Tuesday 12 November 2013
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: URGENT PETITION OF THREAT TO PUBLIC PEACE, INFRING...
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: URGENT PETITION OF THREAT TO PUBLIC PEACE, INFRING...: CENTRE FOR RIGHTS AND GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE (CRGI) 1a, Fadeyi Street, I...
URGENT PETITION OF THREAT TO PUBLIC PEACE, INFRINGEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF CONCERNED TRADERS AGAINST ALHAJI RAHEEM OJOLOWO LEADERSHIP OF OWODE INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SPARE PARTS DEALERS ASSOCIATION MARKET OF LAGOS STATE
CENTRE
FOR RIGHTS AND GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE (CRGI)
1a, Fadeyi Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
Email: centreforrightsgi@gmail.com
Telephone: 08078012999, 07033853232
13th
November, 2013.
Mr.
Umar Manko,
The
Commissioner of Police,
Nigeria
Police Force,
Lagos
State Command,
State
Headquarters,
Ikeja, Lagos.
Dear
Sir,
PUBLIC PETITION
URGENT PETITION OF
THREAT TO PUBLIC PEACE, INFRINGEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS OF
CONCERNED TRADERS AGAINST ALHAJI RAHEEM OJOLOWO LEADERSHIP OF OWODE
INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SPARE PARTS DEALERS ASSOCIATION MARKET OF LAGOS STATE
 |
| Owode International Motor Spare Parts Market |
With humility, I have the authority of the
governing board of Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI) which is
a foremost civil society organization at the vanguard for the enthronement of
rule of law, peaceful and orderly society to urgently petition your office on
the threat to public peace and infringement on the fundamental and economic
rights of Concerned traders at Owode International Motor Spare Parts Dealers
Association market in Lagos State by the Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership
of the association.
We at (CRGI) as a patriotic and responsive
organization desirous that all hands must be on deck towards sustaining the
relative peace in Lagos State have decided to bring this matter to your notice
for urgent attention in order to arrest the seeming threat to public peace and
infringement of the fundamental and economic rights of Nigerians by the
arbitrary, irresponsible and illegal acts of Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led
leadership.
Historically, Owode International Spare Parts
Dealer Association has been in existence for over three (3) decades with no
record of rancor and skirmishes between the traders who have always conducted
their business within the ambit of the law.
Historically also, ownership of shops in Owode
International Spare Parts Dealer Association market follows a laid down
procedure whereby shop owners are allotted space by the market association
leadership to personally construct their shops and thereafter pay all necessary
taxes and levies to the market association as well as appropriate
constitutional authorities.
Unfortunately, due to the ongoing road
construction works on the Ikorodu road axis, some parts of the Owode
International Spare Parts Dealer Association market were affected and had to
give way. The affected traders who have legitimate papers in terms of Market
Association trading permit, council permit, shop receipt, etc complained about
their predicament to the market leadership of Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo for succor.
Thereafter, these concerned traders partially
affected by the road exercise numbering over forty (40) were cajoled by the
Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo leadership to cough out six thousand naira (N6,000) each
for reallocation and construction of fence for the new space to be provided by
the market association leadership which has not materialized till date.
Surprisingly however, on the 28th of
October 2013, the concerned traders arrived at the market in the morning for
economic activities only to discover that some building materials such as
Cement, gravel, sand, block etc had been deposited at their store spaces that
were partially lost to road construction. Without suspecting any foul play,
they thought that the materials were meant for the construction of the market
fence of which all shop owners had paid the mandatory one thousand naira
(N1,000) levy each.
However, investigation later revealed that the
building materials were not for fence construction as earlier construed but
that Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership of the market association had sold
their partially left over shop spaces against the laid down rules of shop
ownership to a developer whom they were now informed would be their landlord
based on his economic terms and conditions. The traders realizing that their
economic existence was under threat, thereafter peacefully mobilized themselves
to seek dialogue to resolve this matter with Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led
leadership who turned them down and told them to go and look for money to
acquire the shops in the about to be built shopping complex.
