₦airaland Forum

Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, one of Nigeria’s richest businessmen has thrown plenty of funds into Sunday’e election in Niger Republic, backing the establishment candidate Mohamed Bazoum for presidency.

Mangal, once known for cross-border businesses with Niger, some illegal, has raised the tone of relationship to getting involved with the country’s politics.

In a report by PRNIgeria, Mangal via proxy presented 100 vehicles to the Banzoum campaign in Maradi, the Nigerien border town, which President Buhari is linking with Kano by rail.

All the vehicles were branded “Mohammed Bazoum, 2021” with the portrait of the candidate.

Mangal, whose son Dikko married Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s daughter Aisha in 2017, is reportedly worth around $765 Million.

He is a director of Oando, where he has investment in millions of dollars.

His candidate Bazoum is a protege of President Mahamadou Issoufou and the candidate for the ruling Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), PR Nigeria reported.

Bazoum, who will be 61 on 1 January, 2021 is a Nigerien Arab politician who has been President of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya) since 2011.

He has been a political fighter, who had sometimes been jailed for his political beliefs and public statements.

He served in the government of Niger as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2011 to 2015.

He was Minister of State at the Presidency from 2015 to 2016 and was Minister of State for the Interior between 2016 and the summer of 2020 when he resigned to focus on running for the 2020 presidential election.

A record 30 candidates are taking part in the presidential election. Hama Amadou, leader of the opposition and former prime minister was disqualified.

Deborah Monday

22nd December 2020

Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel on Monday said he was led by divine ordinance to build a central worship centre in the oil-rich state.

He told journalists it was unreasonable for a state named after God not to have a unique worship centre.

The 54-year-old cited the biblical leader Nehemiah who was opposed by his people for attempting to build a temple, but once the temple was completed, the people came and celebrated with him.

Speaking during the interactive session with journalists, the governor, who is a deacon, said: “There are certain things a leader would do which is not for himself and his family but for the spiritual benefit of his people”.

He said the call on corporate organisations, private individuals, and institutions to donate funds for the project cannot stop the State from playing its role, adding that even as Governor, he and his family have made personal donations to the project.

“The centre is called International Christian Centre and not Udom Emmanuel Memorial Church, and is for the benefit of the entire state,” the Peoples Democratic Party governor noted.

“Anyone who donates above one million naira would have his name on a plague in the centre,” he stated.

Critics say funds for the centre could have been injected elsewhere.

The worship centre, under construction, is located at Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo near the 21-storey smart building that has been adjudged by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as Nigeria’s most technologically advanced and IT compliant building in the country, during his tour of the facility on Saturday, December 19.

The State Government has been criticised by some people over the worship centre, with critics either saying the proposed funds for the project is way too high or that there were better things that could impact the people than the buiding.

Policy Alert, a non-profit organisation working to simplify government data and make it available to everyday citizens, recently revealed how the Akwa Ibom State government was planning to splash out N6.7bn on the international worship centre, in the 2021 budget.

Another group, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Akwa Ibom State -led by Mr Franklin Isong – also said the project wasn’t meant to be built with public funds.

The CLO further accused the State House of Assembly of ignoring or forgetting to do its duty.

Enskynelson:
Nice one but has he been released? The problem is not the court ruling but whether the government will obey the court ruling. This has been the problem with the government of the day.

coolsegun2002:
It’s not just about blasphemy sir....Nigeria is running a Democratic goverment and all its executives are elected in that ground...:any other law that wants to run in any state should be democratically driven...
So, Why would such religious law stand in the first place....if they want an Islamic law then let them break Kano out of Nigeria.....and let them have a state governed by Islamic rulings only...whoever is going there will know that’s whats obtainable just like going to Saudi Arabia

What’s happening now Is absurd, citizens living in Kano has to abide by democratic laws and shariah laws that don’t even know what it entails.....
I mean people’s rights are being violated for thing they have no knowledge of.... what’s not wrong under democratic laws is wrong under sharia...

coolsegun2002:
Imagine the Kano state Governor saying he will sign the death sentence of the man accused of singing/joking about mohammed....on what grounds?? When this is not an Islamic state??

