Monday January 11, 2016
President Barack
Obama
President
of the United States
Whitehouse
Washington
D.C.
Transmitted by Email
From:
Mr. President,
With
profound humility, I call your attention to reports on the state of our
democracy in Nigeria, most populous country in Africa, 178 million great people
perhaps the size of six countries notably Tanzania 52 million, Kenya 46
million, Uganda 40 million, Ghana 26 million, Southern Sudan 12 million,
Sierra-Leone 6 million, Gambia 1.8 million and Cape Verde is 508,000.
Bearing
in mind the World’s Greatest Democracy, the United States would assist in guiding
Nations to achieve great potentials, in contributing to shape democratic norms
around the World, so that Nigerians in the North East, North West, North
Central, South East, South South and South West would, as a matter of national
priority, cultivate a true sense of Federalism modeled along US Confederate
path; humbled by my legal experience in Georgetown University Law Center,
Washington D.C.
THE FOLLOWING FACTORS HAVE BEEN
IDENTIFIED AS JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CLARION CALL.
Sectional Tension:
President
Buhari’s unfair tactics, expression of prejudices and hostility towards the people
commonly known as “Biafrans”, in the South Eastern region of Nigeria, is a bad
precedent against our peaceful co-existence. The gravamen of his complaint is
that the Igbos did not vote for him in March 2015. His supporters now tag the
South East derogatorily as “Biafraud”. Elected
as President, he must be magnanimous in victory.
President
Buhari was quoted as saying those who didn’t vote for him will be punished and
sadly demonstrated this in a modern society: http://www.naijaloaded.com.ng/2015/07/23/pres-buhari-says-he-wont-treat-people-who-didnt-vote-for-him-equally-with-those-who-voted-for-him-see-video/
A
recent report, underscores the “politics
of divisiveness”: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/sagays-comment-on-biafra-blanket-abuse-of-igbo-nation-iym/
The
Nigerian civil war lasted for 29 months and one million lives were lost. Still
not had enough of blood spilling; on 2nd Dec., 2015 some defenceless
citizens who were protesting repression, degrading treatment and detention of
the Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu, were mowed by the
Joint Military Taskforce. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/nine-shot-dead-over-8-injured-as-taskforce-open-fire-on-protesting-ipob-members-in-onitsha/
Buhari’s
presidency and agents despise subsisting Order of the Federal High Court, Abuja
per Honourable Justice Adeniyi Ademola to release IPOB Leader Nnamdi Kanu
unconditionally, who is still being held in chains, in dungeon cell since Oct.,
14th this the 4th month!
Deliberate Acts of Inhumanity and Dehumanization:
The Tutsis
were also reduced to cockroaches before they were killed. For genocide to occur
it must be preceded by the dehumanization of a group, and denials, reducing
them to sub-humans so extermination becomes the natural next step. In Nazi
Germany, the Jews were called the inferior race and malicious claims blamed
them for Germany’s economic and social woes. Thereafter millions of Jews were
gassed or subjected to mass execution through extreme work during the evil
episode of the holocaust.
In the
years leading up to the 1994 genocide, the government of Rwanda used all its propaganda
machinery to spread bigotry and hate speeches. Tutsis were called “cockroaches”
and the term ingrained in the public sphere. Tutsi men, women and children
were denied rights to dignity and killed, the last phase of genocide. Let us
protect the Igbos from victimization, hate semantics and denial under the
gleeful watch of Buhari.
On
12th and 13th December, 2015, seeming presidential
disdain for Shiites Muslims in Nigeria, led the Nigerian army to Zaria
massacre. The Burundian civil war was an armed conflict that lasted for twelve
years from 1993-2005, and 300,000
killed no thanks to ethnic tension; in one or two days in Nigeria the army
slaughtered more than 300 Shia
Muslims as stated in reports published by Human Rights Watch 22nd
Dec., 2015. https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/12/22/nigeria-army-attack-shia-unjustified
The
Herald reports that Nigerian soldiers tortured Shia women in Northern Nigeria,
raped them and then killed them, horrific violations. Click http://www.theheraldng.com/soldiers-raped-and-tortured-our-members-before-killing-them-shiite-women/
Whilst President Buhari looks away!
Gender Injustice:
Women
constitute half of our population and should be fairly represented; in
cognizance of Buhari’s campaign pledge to uphold the affirmative action with a
view to attaining Vision 20:2020 in order that Nigeria joins the largest
economies of the World; aware that no nation can achieve meaningful development
unless men and women are given the opportunity to participate in the political
and socio-economic spheres, in line with the national gender policy. For
obscure reasons, President Buhari ceded only 15% to women in his cabinet, without
remorse or apologies. Hence must be held to keep this and his other campaign
promises and pledges, please.
Presidential Profligacy and Budget
2016
“Corruption
destroys nations and its workforce, reduces productivity, hinders development,
worsens poverty, marginalizes the poor, and hence it becomes a human rights
issue…” - Carol Ajie Blog post in June 2014
When President Buhari rode to power on
the crest of a Spartan lifestyle, anti-corruption activism was and still is a
lofty goal, achievable. Surprisingly, after he was sworn-in, Buhari no longer
practices what he preached. Seven months after he took the Oath of office and
the Oath of allegiance on 29th May, 2015 and against the principles
of transparency and accountability President Buhari has declined to disclose
sums he said he recovered from Nigeria’s treasury looters and projects he
intends to fund with his mentor Dictator Abacha’s loot returned.
