signs 12-point communique
In line with the Federal Government’s drive to facilitate trade and improve Nigeria’s economy to become globally competitive, a delegation of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), led by the Ag. Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has paid a working visit to the Republic of Benin and signed a 12-point communique which aims to fully re-open the border between both countries, a statement signed on Tuesday by National Spokesman of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada revealed.
According to the Customs statement, “The Ag. CGC and his delegation visited the Nigerian Embassy on Monday, 24th of July and met with Ambassador Kayode Aluko, the Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin.
“Thereafter, they were received by the Director General of the Customs Administration in Benin, Mr. Alain Hinkati, Customs partners Webb Fontaine and Benin Control.
“They also visited Customs facilities at the port of Cotonou, where the Ag. CGC was taken through the processes and operations at the port.”
During the visit, the two chiefs engaged with stakeholders from both countries and their concerns were identified and effectively considered.
Notable among the concerns is the request to review the possibilities of reopening the border, as well as addressing the issue of administrative charges.
According to the Ag. CGC, “The visit is to deepen collaborations in mutually positive areas.
“The objective of the visit is for us to review friendship with the Customs administration of Benin and also to deepen collaborations in areas of common interest.”
“I saw the attention that was given to the port of Cotonou, the progress that is being made in reducing clearance time, ensuring that there is no congestion at the Port and, more importantly, using technology to drive operations of the Customs Administration”, he said.
“The attempt which Benin Customs has done towards trade facilitation is something that Nigeria Customs will also be doing particularly to look at where we can use our processes to reduce the cost and time of doing business.”
At the end of the meeting, a joint communique signed by the two delegations read as follows:
“The continuation of efforts to promote the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme and the facilitation of the movement of goods and community products in particular;
“Facilitation of the issue of Laisse passe for a short stay in one of the countries of means of transport registered in the other country;
“The removal of barriers and other obstacles to legitimate trade and the establishment of Customs units when the traffic justifies it;
“Strict compliance with transit rules;
“Harmonization of the list of products prohibited by the two countries;
“The rapid integration of Nigeria into the Interconnected System for the Management of Goods in Transit (SIGMAT), which already includes the Customs Administrations of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo;
“Strengthening the fight against cross-border crime through cooperation, intelligence sharing and the pooling of resources;
“Holding meetings twice a year to discuss matters of common interest;
“The reactivation of the joint committee for monitoring trade and transit relations;
“The revival of consultation frameworks of border customs units with the active participation of the private sector;
“Promoting good relations with border populations, professionalism and tax compliance;
“and securing the international supply chain.”
Meanwhile, the Ag. CGC and his delegation had a private meeting with the President of the Republic of Benin, his Excellency Mr. Patrice TALON, on Sunday, 23rd of July, expressing the desire to initiate a new turning point marked by close collaboration in all areas.
He Forfeited $460,000 Drug Money to US - Atiku Insists That The Declaration Of Tinubu As President Is Illegal
AdminAtiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the February 25 presidential election has insisted that Bola Tinubu was illegally declared President of Nigeria.
According to him, the declaration is unlawful and unconstitutional.
Atiku stated this in his final address to support his petition seeking nullification of Tinubu’s victory.
He maintained that Tinubu having personally admitted and as also confirmed by his witness that he forfeited $460,000 to the American government over the offence of narcotics trafficking and money laundering has no basis to contest for Nigeria’s Presidency.
Atiku dismissed the claim of Tinubu and his witness that he forfeited the $460,000 money in a civil court action.
The former Vice President argued that the definition and colour of “civil action” being given to the criminal forfeiture by Tinubu were of no moment and untenable because a United States of America Court acted on the indictment of Tinubu before imposing the forfeiture fine on him.
The final address endorsed by Atiku’s lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, read in part.
“The forfeiture of $460,000 by the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) to the United States Government (a competent authority in the instant case) is neither contested nor disputed by any of the Respondents. The feeble response of the Respondents is that there was no arraignment or criminal conviction.
