HURIWA DECRIES POLITICIAN'S 'ATTACK' OF JOURNALIST:

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu to direct the Federal capital Territory commissioner of the Nigeria Police and other relevant security agencies to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of attackers of one of DAILY POST Deputy Editors, Comrade Ameh Godwin.

In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the prominent civil rights group lamented the frequent attacks on journalists in the country, especially by politicians, adding that with the current situation where journalists are being harassed, attacked and beaten, a sane and civilized society would be difficult to attain. HURIWA said that the media practitioners are playing strategic national role as the national conscience which is provided for in section 22 of the Nigerian constitution just as the Rights group said that on no account should  a media practitioner be subjected to dehumanizing treatment and physical or psychological torture for carrying out their professional duties. HURIWA said that there are legal avenues for redress should any politician feel that he or she has been defamed by any media reports. "Nobody must be licensed to resort to self-help measures because in Nigeria which is a constitutional DEMOCRACY we do not practice the principle of MIGHT IS RIGHT but we practice the PRINCIPLE OF RULE OF LAW". 

According to HURIWA, " It has been brought to our knowledge that a Local Government Chairmanship candidate on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party and an ex-Caretaker chairman of Ogbadibo LGA, Prince Onuh, his brother, Frank Onuh and many other suspected political thugs had allegedly attacked one of DAILY POST Deputy Editors in an attempt to allegedly murder him in Area 8, Abuja.

"We call on the Nigeria police to immediately arrest the suspects and all those involved in this alleged premeditated  attack without any further delay even as there is the urgent need for the National Human Rights commission (NHRC) and the hierarchies of the two dominant political parties in Nigeria viz Peoples Democratic party and the All Progressives Congress to consistently and continually give extensive capacity building trainings on good governance standards and human rights to all their members and especially to the aspirants to key political offices in Nigeria so the respect of the fundamental human rights of all citizens as enshrined in chapter 4 of the Nigerian Constitution; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR); International Covenants on civil and political rights; African charter on Peoples and human rights and all other global human rights laws are mainstreamed in the policy making processes and implementation of all policies in Nigeria".

"We also call on the relevant security agencies to carry out discrete investigation on the matter and check and recheck the character of the suspects to determine whether we should have such people in our government, especially at the grassroots where he is supposed to be the Chief Security Officer of a Local Government assuming the allegations are anything to go by".

“We in the Organized Human Rights Community in Nigeria hereby call on the Benue State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Benue State Governor to investigate this matter and review the character of their candidates in the Local government election which we gathered will hold soon in the State."

HURIWA further warned that should the investigators determine the extent of their culpability in this alleged dastardly crime of physical violence on a JOURNALIST then Prince Onuh and his alleged political cohorts should be held responsible should any other thing happens to other journalists and groups who in the wake of the zoning controversy in the State dropped their individual opinions on zoning."

It said, " Again, we warn that should anything happen to any other journalist or individuals from Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State, the PDP as a political party in power in Benue State should be held responsible just as we urge the Police to ascertain and verify the allegations that the fellow being accused of attacking the Deputy editor is alleged to have vowed to go after many others.''

HURIWA consequently warned political parties and State governors to put mechanisms in place to verify the backgrounds and temperaments of their aspirants and to ensure that they repose their trust and confer their prestigious tickets to only trustworthy party faithful who must possess the virtues of responsibility; competence and goal driven characteristics so they can take charge of the grassroots as against having alleged questionable characters and thugs as council chairmen. The Local government level according to section 7(1) of the Nigerian constitution is the birth place of democracy because the leaders of that tier of government must be democratically chosen by the people in a free, fair and transparent electoral process.

We cannot afford to have leaders who are not open to criticism, checks and probes at the grassroots. We cannot afford to have leaders who feel that only violence can give them immediate victory. We need to sanitize the polity by eliminating completely 'bad eggs' in politics,'' HURIWA said.

Killing of Christians: HURIWA asks F.G to take responsibility and step up actions

The prominent civil Rights advocacy group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to accept responsibility for the escalation in the targeted killings of Christians by terrorists and armed Fulani herdsmen and step up actions to prevent the spread rather than weep like a child.

The Rights group was reacting to the statement by the Federal minister of information Mr. Lai Mohammed who raised alarm that the targeted killings of Christians by boko haram terrorists was meant to divide Nigeria and cause religious war. The group said the Federal government was complicit because it failed to take steps to prevent the killings and also show unwillingness and lack of political Will to go after the mass KILLERS and their sponsors. "The government spends more time spreading propaganda and does nothing to ensure that the targeted killings are effectively checked. Why shed the crocodile tears now?"

