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Governors Should Not Be Allowed To Abuse State Police – PSC Boss, Arase
With talks about the establishment of state police gaining momentum in the country, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase, has warned state governors not to abuse state police.
Arase, the 18th Inspector General of Police, made this known on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande aired on Channels Television on Friday.
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state governors met and considered the establishment of state police as a way to solve the escalating security challenges and the booming kidnap-for-ransom menace in the country.
Speaking on the state police alternative, Arase said, “Policing is local. Crime is environmental. State police is what we should be thinking about but then, there must be some safeguards put in place like is the governor going to be the one to appoint a commissioner of police and deputy commissioner of police?
“In order areas, the governor does not have control over the appointment of police commissioners. The truth about it is that of we are going to have state police, our political culture must be such that accommodate oppositions. Most of our governors, if they have control over police apparatus, their oppositions won’t be able to campaign anywhere.”
The police commission boss said there should be laws to check the excesses or otherwise of governors who abuse state police. He suggested that members of the civil society organisations, lawyers of repute, traditional rulers, religious leaders should be empowered to appoint police commissioners under the state police system.
He lamented that crimes will fester in a country where there are no consequences for crimes.
“We want to see more of prosecution; prosecution is a deterrence to others who want to go that route. The number of arrests in the past eight years is quite huge but it is not commensurate to the prosecution.
“You cannot attract investment in a place where there is no consequence for crimes committed,” he said.
He said technology should be used to aid or supplement the deficiency in manpower within the various security agencies.
He said Police-public partnership should be encourage and a bill should be passed that having closed-circuit television will be a mandatory requirement of public buildings like residential estates, shopping malls and the likes.
Arase said the government should embark on mass recruitment into the security agencies, train them along professional lines and skill acquisition in semi-formal areas for them to be financially independent. He said thereafter the trained pool can be made reservists and be called upon when the country needs extra hands to combat security challenges.
He reminded the President to actualise one of his campaign promises on mass recruitment into the Force, saying that may be the solution to the country’s internal disorder.
On police welfare, he urged the Federal Government to build units of two-bedroom flats for officers of the Nigeria Police Force to take care of their housing issues, especially after retirement. He also said there should be scholarships for the children of serving police officers.
“What will it cost the police management to start building two-bedroom apartments especially for the inspectors and rank and file; those are the ones I call the street managers because those guys are their come rain and come shine and even when it comes to shedding their blood?” he asked.
He further said the calls for right to bear arms by citizens should be discouraged because of mental health issues and the proliferation of firearms in the country.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The family of popular gospel singer Omije Ojumi has released her burial details.
The family of late gospel singer, Bunmi Akinnaanu, popularly known as Omije Ojumi, has released the schedule for her final burial rites.
The gospel singer died on January 12 after a prolonged battle with a serious leg ailment
This condition had drawn widespread concern from fans and members of the gospel music community.
Months before her death, Akinnaanu had publicly appealed for prayers and healing while struggling with the illness.
The burial arrangements were announced by fellow gospel singer, Alayo Melody, in an Instagram post, alongside a flier detailing the programme of events.
According to the schedule, the burial ceremonies will begin on Tuesday, January 20, with a service of songs at the LTV 8 Ground, Ikeja, Lagos.
This will be followed by a candlelight procession at 7 pm and a tribute and artistes’ night scheduled for 8 pm the same day.
The interment service will take place on Wednesday, January 21, and will be held strictly for family members and close associates, the family said.
Recall that Akinnaanu, who started singing at the age of 10, left a career in banking to pursue gospel music full-time.
She rose to prominence with her hit song Omije Ojumi, which resonated deeply with Nigerian Christians and became popular in churches and homes across the country
Biblically and even in the Holy Quaran, the two holy books and from the general experience and life expectations, a prophet is usually not honored at home.
According to Igala parlance from Kogi state, an adage says , “you don’t value what you have at home, sometimes until it is lost.”
