Yet millions of people continue to go to church, choosing to exercise their freedom of religion and to practice their faith.

We cannot watch in silence the substantial indifference that has accompanied these massacres and denials of religious freedom, a principle which is relevant to every religion.

1. Fourteen (14) years in a marital dissolution matter, where no party is raising objection, is enormous and I believe unprecedented, mired/knit with fraud, corruption, manipulation, and violation of court rules and process, secret trials, intimidation, lies, threats and all abuse of fundamental human rights – woman and child rights. Within this period the defendant has long remarried and raised another family.

2. I am the petitioner in matter SUIT NO: ID/308/2006 with CHINYERE IDIKA AGWU KALU as the defendant. We were married according to customs, Statutory and church ordinances (1992) in Lagos and the union is blessed with a son (1993), who Mr. Kalu abandoned at three months. Before two years into the marriage, Mr. Kalu instituted a divorce in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and subsequently remarried and started another family with no provision at all for us – mother and son. The case file, after a few hearings could not be located, causing my lawyer, Nigeria’s present Labour Minister of State, Barrister Festus Keyamo, to institute another case in Lagos which then made me the substantive petitioner (2006). Before 2006 in fact, to date, Mr. Kalu has not contributed in any way to our welfare and upkeep in spite of numerous appeals.

3. The defendant was gainfully employed as an Engineer Ashland Oil and a very senior officer of an American oil company in Nigeria then Addax petroleum; the brother of a former Minister of Finance in Federal Cabinet of Nigeria whose name and person reverberated in court (in a country where unfortunately Social Position and Money are yet to be separated from justice); chose as his lawyer the husband of a current Justice in Lagos State judiciary. These factors played a very crucial role in derailing the judicial process and landing us in a vicious trap of unending litigation.

4. The Nigerian legal system is meant to provide speedy and qualitative access to justice for her **citizens. The Nigerian Constitution in Chapter 4 provides for fundamental human rights protection and promotion for her citizens, a violation of which, redress can be sought in court. However, this is not the case in my situation as I have explored different aspects of the justice system to seek redress for the injustice done to me and my son, to no avail; worst still the problem continues in a heinous way.
POLICE
Meanwhile, a case of Child abuse, negligence, Bigamy, and Perjury was reported to the police. In response Mr. Kalu who claimed violation of his fundamental human rights filed a suit in Port Harcourt against four senior Police officers, including the Inspector General:

Four years, (while the welfare of the child waited as if it’s a piece of furniture) after, (22/04/2014), Justice S. A. Aliu found Mr. Kalu guilty of the criminal charges. To date, six years after, the NPF is yet to charge the matter to court, with respect to the Court order.
1. The matter since then has dragged in court with the bills of self and the child on me. An attempt to have an emergency respite from Mr. Kalu; with the concession of the trial judge was thwarted at the last moment as remittance was never effected. My son was forced out of school in his final year of study.
2. After this, I requested a change of Judge. In spite of several reminders, I was not communicated until after 2years. From then on till date, I was locked out of my matter. Even when in between I found out I wrote to withdraw the case without prejudice. Surprisingly, to date, the case is still going on in the court of yet another judge. So, since 2015 I have been kept in the dark about my matter.
The grounds on which I ask for a re-trial include:
i. Violation of all known Human Rights:
a. the right to be tried within a reasonable time b. by an impartial court or tribunal;
ii. Gross violation of court process;
iii. Absence of Transparency;
iv. Denial of fairness and equality before the law:
v. Intimidation, threats, and lies;
vi. Secrete Trial;
vii. Continuing a case two years after it has been withdrawn without prejudice.
viii. Violation of Child Rights - witnessed a lot of abuse and molestation, particularly abuse of Articles 3,6,9,10,19,24,28;
ix. Refusal to obey court order of a Lagos High Court Judge on the remittance of the balance of school fees of the child in UK University forcing my child out of school in his final year.
Judiciary is a very important and delicate arm of the government. As concluded cases set precedents and guide future rulings, mistakes of the judiciary are perpetuated which ultimately shapes the society. We must consider what legacy we leave for the future of women and children and the society at large.
I believe retrying and charging the criminal cases respectively present greater chances of correcting the wrongs of the past and setting aright record for the future. The contrary will leave a wrong legacy that will negate ALL positive efforts so far, impact and advancement on human, women and child rights globally.
While paying homage to the Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA) for their support, I believe Women worldwide must rise up and speak. The undue delay and the attendant cost in time, money and energy and all the intimidations, threats and lies are meant to discourage women from pursuing their rights. Although my son, the primary recipient of the judgment has been victimized, brutalized and totally abused and bruised, the next Nigerian child and woman should not. It is my earnest desire that wherever this case is cited, a woman of right standing receives justice; justice that translates to children’s welfare and protection.
• Women’s Right is Human Right.
• Justice for one Woman is justice for all.