However, in a media statement by the National coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) said the bulk of the blame stays at the desk of the president for a number of fundamental factors that centrally borders on the president’s insensitivity to the critical constitutional requirements of respecting federal character principle in the appointment of top internal security team of the federal government in which case he populated the security architecture with persons of Moslem North to the exclusion of all other segments of a very complex and secular society like Nigeria. "Even when the international land borders are shut, those bordering most Northern states are reportedly opened to the extent that a house of Representatives member from Katsina raised a point of order in the parliament blaming the Nigerian Customs for failing to shut the borders between Niger Republic and Katsina State. There is no sincerity of purpose in the prosecution of national security strategy and even amongst the top officials there's a chasm between the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff to Mr. President. How do you secure a Country when the Presidency is in an organized chaotic situation"?

HURIWA said that the President must obey FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLES because in its words: “How can the current administration continue to breach the constitution by refusing to balance the strategic security appointments to reflect the federal character principles of Nigeria? How can the entire internal security team be made up of persons of one region and religion essentially such as comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS); Nigerian Customs Services; Department of State Services  (DSS); Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and even the Director General of National intelligence Agency (NIA)?”

Aside the deliberate scheming out of other component parts of Nigeria in such sensitive positions in the internal security institutions which must be remedied without further waste of time, HURIWA also blames president Buhari for failing to arrest, prosecute and sanction legally all the suspected armed Fulani herdsmen and their sponsors who actively participated in most of these targeted attacks against Christians in Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Enugu, Taraba and lately Delta states. At a point in time even the media office of the president actively started playing the public relations role of Miyetti Allah cattle dealers by seeking to exonerate armed Fulani herdsmen from the attacks.”

“Mr. President must ask himself the hard question of why no single mass murderer that killed over two thousand Benue Christian farmers including two catholic priests has faced the long arm of the law. Why are all the suspected armed Fulani herdsmen paraded by the police not being prosecuted?”   

“Mr. President! It does not require rocket science for your government to appoint persons of all ethnic and religious affiliations to head the various strategic national security institutions in line with the federal character principle of the constitution. It does not take rocket science to arrest and prosecute all mass killers irrespective of their religion.”

Section 14(3)(4) states as follows: “ The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

“The composition of the Government of a State, a local government council, or any of the agencies of such Government or council, and the conduct of the affairs of the Government or council or such agencies shall be carried out in such manner as to recognize the diversity of the people within its area of authority and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty among all the people of the Federation.”

HURIWA accused the President of discriminating against other Ethno-religious communities in matters of appointments into internal security institutions which offends the constitution as stipulated in  Section 42(1) as follows: “A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person:- (a) be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are not made subject; or (b) be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions.”

The current government should pursue policies that would unite all the divergent interests in the Country and ensure that there is equity and equality before the law for all citizens so nobody is treated as a second class citizen. The government must show good examples rather the extremely divisive ways of selective law enforcement whereby mass killers from a section of Nigeria are treated as sacred cows and even a presidential commission is being planned to rehabilitate terrorists.

HURIWA WRITES NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, WANTS HOUSES FOR FALLEN HEROES

The Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has appealed to the hierarchy of the National Assembly to pass a legislation bringing into being a NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR FALLEN HEROES so members of the immediate and direct members of the families of soldiers killed fighting terrorists can be adequately housed and their Children sponsored educationally up to University level.

In a media Statement confirming the development, the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko said it has become imperative that the welfare and wellbeing of our brave soldiers killed whilst defending us and keeping Nigeria safe from being overrun by armed terrorists are not forgotten but that their memories are honored and rewarded through providing beneficial palliatives to the children and wives left behind by these heroic combatants killed in the line of duty.  

The letter was sent to the Senate President Ahmed Lawan and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila. 

The letter titled: "KINDLY PREVAIL ON PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI (GCFR) TO BUILD HOUSES FOR IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS OF FALLEN HEROES OF THE NIGERIAN MILITARY", reads as follows:

"On behalf of our well over eight thousand registered members and millions of patriotic Nigerians, we write you this letter to pray you and your members to legislate as quickly as possible the reward by Nigeria to all the immediate families of our military combatants killed by terrorists and hoodlums in the line of duty whilst defending each and every one of us from the murderous attempts of armed terrorists to destroy the country.

