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Thursday 30 August 2018

F.G complicit in Nnamdi Kanu’s enforced disappearance: - Says HURIWA: *Task FG on credible data base of missing persons:


As the world marks the International Day for the missing persons, a pro-democracy group – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has condemned the conspiratorial silence of the Federal Government on the alleged enforced disappearance of the Director of the Europe registered but Nigeria proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Prince Nnamdi Kanu and his parents.

HURIWA said it is imperative that the Presidency which directed the Nigerian Army to in the words of the military 'flush out' the unarmed members of the indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) is tasked under a legal obligation to render transparent and an unambiguous account of the whereabouts of Prince Nnamdi Kanu, his parents and dozens of other civilians who are victims of enforced disappearances as a result of the bombardments of the expansive premises of the leader of the now proscribed Indigenous peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

Relatedly, HURIWA cautioned government to build and domicile for operation, the national data base of missing persons in Nigeria under the National Human Rights Commission and perish the bogus idea of setting up a separate commission on the missing persons which is the intention of the government funded ad-hoc committee on missing persons chaired by a Presidential adviser and wife of erstwhile Chief justice of Nigeria Mrs. Mariam Uwais which is called Technical committee on the establishment and management of the data base of missing persons which has been in existence for three years now. The Rights group warned against setting up another money guzzling Presidential on the thematic mandate of missing persons since Nigeria already has a well-structured national institution for the protection of human rights which the theme of missing persons fall under.

The Rights group charged the Federal Government to render proper accounts of the whereabouts of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and his parents who were last seen after the ferocious attack in their country home in Umuahia by the Nigerian Army during the controversial Operation Python Dance Two. "The idea of keeping silence and hoping that Nigerians should forget that they watched on public and private media as the Nigerian Army attacked the premises of a Nigerian family in Abia state under the operation python dance two and half of the members of that family disappeared soon thereafter as a consequence of that military invasion and attacks is unconstitutional and primitive. Let the federal government render account of what transpired that led to these enforced disappearances".

HURIWA has also tasked the Federal Government to provide clues that could lead to the finding of all missing members of the self-determination group IPOB who reportedly disappeared during the conduct of operation python dance II by the Nigerian Army characterized by widespread human rights violations including the use of physical and psychological torture on unarmed civilians only because they identified with the now proscribed pro-self-determination group known as Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).

HURIWA called on the United Nations to protect the lives of members of the Nigeria proscribed Indigenous peoples of Biafra which is legally operational outside of Nigeria but hurriedly banned in Nigeria and these members and associates of this group are now seen as persona non grata whose lives are at risk of enforced disappearances or extralegal execution.

“We speak as a group of independent human rights practitioners and patriotic Nigerians working to institutionalize the supremacy of rule of law, constitutional democracy and respect for the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights of all Nigerians and even non-citizens resident in Nigeria. We are by the opportunity offered by the symbolism of the 2018 international day for the missing persons set aside by the United Nations, appealing to the Nigerian government to account for the whereabouts of individuals who are victims of enforced disappearances particularly during the enforcement of all internal military operations. We also ask the Nigerian government to open up all detention facilities run by security forces for transparent audits of the detainees. Government must rescue the Christian teenage girl abducted by Boko Haram terrorists simply because of her faith and release all the over 100 Chibok girls kidnapped over three years by the dreaded armed terrorists of boko haram."

“We remind the Nigerian state of its obligations to protect and defend human rights enshrined in all major international human rights and humanitarian laws. We restate that in consideration of the obligation of States under the Charter of the United Nations to promote universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even as we recall the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the other relevant international instruments in the fields of human rights, humanitarian law and international criminal law, we hereby remind Nigeria of Part One Article 1 of International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance which states: “No one shall be subjected to enforced disappearance; No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification for enforced disappearance” and “For the purposes of this Convention, "enforced disappearance" is considered to be the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place such a person outside the protection of the law.”

Uduaghan within his human right to defect -: HURIWA


Displeased with the scale of apparently sponsored attacks targeting immediate past governor of Delta State Dr. Emmanuel Udughan over his decision to defect from Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC), a Rights group has stoutly defended the erstwhile chief executive of the oil rich Delta State on his political choices.

Speaking with the media in Abuja, the national coordinator of the prominent Non-governmental organization – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko cautioned against straight jacketed and politically motivated diatribe directed at the person of former Delta State governor by those who oppose his decision to move to All Progressives Congress.

“From the benefit of overwhelming hindsight, our members in Delta State have called to inform us that the leadership of the former governor’s former party may have inadvertently pushed Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan out of his former political party because of the alleged plot by the current governor to reward all serving national assembly members with automatic return tickets irrespective of how abysmal their performances over the past three years have been. Emmanuel Uduaghan cannot be compelled to remain in a party that at the Delta state level has failed to institutionalize internal democracy when he has the vocation and the call to represent his good people in the Senate of the federal republic of Nigeria in the next dispensation and with primary election just by the side i wonder what else his critics want him to do. As a civil society group we don't subscribe to some of the achievements he ascribed to the current government because we are aware that poverty has ballooned out of control, but we will defend the human right of Emmanuel Uduaghan to make his political choices.”

“As a human rights group working to ensure that the frontiers of the exercise of the fundamental political freedoms including freedom of association are expanded, promoted, nurtured and protected, we are of the considered opinion that the decision of Delta State governor to move to another political platform to seek to gain the mandate of his people to offer them qualitative and people oriented representation in the senate is well within the purview of his constitutional right to stand for elective position to achieve his well-grounded political ambition which is legally permissible. We therefore think that those criticizing him may need to give him a hearing chance and to accept his very profound reasons in good conscience unlike serving senators or office holders, Dr. Uduaghan to the best of our knowledge is only a private citizen who has the zeal to run for an elective position under the platform of his new political family. So what is wrong with a private individual who is shut out in his party due to lack of internal democracy, moving to another party?”

HURIWA recalled that Article 20 of universal declarations of Human Rights stated thus: “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association; No one may be compelled to belong to an association.”

HURIWA recalled that Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution stated: “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.”

Uduaghan in a statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday morning and titled ‘Moving On To The Bigger Playing Field’, the former governor noted that despite Buhari inability to score the required 25 per cent in the 2015 election in the region, he has given direct focus to the development of the region.

The former governor stated that having played key role in the cessation of hostilities in the once restive region particularly risking his life for the returned of peace while serving as governor, he would support any government doing it best to solve the myriad of problems confronting the region.

Wednesday 29 August 2018

HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) invites you to send in to us your experiences with SARS... We have decided to proceed to the Nigerian President through the National Human Rights Commission to table these grievances and make sure that they are resolved. Send us your detailed information to huriwa@gmail.com.


