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Children of the poor in Delta learn with Tears …• Pupils sit on the floors

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Children of the poor in Delta learn with Tears …• Pupils sit on the floors

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta is one of the richest states in Nigeria, yet well-equipped and functional basic and secondary schools are still a mirage in parts of this state that earned N285billion in 2018, and a steady 11-digit monthly allocation from the Federation Account in 2019. Shola O’Neil, South-south Regional Editor and Elo Edremoda, examine the deplorable state of four schools in Udu and Uvwie Local Governments and the fate of thousands of children who attend them
THE sight of the learning condition in some of Delta State’s rural primary and secondary schools would break the most hardened heart. The resuscitation and beautification carried out in some schools during the Emmanuel Uduaghan administration, have eluded hundreds of schools, especially in the rural areas. Here tender learners are subjected to the most excruciating and most deplorable conditions.

The state allocated over N39 billion to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in 2018 and 2019 budgets. The allocation to the ministry in the N389 billion 2020 budget could not be ascertained at the time of this report. Yet, the conditions of some schools in the state make mockery of any claim of commitment to education.

The schools visited by our reporters tell tales of rot, decay and lack of concern for the future of those who attend the schools. Nowhere is government’s failing of the ‘future leaders’ more highlighted than Sedeco Basic School and Sedeco High School located in Enerhen Community of Uvwie Local Government Area, and Emadadja Primary and Adadja Secondary Schools in Udu LGA, all in Delta Central Senatorial District of the state.

At Emadadaja Primary School, our reporter was assailed by the sights of dozens of pupils, some as young as four, scrambling to learn on bare floor that are riddled with holes and dust. Telltale signs abound that the school that was established 70 years ago has seen better days. There are no basic facilities or furniture: less than 40 desk and chairs are available to over 300 pupils, making the bare floor the only option for children who are desperate to learn.

With fewer than 40 good desks in the entire school, only a few get to sit on the squeaky creaky furniture, but they also have to watch for protruding, rusty nails and screws, which may tear through their uniforms digging into their tender skin. Their less fortunate mates sit or simply lay down on bare, dusty floors, to take sown the teacher’s notes in their exercise books.

Overhead, broken ceiling boards dangle from the roof. The classes and even teachers staff rooms are bare of doors or windows, which means that valuables and books forgotten in school often develop wings and may never be found.

When the school closes, miscreants and hoodlums take over. They litter the school, or just mess up desk and floors with faeces. When the children return to school, especially after weekend or holiday breaks, they are confronted by mountains of human wastes buzzing with flies, assorted smells – hemp, decaying leftover meals, urine and poops. This dangerous mixes expose the children to all kind of maladies.

In the kindergarten class, infants in KG1-3 share just one classroom. The infants sit on mats, with nothing else to battle the elements. As the sun moves from the east to the west, shifting the shadows along, the children also shift along in search of shades from the scotching sun’s heat or from rain fall during rainy season.

One teacher told our reporter that the odds are against pupils in the school.

He said: “It is not easy to learn; when you are teaching, some (pupils) will be jumping here and there and the heat at this time is really terrible. It is a real challenge to the learning process.”

An indigene of the community, Mr. Dave Mevayekuku, described the school as a disgrace and pointer to the failure of those who have governed the state over the years. “I am shocked,” he said while drawing our attention to the state of his former school. “Okowa should come to the aid of the school without delay.”

The Vice-President of Emadadaja Community, Mr. Emmanuel Osiobe, said the people are perplexed by the condition under which their children study, particularly considering that the community contributes to the state’s economy with revenue from crude oil extracted from eight oil wells located on its land.

“The school has remained only because of the community leaders’ efforts. The (last) renovation project was carried out in partnership with an oil company. The company wanted to carry out a project (in 2013), but we said since nobody (government) is showing concern, let us convert the project to school renovation.”

Osiobe explained that there was nothing the leadership of the community could do about defecation in the classes, because of the porous security in the school. He blamed this on failure of government to provide security. “Teachers have reported the problem, but what can we do when there is no gate? The fence has fallen and intruders can even gain entry through the roof.”

Like Primary, like Secondary

Like the primary school, Adadja Secondary school is in a bad shape. There are less than 10 classrooms for about 900 students. Established as a technical school through communal efforts in 1982, the state government took it over in 2006, much to the relief of the community’s leaders who thought that the intervention would usher in an era of infrastructural and facilities upgrade.

A block of five-classrooms built by an oil firm is the only modern structure in the school. Three of the five classrooms in the oil firm’s block are used as staff rooms and library, while two are used by students. Other classes make do with the two uncompleted classroom blocks, one built 38 years ago by the community and the other built by the local council. Yet, a six-classroom block built as constituency project by a state lawmaker was unallocated because there is no furniture and the project has not been properly inaugurated.

The school principal, Mr Boniface Ofovwe, was not available for comment when our reporter visited, but the Examination Officer, Comrade Daniel Ovweghren said several failed efforts have been made by the school authorities and the community leadership to get government’s attention.

