The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Category: Politics

  • Charles Soludo recieves criminal summons from Abuja court

     

    The Upper Area Court Zuba in Abuja has issued a criminal summons against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and factional candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Charles Soludo, over a criminal complaint brought before it by one Oliver Bitrus.

    In the processes seen by our correspondent, Bitrus alleges “serial abuse of office and breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers by the defendant, while he held office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria between May 29, 2004, to May 29, 2009.

     

    Bitrus alleged, “Between the period the defendant held office as a Public Officer he flagrantly breached the Code of Conduct for Public Officer by buying or acquiring interest in a property known and described as No. 50 Brondesbury Park, London, NW6 7AT, United Kingdom.”

     

    He also alleged that the property was acquired using a proxy known as Universal Energy Company Limited and that the purchase price £2,150,000 was paid in a single tranche on October 20, 2006 which was not fairly attributable to his income as the Governor of CBN at the material  time.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Beyond Power and Positions

    BEYOND POWER AND POSITIONS:
    Structuring an Igbocentric Progressive Polity

    M.O. ENE

    Our forefathers figured out that nothing has a God-given gift of eternal existence. It is no wonder that they abhorred lifelong kings or presidents of any Igbo nation state. For constructive coexistence and to build national stability, each ethnic entity must live its core values: “Onye na nke ya!” In many Igbo communities, these core values are communal and based on the sanctity of life, the sacredness of Earth, the belief in an enigmatic supreme spirit, and the golden rule of “Egbe bere, ugo bere.” (Live and let live.)

    Beyond the powers of present political structures, beyond the powerful positions held by politicians and their appointees, Ndiigbo need to step back and do things a bit differently. First, the Igbo must unite in doing everything humanly possible not to fight other people’s wars again. No one is afraid of wars. Our ancestors stipulated that the fear of being fatally shot should not stop a good fight. A good fight is one that has goals, purposes, and strictly for survival—as was done and accomplished in the eventual Nigeria-Biafra War, which was initially not an Igbo fight. As the Commander of Biafran Armed Forces General Alexander A. Madiebo mandated: “If the Igbo can only give others a chance to fight their own wars, there may never be any more wars in Nigeria in which they will be involved directly.” Ndiigbo must use common sense to confront current civil challenges clouding Nigeria. The use of force should be a last resort. We are not close. Therefore, we must unleash our sense of elevated equity and let Nigerian nations resolve the current crises without kicking the Igbo into the middle, like gallant grasshoppers thrown into a court of crooked cocks.

    Nigeria is not working. The clamor for referendum on, and or restructuring of, the 1999 military miracle called ‘constitution’ has gone national and viral. Though many Nigerians do not agree yet on the form of a new polity, anything different from the shady status quo is better. For Ndiigbo, the matter was settled at Aburi, Ghana in 1967, thanks to erudite then-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, later General and Biafra’s Head of State. At the 1994 constitutional conference in Abuja, Dr. Alex I. Ekwueme presented the Ohanaeze proposal, which was the Aburi Accord concept modified to accommodate the sensibilities of minority nations in separate confederations or zones. Nigeria is not working. The solution is simple: While the emotions of the current crises must not tear the country into smaller independent states that have no chance of stability nor sustenance, Nigerian nations must stay slightly apart or be consumed by the frictions of a fundamentally flawed federation tethering on the precipice of perdition. The Igbo must step aside, do useful work on themselves, and watch the others get their shtick together. “Nkwucha” or circumspection cannot be considered cowardice.

