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Allow traditional rulers, local councils to tackle insecurity – DG NARC
The Director-General, Nigerian Army Resources Centre (NARC), retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab says allowing traditional rulers and local government councils to function optimally will greatly reduce insecurity at the grassroots.
Wahab made the call in a paper titled “Security a Collective Responsibility” presented at the 44th Annual General Meeting of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI), on Saturday in Abuja.
He said solving security challenges would be most effective at the local level.
According to him, government interference in traditional institutions and local councils is weakening their ability to discharge their roles effectively.
“To address insecurity, we need to go to the grassroots, the local government, because we want everybody to be involved at the local government level.
“People know themselves and so we need to get that clear and the governors should and must allow local governments, 774 of them, to function and perform effectively.
“If that is done, it becomes easier for us to get people to be involved and you cannot do that without the traditional institutions because they command so much respect within their localities.”
The DG also called for good and inclusive governance as well as social justice to deter criminality.
He said that impunity also fuel crime as long as people know there won’t be consequence for their action.
According to him, governance must be inclusive to give every segment of the society a sense of belonging.
He called on Nigerians to challenge the status quo, adding that once there are structures to monitor and punish those who don’t perform their assigned responsibilities, things will be better.
“So you must take steps that will make sure that everybody is involved in security, which is a collective responsibility,” he added.
In a goodwill message, the President, Alumni Association of Defence College (ANDEC), retired Air Cdre Darlington Abdullahi, said the nation’s security challenges required all stakeholders to agree on the best approach to solve them.
Abdullahi said that even though a lot had been done in that direction, more still needed to be done to make Nigeria peaceful.
He pledged to partner with AANI and other stakeholders to collectively address the security challenges bedeviling the country.
Also, Dr Mike Ejiofor, a Security Consultant, said that Nigeria does not lack solutions to its challenges but the will to implement them.
Ejiofor said that government’s interference in the traditional institution was exacerbating the security problems.
He advocated for constitutional amendment to give traditional rulers powers to provide local security in their domains.
According to him, contrary to reports that some states lack resources to fund state police, all states in Nigeria are funding vigilante groups.
“I support the creation of state police but I urge the president and governors to put appropriate measures in place before establishing it,” he said.
On his part, the Executive Director, Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Malam Umar Yakubu, said the solution to Nigeria’s security challenges lie with the alumni of various security institutions.
He charged them to come up with workable solutions to address the security challenges.
The President of AANI, Amb. Emmanuel Okafor, said the twin challenges of insecurity and economic difficulties had created social tension including street protests and looting of food items.
He said the association as part of its contribution to restore normalcy, was partnering with various stakeholders to promote good governance and sustainable development for a better society.
He said the alumni association believed that there should be change of attitude to ensure collective action against the current insecurity in the country.
According to him, there should be broad based commitment and consistent implementation of comprehensive national development plans to make positive impact on the lives of Nigerians.
The Nigerian rail system generated N1.69billionn in revenue from passengers in the second quarter of 2024, reflecting a 53.14 per cent increase compared to the N1.10billion recorded in the same period of 2023.
This data was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics in its report released yesterday.
According to the report, a total of 689,263 passengers travelled by rail in Q2, representing a growth rate of 45.38 per cent compared to 474,117 passengers in the corresponding quarter of 2023.
The volume of goods transported via rail also saw a significant increase, with 143,759 tons moved in Q2 2024, up from 56,936 tons in Q2 2023. Additionally, the Nigerian Railway Corporation reported a volume of 5,940 tons of goods transported through pipelines in Q2 2024, an increase from the 2,856 tons recorded in the same period of the previous year.
Revenue from goods conveyed via rail stood at N537.36m in Q2 2024, a remarkable increase of 206.68 per cent compared to N175.22m in Q2 2023. The movement of goods through pipelines also contributed to revenue generation, with N42.08m collected in Q2 2024, compared to N12.81million in Q2 2023.
Other revenue receipts amounted to N994.68million in Q2 2024, representing a staggering increase of 5,206.68 per cent from the N18.74m recorded in the corresponding period of last year.
In the first quarter, of 2024, The Tide source reported that Nigeria spent more on servicing the debt incurred for building its railways than the revenue generated by its railway system. The country spent 2,470 per cent more on railway debt servicing than it made from revenue from rail services in the first quarter of 2024.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it is committed to advancing projects and programmes that enhance food security and sustainable growth in the region.
Chief Monday Igbuya, the Delta State representative on the NDDC Board, made this pledge in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, yesterday by the NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama.
Igbuya spoke at the inauguration of a training and empowerment programme for women and youths in livestock and agro processing in Amukpe, Sapele area of Delta.
He stated that the NDDC was prioritising livestock training in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“NDDC is focussed on implementing programmes to ensure food security and agricultural growth in multi sectors, aiming to improve living standards.
“It is our belief that for socio-economic development to take place, there is need to develop manpower in the agricultural sector,” he said.
Igbuya expressed confidence that training farmers would enhance livestock production, create jobs, and alleviate poverty in the Niger Delta.
Mrs Winifred Madume, NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, said that training farmers and entrepreneurs was essential for improving productivity and market access.
“The commission has been promoting research and development through various institutions and providing farming techniques to beneficiaries,” she said.
The Project Consultant, Dr Simon Akhaine, said that 200 women and youths had registered for the livestock and agro-business skill acquisition programme.
According to him, the programme aims to equip them with the essential knowledge and skills for self-sufficiency in livestock farming, thereby boosting regional food security.
President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
In his stead, Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual summit.
Tinubu “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” a statement from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed yesterday.
The statement is titled ‘Vice President Shettima to Lead Nigeria’s Delegation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly.’
It reads, “President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
“Therefore, the President has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation.”
Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trips to China and the United Kingdom, “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” said Onanuga.
At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings.
The high-level General Debate, with the theme “Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations,” will run from Tuesday, September 24, through Saturday, September 28, 2024.
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