Students, rodents share classes

Although the conditions at the Emadadja schools are unsavory, the state of that deprivation pales when compared to the dungeon that is Sedeco schools (a misnomer) in Enerhen area of Uvwie Local Government. The about 1,300 children in primary and secondary schools are taught under the most dehumanising environment.

There is no basic amenity in the school: No pipe borne water, electricity or even toilet facilities. The closest thing to a toilet is a cubicle used exclusively by teachers, while pupils make do with a dumpsite located within the school premises.

About a decade ago, a soft drink company built a block of six very small rooms, which added to the two blocks of three classrooms the school kicked off with in 2007. The only other ‘structures’ are shades constructed by the PTA.

The primary school section has about 350 pupils, who share three classrooms. The situation is the same in the secondary school, with about twice more students.

One of the rooms is used as staff room, while hundreds of pupils share three ‘classrooms’, which are separated by pieces of plywood to accommodate six classes: primaries one and two are cramped into a room, while three and four, and five and six share the other two rooms. Teachers, who cannot squeeze into the staff room, sit around the corridor ad veranda, while preparing lesson notes.

Pupils of the school, who spoke about their fates, lamented the attitude of the state government but commended staff for their doggedness in spite of the challenging environment.

“It is difficult for us to concentrate and learn,” one of the primary four pupils told our reporter, “because two teachers are teaching at the same and they are teaching different classes and subjects. The teachers have to keep shouting for us to hear. Sometimes you don’t even know which of the lectures you are taking”

Due to dearth of the structures and facilities in the school, Science and Arts subjects students in the high school also share classes, with most of the former not having the luxury of using laboratories for practical. One of the schools’ senior teachers disclosed that their students are not allowed to write the West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination, even though they have up to 80 students eligible each year.”

An SSS3 student, Oghenevwaire Shalokpe, lamented that she and other colleagues were preparing for WAEC under very difficult learning conditions.

Focus on good schools

The Commissioner for Basic Education, Mr. Patrick Ukah, who was contacted on the state of the schools, was furious that our reporter was snooping around dilapidated schools in Sedeco and others while ignoring the work the government was doing in other schools.

“There are other schools: Have you seen the work we are doing in Urhobo College, Dom Domingos College and Ugborikoko Secondary School? What about the communities that go in to vandalize school properties? You people don’t report such cases for us. You should talk about that.”

•A congested classroom for Primary Four pupils with four per seat

The three schools listed by Mr. Ukah are in the cities of Effurun (Ugborikoko and Urhobo) and Dom Domingos College in Warri metropolis.

“There are 472 secondary schools spread across the 25 local government areas of the state. We cannot attend to all the schools at a time. The budget of the state is contending with roads and other projects,”Ukah added.

He blamed Sedeco school management and the community for the rot seen by The Nation, stressing, “How can you take 1,300 students for a place like that? The place is a swamp.”

“I have to close down that place first, else, where will I build on? On top of that school? Because you are saying there is space. I have told you that I have been there and I am putting my reports together.”

Our findings showed that there is no government school nearby, while private schools are expensive and inaccessible for the poor, who send their children and wards to Sedeco schools.

The Principal, Mrs. Roseline Jike, agreed that only children from indigent families attend the schools. “Government school charges little or nothing, (that is why) they (parents) still prefer to send their children here.

“We do not have (external) examination centre here because we don’t have laboratory, library and the school does not have fence. The population of 1,100 is enough to get a centre, but now we have to write in other schools,” the principal added.

A member of staff of the school, who spoke to our correspondent in confidence, said officials from the Ministry of Education have visited the school to see the deplorable condition under which pupils study.

“We have written letters with photographs of the school to the Ministry of Education through our Chief Inspector of Education.”

But Ukah, who further spoke through his media aide, Mr. Samuel Ijeh, said the government has no plans to renovate the school.

“Nobody promised to build the school in December. The community wants to get a school by all means. Students will be relocated to another place before government will know what can be done to the place.”

An Associate Professor at the Delta State University, Dr. Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, explained that the development of the state is hinged on “good and quality education.” He explained that an environment that is not conducive “does have significant negative impact on the teacher and pupils.”

Nevertheless, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okowa, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, who was contacted on the condition of Sedeco Schools, said the issues raised would be resolved

‘Missing $2.5b’: Magu urges UK to extradite Diezani

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‘Missing $2.5b’: Magu urges UK to extradite Diezani

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison Madueke stole $2.5billion from the Nigeria’s treasury, Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said.

Magu said the agency has asked the United Kingdom to extradite her to face trial at home.

Magu spoke in Kaduna on Monday ahead of the graduation today of 281 Cadets of the agency’s Detective Inspectorate Course Five Cadre. They will be passing out from the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna.

