Buhari’s unholy romance with Niger Republic

By Ochereome Nnanna

President Muhammadu Buhari’s romance with Niger Republic has become an affront to the national interest of Nigeria. When he was sworn-in as an elected president in 2015 he went to Mamadou Issoufou’s presidential palace in Niamey, Niger Republic, to celebrate. They gave him the reception of a conquering Fulani warlord: a white horse and sword.

I found that curious. How can a Nigerian leader celebrate his electoral victory in a foreign country and not Daura, his supposed hometown in Nigeria? The answer has since been provided through Buhari’s policy actions in the past five plus years. We have since learnt that Buhari is a first-generation Nigerian whose father, Ardo Adamu Buhari, a duck seller, had migrated from Niger, settled in Nigeria and married a Nigerian woman, Zulaihat.

The borders defined by the European colonial masters mean nothing to typical Northerners. When you hear that Nigerian borders are porous, what it really means is that there is no intention in the minds of Northern Nigerians and their elite to create an effective barrier between them and their kith and kin in the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Northern Cameroun. Meanwhile, the Southern borders are strictly monitored (within the limits permitted by the selfish interests of corrupt Customs and Immigration officials).

When Buhari’s government in August 2019, “closed the borders” it was the Southern borders that were actually closed. Fatuhu Mohammed, a nephew of President Buhari’s, who represents Daura/Mai’adua/Sandamu Federal Constituency in the House of Reps alerted during a plenary session that smuggling was still freely thriving at the Daura border, 13 kilometres from Buhari’s country residence.

It is no secret that Niger Republic nationals are regularly smuggled in to vote in Nigerian elections. It was in this dispensation that the political leaders of that country threw caution to the wind and attended Buhari’s rallies in Kano with large contingents led by governors of Maradi and Zinder provinces! If you thought these were inconsequential and harmless cultural exchanges, Buhari has proved you wrong. He has taken several concrete policy steps that showed his engagement with Niger is longer a joke. Early in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Transportation revealed plans by the president to build a railway line from Kano through Daura and Jibia to Maradi in Niger Republic.

I wrote an article condemning the project, but of course, they pressed ahead with it. The Federal Executive Council in September this year, announced an award of $1.9bn contract for the project. The money is part of the numerous loans Buhari’s government has been freeloading from China. Also in June this year, the Federal Government announced the award of contract for the construction of 614-km gas pipeline from Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano with eventual termination in Morocco through Niger Republic worth $2.8bn.

The latest story in town is that on November 20, Nigeria signed an MOU to import petroleum products from Niger. The shipments will be coming from Soraz Refinery in Niger’s Zinder oilfields. The refinery, which is jointly owned by China (60 per cent) and Niger (40 per cent) has a daily output capacity of 20,000 barrels. Niger’s domestic consumption requires only 5,000 barrels per day. The surplus 15,000bpd will be taken up by Nigeria to service our adjoining Northern fringes.

Ordinarily, there is nothing wrong about buying refined products from neighbouring countries if our countrymen in the Northern fringes will find that cheaper and more easily available. However, there is a shameful, or is it personal impunity factor at play here. Buhari who as Petroleum Minister in the late 1970s oversaw the construction of the second (150,000bpd capacity) Port Harcourt Refinery, Warri and Kaduna Refineries; has been his own self-appointed Petroleum Minister since 2015.

He had promised to fix our refineries during the campaigns. When he took up the Petroleum portfolio, his supporters said he was bringing his “wealth of experience” to reform the sector. Almost six years down the line, the industry remains comatose. Even the reforms proposed by the PriceWaterhouse and Coopers, PWC, audit exercise in 2014 has been altogether abandoned. Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, continues to import fuel while Nigerians are forced to swallow the bitter pill of the full deregulation of the downstream sector.

The first question is: What exactly has Buhari achieved with his position as oil minister? The first audit report of the NNPC in 43 years revealed that the Kaduna Refinery gulped N63.4bn without generating a kobo in 2018. Also in September 2020, another NNPC report disclosed that three refineries reportedly swallowed N140bn to produce less than 40 metric tonnes of crude oil. There is no clear picture about anything being done to bring back our refineries. Rather, we await for Dangote and other private refineries.

What “magic” is Niger employing to refine petroleum that Nigeria’s President and Oil Minister, Buhari, cannot deploy in Nigeria? Why aren’t Nigerians complaining about Buhari’s incompetence as Oil Minister and the use of Nigeria’s largely borrowed funds to develop his father’s country when our own infrastructural deficits are among the world’s worst? The $1.9bn railway line to Maradi was never taken to the National Assembly for approval; it was an act of naked impunity. It is an impeachable offence, but who will bell the cat?

