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It was a cold
clear Ontario morning. That special kind of Canadian morning I look
forward to because I can go jogging and breathe in the crisp and
oh-so-fresh air while drinking in the vivid colours of the trees in
late autumn. Although it was October 1st and I was born Nigerian,
independence day was the furthest thing on my mind in the tranquillity
of suburban Canada.

Then the phone
rang at about 7.30am, and a Nigerian phone number flashed on the
display. “Trouble” I thought, but decided to pick it up anyway, bracing
myself for the usual garbage from 419 fraudsters in search of “someone
to cooperate with for the transfer and sharing of millions of dollars”.
This time I was wrong.

I heard a voice
say “hold on please!” and then my mother’s voice, shaky and exhausted
from weeping, informing me that my father had died that morning. It was
a strange conversation, because she kept on saying she was sorry, and I
kept on saying it was OK and everything would be fine, not really
knowing what else to say to someone who had just lost her lifetime
partner. It would be many months after, following lots of activities
around his burial in Nigeria, that it would finally hit me that I had
also lost my father and dear friend that cold October morning.

When I think of my
father, the images that flash past are a kaleidoscope of Nigeria’s rich
history since independence from the British Empire in 1960. Our
affluent life in the early 1960s in Port Harcourt where I was born; the
rude shock of the civil war through which we lived in the East as
Biafrans in the villages and in the bush; the family’s return to “One
Nigeria“ in the slums of Lawanson in Lagos; the brash promise of the
oil boom years when I was at Kings College; the flip flop between
civilian and military rule; the several successive military coups, and
finally pseudo-democracy in the form of civilian rule. He always
commented on these times, reflecting on the role his generation had
played in the evolution of Nigeria as an independent state.

Before illness
robbed him of the ability to speak, we had many conversations on the
subject of Nigeria, with me asking tough and sometimes unfair questions
of him and his generation. Why did you let the civil war happen so soon
after fighting for independence together? What was your generation’s
intellect expended on while the military coups were happening in quick
succession? How could your generation not detribalise Nigeria, given
that neither of your two closest friends (or mine for that matter) is
from the Igbo tribe?

In the end, he
conceded that his generation had indeed failed the nation through
passivity and that Nigeria’s future generations would pay a heavy price
for that failure. I eventually responded to this prediction by moving
to live in Canada as it steadily transformed from prophecy to reality.

Oh Canada! Sane,
serene, civilized Canada, a country much more in line with my education
and upbringing! My father, who was responsible for most of my education
and upbringing, however completely disapproved of my move. He came
around eventually as he saw his grandchildren grow healthy in mind and
spirit, reflecting the goodness of the society in which they were being
raised. Then as his illness progressed he withdrew from the world into
a long silence and eventually succumbed to death. I have felt that his
death was a release for him, not just from the battle with terminal
illness but also from the shackles of the guilt of feeling powerless to
stop his beloved country from sliding into moral, spiritual and
physical decay. Irrationally, I think it is significant that he “broke
free” on Nigeria’s Independence Day.

Generations of
Nigerians are still paying a price today in different forms, and I will
confess to inheriting my father’s guilt as my own generation also
stands by, seemingly powerless to step away from the past and change
Nigeria’s future.

I hope that such guilt will not be the inheritance I pass on to my children.

So Nigeria’s
Independence Day has much more sombre meaning for me. No joyous
celebrations please. Like the proximity of cold death, it is a shrill
wake up call, to jerk me out of my physical and intellectual comfort
zone and remind me of Nigeria’s reality- a deeply troubled nation,
often times appearing to be on the brink of sudden violent death.

For my sake and
hopefully the sake of my children, I am in the process of seriously
re-engaging with Nigeria, going back to the battlefront much wiser
after beating a tactical retreat, as all good fighters must be able to
do in battle.

While I have not
and will not surrender, more tactical retreats are possible in future.
I do not subscribe to the “NO RETREAT! “ doctrine, especially if
faced with formidable odds.

Somehow I think if he were alive today my father would smile at that.

Aba, the economic
nerve centre of Abia State, is almost a ghost of itself with schools
and banks closed, as the siege on the city and its adjoining local
governments by kidnappers, continue. There is growing uncertainty over
the early release of the 15 school children abducted on Monday on their
way to school.

The Abia state
Commissioner of Police, Jonathan Johnson, however, said the closure of
banks was a panic measure that did not reflect the real security
situation in the city, adding that there were enough security personnel
posted to each of the banks in the city.

Throughout the
metropolis, as well as the Ogbor hill and Umungasi areas of Aba, there
is a near absence of school buses that usually run through the streets
to pick school children, and the few that were seen were without
pupils, as their parents were afraid of sending them to school.
Virtually every private school in the city has voluntarily closed.