“The ceremony is the peak of months of intensive and extensive military training and grooming of the cadets, in preparation of a challenging and exciting career as operatives of the EFCC,” he said.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari will be the Reviewing Officer at the Parade, which is scheduled to begin by 8am at the NDA, Afaka, Kaduna, along with other dignitaries that will grace the occasion with their esteemed presence.

The anti-graft czar, stressed the import of its collaboration with the NDA stating that “military training all over the world is known for discipline, perseverance, strength, courage and tenacity”.

“All these are needed in every EFCC operative as physical and psychological grooming imperative in the fight against corruption,” he said.

He further noted that the training was also to build courage for whatever challenge or obstacle that may come in discharging their duties.

He also used the opportunity to reiterate his determination to upgrade the EFCC Academy, Karu Abuja into a law enforcement degree awarding Institute in order to be a reference point for universities across Africa.

Tension in Imo as Supreme Court sits on Ihedioha’s review suit today

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Tension in Imo as Supreme Court sits on Ihedioha’s review suit today

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here was tension in Imo State on Monday ahead of today’s (Tuesday) sitting by the Supreme Court on an application filed by the immediate past governor of the state, Emeka Ihedioha, seeking a review of the apex court’s judgment on the state 2019 governorship election.

The state police command deployed armed policemen to the streets of Owerri, the state capital, to forestall any clash between supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress. It also banned any form of protests. As the police beefed up security in Imo State, the PDP in a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice  Tanko Muhammad, asked the CJN and six other justices of the apex court to recuse themselves from the hearing of the application by Ihedioha.

The opposition party said the justices of the Supreme Court were likely to be biased if they participated in the hearing of the application.

In the application, Ihedioha asks the apex court to set aside its January  14, judgment which annulled his election and declared the APC candidate in the 2019 election, Hope Uzodinma, as the winner of the poll.

A seven-man panel of the apex court led by the CJN had  in its January 14, 2020 judgment removed Iheodioha as the  Imo State governor  and declared Uzodinma as the winner of the last governorship election in the state.

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who read the lead judgment, had upheld Uzodinma’s appeal, ruling that the votes polled in 388 out of the 3,523 polling units were excluded in the final results declared by INEC in the state.

The apex court held that Uzodinma emerged winner of the election after the addition of the excluded votes.

But Ihedioha, through his lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), a former Attorney General of the Federation, had on February 5, 2020 filed an application before the court seeking “an order  setting aside as a nullity” the January 14 judgment.

He argued in the application anchored on Section 6 (6) of Nigerian Constitution and Section 22 of the Supreme Court Act 2004, that the judgment was obtained by fraud or deceit.

On Monday, there was heavy deployment of policemen in Owerri, 24  hours before the Supreme Court sitting on Ihedioha’s application.

The police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, told one of our correspondents that the command had banned protests in the state.

Ikeokwu said that the decision to ban protests until further notice was to ensure that lives and property were protected.

He said that the protests being embarked on by various groups since the Supreme Court gave its judgment  on January 14, were “life-threatening”.

Ikeokwu said,  “We have banned further protest in the state. We have an intelligence report that some people want to hijack it and attack others.  We are being proactive instead of reactive.”

The PUNCH observed that policemen and their vehicles were stationed at various strategic points in the state capital.

The PDP spokesperson in the state, Damian Opara, said that the party was hopeful that the Tuesday’s Supreme Court review would go in favour of the party.

But  his APC counterpart, Enyinnaya Onuegbu,  said that the party was confident that Uzodinma would remain as the governor of the state after the Supreme Court review.

In Abuja, the PDP asked the CJN, Justice   Tanko Muhammad, and six other Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves from hearing the application of Ihedioha.

The CJN and  Justice  Sylvester Ngwuta; Justice Olukayode Ariwola; Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun; Justice Amin Augie; and Justice Uwani Abba Aji were members of  the apex court panel, which sacked Ihedioha.

The PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, and the PDP National Secretary, Senator Ibrahim Tsauri, in the letter to the CJN, said the justices were likely to be biased . The PDP, therefore, asked  the CJN, to reconstitute a new panel to review the judgment to ensure that fairness and justice were not only done, but seen to have been done.

The review judgment is slated to be heard on Tuesday.

The letter to the CJN read in part, “We request that their Lordships, The Chief Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, Justice Nwah Sylvester Ngwuta, Justice Olukayode Ariwola, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Justice Amina Adamu Augie, and Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji, recuse themselves from participating in hearing the application for setting aside their earlier judgment in the above case, on grounds of likelihood of bias, that is, fair hearing.

“We further demand that a new panel be set up by the Chief Justice of Nigeria to hear the new application for setting aside the above judgment, excluding all the Hon Justices that participated in the earlier case.”

It noted that the judgment sought, which it wanted  to set aside  had been crtitcised not only by lawyers, but members  of the public.

