Al-Mustapha’s freedom: Justice or perversion?

KAYODE FALADE

Murder is a crime many people seek justice for. They crave for the day when a tooth will be pulled for a tooth and an eye for an eye. As great their eagerness for justice is, so is their aversion to its miscarriage?

When the duo of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan were convicted for the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola on 20 January, 2012, the judgement was greeted with both knocks and kudos. And so was their discharge and acquittal on 12 July, 2013. What actually is justice?

The crowd at the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal on Friday 12 July, 2013 were ambivalent about where the pendulum would swing in the appeal of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan against the death verdict passed on them by a Lagos High Court on 30 January 2012.

But the voice of Justice Rita Pemu who read the lead judgment soon made it known that a dichotomy existed in the gathering.

The eminent panel of appeal presided over by Justice Amina Augie and which also had Justice Fatima Akinbami and Justice Rita Pemu discharged and acquitted Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to the late maximum ruler, General Sani Abacha, and Shofolahan, an aide Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, one of the wives of Chief MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the 12 June, 1993 presidential election whose murder they were being tried for.

One group in the court erupted in wild jubilation, while the other slunk away looking forlorn and bewildered. Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan had suddenly become free after 13 years of gruelling trial and detention of almost 15 years.

Justice Pemu who read the lead judgment held that there was no direct circumstantial evidence that Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan conspired with anyone as claims of prosecution witnesses in that regard were contradictory and that the prosecution in totality failed to establish the charge of conspiracy and murder against the appellants.

She further held that based on facts and evidence before the court, it is certainly neither Al-Mustapha nor Shofolahan who pulled the trigger and murdered Alhaja Abiola.

Justice Augie also concurred with the lead judgement, while the third Judge on the panel, Justice Akinbami also toed the line of the lead judgement thereby making the ruling unanimous.

“In a criminal trial the burden of proof is to proof beyond reasonable doubt and this is a chain that cannot be broken. “The prosecution listed four witnesses PW 9, 10, 11 and 12 as witnesses which it intended to call in the trial, but never called any of them.

“PW 1 (Dr Ore Falomo) testified before the lower court that the bullet extracted from the forehead of the deceased, was white and of a special kind, but the prosecution failed to tender the bullet as exhibit and this is fatal to their case.

“The prosecution also called Pw 4 (Investigating Police officer) who investigated the death of the deceased, but this witness was never produced for cross examination by the defence, as he never showed up in court. “This renders the evidence of the police officer inconclusive as it denied the defendants their right to fair hearing, and no reasonable court can safely make a conviction on such inconclusive testimony.

“PW 2 (Sgt. Rogers) and PW 3( Mohammedd Abdul) in their confessional statements to the police, said they were enjoined by the first appellant, to murder Kudirat, but these statements were later retracted by them in court.

“PW 2 and 3 retracting their earlier statement to the police told the court that they were cajoled by the prosecution to indict the appellants, with a promise to give them monetary compensation.

“This is a contradiction in the testimonies of the witness, it raises doubt in the case of the prosecution, and it is unimaginable that the lower court did not expunge this evidence. “For an offence like murder, I wonder why the Nigeria Police did not do a proper investigation.

“Jabila who was initially arrested as a co-defendant, was later called prosecution witness, witnesses who ought to be called were never called, the bullet extracted was never tendered before the court.

“Once there is doubt in the case of the prosecution, as in the instant case, it must be resolved in favour of the accused, and this doubt is accordingly resolved in favour of the appellants.

“One thing is clear, Kudirat was shot, but the big question is who pulled the trigger? “I find nothing in this case which sufficiently links the appellants with the commission of the offence.

“It is preposterous that in a 326 page judgment, the lower court was only concerned with securing a conviction at all cost. “Just as God is, He is no respecter of person, so also is this court.

I hereby order that the appellants be discharged and acquitted while the conviction and sentence of the lower court, is hereby discharged.

“For someone who has been incarcerated since 1999 on a baseless indictment, it is so unfortunate” Pemu held. The ruling has since drawn both attacks and commendations from Nigerians nay the international community.

While many praised the ruling to high heavens, others have concluded that it smacks of deceit, hence, a demonstration of perversion of justice in its basest form.

