Buhari announces modality, names dignitaries for conferment of national honours on Abiola, others

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has just released the statement below to announce modalities for the conferment of national honours on late multibillionaire businessman cum politician, Moshood Abiola; late prominent lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi and politician, Babagana Kingibe. Read full statement below. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HONOURS JUNE 12 PRO-DEMOCRACY HEROES Following the historic designation of June 12 as DEMOCRACY DAY and NATIONAL HOLIDAY, Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, will confer Post-Humous national honours on Chief M.K.O. Abiola as Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Chief Gani Fawehinmi as the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). He will also decorate Ambassador Babagana Kingibe with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), at an investiture scheduled to take place as follows:- DATE: Tuesday, June 12 2018 VENUE: Conference Hall, State House, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja TIME: 10.00 am 2. Accordingly, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe , the family of the late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola and that of Chief Gani Fawehinmi , along with the underlisted key players of June 12 struggle are cordially invited: · Members of the National Executive Committee of the SDP including States Chairmen and Secretaries at the time of June 12, 1993 · Governors elected under SDP platform · Former Senate Presidents – Iyorchia Ayu and Ameh Ebute and Speaker Agunwa Anekwe along with Principal Officers of the National Assembly elected under SDP platform · Speakers of the States Assembly elected under SDP platform · All Chairmen of the States Traditional Councils from the six South-Western States · Prof. Wole Soyinka · Mr. Femi Falana, SAN · Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu · Chief Bisi Akande · Ms. Ayo Obe · Bayo Onanuga – The News · Kunle Ajibade – Tempo · Nosa Igiebor – Tell · Kayode Komolafe – Media Hope 93 · Senator Janathan Zwingina – DG Hope 93 · Comrade Frank Ovie Kokori · Prof. Humphrey Nwosu 3. Also invited are Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogora, Principal Officers of the National Assembly, Members of the Federal Executive Council and all State Governors. 4. Accommodation has been reserved for all invitees at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Tafawa Balewa Way, area 11, Garki, Abuja from Monday, 11th June 2018. For further inquiries please contact William Alo, Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation 5. Invitation letters have been despatched. However, should the invitation arrive late, this publication serves as a formal invitation.

DANCING ON THE GRAVE OF ABIOLA

Inside Stuff With MARTINS OLOJA “The Guardian”Sunday JUNE 10, 2018, P.13 Our leaders and the power elite know how to develop and execute political strategy for enlightened self-interest. But they do not know how to develop politics for nation building. And that is why we are a prominent but not a significant nation. We, the people, too always doze off after telling some social media tales, which are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. And so, our do-nothing leaders know us quite well. They know we like exciting political stories. They haul a lot of them on the front pages and prime time every day for us to debate. Instead of chasing significant issues such as killers in the Middle Belt and North East zones, they chase the prominent but insignificant suspects in the senate. They know how to engage our attention all the time. Give it to them. Our leaders appear to have taken some anointing from Charles Dickens character, Jack Dawkins known as the “Artful Dodger” in the classic, “Oliver Twist”. They are Artful Dodgers indeed. They dodge questions on policy issues and their manifestoes. They dodge questions on their stewardships. They evade questions on their running costs. They don’t want to answer any questions on their security votes. They parry questions on their responsibilities to the people on welfare and security. They don’t want any questions on their assaults on the rule of law and disobedience to court orders. Our leaders are very clever. They always give us opium, which appeases the ‘gods of the belly’. Yes, they have given us another one, a 25-year-old opium called June 12 – a justice once delayed and denied – to the acclaimed ‘most sophisticated’ nation, the Yoruba in Nigeria. Now we are debating. We are wailing and hailing. We had thought that the lanky General of Fulani extraction was not artful, not sophisticated enough to run our affairs. But he has artfully put in our mouths a messy opium garnished with honey that we cannot swallow immediately, nor can we spew out. Behold, the magic of June 12 nurturing the majesty of the law and democracy simultaneously. Before our very eyes, the poor and unknown footballer of yesterday has become today’s soccer maestro, a Lionel Messi, a Christiano Ronaldo even in the media, the iconic Odia Ofeimun once called the ‘Ngbati press’. But who can deny the mastery of the art of politics in this game someone has called scoring of an unexpected ‘hat trick’. A friend of mine (in a long letter to me) noted that in the June 12 Ring, ‘It is a June 12 masterstroke and they are sulking…a single uppercut has left a multitude of knockouts. Ouch!...’ That is the new spirit in town. The lanky, taciturn leader from Daura has indeed stolen some thunder – from Minna, though Otueke to Abeokuta. Yes, the June 12 music might have ended at the Eagle Square on May 29, 1999. But at the moment, a diplomat with a baritone voice inside the powerhouse is saying, the melody is not yet over. We are gathered again at the Abiola’s graveside where we can once again dance the Yoruba’s organic ‘owambe’. There, they can remember the chorus from Lanny Wolfe’s classic, ‘Dancing on the Grave of My Enemies’. “Now I'm dancing on the graves of my enemies; Dancing on the trouble that's been troubling me; I did not know what else to do; But J*.C*, He brought me through” I've come through the fire; I've come through the flood It's nothing else but the blood...; And if you're wondering what I'm dancing about Hallelujah! He brought me out…” Of all the groundswell of views I have read, I have found the one credited to my brother at the “TVC Journalists’ Hangout,” Kolade Babajide Otitoju’s very significant. For whatever it is worth, the June 12 resurrection story is indeed a masterstroke that cannot be denied at this moment. Babajide says, ‘PMB knows how to use his office very well…”That says it all. I would like to add that no one can fault his (President Buhari’s) loan from “the Children of Issachar who the word of God tells me, “had understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought to do”. The declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day and National Honour for M.K.O Abiola does not automatically lead to swinging of so many votes from the Yoruba to the General as being touted. There are still so many rivers to cross in Western Nigeria before this can be an added advantage. First, he has to show federal government projects that can be commissioned anytime soon. The two viable Ports located at Apapa are in Lagos, the commercial capital of Western Nigeria. PMB has to show commitments that General Murtala Mohammed promised the people in a national broadcast to the nation on February 3, 1976 when he proclaimed Abuja as the nation’s new capital. In his broadcast to the nation on February 3, 1976, Murtala had promised that Lagos would not only be designated a “Special Area”, it would be Nigeria’s commercial capital and the deal would be incorporated into the 1979 Constitution then in the works. His words: “…Lagos will, in the foreseeable future, remain the nation’s commercial capital and one of its nerve centres. But in terms of servicing the present infrastructure alone, the committed amount of money and effort required will be such that Lagos State will not be ready to cope. It will even be unfair to expect the state to bear this heavy burden on its own. It is, therefore, necessary for the federal government to continue to sustain the substantial investment in the area. The port facilities and other economic activities in the Lagos area have to be expanded. There is need in the circumstance for the federal government to maintain a special defence and security arrangement in Lagos, which will henceforth be designated a SPECIAL AREA. These arrangements will be carefully worked out and written into the constitution. Kaduna and Port-Harcourt are to be accorded similar status and designated special areas under the constitution...” This promise has to be fulfilled now. There are other weightier matters of infrastructure too in the area. The people would like to celebrate special attention to the Lagos-Ibadan, Shagamu- Ore-Benin Expressway, which is part of the Apapa- related commercial routes. June 12 is politics settled. But the people shall not live by politics alone. Governance after politics will create values for the people. Good road infrastructure will improve security and welfare of the people, the primary purpose of government. It is indeed some leprosy on the people that nineteen years of democracy or civil rule has not affected Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other critical roads in Western Nigeria. What is more, the President’s commitment to “restructuring of the federation” should also make some way for him in the hearts of the people of Western Nigeria. Don’t believe a report that they are “sophisticated morons” as a political journalist called them on this June 12 revival story at the weekend. They are not. President Buhari should have noted how one good action can be a masterstroke, a big issue that you don’t need to push in the mainstream media. Your good deeds can make a way for you. The June 12 ‘wonder goal’ has been one of such actions. But that is not all. It is risky to dance on the grave of M.K.O Abiola without connecting with the right tunes from the sophisticated orchestra from Western Nigeria. President Buhari should not lose the momentum. He should solidify this with an uncommon commitment to restructuring. There is a little that can be achieved in economic management at this time. The president’s war on corruption has been controversial and meretricious. Even the anti-corruption agencies need restructuring of some sort. The document the Nasir el-Rufai Committee has submitted on this serious thing called restructuring, has been widely hailed. Another ‘hat trick’ can be scored from this, if the president can renew his mind about federalism this week. This is not just for the purpose of re-election. It is about nation building. The 2019 election can be won and the nation can be lost in the process. What then will it profit a president if he wins an election and loses his nation? The foundation of Nigeria has to be revisited for nation building to be meaningful at the moment. It is not about the Western Nigeria. It is about the fate of the most populous black nation on earth. The other thing needful while the symphony is being managed on the grave of Abiola is overhaul of the public service appointments. The President needs to retouch appointments of his security and intelligence chiefs. They have been largely parochial and lopsided. You can’t re-build a fractured nation with this lopsidedness. The president needs to be audacious as he has been with this June 12 redemption song on the grave of Abiola. Whenever people are gathered on this June 12 revival story, event managers in Abuja should pay tributes to heroes of democracy, especially civil society activists and journalists who worked hard with others to deliver this democracy in 1999. People may have forgotten about numerous guerilla journalists who lost their freedom and even lives. Bagauda Kaltho and others paid the supreme sacrifice. “Tell”, “The News”, “The African Guardian” “Tempo”, “Abuja Newsday”, etc suffered in the hand of state terrorists at the time. Some never survived. It is true that Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo(1999-2007) Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (2007-2010) and Goodluck Jonathan (2010-2015) failed to remember the political backgrounds, yes June 12 that set the tone for this democracy they have enjoyed. Most of the beneficiaries and political office holders who have failed to remember this aspect of our political history deserve to be enrolled in a Hall of Shame for “Pissing on the Grave of Abiola” before President Buhari seized the moment. Verily, verily we can say this: Former President Obasanjo should not be disturbed by security agencies at this time. He should be allowed to receive his ‘Medal of Shame’ for ‘Pissing on the Grave of Abiola’. The Prince of the Niger, General IBB who annulled the June 12 1993 election result that would have deepened our nation building and democracy in the country should be given a monument in a good corner of the Eagle Square, Abuja for “Digging the Grave of the President-elect” then. And for failing to go beyond rejection of the naming of the University of Lagos after Abiola, former President Jonathan should also receive his ‘Medal of Shame’ for ‘Dancing Sluggishly on the Grave of Abiola’. That is why PMB should be enrolled in a “Hall of Fame” on June 12. ***There are other nominees for the enrollment into the “Hall of Shame” next week.

