Echoes of coup d’état in West, Central Africa

The recent coup d’état in the Republic of Guinea and the attempted coup in Sudan have continued to draw attention of the diplomatic community, trade unions, international organisations, among others.

Col. Mamady Doubouya, Head of Guinean Special Forces (GSF), on Sept, 5, overthrew President Alpha Conde and detained him.

Also from Sudan, authorities reported a failed attempt to overthrow the country’s transitional government, blaming “military officers and civilians” from the former government of deposed President Omar al-Bashir.

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok described the attempted coup, which took place early Tuesday, as “an extension of previous attempts” to overthrow the transitional government

Those who spoke on the coups, noted that since the “Togolese military coup d’état” of Jan. 13, 1963,’’ overthrow of democratically elected governments had become a trend across other parts of the continent.

That Togolese coup, led by  Gen. Gnassingbé Eyadéma, that overthrew Sylvanus Olympio, was the first in Africa.

Since the first coup that occurred in Togo, 38 forcefully overthrow of legitimately elected government had been carried out across 38 countries, out of 54 countries in the continent.

The countries include: Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, DR Congo, Mali, Malawi, Cote d’Ivoire, Sudan, Eritrea, Republic of Benin, Central African Republic, Libya, Comoros, Chad and Egypt.

Others are: Lesotho, Gambia, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Ethiopia.

Some who spoke said that coups in general pose setbacks to democratic growth.

They noted that unless the trend is reversed, coups would continue to create platform for disregard of fundamental rights of citizens.

They also urged the African Union and ECOWAS  to wade in and ensure coup becomes thing of the past in the African continent.

Mr Abdulmalik Ahmed, the Consul-General of Nigeria Mission in Johannesburg, South Africa, condemned military coups in Africa, saying it is fast becoming trend that must be stopped.

Ahmed said: “It is a sad day for the people of Guinea and a setback for democracy in West Africa and Africa in general.

“Democracy in itself should not be viewed as an end in itself, but a means towards development and popular participation in governance and decision making.

“It is a setback for our sub-region.”

In the same vein, Mr Chukwuemeka Nnaji, the President of Nigerian Union of Traders Associations in Ghana (NUTAG), said that coup is unacceptable, because its outcome affect trade negatively.

He, therefore, appealed to the African Union and ECOWAS to intervene in the matter to restore sustainable democracy, not just in Guinea, but in the continent.

According to him: “Coup in any country of Africa is unacceptable and therefore should be condemned with a very strong force.

“So, I add my voice to call on the international community to intervene in the matter as soon as possible, to stop more casualties in Guinea.

“We do not want a repeat of Liberia, Sierra Leone or the Ivory Coast outcome of internal conflict in West Africa.

“I call on the leadership of ECOWAS, especially Nana Akufo Addo, the Chairman of ECOWAS Heads of State to intervene immediately.”

Also Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, threw his weight behind the calls to end coups, saying that such menace have no place in the 21^st century governance.

Osinbajo, who spoke when he  represented President Muhammadu Buhari at a virtual Extraordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS member-states, stressed the need for the regional body to take proactive steps to prevent coups in the sub-region and the continent at large.

“There should be new measures to prevent coups, what happened in Guinea is a brazen disregard for the provisions of ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance, which clearly states that every ascension to power must be through a free, fair and transparent election.

“The unconstitutional seizure of power in any shape or form is simply unacceptable, especially with four coups within the last few months is dangerous trend indeed.

“We are sliding back to the infamous 60s’, our zero-tolerance for coups is important, but clearly insufficient. Are there further steps that we can take to prevent coups d’état?”

In line with this, ECOWAS had in a communiqué issued after a virtual meeting of the organisation to discuss the political developments in Guinea, suspended the membership of Guinea and called for the immediate restoration of civil rule in the country.

The regional bloc demanded immediate restoration of civilian rule in Guinea, adding that the “defence and security forces should maintain a constitutional posture,” while reaffirming its strong opposition to any political change by unconstitutional means and condemned, in the strongest terms, specifically the coup in Guinea.

“The authority expresses deep concern over the political developments in the Republic of Guinea following the coup d’état of Sept. 5, 2021 and their consequences for regional peace and stability,” the communiqué said.

ECOWAS, however, promised to send its mission, led by Ghanaian Foreign Minister Shirley Botchwey with representatives from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and the ECOWAS Commission to achieve its target.