There were also no
march past rehearsals in the schools that were open as was the case in
most of the schools last week, in preparation for our nations golden
jubilee celebration.

One of the
proprietors of the schools visited, who closed her school yesterday,
said it was sad that the government has shown no commensurate interest
in the safety of the kids the same way they did when the four
journalists were kidnapped. She expressed wonder that the government
could not buy tracking equipment for the police since they know that
kidnapping in Aba has become endemic and sophisticated, rather than
engaging in an amnesty that will not work, as the kidnappers are mere
criminals who might not embrace the programme.

“This amnesty thing
will not work. These are armed robbers who are into kidnapping because
it is an easier way of picking their millions without sweat,” she said.

Fighting talk

Meanwhile, the
heavy presence of soldiers was noticed in Aba on Thursday, especially
along the Port Harcourt Express Road, an indication that the government
might possibly go on the offensive against the hoodlums.

In a broadcast to
the state, the governor, Theodore Orji, assured the parents of the
kidnapped children that his administration, in conjunction with the
federal government, was doing everything in their power to ensure that
the young victims are released quickly and safely to rejoin their
parents, teachers and friends.

He emphasised that
his government is determined to stop this trend of kidnapping in Abia
State. “Despite attempts to build a theory of intentions around the
incidents of kidnapping in Abia State, our view now is that these
kidnappers are not reacting to any realistic issues that are of utmost
importance to their societies or to the state,” he said.

“These kidnappers
are mere gold diggers, whose resolution and trade ambition is to make
easy money and to secure the betterment of themselves alone, and so the
government will not allow a few disgruntled elements in criminal garb
to hold the entire state hostage. Government has been challenged, and
we have decided to take the utmost measure available to implement the
might and weight of government’s forces.”

Meanwhile, the police have raided the camps of some suspected
kidnappers in Ukwa West area of the state. However, the kidnappers had
escaped before the arrival of the police.

The Mayor of the
City of Cleveland, Frank G. Jackson, has declared October 1, 2010, as
the Nigerian-American Day in the city. The Mayor made the proclamation
to mark the celebration of the golden jubilee anniversary of Nigeria’s
independence.

In a statement
announcing the declaration, Mr. Jackson remarked that the proclamation
is also a recognition of the contributions of Nigerians ( about 10, 000
Nigerian-Americans) living in the Greater Cleveland, most of whom are
professionals in the field of medicine, science, engineering, academia,
and business men and women.

“On behalf of the
citizens of the City of Cleveland, I am honoured to offer the
proclamation designating October 1, 2010, as Nigerian-American Day in
the City of Cleveland,” he declared.

In another
development, the Congress woman, representing 11th District Ohio,
Marcia Fudge, will be the keynote speaker at the event scheduled by the
Nigerian community in Greater Cleveland to celebrate the anniversary.

Part of this year’s independence celebration includes the extension
of scholarship awards to Nigerians and Americans in Greater Cleveland,
display of Nigeria’s cultural heritage and artefacts such as Nigerian
dances and masquerades, which will include the Eyo festival masquerade,
Ekwe dance, and Abang dance groups.

Following an
alleged intelligence report that there are planned attacks in Abuja by
the popular militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger
Delta (MEND), during the 50th anniversary celebrations, the Nigerian
government allegedly prompted the South African Police to invade the
Johannesburg home of Henry Okah, the leader of MEND, in the early hours
of yesterday.

Sources who spoke
in confidence with NEXT revealed that over 30 South African police
officers smashed down Mr Okah’s doors and gained entry into his home at
about 3am South African time, with sophisticated weapons in full
display as well as about six sniffing dogs, at the instance of the
federal government of Nigeria.

“We have been told
that the Nigerian government informed the South African police that it
is imperative that Mr Okah’s home is searched yesterday because they
would find arms and explosives. The federal government has been sending
spurious petitions to the South African government about Mr Okah,
alleging all kinds of things.

“They said he is
exporting arms and explosives from South Africa into Nigeria. But when
the South African police invaded his home, they found nothing. Even
with their sniffing dogs, they did not find anything,” a source said to
NEXT yesterday in Abuja.

Reports have it
that the search at Mr Okah’s home, which lasted for about 10 hours,
from 3am till about 1pm, yielded neither explosives nor arms.

Ima Niboro, the
spokesman for the federal government neither responded to the phone
calls nor the text messages sent to him to make enquiries about the
role of the presidency in the role.

