almajirimedia

[almajirimedia]

Why is intimidation becoming normalized in Adamawa State?

Harassment, intimidation and assault, are becoming normalized by politicians, especially since the coming of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State.

A video of an alleged honorable Chairman of local Government in Adamawa State has begun to circulate on social media early afternoon on Saturday. In the video, the honorable was seen moving menacingly, expresing verbal threats, curses and insults towards a man believed to be a motor mechanic.

Remember that an Abuja High court had ordered Senator Elisha Abbo (PDP, Adamawa) to pay the sum of N50 million to Ms. Warmate for an assault on her last year in a sex shop. A Magistrate court in the FCT had earlier dismissed the suit for lack of evidence despite a CCTV footage.

Lawyers had faulted the judgement of the Magistrate, Abdullahi Ilelah, saying that instances of simple assault are physical attack, pushing someone or slapping someone in an argument.

Others say that assault is the intentional use of force or violence against another, "such as punching a person or striking the victim with an object. Assault need not involve actual physical contact, and is defined as an ATTEMPT TO COMMIT A PHYSICAL ATTACK or as intentional acts that cause a person to feel afraid of impending violence. Under this definition, verbal threats are usually not enough to constitute an assault. Some action, such as raising a fist or moving menacingly toward a victim, usually is required. However, threatening to hurt someone while walking toward him with a clenched, raised fist would constitute assault. Like the Senator did, likewise the honorable in the trending video.

The video not only show the honorable threatening to hurt the mechanic but it was also a very clear slap. And like Senator Abbo, the honorable's security aide stood by helplessly as his principal committed a crime.

Senior politicians are irked by this development in Adamawa as a "huge disgrace" to people in position of authority. Leaders should grow thick skin to criticism and be calm in the face of direct confrontation. But these lamentations seems a cover up for various slip-offs from high ranking politicians in the State of which the Governor himself is a culprit to swirling anger outbursts.

In a viral audio clip last week, Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri was heard swearing by God to deal ruthlessly with a critic of his administration.

During the audio altercation, Gov. Fintiri was heard threatening in fits of anger and riding on his power as a Governor, promised to deal with the critic in a way no one will rescue him.

These incidents of intimidation and harassment is becoming a dangerous tool in the hands of powerful politicians to silence opposition or people they see as obstacles to their dwarfed personalities.

These kind of liabilities exist in our political structure mainly due to imposition of candidates on electorates of which PDP is well known for. Political apathy is another basis for which unreliable candidates end up on the ballot. But most importantly, it is how we organise ourselves, or the lack of clear organization and mobilization of good and decent representatives to public offices.

As a community of decent citizens, we urge the current victim of the horrible slap from the honorable to seek a redress in a court of law, perhaps like Ms. Warmate, he could be granted N50m as well.

[almajirimedia]

NIGERIA AT 60

NORTH EAST ALLIANCE RIGHTS (NEAR)

October 1, 2020.

As you must have read from President Buhari's independence day speech, our country used to be a population of about 45 million people at independence 60 years ago, today we are grappling with a population of over 200 million people. This we believe lies one of the fundamental things that are wrong with us as a people. We have no planning for the future.

Each government came and squandered our collective prosperity without making plans for the next day or for the next generation.

We have had so many October 1st. We celebrated, made speeches and moved on.

For more than 5 years we have had insurgent attacks. We made condolence speeches for the dead and moved on. For a number of years we have had gigantic figures of corruption, the recent one being N2. 67b for school feeding funds found in private pockets. Like the previous ones discovered, this one too would be swept under the carpet without any arrest.

Many of our problems are becoming bigger and the perpetrators becoming bolder. From attacking small communities, insurgents are now attacking a governor, attacking a moving train.

The whole of Northern Nigeria is under siege from kidnappers to terrorists. Yet we have the President among us. We have the chief of army staff and air staff, inspector General of Police, National Security Adviser and the Comptroller General of Customs, all from the North. Yet, these attacks have become pervasive and smuggling has continued un-abetted in spite the border closure.

Something is wrong, there is certainly something that we are missing and unless we change our approach, planning and strategy, our 60 years of Independence would amount to nothing but another chapter of empty speeches.

The unemployment rate has soared from 9.62 in 1999 at the return of democracy to 13.96 in 2019. Most affected are youths who are half the population of Nigeria's over 200 million people. What plans do we have for this threatening situation?

The government has poured billions of naira into creating job opportunities and diversifying the economy. Yet, the prices of food is still increasing and job losses are rising. Something is not right, perhaps there is a faulty approach.

There are people across the value chain that are subverting the effort of government. These people must be identified and dealt with seriously and quickly. The government must seen to be bold and decisive in matters affecting the common people. All the three arms of the government must work in tandem with other institutions to achieve this result, or else, next year and the year after, we will still be talking about these same problems.

Nigeria is free from colonialism hence the independence celebration. But we are imprisoned by fear of kidnappers, and various other forms of terrorism. Including that of a government we have elected to protect and safeguard our freedom and rights.

Police brutality, extortion and abductions are still happening against the backdrop of democratic norms and institutions.

The government of change must make the change country in its favor. History will judge it as one that made the right reforms that ended impunity and enhanced social cohesion. Every citizen must feel safe in all the 36 States of the Federation.

