The Delta State chapter of the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners/Riders Association (NACTOMORAS) has made an urgent appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, seeking their intervention to end ongoing police harassment, brutality, and intimidation against its members.

During a peaceful protest held at Udu Road in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, the group alleged that officers of the Delta State Police Command are being used by rival groups to obstruct their lawful transport business activities. The protesters cited the 2015 death of one of their members and the seizure of over 150 tricycles and motorcycles valued at more than N150 million as a direct result of police actions.

NACTOMORAS further highlighted that the National Human Rights Commission in 2022 recommended that the police cease harassment of the association’s members in Delta State. The commission also advised the payment of N8 million to the family of the deceased member. Despite these recommendations, the group claims that the police have not complied and continue to harass and arrest their members indiscriminately.

Speaking to journalists during the protest, the National Public Relations Officer, who also serves as the Delta State chapter chairman, Comrade Goodwin Ikolo, said, “We are protesting against the high-handedness of the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State over issues related to our operations. As law-abiding citizens, we belong to a noble association registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and we are aware that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of association.”

Ikolo accused the Delta State Ministry of Transportation and a rival association of using the police, along with recruited thugs and touts, to obstruct NACTOMORAS operations. “They molest, witch-hunt, and arrest our members across the state, obstructing our business activities,” he said.

He recalled that on September 5th and 6th, 2016, the Delta State Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with a combined team of four Hilux security agents, raided their office in Udu, arresting members and confiscating over 150 motorcycles and tricycles. The then Commissioner for Transport publicly stated that the arrests and confiscations would continue.

“What we want now is for the police to adhere strictly to the judgment and recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission, where all parties were present, and stay out of our business. If not, we will mobilize our over 6 million registered members across the country to engage in a massive protest against police brutality,” Ikolo warned.

NACTOMORAS emphasized that it is a legally registered body with the Corporate Affairs Commission and appealed to both the federal and state governments to intervene and secure the release of their tricycles and motorcycles that have been held by the police for years. Many of the confiscated vehicles were purchased under hire purchase agreements, leaving their owners in financial distress.

Comrade Felix Mamakpacha and Evangelist Solomon Isukuru also urged President Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori to urgently rescue them from the ongoing police harassment and the actions of recruited thugs and touts. “We believe the president and governor are not yet aware of our plight, which is why we are appealing before the situation escalates further,” they said.

When the Delta State Police spokesperson was contacted for his reaction, SP. Edafe Bright said that they only recognized and dealt with the bodies recognized by the Delta State Government. He added that the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners/Riders Association (NACTOMORAS) is prescribed in Delta, and it’s unknown to the state government and that as an institution, it’s their duty to protect legal bodies, nothing that they are not answerable to National Human Right Commission.

According to him, if the leadership of NACTOMORAS wants to operate in Delta, they should go to court and enforce their right; “the National Human Rights Commission are the judiciary; are they the Court? We are not duty-bound to listen to them. I just want you to get it clear: they are not the judiciary; if they have issues, they should go to court so that the court will give a verdict.

“National Human Rights Commission, are they the one giving me instruction. If there is a body recognized by the state government, this other body should go to that body. Why will they be operating unmonitored without any form of control.

On the union protest he said, “I am not aware of this protest or anything but I am just talking based on what you told me,” he added.

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has hailed the release of Rivers State statutory allocation by President Bola Tinubu.

PANDEF, apex socio-political body of the Niger Delta people, described the decision of President Tinubu not to withhold Rivers allocation as “highly commendable action”.

The new National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali, gave the commendation during a media chat at Uyo Airport in Akwa Ibom State.

Amb. Igali expressed delight that Mr. President took such a statesmanly decision which is a relief not only to the people of Rivers State but all of Nigeria.

He stated further that “this decision will ensure that the innocent citizens of Rivers State will not suffer vicariously from the family feud between some of the political leaders of the state.”

