Saturday, April 30, 2016

USA Africa Dialogue Series - STAR EDITORIALS: Errant Nigerian Judges, Necessary Sanctions {Re: STAR INFORMATION: Revealed - How Rickey Tarfa bribed Appeal Court judge, High Court CJ, Others


My People:

The Bible reserves the worst curses on judges who conspire to undermine justice:

QUOTE

The Corrupt Judge of the Bible

When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. Ecclesiastes 8:11

The United States of America has 5% of the world's population and
67% of the world's lawyers.

Select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. Exodus 18:21-22

Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. Leviticus 19:15

I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien. Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it. Deuteronomy 1:16-17

Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 16:18-20

Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man, but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. 2 Chronicles 19:6-7

Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Psalm 58:1-3

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9

Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:15-17

Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them. Isaiah 1:23

Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. Jeremiah 5:26-28

The leaders judge for a bribe, priests teach for a price, and prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the Lord and say, "Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us." Micah 3:11

Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire--they all conspire together. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. Micah 7:3-4

Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God. Her officials are roaring lions, her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning . . . the unrighteous know no shame. Zephaniah 3:1-5

In the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:2

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.Romans 2:1

If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure. Proverbs 29:14

Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. 2 Chronicles 19:6-7

__________________
Biblical quotations are from the New International Version,


UNQUOTE


The above should be sewn into the clothes of our Nigerian judges.

And there you have it.


Bolaji Aluko



EDITORIALS:

1.  Sanctions for corrupt Judges - Guardian
2.  Errant Judges - It is Not enough to retire: let's prosecute them  - The Nation



GUARDIAN

Sanctions for corrupt judges

By Editorial Board   |   29 April 2016   |   3:16 am

The recent sanction carried out by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on Justice Idris Evuti and Justice Tanko Usman of the Niger State High Court for allegedly falsifying their dates of birth, and on Justice O. Gbajabiamila of the Lagos State High Court for delaying delivery of judgment for about two years, is a courageous and commendable action. Coming on the heels of the Federal Government's anti-corruption drive, and especially on the sanitisation of the judiciary, the NJC has candidly matched action with the forceful declaration made by the Attorney-General of the Federation to deal with unscrupulous elements on the Bench.

With this level of commitment to ridding the judiciary of odium and impropriety, the confidence the people once had in the citadel of justice would be re-built.

Based on petitions filed to the NJC by Mohammed Idris Eggun against Justices Evuti and Usman of the Niger State High Court over falsification of their dates of birth, the fact-finding committee set up by the NJC found that Justice Evuti used three different dates of birth in service (September 15, 1950, April 10, 1953, April 1, 1951), while Justice Usman was still in service when he should have retired. As for Justice Gbajabiamila, a petition filed by Mr. C. A. Candide-Johnson (SAN) alleged that, among other misconducts, the former delivered judgment in a suit 22 months after written addresses were adopted by counsel, and 35 months after close of evidence, and did not publish a copy of the judgment he delivered on December 24, 2013 until 40 days after. All these allegations are contrary to the 1999 Constitution and rules of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.

As a penalty for these cases of misconduct, some of which border on criminality, the NJC committee recommended the compulsory retirement of Evuti with immediate effect as well as the deduction from his gratuity all salaries received by him from September 2015 to date. With respect to Usman, it only recommended the deduction from his gratuity all salaries received by him from June 2015, since it already accepted his retirement with effect from March 1, 2016, whilst it recommended the compulsory retirement of Gbajabiamila.

By their misconduct in service, these judges put themselves in positions and circumstances that compromised their professional integrity and expected personal moral character. Age falsification has been known to be an affliction of civil servants and public officers. Apart from presenting an inauthentic state of affairs that is injurious to history, the altered ages of the judges robbed the state of its resources and funds. By reducing their dates of birth, the judges stole from the state, and denied others the benefits that would have come to them.

On the other hand, Gbajabiamila's action is representative of the wanton miscarriage of justice by unscrupulous judicial officers, who in recent times, have tarnished the image of the noble profession. That Justice Gbajabiamila would delay delivery of judgment for 35 months after close of evidence is an indication of how deep the dereliction of duty is being accommodated by some judges. It brings out in bold relief the many unspoken incidents of injustice, poor management and utter disregard for constitutional provisions by those who ought to be its most faithful custodians.

Whilst it could be argued in certain quarters that, as public officers, judges are susceptible to the same moral currents pervading the general public order, their position represents the significant minority that should of necessity be the moral compass of the society. Notwithstanding the misunderstood idea of impartiality that separates law from morals, judges are custodians of public morality which the law seeks to uphold. The dispensation of justice which forms a cardinal function of the judge would be virtually impossible if the judge possesses no moral sense. The concept of a good dispenser of justice that is said to be an immoral and an unethical person is a contradiction in terms. A judge or jurist cannot be a good administrator of the law if he is not a morally conscious individual. He is a moral light for the society.

