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It was 9 a.m. on Wednesday, February 9. Ramatu Bako,
35, a tall, dark woman, and her team of seven lawyers poured into Court
6 of the Abuja High Court to commence a fierce legal battle against the
British Council, the United Kingdom owned international cultural
relations organisation. Dressed in a black suit, an ash-coloured
headscarf and a pair of black shoes, Ms. Bako, who was project manager
in the Abuja office of the UK charity organisation until her sack on
July 1, 2010, wanted Justice S.E Aladetoyinbo to compel her former
employer to reinstate her, pay her N100 million in damages and settle
her outstanding salaries and allowances.

Ms. Bako, a lawyer, worked for the British Council
for 10 years. But in March last year, they had a disagreement which
eventually led to Ms. Bako’s sack on July 1, 2010. Since then, Ms.
Bako, had battled to be reinstated, saying she was discriminated
against and that her sack violated Nigerian labour laws and the terms
of her contract. After it became clear that the British Council was in
no mood to reopen her case, Ms. Bako headed for court last December.
The case was mentioned for the first time on February 9.

The face-off between Ms. Bako and her former employer
began March 1 last year. The British Council had, as part of its
cultural exchange programmes, hosted some citizens of Northern Ireland
to participate in a programme with some Kano indigenes. Being the
council’s project manager for intercultural dialogue and social
cohesion programmes in Nigeria, Ms.

Bako was directly in charge of the event. But a day
into the six-day programme, Ms. Bako said she fell sick and left Kano
for her Abuja. In her absence, Ben Fisher, a Briton and the
organisation’s programme manager for Kano took charge of proceedings.

Complaints led to dismissal

While in Abuja, Ms. Bako said she received complaints
from some Nigerian participants in the programme that Mr. Fisher
discriminated against them by attempting to shut them out of the
delegation’s visit to the Emir of Kano. Some of the furious local
participants later sent protest mails to the Council and to Ms. Bako on
the matter.

NEXT learnt that Ms. Bako later circulated
disparaging electronic mails about Mr. Fisher among local and
international staff of the organisation. An enraged Mr. Fisher in turn
complained to authorities of the Council accusing Ms. Bako of bullying
him and defaming his character. Ms. Bako was queried based on Mr.
Fisher’s complaints and after her response, she was issued a letter of
warning on Thursday, July 1, 2010. Ms. Bako said a few hours after
receiving a warning, another letter, announcing her sack, arrived her
desk.

In a statement of claim she filed before the court,
Ms. Bako contended that instead of turning it’s (the British Council)
attention to Mr. Fisher whose action caused “reputational” injury on
it, the council issued her letters of warning and dismissal on the same
date.

“The segregational policy of refusing local
participants the privilege of riding in the same bus with participating
Northern Ireland nationals to the irritation and revulsion of the local
participants, refusal of the local participants the right to make a
speech at the Emirs palace,” were some of the discriminatory policies
Ms. Bako told the court that Mr. Fisher executed.

Her dismissal, she argued, contravenes section 7
subsection 2 of the British Council rules which states that, “where a
final warning is issued to a staff, it is placed on his file for six
months of observation before any action can be taken.” The court
adjourned the matter to March 15, to enable the British Council, file
its statement of defence and memorandum of appearance.

More staff grievances

It is not just Ms. Bako that is not happy with the
Council. A source tells us that a few other staff are just as outraged
with their British boss, David Higgs, who is being accused of
mistreatment of staff, in collusion with a Nigerian assistant director
called Ojoma Ochai. In fact, while Ms. Bako was in court that
Wednesday, another former staff, Debo Akande, was trying to meet with
Alan Curry, the Africa Regional Director, who was on a visit to
Nigeria, to register his grievances.

Mr. Akande, the former President of the Staff Union,
was allegedly “forced to resign” based on findings by the Council that
a relative of his, (contrary to regulations) was benefitting from the
Council’s programmes. Mr. Akande refused to grant an interview based on
his lawyer’s advice. But a top official close to Mr. Akande denounced
the allegation, saying Mr. Akande was being persecuted because of his
position as a leader of the staff.

Some members of staff, whose names were given as Suleiman, Jogwu and Isah, were also allegedly dismissed without due process.

Mr. Curry reportedly met with some aggrieved staff,
including Mr. Akande, on Wednesday and Thursday last week with a view
to resolving the imbroglio. A source stated that the meeting “may work
out a solution” which will be beneficial to all parties. The solution
may include the re-instatement of some of the staff.

