The National Bureau of Statistics has come out with a damning report of 14.3 Nigerians between the age of 15 and 64 that have been into drug abuse in the last year.
According to the report released today, Wednesday, the Bureau said that the prevalence of any drug use in Nigeria is estimated at 14.4 per cent or 14.3 million people aged between 15 and 64 years.
It said that the extent of drug use in Nigeria is comparatively high when compared with the 2016 global annual prevalence of any drug use of 5.6 per cent among the adult population.
“The past year prevalence of psychoactive substances excluding alcohol, overall was higher among men in Nigeria, however the gender difference in the non-medical use of prescription opioids, tranquilizers and cough syrups was less marked.
“Drug use was most common among those who were between the ages of 25 and 39 years, while the rates of past year use were lowest among those who were below 24 years of age. Cannabis was the most commonly used drug followed by opioids, mainly the non-medical use of prescription opioids and cough syrup.”
The Bureau presented its key findings of drug use survey as follows: “A dichotomy in the past year prevalence of drug use was found between the North and South geopolitical zones. Highest past-year prevalence of drug use was found in the southern political zones: South-East, South-West, and South-South zones (past year prevalence ranging between 13.8 – 22.4 per cent of the population) compared to the North (ranging between 10 – 14.9 per cent of the population).”
The report lamented the large-scale prevalence of drug abuse after nation-wide survey was conducted to examine the extent and patterns of drug use in Nigeria.
“The results of this survey aim to provide the baseline information needed for the design and implementation of effective prevention, treatment and care services that are evidence based and targeted to reduce the demand for drugs and prevent the morbidity and mortality attributable to drug use in Nigeria. “The results of this survey highlight a considerable level of past-year use of psychoactive substances in Nigeria, in particular the use of cannabis, the non-medical use of prescription opioids (mainly tramadol, and to lesser extent codeine, or morphine) and cough syrups (containing codeine or dextromethorphan).
The Court of Appeal has refused to stay the trial of the suspended chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen, in the false asset declaration charges brought against him by the federal government at the code of conduct tribunal. The Appellate Court, in a unanimous decision in a ruling delivered by justice Abdul Aboki held that the prayers of Onnoghen, that is trial, be put on hold, runs contrary to sec 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act ACJA 2015. Justice Aboki, who read the lead ruling, sited a case of Dr Bukola Saraki in which Justice Onnoghen himself at the supreme court, declined to stay trial of Saraki on the same ground that section 306 of the new law, did not permit the stay of criminal trial. The Appeal court said that there were no special circumstances under which the prayer of Onnoghen could be granted in the appeal argued on his behalf by Chief Wole Olanikpekun. In the ruling, the appeal court agreed that the prayer of the appellant for stay of further proceedings ought to be refused, and consequently dismissed the appeal, seeking to stop the Code of Conduct Tribunal from taking further steps in the six count false asset declaration charges filed against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria. The Code of Conduct Tribunal headed by Yakubu Umar had on January 14th ruled to hear all motions that arose in the charges against Onnoghen together and give decision on the motions. But Onnoghen, having been dissatisfied with the decision of the tribunal to hear all motions together had approached the court of Appeal to set aside the decision of the tribunal. His appeal was predicated on the ground that the issue of jurisdiction raised against his trial ought to be resolved one way or the other first before any other motion could be entertained. The Interim order granted by the court of Appeal on January 24th has therefore been vacated in compliance with section 306 of ACDA. It will be recalled that the tribunal on January 28th adjourned the trial of Onnoghen sine die as a mark in which the Mr. Kumar said “was out of respect to the court of Appeal interim order”. Federal government on the 14th sort to arraign Onnoghen at the CCT on false declaration of asset but it could not hold due to the absence of the defendant in the tribunal, who was said not to have been summoned. On the January 22nd, he was also not in court for the second time, but his lead counsel told the tribunal that although his client had been served as required by law, he was not there because Onnoghen challenged the competence of the charge against him as well as jurisdiction of the tribunal. Mean while the court has fixed 4th February for the substantive appeal related to the competence of the charge as well as the jurisdiction of the tribunal.
The Nigeria police have already expressed concern over the dangerous activities of those they described as desperate politicians as the nation’s elections approach.
The police said: “we, however, remain genuinely concerned about the disposition of some ill-advised political actors who appear bent on threatening our democratic values and our national security all in their desperation to project their narrow political interests over and above national interests.
