ELECTED public office holders ought to think of their place in history. It’s because history is often in the future. But it is written by the events of today.

That’s why politics matters. In that regard, in making any decision whose effects and meaning will be felt for years, or even for a short period, circumspection is absolutely necessary.

A plan must be well thought through. It must be consistent with the laws of the land. It must be in consonance with the philosophy on which the people elected the candidate. In other words, every policy, every decision made by the government in power, must be for the greater good of the society. It should not be self-serving. Restraint is also vital.

Unfortunately, when an opportunity to exercise far-reaching influence on the future life of their states and citizens comes, a lot of our elected politicians are found wanting by the kind of decisions they make.

They behave as dictators, as if the people do not matter. In fact, it hurts like pins of fire in the lips to see what some State governors are currently doing with the mandate given to them by the electorate. It hurts even deeper when these governors ought to be role models for the “Generation X” in their States.

It pains when a governor pursues trivia things with zeal, but pays scant attention to important issues for which he could be remembered for good.

Without stretching matters too far, the proposed antı-rumour bill by the Bayelsa State government is one piece of bizarre executive mishmash that ought not surface in a decent democratic society.

The Bayelsa State House of Assembly is already waiting to receive the proposed Executive bill that has the bullish imprimatur of Governor Seriake Dickson. First, let’s look at the content and uselessness of the bill.

According to the governor, the bill will provide punishment for false dissemination of information and propaganda, in has words,” either against the reputation of private individuals or about government or its officials”.

To rub in his iron major towards the passage of the bill which would be a formality once it arrives the House, the governor had this to say a few days ago: “Of course, we are aware that existing laws provide for offences such as criminal defamation of character and so on. But we are going to come up with a legislation to punish “deem say, dem say”.

According to the State government, it does not intend to make the proposed law draconian, but with it,” people will find ıt unprofitable to wake up one day and begin spreading the rumour that the State government has been sacked by a court in Port Harcourt, and in the process causing panic among the people in their numbers…”

I abjure in its entirety the provisions of this proposed bill. It is as obnoxious, if not was than the infamous Decree No.4 of the discredited Buhari/Idiagbon military regime. Did I hear somebody say that Gov Dickson is a lawyer, a former commissioner of Justice in the State, and until he was railroaded into Government House in Yenagoa, courtesy of the power of the presidency member of the House of Representatives? That’s fıne.

But so far as governor, Dickson seems more like a perfect definition of chaos than a solution provider.

Substance, not appearance defines a man. Tough-minded but with a personality that ranges from tempestuous outbursts to brinkmanship, many of the polices initiated by Dickson have become folders you cannot look through without wincing.

Some are next to hopeless. Sometimes one is compelled to ask: what will Gov Dickson look like without controversy?. He seems to revel in it. Perhaps it provides him with the oxygen of publicity to initiate more divisive bills for the House of Assembly to rubber-stamp.

Last year, he kicked up quite a huge dust when he announced the appointment of the President’s wife, Dame Patience Jonathan as a Permanent Secretary (Perm Sec)in the Bayelsa public service. Does the First Lady need that? Is that the way to repay political IOU? In government, as in the most intimate personal relationships, the glue that holds things together is trust.

The proposed anti-rumour law not only is it anti-democratic, it’s a dubious proposition that was a common feature in the rocking-horse nations like the Central African Republic and during the regimes of two late African dictators, Idi Amin of Uganda and Mobutu Sese Sekou of former Zaire. Does Dickson want to be compared with these despots?.

History teaches that anyone in power begins to run aground the very moment he or she begins to confuse his own destiny with that of others. Unknown to Dickson, being secretive generates rumours. Or is there something the governor is hiding or has up his sleeves that he believes gagging the people against the provision of Section 39 of the Constitution, will be one of the ways to cover tracks?

Those in power need reminding that perhaps a sure way that a government could avoid adverse comments and peddling of rumours by the people is through solid performance. Even with that, you cannot silence the opposition or prevent people from freely voicing their views. I want to believe Dickson does not have this self-aggrandizing tendency to bully his people or indeed Nigerians who may feel strongly about his style of governance.

His Achilles heel is more of misdirected energy and apparent lack of creative ferment and good ideas. By trying to crimınalise official information not made public by his government in these times of Freedom of Information Act, that seeks openness and transparency in governance, it will be strange and indeed against everything a responsible government should do or contemplate, let alone legislate on.