Buhari is using our scarce, borrowed resources to service his cross-border selfish interests with resources mined mainly from the Niger Delta and the Lagos business districts. He is going beyond developing Northern Nigeria; he is working for Niger Republic too. Is this regime all about Buhari’s interests? And why are Nigerians who will repay the loans letting him get away with these?

These are issues that should concern Southern political leaders, elected representatives and statesmen. Rather, they struggle to be selected as leg men to serve the interests of a foreign country. It is a shame and a pity.

Vanguard News Nigeria

The post Buhari’s unholy romance with Niger Republic appeared first on Vanguard News.

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Students Drag ASUU To Court Over Strike, Demand N10bn CompensationLaw Students Association of Nigeria has dragged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), before the Federal High Court Abuja.

Students Drag ASUU To Court Over Strike, Demand N10bn Compensation

Law Students Association of Nigeria has dragged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), before the Federal High Court Abuja, challenging what it described as the incessant strikes of the union.

In the suit which was filed at the court on Friday, the association is seeking an order to compel ASUU to return to the classroom as well as an order of perpetual injunction to restrain ASUU from embarking on further strikes.

The suit which was filed by the President of the association, Mr Blessing Agbomhere on behalf of his members is also asking the court to compel ASUU to pay N10 billion compensation to Nigerian students.

This, the association claims is for allegedly infringing on the right of the students to education as guaranteed by Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 17 of African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

The association is further asking the court to order ASUU to pay damages to all Nigerian students for the psychological and emotional torture meted out to them as well as the loss of valuable time following the continuous strike.

Speaking to newsmen, Agbomwere said that the suit was sequel to its findings that ASUU members had been short- changing the Federal Government by teaching in more than one university.

He said it’s investigations also revealed that members of the union were engaging in consultancy services in oil companies and collecting multiple salaries at the detriment of the Nigerian students.

Apart from ASUU, the association also joined Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, the Minister for Education, the Minister for Labour and Employment, the Attorney-General of Federation and the Federal Government as 2nd to 6th defendants in the suit.

The association is seeking among other reliefs, a declaration the strike of the union is a breech of the right of members of the association to education.

“A declaration that the indefinite strike embarked upon by the 1st and 2nd defendants since March 2020, leading to the closure of government owned universities, which has detrimentally and negatively impacted on plaintiff’s learning and the smooth operation of academic calendar of universities, is a brazen infraction of the plaintiff’s right to education.

“An order of mandatory injunction compelling the 1st and 2nd defendants to call off the strike and return to the status quo ante bellum whilst negotiation for amicable resolution of the issues in contention or among the defendants is ongoing.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants whether by themselves, servants, agents and/or privies from further declaring or embarking on indefinite and incessant strikes.”

The students are also seeking an order directing the 3rd to 6th defendants to re-open government owned universities and to honour their contractual agreements with the 1st and 2nd defendants in the overall interest of the plaintiff.

The students are also asking the court to award the sum of N10 billion against the union.

“This is to serve as general and exemplary damages for the loss of valuable time, opportunity, mental torture, psychological anguish and general deprivation which the plaintiff has suffered or is likely to be exposed to on graduation.”

In his statement of claim, Agbomwere said that he is a Nigerian citizen, a final year law student of Baze University and currently the President of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN).

He further averred that the suit was sequel to a mandate given to him by the Senate of Law Students’ Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), to institute this suit in a representative capacity against the defendants.

No date has however, been fixed to hear the suit.

ASUU has been on strike since March 2 and officials of the union have been negotiating with the Federal Government 

© 2020 Leadership Newspaper

Ms Oduala’s full statement

ALL I HAVE IS MY VOICE. I SHOULD NOT BE UNFAIRLY TARGETED FOR USING IT: RINU ODUALA

A few days ago, I turned 22. I am part of a generation of Nigerians who have lived most of their adult lives under ‘democratic’ rule and yet, I wake up this morning feeling there is no difference between the Nigeria I grew up in, and the Nigeria my parents grew up in. The sacrifices of the democrats who bravely stood on the June 12 mandate to bring our democracy to life seem to be in vain. Ironically, many of who are serving in this government and ruling party.

Everywhere I turn, I am told that I should be ‘grateful’ for a democracy that lives were lost, I should be thankful that I have a voice and I can speak up for myself and my peers. But how can I be grateful when young men and women disappear every day, some killed recklessly without cause, while others get scarred for life—physically, emotionally, or both.

When we began to protest, it was because young Nigerians decided to speak up.

