How third term campaigners hijacked hearing in South West

By Loremikan, Campaign for Democracy, CD

IT will not be strange to you that we in the UAD and the CDHR for years, have been deliberating on the need to have a people’s participatory constitutional and democratic government. As a matter of fact we intensified our work on the concept of constitutionalism immediately we had a civilian administration in 1999, despite our reservation on the persons and parties that found themselves in our various public offices.

Between that 1999 and 2003, we had promoted, hosted, organized seminars, workshops, and lectures across the six geo-political zones of the country. While CDHR as an organisation, has promoted and floated over 40 Constitutional Clubs in the higher institutions of the country. Till date, some of these clubs still operate and promote our interest in certain universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in the country and UAD has drafted a model Constitution for Nigeria as a reference point for Constitutional amendments. Essentially, our concern on the issue of constitutionalism that is significant to human development and progress, encouraged our presence at Osogbo on February 22 and 23, 2006.

However, we got to Osogbo only to find out that the gathering there is a pre-determined one. We were confronted with a group of persons, including public officers who have made up their minds, on who to admit to the venue, who to recognize, and who to allow to make speech. As if that was all, the gathering have also agreed somewhere, somehow on who and what the speakers should say. Namely extension of the present administration or call for a third term for the offices of the president, vice president, governors and deputy governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

You will only appreciate what we went through if you were with us at Osogbo. Right at the main gate of the Osun State House of Assembly Complex, were fully armed security operatives, made up of regular police, mobile police and operatives of State Security Services. Our experience with this law enforcement officers suggested they have instruction not to allow certain persons, groups or organisations into the complex.

Aside these, people who came with different opinions as to the third term agenda for the President and Governors were shouted down, intimidated and insulted in manners liable to insinuating public disorder. While this was going on, members of the Panel could not caution the over zealous pro-third term agents lurking around the hearing premises.

A glaring example was that of Mr. Bamidele Aturu who was not allowed to express the position of his organization based on an untenable excuse that he refused to apologise for or withdraw a statement he made earlier concerning the South-west Governors’ dilemma on the third term issue. After series of bullying, intimidation, witch-hunting and untold insults from the pro-third term people, Mr. Bamidele Aturu was ushered out by security operatives at the instance of the panel leadership. We view this as a flagrant violation of our fundamental human rights to expression of opinions and fair hearing as entrenched in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Africa Peoples’’ Charter on Human and Political Rights and even the subsisting much faulted 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Moreso, we berate in strong terms, the conduct of the hearing exercise which was made an exclusive reserve of PDP office holders and gladiators only. Contrary opinions were supplanted to give way to the self-serving third term agenda of President Olusegun Obasanjo. While the stage-managed close door hearing exercise was going on inside the Assembly Complex, the armed mobile policemen at the gate of the Complex have already descended on persons who have also being alleged to have come with contrary positions, as opposed to the conspiratorial third term agenda. Mr. Abiodun Aremu, the Convener of the United Action for Democracy (UAD), Mr. Muyiwa Jimoh, the President of Apapa Youth Movement, Lagos and several student activists from higher institutions in the South-west were molested, brutalized, assaulted, stripped half-naked; their two hands were callously tied backwards with their wears after which they were bundled into the Mobile Police truck with Registration Number PF 5645 SPY and then taken to an unknown destination.

On the second day of the panel’s hearing which was Thursday, 23rd February, 2006, the panel’s disposition towards many organizations that attended the hearing showed that the entire process was masterminded and pre-programmed to uphold the selfish vendetta of the PDP-led Administration most especially the much touted third term agenda.

Several civil society organizations like the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights represented by Mr. Shina Loremikan, Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) represented by Dr. Bamgbose (UNAAB), Electoral network Reform represented by Mr. Eze, Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GECORN) which Barrister Biola Akiode came to represent were all barred from expressing their positions.

