Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged lawyers in the country to always uphold the virtues of integrity and accountability in order to make positive impact in the society.
Osinbajo gave the charge at the inauguration of the Nigerian Bar Association House in Abuja on Friday, saying that the legal profession has the potential to save Nigeria from its troubles.
He added that lawyers had the capacity to make meaningful inputs in the realisation of good governance in the country.
“I believe that our profession has a lot to offer our nation, especially in its most difficult times,” the Vice President said.
“The most important aspect of that is integrity; our profession must demonstrate that we are capable of teaching integrity in this land.
“People should believe us for what we say we are; we must bear in mind that everyone is looking at us and that we are the example not just for our profession but for the entire country.”
Osinbajo commended the leadership of the Bar Association for its unity of purpose in ensuring that the Bar House was not abandoned by successive administrations.
“One of the important lessons we have seen in this edifice is the power of unity from Mr. Olisa Agbakoba to the Presidency of Augustine Alegeh.
“We see the completion of the building which by every account is possibly one of the most important edifices in this city of Abuja.
“It is a building that demonstrates the unity of the legal profession; it demonstrates our capacity to start and to finish, which is by itself a very rare thing in this part of the world,” the vice president stated.
He said the completion of the building is a good example not just for the legal profession but for the nation as a whole.
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo with Chairman of the Concession committee and Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi
The federal government on Friday inaugurated a ‘Steering Committee’ that will handle the concession of the eastern and western lines of the Nigeria’s Railways.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the inauguration charged the committee to set to work immediately.
He said that the committee is expected to create a one-stop shop for the concession, fast track the process and beat the red-tape and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Osinbajo urged members of the committee to give their best within the given period, adding that he believes that leader of the Committee Rotimi Amaechi, the Transportation Minister, would be innovative.
“I think this Steering Committee is extremely important, because we have tried to bring together everybody that should be involved in this (concession) project in order to see to it that we deliver quickly and efficiently in a manner that justifies Federal Government’s expense in the project.
“The whole idea of the Steering Committee raises the issue we are trying to address, to have a one-stop shop for all approvals, objections or problems so that we can realise our target,” he explained.
The 20-Member Committee is made up of officials and individuals from relevant public and private sector agencies and firms.
They are expected to among other things, advise the National Council on Privatisation, NCP, on policy issues that impact on stakeholders’ interest; advise the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, on efforts at improving stakeholders’ relations; and also advise BPE and Federal Ministry of Transportation on planning, coordination and implementation of Nigerian Railway Corporation.
Other functions of the committee are to review existing legislations, reports, studies and any other relevant information on the railway sector and provide guidance on policy issues.
The Steering Committee will also brief the NCP and Federal Executive Council,FEC, from time to time on the activities of the Steering Committee; and to carry out any other function that will facilitate the delivery.
According to the committee chairman, Amaechi, the committee is expected to submit its report in six months.
President Muhammadu Buhari has hailed the efforts of the Nigerian Youths in bringing his administration to power, declaring that “This government belongs to you.”
The President made this known in a statement to commemorate the International youth day.
He said his government is mindful of the fact that Nigeria has one of the youngest populations in the world, and said the country was proud of what the youths of the country have achieved and what they are able to do.
“You are the strength and future of our country. Please be assured that this administration will create an enabling environment for you to realize your potentials,” Buhari said.
He said his administration has launched a number of initiatives targeted at expanding the economic opportunities available to young people in Nigeria.
“N-Power, our job creation scheme, for which applications are on-going, will employ 500,000 of you in agriculture, education, healthcare and technology,” the President said.
He added that “The Aso Villa Demo Day will soon bring 30 of the most innovative young Nigerians to the State House to showcase their talents in providing technology-based solutions to some of our most challenging problems.”
Buhari said that as part of his administration’s N500 billion Social Investment Programme, the “Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, GEEP, will provide soft loans to thousands of young entrepreneurs across the country.
He assured that his government is committed to improving the quality of the lives of all Nigerians and to create opportunities for the young people to achieve their dreams and ambitions.
Jonathan Says Youths Are The Assets Of The Country
Meanwhile, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who is currently on an AU election monitoring assignment in Zambia, has also praised the resilience and ingenuity of the Nigerian Youth.
“Nigeria … has no greater asset than our youth,” Jonathan said on his twitter handle on Friday.
“As we create new opportunities for the Youth, they continue to inspire me.
“When we perform exploits at the Olympics, Youth World Cups, AFCON, and other sporting events, it is because of the great Nigerian youths.
“When Nigeria’s economy became the largest economy on the African continent, it was and is because of our youths.
“My message to youths is to urge you to continue to develop yourself through positive endeavors. The future is yours,” the former president concluded.