“The verified complaint for forfeiture and the entire records of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division dated September 15, 1993, was indicated that the 2nd Respondent’s funds totaling $460,000, were seized as the funds which constitute proceeds of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
“The 2nd Respondent’s (Tinubu’s) sole witness Senator Bamidele Opeyemi, admitted under cross-examination when shown the American court judgment that the proceedings affected the 2nd Respondent, as his name was reflected in the records of the court.
“It is pertinent to observe that the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) evaded denying the forfeiture of the said sum of $460,000 U.S Dollars to the United States Government for narcotics trafficking and money laundering activities but engaged in the semantic distinction between civil and criminal forfeiture, as well as the defence that the offence was committed over 10 years.
“It is submitted, that forfeiture whether “civil” or “criminal” takes its source from the commission of a crime.
“The word “forfeiture” means – “the divestiture of property without compensation. The loss of a right, privilege, or property because of a crime, breach of obligation, or neglect of duty.”
“It is submitted with respect that in all the above definitions, the common thread that runs through all categories of Forfeiture is the imputation of a crime, leading to the seizure of property or money.
“It cannot be argued therefore that there was no imputation of crime or a finding of a violation of Penal laws relating to proceeds of drug trafficking or/and money laundering for which punishment was imposed.
“The 2nd Respondent’s forfeiture proceedings fall squarely within the prohibition and disqualification list contained in Section 137(1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution as the proceedings constitute:
“…a sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) OR for any other offence, imposed on him by any court or tribunal OR substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal, or.”
“No doubt and it is so submitted that the “United States DISTRICT COURT, NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS, EASTERN DIVISION qualified as a court (of record) and the forfeiture qualified as a punishment for criminal behavior or “Criminal activity” of 2nd Respondent. The Petitioners contend that the words “any offence (by whatever named is called)” and “substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him” as used are clearly elastic enough and indeed disqualified the 2nd Respondent in his quest to contest the Presidential election.
Atiku asked the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, to invoke Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution to nullify the declaration of Tinubu as president on account of his narcotics crime and remove as the president.
National Vice Chairman, Northwest, of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Salihu Moh. Lukman has resigned from office.
Lukman in a letter addressed to the Acting National Chairman of the party, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the current posturing of leaders of the party, including President Bola Tinubu, is at variance with his own core values.
Details later…
Abia State government says it will establish an innovation park and a modular refinery to accelerate economic development in the state.
Okey Kanu, the commissioner for information stated that plans were underway to build the park and refinery.
Mr Kanu disclosed this while answering questions from journalists after the State Executive Council Meeting at the Government House, Umuahia.
He said the decision to embark on the project was informed by the resolve of Mr Otti to fulfil his campaign promises to the people of Abia.
The commissioner added that the initiative would provide an avenue for the Abia government to address the issue of youth unemployment.
“A lot of investors are showing strong interest to partner government to establish the innovation park.
“The park will house an incubation centre. Those involved in manufacturing, logistics, power, modular refinery will form part of this park,” the commissioner explained.
On his part, the commissioner for petroleum and mineral resources, Joel Ogbonna, said efforts were ongoing to rehabilitate the road leading to the Osisioma depot to make the facility functional and accessible to oil marketers.
Mr Ogbonna said that the Abia government was making efforts to effect repairs on the vandalised Port Harcourt-Osisioma pipeline damaged by suspected vandals.
He added that plans were underway to set up a modular refinery in Ukwa West through public-private partnership as part of the government’s efforts to address the high cost of petroleum products.
He however blamed the high cost of petroleum products in the state on the non-operation of the Osisioma depot, and said marketers in the state now source products from Lagos and Porthacourt.
The Federal Government has denied media reports that the tuition fees in Federal Universities have been increased in the country.
In a statement on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, the government said the reports are inaccurate and incorrect.
Alake said the government is aware that some universities recently announced an increase in the amount payable by students on sundry charges.
He, however, said the universities only increased discretionary charges for hostel accommodation, registration, laboratory and other charges, saying that the hike does not involve tuition fees.
