BAMISE AND LAGOS' SECURITY WOES

 It was painful to follow the story of AYANWOLE BAMISE on twitter by @Mercy_McQuin these past few days when she was missing, and then hours following the discovery of her body, with some reports stating that some of her body parts were missing. The discovery of her body was quickly filled with that of the arrest of the driver, whose account sounds very ridiculous to me, even though there's always a place for the benefit of doubt. What is core is that in Lagos presently, security is at its lowest ebb, and the fact that the most frequent mode has been the transport system is the most distressing, as the perpetrators of crime by this means will always find cannon fodder. 

Gone are the days when one read about such issues, or heard of it in news bulletins, but we are now starting to know people that have been affected directly. One of our admin staff at work replaces his phone annually, sometimes twice a year, because its either stolen, lost or mugged in the bus, tricycle or while walking. The last time was atop a motorbike taxi, where he got ridden to an uncompleted building and dispossessed of all he had on him. We allowed a female staff to come in an hour later than every other person in the morning because she was also mugged in a bus, and dispossessed as well. Most recently, a female colleague was relieved of her iPhone and told to alight from the minibus popularly called kórópe in Lagos, as the driver said he wasn't going in her direction anymore. A well known trick between criminally minded bus drivers and their conductors, these days. I'm very sure you will have your own experiences, personal, or of people close to you, but I hope not, the kind in this Bamise's sad situation.

Some people commenting online were wondering how the BRT Buses hitherto considered to be safe turned out to have such a horrific story come to be about it, but I remember that some time ago, it was reported that some passengers inside a BRT bus were robbed at gunpoint. So the potential, apart from the actuality has always been there. Sadly, these crimes now happen at any time of the day, unlike when it was thought to be at the extreme times of day, for which I stopped leaving home every morning until I see the first glimmer of light, and limited my late night outings to only when necessary. Like my colleague who was recently at the receiving end of their activities, many Lagosians have opted to getting their own cars, despite the heavy traffic occasioned by the number of vehicles on very few motorable roads in Lagos, owing to the security situation, over and above any other reason one may site.

Bamise 

boarded the BRT bus outside of the park, from Chevron Bus Stop in Ajah, for her destination in Oshodi, at just around 7pm in the evening. How late was that? She did suspect that something was amiss when the driver had the light of the bus off the whole time she was there, and called her friend on WhatsApp, exchanging voice notes and videos with her, to apprise her of developments till she couldn't anymore. It doesn't appear that the driver remembered that when he was giving the interview that's online now,

 

where he mentioned nothing of the likes, even though like Bamise had revealed in her voice note, that three men and a woman later joined them, and that he, at gunpoint followed their instructions to divert from the course of the journey, to Carter Bridge, where he said he thought they didn't go with her because he saw her struggling with the men while holding on to a pole in the bus, and they alighted before he zoomed off . He conveniently forgot to say anything about turning off the light in the bus, even before he picked the so called passengers that he alleged were the killers of Bamise.

He witnessed all these, according to him but failed to go to any police station to report, so that even the so called ordinarily unempathic and unsympathetic Nigerian police can do the little they can, or in the least, even raise awareness about the situation, but rather he drove the bus to the terminal and parked it there as he would on a good day, then disappeared, until he was apprehended yesterday. I can point to no action of his that suggests that he's innocent of the the crime, but what do I know. I can only hope that the arm of the law catches up with the perpetrators of this crime, which I hate to think may be futile considering the levity with which the case had been treated, and would have remained so, had the late Bamise not had people who consistently and relentlessly pursued her matter, to the best of their ability online, and on ground, enough to get the attention of the authorities and to keep them in their toes.

A few weeks back I called up family in the North to ask how they were doing, and how concerned I was about their safety, and one of them actually laughed telling me that they always have me in their prayers because of the kind of things they hear happening in Lagos leaving them scared for me. I couldn't even counter the thought because after thinking about it, I observed the truism in their concern. Sadly, this is the reality of our time, that people in the North, with all the Boko Haram, ISWAP, kidnappers, marauding herdsmen, bandits, and the likes, think Lagos more unsafe than their locations.

The role twitter has been playing in Nigeria, in solving crime must be emphasised at this point, unfortunately until recently the government felt it trite to have that platform suspended, leaving me wondering how many other crimes occurred within that period of suspension that got swept under the carpet because there was no where to make the subject or topic of missing persons trend. It is often said that crime thrives when the punishment is less than the incentive, which is unfortunately where Nigeria is presently. The Nigerian Police, and other government agencies, especially those tasked with overseeing the environment simply evacuate dead bodies lying on the street without asking salient and germaine questions, like they are the disposal arm (cleaners) of killers and murderers, including ritualists, after harvesting the organs they need from the dead.

The rise of ritual killings in recent times is testament to the decadence in our society. A society that lays emphasis only on riches and wealth, where the wealthy have a say, and the poor foolish, to the detriment of morality and justice. Even children don't want to grow anymore before having and talking about money. Money, and wealth for which no question is asked, just get it. All of the motivational speaking geared towards one aim, money. Sadly, the wealthy can't tell you how they made it, and you can't see or follow their rise in life or business, the way you can track the wealth of the likes of Bill Gates, Elon Musk and the likes. People just wake up one morning, and they are rich, and when you ask they say "Na God", while flaunting the wealth at any given opportunity. So, when boys are told they have to bring this or that part of a human, or even a whole human being for sacrifice to be wealthy, they don't think twice or take a day to think about it before jumping on the so called opportunity.

But our society is what it is, and we must still go around in search of daily bread, attend functions and the likes, visit family, so what to do? Safety precautions have become more than a necessity for now, as that person you haven't seen before (or the one you know even), around you could just be planning to harm you, hence it has become pertinent that we make that a subject of discussion daily, as those whom the government has saddled with the responsibility to protect us seem to be shirking that responsibility. It is sad to note that Bamise took most of the measures she could possibly have, in fact had it not been that she did all that she, maybe she'd have become a mere statistic in the growing number of missing persons, and unclaimed bodies in morgues allover Lagos today. We shouldn't be discouraged though, teaching not just girls, but everyone safety tips, including videos, music and movies about it (rather than more of the ritual and gangster movies) should be paramount, and will go a long way in helping us reduce these sad incidences, while the police should for once be more proactive in combating crime and criminality, with a justice system that must be seen and perceived to be doing, and not perverting the cause of justice.

'kovich

PICTURE CREDIT:
- https://guardian.ng

AS 2023 DRAWS NIGH

2023 is around the corner, and it isn't unusual and unexpected that permutations as to who would emerge as presidential candidates of the major political parties in Nigeria is gearing up. In fact, preparations for who would succeed President Muhammadu Buhari started ín 2019, after he was sworn in for a second term. There are some people who think it started a few months after he won elections in his first term, and it became apparent that not much would be achieved in terms of building up Nigeria as a nation under him. 

After the 2015 Presidential Elections, where the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), an amalgam of four opposition parties, managed an upset, the first of its kind in Nigeria, in an alliance majorly between the core Northern region that Buhari always aced, or garnered assuring numbers from, and the Southwest where former Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu held sway; it looked almost certain that the North will return the favour by backing Tinubu for the presidency in 2023. 