As members of the human rights community, we have watched as both the federal House and the senate have concentrated her energies negatively playing the politics of seeking the dismissal of the service chiefs as if that is the magic wand needed to defeat terrorists. We have also watched with disappointment as some of your members have chosen to become public advocates of terrorists in the guise of seeking to set up a commission for the so-called repentant terrorists. This is very absurd, very illegal and so outlandish. We urge you to throw that proposed bill into the dustbin of history where it rightly belongs. We making up the prominent civil Rights advocacy group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has warned that the proposed bill to legislate the outright pardon of armed terrorists under the guise of deradicalization programme could result in civil war either in the short, medium or long term. The bill is sponsored by Ibrahim Geudam of Yobe East Senatorial District and was read for the first time on the floor of the Senate. The bill seeks the establishment of an agency that would ensure the REHABILITATION, DERADICALISTION; and REINTEGRATION of the so-called repentant terrorists in Nigeria. But HURIWA has warned that the bill is unconstitutional and offends all relevant anti-terrorism Laws of the federation.

Let us from the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) caution the section of the National legislators who are actively conniving with armed terrorists to introduce a satanic legislation that will overlook the mindboggling crimes of genocides committed by terrorists and the killings of over 30,000 innocent Nigerians in the last ten years with the view to appease terrorists even when the victims of terrorism are scattered in different internally displaced people camps in Nigeria and are external refugees in so many nearby Countries.

HURIWA has categorically warned thus: “If this bill to legalize the freeing of arrested terror suspects under any guise succeeds, then the nation should be prepared for the consequences of their unconstitutional action because the hundreds of thousands of innocent victims of the terrorists attacks in the last decade will definitely not fold their hands whilst those who killed their loved ones are pardoned through roguish means by the passage of this criminally minded bill that is meant to legalize belonging to terror cells and participating in mass murders.”

This bill before the senate is not only satanic and unconstitutional, but will paint the picture of a rogue nation because in all civilizations, those who declare war against innocent citizens and participate in genocide are rounded up and prosecuted and made to face the full weight of the law. History is replete with a plethora of trials of persons who have joined terror gangs and carried out mass killings. The plot by the National Assembly to therefore permit the wanton defecation of the constitution of Nigeria by forgiving mass murderers must never be allowed to succeed,” HURIWA affirms.

In the statement endorsed jointly by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf the Rights group said that: "The government must engage in a law based war by enforcing anti-terrorism laws. Section 1A (4) of the TPA (as amended) empowers “the law enforcement agencies” to “enforce all laws and regulations on counter–terrorism in Nigeria”. Prior to the TPA, Section 46 of the EFCC Act 2004 defines “terrorism” to mean a violation of the Criminal Code or the Penal Code and with likelihood of endangering life, integrity or freedom, or causing serious injury or death with the intent to force the person(s) or body or government to do or not to do certain things or disrupt and includes financing or aiding terrorism. The punishment for the crime by Section 15 of the EFCC Act is imprisonment for life."

"Section 1(3) of the TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT (TPA) (as amended) defines an ‘act of terrorism’ as that deliberately done with malice aforethought and which may seriously harm or damage a country or an international organization. Any act also amounts to terrorism when it is done deliberately with malice aforethought and intended to unduly compel a government or international organization to perform or abstain from performing any act. A terrorist act is committed when done with the requisite intent; it seriously destabilizes or destroys the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structure of a country or international organization by intimidation or coercion. It also amounts to a terrorist act where it involves an attack upon a person’s life that possibly results in serious bodily harm or death. Intimidating or coercing a government or international organization is a terrorist act where it involves or causes: the kidnapping of a person, or destruction of a government public facility, or private property etc. This is particularly so where the act is likely to endanger human life or result in major economic loss. By section 2 (b) (I), which defines terrorism as acts done to unduly compel a government or international organization to perform or abstain from performing any act the definition of terrorism is confined to non-state actors thereby excluding state terrorism from the ambit of its definition. There is an omnibus provision which criminalizes and treats as terrorist act ‘any act or omission’ in or outside Nigeria which constitutes an offence within the scope of a counter-terrorism protocols and conventions duly ratified by Nigeria"

HURIWA has also stated that even before the Senate came up with this bad piece of proposed legislation to pardon terrorists, It is difficult to dismiss the general notion that the Nigerian State has not shown political will and commitment to the war on terror.  "It seems that not only have the real brains behind it not been prosecuted but are also being shielded. An ideology based crime does not end with the incarceration of the “foot soldiers”. Unfortunately usual extra judicial killing of high profile suspects suggests a pattern of cover up.  Both Mohammed Yusuf and Alhaji Buji Foi, Boko Haram leader and the financier respectively, suffered the same fate while in police custody."