Channels TV.
Osinbajo Orders Immediate Overhaul Of SARS
Channels Television
Updated August 14, 2018
Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has directed the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to immediately overhaul the management and activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The order follows persistent complaints and critical reports about the activities SARS. The complaints border on allegations of human rights violations.
Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, announced the directive in a statement signed on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Osinbajo instructed the IGP to ensure that any unit that emerges from the overhaul is intelligence-driven, restricted to the prevention and detection of armed robbery, kidnapping, apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences, and nothing more.
The Acting President also directed the IGP to ensure that all operatives in the emerging unit “conduct their operations in strict adherence to the rule of law and due regard to International Human Rights Law and the constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects.
“The operatives should also bear proper identification anytime they are on duty,” he added.
Also, Osinbajo ordered the National Human Rights Commission to set up a Special Panel that will conduct an investigation into the alleged unlawful activities of SARS.
He said the panel would afford members of the public the opportunity to present their grievances and get justice.

Vanguard
Acting on Osinbajo’s order, IGP overhauls, renames SARS FSARS
ON AUGUST 14, 20187:52 PM
Appoints new Commissioner for FSARS
By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA-THE Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has overhauled the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, following public outcry over alleged human rights violations by operatives of the police anti-crime unit.
The IGP’s action was in compliance with the directive to that effect by President Muhammadu Buhari that the police unit be immediately reorganized for better operations.
To this end, the police boss, according to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, has appointed a new commissioner to head the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad, otherwise known as FSARS.
Under the new arrangements, “the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad previously under the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (FCIID) is henceforth to operate under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja. The Commissioner of Police (FSARS) is answerable to the Inspector General of Police through the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations, “according to the statement.
The Commissioner, according to Mr Moshood’s statement, would oversee the operations of SARS nationwide.
“The Inspector General of Police in compliance with the Presidential directives has ordered the immediate overhauling of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to address complaints and allegations on human rights violations against some of the personnel of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) from members of the public in some parts of the Country.
” In the new arrangement, a new Commissioner of Police has been appointed as the overall head of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide,” the statement said.
It added thus:” In observance of full compliance with the Presidential directives, the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad will be intelligence driven and will be restricted to the prevention and detection of Armed Robbery, kidnapping and the apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences only.
“New FSARS Commanders are being appointed for the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) across the country that will now exist and operate in the State and Zonal Commands under the Commissioner of Police (F-SARS) at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. A Federal SARS Commander of a rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) but not below Superintendent of Police (SP) will be in charge of FSARS in State and Zonal Commands across the country.
“All Commissioners of Police have been directed by the Inspector General of Police to comply with this directive with immediate effect and warn their personnel not to pose as SARS operatives. The IGP X-Squad and Monitoring Unit have been mandated to go round the Commands and Police Formations nationwide to ensure strict compliance with the Presidential directives and apprehend any erring police officer.”
The statement further said:” A new Standard Operational Guidelines and Procedures, and code of conduct for all FSARS personnel to ensure that the operations of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad is in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regards to international human rights law and constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects will be enforced in totality by the Commissioner of Police, FSARS.”
The statement read further:” Other measures to be implemented by the Force in observance of full compliance with the presidential directives are as follows:
” Human Rights Desk Officers for FSARS in every State to take complaints from the public and forward same to Force Headquarters, the officer will be answerable to the Commissioner of Police, FSARS at the Force Headquarters and not Commander FSARS in the States.
” Medical/Psychological evaluation of all FSARS personnel will be carried out immediately.
” Redesigning of new uniform with identity name tag for all FSARS personnel throughout the Country will be done immediately.
” Henceforth, FSARS personnel will not perform Stop and Search duties except on distress call to respond to armed robbery and kidnapping offences only.
“The Force will be transparent, cooperate, and work cordially with the National Human Right Commission on the special panel that will conduct an investigation of the alleged unlawful activities of FSARS to address grievances from the public against the personnel of FSARS in compliance with the presidential directives.”
Following the reorganization, the statement said a new training program would” be organized by the Force in collaboration with some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), local and international NGOs, and other human rights organizations on core police duties, observant of human rights and handling, care and custody of suspects have been directed by the Inspector General of Police for all Federal SARS personnel nationwide with immediate effect.”
” A committee of Senior Police officers, Technical Consultants, Human Rights/Civil Society organizations (CSOs) has been setup to review the activities of FSARS under the new arrangement. They are to pay unscheduled visits to FSARS formations across the country with particular attention to States with high complaints index, to assess facilities and situations in these States and submit report to the Inspector General of Police on regular basis.
The statement advised aggrieved members of the public who have any complaint in the past or present of violation of their rights by any Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) personnel anywhere in the country to report through appropriate channels.

Rejection of PIGB Shows change has not come to Nigeria: - says HURIWA


A prominent civil society group and a pro-democracy organization – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has condemned as 'intentional retrogression' and “a show of the will- not- to overcome”, the presidential rejection of the Petroleum Industrial governance bill (PIGB).

HURIWA also affirmed that the decision may after all not constitute any shock to most rational thinkers in Nigeria and globally, because it is a notorious fact that pragmatic governance change has not yet manifested in Nigeria even with much talked about change mantra mouthed by President Muhammadu Buhari and his officials. However, the Rights group noted that it has cost the Country humongous amount of public fund to build up the proposed legislation that has just suffered political still-birth because it fails to meet the Northern agenda.

HURIWA in a statement averred thus: “These are some of the issues that are central to the lack of progress in Nigeria because those who preside over the topmost echelons of administration at the highly skewed federal system of government imposed on the collective through a military fiat brought into being by mostly Northern born military generals with a common regional agendum, take decisions at their whims and caprices governed not by public interest but by some nebulous but externally calibrated interests of those who go about believing that there would be no Nigeria without their ethno-religious clan.”

“How can we rationally justify the rejection of a body of work that went into the final draft of this proposed legislation (PIGB) on the vexed petroleum industry that seeks to give back some levels of ownership and control of their God-given resources back to the crude oil bearing communities only for the outcome to be jettisoned over a plate of AsoRock's tasty pepper soup?.”

“Why should Nigeria invests hundreds of millions of dollars sponsoring hundreds of consultative workshops at home and abroad on this same proposed PIGB legislation, only for the head of the executive arm to refuse to agree because his Attorney General who was his political associate when he was literally in the political wilderness wrongly interpreted the import of the legislation if signed and why should the president be so much concerned about losing his monopolistic control of the Petroleum Industry which in any event has never been one hundred percent? The multinationals control the Nigerian petroleum sector and are known to always corner the chunk of what accrues from the sales of the barrels of crude oil explored by them and a remnant of some Nigerian oil workers who are even working without any transparent metering system to determine what goes out from these rich crude oil fields.”

