Name Lawyers abetting Kidnapping Ikimi tells Aduba

 The National Coordinator of the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence,Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi Esq in a press conference at the April meeting of the forum has threatened to sue the Delta Police Commissioner,Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba,for irresponsible comments and blackmail.Aduba had accused Lwayers and Judges in the state of aiding Kidnappers to escape justice. Excerpts:

"Gentlemen of the press, the attention of members of the forum for
justice & human rights defence (fjhd) and the centre for the
vulnerable & the underprivilege (centrep) have been drawn to the
recent statement credited to the Delta State Commissioner of Police,
CP Ikechukwu Aduba to the effect that some human rights lawyers and
judges in the State are aiding and abetting kidnappers and we condemn
the said statement as highly irresponsible and most reckless of a
senior police officer, and having patiently waited to no avail for the
Police boss to name and give full particulars of the erring human
rights lawyers and judges, we hereby challenge the Police boss to
substantiate his above allegations by publicly naming those human
rights lawyers and judges aiding and abetting kidnapping in the State,
failure of which  he himself would be guilty of aiding those he had
alleged was abetting kidnapping in the State and better still a chief
accessory to the crime of kidnapping in Delta State.
We like to remind the Police boss that the use of blackmail is an
unconventional way of fighting crime and we urge him to make his
command more public friendly by stamping out acts of extortion,
harassment, unlawful arrest and detention etc from the command in a
bid to boosting the confidence of members of the public at giving
vital information to the Men of his command to checking crimes in the
State as a highly corrupt, undisciplined and unfriendly Police command
like the Delta command cannot effectively fight crime".

Gentlemen of the press, the attention of members of the forum for
justice & human rights defence (fjhd) and the centre for the
vulnerable & the underprivilege (centrep) have been drawn to the
recent statement credited to the Delta State Commissioner of Police,
CP Okechukwu Aduba to the effect that some human rights lawyers and
judges in the State are aiding and abetting kidnappers and we condemn
the said statement as highly irresponsible and most reckless of a
senior police officer, and having patiently waited to no avail for the
Police boss to name and give full particulars of the erring human
rights lawyers and judges, we hereby challenge the Police boss to
substantiate his above allegations by publicly naming those human
rights lawyers and judges aiding and abetting kidnapping in the State,
failure of which  he himself would be guilty of aiding those he had
alleged was abetting kidnapping in the State and better still a chief
accessory to the crime of kidnapping in Delta State.
We like to remind the Police boss that the use of blackmail is an
unconventional way of fighting crime and we urge him to make his
command more public friendly by stamping out acts of extortion,
harassment, unlawful arrest and detention etc from the command in a
bid to boosting the confidence of members of the public at giving
vital informations to the Men of his command to checking crimes in the
State as a highly corrupt, undisciplined and unfriendly Police command
like the Delta command cannot effectively fight crime. -Oghenejabor
Ikimi, Esq (National Coordinator)Gentlemen of the press, the attention of members of the forum for
justice & human rights defence (fjhd) and the centre for the
vulnerable & the underprivilege (centrep) have been drawn to the
recent statement credited to the Delta State Commissioner of Police,
CP Okechukwu Aduba to the effect that some human rights lawyers and
judges in the State are aiding and abetting kidnappers and we condemn
the said statement as highly irresponsible and most reckless of a
senior police officer, and having patiently waited to no avail for the
Police boss to name and give full particulars of the erring human
rights lawyers and judges, we hereby challenge the Police boss to
substantiate his above allegations by publicly naming those human
rights lawyers and judges aiding and abetting kidnapping in the State,
failure of which  he himself would be guilty of aiding those he had
alleged was abetting kidnapping in the State and better still a chief
accessory to the crime of kidnapping in Delta State.
We like to remind the Police boss that the use of blackmail is an
unconventional way of fighting crime and we urge him to make his
command more public friendly by stamping out acts of extortion,
harassment, unlawful arrest and detention etc from the command in a
bid to boosting the confidence of members of the public at giving
vital informations to the Men of his command to checking crimes in the
State as a highly corrupt, undisciplined and unfriendly Police command
like the Delta command cannot effectively fight crime. -Oghenejabor
Ikimi, Esq (National Coordinator)I am writing this article mainly for the benefit of Southern Nigerians who have never been to the North, and mostly have a warped and inaccurate view of the North. I have been driven to write this out of my many personal experiences, and those of friends and family, as has been shared with me. This is mainly an educative piece about what Northern Nigeria is in reality; a complete, holistic picture of this region.

To make this piece a simple read and easy-to-follow, I am going to write it around 5 common perceptions about the North and debunk them:

Religious Perception: The general belief held by most Southerners about the North is that the region is not just mainly Muslim, but wholly Muslim. Whenever I meet someone from the South and introduce myself, I am correctly placed as a Christian. But once I am asked my state and I say Borno State, the next question becomes, ‘Are you a Muslim?’ This is despite my name being a very common Biblical name, Mark, which is the second Gospel. Matter of fact, I have been asked that question while attending a church programme, with a Bible conspicuously held in my hands. You could imagine my surprise at that question. This has also been the experience of a lot of friends with common names such as ‘Emmanuel’, ‘Daniel’, etc.

To start with, out of the 19 Northern states, at least 5 have a majority Christian population: Plateau, Adamawa, Nassarawa, Taraba and Benue. At least 6 more have at least 40% Christian population. These states include Niger, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara and either Borno or Bauchi. That then leaves only Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara as having Muslim populations above 60%. How then are we all seen as Muslims?

This misconception could be excused when the person has an Arabic name, as there are many Northern Christians who bear names such as Jamila, Habiba, Halima, Sadiq, and Yunusa and so on. But when the person has an obvious Christian name and is even attends church services, you really begin to wonder.

Ethnic Perception: Another common perception of the North is that we are all Hausa. My usual response to this is to borrow the logical argument of Simon Kolawole, the Editor-in-Chief of THISDay Newspapers. In an article in which he attempted to educate his largely Southern readership base about the North, he went thus:
“If out of the estimated 250 tribes in Nigeria, we can say that the South-West is mainly Yoruba with a few other tribes around Badagry area, the South-East wholly Igbo and the South-South being most diverse in the South with about 40 tribes, that still leaves the remaining 200 tribes in the North.”

How then are we reduced to one single ethnic group, Hausa? It is only the North-West that is close to being homogenous, mainly Hausa and Fulani, but with still some minority tribes in the Zuru area of Kebbi State and the multi-diverse Southern Kaduna. The North-East and North-Central is filled with tribes, many of whom I have never even heard of. For example, Adamawa State is so diverse that the largest ethnic group, the Fulani, is just 3% of the entire population. In my home state of Borno, there is a local government so diverse that from one village to another, you are likely to meet an entirely different ethnic group. The number of tribes there are so many that we just address the people as ‘Gwoza people’, after the name of the local government.

Even though we all speak Hausa as a lingua franca in order to communicate amongst ourselves as trading partners over the centuries, that doesn’t make us Hausa people as much as communicating English doesn’t make you and I English people. As a matter of fact, in the North-East, Hausa people are a minority and virtually non-existent in the North-Central region.

Intellectual Beliefs: Now, this is one belief that whenever I am confronted with, it takes me a great deal of self-control not to flip out and lose my temper. Times without number, when I tell people I am from Borno State, I am asked how come I speak such good English. What the hell? What am I supposed to speak? Arabic? The general expectation is that someone from the North is not supposed to be this learned, this well-spoken and articulate in English, this knowledgeable. I remember when a friend asked me if my mother went to school, and the surprised look on his face when I told him that my mum earned her masters’ degree over 20 years ago. There was also a time when my dad met someone at the Lagos International Airport and they got talking. When my dad told him his profession, the man, in a fit of surprise, exclaimed, ‘I didn’t know that there were professors in the North’.

I admit the fact that the North l this country politically and kill Southerners’ has been repeated so much that it is seen as the truth. This is the kind of stuff that creates stereotyping, which in her words, ‘not that it is untrue, but that it is incomplete’.

This is one reason I still see the significance of our NYSC scheme, choked with problems as it may be. We need to know each other more. Let us override this stereotypical mind-set and seek to learn about each other with open minds and seek the complete story that gives a holistic picture of our country.

