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CACOL urges Nigerians to reject bad leadership

By Chukwudi Nweje

Acting Features Editor

The Nigerian electorate have been charged to use their votes to bring about the needed revolution that would put the county back on the path of growth.

Debo Adeniran, the executive chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) gave the advice at the memorial anniversary for the late activist, Dr.  Bekolari Ransome-Kuti, put together by the Beko Right Klub (BRK) on Tuesday in Lagos.

While condemning the postponement of the general elections earlier scheduled to begin this Saturday, he faulted the engagement of the military in operations in the North East which was adduced as one of the main reasons for shifting the polls.  The polls were shifted by six weeks because the military said the ongoing operation in the North East would make it impossible for them to provide security during the polls. Continue reading “CACOL urges Nigerians to reject bad leadership”

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Postponement of polls and security concerns

By Chukwudi Nweje  / Acting Features Editor

 

The 2015 general elections earlier scheduled for February 14 and 28 for the Presidential and National Assembly polls have finally been postponed to March 28 and April 11 respectively.  In postponing the polls by six weeks on Saturday, Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) chairman, Prof.

Attahiru-Jega-and-Anambra-electionAttahiru Jega had insisted that “INEC is substantially ready for the general elections as scheduled, despite discernible challenges being encountered with some of its processes like the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by registered members of the public… In the delivery and deployment of electoral materials, INEC is also at a comfort level in its readiness for the general elections as scheduled. The Commission’s preparations are not yet perfect or fully accomplished. But our level of preparedness, despite a few challenges, is sufficient to conduct free, fair and credible elections as scheduled on February 14th and February 28th…  our processes are today better refined, more robust and therefore capable of delivering even better elections.”

According to Jega INEC is an Election Management Body and not a security agency. “It relies on the security services to provide a safe environment for personnel, voters, election observers and election materials to conduct elections wherever it deploys. Where the security services strongly advise otherwise, it would be unconscionable of the Commission to deploy personnel and call voters out in such a situation… Continue reading “Postponement of polls and security concerns”

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Nigeria: Omonigho – Fresh Controversy Brews Between Govt, NGO

By Chukwudi NwejeIt was mixed reactions when Omonigho Abraham, the four year old boy who was attacked by dogs in the Igando area of Lagos State late last year came back to the country from India, where he was taken for repair surgery. For the family and friends of Omonigho, it was a time of celebration and thanksgiving as the four year old had overcome all the immediate threats emanating from the dogs attack on him.

Baby Omonigho was attacked by two dogs in their house on Adegboyega Street, Akesan Estate while he played with his brothers- Osemudiamen and Bobby. It had been reported that the dogs chased the victim and his two brothers as they took turns riding a bicycle in their compound. However, while Omonigho’s two elder brothers escaped, the dogs reportedly pounced on the four year old, eating off part of his scalp. The reports had it that that policemen and residents who rushed to the scene had stood and watched, perhaps in fear of the big dogs until the boy’s mother arrived, fought off the dogs and rescued her son.

Omonigho was taken to Igando General Hospital from where he was transferred to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital because of the severity of the attack. It would also be recalled that when the news broke out, the Lagos State Government had promised and issued a statement to the effect that it would foot all the medical expenses of the child.

However, the boy’s stay at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, was marred by complaints of neglect until his father, Mr. Odia Abraham raised an alarm that the poor boy’s condition was worsening because doctors were not attending to him despite the governor’s directive.

It was at this point that the Child Help in Legal Defence of Rights to Education in Nigeria (CHILDREN) Project, a developmental non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO), which specialises in cases affecting women and children wrote a letter to Governor Babatunde Fashola on the 3rd of November, 2014 asking him to compel LASUTH to do the needful on the boy.

Shortly afterwards in December, the boy’s father had announced that the Delta State Government and a non-governmental organization, Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care had concluded plans to fly his son to India. Also a reported alternative plan by the Lagos State Government was turned down by the victim’s family, who said the India travel plan had already been concluded. Then finally on November 28, 2014 Omonigho departed for India despite concerns raised by the Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Mr. Jide Idris that his condition was delicate and needed special attention.

