Where Home Is

Enjoy this interesting piece from a co-cerebrate *smiles*. I love Uyo and she does too but she brings it to better light with great descriptives and vivid symbols if you may. 

By IfiokAbasi Okop

My family moved to Uyo when it was the only green pasture in Akwa Ibom State. I watched Uyo grow from a crawling toddler to a young adult in the eight years the new government ruled. It made a change from just being a state capital to a hub of businesses. The new government surprised Uyo, perhaps because it wanted more and opened up for more. It gave up houses and shops for good roads, gave up land for Ibom Tropicana: the cinema, the E-library and the International Stadium.

Uyo smelt new. The feel of a poor man who knew he was going to get rich one day and when he became rich, made everything about him tastefully exquisite.

                                   *  *  *

Uyo's roads reeked of bright headlights and streetlights the first night I returned from Nsukka. I smiled and closed my eyes to bask in the warm welcome. It smelt of home; it was home. The streetlights and headlights shone from the flyover to IBB Avenue. The lights in E-library glowed and I made sure I stared at it for the entire time the keke was going to pass by.

                                    *  *  *

Uyo had major roads which had been there since the early days of the town but Aka Etinan was a growing child with a bright future. It was the road that led to the famous Ibom International Stadium. The road that had the most supermarkets I have ever seen. There were ten of them, or were there twelve? And an important trivia; they were all owned by the Igbos, at least all the ones I have entered.

                                    *  *  *

I looked at Akpan Andem market again and knew I chose the wrong entrance. The other entrance had traders who did not care if you entered their shop; they were doing very well I supposed. But the traders at this other entrance could throng you if that would make you buy from them.

I looked at the ground as I walked into the market, making sure I stepped on neat places because it had rained earlier that day and the ground was muddy with market dirt. Most traders did not call out to me today and I felt denied of my market rights. I walked a long way with the sound of a woman's voice saying 'e dey kill mosquito well well, e dey kill bedbug, e dey kill rat, e dey kill ant; oya come see as e take dey work' ringing in my ears. A woman with Afang leaves asked me to buy from her and I walked away, silently resenting her and her fellow traders. I entered the meat section of the market and heard a man preaching. I wondered which one was louder, the sound of the knives hitting the meats on the wooden tables or the preacher asking the traders to give their lives to Christ. One trader, called out over the noise in the market, 'mbakara, fine girl. Come buy meat, ' I turned and walked to the front of his stall.

As I walked out of the market, I made a mental note to enter the first keke I saw the driver shout 'Aka Etinan' without asking anyone for directions. The day two keke drivers fought over which keke I would enter, I left some foodstuff on the ground.

                                    *  *  *

Uyo once had motorcycles as the cheapest means of transportation until the crime rate increased. Then the government banned motorcycles and introduced the tricycles we proudly call keke. The kekes caused a lot of nuisance and have since been banned from some places like the Wellington Bassey Way and the right axis of Plaza.     

I passed by Ikot Ekpene road one day and I heard a man shout 'plasta, plasta, one chanch!' I turned to look at him and realized he did not care if it really meant 'Plaza, Plaza one chance!'

                                     *  *  *

Ikot Ekpene, the other town in Akwa Ibom that is almost as famous as Uyo never really fascinated me. It was a small unplanned town with a population that seemed to be more than the town could carry. The roads always seemed to have more cars than they were meant for. For one moment, I smiled to myself while wondering how the air got around; I imagined breathing the air used by the person close to me and breathing it out for the next person. The only fascinating thing the town had was the Plaza that young people hung out in. It intrigued me because unlike Uyo's Plaza, nobody sells, takes passports or parks their car there. It is strictly for relaxation. 'The Raffia City', the city's alias is seen in just a small section of the town where almost everything is made with raffia like chairs, purses, slippers and even a lawyer's wig.

My favorite development in Ikot Ekpene apart from the Four Points Sheraton Hotel is the Ikot Ekpene - Abak road which is long, windy and lonely. A ride on it that gives one the feel of being Vin Diesel in the Fast and Furious series.