The bold action of the NJC to restore the integrity of the judiciary is commendable. As more and more questionable elements are sanctioned, the insidious moral decadence that has crept into the judiciary would begin to gradually fall until it finally disappears.

These isolated cases may suggest that the NJC is assuring Nigerians of its resolve to act decisively on cases of judicial abuse. However, as it carries out its respectable role as the highest judicial body in the country, the NJC must not fall into the temptation of politicising its actions. It should diligently and promptly act on reports that should come not only from senior and influential lawyers but also from ordinary citizens, through the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other groups representing the citizens. As this newspaper has always admonished, it is not enough to sanction the judges, the logical end of the misconduct, which is appropriate legal action, should be followed through. Erring judges should be prosecuted and be made to serve the required terms of conviction if found guilty.


THE NATION


Errant judges 

•It's not enough to retire. Let's prosecute them

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the compulsory retirement of Justices O. Gbajabiamila of the High Court of Lagos State and Idris M. J. Evuti of the High Court of Niger State, over professional misconduct. The commission also recommended that both Justices Tanko Yusuf Usman of High Court of Niger State, whose retirement had earlier been accepted, and Justice Evuti, should refund monies paid to them, for the months they gained by tampering with their birth records. We hope that the judges would also be tried, if by their conduct they breached any law of the land, apart from the usual punishment of compulsory retirement by the NJC.

Not long ago, we had canvassed that judges who soil their esteemed reputation should, in addition to retirement be prosecuted under the law, as a deterrent to abuses from the bench. Our position is premised on the grave consequences of a judge, who literally exercises the power of life and death, engaging in a misdemeanour. Such a procedure we canvassed would deter judges who are the hallowed guardians of our democracy and the proverbial common man, from bringing that institution to disrepute.

For the present cases, we urge the NJC to critically examine the issues raised against the judges and determine those that require further investigations by prosecuting agencies, and forward their files to them. The cases against the judges, as stated by the acting director of information, the NJC, Soji Oye, are as varied as they are intriguing.

Justice Gbajabiamila, according to Mr. Oye, was retired over his handling of suit no. ID/1279/2007, P. K.Ojo vs SDV & SCOA Nigeria Plc., for which he reportedly delivered judgment 22 months after written addresses were filed, well beyond the 90 days prescribed by the 1999 constitution.

The judge was also alleged to have continued to hear the suit after being notified of the pendency of an appeal and a motion for stay, at the court of appeal. He also failed to make available a copy of the judgment, 40 days after the judgment, many weeks above the seven days provided for by the constitution. On his part, Justice Evuti allegedly used three different birthdays over the years. He was reported to have alternatively professed his birth days as September 15, 1950, April 10, 1953 and April 1, 1951. The NJC consequently recommended that salaries earned from September 2015, when he should have retired be recovered and sent back to NJC, which paid the salaries.

The other judge, Justice Usman, affected by the investigation done by the NJC, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, sent in his retirement papers, which were accepted, before the commission met. He was accused of falsifying his age, and the commission consequently requested the Niger State government to deduct the salaries paid to him from June 2015, when he should have retired from the Bench. The report also said that the petition written against Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, was unsubstantiated.

Even with or without further intervention by prosecutor agencies, it is sad that judges would be engaged in some of the misdemeanours listed against the compulsorily retired judges. What would make a judge flagrantly break the laws of the land, by treating a matter before him with laxity? Also why would a judge invested with an office that requires high moral rectitude, engage in shuffling his year of birth, over and over?

We urge our judges to always be above board, to gift Nigerians the all-important trust and confidence in that vital artery of any modern state.

________________________________________________________________________________________



On Fri, Apr 29, 2016 at 3:25 AM, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:


My People:

Why were these judges being bribed by our "smart" SAN lawyers?  Election petitions, corruption cases, etcheram, ad nauseum.?  

We must follow the money and the ensuing judgments....

Examples MUST be made of these lawyers and judges if and when found guilty...the bench, the bar must be Augean-stable cleansed....

And there you have it.


Bolaji Aluko

___________________________________________________________________









________________________________________________________________________________________________________


How Rickey Tarfa bribed Appeal Court judge, High Court CJ, ors

Details
Written by Tim Elombah
 Published: 26 April 2016

More facts are continuing to emerge over the travails of popular lawyer, Rickey Tarfa [SAN] who is currently undergoing trial for alleged bribery to a judge

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are claiming more discoveries whereby Tarfa allegedly bribed more judges.

Involved in the brewing imbroglio are Appeal Court Judge, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, and two others.

