Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir Elrufai said communal crises persist in the Christian dominated southern part of the state because criminal activities are given ethnic and religious colouration.
El-rufai stated this at a state-wide media chat on Thursday night in Kaduna.
According to the governor, insecurity in the state is being perpetrated by criminal elements who have been killing, kidnapping people and rustling cattle in the entire North-west region. “….Activities of the bandits were being coated as ethnic and religious when they occur in the southern part of the state….this tends to exacerbate communal tensions and pitch people who have lived peacefully together against each other.”
“Attacks by bandits are not localised to any part of the state.” El-rufai said.
He added that the state government had taken steps to secure the southern part of the state, including ensuring that a military base and two mobile police squadrons were located there, answering a decades-long demand for enhanced security presence in the area.
To buttress his point the governor insist that the attackers do only attack Christians alone. “These criminals attack people irrespective of their religion or ethnicity and they have been perpetrating their reign of terror in Giwa, Birnin Gwari and parts of Igabi local government.’’
According to him, the bandits operate mostly in Katsina, Zamfara and Niger states where he noted that their attacks are often seen and reported as criminal activities.
The governor said when bandits attack in southern Kaduna, security reports show that youth from the affected communities often responded by mobilising to attack Fulani communities in their area whose members share the same ethnicity with the presumed bandits, even though many Fulani communities are also victims of the bandits in Kaduna State and elsewhere.
He said the problem is worsened by the response of Fulani communities who often resort to self-help when they are attacked instead of reporting to the traditional authorities and security agencies. “This is how the cycle of attacks, revenge and reprisals occur in southern Kaduna,’’ he said.
The governor, who expressed his sadness at the killings, said the community leaders need to emphasise adherence to the rule of law, to avoid the persistence of attacks and reprisals.
He explained why the state government imposed a 24-hour curfew in Zangon Kataf and Kauru local government areas on June 11.
He said it followed the discovery in Zangon Kataf of the corpse of a man from Kauru who was resident in Zangon Kataf. He said subsequently, some youth barricaded roads and burnt a vehicle with its occupants and that security agencies had to use force to disperse them from the highway.
Another eight persons have been reported dead in a Monday night attack in Gora Gan Village of Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
TNG had earlier reported on Monday that a gang of bandits suspected to be Fulani herdsmen invaded the village shooting sporadically without apprehension despite distress calls by locals.
TNG gathered that while a good number of the villages who scampered for safety are still missing, not less than eight bodies have so far been deposited at the nearby Zonkwa General Hospital.
The ugly scenery of the attack in Kukum-daji Kaura local government of Kaduna State became more bare as the darkness fades in the early hours of Monday.
Few minutes ago TNG spoke to some locals who said as at 8:45am Monday, no security agent has visited the scene.
According to the locals, more bodies are being discovered and the news have spread to all order parts of southern Kaduna inciting citizens of the area to prepare for war.
“….we are not waiting for the government any longer it’s to defend ourselves, we are going after them, a resident told our Reporter.
Early Monday morning, TNG reported that about 15 bodies have been discovered in Kukum-daji after an attack around 2am by suspected fulani Herdsmen.
New building of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) located directly opposite, Muhammadu Dikko Stadium Kastina was hotter by fire at about 12.08 pm this Afternoon.
An Eye Witness told TNG on telephone that half of the building is already bunt before men of the state Fire service arrived. They firemen are currently battling to put off the inferno.
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the naming of the Railway Complex in Agbor, Delta State after expresident Goodluck Jonathan.
Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi disclosed this on his verified Twitter handle on Saturday.
Today, we continued test-run of our new coaches on the completed Itakpe-Warri standard gauge rail line.
We've named the largest station on this route – the Agbor railway facility and station after former President Goodluck Jonathan. pic.twitter.com/RZ8HtnigLi
— Chibuike R. Amaechi (@ChibuikeAmaechi) July 18, 2020
According to Amaechi “….Today, we continued test-run of our new coaches on the completed Itakpe-Warri standard gauge rail line.”
“We’ve named the largest station on this route – the Agbor railway facility and station after former President Goodluck Jonathan.” Amaechi said.