British Council responds

When contacted, David Higgs, British Council Director
for Nigeria said: “Due to confidentiality, I am not in a position to
comment on any individual employee.” Mr. Higgs however hinted that the
dismissal of Ms. Bako and her colleagues may have been due to bad
conduct or poor performance saying “our policy incorporates a code of
conduct and disciplinary procedures that guide our actions when there
are performance or related problems. We adhere to these procedures
carefully.”

Mr. Higgs also denies the existence of any
discrimination among staff, saying “the British Council works to build
trust and understanding between cultures and therefore,
‘discrimination’ contradicts our working culture and our values….I
and my colleagues reject the idea that we exercise any form of
discrimination.” The British Council Director however, insisted that
Mr. Curry’s visit to Nigeria was routine and not for the resolution of
any crisis.

Blame the Global Meltdown

Some sources spoken to at the Council explained that
the dismissal of staff was just the Council’s way of responding to cut
in funding to the Council by the British Government during the global
economic meltdown.

“Because of the financial uncertainties in the UK,
they said that my office can’t continue,” said a former staff of the
council who insisted that he was not dismissed due to discrimination.

“The only thing that annoyed me was that everything
happened on the phone. I was dismissed on the phone even though I had
done nothing, absolutely nothing wrong.” He added.

Mr. Higgs also confirmed that some of the dismissals were as a result of the global meltdown.

“As a result of economic conditions, all UK
government funded organisations are contributing to budget reductions
and the British Council is no exception. This led to some redundancies
in early 2010.”

President Goodluck
Jonathan yesterday promised that he will run a government that will not
discriminate against any individual or group, saying his administration
will constantly work for the unity of the country.

Speaking during a
courtesy call on the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari during his
campaign visit to Kwara State, Mr Jonathan emphasized the commitment of
the Federal Government to running an efficient administration.

“If a country is
not well managed, there will be poverty which knows no ethnic,
religious or other sectional barriers,” he said.

Mr. Jonathan said
that to improve the economy, which is his number one priority, farming
by irrigation, especially in the northern states, must be used to
create jobs while industries will be revived.

He praised the
Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki, for his leading role in
agriculture development and promised that the two irrigation and other
power projects in the state will be completed.

The President also
identified road construction and youth education, as special areas that
must be given proper attention in order to give the economy a new lease
of life.

“We will not
disappoint Nigerians and will ensure transparent elections through one
man, one vote without manipulation of votes,” Mr Jonathan said.

The President thanked the Emir and other traditional rulers in the country for supporting the FG to enhance peace in the nation.

Emir’s support

He also commended
Mr. Saraki, who was a former PDP presidential aspirant, for his
support, adding that both of them have a good working relationship as
the former even consulted him before joining the presidential race.

The President, who
referred to Saraki as the longest serving Chairman of the Nigerian
Governors’ Forum, attributed the feat to the governor’s dedication and
hardwork.

The Emir, who said his Emirate has enjoyed the Jonathan
administration, prayed for the success of Mr. Jonathan’s presidential
aspiration while also pledging his personal support and that of the
people of Kwara State during the April 9 presidential election.

The governor of
Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda yesterday at the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) North-East women rally, made a promise to deliver the zone to the
incumbent president at the April polls. Mr Yuguda in his address at the
event said the party is working hard to ensure that women are
adequately mobilised to participate in the elections.

The governor said,
“We will give Jonathan 100 per cent votes in the north east zone, even
our votes during the recent PDP Presidential primary is a proof.
Jonathan has a humble background, he is well educated and he is a man
of experience having been a deputy governor, a governor and now a
president.” Speaking at the event which took place at the Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida Square, Bauchi, the First lady, Patience Goodluck
Jonathan, called on women in the zone to come out en mass and vote for
the Goodluck Jonathan/Sambo ticket at the April elections. The rally,
which attracted women from the geo-political zone had the wives of the
PDP candidates in the six north eastern states; Borno, Yobe, Taraba,
Adamawa, Gombe, and Bauchi, as well as the wife of the Senate
President, Mrs Helen Mark, the wife of the Vice President, Amina Sambo
and several women leaders in attendance.

The president’s
wife appealed to women in the north east to ensure that they vote for
PDP as it had promised 35 per cent women participation in political
appointments. “The president has also promised to carry us along in
every appointment if we vote the government into power,” she told the
women. “PDP has the highest number of candidates who have promised
better deal for Nigerian women.” “I want to also appeal to you women in
the north-east to go from house to house, street to street and
community to community and appeal to your husbands and other women to
come out and vote for President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President
Namadi Sambo at the forthcoming April elections,” she added.

