President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted before the Chinese President that there were lapses which have hindered the implementation of agreements signed with China under the government of President Goodluck Jonathan for the development of rail. The President, at bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping at the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg, said that his administration will take necessary action to make corrects. President Buhari who did not disclose the lapses, said however, that he would strive to fulfil Nigeria’s obligations under the agreements. According to Buhari the implementation of the agreement would help to boost Nigeria’s economy and generate thousands of new jobs for the numerous jobless Nigerians. “I have looked into the previous agreements and we will now keep our part of the bargain,” President Buhari assured President Xi Jinping. The President applauded China’s ongoing support for the development of Nigeria’s agricultural sector. He said that Chinese advisers deployed to some states of the federation were helping to train farmers on water conservation and the use of more productive seeds. This was even as President Jinping described Nigeria as a very important ally of China in Africa, saying that the two countries need to boost their bilateral relations, for the good of their citizens. He said that China was keen to work with Nigeria for the mutual benefit of both countries. At the opening session of the summit, attended by President Buhari and more than 30 other African leaders, the Chinese President had pledged $60 Billion Dollars of new development aid to African countries. [myad]
Ebonyi State Governor, Eng. David Umahi has frowned at the poor performance of Ebonyi State students in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) which he traced to poor teaching, even as he asked teachers in the state to start re-evaluating themselves before the middle of January 2016.
Umahi made it clear that he would also be re-evaluating the teachers next year, because “we can’t continue to come last in WAEC evaluation. We need to come from between one and three.”
The governor who received a delegation of the state council of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) at the EXCO chambers in Abakaliki, stressed that the re-evaluation of teachers is necessary to arrest the dwindling academic standard in the state since “we cannot afford to mortgage the future of our children.”
The governor however assured that no teacher would be disengaged as a result of the re-evaluation even as he asked NUT to liaise with the Commissioner for Education, Professor John Eke, to come up with a programme that would enable the government mount consistent and effective supervision of schools.
The governor also assured of his commitment to the payment of teachers salaries on the 15th of every month in spite of the fact that allocation from the Federation Account get to the states a month after.
He explained that his administration would not toy with the welfare of teachers because of their importance to the upbringing of future leaders, adding that in spite of the economic hardship in the country, the state government had resolved to put smiles on the faces of its workforce.
“During this Christmas, every teacher must go home with a bag of rice. In this Christmas every senior civil servant must receive 50 per cent salary bonus and every junior civil servant must receive 100 per cent salary bonus.”
The governor said that the state Executive Council (SEC) had approved the purchase of computer laptops for primary and secondary school teachers in the state, but noted that certain conditions must be met before the purchase.
“EXCO has okayed laptop for teachers; but certain measures have to be guaranteed . And it is to protect you(teachers). I want the deduction on the teachers to be very low. No teacher should pay more than N2, 000 monthly deduction under this programme,” he stressed.
The governor, who accepted the proposal for the establishment of at least one ICT centre in each of the senatorial zones of the state, stated that the government had commenced the training of teachers on ICT to bring them in tandem with development across the world.
The governor directed the managers of the education system in the state to as a matter of state policy re-introduce clubs like the debating societies, press clubs, drama clubs, etc into primary and secondary schools in the state to assist in brushing up the students.
He appealed to the teachers to support the government’s agricultural policies, stressing that the 2016 budget of the state was predicated on Agriculture.
In the arrears of salaries and leave allowances owed to the teachers, the governor said, “I will appeal to you to look at our circumstances and continue to believe that we are owing you.”
Earlier, the state Chairman of the state NUT, Comrade Joseph Nweke, told Governor Umahi that his team came to thank him for his kindness towards the teachers in primary and secondary schools in the state.
Nweke, who enumerated various areas teachers had benefited from the government, applauded the governor for his giant strides in infrastructural developments across the state.
Meanwhile, the governor, today, flagged off the construction of three major roads in the three senatorial zones of the state. They are the 23.7km Hilltop- Nwofe and the 15.5km Nkalagu/Ehamufu Roads awarded to China Zunghaoi Ltd as well as the 23.5 km Amasiri/Okposi/Uburu Road awarded to CONROCK Nigeria ltd. Governor Umahi said that the commencement of work on the Hilltop- Nwofe Road was a dream fulfilled, adding that the reconstruction of the road was underscored by the overwhelming support and solidarity he received from Izzi people during the governorship election in the state.
Recalling that the road had suffered many years of neglect, he pointed out that his decision to award the contract was also informed by the massive support from the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru, who is an Izzi man.
