Positive identification versus negative perception

By Emmanuel Onwubiko

As a leader in the organized Civil Rights community with a special interest on ways and means of mainstreaming respect of the fundamental human rights of the citizenry in all internal military operations, I have been naturally inclined to following up on the information that filtered out about a nationwide internal military operation that would be the last of 2019. The information flow from the army  is unmistakably professionally powered.  That we must concede to the media management team selected by the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai who himself is unmistakably media savvy. 

The many years of positive and constructive engagements we have enjoyed with the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army stimulated in me the deeper inclination to find out what the military operations would mean especially because of the groundswell of divergent positions about the previous exercises viz-a-viz the human rights implications. 

One of the new trends that was somehow communicated to the public as an integral aspect of the ongoing phase of the holistic internal military operation that would be enforced all over the country was identified as positive identification exercise by Nigerians during the periods of these exercises which as announced would be simultaneously inaugurated to cover the entire nation. This positive identification component as expected and as announced would be intelligence driven and not meant to undermine the enjoyment of the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the relevant provisions that are found in both chapter 4 and to Some extent chapter 2 which is the fundamental principles of state policy.  

However, from the word go, I suspected that it is possible that certain reactionary forces may decide to play up this aspect of the exercise and by doing so create a deeply entrenched negative perception about the real intent, import, essence and significance of that aspect of the larger body of the internal military operations. 

As the head of the team from the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) that organized a six-hour-interface and seminar with the organized civil Rights community and media in the South East of Nigeria, the bulk of the questions thrown up at the forum bordered on the  poisoned perception already generated and unleashed on the public space concerning that aspect of the military exercise in which certain suspected individuals would be tasked to show that they are not as bad as the intelligence linking them to belonging to any terrorist acts which are in the possession of the Military authority. 

My team and I composed of tested and trusted media contents' analysts got back to our hotel rooms in Owerri, Imo state and spent the better part of the night after that brainstorming sessions with selected leaders of the mass media and the organized civil society community in the South East, to pour through the essential characters, ingredients and essential elements of the information that we got during the day. 

Our decision was to recommend to the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army to modify the element of positive identification to bring it in harmony with extant provisions of the fundamental human rights provision which are constitutionally guaranteed given the groundswell of misconceptions.

However, it would seem that the negative forces who may be working in connivance with some reactionary elements have successfully marred that component of the internal military exercise with the mistaken identity of a sinister plot to criminalize and demonize all and every Nigerian citizen.

In the context of the above evidence that mischief makers have successfully poisoned the public perception about the positive identification component of the exercise by the military we then have every reason to also reflect on the issues raised about the internal military exercise with specific reference to the public caution that was issued to journalists to help douse the tensions generated by the misperception and negative perception about military operations which has been made to look like an exercise targeting the wanton violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution which the citizens are entitled to as of Rights.

For a start, it was reported that the chief of army staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, had pleaded with journalists to stop portraying the personnel of the Nigerian Army in bad light. Buratai spoke at a two-day civil-media-military relations summit organized for journalists in the South-east.

The COAS accused print and broadcast media journalists of painting the Nigerian Armed Forces negatively than positively to their audiences.

Buratai, who was represented by the Chief Training and Operations Officer, Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Eno Obong Udoh, noted that an organization like the Nigerian Army cannot rule out bad eggs among its personnel.

The Army chief accused the media of demoralizing the military personnel who he said stake their lives to keep the nation safe. How can you be vilifying the same people that are staking their lives and their troops every day and actually paying the supreme price for you? How can you be vilifying them every day?

“Some people will just sit down on television, holding discussions only about the Nigerian Army, thinking that they will win awards for doing so.

“This (summit) is a great and historic occasion that will hopefully create the awareness of what the Nigerian Armed Forces and all the security agencies are doing in this country to curb the mirage of security threats that is facing this nation so that there can be development in our great nation; so that Nigeria can be as great as it is supposed to be.

In 2007-2008, our oil production level was only 700 barrels per day. Who has forgotten that? Today, people are saying: why should Nigerian Army defend pipeline? Is it because we are not producing? Is it because we are not producing 2.2 million barrels and above per day? Or should we go back to 700 barrels per day?

