Sahara Reporters Latest News Sunday 13th January 2019

Sahara Reporters Latest News Sunday 13th January 2019

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 13/01/19

target=_blank>South-South Governors Call Emergency Meeting To Discuss Impending Trial Of CJN Onnoghen

The South South Governors’ Forum has scheduled an emergency meeting for Sunday to discuss the impending trial of Walter Onnnoghen, the Chief Justice of the Federation for alleged corruption and false assets declaration.
A statement by Fidelis Soriwei, the Special Adviser on Media Relations to the Governor of Bayelsa State, stated that the security of the Niger Delta, during and after the election, plus the issue of derivation, would also be discussed.
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) had filed corruption-related charges against Justice Walter Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. The charges are based on fraudulent declaration of assets, and the trial is set to begin on Monday.

target=_blank>Stomach Infrastructure As A Political Tool In Nigeria By Muhammed Adoke

…Stepping out of the vehicle was a delight. I looked at my wrist watch and the time clocked 1:15pm. I walked towards the gathering of mothers in their multitude and noticed how they relish behaving like children when they are among their folks. That sense of familiarity makes even the strictest of all mothers to act childishly in the midst of her contemporaries.
“My own nkor?”
“U never give me o!”
“What of my neighbour own?” The noise was too much that no one seemed to be hearing what the other was saying. The distributors were in uniformed blue face cap, white polo T-Shirt and black trousers. They were two women and a young man. They gave orders and commanded respects, amid awe and admiration from the recipients. They must be persons well ‘connected’ to the Ogas at the top. In a critical period like this, getting an appointment to be in charge of food and other relief materials is the nicest of all white-collar jobs. Such job is a sure licence to not die of hunger. I looked around turning my head from one side to the other, and almost twisting it in order to know whether or not any significant changes had taken place during my absence.
Going back to the handout, I remembered that some years before, these hardworking women of my beloved community used to be timid when it came to jostling for material things in the public. Then, it was perceived an insult to motherhood. Why, have things changed so fast? Why?
In the middle of the crowd, I could recognize the head teacher of my former primary school, shouting back at one of the women who had accused her of collecting twice. I felt disappointed and at the same time sad that she has come down to this. That was a woman who ought to be living well on her pension after over thirty years of serving her country. In a sane society, the retired head teacher would not be there arguing about her share in such a gathering. My heart bled. I walked briskly backwards to the direction of my mother’s house.
At the centre of the Village Square is situated an aged long statue of a woman in her prime. It was said that she used to dance to the sound of thunder and lightning. Her name is Mother Iya.
Folklore has it that in those days she lived underground as a spirit and showed up when thunder and lightning struck. It is also said that whenever she was in dancing posture, whoever sought favour from her would have success. Nowadays, it is said that the activities of religious fanatics have desecrated our lands and forced Mother Iya out of the community. For many years, so many sacrifices have been performed to appease Her, but, Mother Iya has refused to return. Still, every generation is advised to keep hope alive for, someday, Mother Iya will reappear and dance the dance of Blessings and Favours to the people.
I walked towards Mother Iya, determined to ask Her some questions which I believed she would have answers. She always does. Getting closer to the statue, I heard “Dada”, called in a mellowed female voice. I wondered who the caller might be. “Who is this person, a woman that could recognize me from my back despite my long absence from this land? The voice did have a close resemblance to that of my mother. “No! I was certain it could not be her’s. My mother would not be in such a gathering” I said to myself with a high degree of certainty.
“Dada, is that you?” the voice sounded again and sounded familiar to me. I turned round to see who it was that called me.
“Onyamioo, oh, nyehi Onyiam” (My mother, oh I’m back, I said.) I sprang on her in a solemn embrace. She was full of joy.
“You’ve grown into a man! Look at your moustache?” She said and hugged me.
“I’ve missed you so much” I told her.
“Tah! If you truly missed me, you wouldn’t have stayed so long before you pay me a visit…” she said, and was sombre. I felt she missed me just like I missed her.
“I’m sorry mother; you know how busy we are at school. I hardly have time for myself…” I explained. She became cheerful. She gazed at me for a couple of minutes, studying me so as to be sure that ‘she is with whom she thought she is with; that is ‘Dada’!
“What’s that you are holding?” I asked, looking at the polythene bag that her right hand was carrying.
“Oh! You mean this? It’s my share….” She said dismissively.
“What share?”
“My share of the National cake; so they said….” She smiled and her beautiful gum glittered. She looked younger than she was when I saw her last time.
“What’s in the bag? And from who?” I wanted to know more.
“Rice and salt, from these party people” she answered shyly.
I frowned and felt a bit heartbroken. Mother knows how much I detest seeing people collecting gifts from politicians. It is like the people are being bribed.
“Do you really have to collect it?” I asked.
“I did that because they told us it is for everybody. Moreover, if I refuse it, other people will see me as an oddity and might think something is wrong with me!” She lamented.“How many cups of rice are there?’’
“Five cups of rice plus a sachet of Dangote salt….” She revealed. “I’m sorry son….” She added.
“You don’t have to appologize to me, mother. You only did what a lot of women in the village did. Look at the crowd! But next time, always search your conscience…” I said and then added: “Do you really want to vote for the man who brought these gifts?”
Nigerian politicians always have their blatant ways of influencing the hearts of even the most complicated Nigerian. But what hurts me most is that Nigerian politicians think that individual handouts of salt and garri can compensate for unfulfilled promises on good roads, unbroken supply of electricity and water and provision of good health Care system; and education available and accessible to all. The Nigerian politicians don’t think highly of the electorates, that’s why they offer them ‘pieces of fish’ instead of showing them how to fish for themselves, as a Chinese proverb says.
Comrade Muhammed Adoke is a social commentator and activist who schools at University of Abuja. He is the author of the novel, ‘MY JOURNEY TO MOTHER IYA’. He’s also a Media Assistant at Northern Nigeria Initiative For Peace, Unity and Development (Northernnipudev). Email: muhammedjamiuadoke@gmail.com Phone: +234-706-681-7091