5. Why did it take nine weeks for the court to deliver judgment in this fundamental rights case which was uncontested by the state?

1. Why was Mubarak not charged with any offense? By law, he should have been charged within 4 days and he has still not been charged.

2. Why was Mubarak denied access to his lawyers and his family for more than five months?

3. Why was a court order granting Mubarak access to his lawyers on June 25, ignored by the police?

4. Why did it take 164 days for a court to hear Mubarak’s fundamental rights enforcement petition when, by law, it should have been heard within 7 days?

5. Why did it take nine weeks for the court to deliver judgment in this fundamental rights case which was uncontested by the state?

6. After keeping Mubarak illegally for over 170 days, why did neither Kano State nor Kano police show up in court to defend their actions?

By Bill Flavell

1. Why was Mubarak not charged with any offense? By law, he should have been charged within 4 days and he has still not been charged.

2. Why was Mubarak denied access to his lawyers and his family for more than five months?

3. Why was a court order granting Mubarak access to his lawyers on June 25, ignored by the police?

4. Why did it take 164 days for a court to hear Mubarak’s fundamental rights enforcement petition when, by law, it should have been heard within 7 days?

5. Why did it take nine weeks for the court to deliver judgment in this fundamental rights case which was uncontested by the state?

6. After keeping Mubarak illegally for over 170 days, why did neither Kano State nor Kano police show up in court to defend their actions?

There are criminals to be found in this case but Mubarak is not one of them. He is the innocent victim of a ruling elite who disregard the laws of their country at will, and care nothing for fundamental rights built into the Nigerian Constitution.

The northern governors are working towards universal legislation that will limit the migration from one state to another

He said, “From the survey, we have conducted, most of the ‘Almajiri’ roaming our streets are from Niger, Chad and the northern part of Cameroon.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has said that most Quranic education school pupils, popularly referred to as ‘Almajiri’, who roam the streets in the northern part of the country, are not Nigerians.

The governor noted that they are mostly from Chad, Niger Republic, Cameroon and others.

According to Vanguard, Ganduje disclosed this while declaring open a three-day retreat organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission in Kano.

The theme of the retreat is “Enhancing Basic Education in Nigeria towards a Robust Institutional Strengthening and Effective Stakeholder Engagement.”

He said, “From the survey, we have conducted, most of the ‘Almajiri’ roaming our streets are from Niger, Chad and the northern part of Cameroon.

“Once you improve the quality of ‘Almajiri’ education system, you are inviting other ‘Almajiri’ from other places to come to your state. That is another problem. The northern governors are working towards universal legislation that will limit the migration from one state to another,” he said.

In what appears to be a clear departure from government agencies’ usual dismissal of FOI request, the Ministry last week responded to the demand and gave more details of the project.

It also confirmed that only 20km of the track length is within Niger Republic while 358km is within Nigeria.

Other economic benefits according to the Ministry include, saving from greenhouse gases reduction, saving in road maintenance and promotion of Intra Africa Trade.

The Federal Ministry of Transport has responded to a Freedom of Information, FOI request by former 2nd Vice-President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Monday Ubani and Lagos-based lawyer, John Nwokwu for detailed information of the $1.96billion Kano-Niger Republic rail project.

Ubani and Nwokwu had last month sought details of the controversial rail project using the FOI Act insisting that Nigerians deserve to know amongst other things the economic benefits of the project, including the funding mechanism.

In what appears to be a clear departure from government agencies’ usual dismissal of FOI request, the Ministry last week responded to the demand and gave more details of the project.

On the cost of contract, the Federal Ministry of Transport insisted that the actual cost of the project is USD 1,959,744,723,71 (One Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Forty Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty Dollar and Seventy one Cent) inclusive of 7.5% VAT.
They confirmed that the track length of the rail is 378km starting from Kano – Danbatta – Kazana – Daura – Meshi – Kastina – Jibiya – Maradi (Niger Republic) with branch line to Dutse in Jigawa State. It also confirmed that only 20km of the track length is within Niger Republic while 358km is within Nigeria.