Kudirat Abiola, the heroine of democratic struggle, was killed in Lagos on June 4, 1996. The trial of Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan began in October, 1999 before a Lagos State Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ikeja, presided over by Magistrate Gbogodo.

They were later re-arraigned before former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Christopher Segun in 2000 while the judge later withdrew from the case due to allegation of bias raised against him by the counsel of Al-Mustapha, Joseph Dawodu then.

Again, the matter was reassigned to Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun now of Supreme Court, after the elevation of Justice Kekere-Ekun to the Court of Appeal, it was re-assigned to another judge before it got to the court of Justice Mojisola Dada who finally found them guilty of the offence, and accordingly convicted and sentenced them to death by hanging on January 30, 2012.

NationalMirror

Deadly school lunch: More Indian children treated for poison

In less than a week’s time at two separate India schools, police said yesterday, they believe that children have been poisoned by their school lunches. At least 23 students in the southwestern coastal state of Goa were treated at a hospital after they got sick at lunch, authorities said.

The students, in the third to fifth grades at St. Joseph School, have been released from treatment, Vishram Borkar, a police superintendent in Goa, told CNN. St. Joseph School is a government-aided private institution, he said. “We have registered a case of food poisoning,” he told CNN, “and our investigation is on.”

Earlier this week, 23 students died and 25 people were hospitalized from food poisoning after a school lunch in northern India’s Bihar state.

There were two cooks at the Bihar school, an official told CNN. Two children of one of them — Panna Devi — ate the toxic food and have died, medical superintendent Amarkant Jha Amar told CNN. Panna Devi is not receiving treatment because she didn’t eat the toxic food, Amar said. She has a third child who ate the food and is improving at a hospital, the medical chief said.

The other cook, Manju Devi, is also hospitalized, along with her three children, Amar added. Earlier, CNN-IBN had reported that two of Manju Devi’s children had died.

Bihar state is one of India’s poorest. Experts have said the deaths shine a light on food safety in the country and have prompted discussion on how to improve national school food programs amid news that authorities warned of safety problems with Bihar’s school meal program months ago.

Yesterday, authorities in Bihar announced that a new committee would be formed to strengthen food preparation in rural schools.

The state’s mid-day meal director, R. Lakshmanan, said village communities will also help monitor standards of meals for schoolchildren. The Bihar students, who authorities said were between the ages of 5 and 12, started vomiting soon after their first bite of lunch.

Some fainted. The parents of at least three children have buried their lost ones near the school — one right in front of the building, according to CNN journalists who saw the burial mounds. An official told CNN that the parents did so out of protest.

NationalMirror

PDP Convention: Tukur, Gana in test of might

OBIORA IFOH

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has in the last month been at a great risk of witnessing a major implosion over the proposed Special National Convention and the South-West Special Congress. OBIORA IFOH takes a look at the development.

The fear in some quarters that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, may not be in a hurry to conduct the South-West congress and the Special National Convention is fast gaining ground as recent events have clearly shown that there is more to it than for the reason of the Ramadan which was earlier used to masquerade the postponement.

The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and the chairman of the Special Convention Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana are both engaged in supremacy battle that transcends the present assignment. Both men are very close to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Gana is reputed to have served Nigerian governments, present and past; military and civilian, more than any other Nigerian, dead or alive; right from his days as the Director General of the MAMSER in the military era. He has served in uncountless other committees with the recent appointment which was made possible by a presidential fiat.

He is a founding member of the PDP. But Tukur too is also a founding member of the PDP and has being on the field for too long as father, puritan and successful businessman and politician, having also served as a governor and a minister. His role as the chairman of the African Round Table gave him deserving edge at the international scene.

He ran his PDP chairmanship campaign on the ground that PDP needs him and not the other way. His mission is to attempt to return the party to the original goals it was set out to achieve; a party owned by the people and not by individuals.

To achieve this he needs the support of every party member but most importantly the President. He indeed has the tacit support of the President but his attempt to earn the support of other stakeholders have been proving daunting task, as most politicians appear to be more comfortable with the hatchet-manner politics being played before now.

Tukur, a core conservative and hugely rigid personality refused to be bent over as he refused to run the party the way all his predecessors did. To him, the party must be superior to everyone.

