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2023 PEPT Pronouncement, a ‘Judocracy’ Against Nigerians – Ozekhome

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Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), a human rights activist on Thursday described the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Court pronouncements in the petition filed by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu as a ‘Judocracy’ against Nigerians.

Prof. Ozekhome stated this while delivering the 2023 and 22nd edition of the annual Bishop Mike Okonkwo lecture at the Shell Zenith Bank Hall,  MUSON Centre,  Onikan,  Lagos tagged:  “Nigerianisation Of Nigerians: A Look Inward”.

The  Bishop Mike Okonkwo annual lecture forms part of activities to mark the birthday of the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).

The guest speaker who said the word ‘Judocracy’ was coined from his Neologism called ‘Ozekpedia’ lamented that politicians have deformed democracy in Nigeria where ‘Selectocracy’ of leaders has become the order of the day.

He described ‘Selectocracy’ as a ploy used by politicians to arm thugs who snatch ballot boxes to select leaders.

He decried the unchanging situation in Nigerian politics where people are encouraged to vote in elections,  where their votes will not count and the votes are counted they do not count.

Ozekhome emphasised the need to cure the country of political drawbacks,  saying Nigeria has continued to regress politically affecting the economy of the country.

The guest speaker described the term Nigerianisation as a deliberate policy by which governments take over the control and ownership of private enterprise due to economic,  political,  social and strategic reasons,  saying it was designed to fight against discrimination and colonialism.

Regrettably,  he said the reverse was the case in the country “Where nothing is ever fair,  where anything is possible, and where you have to pay your way through life by offering and taking bribes to facilitate many of life’s processes.”

He lamented that the only way to survive in Nigeria,  where there is so much distance between the government and the people in the form of widespread poverty, is incompetence in high places and established disregard for the rights of citizens.

Chairman of the occasion,  Pat Utomi, a  professor of political economy described democracy as practiced in Nigeria as lacking in character.

Prof Utomi decried the inability of the country to have a rationale public communication,  saying when wealth is lost, nothing is lost,  when hell is lost,  something is lost and when a character is lost,  everything is lost.

Utomi added, “The tragedy of Nigeria is that character is lost at all levels of government. “

He frowned at the degeneration in character among Nigerians, especially the political class, saying many users of the Twitter space should have their heads examined when contributing to national issues.

Bishop Okonkwo in his remark expressed disappointment in the attitude of the government and the governed,  saying the tide of political backwardness in the country must be reversed for the good of the masses and the country.

The event featured the presentation of an award plaque of N500,000 to Miss Ike Destiny from VIK International School, Akere Alagbado, in Ogun State who emerged winner of the Essay Competition.

Alexander Chibuzor of Archbishop Heerey Technical College, Ogidi, in Anambra State emerged as second in the 2023 Mike Okonkwo National Essay Competition.

The duo emerged winners from the 795 entries received for the 18th Bishop Mike Essay Competition for Secondary School students in Nigeria with the theme: “Nigerianisation of Nigerians: A Look Inward.”

Source: Opera News

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242 Passengers, Crew Feared Killed As Air India Enroute London Crashes

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An Air India plane flying to London’s Gatwick Airport crashed in Ahmedabad in western India shortly after take-off on Thursday, the carrier said on Thursday.

A total of 242 passengers were on board the flight, Reuters has reported. All flights out of Ahmedabad have been temporarily suspended, the news agency said.

Citing local police, the Financial Times said the plane crashed “within 10 minutes” of take-off from the airport in Ahmedabad.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 said in a post on social media that it was following reports of a crash involving Air India flight AI171.

The plane was a Boeing (NYSE:BA) 787-8 Dreamliner, Flightradar24 noted, adding that the first flight of the aircraft was in December 2013 and it was delivered to Air India in January 2014. Shares in Boeing were down by more than 6% in pre-market U.S. trading.

“Initial ADS-B data from flight #AI171 shows that the aircraft reached a maximum barometric altitude of 625 feet (airport altitude is about 200 feet) and then it started to descend with an vertical speed of -475 feet per minute,” Flightradar24 said in a post on X.

The signal from the aircraft was lost at 10:08 local time, less than a minute after take-off, Flightradar24 said.

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Tinubu’s Loyalist Who Turned Against Him, Jesutega Onokpasa Reported Dead

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A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and staunch supporter of President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, Jesutega Onokpasa, has been confirmed dead.

According to TJ News Nigeria, the outspoken APC chieftain, who was also a lawyer and renowned political commentator, died just days after making headlines for vowing to mobilise against President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

The exact cause of Jesutega Onokpasa’s death has not been officially disclosed. Family members and party associates have yet to release an official statement regarding burial arrangements.

Multiple sources from social media have however confirmed the sad incident. The Boss has not independently confirmed the story.

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Eight Staff of FMC Abuja to Face Probe over Negligence

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The Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, on Monday, said eight of its staff members, including four doctors, two nurses, and two attendants, are under investigation for alleged negligence at the hospital.

The hospital, which disclosed this at a press briefing, noted that any staff member found guilty of dereliction of duty would be held accountable.

The Head of Clinical Services at the hospital, Dr. Bioku Muftau, added that the accident victims allegedly abandoned by personnel in a trending video on social media have since been treated and discharged.

Our correspondent had on Sunday reported that the Federal Government launched an investigation into a viral video showing alleged neglect of accident victims at the Emergency Unit of the hospital.

The video, which circulated widely on social media, showed victims of a road accident reportedly left unattended by hospital staff after being brought in by a good Samaritan.

The good Samaritan, who recorded the footage, claimed he found the victims on the road and transported them to the hospital for urgent care.

He alleged that hospital staff refused to provide immediate assistance, with one citing a lack of gloves.

Muftau, however, said the patient with head injury in the video that attracted public outrage has been treated, stabilised, and discharged on the same day he was brought into the facility.

He said the findings of the investigation ordered by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, would be made public upon conclusion.

“All the staff who are there on that particular day are going to be investigated. They are up to eight -Nurses, attendants, doctors, all of them will be investigated; for now, they are four doctors, two nurses, two health assistants,” he emphasised.

Muftau also denied reports that the hospital was overwhelmed by the number of patients at the time of the incident, asserting that the facility is adequately staffed to manage patient care

“In terms of being overwhelmed, this hospital is blessed with a lot of staff. As I speak with you, we have over 100 consultants in various specialities. In neurosurgery alone, the sole speciality of surgery, we have three,” he claimed.

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