According to him, President Tinubu’s decision will also support the effort of Obong Victor Attah-led high-level Peace and Reconciliation Committee recently constituted by PANDEF.

The PANDEF leader again called on all political actors and leaders in Rivers State as well as youth and women groups to sheath their sword and follow the step taken by the federal government in de-escalating tension while the reconciliation effort by the elders of the region is ongoing.

When days ago, I hit at the Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) over the inciting discrepancies in recent payment of accumulated promotion arrears to primary schools teachers in the state, it wasn’t done out of ignorance of the fact that the engagement and remuneration of primary school teachers is a tripartite responsibility of all tiers of government, federal, state and local.

Focusing on the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) was apparently because it is the statutory tool by which these tripartite stakeholders collectively discharge their respective responsibilities at implementing government’s compulsory free basic education for the Nigerian child, especially the underprileged.

It is very laughable that in failed desperation to discredit me and absolve self of involvement in the rip off on the teachers, a conceited Samuel Mariere as Chairman of Delta SUBEB indicted self more and dragged the shared corruption to rope in Local Government chairmen and the State Local Government Service Commission.

Turning it a blame game, Mariere who called, bragging as a self glorified lawyer, threatening to sue me would, in response to my reflection on the matter, tell the SouthernVoice online news medium that, “The arrears was (sic) approved in JAAC by the Governor (Sheriff Oborevwori).

“And each of the 23 Local Governments (LGs) made their own calculations and paid. SUBEB was not part of it at all, so you cannot be corrupt at what you’re not part of. It’s basically the 25 LG Chairmen that paid, we (SUBEB) are not part of it.

“We’re even saying it’s wrong. It’s wrong for a LGs to pay. It is supposed to be the duty of SUBEB to pay, by law. To me I am not happy about it because some of them (aggrieved teachers) have also complained to me too that they were short paid and we are looking at it. I even told the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) Chairman that the teachers are complaining.

“Well we are part of the system so it will be difficult for us to also complain because it’s normally the duty of SUBEB to pay salaries and arrears, but the LG Chairmen have refused to remit the money to SUBEB, so the money is with them. They’re the ones illegally doing it probably wanting to shortpay the teachers.”

In passing the blame, Mariere inferred that his principal, the Governor is aware and probably endorsed the impunity by the LG chairmen. He admitted that it is the duty of SUBEB to pay the arrears by law and the LG chairmen illegally usurped his function by hijacking the payment from the board.

So, for self important Mariere, corruption would have been only if he was involved in the shortchanging of the primary teachers. By abdicating his official duty as head of the statutory agency to take charge and allowing the LG chairmen carry out illegality, Mariere doesn’t know that it is sheer misconduct, corruption.

In his ignorance he has opened up how the fraud happened. So, the State Local Government Service Commission and LG chairmen connived to fleece the teachers. From the discrepancies, my home Ughelli South LG chairman never disappointed in leading in the shortchanging.

Ughelli South LG arguably paid the least amount as arrears among the LGs. I challenge Ughelli South boss to publish what was paid to the teachers and how he came about those figures and discrepancies through the Local Education Authority.

Consequently, the Governor must not also pay deaf ears. You must follow through and ensure the council chairmen vomit what they extorted from the primary school teachers.

For Mariere who is bragging as a lawyer and would sue, we are waiting. I wish his name was mentioned in our published petition. Am wondering if he is suing as Mariere or as SUBEB that we maintain is a cesspool of corruption for keeping mute over the illegal usurpation of its responsibilities by council chairmen and LG commission.

Perhaps, if SUBEB had done its work or raise the alarm when it knew LG chairmen were hijacking its statutory duty, the shortchanged teachers would have fared better.

Should he wants to sue as SUBEB, I hope he understands that as an agency of government, only the Attorney General can sue as Delta state government.

Mariere’s threat won’t deter us from demanding probe of the level of defrauding done by the LG chairmen, the LG Service Commission and why the Governor would allow such ripoff. It cannot be business as usual. Those shortchanged teachers must be refunded their entitlements. Paying the arrears wasn’t a favour.