The statement reads: “It was widely reported earlier this week across some news media outlets that the Federal Government had increased tuition fees in federal universities in the country. These reports are inaccurate and not correct.
“We are aware that some universities have in recent weeks announced an increase in the amount payable by students on sundry charges.
”However, the fact remains and we have confirmed that these are discretionary charges by each university for hostel accommodation, registration, laboratory and other charges. They are not tuition fees.
“Authorities of these universities even made this fact clear enough in explaining the rationale behind these new fees.
“For the avoidance of doubts, federal universities in Nigeria remain tuition-free.”
Alake said the president remains committed to his promise of ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of the economic situation of their parents has access to quality tertiary education.
He said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to his promise of ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of the economic situation of their parents, has access to quality tertiary education.
“In addition to the Students’ Loans Scheme, under the Student Loans Bill signed into law by President Tinubu last month, which will go into implementation ahead of the next academic session in September, the Federal Government will also strengthen other mechanisms to support indigent students.
“Parts of the government’s plans to make sure all diligent students complete their education on time, notwithstanding their parents’ financial situation, include work-study, merit-based scholarships and grants.”
The leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has revealed that there would likely be a rerun of the 2023 presidential election but forces behind the election results will stand firmly against it.
This was made known in a statement signed Tuesday and made available to TRIBUNE ONLINE by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin.
The cleric made it known that there are leakages in the judiciary which are not well packaged and will later expose the ruling party.
‘’As Nigerians await the tribunal judgment, there is no way to it, there are leakages in the tribunal as revealed by the Lord. The leakages are not well packaged and will expose the ruling party.
“The ruling party has also realised there are no two ways to it. There are cabals monitoring this tribunal and they are very desperate,’’ he disclosed.
He noted that if the election tribunal wants to be fair, the best is to call for a rerun but forces behind the case will do anything to ensure the election remains the as it is.
The religious leader asserted that the judiciary is supposed to raise the hope of Nigerians with a fair judgment but forces will seriously fight against the right judgment.
He however mentioned that an unfair judgment will make the judiciary and the independent national electoral commission (INEC) to be irrelevant.
‘’If the tribunal wants to be fair, the best is to call for a rerun but forces behind the case will want the election result to remain as it is. The point is the direction of what I see is a rerun of the election but the forces behind the election will want it to remain the same.
‘’This will knock the judiciary and make them to be irrelevant. It will make INEC not to be a body Nigeria can rely on. Of course, Judiciary will pay for it if it doesn’t go for it and INEC will pay for it in the future.
‘’What I see is a rerun but the power behind it will try to make it remain as it is. The tribunal is supposed to raise the hope of Nigeria and correct all the misconduct of the judiciary but the forces behind it will fight against the right thing,’’ he added.
Suspected kidnappers on Tuesday abducted the former Provost of Federal College of Education (FCE), Osiele, Abeokuta, Dr Ayodele Àjayi, his wife and driver.
It was gathered that the incident happened at about 7.17pm at Ikija village, Olodo area on the Abeokuta-Ibadan road in Odeda Local Government of Ogun state.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE further learnt that Mrs. Àjayi was later released by the kidnappers while they went away with the former provost and his driver.
A source informed that the activities of the hoodlums kept on increasing on a daily basis around the area, saying no fewer than five persons had been kidnapped in the last week.
The source explained that the gunmen came out of the bush and launched an attack on their victims.
“Just yesterday, the gunmen abducted five persons, but two out of them were later released.
“Also, last month, three people were killed. Among those who were killed was a popular businessman who operated a big farm along the axis.
“The Olu of Odeda in Odeda town, Oba David Olorunisola was almost kidnapped this week while his driver was shot and is still receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC).
“We need help, this is getting too much. Our people are no longer safe, we need the government’s intervention and security agencies to wake up to their responsibilities”, the source said.
We don’t know identity of the victim yet – Police
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state police command, Omolola Odutola confirmed the incident to our correspondent, adding that the police and other security operatives are on the trail of the abductors.
