July 2018
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at July 20, 2018 0
*THE TIME IS RIGHT*

The People's Bishop Kenneth Obi

Exactly 20 years ago, Nigeria had an opportunity. The end of military rule was in sight with the death of Sani Abacha, and the time was ripe to fundamentally remake the character of the Nigerian state. Some of those who had fought military rule positioned themselves to take advantage of that opportunity by getting involved in party politics at all levels. But many were ill-equipped to manage Nigeria and her vast resources. Many others, some of whom were this country’s best and brightest, also stayed away, for a variety of reasons including fear for personal and family safety. Others preferred to watch from afar. The Nigeria we have today is a direct descendent of that chaotic period in our history. I was optimistic for Nigeria’s future after Abacha passed and hoped things would work out.

They did not. The optimism that led many to return around 10 years ago, has been replaced with increasing despair. So much so that we are seeing more and more young Nigerians leave for elsewhere through legal and not so legal means. You may know someone who has already done this, or is planning to; risking life and limb in the process, or being sold as slaves.

Who can blame them? There is little to convince anyone that Nigeria values life. If it is not communal clashes, it is tankers and trailers. If it is not malaria, it is cholera, or some other disease long forgotten in much of the world. If it is not armed robbers, it is Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the two.

Another cause for despair was the widespread vote buying that characterised the recent Ekiti elections. People sold their votes for N5,000 or less, and this money, no doubt, came from our public funds. What else could it have been used for? If elections are decided by money to that extent, then it means the thieves win more often than not. It also means that once in office, that ‘investment’ must be paid back somehow. Who pays for it? All of us. We will pay in that hospital not refurbished, those doctors and teachers not paid, those roads not fixed.
However, I still have hope for this country. I still believe that a genuine improvement in the quality of life for the majority is possible, because I have seen it happen with my own eyes elsewhere. Shattered countries like Rwanda stood shakily on their feet and moved forward after the terrors of genocide. Colombia survived 50 years of an insurgency, while simultaneously combating drug related violence in its major cities. There is no challenge that Nigeria is facing now that other nations have not surmounted.

The first step is to believe it is possible, to believe that Nigeria is still worth fighting for. The best time to change this country was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.

Today’s young generation should not make the mistake of staying away from politics. START EARLY. The Not Too Young to Run movement has done well to get the ages for eligibility into public office reduced. It is a small but crucial step, made possible through concerted organisation and advocacy. What needs to happen now is for the lessons from that campaign to be documented and disseminated, as a guide for navigating the politics necessary to make any kind of social change possible in Nigeria.

There are many, many things in our country that need changing, but these changes will not come overnight. They are the result of painstaking work to bring people together, educating them and making them see the gravity of the issues at stake. The civil rights movement in the U.S. to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and many others in between, are the result of hard work done behind the scenes.

The mentality that Bring Back Our Girls and Not Too Young To Run brought to bear on their activism is important. They did not restrict themselves to merely complaining on social media, they organised and lobbied. They didn’t just sit on their hands, hoping the authorities would act. They went out and forced their hand.

Power gives up nothing without demand, that is why for as long as all we do is complain on social media about our leaders, nothing will change. We must demand better. We must demand that Nigerians stop dying needlessly without consequence. We must demand that our government create opportunities for Nigerians to achieve their potential. We must demand an end to the corruption that has retarded our efforts for decades.

These demands can only be met through the ballot box, by electing people with a vision for our country, instead of those who are part of the problem, no matter what name they bear this time around. But we cannot make these choices without being able to vote. How many of us have our PVCs? Do you know that the last date for registration for the elections is August 17th, just over a month from now?

There is no one today who can argue that our government protects the weak from the strong. If anything, the strong are given the freedom to attack the weak, safe in the knowledge that nothing will happen. Hundreds die but it takes days to get a response from the government. Grievous allegations are made, but mum’s the word. Mahatma Gandhi said once that the measure of a society is not in how it treats its strongest, but how it treats its most vulnerable members, those some might call ‘nobodies’. Government is there precisely to protect the weak from the strong.

