The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Kaduna State, and All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday traded words over alleged tampering of electoral documents in the custody of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

While the PDP accused the APC of tampering with some ballot documents under the care of INEC, in the state, APC on its part, said the allegation was not only baseless, but an attempt to mislead the Tribunal and the public.

PDP in a statement by its Secretary, Ibrahim Wusono, among others said, “on the afternoon of Saturday, 8th July 2023, a member of our party who was the collation/returning officer of the PDP in the 2023 presidential and governorship elections, along with some lawyers, was at the premises of the Kaduna State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to get Certified True Copies (CTC) of some documents that the election petition Tribunal had subpoenaed INEC to produce.’

“As expected, they were at the INEC office to inspect the document that INEC had sorted out. What usually happens is that once INEC presents copies of the document to us, we write it down in the schedule of documents list that we have for the tribunal.

“On that day, our delegation went to their office and saw some of their staff tampering with some documents from Kaduna South LGA. When they were questioned, they couldn’t explain but took some of the documents and ran away leaving some behind. We immediately called their superior officer with whom we were working and reported what we had seen. The person came and picked up the remaining documents after we made a video of them.

“But the PDP in Kaduna State was surprised to see a statement from the APC immediately after the video got out. The APC even tried to drag the election tribunal into it when the video our person made didn’t mention the tribunal or the APC. We interpreted it as a preemptive attempt to deflect attention from possible culpability by the APC.

Reacting however, APC Secretary in the state, Yahaya Pate in a statement said “the APC Kaduna State Chapter condemns in strong terms the attempt by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to mislead the Gubernatorial Elections Tribunal and the public. In the party’s desperate bid to rescue its fatally flawed case, it has resorted to mutilating ballot papers and blaming it on the APC.

“Contrary to the PDP’s false claims, the APC has always been committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and adherence to the rule law. We categorically deny any involvement or intention to thumbprint ballot papers ahead of their admission as evidence in court. Such baseless accusations are nothing more than an attempt by the PDP to divert attention from their own misconduct and discredit the ongoing tribunal proceedings.

“The APC calls on the PDP to stop deploying subterfuge in their desperate attempt to gain undue advantage at the Gubernatorial Elections Tribunal. We urge them to respect the judicial process, present their case with credible evidence, and refrain from spreading misinformation that undermines the credibility of the tribunal and the democratic institutions of our great nation.”

The ECOWAS Court has awarded N60 million damages against the Federal Government of Nigeria to Sunday Ayodeji whose leg was amputated following a gunshot by a police officer in Kaduna State.

The Nigerian government was also ordered by the Court to internally investigate the human rights breach of Ayodeji.

The ECOWAS Court in the judgement delivered on July 10 2023 held the Nigerian government responsible for the torture of the victim.

The case was said to have been handled on a pro-bono basis by an international human rights organisation, Avocats Sans Frontieres France, popularly known as Lawyers without Borders (France) under the European Union and Agence française de Développement funded SAFE Project, which aimed to end human rights violations of torture, extra-judicial killings and arbitrary detention in Nigeria.

The Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, in a statement on Tuesday said that Ayodeji’s properties including a car and N900,000 were also confiscated unlawfully by the same officer.

According to her, the torture victim was awarded N60 million with an order for the immediate return of his confiscated possessions.

Uzoma-Iwuchukwu said, “Avocats Sans Frontieres France commends the ECOWAS Court for its judgment on this case and urges the Nigerian Government to uphold the directives of the Court. ASF France is also delighted that this judgment is coming on the heels of the commemoration of the 2023 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, which reemphasizes the need for collaborative efforts amongst all stakeholders of the criminal justice system to establish a zero-tolerance culture to torture in Nigeria.

“We are delighted that despite all challenges and legal hurdles faced by our legal team in pursuit of justice in this case, justice was served. We are optimistic that this will serve as a deterrent against the systemic use of torture in Nigeria. The amount awarded by the Court will not restore our client who has been permanently disabled by torture, but it has given hope to not just Ayodeji but other torture survivors that justice is possible even against powerful governments and institutions.

“We believe this symbolic case has contributed to the development of the jurisprudence of the regional court on torture and we continue to stand in solidarity with all victims of torture and reemphasize the fact that torture remains a crime against humanity all over the world.

“It is important to remember that torture seeks to annihilate the victim’s personality and human dignity and it has no place in our world of today. Ending torture is a global challenge, we must all continue to work together to create a zero-tolerance culture to torture in Nigeria.”

