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The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a strange twist last night when the National Treasurer of the Kawu Baraje faction, Mallam Tanko Isiaku Gomna, was forced to resign.
The incident was a replay of how a former National Chairman of PDP, Mr. Audu Ogbeh, was pressurised to resign in 2005.
It was learnt that Gomna was invited to the Presidential Villa in Abuja where he was asked to either resign or forfeit his company’s contracts with the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and the Federal Ministry of Works.
Gomna, a nominee of a former Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Danjuma Goje, sought for permission to consult but he was asked to make up his mind on the spot.
A source in Baraje’s faction said: “Our National Treasurer was summoned to the Villa in respect of an ongoing road project along Ogbomoso axis in Oyo State and others with the Federal Ministry of Works.
“On getting there, he was given the option of either resigning as the National Treasurer of Baraje’s faction or losing his plum contracts.”
Gomna reportedlly pleaded to be allowed to consult but he was asked to take a decision on the spot.
The source went on: “Feeling unsafe, Gomna resigned to avoid being harmed. Upon doing so, the forces at the Villa hurled him before TV cameras to announce his resignation.
“But upon coming out, he raised the alarm and called on Baraje’s faction to save his life.”
The Baraje faction, on September 8, constituted its National Working Committee (NWC).
The NWC members are: Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje (Chairman); Dr. Sam Sam Jaja (Deputy National Chairman); Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (National Secretary) and Hon. Maode Umar Hiliya (Deputy National Secretary).
Others are: Mr. Timi Frank (National Youth Leader); Hon Binta Koje, National Woman Leader; Mallam Nasir Issa (National Organising Secretary); Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze(National Publicity Secretary); Hon. Wadada (National Financial Secretary)and Mallam Tanko Isiaku Gomna (National Treasurer).
In a statement he issued in Abuja, Gwamna said he resigned after a careful study of the unfolding events in the polity, and a deep reflection of the consequences of such impasse on the party.
“This decision was arrived at after a careful study of the unfolding events in the polity and a deep sober reflection of the consequences of the outcome of such impasse on our party,’’ he said.
According to him, as a lover of democracy, he is of the belief that the impasse will not augur well for the unity, peace, progress and prosperity of the party in particular, and the nation in general.
Gwamna, who pledged his loyalty to the Bamanga Tukur-led PDP, called on all party faithful to unite and ensure the amicable resolution of the impasse in the party.
“Our desire is for the PDP to continue to lead while others follow. As such, we must eschew all vices capable of unnecessarily heating up the polity,” he said, adding:
“I pledge my loyalty to the Bamanga Tukur leadership, while calling on all party faithful to do same.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria will award an Honourary Fellowship of the College to Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, CON, Governor of Delta State, at its 31st Annual Convocation ceremony.
This was revealed by Professor Victor C. Wakwe, president of the college, in an invitation sent to the governor.
The ceremony comes up on Thursday, September 19 at the college's premises at Ijanikin, Lagos.
The award comes as the medical community has been acknowledging the Governor's pioneering efforts in boosting maternal and child health through a comprehensive coverage that gives free health services for pregnant women and free healthcare for newborns up to the age of five.
Uduaghan, a medical doctor with a distinguished career, has been executing an ambitious programme of rehabilitating, upgrading and equipping many hospitals in Delta State. Under the project, the 60-year old Baptist Hospital in Eku was upgraded into a modern health institution with state of the art facilities.
Similarly, the Delta State governor also upgraded facilities at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara and is now undertaking knee cap and kidney transplant.
The National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria was set up in 1979 to produce specialists in all branches of medicine and dentistry as well as determine standards and accredit medical institutions in Nigeria for professional postgraduate training.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has advised former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Ahmed Nasir El-Rufai, to “go to psychiatric hospital for serious mental examination.”
The advice was contained in a statement released in Abuja today and jointly signed by Head of TEKAN/ECWA Block in CAN, Rev. (Dr.) Emmanuel Dziggau, and CAN’s National Director (Research, Planning & Strategy), Elder Sunday Oibe. It followed El-Rufai’s unprovoked attack on CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, in an interview he granted Saturday Sun.
