The Greatness within me…

The other day at dawn just as streaks of sunlight found its way into my bedroom, intruding into my sleepy stupor simultaneously another intrusion occurred through the social media.  This one had its roots planted in my past with a spine strong enough to catch my attention and maneuver its way into my present.  It was through the instant chat on Facebook the following words tumbled out from a learned friend and colleague:

“Good morning, my brother, hope you are settling well in Nigeria? I woke up this morning with the thought of you and the gift of God in your life. Arise as shine Panaf. All those guys making waves in Nigeria cannot stand the gift of God in you. I have been waiting to read your thoughts on national issues but alas, I read only one in sahara reporters…….. The Tinubus, Dele Momodus of this world cannot stand what God has deposited inside you.  Arise Panaf, i believe you because I watched closely from distance and from within… Have you forgotten how you tore OAU students apart over your plan to contest union presidency? Have you forgotten your testimony before the panel set up to investigate the student crisis? You were born to be great. . .and i saw that aura long time ago”

What do you think?

A Tale of Relentless and Unending Friendship...

It was in response to his interest pregnant with subtle flirtation that Sumi’s attention became constricted to the world.  In her first interaction with him after so many years he wove his descriptions of her in delicate threads of embroidery with allusions to regal bearings, nodding and winking to a bloodline laden with royalty.  It was a deliberate stab at memories of the way he remembered her elegant walk and the grace in which she carried himself.  Through the space that social media provided she kept responding with approval cloaked in a disguise of joviality.  In the unfolding dialogue he dragged her through paved lanes of snatched encounters they had once shared in the sleepy South African town.  Initially tepid, Sumi wrestled in recalling those memories, to her it all seemed a distant blur something she had trouble recasting.  She requested a photograph from him so that he could situate herself within the sketches he had created from the time past, which he unwittingly attempted to redraw.  Slowly and gradually a glue evolved, one so enduring and within the first few minutes they realised that this re-encounter was no co-incidence but something pre-ordained and significantly more would grow from it, something akin to the greatest friendship of the time, profound yet so simple, pure but laced in complexities of denial.

As the days unfolded and unformed their conversations became laced with affection and conviviality, their pull towards each other became irresistible and the desire to communicate became a fascination.  These dragged on for days and from days into weeks and weeks merging into months, with each new dawn bringing in a new vista of memories, dredged up from a recreated period of imagined bliss.  These two people had been luckless in love and even the longevity of life had not bestowed upon them such fortune.  The vacuum ensured that within those early days of reunion a realisation would dawn on them that they had found their respective voices.  That discovery added layers of cement to their feelings, provided the assurance of what was meant to be and offered the validation of their re-discovery.  In their daily chats a penchant for intellectual curiosity also introduced another dimension into their budding relationship, from earlier on they unwittingly resolved not to be afraid to follow the truth of their feelings wherever it may lead.

The end of Biafra

Pray for Dezani.....

Cancer is a bad thing that no one should ever wish for even their enemy. This woman needs prayers, I don’t even care if she stole our money or not. If she’s alive we can recover the money she allegedly stole.
#DontBeTooComfortableWithLife

MUST READ: LADY SHARES 16 LESSONS SHE LEARNT FROM LOSING HER VIRGINITY

BY POPOOLA OLAKUNLE ON NOVEMBER 15, 205

Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth.
Like chastity, the concept of virginity has traditionally involved sexual abstinence.

The concept of virginity usually involves moral or religious issues and can have consequences in terms of social status and in interpersonal relationships. Although virginity has social implications and had significant legal implications in some societies in the past, it has no legal consequences in most societies today.

When a lady loses her virginity, she starts to realise some certain facts. Some of these facts are enumerated below:

1. Many teenage girls sleep with guys because they are trying to find love, to find self-worth. But the catch is that the more guys they sleep with, the less self-worth they had.

2. Many girls think that if they really care about guys, sex will bring them closer together. Indeed, sεx creates a bond. However, 80 percent of the time, the physical intimacy of first sexual relationship won’t last more than six months.

