'after 10 Years, Your State Of Origin May Change'

'After 10 years, your state of origin may change'

From John-Abba Ogbodo and Terhemba Daka, Abuja

AS part of efforts to arrest incessant clashes over the issue, the House of Representatives is considering a bill that prescribes conditions for indigeneship of states.

 
The chamber is also out with a bill aimed at strengthening the operations of the National Human Rights Commission.

Besides, strong indications emerged yesterday that the Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill currently before the National Assembly may not see the light of day as the legislators are not keen on passing it into law.

According to a bill sponsored by Gozie Agbakoba, a member from Anambra State, titled: "A Bill for Act to integrate non-indigenes into states other than their states of origin", if a person stays in another state for about 10 years and fulfils all his obligations, he or she should be conferred all rights and benefits enjoyed by the indigenes.

Section 1 of the bill says: "A person who resides in a state other than his state of origin continuously, that is to say without a break, for a period of 10 or more years, contributes to the development, lives in harmony with the people of the state; pays taxes to the state, shall be entitled to the rights and benefits accruing to the indigenes or people of that state notwithstanding the fact that he is not an indigene or citizen of that state."

Section 2 of the bill extends the rights and benefits to include appointments and scholarships. "In this Act, unless the content otherwise requires, rights and benefits include rights and privileges and appointments reserved only for indigenes and being entitled to scholarships from the state and can occupy the highest position, including but not limited to the governorship of the state", are contained in the bill.

The other bill sponsored by Emmanuel Jimeh from Benue State contains an amendment to the Human Rights Commission Act 2004 with a view to giving the commission powers to visit police detention cells. Section 4 (b) of the Bill seeks to give the commission power to "monitor and investigate all alleged and verified cases of human rights violation in Nigeria, prosecute or refer the prosecution of such cases to appropriate prosecution authorities and the cases of suspects or detainees shall be given the necessary co-operation to the commission to facilitate justice administration in such cases."

Section 4 (c) says: "The commission shall have the power to visit and enter into any police cell or any detention centre in the country and inspect, take record of, and publish names of all detainees and suspects in police cells or detention centres on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. This shall be done in each state and local government of the federation indicating time, date, place and reasons of arrest and detention of each suspect or detainee and this shall include the various detention centres or police cells a suspect or detainee has been moved and the time of such movement''.

Section 17 provides for a 10-year jail term for any person or organisation, be it military or civil, that fails to provide such record. "Failure to cooperate with the commission by showing them record of arrest, suspects, and detainees in police cells and detention room to enable the commission inspect and count suspects and detainees in such places and even ask them questions to get clarifications and confirmation from suspects or detainees directly is an offence under this Act."

Section 17 (b) says while 17 (c) adds that "failure to keep a suspect or detainee in a room or place lawfully set out for that purpose, or it shall be an offence to arrest a suspect and hide him or keep him in a place other than a police cell or detention centre lawfully set up for that purpose''.

Prescribing a 10-year punishment for failure to comply with these provisions, the bill in Section 17 (d) says: "Any of the offences stipulated in section 17 (1) (a)-(c), if committed by any police officer, military officer, prison officer, any officer of NAFDAC, any officer of NDLEA, any officer of EFCC, or any officer with the power to arrest and detain shall attract a punishment of not less than 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine''.

Specifically, the FoI Bill was passed during the second National Assembly of the Fourth Republic but former President Olusegun Obasanjo withheld assent to it, expressing reservation on the title of the Bill and some of its provisions.

The Bill was however re-introduced in the present Assembly but has continued to meet strong opposition from lawmakers who perceive it as anti-parliament and unfriendly to legislators.

A member of the House of Representatives, Ahman Pategi who expressed fear while speaking in Abuja at a workshop on parliament and the media organised by the World Bank, said legislators in the National Assembly are not in a hurry to endorse the bill, which seeks to grant people, including media unhindered access to information.

"Although, the media is angry with the lawmakers for not passing the Bill, it may not be passed as soon as envisaged," he said.

Although the Bill has been listed three times on the floor of the House of Representatives for deliberations, the lawmakers have on each occasion voted overwhelmingly against it, arguing that if passed, the Bill would solely serve the interest of the media not theirs.

Responding to tele-conferencing questions thrown at him by a Canadian moderator of the forum, Chris Cobb, Pategi explained that the nation's politicians, whether in office or out of office, are wary and not disposed to granting the media access to all kinds of information.

He added: "This is not to say that we as parliamentarians are not interested in assisting journalists do their work.

"We appreciate their concerns and positions on the Freedom of Information Bill, and we are working on them.

"This bill, although it has not yet been passed in Nigeria, was earlier passed by the last National Assembly, but was not assented to by the former President.

"The reasons are obvious, and we know them. And because of them I am afraid that the bill may not be passed in the life of this present National Assembly."

I really think this state of origin bull shyt shows that Naija is not really one nation. In Naija, someone born in Lagos will be asked all kinds of foolish question if they want to go to uni there, it's just not right. In short, all questions of state of origin ought to be made illegal!