“We are also concerned about subversive actors who masquerade as politicians and are taking advantage of the freedoms that our democracy has bestowed on the citizens to encourage hate speeches and misinformation, and inflame passion in a manner that could threaten our stable political order.
“Equally worrisome are reports of firearms build-up by some political actors and threats in some other quarters to disrupt the electoral process. We also note an increasing level of political intolerance which has been occasioning pockets of inter-party violence and destruction of campaign billboards across the country. All of these constitutes not only serious electoral or criminal infractions, but major national security threats.”
Addressing Deputy Commissioners of police in charge of operations from across the country today in Abuja, the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu warned those who are engaged in such unacceptable activities, that the officers and men of the Force will vehemently protect the law abiding citizens.
The leadership of the Force, he added, will identify, isolate “and deal decisively with any political actor that acts in contravention of the Electoral Act or our Criminal Laws. This is our sacred Mandate and this we shall perform within the dictates of the law and in the overriding national security interest.”
He advised the officers that as they return to their Commands, they should carry out the following:
To, under the directives of your CPs, coordinate effectively with the Resident Electoral Commissioners in your States
Avail yourselves of the pieces of critical information provided by your Resident Electoral Commissioners and utilize them effectively in perfecting all arrangements for effective deployment of personnel and logistics
iii. Perfect an advanced plan for the mobilization and deployment of personnel from sister security agencies that will be available to complement the Police during the elections
Emplace adequate security architecture for the security of INEC personnel, facilities, and all electoral materials
Emplace adequate arrangement for the safety and security of all local and international observers as may be accredited by INEC
Orientate all personnel on the need to perform their electoral security functions within the dictates of the Electoral Act, the Fundamental Human Rights provision of the Constitution, and the Code of Conduct developed and approved for Police Personnel on Election Duties by the Police Service Commission.
vii. Undertake concerted raids of black spots with a view to frustrating elements that could constitute a threat to a peaceful electoral process
viii. Be conscious of the directive touching on the withdrawal of security aides from political office holders and other personalities and commit to enforcing the order on the day of the elections.
Undertake a ‘Show of Force’ operation in conjunction with other security agencies in order to strengthen public confidence on the readiness of the Police and other sister security agencies for the elections.
Emplace strategies to give effect to my recent directives to mop-up illicit firearms in circulation as part of the broad strategies directed at addressing the threat of electoral violence.
IGP Adamu assured the nation and the international community of the full preparedness of the Nigeria Police for the general elections and called on all citizens to continue to support them in their common drive towards bequeathing to our nation the legacy of a credible and peaceful 2019 general elections.
“I am confident that working together, we shall meet this expectation.”
The national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that the Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar had displayed a complete ignorance of the operative word, suspension, construing same to mean removal (of the Chief Judge of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen).
Asiwaju Tinubu, who replied to Atiku’s recent State of the Nation’s comments regarding suspension of CJN Onnoghen, said: “I encourage everyone to read it. In its disregard for the truth and patent misrepresentations, it will go down in political history as a classic of self-incrimination. Atiku thinks the piece exalts him. Instead it evinces his penchant for wilful misstatement that make him unfit for the office he now seeks and has always coveted.”
Continue the reading:
In the statement, he claims to have dedicated all his life to the defense of democracy. Those of you who know him, and even those who don’t, know this is not true. If all of his life has been dedicated to support for democracy, then he is far too young to run for president; however, I must congratulate him for having somehow managed to find or begin a second life. This rebirth as a defender of democracy must have taken place only a few short hours ago.
His previous life of over seventy years was one of skirting democracy and of blatant impunity in attempting to enshrine reactionary government and installing an unjust political economy on the backs of the people.
In his address, he claims the nation has entered a difficult moment. To my dear and good friend Atiku, I say the difficulty is not so much with the moment but with your memory.
When you lorded over Nigeria in tandem with President Obasanjo, there were myriad court orders mandating that your government render to Lagos state the funds due it to improve the lives of its millions of inhabitants. Instead, you gladly and without dispute joined Obasanjo in utter disregard for these unambiguous legal verdicts. In so doing, you demeaned the rule of law. You also readily sacrificed the economic development and welfare of millions of innocent people in Lagos just to gain some illicit political advantage that proved to be fleeting and of no avail to you in the end.
