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*Intersociety Writes Jonathan, Others On How To Avert Chaos & Bloodletting In Nigeria 2015 Polls
By Intersociety
Ref.: Intersociety/SE/NG/01/014/FGN/ABJ/FRN
1. His Excellency
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria & Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
The State House, Three Arms Zone
FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
2. Senator David Mark
President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Senate Chambers, National Assembly Complex
Three Arms Zones, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
3. Honourable Aminu Tambuwal
Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria
House of Reps Chambers, National Assembly Complex
Three Arms Zone, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
4. Professor Attahiru Jega
Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
INEC Headquarters, Plot 436 Zambezi Crescent
Maitama District, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria
Rotational Presidency Among Six Geopolitical Zones & Withdrawal Of The President's Second Term Ambition A Must To Avert Chaos & Bloodletting Imminent In 2015 General Polls
(Public Information, Onitsha Nigeria, 13th of January, 2014) -Above subject matter refers.
About Intersociety:
International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law-Intersociety is an Onitsha based international nonprofit organization incorporated in 2008, which seeks to promote democracy and good governance, security and safety in Nigeria and beyond her boundaries. We also support all human rights recognized by, and enshrined in the United Nation's Declaration on Human Rights of December 10, 1948, with the exception of same sex rights of whatever names called. Our advocacy activities and further information can be accessed on our website: intersociety-ng.org.
Issues Warranting Our Letter:
Borrowing from the Ondo and Anambra Governorship Polls of October 20, 2012 and November 16, 2013, respectively, as in INEC's conduct of election 120 days before the end of the tenure of a serving governor; and specifically according to Section 132 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended in 2011, the election into the office of the President of Nigeria may most likely hold by January 2015.
On the same premise, elections into the 360 members of the House of Reps and 109 senatorial seats may most likely take place by the same month. This is in accordance with Section 76 (2) of the Constitution as amended. Elections into about 1,152 State legislative seats of the 36 States may most likely take place by the same month in accordance with Section 116 (2) of the Constitution as amended. And elections into the 31 States' governorship seats may most likely hold by the same January 2015. This is in accordance with Section 178 (2) of the Constitution as amended. The Independent National Electoral Commission is expected to announce the timetable for the elections most likely by October 2014(usually not later than 90 days before the poll's date).
There are a total of 1,695 top elective offices at Nigeria's Federal and States' tiers of government, out of which, polls may most likely be conducted in 1, 685 seats by January 2015. The remaining ten governorship and deputy governorship seats are presently under staggered electoral calendar owing to Peter Obi v INEC Case of 2007 delivered by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. While INEC is constitutionally empowered to organize elections into 1, 695 top elective seats of the Federal and States' governments, the States' Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) are charged with the constitutional responsibility of conducting elections into 11, 788 Local Government chairmanships and councillorships in the country's 774 LGAs under staggered circumstances.
It is a truism that one out of the 1, 685 elective polls to be conducted by INEC by January 2015 will make or mar Nigeria. This singular election is "an election too many" and it is no other than "the presidential election of 2015". It is our indisputable findings that the Presidency, the National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission hold the key to the success or failure of the all-important 2015 general elections in Nigeria. The three important political establishments also face three major challenges threatening not only the polls, but also the lives and liberties of Nigerians as well as corporate existence of the country. The three major challenges are: security, unconstitutionality of rotational presidency among the six geopolitical zones and Mr. President's second term ambition. It is correct to say that solutions to these three major challenges will save the country from chaos and bloodletting of unimaginable proportion looming large over the polls.
Consequences Of Political Domination Across Borders:
In the world over, political dominance in heterogeneous and multi religious countries by particular tribes or sections against their minority or weaker partners have led to disintegration of hitherto united and vibrant countries and caused hundreds of thousands, if not millions of deaths and institutionalization of group crimes. From former Yugoslavia to Lebanon; from Rwanda to Burundi; from Ivory Coast to Central African Republic; the list continues. The Serbs/Christian dominance of political powers from the time of Marshal Josip Broz Tito, who died in office (1st prime minister of Yugoslavia from 1943 and president between 14th of January 1953 and 4th of May, 1980), led to the Yugoslavian complex and bloody civil wars between 1991 and 2001. The wars eventually broke up the country into seven countries of Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo, Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, on account of the Dayton Peace Accords of 1995.
In Lebanon, it was ethno-religious differences between Maronite Christians and Muslims (Sunni and Shia) and political dominance and foreign influences that led to her bloody civil war between 1975 and 1990. In Rwanda and Burundi, political and military dominance by the Tutsi tribe, which constitutes about 14% of the two countries' populations respectively against the majority Hutu tribe (85%) and acute minority tribe Twa (1%) led to several civil wars that engulfed the two countries since 60s with that of Rwanda degenerating into genocide that killed between 800,000 and 1,000,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus between April and July 1994, a period of three months. Presently in the Central African Republic, the country is polarized and divided along Christian and Muslim war zones since the ousting of Gen. Francois Bozize on 24th March, 2013 by an Islamic rebel alliance known as "Seleka".
In Nigeria, political dominance is incontestably factual. Though Section 14 (3) of the Constitution frowns at it, but the Section is made leprous by Section 6, sub 6 (c) of the same Constitution, which ousts the jurisdiction of any court to inquire and sanction its defaulters, likewise other provisions under Chapter Two-Fundamental Objectives & Directive Principles of State Policy. In 1999, the Southwest or Yoruba tribe got the Presidency through pen militancy and the South-south or Southern Nigeria's minorities, who presently occupy the throne since 2010 (successor presidency), got it through arms propelled by resource control militancy. As the 2015 general polls, especially the presidential poll, draw closer, we are now a witness to mass defection from one party to the other and fusion of political parties with strong tribal or ethno-religious influences.
These are all geared towards returning Nigeria back to "born to rule" inglorious epoch where the old Western and Muslim Northern regions were "born to rule" and other federating partners including Igbo tribe, northern and southern minorities were "born to be ruled". Since equity demands "what ought to be", to be and "what ought to be done", to be done, and judging from the premise of six geopolitical zones of Northwest, Northeast, North-central, Southeast, South-south and Southwest; the three zones of Southwest, Northwest and South-south are disqualified by equity from contesting the 2015 Presidential Poll in Nigeria, having held the plum post democratically in 1999 to 2007 (Southwest), 2007 to 2010 (Northwest) and 2010 to 2015 (South-south). In order of equitable hierarchy, Southeast, North-east and North-central are equitably favoured and qualified to contest the 2015 Presidency and two others following it and among the three, Southeast is the "primus inter pares", followed by the Northeast. Even during the military's inglorious epoch, it was Mohammadu Buhari (1983 to 1987) Katsina Northwest, Ibrahim Babangida (1987 to 1993) Niger North-central, Sani Abacha (1993 to 1998) Kano Northwest and Abdulsalami Abubakar (1998 to 1999) Niger North-central.
The best solution to social disharmony in a consociation democracy and ethno-religiously divided country like Nigeria is power rotation. The Republic of Tanzania made up of Unions of Tanganyika and Zanzibar formed in 1964 remains one of the stable countries in Africa. It has also not experienced any military coup since independence in 1961. It emerged from its post independence turbulence under its ruling party-Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) with some form of power balance within its ruling party, between Tanganyika, dominated by Christians and animists and Zanzibar dominated by Muslims. Its presidency has flowed from Julius Nyerere (Tanganyika) 1961 to 1985 (under limitless tenure), Ali Hassan Mwinyi (Zanzibar) 1985 to 1995, Benjamin Mkakpa(Tanganyika) 1995 to 2005 to Dr. Jakaya Kikwete (Tanganyika) 2005 to 2015. In its ongoing constitutional review, one of the leading agitations is the constitutional rotation of its presidency between Tanganyika and Zanzibar with insistence that next president will come from Zanzibar in its 2015 presidential poll. In Lebanon, with parliamentary system, the presidency and army chief are zoned to Maronite Christians, the prime minister is zoned to Sunni Muslims and the speaker of the parliament is zoned to Shia Muslims and this has restored internal political stability in the country, except other external political factors and influences such as "Palestine question" and the fate of the State of Israel on the so called Arab lands.
Summary Of What Must Be Done:
Without prejudice to a planned national conference of whatever name called, the National Assembly including the Senate and the House of Reps bodies working on constitutional amendment, should, as a matter of uttermost urgency and national importance, incorporate into the Constitution the rotation of the presidency among the six geopolitical zones under reference and state clearly on the premise of equity which zone should take the first shot bearing in mind that Southeast and Northeast have not governed Nigeria in recent times. Our prescribed order of hierarchy on the basis of a single tenure of six years is as follows: Southeast, six years (2015 to 2021), Northeast, six years (2021 to 2027), North-central six years (2027 to 2033), Southwest six years (2033 to 2039), Northwest six years (2039 to 2045) and South-south six years (2045 to 2051). If it is decided that it should start from the Northeast, or after the Southeast must have taken its turn, the arrangement must accommodate the Christians and minorities of Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe States. It is very important to point out that in the rotational arrangement being demanded, there will be a time for each beneficiary zone to "cry and smile". The said constitutional arrangement can only be altered through a national conference, especially if the federating partners wish to live apart peacefully.
The second important thing that must be done is that President Goodluck Jonathan should withdraw his second term ambition so as to allow the equitably favoured zone to take its turn and avert chaos and bloodletting imminent in the polls. This sacrifice for national unity and cohesion must be accompanied with collective acceptance by other federating partners of Northwest and Southwest extractions that six geopolitical zones' presidential rotation be incorporated into the Constitution on a single term of six years. The third important issue is the provision of adequate security to secure the liberties and lives of Nigerians before, during and after the polls. The security arrangement must also include demographic security on the part of INEC. This includes credible voters' cards' review, efficient continuous voters' registration and non politicization of INEC's substantive and adhoc staff recruitment and management.
