OPINION: Why Danjuma La’ah Shouldn’t Return to the Senate Again

By:
Habila Zabrang Kantyok

In 2015, the people of Southern Kaduna unanimously voted for Mr Danjuma Tellah La’ah, a former F.C.D.A official to represent her at the National Assembly, Senate to be precise. Expectations were high on the senator who as at then was the 5th to be elected by the region since the return of democracy in 1999.

La’ah got to the Senate but like the popular idiom which says that ‘a man cannot give what he does not possess’, this has been the fate of the Southern Kaduna people who had to ensure a Senator emerge but hasn’t been able to articulate their issues as they ought to be on the floor of the Senate. After his first tenure, La’ah again made history by breaking the one term jinx in the area, this was partly due to the fact that the people thought he could improve in his second term in the Senate.

Unfortunately, they were wrong as La’ah was to embark on a journey of failure and misrepresentation at a time Southern Kaduna needed a voice to speak, articulate, and propagate the issues affecting the region. La’ah went hibernating and was never to be seen contributing to discuss of national importance.

This is evident in the fact that in over seven (7) years on the floor of the Senate, Danjuma La’ah has only sponsored one failed Bill and that was in his first tenure. This is not only shocking but unacceptable considering the fact that even lawmakers from the most educationally backward parts of the country have sponsored successful legislations.

For the purpose of this article I would be highlighting little among Senator La’ah’s many political blunders and why he shouldn’t be reelected. I was born and raised up in the village by my grandparents in Zangon Kataf Local Government Council, so I know what it means to elevate the poor ones to prominence especially, those of us who have to undergo commercial farming to be paid in order to pay our school fees due to Poverty.

1. Recently I stumbled upon the approved constituency projects allocated to Senator Danjuma La’ah’s Southern Kaduna for 2021 and on it I saw a project tagged “Installation of Solar Street Lights in Dogon Kurmi, Katugal and Kushe – Fada” all in Kagarko Local Government Council .In Kushe located in Kagarko, my maternal local government for instance, such can only be described as a white elephant project as such doesn’t exist, same also in Katugal. In Dogon Kurmi I confirmed that a few substandard sola Street lights were installed. 2021 is long gone yet Laah is yet to complete the purported projects.
2. A while ago, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) made disbursement of funds for development of small and medium scale businesses in Southern Kaduna, rumors have it that La’ah diverted the funds instead to buy cars and other inducements to party officials just to get reelected in 2023.

Southern Kaduna citizens were shortlisted for the Empowerment scheme by SMEDAN, certificates offered but were held by the senator just to make sure the diversion remains a secrete.

3. Diabolical sacrifices in all parts of Southern Kaduna with the aim of winning election at all cost. Reliable information at my disposal reveals that in a desperate attempt to get reelected, Senator La’ah has also engaged the services of marabouts who have also embarked on humans and animals sacrifices across southern Kaduna.

4.Most of the contracts executed by Danjuma La’ah didn’t pass through the legal processes as the Senator used phony companies some of which belong to him and his cronies.

5. Tribalism: Southern Kaduna has never had a sectional leader like Senator La’ah. Since he became senator, he made it a point of duty to ensure that all opportunities are allocated to his tribal men, family members and friends. This is a tribal project he had obviously promised the Atyap nation to execute at the detriment of other southern Kaduna tribes if back up by his kinsmen.

Since he became a senator, all his children, nephews and nieces have all gained juicy Federal government employments, some even switch from one jobs to the other on his bill while many qualified Southern Kaduna youths are roaming the street of Abuja jobless.

There was a story an aide to a former senator who served alongside Danjuma Laah between 2015 and 2019 told me. He said his Principal got some job slots and gave his friend Senator Laah 10 from it. After some days, Laah told him he only utilized 8 slots, the senator was dumbfounded and asked him in astonishment “you mean Southern Kaduna with the high number of educated young people, you couldn’t get 10 people to fill these slots?”. Later the senator realized that the 8 people Laah presented for the employment opportunities were all from his family and tribe, since then he started looking down on the Senator.

Just recently, a close friend of mine from the South who works with NIMASA told me how some job slots were given to senator Laah in the Nigeria Maritime Safety Administration NIMASA but instead of scouting for qualified youths from across Southern Kaduna, as usual Danjuma Laah distributed the slots to his friends including a former GMD of the NNPC who was insisting that his son who is yet to complete the mandatory one year NYSC duty be employed, this didn’t go down well with NIMASA as it is illegal and unconstitutional.