All who spoke on the resurgence of coups in Africa, agreed that there is urgent need to check the trend.

They also said that the UN, AU and the Commonwealth have great roles to play to check unconstitutional ascension to power in the African continent.

(NANFeatures)

We Are All Benue IDPs

By

Emmanuel Onwubiko

“Demagogues attack their critics in harsh and provocation terms- as enemies, as subversives, and even as terrorists.” (HOW DEMOCRACIES DIE: WHAT HISTORY REVEALS ABOUT OUR FUTURE BY STEVEN LEVITSKY & DANIEL ZIBLATT).
 
“We are all animal but all animals are not equal.”
This typical saying was one of the earliest things I had to read from some novels during my school days in the Secondary school of the 1980’s. However, when I began to read about the modern day politics in Nigeria and began working and even had a stint in a federal government’s funded agency:- the National Human Rights Commission, I came face to face with the reality that perhaps that saying that all animals are not equal was actually a depiction of who a Nigerian is.
For a fact, Nigeria is inherently and fundamentally dysfunctional and distorted because the people who govern the Country have ideologically willed that Nigeria should never work as a constitutional democracy. Those who control the different layers of political governance especially at the highest echelons of the federal administration have built the mindset that all Nigerians must never be treated equally.
This is why when the then military dictator General Sani Abacha wanted to write the constitution preparatory to the exit of the military out of governance, he loaded the committee with Northerners who actually implanted a lot of provisions that are meant to destroy the principle of equity and equality.
For instance, the 1999 constitution which was written by selected persons who were commissioned by General Abacha, decidedly gave Kano State the highest number of House of Representatives members. The Kano parliamentarians to the Federal House of Representatives are more in number than those of the entire five Igbo States put together even when the population of Igbo speaking people is not less than 60 million.
It would seem the drafters of that distorted Constitution in application at the moment, used the criterion of land mass to allocate membership to the National Assembly’s lower legislature.
 
That aside, the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015, has brought into focus the notoriety of nepotism and tribalism. This current administration has lowered the bar and has so made political governance to appear like the village meeting of the Fulani ethnicity. Muhammadu Buhari sleeps and wakes up thinking about cows and nothing else. He has undermined National security by failing to stop murderous gangs of Fulani people from invading Nigeria from Niger and Chad, killing, maiming and destroying lives and property of largely Christian farmers. With over 6,000 farmers murdered in cold blood by Fulani armed herdsmen but not one of these mass killers are in prison. Muhammadu Buhari has a minister of Justice Abubakar Malami who confessed to my group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA  that he has no case file on the killings by armed Fulani herdsmen and so is not ready to prosecute them for the genocides committed in many parts of Nigeria with Benue State having the largest chunk of the casualties.  
The current President decidedly loaded the strategic portfolios and political positions including the defence sector with his people the Moslem North of Fulani/Hausa.
But the area in which the saying that all animals are not equal is in the workings of the Federal agency that provides reliefs for victims of disasters known as National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which is headed by a Moslem Northerners and controlled by the ministry of humanitarian affairs and disaster management headed also by a Fulani woman. 
In the distribution of relief materials, NEMA has become very notorious for diverting Ninety percent of the relief materials to the North East. Disasters affecting other parts of Nigeria are usually not treated the same way as the man made disaster of terrorists attacks of the North East of Nigeria.
Benue State is one place that terrorists made up largely of armed Fulani herders have made the most devastating negative impacts. However, NEMA is hardly noticed in the different internally displaced persons camps in Benue State.
This systemic and systematic exclusion is not just a moral crime but constitutes a crime against humanity and President Muhammadu Burai’s attention should be called to it so a fundamental redress is made.
By the way, the majority of the IDPs are farmers whose farms and housing assets were blown up by the rampaging armed Fulani militia who are above the law in the thinking of the current Federal government that is dangerously pro-Fulani.
To drive home this point, perhaps the Benue State governor saw no other way to express his angst but to use the analogy of how the problems of IDPs incapacitates him from fully playing his husband bed time role to his beautiful wife.
 