                                     *  *  *

My family lived in Ikot Ekpene for a while but I was so little all I could remember was the GRA, where we lived. It was the coolest place to live in Ikot Ekpene at that time, but now, it lives in its past glory but still holds the remnants of Ikot Ekpene's early development.

I now love Ikot Ekpene because it has never tried to be like any other town. It has never envied Uyo and has somehow reveled in its history.

Uyo, on the other hand, has reveled in being the major tourist site in Akwa Ibom State. On Instagram, one user wrote a post and asked people the places they would love to live in. I thought about India, Cuba, Paris and London but I realized home is really where love is and that place is Akwa Ibom for me.

The Author, IFIOKABASI OKOP is a student of the University of Nigeeria, Nsukka where she is studying English and Literary Studies. She is from AkwaIbom State and resides there also. She writes poems for voicesnet.com and poetfreak

ON NYSC Passing Out Saga

Good morning guys and hope your weekend is going well.

So sorry your interesting Ibadan Lawyer reads haven't been as frequent as usual. I've been going through countdown exercises and ensuring i dot my Is and cross the Ts. They say first impressions last longer but the last days are most remembered.

In my countdown exercise, some young Nigerians decided to destabilize my calendar by posting some interesting "Memo" from NYSC issued on the 14th of September, 2016 and signed by one A.C. Ani acting on behalf of the Director General. Like the elections of 2015, the social media was the easiest way to pass across this message and have young Nigerians prove their worth.

Permit me to say this and if you don't share my view, you don't have to crucify me. But the following events after the posts went viral proved to me once again that the current Nigerian youths cannot change Nigeria. I prove it with the following:

My CDS Group Putting a Mark @ Agodi

The first reaction to the situation was to be selfish. Every Nigerian is selfish and is so quick to forget that there is a more national effect or rather communal effect to public actions than it affects them. So the typical question on a lot of young people's minds was "Am i Stream 2?" Once that was answered in the negative, the next action would be a grin and "e no concern me Stream 2 go sort themselves out". As long as the actions do not affect them negatively, its fine. Same way the man who does not have a car, does not buy fuel and doesn't have any international transaction be bothered that fuel prices are increasing and the dollar is on the increase.

Second is that hypocrisy that makes me cringe! Upon satisfaction of the above question, the next thing the Nigerian begins to try and form solidarity with the others knowing that if push comes to shove, they can deck out and get going leaving their friends stuck in policies that are wicked. So you hear calls, talks, comments like "it doesn't make sense sha, why would they want to do that? whatever the case God is in control". You see it is this silly resort to religiosity that makes the situation bad and we really need to come out of it.

Thirdly, the authorities have this great silence that can deafen you and even the right thinking youths cannot seem to know what to do about it and so they remain at the mercies of the hypocrites, misinformed and call them positivists. NYSC has a website, they have pages on social media and with the several questions and comments, not the Director General, the PRO, or even any other top official of the NYSC has decided to clear the air or issue a statement to confirm or rebut the position.

Fourthly, the ones affected by the seeming bad position remain quiet, confused, and ultimately take it as their fate. Here is what the society has put in the youths: fear, intimidation, timidity, and neglect. Its a culture the typical 18-25 year old has been built with. from the knowledge of dictators, failing systems, hike in prices, labor strikes and other heinous societal imagery, it is just obvious nothing can be done till we hear the verdict of the BOSSES.

Sigh!

So let me now tell you my take. First off is that I love the NYSC Program really. For me it was a long one year of a break from ACADEMICS (going to school for 6 consecutive years to bag an LLB and BL no be small thing). Apart from the big break it helped me discover a lot about my self spiritually, financially, emotionally and of course socially. I cannot advocate for the program to be scrapped and that is not what this is about. it is just a gist of a better future forged from saner administrative decisions and youth participation. Whether Nigeria would get better or not is a factor of how ready we all are to be collective in thinking and decisions to especially quit hypocrisy and religiosity but be deep in principles, morals and proper information management.