On the awarded contract documents and names of the firm and procedures for bidding, the Ministry said it advertised for qualified contractors to bid for the project in two national newspapers in 2018 and submission of the RFQ closed by 12 noon on the 19th of June, 2018.

Part of the response from the Ministry reads “Evaluation of RFQ commenced on the 5th of July, 2018 and ended on 9th of July, 2018. Following the exercise, seven out twelve companies that responded to the RFQ were shortlisted and issued Request for Proposal (RFP) on the 31st of July, 2018. Bids were subsequently opened on the 30th August, 2018 at FMoT
“Mota-Engil Africa in line with the ICRC guidelines and Public Procurement Act, 2007, was recommended as the preferred bidder for the Project haven been ranked first for submitting an excellent response to the RFP, and providing all the required information.
It also had good financial and technical credentials responsive to the project requirements and has relevant experience in Africa and emerging economies.”

The FOI response also stated that FMoT, the federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and Mota-Engil Africa are negotiating the Contract Agreements and financing at the moment.

On budgetary allocation for the rail project, the Ministry claimed in its response that the project is to be 100% funded by Messrs Mota-Engil Africa under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing (EPC+ F) model through combination of lenders from Export Credit Agencies (ECA) and commercial facilities backed by a sovereign guarantee.

It however failed to provide any Memoradum of Understanding or agreement between the Fedral Ministry of Transportation and MotaEngil to this effect.

Enumerating the economic benefits of the project, the Ministry said its study estimates a total cost of road accidents saved per year is USD 57,224,095. Other economic benefits according to the Ministry include, saving from greenhouse gases reduction, saving in road maintenance and promotion of Intra Africa Trade.

Ubani in a statement made available to this medium commended the unusual timely response of the Ministry, he however added that he would study the response along with his partners to fashion out the best possible response. The method of funding and the liability of the funding on Nigerians, to him, appear suspicious.

According to him the contract papers were not provided by the Ministry in clear compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

Their detailed response to this information as provided by the Ministry shall be made public soon after critical study, he concluded.

MadamExcellency:
Stop seeing things from the shadows.

Big cathedrals are tourists attractions.

Very soon, the newly designated oil and gas free trade zone is expected to start bubbling with activities. I guess we are going to wait for the Yorubas and Igbos to take all the jobs so that we can start rueing, rumbling, and whining.

Simplyleo:
But N6.7b for worship center? That's way too much on the high side.

Raydos:
In the midst of unemployment, Nah church you dey use 6.7billion build?? Chai!!

Lambert Udomfoniso

There is virtually no street in the city of Uyo that doesn’t have a church. Some have as many as ten (10) different church denominations. So, places of worship are not in short supply in Akwa Ibom State, neither are crime, sin, immorality, wickedness, and corruption. But one thing that is on a steady increase in the state is unemployment. At 45.2%, Akwa Ibom State has the second-highest unemployment rate in the country according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

But that is not the most nauseating thing about the 6.7billion naira proposed in the 2021 budget to build a worship centre. That the budget for education is less than 6.7billion is disappointing and unforgivable. More worrisome is the fact that in the face of a pandemic, over 45 primary and secondary healthcare centres (including 14 General Hospitals) are getting less than a single worship center (#4.576b). This is demonic and I’m sure God frowns at it too.

The questions on the lips of many Akwa Ibomites are; what is the importance of an international worship centre that will gulp billions to build and hundreds of millions to maintain annually? What happens to Ibom Hall? Can’t Akwa Abasi Ibom people worship their God in Ibom Hall?  Is that not where the state usually starts its year with God in a solemn assembly? Come to think of it, how many times will the worship center be used in a year? These and many more questions are begging for honest answers. To call this project a misplaced priority is an understatement.

