oguchi's Radio Weblog

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 20:58:45 GMT

Is there a new, virulent strain of CA-MRSA? [Conversations in Medicine]

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 20:56:58 GMT

The Past, Present, and Future of HIV Management [Conversations in Medicine]

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 20:56:09 GMT

About pacifiers and SIDS [Conversations in Medicine]

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 20:54:33 GMT

Discussing the new guidelines for asthma management. [Conversations in Medicine]

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 22:30:13 GMT

DAILY TRUST January 11 2006

Dhul-Hijah 4, 1426 A.H

Wednesday, 11 January 2006

	2007: Power shift belongs to electorate - Dangiwa Umar by Emmanuel Bello & Shehu Abubakar / 2006-01-11 Where power will shift to in 2007 would be determined by the country’s electorate. Where power will shift to in 2007 would be determined by the country’s electorate. This assertion was made by Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (rtd) in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust. According to him, no section of the country should claim monopoly of good or viable presidential materials “because no one can claim to have the monopoly of good or bad people. Power belongs to the electorate and they only will determine where the power shifts.” He lambasted agitators for power shift, reminding them that the electorate should be allowed to direct the movement of the presidency. “There are good people everywhere. So I cannot see why anyone will lay claim and say they must produce the president. There are good and bad people everywhere.” On the issue of power shift to the North as canvassed by the region’s power brokers at various fora, he said, “my position on the matter is that the North has good people as well as bad ones. So it is about the individual and not where the person comes from. If the conditions are right, I personally, am ready to support a Southern candidate. No one has the monopoly of good leadership,” he said, adding that it was time Nigerians begin to think in terms of a qualified, competent presidential material irrespective of geographical identity, observing that people should search all over the country for qualified leaders. “Power shift is basically a matter for the electorate working in conjunction with their political parties. This is genuine because we can then have credible movement of power.” Highlighting the agenda of the Movement for Unity and Peace (MUP), which will be inaugurated tomorrow in Abuja, Col. Umar said that the main theme of the meeting will be to oppose the third term posturing of the president. “We are meeting to defend democracy and to tell the president that Nigerians are not prepared for any third term. “The Obasanjo government has only ensured that Nigerians lived in pains. The so-called economic reforms have only entrenched poverty and hardship. The anti-corruption programme is basically vindictive and selective. It is equally inefficient. Nigeria is today the fifth most corrupt country in the world. The security apparati is not well positioned to address the nation’s challenges and everywhere, people are living in fear. Nigerians are also pauperized.” Col. Umar also chided the presidency for siding with Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu in the festering crisis engulfing Oyo state. “What the president is doing in Oyo state is encouraging thuggery. It is also obvious that he has sided with Adedibu who is also like Chris Uba in the Anambra crisis. We also leant that the PDP national chairman, Ahmadu Ali, even admonished the governor to obey Adedibu. This is an official endorsement of political thuggery.” Warning that the presidency should not stop the inaugural meeting, Col. Umar said that the group plans to go ahead with its Thursday meeting in Abuja. He was reacting to rumours that the presidency is planning to scuttle the conference. He said if the meeting does not hold, it won’t change the situation. “It does not matter if this particular meeting holds or not. The truth is that the motion is already on and Nigerians want a change and will bring it to pass in the course of time.” He said that the gathering will bring together a constellation of individuals who were part of the force that opposed the late General Sani Abacha. “I’ll be surprised if the president tries to stop us because this is a meeting of distinguished and honourable Nigerians who fought dictatorship in the past and will do it again. “This is a gathering of nationalists who want to effect peaceful changes. There is nothing we can do if the president tries to stop us, but he will be causing a problem. People will just go underground and continue the agitations. We should be allowed as peaceful people to meet and bring about changes as enshrined in our constitution. “So if he stops us, the whole world will be watching and he will be sending the wrong signals. We shall comply as peace loving people but the whole world will know that a group of decent and honourable nationalists were stopped from assemblying.” Meanwhile, the police has said it has no notification of the MUP’s meeting and may thus not allow it to hold. Speaking to Daily Trust, FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lawrence Alobi, said “I am not aware of any application for permit by any such group. I’m not aware,” adding that “if people will gather or where people will have to go to the streets, you know they may disturb public peace or traffic. That affects security.” When told that the meeting will be an indoor affair, the commissioner replied “whether public rally or in a hall, it is the same. Hall at where? To discuss what? All these are things the police would like to know. If the meeting has anything to do with security, we need to look into it. If it has to do with security, we have to monitor it. What we are concerned with is anything that will be a threat to peace and security. That is what we are after. If it is within the ambit of the law and will not touch on security, we can’t stop them. So far, we have not received any application from anybody,” he said. But Col. Umar insist, that the meeting must hold as scheduled. “Let them try to stop us. Are we not law abiding citizens exercising our constitutional rights? Besides, we are meeting in the Shehu Yar’Adua hall. We have booked for the place and we are meeting as scheduled.”

	Files
	00000000000000001288-00.jpg

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 04:50:02 GMT

The Guardian Editorial Opinion

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Owerri: From gold to dunghill
By Luke Onyekakeyah

FROM time immemorial, cities form a major indicator of civilisation. The emergence of cities often marks the march to civilisation from open country to village, town and finally to a city. When a city expands in size, complexity and function, it becomes a metropolis. In ancient times, the primary factors that determined where a city was built were presence of food and water along with the raw materials for shelter, tools and industry. These were in addition to a site that was secured. The modern city has moved from being concerned only with the provision of basic human needs to meeting other high-tech necessities that make the modern man in a civilised society.

Modern cities have amenities such as electricity, diverse and efficient multi-modal transport system, including road, rail, trams and airport, telecommunication, water supply, security, etc. A major attribute of a city is the fact that it is planned. In this vein, every facility occupies a pre-determined location in space. Roads and streets, residential, commercial and recreational areas occupy their designated location. Parks and green belts are provided; sanitation and public health are given priority concern. The presence or availability of these amenities and their orderliness make the city liveable and differentiates it from a rural area.

Cities are assessed on the basis of liveability. For the city to be liveable there must be a responsible authority to manage, maintain and care for its complex infrastructure and their functionality. Without such an authority, the infrastructure breaks down and the city disintegrates. A decadent city constitutes a public health hazard. It is attractive to live in an efficient clean city. Contrarily, a decadent city is repulsive.