However, you and I are the only ones who can change this. No one is coming to save us. There are no messiahs or magic wands. Only you and I can make the case daily that things do not have to continue in this direction, that there are alternatives to our current situation and those who led us here.

There is a reason why otherwise well-meaning and accomplished technocrats go into government and leave with their reputations damaged more often than not. It is not that they do not know what needs to be done. They do. The problem is that very often, the priorities of the political leaders are very different from theirs, and politics wins every single time. Politics in Nigeria is bigger than any policy. That is why for any reform to take hold, political will is the be-all and end-all. It does not matter how good the idea is, it doesn’t matter how many lives it can enhance.


It is in our power to change our destiny. It is within our power to write a new chapter in our history. Many are leaving Nigeria because they feel things are hopeless. They read the news and look at their own surroundings and are driven to despair. We must not give in to the cynicism which says that Nigeria is “finished”. It will only be finished if we do not speak up.

Four years ago, a sitting president in Nigeria was voted out of office for the first time. It was unprecedented, because of the power of incumbency and the vast access to resources it confers on the holder of that office. But it happened anyway because enough of us chose not to reward failure. Many thought it would be the start of better governance, but have come away feeling disappointed.

However, we have not yet reached our goal, and so we must not give in to despair. We must draw inspiration from the various countries and social movements within those countries that have taken years to succeed. Our own journey has just begun. If we pull back now, if we give up and go home, we will only surrender to those who think Nigeria is for themselves and their children. Therefore I say: No retreat, no surrender.

There are many who will make the argument that we have to enter into coalitions with other parties to push the current administration out of office. I say no, and that is because these coalitions have many of the same people who have actively destroyed this country. They are only aggrieved only because they are not “chopping” right now. Only a clean break from the people and thinking of the past will produce a different outcome. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic is not good enough.

There will also be those who say that it is not yet time for such talk. They will say that Nigerians are not yet ready for a nationwide issue-based campaign that rejects money politics. They will say that Nigerians only understand appeals to religion and ethnicity, as well as stomach infrastructure. Once again, I disagree.

About two weeks ago, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Nigeria, and one of the things he recalled was how some people told him to ‘wait a little bit’ before pursuing his presidential ambition. He built a party – La Republique en Marché – from nothing to winning a huge majority in the French parliamentary elections in just one year, because they were offered a sharp difference from the existing political establishment in France.

He did not wait for his time, and the rest is history.

And so I say to you all today: It is time. I also say to Nigeria’s failed and recycled politicians: Time’s up.

Citizens for Righteousness and Social Justice is the Best way to Go Raising Anti Corruption Crusaders fighting Injustices in a Violent and Immoral Society of Nigeria for a Better Nigeria come 2019.

For more information: 08038276188, 08033376734, 08038754069 & 07034463316. USA contacts: 6787487829 & 2149005848.

Please forward others, Sharing is Caring for a Better Nigeria 2019.
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at July 16, 2018 0
*POLITICS OF DEMAGOGUERY*

By The People's Bishop Kenneth Obi

Senator Ed Muskie of Maine, United States of America while speaking on a national television the night before the 1970 election, addressed the real choice confronting the voters. According to him, there are only two kinds of politics; politics of fear and the politics of trust.

The first says you are encircled by monstrous dangers. Give us power over your freedom so we may protect you. The other says the world is a baffling and hazardous place, but it can be shaped by the will of men, just cast your vote and trust in the ancient traditions of this home for freedom

A virulent position but then, back home in Nigeria, considering the past political events that unfolded, this table of philosophy can only but elicit legitimate fears for obvious reasons.

Regardless of what others may say, the God of history and of course the vast majority of Nigerians, the real victims of the broken political promises can without labour situate that politics, as played over a decade, has neither tasted the truth nor saved the soul of the country- thereby making demagoguery a native.

wisdom born from experience tells us that demagogues the world over thrives on the ignorance of the people and depend solely on half-truth as a vehicle for actualizing their establishment and consolidate their reign.