Events thereafter has shown that that assertion may not entirely be true, as no sooner had Buhari gained power, than Tinubu was relegated to the background by what was later to be known as the "cabal", comprising of Buhari's kitchen cabinet, made up of close relatives and allies, all either from his immediate locality of birth, or from the north. He didn't seem to have cast his net that so wide, either during his military career, that propelled him to the position of Head Of State, or his political career during the many times he vied for the presidency, in the way he made his choice of those who would be close to him on the basis of trust, especially gained from working with such persons for years, in the past. 

Before his reelection however, he appeared to favour the mending of fences with Tinubu and once again the tape as with the first term was replayed after he regained power, as most of Tinubu's men in government and in the party were either shoved out or rendered redundant or quiet. When the Vice President 'Yemi Osinbajo (a Tinubu ally), instilled hope and shone as a bright light in the many absences of Buhari while the latter travelled abroad to cater to his health, he soon became relegated (from the first term, till date), such that subsequently power was henceforth not transmitted to him whenever his principal was away. Recently though, there's been some noise around the candidacy of Osinbajo with certain groups making it seem like he has the blessing of Buhari to succeed him. President Buhari in a recent and rare interview with the press did allude to the fact that he has a preferred candidate, but would rather not say for now, for the safety of the person. It would appear that Tinubu must've decided it most timely to appear at this stage with his visit to the Presidential villa yesterday. 

He emerged from that meeting with the president to intimate the press that he just informed the latter of his intention to run for the presidency next year, as part of his consultations before making his official declaration. This will be seen in many quarters as him getting ahead of the news, and ending conjectures surrounding his intentions that have gained ground over the years. It can also be viewed as a form of soft reminder to the incumbent of a gentleman agreement that may have existed in the past before Tinubu threw in his political capital to support and propel the former to power, in case he was beginning to forget, or finding it convenient not to remember that such a thing ever existed, even though there might not be evidence whatsoever to substantiate the claim. 

In the midst of these is what the opposition People's Democratic Party is doing. The discordant tune from there though not as loud as in the APC now where everyone is suspiciously eyeing each other, is just as much significant. Southeast politicians who feel they've always kept faith with the party are unhappy with their northern counterparts who feel that fielding a northerner as their presidential candidate in 2023 is the only way the PDP can regain power at the centre, as they seem to be saying that there's no way northerners would overlook (and pass on the chance of producing a president of Northern extraction yet again) a northern candidate, even if from the PDP for a southerner (if the APC opts to go south), and have power removed from the north for another eight years. Elements in the APC who do not want a Tinubu pocketing Nigeria the way he's done with Lagos will be the ones he will have to battle not just for his political future, but for that of any one he might decide to support should odds become stacked against his ambition, and he decides to yield, especially as those opposed to his candidacy are beginning to chance on his age, and possibly health status as their reasons. 

The day is still young though and only time can reveal what lies in stock for everyone one of us. The undeniable fact is that whoever takes over Nigeria in 2023 will have his work cut out for him. A significant event that made many yearn for 2023 was Buhari's seeming helplessness to the activities of Fulani herdsmen, his kinsmen, whom it appears seized on the opportunity that the president was of their tribe, and that most of those at the helm of affairs of the security and intelligence agencies were also of their tribe (at the time), and might be sympathetic to their cause, carried out acts of killings and brigandage with impunity, focusing initially on the North-Central region, Benue State particularly before spreading their nets further afield to other adjoining states in the South, in what was later to be officially termed farmer-herder clashes, even though most of those termed farmers (including women and children) were butchered while they slept at night. 

With the spate of killings and the increasing level of insecurity across the country, many States have adopted something akin to state police by setting up security agencies officially to assist the security agencies with the work of policing their states, and unofficially to nip the activities of marauding herdsmen and criminal gangs operating in their name, in the bud. These groups are especially active in the southwest, as Amotekun, while they are less visible in the Southeast as Ebubeagu, and in places like Benue State they are called Forest Guards. There's no gsinsaying the fact that under the Buhari administration, the security situation has worsened, but unlike many bad situations that have good aftermath, it has also led to the equipping of nigeria's military with hardware that in the future, under proper leadership could be put to the good use of defending the nation's sovereignty and integrity. 

The economy of Nigeria has never been this badly hit in recent times, with the currency battered and hardly competing with its foreign counterparts, alongside mounting debt portfolio that may have been suretied with Nigeria's abundant oil and gas deposits, which is also been threatened with the world gradually and steadily opting for greener alternatives, meaning that those hydrocarbon deposits may not be able to bail us out later. Sadly, the government that promised to diversify, seemed to focus majorly on one thing, and one thing alone, since coming to power, seeking for oil, and it's exploration thereof in the North, to give it bragging rights over the Niger Delta, to stop the latter from holding the country, and northern rulers to the jugular. In the recent interview President Buhari granted, he responded to the issue of the dwindling economic fortunes of Nigeria by saying he'd always asked Nigerians to return to the farm, and one commentator retorted that if agriculture was so important to the president how is it that it is to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and not that of Agriculture and Water Resources that he thought to expend his energy as Minister, which he runs alongside his job as president. The paradox of it all is that the farms are also the places that have become one of the most insecure places to be in today's Nigeria. 

Diehard supporters of President Buhari point to the infrastructural strides he's made, but close their eyes to the cost, not in Naira and Kobo, or Dollars and Yuan, but in what was mortgaged to secure the loans thereof. One time the legislature sought to know the terms and conditions associated with the loans obtained from the Chinese to upgrade Nigeria's rail network, Transport minister, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi responded by saying that digging into the matter will discourage the Chinese lenders from further and future financial and technical support, and after a few more wrangling they (legislators) let the matter rest. Is this how a country is, and should be run? Another issue related to this is how political, sectional and primordial considerations determine the siting of infrastructure over need, and commercial viability. 

These are just a few of the strings Nigeria is trying to balance on, that those in power have set us on, away from terra firma, that anyone wishing to takeover must career us from. Sadly, by the nature alone, of those putting themselves forward, or those suspected to be nursing the ambition, especially in the big parties, there's no sign of change (for the better) in the horizon. There are better and younger people available, even in the so called big parties, they will, and some have already indicated interest to run, but unfortunately Nigeria is structured in such a way as to not allow its best to be put out for elective positions, and in the few occasions, those taught to be idealists make it into power, they are soon corrupted by the perks of their position, and end up turning up worse than the politicians we hoped they'd outperform. Our only consolation is that life must go on regardless, and because no matter how wicked, heartless, and anti-people a government's policy(-ies) might turn out to be, there will always be that one or two things that regime will do to move the country forward. It is those little things that I look forward to, while hoping that the number of such increases with time along with the changes that time enables, because as for individuals in power, in Nigeria, they are usually more, of the same. 

'kovich

 

SOUTHEAST NIGERIA'S UNKNOWN GUNMEN

The #EndSARS protest last year and it's aftermath was a message to the people and government in Southeastern Nigeria that things cannot remain the same anymore. Sadly, while the Governor in Lagos moved beyond just paying lip service to working on recommendations from the panel set up to probe the activities of SARS as well as paying compensation to victims and families of victims, those set up in the Southeast and the South-South regions where no more than spectacles and theatres of the absurd, where impediments upon impediments were placed in the way of petitioners, all in the name of requirements and processes, which led to no end. Eventually the whole process, like the charade it was fashioned out to become, fizzled out. The lot of them unceremoniously, without the submission of any paper to the governors to act upon, even if it was just for the show of it.