    Thus, as the Igbo nation waits for other Nigerian nations to make up their minds without the Igbo in the middle, we must pursue the Aladimma Agenda: a gathering of persons and communities that value life, cherish freedom, and respect the sanctity of our benevolent Earth. Aladimma is a noble nation of majority Igbo-cultured communities. A nation is not necessarily defined by boundaries. Aladimma is for anyone living Igbo core values in thought and in action anywhere in the world but pivoting in core Igbo country southeast of the River Niger. The Igbo must tow paved paths, avoiding the mistakes that led the Jews to lose their promised land for centuries before the Jewish diaspora founded the modern Jewish nation of Israel. Therefore, the aims of Aladimma include the preservation and promotion of pan-Igbo communities in all parts of the world, the unification of Igbo persons and groups worldwide, the refining and reinforcement of Igbo nationalism in thoughts and in actions, and the use of civil advocacy in liaising with peoples and governments to achieve the goals of a great society of Ndiigbo worldwide. Ndiigbo worldwide, especially of the southeast, should aspire to economic, intellectual, and political power with the sole aim of delivering decent dividends of democracy and building town governments in all original communities—not the 1001 “autonomous communities” created for imposed and lifelong pseudo-monarchs, the so-called “traditional rulers.” Aladimma should be about the Igbo people—not power and positions, and about true representations—not callous and crass selfishness or pathetic primitivity.

    As I concluded in my lecture at the International Igbo Conference 2020, titled “Of Dividends and Divisions: A Dozen Decades of Igbo Diaspora Disruptions”:
    Nigeria as-is is untenable;
    Biafra as-was is unattainable.
    Between reality and romance,
    Aladimma is a space of sense.

    Let us use the teachings of our culture to move forward. Let us deliver drizzles of democracy dividends to all denizens. Let us give a new life to the dreams of the founding fathers of this great green giant with fossil-fuel feet and crumbling clay claws. Let us set the pace for numerous nations of Africa. Let us begin with Aladimma in southeastern Nigeria and show the way.

    @Aladimma
    March 15, 2021

  • Senate Declines Onochie as National INEC commissioner

     

     

    There were indications last night that the Senate may reject President Muhammadu Buhari’s Personal Assistant on Social Media, Ms. Lauretta Onochie, as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) representing Delta State.

     

    The Nation investigation showed that Onochie’s nomination is among the big issues on the agenda of the Senate as it plans to proceed on Sallah break and its annual vacation.

     

    There were indications at the weekend that Onochie was among issues that have caused ripples in the Ninth Senate.

     

    A senator, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent on Onochie’s nomination and some other matters, said there were doubts about the possibility that she would be confirmed.

     

    When told that it appeared the Senate had made up its mind to clear Onochie for the INEC job, he disagreed, saying: “Never mind all the stories they (the media) are writing. I doubt it.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.thenationonlineng.net

  • Ondo Govt: The plan to produce, legalise and boost employment with Marijuana.

     

     

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has opposed the Ondo State Government’s plan to produce marijuana as medicines, boost employment and earn Nigeria a share of the $344 billion global cannabis market. ROBERT EGBE examines the pros and cons of producing medical marijuana locally.

     

    There are no fewer than 10.6 million Nigerian marijuana users, according to the results of a nationwide drug survey released in 2019, and Imelda (pseudonym) is one of them.

     

    She buys her marijuana from retailers on street corners in Lagos. One wrap is N50. A bigger wrap is N100. She gets home, boils weed in water and drinks.

     

    “It helps to suppress period pains, especially when regular medications don’t work,” Imelda told The Nation.

     

    Many studies have noted that apart from helping to cope with pain, women often use marijuana to try to control their weight, treat eye problems, among other (sometimes risky and medically uncertified) self-medication hacks.

     

    Of course, Imelda is aware the drug is illegal and can be harmful, but its medicinal effects are soothing, so she buys it nevertheless.

     

     

     

    Ondo’s plan

     

    One of the source states for much of the marijuana circulating in the Southwest is Ondo. The state is generally recognised as perhaps the country’s marijuana cultivation hotbed. It was not surprising therefore when, on May 20, 2019, Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu disclosed his plan for the state to promote the cultivation of marijuana, also known as cannabis, Indian hemp, Igbo or weed, for economic reasons.

     

    Akeredolu spoke following a trip to Thailand for a Medical Cannabis Expo, in the company of the then Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Colonel Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah.

    “Our focus now is medical marijuana cultivation in controlled plantations under the full supervision of the NDLEA. I strongly implore the federal government to take this seriously as it is a thriving industry that will create thousands of jobs for our youth and spur economic diversification,” the governor said.

