Opinion

‘An Open Letter’ to public officeholders: Don’t treat Nigerians as dispensable servants

Published

5 months ago

July 15, 2024

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Mr Gbenga Omotosho

By Ehichioya Ezomon

This article – lightly labelled “An Open Letter” – takes its bearing from a Facebook post on Saturday, June 29, 2024, by the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the Lagos State Government, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, who can be described as a “veteran (authority, consumate, long-serving, professional, well-versed) Journalist.”
Before he’s appointed into Government, Omotosho had risen through the ranks to the posts of Deputy Editor, Editor, Columnist and Member of the Editorial Board of two of the most influential Newspapers in Nigeria: The Guardian and The Nation, which are a stone-throw from each other in the Oshodi-Isolo business district of Lagos State.
This piece isn’t about Journalism and Journalists, but a partial reaction to the Omotosho post, summarising the weekly activities of the Lagos State Government, under the indefatigable and amiable Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who, by my estimation, hasn’t any competitor among his peer-Governors since he mounted the saddle of leadership in 2019.
Let me confess that I barely perused the headlines – and not the explanatory notes to the visual clips – shown over a background music, because of the special effects of the production. Entitled, “Recap of news for week Sunday, June 23, to Saturday, June 29, 2024,” some of the headers are: “Cholera: Lagos adopts one strategy to combat outbreak; LASEPA warns against consumption of contaminated water, poor sanitation; LIWAC 2024: Sanwo-Olu charges stakeholders on improving water, sanitation sector.
“We are resolute in our quest for flood-free state – LASG; Flooding: Lagos to construct additional drainage collector at Agungi; Building safety: LSMTL holds meeting with stakeholders, consultants; Don’t build, trade under powerlines, LASBSC warns residents; We are creating business-friendly environment to encourage investors; TESCOM inducts newly-recruited post-primary teachers.
“Hamza charges Army recruits from Lagos to be of good conduct, professional etiquette; Commissioner solicits support of residents to eradicate drug, substance abuse in Lagos; Albinism: Experts advocate for prevention of skin cancer in affected persons; International Widows’ Day: LASG empowers 800 vulnerable widows; Lagos empowers youths on acquaculture; Hajj 2024: More Lagos Pilgrims return home.”
Though some may assume that the clips were unrelated to the discourse hereunder, they’re, however, enough to rouse some latent issues that’d bothered me for long about governance by elected and appointed politicians, and public and private workers. They seem to have the same or similar mentality to marginalise Nigerians they consider as servants, rather than their masters.
Omotosho – who’s instrumental to my receiving an over-unduly delayed Letter of Appointment at The Guardian, effective April 1, 1998 – and Governor Sanwo-Olu and his Government should bat an eyelid, as I merely seized on the post to address the powers at all levels of Nigeria’s governance structure.
So, instead of a timeously short response to Omotoso’s post on his wall on Facebook, I delayed, and expanded it under an encompassing headline. And because Lagos leads the way in most sectors of the polity, I zeroed in on the State Government’s handling of the issues highted, for a domino effect on other States of the Federation. Happy reading!
“Good day, Sir. Best greetings of a probable dreary and wetful season we’re entering in Lagos. It’s hoped that the Lagos State Government and the residents have prepared for the predictable deluge of flooding that will overwhelm many States across the country.
“My sincere kudos to the Lagos State government and Governor Sanwo-Olu and his workaholic team for the good jobs they’re doing to make Lagos a truly Mega City in name and appearance, for which most open-minded residents are very appreciative!
“Particularly uplifting, and heartwarming is the trailblazing Blue Line Rail and Red Line Rail system that’s marked Lagos out as seriously striving to join the league of ultramodern cities around the globe. The proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge will add to the superstructure of the state!
“Besides the government’s excellent and professional handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, I take due cognisance – as a resident in Alimosho Local Government Area – of the presence of the Alimosho General Hospital that caters daily to the medical needs of thousands of patients. Even as a nearby dumpsite fouls the air quality of the facility, and displaces surrounding structures and businesses, the beneficiary population is grateful to the government for its continued upgrade of the hospital that now uses e-Cards for patients’ medical records.