The EFCC claims that these judges received millions of Naira from Rickey Tarfa.

The anti-graft agency also alleges that Tarfa transferred huge sums of money to several other judges, including a female member of the Court of Appeal, Justice Uwani Abba-Aji.

She reportedly received N8 million from Mr. Tarfa.

Justice Abba-Aji was reportedly instrumental in the election petition cases of Delta and Akwa Ibom after the 2015 general elections. 

One of her renowned judgements was the controversial verdict that election card readers were not legitimate ways of determining votes. 

EFCC investigators also found that Mr. Tarfa transferred funds to a bank account belonging to the Chief Judge of Nigeria, Ibrahim Auta. 

EFCC sources also alleged that he deposited N500,000 into the Chief Judge's account. 

Mr. Tarfa is currently facing trial for allegedly paying a bribe of N225, 000 into the bank account of Justice Mohammed Yunusa in January 2014. 

The EFCC also accuses Mr. Tarfa of receiving the sum of $500,000 from one of his clients in 2006 ostensibly to bribe "court and EFCC officials." 

The investigators also claims that Mr. Tarfa and four other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) "donated" N7 million to launch a book written in honor of Justice Auta, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

According to sources, the EFCC has found an additional transfer of funds made by Mr. Tarfa to Justice Auta. 

In his statement of defense, Mr. Tarfa had claimed that some of the transfers were for the hiring of two retired judges, Mustapha Abdullahi, and Oponu-Wusu. 

However, a lawyer told SaharaReporters that Nigeria's legal practice rules prohibit retired judges working in law chambers.

Justice Yunusa, the first to be named in Mr. Tarfa's bribery saga, has been transferred from the Federal High Court in Lagos to Enugu after he rejected his transfer to Yobe State. 

Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, who is also allegedly ensnared in the bribery scandal, serves in the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. 

Embattled Mr. Tarfa claimed that he paid money to Justice Nganjiwa because the judge was part of Mr. Tarfa's law firm before he was appointed the bench in 2012. 

However, the lawyer's defense crumbled when EFCC investigators discovered that part of the N5 million the lawyer had paid into Justice Nganjiwa's account was later routed to Justice Yunusa.

Legal practitioners, meanwhile, are expressing outrage that the judges named in Tarfa's bribery web continue to preside over cases.

That, despite the commencement of the trial of Mr. Tarfa and another lawyer at the center of the bribery.



___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SAHARA REPORTS

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKAPR 25, 2016



Appeal Court Judge, Chief Judge Of The Federal High Court Of Nigeria, Two Other Judges Received Millions From Rickey Tarfa


Agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have discovered more damning evidence that a well-known lawyer, Rickey Tarfa, currently undergoing trial for alleged bribery to a judge, transferred huge sums of money to several other judges, including a female member of the Court of Appeal, Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, who reportedly received N8 million from Mr. Tarfa. Justice Abba-Aji played a key role in election petition cases in the hotly contested states of Delta and Akwa Ibom after the 2015 general elections.

Justice Abba-Aji was one of the appellate justices who gave the controversial verdict that election card readers were not legitimate ways of determining votes. Some judicial watchers believe the ruling gave a leeway to election riggers in both states.

In 2009 and 2010, SaharaReporters reported that Justice Abba-Aji was one of the justices who accepted millions of naira in inducement to uphold the validity of the election of the late President Umaru Yar'Adua. Mr. Yar'Adua himself conceded that the election had significant irregularities. 

EFCC investigators also found that Mr. Tarfa transferred funds to a bank account belonging to the Chief Judge of Nigeria, Ibrahim Auta. A source at the anti-corruption agency disclosed that Mr. Tarfa made a one-time deposit of N500, 000 into the Chief Judge's account. "He is yet to explain why he paid the money to the Chief Judge," the source told our correspondent. 

Mr. Tarfa is currently facing trial for allegedly paying a bribe of N225, 000 into the bank account of Justice Mohammed Yunusa in January 2014. The EFCC also accuses Mr. Tarfa of receiving the sum of $500,000 from one of his clients in 2006 ostensibly to bribe "court and EFCC officials." 

Investigators have also alleged that Mr. Tarfa and four other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) "donated" N7 million to launch a book written in honor of Justice Auta, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. According to our source, the EFCC has found an additional transfer of funds made by Mr. Tarfa to Justice Auta. 

In his statement of defense, Mr. Tarfa had claimed that some of the transfers were for the hiring of two retired judges, Mustapha Abdullahi, and Oponu-Wusu. However, a lawyer told SaharaReporters that Nigeria's legal practice rules prohibit retired judges working in law chambers.

Justice Yunusa, the first to be named in Mr. Tarfa's bribery saga, has been transferred from the Federal High Court in Lagos to Enugu after he rejected his transfer to Yobe State. Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, who is also allegedly ensnared in the bribery scandal, serves in the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. 

