Letter to a Nigerian Militant

My Dear Militant, the major security problem that is shaking Nigerian Nation today,is the series of Nigerians and foreign oil workers that you kidnap daily as well as the series of attacks on oil facilities by you, Militant of the Niger Delta.

I guess that you must be feeling quite happy these days with so many people all over the world trying to find out why you took to Arms struggle. The World is asking why you chose to be Militant. Is it poor family background, is it economic hardship or political motivation or you just want to be called ‘Hardman’.

Some say you are fighting for a greater share of our region’s oil wealth which may have largely bypass you and ended up in the pockets of Corrupt Politicians. However, we can see that what may have been a political motivated protest has degenerated into extortion and crime. Read more

Peter Odili Dazzles at TRC

 Sir Peter Odili, one time governor of Rivers State 1999-2007, made himself available to adopt the written submission by his Counsel Ifedayo Adedipe SAN to the Justice Eso led Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The RTC had to relocate to Abuja, to enable Sir Odili and Sekibo to testify. The duo had cited security reasons for their inability to attend the sitting of the TRC in Port Harcourt.

Earlier testifiers, had insinuated that Sir Peter Odili was responsible for the death, of Harry Marshal and Chief A.K. Dikibo. The weightiest of these testifiers, is Asari Dokubo. Asari Dokubo, was the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Front, the forerunner of Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND). Asari after a long sojourn awaiting trial, claims he is born again and have shunned violence.

While he reigned, he was a terror and the twin names of Asari and Ateke Tom is synonymous to evil in the creeks of the Niger Delta.

According to Sir Peter Odili, he first met the duo of Asari and Ateke on October 1^st 2004 at the Presidential Villa, after he was summoned by the then president. Odili denied belonging and sponsoring any cult group and challenged anybody with contrary evidence to step forward.

According to Odili, there was an apex group made up of 16 members, which included Rotimi Ameachi the present governor; Celestine Omehia; the two past PDP chairmen of the state. Each had a free hand to control any organization that was used in his area to mobilize for PDP.

Sir Peter Odili, swearing in the name of God, denied any knowledge of the death of both Harry Marshal and Dikibo. In Asari’s testimony reported in National dailies, Asari said he was told that Odili was responsible for the death. Asari’s testimony was based on hear say and Asari’s believe. Asari never made known the names of those from whom he heard that Odili was responsible for the death.

Odili, also threw an open challenge to the whole world to come up with evidence of embezzlement by him or his administration.

In a rapid departure from the testimony, Sir Odili indicted the Chairman of the commission of bias, rhetorically asking if he can get justice from a panel headed by Justice Eso. This indictment was a reference to the opening speech of Justice Eso to the effect that he used the instrumentalities of the law to frustrate prosecution.

In response to questions from the counsel to the TRC Chima Bovis, Odili reasserted that there was no need to use cultists in the 2003 election as there was no credible opposition in Rivers State.

Throughout the lengthy denial, Odili appeared well schooled in the act of cross examination and made a mice meat of the accusations. Sir Peter Odili’s wife, Mary Odili, is a Justice of the Court of Appeal Abuja division.  

 

 

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HALF SCALE JUDGMENT!

The air wave is saturated with the news of the removal of Governor Celestine Omehia of

Rivers State. Yours truly is also glad but beyond the first flash of emotional ecstasy, one is forced to read deep and evaluate.

The second leg of the judgment is one I have found hard to swallow. What are the bases under which the Supreme Court imposed Ex Speaker Rotimi Amechi as governor of

Rivers State?

Rotimi Amechi, did not contest the April general election. All he did was contest the PDP primaries, which the Supreme Court was right to declare him the rightful PDP candidate for the election.

As a result of the infighting in PDP, they fielded another candidate who did contest and “won” in the person of Celestine Omehia.

The questions arising from the imposition of Rotimi Amechi are these; is PDP primaries synonymous to general election? Can the Supreme Court declare a candidate who did not contest an election the winner? What are the fates of the petitioners against the election of Celestine Omehia?

The Supreme Court has given January 2008 as date to give reason(s) for their judgment but before then, these issues have to be examined.

Rotimi Amechi, did not contest the gubernatorial election in

Rivers State and it is a trite position of the electoral Act that a candidate must be sponsored by a political party. The voting /electioneering process in

Nigeria is based on individual/party affiliation. No individual goes to the polls without the backing of a party, same applies to a party. So what is the base of Supreme Court to award PDP’s victory to Rotimi Amechi?

Some electorates wouldn’t have voted PDP had Rotimi Amechi been the flag bearer at the April polls. This would have swelled the votes of other political parties in the election and may have tilted the scale of victory in favour of AC, ANPP, Labour and other social clubs, masquerading as political parties that contested the election.

This is the case in

Imo State, a PDP incumbent State that lost to an unknown PPA. The Imo PDP, encouraged their party members to vote against PDP instead of allowing Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, a Supreme Court imposed candidate on PDP to win. With hindsight on Nigerian political godfatherism, one can say that Amechi/PDP would have lost the April guber elections and Rivers PDP would have formed a new alliance with any party who sure would have won.

This Supreme Court judgment has robbed other candidates their rights and Supreme Court being next to God, to who do these aggrieved candidates appeal to? Or hasRotimi Amechi gone to heaven through the back door.

One would have thought that the example set in

Kebbi State, would have been give a seal of approval by the Supreme Court. Though I disagree with the

Kebbi State ruling. If a student gets first position in class by reason of fraud, cheating or undue influence, the natural thing to do, is to strip the cheat of the victory and elevate the 2^nd position to 1^st. The Olympic Games did this in the case of Ben Jonson and added to the gold medals of Carl Lewis.

The aggrieved candidates should commence a fresh suit against Rotimi Amechi at the tribunal and contest that he didn’t contest election and therefore should be removed as governor and the candidate that came second, be announced winner. The law is an ass and any smart Balaam can ride and the law can allow injustice so long as the just refuses to challenge it. Or as lawyers will say, the court is not a Father Christmas, she can offer you only what you ask.

I hope the Tribunal chairman will not hide under the 30 days rule within which to file a petition and fore close the other parties from bringing a fresh petition against Rotimi Amaechi.

Or is the Supreme Court telling Nigerians that once you win PDP primaries, INEC conducted election is merely to fulfill all righteousness and justify the foreign donors’ dollars toward a “peaceful” transition of government in

Africa. Or is this ruling a feather punch at PDP. None of the rulings have given outright victory to the opponents of PDP at the election. Sure these rulings are beginning to sound like Perambulation. The number of PDP governors has not been depleted.

Nigerians are quick to celebrate the judiciary once the judgment is in their favour, forgetting that Justice must be seen to have been done and there are other parties affected by a judgment, who may not see the justice in this judgment.

Che

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