Federal government’s gripe

Although the Umaru
Yar’Adua led government released Mr Okah from a 13-month long detention
and granted him amnesty in 2009, unconfirmed reports state that Mr
Okah’s name has been placed on the INTERPOL red alert in Nigeria, in
connection with arms and drug trafficking.

Emmanuel Ojukwu,
the spokesman of the Nigerian Police, has denied any knowledge of the
raid. Mr Ojukwu, who told NEXT in Abuja that he is also the spokesman
for the INTERPOL in Nigeria, said that he was unaware that Mr Okah’s
name had been placed on red alert by the INTERPOL.

“I have no
information. I am not aware of that. I speak for the Nigerian police
and the INTERPOL and I am not aware of either the invasion or any red
alert,” Mr Ojukwu said in a telephone interview.

Mr Okah, in
response, said that he was unshaken but that he was upset that his
children were frightened by the police officers who tore down their
bedroom doors and barged into their rooms with rifles.

“I am not surprised by the federal government’s actions. What I am
surprised at is that the South African government would allow
themselves to be used by Nigerians. I am, however, not moved by
whatever means the government is trying to use to intimidate me. I am
constantly fighting against the oppression of my people in the Niger
Delta,” Mr Okah said in a statement obtained by NEXT.

The Goodluck/Sambo Campaign
Organisation has berated former vice president Atiku Abubakar for
allegedly continuing with his campaign of calumny against Goodluck
Jonathan, despite the president’s clarification on the controversial
zoning arrangement adopted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The organisation stated this in
reaction to a statement credited to Mr Abubakar that the president
could not be “trusted with the PDP mandate in 2011” because of his
interpretation of the party’s position on zoning.

A settled matter

Mr Jonathan had
last Monday declared that the ruling party never zoned the presidency
to any part of the country. He spoke at the PDP headquarters after
submitting his nomination forms to the leadership of the party.

“The Goodluck/Sambo
Campaign Organisation has noted that in spite of President Goodluck
Jonathan’s clear articulation of the issue of zoning and the decision
of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the matter, former Vice
President Abubakar has continued his campaign of calumny aimed at
impugning the character and integrity of the president,” a statement by
the director of media and publicity, Sully Abu said.

It said that Mr
Abubakar’s comment on the president’s personality was rather curious
given his own antecedents and the fact that he was only recently
admitted into the PDP after long running battles with his local Adamawa
State chapter of the party.

The organization
said the PDP zoning issue has been resolved by the party, just as it
enjoined all its loyal members to respect that position and stop using
it as a diversion from tackling the real issues that affect the
Nigerian people.

The organisation’s
spokesperson said that the decision was a product of a meeting held in
Abuja yesterday by the zonal coordinators of the Jonathan/Sambo for
President Campaign.

Those at the
meeting presided over by Dalhatu Tafida, the organization’s director
general were: state governors: Liyel Imoke of Cross River; Isa Yuguda
of Bauchi; Gbenga Danile of Ogun; and Gabriel Suswam of Benue.

A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, was also in attendance.

One of the
daughters of the Emir of Lafia has been found less than 48 hours after
she was abducted from the grounds of her father’s palace. Hadiza
Mustapha Isa Agwai was found in the early hours of Thursday,
disorientated but unharmed.

According to a
source, the 22-year-old was abducted on Tuesday after being coerced by
a group of men masquerading as commercial motorcyclists. The details of
the kidnapping are still unclear but it is believed that Miss Agwai was
just returning from work when she was taken.

The Secretary to
the Lafia Emirate, Hudu Aliyu Mailafiya, revealed in a telephone
interview with NEXT that the Emir’s daughter was found at exactly 5am
on Thursday in a confused and bewildered state. He added that although
that she was not speaking lucidly, she managed to reveal that her
assailants took her to a bush somewhere near Nasarawa Eggon, about 30
minutes away from Lafia.

Her account also revealed that her abductors had other people in their custody, one of whom was killed in her presence.

Miss Agwai was
unavailable for further comment, as investigations showed that she had
been immediately taken to the State Security Service head office in
Lafia for a debrief. Mr Mailafiya explained that she was taken in for
questioning to enable the security agents get some more leads on her
captors.

When NEXT visited the office of the SSS in Lafia, we were denied access to the Emir’s daughter who was still in their custody.

Mr Mailafiya however assured that as soon as she was released from
questioning, he would make sure that a press briefing is arranged so
that Miss Agwai can give full details of the abduction.

Julius Berger Ltd
was handed a reprieve yesterday after the Federal Government withdrew
all charges against the construction giant in the ongoing Halliburton
bribery scandal.

The Attorney
General and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke who confirmed this
yesterday said a secret agreement had been reached with the
construction firm.

