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RE: ENDING THE AFFRONT TO THE RULE OF LAW : A RESPONSE To COLLINS NWEKE

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2 years ago

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RE: ENDING THE AFFRONT TO THE RULE OF LAW : A RESPONSE To COLLINS NWEKE

By Magnus Agu magnusagu85@gmai.com

Reading through the public letter by Collins Nweke, purportedly addressed to the new Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs I thought it would be something new, something different, something more intelligent.
But it was all still same of the same I won’t bore you with a long treatise I think Collins Nweke already did that .So let me go straight to the points that I want to focus on in the write-up

  1. The issue of Nido ( Nigerians in diaspora organization )Collins Nweke has taken us through the history of the formation of Nido I don’t have any problem with his historical background
    NIDO, an initiative of President Olusegun Obasanjo many years ago was set up to have all Diaspora groups under one umbrella. Unfortunately, the purpose was not achieved due to in-fighting, and quarrels, that subsequently saw even original, serious-minded members of the group exiting Nido , thanks to the sit tight and clandestine nature of its inaugural leaders like Collins Nweke and few of his cohorts.
    Stories are replete of many Nigerians abroad who were recommended to join the organization but left disappointed and wondered how they would function in an organization that had different factions, had lots of hidden and selfish agendas by its so called leaders at that time . They were confused as they had to deal with these fears so they , like many others, saw no focus and so opted out . So Collins Nweke, a founding father of Nido should be ashamed of the general state of affairs of Nido , particularly the clandestine Nido Worldwide and Nido Continental , which he and just a handful of his like , treacherously hold on to as their cash cow. It’s either his way or no way
    Now . Don’t get me wrong There are various branches of NIDO doing well in some countries Take for instance NIDO Sierra Leone. NIDO Sierra Leone has taken up a project to build a hospital in Sierra Leone for Nigerians in Sierra Leone. Nido Europe ( representing the whole of Europe led by Bashir Obasekola ) Nido Qatar, Nido South Korea , Nido Sweden, and some other Nido chapters in some countries are doing well in their various chapters and must be commended , along with other diaspora groups and associations and individuals making Nigeria proud
    It must be noted that some countries don’t have any organization called NIDO. For instance, South Africa has NICASA, and Nusa , Australia has an Association of Nigerians in Australia, and Ethiopia has an organization called NISE. I could go on and on, In America there is NAPAC , an association that has supported Nigerians contesting various elections in America, and today about 14 Nigerians in America have won their elections In America with the support of NAPAC . In Canada alone there are about 51 diaspora organizations and none of which is called Nido. Canada is peculiar because one of Collins Nweke´s Colleagues registered Nido in his own name In other words he owns Nido. Story for another day . We all know that there are professional associations like ANPA, NAPPSA, MANSAG, NNCA, NCBN, NNC,and several other professional and socio cultural groups . Canuk in the UK represents almost over 100 associations while existing along Nido UK South Zumunta is also a very strong and purposeful diaspora group . So would it not be easier if all these associations are under one umbrella as former President Olusegun Obasanjo envisaged ?Noble intention But these genuine objectives failed over the years because people like Collins Nweke remained selfish and self-centered. They could not keep Nido as one I mean how can an association that is fragmented bring others on board, for instance, NidoAfrica shamelessly has at least 2 factions, fighting over what ? Nido America has more than a faction, There are some Nido groups in some countries in Asia and the Middle East , existing along side other very active and purposeful groups .
    Nido does not exist anywhere in Australia and many other countries around the world

As noble as the objective of having all Nigerian diaspora groups under one umbrella is , it has not worked.

So what NIDO needs to do is put its own house in order and rebrand, talk to all these associations, and see if they can bring them together under one room, But my fears are it is too late now because of people like Colin’s Nweke and and his cohorts , who after 25 years , feel that they must hold on to Nido and hold 17million Nigerians in the diaspora to ransom through what Nweke calls Nido Worldwide and Nido Continental. These are bodies created by him and his gang made up of former Chairmen of Nido whom they constituted with the aim of remaining in charge of these associations for life. Mr Chairman put yourself in this situation Imagine former chairmen and members of the house committee of diaspora constituting themselves into associations of former committee members and taking decisions for you as a serving parliamentarian and chairman of committee ?What Collins Nweke is thus asking you to do is to take these guys , who have been former chairmen of Nido , as the alpha and omega of all 17 million Nigerians in Diaspora ? Chairman, does that make sense to you ?
Nweke is talking about rule of law . What moral right does a man who was an executive of Nido since the days of President Obasanjo , but refuses to let go , through what he calls Nido worldwide ?
I think Collins Nweke , beyond giving empty foreign policy analysis on tv sometimes, needs a job . Mr Chairman, you can help him get a job , please

