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Environmentalist
and special adviser to the President on Research, documentation and
Strategy, Oronto Douglas has been named among the 20 most influential
writers, thinkers, and activists in the world.

Mr Douglas was
listed in a recent book “Political Awakenings: Conversations with
History” by Harry Kreiser the Executive Director of the Institute of
International Studies, University of California. Mr Douglas was
selected with 19 others, from 485 interviews of people which the book
described as “distinguished men and women who by the power of their
intellect and strength of character shape the world.” Mr Douglas made
the Science, Food and The Environment: Movement for Justice category
which comprised select individuals that have challenged corporate power
which seeks to disproportionately reap the benefits of science and
technology to the detriment of the society.

The other two other
individuals listed in the same category with Mr Douglas are Michael
Pollan who has in the past 20 years written books and articles about
places where the human and natural world intersect, and Eva Harris, a
molecular biologist, who implements a program to distribute DNA
technology to third world clinics to fight diseases.

Reacting to this
listing, Mr Douglas stated, “I am motivated essentially by the fact
that every human being ought to make a contribution towards human
progress. We are not just on this planet to eat, sleep, and then we
die. I think we came because we have a contribution to make.

“My little
contribution in the area of environmental human rights is to further
the whole debate about our progress.” Douglas is co-founder of
Nigeria’s foremost environmental advocacy group, Environmental Rights
Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN). He served as one of the
lawyers on the defence team for the Ogoni leader, Ken Saro Wiwa, who
was executed by late Head of State, Sani Abacha.

He is also the author of several works, including the groundbreaking
Where Vultures Feast: Shell, Human Rights, Oil in the Niger Delta,
which he coauthored with another activist, Ike Okonta.

Muhammed Saad
Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto; and Babatunde Fashola, the Lagos
State Governor, on Sunday, at the Murtala Muhammed International
Airport, advised Islamic pilgrims travelling for the 2010 Hajj to be
good citizens of Nigeria at the programme.

Calling on the
pilgrims to pray for the country at the ceremony, the sultan advised
the pilgrims to strictly observe the religious obligations attributed
to the Hajj operations, adding that they should desist from any form of
business activity being undertaken by some during the exercise. “We
want you to cooperate with the Saudi Arabia authorities and shun any
act that is bad,” he said. “Also hajj is a religious obligation and not
an avenue to go shopping. Whatever you want to buy in Saudi Arabia can
be bought in Nigeria at a better quality, so save your funds.”

Mr Fashola implored
the pilgrims to pray for the 36 states in the country, especially at a
time when the country is warming up for its general elections. He also
commended Mr Abubakar for his agitation for cooperation and religious
tolerance among inhabitants of Nigeria.

Muniru Bankole, the
Managing Director of Med View Airlines, one of the carriers airlifting
the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, promised that the travellers will not be
left stranded at the end of the pilgrimage. “You can see that the
pilgrims have been checked in,” he said. “We are operating with three
aircraft. As I am talking to you, one is in Ilorin which will airlift
those from Ekiti and Ondo States, and we have one in Maiduguri to carry
pilgrims from Yobe. We are operating 18 flights, so, we hope to finish
latest November 2, 2010.”

Pilgrims heading for Saudi Arabia form Nigeria for the 2010 Hajj are 95,000.

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on NITEL/M-Tel restructuring and minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, has hinted that the 30-month labour crisis in the state-owned telecommunication companies, NITEL and M-Tel, has been resolved.

Proposals and recommendations of the task force were approved during a meeting with executives of the labour unions in the two companies and the task force, in the minister’s office in Abuja, at the weekend.

Emmanuel Aziken, spokesperson for the labour minister, quoted Mr Wogu as saying that under the approved recommendation by the federal government, N51.6 billion is to be applied in settling the exit package due to permanent and casual staff of the two companies.

“I am gladdened that this issue is now coming to a terminal point and it is time for all stakeholders in NITEL/M-Tel to forge forward with their lives and their careers. I salute the perseverance of all staff involved and the stoicism with which they have carried on these past two years,” Mr Wogu said.

