Cletus Uwakina Advocacy

POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION
PRESS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT
PRESS RELEASE

ASSAULT ON POLICE OFFICER ON DUTY: PSC CONDEMNS ACT, COMMENDS IGP FOR PROMPT ACTION, DEMANDS IMMEDIATE PROSECTION OF SEUN KUTI TO RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN NIGERIA POLICE

The Police Service Commission wishes to condemn in strong terms the assault of a Police Officer in uniform and on official duty in Lagos by one Seun Kuti.
The Commission however commends the Inspector General of Police, Baba Usman Ahmed for his prompt action in ordering the arrest and prosecution of Seun who obviously has diminished the sanctity of the symbol of authority of the Nigerian nation.
The Commission demands that the culprit must be arraigned immediately and that the Inspector General must ensure that the matter is followed to it's logical conclusion to restore public confidence in the Nigeria Police as the lead Agency in internal security and in it's ability to maintain law and order and also protect lives and properties.
Chairman of the Commission, Dr.Solomon Arase, CFR, former Inspector General of Police said no matter the offence the Police Officer committed, nobody, including Seun Kuti has the right to assault a Policeman in uniform and on official duty.
Dr. Arase frowned at the effontry of Seun to slap the Police Officer, insisting that Nigeria is not a Hobbesian state where might is right. " We must as a civilized people explore established channels of complaints against alleged infractions by law enforcement Officials rather than this uncouth behavior in assaulting the symbol of authority in our country" he noted.
" We look forward to the prompt prosecution of Seun to act as a deterrent to others of his ilk" Dr. Arase added.
He further commended the Police Officer for refusing to be provoked by the action of his aggressor, a development he said would have been more fatal.
The PSC Chairman said it was unfortunate that at a time the Management of the Nigeria Police were dealing decisively with Officers who harass, intimidate or assault civilians on our roads and work places, the same Police Officers have become victims of the actions of some uncultured elites.
He said the Police should use the present incident to set an example that this will never be tolerated in Nigeria, a country governed by laws, rules and regulations.
The Chairman noted that the groundswell of public opinion against the conduct of the abuser is indicative of the love and respect Nigerians have for the law enforcement Officers. This he said underscores the need for all Police Officers to continually respect the right of the populace and be professional in all their conduct.

Ikechukwu Ani
Head, Press and Public Relations
Sunday, May 14th 2023

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2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: DON’T PRE-EMPT THE JUDICIARY; BEING AN OPEN LETTER TO CANDIDATES, POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE NIGERIAN PEOPLE BY THE CRUSADERS ADVOCACY INITIATIVE