Omonigho has come back from India in high spirit but a bitter altercation may be brewing between the Lagos State Government and CHILDREN Project. The NGO has condemned what it called “the lackadaisical attitude of the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to children health care cases in the state.”

  Debo Adeniran, National Coordinator of the CHILDREN Project said the actions of the Lagos State Government regarding Omonigho is a repeat of the case of Master Sodiq Adeleke, a former student of Lagos Model College, Meiran, who was reported to have got burnt in his right hand while he was serving as the ‘Torch of Unity’ during his school’s Inter-House Sports sometimes in December, 2012.

Adeniran said that in that particular case, the CHILDREN Project had equally informed the Lagos State Government which also promptly directed LASUTH to treat the boy on the bill of the state government. Sadly, Adeniran said that Adeleke has yet to be treated more than two years after.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there are other cases that had been pending even before the baby Omonigho’s case. For instance is the case of a teenager, Master Sodiq Adeleke, a former student of Lagos Model College, Meiran, who got his right hand burnt while he was bearing the ‘Torch of Unity’ during his school’s Inter-House Sports sometimes in December, 2012 and in whose case we informed the Lagos State Government who promptly intervened by directing the boy to be treated at LASUTH on the bill of the state government. Sadly up till now, Sodiq Adeleke is yet to be operated upon as prescribed while the injury on the poor boy’s burnt hand keeps festering; a development that is capable of rendering the affected hand permanently dysfunctional.”

He said that CHILDREN Project written the Lagos State Governor even after Baby Omonigho was taken to India as well as reminded it of the yet to be fulfilled promise made to Sodiq Adeleke “so that the case would not be prolonged any further. The Lagos State Government promised to get back to us, which they have not till date.”

CHILDREN Project believes that this negligence on the part of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in these two cases is uncalled for, noting that Omonigho’s transportation to India for treatment and his return within three weeks is less than the period of time that “LASUTH used in delaying. Children of such age are supposed to be entitled to good health care delivery that will be administered free of charge” the group stated.

He added: “CHILDREN Project frowns at this unwholesome attitude of the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) which can be viewed, as not only a sheer of display of lack of respect to life, but also to the office of the Governor. We also want to be sound that the owner of the dogs that bite Baby Omonigho should be appositely prosecuted of whatever crime he might have committed.

Efforts to get the Lagos State Government, and authorities at LASUTH to react to the allegations raised by CHILDREN Project were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.

SOURCE: Daily Independent.

 

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Poll postponement: APC, others seek UN, EU pressure on Jonathan

February 1, 2015 by NIYI ODEBODE, JOHN ALECHENU, OLUSOLA FABIYI, FRIDAY OLOKOR, Bayo Akinloye and Tobi Aworinde 48 Comments

   

National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

Opposition parties, including the All Progressives Congress, are presently perfecting strategies to resist any attempt by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Federal Government to shift the February general elections

Top on the game plan of the parties is to reach out to the international community to mount pressure on the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration not to shift the elections.

Another option the parties are exploring is to approach the courts to seek an injunction that will stop anyone from delaying the polls though INEC had said it was not contemplating a postponement of the elections slated for February 14 and 28.

Already, the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, had at a meeting with the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and the APC last week, advised that the elections should hold as scheduled.

Kerry’s position was coming after the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), had last week advised INEC to postpone the elections to allow more people to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.

Speaking with one of our correspondents, the APC confirmed that it was discussing with Western nations on the growing calls for election postponement in Nigeria.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said those pushing for the elections to be shifted were also seeking to instigate the National Youth Service Corps members who would serve as part of the ad-hoc staff for INEC during the polls to refuse to participate.

APC however vowed to resist any attempt by the ruling party to postpone the general elections.

Mohammed, who spoke in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, in Abuja on Friday said the party would leave nothing to chance.

He said, “We are aware that they have plans that by next week, they will send people to start demonstrating, asking for the postponement of the February elections.