It is worthy of note that Senator Danjuma Laah was the Immediate Past Senate Committee Chairman on Federal Character, a position he assumed in 2019 untill recently that he was made a Principal Officer of the Senate. The Federal character commission under his oversight function has been reduced to a family and friend business as the woman heading the commission has turned herself into a mini – god. Even the few people senator Laah engineered their employment at the Commission have had to resign due to persecution by the Head. These irregularities have repeatedly been reported to Laah yet he was not been able to summon the woman before the Committee.

In conclusion, there are also unproven allegations from job seekers who have accused senator Danjuma Laah’s aides of extortion and sometimes sexual harassments in the name of providing them with employments. A lady once told me how one of the Senator’s uncultured aides told her point blank that she will have to grace his bed to get employment. The lady left and vowed never to return. There is a saying that there can never be smoke without fire. So far, Senator Laah has not debunked these allegations, an action many including myself believe to be tacit support to his aides immoral and criminal activities.

The good people of Southern Kaduna especially party delegates whom he Laah defrauded for votes in 2019 with bogus promises he never fulfilled must rise in one accord and say no to misrepresentation and poor leadership.

Today Danjuma Laah cannot call a meeting of State lawmakers not to talk of federal lawmakers from Southern Kaduna because the lawmakers do not have regard for him due to his very bad leadership style of exclusion and tribalism.

Habila Zabrang Kantyok writes from Kpunyai Village, Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna State.

SOKAPU Youths Caution Party Delegates Against Monetary Inducement

Ahead of the party primaries slated for this month, the youth Wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union SOKAPU has called on party delegates in Southern Kaduna to shun all forms of monetary Inducements from politicians during the primary elections.

The group in a statement issued by it National Youth Leader, Comrade Isaac John (SirJay) on Sunday said Southern Kaduna has gone through turbulent times and therefore deserves capable leaders in 2023.

The statement reads in parts;

“Southern Kaduna has been through turbulent times in recent years with scores killed, properties destroyed, and economic activities relegated to the background.

“These unfortunate happenings are undoubtedly tied to the poor quality of our choices, but particularly as it concerns elections.

“It is on this backdrop that the Youth Wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union (SOKAPU) urge all Southern Kaduna delegates taking part in the forth coming primary elections starting today 22nd May, 2022 across all political parties to endeavor to vote for candidates with the overall interest of Southern Kaduna, capable of attracting developments and empowering women and youths.

“It is important to remind us that Southern Kaduna is the only home we all can call ours and must come first in all our dealings.

“Delegates must know that the choices before them are clear, they must not mortgage the future of Southern Kaduna on the basis of who have given them cars or motorcycles. They must not sale their votes to the highest bidder. It is our believe that the delegates will do what is right.

“May our good Lord direct our paths in the right direction now and always.

DSS must arrest Sheikh Abubakar Jibril for inciting Muslims against Bishop Kukah –HURIWA

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Monday, tasked the Department of State Services to arrest a Kano-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Jibril, who is the Chief Imam of Bayero University, Kano (BUK) for allegedly inciting Muslims against the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said Jibril was captured in a video that has gone viral allegedly telling his many Muslim followers to get the home address of Kukah and possibly attack the bishop if he is the person that sent Deborah Samuel Emmanuel Yakubu to the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto where she allegedly blasphemed against the Religion of Islam. 

Rampaging hoodlums on Saturday torched and vandalised at least two parishes presided over by Bishop Kukah and it took the swift response of security operatives to stop any attack on Kukah’s personal residence.

Rioters had on Thursday stoned and burnt a 200-level Home Economics student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, Deborah Yakubu, for alleged blasphemy of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

The police arrested two suspects and protesters had demanded their release. The young demonstrators turned violent, vandalised, looted and burnt traders’ shops, churches and residential apartments perceived to be owned by Christians.

HURIWA accused security agencies as well as 18 of the 19 governors in the whole of northern Nigeria of supporting the brutal killing of blasphemers and for grooming Islamic extremists through the implementation of policies skewed in favour of Moslems to the neglect of many other citizens of other faiths and belief systems in those States.

The group cited Section 10 of the 1999 constitution as saying the government of the federation or of a state shall not adopt any religion as state religion.