The fact that nothing was done by the Southeastern governors to address the issues relating to police brutality and Extrajudicial Killings of young men especially, after the protests, with the names of some policemen suspected to have indulged in human rights violations mentioned, with the hope that their activities will be investigated, and thereafter prosecuted, only to find the same people walking the streets free, which is akin to rubbing insults on the raw wounds of the victims, their relatives and others this affected. When some youths decided to take up arms against the state, it was no surprise that they started with the checkpoints dotting the landscape of Southeastern Nigeria at a time when there was relative peace, and the people and their representative 👉🏽 CHECKPOINTS IN NIGERIA'S SOUTHEAST had at one time or the other spoken up about the money-spinning machine that checkpoints on the roads in that region have become for policemen, soldiers, naval ratings, customs men and officers, civil defence, as well as other uniformed security and paramilitary personnel. From there, these men now referred to as Unknown Gunmen, (a media creation, following denials by IPOB, of responsibility for the rampant destruction of lives and property by the former), expanded their operations to include police stations, correctional facilities, and other security outposts.


The insecurity in Imo State, is of a different dimension in that it appears to have political undertone, so much so that while the governor raised alarm to highlight the peculiar nature of the insecurity in his state, especially the political dimension to it, he stopped short of placing responsibility solely at the feet of his political opponents belonging to the opposition party, seeing as he is battling opposition within the rank and file of his own party as well. It was in Imo State that the erstwhile I.G. of Police, pronounced the Eastern Security Network (the armed wing of IPOB), ESN responsible for the insecurity there, off the cuff, without as much as investigating the matter, only to find that he'd been relieved of his position, while the words were hardly out of his mouth, though that was hardly as a consequence of his misguided utterance (in this particular case) than it was that his removal was overdo, and therefore predetermined for that day, unbeknownst to him.


The ESN claim their mandate is to rid Igboland of murderous fulani herdsmen, and have continually denied involvement in other activities at variance with their stated objective, but it appears the security agencies couldn't be bothered with distinctions as they rained all of their coercive might on anything aimed and poised against them in the Southeast, amidst allegations of human rights abuses against innocent citizens from Southeastern Nigeria. It didn't help that a meeting held by the hierarchy of Nigeria's military to discuss the security situation in the South East and the tackling of same, to restore peace and normalcy in the region had no one from the region present, because of the lopsided appointments especially in the security sector of Nigeria, that's been the hallmark of this administration. The tone of the president in statements credited to him, as well as in his new found love for interviews, haven't allayed the fears of Igbos that the present intifada in the Southeast by the military does not have the blessings of their principal, and Commander-in-Chief.


The video that went viral, of some residents in some town in the Southeast, hailing armed men, appeared to me very disturbing. Even the non-discerning could tell that it wouldn't be long before these Unknown Gunmen will turn their arms on the people, after successfully dismantling checkpoints in the east. I wondered then, of their intentions didn't go beyond sacking those checkpoints to relieve the people of that region of a major burden only, or was it really intended to provide a safe haven for them to continue to carry out nefarious and criminal activities, without let or hindrance. Today the activities of UGM is now looking more like a guns for hire situation, with business people, politicians (latest of which was the decapitation of a security guard to a member of the national assembly from Imo State, after the UGM met his absence), and just the everyday person, bearing the brunt. It seems that many are using the opportunity this security crisis created to settle scores, while lives are also being lost as part of collateral damage, as UGM seem to be employed to right perceived injustices and/or to perpetrate one looks to be the norm, rather than the exception these days, such that threats from one person to annihilate another are no longer taken as jokes or mere threats anymore these days.


In the midst of all these madness, "Bakassi Boys", who held sway in the early days of the return to civil rule in 1999, notable for their extrajudicial killings of those suspected of armed robbery and the likes; staged a return with a parade somewhere in Awka a few days back, in the full glare of residence, firing gunshots at random, with loud music in the background, with no police or other government security apparati anywhere in sight. 

This time around, they claim they have come to continue in the same light, and also to battle cultists whose activities in Anambra State have 

grown worrisome in recent times. Only time will tell if they will cross paths with UGM, if they considered the latter's activities to be at cross purposes to theirs. I shudder to imagine what such a scenario will look like. 

Sadly, when the security agents descend, the arrests they carry out are arbitrary, with those who eventually managed to get released claiming they only did so, after parting with huge sums of money. Many others are said to not have been so lucky, especially in the period when judiciary workers were on strike, and none of those arrested were charged to court, and couldn't be bailed. When a truck fell into a ditch in Onitsha, with the contents (bullets) of it's container got spilt on the road, with residents moving beyond shock and bewilderment to picking them, the security agencies should have known that many more like that would've passed through successfully and without incidence, hence should've been more proactive, rather than the reactions we have now, that's resulted into the arrest of innocents, after the UGM have had a field day to themselves, and yet continue to wreak havoc in the region.


Another unfortunate angle to all these, is the attack and torching of offices of the electoral agency, INEC in the region, with elections in just a few months in Anambra, and in 2023 nationwide. It now appears like there's a plan to disenfranchise the people from exercising their franchise, and precluding them from determining who will lead them at several levels of government and governance, and through whom dividends of democracy can be passed down to the grassroots. Unfortunately, as regards dividends of democracy, the Southeast region has fared badly, with so much left to be desired, at all levels, and from all levels of government. If truth be told, it is the lack of government presence in the Southeast, that can be fingered as one of the reasons driving the agitation for secession, that personalities like Nnamdi Kanu are latching on to promote their agenda.


It is doubtful though that things will change should Biafra be handed the Igbo on a platter, because the leaders will either be today's slave masters, or new ones, who will be same as the old. Just look at the audacity with which Nnamdi Kanu issues orders to anyone listening to his rants (as most times that is what his words come through as), and you wonder how Biafra under that sort of person could be. The fact that people stayed back at home, after his so called "order", in honour of lost and dead loved ones during the civil war, doesn't necessary mean they support IPOB's ideals, many did in the spirit of "Ozoemena", while others could've just because of the atmosphere of insecurity in the east, and the fear that the government forces could be battling UGM and/or IPOB/ESN on the day, and innocents could be caught in the crossfire. Either way, Igbos could definitely do without the threats, from Nnamdi Kanu and his followers prior to May 30.


If Igbo people can be truthful about some things, even the much revered Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in some of his statements appeared not to leave much room for compromise or considerations for an alternative path to pursue things, and how that could have negatively affected the fortunes of Biafra, in those heady days, is not difficult to imagine. How are we sure that even if the referendum that's being sought by IPOB and other secessionist groups are granted, the results won't go against their wishes? Especially, when you consider that Igbo though insular in the way their locale is set, especially post civil war, but international in outlook, would want to be boxed in, for which President Muhammadu Buhari in an unscripted response in a recent interview described Igboland as a "dot in a circle" (which Igbo youths are currently running with, as you'd take up a name defiantly, just to spite those who thought to diminish you by it).