“The media is the one who is emphasizing on the casualties of Nigerian Army as against the casualties of Boko Haram insurgents, bandits and so on. You are the one writing and supporting them unwittingly through your publications. By so doing, you demoralize the troops.

“The media forget that they should be the one raising the morale of the troops who have put their lives on the line. The media is the greatest offender and this historic event is not just for Atilogwu Udo; it is to correct the wrong impression or perception that we spread in our media that the Nigerian Army is against the people.”

I owe it however to posterity as a stakeholder with a professional working knowledge of  what the Laws says on the military in Nigeria in the area of the continuous dialogue on ways and mainstreaming respect for human rights during internal operations, to state that the current Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai is a fine officer imbued with the requisite and vast knowledge of ways and means of administering a law based internal military operations and there are abundance of empirical evidence to so demonstrate.  

The Army Chief had previously authored a guide book on internal military operations specifically directing operatives and officers to abide by extant rules of engagement in internal military operations which are deeply rooted on the sanctity of the Nigerian Constitution and importantly on the NECESSITY OF RESPECTING FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS OF CITIZENS.    

Permit me to state that information concerning that aspect of positive identification component of the military exercise could have been better managed and appropriately communicated to stop the tension generated by the initial negative perception so the divisive plots of the negative forces are decisively dealt with and effectively rubbished.

The negative perception which generated general mistrust about that aspect of POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION was the erroneous belief that every Nigerian citizen would be required to carry with him or her, a positive means of identification.

As an activist who has been in this human rights field for over two decades, I refused to share the impression no matter how so beautifully presented that a time would come when as a citizen, I would be required to have in my possession a means of identification all the time. 

This is because this line of understanding was not debunked so millions of Nigerians started nursing the fear that their constitutionally guaranteed rights as clearly spelt out in chapter four could be rendered a nullity. 

This impression gave rise to the human right enforcement procedure instituted by the respected constitutional lawyer Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) that culminated in the injunction halting the enforcement of the positive identification exercise by the military.

A Federal High Court, Lagos division reportedly ordered the Nigerian Army and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to suspend the ongoing operation positive identification campaign by the military.

Justice Rilwan Aikawa directed parties to the suit to maintain the status quo ante pending the determination of the suit filed by Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) on October 25 and marked FHC/L/CS/1939/2019 on October 25.

He is seeking, among others, an order stopping the operation.

The COAS, the army and the Attorney-General of the Federation are first to third respondents in the suit.

When the matter came up for hearing yesterday, none of the respondents were in court.

Falana informed the judge that the respondents had been served the processes and that the proof of service was in the court’s file, which was confirmed.

But a principal state counsel from the Ministry of Justice prayed the judge to grant an adjournment to enable the Solicitor-General, Mr. Dayo Apata, to handle the matter personally.

He added that the adjournment would enable the respondents have more time to harmonize their positions.

Justice Aikawa granted his application when the applicant didn’t oppose him.

“In view of the agreement between counsel, I hereby order the first and second defendants to maintain the status quo, pending the determination of the case,” the judge ruled and adjourned further proceedings till November 18.

In the suit, Falana argued that the nationwide operation, which runs from November 1 to December 23, 2019 and by which Nigerian citizens would be required to move about with means of identification, was unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

He argued that the exercise violates his rights and those of other Nigerian citizens to liberty, “as encapsulated in Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, (Cap A10) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

The senior lawyer filed along with the suit an order seeking an interim injunction restraining the three respondents from going on with the exercise pending the hearing of the substantive matter.

In a supporting affidavit sworn to by a lawyer in his team, Mr. Taiwo Olawanle, the plaintiff recalled that on October 8, 2019, Gen. Buratai disclosed that the operation positive identification, said to be ongoing in the North East Theatre of Boko Haram insurgency, would be extended to the entire nation.

But the POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION IS ONLY BUT A COMPONENT OF THE LARGER EXERCISE OF THE MILITARY. Military exercises are protected by the law because no nation can administer a combat ready force without creating the enabling environment for such internal military operations which must comply with best global practices and must be done to capture the sanctity of the Fundamental Rights provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.  