Where It Concerns Mr. President:
Your Excellency, Mr. President should do the following:
1. Shelve Your Excellency's second term ambition for sake of national peace, unity and cohesion.
2. Ensure that Your Excellency quickly assent to the constitutional amendment bill under reference once it is brought to Your Excellency's attention and if indeed it warrants Your Excellency's assent.
3. Your Excellency's shelving of Your Excellency's second term ambition should be conditional and must be predicated on collective readiness of the federating partners of Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba extractions to allow for constitutionality of six geopolitical zonal rotating presidency with a start from Southeast, or at extreme consideration, the Northeast, with Christian, Muslim and Minorities' eligibility.
4. Your Excellency as the Commander-in-Chief should ensure adequate security and liberty for all Nigerians before, during and after the January 2015 general polls. To this extent, Your Excellency should reshuffle Your Excellency's Service Chiefs and restructure the command hierarchies of the Armed Forces including the Nigeria Police Force.
5. Your Excellency, as Chairman of the Nigeria Police Council, should look into secretive and lopsided promotions of senior officers in the Nigeria Police Force by the IGP, M.D. Abubakar and some say surrogate Nigeria Police Service Commission. The names of the beneficiaries of such promotions are kept secret because the exercise is utterly lopsided and appeared to have been designed to favour Hausa-Fulani Muslim senior officers. It is alleged that a number of course mates of the present IGP from the Southeast and South-south, are still at the rank of Deputy Commissioners of Police.
Where It Concerns The National Assembly Members & Their Leaders (Senate President & House Speaker):
1. An unambiguous provision should be inserted into the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as being amended, providing for a six year single term rotational presidency among the six geopolitical zones in the order below: Southeast, Northeast, North-central, Southwest, Northwest and South-south. It should be done with uttermost immediacy and national importance.
2. Adequate funds should be provided for INEC for effective and efficient conduct of the important polls under reference.
3. Excuses of any type geared towards blocking or delaying the constitutional amendment being demanded, which may be premised on "want of time" or "national conference outcome" are totally rejected and immaterial to the present circumstance. If about 31 sections and sub sections' amendments could be successfully carried out in the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 prior to the 2011 general polls within a short time frame, this popular demand of ours can as well be met in a question of few months before the polls.
Where It Concerns INEC Chairman & His Management:
1. Your Commission must discharge its duties in strict compliance with the provisions of the INEC Establishment Act of 2004, the Electoral Act of 2010 and the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 as amended in 2011.
2. To this extent, Your Commission should commence timely the continuous registration of voters and revalidation of voters' cards and relaxation of stiff conditions attached to voters' cards' transfer processes and allied issues.
3. Your Commission should ensure deployment of adequate voters' registration tools and personnel and designate clearly through adequate publicity registration centers across the country, which must be within the reach of registrable Nigerians. We advise that polling centers should be used.
4. Your Commission should avoid recruiting career politicians either as substantive electoral officers like RECs or adhoc electoral officers like EOs or ROs.
5. Your Commission should liaise with the NPF and the DSS with a view to constituting enforcement units to apprehend and prosecute those found flouting the criminal aspect of the Electoral Act of 2010 with specific reference to poll violence including killings, maiming, assaults, arson and other property destruction.
Finally, ominous signs are already showing the imminence of chaos and bloodletting in the January 2015 general polls. It is an established and incontestable opinion that Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder. With five to seven million illicit small arms said to exist and be borne by wrong hands in the country and scattered across the country, the Presidency, the National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission must act swiftly to save the country and her citizens from violence of unimaginable proportion threatening the conduct of the all important polls. All forms of parochial and ethno-religious interests must be nailed in a coffin and collectivist national interests made to hold sway. And the chief among the collectivist national interests is the constitutionality of rotational presidency among the six geopolitical zones.
The complex and complicated civil wars fought in the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001 should serve as a collective lesson to the political authorities under reference in Nigeria. In the wars, Serbs and Montenegrins fought on one side, Croats and Bosniaks in Bosnia fought on the other. Also wars erupted between Bosniaks and Croats in Bosnia, between Croats on one side and Serbs and Montenegrins in Croatia on the other, between Serbs and Slovenes in Slovenia, between Serbs and Albanians in Serbia, between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians in Kosovo and between Albanians and Macedonians in Macedonia. If the foregoing tragic scenario plays out in Nigeria, the so called "giant of Africa" and "the world's birth place for black people" will be a history. The Yugoslavian pogrom and "war of all against all" must not be allowed a space in Nigeria!
Yours Faithfully,
For: International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman of the Board
Phone: +234(0)8033601078, 8180103912
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Comrade Justus Uche Ijeoma, Head, Publicity Desk
Phone: +234(0)8037114869
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
1. Chairman, the Northern Governors' Forum
2. Chairman, Southeast Governors' Forum
3. The Southwest Governors' Forum
C/o the Governor of Lagos State
4. The South-south Governors' Forum
C/o the Governor of Cross River State
5. The National Chairman of the People's Democratic Party
6. The Interim National Chairman of All Progressives Congress
7. The National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance
8. The National Chairman of the Labour Party
Photo Above: Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Intersociety, 41, Miss Elems Street, Fegge, Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria.
*Tags: Nigerians, Intersociety, Council, Police, Service, Commission. Sack, Ringim, Africa, Masterweb
*Indonesian Swindled By Nigerian Scammers Writes President Jonathan
His Excellency
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
President & Commander-in-Chief
Federal Republic of Nigeria
The State House
Three-Arms- Zone
I implore the help of the Federal Nigeria His Excellency President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan because I felt cheated by the official Central Bank of Nigeria (Mrs. Grace Williams or commonly called by the name of DR . Mrs . Joy Peter with a cell phone number : 2348121911949 with email address : email@example.com).
Mrs . Joy Peter said to me that there are funds that have been expressed by my Noble President DR . Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is in my name for $ 10,700,000 usd in the Central Bank of Nigeria and I was asked by Mrs . Joy Peter to pay the cost of : 1 ) . $ 375 usd and 2 ) . 950 usd and I have paid all the costs that are required because there is guarantee letter from His Excellency the President of DR . Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that there is no additional cost and also my funds amounting to 410,700,000 usd will be going into my personal account but in fact, after I paid the fee requested Mrs . Joy Peter asks for money again with my $ 250 usd for the reason for her travel expenses Mr . Kevin Uche ( Secretary Mrs . Joy Peter at the Central Bank of Nigeria ) in order to obtain the Statement that I had already paid the required fee.
For that I beg Your Excellency the President of DR . Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to be able to help me to solve this problem because I believe there is a " Letter of Assurance " from His Majesty the DR . Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that was given to me as an attachment to my email address.
I wait for a reply from His Excellency DR . Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with through my email address : firstname.lastname@example.com , before I thank you.
Sasri Atma Prawira Putra
Address : Jalan Darmapala No.64 Rt.48 Rw.15 Palembang Sumatera Selatan Indonesia.
Post Code : 30139
Phone : +627117251489
Mobilphone : +6281319436375; +6289627159532
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Photo Above: President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria
*Nigeria At Cross-Roads: Options For Reconstruction ( MNN Bulletin No. 2 )
By Movement For New Nigeria (MNN)
May we recall that in our introductory BULLETIN No.1 titled, AN ALTERNATIVE TO CHAOS, (Vanguard 21/9/13, Guardian 24/9/2013 and Masterweb 19/12/13), MNN undertook to share with all stakeholders through a series of Bulletins, a fresh Diagnosis, Prescription and a Treatment Plan for Nigeria. In that Bulletin No. 1, we traced the Nigerian quagmire to a legion of conspiratorial deformities deliberately inflicted at her inception by Fredrick D. Lugard and his principals in London, culminating in the 1914 Amalgamation which essentially annexed and enslaved Southern Nigeria to Northern Nigeria. We also identified the omnipotent vehicle by which these foundational shackles were transported over the decades to the present Constitutional Order.
That omnipotent vehicle, which also constitutes the most accurate compass for navigating the dark labyrinths of today's Nigeria, happens to be the October 1960 Mission Statement and Battle Script of the then Premier of Northern Nigeria while celebrating this humongous British bequest to him and his descendants, to wit:
"The new nation called Nigeria should be the estate of our great-grandfather, Uthman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the minorities of the North as willing tools and the South as a conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them to have control over their future", Sir Ahmadu Bello, Parrot Newspaper October 1960.
MNN posits that the current Apartheid-like Constitutional regime of Nigeria represent the full implementation of this Mission Statement/Battle Script now vigorously rocking the foundations of the failing Nigerian State, resulting in violent demands for a grand renegotiation of the Union and credible threats of unilateral exit by the choking Ethnic nationalities. That Bulletin No. 1 raised four fundamental questions relating to the corporate existence of Nigeria and proprietary rights over constitution making. MNN therefore salutes the rare statesmanship and extraordinary courage of President Goodluck Jonathan for rising above his own initial fears and the pressures of partisan politics, to the occasion on October 1, 2013 to initiate the long-overdue Conference of Ethnic Nationalities even in the face of massive blackmail and violent intimidation by the blind custodians of a dying feudal Constitutional Order embodied in the fraud-based 1999 Constitution.
MNN notes with a measure of relief that the Country has now gone past decades of denial and dumb debates as to the necessity or desirability of a Grand Conference of the entrapped Ethnic Nationalities to renegotiate the Nigerian Union. The Government, the National Assembly, political parties, various ethnic socio-cultural platforms including Afenifere, Ohaneze, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), etc all now accept that the fallen house of Nigeria is in need of Reconstruction.