It’s also gratifying to learn that the Sanwo-Olu administration has disbursed a princely N25b in grants and loans to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), to enhance productivity and economic growth in the state, as disclosed by the governor via his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, on July 11, at the 2024 Business Day Newspaper CEO Forum, tagged, “Governors in Conversation-Innovative Governance: Steering States through Economic Turbulence.”
The single-digit loans weren’t only offered to sustain and train the beneficiaries on how to manage their businesses, but the Lagos State government also assisted them to “source products, have access to the market, and help them to interact with NAFDAC, BOI, CAC, and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), among other agencies, for them to understand how to run their businesses within the framework of the laws,” Sanwo-Olu said, adding that, “It is for us to create those types of environments that allow private people to run their businesses and create jobs for the future.”
Commendable as these efforts are, many Lagosians – like the fabled Oliver Twist – want to see more work, particularly to meet the needs of those at the grassroots. While people are seeing standard infrastructure and other developmental strides in highbrow areas of the state, little or no appreciable efforts seem to be spared to spread same to populated suburbans and communities.
“For instance, the Lagos Government appears to have completely forgotten the Igando Community, which some derisively refer to as “New Igando” without even near-commensurate modern amenities befitting such an appellation.
“Since we began residency there in November 2005, there’ve virtually been absence of noticeable indices of development in the area. We’ve been our own Government: provide water; grade and mend roads, streets, and construct culverts; purchase transformers, cables, poles and installation, which the supposed electricity providers fiatly – in line with its framework – take ownership of from the community people, who provide the amenities.
“We’re also responsible for remedying any minor or major faults in the power supply system. And yet, we hardly get up to 10hrs of supply in a month. Sometimes, we go for weeks without a blink of power supply. Because the distribution company (DISCO), Ikeja Electric – in which the Lagos State Government reportedly has some stake – has deliberately abandoned reading Analogue meters – even serviceable and functional ones – it brings OVER-ESTIMATED Bills in thousands of Naira each month, for power it doesn’t supply to customers.
“Ikeja Electric embarks on this dubious, fraudulent and unpatriotic scheme through what it terms CAPPING – a means by which the firm bills similarly-graded households the SAME AMOUNTS, whether the street, road, or community receives power supply or not within the billing period.
“When customers protest the outrageous bills, the ubiquitous “Disconnection Crew” of Ikeja Electric will threaten the people with total darkness, and actually simply go to the service transmformer and remove the fuses, which they only return after days, weeks or months of “sufficient mollification” (you know what that means in the notorious history that the DISCOS inherited from the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). This is the life in the New Igando Community!
“Inward Iyana-Oba, right from the the second and third environmentally-hazardous dumpsites in Igando alone, up to the Igando Roundabout Police Station Road – where, ironically, there’s a nearby TCN/Ikeja Electric feeder station – on the Isheri-LASU Road, inhabitants of the expansive communities that border Ayobo-Ipaja are at the mercy of power outages or total blackout from the Ikeja Electric.
“Last December, though, something unimaginable happened! On its volition – perhaps scandalised by its abysmal performance pre, during and post- Yuletide season – Ikeja Electric announced it’d bring the month’s bills down drastically. The message is reproduced below:
“‘Dear Esteem Customers
Compliment of the season.
We are again using this medium to inform you that our hearts are with you in this period of poor service. We assure you that management is giving due attention to its resolution and that the poor service will reflect when you receive your December 2023 bill in January. However, the bill received now (N7,052.42) is for November 2023 consumption, PLEASE, endeavor to pay up to avoid accumulating outstanding debts on your bill. Thanks for your usual understanding as we strive to serve you better.’
