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Saraki, Tambuwal Demand Service Chiefs’ Sack …Ekweremadu To Sponsor State Police Bill …Buhari’s Govt Pampering Killers -ASUU
Following the increasing spate of killings across the country, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and Sokoto State Governor, Hon Aminu Tambuwal have called for the immediate removal of security chiefs to allow for fresh and innovative ideas on how to protect the nation and its citizens.
Tambuwal spoke while declaring open the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), holding in Sokoto.
The governor noted that there was no need retaining security heads that could not find solution to perennial security challenges in the country.
He also charged media managers and professionals to rise against increasing rate of disseminating fake news items that had been fuelling ethnic and religious violence in the country.
On his part, Saraki said the killings in the country were abnormal because they involve loss of human lives.
Saraki, who fielded questions from journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, last Saturday, particularly blamed security chiefs for working at cross purposes and for their refusal to partner with the National Assembly, insisting that incompetent hands among them must be ready to give way in order to end the current security challenges in the affected areas.
He added that the National Assembly would not shy away from its responsibility, saying that incessant killings must stop.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as diversionary the allegation by the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) that it sponsored the latest killings in Plateau State.
The party said that rather than shielding the President, BMO should tell its principal to live up to the responsibility of his office by stopping the bloodletting in various parts of the country.
The party was reacting to a statement by the BMO that it was behind the Plateau killings.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, last Saturday, the PDP said Buhari media handlers were chasing shadows with their “baseless” allegation which, it noted, was borne out of frustration.
Also reacting, the Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement (PIDAN), in collaboration with Conference of autochthonous Ethnic Community Development Association (CONAEDA), faulted the death toll in the Plateau killings pegged at over 100, saying the toll was above 219 and many more were still missing.
PIDAN, the umbrella body for ethnic nationalities in the state, expressed concern over the Federal Government’s exclusion of the North-Central from the attention given to the North-East, noting that people in their thousands were temporarily camped in 11 different places across three local government areas of Plateau.
Another group, ‘Women for Women and He for She’, called for the overhaul of the security system in the country, saying reports from various quarters indicated that the system had been compromised.
In separate press briefings in Jos, the President of PIDAN, Dr. Aboi Madaki, and the state Coordinator of Women for Women and He for She, Dr. Jophia Gupar, lamented the untold hardship Plateau citizens were going through, saying “enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday, said that he has concluded arrangements to sponsor a bill that would decentralise nation’s policing system.
Ekweremadu has however slammed the current system as “dysfunctional and unsuitable for a federal system”.
Responding to the rising insecurity and killings in Nigeria, the Deputy Senate President said that the killings had continued mainly because the federating states were not constitutionally allowed to recruit, train, and equip enough manpower for the security of lives and property of citizens in their states.
In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu spoke during an interactive session with Fulbright Scholars, Exchange Scholars, and Graduate Students at the International Centre for Information and Nelson Mandela Institute of Research in his maiden lectures as a Professor and Senior Mentoring Scholar, E-Governance and Strategic Government Studies, Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Social Sciences, Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
Ekweremadu said, “Unlike here in the United States where the component states, counties, big institutions set up police service to address their local needs, the Nigerian constitution vests the security of a very vast, multifarious, and highly populated country in hands of the Federal Government.
“The internal security of Nigeria depends on one man or woman, who sits in Abuja as the Inspector-General of Police. The governor of a state, though designated as the chief security officer of the state by the constitution, cannot direct the police commissioner of his state on security matters.
“The commissioner will have to clear with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, who will clear with a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, who will also clear with the Inspector-General of Police, who may in turn need to clear with the President, who is the Commander-in Chief of the Armed Forces. By the time the clearance comes, if it ever does, it would have been late.
“Nigeria is the only federal system I know, which operates a unitary or centralised policing. Ironically, it was not the case in the beginning. The founding fathers agreed on a federal constitution, which allowed the component units to set up local police organisations. But it was overturned by the military and successive civilian regimes have continued to play the ostrich.”
On the way forward, he said: “As far as I am concerned, whatever we are doing now is certainly not working and we cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result.
“The real tragedy of the Plateau massacre is that we risk more attacks and loss of lives unless we decentralise our policing and allow every state at least to take their fates in their own hands.
