The on-going public hearings on the issues and areas for revision in
the nation’s 1999 Constitution has continued to throw up a lot of
revelations and pent up grievances among various sectors in the
nation. And in Anambra, the state government has been accused of owing
the traditional rulers a whopping sum of about nine billion naira
(N9BN), being the calculated 5% accumulated benefits accrued to them
from the state’s joint revenue with the 21 councils in the state.

This was revealed to journalists by the traditional ruler of Nawfia,
Njikoka LGA, by HRH Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo, Osuofia in his palace.

Also, Senator Annie Okonkwo has canvassed the need to do more to check
corruption, scrapping of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). He
noted that both agencies have not made much difference in the war
against corruption in the country, and were apparently merely created
to provide jobs for the boys

According to Igwe Nwankwo, “the nation has three major tiers of
government-council, state and the Federal. But the main burden of
peace, security and policy administration rests mostly on the monarchs
across the country. They are closest to the citizens and are usually
called upon any time there was a crisis of any type, to intervene, to
talk to the people and make peace. Yet they have no legal role or
function and the various governors abuse them at will without any
legal remedy. They are not even allowed to elect who represents,
chairs or speaks on their behalf.

“Traditional rulers are always the first port of call in any
community. We need to be constitutionally recognized, funded and
protected with a set of rules and regulations on how customs and
traditions are kept. This will make the position more meaningful and
powerful especially in the south East where the monarchs do not get
their 5% state/LG joint account provision. It becomes more pronounced
in Anambra state where the law on the 5% fund for the traditional
rulers was passed Oct 9, 2007 pursuant to Sec 100(5) of the 1999
Constitution as amended. The Anambra state government has an
accumulated debt of above N9billion to the monarchs.

Senator Okonkwo pointed out the need for the creation of at least one
new state in the South East to bring it at par with most other
geo-political zones in the country. Or in the alternative there should
be formal recognition of Regional areas (geo-political zones) by the
constitution. “Each region gets their revenue allocations and go back
to share and administer same to the constituting states as they like.
This has been my long expressed stand, as that would naturally tackle
the issue of rampant agitation for the creation of new states. The
state electoral commissions should be abolished. It’s a fraud. We need
to have just one electoral system. Also to be abolished is the
State/Council Joint account as it has not served the purpose. There is
need to grant full autonomy to the state assembly and the councils.
While only the elected executives should be allowed access to the
council’s allocation.

He expressed firm support for the creation state Police, noting that
it is very clear that security is the nation’s greatest problem today
as a nation. “Why do we call the state governors Chief Security
Officers of their states where they have no control on the police?
None of the governors has control over any DPO or Commissioner, even
if the state is burning and they chose to do nothing. This is because
it is not the officers’ state of origin hence owed no moral allegiance
to the state or her citizens. Let there be local, state and federal
police. The state and local police would not allow any criminal to
enter their areas, let alone making it their haven, as is currently
being observed.

“On the revenue generation, the people should be allowed to have
fuller benefit of their natural endowment. It is evident that no state
cannot sustain itself but some have become financially weak because
the huge resources coming from the centre monthly has encouraged them
to stop being creative or innovative. When states start controlling
more of the revenue, the attraction and pressure to control the centre
would drastically reduce. The states would then apply the resources in
the rapid development of their areas more, federal or not”, the former
lawmaker stressed.

He solicited the assistance and understanding of other states of the
federation to have one additional state created in the South East. He
saw it as a serious injustice for one zone to have 7 states, other
four have 6 states each while only the South East has just 5 states.
This has put the zone in a big disadvantaged position already, for
years! It has less allocation, less development, less voice in the
national assembly and other national life. It needs to be redressed
first.

Chief Chris Kato, member representing Anambra East/West Federal
Constituency described the public hearing as very peaceful and all
inclusive as all sectors and interest groups actively participated. He
listed issues generally agreed upon to include the need to have equal
number of states in each geo-political zone. “We were also unanimous
on the need to scrap the state electoral commissions so that INEC
conducts all elections across the country at appointed time, with
specified tenure for all councils. The people also agreed on the
rotation of Presidency/Governor among the constituting zones to ensure
fairness and eliminate tension”.

While Afam Ogene, member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency o be
assigned constitutional roles but first the local government system
must be strengthened. They are the closest to the people. It’s urgent
to have the state electoral bodies scrapped. The state assemblies need
financial autonomy as most if not all the members were nominated by
the governor, and he also pays their salaries/allowances. How then
would such person check the governor’s excesses or have independent
opinion whenever the need arise. I support the rotation of the
Presidency among the zones, but there is need to reduce the too much
powers presently wielded by him. It is the cause of the so much
pressures and tension. The constitution must now to recognize the six
geo-political zones and each zone should be made to have equal number
of states. It is a serious injustice for one zone to have 7 states,
other four have 6 states each while only the South East has just 5
states. This has put the zone in a big disadvantaged position already,
for years! It has less allocation, less development, less voice in the
national assembly and other national life. It needs to be redressed
first.

