There is no politician in Nigeria that has contributed to the expansion of the frontiers of Nigeria's electoral jurisprudence like Peter Obi.

Reasons below:

1. He was able to reclaim his Anambra State governorship mandate using the court system.

2. He was able to get the court to interpret in clear terms the constitutional implications of taking the oath of office as governor when INEC conducted a governorship election in that state in 2007 when he hadn't served out his tenure.

3. He was able to set aside his impeachment as Governor of Anambra State using the court system.

Will he add to that list? We wait and see.

Interesting times ahead.

I can never understand how the black (Nigerian) man thinks. You are exposing your economy and citizens to the vagaries of the international oil market for a product whose raw material you have in abundance! And then, to justify the absurdity, you point me to countries without a single drop of crude oil or with dissimilar economic realities. Tueh! Why can't we refine our crude oil locally and trade it in our local currency? That should be the focus and preoccupation of every serious government and citizen.

By the way, I have maintained from 2016 when Buhari/Ibe Kachikwu began this new arrangement that the government cannot fix price of PMS and yet claim to have deregulated or removed subsidy. That is simply hogwash. It is all a means of government raising income by pushing its inefficiencies to hapless citizens. This becomes obvious when we realise that the NNPC has been engaged in Crude Oil Swap over the years in the name of subsidy payment/arrangement.

ODN.

The process leading to the declaration of a person as the President of Nigeria by our courts is of serious national importance. In my view, it is as important as, if not more important than, the election itself. And so, it is necessary that, for whatever it is worth, Nigerians are able to engage with that process. Unfortunately, because of the sitting venue the vast majority of Nigerians cannot physically be present in the court.
 
Even if that was possible, will the court hall accommodate the sheer number of those who are interested in following the proceedings? The straightforward answer is no. In fact, on the 11th of May, 2023 - the first day of the pre-hearing session, the presiding justice alluded to this. It is for this reason that I join others who have done so in calling for a live broadcast of the presidential election court's proceedings.

But there is a more important reason for this proposition. In this age of disruptive social media tendencies and skewed media reportage, it is possible that the proceedings of the court may be deliberately misrepresented for pecuniary, political or other gains. We have begun to see traces of this already. The only way to stop this from happening or stemming it in its tide, is to allow for live broadcast of the court's proceedings. This will further help to curtail fake news and put their purveyors in check.

I have intentionally left out the argument that live broadcast of the proceedings will ensure that the Justices stay above board and remain uncorrupted. That is a nonissue and it should not arise at all. Whether or not the proceedings is broadcast live has no bearing or impact on that. What counts and all that is necessary is that the proceedings is seen to be transparent and fair. As the saying goes, justice should not just be done; it should be seen to have been done.

ODNEsq.

989900:
If crude is refined locally, it should sell for less than ₦200 because, the Naira would appreciate considerably. These 2 are intertwined!

The number 1 reason why Buhari and his whole APC gang are a failure is the simple fact that they cannot provide locally refined fuel in 6 years!!!

Rather, they fuelled the same subsidy they campaigned against to crazy heights! By extension, subsidising roughly 300m people (Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Benin, etc )! No currency can survive such r@pe in an import dependent country with no tangible forex export revenue!

Until we can refine our local fuel demand locally, no prosperity!

Until then can the Naira appreciate . . . if the Naira appreciates as a result of no longer exporting our crude, jobs, etc overseas and we can build strategically on the gains economically, with a stronger Naira, you can even buy PMS for less than ₦100/litre in the future without subsidy -- it is all a function of your currency.

Frank talk.

StaffofOrayan:


Subsidy is a scam that would never end!
It's called a perfect scam,
There are too many variables to ensure it remains forever, the plan of the useless govt is to sell fuel at the same price as countries that doesn't have crude oil naturally and even at that, there would still be 'subsidies' because there are too many unknowns, from the unpredictability of international freight to the volatility of foreign currencies to what the countries refining our crude oil decides to charge for the service,
Try and travel out of Nigeria and see how those countries that tell Nigeria to end subsidy subsidize it's citizen, infact those countries pay their unemployed population monthly allowances,
Personally, I think it has always been cheaper for the govt to import these substandard fuel than produce it locally, that way their 'subsidy' never ends!
Even Dangote wants licence to import fuel!!!
Open your head!

www.theguardian.com
Petrol sold to Nigeria from Europe 'dirtier' than black market 'bush' fuel
1 Jul 2020 — According to industry sources which track legal and illegal oil cargo movements – who asked to remain anonymous – around 80% of Nigeria's

I agree.