The truth is, if the utopia the Igbo dream of cannot be perceived today in the slightest, it will not be realised wholesale in Biafra tomorrow. Any change Igbos desire, must begin today and must be required and demanded of the leaders/rulers today by the people, against waiting until Biafra comes. For now, the Igbo must learn to negotiate to their advantage, within the present framework, beyond merely getting political power at the centre, but unto other items that will make life and the conduct of their business and enterprise flourish, and easier to manage. That the Igbo are disadvantaged today, doesn't mean they will remain so tomorrow, for only if the Igbo exist, will they live to see a government tomorrow that will be less discriminatory, either led by an Igbo son, or not.


'kovich

#END_SARS_NOW

When white police officers shoot and kill armless black people, it's easy to label it institutionalised racism, which makes it difficult to explain what to term the same barbarity when it happens between policemen in Nigeria, killing Nigerian youths when both are black. What is most unfortunate about this, is that in America the government joins in the conversation, while in Nigeria the organs of government keep mum, almost as if the police is acting according to instructions from them. The frequency with which the anti - robbery squad have been going about mowing down the youth of this country in recent times with brazen impunity, compared to the recent past where activities by them tail off after another video of them extrajudicially murdering someone comes to fore, and are then reported to have been arrested and awaiting prosecution, suggests that either they've seen that no punishment was eventually meted out to the erring ones formerly arrested, or whatever leash or restrictions that existed (no matter how weak), has now been totally lifted.

There are certain peculiarities about the harassment and killing of Nigerians by mostly the Special Anti-Robberies Squad, SARS of the Nigerian Police, that leaves the discerning wondering if there's an agenda behind the unending tales of woe coming from Nigerian youths regarding they way they are being treated by the Nigerian police. The main peculiarity is the fact that most of these infringements on the rights of Nigerians occur in the South, leaving one to suspect a subjugation agenda against Southerners, especially the young people of the region. It used to be that they were profiled, and those with tattoos, dreadlocks, wearing jewellery, possessing expensive smart phones, driving state of the art automobiles, amongst others were targeted, however recent cases of harassment suggests that just about any other person is now a target for these men, and all of a sudden no one is safe, at the hands of those whose core responsibility is to protect Nigerians from the hands of armed robbers. Unfortunately, while these SARS men target those they've so profiled to be criminals or fraudsters, their ilks are the sort who provide security for the real gangsters, fraudsters and criminals in town, so what are we saying? 

The experiences of most Nigerians at the hands of these men have been horrifying to say the least. The least that can happen to those who are unfortunate to fall victims to them, is extortion. Victims could also get beaten up, sustaining life altering and/or threatening injuries sometimes, and in increasing cases, loss of lives. Though online personalities like the famous Segalink, have at various times come to the rescue of hapless Nigerians after coming in contact with these evil minded gun-toting wretches, sadly the experience once felt cannot be unfelt, and any compensation (usually refunds only) does little to nothing to erase the scars, physical as well as physiological, suffered by the victims. Also, the fact that Segalink and other activists like him cannot be allover Nigeria, even in the South where the activities of these criminals is rampant means that the unreported number of Nigerians who do not get redress is far more than those who do, and for the dead, they would have died, for nothing!

The saddest part of this is the silence. The silence from those who could truly cause all of this to stop. Those whose silence makes them appear complicit, include those in the executive arm of government, who by just issuing a statement could bring this to a halt, and also bringing to book errant members of the police force who perpetrate these heinous crimes, to members of the legislature who could raise the issue as a matter of urgent national importance, to people whose voices matter in the society, whose voices they speedily append to political talk, but have suddenly gone dumb, even deaf since the harassment and killing of armless Nigerians became a thing, amongst police officers, before you begin to mention so called influencers on social media, some of whom for some pittance turned their backs on the suffering of their fellow citizens by trying to justify the actions of the bloodletters in uniform.

Beyond ending SARS, a reorganisation of the Nigerian Police Force has become necessary, if not long overdue. This is because even before SARS became a menace, the regular police were not any better, and I have written about that in BAIL IS FREE, therefore any reform shouldn't be piecemeal, rather holistic, from those extorting motorists on the roads and highways, to those at the police station who make a lie of the fact that "bail is free", and the likes. This must be done if the shame that the Nigerian Police has constituted itself to be amongst Nigerians, and before the outside world is to be a thing of the past. Merely banning their activities on the road, as the Inspector General of Police has just done will not cut, as this latest action is the umpteenth time it's happening, only to subtly resume, and return to its menacing levels once again. We've been here before, hence much more than mere rhetorics is what is needed now, with the Police Reform Bill properly implemented to the latter, or if found wanting scrutinised to ensure that areas that provide leeway for the abuse of the rights of Nigerians are expunged.

'kovich 

UWA

So many issues shattered the peace of this weekend in Nigeria, but I doubt any other news (including the rape of a girl by several men, and a teenage girl shot by trigger happy policeman) had the traction that the rape and death of Vera Uwaila Omozuwa

 had on and over Nigerians. I feel like rewriting what I just wrote now, because there's no peace to be shattered in Nigeria, not over a weekend, and definitely not over a working week. Even Covid-19 didn't have the power to protect Nigerians from unfortunate events, that will make any ear that hears it tinge. We don't know how to cry again in Nigeria, the voice of the people have been stifled by a regime that considers protests illegal, so you won't see, or you will see only a few brave people on the streets, so we turn only to social media to vent, and hope not to be found and incarcerated, as has been the case with missing Dadiyata for months on end, while politicians and those in positions of authority hardly add their voices to these things, that bug us on the streets, like they were of no consequence to issues of governance, and therefore have nothing to do with them.


During my university days on campus, after libraries were closed (I was even locked up in one, after I slept off), and classes were too far to walk to, buildings of churches and mosques were the next available and popular spots to go read. Tutorials also happened there, organized by Catholic, Pentecostal fellowships and Muslim groups, when it seemed like there was a competition to see which of the groups produced the better students. Another reason why they were choice spots was because there was always "light" in those places for some reason or the other, and unlike other reading spots, they were the safest, especially as regards the possibility of rape for female students, and mugging for both male and female students. Going to read in religious places is a tradition that preceded my time in school, and I was sure will succeed me. It stands to reason also that students who are not within campuses may also want to continue the tradition outside campuses. On these streets, we celebrated children reading under streetlights of busy roads while selling wares with their mothers, or on their own. A bank recently decided to sponsor a girl's education, after she was found using the light from their ATM to read. 

If we begin to list the reasons why Uwa decided to go and read at the church that fateful night, we might not be able to exhaust them all fully. However, what happened to her later that night would've been the last thing she expected, and especially at that location. Sadly, our police and policing haven't developed to the point where forensics could have been able to tell us whether the motive was murder, or attempted murder following rape, or attempted rape, and until a culprit that's not coerced to tell the truth, is found what we have as information regarding Uwa's death, remains just speculations by those who saw her after the dastardly acts have been committed, leaving her in a coma, from which she eventually passed on.

Even though the police mentioned something about finger prints on the fire extinguisher cylinder, I doubt Edo State police command has the wherewithal to pursue that, and if they do, which database have they to tally their findings with. An autopsy will definitely reveal the horrors she passed through, and cause of her death, but will not reveal who her perpetrators are. Sadly, the record of the Nigerian police as regards rape is abysmally poor and nothing to write home about. Before human rights activists, and bodies committed to fighting sexual violence in all its forms came to be, victims of rape had no one to turn to, as the police was known to further compound their predicament, even in cases where the rapists were caught during the act. On several occasions, the police that should protect victims, and bring perpetrators to book, championed so called "peace moves" and "settlement proposals" from the rapists' people to the victim's family.