“And true to Ikeja Electric’s word, the lowest customers were billed only N1,779.90, from a high of average of N8,000.00. Well, the grace period was just that December, as the company continued its astronomical billing: January 2024 (N3,459.05), February (4,553.71), March (N10,477.90), April (N6,716.60) (there’s protest against the bills), May (N9,06.99) and June (N9,906), without power supply up to 15hrs per month. Please, observe that May and June bills are the same! How come?
“Away from Ikeja Electric’s abracadabra, we in New Igando only hear about or see Lagos Government’s presence in some parts of Alimosho LGA, reportedly the most populated in Lagos State. In these hard times in Nigeria, and particularly in Lagos, we hear of Federal Government’s grants of Palliatives – in huge cash and thousands of tons of food products – to State Governments, including Lagos, which reportedly augmented with its own Palliatives.
“But as I write this “Letter,” we have not seen or received – nor seen somebody in my community and beyond – who admitted getting a grain of rice, beans, maize, garri; a strand of noodles or pasta; a satchet of “pure” water, tomato puree, breverage; a cube of condiment or seasoning; a raw tomato, onion, pepper; the least-measure of salt, sugar; palm and vegetable oil; cassava, plantain and yam flour; or a tuber of yam, cassava, cocoyam, potato and plantain.
“There’s no doubting the Lagos State government’s release of these Palliatives to be distributed to the most affected in the grassroots, but did they receive the largesse, and/or in the quantity or amount earmarked by the government?
“If in doubt, let the Lagos State government commission a credible survey of households in the local government areas, to find out if the residents had received such Palliatives from official coffers or warehouses; the government would be shocked by the findings!
“I have informally interviewed many residents in my community, and beyond, and no resident had admitted to’ve seen or received any Palliatives since 2023. Two exceptions, though: A man said he attended a meeting of one of several Community Development Associations (CDAs) in my area, where a few cartons of noodles and pastas were presented as government’s Palliatives for the CDA. He said the sharing formula was, three people to a satchet of pasta, and one person to a satchet of noodles, adding that to solve the ensuing confusion, it’s decided that the head of each street at the meeting be given one carton of noodles or pasta to distribute among their street members!
“The other exception was a few residents, who admitted they’d heard that ‘Government is selling some foodstuffs at reduced prices of 25% at Special Food Markets in some local government areas,’ which they said they didn’t have the means to travel to, and buy the goods, as some confessed that, ‘we live from hand to mouth,’ and ‘often go to bed without food.’
“Lagos State – with its economy that can cater for over 10 States in Nigeria – can afford to provide basic foodstuffs like rice, beans, garri, yam, palm/vegetable oil, tomato puree, beverages, noodles, pasta and a token cash to each Household on its Land Use Charge scheme six or four times a year for the next three years! Don’t ask me how; those in Government know they can do it with prudent allocation and management of resources, and the right political will!
“In the kind of governance system we run in Nigeria, majority of Lagosians – like residents in other States of the Federation – feel abandoned, meant only for election of politicians into public offices every four years, to make themselves, their families and cronies comfortable as “the masters,” and regularly ask us, “the servants,” to tighten our belts on already lean and emaciated waists.
“In closing, except then-Governor Babatunde Fashola, at the Marina House seat of Lagos Government, during the coverage of an official engagement, and Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, at a press briefing at his Gbagada campaign office when he’s still a governorship aspirant in 2014; I’ve never seen or met – in flesh and blood – Governor Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Hamzat, and the Senator for my District, House of Representatives Member, House of Assembly Member, Local Government Chairman, LCDA Chairman, and the Councillor. When will I meet any of these elected officials, a few of whom I only see on television (Ikeja Electric permitting)?
“Particularly in these hard times, Lagosians – and indeed Nigerians – want to see more of their leaders in their communities and homesteads, to show that they care and feel their pains, and to reassure and explain to them what they’re doing to alleviate their sufferings. May the Almighty touch the hearts of our leaders to do right by the people they swear to serve!
“Once more, my sincere appreciation for the good works Governor Sanwo-Olu and his Government are doing in Lagos State. Wishing them more grease to their elbows! God bless our Leaders! God bless Lagos State!! God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!

