The Eagle Gate

Category: Opinion

  • ONNOGHEN’S SUSPENSION; LET THE RULE OF LAW PREVAIL

    ONNOGHEN’S SUSPENSION; LET THE RULE OF LAW PREVAIL


    Is the CJN exempted from the presumption of innocence guaranteed by our laws? Is the CJN’s appointment not clothed with statutory flavor? If you cannot sack a clerk in a Government Department outside the provisions prescribed by his terms of employment/ public service rules, I wonder why the CJN should be removed from office like a feather from a chicken! If it’s that simple, there would have been no need for constitutional provisions in that regard! Why then did Baron Montesquieu and his likes labour to develop the political theory of separation of powers? Why is it now an elementary feature in the constitutional democracy of most countries of the world?

    According to Dylan Matthews in his article dated 5/10/18 and titled; IMPEACHING A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES;

    “Impeachment and removal of a federal judge, including a Supreme Court justice, requires meeting a high political bar. Just as with presidents, a majority of the House must approve an indictment to impeach, and a two-thirds supermajority of the US Senate must convict for the judge or justice to lose their office.”

    I am surprised that a lot of people continue to refer to the allegations against the CJN without considering the procedure prescribed by law to deal with certain category of persons accused of any infraction of the law. I have argued on many occasions that the law itself is a prisoner of procedure. It is illogical to focus on the substantive law which creates, defines and regulates the duties, liabilities and rights of persons while disregarding the procedural law for enforcing civil and criminal law. This does not add up. For example, can you safely convict a man for an offence having not taken his plea before trial? I think not.

    I am still at a loss as to how a court of law or an inferior Tribunal like the Code of Conduct Tribunal can grant an ex-parte order on a date unknown to all parties, following a purported ex-parte application in respect of a subject matter which the same body adjourned to a future date for arguments to be taken from the respective parties as agreed in open court.

    Why would an inferior Tribunal not obey the restraining orders of separate superior court of records which restrained it from continuing with the proceedings before it? Nothing in the Constitution makes CCT a superior court of records and the Supreme Court affirmed this in Saraki vs FRN (2016) 3 NWLR( Pt. 1500) 531.

    Why will the CCT not respect the proceedings pending before the court of appeal to which appeals from CCT lie?

    In the operational system of the rule of law, the courts and judges remain the tonic from which the law itself is nourished. Let me fizzle out any doubt about the power of the courts by referring to the words of the legendary American Supreme Court judge and scholar, Oliver Wendell Holmes, jrn. The learned jurist in his work; The Common Law, (1881) had this to say;

    “The decisions of judges, viewed over time, determined the rules of conduct, the legal duties, by which all were bound.”

    He did not stop there. In his work; The path of the law (1897), he went further to say that;

    “[T]he prophecies of what the courts will do in fact, and nothing more pretentious, are what I mean by the law.”[20]:458.

    Against this background, can it be said that the CCT was right to have disregarded pending litigation in the courts of our country which have constitutional duties to determine disputes between persons and Government? The answer in my opinion is no.

    No sensible person can be opposed to the lawful trial of anyone, no matter how highly placed if there is an allegation of infringing the law against such a person. The very strong point being made here is very simple; where there is a constitutional method set out for sanctioning a judicial office holder which has over time being recognized by the courts of law, such judicial officer cannot be removed by any other means other than that prescribed by law.

    In the circumstances, the CCT was wrong to have made the ex-parte order under reference. If the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation facilitated this type of order, then it acted infra dig. The President was also wrong to have acted on it. The proper thing to do now is for the aggrieved party to get the court of Appeal to set that unlawful ex-parte order aside forthwith and let the status quo be returned in our national interest. That would not stop the Government from prosecuting the CJN upon the charges brought against him as long as they do so appropriately.

    God bless Nigeria!

    Dr. West-Idahosa.

  • ONNOGHEN’S CASE; PROF. SAGAY GOT IT WRONG:

    ONNOGHEN’S CASE; PROF. SAGAY GOT IT WRONG:

    The views expressed by Prof. Sagay on this matter is in the public domain. In disagreement with those views, the following opinion is herein expressed.

    The CJN is specifically a judicial officer and a public officer in general. If he breaches his oath of office contained in the 7th Schedule, which includes compliance with the 5th Schedule of the Constitution dealing with declaration of assets, he is guilty of misconduct as a judicial officer. No question about that. In which case, he ought to face NJC first before being tried by any other body. By the powers vested in NJC by the 3rd Schedule, it can deal with all matters relating to broad issues of policy and administration. NJC ,has pursuant to its powers, made very elaborate rules to deal with all sorts of misconduct by judicial officers. CJN cannot be an exception to those rules as he is a judicial officer.

    Such matters include compliance with extant laws, code of conduct of judicial officers and matters bothering on administration of justice. However, non-related crime is excluded. A non related crime is one that does not flow from the occupation of office as CJN. For example, murder, arson etc. Unequivocally, the duty to declare asset as CJN flows from occupation of that office. A good question to ask at this stage is whether Hon. Justice Onnoghen would have been ordinarily required to declare his assets, if he did not occupy the office of CJN or that of a Supreme Court judge? The answer in my view is no. The argument that asset declaration is for all public officers and that it is therefore unnecessary for NJC to wade into it, is illogical and ought to be rejected.

    The provisions of the 3rd and 5th Schedules of the Constitution are not in conflict. There is nothing in the 5th Schedule which precludes NJC from lodging a complaint of breach of the code of conduct against a judicial officer to the Code of Conduct Bureau. The provisions of the said two Schedules of the Constitution under reference ought to be read together and not in isolation of each other. This is necessary as a breach of the code of conduct is also a judicial misconduct. Whether the allegation against a judicial officer is one of bribery or failure to abide by the oath of office, it is within the competence of NJC. No rocket science is needed to appreciate this.

    It has been suggested that if NJC were to dismiss a judicial officer for misconduct, the officer ceases to be a public officer and cannot be prosecuted for breach of code of conduct applicable to public officers. This is most misconceived. The material period in the application of statutes for purposes of imposing sanction for such breaches is the period when the infraction occurred. If the offender was in public service when he committed the breach, then subsequent dismissal from service cannot preclude him from facing trial before the code of conduct for such breach. Certain misconduct can attract both a trial for breach of the code of conduct before the Tribunal and dismissal in accordance with due process. Why are the likes of Dasuki and other former officers still standing trial on allegations of corruption? Are they still in public service?

    Prof. Sagay is entitled to his opinion, but on this occasion, the one he rendered appears patronizing and cannot be the correct position of the law in view of existing judicial decisions of courts of superior records in similar matters.

    Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa.