It is the lack of justice for victims over the years, that have continued to enable rapists, the results of which is evident in the metro section of our newspapers daily. Even religious leaders are not left out as perpetrators, and babies even as young as a few months are not left out as victims, talk more of teenagers, young adults like Uwa, and women. When everybody was looking at India as the rape capital of the world, the news about rape in Nigeria was there, a constant, just like in South Africa, only that the world didn't seem to have our time. The Nigerian society looks like a society that enables sexual violence against females, and the reports are there, have been there, and once a while there's the noise either in sex for marks scandal in universities, or the occasional story on twitter that will trend for a few days, and then disappear, without any recourse to legal aid, but someone's life would've been scarred and/or ruined, sometimes for life, even when the seem to be enjoying family life, in seemingly blissful marriages.


I hope that the death of Uwa will not go the way of others. This is not the first time that a Governor, a Commissioner of Police, even the Inspector General of Police will be on a matter, yet justice will remain a fleeting illusion. Nothing remains newsworthy in Nigeria beyond a week, and that's even when it's most dastardly, and usually it is overtaken by something worse making one wonder if the country isn't one big movie set for a horror movie. It is painful not to imagine how things can be done differently, seeing as the rhetoric is the same as has always been, when things like this happen. It is the helplessness Nigerians feel with the police and the criminal justice system, when crimes are committed, that leaves the Nigerian society with no option than to resort to self help, especially when the culprit is caught red handed. I want to be optimistic, but there's not even a straw to hold on to now. I pray the Almighty gives Uwa's family the fortitude to bear this great loss.


'kovich


PICTURE CREDIT:
- https://m.guardian.ng
- https://www.pulse.ng

ÀMÒTÉKÙN

The law of unintended consequences, that is the only thing that comes to my mind when I think about Àmòtékùn, the security outfit set up by governors in Nigeria's southwest. It is difficult not to see how it's formation doesn't have basis in the way Nigeria's security apparatus appears skewed in favour of the North, leaving other parts of Nigeria wandering whether they still matter in the "security" scheme of things; more so, when those parts of Nigeria are experiencing security challenges, with accusing fingers pointed at marauders suspected to be from the section of the country from where the hierarchy of the security agencies hail from, leaving them suspect as to whether there exists a reluctance to bring perpetrators to justice. This is coupled with the fact that in many, if not all of the cases, justice isn't seen to be done, in the midst of the impunity with which the acts of killings and brigandage are carried out.

The speed with which the attorney general rushed to condemn the outfit, calling it illegal, when there are groups setup with similar objectives in the North (especially in areas ravaged by insurgency, and banditry, besides Kano's hisbah, which is "religious police", so enabled that recently a member of the police landed in their net during a raid at a hotel), further confirmed the fears of many that the federal government, not only appearing to be treating the security of lives and properties of Nigerians with levity, show no intent to allow Nigerians defend themselves. Indeed, it won't be the first time, as before now Nigerians had been urged to submit arms and ammunitions in their possession, whether legally or illegally obtained, without extending same to herdsmen who brandish theirs in broad daylight for all to see, under the guise that they come in handy when they are attacked by humans (raiders) or wild animals, when they traverse the forests especially at night.


All it took for the attorney general, Abubakar Malami to sing a new tune, was the statement by APC's national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu which tried to soothe nerves at both ends of the divide. A meeting of the governors, with the attorney general, and the vice president followed later, and from the look of things a place of accommodation was found, and just like that Àmòtékùn wasn't illegal anymore, or a loophole was found via which their operations could be legalised. Now, every region in Nigeria seem to be keen to setting up a security outfit of the likes Àmòtékùn,

like "Shege Ka Fasa"

 setup by a coalition of northern groups. Interestingly, while Àmòtékùn's sigil is the leopard, the lion is that of Shege Ka Fasa, leaving me to wonder what animal the southeast (whose dying regional party, APGA's symbol, is the cock) will use as symbol, when their regional security outfit comes online.


Interestingly, military operations in recent times have also had animals depicted expressing emotions, such as "crocodile smile, python dance", etc especially at a period snakes and monkeys have been accused of stealing and embezzlement, by Nigerians who at one time or the other had public funds placed under their care, yet many Nigerians took exception when Nigeria was referred to as a zoo by one seeking a referendum to determine whether a part of Nigeria, should remain in Lord Lugard's contraption or out of it. The fact that soldiers were deployed to police any or every part of Nigeria shows an aberration in the first place, worse still to have the populace lose confidence in them too, like the police before them, enough to have to be accused of colluding with bandits (evidenced not long after with the now cold "Wadume" case, interestingly in the same Taraba State, as that of General T.Y. Danjuma who made the allegations) and marauders by an ex-military general, who thereafter asked his people to defend themselves, shows how badly things have gone security-wise with Nigeria. Even the American government based its visa restrictions to Nigeria on security, in what can be described as the lowest Nigeria has ever been since it gained independence.


It therefore didn't come as a surprise to me when Àmòtékùn moved from conjecture to the real deal, because the clamour for regional police has been on for sometime, achieving a deafening crescendo under Buhari's administration, which is perceived as thinking that members of security agencies from other parts of Nigeria, including civilian and political officers charged with key security responsibilities, weren't competent enough to address security matters and challenges, when over time not much improvement has been recorded with the present crop of officers in command and politicians/civilians in charge. Interestingly, the military chiefs overdue for retirement, yet still retained have been a source of concern for close watchers of security events in Nigeria, who surmise that this may affect the morale of officers who have found themselves stagnated in service, or even forced to retire, as there's been a ceiling to their enhancement because the top has yet to give way. As for the men, prosecuting the war on terror, it is no surprise that morale is low, as there seem to be no change in tactics, and if recent amateur videos from the war front are anything to go by, they are also battling with lack of equipments, and most importantly, simple basic amenities needed to maintain life, and sustain the onslaught against insurgents in the northeast.


What couldn't be achieved by democratic means, via a referendum for instance, or by an act of legislation, in terms of decentralising the police force, as you'd expect from a federation (Nigeria's federation is a lie) appears to now being fondled with, with the formation of Àmòtékùn and the likes that may evolve from the other parts of Nigeria. Sadly, lives have been lost, properties destroyed in the face of a helpless and "disinterested" security architecture. These regional security outfits, should they become a thing, and thrive, may become the precursor for state policing, that many who seek the restructuring of Nigeria have been asking for. The present knee jerk rhetoric by the federal government to midwife "Community Policing", that will include just about every other regular person, on a voluntary basis, I consider dead on arrival, because it still doesn't take security issues serious, as it mirrors what was behind the formation of the civil defence corp, whose duty today in the scheme of things cannot be distinctly explained, one of them recently shot dead the politician he was attached as aide to, while shooting "into the air", in celebratory mood at a victory party organised by the latters' colleague.