Let’s get this straight: rumours and pernicious propaganda are as old as mankind. They can be harmful if unchecked.

But they thrive where government hoards vitals information necessary for good governance. In a situation like that, nether the people nor the press has little obligation to protect the government from itself. It is therefore disingenuous to blame the people or the media for carrying information(whether true or false) about government or its officials who are paid from public treasury.

Again, I ask: does governor Dickson want to threaten people with this proposed bill? He should hear what Donald T. Regan, President Ronald Reagan’s ex- Chief of Staff said about information dissemination:”

As a practical matter it is impossible to control leakage of information in a large democratic society in which many people in the government have access to its innermost deliberations”. Unless Dickson has run out of ideas on how to move Bayelsa forward, this anti-rumour bill deserves a place in the dustbin of history.

But we know that the State legislature will help him take his own poison.

-Sun

It was a black weekend in Bayelsa State as 13 policemen were feared dead in a boat attack along the creek of Azuazuama in the Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.

26 others were killed in separate attacks in Adamawa, Plateau and Borno States.

The Bayelsa incident, which jolted the security circle in the predominantly riverine state, Sunday Vanguard learnt occurred at about 5p.m. on Friday.

It was also the subject of discussion among security operatives on the Brass Island in Brass local government area where the Mobility Command of the Nigerian Air Force held a two-day free medical services for the people to ameliorate the impact of recent floods that ravaged the state.

Though the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had threatened attacks on the nation vast oil installations in Delta from mid night of Friday, it was, however, learnt that the Friday attack which claimed the lives of the policemen may have had nothing to do with the threat.

The deceased operatives, a security source said, they were heading to the coastal Azuzuama community in the deep mangrove swamp of Southern Ijaw council area when they came under attack. The boat in which they were traveling was reportedly sunk by their assailants, causing them to drown.

It was reliably learnt that the policemen were on their way to provide security at the wake-keep of the mother of an ex-militant leader, said to be locked in feud with his boys over their alleged abandonment.

The ex-militant leader, it was learnt, had relocated to Abuja after embracing the Federal Government amnesty leaving behind his boys.

Sensing trouble, the ex militant leader was said to have approached the police authorities in Yenagoa for police protection during the burial ceremony.

The assailants, who allegedly got wind of the police deployment, were said to have laid ambush for the boat conveying the security operatives along the Azuzuama creek, killing thirteen of them while three reportedly escaped.

The state police public relations officer, Alex Akhigbe, DSP, could not be reached as he was not picking his calls but the state commissioner of police, Mr. Kins Omire, when contacted, said he was in a meeting and his line went off.

‘I counted 13 bodies’

In the Adamawa incident, gunmen attacked Midlu village in Madagali local government area, killing 13 and leaving several others injured.

An eye witness said the attack took place on Friday night while the residents were still mourning after some attackers stormed the area and opened fire on residents, resulting in the death of 11 people on the spot.

The eye witness said the gunmen, numbering about forty, attacked the residence of the Deputy Governor of the state, Bala James Ngilari, who hails from the village.

He added that the attackers ransacked the Deputy Governor’s house and shot two security guards there. The Friday incident, according to him, happened after the muslim ISHA’I prayer, and took the residents by surprise. The attackers, he said, shouted “ALLAH is great, ALLAH is great, “while marching round the village unchallenged. He said he counted 13 bodies after the attack. When contacted, Adamawa State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Mohammed Ibrahim, confirmed the attack.

Attackers die

At least 11 people were killed in the Plateau attacks which occurred in Langtang South and Wase local government areas yesterday. While gunmen suspected to be herdsmen killed seven and injured several others at Karkashi in Langtang South LGA, four of the attackers in a similar incident at Zango in Wase LGA were not as lucky as they were repelled and killed by the villagers.

The gunmen were said to have struck at Karkashi at about 2.am opening fire on their victims, killing some and injuring many.

Media Officer of the Special Task Force maintaining security in the state, Captain Salisu Mustapha confirmed the Karkashi incident.

He said four suspects have been arrested over the attack and were being interrogated adding that they would be handed over to the police at the end of investigations.