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “By this statement, HURIWA is putting the Department of State Services on notice to hold Sheikh Abubakar Jibril accountable for the fatal mob attack on Kukah’s parishes on Saturday. In fact we think the constant bashing of spokespersons of President Muhammadu Buhari against Bishop Kukah each time the Cleric issues critiques of some anti people’s and anti democracy thereby encouraging haters of truth and objectivity to target Right Reverend Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto for attacks by such Islamic fanatics as has just happened with the recorded video by the Sokoto Islamic preacher who openly incited his followers against Bishop Kukah.

“Jibril, in a trending video, erroneously accused Bishop Kukah of motivating Deborah to commit alleged blasphemy and that he should stop or else he will be dealt with. The inflammatory cleric (Jibril) then asked if they know his (Kukah’s) house and the listeners shouted, ‘Yes we do’. He is inciting them to attack Bishop Kukah.

“HURIWA charges the DSS to arrest Jibril immediately for questioning as the secret police had probed and persecuted the late deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia; and other vocal Christian leaders like Kukah himself.

“Anything short of the arrest of Jibril is sentimental and condemnable. Nothing must happen to Kukah. Nigerians are watching and are not fools.

“HURIWA again enjoins all Nigerians of conscience to come out enmasse as announced by the Christian Association of Nigeria and protest the killing of Deborah to pressure the Muhammadu Buhari led government to serve justice on the matter and for her killers to be punished according to extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

May 16, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

PDP is a scam, HURIWA slams party for shunning zoning 

Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria,(HURIWA)on Thursday, slammed the Peoples Democratic Party for throwing open its presidential ticket ahead of its primaries slated for May 28 to 29 2022.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, described PDP as a “huge scam” for jettisoning the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the Southern region, especially the South-East. 

The group, which said the PDP has shown that it does not respect equity, fairness, and justice, urged Nigerians to get their Permanent Voters Card  ready to oust the PDP and the All Progressives Congress should any of the party field a northern candidate at the end of their individual presidential primaries at the end of May. 

The National Executive Committee of the PDP had on Wednesday night at its 96th meeting held in Abuja dumped the principle of zoning and threw the presidential slot open in 2023.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “We condemn the decision of Peoples Democratic Party to throw its presidential ticket open thus throwing the spanner in the works and campaigns of elder statesmen including Pa Ayo Adebanjo, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Edwin Clark, Ohanaeze President George Obiozor, amongst others that the PDP and the All Progressives Congress should zone the office of President to the South-East.

“PDP’s decision not to heed the wise counsel of these elder statesmen is blameworthy considering that the South-East is the only zone that has not produced a democratically elected President out of the three major ethnicities since Nigeria’s Self government after over 60 years existence as a Sovereignty.

“Throwing the contest open has confirmed that PDP has scammed the South-East even after the zone has suffered marginalisation and exclusion from the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Since 1999, Nigeria’s fourth Republic, the South-South (Goodluck Jonathan) has been in power as Vice-President and President from 2007 to 2015. Obasanjo (South-West) was President from 1999 to 2007 while Atiku Abubakar (North-East) was his deputy for the eight years. Buhari (North-West) has been President since 2015 and would leave in 2023 while Yemi Osinbajo (also from South-West) has been his deputy.

“No South-East politician has been President or Vice-President since 1999 and before. PDP’s decision shows that itself and APC indeed plots to retain presidential powers in the North because it is likely that APC will do the same thing as PDP. 

“What PDP has done shows clearly that it is indeed a 419 political contraption and our plea is that Nigerian voters who don’t have PVCs should get their cards so as to reject both PDP and APC should both feature Northern candidates for President.

“HURIWA must warn PDP that its decision will divide Nigeria in such a way that Nigeria may collapse because a lot more elite and hitherto patriotic groups and persons in the South will openly oppose the so-called ‘One Nigeria’ which is not different from ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ mantra. The South-East should be the zone to produce President in 2023 for peace, unity and stability of Nigeria beyond 2023. Nigeria’s end is near.”

May 12, 2022

Emmanuel Onwubiko

National Coordinator – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA).

SMK: The Philanthropist

By
Sefinatu Ohunene Umaru

A philanthropist is a person who donates time, money, experience, skills or talent to help create a better world. Some philanthropists are known for giving away substantially to society and the candidate for the Kaduna South Senatorial seat, Honourable Sunday Marshall Katung (SMK) happens to be one. He has regularly donated his time, resources and talent for the benefit of the good people of Kaduna South Senatorial District.