In the process, robs the nation of authentic leaders exploits the people’s fears for private political gain while leaving for the masses a forlorn society that neither underwrites social justice nor promotes social mobility; but leads to a systematic dismantling of our socioeconomic system.

Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role that our nation has taken, a role that has made protection of lives and property difficult if not impossible.

As if the weight of the above on the lives and health of Nigerians was not crushing enough, another burden of responsibility was again placed on an already traumatized Nigerians by the Senior Special Adviser to the President, Chief Femi Adesina who against all known logic urged Nigerians to consider forfeiture/donation of their ancestral lands for ranching as they can only have ancestral attachment when they are alive; an outburst Nigerians with discerning minds described as a pragmatic demonstration of demagoguery.

From the analysis of his remark, making such request for a business that is wholly private and unconnected with the public interest, has again postured him and the FG as a group lacking the willingness to secure lives and property. And, not interested in inspiring Nigerians to manage through their fears, but instead, exploits it for selfish political gains.

As an incentive, while Adesina was busy urging Nigerians to relinquish their lands for a private business, Lee Kuan Yew, a former Prime Minister of Singapore left for the world a documented and pragmatic approach used to tackle a similar challenge in his days; an account I consider useful to this discourse.

In his words, ‘I called a meeting and spelt out an action plan to solve this problem. We gave owners of cows a grace period of 31st January 1965, after which all such stray animals will be taken to the slaughterhouses and the meats given to the welfare homes. By the December 1965, we have seized about 53 cows. And very quickly, all cattle disappeared from the streets’

This in my understanding is leadership and a lesson our leaders must draw.

Another indicator supporting the believe in some quarters that the FG may not have exhausted their known strategies in securing lives and property in the country is the supersonic dexterity used for deploying different security personnel’s to Ekiti state for the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state, contentiously fuelled by their burning desire to win the state- a capacity that was conspicuously missing in Plateau state during the herdsmen attack and lately in Adamawa and Sokoto states.

But as this is ongoing, one towering truth we must however not overlook is that these exploitative tendencies of our leaders are interrelated irrespective of party affiliations as the recent activity of the newly formed Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) revealed.

A telling proof to this assertion was the party’s undiplomatic outburst of their intention to wrestle power with the current administration without a word on how to salvage the country or better the lots of the suffering Nigerians forward.

This has caused a great concern among Nigerians and barefacedly portrayed the party as a bunch with inordinate ambition and incurably blind to public opinion with no interest of the people at heart. To CUPP in my views, it is not about the people but about personal aggrandizement and selfishness.

Instructively, this baffling disposition prepares the ground for the ‘leaders’ exercising of power and responsibility not as a trust for the public good, but as an opportunity for private gains.

And further provides the answer as to why the recently published Brooking Institute report on poverty highlighted that in Nigeria, 87million people live in extreme poverty and lack the opportunity to make meaningful choices that will sustainably improve their lives.

As we know, Poverty according to reports has various fallouts; increased insurgency, clashes and struggle for land and other resources, youth restiveness, increasing crime and mortality rate.

Fundamentally, this is the underlying obstacle why the nation cannot accelerate economic growth, make social progress, or collaborate in agriculture – a fact that confirms the abiding fears that the poverty of African leaders certainly does not mean material poverty, but lack of commitment to duty, lack of vision and greediness characterized by corruption.

For us to be lifted from this fear-drenched state, it is imperative that we understand as a nation that earning democracy dividends could be likened to seeking freedom which can never be given voluntarily by the oppressor without a demand by the oppressed.

We have very wholesomely forgotten that ‘the man who creates laws makes an indispensible contribution to the greatness of the nation, but the man who questions power makes a contribution just as indispensible especially when the questioning is uninterested, for it is through this means that we discover if we use power or whether power is using us’.

