58
THE NATION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014
NEWS We are fighting guerilla war, says CDS Continued from page 2
type of work they will want me to do. “So if you think you can destroy Nigeria because you have another country somewhere, you will be a slave there. And after five years you will come back. “Maybe when we die and we go and meet Emperor Bokassa, you can ask him. When there was problem in Central African Republic, he ran to Paris because he had a pension, and they were giving him the pension of a Sergeant because that is what he was. He went back to Central African Republic, he felt that it was better for him to be in prison in Central African Republic
than for him to be a free man in Paris.” “So if you want to be embedded with the military, please just come and meet Gen. Chris Olukolade. We shall arrange for you to come to Maiduguri and go and stay at the checkpoint in Maiduguri.” Haruna, a columnist for The Nation said the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is not in conflict with the security of the nation. He said: “Of course, the media, as society’s mirror and the channel of public communication, can be sensational, biased and may even fabricate facts. These unethical and unprofessional behavoiurs are even worse in the New Media where
news and opinion are often not checked for their accuracy before publication “These infractions are, however, not enough to see FOIA as being in conflict with the security of a nation. “First, even though journalists are its greatest beneficiaries, the Act is not meant for only the media; individual citizens too stand to benefit. “Indeed, in some countries, there are more private citizen applicants than journalists. In the UK, for example, records show that of around 120,00 requests made each year, private citizens account for 60 per cent while businesses and journalists account for 20 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
‘U.S. not undermining Nigeria’s battle against Boko Haram’ Continued from page 2
•Air Chief Marshal Badeh
“Second, when journalists break laws, there are legal remedies. Unfortunately, the authorities often ignore such remedies and resort to extra-judicial and, at times, even downright illegal ones like seizing newspapers or closing down broadcast stations.”
Rain of blows at Rivers PDP parley in Abuja Continued from page 2
memorsanda. They said I beat somebody? How can I do that?” Speaking with reporters shortly after his ordeal, Ibienyen said: “The Minister of State, Education, Nyesom Wike, brought people to stop petitioners from going to defend their petitions. “Only a few people were allowed into the hall. Twenty-two petitions were received from Rivers State and only four out of the 22 persons who petitioned were allowed to defend their petitions. “Professor Israel Owate presented his own. Chief Paworiso Samuel Horsefall presented his own report. Barrister Alalivo Frederick and Elechukwu Ogbowu presented their own. “In an attempt to stop the molestation and harassment of party stakeholders from entering the hall to defend their petitions, Wike physically shoved me and rained punches on me. “The molestation of stake-
holders and reporters should not have happened; it is not necessary at all. If it happened in Abuja with just a few of us in attendance, what would have happened if the meeting had taken place in Rivers State? “The national leadership of the party must know that all is not well with Rivers PDP. It is a clear indication that PDP in the state is sitting on a keg of gun powder, waiting to explode.” Many others who attempted to enter the hall where the Prof. Iya Abubakar-led panel was sitting were beaten with cudgels, sticks and bottles. One of them, a lawyer who gave his name as Tamuno Dick, got a deep cut on his face from the boot of a policeman’s gun. Dick, who claimed to be the legal adviser of the Network for the Defence of Democracy and Good Governance, a rival group to Wike’s GDI, was soaked in blood, as the white handkerchief he used as compress could not
stop the bleeding. Another chieftain of the party, Chief Anamsara Igbe, was also manhandled. He told reporters that he was robbed of N50, 000 cash and that the documents he brought to back his petition were taken away from him by thugs. Igbe said: “I was robbed. They collected my documents from me in the hall. They took the party constitution, the memorandum I submitted and the money from me. “They robbed me and took all the money. If that is what is called reconciliation, I don’t see how that can be reconciliation. Rivers State is a delicate state. The same Wike himself is tearing PDP apart. “And if that continues, PDP will fail. Mr President should listen to us or he will fail in Rivers State. Politics is a game of interest. Our interest is that governorship must rotate in Rivers State”. Another party chieftain, Dr.
Innocent Ekwu, who also had a brush with the thugs, gave an account of the encounter: “I arrived with my delegates only to meet thugs at the entrance of the hall, beating up other governorship aspirants, beating up other leaders of the party who are not members of Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI). “In my presence, Professor Owate was beaten and thrown out of the entrance. Lolo Ibieyen was also beaten up by the Honourable Minister of Education. “I saw it with my two eyes. I was shocked to witness this type of tyranny, misconduct in the open glare before a multitude. And the worst is that the security men who were there stood aloof and could not call them to order.
