Headline

#EndSARS Protests: The Revolution is Here?

Published

4 years ago

October 17, 2020

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

For 12 days running, the Nigerian youths have weaponised their voices, and taken to the streets in protests of incessant harassments, torture and killings being perpetrated by the now defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and the Police Force in general.

The protests, which started as a mild joke on Twitter, has practically spread throughout the length and breath of the country, sending jitters down the spine of those in authority. In the short space of time the protests have lasted, the government have taken far reaching decisions including scrapping of SARS, agreeing to pay the Academic Staff of Universities Union (ASUU) earned allowance to the tune of N40 billion and reopening of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps. Many stakeholders and observers have held opinions that a revolution is coming or the revolution is here.

But almost a week since the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, announced the scrapping of the unpopular police outfit, following the killing off a youth in delta state, the Nigerian youths are still out there on the streets protesting. They had initially made a five points demand including:

Immediate release of all arrested protesters
Justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensations for their families.
Setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reported police misconduct within a period of 10 days
Carrying out psychological evaluation and retaining of all disbanded SARS operatives before they can deployed (this should be verified by an independent body).
The government should increase police salary and they should adequately compensated for protecting lives and property of the citizens

“Dear Nigerians, I know that many of you are angry, and understandably so. We could’ve moved faster and for this we are sorry,” the Vice President wrote.

Reiterating the scrapping of SARS, Osinbajo followed it with the making of excuses, and seeking the sentiments of the young people on a ‘righteous rampage’

“I fully understand how many young people feel. Many feel that we have been too silent and have simply not done enough.These feelings of frustration are justified. There are far too many people who have been brutalised at the hands of the police and this is unacceptable. We must take responsibility for protecting young people, even sometimes from those who are paid to protect them,” he said.

He noted that several meetings have been held between President Muhammadu Buhari, top officials of the National Assembly, police authorities and the human rights commission in order to salvage the situation.

“Over the past week, we have been following the protests, and I have had a number of discussions with key people in the administration that you deserve to be informed about. Transparency, after all, is a key tenet of government.

“We understand that you want to see action from us and I’m here to tell you that work is ongoing. I chaired a meeting of 36 state governors and the Minister of the FCT (NEC), where we resolved to set up judicial panels of inquiry so we can see justice served, and fast.”

He noted that the reason for the meeting with the governors is because they are the only ones who can set up judicial inquiries in their states according to the law.

It would be recalled that during the week, the Federal Government reacted by directing the immediate establishment of Judicial Panels of Inquiry to receive and investigate complaints of Police brutality or related extrajudicial killings.

The PA to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, disclosed this on Thursday evening via his Twitter handle as follows:

“The National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by VP Osinbajo, has directed the immediate establishment of Judicial Panels of Inquiry to receive and investigate complaints of Police brutality or related extrajudicial killings, the assignment to be concluded within 6 months (max.).”

The protests, supervised by the youths without what one would call authentic leadership, has gained global recognition even before the Police took it upon itself to scrap the outfit. It received a fuller force after the Police in a broadcast by its Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, announced a replacement, called Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. The announcement of the SWAT replacement ilk the youths, and was like the fire that reprogrammed the agitation. The protesters alleged that they had been taken for granted. That instead of acceding to the demands of ending the existence of the outfit, the authorities embarked on name change.

Ever since, they have remained on the street, disrupting economic activities and restricting vehicular movements around the metropolis. However, the protests has remained relatively peaceful, except for skirmishes brought about by ‘hired’ hoodlums, who attempted to violently disrupt the gathering in Abuja and Lagos. Whoever sponsored the attacks of the hooligans is yet to be discovered till date. There were accusations pointed at the direction of a supposedly Lagos thug, MC Oluomo, but he has denied involvement, lending his support to the movement.

While the disbandment of the police unit has been achieved, including late Friday night sacking of about 37 former SARS officers and demoting another 29, some other demands of the protesters have not been fully met.

These include the prosecution of killer cops, the release of all protesters in detention and the total overhaul of the police.

The call for the reformation of the bringing an end to brutality of any form have gained traction and following Anambra to Ogbomosho in Oyo, where Jimoh Isiaq was killed on the fourth day of the protest to Surulere in Lagos, where a driver was killed, and in reprisal, a police station set ablaze with one dead officer and two injured, to the nation’s capital and parts of many other states.

In its 12 days of existence, the #EndSARS, #EndSWAT, #Endpolicebrutality among others related to it have been among the top trends on social media.