We spoke up – not because we wanted to overthrow the government but because we wanted the police to stop killing us. We did not carry arms, or incite any insurrection. Our only weapon was peaceful protest enshrined in Section 40 of our 1999 Constitution. At every point we maintained calm and educated our followers – reiterating throughout the protests that we were not there to fight the government but to ask for change and to follow through to make sure that change was effected.

We believed that somehow we would be spared from the systemic violence and breakdown of social order, the direct result of the government’s actions. Unfortunately we were mistaken.

I was nominated to receive donations to the EndSARS cause by Nigerians at home and abroad who felt helpless to personally protest but believed they could make a difference through financial sacrifices. Such was the passion of average Nigerians to contribute how best they can to the #EndSARS cause, who sent in what they could sacrifice towards the cause. Some people even donated ₦500, which I strongly believe meant a lot to them, as it could have been all they could spare towards the cause. To have their motives behind their sacrificial efforts questioned is disheartening. The funds in question here also includes some of my personal hard earned money of over N200,000 naira. These funds were earmarked for disbursement towards the medical bills of injured protesters.

Amongst other demands, we called for a probe into the killings and torture of people. The government agreed to setting up judicial panels. To assure young people of the independency and fairness of the panel, after nominations, I took up the role as a youth representative at the detriment of my education, personal life and family. I did this to make peace. I did to ensure our young people understood that the only way to create a better and safer Nigeria is to do things lawfully. Why am I still being targeted for lending the government my good will?

I am not a part of Nigeria’s political or business elite—I have no relatives in government or family members with enough wealth to sway powerful individuals. I am just an ordinary young Nigerian. I study, selling hoodies and other clothing to pay my school fees. I also do the odd bit of freelancing, taking on some brand influencing work to ensure my family doesn’t suffer. Somehow, however, my existence threatens my government, the fact that I have a voice is enough for them to try to silence me.

In the Nigeria I am voicing out for, it wouldn’t matter that I am a child of nobody coming from the average Nigerian home. The Nigeria I am voicing out for is one that prioritizes every voice, protects every inalienable right, even mine.

I decided to use the only currency I have, my voice to speak up against extrajudicial killings, torture, extortion and unjust harassment that is still happening in a democratic nation in the 21st century! The government also agreed that reform is inevitable and promised us they were going to listen, however they have refused to honor their promises while they continue to deny the lives lost and also target the same people who spoke up.

I am not afraid—I am only disappointed that this country will treat me this way. We are the soul of this nation and no nation exists without her people.

Nigeria is all I have, and I have a right to demand that it works for all of us, not just those with influence, wealth, or a government position.

In a country that people have been voiceless for a long time, people holding the government accountable is being seen as too much? How can we ensure that this sort of thing will encourage people to build a new Nigeria? A Nigeria that will be filled with accountable government officials, where all forms of oppressions and injustice is a thing of the past. How do you expect me as a part of the future of this country to still believe in a country who thinks they have the right through CBN to freeze my account for no just cause.

This is not fair. But we will make it fair. Otherwise, there is no future for my generation and the generations to come.

What is the Electoral College?

The US presidential election takes place 3 November. But it's possible the candidate with the most votes from the public won't be the winner. This is because the president is not chosen directly by the voters, but what's known as the electoral college.

So who are Americans voting for?

When Americans go to the polls in presidential elections they're actually voting for a group of officials who make up the electoral college. The word "college" here simply refers to a group of people with a shared task. These people are electors and their job is to choose the president and vice-president. The electoral college meets every four years, a few weeks after election day, to carry out that task.

How does the electoral college work?

The number of electors from each state is roughly in line with the size of its population. Each state gets as many electors as it has lawmakers in the US Congress (representatives in the House and senators). California has the most electors - 55 - while a handful of sparsely populated states like Wyoming, Alaska and North Dakota (and Washington DC) have the minimum of three.

There are 538 electors in total.

Each elector represents one electoral vote, and a candidate needs to gain a majority of the votes - 270 or more - to win the presidency. Generally, states award all their electoral college votes to whoever won the poll of ordinary voters in the state. For example, if a candidate wins 50.1% of the vote in Texas, they are awarded all of the state's 38 electoral votes. Alternatively, a candidate could win by a landslide and still pick up the same number of electoral votes.It's therefore possible for a candidate to become president by winning a number of tight races in certain states, despite having fewer votes across the country.

There are only two states (Maine and Nebraska) which divide up their electoral college votes according to the proportion of votes each candidate receives. This is why presidential candidates target specific "swing states" - states where the vote could go either way - rather than trying to win over as many voters as possible across the country.

Every state they win gets them closer to the 270 electoral college votes they need. Has a candidate lost the public vote but become president? Yes. In fact, two out of the last five elections were won by candidates who had fewer votes from the general public than their rivals.