The governor, who directed that work must go simultaneously from the two ends of the road, directed that three civil engineers from the local government areas where the road passes must be engaged to be part of the teams to supervise the three roads.
According to him, the engineers would garner more experience from the contractors to enable them benefit from projects that would be awarded in future by his administration.
At Nkalagu, the governor described the Nkalagu- Ehamufu Road which last received government attention almost six decades ago as not only important to Ebonyi State but to the entire Igbo race.
He disclosed that negotiation had reached advanced stage for Ibeto Cement Company to take over and revitalize NIGERCEM Cement Factory in Nkalagu to regain its past glory. “By flagging off the construction of this road, it is no longer a hidden agenda that Ibeto must come and develop NIGERCEM and by 7th of this month, we must have concluded with Ibeto and do agreement with him to ensure that the rights of our communities, Local and state Governments are protected,” he added.
At Amasiri junction where he described the gathering as being akin to a political rally, the governor announced plans to construct Effium,Agba/Ohoffia road,Ntezi/Isu road and Ebwona road next year.
He said the Amasiri-Okposi-Uburu Road was important because it also links Ebonyi State with Enugu State. Governor Umahi directed local government chairmen and coordinators of development centres whose areas are linked to the roads to monitor the progress of work by the contractor.
He said, “there is no project started by this administration that will be stopped. They have their money. Where our money stopped, they continue with their money and we will be paying. It is in the agreement. “I will give you a road built on concrete that for 50 years, nobody will touch the road.
The Commissioner for Works, Engr.Fidelis Nweze, who observed that the Hilltop-Nwofe Road had never received attention since the inception of old Eastern Region. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has described the Emir of Keffi in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Muhammadu Chindo-Yamusa II, who died today in his palace in Keffi, as an apostle of war against Boko Haram insurgents.
The President, in a condolence message issued by his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, recalled the late Emir’s appeal to Nigerians to support the Federal Government’s effort to counter insurgency and other social vices in the country.
He also acknowledged that latw Chindo-Yamusa, who until his death was Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, said that the late Emir was also an advocate of education as bedrock for development.
President Buhari said that late Chindo-Yamusa was a highly revered traditional ruler who will be greatly remembered as an advocate of peace and unity as a prerequisite for meaningful development in the country.
He said that the late Emir would be greatly missed and remembered as one who generously contributed to national development through his fatherly counsel and advice to those in authority.
President Buhari particularly recalls
The President prayed to Allah to grant Alhaji Yamusa eternal rest and to provide a successor who will do even more for the peace, development and prosperity of the people of Nasarawa State.
The Emir’s death was first announced today the Galadima of Keffi, Alhaji Abdul Usman, who is also the emir’s cousin.
He said that the late monarch took ill briefly and subsequently died in the palace.
The Galadina said:“his death is heartbreaking, painful but God gives life and takes it at will. “The emir had contributed a lot to the development of not only Keffi, but to the development of Nasarawa State and the entire country while alive.” According to Usman, the late emir was 70 years and was enthroned on May 11, 1978. The Galadiman Keffi called on the people of the state to pray for the family of the late emir, even as he described his death as a huge loss to the Keffi Emirate Council and the state at large. late Yamusa II left two wives and 27 children and many grand children. [myad]
Diamond Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading banks, has dismissed a report by Sahara Reporters suggesting that the bank is distressed. Describing the story as “false and malicious,” the bank insisted that it is healthy and has been meeting its financial obligations as required by the regulatory body. In a statement by the Head, Corporate Communications Division, Mrs. Ayona Trimnell, the Bank said: “Our attention has been drawn to a malicious story published by Sahara Reporters alleging that Diamond Bank Plc is one of nine commercial banks that have demonstrated a level of distress that requires they recapitalize to avert the banks possibly falling into distress. “Our customers, stakeholders and indeed the general public should please disregard the said report and be informed that the story is false, baseless, mischievous and attention seeking. Diamond Bank’s Q3 2015 result approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) show capital adequacy ratio of 18%, which is 3% higher than CBN’s minimum requirement.” The statement asked those in doubt to check out its Q3 2015 financial results which can be found at http://www.diamondbank.com/images/banners/linkcreation/Financials/2015%20Nine%20Months%20Unaudited%20Financial%20Statement.pdf/ The bank’s denial is coming on the heels of the recent Central Bank of Nigeria statement condemning the same falsehood by Sahara Reporters, saying that no Bank in Nigeria is facing distress. [myad]