By Mark Amaza

- See more at: http://www.nigeriaonpoint.com/2014/04/re-introducing-northern-nigeria-not-as.html#sthash.GpNU5Pfd.dpuf

I am writing this article mainly for the benefit of Southern Nigerians who have never been to the North, and mostly have a warped and inaccurate view of the North. I have been driven to write this out of my many personal experiences, and those of friends and family, as has been shared with me. This is mainly an educative piece about what Northern Nigeria is in reality; a complete, holistic picture of this region.

To make this piece a simple read and easy-to-follow, I am going to write it around 5 common perceptions about the North and debunk them:

Religious Perception: The general belief held by most Southerners about the North is that the region is not just mainly Muslim, but wholly Muslim. Whenever I meet someone from the South and introduce myself, I am correctly placed as a Christian. But once I am asked my state and I say Borno State, the next question becomes, ‘Are you a Muslim?’ This is despite my name being a very common Biblical name, Mark, which is the second Gospel. Matter of fact, I have been asked that question while attending a church programme, with a Bible conspicuously held in my hands. You could imagine my surprise at that question. This has also been the experience of a lot of friends with common names such as ‘Emmanuel’, ‘Daniel’, etc.

To start with, out of the 19 Northern states, at least 5 have a majority Christian population: Plateau, Adamawa, Nassarawa, Taraba and Benue. At least 6 more have at least 40% Christian population. These states include Niger, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara and either Borno or Bauchi. That then leaves only Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara as having Muslim populations above 60%. How then are we all seen as Muslims?

This misconception could be excused when the person has an Arabic name, as there are many Northern Christians who bear names such as Jamila, Habiba, Halima, Sadiq, and Yunusa and so on. But when the person has an obvious Christian name and is even attends church services, you really begin to wonder.

Ethnic Perception: Another common perception of the North is that we are all Hausa. My usual response to this is to borrow the logical argument of Simon Kolawole, the Editor-in-Chief of THISDay Newspapers. In an article in which he attempted to educate his largely Southern readership base about the North, he went thus:
“If out of the estimated 250 tribes in Nigeria, we can say that the South-West is mainly Yoruba with a few other tribes around Badagry area, the South-East wholly Igbo and the South-South being most diverse in the South with about 40 tribes, that still leaves the remaining 200 tribes in the North.”

How then are we reduced to one single ethnic group, Hausa? It is only the North-West that is close to being homogenous, mainly Hausa and Fulani, but with still some minority tribes in the Zuru area of Kebbi State and the multi-diverse Southern Kaduna. The North-East and North-Central is filled with tribes, many of whom I have never even heard of. For example, Adamawa State is so diverse that the largest ethnic group, the Fulani, is just 3% of the entire population. In my home state of Borno, there is a local government so diverse that from one village to another, you are likely to meet an entirely different ethnic group. The number of tribes there are so many that we just address the people as ‘Gwoza people’, after the name of the local government.

Even though we all speak Hausa as a lingua franca in order to communicate amongst ourselves as trading partners over the centuries, that doesn’t make us Hausa people as much as communicating English doesn’t make you and I English people. As a matter of fact, in the North-East, Hausa people are a minority and virtually non-existent in the North-Central region.

Intellectual Beliefs: Now, this is one belief that whenever I am confronted with, it takes me a great deal of self-control not to flip out and lose my temper. Times without number, when I tell people I am from Borno State, I am asked how come I speak such good English. What the hell? What am I supposed to speak? Arabic? The general expectation is that someone from the North is not supposed to be this learned, this well-spoken and articulate in English, this knowledgeable. I remember when a friend asked me if my mother went to school, and the surprised look on his face when I told him that my mum earned her masters’ degree over 20 years ago. There was also a time when my dad met someone at the Lagos International Airport and they got talking. When my dad told him his profession, the man, in a fit of surprise, exclaimed, ‘I didn’t know that there were professors in the North’.

I admit the fact that the North lags behind the South educationally, especially the North-West and the North-East. But this is not due to our inability to comprehend what we are being taught, but rather due to the incompetence of leadership in the region to give education its premium importance as a form of human development. We, like every other human being on the face of this earth, can excel when given the opportunity. Talent and intellect abounds everywhere. Opportunity, however, does not. I personally know of many Northerners who have excelled nationally and internationally. Daily, the story of young men like Ahmed Mukoshy, who is born, bred and schooled in Sokoto, and yet, rose above his environment to become one of the emerging forces in IT in this country in his early 20s inspires me. This is just one example among many that I could cite but for the lack of space.

I find it outright disgusting whenever people claim that if not for federal character and ‘zoning’, no Northerner would be able to compete in this country. Last week, I was shocked when a friend said only 10% of Northerners in the Federal Civil Service deserved their places on merit, and went on to add that if he had not known me personally and I were to get a job with the Federal Government, he would believe that I did not earn it on merit. The most ridiculous one I encountered was when earlier this year, former Minister of Finance, Dr Mansur Mukhtar was appointed a World Bank director. Most of the commentators on the 234Next article announcing this achievement for this Nigerian and Nigeria made the ludicrous assertion that the appointment was done to please the North, that Dr Mukhtar did not merit it. Little did they know that Dr Mukhtar had worked at the World Bank and the African Development Bank, prior to his heading Nigeria’s Budget Office on the invitation of the then and present Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former World Bank Managing Director, who also recommended him for the post of Finance Minister when she rejected former President Umaru Yar’adua’s invitation to join his government. What is even worse is that they did not care to know: their minds were already made up and could not be confused with the facts.

Geo-Political Beliefs: Another common belief among Southerners and most especially spread by Southern newspapers is that the entire 19 Northern states act and think as one when it comes to issues of Northern politics. This is one of the biggest untruths about the North. Whenever Northern Nigeria is mentioned, the people of Benue, Kogi and Kwara states do not feel it refers to them. Geographically, they are part of the North; politically, however, they and the entire Middle-Belt act independently. This can be clearly in the last elections where President Goodluck Jonathan won in 7 Northern states, even against his strongest opponent, General Muhammadu Buhari, who is a Northerner. This was something I am sure a lot of people in the South, save for the political savvy, did not see coming.

One common sight of this perception being entrenched by newspapers is when politicians of Northern extraction speak on national issues. I have innumerably seen a washed-out Northern politician, without any influence or popularity speak regarding an issue, and the next day, newspapers carry bold headlines saying, ‘North rejects this’ or ‘North plans to do that’, quoting the same washed-out politician as speaking for the entire North. I have rarely seen a Bola Tinubu speaking and being quoted as the mouthpiece of the entire Yoruba ethnic group, or a Chief Edwin Clark for the Ijaw people. Methinks this is a way of selling newspapers by capitalizing on the image of the North as one single, political force which moves in a particular direction all-together

Cultural/Social/Economic Belief: Admittedly, as people of the same region, we share a lot in common culturally and socially in the general terms: our mannerisms, modes of dressing, traditional titles (apart from paramount rulers with the exception of emirates), etc. Despite that, the Jukun in Taraba and the Kataf in Kaduna are very different in the specifics, as even the Bura and Marghi people of Borno/Adamawa States. To pick the attitude of one ethnic group in the North and attach it to all the others, is to put it mildly, a very short-sighted way of knowing and understanding the people of Northern Nigeria.

Another belief in the South is that the entire North is but an empty land mass with nothing but trees. I remember the controversy of the 2006 census when Kano State was said to have a slightly higher population than Lagos State. Many of my Southern friends called it ‘an impossibility’. In the words of one of them, ‘Lagos is so populated that when you throw grains of rice into the air, they wouldn’t land on the ground, but on people’. However, they all forgot to factor in land mass, because Lagos State is a much smaller state than Kano State, and hence has the highest population density in Nigeria, hence making it look as though it was way more populated.
There are cities in the North that have been thriving economically, such as Kano and Kaduna. As a matter of fact, Kaduna State was adjudged by the World Bank in the year 2009 as the best place to do business.

Lastly, the most retrogressive belief about the North in the South is that the entire North is a hotbed for violence. As much as we have had more than our fair share of ethno-religious violence, there are many states that have never experienced one, including states such as Zamfara, and others as Nassarawa and Benue.

I have not written this as a criticism of the people of Southern Nigeria, but rather, in the hope that this will be an enlightenment of the South about the North. It amazes me when I see that despite the fact that we have been a country for almost a century, yet, a lot of people down South know little or nothing about their fellow Nigerians in the North, but know about Europe and America.