HURIWA faulted the reason adduced for the rejection that it may lead to the notion’s exit from organization of petroleum council (OPEC) just as it clearly stated that the sovereign interests of Nigeria far out weights that of OPEC.

“We absolutely condemn this ill-advised decision of Mr. president to reject a bill that so much intellectual works have gone into producing it just as valuable resources that could even have been deployed to clean up the messed up and impoverished Niger Delta oil mineral producing communities have been spent to reach a clearly acceptable determination of the final copy of the bill only for this sad end to be intentionally choreographed.”

“The president was badly advised because his powers, duties, functions are clearly spelt out in the Nigerian Constitution and no inferior legislation or statute has the jurisdictional competence to whittle down the powers of the president as stated in section 5 of the 1999 constitution which is the supreme law of Nigeria.”

“What has just played out has simply justified the well documented ideas by a British journalist Mr. Duncan Clarke in his book Crude Continent: the struggle for Africa’s oil prize. In the book this writer affirmed and he has just been proven right by president Buhari thus: “If you find that life has made you president of an oil-rich micro-state and you worry about inheritance, limited options may exist.
One might be to hope for initial family succession, then a smooth and continuous dynastic follow-on akin to monarchical acceptance. History in Africa suggests low probabilities of success for this expectation. Another design might be to create a state edifice that itself corporatizes the oil game, co-opts antagonists, spreads wealth and benefits, and leads over time to more social and ethnic inclusiveness. So far both the first phases of each of these stratagems appear to be in play.”

HURIWA recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had withheld assent to the Petroleum Industrial Governance Bill (PIGB). The decision is coming after 17years of rigorous consultations and legislative hassles on the document.

HURIWA said media sources averred that Buhari hinged his action on the argument that the bill reduces the president’s control of an industry that contributes the largest chunk to the national economy.

HURIWA quoted these sources as stating: “The president said those he contacted among his ministers, especially the attorney general and minister of justice, claimed that presidential powers have been passed to a technocrat who might undermine the interest of the president.”

HURIWA lamented that it is on record that in 2013, then Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu, said their upstream exploration and production arm, SPDC, put on hold investment decisions on two key offshore oil and gas projects that would have cost about $30 billion until the new petroleum law was approved.

HURIWA recalled that two years later, chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Bank Anthony Okoroafor, estimated that Nigeria lost $10 billion (N1.7 trillion) fresh investments due to the non-passage of the PIB. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) in a policy brief later that year, put annual losses due to the non-passage of the bill at $200 billion. The brief also alerted that another $15 billion is lost yearly in fresh investments to regulatory uncertainties.

HURIWA quoted the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the US Energy Department, in one of its report as saying; “The amount of money that Nigeria loses every year from not passing the PIB is estimated to be as high as $15 billion."

Tuesday 28 August 2018

HURIWA decries pervasive corruption in nation’s judiciary:

A prominent pro-transparency and non-governmental organization – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has accused the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen of lack of will power in the fight against pervasive corruption within the judiciary.

The Rights group also upbraided the president Muhammadu Buhari for protecting his aides, ministers and staff found to have committed huge amount of corruption and for parading fake certificates. The group wondered why erstwhile Secretary to the government of the federation Babachir Lawan implicated in multimillion alleged heist of internally displaced persons' fund and those who were implicated in the $25 billion NNPC's contract scam are yet to be prosecuted. HURIWA also accused President Muhammadu Buhari of protecting the national chairman of his party Adams Oshiomhole who was dragged to EFCC over large scale multibillion fraud in Edo state.

HURIWA said the failure of president Buhari to show good example by firing two of his officials – the minister of Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and his senior Special Assistant on prosecution Mr. Obono Obla indicted for parading allegedly forged exemption certificate from the National Youth Service Corp Scheme (NYSC) and fake WAEC certificate is the greatest act of tolerating corruption at the highest levels.

In a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA accused the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation of monumental corruption just as the Rights group questioned why the $ 25 Billion contract scam in NNPC has been swept under the carpets.

In a statement on the state of the Nation, HURIWA lamented that massive corruption and bribery in the judiciary has gravely damaged the integrity of the justice system even as the Rights group accused the Chief Justice of Nigeria of failing to provide responses to a validly presented request based on the freedom of information Act regarding an official memorandum by president Buhari to the Chief Justice of Nigeria in which the presidency rejected five nominees for judicial elevation on the ground that they are unfit to be so elevated. HURIWA accused the Chief justice of Nigeria of keeping in office top officials rejected for appointments into higher judicial offices.

HURIWA recalled that it sent an FOI request urging the CJN thus: "We are however, by this letter demanding a certified true copy of the latest communication from the presidency in which Mr. President rejected five of the nominees by NJC for judicial appointments and even for elevation to appellate courts on the ground of serious indictment bordering on professional and official misconduct. We are referring to the last sets of judicial officers your good self-swore in as judges. Five amongst the nominees were rejected due to security indictments bordering on misconduct."

"One of the names on the list include a serving justice of the Abuja High Court and a Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court."

"Our request is anchored on the relevant sections of the freedom of information Act just as the information is required for the purposes of helping the justice sector to reshape the administration of justice and improve anti-corruption strategies. Under section 22 of the constitution, our group which is media affiliated is empowered to deploy the instrument of mass media to check the excesses of officials of different arms of government in Nigeria. "

"The office of the CJN may be too busy doing other things than attend to requests by credible civil society groups asking for vital information that can be pieced together to strategically provide the best agenda to wage war against corruption in the judicial system which have escalated. There is the likelihood that there are persons embedded in the office of the Honourable the CJN that may be throwing away such important requests for vital and strategic body of evidence on corruption allegations. We had sent similar petition on a Presidential aide that WAEC eventually confirmed parades fake certificate but someone inside the office of the CJN kept returning a written instruction that we should bring additional proofs not until WAEC appeared before the NASS and revealed that our allegations are factually verifiable and till date the CJN has done nothing to investigate the claim that a lawyer allegedly used fake certificate to gain admission into the SCN as an advocate and a solicitor. We have it on good authority that there are many petitions on this matter we raised that are lying around in the NJC but have yet not get fastrack approach. Corruption is a grave threat to all arms of govt. The Executive is very suck of corruption. The US ThinkTank recently issues damaging reports in this direction. The parliament is also very sick."