3. Couples who want what is best for their relationship or future marriage will have the patience to wait.

4. Most of the time, when a girl gives away her virginity, she assumes the relationship will last forever. But study of more than 10,000 women shows that when a girl loses her virginity at that age at 14, she’ll probably have about thirteen more lifetime sexual partners.

5. Teen sex frequently causes tension within families because of the dishonesty that usually accompanies the hidden intimacies. Relationships with friends are often strained, and when things turn sour, the gossip and social problems often become unbearable.

6. Everyone talks about how hard it is to say no to sex, but no one tells you how hard it is when you say yes.

7. It is dangerous for a teenage girl to be sexually active. Because a teenage girl’s reproductive system is still immature, she is very susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases.

8. In fact, early sεxμal activity is the number one risk factor for cervical cancer, and the second is multiple sεxμal partners. A girl’s body, like her heart, is not designed to handle multiple sεxμal partners.

9.While a girl might plan on sleeping with only one guy, she could be exposing herself to the STDs of hundreds of people through a single act of intεrcoμrsε. Here’s how: Scientists studied the sεxμal activity of a public high school of about one thousand students. About half (573) of the students had been sεxμally active, and most of them had only been with one partner. However, when the scientists

tracked the web of sεxμal activity among the students, it was discovered that more than half of the sexually active teens—without knowing it were linked together in a network of 288 partners within the school! So if a girl slept with a guy from this school, theoretically she could be in bed with one-fourth of the entire student body.

10.The emotional side effects of premarital sex are also damaging to a young woman. One of the most common consequences of teenage sεxμal activity is depression. Girls who are sεxμally active are more than three times as likely to be depressed as girls who are abstinent. In fact, the condition has become so predictable that the Journal of Preventive Medicine recommends to doctors: “[Girls who are engaging in] sεxμal intεrcoμrsε should be screened for depression, and provided with anticipatory guidance about the mental health risks of these behaviours. ”Even if a girl experiments with sex once, research shows an increased risk of depression. Also, consider the fact that the rate of suicide attempts for sεxμally active girls (aged twelve to sixteen) is six times higher than the rate for virgins.

11. Unfortunately, many young women search for meaning only in relationships with guys, instead of with God. It is not uncommon for a girl to have sex in order to make a guy like her more or to encourage him to stay with her. She may compromise her standards because she is afraid of never being loved. Once he leaves her, though, an emotional divorce takes place. A person’s heart is not made to be that close to a person and then separated.

12. Since teenage sεxμal relationships rarely last, the girl’s sense of self-worth is often damaged. She may conclude that if she looked better, he would have stayed longer. This mentality can lead to harmful practices, such as eating disorders. Or the disappointment she feels may drive her into a state of self-hatred. Some young women even begin to hurt their own bodies in an attempt to numb the emotional pain. Such practices never solve the problems, though. If she wants to be loved, she needs to begin by loving herself.

13. In her heart, a girl who has been used knows it. However, she may immediately jump into another sεxμal relationship to escape the hurt. If she tries to boost her self-esteem by giving guys what they want, then her self-worth often ends up depending upon those kinds of relationships. Her development as a woman is stunted because without chastity she does not know how to express affection, appreciation, or attraction for a guy without implying something sexual. She may even conclude that a guy does not love her unless he makes sεxμal advances toward her. She knows that sex exists without intimacy, but she may forget that intimacy can exist without sex. A girl on this track usually feels accepted initially, but that acceptance lasts only as long as the physical plεasμrε.

14. Such a lifestyle will also take its toll on her ability to bond. Here’s why: Sharing the gift of sex is like putting a piece of tape on another person’s arm. The first bond is strong, and it hurts to remove it. Shift the tape to another person’s arm, and the bond will still work, but it will be easier to remove. Each time this is done, part of each person remains with the tape. Soon it is easy to remove because the residue from the various arms interferes with the tape’s ability to stick.

15. The same is true in relationships, because neurologists have discovered that previous sεxμal experiences can interfere with one’s ability to bond with future partners. This does not mean that if a person is not a virgin on the wedding night, he or she will be unable to bond with a spouse. It simply means that when we follow God’s plan, we have the most abundant life possible. But when we turn from his designs and break his commandments, often we are the ones who feel broken afterwards.