My NYSC posting letter gives me a probable date of release as 28th of September, 2016; my NYSC identity card is valid till 6th of October, 2016 and mind you it was given to me when i relocated to Oyo state and finalised the processes so that was about March this year. Of course i am stream 2 and the question i am asking is how would i be identified for the remaining one month starting october 7th to November 4th?

The reasoning is indeed laudable. We got into camp a month after the stream 1 so we should be made to stay one month later. But whose fault was it that i was mobilized with the second batch? i applied the same day another friend who was mobilized first stream and i was second stream. Meanwhile the trite principle of making administrative decisions commence with the next series of events and not the current one must still stand. If you don't understand i explain, when a law is put in place, it cannot be retrospective. Therefore, this Stream 1 and 2 reasoning can only apply to subsequent batches of Corps Members and not the current.

I should categorically state that i am a happy corps member. of course i am batch B stream 2 and i am sure someone just nodded in confirmation of the need for my bants and rants (i say to you, you are Nigeria's problem). I have serious plans to start a real life immediately after POP on the 6th of October and I am sure that it will so happen. But like the change we are talking about, i am not resigning to "fate" (that silly things Nigerians resort to to hide their mediocrity) i am also being proactive to prepare for the worse. I would make necessary petitions to call it off if it is true but i would also make serious Plan Bs to make sure life is interesting and moving on.

I am the new Nigeria, i ask questions, i am not hypocritical, i think rightly, i am young, energetic and smart, and I respect those in authorities with all my heart.

To the young people shrugging their shoulders saying it wont affect them, wait and see how other administrative decisions, silence of government and other acts condoned with such wave of insolence and convenience locates you. If we don't speak up and stand together, Nigeria remains 100 years behind the world. Youth participation begins from these small things, you don't wait till you are nominated by your Father's brother's inlaw in the Senate to come join them on the panel of "Padders" in purported occupation of the office of the Youth in the Legislature. You only become a figure head like some of our unnamed law makers.

We will succeed!!!!

Open Letter to Mr Kachikwu of the Ministry of Petroleum

Dear Sir,

I currently serve the nation at Ibadan, Oyo state. If not, I would have taken the pain and initiative to walk to the NNPC Towers in Central Area Abuja, to beg you in your good offices to help us make the country work. You may have to forgive me if I make any hasty generalization in this letter. It would only be as a result of the limited information available: some of us don’t have electricity to power our television and radio sets, and money to buy papers have been channeled towards tomato purchase. Please be mindful of the fact that we at the grass root never get the true situation of things as a result, so we rely on some gossip and those little arguments at the newspaper stands.

But I know that this morning, Mr Kachikwu was quoted to have said that the fuel scarcity would end on the 7^th of April. I also know that you have stated that the reason for the scarcity is because of the fact that subsidy debt was inherited by this government and independent marketers cannot import fuel because they can’t get letters of credit after the payment. The calculations and the theories of upstream and downstream supplies are really not in the proper knowledge of the taxi driver along Dugbe market road. “The Situation” as we know it here as at 9:42am Nigerian time on the 30^th of March 2016 is that petrol (PMS) now sells at 170 naira per liter with heavy queues in Ibadan city. You claimed you monitored depot deliveries in Lagos during the Easter but NNPC has not even been selling fuel. And just this morning that we got hint of possible sales, the queues are about 2 kilometers long, with well meaning Nigerians fighting at the gates. The Situation has made transport prices increase from 50 naira to 100 naira: I know because I squeezed myself this morning into the cab from Iwo Road to Bodija, two junctions apart.

It would not have been so much an issue, after all countries on the West African Coast have higher prices for fuel. I remember when a sitting president told us that we would comfortably buy fuel at 100 naira since we can buy bottle water at the same amount and we all laughed at the impossibility and treachery. Today it is worse. The naira is still trying to regain its lost strength and pride, the climate is not getting any better and electricity has gone scarce with the seeming DISCO-high-tariff party and depleting Mega-Watt generation. I dare say that even a class captain would not watch his class get so noisy without recording the noise makers before it gets out of hand and brings down the whole school.