  • Dr. Umar GANDUJE and the Concept of Anti-corruption Propaganda

    Dr. Umar GANDUJE and the Concept of Anti-corruption Propaganda

    In 2015 – 2016, I was privileged to be a political consultant to a gubernatorial aspirant in my home state, a fairly unknown individual then. We took the task to digitally market him for over a year before the primaries. We created contents, advertorials, edited speeches, managed invented scandals and propaganda against him, wrote his feasible manifesto…Our constant social media marketing made him a darling of the people but all these was not without some sacrifice from me. I was before then not into partisan politics, I just wrote freely on critical issues: social reforms, justice, philosophy, morals, religion, relationships, truth, trust and other thematic issues that came to me as my own human effort. Some people who followed my writing keenly on the social media inboxed me and told me they were disappointed that I could be consulting for PDP. In as much as I explained to them the reasons, an article was wrought out of me, ‘Persons over Parties.’

    In all ramifications, I choose to disagree that parties are basically bad. No, it’s humans that are bad, that are corrupt, that are incompetent, that are soulless, that are clannish, that are without ideas, that without political focus…not necessarily parties. Parties are mere vehicles to gain political positions, just as sleep could be vehicle of death. Should we now say sleep is bad?

    The propaganda that no longer sells on our political space today is that PDP was corrupt for 16 years so they should not present a candidate to be voted in even when APC present the a candidate without the minimum certificate to qualify one for such contest. I don’t think that is only illogical, it is a compressed fallacy, I look at as a Post Traumatic Disappointment Disorder, PTDD (my own personal coinage). PTDD to me is a kind of disorder people experience when they are disappointed in those they believe after revealing events.

    Now, if we still hold on to the stowaway thought that PDP was corrupt as a party because some members were in the time past, how do we define APC today which has become a temple for fleeing corrupt people and houses, in comfort, abjectly corrupt members like GANDUJE of Kano State? Should we now use the members to define the entire party to be politically correct? This is a governor in APC that has been viewed in three videos by millions of Nigerians taking bribe from contractors, yet without a midget of evidence, they want ‘stupid’ you to believe Alhaji Atiku is the most corrupt Nigerian. How folly can a people be, how controlling.

    The fact without doubt remains that the anti-corruption campaign by Buhari was a mere populist propaganda, it has never and it will never work. APC will tell you they are studying the Ganduje video while chasing corrupt shadows. Nothing will ever happen to Ganduje even as we speak he has been summoned by the state assembly over the bribery allegations. He is one of the strongest supporters of Buhari, he cannot afford to allow his man go down over mere dollars he dipped into his babaringa (agbada). Ask me what happened to Babachir Lawal, the professional multi-million Naira grasscutter? Ask yourself what happened to Maina, the pension thief and fugitive. Ask yourself what happened to Baru of NNPC or Abba Kyari of the MTN bribery. Ask yourself where they got the billions to buy votes with police force in Ekiti and Osun States. Ask what would happen to Oshiomole who is asking the courts not to go on trial for corruption. If you ask them these thematic issues, they would tell you Sai Baba till 2023! That vexatious clamour for Simpleton from Simpletons.

    During the Obasanjo Era, he haunted corrupt members of PDP and those who were even in his cabinet with EFCC and other unconventional means. He disposed some using their state assemblies to impeach them. Some went on trial and were sentenced according to the law. Even his police chief, Tafa Balogun, was not spared.

    Today, even corrupt members of the public are blackmailed to join the incorruptible party with some hallelujah triumphant welcome in the Absence of Shame. The just conducted APC primaries were fraught with corruption and high level fraud. Members of INEC were bribed to conduct primaries in hotel lobbies and personal living rooms and the other rooms shortchanging less connected aspirants. Ask Pat Utomi. These and others are echoes and echoes of Shame and Dishonour.

    Elempe Dele

  • MOUNTING PRESSURE ON BUHARI’S INTEGRITY

    MOUNTING PRESSURE ON BUHARI’S INTEGRITY

    “Buhari has tarnished whatever is left of his battered reputation and Integrity and that of his office by condescending this low to purchasing WAEC attestation certificate for an examination he obviously never sat for.”

    Prior to the 2015 presidential election, the selling point of Mr. President was Integrity. It was used to veil his tyrannical disposition which him and Idiagbon exhibited when they took over power forcefully from a duly elected government making themselves criminals and subverters of the will of the people. But the sale of integrity was widely accepted by some simpletons, which constituted a larger population of the electorates. Many didn’t have the opportunity to interrogate his personality because he was a recluse and was incommunicado. He lived behind the closed walls of his mind, coming out once in four years to contest elections and to fail.

    When he took over power in 2015, so much of his personae started coming to the fore, and somehow, people started doubting his claim to integrity. His first failure was his lopsided appointment which was supposed to be guided by the Federal Character as enshrined in our Constitution. Over 80 % of his appointment came from his tribe, state or and his family. This earned him the notorious Nepotistic Tribalist. Other regions were marginalized which resulted to the aggressive campaign by the Ingenious People of Biafra, IPOB for secession. Even the Yorubas who gave him block votes through Tinubu were disengaged through the trapdoor and thrown out from the scheme of things while strangers took over the government, that irresponsible cabal.

    His second test to integrity was his fight against corruption having said in his inauguration he was for nobody and was for everybody…Him and his handlers were married to the anti-corruption slogan. However, his one-sided fight against corruption questioned his integrity. While his corrupt associates walked freely, he is harassing members of the opposition and members of his party who are critical of his policies. His party became a refuge for fleeing corrupt elements. The grass cutter, Babachir, NHIS boss Prof Yusuf, Abba Kyari, the MTN scandal and presidential COS, Baru of NNPC, Buratai, the Army chief, Maina, the pension thief and fugitive…were among those who have been fingered in corruption but are being shielded by Mr Integrity himself.

    Who could have guessed or predicted that Mr Integrity would be involved in a certificate scandal without summoning courageous integrity to say the truth? Who had the prescient perception to predict this national embarrassment where elderly people are dancing to the store bought attestation?

    The certificate narrative has been changing like a chameleon. When the issue first came out some years ago, a lawyer went to court on it, it took Mr. President over 12 SANs and a threat to the life of the lawyer for the matter to die down then. Like a cat with nine lives, undying, the matter has risen again this time with such a great vermin that it is ready to consume anything on its ways.

    The president initially said in a published statement that his credentials were with the military. And that left us with a throwback question: who lives his original documents with a board after sighting them? At most after sighting the original, you leave photocopies and go home with the original, that’s the standard practice all over the world.

    Well, we asked that INEC should compel him to bring his original not sworn affidavit he has been using to contest elections, this cannot be business as usual. Suddenly the narrative changed, the credentials which were safely with the military had disappeared. A little time lasted for presidential retrospection and sober reflection. Precisely on the 2nd of November, 2018 a badly plotted play ensured. The president was given an attestation by WAEC in an over publicized Noble Prize-like show. Yet the probing masses have mounted unrelenting pressure on Mr integrity to do the needful: show us your original certificate, show us the WAEC master list from which the attestation was written from or decline from contesting to face perjury probe.