Reacting to the Court verdict Ayodeji said, “My joy knows no bounds and I feel fulfilled and relieved from the inner pain that I have carried for so long due to the great injustice done to me which led to the loss of my leg. I am very grateful to Avocats Sans Frontieres France who provided a platform for me to obtain redress. I am also happy for what this judgment means for me and other victims of torture in Nigeria.”

Ask president, INEC to be neutral in Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum rose from their inaugural meeting in Abuja on Tuesday with a call on the federal government to immediately rise up to the occasion and tackle the killings, kidnappings, and attacks across the country.

The governors particularly said they were worried about the killings in Plateau and Zamfara states and asked the federal government and security agencies to rise up to the occasion.

In a communiqué after over three hours of meeting at the Akwa Ibom Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, read by the Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the forum, Bala Muhammed, the governors also advised the federal government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be neutral in the coming governorship elections coming up in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states.

The forum assured that it would cooperate with the federal government through constructive criticism so as to improve the welfare of Nigerians.

The governors, who said they had resolved to work together, noted that the aim of the forum was to provide a platform for peer review of issues, policies, programmes, and achievements of member governors.

The communique reads in part: “The meeting advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the security agencies, and the federal government to be neutral in the conduct of the off-season elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states.

“The meeting noted the deteriorating security situation in the country, especially the wanton destruction of lives and property in Plateau and Zamfara states, among others. The meeting consequently advised the federal government and security agencies to rise to the situation and bring the situation under control.

“In the interim, the forum will cooperate with the federal government on issues concerning the welfare of Nigerians and good governance while striving to maintain the independence and autonomy of the forum through offering constructive criticism where necessary.”

Those that attended the meeting are Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Bassey Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Kefas Agbu (Taraba) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).

The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who is the vice chairman of the forum, was absent.

Nigeria’s immediate-past Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has been appointed as Global Advisor by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP).

In the new role, Osinbajo is expected to guide GEAPP’s mission to accelerate clean energy deployment in emerging economies.

GEAPP said the former VP will support the organization to partner with governments to “enhance the enabling environment and delivery effectiveness to unlock faster and greater capital flows into the clean energy sector” while also continuing as a “leading advocate for Just Energy Transitions in Africa including scaling up Africa’s share of the global carbon market via the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI)”.

The organization announced this in a statement on Tuesday.

“For many years His Excellency Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has been a respected role model of public service at the forefront of policy formulation and implementation on crucial developmental issues relating to national planning, climate change, enabling the business and investment environment, governance, and social investment. His professional expertise and leadership, alongside his broad global network and relationships, will be a valuable catalyst in GEAPP’s mission for affordable access to clean energy and a just transition for all,” GEAPP’s CEO, Simon Harford, stated.

Confirming his appointment in a tweet, Osinbajo expressed his excitement to join GEAP.

“I am honoured by the opportunity to join this movement for green energy access. GEAPP’s collaborative model, sense of urgency, and focus on unlocking systemic change is well aligned with the ambitions of emerging economies as they seek a greener future for their citizens. GEAPP’s vision for change is ambitious. That is entirely fitting; if we’re to achieve our twin goals of universal energy access and climate change action, while transforming the lives of millions, then we must set our sights high,” the organization quoted the former vice president as saying in his acceptance speech.

GEAPP is a collaborative initiative that brings together philanthropy organizations, governments from both emerging and developed economies, as well as technology, policy, and financing partners.

The alliance is driven by a shared vision to facilitate the transition of emerging economies towards a clean energy-based, pro-growth model.

It aims to accelerate universal energy access, foster inclusive economic growth, and contribute to global efforts in meeting crucial climate targets over the next decade.

The House of Representatives yesterday asked commercial banks operating in the country to stop excess charges and illegal deductions from their customers.

The call came as the House unanimously adopted a motion by Godwin Offiono from Cross River at plenary.

Presenting the motion, Offiono noted that some banks and financial institutions in Nigeria indulge in the unethical practice of fleecing their customers through excessive charges and unauthorised deductions.

He also stated that customers of different commercial banks are groaning over excessive charges on their accounts by financial institutions known as Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) which have reportedly introduced different deductions to increase their income, a development that is uncomfortable to customers.

The lawmaker acknowledged that apart from Stamp Duty, bank customers also pay Value Added Tax (VAT) charges applicable on all VATable transactions in their account.

Offiono said: “Commercial banks are charging outrageous interest on loans and overdraft at a rate that is higher than the agreed rate in the offer letter.

“The arbitrary increase in the interest rate on loans and overdrafts and increase in the other fees without notifying and getting customers’ consent, as stipulated in the Central Bank/Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) guideline.”