Buhari’s award of GCFR to M.K.O Abiola illegal.......Ex-CJN- Belgore

The award of N igeria’s highest national honour on late Moshood Abiola is illegal, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria has told this to newsmen. President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday evening named Mr Abiola, winner of 1993 presidential election that was annulled by former dictator Ibrahim Babangida, a holder of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR, 20 years after his death in 1998. Alfa Belgore, CJN from 2006-2007, said the national honours cannot be awarded posthumously, much less the GCFR, which is the highest honour in the land. “It is not done,” Mr Belgore said. “It is for people living.” “The only thing they could do is to name a place after him, but national honours award, no,” he added. Mr Belgore, chairman of the 2016 national honours committee, also said he “was not consulted” by the Buhari administration before the decision was taken. Mr Belgore said under the 1963 National Honours Act, only soldiers or other servicemen could be awarded posthumous medals for their bravery. The president also declared that Democracy Day would be celebrated on June 12 to further honour the memory of Mr Abiola. The move has received mixed feelings, with supporters of the government seeing it as a welcomed move while critics dismissed it as a desperate political calculation ahead of 2019 elections in which Mr Buhari has declared he would run for second term.

THE JUNE 12 GIFT BY THE CALIPHATE & BUHARI TO YORUBA NATION.

History remains unkind to those who do NOT learn from History!!!! Posterity too waits in the wings to deal a decisive Judgment on our undiscerning and uncircimspect Present and ask what we did while Nigeria was on fire and our Heritage wrenched from us (God forbid)!!!! Thanks, But No Thanks. In ancient China, Duke Wu of Cheng, felt it was time to take over the powerful kingdom of Hu. Careful not to tell anyone of his devious plan, he married off his daughter to the powerful ruler of Hu. Thereafter he called his cabinet and asked which kingdom should be invaded. Expectedly a member of his cabinet suggested the kingdom of Hu. Duke Wu in a fitting show of anger retorted “the kingdom of Hu is a sister state now. Why do you suggest invading a sister state”? As if to demonstrate his seriousness he had the minister executed for his “unguarded and unreasonable” remarks. The ruler of Hu heard about this and similar friendly gestures of Duke of Wu, including the marriage of his daughter felt unthreatened and took no precautions to defend himself from Cheng. Several weeks later Cheng forces invaded Wu, meeting no resistance took over the kingdom, never to relinquish it. If Buhari likes let him declare the whole month of June as holiday to commemorate June 12 elections considered the freest and fairest elections in the political history of Nigeria. In addition, he can declare the seat of government MKO House, it does not bother me. How does that bring back the winner of the election whose mandate was denied simply because he was a Yoruba man? How does that bring back thousands of our youth who were brutally and mercilessly killed by the Abacha regime for demonstrating for the actualization of the mandate freely given? This was Abacha, the same Buhari served under as PTF Chairman and even proclaimed he was not corrupt despite evidence to the contrary. How does that address thousands of acres of our farmlands destroyed and people killed, including women and children under the present administration, while Buhari maintain his criminal silence. How does that address the forceful take-over of our land and destruction of our local subsistence economy? How does that address thousands of Yoruba youths whose lives have become nasty brutish and short on account of the incompetence of this ruler? As I type this message, my 65-year old brother-in-law has left his family to struggle it out in the Western world, at a time when he should be enjoying his retirement and watching his grandkids. Please tell me how the declaration of June 12 addresses thousands of our youths crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe in search of better life because their jobs have been taken over by the less qualified Hausa-Fulani. In almost 15 years of my sojourn in the US, I have never met a Northerner struggling it out here. Yet they say there is unemployment in Nigeria. Or is it that the Yorubas have all of sudden become unemployable? It is time to set our priorities right as a people and a nation and reject any Greek gift. Yes, MKO deserves all the accolades he can get for putting his life on the line for even the semblance of democracy we enjoy, but the gift cannot come from the hands that killed him. *As Dwight Eisenhower said "a people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both".* Our cause is greater than the symbolic representation of a holiday declared. At the appropriate time, when we have achieved our desire and goal, MKO will be immortalized, after all, despite the denial of the federal government over several years, June 12 is still celebrated as a holiday in most of the Western states. What else is new? Except to focus on the big picture: Restructure or split it up. There cannot be any other solution other than that. On this occasion; let’s tell the government “Thanks, But No Thanks”. OLANIYI AYODELE, a voice of reasoning quoted the story of the Duke of Wu from the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.

EX PRESIDENT, IBRAHIM BABANGIDA OPENED UP ON JUNE 12 ANNULMENT

They will kill me; they will kill the President Elect, Chief MKO Abiola if I went ahead with the election and announced the winner of the elections which we all know to be Bashorun, Chief MKO Abiola. I know so; I am not daft. He won; he tried. I feel bad about the whole matter. Professor, I do not see how they will spare you because they know you are my principal confidant. You think they do not know you? They know; they know you are with me now. They saw you coming in and they know you are with me now I cannot kill myself for the sake of what the country wants. I am sorry, he lamented. It was astonishing to hear a General state that he could not lay down his life for his country. It was clear that General Babangida was in a fix as of June 21st 1993. I then proceeded to deal with the questions of who were these “they” and for what reasons would they want to kill the President and the President Elect if the June 12 election were allowed to go forward. He named them in military and in ethnic categories: Sani (meaning General Sani Abacha) is opposed to a return to civilian rule. Sani cannot stand the idea of Chief Abiola, a Yoruba becoming his Commander- in- Chief; Sani seems to have the ears of the Norhern leaders that no Southerner especially from the South West should become the President of the country. Sani seems to rally the Northern elders to confront me on the matter. He is winning; the Sultan and the Northern leaders are of this frame of mind. Where do I go from here? They do not trust me. Without Sani, I will not be alive today; without the North, I would not have become an officer in the Nigerian Army and now the President of Nigeria I don’t want to appear ungrateful to Sani; he may not be bright upstairs but he knows how to overthrow governments and overpower coup plotters. He saw to my coming to office in 1985 and to my protection in the many coups I faced in the past, especially the Orkar coup of 1990 where he saved me and my family including my infant daughter.” Sani risked his life to get me into office in 1983 and 1985; if he says he does not want Chief Abiola, I will not force Chief Abiola on him. He also named Lt General Dongoyaro and Brigadier General David Mark as those who were against Chief Abiola. In fact, he quoted David Mark as saying: I’d shoot Chief Abiola the day NEC( National Electoral Commission) pronounces him the elected President! Hmmmm!!! Same David Mark went to Senate and became Senate President in a democracy that MKO Abiola died for. SOURCE:THE TALE OF JUNE 12: THE BETRAYAL OF THE DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS OF NIGERIANS BY PROFESSOR OMO OMORUYI.

The Abuja Declaration AND THE ISLAMIZATION OF NIGERIA

by Otedo News Update The Abuja Declaration The Abuja Declaration is the name frequently given to the communiqué issued after the Islam in Africa conference held in Abuja , Nigeria between 24 and 28 November 1989 . The conference was organised by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (at that time called the Organisation of Islamic Conference ) and it agreed to set up the Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO ) . Declaration The declaration was to the effect that Muslims should unite throughout Africa, the curricula at "various educational establishments " should conform to Muslim ideas , the education of women should be attended to, the teaching of Arabic should be encouraged , and Muslims should support economic relations with Islamic areas worldwide . It noted that Muslims in Africa had been deprived of rights to be governed under sharia law and they should strengthen their struggle to reinstate it . The Islam in Africa Organisation ( nl) was formally established in July 1991, also in Abuja and it has stated its objectives. Commentary John Chesworth (director of Islam and Christian - Muslim relations at St Paul ' s United Theological College, Limuru, Kenya ) and John Azumah (senior research fellow , Akrofi -Christaller Memorial Centre, Ghana ) have reviewed the proceedings at the conference . On the decision to set up the IAO, Heather Deegan (senior lecturer in Comparative Politics, Middlesex University ) has commented "More recently Islam has adopted a liberating posture , presenting itself as a religion which will rest countries from their neocolonial dependencies and ignoring the fact that it too was a conquering and colonising force in Africa over the longue durée ." The East African Centre for Law and Justice reports the declaration verbatim but goes on to quote two other objectives which it says were omitted from the IAO website. It also severely criticises what it regards as the real objectives of the IAO. Raphael O Duru (Project Director , Voice Your Vote Nigeria , Nigeria ) Alternative declaration In 1990 another declaration was promulgated purporting to be from the 1989 conference and which Frans Wijsen ( professor of World Christianity and Interreligious Relations at Radboud University Nijmegen ) regards as a forgery because it does not correspond with declarations made at the conference . Regarding Africa, it said , amongst other things , that only Muslims should be appointed to strategic posts, non - Muslim religions should be eradicated, Nigeria should become a Federal Islamic Sultanate , and western law should be replaced with sharia . Wijsen regards this as indicating a more militant aspect of Islam in Africa and comments that some aspects directly conflict with official Islamic teaching. Source : Wikipedia , Share widely until those who always shout..... IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO ISLAMIZE NIGERIA.. see this declaration. Other religions are in trouble in One Nigeria .