His philanthropic activities span from education, providing succour to the indigent, empowerment and influencing employment opportunities in addition to providing legal services. Specifically, they include:

 a. Eduction and Empowerment:

1. Setting up an informal scholarship scheme for youth seeking higher education. This scheme has over a hundred (100) beneficiaries across higher institutions in Nigeria in just its first year.
2. Funding preparatory JAMB and SSCE candidates.
3. Partnered SMEDAN to conduct skill acquisition training and empowerment schemes for artisans and micro small scale entrepreneurs.
4. Providing business start up seed capital to over three hundred (300) female entrepreneurs. b. Health:
5. Outreach programmes that offer free screening, check up, basic surgeries, drugs treatment and therapy
6. Distribution of mosquito nets for mothers and their children to combat malaria
7. Outreach has conducted over three thousand (3,000) free surgeries

c. Agriculture:

1. Distribution of fertilisers by the truck loads
2. Distribution of improved seedlings

d. Amenities:
As a former member Federal House Representative –
1.He was able to influence the installation and deployment of solar powered street light in Kwoi Town.

2. moved a motion on the floor of the green chambers for the urgent rehabilitation of the Kwoi -Kurmin Jibrin Road, an important road artery in Southern Kaduna.
3. Provision of transformers for rural electrification, solar, mechanical and manual (hand) powered boreholes. e. Employment:
4. Ensured Southern Kaduna youth were not sidelined when the following agencies conduct recruitment:
   i. Federal Fire Service
   ii. Nigeria Immigration Service
   iii. Nigeria Railway Corporation
   iv. National Information Technology Development Agency
   v. Nigerian Postal Service
   vi. National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies
   vii. DSS
   viii. Animal Research Centre, Vom.
   ix. Etc.
5. Reinstatement of sons and daughters wrongfully dismissed from employment in the private sector. He also ensured those retired received the gratuities and benefits due to them. f. Humanitarian Commitment:
   Sunday Marshall Katung (SMK) has a special gift of compassion and is always at his best when it comes to touching the lives of the less-privileged. Over the years during his birthday, he always extends his hand of love to those in need as he celebrates with widows and orphanages.

He has also provided succour to victims of ethno-religious crises in Southern Kaduna with provision of meals, medical supplies and education for victims in IDP camps. Also, during the lockdown brought about by the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, Honourable Sunday Marshall Katung (SMK) donated palliatives to indigent families and those whose means of livelihood were negatively impacted.

In terms of philanthropic activities, Honourable Sunday Marshall Katung stands at the head of this assembly and brought true light to life to the people of Southern Kaduna, thus touching their hearts.
He believes that philanthropic gestures alone cannot solve all societal problems and that only effective and people friendly legislation could. With the right legislation, the right atmosphere that will harness the economic potentials of Southern Kaduna and create employment opportunities can be done.

Let all sons, daughters, residents and lovers of a better Southern Kaduna come together and Get Involved by supporting him to represent Southern Kaduna Senatorial District come 2023.

Thank you.

Nigeria: The Sham 1999 Constitution is The Entry Visa For Fulani – A Non-Indigenous People

By Ndidi Uwechue

09 May 2022

Nigeria is a multi-national country, made up of several Ethnic Nations that could have been countries in their own right if not that Nigeria happened to them. For several years, but most especially now, the Ethnic Nations of the NINAS Alliance Territory (the South and Middle Belt) have been regretting being in this Union, and those who can have joined the mass exodus out of Nigeria, seeking a new home abroad. Now, thanks to the non-violent NINAS Movement, people have become aware that it is the Fulani Caliphate Agenda of conquest and control, that is inflicting miseries, and an existential terror, upon indigenous peoples. 

The Fulani were through trickery, manoeuvred into power by the departing British at Independence in 1960. Since that time, despite their status of being non-indigenous immigrant settlers, the Fulani have had a hostile “born-to-rule” supremacist attitude towards the Owners of the land. Now that indigenous peoples are being slaughtered by armed Fulani and their terrorists for land grab, the question is being asked: The Fulani live among us, but do they have a right to be on our land?