It is possible for candidates to be the most popular candidate among voters nationally, but still fail to win enough states to gain 270 electoral votes. In 2016, Donald Trump had almost three million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton, but won the presidency because the electoral college gave him a majority. the In 2000, George W Bush won with 271 electoral votes, although Democrat candidate Al Gore won the popular vote by more than half a million.

Only three other presidents have been elected without winning the popular vote, all of them in the 19th Century: John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B Hayes and Benjamin Harrison.

Why was the system chosen?

When the US constitution was being drawn up in 1787, a national popular vote to elect a president was practically impossible. This was because of the size of the country and the difficulty of communication.At the same time, there was little enthusiasm for allowing the president to be chosen by lawmakers in the capital, Washington DC. So, the framers of the constitution created the electoral college, with each state choosing electors. Smaller states favoured the system as it gave them more of a voice than a nationwide popular vote to decide the president.

The electoral college was also favoured by southern states, where slaves made up a large portion of the population. Even though slaves didn't vote, they were counted in the US census (as three-fifths of a person). Since the number of electoral votes was determined by the size of a state's population, southern states had more influence in electing a president than a direct public vote would have given them.

Do electors have to vote for the candidate who won?

In some states, electors could vote for whichever candidate they prefer, regardless of who voters backed. But in practice, electors almost always vote for the candidate who wins the most votes in their state. If an elector votes against their state's presidential pick, they are termed "faithless". In 2016, seven electoral college votes were cast this way, but no result has been changed by faithless electors. What happens if no candidate gets a majority?

The House of Representatives, the lower house of US lawmakers, will then vote to elect the president.

This has happened only once, when in 1824 four candidates split the electoral vote, denying any one of them a majority. With two parties dominating the US system, this is unlikely to happen today.

Culled from BBC page.

WHEN A MAN TOOK SHELTER INSIDE CASKET(A Very Funny And Interesting Drama!

WHEN A MAN TOOK SHELTER INSIDE CASKET

(A Very Funny And Interesting Drama!)

In 1994, an 87-year-old man passed on in a village close to Amai, Kwale, Delta State. The late man's grandson Ufiaka, 26 years old and fairly educated, was given some money and asked to travel to Agbor to buy a fine casket for his grandpa's burial. Ufiaka left base early and arrived Agbor in good time to purchase the casket and make the return journey same day.

He was fortunate to get an open back white coloured Peugeot 404 pickup heading for Amai. He, however, had to ride in the back of the pickup with the casket because two market women travelling to Amai were already seated in front with the driver.

On their journey, they ran into a heavy rain storm close to Uronigbe and Ufiaka quickly opened the casket, "laid himself nicely in the well padded interior," covered the lid and used the folded newspaper he had with him to leave a small opening between the lid and the main body of the white casket to ensure adequate ventilation.

The interior of the casket was very comfortable and Ufiaka soon fell into a very deep sleep😴😴😴😴.

The rain had subsided at the time the pickup van arrived at Umutu and during a brief stop, two men travelling to Amai boarded the vehicle at the back and the same happened at Ubiaruku where a man and a woman travelling also to Amai entered the vehicle. All this while, Ufiaka was enjoying his 'lovely sleep😴😴😴😴' inside the Casket completely unaware of the new passengers who boarded at Umutu and Ubiaruku.

The pickup van arrived Amai just after 5p.m. and the driver, who was now very hungry, stopped in front of a busy bukataria to have a quick bite before proceeding onto the next village.

The sudden stoppage and reviving of the pickup's engine woke Ufiaka who then opened the lid of the casket and rose up.

Trouble come start!

Gobeeee🏃🏼🏃🏼‍♀🏃🏼🏃🏼‍♀

The passengers in the back of the pickup jumped out of the vehicle from various points and took to their heels in various directions.

The people eating in the buka (including the mama-put and her service girls) who saw the white casket opened, and a "ghost" stepped out, ran off all over the places some with balls of eba and akpu in their hands.

Ufiaka, seeing people running 'helter skelter' was convinced that armed robbers were operating and decided to take-off in the direction of three of the passengers. When the three passengers realised that Ufiaka was running towards their direction, they increased their speed and shouted "ghost! ghost! ghost!!! and, to further worsen the situation, Ufiaka was dressed in white "up and down' with a pair of 'white shoe' to match that day.

With the shouting of 'ghost!!!!!!!!!!!' other people in their homes came out to see what was going on and on seeing people running at high speed all over the places, they joined in the race for their dear life and the number just swelled.

The driver and the two market women were the only people who knew what was going on and they had a hell of a time calming the people down and explaining that ............… he merely needed shelter, while it was raining💦🌧........... ..

 it was really serious...." Still laughing here...