Nigerian Weekly #6 News Summary Dec. 19, 1999

Nigeria Weekly News Highlights #6

Nigeria Weekly News Highlights

Dec. 19, 1999

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December 18, 1999

REGISTRAR of a Federal High Court was Wednesday arrested by detective in Enugu over alleged N10,000 bribe.
The suspect (names withheld) was said to have received N10,000 marked money from a litigant who wanted to swear to an affidavit in the court.

I learnt that the court registrar who hails from Imo State was arrested by four plain clothes policemen who immediately handcuffed him.

Police sources said that the detained registrar had been petitioned in the past by lawyers and other litigants over series of bribe allegations made against him.

I learnt that the suspect was fond of receiving amounts ranging from N50,000 to N100,000 ostensibly on the prompting of judges to influence court decisions.

According to sources, lawyers who asked for certified true copies of court proceedings from the registrar were made to part with between N15,000 and N30,000, thus prompting some of those aggrieved to petition the police and judicial authorities.

A lawyer who once petitioned the registrar said that he was forced to pay N25,000 to obtain the record of court proceedings that would ordinarily not have cost more than N6,000 for his client.

"When I wanted the court proceedings, I approached him and he said that he needed 12 reams of duplicate papers, four bottle of correction fluid and four tubes of ink and that I should pay N25,000 to enable him buy the materials I preferred purchasing the items, but because I could not give him money, he delayed the job until I gave him N25,000. Even at that, I had to complain to the presiding judge before I could get the record of proceedings.

"I know other lawyers who were asked to pay money to him for onward transmission to judges. Since money is always extorted from them on the pretext that the judges who would receive such gratifications would deliver judgement in their (lawyers) favour. I think luck just ran out against the registrar in this matter," the lawyer who spoke under condition of anonymity said.
The police in Enugu confirmed the story saying that the suspect would appear in court as soon as investigations on the matter were completed.

Vanguard Transmitted Saturday, December 18, 1999

THE EMERGENCE OF APC: The North will respond to further attacks on her interests — Mohammed

THE upsurge of violence, perpetrated by militant youths of the Niger-Delta and the O’odua People’s Congress (OPC) in the South-West, side-by-side reprisal attacks across the country has added more worries to the growing feelings of insecurity in Nigeria.

But those actors always adduce reasons, justifiable or not, for their actions. It was such that the Federal Government was beginning to get really bothered about these militia groups. Even for the leaders of the bodies, there was also another concern that people were trying to demonize the groups by fingering them for every trouble-shooting in the country.

And suddenly, there was another one, the Arewa People’s Congress (APC) which was launched last week as a counter to what OPC or other groups stood for. The initiators noted on Friday, December 10, 1999 that the formation was to protect Northern interest.

Alhaji Sagir Mohammed, the Wazirin Ringin and a retired military intelligence officer in this interview blows hot on the destructive tendencies of the groups that eventually gave rise to the coming of APC.

Perhaps speaking the mind of the broader spectrum the North, Alhaji Mohammed warns that a re-occurence of the attack on any "northern interest" will not go unreplied. To him, restructuring of Nigeria could be done peacefully without necessarily shedding blood. One thing he warns against is the likelihood of the return of the military to the centre stage of our body polity owing to the threat to a one Nigeria. Read on.

Recently, a faceless organisation, going by the name Hausa/Fulani Concerned Youths of Nigeria issued a reprisal threat on Yorubas as a result of the unfortunate clash between the two ethnic groups in Lagos recently. Given the delicate nature of peace within the area, particularly in Kano, what is your reaction to this ugly trend?

Unfortunately, that statement like most statements you see on the pages of newspapers are not statements that reflect the views of the majority of the people in the North. They are views expressed by some few splinter groups who have become so aggrieved with the situation in the country, considering the level of mayhem, the level of carnage and the kind of utterances that are emanating. You see, people have got different ways of interpreting things.

Some interpret or express their views through violence and you know that Kano has a history of violence. We are not saying that under the democratic dispensation now, we should encourage violence in any form. We must understand that what others are doing is a threat to the security, to the stability and to the corporate existence of Nigeria. And the more they make that threat, the more the threat becomes a reality. Now, are we (North) saying that we also should be thinking the same way and preaching violence? The answer is no. Islam does not like violence.