Presidential Aide on Digital and New Media Tolu Ogunlesi also twitted. “..President MBhari has approved the naming of the Railway Complex in Agbor after former President @GEJonathan. It will be known as ….Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station & Complex….”
In the wake of the gestapo-like arrest of Nigerian Instagram sensation Raymond Igbalode popularly known as Hushpuppi in the United Arab Emirates, several well-meaning observers had asked as to whether the Nigerian investigative agencies were complacent; in that the individual in question was well reputed to flaunt his seemingly illicitly acquired wealth on the social media and in social gatherings in Nigeria. Certainly, Nigerians know that there are several of these ‘Hushpuppies’ who seem to wake up into overnight opulence.
In light of the fact that every Nigerian is thoroughly covered and protected with the Presumption of Innocence as constitutionally enshrined, one therefore wonders if the government, based solely on mere suspicion and bereft of any supporting evidence whatsoever, can institute a legal proceeding against anyone with seemingly questionable wealth?
In other words, can the government premised on the fact that an individual is immersed in obscene opulence and inexplicably luxury, institute a criminal proceeding? to use the words of Sen. Dino Melaye; should the government investigate the source of people’s wealth and not the source of their poverty? Without doubt, the last question is not deserving of an answer, but I’ll painstakingly attempt the answer the earlier one raised.
According to the 9th Edition of the Black’s Law Dictionary, ‘’presumption of innocence is the fundamental criminal law principle that a person may not be convicted of a crime unless the government proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, without any burden placed on the accused to prove innocence.”
This sacred legal principle has been firmly planted in Sec 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), “Every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty” this seemingly simplistic provision is perhaps the bedrock of criminal law and guides not just criminal trials but quasi criminal trials in common law jurisdictions.
In C.O.P v. AMUTA (2017) LPELR-41386(SC) the highly cerebral Justice Ogunbiyi, expertly espoused this constitutional provision to wit; “The constitutional provision on the presumption of innocence of an accused person is sacrosanct and settled. The burden is always on the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused and not his business to prove his innocence. He can decide to keep mute from beginning of the trial right through to the end. It is for the prosecution to make out a prima facie case against the accused through credible evidence which must be laid bare before the Court. It is the proof of hard facts that would lead to the conviction of the accused. Without any case made out against the accused, he cannot be called upon to enter his defense because in doing otherwise would undermine the constitutional presumption of innocence’’.
It is settled that everyone is presumed innocent, and you cannot arrest and try anyone on the basis of mere suspicion neither can you force anyone to defend themselves or prove their innocence, afterall he that asserts must prove!
In SHUAIBU v. STATE (2018) LPELR-45023(CA) the Court of Appeal re-echoed the time-tested principles when it held that ‘suspicion no matter how strong cannot replace legal proof.’
However, IT MUST BE NOTED that the doctrine and principle of presumption of innocence does not extend to property right; it is only a person that is presumed innocent and not his chattel, real estate, money etc. As complex and obfuscating as this may seem, it is actually very simply and easy discernable. In the next few paragraphs, I shall further attempt to clarify this legal position.
Since we have firmly established that everyone is deemed innocent, and mere suspicion no matter how pungent they may seem, can never replace evidence; one then wonders how the law enforcement agencies can muscle up the courage to prosecute individuals that provocatively display glaringly illicit opulence yet no shred of evidence can be used to prosecute such fellow.
If an individual who has no job or viable business suddenly begins to display stupendous luxury and flaunts his wealth on social media, does that individual still enjoy the presumption of innocence?Everyone with a functional brain knows that money does not fall from the sky, should the individual then be prosecuted for the mere fact that he was once broke but now he is inexplicably rich?
The answer to the preceding paragraph is yes and no. As at the last check, it is still not a crime to become rich overnight, neither does an individual have an obligation to publicly declare his assets save for specific instances.
We shall continue this discussion by reproducing Section 18(3) EFCC ACT which is impari materia with Section 15 of the Advance Fee Fraud (and other Fraud Related Offences) Act 2006.