We are calling on our political and religious leaders, community and business class in the North East to stand up to their responsibilities of making life a little easier and better for the common man. They must not continue to be nonchalant and ignore the suffering of the masses.

We in the North East Alliance Rights will continue to provide strong leadership, guidance, support and credible information across-the-board on the Nigerian nation state as it affects the disadvantaged citizens of the North East.

A communique released to us by The North East Alliance Rights.

All rights reserved mediaalmajiri@gmail.com

[almajirimedia]

The only story down North is about almajiri children and banditry.

The North East, which was a politically quiet and docile region has suddenly woken up to the exigencies of the impudent political class. The reason for this awakening could not be far from the vicious predicament of grand theft, corruption, intense regional and tribal rivalry and suspicions. Added to that are banditry, kidnapping and a seemingly unending insurgency that has crippled the economy of the six States of North East Nigeria.

Other gloomy scenarios are unemployment, decaying infrastructure, drug trafficking, and rural-urban migration.

"Increase in the price of food products due to abandoned farmlands for fear of abduction are some painful realities of the lives of the citizen's of the North Eastern States of Nigeria" , as exclusively stated to us by one of the founding members of the NORTH EAST ALLIANCE RIGHTS, an emerging regional political group.

The NORTH EAST ALLIANCE RIGHTS (NEAR) is a culmination of alliances that defies political affiliations and religious inclinations.

Speaking to ALMAJIRI MEDIA, the founding chairman said that their "singular mission is to have the next president of Nigeria from the North East. We are tired of being coat tails of the North West or any region in Nigeria. The vision is to have a coalition of personalities as Alliance members irrespective of party affiliation and religious inclinations".

Some of the interim executive committee members of NEAR consist of the founding chairman and State Cordinators who are;

Abdulnasir Umar Hamman, one time Adamawa State Governorship and House of Representatives candidate in 2015 and 2019 respectively. The Secretary of the organization is Hajiya Hajara Wanka a former Sanatorial aspirant. Usman Mohammed Nasoro as Publicity secretary and Nazir Gabdo as the youth leader.

Others are Hon. Mohammed Auwal Maikudi Adamawa state Cordinator (former House of Assembly aspirant, Hon.Inuwa Baba Bauchi state Cordinator (former bank manager and House of Representatives aspirant). Alh. Abubakar Usman is the Borno State Cordinator, Mohammed Bello Santuraki Gombe State Cordinator.

In Taraba state we have Comrade Noah Kenneth Gimden as State Cordinator, and finally Comrade Lawan Ahmadu for Yobe state Cordinator.

Inspite of their mission and vision, it remains to be seen which presidential aspirant from the North East could defeat the juggernauts from the South West and North West.

Pundits have fingered Ahmed Bola Tinubu from South West Nigeria, who is incidentally the whispered choice of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC). The main opposition party, People's Democratic Party (PDP) may likely root for Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto State Governor), who is younger, agile and has less political baggage. But the one in total control of the PDP is Governor Nyesom Wike who may also likely emerge the PDP presidential candidate.

"Our agitation is valid. Our objectives are clear and without malice to other regions. That is why we are extending a hand of friendship across other regions to support our cause. And as time goes on, we will role out our strategy" Malam Hamman said to our reporter.

He further narrated that their struggle is far from bitternes. "We do not downplay the achievements of others to highlight ours. All Nigerian leaders and politicians and regions have immensely contributed to the Nigerian project. Despite those contributions, it is our great concern to have our own lead this country in 2023. Remember that the last we had was murdered in 1966, more than 54 years ago. And if you see the statistics of past head of States in Nigeria you can see that the biggest beneficiaries are the North West who had ruled, and still ruling for more than 22 years, North Central 18 years, and South West With 14 years!"

Continuing, he lamented that, "the reason why we see the North West as a disappointment is because despite their stay in power for 22.6 years they are not providing the requisite leadership and the advantages that comes with it. For instance, when you look at the data as provided by the Nigerian Medical Association as regard the number of doctors per region, you will see that the North West only have 4,310 doctors in spite being in power for over 22 years, as against the South West with a staggering figure of 15,018 doctors! It means those guys are doing something and coordinating their people and their affairs. The story down North is about almajiri children and banditry!"

These situations are not changing, they are deteriorating! That are some of the reasons why we formed the North East Alliance Rights. We are setting up a better agenda for our people and for the next president of our desire".

"No doubt President Buhari is incorruptible, a good man who means well for Nigeria. But those are not enough qualities to make Nigeria a better society. There is a lot of chaos, confusion and incoherence in the administration. Sometimes, one wonders if the president is alife! So we have formed this alliance as citizens' effort to salvage the deterioration. We will set the agenda of bringing up and linking the North East to railway lines, build our roads and properly link up to the international economic hub".

"As i am talking to you right now, there is no one single road that is ongoing in the North East, we only have 1 functional international airport, no inland ports. No mega factories to suck up the army of unemployed youths and the sad part is that no one is talking about all these. We feel it is either our leaders are compromised or they have chosen to remained meek and wait for when the boat would capsize".

All rights reserved: mediaalmajiri@gmail.com

@AlmajiriMedia on twitter

[almajirimedia]

The pen is mightier than the sword. Really?