You now speak of democracy and the need for executive restraint. But such verbal finery never crossed your lips or traversed your pen when you and Obasanjo improperly removed Senate Presidents more easily than a trendy cad exchanges a pair of shoes or changes the subject of his false affections. Your love for democracy is such that you were recently observed apologising to the PDP for not rigging the Lagos 2003 gubernatorial polls as you did the polls in the other South western states.
Instead of repenting for rigging at least five states too many, your expressed regret was that you had not rigged enough; that you rigged one state less than the complete mauling of democracy your party and your principal had mandated. Regarding such a destructive love as this, I am sure democracy and fair elections would rather do without.
A few weeks ago in a televised broadcast you even revealed to the people that your official policy envisioned the base enrichment of your friends should you achieve the presidency.
I must assume that your lifetime as a defender of democracy began after this long record of unjust deeds and even after your latest statement of intent to mould Nigeria into an oligarchy. If this is not the case and if all these things you have done and said are consistent with your current notion of democracy, then there is but one conclusion. The democracy you now claim to support remains a rather strange breed of democracy, such as to be nigh indistinguishable from the regressive, rentier political economy you designed and foisted on Nigeria as the crafty lieutenant of the bullish Obasanjo.
Strange that you would choose to depict the current situation so inaccurately as to stir emotions unduly. You claim that CJN Onnoghen has been removed. However, this is not so. He has been temporarily suspended. You and your advisors should know and recognize the vast legal difference between “suspension” and “removal.” Yet you persist in conflating the two in what you say is a pursuit of justice. While true you may be in pursuit of something. It is not justice.
If justice was your goal, you would acknowledge that the CJN has only been temporarily suspended not permanently removed. Thus, your recourse to saying that the president violated the constitutional provision regarding the removal of a CJN is inaccurate in that Buhari never intended to remove the CJN. What he has done is to have the CJN temporarily get out of his chair so that the serious matters against him can be heard by someone other than himself. Should the charges show themselves to be wrong or unproven, the CJN will be automatically reinstated as the head of the Nigerian judiciary. However, for Atiku to state that the CJN should remain on seat while credible and grave charges swirl around him is to put the entire workings of the Supreme Court under a heavy cloud.
It is ironic that Atiku of all people throw such darts at President Buhari. Buhari actually exercised considerable restraint in this matter. He has reasonably balanced concerns about the integrity of the judiciary with concerns for the individual rights of the accused. Nothing has been taken from the CJN that cannot be restored if the facts warrant such restoration. Thus, President Buhari conditionally suspended the CJN. By doing so, this allows for the case to move forward without the CCT or others fearing the CJN might use his position to unduly interfere with proceedings. If the CJN is exonerated, then he will return to his position. If not exonerated, then a more permanent discipline awaits him.
This is an imminently fair and balanced approach, especially given the fact that the constitution and other laws really do not provide clear and unambiguous guidance in how to proceed in a case whether the CJN is the defendant under this unique fact pattern. While Atiku rails against Buhari because of this act of restraint, we can but imagine the tack Chief Obasanjo and Atiku would have taken if they presided over this situation. By now, they would have put CJN Onnoghen in the stocks or shipped him off to that infamous farm in Ota where he would have begun his new career in plucking poultry.
It is curious that Atiku would take up the marker of a jurist who has enjoyed the sweet but hidden benefits of several million dollars of mystery money passing through his secret bank accounts, Even when discovered, these accounts held several hundred thousands of dollars in them.
Someone in Atiku’s position would normally be wary of a judge thusly tainted. A politician in Atiku’s position should more objectively be concerned that the government would have been the source of the hidden funds or that government would use the fact of the clandestine money as leverage against the judge to make sure he did government’s bidding for surely this a jurist highly compromised by pecuniary indiscretion. It is almost unnatural that an opposition candidate would champion the soiled cause of such a judge who seems to have sold something in exchange for the money found in his vest’s secret pockets.
Yet, Atiku now cries the anguished cry of a man who thought he had won the lottery only to find he had misread the last number on his claim ticket. Or perhaps these are the tears of a man who thought he had invested in a sure deal only to see the reason for the investment evaporate before his very eyes. Now, Atiku and his cohort seek to turn their personal disappointment into a burning national issue. They seek to manufacture a constitutional crisis where none exists.
