Nigeria’s poor socio-economic performance, human rights abuses, widespread poverty, insecurity, corruption, and lack of trust in the political system have led to disenchantment amongst the electorate, especially the youth who make up 51% of the 84 million registered voters. This matters in a fast-growing population of over 200 million, with more than 60% of people under 25.

There can be two possible effects from such disenchantment on voter turn-out in the 2023 elections; it can motivate high turn-out in which people demand better governance or lead to apathy and low turn-out. It is expected that the high stakes at play will mobilize the former. There is a need for people to participate in choosing political leaders who will serve the public’s interest and promote good governance.

While fighting poverty by a government is an integral aspect of security measures, lack of security of life is another pressing issue that can necessitate prompt intervention. And going by what transpires at the moment, the national security threat has been a major issue for the Nigerian government in recent years.

At the core of Nigeria’s systemic failure is the crisis of governance, which manifests in the declining capacity of the state to cope with a range of internal political and social upheavals. There is an expectation for political leaders to recognize systemic risks such as terrorist attacks, herder-farmer conflict, and police brutality and put in place the necessary infrastructure to gather relevant data for problem-solving. But the insufficiency of political savvy required to navigate the challenges that Nigeria faces has unleashed unrest across the nation and exacerbated existing tensions. The #ENDSARS Protests against police brutality in 2020 is one of the manifestations of bad governance.

The spiral of violence in northern Nigeria in which armed bandits engage in deadly planned attacks on communities, leading to widespread population displacement, has become another grave security challenge that has sharpened regional polarization. Because some public servants are usually unaware of the insecurities faced by ordinary Nigerians, they lack the frame of reference to make laws that address the priorities of citizens. The crisis of governance is accentuated by a democratic culture that accords less importance to the knowledge and competence that political leaders can bring to public office. These systemic challenges have bred an atmosphere of cynicism and mistrust between citizens and political leaders at all levels of government.

Political elites in Nigeria also exploit poverty and illiteracy to mobilize voters with food items such as rice, seasoning, and money. The rice is usually packaged strategically with the image of political candidates and the parties they represent. The assumption is that people are more likely to vote for a politician who influences them with food than one who only brings messages of hope. The practice of using food to mobilize voters is commonly described as “stomach infrastructure” politics.

Therefore, it can be said that Nigeria needs a new model of governance in which political leadership is based on the knowledge and competence of both political leaders and the electorate. One recommended solution is to establish what political philosopher Jason Brennan refers to as epistocracy, which is a system of governance in which the votes of politically informed citizens should count more than the less informed. For Justin Klocksiem, epistocracy represents a political system in which political power rests exclusively on highly educated citizens. This idea drew its philosophical influence from John Stuart Mill, who believed that the eligibility to vote should be accorded to individuals who satisfy certain educational criteria. The notion that educational attainment should be the prerequisite for the electorate to choose their leaders as proposed by Brennan, Klocksiem, and Mill is an important proposition that should be taken seriously.

However, we cannot ignore that such thinking originates from societies where civic education is high and the electorate can make informed choices about leadership. In Nigeria, the majority of citizens are uneducated on political issues. Simultaneously, those who are highly educated are increasingly becoming indifferent to political participation; they have lost faith in the power of their votes and the integrity of the political system. For an epistocratic system to work in Nigeria, there must be significant improvements in literacy levels so that citizens are educated about the issues and can use their knowledge to make informed decisions about Nigeria’s political future.

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Within a few days of renewed protests, on 11 October 2020, the Nigerian Police Force announced that it was dissolving the unit with immediate effect. The move was widely received as a triumph of the demonstrations. However, it was noted in many quarters that similar announcements had been made in recent years to pacify the public without the unit being disbanded and that the government had merely planned to reassign and review SARS officers to medical centers rather than disband the unit entirely.

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was a branch of the Nigeria Police Force under the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID). It was founded in late 1992 as one of the 14 units in the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, which was established to detain, investigate, and prosecute people involved in crimes like armed robbery, kidnapping, and other violent crimes. The squad was created as a masked police unit to perform undercover operations against violent crimes like armed robbery, car snatching, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and the bearing and use of illegal firearms.

SARS had been accused of several human rights violations, illegal “stop and searches”, illegal arrests and detentions, extrajudicial killings, sexual harassment of women, and brutalizing of young male Nigerians. These human rights abuses were properly documented in trending videos on social media, most notably Twitter.

Five demands

On Sunday, 11 October 2020, the protesters made a list of five demands to be met by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The demands which were signed by ‘A Nigerian Youth’ demanded the immediate release of all arrested during the protests as well as justice and compensation for all who died through police brutality in Nigeria. They also demanded that an independent body be set up within 10 days to investigate and prosecute all reports of police misconduct. The protesters also asked for the psychological evaluation and retraining of SARS operatives before they are deployed to any other police unit. Lastly, they asked for an adequate increase in the salaries for officers of the Nigerian police.

