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.

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)

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 18^th 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.