But , God forbid for Nzenwo Nyesom Wike , the Renewed Hope Agenda, RHA and the quest for re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is sacrosanct and at the front burner of his political mobilisation.
The recent “thank you tour ” to Rivers State, his home state after the 2023 general elections that saw a new political gymnastics and direction on the part of the FCT Minister , Nzenwo Nyesom Wike CON, bringing on board another new style of politicking to Nigeria political system .
Wike who delivered 90% of Rivers people’s vote to All Progressives Congress, APC to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and produced a governor for Rivers State, all members of the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate to People’s Democratic Party PDP, a style that had not only gone down history, but now history, displaying his political prowess and popularity in the recent political firmament.
The FCT Minister who up till tomorrow is a member of People’s Democratic Party PDP, the main opposition party formed part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC cabinet with high grade deployment to the FCT.
Deservedly, the recent tour that took him and his large political followers both in Rivers and across the country to the 23 local government areas showed he is still on ground for the 2027 general elections, hence politics remained a game of numbers and local .
The twenty three local government areas of Abua Adual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West ,Akuku -Toru, Andoni, Asari- Toru, Bonny , Degema , Eleme, Amohua, Etche, Gokana, Ikwere, Khana, Obia-Akpor, Ogba-Egbema- ndoni, Ogu-Bolo, Okrika, Omuma,Opobo- Nkoro,Oyigbo, Port Harcourt City and terminated at Tai, took the Minister over two weeks to reconnect with his people politically and otherwise .
During the tour, Wike was received indiscriminately by Traditional rulers, Opinion Moulders , Stakeholders, Community leaders, Youths, Women groups , politicians, Public spirited individuals commending him for adequate representation, making the Rivers people proud for his political sight , appointments, development among many others including Federal presence.
The FCT Minister who did not mince words in supporting of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda, and also mobilized the people of Rivers State to re-do and replay their supports for him in 2027 general elections.
The Minister also attracted alot of commendation from traditional rulers and community leaders which included his political followers, promising not to lead him down anytime any day, politically and otherwise.
Wike who also promised to continue to reciprocate the gesture of Rivers people urged them not to be distracted by political gate crashers.
While in Rivers State, he promised to continue to attract more Federal presence in infrastructural development, appointments and many others going forward.
He stated that the confidence bestowed on him is a dedication and demonstration to the one displayed by the Rivers people during the 2023 general elections, stating that they should do more and crown it up in the next year general elections.
The Minister said Tinubu has invested heavily in the economy, agriculture, youths development, employment, technology and foreign direct investment FDI, attraction of investors beneficial to many Nigerians and Nigeria among many others.
While promising to sustain the tempo of remodeling the FCT and it’s area councils, he also reiterated his commitment to the development of River State.
His tour of Rivers State has changed the belief that a prophet can still be honored at home away from the previous assertion.
Democracy news
The Federal Government says it will deploy solar lights and CCTV cameras to monitor its projects across the country.
The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, made the disclosure at a news conference on Saturday in Enugu, after inspecting road projects in the South-Eastern part of the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the projects inspected include Enugu-Port Harcourt highway, Enugu-Onitsha road, Eke-Obinagu flyover in Enugu, second Niger bridge and Asaba-Onitsha highway.
Others are Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Highway, bridges and two flyovers.
Umahi noted that the project inspection became necessary to achieve quality work as stipulated by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
“Let me say that our commitment in deploying solar light and CCTV to monitor the bridges and the surroundings are not limited to bridges.
“This is what we are going to have in all our federal highways,” he said.
The minister said the 61 kilometres of the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway, which was the first section, had been fully completed.
“This is very vital. The first section from Enugu to Lokpanta is 61 kilometres. I can attest that 61 kilometres of this road from Enugu has been fully completed.
“Another three kilometres of Port Harcourt road has been fully completed. We have directed that no laid asphalt should be removed from our road again.
“We have different treatment to different roads, but don’t remove asphalt from our road. This is what we directed,” the Minister added.
(NAN)
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