Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Cleansing our rot

by Eze Eluchie

When we neglect to do the needful, we should not get upset if others who have more respect for their populations do what we should have done.

We neglected to serve justice to a notorious felon who stupendously bought his way to high political office, only for the British to go after the crook and slam him behind bars, where he rightly belonged; Today, after years of manipulating the Nigerian (in)justice system, an ex-Governor of one of Nigeria’s 36 States, James Onanefe Ibori is cooling his ass off in a British jail!

There are so many others in the mould of the above mentioned felon who continue to pollute our environment with their presence.

We are now prevaricating over the avoidable death of over 115 people of several nationalities in the collapse of a multi-storey complex which in the first instance ought not to have been erected, we should therefore not raise as much as a whimper when those involved, in any way whatsoever, have international warrants against them executed, and such people brought to justice in foreign jurisdictions.

If ever our system was under the illusion that clearing the site of the collapsed 6-storey building at the premises of the ‘Synagogue Church of All Nations’ in Lagos of its debris will sweep away the crime that was evidently committed at that site, we should have a rethink. Continuing efforts by the owners of the collapsed structure at insulting the intelligence of the discerning public by ludicrous claims of some ‘unidentified flying object’ circulating above the structure prior to its collapse, will only serve to elicit the interest of authorities external to our domestic rulership in the matter and internationalize the desire and ability to dispense justice.

Further harrowing details that officials of the Church which owns the collapsed building physically prevented first responders and official/public rescue services from entering the premises for over 48 hours after the tragedy occurred and that the proprietor of the Synagogue Church offered journalists covering the collapse some incentives to ensure ‘fair report’ of the incident, will only serve to heighten the need for justice.

Our flawed structure, composition and institutions continue to serve to consign us to where we are whilst the rest of the world keep on advancing. Restructuring and renegotiation of the Nigerian state may perhaps yet afford us an opportunity of taking our rightful place in the comity of nations.




Picture: Lagos State Government officials at site of collapsed Synagogue church building.


Saturday, September 27, 2014

Qatari Women Basketball Jersey – FIBA got it very wrong!


by Eze Eluchie

Sporting events have, from time immemorial, been one area where humanity, irrespective of our various divides, can congregate in amity, equity and unison. Sporting arenas are a veritable venue where peoples who ordinarily would never have had an opportunity to interact find themselves thrust together within an enclosure in pleasurably healthy competition and friendship. From the Olympics held in ancient Greece to various present-day international sporting events, Sports has continued to serve to bridge divides against peoples, open up new channels of communication and expose to all who care to see, the commonality of our humanity.

It is in the light of the foregoing that the kill-joy efforts of some of the entities who have surreptitiously manipulated their ways to preside over the administering bodies of international sporting associations, should continue to give all interested in restoring the ideals of sports as a unifier of mankind a serious source of concern and worry.

Participation in sporting engagements, particularly international meets, often offers and represents an opportunity at exposure and enlightenment to persons who otherwise may never have such options.

The recent expulsion of the female national basketball team of Qatar from the ongoing 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, by the leadership of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) on account of the jersey of the Qatari team is most regrettable and unfortunate. The FIBA Executives had, probably in consonance with what appears to be a growing global phobia and intolerance of the Muslims on account of the vicious crimes committed by criminals in the name of the Islamic faith, incredulously ruled that the jersey of the Qatari women, which had an extension which covered the hair was in default of a FIBA rule which forbade basketball players from adorning “headgear, hair accessories, and jewelry”.

On the one hand, for the young Qatari women basketball players and the millions of their compatriots in Qatar and all over the Muslim world, most of whom are consigned to remain in the background (at home) providing a supportive role to their men-folk; participation in a sporting meet at such international levels has limitless advantages beyond the mere sporting event. It affords an experience of hope, diversity, freedom and self actualization which their unfortunate expulsion by FIBA truncated.

On the other hand, a mere scrutiny of the uniform worn by the Qatari women will reveal the folly in the FIBA reasoning and decision – what the girls are wearing neither constitutes a ‘headgear, accessory nor jewelry’. If the FIBA Executives want to see what a headgear is, they may choose to attend any of the lavish social ceremonies we have virtually every day in Nigeria – then they will know what a headgear is!

