Jonathan’s 2015: Royal fathers to the rescue

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The agenda of the meeting stated that it was to inaugurate the South-South/South- East Traditional Rulers Forum. It was not to be, as midway into the programme, a new twist was added with what clearly turned out a political outing by royal fathers.

For close observers of politics ahead of 2015 presidential elections with prominent politicians from the South-west and the Northern region mobilising to stop President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election plans, the new alliance between the South-south and South-east in the face of the vicious opposition is understandable.

Before the Nigerian civil war, the South- east and South-south enjoyed a mutual, cordial relationship. This was, however, shattered during the civil war, as the South-south queued behind the Federal Government to break the secession plans of the South-east. Since then, there has been mutual suspicion between the two groups until politics of the late president Musa Yar’Adua’s illness and the 2011 presidential elections rekindled a political relationship that would have its greatest test during the 2015 presidential election.

New Bond

In the build up to the 2011 Presidential elections, the South-east political leaders made it clear where their heart was and this was demonstrated by the high votes recorded by Jonathan in all the South-eastern states. As the nation inches towards the 2015 elections, their body language has once again showed where they would swing the pendulum in the event that Jonathan is a candidate in the 2015 presidential elections.

The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDVPF), Alhaji Asari  Mujahdid Dokubo, captured the new political relationship better.

“During Jonathan’s election, the Ibos voted for the South-south. Before, the Southern minority, as we are called, always voted for the North to divide and rule. Former Midwest region would always vote for whom the Yoruba voted for. During Jonathan’s election, the Ibos carried it on their heads and voted for him. And this is a debt the Ijaws, who are second to the Ibos in this part of the world, owe the Ibo people to ensure that 2019, if Nigeria survives, we will stake our lives to make an Ibo man president, no matter what it takes.”

According to sources, having felt betrayed by the Northern political establishment after the 2011 presidential elections with widespread protest against the emergence of Jonathan and unsure of continued support from the South-west, the South-south, with Ijaws at the forefront, are leaving no stones unturned in solidifying their political relationship with the South-east. The traditional rulers forum of the two geo-political zones are just one of the several political alliances that the South-south and South-east would float together in ensuring that Jonathan stays beyond 2015.

The endorsement

Investigations reveal that the driving force for the inauguration of the South- South/ South East Traditional rulers’ forum being championed by a former Minister of Petroleum and presently the Amanayanbo of Nembe, Dr. Edmund Daukoru was the mobilization of support for Jonathan from the home base.

For close observers of the build up to the 2015 Presidential elections, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has told those who care to listen that the Ijaw national interest is the protection of the presidency and mobilization of support for Jonathan to succeed in office. Those close to him would maintain that Dickson is one of the point men assigned to garner support for Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election. Inside sources said the Bayelsa State government was part of those that bankrolled the forum with a view to continuing in its determination to forge alliances with other geo-political zones in endorsing Jonathan for a second term.

The choice of invitees also gave away the organizers as having a political motive for holding the inauguration. Considering the barrage of criticisms from the North and South- West, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muahhamed Sa’ad Abubakar and the Oni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade were invited. Though the duo could not attend, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar El-Kanemi and the General Secretary of Yoruba Council of Monarchs, Oba Aderemi Adedapo, stood in for them.  Also in attendance were known foot soldiers in the Jonathan 2015 project. They include the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Senator Tari Sekibo,  former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and Chief Ikedi Ohakim.

When each speaker got up to talk, the motive of the gathering became clear: endorsement of Jonathan for re-election.  Oba Adedapo and the Gbong Gwom, Jos, HRM Da Buba Gyang both described Jonathan as one of the best leaders Nigeria has ever had.

Hear Oba Adedapo: “Dr. Jonathan’s emergence as President of the country was a fulfilment of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s “prediction that an Ijaw man would rule this country some day in the future”.

“We thank God today that we have an Ijaw son as a good and great leader of this country.  If you were there on May 29, 2013 in Abuja where I was representing the South-West, you will agree with me that this man (Jonathan) has surpassed many leaders we have ever had in this country.

“I am not a politician, I’m a traditional ruler. Among the Yorubas, we have this saying “You are seeing something, you are hearing the voice but you are still asking what is this? We thank God for giving us this President at this point in this country”.