Arguing that corruption was stiffling sustainable development, HURIWA charged government and the three arms of government to use the law to combat corruption because according to it: "We must also distinguish the State from Society. Society is an association of human beings and suggests the whole complex of the relations of man to his fellows. It consists of the complicated network of groups and institutions expressing human association. The state is one of the groups, a society, not society. It is the most important group, but still not identical with society. There are many groups in society like the family, the caste, the church and the trade union which do influence social life, but which owe neither their origin nor their inspiration to the State. Again, there are social forces like custom, imitation and competition which the state may protect or modify but certainly does not create; and social motives like friendship or jealousy which establish relationships too intimate and personal to be controlled by the great engine of the state."

Thursday 23 August 2018

NBC now undermines media freedom; DICTATORIAL and antagonistic: - Says HURIWA: *Calls for urgent amendments to NBC Act...


A media affiliated civil rights organization – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has raised alarm that the current Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Alhaji Ishaq Modibbo Kawu has become a religious and fanatical enforcer of pro-Buhari’s sentiments in public and private broadcasting.

Besides, HURIWA has also called on the National Assembly to investigate the claims of nepotism, favouritism and religious sentiments in the exercise of functions and duties of the office of the Director General by the holder of that office currently in NBC.

HURIWA lamented that the allegation that the minister of information Mr. Lai Mohammed wrote to the National Broadcasting Commission over a year ago to raise him a loan to travel to China has not been sufficiently investigated in compliance with the principles of transparency and accountability just as the group faulted the appointment of a non-professional journalist ad minister of information.

In a media statement made available jointly by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said it is imperative that the head of that government agency is compelled to operate within the principle of rule of law and adherence to the constitutional provisions, just as it restated that compelling him to respect section 22 of the constitution would serve to achieve the betterment of Nigerians’ collective yearning for the expansion of the frontiers of media freedoms.

HURIWA said it has been inundated with complaints from all over the country against some overbearing and Islamo- dictatorial tendencies of the Director General of NBC and his excessive penchant to compel broadcasters to become praise singers of president Buhari or face arbitrary fines and other restrictions such as the blacklisting of certain categories of guests from been invited as guest speakers by those broadcasting houses.

The Rights group wondered why the head of NBC has turned himself into a demi-god and the partisan chief enforcer of soft tissues of propaganda for the ruling party when infact he ought to be holding that office is in trust for the good people of Nigeria.

“On good authority, we have been told of the unprecedented impunity and reign of nepotism, ethno-religious chauvinism that go on inside the inner recesses of the office of the director general. We were informed of how he has allegedly used his office to stand in the way of the promotions of officers who are not Hausa Fulani Moslems."

“There is an urgent need for the National Assembly to focus her attention on the NBC with the hope of compelling the head of that institution not to view his office as that of the enforcer of the APC code of broadcasting but as a non-partisan office holder. The NBC ACT should be amended to bring it into consonance with global best practices and ensure that the holder of the office of DG must be a person of good standing and a patriot who must carry out his official functions without prejudice to the Ethno Religious interests of the staff and management of that agency and must show demonstrable evidence of total non-partisanship."

HURIWA affirmed thus: " We have been informed that Channels TV was fined N5 million in the month of July 2018 for refusing to be the propaganda machine of the government against National Assembly and Senator Bukola Saraki."

HURIWA also asserted that: “We have been informed that Kiss FM in Lagos is dying in silence. Cool FM is complaining. City FM along Ogba-Ikeja road in Lagos is about to die due to over FINE. A radio station in Ibadan was fined N500,000 because a jingle critical of Fulani Herdsmen was aired therein. Star FM in Ogun State is currently in dilemma. Sweet FM in the gateway state is battling to retain its licence. Wazobia FM must declare all guests to feature in their programmes to NBC or face FINE. The frequency of Rhythm FM has been suspended five times in 2018 for refusing to stop inviting some Public Analysts critical of President Buhari."

HURIWA recalled that; "Ekiti TV and Radio are under lock and key because the state Governor, Ayo Fayose exposed how results were altered and rigged during the July 14th governorship elections in the state against the wishes of the people. As usual, some, due to party sentiment, clapped when Ekiti TV and Radio were shut. Hope someone is getting something Nigeria".

HURIWA recalled that Mr. Gbenga Aruleba of Fucus Nigeria AIT was reportedly suspended from his programme because of pressure from NBC even as Raypower political platform was fined 500,000 naira for running live commentary on national assembly imbroglio i.e. on the day of mass defection at the Senate"

The exercise of these DICTATORIAL tendencies by the DG who is running a one man show in NBC contravene the powers and functions enshrined in the NBC ACT which ought to be seen as enabling provisions that should rather promote media freedoms rather than stifling media freedoms.

"The Powers of the Commission are as follows; " (1) The Commission shall have responsibility of - (a) advising the Federal Government generally on the implementation of the National Mass Communication Policy with particular reference to broadcasting; (b) receiving, processing and considering applications for the establishment, ownership or operation of radio and television stations including- (i) cable television services, direct satellite broadcast and any other medium of broadcasting; (ii) radio and television stations owned, established or operated by the Federal, State or local government; (c) recommending applications through the Minister to the President, for the grant of radio and television licences; (d) regulating and controlling the broadcasting industry; (e) undertaking research and development in the broadcasting industry; (f) receiving, considering and investigating complaints from individuals and bodies corporate or incorporate regarding the contents of a broadcast and the conduct of a broadcasting station; (g) upholding the principles of equity and fairness in broadcasting; (h) establishing and disseminating a national broadcasting code and setting standards with regard to the contents and quality of materials for broadcast; (i) promoting Nigerian indigenous cultures, moral and community life through broadcasting; (j) promoting authenticated radio and television audience measurements and penetration; (k) initiating and harmonizing Government policies on trans-border direct transmission and reception in Nigeria; (l) regulating ethical standards and technical excellence in public, private and commercial broadcast stations in Nigeria; (m) monitoring broadcasting for harmful emission, interference and illegal broadcasting; (n) determining and applying sanctions including revocation of licences of defaulting stations which do not operate in accordance with the broadcast code and in the public interest; (o) approving the transmitter power, the location of stations, areas of coverage as well as regulate types of broadcast equipment to be used; (p) ensuring qualitative manpower development in the broadcasting industry by accrediting curricula and programmes for all tertiary training institutions that offer Mass Communication in relation to broadcasting; (q) intervening and arbitrating in conflicts in the broadcasting industry; (r) ensuring strict adherence to the national laws, rules and regulations relating to the participation of foreign capital in relation to local capital in broadcasting; (s) serving as national consultants on any legislative or regulatory issues on the broadcasting industry; [1999 No. 55.] (t) guaranteeing and ensuring the liberty and protection of the broadcasting industry with due respect to the law; and (u) carrying out such other activities as are necessary or expedient for the full discharge of all or any of the functions conferred on it under or pursuant to this Act."

HURIWA said the totality of these provisions have not permitted the Director General to convert his office to the one sided job of a chief enforcer of the ideology and agenda of the party that produced the President who is the appointing authority for four years as against section 22 which gives the media the job of the national conscience of the nation.