‘ In any trial for an offence under this Act, the fact that an accused person is in possession of pecuniary resources or property for which he cannot satisfactorily account and which is disproportionate to his know sources of income, or that he had at or about the time of the alleged offence obtained an accretion to his pecuniary resources or property for which he cannot satisfactorily account, MAY BE PROVED and may be taken into consideration by the Court as corroborating the testimony of any witness in the trial’. (emphasis mine)
Simply put, this section tends to suggest that the mere fact that an individual has inexplicable funds can be proof that he has illegitimate or corrupt money. This provision seems to conflict directly with the constitution, in that an individual is invariably asked to explain his wealth or better put defend his innocence.
This Section appears to place the burden of proof on the accused, and the mere facts that he has pecuniary resources that he cannot satisfactorily account for may be proof that he has committed a crime. It is difficult to accept that this provision does not intend to erode the sacred provision of the constitution, and for clarity and certainty sake, ‘any law that is in conflict with the constitution is basically null and void, to the extent of its inconsistency see Section 1(3) of the 1999 Const (as Amended).
This must have been the reasoning of the appellate court in FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA V. DR. OLUBUKOLA ABUBAKAR SARAKI (2017) LPELR-43392(CA), where the court held that ‘The Burden Of Proving ‘All’ Elements of the offence still rests on the prosecution in conformity with the accusatorial criminal justice system the country operates. (Emphasis mine), the standard of prove is that beyond reasonable doubt, the prosecution must prove ALL elements of the offence and the Defendant need not say a single word to prove his innocence’.
The great advantage of this section to the state would be in terms of corroborating already existing evidence, therefore if and when there is already evidence or a witness against a suspect, the fact that the suspect has questionable resources would corroborate the already existing evidence.
Since every Nigerian is deemed innocent and cannot be forced to defend his innocence regardless of the extent of suspicion, and since, criminals and conmen are especially skilled in burying links and traces of their crimes, one now wonders how prosecutors can based solely on common sense, round up persons who cannot satisfactorily explain their resources. The solution to this legal issue and the exception to the doctrine of presumption of innocence, has been thoroughly codified in Section 17 of theAdvance Fee Fraud and (Other Fraud Related Offences) Act 2006.
With this provision, the law enforcement agents can base on the mere facts that anyone has either money or money’s worth way above his ostensible means, apply to high court seeking a temporal forfeiture order. Now if the court grants this order the defendant now has the duty to go to the court to show course, in other words, prove that indeed that property was not gotten from illicit or criminal activities, failure of which the properties would be seized and confiscated. Permit me again to reproduce the section for better understating;
17.(1) Where any property has come into the possession of any officer of the Commission as unclaimed property or any unclaimed property is found by any officer of the Commission to be in the possession of any other person, body corporate or financial institution or any property in the possession of any person, body corporate or financial institution is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of some unlawful activity under this Act, the Money Laundering Act of 2004, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act of 2004 or any other law enforceable under the Economic and Financial Crime Commission Act of 2004, the High Court shall upon application made by the Commission, its officers, or any other person authorized by it and upon being reasonably satisfied that such property is an unclaimed property or proceeds of unlawful activity under the Acts stated in this subsection make an order that the property or the proceeds from the sale of such property be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
A novel and ingenious feature of Section 17 of AFFA 2006 is encapsulated in Section 17 (6) ‘An order of forfeiture under this section shall not be based on a conviction for an offence under this Act or any other law’. The brilliance of this section, is that the emphasis is limited to the property and not the person as such, an actioninstituted under this section is ‘suigeneris’ and the necessity to prove beyond reasonable doubt has been discharged and shifted into the preponderance of probability(evidence). More so, the doctrine of presumption of innocence is obviated, since no one can be convicted or sentenced by virtue of this section. All that matters is that properties and or money, will be forfeited to the government when the individual fails to show satisfactory cause.
Since criminal litigation is rigid and stern and obviously very expensive to prosecute, any sustained campaign against financial crimes must be pursued vide the, Non-Conviction Based Asset Forfeiture as provided for in Section 17 of the AFFA. It would save the state more time and money, and would ultimately rapidly disincentivize fraudsters. Anyone plying this trade would quickly realize that he is essentially generating money for the government and criminals are not known to be patriotic.