Deriving from allegations of widespread manipulations and rigging of last Saturday’s Presidential Election in Nigeria, a lot of Nigerians seems to be paranoid with some vowing for a showdown with the Judiciary if the election is not nullified by the court or their candidates not declared winner. Some have even vowed not to partake in the incoming Governorship and House of Assembly Election scheduled for the 11th of March 2003 as a mark of their disenchantment.
Though the Peoples Democratic Party took second position in the election, but it appears that the Labour Party and its candidate lays more claim to the victory, as the Labour party Candidate Mr. Peter Obi has been quoted to have said that he won the presidential election and that he was rigged out. The extent to which this assertion is correct can only be tested, affirmed, or determined by the court. Having not been declared winner by the electoral umpire, the assertion that Peter Obi won the election can only be imagined in the realm of assumption. However, he has a right to approach the court to test his assumption and prove that he won the election.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our Electoral Law makes provision for procedures to be followed to seek redress in election matters and until that is explored successfully no one can rightfully and legally claim victory of the election except the one already declared by INEC.
For those making negative derogatory comments against the judiciary, saying that the judiciary is incapable of doing justice in Nigeria, I like to state that anticipatory loss of confidence in the judiciary even when it has not commenced its assignment and even when parties are yet to appear before it, is highly uncharitable and unpatriotic. It is advised that parties and their supporters should not resort to utterances that are likely to pre-empt the judiciary or incite the masses against it. For those who think their mandate was stolen, their first commitment is to have faith in the fidelity of the Judiciary to deliver justice.
It is on record in this country that Mr. Peter Obi became Governor of Anambra State by Judicial pronouncement, the same for Adams Oshiomole of Edo State and Hope Uzodinma of Imo State etal. There have been many Senators, House of Reps Members, State Houses of Assembly Members and even Chairmen/ Councillors in our various Local Government Areas whose ascension into office was engendered by judicial pronouncements of erudite judges and courts across the nation.
It is common thing in Nigeria for politicians and their supporters to view or interpret judicial pronouncements from the lens of their selfish political interest. When a Political Party wins in court, he applauds the Judiciary but when it loses, it describes the judiciary as corrupt and incapable of doing justice. Such is the unfortunate fate of the Nigerian Judiciary, and the present scenario is most likely to follow suit.
There is need for Nigerians to remain calm, patient, and optimistic, while the various parties and their candidates explore available judicial remedies. Somebody said to me that Presidential Election cannot be annulled. This position is not correct. Presidential Election if proven to be flawed can be annulled whether in Nigeria or elsewhere. What the petitioner needs to do, is to prove his case in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Law and the Evidence Act. It is the general principle of law that he who alleges must prove. The petitioner must lead credible and compelling evidence before the court in other to get justice. It is not just enough to go to court. The court is not a Father Christmas and it does not act on assumptions, rumours or hearsay evidence, so I will advise any one going to court to ensure that he or she has the Unit Results of all the polling units where he or she is alleging to have been rigged out. For the said unit results to be credible, it must be issued by INEC at the polling unit, and it must have the signatures of party agents and the umpire on it.
There have been instances where presidential elections have been nullified by courts in various countries around the world. Here are a few examples:
1. Kenya: In 2017, the Kenyan Supreme Court nullified the presidential election results, citing irregularities and illegalities. The court ordered a fresh election, which was held in October of the same year.
2. Maldives: In 2013, the Maldivian Supreme Court nullified the first round of the presidential elections, which had been won by opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed. The court ordered a fresh election, which Nasheed won.
3. Austria: In 2016, Austria's Constitutional Court annulled the result of the presidential election, which had been won by the far-right candidate Norbert Hofer, citing procedural irregularities. A re-run of the election was held later that year, and the result was upheld.
4. Ukraine: In 2004, Ukraine's Supreme Court annulled the results of the presidential election, which had been won by Viktor Yanukovych, citing widespread fraud. A new election was held, which was won by Yanukovych's opponent, Viktor Yushchenko.
5. Ecuador: In 2017, Ecuador's National Electoral Council nullified the first round of the presidential election, which had been won by Lenin Moreno, citing irregularities. A re-run of the election was held, which Moreno won.
6. Haiti: In 2016, Haiti's electoral council annulled the results of the presidential election, which had been marred by accusations of fraud and violence. A new election was held in 2017, which was won by Jovenel Moïse.
7. Zimbabwe: In 2018, Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court nullified the results of the presidential election, which had been won by incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa, citing irregularities. The court ordered a new election, which was held later that year and was won by Mnangagwa.
8. Madagascar: In 2002, Madagascar's High Constitutional Court annulled the results of the presidential election, which had been won by incumbent President Didier Ratsiraka, citing fraud. A new election was held, which was won by opposition candidate Marc Ravalomanana.
9. Taiwan: In 2004, Taiwan's High Court annulled the results of the presidential election, which had been won by incumbent President Chen Shui-bian, citing irregularities. A new election was not held, but the ruling caused significant political turmoil.
Overall, it is important to note that these examples are just a few of the instances where presidential elections have been nullified around the world, and the reasons and processes for nullification can vary from country to country.
Finally, I call on candidates, political parties and all Nigerians to maintain calm and have faith in the Judiciary to do Justice, if the presidential election is found to be flawed.
Signed:

BARR. CLETUS UWAKINA
(PRESIDENT CAI)

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MONEY POLITICS IN NIGERIA; A CANKERWORM TO CREDIBLE LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT: BEING A POSITION PAPER OF THE CRUSADERS ADVOCACY INITIATIVE.