That is a very good question. The answer is that the illegitimate 1999 Constitution is both ENTRY VISA and PERMANENT STAY VISA for the Fulani. Without that 1999 Constitution, a forgery, Fulani would have no legitimate right to enter, or stay in the Middle Belt or South. That Document is a fraud, foisted upon Nigerians. It is the illegitimate powers obtained from that 1999 Constitution that the Fulani use for land grab activities, policies, or (future) plans, for example: 

1. The quite absurd narrative of “farmer-Fulani herdsman clash” has been completely debunked. It is outright ethnic cleansing (genocide) by armed Fulani for land grab that is going on.

2. Although it is a deceit to amend a forgery, in the most recent round of “amendments” of the 1999 Constitution, the National Assembly passed provisions for Local Government autonomy. That means LG Areas would be directly controlled by the Fulani-led Central Government, via getting funds, and via a government-controlled INEC controlling elections. 

3. The National Waterways Bill is a ruse for the Fulani-led government to control the waters and their surrounding banks, including ground waters, in all parts of Nigeria.

4. RUGA are straight off Fulani colonies, but labelled as cattle colonies. 

5. Cattle grazing routes. Fulani are new-comers to the NINAS Territory, and it is the British who brought them into the South via Amalgamation (really an Annexation) in 1914. There are no records that indigenous peoples properly agreed to any cattle grazing routes for Fulani. This is just another attempt by the Fulani to lay claim to what is not theirs.

6. The National Livestock Transformation Plan is a means of imposing Fulani cattle ranches throughout Nigeria, using public money. This is land grabbing.

7. “Repentant and rehabilitated” terrorists are being REINTEGRATED into communities, and there are reports that they are even placed in the Nigerian Army. Just last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (who has Amina Mohammed, a Fulani among his staff), praised Buhari for the ongoing Reintegration of “repentant” terrorists. This is all quite baffling because no UN boss has advised the USA to Reintegrate the foreign terrorists of the 911 terror attacks. Buhari himself has been quoted as saying, “But those with sophisticated weapons, with Ak-47, are from the Sahel area. They are Fulani people from Mauritania, Central Republic Africa…” Thus, Buhari’s Reintegration of terrorists is another form of land grab because Reintegration would mean accepting these Fulani killers into ancestral lands. 

These are just seven examples of how, having gained entry into ancestral lands using a forgery – the 1999 Constitution, Fulani are “ruthlessly” hoping to bring about their Ahmadu Bello’s vision that Nigeria is to be an “estate” of the Fulani.

The illegitimate 1999 Constitution is the ENTRY VISA for Fulani. However, do note that it is indigenous politicians who OPEN THE DOOR for Fulani to enter ancestral lands, by upholding and defending the illegitimate 1999 Constitution. Thus, if indigenous politicians did not collaborate with the Caliphate, Fulani would not be able to enter the ancestral spaces of indigenous peoples. Indigenous politicians are therefore DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the slaughter of their people by armed Fulani, and for the decay and retardation seen throughout their Ethnic Nation, as those are the fruits of the 1999 Constitution. The 1999 Constitution has been Repudiated. Thus, indigenous politicians are soulless traitors of their people by clamouring for, and pushing for Elections 2023 to renew the life of that 1999 Constitution, giving Fulani another four years of illegitimate entry into the ancestral lands of indigenous peoples. 

In conclusion, Fulani are using sorcerer’s tricks and murder to dispossess and grab ancestral lands through ethnic cleansing (genocide), and by policies or laws such as RUGA and Waterways Bill. There is no hope whatsoever for indigenous peoples under such conditions so tens of thousands have fled abroad as migrants, too terrified to return. But the Fulani can be stopped! It is by focusing on indigenous politicians, for they are the ones who hold up the sham 1999 Constitution as a ladder for the Caliphate and their armed Fulani to enter ancestral lands. Therefore, to STOP indigenous politicians means to STOP the Fulani. Indigenous peoples must find a way to stop their politicians from carrying out Elections 2023 which renew the life of the 1999 Constitution, the ENTRY VISA for Fulani. 

Ndidi Uwechue is a British citizen with Igbo heritage from the Lower Niger Bloc. She is a retired Metropolitan (London) Police Officer, she is a signatory to the Constitutional Force Majeure, and she writes from Abuja.

2023 ELECTION: SOUTHERN KADUNA YOUTHS WILL ONLY SUPPORT ASPIRANTS WITH EMPATHY FOR OUR PEOPLE

Southern Kaduna Youths under the auspices of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU YOUTH) have said that they will only throw their supports behind aspirants that have shown empathy to the people of the area.