All is quiet on the western front

BEFORE WE LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT By Dare Babarinsa, THE GUARDIAN Let me start with a confession. I have not read the manifesto of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. However, I had expected that one of the new grounds the party would cultivate is the abandon forest of constitutional reforms. So far, it has shied away from this. Indeed, some of the pronouncements of its red-cap chiefs suggest that it is militantly opposed to any form of constitutional amendment. We may recall that President Muhammadu Buhari, before he was halted by illness, had said on national television that he would have nothing to do with the reports of the Constitutional Conference brokered by his pliant predecessor, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. It is not out of point to regard the APC as the successor-political estate of Chief M.K.O Abiola, the great man whose sacrifice formed the cornerstone of our struggle against military rule. Indeed when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn-in as the elected successor to General Abdulsalami Abubakar, many of the leaders of the struggle regarded him as an undeserving beneficiary of Abiola’s great struggle. It is a fact of history nonetheless that Obasanjo had suffered as much as, if not more, than most of the leadership of the opposition. It was not surprising therefore that Obasanjo paid scant attention to the call for the restructuring of the Federation. As President, he played his game as an advocate of a strong Federal Government. He and members of the military class, especially those who spent their youths fighting in the Civil War, are suspicious of the call for constitutional reforms. They fear it might spiral out of control. I disagree. Therefore, when the APC was swept into power over the debris of Jonathan’s House of Commotion, we believed change has come. It is true that the new President is a born-again military dictator. He was surrounded during the campaign by our leaders who had been with us for many years in the call for the restructuring of Nigeria. They eventually brought him to power. Since then, we have been waiting for him to kick start the process of constitutional reforms that would usher in a new era of change for Nigeria. The change is necessary for without it, the future of the republic would be uncertain. The structure of Nigeria has been a matter of contention right from colonial times. Indeed, shortly after the amalgamation of 1914, some of the top colonial officers have argued that the Northern and Southern Protectorates should share the Niger and Benue rivers as the natural boundaries. But this was opposed by Lugard who regarded the North as his own territory. Indeed for sometime, he was both Governor-General of Nigeria and Governor of the Northern Protectorates. However, when the Western and Eastern Protectorates were created, the River Niger at Asaba was used as their common boundary. At the last Constitutional Conference in London before independence, our leaders and the colonial officers could not agree on the creation of additional regions as demanded by the minority ethnic groups. In the end, they set up the Willink Commission to look for way to “allay the fears of the minorities.” By the time of the first coup in 1966, many parts of Nigeria were in ferment over agitations for new regions. The Tiv revolt was raging and Chief Joseph Tarka and many of his leading lieutenants were often in detention or in prisons. In the South-South, the Izons (Ijaw) under the leadership of Isaac Adaka Boro, were in open revolt. Attempts to talk things over failed when the Leaders of Thoughts Conference, called by Colonel Yakubu Gowon, collapsed in 1966 as a fatal prelude to the Civil War. It was in the attempt to solve the problem that General Yakubu Gowon created the 12 states federal structure in 1967. Today, Nigeria has 36 states and the Abuja Federal Capital Territory. By the time Abiola was running for the Presidency in 1993, it was clear that the federation was no longer working. There were simply too many states, too many governors, too many commissioners, too many government agencies and extra-ministerial bodies. Then General Sani Abacha seized power in 1993 and the following year, Abiola was thrown into detention. The resolutions of all the Afenifere leadership at all its meetings in Owo, Ondo State, under the leadership of Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, from 1994 onward was that Abiola must be released from detention unconditionally and he must be allowed to exercise his mandate by forming a Government of National Unity. The duty of the Government of National Unity would be three: to restructure Nigeria so that the federating units would be between six and eight regions, to revert to parliamentary system and to practise fiscal federalism. But Abiola died suddenly in July 1998 one month after the death of Abacha. The death of Abiola, however, did not change the political focus. The leadership of Afenifere now led by Senator Abraham Aderibigbe Adesanya had waged the struggle with many powerful allies including opposition National Democratic Coalition led by Chief Anthony Enahoro, the Eastern Mandate Union led by Chief Arthur Nwankwo and the Middle-Belt Congress led by Chief Solomon Lar among others. All the leaders were agreed that Nigeria was ripe for a restructuring. Which way to go was the problem. The attention by 1998 was focused on who would be the President and carry out the desired restructuring of the federation. Chief Anthony Enahoro, who was in exile in Maryland, USA, declined to run for the Presidency because he would not agree to the transition programme of the military without restructuring preceding it. Indeed, he regarded Afenifere participation in the transition programme as an act of cowardice if not outright betrayal. In the end, both Chief Bola Ige and Chief Olu Falae made a go for it with Falae wining the presidential ticket of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, alliance with the All Peoples Party, APP. Falae’s running mate was Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi of the APP. The Afenifere leadership also attempted to sell the restructuring idea to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Obasanjo. Attempt to hold a meeting at the Ore-Close, Surulere, residence of Otunba Solanke Onasanya ended in a fiasco as Obasanjo insisted on coming to the meeting with a large entourage which included the late Chief Sunday Afolabi and Donald Duke, then the governorship candidate of the PDP for Cross River State. When he came to power, Obasanjo tried reluctantly to play the card when he appointed a Constitution Review Committee under the leadership of veteran Awoist, Chief Ayo Adebanjo. As soon as it was set up, the committee virtually became an orphan. Now the people of the South-West regard the current ruling party as their own child. Its leading lights have appropriated the leadership of the Yoruba people and it is expected that they would champion the cause of their people in the ruling party. So why are most of them silent now and why are they shy about discussing The Yoruba Agenda which has been documented in a pamphlet of the same title? In 1996 also, The Family Handbook of Idile Oodua, a pan-Yoruba organization, also declares: “We re-affirm the determination of the Yoruba people to live under one government of an autonomous region within the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We believe that the formation of such an autonomous region is the inalienable right and duty of the Yoruba people.” Now the APC is in power and there is silence on the Western Front. This must be due to the complicity or the compliance of the Yoruba leaders within the APC for they cannot claim ignorance about what the Yoruba want. They know the quest for regionalism and parliamentary democracy is not to weaken Nigeria, but to strengthen it. If the regions are strong, then our federation would be strong and it would not be constantly harassed by Boko Haram and similar evil brigades. Why should our people in Ado-Ekiti wait for the Federal Government to construct a rail line from Ado to Lagos when this can be done by our regional government? The silence on the Western Front gives one the tingling feeling that there is not much difference between the old power brigade and the new one. Indeed, the APC is like the PDP minus the PDP. In truth, not every part of our great country would welcome the idea of regionalism and parliamentary democracy. But that should not make the political elite of the South-West to pretend that they are unaware of the Yoruba Agenda or The Family Handbook, both of which enunciated why Yorubaland should have a single government within the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This was also the position at the controversial Jonathan National Conference. In 1995, before he fled into exile, Chief Enahoro, a natural-born patrician, addressed the meeting of Afenifere in Owo, at the country home of Chief Ajasin. Chief Enahoro declared at that meeting held at the height of Abacha dictatorship: “If other people are willing to go into slavery, I am not obliged to follow them.”

NEVER FORGET NWAOBOSHI'S SACRIFICES-Chief James Ibori

By: Andie Onyemeziem (Head, SPON MEDIA TEAM) The former Governor of Delta state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, today, June 8, 2018, enjoined the good people of Delta North Senatorial District to support Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi in all his endeavours, particularly as he seeks re-election. Chief Ibori spoke when he was a special guest to his loyal Deputy Governor, His Honour, Chief B.S.C Elue, at Camp Benjamin, Obior, Aniocha North Local Govt Area. In an emotion ladened speech, he stated that Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi layed down everything to the that equity was enthroned in our system. *"Peter fought me and the entire Exco of my Government for equity which finally culminated in Delta South and now Delta North producing Governor today*". He therefore, enjoined all well-meaning *Anioma people never to forget that sacrifice* of their worthy son. It would be recalled that in 2003, Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi, then, Commissioner for Agric, in chief Ibori's exco, started a movement christened *Equity 2017*, which was targeted at making sure that no one senatorial district, particularly central senatorial district (at that time), held onto the governance of Delta state forever. In that fight, he suffered some political jundices which included his transfer from Asaba to become the first Commissioner, Special Duties, Abuja and his eventual removal from chief Ibori's exco. Today, chief Ibori, the man who felt the pains of the struggles praised sen. Nwaoboshi's doggedness and consistency. The high point of the occasion was the cutting of the *unity cake* by the original founders of PDP in Delta state of which Senator Peter Nwaoboshi was the first State Secretary. Others include the current Governor, Sen Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, former deputy governor, chief Benjamin Elue, Chief Iyoghota Amori, Chief Nkem Okwuofu, Chief Adora Giwa-Amu, Senator Patrick Osakwe among others.

About Yoruba unique winning: The Truth from Uncle Joe Igbokwe

"Did the Yoruba go to war when June 12 1993 Presidential Election won by their illustrious son Chief MKO Abiola was annulled on June 23rd 1993 on a sheet of paper by IBB? Did Yoruba go to war when Abiola’s wife Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was murdered in Lagos in the morning of Jun 4 1996? Did Yoruba go to war when the winner of that historic election was poisoned on July 7 1998? Did Yoruba go to war when those who killed Abiola imposed Obasanjo on them as President in 1999? Did Yoruba accept Chief Ernest Shonekan when IBB made him to head the interim government in 1993? Yoruba rejected OBJ and Shonekan because this unique race has never been slaves to public office and yet they have remained number one in Nigeria in almost everything. This is wisdom and strategic thinking at work. Those of us who have lived in Yoruba land for years should not only learn how to wear Aso Ebi, eat Ewedu soup or dance Owambe, music. We must have also learned other unique things from them like sharing property to both male and female children, religious tolerance, ethnic tolerance, transferring legacies from generation to generation. Do you know that APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s wife is a Christian? Do you know that former Governor Fashola’s wife is a Christian? We can learn a lot from Yoruba. Yoruba too can learn from Igbo in areas of thinking home, business enterprise, self-help, apprenticeship, etc. A Yoruba woman, a Pastor Mrs. Eunice Olawale Elisha of the Redeemed Christian Church of God old NEPA Road Phase 4 Kubwa, Abuja was killed by unknown persons on Saturday morning of July 9, 2016, while preaching the gospel around 5.30am. I have followed the reactions on the internet and Yoruba do not behave like the Igbo. They have been speaking but not preaching hate. They have called for the culprits to be fished out, prosecuted and punished. If Mrs. Eunice Elisha had been an Igbo hell would have been let loose. There would have been abuses and abuses. But Yoruba are not Igbo. This is civilization. This is strategic thinking. 7I hope our people can learn from this. Civility is not a sign of weakness. He who fights and run away lives to fight another day. When GEJ marginalized Yoruba in his cabinet for five years despite been the most vocal in an effort to make him president, Yorubas didn't threaten anybody, they didn't abuse anybody, they simply fought in a peaceful & civilized way to effect a change in 2015 using their PVC. Today the most active VP since the independence & most likely, the next president of Nigeria is Yoruba. Fashola heads 3 ministries & referred to as prime minister in some parlance, Kemi Adeosun heads finance, Fayemi heads mines etc. That's how to fight for relevance in multi faceted country like Nigeria & not taking up arm against everybody. To have ears is not to listen, to listen is not to hear, to hear is not to understand, to understand is not to put to practice. I know that writing this may not get me many friends among the Igbo, but it always gets me the right ones" - Joe Igbokwe style................ .

