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

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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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International Police Academy – UNIPOL Appoints Joseph Icha, as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section

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4 hours ago

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August 21, 2025

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International Police Academy – UNIPOL Appoints Joseph Icha, as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The international Police Academy (UNIPOL) has Appointed Deputy Commander General (DCG) Joseph Icha,
Director Training and Manpower Development, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section.

A statement from the academy’s management stated that “the academy proudly announces the appointment of
DCG Joseph Icha, Director Training and Manpower Development, NDLEA as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section.

“This appointment recognizes
DCG Joseph Icha, Director Training and Manpower Development, NDLEA. exceptional contributions to national security, law enforcement leadership, and international cooperation.”

Icha has served the Agency in various Senior Management capacities as Principal Staff Officer, Assistant State Commander, Assistant Director, State Commander, and Deputy Director among others, with commendations.

The new international counter narcotics boss has attended several law enforcement courses on Drug Supply Suppression and Drug Demand Reduction within and outside the country.

“He is a Master Trainer with the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime (UNODC) in Drug Law Enforcement intelligence led investigation strategies and Criminal Intelligence. ” said the statement.

Joseph Icha has facilitated training programmes on behalf of UNODC to various law enforcement agencies in the country.

DCG Joseph Icha is a Law Enforcement Operative, mentor, curriculum designer, and advisor per excellence.

He is also a member of several international professional Organizations and currently is the Director Training and Manpower Development of NDLEA.

This important appointment was pronounced under the leadership of Dr. Alexander Jan M (Hany El Zahar), Executive Director, Founder, and CEO of the International Police Academy – UNIPOL, and IPA President (Rtd.) Senior Superintendent of Police Shuaib Adam HSC OLY VJ, International Director of Law Enforcement, Police, and Military, with the support of Prof. Yuval Binstoc (IPA) and Sir Junustia Brecen.

International Police Academy – UNIPOL Appoints Joseph Icha, as Director International Counter Narcotics Training Nigeria Section

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Plateau State Complied with the deadline for 2024 Audited financial Reports…. Manset

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4 hours ago

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August 21, 2025

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Plateau State Complied with the deadline for 2024 Audited financial Reports…. Manset

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Plateau State Accountant General Naanret Manset has said that it was not true that Plateau state has refused to comply with the deadline given to states for the submission of 2024 audited financial statements.

Reacting to a report published recently, the accountant general in a statement noted that “the attention of the Office of the Accountant-General of Plateau State has been drawn to a publication by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) titled ‘It’s Past Deadline, 5 States Fail to Publish 2024 Financial Statements’, which wrongly lists Plateau State as one of the defaulters.”

Naanret Manset maintained that “For the record, Plateau State fully complied with all statutory timelines for the preparation, audit, and publication of its 2024 audited financial statements

“Submitted same to the Auditor-General in May, 2025 which is within the stipulated period of 6 months.

“Audit completed in June, 2025 and forwarded to the House of Assembly which is also within the stipulated period of 3 months.

“Approved by the House of Assembly
Published online on 27 July 2025, below the legal timeline of 9 months.
The audited report is publicly available here:

“We urge FIJ to promptly correct their publication and remove Plateau State from the list of non-compliant states.
Plateau State remains committed to transparency, accountability, and timely financial reporting.” It noted.

The FIJ had recently published that six Nigerian states are yet to publish their audited financial statements for the 2024 fiscal year.

It revealed that five of such erring states have already past their statutorily implied deadlines which Plateau is saying is not true as it applies to them.

The publication had said that ” erring states are Akwa Ibom, Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau and Rivers.

“In Akwa Ibom’s case, its amended 2021 audit law gives the auditor general up to nine months to publish the report online after submitting it to the House of Assembly.

“The Accountant General has six months to present the books, followed by a 90-day audit and submission period.

” In the other five states, audit laws differ in the year they were enacted or updated, but the process is similar.

“The Accountant General must submit the financial documents to the audit office within three months after the financial year ends.