InOGUNGBEJE V. EFCC (2018) LPELR-45317(CA)Where the major issue for determination was whether a trial Court had jurisdiction to proceed to make an order for Final Forfeiture of the property pursuant to the Respondent’s Application in the absence of an investigation, prosecution, trial and conviction. The Court emphasized that, ‘It is very clear from the wordings of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act, 2006 as reproduced above that the law recognizes the power of the trial Court to make an Order of Forfeiture without conviction for an offence; that is the very essence of the provisions of Section 17 of the Act which was emphasized in Subsection (6), by clearly and emphatically providing that forfeiture under the provisions shall not be based on conviction’
In conclusion, we have seen that, although the presumption of innocence basically prevents the law enforcement agencies from rounding up individuals with suspicious source of income and proceed to institute criminal cases against them, by virtue of Section 17 of the AFFA, the presumption of innocence does not extend to their properties, therefore properties and bank account can be frozen or seized, and the owners can be forced to defend the source of the money, or otherwise forfeit same to the government. As mentioned earlier, this is an easier, faster and safer approach to curb and battle financial crimes. In the words of Eneke the bird; ‘since men have learned to shoot without missing, the bird has learnt to fly without perching’.
…we just registered 420 Households, 851 persons in the camp says officials…
…my daughter was chased and stabbed and left to drawn in River Kaduna, woman cry out…..
……Zonkwa Now hosting 13 Communities displaced by herdsmen attack….
By Emmanuel Bagudu
From Thursday 9th July up till Sunday (today) 12 July, major communities under curfew in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area in Southern Kaduna have been tensed. No thanks to the latest herdsmen attack which began on Thursday and continued on Friday in Chibob and it’s neighbourhood all in Zangon Kataf without security interventions as at the time of writing this report.
Over 420 households made up of 851 persons from 13 communities in Zangon Kataf have abandoned their communities to nearby Zonkwa, the headquarters of the local government where an emergency internally displaced persons (IDP) camp was created by some residents.
Correspondent, Emmanuel Bagudu who drove from Kaduna to meet the affected victims in their various locations of refuge presents this report.
Fear, anxiety and indignation best describes the surviving victims of Chibob and 12 other communities in Zangon Kataf Local Government who were attacked on Thursday and Friday by bandits they described as herdsmen.
The Victims who laments the lost of their loved once from the attack are indignant; they are shocked that despite the 24 hours curfew imposed by the State government, hardened criminals had a field day in their communities without apprehension.
It was an emotional experience while trying to gather facts as more survivors of the attack keep arriving as at 10 am on Sunday Morning when I arrived the camp located at the ECWA Christian Academy, Zonkwa.
Being an indigene of Zangon Kataf Local Government with fluency in Atyap and Bajju tribes and with mild understanding of Ikulu and Kamatan tribes as well as Chawai, a tribe from neighbouring Kauru Local Government, I knew gathering real facts and listening to people’s story will be quite adventurous.
While embarking on the journey to Zangon Kataf, a lot of fake news and misconceptions about the attack was already making the rounds in the State capital Kaduna.
“Be careful,” a friend warned me before I left.
A lot of persons living in the Kaduna metropolis believe the place is a war zone since the discovery of the corps of one Mr Yusuf Shehu Magaji in June this year, at a river bank in the border between Zangon Kataf and Kauru Local Government area of Kaduna State.
It was gathered that Mr Magaji’s demise was as a result of a clash over a piece of farmland between him (Magaji) and some Hausa-Fulani men, hence the imposition of the 24 hour curfew, which the State government is yet to relax.
Although Magaji is from the Chawai speaking tribe (Kauru LGA), he was born and brought up in Sako, a land of the Atyaps (Kataf) in Zangon Kataf, who are known to be very revengeful and repulsive to the Hausa-Fulanis whenever they temper with the lives and property of their kinsmen or anyone close to them.
All was set. I covered a total distance of 200 kilometres from Sabon Tasha Kaduna to Zonkwa, to Yabak, Takanai Zango, Sako, (asha-a-wuce), Sabon Kaura and Chibob, the most affected village in the attack.
Sabon Kaura and Chibob are the only communities attacked but residents neighbouring the two villages who claimed they received threats messages of attack by herders have to join the Chibobs to throng the Zonkwa IDP camp.