On this day, the senate altered Section 29 (a) of the constitution that stipulates that a woman shall not be qualified for marriage until she attains 18 years of age, as they deleted age specification for women being married from the draft constitution and left the marriage age for women open.

This means that anyone can pick up any girl starting from age zero and get married to her under this new amendment. It is no surprise that the sponsor of this amendment is no other than senator Ahmad Sani Yerima, the former Governor of Zamfara State who, about two years ago, took a thirteen year old Egyptian girl as his bride, in violation of the constitution’s provision at that time.

The justification for this new law as presented by the above-named senator was Islamic law. According to him, a female has attained womanhood/adulthood once she is married. In this reverse reasoning, it is not the attainment of maturity or adulthood that qualifies for marriage rather it is marriage that confers adulthood.

This new law is a gross abuse of the rights of the child and portends great danger for the Nigerian girl-child in addition to all the other unresolved challenges that she currently faces. At a face glance, it is easy to pick out several negative implications that this can have for the enhancement of child-rights. At a deeper look, there are graver consequences.

This is the motivation for this petition.

Our concern therefore is that we find it shameful and unjustifiable that because the Federal Government is incapable of unmasking the cabal, let alone bringing them to book or even tackling corruption, the masses should bear the untold hardship that comes with the removal of petroleum subsidy rather than cutting the cost of governance and dealing with corruption.

Besides, with the global economic recession, the Nigerian government ought to mitigate rather than aggravate the sufferings of her people as do all responsible governments around the world.

Since the enactment of the Act, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has not contributed to the Fund. FGN's contributions would have demonstrated ownership, commitment and leadership and attracted donors and other contributors as anticipated in the Act. It would have also attracted counterpart funding from states and local governments thereby providing more resources for primary health care. The percentage of the budget allocated to health has been abysmally low; from 2014 till 2017, the health budget has not exceeded 5% of the entire National Budget, This flies in the face of the Abuja Declaration of 2001 stipulating 15% budgetary allocation to Health. Also, the funds released and utilised falls below the appropriated percentages.

Nigeria's maternal, newborn and child health indicators are very poor leading to high levels of mortality and morbidity whilst the state's obligation to use the maximum of available resources for the fulfilment of the right to health has been neglected.. Lives have been lost and the constitutional right to life of citizens is under threat.

Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), the Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) with the support of Citizens Wealth Platform and the Health Sector Reform Coalition call on all Nigerians to sign this petition for the allocation of not less than 1% of the CRF for the implementation of the Fund in the 2018 Federal Budget.

Sign up today to save lives and protect the well being of Nigerians!

THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT HAVE SO FAR CONFIRMED THERE IS VERY LITTLE OR NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT THE DISPLACED PEOPLE. I AM HANDING MYSELF AND FAMILY OVER TO THE UNITED NATIONS TO HAVE US RESETTLED IN A COUNTRY WHERE WE CAN HAVE OUR LIFE AGAIN.

Nigerian widows across the spectrum of ethnic groups, educational and income position are subjected to eviction from the family home and the seizing not merely of household properties but even intellectual assets such as pension, and share certificates, wills, and life insurance, benefits, entitlements. This has helped to making widowhood to having a brutal and irrevocable impact on widows children. Poverty has forced most Nigerian widows’ children out of the school, exposing them to the dangers of exploitations in child labour, prostitution, early and forced child marriage, trafficking, and sale.

Many Nigerian widows due to extreme poverty, are forced to be sleeping in the open places, in market places, uncompleted buildings, struggling to survive and shunned by oppressive societies that strip them of their dignity. In Nigeria , widows suffer isolation, deprivation, abuse and are afflicted . Disinheritance of widows and denial of right to own property further help to worsen the poverty level among widows in Nigeria. yet little, still, is understood – much less done – about their plight. They are forced to suffer in silence. Network of Caring Women initiated Care Unit Meeting for Widows(a.k.a Lady Universe,) aimed at their empowerment and to work together as organized group to be in the fore front in the campaign for the promotion and protection of their rights. Network of Women sent letter to the President Federal Republic of Nigeria, the legislature and the judiciary requesting for the establishment of the Commission for Widows, and enactment of a National law for the protection of widows.