This adds another
twist to the ongoing saga and comes less than a month after a Federal
High Court judge, David Okorowo, disqualified himself from hearing the
$180 million Halliburton scam.

Mr. Adoke told
journalists yesterday in Abuja that following media reports, the
federal government has had to effect amendments to the charges brought
against certain persons in connection with the matter.

“After a further
review of the investigation reports as well as the totality of evidence
available, I have approved the request of the prosecution team that the
charges against the Julius Berger parties be withdrawn,” he said.

“Consequently, the Julius Berger parties have entered into an agreement with the FGN.”

Secret deal

Mr. Adoke said
whilst the agreement is subject to confidentiality, “the Julius Berger
parties entered into the agreement on the basis of no admission of
liability, culpability or guilt.” He added that Julius Berger Nigeria
Ltd will institute a scheme of corporate compliance monitoring to
improve and strengthen its internal controls and mechanisms for a
period of two years.

Furthermore, the
minister said the company will publicly affirm and restate its
commitment to the dictates of good corporate citizenship through
advertorial messages in electronic and print media outlets with
national coverage. “Julius Berger Nig Ltd will make an ex-gratia
payment to the Federal Government.” He also said he was confident that
the terms of settlement and release agreement are prudent and practical
taking into account the available evidence and the potential hurdle of
the evidentiary burden of proof.

“As a corollary,
let me add that the FGN intends to file a civil action against
Halliburton Corporation in the United States to seek compensation and
restitution within the next 14 days.” However, Mr. Adoke refused to
take further questions from journalists and dashed to his office
immediately after the briefing.

At the last hearing
of the case, the government’s counsel, Olu Fatunde, informed the court
that he had yet to serve the suspects with court processes.

Mr. Okorowo said
the matter could not be mentioned if the suspects were not in court and
had not been served yet, and sent the case file to the chief judge for
re-assignment to another judge and adjourned the suit, pending when it
is assigned.

“I have no jurisdiction to entertain this matter,” declared Mr. Okorowo.

History

Several foreign
companies, most notably the U.S. oil and gas giant, Halliburton, are
accused of paying bribes worth millions of dollars to high-ranking
government officials during the process to award the contract for
Africa’s first liquefied natural gas plant in 2002 and 2003.

The suspects
include some of the nation’s most powerful people, but Mr. Adoke
assured Nigerians that the trial would be conducted without bias, as it
would boost President Goodluck Jonathan’s anti-corruption credentials
as the 2011 elections approached.

Suspects expected
to be arraigned are George Mark, the former personal assistant to
ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo ; Ibrahim Aliyu, a former federal
permanent secretary; Hans George Christ; Heinrich J. Stockhausen;
Julius Berger Nigeria Plc; Bilfinger Berger GMBH; AVM Abdullahi Dominic
Bello; Mohammed Gidado Bakare; Urban Shelter Limited; Intercellular
Nigeria Limited; Sheerwood Petroleum Limited; Tri-Star Investment
Limited; Maizube Holdings Limited; TSKJ Nigeria Limited – (a) Technip
S.A.; (b)Snamprogetti Netherlands B.V.; (c) Kellog Brown and Root Inc.;
(d) Japan Gasoline Corporation of Japan.

Following the
recent appointment of new General Officers Commanding the various
Divisions of the Army, the new General Officer Commanding 81 Division,
Nigerian Army, Kenneth Minimah has assumed command.

Mr Minimah, a
Brigadier General, was born on July 27, 1959, at Minimah in Opobo
Kingdom in Rivers State, and joined the cadet training in 1979 as a
member of 25 Regular Course. He was commissioned on December 18, 1981,
into the great Infantry corps.

Mr Minimah has
attended 13 courses, including the 81mm Mortar, Jungle Warfare and
Combat Survival, Young Officers Course Infantry, Basic Airborne Course,
Advanced Airborne Course, Junior and Senior Division Staff Courses, the
National War College. He has held several appointments, including
Commanding Officer, 149 Infantry Battalion, Directing Staff, Armed
Forces Command and Staff College and Colonel Administration, 82
Division Nigerian Army. Outside Nigeria, Mr Minimah was the Commanding
Officer, Nigeria Battalion 2, United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone,
Commandant Depot Nigerian Army. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History
and International Studies and Masters in Strategic Studies and is a
recipient of the Forces Service Star, Meritorious Service Star,
Distinguished Service Star, the passed staff college dagger and fellow
of the war college.

Notable amongst his
achievements with the Nigerian army is the first Nigerian Armed Forces
officer of the rank of Brigadier General to jump from the aircraft as a
highly respected Jump Master. He has commanded the Infantry Battalion
in peace, for peacekeeping and in war.