“So, despite the failure of previous attempts to decentralise the police during constitution amendments, I will introduce a bill that will bring about state police or decentrliased policing once I return to Nigeria.”
On the chances of the bill, Ekweremadu said events in recent years had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the current centralised security system would never help the government to leave up to its primary responsibility, which he explained the welfare of the people and the protection of their lives and property.
He said,”I think people are now facing the stack reality. I have been getting calls from serving and former governors and key players and interests, who were opposed to the idea of state police. They confess they have seen what some of us have been shouting from the rooftops over the years. They want the bill introduced.
“The Governors Forum is also favourably disposed to the idea now. In fact, their chairman, the governor of Zamfara State, one of the epicentres of the incessant killings, recently, ‘resigned’ his position as the chief security officer of his state as the current constitutional arrangement denies him the powers, manpower, and resources to stem the killings in his state.
“The bill will also address the fears of Nigerians opposed to state police. Just like the judiciary, the bill will provide for a central police service commission and also structure the state police services in ways that immune them from abuse by any governor or state. It is also a bill we can conclude in record time.”
Similarly, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has lambasted the Buhari government for “pampering” killers of innocent Nigerians.
The body also stated that the Federal Government has lost the capacity to enforce laws and protect Nigeria and Nigerians.
ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan Chapter, Dr. Deji Omole. who made this known while speaking with journalists at the weekend in Ibadan, said the body language of the President and the police have shown incapacity to arrest, and prosecute the perpetrators of killings nationwide.
While declaring that 80 per cent of cows in the country are owned by the ruling class who have over the years exploited and impoverished the masses, Omole asserted that the move to use public fund to establish private ranches for the business of those in government and their cronies should be rejected by Nigerians.
He said public funds must be deployed for the provision of public goods such as quality education, health, water, power and road for the majority which he said the Buhari government has failed to provide.
Omole while speaking further said it was unthinkable that the Federal Government and their followers were more interested in 2019 elections, saying that the security of lives and properties of Nigerians are more vital as most people now live in fear.
He said that the killing of over 200 Nigerians in Plateau without security response revealed that Nigerians are now living in a state of nature where live is short, nasty and brutish.
Omole said, “What Nigerians demand from this government is to provide a safe and secure environment for them and their families.
“Nowhere is safe in Nigeria. The Federal Government is showing by the attitudes and behaviours of the president to killings that those killing should be pampered while those being killed should tolerate the killings. We demand to see that the rustlers and killer herdsmen are brought to face the wrath of the law.
“If killings continue, it may be difficult to have 2019 elections, which is why the lives of Nigerians are more important than any political ambition of any person. Buhari is breaching the social contract by failing to secure the lives of Nigerians and ensuring the enforcement of laws. Are there no laws against tress-pass?
“What does the law say about murder? Does the law allow private citizens to carry arms without license? Does the law talk about pampering killers and consoling the victims? Injustices will deepen hatred and distrust among Nigerians against Nigerians and against government”.
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We’re Working To Improve Quality Of Life Of Rivers People -Fubara …As Taraba Gov Inaugurates 6.55km Okania-Ogbogoro-Mgbaraja Roads Project
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reiterated the commitment of his administration to render quality service that will improve the quality of life of residents, and strengthen the platform to promote unity.
Governor Fubara gave the assurance at the Okania-Ogbogoro Road junction, venue of the inauguration of the 6.55km Okania-Ogbogoro-Mgbaraja (and Mgbuoba) Roads project in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, yesterday.
The road cuts across Okania community through Ogbogoro, and connects Port Harcourt Ring Road project under construction, and was inaugurated by the Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas.
Governor Fubara said that during the campaigns, he saw the roads in terrible condition, made a promise to fix them, and noted that that promise has been kept.
He emphasised that his administration will never be reckoned with abandoning of projects that it started, which is why he is particularly excited that the road has been fixed to ease the inconveniences suffered by the people.
The Governor said, “What we are doing here today is very simple: Promise made, promise fulfilled. I told you that whatever we are going to start, we are not going to leave it halfway. So, we have come here this afternoon to fulfill that promise.