The highlight of
the event was the official decamping of 1,000 women from other
political parties to the ruling party ,they were received by the PDP
National Women leader, Hajia Inna Ciroma who promised to work
tirelessly to see to the victory of the Jonathan/Sambo team.

Some leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
who have been facing murder charges were yesterday freed by an Osogbo
High court, presided over by Justice Yinka Aderibigbe.

This judgement is coming four years after the
politicians were arraigned before Mr Aderibigbe for murder. Moshood
Adeoti and his colleagues were in June 2007, arrested by the police
over alleged involvement in the explosion that rocked the state
secretariat, Abere on June 14, 2007.

Delivering his judgment on the case yesterday, the
presiding judge, Mr Aderibigbe quashed the matter on the ground that it
lacked merit and that all the six witnesses called by the prosecutor
did not link the ACN leaders to the bomb blast.

Mr Aderibigbe stated that the prosecutor could not
prove beyond reasonable doubt that the suspects were masterminds of the
explosion as alleged by the police, adding that no proof of evidence
could be established against the suspects.

He subsequently dismissed the case and absolved the men of complicity in the bomb blast.

The suspects, who appeared before the court, include:
The state Secretary of the ACN, Gboyega Famodun; the party’s Director
of Research and Strategy of the Party, Sunday Akere; Minority Leader,
Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye; a member of the house,
Folarin Fafowora and Assistant Director of Communication, Gbenga
Fayemiwo.

Others are: A former Commissioner for Health, Lai
Oyeduntan; elder brother to the state deputy governor, Sunday Laoye and
Gani Olayiwola.

Judge’s courage

Speaking to journalists after the court ruling,
counsel to the ACN chieftains, Wale Afolabi commended the courage of
the judge in dispensing justice fairly on the matter, saying the
verdict has set the record straight on the controversial case.

The prime suspect in the case, Richard Abayomi, who
lost his left eye in the explosion, is the only remaining suspect yet
to be tried on the matter.

Meanwhile, a member of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission set up by the Osun State government to investigate cases of
human right abuses between 2003 and November 2010, Waheed Lawal has
withdrawn from the commission.

Mr Lawal, who is also the state chairman of the
National Conscience Party (NCP), said his withdrawal was premised on
the fact that he and some members of his party have cases to present
before the commission and “I cannot be a judge in my own case.”
However, a replacement has been effected in the commission with the
appointment of Rufus Oyatoro, the state Chairman of the Labour Party
(LP) as a member of the commission.

“I and other members of the NCP in the state were
objects of harassments and vindictiveness in the hands of the immediate
past government and its individual operatives. We were arrested on
several occasions, even at the premises of the state High Court, Osogbo
on the order of the then Commissioner of Police, John Moronike,” Mr
Lawal said.

Twelve people were
killed and several others injured in a fresh attack on Rwang Fang
village in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State in the early
hours of Tuesday by unknown assailants.

Among those killed was a driver, his wife and their four children.

The military
Special Task Force (STF) Spokesman, Charles Ekeocha, who confirmed the
incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), blamed the villagers for
not contacting the force on time.

According to him,
“the attack was carried out around midnight, but the villagers did not
inform us until the attackers had fled. A military helicopter has been
deployed there for aerial surveillance, because some cattle were also
rustled during the attack.” Mr Ekeocha said more troops have been
deployed to beef up security in the area, and that men of the force are
on the trail of the assailants.

He said relevant
information about the victims would be released later, and promised
that the military is on top of the situation.

The Plateau Police
Command and the Speacial Task Force (STF) had earlier on Monday said
that it has deployed officials to secure the state having received
threats and says it will clamp down on any group planning to carry out
fresh attacks in parts of Jos.

In separate
statements, the security agencies warned those planning to foment
trouble in the town to reconsider their actions in their own interest
or face the consequences.

Some members of the
Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) were attacked in Ilorin, the
Kwara State capital yesterday by hoodlums suspected to be members of
the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The ACPN is the
party of the acclaimed godfather of Kwara politics, Olusola Saraki. His
daughter, Gbemi Saraki is the party’s governorship candidate in the
state. She is running against the candidate of the PDP supported by her
brother and current governor of the state, Bukola Saraki.

Narrating the
ordeal of members of the ACPN, the Organising Secretary of the party in
Kwara State, Suleimon Jabata said close to 30 members of the party are
presently hospitalised for various degrees of injuries in various
hospitals in Ilorin.