In a swift turn of events and abject disservice to public conscience, some imaginary Non-governmental organizations that were not in existence up to the last six months were assembled by the pro-third term PDP gladiators and the panel subsequently granted them the opportunity to present their memoranda thereby lending credence to their treacherous third term phenomenon while organizations like CDHR, CFCR, GECORN, ASUU, ERN, CF, JODAR and NADL all of which have made serious contributions to Constitution-making since the year 1999 were disallowed from ventilating their views in the just concluded exercise. An organization like CDHR organized a Conference on the 1999 Constitution, Constitutionalism, Democracy and the Rule of Law in the year 2000 and subsequently published a book which was a compendium of the series of contributions made at the conference.

The book “Path to Peoples’’ Constitution\” was the memorandum intended for presentation by CDHR at the public hearing but the panel and its staff frustrated all efforts at expressing the popular opinions of Nigerians on the 1999 Constitutions as contained in the book.

The hearing exercise was abruptly brought to an end before noon on Thursday, 23rd February, 2006 with the panel not adducing any reason for closing so early an event which should reasonably last till 6.00 pm in the evening. All the organizations mentioned, despite being registered after much persuasion were denied the opportunity of expressing their positions. The entire exercise was therefore a close door meeting for the ratification of the third term agenda of Obasanjo. We strongly detest this development and view it as a serious threat to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria for it is in itself a gross misrepresentation of the popular interest and aspirations of the Nigerian people. On a last note, we demand for an unconditional release of the Convener of UAD and the twenty-three activists that are presently detained at Ayetoro Police Station, Osogbo, Osun State.

The names of the organizations prevented from airing their views at the South-West public hearing on the review of 1999 Constitution at Osogbo, Osun State on Wednesday, 22nd February, 2006 (1) Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) (2) Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER) (3) United Action for Democracy (UAD) (4) Apapa Youth Movement (5) Citizens Forum for Constitutional Reform (CFCR) (6) Children’’s Rights (7) Women Advocacy, Research and Documentation Dentre (WARD C) (8) National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADL) (9) Campaign for Democracy (CD) (10) Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) (11) Citizens’ Forum (CF) (12) National Association of Labour and Civil Society Organisation (NALACSO) (13) All-Nigeria Autobike Owners and Workers Association (ANACOWA) (14) The Grassroots Initiative (GI)

A Ray of Hope

Of the saddening and glooming news emanating from Nigeria these days was this report that Shell on Friday was slapped with $1.5billion fine for environmental pollution by a federal high court in Port Harcourt. Just last year another court in Benin city had ordered Shell to stop its pollution and gas flaring. This development happilly points to a new direction on solving the myriad problems plaquing the Niger Delta region and Nigeria in general. The federal government of Obasanjo has continously shown its disinterest in helping its own people this leaves the courts as the only hopeful alternative and the Nigerian courts in all honesty despite having to carry out their operations in a non conducive environment still remain the only hope of the less priviledged in such a predatory society as ours outside of an hobbesian solution. The problem is Nigerians rarely appeal to legal authorities to right wrongs against them. Either they complicitly try to bribe their way around or simply suffer the injustice with grunt and the government with its continous flagrant disobedience of court rulings hasn't help matter but still if we want our democracy to work we must learn to use courts as means of redress.

Obasanjo is irresponsibly dangerous

WARRI— EIGHT persons were feared dead yesterday while about 10 houses were burnt after a military helicopter gunship fired on several barges being used by illegal oil bunkerers at Perezouweikore-gbere, an Ijaw community in the Warri South local government area of Delta State.

Obasanjo's using helicopter gunship to fight illegal bunkering in Warri shows once again the total state of aphasia this administration is in. The lack of idea plagueing the ruling elites. Why use bomb on your own community when you can simply shut down whatever illegal operation was going on peacefully and positively? Is the Nigerian army at war?

“The gunship, on a routine patrol this morning, spotted some barges used by the bunkerers. Accordingly, the barges were destroyed,” said Major Said Hammed, spokesman for the joint military task force based in the Delta.
Hammed said it was not clear whether anyone had been killed in the attack. Around eight barges were destroyed on a river near the scene of the attack.

It spotted the barges and threw bomb on it? These were barges with petrol in them and the possibility of explosion didn't even cautioned these military dimwits, or of human beings getting injured or killed. This is preposterious!!!