It said, “As our patriotic duty to hereby humbly request that your Lordship constitute a different panel of this great court (other than the one that delivered the judgment) for the purpose of hearing this application. My Lord, our request is founded on Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees fair hearing to every citizen or entity in the determination of his rights or obligations. Furthermore, the time honoured and tested principles of natural justice, particularly that no man shall be a judge in his own cause is particularly relevant to this solemn request.

“Allegation of bias or likelihood of bias goes to the root of fair hearing. Denial of right to fair hearing is a logical consequence of bias in any proceeding before a court or a tribunal. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as Amended (Constitution) guarantees the right of an individual to fair hearing. An individual’s right to fair hearing includes the right to have his/her rights and obligations determined by an independent and impartial tribunal. The above is clearly enshrined in Section 36 (1) of the Constitution, which provides as follows: “In the determination of his civil rights and obligations, including any question or determination by or against any government or authority, a person shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law and constituted in such manner as to secure its independence and impartiality…

“The right to an independent and impartial tribunal is a major factor in determining if   fair hearing has been observed by a court. The relevant question on the issue of bias is what an ordinary man on the street would think about the fairness of the proceedings conducted by judges accused of likelihood of bias.  We may even be wrong on the allegations made against the learned justices of the Supreme Court that sat on the case in question. We may have been bitter about the clearly observed inadequacies in that judgment, but this is now beside the point. The relevant question is: can any reasonable person who heard the press conference and several protests by the party, PDP, the civil society organisations and Nigerians generally, all over the country, including foreign embassies, the involvement of even the international community, feel that the same panel that has been the subject of these allegations, rightly or wrongly by the party, can sit and deliver impartial justice on the same case on review? We think not.”

It stated that  Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, guarantees fair hearing to every citizen or entity in the determination of his rights or obligation and guarantees an independent and impartial body for such determination.

The party also stated, “In other places in the commonwealth and jurisdictions around the world, it is always the practice that whenever the highest court of the land has to sit to look again at its earlier decision a different panel of the court would be constituted to do that. This, as your Lordship is very much aware of, is to ensure that the integrity of the judiciary and the fair appearance of justice is maintained in the eyes of the public.”

The PDP cited  Pinochet Case (R (Pinochet Ugarte) v Bow St Metropolitan Stipendiary Magistrate) case to back its claim.

Disregard PDP, Ihedioha’s application, protesters tell  Supreme Court

But a group of protesters on Monday took to the streets of Abuja to oppose the call for the Supreme Court to reverse itself  on the judgment where it declared  Uzodinma as the duly elected governor of Imo State.

The group under the banner of Dependable Patriotic Alliance frowned upon what it called sustained blackmail of justices of the apex court.

The group, which first occupied the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, marched to the Ministry of Justice where it submitted a letter to the Attorney general of The Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Addressing journalists, the co-convener of the group, Mr Nwosu Butches, urged the minister to stop politicians from blackmailing the justices of the Supreme Court for cheap political scores.

Culled from Punch

Court orders arrest of ex-Customs boss Dikko

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Court orders arrest of ex-Customs boss Dikko

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Dikko.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu issued the warrant over Mr Dikko’s sustained failure to attend court to answer to a charge of fraud brought against him and two others by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Dikko’s lawyer, Solomon Akuma, on the last adjourned date, promised to ensure his client’s presence in court.

Mr Akuma, however, presented a medical report on Monday, claiming Dikko was critically ill and hospitalised in London.

Justice Ojukwu noted that Dikko’s address, as shown on the medical report – 6, Amhed Musa Crescent Jabi, Abuja – did not support his lawyer’s claim that he was admitted in a London hospital.

The judge said that if Dikko was actually hospitalised in London, the prosecution should suspend effecting the arrest warrant, but if found to be otherwise, the prosecution should arrest Dikko and produce him in court on March 16, 2020, the next adjourned date for arraignment.

ICPC alleges in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/21/2019 that Dikko and others induced the Managing Director of Cambial Limited, Yemi Obadeyi, to pay N1.1 billion (N1,100, 952,380.96) into the account of Capital Law Office as a refundable ‘completion security deposit’ for the purchase of 120 units of duplexes as residential accommodation for officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Others named in the charge as defendants are a former Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, Garba Makarfi; and Umar Hussaini, a lawyer and owner of Capital Law firm.

ICPC alleges that Hussaini distributed the money into various other bank accounts and was rewarded with the sum of $3 million.

AGAIN FIRE RAZES ANOTHER POPULAR MARKET IN LAGOS

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AGAIN FIRE RAZES ANOTHER POPULAR MARKET IN LAGOS

[dropcap]A [/dropcap]massive fire swept through the popular Apongbon Market on Lagos Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Sunday, leaving tales of tears as goods worth several millions of naira were destroyed.

The inferno began around 10:45 am, as thick smokes and balls of fire ascended the heavens, with traders watching helplessly as the fire engulfed their wares.

Emergency responders battled the fire for hours before it could be contained, but much damage had already been done.

Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, spokesman, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, said upon arrival of the LASEMA Response Team, it was revealed that the fire emanated from one of the containerized stores at the market.