Ahead of tomorrow’s supplementary poll in some polling units in Kogi State, some youths have burned down the Dekina Local Government Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Security operatives are looking for clues to why the office was razed and the people responsible for the arson. While many people believe it was aimed at frustrating the supplementary election, others say it may have been as a result of indiscriminate bush burning by some youths on hunting expedition. It would be recalled that protests rocked the the eastern part of the state over the death of the leading candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the decision of APC to replace him with Alhaji Yahaya Bello from Kogi Central. Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole has declined jurisdiction in Governor Wada’s suit against APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Wada, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had asked the court to declare him winner of the November 21 governorship election, following the death of his main challenger, Prince Abubakar Audu. Ruling on the matter this morning, Justice Kolawole said that only an election tribunal could adjudicate such suit. He said that the role of the judgement was to create a judicial and permissive atmosphere for INEC to conduct the supplementary election scheduled for December 5. The judge further said that it was his view that where the court did not have affirmative powers to make declarative orders, it would amount to idle judicial indulgence to proceed with the suit. Justice Kolawole had on Tuesday adjourned for judgment after all the parties adopted their final written addresses on contentious legal issues that arose after the sudden death of Audu before the election was concluded. The court had consolidated four separate suits challenging the legality of the scheduled supplementary election, with the Justice saying that there was need for the court to expeditiously determine the issues “so that INEC will not conduct the election under a grave shadow of doubt as to the legal or constitutional validity.” Other persons who filed suits, Johnson Usman, Emmanuel Daikwo and Emmanuel Igbokwe, were asking the court to rule that a fresh governorship election should be conducted in the state. INEC had declared the governorship election held on November 21 inconclusive, even as it fixed Saturday to conduct a run-off poll. The electoral body said it declared the election inconclusive because the margin between late Audu and the second-placed Wada was less than the number of cancelled votes.
The emerging conundrum in Kogi State over the replacement of the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in the recently conducted inconclusive election in the state, late Prince Abubakar Audu, has again brought to fore the renewed debates on the age-long mechanism of party supremacy in Nigeria’s political system. Party supremacy is widely believed as a principle where the interests of a political party is placed ahead of interests of individual members, sectional interests or the interference of another political party. The coinage is not strange to Nigeria’s political history. In 1981, the Kaduna State Governor, Balarabe Musa, and his Kano State counterpart, late Abubakar Rimi, were caught in the web of party disloyalty to the People’s Redemption Party by romancing the ruling National Party of Nigeria-led Federal Government. In June, the decisions of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to defy the outcome of APC’s unconstitutional mock election and subsequently contest for their present offices drew the irk of party leaders. Saraki and Dogara were accused of party disloyalty and disregard for party supremacy. The mock election had thrown up Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as APC’s preferred choices for the offices of Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives. Anyway, the mock election, which was unknown to the APC constitution, turned out to a mockery of the party’s primary election. What is however comical and which likewise reek of hypocrisy is that the exponents of party supremacy during the National Assembly brouhaha are the same individuals caught in the web of glaring contempt for party supremacy in the fierce political battle to replace Audu with another candidate for the scheduled supplementary election. With the decision of the leadership of the APC to nominate the first runner-up in its primary election, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, as its new governorship candidate and likewise retain Hon. James Faleke as the deputy governorship candidate for the Kogi State governorship supplementary election, the protest by Faleke is clearly a protest against party supremacy. Faleke is a political godson of a National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And the godfather cannot claim to be indifferent on this raging issue. In fact, the godfather has been reported to have assembled a team of legal giants for Faleke to sue the party and the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission. Should Faleke eventually sue the APC, the whole hypocrisy about party supremacy would have been blown off. For Tinubu and Faleke: is the party no longer supreme? . Balogun writes from newparrort@gmail.com. [myad]