Hammed said the task force commander, Brig. Gen Elias Zamani, in turn reported to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Alexander Ogomudia, who ordered the air strike.
Accordingly, he said, the Air Force was ordered to destroy the barges. “The bombardment of the barges caused an explosion, which community leaders now refer to as the bombardment of the entire community.”

When you bombed oil barges within the community vicinity, what do you expect?

“They attacked our people with rocket launchers and so many people are right now missing. Somebody’s hand was cut off by bullet, while several people were inflicted with bullet wounds. We are calling on the Federal Government to come to our rescue. War has been declared on us. Those who were fishing when the attack was launched sustained several injuries and we are looking for over eight persons and we do not know if they are dead now.

So this is how government's operation restore hope is to be carry out then? To annihilate a whole community so that oil business can be secure?

The military operation, which reportedly took place around 1pm yesterday, left the oil city of Warri swarming with victims of the bombardment who claimed the military aircraft took off from Osubi Airstrip, owned by Shell, to rain bombs on their community. The victims most of whom were brought in by speed boats had series of wounds as soldiers guarding the Miller Waterside Jetty prevented newsmen from speaking to them as they were being evacuated.

Lots of catching up to do in communication for Africa

The image below show how much is still needed in communication technology in Africa

Money Miss Road And Why We're Poor

Lles Leba On why the govt may be a money miss road

In order to restrain unbridled credit expansion without commensurate productivity and inadvertently cause inflation, the CBN, according to Professor Soludo, will be forced to intervene in the market and borrow back part of the cash it earlier injected, with the instrument of Treasury bills at a cost of tens of billions of naira!

Taiwo Akerele-Oziametu on Pat Utomi at 50

SUDDENLY, Pat Utomi is 50 years old today! How time flies? This is a man that some few years back was regarded as the Nigerian "whizkid" having bagged a P.hd at the "unripe" age of 26, becoming a Special Assistant to the Nigerian President at 27, still becoming unemployable at 32 having risen to the position of Acting Managing Director of a conglomerate at 29 years of age!

And Utomi on Why Nations Are poor

The point of these profiles in poverty is that the poor have varied characteristics. They are not only lumpen-proletariat. It is also about fact that invariably most of us are made poor because there are far many poor people among us. A collective will to drastically reduce poverty is therefore in the collective best interest.

Looking for Tolerance in the Muslim World

The muslim world will have to wake up to the fact that Mohammed as a historical and religious figure is subject to be worshipped, ridiculed, insulted, glorified, satirized, studied and whole lots of other passive verb one can think of. It comes with the territory. It neither remove from his importance as a religious founder nor tarnish his image in anyway. The conveniency however with which the muslim world always get offended over issues relating to Islam denotes insecurity of which I deemed unwarranted. This underlies how much changes the muslim world will have to undergo; changes however which the arch-conservative and feudalist leaders in power over there seem not ready for. After over 1000 years of practise, islam still can't be as closed as to be offended by cartoon caricatures and issueing fatwas at the ready. If islam is to really be a peaceful religion it has to be a tolerant religion.



Tags: Nigeria,News,Islam, Religion

Fascism In Law and Democracy

The proposed law by the Obasanjo administration to ban outright homosexuality in the country is unconstitutional at best and fascistic at worst. According to Obasanjo's minister of justice Bayo Ojo, the proposed law is in response to Obasanjo's concern over homosexual relations and marriage encroaching on the Nigerian nation. Arguing further Bayo Ojo a lawyer, versed in critical legal studies believes that homosexual is basically "un-African", and to drive home his point he refered us to the "holy books", the Bible and the Quran. Of course the minister missed the irony here. Is there anything more un-African than those "holy books"? And since when regional characteristics become a criteria for making law?

Justification for proposing law cannot be its geographical non-identity. This amount to intellectual bankruptcy on the part of the law giver. Law neither hinges on paternalistic whim nor on moral nor on religious world views. Law's authority is to force social integration and enable justice and in democracy the price we pay for our freedom is that equal freedom must be accord dissenting views and morals. Our morality cannot be the basis for law making otherwise law as a means of social integration fails and merely becomes a strategy of social domination.

Nigeria, News, Homosexual, Law, Democracy