This position was what led to the face-off between him and the Gana-led committee which also has the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu, as the Secretary and quite a number of personalities including Governor Godswill Akpabio, who is the deputy chairman.

There are also 27 other members including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, as well as governors of Delta, Abia, Katsina, Bauchi and Benue states as well as two representatives from the 36 states of the federation.

National Mirror gathered that hell was let loose after Gana usurped the duties of the National Chairman by personally inaugurating the convention committee without carrying Tukur along. Gana also created sub-committees and personally allocated membership to the committees without recourse to the National Working Committee, NWC, in spite of the fact that the NWC was meant to play a supervisory role.

A source that spoke to National Mirror said that the national chairman and members of the interim NWC were not happy with Gana’s committee because the committee is operating as a parallel NWC, whereas, the committee is expected to take directives from the Tukur-led NWC.

According to the source, “the Gana committee has against the norms relocated the special convention committee from the offices of the party to a private office in Wuse 2 by Parakou Crescent.

“The committee had awarded contracts for the convention, yet the date of the convention is not insight. The contractors have awarded and produced the wrappers for the convention without any directive from NWC. Even, the six members of the NWC that are expected to be members of the convention committee are yet to be given or made members of the special committee.

“To make matters worse, the Gana committee had gone to the Chief of Staff to the President, Mike Ogiadhome to request for money to conduct the convention, but they were turned down and asked that they should channel their request for money through the national chairman,” the source.

The cold war came to a head last week when the duo of Gana and Ekweremadu came to the residence of the PDP national chairman to inform him the progress so far made by the special convention committee and also to inform him of the new date for the proposed convention, but aides of Tukur  refused them entry into his residence on his instruction.

Angered by the slap on their face, Gana quickly called for a press conference where he announced August 31 as the date for the convention without clearing from the National Chairman. He also admitted that the locking out drama at the residence of Tukur was an incident that will be resolved within the party and not in the public. He said: “We don’t want to speak on the speculated lock-out at the chairman’s residence.

We don’t want to speak on such an issue concerning a man we have great respect for. Whatever it is, shall be resolved but not on the pages of newspapers.”

Tukur, ready for the fight, went on the offensive and technically scrapped the committee. In a statement by the acting National Publicity Secretary, Tony Caeser Okeke, PDP said: “In view of the anomalies and breaches of the constitution of the PDP observed in the actions so far taken by the Special National Convention Planning Committee, the NWC has directed the Committee to put on hold all activities relating to the Special South West Zonal Congresses and the Special National Convention pending the regularisation of the anomalies and breaches so as to forestall a repeat of the events that affected the party’s convention in 2012.”

Leader of the party, President Jonathan on his return from China summoned the combatants to seek for a peaceful resolution of the face-off.

A Presidency source told National Mirror that though the President overruled the National Chairman over the cancellation of the dates earlier proposed by the Planning Committee for the South-West convention and Special National Convention, he never waivered in his support for Tukur’s passion for instilling discipline in the party.

“President Jonathan called for a truce between Tukur and Gana as the matter could degenerate to a full crisis situation. It is certain the August date for the convention will stand but the President is insisting that discipline must be maintained in the party and the party leadership must be supported to instil discipline in PDP,” says the source.

A PDP source told National Mirror that Tukur “had to be brutal because he sensed that his office is being undermined. How can the committee change a date of the conventions, sells forms, solicit funds from the Villa and draw lists of the membership of the subcommittees without consulting the NWC?

“NWC noted that the lists of membership of the sub-committees were filled with persons that have no business in the party, where people are now using the subcommittees to settle relatives. One of them listed two of his immediate brother.

While NWC members who are committee members were just ordinary sub-committee members while their cronies were awarded with juicy sub-committee chairmanship.” As it stands, peace is not in sight as the Gana-led committee has vowed to continue with the convention.

They had even gone ahead to publish the full list of the subcommittees membership insisting that they will only discontinue if there was a directive from the Presidency. Tukur only a few days ago ordered that the offices allocated to the committee at the Legacy House be sealed permanently and also left an instruction that no member of the committee should be permitted beyond the gates of the party secretariat.

NationalMirror

We’ll register APC despite acronym litigation –INEC

EMMANUEL ONANI

The Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, has indicated its readiness to register the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a political party,once the conditions precedent to the registration of political parties, were fulfilled.