On 20th October, between 6:45 pm and 9:00 pm, the Nigerian army and police reportedly killed at least 12 peaceful protesters and left several injured in Lekki and Alausa in the cosmopolitan city of Lagos. The security forces, without warning, opened fire on thousands of people who were peacefully calling for good governance and an end to police violence as part of the #EndSARS movement.

Those considered as financial backers or leaders of the #EndSARS movement by authorities have been targeted. Some had their bank accounts frozen or their passports seized to keep them in the country.

Three of the country’s prominent news agencies have been fined for broadcasting social media footage of the #EndSARS protests and security forces shooting protesters.

The #EndSARS protests have forced Nigerian authorities to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad – SARS. States across the country have now set up judicial panels to investigate SARS abuses. But the #EndSARS movement was met with the same police brutality and violence it was set to fight against. It’s time to demand accountability and finally end impunity for police violence in Nigeria.

Today makes it exactly one year where the current administration demonstrated one of the most callous acts seen since the start of Nigeria’s fourth republic. an act in which the military was used to overpower peaceful and unarmed protesters at Lekki Tollgate. This will forever remain a scar in the heart of Nigerians. We forever pray for the ones who departed this world on that horrific night, for their names will never be forgotten.

The post 20-10-20: A day to not Forget appeared first on LiberatingNigeria.

The Ondo state government is in a so-called knot with the federal government over the state decision to send herdsmen out of the state forest reserves within seven days. Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, the Nigerian Bar Association former president and a seasoned lawyer on Monday, reported that herdsmen in the state should vacate the forest reserves within seven days. He linked this to the high rising case of insecurity and kidnap cases in the state.

He lamented that the culprits had turned the state forest reserves into hideouts to carry out other criminal activities and keep victims kidnapped. The governor did not specifically say the herdsmen are responsible for the kidnaps or unlawful activities. He said the illegal activities are traceable to the culprits who are disguised as the herdsmen using the same location, the forest reserve for the criminal activities. Not only did the governor give the herders seven days ultimatum to leave the state, but he also banned night grazing, under-aged grazing, and movement of cattle within the cities and highways.

One crucial fact that the presidency or most persons are not getting is that Ondo state governor did not tell herders to leave the forest reserves, he said that herders who are not registered should leave the forest. Meaning the criteria for staying in the forest is that the state government must register the herdsmen to seek their cattle to keep grazing in the forest. The state said the purpose is to ensure that lives and properties within the state are secured. 

The presidency is not seeing it this way as they issued a response in less than 24 hours after Akeredolu gave the order. Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the governor would be the least expected to expel herders in the state unilaterally. He also came from an angle that the governor was biased and cruel by linking the criminal activities in the state to ethnicity, geographical origins and religion.

No state governor will overlook criminal activities in its country and not act. It will only render him a figurehead. There have been several criminal activities in Ondo state, some of which are the Olufon of Ifon, King Israel Adeusi who was shot by bandits in November 2020. In the same month, the Chief of Staff’s wife to the governor was abducted by unidentified gunmen. Earlier this month, January in Uso community in Owo local government of the state, a couple and two others were also abducted. Just days after that, a traveller was kidnapped along Ise/Isua, Akoko road.

The Ondo state government also gave a swift response to the presidency. Donald Ojogo, the Ondo state commissioner for Information and Orientation, said that the presidency response has shown the federal government’s position in the case.  He also corrected that the governor did not order herdsmen out of the state, he ordered unregistered herdsmen out of the state because of the state’s high insecurity. The presidency’s take on this is only promoting criminal activities because this will only give the culprits the energy to do more since they have the federal government’s backing.

The only way the state can account for the herdsmen in the state is by getting them registered so that they can give account if anything happens around the area where their cattle are gazing and help address criminal activities to the right quarters. If any herdsman has issues with registering with the state, then that person needs to be investigated because the state is not asking for too much. If you cannot register then leave, it is as simple at that. Donald Ojogo also mentioned that the statement from Garba is a show of emotional attachment unfriendly to the corporate existence of the country. 

Not every herdsman will say they have been masquerading as criminal and that is why is essential for them to register under the state government. The issue of herdsmen is one of the issues that the Buhari administration have had to battle with during his time. Farmers and herdsmen have always been at loggerhead and this call by the Ondo state government is to curb the rate of insecurity in the state which every government should do in order to protect the lives and properties of the people of the state. 

This is not a problem associated with Ondo state alone, several states in the country have had issues with herdsmen in recent and past times, and governors have been under pressure to proffer a solution to this challenge. Garba Shehu said the Ondo state government was acting against the constitution, this can be seen from the section 421 of the constitution that says that Nigerians are entitled to freedom of movement in any state in the country and cannot be forced out or expelled or prohibited from moving in and out of any state in the country.