“The quick resolution of this matter is a reflection of the commitment of the present administration to the welfare of Nigerian workers. On my part, the strong backing I received from the highest quarters of government in carrying out the assignment made the assignment of the PTF very fruitful.”

Resolution after pickets

The meeting with the labour unions followed earlier picketing of the minister’s office on the eve of the nation’s 50th independence anniversary, by aggrieved staff of the two unions.

Mr Wogu, in meetings with the staff on September 29, 2010, promised to convey the government’s response on their lingering concerns, on October 12. The promise to them helped to calm the restive workers who were otherwise set to carry their protest to the Independence Day anniversary grounds.

The recommendation of the task force provides that “all staff be exited and paid off their entitlements. Critical staff to facilitate a smooth handover to a core investor will be immediately re-engaged such that the wage bill will not exceed 10 per cent of the current wage bill.

Furthermore, security of facilities will be outsourced, with existing security personnel being absorbed so that a vacuum is not created.”

Following an attack
by suspected armed robbers on the Ondo State School of Midwifery,
Akure, students of the institution have boycotted their classrooms in
protest against insecurity on their campus.

Some armed robbers
had invaded the school last week and injured three female students. The
about five robbers inflicted machete wounds on the students’ heads
while trying to rob them of their possessions.

The robbers were
said to have gained entry into the school premises through a collapsed
fence around 2.15am last Tuesday, making away with items such mobile
phones, cash and jewellery.

Some of the
students who spoke with NEXT said that no student will enter the
classroom until something was done to enhance the security of their
lives, and the issue of social amenities that are lacking in the
institution is addressed.

Repeat offenders

They complained
about constant total blackouts as a result of the irregular power
supply from the Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

“We are tired of
the management of this school. We don’t know what they are using our
money for and we pay heavily,” one of the students said. “Yet, see what
we are passing through. This is not the first time robbers will be
invading us. Last time they came, after robbing us of our money, they
also raped some of the students. This is unfair.”

Spokesman of the
State Police Command, Adeniran Aremu, said the police received the
distress call from the students rather too late. “As part of the
complementary efforts to civilian security guards manning the school,
police patrol will be extended into their campus to ensure their safety
at night,” he said.

Mr Aremu said, as
part of the measures to ensure that the lives of the students of the
school are protected, the command has advised the management of the
school to re-build the collapsed fence through which the hoodlums
gained entry into the hostel.

“We gave the distress calls numbers of the command, control room and
my number to the students, so that we can respond to them whenever the
men of the underworld came calling,” he said.

I have always told
myself and anyone who cares to listen that I do not think that God is a
democrat. If He was, Satan would have succeeded with his coup. We were
really talking about crowd action and reaction, juxtaposed with
democratic actions and reactions. People should carefully observe
before climbing on any band wagon. It is easy to hear “but their course
was hijacked by hoodlums and touts”. We also know that good news is no
news and that bad news is what makes news. That is why CNN and
Aljazeera are hot.

Nigerians are very
quick to point to Ghana example. How Rawlings came on board and
annihilated all the criminals in power and opened a new page that
changed the sad story of Ghana to glory. Unfortunately we have had
Generals in Nigeria who came on board and changed the stories of their
private pockets to hilltop glories and left the masses in perpetual
servitude. They are still around and are shamelessly taunting the
populace with their loot. Well, the time of Generals has passed. They
had their opportunity.

My intention this
week is to advise Nigerians about the dangerous mistake of joining in
any kind of mass action without digging deep into what that crowd is
really intent on doing.

Some of us have
noticed how our children follow bad fashion and imbibe decadent
cultures; how a great majority of our girls and women now expose body
parts that should be hidden and our boys are now ‘saggin’, wear
ear-rings and are quick to adorn their hairs crazily?

