Special Report: Nigerian Security Agencies Pocketed N44B ($120M) Bribes In 90 Days Enforcing Intra/Inter-State “Lockdowns”

Executive Summary: The Nigerian security forces and their chiefs are likely to have corruptly or criminally collected and pocketed total cash sums validly estimated at not less than N44billion or over $120m in the past 90 days or from 30^th of March to 30^th June 2020. Our investigation covered lands and borders and did not include railways, coastal lines, water ways and airports. The criminal sums were collected by the named culprits while enforcing intra and inter-state COVID-19 “prevention lockdowns”. Those directly or vicariously responsible for collection and pocketing of the bribes included officers and personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps and Nigeria Customs Service.

Article: Malami: Portrait of a “Barrier-in-Chief”

Malami

By Godwin Onyeacholem

Much as one tries, it has been difficult to find something for which to commend Nigeria’s current Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. He has been the chief law officer of the country since he was first appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari at the take-off of his administration in 2015, and re-appointed in 2019 as Buhari returned for a second term. Malami is one in the privileged club of distinguished lawyers who tag their names with that smug title of SAN (Senior Advocate of Nigeria), a legal title keenly coveted by the typical Nigerian lawyer. But he also comes across as one who is essentially unfaithful to the law.

News Release: World Whistleblowing Day: AFRICMIL Calls For Passage Of Whistleblower Protection Law In Nigeria

The African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has called for the passage of a whistleblower protection law in Nigeria. In a statement to mark this year’s World Whistleblowing Day, the organisation noted that Nigeria is playing catch-up with an issue other African countries like Ghana, South Africa and Uganda have formalized.

Article: What Kind Of Democracy Do We Need In A New Nigeria?

By Otive Igbuzor, PhD

INTRODUCTION:
Today is Democracy Day in Nigeria and marks 21 years of unbroken civilian rule since the military left the stage in 1999. As at 1999, with 39 years of post-independence Nigeria, the military had ruled for about 30 years.  It is therefore worth celebrating unbroken period of civilian rule for over two decades. This is important because historically, there has been argument about what system of government will be good for people. Various systems have been experimented including autocracy, monarchy and democracy. But from experience, it has been recognized all over the world that democracy is the best form of government. Autocracy characterized by one individual making all important decisions and oligarchy which puts the government in the hands of an elite are less desirable when compared to democracy. Democracy is so important in the world today that it has become the driving force of development making many scholars to draw a nexus between democracy and development. Although different people put emphasis on different issues which they consider to be crucial to democracy, majority of people agree that liberal democracy contains some basic principles which include citizen participation; equality; political tolerance; accountability; transparency; regular, free and fair elections, economic freedom; control of the abuse of power; bill of rights; accepting the result of elections; human rights; multi-party system and the rule of law.  The idea of democracy is that majority of citizens take the decisions on who governs and the policies, programmes and projects to be implemented for the benefit of the people. But the challenge especially for the working people is that it has been recognized that liberal democracy is facing a crisis of legitimacy and declining confidence in political leaders and institutions necessitating the need for democratic renewal through increasing citizen participation. The process of governance has been hijacked by the political elite and the dividends of democracy do not go to the people.

Article: My Riverside Experience

By Livy-Elcon Emereonye

It's one of those days of aloneness and loneliness for sober reflection under a mango tree by the riverside. It’s at Mmiri Oma – the spring beside Urashi River in my community, Umuezealla-Ogboko in Ideato South LGA, Imo State, Nigeria.

The weather's cool. The atmosphere's serene with leaves waving and birds singing to the wondrous God. Everything exists in tune and obedience to the work of Nature in the beauty of creation. More than a holiday in a resort, the experience’s educative and priceless. It’s a very unique intercourse, an uncommon, raw love encounter of a life time with mother earth.