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra,IPOB, says he has no ties with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta,MEND, and the Niger Delta Avengers,NDA.
The militant groups had listed the release of Kanu, who has been in Kuje prison, Abuja since 2015, as one of the conditions for the return of peace in the Niger Delta region.
But speaking with journalists on Friday, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, one of Kanu’s lawyers, said his client has no relationship with any militant group, hence MEND could not have represented him in any negotiation with the government.
“In the past few days, the media was awash with news of negotiation going on between the federal government and members of MEND, where our client’s name,Nnamdi kanu, conspicuously featured,”he said.
“It is on that note that we wish to inform the general public that Nnamdi kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any form of relationship with the members of MEND.
“As such MEND has no implied, direct or express authority of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him or IPOB in any purported negotiation, going on between MEND and the federal government. The general public is accordingly advised to ignore, discountenance and disregard the falsehood being peddled by MEND.
“Nnamdi Kanu does not know them. However, Nnamdi Kanu is not averse to a political solution in resolving the present politically-orchestrated ordeal. Nnamdi Kanu welcomes genuine political solution to this case.”
Responding to a question on whether Kanu would abandon his campaign for an independent state of Biafra in exchange for freedom, Amuobi Nzelu, another lawyer, said that his client would not jettison the agitation even if he was released.
He also said that Kanu had no ties with the Avengers.
“It is not easy to drop an ideology. IPOB is bigger than Nnamdi Kanu. Self-determination is as a result of marginalisation,” he said.
Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole has disclosed that the federal government has released the sum of 420 million Naira each to every state, to upgrade their primary healthcare facilities.
He said this is to prove government’s commitment to upgrading and revamping health facilities across Nigeria in order to tackle the issue of medical tourism in Nigeria.
The minister made the disclosure during his two-day working visit to the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan in Oyo State, which he said was one of the seven health facilities in the country that would benefit from the administration’s plan to also upgrade some tertiary health institutions.
He said that the health institution must be assisted to continue to provide leadership in quality healthcare delivery.
Adewole also directed that, henceforth, emergency cases in all federal hospitals in Nigeria must be attended to promptly, without any demand for money, until the patients are out of danger.
The health minister hinted that the model primary healthcare facility under the UCH would be replicated in more than 112 primary healthcare centres adopted by the ministry of health, to boost healthcare delivery at the grassroots and decongest teaching hospitals.
He added that talks were ongoing between the federal government and all stakeholders in the health sector to find solution to increasing cases of industrial actions in the health sector.
Temitope Alonge, Chief Medical Director of UCH, commended the minister on his visit, saying it would go a long way in assisting the hospital for better efficiency.
Men too get raped and can’t talk about it. Credit: trueactivist.com
By Odimegwu Onwumere
Male rape cases have not graced the headlines in the media because male victims hardly discuss their ordeal in the hands of their male or female rapists.
This is because of religious and cultural backgrounds that see such an act as a taboo.
But whether the male rape victims who are mainly young boys talk about it or not, more males in Nigeria are being raped by either their fellow men or women on a daily basis.
In April 2016, a man whose name was given as S. Ude, 35, from Amuzu community, Amasiri, Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was reportedly arrested for raping a ten year old boy, V. Agha.
Ude lured his victim to join him to farm, where he carried out the act. Police spokesman in the rea, ASP George Okafor, confirmed the crime to newsmen.
Okafor said that the suspect had been arrested, after Agha’s testimony to the father that Ude raped him through the anus.
“By the time we conclude with the necessary investigation, get the medical report together as well as other necessary facts, we will send the suspect to court and ensure that the law takes it course,” the police spokesman told newsmen.
Nigeria stood still on February 23, 2016, when Lagos State Police Command announced that they had arrested a 34-year-old trader, Mallam Isiaka, for allegedly raping a nine-year-old boy in the Iju part of the state.
Christopher was given as the name of Mallam Isiaka’s rape victim. He was a primary 1 pupil, living with the parents on Alhaja Coker Street, Old Akute Road, Iju.
Christopher ostensibly said that he was raped through the anus by Isiaka, who was popularly called Mallam, a roadside trader adjacent to where the boy was living.
Mr. O. Aluko, a Nigerian journalist, informed, “The boy said Mallam had been raping him in his shop anytime he ran errands for his parents and warned him that if he opened up to his mother, he was going to die.”
Mallam apparently took the advantage that Christopher’s parents sent him on errand to his shop to buy domestic items like sugar, milk and biscuits, and raped him.
There was a similar incident in Benin City Edo State in the first quarter of the year. This time, the rape did not involve just one person. Over 10 boys were seemingly kidnapped by young gay Nigerian couple and kept as the couple’s sex toy.
