as the cost of governance and challenge of managing its plurality.

     

     

     

    He recalled that in the book, Momah went as far as doing something which very few people have ever attempted to do; he listed all the ethnic groups in the country and listed the states in which they were to be found.

     

    “The answer to the plurality problem is not in division or splitting and this is the point General Momah made in his book. He was agonising about how we could cope with the cost of governance, the challenge of revenues after oil. He saw difficulties of development. In many ways, some eight, 10 years ago, he was looking into the future, the future in which we now find ourselves, a very complex future,” Ogbeh said.

     

    In his remarks, son of the late Momah, Dr. Nkem Momah, said the event was put together to honour the memory of his father who loved books.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • Nigerians both home and abroad could positively impact the nation’s economy to bring about peaceful coexistence – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

     

     

    The Director General (DG) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said the contributions of Nigerians at home and abroad could positively impact the nation’s economy to bring about peaceful coexistence, and that remittances from those in Diaspora have brought about development of rural areas and sustenance of the economy.

     

    The DG said this at a webinar to celebrate the National Diaspora Day on Sunday, in Abuja, organised by the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to commemorate its establishment and its achievements so far.

    The event was themed: ” Diaspora Integration for National Peace and Development”, which NiDCOM described as being anchored on the levers of peace that would accelerate Diaspora engagement for national growth and development.

     

    The commission observed that no nation could succeed in an atmosphere anchored on insecurity, hatred and divisive tendencies.

     

    In her contribution, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala applauded the Diaspora for their huge contributions to the nation’s economy, citing in particular how their remittances had brought about development of the rural areas and the sustenance of the economy.

     

    ”Let me applaud fellow Nigerians in the Diaspora because they are contributing so much, in many ways; the remittance that the Diaspora send home is in millions of dollars which has contributed in sustaining our economy.

     

     

     

    “It helps people living in the rural areas to get resources to send their children to school, take care of their health, build and run businesses, but we can do more wherever we are in the Diaspora, for there’s no place like home.

     

    “So, what we should be thinking of is how we can help to make things better wherever we are, be it in the village or the town to make things better at home, either through creating employment, business, a civil society organisation, or helping to support what the local government is trying to do.

     

    “This is what helps to create peace and I am not saying that is all of it, but the fact remains that there are so many young people who do not have jobs and the COVID-19 situation had made that worse with the lockdown.

     

    “I think we should be thinking of what we can do to help improve the economic situation of people at home because that’s what helps to bring peace.

     

    “If we did not have so many disoriented and disorganised unemployed youths , some of the activities that we see at home that are detrimental towards peace and security might not happen,” she said.

     

    Speaking earlier, Zubairu Dada, the minister for State for Foreign Affairs, stated that the Federal Government was willing to create an enabling environment that would encourage direct investment by the diaspora.

     

    Mr Dada added that Nigerians in the Diaspora had continuously shown great dedication, with their time, skills, talents, resources and global exposure, to the development of the country.

     

    “The theme of this year’s event encapsulates the intention of Nigeria in high engagement with her diaspora, especially in these times when we badly need peace, if any development is ever to take place.

     

    “This celebration is also a networking event intended to showcase the achievements of Nigerians in the Diaspora, particularly our internationally acknowledged surgeons, educationists, world class athletes, engineers, lawyers and scientists, among others.

     

    “Men and women who have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers for their huge contribution to the peace and progress of their host countries and humanity in general.

     

    “I wish to assure you that the federal government of Nigeria will provide an enabling environment, through policies and programmes tailored to support you and your wellbeing, and in turn encourage you to give back for the upliftment of your country,” he said.

     

     

    He added that the government had taken a further step by approving and adopting the National Diaspora Policy 2021 and its Action Plan, for a more holistic approach to the nation’s engagement with the diaspora.

     

     

    Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman/ceo of NIDCOM, noted that development could only thrive in a peaceful environment, hence the need for maximum cooperation to collaborate.

     

    She urged the diaspora to collaborate with Nigeria, their country of origin, in sharing ideas , technology and others skills, that would promote her development.

     

    NAN reports that the National Diaspora Policy 2021 was unveiled by the NiDCOM Boss, Franz Celestin, chief of mission, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Chibuzor Ugochi of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, (NIDO UK-SOUTH).

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.premuimtimesng.com

  • Olubadan: I’m not folding my arms over the travails of Igboho, Kanu and co agitators

     

    The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, has sent a delegation to Cotonou, Benin Republic, to observe the Monday court proceedings of the case involving Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho.