     

    Apart from employment generation, Akeredolu argued that it would be a mistake for Nigeria to miss out on the global cannabis market with estimated potential earnings of $145 billion by the year 2025.

     

    He said: “We are here to study how cannabis can be more advantageous to the (Ondo) State and Nigeria at large, just the way the Thai Government has done.

     

    “Cannabis used for medical purposes; how can it be cultivated for specific purposes and not be abused.

     

    “The programme is centred on exploiting the possibility of medicinal cannabis extract development and aimed at building capacity and researching the modality of licensing for planting and extracting cannabis oil in Nigeria as well as exploiting its commercial potential with a focus on Ondo State.

     

    “We know how to grow it, and it thrives well in the Sunshine State. How to grow cannabis is never a problem in Ondo State.”

     

    The governor, at a recent stakeholders’ roundtable on the ‘benefits and opportunities of the cannabis plant in Nigeria’ recently, urged the federal government to give legal backing to cannabis to enable its use in the country, saying that “cannabis is a multi-billion naira industry that can help diversify the Nigerian economy if judiciously utilised.”

     

    The National Assembly has also been making moves for legalisation of the illicit substance as a result of its economic value.

     

     

    NDLEA’s counter

     

    But National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) chairman Buba Marwa disagreed with Akeredolu and some House of Representatives members over the legalisation of cannabis.

     

    Marwa, who spoke last Monday at a press briefing to unveil the week-long programme of activities to commemorate the United Nations (UN) International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking in Abuja, said it was a matter of life and money.

     

    He likened Akeredolu’s proposal to seeing fire and plunging into the flame. Marwa said the agency would rather choose life.

     

    “The NDLEA will continue to burn any farm that we find the substance and arrest the perpetrators. It is dangerous. It is bad for our health,” he added.

     

     

     

     

     

    Marwa’s war against marijuana abuse

     

    Since Marwa’s appointment to the job early this year, the NDLEA has been praised for its vigorous campaign to rid Nigeria of the menace of drug abuse.

     

    Speaking last Saturday during the launch of War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), an NDLEA initiative, Marwa said the agency had seized over N90 billion worth of illegal drugs in the past five months that he has been in charge.

     

    He lamented the pervasive abuse of (cannabis) substance in the country, revealing that about 10.6 million Nigerians are actively abusing the psychotropic substance.

     

    He said over 2,180 drug traffickers had been arrested, including five drug barons controlling different cartels across the country.

     

    The NDLEA boss added that a record 2.05 million kilogrammes of drugs have been intercepted and 2,100 drug offenders prosecuted, out of which 500 have been jailed.

     

     

     

    “While the statistics are impressive, we wouldn’t deceive ourselves that we have succeeded in cleaning the Augean Stable in five months,” Marwa said.

     

    Like many other experts before him have observed, the NDLEA Chairman linked drug abuse to other serious crimes.

     

    Marwa said: “It is not difficult to conclude that drugs have been catalysts of terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and various violent conflicts that are currently Nigeria’s albatross.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Marijuana

     

    Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica or Cannabis Ruderalis plant.

     

     

     

    It has an estimated 483 known compounds, 65 of which are essentially cannabinoids and their psychoactive properties, together with its mental and physical effects, make it a substance of choice for medicinal, recreational or religious use.

     

    The plant contains the mind-altering chemical THC (which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol) and other similar compounds. Extracts can also be made from the cannabis plant.

     

    Another chemical found in marijuana called cannabidiol (CBD).

     

    Marijuana is the most commonly used addictive drug after tobacco and alcohol and it is typically used for smoking, cooking or extracting its juices.

     

     

     

    According to an April 10, 2020 publication by Harvard Health Publishing of the Harvard Medical School, titled ‘Medical marijuana’, CBD is the least controversial extract from the plant “because this component of marijuana has little, if any, intoxicating properties.

     

    “Patients…report many benefits of CBD, from relieving insomnia, anxiety, spasticity, and pain to treating potentially life-threatening conditions such as epilepsy. One particular form of childhood epilepsy called Dravet syndrome is almost impossible to control but responds dramatically to a CBD-dominant strain of marijuana called Charlotte’s Web. The videos of this are dramatic,” the report said.