We have seen how
good and progressive bills are tucked under, or killed even, in the
national assembly because they do not serve the selfish interest of
some sitting members, their past colleagues and their godfathers. I am
very convinced you now understand the drift of my story this week. But
if you do not, know that the road to heaven is very narrow and the one
that leads to hell is very wide.

I was actually
inspired to write on crowd reaction and I thought wise and good people
should be wary, so they are not misled. A few weeks ago, myself and
about three others were called to be judges in a ‘talent hunt event’ in
one of our university campuses. A dance competition was introduced as a
side attraction and the last eight contenders were asked to slug it
out. Then we noticed that one of the dancers, a very pretty young girl
who was declared the winner, was putting on a “low-waist jeans trouser”
and, as she danced, all her buttocks were outside in the full glare of
the cameras.

Crowd has decided
At first, I thought I was the only one seeing her. But when the other
two judges leaned over and said, this girl would have won but for what
she had on, I quickly agreed. Surprisingly, the MCs of the occasion, in
choosing the final three, cut us judges out of the decision, with the
help of the crowd of students who filled the one thousand capacity hall
to the brim. Each time the particular girl bent down to achieve a
particular erotic move, with her full buttocks staring us in the face,
the crowd screamed.

If you have seen Beyonce or Rihanna dancing, you would know what I
mean. Finally, the last three finalists were chosen and the indecently
dressed girl was among them. And before we could protest, the MCs
decided to use the famous national assembly style. “If this girl is
number three say yes;” “if this boy is second, say yes” and “if this
girl is the winner, say yes”. The crowd was actually ecstatic. I mean,
the girl’s dance was mainly erotic, what I will call ‘waist and yansh
dance.’ Get this straight, they had the preliminaries the week before,
where the final eight that made the finals were chosen from. So she
came prepared. To rub insult upon injury, the sponsor of that event,
right there, immediately increased the prize money after the girl has
been declared the winner by the crowd and he brought out the cash and
gave the girl. The crowd had decided and they say it’s the beauty of
democracy. Please, follow the crowd only when the course is right.

A divided opinion among the gathered youth coupled with the timely intervention of some elderly residents, and not Robert Onuoha’s plea of innocence, saved him from being lynched after he was caught stealing used car batteries inside a compound at Maza maza, Lagos, three weeks ago.

Mr Onuoha, a cart pusher, had allegedly stashed tens of the seemingly abandoned car batteries into his cart when the owner of the compound, Chidi Ewere, who was returning from the day’s church service, walked into him.

Instant execution of apprehended criminals or mob justice, popularly known as ‘jungle justice’, remains a common practice among the populace and critics blame it on the loss of trust in the judicial system.

“This is how they have been stealing all my properties in this house,” said a furious Mr Ewere, who was clutching a machete in his right hand and was being restrained from using it on the alleged thief.

Loss of faith

Respondents say that the practice has continued unabated because of the apparent loss of faith on both the law enforcement agents and the judicial system.

“Jungle justice is a sign that Nigeria is a failed state in this 21st century,” said Washington Ugwu, a Lagos-based legal practitioner.

“People resort to it for reasons (such as) slow pace and technicalities of our legal system, corruption of law enforcement agents who take gratification and allow criminals to go free,” said Mr Ugwu, of Vigil Ndulewe Chambers.

Last year, two armed robbers that were apprehended by a vigilante group at an estate in Maza maza were, after hours of excruciating torture by police officers from the Agboju police station, were allowed to go free.

Investigations revealed that some highly placed individuals in the community negotiated the duo’s release. Though a senior police officer at the station insisted that the suspects, who had confessed to using a gun to rob their victims, had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti. The two men were seen parading the community the same week.

“We don’t trust the police. We have never trusted them. That’s why anytime we catch any robber here, we burn him immediately before they arrive,” said a youth leader at Maza Maza, who did not want to be named.

“If we continue to do them like that, it will serve as an example for their partners,” he said.

Criminals are tried

Police authorities in the state insist that no robber, either armed or unarmed, who had been caught in the act had been ever allowed to go scot free.