I have also realized that we as Northerners have allowed others to say our story for ourselves, hence have given it distortions, deletion and generalizations. What has happened over time is what the writer Chimamanda Adichie, in her TED talk in March 2009, at Oxford, England, describes as ‘the danger of the single story’, where a single story of the North as a region of poor, illiterate, lazy, Hausa Muslims who do nothing but connive to lord over this country politically and kill Southerners’ has been repeated so much that it is seen as the truth. This is the kind of stuff that creates stereotyping, which in her words, ‘not that it is untrue, but that it is incomplete’.

This is one reason I still see the significance of our NYSC scheme, choked with problems as it may be. We need to know each other more. Let us override this stereotypical mind-set and seek to learn about each other with open minds and seek the complete story that gives a holistic picture of our country.

By Mark Amaza

- See more at: http://www.nigeriaonpoint.com/2014/04/re-introducing-northern-nigeria-not-as.html#sthash.GpNU5Pfd.dpuf

BOKO HARAM: ARMY TO RECRUIT MORE

The Federal Government has given  the armed forces and other security agencies the nod  to embark on mass recruitment.

The PUNCH gathered in Abuja on Sunday that the directive was to give fillip to the war against terrorism in the country.

It was also learnt that those who attended the expanded National Security Council meeting in Abuja on Thursday emphasised the need for the recruitment.

 A highly placed military source said that   President  Goodluck Jonathan  issued the  directive for more recruitment into the army in March after the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Kenneth Minimah,  had briefed him about the operations of the army.

 The source, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the  matter,  said   the army did not  begin   the recruitment immediately because of the need to expand training facilities in parts of the country.

 It was learnt that the army would commence  the recruitment in May 2014.

 Our source said,  “We have in  the pipeline, the plan to recruit. We are holding it because we want to upgrade our facilities.

 “The presidential  directive  to us to recruit was given  in March when the COAS briefed the President. But the  excercise would start next month (May)”

 The source added that  because of  Boko Haram and other security challenges,   the recruitment    would now hold  twice a year unlike in the past when it was done once.

Another source said, “It is true that recruitment has to be beefed up. The Federal Government has granted that request but recruitment is not just the number.

 “You must note that you cannot produce a soldier in three days or  weeks; this is a  serious business involving the requisite facilities for training.

 “If you want to raise your recruitment for instance, from 1,000 recruits to 2, 000 per annum, you must increase the facilities for their training.

 “And I can tell you that it takes time for you to increase such facilities. You see, the issue is that the country has neglected the Army for so long; several public commentators have questioned why public funds should be spent to maintain a large army when there is no war.

 “But is it wise for you to start screaming where are the soldiers when you did not make arrangement for training just because there is a threat now?

 “For you to increase the number of those being recruited, you have to increase the structures for recruitment because as you are recruiting, you are training.

 According to him, the structures  on the ground can only accommodate a   particular number of recruits.

He said that the best the army did last year  was to increase the timing for recruitment.

 “It used to be annual but it  is now going to be  twice a year,” the source added.

 He said that the  recruitment issue was being taken  more seriously because   the  about 150,000 men and officers of the army had come under stress due to the   involvement of some of them  in  internal security operations.

 The source  explained  that the army had assumed some traditional responsibilities of the   Nigerian Police Force,  especially in the North –East  where many  police facilities   had been destroyed by insurgents.

The National Security Adviser, Col.  Sambo Dasuki, had at  a recent  international seminar on the Observance of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Internal Security Operations  on February 25, 2014  said that  the Nigerian Armed Forces were engaged in internal operations in 32 states.

 Dasuki  had said, “As you are well aware, our great country has been grappling with a plethora of security challenges occasioning the loss of lives and property.

 “These civil disturbances, ethnic tensions and recently, terrorism and insurgency in the North-East   have engaged the attention of the government and security agencies as concerted efforts are being made to contain the situation and restore normalcy to the affected parts of the country.”

 It was  further gathered that the expanded National Security Council meeting on Thursday discussed extensively, the need to boost the capacity of other security agencies like the police, the State Security Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

 The council was said to have expressed concern that the “army was being unnecessary overstreched,”  through its involvement in internal security operations.

When our correspondent contacted the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, he replied , “I am sorry I can’t speak on that without contacting the relevant authorities .”

 He however  promised to   speak with one of our correspondents on the issue on Monday (today).

But a security consultant, Ben Okezie, criticised the planned recruitment, saying it was late in coming.

He  noted  that the process might  be hijacked by politicians who were always waiting with a list of candidates.

Okezie said the government should rather recruit ex-service men and other retired security officers into the army, stressing that the nation could not afford to wait for the time it would take to train the fresh recruit while the insurgency rages on.

He said, “This government is like a patient in the hospital whose psyche is disturbed by the drugs given to him. How can government recruit civilians into the Army? How long will it take to train them  with many northern youths willing to join Boko Haram?

“Whenever there is recruitment, politicians will bring a long list of thugs and those they want to use during elections. Is this not what happened in the Niger Delta during the Amnesty programme?

“Recruiting civilians into the Army now is like going to the World Cup and you are now going to the village to recruit footballers.  Boko Haram has trained its fighters long ago.”

Okezie advised the government to constitute a special operation task force made up of serving and retired security personnel who are indigenes of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states to provide intelligence on Boko Haram, since they are conversant with their states of origin.

According to him, the task force members should be well paid and should be made to know that their mission was to save their states.

Another security expert, Max Gbanite, observed that increasing the numbers of soldiers would not help to win the war against terrorism.

He argued  that  what the government needed to  do was to declare that the nation was at war and to assess what it would take to prosecute it.

Gbanite  also advised  the government to  mobilise the vigilante groups and   consider the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle known as drones in the campaign against the insurgents.

He said, “The government must consider the use of human and electronic equipment for intelligence gathering.  We  must localise the war by using vigilance groups or civilian JTF. There is also  a need for geo-spatial intelligence. We need to know whether Boko Haram has underground tunnels like Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

“If they have underground tunnels, drones can’t see them;so we will need human intelligence. I am disturbed that the sect is mimicking The Lord Resistance Army of Uganda by kidnapping children.”

Meanwhile,  the   Defence Headquarters said on Sunday that the military was satisfied with the ongoing operations against insurgents  in Borno. State.

Its spokesman, Olukolade made this known  during an interview with journalists  on the sidelines of a media tour of military operations in Maiduguri, that  the troops had been able to sustain momentum in terms of the offensive against the terrorists.

He  said,” The bases we visited are part of the responses to the terrorist offensive and that is an achievement; the military had moved close to where the insurgents are.‘’

The defence spokesman added  that the morale of the soldiers was high, adding that ‘’we are expecting to see more successes from the troops’’.

The  News Agency of Nigeria  reported  that the  journalists  visited military camps in and around Maiduguri.

The journalists were also taken on night patrols by the troops which lasted from 9pm to 12.30am . around Maiduguri and its environs.

The essence of the tour, according to Olukolade, is to have a first-hand information on the operations of the troops.