Slain district head

In Borno, gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram Islamists, in separate attacks, on Friday and yesterday, shot dead the district head of Auno; and a policeman on patrol on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

Auno is 22 kilometres west of Maiduguri, the state capital. The gunmen, according to a resident, came in two unmarked Golf Volkswagen vehicles at 8.35pm Friday and drove straight to the district head’s palace, before firing several gunshots to scare the villagers.

The slain policeman, according to an eye witness was shot dead near Muna Motor Park, yesterday, while patrolling the 85-kilometre Maiduguri-Dikwa road.

Via Vanguard

In my opinion what could be considered as ‘sustainable’ outrage against Jonathan’s action was the obvious filial connection between the two – Alamieyeseigha was his political benefactor and his fellow Ijaw. The argument that the pardon is a setback against the fight against corruption is however neither here nor there because the presidential prerogative of mercy is bestowed on people who are accused of committing crimes or have been convicted of committing crimes – not on innocent people. It is not a prize award or national honour for distinguished service to the nation but a show of mercy on the beneficiaries. It is like arguing that because US Presidents routinely pardon drug barons such a show of mercy constitutes a setback in the global fight against illicit drugs.

Largely because of the lack of any scientific method of determining who will benefit from presidential pardons, most of such acts of mercy are inherently controversial. In the US Article II Section 2 of the country’s Constitution, empowers the President to “grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.” While a reprieve reduces the severity of a punishment but retains the guilty pronouncement of a court, a pardon removes both punishment and guilt. This heightens a pardon’s controversial nature.

Historically US Presidents have used the power of pardon to heal rifts in their national psyche as George Washington did when he pardoned leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion. James Madison similarly pardoned Lafitte’s pirates after the War of 1812; Andrew Johnson pardoned Confederate soldiers after the Civil War; Harry Truman pardoned those who violated World War II’s Selective Service laws; and Jimmy Carter pardoned Vietnam War draft dodgers. In Nigeria those who fought on the Biafran side during the Civil War (1967-1970) were granted pardon just as Niger Delta Militants received amnesty from the late President Yaradua. You do not necessarily need to have been ‘convicted’ of a crime by a court of law to be granted pardon as these instances clearly illustrate.

Apart from the above type of pardon, virtually every other form of pardon evokes controversy. For instance there was a sense of outrage across the world in 1992 when President George Bush (Snr) pardoned six Reagan administration officials involved in the Iran-Contra Affair. George Bush (Snr) was considered a close associate of one of the beneficiaries, Caspar Weinberger, who served as Secretary of Defence while Bush served as Vice President under Reagan. Weinberger and others had all been convicted for illegally conducting arms sales with Iran, which was using the profits to fund the Contra rebel guerilla army in Nicaragua. Richard Nixon who resigned as President of the US in 1974 in the face of an almost certain impeachment following the Watergate scandal was pardoned by Gerald Ford, who served as his Vice President and who also succeeded him as President after his resignation. Bill Clinton also came under fire for several of his pardons, including the pardon of tax evader Marc Rich.

There was also the case of Patty Hearst, the granddaughter of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. In 1974 Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the then-unknown radical group, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). That same year she assisted the SLA in bank robberies and other crimes until the urban guerilla group’s location was discovered by police. At her trial, Hearst claimed she participated in the criminal activities under psychological and physical duress but was sentenced to seven years in prison. She served two years of her sentence before it was commuted by President Jimmy Carter. Clinton pardoned her in 2001. Recently in South Korea, some pardons granted by the then outgoing President Lee Myung-bak in January 2013, generated national outrage because included in the list were the President’s close friend Chun Shin-il and a close political ally, Choi See-joong, both of whom had been sentenced for bribery, as well as the former speaker of the national assembly Park Hee-tae and a former aide to Mr Lee, Kim Hyo-jae, who were both jailed over a vote-buying scandal.

Pardons are controversial partly because there is no scientific formula anywhere for selecting those to be pardoned. Presidents, being humans, often bring their own emotional and filial considerations in the exercise of this prerogative. This is why it is rather surprising that the American Embassy should openly condemn the pardoning of Alamieyeseigha – when the country routinely pardons drug barons, fraudsters and other criminals and the Embassy ought to be conversant with the controversies that often dog presidential pardons. This is more especially as they have a channel of privately making their feelings about the pardon known to the powers that be in Abuja.