He expressed concern that the creation of charges not recognised in the Central Bank Guide to bank charges is a common practice by commercial banks.

He also expressed concern about “the wrong application of maintenance fees, banks overcharging maintenance fees, the inclusion of transactions exempted from maintenance charge, loan liquidation and bank-induced transactions amongst others.”

According to him, when affected customers attempt to lodge complaints to the banks’ customer care units, they are treated with disdain.

While adopting the motion, the House mandated the Committee on Banking and Currency (when constituted) to investigate the issue of excess charges and illegal deductions by commercial banks in Nigeria and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

The Asset Recovery Committee set up by Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, on Tuesday, raided an automobile shop owned by ex-Governor Samuel Ortom in Makurdi, the state capital.

Some vehicles were seized during the operation. The committee reportedly used towing vans to pull out some vehicles after attempts to drive them away failed.

In its reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue accused Alia of witch hunting his predecessor.

PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, described the committee’s outing as “a shameful showing of naked tyranny and impunity.”

“Earlier today, thugs accompanied by security agents purporting to be on an assets recovery mission, raided a private automobile workshop owned by the former governor’s business concern, Oracle Nig. Ltd., carting away motor vehicles at the premises of the workshop.”

“Staff of the workshop have confirmed to PDP that the vehicles, of a yet to be ascertained number, were those brought there for repairs by private owners and are not in any wise from any public source.

“PDP notes that this is yet another manifestation of disregard for the rule of law by the Benue State Governor, considering there is a subsisting court order barring his government from tampering with the assets of the former governor, specifically motor vehicles.”

The governor had through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, said government vehicles numbering 29 were looted by the former governor.

Kula had in a statement posited that, “the case of the government house is particularly pitiable with vandalised furniture, window blinds, electronics and other household appliances.

“This is besides the carting away of all vehicles including an ambulance and press crew bus attached to the office of the governor. At the last count, 29 vehicles attached to the governor’s office are still no where to be found.”

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega has said that Nigerians have not been able to enjoy the dividends of Democracy since the advent of the present democratic rule because of bad governance.

Jega, while delivering a paper at the retreat organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Ilorin, Kwara state on Monday said that Nigeria has been experiencing bad leadership since the return of the Civilian administration.

While lamenting that though Nigeria parades leaders but the country was in short supply of good leaders.

He said, “Nigeria has been on a trajectory of liberal democratic development continuously for 23 years, since 1999 when the military returned to the barracks, While every four years we have routinely elected representatives into the legislative and executive arms of government, there is consensus that these elements of liberal democratic development have not yet translated into substantive socioeconomic development that satisfies the needs and aspirations of the overwhelming majority of citizens.

“For the past 23 years, the country has been under democratic rule, but the so-called dividends of democracy have not yet been desirable for the majority of Nigerian Citizens. Unfortunately, there has been bad leadership, not that there are no good leaders in the country but they are in short supply while the Democratic institutions are also weak.

“In general, leadership at all tiers of the Nigerian federation has not been good; it has been essential bad and undemocratic; characterized by bad, rather than good, democratic governance

“Many national organizations and institutions have been afflicted/affected by this tendency towards bad governance.

“The basic things we require in good governance are good leaders that can be transformational and transitional if we are to achieve good dividends of democracy, “Jega said.

The Professor of Political Science, Bayero University, Kano whose paper was titled: “Importance of Personal Leadership Competencies in an Organization in Transition”, said that key qualities of leadership in a democratic context stated that the country needs a leader with good representation, responsible and responsiveness, integrity and honesty adding that such a leader must have cognate experience and competence who understands democratic governance and must be a leader who can inspire and motivate the followership.

“We also need institutions that can inspire good governance”, the former INEC chairman said.

In his speech, the Director General of, the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman said that Nigeria cannot afford to fail its citizenry in its over two decades of democratic evolution.

He said the pessimism expressed by Western apologists about the survival of democracy in the country should be perceived as a motivation to consolidate on the gains recorded and not a setback.

Sulaiman, a former Minister of Planning said with 23 years of uninterrupted democracy, the country has proved its critics wrong, most of whom are of the Western world.

He noted that democracy is not akin to the Western world but customized and domiciled according to people’s environment, pointing out that Nigeria has its own brand of democratic system.

Sulaiman admitted the attendant shortcomings of the nation’s democracy but insisted that they are not sufficient reasons to vilify its democracy.