Ngilari waves olive branch
A
DAMAWA State Governor Bala Ngilari yesterday met with the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in a bid to reconcile the aggrieved members. Ngilari, who was at the state party secretariat for his first assignment outside the Government House, said the visit was to meet with the state party executives and other stakeholders. He said his emergence as governor was the will of God “who gives leadership to whoever he wants at a time He wants”. “My emergence as a governor today is a will of Almighty God, because He is the only one that gives power to whoever at a time he wants “So glory is to God,” Ngilari said. He said all the party’s members were equal and important to him and what remained for them as members was to unite for the success of the party in the 2015 general election. “Personally, I don’t have any grudges with anybody in my mind and for the sake of unity and peace of the state and the ruling party, I forgive anybody that directly or indirectly offended me, “ the governor said. Party Chairman Chief Joel Madaki said as far as he was concerned, whatever happened was a victory for the party. Fintiri was absent at the meeting. But Acting Speaker Kwamoti Laori, Senator Bello Tukur and members of the House of Assembly and other party chieftains attended. Fintiri was also absent at the House of Assembly’s special sitting earlier in the day. Acting Speaker Laori presided at the session, attended by 21 of the 25 members. The House adjourned its sitting to October 13. Fintiri thanked the people for the “tremendous support” they gave him during his two months and three weeks’ tenure, saying he had returned to the House as Speaker.
military expertise (for Boko Haram) coming from. How in the last one year they became more effective?” The envoy, who was in Adamawa to monitor the governorship by-election not put off, held talks with Adamawa Interfaith Committee, an NGO. He also visited the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, where he delivered a lecture to staff and students. He said the U.S. is committed to supporting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) efforts to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) vote in the 2015 general elections. “Creative people of good intention should find a way out about that so that Nigerians displaced can vote as much as possible,” Entwistle said.
The ambassador said that to be disenfranchised alongside being displaced would be extremely unfortunate, adding that Nigeria could use what Americans called “absentee balloting”. The ambassador said the U.S. had been providing support to INEC and civil society organisations, to build the indigenous electoral observation capacity. He cautioned the electorate against selling their votes, saying the right to vote was something crucial that should not be wasted. Entwistle said the media needed to make politicians commit themselves to non-violence politics. “No place for violence in democratic election; each time I come across politicians, I encourage them to commit themselves to not fomenting, supporting or condoning violence before, during or after election,” he said.
NBA demands Ekiti court’s reopening Continued from page 2
opening to enable the judiciary carry out its adjudicatory functions. “NBA is alarmed at the barricading of the High Court of Justice Complex, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State by security agencies on the basis of an alleged bomb threat to the complex. Judicial officers, staff and litigants were not allowed access. “NBA believes that any alleged bomb threat must have been effectively neutralised by
the security agencies utilising their bomb disposal units. “NBA demands that the High Court of Justice complex hould be opened immediately to allow for resumption of work by the courts. “The security agencies should provide a safe and conducive environment for the effective administration of justice and should not create a situation that makes it totally impossible for courts in Ado-Ekiti to carry out their constitutional roles of providing justice for all,” NBA said.
‘Stop this assault on Judiciary’ Continued from page 2
highest form of impunity. It is a gross violation of the constitution and an attack on the principle of separation of powers when the executive arm is preventing the Judicial arm from operating. ‘’For how long will the courts remain closed. What is the responsibility of the police, the army and the SSS if they cannot protect lives and property. It is wrong for one man to hold the whole state to ransom, simply because he boasts of the capacity to set the state on fire,’’ it said. APC said President Jonathan is simply destroying the judiciary by protecting a man who leads thugs to beat up a judge, adding: ‘’When a President encourages the desecration of the Judiciary, that
President is destroying the very foundation and pillar of not just democracy but of the entire society.’’ The party called on the international community to prevail on President Jonathan to stop this assault on democracy, peace, stability, law and order. ‘’Mr. President, you cannot in one breath claim that you believe in the rule of law and at the same time be humiliating Judges not only by protecting those who are beating them up but even more destructively preventing them from discharging their constitutional duties. Mr President, no one will invest in a country where there is no strong, independent judiciary, not to talk of one in which the President encourages his party men to beat up Judges,’’ it said.
Fintiri seeks Ngilari’s sack Continued from page 2
appeal are Ngilari, Speaker, Admawa State House of Assembly, House of Assembly, impeached Governor Murtala Nyako and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Fintiri argued that the trial judge failed to convert the suit to commence by way of writ of summons having regard to the hostile and contentious nature of the facts on the crucial issues that emanated from the conflicting affidavit evidence. He stated that there was a conflict between the parties as to whether the plaintiff (Ngilari) wrote exhibit AU1 (Ngilari’s letter of resignation). The appellant added that there was conflict as to whether then Governor Murtala Nyako wrote exhibit AU2 (his letter to the then Speaker, nomination a member of the House of Assembly, Adamu Kamale as replacement for Ngilari, who had purportedly resigned as Deputy Govenor. He stated that the trial judge erred when he held that the case could only be heard and determined on the basis of the votes and proceedings of the
House of Assembly. Fintiri argued that the Speaker and the House have no role to play in the deputy governor’s resignation, once his letter of resignation is received by the governor, it takes immediate effect. He also faulted the trial judge for holding that there was no evidence that the resignation letter was received by the then governor. Fintiri noted that the letter, marked exhibit AU2, was written by then Governor Nyako, nominating a replacement for Ngilari, on being satisfied that he (Ngilari) had resigned. “There is no provision under Section 306 of the Constitution requiring the governor, in his letter for nomination of a replacement, to inform the speaker that the deputy governor has resigned,” he said. The appellant further argued that the trial judge erred when he held that the letter of nomination by the governor was not authored by him even when it was written on the state government’s letter head sheet. As at yesterday, Fintiri was yet to apply for a stay of execution of the judgment pending appeal.