Owerri is the primate and Capital City in Imo State. Before the creation of the state in 1976, Owerri was a small town with a population of about one million people. Owerri was more or less an agricultural town. The indigenes cultivated cassava, yams, maize and other farm crops in the surrounding farmlands and sold them in the market in the centre of the town.

During this period, there was only one major Douglas Road, which runs through the centre of the town. Mbaise Road in front of the popular Mbaise Stores, Okigwe Road at Ama JK, Orlu Road by Government House, Onitsha and Port Harcourt roads at Control joined it. There was only one industrial establishment, namely the Owerri Shoe Factory. The Assumpta Cathedral, Holy Ghost College, Emmanuel College, Owerri Girls and St. Paul's Church were the most important landmarks in the town. Owerri was in this state until the wind of change blew and Imo State was carved out from the defunct East Central State. Owerri was selected as the capital of the new state.

Between 1976 and 1979 there was little or no change in Owerri. The real transformation came from October 1979 when the military handed power to a democratically elected civilian government with Governor Sam Mbakwe elected as the first Executive Governor of Imo State. The Mbakwe administration fought like a wounded lion and within a short period the face of Owerri changed dramatically. Chief Mbakwe took on the city roads and gave them a face-lift. Douglas road, which was muddy and dilapidated, was reconstructed into a dual carriageway. To easy the traffic on Douglas, Chief Mbakwe constructed the Wetheral Ring Road linking Okigwe Road Roundabout with Mbaise Road at Fire Service and finally Douglas Road off Emmanuel College going to Aba.

The capital status of Owerri ushered in state administrative infrastructure. The state secretariat offices were set up at Okigwe and Orlu roads. There began a massive influx of population into the town. Housing estates were built at Aladimma, Egbu Road and World Bank estate in the new Owerri capital. Water supply and sanitation were given priority attention. Transportation was enhanced through a vigorous road building programme, which impacted not only Owerri but also the entire old Imo State. Chief Mbakwe single-handedly embarked upon and built the Imo Airport. Despite the opposition from the federal authorities, he remained dogged until the airport was completed and put into operation. The Concord Hotel, a masterpiece luxury tourist hotel of international standard was another important landmark the Mbakwe administration gave to Imo State.

There is no doubt that the Mbakwe administration transformed Owerri from a town to a city. Chief Mbakwe took it upon himself to make Owerri an efficient, clean and beautiful city. To achieve this sanitation was given unprecedented attention. The Imo State Waste Disposal Board was established under the Ministry of Environment. The Board embraced the culture of neatness, cleanliness and beautification of Owerri. The residents were re-orientated to keep the city clean. A programme of tree planting was introduced to add value to the beauty of the state capital.

The state government purchased several silos and waste disposal trucks. These ran to and fro the length and breath of the city and its suburbs collecting wastes and garbage and disposing them efficiently far from the city. The pavements on major highways were painted. Many house owners repainted their houses to conform to the new city culture. Throughout the period of Mbakwe's administration, Owerri earned the reputation of being the most beautiful and cleanest city in Nigeria. That was the golden age of Owerri as a city.

Regrettably, the Mbakwe administration was replaced by a military administration that lasted for almost six years. The military administrations had no mandate and so were not accountable to the people. Consequently, the structures and institutions in place before their inroad were left to disintegrate. The growth and development of Owerri was stalled. The glory of the city dwindled.

In 1999 however, another civilian administration took the reigns of power at the Government House, Owerri. The expectation was that the new government would retrace the steps of the previous civilian administration and return Owerri to its lost glory. But this is far from being the case. Rather, the whole scenario keeps changing for the worse. Owerri has practically been abandoned.

A drive around the city reveals a pathetic state of decay. There is waste and garbage littered all over the place. The major passageways have been overtaken by garbage. On Douglas Road and a section of Mbaise Road near the Fire Service Roundabout, heaps of garbage have overtaken the roads. Many Imo indigenes that came home for the Christmas and New Year holidays were astound by the utter state of neglect and abandonment of the city.

Douglas Road, which forms the Central Business District of the city, has been converted to a garbage dump where fire and smoke spill day and night to the chagrin of the residents. This is happening right in front of the St. Paul's Catholic Church. The Water Fountain Statue at the Fire Service Roundabout is as dry as the Olumo Rock. Water is a luxury in Owerri and electricity is a no go area. The security situation is among the worst in the country.

Going round the city, one is convinced that the Governor Achike Udenwa's administration does not care for Owerri. Being a small city, managing it to ensure liveability ought not to present a big problem. The Tinubu administration has been able to keep the Lagos Metropolis neat despite its complexity and teeming population. The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) daily sweeps the major highways in Lagos.

The ugly state of affairs in Owerri raises some pertinent questions: Why is the state government not interested in Owerri where the seat of government is based? What happened to the State Waste Management Board? What happened to the equipment in its possession? Is there no budget provision for the maintenance of the state capital? What happened to the budget in the past six years?

Furthermore, I am tempted to ask could it be that the Udenwa administration deliberately abandoned Owerri and shifted focus to Orlu in anticipation of the proposed Orlu State? That is tantamount to misplaced priority. The Governor had been vocal in calling on the state indigenes to come and invest in the sate. Is it surprising that Imonites in Diaspora see little attraction to come to Owerri? If this were the case, how would foreign investors see the city?

Against the backdrop of the despicable state of affairs in Owerri, the question is can the Udenwa administration have a rethink and retrace its steps and accord Owerri the deserved city status? It is inconceivable how a people would be sitting on garbage to carry out daily activities. The State Government should change the present deplorable condition of Owerri. What legacy is the Udenwa administration bequeathing to posterity? That should be a matter of concern.