What steps are the leaders in the North taking to halt any outbreak of inter-tribal clash?

Honestly, we are making series of consultations. These consultations are with the view to engaging the Federal Government constructively on how best we can tackle these things so that innocent lives will not fall again. The government has to be more decisive. If it would lead to the declaration of a state of emergency in these troubled places, so be it. Let it happen. Mobilise all the troops to make sure the situation is brought under control. But you see, what I am saying is, should there be a re-occurence of this kind of mayhem against our Northern interests, the North will react by defending itself. Those behind the coming of Arewa People’s Congress also made it clear that it was formed to protect the interests of the North and Northerners. We had bargained for peace. We gave the presidency to the South-West on a platter of gold. They did not use guns and did not coerce us into it. We gave them voluntarily.

Even the much talked-about June 12 mandate, we gave Chief Abiola that mandate and nobody in the North supported the annulment of that election. Just like they (Yorubas) were aggrieved on June 12, so also are we aggrieved in the North about so many other things. What we are saying is, let there be peace. Let the Yoruba leaders who are now silent talk. Let them know that the corporate existence of this country is more paramount than primordial sentiments of individuals. If people are talking about Sovereign National Conference (SNC), let us do it peacefully. If they want to restructure the country, let us do it peacefully because we don’t want to shed blood.

Beyond your thinking of peaceful means out of the present imbroglio, what are the leaders thinking about? Are you in the same way contemplating a platform to counter this offensive?

We have been contemplating, not countering but containment. Yes, we are seriously thinking about an organisation, a much more organised outfit that will be seen to be protecting and championing the cause of the entire North without any distinction. We are Northerners.

What kind of organised formation are you talking about. Besides, what would be its

thrust?

Well, the thrust will primarily be based on dialogue and at the same time decisive action where necessary. What I mean by decisive action is, we believe we have the capacity, the will-power to go to any part of Nigeria to protect our Northern brothers in distress. That I think was why those behind APC founded it.

Don’t you envisage a situation whereby this will aggravate the situation?

Well, aggravation, we don’t aggravate. We did not start it. It is left for the government to bring everything under control. You know I have told you that the Quaran says the recompense is on the person who is committing evil, not any other person. And so it is senseless for somebody to think that we can attack Yorubas in the North. That is evil. That is satanic thought. You can’t do that because they are innocent people. If it becomes necessary, if we have to use violence, we have to use it to save our people. If it means Jihad, we will launch our Jihad there. If they kill us, fine.

Have you, the leaders, made formal representation to the government on how to bring this under control?

The modus operandi to be applied, the objectives and how to achieve the objectives are yet to be worked out. But now, all we believe is dialogue. We believe in meeting its constitutional obligations of protecting and preserving the territorial integrity of the country and preserving peace and security anywhere. It is only in the absence of dialogue and where we see further attacks on Northerners in any part of Nigeria that we will consider other options but mark you, we don’t want to turn the North into a battle ground. Those who have declared war, we will go to their places and fight the battle with them.

How will these aggrieved youths be pacified to also embrace dialogue instead of violence?

You see, these youths are also not senseless. What we are saying is, let their leaders talk to them and you will see that they will turn a new leaf. In the case of the OPC, I expect the Yoruba elders like Pa Abraham Adesanya, Justice Adewale Thompson to come out and condemn the avoidable deaths we see there. We expect Ijaw leaders to do the same. We expect the Igbos to continue to talk to their youths so that they would remain as peaceful. We expect the Hausa leaders to talk to their children to avoid any senseless carnage.

Let those ministers who are members of Afenifere like Chief Bola Ige comment. Because right now, there is the question of double standard. He is a member of Afenifere and if the Afenifere leaders are condemning the President (Obasanjo) for giving the shoot-on-sight order in Lagos, then you start to wonder where such people like Ige stand. He goes to the executive council, they take decision there, then he goes to the executive of Afenifere. Something has to be done here. The daughter of Pa Adesanya, the minister of State for Defence should come out and talk. Otherwise, we will know that there is a conspiracy of silence. It means that they are trying to force us also to become members of such Northern irrenditism.

But the Internal Affairs minister, Chief Sunday Afolabi had spoken against acts perpetrated by such militant groups in Nigeria...