Governor Samuel Ortom recently bemoaned the perennial displacement of residents across Benue, saying the plight of people living in camps for the internally displaced has been giving him erectile dysfunction.
At a public function near the capital Makurdi, Mr Ortom said President Muhammadu Buhari and special duties minister George Akume have failed to support him in his fight against killer herdsmen, working against the interest of Benue people instead.
Mr Ortom said there was “no way as a leader” would he feel comfortable knowing that thousands of his people have been displaced from their villages by killer herdsmen who were on a conquest to take lands from indigenous Benue settlers.
“Even when I am on top of my wife and I remember the people who are in IDP camps…” Mr Ortom said with a pause for camera effect. A male voice in the audience then helped him to conclude his sentence, saying “It goes flat,” to which the governor then responded with a smile.
Mr Ortom has been locked in fierce political confrontation with Mr Buhari and his appointees following his decision to implement a ban on open grazing of cattle by herders of Mr Buhari’s ethnic Fulani stock.
The president has insisted that he would not support a ban on open grazing and tried to force states to bow to the federal government on the appropriation solution to the crisis, which has left thousands killed and untold damage caused to assets and livelihoods since Mr Buhari assumed office in 2015.
The president has faced criticism for pushing the interest of herdsmen while showing little sympathy to victims of their brutality, including from members of his ruling APC. He has vigorously denied the claims and said his administration has implemented a series of security, administrative and financial solutions to mitigate the crisis.
 
On another level we read correctly that the Benue State Government has again called on the Federal Government to return the millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes to avert recruitment of vulnerable inmates by terrorist groups.
Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. Emmanuel Shior, raised the fears recently, while briefing newsmen in Makurdi, during the distribution of food items to eight IDP camps in the state.
Shior maintained that the humanitarian crisis caused by marauding herders to communities in the state was colossal and devastating while expressing disgust that the Federal Government had not extended its gesture in the North East to Benue.
He alleged that some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were rather playing politics with the issue.
“The IDPs have been with us for the past three years and there is a need to return them to their communities. But some people, for parochial reasons, are accusing Governor Samuel Ortom of masterminding the killings, which is not true. We don’t play politics with lives.
“A group of APC members is the ones peddling this false news. They are using this gimmick to cover their failures at the national level. They are acting on the premise that Ortom is PDP and they are APC. But the governor is responsive and cannot afford to forcefully return IDPs to their ancestral homes without adequate security,” he said.
The humanitarian crisis in the camps, Shior added, is a big burden on the state, which reportedly spends hundreds of millions of naira monthly to procure food and other needs.
According to the SEMA boss, based on the governor’s directive, the activities of the agency would continue to be transparent.
The Guardian gathered that food items distributed to the various camps included bags of rice, beans as well as noodles.
On why Tse-Yandev camp has no SEMA staff managing it, Shior said, even as the camp was being managed by volunteer groups, SEMA was intervening from time to time.
At the camp, there are many weary faces – from the aged to distressed mothers; all worrying about what to eat with their families and how to educate their children, a situation that gets tougher with each passing day.
Feeding is a major challenge for the IDPs. Due to the large population at the camp, the government’s food supplies are never enough. To supplement this, some of the IDPs resort to cooking almost-spoiled or perishing food items sourced from dealers in the local market.
“For the issue of food, the government is trying,” says Camp Manager Comfort Alugah. “But the government cannot satisfy everybody.”
Mrs Alugah attributes the challenge to the population at the camp which she put at 43,344.
In terms of health care, the Mbawa IDP camp has a maternal and child health clinic operated by Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF).
The clinic has been providing care for the babies delivered in the camp and their mothers, with assistance from the Benue State Ministry of Health, ensuring safe delivery after months of antenatal services. The HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA is indeed happy withthe Benue State governor and his administration for carrying the matter of the neglect of the IDPS on his head and heart. We call on the NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY to respect the constitutional principles of equity and equality of opportunity and rights and deliver qualitative and quantitative relief materials to the thousands of Benue IDPS or we will challenge their criminal abandonment of the Benue IDPs at the Benue State High Court so we expose this systemic and systematic crimes against BENUE IDPS.  Enough is enough! 

 
*EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO is head of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) and blogs@www. theingerianinsidernews.com, www.huriwanigeria.com.
 

Southern Governors Passed Anti-Open Grazing Laws They Know Cannot Be Implemented—Governor El-Rufai

Governir Nasiru El-rufai

The governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that it is difficult to execute the Anti-Open Grazing laws which his counterparts in the Southern part of Nigeria have passed to curb insecurity in the region. 