Furthermore,
President Buhari’s failure to downsize excessive presidential fleet; and his prodigious
spending of N1.8Billion monthly on maintenance costs for 11 aircraft viz
Falcon 7X Jets, Falcon 900, Gulfstream 550, Boeing 737 BBJ, Gulfstream IVSP,
Gulfstream V etc., majority of Nigerians live in squalor in the cruel face of
splendor where the lives of IDPs could be transformed with as little as 10% of
the monthly air fleet maintenance costs. What does it cost President Buhari to
provide modest housing for poor? Personal sacrifice!
Shocking extravagance displayed in 2016
budget presented to a joint session of the National Assembly on 22nd
Dec., 2015 surpass previous regimes as Buhari’s frugal proclivity and Spartan predilection
suddenly disappear. Scrutinized by the media including a media outlet controlled
by a lead stalwart of the ruling political party, the Nation, Punch newspapers
and others, Buhari’s budget proposal 2016 is indicative of a regime not
prepared for prudence and inglorious willingness for prodigal spending.
President of
Tanzania, Magufuli -vs- Buhari
Whilst
the President of Tanzania John Magufuli, leads by example in fighting
corruption and pursues austere programs since coming to office; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tanzania/12041788/John-Magufuli-Tanzania-president-sweeps-the-streets-outside-state-palace.html
President
Muhammadu Buhari finds ostentatious living alleviating, hence he has refused to
lead by example. In the course of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki’s
statements not a few persons were named. According to Dasuki, President Buhari
received 5 SUVs and $300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand US Dollars) in cash after
his SUV was damaged in July 2014. However, by his own admission, Buhari said he
received two luxuriant land cruiser SUVs one armored, the other not; whereupon
President Buhari retains the ‘swigs’. Our anti-corruption warrior should not
condone or keep gifts or other benefits tainted with corruption.
Presidential Media Chat:
Disobedience of Court Orders:
On
Wednesday 30th Dec., 2015 President Buhari held his first media chat
televised live on national TV stations, wherein he evinced traits of tyranny in
saying that his regime will not release persons in detention despite several
court orders because according to him, they could jump bail, if allowed freedom. This caused an uproar, and outright
condemnation.
Because
it is an encroachment on the judicial arm, calculated to humiliate Judges, and
consistent with the principles of human rights work and decades of public
interest advocacy campaigns, I created an online petition on Thursday 31st
Dec., 2015 to protest Buhari’s deliberate disobedience of court orders, to
respect the Constitution under which he took his Oaths, to protect our laws or
resign from office if he was unable to comply else impeachment proceedings
could be taken against him by our Legislators.
Target for the Online Petition: PMB
Respect Court Orders or Resign:
1,000
signatures were targeted considering there are 360 members of the house of
representatives, 109 Senators and 300-400 members of the National Executive
Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association and the civil society. However, we
exceeded our target by 400% plus. Here is the link: https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-respect-court-orders-or-resign-president-buhari-2
Buhari’s Online Supporters Begin
Campaigns for Tenure Elongation?
Once
President Buhari and his supporters saw the said online petition of 31st
Dec., 2015, they fought back and started a counter petition on 3rd
Jan., 2016. Although they have received a paltry 2% (two percent) less of their
one million target at the time we recorded 400% success in excess of our target,
not surprising Nigerians prefer peace to impunity, a colossal failure.
The
language of profanity and violence the counter-petitioner/signers and Buhari’s other
online supporters deploy with President Buhari’s picture on signature pages
shaking hands with them endorsing lawlessness, repression, intolerance to
criticism, leaves none in doubt as to why Buhari’s regime appear to promote chaos,
anarchy, the injustices of marginalization, inhuman and degrading treatment and
violence against women, girls and children as typified in the 2011
post-election violence whereat Buhari’s supporters raped and killed in open
daylight some female youth corpers over allegations that they rigged the 2011
election in favour of Jonathan against candidate Buhari at the time, all these documented
for analysis, being ostensibly dangerous signs capable of taking us Back to
Burundi.
Also
curious, online posts chanting “Say Baba Buhari carry go till 2023” “President
forever” in contravention of section 135(2) of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 that compels the President to vacate his office in
2019, one year down three more years to go!
Wondering
if President Buhari has plans for “self-succession” as a number of African heads
of states and Presidents with the exception of President Goodluck Jonathan who
heroically transferred power in a smooth and peaceful transition from one
political party to a rival on May 29, 2015.
Absurd:
Why
is Buhari muzzling opposition tarring them with those corruption brushes fit for
members of both the ruling political party APC and their counterparts in PDP;
they lock-up the spokesperson of the opposition party in underground cell,
without trial, under the pretense of fighting corruption only of the main rival
when some members of Buhari’s cabal and even Mr President Buhari got a mention
in Dasukigate, and get scot free?
The Clarion Call:
1.
Respectfully Call President Buhari to Order!
2.
To Prohibit Violence from Politics and Rights
Advocacy Campaigns!
3.
Please Ask President Buhari to Respect Court
Orders Or Resign.
4.
Support Nigeria and Nigerians to Achieve True
Federalism Or
5.
Support the Path to a Confederation of Independent
States in Nigeria.
Thanks in anticipation.
Sincerely,
Carol Ajie
Carol Ajie, LL.B(Hons) Benin;
B.L(Lagos); MCIArb(UK); LL.M (Int’l Legal Studies) Georgetown
Legal Practitioner, Constitutional
and Human Rights Lawyer
IBA Human Rights
Working Group Africa Regional Officer 2014, 2015
Vital Voices Lead
Fellow, Washington D.C. 2013-2016
Copy
to: His Excellency,
1.
Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR
President
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Commander-in-Chief
of the Armed Forces of the Federation
2.
Dr.
Olubukola Saraki, President of the Senate
3.
Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, The Hon. Speaker of
the House of Reps.
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