He is not a member of Afenifere. Even the person that I had always thought that he is in the vanguard of opposition, promoting Afenifere and all that, Dr Doyin Okupe had come out and spoken. With that he commands my respect. And you see the problem, with this tension, tension in Kano, tension in Sokoto, Niger-Delta, look, we are trying to say yes, military, we can’t do it. My fear is that the military are probably carrying out what they call concurrent activities prelude to intervention. This is what I am suspecting. I don’t want to believe that we are trying to invite the military to come back because of our attitudes. I think we are giving them a wrong signal. The military that we have pushed aside, we are giving them wrong signals and that is not good enough. I just hope that the Federal Government should invite leaders of thought, invite leaders from the South-West, invite leaders from the North, East and other geo-political zones. They need to sit down and let the Federal Government talk to them and let them go back and talk to their people.

There should be an explicit mission that should there be any further violence, whether it is religious, policy, the government will not hesitate to declare a state of emergency. We should not think about America. We should not think about the West because they cannot help us on how to live. We know the peculiarity of our people and we should always think within the peculiarity of our people and forge unity of purpose, forge how we are going to live in peace and harmony. And if people are talking about restructuring, I have said, let us restructure peacefully. If we want to revert to confederation, what is wrong with that?

There are ominous signs, dangerous signs but we don’t want that. We just hope that the Almighty Allah will preserve the territorial integrity of this country so that we remain as one and indivisible country.

Vanguard Transmitted Saturday, December 18, 1999

OUR FATHER DIED TO SAVE US –Family

By Fred Iwenjora

THE pains of widowhood and the anguish of being orphaned, are the sorry expressions one finds on the faces of the bereaved residents of 40, Olabiran Street, Shomolu.

Amid words intended to comfort them, they merely stare at the sympathisers emptily and nod when they muster enough thoughts and courage to appreciate the presence of the strange and/or familiar faces.

For them, it is an emotional wreckage occasioned by the brutal murder of their father (or husband) alongside his son. As they rest their cheeks on the palms, bow their heads in total submission or whisper among themselves, there is no doubt that for them, the memories remain eternally bitter.

That has been the mood of the family members of Mr. Aderemi Badejo Okusanya, the Vice Chairman of Shomolu Local Government Area who was killed at his residence last weekend with his son, Segun by unknown men.

And when Governor Bola Tinubu visited the Okusanyas, Tuesday, the signs of fear and torture were evident on those who gathered to welcome the number one citizen of Lagos State, who ironically, came under similar attack a day after the LG boss was murdered.

Amid Tinubu’s commiseration, the bereaved children and the only widow present then, would audibly gnash their teeth to show their understandable grief and feelings of hopelessness.

Ever since, family friends, political associates and other sympathisers have not ceased to stream into the family house of the Okusanyas located on the topmost floor of the two-storey building.

Wale Okusanya, one of the surviving children of the assassinated council vice chairman had just led out some of his friends. Obviously overwhelmed by emotions, he stood still and had his full attention on the enlarged portrait of his late father placed steps away from the staircase. Beneath the "portrait of this patriot" as one of the deceased’s associates described the former, was a condolence register which had been signed by no less than eight hundred people as at Wednesday.

"The wicked have done their worst," Tinubu, the 643^rd signatory, wrote in red ink, "but God is not asleep and His mercies endureth forever. Rest in perfect peace, Amen."

For Wale, the sad memories go beyond losing a "caring" father. He was with the fallen Shomolu vice chairman when the assailants stormed their home. Till today, Wale battles the trauma of ever remembering his last moments with his father, their reactions when they were alerted of the presence of hoodlums and how his father detailed him to go and hide somewhere.

He battled till the end not to betray emotions when he found the courage to talk with Weekend Vanguard on the ugly events of December 11, 1999. "My experience is made worse by the fact that I was there with my father as events unfolded," says Wale.

"Anybody who has never experienced this kind of thing would never know how it pains to see your father killed without being able to offer any assistance or making attempts to save him. This is one thing that you cannot wish even your worst enemy to encounter in life. I can’t see myself recovering from the shock. I can’t.

"It was about 6 a.m. and members of the family were just waking up. My father asked for water to brush his teeth. He also asked me to get his slippers. That was what I was searching for when Ajibola, one of my younger brothers ran upstairs, screaming that robbers were coming up to our house.