     

    This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the Personal Assistant/Director of Media and Publicity to the Olubadan,  Mr Adeola Oloko.

     

    Although the monarch did not reveal the identities  of the delegation, he  said  those to observe the court proceedings  would be in court unfailingly  on Monday.

     

    Oba Adetunji was quoted to have said this at his Popoyemoja, Ibadan palace on Sunday while exchanging views with some leaders of thought, comprising the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes President General, Prince Yemisi Adeaga, first Vice President General, Dr Tirimisiyu Oladimeji; Ekefa Olubadan, Chief Lekan Alabi; Ajia Olubadan, Chief Wasiu Aderoju Alaadorin; and Mogaji Makusota, Prof. Oluwasegun Adekunle.

     

    According to Olubadan it has become necessary in order to allay the fears of several people that he is not folding his arms over the travails of Sunday Igboho and his co-travellers.

     

    He said,  “Sunday Igboho lives in Ibadan, got married in Ibadan, rear children in Ibadan, built houses in Ibadan and as such he has the rights to be protected by Ibadan traditional institution within the ambit of the law just like any human being in Ibadan.”

     

    Oba Adetunji, who  said he  was in constant touch with Yoruba prominent royal fathers, including Igboho royal crowns, allayed public fears of a repeat performance of Yoruba-Fulani coalition of 1814.

    The monarch said students of Nigeria history might wish to be reminded that when some people during the period under reference chose to engage in territorial expansion to the sea, it took the Ibadan army under Balogun Oderinlo to repel the attack and stop the incursion near Osogbo.

     

    Oba Adetunji urged the people to remain calm and law abiding, saying truth will prevail.

     

    Meanwhile, the Bishop of Owo Diocese of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Stephen Fagbemi, has called on the Federal Government to exercise caution in dealing with various agitators across the country but rather focus on the security challenges in the country.

     

    The cleric said the administration of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) appeared to believe only in holding on to power rather than addressing the problem of the country.

     

    This was contained in the charge the bishop read at the 3rd Session of the 13th Synod of the Diocese of Owo, held at the Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Okeluse in Ose Local Government Area of the state, on Friday

     

    Fagbemi noted that whatever the government of Nigeria is doing with the likes of Sunday Sunday Igboho, Nnamdi Kanu and other agitators, it should bear in mind that they stood for the concerns and interest of millions of Nigerians and therefore they should be handled with caution.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • DSS accredits only 10 media organizations to cover Nnamdi Kanu’s trial, bars PUNCH, The Guardian, Vanguard, Daily Times and some other media organizations.

     

    The Department of State Services has barred The PUNCH and some media organisations from covering the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, as his trial continues today.

     

    Also barred along with The PUNCH are The Guardian, Vanguard, Daily Trust, Tribune, Daily Sun, The Cable, and Daily Times, among others.

    The media organisations the DSS accredited are Daily Post, ThisDay, Premium Times, The Nation, Daily Independent, The Herald, National Television Authority, Television Continental, African Independent Television and Channels Television.

     

    The DSS did not give reasons for picking 10 media houses while barring others from covering the trial.

     

    A call to the DSS spokesman, Dr Peter Afunnaya, rang out, while a text message sent to him on the action of the secret police had yet to be responded to as of the time of writing this report.

     

    However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, who condemned the decision to prevent The PUNCH and other media organisations from covering the trial, said the position of the law was that every trial should be carried out in public and everyone was entitled to watch the proceedings.

     

    He said, “Our legal system does not admit of secret trials. We are not a country of witches and wizards operating in a coven. For a trial to be free and fair, Section 36 of the constitution says it must be carried out openly and publicly. Banning some media houses from covering Nnamdi Kanu’s trial is not only a sin against Section 36 of the constitution, it also violently offends the provision of Section 22 of the same constitution which gives the media the right and responsibility to ensure that the provisions of Chapter Two of the constitution dealing with the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy are upheld and that the government is held accountable to the people of Nigeria.”

     

    Speaking in a similar vein, Remi Olatubora (SAN) said preventing media organisations from performing their constitutional duty ran contrary to the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Chapter Four of the Nigerian Constitution.

     

    Olatubora said, “It is a signal that we are now under a full dictatorship. One serious angle to the barring of a section of the media is whether the trial can still in those circumstances be regarded as trial in the public or a free and fair trial as required by the constitution.”

     

    Also, Boma Alabi (SAN) said, “Generally speaking, the courtroom is a public space, everyone can come in.