“Two young men (couple) were apprehended and beaten up by a vigilante group in Benin City, Edo State after it was discovered that they allegedly kidnapped young boys aged between 10-15 years and forcefully had anal sex with them in their hideout,” reported a source that claimed anonymity.
Some of the kidnapped told their rescuers that they were living in faraway Lagos, a journey of about six hours to Edo State, when they were kidnapped and taken away to become sex slaves.
There was the story in 2015 of a commercial motorcyclist who was chartered by some ladies at the dusk of the day and was later raped in the nearby bush and abandoned to his fate.
“Earlier this year, 2015, an incident happened in Ilorin, Kwara State. Two young ladies approached an Okada man and asked him to take them to a remote part of town.
“It was already late, so the man initially refused to carry them through that bushy part. But he later agreed after the two promised to pay him N1, 000,” reported Naij.com, an online news platform.
The victim added that on their way, one of the ladies suddenly asked him to make a stop. But as soon as he parked his motorcycle, “one of the ladies slapped him from behind, and, before he knew what was going on, they had overpowered him and tied him up with a rope. They then dragged him into the bush, tore his trousers and raped him repeatedly before they finally left him there and left.”
Cases of male rape abound in the country. There was the high school girls’ episode; they cornered a boy in their school and commandeered him to lick their clitorises with his tongue.
“Three girls are seen in a video closing the classroom’s door as one of them sits on a locker spreading her legs wide open than the doors of hell.
“The friends then pushed the boy who was sitting on the chair dip into their friend’s thighs to put him in an apt angle for a CJ.
“The thirsty girl then quickly pulls down her underpants and grabs the boy’s head immersing it in her private parts,” according to a post on social media.
The police in Benin in January 2014, arrested and paraded a 33-year, J. Olise, who allegedly raped five boys aged between 10 and 15, and later blamed his action on the girlfriend whom he said left him, thereby making him vulnerable for the act.
Olise, who was said to be residing at Eyean area in Benin City and had been paraded alongside 59 other suspected criminals at the Edo Police Command Headquarters in Benin City, said, “I don’t know what came over me. It all started when my girlfriend left me and broke my heart, so I wanted to stay away from all women.”
In February 2015, a 34-year-old alleged gay identified as O. Obunike was declared wanted by the Lagos State Area M Police Command for apparently raping a school teacher’s son, 17-year-old B. Akinjide, who happened to be his neighbour, in the Ago Palace Way, Okota area of Lagos state.
The father of the victim, S. Akinjide, a teacher by profession, divulged to media men that the criminal act took place in September 2014.
“We have since reported the young man to the police. With the help of the Police, we have since checked his house and shop and he hasn’t been found. We hope the Police would do a thorough job on this case and punish him for such an unlawful act,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, then State Police Spokesman, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, Maintained that “gay practice is against the law in the nation and anyone caught in the act would be severely punished. He added that his men were on the trail to arrest the accused and bring him to book.”
In July 2012, a man whose name was given as U. Onoja was reported to have been raped by six women in a village called Ugbugbu Owukpa in the Ogbadibo local government area of Benue State.
“This is just one of the numerous cases of male rape that are not usually taken seriously in Nigeria and in the world.
“Just as women and girls should be protected against rape and abuse, men and boys should also be protected, in-line with gender justice and fairness,” reported naij.com.
Initially, story of rape was associated to boys raping girls, but the reverse has become the case in the country. Cases of young boys used as sex toy, ranging from rape to defilement and even for pornography, abound in Nigeria.
Many Nigerians believe that it is unheard of men raping their fellow men, let alone, women raping men. But this is a reality that has confronted the country.
Odimegwu Onwumere is a Rivers State based poet, writer and consultant. He can be reached @ odimegwu@journalist.com
Lai Mohammed with the delegation from the Association of Tourism Practitioners
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has urged the media to always project a positive image of Nigeria instead of echoing the misinformation about widespread insecurity in the country.
He made the call when he received members of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria, who paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja. The minister was reacting to a recent travel advisory by the US embassy to visiting Americans to avoid 20 states in the country due to armed robbery, kidnapping and terrorism.
The Minister advised the media against spreading the misinformation that 20 out of the 36 states in Nigeria are not safe, insisting that every Nigerian state is safe for investment and tourism.
“If they want to tell their people not to come to Nigeria, we do not need to help them to spread the news. You do not need to spread news about Nigeria that will hurt investment and tourism,” he said
Mohammed called on members of the Association to assist the government in its efforts in promoting the good image of the country, adding that perception management and aggressive marketing are key to the promotion of tourism in Nigeria.
“I will mention an area which is dear to tourism and development. That is the area of marketing tourism. We do not market tourism enough in this country. Tourism is driven by perception more than by reality.