Before reaching Chibob, I touched down at Zonkwa where over a thousand persons from 13 villages, including Chibob were all at the ECWA Christian Academy IDP Camp. They were mostly made up of women and children.
Zachariah Danjuma, an official of the Camp narrated how they saw the IDPs moving en masse from Gora, (a transit village) on foot.
“They were all angry at the State government” Danjuma said, adding that “so far we have registered 420 households, 851 persons in the camp, we have the following Communities mostly women and Children….The men stayed behind to provide vigilante in case of further attacks”.
He identified the fleeing communities in the camp which includes Sabon Kaura, Chibob, Takanai, Warkan, Ramin Kura, Sabafan, Sako, Yabak, Bafai Gida, Kurmin Gandu, Mayinyubi (Bakin Kogi-Kauru LGA) and Unwgan Rohogo.
“We brought them here in the camp yesterday Saturday and as you can see, more are still coming in,” he said.
Breast feeding mothers and children between the ages of 3 to 19 are the most populated in the camp. Religious Organisations and individuals that came visiting had already started sending in donations to the camp in either cash or kind.
“We have received mattresses from Deborah Arise Ministry, and a lot of people come to give us little cash just like you just did,” Danjuma said.
I was taken round classes in the camp which are now converted to shelter for the IDPs and in each class, the IDPs had a lot of stories to tell.
For Mrs Murna Tabat, she witnessed the killing of up to four people while trying to escape for her dare life.
Tabat who spoke in Atyap (Kataf) language narrated how the attackers took advantage of the river Kaduna, which flows and passed through Chibob community.
She said the only way to flee from the attackers was through the river Kaduna, which is already heading towards overflowing due to heavy rains.
A woman at the IDP narrates her ordeal (SEE ATTACHED VIDEO)
That meant only those who could swim the already “tempest looking river” survived the attack, but since the attack was fragmented, some people manage to escape without following through the river, other survivors said.
“My daughter while running was stabbed and as she ran towards the river (river Kaduna), she drowned…. we have buried her before coming,” Mrs Tabat said agonizingly.
For his Part, Timothy Musa a resident of Takanai, said “….the attack took place in Chibob on Thursday, and on Friday. Same attack took place in Sabon Kaura… where houses were burnt….”
This according to Musa made the remaining neighbouring communities to flee for safety since they have already received threatening signs of impending attacks.
Without much-a-do at the IDP camp in ECWA Christian Academy Zonkwa, I proceeded to the communities to see for myself.
From Zonkwa to the 13 communities is just less than 20 kilometres with several shortcuts. I drove from Zonkwa to Ungwan Wakili where I switched to a motorcycle for shortcuts purposes.
From Ungwan Wakili, one can head towards Yabak and Takanai through an untarred road just in front of ECWA church Ungwan Wakili. I moved and all I could see were fierce-looking youths mounting roadblocks and making enquiries. All you need to do is to respond to them in Atyap (Kataf) language and you are free to go. You dare not record anything or risk losing your life irrespective of the language you speak.
I rode passed several youths until I reached Yabak village. All I saw are men and youths on patrol. Just after Yabak is Takanai. Youths from the 13 communities engaged in a massive patrol.
“We are looking for Fulani men that attacked us last two nights,” one of the youths who pleaded anonymity said.
Asked whether they have seen any security person around, he said, “yes they just left for Chibob, where the real thing happened. Here, we are just defending. They told us they are coming, but we have not seen them (referring to the bandits)”.
All the villages are attached to each other. I was told by a community head who also pleaded anonymity that only Chibob and Sabon Kaura were attacked, but since the remaining communities are neighbouring them, and have received threatening signs, everyone had to run for their lives.
In Chibob and Sabon Kaura, it’s a mourning mood. Security men have already taken positions. I was interrogated, but being an indigene of Magamiya and born and brought in Zangon Kataf and with valid means of identification, I exonerated myself.
It is a very precarious situation right now in Zangon Kataf and only the Atyap speaking tribe are directly affected.
A lot of questions are being asked such as: what happened to the curfew imposed in the local government with strict reference to the Atyap chiefdom?
