News from Jigawa
Group expresses concern over Judicial threats to Nigeria’s Electoral System
From Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
The Organization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN) has raised concerns over what it described as the threats posed by the judiciary to the Nigerian electoral system where legal technicalities are now being used to disenfranshise voters through alleged procured judgments
This was contained in a press statement issued, by the executive director of the group, Comrade Abdulrazaq Alkali in which he warned against any act that would jourpadise the confidence of the electorate in the election outcome and emergence of leaders.
The statement expressed grave concern over what it described as “Judicialization of Nigeria’s Electoral System”, which is threatening the existence of democracy of the country
Comrade Abdurrazaq Alkali said “the development is a serious threat to the future of the country and existing democracy”
According to the statement the confidence that Nigerians had towards the democratic process is eroding at very significant rate, adding that it is posing a serious threat to the future of the country and it’s democratic system.
“When citizens lose confidence in the democratic system with the believe that their votes can no longer decide election outcomes but by the judiciary, those election outcomes are judicialized.”
Comrade Alkali maintained that the aftermath of the 2023 national election, just like the previous ones has left so much legal disputes in which about every contested position in the country including state and national assembly seats as well as governorship and presidential elections are being contested at the tribunals, appeal court and supreme Court.
He noted that resolving election disputes now seems to be controversial, complîcated and largely technical than ordinary voter’s intelegence.
The technicality of electoral dispute is largely due to its strict dependence on the electoral law which unfortunately is sometimes made disputable due to shifting judicial attitudes and or interpretation of the electoral act over the years as well as politicians exploiting and using every legal loophole they can find.
“It is on record that 552 election petitions were filed by the aggrieved candidates who participated in the National Assembly elections alone and these ongoing election disputes in our tribunals and appeal courts have so much stretched the Nigeria Judiciary. This has severe consequences on the efficiency and performance of the Judiciary”.
He said, it is clearly evident that some politicians who lost elections would rather go to courts with all sorts of dubious reasons, waste the courts time and resources such that at the end of the day if the verdict goes against them, they will have the courts and judges to blame and blackmail.
“We have seen evidence of these all over the country were politicians and their supporter’s resort to threatening and blackmailing judges.
Alkali added, by stretching the judicial system with election disputes, the other legal disputes that have not nothing to do with election suffer a lot of set-backs with hearing and rulings on lots of other criminal and civil cases adjourned for several months
This he said is in no way healthy for our country and our democracy.
“While some of these strange judgments are usually repealed by the appeal or supreme courts, however, some don’t get repealed due to many other reasons. In a disciplined judicial set-up it is never be an excuse for tribunal judges to interpreted the electoral laws as they see fit and pass contradictory and controversial judgments just because they do offer the dispute parties the right to appeal the judgment.
“The above reasons, one can see why Nigerians are losing interests in the democratic and electoral systems, the fact that voting or giving a candidate the highest votes in a free and fair election does not guarantee that candidate will eventually emerge as winner at the end of the day, but rather the courts will always have the final say in the determining the winner through a judicial process that is overly stretched and sometimes imperfect” Alkali said.
He pleaded with Nigerians not lose hope in the electoral system, but to play a significant role in upholding democracy by pushing for changes that will strengthened the electoral system for the sake of the survival and development of the country
Comrade added, that there is need to call for strengthening prosecution laws with stringent punishments for people who are involved in dubious acts to truncate or invalidate the votes of their opponents or meddling in opposition parties’ political processes.
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By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has urged Nigerians to offer robust support to the military as it intensifies efforts to address insecurity and create an enabling environment for trade and business across the country.
This appeal was made during the opening ceremony of the 45th International Trade Fair organized by the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (KACCIMA). The minister’s remarks were conveyed in a statement by his Personal Assistant on Media, Malam Mati Ali.
Alhaji Badaru emphasized the critical role of peace and security in national development, stating, “Peace and security are the cornerstones of development in any society. Improving the security situation will pave the way for enhanced economic prosperity.”