In the interview published yesterday, El-Rufai said: “Look, Pastor Oritsejafor is the propaganda chief of the PDP. He lacks credibility . . . He is not a religious leader. He is a religious pretender. From his statements, he is a bigot, he is an ethnic irredentist and no one should take him seriously. It is sad that such a person is the head of CAN. So, he can say whatever he wants to say but we know who he is working for, we know who gave him his private jet. So, why should we worry about someone like that? He has zero credibility.”
Part of CAN’s statement read: “Who is El-Rufai to talk about credibility in Nigeria? It is laughable for an individual like El-Rufai looking for relevance to be alluding to Ayo’s credibility. If Pastor Ayo doesn’t have credibility, who else have credibility in Nigeria of today? Is it El-Rufai?
“The fact that El-Rufai in his tweets abused our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ and Christians ignored him doesn’t give him the impetus to make unguarded comments about Pastor Ayo who is the leader of Christians in Nigeria. As Christians, we respect other faith and never have we abused the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III who is the leader of Muslims in Nigeria. The fact that Christians are not violent doesn’t mean he should go far with his utterances. He is not in a position to tell us who should be the leader of Christians in Nigeria.
“If El-Rufai doesn’t have a father who should have properly brought him up and for which reason he started using gutter language to abuse Jesus Christ and Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, he should go to psychiatric hospital for serious mental examination. This is a task we are giving his friends and relatives. His brain should be examined because it seems something is wrong. We can no longer fold our hands and allow Christian leaders to be abused by no person than El-Rufai. We can no longer take it; enough is enough. Anytime he abuses Christian leaders and Jesus Christ, we Chrisians will let him know that he has many forces to contend with.
“We want to let General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) know that his problem with the country is El-Rufai. It was this same El-Rufai that was abusing Buhari when he was in the cabinet of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo that is now fighting ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Obasanjo and all the fingers that fed him just because he has lost out of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hoping that when Buhari becomes President in 2015, he would be given a job. Buhari should know that El-Rufai is a political liability who is looking for survival. Any politician who allows El-Rufai around him will always fail election, even before campaigns. Nobody will like to be associated with a political liability.
“If not for government, who is El-Rufai? If El-Rufai is broke, he should go and beg Jonathan to give him job. But it shouldn't be through blackmail! Pastor Ayo is not his problem.
“We are giving El-Rufai seven days ultimatum to inform Nigerians and the world the person he claims to know that gave Pastor Ayo his private Jet. If he fails to do that, we will open up on him and his dirty life. El-Rufai stinks to the highest heaven. He is morally depraved and lacks credibility. This was the man who mismanaged the FCT administration and allocated plots of land to his cronies and girlfriends and mistresses. What credibility has a man who as FCT Minister was paying salaries to a female member of the NYSC?
“We want to make it enequivocally clear that Pastor Ayo is not in PDP, he’s not a politician and so cannot be a propaganda machinery of PDP as erroneously alleged by El-Rufai. Pastor Ayo is a religious leader and he remains so.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) up till September 17 to submit its list of candidate for the Anambra Governorship poll in November.
Two candidates-Tony Nwoye and Dr. Andy Uba- had emerged from parallel primaries conducted by two different state executive committees of the party.
While Uba emerged as the candidate of the INEC recognized Ejike Oguebego faction of the PDP in Anambra State, Nwoye secured his ticket from Ken Emekayi’s faction which was endorsed by the National Secretariat of the party.
Although the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has, however, forwarded Nwoye’s name to the INEC on August 29th, the electoral agency has reservation in collecting his nomination form.
But in a letter signed by the INEC Secretary, Mrs. Augusta C. Ogakwu, the INEC gave the PDP up till September 17 to resolve the stalemate.
The letter was copied to other parties participating in the Anambra poll despite the fact that they have no issue with their candidates.
The letter, which was exclusively obtained by our correspondent, reads: “Following the conclusion of party primaries on September 2, 2013, political parties are reminded on the following procedures for submission of the list of candidates each political party proposes to sponsor at the election:
“Every political party shall submit the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor in Form CF 002 duly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the political party
“The list should be accompanied with a covering letter duly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the political party together with the affidavit of personal particulars of each candidate duly sworn before the prescribed Commissioner for Oaths.