The Concerned traders realizing that their
fundamental and economic right was being infringed upon since this new
arbitrary and illegal act of Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership runs contrary
to the existing time immemorial policy of shop ownership in Owode International
Spare Parts Dealer Association market policy in which shops were built by
occupiers having fulfilled all necessary conditions, then mobilized themselves
with the support of other youths and elders in the market to embark on a
peaceful protest to Agboyi Ketu LCDA having got wind of information from the
rumour mill that the Local Council authority were co-conspirator with Alhaji
Raheem Ojolowo led leadership to undermine the peace and tranquility of the
market in particular and Lagos State in general.
The traders were addressed by the council
chairman who urged the Concerned traders, youths and elders to maintain the
existing peace and he urged the market leadership to go and resolve the brewing
crisis internally to prevent it from snowballing. However till date, the
traders are living in constant fear of losing their economic means of
livelihood because the building materials of the so called developer are still
on ground and information is rife that the developer and Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo
led market association leadership are going to use violence to get their way.
Sir, as a patriotic civil society organization,
we will be failing in our constitutional responsibility if we do not draw your
attention to this matter for urgent action because we have it on good authority
that tension is rife in the market because of this illegal, unpopular and
irresponsive action of Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership of the market.
We are hereby using this medium to implore you
to use your constitutional office to arrest this peace threatening action for
the sake of justice and the good of the society.
We are equally imploring you to investigate and
stop the alledged illegal sale of Owode International Spare Parts Dealer
Association land by Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership and commence
appropriate prosecution.
We are also calling on you to use your good office
to investigate Alhaji Raheem Ojolowo led leadership of Owode International
Spare Parts Dealer Association and bring him before the law to account for
monies collected from traders for projects not executed which in law amounts to
obtaining money under false pretence (OBT).
We look forward to your prompt response to our
petition.
CC:
1. Alhaji M. D. Abubakar,
Inspector General of Police
Nigeria Police Headquarters,
Louis Edet House,
Abuja
Thursday 7 November 2013
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: ARSENAL AND ARSENE COULD BREAK THE JINX THIS YEAR
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: ARSENAL AND ARSENE COULD BREAK THE JINX THIS YEAR: ARSENAL AND ARSENE COULD BREAK THE JINX THIS YEAR: Arsenal FC Manager Arsene Wenger I have watched with keen interest and excitemen...
Monday 28 October 2013
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: STILL ON THE ASUU CRISIS: GOD IS A PROMISE KEEPER WHO CANNOT BE MOCKED...
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: STILL ON THE ASUU CRISIS: GOD IS A PROMISE KEEPER ...: STILL ON THE ASUU CRISIS: GOD IS A PROMISE KEEPER WHO CANNOT BE MOCKED President Goodluck Jonathan & Co praying in Isreal Ever sin...
STILL ON THE ASUU CRISIS: GOD IS A PROMISE KEEPER WHO CANNOT BE MOCKED
STILL ON THE ASUU CRISIS: GOD IS A PROMISE KEEPER WHO CANNOT BE MOCKED
Ever
since he embarked on the journey to the Holy Land which the Presidency
lied about initially as official visit but which unfolding events have
revealed as pilgrimage, President Jonathan handlers have been posting
regular pictures of Mr. President and his entourage visits to places of
interest in the social media on a large scale. The question that came to
my mind is that, is President Jonathan the first civilian President to
go on Holy pilgrimage? Afterall we had one of his predecessor, General
Obasanjo who is also a Christian, or is it that OBJ despite all the
goodwill he enjoyed he enjoyed from the Christian community never deemed
it fit to to go on this religious pilgrimage while he was in office for
eight solid years? Well no problem or fuss since the President has a
right like every one of us to fulfill his religious obligations because
its a personal thing. However, I want to use this medium to admonish
President Jonathan to know that the Almighty is a convenant keeping God
who is faithful to his promises and so I wonder why President Jonathan
who cannot honour simple agreement with ASUU can be praying to the same
God, can prayers from such persons be answered? I hope we can all see
the contradiction of Mr Presidents supplications. I want to admonish
President Jonathan to stop playing games with the destiny of this
country by refusing to honour agreement lest he incur the wrath of the
Almighty who is an agreement keeping God as witnessed to by the Bible. This is because our God cannot be mocked as President Goodluck Jonathan is doing
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| President Goodluck Jonathan & Co praying in Isreal |
Thursday 26 September 2013
THE IGNORANCE OF LABOUR TO OUR NATIONAL PROGRESS O...