He is happily married to Mrs Felly Minimah and has two sons and a daughter.

Nigeria’s problems
after 50 years of nationhood rest on failure of the leadership, the
Itsekure of Benin Kingdom, Nosakhare Itsekure, has said.

The chief, who
spoke in Benin City, said apart from the late Murtala Mohammed, who was
murdered in 1976, Nigerian leaders have failed in taking the country to
the pinnacle of its dreams.

He said the only
thing to celebrate as the country marks 50 years of independence is the
fact the country has remained one indivisible entity despite its myriad
of maladministration, leadership recklessness and political corruption.

Mr. Itsekure,
renowned for his outspokenness and struggles during the days of the
military juntas, said both military and political leaders have looted
the country dry.

He noted that the
country as it is today was not the dream of its founding fathers,
regretting that democracy has been hijacked by selfish politicians who
see politics and governance as a means of acquiring wealth

He lambasted the
political class and the parties for lacking ideology on how to move the
country forward as practiced in developed countries.

The only way
forward, he said, is for the youth of the country to take their own
destiny into their hands by insisting on accountability and
transparency in government.

Governors’ messages

Meanwhile, the
governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has congratulated the people
of the state and other Nigerians on the occasion of the nation’s
anniversary, saying the people should focus on the positives rather
than lament the failures of the past.

“On the occasion of
the 50th anniversary of the attainment of Independence by Nigeria, I
join the good people of Edo State and other Nigerians to celebrate this
milestone in the annals of the nation,” he said.

“Despite the
seeming challenges facing the nation, there is a lot to celebrate as
the country remains one indivisible entity despite having passed
through many trials, including a civil war. While there is no doubt
that the nation could have developed far better that it is now, I urge
the good people of Nigeria to focus on the positives as the challenges
facing the nation are surmountable.”

Ogun State
governor, Gbenga Daniel, asked Nigerians to count their blessings,
recommit themselves to national development, set new goals and work to
actualize the immense potentials of the nation.

In a press
statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, Mr Daniel said despite
the failures of the past and the challenges of the present, Nigeria
remains one indivisible nation with promising prospects, stressing
further that the fact that democracy has endured for 11 unbroken years
was another sign of progress and a reason to celebrate fifty years of
nationhood and thank God for his mercies.

Ondo State indigenes, including the state governor,
Olusegun Mimiko, have called on Nigerians to remain focused as the
nation celebrates its 50th independence anniversary.

Mr Mimiko, in his goodwill message, noted that though
the promise of independence has not been fully realized, this should
not be allowed to diminish the value of freedom and the significance of
becoming a sovereign nation.

The governor’s message which was released by his
spokesperson, Kolawole Olabisi, described Nigeria as a great nation
with great potential.

He said rather than engage in recrimination over our
misses and woes, today’s celebration of Nigeria’s golden Jubilee should
be a forceful reminder of the promises yet to be fulfilled and of
dreams yet to be attained.

He said the attainment of that is the task that must
be done to take the nation to the heights desired for her by her
founding fathers.

While positing that the nation must be re-tooled to
take its pride of place among the comity of nations, Mr Mimiko said for
Nigeria to be given its dues, its leaders must ensure that credible
election hold next year.

“As we celebrate our nation’s golden Jubilee, there
is no doubt that our nation is today faced with a number of daunting
challenges, but in the face of all these challenges, our resolve and
abiding faith must remain unshaken,” he said. “These challenges, to my
mind, should however be taken as ample opportunities waiting to be
translated into stepping stones to an assured destiny of peace,
progress, and prosperity for our common posterity if we all remain
focused and do our bit.”

Tackle the problems

Human rights activist and lawyer, Tunji Abayomi, said
the celebration should serve as an opportunity to ponder how to save
the nation from the multifarious problems which has relegated it among
its peers.

“The nation has gone through a lot of difficulties
basically, the failure of leadership. In reality, the nation should not
be where it is today. Social infrastructure, the well being of the
people have been treated with levity and disdain,” he said.

“If you assess where the nation is today, you are
bound to say that the nation has failed. There is no good road, no
access to health and water, unemployment is on the increase, and
kidnapping is the order of the day and corruption is the highest common
factor.” Mr Abayomi noted that the only way the nation can be freed
from the shackles of poverty and maladministration is to ensure that
people with the genuine interest of the nation at heart are given the
chance to rule.

Leader of the Yoruba Socio Cultural Group, Afenifere, Rueben
Fasoranti blamed the nation’s woes on corruption in high places and
poor administration.