What do I mean? Today, countries that are less endowed and peaceful than Nigeria…go on CNN and Aljazeera to advertise their countries as the countries of peace and stability. We must change the perception and invest in perception management,” he said.
Mohammed said that the ministry of information and culture is working to change the general perception about tourism because of its huge potential in the diversification of the economy, hence the renewed drive to partner with the UN World Tourism Organisation, UNWTO, to rejig the nation’s tourism architecture.
He told the Association that he had made recommendation for the resuscitation of the Presidential Council on Tourism,PCT, towards the development of tourism in the country.
He also urged leaders to do more to promote domestic tourism in Nigeria by spending their vacation in the country, as leaders in other climes do.
In his address, the National President of the Association, Kabir Mallam, commended the minister’s uncommon commitment to repositioning tourism in Nigeria.
Mallam said that the Association has set up a committee to complement government’s efforts to review the Tourism Master- plan to conform to current realities.
He also called for the enactment of a law to regulate tourism practice in Nigeria to guard against the unscrupulous activities of quacks in the sector.
The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, said that more than 200 children affected by the Boko Haram insurgency have been reunited with their parents.
Head of Operations of the Adamawa and Taraba office of NEMA, Sa’ad Bello, made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Yola.
He said the successful reunion was made possible in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, through a special programme tagged “Restoring Family Link Programme.”
Bello however added that there were still about 165 unaccompanied children in four designated camps in Adamawa.
He added that the children who were successfully reunited with the parents were mostly between the ages of five and 12, and hailed mainly from Bama and Baga in Borno.
The official said some families from Bama visited some Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps in Yola where they identified their children and after intensive investigation by appropriate authorities concerned, the children were handed over to their parents.
Bello assured that NEMA with the support of the Red Cross, will keep working hard to reunite the remaining unaccompanied children with their parents.
Former Governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan, has described the report by the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, indicting him of electoral offences, as lazy and not well researched.
An NHRC report released on Thursday had indicted Uduaghan; former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Maurice Iwu, former Edo State governor, Oserheimen Osunbor and former Acting Governor of Kogi State, Clarence Obafemi, of having committed various electoral offences during the 2007 and 2011 general elections in Nigeria.
Uduaghan, who spoke with a reporter from THE NATION newspaper, accused the NHRC of not thoroughly studying the circumstances surrounding the nullification of his 2007 electoral victory before including his name in the list of poll offenders.
He maintained that he was wrongly removed by the Appeal Court in Benin, and could not appeal to the Supreme Court at the time because governorship cases ended at the appeal court.
He added that other landmark judgments had clarified that the Appeal court at the time was wrong as the “burden of proof” lies on the accuser and not the accused.
“Therefore the Appeal Court judgment in Benin was wrongly against me. Unfortunately, the National Human Rights Commission did not study my case properly before making their recommendation,” he insisted.
He said: “The Court of Appeal nullified my 2007 election based on the law of burden of proof: Who does the burden of proof rest on? The petitioner or the respondent?
“My 2007 governorship election was nullified in November 2010 on the basis of the decision by the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, that a petitioner who lost election at the polling centre claiming before the tribunal that no election took place, has no burden of proving his assertion, as the burden rests on the party that asserts that election took place.
“That led to the re-run election. I could not go to the Supreme Court then because governorship cases ended at the Appeal Court.
“However, the decision of burden of proof was finally laid to rest in the case of the 2011 Presidential election between the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, versus INEC where the election of the President was questioned.
“The Petitioner alleged non-compliance with the electoral process. But the Supreme Court ruled that there can be no passing the bucket until the petitioner has discharged the onus cast on him by law, meaning the onus does not shift to the respondent.”
Bem Angwe, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, while presenting the report on Thursday said the commission had made recommendations to the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Nigerian Police to conduct further investigations on the Electoral report and prosecute those indicted accordingly.
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, has vowed to commence a nationwide strike from August 22 if the federal government fails to honour the agreement it reached with the union in 2013.
Usman Dutse, ASUP national president, disclosed this to reporters on Thursday at the end of an emergency meeting of the union in Kaduna State.
He said that since the suspension of the protracted strike in 2014, the government is yet to address some of the core issues that necessitated the strike.
Dutse urged the government to as a matter of urgency, address these issues in order to avoid another nationwide industrial action.
A communique issued by the Union at the end of the meeting noted that no significant progress has been made by government in resolving the issues.
The statement said the issues in contention include the non-implementation of Needs Assessment Report of 2014, non-payment of salaries in many state-owned institutions, delay in the review of the Polytechnic Act and poor funding of polytechnics among other demands.
The ASUP President said that despite giving the government enough time when it came on board last year to settle down and address all pending issues, the present administration has showed no concern about the plight of lecturers, whose salaries were being reduced or owed in most federal and state polytechnics.