However, MNN notes with concern, that whilst others aforementioned welcomed the prospects of a Dialogue/Conference unconditionally, the ACF in its characteristic obduracy, sets a proviso that the Dialogue/Conference will not be a Sovereign National Conference (Vanguard Oct. 3, 2013), thus reinforcing its earlier arrogant rejection of any conference whatsoever to renegotiate Nigeria whilst holding the current 1999 Constitution sacrosanct and non-negotiable. According to the ACF, "the terms of our National Union and those by which the Nigerian federation are run have been well defined by our Constitution. (Sun Newspaper of 13th Feb, 2012). MNN asks ACF, WHO DEFINED IT? And we say, here: we have not at all defined anything; we do not accept the one unilaterally defined by one Abdulsalami Abubakar via Decree 24 of 1999; it is that definition that this proposed Conference/Dialogue is all about.
Happily, the AFENIFERE presented a more clear-headed approach when in welcoming the proposed Conference, it declared that; "Our Agenda is very clear. We believe through this Conference, we should save Nigeria from crash-landing and give Nigeria a soft-landing. We can forge an agenda for us to live in harmony and our response to the issue (ie. to be Sovereign or Not) is that all Delegates to the Conference must first answer the question: Do we still want to live together as a people? If the answer is yes, then on what terms". MNN proclaims that this was the question Fredrick Lugard and his principals laboriously evaded in imposing the first Constitution of Nigeria in 1914 by the fiat of Amalgamation. This was the question Abdulsami Abubakar and his confederates in the PRC fraudulently evaded in 1999, when he lied that "we the people" made the 1999 Constitution, knowing that he imposed same via Decree No. 24 of 1999. This is the very question the proposed Dialogue/Conference must answer now. This is the notorious "National Question", for those who genuinely wondered what it really meant and others like ACF who pretend not to know.
Still on the question of Sovereign or Non-Sovereign, MNN views with concern and raises a red flag on item (6) of the Terms of Reference for the Advisory Committee, namely; "To advise Government on Legal Procedures and Options for integrating decisions and outcomes of the National Dialogue/Conference into the Constitution and Laws of the Nation". To the extent that this item (6) suggests that the outcome of the Conference is merely for "integration into the Constitution" and the Laws of the Federation, the very essence of the Conference is destroyed or totally compromised for the simple reason that the Peoples of Nigeria have not discussed, enacted or approved any Constitution including the 1999 Constitution and we sincerely hope that was an oversight.
Our concern is aggravated by comments issuing from the National Assembly where the Senate President, whilst welcoming the Dialogue/Conference pronounced as no-go-areas, any discussions on the corporate existence of Nigeria, just as the Minority leader in the Lower House haughtily dismissed the Conference as the exercise of the right to freedom of expression by the people within the ambits of the 1999 Constitution.
These objects of our concern aggregate to a disposition diametrically opposed to efforts at meaningfully addressing the aforesaid "National Question".
Agreeing with the Afenifere on this count, MNN with a grave sense of responsibility warns that Nigeria is now in a free-fall and will crash-land sooner than later, if the antics of the opponents of SNC derail the golden opportunity offered by the current initiative, 46years after Aburi in 1967.
While MNN has nothing against the impending devolution of the failing Nigeria into independent units on account of adamant posturing of some elements, our concern is more for the catastrophic consequences of a violent break-up than the mere fact of break up.
The egregious falsehood proclaimed in the Preamble to the 1999 Constitution that, "We the People of Nigeria, having firmly and solemnly resolved to live in unity as one indivisible and indissoluble Nation, do hereby make, enact and give ourselves the following Constitution", constitute the sole signature giving life to the document and since no such thing as meeting to firmly and solemnly resolve, ever took place, it renders the entire document a forgery. The ethnic Nationalities are outraged that their entire Sovereignty, rights, lands and resources are hijacked and confiscated by virtue of that falsehood and therefore wants it discussed. This is not different from the 1914 imposition.
(FIRST SCHEDULE PART I) 36 States, 774 LGA's created exclusively by a succession of Northern military officers – Yakubu Gowon, Murtala Mohammed, Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha foists a minority population as a political majority totally distorting the representation at the National Assembly and the revenue sharing realities. The Southern Ethnic nationalities are aggrieved that one out of four federating Regions pre-1966 has ballooned into 19 States and a Federal Capital Territory, whilst the other three Regions together with the Lagos Federal Capital are compressed into 17 States, making them a permanent political minority despite the undisputable superiority of their actual numbers and despite being the source of more than 98% of the revenue of Nigeria, quite apart of their human capital contribution.
At a time the rest of the world seeks their best and brightest to lead them in a cutthroat global contest for survival, space and advancement, the Nigerian Constitution institutionalises a preference for mediocrity in the name of quota system and Federal Character. The last Minister of Education upped the ante of the macabre dance when she reeled out ridiculous discriminative cut-off marks for students from different states of the country wherein 3 marks will qualify one pupil while another pupil with 120 marks will not qualify. Achebe in his last book equated mediocrity with war in its ravaging effects and Nigeria is the best evidence of this.
The 68-items Federal Exclusive List – ensure that electricity, infrastructure, Police, mineral resources including oil and gas are owned and controlled by Abuja. All the armed agitation (but for sharia) have their roots from this suffocating control.
S. 6(6)(d) & S. 308 of the Constitution. All these are alien and unacceptable to most of the Nationalities.
SS. 81/82 & 121 & 122 which practically leave the spare keys of the treasursy in the hands of the Executive branch , emboldening the legislative branch to join the grand larceny in which almost 80% of the income of the country goes just to running our jumbo-sized bureaucracy. This is unacceptable.
This is by far the most unacceptable creation of the current Constitution. In creating Sharia Court of Appeal, the Constitution of Nigeria, while proclaiming secularity in Section 10 left a window for what became Sharia in 12 States of the far North, now being enforced by Boko Haram. Since no one can persuade the Sharia bloc to embrace democracy nor can anyone force the non- Sharia South/Middle Belt to embrace Sharia, a meeting of Ethnic nationalities has become inevitable.
There are many more such issues that clearly transcend the mandate of the legislature but even these 7 grounds are sufficient to dictate a meeting like the type Apartheid South Africa initiated in 1990 to ease out the Apartheid Constitution
i. OPTIONS FOR RECONSTRUCTION:
At this juncture of the collapse of unitarism, the only other options open to Nigeria are either to seize this lifeline to rework itself back to a federation/confederation or to peacefully devolve into a number of independent, cohesive successor states.
ii. TRANSITION MECHANISM TO BE MODELLED AFTER APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA:
MNN wishes to point out that, in many respects, the situation confronting Nigeria today for which a Conference/Dialogue is being launched resemble what Apartheid Era South Africa had to deal with in the period leading up to 1990. The steps taken by the Government of Fredrick De Klerk to initiate and deliver a transition to a multi-racial constitutional order readily commends itself to Nigeria's situation, subject to such modifications and adaptations as may be dictated by the Nigerian peculiarities. Here are the parallels:
1. The Apartheid Constitution of South Africa was imposed by White stranger minority elements in 1910 upon the Natives appropriating all their Lands, Rights and Resources and making them slaves in their homeland. The Nigerian nightmare started in 1914 where White minority stranger element imposed a Nigerian that enslaved a majority.
2. When after decades of resistance on the streets against the Apartheid Constitution, the sitting Government of Fredrick De Klerk, in 1990 acknowledged the rejection of the Apartheid Constitution by the majority in South Africa and therefore proclaimed a transition in which all existing Governmental structures remained in a transitional capacity for the period it took to work out a new constitutional order in 1994 via a Sovereign National Conference called CODESA. The Apartheid Constitution was wholly set aside and the Draft from the Conference was adopted by a Referendum. There was a Parliament in South Africa in all that period but it did not claim to hold the sovereignty of the people.
Nigeria can borrow a leaf from the transition experience of South Africa in the Apartheid Era. The 1999 Constitution and all others preceding it since 1914 were imposed by a minority and now the majority insists on an end to internal colonialism.
Alfred Ilenre, Chijioke Asogwa, Joejim Alaboso, Imoh Okoko, OTKD Amachree, Kalada Jene, Welman Warri, Idongesit Ambrose, Golden Tamuno, Mmuen Kpagani.
Kunle Olaiya, Wole Aina, Shade Olukoya, Leye Akinmodiro, Shenge Rhaman.
Andrew Butswat, Abuka Onalo Omababa, Abass Mafeng Chioji, Abdullahi Banire.
T.K. Ogoriba, Dan Ekpebide, Hilda Dokubo, Ambah Binaebi, Marshal Kunoun, Engozu Kime, Oyeinfie Jonjon, Wilson Ajuwa, Opaks Harry, Bosin Ebikeme.
Fred Agbeyegbe
Coordinator Tony Nnadi
Photo Above: Map and Flag of Nigeria
*Nigeria: An Alternative To Chaos ( MNN Bulletin No. 1 )
By Movement For New Nigeria (MNN)
As politicians continue their bickering and marauding towards the next electoral round in 2015 and as we approach the 100 years expiration of the Amalgamation Treaty of 1914 by 31st December, 2013, MNN in its grave concern for the next generation, once more, steps into the public space with a series of Bulletins in which we shall be presenting a new comprehensive diagnosis of the ailments of Nigeria, a prescription informed by that diagnosis, and a treatment plan.
The Bulletins shall for the first time exhibit freshly excavated revelations from the foundations of Nigeria's corporate existence (1900 – 1919) together with the poisonous ingredients consciously introduced by Fredrick D Lugard tracing the mutations and trajectories of those debilitating ingredients through to Independence Constitution in 1960 and follow their preservations from the 1966 Military intervention all the way to the 1999 Constitution imposed via Decree 24 of 1999 which we operate to date.