"Closely related is the manner of enforcement of the law on the subject; enforcement must be within the arm bit of general sense of legality. This implies that government should be conducted within the framework of recognized rules and principles which restrict discretionary power as opposed to the uncertain and crooked cord of discretion as held by the Court in the cases of Miscellaneous Offences Tribunals v. Okoroafor (2001) 10 NWLR (Pt. 745) P. 310 and All Nigerian Peoples Party v. Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (2006) 11 NWLR (Pt. 992) p. 597. "

"In the English case of Arthur Yates & Co. Pty. Ltd. v. Vegetable Seeds Committee9, Herring C.J held thus in this regard:

“It is not the English view of the law that whatever is officially done is law … On the contrary, the principle of English law is that what is done officially must be done in accordance with the law.”

HURIWA argued further that: "Nations which have achieved stability and national security are those which have elevated law above political, religious, ethnic sentiments. The present federal government must be compelled to advocate national security on the basis of respect of not only individual rights but also the rule of law but definitely not the appeasement of terrorists."

However, we want you in the National Assembly to concentrate your POSITIVE energies towards working out palliatives for the surviving members of our brave combatants. We must admit that the current Army chief has elevated the welfare of these fallen heroes to the pedestal of excellence and has consistently paid out supporting funds to these families. But we think the fallen heroes deserve much more than what they are getting at the moment.

It is a fact that the surviving immediate families of these fallen heroes from the war on terror, are often not able to find good housing assets to live in if some of them are asked to vacate their official quarters in the barracks.

We propose that Nigeria should create a special Trust Fund to build six bedroom bungalows in any town of their choice for the legitimate surviving immediate families of the fallen heroes.

We urge you to look at page 9 of today’s Nigerian Pilot to see the emotional photo showing the little boy Master Obinna Akataobi and his mother Mrs. Stella Akataobi left behind by their breadwinner who was killed by terrorists whilst he fought bravely to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria. That photo says the Chief of Army staff through the Deputy Director of Welfare department Brigadier General Isa Abdullahi issued a cheque to this family of one of our fallen heroes.

Once more, we urge the National Assembly to applaud the Chief of Army staff for this show of good leadership and also to follow up by establishing a functional and transparently administered SPECIAL BUILDING PROJECT TRUST FUND for fallen heroes so each member of the military who dies defending us will have a house whereby his immediate family can call their home.

Sir, in addition to that, may we pray that the Federal government should pay upfront all educational expenses up to university level of the children of all the fallen heroes.

These incentives are necessary to reward these great people for their supreme sacrifices."

KANO's SIMPLISTIC FIGHT AGAINST BEGGARS

By Emmanuel Onwubiko

Kano is no doubt a big province in Nigeria due to large land mass and huge populations.  

In the earliest interactions with Western civilization, it used to be West African trading post especially in the area of textiles and agricultural products in such a way that a huge number of continental traders thronged Kano for commercial transactions. 

Kano was once admired as the center of excellent farming activities and at a point there were some of these Groundnuts pyramids that obviously made Kano a nice place for tourists from all around the World. It is a thing of wonder why all of a sudden when crude oil explorations started in commercial quantities in the Niger delta region, Kano's agricultural prowess disappeared because due to skewed political structures erected by soldiers, revenues derivable from crude oil are shared to all parts of Nigeria and sometimes the formula used in redistributing these incomes favours Kano state which is where most of the past Generals who hijacked political administrations through the barrels of the guns made sure that certain unverified statistical data such as landmass and population are used to share revenues from resources that are found in Niger delta region.   

Kano state still holds high attractions for traders but it has also witnessed some unfortunate violent conflicts in the past in which some Nigerians from outside of the North were targeted and their businesses destroyed. Those who killed other innocent Nigerians from other parts of Nigeria are not prosecuted as they are given state covers.  

I am not aware that there was any palliative measures implemented by the successive state administrations to ameliorate the economic loses of the victims of these social conflicts that took on Ethno-religious colorations in the past. A 78 year old woman from Imo state who had lived in Kano with her family all her life was slaughtered by Islamic zealots who accused her of denigrating their religion.  The Kano state governor did nothing to bring the killers to justice. However the government said it has effected some measures never to experience such a dastardly criminal act. 

The current administration in Kano is credited with adopting some reconciliatory steps that the government touted was capable of mending the broken down social fences. 