The embattled Mr. Tarfa claimed that he paid money to Justice Nganjiwa because the judge was part of Mr. Tarfa's law firm before he was appointed the bench in 2012. However, the lawyer's defense crumbled when EFCC investigators discovered that part of the N5 million the lawyer had paid into Justice Nganjiwa's account was later routed to Justice Yunusa.

Some legal practitioners are enraged that the judges named in Mr. Tarfa's widening bribery scandal continue to preside over cases despite the commencement of the trial of Mr. Tarfa and another lawyer at the center of the bribery. "They should at least be suspended until the investigations and trials are concluded," said an Abuja-based lawyer. 

The lawyer added that it was odd that Mr. Tarfa continues to sit as a member of the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee. The body is responsible for awarding the title of Senior Advocates of Nigeria to legal practitioners. The lawyer recalled that a lawyer, Kunle Kalejaiye, who was caught illicitly communicating with a judge in Osun State, was disrobed, adding that Justice Thomas Naron, who was involved, was removed.

"It is truly sad that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmud Mohammed, has not acted expeditiously to suspend the judges accused of involvement in the bribery perpetrated by Rickey Tarfa and Joseph Nwobike, both of them Senior Advocates of Nigeria," said the lawyer.

_______________________________________________________________________



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USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: DECLARATION OF HUMAN RESPONSIBILITIES?‹Re: A Farewell to Civil Political Discourse?

What is most exasperating about the examples of that kind of c-rudeness in responding to Professor Ayo Olukotun is that he certainly does not deserve any of that since his columns all in the national interest, are usually so balanced and nuanced, that it's unlikely to cause any offence or contrariness in normal human beings, save the abject, foul-mouthed partisans, miscreants & "street urchins", apparently still navigating the national space with their blinkers on.

There are other columnists – such as Mark Steyn who is usually deliberately provocative – that's his style – but not Professor Ayo Olukotun's columns which are always loaded with good advice given directly or explicitly implied. On the other hand it's understandable that the idol worshippers among us cannot countenance any deficiency whatsoever in their idols and could regard any criticism by Professor Olukotun as a provocation to be stoutly resisted by at least some verbal jihad….

The formula is simple : respect begets respect – or am I supposed to respect someone who does not respect me? Certainly not!

Here's some good advice on civil political discourse…

As for me, there are amongst others Prophet Obadiah and I read his book (smile) just moments ago...



On Saturday, 30 April 2016 19:02:49 UTC+2, mvickers wrote:

We all hold close our Rights and Freedoms—including of course, Freedom of Speech;  
Indeed Rights rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1949); 
And going back to the French Revolution (1789) and the Declaration of the Rights of Man.

What about a Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities? See: 
Something for Our Dave/ Buhari/ Obama and other World oligarchs, as well as ourselves, to ponder. 