They said they suspended their campaign because of this matter. Here, they are as illogical as illogic can beget. By suspending their campaign, did that mean they were permanently ending it? Of course not!That would be a boycott or the permanent “removal” of the campaign. No, they have resumed their campaign after temporarily suspending it. If they know the meaning of suspend in this regard, only malign intent allows them to feign ignorance to the meaning of the word “suspend” when applied to CJN Onnoghen.
There is no need to quake at the solitary incident of the interim suspension of a justice pending the legal resolution of serious criminal claims against him. If this matter is shorn of the political trappings it has acquired, there is no fairer way to handle the matter.
Atiku, I gather, would rather leave the man in seat and allow the charges against him to go unattended. Or Atiku would rather that the CJN preside over his own trial. Such is the logical conclusion of Atiku’s position. It is an odd bravery that would lead Atiku to stake such a position. If Atiku is as oddly courageous as he now depicts, then let him venture a step further. Pray tell, let Atiku tell us what good and precious thing he and the PDP rendered thatthey cannot even countenance the temporary and conditional suspension of a single jurist until the charges of illegality against the man have been fully resolved in open proceedings conducted by his judicial peers.
Atiku claims to be a democrat and defender of democracy, but where was he, his voice and action during Abacha’s suffocating maximum rule? Was he not a member and cheer-leader of one of the five Abacha parties aptly described then as five leprous fingers of Abacha? Did he even have the courage to visit his mentor, late Major General Shehu Musa Yar Ádua, in jail for fear of Abacha stopping him from running for the governorship of Adamawa?
Dare Atiku say what is really upsetting him and what he really is hiding in his attempt to cloak his lifetime of undemocratic reckonings in the swaddling of this much too belated democratic second birth he now claims for himself.
President Buhari attends APC Campaign rally in Imo State on 29th Jan 2019
The paramount ruler of Aba in Abia State, Enyi I, Isaac Ikonne, has called on the people in the state to vote enmass for President Muhammadu Buhari in the February Presidential election for many projects the President had executed in the State that have impacted positively on the lives of the people.
The paramount ruler, spoke today, Tuesday in his palace when President Buhari paid him royal visit as he arrived to stage his Presidential campaign for re-election for second term.
This was even as the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu also commended the President for directing the provision of electricity to the popular Ariaria market.
He thanked the Federal government for executing laudable projects that continue to empower the people of the State.
“The President has done a lot for us in the area of infrastructure as well as the school feeding programme, which has tremendously reversed our school enrolment from private to public schools with over 400 percent.”
Also, the Secretary General of the umbrella socio-cultural group of Igbos, known as Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo, Uche Okwukwu, denied claims that the group had endorsed the Presidential candidate of any political party for the February 16 election as was reported by the media last week.
“I am the Secretary and custodian of the secretariate of the Ohaneze and I know that we have not adopted the candidate of any party for the Presidential election. It is not true at all.”
The Secretary thanked President Buhari for showing love to the Igbos by implementing projects that have touches on their lives.
He praised the President for visiting the two main commercial cities in Igbo land, Onitsha and Aba during his campaign tour.
“President Buhari has done what no other candidate has done. He has visited Onitsha and Aba, our main commercial cities. That is what no other person has done. We thank you our President. Imela.”
President Buhari responded by saying that if he is re-elected, he would do more for the people of the state and the country at large.
He thanked the Igbo people of the Southeast for their support as well as the Enyi I of Aba for the warm welcome he received and positive remarks about the work the Federal government has so far executed for the people of Abia State.
The paramount ruler of Aba, Enyi 1 of Aba in Abia state, His Royal Majesty Dr. Isaac Ikonne, raises the hand of President Muhammadu Buhari (left) in a victory sign ahead of the February 16 Presidential election in which he is seeking a second term as President of Nigeria.
From Left; HRM Ezerust Onwuka (standing), speaking on behalf of Eze in Council. President Muhammadu Buhari, Enyi 1 of Aba, His Royal Majesty, Dr Isaac Ikonne, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Sen. Chris Ngige, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Imo Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama and former President of the Senate, Sen. Ken Nnamani during a courtesy visit to the Palace in Aba, Abia State. Photo by Sunday Aghaeze.
For human, some occurrences are impossible and mysterious, but for God, everything is possible and known to Him.
An inevitability of the Almighty Creator has occurred and compelled some of us without option to turn to the same Creator for consolation.
