Impunity: The Saint rules at INEC!

by Eze Eluchie

When I instituted legal action before the Federal High Court, in 2010 (Suit Number: FHC/L/CS/867/2010), challenging the legitimacy and constitutionality of the appointment of Mohammed Attahiru Jega (‘the Saint’) as Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), some commentators had not appreciated the need to ensure propriety, legality and adherence to laid down rules in the conduct of our national affairs.

As we proceed towards the 2015 general elections, our polity will soon begin to face the hefty price associated with founding entire political institutions on fraud.

My suit challenging The Saints appointment had been based on very clear provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the federal Republic which had provided in its Section 156(1){a} that whosoever is appointed as a member of the INEC Board, such as The Saint, had to have the qualities of a member of the Federal House of representatives. One of these qualities, as contained in Section 65(2){b} of the same Constitution, is membership of a political party!

Our toxic justice system.

by Eze Eluchie

As the Kenyan Supreme Court prepares to deliver its judgment today on the case challenging the victory of Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta during the elections held on 4^th March 2013 (barely 25 days ago), it gives all of us involved in the (in)justice delivery process in Nigeria one more opportunity to bow our heads in shame.

In our system, the 25 days that have gone past after elections will be used just for filing documents (mostly pieces of papers crafted to delay the entire process and ensure a blurred process).  Lengthy, and mostly irrelevant documentations; absence of judiciary staff from their posts, at times due to domestic squabbles in their homes and or paid vacations to exotic location of judicial officers; and other equally nonsensical reasons will ensure that such litigation drag on for eternity in our system. Till date, after over 700 days, there are yet some outstanding litigation in our system emanating from the 2011 general elections.

Leadership as service.

by Eze Eluchie

I am not a Catholic, and probably will never be one on account of doctrinal differences;

but what Pope Francis is doing here, kissing the feet of one of 12 young prisoners in a Rome jail (inclusive of some Muslim, non-religious and female inmates) and his general candor thus far, depicts leadership worthy of emulation.

It will be interesting to see some of our home bred clowns masquerading as religious rulers, who fly about in private jets purchased by scamming a hapless congregation, repeat this feat or anything akin to it.

Picture: Pope Francis kissing the foot of a prisoner in a Rome, Italy jail.

Tell-tale signs are looming.

by Eze Eluchie

Soon after Goodluck Jonathan was declared winner in the 2011 general elections, certain extremist elements vowed to make Nigeria ungovernable. These elements proceeded to unleashed death, destruction and mayhem bothering on an outright declaration of war on the Federation (under the guise of pursuing fundamentalist Islamic agenda).

Bolstered by Jonathan’s unwillingness or inability to exercise the powers vested in his office to quell such rascality, these extremist elements, now think they have a right to threaten mass murders on a grand scale.

Not done with killing employees of the United Nations (during the bombing of the United Nations Headquarter complex in Abuja); or with blowing up several Churches across the northern States of the Nigerian contraption and killing hundreds of Christians therein; or with sporadic killings of thousands of Nigerians, especially in cities across the core northern States, in desperate efforts to ‘make Nigeria ungovernable’ as a result of Jonathan's ascendance to power; these characters now threaten bloodshed which, as their spokespersons says, “will affect every household” in a country of over 150 million.

The continued inaction and insensitivity of our domestic ‘insecurity’ outfits to curtail and rein in what can clearly be identified as initial preparatory steps towards mayhem of apocalyptic dimensions is most worrisome and besmirches of complicity.

Is the world waiting for when calls will be made for airplane-loads of body-bags to realize the intensity of the storms gathering in the horizon?

At going rates, there will very soon be no further need to call for restructuring and renegotiations.

In the interim, it is never too late to restructure and renegotiate!

http://dailyindependentnig.com/2013/03/nigeria-may-disintegrate-if-jonathan-contests-in-2015-shuluwa-4/

Picture: Interior of UN Nigeria Country Office headquarter Complex after bomb-blast which killed several UN Staff and other people

The land where self-confessed felons rule.

by Eze Eluchie

This character, Godswill Akpabio, is obviously exhibiting the terminal stages of a most debilitating disease: ‘Power-Intoxication’

Unfortunately, our contraption is governed under a fraudulent Constitution that allows even the mentally deranged to continue to rule over us, by proxy or skype, even after it is apparent that their capacity to govern has irrevocably diminished.

Apart from people like Akpabio, who at least are still insulting us with their presence, we still have a sitting governor of one of our constituting States, who is being flown from one emergency Neurosurgery ward in one continent to another, in the hope that they can yet patch him up - and not only refuses to give up his access to loot but the State Legislature and political rulership refuses to act.

An alibi for targeted mass-murders?

by Eze Eluchie

The disingenuous announcement by Mr. Musa Kwakwanso, who rules over Kano State as governor, of a list of 25 names as the totality of victims who perished in the Boko Haram blast at the Kano Luxury Bus Park in Sabon Gari, is patently fraudulent and clearly a ruse to obviate reality. Anyone familiar with the territory, inclusive of the fact of the composition of the population in Sabon Gari, the ownership of the destroyed Luxury Buses, and the proposed destination the bombed buses, will clearly appreciate the dubiousness inherent in Kwakwanso’s figures.