"Subsidy payments" may never end in Nigeria. This government has supposedly stopped "subsidy payments" at least once in 2016/17 when Ibe Kachikwu was Minister of State for Petroleum. He even said that PMS will be sold cheaper than the price it was pegged at then in the subsequent years. Contrary to his deceptive claims, the same government is still talking about fuel subsidy removal in 2021/22 which is actually a ruse. How can the government talk about fuel subsidy removal and the same government is still going to dictate the price for which the product will be sold. It means market forces are not going to determine the price of the product. How then can we be discussing deregulation of the sector? Therein lies the humongous SCAM which this government is about to perpetrate on hapless citizens!

backbencher:


Well your analogy is correct but what happens is that you mised the reason why the meat is being processed at a foreign butchery

It is because the Nigerian butchery is being forced to process cow meat at a loss, or the Nigerian butchery is cutting maintenance costs to keep prices of meat low, or the herdsmen are selling meat at a loss so that meat can be sold cheaply and then government pays a subsidy that in principle covers the losses being made to keep meat cheap but in practice doesn't

(Let's say that it costs N1000 per klilo to process meat in a Nigeria butchery..enough to cover their overheads, maintenance, cleaning, worker welfare and salary, and herdsmen money...and then government comes in and reduces the processing cost to N100 per kilo and pays a subsidy of N300 per kilo processed. Meanwhile, the following year, costs of processing rise to N1200, but government is still keeping processing costs at the Nigerian butchery at N100, and paying subsides at N300..meaning that the butchery loses N800 , up from N600 per kilo processed).

So

1. You get periodic scarcity of beef since it is being sold at a loss and subsidies don't cover the loss

2. You get the Nigerian butchery closing due to losses because government has been forcing it to operate at a loss, meaning cow eventually is processed in foreign butcheries and brought back to Nigeria .

Where it is sold at a price below the cost of butchering it abroad and subsidy costs go up.(Eventually, government raises subsides to N700 per kilo, but now it is N1500 to process one kilo of meat. Do we raise the subsidy again?)

Or to summarize , the cost of production of meat from cow goes up and so does the subsidy on meat.

Problem with subsidy, it means price controls and it means that someone loses money. And scams result.

If herdsmen, butchery and company were all allowed to run at a profit, none of this would have happened. Profit can be reinvested in improving cow production and increasing the number of butcheries

Till the prices come down by market forces.

With zero need to pay a subsidy

There were.goverments which subsidized everything once upon a time .They were called the DDR, USSR and the DPRK. By the 1990s they had all failed economies



Good evening

P.S I am not defending Buhari, or APC. Buhari and APC, by keeping subsides have shown that they do not know economics at all. I was not GEJ's fan, but his subsidy removal in 2012 made total common sense, and we even had the cash then to pay for transfers to the poor...exceeding N10000 or more. But Nigerians said no, and Buhari took advantage of Nigerians anger to get into power. Now his eyes have been opened by force. Too bad it took 6-7 years....and a oil crash.

Again, very brilliant submission. But this is too simplistic. By the way, energy is on a different level.

backbencher:


1. When goverment determines the price of fuel it would do so in a way that makes it difficult for businesses to make a profit.

Because goverment is made up of politicans who in order to score political points would force oil companies to sell fuel at a loss. And pay them a subsidy to cover for the losses which lead to to things like subsidy scams

2..As for refineries, refineries can only work when they are allowed to operate at a profit. Meaning they make enough cash for overheads, improvements, upgrades , expansions, and worker welfare and still have enough profits left over

Why our NNPc refineries ran down was because they were run at a loss. Sabotage and corruption finished the job

Whereas if tjey were run at a profit and workers salaries came from the profits made by the refineries not from the revenue from crude, they won't collapse.

3. Cost of making a liter of fuel rises and falls with the crude oil prices. That's why subsides cannot cover the losses sustained by selling fuel below the actual cost price

4..as an example, Dangote refinery has to run at a.profit so that he can pay for the planned expansion of his refinery, pay workers decent salaries, pay overheads, pay maintenance costs and pay back the loans he took for building the refinery. Then there is the taxman too. All that means that he won't be selling fuel below 200 naira, I reckon. The only potential cost cutters are the lower cost of living in Nigeria and the promise that he can pay for crude in naira

Your no. 3 is where the problem lies. Why should we subject our economy and citizens to the harsh uncertainties and fluctuations of the global crude oil market when we are an oil producing country? Does this make any economic sense? Definitely no. But because the government wants to continue to make easy money it continues to allow that absurdity thrive. The same arrangement applies to the electricity industry where the government/NNPC/NGC sells gas to local Gencos at international market price when everyday we flare gas like mad in this country. Thereby exposing our citizens and environment to unnecessary and unconscionable danger and damage. Due to this funny arrangement, whenever there is a significant change in Dollar exchange rate we must then be forced to review prices and tariffs in Nigeria. How can we continue like this? But the government does not care because that way it makes more money as a result of exchange rate differentials even though the economy is exposed to (galloping) inflation.

backbencher:


1.Well the guy above is right, however there are some inaccuracies I would like to point out.

2.First, he assumes that the fact that we send our crude to be refined abroad for free (which is not true as I have pointed out...if it was true, our crude production capacity would have fallen centuries ago...plus the extractive arm of our petroleum industry would be running at a massive loss) means that fuel prices should be cheaper.

3.There are issues with that, and I would go into that

4.First, the crude oil sent to be refined abroad, HAS TO BE PAID FOR....and guess how it is being paid for? In international prices(That's the same problem GENCOS have with power...they have to pay gas companies in DOLLARS, not naira...and that even includes the Nigeria Gas company. A government owned entity)....If we wanted low petrol oil prices, we would , in essence, have to refine our crude for free..which is not how it works.

Add the fact that to get the crude out of the ground in Nigeria costs a lot of money...most of it is offshore, and onshore, there is the threat from crude oil thieves, etc, etc.