You probably don’t know Sugabelly. I don’t know her either. But it is the twitter handle of a Nigerian lady: @sugabelly, who in the wake of the death of former Governor Abubakar Audu of Kogi State felt the urge to go public with her story. My foregrounding her/story as opposed to his/story, is further affirmation of an earlier submission that Audu’s death is “inconclusive” (The Guardian, Nov 27). As the rest of Nigeria mourned the death of Abubakar Audu and pondered the implications of an inconclusive electoral process, Sugabelly showed up on social media and started celebrating his death. Her message was that the death of the man was good riddance to bad rubbish. “I feel so amazing”, she wrote. “Like God actually answered my prayers… That’s usually how it is. Powerful people rarely remember the people whose lives they destroy.” She alleged that Audu’s sons once gang-raped her- seven of them, when she was an impressionable 17-year old and that Governor Audu used his position as a big man to rubbish her, slammed her with a $2 million libel suit, denied her from getting justice, with his lawyers insisting that “14 years” is the age of consent under the Penal Code in the FCT, and so there is no case. For eight years, her life, she says, has been a nightmare including contemplations of suicide and spells of manic depression. Her frustration is well articulated in her twitter handle and an extended commentary titled “Surviving Mustapha Audu and His Rape Brigade” (sugarbellyrocks.com/2015/11/surviving-mustapha-audu-and-his-rape-brigade.html). I have heard people proclaim loudly that a traditional proverb says: “the witch cried last night and the child died in the morning” and they have been wondering whether there was some kind of extra-terrestial, meta-physical animus which led to Audu’s sudden death. Howbeit, Sugabelly’s allegation is that of rape. Her protestation made the rounds for a few days largely uncelebrated, but it caught fire last Friday. For days, rape was the subject of discussion on Nigerian twitter. Opinion was divided with some calling Sugabelly, “a whore” and a badly brought up child but soon, the weight tilted heavily in her favour as the reactions panned out to focus on the menace of rape and the devastating effect on persons, families, the victims and society. One of the sons of Abubakar Audu was soon fingered as the leader of the rape brigade -by both Sugabelly and her staunchest supporter, @Echecrates. What happened subsequently is better experienced. A lady tweeting as Zahra – @oakleafbycg – jumped into the fray to defend him – hers was quite a spirited fight that lasted for hours, defending the integrity of her husband. She probably was defending herself too. Her father-in-law was so close to being Governor and he lost it, only for some twitter activists, and a sugabelly (what a name!, by the way) to start suggesting that her husband has a rape case to answer. She is a good woman, isn’t she? I monitored the conversations, and it is difficult to conclude that anyone was successfully convicted for there were persons who raised questions about sugabelly’s identity, her motives and whether she is not just a spoiler, playing a sponsored political game. The emergent consensus however focused on the menace of rape in our society. Some male commentators seeking to genderize the discussion also pointed out that they were once raped too, but the pervasive impression was that young girls are more often the victims. I noted that there was very little talk about marital rape, which is ordinarily a major issue in the West, but which will be considered absurd by Africans. There were some suggestions about rapists being put to death in line with the still untested Violence Against Persons Act, but as is the case with twitter, 140-word interventions do not necessarily a honest thinker nor an intellectual make. It creates an illusion though, the illusion that someone whose reasoning is below 140 words is a mega-man of knowledge and insights. Nonetheless, the matter between sugabelly and the Audu sons deserves a little more probing. I am tempted to commend sugabelly for throwing up the subject, but the real problem with rape in our society lies in the inadequacy of both legal and social responses. Both the law and the society stigmatise rape, and wrong-foot the victim. The relevant sections of the law in Nigeria today more or less ridicule the victim, and usually, the victim is female. The biggest challenge for decades has been this manner in which the law humiliates the female victim: the procedure requires examination by a medical doctor and in open court, proving actual penetration up to the labia majora. That is a tough call for victims and families, and so, many cases end up unreported. Besides, the criminal justice system peopled by phallocentric officials is wont to dismiss any woman reporting rape: in Nigeria, it would be ridiculous indeed for a married woman or a girlfriend to report being raped by her husband or fiancée. From the policeman at the station to the presiding judge, if it gets to that stage, the case may die a natural death in the vortex of misogyny. Culture is a major barrier: the search for virgins at the bridal chamber by African families is a long dead custom, but few families can stand the stigma of taking as wife, a woman who has been raped, and whose indignity has been broadcast. Female victims are therefore reluctant to seek legal redress, first because of social stigma, and that is why there are very few convictions despite the regular incidence of rape. Any woman that is labeled a rape victim stands the risk of not getting a husband: families of prospective suitors will latch on to that evidence as if it a mark of leprosy, and urge their sons to steer clear, creating for the woman’s family an undeserved dilemma. Despite the wave of modernity in our land, tradition remains resilient and marriage, going to a man’s house, is still, quite sadly, considered a woman’s ultimate achievement. This is probably why, in due course, the accused also showed up in the conversation releasing e-mail exchanges between him and Sugabelly, and going as far as revealing her true identity and painting her as a “whore,” a liar and an opportunist. Parents, keep an eye on your sons and daughters! The family, the most important social unit, has a role to play. Both male and female children should be brought up to respect ethical values and the rights