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 18:22:17 GMT

Gbenga Obasanjo: My Father Has No 3rd Term Ambition

01.09.2006

Interview

Excerpts from the controversial interview granted by Dr. Gbenga Obasanjo published in the current edition of TheNews magazine. President Obasanjo yesterday in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity), Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, dismissed Gbenga as speaking for himself and not his father or the government

What was your relationship with the late Mrs. Stella Obasanjo? She was my father's wife; she was the man's wife. That's it!
How would you react to the allegation that you bring businessmen, who are your partners to buy up Nigerian companies at ridiculously low rates
That's not true!
What about Virgin Nigeria, Ajaokuta Steel Company and others?
I have never met those people. I must say, though, that I am proud to associate with the success of the Ajaokuta Steel complex, they have started producing steel and prices of steel has come down Nigeria. For Virgin Nigeria, I have never met Richard Branson. But I am proud of the Virgin Nigeria deal. The only person I have known was the Vice President of the South African Airlines, when he came to Nigeria to negotiate the South African Airlines deal that collapsed. Even then, I didn't try to influence the negotiations. He was my! friend. I knew him and I could not shun him.
Do businessmen seek your intervention?
Of course, they do
Do you just turn them down?
What is wrong with you, Sowore? I have been talking to you for the past two hours, don't I sound like I am intelligent enough to know what to do?
The time is not enough to assess your intelligence and I may not be intelligent enough to tell if you are intelligent..
That's why I think you guys have become really emotional with your stories. You just write what you like. It's the same with the Nigerian press. Because I don't give them money, they write all kinds of things about me; they hate me! But I won't give bribes. One day I was at Abeokuta with the Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel. These press guys came in and started asking hard questions, the moment they were served food, they left their scrap papers and rushed the food. Of course, the next day, their repor! ts were very shiny, that's the way it goes here. the press boys are a hungry bunch, but I have refused to bribe them. I don't have money to bribe them; I am just a struggling man. Look at the whole story about Stella Obasanjo being the only one standing with my father in jail. That was all press work. As a doctor, I was the first person allowed to see my father before she started visiting, but the Nigerian press have their favourites. And they can be mean. Recently, one magazine even wrote that since Stella has died, Baba too would soon follow. Haba!
Why does your father want a third term?
I am not aware of this third term thing you are talking about. My father is a man of integrity; he doesn't have any intention to remain in office beyond 2007. He is already building a retirement home and a library in Abeokuta. He is an old man. He may look young to the outside world, but he is an old man. I personally think he is older than 70 years. He just said he is about 70 years because nobody recorded his age when he was bo! rn. And his military service, perhaps, made him look fit as a person, but he is not a young person. I have been with him when he looked at obituaries in the newspapers and said: "That person who died was the son of my classmate." He is not as young as people think.
In 1979, when it was fashionable to stay in power and he was just about 42 years of age, he didn't stay in power. Why would he stay in power now? What for? Let me tell you, it is the Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, and the Nigerian press that are campaigning for the third term. They are using it as blackmail. Atiku thinks the presidency is his birthright and as such, it should be delivered to him pronto! Otherwise, who among my father's close friends is campaigning openly for his third term in office?
But Nigerians don't believe this. Given your father's denial of a presidential ambition in 1998, this would be hard to believe. Again, Nigerians are already comparing your father's style to Abacha'sI hate it when people compare me and Baba with the Abacha fa mily. What is the basis? That's so insulting. It is the worst insult anyone can heap on us. I even read one journalist comparing me with Mohammed Abacha! That is so unacceptable. I reject that. All I can tell you is that Baba has no third term agenda. Quote me anywhere, Baba has not plans to stay beyond 2007. He is old and tired and wants to go into retirement.
But top players in the private sector are urging him on. Can't he shut them up?
That's true. The only reason why they are asking Baba to stay is because they are afraid of Atiku. They know he will come and take over everything they have built with his unquenchable greed. Look, quite a lot of people are putting pressure on Baba to stay. Even the Americans are passing messages through me. Forget about all those scripted public statements. They want him to stay. the amount efforts and resources required to change the constitution is just not worth it. Come 2007, Baba will leave the scene. He is not! responding to these campaigns and counter - campaigns because he is busy doing so many things. You can see that planes are falling off the skies left and right. Baba has not time to get involved in these claims.
Are you not afraid of reprisals when Baba leaves office?
No. We are not afraid at all. God will continue to protect the righteous.
Who do you think your father will pick as successor?
I think all the candidates will have to come out and work hard to sell their programmes to Nigerians. Baba will support the best candidate.
Who will that be?
I don't know
I asked because he allegedly worked against the best candidate in 1979...
Baba actually respected and preferred Chief (Obafemi) Awolowo in 1979. He was his choice in terms of policy and clarity, but he thinks Awo was too tribalistic. That was the problem.
Was it not due to your father's hatred for Awo?
I know that (Alhaji Shehu) Shagari won the election because that was what Nigerians wanted.
What caused the friction between your father and Atiku?
I don't know. But I don't want anyone to think Baba that will impose a candidate on Nigeria. No, he won't. Like I said earlier, if he had wanted to impose anyone on Nigeria, it would certainly have been Chief Awolowo in 1979. But he didn't do that. On Atiku, I think people get it wrong thinking that Baba is working against him. Atiku just thinks that the presidency is his birthright. Look at AP and the privatisation process. They just sold the entire country to themselves... Go to the Corporate Affairs Commission and see those who own Pentascope. You will see the fraud perpetrated against Nigeria. But the press will never report these things; they like to paint him nice even when the facts about these misdeeds are public knowledge.
But El-Rufai is one of your father's favourites?
That doesn't make him clean. Look at what he did with Jim! i Lawal through the BPE. They paid him back all the money he looted from Alpha Merchant Bank. With interest! He was rehabilitated by el-Rufai and made a consultant, selling land in Abuja. He is el-Rufai's shadow man in Abuja. We know that all these things are still going on. So, forget these people. It is all a sham.
Are you going to run for office some day?
Not at all. I am not interested in politics.
We reported that your little brother bought a house in New York and paid cash for it. Why didn't your dad do something about that? Isn't that corruption?
You were right on that report. You did your research very well. In fact, you bailed me out. Prior to that report, some newspapers, Daily Trust in particular, had alleged that I was the one who bought the house. But your thorough research made them to apologise to me later. The house was bought for him by his mom. It is between Muyiwa and his mom.
Let's look at th! e corruption trial of Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha...
I think he is really dumb and stupid. He should have known that there is no way he could get away with stealing so much money from his state. He was daft and careless. But let me tell you that those people caught are the careless ones. There is so much corruption in Nigeria, and there are a lot of intelligent and smart corrupt people and then of course, the stupid one. Those are the ones who get caught. There are places in the world especially in the commonwealth of the former soviet republics where you can get a passport with a white name and a black face and no one will ever ask questions from you!
That's why I thought the reporters who wrote that I have 22 bank accounts in the US are the most senseless people. One of them even went to my school at John Hopkins to check my academic background and found out that I had straight 'A' and still thinks I will be opening accounts all over the US. Why would I be daft to do that?
Don't you have account in the US and is corrup! tion not influenced by greed rather than intelligence?
I have two accounts in the US and one of them is in the red. In the second, I have maybe a few hundred dollars. I am not stupid, I should know better! As per my brother, I don't know why he did such thing, but I think his mom pushed him and I don't know who told you that he is intelligent! As per the state governors, I think a few of them know how to handle the press very well and some are intelligent too. Folks like Ibori, Gbenga Daniel, Bukola Saraki, Nnamani and a few.
What's year father's relationship with Andrew Young and Carl Master?
I don't really know what they are doing in Nigeria. I just don't know what they do for Baba. I know they are around a lot. I know Andrew Young was doing some HIV/AIDS work and I share some of his interesting views, but nothing more than that, really.
Let's look at the celebrated Debt Relief. Is it wise for the government to giv! e away $12 billion as payment for a debt Nigeria never owed?
I think my father belongs to a generation that doesn't believe in debts. He is of the old school and they hate debts of any type.
But the idea was Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's, an alleged agent of the Paris Club...
Oh, I see! Any great or good ideas in this regime are never attributed to Baba.
But the debt relief does not seem to make much economic sense...
Just know that Baba doesn't believe in owing anybody. I guess that was the main driving force behind the debt deal.

