#HNNOpinion The Senate, SERAP, Ibrahim Magu and the Dearth and Death of CSO’s in Nigeria C: @realffk

The Senate, SERAP, Ibrahim Magu and the Dearth and Death of CSO’s in Nigeria by Jude Ndukwe

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, recently wrote a letter to Mr Michel Forst, the UN Rapporteur on situation of human rights defenders on Senate’s refusal to confirm Mr Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, claiming political and other concocted reasons for the said refusal.

It is the purpose of this piece to vehemently urge Mr Forst to ignore the letter in its entirety as it was written out of mischief and towards actualising narrow and self-serving purposes.
Let it be stated that in rejecting Ibrahim Magu’s nomination, the legislative body acted within the ambits of the law and principles of democracy that permit it to act as a check on the executive.

The description of Magu by SERAP as “a human rights defender within the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of individuals, Groups and organs of society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom of 1998 (UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders)”, is nothing but a figment of the imagination of SERAP concocted to impose an anti-corruption chairman whose deliberate, vindictive and gross abuse of the rights of citizens under the guise of fighting corruption is not only well-documented but also legendary.

For example, a well known critic of the present day government, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister of aviation, was illegally detained for a total of 91 days, 67 days in the first instance and then 24 days in the second. The arrests and detentions were done by Magu’s EFCC with questionable warrants where there was any at all, and outright disregard to the constitution where there was none at all, making such arrests arbitrary, tortuous and designed to inflict trauma and wear down the victims to the extent of getting them hospitalized in the process.

To lend credence to the above, Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on November 14, 2016, upbraided the EFCC in open court for arresting Fani-Kayode in the court premises without a warrant and for detaining him illegally for 24 days without detention order from any court despite the court’s earlier advice to the EFCC not to re-arrest the former minister since he was already on a court bail granted as far back as July 4.

Eventually, the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, had to apologise to the court on behalf of the anti-corruption agency.

Also, Mr Ibrahim Magu’s gross abuse of citizens’ rights as EFCC chairman extends to innocent spouses and infants of suspects.

On Monday, October 17, 2016, Femi Fani-Kayode’s wife, Precious Chikwendu Fani-Kayode was stopped from withdrawing from an account operated by her, and was subsequently detained by the bank on the orders of EFCC despite carrying her infant with her while awaiting to be taken away by the commission until Peter Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti State, came to their rescue hours later.

These are just very few instances among the many issues of gross violations of rights of citizens by the anti-corruption agency under the guise of fighting corruption.

Apart from this, Mr Magu has mastered the art of deploying compromised media outfits to declare Nigerians under its radar guilty long even before such persons are arrested. This is usually done to create a leeway, harass, intimidate, detain and torture their victims without much resistance from CSO’s the media and members of the public. Such detained citizens become helpless as lies after lies are churned out against them in the media while they remain incarcerated and unable to refute the campaign of falsehood against them. By the time they face prosecution, their images and reputations are mortally battered and nearly irredeemable even if the courts eventually find them innocent.

It is nauseating and an insult to the sensibilities of human rights watchers all over the world, how SERAP has condescended so low to defend the indefensible and make excuses for the inexcusable! How could SERAP “believe that the action taken by the Senate of Nigeria and other agencies of government apparently working with them undermines and violates Nigeria’s international obligation to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the human rights of the citizens, which eventually creates a duty for the government to establish efficient and independent anti-corruption mechanisms” when Mr Magu himself is known to be a gross abuser of people’s rights?

It is unfair of SERAP to accuse the Senate of not offering Magu an opportunity to fair hearing. Even if this is so, SERAP should have availed itself the opportunity of seeking redress in the court rather than run to the UN for a matter that can be handled by our courts.

Rather than attempt to vilify the Senate on this score, they should be commended for saving Nigeria and Nigerians from a man of vindictive tendencies who has no respect for our laws and who acts according to his own whims and caprices just to settle political scores with perceived enemies of government and members of the opposition thereby giving the day’s government continued avoidable bad publicity.

Let SERAP be asked if they are aware that despite petitions with overwhelming copious and cogent evidence against some members of the current administration and ruling party, none of such indicted persons have been invited for questioning by Magu’s EFCC not to talk of prosecuting them.

