Initiative for Advancement of Fundamental Rights in Nigeria

22/09/2016

This N.G.O in living up to expectations in advancing Nigerian democracy, good governance, human rights and culture, pursuing speedy and efficient enforcement and realization of human right has commenced robust litigatios against State Governments that refused to conduct elections in their various local governments but went forward to appoint transition chairman to mann local government administrations in their various states. Our case against Enugu State government in the case of THE REGISTERED TRUSTEES OF INITIATIVE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN NIGERIA Vs. GOVERNOR OF ENUGU ENUGU STATE & 25 OTHERS, suit NO. FHC/EN/CS/342016 was slated today for hearing, but because of some extenuating circumstances the court could not sit and the matter was adjourned off record to the 27th day of October 2016 for hearing. Keep in touch and partner with us as we collectively liberate our 774 local governments from Governors that wants it to remain comatosed. Our application before the court is simply brought under ARTICLE 13, 3(1), 19, 22, 29 (2) of the AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES RIGHTS ( RATIFICATION AND ENFORCEMENT) ACT AND UNDER ORDER 2 RULE 1 TO 5 OF THE FUNDAMETAL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURE RULES 2009 and under the inherent jurisdiction of this honourable court. ARTICLE 13 of the African on Human and Peoples Right (Ratification and Enforcement) provided thus;
"Every citizen shall have the right to participate freely in the government of his country, either directly or through freely chosen representatives in accordance with provisions of the law". Our position is that the appointment of local government chairmen is not in accordance with the law. Section 7 of th Constitution is impari materia with the African charter and ipsisima verba with Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of human rights.

13/07/2016

ARE THE DISTINGUISHED SENATORS CLOTHED WITH THE REQUISITE CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS TO ISSUE ARREST WARRANT ON THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION OR WITHDRAW HIS CONFIRMATION
The Speaker of the house of Representative on the 11th day of July 2016 threatened that the Senate could issue arrest warrant on the AGF or withdraw his confirmation.
A discerning mind could ask, does the supposition of the HON. SPEAKER which is going viral have the the constitutional anchorage? Section 174 (1) and 211 (1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provided thus:
The AGF shall have power to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against ANY PERSON, BEFORE ANY COURT OF LAW IN NIGERIA, EXCEPT COURT MARTIAL. in respect of any offence created by or under any Act of the National Assembly.
The Senate which is the bastion of our democracy had the opportunity to give Nigerians credible members of Federal Executive Council. But due to undue and unnecessary party leanings, the Senate populated more by APC members ( hereinafter called ) Political Zombies owes their allegiance to APC, PRESIDENCY AND TINUBU.During confirmation exercise, they told the majority of of the ministers designates to take a bow and leave.
Nigerians expected more from the distinguished Senators, Nigerians expected that the Senate will put National interest first an put parochial interest aside by grilling the ministers designates. Now cobfirmation has come and gone, the power to clip the wings of the AGF presently resides with the President his appointor and not the Senate.
It is settled law that the A.G is the chief law officer of the State and in whom is vested the constitutional responsibilities for bringing and defending actions on behalf of the State. Accordingly, no other functionary or institution of the State can exercise such powers. In the discharge of the constitutional responsibilities , the A.G is not subject to any control.see EZOMO Vs. A.G BENDEL (1986) 4 NWLR ( PT 36) 448.
From the above authorities, it is discernible that the A.G.F cannot be defined or confined to nor subservient to the phantasmagoria of political Lilliputians bestroding the National Assembly as Distinguished Senators. In the case of the STATE Vs. ILORI (1983) 1SCNLR 94. The Court held:
In exercising his powers under this section, the AG of a state shall have regard to public interest, the interest of justce and the need to prevent the abuse of legal proccess." Kayode Eso JSC observed;
The pre-eminent and incontestable position of the A.G under the common law, as the chief law officer of the state... has long been recognised by the court. In regard to this powers, and subject only to the control by public opinion and that of parliament or the legislature. The A.G has at common law , been a master unto himself, law unto himself and under no control whatsoever, judicial or otherwise vis a vis powers of instituting or discontinuing criminal proceedings.
A curious resercher may ask, what kind of control do the Senate have on the AGF? We make bold to state unequivocally that the control is persuasive in nature and does not have legal or constitutional backing. The control is to talk to him if he honours their invitation and not to hire and fire. The persuasive nature of this can be gleaned from the eaxact wordings of HON. DOGARA at page 44 of Daily Sun of July 11 2016. He said:
"What we should correct more in Nigeria is this culture of impunity. It is not a question of Law, it is just a matter of when an individual feels that to some extent, I can manoeuvre my way through the system, so I am not bound by the provision ofthe law. The rule of law is the foundation of democracy to the extent that it is not the government of men but the government of laws. Anyone who knows and believes in our laws will not have any difficulties honouring the invitation ofthe National Assembly, except the person is guilty.
The AGF is a demi god created and infused with the unscrutinized power of confirmation by the Senate. In the exercise of the powers confered on him by the constitution the AGF is unchallenged and unchallengeable until this present constitution is amended.
Aggrieved parties are left with recorse to the court of public opinion. While an aggrieved or disatisfied government can only remove from office an erring Attorney General- namely the PRESIDENT OR THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE in respect of AGS.
So the threat of the SENATE is a contention that does not hold water.