Kofi Annan: Activist who led the UN By Emmanuel Onwubiko


The world’s leading organization of member nations known as the United Nations organization means different thing for different kinds of people depending on the perspective from which you are looking at it.

An observer in the Western developed society would certainly see the UN as a forum in which their beloved Country plays a big brother role and is beyond reproach. Also, a typical American would see the UN which has about 65 percent of its physical presence in New York as one international symbol of the universal power of their motherland.

But an African from whichever schools of thought would most likely see the United Nations as a 'big -for-nothing' contraption that has played not too much of constructive roles to right the many self-inflicted wrongs afflicting much of Africa.

These diametrically opposed worldviews are not withstanding the time tested fact that the United Nations has existed for nearly half of a century and more.

Specifically, the charter of the United Nations was signed on 26th June, 1945, in San Francisco, at the conclusion of the United Nations conference on international organization and came into force on 24th October 1945.

Similarly, the statute of the international court of justice is an integral part of the charter.
Historically, amendments to Article 23, 27 and 61 of the charter were adopted by the General Assembly on December 17th 1963 and came into force on 31st August 1965.

The following are the preambles to the United Nation’s charter:
“Determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom."

Furthermore, members affirmed that they will work towards actualization of these ends which would inevitably lead to the universal practice of tolerance and teach members of the human race to live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples.

Members of the UN disclosed in the charter that they have resolved to combine their efforts to accomplish these aims.

Accordingly, the respective Governments of the members, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form have agreed to the present charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.

The purposes of the United Nations are: To maintains international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace; To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace; To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

Now that the historical context of the United Nations have all been highlighted, let me stress that my analysis of the United Nations which was once headed by the Ghanaian born Mr. Kofi Annan, would be examined from the prism of a former British protected Child whose parents survived one of the most horrific genocides in human history which is the Nigerian-Biafran war of 1966 to 1970 in Nigeria.

Growing up in the rusty town of Kafanchan, Kaduna State, deep in the North West of Nigeria, I had cause to embark on a trip to intellectually ascertain the place of the United Nations bearing in mind that this global body was very much in existence when that uncivil war happened in Nigeria but watched as nearly three million of mostly Igbo children, women and the aged were dispatched to their untimely death through a cocktail of policies by the federal forces which clearly can be adjudged as genocide.

In my earliest years in school in Kafanchan Teachers College, I tried in vain to find out why such a global body could be in existence and allowed such a callous warfare to happen and infact did nothing to stop the big producers of weapons from flooding the scenes with their weapons of mass destruction.

These basic questions remained unanswered even when the black African nation of Ghana produced the United Nations first ever black secretary general in the person of Kofi Annan.
The irony that characterized the United Nations became even more troubling to me when we witnessed the disintegration of USSR which is a permanent Security Council member of the United Nations.

Why is the world still witnessing so much of fragile peace and simmering conflicts nearly half a century after the human race set up the world’s body known as the United Nations?

The exit of Kofi Annan brought these basic questions back into reckoning.

The conflicts such as the Rwandan genocide happened even whilst the same diplomat from Ghana who would rise to become the secretary general reportedly headed the peace keeping department.

The middle East have also witnessed intermittent conflicts to an extent that in Yemen, civilians are at the receiving end of bombardments from Saudi Arabia which buys weapons from the United Kingdom and United States of America, but the United Nations has maintained a disunited approach to these conflicts.

Why keep funding a body whose membership is on the basis of segregation between those wielding veto powers from the hundreds of others who have no such powers?

In a classical book titled: “Fragile Peace: state failure, violence and development in crisis region”, edited jointly by Tobias Debiel and Axel Klein, so much of these raging conflicts are blamed on what is called the weakness of state structure.

Using the erstwhile USSR, this is what the writers of the aforementioned text wrote about weakness of state structure which causes conflicts.

“The collapse of the USSR resulted first of all in a general loss of state authority and considerable fragility of the new nation-states..."

Most often than not, the concept of sovereignty has contributed to the confusing place of the United Nations as an interventionist global peace keeping Army. A Appodorai in his book titled; "The substance of politics" says this of the word sovereignty. "Sovereignty may be defined as the power of the state to make law and enforce the law with all the coercive power it cares to employ." So how does the United Nations intervene if the people running a government in any part of the globe decides to use the instrumentalist of the national law to promote selfish interests?

Amidst these incontrovertible evidence of inherent weakness of the United Nations, the current secretary general used the event of the demise of the former UN secretary general to remind the world that the forum is still as relevant now even much more than it has always been.

The Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, and staff members, remembered former Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday, describing him as a leader who put people at the centre of the UN work.

During a wreath-laying ceremony in New York, Mr. Guterres led staff members in paying respects to Mr. Annan, whom they described as the embodiment of the intergovernmental organization that worked to improve the lives of men and women worldwide.

Kofi Annan died on Saturday at the age of 80 in Switzerland.

The United Nations described Mr. Annan, as a mild-mannered diplomat from Ghana, who rose through the UN system to become its seventh leader in January 1997, serving two consecutive five-year terms till December 2006.

The United Nations system says that Mr. Kofi Annan’s years in office were an exciting time. He put forward new ideas. He brought new people into the United Nations family. He spoke passionately about our mission and role.

The late UN scribe reportedly created a renewed sense of possibility both inside and outside our organization about what the UN could do and be for the world’s people.
"He put people at the centre of the work of the United Nations, and was able to turn compassion into action across the UN system,’’ Guterres said.

He listed some of the actions Annan took to include uniting world leaders to agree global targets on poverty and child mortality – linchpins of the landmark Millennium Development Goals.
The former UN chief also joined with civil society and the healthcare injury to save lives from HIV and AIDS.

As his successor noted, Annan also did not shy away from addressing challenging issues.
Annan faced up to the grave errors made by the United Nations in the 1990s – in its response to the Rwanda genocide and the Srebrenica killings – by shining a light inside the UN.

The reports he commissioned aimed to make sure such terrible mistakes are never repeated, and set the international community on a new course in its response to mass atrocities,” Mr. Guterres said.

Mr. Guterres stated that the passing of his predecessor was “a personal loss’’ for many who worked in the UN system.

Jason Daley who peened a piece published by the SMITHSONIAN.COM however think that Kofi Annan left a legacy of a more interventionist United Nations.

These assertions are however very much debatable given that there are bottled up angst among some observers that he made no attempt to condemn the infamous cancellation of the June 12th 1993 election that could have seen Chief Moshood Abiola become president even until he was killed in government detention in Abuja, Annan maintained conspiratorial silence they said.