The above is not necessarily an endorsement of the pardon of Alamieyeseigha but to put that exercise in its proper historical and global contexts. In our own type of society, where heroes and villains are defined by ethnic and religious boundaries, a hero in one enclave could be perceived as a villain in others. Alamieyeseigha may be seen as a villain by other Nigerians but may not necessarily be seen as such by his Ijaw brethren. And if he is seen as a hero in his region and President Jonathan is from that region, it is obvious the sort of pressure he will be under to grant him pardon. Being the President’s benefactor will make that pressure even more overwhelming – unless we want to pretend that in this country our leaders are not influenced in their decisions by filial, ethnic and regional considerations. It is not the right thing to do but part of the diseases that constitute system dynamics in our country.

Otherwise why will most Governors locate new Universities and industries in their villages? Why will political leaders play the ethnic and religious cards if not so that they will be in the good books of ‘their people’? During the Second Republic top Igbo politicians were apparently under pressure to push for President Shagari to grant Ojukwu pardon. Not long ago, some top military leaders from the North converged and declared that Abacha was not corrupt – even though the rest of the country sees him as the poster-boy of corruption. It is therefore part of the character of the Nigerian State that since national political leaders often ‘retire’ to become regional and ethnic champions, their actions while in office are partly influenced by the way they want their ‘people’ to perceive them. In this sense, rather than blame Jonathan for pardoning Alamieyeseigha, we should blame it on the nature of the Nigerian State.

There is, in my opinion, at least one justifiable ground for pardoning Alamieyeseigha: while his corruption – alleged and confessed- in office is condemnable, the way he was removed from office smacked of impunity and vendetta – something that has often turned the fight against corruption in this country into a charade. You cannot rig the legal processes to achieve a desired outcome – even if you caught the thief with his fingers in the cookie jar. Gestapo methods were used to remove from office both Alamieyeseigha and the former Governor of Plateau State Joshua Dariye. The establishment of a rule of law must necessarily precede confidence-building in the justice system. I believe victims of such Kangaroo justice – whatever their crimes – deserve some form of reprieve, if not complete amnesty. And have we really forgotten the attempted abduction of Ngige in Anambra State? Why has nothing been done to fish out those behind such jungle justice as a way of sending clear message that impunity cannot be tolerated in a decent society?

The outcry over the pardon of Alamieyeseigha is good in so far as it shows that citizens are closely monitoring the actions of their leaders. But it also shows us to be a nation of hypocrites and people who like to play the Ostrich. Suddenly everyone is showing strong distaste for corruption. From a lecturer who demands ‘sorting’ to pass an undeserving student to the student leader who embezzles student union funds to the law enforcement officer who gladly looks the other way at a little inducement to the journalist who wants to be ‘induced’ before he can give a certain slant to his story to even the mechanic who will quickly exchange the new battery in your car for an old one, there is an outpouring of alarm and rage that a ‘corrupt’ man has secured a Presidential pardon. The outrage is in my opinion meaningful only if it offers us an opportunity for introspection: if I were in Jonathan’s shoes, would I really have acted differently?
________________________________________________________________

The Federal High Court on February 19, 2013 had ordered the Federal Government to pay the money as damages for the invasion of the community.

Not satisfied with the ruling, the Federal Government applied for stay of execution on the judgment, pending the determination of its appeal at the appellate court.

But Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Wednesday struck out the Federal Government’s suit, insisting that government must pay the sum.

Akanbi, in his ruling, also described the Federal Government’s application as frivolous and lacking merit.

Counsel for the government, Mr. Michael Nomeh, had urged the court to grant his client’s request for a stay of execution on the payment pending the outcome of his client’s appeal.

Nomeh, who represented Ade Okeaya-Inneh (SAN), had argued that it would be difficult to recover the money from the community if the appeal sailed through.

But Lawal Rabana (SAN), Lucius Nwosu (SAN) and Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), who are counsel for Odi community, asked the court to ignore the Federal Government application.

According to them, Odi people are entitled to the special damage of N17, 6bn and general damage of N20bn awarded in their favour.

They pointed out that since the Federal Government could not bring back to life those who lost their lives during the invasion of the community, the appropriate step was for government to pay the damages.

“You cannot say that because of N37.6bn that your citizens in whose land you explore crude oil should be subjected to suffering. The Federal Government cannot go bankrupt or collapse if the money is released to the Odi community.