The Chairman, South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Cletus Ikechuckwu Ilomuanya  said the forum would ensure the two zones act and speak with one voice.

He said: “You would agree with me that of all the geo-political zones in Nigeria, the people of South-South and South-East zones share common affinity especially in the areas of culture and tradition.

‘Historically, we are one people of the same lineage but for political expediency and administrative convenience, we now pretend to be people from two different zones of South-South and South-East. Therefore, it is one of the aims of the South-South and South East Traditional rulers to re-orientate and galvanize our people to begin to think and act as people of one cultural and traditional identity”.

Daukoru who is the Chairman of the South- South Traditional Rulers Forum said aside contributing to peace and stability of the nation, the forum will promote inter-zonal cultural activities, as well as take joint position on matters affecting their collective interest.

Iwuanyanwu was to provide the icing on the political endorsements Jonathan had received when he called on Nigerians to give Jonathan another term of four years as there was no where he promised to serve just one term

His words: “‘Today, I have gone round everywhere in this country and I feel a sense of joy and happiness that Jonathan has not disappointed us. He has done well.

“However, I am surprised to hear some people in some circles talking about four years’ tenure when our constitution allows him to run for eight years if he wishes to do so. Some people even say there is an agreement to that effect but I am telling you royal fathers, that there was no such agreement.”

Discordant tunes

However, some traditional rulers from the South-South have voiced out against the coming together of the South-South/South-East traditional rulers forum. The aggrieved traditional rulers under the aegis of the Concerned Traditional Rulers are pointing accusing fingers at Daukoru for acting without consultation with prominent traditional rulers in the South-South. Leading the pack of aggrieved traditional rulers are prominent ones from Delta State that believed Daukoru has hijacked the South-South Traditional Rulers forum because of his agenda to use it to drum support for the re-election of Jonathan in 2015.

The traditional rulers who alleged that the meeting was packaged solely because of the endorsement for a second term for Jonathan said some of them were not invited to avoid a rancorous situation as some of them would ask questions.

Analysts argue that with the endorsement, Daukoru would need to put his house in order as he is still functioning as an interim chairman. Some also reason that those packaging Jonathan should know that other revered traditional rulers in the South- South need to be in the picture of the support they are galvanising, otherwise all their efforts would end in futility if respected traditional rulers begin to dissociate themselves from future endorsements.

TheSun

No crisis in Rivers –Presidency

… Police confirm Majority Leader’s arrest

From TAIWO AMODU and MOLLY KILETE, Abuja

As Nigerians express concern over the scary situation in Rivers State, the Federal Government has dismissed media reports of the recent political turbulence in the state as “deliberate over-sensationalization of the situation.”

Attempts by five lawmakers of the House of Assembly to remove the  Speaker were resisted and the situation degenerated into free-for-all on the floor of the assembly.

Five northern governors had during this week met with two former  Heads of State, Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar, in Minna, Niger State, asking them to prevail on President Goodluck  Jonathan to ensure that peace returns to the state.

But addressing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, Senior Special Assistant, Public Affairs to the President, Dr Doyin Okupe claimed there was no breakdown of law and order in the state.

He claimed that the  crisis in the state was imaginary.

His remarks: “We are compelled to react to the unfolding political drama emanating from recent activities of some governors from the northern part concerning political developments in Rivers State. These political moves, which are clearly intended to create fear, despair and sense of apprehension among the citizenry are grossly unfounded, misplaced and a deliberate over-sensationalization of the situation.

“We therefore wish to state as follows: Insinuations and statements suggesting that Rivers State is on fire are grossly unfounded. So far, as it is evident to every discerning observer of political developments, the state is calm and peaceful. Residents of the state continue to go about their various businesses, religious, social and political activities under peaceful atmosphere,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Force Headquaters in Abuja said in Abuja yesterday that Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Chidi Llyod, is in its custody and helping police investigators to unravel the circumstances surrounding the crisis in the Assembly.

This is coming just as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, has promised a quick, fair and unbiased investigation into the matter.

Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, CSP, Frank Mba, who made this known in a statement, said that Lloyd reported to the Force Headquarters on Monday, at about 4pm, in company of his lawyer and went straight to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).