     

    “If it is a contentious trial that people can come in and disrupt proceedings, then the court will make arrangements to ensure that the proceedings are not disrupted. It is within the court’s right to do so.”

     

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ifedayo Adedipe, also questioned the Federal Government’s motives in excluding The PUNCH, and some other national papers from Nnamdi Kanu’s trial.

     

    He said, “It is obvious that The PUNCH has taken a stand against the oppressive nature of this regime and the government now sees the media house as an unfriendly organisation that they do not want to have anything to do with.

     

    “The facts will speak for themselves, whether some newspapers are excluded or not. Nnamdi Kanu is expected to have a fair and open trial and preventing some media houses from being there will not do credit to the image of the government.

     

    “I will advise The PUNCH and other newspapers to keep their heads up and not be discouraged by this government. Some of the issues usually raised by these newspapers are critical national issues. I believe that it is only people who are beneficiaries of nepotism that will say that this government is  not oppressive or discriminatory.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • President Buhari could arrest Kanu and Igboho, but couldn’t use the same tactics to tackle bandits, boko haram, marauding herdsmen

     

     

     

    The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union has carpeted the Federal Government over the arrest and detention of activists across the country.

     

    The umbrella body of the Southern Kaduna people urged the government to deploy the same tactics adopted in the arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, in tackling the rampaging bandits in the North.

    SOKAPU’s National President, Jonathan Asake, stated this while addressing journalists in Kaduna on Thursday.

     

    The SOKAPU leader also alleged that over 100 natives had so far been killed in communities in the Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of the state recently.

     

    According to him, the government must stop the use of force on mere agitators, while pampering terrorists in the North.

     

    Asake, a former House of Representatives member, said, “Again, this year, with the commencement of another rainy season, the onslaughts have resumed, which coincide with the period when our farming communities need to be on their farms.

     

    “With particular reference are the recent attacks on communities in Zangon Kataf LGA, where no fewer than 100 persons have been massacred within seven days, 12 villages completely decimated and over 90 per cent of Atyap land deserted by inhabitants over fears of frightening uncertainties.

     

     

     

    “It is sadly unbelievable that 10 days after these massacres and displacement in our communities from all observable indices, there appears to be a conspiracy of silence or a deliberate attempt by the government to downplay the severity of the atrocities and genocides being perpetrated by these attackers across our communities.”

     

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    On attacks and kidnapping in the North, Asake added, “We are convinced beyond doubt that the government has a capacity to combat these daredevil bandits, who have made life unbearable for our communities.

     

    “If the government could lure the Benue militant, Terwase Akwaza, aka Gana, out of his hideout in September 2020, and later killed him; if they could trace Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to Kenya and blindfold him to Nigeria in June 2021; if they could trace Sunday Igboho to Cotonou and arrest him just a few days ago; and if they could smoke out the commander of the Eastern Security Network, Ikonso, and later kill him in April 2021, then, it clearly shows that the government has enough capacity to deal with the situation.

     

    “We find it strange to explain how the government is unwilling to tackle banditry and kidnappings in the North, but at the same time hasty in deploying full intelligence and military force against southern and Middle Belt activists, who are engaged in one form of agitation, criminality or otherwise.

     

    “Even when these bandits brought down an air force jet last Sunday, July 19, at the border between Zamafa and Kaduna states, thereby challenging the sovereignty of our country, the government has not shown enough action to tackle the dangers posed by bandits and insurgents, who have now acquired anti-aircraft launchers and sophisticated weapons.

     

    “The survival, unity and progress of the Nigerian state are more threatened by the untamed atrocities of these northern bandit groups and armed Fulani herdsmen more than the actions of the Kanus, Igbohos and Terwases of the southern and Middle Belt regions.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Electoral Act: Most members from the ruling APC in the Senate votes against E-transmission of results

    The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and a plethora of national and international standards recognise the right to vote and to be voted for as one of the greatest pillars of democracy. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is a right which makes the will of the people the basis of the authority of government, and this is to be expressed in genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and to be held by secret vote or equivalent free voting procedure. But Nigeria purports to run a democracy where the votes do not count, and governmental authority is not expressly based on the will of the people.

