Gunmen have reportedly killed a Baptist pastor and one other on Monday evening in Lisuru Gida, Ikulu Chiefdom, Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
A resident who pleaded anonymity confirmed the incident to The PUNCH yesterday, saying the gunmen opened fire at the duo on their way home from their farms around 6pm.
The source described the suspects as Fulani herdsmen, adding that the community has been under threat.
“The Fulani have turned our farms into grazing fields and we have been living under security threats.
“Neighbouring communities have always always been suspicious of the local Fulani who we see as our neighbour,” the source said.
He said normalcy has returned to the community while calling on the government to redouble its effort in ensuring that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are apprehended.
Meanwhile, effort to get across to the state police spokesperson, Mohammed Jalige to comment on the incident prove abortive as of the time of filing this report.
Foremost pro-democracy and leading civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has told the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami to produce the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in Court for trial on October 21st 2021 if he (Abubakar Malami) has no subterranean motive to instigate the economic collapse of South East of Nigeria should the self determination group implement her threat to call for a full month of sit-at-home order.
HURIWA is therefore pleading with the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to send a very clear message to his followers not to carry on with the threat to call for a One Month sit-at-home order because it is very likely that the Federal Government with a preponderance of officials from the Moslem North who have manifested open distrust and hatred for Igboland and Igbo people may instigate the Department of State Services headed by the same Muslim North not to produce the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu before the Federal High Court Abuja on the next adjourned date so as to precipitate the destruction of the Economic life of the South East of Nigeria.
HURIWA recalled that previously at the proposed arraignment and commencement of the trial of pro-Biafran independence leader Nnamdi Kanu, which was due to resume few weeks back in Abuja before the Federal High Court of Nigeria, was been adjourned to 21 October.
The Rights group recalled that the incarcerated leader of the Independence Movement for the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (Ipob), who has been advocating for the secession of southeastern Nigeria, was arrested abroad after four years on the run and brought back to Nigeria at the end of June.
Kanu is charged with “terrorism, treason, running an illegal company, publishing defamatory material and illegal possession of firearms,” Nigerian Justice Minister Abubakar Malami said in a statement.
Nnamdi Kanu was first arrested in October 2015, but he took advantage of his bail to leave Nigeria in 2017.
“The trial has been adjourned to October 21” because the authorities failed to present Nnamdi Kanu before the court, his lawyer Aloy Ejimkaor told AFP.
The judge said that “the trial could not start without the accused being present”, the lawyer added.
Many journalists were denied access to the courtroom. The human rights organization, Amnesty International, had called on “the Nigerian authorities” to allow “the media free access to the court to do their work”.
In a media statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said the detained leader must be produced alive in Court for trial by the Federal Attorney General unless the government has a sinister motive to precipitate uprising in the South East of Nigeria for the satanic purposes of destroying the economy of the South East of Nigeria. HURIWA has therefore advocated fair trial for all the prisoners of conscience such as Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
HURIWA said thus: “Fair trial is observed by a trial judge without being partial and Justice means the ethical, philosophical idea that people are to be treated impertially, fairly properly and reasonably by the law and arbiters of the law.
Fair hearing means giving equal opportunity to the parties to be heard in the litigation before a court or tribunal, and ad-hoc tribunal inclusive.
Where parties are given the opportunity to be heard and the charge or complaint against the party standing trial or being investigated made available to them, they cannot complain of breach of fair hearing principles.
The concept of fear hearing in accordance with section 36 (1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended states as follows
“Section 36. (1) In the determination of his civil rights and obligations, including any question or determination by or against any government or authority, a person shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law and constituted in such manner as to secure its independence and impartiality.”
Fair Hearing within the meeting of section 36 (1) of the 1999 constitution a trial conducted according to all legal rules formulated to ensure that justice is done to the parties. It is very important to note that this provision also acquire apparently the observance and consideration of twin pillars of the rules of natural justice namely, “audi alteram partem” “hear the other party” and “nemo judex in causa sua” “no one is a judge in his own case”.
A fair trial must involve a fair trial, and a fair trial of a case must consists of the whole hearing. A true test of a fair hearing is the impression of a reasonable person who was present at the trial whether, from his observation, justice has been done in this case. A fair trial are the ways to prevent miscarriage of justice and are essential part of a just society.
What are Fair Trial or Fair Hearing Right?
