Sack Iwu now!

International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), a Non Government Organization (NGO) based in Anambra state-Nigeria, demands immediate removal of Professor Mauris Iwu as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). (Picture shows Umeagbalasi)

According to a public statement signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, chairman, board of trustees of the body, the 2007 elections which Professor Iwu’s INEC conducted had been credibly questioned in about ten states and hundreds of senatorial and other legislative constituencies.

The statement which was made available to KlinReports, notes that although some of the electoral petitions survived on ‘technical justice’, others have been upturned. The body remarks that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua made a narrow escape in this respect.

Incidentally, Intersociety’s demand for Iwu’s sack is coming on the heels of a curious vote of confidence by the Nigerian senate passed on him (Iwu) over the controversial polls.

Part of Intersociety’s demand includes immediate acceptance, enactment and implementation of the Justice Mohammed Uwais electoral reform document.

The organization, also, demands the elevation of Honourable Justice Garba Nabarume’s elevation to appeal court, and subsequently to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“The recent Ondo state electoral verdict by the Benin Division of the Court of Appeal was made possible by the Nabaruma’s thoroughness and water-tight adjudication. In Ondo state, he refused to be bought over by political marauders and driers of our commonwealth. Again, he and his learned brothers shunned intimidation and delivered a unanimous verdict’, Intersociety submits.

The group notes that the on-going celebrations in Ondo and Ekiti states concerning their meritorious judgments were due to the combined efforts of Mr. Peter Obi, who is now Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state and Honourable Justice Garba Nabaruma who put in everything to painstakingly ensure dispensation of justice without fear or favor. This is because Nabarume’s eventual judgment ‘facilitated the staggered electoral time-table in Nigeria and introduced electoral justice as an alternative to election rigging, political violence and stark abuse of public office’.

It calls on the Nigerian people to stop adding the appellation of Governor to persons who the courts had pronounced that they were duly elected: “It is also extremely important to remind Nigerians, especially, the media that by virtue of pronouncements by courts of competent jurisdiction in Anambra State (Mr. Peter Obi versus Dr.Chris Ngige & ors), Edo State (Mr. Adams Oshomoile versus Professor Osumbor & ors) and Ondo State (Dr. Olusegun Mimiko versus Chief Olusegun Agagu & ors), the trio of Dr. Chris Ngige, Chief Olusegun Agagu and Professor Osumbor were never governors of these three states”.

Intersociety reminds members of the public that addressing these individuals as “their excellencies or former governors” amounts to a gross breach of the 1999 Constitution, in particular, sections 287(2) and 287(3).

Hospitals as child markets

When Dr. Prosper Igboeli, current chairman of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) addressed newsmen at his M&M Hospital, Aba immediately after assuming office last year, he sounded as if he would fight the incidence of illegal selling of babies among medical practitioners headlong. But one year after, the ugly trend among some medical practitioners has continued unabated. (Picture left shows a cross section of pregnant girls arrested by security men at Dr Kenneth Akunne's Enugu clinic last year).

Last year, security men arrested one Mrs. Bene Aguocha in possession of a one day-old baby at the Holy Ghost Park, Enugu. After thorough interrogation, Mrs. Aguocha admitted that she bought the baby from Kenneth Akunne, an Enugu based medical practitioner, for N340, 000.00. When security men later swooped at Akunne’s hospital on Anyaegbulam Street, Uwani, Enugu, 22 teenage pregnant girls were stumbled on.

Same 2008, police raided Jabuken Hospital, located at Umuode in Osisioma Ngwa Council Area of Abia state. What the police discovered was stunning. Though the proprietress of the place fled before police arrival, nine girls, out of who six among them were in different stages of pregnancy were arrested.

In another incident, it took the intervention of a former member of Abia state House of Assembly to rescue a teenage pregnant girl who hails from Obingwa Local Government Areaof Abia state from the custody of Dr. Orikara Hyacinth at 3 Brass Street, Aba.

Earlier, Dr. Hyacinth was arrested in 2007. Arrested alongside was Mrs. Ayodele Okeke at 10 Woji Street, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. Dr. Hyacinth and Ayodele were partners in this illegal business. Dr. Hyacinth was trafficking in newborn babies as well as recommending pregnant girls to Ayodele.

The worst hit in this ugly trend is Aba where Ezuma Hospital, 101 Okigwe Road is located. Dr. James Ezuma James, the owner of the Hospital engages in illegal abortion and baby factory. The Hospital is further noted for admitting under-aged girls whose babies are later sold when they are born. According to klinReports investigations, about 200 girls are admitted at a time. Those who introduce the pregnant girls to the hospital are rewarded with N5, 000 each. Also, those pregnant girls are cramped 16 to one room. The most appalling thing is that the facilities in the hospital are dilapidated an over stretched.

KlinReports investigations further revealed that these ladies are paid N5, 000 each every week for their upkeep. When they give birth they are paid off with about N50, 000 each, depending on the length of time spent in the hospital. While the male child is sold at N400, 000, the female is sold for N350, 000. Due to the poor facilities of the hospital and lack of qualified personnel, not less than seven deaths are recorded there on weekly basis.

The question is whether the practices of Dr. Ezuma conform to the provisions of Eastern Nigeria Child Adoption Law No 12 of 1986. The answer is a big NO. According to Dr. C. C. Okwuonu, an expert gynecologist and obstetrician, who also owns a social home, babies are not sold but adopted. Dr Okwuonu further states that any legal adoption only attracts a fee of N25, 000.

According to him, when someone intends to adopt a baby the applicant would be required to present age declaration certificate evidence of medical fitness, two passport photographs, a marriage certificate as well as the birth certificate of the baby to be adopted.

“You see, people like to cut corners by avoiding the due process. Any foster parent who wants to adopt a baby comes to the Social Welfare Unit of a Local Government Area for a temporary adoption paper, which would be made permanent at the end of one year. It is only when the permanent papers are issued that the foster parents can claim the baby as theirs. The basis of this process is to ascertain whether the would-be-foster parents would be able to support the foster child. Also, no social mother would be admitted into a social home without the consent of her parents. Anything short of the above processes is illegal,” Dr Okwuonu concludes.

This trend has attracted the attention of well meaning Nigerians. According to Barrister Ukpai Ukairo, a human rights and constitutional lawyer, the practice is assuming the modern day slave trade.

“The most annoying thing is that sometimes these babies are sold to ritualists who use them for diabolical purpose,” Ukpai posits.

Mr. Peter Agba Kalu, a commentator on Social issues, calls on National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Human Persons and other related matters (NAPTIP) to address the issue immediately.

“The trend has assumed an embarrassing dimension, NAPTIP should step up efforts to address it,” Mr.Agbai declares.

Dr. Okwuonu is of the view that Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) should withdraw the certificates of medical practitioners found guilty of this practice.

“To save the face of the medical profession, medical practitioners who are found wanting in this area should be shown the way out by withdrawing their certificates,” Dr. Okwuonu maintains.

Chime and the thieving mayors

From the events of the recent past, Barrister Sullivan Chime, governor of Enugu state, looks different from the other Nigerian leaders who see public treasury as a gold mine. Read this story:

Last Christmas, local government chairmen in Enugu state under the platform of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) took a Toyota Rav 4 (2008 model) jeep to Governor Chime as a Christmas gift in his Udi home. The Toyota Rav (2008) costs N9 million. The council chiefs, led by their chairman, Barrister Julius Ogbuke of Ezeagu council area (Pictured right)had, after their earlier meeting, come up with the decision to purchase the jeep for Governor Chime who, according to them, had been releasing their councils’ monthly allocations to them intact.

KlinReports learnt that the council chiefs had contributed N3 million each for Governor Chime’s Christmas gift, as well as gifts for selected prominent indigenes of the state and beyond.

But Chime did the unexpected. The lawyer governor got angry with the council chairmen, rejected the car gift, and walked them out of his house.

The bemused chairmen, subsequently, resolved to take the jeep back to the Lagos based dealer, but the dealer refused to take back the vehicle. At a loss what next to do with the vehicle, the council bosses resolved to convert it to an official vehicle of ALGON, to be used by the chairman, Ogbuke. This brings Ogbuke’s official car to two, as he, also, uses a white Hilux jeep.

KlinReports uses this medium to commend Governor Chime’s action in sending the council chairmen back with their ‘Greek’ gift. Why, in the first place, did the council chairmen need to buy the governor a N9 million jeep as Christmas gift if not to lobby him to look away from their corrupt ways as chief executives of their councils?