What this court’s decision shows is that the large volume of activities organized under the auspices of the civil military relations department of the Army must be further expanded to cover more grounds and to strategically engage constantly with media and civil Rights influencers in Nigeria to keep Nigerians abreast of all the positive changes taking place in the Nigerian Army. It calls for better strategic information dissemination.  

Richard Templar conveyed this same impression on how to conquer negative perception about proposed events of activities in his latest book titled “The Rules of People.”

“We all have a backstory. It explains why we behave as we do. OK, it doesn’t always justify it, but at least it’s a reason for our behavior. Of course, no one else ever knows all the details and complexities of your backstory like you do, but lots of people get the gist.”

“There’ll be a reason why certain things make you feel more anxious, stressed, excited, cynical, depressed, relaxed, angry, and confident than other people do. It might be genetic; it might be because of bad past experiences, or according to Freud it might all be down to your parents. Friends might say that you shouldn’t stress so much about this, or be so suspicious about that, or be too laid back, or shout so much. But they don’t understand – if they’d been to the same school as you, or lived through the poverty you have, or had siblings like yours, or worked for your last boss, they’d realize why you behave that way.”

“Listen, this is true of everyone. There’s no one on the planet who isn’t shaped by their personal experiences. So when your colleague snaps at you, or your friend lets you down, or your partner forgets your birthday, just remember there’s always a reason. It might be a rubbish reason, but there’s a reason.”

“And I’m telling you this because if you can understand the reason, it makes it easier to deal with other people’s negative behavior. Even if you can’t change the way they act, you’ll find it slightly easier to take if you get the reasons behind it. And often simply because you’re prepared to understand, they can let go of being defensive and decide to change their behavior.”

Writing in his book “Soldiers of fortune: Nigerian politics from Buhari to Babangida”, Max Siollun offered some reasons for the growing cynicisms about internal military operations, as it were, especially since the inception of constitutional democracy. But he got it all screwed up because under the current dispensation the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has taken steps to carry Nigerians along by way of up to date informations on internal military operations and as I write I have in my possession over a dozen top quality books on the military and particularly about the subordination of the military to the provisions of the constitution and the Laws. 

He wrote that: “Nigeria is a country of great diversity and contradiction…it has world class wealth, yet is full of poor people…yet through all the contradiction, diversity and linguistic confusion, there has been one constant in Nigerian life: military interference in politics.”

“In 2010 Nigeria celebrated 50 years as an independent nation. As it passed this milestone there is renewed interest in its history. Although modern Nigeria cannot be understood without reference to its era of military rule, there is little objective literature on the fifteen years of military rule (1984-1999) that preceded the current civilian government. The small body of literature on the era of military rule consists largely of hagiographic biographies by, or about, some of the key personalities of the era.”

I conclude by calling for further and better strategic and constructive engagement with the military to enhance quality crises communications in times like these. 

*Emmanuel Onwubiko heads HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) and blogs @www.emmanuelonwubiko.com, www.huriwa.blogspot.com,www.thenigerianinsidernews.com.

HURIWA to EFCC: - Have you reached an accord with ex-gov Rochas Okorocha of Imo state? ........*Tasks Gov. Ihedioha on the rescue of Justice Nwosu-Iheme

The prominent civil Rights advocacy group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has demanded from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a response on whether it has reached a settlement with ex-governor of Imo state Anayochukwu Rochas Okorocha of Imo state.

The Rights group said that the general perception in Imo state and all over the nation is that some politically exposed persons with series of cases of alleged financial crimes including the immediate past governor of Imo state may have secured presidential soft-landing by virtue of their membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Rights group has also expressed shock that the Imo state government has yet to initiate major intervention to compel the security forces to quicken the release of the most senior jurist of Imo state origin Justice Nwosu-Iheme of the Benin division of the court of Appeal who was kidnapped in Benin over a week ago with her orderlies shot and killed.

HURIWA has therefore charged Governor Emeka Ihedioha to roll out measures that are effective enough to enable the presidency to handle the violent kidnap of Mrs. Nwosu-Iheme of the court of Appeal as a national emergency in the same way that the federal government handled the kidnap of the wife of the Central Bank of Nigeria previously.