Here we have a governor  (and government) who has never come up with the list of victims of any of the several Boko Haram bombings in his domain, now knowing each and every one of the ‘25’ victims and the place of residence of some of the victims.  Come on Musa Kwakwanso, you can be smarter than that!

Lying to obviate reality does not address pertinent issues – rather it only gives room for more vile crimes to be committed, and yet another spate of lies to be manufactured to cover the filth. This madness continues until the truth blows up, often times, in a most destructive manner.

Every passing day, the need for a holistic restructuring and renegotiation of our contraption becomes more pertinent.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/kwankwaso-releases-names-25-victims-suicide-bombings-says-senators-discusses-nonsense-abuj

Picture: Musa Kwakwanso, Governor, Kano State, Nigeria.

Chinua Achebe, go in peace. Jee nke oma..

by Eze Eluchie

Today, I mourn the passing on of an Icon.

Chinua Achebe, rest in peace.

Jee nke oma.

Quotes from the late sage:

"The triumph of the written word is often attained when the writer achieves union and trust with the reader, who then becomes ready to be drawn deep into unfamiliar territory, walking in borrowed literary shoes so to speak, toward a deeper understanding of self or society, or of foreign peoples, cultures, and situations."

"There is no moral obligation to write in a particular way. But there is a moral obligation, I think, not to ally oneself with power against the powerless."

"The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them."

"You cannot plant greatness as you plant yams or maize. Who ever planted an iroko tree — the greatest tree in the forest? You may collect all the iroko seeds in the world, open the soil and put them there. It will be in vain. The great tree chooses where to grow and we find it there, so it is with the greatness in men."

'Minor Crimes' indeed!

by Eze Eluchie

This questionable character of questionable linage, questionable integrity, questionable educational qualifications, questionable level of addiction to substances of abuse and questionable sources of income, dares to refer to the various acts of mass murders committed by Boko Harm terrorists as “minor crimes”.

I wonder which of Boko Harams many exploits Bola Ahmed Tinubu considers ‘minor crimes’. Is it the slaughter of over 150 people in Kano in 2012? The Luxury Bus Park attack of March 2013 which killed over 60 persons? The various attacks on Churches in Kaduna, Suleja, Zaria, and other locations across northern Nigeria? The bomb blast at the Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force? The routine killings of military and para-military personnel? Or perhaps the bombing of the United Nations Headquarter complex in Abuja?

Nigerian Government in breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001)

by Eze Eluchie

By admitting that Boko Haram terrorist elements populate his administration and neglecting to do anything to expose such characters, prosecute them or prevent further commission of terrorist activities by the said terror organization and their offshoot, the Goodluck Jonathan administration is actively in breach of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001).

Article 2 a-g of the Resolution 1373 provides as follows:

States shall:

“(a)  Refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts, including by suppressing recruitment of members of terrorist groups and eliminating the supply of weapons to terrorists;

“(b) Take the necessary steps to prevent the commission of terrorist acts, including by provision of early warning to other States by exchange of information;

“(c)  Deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts, or provide safe havens;

“(d) Prevent those who finance, plan, facilitate or commit terrorist acts from using their respective territories for those purposes against other States or their citizens;

Moth to the flame

by Eze Eluchie

Goodluck Jonathan!

This man, like a moth to the flame, is seemingly programmed for self-destruct!

During my secondary school days, one of the Literature texts was a book titled ‘One Week, One Trouble” – for good old Jonathan, it appears it is ‘One Day, One Trouble’!

Not satisfied with the uproar generated by the State pardon accorded to a group of politically exposed ex-convicts, including Jonathan’s mentor and former Boss and mega-fraudster DSP Alamieyeseigha and the unfolding melodrama being generated by the multiplicity of entities contending to register the acronym APC (a fiasco generally believed to be instigated by the ruling PDP), Goodluck Jonathan decides to cap a most turbulent week with a ‘fund-raising’ ceremony for his home town church during which known stooges of government and perpetual drain pipes of national resources ‘contribute’ the incredulous sum of over 6 Billion Naira (almost U.S.$40 Million).

Politricks Nigeriana II

by Eze Eluchie

What will it take to get it through the thick skulls of the itinerant opportunistic contractors parading our polity as politicians that what we are practicing is not a democracy but could at best be described civil rule!

The shout of ‘threat to democracy’ apparently emanates from these characters only when they are outsmarted by their peers. The reality that the Nigerian population and contraption has been ceaselessly raped, drained of blood and literally destroyed by the totality of the actions of these ‘politicians’ whose very ascendance to political office was attained through the most undemocratic of processes, did not constitute a ‘threat to democracy’ in the eyes of these goons.