Looking at the jerseys of some of the other teams participating in the Basketball event (and some other sports) at the Asian games, and the emerging noticeable trend of near nudity in sporting attires, one begins to wonder if there is any unwritten code to encourage skimpy dressing and that the Qatari women are merely being penalized for not showing enough of their bodies? One certainly hopes this is not the case.

It is clearly late to reverse the regrettable FIBA decision on the Qatari women basketball team, but it is certainly hoped that such ill-advised mistakes do not occur, ever again. There certainly is need to use the instrumentality of sporting events and competitions to reach out and welcome those who represent change from territories where such change and understanding are greatly needed. It is also hoped that other international sporting bodies will refrain from making the error FIBA committed over the Qatari women national basketball team.




Picture: Members of the Qatari women national basketball team (wearing their jersey for which they were expelled by FIBA) at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea


Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The Synagogue Church building collapse.

by Eze Eluchie

The ground-zero and vicinity of the collapse of the  Synagogue Church Guest House where over 115 people were killed is to all intents and purposes a crime scene that ought to have been protected until investigations had been concluded to ascertain if the crime committed was Murder, Homicide, Willful Damage to Property or whatever other crimes.

The fact that the collapsed building was initially a 2-storey complex which was in the process of being raised to a 6-storey edifice without the requisite building permit consents being obtained, serves to make the proprietor and owner of the said Synagogue Church and collapsed building, Mr. ('prophet') T. B. Joshua, at the very least, a person of interest, if not the prime suspect, in whatsoever crime that was committed at that venue.

The continued visitation of high-ranking political office holders to ‘commiserate’ with the principal person of interest in this crime serves to shake the confidence of the population and interested observers in the international community as to the likelihood of effective investigations and inquiry into this most sordid of preventable calamity.  The non-implementation of a domestic strict liability law in Lagos State (where the building is situate) which calls for the seizure of the premises and apprehension of the owner/builder of a collapsed structure, only serve to heighten the believe that our laws are merely made for some people and totally ineffectual with politically connected persons.

Whilst President, Goodluck Jonathan, was right to have visited the venue of the building collapse during his recent visit to Lagos, there was absolutely no reason for the prime person of interest in whatsoever crime that might have been committed at that scene to have welcomed Mr. President to the premises and proceeded to conduct the President around the said crime scene.

An unfortunate development in the course of handling the Synagogue Church building collapse has been the reliance on information supplied by South African authorities (in South Africa) with regards to the number of causalities and other specifics from the unfortunate event – why for heaven’s sake could our domestic authorities and the so-called Synagogue Church not set up a transparent Crisis center where reliable information and data related to the incident could be assessed by all?

Those in charge of the various composing units of the Nigerian State should begin to realize that with advancement in technology and communication infrastructure, the world is now one community and no one can afford sloppy responses to disasters, particularly events that affect citizens from diverse countries.




Picture: Mr. T. B. Joshua and his collapsed Synagogue Church building in Lagos, Nigeria.


Sunday, September 14, 2014

War Criminal Escapes Justice

by Eze Eluchie

Yet another war criminal escapes justice.

The death, by natural causes, of Nigeria’s general Benjamin Adekunle has robbed the world of yet another opportunity to test the reach of international law by bringing perpetrators of mass atrocities to justice.

This war criminals infamous quote: "I want see no Red Cross, no Caritas, no World Council of Churches, no Pope, no missionary, and no United Nations Delegation. I want to prevent even one Igbo from having even one piece to eat before their capitulation. We shoot at everything that moves and when our troops march into the center of Igbo territory, we shoot at everything, even things that don't move", concerning his despicable activities during the Biafra Genocide (1967 – 1970) and the several killings he executed would surely have sufficed to have him spend his last days behind bars.

Some more of his ilk still exist in Nigeria and elsewhere.


The hands of International Justice should move at a much faster pace. Time is fast running out.