About Yoruba unique winning: The Truth from Uncle Joe Igbokwe

"Did the Yoruba go to war when June 12 1993 Presidential Election won by their illustrious son Chief MKO Abiola was annulled on June 23rd 1993 on a sheet of paper by IBB? Did Yoruba go to war when Abiola’s wife Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was murdered in Lagos in the morning of Jun 4 1996? Did Yoruba go to war when the winner of that historic election was poisoned on July 7 1998? Did Yoruba go to war when those who killed Abiola imposed Obasanjo on them as President in 1999? Did Yoruba accept Chief Ernest Shonekan when IBB made him to head the interim government in 1993? Yoruba rejected OBJ and Shonekan because this unique race has never been slaves to public office and yet they have remained number one in Nigeria in almost everything. This is wisdom and strategic thinking at work. Those of us who have lived in Yoruba land for years should not only learn how to wear Aso Ebi, eat Ewedu soup or dance Owambe, music. We must have also learned other unique things from them like sharing property to both male and female children, religious tolerance, ethnic tolerance, transferring legacies from generation to generation. Do you know that APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s wife is a Christian? Do you know that former Governor Fashola’s wife is a Christian? We can learn a lot from Yoruba. Yoruba too can learn from Igbo in areas of thinking home, business enterprise, self-help, apprenticeship, etc. A Yoruba woman, a Pastor Mrs. Eunice Olawale Elisha of the Redeemed Christian Church of God old NEPA Road Phase 4 Kubwa, Abuja was killed by unknown persons on Saturday morning of July 9, 2016, while preaching the gospel around 5.30am. I have followed the reactions on the internet and Yoruba do not behave like the Igbo. They have been speaking but not preaching hate. They have called for the culprits to be fished out, prosecuted and punished. If Mrs. Eunice Elisha had been an Igbo hell would have been let loose. There would have been abuses and abuses. But Yoruba are not Igbo. This is civilization. This is strategic thinking. 7I hope our people can learn from this. Civility is not a sign of weakness. He who fights and run away lives to fight another day. When GEJ marginalized Yoruba in his cabinet for five years despite been the most vocal in an effort to make him president, Yorubas didn't threaten anybody, they didn't abuse anybody, they simply fought in a peaceful & civilized way to effect a change in 2015 using their PVC. Today the most active VP since the independence & most likely, the next president of Nigeria is Yoruba. Fashola heads 3 ministries & referred to as prime minister in some parlance, Kemi Adeosun heads finance, Fayemi heads mines etc. That's how to fight for relevance in multi faceted country like Nigeria & not taking up arm against everybody. To have ears is not to listen, to listen is not to hear, to hear is not to understand, to understand is not to put to practice. I know that writing this may not get me many friends among the Igbo, but it always gets me the right ones" - Joe Igbokwe style................ .

About Yoruba unique winning: The Truth from Uncle Joe Igbokwe

"Did the Yoruba go to war when June 12 1993 Presidential Election won by their illustrious son Chief MKO Abiola was annulled on June 23rd 1993 on a sheet of paper by IBB? Did Yoruba go to war when Abiola’s wife Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was murdered in Lagos in the morning of Jun 4 1996? Did Yoruba go to war when the winner of that historic election was poisoned on July 7 1998? Did Yoruba go to war when those who killed Abiola imposed Obasanjo on them as President in 1999? Did Yoruba accept Chief Ernest Shonekan when IBB made him to head the interim government in 1993? Yoruba rejected OBJ and Shonekan because this unique race has never been slaves to public office and yet they have remained number one in Nigeria in almost everything. This is wisdom and strategic thinking at work. Those of us who have lived in Yoruba land for years should not only learn how to wear Aso Ebi, eat Ewedu soup or dance Owambe, music. We must have also learned other unique things from them like sharing property to both male and female children, religious tolerance, ethnic tolerance, transferring legacies from generation to generation. Do you know that APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s wife is a Christian? Do you know that former Governor Fashola’s wife is a Christian? We can learn a lot from Yoruba. Yoruba too can learn from Igbo in areas of thinking home, business enterprise, self-help, apprenticeship, etc. A Yoruba woman, a Pastor Mrs. Eunice Olawale Elisha of the Redeemed Christian Church of God old NEPA Road Phase 4 Kubwa, Abuja was killed by unknown persons on Saturday morning of July 9, 2016, while preaching the gospel around 5.30am. I have followed the reactions on the internet and Yoruba do not behave like the Igbo. They have been speaking but not preaching hate. They have called for the culprits to be fished out, prosecuted and punished. If Mrs. Eunice Elisha had been an Igbo hell would have been let loose. There would have been abuses and abuses. But Yoruba are not Igbo. This is civilization. This is strategic thinking. 7I hope our people can learn from this. Civility is not a sign of weakness. He who fights and run away lives to fight another day. When GEJ marginalized Yoruba in his cabinet for five years despite been the most vocal in an effort to make him president, Yorubas didn't threaten anybody, they didn't abuse anybody, they simply fought in a peaceful & civilized way to effect a change in 2015 using their PVC. Today the most active VP since the independence & most likely, the next president of Nigeria is Yoruba. Fashola heads 3 ministries & referred to as prime minister in some parlance, Kemi Adeosun heads finance, Fayemi heads mines etc. That's how to fight for relevance in multi faceted country like Nigeria & not taking up arm against everybody. To have ears is not to listen, to listen is not to hear, to hear is not to understand, to understand is not to put to practice. I know that writing this may not get me many friends among the Igbo, but it always gets me the right ones" - Joe Igbokwe style................ .

About Yoruba unique winning: The Truth from Uncle Joe Igbokwe

"Did the Yoruba go to war when June 12 1993 Presidential Election won by their illustrious son Chief MKO Abiola was annulled on June 23rd 1993 on a sheet of paper by IBB? Did Yoruba go to war when Abiola’s wife Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was murdered in Lagos in the morning of Jun 4 1996? Did Yoruba go to war when the winner of that historic election was poisoned on July 7 1998? Did Yoruba go to war when those who killed Abiola imposed Obasanjo on them as President in 1999? Did Yoruba accept Chief Ernest Shonekan when IBB made him to head the interim government in 1993? Yoruba rejected OBJ and Shonekan because this unique race has never been slaves to public office and yet they have remained number one in Nigeria in almost everything. This is wisdom and strategic thinking at work. Those of us who have lived in Yoruba land for years should not only learn how to wear Aso Ebi, eat Ewedu soup or dance Owambe, music. We must have also learned other unique things from them like sharing property to both male and female children, religious tolerance, ethnic tolerance, transferring legacies from generation to generation. Do you know that APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s wife is a Christian? Do you know that former Governor Fashola’s wife is a Christian? We can learn a lot from Yoruba. Yoruba too can learn from Igbo in areas of thinking home, business enterprise, self-help, apprenticeship, etc. A Yoruba woman, a Pastor Mrs. Eunice Olawale Elisha of the Redeemed Christian Church of God old NEPA Road Phase 4 Kubwa, Abuja was killed by unknown persons on Saturday morning of July 9, 2016, while preaching the gospel around 5.30am. I have followed the reactions on the internet and Yoruba do not behave like the Igbo. They have been speaking but not preaching hate. They have called for the culprits to be fished out, prosecuted and punished. If Mrs. Eunice Elisha had been an Igbo hell would have been let loose. There would have been abuses and abuses. But Yoruba are not Igbo. This is civilization. This is strategic thinking. 7I hope our people can learn from this. Civility is not a sign of weakness. He who fights and run away lives to fight another day. When GEJ marginalized Yoruba in his cabinet for five years despite been the most vocal in an effort to make him president, Yorubas didn't threaten anybody, they didn't abuse anybody, they simply fought in a peaceful & civilized way to effect a change in 2015 using their PVC. Today the most active VP since the independence & most likely, the next president of Nigeria is Yoruba. Fashola heads 3 ministries & referred to as prime minister in some parlance, Kemi Adeosun heads finance, Fayemi heads mines etc. That's how to fight for relevance in multi faceted country like Nigeria & not taking up arm against everybody. To have ears is not to listen, to listen is not to hear, to hear is not to understand, to understand is not to put to practice. I know that writing this may not get me many friends among the Igbo, but it always gets me the right ones" - Joe Igbokwe style................ .

Around this time in 2014!!!

In case you guys have forgotten... • Fr. Ejike Mbaka of Catholic Diocese of Enugu has started seeing vision of how Buhari is the Messiah we have been waiting for and the best President Nigeria will ever have, while Goodluck Jonathan was a bad luck for Nigeria. But today Catholic Priests and faithfuls are massacred and slaughtered in large numbers under Buhari. Mbaka is yet to see another vision. • Tinubu said Buhari was the best Person to lead Nigeria but today for the first time in decades Tinubu's party in Lagos has parallel Primaries thanks to Buhari's leadership. • Around this time in 2015, TY Danjuma told us Buhari was a good leader... Today Danjuma's people are under seige and he says the army under Buhari is giving cover to those who are slaughtering Danjuma's people in the Middle Belt. • Around this time in 2014, Pastor Tunde Bakare told us we can expect a better Nigeria under Buhari. Today Pastor Bakare is advising Nigerians to look for a better leader who will restructure and save Nigeria from Buhari's cabal. • Around this time in 2014, Prof Tam David-West promised Nigerians that Buhari will make petrol #45 per liter, today Petrol is #145 per liter and Buhari has spent #1.4trillion on fuel subsidy which he claimed was a fraud. Prof. Tan David West has gone deaf and dumb. • Around this time in 2014, Sai Buharists swore that Buhari will declare his assets publicly and produce his WAEC certificate... Till date he has neither shown us his WAEC certificate or declared his real assets. • About this time in 2014 Fashola said a serious Govt will fix power problem in Nigeria within 6 months. Three years after they have have taken power, they have not added one megawatt to the grid. Fashola is now minister of darkness under Buhari. • About this time in 2014, Buhari said naira will be #1 to $1 yet he has messed it up from #187 in 2015 to $1 to #365 to $1 in 2018. • About this time in 2014, my Uncle Ofia was busy campaigning for Buhari. He told me that Buhari will make Nigeria's economy better than that of Dubai. Today, my Uncle's company has folded because of Buhari's bad economic policies and administrative cluelessness. • About this time in 2014, Buhari promised that insecurity especially Boko Haram insurgency will end in 3 months. But in 3 years he has added the fulani herdsmen terrorism and militia which is by far more dreaded and deathly than Boko Haram and human lives in Nigeria have become meaningless and valueless under Buhari's watch. • In 2014/2015 OBJ was campaigning for Buhari because for him then it was any thing but Jonathan. Today Obasanjo has seen what a grave judgement he passed and what afflictions he wrecked on the nation. Get your PVC or a visa now!!!