It is the peak of the raining season; will the State government allow bandits deny residents of their only source of livelihoods which is farming?
All these and many more questions remained unanswered as the IDPs at ECWA Christian Academy Zonkwa also look forward to reuniting with their fathers and brothers soon.
….citizens insist El-Rufai must probe officials in charge of food Palliatives
…Civil servants lament contributions of N374,450,000 from salary
…Publish what you spent on Covid-19 prevention and management now, CSOs tell El-Rufai, other governors
By Emmanuel Bagudu
Predictions and prophecies by anti-corruption activists that the Covid-19 pandemic will be a fertile ground for aggravated corruption in Nigeria are already coming to pass. Corruption becomes inevitable in the Covid-19 era due to the scarcity of resources as well as disrupted supply chains of those resources caused by the painful but necessary quarantine laws also referred to as lockdown.
At the receiving end are petty traders whose means of livelihoods are largely dependent on daily income. Government at national and sub-national levels amass funds to fight the dreaded pandemic as well as make life easy for its citizens by providing palliatives in the form of either cash or kind. But the oliver-twist-like greed of some politicians and government administrators couldn’t allow them to resist temptation- the urge to steal and divert resources meant to reduce the pains citizens faced in the lockdown.
Here in Nigeria, among the citizens that suffered from these pains of syphoning of resources are Citizens of Kaduna State. With over N600 million generated funds from deducted salaries of civil servants, political office holders and donations from private companies, one will think the Kaduna State government has successfully tamed the pains of most of its vulnerable citizens during the seventy-five days lockdown in the state. But this was not so. This piece therefore explores and make bare the traces of corruption in the management of the so far over N600 million Covid-19 funds generated by Kaduna State during its seventy-five days Lockdown.
Instances of corruption in the Kaduna Covid-19 war are visible in the distribution of food Palliatives and the Non-disclosure of spendings on Covid-19 prevention and management.
Investigations show that the two phases of the food Palliatives distribution in the state which took place in April and May respectively were all marred by politicians and government officials.
Reports monitored by Thenewsguru. com (TNG) coming from members of civil societies as well as testimonies from a good number of citizens confirmed the failure of the state government in food Palliatives distribution.
This Investigation covered areas like Kakuri, Tirkaniya, Television Market, Ungwan Ma’azu (Kaduna South), Television Village, Television Garage, Nassarawa and Romi in the state Capital, Kaduna. TNG investigations also x-rayed outside the state capital where Citizens from Zaria, Soba, Saminaka, Zonkwa, Kafanchan and Kwoi where eligible citizens for the food Palliatives gave their story. All these areas apart from one person in Nassarawa community in Kaduna had respondents expressing bitterness on video recording interviews over the corruptions citizens witnessed during the food Palliatives distribution.
N500 Million was the cost of the entire food Palliatives in the state where eligible families captured in the social register are to be given at least food packs worth N11,000 each according to the state government. But the exercise didn’t happen that way. A lot of diversions took place. The register wasn’t used. “….it was a thug of war, in my area, there was suppose to be armed security men monitoring the strict regulations of sharing these palliatives, but no, officials just came and select who they liked and give what they like, people only got food in pieces not in packs as the government arranged….” Auwal Mohammed, a resident of Kakuri community in Kaduna stated in an interview. Mohammed also disclosed that he witnessed the sharing of the palliatives where he noticed that most people qualified for it were denied.
Hauwa Abdullahi a 53-year-old mother of three in Kakuri is among the supposed beneficiaries of the food palliatives. Her survival and that of her three kids depends largely on begging for alms. On several occasions, Hauwa finds herself in trouble with the Kaduna State Rehabilitation Board who are enforcing the ban on street begging laws created by Governor Nasir Elrufai. With the emergence of Covid-19 and its prevention strategies by the state government, Hauwa and her likes are in a double whammy; no begging for alms, no movement and more heart aching, no jobs because of the lockdown. Food Palliatives now remains the only option of survival for Hauwa. On hearing the announcement in April by the Kaduna government that food Palliatives will be distributed to reduce the sufferings of poor persons in the state during the Lockdown, Hauwa was very happy. But her happiness didn’t last because she didn’t get the food items. “…. I was asked to come out and join the line…. But the food didn’t get to me….” Hauwa said in the Hausa language. She was embittered. “Wanda Suka ci Suka koshi Suka yi amai, su aka ba, ba muba….” Hauwa added in Hausa, meaning, “only those who have eaten enough and have vomited, got the food Palliatives, not us”.