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E2%80%99t-know-timothy-ola-bamgboye target=_blank>Legal Practitioners In A Militarized Democracy And What I Don’t Know By Timothy Ola Bamgboye

I honestly don’t know why any legal practitioner would vote the ruling party in the coming election, or propagate the bad news of Next Level despite the brazen disregard of this Government for all known tenets of democratic rule.
While the right to vote may be every adult’s inalienable right that he may exercise as He deems fit, I do not know how a legal practitioner would ever forget his moral responsibility to be the conscience of the society and be the vanguard of democratic ethos.
I do not know why any legal practitioner will hail this Government when its Head could assault their sensibilities at their single largest Assembly with the notion that the rule of law should be subservient to national security. Knowing that the implication of this is that this Government is determined to fuse both judicial and executive powers and arrogate same to itself, I do not know why any legal practitioner would applaud this Government for such acts of brigandage.
I honestly do not know why any legal practitioner would vote this Government to power or propagate the bad news of Next Level while Sambo Dasuki and El Zakzaky rot in jail despite multiple Court orders admitting them to bail.
I do not know why lawyers would drum support for the return of this Government to power while Deji Adeyanju who had been acquitted of a charge is unconstitutionally detained for the same offence.
I do not know.
I do not know if these lawyers missed the classes on Rule of Law as espoused by A.V. Dicey and co or Separation of Powers as explained by philosophers like Baron de Montesquieu. Or do they think the essence of lawyering in a democracy is not altogether lost if these twin pillars are broken and dismantled like this Government currently audaciously does?
I do not know if they know the characteristics of a fascist, dictatorial, or totalitarian government and if they think these do not define this Government, despite its disguised, democratic costume.
I honestly do not know why a professor of Law still remains Vice President in a militarized democracy, and is leading the campaign for the return of his Government, apparently to continue its assault on democracy. I do not know why the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation would escape being stripped of his Silk or summarily disciplined for not turning in his resignation in the face of the constant disregard for court orders and ridicule of the judiciary.
I do not know why a Senior Advocate is the one championing the re-election bid of a party with a Government that openly triffles with due process, rule of law, and all the trappings of a democracy.
I do not know of any just cause why every single lawyer in Nigeria today would not vote against the ruling party in protest and exhort others to do the same.
But what do I know?