16 Spiritual. Sin cuts us off from God, and this is the most serious consequence of premarital sex. After going too far, many of us know all too well the cloud of guilt that weighs on our hearts. The solution is not to kill our conscience but to follow it to freedom. It is calling us, not condemning us. Provided we repent, God will be there to welcome us home and let us start over.

What this all means is that our bodies, our hearts, our relationships, and our souls are not made for premarital sex. We should wait to have Sex.

As Corruption Fights Back By Femi Falana.

(Being the address delivered by Femi Falana SAN at the investiture of Mr. Dare Oseni as the 2015/2016 President of the International Association of Lions Club, Lagos Isolo Lions Club at Samkoll Graden Idimu, Lagos State on November 8, 2015).  Introduction: The Lions International founded in 1917 by Melvin Jones in Chicago, Illinois, United States has grown to a global body of volunteers. With its membership of over 1.4 million people in 210 countries, it is unarguably one of the largest non- governmental organizations in the world. Like its counterparts in other countries, the Nigerian chapter of the Lions Club provides assistance to the needy and other underprivileged citizens.

Realising the limitation of non-state actors in addressing the socio-economic of the people the Lions Club has pledged to the promote the "principle of good government and good citizenship"In addition to the provision of financial assistance to the needy the Lions Club should join the campaign for the establishment of a social security scheme funded by the government to provide for all indigent citizens. More importantly, the club should mobilize the people to demand the protection of their basic rights by the government. Since the Buhari administration has undertaken to save funds for the overall development of the country by fighting corruption and stopping leakages in the system the prosecution of certain corruption cases by the government ought to be reviewed as corruption is fighting back in a ferocious manner. The duty of the State to abolish corruption according to section 15 (5) of the Constitution, the State is obligated to "abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power". To that extent, the anti-corruption policy of the Buhari administration is justified by the Constitution. However, the administration believes that corruption is the root cause of the country's socio-economic malaise. Hence, the President has cautioned that "if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us." While it cannot be disputed that corruption has stultified growth and development of the nation it should be pointed out that it is a manifestation of the predatory and dependent capitalist state run by the parasitic ruling class.

The menace of corruption is compounded by the impunity of the ruling class in a neo-colonial state like Nigeria whereas it is controlled by an effective criminal justice system under the rule of rule of law which operates in western countries. To wage a meaningful battle against corruption the economy has to be freed from the tiny grip of imperialism and its local lackeys and managed in such manner as to secure the maximum welfare, security and happiness of every citizen. To achieve that objective the government has to harness the enormous resources of the
country and redistribute them to serve the common good. Furthermore, the culture of impunity has to be replaced by the rule of law. Given the lack of political will on the part of the ruling to end impunity the Nigerian people have a critical role to play in the fight against corruption and abuse of power.

Expectedly, the policy of the Mohammadu Buhari Administration to fight corruption and end impunity is under serious attack by powerful vested interests. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged the persecution of its members who have been dragged to court for diverting huge public funds. While not denying the involvement of the accused persons in corrupt practices the PDP has accused the administration of selective prosecution for not
charging the corrupt members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to court. The Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki, a leading member of the APC, has alleged that his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for false declaration of assets is politically motivated.

The National Council for Peace has pleaded with President Buhari to respect the human rights of former ministers accused of corruption since President Goodluck Jonathan ensured a peaceful transfer of power. Some senior lawyers have obtained interim or perpetual injunctions from judges who have restrained the police
and anti-graft agencies from arresting, investigating and prosecuting certain politically exposed persons alleged to have engaged in the criminal diversion of public funds. In spite of the abolition of stay of proceedings or suspension of criminal trials by the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, senior lawyers and
judges manning criminal courts have continued to subject corruption cases to frivolous preliminary objections.
However, while every indictable offence should be prosecuted, it should be pointed out that even in advanced liberal democracies the allegation of politically motivated prosecution is not uncommon. But in western countries anyone who is alleged to have breached what Professor Akin Oyebode calls the eleventh commandment of the bourgeoisie (i.e., thou shall not be caught) will be brought to book regardless of the political affiliation. If the
case is dismissed, the person may sue the State to pay reparation if there is evidence of malicious prosecution.
Soliciting for corruption.