This was contained in a statement issued by the national coordinator, Comrade John Isaac on Wednesday in Kaduna.

The Group noted that Southern Kaduna has suffered unprecedented terror attacks leading to mass killings and destruction of communities in the last seven years. It said only those who stood with the people will get the support of the youths of the area.

The statement reads in parts;

“As the 2023 general elections inches closer, it is important to remind aspirants across all political parties in clear terms that Southern Kaduna which has in the last seven (7 ) years witness unprecedented number of attacks, with thousands killed and slaughtered in cold blood, properties worth billions of naira destroyed and millions displaced, is a no go region for aspirants who have no human feelings, regards for human lives and have shown little or no concerns and empathy to the Southern Kaduna people.

“We have observed also with dismay in recent times the pretentious attitudes and more worrisome the unfolding loop-sidedness in the activities of some aspirants who have been going about their bid for the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governorship of our dear state Kaduna, without reference to the plight of the Southern Kaduna People, let alone condemn the continuous killings nor proffering possible solutions to the acts of terrorism orchestrated by terrorist Militia across Southern Kaduna over the recurring attacks on the innocent people of Southern Kaduna.

“While we appreciate the generosity of some of the aspirants towards amelorating the living conditions of displaced persons in the state, we will like to call on all aspirants across all political parties to emulate the kind gestures of those whom have extended support to the people of Southern Kaduna and Kaduna state at large.

“We also want to categorically emphasis that more needs to be done in the areas of rehabilitation and reconstruction of sacked communities in Southern Kaduna as the Southern People are passing through untold hardship.

“We want to again call on the President Muhammadu Buhari Led Federal Government to as a Matter of urgency establish a Southern Kaduna Development Commission (SKDC) to be saddled with the responsibility of Reconstructing Rehabilitating and Resettlement of the over two Million (2,000,000) displaced Person across Southern Kaduna, the reconstruction of the nearly Two Hundred (200) communities, including Schools, Hospitals, and Markets destroyed by killer terrorist herdsmen.

“It is important to mention here that the killings and destruction of lives, and properties and the displacement of communities taking place in Southern Kaduna by terrorist herdsmen is of similar proportion to the Boko Haram ravaged North Eastern part of Nigeria. Therefore, a Southern Kaduna Development Commission is of paramount importance and should be supported by every well-meaning and peace loving Nigerians.”

SMK: An IDEA Whose Time Has Come

The 2023 race for the Kaduna South Senatorial seat today is the most competitive and talked about in the history of the area, not just within the 8 local government areas that make up Kaduna South senatorial District but by extension Kaduna state as a whole. Not even the race for Sir Kashim Ibrahim House has generated as much public debate as the Kaduna South senatorial race. This is partly due to the fact that some of the finest political juggernauts from the zone have thrown their hats into the ring for the contest.

The social media have been saturated with narratives and counter narratives on who should be the next Senator to represent the over 4 million people of the area, a people that have suffered various kinds of marginalisation, terror attacks, forceful occupation and injustices of the highest proportion, especially in the last seven and a half years. The area has within the period buried in Mass graves no fewer than 5,000 of its citizens murdered in the most barbaric manner and lost over a hundred communities in the last seven years.

Amongst the aspirants under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is a gentleman by name Sunday Marshall Katung, an honourable in the real sense of the word, a lawyer, a philanthropist, one who personifies the word “humility”. Katung, who is popularly known as SMK, is a former Commissioner of Finance and Water Resources under late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, a former House of Representatives member representing Jaba/Zangon Kataf Constituency from 2015 to 2019.

Looking at the many challenges confronting Kaduna South Senatorial District, Katung by his antecedents and impeccable track record best fits the moment and should earn the trust of the people to deliver robust representation to them, a representation that goes beyond stomach infrastructure and giving of handouts to a negligible few, in contrast to the self-serving representation that is obtainable today. Honourable is one who will put his wealth of experience, training and experience as a lawyer, a business administrator and his international and local connections together to create legislations that will directly impact the lives of the people of Kaduna South positively.

