On the controversy surrounding the appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as INEC Chairman

INEC is supposed to be an Independent Commission. By that, it means the body is expected to be an impartial. It must not be subjected to the either Executive or Legislature or the appointing authority. Therefore, the head of the commission should not in any way be related in anyway whatsoever to the appointing authority. Despite its seeming independence, there have been calls to grant it more independence or autonomy.

Since the appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as the acting chairman of the commission, there have been allegations that Amina Zakari is related to Buhari. Although she is said be be from Jigawa, nobody has refuted the allegation that her father the Late Emir of Kazaure got married to President Buhari's elder sister. In fact, it was also reported that Buhari spent his formative years with the former Emir of Kazaure. These allegations are in the public domain and nobody, not even the aides of the president who saw nothing wrong in responding to Nnamdi Kalu's (Radio Biafra) allegations, have deemed it fit to say something on this vexatious and controversial issues.

If something is not done about these allegations, and she is finally confirmed as the substantive chairman of INEC, tongues will wag and it won't be only by the 'wailing wailers'(whatever that means). It will raise eye brows. Even if the APC wins subsequent elections free and fair,questions will be asked on the impartiality of INEC. Chief Godsday Orubebe caused a commotion and confusion during the last election because he felt Professor Jega was biased. Why did Orubebe think like that? The answer is simple; Jega is a Northerner and the result was favouring a Northern candidate. A similar scenario may have played out if the INEC chairman was from the South-South, and the result favoured a candidate from there. Imagine the INEC chairman being related to the president either by blood or marriage? The Orubeberisation would be better imagined than experienced.

I agree with those who say she is competent. I have always advocated for competence. Hey, Amina Zakari is not the only competent one for the job. If we look deeply, we certainly will find some competent hands. The way Jega was found, another can be found. Mrs. Zakari can be given a position where she can be helpful and bring her competence to the fore; but for this INEC job, please let's have a rethink

CORRUPTION: BEFORE THE PROSECUTONS STARTS - by Frank Ijege

A few weeks ago, President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians that the prosecution of those who have short-changed the country and have stolen our collective wealth will commence in a few days’ time. What the president didn’t tell us is how these suspects will be selected or which administration the searchlight will be beamed on or restricted to. Will the prosecution be restricted to the immediate past administration? Will it be extended to all the administrations from 1999? That remains to be seen.

In the past, there has been an attempt at prosecuting persons perceived to be corrupt. Sadly, most of those trials achieved little results. Very few of them were diligently prosecuted to a logical conclusion; while the convicted criminals were usually given a pat on the back through the judgment of the courts. Otherwise, how does one explain the short prison sentences handed down by the courts? Or the amounts the courts ask corrupt convicts to pay in lieu of a prison term, which is usually a far cry from the one embezzled or stolen?

The general feeling among Nigerians is that the current administration will be different in its fight against corruption. In fact, the anti-corruption posture of the president was what endeared him to Nigerians during the elections. Their expectations are therefore are very high. What then can the administration do to sustain and maintain the goodwill it currently enjoys?

In order to maintain and sustain the confidence of Nigerians, the fight against corruption should be whole. In fact, it must start from the president himself. The president should first prosecute all those around him who have eaten our yams. There are just too many of them around him. Anything short of this will ridicule the fight against corruption and will indeed be a sad reminder of the previous feeble and pretentious fight against the cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our nation by past administrations.

In prosecuting corrupt individuals, the searchlight must go beyond the immediate past administration. From May 29th 1999 to May 29th 2015, there has been monumental embezzlement and the circulation of our collective patrimony by and among a selfish and greedy few. From 1960 to 1999, Nigeria reportedly lost $400 billion to corruption. Although there is no accurate figure, the county must have lost about $300 billion or more within the last sixteen years.

The prosecution of corrupt individuals should also not be limited to political office holders alone. Let it be total and wholesome. The system is in dire need of a complete overhaul. Everywhere one turns to in the country, corruption stares at him in the face. Serving and former politicians, contractors, public servants, civil servants and anybody who has illegally eaten our yams must return them. Every institution of government should be cleansed of this cancer called corruption.

We will be merely scratching the surface if we are focused on fighting corruption by prosecuting corrupt individuals alone without tackling the root causes. There are multiple reasons why corruption thrives in Nigeria. These are (but not limited to): poverty, poor remuneration, nepotism, lack of openness and transparency in government, the mentality of Nigerians that an opportunity to serve is an opportunity to grab their share of the national cake; weak institutions for fight corruption is a prominent reason. Lack of a speedy determination of corrupt cases is another reason why corruption continues to grow in Nigeria. These reasons must be tackled simultaneously with the trial and prosecution of people who have unjustly enriched themselves with the resources of Nigeria. Failure to do this, will ridicule the anti-corruption stance of the government. To curb corruption, we must cut it from its roots.

