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Sowore, Bakare are not terrorists, SERAP replies Presidency

Olayinka SHEHU
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Sowore, Bakare are not terrorists, SERAP replies Presidency

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has berated the presidency for comparing embattled activist and former presidential candidate at the last general election, Omoyele Sowore and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare to Boko Haram militants.

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson had in a statement released today compared Sowore’s call for revolution with Boko Haram militants atrocities in the North East.

“The Boko Haram militants, who are behind the violence, also fancy themselves to be fighting for some sort of revolution,” Shehu had said in the statement.

But SERAP in a series of tweets on its official twitter handle said, it was unacceptable to compare citizens who are also activists simply exercising their human rights with militants who are ‘killing our people and destroying property.’

It also said what is happening to Sowore and Bakare shows clear attempts by the Nigerian authorities to further silence critics, activists and the media while they continue to undermine the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.

SERAP statement reads, “We condemn the statement today by @NigeriaGov issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to President Muhammadu Buhari, which seems to compare Sowore with Boko Haram militants.”

“To be absolutely clear: Sowore and Bakare are not terrorists.”

“It’s unacceptable to compare citizens who are also activists simply exercising their human rights including to freedom of expression with militants who are killing our people and destroying property.”

“Freedom of expression is not yet a crime under the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended).”

“What is happening to Sowore and Bakare shows clear attempts by the Nigerian authorities to further silence critics, activists and the media while they continue to undermine the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.”

“This is illustrated through a persistent disobedience of court orders, and as we witnessed last week, the invasion of Justice Ojukwu’s court by the DSS.”

“The persecution of Sowore and Bakare is sending a chilling and unambiguous message to all Nigerians, and is part of a systematic effort to silence independent media and critical voices in Nigeria to prevent public scrutiny of governments at both the Federal and state levels.”

“Nigerian authorities now need to begin to protect citizens’ human rights and the rule of law. That should start with the immediate withdrawal of the bogus charges against Sowore and Bakare and the immediate and unconditional release of Sowore from arbitrary detention.”

“We are concerned that Nigerian authorities continue to openly scorn the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s human rights commitments.”

“This concerted attack on the rule of law must stop. The UN, African Union, African commission on human and peoples’ rights and members of the international community can make a unique impact by speaking forcefully and publicly in defense of human rights, the rule of law and independence of the judiciary in Nigeria.”

It would be recalled that operatives of the DSS had on Friday stormed the Federal High Court, Abuja to effect the arrest of Sowore and Bakare barely 24 hours after they were released on bail from detention on the order of the court.

Sowore and Bakare were arrested by the operatives of DSS on August 3, 2019, at about 1:25 am according to a distress tweet he posted just before his phone was confiscated.

Both detainees are facing seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, money laundering and cybercrimes, amongst others.

But after spending 124 days in the DSS custody, they were released on Thursday night, following an order given by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja who gave the security agency a 24-hour ultimatum to effect the bail order earlier issued.

United States, Iran exchange prisoners in rare act of cooperation

Editorial
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United States, Iran exchange prisoners in rare act of cooperation

THE United States and Iran each freed a prisoner at the weekend in a rare act of cooperation between two longtime foes whose ties have worsened since President Donald Trump took office.

Tensions have risen between Iran and the US since Trump last year pulled Washington out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Tehran’s economy.

Iran has responded by gradually removing its commitments under the agreement.

Iran released Xiyue Wang, a U.S. citizen who had been held for three years on spying charges, while the United States freed Iranian Massoud Soleimani. He had been facing charges of violating U.S. sanctions against Tehran.

A senior U.S. official said Washington was hopeful that Wang’s release would lead to the freeing of other Americans held in Iran and that it was a sign Tehran was willing to discuss other issues.

Trump thanked Iran on Twitter for what he called a “very fair negotiation” that led to the exchange. He said the swap showed the United States and Iran “can make a deal together”.

In an earlier statement, Trump thanked the Swiss government for its help in negotiating Wang’s release.

“Freeing Americans held captive is of vital importance to my administration, and we will continue to work hard to bring home all our citizens wrongfully held captive overseas,” Trump said.

