Nigeria News
Mixed Reactions Trail Emergency Rule
Mixed reactions have trailed the declaration of state of emergency in three states of the federation by President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday.
Three states, Yobe, Borno and Adamawa, are now under emergency rule as a result of breakdown of law and order and mass killings of innocent people by Islamic terrorists.
Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere said what the president declared in those states was not state of emergency but simply a martial law because the governors of the states were still left in office.
National Publicity Secretary, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin said the president is still “dancing around the issue and appears to deal with the issue without getting result.”
•Nigerian soldiers on an operation. PHOTO: Google
Human rights activist, Bamidele Aturu said the entire nation is already in a state of emergency because law and order have broken down as kidnappers, militancy and other crimes have taken over, saying that what the president had just done was nothing to cheer about.
“Nigeria is already in a state of emergency given the fact that there is serious security threat all over the country. What Jonathan has just done is to formalize the issue. Nothing has changed. What I think he has just done now is to begin to take seriously the security threat in the nation,” he said.
Aturu said Jonathan should take seriously the issue of security all over the states of the nation, saying that “we are just directionless. It must be made clear to the military that they are in those states to protect lives and they must not violate the rights of the people.
“They should know that a state of emergency is not a state of anarchy. If they go on a killing spree, the president should be held responsible. We should not see state of emergency as a lazy response, the real issue must be addressed, which is unemployment.”
Constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay hailed the declaration of emergency rule in the states without removing the political heads, saying what former President Olusegun Obasanjo did when he declared emergency rule in Plateau State by removing the political head was unconstitutional and illegal.
“What Obasanjo used to do was blatantly unconstitutional and illegal. A state of emergency does not affect the sitting governor or the state House of Assembly at all.
“If you look at Section 11 (4 and 5) of the Constitution, you will see that a state of emergency does not affect the tenure of the governor or the House of Assembly. The President has kept to the Constitution. If he had declared any other thing, it would have been illegal,” he said.
Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo said the declaration of a State of Emergency as a result of months of ceaseless bloodshed and carnage by insurgents was a step long been overdue.
“The primary duty of any government is to protect life and property and it is only right that government should dig deep to find a lasting solution to the ceaseless carnage. However, there are strong caveats we must issue to government in respect of this extraordinary action.
“Government must not in any way politicise this action. It is constitutionally correct that the President did not attempt to suspend the governors from office as nothing in Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) gives him such a power. What Obasanjo did in the past in suspending governors through a declaration of a state of emergency was illegal, unconstitutional, null and void. Unfortunately, none of the governors had the mettle to challenge him in court,” he said.
Keyamo stated that the military must be careful at all times not to trample on the fundamental rights of innocent citizens in these states, so that they do not become the scourge rather than solution and that the president must follow all the steps required in Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution as amended to legitimise his action.
According to Olu Daramola, SAN, what the president did was not a state of emergency since the governors still hold on to their offices, which was not supposed to be under an emergency rule.
“An emergency means that the presidency has temporarily taken over the administration of these states due to the prevailing security circumstances. But if the governors are still in office, then nothing has changed,” he said, adding that what Jonathan has just done is to create more confusion rather than solve the problem.
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) said it would continue to pray for the President in spite of its contrary view to the declaration of emergency rule in three northern states.
The Primate of the church, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, made the remark on Tuesday in Abuja in a reaction to the state of emergency.
The cleric who had earlier on Monday voiced his opposition to calls for emergency rule, insisted that the position was not “personal.”
According to him, we will continue to pray for him (President Goodluck Jonathan) and he should be guided by the constitution.”
Retired Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the declaration by Jonathan would render useless the objectives behind the Committee he set up to dialogue with Boko Haram.
The retired police chief said the military had already taken over the states long ago, adding that the mere pronouncement would not change the situation.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) described it as apt.
Mr. Okey Wali, President of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that the decision was a further resolve by the Federal Government to protect the country and its people from further aggression by undesirable elements.
Meanwhile, Yobe Government said that it would work with the security agencies to restore peace and security following the state of emergency declared in the state.
This is contained in a statement signed by Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Information.
The statement read: “Yobe Government agrees with President Goodluck Jonathan on the need to take more effective measures to address the problem of insecurity in the country.
“Yobe Government will continue to work closely with the security agents and will ensure that their conduct reflects the spirit of the emergency declaration by Mr. President and the rules of engagement specified for that purpose.”
It called on the public to continue with their usual support and cooperation with security agents, “which proved critical in bringing about the relative peace enjoyed in the state in the past months.”