Let me hasten to add that the prosecution must not be selective or skewed to favour some people. Anybody found to be, or suspected to be corrupt should be made to face the law. Even those who have embarked on night pilgrimages to the State House should not be spared if their hands are not clean. God bless Nigeria.

Frank Ijege is a Human and Civil Rights Activist
frankijege@yahoo.com
Foijege on twitter

Adamawa To Spend N200 Million On Prayer Warriors, Vigilante To Curb Boko Haram - Premium Times

According to Premium Times, the Adamawa State Government on Friday announced that it had earmarked N200 million to engage prayer warriors to seek divine intervention toward ending the state’s lingering security challenges.

Abdurahman Jimeta, the Chief of Staff to the Adamawa governor disclosed this in a media chat aired on the Adamawa State Television, which was monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria in Yola.

Mr. Jimeta explained that the money was sourced from the state and local governments joint account.
“We have earmarked N200 million for prayers to seek for Allah’s intervention in tackling the Boko Haram menace and other insecurity challenges threatening the stability of the state,” Mr. Jimeta said.

He said that part of that money, which would be spent as security votes, would go into assisting local vigilance teams and security operatives.
On agriculture, he explained that the state government had ordered fertilisers worth over N3 billion for the 2015 farming season.

He called for massive support toward the success of government efforts for a peaceful and stable Adamawa, adding that not much could be achieved in an atmosphere of chaos.
Adamawa is one of the three states most ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency which has caused the death of about 20,000 people since 2009.

BSU medical student did not commit suicide - by Frank Ijege

Since the death of Idoko Nicholas, a 400 Level medical student of the College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi in a ghastly motor accident on Friday, July 24, there has been growing controversy surrounding his death and protests were held by his colleagues to show their discontent.

Nicholas has spent well over 10 years as a medical student in the university. That is the lot of all the medical students of that institution. Since the inception of medical studies, no student has graduated. Plans are only on the way to graduate the first set of students later this year. That will however be possible only when the final accreditation team pays a visit.

The policy in the college is that a student who fails an examination will have to re-sit such examination within three months. However, the new provost said the college does not have money to conduct such examinations within three months. It made it an annual exercise. Nicholas had issues with Pharmacology and Pathology. He wrote the exams a few weeks ago, and the result came out negative and was therefore withdrawn from studying medicine. After 10 years? It is frustrating!

Despite his seeming frustration, Nicholas remained his vivacious self. There was no dull moments when he was around, and he tried not to foul such atmosphere with his problems. That unfortunate day, he visited his friend and there was no sign he was going to die in few hours time. They joked, discussed and words of encouragement were shared. In fact, his friends mother called him (Nicholas) that day and encouraged him.

He made to leave, to go get something. His friend asked him to stay longer, but he insisted on leaving.

While on the International Market road in Makurdi, he tried to avoid a truck which was parked beside the road, and then the unfortunate happened. He was thrown out of his car through the windscreen.

I spoke several times yesterday with his friends and colleagues. One thing that featured in my conversation with them, is that Idoko Nicholas was not suicidal. He did NOT kill himself. The protest held on Friday and Saturday was aimed at bringing the plight of medical students to the fore, and not because Nicholas killed himself. Their protest paid off, as the Vice Chancellor has cancelled any form of withdrawal.

It is unfortunate Idoko Nicholas had to die for a new policy to be implemented. He was martyred for his colleagues in the medical school

Yes, Idoko was probably distracted by his problems while driving, but he Did NOT kill himself.

It shows lack of consideration for his grieving family and friends, if we continue to allude his death to suicide.

Finally, I urge the management of Benue State University to take issues affecting their students with the seriousness it deserves. Students of the medical school have all been making motion without movement. That is unfair. Let it do what is required to ensure medical students graduate and move on with life, instead of just keeping them there.

Frank Ijege

frankijege@yahoo.com

Prof Sagay's Anti-Corruption Committee: The Imperative of Engaging in Judicial Cleansing Before Combating Corruption By Kayode Ajulo

President Mohammadu Buhari in keeping faith with his promise to embark on an onslaught against corruption as key priority, named a Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption headed by Professor Itse Sagay, a prominent professor of Law and civil rights activist.

The Committee’s brief is to advise the present administration on the prosecution of the war against corruption and the implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

I therefore as a legal practitioner and player on the political scene once again found it needful to add my observation on some of the key steps the committee should immediately embark on to clear Nigeria of corrupt tendencies.

Without much ado, the main clog in the progress of our nation, Nigeria is the dreaded monster, called corruption which with sense of responsibility is surmountable provided there is strong political will to achieve this.