     

     

     

     

     

    Medical marijuana

     

    There are many questions about medical marijuana. Is it safe? Should it be legal? What conditions is it useful for? Is it addictive? How can it be kept out of the hands of teenagers?

     

    A July 2020 Marijuana Research Report by the United States National Institute on Drug Abuse noted that the potential medicinal properties of marijuana and its components have been the subject of research and heated debate for decades.

     

    “THC itself has proven medical benefits in particular formulations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved THC-based medications, dronabinol (Marinol®) and nabilone (Cesamet®), prescribed in pill form for the treatment of nausea in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy and to stimulate appetite in patients with wasting syndrome due to AIDS.

     

    Countries where medical marijuana is legal

    Argentina •Australia •Barbados •Brazil •Canada •Chile •Colombia •Croatia •Cyprus •Czech •Republic •Denmark •Ecuador •Finland •Germany •Greece •Ireland •Israel •Italy •Jamaica •Lebanon •Lithuania •Luxembourg •Malawi •Malta •the Netherlands •New Zealand •North Macedonia •Norway •Peru •Poland •Portugal •Saint Vincent and the •Grenadines •San Marino •Sri Lanka •Switzerland •Thailand the United Kingdom •Uruguay •Vanuatu •Zambia and •Zimbabwe.

     

     

     

    “Nabiximols (Sativex®), a mouth spray that is currently available in the United Kingdom, Canada, and several European countries for treating the spasticity and neuropathic pain that may accompany multiple sclerosis, combines THC with another chemical found in marijuana called cannabidiol (CBD).

     

    “The FDA also approved a CBD-based liquid medication called Epidiolex® for the treatment of two forms of severe childhood epilepsy, Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Current state of the law on marijuana

     

    Two lawyers, Bidemi Olumide and Ifureuwem Udofa in ‘Nigeria’s cannabis question: balancing the tripod of law, commerce and politics’ noted that the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1935 (DDA) is the first notable legislation against the cultivation, trafficking and abuse of cannabis in Nigeria.

     

    It was followed by the Indian Hemp Act (IHA) 1966, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, 1989, and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Act, 1993, among others.

     

    They said: “While the other laws, DDA, NDLEA Act and NAFDAC Act, admit the possibility of obtaining some authorisation for lawful cannabis cultivation, sale, possession, importation and exportation in Nigeria, the IHA expressly prohibits these commercial activities save for the importation, possession and or sale of any medical preparation of cannabis, provided no offence against the DDA is committed in the process.

     

    “It is also noteworthy that the possible authorisation under each of the DDA, NDLEA Act and NAFDAC Act relate to the cultivation, sale, possession, importation and exportation of cannabis for medicinal purposes as none of the laws contemplates the use of cannabis for recreational purposes.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Hurdles before Ondo’s plan

     

    It is situations such as the above that make Akeredolu’s proposal a risky one that requires careful implementation.

     

    There may also be other legal hurdles the state must surmount, before its plan, which has yet to kick off, can succeed.

     

    Olumide and Udofa, who noted that regulated cannabis cultivation in Nigeria may hold great possibilities, summarised the hurdles before the Ondo State government, in the form of questions.

     

    They said: “Can Ondo State, being desirous of exploiting the commercial benefits of cannabis cultivation for medical purposes, decide to enact its agricultural development laws which permit regulated cannabis cultivation and exportation in alignment with the DDA, NDLEA and NAFDAC Acts?

     

    “Is cannabis a plant which may be concurrently legislated upon by the Federal and States’ legislatures or a drug within the exclusive legislative list of the federal legislature?

     

    “Where the resolution is that it is both, is it then not arguable that since a plant requires cultivation then the cultivation of cannabis should be a matter for state governments while its use, either for medicinal or recreational purposes be left to the Federal Government?

     

    “Is the Nigerian socio-cultural context mature enough for a policy consideration of legalising cannabis for regulated recreational use in order to participate in the global cannabis trade boom?

     

    “What measures may be instituted by the federal government to avert abuse if a framework for regulated cannabis cultivation is adopted?

