BusinessDay 01 Apr 2018

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12 C002D5556 Sunday 01 April 2018 NewsFeature A monarch’s rage: When Oba of Benin invoked curses on human traffickers, cultists IDRIS UMAR MOMOH, Benin Worried by the spate of kidnapping, armed robbery, human trafficking, cultism and other criminal activities in Edo State, the Benin monarch, Oba Ewuare 11, recently invoked curses on the perpetrators of the dastardly acts. The invocation was done during a special meeting held at the Oba Palace, Benin City, to find a lasting solution to the problems of illegal migration, human trafficking and other security issues in the state. The meeting was attended by the Director and officials of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAP- TIP), Chiefs, Enigie and Edionwere in Benin Kingdom. Those who took part in the swearing exercise were the Ohen Okhuae, Ohen Ovia, Ohen noriyekeogba, Ohen Ake, Ohen Niwuo, Native Doctors, Ohen Sango, Odionwere, Iwueki and the Enigies. The traditionalists in the kingdom also placed curses on those aiding and abetting the perpetrators of the crimes. Those also cursed were the native doctors who subject the victims of human trafficking to oath of secrecy, violators of the order banning Community Development Associations and others whose business is to initiate the sons and daughters of the land into various cult groups. Addressing the people, the Benin monarch said the purpose of the meeting was to seek for peace, progress and development in the state. The Oba further said that the state government in collaboration with the Palace was putting machinery in place to stop illegal migration and human trafficking among the people. Oba Ewuare 11, who explained that Edo State had been seriously linked with illegal migration and human trafficking, advocated for the need for all hands to be on deck to combat the scourge. He deplored situations and sinister practices where victims of human traffickers are subjected to oath taking, which makes it difficult for them to provide useful information to NAPTIP that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of human trafficking in the society. While pointing out that many of those trafficked never get to their destinations as they are subjected to slavery in Libya, while others die in the Mediterranean Sea, he remarked that many families have been grieving over the loss of their loved ones. He warned those aiding and abetting human trafficking through the use of black magic and subjecting them to the oath of secrecy, urging them to desist from it henceforth or face the wrath of the gods. “You native doctors whose business is to subject people to the oath of secrecy and encouraging this evil act in the land, you have to repent, stop doing it. This is not a joking matter and if you do not repent, you have to wait for the repercussion,” he said. “The palace is not against those practising the act of native doctors but seriously frowns at those who use it to perpetrate evil in the land through aiding and abetting human trafficking in the state. “Those who are under oath of secrecy have been set free and at liberty to air their views and reveal their sponsors without fear of any harm from their sponsors. “We want to use this medium to tell those who are under any oath of secrecy that they are now free. We revoke the oath today,” he declared. The Royal father said the interest of the palace was to work for the development and progress of the state and that all hands must be on deck to work towards that direction by doing what is right. “What the Palace stands for is peace and the development of the state. I want to use this medium to tell you that the act of using charms to aid trafficking, the palace seriously frowns at it. We want us to join hands Lagos: The presidential visit of pain, anguish and frustration together to fight against human trafficking in the land,” he said. The monrch also noted that there have been positive reports about Edo State and that such positive report must be sustained. He also warned priests and priestesses of the Benin Traditional Religion to stop offering services to human traffickers, just as he urged them to use their god-given spiritual gift and powers to do what is right at all times, by not subjecting victims of human trafficking to any oath. He further warned secret cult members who unleash terror and commit heinous crimes in the society, to have a change of attitude or be ready to incur the wrath of God and the ancestors. The Oba also cautioned those still carrying out illegal Community Development Association in some villages in the state to cease forthwith. Special prayers was, however offered by the Benin Traditional Religion practitioners for the peace, progress and development of the state, while a curse was equally placed on those who may wish to do otherwise or go against Palace directives on the issues of illegal migration, human trafficking, cultism and Community Development Association. Continued from page 11 two-working-day break following it for Easter? I hope we’re not relapsing into having a Ministry of Happiness and whatever in Alausa sooner than later! “The President is due to arrive Lagos by 11:30am but as early as 5am, the Ikeja/Agege axis had been locked down. Those going to work and other places can’t have access. Those who arrived the Lagos airports early are experiencing flight cancellation and prolonged rescheduling. All because the President, who might not have even woken up, is coming to Lagos! In 1993, following the hijack of a Nigerian Airways flight to Niamey by the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy (MAD), I travelled as a Newswatch reporter to cover the rescue operation in the capital of Niger Republic. Returning to Illela, the Nigerian border, after the assignment, we ran into the then President of Niger Republic, Mahamane Ousmane, on an official visit to a district along our route. There was no blockade. The President had a convoy of five or so vehicles. We virtually trailed his team until they turned off to be