TheSun

Unongo: PDP Has Derailed

Paul Unongo

Interview



Second Republic Minister of Power and Steel, Paul Unongo, recently spoke to reporters in Makurdi, Benue State, where he addressed critical national issues, including the right of President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015. George Okoh brings excerpts of the interview

Looking back at June 12 which turned 20 years recently, would you say Nigerian democracy has developed, particularly in the area of credible election?

I think the people who say Abiola won the freest election in the history of this country, it’s either they are just talking with their tongues in cheek or they are secessionists or they are people that have vested interest because I don't know what was free about an election that was held under the military. While we slept and deceived ourselves that we had a system that was democratic, I knew and I wrote about it and I've written about it again in a book called Tiv heritage that the military had given us some kind of aphrodisiac. We fell asleep while they were implementing a programme, deliberate institutionalisation of a political system in Nigeria.

They were testing it out and it has worked up till today. It is the same system that we are implementing that is very exciting to some people called democratic system. This is the system the military imposed on Nigeria; that is, to their surrogates, the young men and the old men- the military apologists that they wanted to impose on the country so that they would practise the same system, consolidate it as they watched from behind the scene. Those who see any serious value, different from what we have today in our so called 13/14 years democratic system are just jokers because not a single difference. It's the same military system we are practicing today.

As far I am concerned, Nigerians slept while the military perfected a system which they wanted to impose on Nigeria. And that military system had the simple mindset of protecting the interests of the money men of Nigeria, beginning with the military that made huge sums of money-made a lot of money and wealth. They allowed a few civilians to make, similarly. They formed themselves in the most formidable  political alliance, pretending and deceiving us  that they have formed political parties aimed at protecting the perceived interest of the most powerful that continues to waste our energy and resources and ruin Nigeria  up till today.

The same military dictatorship and collaborators of the military produced a system that suits primitive accumulation for themselves, their apologists and they have imposed this system on Nigeria and Nigerians are so scared of going on revolution. They are so afraid. When anything gets near, something will change everything and they’ll shy away. So these people have imposed this system. You were thinking this was going to be temporary? Some of us were shouting, you are thinking this is going to be temporary?

This is a well thought out political system. They (the military) want to change our political system and they will succeed if you acquiesce and they acquiesce. That was the system that produced Abiola; that was the system that produced Jonathan; that was the system that produced Obasanjo, who was part of the people that produced the system. So, I don't see anything excitingly different between Abiola's election, Jonathan's election and Obasanjo's election. They practised with the system that is institutionalised. Nigerians have done nothing about what has been imposed on them.

If that is the case, when is true democracy likely?
When Nigerians want. What is the meaning of true democracy? True democracy implies transparency, it implies respect for human dignity, it implies proper election, when one vote is one vote and two votes are two votes; when a person beats you with one, it's one. Is that what is obtained in your country today? I mean, it's so ridiculous you would see big people that run states as chief executives with the constitution and they just converted it. Nobody has written as many constitutions within a short time as Nigeria. And they deceive themselves that writing constitutions and changing constitutions would solve their problem because they are cowards. It will not. Look at the system we have.

When I used to go to school in this country called Nigeria 60 years back, as a small elementary kid 65 years ago, to us, one plus three always made four and four was lower than five. But today, my heads of government, only 35 human beings who run the fate of this country allowed camera to record the thing they called an election. They were voting and talking friendly.

And then, the man who is the returning officer, who is supposed to count so that they can show us transparency and fools like me watched. This man piled all the ballots and said, let's sort into the two candidates. This is Jonah Jang, this is Amaechi and then, he went on. These are the votes for Jonah Jang, put them on this side, these are the votes scored by Amaechi. Everybody was watching. These are the chief executives that are supposed to drive and institutionalise as well as solidify the democratic process. 

Amaechi got 19 and Jonah Jang, 16. Not a single person complained, no fight, nothing. Everyone was happy. They then said, well, by the conduct and rules of democracy, somebody has scored 16 votes, he's called Jonah Jang. Somebody scored 19, he's called Amaechi. So, the one who has 19 has always been more than 16 in the Nigerian democracy. But they tried to say 16 is now greater than 19 and they wanted us to stand behind them. Our heads of government, 35 of them ruling Nigeria could not believe and count that 16 is a lower number to 19? They are jokers!