“What we normally do is that if a thief is arrested, we normally prosecute him in the court of law . That’s what we’ve been doing; we’ve not been flouting the laws,” said Samuel Jinadu, the Deputy Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command.

Some respondents argue that because mob action is too hasty, it sometimes ends up victimising the wrong person or the right person but for the wrong reasons.

Last month, when a suspected gay pastor identified as Elijah Adisa was caught at the Amukoko area of Lagos, the irate mob that descended on him accused him of sodomy and practising witchcraft on a group of boys, a claim which the boys he allegedly slept with denied.

“The problem with jungle justice is that sometimes an innocent person is pronounced guilty or false claims can be levelled on a suspected criminal,” said Ayodele Adesuwa, a civil servant. “And by the time the real truth is revealed, it would have been too late because the person would have been killed,” said Mr Adesuwa.

A 2010 poll conducted by CLEEN Foundation revealed that of the people that reported their experiences of crime to the police, 44 per cent indicated outright dissatisfaction with the handling of the cases.

Jide Saliu, the Baale (community leader) of Alafia whose timely intervention prevented the angry mob from executing Mr Adisa, blamed it on the mentality of the people.

“The right thing to do is that whenever anybody suspected to be a criminal is caught, he should be handed over to the nearest police station,” said Mr Saliu.

Take the law and face the law

Mr Jinadu warned that those who engage in the summary execution of suspected criminals extra judicially would be made to face the wrath of the law.

“They are not supposed to do that. If they should do that it means they are taking laws into their hands and the law will definitely catch up with them. We’ve been sermonising about this; that members of the public should not take laws into their hands,” said Mr Jinadu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

He said that the state commissioner of police has put strategies in place to checkmate the obnoxious and nefarious attitudes of criminals in the state.

“And we also lecture people on radios and televisions that members of the public should not engage in jungle justice and I think it has been yielding positive results.”

But Mr Ugwu canvassed for an overhaul of the people’s value system as a solution. “There should be a total overhaul of our value system, first from our politicians because they set the pace in corruption by their ostentatious lifestyles, to law enforcement agents and the legal system,” he said.

The political family of the
victorious governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in
Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi are interpreting their weekend victory at
the federal appeals court as a morale booster for the opposition in the
country.

Residents of the state themselves
took to the streets on Friday celebrating the success. Feats of
acrobatic display of motorcyclists and party supporters were performed
on the streets.

With the confirmation of Mr Fayemi
as the lawfully elected governor of the state, the party has now
increased the number of states under its control to three – Lagos, Edo
and Ekiti. The last two were snatched from the PDP at the law courts.

The publicity secretary of the
party, Lai Mohammed, said the victory is a challenge for opposition
groups in the country, claiming the 2011 election will not be a
business as usual.

“If we can do it now, then this is
a sign of what the 2011 will look like. It is a morale booster for the
entire opposition group in the country. We have not only got that of
Ekiti and some part of south west, but we will go into all other part
of the country and win massively,” he said.

The governor of Edo State, Adams
Oshiomole, also described the victory as “a victory for progressive and
democratic forces” in Nigeria.

“This victory has definitely
opened a new vista not only in the annals of the Ekiti people, but the
democratic and progressive forces in the country,” he said.

A lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, also said the court ruling shows that democracy is gradually taking roots in the country.

“What is required is our
steadfastness, tenacity and resolution to pursue justice to the final
conclusion. Mimiko has exhibited this, and I am so glad that tear drops
to my face that Fayemi too has also registered his name on the side of
the uncompromising just,” he said.

Remarkably, President Goodluck Jonathan was one of the early backers of the court ruling.

“As Mr. Fayemi prepares to assume
the office of governor of Ekiti State, President Jonathan assures him
of the full support and cooperation of the Federal Government,” the
presidential spokesperson, Ima Niboro said at the weekend.

An ACN leader in Ekiti State and a
member of the House of Assembly representing Ikere constituency,
Funminiyi Afuye described the victory as the restoration of Zion’s
glory.