Mr Ezomon, Journalist, writes from Lagos, Nigeria

Opinion

The charade of council elections in Nigeria

Published

6 hours ago

December 9, 2024

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By Ehichioya Ezomon

In Nigeria, we often make references to issues and happenings in the United States of America as a guide for emulation. Hence, we replaced the British parliamentary system with the American presidential model of government. In the U.S., all elections – federal, state, and local – are administered by the individual states, with many aspects of the system’s operations delegated to the county and local level.
And these elections, to the satisfaction and acceptance of majority of Americans, are conducted relatively freely, fairly and creditably, without unduly and overly seen to be manipulated to favour the governing political parties in the states. So, can we also allow state law, not federal, to regulate most aspects of Nigeria’s elections, including administering federal, state, and local elections?
Well, in light of the sweeping victories claimed in local council elections by parties in control of the states across Nigeria, the outcomes of all elections administered by states and councils would be better imagined than experienced. It’d result in perpetual one-party control in the states, and possibly at the national level!There’s been a rash of council polls in the States in Nigeria since the Supreme Court in July 2024 gave a 90-day window to state governments to conduct council elections, “to ensure a democratically-elected local government system,” and to accord with the autonomy granted the third tier of government, which state governors have opposed.
However, it’s been a tale of democratic underhands reportedly committed by State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) allegedly appointed by state governors to scoop all votes for them during council elections – a scenario that’s played out before, and since the July 2024 Supreme Court pronouncement.
Reports from the states indicate that where council elections have been conducted, the parties in control of the state governments have claimed virtually 100% of the chairmanship and councillorship positions, leaving the opposition to join the calls to scrap the SIECs, and mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct all elections in Nigeria.
For lack of faith in the SIECs, the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – mostly boycotting participation in states they’re not in control of – have alleged that council elections are organised solely to favour the ruling parties in the states.
Even where elections were held, the SIECs would abridge the 90-day advance notice for preparation for the balloting, and on poll day, starve the opposition strongholds of ballots, especially the result sheets, while state-aided thugs run rampant and seize and/or destroy votes cast in such places.
And in the absence of display of vote scores of the participating parties, and proper collation, the SIECs, like in a press conference, would announce – and not declare – the results, and award all or 98% to 99% of the chairmanship and councillorship positions to the parties in control of the states.
More surprising is the speed at which the SIECs issue Certificates of Return to elected chairmen and councillors, who are also quickly sworn into office. It’s as though the certificates – with the electeds’ names embossed – are prepared in advance of the elections. That’s why the opposition accuse the ruling parties in the states of forewriting results.
Below is a schedule of dates for council polls in many states since July 2024: Adamawa, July 14; Delta, July 14; Ebonyi, July 20; Kebbi, August 31; Enugu, September 21; Imo, September 21; Kwara, September 21; Sokoto, September 21; Akwa Ibom, October 5; Rivers, October 5; Jigawa, October 5; Benue, October 5; Plateau, October 9; Zamfara, October 16; Kogi, October 19; Kaduna, October 19; Kano, October 26; Abia, November 2; Cross River, November 2; Nasarawa, November 2; Ogun, November 16; Ondo, January 18, 2025; Katsina, February 15; and Osun, February 22.
Let’s flick through the results of council elections held since July 2024, showing – except in Abia, Jigawa, Nasarawa and Rivers – near-identical or similar winning streaks by parties running the states. Most of the results were announced at the headquarters of the SIECs, represented hereunder with their acronyms in the states.
Adamawa (July 14): Chairman of the ADSIEC, Mohammed Umar, announcing the poll results in Yola on July 21, said the PDP cleared all 21 councils (chairmanship) and 226 wards (councillorship) seats, while New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) picked one ward.
Delta (July 14): Chairman of the DSIEC, Jerry Agbaiki, in Asaba on July 21, said the PDP won all 25 councils and 499 wards, with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) taking one ward.
Ebonyi (July 20): Chairman of the EBSIEC, Jossey Eze, on July 21 in Abakaliki, said the APC won all 13 councils and the 171 wards.
Kebbi (August 31): Chairman of the KESIEC, Aliyu Muhammad-Mera, declared in Birnin Kebbi on September 1, that the APC won all 21 councils and the 225 wards, with the PDP boycotting the poll over alleged “mutual relationship” between the KESIEC and the APC.
Enugu (September 21): Chairman of the ENSIEC, Prof. Christian Ngwu, in Enugu on September 22 and 23, announced the PDP as winner of the 17 councils and 260 wards, respectively.
Imo (September 21): Chairman of the ISIEC, Charles Ejiogu, at a press briefing in Owerri on September 23, said the APC won in all 27 councils and 305 wards, even as he promised to release specific vote counts in due course.
Sokoto (September 21): Alhaji Aliyu Suleiman, chairman of the SIEC, announced on September 23 in Sokoto that the APC swept all 23 councils and the 244 wards, and quickly issued the winners with certificates of return. The PDP boycotted the election.
Kwara (September 21): Chairman of the KWSIEC, Mohammed Baba-Okanla, in a statement released on September 22 in Ilorin, noted that the APC won all 16 councils and the 193 wards.