“I can assure you that we also have our counter measures. Our major strategy is to appeal to the international community that this man (President Jonathan) must not postpone the elections.

“All the arguments that the elections be postponed because of the PVC are not correct. It is not lack of collection and if the government is sincere, it should declare two or three days’ holiday for people to go and collect their PVCs.”

Similarly, the Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, called on the United Nations, European Union, African Union and ECOWAS to put pressure on Jonathan for the sake of the country’s peace and stability.

Noting that the world had become a global village, Mumuni said the idea of one man steering the internal affairs of a country was a philosophy of ancient times.

He said, “The problem I see in the postponement of the elections is the chaos that will arise from it. Remember, one of every four Africans is a Nigerian. If there is any problem in Nigeria, no one African country can contain us. That is why I believe that foreign bodies should continue to put pressure on the Nigerian government and President for him to give the assurance that the elections will go on as scheduled.

“They need to persuade him to come out and issue a public statement that these elections will not be postponed. There are various agencies under the United Nations that are concerned with these issues-democracy, civil and political rights. They should move through the UN to ensure the INEC timetable is maintained.

“There are European countries who are also interested in democracy and the stability of the Nigerian state. There are even bodies in West Africa, bodies under ECOWAS, and under the African Union that have mandates similar to what is happening now. They should speak up now so that chaos is not created in Nigeria.”

Also, the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party in Oyo State, Sunday Adelaja, has said that the postponement of the general election, as being rumoured in some quarters, will throw Nigeria backward.

Adelaja, who spoke with our correspondent in Ibadan on Saturday, said “If we have to call on the international community to ensure the election goes ahead, I see nothing wrong in that. But it should not get to that level if we actually love this country. If we want Nigeria to progress, no one should think of postponing the election.”

Similarly, the Executive Chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said his organisation is ready to petition world bodies.

He said, “Anyone calling for the postponement of the election should be charged with treason.

“We will not hesitate to call on the UN, United Kingdom and ECOWAS to prevail on INEC not to delay the poll.”

Also, the Inter-Party Advisory Council, comprising all registered political parties, said the group would not take the postponement of the elections lightly.

The IPAC Chairman, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, said the council had not received any communication from INEC on the preparations for the elections.

But the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, in a swift reaction in Abuja debunked allegations that the Presidency and the PDP were involved in schemes to postpone the elections.

SOURCE: The Punch.

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Who is afraid of the presidential debate?

By Chukwudi Nweje Acting Features Editor

As the February elections campaigns intensify, it seems Nigerians will be denied the opportunity of watching and listening to the two leading presidential candidates of the main political parties, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, engage each other in a robust debate on the Mnewsreal issues affecting the country and how they intend to address them. This will be opposed to the ongoing presidential campaigns that have centred mostly on mudslinging and names calling. The Presidential Debate would have offered the candidates opportunity to address some of the real issues like the economy, mass unemployment, insecurity and infrastructure deficit among others.

That will however not be. The APC has said it will not participate in the proposed electioneering public debates on national television and radio being organised by the Broadcast Organisation of Nigeria (BON). The party has accused key organisers of the programme of unhidden bias and campaign of calumny against the corporate political interest of the party and its candidates. The Director Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Thursday in Abuja that the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG) that would power the debate was fraught with fundamental errors from the outset, by wearing the toga of government control, especially being composed mainly of agencies and allies of the PDP. Continue reading “Who is afraid of the presidential debate?”

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I didn’t wish Buhari dead, Fayose tells US envoy

By Tunde Opeseitan (Lagos) and Yaqoub Popoola (Edo Ekiti) 

Ekiti State governor, Ayo, Fayose, has said that at no time did he wish the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, dead.

Buhari Fayose

The governor, who stated this while playing host to a team of American diplomats who paid him a courtesy call on Saturday, said the so-called “death wish” advertorial placed on some newspapers, were misunderstood.

While many viewed the advertorial as inciting and offensive and could lead to breakdown of law and order, Fayose’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), distanced itself from the advert.

It stated that the advertorial neither represent the view of the party nor that of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The American delegation which visited Fayose in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, was led by the United States Consular General in Lagos, Jeffrey Hawkins.