'kovich


PICTURE CREDIT:
- www.dailypost.ng

ON CHECKPOINTS IN NIGERIA'S SOUTHEAST

A few days ago I left for Umuahia to attend, on behalf of my family, the burial and funeral ceremony of an in-laws late mother. The details of the burial, including how she was interred within the grounds of the floor of what used to be her bedroom, will form the text of my ongoing treatise on Igbo burials. For now, I'll focus on what I observed making the journey by road, especially as regards checkpoints, which has become quite topical considering the volume of traffic to the east during this festive period. 

The matter of checkpoints in the Eastern part of Nigeria isn't one that is new to the Igbo of the region, and indeed it would seem as if we've become accustomed to it. However, the fact that it appears to have outlived its usefulness, in terms of curbing security breaches, which continue to take place in spite of the siege, coupled with the fact that they now serve as extortion spots, especially of commercial vehicles, and private ones, which the security agents on the beat consider to have run foul of traffic laws, or vehicle licence and registration codes, of which the amount to be extorted is at the discretion of the armed men, and the ability of the victim to negotiate, should be a source of concern to well meaning Nigerians.

I had listened to Senator Uche Ekwunife from Anambra State, on the floor of the National Assembly just days before my journey to Umuahia, complaining about 

the inconvenience and nuisance the security checkpoints in the southeastern part of Nigeria have come to represent in recent times, and I decided to pay attention to the situation during my journey, not because I wasn't aware of the menace, or hadn't noticed them on past journeys (in fact, I remember blogging about it, as part of another story), but I hadn't considered to particularly not each of the checkpoints, as I encountered them in the East, till now. So, from Onitsha I began taking notes, and found there to be twelve checkpoints between Onitsha and my destination in Umuahia. Below is listed, the checkpoints, the arm of the security agency/agencies manning them, and their locations 👇🏿


1. FRSC + CUSTOMS + POLICE, at Oba in Anambra State.
2. POLICE, just before Ekwusigo LGA, at Ozubulu in Anambra State.
3. POLICE FEDERAL HIGHWAY PATROL, about 100m from number 2.
4. POLICE FEDERAL HIGHWAY PATROL, Okija, also in Anambra State.
5. FRSC + SOLDIERS, few metres from Total Filling Station, a popular landmark in Ihiala, Anambra State.
6. RAPID RESPONSE SQUAD, Umunoha, Imo State.
7. NIGERIA POLICE FORCE, Avu/Obosima Way, Owerri, Imo State.
8. MOBILE POLICE FORCE, Emekuku, Owerri North, Imo State.
9. MILITARY CHECKPOINT, AzaraOwalla, Owerri, Imo State.
10. POLICE, one of them with his pistol in its holster, in Aboh Mbaise, Imo State.
11. MILITARY CHECKPOINT, Umuekwule Umuopara, Umuahia, Abia State.
12. MILITARY CHECKPOINT, on Ojike Street, Umudike, Umuahia, Abia State.

Except for one of the checkpoints manned by men of the Nigerian Police Force, that our Sienna driver seemed to know the policeman that accosted him personally, the driver had to part with some money at all of the other eleven checkpoints. The men at these checkpoints seemed interested only in the money, from the drivers of commercial vehicles, and the big ones from private car drivers, with tinted glasses with or without the requisite permits, to haulage vehicles. Indeed, we came across a man who was making frantic calls to someone I guess was higher up to impress upon the men at the checkpoint to not make a fuss about his vehicle with tinted glasses.


I witnessed first hand, how much time is wasted at these checkpoints, precious time that could've been useful to run an errand within a reasonable timeframe, and wondered if those who thought of these considered the unusual scenarios that emergencies created in the first place. A fellow passenger lamented that though the civil war ended in 1970, eastern Nigeria is still under siege, and it is that, beyond any other consideration, is why there is this much security and military grandstanding in the Southeast, despite the fact that it is one of the most peaceful regions in Nigeria. Unfortunately, now that the men at the checkpoints have turned the roads to their ATM (like that of a returnee from Canada, whose story trended on Twitter a few days back, who was fleeced of six hundred thousand Naira, by men of the Nigerian Police on his way to the East), it appears unlikely that a change in the direction of reducing the checkpoints is imminent, rather the opposite is expected in view of the nature of the festive season, and the lie that heightened security and checkpoints will be needed to ensure the safety of lives and properties of travelers, to and from the East.


'kovich


PICTURE CREDIT:
- httpshttps://www.hrw.org/news

WITH A MONTH TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

With a month to Nigeria's Presidential Elections (between Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party, and incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives' Congress, APC),

to say the atmosphere is charged will be an understatement. Indeed, the days when one could easily predict that the results will go one way or the other is past. Maybe the way to put it is that the days of landslide victories are over, and even though there may be a frontrunner presently, it's possible that an event, or series of events very close to the elections may tilt the majority of votes from one candidate to the other. So, if you asked me now, I'd tell you that it is yet too close to call, a far cry from me four years ago when I was more confident to make a prediction, that fell totally flat to the eventual result, and led to the historic loss of a presidential election by the incumbent to the opposition.



I understand why many think that I may be wrong in thinking that it is too close to call at this time, and already gifting the incumbent with victory, and the truth is that I won't and can't totally disagree with them. This administration isn't anything like the one they ousted, and while you might be thinking about things like anti-corruption stance, integrity and other propaganda language they've regaled Nigerians with, it is with other things, and areas that make me think it different. For one, unlike President Goodluck Jonathan, who was squeamish about any Nigerian losing his/her blood by reason of his ambition, his successor is noted to have maintained an eerie silence when bloodshed followed his loss at the polls in the penultimate election before the one that brought him to power. Meaning that, he's the type that may not be unwilling to leave anything off the table, as options to ensuring he wins re-election into office for a second term.


Two, unlike his predecessor who treated the opposition with kids' gloves, President Muhammadu Buhari brooks no dissent, and does not stay his hand in pulling them down, either by roping them with corruption charges (guilty or not), or exhumation of old and cold cases, including that of murder (acquitted or not), illegal possession of arms 
or linking them with armed robberies just because the perpetrators are known to the politicians involved, as thugs and political enforcers (and it doesn't matter if the same tactics are employed by those on his side). This administration has shown it can be relentless in clamping down on perceived enemies, or those it thinks may be unyielding in towing it's desired path, should push come to shove, following a tightly contested race, which is the only way one can describe the ordeal of the present Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.


Three, President Buhari has never conceded defeat in the elections he'd lost before the last one, in which he emerged victorious. He never congratulated those he lost to, and as president, never congratulated candidates of the opposition who won governorship positions over his partys', like with Bayelsa and Anambra States. What a free and fair election must mean to him, would be such where he's victorious. Hence, when he says he will ensure that the next elections will be free and fair, one could easily conjecture what that implies, and fear that he may not relinquish power, even if he loses the coming presidential election.


Four, this President has no qualms filling sensitive positions with close family, friends, allies mostly of his ethnic group,

or from the north. From having no urge to have a close relative of his at the echelon of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC redeployed, even based on his much touted integrity; to his unwillingness to retire the Inspector General of Police who'd reached the mandatory age of retirement, maybe by reason of how that kind of change, so close to the General Elections can impact on things (even though going by his nature, a replacement will be a northerner, of which he seems to be comfortable), yet not feeling such when it felt trite to bring down a CJN (whom he dragged his feet to announce, until he fell ill and had to travel abroad for treatment, and the then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, did the needful) for not fully disclosing his assets before the Code Of Conduct Tribunal, which if all goes according to plans, may also be replaced by a pliable northerner.