I have no interest in working for Obasanjo –Sowore of Elendureports.com

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 21:14:04 GMT

SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

Sunday 8th January, 2006 HOME | Previous Page

I have no interest in working for Obasanjo –Sowore

He has steadily built up a reputation for himself as the scourge of Nigerian politicians, a one-man crusader and an enemy of corruption. Call him a rebel with a cause and you won’t be wrong. He treads where angels dare not with his expose brand of writing. He and his former partner (Jonathan Elendu) of elendureports.com took Nigeria by storm in 2005 and gave the phrase ‘investigative reporting’ a whole new meaning. They got tongues wagging, and many politicians diving for cover. The duo have also been compared to the Americans - Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Watergate fame. But just when Nigerians were beginning to get used to their weekly firebrand stories and investigative reports, Omoyele Sowore announced that he was disengaging from elendureports.com, thus fuelling speculations of a bust-up with Jonathan Elendu. In this rare e-interview, Omoyele Sowore opens up to Uche Nworah on his life, his mission and what really went wrong at elendureports.com

Tell us a little about yourself

I was born in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria in a small village called Kiribo in Ese-Odo local government area of Ondo State. I come from a small Yoruba speaking tribe known as Ijaw-Apoi (Ijaw-Apoi- because the Ijaws claim their territory or nation starts from there). My father was a local teacher and my mum a full-time, never- retiring housewife. I come from a polygamous family, I have lots of brothers and sisters, 16 of us; - don’t ask me if I remember all their names!

What was it like growing up?

I grew up in Nigeria, in the village at Kiribo. There was no electricity, or running water, no television, no postal office. Just three missionary primary schools and policemen who constantly came to extort women on market days-every nine days!

Did you enjoy any special privileges as a child?

No privileges at all, my dad told us that part of growing up discipline, was to live in certain state of deprivation. He talked about chastity, purity and treating oneself last. Even when I was grown enough to be on my own in the village, as the first son, he never let me have a room to myself. He loaded me up with a bunch of snitches that reported to him every turn I made on the bed at night. When I was 12, he taught me how to ride a motorcycle (Suzuki 100 cc.) so that I could fish at the lake for the entire family before going to school every morning!

What about your educational background?

I studied Geography and Planning at the University of Lagos from 1989 to 1995 (for six years), after being expelled twice for political reasons and because of my student activism. I did my youth service in Yola, Adamawa State from 1995-1996; I was never given a discharge certificate till date for whatever reasons. I also have a Masters degree in Public Administration from Columbia University in New York, I graduated in May 2003.

Briefly tell us about your professional background (working life) both in Nigeria and abroad

Until I left Nigeria in 1999, I worked as a pro-democracy activist. I didn’t have a job really; I only had a career as a civil rights activist of a sort, a very dangerous career especially in our part of the world... And with that career, you can’t get a day job. There were no paid jobs anyway! I currently work with the Catholic Charities in the New York tri-state area, that’s my job at the moment. My career remains the same.

People have been wondering what drives and motivates you. Being that journalism and writing in the Nigerian context does not fully pay the bills, who funds your various story researches which usually transcend many continents?

Like I said earlier, I have a day job and my Internet reports are funded from my private funds. But some of the reports are also made possible by the research efforts of some patriotic Nigerians who reach out to us because of the seriousness with which we took the reports. I have a network of these great guys all over the world that I tap into from time to time. So many of the tools we use for our investigations are basically somehow available. And when we need to go to the higher levels, we contact these Good Samaritans who in turn deplore their resources to help make things happen. But let me be clear on this, I have never received any funding from any source for my work. For so long, I have been consumed with the passion to see a different nation, which I believe to be very possible. I have thrown my life into it. In terms of my balance sheet, I am operating at a deficit financially, but no one sent me to do this, so I am not complaining. I can’t forget the example set by a good friend, (Kayode Ogundamisi) who had to disguise as a delivery man in order to take pictures. These are the type of commitments I have been able to tap into to make these reports possible for all Nigerians; to see what their governors and other officials do with their money.

What inspired you to go into this type of death-wish journalism, if you like?

If you have ever travelled through any West African country, you will be really pissed at Nigerian leaders. There is no basis for the current poverty and the wreckage of Nigeria; that in itself is more than enough to motivate anyone to shoot up Nigerian leaders. Writing exposes, as you call them, is my basic method of anger management since I don’t have the means or motivation to nuke up our leaders. Writing became an option because I hate stories in the local media that carry clichés such as names withheld. I think our style of writing demystified those journalistic jargons and clichés. It was also an avenue to deliver unadulterated news report to average readers with access to the Internet, though still a negligible minority.

The news of the moment is your disengagement from elendureports.com. As their star writer, what do you think will be the fate of the outfit now that you have left?