Chime deserves kudos because some others in position of authority like him would have readily accepted the jeep gift, to add it to his car gallery. Some others would have given out the jeep to their very acquaintances. But Chime chose not.

Governor Chime was justified in rejecting this gift. For N9 million is a whole lot of money. These local government ‘thieves’ appear to have abandoned the development of Enugu state to the state government alone. This is why, except in a few council areas, most of the on-going projects in the state are those embarked upon by Chime’s government.

Come to think of it: N9 million could be used to improve the deplorable living conditions of rural dwellers, who the council chairmen were elected to cater for their welfare. N9 million could be used to make some of the pot-hole ridden rural roads motorable. N9 million could be used to provide pipe-borne water or, at least, bore holes for the thirsty rural people. N9 million could be used in providing medical assistance to the sick in the councils. Yet, these chairmen have continued to revel in squandermania, corruption and indiscipline in the discharge of their duties to their hapless electorate.

But history and posterity will judge everybody at the end of the day. For Chime, he is a hero, only if he continues to hold on to his forthrightness. Only if he remains himself and refuses to be converted to the evil ways of the present Nigerian politicians.

Journalist drags Ohakim to court

The Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, Imo state capital, has adjourned hearing till the 20th of March in a suit filed against Governor Ikedi Ohakim and the state’s commissioner of police, Ilozuoke. The plaintiff, Maximus Uba, is protesting his interrogation and brief detention by Ilozuoke’s command through the instrumentality of Governor Ohakim. Uba, freelance journalist and Public Relations practitioner based in the Mbaise area of the state, had sued the governor for using the Nigerian Police to harass, intimidate and cause him bodily harm over an alleged case of defamation reported by the Governor against him.

The plaintiff, therefore, wants the Federal High Court to enforce his fundamental right to expression and liberty by seeking that no prima facie case has been made out against him to warrant his arrest and detention by the respondents and that his detention by the respondent based on facts of the case is unlawful.

Uba is seeking a perpetual order of the court restraining the respondents or their agents from arresting and or detaining him based on the facts of this case. He is, also, seeking a public apology from the respondents for his unlawful arrest and detention, as well as leave for all parties to stay all actions based on the facts of the case pending the hearing and determination of motion on notice.

When the case came up for hearing on Thursday February 19 this year, Uba, represented by his lawyer, Onyeneke Akachi (Esq), asked for adjournament of the matter since the respondents or their lawyers were in court.

The lawyer said the respondents were served last week, and wondered why they would prefer to shun court orders. Barrister Onyeneke revealed that despite the court orders, police authorities have continued to harass his client on telephone, asking him to come to their office or face arrest.

The trail Judge, Justice C.V. Nwokorie, adjourned the matter till 20 March to enable all parties prepare and appear before him.

It will be recalled that Governor Ohakim had, through his lawyer, Ken Njemanze (SAN), written a petition to the police claiming that over 175 articles written by the petitioner was capable of inciting the Imo public against him (Ohakim) besides lowering his self esteem and reputation and making him look like a jester.

Imo state police command, thereafter, invited Uba who was interrogated and briefly detained and given bail. Uba, afraid that the police had taken sides with the Governor, subsequently, sued both the Governor and the state police commissioner at the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Chikwere, seeking enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

Anambra labor calls off 'political' strike

The one-week strike embarked upon in Anambra State by the State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has been called off after a lengthy meeting among the state Government, labour leaders and elders of the state, represented by Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, one time governor in the state. Proclaiming the strike over, leader of Labour in the state, Comrade Anthony Ugozor, thanked the Governor for his patience and maturity in handling negotiations with labour.

Ugozor, also, thanked the former Governor of the State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife for his interest and active participation in negotiations that led to the call off of the strike. Ugozor said Ezeife impressed it on labour to make concessions and to realize that there was not much any government could do to increase the salaries of workers in view of the global financial meltdown.

Ugozor said labor was grateful to Peter Obi’s government for agreeing to pay the workers 40% housing allowance instead of 30% it paid previously. The government, also, agreed to pay salaries of two domestic servants to officers on Grade Level 16 and 17 and one to officers on Grade Level 15.

Obi’s government, Ugozor revealed, has promised to set up Committees to look into other demands of labour, while those that have to do with increment had been suspended until the economy improves.

Ezeife declined comments on the resolution of the face-off, but one of the elders present at the meeting, Chief James Udoka, expressed happiness over the suspension of the strike. Udoka called on other elders to emulate the commitment of Ezeife in contributing to the growth and development of the state rather than prance about the state inspecting projects and dishing out instructions to contractors on contracts they never paid a kobo on in order to cause confusion. (Former Governor Chris Ngige should take note).

It will be recalled that Ngige, recently, inspected the on-going construction of the pedestrian building at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK) junction, and even dished out instructions to the contractor handling the project.

Speaking on the suspension of the strike, Governor Obi said it was a welcome development, considering the future of the state. Obi stated that his government would continue to work closely with labour in the interest of the state.

Blood in their eyes

Earlier this month (February 11 & 12), a public tribunal on police abuse of human rights in the southeast geo-political zone of Nigeria sat in Enugu. The 5-man tribunal, chaired by Saji Dahiru, a lawyer in the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), presided over more than twenty cases of torture, rape and extra-judicial killings by the police in the five South-east states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. The public tribunal is otherwise called the People’s Court, and it is supported by the Open Society Justice Initiative, Abuja, and the Security Justice and Growth Program of the DFID. (Picture shows Mrs. Uwa who was shot dead in Onitsha, Anambra state by a combined team of policemen and soldiers)

Most of the testimonies from victims of police abuses and extra-judicial killings before the tribunal were as grisly as they were tear-evoking. An instance was the torture of 23 year old Ikechukwu Iyaka, an indigene of Umuguma, Owerri council area of Imo state. Ikechukwu had parked his commercial motorcycle (alias Okada) to eat at a restaurant in the city when a policeman by name, Ayan, walked up to him and invited him to see his boss at the police station.

Because he felt he was innocent of any crime for which the police could be looking for him, Ikechukwu turned down the invitation. But the cop snatched his motorcycle’s key and zoomed off on it. Ikechukwu ignored the policeman, but moved to reclaim his bike when he saw him cruising away on yet another motorcycle a few days later. Ikechukwu thus halted Ayan and demanded the motorbike he was driving in exchange for his own which he earlier took away.

In response, the policeman thundered some slaps on Ikechukwu’s cheeks, but Ikechukwu retaliated, slapping him back. The situation, of course, led to a fight between the duo. Thereafter, Ayan (the policeman) left, promising to come back to the scene. Sensing danger, Ikechukwu fled home for days, but was to be later apprehended by police officers, including Ayan, who had been trailing him.

Ayan shot him on the stomach, and immediately, his intestines gushed out. Another police officer, also, shot him twice on the chest, and he fell down in the pool of his blood. The cops bolted taking him for dead! Ikechukwu later regained consciousness, and tried to push back his gushed out intestines inside his stomach. Help came and Ikechukwu was rushed to the hospital. Till today, the ill-fated lad continues to grapple with one health problem or the other following the deadly attacks on him.

A medical doctor, Umeh Tyndale, had a similar shocking story to tell the People’s Court. The medical practitioner was, on June 28, 2006, shot and badly wounded by a joint army and police patrol in Onitsha, Anambra state. He was returning from work when the patrol team halted him. Despite his having presented his identity card, explaining that he was from call duty, the team flung away the card, insisting that he was a member of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

While the physician tried to convince the operatives that he had nothing to do with MASSOB, a soldier shot him in the leg, followed by a stab (with knife) in the neck by another. He was to be later rescued and taken to hospital by a sympathetic soldier who was passing by at the time. The medical doctor, at the moment, uses crutches after he had undergone several surgeries.

The tribunal was treated to another grisly heart-rending tale by Miss Ginika Omeh, a fuel attendant at Bez Filling Station in Nsukka. The boss of 18 year old Ginika, Nnamdi Ilo, had, on September 15 last year, given her the sum of N538, 580 to lodge into his bank account. But some men attacked Ginika on her way to the bank and snatched the money from her. Ginika hurried back to her boss, reported the incident, telling him that one of the hoodlums looked like one of the three men he was drinking beer with when she was leaving for bank, but Ilo rejected the damsel’s story, insisting that she must produce the money.