“The cause of the flames couldn’t be ascertained before it escalated towards other shops,” he said.

Fire razes Apongbon

He added that “Efforts have been concluded to combat the inferno. The fire has been contained and Lagosians are urged to remain calm.

”Fire fighting operations concluded. Recovery and post-fire assessment ongoing.”

Amaechi lays foundation for Transport and Logistics Institute in Abia

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Amaechi lays foundation for Transport and Logistics Institute in Abia

[dropcap] R[/dropcap]t Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation on Saturday, laid the foundation stone for the Institute of Transport and Logistics at the Gregory University, Uturu (GUU) in Abia State.
The Institute upon completion will offer specialised transportation courses and is expected to provide specialised laboratories for Maritime and Oceanography, Aviation/Aeronautic, Designing and Construction Suites, Aerospace Engineering, Central Machining tools centre, Railway Engineering and simulation rooms.

Amaechi said, as Minister of Transportation, he is willing to partner and encourage the University in its initiative to educate Nigerians in the Transportation and Logistics field, taking advantage of the Federal Government’s development strides in Transportation particularly the rail and maritime sectors.
“We’ll see how we’ll partner with the university in the Ministry of Transportation, especially when we start the construction of the Bonny-Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line.

“We are very particular about localising Railway technology, that’s why we are training our people in China and even made them to build a Transportation university and a wagon Assembly plant here in Nigeria,” Amaechi said.

While making the commencement speech at the University’s 8th matriculation ceremony, Amaechi narrated his political story, from his days as a student union leader, to Speakership, Governorship and now Minister. He encouraged the students to be diligent, have the fear of God and be courageous to ensure that they succeed.
Chancellor and founder of GUU, Prof. Gregory Iyke Ibe, said he was inspired by Amaechi’s developmental strides in the transportation ministry and the school is enthusiastic to tap into that sector and aid the growth and training of Nigerians to become professionals in Transportation engineering and technology.
He said, “What we are doing here is to input technology, change methodology and then we are succeeding and one of the things that we must succeed in line with your agenda in the ministry is to have this institute here, so that we can now train everybody… This university has a printing press, a paint factory, a sew factory, everything is produced here, we do fibre glasses here. Everything we do here, we do it because technology is done by human beings and I don’t see any reason why our Nigerian boys and girls who are well gifted cannot be trained in what we are doing.

“Any skill we get into, we perfect it, and in transport, to support the ministry, we are now creating something that you’ve come here to lay the foundation,” Ibe said.

As courtesy, the Minister paid a visit to the Government of Abia State, where Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, represented by his deputy, Rt Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, sought the Ministry of Transportation’s assistance in ensuring that the planned inland dry ports for the state is achieved.

He pledged the state government’s willingness to support the Federal Government in any project it’s doing in the state. “If the Federal Government is doing anything in Abia, , please let us be in the know, so we’ll be involved in the security of those facilities, because they would be beneficial to the state and its people.”

Amaechi was also conferred with the title of ‘Dike di Oha Mma of Uturu’ by His Royal Highness, Eze Cyril Ibe, the Traditional Ruler and Chairman, Uturu Council of Chiefs, during a courtesy visit to his palace.

WHO names new coronavirus ‘Covid-19’, China confirms 1,016 deaths

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WHO names new coronavirus ‘Covid-19’, China confirms 1,016 deaths

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]orld Health Organisation (WHO) has named the new coronavirus ‘Covid-19’.
WHO announced the new name in its tweeter handle at @WHO that “we now have a name for 2019nCov disease.
“The new name is COVID-19.
“The CO stands for corona, the VI for virus and the D for disease.”
The UN health agency wanted a name that do not refer to a geographical location, animals, an individual or a group of people.
WHO is leading a two-day global research and innovation forum to mobilise international action in response to coronavirus outbreak in Geneva.
China’s National Health Commission said there were 2,478 confirmed new cases in the mainland and 108 additional deaths, most of them in Hubei province.
As of Monday night, the government said a total of 42,638 cases have been confirmed and 1,016 people have died in the country.
The outbreak’s epicentre is in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, affecting 28 countries and territories around the world.

Revelations from Farida Waziri’s new book

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Revelations from Farida Waziri’s new book

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Farida Waziri, presented her new book to the public in Abuja on Tuesday. I was privileged to have reviewed the book at the occasion.
Being reviewer meant I had read the 224 pages book from cover to cover, and it was a delight to plumb the depths of the very revealing work. The title is Farida Waziri: One Step Ahead. Life As a Spy, Detective and Anti-Graft Czar.

Mind you, by ‘revelations,’ I do not mean who stole what, or how Farida got and threw them into jail. The book is short on naming names, and I pointed it out in the review. But in terms of general information, there’s a lot to chew.
Let’s go.

