By Matthew Mahmood
The elected Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Governor Rotimi Amaechi and NGF imposter Governor Jonah David Jang
On Saturday, the Chairman of the forum, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, asked his colleagues to shun a meeting called by a factional chairman of the forum, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State. Amaechi also described Jang in unflattering terms.
Jang, in a letter sent to governors on Friday, had invited them for a meeting holding in Abuja later today.
—Punch
“We Will Not Attend Scheduled Meeting”, Governors Tell Jang to stop impersonating Amaechi
Amaechi’s loyalists shun Jang-led NGF meeting •15 govs in attendance
15 Governors Attend Jang NGF Meeting
Rivers State Government (RSG) evacuated 113 destitute, lunatics and beggars off the streets. Out of the 113 evacuees, the amount that was deported to other states is unknown. Some were allegedly rehabilitated in Rivers State; they were presumed to be indigenes of Rivers State.
It will be recalled that Lagos State Government (LSG) denied deporting about 70 Igbo people to Onisha in Anambra State. LSG claimed that only 14 Anambra indigenes were sent back to their home state. Later, some Osun State indigenes were deported too. LSG is fond of deporting indegenes of other states e.g., Katsina, Ondo, Oyo and Ogun States in Nigeria.
Human Rights lawyer Mr Bamidele Aturu told the Punch in an interview that, “As far as I’m concerned, there is no way anyone can sensibly defend what Lagos State government and its officials did by forcefully taking some citizens of Nigeria out of Lagos and dumping them in Onitsha.
That action is unacceptable, it’s a clear violation of the constitution of Nigeria that the government of Lagos and all our public officials swore to uphold and defend at all times. Section 41 of the constitution is very clear, it says, “A citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereto or exit there from.” In other words, you can move freely from one part of Nigeria to another, regardless of where you come from, ethnic origin, status, employment status or your means. I read one of them saying that the people are not in control of their faculties, if somebody was not in charge of his faculty, how then did they decide where they came from? Why not take them to Akure or Ibadan?”
The Civil Liberties Organisation, Citizens Network for Peace and Development and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights have condemned the deportation of Nigerians from Lagos State. The deportation of Nigerians in Nigeria may continue if affected State Governments do not take radical action by returning the deportees back to the states they were deported from. Apart from helping the deportees to take legal action, they should tell deporting states like Rivers and Lagos States that they are not countries but mere states within a federation and should not send their indigenes to them unlawfully or forcefully again. Affected individuals aka deportees could send their petitions to the National Human Rights Commission in Nigeria and lawmakers from their state in the National Assembly could lobby a bill or constitute a debate on such shameful deportation in order to find a solution.
The Permanent Secretary of Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Mrs Stella Toby plus Mr Mina Jamabo, the leader of the ‘deportation’ committee should be suspended for turning themselves into Rivers State Border Agency and causing unlawful deportation of innocent people who are poor with mental health issues.
Is it a crime to be mentally ill and poor? Did they go through mental tests? Constituting a nuisance may not prove that a person is mental ill. Being homeless should not be classified as constituting a nuisance because LSG and RSG should do more to house people through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development since they generate high revenues annually. According to Amaechi's BBC 'HARDtalk' interview, Rivers State generates 20% of Nigeria's revenue out of 36 States and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
We hope Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State is not going to say that he was unaware of the evacuation of 113 beggars’ et al because cleansing Rivers State of poor people is not going to stop outlaws like Hon. Evans Bapakaye Bipi from roaming around with keys to the States House of Assembly after assaulting two of his colleagues during a failed impeachment saga. Mrs Toby claimed that the beggars and mentally ill destitute were causing problems. Did they cause more problems for Rivers State than Hon. Bipi and his mafia? The truth is bitter… Amaechi should not become more controversial than he is at the moment. You cannot call yourself a good Christian and carry out ungodly or unfair 'repatriation' of people rather than temper justice with mercy. If the motive was to follow the trend set by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State then Amaechi should remember that Fashola is not having sleepless nights inflicted by Aso Rockers and Lagos State House of Assembly is not closed but open for legislative business.
If such deportations continue, it could mean that one day, a governor (not Fashola or Amaechi) may wake up from the wrong side of the bed and order the deportation of Nigerian citizens with dual citizenship e.g., British and American citizens. Lagos State Environmental Law 2012 and the Lunacy Act, 1958 should not be misused to bundle people by their toes via citizen deportation in the same country. Joke: The excuse could be that they speak refined English and constitute a nuisance to Lagosians and Riverians who have never travelled out of Nigeria.
Lagos deports Osun indigenes too – Govt
The Lagos Deportation And The Law By Femi Falana
CLO Condemns Lagos’ Deportation Of Non-Indigenes
Breaking: Rivers State Deports 113 Non-Indegenes To Their Home States
Fashola Should Apologize For ‘Deporting’ Igbo People From Lagos – NGO
Chief Babatope faults Lagos govt on deportation of the Igbos
Rivers internally generated revenue hits N9.5b
Culled from Vanguard