They vowed not to leave the streets until all other demands are met.

During the week however, Buhari’s media aide, Femi Adesina, announced that presidential panel on on the reform of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) had accepted the five-point demand of the #EndSARS protesters. But implementation has remained an issue.

Nairametrics reported that some protesters in Abuja disclosed their reasons for continuing the protest even after the announcement of the dissolution to include general reforms; and mistrust of the FG’s plans post-SARS.

“We are protesting for them to put an end to police brutality, it’s way beyond just ending SARS. Even after they have announced it, there are several other things we are talking about.

“There are things that worry Nigerian youths, that need to be addressed. It’s also about changing the country’s structure, we have gone through a lot; yet, we still complain about light. We are calling for an increase in the salaries of the policemen. Help us fix this nation, we have been through a lot”

“We are Creatives, not thieves. I have dreads, I am a Creative…we go through a lot for having dreads, the Surulere shootings feels like a war that has been declared against the Nigerian youths. We deserve better!” — Franklin

“I feel it’s not true, because there was still violence yesterday. So, if there is still violence, what we are agitating for has not ended,” she said.

“We are not just saying #EndSARS, we are saying stop the arrest, maiming, and killings! Stop harassing us! So, if you say SARS has ended and people are still dying during a peaceful protest, then it’s not over” – Jemine

“Actually #EndSARS is not over. They said SARS is over; but in Lagos, they killed somebody and still brutalize people. As it stands now, our demands have not been met, we also want the total reform of the Police Force” –Alex

“Where is the proof? I was there from Friday to Sunday, we got teargased. Till we can confirm it, I personally feel they need to replace the Inspector General and the Minister of Police, maybe then we would stop.” Bobby

To further assuage the temperament of the youths, the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who had identified with the yearnings of the protesters, disclosed via his verified Twitter handle that the policemen involved in the brutality of Surulere protesters have been arrested, and would soon face prosecution.

“The officers are Inspector Bagou Michael, Inspector Ekpoudom Etop, Sgt Nnamdi Majura, and Sgt. Akinyemi Benson. They are facing orderly room trials immediately and be rest assured that we will follow up on these trials.”

It is worthy of note that most governors have lent their voices to the demands of the youths, and appearing in person to join the mass movement. Some of them are Kwara State governor, Abdulraman Abdullahi, Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, who initially banned the protest in the state, but recanted after coming under heavy backlash.

But a former senator representing Kaduna central, Shehu Sani, has said that the protest against police harassment and brutality is a message to those in power that a revolution is imminent.

“The nationwide protests is a message to those in power and authority that a revolution is impending in an atmosphere of social, economic and political inequities and infamy,” the former senator said.

“Even though the trigger of the protest was police brutality, police reforms are not enough to address the underling and provocative factors that compelled the mass of the youths to the streets.

“The political class have for long toyed with the lives and future of our youths who were left with no option but to revolt,” he said in part.

The protests can boasts of notable Nigerian young celebrities including Davido, Wizkid, Favour Phyno, Beverly Osu, Falz and many others.

The RevolutionNow exponent, Omoyele Sowore and BBOG co-founder, Aisha Yesufu, have stood solidly behind the protests from the very first day.

Is the Revolution here or is it coming?

Headline

How FG Spent N19bn on Presidential Planes in 15 Months – Report

Published

6 days ago

November 12, 2024

Eric

At least N19.43 billion has reportedly been spent on the maintenance and operations of the Presidential Air Fleet from July 2023 to September 2024.

According to GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal government’s spending, showed that for 2024, the payouts amounted to N13.55billion, representing 66 per cent of the allocations for the fleet in the 2024 fiscal year.

Most disbursements were labeled ‘Forex Transit Funds,’ typically funds allocated for foreign exchange requirements to facilitate international transactions and engagements.

In the context of the Presidential Air Fleet, such funds are used to cover expenses related to operations outside the country, including fuel purchases, maintenance or services in foreign currencies.

“When aircraft on the fleet are abroad, payments are often made in U.S. dollars or another foreign currency to ensure uninterrupted operations,” a government official explained.

In July 2023, N1.52bn was disbursed in two tranches of N846m and N675m for ‘Presidential air fleet forex transit funds.’

The following month, N3.1bn was disbursed in three tranches of N388m, N2bn, and N713m for the same item.

In November of that year, N1.26bn was released to the Presidential Air Fleet Naira transit account.

The first overhead for 2024 came in March, where N1.27bn were disbursed twice, amounting to N2.54bn. The transit account received N6.35bn in April, N4.97bn in May and N210m in July.