What should be done is that the federal government should cooperate with the affected state to ensure that the issues of herdsmen and insecurity in the state are managed. Because some of them like in the case of Oyo will not adhere to anything the state government tells them to do because they feel it is their man in power and nobody can talk them out except the president speaks. The issues of insecurity in states are rising. If state governors grow to make decisions, the least the federal government can do is to seek ways to adjust the set order or cooperate with the state government.

The post Ondo State Government At Loggerhead With The Presidency Over Herdsmen appeared first on LiberatingNigeria.

Joy filled the entire country when the Academic staff union of Universities (ASUU) finally called off its nine-month strike after going through a series of negotiations with the government. Students and lecturers were at home due to the strike declared by ASUU since March 2020 because of the funding of universities and implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). The union was against this because it denies the independence policy for the universities. After several negotiations, the federal government In November 2020 agreed to exclude members of ASUU from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

The government also agreed to pay the universities lecturers their outstanding salaries from February to June using the old salary platform which is the Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System and proffer lasting industrial peace in the university system.

The government also shifted grounds, as it agreed to pay outstanding salaries to the university lecturers from February to June, through the old salary payment platform as well as resolve other issues for a lasting industrial harmony in the university system.

The news of the strike being called up fired up the hope in students that they were going to resume in January only for the second wave of COVID-19 in the country to spring up and disrupt the plan and shatter the joy of students who cannot wait to resume. The second wave of the virus has massively increased the number of patients who have contacted the virus hence the government placed a ban on crossover service that churches annually organize to crossover into the new year, not only did they place a ban on crossover service, bars, clubs, religious and social gatherings was limited to 50 persons and schools were ordered to close and resume on the 18^th of January 2020.

Universities despite the strike that was called off also had to adhere to the January 18 resumption date. Now, the numbers of contacted COVID-19 patients keep rising. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) website has revealed that on the 10^th of January, Nigeria recorded 1,024 new cases in 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory on January 10, 2020. Lagos of all the states has the highest number of the reported cases. Surprisingly Lagosians will not stop partying and attending large gatherings despite the alarming figures of those who have contacted the virus.

Back to school resumption being reviewed, this means that students will have to stay at home for close to one year. Now, there is no reason why some bodies are affected with the stay-at-home rule and others are not in order to curb the spread of the virus. Does this mean it is only in schools that people can contact the virus? The National Identity Management Commission [NIMC] centres are still accommodating crowds at their centres because of the National Identity number registrations. There are some churches that still accommodate over 50 people, events still go on with a lot of people, if these parties can go on with their activities then it is unfair to keep students at home.

A strategy that will help curb the spread generally should be put in place while maintaining the precautions of wearing a face mask, using hand sanitizers, maintaining social distance and so on.

The National Association of Nigerian Students also reported that postponing student’s resumption might not be the best thing to do but rather than postpone, the government should approach the outrageous spread of the virus and rising cases of death from an environmental strategy and human coordination position. The body supported this with the fact that the economy right now will not support another national lockdown. So rather than announce another national lockdown, or postponing student resumption, NANS wants the government to give an environmental strategy approach to the virus.

To ensure that all COVID-19 guidelines as put in place by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 are enforced, the body ordered all its chapters in all tertiary institutions to set up COVID-19 task force teams. This is another step that can help school resumption. The only problem here is for federal and state universities if covid-19 guidelines are adhered to in the school premises, how do they want to curb the spread in the student’s hostels, when students go out to the market for shopping, meeting all kinds of people and coming back to the school premises. Private universities can still control this because once students resume, they are not allowed to leave the school premises without getting permission from the management.

Another way to go about this is to emulate private universities and start online classes with students at all levels and hold examinations at batches. The problem here again is that some students might not show up for the online classes, most of these students hardly come for physical classes, there will be a nonchalant attitude towards the online class attendance which will not motivate the lecturers or instructors.

Despite all the outrage and rising numbers of patients who are contacting the virus and those that have died because of the virus, a video of a man of God who said wearing a face mask makes you a “baby Christian” went viral. He said that Christians who use a face mask are playing games and are not worthy to be called men of God. This is not a statement that should be flying around because I am sure there are some religious people who will find that meaningful. If we can wear our face mask in our offices, at events, then we should wear it in the church as well. Even the Bible says wisdom is profitable to direct. So, if you not using a mask will expose you to getting the virus, then use it so that you do not get the virus. Even the big men of Good use it on their alters.

We hope the federal government, NANS and ASUU proffer a solution and set strategies towards students school resumption because the earlier the better. Their academic calendar has lagged for so long and has disrupted their plans, the earlier students get back to school, the better. Corona Virus is real, stay safe!

The post Covid-19 Second Wave Hits Hard as Government Reviews Schools Resumption appeared first on LiberatingNigeria.

Sowore is at it again with the federal government. It is no news that Sowore has always been at loggerhead with the federal government. For those that do not know Sowore, let me give you a quick background to who he is and how and why he has always been dragged by the federal government of Nigeria.