In other words MNN in her research has located the mysterious roots of the Nigerian System manifesting in pervasive corruption, reckless impunity, institutionalised mediocrity, perennial political instability, buoyed by violence, insecurity, inept leadership cycles and a whole lot more and therefore invites all stakeholders including Government and concerned international interests, to objectively evaluate these new findings with a view to joining in deploying same to avoid what now seems like a certainty of approaching chaos that stares Nigeria in the face.
(1). Recently Declassified Colonial Record as well as other previously suppressed archival documents ( now being programmed for serial publication by MNN) are proof that the 1914 Amalgamation was basically a scheme by which Southern Nigeria was ceded to the Northern Protectorate as a possession within a larger scheme of the British to maximise British Economic benefits via legitimizing British total control of the entire territory by proxy, having first gerrymandered absolute political control of Nigeria to the Hausa-Fulani of the North, through the manipulation of census figures and the transposition of feudalistic Northern Systems upon the South in what became known as the Nigerian System as far back as 1914.
To dissect the contents of that notorious Nigerian System which wax strong to date, we quote from page 273 of AHM Kirk-Greenes Compilation of Documentary Records of the Amalgamation of Nigeria by Lord Lugard, 1912 – 1919; Viz "The three basic principles necessary for the successful working of the Nigerian System are IGNORANCE, FEAR AND MILITARY TERRORISM; that is to say, the perpetuation of the Natives in a state of idolized ignorance, the impregnation of their minds with an instinctive fear of the White man and reverential awe for the fetish of white prestige and the paralysation of their wills by the spectacle of Military terrorism hanging over their heads like a sword of Damocles" . These are the foundations of terror and mediocrity ravaging Nigeria today and also proof that Nigeria was a fraud from inception.
(2). In celebration of the British grand bequest of Southern Nigeria to Northern Nigeria, the revered Premier of the then Northern Nigeria declared to his lieutenants at Independence in 1960 that; "The new Nation called Nigeria should be an estate of our Great Grand Father Uthman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of Power, we use the minorities of the North as willing tools and the South as a conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them to have control over their future", Parrot Newspaper, October, 1960.
This Mission Statement and in fact Battle Script solidly anchored on the fraud of 1914 is the crucible from which Nigeria's current constitutional order was forged; everybody in his role as assigned – the inheritors from the Sharia North, the willing tools from the Middle Belt and THE SLAVES of the South. It is thus infuriating to the Hausa-Fulani North that a slave from the South is not only occupying their Great-Grand Father's throne in Abuja, but has the temerity to suggest continuing beyond 2015. They must ruthlessly prevent or at least cut short this forbidden change of power. If the name of the game is democracy, little wonder their enforcer Boko Haram violently rejects democracy on behalf of Sharia North. The same Sardauna had in a 1964 interview with a foreign correspondent proclaimed what he called a Northernization Policy in which the Government of the Northern Region of Nigeria under his Premiership pursued a policy of weeding out the Igbo and other Southerners from the Public Service of the Northern Region, and preferred foreign (contracted) hands to Southerners, who if to be engaged at all, were also as contract staff just like foreigners. (View YouTube Video titled "THE STORY OF NIGERIA").
(3). It would be recalled that prior to the 2011 elections, a prominent mouthpiece of the Hausa Fulani North and a former Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Lawan Kaita while rejecting the abominable spectre of a Jonathan Presidency declared that; " Anything short of a Northern President is tantamount to stealing our Presidency. Jonathan has to go and he will go. Even if he uses incumbency power to get his nomination on the platform of the PDP, he would be frustrated out (If Jonathan emerges President next year). If that happens, the North is determined, to make the country ungovernable for President Jonathan or any other Southerner who finds his way to the seat of power on the platform of the PDP". To date Nigeria has remained ungovernable, thanks to Boko Haram, the militia wing of the Hausa-Fulani.
(4). Another veteran gladiator of the Hausa Fulani North, General Muhammadu Buhari in anticipation of the 2015 electoral round is already baying for blood when he declared that; "If what happened in 2011 elections repeats itself, (i.e. if his North is not coronated President from the election) both the baboon and the dog will soak in blood". This haughty sense of entitlement is the hallmark of the geographical expectation index of selected North.
(5). Still in the bloody mood towards 2015, one jagged, willing tool from the Middle Belt, named Abu King Shuluwa, playing the attack-dog role assigned to his ilk in the 1960 Battle Script, boasted that the North will take the battle of keeping Nigeria one, by all means to the creeks to contain any secessionist threats by armed agitators from the Niger-Delta, when the North dislodges President Jonathan. (pg56, the Sun Newspapers of 9/9/13)
(6). In a sad rehash of the age-long conspiratorial alliances, certain elements in the Political topography have yanked off their flank to enlarge the coast of an earlier core of alliances and it takes only the blind not to see who the drivers and pilots of the entire macabredance are. A US verdict on the geography of this "alliance" declared it North/South schisms, tending towards fulfilling their earlier prophesy that Nigeria will breakup before 2015.
(7). It is instructive that as recently as June 13, 2013; the United States Army War College in a report titled, "NIGERIA'S UNITY IN THE BALANCE", practically proclaimed the inevitable devolution (implosion, dissolution or breakup if you like) of Nigeria along its well known fault-lines for the same issues as those that led to the Nigeria-Biafra war (1967 – 1970) which remain unaddressed. The desperate political war-mongering by the Sharia North as outlined herein is directly responsible for the dark clouds that are gathering over Nigeria.
(8). MNN joins the Convener of the Yoruba National Assembly Lt Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd) in asserting that; "We cannot pretend to be running a democracy with a Master Servant Constitutional arrangement imposed wholly by one side upon all by fiat, just like the Apartheid Era Constitution of South Africa". Tell Magazine Sept. 24, 2012.
(9). In a determined bid, and in fact dumb desperation to keep the full benefits of the Lugard-Sardauna Northern Military booty called Nigeria, the Arewa Consultative Forum in responding to the deafening call by all other sections of Nigeria for a Sovereign National Conference to renegotiate the Nigerian Union took full page advertorials in National newspapers declaring thus;
"The ACF reviewed the recurring calls for a national conference, and even a Sovereign National Conference, for the purpose, the proponents say, of re-defining the terms of our union. The Forum concluded that the terms of our National Union and those by which the Nigerian Federation are run have been well defined in our Constitution. However, for the avoidance of doubt, it should be made clear that the North remains open to, and will be keen to discuss any ideas that may place Nigeria in a better position to meet the challenges of nation building and secure a better future for this and succeeding generations of Nigerians".
IN THE LIGHT OF THE FOREGOING, MNN wishes to raise the following questions; a. If the errors and distortions of Nigeria's corporate existence dates back to its foundation in 1914, would it be out of place to seize the opportunity of the expiration of the Amalgamation Treaty by December 31, 2013 to conduct a grand renegotiation of the union by the entrapped Ethnic Nationalities instead of the jamboree of centenary celebrations?
b. Do we still have a Nigeria in place over which elections can be conducted in 2015?
c. Going by Section 14(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, between the Peoples of Nigeria and the National Assembly, who has the right, in fact the exclusive right to make or remake the Constitution?
d. Does the preambuler text "We the People", proclaimed in the Preamble to the 1999 Constitution, now mean, "We the National Assembly" as being suggested by the legislative arm?
Alfred Ilenre, Tony Nyiam, Chijioke Asogwa, Joejim Alaboso, Imoh Okoko, OTKD Amachree, Kalada Jene, Welman Warri, Idongesit Ambrose, Golden Tamuno, Mmuen Kpagani.
Tokunbo Ajasin, Kunle Olaiya, Wole Aina, Shade Olukoya, Leye Akinmodiro.
Leonard Shilgba, Andrew Butswat, Abuka Onalo Omababa, Abass Mafeng Chioji, Abdullahi Banire.
T.K. Ogoriba, Dan Ekpebide, Hilda Dokubo, Ambah Binaebi, Marshal Kunoun, Engozu Kime, Oyeinfie Jonjon, Wilson Ajuwa, Opaks Harry, Bosin Ebikeme.
Fred Agbeyegbe
Coordinator Tony Nnadi
Photo Above: Map and Flag of Nigeria
*World Rights Day Message Of Intersociety - Understanding Credible Polls As A Pillar Of....
By Intersociety
A Speech Delivered By Emeka Umeagbalasi At The 2013 Anniversary Of The UDHR (World Rights Day) Organized By Anambra State Branch Of The Civil Liberties Organization(CLO) Held In Onitsha On 08/12/2013
Topic: Understanding Credible Elections As A Pillar Of Popular Government & Development: A Case Of Anambra State Of Nigeria
(Onitsha Nigeria, Tuesday, 10th of December, 2013)- On behalf of the leadership of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law, I pay a sincere tribute to the founding persons of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, enacted on 10th day of December, 1948 (65 years ago). The chairperson of the UN 18-member committee of seminal thinkers that worked tirelessly and produced the all-important global document; late Mrs. Elizabeth Eleanor Roosevelt, is particularly remembered today by Intersociety. Also, particularly important and worthy of mention is one of the great thinkers of the 20th century, Mr. Woodrow Wilson, who was popularly credited as the first international leader to mention the concept of "human rights" in his famous "14-point program" for the formation of the League of Nations in 1914. Mr. Woodrow Wilson was then the visionary President of the United States of America.