The Right to a fair and public criminal trial or a fair and public hearing in civil proceedings is one of the guarantee in relation to legal proceedings fair trial and fair hearing rights include:
• That all person are equal before court and tribunals
• The Rights to a fair and public hearing before a competent and impartial court or tribunal established by law
The other guarantees are the presumption of innocence, and minimum guarantees in criminal proceedings, such as rights to counsel and not to be compelled to self incriminate as stipulated in section 36 (5) and section 36 (6)of the 1999 Constitution as amended
Section 36 (5) Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty;
Provided that nothing in this section shall invalidate any law by reason only that the law imposes upon any such person the burden of proving particular facts.
Section 36 (6) Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be entitled to –
(a) be informed promptly in the language that he understands and in detail of the nature of the offence;
(b) be given adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his defence;
(c) defend himself in person or by legal practitioners of his own choice;
(d) examine, in person or by his legal practitioners, the witnesses called by the prosecution before any court or tribunal and obtain the attendance and carry out the examination of witnesses to testify on his behalf before the court or tribunal on the same conditions as those applying to the witnesses called by the prosecution; and
(e) Have, without payment, the assistance of an interpreter if he cannot understand the language used at the trial of the offence.
The importance of fair trial in our society.
Fair trials is the global criminal justice watch dog. It is impossible to overstate how important the right to a fair trial is honestly.
Fair trials are the only way to prevent miscarriages of justice and are an essential part of a just society. Every person accused of a crime should have their guilt or innocence determined by a fair and effective legal process. However, it goes further than protecting suspects and defendants, without fair trials, victims can have no confidence, that justice will be done. Without fair trials, trust in government and the rules of law collapses.
The Right to a fair trial is recognized internationally as a fundamental Human Rights and countries around the Worlds are required to respect. Despite this, it is being abused across the World with devastating human and social consequences. Legal aid globally are working to put an end to this abuses, towards realizing our vision of a world where every person rights to a fair trial is respected.
The number of people directly affected by criminal justice is growing with new offences created every day and increasing numbers being jailed, Countries are developing swifter way of imposing punishment without a trial.
In conclusion the principles of fair hearing in the judicial proceeding and quasi-judicial proceedings cannot be abandoned or waived. Parties are expected to be given the equal access to court proceedings or Disciplinary committee from its commencement up to the delivery of the final judgment.”
Lately, the hierarchy of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has revived the national conversations on the essence of public forfeiture of assets illicitly gotten by convicted hard drugs barons. Forfeiting assets and cash derived from hard drugs enterprises is one amongst the measures that have universal value and to all intents and purposes, seizing assets of those who ruin the lived of many young persons is something that also has moral or rather ethical dimension because in moral philosophy, the end does not justify the means. But someone following the renewed vigour with which the campaign is being waged regarding forfeiture of assets of drugs convicts would think that Nigeria has no law that captured that kind of action which has effective deterrent value against drugs trafficking. This is because apart from the then Deputy Inspector General of Police Ogbonnaya Onovo who headed the NDLEA before becoming the first ever Inspector General of Police from the core Igbo region, none of the past Chief Executive officer of NDLEA gave drugs traffickers a run for their money except this current head of that agency- Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa(rtd). It would seem that the extant law against the trafficking of hard drugs needs to be reworked to adequately make broad-based provisions and clear guidelines on how assets of drug barons can be taken away and donated to the Nigerian State because from research and all the while that I have followed through the trajectory of war against drug traffickers, it is rare to see convicted hard drugs trafficker been made to part with their assets in the real sense of it. Indeed, rich drug barons are known to run political systems in some parts of Nigeria to the extent that someone that the erstwhile Head of State General Olusegun Obasanjo who also ruled Nigeria as a civilian President for eight years from 1999 identified as a fugitive from the United States hard drugs law enforcement agency who ran back to Nigeria but clearly identified as the notorious drugs trafficker been sought after by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the USA, managed to manipulate the political system in Ogun State and got elected as a Senator and served for a whole four years before the current Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice made feeble attempt to extradite him to the USA. But he died with all his assets intact. The newspaper court reports hardly show any case of big time drugs traffickers being made to forfeit their assets by the Court system. So it is either that the extant NDLEA Law is distorted or the problem was from the operators of the law prior to the arrival of the current Chairman and Chief executive officer. The truth however is that in all of the years that the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency had existed, that aspect of the law is almost unknown to the public. To dispel this ignorance, all that is needed to be done is for the observer to peruse the National Drugs Law Enforcement Act to see that not just a few of the provisions dwelt on this key issue. The aspect of the enabling law that specifies the sanction of forfeiture of assets is termed forfeiture after conviction in certain number cases cap Number 30. It says: National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act