     

    It is against the backdrop of the above that one reviews the recent controversies and somersault in the National Assembly in the amendment of the Electoral Act which provides the main legal framework for the conduct of elections. The major issue or controversy is about the electronic transmission of results. In every proposal for a new law or the amendment of an existing law, there is always a mischief in the old law, policy or practice which needs to be fixed. In so many election petitions arising from previous elections, there had been controversies when the results declared at polling stations did not tally with the numbers declared at collation centres. This implies that between the polling booths and the collation centres, something went wrong. Most of the collation is done in the dead of the night when decent men and women without security escort are in their homes sleeping and resting from a hard day’s work. It is between the polling stations and the collation centres that the “election principalities and powers” cause grievous harm and cut the link between the voters and the declared winners. Therefore, in many cases, the will of the people is no longer the basis of the authority of government.

    It is based on this mischief that the proposal to electronically transmit results from the polling centre to the collation centres arose. It is simply a means of deploying the benefits of scientific progress to solve an electoral challenge. The expectation was that the legislature would have embraced this solution with open arms. But not in Nigeria. The subterfuge and argument against electronic transmission of results were that telephone and internet service were not available across the whole of Nigeria. Wait a minute, it is the same country where smartcard readers and SIM cards have functioned in remote villages. It is the same Nigeria where our poverty reduction managers told us they were using SMS to send information and receive acknowledgement for the money they were distributing to the poor. It is from the extreme fringes of forests and deserts that bandits and kidnappers have been making phone calls demanding and negotiating for ransom. But when it comes to election, the SMS and electronic transmission system will collapse! This attempt to sabotage free and fair elections came to Nigerians as a rumour which the National Assembly denied. Not for long because the enemies of democracy showed their true colours within a couple of days.

     

    Happily, INEC has come out clearly to state that it has the capacity and the will and has even done preliminary testing of transmitting election results real time from all corners of Nigeria. But NASS did not ask or consult INEC on this. Shamelessly, most of the members from the ruling All Progressives Congress in the Senate voted to sabotage the march of civilisation and lined up on the wrong side of history. Even Senator Kabiru Gaya, the Chairman of the Senate Independent National Electoral Commission panel, voted against his committee’s recommendation on electronic transmission of results. This is the height of the lack of principles and commitment to democratic norms. Apart from the party basis of the voting, the vote to a great extent also fell into Nigeria’s North-South divide which shows that the faultline is still very active. The nay voters took a solemn decision to hold Nigerians under the bondage of oppression and to continually subvert our preferences and choices on who should lead us. They voted for Nigeria to continue an 18th century barbaric practice of election rigging and manipulation of votes in the 21st century. They voted against electronic transmission of results because they knew that most of them would not return to the Senate in a free and fair election. They seek in advance to rig the 2023 elections. The implication is that the nay voters are happy with the status quo. They want a repeat and a deeper dive into the experience of the last six years – the continuation of massacres, aggravated kidnapping, the dominance of the Fulani agenda, two recessions, the skyrocketing price of food and galloping inflation, the continued depreciation of the naira, all time high unemployment, etc.

    What

    The Senate seeks to subject INEC to the whims and caprices of the National Communications Commission. How can an independent electoral commission in the discharge of its duties be under obligation to seek clearance and authority from an NCC that has nothing in its mandate to do with elections? The constitution states in Section 78 that “the registration of voters and the conduct of elections shall be subject to the direction and supervision of Independent National Electoral Commission”. Again, by the Third Schedule Part of the Constitution, Section 15, INEC “shall have power to – (a) organise, undertake, and supervise all elections to the offices of the President and Vice-President, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a State, and to the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each State of the Federation”. The exact words used in the constitution to describe INEC’s powers in relation elections are “direction” and “supervision” which means management, control, determination of course, etc. Any attempt to subject INEC to the NCC will be unconstitutional and ultra vires the powers of NASS when this is done without amending the relevant sections conferring power on INEC.

     

    There is a claim in certain quarters on the nature of the vote in the NASS as an exercise of the freedom and democratic right of the legislators to vote according to their conscience and the wish of their constituents. What happened is very far from this. First, there is no right to oppress others and deny others of their fundamental right to have their votes count. Secondly, there is no democratic exercise that denies the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the Nigerian family which is exactly what these wayward legislators have done. Thirdly, there is no right under the guise of democracy for a tiny intellectually backward minority to impose themselves on the suffering majority. The suffering majority is not in the Senate or in the House but on the streets and they can take no more from a self-serving elite.

     

    In the final analysis, this a clarion call on Nigerians to rescue their democracy, to refuse to be intimidated and cowed by any oppressor, to stand firm on our demands; to refuse to allow anyone who claims he is distinguished or honourable to pull a wool over our eyes. On electronic transmission of results, we stand.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Retire leaders above 60 years – Nigerian Political space needs a breathe of fresh air

    The Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Advocacy (LEAD) Network, has said that the Nigerian political space would not breathe fresh air unless the preset crop of leaders who were above 60 years were retired.