    If however, he scales through this trial he has set before himself, his greatest test to integrity would be his acceptance of defeat which is imminent and 60% loading. This is not about PDP or APC. If he fails to accept defeat, he will be bundled out of Aso Rock.

    Elempe Dele

  • TRADERS IN UNIFORM!

    TRADERS IN UNIFORM!

    The new Webster’s dictionary of the English language (International Edition) describes a trader as “a person engaged in some form of commerce”. Trading itself is an ancient occupation that has been practised by men, institutes and nations over the years. Trade disagreements have often led to several wars amongst the various people’s of the world. Inspite of this, trading remains one of the veritable tools in economic relations world – wide.

    Even within Nigeria, trading is an accomplished phenomenon. From the days of King Jaja of Opobo, Nana of Itsekiri, Oba Ovoramwen of Benin Kingdom to the Alafin of Oyo, trading was the major economic activity of the pre-independence Nigerian societies. In today’s Nigeria, trading maintains its pre-eminent position as the nation’s leading activity since the manufacturing sector has virtually collapsed due to the inadequacy of generated power to sustain the sector.

    The only strange development in all these is the presence in Nigeria of a peculiar set of traders. These special traders have no capital and need none. They require no collateral to secure any facility from financial institutions for the purpose of purchasing their wares. Nothing like that. They require no shops and are therefore spared the luxury of paying rent for their trading activities. They pay no taxes on the “goods” they trade on and require no form of advertisement. Their business is very lucrative and their profit margin is unbelievable. These super traders only require their uniforms and firearms purchased from the tax-payers’ money to carry out their activities.

    Their trading points are very strategic. They operate from major roads, high ways, airports, seaports, border posts and Government offices.

    Of all the uniformed traders, the one with the most notorious presence is the Police. This is so because of the nature of their statutory duties. The importance of their role in modern society is emphasized by Section 214 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This Section creates the Nigeria Police Force for the purpose of securing public safety, public order as well as the protection of public and private properties.

    In these capacities therefore, they daily arrest persons suspected to have committed offences ranging from misdeamenour to felony. Suspects are upon their arrest taken to various Police stations. At these stations, the suspects are unduly detained without any notification of their rights. At the end of the game, such suspects are made to illegally part with their hard earned money after severe negotiations for the purchase of their “freedom”. These negotiations usually take place inspite of the conspicuous inscription that has become the favourite slogan of every Police Station; “BAIL IS FREE”.

    A few weeks ago, I had cause to travel to Lagos by road from Benin City. On our way to Lagos, we did not encounter any problem with any set of persons. It was simply a jolly ride except for the bad patches common with Nigerian roads these days.

    It was on our return trip from Lagos that we entered the real world of uniformed traders. From Shagamu to Benin City, there were several check points which were indeed trading posts. At these points there were long queues of cars, buses, trucks and other vehicular equipments. Some of them were for private use while others were on commercial journeys. The occupants of these vehicles milled around the policemen who manned these points waiting to take their turns in negotiating their exit. The commuters paid different amounts depending on the purported contravention for which they were stopped. They ranged from driving without an appropriate license, expired vehicle particulars, tinted wind screen without permit, non-possession of fire extinguisher and reflective triangle signs, to driving vehicles without registration number plates. The policemen savoured power and importance. They looked upon their victims and fined them various sums. Non – possession of driving licence attracted between N100 and N200 depending on the negotiating skills of the victims. Driving a vehicle with tinted wind screen without police permission or driving a vehicle without registration number plates were big deals. The victims had to cough out as much as N2,000 or stand the risk of having their vehicles impounded. These transactions were carried out in broad-day light without fear or favour. It did not matter whether other road users included senior public officers.

    As the police tormented passengers from one check point to another, the vehicle inspection officers joined the fray. Their targets were rickety looking vehicles and trucks appearing to have exceeded their weight limits. These vehicles were pulled over for new rounds of negotiations. This time the victims would have to part with a minimum of N500 for rickety looks and N1,000 for overweight. Since the majority of victims in this category were on commercial journeys, the business was usually quick and to the point.

    Thereafter, the officers of the Nigerian Customs would take the centre stage. They would point their guns menacingly at any vehicle without registration number plates or large trucks appearing to be carrying goods. The officers would demand for one form of documents or the other including non existing documents. Overwhelmed by the demands of the officers, their victims would surrender to a fresh bout of negotiations. Again, they are forced to part with some money. This is the story of the average commuter in our country.

    Police check points have suffered from frequent policy summersaults. No one can really tell why these check points exist when they do. One or two previous Inspectors-General of Police purportedly banned them. They claimed at that time that all check points had been called off and purported check points were illegal and should be promptly reported to the Police. They may have been right, but we all know that the check points are validly back. What the police refer to as check points are actually not such. The present Inspector General should be told that Nigerians have no problem with genuine check points. The real problem is with the police trading points that exist till date. What operates today does not deter crime in our society. Indeed, criminals have been known to rob passengers on the highways very close to such check points with no rescue efforts made by those uniformed men who man such check points.

    Those who have never visited any Immigration office to secure a Nigerian passport may probably not know what goes on there. The average official cost for the issuance of a standard passport is between N18,000 and N19,000 naira. I do not know of anyone who can recall paying just that to get his or her standard passport issued. Uniformed Immigration officers loiter around their office premises soliciting for clients who are in turn charged between N25,000 and N35,000 naira to obtain a standard passport. The innocent victims of these officers are compelled to patronize the emergency business centres opened in their office premises and owned by such officers for the purpose of completing their paper work if their applications for standard passports are to receive any attention. As the passport trade blossoms around their office premises, expatriates and foreign nationals are seen running around the senior immigration officers to grant them extension of their stay in Nigeria or to obtain some form of temporary work permit (T.W.P). This time, the senior officers do not reckon with our local currencies. Serious applicants must approach them with the US dollars, British pounds or the Euro currency. Anything short of this, whatever the application is would crumble like a pack of cards. Not even the spouses of Nigerian Nationals are spared from this ordeal. At the airports of the Nation, Immigration Officers, shamelessly demand bribe from returning Nigerian Nationals and visitors alike. Foreigners are known to sometimes keep between $20 and $50 notes inside their passports just to get into the Country having arrived without the appropriate entry visas. This is the extent to which these officers are prepared to compromise our national security just for a few dollar notes. As the Immigration officers persist in their trade, the Custom officers at the airport pretend to be busy searching such luggage for contraband or prohibited items. To those who are strange to the deal, they may assume that they mean business and end up actually opening such boxes for examination. The truth is that those Custom officers are really not interested in searching such boxes. Their real interest is in how much box-owners are prepared to offer for their own convenience.