” The Auditor General is then required to audit the report, send it to the House of Assembly and publish it immediately.

“The Ogun State Audit Law (2021), Rivers State Audit Law (2021, as amended), Akwa Ibom State Audit Law (2021), Oyo State Audit Commission Law (2021) and Plateau State Audit Law (2021) all set out these requirements.

” In Rivers, however, publishing the audit is left to the discretion of the Auditor General.

“In past years, these states have published their audits between June and August. Some have also been ranked among the lowest in transparency.

” The CJID Openness Index, released in July 2024, placed all six in the bottom tier along with 10 others.”

Recently, FIJ reported Akwa Ibom’s repeated disregard for budgetary transparency despite binding provisions in its Fiscal Responsibility Law.

The FIJ report maintained that two states Yobe and Ekiti, scored above average for transparency and accountability in 2024, with 73 per cent and 54 per cent, according to the Sub national Audit Efficacy Index, published by the Paradigm Leadership Initiative.

The report noted that the annual assessment, which measures financial transparency and policy adoption across Nigeria’s state governments, shows a familiar trend: “stagnation or decline.”

Plateau State Complied with the deadline for 2024 Audited financial Reports…. Manset

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Prof. Ribah clarifies stance on dialogue, says he does not support ransom or levies to bandits

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4 hours ago

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August 21, 2025

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Prof. Ribah clarifies stance on dialogue, says he does not support ransom or levies to bandits

…cautions against misrepresentation of position on dialogue with bandits…

By: Zagazola Makama

Prof. Abubakar Usman Ribah, a peace advocate and member of the Peace Committee, has cautioned social media users against misrepresenting his views on dialogue with bandits as a strategy for sustaining peace in the troubled North West Zone.

Ribah, in a video made available to newsmen on Wednesday, said his comments on dialogue had been twisted and circulated on Facebook, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), in ways that fuel misunderstanding and hostility.

He urged users to “fear God and stop changing the narrative to suit their own views,” stressing that selective quoting of his remarks was misleading and unfair.

“Social media users should fear God and stop changing the narrative that goes contrary to our own views. You are quoting a segment that suits your narratives, leaving out the rest, and continue to circulate it. That is misrepresentation,” Ribah said.

He explained that his position on dialogue was not in support of paying levies or ransoms to bandits but in favour of a government-led engagement that addresses the root causes of the conflict.

“We believe that fighting with guns only prolongs crises. For 10 years, it has not yielded results, and that is why we wanted to end it through dialogue.

“And the dialogue we are seeking is not the one where villagers go on their own to negotiate with bandits, pay levies in order to farm, or pay ransom to release family members. That type of dialogue is not sustainable. It is betrayal.

“The dialogue we support is the one led by government, where authorities can solve the pressing issues between farmers and herders, and address the needs and demands of all conflicting parties,” he said.

Ribah clarified that his advocacy for dialogue predated the current administration and had been consistent for more than seven years.

“This did not start with this government. I have been engaging in dialogue for over seven years. You can go through my pages. War cannot end war, but dialogue will, if both conflicting parties agree. This is what we are talking about,” he said.

The peace advocate dismissed allegations that he and other members of the Peace Committee were shielding or supporting bandits.

“Some are accusing us of supporting bandits, some are accusing us of giving them protection. But how can we protect bandits that are killing people? No way. What we want is to stop the bloodshed, where everyone will be allowed to go about his normal life,” he stressed.

Ribah further accused some social media commentators of being “conflict entrepreneurs,” whom he said benefitted from circulating negative reports of attacks.

“Some people benefit from telling negative stories of attacks. They are conflict entrepreneurs. We want them to focus on telling positive stories instead of dwelling on negativity,” he added.

The North West Zone, particularly Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina States, has for years been plagued by banditry, mass killings, abductions, and forced displacement, with government and stakeholders divided over the most effective approach to peacebuilding.

Prof. Ribah clarifies stance on dialogue, says he does not support ransom or levies to bandits

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