From Kakuri to Barnawa, to Ungwan Ma’azu, Television Village, Tirkaniya, Romi, and other towns in the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis, the story is the same. The Injustice in the sharing of food Palliatives was very conspicuous. Mr. Jude Okoh, a truck driver who was given the food Palliatives to take to Barnawa and Television Village narrated how officials diverted the food items in their favour. In his words, “…. I am among the people that carried the food Palliatives for Barnawa here… my brother it was war….one woman before my presence, right in front of me without shame came with Siena bus and load more than thirty(30) Cartons of different food items, she was even fighting with those civilian JTF who were there to maintain law and order….” Okoh said. Mr Okoh also narrated how he was instructed to pick some of the food items and deliver to Churches without the protection of security personnel. “….we carried some of the foodstuffs, dropped in ECWA church, Television Village, in Anglican Church, and in some other churches. The next day we returned to witness the sharing …some women only got one (1) cup of rice. Some stayed the whole day on the queue but saw nothing” Okoh said.
For his part, Malam Hamza a popular shoe seller in Television Market, said it was a pathetic situation. “It’s not that I was told, no, I witnessed the sharing of the palliatives in my area, two in every ten vulnerable persons did not get the palliatives …. I saw someone being given three (3) pieces of noodles, (not carton), another was given two (2) pieces, I saw a group of five persons given one (1) carton of noodles to share…. I even went to other places where the palliatives are shared, I saw over two hundred persons, but the food that was brought to the place can only serve three persons…. how will two hundred persons jostle for food meant for only three persons….” Hamza said while speaking in Hausa.
Communities outside the State Capital witnessed the second phase of Palliatives Distribution. Although the Secretary to the Kaduna State government Balarabe Lawal stated that there was no rancour in the second phase, officials still diverted the food items. In Soba, residents express gratitude to the government but reported acts of Injustice by officials. “It was a party affair, if you are not from their Party, you will not get the food Palliatives….” Mairo Inuwa a food vendor in Soba said in an interview. Residents of Saminaka, Zonkwa, Kafanchan and Kwoi made the same complain. “The palliatives showed the government have the people in mind, but some corrupt officials will not let people eat….” Mr Gaius Manzo a civil servant in Kafanchan said in an interview. Mr. Manzo said civil servants in the state are not happy seeing that the 25% deduction of their salaries is being played with. “….you will recall that we contributed over N300 million to this war against Covid-19 when they government said it will deduct 25% of our salary for the months of April and May…but look at how some politicians are busy diverting the food Palliatives, the governor and the SSG (referring to Secretary to the state government) should please probe these Palliatives Distributors to avoid future occurrence….” Manzo said.
Another glaring instance of corruption in the management of Covid-19 funds in Kaduna is the Non-disclosure of spendings for the pandemic. Those that Contributed over N600 million Naira for the war against Covid-19 deserve to know what the money is used for. Questions need to be asked. Government openness and Transparency must come to play and Kaduna State being the pioneer of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in Nigeria should not in any way be found wanting in area of openness. Only N500 million for food Palliatives was disclosed. Citizens deserve to know the cost of testing, and maintenance of Isolation centres. Nondisclosure of spending these funds is termed as corruption as declared by the Federal Government’ framework for managing Covid-19 Funds (FMIC). Paragraph two of the objectives of the FMIC states that the “…Framework is… designed to articulate the measures put in place by Government for the transparent and accountable management of COVID-19 Donor Funds as an expression of its commitment towards bridging the trust gap.”
Though the Framework is designed by the Federal Government, the government of Kaduna State which signed to the OGP should see this framework as a way of meeting its obligation as an OGP compliant state. On transparency, the framework states that “…..Failure to publish timely report of COVID-19 activities in the prescribed format and at the stipulated intervals or to respond to FOI request will constitute early warning signs of mismanagement….”