Subsequently, her boss took her to an herbalist called Bernard Iyioke who, after some rituals, came out with a verdict that she was a thief. Despite her innocent plea, the duo of her boss and the herbalist held on to their position that she stole the money and should return it. As Ginika continued to deny involvement in the crime, the herbalist ordered some men present to strip Ginika naked. And stripped stark naked, the herbalist administered some concoction on Ginika. Ginika told the tribunal that she had, since after taking the concoction, been suffering loss of memory.

The concoction administration notwithstanding, Ginika’s boss took her to the notorious Enugu State Anti-Robbery Squad so as to force her to pay the money. Ginika was detained at the station. According to her, every night the policemen serially raped her. Ginika, particularly, mentioned Jude Abanajelo, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and head of the SARS’ team, and another police officer as those who subjected her to rape. Ginika said she collapsed one night amidst these bouts of sex, and had to be rushed to hospital. The ill-fated girl, also, testified that the policemen regularly slapped her until she could no longer hear with her left ear.

The touching testimonies were endless! There was the case of extra-judicial killing of Chinedu Nwoye as presented to the tribunal by Sam Mba, a legal practitioner based in Enugu. Nwoye was murdered on August 1, 2005 on Ogui Road in the metropolis. Mba recalled how 28 year Chinedu Ani and Chinedu Nwoye (25), his friend, had accosted Prince U.S.A Igwesi, one time member of House of Representatives, and solicited financial assistance from him.

But Hon. Igwesi, rather than assist the young men who, of course, he was very familiar with, talked down on them. The boys got angry, and shouted back at Igwesi as they drove away in their Mercedes Benz car. Igwesi, subsequently, sped to Ogui Police Station and lodged a report of attempted armed robbery attack against the boys. On sighting the boys, the law maker and two police officers, identified as Sgt Momoh and Constable Chidi Ibe, went after them. The policemen opened fire at the boys, killing Ani and wounding Nwoye.

Although the then government of Chimaroke Nnamani in Enugu state set up a tribunal to probe the incident, no white paper was released until Nnamani left office.

Awfarkansi Nnadiume, a legal practitioner, in his own testimony on behalf of a victim of police extra-judicial killing, Ekene Elemchi, accused the SARS of habitually torturing its detainees. In particular, the lawyer accused the squad of subjecting 18 clients of his to merciless torture in the name of eliciting confessions from them. Nnadiume, specifically, singled out Abanajelo and one other police officer called Godspower for their notoriety in torturing detainees.

According to the counsel, Elemchi, was tortured to death in custody on August 5 last year. Elemchi, he said, collapsed, and the men took him to a hospital where he died a few hours later. But the death of the young man in detention did not deter the policemen, as they intensified their threats against the remaining suspects, threatening that they would die like Elemchi if they did not confess.

The squad, Awfarkansi stated, does not have regard for the rule of law nor even for superior police officers. He added that the officers refused to charge suspects to court, as they used to shoot them at will.

The tribunal, also, heard the report of police killing of Mrs Chioma Uwa, a middle age pregnant woman. Mrs. Uwa was killed in Onitsha, Anambra state on July 6, 2006. The woman was shot dead by a member of the joint police and army patrol team who patrolled the town during a face-off between MASSOB and security agencies.

The People’s Court took time to make appropriate recommendations for the testimonies. It is important to disclose that, for inexplicable reasons, the police was not represented in the tribunal. This could, possibly, be as a result of the fact that the body seldom has any defense whenever it comes to issues of torture and extra-judicial killings. In almost all the recommendations, however, the tribunal prescribed further inquiries into the reports and commensurate reprisals against the culpable police officers.

Although it does appear this tribunal has no force of law, it has evidently exposed the atrocious deeds of the police against Nigerians. Is it not lamentable and, of course, paradoxical that police officers, recruited and sustained with public funds, would turn round to turn killers of the people? The primary responsibility of the police is to protect lives and property of the citizenry. But is it not benumbing enough that this same group turn around to destroy and plunder lives and property of the very people they are paid to protect?

KlinReports urges Nigerian government to adopt recommendations of this tribunal, and ensure their implementation to the letter in order to ensure that justice is done in all the cases. The government could, also, set up its own tribunal to look into the soaring cases of torture and extra-judicial killings, with a view to curbing the menace. This trend must not be allowed to continue.

T.A Orji’s govt is a disaster

Barrister Ukpai Ukairo, governorship candidate of National Conscience Party (NCP) in Abia State in 2003, is one man who thinks differently from majority of Abia people about the achievements of Governor Theodore Orji. In this interview with KlinReports, Orji x-rays some of the policies and projects of Orji’s administration. Excerpts:

Recently, you published a pamphlet entitled, “100 days of Governor T.A. Orji so far, so rudderless”. The pamphlet is opposed to what a majority of Abia People think about Orji’s government. How did you arrive at this conclusion?

Well, let me quickly respond by saying that the bane of governance in Nigeria, especially, in Abia state is sycophancy. I wouldn’t know the majority of Abia people you are talking about. But if are you referring to the majority of the gullible and sycophantic Abians, then you have missed the link. But if you are referring to the few critical Abians who have stood the test of time, and who also have critically observed that Orji’s style is not different from that of his predecessor, you are right on target. As regards how I arrived at this conclusion, if you critically observe and analyze Orji’s style with that of his predecessor (Orji Kalu), it won’t take you long to arrive at the same conclusion.

But majority of Abia people are of the view that it is too early to judge Governor Orji?

When in 1999 Ii stated that the administration of ex-Governor Orji Kalu had, even in its infancy of about 100 days or above, demonstrated negative tendencies that were incompatible with good governance, people thought I was joking. But later I was vindicated because it was observed that what we had was an unmitigated disaster in our hands.

I regret, very deeply, that my prediction on Orji Kalu came true. Today, Enyimba city is still like we were in 1999. Indeed, it is now worse because for the first time since 1978 the East End Road, Aba is still blocked as a result of disrepairs.

I decided to recall the place of Orji Kalu in order to act as a guide for T.A. Orji. The air waves have made us deaf with unceasing praises and accolades for Orji. The din generated is even higher than it was at similar time for Orji Uzor Kalu. But I am forced again to issue an interventionist statement “so far, so rudderless.”

One of the policies of Governor T.A. Orji you criticized as disrespect for due process, rule of law and constitutionalism is the mass promotion of civil servants. On the contrary, people believe that it is a people-oriented policy?

The policy was a populist policy designed to divert attention from his flawed mandate. But any policy that has no legal foundation is antithetical to democratic practice. The destruction of the civil service culture started with the militaristic interjections of the Murtala – Obasanjo regime. But that era might be pardonable being a military government. Nothing in the Civil Service Rules permits a mass promotion of civil servants. If T.A. Orji was and is interested in the welfare of civil servants, as he claimed, his duty should be to pay off the huge arrears of benefits, which Orji Uzor Kalu did not pay, but falsely continued to claim he had paid.

Of course, from my investigations, it is established that the mass-promotion policy has not been implemented. It is now said that the promotion will only reflect in salaries and not in grades. The reversal of this policy is an indication of government of deceit that performs before planning.

Again, another flagrant demonstration of disrespect for rule of law by his government is the pulling down of structures, such as the hotel, which is subject of a court action. The wickedness of that demolition will forever remain a sour point in the annals of history.

There was an announcement in the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia (BCA) that no child would be admitted in school (whether private or public) unless such child produces evidence of payment of tax (as and when due) of his parents. I think that such announcement was to promote payment of tax among the people of the state, but you said it is not. What are your grounds?

If not for the prime position of education in development of society I wouldn’t have commented on this. I want to state that such policy, apart from being a breach of law, is archaic and immoral. In short, it is a throw-back to a dark era. The Child Rights Act, Laws of the Federation, 2003, section 7 (1) provides that every child has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. By virtue of section 18 of the 1999 constitution, the government has a duty to eradicate illiteracy, but Governor T.A. Orji through his obnoxious policies wants to promote illiteracy.

Don’t kill Emeka Umeagbalasi!

Emeka Umeagbalasi, board chairman of International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), Anambra-Nigeria, currently lives in fear of being murdered for his political views in the state. Umeagbalasi, immediate past chairman of Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) in Anambra state, is an ardent supporter of Peter Obi’s government, a situation which has, understandably, pitched him against anti-Obi forces. (Picture shows Umeagbalasi).