This is despite the pending suit at a Federal High Court, Abuja, instituted by another registrationseeking association with similar acronym, the All Peoples Congress, APC. The position of INEC was made known to Saturday Mirror by Mr. Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of the commission,Prof. Attahiru Jega.

Asked to react to feelers that the commission may stay action on the registration process of APC, which is a marriage of three political parties -Action Congress of Nigeria,Congress for Progressive Change as well as the All Nigeria Peoples Party – Idowu said “INEC does not work on speculation”.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission conducts its operatons based strictly on its existing guidelines and rules. “Every application that meets the prescribed rules and conditions set by the constitution,gets registered, and any that does not meet the prescribed rules, does not get registered,” Idowu said.

When our correpondent drew his attention to the pendency of a suit and the need to stay action pending hearing and determination, he said: “There are no exceptions to the rules; once the conditions are met, the applicant gets registered.”

On the consequence that may arise,in the event that APC’s prayers are answered in the a f f i r mat iv e , I d owu said,”when we get to the bridge,we will cross it.” A few days ago, Jega had disclosed that the commission had commenced a scrutiny of relevant documents submitted by the APC, for purposes of registration.

The chief electoral officer further stated that as soon as that was concluded, the electoral body would make its position known to the public.

Jega’s position was made known at a workshop jointly organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Democratic Governance for Development Project (DGDP) and Inter- Party Advisory Council (IPAC), on the “revalidation” of code of conduct for political parties in Minna, the Niger State capital.

He had said that “the commission is assiduously working on all documents submitted by the APC and as soon as we finished scrutinising all the relevant information and documents submitted, we will let Nigerians know of the outcome.”