    An offer of N1500 naira to a Custom officer at the airport would not only earn you an unjustified exemption from a search, it would attract an additional official salute for a job well done.

    Unlike the real economic traders, these uniformed ones have militated against our efforts at building a strong nation. They have brought distress, sorrow and tears to the Nigerian people. They have ridiculed our nation in the eyes of the international community. They are the real obstacles to the emergence of a disciplined and egalitarian nation.

    If our Country wishes to realize its visions whether, in the year 2020 or in future, it must curtail the activities of these traders of doom in uniforms provided by tax payers’money. There is no other way than to do just this. Will President Buhari look in this direction in pursuit of corrupt public officials? Only time will tell.

  • DREAMING AS A NATION

    DREAMING AS A NATION

    The 2019 elections are fast approaching. The political tempo in the land is gradually cruising into high altitude. Whether the elections would be free and fair is of concern on one hand, while the other serious worry is whether those that would be elected have any worthy dream to rescue our very emasculated nation from the abyss of poverty, ignorance, disease, insecurity, human and capital flight. It would be wishful thinking to assume that the mere successful conduct of elections would deepen our democracy without a corresponding dream as a Nation to renew our national life in the hope of joining the league of developing nations.

    Many, may, underestimate the power of dreams, but let no one make a mistake about its potency. Several of the leading Nations of the world and industry captains of today are where they are because they dreamed dreams and worked sincerely to realize those dreams. For those who are Christians, the Bible is not only a spiritual authority, it is a veritable source of the history of mankind and Nations. The Bible lends credence to the theory of the potency of dreams. Let me recount one of the most common accounts in the Holy Bible, this account can be found in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 41.

    Pharaoh, the king of Egypt had a dream. In that dream, “Seven fat, healthy looking cows suddenly came up out of the river and began grazing along its Bank. Then seven other cows came up from the river, but these were very ugly and gaunt. These seven other cows went over and stood beside the fat cows. Then the thin ugly cows ate up the fat ones”. Pharaoh became very concerned about the meaning of that dream and sought the interpretation from one Joseph, a young Hebrew who had a huge reputation for interpreting dreams.

    Joseph told Pharaoh that the seven fat cows represented seven years of prosperity while the seven thin cows stood for another seven years of famine that would follow those years of prosperity. He then advised Pharaoh to appoint a wise man to be in charge of a nation-wide programme to prepare for the famine that would follow the prosperity. He recommended that such officer should store 1/5 of the crops to be harvested during the year of prosperity into the royal store houses. In that way there would be enough to eat during the period of the expected famine. Pharaoh took no chances. He appointed Joseph to be in charge of such National programme. Joseph dealt with the situation in a prudent manner. As interpreted, the years of famine truly followed the years of prosperity but there was plenty to eat and a national calamity was averted from just a dream.

    If anyone still doubts the power of dreams, how about this popular one that most of us already know. Martin Luther King (jr) was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, to the Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King. He followed his father’s foot steps and became a Baptist Minister in 1947. In 1955, Rosa Parks, a black Seamstress, took a seat in the section of a Montgomery bus reserved for whites in the USA. When the driver asked her to move to the back under the state’s segregation law, she refused and was arrested. Martin Luther King (Jr) then launched the Montgomery Bus boycott. He became the symbol of the civil u movement and America itself. On the occasion of the “March on Washington for jobs and freedom” the August in 1963, King delivered the famous “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln memorial in Washington to 250,000 civil rights supporters. The dreams were indeed many. I would only deal with the few that are related to this piece;

    – “ I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal”

    – “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of slaves and the sons of former slave. owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood”

    – “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!”

    King did not just have dreams. He worked hard to realize those dreams. By 1964 the world acknowledged his hard work and rewarded him with the Nobel peace prize. Even when he was aware of threats to his life, King continued to work for his dreams to come true. With a premonition of the imminence of his death, King said, “well, I don’t know what will happen now. We have got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountain top … And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people will get to the Promised Land”.

    Today, the American people have truly reached that Promised Land. America is living out the true meaning of its creed that all men are created equal. The election of Barrack Obama as the US president in November, 2008 marked the total realization of King’s dreams. Together, Obama and Biden sat at the table of brotherhood in the white House to preside over the United States. The content of Obama’s character prevailed over the colour of his skin. Such is the power of a dream.

    The Nigerian Nation must therefore not despair in this trying moments of our national life. We must dream as other great nations did. Hon. Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court at the third Obafemi Awolowo Foundation Dialogue once asked a useful question: “can we make Nigeria greater than nature made her…?” The learned Judge provided his own answer. He said as follows: “my answer is yes … if and only if our leaders have the sagacity of an Otto Von Bismark, the wisdom of a Cavour, the adroitness of a Mazini, the patriotism of a Gandhi and the selflessness of a Nyerere. ”

    Part of our National creed is to be found in the 1999 constitution of our country which states interalia; “AND TO PROVIDE for a constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country on the principles of freedom, Equality and justice and for the purpose of consolidating the unity of our people”. Are we truly dreaming of living out the real meaning of this creed? Can we claim to have promoted the principles of equality and justice when there is no equal access to good Medicare and Education in our country? What is the state of our public schools today and how many of the children of those charged with the governance of this Nation attend such schools? What has happened to our public hospitals over the years and why have they become glorified death places for very minor ailments?

    The truth is that there is neither equality nor justice in our national life. The Buhari regime may have had the heart to begin the process, but that momentum appears stunted by policy duplicity, official lethargy of public functionaries and excessive bloodletting of uncommon proportions. The regime may have learnt its lessons and the entire country now wants a better deal.
    The good news is that we can begin to dream of it now. Let us start with the basic dreams:

    – That some day before year 2022, this nation would generate over 25,000 MW of power for the use of its millions of citizens.

    – That someday, this nation would upgrade its public schools at all levels to globally accepted standards and the products of such schools would no longer face the international discrimination that they suffer today.

    – That someday, this nation would upgrade its health institutions to health-care delivery levels away from its present day notoriety of being regarded as death centres.

    – That someday, this nation would truly be governed by the rule of law and founded on equality before the law, where high profile thieves in public life would no longer scorn the law and make only petty thieves of necessity to face the law.

    But these dreams would never come to pass until we find leaders who would “show the light and people will find their way” as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe epitomized by the slogan of his now defunct newspaper, the West African Pilot. Our Nation must learn from Queneau Raymond, a twentieth century philosopher who fizzled out all doubts about the need to dream in his famous statement that “man’s usual routine is to work and to dream”.

    *Dr. Ehiogie West- Idahosa is a former Member of the House of Representatives, lawyer and public policy expert.