To play our role fully well, therefore, the only actionable step that is needed from us is the non linear brain power to elect as leaders come 2019 those that can demonstrate passion for their purpose, practice their values consistently and lead with their hearts as well as their head; that will establish a long-term relationship and have the self-discipline to get results.

In the same breadth, we must become politically active; Nigerians must be guided in this direction because we need political strength now than before as most of us have been made too poor to have adequate economic power and others too rejected to be part of the political system.

Indeed, dislodging these demagogues from our nation’s political theatre with our votes come 2019 and have them replaced with the authentic leaders, will be a little action that we can collectively take as a people that will yield a bountiful result for our nation.

Citizens for Righteousness and Social Justice is the Best way to Go Raising Anti Corruption Crusaders fighting Injustices in a Violent and Immoral Society of Nigeria for a Better Nigeria come 2019.

For more information: 08038276188, 08033376734, 08038754069 & 07034463316. USA contacts: 6787487829 & 2149005848.

Please forward others, Sharing is Caring for a Better Nigeria 2019.
Read more »
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at July 16, 2018 0
*POLITICS OF DEMAGOGUERY*

By The People's Bishop Kenneth Obi

Senator Ed Muskie of Maine, United States of America while speaking on a national television the night before the 1970 election, addressed the real choice confronting the voters. According to him, there are only two kinds of politics; politics of fear and the politics of trust.

The first says you are encircled by monstrous dangers. Give us power over your freedom so we may protect you. The other says the world is a baffling and hazardous place, but it can be shaped by the will of men, just cast your vote and trust in the ancient traditions of this home for freedom

A virulent position but then, back home in Nigeria, considering the past political events that unfolded, this table of philosophy can only but elicit legitimate fears for obvious reasons.

Regardless of what others may say, the God of history and of course the vast majority of Nigerians, the real victims of the broken political promises can without labour situate that politics, as played over a decade, has neither tasted the truth nor saved the soul of the country- thereby making demagoguery a native.

wisdom born from experience tells us that demagogues the world over thrives on the ignorance of the people and depend solely on half-truth as a vehicle for actualizing their establishment and consolidate their reign.

In the process, robs the nation of authentic leaders exploits the people’s fears for private political gain while leaving for the masses a forlorn society that neither underwrites social justice nor promotes social mobility; but leads to a systematic dismantling of our socioeconomic system.

Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role that our nation has taken, a role that has made protection of lives and property difficult if not impossible.

As if the weight of the above on the lives and health of Nigerians was not crushing enough, another burden of responsibility was again placed on an already traumatized Nigerians by the Senior Special Adviser to the President, Chief Femi Adesina who against all known logic urged Nigerians to consider forfeiture/donation of their ancestral lands for ranching as they can only have ancestral attachment when they are alive; an outburst Nigerians with discerning minds described as a pragmatic demonstration of demagoguery.

From the analysis of his remark, making such request for a business that is wholly private and unconnected with the public interest, has again postured him and the FG as a group lacking the willingness to secure lives and property. And, not interested in inspiring Nigerians to manage through their fears, but instead, exploits it for selfish political gains.

As an incentive, while Adesina was busy urging Nigerians to relinquish their lands for a private business, Lee Kuan Yew, a former Prime Minister of Singapore left for the world a documented and pragmatic approach used to tackle a similar challenge in his days; an account I consider useful to this discourse.

In his words, ‘I called a meeting and spelt out an action plan to solve this problem. We gave owners of cows a grace period of 31st January 1965, after which all such stray animals will be taken to the slaughterhouses and the meats given to the welfare homes. By the December 1965, we have seized about 53 cows. And very quickly, all cattle disappeared from the streets’

This in my understanding is leadership and a lesson our leaders must draw.