I could go on and on, but the above alone shows how difficult a task it is for former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to win the next elections. These are even beyond the politics, and the rigging, accompanied by federal might that usually accompanies such in Nigeria. Atiku's financial war chest which definitely isn't infinite cannot save him now, as the gale of high-profile defections from his camp to that of the ruling party have continued to show, and would take more than the release of embarrassing tapes, audio and video by self-exiled Reno Omokri to turn this tide around in his favour. This is because President Buhari doesn't have a following in the true sense of it, rather something in the likes of worshippers, who though they may not claim he's a god, relate to him as one. Mostly in the core north, and to a lesser extent fanatically by supporters elsewhere in Nigeria, while in the southwest it is more a political decision as they (Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu particularly) eye the presidency in 2023, without a care as to whether there'll still be a Nigeria to govern by then, should Buhari get a second chance at running Nigeria the way he'd so far done.


'kovich 



PICTURE CREDIT:
- www.dailytrust.com.ng

OSHIOMHOLE'S CROSS

No one could've predicted that the All Progressives' Congress, APC would fall this deep into chaos after former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole

took over the reins of power from the much maligned (in hindsight, apparently for no just cause) former National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie Oyegun, who was removed by the intrigues of a very powerful cabal in the APC under the guise of his perceived inability to quell discontent amongst the rank and file of party members, and as part of the sacrifice President Buhari had to make to retain the support of such powerful persons. Indeed, it would appear that the only job Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeeded in doing, when he was saddled with the responsibility of reconciling disgruntled members of the APC, was having the former chairman removed, and once the movement to actualize that was set in motion, he appeared to have wrapped up the committee and moved on to other things. As it stands, the only glue holding the party together is President Muhammadu Buhari, such that it would appear that even though members could work against their party in their respective states in next year's elections, they seem to remain genuinely favourable to ensuring the president gets his second term with their hard work, at least for now.

When Adams Oshiomhole became the chairman, the smouldering flame of discontent within the APC had taken on a new life, and though he initially appeared to genuinely want to resolve and put out the flames, he ended up finding that he couldn't manage disappointments from those he thought he could sway. Naturally, those who were on the side of the deposed former chairman weren't supposed to easily take to him without frictions, but it appears he remembered them and visited them with the political tool he has at his disposal, when the time came to dispense favours. The first indication of troubled times for his administration came, when some renegade members of APC formed a breakaway faction they called, Reformed-APC (R-APC) with not so many notable figures, but signifying that they indeed had the backing of such people who would be pulling out of the APC in no longer time. Oshiomhole countered by meeting with the notable personalities suspected to be harbouring plans of decamping especially to the opposition People's Democratic Party, PDP, where many of them used to be before the 2015 General Elections that saw to the defeat of the PDP. Interestingly, it would appear that, save for very few occasions, once he spoke to a disgruntled party, it didn't take long for the person to announce his decision to leave the APC to the PDP, that left many wondering what exactly about him, made it so difficult for such notable personalities to concede to him. He also added insult upon injury, when in response to the snubbing he suffered, opted to denigrate the decampees in the media, telling of how they weren't of any electoral value, amongst other insinuations he feels to hurl at those who disagreed with him.

When those he was still negotiating with, saw the way he dispensed of, and insulted those he couldn't convince to remain in the party, they must've theorized that he wasn't genuinely interested in their remaining in the party beyond the interest that is of the cabal that waltzed him into power. Initially, it looked like the wave of decampings will be short-lived and curtailed, but it wasn't, owing to the fact that those who initiated it weren't small frys, but personalities with huge followings, with political machinery deep into the party at national and state level. For instance, the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki didn't just leave with his state's party machinery, he moved with his position to the opposition People's Democratic Party, PDP. The spokesman of the APC at the time, also threw in his towel in solidarity with his now decamped boss.


The plan by Oshiomhole to cause him to resign his position since he had decamped to the opposition also failed. Sadly, his plan to have Saraki impeached got only as far as mere threats could go,

as the latter prolonged the break the senators had embarked upon to include the period of primary elections for the various parties, which saw many of the senators Oshiomhole was counting on to bring his will to bear at the National Assembly failing to get tickets to re-contest for their seats. This unfortunate turn of events for Oshiomhole was due to political considerations from their respective states, mostly involving the governors, some of whom having exhausted the two-term limits of their tenure in office, wanted a go at the seats occupied by some of the senators, or in the otherwise case, wanted their own lackies there, in cases where such governors had fallen out with the incumbent senators. Oshiomhole was unable to get the commitment of the dominant forces in the various state chapters to reward incumbent members of the National House of Assembly with tickets to run in next year's election, which should have served as motivation to move against Senate President Saraki. Hence, at the time plenary resumed, not only was there no longer the cojones amongst those senators (some of whom had decamped from APC after losing out) to institute impeachment proceedings against Saraki. Also, within that interregnum, the Speaker, House of Representatives, also decamped to the PDP further compounding the woes of the APC chairman, who by his actions and inactions had inadvertently caused his party the leadership of both legislative chambers.

Oshiomhole wasn't going to take the slight he endured with the primaries lying low. The list to be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC would've to pass through him, and that was where he cut some of the governors to size. Some of them like Kaduna's Governor El-Rufai managed to get the President's ears concerning Senator Shehu Sani, who after several back and forths, lost his ticket to another in the good books of the governor. Other governors like Imo's Rochas Okorocha's (who will definitely not be erecting a statue in honour of Oshiomhole

now, or in the future, as his custom is) bid to install his son-in-law as governorship candidate, his wife and other members of his family in one position or the other, while he swims to the Senate; or Ogun's Governor Ibikunle Amosun's bid not only to name his successor but to force it down the throats of disgruntled members of the party; or in Zamfara (where because of the shenanigans of primaries due to the interplay of forces within the state and from the National in Abuja, led to a situation in which the party may not now fields candidates for any of the elections next year, after failing to meet the deadline by INEC in which they should've concluded their primaries); or Adamawa (as regards the brother of the first lady who after procuring the guber expression of interest forms found his name not on the list of contestants for the position) States, all failed in having their ways, and that's apart from several other politically wounded members of the party, for which reason the National Headquarters of the party in Abuja, have become a Mecca of some sorts, for protesting members (including the threat of naked women from Ogun State, who failed to fulfil their threat at the last minute) of the party who felt their rights (especially that of their benefactors) had been trampled upon.



Not a few of them were particular miffed at the fact that, while emasculating them at their strongholds, Oshiomhole all but allowed Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu put paid to the second term ambition of his godson and incumbent Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, of Lagos State, and if the accusation by Ogun State's Governor Amosun is anything to go by, also influenced the decision to submit a name different from the one the latter submitted as the consensus gubernatorial candidate for his state. It is therefore no surprise that the APC chairman is facing stiff opposition not only just by these powerful members of the party, but even by some members of the party, who felt that the high-handedness of Oshiomhole has caused the party to bleed in terms of members. As if all that wasn't enough, yesterday "The Cable" broke the news that Oshiomhole was quizzed by officials of Department of State Security, DSS for about nine hours last weekend over accusations of collecting bribes (levelled against him by powerful members of his party) during the primaries of the APC. Most queer is the part where the newspaper alleged that Oshiomhole was even asked to resign but declined. What has got many concerned is why it had to be the DSS that had to be involved in what can be considered an internal party affair, and scarily points to a prelude of what to expect next year especially with opposition parties, if it appears that the DSS is being partisan. For now Oshiomhole isn't having the best of days, his story so far is akin to one who was received with joy and fanfare to Jerusalem, a while back with palm-wielding crowds chanting "Hossanah", only to find the same crowds chanting "Crucify" him today.