"Our reaction immediately was to try and barricade the door to prevent them from gaining entry. It was like a drama. We closed the door but three seconds after, they were already at our flat, banging on the door. At that point, my father looked at me and asked me to go and hide elsewhere.

"I didn’t want to leave my father alone but he insisted that I should leave. I left my daddy with his nephew who came in from London. I went to the back of the flat and sneaked into another flat. We used one mosquito net to cover ourselves."

In a flash, things happened. Holed in there, Wale and others could do nothing but pray for divine intervention. "We continued to pray for the safety of our father. But I heard the assailants shouting. After a while, I heard a gun shot, then another. At this stage, I had begun to cry. I was so frightened because I didn’t know what would have befallen our father.

"Almost immediately, I heard people wailing outside and cursing that the hoodlums would never go free. Then, I came out and rushed in to where my father was. Oh God, what I saw was my father lying motionless in the pool of his own blood. It was such a terrible sight."

Nothing prepared the already devastated Wale for what was lying ahead of him as he was asked by others to go to the mosque in front of their compound to report what was going on.

"When I got to the gate of our house, I saw a dead body. When I looked closer, it was the body of my younger brother, Segun who had also been shot. I was really confused. I ran back and told others of what I had just seen.

"Look, my brother, I have never been confused and shattered like that in my life. We didn’t know what to do. Crying wasn’t enough. A lot of us felt like death was the better choice. To lose a caring father and a promising younger brother who was only 18 were tragedies nobody could bear. We can’t be consoled by mere words.

"Our plea is that the government should fish out those behind these painful deaths and let them face the wrath of the law. It will be good to know that those who killed our father have been found. That’s the only news we’re waiting to hear."

Wale and the other children of the slain council vice chairman are, however, saddened by reports that their father would have been involved in family squabbles over landed property. As they prepared for the burial yesterday at Ijebu-Imodi in Ogun State, having committed their brother, Segun to mother earth on Monday, the family minced no words that late Okusanya lived in "absolute peace" with his other relations.

Tolani Banjo-Odusote, the second daughter of late Badejo Okusanya describes as "wicked" the insinuation that her late father was involved in any tussle. ""It’s wicked for people to make such insinuation at a time when we’re trying to gather our pieces together," she says.

"Our father lived in absolute peace with his brothers and sisters. It’s only those who didn’t know the kind of person that he was that would say such things about him. He was such a man of love, a man willing to allow even an enemy have his own thing if that would bring about peace.

"The Badejo Okusanya family is not in disarray. They are mourning the death of their beloved one. Our father had property at Ikotun, another in Surulere and the other in Lagos Island. He had no problem with a tenant, let alone his relatives."

The two wives of the deceased, Alhaja Iyabode Badejo Okusanya and Alhaja Abiodun Badejo Okusanya were still being shielded from journalists as late as Wednesday because they are too shocked to talk now.

"Ha," exclaimed Wale, "let’s not contemplate talking to the wives. That will mean starting what we may not be able to contain. The women have been in a total mess since the double tragedy hit us. What we do these days is to curtail the number of people that see them. Look, there is no pretence; these are difficult times for all of us."

That was the much that Tolani admitted too. "The times are rough for us but we rely on the Almighty Creator to guide us," she says. "Under the circumstances that they died, it’s damn painful to lose a father and a brother the same day.

It was my brother, Wale who came to my place which is about fifteen metres away. He told me that our daddy was very ill and wanted to see me immediately. I was washing few of my dresses. When he said that, I was amazed because I was with our father on Thursday (December 9) and he never showed any signs of illness at all.

"I kept asking myself what the problem could be as I ran in to put on a gown and rushed to our house. As I got near our home, I noticed that a small crowd had gathered. People were just staring at me. I came up and saw his body covered with white cloth that had blood stains all over.

"It’s a scene we shouldn’t remember (at this time, she was struggling not to break down as her voice had become faint). I was jittery but managed to open the cloth over him. Then I saw my father’s face and his chest with a gun shot wound. It was big. I was just kissing him and asking ‘daddy why? Why are you doing this to us?’ That was what they said that I kept saying. At this point, I didn’t know how I left the room.