So, crude oil costs a lot to get out of the nigerian soil...cost one

5.Cost two...we have to trapsort the crude to Belgium and the Netherlands...where 80% of the crude is refined. That means...transport costs. Because the ships carrying our crude don't carry it for...free.

Transport cost to belgium and the Dutch....cost two.

6. Then it is refined into dirty fuel in those countries (very true)...which is happening because the government wants to keep costs of refining as low as possible. If it was refined to standard, by now fuel subsidy costs would have eaten all our budget basically. To keep fuel cheap, government skimps on standard refining of fuel...

Either way, it costs money...and workers must be paid...cost three.(refining and workers costs)

7.Then there is the fact that the thing , once refined, has to be sent back to Nigeria.....transport costs again...cost 4

8.Then it has to be transported from port to end user...cost 5.


So, the cost of your liter of fuel is based on

1. Cost of removing the crude from the ground....
2.Cost of transporting the crude to Belgium and Holland...
3.Cost of refining the crude in Belgium and holland...
4.Cost of sending the crude back to Nigeria....
5.Cost of transporting the crude from Nigeria port to end user.(a large part of the subsidy is paid here as equalization fund...which is why fuel in theory costs the same all over the country).

And all that comes up to N260 as at a few months ago...per liter of fuel.(Note that the above costs are paid in hard currency...from our revenue).

If we wanted to keep fuel cheap...we would in essence, have extract crude oil for free...(and leave many workers , mostly Nigerians, broke ).

But government forces NNPC to sell the same fuel at N162 per liter of fuel...meaning that the difference between N260 and N162...is paid as subsidy to prevent NNPC from breaking down under losses.

If subsidy goes, government would no longer need to pay N98 per liter of fuel sold...PLUS...NNPC can make actual profits every quarter, not once in 19 years....and government saves money too.

The plan, would be eventually to

1.Refine fuel at home

2.Allow refineries to run at a profit...which is how they would function well.

Dangote is going to end up selling fuel above N300 per liter...unless government gives him crude for free...which won't work.(and which is not going to happen. All government has promised him is that they would sell crude to him in Naira). Sane for the 4 refineries coming on stream, and the 20 waiting to come on stream (AND the two NNPC is fixing up)

Insightful analysis.

Well, for space constraint reasons, I could not go into much details here. But more importantly, I wanted to drop it "as e dey hot". In response to the points raised in your post, I would like to state that there are no inaccuracies in the OP. However, for reasons already stated above, some unnecessary details were deliberately left out. Please, note that the FG does not pay for the crude oil or the other expenses you outlined in your post as there is a special arrangement between the NNPC and the refineries abroad. Those costs are only used to develop the pricing model - which final price is eventually paid for by the consumer. To drive home the point, I will ask just one question, who takes custody of the byproducts from the crude oil sent to be refined? Any how, great perspective from you.

The GMD of NNPC was recently quoted to have said that when fuel subsidy is removed, PMS will sell at between N320 - N340. This government in 2016/2017 said they partially deregulated the sector when they increased the pump price of PMS to N165. The then Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, said the deregulation will force down the price of the product. At the time, I said it was a dubious move; a poorly orchestrated scam by this government! The reason is simple. A government cannot deregulate and yet still fix prices for the same product said to have been deregulated. A simple question will drive home the point. Has the government ever fixed the price of garri in Nigeria? Therein lies the deceit! My position has not changed. For the same reason, the decision of this government to remove subsidy is a scam! No reasonable and responsible government anywhere in the world will leave the price of energy in the hands of private businessmen who are driven primarily by profits seeing as energy is critical to national development and security.

Now, in order to mitigate the concomitant hardship that will result from the deceptive removal of fuel subsidy, the government says it will give N5,000 to the poorest households (about 40 million people) in the country as transport subsidy. This is a problematic proposition. How will the poorest households be determined? The money to be spent as transport subsidy (conservatively estimated at N200 billion a month) could be channeled towards building new refineries or fixing the existing ones. As a matter of fact, this is the elephant in the room which the government pretends not to see. We are talking about fuel subsidy removal in 2021/2022 because our refineries are not working! If the Dangote Group can construct the gigantic refinery that will come on stream in 2022; what excuse does this government have for our refineries not working in full capacity since it took over the reins of power in 2015?

But frankly, I don't understand what the government means when they talk about fuel "subsidy" in the Nigerian context. Fuel subsidy in Nigeria under the Buhari regime is an arrangement that should be viewed with great suspicion. We operate a system called "crude oil swap" - this is simply an arrangement where the NNPC takes crude oil from Nigeria for free to a foreign refinery, refines the crude oil and brings it back to the country for sale to dealers and citizens at international rate using a model with faulty parameters. This system was introduced to curtail the grand sleaze that characterized the subsidy scheme under the previous government where unscrupulous businessman were paid huge sums of money for just presenting worthless papers to the relevant govenment office. To that extent, the government of Nigeria is not really subsidizing the cost of PMS. When the government talks about "subsidy removal" it is only trying to pull the wool over our eyes and obfuscate the issues. In very straightforward terms, it is a ploy to fleece hapless and longsuffering Nigerians.

Death or birth: which is more 'important'? I mean, which engages the emotions more?