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: THE IGNORANCE OF LABOUR TO OUR NATIONAL PROGRESS O...: In yesterdays edition of The Punch newspaper, the below position by one of the leaders of NLC made the headline and one cannot but be shocke...
THE IGNORANCE OF LABOUR TO OUR NATIONAL PROGRESS ON DISPLAY
Calls for National Sovereign Conference unconstitutional - NLC
by Succeess Nwogu, Ilorin
  advertisement
| |
The Vice-President, Nigerian Labour Congress, Mr. Issa Aremu, has said that the NLC is opposed to the agitation for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference because the call is diversionary and unconstitutional.
Speaking to journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, he said SNG was no longer a global trend. He argued that since Nigeria had elected representatives, it would be unlawful to convoke the SNC.
He said the position of labour was that Nigerians were not a debating society. Aremu noted that Nigeria should be functional while the citizens should stop agonising.
"We spend all the time agonising and questioning the viability of the country when we should rather organise our thoughts to make the country work. Labour is opposed to Sovereign National Conference. It is moving against the trend of the world and I think it is even wrong to say Nigeria is too big.
"The proposed conference is unconstitutional because with all the imperfections of the existing dispensation, whether we like it or not, we have elected a President who has specific mandate and he got elected based on certain promises to the nation.
"We have constituted the National Assembly. We have 36 governors, they are elected and they must deliver on their mandate. Nobody should short change the system mid-way," Aremu said.
He argued that if the proponents of SNG were serious about their call, they should embark on a massive campaign so that the people could vote them into power.
Aremu, who called on politicians to move with the global trend, alleged that Nigerian leaders were parochial.
He said all ethnic sentiments should be divorced from Nigeria's national life.
The labour leader said it was retrogressive that at a time the world was getting global, Nigerian leaders were not flowing with the tide.
He said globally the use of ethnic nationalities was no longer fashionable, adding that Nigeria was lagging behind in global socio-political and economic trend.
"The day an African-American became the president of the most powerful nation in the world, the United States, colour had ceased to be an issue. How can language and ethnic identity remain an issue? The day Mandela walked out of the prison and became the first democratically elected President of South Africa on a non-racial basis, apartheid was gone.
"It is sad that in 2013 Nigerian leaders are talking of conference of ethnic nationalities. The expectation of the founding-fathers was that by now we should be having a United States of Africa. That is what led to the formation of the Organisation of African Unity. We started before the Europeans even started the European Union.
"The world is towards bigger size not dismemberment of the nation-state. If a bigger Nigeria couldn't compete with one big China, is it a smaller and divided Nigeria that will compete? What am saying in essence is that our leaders should think global," Aremu said.
Wednesday 14 August 2013
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: KUDOS TO LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT FOR HEARKENING TO ...
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: KUDOS TO LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT FOR HEARKENING TO ...: CENTRE FOR RIGHTS AND GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE (CRGI) 1a Fadeyi Street, Ikeja, Lagos. Email: centreforrightsgi@gmail.com ...
KUDOS TO LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT FOR HEARKENING TO THE CLARION CALL IN APPEALING AGAINST MAJOR HAMZA AL MUSTAPHA AND LATEEF SHOFOLOHAN ACQUITAL IN THE MURDER OF ALHAJA KUDIRAT ABIOLA
CENTRE FOR RIGHTS AND
GRASSROOTS INITIATIVE (CRGI)
1a Fadeyi
Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
Email: centreforrightsgi@gmail.com
Telephone:
08078012999, 07033853232
14/08/2013
PRESS STATEMENT
KUDOS TO LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT FOR
HEARKENING TO THE CLARION CALL IN APPEALING AGAINST MAJOR HAMZA AL MUSTAPHA AND LATEEF
SHOFOLOHAN ACQUITAL IN THE MURDER OF ALHAJA KUDIRAT ABIOLA
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| Al Mustapha, not yet uhuru. |
The
Centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiative (CRGI) wish to use this medium to
commend and congratulate wholeheartedly the Lagos State government for its pro
people action in hearkening to the clarion call by the suffering masses of
Nigeria by appealing to the Supreme court against the acquittal of Major Hamza
Al Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan in the murder of late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
Once
again, the Fashola administration has proved its responsiveness and
responsibility as a government of the people, by the people and for the people
by this dogged pursuit for justice not only in memory of this Amazon but for
the generality of Nigerians who bore the brunt of late dictator Sani Abacha
terror machine oiled by Major Hamza Al Mustapha.