It also urged members of the public to go about their normal and legitimate businesses and to report suspicious movements in their areas to security agents.
The state government gave the assurance that it would remain focused and committed to the ongoing task of transforming the state through provision “of the much-needed social services.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Damaturu residents are going about their normal businesses.
They also expressed gratitude to God, the government and the security agencies for the relative peace enjoyed in the state.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said that the beginning of the end of insurgency had begun with President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of state of emergency in the troubled states.
Reacting to the development, Chief Olatunji Shelle, the Lagos State Chairman of PDP, told NAN that the president’s action displayed absolute wisdom and perfect understanding of the situation.
He said: “This is superlative and highly commendable outing by the president; all the enemies of Nigeria will be dumbfounded.”
On his part, Chief Winston Odum-Ojobi, the African Regional President of Global Care, Education and Peace Initiative, an NGO, supported the president’s action.
He said: “The president’s declaration is in line with Section 305, sub-section A, C, D, F of the 1999 Constitution as amended.‘’
Odum-Ojobi, however, said that the president should have suspended all political office holders and hold them in Abuja for they, either by commission or omission, contributed to the deteriorating troubles in their states.
Mr Abraham Breakforth, the Executive Director of a political NGO, Global Initiative for African Development (GIFAD), also expressed optimism that Jonathan’s action would bring lasting solution to the troubled states.
“We are in support of President Jonathan’s declaration of state of emergency in the troubled parts of the North which we believe will bring about lasting solution and full military action in those areas.
“Jonathan has acted well; it shows he is an action president,” he said.
For Mr Toyin Raheem, the Secretary of the Campaign for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (CCHR), Jonathan’s action is a commendable one though the state of emergency was long overdue.
“The president’s action is morally, legally and constitutionally right.
“For this singular act, he has won the heart of the human rights activists and for still allowing political office holders to be in power,” he said.
However, Mr Mohammed Oyefeso, a Lawyer and a former Electoral Commissioner with the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), did not support Jonathan’s action.
According to him, state of emergency is not the solution to the problems.
“The president is not right to still retain the governors and political office holders in those states.
“For the president to still retain those governors and still pronounce state of emergency in those states is contradictory, but I think the president is trying to be political,” he said.
In Ebonyi, some political stakeholders in Abakaliki have expressed diverse views on the emergency rule proclaimed by President Goodluck Jonathan on three Northern states in the country.
Most respondents interviewed by NAN commended the president for the action, while others faulted the retention of the elected political office holders in the affected states.
Dr Hygenius Aligwe, Head of Department, Mass Communication, Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki, hailed the move, describing it as long overdue.
“I however want all conditions required in emergency rule to be applied to the fullest. The arrest and prosecution of whoever has unpatriotically threatened the unity of the country should be implemented immediately,” he said.
Dr Jonathan Aliede, Coordinator, School of Post Graduate Studies, EBSU Abakaliki, said that though the declaration of state of emergency anywhere portend negativity and setback, it was an attempt to end anarchy.
Aliede said: “In this case, if it is the right and only prescription to the endemic insecurity virus threatening the country, then let it be.
“Hopefully, having conferred with the security authorities, the president must have weighed all options and came to the finality that it is the only panacea left,”
On his part, Chief Jerry Obasi, state Chairman of APGA in Ebonyi, faulted the an emergency rule that still allowed elected officials in the states to retain their functions.
“This is a wrong move, as emergency rule everywhere in the world requires that elected officers should relinquish their offices within the stipulated period.
“The president would only compound the problems as the political office holders who fuel the embers of the insurgency for their selfish interest, would still have a field day,” he said.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga
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Posted in Nigeria News. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: PM News
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The Kano State Government on Saturday said it has transferred 1,098 ‘almajiris’ to different states of the country.
The commissioner for local government, Murtala Garo, disclosed this while presenting a report before the state’s task force on COVID-19 at the government house, Kano.
Almajiris are children who are supposed to be learning Islamic studies while living with their Islamic teachers. Majority of them, however, end up begging on the streets of Northern Nigeria. They constitute a large number of Nigeria’s over 10 million out-of-school children.
Mr Garo said the Kano government transported 419 almajiris to Katsina, 524 to Jigawa and 155 to Kaduna. He said all of them tested negative for coronavirus before leaving the Kano State.
Despite the coronavirus test done in Kano for the almajiris, the Jigawa government earlier said it would quarantine for two weeks all the almajiris that recently arrived from Kano.
Mr Garo said another 100 almajiris scheduled to be taken to Bauchi State also tested negative to COVID-19.