“All submissions to the commission shall first be made to the Department of Elections and Party Monitoring for clearance at the headquarters of the commission at Maitama, Abuja, on or before September 17, 2013.
“No submission made to the commission later than 6.00pm on September 17, 2013 shall be accepted.
“Upon clearance, the submission shall thereafter be forwarded to the Legal Services Department where the submissions shall be acknowledged and copy of the acknowledgement issued to the political party.
“Political parties are particularly advised to note that where there is a court order in respect of the nomination of any candidate the political party shall be guided by the order at the time of submission.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
There was pandemonium on Saturday at Bridge Head, Onitsha when a female police officer, identified as Inspector Tochukwu was allegedly abused, molested and almost stripped naked by a famous wealthy man.
The much dreaded man, Ngozi Okpagu had also allegedly slapped a commissioner of police last year.
An eye witness who gave his name as Tunde alleged that Offoegbu was on duty when the ‘big man’, who owns a park in Onitsha approached her threatening to facilitate her removal from Onitsha as he did to one Archibong.
“At that point, the female police officer demanded from him what she did that would warrant her removal and in reply he slapped her for daring him. His boys also joined and immediately they tore the female officer’s uniform, almost revealing her nakedness.
“She ran for her life into the police post to avoid the peering eyes of the public. The Area Commander, Benjamin Wordu asked all of them to come to the area police station Onitsha.
“That man cannot be arrested because last time he slapped the CP because of motor park matters and the Governor later closed the park’’, the source further alleged.
When contacted the DPO Fegge where Offoegbu works, Muikdi Shehu said he would not speak on the matter, insisting that the PPRO was the only person authorized to speak.
The PPRO Emeka Chukwuemeka when contacted on phone said he was in Onitsha Area commander and would get back to this reporter on the issue.
CP Balah Nassarawa was said to be out of the state as at the time of filing this report.
However, reacting, the coordinator Campaign for Democracy, Dede Uzor A Uzor demanded for the immediate arrest of the suspect and thorough investigation into the matter.
The group gave the commissioner of police 7 days to arrest the man or face protest.
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Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
…Demands Immediate Unsealing of Secretariats in Obedience of Abuja Court Ruling
The National Chairman of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, has requested all members of PDP worldwide to embark on seven days fasting and prayers commencing from Monday, 16th of September, 2013.
The call for fasting prayer was contained in copy of news release to The African Opinion signed by the new PDP spokesperson, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka. According the release, “this spiritual intervention is as a result of the concern of the Baraje-led PDP for the plight of parents and our children due to the continued closure of public universities following the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to protest the Federal Government’s failure to keep the agreement it signed with the Union in 2009”.
The complete text of the statement reads:
“Muslims all over the nation and abroad who are PDP members should close their fast by this Friday, 20th of September, 2013, at their places of worship while the Christians should end theirs on Sunday, 22nd September, 2013 at their places of worship.
“It has become imperative to seek the face of God over this matter considering that all efforts to resolve this unwarranted strike have failed woefully and considering the socio-economic damage this strike has caused both parents and our children. We are confident that our resolve to go to God will succeed as the importance of fasting and prayers cannot be over emphasized
To say the least, we are shocked that the government inflicting this monumental hardship on Nigerians is a PDP Government popularly elected by majority of Nigerians and run by a President who was once a University Lecturer. In this regard, we wish to plead with Nigerians for forgiveness on behalf of the PDP Government at the centre, which could have avoided this costly strike. We wish to assure all Nigerians that as a party we will surely find a way to end this shameful situation.
“Meanwhile, Alhaji Baraje has set up a four-man Committee with His Excellency, Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger State as Chairman to advise the party on the best way to get the Federal Government’s Negotiating Committee and the leadership of ASUU to reach an agreement on the issues at stake and thus end this three-month-old strike. Other members of the Committee are His Excellency, Gov. Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, Hon. Chinwo Ike, President of UNIPORT Alumni, and Mr. Timi Frank, the PDP National Youth Leader.