Another indicator supporting the believe in some quarters that the FG may not have exhausted their known strategies in securing lives and property in the country is the supersonic dexterity used for deploying different security personnel’s to Ekiti state for the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state, contentiously fuelled by their burning desire to win the state- a capacity that was conspicuously missing in Plateau state during the herdsmen attack and lately in Adamawa and Sokoto states.

But as this is ongoing, one towering truth we must however not overlook is that these exploitative tendencies of our leaders are interrelated irrespective of party affiliations as the recent activity of the newly formed Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) revealed.

A telling proof to this assertion was the party’s undiplomatic outburst of their intention to wrestle power with the current administration without a word on how to salvage the country or better the lots of the suffering Nigerians forward.

This has caused a great concern among Nigerians and barefacedly portrayed the party as a bunch with inordinate ambition and incurably blind to public opinion with no interest of the people at heart. To CUPP in my views, it is not about the people but about personal aggrandizement and selfishness.

Instructively, this baffling disposition prepares the ground for the ‘leaders’ exercising of power and responsibility not as a trust for the public good, but as an opportunity for private gains.

And further provides the answer as to why the recently published Brooking Institute report on poverty highlighted that in Nigeria, 87million people live in extreme poverty and lack the opportunity to make meaningful choices that will sustainably improve their lives.

As we know, Poverty according to reports has various fallouts; increased insurgency, clashes and struggle for land and other resources, youth restiveness, increasing crime and mortality rate.

Fundamentally, this is the underlying obstacle why the nation cannot accelerate economic growth, make social progress, or collaborate in agriculture – a fact that confirms the abiding fears that the poverty of African leaders certainly does not mean material poverty, but lack of commitment to duty, lack of vision and greediness characterized by corruption.

For us to be lifted from this fear-drenched state, it is imperative that we understand as a nation that earning democracy dividends could be likened to seeking freedom which can never be given voluntarily by the oppressor without a demand by the oppressed.

We have very wholesomely forgotten that ‘the man who creates laws makes an indispensible contribution to the greatness of the nation, but the man who questions power makes a contribution just as indispensible especially when the questioning is uninterested, for it is through this means that we discover if we use power or whether power is using us’.

To play our role fully well, therefore, the only actionable step that is needed from us is the non linear brain power to elect as leaders come 2019 those that can demonstrate passion for their purpose, practice their values consistently and lead with their hearts as well as their head; that will establish a long-term relationship and have the self-discipline to get results.

In the same breadth, we must become politically active; Nigerians must be guided in this direction because we need political strength now than before as most of us have been made too poor to have adequate economic power and others too rejected to be part of the political system.

Indeed, dislodging these demagogues from our nation’s political theatre with our votes come 2019 and have them replaced with the authentic leaders, will be a little action that we can collectively take as a people that will yield a bountiful result for our nation.

Citizens for Righteousness and Social Justice is the Best way to Go Raising Anti Corruption Crusaders fighting Injustices in a Violent and Immoral Society of Nigeria for a Better Nigeria come 2019.

For more information: 08038276188, 08033376734, 08038754069 & 07034463316. USA contacts: 6787487829 & 2149005848.

Please forward others, Sharing is Caring for a Better Nigeria 2019.
Read more »
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at July 16, 2018 0
*A NATION IN GRIEF AND THE NEED FOR RESTRUCTURING*

By The People's Bishop Kenneth Obi

Justice, in the words of Thomas Aquinas, is the act of rendering to each person what is truly his or hers and, comes in two different forms; commutative and distributive.

While commutative justice calls for equality between two persons, distributive justice is concerned with the importance of each individual to the entire society; unfairly favoring of one over another is a fundamental violation of distributive justice.

In reality, Nigerians during the 2018 democracy day celebration received what analysts referred to as a glimpse of retributive justice as the government took steps to right the long-standing injustices done to some Nigerians and on the nation.

But somewhere along the line, that euphoria was again cut short, and justice once more raped by the mindless sack/destruction of a sleepy village in Barkin-Ladi local government Area of Plateau state, leaving the villagers decimated with dozens killed by the herdsmen.