    LEAD said Nigeria needed new and progressive ideas based on modern knowledge driven by technology to move ahead, hence the need for the youths to take up the challenge and engage actively in politics.

    Executive Director of LEAD Network, Mr. Chukwuma Okenwa, who disclosed these in Enugu while speaking to newsmen on why youths must participate actively in politics to get the desired change, called on the youths to start the move by ensuring active participation in the ongoing INEC’s Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) and other electoral processes to change the status quo.

    Chukwuma Ephraim Okenwa (CEO)

    Okenwa said, “The country needed new and progressive ideas based on modern knowledge driven by technology for the country to move ahead and fulfill its destiny among the comity of nations.

    “The youths remained the silent majority. It will surprise you that in a nation of anticipated 100 million voters, the President election is decided by only 30 million votes. It means that 70 million voters not participating are majorly youths.

    “If the 70 million voters, who are the silent majority, stand up to vote and be voted for; there will be a great upturn in the democratic process and its outcome henceforth.

    “With this overwhelming number, the youths have the electoral power and critical mass to ensure that political parties fashion their electoral policies, manifesto and candidacy to favour the youthful population.

    “The youths should stand out to be counted and influence who is finally elected at the end of the day and if they can rise, they will be a great threat to any existing group or force in the political space.”

    Okenwa who noted that the impediment to youths participating in politics remained the notion that “vote does not count in the country,” warned that with such notion, present political dynamism disfavouring youths would never change.

    He therefore, said that for youths to anticipate peaceful change, it would be by “engaging political leaders, recalling those not performing or out-rightly ensuring that political misfits do not get into political offices by our ballot votes.”

    For him, the ongoing CVR and the forthcoming 2023 General Election would provide an opportunity for youths to change the fortune of the country to benefit their generation.

    Advising them not to allow anybody dissuade them from participating in ongoing CVR, Okenwa said, “Political negotiations and decisions are made based on numbers. Politically, your impact might not be felt if you do not have the critical mass in terms of numbers to upturn things around.”

  • FG tries to assure Nigerians that the Nation’s sovereignty hasn’t been signed away to china in loan commitment

     

    The Federal Government has lashed out at some Nigerians critical of the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s penchant for foreign loans, assuring the government has not signed away the nation’s sovereignty in loan commitment to China.

    Speaking to Daily Sun in Abuja, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said that the government has always budgeted for its counterpart funding for most of the contracts it has with China.

     

     

     

    Talking specifically on the Abuja-Keffi Road where the government was expected to contribute 15 per cent equity fund for the expansion of the road, Fashola said that not only that has the government provided for its counterpart funding of Phase 1, it has also made provision for Phase 2 of the project.

     

    According to him, other projects are being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and SUKUK funds.

     

    “We have budgeted for our counterpart funding. We did that last year. But, if you go into the budget, you will see about fifty something billion. It is to pay our counterpart funding of Phase 1 and to provide for Phase 2. If the road is approved today, we will start work and our obligation to pay our 58 per cent tax today. So, we have not only provided for Phase 1, we have provided in anticipation for Phase 2. We have also provided for so many other things. Nigerians will say that we have signed away our sovereignty and all of that; it is not true but that is a matter for another day’s discussion. To the best of my knowledge, these two projects are the only projects being funded by this ministry. So, contrary to the impression being created out there, that we have taken so much loan, it is not true! The other project being funded by multilateral loan is funded by the African Development Bank. That is Enugu to Bermenga Road and the bridge project that links Nigeria to Cameroon. It was a joint venture between Nigeria and Cameroon; to create a faster border crossing between Nigeria and Cameroon, after the Bakassi section. In fact, that bridge is essentially finished. We will hand it over later this year. So, Cameroon took a loan, we also took a loan. Just to be specific, those are the two projects being funded by China funding; contrary to what is being pushed out there” he insisted .

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • A financially sinking nation: Senate approves Buharis $8.3bn loan Amidst other foreign debts

    Senate, yesterday, approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for ongoing external loans to the tune of $8,325,526,537 and €490,000,000 under the 2018-2020 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan.

    The approval followed the consideration of a report on the 2018 to 2020 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan by the Committee on Local and Foreign Debt.