Umeagbalsi’s Intersociety, in this ‘Clarion Call’, cries out against what seems to be on-going murder plots on him. Intersociety puts it on record that a certain on-line publication (not KlinReports) recently speculated that Governor Obi gave N12 million to Umeagbalasi to fight his (Obi)’s political opponents. Chris Ngige, one time governor, is, at the moment, leading opposition against Obi's government in the state.

Intersociety wrote: “This Society suspects seriously that our Board Chairman (Emeka Umeagbalasi) may be targeted for assassination or abduction and cold blood murder by Dr Chris Ngige and his cohorts...We are particularly concerned about the safety of our Board Chairman…” Read Full text below:

A Clarion Call!!!
23/02/09

The attention of this Society has been drawn to a recent online statement to the effect that the Government of Anambra State, led by Mr. Gregory Peter Obi has “hired” Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, at the sum of N12 million so as to “unleash mayhem” on Obi’s political opponents, against the back drop of the upcoming 2010 Anambra’s staggered governorship election.

The statement, which was published by one UkpakaReport .Com, “revealed” that Comrade Umeagbalasi was paid N6 million cash few days past and promised another N6 million to be paid in later weeks. The statement revealed its sponsors by stating that Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, who floated a new NGO eight months ago, has been using same to attack Dr. Chris Ngige in recent times. It also stated that Comrade Umeagbalasi was used, dumped and re-recruited by Governor Obi, who is known for “use and dump tactics”, and who only remembers his friends in the period of crisis.

The Truth Behind Our Board Chairman’s Rights Activism:
Prior to the 2003 general elections in Anambra State- Nigeria, the Civil Liberties Organization, Anambra State Branch, under Comrade Umeagbalasi’s chairmanship, formed a coalition for credible election and good governance, in response to god-fatherism, mal-administration and political violence of shaking magnitude, which pervaded Anambra’s political landscape. The JDPC, led by Revered Father Onukwuba, the NLC, the Onitsha NBA, the NMA and other civil rights groups were part of the coalition.
The aim of the coalition was to guide the Anambra voters so as to choose credible candidates, especially the governor of the State. But after the PDP brutally rigged the said poll, in connivance with the INEC, which declared Dr. Chris Ngige winner, some of our coalition partners began to develop cold feet. After some months, they decamped to Dr. Chris Ngige’s camp and urged Mr. Peter Obi to discontinue his mandate pursuit.

The JDPC, NLC, NMA, Onitsha NBA(except Barrister Chuka, obele-chuka), ASMATA,etc, decamped and opted out of the coalition. The CLO, under Comrade Umeagbalasi, led the battle to recover Mr.Obi’s sacred mandate. Another coalition, known as CODEGG, also chaired by Comrade Umeagbalasi, later came on board. Prince Jimmy Asiegbu coordinated the oversea’s campaign, but he changed his stance later when Dr. Ngige was nearly abducted by his comrades-in-illegality.

Mr. Anayo Okoli coordinated the Anambra media segment, while Chief Chuks Iloegbunam oversaw the editorial segment. Comrade Joseph Igbokwe also contributed to the battle, while Bishop Obinna and Cardinal Okogie coordinated the pastoral segment. It was a battle of minority versus majority and at the end, minority was vindicated.

Our Opponents’ Responses:
Recall that prior to the above-named episode, our Board Chairman, then as CLO chairman, confronted Governor Mbadinuju head-on, and courageously, over his alleged “kill and bury, loot and plunder” styled governance. Comrade Umeagbalasi had then, adopted “invisible tactics” to ward off Dr. Mbadinuju’s murderous agents. His leadership then was openly accused of collecting millions of naira from Emeka Offor to fight the Mbadinuju’s administration. Again he was vindicated at the end.

It was also hell under Dr. Chris Ngige. Only recently, a security operative, who worked under Dr. Chris Ngige, revealed to this Society that Comrade Umeagbalasi was given a “prerogative of death” by Dr. Ngige himself in 2005, but Comrade Umeagbalasi was lucky to have survived. On the 6th day of June, 2003, Dr. Chris Ngige personally lodged a criminal complaint against Comrade Umeagbalasi and caused same to be addressed to then AC, State CID and then director of SSS and tasked them to treat him as a “treasonable felon” and a “seditionist”, simply because the Umeagbalasi’s leadership of the CLO condemned his process of coming to power.

In 2004, Dr. Chris Ngige, through his lawyer, Emeka Ngige, SAN, wrote to the CLO’s national headquarters, asking same to dissolve his State leadership, sack him from CLO and disclaim all his activities, after which he would be picked up and treated like a common criminal. As if these were not enough, Dr. Ngige wrote to the State SSS, demanding Comrade Umeagbalasi’s arrest, detention and prosecution as an arsonist (that he partook in Anambra’s mayhem of 2004), etc. Dr. Ngige also procured the then Southeast director of the CLO to undermine Comrade Umeagbalasi’s activities and to convince the CLO’s national leadership, vide a crooked report, to dismiss him.

When these crooked and uncivilized demands were rejected by the CLO national leadership for want of substance, Dr. Chris Ngige, in November 2004, approached an Awka High Court and sued the trustees of the CLO and Comrade Umeagbalasi, claiming that he, as the Anambra Governor, was libeled. He is demanding the payment of N3 billion “compensation”. Dr. Ngige abandoned the matter since 2004, only to dust it up in January 2009, in response to this Society’s insistence that he was never a former of Anambra State.

Also, the wild allegation of gratification against Comrade Umeagbalasi did not start today. The then Joseph Ofiadinu- led State PDP had made similar allegation during the Mbadinuju regime. In 2004, Chief Dan Ulasi- led PDP, alleged that “some CLO members had informed him that APGA and Mr. Peter Obi paid Comrade Umeagbalasi N4 million to cause confusion in Anambra State”. Even during the illegal impeachment in 2008 and the 2008 budget delay, similar allegations were made.

The Activist Philosophy Of Our Board Chairman:
It should be noted that the activities of Comrade Umeagbalasi as a human rights and pro- democracy crusader are rooted outside the confines of pecuniary, parochial and selfish interests. Apart from not been a gate crasher activist, he has consistently aired his opinion on several topical issues. From his heydays in the CLO to the Intersociety, which he founded, Comrade Umeagbalasi has since July 2008, carried out research activities on Anambra markets and communities’ crises, non- conduct of local government election, misconduct of Anambra Vigilance Services, extortionist and other atrocious acts by the Anambra State Police Command, the menace of kidnappers and other violent criminals etc. At national and international levels, Intersociety, under him, has had opinions on Alhaji Yar’Adua’s government of laziness and confusion and the menace of autocracy and dictatorship on African Continent, to mention but a few.

That some activists fell out with Mr. Peter Obi is not because of acute state of social toxemia, but because of sundry personal differences. Unfortunately for them, they are now “ounces of pure gold” to some desperate politicians. The antecedents of our Board Chairman are never predicated on “ounces of bloody gold” or “mercantilist activism”. Of course, if our Board Chairman is for sale, Mr. Peter Obi, with his widely acknowledged frugality, will certainly not be able to purchase him.
He knows the highest bidders, which include Dr. Chris Ngige, but he would rather die than to sell his conscience over pittances.

Let it be stated unequivocally that the fight for the recovery of Mr. Obi’s mandate was not for pecuniary interest. The battle to save Anambra State from the clutches of political lunatics, looters and plunderers is beyond Mr. Peter Obi and Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi. Unfortunately, our fellow activists do not mind dinning and winning with political wolves as long as they succeeded in settling personal scores with their imaginary enemies.
It is not in our culture to lie idle by the corner of our house when it is on fire, only to make noise when the fire has wrecked havoc. This explains our resilient vow not to embark on adventure of falsehood, where we will be telling lies and desecrating our conscience. For instance, if a governor tarred a road, we would say, it was there before he came on board, and if he built a secretariat, we would say, it was fenced before he came on board, when actually there was no fencing, even till date.

Our pure concept of activism is activism that is revolutionary; activism that clamours for good governance, accountability, rule of law, political tolerance, tangible and intangible sanity. Also, parameters of our activism are anchored on credible electioneering (credible revision of voters’ register, proper identification of polling booths, non-duplication of ballot papers and conduct of credible elections) and election of truly excellent people into public offices. Unfortunately, many politicians in Anambra State are not for credible elections, but shrine and godfather-inspired electoral tickets. The issues of party manifestoes and candidates’ hypothesis packages have long been abandoned.