Omoyele Sowore is a human right activist and the founder of the online newspaper Sahara Reporters and one of the 2019 presidential candidate of the party African Action Congress (AAC). Of course, he did not win, but still actively involved in politics and his thirst for revolution. His first arrest was made for alleged treason on the 3^rd of August 2019 by the  Department of State Service (DSS) after calling for a protest tagged “RevolutionNow” After the arrest was condemned by Wole Soyinka and other activists, he was later charged with “conspiracy to commit treason and insulting President Muhammadu Buhari”. After going back and forth at the court, the protest led by his wife, arrest and rearrest, he was finally released on the 24^th of December 2019 and restricting him from making any movement outside Abuja.

Fast forward to the recent activity going on now in 2021, amidst the presence of covid 19 precautions put in place by the federal government, Sowore organized a cross over protest on the 31^st of December 2021. He tweeted on Twitter saying;

“How about a CrossOver Protest/Uprising tonight? Anyone willing to participate? Pick up a candle and a placard showing your grievances against the regime, let us upload our short videos and photos across our Social Media platforms. Let us welcome the regime to a RESOLUTE 2021!”

The protest physically took place in Abuja with men of about 10, holding placards, holding candle nights and some of the things written on their card says “End bad government, Buhari must go”. Residents of the locality reported that they were almost done with the police when security operatives rounded them up. Sowore reported that he was filming the process when he saw the security officers that came to arrest them. Five of them were arrested and has gone to court. Sowore was charged for three criminal offence, criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, and inciting public disturbance and they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

There is nothing wrong in holding a protest, every citizen has the right to freely express their opinion about the government. And it is no news that Sowore likes to tickle the Buhari government and the government always falls for it every time. Sowore is expressing his opinion about the government and he is not harmful in any way. He does not even have the crowd. Yet the government rather than spend quality time to worry about Nigeria’s problems is busy handcuffing Sowore. There are tons of people on social media, especially on Twitter who says so many worse thing about the government, so many of them have committed treason if that is the charge they want to put around Him.

My question is why him? Is it because he is a journalist or because he is actively involved in Politics or he has an interest in running for a political position? The government is always ready to drag him at all cost.

Fayemi, his lawyer also said he was charged for breaching COVID-19 precautions. That is about 4 charges on him. It was quite clear that the government placed a curfew between 12 am and 4 am and churches were advised not to hold the usual crossover service that shoots into the 1^st of January because of the curfew. Hence churches held cross over eve between 7 pm to about 10 pm. The time that the protest was held was not stated but it was tagged a crossover protest. The reason behind the time and setting of the protest is alarming because why will candlelight be brought to a protest. It is as though the protesters held a candlelight service for the Nigerian government and in this case, the president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari because his name was mentioned on the placards that were held on the protest ground.

The Magistrate Court in Abuja remanded of the five persons at the Kuje Correctional Centre in the nation’s capital pending when their formal bail application would be heard. In as much as we want the government to leave Sowore alone and focus on other issues in the country, we also hope that Sowore will leave the government alone and seek other ways to pass his message to the government or the audience. The Nigerian government has not had a clean history with journalists that rise like Sowore and most of their cases do not end well. Sowore should seek other means to pass his message. Contesting for a presidential position was a try that did not end victoriously. He could start from his local government, his community or state and gradually push his message till it gets to the top.

If going his route is not successful, it is better to re-strategize. Re-strategizing does not mean that the government will not still pick on him or try to drag him but strategies that rather than attack the government, look for ways that will help him push out this message to the youth and Nigerians at large. His motive might be good but the way he is carrying out his motive is obviously not going in the right direction.

We also hope that the Nigerian government let him go. Sowore is the least of our problem in the country, he is not even on the list of what we are battling within the country. We cannot overemphasize the challenges and issues that the country is facing now. So, the government should free Sowore and focus on how to lift the country from the shackles of corruption, insecurity, poverty, bad governance to a place where Nigeria should be. A place where Nigeria flourishes and become that great nation that we all hope and pray for.

ALSO READ: BUHARI MEETS WITH THE 36 STATE GOVERNORS; THE WHY?

The post Sowore Rearrested Over Crossover Protest appeared first on LiberatingNigeria.

On the 11^th of December, 2020 it was recorded that over 300 hundred secondary school boys abducted from the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara. In an audio message about the abduction, Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram said “what happened in Katsina was our responsibility” and that his group opposed Western education. The same reasons why the group abducted the Chibok girls in 2014, and now in 2020, we are facing the same issue with the same set of people.

Residents living near Government Science Secondary School in Kankara told the BBC they heard gunfire at about 23:00 (22:00 GMT) last week on Friday, and that the attack lasted for more than an hour. Security personnel at the school managed to repel some of the attackers before police reinforcements arrived, officials said. Police said that during an exchange of fire, some of the gunmen were forced to retreat. Students were able to scale the fence of the school and run to safety, they said.