Though, "human rights" as part of "religious rights" has been in existence as far back as 304 AD, it became part of Europe and Americas' post conflict transformation mechanisms starting from the Roman Empire's 30 years civil war of 1618, which ended in 1648 to the 2nd world war of 1939 to 1945. The concept of "human rights" was crudely mentioned in the all forerunners of the United Nations, starting from " the Holy Alliance" (1648-1818), "the Concert of Europe" (1818-1919), to "the League of Nations" (1919-1945/6). But the concept became seminally pronounced in Woodley Wilson's 1914 famous 14-point program for the formation of the League of Nations, finally formed in 1919. The journey to the present day UDHR being marked in 225 independent countries and occupied territories around the world actually began in 1941 courtesy of the "Atlantic Charter of 1941",issued in August 1941.
The then leaders of the Great Britain and the United States, Sir Wilson Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt came together and agreed on "human rights and democratic freedoms" (self determination as a right of the people and freedom from want and fear). This landmark feat made it possible for successful convocation of other world leaders' conferences leading to the historic formation of the UNO on 24th of October, 1945. The UN Charter was originally signed on 26th June, 1945 by 50 countries leading to successful lobbying by 40 NGOs in the San Francisco Conference of same year and time for the internationalization of human rights including basic freedoms and freedom from want and fear.
After the successful formation of the United Nations in 1945, a body known as "UN Commission on Human Rights" was set up in 1946 under the leadership of Mrs. Elizabeth Eleanor Roosevelt with other 17 members. Mrs. Roosevelt was a well known rights activist and widow of late US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who died in 1945. The Committee's fundamental task was the "definition of human rights and freedoms" within the contemplation of the UN Charter. Other major contributors to successful production of this famous document then, who are worthy of mention today are Rene Cassin (France), Charles Malik (Lebanon), Peng Chun Chang (China), Herman Santa Cruz (Chile), Alexandre Bogomolov Alexei Pavlov (USSR/Russia), Lord Dukeston Geoffrey Wilson (United Kingdom), William Hodgson (Australia) and John Humphrey (Canada). On 10th of December, 1948 in Palais de Challot, Paris, France, the famous global document was enacted and signed by over 30 countries present through their representatives.
The link between human rights and popular polls is strong and a truism. What credible democracy is to Nigeria is what "truth and reconciliation" mechanism, which originated from the Southern America, is to the Union of South Africa. Popular polls and human rights are like biological encirclement, which goes round without ceasing. Human rights friendly environment engenders participatory/popular polls, which in turn, produce popular government and when a government is popularly instituted and legitimized, human and material development becomes abundant. A government propelled by popular votes and development has a combination of input and output legitimacy to its credit. No matter the quantum of physical development embarked upon by a government, once it lacks popular electoral foundation, it ends up wearing the toga of mechanical legitimacy. This is always the fundamental difference between Obi's legitimate government and Ngige's illegitimate regime in our beloved State. When a government is popular and development oriented, the masses rejoice and human rights environment fares better. Illegitimate civilian government founded on electoral banditry is worst than a military government.
Human rights and credible democracy are inseparable. This explains why the granting of independence and organization of transitional polls were the first fallout of the formation of the UN and the enactment of the UDHR in 1945 and 1948 respectively. Following from this was the granting of independence to India and Pakistan in 1947, Israel 1948, Sudan 1956, Ghana 1957, Guinea 1958, Nigeria 1960, to mention but a few. Where the colonial masters refused to grant same, the colonized armed themselves with "right to self-determination" and fought for their self-governance until it is achieved. Instances of this abound, Angola to Mozambique; Zimbabwe to Zambia; and South Africa to Namibia. As the saying goes, "democracy may be the worst form of government and governance, but the best form of same has not been found and in absence of this, democracy remains the best".
The fundamental question is: what are credible polls? Fundamentally, credible polls are determined by "living votes" as against "dead votes". When people of voting age (18 years and above) who have registered to vote, file out diligently and submit themselves for accreditation on poll day arising from the voters' register, after which they queue up and thumbprint with their fingerprints on valid ballot papers and their votes counted and entered into result sheets, collated and announced with a winner and a loser emerging; the aggregate votes of theirs become "living votes" and the outcomes are called "credible polls". Any voting process that falls short of these expressly yields "dead votes". In determining the sacredness/sanctity of "living votes", one thousand "living votes" are worth more than one million "dead votes". In law, any poll premised on "living votes" is beyond judicial revocation. "Living votes" are also unknown to the axe of the judge's ratio decidendi and long arm of the "technical justice" in matters of poll litigation.
The governorship poll in our beloved State of Anambra, held on 16th of November, 2013 and completed on 30th of the same month, may have come and gone, but lessons arising from it will remain indelible. It was one election too many. For us in the rights community, it was a test case. It was a battle of wits between "sedentary rights activists of Igbo-Southeast" and "pastoral rights activists of Igbo extraction", milked and quartered in the Yoruba-Southwest of Lagos Nigeria, who joined forces with one of the worst opposition political alliances in Africa, in the name of "revolutionary progressives". Their so called "poll monitoring roles" were purely a failed coup and vendetta mission. The "pastoralists" applied all guerrilla tactics known to them and their "progressive comradely" political alliance to upturn the sacred political destiny of the Anambra People including importing and masquerading thousands of fake ballot papers' thumb printers and when all their criminal plots got foiled by security agencies, they relocated to the pages of sectionalized and sensationalized Nigerian Newspapers with intent to blacken the poll's credibility.
As "sedentary rights activists", it is our duty not to allow any attempts to deny our people right to choose their leaders democratically. We must insist on doing the right thing and ignore "Nigeria's disgusting labeling culture" of giving a dog a bad name so as to hang it. It is better to be labeled "a trader" than to be labeled "an armed robber". Some of these "comrades of military juntanism" condemned us for choosing decent trade occupation instead of armed robbery and stealing, yet we put food on their tables from time to time through comradely begging and assistance.
Some of them asked us for "loans", given and not given, yet they turned around and labeled us "mercenaries", "merchants", "clowns", "charlatans", etc. If one out of every ten "occupational rights activists" fits into the labeling above, then nine out of every jobless rights activists are worst than the former. Our detractor comrades became unsettled when they noticed that we have transformed ourselves academically and vowed not to stop until we become doctors of philosophy in ivory towers. Or is it that university education closed when they graduated? You must always remember the theory of "Ojukwu versus Gowon". The theory simply tells us that there is no lateness in education. Today, it is a case of "Assoc. Professor" and "parental master's degree holder".
Fellow Comrades, your contributions towards the all-sector transformation of our beloved State in the past seven years will forever remain in gold. Between 2003 and 2006, you fought gallantly for the restoration of the culture of one person one vote in our dear State and chased away electoral criminals from the State's corridors of power. In June 2006, having achieved this great feat, you began the journey for the transformation of the State through constructive and transformative partnership with the government you popularly instituted. For "pastoral Igbo rights activists", you are "shopping" from the Government of Anambra State, but for you who wear the shoes and know where they pinch, you see food but choose to fast for the collective good of our beloved people. Always remember that criminal government invests heavily on individuals willing to do its criminal biddings for the purpose of acquiring mechanical legitimacy, but legitimate government invests hugely on people from whom its natural legitimacy is derived.
The same political criminal gangsters, chased away years ago from our beloved State cycled again with utter ferocity and accompanied this time around by a number of "pastoral Igbo rights activists" so as to take over our beloved State in a crudest manner, but you fought gallantly and dwarfed them, by exposing all their reprehensible plots to crown their candidate next governor of Anambra through "Oshogbo manufactured votes". Until they came to our beloved State on a failed civilian coup mission, they had taken our beloved State to be as socially disastrous as "Oshodi" and "Ajagunle". But, their eyes could not believe what they saw on the ground all over the State. It was a case of supporting a man with "Okada popularity" against another, whose is predicated on "mass movement/consciousness". It is always better to run "government on the ground" than to run a showbiz or an "owambe" or a media government.
Lastly fellow Comrades, remain resolute and unyielding. Do not see your choice of occupation as a wrong choice. As human beings, we have three fundamental tasks on earth: to work, to eat and to render service to humanity. Occupationally, you must work and eat. Your joining human rights crusade is not to "eat", but to render service to humanity. This is why you should help me spread the message to other comrades including some of them in Lagos part of the country, "working and eating" with human rights, which make them willing tools in the hands of Africa's most violent and militant opposition political alliance, to look for decent jobs or occupations even if it means being a graduate-hawker. Human rights works do not belong to "business enterprises", but "not-for-profit establishments".
Starting from my days as your chairman, I have never stopped educating those of you with limited education to dust yourselves up and head back to school. This is because as it is difficult asking a brilliant JSS 3 student to go and teach "economics" in the university, so it is, faring well in the field of rights activism with limited education. Rights activism comrades with limited education are always known to us as "police station and libertarian comrades", while academically grounded rights activism comrades end up as "egalitarian, formidable and reformative rights comrades".
I am happy to announce to you that today my message has turned in about ten graduates/graduating students including your chairman, who joined rights activism years ago with WASC. He is now a master's degree student and reporter with the Sun Newspapers. He told me clearly that it is not academically over yet until he earns an academic "doctor of philosophy". The challenge before us now is to take over the human rights community in the Southeast and put our detractors out of relevance. We must also insist on engaging the electoral process, because if we allow political criminals to take over the polity, anarchy and backwardness will become the societal norm to be dislodged no more. We must use personal intellect, ICT resources, volunteerism and in-kind resources to cushion the effects of declining "dollarization of rights activism" in our beloved country. This is to ensure that the absence of dollars does not affect the speed of our rights advocacy works. It will also engender neutrality and institutionalize human rights with local contents that are outside the dictates of white man and his dollars.
This Speech Is Pricelessly Dedicated To Late Dr. Nelson Madiba Mandela (1918-2013). I Wish His Soul Permanent Peace.
Thank You.
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman
International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law, Onitsha Nigeria
+234(0)8180103912, 8033601078
Photo Above: Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Intersociety, 41, Miss Elems Street, Fegge, Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria.