Our Clarion Call:
On the strength of the foregoing, this Society suspects seriously that our Board Chairman may be targeted for assassination or abduction and cold blood murder, by Dr Chris Ngige and his cohorts. This revelation is very important considering the devilish antecedents of some Anambra politicians, who plot “kill and bury” style of political intolerance. As politicians of the South-south owe their allegiance to the Niger Delta militants, so do Anambra deadly politicians owe same to political brigandage.

We are particularly concerned about the safety of our Board Chairman. Just on the 19th day of February 2009, our Board Chairman’s town people resident in the UK and the USA, called and warned him to be conscious of how he moves about, because Dr. Chris Ngige’s camp may harm him anytime soon. Their pieces of advice were predicated on conversations they had with some of Dr. Ngige’s loyalists, who revealed that Dr. Ngige was “desperately uncomfortable”. Comrade Umeagbalasi’s town people were also the first to draw his attention to the said publication. As for UkpakaReport.Com, this Society, for now, will not join issues with same.

One of our grouses against Dr. Chris Ngige, till date, is his inability to be reformed politically despite what he went through. He has remained inarticulate and uncivilized. The electoral value he garnered as a result of his construction of 193 kilometers of road is being soiled. May this Society state firmly that should anything untoward happen to our Board Chairman, Dr. Chris Ngige and his cohorts shall be held liable. Also, let it be stated that we are not keen about Mr. Peter Obi’s second term, but his credible four year-term must be allowed to elapse, and if he is credibly chosen by Anambra voters, so be it. But if Anambra voters consciously and credibly choose another governor, we are bound to support their sacred decision.

Signed:

Chinedum Agwaramgbo, Esq.
For: Board of Trustees
International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) Anambra-Nigeria

Ngige, enough of this nonsense!

Peter Obi government in Anambra state has handed a serious warning to Dr. Chris Ngige, former governor of the state, over what it called his shameless activities in the state. (Picture left shows Ngige).

The text of the release by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication, Mr. Chuks Iloegbunam reads:

“The Anambra State Government takes exception to the meddlesome attitude of Dr. Chris Ngige in the matter of projects being carried out by the Peter Obi administration.

Each time Governor Obi registers an achievement, Dr. Ngige will claim that it is his. There are several examples to give. When this administration secured accreditation for the Onitsha General Hospital, Ngige rushed to the media to claim credit. He similarly claimed the dualisation of the Zik’s Avenue, Awka, a Peter Obi feat. He claimed the construction of the new Anambra state Secretariat and its fencing, even though the structure remains unfenced to this day. When last month, Governor Obi handed over some schools back to their former missionary owners, Ngige claimed that it was his idea. He forgot that he left no handover notes in his hurry to flee Awka after the courts nullified his “governorship” of Anambra state .

Only this morning, Dr. Ngige besieged the Unizik Temporary Site junction, where Governor Peter Obi is constructing a flyover, to put a stop to all the accidents happening as a result of pedestrians crossing the Enugu-Onitsha expressway at ground level. Cheered by some hired urchins he went through the motions of “teaching” the contractor how to do the job, brandishing some pieces of paper and setting off a massive traffic jam.

Dr Ngige is not the only one who has run the affairs of a Nigerian state, whether legally or illegally. Why he goes about meddling in the work of a constitutionally elected Governor Obi beats our imagination. He is warned to desist and cease. The politics of old which landed the country in a mess no longer has a place in today’s Nigeria. There is hardly any justification for desperation politics.”

Police battle community over robbery

At the moment, Abia State Police Command and the people of Abala Ibeme Autonomous Community in Obingwa council area of Abia State are at each other’s throat. (Picture left shows Chief Theodore Orji, Abia state governor)

Members of the community are accusing the police of culpability in the burning of houses of prominent citizens in the community, which include that of a serving Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), a superintendent of Police and a serving permanent secretary in the state civil service.

The state police command recently, through it image maker, Okechukwu Ali, accused people of the community of abetting criminals in their activities. The allegation followed a bullion van robbery that took place along Port Harcourt-Enugu expressway.

According to the image-maker, the armed robbers were trailed to the outskirt of the community where a gun duel ensued between them and the police. It would be recalled that police lost four of their patrol vans to fire in that incident. Police, further, claimed that the villagers abetted the criminals to flee the scene and later, out of anger arising from the villagers’ action of looting the criminal’s loot, the criminals revenged by burning the houses of prominent personalities in the community.

But the accounts of the villagers are seriously indicting the police of culpability in the arson. Members of the community, under the auspices of Concerned Citizens of Abala, Ibeme, have pleaded with Abia state government to redress the matter.

Also, the alleged action of the police has been seriously trailed by criticisms by prominent personalities amongst who is Barrister C. C. Emelogu, a human rights and constitutional lawyer. Barrister Emelogu condemns the action in its totality. He also stated that the action of the police is as a result of the malice the police are harboring against the people of the community.

“The action is very, very condemnable. The only problem we have is that the name Abala has become so notorious. And the police are now harboring malice against that name but not against the people because they don’t know the people”, Emelogu stated.
He argued that robbers’ using the road does not provide enough evidence to portray the culpability of the people.

“Now, if there is a robbery incident that may have taken place in Aba or somewhere else, just like the one that took place along Ikot-Ekpene road and there was an encounter between the police and the robbers at one location outside the major road is it logical for somebody, because the encounter took place at that location, that the people of that community are armed robbers or that they abetted the robbery, that is wrong”, Barrister Emelogu reasoned.

The counsel summed his position up this way: “Assuming that there was an encounter between the police and the robbers, is that the reason why the house of prominent Abala people should be destroyed, including a former Deputy Commissioner of Police, who is late, and a serving ACP, and even a permanent Secretary in the State Ministry. So, why must the police go to that extent? Because the robbers shot their people. I believe that is the most condemnable and uncivilized action of the police. In as much as I condemn the robbery, in as much as nobody supports any action of criminality, the action of the police is most condemnable. The police over-reacted”.

Obi is a Man of great Vision

All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has expressed satisfaction with the performance of Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State after nearly three years in office.

The Chairman of the Party in Njikoka Local Government Area, Paul Anaekwe, who made this disclosure to journalists, described Governor Obi as a man of great vision who had brought his vast managerial experience to bear on the state through his Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS) which, Anaekwe said, sought to simultaneously develop all sectors.

Anaekwe particularly commended Governor Obi on the recent flag off of the strategic Nimo/Abacha/Eziowelle road which had remained abandoned for 26 years and expressed little surprise at the Governor’s strides in road construction as he had promised during his electioneering campaign to tar 100kms of road every year and pointed out that even before three years in office more than 300kms had already been tarred.

While recalling Governor Obi’s achievements in other sectors like education, Anaekwe said it would only be proper for the people’s Governor to be endorsed for another four years in office in order to fully complete what he had started.

On the government-labour impasse, Anaekwe appealed to labour not to allow enemies of the state to infiltrate their ranks as the state’s federal allocation was nothing to write home about compared to fellow South-East states like Abia and Imo who were among oil producing states. Rather, he said, they should compare Anambra with states like Enugu and Ebonyi who suffer same fate like Anambra State .

Anaekwe however expressed confidence in the maturity and understanding of labour in the state and hoped that the on-going dialogue between government and labour would be amicably resolved

Elechi’s fraudulent project

Ebonyi state government recently made public its plan to introduce air-conditioned taxis for transportation in the streets of Abakiliki capital territory. Bragging, for the umpteenth time, that residents of the city would, soon, cruise in the air-conditioned taxis, the government hinted that arrangements had been concluded to bring the program to realization by the end of this February.

Chief Martin Elechi, the state governor, through his works and transport commissioner, Dr. Paul Okorie, highlighted that his government is collaborating with private investors to execute this project, which is anticipated to drive commercial motorcyclists (okada operators) out of the state capital before the end of this February.

According to Elechi’s government, with the introduction of the taxis in the state, the issue of motorcycle operators and the dangers associated with the operation such as robbery and frequent accidents would sort themselves out naturally.
The government added that the taxi business would be private-driven, as the government would not be directly involved in procuring the vehicles for people. And Governor Elechi is of the opinion that the policy would add to the improvement of the living standard of the people.