Collins Nweke and his Nido worldwide and Nido Continental ( whatever it means ) has remained a nuisance and a distraction from genuine diaspora issues affecting Nigerians all over the world
Mr. Chairman sir I challenge you to ask Collins Nweke to give you just 500 genuine names of his members world wide !

Colllins Nweke`s piece titled “ Ending the Affront to the Rule of Law “ is ironic because , as expressly stated above ,if there is any affront to the rule of law that should be ended ,it should be that of Colllins Nweke and his inconsequential microscopic minority gang who want to be perpetual rulers, We in the Diaspora will continue to resist and reject them
Now , we have our own Commission , Nidcom , to relate with .And in this age of technology, getting data of registered groups and associations and bringing them together to work for the progress of our country is easier . And we can see that Nidcom is doing just that

As for the issue of the NiDCOM Board, it is an Administrative structure to be set up by Mr President, so it is an administrative matter. NiDCOM Board is not the only Board that has not been constituted and it will be constituted., hopefully soon However, we must commend the Diaspora Commission for bringing the Diaspora phenomenon to the front burner and you can see it’s been doing well despite all the challenges as well as little or no funding. They have taken the issue of diaspora seriously and put Nigerian issues on the front burner and we do appreciate this. Is the Commission perfect? No, but we have to help in building and strengthening this organization. Diaspora is a part of our foreign policy in Nigeria and if you look at the diaspora policy, it is well crafted if it is properly implemented we would even do better than other countries have done all over the world.
Nweke’s obsession, as in other issues with him , is self serving . He desperately had hoped to be chairman or worse case , member of the board , especially if another party had won elections , not the APC
Well, dreams do come true . I wish him well

And on the issue of Diaspora voting, Collins Nweke and his gang are not even sincere about this. A few years back they said, oh, they will mobilize 1,000,000 people on Diaspora voting and they could not even mobilize one person

So therefore he is not in a position to talk about diaspora voting, Diaspora voting has been an issue that has been championed by people at home and in the diaspora. There is already a bill in the Senate to amend the constitution to make diaspora voting a reality and what we want from you Mr Chairman is to join in our voices to make this a reality.
In his write-up, Collins Nweke asked you a pertinent question , which he termed “ the elephant in the room”He asked “ what do you want to be remembered for.” I pose the same question right back to you
What do you want to be remembered for ?
A selfless , patriotic parliamentarian or
a religious, tribal bigot that will give in to selfish manipulations? ( By the way Mr Chairman I know you are a member of the Labour Party to which people like Collins Nweke belong to ) So do you want to be remembered as a selfless parliamentarian who put the issues of diaspora selflessly Irrespective of tribe , political affiliations ?Or one who will join the clarion call for all Nigerians at home and abroad to join hands to build Nigeria together
The ball is in your court !.

RE: ENDING THE AFFRONT TO THE RULE OF LAW : A RESPONSE To COLLINS NWEKE

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Maiha: West Africa, Sahelian Regions Still Faces Challenge of Limited, Quality Animal Feeds

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10 hours ago

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November 11, 2025

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Maiha: West Africa, Sahelian Regions Still Faces Challenge of Limited, Quality Animal Feeds

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha has decried that West African countries and the entire Sahelian region are still faced with the challenge of limited and quality animal feeds.

The Minister, who spoke at the opening of the regional high-level workshop on the development of animal feed industry in West Africa and the Sahel on Tuesday in Abuja, said a strong local feed industry in the region will not only create jobs but reduce dependence on imports and also strengthen food sovereignty in the region.

Maiha, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Chinyere Akujobi said the region has significant potential in terms of animal production, pastoral areas, diverse livestock, ancestral know-how of livestock farmers.

He said: “West Africa and the Sahel have significant potential in terms of animal production, pastoral areas, diverse livestock, ancestral know-how of livestock farmers, but also among all in terms of their contribution to food security, poverty reduction, and empowering national economies.