The silence from the South East of Nigeria and specifically from the Imo state’s administration to speak out loud and clear and demand actionable plans on the quickest rescue of one of the most senior igbo judges kidnapped over a week ago does not augur well for the wellbeing of the South East zone of Nigeria. HURIWA has also urged the kidnappers to set her free unharmed. 

Endorsed by the National coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National media affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA has challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to concentrate on retrieving all alleged stolen Imo state’s assets in the last eight years and stop dissipating resources chasing after students in their hostels in Owerri over alleged advanced fees fraud when it has yet to conclusively confront the immediate past administration on the series of allegations of crass mismanagement of Imo state funds.

HURIWA wonders whether the acting chairman of EFCC Alhaji Ibrahim Magu and Chairman of ICPC  are not on their desks and reading newspaper stories of the allegations of $2 million dollars bribery made against ex-governor Rochas Okorocha by his fellow party man and erstwhile special political Adviser to the president Alhaji Ahmed Gulak. 

The Rights group expressed disappointment that this sort of large scale disclosure is being overlooked by both the ICPC and EFCC which according to the group is a sign that impunity has taken centre stage in Nigeria.  

“ HURIWA just like most bewildered Nigerians have read the chairman of the Primary Election committee, Ahmed Gulak alleged that the immediate past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, offered him $2 million bribe to deliver certificate of return to his anointed aspirant, Uche Nwosu. Recall that whilst fielding question from The Sun correspondent, in Abuja, last weekend, the APC chieftain said that he rejected the bribe because of his integrity, arguing that it was free money he would have collected without anybody dragging him to court. However, the former governor said Gulak ought to be in jail for what he did in Imo State. He described the former presidential aide as an enemy of democracy who has repeatedly shown that he lacks character. We therefore ask both the ICPC and EFCC  if Rochas Okorocha is a sacred cow that is bigger than the anti graft laws?.”

However, HURIWA wants the EFCC to invite both the person making the allegation and the one being accused to render proper account of what happened so Imo state’s fund is appropriately accounted for and repaid back to Imo state coffers.

HURIWA recalled that suspected gunmen last Wednesday in Benin City, capital of Edo State, abducted Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme of the Court of Appeal, Benin Division.

The gunmen also killed her police orderly before taking Justice Nwosu-Iheme away to an unknown destination.

Plots to regulate social media will kill off free speech-: HURIWA warns F.G............ *Calls for immediate freedom for Omoyele SOWORE:

The foremost civil Rights advocacy group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has warned the federal government to desist from its sinister plots to undermine freedom of speech under the guise of attempting to regulate social media.

HURIWA has for the umpteenth time called for the immediate release of the publisher of Sahara reporters and the political activist Mr. Omoyele SOWORE and his supporters currently being detained and persecuted only for attempting to ventilate their righteous indignation over the bad state of governance of Nigeria. HURIWA said the continuous detention of these journalists and activists and their illegal persecution since three months now paints Nigeria graphically as a banana republic and a laughing stock of the World. "It is shameful that the government can lock up activists and journalists only for expressing dissenting views and the President still globetrot in the name of a civilian President of a constitutional democracy.  This is a joke taken too far. These Nigerians should be freed and allowed to freely express their opinions within the bounds of the law as provided for under the relevant provisions that protect Free Speech. Now the media practitioners and activists face deadly threats from the Central government and their intolerant and primitive supporters."

In the thinking of the human rights body, the series of media campaigns of calumny and persistent demonization of the social media waged by Alhaji Lai Mohammed the information minister who is hiding under the nebulous pursuit of defending the so-called national security interests of Nigeria but is clearly engaged in an undemocratic initiative that is nothing short of an act of active coup attempt to whittle down the unfettered enjoyment of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental freedoms chief amongst which is the freedom to freely express opinions by citizens within the bounds of the law. HURIWA wonders why the minister of information is being allowed to waste public resources and time waging a war against free speech and the Social media when it is clear that the nation already have more than enough legal frameworks regulating the use of social media including the Cybercrimes Prevention Act which was signed into law in 2015.

