In its effort to promote entrepreneurship and create awareness on information and communication technology (ICT) among the citizens, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dutse on Tuesday 27th January, 2015 organized one-day YouWin Sensitization lecture. The lecture was organized in consideration of the need to promote women participation from the state in the scheme, as a lot of the women in the state lack the technical skill to register with YouWin and develop good business plan. This results the massive failure of the women in the previous awards, as the award is solely an ICT based.

The sensitization lecture was conducted at NULGE Secretariat Dutse, Jigawa State and attended by about 50 participants. Alhaji Magaji Uba Idris Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development Jigawa State made the opening remark on behalf of the Honorable Commissioner Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. In his remark, he welcomed the CITAD team and the participants and expressed his gratitude on the activities of CITAD in Jigawa State especially those that are related to the ministry and the women. He then drew the attention of the participants to try as much as they could to benefit from the YouWin fourth round award.
The first presentation was on the YouWin program from the first round to the fourth round of the scheme. Malam Sagiru Ado Abubakar CITAD’s program officer, entrepreneurship, highlighted the history of the program. He told that the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWiN!) Program is a collaboration of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Communication Technology (CT), the Ministry of Youth Development and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development that will launch an annual Business Plan Competition (BPC) for aspiring young entrepreneurs in Nigeria, in line with the Federal Government’s drive to create more jobs for Nigerians. The program will be implemented in partnership with Nigeria’s private sector, which will be requested to provide funding support. Sagiru Ado also stated the goals and objective of the program and the criteria of the eligibility to apply for the business plan competition.
Shehu Usman Halipha made the second presentation on the YouWin registration procedure. Malam Halipha stated all the requirements for the registration ranging from personal details, address, education and qualifications. The last presentation was on developing the YouWin business plan. The presentation demonstrated the nature of good business plan with examples.
Hajiya Halima Isyaku Director Planning of the ministry made the vote of thanks. She thanked CITAD for organizing the sensitization lecture and urged the participants to follow all the guidelines and the procedures of the program in order to benefit from the award.

We applaud the signing of an accord by leading candidates in the elections to keep to the code of conduct already signed by all registered political parties in the country and be civil and courteous during the campaign. The value of such an accord is however not in the signing but in keeping to the letters and words In this regard, we are concerned about the series of reckless and inflammatory statements as well as hate speech coming from some members of the political class. For example, on the 19th of January, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State sponsored an advert in three national dailies suggesting that if elected into office, Muhammadu Buhari of the APC might die in office. He had photographs of three previous heads of state from the North West who died in office and a question mark on the photo of Buhari. Publishing a “death wish” for your political opponent is completely unacceptable and we condemn it.

For the second time, a high-ranking official of the All Progressive Congress (APC), this time, its National Chairman, has repeated the statement that the party will form a parallel government if the 2015 elections are rigged. It was the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Ameachi, who first made this statement.

Also in his recent statement, Asari Dokubo stated that “election results are known and there will be war if not accepted” not only impugned of the credibility of INEC but also gives credence to the equally reckless statement by the APC that elections are already rigged. Such statements coming from highly placed politicians are dangerous as they are capable of mobilizing citizens and catalyzing them to taking unconstitutional actions of ‘serve yourself’ type even before the elections are conducted.

We condemn the statements as reckless and unwelcome in the context of our commitment to furthering and deepening of the rule of law.

We call on all politicians and indeed all citizens to remain law-abiding and have faith in rule of law and due process. All politicians should address their grievances and misgivings through legally established channels.

In the same vein, we call on all government institutions and agencies to discharge their responsibilities in strict conformity with the law establishing them and to refrain from acts, either of omission or commission, which cast them as partisan. It is in this light that we condemn the persistent efforts of the DSS to disrupt the functioning of the secretariat of the APC in Lagos State. The DSS should be mindful of its role of preventing the breakdown of law and order, which its current posturing undermines by casting it in the grab of partisan institution. While it has responsibility to investigate and prosecute any allegations, it should not appear to be the prosecutor and the judge in the case that it is investigating. Such acts tend to enthrone impunity, which in the end breeds the sort of statements that the APC are making.

 

It is indeed incomprehensible that while law enforcement agency will spend hours looking through envelopes in the secretariat of the APC to fish out alleged foreigners, it has done nothing to curb the persistent inflammatory statements. These statements are not only hateful but are made with the intent to create a climate conducive for catalyzing people to violence.  We condemn the statements, and  urge them to stop from further poisoning the minds of Nigerians.