We
cannot but commend the Fashola administration as we recollect how it ensured
justice for Miss Uzoma Okere who was brutalized and assaulted by a Naval
Admiral, Harry Arogundade and his ratings on a Lagos road only too recently. We
also remember how the Lagos state government is pursuing justice for some (4)
innocent Nigerians whose fundamental rights were assaulted by the police during
the Fuel hike demonstrations of January 9 2012 in Lagos by the DPO Pen Cinema
Police station Mr. Segun Fabunmi who is currently standing trial for murdering
Mr. Ademola Aderinde and causing grievous body harm to three (3) others in Ogba
area of Lagos.
However,
we must once again, express our disappointment with the judgement of the court
of Appeal which is nothing but a travesty of justice in acquitting Major Al
Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan of complicity in the murder of Alhaja Kudirat
Abiola in the face of overwhelming evidence and logic. Can we ever forget with
sadness, the agony and pains that Nigerians were subjected to by the military junta
of the dark goggle general in which lives were lost, limbs amputated and
persons disappeared without any trace courtesy of the Gestapo on rampage then?
As
we look forward to ensuring justice for the society through this appeal, it is
our fervent hope that the Justices of the Supreme Court will act in obeisance
to their conscience and oath in dispensing justice in this matter in order to
consolidate our democracy and build a better society.
Monday 12 August 2013
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: RESETTLEMENT OF DESTITUTES, NATIONAL QUESTION AND ...
centre for Rights and Grassroots Initiatives: RESETTLEMENT OF DESTITUTES, NATIONAL QUESTION AND ...: RESETTLEMENT OF DESTITUTES, NATIONAL QUESTION AND FASHOLA'S ADMINISTRATION IN THE EYES OF HISTORY Ever since ...
RESETTLEMENT OF DESTITUTES, NATIONAL QUESTION AND FASHOLA'S ADMINISTRATION IN THE EYES OF HISTORY
 |
RESETTLEMENT
OF DESTITUTES, NATIONAL QUESTION AND FASHOLA'S ADMINISTRATION IN THE EYES OF
HISTORY
Ever since the news broke in the media of the resettlement
of destitutes to Anambra state by the Lagos state government, there have been
allegations and counter allegations from various quarters. However a dangerous
dimension to the whole saga was the attempt to ethnicize and politicize it
which was very unfortunate and stands condemned. That the Lagos state
government and its people have no equal among the 36 states and the federal
capital territory authority in Nigeria in terms of promoting peaceful
coexistence between persons and nationalities whether doing business or
residing in the state is stating the obvious and we are very proud of it.
Also when the politicization and propaganda machinery of the
Anambra state government ran into a cul de sac as a result of the information supplied
by the Lagos state government that the destitutes in question were 14 and not
70 or 72 as erroneously churned out just to confuse and draw unnecessary
sympathy from a bewilded public, it quickly resorted to mouthing the
misinformation that the destitutes were dumped at the upper Niger bridge in an
unhealthy state at a particular time of the day. The reality is that the
Anambra state government shirked its responsibility to its people on this
matter and is only interested in playing politics with the vulnerable situation
of these poor people which is unfortunate.
The truth of the matter is that Anambra state government has
made a mess of the whole show by attempting to pull wool over our eyes just
because of political expediency and whatever information they give out on this
matter is subject to doubt because they have displayed insincerity which is not
the hallmark of a responsible government. As they say, birds of the same
feather, flock together, therefore, one is not surprised that the Akwa Ibom
state government which like its Anambra state counterpart has demonstrated its
ignorance of figures by being accomplices in the 16 is greater than 19 NGF saga
can shamelessly come out to publicly refute the position of the Lagos state
government despite the fact that there was an exchange of two destitutes of
Lagos origin between them and the correspondences was done officially.