Govt. to reopen investigation into Bola Ige, Harry Marshall murder cases –Obasanjo has questions to answer?

[LEADERS.NG] LeadersNG has exclusively gathered that the Police and other top government security agencies have perfected plans to nail Former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his connection with the murder of late Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige and front-line South-South politician, Chief Harry Marshall who was gruesomely murdered in his Abuja residence in 2003. It was gathered that the Police will reopen investigation into the murder of late Chief Bola Ige and Harry Marshall. When asked about the discharge and acquittal granted to Mr. Iyiola Omisore and others, the suspected killers of Bola Ige, our source said, “A murder case can go on for 20 years or more and the government can decide to reopen the case depending on fresh facts available to the state”. You would recall that Bola Ige, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was shot dead in his Ibadan home on December 23, 2001. Following a mass protest over the killing, the Federal Government had deployed troops in the South-Western state to prevent a breakdown of law and order. Chief Marshall Harry, who was the National Coordinator, South-South geopolitical zone of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party Presidential Campaign was murdered at his No, 28 Karaye Close, Garki II, Abuja residence on March 5, 2003, barely a month to the presidential election in which Obasanjo was re-elected. The ANPP chieftain was said to have been killed in the presence of his daughter and his niece, Loliya Harry. The only security guard in the house, Mr. Polini Aniya, said the assailants numbering about five forced their way into the ANPP chieftain’s residence around 3am. The then ANPP presidential candidate and current President, Muhammadu Buhari, had insisted that agents of the PDP and Federal Government assassinated Harry. It was gathered that at Harry’s burial ceremony in Nigeria’s oil rich Port-Harcourt, President Buhari, alleged that in its desperation to rig itself into power, the PDP-controlled Federal Government of Olusegun Obasanjo bankrolled assassins to eliminate political opponents. After the incident, the police arrested four suspects in connection with the murder. However, after seven years in detention, the accused standing trial for the murder were discharged and acquitted by an Abuja High Court. The court cited lack of enough evidence to sustain the charge against them. Chief Obasanjo had today raised an alarm over plans by Buhari’s administration to frame him up, seize his passport over false charges.

Most Nigerians have slipped into extreme poverty - ActionAid

A civil rights group, ActionAid has said that although the Nigerian economy is out of recession, most Nigerians have slipped into extreme poverty. The chairman of the governing board of the group, Patricia Donli, said this during a press conference held after the organisation’s Annual General Meeting held in Abuja. In her address titled “State of the Nigerian Nation,” she said the poverty level in the country has worsened to the extent that Nigeria has been named the country with the highest population of people who live in extreme poverty. “In 2016, the prevalence of people living below the poverty line ranged between 54 per cent -60 per cent but today, 82 million Nigerians are living below the poverty line of 1.9 dollars a day,” adding that as regards the level of poverty, Nigeria is number 187 out of 190 countries. Mrs Donli said the population of people living in extreme poverty will reduce before the end of the policy timeline of 2020 if the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) policy is thoroughly implemented. “Not discarding the efforts of government in the areas of improving the economy and security, we believe that much more can be done to make Nigeria better and safer for the citizens,” she said. According to her, education at all levels has witnessed a decline which has threatened the sustainability of our human capital development as well as reduced the level of poverty. She called on the federal government to accelerate the implementation of the 2018 budget which has been passed, thereby ensuring timely release of funds. The group also urged the National Assembly carry out its constitutional responsibility of oversight in other to ensure that the budget translates to improved welfare for Nigerian citizens. According to her, said the lack of cooperation between the executive and the legislature in the spirit of the principles of separation of powers is undermining effective governance and service delivery. She said it is essential for the executive to respect the democratic rule of separation of powers and to grant equal respect and regard to other arms of government. “We applaud the recent financial autonomy granted to the state judiciary and legislature and urge that same be granted to the local government,” she said. Security, 2019 elections The board chairman said there are concerns that the credibility of the 2019 elections will be marred by undue ethnic religious and regional mobilization among others. “Despite being a democratic polity founded on the ideals of constitutionalism and the rule of law, Nigeria has continued to experience egregious violations of human rights especially extra judicious killings, involving security agencies, groups and individuals across the country,” she said. Similarly, a member of the board, Imoni Amarere said “there appears to be lack of synergy between security forces in the country. Mr Amarere said there has been a situation of rivalry among the security agencies. “The security situation in Nigeria has continued to deteriorate as a result of perceived lack of neutrality, and professionalism on the part of security agencies as well as a lack of synergy in operations and sharing of intelligence,” he said. He said it is essential for security agencies to be professional and unpolitical as the nation approaches 2019 election. He said the group frowns against the security agencies being used as instrument of politics. “Already, there are allegations that some security agencies are being used to torment political opponents,” he said.

Public Lecture: The Nigerian Dream & The Rights Of The Nigerian Youths, The Oppressed & The Voiceless (1)

By Emeka Umeagbalasi Nigeria as an independent democratic country is instituted with presidential system and governed by a set of rules or laws chaired by its 1999 Constitution. It follows that Nigeria, measuring over 923,000 square kilometers of land mass, is constitutionally organized and governed by a body of elected and appointed public office holders; numbering approximately 17,500. The country is also a heterogeneous or pluralistic society of over 380 tribes with dominant being Igbo, Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba. It is composed religiously of Christianity, Islam and others. Other laws governing Nigeria are derived from the Laws of the Federation principally the Acts of the National Assembly and others deemed modified under Section 315 of the Constitution. Ratified regional and international treaties are also part of the Laws of Nigeria; likewise Laws of the State and Administrative others. Legislative powers of the Federation are vested in the hands of the National Assembly under which laws made by the 36 States are forbidden from rising in seniority contest or incompatibility with those of the National Assembly. See Section 4(5) of the Constitution. The executive powers of the Federation are vested in the President and his Presidency while the judicial powers are vested in the Judicial Courts of the Federation and those of the States with the Supreme Court and its CJN as the most senior. These are contained in Sections 5 and 6 of the Constitution. The Constitution of Nigeria 1999 is somehow modeled after the US Independence Constitution, proclaimed and ratified on 4th July 1776, which took effect from 1789. The present Constitution of Nigeria also contains inherent defects and lacks authorization from the People of Nigeria via plebiscite or referendum. It was created by Decree 24 of 1999 by Nigeria’s last political meddlesome interlopers (Abubakar’s military regime). The Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, like its US counterpart; contains social contract; classified under Chapter Two as Fundamental Objectives & Directive Principles of State Policy; provided in Sections 13-24. Its Section 13 provides for mandatory compliance of the executive, judicial and legislative public office holders with all the provisions in the Chapter Two. The Chapter Two ends with Section 24 which contains six constitutional duties of the citizens. Insertion of Ouster Clauses in the Constitution to Impede Human Rights Dev Major defect of the Chapter Two is its ouster clause contained in Section 6, sub 6 (c) of the Constitution. In the Chapter Four proper (Fundamental Human Rights), the military administration of Gen Abdul Salami Abubakar and its civilian collaborators injuriously inserted some ouster clauses to stampede the operability and enforceability of some of its important sections including right to life in Section 33. But the good news is that the said ouster clauses in the Chapter Four have alternatively been silenced or neutralized by the domesticated African Rights Charter of 1981 (Cap A9, Laws of the Federation 2004). The African Rights Charter was domesticated in 1983. That of the Chapter Two is also being neutralized using other technical legal and non legal advocacy means; pending its total removal from the Constitution via amendment or invocation of a new brand Constitution for the People of Nigeria by the People of Nigeria via Electoral College. Three Tier Governance Lists in the Constitution In the 1999 Constitution also lies clear separation of governing duties or responsibilities commonly called exclusive legislative list, concurrent legislative list and the rest deemed residual list. These lists are shared among Nigeria’s three tiers of government of: Federal, States and Local Government Areas. By Section 1 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, military takeover and other forms of undemocratic governance are forbidden and by Section 1(3), the Constitution is supreme and above any other law in matters of the latter’s inconsistency with the former. Social Contract & Human Rights Obligations as Condition for Indivisibility & Indissolubility of Nigeria By Section 2 of the Constitution, Nigeria is one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign state to be governed by the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is strictly subject to full compliance and strict adherence by the 17,500 top elected and appointed Public Office Holders in the country to the social contract obligationsin the Chapter Two (Sections 13-23) as well as the justiciable Chapter Four or Citizens’ Fundamental Human Rights in Sections 33-46. Role of African Rights Charter in the Development & Advancement of Human Rights in Nigeria The African Rights Charter which is fully part and parcel of the Nigerian municipal body of laws concurs with the said Chapter Four of the Constitution and further fills the related gaps or lacunas inherent in the Constitution (i.e. rights to self determination using nonviolence; existence, ethnic identity and development). The African Rights Charter, domesticated since 1983, is presently cited as African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act, Cap A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. The Charter in its Section 20 guarantees right to democratic self determination using nonviolence. The said domesticated Law of Nigeria also provides for rights to ethnic identity or indigenous existence, religion or faith as well as individual and collective development. African Rights Charter not only coherently operates with the Constitution but also takes over from where the Constitution stops. See also the operability and enforceability of the African Rights Charter via Nigeria’s Supreme Court decision in Gen Sani Abacha & Ors v. Chief Gani Fawehinmi (2000) 4 FWLR 533. The relationships between a Member-State of AU and its citizens are also clearly spelt out in Article 19 of the important Rights Charter; ratified and domesticated by the Federal Government of Nigeria on 17thMarch 1983 and now cited as African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act, Cap A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. Location of Social Contract in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution In the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, the Service to Humanity or Social Contract obligations (duties of public governance administrators) of Nigeria’s 17, 500 Public Office Holders are clearly provided in the Chapter Two or Fundamental Objectives & Directive Principles of State Policy. This is also called Charter of Responsibilities for Public Office Holders in Nigeria. By its Section 17, “the State Social Order is founded on ideals of Freedom, Equality and Justice”; 17(2) “in furtherance of this social order: (a) every citizen shall have equality of rights, obligations and opportunities before the law”; 17 (2) (b) “the sanctity of human person shall be recognized and human dignity shall be maintained and enhanced”; 17 (2) (c) “government actions shall be humane” By its Section 17 (2) (d) “exploitation of human and natural resources in any form whatsoever for reasons, other than the good of the community, shall be prevented”; and 17 (2) (e) “the independence, impartiality and integrity of courts of law, and easy accessibility thereto shall be secured and maintained”. Also by its Section 14, “the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State base on Principles of Democracy and Social Justice”; 14 (2) it is hereby declared that sovereignty belongs to the People of Nigeria from whom government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority;14 (2) (b) the security and welfare of the People (human security) shall be the primary purpose of the Government; and 14 (2) (c) “the participation by the People in their Government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”. By its Section 14 (3), “the composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or any of its agencies”. By its Section 15 (1), “the motto of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”; 15 (2) accordingly, “national integration shall be actively encouraged, whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic association or ties shall be prohibited”. By Section 10 of the same Constitution, the Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion. And very importantly by Section 13, it shall be the duty and responsibility of all organs of government, and of all authorities and persons, exercising legislative, executive or judicial powers, to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of this Chapter (Two) of this Constitution. It therefore, follows that the oneness, indivisibility and indissolubility of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as contained in Section 2 of the Constitution can never have any effect or be validated unless they are mandatorily linked and grounded in Social Contract or Fundamental Objectives & Directive Principles of State Policy and the Fundamental Human Rights Charter separately provided or entrenched in Chapters Two and Four of the Constitution. In the event of default in the two chapters by the public office holders manning executive, legislative and judicial powers of the government in Nigeria, numbering 17,500, which presently and recklessly is the case; the oneness, indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria become totally challenged Relationship between Human Rights & Social Contract Citizens’ freedoms and personal liberties have their origins from the creation of members of the human family by the Almighty Creator. As far back as 313AD, the right to freedom of worship and religion was proclaimedby Emperor Constantine De Great (AD306-337) during the Christian Roman Empire. There also existed the Edict of Milan of AD313 or decriminalization of Christian worship, which started in April 311AD with the enactment of the Edith of Religious Toleration. This explains why human rights are concisely defined as those attributes inherent in human being from creation, without which no human being can exist in his or her completeness and happily? Rightly put, it is the monumental failure of the society to respect and ensure these core or non-tradable attributes or natural gifts of members of the human family that led to formation of social contract society or a society of collectivism and egalitarianism governed by chosen men and women of nobility. A society without social contract attributes, as captured by Prof Thomas Hobbes, is short, brutish, barbaric, nasty-and a society of cannibalism where the fittest survive. As a matter of fact, social contact has its origin traced to human rights, meaning that human rights and social contract are interwoven or inter-related. It follows that social contract are codified human rights, aggregated and packaged for collective purposes including societal application, delivery and enforcement using instruments of governance. The modern idea of human rights is that they are third party oversight arrangements or advocacy mechanisms put in place to checkmate and ensure steady compliance of the public office holders to their social contract obligations; for their society to exist harmoniously, prosper, develop and be secured. Collectivism in human rights is today referred to as democratic society or arrangement founded on social contract and expressive freedoms.Under this arrangement, personal liberties and freedoms are preserved, advanced, promoted and protected; provided they do not impinge on legitimate collective rights and welfare of the entire society. In the event of major conflict (i.e. for the purpose of legitimate public good and good governance), the latter prevail while the former are not crushed but remedied. Laws especially popular or peoples’ constitutions are created and put in place by the people through referenda or Electoral College to govern relationships within government; between government, citizens and institutions; and between citizens and institutions. It follows divinely and sequentially that God created people, who in turn, created government and the constitution and other laws. Government governs the people through legitimate electoral mandate, using constitution and other popularly recognized body of laws. People again abrogate their constitution and its government especially when it loses legitimacy or can longer ensure the safety of the governed as well as their rights, liberties and pursuit of happiness. Thank You (Being First Part Of The Public Lecture Presented On 8th June 2018 At A Conference, Tagged: The Nigerian Dream: Prospects & The Role Of The Youths; Held In Awka And Organized By The Senate Of The Law Students Association Of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria) Presenter: Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chair, Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law-INTERSOCIETY Education: B.Sc., Criminology & Security Studies, M.Sc., Peace & Conflict Studies Contacts: Mobile Line/WhatsApp: +2348174090052 Email: emekaumeagbalasi69@gmail.com , botchairman@intersociety-ng.org URL: www.intersociety-ng.org

