The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has offered to lend its services to the government with the production of the draft of a new constitution, if the National Assembly successfully amends the document.
The group made the offer in Abuja on Wednesday while presenting its memorandum on constitution review and electoral reform to the Senate, two weeks after the public hearing ended.
The NBA occupies a significant position in the process of constitution reviews and electoral reforms and part of the recommendations of the Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee is that a seat be created for the association on the board of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The association could not present its memorandum during the recently concluded national public hearing in Abuja and, therefore, sought for another date to make its presentations. The Senate obliged it by allowing it to make its presentation at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Wednesday.
Rotimi Akeredolu, the association’s chairman, led the delegation of lawyers who made the presentation. He asked the National Assembly to keep up the work on the constitution review, even though it (the Assembly) seems to be short of time.
He also appealed to the Senate to fast-track some justice sector reform bills which have been pending in the chambers for long. Top on the list is the National Human Rights Amendment bill, which, according to him, will make the body more independent; and the Prison bill, which Mr. Akeredolu said, is the longest existing bill in the National Assembly, among others.
Change of attitude
The association supported the view of Victor Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross River State), who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on the issues of constitutions review. The senator is of the view that unless there is a change of attitude by politicians, the whole effort at constitutional review and electoral reforms will be a waste.
According to Joseph Daudu, chairman of NBA’s Legislative Advocacy Working Group, “attitude represents a very key aspect of the reforms”.
The report, however, contains some recommendations which the NBA arrived at after a two-day retreat in September this year at Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State.
The recommendations in the NBA report include the establishment of a state police system, an advice for a piece-meal approach to the amendment of the 1999 Constitution and establishment of constitutional courts, amongst other recommendations.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, expressed appreciation for the NBA’s concern on issues of constitution review and electoral reforms and promised to make copies of their report and circulate same to all members of the constitution review committee for careful study
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Nigerian Ambassador Charges Security Council on AU Peacekeeping
Nigerian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Bukun-Ola Onemola, has advised the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution on the five-financing mechanism to fund African Union (AU) peacekeeping operations.
Onemola, in his word while addressing the United Nations Security Council debate on Peace and Security in Africa, made it known that the adoption of the resolution would help in strengthening AU's capacity to respond to the ever growing peacekeeping and security challenges in our region.The Nigerian Envoy pressed further that the debate would assist the council in forging new consensus and support for the proposals contained in the UN Secretary-General's report before the council.
He, however, made it known that Nigeria was appreciative of the close collaboration between the UN and AU to strengthen partnership in the area of peace and security.In his word, the Diplomat said that Peace and Security Council, the Continental Early Warning System, the Panel of the Wise, the African Standby Force and the Special Fund as some of the areas in which support was required.His words: "Africa also need sustainable, flexible and predictable funding for peacekeeping operations, in addition to the support required to facilitate the building of the continent's peacekeeping capacity and institutional mechanism.
Onemola, in his word while addressing the United Nations Security Council debate on Peace and Security in Africa, made it known that the adoption of the resolution would help in strengthening AU's capacity to respond to the ever growing peacekeeping and security challenges in our region.The Nigerian Envoy pressed further that the debate would assist the council in forging new consensus and support for the proposals contained in the UN Secretary-General's report before the council.
He, however, made it known that Nigeria was appreciative of the close collaboration between the UN and AU to strengthen partnership in the area of peace and security.In his word, the Diplomat said that Peace and Security Council, the Continental Early Warning System, the Panel of the Wise, the African Standby Force and the Special Fund as some of the areas in which support was required.His words: "Africa also need sustainable, flexible and predictable funding for peacekeeping operations, in addition to the support required to facilitate the building of the continent's peacekeeping capacity and institutional mechanism.
Kidnappers demand N500 Million for Soludo's father
No word has been heard about the whereabouts of Mr. Simon Nwankwo, father of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Chukwuma Soludo, who was kidnapped on Tuesday night. However, last night, the kidnappers of the 78-year old man broke their silence.
They are demanding the sum of N500 million as ransom before they would release the father of the putative candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2010 Anambra Sate governorship election. A senior police officer of the Anambra State command of the Nigerian police who does not want his name in print, confirmed the report of the ransom demand. He, however, said the command had not been officially notified.
Mr.Nwankwo, was kidnapped in his hometown of Isuofia in Aguata local government Area on Tuesday by a six-man gang who came in a Peugeot 406 saloon car.