Example of such people who have petitions against them lodged with Mr Magu’s EFCC but which Magu has consistently ignored, neglected and or failed to act upon include Mr Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation among others, while the likes of Timipre Sylva and the late Abubakar Audu were cleared to contest elections as governors in their respective states.

It is laughable that while SERAP makes desperate attempts to clear Magu of any association with a corrupt person, it claimed the property Magu is currently occupying was not paid for by one retired Commodore Umar Mohammed who himself is being investigated for corruption by a sister security agency but by the Federal Capital Development Administration (FCDA). This is not only shameful but also disgraceful!

Mohammed was said to have paid N40m for the property and lavishly furnished it with another N43m.

Even if we decide to agree with SERAP that the property was paid for by the FCDA and not Mohammed, the question is, when did it become the function of the FCDA to pay for and furnish properties for public officials? That is corruption in itself as it puts Magu in a position of conflicting interest. For Magu to have accepted such ‘gift’ from a government agency or any person or institution at all shows that the man is not fit to head our anti-corruption agency or any other office of responsibility.

Accusing the Senate of being political with the confirmation of Magu despite the preponderant abundance of acts unbecoming of a public official is to unfairly put the Senate in bad light. The Senate has not asked for the EFCC to be scrapped, they have merely asked that another citizen with high moral standards and respect for our laws and rights of citizens without compromising his/her function be appointed. This, to the right thinking Nigerian, is indeed what needs to be done.

So rather than condemn the Senate, they should be commended for a job well done and for saving Nigeria and Nigerians from the continued embarrassing slips and persecutions of citizens and affront to our constitution.

This same Senate also about the same time with Ibrahim Magus’s confirmation, recommended that one of the most powerful forces in the Buhari administration, Mr Babachir Lawal, Secretary to the government of the federation, be sacked and prosecuted for allegedly diverting huge sums of money meant for internally displaced persons (IDP’s) who are being ravaged by hunger, disease and squalor. One wonders why SERAP has taken up the defence of Magu while ignoring the issue of funds meant for IDP’s but allegedly diverted by Lawal. The question is, whose interest is SERAP serving?

That SERAP would travel this infamous road to ignominy is a confirmation of what Nigerians have since known: the dearth and death of CSO’s in Nigeria since May 29, 2015!

#HNNMemorial Trent Newspaper Editor Aziza Uko pens TRIBUTE to late Wole Sodipe.

Wole Sodipe #RIP

Gone Too Soon: A Tribute To The Oracle, Wole Sodipe

by Aziza Uko

It is difficult to match the state of being dead with a towering personality like, Wole Sodipe, one of the founding vice presidents of Platinum Bank, the man we affectionately call The Oracle.

At about 3.05am on November 25, I was working in my study when I received an email from Emmanuel Amatokwu on the news of Wole’s demise after battling an illness, which was later, revealed to be cancer. This detail made the painful news harder to bear. Last year, I lost a dear brother to cancer, after a courageous 7-year battle with the ailment.

I still remember the first day I saw Wole in 2001. He was alighting from his car, arriving for work. He walked with a limp. He was slim and of average height. Nothing about his physical appearance provided a hint of the kind of reaction that would follow his arrival into Platinum Bank’s headquarters.

As he made the long walk to his office, the reaction that trailed him was indicative of a man of authority; a man who commanded respect from his subordinates, peers, and even superiors. That unmistaken aura of power never waned in the 10 years that I worked in the bank with him.

Here was a man of superlatively high standards, complete commitment, and boundless energy for whatever task he undertook. He was the sort of guy who hardly ever called in sick. He never dodged a responsibility, never refused to take on a hard job that needed to be done. What he believed in, he believed with his heart and soul. He was the kind of professional you could take with you to a corporate knife-fight and to a crucial meeting with senior foreign diplomats and he would excel at both.

Mr. Sodipe derived his authority from his wealth of knowledge. He was a man of many parts. He knew something about everything, a quality that often got people vexed. “He thinks he knows everything,” his critics scoffed at his back. That was Wole. He knew a whole lot, and it was my privilege to know him through the ten years that we worked together, and to tap from his enormous reservoir of knowledge.

He was culturally exposed. It was he who first gave me a tutorial on fine wine. We were planning a company Christmas party and he thought that wine would be a good addition to the menu. I am a zero or hero person when it comes to alcohol. I hardly ever drink. So, I don’t know much about wine. He later asked me what kind of wine I ordered, I told him I just chose some from the vendor’s list. He insisted that I needed to know what kind of wine we had ordered in detail, down to the brand names, the colour, and even the age.