I don’t subscribe to titles. What do you mean by a star writer? Most people, including you, can write better than I do. I don’t think that my departure would affect the writing skills of the people running the website. I wasn’t writing for stardom; I was writing for change. I went into writing to support my aspirations for a better Nigeria. I did not leave elendureports.com with the aim that it would collapse. I hope that it gets better; this decision had been in the pipeline for sometime. I even took a break sometime in November 2005. Principally, Jonathan (Elendu) indicated to me that he would go into political consulting in 2007, which means that the outfit will take a partisan position somehow. With due respect, I don’t believe in the current political process in Nigeria. I didn’t want to be hemmed into any political alliance which will damage my legitimate aspiration to seek freedom outside of the confines of the democratic contraption labelled as democracy in Nigeria today. The only purpose Nigerian democracy serves is its usefulness as a tool for blackmailing Nigerians into silence. I thought it would amount to suicide to consult for or with any of the political entities in the present Nigeria without thoroughly compromising my principles. This is the principal reason for leaving, of course amongst other private concerns that I have expressed to him and other members of our close-knit network over time.

Can you share with us how you met Jonathan Elendu and how both of you successfully forged an investigative writing force in so short a time?

The most shocking part of this is that we had never met before in person; I mean till the time I left. It was an association that emerged purely on faith (even though I am not a religious person). I met him shortly after I returned from Nigeria last year (2005). I had just conducted that famous interview with Governor Orji Kalu of Abia State, the one that he flatly denied that he ever spoke with me. Amongst the various Nigerians that e-mailed me taking different stance, for or against- was Jonathan Elendu, he told me that he had practised journalism for sometime and wondered if I actually interviewed Kalu. I told him yes, and that I need not lie about that. He asked if I could give him Kalu’s telephone numbers. I gave him everything. He interviewed Kalu after interviewing me. He came back later and said that he was shocked to find out that Kalu admitted that we spoke, but then he was having difficulties publishing his interviews (with me and Orji Kalu) with the outfit that he had worked with for five years! He was upset. I told him not to worry. As we discussed, he told me that he had an idea to start a website and wondered if we could partner together. I was hesitant because I didn’t know him, and hadn’t heard about him before then and I did’t share his commentary about the interview with Kalu. He said I was the other side of the same coin as Kalu - which I objected to, but respected his rights to make his judgments. But as time went on, we had useful discussions and I decided to give it a try. He wanted me to have a title with his website. I declined, as I thought it was unnecessary. I decided to remain an ordinary writer, which means that I also kept my regular e-mail. I told him that I always want to have a choice to publish anywhere I wanted. That was how we started. In all fairness to him, he had maintained that he would like to do political consulting. But I thought we had gotten to a point where he could not be involved with working for any political candidate without compromising the work we were doing. Gradually, my enthusiasm began to wane in terms of continuing to work with him. I respect his skills as a writer but I think we came to the project or enterprise together for different reasons. He sees our engagements differently. For me, I see it as a war to change Nigeria; I believe he views it as a means to further his consultancy work. We began to part ways in different directions from that point. If you work for change, you seek to build movements that would make them happen. But individuals who seek to further consultancy work only work to build their Rolodexes. I enjoyed every bit of our work. It has revolutionized Internet publishing in Nigeria. And also it has created a sense of alternative media, it was something very fantastic!

It is quite obvious that whatever model you guys used, it worked. Do you think that such a model can work again if tried by other writers/journalists and what is its longevity?

Definitely the model will work again. What I would like to see is a duplication or multiplication of this type of effort. When the Wright Brothers invented the airplane (please ignore my high-floating comparisons here!), they never thought about huge airplanes that can take half of a city across the world. I really hope this can motivate more partnerships amongst our citizens to democratize freedom of information more quickly. We were able to help provide Nigeria’s local media with alternatives such that Reuters and BBC were no longer the only sources of credible news. The longevity of any partnership is always dependent on variables such as the ideology and philosophy of such partnerships. Part of the problem with ours was that we had so much work to do; we didn’t even think that we needed to work out a real partnership that would be guided by certain principles. The demand for our work was overwhelming!

Of course, people respect your personal decision to leave elendureports.com, but at the same time they are eager to know what really went wrong between you and Jonathan Elendu? Would you say that elendureports.com compromised the original concept in any way?

Just like I mentioned earlier, there were no original concepts or rules of existence or engagement; we were just two nice guys who met somehow and hit it off quickly. Part of the lessons for others who may take up this type of engagement is to be clear about the concept from inception, draw out a structure and article of engagement based upon certain principles. As I remember, we only agreed to keep faith with the authenticity and credibility of our stories whenever we co-wrote stories; it is not enough to tighten all loose ends!

Do you have friends in government and who are they?

That’s the funniest question I would say; I only know people in government in Nigeria the same way a student would learn about them in a civics class. I have never been to a governor’s office before, never met anyone in the executive arm of the government in Nigeria. As a policy, I don’t attend gatherings where Nigerian government officials gather. Only if there was a protest! I could never pretend that I love characters that put my home country in bondage by wearing my best attire to a reception and act as though I love what they do!

Has President Olusegun Obasanjo or other government officials ever tried to contact you over a story, directly or indirectly?

Until recently, whenever we published stories, I never even had a contact e-mail attached. Jonathan’s contact and office phones are the ones listed on the website. There are a few moves here and there, usually an unsolicited offer to make donations towards our work, that I suspected were attempts at reaching out to me from government quarters. But I am really very quick to rebuff such attempts. I make it clear that I have no interest in working either for Obasanjo or any crook running Nigeria today. But from our sources in Nigeria, we have been regaled by the stories that they are concerned about our activities. I am usually happy when I hear that they ask who those boys are. There was no room in my heart to consider working for any of them. I hate their type of governance with passion.

Have you finally reconciled with Governor Orji Kalu? And what do you think of his 2007 bid for president?

I never had any beef with Governor Orji Kalu. Shortly after he denied the existence of that interview with me, he called me to say some nice things about me and he told me that he believes in what we do, but with a caveat that he wants us to be friends and would like me to get familiar with his campaign for President. I detest politicians, especially Nigerian politicians and I have never thought Orji Kalu to be a principled person. In 2007, I think he will be running for relevance; his presidential bid is of value as long as he is not ignored. In my estimate, I think Governor Orji Kalu is obsessed with publicity to the extent that he will fall sick if he were to open a newspaper in the morning and not find his name!

Are you interested in the 2007 politics? What will you say if you were called upon to serve your people in any capacity?

I have repeatedly said it that I don’t believe in the political process in Nigeria. I am not interested in politics. I am hoping that my future engagements can help clean the augean stable called Nigeria and open the political space for honest people to participate in politics, but not this one! I hate the cliché that people can be invited to serve their fatherland, it gives credence to the belief that the homeland actually belongs to some feudal lords who can call in people to serve at their pleasure. I consider my writings as a considerable amount of service to the Nigerian people. I need to do more!