MV

From: Francis Egbokhare <foegb...@yahoo.com>
Date: Saturday, 30 April 2016 08:41
To: Prof Ayo OLUKOTUN <ayo_ol...@yahoo.com>
Cc: Prof Toyin FALOLA <toyin...@austin.utexas.edu>, USA-AFRICA dialogue <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>, Tade Aina <tadeak...@yahoo.com>, Prof Taiwo OWOEYE <siste...@hotmail.com>, takehinde <take...@yahoo.com>, "Dr O.A. DOSUMU" <to...@yahoo.com>, Attahiru Jega <attahi...@yahoo.com>, Oluwayomi D ATTE <david...@yahoo.com>, Attehsun <atte...@yahoo.com>, Prof Richard JOSEPH <r-jo...@northwestern.edu>, Adigun Agbaje <adigun...@yahoo.com>, Adebayo <adeb...@hotmail.com>, Adebayo Olukoshi <oluk...@gmail.com>, Michael VICKERS <mvic...@mvickers.plus.com>, Obadare Ebenezer Babatunde <oba...@ku.edu>, Obadiah Mailafia <obmai...@gmail.com>, Ladipo ADAMOLEKUN <dip...@yahoo.com>, Dr Olajumoke YACOB-HALISO <jum...@yahoo.co.uk>, Akinjide OSUNTOKUN <josun...@yahoo.com>, Akinlawon Mabogunje <mabogu...@yahoo.com>, akin osuntokun <akinos...@yahoo.com>, Lanre Idowu <lanre...@gmail.com>, Adebimpe <bimp...@gmail.com>, adele jinadu <laji...@yahoo.com>, "tale...@yahoo.com" <tale...@yahoo.com>, Tayo Balogun <tbalo...@yahoo.com>, Tiwa <tiwaol...@yahoo.com>, Tunde Bewaji <tunde....@gmail.com>, Tunji Olaopa <tolao...@gmail.com>, tony afejuku <tonya...@yahoo.com>, "twas...@yahoo.co.uk" <twas...@yahoo.co.uk>, Dr Banji OYEYINKA <boye...@hotmail.com>, "bokwe...@yahoo.co.uk" <bokwe...@yahoo.co.uk>, bolaji akinyemi <rot...@yahoo.com>, Bunmi Makinwa <bunmim...@hotmail.com>, bukky dada <bukk...@hotmail.com>, Chibuzo NWOKE <chibuz...@yahoo.com>, Christian Ogbondah <chris.o...@uni.edu>, "dapo.thomas" <dapo....@yahoo.com>, Deji Olaolu Haastrup <DejiHa...@chevron.com>, Dele Layiwola <delela...@yahoo.com>, Dele Seteolu <fola...@yahoo.com>, Emmanuel Remi Aiyede <eai...@yahoo.com>, Employ Lawone <employ...@aol.com>, Ephraim Aor <rainbo...@gmail.com>, "fade...@oauife.edu.ng" <fade...@oauife.edu.ng>, Femi Falana <falan...@yahoo.com>, Femi Osofisan <okinba...@yahoo.com>, Festus Adedayo <fesad...@yahoo.com>, Francis Irele <abiol...@gmail.com>, Gabriel Ogunmola <gbogu...@yahoo.com>, Glory Ukwenga <gloryu...@gmail.com>, Habib Aruna <habibli...@gmail.com>, Hassan Saliu <hassans...@gmail.com>, Innocent Chukwuma <I.Chu...@fordfoundation.org>, "isu...@yahoo.com" <isu...@yahoo.com>, "jgs...@gmail.com" <jgs...@gmail.com>, Kayode Soremekun <paddyk...@yahoo.com>, Pa Uoma <pau...@gmail.com>, Prof Dipo Kolawole <profko...@yahoo.com>, "Prof. Lere Amusan" <lerea...@gmail.com>, Prof Bayo ADEKANYE <profbayo...@yahoo.com>, Wale Adebanwi <walead...@gmail.com>, William Fawole <faw...@yahoo.com>, Mamora <senato...@yahoo.com>, Meda <med...@yahoo.com>, Niyi Osundare <oosu...@uno.edu>, Noel Ihebuzor <noel.i...@gmail.com>, Odia OFEIMUN <odi...@yahoo.com>, Olatundun Janet Adelegan <olatu...@yahoo.com>, Sam Ohuabunwa <s...@samohuabunwa.com>, "sany...@yahoo.co.uk" <sany...@yahoo.co.uk>, SEGUN GBADEGESIN <gbade...@yahoo.com>, Segun Awonusi <segu...@yahoo.com>, "stel...@yahoo.com" <stel...@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: A Farewell to Civil Political Discourse?

I believe that these tendencies start from the higher institutions and are nurtured by unionism. There is a small platform I lead at the university of Ibadan Senior Staff Club where issues like this can be subject of a conversation. If nothing is done to alert the society that this is not normal behavior, it will not augur well for our future. I would like to extend an open invitation to anyone willing to start the conversation. Believe me truth is that being abusive is now equated with being critical and radical. We see only what people write but verbal exchanges are much worse. Now look at the way we drive, you would understand that we are at the verge of an explosion. These are symptoms of anger, frustration and helplessness. People just take it out on those within reach.

Sent from my iPhone

On 30 Apr 2016, at 03:12 AM, ayo_ol...@yahoo.com wrote:

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

From: Niyi Akinnaso <niyi...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 11:17:51 -0700
Cc: Ngozi<mediawo...@yahoo.com>; Adagbo Onoja<adagb...@gmail.com>; Omatsola Edema<charli...@yahoo.co.uk>; eojo12000<eojo...@yahoo.com>; Mayortk<may...@yahoo.com>; Omo Adugbe<omoa...@gmail.com>; abiodun raufu<abiodu...@yahoo.com>; <akindij...@gmail.com>; Okey Ibeanu<oib...@yahoo.co.uk>; Ndifreke ette<ndifre...@yahoo.com>; Olanrewaju Smart<wasiu...@gmail.com>; Olatunde Babawale<tunde_b...@yahoo.com>; Francis Irele<abiol...@gmail.com>; Olayemi Foline Folorunsho<offlin...@gmail.com>; Festus Adedayo<fesad...@yahoo.com>; Nwulu, Paul<p.n...@fordfoundation.org>; Fisayo Olatinwo<mfola...@yahoo.co.uk>; Margaret Solo-Anaeto<soloanaeto.margaret@gmail.com>; Abigail Ogwezzy-Nd<abiga...@yahoo.com>; Koyinsola Owoeye<stik...@hotmail.com>; maggie anaeto<maga...@yahoo.co.uk>; Nduka Otiono<Nduka....@carleton.ca>; Olalekan Odukoya<olalekan...@gtbank.com>; Abubakar Momoh<amomo...@yahoo.com>; <nkec...@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Fw: Fw: A Farewell to Civil Political Discourse?