Video of some acts carried out by Nigerian soldiers acting under the command of Benjamin Adekunle and his colleagues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIQwpVXLZss

Picture: general Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle (June 26, 1936 - September 13, 2014)


Saturday, September 13, 2014

Scottish Independence Referendum: Call for International Observer and Monitoring Team.

by Eze Eluchie

The right to self-determination is one of the cardinal rights which define our humanity. A people’s quality of life is inversely proportional to the quantum of this right they enjoy. The quest to actualize the right to self-determination has led various peoples to countless battles, wars and agitations for self determination. As peoples of sub-Saharan Africa and others who suffered for centuries under the yoke, of first, decimation by slave trade and then subjugation under colonization can readily testify, when a people do not have an effective voice over how their lives are governed, they are at a sub-human level and would give all to regain their humanity.

Often times, efforts at asserting the right to self-determination comes into direct conflict with the desire of others entities entwined in the union from which freedom is sought, who may either be benefiting from the existing union or view those seeking self-determination as possessions over whom a some historical right to subjugate or dominate exists. 

The ability of any people, anywhere, to eventually arrive at a point/situation when they have an opportunity to assert their right to self-determination, and decide for themselves whether to continue with an existing union or become independent, ought rightly thus be a cause for universal celebration, as it strengthens the commonality of our humanity.

It is in the light of the foregoing that the people of Scotland must be congratulated, irrespective of the eventual outcome of their Independence Referendum scheduled for the 18th of September 2014, for finally arriving at this unique opportunity to choose.  As the Scotts march out in their millions to exercise the inalienable right to self-determination, the rest of the world will rise in unison to applaud this present effort at self-determination by a sovereign people.

Unsavory events in the weeks leading up to the Independence Referendum has however heightened fears that desperate measures might be adopted to scuttle the desires of the Scottish people to freely decide for themselves how they want to be ruled. From explicit threats by the oil majors to frustrate access of an Independent Scotland to the vast mineral resources embedded in the North sea’s; to scaremongering tactics adopted by sundry financial institutions particularly the Bank of England and Royal Bank of Scotland forecasting economic doom for any efforts by the Scottish people to opt for independence; to threats by the subsisting British government to deny an independent Scotland access to membership of the European Union, NATO and other multi-national organizations; the throwing up of poll and survey ‘reports’ showing diametrically conflicting projected results for the referendum; crowned by the last minute visits of the highest ranking members of the British Government, inclusive of Prime Minister Cameron, to influence voting in the referendum, provide sufficient cause for greater international independent observation and monitoring of the Scottish Independence Referendum to ensure that the results of the Referendum are not manipulated to favor any particular sides and that it reflects the true wishes and desires of the Scottish people.

It is in light of the foregoing that the various international organizations which usually participate in monitoring and observing elections across the world, such as United Nations Organization, the African Union and European Union amongst others,  should as a matter of urgency, em-panel high powered teams of eminent personalities and experts to monitor and observe the Scottish Referendum. In the spirit of reciprocity of actions, a cardinal principle of international relations, the various countries in Africa and across the world where the British Government has routinely sent Observation and Monitoring teams to gauge domestic elections should also raise delegations to serve as Monitors and Observers to the Scottish Referendum. It sure will be interesting to know what the findings of Referendum-Observer Missions from Zimbabwe, Syria or China would come up with – I would have added my own country to this list, but the rulers in Nigeria simply lack the courage to do the needful.

May the real desires of the Scottish people manifest and be upheld via the Referendum.



Picture: British and Scottish flags.


Friday, September 5, 2014

Corruption in our Defense Sector: Recall the Millionaire Generals!

by Eze Eluchie

Corruption is a debilitating disease which when it manifests in any entity serves to demoralize, de-motivate and deviate from purpose. When this societal scourge overwhelms sacred institutions of State, it ultimately serves to destroy.

For decades, the Nigerian state has ostensibly devoted a substantial part of its national budgets on the Defense sector. Despite the fact that the country has not been involved in any wars for over 40 years, series of military dictators, and some ‘democratically elected’ ones, who ruled the country, lavishly helped themselves to the national purse under the guise of expending incredulous sums to equip and procure ‘state-of-the-art’ military hardware for the armed forces and keep our soldiers ready to defend the country’s ‘territorial integrity’. In some years, an astonishing one quarter of the nation’s budget was devoted to the Defense sector!  