10/07/2016

BUHARI'S NORTHERNISATION AND ISLAMISATION OF NIGERIA IS TEARING THE FOUNDATION OF THE COUNTRY
This present administration has polarised Nigeria along ethnic and religious line and clevages as has never witnessed before in the a**l history of this British contraption called Nigeria. In other to give ethnic Nationalities that make up Nigeria sense of belonging, the extant constitution made ample provisions for Federal Character principle richly entrenched in the grundnorm. But Mr. integrity in his conquest mentality jettisoned it despite the trenchant provision of the Constitution which he swore to uphold and protect. The real danger to Nigerian Unity and oneness is the disregard to fairness and equity. When some people are made to look like outsiders in a common patrimony, they cannot but feel alienated. But when all the people concerned get their due, acrimony will certainly reduce.
Many people complain about the appointments at the Federal level, alleging that there is Northernisation and Islamization of Federal Government. This is true and the President appears not to give a damn. Few days ago, former Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase retired after attaining the mandatory 60 years. In his place Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) IBRAHIM IDRIS was appointed as acting Inspector General of Police. The new IGP hails from Niger State, in the North Central. On june 23 another northerner was appointed as MD of the National Inland Waterways Authority. Ibe Kachikwu was fired and replaced by another notherner as group Managing Director of NNPC.
Nigeria entire security.architecture has nosedived and took on a distinct and visible sectional shape. These include DEFENCE MINISTER, MANSUR DAN ALI, the DIRECTOR OF STATE SECURITY, MAMMAN DAURA,; CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF, GENERAL TUKUR BURATAI; CHIEF OF AIR STAFF, ABUBAKAR SADIQUE; I.G OF POLICE, IBRAHIM IDRIS; NATIONAL SECURTY ADVISER BABAGANA MOGUNO; COMPTROLER GENERAL OF IMIGRATION, MUHAMMED BABANDEDE; COMPTROLER GENERAL OF NSCDC, ABDULAHI GANA MUHAMMADU; COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF CUSTOM, COLONEL HAMEED IBRAHIM ALI (ret); COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE NIGERIAN PRISON SERVICES , AHMED JAAFARU; CHAIRMAN OF EFCC, IBRAHIM MAGU and MINISTER OF INTETIOR, GENERAL ABDULRAHMAN BELLO DAMBAZAU (ret).
Save for the Chief of Defence Staff (a Yoruba) and the Chief of Naval Staff (from Cross River), Nigerias entire defence structure is with its high command and control system is controlled by one section of the country. I am willing to hazard that no previous Nigerian head of State, military or elected, ever had a record as clannish as the current President's. As far as appointment go, he has utterly failed to demonstrate any broadest of spirit.
Moreover, the President, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representative and his deputy, Secretary to the Government of the Federation are all from the north. While the Vice President is from the South West, and the Director of NIMASA (DAKUKU PETERSIDE) from the South South. You may be wondering the place of the South East and why South West and South South got few appointments each. your guess is as good as mine.
In such lopsided and skewed setting as demonstrated above, many people are not happy, believing that the principle of federal character has been disregarded. Such people must complain and justifiably so, as they feel that they are not part of the system and country. The onus is on President Buhari to reassure them, by his actions.

12/11/2015

The President said during the swearing in ceremony of the new ministers : since we assume office in May, I have been mindful of the need to ensure that the appointment of new ministers translates into putting round pegs in round holes, while showing sensitivity to our diversity as a people and our various positions as group stakeholders in our country. I have also been conscious of the need not repeat such mistakes of the past, where the right people were allocated the wrong potfolios, which translate into their poor performances to our collective detriment despite their obvious capabilities. Taking a close look at the potfolios assigned to the ministers; Is the president correct when he said that he puts the round pegs in round hole in the respective potfolios assigned. for instance. Babatunde fashiola- A Senior Advocate of Nigeria was assigned the minister of power, works and Housing. No doubt fashola is an S.A.N with a sound mind, but he is not a Prof. of Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, neither is he a building engineer, material and metallurgical nor is he an architect. Rotini Amechi is a lawyer, he will perform based on his notoriety as a noise maker, according Mr. President. Chris Ngige a seasoned Medical Doctor assigned to labour and Employment. The list goes on. The question is this, has the president not repeated the mistakes of the past? Has he puts the round pegs in round holes correctlly as he claimed?

02/11/2015

To equip our local human right trained defenders and educators to build more inclusive communuities and to contribute to social and economic development goals through democratic participation. And thereby taking actios to achieve change that will enhance the protection of human rights.

02/11/2015

THE VISION OF THIS PAGE:
To engage in purpose driven National Ideology in all nooks and crannies of the country thereby infusing and inculcating in the citizens the ideological framework of the Fundamental Rights provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

30/10/2015

visit our website today @ www.freedomtowers.org.ng

The Chairman of the occassion Dr. Godstime Okafor and Barr. Harold eyes the sympolic embelishment of a symbolic Institution (N.B.A)