Ayo,

Take heart. Recall you were the first person to draw my attention to the rain of abuses showered on me for my Tuesday column on Osun three weeks ago, titled "The story about Osun". You also pointed out that none of the critics engaged the content of my article, which was replete with facts and figures.

The ecology of abuse in Nigeria will make an interesting study because the moral fabric of the society has been shredded by social, economic, political, and legal abuses. What did the APC not call Jonathan when he was president, and what did the PDP not say about Buhari during and after the 2015 elections until Buhari began to expose the PDP's  economic abuses? And what have our SANs not said or done to get looters free, in order to have their own share of the loot increased?

The erosion of politeness and civility in our language is palpable, being promoted partly by these abuses, partly by frustration, partly by ignorance, partly by blind partisanship, and partly by online media, which provide a safe distance between interlocutors.

Niyi Akinnaso

On Apr 29, 2016 11:11 AM, <ayo_ol...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

From: Obadiah Mailafia <obmai...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 15:57:04 +0100
To: Prof Ayo OLUKOTUN<ayo_ol...@yahoo.com>
Cc: Toyin Falola<toyin...@austin.utexas.edu>; Usa dialogue<usaafric...@googlegroups.com>; Dr. Awolowo Dosunmu<to...@yahoo.com>; Abiodun Salawu<Abiodun...@nwu.ac.za>; Tade Aina<tadeak...@yahoo.com>; Taiwo Owoeye<siste...@hotmail.com>; takehinde<take...@yahoo.com>; <tale...@yahoo.com>; Michael Vickers<mvic...@mvickers.plus.com>; Pa Uoma<pau...@gmail.com>; Paddy<paddyk...@yahoo.com>; Prof Dipo Kolawole<profko...@yahoo.com>; Prof Bayo Adekanye<profbayo...@yahoo.com>; Richard Joseph<r-jo...@northwestern.edu>; Raufu Mustapha<raufu.m...@qeh.ox.ac.uk>; Remi Sonaiya<remis...@yahoo.com>; Reuben Abatti<abat...@yahoo.com>; Ndifreke ette<ndifre...@yahoo.com>; Nduka Otiono<Nduka....@carleton.ca>; Ngozi<mediawo...@yahoo.com>; Niyi Osundare<oosu...@uno.edu>; Niyi Akinnaso<niyi...@gmail.com>; Joel Nwokeoma<joel...@yahoo.com>; Attahiru Jega<attahi...@yahoo.com>; Attehsun<atte...@yahoo.com>; david atte<david...@yahoo.com>; Banji Oyeyinka<boye...@hotmail.com>; bankole omotoso<aji...@outlook.com>; bimbola adelakun<adunn...@yahoo.com>; Bisi Falola<bisif...@gmail.com>; <bokwe...@yahoo.co.uk>; Bolaji Akinyemi<rot...@gmail.com>; Bunmi Makinwa<bunmim...@hotmail.com>; bukky dada<bukk...@hotmail.com>; chibuzo nwoke<chibuz...@yahoo.com>; <akindij...@gmail.com>; Jibo<jib...@yahoo.com>; Jide Oluwajuyitan<joluwa...@gmail.com>; Jide Owoeye<babso...@gmail.com>; Sam Ohuabunwa<s...@samohuabunwa.com>; <sany...@yahoo.co.uk>; SEGUN GBADEGESIN<gbade...@yahoo.com>; segunawo<segu...@yahoo.com>; <stel...@yahoo.com>; Mamora<senato...@yahoo.com>; Mayortk<may...@yahoo.com>; Dr. Badru Ronald Olufemi<femmy...@gmail.com>; Emmanuel Remi Aiyede<eai...@yahoo.com>; Francis Egbokhare<foegb...@yahoo.com>; Haastrup, Deji Olaolu<de...@chevron.com>; Hafsat Abiola<hafsat...@hotmail.com>; Gabriel Ogunmola<gbogu...@yahoo.com>; Innocent Chukwuma<I.Chu...@fordfoundation.org>; Nwulu, Paul<p.n...@fordfoundation.org>; Wale Adebanwi<walead...@gmail.com>; William Fawole<faw...@yahoo.com>; Lai Olurode<olu...@yahoo.com>; Lanre Idowu<lanre...@gmail.com>; lanre oluwaniyi<lanr...@hotmail.com>; Margaret Ayansola<mdaya...@gmail.com>; Femi Falana<falan...@yahoo.com>; Festus Adedayo<fesad...@yahoo.com>; Femi Osofisan<okinba...@yahoo.com>; Tolulope Sajobi<ttsa...@ucalgary.ca>; Tayo Balogun<tbalo...@yahoo.com>; Tiwa<tiwaol...@yahoo.com>; Asaolu Taiwo<twas...@yahoo.co.uk>; Tunji Olaopa<tolao...@gmail.com>; Tunde Bewaji<tunde....@gmail.com>; Kehinde Emoruwa<emor...@yahoo.com>; olukotun bob-kunle<bobk...@yahoo.com>; Osaghae Eghosa<osagha...@yahoo.co.uk>; Odia Ofeimun<odi...@yahoo.com>; Oladipupo Adamolekun<dip...@yahoo.com>; Olufemi Adesina<kuli...@yahoo.com>; Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso<jum...@yahoo.co.uk>; dapo.thomas<dapo....@yahoo.com>; Dele Layiwola<delela...@yahoo.com>; Isaac Albert<ioalbe...@yahoo.com>; <isu...@yahoo.com>; Iyabobola Ajibola<iyabo...@gmail.com>; antonia simbine<tsom...@yahoo.com>; <anu...@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Fw: A Farewell to Civil Political Discourse?