“We sincerely solicit the patience of Nigerians while appealing to both the Federal Government and the leadership of ASUU to end this imbroglio so that our children may go back to school instead of engaging in acts inimical to their future. The need for this has become urgent as reports reaching us indicate that many of these students have out of frustration and boredom turned to prostitution, armed robbery and other vices due to the prolonged industrial action.
The Police no Longer Has Any Reason to Seal Our Secretariats
“To the glory of God, contrary to the prayers of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur’s faction of PDP, a Federal High Court in Abuja on13th September, 2013, once again ruled that the Baraje faction of PDP should be allowed to operate without any further harassment or inhibition as it is not breaking any known law. Justice E.S. Chukwu in his ruling held that there was no evidence before the court to show any tardiness on the part of Baraje’s faction as claimed by the Tukur-led faction, which requested it to stop the Baraje-led PDP from operating.
“In view of this ruling, the Police no longer has any valid reason (it never did, anyway) to continue to seal our Secretariats. We, therefore, wish to appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to save the Police from the plot to ridicule it by using it to perpetrate illegalities such as sealing the lawfully-acquired National Secretariat of PDP and our Secretariats in states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Kaduna and Kwara. The powers that be should as a matter of urgency stop projecting and portraying the Police as a tool of injustice and attack on the perceived political opponents of Mr. President.
“On our own, we will continue to use the Judiciary to prove to Tukur’s faction that the days of running the affairs of our great party with impunity and high-handedness are gone for good. The time has come for him to correctly read the handwriting on the wall and honourably throw in the towel along with his National Working Committee.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
OBUAH PDP HAS LOST SENSE OF DECORUM – Yesterday 12th September, 2013 represents a black day for representative government in Nigeria with the development in Rivers State where CP Mbu – led police in the State, funded with tax payers money blocked the elected State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi from having access to Government House. It is now obvious to the least discerning and the international community that Nigeria is on a free fall to maximum dictatorship. There is no iota of doubt that CP Mbu and the police in Rivers State is on a mission to destroy the last vestiges of civility and democratic spirit left in the land in service of some indiscernible aspiration. Mbu has effectively turned the Nigeria Police to a political party. All men of goodwill must rise up and say enough is enough of this encircling gloom as this is not a challenge to Governor Amaechi or the people of Rivers State but a clear affront on elected political authority and democracy itself.
Worse still, the Obuah faction of PDP and their co-travellers have lost all sense of decorum and displayed their dullness of mind in raining insult on Governor Amaechi. Obuah and the PDP in every step taken have shown that they lack the capacity to understand the rules of engagement in political discourse. That the characters parading themselves as officers of PDP in Rivers State are doing so reflects the decadence, impunity and brazenness in the land which is most unfortunate. Obuah PDP has now assumed the role of deciding who insulted the President of the country as well as those to be persecuted for exercising the right to freedom of association. This is definitely an ill wind that will not serve anybody any good, if anything, it confirms that our politics is now a baazar. The uncouth action and words of the Obuah faction of PDP diminishes hope in the land and represent the worst of times for our country.
This insult on the Government of Rivers State is an affront to all elected political office holders in Nigeria that requires definite condemnation by all lovers of freedom and democracy. Tomorrow it will be another State, other elder statesmen in the country and elected public officials until they achieve their goal of petty aspiration and maximum dictatorship. What is going on in Rivers State shows clearly that the topmost cadre of PDP do not appreciate the enormity of crisis in the land thus confirms that there is no genuine effort at resolving the terminal crisis that has engulfed PDP
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The incident of translocation of some 14 Anambrarians from Lagos State to Anambra State by the Foshala Government has drawn such ire. It has even been wrongly termed ‘Deportation’ regardless of the connotative meaning of deportations as taking place only between countries. The amok run by adrenalin all the while has been that feverish and distorting the true meaning of the event.