To contest for presidential primary election in Nigeria, members of the All Progressive Congress were asked to pay a whooping sum of N100,000,000.00 (one huundred million naira) for nomination and expression of interest form while their counterparts in the PDP where demanded to pay the sum of N40,000,000.00 (forty million naira) for the same purpose.
It is alarming how Nigerian Politics has nosedived into the abyss of commercialization where people invest huge sums of money with expectation to recoup their expenditure when they assume office.
Worst still is the merchantalization of votes during primary and general elections as we are now witnessing in party primaries of leading political parties today.
It is shameful and disheartening, how a nation can commercialize the process of selecting its leaders by staking elective position for sale to the highest bidder. How on earth can a poor man or an average Nigerian man or worker raise the sum of N100,000,000 and N40,000,000 respectively to purchase nomination forms for the office of the President of the Federal Republic.
We aver, that the over bloated cost of nomination forms in our leading political parties is an extortionist mechanism and a deliberate agenda by the ruling elite to exclude the poor masses and average Nigerians from smelling the seat of leadership in the country.
While blaming the leaders, the electorates cannot be exonerated from this pernicious miasma. More often than not, they are implicitly and explicitly colluding and/or aiding the diabolical intentions of the ruling class. The electorates are either not willing to speak up or too weak and disenchanted to resist the ruling class. Instead they are seen lusting over American dollars or Naira in exchange for their vote.
The office of a party delegate for the purpose of electing candidates of a party has become such a darling position to be lust after by party faithfuls as a result of its lucrative value in the selection of candidates for various leadership positions of the party.
A lot of people want to be party delegates not for the purpose of choosing credible leaders, but for the sole purpose of enriching their pockets. They are determined to sell their votes and make quick money rather than vote a credible leader that can turn the country around.
How can a man who paid through his nose to get nominated and eventually have to spend more money to buy the votes of the electorates at the general election not feel entitled to recoup his expenditure or investment.
We aver that Nigerians must wake up from slumber, re-examine themselves and make a resolve to better this country. The electorates must understand the importance of their vote. With the instrumentality of the ballot, the Nigerian electorate has the ultimate power to rescue Nigeria and reorder the nation.
The Nigerian electorate must deliberately make a resolve to reject money politics, vote buying and selling, bribery and corruption in the electoral process as a way of saving this nation from total collapse. We must be resolved to vote the right candidates at all times, in all elections.
Monetization and commercialization of the electoral process both at the primary and general elections are the bane of corruption and incompetence in leadership and underdevelopment in Nigeria. This development undermines the future of our country and its hope of recovery.
To become a leader in Nigeria, you dont need education, you dont need integrity, you dont need skills and competence, all you need to have is money. Once you have money, you are a leader and sycophants will sing your praise to high heavens and ensure that you emerge so long you are willing to part with a paltry portion. We argue that this trend cannot continue and must stop now.

We call on the Nigerian masses and the Nigerian electorates to say no to vote buying and monetization of our electoral process. Our leaders and the average Nigerian politician should have the fear of God and think about the future of this nation.
We insist that all hands must be on deck in the resolve to bring an end to the ugly anathema of money politics and commercialization of vote. It is within this construct that we situate the solution to the leadership quagmire in Nigeria.

A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE.