Fayose said the state witnessed a peaceful poll last year during the governorship election, expressing confidence that the standard would not be lowered in the coming polls.

The governor, however, maintained that Jonathan would defeat the APC’s Buhari, as according to him, Nigeria is safe with him. Continue reading “I didn’t wish Buhari dead, Fayose tells US envoy”

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Poll postponement: APC, others seek UN, EU pressure on Jonathan

 

Posted 7 hrs, 55 mins ago | February 02, 2015 (7:33 am
Opposition parties, including the All Progressives Congress, are presently perfecting strategies to resist any attempt by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Federal Government to shift the February general elections

Top on the game plan of the parties is to reach out to the international community to mount pressure on the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration not to shift the elections.

Another option the parties are exploring is to approach the courts to seek an injunction that will stop anyone from delaying the polls though INEC had said it was not contemplating a postponement of the elections slated for February 14 and 28.

Already, the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, had at a meeting with the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and the APC last week, advised that the elections should hold as scheduled.

Kerry’s position was coming after the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), had last week advised INEC to postpone the elections to allow more people to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.

Speaking with one of our correspondents, the APC confirmed that it was discussing with Western nations on the growing calls for election postponement in Nigeria.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said those pushing for the elections to be shifted were also seeking to instigate the National Youth Service Corps members who would serve as part of the ad-hoc staff for INEC during the polls to refuse to participate.

APC however vowed to resist any attempt by the ruling party to postpone the general elections.

Mohammed, who spoke in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, in Abuja on Friday said the party would leave nothing to chance.

He said, “We are aware that they have plans that by next week, they will send people to start demonstrating, asking for the postponement of the February elections.

“I can assure you that we also have our counter measures. Our major strategy is to appeal to the international community that this man (President Jonathan) must not postpone the elections.

“All the arguments that the elections be postponed because of the PVC are not correct. It is not lack of collection and if the government is sincere, it should declare two or three days’ holiday for people to go and collect their PVCs.”

Similarly, the Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, called on the United Nations, European Union, African Union and ECOWAS to put pressure on Jonathan for the sake of the country’s peace and stability.

Noting that the world had become a global village, Mumuni said the idea of one man steering the internal affairs of a country was a philosophy of ancient times.

He said, “The problem I see in the postponement of the elections is the chaos that will arise from it. Remember, one of every four Africans is a Nigerian. If there is any problem in Nigeria, no one African country can contain us. That is why I believe that foreign bodies should continue to put pressure on the Nigerian government and President for him to give the assurance that the elections will go on as scheduled.

“They need to persuade him to come out and issue a public statement that these elections will not be postponed. There are various agencies under the United Nations that are concerned with these issues-democracy, civil and political rights. They should move through the UN to ensure the INEC timetable is maintained.

“There are European countries who are also interested in democracy and the stability of the Nigerian state. There are even bodies in West Africa, bodies under ECOWAS, and under the African Union that have mandates similar to what is happening now. They should speak up now so that chaos is not created in Nigeria.”

Also, the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party in Oyo State, Sunday Adelaja, has said that the postponement of the general election, as being rumoured in some quarters, will throw Nigeria backward.

Adelaja, who spoke with our correspondent in Ibadan on Saturday, said “If we have to call on the international community to ensure the election goes ahead, I see nothing wrong in that. But it should not get to that level if we actually love this country. If we want Nigeria to progress, no one should think of postponing the election.”

Similarly, the Executive Chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said his organisation is ready to petition world bodies.

He said, “Anyone calling for the postponement of the election should be charged with treason.

“We will not hesitate to call on the UN, United Kingdom and ECOWAS to prevail on INEC not to delay the poll.”

Also, the Inter-Party Advisory Council, comprising all registered political parties, said the group would not take the postponement of the elections lightly.

The IPAC Chairman, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, said the council had not received any communication from INEC on the preparations for the elections.