Katung by all indications has prepared himself for this great and daunting task beforehand, and this could be seen in his style of politicking in the last two years. While others were still contemplating whether to run for Senate or not, Katung clearly defined what he wanted and rolled his sleeves to get the job done. It is also evidently clear that Katung has won the hearts of some of the best and patriotic young people from Kaduna South who have been spreading the gospel of his campaign tagline “GetInvolved” to all nook and crannies of the district.

With no disrespect to any aspirant, Sunday Marshall Katung as of today is ostensibly the only aspirant that has been able to clearly outline via a concise manifesto, how he intends to tackle the many challenges confronting Kaduna South senatorial district.

My Plea to Delegates.

It is just 11 days to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Primary election, and you, our delegates, once again, will decide who becomes our Senator for the next years. Opportunity has once again presented itself to you our wonderful delegates to write your names, individually and collectively, on the sand of time. Would you vote for competency, capacity and commitment to service and active representation or you would vote for mediocrity and passive representation that has bedevilled Kaduna South in the last seven and a half years thereby short-changing the people in the committee of senatorial districts in the country? The choice is yours to make but remember that whatever decision you make on whose name appear on the ballot, we all, you included, will live with the consequences in the next four years.

I therefore urge you all to put into consideration the points I have highlighted above in making your decisions.

The ball is in your court, but we are watching keenly.

Steven Kefas writes from Kenyi, Kagarko local government Area of Kaduna state.

A Note Of Clarification On Behalf Of The LNC And NINAS Regarding The NINAS CFM Proposition To Suspend Further National Elections Under The Repudiated 1999 Constitution And For The Immediate Undertaking Of The Fundamental Reconstruction Of The Damaged Constitutional Basis Of The Distressed Federation Of Nigeria 

LNC-NINAS Joint Secretariat

23 April 2022

The attention of the LNC and the NINAS Secretariat has been drawn to news making the rounds on social media about the IPOB/ESN shutting down Elections in Igbo Land. 

This would have been a most welcome development but for the attempt by whichever faction of IPOB peddling that story, to link the Elections shutdown undertaking to the totally meaningless “Biafra Restoration” campaign and the agitation to free their detained Leader.

The public is by this Note of Clarification, invited to NOTE that the suspension or halting of further National Elections under the 1999 Constitution as prescribed and being pursued by the LNC and its NINAS Allies is for the ENTIRE Alliance Territory being the South and Middle Belt, (not just Igboland).

More importantly, the electoral shutdown undertaking is for the strategic purpose of Taking Down the 1999 Constitution and therefore precipitating the Transitioning that will midwife the Regional Self-Determination Referendums by which the trapped constituent components of the distressed Nigerian Federation shall determine their Political Future.

It is pertinent to note that much as all who believe in the LNC-NINAS Grand Script are welcome to participate in the implementation processes in their various Blocs, it has to be strictly within the Template and Operational Modalities dictated by the LNC-NINAS Grand Script especially as encapsulated by the December 16, 2020, Constitutional Force Majeure Proclamation of the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS).

It is in the context of this clarification that it has become necessary to inform the public THAT the IPOB/ESN elements who in the Igbo space, are now attempting to inject themselves and their campaign to free their detained leader, into the much wider and purpose-driven elections shutdown undertaking, ARE NOT doing so within or on behalf of the LNC-NINAS Grand Script, especially for the known methods of IPOB/ESN which the LNC and its NINAS Allies have for many years been publicly and totally opposed to. 

IPOB’s current attempt is no more than their trademark-desperation to take credit for things they know nothing about, oftentimes causing damage, distortions, and setbacks to the substantive undertaking. 

One example of this crude credit-seeking and dishonest distortions was where the IPOB misread the National Elections Shutdown propositions of the LNC-NINAS and so ran off with an ill-thought-out Boycott of the Anambra State elections. The blood-cost and disruptive outcomes of that misadventure, both in the 2017 round (Python Dance) and the 2022 round are still fresh in public memory.

Another example of stealing ill-digested ideas for credit-seeking purposes was the quiet international engagements and undertakings of the LNC and its NINAS Allies, especially in the Policy Beltways of Washington DC and at the UN in New York, between 2015 and 2019. The IPOB propaganda machinery went on a photo-shopping spree to create the impression that it was meeting with officials of the US Government and the UN; in the process, noisily distorting and almost bastardizing what was painstakingly designed by the LNC and its NINAS Allies to be a shock-treatment for the recalcitrant Caliphate Nigeria. 

