Saturday, June 20, 2009             


By Godwin Ijediogor and Ajibola Amzat

AT just 18, Esther Nkawor in 2004 had joined the Army in 2004 to serve her fatherland, with eyes on furthering her education to enhance her career in the Force.

Now at 22, with a life sentence hanging on her neck, she may never realise her dreams, unless fortune, by way of amnesty or justice at the appeal court, smiles on her.

"The way they advised us about the work, I thought it was a work somebody could do. The person that bought a form for me advised me that it was a very good job," she recalled.

But on getting in, she saw that it was very tough and thought to herself that it probably would have been better for her to have stayed in the village farming. Yet, she held on, hoping that things would improve. Instead, it has now become worse for her, a nightmare.

Understandably, she regrets enlisting into the Nigerian Army over what she termed "too much cheating."

"I don't know how to put it again. If they have their way, they would not even pay us; they would divert the money into their accounts. They are very wicked," she bemoaned the alleged injustice in the military.

In custody, she is missing everything she once had, especially her freedom. She is pained that she might not be able to further her education if nothing is done about her case.

"I even lost my mother and wanted to go for the burial the following Saturday after the protest," she said.

While in Liberia, she must have thought that her dreams were about to be realised, as she hoped to use her entitlement from the operation to attain her academic pursuits. She even thought the money would go a long way in lifting her from the poverty line. It was going to be her first bulk money in the service of her fatherland. Indeed, her family must have been equally expectant.

But all that has now evaporated, replaced by dwarfed ambitions and a kick in the face instead of a pat on the back for exemplary service.

They asked for their rights; to be paid what rightly belonged to them but denied those rights the Nigerian Army authorities, which instead put them behind bars-for life!

But out of the 850 Nigerian soldiers who served in the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operation in Liberia and who protested against the non-payment of their entitlements from the world body in Akure September last year, 27 of them were in April sentenced to life imprisonment on the charge of mutiny.

In the last nine months, they have been in the dungeon in Ibadan; their fundamental rights denied by a constituency they have served loyally all these years and a nation they have fought to bring honour to, even outside its shores.

Most of them never really thought it necessary to bid their families bye-bye: after all, they were asked just to come and collect their money. And they may never actually have the opportunity to do so until their case is reviewed. So, the question is, who will listen to the cry for justice of these young men and women who committed no offence against their fatherland, except just ask to be given that which they worked for and, therefore, earned?

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=200609&ptitle=Life%20Sentence%20For%20Protesting%20Soldiers:%3CBR%3E%20%27Cheating%20In%20Army%20Ruined%20My%20Career%27

This is how Naija treats it soldiers, yet these same soldiers would carry out all manner of atrocities in the name of serving Naija.

Is this how we treat our service men and women in Nigeria? It is things like this that leads to the interruption of democracy (most especially this fragile one Nigeria has)

That's real cheating men!

This is very sad, very sad indeed.

Na wao.
I no fit talk,real pathetic.

this is ridiculous! i think that itis only in nigeria can such a thing.and people are sor afraid of asking after these people in jail for fear of joining them there.why dont we all go to our respective tents and stop fooling ourselves in the name of one bloody nigeria.RUBBISH.

Mutiny is a serious offence in the army. Soldiers dont have the same previledges as we civilians do and they all know that. Their Laws are different from ours and they all knew that before they protested. I feel sory for her and hope she wins her appeal.

Mutiny is a serious offence in the army

You know as well as I do that "mutiny" in Nigeria can simply mean "being stubborn".

Soldiers dont have the same previledges as we civilians do and they all know that.

On the battlefield, they don't, but when they return home they should be treated as civilians in my opinion.

If the protest is justified. they should have the right to protest. And the military is wrong that those who protested in Akure got life jail It is wrong. Their protest was justified.

What is democracy if they can not protest. which one do you prefer from the military, protest or coup?? they better encourage them to protest O, if not they would plan military coup.

I feel sorry for these soldiers. Mutiny is a serious offence and the Military. The only way they'd get a better sentence is if another military court says it won't call it mutiny, but I doubt if they'd be allowed to remain in the Military afterwards. Nigeria please treat them well o, they put their lives on the line for You.

[/quote][quote author=realsoltn link=topic=286487.msg4061445#msg4061445 date=1245506197]
That's real cheating men!