Any person convicted of an offence under this Act shall forfeit to the Federal Government a. All the assets and properties which may or are the subject of an interim order of the Federal High Court after an attachment by the Agency as specific in section 34 of this Act: (b). Any asset or property constituted or derived from, any proceeds the person obtained directly or indirectly, as a result of such offence not already disclosed in the Assets Declaration Form or not falling under paragraph (a) of this subsection; (c.) Any of the person’ property or instrumentalities used in any manner to commit or to facilitate the commission of such offence not already disclosed in the assets Declaration form or not falling under paragraph (a) of this subsection
The Federal High Court in imposing sentence on such person, shall order, in addition to any other sentence imposed pursuant to section 11 of this Act, that the person forfeit to the Federal Government all property described in subsection(1) of this section
In this section, “proceeds” means any property derived or obtained, directly or indirectly, through the commission of the offence
Forfeited Property For the avoidance of doubt and without any further assurance than this Act, all the properties of a person convicted of an offence under this Act and already the subject of an interim order shall be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Foreign Assets
Where it is established that any convicted person has assets or properties in a foreign country, such assets or properties, subject to any treaty or arrangement with such foreign country, shall be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The Agency shall, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, ensure that the forfeited assets or properties are effectively transferred and vested in the Federal Government.
Forfeiture of Passports The passport of any person convicted of an offence involving the illegal importation or exportation of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance shall be forfeited to the Federal Government and shall not be returned to that person unless or until the President directs other wise after the grant of a pardon or on the exercise of the prerogative of mercy under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended 3.1 Property Subject to Forfeiture The following property is subject to forfeiture to the Federal Government and no other proprietary right shall exist in them.” So what has been lacking is the political will on the part of government to go after the assets of convicted drugs barons. It would seem that the current leadership in NDLEA is about turning the tides if the stories making rounds are anything to go by and not just the more you hear the less you see. But General Marwa travelled to the United States of America from where the central message from him that resonated in Nigeria is that Nigeria is determined to target drug cartels assets just as Marwa assured the international community at the UN. Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) reportedly assured the international community of Nigerias preparedness and determination to go after the assets of drug barons and traffickers in any part of the country.
The NDLEA boss gave the assurance in his presentation at the ongoing third committee session of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, in New York, US.
“Nigeria will remain undaunted in adopting dynamic strategies to counter new approaches adopted by organized criminals, in order to make drug trafficking unattractive while ensuring forfeiture of the criminally derived assets, a tested and powerful deterrent to the proliferation of drug crimes and criminalities, he declared He added that the Nigerian Government has exhibited political will by demonstrating high commitment to the protection of public health and safety with the launch of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, a call for civil action for all Nigerians to buy in and take full ownership of the fight against the menace of illicit drugs.
“More so, Nigerias Drug Control efforts have received a tremendous thrust with unprecedented stakeholders involvement; we have engaged civil society groups, non- governmental organizations, academia and governments at all levels, public enlightenment is also being strengthened with remarkable media visibility, even as the youths are regularly sensitized on social media platforms on the ugly consequences of illicit drugs and related criminalities.
“Our consistent targeting of Drug Trafficking Organizations has resulted in the arrest of 8, 634 suspected drug traffickers and the seizure of over 100 billion Naira in cash and drugs within the first eight months of this year. Perpetrators will go through the Criminal Justice system, with their fundamental human rights, being strictly upheld.”
While expressing appreciation to “all our international partners, who in the spirit of shared responsibility, deserve to be appreciated for their great support through technical assistance, information and intelligence sharing, capacity building and training specifically in the area of countering the use of information and communication technology for criminal purposes, which has given great boost to our counter narcotic strategies, Gen. Marwa said Nigeria is happy to report that the EU funded, UNODC sponsored Cannabis Cultivation Survey is expected to bring to the fore, the full extent of cannabis cultivation in Nigeria, and make it easier to target measures to contain this perennial menace.”
He told the global gathering that Appropriate strategies have also been adopted to address the issue of stigmatization of people who use drugs, including meeting the needs of vulnerable communities and groups such as women, girls, children (out of school and homeless), internally displaced persons and so on. It is worthy of mention here, that one of the challenges of the pandemic is the proliferation of On-Line sale of drug cookies and use of courier services to move illicit drugs. However, we were able to intercept, trace and dismantle most of the drug cells involved.