However, arriving Tehran, Soleimani, a stem cell expert, told reporters the Americans who had held him were “petty.”

“I told them that I had patients that needed my help. And they said who cares. Let them die,” he said. “It shows that American officials have issues with Iranians.”

Wang was released based on “Islamic clemency”.

Switzerland has represented U.S. diplomatic interests in Iran since Washington and Tehran cut diplomatic ties shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

CHARGES DROPPED

Wang, a Princeton University graduate student, was convicted on espionage charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2017.

His family and the university have always said he was in Iran for research into a history degree and denied spying.

According to Princeton, he was born in Beijing in 1980, emigrated to the United States in 2001 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009. His wife and child are Chinese citizens.

China, which normally requires its citizens to give up their nationality when they become citizens of another country, has not commented publicly on the case.

(Reuters)

 

‘Sowore is a person of interest to the DSS’, Presidency justifies his arrest, DSS treatment

Olayinka SHEHU
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‘Sowore is a person of interest to the DSS’, Presidency justifies his arrest, DSS treatment

THE Presidency on Sunday broke its silence on the drama at the Federal High Court on Friday which led to the rearrest of convener of #RevolutionNow, and publisher of Saharareporters, Omoyele Sowore by operatives of Department of State Service (DSS).

The Presidency in a statement titled, “Sowore: Between fact and fiction” by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, gave justification for the arrest of the journalist turned politician, insisting that Sowore called for a revolution to overthrow the democratically elected government of Nigeria.

It also stated that the detained journalist “is a person of interest to the DSS,” based on his words and pedigree.

The statement by Shehu while supporting the action of the DSS, was kept mum on the invasion of the Federal High Court, Abuja by operatives of the DSS. 

It however disclosed that the DSS doesn’t necessarily need the permission of the President to carry out it functions.

“The DSS does not necessarily need the permission of the Presidency in all cases to carry out its essential responsibilities that are laid down in the Nigerian Constitution – which was the foundation for the restoration of democracy in our country in 1999,” the Presidency emphasised in the statement.

The Presidency statement read in parts, “it should not surprise anyone who has followed his actions and words that Sowore is a person of interest to the DSS.”

“Sowore called for a revolution to overthrow the democratically elected government of Nigeria.

“He did so on television, and from a privileged position as the owner of a widely read digital newspaper run from the United States of America.

“He founded an organisation, Revolution Now, to launch, in their own words, “Days of Rage”, with the publicised purpose of fomenting mass civil unrest and the elected administration’s overthrow.

“No government will allow anybody to openly call for destabilization in the country and do nothing.

“Mr. Sowore is no ordinary citizen expressing his views freely on social media and the internet.

“He was a presidential candidate himself, who ran – and lost – as the flag bearer of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the February 23 general elections.

“Nigeria’s democracy was a long time in the making, and was achieved after decades of often harsh, military-led overthrows of government: the kind of situation Sowore was advocating.

“To believe in and desire armed revolution is not normal amongst ‘human rights activists’, as Sowore has been incorrectly described.

“Again, it is no surprise that he should be a person of interest to the DSS.

“Nigeria is already dealing with an insurgency that has left millions of people displaced and desperate in the northeastern region of our country.

“The Boko Haram militants, who are behind the violence, also fancy themselves to be fighting for some sort of revolution.

“Nigerians do not need another spate of lawlessness and loss of lives all in the name of ‘revolution’, especially not one that is orchestrated by a man who makes his home in far away New York – and who can easily disappear and leave behind whatever instability he intends to cause, to wit, Nnamdi Kanu.

“This is a matter for the DSS, acting under its powers.”

It would be recalled that operatives of the DSS had on Friday stormed the Federal High Court, Abuja to effect the arrest of Sowore and Bakare barely 24 hours after they were released on bail from detention  on the order of the court.

Sowore and Bakare were arrested by the operatives of DSS on August 3, 2019, at about 1:25 am according to a distress tweet he posted just before his phone was confiscated.

Both detainees are facing seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, money laundering and cybercrimes, amongst others.

But after spending 124 days in the DSS custody, they were released on Thursday night, following an order given by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja who gave the security agency a 24-hour ultimatum to effect the bail order earlier issued.