It is no longer news that the change mantra is becoming a façade in itself. Even Donald Trump who has never set foot in Nigeria can make silly but true allegations on our leadership quality. Every child in schools today know that it’s almost a waste of time reading to pass because the knowledge passed is almost irrelevant to current realities. But let us not veer too much out of The Situation. The reason for the slight veer is to help my appeal. If these several other things are not working, why would there be more hardship on the Nigerian people from the very sector which you man as a technocrat (and not a politician) that knows exactly what he is doing and loves it.

I don’t know if there is a gas station within the Aso Villa, of course the NNPC Chief not having fuel will be like a man with soap in his eyes when he is in a swimming pool. But I am sure you do not feel half of the pain of the Nigerian at the grass root. You can know it because you see the queues except there is a helipad on your office and you use it often. But you can be sure that the same masses that the change brand was sold to and went all out to support the brand are not happy. Support for you is far because you have said that instead of supporting your resignation we should “save our money for fuel”.

As a Youth Corps member, I have imbibed the culture of discipline and respect and that is why I am bringing this to your notice in all humility and patriotism. The 19,800 naira allowance every month used to be very useful to start and live a life but all that has changed since 2016 started. The queues have refused to vanish; we can barely reach our Places of Primary Assignment, the naira is weakening, we can hardly buy food and still undertake projects for community development.

So here is my plea: we know the cause of the scarcity now, but we want availability. If 2 million tonnes will be available from 7^th of April, what should happen to us till then? CBN throws heat on us, NNPC gives us a future date for survival, the Presidency remains one long structure of dos and don’ts, soon it would be genocide! Do we wait till we start seeing people drop on the streets out of hunger and despair. Do not be surprised if a new militia is brewing up to strike even as the Change Warriors fight almost successfully the Boko Haram terrorists. So let me recommend that the plan to make our fuel come back be more concrete, sustainable, and real and also delivered faster with a production system to stop future occurrences. The privatisation of the refineries if need be should commence in earnest so that exploration, generation, production and distribution doesn't get postponed to 2020. Let there be a short term and long term measure to stop the queues, reduce the transportation prices and let cars come back to the road. From the streets, the hardship is REAL!

We commend you and the government for the response so far even though as sincere as they have been, they’ve shown contempt in some quarters. Feedback from the grass root is POOR and if this poverty continues, the bull would see the wall and it ALWAYS turns back with all its fury and horns replacing the cowardice and naivety.

Yours in patriotism,

The ReadyWriter

Meshack’s Drones (1): Starting new things

I am thinking I should start by giving a disclaimer of bore or irrelevance but I shouldn’t, I want you glued here so let’s just skip all the introduction and start. Being the first on this platform, I should say what it is about. I rant, and read rants a lot and so these rants might come more than once in a day. Sometimes I might be in trouble and not rant, but just know that I am cooking up something good for your reading pleasure, thinking faculties and action motivation. These drones would be about just any and everything that applies to everyday youthful living. You might catch some insights, revelations, advice or even rebuke with some of them. Feel free to comment on any of them whenever and feel compelled to share them too if they reveal mysteries to you (lol).

Starting new things could pump so much excitement in you at the mere thought like your first day at college. It could also be as scary as the moment where you are to defend your final year thesis in front of an external panel of experts. It could be interesting and catchy like the Caitlyn Jenner haze. I definitely would agree if the new experience would instill much expectation like the APC’s take over of the political system in Nigeria with so many uncertainties. Whether it is adrenaline pumping, scare, interest, or the hesitation you feel, it shouldn’t also be kept “unstarted”.

Top in the news today is the inauguration of Nigeria’s 8^th Senate. That is a new thing in the country. It behooves on us Nigerians now to accept it, frustrate it or enjoy the several shoots from the various party chiefs.

The usual comparison between most African countries is with the United States of America. The 8^th Congress of the USA in the early 1800s was a great one. Major deals, impeachment, election and legislations were made within the period and I really hope our hopes and expectations would not be dashed by this 8^th senate. As much as they portend to make laws for the peace and good governance of Nigeria, it is also a time to see coherence and collaboration with the executive and show the people the taste of what “good governance” is. Nigerians should not go sleeping though. Let us put on our thinking caps, evaluate every single move and think of the consequences before commenting or dragging it to the mud in frustration all in the name of constructive criticisms. Who am I to give all these advice though? I’m just another Nigerian with a little tinkle of gleaming hopes for the better future we collectively desire.