That was Wole: a man who paid attention to every detail. Even those you thought would fly in his face, he caught them all. It’s no surprise that he was an award winning chartered accountant. Indeed, the banking industry in Africa has lost one of the best it had.

One endearing quality Wole had, which was often hidden, was that he invested in people. He had a deep humanity in him. He loved people and he loved the arts. He was a mentor and a financier to a good number of actors and filmmakers in Nollywood. He was also a sportsman; a football enthusiast. I recall the passion with which he championed establishing a football team for our bank and taking us through the Bankers’ Cup Championship. He would attend every practice and threaten to sack anybody who didn’t play well. He never meant to follow through; it was just for the love of the game. He also made huge donations to the football team and paid them match bonuses.

Wole remembered people in detail, even if he met them once. He was the kind of boss that organized to support his people when they were bereaved or celebrating a milestone, or taking on a new task in life. Two of my Bluechip classmates – who joined the bank as entry-level staff in 2001 - testify that he gifted them money when they were leaving the bank for graduate studies in the United Kingdom, and they weren’t even working directly with him at the time.

There are some people who thought he was a mean person. When confronted with instances when Wole displayed uncommon kindness, some dismissively said, “He was just trying to be nice”. Without invalidating their feelings, I think they got him wrong. I think Wole was a man molded with a nice and soft charisma, who tried to put on a tough exterior. He had a great deal of empathy that he hardly ever showed, at least, not publicly.

What many people term as “difficult” in the Nigerian work space, indeed every workspace, is often just a drive to make sure that things are done right. Was Wole a tough boss? Arguably, yes. But his tough exterior was mostly always in the pursuit of results. The other times, he just wanted to be respected. He wanted, much like most of us, to be seen, to be heard, the acknowledgement that he was valuable and his point of view was valid.

Wole Sodipe’s tragic passing is another reminder that tomorrow is not promised and we should urgently be about the business of making a positive difference in the lives of the people we meet.

It is undeniable that Wole made a difference in Platinum Bank, which later became Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank). There are some of my colleagues who would swear with their lives that if Wole was in charge of our internal audit division and had liaised with the Central Bank when the pre-determined and ill-intentioned inspection was carried out on our bank in 2009, that the institution would have been saved. They believe, and to some extent, I agree, that Wole wouldn’t have exposed our bank to external attacks, not by concealment, but because he would have defended every management decision satisfactorily.

But, since life is not a tape recorder so it can’t be paused, rewound, and an alternative recording made, we can only speculate. Yet, one thing I can say for sure is that Wole would not have put up the non-committal it-wasn’t-me self-absolving presentations that the internal audit and financial control leads made when those crucial regulatory inspections were carried out on our bank.

The point is, undeniably, Wole was fiercely loyal to what he believed in. When he was on board with you, you could count on him to fight for you and with you. To the support staff of our bank, Wole is a hero because he fought for better working conditions and looked out for their interest like no leader before him.

He couldn’t be pigeon-holed by anything or anybody. He always reached for better; sometimes he won, other times, he lost. But, he never stopped trying; fighting for what he believed in. Wole held positions of trust and died in the full tide of a career, which gave great promise of future achievements.

To all of us in the industry, he was and always will be an ideal. The example he set, moving on to entrepreneurship in banking, will long continue to influence and inspire us. The place that has been left empty by Wole’s exit will always be empty.

Wole had cheated death before. He was shot in a highway robbery attack. It left him with a scarred leg, the reason for his distinguishing gait. He spoke often of that experience and how grateful he was to God for saving him.

On December 14, 2016, Oloye Wole Sodipe began his final journey from the United States where he passed away at the age of 52. On December 16, 3 weeks after he passed, he was laid to rest in his hometown of Sagamu in southwestern Nigeria.

It wasn’t surprising that his death would inspire an unprecedented reunion of the PHB family led by our beloved managing director and chief executive, Francis Atuche. Wole was someone who brought people together and if anybody could do it, it was The Oracle. But, it is sad that it had to be this way.

When all the struggles of human existence are over, and we arrive at the end of our journey on earth, the most important thing will be the satisfaction that we were the best human being that we could be. That we truly loved other people and that we are surrounded by our family, people who love us unconditionally. Wole found that comfort in his wife, Chika, also a former colleague, and his children.