Although the government is yet to define the scope and nature of its anti- corruption policy it is pertinent to join issues with the lawyers who are being used to hijack the battle and confuse the people. No doubt, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has consistently condemned corruption in the bar and the bench. Thus, at the valedictory service held by the Supreme Court on February 17, 2012, in honour of the late Justice Anthony Aniagolu, the then NBA President, Mr. Daudu SAN pointed accusing fingers at some retired judicial officers and senior lawyers who were acting as bribe couriers between politicians and judges in election petition tribunals. To halt the dangerous trend, he announced that the NBA had set up an Anti-Corruption Commission to identify members of the legal profession involved in promoting corruption within the justice system. But neither the NBA anti-corruption commission nor the Disciplinary Committee currently headed by Mr. Daudu has been able to identify the corrupt members of the legal profession.

Indeed, it is public knowledge that some senior lawyers have since been recruited to frustrate the prosecution of corrupt elements in the society. During the induction ceremony for the 2014/2015 set of Senior Advocates of Nigeria the NBA President, Mr. Austin Aleghe SAN reiterated the resolve of the law society to fight corruption. On that occasion, the NBA leader expressed concern over the rampant allegations of sleaze in the judiciary. Convinced that the leadership of the bar was characteristically playing to the gallery, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Honourable Justice Mohammed Mahmud was compelled to challenge the NBA President to name the corrupt members of the bench. Up till now, the NBA has not plucked up the courage to take up the challenge due to the involvement of a number of senior lawyers in the menace.

At the opening ceremony of the 2015 Annual General Conference of the NBA at Abuja on August 23, 2015, President Mohammed Buhari urged Nigerian lawyers to see corruption as a gross violation of peoples’ rights, because pervasive corruption has continued to deny the people access to basic needs. In urging Nigerian lawyers and judges to back his administration’s fight against corruption and impunity, the President said that “ the ability to manipulate and frustrate the system is the crowning glory of the corrupt and, as may be expected, this has left many legal practitioners and law courts tainted in an ugly way.” (See Buhari to Lawyers: Join fight against crooks- The Nation, August 24, 2015). The appeal has since fallen on deaf ears as some senior lawyers are determined to frustrate the trial of corruption cases to the detriment of the society. This has been amply demonstrated in some of the cases pending at the trial courts an Immunity for corrupt public officers.

In the last three months, several interim and interlocutory orders have been issued by the federal and state high courts which have prevented the anti-graft agencies from prosecuting certain highly placed individuals accused of involvement in corrupt practices and other economic and financial crimes. In fact, a judge in the Federal High Court has granted not less than 10 of such orders. I also know of a State High Court judge who has ordered the police not to charge some indicted murder suspects to court. From the information at my disposal, the illegal orders were procured by some senior lawyers contrary to the settled position of the law on the matter. In other words, the granting of interlocutory injunctions by judges to restrain the police or anti-graft agencies from
investigating allegations of corruption and other criminal offences is illegal and unconstitutional as no court has the power to turn any person into an outlaw in a country which operates under the rule of law. In Fajemirokun v. CCB Nig. Ltd. (2009) 21 WRN 10 the Supreme Court held:

“In view of section 35(1)(c)(2)(3)(4)(5) and (6) and Section 36(1)- (12) of the 1999 Constitution which provide adequate safeguard for the arrest of any person suspected of having committed an offence, investigation of the allegation, and the prosecution of the offender, no person has the constitutional right to be shielded against criminal investigation by a judicial fiat or order.”

In the same vein in the case of Dododo v. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission & Ors. (2013) 1 NWLR ( PT 1336) 468 at 510 the Court of Appeal held:
“The EFCC and the ICPC enjoy the status of the powers vested in the police that encompasses the duty to examine a complaint or petition, investigate and prosecute if necessary and that when a petition or complaint is made the statutory body, their duty to look at the complaint cannot be suppressed.”