Action Point: Read the news, think, research on new things, dispel your fears and start!!!

You Will Succeed!!!

In my Anger

I would skip the courtesy of the salutation culture we have in this part of the world. Maybe it is as a result of the fact that the discrepancies we see in our side of the world is deafening to the sanity of trying to be on the chart of globalization. One of the most annoying ones is the oxymoron of abundant scarcity of resources, love and appropriateness. No! I am just angry at that discrepancy ... but forgive my manners... that's courteous enough.

This is about my country and I am most passionate to write about it. In fact I am one of those patriotic Nigerians who believe so much in the good the country has to offer to itself and its people. I formed this opinion as a young person to whom little was given from abundant system. But growing up I learnt that it is more blessed to give than to receive; also I learnt that two wrongs don't make a right and now I am learning that you don't pay evil for evil. The truth in that triangle cannot be doubted but can surely be extinguished. Especially when you have given your all and there really isn't anything left to give and nothing to receive. 

I started a campaign sometime ago, although very discrete and private. It was for a cleaner Nigeria. I would get into buses and lovingly rebuke persons who trashed their traffic-belly-buddies: beef rolls *gala* and the ever chilled carbonated drink *la casera* on the beautiful highways of Lagos. I would tell friends about the campaign, tweet and Broadcast about it. I got insults and advice but it didn't stop me. That is just 0.01 percent of the serious work some other nation builders are trying to contribute both individually and corporately. Yet we have a leadership and some other persons who by active and passive practice are determined to run down this nation. The reason for which I have tried to imagine to no avail. 

The recent queues on the street that seem like the usual evening traffic begin sometimes from 5:30 am; the polity is going hay-wire with cross carpeting, reshuffles, threats of law suits against the just concluded elections; the economy in a very booming but uncertain state; education has been neglected on the account of other things to which the country has devoted its time to; the judiciary is rocking in its abysmal state of corruption and ineptitude; tourism, never existed and been suppressed to its barest minimum; entertainment is basking in its forever mediocre status; and even religion that should have been an anchor as in the ancient times has become the hypocrites' creed. 

It annoys me that there is more politics than love in every press statement, news headline, community development project and even corporate social responsibility. By love, I do not mean that unnecessary mushiness between two or more romantics that motivates the extraordinary. No! I mean a drive and commitment towards good, harmony, unity and progress. I mean that concept that crystallizes in the hearts of men that gives them a sense of fulfillment and a motivation for greatness, all because the other smiled and felt good by that one action. 

I won't give any of those motivational write ups that would spur you to want to act and after two letters or actions here and there, you loose the appetite for change and flow in the tide. I would not give any of those thoughtful ones either. Those ones that make you start thinking about what, how and when to do anything for the progress I talk about. No... I would just stop here because I have relayed my anger to you and I think that's all I intended. 

Opinion: On Rethinking the Provisions of Section 285(6) of the Constitution as Amended on Election Petitions for a Stable Constitutional Democracy

Introduction:

1.     With a background understanding of the nature of electoral processes in Nigeria over the years, it would seem an impossible task breaking through the seeming merry-go-round process that is has been. Until recently, the elections time-table have been similar throughout the country. What is obtained now is that gubernatorial elections in states like Ondo, Edo, Ekiti and the likes have been irregular with the other states as a result of Electoral Tribunals that ousted the then alleged and judged illegal incumbent governors. To stall such situations, the Section 285(6) of the constitution had to be inserted in the constitution as part of the amendments to the 1999 Constitution. 

2.    At the passage of this amendment, there was some applause for the Legislature on their ability to make laws that would indeed work for the good governance of the country but in the light of interpretation of the law when put to test in our courts, the contrary has been the outcome. It is with this backdrop that there is the need to rethink this section of the Constitution.