Cancer is one of the most devilish diseases on earth. It embodies completely the mission statement of the enemy of mankind – it kills, but before it does, it steals and destroys. It’s the worst nightmare that can hit a person, a family; to watch a loved one suffer the unimaginable pain that comes with cancer and to finally lose them. The heartache goes on for years, and it stays fresh for a long time.

I have a sense of what Chika is passing through right now and my prayers and those of all of us in the PHB family are with her and the children. All of us have suffered a heavy loss in Wole Sodipe’s death. It is difficult to adequately express our grief and there is little we can say that will comfort her at this hour of sorrow.

May his soul rest in everlasting peace and may the Almighty God grant solace to his grief-stricken wife, their children, aged-mother, and the entire Sodipe family.

God’s grace is sufficient. It always has been... and will always be.

NB - If you knew Wole Sodipe, you may visit his memorial website, and leave a condolence or tribute.

About the Author

Aziza Uko is a Nigerian publisher who is the Executive Editor of The Trent. She is also Chief Executive of Ziza Group, a company she founded in 2009. She is an award-winning graduate of marketing and a marketing communications professional with over 17 years post graduation

#HNNImpact Why I called Kiki Osinbajo a HYPOCRITE!

#HNNImpact Shame on hypocrisy of #Yorubas and Southern Nigerians in general. This is my school mate Dolapo's daughter. Known Kiki since birth. Why isn't she in #Maiduguri more to empower women and children like Zahra does with her mom in IDP camps? Instead we saw Kiki Oshinbajo's painted hands and legs like a Fulani bride to celebrate #Zahmed2016 at Zahra and Ahmed Indimi's wedding. So many press men and women seen glammed up at the #Borno state mansion of the Indimis today all flown by private jet by a billionaire. Other than that wedding, nobody dares visit the M! #RIP to all those killed by #BokoHaram in the worst part of the country. @ludovica_Iaccino read this post. Thx! #hnnlove #hnngov

A photo posted by KEMI 👑OLUNLOYO 💻 (@hnnafrica) on Dec 17, 2016 at 1:09pm PST

#HNNCrime How Seun Egbegbe alleged #Nollywood Phone thief FLED the country!

#HNNCrime 🚔🚔 I will be ripping Nigerian Police @hnnafrica on Twitter shortly. I'm going hard! Seun Egbegbe has allegedly FLED #Nigeria courtesy of the NPF and weak justice system. The mainstream media is clueless waiting for his fake PR to return calls. He has a court date for the stolen iPhones February 18th 2017. He will NEVER RETURN. The NPF promised this to media as an open investigation. Why was his passport not seized? Why was someone on bail for N8M theft allowed to travel outside the country? Even looting politicians are not allowed to travel. In America, a modern country Egbegbe will not be allowed to travel OUTSIDE THE STATE and possibly on house arrest. I'm about to shut down the police Twitter handle and land every newspaper in #Nigeria. My voice counts. Each tweet will be tagged to MALAYSIAN POLICE, IMMIGRATION, CUSTOMS and EMBASSY in Nigeria who already don't like #Nigerians due to our heavy drug trafficking and crimes in their country. One less Nigerian needed over there and certainly not an alleged iPhone thief. It is my job as a journalist and snitch to have Egbegbe DEPORTED back here and face justice for Keelcech gadget store in Computer Village. I'm a firm believer of good policing and Justice. If I don't get an answer from NPF, I will assume that he's PAID THEM OFF. No media outlet even noticed that he's deactivated his social handles and reactivates IG at night #OleOloshi 🎱⚡️Regular phone thieves get burned with petrol and dead by now #HNNInvestigates will be on the trail of this case. #MadamHNN #kemiolunloyo #seunegbegbe

