INEC announces date for Anambra governorship poll

INEC Chairman Mahmud Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the date for the conduct of the Anambra State governorship election.

This was announced by an National Commissioner, Solomon Soyebi, and he made this known at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

Lagos set to impose death sentence on kidnappers

Lagos State Government may soon join the growing number of states such as Edo, Ogun and Anambra that have imposed death sentence on kidnappers.

According to a private member bill sponsored by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, any person, who kidnaps, abducts, detains, captures or takes another person by any means or tricks with intent to demand ransom or do anything against his/her will commit an offence, and liable on conviction to death sentence.

The bill went through a public hearing on yesterday at the Lateef jakande Auditorium within the Assembly premises with some stakeholders in attendance.

Attempt to kidnap is also criminalised under the bill and it was suggested that such a person would be committed to life imprisonment.

Also, the bill is against false representation to release a kidnapped or abducted person under Section 4, and this attracts seven years imprisonment.

Furthermore, the bill provides that any person, who knowingly or wilfully allows or permits his premises, building or a place belonging or occupied to which he has control of, to be used for the purposes of keeping a person kidnapped is guilty of an offence under the law and liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment of 14 years without an option of fine.

A legal practitioner, Mr Richard Komolafe from the United Action for Change (UAC), who spoke at the stakeholders meeting, commended the bill but said that death sentence was no longer fashionable all over the world.

Komolafe said:”Hanging itself is inhuman by conventions as against life imprisonment. I appreciate this bill, it is very timely, but we hope it will be passed in time.”

He, however, urged the lawmakers to find a way of not getting genuine rescuers from being roped in cases of pretentious kidnap.

Another stakeholder, who is the Director of Legal Drafting in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Yejide Kolawole, who also commended the bill, said that it was essential that element of conspiracy and attempt to kidnap be added in the bill.

“I suggest 21 years imprisonment for conspiracy to kidnap, depending on the level of involvement. However, seven years penalty for section 4 is too mild. I suggest 20 years to deter those who would want to engage in the crime.

“On Section 5, anyone who instigates kidnapping should be given a stiffer penalty of 25 years, though the person does not participate overtly in act.

“On Section 7, owners of a building used to aid kidnapping should have a higher punishment than mere forfeiture of property,” she said.

Also, a Chief Magistrate in Lagos State, Mrs Seri Sholebo said that it was fundamental to add conspiracy to kidnapping, stressing that the ministry had not been able to convict offenders on conspiracy since 2011.

Sholebo however, suggested 180 days window for trials of offenders rather than the stipulated 60 days due to anticipated delay in handling the cases.

A Director in the Lagos State Office of Public Defender (OPD), Mr. Borokini Fatai wanted to know what could happen if the trial could not be concluded within 60 days, as he said that a defence counsel could ask for the withdrawal of the matter after the stipulated number of days.

Are the Igbo Politically Marginalised Under Buhari's Government? I think the anwser is yes

The Igbo have not grounded words in describing how marginalized the Igbo are in Buhari’s government. In addition, former Anambra State governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, believes that President Buhari, with his actions, is pushing the Igbo hard to leave Nigeria.

The UN has also added its voice to this debate: it says Nigeria is deeply divided. Apart from the economic numbers coming out from the country, foreign investors pay attention to these divisive narratives: serious foreign Pension Fund managers might not want to leave their assets in a country that looks like it’s going to fall apart anytime soon.

But the President thinks differently. Hear the President: “If I select people whom I know quite well in my political party, whom we came all the way right from the APP, CPC and APC, and have remained together in good or bad situation, the people I have confidence in and I can trust them with any post, will that amount to anything wrong?”

Many are angry with the President’s argument. They believe that he should be the father of Nigeria, including those that didn’t vote for him, especially now that the elections are over.

But a close and objective look at the President’s political profile doesn’t suggest he really has anything against any ethnic group in Nigeria. (This is actually an evidence-based conclusion which I’m struggling to accept, considering the fact that I sympathize with the Igbo).

In 2003, the President embraced the south east – just as he embraced the south west in 2015 – by selecting Senator Chuba Okadigbo to be his running mate.  The thinking in Buhari’s camp was that his party, the ANPP, would easily get block votes from the Igbos with the hugely popular Okadigbo.

In 2007, the ANPP believing it won the 2003 elections, which many believe was a hugely flawed election, went on to play the same ethnic card by selecting Edwin Ume Ezeoke as Buhari’s running mate.

Then, many of the President’s closest allies were from the south east. For example, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN) had been Buhari’s lawyer at the election tribunals (from 2003 -2007). In fact, junior lawyers working for Ahamba told reporters that their boss didn’t make money from representing Buhari. This was very unlike most senior advocates in election petitions.

Unfortunately, he left Buhari’s CPC in 2011. Ahamba would later claim that he left Buhari – a man he loves so much – because ‘opportunists have surrounded Buhari and hijacked his mind’. He even said that four men had hijacked the CPC and that Buhari was at their mercy. He also claimed that no one could dare challenge the actions of these ‘hijackers’.

At that point, not even Buhari’s widely publicized letter appealing to him to remain in the CPC could make him stay. (Maybe Ahamba could have been Nigeria’s attorney general today).

Many analysts say the same of Buhari’s government today. Perhaps, this prompted Obasanjo to say, a fortnight ago, that no individual nor group could claim that they brought Buhari to power. Many suggest, including prominent Buhari supporters like Dele Momodu, that ‘professional power hijackers’, who claim to have helped the President into office, are presently calling the shots in Abuja. And this doesn’t necessarily mean that the President is weak – the presidential system of government makes this kind of hijacking possible. This is topic for another day!