These same scenarios highlighted above are not the centerpiece of this reflection which basically is stimulated and motivated by the ongoing moves by the Kano state government to stop the practice of street begging especially by Children known mostly as Almajiris. 

Good as these intentions are, but the ways and manners the Kano and a few other Northern States have gone about ending the scourge of street begging in the North of Nigeria appear simplistic and bereft of strategic thinking.  

This is because fundamentally, the best form of resolving such social catastrophic situation of begging is not to drive away these beggars and issue out threats to deal with their Parents but the same government will either not adopt any palliative measures that are in the long term and are SUSTAINABLE nor with the administrators of such states block the avenues for CORRUPTION amongst the officials of such state administrations. These States must deliberate implement palliative measures good enough to economically empower these beggars that may be displaced. Again, why is begging rife in these states and why is it that the EFCC have failed to prosecute past governors of these states who actually stole their states in the North blind like their Southern counterparts some of whom are in prisons? This interrogatory must be resolved before embarking on the revolutionary move to stamp out the social menace of begging which dehumanizes these beggars.  It is not out of place to ask why Kano is one place corruption has remained defiant. 

Kano for over 4 years has been in the news for the notorious reason that one official or the other has been fingered for alleged large scale corrupt practices including the video that trended that appeared to be showing the current governor Abdullahi Ganduje allegedly pocketing huge wads of dollars into his Babanriga dress. 

The Kano state government under GOVERNOR Ganduje and the blogger who circulated the damaging video are at each other's throats regarding the authenticity or otherwise of the video evidence of alleged large size bribery by a contractor.  

Again, many former and current Kano State officials have been picked up at one time or the other by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations bordering on corruptions but these cases will inevitable be swept under the carpets since their godfathers are controlling the top echelons of political power. 

Unless the crime of corruption is combated any move to stop public destitution will remain cosmetic since the impoverished populations will rather insists on begging and be locked up in prisons whereby they are certain of some square meals than stay back in their ramshackle shelters and die of starvations. Why drive a beggar out of the streets when you are not prepared to teach him how to create wealth and you have not shown them alternative means of surviving? Do you wish them deaths? 

A look at the high profile arrests of state officials will tell you that the first challenge to resolve is official corruption after which government  needs to increase the enabling environment for aggressive skills acquisitions by the populace who in turn can be empowered economically to become wealth and job creators. Every decent person know that begging is absolutely evil but again, should they be left to die in their huts? 

Looking at the recent trend of anti-graft wind blowing in Kano reveals that a current commissioner and a former Speaker have both been picked up. What will come out of the dramas is anyone's guess.  

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said that it’s Kano Zonal Office arrested a serving Kano State Commissioner in the Ministry for Special Duties, Mukhtar Ishaq, for allegedly diverting monies meant for Kano Municipal Local Council, while he was Chairman.

EFCC acting Spokesperson, Tony Orilade, disclosed that Mukhtar’s trouble followed a petition, which states that, while he was Chairman, he allegedly diverted N76,000,000 (Seventy Six Million Naira) only, which was meant for projects, development and empowerment of the people.

According to Orilade, the petitioner further alleged that the suspect ordered the deduction of N30,000 (Thirty Thousand Naira) only from the account of each council member without justification.

The Spokesperson maintained that the Commissioner was also alleged to have converted property of Kofar Nasarawa Primary School, Kano, into shops and sold same at the rate of N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) only per shop and diverted the money to personal use.

Also, the Kano State Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested former Speaker of the Kano state House of Assembly, Isiyaku Ali Danja for alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of fund meant for constituency projects.

Danja got into trouble following a petition that funds meant for payment of tax liabilities to Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) by Kano State Government were allegedly diverted and misappropriated to the tune of over N1, 500,000,000 (One Billion, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from the sub-treasury account of the state government.

Several suspicious payments were allegedly traced to some beneficiaries, including some made to Allad Drilling Limited, a company in which the suspect is the Investigation by the EFCC further revealed that the funds were on several occasions, personally withdrawn in cash by the suspect, while he was the only one who could officially state whether jobs were done before any payments could be made, it would be recalled that the EFCC had earlier arrested the commissioner for Special Duties in state, Mukhtar Ishaq, for allegedly diverting funds meant for Kano Municipal Local Government while he was chairman of the said local government.

Mukhtar was arrested by EFCC following a petition that alleged that while he was chairman of Kano Municipal, he diverted funds meant for projects, development and empowerment of the people.
The petitioner further alleged that Mukhtar ordered the deduction of N30, 000 (Thirty Thousand Naira), from the account of each council member without justification.