But the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, in a swift reaction in Abuja debunked allegations that the Presidency and the PDP were involved in schemes to postpone the elections.
 SOURCE: NairaPark
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2015 Prezy Election: Jonathan’s Men Desperate print

 Published on January 28, 2015 by   ·   17 Comments

Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Goodluck Jonathan’s political ambition is getting undermined by the day as his men have become more desperate to ensure that he returns to power. The latest desperate move which appears to have backfired is the launch of a hate documentary full of lies and distortions about All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

After watching the documentary, viewers still favoured Buhari in an opinion poll conducted by the same TV station that aired the vile documentary against the former Head of State.

The one hour offensive documentary is being aired on the Africa Independent Television, AIT, and the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA.

The documentary focuses on what transpired during the military regime of Buhari in 1984 and 1985 with lots of distortions to discredit Buhari’s candidacy.

President Goodluck Jonathan

Many people who have viewed the documentary were outraged about the desperation of Jonathan’s men and how far they could go to get another term for their principal.

One of such lies  in the AIT documentary spotted out by viewers was that  it was Buhari who expelled Ghanaians from Nigeria. Rather, it was Shehu Shagari who repatriated Ghanaians and other foreigners from Nigeria.

Also, the issue of Gloria Okon disappearing under Buhari was also concocted as she disappeared under General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime for which Dele Giwa was assassinated on Sunday, 19 October, 1986, long after Buhari had been ousted by Babangida.

Also, Fela’s mother died after Kalakuta republic was attacked by soldiers sent by Obasanjo’s government in 1978 and not under Buhari as claimed in the documentary.

Viewers also wondered what the death of two of Buhari’s daughters has to do with a documentary of Buhari’s ability to rule.

Reacting to the documentary, Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is only chasing shadows as the documentary is irrelevant and could not determine the presidential election.

“It was not Buhari who drove Ghanaians away from Nigeria and the aspect of the documentary that said  Gloria Okon and Fela’s mum died under Buhari are all lies.

“PDP has just pushed the panic button. The PDP in their desperation has descended to a maniacal level, it is simply madness.”

Comrade Debo Adeniran of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, described the documentary as irresponsible on the part of the PDP.

“Everybody in Nigeria knows that Buhari was a military man, thus the use of military tactics. We should put that behind us. There are so many things happening now that are worse than during Buhari’s period,” he said.

•General Muhammadu Buhari

Adeniran said it was unthinkable for Jonathan to think he could get cheap popularity through the documentary, while decrying the taunting of the deceased members of Buhari’s family in the documentary, saying it is unAfrican.

A member of the House Representatives, Lanre Odubote, condemned the documentary, saying it smacked of desperation on the part of the PDP.

He said the PDP is already feeling jittery, which he said had led to desperation and sponsoring of all kinds of anti-Buhari campaigns.

Mr Joe Igbokwe, Publicity Secretary, APC, Lagos State said “everything under the sun is being unearthed and exhumed just to stop candidate Buhari by the PDP and their agents but the man’s towering popularity continues to soar like the eagle.”

Igbokwe said AIT cooked up a documentary to paint Buhari as an evil man and sadist and thereafter set up a public opinion poll to gauge the popularity of Jonathan and Buhari, but that Buhari still floored the president.

“Every issue they raised has worked against President Jonathan. This is a silent revolution, Buhari is the next president of Nigeria, case rested,” he stated.

Despite the negative documentary, the popularity of Buhari appears to be soaring on daily basis as he floored his opponent, President Goodluck Jonathan, in an opinion poll conducted by the Africa Independent Television, AIT.

AIT, the television station that has shown strong support for Jonathan, conducted an opinion poll after launching the offensive documentary on Buhari.

The poll was conducted on its website: aitonline.tv/elections.

The TV station simply asked: who will you vote for in the presidential election? AIT went on to list the names and logos of all the presidential candidates for people to vote.

As at 8:30pm on Tuesday, result of the poll which kept on growing showed that Jonathan was lagging behind Buhari.

While Jonathan, as at that time was scoring a little above 2,000, Buhari polled about 8,900 votes, which is about 78 percent of the total poll.