How do you treat or regard someone (especially a lady) who behaved this way? In the last three years, this person has daily insisted, and might I add inundated you with the moral position, that they cannot do premarital sex or even allow a man see their nudity before marriage. However, you just recently discovered (with concrete evidence) that behind you the same person is having unprotected sex and even talking about not aborting the foetus if she eventually becomes pregnant.

PS: May be you were in a relationship with this person. May be you were not. But somehow you both are very close due to studies or work.

Note: The figures below do not take into account votes secured by candidates of fringe parties which in any case won't be more than 10% of the entire votes cast.

All things being equal, this is what I see playing out.

1. North Central - 55/45%
2. North East - 55/45%
3. North West - 80/20%
4. South East - 10/90%
5. South South - 30/70%
6. South West - 60/40%

Total: 295/310

Well, whatever happens, I don't see Buhari winning at the first ballot. May be he will win a run off in the worst case scenario.

Of all the candidates, though, I think Prof. Kingsley Moghalu of YPP is the only person that knows what he is doing. Unfortunately, this election is a two horse race.

I have always argued that corruption is not Nigeria's or the Black man's greatest challenge. I still hold that view today. This is for the simple reason that corruption as we understand it down here is one of the symptoms of a much deeper malaise - actually, a mental disease. After careful thought, I termed that disease the 'perception of inadequacy'. In the succeeding paragraphs, I will try to properly diagnose the disease by going into its pathology and thereafter make certain prescriptions that has the potency to flush out the deadly virus.

From childhood, the average Nigerian is exposed to chronic shortages. Without attempting to sound demeaning, no Nigerian has ever been able to have any level of sufficiency in basic services. Things which people elsewhere take for granted: electricity, roads, fuel, pipe borne water, medicare, education, et cetera; are luxuries which most people in Nigeria can ill afford. This sad reality, is the pathology of the disease I identified above. It is a grave condition; this disease called the perception of inadequacy.

This ailment which the Nigerian has been subjected to over the course of his life has very profound and damaging effect on him, on his psyche. Quite frankly, this has resulted in the ordinary Nigerian and Black person being unable to understand and properly function in the material word around him. It is for this reason that the vast majority of Nigerians and Black people continue to exhibit, most times subconsciously, some very awkward behaviours. A few examples are in order at this point.

When you get into any banking hall in Nigeria, and I dare say most black countries, you would notice something unique. Upon joining the queue, the person in front of you will inform you that there is someone behind them. While trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the customer who is not in the queue, another person will tap you from behind to say that they are going to complete the relevant bank form but that you should inform others that someone is behind you. Basically, no one wants to be the last person on the queue. This is not limited to queues in banking halls only. As a matter of solid fact, we jump any and all queues in these parts! This terrible practice has deep roots and has caused many a quarrel in banking halls and elsewhere even though it is not considered too serious.

This next example is a most troubling one and is usually a pitiable sight. I am not sure we have ever gotten it right in this regard: when sharing money, food or other items - no matter how irrelevant the item or the status of the people concerned. If you have attended any occasion or function where items are to be shared, you would notice in the majority of cases that while the sharing is going on some people will raise an alarm that the items have not gotten to their corner. They will be asked to be patient that the items will get to everyone. But the more they are told to remain patient, the more impatient they become. Usually, in situations like this one of two things happen. The people agitating become uncontrollable and the sharing stops altogether or they become so unruly and descend on the items while helping themselves to it in a free for all.

And now the one that most people will identify with. Most politicians when they are elected say they are coming to serve the people. But this is not really true. Many of them have lived under the crushing weight of lack and deprivation. They see occupation of public or government offices as the only way out of such existence. This is why when these men and women finally get into office and have access to the public till they steal like their lives literally depends on it; like they will drop dead if they stopped or took it easy. They steal for themselves and on behalf of their children up to the seventh generation! This also applies with equal force to other private arrangements.

The pertinent question now is: why do we feel compelled to behave in these strange ways? The answer is simple and straightforward. Based on the prevailing conditioning and reality of lack and inadequacy, the vast majority of the populace believes that if they are not in a good position in the 'queue' the 'goodies' may likely not get to them. They take it for granted that there is due process, an order to be followed in the distribution or that the organisers may have made adequate arrangement for all the attendees. And so, to forestall that perceived likelihood these people subconsciously create a chaotic situation which favours the physically strong and greedy and the brutish display of base instincts.

It is difficult to accept that our case is beyond redemption. This is especially so when the culprit for our peculiar way of doing things has been identified: the epidemic known as the perception of inadequacy! Yes, indeed! The disease is of epidemic proportions at the moment and something must be done urgently to contain it and curtail its spread. In that light, any discussion about societal reform or the fight against corruption in Nigeria and most parts of the Black world must necessarily begin with a rejigging of our perception of our existence. But more importantly, we must drastically and comprehensively address the kind of physical poverty that makes this type of thinking and perception possible. Unless we do so, we will only be playing the ostrich when we say we demand change or insist that we are 'fighting' corruption. The 'war' against corruption is supposed to be unconventional. It should also be a psychological one!

Listic1; @ODNEsq

Lalasticlala: Thank you.

On Monday, October 1st, 2018, I attended a programme whose theme was stopping the negative cycle in our families and Nigeria. On my way back, I noticed that a good number of children and young people (mostly teenagers) were out and about in the country's colours having a good time. This symbolises a degree of belief and faith in their country. This is a very good thing. Yes indeed, I do, too. I still believe in the potentials that Nigeria is endowed with. That is as far as it gets. But this is not even the issue.