Nigerians were led to believe, by their (mostly Military) rulers, that the country, on account of its ‘military might’ and ‘concocted population figures’ was the ‘giant of Africa’. This phrase was often, embarrassingly, repeated even when reality was pointing in the other direction.  The robust engagement of our soldiers in several multi-national peacekeeping missions served to create the illusion amongst some Nigerians that in deed their military was as purported. Most had not realized that the core equipment requirements, save for personnel, were usually provided for such peacekeeping operations by multinational institutions such as the United Nations Organizations and some countries who benevolently offered to provide such equipments.

Present efforts at confronting and curtailing the extremist Islamist terror elements in our northeast region, primarily a domestic concern, has thus proved to be the first real opportunity Nigerians, and indeed the international community, have had to assess the capabilities of our armed forces. Thus far, the outcome has been disgracefully shocking. Rather than having the best equipped fighting force in the sub-region, we have situations where our soldiers have to repeatedly make ‘tactical withdrawals’ into neighboring Cameroun, in their efforts to flee from rag-tag band of terrorists; Rather than use air power to decimate terrorists at their camps, our compatriots in the northeast regions are forced to scammer into forests to avoid long convoys of marauding terrorists who operate for endless hours, raping, killing and looting at will; Rather than pursue terrorists out of Nigeria, we have the pathetic scenario in which the armies of our neighboring countries pursue terrorists back into Nigeria with no one to available or willing to do the needful.

As a result of our gigantean military and defense budgets and the high level of corruption in our defense sector (a scourge which permeates our polity), Nigeria has ended up having some of the richest retired soldiers in the world! Some of our ex-Generals are Billionaires whose spuriously sourced wealth can only be compared to that of drug barons. Upon retirement, several of these ex-soldiers, buoyed by the wealth they amassed in office, quickly buy their way into elective public offices.

Military Dictators and their soldier-cronies who reaped bountifully from their misrule of the Nigerian contraption have consistently regaled us with their willingness to get back into uniform to fight for the preservation and continued existence of the Nigerian contraption. Some of these characters include, but is by no means restricted to the following - Ex-Heads of State: Olusegun Obasanjo, Mohammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalam Abubakar, former Minister of Defense, Theophilus Danjuma and the current President of the Senate of the Federal Republic, David Mark and several others in their mold. With reports of territorial gains by Islamist militants who have declared the carving out of an Islamist Caliphate out of Northeastern Nigeria, these ‘gentlemen’ should be encouraged to, as a matter of urgency, get back into uniform and proceed to our northeastern flank to defend the proverbial ‘territorial integrity of Nigeria’?

The President and Commander in Chief of the Nigeria Armed Forces should immediately set in motion protocols to compel the recall of all living past Dictators and Military personnel who had held political offices during the reign of military juntas in Nigeria. When such retirees are assembled, they must be deployed to the battle front to confront the Islamist militants – at the very least they should be stationed in Maidugri, the besieged capital city of Bornu State. To avoid ‘family issues’ serving to distract these ‘worthy heroes’ from their lofty tasks, the immediate families of the so identified and recalled military officers should be compelled to relocate to the same cities as where their spouses are ‘serving’.  It was the mismanagement of resources, particularly Defense Ministry budgets, presided over by these characters that has placed our fighting forces in the pitiable situation where they are constantly been routed by bands of ill-trained religious zealots.

Resulting from the corrupt antics and malfeasance of some of these past top-brass, hundreds of our youths who willingly volunteered to serve their country's armed forces, have been unnecessary dispatched to their early graves in the hands of demented terrorists – There should be some accountability for the losses and deaths suffered so far in Nigeria’s war against terror! I am very sure that these militants will, upon sighting the likes of the ‘gentlemen’ I listed above, retreat in full speed to the sands of the Sahara from where they emanated from. Well, if the Islamists don’t retreat, we would have at least afforded our ‘gallant ex-Generals' an opportunity to put their carcasses where their collective greed has placed Nigeria.

We declined to heed the persistent call for a holistic restructuring and renegotiation of our contraption and now we have to live the consequences thereof.

NB: In writing, I am not unaware of the reach and vice of those who have profited from corruption; the evident harm they have occasioned and continue to inflict on not only Nigeria, but the entire African continent, overrides considerations for what the corrupt will do.





Picture: three of Nigeria’s multimillionaire ex- military dictators: Ibrahim Babangida, Olusegun Obasanjo and Mohammadu Buhari