Coincidentally, the president was actually in Katsina, his home town when this happened and rather than visit the school or the families of the children that were abducted, he visited his cows instead. Even if the president had plans to visit his farm during his stay in the state, upon hearing what happened, he should have stayed back and not attend because the timing is wrong.

Activists have criticized President Muhammadu Buhari, whose home state is Katsina, of mishandling the security operation against the militants. Recent occurrence in the state has proved that the president does not value the lives of its citizen.

A 17-year-old boy who managed to escape the abductors explained how he crawled for several miles through the forest to freedom. These children, their parents do not deserve all these pain and struggle just because they are citizens of Nigeria. They deserve that comfortable and great country where parents will; be at peace sending their children to school and hoping they will come back home safely in one piece.

Garba Shehu, once again came out to say that only 10 students were abducted. Now this is really surprising because there is no way they would have abducted 10 pupils for one hour, they could have done that in less than 30 minutes. How was he sure they were 10, the school definitely keeps attendance of their pupils. It was recorded that over 800 pupils were in attendance that day and if the school authority has said over 300 were abducted, we should believe them.

The presidency said that “The children believe that 10 of their schoolmates were taken by the bandits, but this still needed to be verified. So now, it is the report of the students he wants to believe against the report of the school. He also tweeted on Tuesday saying that Katsina Governor Aminu Bello Masari had met and briefed President Buhari about the operation to free the kidnapped students.

Many parents said they had withdrawn their children from the school, Governor Massari also ordered the immediate closure of all boarding schools in the state.

Shekau’s statement in the audio he sent sparked mixed reactions in Nigeria, with the authorities who blamed “bandits” for the attack now saying they were uncertain. Months before last week’s attack Boko Haram claimed that it had a presence in the north-west region, so if it is proved that they are indeed behind the school raid, it’s a worrying development. Then it is evident that they are the one in charge of the Borno rice farmers that were killed on their farm.

Some however say that Shekau may just be claiming responsibility as a propaganda strategy – to attract more attention to his group – which is competing for dominance and relevance with a splinter faction known as Islamic State West Africa Province. I do not agree as a video was later released of the abducted children so that already explains that they are the one behind the killings and abduction. It is yet another incident that has brought great anxiety to parents in the north-west region about the safety of their children in schools.

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has directed the closure of all public and private schools in the state with immediate effect. This was contained in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Education, Sanusi Kiru, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Kano on Wednesday morning. Even though no reason was given for the closure of the schools, but the closure may not be unconnected to a spike in cases of COVID-19 in some parts of the country, which led to the closure of schools in some states including Kaduna and Jigawa. The move may also not be unconnected to the recent abduction of over 300 school boys from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers has also threatened to embark on a nationwide strike following a continued threat to the lives of its members and students. That is a great move from NUT because the safety of the students are quite important, we do not know which state or school might be next. It is better for them to be safe at home rather that risking them all out. The organization, therefore, called on government at all levels to ensure adequate security and 24-hour surveillance around schools in order not to escalate the disruption of the academic calendar “which is in a fragile state as a result of COVID – 19 pandemic.” The NUT said it was highly disturbed by the re-emerging incidence of school invasion and abduction of teachers and students across the country’s educational institutions.

It is great news that the boys have been found but we are unaware of Boko Haram next move hence it is very vital and important that the government provide a long lasting solution to insecurity in the country.

The post Over 300 students abducted in Katsina State appeared first on LiberatingNigeria.

Not to go far back in time, insecurity was also an issue also faced in Jonathan’s regime and Buhari told him to step down as he could not manage the issue. Now, the same thing is happening in Buhari’s tenure and he probably has forgotten what he told Jonathan to do when that happened.

The rice farmers that were killed in the Jere Local Government Area of Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents have become alarming and disturbing to the peace of the Nation. It was reported that the insurgents attack killed no fewer than 43 rice farmers. The terrorists were reported to have tied up the farmers, who were working on rice fields, before slitting their throats. Although a member of the state Civilian Joint Task Force who assisted some of the survivors, put the number of people killed at 43, the United Nations on Sunday said 110 rice farmers lost their lives during the attack. Either 43 or 110, the news remains that people who went to farm and search for means to feed people and be fed were killed in such a brutal way.

Few days back, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with the nation’s 36 state Governors on the security challenges across the country.

The meeting sprung forth after members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) last week agreed to meet with the President as soon as possible to address the security challenges in the country. During the meeting, the president urged the state governors to work more with traditional rulers and community members to improve local intelligence gathering that would aid the work of security agencies.

It is a different thing to acknowledge the importance and roles of community leaders in the country and another thing to leverage on their roles. This is what we also suggested during the #ENDSARS protest when the North thought the protest was against the northerners rather than them to participate in the protest, they were totally against it.