August saw the highest frequency of transactions, with N5.60bn released in six separate disbursements.

Although these transactions were not clearly labeled, the monies were paid into the Presidential Air Fleet naira transit account, including the N35m transfer made in September.

In late April, the transit account received N5.08bn; this came around the same time the President was on a two-nation tour to the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.

Although Tinubu arrived in the Netherlands in a state-owned Gulfstream AeroSpace 550 Jet, the aircraft could not proceed to Saudi Arabia due to unspecified technical problems. He reportedly continued his journey on a chartered private plane.

At the time, the President’s Boeing 737 business jet was undergoing maintenance. It was later replaced with an Airbus A330 purchased for $100m in August through service-wide votes.

The nearly 15-year-old plane, an ACJ330-200, VP-CAC (MSN 1053), is “spacious and furnished with state-of-the-art avionics, customised interior and communications system,” Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga said, adding that it “will save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”

The new Airbus A330 is just one of several aircraft currently on the Presidential Air Fleet, arguably one of Africa’s largest, with around 11 aircraft of various makes and models. Until August, it comprised the 19-year-old B737-700 and a 13-year-old Gulfstream Aerospace G550.

The BBJ was acquired during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo at $43m but became a money guzzler as it aged.

Onanuga, defending the purchase of Airbus A330, argued that the new Airbus 330 aircraft and the costs of maintaining the air fleet were not for the president but in the interest of Nigerians.

“It’s not President Tinubu’s plane; it belongs to the people of Nigeria, it is our property…the President did not buy a new jet; what he has is a refurbished jet – it has been used by somebody else before he got it, but it is a much newer model than the one President Buhari used.

“The one President Buhari used was bought by President Obasanjo some 20 years ago. There was a time when the President went to Saudi Arabia, and the plane developed some problems. The President had to leave the Netherlands with a chartered jet.

“Nigerians should try to prioritise the safety of the President. I’m not sure anybody wishes our president to go and crash in the air. We want his safety so that he can hand it over to whoever wants to take over from him,” Onanuga said.

The presidential aide said he discussed with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, on the faulty plane [Boeing 737 jet] and he said the maintenance costs were excessive because of the age of the aircraft, hence the need for another plane.

The presidential fixed-wing fleet includes a Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7Xs, a Hawker 4000, and a Challenger 605.

Three of the seven fixed-wings are reportedly unserviceable. Meanwhile, the rotor-wing fleet includes two Agusta 139s and two Agusta 101s, all operated by the Nigerian Air Force but supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Former President Buhari promised to reduce the number of aircraft in the PAF to the absolute necessary.

In April 2023, three jets were put up for sale, but there were no specifics on which.

However, efforts to sell one of the Dassault Falcon 7x and the Hawker 4000 in October 2016 stalled when a potential buyer reduced their initial offer from $24m to $11m.

Since 2017, budgetary allocations for the fleet have shown a growing trend, with one exception in 2020.

The allocation for the fleet increased from N4.37bn in 2017 to N20.52bn in 2024, showing a 370 per cent rise in running costs.

In 2018, the fleet’s budget rose significantly by 66.13 per cent to N7.26bn, driven by a substantial increase in capital project allocations while maintaining similar levels for recurrent costs. This upward trajectory continued into 2019, slightly increasing the total allocation to N7.30bn.

The exception came in 2020, when the budget dropped by nearly seven per cent to N6.79bn, primarily due to decreased overhead costs, a reflection of the global economic impacts of lockdowns and disruptions in operations.

By 2021, however, the budget surged dramatically to N12.55bn—a record increase of 84.83 per cent from the previous year.

In 2022, maintenance expenses for each aircraft ranged from $1.5m to $4.5m annually.

The 2022, 2023 and 2024 appropriation acts earmarked N12.48bn, N13.07bn and N20.52bn respectively.

On his way to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa, a foreign object damaged the cockpit windscreen of Vice President Kashim Shettima’s GulfStream aircraft during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York.

According to Lee Aerospace, manufacturers of the Gulfstream, jet windshields consist of thick multilayered structures of varying layers of glass and transparent acrylic built to withstand collision with a 2kg object.

However, damage to the windshield must have affected its inner layers. While specific prices for replacement can vary based on supplier, labour rates and regional costs, estimates suggest that a single windshield replacement for a G550 can range from $50,000 to $70,000 for part and labour costs.