NationalMirror

Kumuyi’s son faces judgement

It’s a tough time to face trial. Less than a month after his wedding, John, the second son of Pastor W. F. Kumuyi of the Deeper Life Bible Church is appearing before the judgment seat. Not before the Great White Throne, mind you, nor is it before any judge in a court of law. Rather, he is appearing, along with his new bride, Love, before a court of the people.
Those who read this page last week, which centred on the dust raised by the couple who had broken all the rules laid down on marriage by Deeper Life Church, have responded.
And the response came in torrents, nay, deluge. For allowing his wife to dress in a fitted, flowing wedding gown, wearing make-up, carrying a bouquet of flowers, cutting a cake, all opposed to the standards of the church, some people have asked for John Kumuyi’s head. He should even be expelled from the church, they say. But some others have risen in stout defence. Neither John nor Love Kumuyi did any wrong, and they have not committed any sin
. Therefore, their suspension by the church was unfair, unjust, unwarranted, hypocritical, hostile, they claim. Bellow is just a small fraction of the responses: John embarrassed his dad Reading your lovely piece on Kumuyi’s son, I agreed almost 100%.
As long as the couple profess membership of Deeper Life, they must remain bound by the rules of the ministry. John, I believe, has an obligation to save his highly respected dad the embarrassment that is in publicly flouting rules that have guided generations of people his own father shepherds. Betty Abah, journalist, Lagos God’s word is settled Honour is showing merited respect to one’s parents. Please tell Mr and Mrs John Kumuyi what God said in Deuteronomy 5:16.
You and I belong to old time religion, no doubt. God’s word is settled. Elder Ben Ogbomo, Lagos They’ll carry the cross One sin through careless neglect can affect one’s spiritual destiny, just like it happened to Demas and Esau. The latter sold his birthright for porridge, while Demas loved the present world more than God. John and his wife seem to love this present world too.
God will forgive their wilful sin, but they will carry this cross for a long time. The things regarded as non-essentials have sent many believers to hell. Emmanuel Adeniyi, Lagos Sin of rebellion Kudos for the great piece, more especially for creating a balance backed with relevant quotes from the Holy Bible.
In the context of the preaching and tenets of the church, which they were born into, the couple have committed the sin of rebellion, as you stated. Why should children of highly placed members of the church be the ones to break ranks? The wife should have appeared with six months pregnancy, and insist they have been staying abroad, hence cultural influence.
I commend Pastor Kumuyi and his wife for not walking away from the wedding. They would have been justified if they did. Mike Nzeagwu, Lagos Act of God To me, God’s hand might be in the whole saga to streamline the Deeper Life Church along modern trends, without taking holiness and sanctity of Christianity from the hearts of believers. It should be seen as a general corrective measure.
The law itself looks discriminatory against female believers who are known to be inclined towards adorning themselves.
And since the couple’s parents attended the wedding, the best option is to take the issue as an act of God. Lai Ashadele, Lagos Not intellectually equipped It takes intelligence, real intelligence, to appreciate the depth of Pastor Kumuyi’s character, his teachings, and lifestyle.
It takes real intelligence to understand the meaning of being a son of this unique man of God. John Kumuyi is not intellectually equipped to appreciate holiness, so he should be forgiven. But he should not be involved in any serious matter of the church. Obunikem Okonkwo To Pastor Kumuyi Fred not thyself sir, the Almighty knows that you have laid a solid foundation for God, ministry and humanity. It can be painful if our foundations are being opposed by those with us, but do not bother.
When the young couple grow older, they will understand the harm they did. Be undeterred sir, and be more determined in maintaining the integrity of your ministry. Pastor Livy Onyenegecha, 08036174573 Please, show mercy In the Bible, a self-confessed righteous man, and a sinner went to pray.
The former told God how good he was, while the latter pleaded for mercy. God heard the prayer of the sinner. Let the Deeper Life Church show mercy to the young couple, since they have so requested. Chief J. J. Ibeka, Lagos What Kumuyi taught us John Kumuyi cannot destroy his father’s testimony.