We then suggested that there is a need to collaborate with like minds and people with great intellect in the north who can carry the message to their community leaders, Almajiri leaders and they can now relay the message to the community members as the members have a high degree of respect for their leaders and would want to do as they say.

The state governors decried that the police and other internal security operatives have not been functioning to full capacity since the #EndSARS protests in parts of the country, noting the attendant security exposure to the safety of lives and properties of the people. As a result, the governors agreed to pay close attention to the conduct of Police Officers across the country in order to get them and others fully back to work.

On banditry and kidnapping, Buhari expressed that “security is important and we must secure the whole country. We are thinking very hard on the issue of kidnapping. We will make it possible for the military to get to the bandits and kidnappers and eliminate them.’’ He explained that the closure of the nation’s land borders was partly an attempt to control the smuggling in of weapons and drugs.

On the issues raised on #EndSARS protest and its hijack by hoodlums to cause mayhem and destroy private and public property, Buhari warned against recurrence, saying that no responsible government would allow such to happen. He said, “We do not stop anyone from demonstrating, but you don’t set up roadblocks and smash windscreens. Which government will allow that?”

The president mentioned that he was disgusted by the coverage, which did not give attention to the policemen that were killed, the stations that were burnt, and prisons that were opened.

It is well known that the protest started as a peaceful protest but it was obviously hijacked by hoodlums. People who we do not know or are not sure of sponsored the hoodlums to hijack the protest as they were seen coming out of their cars with sticks to attack the protesters. It did not even start with properties; they started attacking the peaceful protesters by causing disunity and harm. Then they went from that to burning their cars. It then turned into a bloody protest.

Buhari also noted that the foreign press’ coverage of the #EndSARS violence was not balanced, citing specifically the CNN and BBC for omitting the number of policemen killed, police stations that were razed, and the prisons that were thrown open for inmates to escape. If Buhari said this about the CNN and BBC report, then he was not balanced when he gave his speech after the Lekki shooting and violence. He came out and did not acknowledge the citizens that were injured or those that lost their lives, he only made mention of the police men and stations that were burnt. He gave no attention, not on word to citizens or youths that were victims of the violence.

Since, Buhari already spoke for the policemen, CNN and BBC spoke for the youths as well.

The meeting which was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja was also attended by the Minister of Defense, Major General Bashir Magashi and the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno, among other top Federal Government officials.

The post Buhari meets with the 36 State Governors; the why? appeared first on LiberatingNigeria.

This is the question on everyone’s lip , and in some quarters where the tension is high, the popular saying is, “Niger Delta oil is for the nation, while Zamfara gold is for Zamfara”

Again we step on trouble waters, the nation Nigeria already has enough troubles on its end, however we are fast getting used to the culture of having new troubles and challenges springing up every now and then. It is more like we have succeeded in creating and sustaining a loose system, a broken wall that makes it easier for the lizards to come in, we have collectively cultivated an obnoxious and absurd culture that sees us leave our lawns unkempt, our greens soiled with weeds leading to the infestations of green snakes lurking beneath the grounds of our unkempt lawns waiting to strike the passersby.

Yet again, we lit a touch that has the potential of escalating into a nationwide wild fire, the discovery of the Zamfara gold is supposed to be an event of national celebration and one that is supposed to be of all round benefits to all within the Nigerian federating system.

To many, arguably, Zamfara over the years has been one of the most unproductive states among the 36 states of the federation and this is largely as a result of the activities of the dreaded religious extremist group, Boko Haram and other bandits groups who have made living unbearable for its inhabitants as a result of the kidnapping, killings and all sorts of violent activities going on in the area.

This is an area where a larger chunk of the nation’s wealth has been dedicated and channeled to the nation’s security outfits to restore order and normalcy. The nation’s wealth and resources which are derived from the sweats and toils of other states in the nation have all in one way or the other contributed to the restoration and rebuilding of the violence prone zone.

For Zamfara state to have discovered gold in its areas mined and refined them, it is a good news for not only the state and the people who have had to live in an area where there seems to be nothing good coming out of it, it is also a good news for the rest of the country as they see something to smile about come out from the area. The usual about the state when you open the various news dailies in the country is always the one that is always filled with gory sights of slain bodies, reports of kidnap among other unpalatable news.

While we agree that the Zamfara gold is indeed a welcome development for all within the Nigerian nation, it would be highly insensitive and reckless for the Zamfara state government to claim ownership of this natural resources which belongs to the nation’s exclusive list.

The constitution of the nation clearly states that all mineral resources as found within the 36 states of the federation belongs to the federal government, thus as a result of this, the actions of the Zamfara state government in claiming ownership of this resources is a gross violation of the Nigerian constitution.

While many governors from other regions have come to condemn the decision of the Zamfara state governments, coming out more as another surprise is the decision of the federal government of Nigeria to allow the Zamfara state governments manage the control of the resources.