HURIWA said there was indeed no need for the Nigerian government to bother Nigerians with persistent threats to undermine their freedom of speech since the social media platforms are already self over regulated. The Rights group said since Nigeria's Constitutional democracy is patterned after both the American and United Kingdom's political systems it therefore follows that Nigeria must operate under the same frameworks of Freedoms of Speech or Free Speech which has been unambiguously explained and ruled upon by the highest court in America and which are cited in many jurisdictions as jurisprudential references ".

“It is notorious that the most popular platforms of the social media in use by millions of Nigerians namely Facebook,  tweeters and whatsapp which are controlled and operated by virtually a well regulated company that has already installed proactive devices for flagging hate messages and violent language in use by any of their clients cannot therefore be regulated additionally without offending the plethora of fundamental freedoms and fundamental right provisions enshrined in the grund norm of the Country. Why the undue fixation and hysteria by information minister of Nigeria over his so-called programme of regulating the social media?”

“We think the current administration has more to gain by not wasting public fund acquiring spying devices to undermine social media communications by the Nigerian citizens which goes against chapter four of the constitution and is a direct affront to section 14(2)(c) which provides that “the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this constitution” even as 14(2) states thus: “sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this constitution derives all its powers and authority.”

HURIWA which also states that the plots to scuttle the enjoyment of the freedom of expression which is what the planned government’s regulation of the social media represents directly violates section 22 of the constitution that clearly provides that: “The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this  chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability to the government and to the people.”

“The plot to undermine unfettered access to the social media will drive citizens nursing grudges and discontents underground and this style will lead to fascism and eventually snowballed in to civil disobedience and violence in an uncontrollable scale because it is humanly impossible to beat a child and then try to stop him from crying.”

“Lai Mohammed should be told that his anti-democratic agenda against social media goes against everything that constitutional democracy represents because democracy without free speech is nothing but totalitarianism.”

“Among other cherished values, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech. The U.S. Supreme Court often has struggled to determine what exactly constitutes protected speech. The following are examples of speech, both direct (words) and symbolic (actions), that the Court has decided are either entitled to First Amendment protections, or not.”

“The First Amendment states, in relevant part, that: Congress shall make no law...abridging freedom of speech. Freedom of speech includes the right: A) Not to speak (specifically, the right not to salute the flag).

West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943). B) Of students to wear black armbands to school to protest a war (“Students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.”).

Tinker v. Des Moines, 393 U.S. 503 (1969). C) To use certain offensive words and phrases to convey political messages.

Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971). D) To contribute money (under certain circumstances) to political campaigns.

Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976). E) To advertise commercial products and professional services (with some restrictions).

Virginia Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Consumer Council, 425 U.S. 748 (1976); Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, 433 U.S. 350 (1977). F) To engage in symbolic speech, (e.g., burning the flag in protest).

Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989); United States v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990).” HURIWA further stated that the Cybercrime Prevention Act of Nigeria has already criminalize certain speeches that could be deemed as offensive to public good and therefore any additional regulations against the use of social media will directly infringed on those constitutionally protected human rights.

Besides, HURIWA cited several other provisions in chapter four of the Constitution which will be violated if Lai Mohammed succeeds in undermining the use of social media and these are: Section 38(1): “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.”

Also, Section 39(1): “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.” And then any attempt to restrict the access to the Social media amounts to curtailing the freedom of Assembly and Association because the Social media platforms are now the global villages and these rights are constitutionally guaranteed thus: Section 40: “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests.”

NIGERIANS MUST RESIST/DEFEAT INTIMIDATION AND TERRORISM OF MIYETTI ALLAH-: Says HURIWA:.......... *Canvass total boycott of cow meat:

A frontline Civil Rights Advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has challenged the over 250 Ethnic groups in the Country to deploy lawful methods to defend their rights to life by collectively confronting the terrorism unleashed on the Nigerian space by armed Fulani herdsmen and the group which provides moral boost to these terrorists known as MIYETTI ALLAH CATTLE OWNERS ASSOCIATION.