So after elendureports.com, what next? Any plans to set up your own news agency?

I might set up a news feed kind of website or a blog. Generally, I want to continue to make my writings available in as many media and platforms as possible.

What is your assessment of the Nigerian journalist today?

It is very hard to say. I witnessed the era of journalism when the Nigerian press practically ran Nigeria from their various newsrooms. They made the daily life of Nigerian dictators miserable, even though they controlled NTA, Radio Nigeria and some other government - owned newspapers. They really tried and they worked hard! But the topography of media ownership has altered all that. State governors and other persons own most of the newspapers are active in government. I guess that is the source of the quality of what is in the Nigeria media today. There is an unspoken and unwritten rule that some of the newspapers would not rock the boat of their owners, no matter how interesting or factual a story may be. But I still doff my hat for the average newspaper reporter in Nigeria. They are bearing the torch, but the batteries are really weak!

Have you ever thought about taking your skills back to Nigeria, to work either for the Nigerian government or other communication agencies?

My skills, (if you call them skills) are currently deplored in Nigeria. We write reports that are targeted at Nigeria and Nigerians- both at home and abroad. I will not work for an undemocratic and anti-people government. So, do not expect me to work for government. I will continue to ally with credible communication agencies in Nigeria and in the diaspora with the aim of furthering our aspirations for a fair, just, transparent and equitable Nigeria!

I already work in Nigeria out of the US. My heart and soul is in Nigeria. The only difference is that I don’t get paid for working for Nigeria because I don’t work for the owners of Nigeria (using Seyi Oduyela’s words).

Tell us about the special woman in your life? Or do you think that your tell all brand of writing intimidates women?

If you have a sister, would you ever encourage her to marry me? I will have to check with the special woman in my life if she would like her affairs to be discussed on the Internet. No, I have decided to carry this cross alone, for now. I have a private life and a special someone whom I have decided not to bring into my public life!

How do you relax in your free time?

I don’t really have much free time. I swim during the summer, if I ever have time to do so. I grew up beside a lake; I love water a lot!

Have you ever thought about writing a book about your experiences with your exposé writing, just like Ndaeyo Uko’s satirical book on Babangida’s presidency (Rock n Rule)?

I have a life that pre-dates writing exposé; I have started writing my experiences down gradually. I don’t like to promise to write a book because I don’t want anyone to hold me to that promise, if I don’t do it on time. I would first love to write about my life as a student activist before I write about the things I did as a roadside journalist

One looks at you sometimes and remembers Dele Giwa and his dogged approach to news reporting; something that eventually cost him his life. Are you not afraid for your life?

It will be immodest on my part to accept the Dele Giwa comparison. I am not a journalist of that calibre, and I don’t even consider myself a journalist. This is just a branch of the ministry to shine light on the evil done by our leaders with the hope that more Nigerians can be mobilized to the point of taking collective action. In terms of security, I will say this: there is a point to which you get and you should never have to worry about your security. I have reached that point in my life. So many attempts have been made on my life already; I can conveniently say that everyday of my life is a borrowed day. On this latest trip to Lagos in December 2005, I was held at gunpoint by a bike-robber (Lagos hobbers who operate on Okada motorcycles). I was there in front of him with two of my friends arguing why I won’t be lying down on the street, because he wanted my money, until one of my friends created a distraction that enabled us to escape. This happened to me in full public glare; vehicles were passing by and they watched as we were held up with a silver gun that was conspicuous for all to see. There was streetlight. It was in front of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) near Agidingbi in Ikeja-Lagos. It was less than three minutes from the office of a major newspaper and about 25 yards from a police checkpoint. After we escaped that ordeal, I told myself once again that no one is safe in Nigeria – it doesn’t matter what you do, and such is the life of an average Nigerian citizen. It has no value really; our leaders treat us the same way an armed robber would treat us!

Have you ever been arrested or detained in Nigeria over some of your stories?

I know that we may probably have been arrested or harassed or even killed for every single story we have written. But somehow, they don’t control the media spaces we use. They do threaten us with anonymous phone calls; they threaten to sue us all the time! Once, they broke into my car in Brooklyn, my car windows were smashed. But, I am sure they know that those things don’t mean anything to me. Even, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala (the Minister of Finance) with her Harvard education was threatening us, saying that Nigerian SSS has contacted the FBI because we published her home address in one of our stories. You can bet she would have ordered our detention if we were within her jurisdiction!

Do you have any role models?

I read about role models in primary and secondary schools in civics/history class. In the university, I had to fight each and everyone of them. Part of what needs to change are those ideas of role models. Our history celebrates crooks. We now know better.

Finally, what are your dreams for Nigeria?

People who can’t sleep can’t dream. I would like to see a Nigeria the day after a revolution. Seriously, the world of dreams smacks of certain laziness that makes me think we are still on our knees waiting for answered prayers; it depicts a surreal life of something out of space. Dreams make me think of complacency. You don’t really need to go to sleep to know how you want Nigeria to be!

Copyright© 2004. All Rights Reserved.
Independent Newspapers Limited
Block5, Plot 7D, Wempco Road, Ogba, P.M.B. 21777, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria.
www.independentng.com
e-mail: info@independentng.com

Wed, 28 Dec 2005 03:33:29 GMT

Ladoja must go this week -Adedibu
• No, he must stay, say Ibadan indigenes
From Hammed Bodunrin, Osogbo, and Akeeb Alarape, Ibadan
Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Alhaji Adedibu

Mores Stories on This Section

Ibadan politician, Chief Lamidi Adedibu says that the only solution to the lingering political crisis in Oyo State is the impeachment of Governor Rasheed Ladoja which he said must take place this week.

Adedibu insisted that nothing can stop the ongoing impeachment process as "majority of the lawmakers, all who matter in Oyo State and beyond, commoners and even God are in support of Ladoja's impeachment."

The governor's erstwhile godfather who also declared that President Olusegun Obasanjo was supporting him clarified that, "It is not that Obasanjo is supporting me blindly.He has reasons to support me. He has waded into the crisis several times but Ladoja never honoured any agreement.

There was a time when Obasanjo prostrated for me about six times, begging me. Ladoja is evil. He wants to rubbish me and others who worked for his victory. His impeachment is the only solution. We have many capable hands that can perform wonders in Oyo State."

Ade! dibu who featured on a personalty interview by the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation Monday said that the ongoing face-off was the last battle between him and Ladoja.