The Law

1.     The Section 285(6) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended states as follows: ”An election tribunal shall deliver its judgment in writing within 180 days from the date of the filing of the petition”.

2.    In the consolidated cases of ANPP v. Alhaji Mohammed Goni & 4 Ors and Alhaji Kashim Shettima & 1 Other v Alhaji Mohammed Goni & 3 Ors., with suit numbers SC. 1/2012 and SC.2/2012 respectively, the decision of the Supreme Court gave interpretation to this Subsection as:

‘an election petition tribunal must mandatorily deliver its judgment within 180 days from the date of filing of the petition, failing which, the tribunal becomes automatically stripped of its jurisdiction to continue further hearing of the petition’.

3.    The Court held, per Onnoghen JSC, that “it has been held by this court in a number of cases including consolidated appeal nos. SC/ 141/2011; SC/ 266/ 2011; SC/ 267/ 2011; SC/ 282/ 2011; SC/ 356/ 2011; SC/ 357/ 2011: Brig. Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa & Ors vs Adm. Murtala Nyako & Ors delivered on 27th January 2012 that the time fixed by the constitution is like the rock of Gibraltar or Mount Zion which cannot be moved; that the time cannot be extended or expanded or elongated or in anyway enlarged; that if what is to be done is not done within the time fixed, it lapses as the court is thereby robbed of the jurisdiction to continue to entertain the matter. It is very worrisome that despite the decisions of this court, since October, 2011 on the time fixed in the constitution, some of the justices of the lower court still appear not to have gotten the message. From where will the election tribunal get the jurisdiction to entertain the retrial after the expiration of the one hundred and eighty (180) days assigned in the constitution, without extending the time so allotted? Do the courts have the vires to extend the time assigned by the constitution? The answer is obviously in the negative”

Comments:

1.      Considering the law prima facie would present no bad intent by the law makers, neither would it suggest such mechanical jurisprudence as is evident in the interpretation rendered by the Supreme Court. Indeed the law makers must have intended that the 180 days (6 months) period that is stipulated by the amendment would help the electoral process a great deal. It is suppose to instill sanity and some sense of alacrity on the part of the petitioners as well as the members of the tribunal.

2.      Justice delayed is justice denied and therefore the need to be brisk, thorough and careful about such petitions that call national trust and popular representation to question, hence the necessity for such an amendment. This point is further buttressed on the need to instill a sense of stability to the democratic process and ensure that the nation fully runs on similar and not confused lines.

3.      On the other hand however, justice rushed is also justice crushed; and so some judicial opinions have been based on the arguments that the law seems to insist on hasty proceedings which may forestall justice. This is however not too grounded based on the fact that if an election occurred today, procedurally, the best forms of evidence that can be gathered would only be obtainable within the earliest future date and 180 days should represent such a period.

4.      The law in itself is a clarion call to ensuring that petitioners be on their best and put in expertise, professionalism, enthusiasm and indeed due diligence in probing electoral matters. The only shortcoming that could be perceived is such peculiar cases which in themselves cannot all be preconceived by the law makers, and so the need for a general situation applicable to everyone is what is represented in the law.  

5.      Besides a petitioner should not bring vexatious and ungrounded reasons for complaints before a tribunal and defense should also not be unnecessarily dragged and prolonged as this was the mischief sort to be corrected at the drafting and passing of this law.

Conclusions

1.     Standing on the principle of the mischief that this law sort to correct, it is my submitted opinion that the section 285(6) of the Constitution of the FRN remains a worthy amendment.

2.    I also submit that the decisions of the Supreme court on the interpretation of this constitution are in line with the principles herein adduced. However, I do not subscribe to the emphasis on time rather than on diligent prosecution.

3.    The only addition that I propose is that the law should provide for such extension of time based on incontrovertible evidence of diligent prosecution but insufficiency of time, which in my opinion would indeed be rare. The Courts should be given the power to extend the 180 days period for a definite period also on evidence of such.

4.    The injustice purported to be worked by this law doesn’t really exist as justice is not a relative term but should also not be abused on a journey of eternity due to unnecessarily prolonged issues.