You think this will not fall back on you and your country? What are you teaching our children? So, I don't see any difference to what happened to Abiola and what has happened now. Abiola claimed he won, Abacha who produced the system together with his friends- the Obasanjos said no, you didn't win. Okay, Amaechi felt 19 is greater than 16, he claimed that he won. They said we sack you; we want to show you that 16 is greater than 19. What is this kind of nonsense in this country? We became independent first of October, 1960. My God, we have been a country for one hundred years now, we cannot even count? And we said we are democratic and we cannot say somebody who has 19 votes out of 35 is higher than a man who has 16 votes, what is wrong with us? What is wrong with the African? What is wrong with the Nigerian?

Kenya ran an election, because of the past history of Kenya, we expected people to fight and kill themselves. They declared that Odinga didn't win, that Jomo Kenyatta's son won. People didn't like him, the white people were afraid; they expected people to complain but they said no. The electorate expressed their wish. If you have any problem with this young man, that's your business but this election, the person with higher votes was declared president.

And a country that's older than Kenya could not conduct a small election of 35 people. They will allow us to watch the voting, after watching the voting, somebody has 19, somebody has 16, they want me, Paul Unongo at 77 to sit down and watch the debate that 77 can sometimes be lower than one. So, if I have a child today he's older than me. This is my problem. And you people, you go round asking about this great democracy; there's no democracy here.

But this crisis is within your party, isn’t it?
Yes, they don't believe in party politics in PDP. When I formed the PDP, I had ideological orientation in my head. I stated and I repeated it, quote me correctly, when I formed the PDP, it was a liberal democratic party. PDP was Peoples Democratic Party; it was supposed to be based on the principles of liberal democracy. I registered that party with a hundred thousand naira. I defined the philosophy for anybody in Nigeria. Then I saw most of my friends to my chagrin, I called some people, I showed them the idea I was developing. I told them I had developed this system and I was going to push it to Nigeria. If we can, we should work to push Nigerian political system, not by military might, to take advantage of the military interregnum in the political process where they decreed two political parties. Let's have two parties that are big, a little to the left, a little to the right and stop canvassing for votes from Nigerians on the basis of our tribes.

We should start canvassing on the basis of principles of governance. If we become government, we will use liberal democracy as our philosophy. We will use the interest of the majority as the principle of our actions. We will provide for the ordinary people that are not powerful. We will fight poverty not with mouth but by doing physical things like empowering them and making facilities like health, water and electricity available to them without taxing them. They had nothing to be taxed anyway.

So, I was excited and I felt I was a philosopher. After all, I've been writing constitutions in Nigeria since 1957 and now, I will put it in practice. I called two young men and showed them and even told them I have already submitted it to INEC and have been holding meetings with INEC for three months. I don't know whether they panicked; they are still alive. They took my ideas and took two copies of what I had already presented to INEC. That night, one of them produced a car and they put one person, unfortunately for them that person was my cousin. They gave a brand new station wagon. He drove all the way to Kano and gave a copy of this thing to Abubakar Rimi, begging Rimi that he should run to Abuja to go and register their own thing, also called PDP because this madman, that is me, doesn't know politics. He's not even interested in winning election, he can't even win election; he just talks.

So, this is a good idea, this is a good thing, let's do it, let's take it. And when they took it, then we had a crisis at INEC. They said this thing has already been registered by Paul Unongo and he has attended three meetings in the last three months. So, some of them said well, look at us, we are the greatest people, we are the biggest men in Nigeria- the Solomon Lars, the Abubakar Rimis, the Ochaigwus, that man has no money. INEC didn't know what to do. I said don't worry, look at the name of registration and tell this big men that are all my cousins and friends and former political people that what is the quarrel for? Can we have a dialogue and agree on a philosophy. The easiest thing is, since you are all the heavyweights and I saw my former president and vice-president in that formation, who am I to go and fight them?

I want the politics of, not consensus but democratic politics. If you and I agreed on the principles of PDP which I have already formed, I'm prepared to surrender the name. I wanted to be, not even a candidate; I told them all I wanted to be was chairman of the party so that I can drive it ideologically.

I then went and talked to the chairman of INEC then, you know who he was. I told him all my masters, employers and friends are in the formation Abubakar Rimi has brought called PDP. So, refund my one hundred thousand. This is history; it is factual. I was disappointed in the two people that I revealed this thing to because they are my cousins from Benue. And the way they treated me, they consolidated the fact that they didn't want me in the formation but assured me that when we get to convention, they will make me chairman. Do you know what? Benue people decided that the philosopher who produced PDP, who produced governance in NPP including Solomon Lar, that his people didn't want him.