Though he did not give details of how the impeachment would be realised,the 14 days notice of impeachment purportedly served the Governor by 18 lawmakers loyal to Adedibu expires on December 28. According to him, some of the sins of the governor was his failure to honour all gentleman agreements entered with him before his election and during his ongoing administration as well as "victimization" of the ex- Oyo State Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (Tokyo).

Adedibu declared that "Tokyo was among those who helped him to become governor. Ladoja has no fear of God. He charged the man with murder and put the man in Agodi prison for over 29 months. He has no evidence against him but Tokyo has appeared in five different courts. If he wants peace, he! should release the man now."

Speaking further, Adedibu said, " God used us to put him there and He will help us to take him out.I regret making Ladoja the governor, by the special grace of God, if the governor is impeached, he would be replaced with a good man that would be loved by all and sundry in the state.
"Impeachment is the only solution to the crisis. We are going to impeach him whether he likes it or not because we don't want him again. We are tired of him and by the grace of God if Ladoja is impeached today, I am in control.

"We don't want him any longer in Oyo State by the grace of God. I installed him there when people opposed him and by the grace of God he would be booted out by me because he has not performed at all since he became the governor of the state."

On the chances of the PDP in 2007 due to the crisis, Adedibu said that, "it is not the party crisis that is rocking the state, but it is the matter of Ladoja and Adedibu, it is Ladoja that people of Oyo State do not want again and not the PDP.
"I am the politics in Oyo State and I am the issue to discuss by all and sundry. Before the election in Oyo State, I was in control of all the political machinery but when Ladoja won the election with my support and that of my machinery, he withdrew the machinery to himself and refused to give them appointment or to compensate them.This is now the time for me to withdraw all the machinery from him and compensate them and this would be done after we might have impeached the governor from office."

"Senator Ladoja is a very lazy man that cannot do anything and God dislikes a lazy person, because of this Ladoja must be removed for God has approved it. I put him there and he is going to be removed for God himself is a God of judgment and Ladoja’s judgment has come and this will lead to his removal. We don't want him in Oyo State and God himself does not want him in the state", Adedibu insisted.

However, groups and notable individuals of Ibadanland have commenced s! ubterranean moves to stall the impeachment of Oyo State governor, Sena tor Rasidi Ladoja.

This is coming at a time the state’s acting Chief Judge, Justice Afolabi Adeniran, says he has received another letter from loyalists of the governor asking him to discountenance the earlier letter calling on him to raise a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct leveled against the governor.
Eighteen of the 32-member State House of Assembly, backed by the embittered godfather of the governor, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, had commenced an impeachment process against the governor on December 13. To stall Ladoja’s removal from office, Daily Sun learnt that meetings were held at the weekend by groups and town clubs on the implication of the impeachment plot.

The groups were said to have considered the fate of Ibadanland if Deputy Governor Christopher Alao – Akala becomes governor in the event of Ladoja’s removal. They also considered chances of an Ibadanman emerging as governor of the state in the 2007, if Ladoja eventually g! oes.

"I think we have all resolved to make the fight not only Ladoja's fight but also that of entire Ibadanland. We came to the realisation that leaving Ladoja to face his ordeal alone in the hands of his so-called godfather and his party would spell doom for the entire city.

"So, we are fighting on. Whether Ladoja has committed an impeachable offence or not is not the issue now. The issue is the interest of Ibadan as a major stakeholder in the state", the source told Daily Sun.
Interestingly, out of the six local government areas in Ibadan, only one of them has been identifying with Adedibu since the rift between him and Ladoja became public knowledge.

Meanwhile, Justice Adeniran has acknowledged the receipt of a letter from the pro-Ladoja lawmakers in the state, led by the Speaker, Hon. Abraham Adeolu Adeleke, urging him to disregard the letter from pro-Adedibu lawmakers as they have no locus standi to impeach the governor.

In a telephone c! hat Monday, the CJ pledged to look at the two letters carefully before
Wednesday when he would make his decision known. The Chief Judge also debunked the alleged plan to abduct him and force him to constitute the panel that would look into the allegations leveled against the governor, saying he was not aware of such plan.

"I don't know anything about the plan to abduct me. Thank you for your concerns", the CJ said.
In a related development, the embattled Speaker, Hon. Abraham Adeolu Adeleke, has flayed the Oyo State Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jonathan Johnson, for his disregard for due process before withdrawing his police orderlies on the eve of Thursday's fracas at the House of Assembly complex.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police had explained that he ordered the withdrawal of the police orderlies in view of a letter written to him by the pro-Adedibu lawmakers that the Speaker had been suspended.
But in a three-page press release Monday, the Speaker accused the police chief of acting out a prepared script by f! ailing to cross-check the veracity of the claim of the pro- Adedibu lawmakers either from him or the Clerk of the House before withdrawing his security personnel.

"There is no doubt that the withdrawal of my aides and the security personnel attached to my official quarters was a way of exposing my life and that of my family to danger. This is a flagrant contravention of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as regard the exalted office of a Speaker of a State House of Assembly", the embattled Speaker stated.

U.S. threatens sanctions

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 03:19:56 GMT

Tuesday 27th December, 2005 HOME | Previous Page

U.S. threatens sanctions

•Obasanjo won’t go for it, says Mbang

By Chinedu Offor

(Washington) and

Stella Odueme (Lagos)

Washington proposes to take several punitive measures against Abuja if President Olusegun Obasanjo seeks a third term.

Tension is growing between the two countries over Nigeria's future leadership.

To cap it, the United States Government is reportedly furious with what State Department officials called "an unwarranted attack on the country with the tacit support of the Nigerian leadership by Presidential Spokesman, Femi Fani Kayode".

He recently rebuked Washington over comments by serving and former administration officials who frown at suggestions of a third term bid by Obasanjo.

Sources confirmed that the government has taken the unusual step of informing members of Congress of a possible leadership problem in Nigeria.

The notice to senior lawmakers of both parties also contained an earlier assessment about the possible disintegration of Nigeria.

"If the present administration seeks to stay in office longer than its current term, the scenario in the assessment could come sooner than expected" senior government officials said.

Measures that could be applied against Nigeria include military, economic and diplomatic.

The U.S is a major supplier of military hardware to Nigerian forces and the administration assists the country in economic policies, such as the recent debt pardon by the Paris Club.