In philosophical, theological, or moral discussions, corruption is the abuse of bestowed power or position to acquire a personal benefit. Corruption may include many activities including bribery and embezzlement. Government, or 'political', corruption occurs when an office-holder or other governmental employee acts in an official capacity for personal gain.

The word corrupt when used as an adjective literally means "utterly broken". The word was first used by Aristotle and later by Cicero who added the terms bribe and abandonment of good habits. Stephen D. Morris, a professor of politics, writes that political-corruption is the illegitimate use of public power to benefit a private interest. Buhari quest for change in power, education, economy sectors is possible once corruption is reduced.

President Buhari is today seen as anti-corruption crusader and the change he promised Nigeria is achievable provided corruption can be tamed across board.

Taming this monster may be difficult, but I believe that with Buhari's Executive synergy with the Judiciary the change is inevitably possible.

There should be a strict deterrent mechanism in our polity, once this takes root, corruption will be minimized. Today cases against corruption and allied offense go on endlessly without end, most unfortunate our lawyers, particularly senior lawyers with due respect have turned to 'charge and bail' lawyers, specializing only in moving bail applications!

Sadly, they now take advantage of the slow pace of dispensation of justice for granted by ensuring that their clients, the suspects avoid subsequent trial once they secure bail or reprieve.

With no intent to subject anyone to mockery or derision, I found it strange to see Femi Fani-Kayode's money laundering trial lingering for almost seven years, others are former Plateau state Governor Chief Joshua Dariye's case, Timipre Sylva former Bayelsa state Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, former Abia state Governor, Saminu Turaki, former Jigawa state Governor, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, former House of Reps Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, Peter Odili, former Rivers state Governor, Adamu Mu'azu former Bauchi state Govenor and PDP national Chairman. The list is endless.

To conclude criminal cases on time as against the present arrangement where it takes years to conclude such cases, the former and only female Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloma Mukhtar, GCON creditably initiated sweeping changes across the courts with the introduction of a model practice direction for all courts to fast-track trials of offences involving terrorism, rape, kidnapping, corruption, money laundering, human trafficking and related matters.

The former Chief Justice of Nigeria worried by this trend came out with a practice direction for our court which ensure quick dispensation of such sundry cases as corruption, terrorism, rape etc, in fact the practice direction directs that such case must be tried on daily bases as well as disallowing inteltocutory injunction during the trial.

Alas, today our courts have refused to follow the provision of the practice direction. It is therefore imperative that to win the war against corruption, dispensation of Justice has to be fast tracked.

It is rather unfortunate that some Judges insist that all cases must go through the pre-trial conference procedure including matters commenced by originating summons or under summary judgment procedure. Apart from this, the other cause of delay is frivolous applications usually filed by lawyers who know that their clients are not likely to win on the merit.

Once the application is refused, he proceeds to appeal and then file a Motion for stay of proceedings. There is a need for all the stakeholders that is the judges, lawyers, and litigants to recognise that justice delayed is justice denied. The government must create enabling environment for the judges to work and I think President Buhari will not treat this with kid's gloves.

I am also particular about Section 233 of the 1999 Constitution that deals with appellate jurisdictions of cases before the courts for adjudication. There are several cases that ought not to come to the Supreme Court and should have terminated at the Court of Appeal.

I also believe that there is need to shift emphasis from seniority to performance. Elevation to higher courts should be based on performance rather than seniority.

Recently, the Judiciary led by Chief Justice Aloma Mukhtar sidestepped the seniority culture usually observed in the appointment of judicial officers in Nigeria by appointing Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa as the first female President of the Court of Appeal.

Some judges cannot deliver three to four judgements in a year, there is no use keeping such Judges on the bench other than to be shown his or her way out.

Frankly speaking a cursory look at the reforms that is very critical to cleansing the Augean stable of the country shows that President Buhari and our Judiciary need not step outside the constitutional provisions governing the conduct of judiciary sector in administration of justice as all that is needed is introduction and amendment of existing policy guidelines being misappropriated or manipulated to perpetuate corruption.

In my candid opinion, judiciary should be overhauled to ensure, among others, swift dispensation of justice, a major prerequisite for the success of the administration’s pledge to tackle corruption.

As we all know the judiciary is faced with challenges ranging from autonomy, institutional defects, a faulty appointment process to poor funding.

There is also the problem of archaic laws and procedural rules, requiring prompt attention.

So much for Prof Sagay's Committee to do, if they truly want to advise the present administration on the prosecution of the war against corruption and the implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.


Olukayode Ajulo is the
National Secretary, Labour Party & Founder/Chairman,
Egalitarian Mission for Africa,
Abuja-Nigeria