Akwa Ibom (October 5): A list signed by the Chairman of AKISIEC, AniediAbasi Ikoiwak, in Uyo on October 6, showed that the PDP won 30 of the 31 councils, and the APC got one seat where Senate President Godswill Akpabio hails from, with the APC craving for the day the INEC would takeover conduct of council elections.
Benue (October 5): Chairman of the BSIEC, Richard Tombowua, announced in Makurdi on October 6 that the APC won all 23 councils and the 276 wards.
Jigawa (October 5): Chairman of the JISIEC, Hon. Auwalu Muhammad Harbo, via a statement in Dutse by JISIEC’s spokesman, Habibu Yarima, on October 6, said the APC won all 27 councils and 281 of the 287 wards, with Accord Party (AP) securing four wards, and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) winning one ward, leaving the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) protesting.
Rivers (October 5): Chairman of the RSIEC, retired Hon. Justice Adolphus Enebeli, announced in Port Harcourt on October 6 that the Action Peoples Party (APP) – a proxy of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of the PDP – won 22 of the 23 councils, and Action Alliance (AA) took one seat. While the APP swept 314 wards, the APC, Boot Party (BP), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Young Peoples Party (YPP) won one ward each. The election held despite protests by the PDP, and the APC that got a court injunction to stay the poll.
Plateau (October 9): Chairman of the PLASIEC, Plangji Cishak, announcing in Jos results for 15 and two councils on October 10 and 11, said the PDP claimed all seats in the 17 councils, with the APC alleging electoral heist.
Zamfara (October 16): Chairman of the ZASIEC, Bala Aliyu, on October 17 in Gusau, declared that the PDP won all 14 councils and the 147 wards, with the APC boycotting the poll over ZASIEC’s alleged contravention of the three-month notice the electoral law mandates.
Kogi (October 19): The Chairman of the KOSIEC, Nda Eri, stated in Lokoja on October 20 that the APC secured all 21 councils and the 239 wards.
Kaduna (October 19): Chairman of the (KADSIECOM), Hajara Muhammad, said in Kaduna on October 20 that the APC won the 23 councils and 255 wards.
Kano, (October 26): Chairman of the KANSIEC, Prof. Sani Lawal Malurnfashi, briefing reporters in Kano on October 27, said the NNPP swept all 44 councils and the 484 wards.
Cross River (November 2): Chairman of the CRSIEC, Dr Ekong Boco, announced on November 3 in Calabar that the APC candidates, including three females, took all 18 councils and the 193 wards.
* Nasarawa (November 2): Chairman of the NASIEC, Barr. Ayuba Usman, announced on November 3 in Lafia that the APC won the 13 councils and 140 of the 147 wards, while the SDP won five and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) won two wards, respectively.
Abia (November 2): Opposition ZLP – allegedly a front for Governor Alex Otti of the LP – emerged victorious in 15 of the 17 councils, while the YPP claimed two councils, as announced by the Chairman of ABSIEC, Prof. George Chima, on November 2 in Umuahia.
Ogun (November 16): Chairman of the OGSIEC, Babatunde Osibodu, announcing the results on October 17 in Abeokuta, said the APC won all 20 councils and the 236 wards.
While the schedules for council elections in 2025 in three states are: Ondo, January 18, Katsina, February 15, and Osun, February 22; states that conducted council polls between July 2021 and June 2024 also claimed blowout victories, as follows:
Lagos (July 2021): APC won all 20 councils, and 375 of 377 wards. Niger (November 22): APC won all 25 councils and the wards. Edo (September 2023): PDP won all 18 councils and the 192 wards. Taraba (November 2023): PDP claimed all 16 councils and the 168 wards. Ekiti: (December 2023): APC won all 38 councils and the 177 wards.
Others are: Borno (January 2024): APC clinched all 27 councils, including first female chairmanship, and the 312 wards. Bayelsa (April 2024): PDP won all eight councils and the 103 wards. Gombe (April 2024): APC won all 11 councils and the 114 wards. Oyo (April 2024): PDP secured all councils and the wards. Yobe (June 2024): APC won all 17 councils, with 15 of the chairmanships returned unopposed.
The irony of council elections in Nigeria is that their conduct have attracted little or no monitoring and reporting by election observers, and civil society organisations (CSOs), who overlook unbridled rigging at the polling units, where votes may not be counted, declared and displayed, and collation of results done behind the scenes, and yet, the governing party in the states would claim 100% of the chairmanship and councillorship positions.
Election observers and CSOs – fixated on federal and state ballots upon which they make parallel and contradictory claims to INEC’s, even when the processes are still in progress on election day – shut their eyes to massive manipulation of council polls across board, and give an all-clear and a “Grade A” passmark to the SIECs for “a job well done.”
Where does the salvation lie in checking electoral malpractice at the council levels? Is it in the INEC? Many Nigerians think so, even as they vilify the commission as incompetent, corrupt and compromising during national and state elections. Hence, the Akwa Ibom APC publicity secretary, OtoAbasi Udo, reacting to the sweeping victory of the PDP in the October 5 council poll in the state, despite robust campaigns by the opposition, prays for a future without SIECs.
His words: “The Party, ably led by Obong Stephen Leo Ntukekpo, uses this opportunity to express her sincere thanks and appreciation to you all for your tireless, steadfast, unalloyed support and commitment to the Party and assure you that with the Supreme Court judgment that returned full autonomy to the third tier of government, the local government, enshrined in our Constitution, and the steps taken by the National Assembly to give full effect to the judgment, from the next election, all SIECs, in charge of local government elections now, would have been dismantled, incapacitated and laid to rest, and a bright prospect for future local government elections firmly put in place.”
Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. Can be reached on X, Threads, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp @EhichioyaEzomon. Tel: 08033078357