"To be told that my immediate younger brother was also killed knocked me off. I couldn’t bear it any longer. And let’s not get into what I did or how I reacted. It’s not necessary. What did Segun do to them? He was an easy-going and likeable young man who was very close to his God.

"Those who killed our father and brother will never go unpunished. This is one assurance that I have. We thank the Lagos State Governor (Senator Bola Tinubu) for his visit and words of encouragement to the family.

"We also appeal to him and the Federal Government to find out those who killed our father and brother. Having contested election (under the Alliance for Democracy banner) and won, our father was more concerned in how to better the lives of people in Shomolu Local Government in particular and Nigeria in general.

"His death is a threat to democracy. Those who contested elections and won must be protected. What we ask is that government goes all out to find out those who were responsible for the death of our father and our brother."

Oyindamola, a second year Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos and another child of late Okusanya, lamented that their father died so that his children would live. "I heard that his killers were asking of his children and our father answered them thus: "I am their father. What do you want from them? He died so that the rest of us would be saved. That tells you the kind of person that our father was. He was always willing to make sacrifices for people.

"These people (assassins) kept asking of our little brother, Ajibola who had run upstairs and was pouring water from a bucket on the assailants. We thank God that they didn’t find the kid. They would have shot him.

"It’s most frustrating when you see life taken away from your father and brother in such dastardly manner. It makes the heart to bleed when you realise that some people walked into this place and killed these people who matter a lot in our lives.

"I have been living in the hostel and he used to give me money every week. Now, I wonder how I’m going to cope. He used to talk about our problems freely with us. Today, I wonder who will give us such fatherly care and advice.

"Asking me whether he had enemies that would have been responsible for his death is one question that I can’t be able to answer. He loved people and was generous but you know that with politics, you can’t be sure of anything. He had been in politics for a very long time so that if he ever had any enemy, I wouldn’t have known.

"We leave everything to God and hope that only God will take care of the family that he left behind."

Dr. Adelaja, a London-based nephew was with the murdered council boss when the assassins called. In his own account of what happened on that fateful Saturday, he told Weekend Vanguard that "I had been staying with him for quite sometime because he was to facilitate my return to England where I live. He had always been very helpful to me and to a lot of other people who would come for one assistance or the other.

"I was with him here on the day that the assailants came. We were barricading the door together but at the time we were overpowered, I quickly rushed to a corner. We were all in panic. The gunmen fired through the door (the bullet hole is still there).

"They were asking where his children were but he was, as we knew, a man that would never give away anybody let alone his own children. When the whole thing had died down a bit, I peeped through the kitchen door only to see my brother in the pool of his blood.

"We rushed to see whether we could salvage the situation. But it was too late. He had been fallen by these wicked people. How I wish that we would have had the opportunity to sit together again to talk about the events of that day. It can’t be. They killed him so brutally but God will revenge for us.

"My position is that the government of Nigeria must take security of lives and property very seriously. Democracy must guarantee that we live. We have to prove that it is not only the men in uniform who can protect the citizens.

"The responsibility for the present regime is to expose those behind this crime. He (late Okusanya) was no mean personality. As a vice chairman of a local government area, he deserved to be well treated even in death.

"The way we treat this matter will give confidence to other lesser Nigerians that they are also safe. This was a man who was so loyal to his friends and associates. And we cannot be talking of allowing people who killed such a nice man to be walking our streets free."

From both the bereaved and the sympathisers, it is the same cry: arrest the killers of Okusanya.

But for his immediate family members, the slain LG boss had paid the supreme sacrifice so that his children could live and that makes his death more painful to his children.

Vanguard Transmitted Saturday, December 18, 1999

Saturday, 18 December 1999
Workers in nationwide protest against proposed fuel price increase

WORKERS nationwide have signalled what their reaction would be should the Federal Government go ahead with the planned increase in fuel price.

In Delta State, workers staged a protest rally in Asaba, to press home the objection to the proposed like in fuel price. What the workers need is a living wage, not hardship, they said, adding: Besides, President Olusegun Obasanjo, during his election campaigns, never promised fuel increase, he promised a living wage. Why should he now introduce hardship into workers lives by this increase?

The workers, numbering over 1,000, marched through the major streets of Asaba before heading for the Government House, on Awori Road where their resolutions were read by the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) Mr. Ovuozourie Macaulay.