Part of the successes of Nigerias drug war efforts, Marwa noted is the recent “first seizure of 74.119kg of Captagon brand of Amphetamine, presumably destined for use, to fuel insurgency and other violent crimes and criminalities, which Nigeria is currently grappling with.”
Forfeiture of assets of drug Lords have Universal appeal. A reading of the law on 1. Forfeiture of Assets Located Abroad under U.S. Law states thus: “Federal law enforcement should include in its priorities the pursuit and recovery of forfeitable assets beyond the borders of the United States. Federal investigators and prosecutors who seek to restrain and forfeit illicit assets located abroad should contact and seek the advice of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and the Office of International Affairs (OIA). They should do so as soon as foreign assets are identified as potentially subject to restraint for purposes of forfeiture under U.S. law. The extent and speed of forfeiture assistance afforded by the foreign nation in which the assets are located may vary greatly depending upon the applicable treaty obligations and laws of the foreign nation. Moreover, international requests for legal assistance occasionally may implicate issues of diplomatic sensitivity or require coordination with other related investigations, domestic or foreign. MLARS, in conjunction with OIA, will help guide Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) and agents through this often complicated, but fruitful, process. MLARS will also provide informal assistance to AUSAs upon request. II. Forfeiture of Assets Located in the United States under Foreign Law The Department of Justice (Department) assigns high priority to requests by foreign countries for assistance in restraining, forfeiting, and repatriating assets found in the United States that are forfeitable under foreign law. Additionally, it is important for the United States to act affirmatively on these incoming requests so that it is not wrongly perceived as becoming a safe haven for proceeds of foreign crime and other property forfeitable under foreign law. MLARS executes incoming requests for forfeiture assistance under 28 U.S.C. § 2467 in consultation and coordination with OIA. In some circumstances, it may be necessary for MLARS to file a civil forfeiture action under 18 U.S.C. § 981(a) against an asset to assist a foreign government’s forfeiture efforts. MLARS will work with the established forfeiture contact(s) in each district where forfeitable assets are located to accommodate the legal assistance needs of the requesting jurisdiction
Forfeiture of Assets Located Abroad under U.S. Law Federal law enforcement should include in its priorities the pursuit and recovery of forfeitable assets beyond the borders of the United States. Federal investigators and prosecutors who seek to restrain and forfeit illicit assets located abroad should contact and seek the advice of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and the Office of International Affairs (OIA). They should do so as soon as foreign assets are identified as potentially subject to restraint for purposes of forfeiture under U.S. law. The extent and speed of forfeiture assistance afforded by the foreign nation in which the assets are located may vary greatly depending upon the applicable treaty obligations and laws of the foreign nation. Moreover, international requests for legal assistance occasionally may implicate issues of diplomatic sensitivity or require coordination with other related investigations, domestic or foreign. MLARS, in conjunction with OIA, will help guide Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) and agents through this often complicated, but fruitful, process. MLARS will also provide informal assistance to AUSAs upon request. II. Forfeiture of Assets Located in the United States under Foreign Law The Department of Justice (Department) assigns high priority to requests by foreign countries for assistance in restraining, forfeiting, and repatriating assets found in the United States that are forfeitable under foreign law. Additionally, it is important for the United States to act affirmatively on these incoming requests so that it is not wrongly perceived as becoming a safe haven for proceeds of foreign crime and other property forfeitable under foreign law. MLARS executes incoming requests for forfeiture assistance under 28 U.S.C. § 2467 in consultation and coordination with OIA. In some circumstances, it may be necessary for MLARS to file a civil forfeiture action under 18 U.S.C. § 981(a) against an asset to assist a foreign government’s forfeiture efforts. MLARS will work with the established forfeiture contact(s) in each district where forfeitable assets are located to accommodate the legal assistance needs of the requesting jurisdiction.” The sum total of my submission is that Nigeria must begin to fight the real drug barons and not just the street boys who are often paraded after they are caught by the NDLEA. However, with good intelligence gathering approaches, the NDLEA should be able to build up solid cases against the real hard drugs barons and take them away out of business if we truly mean to wage a result oriented war against hard drugs and not mere media propaganda. If there are any yawning gaps in the legislative frameworks, it shouldn’t take a lot of time for the extant NDLEA Law to be amended and new provisions included to make unambiguous provisions on the forfeiture of Assets of drugs convicts.
*EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO is head of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) and blogs@www. theingerianinsidernews.com, www.huriwanigeria.com.