The pith and substance of this piece is that all too often, these young people are forced to abandon this patriotism and loyalty to the country soon thereafter - when reality hits them in the face. That is to say, when they write their first 'WAEC'; their second or third JAMB or when they are forced to 'sort' a lecturer before they can pass a course in the university. This is obviously for only those who are persistent enough or financially capable.

For so many others, reality dawns when they graduate from university, finish service and yet can't find a decent job with which to take care of themselves and their families. Well, there are so many others who don't fall within this category. These ones didn't even have a fair chance. They were shut out by the system and, sadly, many of them are a menace to the society. This is most unfortunate, indeed.

It is very depressing but, yeah, Nigeria is disappointing her young people! These people need inspiration and fire! WE MUST STOP THE CYCLE! #stopthecycle.

Listic1; @ODNEsq.

Many young people in Nigeria have never been unsure of their future like now. There are countless indicators all around us that support this conclusion. Some of the very obvious ones include increase in gambling (i.e. sports betting), drug abuse and - the one that affects all of us - (violent) crimes.

I reckon that our unmarried female folk, especially those above thirty (30), will be most affected if the trend doesn't change soonest. Not that marriage is that important, but most young men may not be willing to marry young ladies in that category with considerations of procreation driving their decision. You know, they say menopause comes very early these days. Lolz. Worse still, the families of these ladies and an ignorant society will keep mounting unnecessary pressure on them to get married as if a lady's life is meaningless and all her personal achievements pales into nothingness if she is unmarried. I really sympathise with our unmarried young ladies!

But then, today, the 12th of August, 2018 is International Youth Day. A day that demands that everyone but particularly the youths themselves and the elders/leaders take a step back and reflect on the destiny of the youths in this country. As we mark the day today with a most appropriate theme: 'Safe Spaces for Youth'; my earnest desire is that our young people will wise up! Identify their common enemy and then rally round to crush it. And by so doing create safe spaces in which they can thrive and give expression to their innate abilities.

Listic1; @ODNEsq.

I had a telling encounter during my time in the UK. I had just concluded year one and needed to move out of my university's hall of residence. Just around this time, I found a property which I really liked. To place myself in prime spot to get it for rental purposes from the letting agency, I offered to pay a year's rent based on my peculiar Nigerian experience.

Meanwhile, I was asked to hold on till the following day as other interested persons were also coming to view the property. I happily went away in the firm hope that I will get it. The following day, I was shocked to receive a regret call from the agency that the property had been let to some other person.

Confused about the development, I had to do a bit of investigation. From that exercise, I discovered that my offer to pay a full year's rent was my greatest undoing. The guys in the agency have not heard or seen that sort of thing before. That a regular tenant would pay rent for an entire year upfront when he is only paid his salary on a monthly or weekly basis, as the case may be. And I was a student! To them, this meant only one thing: I was involved in some kind of shady dealings. What even made matters worse: I am a Black man from Nigeria!

There is a big lesson here for Nigeria! In our attempt to 'fight' fraud aka '419' and 'Yahoo Yahoo' and graft as a society, these are some of the fundamentals we should be concerned about. I ask in closing: how can a civil servant in Nigeria be asked to pay rent for a year in advance when that same person has not been paid salary for months? In some cases, highly unscrupulous landlords even ask for two years' rent in advance! We are not serious.

@ODNEsq; Listic1

Lalasticlala: Thanks.

three:
NO state in Nigeria should operate Opaque finances...

Correct.

The 2016 Appropriation Law i.e budget of Rivers State was passed in a day. That of 2017 in a day (some reports even say 3 hours). That of 2018 in 12 days or thereabouts - this is a very significant improvement. As of this moment, no one outside the government has seen these budgets. I am willing to wager that most officials of the government have not even seen the budget themselves. Well, in truth, the constitution does not prescribe a time frame within which an Appropriation Bill should be passed save to say the process cannot delay beyond the end of June of a new financial year. It does not also say that a budget should be published in any particular manner. However, passing these bills in 24 hours or less (save for the most recent 2018 appropriation bill) does not afford all the critical stakeholders ample opportunity to participate in the budgetary process. Similarly, the failure of the government to publish the budget makes it impossible for the citizens to hold the government to account in the way their resources are used. This is highly unfortunate. Nonetheless, it is beside the point.

The burning issue is that in public discourses officials of the state government, in an attempt to please their appointer have, to my utter bewilderment, confirmed that they do not know or cannot remember their ministry, department, agency or commission's budget. The one that appears to have broken the camel's back happened last Saturday - 02:06:2018 - when the Director, Information and Voter Education of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission featured on Rhythm 93.7 FM's Viewpoint. In the course of the interview, the lady Director was asked how much it will cost the Commission to conduct the 16:06:2018 local government elections. In a nutshell, the presenter and callers were asked to make it formal by applying; the officer either could not remember the amount or refused to say it. This was a bit awkward: we could excuse core political appointees but for a so called independent commission to do so is a new low. Of course, this is a ruse, deeply ludicrous and says only one thing. The Rivers State Government has something to hide! And this is without any equivocation. For Pete's sake, a state's budget is a law! One does not need to apply through his legislator or to any official for a law that was duly passed by the House of Assembly. Like all other laws, the government is ordinarily supposed to make it available to the citizens.

