CISLAC,CDD MOURN PROF.ABUBAKAR MOMOH

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Auwal Musa

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May 29, 2017, 12:02:37 PM5/29/17
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PRESS RELEASE


CISLAC, CDD mourn Prof. Abubakar Momoh 


The Board of Trustees, Members of the Advisory Council and staff of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) wish to commiserate with Nigerians on the death of an erudite scholar, a selfless personality and brilliant political scientist, Prof. Abubakar Momoh, who was a Member of our Advisory Council and Director-General of the Electoral Institute until his death.


While we condole with the family, friends, academic world and the entire country on the loss, we do not only recall and commend the memorable and outstanding technical supports we enjoyed from the deceased, but also recount his laudable contributions to humanity, academic world and nation’s democracy through persistent advocacy and public outcry for social justice and good governance.


As a founding member of CISLAC, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and other Civil Society Organisations, Prof. Momoh had excelled by voluntarily offering holistic and tremendous supports for the establishment and sustenance of the Centres. He largely contributed to their present tracked records in advocacy for transparency, accountability and good governance within and outside Nigeria.


Serving as Director-General of the Electoral Institute of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he was at the forefront advocating for free, fair, credible and participatory electoral system through research, capacity building for the staff of the Commission, and engagement of vigorous voter education activities. 


Also, as the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Lagos State University, LASU and member of Executive of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Momoh was prominent for his doggedness in maintaining high level integrity and professionalism, and selfless defence of staff and students’ welfares, as well as strictly adherence to ethical standard on addressing issues that affected staff and students.


Apart from serving as a member of several technical teams of the African Union Commission (AUC) and election observer to several African countries on behalf of ECOWAS and African Union, Prof. Momoh had served on several government technical committees including being member and coordinator of “Foreign Policy” Subcommittee of Federal Republic of Nigeria “Vision 20:20” Technical Committee; and policy on “Peace Support Operations (PSOS) for the Federal Government.


CISLAC and CDD are presently consulting the immediate family of the deceased and will announce a public event in honour of the great scholar.


Signed:

Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)

Executive Director, CISLAC

Idayat Hassan

Executive Director, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD)

Usman Bugaje

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May 29, 2017, 9:27:48 PM5/29/17
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This is very sad and painful, beyond words, it is a colossal loss!
May Allah forgive him and shower His mercies on him. May Allah give his family and all of us his friends the fortitude to bear this loss. Amin.
Usman

--
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors - Plato

Garba Abari

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May 30, 2017, 12:16:29 AM5/30/17
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Painful and jolting news to hear, especially after I spoke with him from Port Harcourt a day earlier. May Allah grant Abu's  soul eternal rest and console his immediate family.
Garba Abari 
--
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kabiru danladi

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May 30, 2017, 4:01:08 AM5/30/17
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May Allah forgive Professor Abubakar Momoh. A fine gentleman.
 
Thanks and kind regards,
-----------------------------
Kabiru Danladi Lawanti,
Department of Mass Communication,
Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria-Nigeria. 
+234 (0) 803 515 036 9.
+234 (0) 809 928 277 0
dka...@abu.edu.ng (work)

Ayisha Osori

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May 30, 2017, 4:01:48 AM5/30/17
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Ameen. May his soul rest in peace. He will be missed.

Ayisha

YAHOO ACCOUNT VERIFICATION!!!

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May 30, 2017, 4:05:56 AM5/30/17
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Inna lillahi wa inna illaihi rajiun! ! ! . May the gentle soul of Prof Abubakar Momoh rest in perfect peace in Aljanatul Firdausi and May Allah ( SWT ) Grant his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Amin  What a great loss of a friend,  comrade and colleague in the struggle.  Allah Ya Gafara masa Kura kuransa. Ameen
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Tom Maiyashi

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May 30, 2017, 6:34:23 AM5/30/17
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Indeed a great loss    for  Prof Abubakar Momoh was an exemplary  sacrifice and commitment for the plight of the downtrodden.    While we mourn his loss, let us rededicate ourselves in the remaining days of our lives to the plight of the  poor and marginalized   just Pof Abubakar did. And to his family and all the comrades, I send my condolence please.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

We must not give up.

Mataimaki Tom Maiyashi



From: 'YAHOO ACCOUNT VERIFICATION!!!' via CSO-APC Engagement <cso-apc-e...@googlegroups.com>
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Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 1:06 AM
Subject: Re: CISLAC,CDD MOURN PROF.ABUBAKAR MOMOH

omotoye olorode

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May 30, 2017, 3:47:29 PM5/30/17
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Comrade Abubakar Momoh's transition came as a very painful shock!
This patriot of towering stature had contributed so much, so consistently, so truthfully, so doggedly, so patiently, so humbly, since the 1980s.

We shall not forget. We promise.