*Tags: Nigerians, Intersociety, Council, Police, Service, Commission. Sack, Ringim, Africa, Masterweb
*Summary of Performances of Candidates in Anambra Gubernatorial Election of Nov. 16, 2013
By Masterweb News Desk
All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Chief William Obiano emerged the front-runner ('winner') with 174,710 votes. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Comrade Tony Nwoye polled 94,956, trailed by Dr. Chris Ngige of APC with 92,300 votes and Ifeanyi Uba with 37,446 votes to place fourth. INEC declared the election inconclusive because the total number of cancelled votes (113,113) was more than the difference (79,754) between the number of votes cast for the 'winner' (APGA) and the runner up (PDP) in the election. INEC is currently meeting to schedule supplementary election were votes were canceled. All parties that participated in the election would participate in the supplementary election; this means that votes cast for them in the exercise would be counted even if they boycott the election. Below is the summary table.
*26-Year-Old Nigerian Woman Murdered In U.S. By Roommate
By Masterweb News Desk
The body of 26-year-old Nigerian woman identified as Adaobi Michaella Obih was found on Tuesday in her apartment at Westside Columbus Apartment Complex in Columbus, Indiana, USA. A spokesman for the Columbus Police Department said the death is being investigated as a homicide and Obih's roommate, 36-year-old Ryan Allen Klug, is a person of interest in the case. Klug went missing after Obih's body was found. He was yesterday charged with felony murder and a warrant for his arrest issued.
Obih suffered multiple knife wounds with her throat slashed, according to a probable-cause affidavit. Blood-stained clothes of Klug's size were found in their two-bedroom apartment. According to the affidavit, her boyfriend, Jude Osara, last communicated with her Sunday afternoon, and later was unable to get her on the phone nor receive text-message replies from her. ( Continues below….. )
Photo Above: Late Adaobi Michaella Obih –Left; Ryan Allen Klug -Right
Obih was the first of two children and a doctorate degree student in Electrical Engineering. Klug may be driving a silver or grey 2008 Subaru Legacy with Indiana registration plate 357BPC. Columbus Police Department can be reached at 812-376-2600 with any information on the murder or the whereabouts of Klug.
*Anambra Governorship Poll: Intersociety Insists On Free & Popular Poll
By Intersociety
Anambra Governorship Poll: Intersociety Ends Pre-Election Advocacy & Insists On Free & Popular Poll
(Public Information, Onitsha Nigeria, 15th of November, 2013)-It is our observation at Intersociety that the all-important Anambra Governorship Poll is here for real. We also observe that except the "perfect crime" that led to "perfect killing" of about 28 citizens at the Uke Catholic Church Adoration Vigil, propelled by politically oiled intervening forces; Anambra's pre poll season is the best in Nigeria.
The State's great transformation from its notoriety in the modern world map of poll rigging and rascality governance to Nigeria's center of excellence in matters of free, non-violent and popular poll and its transformative socio-economic governance; makes it a qualified candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize Award. Popular poll institutes popular and powerful government, which leads to mass and massive development. In other words, another name for popular poll propelled government is "development".
However, this priceless feat is under serious threat in the State. This is because the puppets, puppeteers and their grand masters of the Anambra's disastrous past, have staged a fierce come back. This time around, they have found strong allies in the western part of the country, which dry quest for expansionist conquest is never hidden. While the sole interest of the grand masters under reference is "turning Anambra State into business enterprise", those of their former puppets are negative political power, immorality in public shrine (government house) and "treaty of cession" with the west. In other words, it is "give us Anambra and Igbo land and we will give you the governorship seat" deal.
Those who "bought" Anambra governorship seat from Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in April 2003 and handed it over to Mr. Chris Ngige under stiff conditions are back. More " Anambra governorship oil block" bidders have also joined. The other day, it was one of them that chased around three security chiefs designated for this crucial poll with a whopping sum of N300M (N100M each) so as to compromise the poll day security in favor of his party. Other field instructions such as "deliver your ward and get an instant sum of N7M." have been given by some of the said Anambra governorship oil block bidders.
Generally in this poll's electioneering, we have seen clear acts of desperation on the part of political parties and their candidates. All manner of unconventional methods grounded in political guerrilla tactics were deployed. Among the top contestants are academic touts and morallyl rotten eggs. Some dropped at JSS3 and padded up the constitutional educational basic requirement of "West African School Certificate or its equivalents". Others crashed academically from top to bottom by reaching final year before crashing to O' Level. Modern public governance, especially gubernatorial governance is like asking somebody with a junior secondary certificate with primary "social studies" background to come and teach "economics" in the university. Those with these "not less than" academic certificates are "graduates" of "JSS Social Studies" wanting to teach "economics in the university".
Among the top contenders are "morally rotten eggs". Some are padded and canonized by the Southwest media. In governance of Anambra State, the stock in trade of "a rotten egg" governor is governance rested in borrowings and statutory receipts only. His or her morally rotten eggness will be a boarding pass off international development funding institutions and "beyond the border resources mobilization" will be grounded to zero. Other core attributes of his or her governance are showbiz or "owambe" governance as well as propaganda and populist governance (government by media and sightseeing).
Though democracy demands that even if people choose a goat to govern them, so be it; but it also allows room for the voters to be properly guided so as to make a right choice. Our proactive engagement in the electoral process under reference, especially the pre-election aspect, is well grounded and pronounced. In the course of this, most of the sharp practices of some front line political parties and their candidates were extensively exposed and brought to public notice. The quality of some front-line candidates picked by some political parties is shockingly disappointing. They are nothing but termites. This political candidates' choice blunder has, again, opened a room for the agitation for a constitutional or legal provision for independent candidacy on the polity.
Following from the recent field assessment of methods of campaigns deployed by the leading political parties and their candidates, which was done by the Southeast Group 8 Rights Coalition, coordinated by Intersociety; we have strong information that the importation of strange persons into the State especially during the continuous registration exercise was linked to the Labour Party. The party was also accused of buying voters' cards in Ayamelum.
On Wednesday and Thursday evening of 13th and 14th of November, 2013, some members of the Labour Party were sighted at 29, Orakwu Street and Oraifite Town Hall, on Miss Elems Street, all in Fegge, Onitsha, engaging in "voters' cards buy back" wonder lotto or raffle draw; whereby you submit your voters' cards irretrievably and thumb-print on a blank space provided in the camouflage lotto raffle tickets. Some of the victims are instantly given attractive gifts like motorcycles, standing fans, refrigerators, electric irons and kettles so as to draw more victims or public rush, while others are promised to be given later.
The massive operation "share money", including a reported instruction to each of the 326 wards to "deliver your ward and get N7M" is linked to the PDP. On the part of APGA, which controls the State, it is accused of banning other political parties from campaigning in the markets in the State, citing security reasons. It was also reported by a journalist that the party's agents were sighted in a location in Awka on Thursday, 14th of November, 2013, sharing money among its agents, who will man the polling centers in the State, numbering 4,608. The reporter said they recorded their conversation.
The APC is seriously linked to the inducement of registered voters in their houses with money and other lofty monetary promises, during which they are asked to surrender their cards for extraction of their polling units' pin numbers and other useful code numbers. Some have their cards withheld, while few who protested and backed down have theirs returned.
Further, at No.9, Ihitenansa Street, Iyiowa Odekpe in Ogbaru LGA of Anambra State, a woman, who sells provisions in a kiosk, told Intersociety that the APC people came and collected her voters' card and gave her N2, 000 and as at 14th of November, 2013, it has not been returned. During an ABS Television live program held in the morning of 14th of November, 2013, callers from Federal Housing, Onitsha and Nnewi areas confirmed that the criminal exercise is a State wide operation that started days after the Anambra INEC handed over the soft copies of the last updated voters' list to the 23 contesting political parties. The list, which was given to them on 16th of October, 2013, contained 1, 784, 475 registered voters.
The collection of photos of non-registered voters and other personal data including name, age, gender, State and LGA of origin, street address and phone numbers, is also traced to the APC's doorstep. Mr. and Mrs. Sunday Umejesi, who reside at Iyiowa Odekpe, are one of those approached by the APC in that respect. They were interviewed by Intersociety and they not only confirmed it, but also revealed that a number of their neighbors are "already involved".
The Independent National Electoral Commission is called upon to be extremely vigilant and be mindful of the foregoing. This has further heightened our earlier fears that the INEC adhoc staff hierarchy may include hundreds of card-carrying members of some contesting political parties. The recent arrest of hundreds of un-named persons quartered in a hotel in Imo State, who are said to have been caught bearing Anambra voters' cards, is another example. While detailed investigation by security agencies into the incident is required to ascertain the truth, security searchlights should be beamed the more throughout the State and its boundaries to unmask other criminal plots to deny this important poll its deserved credibility and popularity.
In all, the leadership of Intersociety has since July 2013, when the time-table for the all-important poll was released to the public, featured in fifteen television and radio appearances in the State in respect of pre-election public advocacy activities. These include six appearances on the Anambra Broadcasting Service Television's "Face the Press", two appearances on the same ABS TV's "People & Politics" and two appearances on the television's Onitsha section's live program called "Issues of the Moment".
Others are three phone-in radio programs, three appearances on the Onitsha NTA programs and other interviews with the Silver Bird and Channel's televisions. Over fifteen public statements and letters were issued or written during this period, in addition to four major public forums on "voter education". Interestingly, all these were carried done free of charge. In other words, all the television and radio programs and interviews as well as newspapers and online publications during the public advocacy under reference, were free of charge. The public forums were also free of charge.