Full Public Funding for Nigerian Elections

The Electoral Act of 2010 empowers the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) to regulate the sources and nature of funding for political campaigns in Nigeria. However, even though the 2011 general election was declared free and fair by the government, the chairman of INEC, Attahiru Jega, would later confess that the Commission “does not even have a desk that handles campaign financing” (As quoted in Vanguard Newspaper, May 8, 2011). After a public rebuke, Jega has decided to toe the path of honor and now says that INEC will monitor campaign funds in the 2015 elections (The Punch Newspaper, April 7, 2014). Similar position is canvassed by a broad spectrum of Nigerian elites, including the National Stakeholders’ Forum on Electoral Reform led by former Senate President Ken Nnamani.
But President Goodluck Jonathan has flatly rejected the idea, arguing that regulation can only be realistic, “if you’re getting funds from government, then you must set restrictions; but if you’re generating your own funds, then you’ve no restrictions” (As quoted in Daily Trust, April 8, 2014).
While it can be convenient to lampoon both the INEC and the President for this pattern of inconsistency, the simple truth is that the issue of campaign finance in Nigeria has been a frustrating mirage.
For transparency and fairness, Nigeria should explore the implications of Jonathan’s remarks and adopt without delay full public funding for inter-party elections. This proposal is consistent with the recommendations of notable organizations, such as the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
The proposal is also similar to the McCain-Feingold legislation for presidential elections in the United States of America—without the choice for individual contributions. Unlike before, implementation will not be burdened by the number of political parties since the parties themselves are dramatically decreasing to the desired two-party structure.
To frustrate political merchants eager to capitalize on the loopholes of the government funding, the INEC should employ more stringent conditions for registration as well as participation of parties in elections.
Perhaps the process to public funding is not expected to be a cakewalk in this nation. Nevertheless, any genuine effort must ensure that that the long awaited Cashless Policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria is fully implemented and INEC itself strengthened to enforce existing laws on campaign finance, including the costs for elections as stipulated in the Electoral Act of 2010.
Public funding has become necessary for obvious reasons:
To begin with, Nigeria can adequately afford government funding for inter-party elections. After all, virtually all individual elections in the country are already being financed one way or another through looted funds from government treasury. In fact, a cursory look at recent Nigerian political diary readily shows that most elective office holders are individuals who have become wealthy by stealing public money or sponsored by godfathers who thrive in stealing public money.
Second, lack of public funding accelerates the engine of corruption in the country. For instance, the corrupt military brigade that funded President Olusegun Obasanjo’s elections enjoyed immunity while he was in office. President Umaru Yar’Adua’s failure to investigate clear cases of corruption by his predecessor and some ex-governors is tied to the source of the funds used in ushering him (Yar’Adua) to power.
Ditto President Goodluck Jonathan, whose party is making matters worse by aggressively soliciting corrupt politicians, particularly notorious ex-governors currently facing charges for looting state treasuries. Besides, public funding will finally allay the fears of some influential Nigerians (including President Jonathan) who claim that their main reason for advocating single tenure for governors and the president is attributed to the fact that cost of re-elections only goes to worsen corruption.
More significantly, lack of public funding has weakened competition as well as opposition in national body politics. Public funding would curtail the prevailing pattern where money, instead of the masses, determines the outcome of our elections. It would also broaden the political process so that true competition for ideas—rather than competition for access to illegitimate funds—is the backbone of Nigerian democracy.
The country can then maximize her abundant human resources by attracting the youth, women, and many true patriots who have shied away from politics simply because of funding and manner of the funding.
Very essentially, public finance has the potential to engender dynamic opposition activities toward the much desired checks and balances and effective leadership by consequence. Any system—whether native authority, military regime, democracy or quasi-democracy—without true competition, equal opportunity, and viable mechanisms for checks and balances is nothing but dictatorship.
By: SKC Ogbonnia, Ph.D.
Houston, Texas
SKCOgbonnia@firsttexasenergy.com

ENDLESS POWER OUTAGE;CONSUMERS PROTEST.

Endless agony, as power network collapses

on April 09, 2014   /   in News 1:59 am   /   Comments

BY MICHAEL EBOH, AMAMDI ONYEGBADUE & EDIRI EJOH
LAGOS—Nigeria’s Power situation has in the last couple of weeks attained a worrisome dimension, raising questions on the country’s recent emergence as the 26th biggest economy in the world. Electricity consumers lament that they are rather paying more for darkness than light.

In the last one month, power supply across the country, especially in Lagos and Abuja, has deteriorated to the worst level since Nigeria’s independence, despite promises made by the Federal Government over the years to ensure stable electricity supply.
Distribution companies are daily designing ingenious means to make consumers pay for electricity not supplied.
Former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji and chief executives of distribution companies (Discos) however blamed the energy problem on the country’s power generating facilities which they said were obsolete and unreliable, dating back to 1896.

Survey
A survey by Vanguard revealed that on the average, Nigerians only have about two hours of electricity supply in a week, while some areas have gone without power for about three weeks. Residents who spoke to Vanguard in Apapa, Surulere, Ilasamaja, Isolo, Isheri, Lekki, Ikotun, Satellite Town, Iyana-Ipaja, Festac Town, Ketu, Ikorodu, Gwarimpa in Abuja, Nyanya and other areas in states across the federation, bemoaned their plight and condemned the epileptic power situation.
Some of the residents called for the cancellation of the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, saying that the new owners have not displayed adequate capacity and capability to tackle the country’s power situation. Efforts to get the authorities to comment on the sufferings of Nigerians as regards power supply proved abortive. as they were yet to respond to questions sent to them on the issue at press time. Officials of some of the Discos also failed to respond to e-mails, while some of them claimed that the amount of power given them has been reduced drastically.

Unearned revenue

Reacting to the power crisis, Mr. Okolie Moses, an official at Kinetic Associates in Surulere, said: “We were expecting that the new owners would in the first months give Nigerians hope. But to my surprise, they have failed to change anything. They complained that the situation was so bad, as if they were not aware of this before they bought the assets. In my area, power went off on January 22, but they could not restore it until March 5. We had no light throughout the month of February, yet we got a bill for February. If the private hands are effective, so to say, we don’t expect such things to happen.”
Mrs Ijayemi of KFA Monograms, said: “Power supply has gone from bad to worse. As far as we are concerned we have not seen the difference. The situation has worsened to the extent that presently, we have not had power at all for five to six days. When it comes, it only lasts for five minutes and it’s gone. We really do not understand what is going on; it has never been this bad in the past 10 years; it has never been as bad as this.”
On his part, Mr. Satiregun Mujide, a medical doctor at Tolu Medical Centre, Ojo Road, Ajegunle, Lagos, said: “Electricity supply has always been the way it is but this era is often bad and not encouraging. Going back, there was a little improvement in the supply but now we don’t really understand if we are going from bad to worst.
“This epileptic supply affects our budget because we have our plans. Early last year, there was a fair power supply but by late last year, there was a serious drop and it is quite discouraging because, we expect these owners to be more impressive but the reverse now seems to be the case.
“We pay about N60,000 as bill and even with this poor supply our money has not dropped and that looks like fraud. Light is the bedrock of an organization and business cannot thrive without electricity supply. The government should join these owners and understand what is needed to improve the sector.
Also speaking, Mr Emeka Esume, a manager at Ndokwa Entertainment Centre, also at Ajegunle, said: “The new owners are not trying at all and it is affecting business because we have to depend on generators and that causes noise and other expenses.
“The billing system is ridiculous because the less we see this supply the more and constant our bill is. “We pay as much as N85,000 and there is no decrease even now that we are not seeing the benefit of what we are paying for.”

DISCOs blame transmission

An official of a distribution company, who chose to remain anonymous, blamed the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, for the epileptic power situation, saying that the country’s transmission network cannot effectively deliver the entire amount of electricity generated to households across the country.
The official, who also cited inadequate supply of gas as a major problem, disclosed that prior to the handover of the power assets to the new owners, Lagos State used to get about 900 megawatts of electricity from the national grid, but it dropped to 300MW after the handover.
He said they had to grapple with the problem of distributing the 300MW to households across the state in a fair manner, hence the rationing and erratic power situation in most cases.
Also, key sources in the power sector who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, alleged that the last privatization exercise in the power sector was designed to defraud Nigerians and not geared towards ensuring stable supply of power.
According to one of the sources, the fact that the Federal Government is supporting the N750 fixed charge, whether there is electricity supplied or not, is a pointer to the fact that government is in connivance with the new owners of the privatised assets to shortchange Nigerians.
Another source wondered why the Federal Government was more concerned about the investors recouping their investments, rather than ensuring that they improve the level of power supply in the country. The source said it is almost six months since the handover of the assets to the new owners, yet, there has been no significant improvement in power supply.

Electricity

infrastructure obsolete, unreliable

— Nnaji, Discos

Meanwhile, former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji and chief executives of Distribution companies (Discos), yesterday, declared that Nigeria’s power generating facilities are obsolete and unreliable.
Speaking at the Seventh Lagos Economic Summit (Ehingbeti 2014), Nnaji disclosed that there is presently a wide gap between electricity supply and demand, while the transmission infrastructure are weak and inadequate. He further stated that the distribution network is overloaded, while the rate of technical and commercial losses are very high.
Nnaji suggested a short term emergency solution to the power problem in the area of embedded generation using the ring-fencing method, whereby some areas are divided into economic clusters.
He said Lagos has all the facilities to deliver stable power, adding, however, that it has to assert its influence by partnering with the distribution companies to plan for efficient and effective distribution of power within Lagos.
Also speaking, Mr. Charles Momoh, Chairman, West Power and Gas, owner of the Eko Distribution Company, emphasised the need for revamping of the country’s power infrastructure, saying that the country is still using power infrastrusture that dates back to 1896. He further blamed the epileptic power situation across the country on the non-availability of gas and the reduction of power supply to the distribution companies.
Momoh further blamed the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, for the “blinking” power situation, saying: “The TCN introduced frequency relays to protect their equipment, which is at the expense of consumers’ appliances, because this relay is responsible for the two minutes on and off power situation in Lagos.”
On his own part, Mr. Sola Adeshina, Managing Director, Sahara Power, owner of the Ikeja Distribution Company, also noted that unavailability of gas and a non-cost reflective tariff structure is hampering the effective delivery of power to consumers.