Members of an armed robbery gang which used to operate at Osu-Ife axis along the expressway have confessed that they got the two guns that they were using for operations from one Iya Bose who was trading in alcoholic drinks and cigarettes.
They made the confession after their arrest by Osun State Police Command. They also revealed that they had two okada riders who were taking them to and from the spots they perpetrated the criminal act.
The gang members apprehended were identified as Chibuzor Obinna (33), Igwe Chukwudi a.k.a Bishop (41), Ogbonna Destiny Monday (28) and Nwaze Eze (40), while Olamilekan Samson a.k.a Afuye (30) and Akinolu Kola (29) were the ones to take the armed robbery suspects to designated spots of operation and return to pick after they had had their way with victims.
Exhibits recovered from them included an English pistol, a locally-made double-barrel pistol, bags of new costume, jewellery, footwear, two laptop computers, and different brands of phones.
According to the police spokeswoman in Osun, SP Yemisi Opalola, who represented the Commissioner of Police, Kehinde Longe, at the briefing, the suspects usually robbed motorists along Osu-Ife highway. Their mode of operation was to congregate at their designated spot of attack after two motorcycle riders had dropped them. They were said to possess two guns for their operations and usually targeted commercial vehicles carrying goods.
Findings by the police revealed that some of the gang members based in Lagos used to come to Osun but later decided to rent rooms in Ilesa because of its proximity to the spot where they operated.
However, their cups became full recently as they gathered in the bush to launch another attack on motorists when a hunter noticed their activities within the bushy area. Acting in collaboration, the hunters, policemen from Osu Division and a vigilante group, went after the suspects, making them to flee in different directions, with one of them, Monday, having sustained injury.
Undeterred, the police and the vigilante combed the bush but couldn’t see any of them initially. Their efforts however yielded fruits in the morning when one of the suspects, Obinna, was apprehended while trying to come out of the bush where he hid. He was found to be in possession of the guns with which they operated.
With the arrest of Obinna, the Commissioner of Police directed the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) to take over the case for a follow up, and in less than 24 hours, three other suspects who went for the operation were arrested by the operatives. Two of them, Chukwudi a.k.a Bishop and Eze, were reportedly picked from their rooms while the third gang member was found in an uncompleted building with bullet wound on his thigh. Their accomplices, the okada riders, were also arrested.
A search of their rooms revealed some of the goods stolen from vehicles that were attacked, including bags of costume jewellery estimated at N5 million. They were said to have intercepted a bus going to Kano from which they packed the jewellery. Also, two laptops, shoes, clothes and over 20 phones were recovered from them. One of them, Loco, is said to be at large.
During interrogation, the suspects revealed that the woman they were buying alcoholic drinks and cigarettes from, popularly called Iya Bose, was the one borrowing them the two guns they used to operate.
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, has revealed the state government will begin the distribution of a cash palliative of N10,000 to public servants in the state to cushion the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy, with effect from July.
Abiodun disclosed this in an interview, monitored by our correspondent, on Channels Television on Tuesday evening.
The governor noted that the palliative will last for three months and was done in consultation with relevant bodies.
He said, “Paying special allowances is nothing novel or new to the system. It’s just that in this instance, we have designed this alongside the members of our labor unions. We just didn’t wake up one morning and arbitrarily chose to pay them N10,000.
“We sat down with TUC, JNC, and NLC weeks ago. After several meetings, we agreed that N10,000 across board from levels 1–17 will create that immediate relief to civil servants and pensioners that have to move every day.
“This amount will be paid over the next three months in the first instance, because we’ve identified the fact that we need to have an immediate intervention, then an immediate to medium-term intervention, and a long-term intervention.”
“It’s our hope that at the expiration of the first three months, our medium-term intervention plans will have begun to unfold. So we can begin to take out the N10,000 cash palliative. The idea is that this will not be pensionable and, as such, will continue to be regarded as an allowance as against their basic salary and other emoluments.”
Abiodun also noted that there will be about 280,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries of the cash palliatives, and he expects the private sector to follow suit.