Congressional sources said the U.S supported the debt forgiveness after obtaining assurances from Obasanjo of a smooth hand over to another leader at the expiration of his term.

"The deal was to give a new leadership in Nigeria less economic burden to chart a new course for the country, but all bets will be off if Obasanjo amends the Constitution to prolong his term", said officials.

Reminded that the U.S could be seen to be dabbling in the internal affairs of another nation, one insisted that a leadership crisis in Nigeria could have a "devastating domino effect" on the whole region and would "severely hurt the administration’s goal of encouraging democracy, term limits and good government on the continent".

According to sources the U.S. administration decided to pay closer attention to the "persistent rumours" of a plot to extend the term of office in Nigeria after failing to get a clear denial from Abuja.

Recent reports that 30 governors and several of their state Senate and House of Representatives reportedly signed on for a constitutional amendment for fear of being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also causes anxiety.

"If this story is corroborated, the administration would have no option than to consult with its allies on the need to tell Abuja in clear terms that such an action would not be supported by the international community" American officials said.

But back in Lagos, Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Sunday Mbang, expressed confidence that the President would not go for a third term in 2007.

His words: “People don’t know Obasanjo, that is why they are talking like that. I have known him for long, he is not going for a third term. When he finishes his second term, he is returning to Ota and I am very confident about it”.

He charged Nigerians to embrace the wind of change in the spirit of Christmas to make things better for all, just as Jesus Christ, whose birthday is being celebrated this season, came to make the world a better place.

Nigerians should shun corrupt practices to move the nation forward, Mbang pleaded.

“In spite of so many churches packed full every Sunday and with the huge crusades, corruption, bad habit are everywhere. It looks like Nigerians inside and outside out are dirty.

“Jesus Christ has come once again this Christmas to change lives and I hope that this Christmas, the lives of Nigerians will change. I hope that policemen who have been collecting N20 on the roads would stop taking it, NEPA would give us light and bad roads would be repaired in the New Year so that the lives of Nigerians would change for the better. That is the Christmas message.

“Anybody who collects bribe during the elections in 2007 will die, that is what I asked God to do. That person will die completely, from beginning to end.

“Nobody will rig the elections, nobody will cause confusion in this country, no more strike, everybody will live peacefully in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

Mon, 26 Dec 2005 22:29:01 GMT

THISDAY

Archbishop Challenges Northern Leaders

12.24.2005

Archbishop Peter Jatau of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, has challenged Northern leaders and elite on the problem of begging among northerners.
Jatau wants northern leaders and elite to muster enough political will and courage to take effective measures to reduce begging among northerners.
Jatau threw the challenge in his 2005 Christmas message to the people of Kaduna state and the nation in general.
In the message which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna weekend Jatau lamented that "most of the beggars we have all over Nigeria are from the north"
He attributed the educational backwardness of the north to the deliberate refusal of some state governments in the region to return missionary schools to their rightful owners.
He condemned northern elite for holding the region to ransom, saying that majority of the elite in the north "are selfish, shortsighted, egoistic and unconcerned about the pathetic situation of the masses".
"It is nauseating when some of the elite, the rich and those in the corridors of power in the north speak and sing praises of the late Premier of the northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto", he said.
Jatau described Sardauna as a true leader who was interested in the progress of the north, "especially in the field of western education.
He said that the late Sardauna of Sokoto encouraged all northerners irrespective of tribe and religion to go to school to acquire western education.
"Not too long after the death of the great Sardauna, succeeding northern rulers, and the elite in the corridors of power destroyed his good work by taking over schools run and owned by voluntary agencies due to selfish, unpatriotic, short sightedness and religious bigotry.
"Since then, things have never and will never remain the same as long as we have such people in our midst," he said.
He reminded Christians that Christmas provided them with an opportunity of stocktaking regarding their entire life during the year and make resolutions for the coming year.
"We will do well to heed the advice of the prophet Isah as the most important and effective starting point in any effort to reform our lives.

"Leave doing evil, learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless, and plead for the widow,'' he said, and quoting Isaiah 1:16

Policemen as robbers

Mon, 26 Dec 2005 22:22:57 GMT

Monday, December 26, 2005	Login	Subscribe

O
N
L
I
N
E

Sorry, your browser does not support floating frames


	Towards a better life for the people	DAILY NEWS FROM NIGERIA	Home \| About Us \| Advertising \| Contact

.

EDITORIAL

Policemen as robbers

Posted to the Web: Monday, December 26, 2005

Sorry, your browser does not support floating frames

HOPES of the police arresting the rising crime wave have dimmed with the apprehension of some policemen, who have confessed their roles in armed robberies.

The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, paraded Corporal Mangs of Mopol 21 Squadron, Abuja, who, while in uniform, led two others to rob and kill a man, who offered them a free ride, in Abuja. The target was the victim’s car, which the robbers tried to sell in Sokoto where they were arrested. Another mobile police led an attack on a bank in Abuja. Two constables, Hajji Zakai and Nasir Mohammed, supplied arms and ammunition to robbers.

Nigerians would hardly see any news in these incidents that have blighted the image of the remaining few decent police personnel. The complicity of the police in robberies is not new. In 1987, police officer, Iyamu, was tried and executed in Benin for offering notorious armed robbers protection, supplying them with arms and information on police operations. He ran his operations for years and won awards as a tough crime fighter.

Decades ago, policemen were truly friends to the people. Those days are fading memories. The high-handedness of the police and the open extortion of motorists all over the country have created a chasm between the police and the people. Does it worry Mr. Ehindero that threats of dismissal from the force cannot stop the police from extortion?
The descent of the police to decadent paths was gradual. The authorities have not treated the malaise. If the IG’s explanation is to be taken serious, there is no solution in sight. New entrants to the force from 2000, according to him, were responsible for these shameful acts.

Mr. Ehindero’s assertion is shallow and rather unhelpful. Mr. Iyamu, and others before him, did not join the police in 2000. The President’s approval to recruit 40,000 yearly into the force was in answer to the low number of police personnel. Poor training and the notion that the police can get away with anything, aid the decay in the force.
What is the next step after parading the arrested policemen? It is a long time the public heard of policemen being executed for armed robbery. The stiffest penalty they get for most offences is dismissal from service. Thereafter, they engage in full-time armed robbery.
Nigerians would be interested in seeing justice done to these confessed armed robbers. It is in the interest of the police to make the outcome of their trial public.

Sorry, your browser does not support floating frames