 

Immigration to unveil e-visa before end of 2019

Jennifer UGWA
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Immigration to unveil e-visa before end of 2019

MUHAMMAD Babandede, Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has revealed that Nigeria will soon commence issuance of its electronic visa in a move that is expected to boost the economic position of the country through foreign investments.

The Comptroller General was quoted by the Punch during a 2019 award dinner in Abuja organised to recognise exemplary contributions of members in the service to have said the unveiling of the e-visa will be done by the Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbasola before the end of the year.

“The e-visa policy will encourage investors to Nigeria thereby generating Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for Nigeria and making Nigeria a most preferred destination through transparency in administration and facilitation of facilities by service,”Babandede said.

“I assure you that it will be transparent and we will remove cash payment and ensure no security is compromised. It is a balance between facilitation, transparency and protection of national security.”

He reassured the public of the service commitment to ensuring that the country’s borders will be protected especially in 2020.

“As you are aware, we are a regimented institution. We have done all we can in 2019 by dismissing officers for corruption, absenteeism, reduction of ranks of officers and investigating those who took money from applicants or ordinary Nigerians illegally, the NIS Comptroller General.

“So having worked tirelessly, we should dedicate a day to commend those who have served well and this would also serve as an example to others so they can follow the part.

“Governance is not about punishing people every day. It is also about rewarding and bridging gaps between officers and men by coming together dining, dancing and rejoicing,” he said of the award ceremony.

Recall that in a previous report by The ICIR, Nigeria was not among the top 20 African countries in the   2019 Africa Visa Openness Index published by the African Union Commission and African Development Bank.

Mauritania in North Africa topped the list while in West Africa were Benin, Cabon Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and Togo.

Nigeria ranked 30th among other African nations on the index placing it way below other leading countries in the region.

Kenya: Nairobi governor arrested for economic crimes

Jennifer UGWA
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Kenya: Nairobi governor arrested for economic crimes

THE governor of Nairobi was arrested on Friday shortly after Kenya’s chief prosecutor ordered he be detained to face charges for economic crimes.

Governor Mike Sonko is the latest in a string of top officials to be hauled in on corruption charges as Kenya battles to clamp down on rampant graft.

“EACCKenya confirms that Nairobi City County Governor Mike Sonko Mbuvi has been arrested while escaping arrest at a roadblock in Voi,” the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) posted on Twitter.

Sonko and other country officials are accused by public prosecutor Noordin Haji of having benefitted from irregular procurement and payments of $3.5m (3.1 million euros).

Haji said he had sufficient evidence to prosecute Sonko and other county officials for “unlawful acquisition of public property, money laundering and other economic crimes.”

“I have therefore ordered for the immediate arrest and arraignment in court of the Governor of Nairobi Hon. Mike Mbuvi Sonko and other persons,” Haji said in a statement earlier on Friday.

When, in 2017, the ruling party chose populist Mike Sonko as its candidate for Nairobi’s gubernatorial poll, it was seen as a maverick move. Sonko is a controversial politician who has spent time in jail and has had to deny allegations of illegal activities, including drug trafficking.

Haji said his investigation into Sonko and his officials had been challenging “because of the repeated attempts by the accused to obstruct the course of the investigations by deploying intimidation tactics”.

MIKE SONKO. Photo Credit/nairobiwires.com

Corruption battle

Kenya has for decades battled the scourge of corruption, and President Uhuru Kenyatta – like many presidents before him – has vowed to combat graft.

Dozens of top executives and government officials have been charged since Kenyatta’s 2017 re-election, including sitting Finance Minister Henry Rotich who was in July charged over an alleged multi-million dollar corruption scandal.

Rotich and nearly 20 other top officials from the treasury and other departments were arrested after an investigation into the alleged loss of 21 billion Kenyan shillings ($203m) on ghost dam construction projects.

The finance minister, a Harvard-trained economist, pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges that included but limited to failure to comply with guidelines relating to procurement, conspiracy to defraud the public and financial misconduct.

(Reuters)

 

‘China should create wealth, Stop loaning them money,’ Trump tells World Bank

Jennifer UGWA
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THE United States Donald Trump has asked the World Bank to desist from assisting China with more loans in the coming years.