The young Farida was an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) when Lt Col Buka Sukar Dimka carried out the bloody military coup of February 13, 1976. The head of state, Gen Murtala Ramat Mohammed, and many others were killed. Hassana , the wife of Dimka, and Farida were friends. This put the police officer in an awkward position, as the Special Branch of the police, where she worked then, was involved in the investigation of the abortive coup.

“Hassana Burundua was my friend. She was an ex-Police Officer, a former colleague,” the author writes.”I reeled in disbelief, trying to make sense of what I heard, as the voice of Dimka informed listeners that the country once again was caught in the vortex of a military coup.”

Farida met a good number of the officers indicted for the coup, as they were kept at the detention facility of the Special Branch. By a quirk of fate, she was also at the Bar Beach on the day they were executed.
When she saw the gruesome sight of mangled flesh, “I took to my heels. ..It was a terrible sight. I ran home, straight to my bedroom. Months after, I couldn’t bear the sight of raw meat, let alone tasting it. The picture of the execution was fresh in my memory.”

Dimka, the arrowhead of the coup was not part of those initially executed. He had vanished into the thin air when the coup was quashed, and wasn’t arrested till three weeks later.

Farida writes:
“Lt Col Dimka remained an enigma of sorts. The inconsistencies in his character gave rise to speculations about his state of mind and his real motivation for the bloody coup. His wife Hassana gave me a first-hand account of the grisly business of February 13.

“This was what she told me. She woke up in the morning to see some soldiers trooping into the garden behind their house in an unusual way. They claimed they came there to wait for Oga-the boss. She asked what was going on, and one of the officers replied: ‘You don’t know? Go listen to the radio.’

“She was shocked to hear the unmistakable voice of her husband broadcasting a coup. Knowing the consequences, Hassana broke into tears. Dimka came in later and asked for water to drink. She asked him what happened, but Dimka was mute. She asked for her four children. He told her they were on holiday with Maria, who was later found to be his girlfriend. Thereafter, he hurriedly picked a few things and ran out of the house, just in the nick of time.

“From the window, Hassana saw the movement of soldiers and armored tanks surrounding their house. Then, she heard a voice on the megaphone, cautioning, ‘don’t shoot until I say so.’ She cowered Inside the room when the megaphone blasted: ‘If you are inside, come out with your hands on your head.’ She stepped out and was handcuffed and taken away.”

That was the first coup experience. Another was to come in 1995, under the Sani Abacha regime, and it involved bigwigs like former head of state, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo, his deputy, Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Col Lawan Gwadabe, Col Bello Fadile, and many others.

Farida was Commissioner of Police B Operations, and she was appointed into the legal team that was to work with the Special Investigation Panel (SIP). These are her comments about the major dramatis personae:

Colonel Frank Omenka was the Chief interrogator. “He enjoyed the misery he inflicted on suspects. I hold the conviction that he was a full-blown psychopath. He had a record player in his office. After a vigorous interrogation session during which he was in a good mood, he’d go to his office and dance to loud Makossa music. If you happened to come into his office at that time, he would invite you to dance with him. I always declined.”

Of Col Gwadabe, she recalls: “He was a fine and outstanding Officer, a brave man who showed no fear despite his ordeal at the hands of his interrogators. For some unfounded reasons, his interrogators had the conviction that he was involved in the coup plot, and they were determined to break him and extract a confession out of him by any means. Though held in the premises, he was he was frequently taken out to undisclosed location for torture. On one occasion, he was taken out early in the morning. They brought him back the following morning a complete wreck, unable to walk. Upon orders from above, he was sent to undergo physiotherapy before next interrogation could begin. On another occasion, they administered the so-called ‘truth pills’ on him and the drug triggered a cardiac arrest that left Gwadabe unconscious and threw his interrogators into a panic.”

Of Major General Yar’Adua, she recalls: “He was brought in looking unsettled. I studied him through the one-way glass window. He sat quietly in his room, nervous and chain-smoking, wracked intermittently by fits of cough. When I had the opportunity, I entered the room and politely said to him, ‘Sir, why are you doing this to yourself? It seems smoking is not good for your health.’ He gave me a wry look. ‘If you were in my shoes, what would you do?’ he asked. ‘If I were in your shoes, I would be praying,’ I responded.

Obasanjo, on his part, she says was unruffled.”Calm and composed, he exuded an air of quiet dignity and confidence. I found his reaction intriguing. He endured the interrogation with the same character with which he entered the premises.”

The submission of the author about the 1995 coup is: there was no coup. It was phantom, a cock and bull story.

Farida Waziri eventually became Chairman of the EFCC. It was a turbulent ride. While President Yar’Adua who appointed her backed her all the way, the same could not be said of his successor, who eventually removed her. The drama that led to the sack, while she was investigating sleaze in the oil industry, is chronicled in the book.

A good read, no doubt. The book effectively tells the life story of Farida Waziri, along with her exploits as an undercover cop, detective, wife, mother, and anti-graft czar.

.Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

 

At last, Slyva speaks on Bayelsa APC loss, apologises to Buhari

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At last, Slyva speaks on Bayelsa APC loss, apologises to Buhari

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]hief Timipre Sylva, the Minister of State for Petroleum has, for the first time, reacted to last Thursday’s judgment of the Supreme which led to the sack of David Lyon as the Governor-elect of Bayelsa State about 24 hours to his inauguration.

In the shocking verdict, the apex court had asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. to swear in the candidate with the second highest number of votes at the November 16, 2019 election as the next governor of Bayelsa.

This followed the court’s confirmation that the certificate presented by his running mate, Degi Eremieoyo was forged.

The judgment led to the swearing in of Douye Diri of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP as successor to Governor Seriake Dickson whose tenure of office ended last Friday.

While the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has been speaking on the unexpected turn of event in his party’s fortune in Bayelsa, Slyva, who was believed to be the godfather of the David Lyon and his deputy whose academic qualifications led to the nullification of the party’s victory has kept mute, probably out of shock since the judgment was delivered.

But in in a statement he signed on Sunday, Slyvia assured that APC will recover the mandate given to the party by the people of Bayelsa State.

He also apologised to President Muhammadu Buhari for disruption in his schedule following the Supreme Court judgment that aborted the inauguration of Chief David Lyon as the Governor of Bayelsa State.

Sylva, who is the state leader of the APC, called on the people of the state to remain calm, eschew violence and allow the legal team of the APC to explore all options available to the party.

He said: “I want to use this moment to call on all the people of our dear state, Bayelsa, to kindly shun all acts of violence and lawlessness.

“Also of great importance to me is to extend my profound apology to our President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, over the avoidable disruption to his busy schedule which was caused by the events of the moment.

“I am aware that Mr. President and his lovely wife Her Excellency Aisha Buhari had concluded arrangements to travel to Bayelsa to witness the inauguration of the APC Governorship candidate as Governor of Bayelsa State. I therefore extend my apology to Mr. President and members of his entourage.

“To the good people of Bayelsa state, I would like to emphasize the need for restraint at all times. No doubt the events of the last few days are as provocative as they are regrettable.

“But as tempting as it might be for anyone to take the law into their hands, such temptation must be resisted in the greater interest of our state and the political stability of the country at large.

“The leadership of our great party the All Progresives Congress (APC) has directed its team of legal experts to study the situation critically and proffer legal options available to the party accordingly.

“We should therefore all remain faithful to, and have confidence in, the wisdom and ability of the party leadership to provide direction at this very sensitive time.

“Once again I call on all people of Bayelsa state irrespective of whatever differences there may be to eschew violence and respect the security measures put in place by appropriate authorities.

“Let me conclude by assuring Mr. President and our party hierarchy that despite this temporary setback, APC in Bayelsa remains strong and its members resolute in our support for the ideals of a greater and prosperous Nigeria as envisioned by our President, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari.

“The mandate will be restored and that dream of a better, greater Bayelsa State will be actualised”.

Can regional security outfits solve insecurity challenges in Nigeria?

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Can regional security outfits solve insecurity challenges in Nigeria?

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here is no doubt that the worsening security situation in the country has necessitated the establishment and adoption of regional security outfits to secure the lives and property of Nigerians. Perhaps, this initiative should be taken a step further by restructuring the country and returning Nigeria to a true federal structure, which has been the yearning of many Nigerians

THE governors of the southwestern region and the Inspector General of Police, IG, Mohammed Adamu, adopted Operation Amotekun at their meeting on Thursday, February 13, 2020.  They also ratified the community policing model proposed by the federal government, saying that the initiative would be complementing Operation Amotekun and the conventional police operations in all local communities.

Speaking at the end of South-West security meeting on community policing in Lagos, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and chairman, South West Governors Forum, said it was time to deploy community policing because of the peculiarity of every state as being practiced in some advanced countries.

“The governors of South-West and the IGP have held a very fruitful discussion and it is clear now to all of us that community policing, which the Nigeria Police is anchoring, is one that will benefit all of us. We have chosen that we will embrace community policing in its entirety,” he said.

To substantiate what Akeredolu’s claim, Adamu said: “This is the second meeting we have held with the governors of the South-West region concerning the creation of Operation Amotekun.

The just-concluded meeting was to discuss and fine-tune Amotekun. Our conclusion is what the chairman of South-West Governors’ Forum has explained. “The police would be part of the recruitment, training and deployment of personnel to be assigned for Amotekun operations. The initiative would complement the community policing model.”

Apart from the southwest, northern groups have also unveiled a regional security outfit, Operation Shege Ka Fasa in Kaduna to tackle kidnapping and banditry in the zone. The Coalition of Northern Group, CNG, said they had written to the Northern States Governors Forum to support the group. Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, spokesman of the group, said if the

northern governors and leaders from the region fail to give the necessary support, the CNG would obtain the required legal backing for the outfit from the relevant federal authorities.