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Timothy Ola Bamgboye

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target=_blank>Nigeria’s Chief Justice Onnoghen To Face Corruption, Assets Declaration Charges

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has filed corruption-related charges against Justice Walter Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The charges were based on fraudulent declaration of assets, and the trial is set to begin on January 14, 2019.
According to a statement by the CCT, the trial would take place at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The statement read: “Service of summons has been effected to the defendant. The three-man panel led by Justice Danladi Y. Umar, will commence the trial on Monday, 14th January, 2019 at its courtroom, situated at the headquarters, along Jabi Daki biyu, Saloman Lar way, Abuja, at about 10:00am.
“The application was filed yesterday by the operatives of CCB, dated 11st January, 2019 and signed by Musa Ibrahim Usman (Esq) and Fatima Danjuma Ali (Esq), containing 6 count charges all bothers on non declaration of asset.”
The six-count charge document, dated January 10, 2019 and signed on Janauary 11, 2019, listed offences against the judge, among which were his “failure to declare and submit a written declaration of all your assets and liabilities within the prescribed period of three (3) months after being sworn in as the justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the 8th day of June 2005 and you hereby contravened the provisions of section 15(1) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap c15 LFN 2004 and punishable under section 23(2) a, b and c of the same Act”.
Onnoghen was also accused of failing to declare domiciliary US Dollar account, a domiciliary Euro account, a domiciliary (Pound Sterling) account, an e-saver savings (Naira) account and a Naira account, all maintained with Standard Chartered Bank (Nig.) Ltd in Abuja.
A civil society group, the Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI), had petitioned the CCB, in a document dated January 7, 2019, accusing Onnoghen of owning “sundry accounts primarily funded through cash deposits made by himself up to as recently as 10th August 2016 which appear to have been run in a manner inconsistent with financial transparency and the code of conduct for public officials”.
According to the petition, Onnoghen was alleged to have made five different cash deposits of $10,000 each on March 8, 2011, into Standard Chartered Bank Account 1062650; two separate cash deposits of $5000 each followed by four cash deposits of $10,000 each on June 7, 2011; another set of five separate cash deposits of $10,000 each on June 27, 2011, and four more cash deposits of $10,000 each the following day.
Onnoghen was also accused of not declaring his assets immediately after taking office, contrary to section 15 (1) of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, as well as not complying with with the constitutional requirements for public servants to declare their assets every four years during their career.

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target=_blank>After Refusing To Enter DSS Medical Facility, Police Move Melaye To SARS Office

Dino Melaye at the Police Hospital, Abuja, on January 4, 2019.

Officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have taken Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West District at the National Assembly, to the office of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) in Abuja.
Melaye was moved from the Police Hospital in Abuja to a medical facility at the Department of State Security Services (DSS) on Friday. The lawmaker, however, refused to enter the building and passed the night on the floor.
According to a source, he was taken by armed policemen to the F-SARS office in Guzape District, Abuja.
The source, however, refused to disclose the next line of action on the lawmaker.

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target=_blank>Months After Describing Him As ‘Dictator’, Yari Rushes To Greet Oshiomhole At Abuja Airport

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was reunited with the Abdulaziz Yari, Governor of Zamfara State, on Friday, as the duo shook hands at an airport in Abuja.
Yari had threatened fire and brimstone when he told the members of National Working Committee (NWC) of the party who were sent to Zamfara State to conduct the primaries that he could not guarantee their safety.
In October, he had called on his supporters to protest against the primaries, stating that: “Our issue is with the national secretariat of APC where Adams Oshiomhole continues to be a dictator to party members; he acts as a mini-god”.
The event took place at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, as they prepared to embark on different journeys.
It was gathered that while Oshiomhole was waiting at the VIP lounge for his flight, the Governor heard that the National Chairman was around, and quickly rushed to meet him.
They were said to have had a brief chat, before parting ways. People in the vicinity of the airport were said to have been surprised by the development.
When they wanted to take photographs, Senator Adamu Aliero took position in the middle.
This is the first time the duo will be seen to have mended fences, after the conduct of the controversial APC primary elections in Zamfara State.

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target=_blank>Melaye Passes Night On The Floor At DSS Medical Facility In Abuja

Dino Melaye on Saturday morning at the DSS medical facility.