Pure Cheating, Okay what happened to their entitlemets? in the spirit of equity and fairness the public deserves to know,

Really terrible

so they spend the rest of their lives in jail, because they protested against injustice?
why join then if you will end up losing all ur rights.
same way Tafa felt it is cool to put salaries of police in fix deposit.

complete rubbish from yaradua & his gangster army.

where are the human right activitists, those that were busy during abacha days?

are they no longer getting funding from the west?

A soldier is under the military law not civilian law. It is mutiny for a soldier to actually protest. I feel for them and pray that something be done on their case but if u understand the military well, a soldier's protest is actually a serious issue.

God help them.

Where are those apologists of the failed Nigerian government?

Nigeria has the most useless government in the world!

There is absolutely nothing good to be said about the Nigerian Army. It's an eye-sore, a gang of thieves, murderers and rapists! Justice does not exist in an institution that will jail those it has cheated! Shame on the Nigerian Army! Uselessness!

Protest is NOT allowed in the MILITARY.. That's what they signed for.

If these same sets of jailed guys were deployed to quell a a PROTEST, they will NOT hesitate to fire live ammunitions

phew! to think i thought of going to NDA, my mom is a really wise woman i must say 

they are lucky. . . .this is the military we're talking about.

They could have been shot,you know. . . .

Esther Smart in her army fatigue before she was sentenced to life imprisonment.

I know much abt the army, having gone to a military primary and secondary school. It is the most corrupt institution in Nigeria. This is always the story of 'other rank' soldiers. The officers think they qualify to take all their entitlement simply becos they went to NDA. There's too much embezzlement going on there. But nobody dares raise an eyebrow, maybe becos we're too grateful they handed over power in the first place. Besides their expenditure is 'classified'.
Most 'other rank' soldiers join the army becos of poverty. I feel for them.
During my youth service in NDA, I made up my mind that I will eventually set up a fund to support them. So help me God.

MUZBO:

I feel sorry for these soldiers. Mutiny is a serious offence and the Military. The only way they'd get a better sentence is if another military court says it won't call it mutiny, but I doubt if they'd be allowed to remain in the Military afterwards. Nigeria please treat them well o, they put their lives on the line for You.

Mutiny is a serious offence in the army and embezzlement and deprivation commendable?

Were they asking for pay increase? NO, they simply asked for their entitlements.
Mutiny ko mutiny ni.
Where are those that diverted their entitlement?

@agaba: Actually, you are NOT allowed to protest in the army. In fact, by signing on, you inadvertently and voluntarily give up your right to protest against the Force. Any act that goes against the direct orders or instructions from your superiors is viewed as insubordination - in other words, mutiny. To you and I (i.e. civilians), embezzlement is a much more serious offence, but not to the military. In the Force, ORDER is paramount, and ANY mutinous activity is a cardinal sin. Really, if this were still the military regime, Esther and her comrades would most certainly be facing execution by Firing Squad. It is understandable that most folks can't understand or accept this (just like most Protestant pastors can't understand why catholic priests cannot be allowed to marry), but like a Jim Carey says, that's the way the cookie crumbles.

I really feel for Esther and her fellow protesters, because the honest truth is that they were - and are still being cheated out of their rights by their superiors. But that's the military for you, and believe it or not, NO soldier (not even this Esther) will give up his/her uniform for justice in a civilian court.

Military courts are nothing like civilian courts; I doubt Esther that will win her appeal, what with our corrupt Nigerian system in the mix. But I really wish and pray that she will - maybe by some God-sent miracle. Nigerian soldiers deserve better than this.

The military set up is different from civilian set up all over the world. It is total loyalty but it is sad that the system did that to the guys. Protest is not allowed and everything is done to discourage it including making scapegoats pay dearly. Way out is that if you are not cut out for it, leave, they will not allow you to break the ranks under any guise, simple. If you are fortunate to rise to the top you could decide to do the right thing until then obey the last command.

You don't expect anything better from Nigeria and her institutions.Corruption has hit its highest peak ever,nothing seems to be working,absolutely nothing.How do you want justice for the Military when the larger civilian population are thouroughly deprived of basic things essential for living.That Nigeria is a failed state is to state the obvious.Re-branding and re-packaging this country to me,is another way of wasting or precious imagination.
What really is wrong with this country, ?God will purnish all our oppresors one day,

Nawa oh!Please,does anybody know whether the American visa lottery results are out,I need to play for the next one because this country is getting worse by the second,I need an excape route (even if its temporary)quick.

It's sad it happens in nigeria.
We left our country for same job in another country.
We are vindicated.

no justice in ths world,
where is God when u need him?
on a vakay?