Of course, no one can blame the all-knowing God for some things that happen to a man, a family, or society at large.
The mystery of life as ordained by Almighty God has occurred, with the transition of one of our finest brothers, who inadvertently assumed the position of father to many. His kind heartedness, selflessness and unwavering support to his families and community at large despite his youthful age were unquantifiable.
Brother Aminu Obiyo, who was a few days ago, snatched by death and left us to face the reality of life and living. He was a brother, guardian, and father-figure to many. He was cheerful with smiling face that possessed the magic of soothing heart of people in a state of distress.
Honorable Aminu Obiyo is a humble, visionary and well-bred young Ebira politician with a refined mind. He played politics without rancoure. For him, politics should be a patient negotiation with one’s mind. He believed, with patient, dedication, prayers, one can achieve his or her objective without resorting to crudeness.
He was a diplomat and leader by design, a good listener, a peace maker, a community servant and a bridge-builder.
Indeed, brother Aminu Abiyo transited to eternal life at the time many are vigorously looking up to him not only for his wise counsels, but also for the fatherly support which he always rendered to his people.
His sudden death has re-echoed the popular saying: “good people never last!”
May God forgive him all his shortcomings, accept all his good deeds and admit him in the Jannatul Firdausi. Ameen!
National chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshimhole has reminded the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union that Nigeria is not their colony and therefore should not interfere in its internal affairs.
Oshiomhole, who fielded questions from news men at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, today, Tuesday, said: “the thing is that Nigeria is not a colony. I think we all have to be careful. We must defend the sovereignty of our country.
“We welcome collaboration (of other nations); we welcome peer review, we can compare notes, we welcome people who are interested in sharing experiences with us whenever the need arises, whether it’s capacity building, making useful suggestions on how we can continue to improve on our electoral process. Those are very valuable contributions that we appreciate.
“But Nigeria is not a colony. We will not accept any foreign interference in the internal affairs of Nigeria.
“When they dismiss judges in Europe…judges have been dismissed in the United States when they are found guilty of corruption and the Western world cannot on the one hand, when it suite them, describe Nigeria as fantastically corrupt and when a corrupt judicial officer is being charged, people want to interfere.
“What anybody can insist on is: is anybody being framed? Is the suspended CJN (Chief Judge of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen) guilty of the allegations made against him? Or is it something being cooked out from nowhere?
“Now, if a Chief Justice of the Federation admits that he has breached the law, if a Chief Justice of the Federation admits that he has several foreign domiciliary accounts, even though he also admits that by nature of his office, he is not s trader, what is he doing with accounts in British pounds, US dollars and in Euros and to the extent of forgetting that he has those accounts?
“If he has such memory failure about the size of his number of accounts as to fail to declare them, you and I know that not even ignorance is an excuse in law. So, why are we being hypocritical?
“And at a certain level of responsibility, it’s not even about legal technicalities. It’s about the moral weight, the moral burden you carry.
“So, nobody should make us feel as though we are at the mercy of any other country. The future of Nigeria is in the hands of Nigerians and our laws are clear. Our laws are meant to be obeyed.
“If Nigerians thought that anybody other than the president and the vice president or a governor and deputy governor have immunity, it should have been so written into the constitution.
“I don’t understand what the noise is about.
“Some people say even if it is true, is this the proper timing? What is the best timing to prosecute a crime? Should we suspend criminal justice pending elections?
“Then, some people say you know, because of the very unique role or rather, very delicate role the judiciary has to play in settling elections issues; that is the more reason that people are worried about the timing.
“My question is, given that important role of the judiciary in times like this, is that the reason why you should allow a judge who has professed for breaching laws of the land; is that the reason to allow him to preside, to adjudicate over issues that have to do with fairness and justice?”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has said that the work of rebuilding and restoring the fortunes of Nigeria could not have been possible just within four of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The minister, who spoke today, Tuesday when he received the youth organization in his office, said that President deserved another four years to consolidate on the remarkable achievements recorded so far, and to take Nigeria to the next level.
Muhammad Bello stressed the need for Nigerians to elect those who would work with the President in the Senate, House of Representatives and other tiers of government to ensure that the dividends of democracy are cascaded down to the ordinary Nigerians.
The Minister said that he is committed to implementing the directives of the President in the areas of welfare of the common man justice and the rule of law to all.