He said, “Divergent opinions and views are allowed in any clime. And for the so-called apologists of democracy worldwide who believe that Nigeria cannot survive with its democracy, we don’t need to look outside, we don’t need to entertain fear because we can’t afford to fail our people.

“We have started democracy in almost 24 years now. When we first started, people never thought we would get to where we are now. For some people to have this kind of phobia, and pessimism and say Nigeria cannot survive, be it in the area of security, or political system, it is for us as a people to put that one behind us and see that perhaps as something that could ginger us to move forward. That we have done in the last 24 years.

“We are not perfect as a democracy, we have our shortcomings and inadequacies here and there, but those things are not substantial enough for anybody to condemn the country as a democracy. I think we have done so much and I hope with the new government and with our democratic credentials, we stand a chance to do better, going forward.

“I’m not disturbed by the pessimism of the apologists of the Western world. Democracy is not akin to the Western world. It is customized and domiciled in your own environment. So, we have our own brand of democracy. To the best of my knowledge, I think we have been able to do it. We have done so much and we can still do so much”, the NILDS boss said.

On the retreat, Sulaiman said it was convened for the management staff of the institute to key into the agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio.

He maintained that the country has started experiencing changes in the economy with the present administration and harped on the need to deepen the partnership between the executive and legislative organs.

Sulaiman said, “At the legislative level, the 10th National Assembly has started work in earnest under the able and uncommon leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio. In consonance with our statutory mandate, NILDS will continue to provide research and capacity-building services to the National Assembly as well as other democratic institutions.

“In the executive, the country is witnessing momentous changes under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in the economic domain. For these changes to be impactful and achieve the desired outcomes, the strategic partnership between the executive and legislative arms of government must be deepened.

“We at NILDS must therefore understand the nature of the fundamental changes and be in a good position to provide the necessary support to the National Assembly and other democratic institutions in line with our statutory role”.

Readers of my columns – ON THE LORD’S DAY in the SUNDAY Tribune and TREASURES in the New Telegraph newspaper on Wednesdays and also online – will recall that I was strident in my criticism of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in their recent eight-month strike not because the strike action was not justified but because of what I considered as their hare-brained approach to a very important issue that could make or mar not just ASUU and their students but the university system itself and the country’s entire education system. Up against a deaf-and dumb, he-that-is-down-needs-fears-no-fall, inept, corrupt, clueless, insensitive Muhammadu Buhari administration, I had felt ASUU and its leaders ought to have been more imaginative, creative and circumspect in the way they handled a King Nero like Buhari. Just like Nero fiddled while Rome burned, Buhari picked his teeth while Nigeria skidded towards the edge of the precipice. Buhari was the typical proverbial I-don’t-care who has nothing doing and nowhere going but will not allow those who will to do so. You need brain and not brawn to handle such a fellow; unfortunately, ASUU demonstrated little of that. ASUU’s good cause, thus, was reduced to bragging rights between them and Buhari; the one who carries a pot of oil on his head foolishly began to contest the right of way with another who carries a pot of sand. I am sure you know the end result!

If ASUU got anything out of that strike, I am certain its loss dwarfed it. To start with, ASUU went into battle with a divided house, having been polarised or fractionalised into ASUU, CONUA (Congress of Nigerian University Academics) and NAMDA (National Association of Medical and Dental Academics). All three factions/fractions profess to be “academics” but how “academic” are academics who could not understand the age-old truism that “United we stand; divided we fall”! When they chant the “Aluta” anthem of “Solidarity forever”, does it not sound hollow in their heart? Dogs don’t eat dogs is what I hear them say but our academics’ birds eat one another’s intestines and injury to one is no longer injury to all! That was the pitiable state in which the egg-heads went to war with a two-star Army general and two-time Head of State and Commander-in-Chief. Any surprise that Buhari made a mince-meat of them? But for the then Speaker of the House of Representatives now Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, whose intervention, though largely a deceit, gave ASUU leaders a face-saving exit, only God knows how the battle of two unequally matched foes would have ended.

What was lost to that strike was monumental. The time lost on all sides can never be regained; the neck-breaking speed with which ASUU members have rushed their students ostensibly to regain lost ground can only result in producing half-baked graduates. Parents lost money. Many developed high blood pressure and even died. Students died due to road carnage on the way home and or back to school. Lecturers who were denied their salaries for months on end suffered irreparable damage to their health and or economic well-being. Campuses were littered with obituaries. Many sold properties to keep body and soul together in the hope that they would recover lost ground when salary arrears are eventually paid but that, for many, is yet to materialise. Car owners now have to make do with foot-wagons. The economy of host communities that relies heavily on student patronage took a beating. Unable to pay back loans and harassed by shylock creditors, some committed suicide. ASUU and its members lost face. The Nigerian university system was exposed to opprobrium before the international community. What university system is this that can keep its doors shut for eight uninterrupted months, and lecturers and researchers that can be off work for such a long period? Serious university systems elsewhere must have marvelled at the kind of university system we run here! But is that not why we are Nigerians, noted for notoriety – and, interestingly, flashes of ingenuity – everywhere!