In spite of the clear pronouncements of the appellate courts to the effect no court can confer immunity on criminal suspects, high court judges have continued to frustrate the anti-graft agencies from arresting, investigating and prosecuting influential persons accused of involvement in serious cases of corruption, fraud and other economic crimes. No doubt, the lawyers involved in the charade are promoting corruption and subverting the rule of law under the guise of protecting the fundamental rights of their clients to personal liberty and fair hearing. However, I must not fail to appreciate and acknowledge the very many lawyers who have
sworn to shun corruption. It is high time that such concerned patriots spoke out against lawyers and judges who are promoting corruption under the guise of performing their professional role as
defense counsel to criminal suspects.

Dr. Bukola Saraki's trial The Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki has been charged with false declaration of assets before the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja. Incidentally, the senator was a member of the 7th
session of the National Assembly which enacted the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. Section 306 thereof provides that

"An application for stay of proceedings in respect of a criminal matter before the court shall not be entertained." For the avoidance of doubt, section 396 (2) of the Act further provides that “After the plea has been taken, the defendant may raise any objection to the validity of the charge or the information at any time before
judgment provided that such objection shall only be considered along with the substantive issues, and a ruling thereon made at the time of delivery of judgment.”

Notwithstanding the abolition of stay of proceedings by the Act and the incorporation of preliminary objections in the substantive case Dr. Saraki's lawyers have filed a notice of preliminary objection at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. When the objection was overruled the defendant filed applications for stay of proceedings at the
Conduct of Conduct Tribunal. Similar applications were filed at Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The defendant has also engaged in forum shopping in the Lagos and Abuja divisions of the
Federal High Court. At the resumed hearing of the case at the Code of Conduct Tribunal last Thursday, the senior advocates involved in the legal gymnastics accused the judges of engaging in "judicial rascality" for daring to rely on the relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

In Mohammed v Olawunmi (1993) 4 NWLR (PT 287) at Page 254
the Supreme Court held that it is an attitude which borders on
judicial pertinence on the part of a trial court to foist an appellate
court with a fait accompli by proceeding with a hearing of a matter
when a motion of stay of proceedings is pending at an appellate
court. With respect, that case which was relied upon by the defense
counsel no longer represents the current state of the law in all
federal courts in the country. To that extent, the decision of the
Code of Conduct Tribunal to proceed with the hearing of the
substantive matter was perfectly in order.

In view of the unambiguous provision of the Administration of
Criminal Justice Act on the suspension of all objections and the
abolition of stay of proceedings and other dilatory tactics the
tribunal did not exhibit any act of judicial rascality. Indeed, it was
the senior lawyers displayed professional rascality by subjecting
the judges to scurrilous attacks after walking out of the Tribunal.
Although the senior had protested the hearing of the case on the
ground that they had filed a motion for stay of proceedings in the
Supreme Court it was reported that barely 24 hours later Senators'
Saraki's lawyers appeared at the federal high court in Lagos to
seek a similar redress for their client. However, the suit in Lagos
was dismissed by the Honorable Justice Ibrahim Buba, who held
that the Code of Conduct Tribunal has exclusive jurisdiction over
the issue of asset declaration.

In condemning the conduct of Senator Saraki’s lawyers, the Socio-
Economic and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the
NBA to “urgently investigate what exactly happened and to punish
any professional misconduct that may have occurred.” I am one
with the SERAP in view of Rule 30 of the Rules of Professional
Conducts for Legal Practitioners, 2007 which provides that “A
lawyer is an officer of the Court and, accordingly, he shall not do
any act or conduct himself in any manner that may obstruct, delay
or adversely affect the administration of justice.” But the NBA
President has peremptorily dismissed any allegation of professional
misconduct on the part of the defense counsel!

Solidarity appearance at the Code of Conduct Tribunal by senators
In a rare display of impunity, the Senate President has caused the
Senate to adjourn sittings to allow members to show solidarity with
him whenever his case is fixed for hearing at the Code of Conduct
Tribunal. Apart from questioning the political will of the Buhari
Administration to fight corruption and impunity in the country the
Senate has continued to assault our collective national morality.
Since the policy of "no work no pay" is applicable in the federal
public service, the senators who abandon their constitutional duties
to attend court proceedings are not entitled to be paid to be
remunerated for wanton indolence in the circumstance. If the
morally despicable behavior is not halted, the distinguished
senators may soon resolve to appear in the various courts in the
country in solidarity with other members who are facing terrorism
and corruption charges. After all, what is good for the goose is
equally good for the gander.