     

    “The answers to these posers, we believe, would shape policy direction for Nigeria to determine whether to explore this blossoming market. We may, like Lesotho, find that a ganja revolution was all we needed to take Nigeria to the next level.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.thenationononlineng.net

  • Imo IPOB raid: Two arrested

     

    Two suspected members of Eastern Security Network (ESN), the armed security outfit of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), have been taken into police custody in Imo.

     

    They were arrested after a shootout with police who raided their hideout at Emekeukwu in Owerri North council area of the state.

     

    The raid was carried out on Wednesday.

    Several other suspected members of the group were wounded, police spokesman Michael Abattam said in a statement yesterday.

     

     

    He said tactical teams stormed the notorious hideout after gathering of intelligence on the suspects’ activities.

     

    Abattam said two persons Chibuike Iheukwu, 18, of Inyishi Ikeduru council, and Jidechi Akakem, 26, of Umuchoke Orji in Owerri North council were apprehended while others escaped.

     

     

    Three locally-made pistols with 14 rounds of cartridges and substances suspected to be hard drugs were recovered from the suspects.

     

    Upon interrogation, he said, one of the suspects, Akakem, who has been on the police wanted list, confessed to be a gang member of the late Joseph Uka Nnachi aka King of Dragons.

     

    Akakem was said to have also admitted being among those who attacked Orji Police Station.

     

    Abattam said both suspects admitted to be members of the Vikings confraternity allegedly headed by one Emmanuel Anyanwu aka Walking Skeleton, suspected to have supplied them with the guns and cartridges allegedly used in killing one Sir Vitalis Onuwa.

     

    The police spokesman said there were efforts to arre st other fleeing suspects.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.thenationonlineng.net

  • Ohakim’s trial for threats to release ladies Nudes

    The Abuja division of the Federal High Court will on September 27 rule on the propriety or otherwise of the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) taking over the case file of former Imo state Governor, Ikedi Ohakim.

    Ohakim is facing trial before the court alongside Chinedu Okpareke, over an allegation that he threatened to release a nude photograph of a nominal complainant, Mrs. Chinyere Amuchienwa.

    Meanwhile, there was a dramatic twist in the case as the police, yesterday, arrested Amuchinwa.

    The ruling was necessitated by a notice of withdrawal of the charge filed by the prosecuting authority, the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

    The police had, through it’s prosecution counsel, Rotshang Faith Dimka, filed a notice of discontinuance against the defendants.

    However, just when the said application was about to be moved, a lawyer from the office of the AGF, Bagudu Sani, informed the court that the AGF was taking over the matter from the IGP, to ensure diligent prosecution.

    He told the court that he had, in a letter dated March 17, 2021, communicated to the IGP to hand off the case.

    It was on that basis that Justice Taiwo Taiwo adjourned the matter for yesterday for parties to address the court on the propriety of the office of the AGF taking over the case and for the arraignment of the defendants.

    When the matter resumed, yesterday, counsel to the respective parties adopted their written submissions for and against the request by the AGF to take over the case.

    While the lawyer from the office of the AGF, Bagudu, urged the court to grant the application, the prosecution counsel, Faith Dimka, and the defence counsel urged the court to refuse the application.

    Justice Taiwo, thereafter, adjourned the matter to September 27 for ruling.

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • House Of Reps approve N2.3tn fresh loan for Buhari, Opposition disapproves

     

    Members of the minority caucus in the House of Representatives, on Thursday, declined to participate in the consideration and adoption of the report by the Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management chaired by Ahmed Safana.

     

    The report was on the external borrowing plan of the Federal Government to fund the 2021 budget, for which the President, Major General Muhamadu Buhari (retd.), sought National Assembly’s approval.

    Safana had prayed the House to accept the report on Buhari’s request for the implementation of the new external borrowing of N2.34tn (about $6.18bn) in the 2021 Appropriation Act through the issuance of Eurobond in the international capital market.

     

    The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, called on the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, to second the prayer by Safana, which he declined.

     

    Elumelu said, “Bearing in mind that I do not agree that we take any loan, I decline to second. I do not agree to any further (more) loan. I therefore decline to second.”