May affliction not rise a second time! But to be forewarned is to be forearmed! We must, from a very safe distance, take heed of that menacingly protruding branch of a tree if we will avoid it piercing us in the eye. In the last few weeks ASUU has had cause to complain twice about policies that, ordinarily, should enjoy their blessing, meaning that their head must have been shaved behind their back. That is a sure recipe for disaster; if not now, then, certainly in the near future. The first is the Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Bill, which President Tinubu signed into law. Criticisms have trailed the Law, one of which is that it is a scantily-concealed commercialisation of education, the type that led to the Ali Must Go student crisis of 1978 during the Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo military junta. With the proviso that only those whose parents earn less than N500,000 per annum can assess the loan, even a minimum wage earner (N30,000 per month/N360,000 per annum) will not qualify once Tinubu honours his promise to review salaries to cushion the deleterious effects of fuel subsidy removal. And if, as envisaged, the loan is a precursor to institutions of higher learning’s liberty to freely fix school fees, then, ASUU will be right that we are about to witness the pricing of education beyond the reach of the poor.

To make matters worse is the fact that the loan covers only tuition! What of accommodation, where university hostels are grossly inadequate and the majority of students live off-campus at the mercy of shylock landlords? What of feeding where subsidized university cafeterias have been abolished and cost of living have shot right through the roof? This is not to talk of the cost of books and other learning aids! Then, if we must ask, the private university students excluded from this loan: are they not Nigerians and will the Nigerian system not benefit from the knowledge and skill they are studying to acquire? Or is it the assumption that anyone with a child in a private university is capable? Many go there because there is a lack of carrying capacity in federal and state universities. Besides, the government will have to amend the relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution before tuition fees can be charged in federal institutions of higher learning. The student loan law is, therefore, good intention but work in progress, to put it mildly.

Another issue that ASUU is at loggerheads with, with the National Universities Commission (NUC), is the new curriculum benchmark unfurled days ago by the commission. ASUU has described 70 percent of the new curriculum as an imposition by NUC. If ASUU members, and not the NUC staff, are the ones to teach the new curriculum, then, this is a serious matter. As in the Student Loan Act, this may be another shaving of a person’s head behind his back, which MKO Abiola of blessed memory seriously counselled us against. But beyond the two festering issues mentioned above, the crisis in the education sector demands that an emergency be declared in that very important sector of our national life. Interestingly, apart from the Student Loan Act, which we can say is addressed at youths for the obvious reason of the #ENDSARSNOW back-lash, Tinubu is yet to make any profound statement or announce any policy targeted directly at the education sector. Maybe he is still consulting!

I suggest, then, that the president adds the following to his list: One: Put the last ASUU strike behind us by paying the lecturers their withheld salary as an act of magnanimity and for peace to reign. Two: Implement the MOU entered into with ASUU by the Federal Government. Three: Draw up a Marshall Plan for our institutions of higher learning that will, first, arrest and then holistically address the rot and decadence in every facet of the system in areas such as inadequate and rotten hostel accommodation; inadequate lecture theatres, accommodation and office space for lecturers and staff; obsolete libraries, laboratories, and other teaching/learning aids; inadequate and inappropriate staffing; increase in the carrying capacity of the institutions so that the multitude of admission seekers can be accommodated; and a review of the curriculum that makes education relevant to our needs as individuals and as a nation. At JAMB’s (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) yearly policy meeting on admissions into tertiary institutions, the deficiencies that stunt the growth of our education system stick out like a sore thumb. The philosophy and pedagogy of education here needs a thorough and radical rethink.

Addressing leaders of NANS (National Association of Nigerian Students) who complained that they were not represented on the Student Loan board, President Tinubu told them it was because they were always fractionalised. ASUU, CONUA and NAMDA should learn a lesson from that and take heed before it becomes their turn. ASUU leaders should climb down from their high horse and CONUA and NAMDA should shred the worthless pieces of paper that Buhari’s Chris Ngige decorated them with and return “home”. In unity lies their strength!