It is only now that the real issues are being addressed by the one or two groups that have dragged both Anambra and Lagos State Governments to court on behalf of the victims, demanding payments in Billions of Naira for damages for the forced relocation and the dehumanizing experience. Perhaps this will help establish the acts of omission and commission committed by both Governments, who treated the victims like mere statistics rather than fellow Nigerians who may be in dire need. Unless we treat others like humans too we shall likewise perish.
To the Lagos State government, it was a humanitarian gesture of “Re: Reintegration of Beggars/Destitutes with their families”, as their letter to the Anambra State Government dated April 9th , 2013, seeking its cooperation to carry out the exercise, was titled. Anambra State’s response to that crucial correspondence, dated April 15th, rather than raise objection, curiously only demanded the identities of those to be moved.
The Compliance of Lagos with the Anambra request promptly came on the 29th of the same month, and in the letter, Lagos State Government attached a list of 14 persons who were claiming to hail from Anambra State. To avoid what eventually happened when non-indigenes were found among those dropped off at Onitsha and reintegration appearing deportation, Lagos had to request in that letter: "Be that as it may, your presence at the Rehabilitation and Training Center, Owutu in Ikorodu might be necessary to conduct a physical identification through interaction with these persons". Yet, there is no record of Anambra taking advantage of this friendly gesture.
Between that April when Lagos wrote the first letter and August when the people were moved was about an intervening 4 months, within which both Governments would have reached an understanding or amicable settlement that would have spared the victims the dehumanizing and depersonalizing experience being alleged and challenged by the law suits, but no. Politics was more expedient than the humanitarian crisis being precipitated. The one way to measure a thriving civilization is how such a society treats its weak and the disabled.
When the 14 people were eventually taken to Anambra State, the impression everybody got was that the Fashola Government woke up one morning from the wrong side of the bed and decided to dump some Igbos and non-Igbos alike in Onitsha Bridgehead. This claim incensed so much passion that overnight, Fashola became an Igbo hater, the same first Lagos State Governor to appoint an Igbo man Commissioner and some others into Executive positions and who just immortalized the ace football commentator, Ernest Okonkwo, by naming a monument in Lagos after him. If people knew that Anambra State Government was in the know all along and never raised any objection, this dangerous perception against Fashola and his administration wouldn’t have been formed. Now changing it has become such a herculean task.
What also made people think that Fashola was only being belligerent was that even the Secretary to the Government of Anambra State said that Anambra State was never informed by Lagos State but this was not entirely true, as the several correspondences between both Governments later proved. Such position doesn’t show also that intergovernmental Departments' communication, which should have kept Anambra State Government agencies coordinate and its relations with other State Governments also working, has some problems or somebody was goading them to some nefarious goal.
From available records too, the translocation of destitues, beggars and lunatics from Lagos affected about 12 States, including also nearly all the States in the South West and even some Northern states. These other States never raised hell until it happened to Anambra State. Whereas records also that most of the States travelled to Lagos to collect their people and even Lagos also travelled to Akwa Ibom to collect their people who suffered a similar fate, Lagos State insist Anambra reneged on the arrangement after asking them to bring the people over to Onitsha.
Instructively, this obnoxious practice has been going on for long between State Governments in Nigeria as there are several State Governments that have translocated destitues, lunatics and beggars from other States to their States of origin. Anambra State for example was said to have translocated people from Ebonyi State in 2011 and also people from Akwa Ibom State. For Anambra State that has also been very active in the illicit business of ‘deportation’ of people (to use the wrong word it popularized) to raise so much dust when her own citizens were similarly treated by the Lagos State Government, can only be explained in other lights namely politics, which many say was calculated to injure Fashola's party, the All Progressives Congress and weaken its chances in November 16 Anambra Gubernatorial Election.
The fact that States in Nigeria translocate destitues, lunatics and beggars does not make it right or proper. The translocation of people may be good at policy level if indeed it is meant to reintegrate such highly vulnerable people who are challenged mentally and socially with their families. It can be viewed as an extension of the African Extended Family System. But in the case of the exchange between Anambra and Lagos, the implementation was certainly badly done. No wonder Senator Chris Ngige had to say to journalists: "If I were the Governor of Lagos State, I will punish those who dumped the people at Upper Iweka for doing a shabby Job, while as Gov of Anambra, I will punish my officers through whom the letters passed for inaction".