A photo posted by KEMI 👑OLUNLOYO 💻 (@hnnafrica) on Dec 17, 2016 at 2:30pm PST

#HNNKemi Meet my MOM the former First Lady of #OyoState

#HNNWomen Meet Former First Lady of the O!🇳🇬 aka #GangstaGrandma Mrs Funlayo Olunloyo 10 mins ago as she fled to church in this purplelicious ensemble. My mom says she wants u to SEE the number plate of her government car that she jacked from Akala's administration. These First Ladies don't play. She's the shortest First Lady in #OyoState history followed by Muti Ladoja. 3 months of glory before King B killed democracy when he was a dictator! 😞All former governors and wives get jeep like cars after office. She says she will be upgrading soon to those big black ones like my dad has from Ajimobi. Lolz. Meanwhile she wishes u a merry #christmas and a happy new year. My mom is stylish and turned 76yo last month #hnngov #hnnstyle #hnnbeauty #hnnkemi #kemiolunloyo  BLOGGERS MAY SHARE THIS PHOTO BUT PLS CREDIT TO @hnnafrica. I don't often share my family pics online due to their own privacy. Treasure it please. 10:13am #Ibadan #Nigeria

A photo posted by KEMI 👑OLUNLOYO 💻 (@hnnafrica) on Dec 18, 2016 at 1:14am PST

#HNNFan Thank you #Nigeria for calling me on FAN DAY!

#HNNFan is #LIVE. 08131944599. U get to talk me me the ALMIGHTY QUEEN OF ALL MEDIA IN #NIGERIA. No celebrity maintains a direct line of communication with you. They are FAKE! They dont even reply comments. I know u are excited and prolly recording my voice. Go ahead but dont EVER call this number outside fan day hours. It is my newsroom and marketing line on weekdays.  OK I want to hear from my fans AND ADMIRERS including what u sending me this #Christmas. No marriage proposals or sex requests #JusSayin TWO MINUTES PER CALL 60 MINS AND 30 LUCKY FANS.

A video posted by KEMI 👑OLUNLOYO 💻 (@hnnafrica) on Dec 18, 2016 at 1:58am PST

#HNNMusic @KanyeWest was NOT happy with the #Trump meeting!

(Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

From what I am now learning, Kanye West's visit to Trump to discuss the issues in urban Chicago was not impressive to him. Kanye was expecting a long meeting with Trump but instead was shown the door in just 15 minutes.  

Sources said his crew filmed the entire meeting and they mentioned the fact that Kanye was not happy at the abrupt ending of the meeting. The looks of Trump and Ivana in this picture tell a different story. Kanye however looked calm and sober. Either way he got to talk to the President-Elect on a serious issue.

#HNNOpinion: Is #Nigeria really ONE NATION asks @RealFFK (Femi Fani-Kayode)

He's married to an Igbo woman now, a beautiful only son with both Yoruba and Igbo blood. Along with the heavy tribalism in our country, Femi Fani-Kayode asks if we are really one nation in his latest essay.

IS NIGERIA REALLY ONE NATION?

I love this country with every fiber of my being.

For three generations before me my forefathers, including my great grandfather, my grandfather and my father, have made solid and notable contributions to the development of this country in both the private and public sectors.

My great grandfather, Rev. Emmanuel Adebiyi Kayode, studied theology at the great Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leonne and Durham University in the United Kingdom after which he returned to Nigeria.

He was ordained as an Anglican priest, was the first Nigerian to take Christianity to our hometown Ile-Ife and was the first to build and pastor the first Anglican Church in that ancient town.

Throughout his life and ministry he fought for the rights of the poor and oppressed in Ile-Ife, including the people of Modakeke who, at that time, were treated as slaves and serfs. He did the same in Ondo province and Ijebu where he was later posted by the Church.

My grandfather, Chief Victor Adedapo Kayode, studied law at Cambridge University and was called to the English bar after which he returned to Nigeria.

He played a key role in the development of education in the country, was deeply involved in the fight against the excesses of our British colonial masters, fought for the rights of the so-called "African natives" and "indigenous population" in the old Lagos Colony and was the third Nigerian to be appointed to the Judiciary after a brilliant and rewarding career as a criminal lawyer.



My father, Chief Remi Fani-Kayode Q.C. SAN, CON was born in the United Kingdom, studied law at Cambridge University and was called to the English bar after which he returned to Nigeria.

Like his father, he also excelled as a lawyer and he set up the first and most successful indigenous Nigerian law firm of that time with Chief Rotimi Williams Q.C. SAN, CON and Chief Bode Thomas.

He went into politics, was deeply involved in the struggle for our independence from colonial rule and he successfully moved the motion for Nigeria's independence in Parliament and went on to become a Minister and Deputy Premier of the old Western region of Nigeria.