KlinReports thinks that, although this air-conditioned taxi cab project is not a bad one, it is particularly outlandish in the case of Ebonyi state. Unless senility has set in, the 70 year old Governor Elechi ought to know that this project is a misplaced priority.

It is either the septuagenarian governor knows this much, or that he is being hoodwinked by some smart business guys lurking around to squander the common wealth of Ebonyi people hiding under such a phony project. It could still be an avenue through which the Elechis have chosen to further plunder the salt state of Ebonyi, especially, for fear of being easily found out by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

There are obvious points to make here: Most of the roads in Abakiliki metropolis are impassable. Sophisticated agriculture is crying for government’s attention. There is no pipe-borne water for the people, neither do they enjoy regular supply of electricity, nor do they live in decent houses just to mention but a few.
Why, then, does Governor Elechi think that procurement of air-conditioned cars should be the priority of his government- at a time when 60 percent of indigenes of the state cannot afford two square meals a day? At a time when, due to lack of adequate medical facilities, the people of the state are dying of guinea worm diseases?

One of the arguments for the project is that it would help reduce accidents and robbery incidents. Haba! Who says air-conditioned cars cannot be involved in accidents? If the motorcycles are being used for robberies, hasn’t Governor Elechi seen where air-conditioned jeeps were used to rob and kill?
Enough of this deceit! Elechi should tell the actual story of the so-called air-conditioned cabs; for KlinReports is of the opinion that this is a smokescreen for squandering the funds of the state.

Their deaths must be avenged

There has been persistent demand for the killers of 32 innocent Nigerians in Aba, Abia state on August 5, 2005 to be brought to justice.

The ill-fated citizens, including market traders, motor mechanics, commercial drivers and bus conductors were, on that fateful day, arrested, tortured and cramped up in a dingy small cell at Ohabiam market in the city by operatives of Abia State Vigilante Service (alias Bakassi Boys). The incident took place during the atrocious regime of Orji Uzor Kalu as governor of the state.

Out of 35 persons so arrested, 32 died before day break in circumstances suspected to be suffocation. All efforts of the federal government to unravel the mystery behind this mass murder yielded no positive results. A House of Representatives delegation, led by Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa, visited Aba on a fact-finding mission on the unfortunate incident to no avail. Accusing fingers are, however, still being pointed at former Governor Kalu, as he seemed to have sabotaged all the efforts towards fishing out the perpetrators.

In pursuit of justice in the matter, a rights group known as Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation (HRJTF), staged a protest march at the United Nations Office in New York. The protest drew human rights activists who wore black T-Shirts and black bands as a form of solidarity from across the world.

Comrade Chidi Nwosu, president of the group, said the protest march was meant to internationalize the extra-judicial killings, as well as the need for the United Nations to prevail on President Umaru Yar’adua to release the report of the presidential panel of inquiry into the Orie Ohabiam massacre. Nwosu, also, pointed out that the protest was to internationalize the sponsorship of terrorism by Abia state government.

It would be recalled that Kalu government had, then, set up a committee to probe the massacre, but failed to release the attendant report. According to Nwosu, Abia State government, over time, attempted to sweep the matter under the carpet but failed owing to agitations for justice in the matter by his group and other well meaning people of the state.

“In order to exonerate itself from blame, Abia state government constituted a panel to probe the circumstances surrounding the mysterious deaths of the Orie Ohabiam 32, as opposed to call by the HRJTF and other well meaning Abia People on the federal Government to set up a panel. Millions of Abia people’s money was expended on this futile exercise. But three years later the report of the panel has not seen the light of the day, thus vindicating the HRJTF’s stand that the panel was not only constituted to divert public attention from the culpability of agents of the Abia state government but also to exculpate them from blame”, Nwosu asserted.

Nwosu, further, accused the Governor of Abia state of using the group to overawe and intimidate his real and imaginary foes.

“While the sacred blood of the Orie Ohabiam 32 is still crying for justice, Governor Theodore Orji has surrendered security of the state to the Perpetrators of this crime against humanity. In full glare of the public, they kill and burn suspected petty thieves/robbers contrary to the universal declaration of Human Rights, which presumes accused persons innocent until found guilty by a competent court of law. Governor Orji, also, uses this terrorist gang to overawe and intimidate his real and imaginary foes”, Nwosu added.

But Mazi Uma Udensi, current chairman of Abia State Vigilante Services (a.k.a Bakassi Boys) debunked Nwosu’s allegations, insisting that the present Bakassi is a reformed outfit, poised to flush out criminals in the state.

Said Udensi, “The Claims by Comrade Nwosu are unfounded. Every Abian can now testify that the vigilante outfit is a reformed one. Their operations are conformed to the tenets of the law. You know the current AVS is established by law passed by the state House of Assembly. We, also, have regular operational interactions with the police, which are shaping our approach to operations. The outfit Comrade Nwosu is referring to was disbanded”.

All in all, Nigerians want killers of the 32 innocent citizens to be brought to justice, especially, now that the duo of former Governor Kalu and President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had penchant for rights abuse, are no longer bestriding the narrow walls of Nigerian politics, at least, not directly.

Mystery Snake kills student

For a a final year National Diploma female student of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, Miss Nnamonu Nnamonu, life was so short, nasty and brutish. Bibian was, in the early hours of February 6, bitten to death by a mystery snake inside her one room apartment at No. 3c Onuato Street, off Presidential Road, Enugu-Nigeria. The ill-fated student was sleeping in between her two other room mates when the snake, identified as a Cobra, reportedly crept straight towards her and bit her on the leg. Bibian, an indigene of Ikem in Isiuzo council area of the state, screamed in pains, and, alongside her scared room mates (Ifeoma and Chinyere Odoh-two sisters), jumped out of the bed, but there was no sign of danger in sight in the room. Bibian’s pains persisted despite first aid treatments administered to her by neighbors. The first aid treatment constituted crude oil and gbogbo-nise- a multi-purpose herbal and anti-venom mixture.

The neighbors later conducted a thorough search inside Bibian’s room and discovered a massive convoluted snake in an obscure corner of the apartment. The snake was killed in the ensued pandemonium.

KlinReports learnt the evil snake attacked Bibian around 3 am, but she was taken to Enugu State University Teaching Hospital for medical treatment about an hour later. The killed snake was, also, taken to the hospital alongside Bibian. Alas! Bibian died almost on arrival at the hospital.

It was very pathetic and heart-rending, as a mammoth crowd gathered at the hospital to watch both the dead bodies of Bibian and the snake lay side by side in the emergency ward before Bibian’s remains were deposited in the morgue.

A medical expert said the killer snake was African specie of Cobra, one of the most venomous in the world. The snake, the expert stated, must have emptied its entire venom on the young lady, resulting in a deadly attack on vital organs of her body, including respiratory system, the pancreas and the liver.

However, investigations carried out by KlinReports showed that there was everything strange about the episode. While some members of the neighborhood suspect that the snake could have been, through diabolical means, sent to attack Bibian, others think it was just an ordinary snake bite.

Although the neighborhood looked unkempt, the victim’s room was neat with little or no property to have served as a shield to such a large reptile reportedly measuring about five feet. Moreover, neither were there visible openings on the ceiling in the room nor crack on the wall from where the snake could have crept into the room.

Another puzzle: How come it was only Bibian who was sleeping in between his room mates, that the killer snake attacked?

While the reader grapples with this snake bite puzzles, it has to be pointed out that the actual killer of Bibian is the rot in our polity. Because both the government and authorities of respective institutions of learning in our country do not make adequate arrangements to provide hostel accommodations, students find themselves residing in slums and suburbs where they could find cheap accommodation.

Until our policy formulators and implementers commit themselves to quality nation building, which should embrace all facets of life, unfortunate incidents like this will continue. It is Bibian today. Who knows whose turn it will be tomorrow?

Meanwhile, Bibian's body will be committed to mother earth on Friday February 20 in her Ikem home. While condoling with the deceased family, KlinReports says, ‘May the Gentle Soul of Bibian Rest in Perfect Peace!’

Return to work now!

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state calls on striking workers of the state to return to work immediately in the interest of peace and development of the state. (Pictures show map of Anambra state (left) and Gov. Obi (right)

In a broadcast to the people of the state yesterday (Saturday February 14), Obi lamented that strike was politically motivated, and that the workers allowed themselves to be cajoled into embarking on strike despite the excellent working conditions in the state. The workers had, on Friday (February 13), downed tools. Full text of Obi's broadcast:

My dear Ndi Anambra.