“You would recall that the party we took over from was not APC, and definitely those who benefitted from the payments were not APC members, but we had to pay because it was at the root of humanity that anyone who works is entitled to the fruits of his labour.”
The Minister expressed surprise that some of the officials are still being owed and pledged to do something about it.
Earlier, the President-General of the youth organization, Commander Isaac David, commended the minister for the significant progress made in the Territory during his first term and for breaking what he described as the tradition of leaving former political office holders in lack as a result of non-payment of their severance packages.
“But since this administration came to power, Honourable Minister, you have worked to reverse the trend by ensuring that all former Councillors and political office holders are paid their severance packages.”
Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has written a lengthy letter to the United States of America, the United Kingdom, European Union and the UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, complaining of many constitutional infractions by President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He also complained about what he called:”the spurious perception of his (Buhari’s) Integrity.
The letter is reproduced below:
CONSTITUTIONAL BREACHES UNDER THE WATCH OF PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI
I have chosen to write this letter to Your Excellency for the enviable role that your country plays as champion of Democracy and the Rule of Law. I am also writing you as Nigeria’s international development partner working together to deepen and strengthen our democracy as well as to help in the transformation of our economies and societies for the better.
President Muhammadu Buhari is threatening our democracy by serially breaching the provisions of our constitution and undermining organs and institutions of State in order to advance his personal interest. While the President has ironically taken oath to safeguard and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the reality of his selective and wanton violations of its provisions means that his oath is observed only in the breach.
And as Your Excellency very much knows, respect for the rule of law is integral to promoting and preserving the values and principles of democracy. Sadly, however, by the actions of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, one is forced to think otherwise.
As a Presidential Candidate in the forthcoming General Elections that will be conducted and supervised by the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari, I feel the urgent need to share with you some of these key violations of the provisions of our constitution and to demand that you pile pressure on the Federal Government to desist from these violations and ensure a level playing field for the General Elections that are only a couple of weeks away. We acknowledge with profound appreciation the positions taken by some members of the International Community in Nigeria and urge Your Excellency to add your country’s very strong voice against these breaches of Nigeria’s constitution. Your Voice is very important to the survival of Nigeria’s democracy.
Some of these constitutional infractions are highlighted below for your information and action as you may deem appropriate.
1. The Purported Suspension of CJN Onnoghen
On Friday, January 25, 2019, our nation woke up to the shocking news of the unilateral and extra-constitutional suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen and the immediate appointment and swearing in of Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, as the new acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). This action of President Muhammadu Buhari, not only breaches the Nigerian Constitution, but has also managed to undermine Presidential democracy by assaulting one of its hallowed doctrines of separation of Powers. For the records, Justice Walter Onnoghen is the head of one of the Tripartite but mutually independent organs that form the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. To attempt to muscle out the Chief Justice of Nigeria using phony charges at a time when His Lordship was primed to play a central role in the fast approaching nationwide electoral process represents the boldest steps in the march to undermine our democracy. This is undoubtedly an anti-democratic act which my political Party and I reject without reservation and for which I urge Your Excellency to condemn unequivocally.
Need I say, this brazen authoritarian and imperious stride of President Buhari is the latest action in a series of carefully planned onslaught on our nation’s hard earned democracy by an extremely power hungry and anxious President and the cabal that feeds fat around him as February 16, 2019 draws nearer.
The fact that the unlawful suspension of Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen was announced just as it became public knowledge that the CJN was constituting the election petition tribunals is not lost on discerning Nigerians and the international community. This act of desperation is geared towards affecting the outcome of the 2019 Presidential elections. Indeed, it is not just the CJN that has been “suspended”, it is the Nigerian Constitution that has been infracted and, in effect, suspended, under the guise of the suspension of the CJN.
The case involving the legality or otherwise of the charges against Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen is in court, as it should be. So far, the judiciary has ruled in Justice Onnoghen’s favour. So, why not allow the court to adjudicate on the matter? What is the pressing urgency about this matter?
Let me therefore take the opportunity of this letter to urge your country and all well-meaning members of the International community to mount pressure on this government and all its anti-democracy functionaries know that their actions will have consequences. Strong consequences.
2. The illegal purchase of the Tucano Aircrafts:
President Buhari sometime in April 2018 approved the purchase of Tucano Aircrafts for the Nigerian Military at the sum of $496 million (Four Hundred and Ninety-Six Million United States Dollars). This, he did, without seeking prior approval of the National Assembly contrary to Section 80 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which states very clearly, how the President can spend monies belonging to the Federation. It provides:
“(3) No money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly.”