Faulty asset valuation
A former Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Ransome Owan, had in a document obtained by Vanguard, titled, ‘Operation and Maintenance (O&M) issues in the privatised power market’ disclosed that the new investors acquired assets that are problematic.
He further noted that a faulty valuation system was used in the sales process by the Federal Government. He disclosed that the privatised businesses are full of problems including the support systems, both from within and without. According to him, the transaction leading to the sale of the assets was based on government asset valuation and not a business valuation.
He further stated that the business turnaround plans tendered during the bid round require re-examination based on facts discovered.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/04/endless-agony-power-network-collapses/#sthash.XiHJEtYe.dpuf

Endless agony, as power network collapses

on April 09, 2014   /   in News 1:59 am   /   Comments

BY MICHAEL EBOH, AMAMDI ONYEGBADUE & EDIRI EJOH
LAGOS—Nigeria’s Power situation has in the last couple of weeks attained a worrisome dimension, raising questions on the country’s recent emergence as the 26th biggest economy in the world. Electricity consumers lament that they are rather paying more for darkness than light.

In the last one month, power supply across the country, especially in Lagos and Abuja, has deteriorated to the worst level since Nigeria’s independence, despite promises made by the Federal Government over the years to ensure stable electricity supply.
Distribution companies are daily designing ingenious means to make consumers pay for electricity not supplied.
Former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji and chief executives of distribution companies (Discos) however blamed the energy problem on the country’s power generating facilities which they said were obsolete and unreliable, dating back to 1896.

Survey
A survey by Vanguard revealed that on the average, Nigerians only have about two hours of electricity supply in a week, while some areas have gone without power for about three weeks. Residents who spoke to Vanguard in Apapa, Surulere, Ilasamaja, Isolo, Isheri, Lekki, Ikotun, Satellite Town, Iyana-Ipaja, Festac Town, Ketu, Ikorodu, Gwarimpa in Abuja, Nyanya and other areas in states across the federation, bemoaned their plight and condemned the epileptic power situation.
Some of the residents called for the cancellation of the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, saying that the new owners have not displayed adequate capacity and capability to tackle the country’s power situation. Efforts to get the authorities to comment on the sufferings of Nigerians as regards power supply proved abortive. as they were yet to respond to questions sent to them on the issue at press time. Officials of some of the Discos also failed to respond to e-mails, while some of them claimed that the amount of power given them has been reduced drastically.

Unearned revenue

Reacting to the power crisis, Mr. Okolie Moses, an official at Kinetic Associates in Surulere, said: “We were expecting that the new owners would in the first months give Nigerians hope. But to my surprise, they have failed to change anything. They complained that the situation was so bad, as if they were not aware of this before they bought the assets. In my area, power went off on January 22, but they could not restore it until March 5. We had no light throughout the month of February, yet we got a bill for February. If the private hands are effective, so to say, we don’t expect such things to happen.”
Mrs Ijayemi of KFA Monograms, said: “Power supply has gone from bad to worse. As far as we are concerned we have not seen the difference. The situation has worsened to the extent that presently, we have not had power at all for five to six days. When it comes, it only lasts for five minutes and it’s gone. We really do not understand what is going on; it has never been this bad in the past 10 years; it has never been as bad as this.”
On his part, Mr. Satiregun Mujide, a medical doctor at Tolu Medical Centre, Ojo Road, Ajegunle, Lagos, said: “Electricity supply has always been the way it is but this era is often bad and not encouraging. Going back, there was a little improvement in the supply but now we don’t really understand if we are going from bad to worst.
“This epileptic supply affects our budget because we have our plans. Early last year, there was a fair power supply but by late last year, there was a serious drop and it is quite discouraging because, we expect these owners to be more impressive but the reverse now seems to be the case.
“We pay about N60,000 as bill and even with this poor supply our money has not dropped and that looks like fraud. Light is the bedrock of an organization and business cannot thrive without electricity supply. The government should join these owners and understand what is needed to improve the sector.
Also speaking, Mr Emeka Esume, a manager at Ndokwa Entertainment Centre, also at Ajegunle, said: “The new owners are not trying at all and it is affecting business because we have to depend on generators and that causes noise and other expenses.
“The billing system is ridiculous because the less we see this supply the more and constant our bill is. “We pay as much as N85,000 and there is no decrease even now that we are not seeing the benefit of what we are paying for.”

DISCOs blame transmission

An official of a distribution company, who chose to remain anonymous, blamed the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, for the epileptic power situation, saying that the country’s transmission network cannot effectively deliver the entire amount of electricity generated to households across the country.
The official, who also cited inadequate supply of gas as a major problem, disclosed that prior to the handover of the power assets to the new owners, Lagos State used to get about 900 megawatts of electricity from the national grid, but it dropped to 300MW after the handover.
He said they had to grapple with the problem of distributing the 300MW to households across the state in a fair manner, hence the rationing and erratic power situation in most cases.
Also, key sources in the power sector who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, alleged that the last privatization exercise in the power sector was designed to defraud Nigerians and not geared towards ensuring stable supply of power.
According to one of the sources, the fact that the Federal Government is supporting the N750 fixed charge, whether there is electricity supplied or not, is a pointer to the fact that government is in connivance with the new owners of the privatised assets to shortchange Nigerians.
Another source wondered why the Federal Government was more concerned about the investors recouping their investments, rather than ensuring that they improve the level of power supply in the country. The source said it is almost six months since the handover of the assets to the new owners, yet, there has been no significant improvement in power supply.

Electricity

infrastructure obsolete, unreliable

— Nnaji, Discos

Meanwhile, former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji and chief executives of Distribution companies (Discos), yesterday, declared that Nigeria’s power generating facilities are obsolete and unreliable.
Speaking at the Seventh Lagos Economic Summit (Ehingbeti 2014), Nnaji disclosed that there is presently a wide gap between electricity supply and demand, while the transmission infrastructure are weak and inadequate. He further stated that the distribution network is overloaded, while the rate of technical and commercial losses are very high.
Nnaji suggested a short term emergency solution to the power problem in the area of embedded generation using the ring-fencing method, whereby some areas are divided into economic clusters.
He said Lagos has all the facilities to deliver stable power, adding, however, that it has to assert its influence by partnering with the distribution companies to plan for efficient and effective distribution of power within Lagos.
Also speaking, Mr. Charles Momoh, Chairman, West Power and Gas, owner of the Eko Distribution Company, emphasised the need for revamping of the country’s power infrastructure, saying that the country is still using power infrastrusture that dates back to 1896. He further blamed the epileptic power situation across the country on the non-availability of gas and the reduction of power supply to the distribution companies.
Momoh further blamed the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, for the “blinking” power situation, saying: “The TCN introduced frequency relays to protect their equipment, which is at the expense of consumers’ appliances, because this relay is responsible for the two minutes on and off power situation in Lagos.”
On his own part, Mr. Sola Adeshina, Managing Director, Sahara Power, owner of the Ikeja Distribution Company, also noted that unavailability of gas and a non-cost reflective tariff structure is hampering the effective delivery of power to consumers.

Faulty asset valuation
A former Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Ransome Owan, had in a document obtained by Vanguard, titled, ‘Operation and Maintenance (O&M) issues in the privatised power market’ disclosed that the new investors acquired assets that are problematic.
He further noted that a faulty valuation system was used in the sales process by the Federal Government. He disclosed that the privatised businesses are full of problems including the support systems, both from within and without. According to him, the transaction leading to the sale of the assets was based on government asset valuation and not a business valuation.
He further stated that the business turnaround plans tendered during the bid round require re-examination based on facts discovered.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/04/endless-agony-power-network-collapses/#sthash.XiHJEtYe.dpuf

UPF gets Board of Trustees

The National Chairman of a socio- political pressure group,Urhobo
Political Forum,UPF,Chief Ighoyota Amori has inaugurated the National
Board of Trustee,BOT, as well as Ward Executives for the group.