received by school children who had lined up the way to the host community. We were not shooed off the road. The security was not visible. “Do we ever count the cost of shutting down a hyperbusy city like Lagos for a whole day? This is not the Lagos we know, Governor Ambode!” Daniel Adedeji, a cab driver, said: “Though it would be expected that as a taxi driver I should be use to traffic jam. It has been long I saw something like this. Must the poor always suffer for the rich?” he asked “It is not good at all; thousands of Lagosians have resorted to trekking because the roads are blocked. Our driver took all alternative routes but met all blocked, we had to disembark from the vehicle despite paying N300 against the normal N150, which I boarded at Surulere and took to trekking to my office in Lagos Island, which you know is a good distance,” Chinedu Imobi told BDSUNDAY. Tunde Ajao a resident in Akowonjo, said he had to trek for close to two hours before he could get a bus to his office in Yaba. “Wednesday night was terrible for me going home, and this morning was worst, I spent over an hour trying to get a bus, and the few buses available hiked their fares by over 100 percent.” However as at 1.13pm, Chike Oti, spokesperson for the Lagos Police command announced that all routes are now open for vehicular movement. Chike Oti, spokesperson for the Lagos police command said the decision to block major roads was part of security measures taken for the president’s visit to the nation’s commercial capital. A man who work in the Apapa area of Lagos, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “I left my residence as early as 8 am to go pick my son from school at Ijegun in Alimosho Local Government Area. I had a smooth ride until I got close to Jakande Estate in Isolo where I met an unusually heavy traffic situation. This was because those who normally would have passed through Iyana Ipaja – Oshodi to link up with places like Ojuelegba and Ikorodu road were diverted to pass through Isolo to either link up with Mile 2 and other places. So to turn into Jakande Estate - Isheri roads was a nightmare. The stretch of that road was chaotic as traffic warders and LASTMA men that are regular sight were nowhere to be found. The yellow buses took over the road as the drivers tried to outdo one another, while other road uses were at their mercy. It took me two hours to negotiate the road that leads to Jakande Estate through which I would go to Ijegun.” According to him, “Coming back was even worse as more motorists have diverted to the road in order to find an alternative route to their destinations. Getting out of Jakande Estate to link Oshodi took me another two hours. Besides, there were several people on the roads trekking to where they could get vehicles. “After dropping my son at home, I decided to link up with the Third Mainland Bridge to get to my office in Apapa only for me to run into another horrific traffic caused by road block by security agents at Oworonshoki. It was intended clear the road for Mr. President. The blockage took another one hour before the road was opened to traffic. I got to my office four hours behind the time I planned to be there, tired and fagged out.” .Additional report by Olusola Bello
Sunday 01 April 2018 13 C002D5556 NewsFeature When frustration paid a visit to Akwa Ibom politicians over number plates, tinted glasses ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo It was a day that the unexpected happened in Akwa Ibom State. Many of the top government officials including political appointees who never thought their cars could be searched or never imagined they could be stopped by the police while on the highway but now live to tell a different story. It was a day that those who saw themselves as being above the law had their cars impounded and some of them had to trek few kilometres to their offices. The sun was up in the sky though the day was not as bright as expected because of the season. All was set for the swearing in of newly appointed five permanent secretaries. It was a big deal for the families of those to be sworn into the exclusive cadre of the civil service who will be entitled to their salaries and benefits as long as they live. Unknown to many residents of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the police acting on instructions from above had amounted series of road blocks or check points to impound all those cars with tinted glasses and those with covered plate numbers. It common in Akwa Ibom State to see government appointees who ride in cars provided by the state government ranging from the latest model of Toyota cars, from Venza to Camry to Prado jeeps and Hilux jeeps from South Asian countries including those who are personal assistants, having the number plates of their cars covered. So while they were racing to the executive chamber of the governor’s office for the 600,000 PVCs unclaimed in Oyo, as REC urges religious organizations to participate in electoral process AKINREMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mutiu Agboke says over 600,000 permanent voters cards(PVCs) are yet to be claimed in the pacesetter state. This is as the REC urged religious leaders across the country not to distance themselves from the electoral processes so as to prevent ‘devilish’ individuals take over the mantle of leadership of the country in 2019. Agboke while speaking at a sensitisation campaign on swearing in of the five permanent secretaries, little did they know that they would not be able to make it to the ceremony in time. The police had taken strategic positions along all the roads leading to the governor’s office known here as the Hilltop Mansion, waiting for those with covered number plate and cars with tinted glasses. A particular funny scene that played out was when one of the top government officials was stopped by the police and asked to explain why he had to cover his number plate. Wearing a caftan and a designer hat, he was pacing up and down the road with some air of importance, raising his voice and perhaps in attempt