of other human beings to dignity. The inferiorization of the female gender often begins in the home, and there are too many cultural paradigms sustaining an objectionable model of parenting, which must change. Too many parents, too busy trying to make survival possible, have abdicated responsibility and it is society that is hurt as a result. The solution also lies in legal reform: the laws on rape must become more progressive and enlightened. The statutes have been in urgent need of review for long; they must provide the necessary deterrence and not ridicule the victim; even the Violence Against Persons Act (2015) does not fully correct the mischief in the Criminal and Penal Codes. There is also a trend now that must be addressed, namely the objectification of women for profit or other purposes. The most recent illustration I find is the battle being waged on twitter and instagram by @blossomnnodim, who has since changed to @blossomozurumba (good luck to the man who is responsible for this blossoming), as she takes on a TBWA power charger advert, which instead of promoting the subject focuses on a woman’s biological gifts. Blossom objects to this but she has since been accused of witch-hunting and idleness. Her critics miss the point. The objectification of women in popular culture erodes the dignity of women. But the worse of it all, is that women themselves promote this negative effect. Nigeria has been lucky in locking into global trends on all fronts, but in a global village, we have not been successful in retaining local standards as a bulwark against negative, imperial cultural influences. Social media, for example, is dominated by images of sexual libertinism; even our young ladies who are now role models on the basis of concrete accomplishments help to foster this image. I am making this point delicately; my concern is that we have too many Nigerian female role models who are busy trying to be like Amber Rose, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Rita Ora, Miles Cyrus, Blac Chyna – if you know what I mean, all those foreign cultural icons whose lifestyles commodify women. Our own equivalents are all over social media: pretty girls who are perpetually showing cleavages, wearing body tights that accentuate curves, some even boast that they won’t wear bras and pants and that illicit sex is cool: that is how this self-denigration has grown all the way down, creating a sexual tension even among the uneducated wannabes. I am not victimizing the victim, knowing fully well that there is that human rights border of freedom of choice and expression; still, new cultural realities should command certain limits. Sugabelly may not get the sugar of contentment that she seeks, but let her be consoled that she has ignited a debate that may shed more light on the dilemma of rape, and/or sex with a minor (Penal Code or not), and the sad manner in which our society continues to produce children and adults who behave badly. Let us also hope that sooner or later, the sleeping Abubakar Audu will be allowed to lie, by his sons and the girl they allegedly raped. It is not Audu that is on trial, it is his sons: sons of big men who go overboard with their life of privilege, and of course, Sugabelly- the overtly impressionable young girl- who are all still alive to be called to account, if not in regular court, but now, in the court of public opinion. [myad]
The supplementary election in the 91 polling units to determine the winner of the governorship position of Kogi state goes on tomorrow as a federal High Court sitting in Abuja, today struck out all four cases instituted before it.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole, who delivered judgment on the consolidated four cases, said the Federal High Court had no jurisdiction to entertain all the reliefs sought by the various parties.
He said that passing judgment on the reliefs would mean usurping the powers of the governorship election tribunal that would be constituted by the President of the Court of Appeal after the supplementary election fixed for Saturday has been held.
Kolawole said the court affirms that INEC has the power to conduct the November 21 election and the supplementary one to hold on Saturday.
The political arena in the state had thickened with hate and indifference following the death of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate, Prince Audu Abubakar.
Shortly after his death, controversies erupted in the camp of the APC on who to succeed him. While some group of peoples backed the son of the late Audu, Mohammed Audu to succeed his father, some others preferred James Faleke, Late Audu’s running mate.
However, leaders of the APC after series of meeting decided to select Yahaya Bello, the runner up in party’s primary election to succeed the late Audu.
This was however greeted with extreme repugnance in both the camps of Faleke and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate, Governor Idris Wada as both approached the Federal High Court to seek redress.
While Governor Idris Wada asked the court to compel INEC to issue him a certificate of return as the only surviving candidate with the highest number of votes in the election, Hon James Faleke is asking the court to order INEC to declare him winner of the election.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, December 3, lawyers to the parties adopted and argued their applications for and against the decision of INEC to proceed with the December 5, 2015 supplementary election.
Other plaintiffs in consolidated suits, Emmanuel Idakwo, John Jacob Usman and Hon. Emmanuel Igbokwe had in their suits, urged the court to compel INEC to conduct fresh election in the state, following the death of the governorship candidate of the APC in the election, Alhaji Abubakar Audu.