He alleged that
the PDP in Kwara wanted to give the visiting president the impression
that opposition does not exist in the state hence, they went into the
street to destroy the billboard of all opposition parties erected in
the metropolis, while posters of opposition members were destroyed and
replaced with that of PDP members.

Dayo Thomas, the
spokesperson for Mrs Saraki, said it was a shocker when his team saw
the party’s billboards being pulled down by PDP members. He said
violence has become the trademark of PDP.

Shun violence

Mr Thomas, who said
the ACPN intends to defend its members within the confinement of the
law, said the party will not indulge in violence. “If a repeat occurs,
we will go to court, we are law abiding citizens,” he said.

The billboards of
Mrs Saraki were vandalised at various locations in the metropolis,
including Ode Afonja, Pakanta, Ita Ogunbo, Baaboko, Geri Alimi, Garage
Offa and Ita Ahmadu.

Calling on the
Federal Government to curtail the rising cases of violence in Kwara, Mr
Jabata warned that the state should not be allowed to degenerate into
the old order of campaign of calumny and bloodletting .

With barely six weeks to the general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is hampered by having to defend itself against over 150 court cases filed against it.

The commission’s chairman, Attahiru Jega, told journalists at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja yesterday that the challenge of compiling the final list of party candidates is worsened by the huge pile of cases it is defending in various courts. Mr. Jega said several exparte orders have been served on the commission restraining it from accepting and recognising some candidates nominated by political parties.

Meeting challenges

Mr Jega said, “The greatest challenge on the nomination process is the alarming number of court orders. There are over 150 pre-election cases filed nationwide against the commission. This morning (Monday) alone, 10 new cases were served on the commission, with the likelihood of many more yet to be served.” When asked about the cost of the pending cases to the commission, the chairman said, “no kobo has been paid to any lawyer,” adding that the lawyers handling many of the cases are doing so out of patriotism. He said some of the cases were also being handled by in-house lawyers.

Submission deadline

The commission chairman also said that 54 out of the 63 registered political parties have submitted their list of candidates who will contest in the forthcoming elections.

Amongst those who have submitted the list of their candidates are the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria People’s party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). These parties, he said have candidates for all constituencies while other parties have candidates in varying numbers.

He also disclosed that a total of 20 Presidential candidates will contest the elections. The commission had earlier stipulated that the last day for the withdrawal of candidates for the election to the National Assembly was February 14, while the last day for the withdrawal of presidential and vice presidential candidates was yesterday. Candidates for governors and deputy governors and state houses of assembly have up to February 28 to withdraw their candidature or substitute names.

“The complete list of nominated candidates is expected to be published by the commission between March 2 and 16 in accordance with the time table and schedule of activities issued by the commission,” he said.

Preparations for elections

On the preparations so far made for the elections, the commission’s chairman told journalists that the electoral body has substantially deployed non-sensitive materials and consumables for the exercise.

He also said plans have been concluded for the recruitment and training of 360,000 ad hoc staff, which will include members of the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) and students from tertiary institutions. The process of accrediting observer groups and the media for the election is almost complete, he said.

Mr. Jega said the commission will spare no effort to deliver on its promise that the elections will be free, fair and credible.

The Plateau Police
Command and the Speacial Task Force (STF) deployed to secure the state
have threatened to clamp down on any group planning to carry out fresh
attacks in parts of Jos.

In separate
statements, the security agencies warned those planning to foment
trouble in the town to reconsider their actions in their own interest
or face the consequences.

“Those planning to
attack any part of Jos must desist from such thought or face the full
wrath of the law.” The Commissioner of Police, Abdulrahman Akano,
warned in a statement in Jos on Monday.

The News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) reports that there have been rumours of plans by some
groups to carry out attacks on some designated places in the town.

The command said in
a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Apev Jacob, that it
had uncovered plans by some miscreants to disrupt the peace in the
metropolis.

It said there were
alleged plans by groups bent on carrying out reprisal attacks following
the skirmishes that occurred on February 15 in which Isuwa John, a
corporal, of the Anti-Bomb Squad was killed.

The statement
warned all groups in the state “not to personalise the incident which
is a big loss to the police,” describing those who murdered the
corporal as “criminals” who will be made to face the wrath of the law.

It urged the public
not to panic over the threat of “imminent attacks,” but go about their
normal businesses, promising that enough security personnel are on
ground to forestall any uprising.

The command said
the five persons arrested in connection with the incident were still in
its custody and helping the police in their investigation.

The STF Spokesman,
Charles Ekeocha, told NAN that the force had kept its personnel on
alert to contain any outbreak of violence in the metropolis or any part
of the state.

