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CHIBOK GIRLS: ATACK CONDEMNS EZEKWESILI, HADIZA BUHARI FOR ALTERCATIONS OVER FRANCHISE, SAYS IT’S INSENSITIVE

The Action Team Against Conscription and Kidnap, ATACK, a developmental, human-rights, non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Nigeria has condemned the unwarranted claims to the franchise of the collective efforts of Nigeria as a country and Nigerians as a people to rescue or ensure the release of over 260 young girls abducted at Chibok, Bornu state in 2014.
 
The organization, while apparently referring to the recent media reports over the dust raised between former Minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, BBOG and Hadiza Buhari-Bello, of Africa Support and Empowerment Initiative, concerning the use of the name ‘Bring Back Our Girls’. Reports have that the BBOG accused Hadiza Buhari-Bello of trying to hijack the Bring Back Our Girls franchise from their organisation.
 
The National Coordinator of ATACK, Mr. Debo Adeniran said “those groups engaging in unnecessary altercations over franchise even when the battle against insurgency is still fiercely ongoing, with close to 197 girls still in captivity only show their shallow level of their sensibility to the seriousness of the trauma Nigeria and Nigerians especially the victims have passed through over the whole episode. The development apparently points to a conclusion that reveals they are attention seekers and or might have other mercantilist agenda being hidden from the public.”
 
Continuing Mr. Adeniran, “nobody or any organization has the sole right to claim glory or franchise over any of the Chibok girls, none of the organization went into the Sambisa forest in ensuring the rescuing of these girls. The interest should fundamentally be for Nigeria to be totally free of abduction, conscriptions and kidnaps. These shenanigans must stop! The truth is that kidnappings, abductions, conscriptions etc. occur incessantly across the country and increasingly on daily basis, but then the attention seekers pay no attention.”
 
“As an organization, since 2014, ATACK had dedicated every Thursday of the week to do campaigns and other symbolic actions on issues of kidnapping, abductions and conscriptions to draw the attention of the government and public to daily worsening situation in the country as far as those heinous crimes against humanity are concerned.”
 
In concluding Adeniran said, “it is also important to put into considering the experience the released girls had been forced to pass before now. The government must take responsibility for their rehabilitation by helping them to overcome the trauma they have been through.”

“We commend the Nigerian Military, particularly the gallant troops who are the real heroes in the successes achieved so far since the Boko Haram insurgents began their terrorist acts in the North Eastern part of the country. We call on government not to relent in its efforts to ensure that all Nigerians are under abduction, kidnapping etc. are rescued and re-united with their families.”
 
 
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator,
The Humanity Centre
for: ATACK
08141121208
atack2015@yahoo.com
October 26, 2016
 
 
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PROPOSED NATIONAL JUDICIAL POLICY IS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC; IT WILL AID CORRUPT PRACTICES IN THE JUDICIARY – CACOL

The judiciary and suspected corrupt and sharp practices within that Arm of government has been in central focus lately, following the recent arrest of some suspected corrupt judges by men of the Department of State Security services. This development have dragged along with it, the National Judicial Council, NJC, the body empowered constitutionally to handles issues of discipline and misconducts in the country’s judiciary in the scenario.
 
Reacting to the steps the NJC has taken thus far in either defending itself and members or in what the body is trying to do in purging the judiciary of corrupt practices; the Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL said “we are yet to take the NJC serious, especially when the seriousness required to be directed toward fighting corruption in the country as a whole and in particular, the judiciary is considered. This is given the grievous consequences of allowing corruption to fester in the Arm of government regularly considered as the ‘last hope of the people’.”
 
One the steps NJC intend to take according to recent media reports, is to launch what it calls the ‘National Judicial Policy’. This policy states that the Council and any other judicial institutions is allowed to discard any complaints against a judge or employee of the judiciary for investigation if after receiving the complaint it is leaked or discussed in the media. The policy targeted at empowering the judiciary on complaints having to do with allegations of misconduct against judicial officers or employees of the judiciary not to be leaked or published in the media.

“First of all, looking at the aspect of the policy that is clearly designed to gag the Media and Nigerians at large, it betrays the dishonesty in the policy itself as an anti-democratic proposal that is extremely unconstitutional and disgraceful. For why would the judiciary chose to ‘kill’ the Freedom of Information Act on the pedestal of shielding corruption? It validates the allegations and asserts from the different quarters that the judiciary is well soaked in corruption.”
 
“Those who commit offenses in government institutions do so against the State and the country, hence, whatever petitions or allegations that are made should remain in the public eye as this would make sure that due processes are adhered to.”
 
Adeniran further said “therefore we say no to the ‘pro-corruption’ policy being proposed by the NJC, disgraceful that a so sacred Arm of government is tricking to use every trick in the bag to shield suspected criminal judges when clearly the logical thing is to suspend them till their innocence is established.  If the policy is allowed to operate, it would give access for so many irregularities to be perpetrated.”
 
“The judiciary is established to protect the constitution, why will it now come up with a policy that stripes the Media and the generality of Nigerians of their rights to Freedom of Information which it ought to protect? Why is it now that the judiciary is saying it just procured the right to suspend erring judges after it suffered its self-earned public embarrassment?”
 
“Transparency and accountability are basic ingredients of governance wherever true democratic ethos is imbibed and imbued, the judiciary should come out clean; subjective itself to lawful and constitutional provisions to clearly command the respect it deserves rather than this apparent hypocrisy. The proposed ‘National Judicial Policy’ is anti-democratic; it will aid corrupt practices in the judiciary.” Mr. Adeniran concluded
 
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
 October 25, 2016