Speaking of priorities, if 10% of the budget of any state/federal government is spent on education, all you’ll get from the public is applause and applause. Do you know that 3billion Naira out of the 6.7b Naira can totally transform our technical education, make it attractive for parents to send their kids there, and position it to provide technical manpower to drive our industrialization agenda? In the 21st century where all that employers care to know is ‘what can you do’, the advantages of revamping and developing our technical colleges are numerous. To start with, graduates of these colleges will come out with self-sufficient skills with which they can earn money for themselves. In sectors like shipping, port services, oil and gas, manufacturing, etc, artisanal and craftsmanship skills like plumbing, fabrication, welding, carpentry, painting, mechanics, electrification and scaffolding are in high demand. These are ”life skills’ that a functional technical education can bequeath to our teeming youth. However, no parent who loves his/her child dearly can send him/her to a technical school today.

When Ibom deep seaport eventually comes to fruition, where will the manpower with requisite knowledge come from if we don’t develop our technical education? Very soon, the newly designated oil and gas free trade zone is expected to start bubbling with activities. I guess we are going to wait for the Yorubas and Igbos to take all the jobs so that we can start rueing, rumbling, and whining. Obviously, that will be the case if the government doesn’t become intentional about changing the narrative. The effect of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s extra investment in education in 1955 is evident till today. It won’t be out of place if the government of Akwa Ibom State borrows a leaf from the late sage by divesting from a worship centre and investing in educational institutions at all levels.

So, as much as Gov Udom Emmanuel is investing heavily in industrialization and the deep seaport, he needs to deliberately invest in developing manpower that will drive and power these industries.

One way he can do this is to discontinue the construction of the international worship centre and channel part of the money to education. If he conducts a referendum today whether to spend 6.7billion on a worship centre or not, I bet over 90 percent of his employers (The Akwa Ibom People) will vote against it. Don’t take my word for it, try it. It is not too late to abort this monumental waste of state resources on a project with no impact on Akwa Ibomites who are ‘Religious Christians’.

This is a call on the Governor to score a cheap penalty (political point) like United’s Bruno Fernandez. Akwa Ibomites have not recovered from the over 2billion Naira spent on building a Governor’s lodge in Lagos. A lodge that he has and will never spend a night in. This knack for mindless profligacy is becoming irritating. The Governor must realize that the people of Akwa Ibom entrust him with their patrimony and expect him to spend it wisely on things that have impact on Akwa Ibomites. I strongly advise this government in clear terms that it’s not too late to abort the construction of the international worship centre. The joy and applause that will follow the announcement will wow you.

lambertudomfoniso@gmail.com

While maintaining the impenetrability of its super camps, the military must do more to protect civilians and avoid the perception that a tactical trade-off has been made between their own safety and that of communities.

tobechi74:
FG used public fund to build ecumenical center in Abuja
Efcc used million to organise prayers against corruption
The judge is religious.
The case is dead on arrival- does not involve loss of life

ASN sought the court’s ruling on two questions:

Question #1: Whether Sections 10 and 38 of the Nigerian Constitution mean that “Nigeria is a secular state warranting the separation of the state from religion influences”?

Question #2: Whether the government’s activities in relation to the International Worship Centre were beyond its powers and, therefore, unconstitutional?

The violent extremists have increased their power over areas from which troops have withdrawn. In addition to its control of dozens of Lake Chad island villages, Boko Haram has erected arbitrary checkpoints and habitually attacked villages and travellers to run both territory and livelihood processes.

Boko Haram has moved in to control spaces vacated by the military in north-east Nigeria. 

First published by ISS Today

Last year, the Nigerian military started pulling soldiers out of villages, small unit formations and bases into bigger, stronger and better equipped camps. This ‘super camp strategy’ sought to bolster the military’s combat posture and enhance its resistance to Boko Haram attacks on its bases. 

The approach has indeed improved the ability of the Nigerian military to counter Boko Haram, but it has also eroded the protection of civilians and their access to livelihoods.

The two Boko Haram factions – Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād (JAS) and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) – are taking advantage of the space created by this new military strategy. 

They’re moving around more freely, deepening their roots in communities and strengthening their supply chains. 