We are very grateful to the managements of the aforementioned media industry for their priceless assistance to us. We appeal to Anambra voters to vote wisely and conscientiously. They have the option to vote in hugely indebted and bankruptcy governance. They also have the option of vote in "showbiz or "owambe" governance" as well as riotous or rascal governance. Option also is theirs to vote out the 2nd Niger Bridge, formidable reconstruction and completion of the Onitsha-Enugu Dual Carriage Way, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport and the collective Igbo identity.
On the other hand, it is also the wisdom and right of Anambra voters to vote in all the positives mentioned above including the 2nd Niger Bridge and the Igbo identity. They can as well vote out the negatives so mentioned including "owambe" governance, Igbo political slavery, huge public indebtedness and rascality governance.
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman of the Board
International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
08033601078, 08180103912
Comrade Justus Ijeoma, Head, Publicity Desk
Photo Above: Map of Anambra State
*Tags: Nigerians, Intersociety, Council, Police, Service, Commission. Sack, Ringim, Africa, Masterweb
*Another stride achieved as Sokoto opens its own university
By Amiru Adamu
As Sokoto State opened its own university October 29, 2014,let's take a look at the policies that were implemented by Wamakko's administration to warrant the creation of the state university.
There is no doubt,that sokoto state was before now regarded as one of the educationally backwards states in Nigeria. However this assertion can no longer be made,considering the efforts that have been made by past and present administrations in the state to reverse the hitherto status of sokoto state as one of the educationally backwards states of the country.
Like most administrations,the present government of sokoto state being led by governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko,came into office with a promise of kick-starting an educational reform. It promised to take sokoto state to greater heights in terms of education. Hence my decision to write this brief review of its strides in the sector for others to read, verify and come to their own conclusions. ( Continues below….. )
Photo Above: Map of Sokoto State
At its inception in 2007 Wamakko's administration declared a state emergency in the educational sector and committed 22 percent of the state's budget to the sector. Structures such as classrooms,libraries,workshops,hostels etc are important considering the fact that effective teaching and learning process can only take place in a conducive learning environment. It is with this fact in mind,that the sokoto state government expended over 3 billion naira into the construction,rehabilitation and expansion of most primary and secondary schools in the state.
Poverty is the excuse often given by parents as the reason why they keep their children most especially the girl child out of school. The administration took measures to arrest this situation by abolishing fees from the school system in sokoto including examination fees,for all students non indigenes inclusive. It also increased the feeding allowance of its students by 100 percent. This 2 policies have since yielded results,as survey has shown an increase in students enrollment to about 50 percent so far.
The fact that many women have married without completing their secondary education,prompted the creation of women education centers within the state and one in each of the 3 senatorial districts in the state,for women to enroll for their secondary education that will qualify them for tertiary education. This policy has given married women a renewed opportunity to acquire western education.
Qualified and competent teaching force,is essential to any educational reform. The administration has so far recruited over 1000 additional primary school teachers,1000 secondary school teachers,300 teachers for arabic and islamic board and over 200 lectures and support staffs for its college of education and polytechnic.
There is a tremendous increase in the provision of teaching and learning materials. Textbooks,science equipment s and other related learning materials are being provided to all schools in the state. It is in-line with its drive to foster effective learning that the administration recently approved a 46 million naira one laptop per child pilot programme, that will introduce its students to the new global ICT trend.
The vexed issue of almajiri also received a commendable attention from the government. It committed over 70 million naira in the establishment of a specially equipped boarding school that incorporates western and islamic education in the curriculum. The school now has an enrollment of over 600 children. The government provides feeding,clothing and other needs of the these children. The federal government has also partnered the state in this regard;it recently built and equipped another almajiri modern school in the state.
The sokoto state government,has secured admissions for its indegenes in various higher institutions within and outside the country.NECO,WAEC,JAMB and DE forms are also being purchased on a yearly basis for distribution to its students free of charge. Over 1000 students with deficiencies in o/level were registered for extra mural lessons. The programme is being supervised by a consultant with coordinators that engaged qualified teachers for the programme.
The administration also secured accreditation by NUC,for 17 B. ed programmes for its college of education and secured HND courses accreditation for its polytechnic. The state has further established a state university that shall accommodate the envisaged turnover of secondary school leavers.
Scholarships and study grants are necessary incentives in order to provide equal opportunities for all. The administration has done a lot in this regard. Apart from the payment of school fees and allowances to all sokoto state students studying at home and abroad,it has sponsored a substantial number of its students to study specialist courses abroad.
These projects and policies are all on ground in sokoto state today for individuals or groups to come and verify. Perhaps the keen interest being shown by the sokoto state government, in the development of education is due to the fact that the founding fathers of sokoto helped in the spread of islam in Africa. And islam as a religion made it mandatory for every Muslim to seek for knowledge.
It is our hope and prayer,that Sokoto state University lives and performs above expectations.
Amiru Adamu is the publisher of Northern wind magazine.
*Tags: Nigerians, Intersociety, Council, Police, Service, Commission. Sack, Ringim, Africa, Masterweb
*Anambra Governorship Poll: Intersociety Frowns At Nwuruku's Inclusion, Points Out......
By Intersociety
Anambra Governorship Poll: Intersociety Frowns At Nwuruku's Inclusion, Points Out Other Challenges Facing INEC & Security Agencies
(Public Information, Onitsha Nigeria, 12th of November, 2013)-The International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law wishes to remind the Independent National Electoral Commission on the urgent need to re-scrutinize all its newly recruited ad hoc staff or workers that will work for the Commission in the all-important Anambra Governorship Election, fixed for this Saturday, November 16, 2013. This is to ensure that card-carrying party members are not recruited as collection officers, returning officers, presiding officers, etc and to avoid a repeat of the 2011 Anambra Central Senatorial poll incident, during which an adhoc INEC returning officer, one Mr. Alex Anene went and announced the poll result in an Awka hotel.
the inclusion of Mr. Lawrence Nwuruku, the former chairman of the Ebonyi State PDP, as one of the Commission's special Commissioners for the crucial poll is totally frowned at and protested against by our organization. Our firm opposition to Mr. Nwuruku's inclusion stems from the fact that he is a career politician and a well known card carrying member of the PDP of the immediate past. Many people in Anambra State are uncomfortable with his inclusion as one of the Commission's special commissioners for the Anambra governorship poll. Every indication clearly points to his inclusion as patently and manifestly bias. It is our call that his name should be removed and another fairly neutral name included.
Ascertaining the true particulars of the adhoc staff recruited by INEC for the poll is extremely important. Recruiting card carrying members of political parties, smuggled into the Commission by their parties with indoctrinated scripts, are very dangerous and have the capacity of rubbishing the credibility of the poll as well as ruining the image of the Commission. The "coupist" announcement in a hotel, of the senatorial poll results for the Anambra Central Senatorial District and the sectional roles played by the electronic and print media therein, is one of such disasters that must be avoided in this respect. Proper policing and monitoring of INEC's adhoc staff in all the 4,608 polling centers in the State including ensuring that they do not compromise by allowing rooms for holders of faked voters' cards and non-voters' card bearers to vote, for a fee, is extremely necessary.
We have credible reports that registered voters are being hunted and haunted in their houses with inducement packages all over the State including Ogbaru, Onitsha South, Onitsha North, Oyi, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Aguata, Anambra East and Anambra West LGAs of the State. Such compromised registered voters are made to tender their cards for extraction of their polling unit pin numbers and other relevant code numbers. Some members of the public who do not have voters' cards are also hunted and asked to bring their passport photos and other personal particulars such as residence address, age, gender, ancestral origin, phone numbers, e-mail addresses etc.
The latter is designed for the purpose of "creating" voters cards for them, with a promise by their inducers to sort out the INEC staff manning voters' accreditation exercise on Election Day so as to allow them vote in off voter register manner. These criminal and morally reprehensible conducts by some desperate political parties and their candidates are incorporated in their so-called "house to house campaigns". One of the political parties that commenced the said "house to house campaigns" in earliest time is the APC. The exercise was later embraced by other parties including Labour and APGA. Our firm position is that INEC should re-scrutinize its entire adhoc staff both senior and junior and flush out or ground those found to be injected by political parties or with selfish political interests.
The all-important Anambra governorship poll will be conducted in the 4,608 polling centers, 326 electoral wards, 21 LGAs and 3 Senatorial zones in the State. It is also our call that the Nigerian security agencies led by the Nigeria Police Force should brace up for the challenges posed by obvious desperation of some political parties and their candidates to be returned as the winner through acts of political gangsterism and brigandage.
Ominous signs are all over the place that except INEC and security agencies do and get it right without fear or favour, otherwise, Anambra will be set ablaze during or/and after the poll. The role of the media in the important poll is also very crucial. Sensational and sectional media reports of the poll conducts are as dangerous as security lapses and breaches during the poll. Such reports should be ignored by the poll conductors and security providers and not allowed to distract them or make them lose focus, which will give room for the alarmists and their paymasters to have a crooked edge over the collective electoral interest of the Anambra People. Other than these, credible media alarms and reports during the poll should be taken seriously and addressed promptly.
Finally, there are credible reports that our dear State of Anambra is flooded with Lorries of "dregs of the society" and quartered in various hotels and other hiding places for the d-day to come. Many of these "dregs" are "retreatists", who are "forest or jungle warriors" that have "downed many heads" to their "bravely". If allowed an iota of breathing space in the crucial poll, they will down more heads and drink their biological water with impunity. It is to the information of Nigerian security agencies that Lorries of these "clearers of road for the person (man) wey sabi" are very much around in town. And they should be confined to the "spectators' corners" and not allowed into the playing ground so as to avert "downing heads" and emptying their killer "cashew nuts" into the ballot boxes for the purpose of producing Anambra's next governor through "dead and non living votes".