“Despite the importance of the sector, livestock development in West Africa and the Sahel still faces a major challenge, which is the limited availability and quality of animal feed. Animal feed accounts for a significant portion of animal production costs.

“The lack of industrial infrastructure, dependence on imported inputs, climate variability, and insufficient regional coordination limit the competitiveness of this sector.

“This situation also hinders the modernisation of livestock farming, increases the vulnerability of livestock farmers, and reduces countries’ ability to meet growing demand for food products.”

He noted that Nigeria’s animal feed production policy is perfectly aligned with the current dynamic and is indeed amplified as a major focus in the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, NLGAS, which is Nigeria’s livestock strategy plan for the year 2025 to the year 2035.

He added that: “Let me at this juncture reiterate that the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development of Nigeria remains fully committed to supporting the transformation of the livestock sector.”

He noted that this is a key pillar of the country’s rural economy and the development of a strong animal feed industry in West Africa and the Sahel.

He said: “We believe that a strong local and regional animal feed industry will not only create jobs, it will reduce dependence on imports and will, above all, strengthen food sovereignty in our region. To this end, we look forward to the effective operationalisation of the livestock feed components of the ECOWAS regional food security programme.”

He noted that this workshop is timely as it aims to promote dialogue among public and private actors. It also provides us the opportunity and platform to share successful experiences and identify tools for developing a genuine regional animal feed industry.

He said: “We believe that a strong local and regional animal feed industry will not only create jobs, it will Executives reduce dependence on imports and above all, strengthen food sovereignty in our region.”

Earlier, the Executive Director, Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (ARAA), Konlani Kanfitin, revealed that the two-day workshop was designed to foster dialogue, innovation and policy harmonisation in West Africa’s agricultural sector.

He added that: “They also aim to transform evidence and research results generated under the research and innovation project on Productive, Resilient and Healthy Agro-pastoral Systems in West Africa (PRISMA) programme into concrete regional priorities that support food security, private sector participation and sustainable agricultural transformation.”

Kanfitin, while noting that the livestock sector occupies a central place in the economies of member states, decried that its development is constrained by numerous challenges.

He feared that without a structured and efficient sector, it will be difficult to sustainably modernize livestock production or meet the growing demand for animal products.

Kanfitin said our region has abundant and varied resources, including agricultural by-products, agro-industrial co-products, fodder crops, enterprising and innovative youth.

He insisted that this potential must be fully harnessed to build a genuine regional animal feed industry that is competitive, sustainable and job-creating.

He said: “This workshop therefore represents a key moment for reflection and collective action to make real ECOWAS’s commitment through its Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) and its projects and programs in the livestock sector.”

Meanwhile, ECOWAS in collaboration with its partners, has carried out studies on the establishment of a feed supply center, exceptional import procedures for animal feed in crisis situations, development of an online booking and purchasing application, established information platform on the availability and accessibility of animal feed in feed banks as well as prepared a harmonized protocol for sampling and analysis of animal feed.

Kanfitin said: “We firmly believe that a strong regional animal feed industry will make the ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve more operational and more effective in crisis management.”

The PRISMA Project is co-financed by the European Union and the Spanish Cooperation (AECID), with the technical support of the Luxembourg Cooperation, Belgian Cooperation and the Spanish Cooperation.

Maiha: West Africa, Sahelian Regions Still Faces Challenge of Limited, Quality Animal Feeds

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KACRAN Urges Northern Governors to Prioritize Livestock Development

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11 hours ago

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November 11, 2025

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KACRAN Urges Northern Governors to Prioritize Livestock Development


… Take a Leaf from Yobe State Governor

By: Michael Mike

The Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN) has commended the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni for his unprecedented commitment to the pastoralist community and the Livestock Industry in the proposed 2026 Yobe State Budget of Economic Growth and Infrastructural Transformation.

A statement on Tuesday by the National President of the association, Khalil Mohammed Bello read that as Federal, State, and Local Governments prepare their 2026 budgets, KACRAN notes the critical importance of ensuring the inclusion and adequate financial provision for the nation’s pastoralists, who are significant contributors to Nigeria’s food security.