Opinion

Defamation: It’s nature, purpose, and the use of the Nigerian Police to interfere in civil matter

Published

5 days ago

December 4, 2024

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Dele Farotimi

Concerns have escalated in the media and political space over the arrest of Dele Farotimi, alongside a reported invasion of his law firm and harassment of his staff by alleged members of the Nigerian Police Force. As of the time of this statement, Dele Farotimi has been arraigned on a 16-count charge for alleged defamation and cybercrimes before a Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. After pleading not guilty, he was denied bail and remanded in prison custody, highlighting a troubling decline in the operations of our democracy.

The issues surrounding Farotimi’s arrest stem from a petition alleging defamation in his recently published book, “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.” The controversy has triggered concerns about the nature of defamation, its purpose, and the role of the Nigerian Police in such matters.

Understanding Defamation

Defamation is the publication of a statement that lowers a person’s reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of society. It is a civil wrong intended to protect an individual’s good name from being tarnished. Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees freedom of expression, including the right to hold opinions and disseminate information. However, when such expressions harm another’s reputation, defamation laws come into play.

Only a court of competent jurisdiction can determine whether a person’s reputation has been damaged, and this is done through a civil trial. In such cases, the burden of proof lies with the party alleging the defamation. The Nigerian Police have no legal authority to determine defamation through criminal investigation or prosecution.

Defamation Is a Civil Wrong, Not a Criminal Offense

Defamation, however serious, does not constitute a criminal offense under Nigerian law. It is a tortious liability that requires civil redress. The appropriate action for someone who feels defamed is to file a civil lawsuit, not to involve law enforcement. The Supreme Court affirmed this position in Aviomoh v. The Commissioner of Police & Sunday Esan (2021) JELR 109176 (SC), where it held that defamation is a civil matter.

The Nigerian Police are mandated by Sections 4 and 24 of the Police Act, 2020, to maintain law and order by addressing criminal offenses—not civil disputes. Their involvement in Farotimi’s case constitutes a clear breach of their legal mandate.

Misuse of the Nigerian Police

It is unfortunate that certain elites, who often urge citizens to “go to court” when aggrieved, resort to using the Nigerian Police as a tool of intimidation when it suits their personal interests. If any individual or entity feels defamed, the appropriate course of action is to seek redress in court—not to engage in unlawful arrests and harassment.

Call for Justice

We condemn the arrest and continued detention of Dele Farotimi, which constitutes a desecration of the Nigerian Constitution and legal system. We urge the government to act honorably and resolve this matter in the interest of justice.