Chief Ighoyota Amori inaugurated the BOT and Ward Excos at the
residence of Chief Bernard Edewor in Eku,Ethiope East Local Government
Area of Delta State on Sunday April 6,2014.

 While Inaugurating the BOT,Chief Amori described the Board of Trustee
as the "conscience and guide"of the Urhobo Political Forum to
determine the "destination,protection and defence and the
propagation of UPF's ideals.

Chief Amori appealed to the members of the Board of Trustee whose
Chairman is Dr.A.P.Fovie to carefully guide the UPF where there is
"trouble". He emphasised that any poltician in Ethiope East Local
Government Area that was not present during the inauguration and
activities of the UPF is on his own.

Earlier in his opening speech,the Chief Host of Inauguration Ceremony
in Ethiope East Local Government Area,Chief Bernard Edewor, said the
Urhobo Nation is aggrieved especially now that they are left out in
the politics of the Nation (Nigeria).

Chief Edewor who did not articulate other reasons for saying the
Urhobos are aggrieved in the present Nigerian polity, said the
Urhobo Political Forum which has the blessing of its National
Leader,Chief James Onanefe Ibori is in full solidarity with the
Dr.Emmanuel Uduaghan's developmental strides in Delta State noting
that the Governor started "slowly" but finishing strong.

The UPF LGA Chairman in Ethiope East,Mr.Omonigho Jerry Ewrudje adviced
all Urhobos to see themselves as Urhobos and fight for the interest of
the Urhobo people and desist from killing one another especially as
the 2015 general elections draw near,

Mr.Ewrudje who described the UPF as "grass-root oriented" said the
Urhobo Political Forum was founded by Chief Ighoyota Amori and Chief
Bernard Edewor of Mosogha and Eku respectively for the interest of the
entire Urhobo people.

On the issue of zoning of the governorship in Delta State,Mr.Ewrudje
said the "capital of Delta State is not a factor to talk about
zoning" noting that he does not  know "when,where and how" the
governorship was zoned. He said what is paramount is understanding by
members of the ruling party in the state stressing until that is done
they still remain a big family.

Chairmanship Aspirant of Uvwie Local Government Council,Hon.Ramsey
Onoyake expressed the belief that the era where candidates were
imposed on people is over noting that the people of Uvwie Local
Government Area will vote their conscience in the pending local
government elections in the state adding that it will be very
difficult for anybody to impose any candidate on the people of Uvwie.

Hon.Onoyake promised to empower the youths and women in Uvwie with Skills
Acquisition programmes and Microfinace loans. The Chairmanship hopeful
explained that his programmes will cut across all areas in the Local
Government .

REMOVE YOUR ILLEGAL STRUCTURES OR FACE DEMOLITION--- Utuamah

Delta State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the adhoc Committee on Environmental
Sanitation ,Prof.Amos Agbe Utuamah has directed traders in
Warri and its environs to remove all illegal structures along major
roads in the State.

Prof.Utuamah gave the directive when the Committee commenced the
cleaning at Enerhen Junction, boundary between Warri south, Uvwie and Udu
Local Government Areas of the State on Monday April 7.
Prof.Utuamah warned that failure of the traders to remove their
illegal structures,the Committee will demolish them.
Commissioner of Information,Mr.Chike Ogeah, said the committee is
mandated by the Delta State Governor,Dr.Emmanuel Uduaghan, to
install the master plan of Warri and other parts of the state.
Speaking with newsmen,Delta State Commissioner for
Environment,Mr.Frank Omare, debunked the claims by traders that
they were not given adequate information to evacuate their illegal
shops adding that the committee will not tolerate any acts of
lawlessness pointing out that about 1,600 environmental marshalls have
been engaged for the exercise. Mr.Omare noted that the Committee will
do what it needs to do without "selective justice".
Illegal Shops/structures were later demolished at Enerhen Junction as
traders were seen moving their wares from being destroyed.
Our Correspondent report that the adhoc Environmental Sanitation
Committee has as its members all the Commissioners in Delta State.

STOP ALLOCATION TO 14 STATES, AGBAKOBA URGE COURT

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, has urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to stop further disbursement of local government allocations to 14 states of the federation.
The states are those without democratically elected local government administrations.
They are Abia, Bauchi, Borno, Delta, Ekiti, Imo, Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, and Yobe states.
Agbakoba filed the motion for interlocutory injunction before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on March 27, 2014.
In his substantive suit with number, fhc/l/cs/770/2013, he is seeking the court to declare that such local governments without elected councils are not entitled to receive public revenue from the federation account.
The Minister of Finance, the Accountant General of the Federation and the Federation Accounts Allocations Committee are the defendants in the suit. The suit had been filed on June 3, 2013.
The former NBA President argued in his motion for interlocutory motion that non-existence of elected councils in the affected states was a violation of Section 7(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.
He argued in his written address accompanying his application, “With the clear provisions of Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, it is not contemplated by the Constitution that local governments in Nigeria will be administered by bodies (under any appellation) other than democratically elected local government councils.”
He wants the court to determine, “Whether this honourable court may grant injunction to restrain the defendants from continuing to allocate public funds to non-democratically elected local governments at the 346 local government areas listed in the schedule to the originating summons.”
Justice Aneke has slated the matter till May 12, 2014 for hearing. The plaintiff is expected to serve his amended originating summons on the defendants before then.

JONATHAN'S WOMEN

The unofficial-official position of President Goodluck Jonathan’s government on women can be summarised thus: Thirty-three-one-thirds. This figure reflects the size of the national cake that should compulsorily be handed to women. It is reflected in the composition of Jonathan’s cabinet and that’s one of the few campaign promises he can boast he fulfilled.

There is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in the Ministry of finance; Diezani-Alison-Madueke in the petroleum ministry; and there was Stella Oduah in the Aviation Ministry. These are key positions that have been historically held by men while women have largely functioned in unthreatening spaces such as “Women Affairs.”

    I am however far less fixated on what share of the cake women get. I am more concerned about whose hands hold the knife that does the cutting...

Some recent examples of Jonathan’s magnanimity towards women: Out of the Federal Government’s 20 slots to the ongoing national confab, it was specifically stated that six must go to women. Lately, after the Nigeria Immigration Service job test and stampede, Jonathan launched a lose-a-family-member-collect-three-jobs-bonanza. In the directive that accompanied the offer, it was again stated that of the three family members of the deceased to be employed, at least one must be a woman.

These are significant steps and yes, we should give credit when it is due: Jonathan has largely been consistent in his pursuit of stamping female face on the bodies that stomp through the Nigerian corridors of power.

But, does this mean that Jonathan loves women? Do his efforts make him a feminist? A quick definition for those who equate feminism with misandry and imagine feminists as testicle-crunching ideologues: a feminist is anyone – male or female – who believes in, and actively works towards a society where men and women are treated equally.

So, is Jonathan a feminist or just a benevolent patriarch? And the driving motivation of his thirty-three-one-thirdspolicy? Tokenism? To what end? Getting the so-called women’s vote? Or, is this, for Jonathan, a deep conviction that biology is not destiny and nobody’s options in life should ever be limited simply because of their body parts?

Recently, I saw an advertorial in the newspaper pitting Jonathan’s “gender achievements” against those of the rival All Progressives Congress. The rant gleefully celebrates the appointment of women into “juicy” offices by Jonathan but it ultimately shortchanges itself. This women-propaganda team does not seem to have reflected well enough that it is buying into a liberalism project that only disguises –not demolishes – the workings of patriarchal power. If this line of thinking is not challenged, it can easily become a pattern that will be replicated all over Nigeria by government aides who always want easy answers.

The Nigerian society, if they must know, is largely homosocial. Men occupy the power positions and from where they dispense small favours to women. That is why political parties have the position of “Woman Leader,” a subtle suggestion that women will not be allowed to lead men. Men occupy all the frontline positions but created such a category for women to manage “women issues” without disrupting the mechanism that reproduces privileges their maleness confers on them. On the Peoples Democratic Party website, it’s unsurprising that the only woman in the National Working Committee is Kema Chikwe, “the Woman Leader.”

The question to never lose sight of is: How far can the thirty-three-one-third-policy go to strike at the roots of gender inequality –and all its consequences – in Nigeria?

Any “women-agenda” by any administration that does not reach the woman on the street, by giving her charge of her own life through quality education, adequate health care, financial independence, protection under the law from sexual and spousal abuse, reproductive justice, and give her equal opportunities for self-fulfilment, is merely superficial.