  • CAN A MEMBER OF THE MINORITY PARTY LEAD THE MAJORITY AS PRESIDING OFFICER IN PARLIAMENT?

    CAN A MEMBER OF THE MINORITY PARTY LEAD THE MAJORITY AS PRESIDING OFFICER IN PARLIAMENT?

    There have been many views expressed on this topic by many. Significantly, the APC leadership has made heavy weather of the fact that this cannot be so. They have therefore called on Saraki to resign. One thing that is fundamental to Nigeria’s democracy is its very constitutional nature. There are so many threads of our national life woven neatly by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended. This is not so with the American model of presidentialism that we unnecessarily copied. We are not a union of voluntary federate states. We did not even mandate those who chose the model on our behalf to do so. More importantly , we did not write the said constitution for ourselves.

    Having said that, we are stuck with our Supreme law and anything done which is inconsistent with its provisions is certain to fail the test of the law, no matter how well intentioned. Bearing this in mind therefore, it is settled that a presiding officer of a law making body is usually elected to the the seat by a simple majority of his colleagues for different reasons. They range from party affiliation, personal friendship to perception of competence.

    Usually, Members of such bodies vote by roll call when the House first convenes. The practice is for individual members to nominate candidates of choice, but members normally vote along party lines and sometimes vote for any other candidate of their choice. In most parliaments, several parties would present candidates for the contest. The majority party normally wins, if their party members stay on line. However, an unfavored candidate within the majority party can reach a deal with other party members and still win the contest if he gets the majority of votes for that purpose on the floor of the House.

    This was precisely the scenario in the 8th Senate. Saraki had a deal with PDP and won as Senate President. This is an acceptable worldwide practice in parliament. It is not strange. A good example in the United States is the election of James Clark of the Democratic Party as Speaker of the US House of Representatives. While he served as Speaker, the Democratic Party lost the plurality or majority of seats in 1917. They no longer controlled the House. The Republicans did. Congressman Clark retained his seat as Speaker as the majority of House Members kept him there.

    Even in the Westministerial Parliamentary model where having majority in parliament is so pivotal to running government business, there are many instances where the Speaker was chosen from a minority party. In 1992, Betty Bothroyd, the first female speaker of the House of Commons in UK was a Labor MP chosen in a Conservative-controlled House of Commons.

    What then is the whole fuss for? What we need most is visionary and pragmatic leadership tailored to meet our present unenviable circumstances in the interest of rapid national development. Such leaders must fully understand Gabriel Almond’s Structural Functionalism or Easton’s System Theory in managing the component parts of Nigetia and the various arms of government for the good of all.

    Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa
    Former member of House of Representatives, Lawyer and Policy Expert

  • 2019: Atiku PDP’s only hope – Showunmi

    2019: Atiku PDP’s only hope – Showunmi

    The PDP’s only chance of defeating the APC’s presidential candidate in next year’s presidential race is by fielding the versatile and most popular candidate- former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

     

    Segun Showunmi, the Director Media and Publicity of Atiku Campaign Organization, in this interview with Patrick Andrew, reveals why none of the other aspirants can match Atiku.

     

    The siege of the National Assembly complex by heavily armed DSS men and the face-off between the PDP and the APC arising there from, must be a setback for democracy?

     

    We must be very vigilant about what we allow, what can be acceptable, is tolerable and what is condemned in its entirety in a democracy.  Investigation should take place by the appropriate authority on how such brigand, lawlessness, embarrassingly difficult to explain position came about.  Suffice to say in a democracy, moderate conduct, independence of other organs, respect for the rule of law and separation of powers are what people look out for to say how your democracy is faring. What happened around the National Assembly complex is sad, unfortunate regrettable, unacceptable and condemned in its entirety.  Every explanation that the managers and handlers of the Federal Government have in this matter only makes them incapable, unworthy, dictatorial and immature in handling democracy.

     

    Without taking sides, how do you imagine other nations of the world would react to the commentary of every blessed day they wake up to read about Nigeria in newspapers and internet?

     

    They read about all manner of things that suggest that we are almost turning our country into a Banana Republic.  The rule of engagement on who controls what, gives what instructions, has what right to give what instructions, are clearly spelt out in the schedule of duty of the Federal Government; the operational manual of government.  It would be difficult to accept that the top echelon of the Directorate of the State Security can be manipulated and moved about without some permission.

     

    The kind of gears that you saw them wear, the military fatigue that they put on and how timely at which they moved, the coordination of the vehicles and the instrument of coercion and the guns they were holding all of these suggests that somebody must be responsible.

     

    The APC seems to suggest that the incident (siege) was staged managed by the senate president?

     

    We must be careful when we listen to rumors or react to rumors.  Rumors are just as they are called rumors: unsubstantiated, unverified, unproven and sometimes out right falsehood that shifts out in this new information management opportunity that social media and the internet avail us.  What you would expect a decent and responsible government, President Muhammadu Buhari to do is to investigate and determine what has happened.  But you see, when a set of activities take place that is not good for democracy and it is ignored like what you saw in Benue State and what was happening around Ekiti State after the loss of the election, what you are going get, is that people get emboldened to continue in the direction that leads nowhere honorably. And had those who had the responsibility of managing the agencies of security been up and alive to their responsibility they would have sent a clear signal that that level of meddlesomeness and unprofessional conduct is not acceptable in a democracy.  So, it is a regrettable, unfortunate needless set of activities that our country has been bedeviled with.  And that is one of the reasons why we say to Nigerians that our democracy has a lot to learn from a democratic leader.

     

    Atiku is a democratic leader who knows how to build consensus, listens to people, whose approach to problems is not the barrel, the stick and the guns, allows democracy to thrive through solution based discussions to resolve knotty issues.

     

    The relationship between the Legislature and the Executive is always a topsy-turvy one all over the world.  You see it in America, in Europe and sometimes when you are watching the Prime Minister of Britain address her colleagues in parliament and you see the level shouting you understand that truly in a democracy everybody must be given opportunity to have their way and separation of powers must be respected.

     

    When you see how much time, effort and persuasion it takes the most democratic leader in the world- the American President- to get his way even with his own congress, you know that the principle of managing executive power in a democracy fits better with someone that has democratic credentials.
     

    And I dare say that Nigerians would quickly yield the leadership of the country to my Principal the former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency the Wazirin Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar to be president now.  Then all persons would learn and see that it is possible to be president, be democratic and still wield power in a way that institutions become bigger and better managed than converting it into a cult followership of just one man and his tendencies.

     
    With the entry into the Presidential race of the Governors of Gombe and Sokoto States respectively, do you feel threatened?