Rather than admit to being outsmarted and look for other ways to equally scam the system, (yes, that’s what all these over recycled, wasteful and intellectually challenged so-called politicians are interested in doing to Nigeria) Lai Mohammed and his cohorts in the All Progressive Congress (APC) prefer to make noise, disturbing the peace of our collective grave-yard – that is what they have succeeded in transforming our contraption into.

Selective Mass-Murder

by Eze Eluchie

With the continuing systemic and targeted killings of Christians and Igbos in the northern region of Nigeria under the pretext of the Boko Haram terrorist group;

With the continuing efforts of Nigerian government authorities to prevent international recognition of Boko Haram as a terrorist group (a categorization which will impact negatively on the finances and liberty of the promoters of the terror sect which Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan admits have infiltrated the highest echelons of his government and State institutions in Nigeria);

With Goodluck Jonathans continued retention of MD Abubakar, a man adjudged unfit and incompetent by a Judicial Panel of Inquiry into prior ethno-religious crisis to be a police officer in a multi-religious society on account of being a religious extremist as the Chief of the Nigeria Police Force;

Mercurial Finance Minister

by Eze Eluchie

Those who have wondered why I always refer to Nigeria’s Finance Minister and one time contestant to the Office of President of the World Bank as ‘mercurial’ only need to listen to Madam Minister reel out financial statistics and data with her sulkily refined command of the English Language.

One almost feels like throwing caution to the winds and dancing wildly in drunken stupor when the mercurial lady begins her usual swagger of: “Inflation is now down to single-digit at 9.0 per cent in January 2013, compared with 12.6 per cent in January 2012. The exchange rate has been relatively stable, and the fiscal deficit at just under 2 per cent of GDP is on a downward trajectory, and below our threshold of 3 per cent of GDP.

“Our national debt is at a sustainable level at about 19.4 per cent of GDP. Overall, GDP growth for 2012 was 6.5 per cent, and projected at 6.75 per cent for 2013, compared with the projected global growth of 3.5 per cent.”

By the time Madam is done and you realize that the lives of over 150 million Nigerians mirrors abject poverty at its worst and that all the econometric brouhaha arabadada was only  to confuse and manipulate a hapless population, and that the Naira in your pocket is worth far less than it was at the beginig of madams tenure, it becomes clear that, truly, we have a mercurial smooth operator heading our nations Finance Ministry.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/presidency-finance-ministry-insist-economy-is-strong/140796/#.US969v_zOxY.facebook

Picture: Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Fanning ethnocentrism as a National Policy

by Eze Eluchie

As I watched the cold grimace of calculating satisfaction which caressed the face of David Mark, the President of Nigeria Senate, as he presided over the rancorous, ethnocentric and divisive televised debates on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), I could not but shudder in astonishment as to the callousness and criminal-like ingenuity and perfidy of our ruling oligarchs.

Ever since the debates were televised, public discourse has once more shifted from the horrendous thievery visited upon Nigeria by the assemblage of characters ruling over our polity to the factors which continue to separate us – such where particular thieves hail from – portraying each Senator who contributed to the debates as an ethnic champion.

Needed: Referendum over Bakassi Peninsular

by Eze Eluchie

This is one of those posts one makes striving to use the most civil words to describe uncivil acts.

As the people of the Falkland Islands head for the polls (10th and 11th March 2013) for a Referendum to decide whether to remain a British territory or otherwise, I hope Olusegun Obasanjo, our quintessential buffoon who Nigeria had had the misfortune to be ruled by twice in his lifetime and Bola Ajibola, a pretender to the title of legal luminary who once sat on the hallowed bench of the International Court of Justice will bow their heads in shame for their ignoble roles in ceding Nigeria’s Bakassi Peninsular to Cameroun.

Politricks Nigeriana

by Eze Eluchie

I marvel at the naivety of the promoters of the ‘Alliance for Progressive Change’ (APC).

Whilst the said promoters were busy posturing for the media, taking walks down the streets of some volatile States in Nigeria northeast zone and stoking the embers of national discord, forgetting to approach relevant regulatory authorities to initiate their desire to register a political platform, some smart alecs approached the Independent National Electoral Commission with a request to register the ‘African People’s Congress’ (APC).

With the sly move by the African People’s Congress (APC), the Alliance for Progressive Change (APC), despite all their ranting in the media, can conveniently kiss goodbye to any idea of having their proposed name and acronym recognized.

Corruption gone amok

by Eze Eluchie

All hail Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan and his National Council of State (a body comprised of all past rulers of Nigeria, the State governors and principal national legislators) which approved State-pardons for someone Jonathan himself admits is his mentor, an ex-convict and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha and a host of other ‘high’ profile criminals.

The list of ex-convicts granted State Pardon by Jonathan is most indicative of what Mr. President wants Nigerian youths to aspire to. The list includes a lilliputian ex-deputy head of a military junta, ‘general’ Oladipo Diya, who was caught on camera kneeling down and weeping profusely wearing underpants stained with pee when he was arrested in a coup plot and Mr. Shettima Bulama a rogue banker who was convicted for monumental banking frauds.