Chris Uba invited
The spokesperson of the Anambra State police command, Emeka Chukwuemeka, also confirmed to NEXT that the command had issued an invitation to Chris Uba, a leader of the PDP in Anambra state to report to the command today.
Mr Chukwuemka declined comments on whether the invitation was connected to the kidnap of Mr Soludo’s father. “We invited him because of the political meeting he (Chris Uba) convened in the state capital yesterday,” he said. Sources, however, told NEXT that the invitation was on the directive of the Inspector general of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo.
In an earlier phone conversation with NEXT, Mr Chukwuemeka said the command was yet to establish any contact with the kidnappers. He, however said that he believed that with the intense efforts being put into the search, Mr Soludo might soon be rescued.
“The command is doing its best to establish a lead, and the command has not found any,” he said. “This command has been doing everything humanly possible to establish contact with the kidnappers, but up till now, no information yet. That does not mean that even now or soon, we cannot re-establish contact with the kidnappers or rescue the man.”
Whiff of politics
But the Southeast Zone of the Nigeria Renewal Group (NRG) has accused the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party of being responsible for the kidnap.
A statement by the group’s chairman, Ejiamatu Chikwado, said the kidnap was politically motivated.
“The national leadership of the PDP ,since the Colonel Ahmadu Ali days, should be held responsible for acts of terrorism like this one because it has always rewarded its favoured members who brazenly indulge in all manner of criminal acts, even against fellow party members,” he said.
“The kidnapping of the PDP candidate’s father, apparently by his own party men, is what would always happen in a country where crime is rewarded, instead of being punished. Nigeria is not yet a country governed by the rule of law, but by the rule of men.” Chris Ngige, a former governor of the state was abducted on July 10 2003. But the group said this was equally done by his political opponents, whom it said were not punished.
“The abductors were thus encouraged to do more dastardly things, like the burning of such state institutions as the House of Assembly, the legislators’ quarters, Government House, the state judicial headquarters, broadcasting stations and others in November, 2004, for a whole two days in broad daylight,” the group said.
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They are demanding the sum of N500 million as ransom before they would release the father of the putative candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2010 Anambra Sate governorship election. A senior police officer of the Anambra State command of the Nigerian police who does not want his name in print, confirmed the report of the ransom demand. He, however, said the command had not been officially notified.
Mr.Nwankwo, was kidnapped in his hometown of Isuofia in Aguata local government Area on Tuesday by a six-man gang who came in a Peugeot 406 saloon car.
Chris Uba invited
The spokesperson of the Anambra State police command, Emeka Chukwuemeka, also confirmed to NEXT that the command had issued an invitation to Chris Uba, a leader of the PDP in Anambra state to report to the command today.
Mr Chukwuemka declined comments on whether the invitation was connected to the kidnap of Mr Soludo’s father. “We invited him because of the political meeting he (Chris Uba) convened in the state capital yesterday,” he said. Sources, however, told NEXT that the invitation was on the directive of the Inspector general of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo.
In an earlier phone conversation with NEXT, Mr Chukwuemeka said the command was yet to establish any contact with the kidnappers. He, however said that he believed that with the intense efforts being put into the search, Mr Soludo might soon be rescued.
“The command is doing its best to establish a lead, and the command has not found any,” he said. “This command has been doing everything humanly possible to establish contact with the kidnappers, but up till now, no information yet. That does not mean that even now or soon, we cannot re-establish contact with the kidnappers or rescue the man.”
Whiff of politics
But the Southeast Zone of the Nigeria Renewal Group (NRG) has accused the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party of being responsible for the kidnap.
A statement by the group’s chairman, Ejiamatu Chikwado, said the kidnap was politically motivated.
“The national leadership of the PDP ,since the Colonel Ahmadu Ali days, should be held responsible for acts of terrorism like this one because it has always rewarded its favoured members who brazenly indulge in all manner of criminal acts, even against fellow party members,” he said.
“The kidnapping of the PDP candidate’s father, apparently by his own party men, is what would always happen in a country where crime is rewarded, instead of being punished. Nigeria is not yet a country governed by the rule of law, but by the rule of men.” Chris Ngige, a former governor of the state was abducted on July 10 2003. But the group said this was equally done by his political opponents, whom it said were not punished.
“The abductors were thus encouraged to do more dastardly things, like the burning of such state institutions as the House of Assembly, the legislators’ quarters, Government House, the state judicial headquarters, broadcasting stations and others in November, 2004, for a whole two days in broad daylight,” the group said.
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