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Senate begins interface with service chiefs, ministers over insecurity
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BY Francesca Hangeior
The Senate has stood down every business in Tuesday’s Order Paper to brainstorm with the service chiefs, heads of security agencies, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and ministers at plenary, just as it has resolved to go into a closed-door session.
The motion to admit the Service Chiefs and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, was moved at 12.33 p.m. by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, and supported by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, PDP, Benue South.
The Service Chiefs were in the hallowed chamber at 12.37 pm, and the Senate entered into a closed-door session to discuss with the Service Chiefs at 12.49 pm following a motion by Opeyemi Bamidele and supported by Abba Moro.
At the Chamber are the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawale; Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Geidam; Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Ibrahim; Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji Ojo; Minister of Finance, Olawale Edun; and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.
Also in the Chamber are the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, among others.
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Tinubu Fires Top Appointee Over Alleged N1.4 Billion Embezzlement
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President Bola Tinubu has sacked Sani Auwalu Balarabe from his position as HoD, Chief of the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health for Africa, ICOH, over an alleged embezzlement of N1.4 billion during his tenure.
As far as one could gather from the People’s Gazette, the appointment of Balarabe was terminated on the 18th of July, following a spate of petitions that related to financial misconduct and investigations. The president appointed one Taiwo Olaniyi to replace him.
In January, several petitions were sent to the House of Assembly, EFCC, Ministry of Health, and other government agencies to investigate activities of Balarabe at ICOH. The petitions leveled accusations against Balarabe, saying that he had not conducted any research despite the institute receiving huge budgetary allocations, which is its core mandate.
One of the petitions dated January 16 had this: “Despite all these budgetary allocations, the centre has not produced a single oral health research project, which is its core mandate and the reason for its establishment.
It further brought to the fore that projects initiated under Balarabe’s administration, such as the construction of a remodeled dental clinic and administration block and the procurement of project vehicles, costing over N700 million, were never completed.
The petitions also accused him of backdating the appointment letters for new staff and paying them arrears of their salary, with such money to be returned to a particular account. These funds are said to have been applied toward some expenses at ICOH.
The sacking of Balarabe clearly typified President Tinubu’s commitment to corruption fighting and making those in charge of public institutions accountable.
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Finally, IGP approves hunger protests across Nigeria
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The Nigerian police has finally approved the planned nationwide protests and outlined conditions for participants.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, revealed this on Friday while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He urged all groups planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.
The police boss said this was to ensure the protest was peaceful.
Egbetokun said, “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
The police boss said the information expected from the organisers also include measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, as well as key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.
By providing the information, he said, the police will be able to deploy adequate personnel and resources to ensure public safety.
He said the police needed to know the specific routes and areas for the protest to avoid conflicts with other events or activities.
Mr Egbetokun said the police will “establish clear communication channels with protest leaders to address any concerns or issues that may arise; minimise the risk of violence, property damage, or other criminal activity.
“We encourage all protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights.
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Reps North-West Caucus Beg Youths, Citizens In The Region Not To Join Planned Protest
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