In a remark, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said the COVID-19 situation in Kano was getting worse. He appealed for a collaborative effort to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.
Mr Ganduje, who commended residents for complying with the lockdown imposed in the state, said the decision was taken to halt the spread of the virus.
Kano State, as of Saturday night, has 77 coronavirus cases, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The decision to transfer the Kano almajiris is part of the agreement reached between Northern governors that almajiris in each state be transferred to their states of origin.
However, even before the latest agreement by the governors, the Kano government had been transferring almajiris to other states and neighbouring countries after it banned street begging in the state, most populous in Northern Nigeria.
Despite the transfers, however, no concrete step has been taken to ensure such children do not return to Kano streets as there is freedom of movement across Nigeria although interstate travel was recently banned to check the spread of the coronavirus.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
By Ugochukwu Alaribe
Operatives of the Abia State Vigilante Service, AVS, popularly known as ‘Bakassi Boys’ have arrested 24 market women hidden in a container truck, at Ekwereazu Ngwa, the boundary community between Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The market women, said to be from Akwa Ibom State, were on their way to Aba, when they were arrested with the truck driver and two of his conductors for violating the lockdown order by the state government.
Driver of the truck, Moses Asuquo, claimed he was going to Aba to purchase stock fish, but decided to assist the market women, because they were stranded.
A vigilante source told Sunday Vanguard that the vehicle was impounded while the market women were sent back to Akwa Ibom State.
Commissioner for Home Land Security, Prince Dan Okoli, who confirmed the incident, said that smuggling of people into the state poses great threat to the state government’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID- 19.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
Operatives of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba of the Lagos State police command have arrested one Mrs Nene Steve for allegedly killing her maid, Joy Adole
The maid was allegedly beaten to death by Nene for requesting for her salary at their residence located at 18, Ogundola Street, Bariga area in Lagos.
Narrating the incident, Philips Ejeh, an elder brother to the deceased said that he was sad when they informed him that his sister was beaten to death.
He explained that the deceased was an indigene of Benue State brought to Lagos through an agent and started working with her as a maid in January 2020.
‘’She reported that her boss refused to pay her and anytime she asked for her salary she will start beating her.
She was making an attempt to leave the place but due to the total lockdown she remained there until Sunday when her boss said she caught her stealing noodles and this led to her serious beating and death,’’ Ejeh said.
He called on Lagos State Government and well- meaning people in the country to help them in getting justice for the victim.
The police spokesman, Bala Elkana, stated that the woman and her husband came to Bariga Police Station to a report that their house girl had committed suicide.
Detectives were said to have visited the house and suspected foul play with the position of the rope and bruises all over the body which confirmed that the girl had been tortured to death and the boss decided to hang up the girl to make it look like suicide.
He said: “The police moved on with their investigation and found a lot of sign of violence on her body that she has been tortured before a rope was put on her neck.’’
He added that the police removed the corpse and deposited it in the mortuary for autopsy to further ascertain the cause of the death.
Elkana said the matter has been transferred from Bariga police station to Panti for further investigation while the couple have been arrested and will be charged to court.
Ostensibly alarmed by the latest killings of dozens of soldiers by Boko Haram insurgents, President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned an urgent meeting of Service Chiefs to find ways to stop the trend.
He has also dispatched the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, to the neighbouring Republic of Chad for an urgent meeting with President Idris Deby and his defence counterpart.
Knowledgeable sources said in Abuja on Friday that the president is worried by on the deterioration of security situation on the Nigeria – Chad Border that has led to the recently increased Boko Haram terrorism in the area.
The sources which did not want to be named in Abuja said: “Nigeria has a Chad problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) put together to secure the Lake Chad basin areas and repeal the Boko Haram terrorist attacks against all the countries neighbouring the Lake.”
The sources noted that Chad is believed to be having their own internal security challenges and this has reportedly led to their pulling away their own troops manning their own border around Lake Chad, saying: “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists, who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts. This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.”
When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed that the Defence Minister is going to Chad but said he is unaware of the purpose.
Meanwhile, the military authorities are said to be in the process of identifying the families of the latest victims with a view to making contact with them.
Credible sources revealed that it is the reason the president is yet to make any pronouncement on the matter.
“The President has called an urgent meeting with the Service Chiefs, as well as the fact that families of the latest victims of the Boko Haram are being identified and contacts made before a government pronouncement on the tragic attacks. This, it is understood, is the reason for the silence of the government over the incident,” the source said.
Sourced From: Tribune
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