He will give account of his own life to God. What Kumuyi taught us is the undiluted word of God, and no action of any son will take anything away from that. Kumuyi’s teaching will populate heaven, with or without his children. God give us more Kumuyis.
Pastor Frank Oputa, Lagos They’ve shown remorse Being children of pastors in Deeper Life, John and Love Kumuyi would have been assumed guilty because much is expected of them. But since they’ve shown remorse, they should be forgiven.
As for making heaven, that is not for man to decide. It is entirely God’s prerogative. Revd S. A. Adetayo, St John’s Anglican Church, Ikotun, Lagos They simply broke the rules The behaviour of the younger Kumuyi and his wife is akin to the tale of Adam and Eve in the scripture, where God gave them a set of rules in the Garden of Eden and they made themselves weak and vulnerable to the whims and caprices of Satan.
There should be no sentiment or the after-thought alibi about their misbehavior that they have lived for donkey years outside Nigeria and were influenced by their present environment.
They simply broke the golden rules of the church governing weddings and they cannot honestly claim they were oblivious of the rules. As the Roman Catholic Church doctrine teaches us, it is wrong for anyone to deliberately commit the sin that carries death penalty, and once anyone does, the person knows that the wages of such sin is death.
So it is with the young Kumuyi and his wife who went of their own volition to violate the set rules of their church and brought shame to their revered parents.
Whatever action the Deeper Life church takes to redress their action is to me justified because there shouldn’t be any sacred cows in compliance to the law or otherwise, and doing so implies the rules were meant for the low people and not for the high.
But if the law is respecter of no one, then there should be no sentiment or hue and cry against the sanctions accruing to them for breaking the rules. However, what I disagree with is that parents should be punished for the misbehavior or misdemeanor of their adult children. It is wrong because as the scripture tells us, everyone must answer to his own deeds or account before God on the judgment day.
So, Deeper Life sanctioning their parents is unjust and wrong, even though their parents attended the wedding, unless they (the parents) incontrovertibly had a pre-knowledge that their children’s wedding was going to be that gorgeous and flamboyant, against the rules of the church.
Otherwise, their children should be answerable for their own deeds, right or wrong, before the church and not the parents. Abuchi Anueyiagu, a Public Affairs Analyst/Veteran Journalist, 08080242128, buchisbuchis@yahoo.com Quit, if you can’t keep rules I enjoyed every bit of your article. While I agree that there should be no difference in enforcing biblical laws in every part of the world, it is a known fact that certain words such as moderation are subjective, and cannot have universal measurement.
Different people and cultures will have their own interpretation. In a culture where people go naked, moderation may mean not to wear too much. In a poor village, moderation may mean not to display opulence and wealth. I live in the UK and the dress in question is quite moderate compared to some wedding dresses that I have seen recently, but that is not the issue.
The issue is moderation as it is practiced by the Deeper Life Church. What is very important is that once you are a member of an organization, all their laws (doctrine in church language) are binding and breaking them is an act of disobedience, which is a sin.
Once a man or woman can no longer abide by the set rules of the organization, he or she must quit the organization or seek to change the laws while still obeying it until such a time that the law is changed. This is the proper and orderly way to do things and I think you will agree with me that our God is a God of order.
In concluding, I would say that Kumuyi’s son has done a grave injury to the lifelong work of his dad and has committed a sin. Mobolaji Akinola, akinolabolaji@yahoo.co.uk Judge not According to the Holy Book, those who worship God should worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:24.Let the hearts of the couple pass judgment, and not the church, not even the fathers. Romans 2:17-29.
A man is judged by what comes out of his mouth (heart). Matt. 15: 19-20.   We are too much of appearance type Christians than spiritual type. Rules and regulations were what turned the Jews away from Christ instead of faith. Austeen  O. C.  Lagos, Alstineventures@yahoo.co.uk