The strike action embarked upon today by the Anambra State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress betrays their poor reading of the current parlous state of both the Nigerian and the global economy. It has also come in spite of all the genuine efforts made by Government to dissuade the NLC leadership against the industrial action. The conclusion to draw from this action by Organised Labour is that it is politically motivated.

This Government was recently awarded the honour of the best labour-friendly state in the South-East geo-political zone. The award underlined the various positive actions taken by this administration to promote productivity and labour contentment. For instance, since the inception of this administration nearly three years ago, the salaries of civil servants have been increased on four different occasions. It is on record that no previous administration effected any salary increases in Anambra State since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

Not only that, this government cleared all the leave allowances owed to the state's workers since 2001.

It is on record that a previous administration in this state owed workers a year's backlog of unpaid salaries. Yet the heavens did not fall. Yet this Government is current and up-to-date in the payment of salaries and perquisites.

The salary scales paid in Anambra State compare favourably with what obtains in at least fifteen other states of the Federation. To be specific, Ebonyi and Enugu, two South East states in the same income bracket with Anambra, pay salaries that are commensurate with our own pay structure.


There is the case of the salary arrears owed to workers of the Anambra State Water Corporation, which Labour put at over 50 months, not reckoning with the fact that this administration has been in office for only 35 months. More important, however, is that a Government/Labour meeting took place on Wednesday February 4, 2009 at which I was physically present. At that meeting, the NLC mentioned a "most pressing" need, which was for Government subvention to offset, at least, three months of the arrears owed the Water Corporation. They asked for subvention because, in truth, Government does not owe the Water corporation any salaries. Yet Government issued, only last week, a cheque for N200 million to offset the salary arrears owed to the Water Corporation workers for 16 months. Yet, the NLC insisted on going on strike.

I wish to draw the attention of Ndi Anambra to a most crucial point which the NLC has studiously avoided. The global economy is in tatters. Layoffs are the order of the day across the continents. The economic meltdown is also afflicting, not only Anambra State but the whole of Nigeria . It is because we are in dire straits that, only on Tuesday, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua directed the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to carry out a downward review of the salaries and allowances of all Federal political office holders. Shortly after the presidential directive, all State Governors endorsed it at the meeting of the National Economic Council. As I address you this morning, the statutory appropriation to Anambra State is down by over N500 million this February. Indeed these times call for austerity measures. Yet the Anambra NLC is downing tools in agitation for fatter pay cheques!

Is this the sort of economic climate in which to go on strike for higher wages? This Government built the first Secretariat in Anambra State because we have the interest of the workers at heart and want them to work in an atmosphere conducive for productivity and fulfillment. We are building Judges residential quarters and judicial offices across the state. We are renovating schools and hospitals. We are providing utility vehicles to all arms of government to facilitate governance. These should count in our contributions to teachers and hospital personnel because it is our children that will benefit from better learning and our people that will get better health delivery.

To further show the bad faith demonstrated by the NLC leadership, I must mention the discussions we had on the issue of the Teachers Special Scale (TSS). The National Union of Teachers (NUT) gave an ultimatum that the TSS should be effected in Anambra by February 20, 2009. That date has not even reached. Yet the NLC claims that is a major reason for its action. It should be noted that the TSS is not currently being paid in any South East State , including the oil-producing ones.

This Government has consistently made it clear that its huge wage bill and the Anambra Integrated Development Strategy policy of developing all sectors simultaneously make it imperative that our Internally Generated Revenue must begin to attract rich dividends. Statutory appropriation alone will not deliver the perks that the NLC is hankering after. The timing of their action is wrong and insensitive.

The NLC should not compromise its integrity by falling for the manipulative tendencies of political renegades who clearly do not wish Anambra State well. Political charlatans who wish this administration no good should not be allowed to hide behind the screen of industrial action to cause avoidable confusion. I urge parents to dissuade their relations from becoming tools for the implementation of a negative political agenda in our peaceful and stable state.

Already in the streets some known criminals have been spotted dressed as NANS members and forcing workers from their offices. Was it overnight that they printed the T-shirts in support of their misadventure? A word is enough for the wise. The NLC leadership should call off its misdirected action and return to constructive engagement. I wish to strongly make the point that no employer pays salaries that are above its income. These times call for reason and patriotism. For this, I am calling a meeting of Anambra stakeholders, traditional rulers, town union presidents and religious leaders in order that our dear state be saved from the evil designs of charlatans.

Thank You.

Anambra: 2010 and limits of propaganda

By all standards, Anambra is a peculiar state. It is a state where the best in Nigeria are often seen as well as a state where the worst of Nigerian politics is equally often seen. Since the creation of the state in 1994, the state has been host to events both bizarre and the extra-ordinary. Anambra is a state where truly, the good, the bad and the ugly are seen in abundance. (Photo shows Gov. Obi, the state governor)

The fifth republic has been tumultuous in Anambra state. It all started with political war among the godfathers both within and outside the state to entrench their suzerainty by imposing who becomes the governor of the state in 1999. Prof A.B.C. Nwosu seemed to be coasting home to victory. All of a sudden, the wise godfathers appeared from nowhere and declared that Anambra state was not yet ripe for a professorial rule. Pronto, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju became the governor of Anambra state. Since that fateful substitution, neither a governor of the state nor a godfather has known peace.

The ills and gains of the Mbadinuju administration are known to history. Mbadinuju did not disappoint when it came to the fireworks of propaganda. “It shall be well with Anambra State”. This was his favorite slogan. Yet the state was literally collapsing. While students could not go to school for a whole year, “Evangelist” Mbadinuju was at his best – dishing out gospel propaganda to all who cared listen. Is there a limit to propaganda in Anambra State?

At the turn of 2003, it was clear that Mbadinuju was no longer salable. There arose another powerful propaganda: to unite all the Igbo states in a pan-Igbo political party. With Biafran sentiments strong in the air, Ndi Anambra massively voted for Mr. Peter Obi. Of course, Peter Obi did not disappoint in the department of propaganda. He raised the rhetorical question “Anambra: are we the cause or cursed?” What is more? With the background of crass insecurity of the Mbadinuju era, Obi declared, “I will fight crime with jobs”, I will build an industry every 100 days”

Fortunately for the state (with the benefit of hindsight) Ngige appeared from nowhere and became the governor of the state. As a commentator aptly put it, “even if the P.D.P had fielded a goat as its gubernatorial candidate in Anambra State in 2003, that goat would surely emerge the governor of Anambra State” Our votes simply did not count. Thereafter, Obi embarked on titanic legal battle to reclaim his mandate.

By design or by fate, Ngige changed the face of governance in Anambra State. He radically changed the mode of propaganda. By embarking on massive construction of roads in the state, Ngige literally tarred his way into the heart of Anambra State. For once, people saw that the state could pay workers as at when due and still build infrastructures. The greatest achievement of the Ngige administration was the raising of the parameters of governance in Anambra State. Though petite in nature, Ngige was a genius in the art of propaganda. What Napoleon did with arms, Ngige surpassed with propaganda. He effectively demonized Chief Chris Uba, the man who admittedly, made him a governor. Despite being rejected by the people at the polls, Ngige eventually warmed himself into the hearts of the people. He literally became a hero.

When Peter Obi reclaimed his mandate in 2006, people welcomed him with so much goodwill. The expectations were so high. Obi was expected not only to continue the works started by Ngige, but also to actually surpass him. It appeared however, that Obi was much more interested in acronyms. Thus the state embarked on a large-scale marketing of an acronym called ANIDS. The fireworks of propaganda rent the political space. A litany of explanations became readily available. The rains prevented the construction of roads. Insecurity prevented the local government elections. The house of assembly caused instability. Unemployed graduates should exercise patience. Everything is in the pipeline. The government has plans. Overnight, gigantic billboards dotted every strategic location in the state. There is a billboard, nay two celebrating the clearing of a blocked gutter! Projects were advertised in pamphlets, almanacs and newspapers. Ngige became a readymade scapegoat on the lips of government propagandists. Diatribes became government’s frequent gifts to Ngige on the airwaves of the state run media. How words can stand solid works remains to be seen.