HURIWA has also resolved to once more petition World leaders and the International Criminal court  in The Hague Netherlands to demand that the various petitions filed against the mass killings in Nigeria by armed Fulani herdsmen and backed by Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association be investigated and the perpetrators of all the bloody violence which have so far killed over six thousand innocent Nigerians be arrested and prosecuted by the International Criminal court for crimes against humanity. 

HURIWA However expressed disappointment that the Nigerian born President of International Criminal court in The Hague Netherlands Chile Eboe-Osuji cannot be trusted to give any kind of justice to the victims of the series of attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen because he constantly visits the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari who does not think that there is the need to prosecute the mass murderers who operate under the aegis of the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association and who have political, tribal and religious affiliations with President Muhammadu Buhari who doubles as the National grand patron of the controversial group. 

"We will simply do the reminder letter to the International Criminal court in The Hague Netherlands to call their attention to all the pending petitions against armed Fulani herdsmen of Nigeria who have killed thousands of farmers and other Nigerians and have in some cases occupied their ancestral lands to carry out the business of rearing their cows."

HURIWA said it is responding to the recent threats made by the MIYETTI   ALLAH CATTLE OWNERS ASSOCIATION against states that have refused to set up either the RUGA Fulani settlements or cow colonies  in their states just as the Rights group observed that the continuous refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to declare the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association as a terrorists group which has emboldened them to commit further atrocities will inevitably lead Nigeria to a state of anarchy and chaos sooner than the government expects because the continuous reign of impunity cannot go on for far too long before those who have been pushed to the walls react violently.

HURIWA recalled that Fulani herdsmen, under the auspices of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore socio-cultural organization, reportedly issued a strong warning to State governors just as the National President of the organisation, Abdullahi Bodejo, was quoted in the media as saying that governors who want to enjoy peace in their states must create a particular area for the Fulani and equip them with modern amenities.

HURIWA quoted the Miyetti leader as threatening Nigerians thus: “Yes. We are just saying the same thing, whether Ruga or cattle colony, but the only thing is that Fulani issue in Nigeria is being used to play politics. “If you are losing election and you want to gain back lost ground, play the Fulani politics. If you want to win election in 2023, you can start using anti-grazing law. “We have grazing routes and grazing reserves and if Nigeria wants to solve the herdsmen and farmers clashes once and for all, you are a governor and you want to enjoy peace in your state, you don’t need any long meeting, just create a particular area for the Fulani and equip them with modern amenities. Instead of doing this, they are playing bad politics with Fulani."

HURIWA quoted the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association as saying too as follows: “Since when the Ruga started, I’m yet to see any, except the efforts being made by the Zamfara State governor. No other governor is doing anything about it; it is still politics. “Look at the support given to rice farmers through anchor borrowers’ programme; it is running into several billions of naira, and yet there is nothing for the Fulani business."

HURIWA warned the group to desist from constituting a national nuisance because it is not the only group of trade unions operating in Nigerians just as the Rights group reminded the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration that his SELECTIVE approach to counter terrorism which avoids any sort of decisively dealing with MIYETTI ALLAH CATTLE OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA even amidst their open threats to the peace, security and we'll being of other Nigerians will inevitably destroy Democracy unless something is done very urgently to halt the continuous reign of impunity unleashed by armed Fulani herdsmen. 

“HURIWA wonders why the leadership of this CATTLE Fulanis will continue to threaten national security and going about bragging to bring down state governments that refused to do their bidding as if Nigeria belongs to one ETHNIC group of the Fulani just as the Rights group reminds the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association that cattle rearing is a private business, and is illogical to try to force states to create settlements for Fulani because as the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association President wrongly posited that  about 99 per cent of the cows we are eating in this country are from Fulani. The Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association said also arrogantly that States are making revenues from cows. For example, in Lagos, over 6,000 cows are killed daily and the state government is making so much money from that and that is the way it is in other states of the country and he went on to talk down on legally passed laws in a very condescending manner claiming that these governors are not serious, that is why they are talking about anti grazing laws; they are not serious in maintaining peace in their state; they are not serious in carrying everybody along."