Dr Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State and the Chairman, Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF), has said the security situation in the country requires concerted effort to address it.
Fayemi while speaking at an event in Ibadan said the present situation in the country didn’t warrant politics of blame and opportunistic opposition, but “it is time to build a nation and not to fritter it away.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Fayemi stressed that Nigeria is in need of patriotic statesmen and women and not rumour mongers, ethnic crisis entrepreneurs, provincial men of little minds who see everything from the prism of ethnic and religious conspiracy.
According to him, one way to bring the current wave of insecurity to a halt is to recruit a large number of people to join the police and the military, on a short service or otherwise.
He pointed out that one of the cheapest and fastest ways to handle this was to amend the law setting up the Nation Youths Service Corps (NYSC).
The Governor explained that the existing orientation camps can be used to train willing and able graduates to reflate the security personnel under a special arrangement that will be worked out.
He said corps members who cannot join the military services can serve in their community without pay.
“By available statistics, we need minimum of 200,000 personnel to boost the fighting power of our men.
“This number is very large and a potential financial and logistic nightmare, yet we cannot delay any further.
“The ungoverned spaces needed to be closed up quickly by motivated men with the singular objective to save the nation.That takes us to the number two issue of financing and arming large recruitment.
“With this, we can use the existing orientation camps to train willing and able graduates to reflate the security personnel under a special arrangement that will be worked out.
“That way, the fund that is currently deployed to the NYSC can be used with just some additional funding, which could be sourced through a national emergency fund for the next five to 10 years.
“Those who cannot join the military services can serve in their community without pay, if we must still retain the NYSC for everyone.
“To incentivise those who may volunteer to serve, they will have a separate certificate and medal of honour in addition to having priority for military, paramilitary and civil or public service recruitment after service.
“We also need to encourage investment in the real sectors that can engage people and reduce unemployment, which is a major source of insecurity,” the NGF chairman added.
Fayemi, however, said he has confidence that though, the situation might look helpless, sooner than later, the security situation would see a significant improvement and that Nigeria would come out stronger from this moment of national distress.
The Reverend Father of the Catholic Church, Umuahia, Abia State, has been abducted by some yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
He was kidnapped along Enyiukwu Road Ohokobe Afaraukwu community, Ibeku in Umuahia North LGA of Abia State.
According to Daily Trust, eyewitnesses said the kidnappers intercepted the clergy who had just concluded a morning mass at St Gabriel, Okpururie, Afaraukwu, forced him out of his Toyota Corolla into their jeep and sped away.
Chimezie, who hails from Enugu State, was ordained a priest earlier this year.
The attack is coming amid the Nigerian Army’s Operation Golden Dawn which is supposed to tackle criminals and criminalities in the South-East region.
No fewer than 50 gunmen invaded the Nasarawa State Local Government Service Commission, making away with a safe box full of valuables, and an AK-47 rifle belonging to an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Sun reports that the Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Rammatu Julde, disclosed this on Tuesday in Lafia, the state capital.
Jude said the gunmen stormed the premises in the early hours of Monday at 2am, gained access through the main gate linking the offices of the Local Government Commission and the Civil Service Commission, and operated without intervention by security agencies.
“They launched the attack in the early hours of Monday at exactly 2am. During the operation, they tied down two officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps who were guarding the premises with a rope and collected one AK-47 rifle in their possession,” Julde reported.
“They also attempted to take away our 150 KVA generator, but they could not succeed; however, they took away the safe box where valuable documents of the Commission were kept. We are presently doing stock-taking to know what other items were carted away,” she added.
The Commission’s secretary clarified that no life was lost during the attack but appealed to the NSCDC to carry out a detailed investigation into the incident in order to be sure that there was no conspiracy between its officers and the unidentified gunmen.
The unidentified gunmen also invaded the State Civil Service Commission which shares a fence with the Local Government Service Commission and carted away two LED 32-inch televisions.
Reacting, Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC Jerry Victor, explained that, “The gunmen launched an attack on the premises on Monday morning and unfortunately carried out their plans without any hindrance.
“Two of our officers who were securing the premises were tied down with ropes and they collected e Ak-47 rifle from them. The officers have been detained at our Command headquarters here in Lafia and investigation is currently ongoing.”
The incident occurred three months after a group of armed men raided the State Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning in Lafia, making away with cash, also without interventions by authorities.
Residents of Izombe in the Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State have lamented the havoc allegedly wreaked on their community by soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
The distraught indigenes told Punch that the value of properties destroyed by soldiers in their community was not less than N1billion.
