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Nigeria Sliding Towards One-Party State, Group Warns
A civil rights body, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to wade in by enforcing the constitutional provision against illegal cross-carpeting by elected political office holders to safeguard multi-party democracy from imminent collapse.
HURIWA said it was imperative for all relevant law enforcement authorities to take measures to ensure that all elected political office holders in the National and State Assemblies who have violated Section 68(1) (g) of the Constitution by illegally changing political parties to be expelled from the legislative houses to uphold the purity of the Nigerian law.
Section 68 (1) (g) states as follows: “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his/her seat in the House of which he/she is a member, if being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he/she becomes a member of another party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected: provided that his/her membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said there are no verifiable and/or justifiable reasons for the rampant cross-carpeting of elected legislators from the opposition People’s Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) since a subsisting Court of Appeal ruling recognized erstwhile Kaduna State governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic national chairman of PDP.
HURIWA alleged that some elements in the national hierarchy of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are manipulating some law enforcement agencies such as the Nigeria Police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deliberately depopulate the membership of the opposition People’s Democratic Party by blackmailing its legislators to move to APC.
Citing the recent illegal decamping of PDP Senator, Andy Uba from Anambra and Joshua Dariye from Plateau State, and another Senator of the PDP from Ondo State into APC as clear breaches of the Constitution, the group said these moves were a grave threat to multi-party democracy.
HURIWA condemned the silence and failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission to retrieve their certificates of return which they originally gained through the sponsorship of the People’s Democratic Party.
It called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to sanction Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court for wilfully issuing illegal injunctions to suspected sponsored troublemakers who infiltrated the main opposition People’s Democratic Party from the APC to scuttle the viability of the party.
Besides, HURIWA also condemned as undemocratic and ominous, the leaders of APC for mounting pressure on the PDP Senator from Enugu State, Ike Ekwerenmadu, to either move over to APC or be dethroned from his position as the deputy Senate president.
The rights group regretted that it has become imperative amongst the political class that the best way to escape the persecution of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is to move over from PDP to APC.
“We are worried that the director general of Department of State Services (DSS) who is from the same locality with Mr. President and who was a campaign team member of the then Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, had on several occasions directed and authorized the invasion of homes of top members of PDP, including the home of the Akwa Ibom State governor.
“The Inspector General of Police whose shocking elevation from a mere junior AIG of Police to the position of IGP and displaced many senior officers, has deliberately converted the Nigerian Police to the armed wing of the ruling APC just as the unconstitutional roles of the police in the recently held rerun legislative elections in Rivers State are unambiguous evidences of the partisanship of the Inspector General of Police in favour of APC.”
HURIWA, therefore, asked the National Assembly to do the needful to save Nigeria from totally sliding into a one—party dictatorship.
since allowing that to happen could spell doom for the extant democratic Republic of Nigeria.
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.