Chief Ameh Peter
National Secretary, CUPP
Former National Chairman, IPAC
Ex-Presidential Candidate

Opinion

Grandma Wikina at 90: A testimony in steely resolve

Published

6 days ago

December 3, 2024

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By Tunde Olusunle

Just days after the end of the Nigerian Civil War in January 1970, disaster struck in the home of Wikina-Emmah in Kono at the heart of Ogoniland in Rivers State. Ebenezer Saro-Wikina, eldest son of Wikina-Emmah, suddenly passed. The Ogoni were among the nationalities affected by the civil war. Multitudes from the ethnic group previously sought refuge in the area delineated as Biafra by the secessionists. They were glad to return to their ancestral homes at the end of hostilities. Ebenezer Saro-Wikina went through the stress and drudgery of “crossing the Red Sea,” literally.
He got back to his roots but sadly passed within days. The painfully departed Ebenezer was married to Grace Wikina and together they had five children. The 36-year old Grace Wikina at the time had to confront the grim reality of raising her two sons and three daughters, all by herself.

“Mummy,” Mama or “Grandma” as she’s variously addressed, turned 90 on Sunday December 1, 2024. It is a fitting opportunity to celebrate this peculiar yet unsung matriarch. In consonance with her name, “Grace,” Mama has been graced by God, strengthened and preserved especially through the past 56 years, playing father and mother to five children. They have turned out successfully in their separate endeavours before her very eyes. They have also blessed her with numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Serial arrivals of newborns have kept Mama delightfully engaged, running the motions of *omugwo* ever so often. She’s eternally available to help with postpartum care for her children and daughters-in-law, after childbirth. This is a cultural practice long popularised by the Igbo nationality of South East Nigeria. It is seems standard Nigerian, maybe African practice though, known by other qualifications.

My classmate, good friend and brother, Blessing Barikui Wikina, one of Mama Wikina’s children it was who engendered the earliest engagements between my family and the Wikinas. Blessing is Mama’s second child behind Bright Wikina. Margaret Keaniabari Wikina; Anita Dorathy Dunubari Mojekwu and Aniekan Baribefe Faith Nnadozie, are Blessing’s siblings from Mama. His half-siblings, Mama’s stepchildren include Nwifii Wikina; Barido Wikina; Sonny Wikina and Ekama Helen Wikina. At the point of registration as a direct entry student at the University of Ilorin in the “harmattan semester” back in 1982, I met a core of like-minded classmates at various registration stops. Those were not the days of the internet or e-learning as yet, where you could enrol for studies online from any part of the world, take your courses via the same medium, write your examinations and also get graded, virtually.

Members of my small circle of freshmen would subsequently share the same hostels, nurture similar extracurricular interests and proceed to become non-biological siblings for life, up till this day. The core of that team featured: Gbenga Ayeni, a professor of journalism at the East Connecticut State University, (ECSU), in the United States; Dapo Adelegan, a hardworking multipreneur and Bisola Segilola Oluwole, a sterling businesswoman. Wikina, who retired as Director from the Rivers State Civil Service, and Folake Obe-Olawuyi, were in the group. Folake was the daughter of the renowned Nigerian photojournalist, Peter Obe, who was on the frontlines of the Nigerian Civil War between 1967 and 1970, documenting the 30-month engagement. Sadly, we lost Folake a few years ago to the COVID-19 scourge early 2021.

My family lived in Ilorin at the time while the families of most of my friends lived elsewhere, in Lagos, Makurdi, Port Harcourt and so on. They adopted our Ilorin abode as theirs and usually stored their belongings in our place whenever it was holiday. During our usual banters, I would rub it in that I was their “guardian” in Ilorin and they were bound to be of good behaviour! It was my self-appointed responsibility to visit the university regularly while they were away, to keep tabs on information beneficial to us all. Hard copies of results of the previous semester’s examinations and similar updates were unfailingly pasted on the noticeboards of various departments and faculties. We had a land-line in our family house so I usually called to brief them.