By Establishing Widows Commission the Federal government of Nigeria would used this 50th year of Jubilee in Nigeria to do what is just and right which is long-overdue, to set the oppressed widows in Nigeria free.

Posted by Simon Ateba
Their hopelessness is total and their tears and pains are ubiquitous. Relief for workers at the liquidated Nigeria Airways is nowhere near. Victor Ogunyinka recently attended their annual meeting and reports on their devastating conditions after 10 years without their entitlements.

By Victor Ogunyinka/Lagos

......

Since 2002, Nigeria has been left without a national carrier in the aviation sector that automatically paved the way for influx of private participation which has no doubt ushered in developments in the aviation sector. But for all its worth, for about 11 years and counting, the staff of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, have gone from being proud civil servants and patriotic countrymen to bunch of clueless aging and dying pensioners.

The news of another colleague passing on to the world beyond seems like an everyday affair and while they wallow in penury and untold hardship due to their unpaid gratuities and entitlements, the surviving ones are battling with different ailments instead of enjoying the fruits of their years after service.
A part in the first stan
....

The 47 years reign of the national carrier came to an abrupt end in 2002. Before the eventual fold up, it experienced neglect and lack of fund from the then government; maintenance of the aircrafts was minimal, salaries weren't coming in at the right time. With that, it became imminent for the Federal Government to consider it for privitisation. It is noteworthy to emphasize that Nigeria happens to be so fortunate in the history of aviation particularly in Africa; Nigeria was the first African country to have international route passing through it and with the development, it happens to be the country in Africa with two international corridors.

Another member of the union, who spoke on the condition of anonymity emphasized that the fact must be revealed and explained without acrimony. He lamented that the liquidation of the national carrier had affected the growth of the economy in no small measure. He further explained that Nigeria has a country has lost all its means of transportation to miscalculated privitisation and as a result, the road, which now happens to be the only surviving general means of transportation has suffered from the setbacks.

In the first quarter or 2013, the then governor of the CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, came out confidently to say that foreign carriers made 17 billion dollars out of our airports and to a great extent, Nigerian Airways would have had some cut. Somebody once said that the aviation industry is one that you invest billions and at the end, you hope to get one per cent profit. You see, one per cent of one million is not the same as one per cent of one billion. Our elites must come together; we are losing a lot of money everyday.

With over 5000 people affected in the liquidation who apparently were breadwinners and pillars of their families and relatives alike, the multiplier effect of that lot could be close to half a million people, who have had their sources of getting good education, having food on their tables or having any form of meaningful living cut short.

The bitterness and contempt mixed with frustration in the voices of some of the affected pensioners was a reflection of how hard and unbearable their present predicament is.

...Looking for a national carrier is not a six month project, if it is done properly; it is going to require nothing less than three years with serious commitment. So, any minister who will tell me he is looking for a new national carrier as if he will last three years is joking. The people to make it happen are the ones you are seeing here now; they are well trained, they will give you the guidelines. What you have in the aviation industry today is the residual knowledge of the Nigerian airways staff that are holding the place now, remove the Nigerian Airways staff and there will not be any aviation because who is training new people now? Nobody. Who is building on what we have left? Nobody. It is unfortunate.

The anonymous pensioner analysed that during the active days of Nigeria Airways, security and safety was what made them outstanding.

Nigerian airways lasted 47 years and recorded just nine incidence; three fatal crashes, one hijack among others. With the exit of Nigerian Airways, within 52 days, there were five fatal crashes; from EAS to bellview, not to talk of Dana. Let someone have the audacity to check the records. So what development are we talking about?

John Kennedy once said, the rich must not go to sleep because the poor are hungry, the poor are hungry and that is why they cannot sleep.

Whether we like it or not, we have just this country and we have to listen to each other no matter the acrimony hence, the labours of our heroes past could go in vain.

Victor can be contacted on ogunyinkavictor@gmail.com

How come the bloody and ferocious ethnic cleansing exercise directed against them in 1966, an operation that has never really stopped, has only now taken form of these one-sided contemporary attacks.

The Igbos and other Biafrans assume that their citizenship would offer them protection, if not by the respect of citizenship by fellow-citizenry, then as the duty of the State of Nigeria.