As the drama between the Police and Senator Dino Melaye continues, the lawmaker is said to have passed the night on the floor outside the building housing the Department of State Security Services (DSS) medical facility in Abuja.
Melaye was whisked away from the Police Hospital in Abuja on Friday afternoon and brought to the DSS facility.

target=_blank>Atiku Denied Lagos When Approached Over Seized State Allocation, Says Tinubu

Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and co-chairman of the APC Campaign Council, has disclosed that Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), abandoned the state when he was approached over allocation of the state seized by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when the duo were in power.
Tinubu said this when he received Yoruba traditional rulers in Abuja, on Friday.
Tinubu claimed that Atiku, who was the vice-president to former President Obasanjo, did nothing when N250million was reduced from the state’s allocation when he (Tinubu) was the governor of Lagos State.
“Atiku was vice-president of this country when the local government allocation for Lagos State was seized. When we led a protest to Atiku then, he said go away, go and comply.
“They were taking away N250million from our allocation every month for being innovative and creative. Everywhere we turn, they rejected us and punished us. But we never gave up,” he said.
Tinubu lauded the royal fathers for suppoting Buhari, stating that: “Thank you for not looking back. Thank you for visiting and encouraging him. I am very happy and proud of the very promising situation. When you have the endorsement of your royal fathers, it means you have the people with you and the voice of the people is the voice of God. I am elated.”
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, who led the kings promised that the kings would work towards ensuring that the forthcoming elections were devoid of violence.
“My message to Nigerians at this time of election is peace, peace and peaceful coexistence all the way. The power of every Nigerian and every electorate lies in the thumb. As traditional rulers, we are fathers to all and in playing that role, we pray that there should be peace in this country,” he said.

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target=_blank>MASSOB: Our Members Will Not Boycott 2019 Elections

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) says its members will participate in the general election.
This formed part of the resolutions after the group’s National Executive Council meeting in Enugu on Friday.
A communiqué issued by its spokesperson, Samuel Edeson, after the meeting noted that the group would not stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting elections in the region.
While recognising the freedom of choice of other Biafran groups, the communique read: “Other pro-Biafra groups that planned to boycott the elections are entitled to stay at home during elections days. We declare that this year’s general election in Nigeria will not be stopped or boycotted in Biafra land.
“Our people that still believe in the Nigerian project are free to participate in the electoral processes of Nigeria, including this year, as we will allow INEC to conduct elections in Biafra land.
“MASSOB, having realised that Biafrans cannot forcefully impose our desirable interest on the people of Nigeria, also having understood the principles of non-violence, unanimously agreed and resolved that the Nigerian state will independently and internally observe and conduct their political exercises, including general election.
“Nigeria elections will come and go. Irrespective of whoever wins in both national and state elections, we must continue with the Biafra project of actualisation, irrespective of both internal and external distraction.”