TheSun

PHOTONEWS:Pro-Jonathan Lawmaker In Rivers Tried To Snatch Police Weapon

 

caption: Self appointed "Speaker" of rivers State Assembly seen here trying to grab a police gun during a fracas

caption: Evans Bipi

By SaharaReporters, New York

Several photos have emerged showing Rivers State lawmaker Evans Bipi attacking a police officer  during a fracas precipitated by President
Goodluck Jonathan and his wife to unseat the governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
Some of the of the photos show an enraged Bipi going for the AK 47 automatic gun of one of the policemen at the house of assembly.
On July 9th, Bipi  led thugs to take over the house, upon entering the assembly chambers he beat up some principal officers  of the house and pronounced himself the speaker before Governor Amaechi  personally intervened to thwart his efforts.
 Another pro-Amaechi lawmaker, Chidi Lloyd embarked on a counter-attack caught on tape, in the counter action he smashed a wooden mace on the head of another lawmaker who has remained hospitalized.
 Saharareporters

For once, Aso Rock senses tremors

Security inside a rock seems safest only as long as there are no tremors or the prospects can be ominous. As well-known to Nigerians, there is an on-going win all or lose all political battle of survival between President Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi.
Despite Jonathan’s ostrich posture on the matter, events suddenly sprang out of control to expose the actual situation. Such was the alarming development that an erstwhile internal civil war of a ruling party attracted the concern of the opposition, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to call for the impeachment of President Jonathan for allegedly violating the constitution serially.
If that demand appeared a joke, the atmosphere at Aso Rock was rattling as the Presidency, within a couple of hours, reacted desperately with the usual polemics and insinuations washing President Jonathan off any responsibility for the political violence in the State House of Assembly on Tuesday.
Action Congress of Nigeria had listed the violence in Port Harcourt the previous day as the last straw in series of alleged impeachable offences committed by Jonathan including the political heat over the disputed leadership election of Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
Significantly, ACN’s demand for President Jonathan’s impeachment was made only a day after one of the party’s governors, Fayemi of Ekiti State, completely exonerated Jonathan from any involvement in the NGF crisis over a month after the election.
There is this intriguing bond between Jonathan and Fayemi dating back to the aftermath of the 2011 presidential elections. While the Action Congress of Nigeria, through its national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed was faulting Jonathan’s victory for alleged electoral malpractices, Fayemi emerged as the first governor to publicly congratulate Jonathan on his victory.
Without providing any substance or specifics, Aso Rock’s reaction to the demand for Jonathan’s impeachment was more of gobbledegook.
In addition, the swiftness of the response or denial showed how the message got home on the prospects if not reality of the months and years ahead unless Jonathan humbles his political ambition, which, by the way, is legitimate as any other member’s in the PDP.
The only worry is the bully tactics such as being exhibited in Rivers State. The incident triggered bi-partisan instant reaction in the National Assembly with the undisguised notice even by majority PDP members in the National Assembly.
Rather than allowing democracy to collapse, (as was in Egypt), Nigerian National Assembly will preferably abandon Jonathan to his fate as may be determined by his political miscalculation. National Assembly, in this case, comprises largely Goodluck Jonathan’s fellow elected PDP members since the party controls majority in the chamber.
If there was any doubt on where they stand on the Rivers State’s crisis or even on Jonathan’s present and future political aspirations, such doubt disappeared after the forced division in the Senate on the debate over the crisis in Rivers State.
As usual, the House of Representatives was even more damning on all the controversial issues – condemnation of the violence in Rivers State, assumption of the functions and legislative powers of the Rivers State House of Assembly and insistence on the re-deployment of Police Commissioner, James Mbu from the state. The vote was almost unanimous as only three or four members managed to voice opposition.
That should show President Jonathan the degree of support if any, he enjoys even among his party members in the National Assembly on the Rivers State political crisis. Jonathan might dissociate himself from the crisis but such self-claimed innocence is belied by his obsession with dislodgement of political opponents, including his famous god-father, ex-President Obasanjo.
At that stage, Jonathan may have the wrong impression that he is politically invincible. He had better know when and where to stop, or the party would assist him. President Jonathan is a PDP member and by the party’s convention, the leader.
Some of his men in Rivers State House of Assembly, in fact, only five, ganged up and claimed to have impeached the Speaker, who, by implication, still enjoys the support of the remaining twenty-six elected members.
Whatever his other qualification later in life, a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must have passed through primary school where he must have been taught that throughout the world and at any state of humanity, a group of five can never have it over another group of twenty-six in all matters of majority decision.
The situation in Rivers State had been lingering for months. Where was Goodluck Jonathan and why has he failed so far to educate the dissident five members in Rivers State House of Assembly that they are wrong and will continue to be wrong till eternity? Jonathan claims complete innocence of the threatening anarchy in Rivers State. The only deception is self-deceit. There is a consolation.
Even Jonathan now realises he can be impeached. Hence, the desperate reaction to the call for his impeachment made by the Action Congress of Nigeria. Impeachment move for alleged violation of constitution will comprise series of offences overlooked all along.
In case others had been deceiving or flattering him, the bitter truth is that Jonathan has substantially alienated the political support he claimed to have attracted in 2011. Not the least, Governor Amaechi who recorded over ninety per cent of the total votes in Rivers State for Jonathan. Not the least, former President Olusegun Obasanjo who single-handedly sponsored him to the Presidency.
Not the least, the Action Congress of Nigeria leadership, which engaged in gerrymandering against its, own presidential candidate, all in favour of Goodluck Jonathan. Not the least, the PDP-controlled National Assembly against Commissioner James Mbu conveniently retained in Rivers State by Police-Inspector-General, Mohammed Abubakar, unwilling to upset Jonathan who appointed him IG.