Jason Daley wrote that: “Annan, born in Ghana in 1938, was the first leader of the United Nations elected from the organization’s staff. Trained as an economist, he began his work at the U.N. in 1962 as a World Health Organization budget officer. In 1980, he moved to the U.N. refugee agency, reports James Doubek at NPR. In 1993, he was tapped to head peacekeeping operations. He faced some of the U.N.’s most complex problems, including the wars in the former Yugoslavia, the Rwandan genocide and war in Somalia. In 1997 he became the first black African chosen for the role of secretary-general, and served two five-year terms.”

“His tenure included the beginning of the war on terror, which came with deep divisions over the Iraq War, reports Alan Cowell at The New York Times. Annan’s legacy is tied to these military and political crises, though he had little or no control over the U.N. Security Council, which handles such matters.

Instead, his legacy—or at least what he hoped would be his legacy—was turning the U.N. into the world’s moral conscience and arbiter.

Deservedly, Annan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for combatting terrorism, prioritizing human rights, and helping to establish the Global AIDS and Health Fund.

During his acceptance speech, he outlined the U.N.’s goals for the 21st century. “Only in a world that is rid of poverty can all men and women make the most of their abilities,” he said. “Only where individual rights are respected can differences be channeled politically and resolved peacefully. Only in a democratic environment, based on respect for diversity and dialogue, can individual self-expression and self-government be secured, and freedom of association be upheld.”

But for all his good intentions, Annan’s legacy is not without controversy. Timothy Longman at The Washington Post reports that Annan was in charge of peacekeeping in 1994 when a crisis in Rwanda developed into genocide.

Annan was faulted for not heeding warning signs of violence and failing to intervene.

He later wrote that he regretted his lack of leadership during the genocide. He also lamented his inability to stop the war in Bosnia, and decided on a more aggressive response. Military intervention was a controversial move, since the NATO bombing didn’t have the backing of the U.N. Security Council.”

Lastly, I remember Mr. Kofi Annan for correctly interpreting the reason for Nigeria's political backwardness. He was recently quoted to have told a young Presidential aspirant in Nigeria and publisher of Sahara reporters that Nigerian youngsters are in love with electing their ancestors to head the country even in this 21st century. Kofi Annan in effect was advocating for a change of leadership in Nigeria made up of very young and educated people to make Nigeria to regain a pride of place in the World. These sentiments expressed by Kofi Annan has endeared him to me.

*Emmanuel Onwubiko heads the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and blogs @ www.huriwanigeria.com; www.emmanuelonwubiko.com www.@blogspot.com

Monday 20 August 2018

HURIWA cautions Army on Operation Python Dance 3: *Asks Buhari to rejig Security Council:


A leading pro-democracy and civil rights body – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has tasked the military authority to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement and respect the human rights of civilians even as it embarks on a training programme it code named as operation python dance 3 in the South East of Nigeria.

HURIWA made the observations against the backdrop of the announcement by General Officer Commanding 82 division of the Nigerian Army Major General Emmanuel Boman Kabuk that the Army will soon commence the third phase of the controversial operations python dance in the South East of Nigeria.

Relatedly, the Rights group has challenged president Muhammadu Buhari to embark on a holistic reorganization of the National Defence Council to properly reflect the federal character principle in line with the constitutional provision in section 14 (3) which provides thus: “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 states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

HURIWA specifically condemns the continuous alienation of the Igbo speaking nationality from holding any of the strategic national security position even when the ethnicity constitutes a significant percentage of the population which is why it is one amongst the tripod of the majority ethnic majority in Nigeria just as it states that the exclusion of such a huge ethnic nationality from holding any of the strategic national security post violates section 42 (1) of the Nigerian constitution which affirms that: “A citizen of Nigerian 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 – 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 citizen of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are not made subject; or 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 citizen Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions.”

HURIWA said the domination of the national security team by persons drawn largely from Moslem Hausa/Fulani ethnicity remains a grave violation of the Constitutional provisions on Federal character representation and is the reason the security challenges are not professionally handled because most of those heading the various strategic national security positions are known to be sympathetic to armed Fulani herdsmen who have constituted some of the most troubling national security challenge.

Speaking specifically on the proposed military operation in the South East of Nigeria, HURIWA in the statement by the national coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, said the exercise was totally unnecessary because the South East of Nigeria does not have any major national security threat as much as the North East of Nigeria where the war on terror is raging.

“We do not understand the strategic need of such a wide ranging military exercise in the peaceful South East of Nigeria when the military combat troops are in high demand in the North West state of Zamfara whereby bandits have killed over 3,000 innocent people and in the entire North East which is the epicenter of war on terror whereby so many combat troops have overstayed and therefore are overdue for redeployment which demonstrates the enormity of the military tasks that are still undone in the fight on terror in the North East".

"The best place for which an extensive milital exercise is necessary and relevant is North East of Nigeria. Be that as it may there are rules of engagement that must complied with. The previous two phases of operation python dance left so much wounds and deaths resulting from excessive use of brute force against civilians.”

HURIWA lamented that the last operation python dance led to the extra-legal killings of dozens of civilians including the disappearance of the director of the Europe registered indigenous people of Biafra Mr. Nnamdi Kanu and his parents who were attacked by armed security forces during the operation python dance 2.

"The Nigerian government headed by president Muhammadu Buhari has still not conducted thorough investigation of the dozens of extra-legal killings that was caused by the military forces during the operation python dance II even with the Kangaroo panel it set up to do a yeoman’s job.”

HURIWA recalled that the Nigerian Armed Forces when deployed for either internal or external operations, are bound by the laws of war and international law in the conduct of the operations but lamented that dozens of civilians were killed but not a single soldier has been prosecuted for these crimes against humanity.

HURIWA stated that it is imperative to let the Army hierarchy realize that laws regulate and limit the conduct of operations by acting as checks against arbitrary use of force.

HURIWA affirmed that the military authority must accept the expert legal opinion to the effect that laws are intended to minimize unnecessary suffering by combatants and non-combatants during war.

HURIWA recalled that the laws of war and international law are therefore sources of military law in Nigeria and include the following: The four Geneva Conventions of 1949; The two Additional Protocols of 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 1949; Multilateral and bilateral agreements to which Nigeria is a signatory and have bearing on military service or operations; the decisions of: - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague; Ad hoc war crimes tribunals set up by or with the backing of the UN Security Council; The International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague.”

“The four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of war victims are as follows: Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the wounded and sick in Armed Forces in the Field; Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the wounded, sick and shipwrecked members of Armed Forces at Sea; Geneva Convention Relative to the treatment of prisoners of war; Geneva Convention Relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war.”