It is, indeed, sad - if not tragically stupid - that these people are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of very enlightened citizens. Probably they are not aware, Mr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as a gubernatorial candidate in a live debate organised by the AIM Group, owners of Nigeria Info 92.3 FM, in 2014 PROMISED to make his government's budget available to the public within TWO (2) weeks after passage. Today that same man has become a Governor and he is trying to be unnecessarily legalistic by asking citizens to apply to see their own budget and some unscrupulous people are trying to rationalise the issue. This is a joke taken too far. It is a senseless scandal. I am traumatised!

By Listic1; @ODNEsq

To everyone who disagrees with the OP, all I can say is OK.

A small observation:
It is funny and unfortunate how some nairalanders resort to cussing when they do not agree with a point of view.

jidxin:
Help....... Why am I seeing this as not being educative..... If I asked you how your night was I'm not asking you to give me a detailed review. It's just like asking you "how are you" if I were to go by what the op analysed then I will start explaining. But merely asking about your night is just a gesture of goodwill. I'm not asking for wat transpired BTW couples, if d FCK was awesome den u had a wonderful night. And if u had an undisturbed night a pseudo death then your night was fantastic .....

OK.

ilevic:
I can't even make any sense out of the crap written by the Op.

Now look at this

My neighbor: Good morning Mr Ilevic, How was your night

me: My night wasn't too good

my neighbour: Heyaa sowie. What happened?


me: I couldn't sleep. I battled with mosquitoes all night


My neighbor: That's serious, I think you need to buy XYZ brand of insecticide


me: I Used ABC

my neighbor: Oh that is not effective. Buy XYZ


me: thanks am grateful



Op abeg tell where did u see anything like "how was last night s3x in the above conversation?. Pls don't miseducate us jare.

OK.

obailala:
Seriously, how can I unread this nonsense I just read now?

The person who came up with this pointless lecture is just seeking undeserved attention and couldnt think of any meaningful way to go about it. Like seriously, what's the difference between "how was your day?" and "hope you had a good day?"

There's absolutely nothing wrong with asking a neighbour "how was your night?" If the person had a good night, the person could truthfully answer "fine", or could decide to divulge more info if they so wish. Likewise if the person had a bad one, they could easily say "fine" if they dont feel comfortable duvulging further info. Too many oversabis just litter the world confysing themselves (and others) everyday.

OK.

Rubbiish:

This post doesn't make sense...
Do u know people get attacked in the night?
Do u know people get to see harmful animals within their house at night?
Do u know a healthy person can fall sick at night?
Do u know people don't get up to one hour sleep at night?
Asking someone how was your night only bespeaks u care about them....Same way u ask people how are u doing?....

OK

erad:
I feel Nigerians lack a sense of priority.
Imagine the pressing problem to some is the question, "How was your night"?
I guess different strokes for different folks though.
That said, I really see nothing wrong with the question.
While you might decide to be hypersensitive about it, that's strictly your opinion and feeling.
It would have made more sense if you stated not to like it and move on to state your reasons, rather than trying to speak for everyone else.
Personally, I appreciate when my friends ask how my night was especially considering the fact that I suffer from insomnia and don't get to sleep that often.
Someone asking how your night was doesn't warrant you narrating your night's activities to them, it's just their way of caring. Should they feel guilty for caring about you?
If you don't like the question, you tell them and that's that.

All those jargons up there is strictly my opinion.
Thank you.

OK

BabyApple:
I want read am but I dey sHy

OK.

airoport:
The scenario you aptly described is the cause of impunity in our administration of criminal Justice system. 'The shake body' syndrome is rife. From the prosecutor to the DPP, to those in charge of the files. Why/, how do the files get lost? May have been paid for! Why the delays, may have been orchestrated after been paid for! So that the complainant gets worn out, the trail of evidence grows colds, vital witnesses are either transferred or relocate etc The system is shady, sync ed

You understand the situation. Are you a lawyer? If you don't mind my asking?

There is a growing but troubling trend in Nigeria. When your neighbours see you in the morning, they exchange the normal pleasantries: 'Good morning'. Immediately after that they go forcefully: 'How was your night?'. The (reluctant) response most times is: 'Fine'. But is this correct? Hold it for a second. Is the question even proper in the first place? Let us see.

When people sleep, they practically die. They are unaware of their environment and so, cannot truthfully answer any question relating to that episode. On those occasions when they did not really sleep, do we expect them to relay their activities to their interrogator? How do we expect a married person, for instance, to bare out their nightly activities with their partner to a neighbour? This cannot be right. To put it in very plain terms, it is inappropriate!

Well, how can we go around this faux pas? It is pretty straightforward. Instead of asking: 'How was your night?', we could say: 'I hope you had a good night's rest?' or 'I hope you slept well!' or something along those lines. In that case, the one being asked can truthfully say: 'Yes, thank you'. However, if the respondent's experience was unpalatable, they could, at their discretion, explain why that was so.

As a rule of thumb, in conversing with friends, acquaintances and even strangers it is best to concentrate on or limit oneself only to what is before the parties: the person! There is actually no point asking very personal and private questions. It does not show that one truly cares. As we take these suggestions on board, we introduce decorum into our conversations.