Dropping off people at Onitsha Bridgehead can hardly be justified, especially those who are not from Anambra State. But Lagos insist that implementation of a policy that was otherwise noble, was marred when Lagos State operatives could not find their counterparts at the Bridgehead as agreed and decided to drop them at a Revenue Office at the Onitsha Bridgehead rather than transport them back to Lagos. If indeed Anambra agreed that those be brought back to Onitsha and ducked from receiving them as expected, then, they cannot feign ignorance or be free from the act of omission that made the people more vulnerable than they were when they were uprooted from Lagos, and it is for such vicarious responsibility that the lawyers dragged Anambra State to court as well and demanding award of damages on behalf of victims.
Some of us were among the early criers and decriers of the inhuman treatment before the new fact then confronted us. Aka Ikenga, a foremost Igbo socio-cultural organization in Lagos was also among the organizations that were very pro-active and infuriated as well, and enlisted the services of Senator Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, to visit Fashola and extract what exactly happened. It was the visit of Senator Chris Ngige to Governor Fashola that disclosed the letters exchanged between the two Governments in the intervening four months, clearly pointing to the fact that Anambra State was not at all ignorant of the plan to bring some people back to Anambra State.
Rather than objecting to the request as contained in the letters it replied to severally, Anambra State Government acquiesced to the arrangement by asking for the identities of the people to be ascertained before the exercise can take place. If that was their only condition, then, why the hullaballoo when they were eventually brought home? Having accepted that the people could be brought home the only ground for disagreement would have been the process and may be where people who were not truly from Anambra state are bunched together with Anambra people, not the exercise itself since it never objected to it.
Many still would not want to examine some of these grave issues and damning evidence that both Governments actively collaborated on the exercise. But the fact is: the Lagos State government wrote and Anambra State Government rather than object acquiesced and once you condone an offence you lose the power to punish it. And come to think of it, out of about 5 million Igbos living in Lagos, how many of them like Alaba traders, bankers, Lawyers and so forth have been deported? None.
Constitutionally, Nigerians have the right to live anywhere in Nigeria but certainly not under the bridges or on the streets. Such citizens who have such social welfare challenges as homelessness, destitution and psychiatric cases roaming the streets and some living under the bridges, should be rehabilitated , treated and reintegrated with their families by their host State Governments, in the host States if they have relations or with their families in their States of origin. To argue that such people should be kept indefinitely is the Rehabs is impractical as there is no such facility anywhere in the world, even in advanced countries, and to leave them under the bridges or roaming the streets is even more inhuman than reintegrating even forcefully with their kith and kin.
These law suits will therefore serve as a deterrent to other Governors and Government officials, who have no clue as to the functions of government while seeing things only from the prism of politics. Let the sins of commission and omission by these Governments be established and punished by the Courts. That is the only way the obnoxious practice will stop or be given a human face because we too are humans, not through these emotional outbursts running riots.
• Law Mefor, Author and Forensic Psychologist, is National Coordinator, Transform Nigeria Movement (TNM) Abuja, email:lawmefor@gmail.com; 234-803-787-2893.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The commercial city of Onitsha and indeed the whole of Anambra State was set agog yesterday as the gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party in the forthcoming election, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, flagged-off his campaign.
The occasion, which took place at the Holy Trinity Centenary field, saw the venue filled to the brim. “We want Ifeanyi Ubah,”rent the air.
After managing his way through the crowd, at about 4pm, Ifeanyi Ubah mounted the stage with his“Freedom Plan Agenda for Ndi-Anambra”. In between the speech, the people could not hold back their joy at the hope he gave them.
The Labour Party candidate told the people“After searching my soul and engaging in widespread consultation, I have decided to sacrifice my time and resources in order to offer the kind of leadership Ndi-Anambra need now for the positive development of our state.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
In this interview, the Coordinator of the Northern Emancipation Network, Mal. Abdul-Azeez Sulaiman, says that the ordinary people in the North can no longer follow the political elite blindly. He also warns that the North could suffer after Nigeria presidential Election (NPE) in 2015 if it continues to antagonize President Goodluck Jonathan as it is not in a position to win the presidency in the next general elections.