With the result of the poll getting more favourable for Buhari and drawing serious public discourse and comments, AIT quickly shut down its website at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

The website was still shut as at the time of filing this report with all contents removed on Wednesday.

This might not be unconnected with the result of the poll favouring Buhari and showing Jonathan’s seeming unpopularity in the eyes of the public.

AIT simply placed on its website this  information: “Our website is currently being improved to serve you better, please.”

SOURCE: P.M News.

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Jonathan criticized over unwillingness to tackle corruption in Nigeria

Sunday, January 25, 2015 2

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders has chided President Goodluck Jonathan over his unwillingness to tackle corruption in the country.

According to the group, corruption is the biggest problem the country is facing, besides the Boko Haram insurgency.

CACOL’s Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran, told newsmen there was an urgent need to tackle the problem.

“It is a known fact that corruption is the greatest problem confronting our country Nigeria, thus if combated frontally, it would definitely put an end to many other challenges facing us as a people,” he said.

He also flayed the President’s criticism of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari’s, plan to ensure that individuals guilty of corrupt practices were jailed.

Adeniran stated, “President Jonathan’s criticism of General Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to jail any citizen guilty of corruption charges is highly condemnable. As a matter of fact, it is another confirmation that Jonathan isn’t keen on coming hard on corrupt individuals in the country.”

The activist further alleged that Jonathan’s government did not see stealing of public funds as corruption.

“The case of the unremitted $20bn raised by the then Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, the case of $10bn expended by the current Petroleum Minister, Diezanu Alison-Madueke, on chartered jets, the Stella Oduah scandal, the Malabu oil scandal, and Yakubu Yusuf, who allegedly stole about N27bn of the pension money and got a court fine of N750, 000 for the offence. These and many others are cases that establish that this administration is corruption tolerant,” the CACOL boss said.

Similarly, a University of Ibadan teacher of the Department of Political Science, Dr. Idowu Johnson, stated that Jonathan’s attitude to corrupt practices had been responsible for the country’s clamour for a change in government.

“General Buhari’s records in combating corruption during his regime gave him the chance to be accepted as an alternative to the current corrupt government. Even those who are Jonathan’s followers know that his government is corrupt but they keep silent because they are benefiting from it. Put simply, Jonathan cannot fight corruption,” Johnson said.

However, another activist, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, told our correspondent that Jonathan’s approach to the fight corruption was not out of place.

“I think we need to balance Jonathan with Buhari. Buhari is saying we must deal with corruption by throwing thieves into Kirikiri prisons while Jonathan is talking of preventing corruption and following due process in dealing with those who are corrupt.

“We must do both. We must fight the scourge of corruption but we must not use arbitrariness at the expense of institutions and due process. We have seen the evil of corruption in our country that we must be eager to stamp it out but we must avoid abuses of due process in the name of fighting corruption,” she said.

 

SOURCE: Nigerian Eye
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Don’t be partial, group warns controversial Mbu

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The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders has warned the new Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Mr. Joseph Mbu, to be neutral in the season of electioneering.

The Executive Chairman of the Coalition, Mr. Debo Adeniran, queried the sincerity of the police authorities on the deployment of Mbu to Lagos State despite his controversial pedigree.

The group recalled that Mbu, a former Rivers State Commissioner of Police, had a running battle with the Governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi.

Likewise as CP in charge of the FCT, he issued a directive banning the Bring Back Our Girls group from holding street protests, an order that was overruled by the then Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.

Adeniran said, “The redeployment of Officer Mbu to Lagos raises some suspicions. This is an officer that has been associated with series of controversies and had shown his partisanship in Rivers State while the face-off between Governor Amaechi and the Presidency lasted. It is also on record that this same Mbu, just last week, threatened to “bring down” any community that killed policemen in the course of duty.

“Though it is impossible for a leopard to change its spots, we want to believe Mbu was not sent to Lagos to foment trouble. In essence, the man should be warned not to engage in any act of impunity like he did in Rivers and Abuja as such would be met with stiff resistance from Lagosians.”

 SOURCE:24/7 Nigerian News.