'kovich

ATIKU'S CAMPAIGN AFTER OCTOBER 7

Once former Vice President Abubakar Atiku last week named former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi 

as his running mate in next year's General Elections the political space erupted. Interestingly, I'd have thought events preceding that would've caused more earthquakes, unfortunately those didn't read as much on the Richter Scale as the nomination of Obi. Like me, many weren't surprised with the outcome of the Presidential Primaries of the People's Democratic Party, PDP which threw up Atiku

 on the morning of Sunday the 7th of October this year. The only reason I was able to watch the coronation, nay affirmation of President Muhammadu Buhari as the Presidential candidate of his party, All Progressives' (which is more in word than in deed) Congress, APC which climaxed with a speech by President Buhari in the wee hours of October 7th, was because in between the voting process going on at the Port Harcourt venue of the PDP primaries which started 6th October, I'd switch to the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA which has become so partisan, enough not to bother to cover live events of the major opposition party, and have over time become so debased (with analog looking presentation, that sometimes I often think my TV dirty on the very few occasions I watch) that it is now only watched by the majority of Nigerians only when the president intends to make a speech, or on other occasions of national importance, where the National Broadcaster arrogates to itself the sole broadcasting rights.

The thought that the perception of Atiku as corrupt would shake his emergence failed to elicit the anticipated odium, rather people just seemed to have gotten tired of the tag on him, accepting it probably his human frailty, especially as there's been not so much improvement in the life of the average Nigerian being led by the supposed incorruptible (despite the fact that he was supported into power by perceived corrupt individuals, of which Atiku was one in 2015, and surrounded by corrupt individuals in power, some of whom have ought to answer but continue to be shielded) man of integrity. Clinging on the fact that Atiku couldn't visit the United States of America also managed to capture the news for a while, but that also failed to cause a ripple, after it became obvious that that impediment was sure to become a non-issue should he manage to clinch the presidency, because of several instances from Nelson Mandela to Narendra Modi, with people even saying they'd prefer a President that couldn't travel outside of the country than the globetrotter the incumbent had become in the past three years. To nail the coffin, the American Consulate in Nigeria opined that PDP's Presidential candidate has no corruption case against him in the States.



Then Atiku visited Obasanjo, accompanied by two Bishops, David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church

and Matthew Kukah (of the Archdiocese of Sokoto), and a very vocal Islamic Cleric in Sheik Abubakar Gumi,

to mediate in the lingering impasse between the former VP and his erstwhile boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The success of that intervention, with the outcome that included forgiveness handed Atiku by Obasanjo,

to the point of even pledging to assist him in actualizing his dream to become Nigeria's next president, must have irked members of the ruling party so much that they had to dust up Obasanjo's impression of his deputy in his latest book, as if he had no right to change his mind or view over any subject, as he so wishes. As people remained obstinate and unconvinced, the next target was Obasanjo who they now touted as being of no electoral value, even though they'd approached him pre-2015 for support, when due to a letter he wrote former President Goodluck Jonathan berating him for misgoverning Nigeria, he's support was instrumental in getting Buhari elected to replace Jonathan. When that also failed, even President Buhari joined the fray by castigating the religious leaders that were present in the Otta residence of the former President and witnessed the epoch making event, deriding them for mixing religion with politics, even though he'd been visited by a Pastor Kumuyi

of Deeper Life Bible Church, just days back and was endorsed pre-2015 Presidential elections by Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka,

a Catholic Priest and Pastor Tunde Bakare

of Latter Rain Assembly.



All of the brick-bats that followed these events since Atiku was declared PDP's Presidential flagbearer from the ruling party and it's supporters, so far hardly dented the body of the work and progress the campaign was making as the days drew by, until a running mate was named from Southeastern Nigeria. Cyberspace waited with baited breath as to how the APC machinery will react. Interestingly, the response came from the unlikeliest of quarters. A group of so called Igbo leaders

of which the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi spoke for, after rising from a meeting in Enugu State, stating that they weren't consulted by Atiku before the latter decided to choose former Anambra State governor as his running mate. In fact, I read about this, after a friend had called me from Abuja to inquire about what I knew about the development, from the Twitter handle of the APC who had twisted the tale to mean that Southeasterners had opposed the choice of Obi as running mate to Atiku. Like the southeastern leaders, I wasn't happy with the choice of Obi as running mate, but unlike them, it wasn't because I wasn't consulted nor was it because I wanted former Central Bank governor, Professor Charles Soludo for the position, rather I'd thought that in conceding the running mate slot to the southwest (seeing as the Niger Delta and Southeast would cast the majority of their votes in favour of Atiku regardless, having been at the receiving end of Buhari's stick), it would help him make an inroad into the Southwest, but what do I know? Also, in Nigeria, as with other executive presidencies worldwide, the Vice Presidency is redundant, and I thought a stronger position like the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF or Chief of Staff, or Senate President because of Federal Character (that the incumbent regime has effectively damaged to satisfy pecuniary, primordial and nepotistic reasons), would've been more suitable for the Igbo.


Interestingly, those who burst into celebrations after hearing the part of the declaration by the Southeast leaders, they wished to hear, failed to add that they also mentioned the fact that Atiku will soon visit them to commune with them on the way forward, so that everyone will be on the same page regarding not just about his running mate, but his policies without excluding the issue of RESTRUCTURING upon which he's so far based his campaign. They've probably moved on to waiting for another opening or crevice in the Atiku campaign activities to latch on. The APC machinery is currently celebrating the travel ban placed on some Nigerians, expected to be notably of the opposition, by the execution of the Executive Order 6, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari. Some of them gloat over this, while totalling ignoring the drama currently playing out in Kano involving Governor Ganduje literally pocketing wads of dollars into the recesses of his flowing "Babanriga" gown, and many have wondered why he decided to so expose himself by going for the kill personally, when he could've sent aides, the sort for which the First Lady's driver is still in the custody of the Secret Service for allegedly diverting about $2.5M meant for his madam.


Presently, the APC camp is in disarray, and have yet to come up with an articulated response to the Tsunami that the election of Atiku by the PDP as it's presidential candidate has birthed. Some have begun calculations, where they've even ceeded the rest of Nigeria without the Northwest and Southwest to Atiku, and because of the huge voting numbers alloted to the latter two regions by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, brag that those numbers are enough for the incumbent to get re-elected, while grabbing every available straw they can lay their hands on, including the hope that emerging smaller parties can garner more votes to help dilute that by the PDP especially in the South, thinking the north will come through with block votes as it did in 2015, but with politics only time will tell.


'kovich



PICTURE CREDIT:
- www.sunnewsonline.com
- www.guardian.ng
- www.pulse.ng
- Nigerian Twitteratti