He said, “What we aim to do is to immediately begin this intervention, believing that the private sector will also begin to follow suit because, as you know, we cannot intervene by this means with the private sector because they don’t work for us.
“However, we have other provisions in that our list that we rolled out yesterday that will affect as many of those who are not in public service as possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, the governor confirmed that plans to convert buses from diesel to CNG have started.
“The conversion is not restricted to state-owned mass transit buses alone and will extend to privately owned minibuses across the state at the expense of the government,” he said.
Davido’s Logistics Manager, Israel Afeare, popularly known as Israel DMW, has apologized to the Muslim community over the controversial video uploaded by his principal.
Recall that Davido had came under fire after uploading a music video of his signee, Logos Olori’s new song titled, ‘Jaye Lo’ which captured people praying in Islamic way and dancing in a mosque.
Davido, however, deleted the controversial video on his social media pages following public backlash.
After the public outcry, the Muslim community still demanded a public apology from Davido.
Reacting to the development, Israel DMW, in a post on his Instagram story on Wednesday, apologized on behalf of Davido.
Israel appealed to Muslims, saying that the video is purely an entertainment effort that was wrongly presented.
He stated, “Let me specially apologise to my Muslims brothers and sisters, on the video my oga posted, as a result of him wanting to lift up somebody, which is one of his hubbies.
“It was purely an entertainment effort wrongly presented. Make una no vex. Love you all.”
More...
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has given the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to reverse all perceived anti-poor policies, including the recent hike in the pump price of petrol, or face an indefinite nationwide strike from August 2.
Consequently, the NLC has directed all its affiliates and state councils to immediately begin mobilisation of workers and other Nigerians, including civil society allies, for a long-lasting strike and mass protests should the government fail to meet its demands.
Vanguard gathered that this was one of the decisions reached at NLC’s Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting held Tuesday, July 25, at Abuja Labour House.
Details later...
… Presents Cheques, Baby Materials To First Set Of Beneficiaries
The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu through an NGO, Jumejilo Multi-Birth Assistance Programme (JMAP), has initiated a support package that will aid successful deliveries, provide assistance for multi-birth families and expand access to quality healthcare for low-income families.
Speaking on Tuesday at Lagos House Ikeja, while making cheque and gift presentations to the first set of beneficiaries of the JMAP Programme, the Governor’s wife described the initiative as a dream come true that was conceived in 2021.
The NGO, JMAP, a brainchild of the First Lady was conceived to complement the output of other existing initiatives and support systems in the Lagos State health sector for parents of High Order Multiple (HOM) pregnancies, adding that JMAP Programme will alleviate medical complications, mortalities and disorders associated with multiple births, including premature delivery, preeclampsia and irregular foetal growth, among others.
She said: “The JMAP intervention was initiated in 2021 by my Office against the background of the rising rate of multiple births in the State and the neonatal mortality associated with High Order Multiple (HOM) pregnancies among low-income families.
“Available data indicates that Lagos has an infant mortality rate of 39 per cent per 1,000 live births monthly, with preterm complications significantly accounting for the high mortality.”
While referencing a quote by Owen Arthur, a former Prime Minister of Barbadian “For he who has health has hope; and he who has hope, has everything”, the First Lady noted that the quote vividly captures the essence of her intervention through the NGO which seeks to extend hope to families that truly need help.
The First Lady revealed that the support for multiple-birth parents and infants will come in form of socio-economic support, constant enlightenment, empowerment, social inclusion and a welfare support system.
Speaking on the modalities for the Jumejilo Multi-Birth Assistance Programme, the wife of the Governor stated that the beneficiaries will also enjoy postnatal care that will run for a 12-month cycle during which the multi-birth households will undergo social empowerment, health education and economic sustainability programmes, in addition to follow-up social and welfare engagements as the babies develop.
In her words: “Potential JMAP beneficiaries must be below 60 years, while their socio-economic status (in respect of annual income) must not be more than N250,000 per household. Prospective beneficiaries must also have Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) Cards as proof of residential status with utility bills of at least 12 months; they must be an expectant or current multiple-birth mother with triplets or more that are between ages 0 and 5 years.”