In an interview with our correspondent, the General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo, blamed the meteoric rise in the allocations for the PAF on the age of some of the aircraft in the fleet and declining value of the naira as well as the “commercial use” of aircraft by the Nigerian Air Force.

Ohunayo said, “The cost will definitely increase over the years because for one, this issue of the naira against the dollar. As the naira keeps falling to the dollar, we will see a rise in cost because most of the costs of training crew and engineers and replacing aircraft parts are all in dollars.

“Also, some of these aircraft are not new. The older the aircraft, the higher the cost of maintenance and operation.

“Lastly, during these past years, terrorism and insecurity have increased in Nigeria, which has also affected the cost of insuring the aircraft.”

For his part, the Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, argued that the administration’s spending habits were opposite to Nigerians’ expectations of frugality.

“What we are getting from this administration is opposite to our expectation. We thought we would have an administration that would be frugal in spending and very meticulous at implementing its budget.

“But what we are getting is an administration that has fallen in love with profligacy; that doesn’t see anything wrong in living big amid a poverty-stricken nation.

“It is a reenactment of the Shagari administration, whereby they bought the biggest Mercedes Benz and made themselves as comfortable as possible without considering how much the masses are suffering.

“So when you look at a Vice President saying he’s not travelling [to Samoa] again because there was a splinter on the windscreen of his private aircraft. Why should that be the case?

“First and foremost, we need to be represented at such an international meeting, where we should be well represented by the first two citizens of this country.

“He abandoned that, which means we would have lost certain representation that we deserve at that forum. Two, money will have been spent on advance parties that went ahead of the Vice President. But he abandoned the journey altogether.”

Headline

Pastor Tunde Bakare: Celebrating a Visionary Preacher @70

Published

1 week ago

November 10, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

He is visionary, blunt, articulate, passionate, fiery, evangelical, fearless, controversial and the newest septugenarian. He is the Founder and Presidng Pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), formally known as the Latter Rain Assembly. He is Pastor Tunde Bakare.

A thought provoking preacher, social commentator, legal expert and politician, Tunde Bakare has come of age in the business called Nigeria.

Born on November 11, 1954, Pastor Bakare is regarded as not only a prophetic-apostolic pastor, but a social and economic image maker, whose contributions to the originality, truth and oneness of the nation cannot be overemphasized.

Originally a Muslim, who embraced the Christian faith in 1974 at the age of 20, Bakare has contributed his quota as a nation builder, seeking both the Vice president and president positions of the nation on two different occasions.

Pastor Bakare started his educational life at All Saints Primary School, Kemta, Abeokuta, and subsequently Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta, where he obtained both the School Leaving Certificate and the West Africa Examination Council certificate

After his secondary education, he was admitted into the University of Lagos where he studied Law between 1977 and 1980 before attending Law School in 1981, and was subsequently called to the Bar and following his time in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Bakare kickstarted his career when he started practicing law at the Gani Fawehinmi Chambers. His dexterity on the job propelled him to Rotimi Williams & Co., and later to Burke & Co., Solicitors.

In October 1984, he went solo, and established his own law firm, Tunde Bakare & Co. (El-Shaddai Chambers). Within the preceeding periods, he combined his legal duties with pastoral functions working as a legal adviser at the Deeper Life Bible Church, and later moving to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, where he became pastor and founded the Model Parish.

Following his time at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Bakare left to start the Latter Rain Assembly Church in 1989, known today aa CGCC, where he presently serves as the General Overseer. In addition to his time in the church, he zeroed into part time politics, serving as the running-mate to presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 presidential election. Bakare has been critical of Nigeria’s leadership and has sparked controversy with comments considered inflammatory regarding Muslims and other spiritual leaders.

Also in 2019, Bakare announced his intention to run for president of Nigeria following the end of Buhari’s second term with a total conviction that he has a direct mandate to do and will surely become the next president of Nigeria. He joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) but, lost at the primaries conducted at Eagle Square, Abuja, in May 2022. He launched his then political trajectory under the New Nigeria Progressive Movement.

While expressing his intentions to run for the 2023 presidential election towards becoming the next president of Nigeria to church members in 2019 when he was quoted as saying, “I will succeed Buhari as President of Nigeria; nothing can change it. I am number 16, and Buhari is number 15. I never said it to you before. I am saying it now, and nothing can change it. In the name of Jesus, he (Buhari) is number 15. I am number 16. To this end, I was born, and for this purpose, I came into the world. I have prepared you for this for more than 30 years.”