How do you assess the political atmosphere in the country right now?
I think the atmosphere is dicey but interesting, because, about two years to the elections, the battle has already started. It makes the atmosphere very exciting at least to those who are political- minded.
We have seen the excitement that came with the registration of the APC, how a merger was achieved for the first time in Nigeria’s political history. I do not think there has ever been a complete merger, although we have had some alliances.
People were surprised when the PDM was registered. It should not have been a surprise; it was an expected move from former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. What happened at the PDP convention, we all know, is a build up to 2015; so I can say the atmosphere is exciting.
Would you not consider the battle for 2015 as a distraction to government both at the federal and state levels? It is like we are going to waste two years politicking, rather than allowing those in government to concentrate on developmental issues.
The issue of government, to my understanding and the experience I have, is that only those who are in government are concerned with government. People outside are only concerned with how to remove that government and replace it; so as far as this gang of emerging opposition is concerned, it is not a distraction. It is left for government to focus on what is before it. For the opposition, the government should not even work. So it cannot be said to be a distraction, opposition is allowed everywhere.
Some people have raised issues about the quality of the membership of APC which we all know is a merger of the ACN, ANPP and CPC. Some people say what happened in 2011 where the alliance between CPC and ACN did not produce the desired result of fielding a successful candidate, especially at the federal level, will repeat itself. Do you see the APC as an alternative platform to the PDP?
When we talk of the APC, I would rather separate two issues, whether the merger is even going to work is one thing, producing a government that is better than the PDP is another .
About the merger, we all know how it started as an alliance in 2011 but failed practically and theoretically. And the move continued to produce the merger that is now the APC. If you look at the partners, you will discover that the marriage may not last.
When we look at the composition of the ANPP, the same people that could not contain former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, in 2007 and 2011, he (Buhari) had to leave to form the CPC. So, at what point are they telling us that they have reconciled their differences. And Buhari’s differences with the ANPP were fundamental.
Now, if you look at the A CN, we all know that it has an articulate political agenda, and the Yoruba may be more politically conscious to a point where the Yoruba voter may be redirected to vote the APC. But in the North, the problem is that they might not have the consciousness to adopt the APC as a common platform.
Why do you say so?
That is what is happening now. You can see that with the coming of the APC, the Yoruba people said they do not need the presidency. When the APC held a meeting in the South-west, the Yoruba clearly said they do not need the presidency.
So, the general feeling is that Buhari may pick the APC presidential ticket and we all know that Atiku would never jettison his personal ambition for anybody; he will definitely contest that election (2015).
So, you can see already the North is divided. And, before the end of the year, we are going to have another platform where some of the breakaway governors could contest because they are not actually going ahead with Atiku. All the northern governors that walked out of the PDP National Convention with Atiku are not his bed fellows.
If you look at their antecedents, all of them are Obasanjo boys. They have never had anything in common with Atiku. But Atiku will eventually leave the PDP because of his personal ambition. He knows that it is going to be almost impossible for him to pick the PDP ticket and he must contest. And he cannot join the APC; so he got his associates to register the PDM which has, all along, been the political organisation which he inherited from General Yar’Adua.
Now, instead of him to just move out, to his PDM, he has to cause commotion. The mainstream PDP would be looking at the crack in the party but that is not the end of it. Whatever the reconciliation effort may be, Atiku is not going back. He will eventually end up in PDM, where he will contest the presidential election.
Could give us an insight into the game plan of the politicians in the North who are against the present government that led to all of these?
What we have today is a conscious North and the northern political elite. Before now, wherever the elite went, the crowd followed them. But, now, it is no longer the same. People have started thinking that they should not allow the elite take them wherever they go.
By the virtue of my position as a journalist and Coordinator of the Northern Emancipation Network, I have had the opportunity of meeting some of these northern elite to discuss.