     
    A democratic party or a democratic process imagines that once it is time for people to present themselves in an aspiration for any office, the presidency none-the-less, people that are qualified and not exempted by law, it is within their right to push, market, and present themselves.  What we will be looking for is to see that the processes are free, fair, transparent and credible and once you are presented to the processes that fit those minimum requirements then we would say, “may the best man win.”

     
    What do we need to do to signpost who the best man is?

     
    We will have to look at the situation in the nation at that point in time. The person that will lead must look in totality at where the life of that nation is. Based on the situation it is determined which man is best prepared to handle the nation.

     
    Now give me the opportunity to say where Nigeria is today.  Every Nigerian knows that right now our country is divided for some needless reasons: brothers are no longer smiling with their brothers, farmers and herders that have cooperated for thousands of years are no longer able to see themselves as friends and relatives or as neighbors or even contemporaries.

     
    If you are a farmer and you hate a herdsman, what about asking yourself, is there no symbiotic relationship with manure and yourself? If you are a herdsman and kill a farmer are you not worried that you are at the base of the pyramid where all of you are trying to egg out a living and that you are just killing yourselves for nothing? People are divided across tribes. When you see a nation that is divided you need to ask which of the aspirants has the capability to unite them from previous earned-experience.  I make bold to say that Atiku is.  He is at home with the South West, he has businesses located there, he is at home in South East by marriage and some of his children are half Igbo, South-South through long-time relationships that has never created any problem, and he is very much at peace with the middle Belt as one of the highest non-indigene title holder in Benue State.

     
    He is Fulani by tribe so nobody can come and wipe up any sentiment about and against Fulani. He is royalty being the Wazirin of Adamawa – Prime Minister of a large community, and connects with traditional communities.

     
    He is a big consummate businessman that the business communities are at home with him, an employer of labor so that those in the business of creating employment are able to connect with him.  That is Atiku for you.

     
    Why is Atiku most qualified?

     
    Look at the past, Atiku is someone with vision and great ideas, who effects or establishes them.  Let’s look at some of them: the Pension Fund, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Privatization, Bureau of Public Procurement and the latter was interesting.  Atiku had found out that there was a report by the World Bank sometime in 1999 that procurement in Nigeria was the most expensive in the world.

     
    It means that if a Nigerian government agency wanted to buy biro or paper they found out that the price the agency was paying for the biro was more expensive than any other procurement in the world.  That was dangerous, so Atiku came up with the idea of Bureau of Public Procurement as a policy to say that public procurement must fit into a particular template and it cannot be above it just to be sure that from managerial framework Nigeria’s procurement does not become the most expensive in the world.

     
    If the PDP must go into the 2019 presidential contest it must go into the race with a strong brand. I believe that Atiku is that person.

  • On Ekiti Election – Segun Showunmi

    On Ekiti Election – Segun Showunmi

    Catastropy Looms in Nigeria Under PMB.

    The whole idea of Democracy especially periodic elections is to give the people the opportunity to choose per time who should lead them.

    The hope is that legitimacy to function in office is granted when the will of the people counts and their wishes is respected. Anything short of that is to turn democracy on its head with attendant consequences.

    Now that the electoral umpires have declared the result in favor of Kayode Fayemi of APC, it is appropriate to say congratulations to the purported winner.

    The next days will be spent grinding over the report from our party agents and the observers. There are worrying signs that the Ekiti election may not have met the minimum acceptable standards and thankfully the election tribunals are available to be explored.

    No decent Democrat would prays that the wishes of the people be subverted if it has indeed been as one suspects in this election.

    The excessive monetization of the Ekiti Election is questionable indeed of all elections that have been conducted under this Buhari led APC given the supposed integrity of President Buhari is, to say the least disgraceful.

    It shows that the president is a hypocrite and he will look the other way when actions that are not consistent with his supposed reputation is carried out so far as it is for his benefit.

    Pray where did APC get the humongous amount that has been spent on the just concluded Ekiti hiest, I dare say Buhari has lost the right to mention the word anti-corruption not to talk of claims to be fighting it.

    On this note, I wish to call for the stoppage of all court cases of all PDP political operative especially party managers, Olisa Methuh and co for it makes no sense to point at the spark in your brother’s eyes when you have logs in your own eyes.

    On the excessive exposure of the security apparatus to elections generally and the mad usage of so-called federal might on the helpless and innocent Ekiti people, I say shame on President Buhari and the APC government. People are getting killed all over the country all the government can do is to divert the overstretched security resources to Ekiti to traumatize innocent citizen all in the name of an election heist that leaves a sore taste in the mouths of every decent person who has not been cowed or bullied to submission.

    If the attitude of the APC to elections is anything to go by one can safely conclude that 2019 elections will be very demanding.

    There is a mathematical assumption known as the catastrophic hypothesis, the now-defunct idea that the planets and smaller bodies of the solar system originated in a violent event involving a collision or near-collision between the Sun and another object” seeks to measure how series of random events can be measured to predict a catastrophic result. As things look now the APC is testing the resolve of Nigerians and they will find Nigerians very resolved, we have as a people defeated military dictatorship and by the grace of God we will defeat the tendencies that seek to foster a civilian dictatorship on our country.

    Dear members of the organized civil society groups you must know that politics and democracy are too important to be left to civilian dictators masquerading as politicians, we all must be alive to our responsibilities and safeguard this our hard-fought and hard-won democracy.

    When the idea of a coalition of political parties first got muted some felt it was an exercise to be joked with, I believe that events have proved just how timely and far thinking the idea is, clearly it is a straight fight between APC the repressive rent seekers pretending to be progressive and PDP the open and accommodative party of the people. We must move to speed up the detailed negotiations and get a united platform to get our country Nigeria working again, we must snap out of the idea that anyone can do it along. We are stronger together and we can better stand to challenge this dictatorial regime if democracy is to survive.

    All cannot be fair in democracy for democracy is no war, it is a government of the people by the people and for the people. APC and Fayemi it is not over see, you at the tribunal.

  • Princess Marian Iyabode Awolowo, Apologies to Nigerians

    Princess Marian Iyabode Awolowo, the pioneer of Buhari’s Campaign 2011-2015 Apologies to Nigerians

    I sincerely wholeheartedly apologize to ALL Nigerians for motivating, encouraging, sponsoring mobilizers and advocating for a Buhari 2015 Presidency. I can assure you that I took this position after observing incessant killings going on in Nigeria especially in the Northern part of Nigeria in 2010.
    My decision was helped immensely by my beautiful early year’s experiences of Nigeria.

    In around mid-2010, my Conscience refused to turn a blind eye to the Terrorist killings going on in Nigeria, when knowing in my heart that majority of Nigerians are very giving, peaceful, hardworking and accommodating.