It amounts to treating the symptoms rather than a systematic engagement with the various sites where inequality is produced in our society.

Last year, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina, was quoted as saying that 70 per cent of Nigerian rural women live below poverty line. That is a woman-agenda that should be activated. The President would be more feminist if he speaks to the cause of women in emergency situations in Nigeria. They are often victims of sexual/ gender-based violence, and rehabilitation efforts should be specifically targeted at them for this reason.

It is important to note that efforts at upstaging inequality in our culture are not solely the job of the President; He should coopt everybody. Yet, we cannot ignore that by virtue of his office, the president’s ethos can lend a sense of urgency to these issues if he addresses them.

Take, for instance, President Barack Obama’s stance on women issues. He has not only employed women to key positions in his government, he also canvasses equal pay for them. He relentlessly critiques the system that does not make enough room for women who balance career with motherhood. He takes a defined stance on reproductive rights and health care for women. Or, a former Burkina Faso president, Thomas Sankara, whose campaign for women empowerment was phenomenal. Sankara recognised that no liberation project any country embarks upon can succeed if the women are not central to such efforts.

While Jonathan’s administration has undeniably done something for women, enough to inspire other women, I insist that the dream of feminists is not for a few women to be admitted into the elite men’s club. Rather, it is for women to have access to as much opportunities, resources and power as men. It begins with challenging social practices called “culture” (both social and religious) under which Nigerian men tuck their chauvinism. It goes beyond mobilising women to act as circus monkeys in the Nigerian political theatre and be paid peanuts thereafter.

The other day, Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, had a “women’s event” in Abuja. The media reported that this jamboree of “Celebrating Nigerian Women for Peace and Empowerment” practically paralysed other activities in the Federal Capital Territory but at the end, the women received cooking utensils and cash gifts. Where lies the empowerment in that? What good is done for women when you exploit them that way?

Gender inequality/patriarchy, of course, precedes Jonathan and will definitely take years of education and activism to dissemble. But the Jonathan approach, I am afraid, does little against the roots, the culture and the continuous (re)circulation of inequality.

sourcehttp://olokunbolablessing.blogspot.com/2014/04/do-you-think-president-jonathan-really.html

OGBE-IJOH AGOG FOR MONARCH

The Traditional Council of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom have announced a
seven days burial ceremony for their late Monarch,HRM.Pere Amakosu
Oduwor III who died at the age of 96years.

The Ogbe-Ijoh Traditional Council led by the Ijaw Toro-Ebediwei of
Warri and regent of Ogbe-Ijoh  Kingdom,Chief (Dr.) S.Y.Mamamu JP, made
the announcement in a statement issued to newsmen at the premises of
the Ogbe-Ijoh town hall on Friday March 28,2014.

Chief Mamamu explained that the Ogbe-Ijoh Tradidtional Council made the
announcement in line with the tradition and customs of the people of
Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom noting that the late monarch was the third in
the lineage of Oduwor,the first child of Ewein and founder of
Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom. He described the late monarch as an epitome
of peace and one that attracts progress and development to the
Kingdom. He added that it was during the reign of the late monarch that
Ogbe-ijoh became the Headquarters of Warri South West Local Government
Area.

Chief Mamamu said the seven day burial ceremony for the late monarch
which is billed to take place May this year, will begin on Saturday
May 24 with the traditional wake keeping (duwe dein koru) masquerade
display (ogbolomo) and traditional cleansing (igodo).
Sunday, 25thMay,interdenominational service at Ogbe-Ijoh by all Christians.
Monday May 26 ceremonial dances by Sub-Communities in Ogbe-Ijoh Warri
Kingdom (Egragbene,Orugbene,

Ijansa,Kelegbene and Iyangbene).
Tuesday May 27 will feature pere ogele in Warri township stadium,boat
regatta and ceremonial dances by Sub-Communities

(wikigbene
,Bomobolou,Arentoghen and Odidi zones as well as Warri corner
communities)
Wednesday 28,condolence visit by Traditional rulers and other
dignitaries while selected musicians will be on stage.
Tuesday May 29 condolence visit by the Executive Governor of Delta
State,Dr.Emmanuel Uduaghan and other Governors while selected
musicians will also be on stage.
Friday May 30 procession by the quarters by Ogbe-Ijoh Warri
Kingdom(Anda-Ogele and Suo-Ogele.

SACK DIEZANI AND MORRO NOW.

The Niger Delta People Salvation Front,NDPSF, and Concerned Niger
Delta Youths have called on the Federal Government and President Goodluck Jonathan for the immediate sack of the Minister for
Petroleum Resources,Mrs.Deziani Allison Madueke and her counterpart
Minister of Interiors,Mr.Patrick Abba Moro.

The NDPSF and Concerned Niger Delta Youths made the call during a
peaceful protest staged along the ever busy Effurun-Ughelli road by
PTI junction in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State on Saturday
March 29.

The Coordinator,Comrade Rex Ekiugbo Anighoro and Members of the NDPSF
and Concerned Niger Delta Youths who carried placards with
inscriptions like"Urhobo youths say No to Deziani","Edo youths reject
Deziani & Moro","Ijaw youths reject Deziani", "Mr.President, Urhobo
youths supports National Conference",Mr.President, Enough is
Enough,sack all non-performing ministers now!"," On Dr.Goodluck Jonathan we
stand but we say No to Deziani""Anioma youths say No to
non-performance","Deziani you are a vampire & Jezebel""you are
embarrassing Mr.President,Deziani & Moro resign now!""stop making
Alarmist People Cultist (APC) & lying Mohammed lied against Mr.President"
threatened to storm the venue of the ongoing National Conference with
their protest should their demands not be met adding that they will
also take their protest to all the Nigerian Embassies,the United
States of America and neighbouring Ghana until their voice is heard
noting that because of "bad eggs"like Mrs.Dezian Allison Madueke and
Mr.Patrick Abba Moro, President Goodluck Jonathan is receiving insults
from different quarters.

Comrade Anighoro emphasised that both Deziani and Moro must be sacked
from President Goodluck Jonathan's Government for him to succeed and
function creditably well.

Comrade Anighoro also called for the trial of Mr.Patrick Abba Moro in
the court of law and be made to pay dearly for the lives he has
allegedly collected through the deadly Immigration exercise stressing
that no amount of compensation can bring back those who lost their
lives.

According to Comrade Anighoro "it is a shame as a nation that we
cannot conduct a simple Immigration screening exercise that took the
lives of over 15youths. "it is a sad commentary that our youths have
to be sacrificed for a nation that care less about them";"it is a sad
commentary that the Ministry of Interior through the Immigration
Department conducted screening at the stadium where we supposed to
play games";"it is a shame that after collecting money for the same
exercise,our young ones have to die";"it is a shame that our young ones
who went to school,suffered 4-5years ,went to the compulsory NYSC and
came back without jobs","they decided not be armed robbers,prostitutes
but instead functional citizens of this nation."

A minute silence was also observed for those who lost their lives at
the deadly immigration exercise and prayed for their souls to rest in
perfect peace while the souls of Deziani and Moro will never rest in
perfect peace.

Comrade Anighoro said  Mrs.Deziani Madueke who is a "Jezebel and
Vampire" failed to look after the interests of the Niger Delta People
after resuming as the Minister of Petroleum Resources noting that the
youths are suffering.

Comrade Anighoro pointed out that people who have no reasons to be in
the Ministry of Petroleum Resources are there while the Niger Delta
youths are suffering.

Comrade Anighoro said rather than consider the plight of the people of
the Niger Delta people, Mrs.Deziani Madueke uses  the tax payers money
to acquire and fly private jets when others cannot even boast of three
square  meals.

Comrade Anighoro who noted that Dr.Goodluck Jonathan cannot do
everything at the same time,said there are people who are supposed to
watch over and help him ameliorate the sufferings of the common
masses. He said people like Deziani and Moro cannot be allowed to
continue describing  them as "demonic and satanic".

The Niger Delta Activist and Spokesman of Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubor
pledged their support for President Goodluck Jonathan and his
re-election bid noting that they are not going to support a
"supremacist,colonialist and an expansionist" saying that is what the
All Progressives Congress,APC, stands for.  That is why we cannot
support them, he added.

Comrade Anighoro said they will support only persons from the Niger
Delta and who are specifically from the minority. He said they will
resist people who want to hold on to their "supremacy and born to rule
thing".