“If in the event that the appeal succeeds, the Federal Government can get the money back as these people are not foreigners that will abscond. Odi will continue to remain an integral part of Nigeria forever,” Rabana, one of the counsels for Odi community, argued.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Akanbi declared that the Federal Government’s application was not in good faith.

Akanbi explained that the Federal Government had resources and assets, which far exceeded the money the court awarded as compensation to the people of Odi.

He noted that granting the FG’s application would amount to denying the people of Odi justice, which they had sought for over a decade.

“The whole world is watching Nigeria and they expect that the government should pay the compensation and not subject the community to the rigour of judicial processes,” Akanbi added.

He described as baseless the fear expressed by the Federal Government that it would be difficult to recover the money from the people should its appeal succeed.

Via Punch

The former militants also looted shops on Otiotio road and Mbiama-Yenagoa road at Yenezuegene axis of the state capital, as an unidentified hawker from the Hausa ethnic stock had his back matcheted by the rampaging youths.

Some business outfits in the area hurriedly locked up for fear of being attacked by the ex-militants on the rampage.

It will be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan, last year, approved training under amnesty programme for 3,642 ex-militants.

Checks by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the protest, which started around 9.00 a.m, lasted almost three hours, causing traffic gridlock on the roads.

The intervention of operatives of the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF), anti-riot policemen, state security outfit and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), helped put the situation under control.

Spokesman of JTF, Lieutenant-Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed that the protest had been put under control, adding that the security outfit had no hand in the protest.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the scene of the incident, broken bottles and glasses littered the road, including the burnt and smashed vehicles belonging to innocent persons.

Trouble started when the inter-agency taskforce headed by Air Vice Marshal Gbum, currently on a verification exercise of ex-militants in the state, reportedly notified them that 15 guns submitted by a militant camp would be entitled to one amnesty slot training.

The ex-militants rejected the controversial slot allocated to them, describing it as meagre and inhuman, just as they called for an increase in their monthly allowance.

In a reaction, spokesman of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Daniel Alabrah, condemned the protest, noting that the destruction of the vehicles was misplaced.

Efforts to reach the head of the inter-agency security taskforce failed, as his mobile phone was switched off.

Via Tribune

Access to Justice, a civil society group, has said that the perpetrators of the genocide committed against the people of Odi in Bayelsa State in 1999 should be brought to justice, in spite of the recent court judgment.

It will be recalled that Justice Lambo Akanbi of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had ordered the Federal Government to pay N37.6 billion as compensation to the people of Odi for the invasion of their community, 12 years ago on the orders of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Executive Director, Access to Justice, Mr. Joseph Otteh, in a statement said that the court judgment was predicated on the need to curb the excesses of the executive and to send a clear message that the days of tyranny were gone forever.

He said: “Since 1999, the genocide against Odi community had been held up by those who perpetrated the abuses as a benchmark of how government should deal decisively with communal restiveness and agitation, and the fact that thousands of innocent people lost their loved ones, were maimed and lost everything they had, including their dignity and sense of self-worth mattered so little.”

Via Vanguard

Soldiers had in November 1999 invaded Odi and killed many innocent indigenes of the community.

The youths, who spoke under the auspices of the Niger Delta Youth Parliament, said the judgment would serve as a deterrent to leaders who preferred to take the law into their hands.

National Coordinator of the NDYP, Mr. Imoh Okoko, explained that the people of Odi had waited for justice for a long time, adding that the court ruling had vindicated the people of the area.

Speaking in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, Okoko expressed regret that soldiers could move against harmless and defenceless people of a community without considering the sacredness of life.

He described the military action in Odi about 13 years ago as an attempt to wipe away a community.

“Many women were turned to widows overnight while some men in Odi became widowers. A whole village was almost wiped off the face of the earth in 1999 by soldiers and everybody kept silent. That is not fair,” Okoko added.

Advising Nigerian leaders to always give peace a chance, Okoko argued that it was wrong for former President Olusegun Obasanjo to have ordered the invasion of Odi community.

-Via Vanguard

Justice Lambi Akanbi of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, who gave the order while delivering judgment in a N100 billion suit filed by the people of Odi community against the Federal Government also ordered that the compensation should be paid within three weeks.

They prayed the court to award them the amount as damages for the destruction of lives and property in Odi. The judge however awarded a total sum of N37.618 billion compensation in favour of the community for the wanton destruction of the place by Nigeria soldiers.