 We commiserate with our Comrade's family, with our peoples across Nigeria, with the oppressed of the world, with all those who seek, disseminate and defend the truth.
Omotoye Olorode 
For, and on behalf of, SCON

On Tue, May 30, 2017 at 11:30 AM, 'Tom Maiyashi' via CSO-APC Engagement <cso-apc-e...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Indeed a great loss    for  Prof Abubakar Momoh was an exemplary  sacrifice and commitment for the plight of the downtrodden.    While we mourn his loss, let us rededicate ourselves in the remaining days of our lives to the plight of the  poor and marginalized   just Pof Abubakar did. And to his family and all the comrades, I send my condolence please.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

We must not give up.

Mataimaki Tom Maiyashi



From: 'YAHOO ACCOUNT VERIFICATION!!!' via CSO-APC Engagement <cso-apc-engagement@googlegroups.com>
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Abubakar Siddique Mohammed

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May 31, 2017, 8:19:38 AM5/31/17
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A patriot and a serious academic. May his soul rest in perfect peace. 


Abubakar Siddique Mohammed,
Center for Democratic Development Research and Training,
Zangon Shanu,
Sokoto Road,
Zaria
--

S K Abdullah

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Jun 1, 2017, 6:21:45 AM6/1/17
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It will take a long time to recover from the shock of this great loss! In scholarship, in the struggle for justice and in all battles for societal projects you will forever remain in our memories. May Allah (SWT) grant to you Aljanna Firdausi. Amin.

Prof. Sule-Kano Abdullahi 
Department of Political Science 
Bayero University
Kano-Nigeria

ATOYE, Ariyo-Dare

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Jun 1, 2017, 7:08:19 AM6/1/17
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We should appeal to the Edo State government or even the Federal Government to properly honour him - why not the Institute. His memory deserves befitting remembrance.

May GOD continue to stand in the gap for the family and loved ones.

I celebrate a good man. #RIPAbMomoh


No overdraft in the bank of nature......

Olisa Agbakoba

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Jun 1, 2017, 9:40:13 AM6/1/17
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Big Loss to lose such a brilliant genial. gentleman so early OlisaAgbakoba

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Nike Bakrin

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Jun 9, 2017, 6:23:52 AM6/9/17
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What a loss this death to the academic society, to the democratic society and to the world in general. May his contributions to the academics never be made to die. May his soul rest in peace. I was under the weather too for weeks. I thank God for life.




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Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 2:27 AM

Subject: Re: CISLAC,CDD MOURN PROF.ABUBAKAR MOMOH

Usman Ladan

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                                                       EL-RUFAI, BOMBING BANDITS AND DEMOLISHING VILLAGES

                                                                                            Usman Ladan PhD
                                                                                               Senior Lecturer,
                                                                                          Department of History,
                                                                                  Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria

Governor Nasir El-Rufai was recently reported by numerous media outlets to have made two major suggestions on how to combat banditry in Kaduna and neighbouring states. The first suggestion was made on Wednesday, 30th March 2022. While hosting the ex-Minister of Transport (Rotimi Amaechi) in Kaduna, shortly after the infamous train bombing, the Governor declared: “we know where their (terrorists) camps are, we have the maps. We have their phone numbers and listen to their conversation sometimes.” He vented further: “we know what they are planning. We get the reports. The problem is for the (security) agencies to take action.” Hence, the Governor suggested: “don’t wait until they attack before you respond. The Army should go after their enclaves to wipe them out. Let the Air Force bomb them.” On another occasion, Governor El-Rufai specifically advocated the  wholesale bombing of villages in the Birnin Gwari axis where many bandits are based.

The second suggestion was made on 18th May, when the abrasive Governor publicly proposed the wholesale ejection of Katari, Rijana and Akilibu, and the transfer of their respective inhabitants to another location near Kagarko. According to his simplistic conception, demolition and clearance of the three settlements will get rid of the “criminals and informants” they allegedly harbour, and thereby, mitigate the spate of kidnappings along the Kaduna – Abuja highway, which is unlikely. The kidnappers will simply change location, establish new camps or continue kidnapping in the new place of settlement. Hence, the Governor’s suggestion does not solve the problem; it will merely facilitate the transfer of kidnappers from one part of the state to another.

One of the many negative results that is certain to emerge from an audacious ejection of the settlements is that uprooting the inhabitants from their ancestral homes and forcefully re-settling them in a new and unknown locality will subject their lives to many years of trauma, despair and uncertainty. This cruel suggestion has two possible interpretations: a) the Governor meant what he said or, b) he was merely issuing empty threats to discourage the inhabitants from (allegedly) habouring bandits. Nonetheless, the inhabitants of the three settlements took the threat seriously and rejected the Governor’s accusation and suggestion outrightly. For example, the President of Katari Development Association, Comrade Danjuma Makeri, addressed a Press Conference in Kaduna on 28th May and dismissed the claim of harbouring criminals as “bogus” which, according to him, was used by the Governor as a “ruse” for blaming the victims.