I wrote the constitution of NPP in a manner that the secretary of the NPP was like the secretary of the communist party and the chief executive of the party. I said Solomon was with us in UMBC. And I put Solomon as governor. Because I was a Benue citizen, Benue citizens felt I was inferior to Solomon Lar. They didn't even tell me that the meeting was going to take place at such a time. They lied to me and told me a different time. I packed ten vehicles, parked Benue citizens and went with them to Abuja. They danced because their son was going to be the chairman of PDP. They went and held the meeting. I was sitting in my hotel and one of them kept assuring me as soon as the meeting starts, we'll tell you and you can come.

It is true, he never told me until the elections were held. Then somebody came to us and said, Oga sir, we have been sitting here to go and attend PDP convention, the convention is there taking place and is on television, can you turn on this television? The television was turned on. I called this man and he said, ‘em em, sorry sir, we'll come and explain to you’. So, I left PDP joined forces with people and we founded ANPP. So, when Obasanjo and my master, Ali, came and were begging me, I knew they were deceiving me.

Do you see the emerging mega opposition party wresting power from PDP in 2015?

I don't think that far because I have no confidence. Are they different from the people in PDP? They are the same people who are bonding, going round and round trying to form a party to wrest power from this people but the question is, if they wrest these power, are they likely going to be committed to the ordinary people? Are they going to be committed to ideological orientation to allow properties to develop? Are they going to give us freedom or will they do the same thing like our party that is muzzling everybody now? Governors that deceived themselves that you can express yourselves; when you express a contrary view, including Paul Unongo, they’ll deal with him. They are shut out from being old. How do you stop an old man from being an old man? This PDP of mine does wonderful things.

Do you support the call on President Jonathan to re-contest in 2015?
I don't just support people. I have a programme. You would have asked: is Mr. President implementing my programme and would I help him to improve? No, no, no. This is not a very good question. They want the president to hear that I support him, so that he could send money to me. I cannot sell my conscience by telling him in advance that I'm going to support him when I don't know his programme. I like some of the things he's doing; I don't like some of the things he's doing. Unless I dialogue with him. I'm not a kid.

I belong to an organisation known as the Northern Elders Forum, we are a political organisation; we want peace, stability and the progress of Nigeria, particularly northern Nigeria because the stability of Nigeria is northern Nigeria because it has a huge land mass. If there is peace in the north, if there is stability in the north which is two-thirds of Nigeria, there will be peace and stability in the rest of Nigeria. So, I am loyal to the Northern Elders Forum; I am the deputy leader and the spokesman. Once a decision is taken by the Northern Elders Forum as to who we should give all support as the President of Nigeria, we know that person will win.

We feel the north has not been treated well and we have statistics right from the time Obasanjo became president of Nigeria. We are talking about structural allocations. Perhaps, when you see them and abstract them and put them at the time of the various presidents, perhaps you will be angry the more during Obasanjo's time. Perhaps, you will say Jonathan has tried, I don't know. But we will do that exercise when it comes to supporting anybody. However, as a predisposition, we are predisposed. That I must tell because I don't want to be misquoted in having a president come from the north after doing many years. When Yar'Adua appeared, he was very sick he couldn't do anything.

As a member of the Northern Elders Forum, you met with the President recently on the security situation in country, what was the discussion on security and how would you appraise the situation so far?

We've been advising the President. In Nigeria, we don't see achievement to be incremental and I don't blame Nigerians, they are correct. Everything is secret; they don't take Nigerians into confidence. We of the Northern Elders Forum are very worried that security of Nigeria was so threatened that living in this country became too precarious and people who were too scared were taking off from Nigeria.

We understood that. We have taken steps to bring this situation back to normal. Together we believe if we contribute our quota, we will solve the problem. So, we stayed and wrote copious suggestions to Mr. President. In fairness to Mr. President, he granted us audience when the thing became too much and he saw us face-to-face and discovered that he had paid hirelings that always hang around power corridors who were telling him about the bunch of northerners who floated Boko Haram and who don't want him as a Christian president that he is. But I particularly told him to be very far away from them.