to let the police know his status and position. As his driver saw how his boss was being questioned by the police and that it was no laughing matter, he attempted to remove the cover from the number plate and the police descended on him. The ‘big man’ who was sitting at the back of the car came out roaring “why are you harassing my driver.” And the police would not bulge. After a heated exchange of words, he was asked to get into his car and taken to a police station. What transpired there could best be imagined but the good news however, is that he was later released but arrived the swearing in ceremony late. Several of the top government appointees including commissioners and party bigwigs were caught unawares in the exercise and before they could wriggle themselves free from the police stop-and-search exercise, it was late and they got to the executive council chamber after the governor had already taken his seat. electoral processes organised by the Oyo State office of Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), held at Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke- Agbara Ashi, Ibadan advised those who have changed their locations to apply to the commission for transfer of their PVCs warning them not to register again. He said “We cannot sit down in the comfort of our offices and be lamenting that people are not collecting their PVCs, look at the crowd that are here, look at the opportunity we have used, less than 5 minutes and this is going to be a continuous one. We are going Even the commissioners who were caught in the melee had to trek to the swearing in ceremony and had to find a seat in the public gallery instead of the main executive council chamber It was gathered that Governor Udom Emmanuel on noticing that one of his aides came late to the event reportedly asked him whether his car was impounded and how he was able to free himself. One of the aides reportedly told the governor that he was released on self recognition in which the governor reportedly asked “who are you to be released on self recognition” everybody laughed. Even the commissioners who were caught in the melee had to trek to the swearing in ceremony and had to find a seat in the public gallery instead of the main executive council chamber. “I can see my commissioners watching from the gallery today,” the governor was quoted as saying. Many analysts say the idea of appointees covering the plate numbers of their vehicles is an abuse of privilege and position. It is an indication of lawlessness and a sick society, they say. Even with the use of tinted glasses which is banned by the police, many people still go about driving cars with tinted glasses cars in town without obtaining any permission. Akwa Ibom police command could not confirm how many cars belonging to government officials were impounded during the exercise that lasted for several hours but checks reveal that a good number of top government officials and personal aides to the governor had their cars impounded. According to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), it is illegal for any individual to ride in a car with a covered plate number stating clearly that nobody has the right to do so. Chidi Ebere Benjamin Nkwonta, the Cross River Sector Commander was recently quoted as saying that “nobody has the right to cover the number plate except the governor or general in the army, commissioner of police or anybody who is a flag officer when he is not in the vehicle, otherwise, no escort vehicle has the right to cover number plate, all they are doing is illegal.” It was however, gathered that governors, deputies and speakers are authorised constitutionally to use the Coat of Arms in place of number plate. So while the families and friends of those who attended the swearing in of the new permanent secretaries went home for a session of merrymaking with photographs to keep the memory alive for a long time, those who were caught in the police check point and whose cars were impounded would not forget that day in a hurry. Now, a visit to the state civil secretariat located in the heart of the state capital shows that many of the political appointees who were known culprits are now leaving the plate numbers of their cars bare, something that was never imagined before the raid by the police. to engage NURTW, student unions, because most of them are more than 18 years and we are going to allow them be part of the process. And that is why we have brought it to this church. “You can move from one location to another. If you are living in Jos and now living in Oyo state, you don’t need to register again. If you are living in Egbeda and now you are living in Apata, you don’t need to register again. What we will do is to move your PVC to Apata. We will transfer your PVC for you. That is why we are saying we need this consistent education, we need this constituent sensitization and the more we are consistent, the better for us. Agboke however said that it was imperative for religious leaders and their followers not to sit on the fence when issues of elections and electoral processes are mentioned. He said religious leaders across the country and their followers should not see elections as business of the politicians alone saying that it is the duty of all and sundry to participate in the processes. He said “There is need for them to participate in election process and electioneering, and there is need for them to participate and to encourage people to participate in the process. The mosques and churches, majority of the worshipers are also there. We have been to the Ibadan Central Mosque, the churches and Mosques are powerful pillars of religious activities in Nigeria. We are here to tell the church that no, you cannot stand aloof, you cannot stand out, you cannot sit on the fence. INEC is doing continuous voters registration, INEC is creating awareness on INEC programs. INEC is raising the level of consciousness.
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BusinessDay 01 Apr 2018

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