One also notes with amusement that some expired politicians,
persons and groups have cashed in on this issue just to announce to the whole
world, that they are still alive. To resort to hurling abusive languages and
name calling just because someone else holds a differing position on an issue
speaks volume of the integrity of some of these characters because there is a
Yoruba proverb which says, "Gbogbo wa ko le sun, ki a ko ri si ibi
kan" "We all cannot view the same issue same way because like they
say, variety is the spice of life. These persons and groups just want to be
counted among those who have spoken on this issue without recourse to facts and
the reality of the type of federalism that we are practicing.
To resort to name calling against an administration that is
trying its best within its limits to bequeath a better legacy to generations
unborn is uncharitable. In as much as one wouldn’t want to posture as the
mouthpiece of this government, the truth is that good things cannot hide or as
they say, gold fish has no hiding place. We are all living witness(es) to the
massive infrastructural development in Lagos state since the advent of the
Fashola administration which we owe to posterity to project and correct the erroneous
picture that some misguided and disgruntled elements are trying to convey to
the outside world. The Fashola administration has touched the lives of Lagosians
positively in all spheres. The massive ongoing construction and rehabilitation
of roads in the 20 LG and 37 LCDA's in the state by the Fashola administration
is unparralled and has won it accolades both locally and internationally. Its
massive construction of drainage channels across the state to prevent flooding
and protect lives, properties and the environment is quite commendable. In the
area of education, it has given infrastructures in public schools a facelift
and even computerized them to world standards. Yearly, the state government
underwrites the WAEC fees of students of public secondary schools as well as
awarding scholarships and bursaries to deserving students in tertiary
institutions. In the areas of health, it has upgraded health institutions in
the state to a level whereby citizens can access health services in their
locality unlike what obtained in the past where people travel thousands of
kilometers in search of such public facilities. The high quality and cost of
accessing medical services in these general hospitals scattered all over the
state is a big relief to its teeming citizens. In the area of sports and recreation,
the government has built and commissioned world standard sporting facilities
all over the state like the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Agege Stadium,
Campos Playing ground, Ajele, Lagos Island, Badagry, Epe, etc that have been
hosting local and international sporting events and are being accessed by our
youths in order to keep their minds away from social vices. In the area of
security, the Fashola administration set up the Lagos state security trust fund
to bolster up the security situation of the state because of its cosmopolitan
status. In the area of environment, we are all living witness to a greener
Lagos. In the area of transportation, the state's ministry of transportation is
working tirelessly to ensure that Lagos has a transportation system befitting
of her status as a mega city. The Lagos state government also established job
creation centers across the state to train its teeming youths in vocational
skills so that they can become responsible adults and contribute meaningfully
to societal development. One can go on and on, but this little will suffice
because to whom much is given, much is expected.
It is also ridiculous and ironical when one hears of some
persons and groups accusing the government for being sensitive to its
constitutional and societal obligations of ensuring the welfare of its citizens
by legislating against suicide and security breach through means of
transportation that dehumanizes us in the comity of civilized people. Some of
these elements also cite the constitutional provisions that guarantee Nigerians
the right to live in any part of the country, but fail to cite which section of
the same constitution gives Nigerians the right to constitute societal and
economic nuisance. Today, they are talking about citizens of Nigerians as
though they are unaware that what we have and which is playing out is the issue
of identity crisis. Maybe they are ignorant of the fact that the constitutional
provisions are being flagrantly violated because of the faulty federation we
are running? Or are we all going to pretend that we are unaware that states in
Nigeria employ discriminatory school fees between indigenes and non indigenes
in public schools? What about the discriminatory cut off marks for admission
into public schools? Whether we like it or not, it is to our collective shame
that a very large percentage of our people have become destitutes today and our
country a failed state as a consequence of the unitarist system of government
in operation in which nobody is accountable to anybody because the modus
operandi is the blame game like we are all doing in this matter.
The truth of the matter is that there are whole lots of
issues bedeviling the Nigerian state and which is a time bomb for its corporate
existence since it is a conglomeration of nations without an input into how
they came into a forced marriage that has and will never work. The only way out
of these self inflicted quagmire that we have boxed ourselves is to join the
advocacy and insist on the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC)
to discuss the basis of our unity now.
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