By constitution, Mr. President swore to protect every Nigerian and the territorial integrity of the country and this thing, whether it his political opponents that created them is completely immaterial. The thing was threatening finance as almost everywhere was out of control. We told Mr. President, this is a very serious situation, don't just look at Boko Haram; it is a multi-faceted problem you have at hand and approaches should be multi faceted. He agreed.

Our position is that Mr President swore by constitution to protect us and give us security in our country and proceeded to swear to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria. If anybody comes and starts appropriating some parts of Nigeria and telling people I'm going to declare this part of Nigeria part of Chad, part of Niger or part of Mali, he should tell that person off. So, we are not opposed to Mr. President declaring state of emergency.

ThisDay

$100 Million, N100 Million For U.S. Inserting Chip In Me -- Nigerian

A Nigerian, Jacob Ajomale, alleges that he was maltreated by the United States' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers who forcefully inserted a tracking device (chip) in his body through his anus. He has therefore petitioned the United Nations Council on Human Rights over alleged inhuman treatment meted to him.

Through his lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, Ajomale claimed that the chip was inserted in December 2010.

In their petition to the UN, Falana is urging the world body to direct the United States to remove the tracking device from Ajomale's body with immediate effect.

Besides, Ajomale has also sued United Airlines and the Nigerian Minister of Internal Affairs before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, demanding $100 million and N100 million damages for the violation of his fundamental rights to dignity of human person and right to mental and physical health, as guaranteed by Sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution and Articles 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.

Arrest

It would be recalled that Ajomale had averred in an affidavit that he has been living in the United States since April 12, 1997 with a visiting visa and became a permanent resident in February 2008, and never had any criminal record all through the period.

According to him, on January 22, 2009, he travelled to Nigeria for his father's burial and on his way back, he was arrested on February 5, 2009 by one officer, Derrick, at the BWI Airport in Baltimore, Maryland, kept in a cold room for nine hours, where he was tortured in order to make an incriminating statement of using falsified passport in 2001.

He was subsequently arraigned, tried, convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment at the DC jail and Rivers Correction Centre, all in North Carolina.

Second arrest

According to Ajomale, he was released back to the community on August 11, 2009 at 7pm, after being cleared by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, but surprisingly, he was arrested again by the same officer, Derrick, on August 15, 2009 on the ground that his release from detention was a mistake.

He said: "While in detention at Worchester Detention Centre Snow Hill, Maryland, an ICE officer, William Malone told me I could be released but it was going to cost me money. I told my lawyer about it who reported to senior ICE officers. Investigation was carried out and Officer Michelle Rawlings interrogated me and promised to get back to me, which she never did. Afterwards I became the target of all the officers.

"I was hospitalised on July 12, 2010 at Atlantic hospital for sinusitis and body weakness, but was discharged without adequate treatment. I was maltreated by three officers, who flung me on an empty steel bed, and I put in a grievance report concerning the issue. In August, 2010, I was moved to Frederick Detention Centre, Maryland, and the same aggression continued against my person. I felt some vibration on my bed and reported to the authorities but no action was taken."

Naij

Man Sets House On Fire After He’s Denied Sex

Police in Kenya are looking for a middle-aged man who set his brother’s house on fire before fleeing in Bomet in the Rift valley region of the country.

The suspect, only identified as Robert, is said to have committed the crime after his sister-in-law repulsed his sexual advances.

According to the area Chief Richard Kiprono Lang’at, the man had taken advantage of his brother’s absence from his homestead to pester his wife.

“The woman’s husband is serving a life sentence in a Maximum Security Prison after he was found guilty of defilement,” said Lang’at.

“His brother has, however taken advantage of his absence to demand sex from the woman,” he said.

Naij

Prune Lawmakers’ Salaries

By: Leadership Editors on July 25, 2013 - 1:44am

inShare

The nation’s federal legislature, which consists of 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives, are far removed from the constituents on whose mandate the lawmakers were elected. While a few compatriots who are lucky to be employed are finding it difficult to make ends meet, the lawmakers are setting a record as the world’s highest paid legislators when compared with their contemporaries from established democracies. As if that is not enough, the lawmakers have passed resolutions in their different chambers to guarantee life pension for their principal officers – Senate president, deputy Senate president, speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Such pension will be equivalent to what they are receiving presently.