He, then, cautioned them not to deploy much energy on the laws, adding that it would take time for it to materialise.

Speaking during a visit to the headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, El-Rufai revealed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has backed his state with N7.5 billion out of the N10 billion required to build a ranch.

He also disclosed that since there are over 14 grazing reserves in Kaduna State, he would be glad if the Nigerian Government can support his state with N140 billion to develop the grazing reserves.

According to El-Rufai, it is needless for the Southern states’ governors to politicise grazing rights and pass laws they know cannot be implemented.

Speaking on the anti-open grazing laws, he noted, “The northern state governors forum has already taken a position that open grazing is not a sustainable way of livestock production. And we must move towards ranching.

“But moving towards ranching cannot be done overnight. We have to have a plan, we have to have resources and we have to implement it sensibly. It is not a matter of populist legislation or saying tomorrow this or that. It is not a solution.

“We have taken a position as northern state governors and we are implementing that.

“And in my state, for instance, we are developing a huge ranch to centralise the herders. And that is the solution, a long time. But can it be done overnight? No.

“This project we are doing will cost us about N10 billion. The CBN is supporting us with about N7.5 billion. And it will take about two years to do. We will be settling about 1,500 Fulani herder families.

“And I hope that they will see that there are alternative ways of producing livestock instead of running up and down with cattle going to people’s farms to cause all kinds of problems. We want to solve the problem.

“What is unhelpful is to politicise the situation and pass legislation that you know that you cannot implement. So, we have taken a position and we are working round the clock to implement that position.

“And these herders emanate from the north and we are going to centralise them. We cannot do it overnight. We need billions of naira. This is just one ranch that is causing 10 billion. I have 14 grazing reserves in Kaduna State and I will like to convert them into ranching. Do I have 14 times 10 billion naira? I don’t have.

“If the Federal Government will give me N140 billion, I will convert the other 13 into ranches and make sure that nobody comes out with a cow or sheep in Kaduna State because I will have enough ranches to take care of everybody. That is the solution. You can legislate but let us wait and see. And I wish them the best of luck.”

(SAHARAREPORTERS)

EXCLUSIVE: Pay N130,000 Registration fee or Shutdown- Kaduna state gov. Tells Orphanages

Orphanages operating in Kaduna state have been asked to pay an exorbitant sum of N130,000 for ‘registration’ or have their facilities shutdown by the state government.

An orphanage operator in Kaduna who craved anonymity to avoid persecution told Middle Belt Times that the state government even gave them deadline which they must all pay the money.

“They gave us one week to pay the money, they said it is for registration and certificate.

“We are only offering charity services to the society and humanity, where do they expect us to raise such a huge sum from? We are not revenue generating organisations.”He said.

The orphanages claimed they have been duly registered with the corporate affairs commission, the body saddled with the responsibility of registering business and NGOs in the country.

Another orphanage operator who also craved anonymity, confirmed the development to MBT. He said the development has forced many of them to go and borrow money to pay to avoid being shutdown by the government.

When asked whether any letter or circular was issued to them in that regard, they said no letter was given instead they were called to a meeting organized by the Kaduna state Ministry of Human services and social development.

When contacted via WhatsApp message to comment on the development, the Kaduna state Commissioner for Human services and social development, Hajiya Hafsat Baba responded thus;

“Good morning, if you want me to grant interview pls meet me in the office. Thank you.” She said

Buhari regime will not name, shame Boko Haram financiers: Femi Adesina

President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime will not name and shame Boko Haram financiers and other sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria, says his media aide Femi Adesina.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime will not name and shame Boko Haram financiers and other sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria, says his media aide Femi Adesina.

“Naming and shaming will not be the motive. Bringing malefactors to justice will be it,” Mr Adesina told Channels TV on Monday. “Nigeria is not interested in naming and shaming anybody. Rather, it wants to bring them to justice.”

In May, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced that high-profile Nigerians were financing terrorism in the country.

“In essence, it is indeed true that the government is prosecuting, and it’s indeed initiating processes of prosecuting those high-profile individuals that are found to be financing terrorism. It is indeed true,” Mr Malami had said.

Contrary to many Nigerians’ expectations, Mr Buhari’s regime failed to reveal the identities of the terrorism financiers.