Well done Prof. Your writings are always so fair and so civilised, with a depth of knowledge that is uncommon. You have to shrug off the little intemperate irritants who think they can ride their way to fame by attacking you. May your pen continue to flow to His glory!

Obadiah Mailafia

On Fri, Apr 29, 2016 at 1:25 PM, <ayo_ol...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

From: Vahyala Kwaga <vik...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 12:05:19 +0100
Subject: Re: A Farewell to Civil Political Discourse?

Dear Sir,

I trust this meets you well.

I just finished reading your Friday piece at the Punch back page ("Friday Musings with...."). 

I must say that despite the fact that you obviously do not deserve the abuse and needless insults you get from Nigerians- it is something that cannot end. I believe that there is a relationship between one's education level and the way he or she addresses others. Note that a lot of Nigerians may be 'book smart' but they are not educated in the very least. The fact that it happens world over is a simple confirmation of this fact.

Going through Social Media these days is enough to give one nausea when seeing how simple analysis-devoid of sentiment-is turned back on the writer with insult to boot! Writing in the public space is never easy and I applaud you for doing so. Keep up the writing, one day it might get past their thick skulls.

Do enjoy your day.

Best,

Vahyala (writing from Lagos Island, Lagos)

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USA Africa Dialogue Series - Literary Hub: The Secret Bookstores of Buenos Aires: Visiting the City's Invisible Bookshops, Behind Closed Doors

http://lithub.com/the-secret-bookstores-of-buenos-aires/


Literary Hub: The Secret Bookstores of Buenos Aires: Visiting the City's Invisible Bookshops, Behind Closed Doors 

A little known fact about Buenos Aires: it boasts the most bookstores per capita of any city in the world. Along the stretch of Avenida Corrientes leading west from the Obelisk, one window display after another boasts a spate of new releases, while stands in San Telmo's historic market and along the walkways of the city's parks offer a dizzying selection of used and rare books. There's even a dimly-lit nook where shoppers can peruse worn volumes in English. The most opulent among these urban jewels is, of course, the Ateneo Grand Splendid on Avenida Santa Fe, a liberally gilded and frescoed former theater that houses both a vast array of titles and a café set apart from the store by the venue's original velvet curtains.

But the story doesn't end there. In recent years, a new kind of bookstore has taken root in Buenos Aires. It would be easy to miss these indier-than-indie shops, which have no storefront and don't tend to advertise, but despite their relative invisibility, or perhaps because of it, these librerías a puertas cerradas have become a fixture of the city's literary landscape.

The business "a puertas cerradas" (behind closed doors) is not itself a novel concept in Buenos Aires. The popularity of the speakeasy-style cocktail bar, coupled with the entrepreneurial ingenuity required following the 2001 economic crisis in Argentina, led to a boom in trendy micro-restaurants set up in living rooms across the city that offered a set menu to around twenty savvy diners each night. This unique combination of personal attention and curatorial care also informs the city's private bookstores, which—in contrast to the enchanting chaos of New York's Brazenhead—tend to focus on a specific literary niche and meet with their clientele individually or in very small groups.

mi casa 2 Librería Mi Casa

The pioneer who first applied this model to bookselling in Buenos Aires is a poet and former economist named Nurit Kasztelan. As she tells it, Mi Casa (an "atypical bookstore") is the result of reading the right book at the right time: in a moment of acute professional ennui, she happened upon Clarice Lispector's The Passion According to G.H. and was suddenly, absolutely certain that she needed to make a change. She quit her job the following week and gradually built a customer base selling books through a literary workshop she'd been running in her spare time. Then came the book fairs across Latin America and the United States, and the move to a beautiful apartment in Villa Crespo with a luminous internal patio she quickly filled with plants. The residence also happened to have a mezzanine set off to the side—just the thing for a bookstore nestled within a home. By 2011, Mi Casa had evolved into a thriving business, and it continues to grow. As for the initial risk involved in the project, Kasztelan calculated it like any good economist would: "What do I want money for? To use it. And what do I use it for? To buy books. That was the equation. What better way to have books around than by selling them?"