She clarified that the JMAP Programme has not been set up as a conventional NGO giving monetary assistance to the public, explaining that the financial support to be made available to the beneficiaries will only be provided specifically as sustenance for multi-birth parents in line with the objective of the Programme.
The Governor’s wife also used the event to invite like-minds, public-spirited individuals and corporate organizations to support her vision of giving hope to families that need help, assuring that initiative will be sustained as a platform to make a positive difference in our society.
In her remark, the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat revealed that the life impacting initiative has brought to light the motherly instinct of the First Lady, Dr. Mrs. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu in ensuring that numerous challenges associated with multiple births are mitigated through this applauding Jumejilo initiative.
"Given the extensive evidence that twins and other multiple births worldwide are associated with a substantial higher risk of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity, this initiative will further strengthen the window of opportunities and would be of immense assistance to multiple birth parents", she emphasized.
While congratulating all awardees, beneficiaries and stakeholders of the noble programme, the Deputy Governor’s wife, Mrs.Oluremi Hamzat enjoined members of the press to give this launch the widest publicity expected.
One of the excited recipients, Mr. Tunde Ilufoye, a father of triplets said he was overwhelmed with the huge support received from the NGO powered by the First Lady and promised to spread the good news and the government’s intervention in supporting parents with multiple births.
As part of the launch and award presentation segment of the programme, two multiple birth mothers – one with quadruplets and another with triplets – went home with JMAP Babies Awards which among other gift items, including cash and assorted baby items.
The event had in attendance the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Abimbola Salu-Hudeyin, Body of Permanent Secretaries, Top Government Functionaries, Non-Governmental Organisations, Civil Service Organisations, Corporate Bodies, beneficiaries of the initiative among others.
Olubunkola Nwonah
Director, Public Affairs
Office of the First Lady, Lagos State.
25th July,2023.
I have not seen the DAVIDO clip and would greatly appreciate if someone would make it available so we all can debate, objectively, the merits and demerits of positions taken over this recent product of the musician. There are however certain principles, histories, rights and responsibilities of artistic creativity that should not be smothered under emotional manipulation.
One unavoidably recalls, for instance, scenes from Whoopi Goldberg’s SISTER ACT, followed by a sequel SISTER ACT II: BACK IN THE HABIT. I understand that yet another version, SISTER ACT: The MUSICAL, is under preparation - such appears to be the popularity of the genre. To the best of my recollection, there has been hardly a murmur of offence being taken, not even at the scenes of nuns in their full regalia dancing through the aisles of the chapel and other sacred precincts of the monastery. Centuries of artistic production of this nature, in all disciplines the world over, can be viewed daily at the drop of a coin, even without digging into musty archives.
Let us learn to distinguish practitioners from their objects of devotion. The former are deserving of respect and understanding, BUT this must be mutual among all believers and non-believers. What we witness these days however is a galloping fever of over-sensitivity over frankly trivial aspects of social co-existence. I use the word “contrived” deliberately, because I have become convinced that such splurges of “offence taken” are meant to distract us from where the real offence has been, or is being committed often as a routine pattern of overweening entitlement against others. Such encroachments include freedom of belief, association, worship and even the sanctity of life in pursuit of, or repudiation of, existing structures of belief.
I refer, for the avoidance of doubt, to distractions from the abuse of power as exercised in the virtual proscription of traditional worship – the notorious case of ISESE in Ilorin for instance. There are others, hundreds of others, far too weighty to evoke in relation to this mere piffle of religious sentimentality.
The following should not be needed, but we appear to inhabit a nation space where memory deficiency has become an accreditation badge of competence in national affairs. I recall my intervention, several years ago, in an attempt to pillory former Governor of Kaduna State, El Rufai over some comment he had made that was considered derogatory to followers of Christianity. I forget the reference now but I do distinctly recall another of a bank manager who, at Easter tide, referred to the risen Christ as a metaphor for the risen dough in the bakeries of Oshodi. Something along those lines. Under obvious pressure, he apologized, and I rebuked him for the gesture. There was nothing to apologize about, and that applied equally to El Rufai’s comments at the time. It should come as no surprise that I equally absolutely disagree with Shehu Sani if indeed, as reported, he has demanded an apology from Davido on behalf of the Moslem community.