The undeserved disgrace brought by IPOB on the NINAS Liberation Project in the International Circuit and the blood-cost to the homeland amongst the hoodwinked multitudes are still fresh in public memory. 

The purpose of this Public Note of Clarification is to invite the vigilance of the general public in what might soon be another episode of distortions that would result in avoidable bloodletting in Igbo Land just because the proprietors of the Rogue Biafra Franchise seek to inject themselves into an undertaking they lack the discipline and honesty to understand. 

LNC-NINAS Joint Secretariat

April 23, 2022

SHUT UP, NO JUSTIFICATION FOR N100 MILLION FEES: HURIWA TO APC

Prominent Civil rights advocacy group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has told the national hierarchy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to shut up and cover their faces in unmitigated shame and opprobrium for trying to create phantom JUSTIFICATION for why the All Progressives  Congress has pegged her nomination fee and expression of interest form to contest to be the Presidential Candidate of the ruling Paryy in the 2023 polls at N100 million.

HURIWA said the All Progressives Congress must be made up of leaders that have lost touch with realities and bent on selling their Presidential ticket to the highest bidder no matter how roguish or criminal way the person may have raised the exorbitant cost of the Presidential nomination fees for aspirants just as the Rights group has asked the National Publicity Secretary of the APC to shut up and stop celebrating his ignorance in trying to buy credibility for the criminal decision of his party to peg the Presidential nomination fees at N100 when the combined total of the salaries of Professor Yemi Osinbanjo for eight years is not near enough that amount. “NO decent businessman can fritter N100 million on a project he is only going to compete with others and may not enjoy the right of refunds. Only drug barons and armed robbers can run for the Presidency under the All Progressives Congress.  

HURIWA stated that the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka had said that the ruling party advised itself on the price tags on its nomination forms. It was reported yesterday that the APC fixed the presidential nomination form for N100m.

The Rights group recalled that the  APC announced on Wednesday that the party’s forms for Presidential ticket will be sold at N100 million, governorship N50 million; Senate, N20 million; House of Representatives, N10 million and State Houses of Assembly, N2 million.

HURIWA said: ” We beg of the grossly disrespectful PRO of the APC to stop insulting the psyche and intelligence of Nigerians by trying to provide fallacious justification for this I’ll advised decision of his party. To tell you that APC is behaving like a political gathering of daylight robbers, they are making N100 million look cheap when a Permanent Secretary in a civil service may need two life times to gross that amount as legitimate salaries. How could have insulted Nigerians in such a fashion because when asked if the price tag was in line with the present economic situation in the country, the APC Spokesperson, in an interview with Channels Television, said, “What is the current situation in the country? We still live in a country where there are people who make legitimate money.”And on whether the party is for the rich, he said, “The party is not for the rich. I just told you that for instance, any woman who wants to run for the office of the President is not paying the full amount. The youths as well.”When asked who advised the party on the price tags, he said, “The party advised the party. The party thinks that…and made the decision that the value put on these forms are justified.”

HURIWA dismissed the ruling party’s mouthpiece’s effort to try to mitigate the ethical damage and the credibility crisis that the fixing of the exorbitant cost of the Presidential nomination fees has caused his party by saying youths and the physically challenged are not expected to pay close to the high fees of N100 million,  the Civil Society Organization HURIWA said the APC is wrong to fix their ticket for Presidential  form at N100 million because it has shown the party as a collective of shylock and greedy cash chasing money guzzling political gamblers who are in politics for the cash they can loot. 

“There is no logical justification for such a crazy fees because it is even a violation of the NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN LAW which the President signed.  HURIWA said that the high fees shows that APC is telling us that only looters can afford their ticket. Nigerians must come out and condemn this show of shame and the promotion of ostentatious appearances and inordinate wealth”. 

“Who is that youth that can afford 50% of the N100 million fees if the APC is saying youths would get a rebate? And even if youths can get that much to fritter on a nomination form, the intention and import conveyed by the APC is that politics is for the highest bidders and for those heartless enough to loot the Nation’s treasury mindlessly BECAUSE THE LOGIC OF PAYING SO MUCH TO OBTAIN A TICKET IS THAT WHEN YOU WIN THE ALL POWERFUL POSITION OF PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA, YOU EXPECT TO GAIN SO MUCH THROUGH ILLEGITIMATE AND CRIMINAL MEANS,” HURIWA affirmed.