Obviously, had an Igbo, like Ahamba, been in that cabal, the story would have been different. And this is tragedy of the Nigerian state – ethnicity and tribalism is the order of the day.

Well, this didn’t start today and cannot be stopped by people of Buhari’s generation. Maybe the generation Mark Zuckerberg visited last week might be able to stop ethnic and tribal tendencies in business, civil service and politics in Nigeria, when their time comes.

But fundamentally, many lessons can be learnt here.

One, Nigeria’s politics is a winner-takes-all game. Thus, political parties and ethnic groups should form strong alliances with other ethnic groups. Perhaps, Okadigbo’s thesis, in 2003, that his running with Buhari was the only way Nigeria could have a president from the Igbo extraction, in the years to come, had some merit. But more importantly, as bonds between all ethnic groups in Nigeria get stronger in political parties, the occurrence of ethnic cabals in Aso Rock might reduce

Two, no particular ethnic group can run Nigeria successfully without the genuine support of other ethnic groups, including the minorities. Why? Take the ridiculous pronouncements by various groups that they are going to declare their own republic on the 1st of October. This, of course, is very unlikely to happen, but such news sends very negative signals to the international community and investors, as well. And this of course suffocates the ruling party, financially and politically.

The takeaway from this, is: Buhari might not really hate the Igbo, but the nature of Nigerian politics, even politics in general, is what is actually strangulating the Igbo and other ethnic groups. This ‘bitter’ experience should spur all ethnic groups to form genuine national alliances because any of them could be ostracized politically if they are not ‘involved.’

No grazing reserves, ranches in Anambra, says Obiano

 

The Anambra state governor, Willie  Obiano, has said the state had no plans for grazing reserves and ranches.

The governor stated this at the Council Chambers of Government House, Awka, in a press conference to mark the 25^th anniversary of the creation of the state.

Obiano said the state had the smallest land mass in the country and therefore would not want to embark on such land-consuming projects as grazing reserves and ranches.

He said even the state’s small land mass had been eaten up by erosion.

He said the state was in a discussion with an international partner to commence the animal  husbandry indigenous to the area.

On herdsmen attack of communities in the southeast, Obiano said, “on this issue, I am like the guy who saw tomorrow.

“Early in my administration, I constituted a committee known as cattle menace committee, which is headed by the commissioner of police, with five traditional rulers and leaders of the Fulani community in the state.

“We agreed in the committee that if the cattle belonging to the Fulani people destroy our crops, they will pay us; and if our people kill their cattle, we will pay them.”

He said the Fulani herdsmen had defaulted 11 times, and paid compensation to the natives, while the communities had defaulted five times, and paid accordingly for five cows allegedly killed by them.

He said it was agreed  that herdsmen would not be allowed to come into the state wielding AK47 riffles and other dangerous weapons.

He noted that the arrangement had guided the parties in their actions and conducts.

Bob Manuel Udokwu: "We need the much desired change," Nollywood veteran says

Nollywood veteran, Bob Manuel Udokwu has called on President Muhammadu Buhari led administration to bring about the much desired change.

In an interview with Punch Newspaper, the Special Adviser to the Anambra State Governor, said the economy has not been favourable to Nigerians and the hardship shouldn't be allowed to go on for long.

In his words: “My appeal to the government is to bring the much desired change. Things are hard on Nigerians and we cannot continue like this."

Speaking further, he said: “People are suffering, there is no money. People are not smiling. These days, you hear stories of food theft because of the bad situation of things. All is not well for now."

In 2014, the "Checkmate" star declared his intention to run for for a seat at the Anambra State of Assembly in 2015.

EFCC arrests man who wedded and duped his wife of N6.7m

Report says that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has arrested one Chike Nnaemeka, for allegedly tricking an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps into marrying him and paying for the wedding.

Nnaemeka, aka Dr. Justified, was said to have duped his victim, Nkechi Ani, of N6.7m.

The EFCC, in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said Nnaemeka, who claimed to be a gynaecologist, allegedly collected the sum under different requests. The victim was reportedly introduced to him by one of her classmates at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State.

The suspect was also said to have tricked Ani into marrying him and they were joined in a traditional wedding on June 6, 2015, without informing her that he was married with three children.

In her petition, the complainant said, ‘‘During the wedding preparation, Justified brought up so many stories bordering on cultural issues that I or anyone from my family is not supposed to visit his home town until after my marriage. He also said that the tradition of his place as a lone prince demanded that I sponsored every financial aspect of the traditional marriage, but that he would refund me to the last one naira I spent.”

According to the commission, the suspect continued to deceive his victim and even claimed to have property that both Zenith Bank Plc and Diamond Bank Plc were purportedly interested in buying.

The suspect was said to have shown the complainant some documents of the property, and requested her to raise some money to enable him to complete the process.

The complainant allegedly transferred some amounts to the suspect, after being assured that he would refund her.

But on December 23, 2015, the suspect allegedly left the house on the pretext that he was going to sign the agreement papers with the banks to finalise the transaction.  Ani  also alleged that the suspect stole the sum of $3000 belonging to her boss.

“Meanwhile, investigation has revealed that the suspect, who is married to another woman who had three children for him, also lied that his mother passed on some years back. The suspect will soon be charged to court, after investigation is concluded,” the statement added.