Ahead of 2010 even streetlights that have never shone since Obi’s administration were beautifully painted. Painting the lights with APGA color for sure was much more important than making the lights work! Perhaps, the greatest achievement of the Peter Obi administration is the elimination of the politics of godfatherism in Anambra State. Obi has complete control of both the state and his political party. This further heightens the expectations the people. What Ndi Anambra keep wondering at is why billboards are not being erected in nearby Enugu State and not so far away Lagos where serious gigantic development projects are going on without a noise. While the people of Enugu complain that contractors are too fast in the execution of their projects, Ndi Anambra keep praying and hoping for when a yearlong dry season could come so that the few roads under construction could be completed. Indeed, there are limits to propaganda.

With 2010 around the corner, the fireworks of propaganda once more bestride the political space. The race is tough indeed. Accusations and counter accusations are already donning the pages of newspapers and magazines. But the truth of the matter is that demagogy can never work in Anambra state again. Indeed, there are limits to propaganda.

Ebo Chigbo Socrates
Awka, 08064641470, ebosocrates@yahoo.com

Savannah: Nwobodo bounces back

A patient dog eats the fattest bone. This Igbo adage aptly applies to Senator Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, former governor of old Anambra state, whose Savannah Bank Plc was recently ordered reopened by the appeal court. The ruling included that the bank should be given 18 months period to recapitalize. (Pics show Nwobodo (left) and Idris Kutigi, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN)(right)

The appellate court affirmed that the bank’s closure by the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo, using the instrumentality of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was illegal and of no effect. The court, also, sanctioned the CBN for illegally closing down Apex Bank.

KlinReports recalls that Obasanjo had, during his first term in office as Nigeria’s president on February 15, 2002, willfully presided over the shutting down of Nwobodo’s ‘healthy’ Savannah Bank. The reason for Obasanjo’s action against the bank was not only ridiculous but ludicrous.

The then Governor of Enugu state, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani (now senator), parted ways with Senator Nwobodo, his political god father. Nwobodo moved into the state from his Abuja national assembly base to teach his ‘pesky’ god son some bitter political lessons. He thus deployed the state legislature to boot Nnamani out of office through impeachment.

Most unfortunately, this rift dragged on to a period draconian President Obasanjo had an axe to personally grind with Nwobodo. Nwobodo, it would be recalled, had served as the coordinator of Obasanjo’s presidential campaigns between 1998 and 1999, and Obasanjo, even after his victory, reportedly felt that Nwobodo ‘messed up’ his campaign funds. Besides, Nwobodo’s political profile was upbeat, and Obasanjo would never condone such prominence, as it could threaten his second term ambition.

And to justify his fears, Nwobodo actually hotly contested the 2003 presidential election on the platform of United Nigeria People’s Party (UNPP) after he and some others were stampeded out of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

So, Obasanjo exploited the rift to take his pound of flesh on Nwobodo. It was at this point that he ordered Nwobodo’s Savannah Bank shut down on an adduced flimsy reason of insolvency. The object of the closure was, more importantly, to economically weaken Nwobodo, bearing in mind that he was to contest the 2003 presidency with him. In addition, Obasanjo sufficiently empowered Nnamani to take on Nwobodo in their political battle. Eventually, Nwobodo was overwhelmed, and literally run out of his Enugu state home up until the end of Nnamani regime.

It must be pointed out, at this juncture, that Savannah Bank’s closure, among other things, sent many Nigerians to their early graves, as, in the words of Chief Victor Umeh, national chairman of All People’s Grand Alliance (APGA), “they (depositors) lost all their deposits with the bank and the credit balances they had in their accounts upon the unsuspecting move against the bank, which by all implications appeared healthy before the Obasanjo assault”. Umeh adds that the closure of the bank was another wicked attempt by Obasanjo to punish the Igbos and attack their business interests in Nigeria.

But above all this, Nwobodo followed his travails with patience and perseverance. The former governor never gave in to despair, and he waited, hoping that injustice has a very short life span. Nwobodo trudged on in his quest for justice right from the lower to appeal court. Nwobodo believed in the aphorism that ‘Nothing lasts forever; sooner or later, the end to every beginning is reached’. And the end to the beginning of seven years of untold hardship and agony of Nwobodo, the board, management and staff of Savannah Bank came with the appellate court’s ‘Daniel’s judgment’. Nwobodo’s bank will, by the grace of God, bounce back to life.

KlinReports is, however, appalled that, rather than implement the court verdict and encourage the bank to successfully recapitalize and get back to business in the interest of its teeming impoverished customers, Central Bank of Nigeria is, at the moment, said to be contemplating contesting the decision at the Supreme Court. This is even against the backdrop of the obvious fact that the bank was unjustly shut down (out of malice) because it did not show any sign of distress before the closure.

This verdict restoring Savannah Bank’s license was a landmark one indeed, and KlinReports appeals to CBN to take it (the judgment) in good faith and allow Savannah Bank to open shop. Such a contemplated appeal will only worsen the already aggravated situation of the banks anguished customers and staff.

At least, for posterity sake!

Umuode, Oruku’s senseless wars

Whatever sparked off the latest clashes between the people of Umuode and their Oruku neighbors of Enugu state smacks of senselessness and utter disrespect for constituted authorities.

This is because the present government of Sullivan Chime is, for the first time in several years, trying to resolve this lingering bloody class and land war that had claimed several lives of people of the two communities. It is on record that the war had, over the past seventeen years it lasted, claimed well over a thousand lives and buildings belonging to the people. Other previous governments merely played politics with the strife.(Picture top left shows the razed house of Justice Anthony Onovo of Umuode, and top right is a wounded Oruku victim)

It would be recalled that in the course of the war, the Umuodes had, on two occasions, been driven out of their homes into exile. The first was in 1995 and the second lasted eight years (from 1999 to 2007).

Governor Chime thus set up a committee to inquire into the crisis, with a view to coming up with lasting solutions. Before this, he promptly returned the exiled Umuodes to where they know as their land. Chime, also, took time out to visit the warring brothers, promising that his government would leave no stone unturned in bringing to an end the communal clashes that have lingered for so many years. The visiting governor urged the people to be willing to make sacrifices for peace to return to their land. He promised to beef up security in the area, and rehabilitate all the link roads, and resettle the people.

The white paper which followed from recommendations by the committee, among other things, recommended that the disputed vast area of land called Aguefi should be conceded to the people of Umuode while they (the Umuodes) should vacate those areas they are occupying in Oruku for the Oruku people. Chime’s government went further to earmark the sum of N262 million for compensation to Oruku people for their structures at the newly acquired Aguefi land while N151 million was earmarked for Umuode people for their property destroyed in Oruku.

It was as Chime government was about implementing this white paper that fresh hostilities broke out between the twin communities. Amongst victims of the latest mayhem include Professor Bath Nnaji, a world renowned Robotic Engineer and former minister of science and technology in Nigeria. Nnaji’s storey building was razed. Also razed were the houses of Anthony Onovo, and Emmanuel Omaba, Enugu high court judge and one time deputy chairman of Nkanu East council.

In this particular mayhem, the Oruku people are said to be the aggressors, as they consider the white paper unfavorable to them. The Orukus thus, on January 30, invaded the Umuodes, visiting them with mayhem and violence. KlinReports gathered that, for the timely arrival of the police, the whole Umuode community would have been razed down.

Already police says it has arraigned five persons before an Enugu magistrate court in connection with the violence. The accused persons are standing trial on an eight count charge of promoting local war, felony and arson against the people of Umuode.

The comment to make here is that it is highly unfortunate that the good intentions of Governor Chime in seeing to the end of the age-long Oruku, Umuode war are being sabotaged by the renewed hostilities which witnessed the destruction of people’s houses and property in the area. If there were issues against the contents of the white paper, the best option would not have been the invasion of Umuode community by Oruku. No, that is barbarism!

The Oruku and Umuode communities should know that they remain brothers, and that this is the only opportunity they may have to resolve the lingering baseless war that had cost them everything. Governor Chime has shown enough sincerity towards restoring peace in the area, and all hands must be on deck to realize this.

No matter who gets favored more than the other by the white paper, the people should, in the interest of peace, make sacrifices and take government’s verdict over the matter. There is certainly no alternative to peace.

Is it not shameful that rather than grappling with the challenges of collectively developing their God-given land, members of these two communities are busy killing themselves, taking lives they cannot recreate, and destroying buildings which had taken hard earned money to build.

What a shame! A shame indeed!