“I am so excited, and I am so happy. I am leaving here with so much joy that we have done something that has so much impact, and importance in the lives of our people. So, I feel very fulfilled. Government is about the people. Government is knowing, understanding and seeing what you can do to make life easy for your people.
“We understand the situation of this road. Fortunately, I have a few friends who also live around here. So, there is nothing you will say that I don’t know. As a government, we will continue to do those things we know will make life easy for you.”
The Governor thanked members of the communities in the area for their support to his administration, and also for cooperating with the contractor to ensure completion of the project.
He assured the people that their request for the rehabilitation of the Community Secondary School and Health Centre, will be looked at and addressed immediately, saying, “Our government is a government that takes the interest of our people very seriously.
“There is no government without the people. It is only the people that keep the government going. So, what we will continue to do is to make sure that the problems and interest of our people are top on our list,” he assured.
Performing the inauguration, Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, said roads are not just physical infrastructure but represent a commitment to facilitate ease of transportation, boost local commercial activities and improve quality of lives for the people of Rivers State.
Dr Kefas noted that Governor Fubara has provided the people good roads, and like other good roads, it will serve as an artery of development, further connecting communities, enhancing access to essential services while unlocking economic potentials.
He said, “By completing this project, Your Excellency has, once again, demonstrated the transformative impact of visionary leadership. When I was coming in with the Governor on a ride, I saw the joy, the happiness of the voiceless people who were abandoned and neglected in this area, coming out to wave and welcome us.
“It wasn’t a hired crowd. Everybody, those who couldn’t make it to this place, in front of their homes, they were waving at us, and I was telling the Governor: this is all about good governance. He listened to the people, and solved their problems. So, it shows that he is doing the right thing, and I want to thank you, my brother, for what you are doing for the good people, especially the poor people even in difficult times.”
Governor Kefas further said: “As we celebrate this milestone, I am reminded of the importance of collaboration and shared vision among us as Governors. Together, we can inspire our people, improve their lives, and create lasting legacies in our respective states.”
Providing the project description, the State Commissioner for Works, Barrister Elloka Tasie-Amadi, recalled that when it was flagged-off in May, 2024, the project was for a 5km stretch but was extended in October, to include Mgbaraja axis, increasing the length to 6.55km, explaining that the 10.3 meter wide, and 5km of drains road, has now linked Apara Kingdom to Nkpor Kingdom.
In his address, Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Amb Chijioke Ihunwo, described the road as a very significant route that was abandoned for years until Governor Fubara intervened and fixed it, promising that Obio/Akpor people will not take the gestures of the State Government under Governor Fubara for granted.
Speaking on behalf of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the firm that handled the project, Eric Shen, said they are happy to be part of the infrastructure development strides of Governor Fubara, stating that though the rains posed significant challenge, they have delivered quality road network to serve the connectivity needs of the people.
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We’ll Implement Judicial Commission’s Report On Arson, Killings -Fubara …Says Such Violence Must Stop In Rivers
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured of implementing the recommendations of the report submitted to him by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Arson, Killings, and Wanton Destruction of Property at some local government council headquarters on or around Monday, October 7, 2024.
Governor Fubara gave the assurance when the seven-member commission, led by the Chairman, Justice Ibiwengi Roseline Minakiri, submitted four volumes of reports of their investigation and recommendations to him at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
The Governor declared that his administration will neither tolerate nor allow such level of violence in the State anymore because it is not profitable or productive.
He said, “We are not going to be part of any system that would encourage any destruction in this State. And for that reason, we had to inaugurate this commission, so that this commission should look into the remote and immediate causes of this problem.
“And I believe that the recommendations of this commission, with the help of God and the support of everyone, we will make sure that we implement the recommendations.”
Governor Fubara said: “We are going to take it to the next stage. The report will be presented to the Executive Council, and there, we will surely come out with the White Paper and with the White Paper. I can assure you, we are going to follow it to the end.
“Nobody is above the law, including me. So, provided what we are doing is within the confines of the law, we will do it with the help of every one.”
Governor Fubara recalled how, before 2014, a group of persons had ran wide recklessly in the State, burning down court buildings.