“(4) No monies shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly”
3. Disregard for Orders of Courts:
The Muhammadu Buhari administration has serially violated court orders, going against the rule of law especially in three known cases.
a. Col. Sambo Dasuki (Former National Security Adviser): Various courts have granted Col. Dasuki bail on at least six different occasions; the Buhari led government has persistently refused to comply with the court orders.
· Federal High Court in Abuja presided by Justice Adeniyi Ademola in 2015 ordered the release of Col. Dasuki’s passport and granted him permission to travel abroad for three weeks on medical grounds. Despite the order made on November 3, the Department of State Security Services, SSS refused to release Col. Dasuki.
· Again, the former NSA and four others were granted bail on December 18, 2015 on a similar condition with a N250 million bond by Justice Hussein-Baba Yusuf.
· Similarly, the former NSA; a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; former Sokoto Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; and three others were granted bail by Justice Peter Affen on December 21, 2015 by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in the sum of N250 million each and two sureties in like sum. The Federal Government cherry-picked the order whilst disobeying the part that concerned the former NSA.
· The ECOWAS Court presided by Honorable Justice F.C. Nwoke on October 4 2016 granted the former NSA bail and ordered the Nigerian Government to pay N15 Million to the defendant as damages for his “illegal and arbitrary detention”.
· On 17 January 2018, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja reaffirmed previous court orders granting Col. Dasuki bail.
· Also on April 6, 2018 the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court affirmed, for the umpteenth time, its decision for the release of Col. Dasuki.
b. Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, Leader of a Shiite Group, IMN:
· Sheikh El-Zakzaky has been in detention without trial for over 3years after his followers were massacred in broad daylight; his wife and family killed and his home burnt, in a gory and shameful show of brute force by the Nigerian Army. This particular state violence is nothing short of genocide.
· On December 2, 2016 the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court Presided by Justice Kolawole ordered the release of Sheikh El-Zakzaky and berated the Nigerian government for violating his rights.
4. The approval of $1 billion for military expenditure before approaching the National Assembly:
The Nigerian government through the National Economic Council NEC, again in contravention of Section 80 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), granted approval for the release of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account, ECA, for the procurement of military hardware and other equipment to fight insecurity in the country, ahead of the 2019 General Elections without recourse to the National Assembly. Mansur Dan-Ali, Nigeria’s Defense Minister disclosed this at the end of security chiefs meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, April 4, 2018. By this act, the Federal Government acted contrary to the provisions of the Section 80 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution, which states:
“(3) No monies shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the Federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, unless the issue of those moneys has been authorized by an Act of the National Assembly.
5. Executive Order No. 006 (On Preservation of Suspicious Assets and Related Schedules):
The enactment of the controversial Executive Order No. 006 as an Executive legislation which permits security agencies to freeze the assets of persons standing trial or undergoing investigation without recourse to court orders. This is a usurpation of legislative and judicial powers of the National Assembly and the judiciary as enshrined respectively under sections 4 and 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and reminiscent of the military era of decrees.
The above, and many more that did not make it into this very short letter, are the unfortunate actions of the Government of a man who merely pays lip service to being a reformed democrat.
General Elections are upon us yet again. I urge you to partner with Nigerians to defend our constitution and play an active role in building our country. The choices facing all of us is either to stand aside and watch Nigerians reelect a President who has been in constant violation of the laws of the land without remorse; or to support them show him the way out and elect a true democrat. We must send a clear message that the Nigerian Nation is bigger than any individual.
Even if Nigerians opted not to elect me as President, the incumbent must go into the polls on his own record of lack of respect for the Rule of Law and not on the spurious perception of his “Integrity”. We need to set precedence for successive leaders not to take democratic mandate for granted.
Sincerely,
Atiku Abubakar, GCON
(Waziri Adamawa)
Former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
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The National Bureau of Statistics has come out with a damning report of 14.3 Nigerians between the age of 15 and 64 that have been into drug abuse in the last year.
The national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that the Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar had displayed a complete ignorance of the operative word, suspension, construing same to mean removal (of the Chief Judge of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen).
For human, some occurrences are impossible and mysterious, but for God, everything is possible and known to Him.