     

    Gbajabiamila then asked the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, to second the prayer.

     

    However, Okechukwu said, “I don’t not think it is prudent on my part to go against what my leader declined to.”

     

     

     

    The Speaker said, “Honourable Elumelu, Honourable Toby, I will take it that you don’t want your budget implemented.

     

    “In fact, you were part of the passage of the budget of 2021. Were you not? The MTEF of 2021 which was a precursor to the budget, you were part of it.  If you were not there, you are indicting yourself.”

     

    Responding, the Minority Leader said he was away in his constituency to attend to his people who were under attacks.

     

    Read Also

    LCCI, ACCI, others raise concerns as Buhari seeks nod for fresh $6.1bn loan

    Buhari seeks Senate approval for fresh N2.3trn external loan

    Reps pass revised budget, approve Buhari’s $5.5bn loan

    Gbajabiamila, however, asked why Elumelu was not in the chamber when there was critical legislation like the budget to represent his constituency.

     

    He asked, “Are you saying to your constituents who sent you here that something so important that they asked you to come and do, you were not here? I want you to repeat it to their hearing.”

     

    The Speaker also called on another opposition Peoples Democratic Party member, Lynda Ikpeazu, who also declined to second the prayer.

     

    Gbajabiamila asked a member who was doing his job as a representative to volunteer. Babajimi Benson of the All Progressives Congress eventually seconded the laying of the report.

     

    Meanwhile, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has forwarded the 2022-2024 Medium Time Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

     

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, read the cover letter on the MTEF/FSP at the plenary on Thursday.

     

    Gbajabiamila referred the MTEF/ FSP to the House Committee on Finance.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • British Govt: The rising conflict in Nigeria could destabilise Democracy

     

    British Government has raised the alarm that the rising conflicts could destabilise Nigeria’s democracy in the run-up to the 2023 elections.

     

    This is even as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) declared that the level of insecurity across the country is not only eroding citizens safety and peoples means of livelihood but also threatening the expression of the rights of Nigerians.

     

     

     

    They both spoke at the launch of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative (PISI) in Abuja, yesterday.

     

    Chris Beecroft, development director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), in his good will message, blamed the frequent crisis on injustice and impunity and weak justice institutions in the country. He said peace and stability could be achieved when causes of conflict are managed through strong, fair and responsive governance mechanisms at community, state or federal levels. He stressed that the conflict represents an existential threat to Nigeria’s unity and its development.

     

    “There is an active insurgency in the North East, farmer-herder conflicts are extending across the country, resource conflicts in the Delta, tension in the South-East and banditry in the North West. Conflict destroys lives, destroys livelihoods, destroys hope and ambition for the future. Conflict represents an existential threat to Nigeria’s unity and its development.”

     

     

     

    Beecroft explained that the use of police and army would only be part of the solution and called for greater emphasis on reconciliation, mediation, arbitration, and access to justice – all vital components of a vibrant, resilient, and effective social contract.

     

    According to him, proliferation of small arms and weapons and the weaponisation of social media are drivers of conflict and instability.

     

    He called for job creation for young Nigerians “so they have a stake in a prosperous and peaceful Nigeria,” adding however, that “with the right commitment, dedications and support, there are solutions.”

     

    Beecroft stated that the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office recognised the important role the NGF plays in setting the peace and security agenda and in building state and community level structures and institutions to reduce violence and respond to conflict and insecurity across Nigeria.

     

    “The UK is pleased to have been able to support this initiative and is committed to continue working with the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in advancing its peace and security agenda.

     

    “The UK is engaged in supporting Nigeria to reduce violent conflict in a number of areas. We promote a regional response in the North East and Lake Chad Basin through our contribution to the Regional Stabilisation Facility (RSF) and delivery of programmes on peace building, humanitarian assistance, protection of civilians, human development, good governance and accountability.”

     

    Former head of state and Chairman of National Peace Committee Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), in his remarks, expressed worry over what he called the instrumentalisation of violence, noting that violence has become a commodity in Nigeria.