Once Kaduna government key into the FMIC like the way it started the OGP, it will sustain its reputation. Kaduna has about three testing centres presently; the DNA laboratory, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria, and a new community testing vehicle.
TNG also gathered that the Infectious disease control centre (IDCC) Kakuri which has been upgraded to an isolation centre also conduct Covid-19 tests.
Apart from the IDCC Kakuri, Hamdala motel is another isolation centre while the Barrau Dikko Teaching Hospital also has an isolation unit.
Recall that all Federal Stadia were to be used as isolation centre and Ahmadu Bello Stadium Kaduna was to be used as isolation centre but nothing of such is happening there.
It would also be recalled that the first set of covid 19 positive patients in Kaduna State with the Governor Malam Nasir el-Rufai being the index case were all attended to by health workers in an undisclosed private facility except for the governor who disclosed that he was being attended to in an arm of the government house by health workers. The IDCC is equipped with ventilators but no one knows whether the other isolation centre at Hamdala motel has ventilators, it is not impossible however following reports of ventilators donation to the state government recently.
The extent to which the isolation centres are equipped and amount spent on such is also not disclosed.
Conclusion:
Advocacies by the Civil Society Communities on asking questions about Covid-19 spending must be taken serious. Two civil societies in Nigeria; “Budgit” and “Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)” have been calling on government at national and sub-national (state) level to desist from the habit of non-disclosure of spendings. Budgit sometimes in the end of June disclosed in their Twitter handle that “so far only Oyo State has disclosed how much it spent on Covid-19” and by July 3; just few days later Kwara state released how much it spent on Covid-19 too. For SERAP, it’s a daily routine. They seek explanation on all funds spent. This kind of advocacies is the way forward. Nigerians must keep asking these questions until they get very good and well comprehensive answers.
The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has released new procedural guidelines for air travelers and other airport users as flights looks forward to recommensing gradually from 8th July.
FAAN disclosed this in a statement made available to TNG on Friday.
The Statement which reels out the new guidelines was signed by FAAN’s Corporate Affairs Manager Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu
According to the statement, “….The new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is aimed at protecting all stakeholders and preventing further spread of theCovid-19 virus.
In the “New Normal”, departing passengers must comply with the following guidelines; All passengers MUST arrive the airport properly kitted with their FACE MASKS ON, They MUST also ensure a minimum of one point five meters (1.5m) PHYSICAL DISTANCING, Aviation Medical/Port Health personnel would screen each passenger and ensure the use of FACE MASKS, those travelling with pets MUST get necessary clearance from Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services, All passengers’ luggage WOULD be DISINFECTED before entry into the departure halls, Passengers are required to WASH their HANDS as often as possible, HAND SANITIZER would be provided for passengers before entrance, at the waiting halls/lounges and pre boarding gates, All footwear would be DISINFECTED/SANITIZED by FOOT MATS placed at all entrances to the terminal building, amongst others.
For arriving passengers, the following guidelines MUST be adhered to; On disembarkation from the aircraft, passengers would observe PHYSICAL DISTANCING as they board the Co-Buses (Hand Sanitizer would be provided in the buses), PHYSICAL DISTANCING protocols MUST be observed at the BAGGAGE claim area, where HAND SANITIZER is also provided, DISINFECTED trolleys would be made available for passengers, All Covid-19 protocols MUST be observed while undergoing CUSTOMS check, Passengers would exit the halls and head straight to the car park for pick up, If you MUST speak to anyone around, please speak to a properly tagged Aviation Security (AVSEC) officer, PHYSICAL DISTANCING would be maintained while waiting to be screened by personnel of PORT HEALTH SERVICES, amongst others.
In addition to the above guidelines, passengers are required to observe SOCIAL DISTANCING and make use of the FLOOR MARKINGS at the security screening area. They must also comply with all other security guidelines as laid down by officials of the Aviation Security (AVSEC) department.
We urge all our passengers and other stakeholders to respect and observe these necessary protocols, put in place for our protection.
Our success in achieving healthy and safe air travels is highly dependent on your cooperation in this regard.
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