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Talk By Falz: A Review

“Music is the weapon of the future”- Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Music has been one of the archives where humanity stores what is happening to her at a particular period. Going through songs that were recorded several years ago, one finds that particular songs refer to events that were ongoing at that particular time or even before the time of the composition. Ranging from Peter Tosh’s Equal Rights to Fela’s Beast of No Nations to Bob Marley’s Redemption Song to several other musicians who reigned in the past, one always finds that the musicians drew inspiration from their immediate environment and the conditions of that environment to make the music.
Folarin Falana aka Falz has shown just this sort of musical activism with several of his songs especially Child of the World which discusses sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS stigmatisation, This is Nigeria(which of course generated an invisible court action from Muslim Rights Concern agency MURIC) and the present rave of the moment- Talk.
Folarin lives up to his family tradition of activism by being a socially conscious activist whose songs discuss social ills and revoke memories of Fela’s daring. Talk seems like a follow-up to This is Nigeria. It is amazing how the combined length of both songs do not exceed 6 minutes and yet they have critically raised issues that have taken several pages of books from separate authors on the Nigerian topic.
In the 6 minutes of both works, Falz raises what it would take a journalist several opinion pieces to do same. It is the power of the musician to be able to do so much with so little time. Little wonder why Fela described music as the weapon of the future.
The song follows the talk-talk chorus style of Fela. “Anything I talk make you talk am again” is similar to how Fela used to request that the audience do a call-and-response repeating certain words to sing along to the song. This style strives towards participation and mass involvement in decrying the national condition.
At the start of the song, Falz continues from the controversy of religious pundits on his use of hijab to reflect the condition of ladies captured by Boko Haram. He throws the first ‘yab’ in the song at MURIC wondering why they did not make any court appearance despite so much threats and media noise.
He refers in the next line to the election and says “election don dey come dem go need your support“. The campaigns for the 2019 election are in full swing and one understands that this is a warning against electoral violence. Dem go need your support. (Would you offer it?) He introduces the electoral aspect of it very early because the rest of the complains in the song can be addressed by voting the right persons in elections.
Falz moves on to the issue of yahoo boys. Falz has been very vocal on the issue of internet fraud. He again refers to the recent arrest of suspected yahoo boys in a popular club in Lagos. “Since EFCC bust in, we no Dey see you for club/ And you get legit work Na wetin you talk”. The menace has become very rife of late with increased crime to go alongside it.
“4 year tenure, 3 year holiday” is an obvious reference to the medical tourism that has continued over Nigeria with several politicians flying out of the country to treat themselves and for other reasons that remain undisclosed. This menace was condemned in the song with this line.
“Our senator don dey fight Kung Fu again/Shey dem never tire dem wan continue the race? We buy your story but dem no give us change”. These lines reflect the degradation of Nigeria’a National Assembly into a fighting ground. It goes on to throw a subtle pass at the Presidency asking if at the present age, he is not tired to continue the race. “We buy your story but you no give us change” is a subtle pass at the APC which is the ruling party. Having received their mandate, the “change” slogan of their campaign is invisible.
“Month don end Oga pay salary/ In 2019, 19800 alawe/ Instead make you talk you dey find Alhaji”. He refers here to the minimum wage tussle and how workers have not gotten their payment in several states despite their work. For some, they still receive modulated salaries. He also lends his voice to the increment of the minimum wage and claims it is in appropriate for 2019. He decries commercial s** work among ladies too, an area where he has shown interest often in other songs like Child of the World.
“3 private jets you say you buy am for church/ but your congregation no Dey follow fly am of course/why your people still dey carry carry eye for someone/ shey I no be person cause no be your tribe I come from?”
Falana would not end the song without taking a swipe at Pastors at least having introduced the song with MURIC. He is just being fair. He decries the purchase of several private jets in the name of the church and other assets such as Univeristies and costly schools that the children of the poor cannot attend or even members of the congregation. It is wonder why church funds then provide services for corrupt people and a few that made the wealth through clean means.
He addresses tribalism too and pushes humanism instead of the tribal inclinations of Nigerians. He implies that being human is worthy of more consideration than belonging to any particular church.
“Small man thief for market we set fire for him Body/ big man thief money we dey hail am like dummy/ we dey suffer we dey smile, we dey fear to talk/ my people no get chop/ my people no get work/ these days we no know if authority Dey for office cus the yawa wey we see no be security wey you promise/ and the cup e don full/ we don tire for all the rubbish and the punishment/ Na me talk am o!”
Fela discusses the menace of setting fire on poor petty thieves in his song ITT and other interviews claiming that those who should be burnt are the thieves in power. Falz goes on to decry the fear of Nigerians and says we suffer and smile. An allusion to Fela’a Shuffering and Smiling. He decries the rate of unemployment too and finally laments on security.
At the tail end of the song, Falz makes a reference to revolution. He claims the cup is full which of course means the suffering of the people has come to a brim. He claims the people are tired of this condition. Then he owns up to the earlier lyrics which up till then had been “Na you talk am o/ no be me talk am o”.
He rounds it up by stating clearly.
Na me talk am o!
This is a song that will be relevant in several years to come.Koye-Ladele Mofehintoluwa is a student of the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University. He has a passion for activism and human rights. He is a frequent opinion writer with reputable print and online media. He can be contacted on koyetolu@gmail.com.

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Sahara Reporters Latest News Sunday 13th January 2019

Sahara Reporters Latest News Sunday 13th January 2019

target=_blank>South-South Governors Call Emergency Meeting To Discuss Impending Trial Of CJN Onnoghen

target=_blank>Stomach Infrastructure As A Political Tool In Nigeria By Muhammed Adoke

E2%80%99t-know-timothy-ola-bamgboye target=_blank>Legal Practitioners In A Militarized Democracy And What I Don’t Know By Timothy Ola Bamgboye

target=_blank>Nigeria’s Chief Justice Onnoghen To Face Corruption, Assets Declaration Charges

target=_blank>After Refusing To Enter DSS Medical Facility, Police Move Melaye To SARS Office

target=_blank>Months After Describing Him As ‘Dictator’, Yari Rushes To Greet Oshiomhole At Abuja Airport

target=_blank>Melaye Passes Night On The Floor At DSS Medical Facility In Abuja

target=_blank>Atiku Denied Lagos When Approached Over Seized State Allocation, Says Tinubu

target=_blank>MASSOB: Our Members Will Not Boycott 2019 Elections

Talk By Falz: A Review