News

Reps Direct NSA to Restore Security in Nigeria

Published

6 months ago

March 13, 2024

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has directed the Office of the National Security Adviser, to coordinate and galvanize all security and intelligence networks to develop and execute a proactive master plan to restore security with defined plans on coordinating with neighbouring countries and the plan must include boots on ground land and aerial sweep of locations that include but not limited to Kuyambana Forest in Zamfara, Kamuka Forest in Kaduna, Falgore Forest in Kano, Borgu and Zugurma Forests in Niger State.

The House also urged the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), to revisit and optimize fully the Acts passed for the National Counter Terrorism Centre as well as The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons , and ensure that they fully serve the purpose of their establishment.

The House further urged the Federal Government to absolve the Military and Security establishment from the restrictive envelope budget system, allowing them to develop a robust budget that is based on need assessments that reflects security peculiarities and reality on ground.

These resolutions was sequel to the adoption of a motion on the “Urgent Need to Tackle the Abhorrent Abduction of Over 200 Students in Kuriga Community of Chikun And Secure Lives & Property in Kaduna State”, moved by Rep. Ahmed Munir.

The motion reads: “The House notes that on March 7th 2024, gunmen stormed Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School and Government Secondary School in Kuriga Community where over 200 students and teachers have been forcibly abducted and moved to the forest unchallenged;

“Also notes that two months back, this ugly menace occurred in the same community where a school principal, Malam Abu Sufyan, was killed days earlier and his wife and baby abducted. The wife and baby were later rescued in a successful joint security operation on 3rd February 2024.

“Aware that on Friday 8th March 2024, gunmen attacked worshippers in a mosque at Angwar Makera, Kwasakwasa Community in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, with two persons declared dead. This worrisome trend of violence is seeping in to other parts of the state affecting persons of all religious and ethnic backgrounds.

“Concerned that despite the 3.25 trillion Naira allocated to the defense and security sector on drones and other military equipment that could have tracked, located and rescued victims represent 11.8 percent of the national budget in 2024, yet, there has been no respite as bulk of the actions by security personnel are reactionary rather than proactive”.

The lawmaker expressed concern about the negative effect of the restrictive envelope system, that does not prioritize the actual needs assessment of the security sector when it comes to procurement, planning and recruitment of personnel.

“Aware that in May 2014, the Nigerian Government with an initial ten million dollars, with another additional pledge of ten million dollars from coalition of Nigerian business leaders along with the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown launched the Safe Schools Initiative, whereby the fund is to be managed by the Federal Ministry of Finance, for protection of students and teachers in areas prone to security threats.

“The “Safe School Initiative” entails a combination of (1) school-based interventions; (2) community interventions to protect schools; and (3) special measures for at-risk populations” A decade has gone by and yet the utilization and impact of this fund is at best questionable;

“Also aware that the factors fueling insecurity ranging from illicit drug trade, human trafficking and proliferation of small arms is a serious threat to the development of Kaduna State and the Nation and therefore a coordinated effort encompassing all security apparatus and relevant agencies that include and nit limited to Army, Navy, Air force, Police, Civil Defense, Immigration, Customs, NDLEA, DSS, DIA, NIA, Military Intelligence, Financial Intelligence Unit to track terrorism funding, NAPTIP, Refugee Commission anchored by the Office of the National Security must quit working in silos and draw up and execute a comprehensive plan. A Marshall plan on security with short-, medium- and long-term goals with specific timelines that holds security personnel found incapable accountable and to be replaced with capable hands;

“Cognizant that Kaduna State borders the North-Western states of Zamfara, Katsina and Kano, borders the North-Eastern State of Bauchi and the North Central States of Plateau, Nasarawa, Abuja and Niger and therefore an isolated plan for just Kaduna alone will be ineffective without taking cognizant of border communities and even neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin Republic and the wider Sahel”.

The House unanimously adopted the motion and mandated the Committee on Finance to investigate the utilization and effectiveness of the Safe School Initiative Fund and report back to the House within four weeks.

The House also mandate the Committees on National Security, Finance and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.

The House thereafter observed a minute silence for lives lost to insecurity.

News

Ecoparl: Speaker Ibrahima Reaffirms Parliament’s Dedication to Regional Unity

Published

5 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Rt. Honourable Memounatou Ibrahima, restated that the parliament remains committed to ensuring the unity and integration of the people within the subregion.

According to Speaker Ibrahima, the Parliament will continue to use parliamentary diplomacy to engage countries that are considering leaving the bloc due to political challenges, such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as a result of military coups they experienced.

The Speaker stated this when she led a delegation of the ECOWAS Parliament on a working visit to the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday in Abuja.

She highlighted that while countries may break formal cooperation, the people of the region remain interconnected, adding that the Parliament, as representatives of these people, will work to maintain the unity.

Ibrahima expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Senate for supporting ECOWAS by providing necessary facilities for their plenary sessions, even as she discussed the socio-political challenges facing the region, as well as how parliamentarians can contribute more to address these issues.

She said: “We strengthen parliamentary diplomacy, because we know that the countries might break cooperation but we cannot separate the population. The population always live together and we as representatives of the people, we are doing our best so that this living together will continue to be reality and even made better.

“We came to thank him for all the facilities that the senate has been providing to the ECOWAS Parliament to facilitate the holding of our sessions here in Abuja. We also discussed on the socio-political situation in the community. We also discussed on the ways parliamentarians can make more contributions on the various issues and the challenges that we are experiencing in ECOWAS”.

The President of the Senate,

Senator Akpabio, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Barau Jubril, commended Ibrahima’s leadership and her efforts in using parliamentary diplomacy to foster cooperation within ECOWAS, especially in light of the challenges posed by countries considering an exit from the bloc.

He noted that since Speaker Meimounatou assumed office, she has deployed enormous parliamentary diplomacy to bear not only on the level of cooperation with institutions in the region but also on those that have expressed the wish to quit the regional block.

Naijablitznews.com reports that Senator Jubril is the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.

He said: “Since she was elected the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, she has been up and doing in terms of giving leadership to the parliament. It is in that regard that she is here trying to chart a better course for the parliament to make sure that she brings parliamentary diplomacy to bear in terms of our cooperation not only with those who are within the community as we speak but also even those who are attempting to leave the community.

“It is in that respect that she is here, and what she is doing is commendable. She has come to strengthen her idea and initiative of making the parliament stronger and more effective”.

News

Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election

Published

7 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.

The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.

This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.

Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.

The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.

Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.

“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.

News

“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke

Published

7 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.

The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.

An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.

Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”

Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.

Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.

Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.

He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”