This act raises more questions on the validity of the constitutional provision that makes it law that natural and mineral resources must be placed under the control of the federal government.

This singular act has a ripples effect on the nation’s national integration outlook, juxtaposing this with the case of the Niger Delta oil which is being firmly controlled by the Federal government who manages the proceeds gotten from it, determining how much goes back to the host state, this can be described as an unfair and imbalance situation which has the potential of causing more havoc.

For the sake of the national unity of the country in the light of its multi-ethnic outlook, and for the sake of the sustenance of the nation’s constitution, acts like this should be avoided at all cost as they can lead the nation to a state of unrest

Other federating states might be empowered by this to taking the move to getting control over its resources just as the Zamfara state government had done. And with the federal government looking the other way, allowing the Zamfara state government to gain control of it resources, other states in the federation might actually have a case. Imagine a situation whereby all the 36 states in the federation stands up to do something similar, there will be a state of violence and anarchy.

The federal government of Nigeria, as led by President Muhammadu Buhari must ensure that it treats all the states within the nation as one, without any iota of preferential treatment or favoritism towards any states or region. The rule of law as entrenched inside the confines of the nation’s constitution must be respected and strictly adhered to. The rules that applies to state A must also be made applicable to   state B. The Nigerian national outlook is indeed a fragile one and the federal government must be careful not to upset what is left of the balance.

The gold found in Zamfara belongs to everyone, just as the Crude oil in the Niger Delta Area, no state should be placed above the other in this arrangements, the federal government of Nigeria must ensure that it takes the much needed step in re-claiming the gold lest it set a bad precedent for other states to follow.

The unity of the Nigeria nation is non-negotiable and every factor that might militate against this must be avoided at all cost, the recent ENDSARS protest should have taught us all hard lessons about the need to kill a fire before it gets out of hand

Marcus Amudipe 

The post Zamfara Gold appeared first on LiberatingNigeria.

Who sings the victory song, Nigerians are etching as the online community actively wait for the end of this war between both parties?

Ever since the fateful night on the 20^th of October 2020, which saw the quite unfortunate incident between the men of the Nigerian Army and the Peaceful ENDSARS protesters, one which was called Lekki Massacre by a large chunk of the Nigerian populace but is regarded as Lekki Shootings by the Federal Government and the men of the Nigerian Army.

Following the event at the Lekki Toll gate, there’s been obvious bold move by the Federal Government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to have a full grip over the mainstream media in its bid to ensure that it  controls the media space over the kind of contents been spread around fueling National anger and getting international attention over the Lekki Toll gate incident.

The constant denial of the Federal Government, the Lagos State Government and also the men of the Nigerian Army that it ever used live bullets on Peaceful protesters not kill any one in the process of the protest, one which is against the narrative of many Nigerians who were present at the scene of the incident, the obviously missing bodies of those allegedly claimed to have died in the process as shown in the various live videos that sufficed in the course of the protest cast an air of uncertainty over the claim of the ENDSARS Protest apologists.

While the various narratives regarding the real trend of events for the incident continues to circulate, the CNN as part of its independent investigation came up with it own findings where it showed footage of the incident which indicted the men of the Nigerian Army shooting live bullets at the peaceful protesters on the night of the 20^th of October 2020. This report as released by the CNN drew the anger of the Federal Government of Nigeria who claimed that the report of the international media outfit fell short of the international standards as it is failed to make any attempt to hear the account of the Federal Government. They also claimed that such report is enough to cause a state of Anarchy in the country as it could set the people against the government.

Another of the claim of the Federal Government of Nigeria is that the footage used by the CNN are not in anyway valid or verified footages as they were harvested from the various pages of the social media as it stated that the CNN did not have any of its reporters present at the scene of the event when it happened.

While the Nigerian Government continue to call out the CNN on the need for it to carry out an objective investigation on the incident that occurred at the Lekki Toll gate, the CNN on its part have come out the second time to stand by it investigation and findings, saying that the  findings is based on a thoroughly researched process of objective and investigative journalism.

While the Nigerian populace watches on and the international community as the Federal Government and the CNN continue to exchange words over the credibility of their positions, determining the real course of what really happened at the Lekki Toll Gate might proved an Herculean task over the lack of materials that fully captured the course of events and all that really happened.

We must also remember that the Lagos State Government as part of its attempts to get to the root of what really happened at the Lekki Toll gate on the 20^th of October 2020 have set up an independent judiciary inquiry panel which is designed to look into the complaint of the people against the Police and also investigate the event, unraveling the truth about what really happened at the Lekki Toll gate.

While the panel is still on with its investigation, many Nigerians may not be truly satisfied with the results of the panel as they may actually doubt how independent and objective the panel is because it’s set up by the Lagos State Government.