@ODNEsq; Listic1

In the first half of the year 2017, the news media in Nigeria was agog with the headline making and shattering story of the death, in Port Harcourt, of a delivery man who works for one of the country’s online retailers. According to media reports, the young family man was allegedly abducted and thereafter killed in the most depraved and gruesome manner by some customers, who had earlier ordered the products being delivered, when they could not pay for same. The police was invited and they swiftly commenced investigation into the matter. As part of the investigation process the suspects, two young men and a lady, who looked very odd in terms of their choice of fashion – not that it matters, were arrested at the scene of the alleged crime and subsequently taken to the station. A few weeks after the arrest was made, the media once again reported that the suspects were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court. They were charged principally with the offence of murder before that court. They could not take their plea because the court lacked the jurisdiction to try the offence of murder. In the circumstances, the Chief Magistrate ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody. Meantime, their file was transferred to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice, Rivers State, for legal advice.

What I have briefly set out in the paragraph above is what is regarded in legal parlance as a ‘holding charge’. However, some lawyers are of the opinion that the concept of a ‘holding charge’ does not exist under Nigerian law. They cite the cases of Olawoye vs. C.O.P (2006) 2 NWLR (Pt 965) Pg 427, Enwere vs. C.O.P (1993) 6 NWLR (Pt 299) Pg 333 and similar other cases in support of the proposition. While that view is respected, the issue being discussed in this piece is not nomenclature, legal terminology or the likes. No, far from it! The essence of this polemic is an attempt at interrogating decades’ long practice by the police – a practice which has grave implications for the respect for and protection of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of all Nigerians.

It goes without saying that the police are statutorily empowered to maintain law and order. It is equally beyond discussion that they are mandated to investigate crimes when they are suspected to have been committed. See ss4, 24, Police Act, Cap P19, LFN, 2004. To be clear, I do not have any serious problem with the fact that the police cannot fully investigate certain offences within a very short time or within the time the victim would love for it to be concluded. This is because; the world over, certain offences are executed in a planned, calculated and complex manner. As such, investigating such offences becomes serious business and requires a good deal of time. Hence, the need to detain suspects who are arrested in the course of investigation for longer. My quarrel, however, is with the fact that after more than half a century of Nigeria’s independence, the police are still unable to conclude investigations into simple offences and thereafter charge the suspects before the appropriate courts.

In failing to diligently conduct their investigation, the police therefore bring themselves closely within the provisions of s35(1), (4), (5) and s36(1) CFRN, 1999 (as amended) which guarantee the right to personal liberty and that of fair hearing for every person resident in Nigeria. However, in order to undo the effect of those sections, the police then swiftly take the suspects to a Magistrate’s Court. In doing so, the police usually charge the suspects with a more serious crime. The purpose for the police doing do so is something I cannot wrap my head around; it has left me scratching my head for a long while. Well, it appears an independent enquiry has to be conducted for that reason. Nevertheless, the view may be offered that the practice may not be unconnected with the use of the police to settle personal scores and, more importantly, a troubling dearth of professionalism within the police which compels them to take the easy way out most of the time. I should be quick to add that unprofessionalism is a malaise that permeates the entire strata of the Nigerian society.

In spite of the grave misgivings expressed above, the Supreme Court weighed in on the situation in the case of Lufadeju vs. Johnson (2007) 8 NWLR (Pt 1037) 535. In that case, the apex court, Per Akintan, JSC, at page 566, para A-D of the report, after clarifying that the above practice is remand proceedings had this to say: “….It is necessary to state that section 236(3) of the Criminal Procedure Law is aimed at ensuring judicial control of those arrested by the Police on criminal allegations. The power of the Police to detain a suspect is restricted by the law to specific number of days. They are therefore required within the period to bring the suspect before a court for the purpose of an order for further remand, if need be. The appropriate court for such request is the Magistrate Court. The purpose of bringing the accused to the court at that stage was not for a trial. It was for an order by the court for the suspect to be remanded in custody pending the time the Police would be ready to arraign the suspect before the appropriate court or tribunal which has jurisdiction to try the suspect for the indictable offence. The Magistrate would consider whether to grant or refuse the accused bail. Where bail is refused…the right of the accused to approach a High Court for bail is usually available to him.” The Court, Per Onnoghen, JSC, at page 573, para B of the report, concluded the point when he stated that: “I hold the view that section 236(3) of the CPL is not unconstitutional….If anything the said section clearly complements the provisions of…the constitution and is designed to aid the administration of criminal justice in this country”.

While the Supreme Court’s position above makes eminent legal and common sense, it appears to me that it encourages the police to continue in this ignoble practice; creates a situation where our prisons are congested and in the long term results in the violation of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the citizens. An example will drive home the point being made. A person is suspected of committing the crime of say, armed robbery. He is brought by the police a few days after his arrest to the Magistrate’s Court which obviously does not have jurisdiction to try the offence. The Magistrate, without allowing the suspect take his plea remands him in prison custody pending legal advice from the DPP to whom the case file is referred. Nigeria, as most people will agree, is a highly confounding address. Due to this peculiar trait, the DPP is unable to transmit the legal advice within the timeframe ordered by the court because the suspect’s family is unable to ‘shake body’ and this is assuming the suspect even has a family that is interested in the matter. Along the line and due to the passage of vast amounts of time, the case file is misplaced or untraceable. And so, what results is that the suspect remains in prison custody awaiting a trial that in the great majority of cases never comes, utterly frustrated and broken. This is the single most important reason we have a lot of ‘awaiting trial’ cases within the prison system.