He noted that it is such persons, who had recently surfaced with their destructive tendencies, and have extended the violence to local government councils, killing people and destroying government property.
Governor Fubara wondered why somebody will spend so much money to build a structure intended to last as legacy of the administration but would eventually be part of its destruction in the name of politics.
Governor Fubara clarified that he has never been part of such destructive politics that continue to set the State backwards and frustrate progressive development strides.
Governor Fubara said: “I make bold to say it, I have never been and will never be a party to anything that will bring shame, disgrace, destruction to our dear State.
“It is our State. If it is well with us, it will be well with everybody. As a matter of fact, why should I encourage destruction, when I know that when you finish spoiling things, you still need money to rebuild them.
“I am an accountant, I know the importance of how we can manage money. Rather than spoil, you should use that money to do a new thing for the State.”
Governor Fubara vowed: “So, I am going to ensure that we put a stop to that level of violence or such unreasonable violence. I call it unreasonable violence because it doesn’t mean anything in politics.
“Politics is a business of interest. There is no permanent friend, no permanent enemy. Some persons who were not even in our support, today, they are here following us because their interest is the most important thing.
“Likewise tomorrow, if the interest changes, they will also go their different ways. So, why burn down the house?”
Governor Fubara thanked members of the commission for being bold, focused, and accomplishing their task with determination in the face of physical and legal threats.
In her presentation, Chairman of the seven-member Judicial Commission of Inquiry, Justice Ibiwengi Roseline Minakiri, said they had put their findings into four volumes, including the recommendations.
Justice Minakiri explained: “We have here four volumes of the report. We have the memoranda, which is the memoranda we got after we made our publications.
“We also have the exhibits that came with the memoranda. We have the proceedings and the records. At the end of the day, we came up with the main report.”
Justice Minakiri advised that the recommendations of the report should be studied and implemented so that people can be deterred from such callous acts and the sought-after peace secured for the State.
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We Are Eager To Showcase The Best Of Rivers State -Fubara …Declares Federation Of Public Service Games Open
The Rivers State Government says it is committed to providing a memorable experience for all delegates participating in the Federation of Public Service Games(FEPSGA) hosted by the State Government.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara stated this during the opening Ceremony of the 43rd Edition, Public Service Games, titled ”Simplified Rivers 2024″, at Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt, last Sunday.
Speaking through his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, Governor Fubara said “Our hospitality is renowned and we are eager to showcase the best of Rivers State. From top-notch facilities to a secure environment, we have everything in place to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for all participants.”
Governor Fubara said to ensure the success of the games his Administration has put in place comprehensive plans and preparations with four venues approved for the events which include the Sharks Stadium, Alfred Diette -Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt Club and the University of Port Harcourt.
The State Chief Executive urged participants to remember that the true spirit of FEPSGA goes beyond winning medals, stressing that it is about building bridges of friendship, fostering a sense of community and celebrating our diversity.
According to him, we envision a public service that is more productive, more efficient and more effective, a future where public servants are empowered to deliver exceptional results driven by a culture of excellence, innovation and teamwork.
The Governor reiterated that while a healthy mind and body are essential for high productivity, regular physical activity boosts our mood, increases energy levels and enhances our cognitive function. We are eager to showcase the best of Rivers State. From top-notch facilities to a secure environment.
In her address Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who spoke through Dr.(Mrs) Magdalene Ajani, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Interior Commended Governor Fubara for hosting this year’s event, and for his dedication to promoting sports and fostering unity in the country.
She noted that the event which serves as a platform for furthering unity, camaraderie and sportsmanship amongst public servants, was a celebration of their shared commitment to excellence, resilience and service to the nation.
Also speaking the National President of the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA), Comrade Amaebi Aloku, said Rivers State got the nod to host the annual event because the Federation was pleased with the vision of Governor Fubara in identifying with the needs of the Civil Servants in the State, in terms of their welfare and being one of the first State to implement the new minimum wage and even taking it above what was approved by the national.
Earlier the Head of Service Rivers State, Dr George Nwaeke had welcomed all participants to the State and expressed gratitude to the Governor for approving and making available the resources to host the games, noting that it was an opportunity to interact with all Civil Servants across the nation.