However, INEC had filed preliminary objection against the suits, asking the court to dismiss the matter on the grounds that it lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter, saying that it has the statutory power to conduct elections while aggrieved parties can seek redress before the election petitions tribunal, The Nation reports.
Lawyers to INEC, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Yahaya Bello, Adeniyi and that of the APC, Bola Aidi, submitted that the court lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate on the issues raised by the plaintiff, saying that the appropriate court is the election petitions tribunal.
While Falake’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Pius Akubo (SAN) for PDP and Chris Uche (SAN) for Governor Wada disagreed on the grounds that since no candidate has been declared winner, the matter cannot be heard by the tribunal.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole, among others, will today decide whether or not INEC could proceed with its planned supplementary election scheduled for tomorrow.
After Days of in-fighting and raising of dusts between James Faleke and Yahaya Bello, on who will replace Audu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed request made by the APC for the nomination of Bello for the supplementary election in Kogi state on Monday, November 30.
This confirmation was made by the INEC deputy director in charge of publicity, Nick Dazang. [myad]
The MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Michael Ikpoki and its Head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, Akinwale Goodluck, have tendered their resignation with immediate effect. This is coming on the heels of company’s review of its operating structure with a view to strengthening operational oversight, leadership, governance and regulatory compliance across its 22 country operations in Africa and the Middle East. In a statement yesterday, the MTN group said that Ikpoki has been replaced by Ferdi Moolman as MTN Nigeria CEO, while Goodluck was replaced with Amina Oyagbola as its Head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs. The statement said that in the reorganisation, Nigerian national, Oyagbola, retained the position of MTN Nigeria’s Head of Human Resources in addition to heading regulatory affairs at the Nigerian operating company. It said that the search for the MTN group’s CEO was underway and remained a priority. “The group has resolved to re-implement its previous reporting structure. “MTN group would restructure into three regions, namely West and Central Africa, South and East Africa, and Middle East and North Africa. “To support this structure, MTN has made a number of senior appointments.” The statement said that the MTN group’s leadership structure was also reviewed, adding that effective December 1, 2015, Jyoti Desai would assume the new position of Group Chief Operating Officer. It added that Desai, who is based in Johannesburg, South Africa and has 14 year working experience at MTN, would report to the Executive Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko. “She has previously held the positions of Chief Information Officer at MTN Nigeria and was Chief Operating Officer of MTN Iran cell. “Desai was recently seconded to support the Nigerian country operations. “Her replacement as Group Chief Technology and Information Officer will be announced soon.” The statement disclosed that two regional vice presidents had been appointed to report to the Executive Chairman. It said the vice president for WECA was Karl Toriola, with Ismail Jaroudi for MENA, adding that the vice president for SEA would be announced soon. According to the statement, Toriola has been at MTN for 10 years, having held senior operational roles at MTN Group and MTN Iran. It said Toriola was formerly also the Chief Technology Officer at MTN Nigeria and CEO at MTN Cameroon. The statement added that Jaroudi had been CEO of MTN Syria since 2006 and prior to this, he held senior operational roles for Investcom’s subsidiaries across the Middle East and North Africa. “Also reporting to the Executive Chairman is the new Group Executive for M&A, Mr Matthew Odgers.” According to the statement, MTN’s Group Executive Chairman, Phuthuma Nhleko, said the revised structure and strengthened leadership would improve operational oversight and increase management capacity. Nhleko was quoted as saying: “This will enable MTN to continue to realise its strategy and vision, while also ensuring we achieve high governance standards and robust risk mitigation. “With the financial year closing on December 31, 2015, the MTN Group will report its FY2015 results in line with the former structure, namely for MTN Nigeria, MTN South Africa, Large Operating Companies and Small Operating Companies.” The changes are coming in the wake of the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on the company in Nigeria for infractions. The fine, which was reduced to N674 billion on Thursday, was for the failure of the company to deactivate 5.2 million unregistered sim. [myad]
Former Governor of Rivers state, Peter Odili and a once convicted top member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, are said to have been picked up by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to join the growing number of suspected thieves who allegedly stole from over $2 Billion given to the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) to purchase arms for the Nigeria soldiers fighting Boko Haram in the North East. It was learnt that George and Odili got N100 million each from Sambo Dasuki to work for the success of the re-election bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Already, 21 top ranking Nigerians have so far been arrested in the arms purchase scandal by the EFCC. They include Shuaibu Salisu, Abba MT Usman, Sagir Attahiru, Evegny Kundaev, Aminu Baba Kusa, Salisu Usman Garu, Bashir Yuguda, Attahiru Bafarawa even as Dokpesi has been released after fulfilling the bail conditions. The principal suspect, Sambo Dasuki had initially claimed that he did not steal any funds, even as he claimed that former President Jonathan approved all his expenses relating to the arms deals. However, his position changed soon as he was confronted with the statement written by his former director of finance, Shuaibu Salisu who had squealed on all those involved in the scam to investigators. Meanwhile, Bafarawa, whose detention was approved by a court order, has disclosed that he received N4.6 billion from Dasuki for “spiritual purposes.” One of the EFCC officers investigating the arms deal scam hinted that Bafarawa is yet to explain what he meant by “spiritual purposes.” [myad]
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted before the Chinese President that there were lapses which have hindered the implementation of agreements signed with China under the government of President Goodluck Jonathan for the development of rail.