Is Jonathan not worried by the complete silence throughout north western Nigeria? Jonathan should even be fair to himself by seeing Amaechi as a sincere political opponent or even enemy better than presumed hypocritical supporters among some PDP governors.
National Assembly saw the danger Jonathan might not have seen in the position of the political rascals in Rivers State. If they got away with their five votes to impeach the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, the next stop would have been the National Assembly to similarly impeach the Speaker of House of Representatives or President of Senate with minority votes.
All the same, the reaction of the National Assembly members must not be seen as self-preservation but a notice to the rascals in Rivers State or whoever might be sponsoring them, not to set the nation ablaze. It is also not enough to deny Jonathan’s involvement in impeachable misconduct. He should be advised not to allow himself to be remotely suspected of such political/constitutional crimes.
For these purposes, there cannot be the blackmail of plot against “our son” or our party. The loyalty of National Assembly in impeachment prospects is primarily to the nation before an individual or even the party.
Nigeria must defy Britain on death penalty
If anybody ever thought enforcement of laws on capital punishment in this country would pass without the pontification of unsolicited foreigners, such Nigerian must have been underestimating the delusion of these ex-colonial rulers in failing or refusing to grasp the reality of the sovereignty of each country, all over the world.
It is, therefore, essential that President Goodluck Jonathan and Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, stand firm on the all-important question of death penalty prescribed for offences posing insecurity to lives and property in Nigeria. Governor Oshiomhole duly performed his duty by signing the death warrant of only four out of the possible hundreds facing execution.
Remarkably, all of them earned their fate after due process of law through fair trial from Magistrates/High Courts, Appeal Court to the Supreme Court.
What is more, nobody should be surprised at the executions. Despite the country-wide threat of anarchy posed by the criminals, Governor Oshiomhole stood out among the crowd (of governors) by alerting Nigerians that, to stem the wave of insecurity, he would sign any death warrant of any condemned criminal.
It was therefore mischievous of critics who read revenge motive into Oshiomhole’s performance of his constitutional duty as aimed at making up for the murder of one of his aides, Olaitan Oyerinde, who was murdered for no reason. Even if that were so, did Oyerinde deserve to be murdered without deterrence for the culprits? Before Governor Oshiomhole took the stern measure, there were general complaints and accusations by Nigerians and foreigners against President Jonathan for allegedly being weak to guarantee security.
All that has therefore happened with the execution of the culprits is a direct attack at the major source of the insecurity. It is therefore hypocritical of the critics, Nigerians and foreigners alike, to express anger at the war on insecurity. On his part, President Jonathan must go the who hog. Governor Oshiomhole is only one out of thirty-six state governors and insecurity is all over the country rather than only Edo State.
For his courage in carrying out the executions, Oshiomhole has commenced the process of relieving President Jonathan of the misplaced criticisms of being weak and incapable of guaranteeing security. Jonathan must therefore not leave Oshiomhole seemingly as the bad guy among the state governors. He (Jonathan) must make the remaining thirty-five state governors account for convicts in the death cell.
Much as Jonathan cannot force a governor against the governor’s will, to sign death warrants, all such unwilling governors must be acquainted with the consequences. In a situation of such misguided moral posture in violation of the oath of office to which each governor swore to enforce laws, the Federal Government has the duty under the constitution to deal with any breakdown of law and order arising from insecurity posed by kidnappers, murderers, arsonists and armed robbers.
That duty in our present situation is for President Jonathan to declare emergency throughout the state concerned, suspend the governor for at least six months and restore normalcy. Jonathan has no choice or he will then deserve the blame for being weak to guarantee security in the country.
For the record, Jonathan deserves credit for coming out strong to discuss Britain’s criticisms on the reactivation of execution for capital offences. Particularly robust was the reminder, in case the former colonialists forgot, that Britain introduced death penalty in Nigeria. We were in this country in 1953 under British rule when eleven convicts were hanged one morning at Broad Street prison in Lagos for the murder of one law-abiding citizen, a Muslim preacher, Alhaji Bisiriyu Apalara.
Two years later, another set of five convicts were hanged in the same prison for the murder of a Nigerian musician, Israel Njemanze. It was therefore re-assuring that President Jonathan and Governor Oshiomhole have refused to be intimidated by Britain, the Commonwealth, European Union and Amnesty International. Beneath the arrogance of this group of critics is disregard, partly with racist undertone for Nigeria’s sovereignty. By whatever name they are called and however committed, murder is murder and the punishment is execution.
When a group of people declares and wages war against another people in another country, the name is unprovoked murder. And when the countries on the receiving end legitimately inflict the punishment even through unmanned drones, the name is execution for murder. In fact, such executions by the United States and Israel are largely pre-emptive and without trial. Those so executed are at the worst suspects and at the best accused.
This is not to say that United States and Israel violate any law since the first duty of any nation is to guarantee the safety and survival of its law-abiding citizens. The similar duty of Nigerian nation is to guarantee the safety and survival of its law-abiding citizens against the established crimes of murderers, kidnappers and armed robbers who kill their victims.
The life of a law-abiding citizen unlawfully murdered is not less valuable than his American and Israeli fellow citizens of the world. America and Israel take lawful, pre-emptive deterrent measures just as Nigeria takes lawful, punitive deterrent measures to contain these criminals.
It must therefore be noted that for whatever measures United States or Israel takes, including execution through unmanned drones, Britain, the Commonwealth, Amnesty International and other foreign moralities have never reacted critically. Why then the hostility against Nigeria? Nigerian Government is answerable to Nigerians, rather than to the Commonwealth or Amnesty International.
Even on the domestic scene, America still operates the death penalty in most states. Yet, Britain never raised objections. With the death warrant Governor Oshiomhole signed, other criminals will henceforth flee Edo State for neighbouring states condoning murderers.

TheSun