The World Bank on Thursday adopted a plan to aid China with $1 billion to $1.5 billion in low-interest loans annually through June 2025.

With the ongoing trade war between the two world economic powers, the US president on Friday in a tweet criticised the new plan to furnish China with a new loan of $1. Billion to $1.5 billion come June 2020.

Trump had said China is economically stable and wealthy, hence, does not require international aid.

“Why is the World Bank loaning money to China? Can this be possible? China has plenty of money, and if they don’t, they create it. STOP!” Trump lashed out in a Twitter post.

For the 2019 fiscal year, the bank had furnished the Asian country with $ 1.3 billion which is a decrease from $2.4 billion made available in 2017.

The plan calls for lending to “gradually decline” from the previous five-year average of $1.8 billion. However, the reduction rate of the bank obviously does not go well with the United States president who says the country can create its own wealth.

 

Plans for ECOWAS single currency impossible by 2020, says minister

Jennifer UGWA
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Plans for ECOWAS single currency impossible by 2020, says minister

ZAINAB Ahmed, Nigeria Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning has said that plans for the Economic Community of West African States to have a single currency would be impossible by 2020 due to delays by member states.

Ahmed, in Abuja during the opening session of the ECOWAS committee of ministers of finances and governors of the central banks on the ‘Eco’ currency programme, revealed that only Togo out of the 15 countries has met the criteria for the monetary convergence.

“We need to address in an optimal way the challenges ahead of us. This meeting is important because we are at a crossroads. The recommendations we make will have significant implications on the monetary policies we undertake.”

Considering the length of time it took the only state to complete the necessary requirement, the minister said it would be impossible for the other states to attain the same feat within the time available and criteria required.

In addition, Jean-Claude Kasi, ECOWAS President, during the meeting, noted that member countries had made significant progress in several areas to achieve the monetary convergence.

He, however, emphasised on the need to do more work.

The finance minister said that, in the first half of this year, the economy of the ECOWAS sub-region recorded a growth rate of 3.1 per cent, with expectation for a rise to 3.3 per cent by end of 2019 based on projections.

SOWORE: Soyinka writes Buhari, says ‘rein in your wild dogs of disobedience’

YEKEEN Akinwale
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SOWORE: Soyinka writes Buhari, says ‘rein in your wild dogs of disobedience’

AFTER Friday morning re-arrest of journalist and convener of #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Professor Wole Soyinka has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call the DSS to order.

“It has become imperative and urgent to send this message to President-General Buhari: Rein in your wild dogs of disobedience, Soyinka said in a letter that came out just about 24hours he wrote a similar one cautioning on disobedience of court orders by the Federal Government and its agents.

“And for a start, get a trainer to teach them some basic court manners,” Soyinka noted in the letter where he described the DSS operatives as ‘wild dogs.

He titled his letter “Lessons from the African wild dog (Lycaeon Pictus).”

The Nobel Laureate said he had underestimated the DSS in his first letter in which he raised the alarm over the penchant of the Services to disobey court orders.

“I apologize for underestimating the DSS capacity for the unthinkable. I reiterate the nation’s concern, indeed alarm, about the escalating degradation of the judiciary through multiple means, of which disobedience of court orders is fast becoming the norm,” he said.

He, however, cautioned that what is playing out in the country, especially, the manner in which Sowore and his colleague were forcefully arrested in the court premises was an invitation to civil disobedience.

Soyinka said: “May I remind this government that disobedience calls to disobedience, and that disobedience of the orders of the constitutional repository of the moral authority of arbitration – the judiciary – can only lead eventually to a people’s disregard of the authority of other arms of civil society, a state of desperation that is known, recognized and accepted as – civil disobedience.

“It is so obvious – state disobedience leads eventually to civil disobedience, piecemeal or through a collective withdrawal of recognition of other structures of authority. That way leads to chaos but – who set it in motion? As is often the case, the state, unquestionably. Such a state bears full responsibility for the ensuing social condition known as anomie.”