Signed

1. Y. Z. Ya’u , Centre for Information Technology And  Development(CITAD)
2. Uche Wilson Dureke, Centre for Peace across Boarders
3. Dr. Hussiani Abdu, Action Aid Nigeria
4. Dr. Abiola Akinyode -Afolabi, Women Advocates’ Research and Documentation Center (WARDC)
5. Saudatu Mahdi, Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative, (WRAPA)
6. Isah Garba, BACIPEM, Bauchi
7. Saludeen Hashim , West Africa Civil Society Forum (WACSOF-Nigeria)
8. Anya Okeke, State of African Union (SOTU)
9. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
10. Ezenwa Nwagwu, Partners on Electoral Reform
11. Jaye Gaskiya, Protest to power movement
12. Idayat Hassan, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD)
13. Lukman Adekunle , Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC)
14. Dr.Godwin Ojo , Environmental Rights Action (ERA)
15. Gen.Ishola Williams, Pan-African Strategic and Policy Research Centre (PANAFSTRAC)
16. ZIK Ibrahim, Resource Centre For Human Rights& Civil Education (CHRICED)  
17. Bilkisu Yusuf, Advocacy Nigeria
18. ZIK Ibrahim-Transition Monitoring Group (TMG)
19. John Odah -Abuja Collectives, Abuja
20. Ezenwa Nwagwu   Say No Campaign
21. Emma Ezeazu, Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE)

1. Chido Onumah, African Centre for Media & Information Literacy

January 19, 2015

WE CONDEMN THE PUNCH FRONT PAGE ADVERT OF MESSAGE OF DEATH

The front-page of the Punch of Monday, 19th January, 2015 carried an unusual advert with the caption” Nigerians be Warned: life and Death” and a subtitle of “Enough of state burials”. The title is a return to the infamous unfortunate statement by former president Obasanjo that election was a do or die affair. The subtitle prophesied that one of the candidates if voted could die in office. Taken together, the two statements are not only provocative but meant to incite emotion and inflame the already charged atmosphere of the campaign. The front page advert in the Punch is not only in bad taste but also a complete repudiation of the accord that the two presidential candidates just signed to refrain from inciting campaign and urgent their followers to keep the peace.

CITAD4Peace finds this advert as totally out of tune with the peace accord. We condemn it in the strongest terms possible crass displayed of efforts aimed at provocation. We call on the placers of the advert to offer an apology to Nigerian and the PDP for dragging it to the warmongering position and call on both its presidential candidate and its campaign team to disassociate themselves from the advert. We further call on all politicians to keep to the terms of the accord that they should ensure that they and their supporters do not engage in inciting and inflammatory language. We call on the relevant regulatory agencies to take action against the Punch Newspapers for willing to allow its pages to the space for dangerous speech.

Election is not opportunity for citizens to make decision for the future. It is not about deciding on how to kill each other. We call on all well meaning Nigerians to not only apply moral sanctions against politicians who indulge in dangerous speech but also continue to educate both citizens and politicians on the needs to civil in their campaign utterances for after election is a civil duty and civic responsibility for which only peaceful conduct can guarantee the results that we all want. On our part we continue to No to inflammatory and dangerous statements in campaign!

1. Z. Yaú

Executive Director

January 17, 2015

The Governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan Yero has joined the disturbing list of Nigerian politicians that are at more with making dangerous statement. The Governor in an address to his supporters in Zaria during the opening of his campaign on Monday threatened to call out his supporters to inflict damage on the opposition All Progressives Congress [APC] if his team is ever attacked while campaigning. Year, arrogating himself powers unknown our constitution boosted that “If I say you should not come to Kaduna, I swear you cannot come. If I say you should not leave your house, I swear you cannot leave,”

 

We at CITAD4Peace condemn statement as relentless, unbecoming of his person.  Nigeria has had enough of violence election in the past and would want all to move the country forward to the reign of peaceful conduct of elections. We call on other well-meaning Nigerians to join us in condemning this unhealthy utterance. Politicians must at all time put the peace the country and safely of Nigerians at the top of their campaign engagements and refrain from acts that can incite ordinal citizens to violence.

 

CITAD4Peace, further in the spirit of the signing of the peace accord between the two top presidential candidates in the coming election, call on Gov Ramalan Yero to retract the statement and embrace the path of peace and base his campaign on issues that will impact of the lives of the citizens of his state. He should emulate the presidential candidates and seek to sign a similar understanding with other Governorship opponents in the state

1. Z. Yaú

Executive Director

1. Insurgency and Human Rights in Northern Nigeria by Habu Galadima and Moses T. Aluaigba (eds)
2. Community Development Charter (2013)
3. Towards a Unity of Purpose: Collective Responsibility and People-Centred Approach to Addressing Insurgent Violence in Northern Nigeria- A Policy Brief
4. Social Media Campaign for Peace: Training Primer by Y. Z. Ya’u
5. Responding to the Plight of Internally Displaced Persons in Northeastern Nigeria: A Policy Brief
6. Kano State: Snapshot Situation Analysis with Focus Election Violence
7. Civic Education: Strategies for Mobilizing Local Resources for NGOs and CBOs,
8. Darussan da Aka Koya: Inganta Yin Bayani ga Jama’a Ajihar Kano, Nigeriaya(Hausa)
9. Bukatu Domin Ci Gaban Al’umma (Hausa)
10. Kyyayr Hakkin Dan’adam Na Majalisar Dinkin Duniya by Yahaya Dan Arewa (Hausa)
11. Organizing for Political Accountability at Local Government Level: Experience from Jigawa State by Y. Z. Ya’u (ed)
12. Lessons Learnt: Promoting Democratic Accountability in Kano State, Nigeria
13. Jagorar Gundanar da Ilimin Zamantakewa (Hausa)
14. Civil Education Facilitation Manual

You can download electronic version (where available) from this site or request for copies from info@citad.org