The community asked for N17.618billion as general damages and N20billion for special damages. They also demanded public apology and the re-building of Odi community by the FG.

The Judge however granted two of their prayers and rejected the other two.

Delivering the judgement; which lasted for two hours, Akanbi held that the Federal Government was economical with the truth by pleading in their counter affidavits that no inhabitant of the community was killed apart from some armed militant youths who engaged the military in gun battle; and that no property was destroyed by the soldiers.

Relying on various statements by the government, National Assembly, and inscriptions left on the soils of Odi by the Soldiers, as well as video clips on the invasion which was watched in the open court at the January 17th, 2013 session, the judge described their claims and counter affidavits ‘as worthless’.

Said he: “The destruction of Odi was comprehensive and complete; no aspect of the community was spared by what I saw in the pictures showed here. The respondents violated the fundamental Human Rights of the People of Odi, by the massacre. The people are entitled to fundamental rights to life, dignity and fair play, the destruction of Odi was not as a result of gun battle but clear bombardment, the destruction was malicious.

The judge also quoted President Goodluck Jonathan as saying in a media chat on the National Television Authority (NTA), on November 18, 2010 that “only innocent people, including women, children and the very weak that could not run escape were killed in Odi”.

According to him, the then Senate President, late Chuka Okadigbo was also quoted to have said, the facts speaks for themselves, no need to speak again, as there are nobody to speak.”

He equally reviewed the exhibit tendered quoting the soldiers who carried out the destruction as saying “we go kill all the Ijaw people with our guns, come to Odi and learn a lesson, Ijaw face, Monkey face, Government has given us power to kill, Odi is for Soldiers not for Ijaws, Bayelsa will remain sorrowful for ever.” among others.

The 1st and 2nd respondents (FG and Attorney General of the Federation) were represented by Mrs. Nkoli Awa Esq. The 2nd and 3rd respondents (Minister of Defence and Chief of Defence staff), did not make any formal appearance throughout the proceedings.

They however showed up yesterday, through one Mallam Jimoh Abdukadreen Adamu, with an application to delay judgement until they state their case.

They denied receiving any of the court invitations urging them to come and defend the allegation against them, including the hearing notice and the originating process.

The court records however showed that they received all the invitations but ignored them.

The records showed that they were served through substituted service via the office of the Attorney- General of the Federation as directed by the former judge in the case, Justice Abdullahi Mustapha.

Awarding the cost against the Federal Government, the judge held that no amount could be adequate enough to compensate for the pains and trauma of the people of the community, but said the cost for the damages given them was as valued by their valuers.

Reacting on the judgement the lead Lawyer for the community, Mr. Lucius Nwosu (SAN), described the judgement as “a victory for an aggressive Nigerian Bar, and more a victory for Nigerian Judiciary, particularly the Federal High Court. It’s a reflection of courage, erudition and consideration for justice governed by conscience, truth and good faith.”

On the two other prayers that were rejected he said, “it would have been double compensation if the prayer for re-building of the community was granted, having already granted them general damages. “The judgement was very sound and considered with truth and common sense.” He said.

Three Senior Advocates of Nigeria including, Ayo Adedipe, and Rafin.Lawal Rabana,(SANS), and seven other lawyers appeared for the applicants.

Former President Obasanjo in November 20 1999 deployed troops in Odi and authorised the use of force to deal with militants who were accused of killing some soldiers the state.

After the Odi invasion, the indigenes brought a N100 billion suit against the President, the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Defence Staff.

When the matter came up on Thursday, January 17, 2013 in the suit, during the proceedings, DVD and projectors were used to show military operations in Odi, and how the various machine guns, bombs and helicopter gunships were used to destroy lives and property in Odi.

The lead counsel to the plaintiffs, Nwosu (SAN), said: “The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, had responsibly stated that no militant was killed in the military invasion.

“It was only old men, women and children, who could not run, that were massacred in that military operation.

“A situation where you turn guns and artillery purchased with taxpayers’ money against the taxpayers, is a call for sober reflection and a matter of serious concern.

“It calls for atonement for the dead and compensation for the living, for the trauma and loss they have been made to suffer as refugees and loss of their precious homes, loved ones, friends and objects of reverence.”

Via Vanguard

Gov Henry Seriake Dickson in Dubai

Since Dickson was elected governor of the littoral state of Bayelsa on February 11, last year and sworn in on February 14, same year, he had not gone for vacation until January 7, this year.