No apology is required, None should be offered. Let us stop battening down our heads in the mush of contrived contrition – we know where contrition, apology and restitution remain clamorous in the cause of closure and above all – justice. Such apologies have not been forthcoming. In their place, we have the ascendancy of petulant censorship in the dance and music department. Just where will it end?
Most forms of worship – from the Hare Krishna to Hinduism and lesser-known religions - seek transcendental experience through the medium of dance. It goes beyond mere elation or euphoria and involves surrender of the ego to the mystical and sublime – through dance. The secularization of that medium stretches across religions, and offers the artistes’ a means of invoking a sense of spiritual community, through a common act of self-surrender.
As already admitted, I have not seen the clip, but I insist on the right of the artiste to deploy dance in a religious setting as a fundamental given. Such deployment is universal heritage, most especially applicable in the case of Islam where a plot of land, even without the physical structure, can be turned, in the twinkling of an eye, into a sacral space for believers to gather and worship in between mundane pursuits.
Dancing in front of a mosque cannot therefore, on its own, be read as an act of provocation or offence but as affirmation of the unified sensibility of the spiritual in human. Let us learn to read it that way. Those who persist in taking offence to bed and serving it up as breakfast should exercise their right of boycotting Davido’s products – no one quarrels with that right. However, it is not a cause for negative and incitive excitation. The greater responsibility is to face squarely the root issues of religion in the nation. That root issue is starkly stated thus: the sectarian appropriation of the power of life and death across a community of believers, other believers, and even non-believers alike, be it for real, imagined, or deliberately contrived offence. It was not Davido’s music that lynched Deborah Yakubu, and continues to frustrate the cause of justice. Nor has it contributed to the arbitrary detention of religious dissenters – call them atheists or whatever – such as Mubarak Bala, now languishing in prison for his 38th month. These are the provocations where every citizen should exercise the capacity for revulsion.
They are the issues deserving of, indeed exercise primary claim on a nation’s capacity for righteous indignation. All else is secondary. Distractive piffle!
Wole SOYINKA
Statement Of The President Of The Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, SAN, On The Incident Between Officers Of The DSS And NCOS At The Premises Of The Federal High Court, Lagos
AdminThe Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemns the despicable altercation which took place today at the premises of the Federal High Court, Lagos, between operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) While it is difficult not to hold the leadership of the two federal government agencies directly responsible for the shameful and disgraceful conduct of its personnel, one cannot discount the possible overzealousness or excesses of the officers involved, as being responsible for what we witnessed today. This incident regrettably is further evidence of the lack of discipline and absence of professionalism that continues to plague key security institutions in Nigeria, which, without doubt, is largely responsible for the limited progress in achieving acoordinated response to security concerns across the country.
A situation where officers of Federal Government agencies engage in a fight as witnessed by the public, for whatever reason, is antithetical to our security as a nation and creates a recipe for anarchy and chaos. Both the DSS and the NCoS are important institutions dealing with national security and administration of justice respectively, and the need for them to work in concert towards attaining justice in a secured Nigeria cannot be overemphasised.
The NBA further condemns the brazen disrespect for the sanctity of the court premises. The courts and judicial processes remain the barometer by which the conduct of persons or agencies of government are gauged in assessing the rule of law.
The NBA calls on the two agencies to take immediate disciplinary measures against the officers involved in this disgraceful conduct. In addition, there is an urgent need for a complete overhaul of the institutions and a total reorientation of the personnel, to achieve professionalism and ensure synergy in the discharge of their respective constitutional responsibilities,
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) remains committed to the promotion and protection of the principles of the rule of law and due process, within a safe and secured Nigeria.
Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, SAN
PRESIDENT