Most of us in the Northern Emancipation Network and our affiliates do not see the necessity of the North insisting on the presidency in 2015 or any time in the near future. Our reason is that if holding central power is the key to the success of a people, then the North ought to have been the most successful region in Nigeria. If that yardstick is true, the Igbo ought to have been the most backward because they have not in practical terms had power at the centre.
The North held power for the most part of Nigeria’s existence as an independent nation yet we are the most backward.
The Igbo that have not held power is by far the most advanced technogically and economically.
Why? It is either power at the centre is not enough to develop a people or the northern political elite misused it
Some of them who told the nation that our public infrastructure cannot work even if the entire public funds were invested in them are the same people now telling us that they can make the facilities work under privatization. These is the type of people we had as leaders from the North and they are the same people who are transforming either through their children or their wives or brothers.
Some northerners of your class sound very bitter about Nigeria than people of Igbo extraction because, just as you said, the region held power for a long time and the power was meant for the holders alone.
The motive is personal. It has nothing to do with the larger North. The northern political elite believe the region is their personal asset. They started this rotation thing when they made Obasanjo president. Because it has not been the entire North handling the region’s political situation, it reclaimed power in 2007 under Yar’Adua.
The North had the opportunity to place itself appropriately to reclaim power after President Jonathan if it had played the right card but it played the wrong card when Yar’Adua was sick. None of these elders came out to do the right thing by asking Jonathan, who was then Yar’Adua’s deputy, to take over. Instead, they fought this man until God took power and handed it to him.
The elite did that claiming they were doing it for the North. Some of us were talking then but our voice was not loud.
The impression you are creating is that the crisis we are witnessing especially in the North was precipitated by the elite.
What crisis? We have political and security challenges.
By your reckoning, has it anything to do with the struggle for power come 2015?
It may not have been directly incited by the northern elite but it must have been caused by their actions or inaction. For instance, in Yobe and Borno states where the insurgency started, you have situations where by some people were governors and, after their tenure, they moved on to the Senate and their wives into the House of Reps or were given other government appointments as if they were the only families in their states.
Go round the North and see the type of schools our children attend. Today we have a generation that is no longer prepared to be slaves to the northern elite.
Six years ago, if someone tells you that a northerner will pick up a gun go to a mosque or church to kill people, you may not believe. But now it is happening; the elite created it either knowingly or unknowingly.
The Emir of Kano wept in the public three times because of the activities of these boys. The Emir of Zauzzau is protected by military men in his palace.
What is your group all about?
The agenda is to enlighten the northern population that it is time to tell the elite that what they have taken is enough. We are no longer prepared to be slaves. They have enslaved our grandparents, parents and we are not going to allow them to enslave us and their children enslave our children. As it has been for generations, they are now, seeing a different northern picture.
It is no longer business as usual where you just come out and say we are northerners.
Are you saying that those who claim to be the northern leaders are not representing you?
Categorically we have said it. Maybe they are older than we are; so they call themselves elders. They could be older but they are not statesmen. It is the same people that have brought division in the north.
We have spoken to people who told us about how the late Sir Ahmadu Bello ran the region. He did not bring about division. Every northerner, no matter tribe or religion, was a northerner. He introduced the northernersation policy.
How has the Jonathan presidency benefited the North?
There is no region that has been favoured as far as federal appointments are concerned than the North. For instance, the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker, INEC chairman, NSA, Inspector General of Police, Comptroller of Customs, many ministers are northerners. Even President Jonathan’s region of Niger Delta does not have that.
Our agenda is that we should not allow these people to endanger the northern political future for their personal reasons because it will be disastrous if we allow the North to play the enemy in 2015 and loses as it happened in 2011.
Now, the calculation is that we cannot get it in 2015. The northern Muslims votes will be split between Atiku and Buhari and we are likely to have Lamido, while the northern Christians vote will go to Jonathan who also enjoys bulk vote from other regions.
It is clear that if the North goes for the presidency in 2015, it will not get it, so why not be friends with the person who is likely to win so that the North is not endangered. If we play this bad card again and lose in 2015, in 2019, the region will not have a voice again in this country just like northern Cameroon which used to hold power.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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