The popular belief is that the body will not want to indict the Lagos State Government and in the process, it is outcome may lack objectivity. However the course of the investigation have seen the Nigeria Army attesting to the fact that they indeed went to the scene of the Protest with both live and blank bullets which to a greater extent authenticate the some of the claims of the findings made by the CNN.

However there is still more to be unraveled, more truth to be unearthed if the true account of what really happened at the Lekki Toll Gate is to be objectively investigated, the truth they say can only set it, the Federal Government of Nigeria will definitely have a serious offense on its hands if the truth is eventually revealed and it indicts them while on the other hand, the CNN also has it credibility on the line if their claims turns out to be false.

This can only be determined by the truth, and for this to happen it will do both side good if there is an independent international inquiry which cannot be influenced by both parties. This if done and the various evidence are brought to be examined, this will go a long way in putting to bed this issue.

It will be a highly disappointing if this case is rendered inconclusive as there are evidence on ground to put an end to this issue, all that’s needed is an independent international inquiry to examine these various claims and evidence in order to determine their authenticity and their validity

Marcus Amudipe

The post Federal Government Versus CNN appeared first on LiberatingNigeria.

While we advocate the need for meritocracy in politics and governance, that is the need to ensure that our realities are ruled by a system which celebrates merits over all other factors. Where tribal differences, political affiliation, class, or social status does not matter, but men are given positions, based on their qualifications for such roles. This school of thought is a progressive one in every sane society and also a much needed one in a pluralistic society like Nigeria where we have the fusion of various ethnic groups and cultural differences, however while meritocracy must be celebrated, it is important that in its practice, we apply common reasoning.

When we concentrate power in the hands of a few who share the same background while other groups watch, it is a slippery slope to creating a politically imbalance society where some grow too powerful at the expense of others. It is indeed a dangerous one.

Just as it is a dangerous one for the All Progressive Congress (APC) if it fails to honor and respect the zoning arrangement which was reached and agreed by all when the party was founded by its various founding fathers.

Within the Nigerian socio-political purview, the political ball has seen itself majorly move between the north and the west, leaving the south-east out as the only region who are yet to produce a candidate for the presidency. Many has call this marginalization of a part for another, whatever term it is that is given to it, it is one which must be corrected in order to ensure that we secure one of the factors that will go a long way in cementing the beam of our national integration. One that is shaky now.

One of the tenet or the values of the zoning arrangement is to ensure fairness in the course of the nation’s power distribution, the north have hard its equal share of the nation’s ultimate power seat, while the west have also had it representation over the years, if we must say that we do commit ourselves to the path of national dialogue through reason, one built on fairness and justice, then we must not just as individuals but also as a collective entity ensure that we drop every pursuit of personal glory for the overall good of all.

Whatever side we belong to on the political side of the coin, we have to ensure that we do the needful, as posterity will be the judge of all, the ultimate goal of each and every one of us must be to see that we sustain the federating outlook of the nation Nigeria. And this must involve honoring the zoning arrangement.

Meritocracy can also thrive with Zoning, there is no exclusive group or race that are naturally designed to always rule, all over the Nigerian federating states, across the borders of region or ethnicity, we can be rest assured that we should be able to men of honorable means and methods who can steer the affairs of our nation.

In achieving this, our political classes do have a very significant role to play, the founding fathers of the various political parties in Nigeria probably saw into the future when they made the move to entrench in their party constitution the need for a zoning system.

No doubt, we cannot deny the fact that the nation’s political class do have a vital role to play in shaping the future of this nation, where it is right now is to a very great extent the product of their work and internal arrangements. We are at a very critical time when we must act for not just the sake of the glorification of our respective parties but also for the good of all.

The political ruling class must see itself as a major frontier to ensuring the sustenance of our reality, the zoning agreement may be a written or non-written one, however we have seen it coming to play on numerous times, politics must not just be seen as a game of numbers, it becomes a breach of agreement when we fail to honor our agreements, not when others within our socio-political circles have benefited greatly from it. It affects the trust and bond that holds us together as one.

The Nigerian society is one that if it is not well tended can be volatile, this is why we must pay close attention to the yearnings of all, and we function in a democratic society where everyone must be involved in the governing process of the nation. To overlook a part because they do not have the numbers is detriment to the working and the sustenance of our democratic system.

While we might have a flexible system, one that always gives us the room and the luxury to change policies or rules of engagement for our own good, we must not allow this become a culture or lead to it being turned to a manipulative element.

The race to the next presidential election in Nigeria has already started, the recent political movements and arrangements as noticed in our various political circles is a testament to this realities, a lot of political issues and cliques will definitely emerge in the process, while these various political parties makes their various move to either sustaining political power or to secure political power, it is the hope of all Nigerians that they will all put first the nation’s interest at heart and this pursuit will come first before any other even as we seek to sustain the unity of the Nigerian federating units.

Marcus Amudipe

The post Zoning Agreement in Nigeria appeared first on LiberatingNigeria.