But Mr Adesina stated that “rest assured that these people will be dragged before justice, and justice will have its way.”

He added that investigations were ongoing at various security agencies before arraigning the suspects.

“Investigations are going on at different levels; it will be at the level of the EFCC, it will be at the level of the NIA,” the presidential spokesman stated. “All the security agencies will be working on it so that when those people eventually appear in court, there will be a prima facie case against them.”

Last week, EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said he could not reveal the identities of Boko Haram sponsors.

Asked to name the financiers during an interview with Channels TV, Mr Bawa said, “If you are my adviser will you advise me to come on national television to tell the whole world regarding matters of sensitive national security issue? Certainly, not.”

Kunle Olawunmi, a former navy commodore, in August, alleged that the Buhari regime was familiar with sponsors of terrorism but yet to bring them to book.

“The government has developed cold feet in fighting the insurgency because some of those backing Boko Haram are now top-ranking government officials,” the military intelligence expert had said. “Why can’t this government, if not that they are partisan, bring those people out for trial?”

(GAZETTE)

UNGA: China, Russia, other nations pay tribute at 9/11 museum

UN nations have paid tribute at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

UN nations have paid tribute at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks launched against the U.S. that changed the course of history.

UN Counter-Terrorism chief, Vladimir Voronkov, in his message to commemorate the anniversary on Monday, said the UN would continue to stand in solidarity with all victims of terrorism.

Speaking at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in downtown Manhattan where the twin towers once stood, Voronkov highlighted the significance of the commemoration.

“We have gathered from all over the world on this sacred ground in the host city of the United Nations to pay tribute to the victims and survivors of the terrible attacks that occurred here just over 20 years ago,” he said.

The special ceremony brought together heads of state, ministers and delegates representing more than 120 member states and international organisations in New York for the opening of the 76th UN General Assembly.

Mr Voronkov stated that the UN was committed to continue placing victims at the heart of the global counter-terrorism effort, speaking for those who can no longer speak, and amplifying survivors’ voices.

“We will continue to stand in solidarity with all victims of terrorism. They will not be forgotten. No day shall erase them from the memory of time,” he added.

The commemoration demonstrated the UN commitment never to forget the 2,977 people from over 90 countries whose lives were taken when hijacked airliners brought terror to New York, Washington and beyond, and the thousands more that were injured or sickened.

Alice Greenwald, President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, said, “Your presence here is a powerful demonstration of global solidarity with the victims of 9/11 and their families, indeed with all victims of terrorism. You recognise that the human impacts of terrorism and extreme violence are universal and collectively acknowledging the absolute illegitimacy of terrorism as a response to political grievance.”

Expressing sympathy and solidarity with grieving families, José Albares, Spain’s foreign affairs minister for the European Union and Cooperation, restated their commitment to fighting terrorism.

The ceremony included a minute of silence, following which Messrs Voronkov and Albares laid wreaths in memory of victims of the September 11 attacks and all victims of terrorism worldwide.

(NAN)/(Gazette)

Northern Governors Forum mourns Ex-CBN Executive, Obadiah Mailafiya

Northern Governors Forum mourns Ex-CBN Executive, Obadiah Mailafiya

Northern Governors Forum says the death of former CBN Deputy Governor, Dr Obadiah Mailafiya, is a great loss to the nation.

Chairman of the Forum and governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong, said in a statement issued in Jos on Monday by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr Makut Macham that Mailafiya’s death was saddening.

Lalong said the death of Mailafiya was a loss not only to his family and the people of Kaduna State, but also a loss to the nation because of his enormous contributions to socio-economic pursuits of Nigeria.

He said the deceased was a consummate financial expert and vibrant intellectual whose local and international reputation was highly acknowledged.

The governor observed that Mailafiya’s intellect was sought and deployed for the benefit of governments and the private sectors around the world.

The chairman commiserated with the family of the deceased and urged them to take solace in his legacies, saying he showed passion for development, emancipation, truth, justice and equity in all his interventions on various platforms.

He noted that his vision for a better Nigeria and the uplifting of the downtrodden motivated him to contest for the Office of the President in 2019.

Gov. Lalong condoled with Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, the government and people of Kaduna State over the loss of Mailafiya and prayed for his soul to rest in peace.

(NAN)