KACRAN while acknowledging Yobe State’s Commitment, expresses its deepest appreciation to Governor Mai Mala Buni for the provisions made for the livestock sub-sector in the N515.583 billion proposed 2026 fiscal year budget.

He said the association is particularly encouraged by the Governor’s statement that Livestock production would receive adequate attention through key initiatives, including: Construction of veterinary clinics; Provision of boreholes and earth dams for water supply for both livestock and human consumption; Production of fodder; Vaccination of both large and small ruminants.

Bello said KACRAN furthermore applaud the recent establishment of a Special Ministry of Livestock Development in Yobe State and the appointment of Alhaji Yerima Lawan Mahamud, a man of experience and integrity, as the Commissioner, noting that this landmark step, in addition to significant expenditure on grazing reserves in areas such as Jakusko Nasari, Ganada (Fika), and Badegana (Dafci), demonstrates the government’s sustained commitment.

He said the association is also grateful for the Governor’s continuous humanitarian support, exemplified by the intermittent distribution of animal feeds and food materials to herders through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), led by the Executive Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Goje.

He said: “In light of Governor Buni’s inclusive, compassionate, and fair policies towards all people in Yobe State, KACRAN calls upon all Northern Governors to emulate this model. We urge them to: Create Special Ministries for Livestock Development; Ensure herders are included as direct beneficiaries of state policies and programmes.”

He noted that this strategic inclusion is essential for transforming the livestock industry and fostering a sense of belonging and security for pastoralists, who mainly reside in rural areas and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s nutritional food supply.

He also extended KACRAN’s profound gratitude to Senator Mohammed Bomoi of Yobe South Senatorial District for his exceptional dedication to the welfare of pastoralists in his constituency.

He said: “Senator Bomoi’s humanitarian gestures, including the construction of numerous solar-powered boreholes in areas with high livestock concentration to address the crucial issue of water scarcity, are highly commendable. His commitment extends beyond water provision to include infrastructure projects such as roads, Primary Health Care Centers, classrooms, and electrification projects.

He however called on Northern senators to adopt Senator Bomoi’s strategic and developmental approach, which prioritizes education, empowerment (including the recent distribution of one million Naira each to selected constituents for business ventures), and infrastructure. Such comprehensive development is a vital strategy for addressing security challenges and fostering rapid regional growth.

He said KACRAN, as a peace-loving association, strongly urges all pastoralists across the country, particularly during this harvesting season, to refrain from destroying people’s farms and to strive to live in peace and harmony with their host and farming communities.

KACRAN Urges Northern Governors to Prioritize Livestock Development

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NDLEA, US and UK Anti-Drug Agencies Collaborate to Unravel Cartel Behind Importation of Over 1,000kg Cocaine Recovered at Lagos Port

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11 hours ago

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November 11, 2025

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NDLEA, US and UK Anti-Drug Agencies Collaborate to Unravel Cartel Behind Importation of Over 1,000kg Cocaine Recovered at Lagos Port

By: Michael Mike

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is working with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) to unravel the cartel behind the importation of 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine recovered from a container at the PTML Terminal of Tincan Island Port in Lagos.

A statement on Tuesday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said the PTML operators had noticed the consignment in an empty container last weekend and invited port stakeholders including NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies for joint examination. After field test by NDLEA confirmed the shipment to be cocaine, the consignment was formally transferred to NDLEA custody for further investigation on Tuesday following collaborative engagements between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) and the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr. Adewale Adeniyi.

Babafemi said as a result of the large quantity of the recovered Class A drug which is worth over $235 million (Over N338 billion) in international market and the global dimension to the cocaine cartel, Marwa directed that the agency’s leading international partners be involved in the investigation.

He revealed that in a swift response to the agency’s request, officers of the US-DEA and UK-NCA have already joined the ongoing investigation of the largest single seizure of cocaine at the Tincan Port Lagos.

Marwa was quoted to have said: “The essence of collaborating with our international partners on this case is to ensure no stone is left unturned and every gap is sufficiently covered so that ultimately we can get all the masterminds of this huge consignment brought to book wherever they are located across the globe. This followed personal excellent engagement between myself and the Customs CG on this case.

NDLEA, US and UK Anti-Drug Agencies Collaborate to Unravel Cartel Behind Importation of Over 1,000kg Cocaine Recovered at Lagos Port

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