Reaffirming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to restoring peace and stability, the minister called on Nigerians to support the government through prayers and maintain confidence in the nation’s security forces.
He acknowledged their dedication as essential to sustaining progress in combating insecurity.
Badaru commended KACCIMA for its commitment to hosting the annual trade fair, describing such initiatives as vital to strengthening Nigeria’s economy.
He highlighted the importance of non-oil exports in achieving economic diversification, urging stakeholders to collaborate in harnessing the country’s export potential.
The trade fair, a platform for showcasing products and fostering business connections, aligns with national efforts to boost commerce and industrialization while creating opportunities for local and international partnerships.
The minister’s call underscored the critical link between security and economic growth, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to ensure a stable and prosperous Nigeria.
From Ahmed Rafa’i, Dutse
The Jigawa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed its members to embark on an indefinite strike, citing the state government’s failure to implement the approved N70,000 minimum wage.
The Jigawa State Government had earlier constituted a committee to align with the national wage policy.
While the committee made recommendations, the delay in implementation has frustrated workers and unions.
In a circular jointly signed by NLC Chairman Comrade Sunusi Alhassan and Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman Comrade Bashir Tijjani Abubakar, the unions expressed their readiness to commence industrial action if the state government does not fulfill its commitment by November 30, 2024.
The circular stated, “All affiliates and organs in the state are to begin mobilization for full compliance with this directive if the state government fails to pay the new minimum wage by the last day of November 2024.”
The organized labour disclosed that, after prolonged negotiations, they had accepted the salary tables proposed by the state government for the implementation of the new wage structure.
“This resolution was reached at a joint State Executive Council meeting of the NLC and TUC held on November 18, 2024, at Labour House, Dutse.
The leadership of organized labour was also directed to proceed with signing necessary agreements to ensure immediate implementation,” the circular noted.
Despite this, the unions stressed their obligation to comply with a national directive mandating strikes in states where the N70,000 minimum wage is yet to be fully implemented.
Governor Malam Umar Namadi had announced his administration’s approval of the N70,000 minimum wage on October 26, 2024, after receiving a report from a government committee led by the Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Muhammad Dagiteri.
However, the announcement lacked clarity on when the payment would commence, leaving workers in suspense.
The unions affirmed their readiness to engage with the government but warned that delays would no longer be tolerated.
“We have informed the government of our readiness to sign the agreement whenever it is presented. However, we remain committed to the directive from the national NLC and TUC, which requires strike action in states that have not implemented the new minimum wage by December 1, 2024,” they stated.
The impending strike threatens to paralyze public services across the state as workers demand immediate compliance with the new wage policy.
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
Jigawa State has emerged as the state with the lowest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, recording a rate of 0.3% of its population, according to Alhaji Abdulsamad Salihu, State Team Lead of the Society for Family Health (SFH).
Speaking during the official handover of HIV/AIDS prevention and control programs from Heartland Alliance to the Society for Family Health, Salihu commended the commitment of the Jigawa State government, the State AIDS Control Agency (SACA), and other partners for their efforts in reducing the prevalence of the disease.
Salihu emphasized the importance of continuing targeted efforts with Key Populations (KP) to eliminate the spread of HIV and achieve the universal health target by 2030.
The program manager for Jigawa State SACA, Malam Ibrahim Almajiri, highlighted the significant impact of the Heartland Alliance’s three-year intervention in the state, which included health services and support for HIV/AIDS management. He noted that approximately 1,700 people are currently receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART), a milestone made possible by collaborative efforts.
In his remarks, the state’s Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Action Committee on HIV/AIDS, Engr. Aminu Usman Gumel, expressed gratitude to Heartland Alliance for its contributions to combating HIV in Jigawa. He lauded the reduced prevalence rate, attributing it to the government’s commitment and teamwork with stakeholders.
Engr. Gumel assured the Society for Family Health of continued robust partnership and pledged the government’s support for their efforts to sustain and further reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Jigawa State.
The event marked a new phase in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Jigawa, with a renewed focus on achieving a disease-free state through strategic collaborations and community engagement.
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