Many Bayelsans had expected him to enjoy a month’s break in view of his hectic schedules coupled with the trauma he had, as a result of the plane crash in Bayelsa State, which snuffed life out of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State, the immediate past National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi and other compatriots, the governor shortened the break to 14 days.

He cut short his vacation, flew to Dubai to hold crucial meetings with some of the international investors that turned Dubai to a global economic, tourism and infrastructural cynosure!

Before the governor stormed the United Arab Emirate, he stayed in Abuja for a few days. During his stay, he compared notes with some of his former colleagues at the House of Representatives, experts on miscellaneous matters and exchanged banters with some of his close friends and family members. He also reunited with some of the friends he had lost contact with most of whom are drawn from the Nigerian Bar Association of Nigeria (NBA) and the Nigeria Police where he rose to the rank of Cadet ASP before he voluntarily withdrew his service to start legal practice in Porthar-Court. He also took advantage of the vacation to have more quiet times with God , reviewed government activities, focused on the present and projected into the future.

The governor’s engagement in Dubai culminated in the signing of an MoU between Government of Bayelsa State and GEAP International to establish commercial Rice Farm and revive Palm Plantation in Bayelsa State. The parties also agreed to establish a strong and viable production, processing and distribution network. Aside being a joint venture partner of GEAP International Group, Bayelsa State will facilitate scientific and commercial study of rice and palm plantation growth and distribution. In addition, Bayelsa State will actively assist in the establishment of relationship between all relevant government agencies with GEAP and provide all legal and regulatory assistance. And subject to receiving initial positive technical reports on water and soil analysis, GEAP agrees to bring into the state the required technological and human expertise hosted by the Bayelsa State Government.

The MoU was preceded with the inspection of Steel Plant, Cold Storage Facility by Governor Dickson and a meeting between the governor and the CEO of GEAP, one of the biggest globally acclaimed investors that turned around Asia and Middle East, Mr. Mahendra Patel in his office. Mr. Imad Saba, an international investor and CEO of Capital Asset Management who was on the team of Patel signed on behalf of his firm.

First Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief DSP Alamiesiegha who lives in Dubai, former MD of NDDC, Chief Timi Alaibe, PDP Vice Chairman, North East, Alhaji Mohammed Wakil, Security Consultant, Major Lancelot Anyanya (rtd) and this writer witnessed the signing of the MoU.

Though the governor didn’t unwind, the voracious reader that he is, took time off to read many books on leadership, history, the making of Dubai and books on Agriculture. As he said, one of the problems of Africa is the shrinking of reading politicians. “‘I love reading books and I can’ t stop reading because I am not an all-knowing governor. In fact, some of the books I have read have redoubled my resolve to diversify the Bayelsa economy to be Argo- based as well so that we don’t just depend on oil alone”, he added.

Indeed, agricultural revolution is the centre piece of the Dickson administration. Few months into his administration, government partnered with a Hungarian and Danish firms, Ostertrade Engineering/ DPP International Kft respectively to establish and manage cassava farms, establish cassava starch processing factory plant to produce 10 thousand tonnes of local and modified starch with a high and beneficial value chain that would trickle down to the grassroots. Already all papers to that effect have been signed and work at the site is progressing.

The factory is expected to generate over five thousand jobs for Bayelsans.The expectation is for the governor to expeditiously implement government’s side of the bargain with GEAP so as to enable Patel and his team move to work the way he did on the cassava initiative. With the success of the cassava initiative in Bayelsa State, many state governors and their representatives are reportedly talking with the firms to replicate same projects in their states.

The governor returned to Nigeria last Sunday having exhausted the leave and resumed duty on Monday. He was received by a retinue of government officials led by the Secretary to Government, Prof. Edmund Allison Oguru. Governor Dickson called on Bayelsans to sustain their support for his administration and urged all Nigerians and particularly, the religious leaders to pray for the unity, peace and security of Nigeria.

The governor also told news hounds that even though the vacation was short, the period afforded him the opportunity to redirect his energy towards serving his people. He said he was mentally and physically prepared more than ever before, to implement government policies and programmes and promised to take more critical and tough decisions for the development, peace and security of Bayelsa State.

By Francis Agbo, (just back from Dubai)

Henry Seriake Dickson