Mr Fayemi might not disagree. As
the Court on Appeal in Ilorin read its judgement on Friday, Mr. Fayemi
was with his supporters who had lodged at Sunview Hotel, Akure over the
night muttering words of prayers and hoping for victory.

The new governor and his
supporters jumped in victory at the announcement of the result also
stated that he be sworn in with immediate effect.

Mr. Fayemi told journalists that
he is “totally grateful to the people of Ekiti who stood by me during
my trivial in the hands of the illegal government. Despite the fact
that it took me a long time to reclaim my mandate, they stood by me.
The victory is not for Fayemi alone; but for justice, democracy, rule
of law and the entire Ekiti citizenry

“For three and half years, we
challenged illegality at the court and people stood by us during this
period. They never lose hope in me. For three and half years, I was
made a sacrificial lamb but today, I thank God that justice has
prevailed”.

Happy supporters

Ayo Fayose, a former governor of the state described Mr. Oni’s exit as the end of the PDP in the state.

“I had promised him that his stay
will one day be truncated by the long hand of justice. I salute the
courage of Fayemi for choosing to pursue his case, not on the streets
but in the normal court of law with so much zeal, hope and
perseverance. Ekiti will from now spot the difference between an
imposed leader and elected man of the people,’’ he said.

Jide Awe, chairman of the state branch of the Action Congress of Nigeria, was full of joy when NEXT contacted him on phone.

“When we were cheated, people
thought we would go to the street and start burning tyres and houses,
but Fayemi addressed the party faithful asking them to believe in God
and the Judiciary. That is the sign of a good leader. Today, we have
been proved right and I think that this can also happen in other states
too,” he said.

Rotimi Akeredolu, the immediate
former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, said the judiciary
deserves praise for the outcome of the case.

“This judgement brings to fore the
hallowed and attested adage that though the swift-footed lie race
furiously to out-pace truth in the contention for eternal verity; it
takes the courageous acts of some to quicken the process of unveiling,”
he said.

Judgement

The court, led by the President of
the Court of Appeal, Ayo Salami, last on Friday, ordered the immediate
swearing in of Mr. Fayemi as duly elected governor. According to the
court, Mr. Fayemi won both the April 14, 2007 election and the re-run
election of April 25, 2009 with highest lawful votes cast at the polls.

The court which resolved four out
of five grounds of appeal in favour of Mr. Fayemi, also ordered the
Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately withdraw the
certificate of return from Mr. Oni and issue new certificate of return
to Mr. Fayemi “Fayemi scored majority of lawful votes cast in the
election held on April 14, 2007 and April 25, 2009, while Oni has not
been duly elected with the majority votes cast,” Mr Salami said.

“Having satisfied the
constitutional requirements as duly elected governor of Ekiti State,
Fayemi is hereby declared as duly elected governor and should be sworn
in immediately.”

After one and a half years of dilly-dallying over the prosecution
of Nigerian beneficiaries of the $180million ‘Halliburton bribe,’ the federal
government last Wednesday confirmed the worst fear of many Nigerians that it
might not be ready to tackle corruption.

Jiti Ogunye, a human rights lawyer who commented on the decision
of the government to prosecute Bodunde Adeyanju, a former special assistant to
former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his involvement in the Halliburton
bribe, said the trial is an anti-climax.

“I think they are insulting Nigerians with what they are doing.
Let them come clean with Nigerians and say they cannot commit class suicide.
That ‘we cannot prosecute ourselves,’ since most of those involved are PDP
members. I think Nigerians will understand. I think that will be better than
engaging in this showmanship,” said Mr. Ogunye, who is also the President of
the Lawyers League for Human Rights.

When asked if the government would still prosecute more of the
recipients of the Halliburton bribe, Ambrose Momoh, the Chief Press secretary
to the Attorney General of the Federation stated that “I don’t have any
information about that. I can’t say if more people will be prosecuted.”