On top of this woes, came the petrol tanker’s inferno in Lagos that claimed several lives and left property worth millions of naira destroyed; developments that have since turned our country to a nation in grief, with the vast majority of Nigerians in their pains and hardship descended into despondency. And the nation greeted with enormous sympathy from the international community.

Regrettably, as the nation deplores these avoidable occurrences, it becomes even more devastating when one recognizes the interrelatedness of these events and their common denominator- our leaders demonstration of power with neither commitment nor love; a state of affairs that is considered bad for morals, and a fault that the Government and the security agencies must share from its guilt.

Irked by these unpleasant realities, the relationship between Nigerians and the government as expected has suffered difficulty as many while reacting to Mr. President ’s visit to Plateau state lamented that what the people need is protection and not visits.

Also supporting the belief that the government may not have performed creditably well in this respect is the strong voice raised by the Afenifere, a Yoruba social-cultural organization.
The Group had in a communiqué among other things stated that ‘they are distressed that the response of President Buhari to the murder of hundreds of ours did not attract any word of sympathy or regrets’.

Expectedly, apart from the event of these past days painting us as a nation with one constitution, but follows different rules, it is also possible to discern three kinds of developments. First, the inability of the FG to prevent or arrest the perpetrators of the nefarious act has lend credence to the earlier claim by the Catholic churches in Nigeria that ‘their recent protest was necessitated by the inability of the government to act on the several verbal and written complaints by the church; with regards to insecurity and bad governance, with others asserting that the president’s silence towards the killings showed that a cow in the estimation of the president has become more valuable than human lives.

Another barefaced truth which stemmed from the above is that the Plateau incident has renewed the call, and underscores the imperativeness of states police as recently mooted by the nation’s Vice President; a call I believe has become not just imperative but eminently desirable.

To illustrate the effectiveness of the above call, Nigerians with critical interest have argued that if the state police had been in place, chances are that these gruesome killings in some sections of the country would have been better managed.

Above all, the event of the past days stands a proof that it will be difficult for this administration to stamp out injustice or live up to good intentions unless it becomes strong and determined enough to deal with all transgressors, and without exception.

But one area of interest to watch is; for us to dispel this atmosphere of violence in this country, we cannot afford to overlook the root cause of these attacks as a random sampling of opinion indicates a rock-solid belief that what is fuelling these hostilities is the FG’s unwillingness to have the nation restructured.

As a believer in the unity of Nigeria, the truth must be told to the effect that the whole gamut of restiveness and resurgence demand for the dissolution of Nigeria’s stem from mindless exclusion, injustice, and economic deprivation.

And, if appeasing the masses is the preoccupation of the Federal government, the template to solve these problems is already there: the Report of the 2014 National Conference. The holistic implementation of that report is germane to the survival of the Nigerians which is right now in its most fragile state since the end of the civil war.

Again, one thing seems to stand-out, the agitations for the death of Nigeria cannot go away when nepotism and sectionalism continue to be evident in the manner of political patronage and distribution of our common patrimony as currently obtained.

What Nigerians are saying in views is that this time is auspicious for the devolution of power, and enthronement of a true fiscal federalism.

To achieve a lasting peace built on justice, therefore, I will graciously urge Mr. President to overcome every temptation and have this nation restructured as Nigerians are committed to peace by any means necessary, but may not be committed to becoming victims of peace.

’The destiny of the ship is not in the harbor but in sailing the high sea’’ and so shall our collective responsibility be, not to destroy this great nation but join hands to nurture and sustain it. If we are able to manage this situation and another social menace effectively and navigate out of dangers of disintegration, it will once again, announce the arrival of a brand new great nation where peace and love shall reign supreme.

But, then, no nation enjoys durable peace without justice and stability, without fairness and equity. To achieve this, we need greater trust in each other and the government on their part must apologize to Nigerians that they have wronged.