CLETUS UWAKINA ESQ
President, Crusaders Advocacy Initiative (CAI)

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https://newsdiaryonline.com/primaries-group-urges-party-delegates-to-resist-financial-inducement/

Primaries: Group urges party delegates to resist financial inducement - Newsdiaryonline The Crusaders’ Advocacy Initiative (CAI), a Non-Governmental Organisation, has urged delegates of political parties for the upcoming primary elections to demonstrate patriotism by casting their b…

CREATE A SPECIAL POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; BEING AN OPEN LETTER TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE BY BARR. CLETUS UWAKINA, PRESIDENT CRUSADERS ADVOCACY INITIATIVE.
Sequel to the widely reported death of the popular gospel singer late Osinachi Nwachukwu whose death was linked to alleged domestic violence occasioned by constant beating and abuse by her husband Mr. Peter Nwachukwu, it have become imperative for me to write you this open letter to urge you to quickly establish a Special Unit in the Police Force that is capable of responding to issues of potential violence in homes and families.
It is expected that the creation of this new formation will engender an opportunity for potential victims of domestic violence and abuse to pick up their phones at once and call the police formation to intervene before the issue or matter degenerates and escalates to a situation of full-fledged violence.
Where a party to a disagreement in a family suspects that a minor disagreement is about to degenerate into a state of chaos and anarchy leading to domestic violence he or she will be at liberty to pick up his or her phone and call the police for quick and immediate response in other to avert an impending violence that can lead to grievous bodily harm or death of a person or another.
It must be stated that domestic violence, though not peculiar to Nigeria alone, it is gradually assuming a horrendous proportion in our nation. In some culture, it is permissible and justified for a husband to violate a wife domestically without consequences. However it is poverty of reasoning for anybody to think or reduce the question of domestic violence to husband and wife affair or to a situation where a husband beats up his wife.
As a lawyer in practice who is ethically bound by the rules and ethic of confidentiality of clients, I can confidently state that so many men are victims of domestic violence, but they cannot say it out either for peace to reign in their homes or for the shame of being mocked by society and their fellow men as weak, feeble and unable to control their homes.
Domestic violence is the intentional and persistent abuse of anyone in the
home in a way that causes pain, distress or injury. It refers to any abusive
treatment of one family member by another, thus violating the law of
basic human rights. It includes battering of intimate partners and others,
sexual abuse of children, marital r**e and traditional practices that are
harmful to both men and women.
Cases of domestic violence in Nigeria have taken an upward swing in recent times, especially the physical aspect of it. If it is not about a man beating, maiming or killing his wife, it is about a woman dealing with her husband in like manner. There have also been reports of a man stabbing his brother to death for wading into a feud between him and his wife and a woman beating and blinding her grandchild, among others.
In most cases, the police nab and prosecute the culprits in accordance with the laws of the land. But that has not proved to be a solution; as such acts seem not to be ebbing.
It is my submission that the solution to domestic violence is not all about arresting and prosecuting offenders who probably might have occasioned the death of their victims, but to avert the very occurrence of the said act of violence and possible death of citizens who are perceived potential victims of the very act.
Somewhere outside Nigeria, a woman was caught by her husband sleeping with another man in their matrimonial home, the woman sensing that the man will become violent and abuse her, she immediately called the police, not to arrest the husband but to take her safely out of the house to enable her seek refuge in a safe place so that she can be alive to sought out her contradiction.
Assuming there was no channel to reach the police for such an immediate response, perhaps the woman would have been dead without anyone sensing or tracing the cause of her death which would have been covered by her provoked husband.
I insist that the formation of a police department solely dedicated to issues of domestic violence and other related matters is germane and necessary to curtail and avert the dangers of domestic violence in our society. Such police formation, when instituted must be present in every division of the Police Force nationwide and must be funded and empowered with capacity for immediate and quick response.
It is my position that human life is sacred and priceless and must be protected without compromise. The only justification for not preventing the loss of a human life, when one can do so is that it would result in the loss of even more lives.
WHEREFORE, I call on the Inspector General of Police to immediately facilitate the creation of a special police department to deal with issues of domestic violence and related matters.
Please accept the assurances of my warmest regards.

C. C. UWAKINA ESQ
President, Crusaders Advocacy Initiative (CAI)

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