Find out how the bribery
case began and who the beneficiaries and perpetrators are in today’s NEXT on
Sunday Newspaper.

The Magistrate’s Court situated at
the corner of Fox and Ntemi Piliso (previously West) Streets,
Marshalltown, Johannesburg is clearly in the spotlight with the trial
of suspected terrorist, Henry Emomotimi Okah.

Officials are not familiar with
the name Okah, but immediately point you in the direction if any
sentence you utter has the words “Nigerian”, “bomb” or “terrorist”.

Courtroom 12, where the action is, seats about 30 people.

Occasionally, other cases are
heard in between Mr. Okah’s, mainly while the lawyers ask for time to
read up on documents or consult with each other. All courts have a
basement cell. It is from here the accused are called up before Mr
Louw. Their appearance is preceded by the sound of keys in a lock, and
chains jangling from iron doors and human limbs. Last Friday, there was
a drunken lawyer in court; another case involved a harmless-looking old
man who allegedly threatened his wife with a firearm.

Humdrum stuff compared to the main
business of the day. The minute Mr. Okah’s name is announced, there is
tension in the air as proceedings resume.

It is apparent that ordinary
Nigerians living in South Africa have not shown an interest in this
case. Every day in court has seen just about 10 Nigerians, including
people who are apparently Mr. Okah’s relatives and seat very close to
his wife, Azuka and shield her from the newshounds.

Chris Iroala, the Consular officer
in charge of the Nigerian community in South Africa has been in court
regularly, as well as a man identified as Omeokachie, said to be from
the Nigerian High Commission, Pretoria. Only journalists from NEXT and
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) represent Nigerian media. The rest are
from South Africa’s SABC and ETV, Associated Press, Al-Jazeera, Agence
France Presse (AFP), Reuters and France’s Le Monde.

Outside, camera crews regularly
wait for hours to have moving and still images of Mr. Okah arriving in
court; only Reuters seems to have succeeded with quality images so far.

But Mr. Okah was casual about the
entries when he testified. He said with a shrug; “I have hundreds of
books on guerilla warfare…video tapes. I don’t think there is
anything wrong with that… it is my passion. Some of these things
contained in these diaries are notes on those books.”

Okah also said an invoice being
used as an exhibit by the prosecution was sent by Niger Delta minister,
Godsway Orubebe. He said the Nigerian government sent Orubebe to him
with a quote for guns, asking him to help them get a second quote from
the South African government and that he told them he wasn’t a
contractor.

“I told them I would not help them to buy guns to kill my people,” he said.

On his alleged involvement in
bombings, he said: “I am a sympathiser of the cause. That for me is
where it ends.” Prior to this, Mr, Okah maintained in an affidavit
(read by his lawyer Rudi Krause) that the military uniforms the
prosecution maintained it seized from his home were “nothing one cannot
buy at any flea market in Johannesburg…this is nothing but unlawful
conduct on the part of the SA authorities.” Mr. Okah’s affidavit also
states that his son’s phone was “stolen by the South African Police
Services.” This was denied by the Prosecution.

He also told the court he felt the
Nigerian government was after his life and that he ran away when South
Africa police raided his home. Mr. Okah added that he only returned
when his wife, Azuka called him and confirmed that the people at his
home in Mendeor, south of Johannesburg were officers of the South
African Police Services (SAPS).

“I fled my home,” he said. “The
way they came into my home, I believed them to be assassins sent by the
Nigerian government.” Some of the reasons listed by prosecution lawyers
for opposing the bail application brought by Mr. Okah, include that:
Okah and Jomo Gbomo are one and the same person; ‘the applicant can
easily exit this country without a trace;’ ‘the applicant will attempt
to intimidate and eliminate witnesses;’ and ‘the applicant faces some
of the most shocking charges known to man. ..if released on bail and
murdered, or escapes justice, the international community will
criticise the justice system of the Republic [of South Africa].’
Prosecution maintained also that Mr. Okah’s lifestyle and numerous
properties are being investigated by police to see if it relates to
money laundering, and suggested that Mr. Okah withheld the true status
of his wealth when he gave an interview to Al-jazeera claiming he had
no money. Okah’s reply was that he did not use a cell phone as widely
speculated, and that he had no idea that he was supposed to seek
approval before granting interviews. “I did so with the knowledge of
the prison. I asked permission to use the payphones, and I did. I used
a Telkom payphone.”