According to them, soldiers who were on a reprisal attack burnt no fewer than 80 houses, many cars and economic trees.
The soldiers attached to the 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, Owerri, reportedly clashed with the youths of the community.
In the process, a youth was killed, two soldiers murdered, their vehicle burnt and three rifles snatched.
In a revenge mission, the army invaded the community in many vehicles, including Armoured Personnel Carriers and allegedly destroyed many properties.
The development caused the indigenes of the community, especially women and children, to flee the area.
A community leader, Chinedu Nnadi, had said the damage the army had done to the community would not be addressed in the next 30 years.
Nnadi, who is the pastor in charge of He Reigns Chapel, Owerri, said the people had become refugees in neighbouring communities.
A man, Kennedy Ike, whose house and that of his two children were razed during the operation, said his life had been “made miserable”.
The army spokesperson for the 34 artillery brigade, Obinze, Owerri, Joseph Akuga, said the military hierarchy in the state would address the press on the issue.
Nigerian youths need to understand that the world is gradually sliding from industrial age to connectivity era. Every business is practically going virtual as we speak, and many Nigerian youths are still sleeping and perhaps some are still dancing disco on social media.
Social media, a channel that should serve as a vehicle for scaling new heights, is now being used to cure boredom. The internet have created a lot of resources and opportunities for youths to earn legitimate living and many are yet to take advantage of it. I am not talking about internet fraud (yahoo yahoo) but legitimate businesses that can change lives positively.
Google is a machine that provides answers to everything you need to know about online businesses. You can take advantage of it if you want so as to scale greater heights.
Comparing the net worth of Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa and that of Mark Zuckerbeg the Facebook CEO, you don’t need a soothsayer to tell you that the connectivity revolution has taken over the global business space. It may interest you to know that Dangote who started his industrial business in 1977 has a net worth of $13.6billion as recorded this year, while that of Zuckerbeg who started his Facebook (connectivity) in 2004 is measuring a huge net worth of over $118 billion according to Forbes 2021. These facts and figures are clear evidence to prove that you can actually accelerate with the speed of light through online ventures.
I work with a private firm, but I choose to spend more of my time in online businesses as an alternative source of income and am not doing bad so far. In case you don’t know, YouTube and other social media platforms are doling out huge sums of money to persons whose accounts have reached advert status.
A lot of my folks wonder why I always talk about network business/online ventures, they don’t know that is where the real money is. Just With determination, perseverance and strategic planning you can make it in online business.
Some people want to make money but they don’t want to go through the pains and processes of making the money. My friends, there is no free money anywhere, you must work for it, online business can ensure you ease, but you must also understand that it is not a charity venture.
I want to use this medium to appeal to all of you reading this piece right now especially if you are a Nigerian youth. Wake up from your slumber and start thinking strategically on how to better your life through the internet.
The covid-19 lockdown has negatively impacted the whole world economically, so many people have lost their jobs, some have had their salary slashed, while some business owners are experiencing low patronage. If you want to thrive in this trying time, please look for products customers need and not search for customers to buy your products.
It is now very easy to sell virtually everything and anything online, you can leverage on that and make a healthy living.
Muhammad Hafiz Bayero, a bosom friend of Bello El-Rufai, eldest son of the Governor of Kaduna State, is the administrator of Kaduna Capital Territory.
The territory is one of the three that came into existence under the administration of the incumbent governor of the state.
While announcing the appointment of Bayero, Muyiwa Adekeye, spokesman of the governor, said the law creating metropolitan authorities to manage Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria as organic cities had been passed.
He also announced the appointments of two other administrators who are on the same rank with Bayero.
They are Balaraba Aliyu-Inuwa, Administrator, Zaria Metropolitan Authority, and Phoebe Sukai Yayi, Administrator, Kafanchan Municipal Authority.
Sukai, a senior civil servant, served as the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education.
Bayero had earlier served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Relations.
As special adviser, he was responsible for maintaining the Kaduna State government’s relations with other arms of government, investors and development partners, operating out of the federal capital, Abuja.
He was later appointed Managing Director of Kaduna Market Development Agency. He joined El-Rufai’s government in June 2015 as Special Assistant-Job Creation. He is part of the founding team of the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA).
28-year-old Khalil Nur Khalil has just been appointed as the Executive Secretary of KADIPA.
Khalil, a first-class graduate from the Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus, holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics.