 

Lessons from the African wild dog (Lycaeon Pictus)

Editorial
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Lessons from the African wild dog (Lycaeon Pictus)

By Wole SOYINKA

A FEW years ago, I watched the video of a pack of the famed African wild dogs hunt, eventually bring down, and proceed to devour a quarry. It was an impala, antelope family. The pack isolated the most vulnerable looking member of the herd – it was pregnant – pursued it, until it fled to a waterhole which, for such animals, is the nearest thing to a sanctuary.

A few minutes ago, almost as it was happening, I watched the video of pack of the DSS, bring down, and fight over their unarmed, totally defenceless quarry within the sanctuary of a court of law. I found little or no difference between the two scenarios, except that the former, the wild dogs, exhibited more civilized table manners than the DSS court manners.

Only yesterday, in my commentary on the ongoing Sowore saga, I pointed out the near-perfect similarity between plain crude thuggery and the current rage of court disobedience. Little did I suspect that the state children of disobedience would aspire to the level of the African wild dogs on a pack hunt.

Sowore held down by operatives of DSS at the High Court Abuja. December 6.

I apologize for underestimating the DSS capacity for the unthinkable. I reiterate the nation’s concern, indeed alarm, about the escalating degradation of the judiciary through multiple means, of which disobedience of court orders is fast becoming the norm.

May I remind this government that disobedience calls to disobedience, and that disobedience of the orders of the constitutional repository of the moral authority of arbitration – the judiciary – can only lead eventually to a people’s disregard of the authority of other arms of civil society, a state of desperation that is known, recognized and accepted as – civil disobedience.

It is so obvious – state disobedience leads eventually to civil disobedience, piecemeal or through a collective withdrawal of recognition of other structures of authority.

That way leads to chaos but – who set it in motion? As is often the case, the state, unquestionably. Such a state bears full responsibility for the ensuing social condition known as anomie.

It has become imperative and urgent to send this message to President-General Buhari: Rein in your wild dogs of disobedience. And for a start, get a trainer to teach them some basic court manners!

 

 

Ekiti Varsity lecturer sacked over sexual harassment

Editorial
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Ekiti Varsity lecturer sacked over sexual harassment

By Vincent UFUOMA

THE Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, has dismissed and terminated the appointment of Mr. Olola Olaleye Aduwo, a lecturer from the Department of Accounting of the institution, for sexually harassing female students of his department.

The lecturer was seen harassed by some students in a video that went viral sometimes in June 2019 for sexually harassing a female student.

Announcing his dismissal, the university’s spokesperson, Bode Olofinmuagun, said the decision was subsequent upon the recommendation of the university’s Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee (Academic) and approval of the Governing Council of the university.

“The Governing Council of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti has approved the dismissal of Mr. Olola Olaleye Aduwo for sexually harassing a female student and two others for abandoning their duty posts.

“Mr. Aduwo, a Lecturer 1 in the Department of Accounting was found culpable of sexually harassing a female student of his department.

“The University Governing Council, at its 135th meeting held on 5th December 2019 approved the recommendations of the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee (Academic) that recommended his dismissal.

“It will be recalled that Mr Aduwo was captured in a video that went viral a few months ago being molested for sexually harassing a female student.

“The University thereafter instituted a preliminary investigation panel which forwarded its findings to the University Management. The findings were later considered by the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee. The Committee considered the overwhelming evidence against Mr Aduwo and invited him to clear himself.”

The university said Mr. Aduwo had admitted to the allegations and also confirmed the report of the committee before which he appeared.

“Mr. Aduwo, however, admitted to the allegations and confirmed the authenticity of the report of the preliminary panels before which he appeared.

“The Governing Council, at its meeting approved the recommendations of the Committee that Mr. Aduwo be dismissed from the services of the University with effect from 7th October 2019.” He said.

Also, the university has also approved the dismissal of two other persons for negligence of duty. The university emphasised that it would not tolerate and condone any form of misconduct, and would continue to flush out bad eggs from her system.

“In a similar development, the Governing Council approved the dismissal of Mr. Temitope Olusegun Cephas Faleye and Dr. Adebanji Kayode Adegoke with effect from 7th June 2019 and 11th July, 2019 respectively for abandoning their duty posts.

“The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Edward Olanipekun maintained that the University would not condone any act of misconduct and that the University would continue to flush out bad eggs in the system,” he said.

 

 

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