Mr Abrahams said the laptops,
phones and cards seized from Mr. Okah’s house are still being analysed
by the South African Police forensic unit. Awaiting trial inmates in
South Africa are allowed to have laptops and more in prisons.

When called up to cross-examine
Mr. Okah, prosecution lawyer Shaun Abrahams said the state was not
ready to do so, as it “had no idea” that Mr. Okah was going to testify,
and was not prepared. “It would be clutching at straws,” Mr Abrahams
said, asking that the bail application be shifted to Monday.

Though Judge Hein Louw agreed that
the prosecution had not been briefed, he said with apparent
exasperation; “we can no longer carry this as a preferential matter
much longer.”

‘Suspected terrorist’ with a heart

Mrs. Okah is slim-built, and
always to be found on the wooden rows facing her husband. She comes
with a bag of food and bottled water, every day. Sometimes her hair is
neatly tied, at other times it looks like she has other things on her
mind to worry about. She is always polite to journalists, often
consults with her husband’s lawyer, and seems to be a fan of Nigeria’s
Ankara fabric.

But her husband has fears for his wife and has expressed them in his affidavit; “My wife is in danger,” he says.

His worry is apparent. The first
thing he does as soon as he is called up to the court room is look to
his left and search the room for his wife. On different days, and at
different times, he smiles, winks or just looks at her. On the day the
diaries were being read, he looked so intently at her that he stumbled
on the first step leading to the holding cells.

On Friday 15th October, just as he was led to the holding cells
below, Mr. Okah turned to his wife and lifted a finger in admonition;
“you haven’t been eating,” he said, his lips forming a quick kiss. She
smiled, briefly, and he disappeared. He is expected to return to the
court tomorrow, 18 October.

Your main task is to convince the people of Lagos to vote IBB in as next president of Nigeria. What do you have to tell them now?

Even though it is always very difficult for people to seek the truth objectively, I will simply tell them to know the truth because the day we start the quest of pursuing the truth, we start to liberate ourselves and our nation.

IBB ruled this country for eight years during which he put up institutions on which successive administrations are building. We had Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt refineries under him but now, we are importing fuel. Why didn’t IBB import fuel? Is it possible to think of Lagos without the Third Mainland Bridge?

All these were done when crude oil sold for low prices; but what did Obasanjo do when crude oil prices skyrocketed? And you think we can just use one June 12 issue to blanket all these achievements?

The major dams giving us electricity, NAFCON, Eleme Pretochemicals, 1004 Estates, NDIC, NBC, there were so many things he did to ensure the system was working. He established Federal Environmental Protection Agency, National Housing Policy, Directorate for Food Road Rural Infrastructure, an organisation that constructed roads to villages and connected the villages to the national grid.

I am a product of Mass Mobilisation for Self Reliance and Economic Recovery (MAMSER) but today, we have graduates roaming the streets without jobs. MAMSER gave the youth hope, but which hope has any government given the Nigerian youth apart from propaganda against IBB?

The problem is that young Nigerians who do not know IBB while in power are fed with wrong information about a man who did so much for them. Primary healthcare, which many Nigerians benefitted from, was established under him. He created 11 states, 200 local government areas, and eight federal universities.

How many federal universities have been established since IBB left office? IBB spent eight years with lesser money than Obasanjo’s eight years. Murtala spent six months in power and created an impact. What impact has President Goodluck created since he got there? IBB represents Nigeria’s interest more than any of them.

Was the annulment of June 12 elections in the best interest of Nigeria?