Citizens for Righteousness and Social Justice is the Best way to Go Raising Anti Corruption Crusaders fighting Injustices in a Violent and Immoral Society of Nigeria for a Better Nigeria come 2019.

For more information: 08038276188, 08033376734, 08038754069 & 07034463316. USA contacts: 6787487829 & 2149005848.

Please forward others, Sharing is Caring for a Better Nigeria 2019.
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at July 06, 2018 0
*WELL-DONE MR PRESIDENT*

Corrupt politicians and individuals will have a hard time with their loots henceforth as President Buhari in line with its anti-corruption strategy, has declared national emergency on corruption by signing  an executive order into law to ensure that justice is not defeated or compromised by persons involved in a case or complaint of corruption.

The Executive Order No. 6 of 2018, seeks to inter alia restrict dealings in suspicious assets subject to investigation or inquiry bordering on corruption in order to preserve such assets from dissipation, and to deprive alleged criminals of the proceeds of their illicit activities which can otherwise be employed to allure, pervert and/or intimidate the investigative and judicial processes. Or for acts of terrorism, financing of terrorism, kidnapping, sponsorship of ethnic or religious violence, economic sabotage and cases of economic and financial crimes, including acts contributing to the economic adversity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and against the overall interest of justice and the welfare of the Nigerian State.

Indeed, the President has done well. I agree with him that there is a very strong link between corruption, peace and security. The proceeds of corruption had been used to undermine the growth of the economy, and heighten the insecurity in the country.

Without doubt, Corruption is everywhere; at all levels of government, and every stratum of our society. And the fight against corruption would be difficult except institutions, agencies and policies are strengthened.

Above all, individuals ( you and I) must own the fight to reverse the negative culture of pilfering public funds, or risk plunging the country into turmoil.

Let's Join Hands and build a better Nigeria of our dream!

 *The People's Bishop Kenneth Obi*
Chairman, Citizens for Righteousness and Social Justice (CRJ), Imo State Chapter.
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at July 02, 2018 0
*NIGERIA PRISONS: NEED FOR REFORM*

By The People's Bishop Kenneth Obi.

The acceptance of a system that encourages undue delay in the trial of suspects presumed under the law to be innocent until found otherwise by a court of law, is undemocratic.
The worse is the condition of cells which many people have described as eyesore and dehumanizing. It is difficult to point a vivid picture of what is on ground, in respect of Nigerian prisons.

From the experience of many members of the public who have been in court rooms and police stations, one does not require much thinking to know that essential working tools, facilities, especially accommodation are lacking or grossly in short supply where they exist. These problems have brought to the fore a number of unpleasant consequences. Notable in this regard is the practice of remanding hardened criminals in the same cells with first offenders. It is like the saying that when a cow is masticating the cud, the calf is watching with keen interest and rapt attention. In the same vein, the first offenders could take offensive lessons knowingly or otherwise from the brigands who are full of new and old tricks in criminality. Unfortunately, by the time the unsuspecting innocent inmate is discharged, he or she has become a changed person for the worse.
Quite sadly, the family and society are to bear the brunt as the number of undesirable and anti-social elements grow in their leaps and bounds.

In more civilized and modern trends advocated by experts in criminology, psychology and jurisprudence, these abnormalities and irregularities are outdated. A solution to this is that, the prison should no longer be regarded as a place of punishment or torture chamber. In contrast, it should be planned and managed as centre for mental, moral, personnel, spiritual and psychological reformation, re-orientation and redemption of prisoners and criminals generally. Besides, prisons, more than anything else, should be refocused, re-cultured, so that in the process, good morals could be inculcated into the bad elements within the society.

Therefore, rehabilitation and re-integration programmes should be considered with relevant skills such as crafts, vocations, handicraft and elementary technology imparted on the prison inmates. The rationale is that by the time the ex-convicts get back home, they are no longer societal liabilities which they were. They will not only be useful and economically viable, but would also be seen to be so. This is the most reliable way of re-integrating them into the society. The chances are that, without good rehabilitation and skills acquired, an ex-convict may once more relapse into his or her ignoble past and rejoin his or her peers or gangs. In that case, vicious cycle will be put into motion as he is again caught and sent back to prison where he or she is labeled “jail bird”.