In the course of one of such checks after our final examinations in 1985, I discovered there was an error of computation in Wikina’s results. This could possibly cost him an additional academic year. The land-line Wikina left with me was malfunctioning. I couldn’t reach him and there was no alternative. I couldn’t contemplate having one of my closest friends repeating a year in university by no fault of his. I discussed the impasse with my parents who of course knew all my friends. I sought their blessings to travel to Port Harcourt, to save my friend from the careless oversight of some non-academic staff. My parents approved and funded my trip. So, off I left for Port Harcourt on my first visit ever, that day in July 1985. I knew the address of the Wikinas by heart, like I did the addresses of everyone else. In our usual, regular exchanges, it was common for us to celebrate the characteristics of our home bases. Lagosians typically pride themselves as the smartest and toughest. I would remind them I was raised in the bristling Benin City, home of daredevil toughies. Wikina serenaded us with salivating stories about Port Harcourt, the idyllic “Garden City.”

So, here I was at No 3, Wogu Street, D’Line, Port Harcourt, home of the Wikinas. I introduced myself to the mother of the house who set aside everything she was doing to receive this friend of her son who she had heard so much about. By this time, neither Blessing nor anyone else knew my mission. I kept asking about Blessing’s whereabouts. Mama did all she could to make me feel at home offering me water and beverages. Blessing finally showed up. You could see the sense of agitation on his face when he came face to face with me. He had gone to play set, a “five-a-side” football variant, popular in the neighbourhoods and institutions of learning. My face was the least he expected to see in Port Harcourt. Ol’ boy, wetin happen na, he queried in apprehension…

Tears streamed down the cheeks of Mama Grace Wikina when Blessing relayed the purpose of my visit to her. Following the 1970 demise of her husband, Mama secured a job in the Rivers State Civil Service. With her meagre earnings she trudged on, focused on raising her children to be disciplined, God-fearing, focused and hardworking. Part of Blessing Wikina’s way of supporting the exertions of his widowed mother was to join the civil service, even before he pursued university education. One could only imagine just how broken Mama would have been if Blessing could not graduate on schedule…

Mama attended the convocation ceremony where Blessing and I graduated with honours in Unilorin, in October 1985. Mama and her small delegation to the event stayed in our house in Ilorin. This further consummated the growing relationship between the Olusunles and the Wikinas. Upon completion of her National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC) in Calabar in 1992, my fiancée at the time, my wife of over three decades now, secured a job with the Port Harcourt branch of CSS Bookshop. I encouraged her to take it so she could begin to build up her work experience. But there was a challenge: accommodation. I called Mama and told her my wife-to-be was in need of a place to stay having just secured a job. “I will vacate my room for her if we cannot find space for her. When is she resuming,” was Mama’s most touching response. My younger sister, Lydia Osasere-Omoruyi got posted to Port Harcourt for the NYSC shortly after my wife moved in. This heightened accommodation concerns at the Wikina’s. Mama the tough matriarch dislodged Blessing from his own room and settled her in!

Years back, Mama Wikina came into Abuja with members of the family for an event. They attempted to “sneak” into a hotel so as “not to bother us.” They were “busted” and happily rerouted to our place, even if it meant we as hosts had to fling duvets and mattresses on the floors of our living rooms within the period of their visit. My son was posted to Rivers State for the NYSC, shortly after this visit. He was received by Blessing Wikina from the Port Harcourt airport and settled in to catch his breath in Blessing’s home for a few days. He was subsequently taken to the NYSC camp in Nonwa-Gbam, in Tai local government area by his host and uncle. Such is the story of the archetypal “handshake across the Niger River,” between the Olusunles of Okunland in the savannahs of Nigeria’s North Central, and the Wikinas of Ogoniland in the wetlands and creeks of the South South. This was the Nigeria we knew, the lost motherland, fittingly bemoaned by the legendary novelist, Nigeria’s own Chinua Achebe in his seminal treatise titled *There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra, published in 2012.

The Wikina family has scheduled a thanksgiving service for 10am at Methodist Church, Mbonu Street, D’Line Port Harcourt on Saturday December 7, 2024. This will be followed by a grand reception at The Authograph Event Centre, on Sani Abacha Road, GRA Phase 3, also in Port Harcourt. A grateful Mama Wikina will be surrounded by her siblings, children, stepchildren, their spouses, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and family extensions cultivated over time and geography. We join in praying for good health and more years on earth for a spectacular woman. Congratulations, Mama N’Court, one of Mama’s pet names, which alludes to her being spouse to Ebenezer Saro-Wikina whose father was a colonial era court interpreter.

Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), teaches Creative Writing at the University of Abuja