PROTEST LETTER OF DR. FRANCIS AKANU IBIAM TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II.

( If Some Of These Current Biafran Politicians Can Take A Bond Step Like Akanu Ibiam Did, To Renounce British Queen And Her Evils Against Biafra? ) I am deeply and humbly constrained to present you with this letter. For many years, indeed throughout my mature life, I had been a proud but disinterested admirer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and her peoples. The history of Your Majesty’s country is replete with heroism, discoveries which were near miracles, and institutions of higher learning of the most outstanding character and achievement. Britain, though insular and small in size and capacity, had centuries ago proved conclusively, to the world that for any community and nation to reach the acme of greatness and respectability, it is not quantity that counts but quality and the type of people who make up the nation. British Christians had the privilege and honour of evangelizing not only a good part of Africa, my own continent, but also a greater part of the rest of the world. Her missionaries, men and women, left home and kindred and comfortable life, to spread Christianity far and wide in areas of the world where, for want of a better description, life was anything but civilized in the Western sense of the word, civilization. They endured lack of scientifically purified water, electric or gas light. They trekked long miles of single-file roads, endured our moist heat and drenching rains, the nuisance of mosquitoes, and sand flies and other indigenous African insects. In the earlier days of missionary venture, they imported tons of tinned foodstuffs and cared nothing for their lives so long as they could preach the Gospel and its Good News, heal the sick, and bring education and enlightenment to the people. The result of this effective humanitarian service, supported financially, morally, and prayerfully by the Churches way back in their homeland, has born exceedingly abundant fruit, and for us in Biafra (formerly Eastern Nigeria), their work has, by grace of God, made our homeland as much a Christian country as any other reputed countries of the world. Despite annoying treatment meted to me and my fellow African students now and again in certain quarters, I was highly impressed with the religious life of the people of Britain, particularly in Scotland, where I lived and studied in the University of St. Andrews for seven years in one of the coldest parts of the United Kingdom. Altogether, I resided in Britain for ten long years. And having seen their homeland and lived in this Christian atmosphere in which they grew up, the self-denial and self-sacrifice of Christian Missionary came home to me very forcibly, I drew much inspiration from their splendid example, and my understanding and realization of the full meaning and significance of the Christian life dawned on me with great sense of joy and thankfulness. After taking my medical degrees, therefore, I offered my services to the Foreign Mission Committee (now the Overseas Council) of the Church of Scotland, Edinburgh. I joined the Church of Scotland Medical Service, Calabar Mission, Nigeria, and served the mission and its offspring, the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, from February 1, 1936 to January 31, 1967. With the consent and approval of the Overseas Council, I was on leave of absence without pay during the last five years, December 1960, to January 1965, of my missionary service, while I was Governor of Eastern Nigeria. As the only Nigerian among a group of some seventy European Missionaries for twenty five years, the going was in the main, stiff and at various times, I felt most frustrated and unhappy. For although Missionaries inspired me without knowing it themselves, I regret to say that, by and large, they did not encourage me. Such a situation did not bother me, however, because I was inwardly happy to serve my people in this unique capacity, and I was not going to quit, come weal, come woe, until, like other missionaries, I had served my turn for thirty years or reached the age of sixty years. If European missionaries, I argued within me, could leave their well-ordered homeland and ease of life, more or less, and where they could make a name for themselves academically or otherwise, and came to my homeland where amenities of life in the European background were hardly existent, I did not see any reason why I, an African, could not follow in their footsteps and serve my own people in my own country under conditions which called for naked hardship and demanded much self denial and self sacrifice. In 1949 New Year Honours Awards, Your Majesty’s revered and late father, His Majesty King George the sixth, graciously conferred on me the honour to be an Officer of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E) for services to the Church and State. Again, in the New Year Honours, 1951, he conferred on me the dignity to be a Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (K.B.E) for selfless service to the Church and my country. I happened to be in London at this time as a special guest of the British Council, and when I was invited by a Buckingham Palace Official to present myself before His Majesty to receive the insignia and accolate of Knighthood, I begged permission to have them conferred on me on my return home to Nigeria. I did receive the insignia and certificate at the hands of His Excellency the then Governor of Nigeria, Sir John Macpherson, but I had the unique distinction and singular privilege of receiving the accolade from Your Majesty’s august person during your Majesty’s Royal and memorable visit to Nigeria in February, 1956. On the attainment and independence of Nigeria and sovereignty by Nigeria on October 1, 1960, Your Majesty was graciously pleased to appoint me as Governor of Eastern Nigeria within the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the recommendation of the Honourable Premier of Eastern Nigeria with the assent of his Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In August 1962, Your Majesty conferred on me the dignity of being a Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (K.C.M.G.). For these great honours and special recognitions, I am humbly grateful to Your Majesty and Your Majesty's Britannic Government. They are a happy reflection of the importance of Africa and her people before God and man. Howbeit, I must renounce all of them at this time. I do so to register the strongest protest at my command against Your Majesty's Government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for supplying military equipment and arms to Nigeria which has waged a senseless and futile war of aggression against my country, the Republic of Biafra. My objection and protest are directed solely and entirely to the British Government because I believe that the staunch British friends of Africa, particularly the CHURCH, and informed British public opinion will deplore this unkindly act of the British Government to the Republic of Biafra. With the highest sense of responsibility, therefore, and bearing clearly in my own mind the moral issues which are at stake, and my own stand thereat, I return the insignia and paraphernalia of my title to Your Majesty’s Britannic Government through the British Deputy High Commissioner who is resident here in Enugu - the capital city of the Republic of Biafra. During the months of May, July, August, and September, 1966, Northern Nigerian soldiers and civilians planned and committed the most atrocious crimes against Eastern Nigerians—now citizens of the Republic of Biafra. Sadistically, brutally and in cold blood, they murdered and slaughtered thousands of my brothers and sisters who were then living in Northern Nigeria and other parts of the former and defunct Federal Republic of Nigeria. They killed innocent children, helpless women, and defenseless men without any reason or rhyme. They entered churches and hospitals and slaughtered them in cold blood. And most unbelievably yet only too true, they massacred women in actual LABOUR and their unborn children. They plundered, looted, assaulted and raped women and burnt down the homes of Easterners and left them penniless. The most painful and unsoldierly act of all was that these Northern Nigerian soldiers killed their superior officers, including and especially His Excellency the Military Governor of Western Nigeria, Lt. Col. Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, and his guest and comrade, His Excellency, the Head of Supreme Military Council and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the former Federal Republic of Nigeria, Major-General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, both of them of blessed memory. On July 29, 1966, they were kidnapped by Northern Nigerian soldiers and ruthlessly killed after torturing them. It must be stated here that the late Major-General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, an Eastern Nigerian at that time, went all out to build up ONE UNITED AND STRONG NIGERIA through a unitary Government Administration, but paradoxically and ironically, he met a cruel and untimely death for that very reason. It is very strange, therefore, that Nigeria should be futilely waging a war of aggression against Biafra in her impossible bid to force Biafra back into this very same union—One Nigeria from which she had been so purposely and systematically forced out. Be that as it may, all kith and kin fled Northern Nigeria, Western Nigeria, and Lagos and returned to their homeland of Eastern Nigeria, the only place they knew they could have protection. In the process, Eastern Nigeria was left to look after and cater for at least two million refugees, and she has done and is doing so with commendable achievement. Eastern Nigeria did not retaliate in any way, for we do not kill strangers within our gates, and being humble and sensitive Christians, we refused to commit murder, contrary to the commandment of God, particularly as we believe that two wrongs can never make a right. Northern Nigerians in Eastern Nigeria were therefore collected together and escorted safely by train across the border to their own section of Nigeria. In the succeeding months, the Hausa/Fulani controlled Lagos Government of Nigeria purposely, directly, and inexorably forced Eastern Nigeria out of the Federation, and our Military Governor with advice and consent of out Consultative Assembly had no other choice but to declare Eastern Nigeria a free, independent and sovereign state to be known as the Republic of Biafra. This happy and historical occasion took place on May 30. On July 6th, Nigeria attacked Biafra in her mad wish to force Biafra to return to the Nigeria federation. Having killed 30,000 of us in their land and seized our property worth millions of pound sterling, they have now come to kill more of us in our own homes and make the rest of us slaves to the Hausa/Fulani Feudalists and Moslems. The people of Biafra are, therefore, fighting a war of LIBERATION AND SURVIVAL. We adamantly refuse to be colonized by the Hausa/Fulanis of Northern Nigeria or any other people in the world. Moreover it is an ardent desire of the Hausa/Fulani and Moslem Northern Nigeria to subjugate Biafra and kill Christianity in our country. Your Majesty, the British officials in Nigeria are fully aware of all these. They know that we are injured and deeply grieved people and had been cruelly treated by our erstwhile fellow citizens of Federal Republic of Nigeria. The British officials not only knew the crux of the matter, but they also encouraged Northern Nigeria to carry out and execute their nefarious plan against us. They are angry with Biafra because Biafra categorically refused to remain as part of the Nigeria federation and political unit only to be trampled upon, discriminated against and hated, ruthlessly exploited and denied her rights and privileges, and slaughtered whenever it suited the whims and caprices of the favoured people of Northern Nigeria. To add insult to injury, Your Majesty’s Britannic Government, instead of being neutral in our quarrels or finding ways and means to mediate and bring peace to the two countries, has now taken it upon herself to supply military aid to Nigeria to help them defeat and subjugate Biafra. It is simply staggering for a Christian country like Britain to help a Moslem country militarily to crush another Christian country like Biafra. This is just too much for me, Your Gracious Majesty, this act of unfriendliness and treachery by the British Government towards the people of Republic of Biafra who, as Eastern Nigerians, had so much regard for Britain and British people. In the circumstance, Your Majesty, I no longer wish to wear the garb of the British Knighthood. British fairplay, British justice, and the Englishman’s word of honour which Biafra loved so much and cherished have become meaningless to Biafrans in general and to me in particular. Christian Britain has shamelessly let down Christian Biafra. I love the Republic of Biafra very dearly and pray that, by grace of God, she may remain and continue to grow and live and always act like a truly Christian country for all times. I am, Your Majesty Yours Most Respectfully, (AKANU IBIAM)