CHRIS KATO, member representing Anambra East/West Federal Constituency:
It was very peaceful and all sectors and interest groups actively
participated. Issues generally agreed upon include the need to have
equal number of states in each geo-political zone. We were also
unanimous on the need to scrap the state electoral commissions so that
INEC conducts all elections across the country at appointed time, with
specified tenure for all councils. The people also agreed on the
rotation of Presidency/Governor among the constituting zones to ensure
fairness and eliminate tension.

The session chairman, Senator Emma Anosike noted that the event was a
beautiful effort to extend the involvement and participation of
Nigerians in the formulation of the people’s constitution. The
participants that cut across all spheres of life urged for more such
opportunities for the masses to participate actively in some nagging
national question. They saw it as rewarding and appreciated.

Hon Victor Afam Ogene(member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency)
described the public hearing as novel, as it was answer to the
yearnings of Nigerians to take their destiny in their hands. To him,
“With its popularity and the mass participation, the nation could be
said to be on the great highway to authoring a people constitution for
the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The 1999 Constitution has a preamble saying, ‘we, the people of
Nigeria…’, but we all know the people had never participated in any
body codified as Constitution. So with what now took place across the
360 federal constituencies the people came together to talk about
issues, express their opinions as to what they want modified, expunged
and retained. For example, the Ogbaru people insisted there is need
for one more state to be created in the South East to bring it at par
with majority of the other geo-political zones in the country, for
fairness and equity.

Ogene admitted that outside the template by the national Assembly, the
people vehemently canvassed for a federal government grant for
agriculture so as to boost food production, as currently done in some
countries. They want it entrenched in the constitution that anyone
involved in agriculture will get the grant to ensure the nation feeds
itself.

By Michael Asuquo Ekpo

–

– NUJ Members Insist He Must Go

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umanah has been accused by the state chapter of the Nigerian Nigerian Union of Journalist of using public fund for bribery and building formidable edifice across the state. Based on this his corrupt mien it was agreed that the group pass a vote of no confidence on the Commisioner Umanah without further delay.
It was authoritatively gathered Mr Umanah summoned a meeting which which was attended by the NUJ State Chairman Mr Joe Effiong and Emmanuel Efiong the Federated Chapel Chairman were at the meeting given large sums of money by the Commissioner who persuaded the duo to ensure that the vote of no confidence that was earlier scheduled to be passed on him were scuttled.

The Union of journalists is proposing a vote of no confidence on Mr Aniekan Umanah because of what the pen professionals call his “numerous atrocities” of defrauding the local media of their advert fees-collecting hundreds of thousands from government and paying only fifty thousand naira to them on full page advertorial. Mr Umana’s other crimes include being in the habit of collecting millions of naira from the State government, using the names of the NUJ and Federated Chapel without ever remitting any to those organisations.

The sins of Aniekan Umanah are so many that the Union members also complained about the sacking of his Special Assistant on media Mr Ndueso Essien as a clear evidence of victimization , that the accusation of the Commissioner laid against Ndueso shows that the commissioner is anti government in the government he works for. Aniekan Umanah has also been frustrating the State government Newspaper-The Pioneer Newspapers-a parastatal under his Ministry simply because the Governor had earlier rejected his (Umanah’s) candidate; so he is doing everything to humiliate the present General Manager in the person of Udo Silas who is not his tribe man.

With all these the Union wants the State Governor to remove Mr Aniekan Umanah from Office. But he, (Umanah) got the tip off rushed into bribing the duo with millions of Naira And when the rest of the members heard about the bribe inducement on their Executives, they are now boiling for war that the Commissioner of information must be removed from office, that he is a fraudster, not caring about the local media.

Mr Umanah is currently using the millions he has been collecting from the government on behalf of the Union in building three palatial houses simultaneously in Abak, Osongama and Shelter Afrigue extension in Mbiabong Etoi, after he had completed his mansions in Shelter Afrigue and Abuja. It is also known that Aniekan Umanah is nursing a House of Representatives ambition and has been spending a lot of money on his constituent who before now hated him with a passion.

Some of the correspondent chapel members also accused Mr Aniekan Umanah of owing their media houses millions of Naira without paying for years and anytime they go to him for their funds , he always molests them and uses his police security to throw them out of his office. And the NUJ members have sworn that should the duo of Joe Effiung and Emmanuel Effiong deviate from the earlier agreement of passing a vote of no confidence on the Commissioner they will sack their executives and petition the Commissioner before the EFCC , Code of Conduct Bureau, State Government and other relevant authorities.In the meantime,journalists in Akwa Ibom State are challenging the state government to change its character towards reporters in order to be assured of effective coverage of state functions. The newsmen raised the motion, weekend at the end of an emergency meeting of the State Executive Council, SEC, of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Akwa Ibom State Council in which issues of welfare of members and promotion of effective practice in the state were considered.