Some of their placards read: We produce oil in Nigeria, Nigerians should not be made slaves to our oil products; Deregulation of petroleum products prices will ruin the lives of Nigerians; The ruling class should not use oil to punish Nigerians.

Also in Ekiti State yesterday, workers staged a peaceful protest against the proposed deregulation, describing it as an attempt to strangulate the poor by the rich.

The workers who marched through the streets of Ado-Ekiti and later converged at the Governors Office, said they would not accept any hike in the prices of petroleum products from the ruling government.

The state governor, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo, who addressed the workers rally supported their cause, saying: The proposed deregulation of the petroleum sector is an unfortunate gift from the ruling party.

Adebayo wondered why the ruling party will want to compound the plight of the masses through fuel price increase. He, however, urged the workers not to be violent in their protest and assured them of his administrations support in ensuring that their legitimate demands are met.

The state Chairman of (NLC), Mr. Ade Ajayi, warned that workers would fight the proposed increase with the last drop of their blood. According to him, if the government found it impossible to increase workers salaries, it should not compound their situation by imposing fuel like on them.

He noted that those behind the proposed increase would not feel the impact because they ride government vehicles. The earlier the government has a re-think on the issue, the better for the nation.

And in Ondo State, workers added pep to their protests as they and their dependants danced along the major streets crying and singing to attract the sympathy of passers-by.

They later stormed the governors office and disrupted activities for about 30 minutes, vowing to make the country ungovernable if President Olusegun Obasanjo goes ahead with his plan.

In Bauchi State, Governor Ahmadu Adamu Muazu, said the chain reaction of the planned increase in petroleum price would be chaotic for the country:

Addressing members of NLC who came to deliver a letter to President Obasanjo through him, Muazu, however advised them to take the outcome with calmness and maturity.

Alhaji Muazu, who promised to deliver the letter, and to advise the president against the planned hike, urged the workers to employ dialogue in resolving the matter.

Confusion reigned on the streets of Kaduna when civil servants besieged strategic location in the city protest Federal Government's decision to increase pump price of petrol and other petroleum products from January next year.

The protesters, in their thousands, turned out with placards inscribed with scathing remarks about the countrys leaders.

Other groups who joined the placard-carrying demonstrators included market women, students, commercial vehicle drivers and motor-cyclists who also canvassed the support of the state government against prohibitive taxes and levies, by officials of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Board.

The protesters, led by the officials of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) were initially hesitant on the protest but were encouraged when they saw lorry loads of armed policemen cordoning off the NLC state secretariat where the state Chairman of NLC, Mallam Ahmadu Ubale, boldly led them to the streets where they distributed leaflets and chanted protest songs against any form of fuel price. They were, however, largely unmolested by the police who just maintained order.

The workers who later terminated their protest march at the Government House, demanded to see Governor Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi who yesterday arrived from abroad where he had gone for medical treatment. But, the deputy governor, Mr. Stephen Shakari granted them audience.

In his address to the state government, the NLC boss declared that apart from the direct negative impact on the welfare of citizens, deregulation of prices of petroleum products will aggravate the crisis of production in the country.

Manufacturers, he noted, would have to pay more for energy and petroleum products in the medium and long term with such public utilities like NEPA, NITEL and Water Corporations, increasing their tariffs to meet the increases.

In his petition to President Olusegun Obasanjo through the state government, the NLC state chairman stated that workers in Kaduna, market women, students, peasant farmers, commercial drivers and motor-cyclists totally disagree with your intention to increase the pump price of petrol and petroleum products next year.

Mallam Ubale argued that the petroleum sector is the foundation of all other economic and social activities in the country, saying government explanations justifying the necessity to introduce new fuel pump price, was unfair. We cannot talk of perfect competition in a market in which there are only nine powerful marketers namely Agip, A. P. Chevron Elf, Mobil, National, Shell, Texaco and Total and these multinationals have the resources and technology to hold this country to ransom.

What is amazing is that Mr. President has been reported as saying that he does not know what the new price increase would be when the deregulation takes effect. And this is with immediate effect, without knowing what the immediate consequences are in terms of price, the labour leader said.

He however pointed out that with the current hardship in the country, particularly among workers, rural and urban poor, an increase in fuel price through deregulation, would amount to declaring an economic war against an already impoverished populace.