“For the avoidance
of doubt, you can see our men everywhere in the town to warn anyone
planning to foment trouble or attack innocent citizens not to try it.
“We are aware of the rumours of planned attacks and ready to deal with
any insurgence. The miscreants are warned to steer clear of any such
action,” he warned.

Solution to crises

Shedrack Best,
Special Adviser to the Plateau State governor on Peace-Building and
Conflict Management, said the solution to the crises in Jos rests with
the people of the state.

Speaking to
journalists on Monday in Jos, Mr Best said: “We all need to play our
respective parts for Jos to move from a city where security is managed
to one where peace is made and built. The mere presence of security
operatives in the state cannot bring peace. Whatever fire power they
may possess, nothing can be achieved without the cooperation of the
people.” He said.

Mr Best, a
professor of peace and conflict management, said that his office is
interested in using “dialogue and sustained communication” to achieve
lasting peace in the state.

“Peace making is
enemies talking to enemies. Over time, they will be able to understand
each other’s feelings, and reach a meeting point of compromise. Our
people must talk to one another,” he added. NAN

The House of Representatives will pass the long-awaited Freedom of Information Bill before the end of the week, Henry Dickson (PDP/Bayelsa), the co-chairman of a new joint committee on the bill has said. Mr. Dickson, on Monday, spoke at a session with civil society organisations including the Media Rights Coalition, Good Society and Justice Coalition and ActionAid. The lead chairman of the joint committee, Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (PDP/Nassarawa), stated that the lawmakers did not oppose the enactment of the bill and would work to ensure it was passed in the House on “Tuesday or Wednesday.”

“For us as politicians, it will do us good if the bill is passed, because there is a lot of misinformation given to the public out there that is not true, because there is a lack of openness on the part of government,” Mr. Wadada said.

“The bill has suffered quite some delay and caused some anxiety and…there were issues about the content of the bill,” said Mr. Dickson.

Sekonte Davies (PDP/Rivers), another member of the committee, blamed the delay in the reenactment of the bill to the fact that “majority of the members have not read it”.

The FOI bill was introduced in the National Assembly in 1999 and was passed in 2007, but former President Olusegun Obasanjo did not sign it into law, forcing the reintroduction of the bill in 2007, shortly after the current session of the national assembly was instituted.

While examining the details of the 34-clause draft bill, the civil society groups suggested that the bill be titled: “An Access to Public Information Bill” or “Access to Information Bill”. The groups also suggested that the bill be amended to include clauses that would allow access to information on Nigeria for not only citizens but non-citizens who may want to do business with Nigeria. The speaker of the House, Dimeji Bankole, had last week in a plenary session, directed committees on information and justice to hold a public hearing on the bill, in order to issue a report for passage this week.

President Goodluck Jonathan has said he is not vying for the office of president to make money, but to entrench unity and pursue economic transformation of the country with the help of his running mate, vice president Namadi Sambo, and other key stakeholders nationwide.

He stated this yesterday during a courtesy call on the Kogi State traditional rulers council led by its vice chairman, Ado Ibrahim, the paramount ruler of Ebiraland, in Lokoja.

“Myself and vice president Sambo mean well for Nigeria. We are not into politics to make money. We stand for the unity of this country. We have no enemies to fight. We will not discriminate against anybody of any tongue, tribe, or religion,” he said.

Mr. Jonathan noted that himself and Mr. Sambo are united for the cause of national transformation because the issues begging to be resolved in the country defy all known sentiments.

He particularly urged other communities around the areas where the proposed nine new federal universities are to be cited not to be disenchanted, noting that “we are not citing the universities to create problems, but to bring development to those areas.”

“We do not want the good intentions of government to bring problems for people,” the president said.

He further described Kogi State as a unique state historically, serving as a link between the north and south of the country both through land and water, and pledged that government would resuscitate the Ajaokuta Steel Company, and also establish other mining plants and green refineries towards a technological and industrial revolution in the country.

“For our Vision 20-2020 to be realised, we must develop our oil and steel potentials, and Kogi State is key in this regard given its rich mineral deposits,” Mr. Jonathan said.

Earlier, Ado Ibrahim commended President Jonathan for his respect for the traditional institution in the country, noting that his humility and performance in governance so far has endeared him to the Nigerian masses.

Also speaking, Kogi governor, Ibrahim Idris, said the people of Kogi are determined to cast their votes en masse for President Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.

“We are going to deliver hundred per cent for President Jonathan” Mr. Idris said.