Sugabelly, Rape And Audu’s Sons, By Reuben Abati
You probably don’t know Sugabelly. I don’t know her either. But it is the twitter handle of a Nigerian lady: @sugabelly, who in the wake of the death of former Governor Abubakar Audu of Kogi State felt the urge to go public with her story. My foregrounding her/story as opposed to his/story, is further affirmation of an earlier submission that Audu’s death is “inconclusive” (The Guardian, Nov 27).
As the rest of Nigeria mourned the death of Abubakar Audu and pondered the implications of an inconclusive electoral process, Sugabelly showed up on social media and started celebrating his death. Her message was that the death of the man was good riddance to bad rubbish. “I feel so amazing”, she wrote. “Like God actually answered my prayers… That’s usually how it is. Powerful people rarely remember the people whose lives they destroy.” She alleged that Audu’s sons once gang-raped her- seven of them, when she was an impressionable 17-year old and that Governor Audu used his position as a big man to rubbish her, slammed her with a $2 million libel suit, denied her from getting justice, with his lawyers insisting that “14 years” is the age of consent under the Penal Code in the FCT, and so there is no case. For eight years, her life, she says, has been a nightmare including contemplations of suicide and spells of manic depression. Her frustration is well articulated in her twitter handle and an extended commentary titled “Surviving Mustapha Audu and His Rape Brigade” (sugarbellyrocks.com/2015/11/surviving-mustapha-audu-and-his-rape-brigade.html).
I have heard people proclaim loudly that a traditional proverb says: “the witch cried last night and the child died in the morning” and they have been wondering whether there was some kind of extra-terrestial, meta-physical animus which led to Audu’s sudden death. Howbeit, Sugabelly’s allegation is that of rape. Her protestation made the rounds for a few days largely uncelebrated, but it caught fire last Friday. For days, rape was the subject of discussion on Nigerian twitter. Opinion was divided with some calling Sugabelly, “a whore” and a badly brought up child but soon, the weight tilted heavily in her favour as the reactions panned out to focus on the menace of rape and the devastating effect on persons, families, the victims and society.
One of the sons of Abubakar Audu was soon fingered as the leader of the rape brigade -by both Sugabelly and her staunchest supporter, @Echecrates. What happened subsequently is better experienced. A lady tweeting as Zahra – @oakleafbycg – jumped into the fray to defend him – hers was quite a spirited fight that lasted for hours, defending the integrity of her husband. She probably was defending herself too. Her father-in-law was so close to being Governor and he lost it, only for some twitter activists, and a sugabelly (what a name!, by the way) to start suggesting that her husband has a rape case to answer. She is a good woman, isn’t she? I monitored the conversations, and it is difficult to conclude that anyone was successfully convicted for there were persons who raised questions about sugabelly’s identity, her motives and whether she is not just a spoiler, playing a sponsored political game.
The emergent consensus however focused on the menace of rape in our society. Some male commentators seeking to genderize the discussion also pointed out that they were once raped too, but the pervasive impression was that young girls are more often the victims. I noted that there was very little talk about marital rape, which is ordinarily a major issue in the West, but which will be considered absurd by Africans. There were some suggestions about rapists being put to death in line with the still untested Violence Against Persons Act, but as is the case with twitter, 140-word interventions do not necessarily a honest thinker nor an intellectual make. It creates an illusion though, the illusion that someone whose reasoning is below 140 words is a mega-man of knowledge and insights.