     

    Abubakar, who was represented by Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, said Nigerians were in denial of the diagnosis. He said poverty was not the cause of violence in Nigeria, arguing that China has about 300 million unemployed.

     

    NGF’s chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, confessed that the spate of violence and coordinated criminal activities have undermined government authority and waned public trust in recent times.

     

    He attributed the current security crisis to several factors “including an oversized population that the government is unable to cope with, a large number of poor people estimated at over 40 percent of the population who are living below $1 per day and indeed, desertification which has affected over 60 percent of Nigeria’s land as drought and climate change has continued to aggravate land deterioration in the country.”

     

    The NGF chairman also blamed the situation on proliferation of small arms and light weapons, which he said worsened and exacerbated the level of violence and fatalities.

     

    He said between May 2011 and February 2021, over 76,000 deaths were reported.

     

    “This number also includes persons who have been killed by a state actor. In addition to the proliferation of arms is an undertone of rising ethnic conflict, with different ethnic groups subsumed in conflicts and pitched against one another.”

     

    NGF’s Director General, Asishana Okauru, explained that the launch forged a significant step in the life of the NGF as “we strive to build a nation where safety of lives and property is guaranteed.The Peace and Inclusive Security Initiative is a consequence of our determination to contribute to the conversation on inclusive security and add the leverage of the sub-nationals to the efforts to secure the lives and  property of our country men and women.

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • The Coalition of Northern group kick against open grazing ban

     

    North’s elders and interest groups slammed the 17 southern governors on Tuesday for demanding power shift to the South in 2023.

     

    The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) said the North would not accept the imposition of any candidate on the region.

    The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) rejected the position that the South should produce the next President, saying the North would not be compelled to yield an elective position.

     

    The Arewa Youths Forum (AYF) said the southern governors should first address secession agitation in their regions.

     

    But Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom backed the call for power shift, saying it accords with the need for equity and fairness.

     

    The southern governors met in Lagos on Monday and reinforced resolutions reached at their May 11 meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

     

    They insisted that power must shift to the South in 2023, and agreed to enact anti-open grazing laws by September 1.

     

    NEF: North won’t be blackmailed

    NEF, through its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the North will not be intimidated into yielding an office that ought to be settled democratically.

     

    It sees the decision of the Southern governors as an expression of a sentiment that could be best discussed within a political process.

     

    “We are running a democratic government and decisions over where the next president comes from will be made by voters exercising their rights to choose which candidate best serves their interest,” NEF said.

     

    CNG: rotation undemocratic

    CNG, in a statement by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, accused the Southern governors of ganging up against the North.

     

    Describing the proposed anti-open grazing law as retrogressive, the group said it threatens the legitimate presence of pastoral communities in the South.

     

    CNG said: “Their (Southern governors) support for treasonable felony, by the subtle endorsement of the activities of such criminal separatist forces, led by the likes of Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu, by warning the nation’s security agencies against operating in the region without obtaining permission from the governor of the particular state is a matter that must be given the seriousness it deserves.

     

    “It is ironic for such leaders of a society that delights in unleashing mayhem against fellow citizens of other regions at the slightest of pretexts, to expect the other sections of the country to trust them or any of their proteges with presidential powers.

     

    “The Southern governors’ resolutions in that regard have further exposed a deliberate attempt to impose a contentious system of a rotational presidency that turns all democratic norms and accepted indices of our national demography on their heads; a rotation system that is clearly aimed at achieving dubious political goals; and one clearly designed to weaken the North.

     

    “The Southern governors’ threat to impose and enforce this undemocratic leadership selection process on the North, irrespective of its advantage of numerical superiority and inherent political sophistry, is part of a calculated design to continuously weaken our region politically and pauperise it economically.

     

    “This conspiracy is actively perpetrated with the connivance of some northerners and accommodated by the personal ambition of a few of those that present themselves as northern political leaders.

     

    “Inevitably, the immediate trigger to the Lagos pronouncements was the collaborative assurances by the former Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima and the Kaduna State Governor Nasir Elrufai given just two days earlier.”

     

    CNG insisted that the North would not be stampeded into making major decisions around power shift.