Being a Yoruba man, I’m aware that the southwest did not support Abiola. Then it is believed that Abiola was also against Awolowo, who cursed him.

Are you saying June 12 annulment is a jinx?

If God has not installed anybody a leader, nobody can. Also, the annulment was done by the Supreme Military Council. It’s not just Babangida alone. There were lots of people behind him with guns. Nobody prays to have a military government. But all that is history now; we must not throw away the baby with the bath water.

He was fond of incarcerating Gani Fawehinmi. In fact, many believe Gani contracted cancer due to the frequent incarcerations. Do you think lovers of Gani will accept IBB’s candidacy?

Obasanjo also went to jail and he didn’t get cancer. That aside, Babangida was a military ruler. Nobody vote them into power and that is why they are called Armed Forces. Again, it’s a military decision then and he will not operate the same under democracy. Many of us don’t understand how the military operate; they take issue of security and order very serious.

So, I won’t want to dabble into what I don’t understand. All I know is that it’s a military decision, good or bad. You can’t challenge a military ruler for taking bad decision because he didn’t get your permission to be there. Let us leave military out of this, we are no more running a military government.

In Lagos, Babangida is not a popular candidate yet. If you add that to the fact that he is contesting on the platform of a party (PDP) considered non-progressive, what do you have?

It is not the public that do not like IBB, it is a few powerful people who have benefitted from government over the years. They have taken advantage of the media to drown his achievements. There is no local government area in Nigeria where IBB has not empowered somebody.

We should not get involved with those powerful people who have issues with Babangida and are luring the Nigerian masses to fight one man that has done no evil against them.

Nigeria’s corruption rating went up during Babangida’s period and we have been battling that till now. Can he deal with it if he gets elected?

Well, corruption has had its roots even before IBB came in, else Fela wouldn’t have sang some of his lyrics when Shagari was in power. But he certainly will do something about corruption. Fela told us also that Obasanjo has corruption cases to answer, yet he established EFCC.

What did you say when Obasanjo sought your mandate, did you question him? You see, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Apart from propaganda, I don’t think IBB has done anything deserving corruption charges.

He allowed, for the first time in Nigeria’s history, women and youth to express themselves. You don’t want to give him credit for the good things he did, you only want to talk about the wrong. Babangida is not God; he is prone to errors.

Would you say because we are human, we allow errors that are costly to the nation?

What about the errors of other presidents? I have not seen others criticised as IBB, and the man takes them. There are presidents that if you criticise them, you will be in trouble. If truly Nigerians are not happy with Obasanjo, then they should have objected when he brought out Jonathan.

But was it not the late President Yar’Adua that chose Jonathan as his running mate?

No, it wasn’t Yar’Adua. Let’s be honest now. It was all Obasanjo’s plan. Nigerians must know the truth. We shouldn’t mislead people. IBB gets criticised, but people kept silent about other leaders whose records are not as good as IBB. Why?

But IBB has not answered the questions people are asking about why he chose not to appear before Oputa Panel and what he did with the Gulf War oil windfall.

Was Oputa panel set up to find out the truth or to witch-hunt? What came out of the report after it was submitted? The motive behind that panel was for a purpose; has that purpose been achieved? It was modelled after the truth and reconciliation panel (in South Africa), but what has been reconciled?

About the oil windfall, you have seen what IBB did with the money. I just showed you a list of all his achievements which no other president has matched.

What about the statement he made about Nigerian youth?

The only statement I’ve heard Babangida made is his belief in the Nigerian youth. His campaign organisation is predominantly run by the Nigerian youth.

All some people are after now is just to fight Babangida to a standstill, irrespective of whether people are dying of hunger. We should check the good and the bad things he has done. If the good is not acceptable, we stay away; but if yes, we draw him closer.

In the international community, do you think he has an acceptable personality that can push Nigeria’s good, considering that young leaders are springing up?

Everybody knows IBB is respected globally. He is no pushover and can stand against any leader anywhere in the world. I’m proud to know somebody with such a wonderful personality.