HURIWA stated that now is the time to call the bluff of the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association if government still doesn't wish to call them to order and this must be done by all other Ethnic groups in Nigeria by protecting their ancestral lands and ensuring that armed Fulani herdsmen do not have their ways by displacing other Nigerians of their God given landed assets. HURIWA through the national coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf canvassed immediate and total boycott of cow meat by other Nigerians if that can stop the spread of the vicious attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen and the continuous arrogant threats by the Miyetti Allah CATTLE owners Association.  

How Xenophobia and border closure 'Kills' AU/ ECOWAS

By Emmanuel Onwubiko

No doubt , two phenomena that have sprang up on the African continent namely the persistent xenophobic violence of black south Africans against other black Africans living in south Africa, and the nearly month-long closure of all land borders by the Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari constitute cogs in the wheel of any sort of progress for African integration. These two developments bring to the fore the larger question of whether African Union and ECOWAS are dead and buried. 

On one hand, the cases of constant xenophobic violence targeting other black Africans by the indigenous black south Africans can be considered such an unfathomable evil like genocide to an extent that both in substance and by the circumstances may not be equated to the political decision of Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari to close the nation's land borders, but looking too at the import of the formation of the sub-regional bloc of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), it would seem that the decision of Nigeria to shut the borders is a grave blow to the essence of setting up the sub-regional economic bloc. The persistence of both developments shows that the internal crises resolution mechanisms of the African Union and ECOWAS are non-functional or even non-existent. 

Whilst reflecting on the incapacity of the two organizations to resolve internal issues such as the twin social evils of Xenophobia and unilateral border closure, we are however reminded of the core arguments of those who support the decision of Nigeria at this time to shut off the borders in which they pointed to the nexus between that decision and the concept of sovereignty of Nigeria. 

But looking at the bigger picture, we can as well conclude that the consistent criminal acts of xenophobia in south Africa has in a very big way questioned the essence, relevance and import of African Union which purports to push for greater economic integration amongst Africans.

Incidentally, both South Africa which has become notorious because of the xenophobic violence and Nigeria which is becoming increasingly cynical of brotherly sub-regional neighbors leading to the shutting of the land borders, both nations were big players in the evolution of both African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

South Africa was the venue that birthed the transformation of organization of African Unity into African Union.

Nigeria on the other hand was pivotal in the formation of ECOWAS in the 70’s and is till date the home of the secretariat of this sub-regional bloc.

So, in a sense, an observer who sets out to examine the growing incidents of xenophobic attacks in South Africa and the effects of the decision of Nigeria to shut her land borders, would be left with a straightforward conclusion that ECOWAS and AU have lost their bearings and would therefore require resetting and fine tuning.

Although to be honest, the African Union did not just start losing her relevance of recent, the body has become a laughing stock internationally for failing to institutionalize good governance on the continent, spread constitutional democracy as it were, and by so doing promote economic prosperity of member nations which would have prevented the larger scale irregular migration of African youth to the west.

It is not in doubt that African Union has faltered in not doing so much to stop the economic collapse of a lot of African nations and prevent outbreaks of wars and terrorists attacks that have created the new refugees crisis in Africa. 

The credibility crises tearing down the fabrics of African Union only became much more toxic with the constant outbreaks of xenophobic violence in South Africa.

What then are the objectives and relevance of both African Union and ECOWAS if such disturbing signals keep springing up and getting out of control? 

Why for instance does neighboring nations to Nigeria not adhere strictly to the laws governing law-based imports and why do they flood the Nigerian markets with substandard goods and refuse to be subjected to the extant rules on customs and excuse?

It will also be right to ask where the so-called African unity is and the quest for greater economic integration in Africa for Africans when blacks in South Africa are subjected to the odium of constant xenophobic killings?

Recall that the African Union (AU) was officially launched in July 2002 in Durban, South Africa, following a decision in September 1999 by its predecessor, the OAU to create a new continental organization to build on its work. 

It would be recalled that the decision to re-launch Africa’s pan-African organization was officially the outcome of a consensus by African leaders that in order to realize Africa’s potential, there was a need to refocus attention from the fight for decolonization and ridding the continent of apartheid, which had been the focus of the OAU, towards increased cooperation and integration of African states to drive Africa’s growth and economic development.