PRESS RELEASE

WILFUL
SUMMARY DISMISSAL OF A CLEAR CUT CASE OF KIDNAPPING IN A CALCULATED ATTEMPT TO
FRUSTRATE THE COMMAND'S EFFORTS AT TACKLING INCIDENTS OF KIDNAPPING:
On
7/3/2014; a case of kidnapping of one Grace Obi 'f' aged 33yrs was reported at
Area Commander's office, Warri. Investigation into the case revealed that the
kidnapped victim - Grace Obi actually masterminded her kidnap in a bid to
extort money from her husband. This assertion is re-enforced by the fact that
out of the N1.5m paid as ransom for the
release of the victim who spent 3 days in the custody of the phantom kidnapping
gang - N1.2m was recovered from the
victim herself, while N300,000.00 was
allegedly used to settle the gang for their role.

        The kidnapped victim and a member of the gang were arrested
who made confessional statements, giving a graphic narration of the incident.

        After several overtures made by some highly placed citizens
persuading the Command to compromise the case; the Command refused to
bulge mainly
on the ground that we deemed it necessary to send a clear message across on the
Command's uncompromising stance on cases of kidnapping. Hence on 21/3/2014, the
2 suspects were arraigned in Magistrate Court II Otor-Odu Warri, presided over
by Mrs Vivian Duku Tadafe - Senior Magistrate Grade I - being the
Court of 1st instance in a 3 count charge of Conspiracy and Kidnapping
under the enabling
provisions of the State Anti-Kidnapping Law 2012.

In
clear violation of the extant law under which the suspects were charged which
bequeaths exclusive jurisdiction on the High Court; the trial Magistrate
summarily discharged and acquitted the accused persons, thus attempting to
dampen the morale of the personnel of the Command in our ongoing fight against
incidents of kidnapping and other forms of violent crimes in the State.

CP IKECHUKWU ADUBA NPM, PSC (+)
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
DELTA STATE COMMAND
ASABA

PRESS RELEASE

THE
GRUESOME MURDER OF BARRISTERS DAFIOGHO EGWUONO AND SAMUEL EKWAGHANJU IN A
LONELY OIL COMPANY SERVICE ROAD AT OZORO

Delta State Police Command deeply regrets
the gruesome murder of Barristers Dafiogho Egwuono and Samuel
Ekwaghanju on Thursday
27th March, 2014, at about 1455hrs, in a lonely Oil Company Service
Road at Ozoro. However, against the ugly insinuations being bandied in some
quarters by some notable pressure groups; and moreso, against the backdrop of
the decision taken by members of Delta State branch of Nigeria Bar Association
(NBA) to stay clear from cases of kidnapping, we deemed it necessary to state
hereunder, for the awareness of the good people of Delta State some
undisputable facts surrounding the case thus;

1.That the 2 lawyers are the defence Counsel in the ongoing trial of the accused
persons in the case of the 2012 kidnapping of the son of the Secretary to the
State Government (SSG) of Delta State currently subsisting at Ozoro High Court.


2.That the 2 lawyers filed motion for a writ of hebeus corpus, praying the Court
for the production of 2 other suspects namely Ogaga Enueme and Efe Edhike
arrested in February, 2014 in connection with various cases of kidnapping and
armed robberies which include the kidnapping of the son of the SSG in 2012 and
the ambush of prison officials in March 2013.

3.That personnel from the Legal Department of Delta State Police Command had
joined issues with the applicants in the court, whereupon the police defence
counsel diligently highlighted the criminal escapades of the suspects sought to
be released, some of which are herein set out seriatim;
       i.      The Kidnapping of one Mrs Bibiana Obonyana,
aged 55yrs on 5/1/2014 at about 1100hrs on her way back from the church along
Asaba-Ase Road, Uzere. The kidnapped woman was kept in unlawful custody for
over 7 days in the house of one of the gang members - Jonathan Okolie aka GSM
at Emu-Obodeti, where she was serially gang raped, after which the gang
collected a ransom of N345,000.00
before the release of the victim.

    ii.        The kidnapping of an 85yrs old woman at Elu
who was also gang raped before the collection of N1m for ransom.

  iii.        The March 2013 attack of prison personnel on
escort duties from Warri prisons to the court during which a prison officer was
killed and three suspects freed.

  iv.        The kidnapping of the son of the SSG in 2012
wherein the names of some of the gang members were revealed thus;

a.   Jonathan
Okolie aka GSM,
b.   Ogaga
Enueme,
c.   Efe
Edhike and
d.   2
others currently stand trial at Ozoro High Court.

4.That the court, after taking cognisance of the issues joined by both parties,
slated the case for Ruling on Thursday 27th March 2014 at 12 noon at
the instance of the counsel for the applicants.

5.   That on Thursday 27th March, 2014 after 12noon, the court
delivered its Ruling directing the Police
Command to arraign the arrested suspects on or before 2nd of April
2014, wherein the defence counsel for the police duly informed the court that
the suspects were to be arraigned in court on same date being 27/3/2014.

6.That on same date - 27/3/2014 at about 0830hrs, while taking the 2 self
confessed suspected kidnappers/armed robbers to Ozoro for arraignment; along
Ogwashi-Uku/Kwale Road, precisely at Edo-Ogwashi axis of the Road, the police
escort team ran into an ambush, wherein some hoodlums suspected to be the gang
members of the arrested suspects riddled the 2 vehicles conveying the police
and the suspects with bullets.

7.That the escort team put up a good defence during which the 2 suspects - in a
heated gun duel - suffered fatal gunshots while one of the police escort team
member also suffered serious bullet wounds and is currently hospitalised.

8.That on same day - 27/3/2014, at about 1455hrs, information was received by
personnel attached to Ozoro Divisional Police Headquarters that a Lexus Jeep
with Reg No. EFR 234 VF and 2 corpses lying on the ground closed to the jeep
facing each other were seen at Oil Well 4 near Onwhe flow station, Ozoro.

9.That the 2 corpses were identified by their distinct dressing as lawyers and
removed to Bromic Hospital Ozoro for autopsy. The vehicle suspected to belong
to one of the lawyers was also removed from the crime scene to the station
after a comprehensive photograph of the entire scene by detectives.

10.That the vehicle was searched at the police station during which
the identities
of the lawyers were discovered to be Barristers Dafiogho Egwuono and Samuel
Ekwaghanju.

11.That against the insinuations being bandied in some quarters that
the police is
behind the crime; we want to state unequivocally that the Command has
continuously strived to maintain and adhere to the strict tenets of the Rule of
Law by trying as much as possible to be dispassionate in the enforcement of our
duties and not delve into the arena of conflicts howsoever. Some cases in point
giving credence to the above assertions will suffice thus;

a)   In
2012, a senior lawyer based in Warri was caught red handed while attempting to
offer a bribe of N700,000.00 to a
detective in a bid to effect the release of a suspected bloodletting kidnapper.
Evidence further abounds that the lawyer tried to persuade the police detective
to hoodwink members of the public and the Command that the kidnapper died in a
shootout with the police. The lawyer was eventually arrested and arraigned in
court, and against the weight of evidence and the willingness of the Command to
prosecute the case to its ultimate conclusion, the case was curiously
  discharged and acquitted and the lawyer is
still walking freely today.

b)  In
2013, an Asaba based lawyer tore a Warrant of Arrest and Seriously Assaulted a
Police officer in the process of executing the Warrant. The lawyer was also
arrested and arraigned in court and against the weight of evidence too and the
Command's willingness to prosecute the case to its ultimate conclusion, the
lawyer was curiously discharged and acquitted and is today walking freely.

c)   In
2012, a Warri based lawyer led some miscreants and Okada riders to attack
Ebrumede Divisional Police Headquarters, Effurun. The lawyer and his
accomplices were arrested and arraigned in court where they were also
discharged and acquitted and is today walking freely.
12.  That while we deeply regret
the gruesome Murder of the 2 Ministers in the temple of justice - a crack team
of detectives led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police State CID Asaba had been
constituted to unravelled the mystery behind the sordid act.

Finally
we want to reassure the good people of Delta State that the Command will never
succumb to the temptations of extra judicial killing or be a party to same, but
will rather remain undeterred or discouraged by any act of blackmail and will
continue in our present efforts to ensure that the evil of kidnapping and
violent crime is consistently fought head-on no matter whose ox is gored.


CP IKECHUKWU ADUBA NPM, PSC (+)
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE
DELTA STATE COMMAND
ASABA