I ended up at Mi Casa, as many have, by word of mouth. Though it was a bit disconcerting at first to be ushered by a stranger down a long hallway and into a private residence, Kasztelan's rapid patter and obvious passion for the books that surrounded us immediately made me feel, well… at home. We made our way up the white wooden staircase that leads to the bookstore. "I used to keep all the books together, but now I have my own shelves downstairs," she said. "Even so, sometimes I still have to tell people, 'no, that one's not for sale.'"

The shop is modern and inviting: a white box filled with natural light and lined with shelves organized not by author or genre, but by publisher. This is another quality that sets Mi Casa apart: Kasztelan's approach centers on building relationships not only with her clients, but also with some of the most interesting independent publishing houses in Argentina and abroad. As she pointed out in our most recent conversation, it's not uncommon for her to return from a trip with a suitcase full of books, usually the complete catalog of one or two small presses that caught her eye (Lustra in Perú and Brutas in Chile, for example, as well as New York's Ugly Duckling Presse). This is no small matter, given the way traditional distribution channels limit the circulation of books within Latin America, creating a situation in which it is often easier to publish a local edition of a title than it is to import copies from a neighboring country. "There are at least 300 books here you can't get anywhere else in the city," she notes with just a hint of pride.

As has happened each time I've visited Mi Casa, within moments of sitting down on one of the colorful ottomans that decorate the space I'm walled in by piles of books—each of which was presented with a quick gloss of the author, the plot, or why I'm sure to love it. About the latter Kasztelan rarely misses the mark, due in no small part to the fact that she sees herself not only as a salesperson, but also as a collaborator in her clients' intellectual and creative endeavors. A purveyor of the right book at the right time.

mi casa cat Amalia, Librería Mi Casa's Bookstore Cat

After selecting a few titles for immediate consumption and having my purchases approved by Amelia, the Persian cat whose role in the shop falls somewhere between mascot and assistant, I was off to the next stop on my tour. In the years after Mi Casa first appeared on the scene, similar spaces began popping up around Buenos Aires, each with its own curatorial slant and its own way of engaging the community. Los Libros del Vendaval in Collegiales specializes in picture books and hosts regular child-friendly readings, while Natalia Romero of A Cien Metros de la Orilla sells contemporary fare and runs writing workshops out of her turn-of-the-century residence in San Telmo. (She's also likely to offer you mate and suggest you pick out a notebook or pen so you can set about writing your own masterpiece.)

La Vaca Mariposa, the latest project of Venezuelan journalist Adriana Morán Sarmiento, is housed in an alcove of her vibrantly painted apartment in Palermo. Though the books that line its shelves predictably favor independent presses and contemporary writing, what makes this selection unique is its emphasis on work from the Caribbean and what its proprietor refers to as "an outsider's take on Argentine literature." Another unique feature of the place: in a nod, perhaps, to the culinary brethren of these private bookstores, Morán organizes regular "literary dinners" in the space, during which a small group of bibliophiles get to sit down to a home-cooked meal with prominent local writers like Washington Cucurto and Natalia Litvinova.

As for the place of these domestic depositories in the city's cultural ecosystem, Morán sees ventures like her own as a complement to traditional bookstores, rather than as their competition. "There are small and even some larger bookstores where you can walk in and feel like you're being taken care of, where you know the bookseller and can ask questions, and that's great," she said on the rainy August afternoon of our first encounter. "But it's still a commercial space, and that takes something away from the experience… Despite the differences [among private bookstores], what we all have in common is this, what we're doing right now: sitting, talking, reading over a cup of coffee, feeling at home." Morán went on to say that she hoped to see at least one traditional and one private bookstore in every neighborhood of the city some day, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought that perhaps her dream was closer than she imagined, that it was just a matter of ringing the right doorbell.

Photographs by Mauro Alfieri.

 

—> CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story spelled the cat's name as Amalia, rather than Amelia. We apologize to the cat.

Funmi Tofowomo Okelola

-In the absence of greatness, mediocrity thrives. 

http://www.cafeafricana.com

On Twitter: @Bookwormlit
https://twitter.com/bookwormlit

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