For prison reforms to be given a human face and meaningful approach, the periodical visits of Chief Judges to prisons during which jail deliveries are made, becomes instructive. It has to be suggested that these visits be made much more regular and purposeful.
On such occasions, consideration should be extended to more prisoners in such categories as feeble and frail aged, too sickly and capable of spreading disease, pregnant and nursing mothers etc. It is instructive to know that prolonged detention without trial or bail is itself an injustice and should be discouraged.
Also of importance in prison reform is the constitutional prerogative of mercy granted the president and state governors. Both the president and governors need to constitute committees charged with responsibility to advise them on the details, procedures and implication of this constitutional obligation. Such committees owe a sacred duty to the nation, vis-à-vis, the carriage of justice, the rule of law and the fundamental human  of citizens.

On the other hand, religious organisations also have a role to play in the spiritual welfare of our prison inmates. I challenge the men of God in Nigeria to make prison visitation one of the core objectives of their ministries. That way, righteousness and social justice will thrive in Nigeria.

Citizens for Righteousness and Social Justice is the Best way to Go Raising Anti Corruption Crusaders fighting Injustices in a Violent and Immoral Society of Nigeria for a Better Nigeria come 2019.

For more information: 08038276188, 08033376734, 08038754069 & 07034463316. USA contacts: 6787487829 & 2149005848.

Please forward others, Sharing is Caring for a Better Nigeria 2019.
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at July 02, 2018 0
Another Bombardment to d Nigeria state by fearless Catholic Clergy Bishop Matthew Kukah. . Pls hear him--

From Bishop Matthew Kukah

Anyone who thinks the Biafra agitation is a nuisance and irritating should know that it is not the collective aspiration of all Igbos but especially that no one has the monopoly of nusinace. Nuisance begets nuisance. When you stay with potash loaders you too will share in their dusty hair. It is in this country that the same standards are not held against all. Some can get away with anything but others cannot get away with something. I shudder at those who blame the agitators for agitating. Everyone knows what is good for them. If you don't know what is good for you then shut up and don't obstruct those who know what is good for them. If I have my way I will cease to be a Nigerian because there is no sense of nationhood. Those who have leverage over others use it to oppress them. Otherwise how can you explain the audacious impunity of a certain section of this country. They can intimidate everybody even a sitting president and get away with it. When GEJ was president he was literally harassed by this same people until they sent him packing and we thought they will be appeased. But a las we were mistaken!

Now how do I love a country where a murderous terrorist group like the herdsmen acclaimed even internationally as deadly is being openly defended by a govt. that wants my loyalty. Do you know as  I make this comment, a first class Chief of Bokkos LGA in plateau state was murdered by a certain group of Fulanis almost a year now and no one has been arrested not to talk of prosecution; there are many villagers in my parish who cannot go to farm again  except to farm their backyard because their farms have been forcefully annexed by their Fulani murderers; that in Bokkos a wife and a daughter can be taken away right before her husband or father and be repeatedly raped then released at the convenience of the barbaric Fulani tribesmen and no one dares talk; police will advise you to go and settle the matter through dialogue? I want independence from a country where terrorists are embraced and agitators are terrorized.

At the slightest excitement Hausa or Fulani man can kill you and get away with it; it has happened and continues to happen but when you gear up to defend yourself because security will not, then you are caught by the same security who will lecture you on how to be peaceful and law abiding. This country will end unless there is justice for all. Rubbish! I hate the lie that Nigeria is. Let's say the truth and die but it is what will set us free. Nigeria is negotiable to me the oppressed even if it's not to the oppressor and that is normal.
"The only right Nigerians concede to you is the right to agree with them" -  Bishop Kukah
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