Apparently piqued by what it considered as ugly acts of harassing and barring journalists from venues of state functions, the union threatened to stop further coverage of government functions if things do not change for the better. In a resolution signed by the 29 members of the SEC, the union recalled that during State Government/NLC stakeholders meeting, the Guild of Editors of Nigeria’s Conference and lately during the President’s visit, journalists were treated with derision.
“The Union strongly condemns the ugly acts of harassing and barring of journalists from venues of state events, and locking out of journalists from the Government House by security operatives”.
“The over-zealousness exhibited by some security operatives at state events is unreasonable and counter-productive as the press is not a security threat but has a sacred duty of purveying information for public good”, they stressed.

The union urged the state government to urgently intervene in the abnormal situation by calling security operatives to order, as the newsmen added that “henceforth, if the press is treated with such ignominy experienced in the recent past, the press community in the state will be left with no other option than resort to total boycott of all government events”. On the management of information in the state, the union expressed worry that government media managers especially the Commissioner of Information, Mr Aniekan Umanah has sidelined correspondents of national newspapers by dealing directly with their head offices in the placement of news and advertorials.
“The union is deeply concerned that since the inception of the present administration over five years ago, the leadership of NUJ in the state has not been allowed access to Governor” the union noted. The newsmen are also bothered about the delay in having an interactive session with the Governor, months after his second term, blaming its information managers. “It is appalling that two years after members of the union have been repeatedly informed in public by government media managers that the construction of the Information Drive will commence in earnest, nothing has been done about the road.

The union is deeply concerned that 25 years after the creation of the state, the corporate headquarters of Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation, AKBC, a major state media organ is still sitting in a rented building which can scarcely afford enough accommodation for state”, NUJ added”.

Accordingly, the pressmen proposed that the state government should construct the information drive, the road leading to major information units in the state, and also construct a permanent corporate headquarters for the AKBC.

Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada may sack the commissioner for water resources, Hajia Hadiza Onotu over an alleged letter forgery scandal.

The governor according to investigations while compiling names for his cabinets received a letter purportedly written by the Vice-President of Nigeria, Arch. Namadi Sambo introducing Hajia Onotu as the candidate of the Vice President, which led to the governor appointing her to his cabinet.

The governor was however shocked recently when he was told by the V.P in one of their National Council of State meetings in Abuja that he did not send any letter to Wada to appoint the Kaduna based lawyer for any cabinet position.

This has according to our source embarrassed the governor, prompting him to invite the embattled commissioner for a chat in his office, immediately he arrived in Lokoja.

The commissioner who could not hold her tears broke down and started confessing that the letter was actually forged by one of her lovers working in the presidency, with close ties to the office of the Vice president.

Our source informed that the governor was ready to sack the lady immediately but was persuaded by one of his aides who is often termed as a member of his kitchen cabinet, advising him against the move.
The aide cited the several litigations in front of the governor and advised against any negative news as it might overheat the situation in the state.
The commissioner since the incident has been sidelined by the governor, and has just been left idle in her office in Lokoja.
Barrister Hadiza Onotu is now leaving in fear, as the governor have lost confidence in her, and it’s only a matter of time before she is removed.

Effort to speak with her on the issue was unsuccessful as she was said to be indisposed, requesting that we come back another day.

By Augustine Okezie

Several eminent Nigerians including former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, Dan Masani Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, Secretary to the Government of the federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and dignitaries from all walks of life, converge at Merit House on Tuesday, 20th October, 2012 for a one day sensitization workshop organized by the Abuja branch of the Public Complaints Commission.

A statement from the FCT Commissioner of the agency, Barrister Obunike Ohaegbu, said that the event will be hosted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, while a galaxy of guest speakers including the secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chairman national human rights Commission, EFCC chairman, Head of the Civil service of the federation, Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs as well as members of the national Assembly to be led by the deputy president of the Senate and Deputy speaker, were all expected to grace the occasion.

The Commissioner described the workshop as timely, especially as it is coming at a time, when most Abuja residents are grossly unaware of how to go about obtaining administrative justice, or seeking redress when wronged by their workplace. He described the array of speakers for the seminar as men who have distinguished themselves in the various fields of human endavour.  It would recalled that as Head of State, Gen. Gowon established the Udoji Panel that recommended the establishment of the Public Complaints Commission while Alh. Maitama  Sule was appointed the  pioneer  Chief Commissioner of the Commission by the Murtala Muhammed administration.

The Chairman Trans-Amadi Abbattior Butchers Union, Alhaji Ibrahim Maisundu Beli has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Port Harcourt.