To this effect, all the 4,608 polling centers in the State especially in urban and river-line areas must be manually and forensically policed with clearly designated strategic "nipping points" and rapid respond squads. More than deployment of armoured personnel carriers in strategic exits and entries in the State, the RRS formations should be stationed very closed to every polling/collection center. Other than those rapid response squads to be placed for general stationing and patrolling of strategic outer places including roads and routes in the State, there is need to create and station about 1,600 special rapid response squads and put all the 4,608 polling centers and their collection centers under their competent care. This will be on average of one RRS for three polling centers/collection center. Each RRS should be made up of joint uniformed securitization personnel with their rapid response electronic and manual contacts made available to core stake holders in the poll.
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman of the Board
International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law
08033601078, 08180103912
Comrade Justus Ijeoma, Head, Publicity Desk
Photo Above: Map of Anambra State
*Tags: Nigerians, Intersociety, Council, Police, Service, Commission. Sack, Ringim, Africa, Masterweb
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If you're interested in buying a newly built home in a development or building a custom home from the ground up, talk with us to learn more about your construction financing options.
What makes buying a newly built home different from buying an existing home?
- Options and upgrades. Homes can be customized with options — from floor plans and paint colors to faucets and light fixtures. You might also be able to modify rooms and layouts or include walk-in closets, whirlpool baths, and custom appliances. Use our home wish checklist (PDF) to identify which features are important to you.
- Potential builder incentives. Some builders try to encourage sales by offering to pay closing costs, points, or by providing special interest rate incentives.
- A longer wait. Newly built homes typically have lengthier time spans between contract signing and moving day for a variety of reasons.
- Additional construction documentation. Custom building projects typically require construction project and builder validation, inspection reports prior to payments to the builder, and verifications prior to your final loan preparation.
What are the benefits of building a home or buying a newly built home or condominium?
New homes may offer many advantages:
- More space. Newly built homes are typically larger than existing homes and offer more closet, garage, and storage space. New homes are also thoughtfully laid out with efficient space planning designed for today's lifestyles.
- Improved safety. Today's new homes have hard-wired smoke detectors and alarm systems with battery-powered backup.
- Energy efficiency. Improved heating and cooling systems and better insulation techniques offer efficiencies.
- Health considerations. New construction materials are free from asbestos, lead, and formaldehyde emissions. New radon control systems are also available.
How can I lock my interest rate range while my new home is under construction?
Our Builder Best® Extended Rate Lock program provides rate-lock options that protect against interest rate changes while your home is being built, regardless of market fluctuations. The rate-lock option requires a non-refundable extended lock fee.
- Available on government conventional conforming and non-conforming, fixed- and adjustable-rate loans.
- Lock in interest rates for:
- From 5 months up to 12 months on conforming government and conventional loans.
- From 5 months up to 24 months on jumbo mortgages.
- If the overall interest rate increases, your interest rate remains protected through your rate-lock period.
- If the overall interest rates decrease, you may seek to exercise the one-time float down to the current rate.
- Within 60 days of closing, you can switch to another eligible product, subject to credit approval.
- Expect to have your loan reviewed again if changes are made (such as changing to another eligible product).
What types of single-family homes can I finance?
Newly built homes
Nearly move-in ready and located in a new development or on a builder's lot, these homes typically come with limited warranties on the house and appliances.
Newly built homes offer features that are not typically available in existing homes, including:
- Energy efficiency from improved heating and cooling systems
- A variety of home styles and floor plans
- Options for cabinets, appliances, and lighting
Download our free guide (PDF) for details on buying and financing newly built homes.
Custom homes
Typically built from scratch by collaborating with an architect and a builder, these homes enable you to design a home to your specifications.
While custom homes offer the opportunity to create a home optimized to your lifestyle needs and tastes, these projects can require additional consideration:
- Depending on your builder or the type of financing you obtain, you may be required to make advance deposits.
- A builder might require that you purchase the lot and secure your construction financing before any work begins.
Partial custom homes
These homes allow limited changes to floor plans and other features. Partial custom homes enable you to:
- Tailor your home to your lifestyle and individual taste with cabinet choices, room and tile colors, and finished basement options.
- Specify limited structural changes by increasing room sizes or overall size of the home.
- Add options and upgrades to the purchase price, which allows you to build the home you want and limit your out-of-pocket expenses.
Modular homes
Built and inspected in a factory environment, these homes provide a combination of quality, speedy construction, and lower cost.
- Quality. Designed to meet or exceed local building codes and virtually indistinguishable from traditional homes, they often allow owner customization.
- Speed. Factory built homes have shorter construction periods than site-built homes. The homes are usually up to 90 percent complete when shipped and typically take builders weeks to assemble.
- Cost. A modular home can save on costs. Projects are less likely to go over budget and lower costs can make modular homes more competitively priced.
What should I consider when selecting a builder?
- Verify licenses. Depending on local guidelines, you may need a licensed contractor for the house to pass required inspections.
- Check references. Talk to people with homes built by the same builder. If there's a homeowners association, get minutes from recent meetings to look for complaints about the builder's work. Also contact your local home builders association to see if they're a member in good standing.
- Inspect work. Ask to view homes the builder completed and visit a construction site. Make sure the builder is comfortable creating the type of home you like.
- Consider compatibility. You should feel comfortable asking questions, talking about your ideas, and working closely with your builder.
What are the benefits of condo ownership?
- Condominiums exist in a variety of styles, locations, and prices.
- They may provide ownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers.
- Usually a homeowner association is responsible to maintain the building exterior, grounds, and common areas.
- Some condos provide convenient vacation getaways; others combine the opportunity for homeownership with the convenience of urban living.
What types of condos does Wells Fargo finance?
- Established condo projects. Construction is finished and the condo is under the control of a homeowners association.
- New construction. These condo projects are under the control of the developer because the units are still considered under construction.
- Conversions. Originally designed for use as something other than a condominium, such as an apartment building or a hotel, these condos are renovated for residential ownership.
- Resort condos. These communities are located in a vacation destination and primarily used as second homes.
What should I consider when purchasing a condo?
- Monthly fees. Homeowners association dues provide the funds to insure and maintain the common elements.
- Insurance coverage. A shared insurance policy, known as a master policy, covers the building's common elements. You may be required to purchase insurance for the interior of your unit to cover the replacement of fixtures.
- Resale restrictions. Determine any limitations on your ability to sell your unit.
- Association rules. Set by the homeowners association, these requirements govern what you are allowed to do with the exterior of your condo unit in order to keep up the project's appearance. For example, the rules may prohibit satellite dishes. The use of common elements may be governed by rules, for example parking spaces may be assigned.
- Project approval. Even if you're not applying for government financing, finding out whether a condo is approved by housing agencies such as the FHA and VA can help with resale by ensuring that future buyers can obtain this financing. It also indicates that the community is performing to certain standards set by government housing agencies. If you're thinking of buying a condo and want to find out if the project is approved, ask your home mortgage consultant to submit information about the project for review.
What is the process for financing a newly built home?
Generally, there are six steps for financing a new home from a builder or developer.
- Initial stage. Now's the time to discuss your financing. You can start by getting prequalified, which provides a rough idea of how much you may be able to borrow based on basic financial data you provide. You can also request a preapproval letter, which tells the builder you're preapproved for a specific loan amount based on a preliminary credit review.
- Application. When you're ready to sign a purchase contract, we'll help you complete your mortgage application and provide options to protect your loan from interest rates changes during construction. Consult our application checklist (PDF) for items you may need when applying.
- Approvals. We'll work with you during the loan approval process so you can enjoy seeing your home being built.
- Exercise rate-drop options. During construction, extended lock programs may help protect against interest-rate fluctuations. A non-refundable extended rate-lock fee is required. If interest rates decline, you can exercise a one-time option to obtain new loan pricing, subject to approval. We'll remain in touch to discuss your choices and answer questions.
- Completion of construction. In many counties, a final inspection determines that everything is ready so that you or your builder can get a Certificate of Occupancy (or its equivalent) from your local authorities.
- Move in. Your construction and financing are now complete. Congratulations and best wishes on your new home.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tim Gunn to Introduce Dan Mathews at Book Signing
Word on the street is that fashion maven Tim Gunn is going to be introducing Dan Mathews at his New York booksigning for Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir tonight. If you live in NYC, I highly recommend making the trek to the Chelsea Barnes and Noble at 7 p.m., as any evening with Dan is bound to be, um, interesting to say the least, if this pic from one of his runway takeovers in Milan is anything to go by:
The other dates of Dan's whirlwind tour are on his MySpace page. Dude has been on MySpace for, like, five months and he already has almost 700 friends, which makes me feel a bit lame, given that my friend list has barely progressed beyond Tom and Princess Cuteyface in three years. Maybe I need to get into the book game.
Commenting is closed.
Awwww I just got back from NY. Why why why…….. I hope he's coming to Toronto?
Bought the book this weekend. It's great! Highly recommended to all


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i stay in charlotte...if i can get tix, i def will make it to the game...i went to the 49ers @ Cardinals, season opener last year and LOVED IT!!! i hope the panthers game is even better!!
a plus is that my dad works the beer concessions on the 1st floor at the panthers games so free drinks dont hurt either!!


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Must Watch
Inspector Lewis
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Inspector Lewis
Oct 19, 2014TV Network - PBS
Poor Inspector Lewis. You see, while he's been an Inspector for years (back on "Inspector Morse" before there was an "Inspector Lewis"), he hasn't continually been an Inspector. He was, in fact, retired when this season began a couple of weeks ago. Of course, he's not retired right now, is he? Oh no, you can't keep doing the show if Lewis isn't an Inspector, because then he wouldn't be Inspector Lewis and that's totally the name of the show, "Inspector Lewis." Tonight is the final episode of the season, tune in and see if Lewis is still an Inspector when the credits roll.