THE MOVE OF A DESPERATE PRESIDENT

Bym Umar Ardo, Ph.D The desperation of President Buhari to retain power at all costs has again manifested itself in his illegal act of both changing the National Democracy Day and the investiture of National Honours of GCFR posthumously to late MKO Abiola and GCON to Amb. Babagana Kingibe. Having realized that he has lost public support across the country as a result of his dismal performance in office, and poor handling of issues affecting his Political Party, the NASS, the Judiciary and key stakeholders of the country, particularly the Senate President, the Speaker, Presidents Obasanjo and Babangida, the president ill-advisedly came up with the so-called idea of making June 12 as Nigeria's 🇳🇬 Democracy Day and giving National Honours to Abiola and Kingibe. There're two issues wrong with this move - i.e. legal and moral. Legally, the president has no powers to confer National Honours on anyone without the deliberation and advice of the National Council of States. The Third Schedule of the Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) at Section 6(a)iii confers on the NCS the powers to advise the president on the award of national honours. The fact is that the NCS didn't meet to deliberate and advise on this so-called investiture. Secondly, the National Public Holidays Act has listed 29 May as a National Holiday being the country's Democracy Day. This means that the president can only change the Democracy Day if the Act is duly amended. And to the best of my knowledge this Act has not been amended. Therefore the president's pronouncement is unlawful and of no moment. The only thing is that his action has but further affirmed the president as a no-respecter of due process of law and constitutionalism. On the moral side, the president cannot honour Babagana Kingibe on the basis of June 12 because Kingibe had abandoned Chief Abiola and the June 12 mandate when he joined his kinsman, General Abacha, and took a ministerial appointment in that regime. It's morally repugnant to now honour him for such an unsalutary act. Besides, June 12 had never featured in Buhari's politics. He worked with Abacha who incarcerated Abiola and denied the actualization of the mandate and he never raised the issue of June 12. In his electioneering campaigns in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015, June 12 was never in Buhari's political lexicon. For 3yrs as president he never uttered the phrase June 12. Even last week when he addressed the nation on May 29, June 12 was not mentioned. So how come all of a sudden, like a bolt out of the blue, June 12 became the new political darling of the president? There're three answers to it that I can harzard:- 1. President Buhari has realized that he has lost the support of the Nigerian people, particularly in the Southwest, and so he was tricked into making this palliative in the vein hope of reganering support to his fledging presidency; 2. That he is now at opened war with IBB who annulled the June 12 election and OBJ who is the main beneficiary of the resolution of the June 12 imbroglio, he is made to believe that with this move he would regain his support in the Southwest at the same time rubbish the two former presidents; and 3. Unknown to him, he's playing the political script of Babagana Kingibe and his kinsman, the COS to the president. To all intents and purposes, the two are scheming a succession move to Buhari himself where, in the event of Buhari's leaving office, Kingibe would've been well positioned to succeed him as president. Clearly, in the Northeast, no politician has Kingibe's profile. He was a Permanent Secretary, Ambassador, National Chairman of the SDP, Abiola's Running mate, Minister of Internal and External Affairs and Secretary to the Federal Government. Already, through their scheming, Kingibe has taken over the DNI, SSS and the villa. All they need is to resuscitate the spirit of June 12 to which Kingibe would be the major beneficiary. With the GCON conferred on him, the benefits have started dropping. This is a highly sophisticated political scheming that President Buhari wouldn't perceive. Nevertheless, the president is so engrossed with the trapping of power and its retention that he could fall for anything. And how big has he fallen! What a great pity for Nigeria 🇳🇬!! What a great pity!!!

Fears Mount Over ‘Disappearance’ Of Offa Bank Robber Who ‘Killed’ Many Policemen

There are growing concerns over the whereabouts of Michael Adikwu and Kayode Opadokun, two of the arrowheads of the Offa bank robbery. In a press statement on Sunday to update the public with details of the investigation into the robbery and the invitation to Senate President Bukola Saraki to explain his alleged links to the gang, Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officer (PRO), had listed Kayode Opadokun, “male, 35 years, principal suspect” and “Michael Adikwu, male, 30 years, sectional gang leader, killed 22 persons, mostly at the police station” among the 22 suspects arrested so far. However, when the Police paraded the suspects the same day, Adiku and Opadokun were missing, sparking fears that something untoward had happened. The fears thickened on Wednesday, when Moshood addressed journalists and the two names went missing on the list of arrested suspects and gang leaders. The big fear is that both suspects, Adikwu especially, might have been extra-judicially murdered. Information released earlier by the Police on Adikwu stated: “Michael Adikwu, is a native of Apa LGA of Benue State, a dismissed police CPL (corporal) who was arrested, tried and dismissed from the force and charged to court by the police in 2012 in Kwara State for criminal conspiracy and aiding the escape from lawful custody of armed robbery suspects. “He served three years in prison and subsequently found his way out in 2015. He became a vicious and notorious gang leader of armed robbery syndicate wanted for several armed robberies in Kwara and other states of the north-central and south-west.” Adikwu, though, gave Daily Trust a contrasting account of his stay in the Police, although he did admit that he had developed a thick hatred for the Police. “I was formerly working with the Kwara State Police Command, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS),” he said. “I was dismissed for allowing detained suspected armed robbers to walk. It was not my fault; it was a gang-up against me. Go and ask, I was one of the finest policemen at SARS, Kwara State Command. I undertake most of the difficult tasks. But for just one mistake, which was not my fault, I got kicked out of the force. I was not given fair-hearing, so I now hate everything about the police. The killing of the policemen (by him) was not a mistake, but quite deliberate. I see them as all the same.” His absence at the last hearing has alerted the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) — a network of 46 civil society organizations spread across Nigeria, and committed to promoting police accountability and respect for human rights. “NOPRIN wishes to observe that the suspects paraded days ago in the Offa robbery incident did not include the alleged chief armourer, a dismissed policeman called Adikwu,” it said in a statement on Friday.  “The key suspect who was interviewed by the press said the Adikwu provided the weapons for the operation but he was not paraded. Similarly, Ayo Opadokun's son, Kayode, who was arrested, was not also paraded.  “There are emerging fears about the safety of these suspects who were not paraded. NOPRIN calls on the police to ensure the safety of the Adikwu and Kayode. They should be produced alive to have their day in court, to corroborate or rebut the police narrative that it was Senate President Saraki who provided the weapons. “NOPRIN hereby calls on the police to publicly confirm the condition of these suspects. The police should produce the two suspects in order to douse the suspicion that they have been eliminated to cover up and to put fear in the other suspects that they would similarly be eliminated if they don't cooperate by sticking with the police narrative that it was Saraki who supplied them the weapons.” SaharaReporters attempted to reach Moshood for clarifications, but calls and a text message to his telephone were not replied.