    Thus, I find it highly disturbing watching International News especially BBC News about how Boko Haram Terrorist were killing in Nigeria with reckless abandon. This critical point in time was what drove me to create Nigerian Global Awakening Group Page on Facebook in October 2011, with the aims of creating awareness and to advocate for a Change of Government by introducing a President Buhari 2015 whom I believed could help our dear beloved country Nigeria from perilous because he was an experienced former Military President in Nigeria.

    But since the 2015 inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians and the global world have endured one avoidable gaffe, mishaps or the other. Between 2015 to date, Nigerian have seen lack of synergy, corrupt white collar crime, targeted of opposition, blackmailing of perceived enemies, incitements against Good Governance Advocates, non-prioritising the needs of the poor, Government sponsored media outlets promoting fake news, no investment in Manufacturing, Corrupt practices in Government, Nepotism, the delayed in critical appointments of Minister, the President Illness and the longest foreign medical trips took the order of the day.

    To make matters worse, premature released of 500 Boko Haram Terrorist from Kano State Prison by President Buhari, and to make worse the situation for Nigeria and Nigerians, the apparent favoritism of Killer Herdsmen who posed a threat to ALL Nigerians, Nigeria and the world at large.

    Here we are in July 2018 faced with the reality that our country Nigeria is in a bigger threat that may consume Nigeria and posed as a threat the world at large. Thus, I CANNOT WITH GOOD CONSCIENCE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OR WISHED FOR THE RE-ELECTION OF PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI FOR SECOND TERM IN 2019 WITH THE APPARENT DANGERS HIGHLIGHTED.

    So I PLEAD with those with CONSCIENCE regardless of Religion, Political affiliations or region to STOP pretending that everything is alright with the manner President Buhari is leading our beloved country Nigeria especially in terms of securing our country beloved Nigeria.

    The insecurity across Nigeria is very alarming and dangerous to ALL and there comes a time when as humanity directs for us, to search our conscience and chose what will determine our existence in a fast global world.

    POINTS OF CRITICAL THINKING:

    1. The core reason why majority of Nigerians joined the cry for Change and campaigned vigorous against the Ex-President Jonathan was his inactive and slowness in combating Boko Haram Terrorist who are killings Nigerians especially in the Northeast of Nigeria.

    2. Nigerians Globally from ALL REGION, ALL RELIGION, POLITICAL AND NON POLITICAL rose up and came TOGETHER from across the world to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

    3. The above key points were what propagated the need to promote a Buhari 2015 Presidency with the HOPE that he would STOP the infiltrated apparently sponsored Boko Haram killing innocent Nigerians.

    4. During the Campaign 2015, never in the history of Nigeria have there been a time when love, unity and uniformity of purpose seen amongst all Nigerians across the world in a Political Campaign settings as witnessed for All Progressive Congress Political Party and for a President of Nigeria. The mood was so unique, and the euphoria was of genuine love and Hope. For the first time in the history of Nigerian Politics, the world witnessed how ordinary Nigerians poor and rich, young and old from all region and religion donated their money to sponsor a President Buhari. The world also witnessed for the first time in African History how Nigerians globally took it upon themselves to raise the bar in election campaign funds that other African Countries were voicing of emulating.

    5. And on the 29th of May 2015, a President Buhari who was FINANCIALLY SPONSORED by ALL Nigerians regardless of Religion, Region, Creed and Political affiliations took an OATH OF OFFICE with the QUARAN that he SHALL PROTECT NIGERIA, NIGERIANS AND THEIR PROPERTIES. This was the FIRST OATH!!! AND PRESIDENT BUHARI SWORN WITH THE QUARAN!!!

    But sadly, HOPE of Nigerians has been dashed, sacrificed for wickedness and greed. Prior to speaking out in Public against the decline of our beloved country Nigeria, I have spoken directly to President Buhari on several occasions about the State of affairs, on my last visit to him in September 2017; I repeated the same fear that Nigerians are losing faith in his Government. I pleaded for synergy until it became clear that the President of Nigeria has either been hijacked by those his wife Mrs. Aishat Buhari labeled as “Cabals” , or “Presidency” or he is vulnerable and being taken advantage of due to his high intake in prescribed medications for his ailment or he is on a different mission to perilous.

    I have heard the cries of the majority including their respectful Governors. I have read and heard the cries of Global World leaders against the apparent genocide going on under President Buhari’s Governance. I have observed how Presidency is bullying Nigerians to Silence. I have observed how the Government paid social media emergence campaigners attempted to sell LIES AS TRUTH WHILE SUBDUING AND SUPPRESSING NIGERIANS, JOURNALIST AND THE WORLD FROM KNOWING THE TRUE TERROR THAT HAS BEFELL NIGERIA AND INNOCENT NIGERIANS IN THEIR LANDS.

    Majority of Nigerians are NOW certain that President Buhari has BETRAYED THEM AND HAD FAILED WOEFULL to PROTECT Nigeria and Nigerian Lives and their Properties. His recent defeatist statement in reply to the massacre going on in Plateau State, Benue State, Zamfara State, Taraba State, Enugu State, Southern Kaduna, Edo State, Kogi State, Adamawa State, Lagos State, Ogun State, Oyo State, Kwara State and other States across Nigeria saying “there is nothing I can do to help the situation except to pray to God to help us out of the security challenges” should worry all Nigerians regardless whether you are paid to silence the truth or not. This defeatism statement should worry anyone who values their lives as the President has now confirmed he has relegated his duties to God.

    SECURITY is the first that determines efficiency in which all other sections of Governance can be rated. This one area is what is measured, and serves as a determinant as to whether the poor and the rich can have peace and progress in the land or not. And when security fails, everything will naturally fall into pieces. Additionally, history has thought us that it is the very poor in the society that will pay heavily for the negligence of the Leaders. And despite President Buhari came into power to secure Nigeria with a Campaign Manifesto, his deviation from the Campaign manifesto has apparently been replaced by his sudden interest and bullish advocacy for a Cow Colonies in favour of the “nomadic Fulani herdsmen”. Many have raised concern as Nigeria has been having problems with Fulani Herdsmen from across Africa who is represented in Nigeria headed by a group called Miyetti Allah.

    Majority of Nigerians find it frighteningly odd that President Muhammadu Buhari is fraternising and playing petty footing game with this same Miyetti Allah group that is worldly known to be associated with Terrorism. The compounded correlation and the group relationship with the Nigerian President raised a Red alert flag to Nigerians who sees how this skewed relationship has taken over their lives and properties with endemic massacre recorded across Nigeria and spreading.

    Furtherance, the group known as Miyetti Allah is the representative of Fulani Herdsmen across Nigeria. According to the Global Terrorism index, the “Nigerian Fulani militants named as fourth deadliest terror group in the world that only Boko Haram, Isis, and al-Shabab were deemed deadlier than the little-known militant group from West Africa. The report further expressed “the fourth deadliest known terrorist group has been named as the Fulani militant group operating in Nigeria and parts of the Central African Republic.