According to a recent research by The Economist of London, the salaries collected by Nigerian legislators rank the highest of those received by parliamentarians in 29 other countries which include Britain, USA, France, South Africa, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Brazil. Incidentally, the annual salary of one of the nation’s federal lawmakers is 116 times the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) per person. The emolument of a senator amounts to N55,659,920 while that of a member of the House of Representatives is N48,580,084 per annum.

A breakdown of a senator’s emolument, according to data sourced from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), indicates that the annual package amounts to N35 million, accommodation N4 million, car loan N8 million, furniture N6 million, constituency N5 million, car maintenance N1.52 million, entertainment N202,640, recess N202,604 and wardrobe N405,208. For a House member, the annual package amounts to N29.280 million, accommodation N3.97 million, car loan N6.9 million, furniture N5.95 million, constituency N1.7 million, car maintenance N595,563, entertainment N198,521, recess N198,521 and ward robe N397,042.

In a country that is ravished by poverty, what is the rationale for the federal lawmakers earning such outrageous emoluments? It is even more worrisome that there are some other funds amounting to millions of naira that accrue to these lawmakers that are not officially accounted for. Most of them are the directors of the companies that are awarded contracts by government ministries, departments and agencies. These same lawmakers are statutorily entitled to severance allowance at the end of their tenure.

There is an urgent need to make public office less attractive. This will ensure that only those with altruistic motive will aspire for it. The RMAFC should quickly review the emoluments of all public officeholders. This should be replicated in the states. Concerted efforts should be made to bridge the gap between the people’s representative at all levels and the people. Besides keeping the political barometer in check, it will scale down corruption in the system.

- See more at: http://leadership.ng/news/250713/prune-lawmakers-salaries#sthash.uuB9ZR3z.dpuf

Rivers PDP faults govs visit to IBB, Abdulsalami

From Ayodele Samuel

The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday condemned the reported visit of some four Northern States governors to two ex-military Heads of State, Gen Ibrahim Babangida and Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar in Minna, Niger State, describing them as desperadoes who are looking for exit plans as their tenures draw to an end.
The PDP strongly faulted such actions of Gov Sule Lamido, Rabiu Kwakwanso of Kano, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto and Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, believing that it was not borne out of genuine interest to resolve the lingering political crisis in Rivers State but to fuel it.

The party in a statement issued in Port Harcourt through the Special Adviser on Media to the State Chairman, Jerry Needam, wondered why the northern governors who are now “patriots” of democracy cannot remove the logs in their eyes before removing the speck in other people’s eyes, noting that the Boko Haram menace, underdevelopment, hunger and disease, unemployment and deplorable poor standard of education in the North are enough to engage these governors more than the internal crisis in Rivers State.

“How can any serious minded governor not be worried that the average Northerner today lives in grave fear of insecurity and poverty and yet these busybody governors are wasting tax payers’ money, flying on chartered executive jets to stoke trouble in Rivers State, noting that the state of emergency declared in three states in the North is a huge dent on their credibility to govern well and this is why they find Amaechi as an ally in failure“, he said
We believe these governors have ulterior motive in their seeming concern in the Rivers State matter involving their colleague, Gov Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, who we also believe, has consistently concocted lies for the consumption of those who care to listen instead of concentrating on the challenging task of governing the state. “Amaechi must be told to stop wasting public funds on his personal pursuit for power”, the party added
The Rivers PDP also emphasized that dramatizing this issue and blowing it out of proportion, as done by the governors, will not help in resolving this situation, stressing that the Northern governors, by crying more than the bereaved, have only shown that they are interested in using the Rivers State governor to destablise the PDP and weaken the chances of President Goodluck Jonathan if he decides to run for the presidency in 2015.
It is most regrettable that these governors are abusing the sensibilities of Rivers people who are aggrieved over the recklessness and misappropriation of their resources by their government.
While we hold the two former military administrators in high esteem, it is also our candid opinion that they should not allow themselves to be used by these gold-digging governors who have abandoned their primary responsibilities of governing and ensuring security of lives and property in their states for meddling in an internal Rivers State crisis.
It is also important that we appeal to well meaning Northern elders to call their governors to order to desist from fueling the political situation in Rivers.

PeoplesDaily