Bakare also presides over the Global Apostolic Impact Network (GAIN), a network of churches, ministries, and kingdom businesses committed to advancing the Kingdom of God on earth as well as the President of Latter Rain Ministries, Inc. (Church Development Center) in Atlanta, GA, USA, a ministry committed to restoring today’s church to the scriptural pattern. He was given a Doctor of Ministry degree by Indiana Christian University under the leadership of his mentor, Dr. Lester Sumrall, in 1996.

Bakare has been instrumental to some uprisings in the country that challenge unhealthy administrations. It would be recalled that his Occupied Nigeria Movement led the protest against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in January 2012 after minor increase in fuel price. The protest was a total success, and led to reduction in fuel pump price.

Also a social critic, Bakare is critical of Miyetti Allah, labeling the Fulani herdsmen as a group of terrorists who rape, murder, and kidnap innocent civilians. Several Fulani Islamic scholars criticized Bakare’s comments about Fulani herdsmen as Islamophobic. Bakare had said that Fulani herdsmen were driving Nigeria towards a civil war.

He also holds a yearly state of the nation address to set the stage for the future and review national issues of the year past.

In his 2019 address, he stated, “We can therefore confidently state that, over the past thirty years, we have faithfully executed our God-given mandate to the nation from this platform. Over the past thirty years, we have deployed appropriate tools for appropriate occasions, from prophetic declarations to confrontational advocacy and from political activism to propositional policy advisory. Over the past thirty years, we have done this consistently, sometimes at the risk of being misunderstood by friends and foes alike.

“We have been motivated not by wavering
opinions of men but by our unshakeable faith in our national destiny and an unalloyed commitment to seeing that destiny fulfilled.”

Reports have it that he was arrested in March 2002 after preaching sermons critical of Nigeria’s then-president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

No matter how it is viewed, and the direction of his controversies, one thing is obvious, Bakare has stood on the side of truth, hope, and justice, and has remained consistent over the years.

The Serving Overseer has been very vocal, his trademark, over the recent hardship in the country, condemning the politicians for preaching what they cannot practice.

He said Nigerian politicians were not living lean or sacrificing like the rest of the citizens whom they asked to sacrifice for the country by enduring economic hardship.

Bakare said this while delivering the keynote address with the theme: “Cultivating a Culture of Dialogue: Nurturing Understanding in a Culturally and Socially Diverse Nation” at Wilson and Yinka Badejo Memorial Lecture 2024.

He is a strong believer in the theory that the pen is mightier than the sword. He write in an essay of same title that:

“The likes of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Kwame Nkrumah, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, armed with no other weapon, mobilised the Queen’s language in the struggle for independence from the Queen. They fought their battles through such media as West African Pilot, Accra Evening News and The Tribune. Decades after independence, when free, fair and credible elections were annulled, and a tyrannical dictatorship held sway, the Nigerian press took up the baton and contended against the sword of oppression by deploying the armoury of vocabulary. I am so glad that the labours of these pen warriors and all others who fought for the democracy we enjoy today have not been in vain after all.”

For seven decades, Pastor Bakare has remained a voice in Nigeria politics, religion and socio-economic circle, relating with with Nigerians according to where the matter lies.

On this occasion of your 70th Birthday, we celebrate your consistency, focus and leadership acumen that has affected the people positively.

Congratulations sir!

Headline

US Polls: Tinubu, UK PM Starmer Congratulate Trump

Published

2 weeks ago

November 6, 2024

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has extended his heartfelt congratulations to President Donald Trump on his re-election as the 47th President of the United States of America.

A statement by Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga on Wednesday, said President Tinubu looks forward to strengthening the relations between Nigeria and the United States amid the complex challenges and opportunities of the contemporary world.

Donald Trump claimed victory on Wednesday and pledged to “heal” the country as results put him on the verge of beating Kamala Harris in a stunning White House comeback.

President Tinubu said: “Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace, and address global challenges that affect our citizens.”

According to President Tinubu, Trump’s victory reflects the trust and confidence the American people have placed in his leadership. He congratulates them on their commitment to democracy.

President Tinubu believes that, given President Trump’s experience as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, his return to the White House as the 47th president will usher in an era of earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States.

Acknowledging the United States’ influence, power, and position in determining the trend and course of global events, the Nigerian leader trusts that President Trump will bring the world closer to peace and prosperity.

Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has congratulated Donald Trump on his “historic election victory”, adding that the UK-US special relationship would “continue to prosper”.

“As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise. From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come,” he said.