PREAPARING THE YOUTHS TO TAKE UP LEADEDSHIP IS THE BACKDROP AGAINST THE NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN BILL- BARR UZUM

By Comr Timothy OGHENEOVO Emorhakpor. ASABA- The Executive Assistant/CEO (Directorate of Orientation) to Governor Okowa, Hon Barr Eugene Azuka Uzum has stated that the NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN BILL RECENTLY SIGNED BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI is a welcome development in Nigerian Politics but will be impeded the process of not PREPARING our youths to take over leadership. While representing to news men from the National Television Authority (NTA) Asaba , Barr Uzum noted that it is one thing to propose and pass a bill by the National Assembly while the Presidency sign it into law and another thing to implement same . How can Someone above 75 years of age Preparing a second term in office when we have youths in their millions that are viable and ready to take the mantle of leadership Barr Uzum inquired , there in the western world America to be precise ,with their world economic power has age bracket 40-45 to years for their leadership while in Africa where economic power is minute elect Leaders that are above 70 years of age, where are they leading us to , the grave ? Barr Uzum inquired . In America and other western world at age 30 youths are mentored for leadership but the case is different in Africa because it is as from the age of 50 that one can access leadership and this is not funny ,Barr Uzum noted adding that President Barracks Obama retired from active politics and as President of the United States at the age of 54 meanwhile at 54 in Africa one will be hustling to be chairman of a local government or a House of Assembly member or better still vying for house of representative Barr Uzum asserted. When asked if Nigerian youths are truly ready to lead given the fact that some Nigerian youths have taken into drugs abuse /cultism and internet Scam ,Barr Uzum explained that Nigerian youths are very hard people and always blaze the trail in any walk of life they find themselves . Looking at both the Music and Comedy industry you will agree with me that Nigerian youths especially Deltans are taking the lead Barr Uzum explained noting that if these youths are given good tutelage as well as continued sensitization and mentorship they would be the best leaders not just in Nigeria but in Africa at large . LET'S narrow down to Delra state, you will agree with me that the Delta state Government led by His Excellency, Senator Dr Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa understands that Delta State youths have potentials and if harnnessed will prepare them for leadership hence the creation of the Delta state Job creation office through which youths will be trained ,empowered and subjected to continuous mentoring process . Governor Okowa in his quest to make sure that our youths are well mentored ,he created the Directorate of Orientation which has taken vigorous campaigns against drug abuse, cultism as well prostitution. The Directorate of Orientation has also taken sensitization on the need for students to be fully involved in election and electioneering process by registering for voter card to enable them to choose the leaders they desires Barr Uzum concluded.

THE QUALITIES OF LEADERS WE NEED IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION.

Being a good leader isn't easy. While a leader's actions may be scrutinized when things are going bad, it is their leadership qualities that shine through the worst of times. It is these same qualities all Niger Deltans respects in the life of a living hero, a father to the youths and a manager of men who was designed, given to us by the Almighty as a rare gift no man could alter. He is the IBE EBIDOUWEI 1 OF THE NIGER DELTA REGION AND THE UNIVERSE. I am talking of no other person but HIGH CHIEF GOVERNMENT EKPEMUPOLO, aka TOMPOLO. Without gainsaying, when you look critically into the Niger Delta struggle, you will notice clearly who is a revolutionary and a counter revolutionary. However, when the struggle for the emancipation from mental slavery took another dimension after the repetitive nonsensical attitude from the federal government you are going to observe so much self-centeredness from the part of some Niger delta leaders who claimed to represent our interests before now, blocking every benefits and development that will further illuminate the Niger Delta region. Before I proceed on this tireless efforts of mine to ensure the right things is being done urgently for peace to take its lead, I would want to make a reference so that all and sundries could grasp the everyday pains I feel for my people and our representatives who have totally diverted from the light: Firstly, this is why it is so important for every leader to work hard to gain the qualities of great leadership. The best leaders exhibit certain qualities that make them highly protected by the Almighty and trusted by his people. Magnificently there is one out of the big five that has demonstrated the true reflects of a leader which I have mentioned above. FOR CLARITY: High chief Government Tompolo has been clear and concise at all times--there is no question in his developmental vision and what needs to be accomplished. And this alone had long given others the opportunity to digest their goals and decide whether or not they will support their cause. Generally, very few people know what they want, much less how to get there, so they will gravitate towards those who appear to have a clear picture in mind--good clarity leads to great achievement and that alone has an advantageous effects on the people of the Niger delta region. DECISIVENESS: Tompolo is never an hippocrates compared to any other in the Niger Delta region, because once he made up his mind for the betterment of all, he don't hesitate to commit--it's all hands on deck. He had long shown great consistency with his decisions, rarely backing out or changing his mind unless it is absolutely necessary. Being decisive has shown his commitment, which remains a quality, very high in demand for leaders that are ready to abide in the direction of what nature wants. If I should digress a little bit on the core concept of a particular project currently on, in the Niger Delta which was tagged the presidential Amnesty programme. I believe nobody can context the fact that he (Tompolo) has been outstanding and has proven to the region and the universe at large that he is a true leader and not a ruler. I could remember when he(Tompolo) told the federal government to pay every benefits directly into the boys account while in a meeting with some of the leaders representing their various camps. There is nothing given him(Tompolo) for the the region that he didn't share out to every of the quarters surrounding the Niger Delta region. What about surveillance contracts that was given him? I was a living witness on how he distributed all slots to both the Ijaws, Itsekiris and urhobos as the case maybe. Absolutely, everyone was in control of the benefits due him from their different services rendered on the waterways directly into their accounts, hence he is called the formidable, indomitable father of peace as far as the Niger Delta region is concerned. How do you feel as a leader holding your boys ATM cards or better still working hand in hand with the banks or the unscrupulous elements in the presidential Amnesty office to siphoning benefits meant for the boys who stood by you with one voice during the fight against the oppressors? What will be your stands if the rainy days comes? because there must be a rainy day for anyone either good or bad, but the only thing that could guarantee the solid state of your foundation is when you have kept a good record like that of Adaka Boro, Ken sarowiwa and our current living and leading generalissimo of the Niger delta region and struggle aka Tompolo. COURAGE: Tompolo's Boldness is highly spiritual and something he developed while growing up as a positive activist which is not an occupation but a call that is blessed as a virtue. Although some people are naturally more fearless than others, practicing how to be fearless--or at least project fearlessness--is a completely double task, one many have achieved in order to fulfill their role as an amazing leader. Practically, the Iroko has shown that he is fearless, and unbiased to everyone that supports the fight against the insensitivity of the Nigerian state. Again, that name TOMPOLO, means freedom from marginalization, intimidation, segregation, oppression and underdevelopment. PASSION: There's nothing more inspirational than seeing a leader who cares about what he does--the best leaders like Tompolo has exhibited boundless energy and passion for what he did before now and what he is currently doing to maintain a constant peace in the Niger Delta region. Don't be shy or biased about your passion for the growth of the Niger delta region or any group you are leading, be it the resolute and resilient Ex-agitators that has stood for the region to be beneficial in terms of capacity development and a fair share of the golden eggs that had long sustained the economy of the Nigerian state and the parasitic hearts controlling our resources. As long as you are passionate about what you know, or care about, it'll shine through the people and they will follow and stand Gidigbaciously by you when the enemies plans mischiefs for themselves. I know you will agree with me that Tompolo remains a government on his own because he possesses so many qualities mentioned above or below. HUMILITY: While confidence is a very attractive trait in leaders, there's nothing like a humble character for creating a lovable personal and that is what you find in the life of High chief Tompolo and every living leaders in the Niger Delta region that have an unbiased heart for his followers and so on as it maybe. Great leaders admit when they are wrong and take criticism as an opportunity for growth. Show the world how grateful you are to be where you are. This, in turn, will demonstrate how much you deserve the leadership role. 'If one has not really delved deeply into life, then one had not lived' In as much I wouldn't want to launch any targeted attack on the current special adviser to to the president on Niger delta affairs and chairman presidential Amnesty programme, the person of Professor Charles Dokubo Quakers. It will be a good tradition for me to urge the prof to as a matter of facts and urgency, address the many original beneficiaries displaced by the moronic and myopic administration of Paul Boroh by going back to the database compiled in Obubra, Calabar during the manual and digital accreditations and documentations to certify the original beneficiaries. Secondly, you can't be defending budget meant for 30000 persons or delegates captured in the presidential Amnesty programme, and then diverting it's benefits to some group of persons that were not captured and leave the original delegates wallowing in endemic penury and expect peace as the product. It is on this note, I make bold to say as a Niger delta freeborn and positive hearted activist without any fear whatsoever to urge the prof to also address the issues of some poverty oriented leaders that has long diverted the funds meant for their boys, by paying directly to the boys account which remains sacrosanct as enlisted or enshrine in the presidential Amnesty blueprints. If I should be candid here, Prof should liase with the federal government to make provisions for the leaders representing their various camps for peace to be restored back to the programme and the Niger Delta region, for what I could see currently is tension if not properly managed could cause a negative impact on the economy and a drastic retardation of peace we are enjoying currently. Professor Charles Dokubo, please, remove any fake delegates that has affected negatively the original beneficiaries captured in the presidential Amnesty programme to reinstate back the people who risk their lives during the struggle, and who embarked on that deadly journey to OBUBRA, CALABAR for proper documentation if not God, that alone would give the professor more honors to his archives and the indomitable backings from the Almighty and the natural powers of the Niger delta region. And again do accordingly as it is stated in the blueprint signed by the late president Umaru Yar'Adua of Blessed memories and not your best as quoted by you in recent interviews. For the programme sanctity to surface once more, Prof should start doing the above mentioned requirements and also the swift distribution of laptops to all delegates deprived from 2015 to date for the smooth and uniform exhibition of the Presidential Amnesty mandates to all that is captured originally. Conclusively, I must say the truth because the records are straight and unique for all to see; I stand in the path of light and the light must constantly Shine in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. If you know you are a leader diverting funds meant for your boys stand up now and do the needful to avert the current dangers looming around the corner because without the boys you are nothing as no man is an island. Lastly, I urge every general being first, second and third phase to emulate the generalissimo of the Niger delta struggle (High Chief Government Tompolo) for peace and constant development to flow in the Niger Delta region, because United we Stand but divided we fall!!! A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE LONG LIVE THE NIGER DELTA REGION! LONG LIVE TOMPOLO!! LONG LIVE THE RESILIENT AND RESOLUTE EX-AGITATORS!!! FACTS WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY ENGR UMUKORO NESTA DIMBAINIMIBOFA, AKA 'NATURAL'