“The outfit is designed to be the vanguard of the entire north, encompassing every ethnic group and religion and would be patriotic in its operations in addition to performing general complimentary tasks for enhancing security in the region. We wish to draw attention that it is absolutely impossible to expect that communities would continue to fold their arms while criminals invade their abodes, kill, abduct and displace them,” he said.

Likewise, the South-East governors are also contemplating establishing a security outfit for the region. But the governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo are presently at loggerhead on whether to adopt the federal government’s community policing or formulate regional security outfit. While the governors chose to go along with community policing, Ohanaeze Ndigbo insisted on the formation of a regional security outfit to be known as Ogbunigwe.

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and chairman, Southeast Governors’ Forum, said they were satisfied with the strategies for the implementation of the community policing programme in the zone. “We reached a satisfactory and acceptable decision and agreement. The IGP’s presentation was not different from our neighbourhood watch, our vigilante operation and forests guard, the herdsmen and farmers peace community among others. When we saw that this is totally in tandem with what we are doing, we decided as your governors to embrace the initiative of community policing,” he said at the end of

South-East Security Summit in Enugu.

But Nnia Nwodo, president general, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, called on the federal government to allow the South-East to establish their own security to take care of their challenges and peculiarities. “Mr. IGP, our farms have been devastated and the herders that devastated our farms carry AK-47 rifles. You cannot be talking about community policing when the people you want to supervise, you do not understand their language.

“Your legal architecture doesn’t take into consideration that our governors, by the constitution, are the chief security officers of their various states and this gives them the responsibility to protect the lives and property of their citizens. So when you begin to talk about recruitment, with the commander and control, and you do not share with the governors and representatives at the local areas this command and control and recruitment, this exercise is dead on arrival,” he said.

With Ohanaeze Ndigbo mobilizing supporters to protest against the decision of the governors to jettison the idea of regional security outfit, it is also likely that the South-South will soon unveil its own version of a regional security outfit. But the question many Nigerians are asking is will regional or community policing solve security challenges facing the country?

Only time will tell if these arrangements will bring the desired peace in Nigeria. But in the last 10 years, there has been steady rise in criminal activities across the country. From Boko Haram to banditry, kidnappers, Fulani herdsmen, cultism, ritual killings and armed robbery, the list is endless.

There is a common consensus among Nigerians that the current security situation in the country is deplorable. The level of insecurity and anxiety are worse than what obtained during the era of President Goodluck Jonathan. President Muhammadu Buhari’s led government has shown apparent like of capacity or rather unwillingness to tackle the security challenges facing the nation despite the billions of tax payers’ funds that are appropriated annually.

From all fronts, Nigerians live in perpetual fear of attack. Human life is worth nothing in Nigeria. The land is polluted with blood of the innocent. Boko Haram appeared to be more rejuvenated. There have been claims and counterclaims of the defeat of Boko Haram, which this administration had promised to vanquish within six months of coming to power, but it appears that the insurgency group is stronger than they were five years earlier.

The situation has necessitated the strident calls by notable Nigerians for the decentralisation of policing. Following the escalation of crimes in the country in recent times, many Nigerians have made case for the establishment of state or community policing across the country. Most Nigerians believe that the centralised policing system has not been able to check escalating insecurity. They believe also that a regional and community approach to securing the country is what Nigeria needs at this point in time.

It is believed in many quarters that the formation of regional security outfits is necessary and Expedient, considering the daunting security challenges facing the country at present. This school of thought claimed that regional security outfits would among other things entail curtailing the menace of herdsmen and armed banditry that have turned Nigeria into a terrorist nation.

To make the matter worse, the Nigeria Police Force, with about 371,800 personnel, have not been able to weather the storm. All plans to increase the numerical strength of the force to 650,000 have not been successful. But the IGP believes that community policing will close the manpower gap in the force and engender security of lives and properties.

The federal government through Adamu has ordered for the commencement of the nationwide recruitment of 40,000 Community Policing Officers, CPOs, from the 774 local government areas. Not less than 50 CPOs will be recruited from each local government area. Those to be recruited must be between the ages of 21 and 50.

According to some security experts, for community policing to work, the regional security outfits recently unveiled in the country and others yet to take off should be part of it. For instance, in different parts of Nigeria, local vigilante groups are assisting the police in crime control. These groups, including Hisbah, and the newly floated Amotekun, should be fully integrated into the scheme.

Olaide Oyewole, an analyst, urged the federal government to support the governors in their bid to secure the states and regions. “There is no crime in trying to protect one’s territory from internal and external dangers. Over the years, every region has been a victim of attacks by different terrorist groups. “Setting up security outfits in the different regions of the country show that the regional leaders and governors are sensitive to the security situation in the country,” he said.

On his part, Jude Oseh, youth advocate, said: “In as much as different regions are tired of relying on the federal government for protection, the decision to start creating regional security outfits needs to be defined. “We cannot keep defying the rules and expect stability. Policing is not the exclusive responsibility of the FG by virtue of section 153 subsection 216 of our constitution.”

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