Till we hear from your lawyer, many thanks, Mariere, for giving strength to our call for serious probity on the shortchanging of Delta primary school teachers.

Zik Gbemre
November 20, 2024

We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes

culled from OASIS Magazine

Northern States are gradually losing significant portion of their shares of FAAC allocation, which is undoubtedly the biggest source of their revenue. From Local Government Funds, Fiscal Reform Bills, to dividends from the NLNG shares of NNPC and today, the National Lottery. All these were part of the pool that makes up the monthly national cake distribution known as Federal Accounts and Allocation Committee.

These developments are not surprising to any student of development. We all saw it coming.

Early this year, the Supreme Court, in a suit filed by the Federal Government, scrapped the States and Local Government joint account which before then entrusted local government funds in the hands of their respective States.

In another case, the Supreme Court also agreed with the argument of the AGF and held that NNPC’s stake (shareholding) in the NLNG, unlike the NNPC itself, actually belongs to the Federal Government alone and not the entire Federation. Those billions of dollars accrued to NNPC from NLNG annually are not to be shared anymore with the States as part of FAAC.

Similarly VAT, a chunk part of the non-oil revenue, currently being shared based on equity, derivation and population formula amongst FG, States and Local Government will, if the Emilokan’s Executive Bill succeeds at the National Assembly, now be shared based on derivation or consumption or both. Either way, I don’t see how the north can benefit from it. I will get to the reason shortly.

Then came today, another blow in a Suit initiated by Lagos State Government, the Learned Justices of the Supreme Court while granting all the reliefs sought by the AG of Lagos State held that revenues accrued to the Federation through the National Lottery Commission from the regulation and royalties of lottery and other online games is in reality within the Residual Legislative List, exclusive to States to regulate and generate revenues from.

I believe there may be more of these seemingly harsh interpretations of the law in the nearest future. Because that is what the Constitution actually contemplated.

If you put these chain of events together, you would only come to one conclusion: that full federalism is taking a crude shape in the country, against the wish of everyone. Had we, northerners, been thoughtful and proactive, we would have prepared for this time. We would have confronted the issue of restructuring with strategy rather than our usual rejectionist attitude, to achieve it on our terms and put a timeline for gradual implementation in order to minimise it’s impact. With our sell-out NASS members, who either do not appreciate where all this is headed or they have been bought to look away, it’s only a matter of time. Allah ya ji kan Senator Suke Yaro Gandi and the rest of his contemporary visionaries and patriots.

What should we expect now? Our FAAC reliant States will receive shorter allocation. If VAT is to be shared based on derivation, then most of the Corporate Headquarters of businesses where the remittance of VAT takes place are far away from the north. What if it’s to be shared based on consumption? The follow up question is: how do you determine the end users when you don’t have the data to prove where it is consumed? Even if this data exists, most of our businesses in the north, including Kano State, are not formal businesses, so their distributors are in Lagos and other Southern States. Our traders are running away from institutionalisation of corporate governance framework in their businesses that will give them the capacity to deal with manufacturers and wholesalers directly in order to properly document their dealerships. We are simply traders.

Lottery is worse, because majority of our states think the whole business is haram. But wait, is it not double standard that you are operating a secular state, collecting VAT revenue generated from breweries and royalties from casinos, including the lottery for all these years while still believing it’s haram? At least, it would soon be over, and we shall stick with halal revenues.

Cut long story short, the North must wake up on issues of governance and development. The culture of electing clueless Governors, the dominance of corrupt and soulless political class must end. We must pay more attention to our man power and skills development policies, reform our education systems, because that’s what all these boil down to. EDUCATION! Our youth must stop social media praise-singing and political psycophancy and embrace education and skill acquisition. Our businesses must also adopt corporate governance, Innovation and be more industrious and forward thinking.

Because Emilokan is not your mate.