On the other hand, the earlier suggestion of carpet bombing bandits by the  Governor was given a different reception by the relevant authorities. FGN and the military high command in Abuja simply ignored the call and kept a muted silence. The only exception was that of the National Security Adviser, who reacted by chastising the Governor for compromising national security by making public revelations about how bandits are trailed and monitored. It is highly probable that there may be many reasons for the cold reception given to the suggestion by El-Rufai by the Nigerian defense establishment. One of them had to do with the Governor’s naïve understanding of asymmetric warfare and how bandits operate in his state.

It is common knowledge that a wholesale bombing of a large swathe of territory in most conflict situations is expensive, heinous and ineffective. These were the lessons learned by Americans in Vietnam, Korea and Afghanistan, and by Russia in its current invasion of Ukraine to a certain extent. Although Russia has the second best Air Force in the world, it is finding it difficult to track and eliminate conventional and relatively fixed Ukrainian military targets from the air. In comparison, the Nigerian Air Force is next to nothing in terms of numbers, equipment and combat experience to that of Russia. Moreover, our military is not fighting a conventional war, but an irregular one in which the enemy remains elusive and engages in constant hit and run within a vast territory. The truth is: the combined combat enclaves against bandits located within Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger States may be larger than Belgium and Turkey combined. This makes it a huge and complex military challenge that may not allow the Nigerian Air Force to easily “wipe them out” as El-Rufa’i advocates.

The extent of the enormity of the task facing the Nigerian military can be seen in the fact that in Zamfara State alone, according to a recent study by Murtala Ahmed Rufa’i, there are over 10,000 bandits operating in different parts of the State. In parts of Niger and five affected states of the northwest there were, according to Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, over 30,000 bandits which, according to some sources, may be an underestimate. Therefore, bombing and effectively eliminating this large number of bandits, widely distributed across the six states in small groups is next to impossible. First, they are distributed in over one hundred camps, villages, hamlets, lairs, caves and crevices, which are difficult to accurately identify due to limitations of human and electronic intelligence. Second, the bandits are highly mobile and constantly change locations to evade attack or capture. Third, they know the terrain better than the Nigerian military and will change and adapt to different situations to enhance their survivability. Fourth, they have intelligence networks that provide them vital information on the intentions of the Nigerian security agencies. Fifth, they possess enough men and material to last them several years of fighting. Finally, we should bear in mind that in order to overcome these impediments and dent the combat capacity of the bandits, we must have an Air Force that is larger and better equipped than that of France.

Therefore, it is obvious that the Nigerian military does not possess the capacity to eliminate the bandits through Ariel bombardment as Governor El-Rufa’i suggests. Neither can the sickly Nigerian economy be in a position to fund it. If our Air Force resorts to it through a strategic miscalculation, the air campaign will drag for years, drain resources, destroy infrastructure and claim thousands of innocent lives needlessly. In the end, many of the bandits will survive and continue their misanthropic kidnapping business for years to come. The most feasible solution is to sidestep the sadistic ravings of El-Rufa’i and opt for a more realistic approach that is predicated on a complete overhaul of the failed strategy of the Nigerian military. Our point of departure as a nation must be anchored on a frank admission that the military cannot make any headways by fighting bandits with an inadequate number of poorly motivated soldiers armed with light weapons, manning check points in small groups, or hunting kidnappers on the back of vulnerable pickup trucks, which serve as ambush magnets. 

The current inept approach of the military must be urgently replaced with smart and effective strategies. Such entails taking concerted steps to put in place an adequate number of well trained and highly motivated soldiers, whose welfare and needs are well provided for. It also requires the supply of the requisite arms and ammunition in adequate numbers and quality. These must include armoured personnel careers, high caliber machine guns, body armour and night vision goggles, among others. The objective of the new strategy should be characterised by banning ransome payments, and tracking and eliminating bandits ruthlessly. Hence, the need for valuable intelligence from reliable human and electronic sources. More significantly, the key to success in fighting banditry or insurgency in the world nowadays lies in the mass acquisition and deployment of drones in tracking and eliminating targets. A single drone can more effectively discharge the task of a thousand soldiers during daytime or night, regardless of weather conditions. If the military acquires sixty of such, millions of traumatised Nigerians will be assured that the days of bandits operating freely in our country are numbered. If not, kidnapping will continue for the next ten years, even if Katari, Rijana, Akilibu and other settlements are relocated.








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omotoye olorode

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Jun 17, 2022, 3:53:45 AM6/17/22
to 'Aminu Mahmud' via CSO-APC Engagement
Thank you so very much, Comrade Ladan, for this very timely and informed contribution to the discussion on our extremely volatile security situation. God bless you abundantly!
You need to clarify something for me, though. Who is/are bombing the villages in Kaduna State? Bandits, Nigerian Air Force, or mercenaries? If mercenaries, who are they working for?

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