“The two Additional Protocols of 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 are to supplement the 1949 Geneva Conventions and modernize the laws of war; Protocol 1 deals with the laws of war in international armed conflicts while Protocol 2 addresses the laws of war applicable in internal armed conflicts.”

“HURIWA wishes to let myths military authority to accept it as noteworthy that the four Geneva Conventions and the two additional Protocols of 1977 have been formally given effect in Nigeria by the enactment of the Geneva Conventions Act Cap G3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. In sum, the Conventions and Protocols which are now an Act of the National Assembly, elaborately spell out the laws of armed conflicts on the use of force and the legal implication of disregarding rules regulating the means and methods of warfare, among other things. Specifically, section 3 of the Act provides for trial and punishment for breach of the Geneva Conventions as follows: In case of grave breach involving willful killing of a person protected by the Convention, sentence of death; In any other such grave breach, imprisonment for 14 years.”

Friday 17 August 2018

INEC’S PROPOSED BUDGET IS A SCAM: - SAYS HURIWA


A pro-transparency and Non-governmental body – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has described as “fraudulent”; “criminal” and highly unsustainable, the huge budgetary components presented for 2019 polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the National Assembly.

Besides, HURIWA accused the hierarchy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being deliberately averse to openness, transparency and accountability in the proposed budget by adopting some opaque nomenclatures and sub-heads to mask their deliberate plots to probably swindle the Nigerian state of huge amount of public fund in the guise of conducting election.

HURIWA condemned the extensive delay by the federal government in presenting the proposed 2019 election budget just as the Rights group expressed bewilderment that a government that claims to be operating on the mantra of anti-corruption could wait until the eleventh hour before presenting a budget for a national event of significance such as a general election that is only few months away.

In a media statement, by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, the Rights group specifically condemned the current hierarchy in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to open up the procurement activities that take place within that agency.

It therefore urged the National Assembly to conduct extensive forensic examination of the specific components of the overall budget of N189.2 billion presented to it by INEC so as to bring the entire budget to comply with extant provisions governing procurement in accordance with the Bureau of public procurement Act.

HURIWA also accused the electoral panel of duplicating several sub-heads of the budget proposal which shows that there is some kind of a sinister AGENDUM which would undermine the global best practices of strictest compliance to the principles of transparency and accountability.

“We urge the National Assembly not to capitulate under the heavyweight of propaganda and executive blackmail to approve this criminally- minded budget that has just been presented by INEC. The suspicious sub-heads in that budget proposal includes the N5.124 billion budgeted for nationwide continuous voter registration exercise which is a big scam  going  by the universal truth that update of voter registration is about winding up. Also the incredible amount of N4.689 billion voted for feeding of security operatives for the election is simply a smokescreen to cover up for the anticipated heist that will happen the moment the cash drops in INEC’s treasury. The N4.614 billion classified as miscellaneous expenses is fraudulent and must never be approved just as the win components of N134.427 billion for election operation cost and N22.660 Billion for election administrative cost are duplications meant to conceal the cash that would inevitably be siphoned. The budget for payment of foreign observers lacks credibility and should be discarded.”

HURIWA dismissed the entire proposal as the biggest scam of the century just as it calls on Nigerians of goodwill to speak up and monitor the Independent National Electoral Commission closely to stop the leadership of that agency from destroying our hard earned democracy through subterfuge and deliberate sabotage.

"We believe that the entire exercise of presenting the 2019 Election budget in August 2018 when it could have been done in January is a motive for sabotaging the smooth conduct of the election or it might be a poorly crafted strategy to blackmail the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to approve the shambolic budget which invariably contains many suspicious sub-heads that are just the well-choreographed schemes to siphon public fund in this era of severe economic adversity".

Thursday 16 August 2018

That Shambolic directive on SARS By Emmanuel Onwubiko


For many years since the coming of the current democratic epochs since 1999, successive governments have managed to wriggle their ways out of very complex and challenging situations through a combination of politically correct policy pronouncements and outright deception. 
Nigerians are rated to be some of the most gullible people all over the World. 

At a point, one of the military despots was quoted as saying that Nigerians are the easiest people to govern because when you push them to the wall, rather than bounce back and fight back, typical Nigerians will break the wall and run away. 

Successive federal and state administrations have played on this infamous gullibility of the citizenry to push through some of the most atrocious policies that have inflicted pains on a very large scale because the masses accept hook, line and sinker, those evil policies without asking rational questions. For instance, the current government hiked pump prices of fuel three times but Nigerians accepted to suffer and smile rather than embark on civil protests. 

The current federal government has therefore continued from where others stopped and has scaled up the use of deception as a style of administration. 

The only possible point of departure is that in the current era, the elevation of total falsehood to official past time has further compounded the lack of clarity regarding some of the Major policy directives coming out of the different levels of government.

What is really an issue here and now remains the public pronouncement by Professor Yemi Osinbanjo, the acting president regarding the existence or otherwise of the notorious unit within the policing institution known as special Anti-robbery squad or SARS.

Here is exactly the wordings of the media release issued on behalf of the current administration on the direct orders of the acting president on the controversial SARS.

The acting President states thus: "Following persistent complaints and reports on the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) that border on allegations of human rights violations, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to, with immediate effect, overhaul the management and activities of SARS and ensure that any Unit that will emerge from the process, will be intelligence-driven and restricted to the prevention and detection of armed robbery and kidnapping, and apprehension of offenders linked to the stated offences, and nothing more."

The Acting President had also directed the IGP to ensure that all operatives in the emerging Unit conduct their operations in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regard to International Human Rights Law and the constitutionally guaranteed rights of suspects. The operatives should also bear proper identification anytime they are on duty.

The directive dovetails into an area that is questionable because the National Human Rights Commission does not need such extra-legal directive to do the job for which the enabling law set it up. 

However the office of the acting President stated that in the meantime, the Acting President has directed the National Human Rights Commission to set up a Special Panel that will conduct an investigation of the alleged unlawful activities of SARS in order to afford members of the general public the opportunity to present their grievances with a view to ensuring redress. 

The police authority immediately responded by releasing a lengthy media statement disclosing all the strategies they intend to adopt to comply with the order from the acting President.

The    Inspector General of Police said he had already complied.  He said THE OUTFIT WILL NOW BE KNOWN AS FEDERAL SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD (FSARS). ALL SARS TEAMS NATIONWIDE HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED UNDER FSARS.

In the new arrangement, a new Commissioner of Police has been appointed as the overall head of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad nationwide, the IGP glibly announced.

"The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad previously under the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (FCIID) is henceforth to operate under the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja. The Commissioner of Police (FSARS) is answerable to the Inspector General of Police through the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations", he stressed.