     

    It added that only a candidate who is competent and can unite and secure Nigeria should be President in 2023, irrespective of where he or she comes from.

     

    “We warn the Southern governors and their northern collaborators that any attempt to ride on the back of such gratuitous insults to democratic fair play and crass political opportunism, to hoist incompetent leadership on the nation in the name of rotation would not be accepted and shall be vehemently resisted,” CNG added.

     

    AYF: resolutions divisive

    AYF, in a statement by Gambo Gujungu, said the governors’ resolutions were not only unconstitutional but “unfortunate”.

     

     

     

    It said rather than being concerned about insecurity and economic hardship, the governors were worried about where the president would come from.

     

    “Our advice to the southern governors is: before we talk about the 2023 elections, they should work to settle the problems ravaging their states and regions.

     

    “It is only when some of these impasses are resolved that any one should begin to talk about the Presidency in 2023, under an atmosphere devoid of rancour, bitterness and the present pronounced division,” the group said.

     

    AYF believes that some of the resolutions, especially the governors’ rejection of certain provisions of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), “do not engender peace, unity and fairness that the Southern governors said they want by asking for the Presidency in 2023”.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.thenationonlineng.net

  • Breaking: Constitutional Review – Senators, Reps, Govs meet, to reach agreement

     

    South-West Governors, Senators and House of Representatives’ members have agree to present a common position for Nigeria’s constitution review.

     

    They also set up a committee to harmonise the positions of the Governors and lawmakers from the zone.

     

    The agreement was reached after their Tuesday evening meeting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

     

    The meeting was attended by the six South-West Governors and the National Assembly members from the zone.

     

    Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, who briefed reporters shortly after the closed door meeting, said the meeting discussed so many areas of interest, particularly, constitution amendments.

     

    Akeredolu asid, “The meeting, which had Governors, distinguished Senators and members of the House of Representatives, discussed so many areas of interest.

     

    “But most importantly, the meeting today deliberated on constitutional amendments. And we have resolved that we would present a common position as regards amendments to the constitution.

     

     

    “In order to achieve this, this meeting has set up a committee. The committee is made up of distinguished Senators led by the caucus chairman, House of Representatives members led by the Caucus chairman, and Attorneys of the Southwest states.

     

    “The Committee is to harmonise our positions so that we can present it as and when necessary before the two houses and, at the end of the day, have the Constitutional amendment that h as our serious input.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • Ortom backs Southern governors on anti grazing laws

    Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday, described the decision of Southern Governors Forum to enact laws to ban open grazing of livestock in the region as a bold and patriotic move that will bring to an end the lingering crisis caused by armed herdsmen.

     

    The Governor in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, also lauded his counterparts in Southern Nigeria for backing their May 11 Asaba declaration against open grazing with the resolve to legally prohibit nomadic cattle rearing; a resolution which conforms with the global best practice of animal husbandry.

     

     

    The statement read in part, “The Governor also commends the Southern Governors Forum for their position on rotation of the Presidency between the north and south, beginning from 2023.

     

    “Governor Ortom believes that only equity, fairness and justice can strengthen the unity of Nigeria, give all citizens a sense of  belonging and reduce tensions across the  country.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

  • The plan to engage experts in overcoming Economic challenges

     

    He stated this in his remarks at the Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State during the conferment of an honorary degree on him by the university.

     

    Oke, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, said, “The challenge before this country is because of economy policies somersault and I want to enjoin the government of President Buhari to engage a seasoned economist in his government because I have not seen a single economist in this government and that is why we continue to have problem bordering on revenue leakages, the revenue is there, but we continue borrowing.

    “There is nothing bad in borrowing but when you borrow, you should do something with the money, something tangible like capital projects that will repay borrowed money but not borrowing money to pay salaries of workers, not borrowing money for going to seminars.

     

    “There are some laws that the Federal Government and parliament must work on, we need to look at our tax principles, the operation of oil and gas-rich zones, the operation of Nigeria Export Promotion in the desert and know what is happening there, because these foreign companies and some locals are exploiting these laws because they are open-ended to avoid and evade tax.”

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com