The violent extremists have increased their power over areas from which troops have withdrawn. In addition to its control of dozens of Lake Chad island villages, Boko Haram has erected arbitrary checkpoints and habitually attacked villages and travellers to run both territory and livelihood processes. 

This has worsened forced displacements and deprived civilians of their livelihoods. Travellers who spoke to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said Boko Haram had erected permanent checkpoints on several roads in Borno State, such as Maiduguri-Monguno, Monguno-Gajiram, Maiduguri-Damboa, Magumeri-Gubio, Chabbal-Magumeri, Gubio-Kareto, Kareto-Damasak, Damboa-Biu and others.

https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/images/2020-11-30-iss-today-borno-map.png

Local government areas in Borno State controlled by Boko Haram

According to witnesses, Boko Haram seizes all official identification documents after stopping people at their checkpoints. While ISWAP targets only non-Muslim civilians for abduction, JAS doesn’t make this distinction. Both factions specifically target security forces, government officials and humanitarian workers, regardless of their religion. 

Interviewees reported looting and extortion – food items, money, mobile phones and even clothes on people’s backs – and abduction for ransom. The terrorists seem to spare their victims’ lives and as a result, people continue using the roads. In this way, the group’s supply chain is maintained, especially since most roads lead to markets.

Sparing civilian lives is, however, not systematic, as cases involving the killings of passengers during or after robberies have been documented. 

On 13 October, five men and three elderly women from Gadai, a village in Gubio local government area, were taking their livestock and farm produce to the market in Gajiganna when 27 JAS fighters on motorcycles accosted them. The men were killed and the goods were taken. The women were left alive.

Similarly, on 3 November, travellers heading to Maiduguri were attacked by JAS fighters at Dogon Waya, between Mainok and Jakana in Konduga local government area. After they were robbed, five men and one woman were abducted. Two days later, the corpses of the five men were discovered by villagers at Dalwa in Konduga, along Damboa road.

Super camps are typically located away from civilian settlements, hampering the quick reaction capacity of the military when attacks on civilians occur. According to eyewitness accounts, on 7 November, ISWAP set up a checkpoint at Kijimatari village in Monguno local government area where they collected money, mobile phones and luggage from travellers. 

They confiscated a vehicle heading to Maiduguri, loaded up their loot and moved on to Goram, a nearby village, to mount another checkpoint. 

They told villagers that they would continue to ‘collect’ from them but not kill them. The following day, the group attacked the two villages again. This fuels a feeling of helplessness and abandonment among communities who are increasingly at the mercy of Boko Haram’s abuses. 

The terror group has adapted to the super camp context in other ways too. Members now use precision attacks and ambushes on military patrols and escorts because it is more difficult to successfully attack or overrun the large camps. They have also orchestrated some attacks targeting the governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum. 

The super camp approach has not stopped Boko Haram from targeting these strongholds, as seen with the unsuccessful attacks on Gajiram and Bitta super camps in October and November respectively. 

Military bases have served as major sources of weapons for Boko Haram in the past. Losing access to this supply will be a major setback that the group may not accept so easily. 

The military should remain vigilant, as Boko Haram factions could react with more sophisticated attacks on its super camps. 

While maintaining the impenetrability of its super camps, the military must do more to protect civilians and avoid the perception that a tactical trade-off has been made between their own safety and that of communities. 

According to the Nigerian army, the super camp concept aims to “ensure higher capacity for swift mobility to take on the adversary, take the fight to them and deny terrorists, bandits and kidnappers the freedom of action”.

This must resonate with communities through effective protection of civilians. DM

Malik Samuel, Researcher, Lake Chad Basin Programme, ISS Dakar.

PervertProphet:
You clowns must find a way of bringing the Church into same conversation with these violent islamists.

OnyeOhuu:
This is why the CJN has been calling for sharia to be implemented in federal level.

tartar9:
Kano State has the right to determine its laws...the only appeal court there should be the Shariah court of appeal.

dawnomike:
I am sure when all this is over... He would have learnt a whole lot of lessons about life in general if he survives it