Nonetheless, the matter between sugabelly and the Audu sons deserves a little more probing. I am tempted to commend sugabelly for throwing up the subject, but the real problem with rape in our society lies in the inadequacy of both legal and social responses. Both the law and the society stigmatise rape, and wrong-foot the victim. The relevant sections of the law in Nigeria today more or less ridicule the victim, and usually, the victim is female. The biggest challenge for decades has been this manner in which the law humiliates the female victim: the procedure requires examination by a medical doctor and in open court, proving actual penetration up to the labia majora. That is a tough call for victims and families, and so, many cases end up unreported. Besides, the criminal justice system peopled by phallocentric officials is wont to dismiss any woman reporting rape: in Nigeria, it would be ridiculous indeed for a married woman or a girlfriend to report being raped by her husband or fiancée. From the policeman at the station to the presiding judge, if it gets to that stage, the case may die a natural death in the vortex of misogyny.
Culture is a major barrier: the search for virgins at the bridal chamber by African families is a long dead custom, but few families can stand the stigma of taking as wife, a woman who has been raped, and whose indignity has been broadcast. Female victims are therefore reluctant to seek legal redress, first because of social stigma, and that is why there are very few convictions despite the regular incidence of rape. Any woman that is labeled a rape victim stands the risk of not getting a husband: families of prospective suitors will latch on to that evidence as if it a mark of leprosy, and urge their sons to steer clear, creating for the woman’s family an undeserved dilemma. Despite the wave of modernity in our land, tradition remains resilient and marriage, going to a man’s house, is still, quite sadly, considered a woman’s ultimate achievement.
This is probably why, in due course, the accused also showed up in the conversation releasing e-mail exchanges between him and Sugabelly, and going as far as revealing her true identity and painting her as a “whore,” a liar and an opportunist. Parents, keep an eye on your sons and daughters! The family, the most important social unit, has a role to play. Both male and female children should be brought up to respect ethical values and the rights of other human beings to dignity. The inferiorization of the female gender often begins in the home, and there are too many cultural paradigms sustaining an objectionable model of parenting, which must change. Too many parents, too busy trying to make survival possible, have abdicated responsibility and it is society that is hurt as a result.
The solution also lies in legal reform: the laws on rape must become more progressive and enlightened. The statutes have been in urgent need of review for long; they must provide the necessary deterrence and not ridicule the victim; even the Violence Against Persons Act (2015) does not fully correct the mischief in the Criminal and Penal Codes.
There is also a trend now that must be addressed, namely the objectification of women for profit or other purposes. The most recent illustration I find is the battle being waged on twitter and instagram by @blossomnnodim, who has since changed to @blossomozurumba (good luck to the man who is responsible for this blossoming), as she takes on a TBWA power charger advert, which instead of promoting the subject focuses on a woman’s biological gifts. Blossom objects to this but she has since been accused of witch-hunting and idleness. Her critics miss the point. The objectification of women in popular culture erodes the dignity of women. But the worse of it all, is that women themselves promote this negative effect. Nigeria has been lucky in locking into global trends on all fronts, but in a global village, we have not been successful in retaining local standards as a bulwark against negative, imperial cultural influences.
Social media, for example, is dominated by images of sexual libertinism; even our young ladies who are now role models on the basis of concrete accomplishments help to foster this image. I am making this point delicately; my concern is that we have too many Nigerian female role models who are busy trying to be like Amber Rose, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Rita Ora, Miles Cyrus, Blac Chyna – if you know what I mean, all those foreign cultural icons whose lifestyles commodify women. Our own equivalents are all over social media: pretty girls who are perpetually showing cleavages, wearing body tights that accentuate curves, some even boast that they won’t wear bras and pants and that illicit sex is cool: that is how this self-denigration has grown all the way down, creating a sexual tension even among the uneducated wannabes. I am not victimizing the victim, knowing fully well that there is that human rights border of freedom of choice and expression; still, new cultural realities should command certain limits.
Sugabelly may not get the sugar of contentment that she seeks, but let her be consoled that she has ignited a debate that may shed more light on the dilemma of rape, and/or sex with a minor (Penal Code or not), and the sad manner in which our society continues to produce children and adults who behave badly. Let us also hope that sooner or later, the sleeping Abubakar Audu will be allowed to lie, by his sons and the girl they allegedly raped. It is not Audu that is on trial, it is his sons: sons of big men who go overboard with their life of privilege, and of course, Sugabelly- the overtly impressionable young girl- who are all still alive to be called to account, if not in regular court, but now, in the court of public opinion. [myad]