I have fought military rule, been involved in the struggle for democracy and I have participated heavily in partisan politics, political commentary and political discourse in our country for the last 26 years.

I have had the rare honor and distinct privilege of serving her at the highest level of governance first as a presidential spokesman and then as a Federal Minister in two separate Ministries as far back as 10 years ago.

I have suffered persecution, self-imposed exile, illegal and unlawful incarceration and the most vicious forms of insults and misrepresentation for Nigeria over the years and I have also invested my time, resources and energy heavily into the political terrain and development in our country.

Yet despite all these wonderful opportunities, the monumental sacrifices that my illustrious forefathers and I have made and our love for and commitment to Nigeria it is time to ask some hard questions. Those questions are as follows.

Is Nigeria really one nation or is she many nations forced to remain within an artificial, unworkable and unsustainable entity?

Are our people really "bound in freedom, peace and unity" as our national anthem proudly proclaims or is that just a deceitful mirage and never-ending illusion?

Is our marriage and amalgamation borne out of consensus and a genuine desire to remain together or borne out of compulsion?

Can a nation prosper, excel or achieve its full potentials when its people are perpetually squabbling and struggling over the distribution of its meagre resources and when they have two distinct and irreconcilable world views?

Can it thrive when one group wishes to live and compete in the new, enlightened and modern free world whilst the other wishes to go back to the bondage of the dark ages?

It appears that more people are asking these questions today than ever before. Is it not time for us to answer them?

Must we wait for an ethnic or religious conflagration to occur or another civil war to take place before we accept the fact that there is something very wrong somewhere and that we may well be a nation of ethnic incompatibles?

Why is it a crime for anyone to take as much pride in their ethnic nationality and cultural heritage as they do in being a Nigerian?

Why is it wrong for anyone to say that 'I am as proud of being an Igbo or a Yoruba or an Ijaw or a Fulani or any other ethnic nationality as I am of being a Nigerian?'

What is the ethos, essence, utility, sustainability and legitimacy of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious plural super-state in which the various ethnic nationalities are expected to subsume their primary identities, de-emphasise the very source and root of their being and literally sacrifice their ancient bloodlines, noble history and rich heritage on the alter of a hybrid and artificial man-made entity called Nigeria?

Is it really wrong for any of the numerous ethnic nationalities that make up our country to insist on their freedom and demand to be allowed to develop separately and at their own pace?

This is especially so where and when they feel as if they have been turned into slaves and second class citizens by others in their own country?

Is Nigeria a nation or is she a mere geographical expression? Is it true to say that there is as much of a difference between a Fulani and an Igbo as there is between a Turk and a German?

Is Nigeria anything more than a British fraud set up to serve the economic interests of our former colonial masters? Given the circumstances is it unreasonable of us to ask for our very own Brexit?

Some of these fundamental questions were first raised by the first Premier of the old Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo SAN, in 1947 in his book titled 'Paths To Nigerian Freedom' but sadly few listened.

Consequently twenty years later Awolowo's greatest fears and concerns were confirmed and our three year civil war in which over three million people perished, including women and children, took place.

This was the only war in world history in which the premeditated starvation of young children and babies, in what was essentially mass murder and genocide, was described as a "legitimate weapon of war" by those who perpetrated such horrendous crimes against humanity.

Since the end of the civil war neither Nigeria nor any of its ageing leaders, many of whom were military veterans and commanders in that civil war, has expressed any regrets, shown any remorse or brought anyone to justice for what was undoubtedly the greatest mass murder of infants and butchery of the innocents in African history.

Yet nothing seems to have changed except for the fact that the ethnic identity and religious persuasion of the latest set of victims have become far more widespread and varied.

In today's Nigeria, unlike in 1966 and unlike during the civil war, it is not just the proud Igbos and ever-defiant Biafrans that are being slaughtered like flies on a regular basis but also the northern Christians, the Shiite Muslims, the people of the Middle Belt and the Niger Delta and the ever-compromising Yoruba.

Consequently the same questions are being asked today about the continued feasibility of our national unity and cohesion but this time with far more urgency and anger and by far many more people.

Yet those that believe that they own Nigeria still refuse to listen and view those that ask such questions with suspicion, derision, contempt and even rage.

They label them as being unpatriotic and ignorant and they threaten and attempt to intimidate and bully them into silence simply because they do not share their views.