     

     

     

    Chairman of the Committee, Clifford Ordia, in his presentation, said the panel noted with utmost importance, the genuine and very serious concerns of Nigerians about the level and sustainability/serviceability of the country’s borrowings in the last decade.

     

    According to the lawmaker, “our (Nigeria’s) debt service figures constitute a huge drain on our revenue to the extent that it account for over 30 percent of our expenditure in the annual budget.”

     

    He said due to the shortfall in the country’s annual revenues in relation to the need for rapid infrastructure and human capital development, “we have had to pass deficit budget every year, requiring us to borrow to finance the deficit in our budget.”

     

     

     

    Ordia said out of the total borrowing request of $36,837,281,256 contained in the re-forwarded request of Mr. President, $26,154,536,533 is for funds proposed to be borrowed from various financial institutions from the Peoples Republic of China.

     

    He said the proposed projects in the ministries of Transportation, FCT, Aviation, Works and Housing, Agriculture and Water Resources and some commissions, such as National Universities Commission, North East Development Commission and the National Identity Management Commission, are mostly ongoing projects and programmes in respect of which external borrowed funds have been spent in the past, including loans.

     

    “These projects have a great multiplier effect on stimulating economic growth through infrastructure development, job creation and poverty alleviation, stimulation of commercial and engineering activities and the consequent tax revenues payable to government as a result of these productive activi ties,” Ordia said.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • British Law Firm seeks Nnamdi Kanu’s consent to take up his case

     

    The British High Commission and a law firm in London, Bindmans, have sought the consent of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to take up his case.

     

    The PUNCH gathered on Thursday that Kanu’s Nigerian lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, delivered two forms to the IPOB leader on Wednesday during a visit to the office of the Department of State Services, where he is being detained.

    Ejimakor told our correspondent that the development would open up a new chapter in the trial of Kanu, adding that the Nigerian government would be served with summons to bring him to the United Kingdom, where another case would be heard over the manner of his rendition to Nigeria.

     

    He said, “I went to visit him on Wednesday and went with two forms. One was the consular consent form that the British High Commission required that he signs to consent to consular assistance. There was also a form from his counsel in the UK. The firm is known as Bindmans, one of the largest law firms in the UK.

     

    “The forms will open a whole new chapter of legality, including the filing of a Writ of Mandamus, against the Nigerian government in a UK court to compel it to produce Kanu, because his detention is illegal under the British law. It was an extraordinary rendition, which is an international crime by which a state kidnaps a suspect or a fugitive without the due process of law.

     

    “They will be filing all these processes in the UK and there is a prospect of a UK court assuming universal jurisdiction or extra-territorial jurisdiction and reaching into Kenya so that they can arrest every Kenyan official, either authorised or not, and every Nigerian official involved in this case.”

     

    The lawyer noted that the DSS collected the forms, saying they must first go through the vetting of its legal unit.

     

     

     

    He said despite being told that he would collect them on Thursday, he had yet to be contacted by the government agency.

     

    Ejimakor said during his three-hour meeting, the IPOB leader gave a vivid account of how the Nigerian government hired agents, who abducted and flew him into the country.

     

    While quoting Kanu, he said the IPOB leader was blindfolded and flown on a private jet without any extradition hearing or immigration process.

     

    He stated, “Kanu said he was flown to Abuja in a private jet on Sunday, June 27, 2021, from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, and that he was the lone passenger.

     

    “He was blindfolded and driven to the tarmac very close to the plane without passing through the airport immigration.

     

    “The plane departed Nairobi around 12pm and arrived in Abuja in the evening.

     

    “Kanu was tortured and subjected to untold cruel and inhuman treatment in Kenya. He said his abductors disclosed to him that they abducted him at the behest of the Nigerian government.

     

     

    “The people that abducted him said they were told by their sponsors that Kanu was a Nigerian terrorist linked to Islamic terrorists in Kenya, presumably Al-Shabab. But after several days when they discovered his true identity, they tended to treat him less badly.

     

    “Despite that, they told him they felt committed to hand him over to those that hired them.

     

    “According to Kanu, no warrant of arrest was shown to him or even mentioned to him. And for the eight days, he was held incommunicado, nothing of presenting him before a court or transferring him to an official detention facility was ever mentioned. He was held in a nondescript private facility and chained to a bare floor.

     

    “Kanu was interviewed for the first time in my presence by three DSS officers. The interview was revealing as it contained certain new allegations that were never heard of before. But all the questions relate directly or indirectly to his status as the leader of IPOB.”

     

    The counsel said despite  his client’s ordeal, he was in high spirit.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com