Not done yet with rhetorics, the IGP told Nigerians also that a new Standard Operational Guidelines and Procedures, and code of conduct for all FSARS personnel to ensure that the operations of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad is in strict adherence to the rule of law and with due regards to international human rights laws are being worked out.

Furthermore, he stated that a new training program to be organized by the Force in collaboration with some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Local and International NGOs, and other Human Rights Organizations on core Police Duties, Observant of Human Rights and Handling, Care and Custody of Suspects have been directed by the Inspector General of Police for all Federal SARS personnel nationwide with immediate effect.

A committee of Senior Police officers, Technical Consultants, Human Rights/Civil Society organizations (CSOs) has been setup to review the activities of FSARS under the new arrangement, he announced with joy.

He gave this new baby of the police the following term of reference: "They are to pay unscheduled visits to FSARS formations across the country with particular attention to States with high complaints index, to assess facilities and situations in these States and submit report to the Inspector General of Police on regular basis."

The Inspector general of police must be a successful miracle worker to have complied totally to this directive in less than 24 hours. This is the same police boss that failed to adopt measures to halt the killings of farmers by armed Fulani herdsmen. 

With these responses from the police it is clear that the essential elements are definitely not credible. 
The police didn't do a thorough job. What are the identities of all these human rights activists they have already railroaded into a technical visitation committee to oversee compliance to human rights provisions by the police? 

Although, the directive on SARS by the acting president is in consonance with section 215 (3) of the constitution which provides that: “The president or such other minister of the government of the federation as he may authorize in that behalf may give to the IGP such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order as he may consider necessary and the IGP shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.”

The police responses seem like tissues of propaganda devoid of evidential and verifiable facts.
I have had sufficient time to read through the directive and also the responses from the police and there are questions that are still hanging and indeed these unanswered questions have inevitably portrayed the entire exercise as a scam and a gambit put up by politicians to hood wink the members of the public who have overwhelmingly rejected SARS in its entirety.

The contentious issues and complaints flowing from public protests on the operations of SARS have not been addressed by the Nigerian government. 

The haste that the police head adopted in responding to the memo from the acting president is unprecedented.

Also, a quality reading of the police response shows that SARS was not unbundled but only a CHANGE of nomenclature took place.

The numerous cases of extra-legal killings, extortion racketeering and armed robberies carried out by members of this police unit have all not received any redress.

For instance, few years back, over three dozen corpses of young men were discovered in a river in Awka, Anambra State and when forensic examination was undertaken, the result showed that the corpses were those of some detainees who were extra legally executed and dumped in the river by SARS in Anambra State.

In Rivers State, even the state governor Nyesom Wike understandably has been up in arms against the unethical and indeed criminal styles of these operatives in SARS.

Few years back, exactly during the president Olusegun Obasanjo’s era, the special rapporteur on torture at the united nations secretary general’s office visited about ten percent of the police detention facilities administered by SARS, and this gentleman returned a very damaging verdict indicting the police of widespread extra judicial killings of suspects in police detention.

Again, the United States of America through its department of state, has discovered that extra-legal killings of suspects by police and especially SARS have continued to rear their ugly heads even as the hierarchy has failed to address these spectacular crimes against humanity.

The American human rights report of 2017 said thus: "The National Police Force (NPF) is the country’s largest law enforcement agency. An inspector general of police, appointed by and reporting directly to the president, commands the NPF. In addition to traditional police responsibilities of maintaining law and order in communities in each of the states and the FCT, the inspector general oversees law enforcement operations throughout the country involving border security, marine (navigation) matters, and counterterrorism. A state commissioner of police, nominated by the inspector general and approved by the state governor, commands NPF forces in each of the states and the FCT."

It continued: "Although administratively controlled by the inspector general, operationally the state commissioner reports to the governor. In the event of societal violence or emergencies, such as endemic terrorist activity or national disasters requiring deployment of law enforcement resources, the governor may also assume operational control of these forces".

"Due to the inability of law enforcement agencies to control societal violence, the government increasingly turned to the armed forces to address internal security concerns. The constitution authorizes the use of the military to “[s]uppress insurrection and act in aid of civil authorities to restore order.” Armed forces were part of continuing joint security operations in the Niger Delta, Middle Belt, and Northwest."

“Police and other security services have the authority to arrest individuals without first obtaining warrants if they have reasonable suspicion a person committed an offense, a power they often abused". 

The Americans reported that the law requires that, even during a state of emergency, detainees must appear before a magistrate within 48 hours and have access to lawyers and family members. 
The Americans however found out that in many instances government and security officials did not adhere to this regulation without being bribed. 

"Police held for interrogation individuals found in the vicinity of a crime for periods ranging from a few hours to several months, and after their release, authorities frequently asked the individuals to return for further questioning". 

"The law requires an arresting officer to inform the accused of charges at the time of arrest, transport the accused to a police station for processing within a reasonable time, and allow the suspect to obtain counsel and post bail". 

Police routinely detained suspects without informing them of the charges against them or allowing access to counsel and family members; such detentions often included solicitation of bribes. 
Provision of bail often remained arbitrary or subject to extrajudicial influence. 

Judges often set exceedingly stringent bail conditions. In many areas with no functioning bail system, suspects remained incarcerated indefinitely in investigative detention. 

"Authorities kept detainees incommunicado for long periods. Numerous detainees stated police demanded bribes to take them to court hearings or to release them. If family members wanted to attend a trial, police often demanded additional payment.”

What should be done is not to conduct a shambolic re-baptism of SARS but to carry out comprehensive reforms aimed at sanitizing the entire policing institution as it were.

The Nigerian government need to clean up corruption and criminality from the Nigerian police force to bring it up to speed to comply to global best practices. The police hierarchy should read this HUMAN rights report by the US government and effect necessary changes.

The standards of police practices and the standard of living of even the operatives must be fundamentally addressed.

Police barracks and detention facilities are in very messy situation leading to avoidable health emergencies. The cells apart from not being clean enough, are derelict and too small and lack space and hygiene.

The policing institution in Nigeria is also a ruined organization because the divisions rely on hand outs from patrons and politicians to carry out their duties. Victims of crimes are routinely exploited and taxed to pay for police services. 

A total overhaul of the police is what is required and not the cosmetic approach of dropping one name of a unit for another.

There has to be sanctions for breaches of human rights. There is the urgency of the now for the police to be compelled to comply with extant provisions of the law with specific reference to the provisions of chapter four of the constitution. The police operatives have shed so much of innocent blood. The killers within the police must be prosecuted and punished. Even the ongoing boko haram terrorism was caused by extra-legal killing by police of the founder of that Islamic sect.

*Emmanuel Onwubiko heads the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and blogs @ www.emmanuelonwubiko.comwww.huriwanigeria.comwww.hiriwa@blogspot.com.