Mukhtar was also alleged to have converted property of Kofar Nasarawa Primary School, Kano, into shops and sold same at the rate of N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira), per shop and diverted the money to personal use.

Both suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigations.

Everyone knows that these officials may never be charged to court. Infact Kano has one miniature state wide EFCC they stylishly called  Kano's anti-graft agency which is used for political witch-hunt. My honest counsel is that Kano and any other states must find beggars good alternative if we want them to quit begging and constituting social nuisances.  

*Emmanuel Onwubiko is the Head of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria and blogs@www.huriwanigeria.com; www.emmanuelonwubikocom; www.thenigerianinsidernews.com; www.huriwa@blospot.com

Immunity clause: HURIWA to senate; Reps: - Only the Guilty Are Afraid:

The prominent civil Rights advocacy group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has alleged that both the senate president and the speaker of the federal House of Representatives may be afraid of possible prosecution over something only both of them know for rushing up a bill to grant themselves immunity from prosecution.

HURIWA has at the same time showered encomiums on some of the Federal House of Representatives like the factional minority leader Mr. Ndudi Elelu for kicking against the obviously bad piece of proposed legislation to confer undeserving immunity from prosecution to the principal officers of both the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly.  The Rights group said the fact that some common sense has prevailed on the side of those who opposed the bill has shown that even amongst 'thieves' there are honorable men and women.

Telling the hierarchy of the National Assembly that only the guilty are afraid, the Rights group totally condemns the bill seeking immunity for lawmakers from prosecution just as the Rights group asserted that constitutional democracy thrives when all citizens irrespective of status are equal before the law even as the Rights group said Nigerians even expect the National Assembly to strike out section 308(1) of the constitution to remove immunity for executive arm of government. HURIWA wonders whether the Nigerian parliament is located in the outer space for the members not to have known that even recently in Great Britain the Prime minister Boris Johnson was dragged to Court by some citizens over the ways and manner that he shut the House of commons so as to foist his own kind of BREXIT on that session of the parliament and the British Supreme Court o overturned the closing of the House of commons by the controversial premier. HURIWA also expressed shock that the Nigerian law makers are oblivious of the near impeachment of the President of the United States of America who was subjected to trial just after the Democrats dominated Congress had voted to impeach him just as the civil society group said the development in the USA from where we borrowed the Presidential system of government should serve as CONSTRUCTIVE lesson to demonstrate that nobody is above the law in civilized societies.

In a media statement jointly authorized by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said the attempt by the National Assembly members to cloth themselves with immunity from prosecution is a testament to the fact that the recently kick-started amendments to the constitution under the headship of the Deputy Senate president Mr. OMO AGEGE is a total charade and at best would amount to political shadow chasing and smokescreen.

“We are shocked that at a time the entire civilized world is opening up the political spaces and making political leadership a much more transparent activity in which the actors must abide by the tenets of full disclosures and respect the twin virtues of transparency and accountability the Nigerian National Assembly is busy making evil law that would turn their job to that of secret cult. The attempt to do that offends section 15(5) of the constitution which forbids the abuse of power by political office holders. The FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT is also a binding law which is against such dubious immunity clauses."

“Awarding themselves immunity from prosecution is a clear message to Nigerians that the bunch of legislators at the National Assembly has committed outrageous crimes that they do not wish that people should know or they are afraid of their shadows and are preparing for post-retirement FREEDOM from the necessary legal demands for accountability. Nigerians must stoutly oppose this unconstitutional attempt to introduce the dictatorship of legislators.”

“As human rights crusaders, we do not think that Nigeria should be drawn back to the medieval periods when kings and rulers are above the law and whereby tyranny was the order of the day. These National Assembly members had better been told to abolish section 308(1) instead of attempting to further cloth themselves with the capricious and wicked immunity from being tasked to give account of their stewardship.”

HURIWA recalled that a bill seeking to extend immunity to cover Presiding Officers of Legislative Institutions has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill which was sponsored by Representative Odebunmi Olusegun was supported by the majority of the lawmakers who say it is important to safeguard the sanctity of the National Assembly.

In supporting the bill, Majority Leader, Ado-Doguwa said: “It should be passed for the simple reason that it provides protection for leaders of the legislature considering the important work of the legislature.

HURIWA applauded the few members who are opposed to this 'wicked parliamentary act of atrocious cover up " which the passage of such a satanic law would amount to.