In Nigeria it is indeed a dangerous thing to be a freedom-yearning and independence-craving dissident or non-conformist and, like in the old Soviet Union before its eventual disintegration, you could end up paying for such views with your liberty or your life.

Yet one wonders how much longer this can go on before the oppressed and the voiceless get fed up with merely asking questions and instead choose to actually insist on their rights, take their destiny into their own hands, rise up to the occasion and fight for their liberty?

The quest for self-determination, freedom and liberation is a noble and legitimate cause which has never been successfully resisted or defeated anywhere in the history of the world.

Every well-educated and widely-read individual can attest to the veracity of that undeniable and incontrivertable fact.

The truth is that you cannot compel people to remain together in one nation by the force of arms forever.

It may work for some time but it cannot last in perpetuity because sooner or later the chickens will come home to roost.

The best you can do is to reach out to the disillusioned and marginalized in love and give them a reason to want to stay.

Yet few in our nation can appreciate the wisdom in adopting such a course or treading such a path. The only language that is clearly understood here is the logic of compulsion and the language of force.

Consequently Nigeria is unravelling at the very seams. I can literally smell blood on the mountain and I perceive and sense the secret massing of the bloodthirsty demon Magog, the god of war.

The quest for the peaceful division of our nation is stronger today than ever before and as each day passes it gets stronger and stronger.

It is far more compelling and stronger than it was before our civil war broke out in 1967 simply because far many more people are angry and fed up with what they are being subjected to by the powers that be and our forced union.

Millions from all over the country are quietly murmuring but soon that murmur will become a massive roar and an irresistible and irrepressible demand. It will soon become a tidal wave.

And when it gets to that point no matter how many people you lock up and kill it will not stop and neither will they be intimidated, silenced or deterred.

In fact the more people you murder, subject to bloody pogroms, persecute, marginalize, jail and destroy, all in the name of keeping Nigeria one, the louder, the greater and the more deafening the roar, the agitation and the struggle will get.

And at that point only God will be able to hold Nigeria together and He will only do so if it is His perfect will.

May God grant us the wisdom, presence of mind and courage not to dismiss these vital and fundamental questions with the usual arrogance and contempt but rather to do some real soul-searching, indulge in a little introspection and humbly answer them as best as we can.

#HNNLove Zahra Buhari is now MRS INDIMI!! (Reception Pictures) #InnovateAfrica

The much anticipated wedding of the President's most famous daughter Zahra Buhari is now history. Lots of pre-activities, drama, cancellations and more. #Zahmed2016 they hashtagged it. Congrats to the couple. Ahmed Indimi the groom is the son of an oil billionaire. Every dignitary and who is who in APC the ruling party was there. Otedola, Dangote, Atiku, Tinubu etc.

#HNNGayVoices Top 3 Questions for @BisiAlimi this #WorldAidsDay #HNNImpact

It has been a very busy World Aids Day around the globe and I spoke to one of Nigeria's busiest Gay Rights Activist, the fabulous British based Bisi Alimi. He spoke to me about living positively with HIV after 12 years. Alimi recently got married to his husband Anthony last month in a ceremony that attracted several guests from around the globe. It was on the cover of Nigeria's Punch newspapers. I asked him THREE questions this #WorldAidsDay.

1. In a sentence what does it feel like living positively like this with HIV. Activism, Awards, Marriage etc.

If there is anything life has thought me since 12 years ago when I was diagnosed with HIV, it had been there is always a rainbow after every heavy rain. My life can only be summed up in terms of heavy rain and rainbow. I personally thought my life was over 12 years ago and I can't believe I will look back and see how being positive has positively transformed my life positively
2. Your message to people living with HIV in Nigeria?

 
HIV is just a virus, what kills is stigma, and this is the power over your life you handed over to people so they can control you, Shame you, dehumanise you. The only person that can take back that power is you. Live positively, take your pills, eat healthy, love healthy and live healthy and the rest is story. I know there are structural barriers to good self confidence for people living with HIV in Nigeria but things won't change until we challenge it 

3. Your message to Aso Rock on the anti-gay law hampering treatment of homosexuals with HIV who are in hiding?

The government needs to know its responsibility is to every Nigerian and not to a few. Public health issues should never be discussed in the framework of religion and morality. There should be increase involvement in HIV prevention and treatment, one that is devoid of hate, bigotry and religious fundamentalism that seeks to control and regulate.