Those who administer the website of African Union noted that AU is guided by its vision of “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”

Also, the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union lay out the aims of the AU which amongst other progressive objectives are: a) Achieve greater unity and solidarity between African countries and their the people b) Defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States; c) Accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent.

Then, looking at the sub-regional body called ECOWAS, here are the aims and objectives of ECOWAS: to promote cooperation and integration, leading to the establishment of an economic union in West Africa in order to raise the living standards of its peoples, and to maintain and enhance economic stability, foster relations among Member States and contribute to the progress and development of the African Continent; In order to achieve the aims set out in the paragraph above, and in accordance with the relevant provisions of this Treaty, the Community shall, by stages, ensure the harmonization and coordination of national policies and the promotion of integration programmes, projects and activities, particularly in food, agriculture and natural resources, industry, transport and communications, energy, trade, money and finance, taxation, economic reform policies, human resources, education, information, culture, science, technology, services, health, tourism, legal matters; the harmonization and coordination of policies for the protection of the environment; the promotion of the establishment of joint production enterprises; the establishment of a common market through: the liberalization of trade by the abolition, among Member States, of customs duties levied on imports and exports, and the abolition among Member States, of non-tariff barriers in order to establish a free trade area at the Community level. 

These well outlined objectives are breached with reckless abandon by those who signed this treaty. For instance, smaller economies such as the landlocked country of Benin Republic has always been found wanting in the area of aiding and abetting massive smuggling of goods and services into the Nigerian economy for a long time and Benin is also the most attractive destination for smuggled premium motor spirit stolen from Nigeria. Benin is accused of flooding Nigeria with hundreds of thousands of agricultural products thereby stifling the local agro-allied industry in Nigeria. To that extent, an observer will apportion the greater blame for the weakening and erosion of the essence of ECOWAS treaty on the attitudes of these other smaller neighboring nation's to Nigeria. But why is Nigerian border security too weak and why are the immigration and custom services so corrupt and why is the Nigerian President not throwing away the corrupt and inefficient hierarchies of the two compromised bodies who also aid and abet smuggling? As we look t the border closure and the consequences it has brought to such other countries like Ghana, Niger and Benin Republic, we should be mindful of the retaliatory strikes against Nigerians doing legitimate businesses in those other nations bearing the brunt of the total land border closure by President Muhammadu Buhari.  

Now to the bigger issue of African Union vis-a-vis the xenophobic attacks, we must note that South Africa faced a spate of boycotts recently.  

The presidents of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi decided not to attend the World Economic Forum on Africa hosted by South Africa in the face of ongoing looting and burning of small businesses in that country owned largely by African immigrants, local media reported on Wednesday.

The chairman of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat has condemned the attacks, which have seen scores of people arrested in Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria.

Reports said Zambia had also cancelled a friendly football match with South Africa's national men's team Bafana Bafana scheduled for March.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari instructed his foreign affairs minister to summon South Africa's high commissioner to Nigeria over the violence.

Some South Africans say they are retaliating against crime committed by foreigners and the sale of illicit goods by foreign shop owners, but political analysts say African immigrants have become scapegoats for rising anger over joblessness and general economic woes.

In a statement recently the African Union Commission's Faki called for "immediate steps to protect the lives of people and their property, ensure that all perpetrators are brought to account for their acts, and that justice be done to those who suffered economic and other losses."

"The chairperson reiterates the African Union’s Commission continued commitment to support the South African government in addressing the root causes that led to these despicable acts, in order to promote peace and stability, within the framework of the African Union’s longstanding principles of continental solidarity," his spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo said.

There is therefore the urgent need to ensure that ECOWAS and AU do not die premature deaths due to these shortcomings and orchestrated violence of Xenophobia in South Africa.  Even with all the inherent weaknesses of these bodies, they still play some roles to present Africa as a people who are working to better their environment and make the World a happy place. There are more gains to be made keeping these bodies and consolidating them for greater roles to reposition Africa and West Africa than let them for now due to our failings. 

*Emmanuel Onwubiko heads HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) and blogs @www.emmanuelonwubiko.com, www.huriwa.blogspot.com,www.thenigerianinsidernews.com.