As the Senate President Dr, Bukola is required to preside over the
affairs of the legislative house in the discharge of its constitutional
duty of making laws for the country. Attendance of court sittings in
solidarity with any criminal suspect is certainly not part of the
constitutional responsibilities of the Senate. By insisting on the
suspension of Senate sittings to enable him to attend court sittings
in the company of fellow senators the Senate President has
violated paragraph 1 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers
which states that “A public officer shall not put himself in a
position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and
responsibilities.”

Exception to presumption of innocence of corrupt persons
Some lawyers have continued to argue that persons accused of
unbridled corruption or unjust enrichment are presumed innocent
and, therefore, qualified to occupy positions of authority until they
are found guilty by a competent court of law. Curiously, the ruling
party has adopted the dubious legal argument. Hence, it is fielding
two governorship candidates who are standing trial for corruption
while some persons accused of fraud and corruption have been
appointed to positions of authority by the APC-led government. It
ought to be pointed out that presumption of innocence which inures
in favor of criminal suspects is not an immutable doctrine under
the criminal Nigerian criminal law.

Hence, Section 36(5) of the Constitution specifically provides that
“nothing in this section shall invalidate any law by reason only that
the law imposes upon such person the burden of proving particular
facts.” Accordingly, under Section 145 of Evidence Act 2011 there
is a dichotomy between the presumption of law and presumption of
fact. Hence, while criminal suspects are presumed innocent until
the contrary is proved by the prosecution in a criminal trial any
person who is in possession of stolen goods soon after the theft is
either the thief or has received stolen goods knowing them to have
been stolen unless he/she can account for the possession. See R
v. Braimoh (1943) WACA 197.

Under the current criminal law regime if a public officer cannot
account for his/her stupendous wealth the onus is on him/her to
explain the source of the wealth. Indeed, under section 7 of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act the Commission is
empowered to cause an investigation to be conducted into the
properties of any person “if it appears to the Commission that the
person’s lifestyle and extent of the properties are not justified by
his source of income.” In such a situation, the onus rests on the
suspect to explain that the assets in question have been acquired
legitimately.

Furthermore, contrary to the misleading impression that public
officers accused of corruption cannot be asked to step aside and
clear their names paragraph 303404 of the Federal Government
Public Service Rules (Corrected Version 2008) stipulates that when
a public officer is charged to court with a criminal offense he/she
shall be interdicted and cease to report for duty until the
determination of the case. During the period of interdiction the
public officer concerned shall be entitled to 50% of his/her
entitlements provided that if he/she is discharged or acquitted the
officer shall be immediately reinstated and receive his/her full
entitlements which have been denied him/her during the reinstated and receive his/her full
entitlements which have been denied him/her during the period of
interdiction.

Paragraph 030406 of the Rules further provides that where the
officer has not been charged to court he/she may be suspended
pending the investigation into the allegation of malfeasance or
misconduct against him/her. It has been held by the Supreme Court
in many decided cases that such interdiction or suspension does
not violate the fundamental rights of the officers involved.
Therefore, it is misleading on the part of lawyers to insist that
public officers who cannot explain their sources of wealth are
presumed innocent until the contrary is established against them by
a court of competent jurisdiction.
Conclusion

Some members of the ruling party and the opposition have accused
the anti-graft agencies of engaging in selective prosecution of
corrupt people in the country. The allegation should be investigated
by the government with a view to ensuring that every corrupt
person is charged to court. In the words of Professor Wole Soyinka,

"A crime is a crime, but let that crime be spelt out fairly and the
accused given an opportunity to defend him/herself. That is the
only form of justice that lays a viable foundation for society.

Otherwise, we are all reduced to a state of jungle justice." (See The Republic of Liars). Let the anti-graft agencies proceed with the investigation of every public officer who is alleged to have. embezzled public funds. If any of them is indicted, let him/her be charged to court. Otherwise, the Government may lose the moral right to prosecute other corrupt elements in the society.