    The little-known group, formed of individuals from the semi-nomadic pastoral ethnic group Fula people existing across several West African nations, has seen a dramatic escalation of its activities in the past year. As much as 92 per cent of their attacks target private citizens, reflecting the group’s primary concern over the ownership of farmland. Each attack claims an average of 11 lives, with the largest known in April 2014 killing as many as 200 people after a group of the militants targeted community leaders and residents during a meeting in central province Zamfara.

    In the past year Nigeria has experienced the greatest increase in deaths from terrorism, with 7,512 deaths reported – an increase of over 300 per cent – most of which have been claimed by Boko Haram.”

    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/global-terrorism-index-nigerian-fulani-militants-named-as-fourth-deadliest-terror-group-in-world-a6739851.html

    Despite the above Global world Terrorism Index report about apparent threat to Nigerian peace and progress, President Buhari’s in responding to Governor Ortom of Benue State complaint about the incessant killings of Herdsmen against Benue Farmers and indigenes was “I am appealing to you to try to restrain your people”. President Buhari further appealed to Nigerians and Governor Ortom to “accommodate your countrymen”. This appeal by President Buhari further raised concern about his involvement in the apparent terrorism that is killing Nigerians in Nigeria.

    CRITICAL INCONSISTENCY, IN DENIAL AND CONFUSIONS BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI:

    1. It is on record that during President Buhari’s United Kingdom visit with the Archbishop of Canterbury who is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England Justin Welby, President Buhari blamed the targeted genocides by armed Fulani herdsmen on deceased Libyan President, Col. Muammar Gaddafi.

    2. It is also on record that during President Buhari’s televised conference with the United State President Donald Trump, President Muhammadu Buhari again blamed killings in some parts of the country by suspected herdsmen on armed men from Libya. He added that “The problem of herders in Nigeria is a very long historical thing. The Nigerian herders don’t carry anything more than a stick and occasionally a machete to cut down foliage and give it to their animals, these ones are carrying AK-47”. President Buhari said “43 years of Ghaddaffi, people were recruited from the Sahel and trained to shoot and kill. With the demise of Ghaddaffi they moved to other countries and region and carried the experience with them,” President Buhari also added a very worrying and severe warning saying “So, people should not underrate what happened in Libya”.

    3. Recently, Department of State Services of Nigeria (DSS) headed by Lawal Daura was on record claiming that “the main perpetrators of the killings are not Fulani herdsmen original to Nigeria but foreign fighters and terrorists affiliated to the Islamic state of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) that is already defeated by the coalition forces headed by the United States”

    4. And the blame game has taken another turn last week when President Buhari is now insinuating that “Opposition are behind the killings across Nigeria”.

    Any Nigerian who valued lives should consider the above four statements and ask WHY would a President who said the above is appealing to Governors and Nigerians to give up their land for cow colonies knowing those who perpetrated the massacre in Nigeria are “ Libyans recruited from the Sahel and trained to shoot and kill” and why would The President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari begged Nigerians to “accommodate “ these worldly armed known terrorist even when the head of Intelligence of Nigeria Department of security Services Lawal Daura who also confirmed that “the main perpetrators of the killings are foreign fighters and terrorists affiliated to the Islamic state of Syria and Iraq (ISIS)”.

    Why then should Nigerians be killed in order to “accommodate” terrorist the President himself have confirmed are “trained to kill”?

    Why ALL STATES IN NIGERIA MUST ENACT ANTI-GRAZING LAWS TO PROTECT NIGERIANS:

    Since evidence has demonstrated that stealing of cows appears to be a consistent reason given by the killer herdsmen to lay claim to killings of humans. It is extremely therefore important to use preventative method by enacting anti-open grazing law in ALL STATES OF Nigeria as this measure has proven to save lives. For the records, “In Ekiti State, there was a law which was constitutionally supported by the people of the state and signed by Governor Ayo Fayose in 2016 had already prohibits open-grazing between 6 pm and 7 am.” This measure in Ekiti is on record that it drove the terrorist camouflaging as Fulani Herdsmen out of Ekiti State.

    Also, “Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State enacted a law banning open- grazing in Benue State in 2017 in order to save Benue State indigenes from terrorist killer herdsmen that apparently killing the people of Benue State”

    “In Taraba State anti-grazing law was created in July 2017, and it came in effect on the 24th of January 2018”

    But shockingly, as soon as the law against open-grazing was enacted in the aforementioned States, the defense Minister of the Republic of Nigeria Dan-Ali released a statement saying the law against open-grazing should be suspended citing an alarming reason that the suspension “would reduce tension.” Many Nigerians find it hard to believe that a whole Defense Minister of the Republic Of Nigeria will asked for the suspension of a State law which evidently protect humans lives from marauding terrorist masquerading all over Nigeria as herdsmen.

    The insensitive statement of the Defense Minister though condemned by Nigerians further supports the notion that the Fulani Herdsmen engaging in massacre across Nigeria have support of the Federal Government of Republic of Nigeria headed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    With the above calamity and the dangers it posed to Nigeria, Nigerians and the world at large, I Princess Marian Iyabode Awolowo again sincerely apologise to ALL NIGERIANS for my advocacy for a President Muhammadu Buhari 2015 Presidency. And I SHALL NOT SUPPORT PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI RE-ELECTION BID AS IT POSED DANGER TO THE PEACE AND PROGRESS OF NIGERIA AND THE WORLD AT LARGE.

    And to the LIVING, DO not BE BULLIED TO SILENCE. DO NOT BE AFRAIDTO SPEAK OUT BECAUSE TERRORIST HATES TO BE EXPOSED. CREATE AWARENESS TO SAVE YOURSELF AND OTHERS. 

    Ensure you TAKE PRESERVING YOUR LIVES AS A PIRIOTY. 

    Vote out any Governor who cedes your lands to terrorist camouflaging as Fulani Herdsmen, because the terrorist herdsmen are NOT the same peaceful Fulani herdsmen we have lived with side by side for decades in Nigeria. 

    Please ensure you VOTE for PRESERVATION OF LIVES IN THE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION. 

    Once again, I totally unequivocally apologise to ALL who supported my callings for a Buhari2015 Presidency especially victims of the barbaric avoidable massacre going on in Nigeria. I pray to God, Allah, Olodumare to strengthen and bless all those who are victims of the barbaric killings going on in Nigeria.

    May all the departed souls rest in peace, Amen, Ameen, Ase.
    #AllLivesMATTERS

    Signed

    Princess Marian Iyabode Awolowo – United Kingdom
    Creator – Nigerian Global Awakening Group
    Creator – Nigerian Global Awakening Day
    6th of July 2018