In a good number of cases, the offence alleged is not as serious as armed robbery. In those situations which do not carry the death penalty or life imprisonment, we find suspects serving out the entire prison term prescribed for the offence they were initially charged with while still awaiting trial and with practically no idea when their ordeal will be over! What system can be more diabolical than this, please? And who says every charge will be proved to the standard required by law; who says every defendant will be found guilty! In certain cases, some suspects may even be innocent of the charges against them especially when we take the favourite pastime, I believe, standard procedure, of the police into consideration: raids. The only saving grace for suspects in cases like this is the goodwill of either the President, Governor or the Chief Judge of a State while exercising the powers conferred on each by ss175, 212 CFRN, 1999 (as amended)) and s1 Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) (Special Provisions) Act, Cap C40, LFN 2004, respectively. It should be appreciated that these powers are seldom exercised. When they are even exercised on those rare occasions when we celebrate ‘democracy day’ or ‘independence day’ how many suspects in prison custody actually benefit from it? Unfortunately, precious little! Accordingly, those left behind will continue to look up to the metaphorical ‘hills’ from whence their help may come some time, some day, whatever.

This very sad state of affairs has led no less a personality than the Chief Judge of Ogun State, Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Olopade, to lament bitterly. The Chief Judge sometime in 2017 visited prison facilities in Oba, Ilaro, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode and Ibara. In the course of the tour, the Chief Judge freed a number of prisoners. In doing so, the Chief Judge noted that the negligence of the legal department of the Nigeria Police Force was responsible for the prolonged detention of many suspects and inmates. She observed that many suspects have been in prison custody for years and in some cases unjustly because the police have refused to do what is proper. After assessing the entire situation for herself, the Chief Judge poignantly concluded thus: ‘I did not release you because you are innocent or guilty, but because your case files cannot be found’.

The views expressed in this work should not be misunderstood. This is in no way an excuse for crime and criminality. It is similarly not aimed at treating crime with kid’s gloves. No way! To the contrary, I believe that the highest punishment provided by our penal framework should be visited on those who have decided to take to crime and who by so doing ceaselessly torment our communities with a mindlessness that is unfathomable. But very importantly, these people must first and foremost be found guilty of committing the offences alleged by a competent court of law. In fact, in appropriate cases, I believe that the death sentence should be imposed on those adjudged to be deserving of same. I have no apologies for this. The argument whether or not it deters criminality is neither here nor there. It is absolutely baseless! Nevertheless, it is the contention here that in our fight of or attempt to eradicate crime from our society we all, but especially the courts, the police and other critical stakeholders, must always find ways to respect the humanity in the suspected criminal. Our failing to do so will only leave us in great despair following our inability to break free from what will turn out to be vicious cycle.

@ODNEsq; Listic1

GoroTango:
You reallythink the opinions you read in print and on social media reflect the true feelings of Nigerians abi? You'll be surprised

I will be surprised? Really? Please, bookmark this post. February 2019 is only 12 or so months away.

Stakeholders (including my good self) have respectfully urged Buhari not to contest in the 2019 presidential election. This is not because we are oblivious of his constitutional and democratic rights to so do. It is also not because anyone is afraid of Buhari. Who is even afraid of Buhari? Was he not roundly defeated thrice? As a matter of fact, the Buhari 'phenomenon' has since been demystified! The man has been found to be completely empty and disoriented! On the contrary, it is because we are deeply concerned about Nigeria's unity, long term security and the welfare of the longsuffering people of the country.

I will explain. In any credible election in 2019, there is no way on God's earth that the man will win. Now, we know the antecedents of Buhari. He does not accept electoral defeat due to his flawed perception of his popularity. This is the reason he never congratulated any of the candidates who won him at the polls between 2003 and 2011. Sadly, in 2011 this led to the deaths of many people including corps members who participated in the election and the destruction of valuable properties by his supporters.

Against this backdrop, it becomes at once clear that if Buhari contests and loses (as he would) he and his many unenlightened supporters won't accept the defeat. This will therefore pose very serious problems for the country security and economy wise. Many people have already seen this possibility, no, imminent reality. This is why, in good conscience, they continue to impress on the mind of Buhari that he should not contest. I hope in his own best interests that he heeds the call!

Listic1; @ODNEsq.

If you desire to carry out a fairly accurate assessment of the (average) Nigerian; please, visit the toilet of any public building or facility in that country. Mostly nice and beautiful on the outside but utterly filthy and nauseating on the inside!

Listic1; @ODNEsq

Adminisher:
We are giving him one more term. You can take a jump into the Atlantic

Nutase:
Buhari 2019 carry go.

I would have laughed at these comments here if not that the current situation is, indeed, a tragedy. You people should keep playing politics with incompetence. Poignantly, it is not better for you guys, either! After all, did we not see a Governor buying 'black market' fuel? Lolz. As a matter of fact, for many of you it is far worse!