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Military must fish out terrorists from Sambisa forest — Ali Ndume
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has called on the military under the Theatre Command, North East ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, and other security agencies to clear the North East of terrorist threats, especially in the Sambisa Forest and Mandara Mountains.
This, he emphasized, is crucial for enabling peasant farmers to return to their farmlands without fear.
The lawmaker specifically cited areas like the Sambisa forests, Mandara mountains, and border communities within Gwoza and the Republic of Cameroon, where insurgents have made farming a dangerous venture.
Senator Ndume noted that terrorists have been causing significant economic setbacks for resilient farmers recently resettled in liberated communities such as Ngoshe, Kirawa, Warabe, Wala, Pulka, and Gwoza town.
He said, “Sincerely, the renewed pockets of attacks recently perpetrated by insurgents have posed serious economic setbacks to our resilient farmers who were newly resettled in liberated communities of Ngoshe, Kirawa, Warabe, Wala, Pulka and even Gwoza town, the Council headquarters.
This is because the terrorists resorted to looting of their unmatured crops without confrontation.
want to use this medium to appeal to the military and other security agencies to intensify more efforts aimed at clearing remnants of terrorists still hibernating in Sambisa Forests and parts of Mandara Mountains bordering Cameroon Republic and Nigeria.”
Ndume also commended Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, for his extraordinary efforts in rebuilding around 10 Gwoza communities that were previously destroyed.
He praised the military for restoring civil authority and noted the deployment of a military doctor providing free daily medical services to over 10,000 residents of Ngoshe and its surrounding communities who have returned to their ancestral homes.
While acknowledging the need for more development, Ndume expressed gratitude to Governor Zulum, saying, “Like Oliver Twist, we may ask for more, but to be honest, Zulum has exceeded our expectations.”
Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has signed the 2025 appropriation bill of Zamfara Gov Lawal Signs ₦546bn 2025 budget into law.
The 2025 budget, titled “Rescue Budget 2.0,” was presented to the governor by the Zamfara State House of Assembly Speaker on Thursday at the Council Chamber, government house, Gusau.
During the signing of the 2025 appropriation bill, Governor Lawal committed to completing all ongoing legacy projects and building on the successes achieved in his administration’s past 18 months.
The governor highlighted the importance of the 2025 budget, saying that “we must not only look at where we are or where we are going, but where we’ve been.”
“The situation last year was concerning. A decade of poor governance led to economic collapse, unpaid wages for civil servants, and liabilities that hindered children’s education. Infrastructure was damaged, hospitals were abandoned, and public services became bloated,” he said.
“Additionally, there was a lack of accountability, ongoing electricity bill issues, inadequate water supply, insecurity, and the rise of communicable diseases like cholera, along with declining internal revenue.
“If we had not acted swiftly to all the challenges, Zamfara State would not be a place we all could live in today.
“The 2025 Rescue Budget 2.0 is driven by our commitment to continue the work we’ve started for our people, reflecting strong policies and enthusiasm. This budget also accounts for the increase in the minimum wage for civil servants, rising from N30,000 to N70,000.
“The 2025 budget upholds the best practice of allocating 28% of recurrent expenditure compared to 72% for capital expenditure. The rescue agenda also focuses on key areas for the 2025 budget, including security, education, health, infrastructure, and agriculture.”
Governor Lawal revealed that it is time for Zamfara State to overcome its infrastructure decay and commit to quality architectural development.
The 2025 budget allocated resources to fund the ongoing projects at Gusau International Airport and the construction of the Gusau-Magami to Dansadau Road.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has hailed President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure drive which he says has transformed the nation’s capital and other cities in the country.
Akpabio said this on Wednesday during the president’s 2025 budget presentation to a joint session of the National Assembly.
The lawmaker listed the Coastal Road which runs from Lagos State to Calabar in Cross Rivers as part of the Federal Government’s projects which he said has increased connectivity in Nigeria.
“Notably, your infrastructure renaissance has paved the way for many roads, including the Coastal Road and crucial arteries in Abuja Capital City – imagine Abuja now looking almost like London — and other parts of our country,” the Senate president said.
“These developments are not merely about concrete and asphalt; they represent the lifeblood of our economy, connecting our people and fostering growth.”
Akpabio also raised concerns about ministers and other government appointees shunning the invitation of the National Assembly when summoned.
He said such a behavior is uncalled for.
“Those who disregard invitation by the National Assembly are not democratic and therefore have no place in your government,” Akpabio told Tinubu before a full house of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Akpabio re-echoed the need for the ministers and other government appointees to promptly honour invitations of the National Assembly to give an account of their stewardship.
He threatened to use the legislators’ “Constitutional powers to take further actions” against ministers, and others who fail to honour NASS invitations.
Tinubu presented a ₦49.7tn Budget Proposal presented before a joint session of the National Assembly.
Security and defence, infrastructure, health, and education were some of the sectors with high allocations in the budget proposal.
The President listed some of the highlights of the budget as defence and security – N4.91tn, infrastructure – N4.06tn, health – N2.4tn, and education – N3.5tn, among others.
The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to stop all ongoing and planned divestments of oil assets in the Niger Delta region by oil companies.
This demand was outlined in a petition titled “Urgent Call to Halt All Divestment in the Niger Delta, Including Shell’s Refused Sale of SPDC Shares”, addressed to President Tinubu on December 16, 2024, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas on December 18, 2024.
During a press briefing in Abuja, Mr. Isaac Botti, Programmes Coordinator of Social Action Nigeria, and Reverend Nnimmo Bassey, Founder of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), highlighted the severe environmental and social impacts of oil exploration in the Niger Delta. They stated:
“We are here as representatives of Nigerian society organizations, community leaders, and concerned citizens to address a grave and urgent issue that threatens not only the people of the Niger Delta but the environmental and economic interests of Nigeria and the social future of all Nigerians”, he said.
The Coalition expressed concern over the divestment process by International Oil Companies (IOCs), particularly Shell’s proposed sale of its remaining shares in the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to the Renaissance consortium, as well as similar moves by companies like TotalEnergies.
They warned that these actions could undermine national interests and exacerbate environmental damage in the region.
The Coalition detailed extensive damage caused by decades of oil exploration, including:
- Water Contamination: High levels of hydrocarbons in water sources have rendered them unsafe for drinking.
- Soil Degradation: Continuous oil spills have destroyed farmlands, threatening food security.
- Biodiversity Loss: Entire ecosystems have been decimated by oil spills.
Citing reports by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission (BSOEC), the Coalition provided alarming statistics. UNEP revealed benzene levels 900 times above safe limits in Ogoniland, while chromium levels in Bayelsa were over 1,000 times higher than World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
The BSOEC estimated it would cost at least $12 billion to remediate Bayelsa over 12 years, with a broader cleanup across the Niger Delta requiring $100 billion. Comparatively, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the U.S. saw BP pay $60 billion for damages from a single incident.
The Coalition emphasized that past divestments by Shell, ENI/AGIP, and ExxonMobil have left unresolved environmental liabilities:
- Shell’s sale to Aiteo in Nembe resulted in worsening pollution without proper cleanup efforts.
- ExxonMobil and ENI/AGIP similarly failed to ensure adequate environmental management post-divestment.
These cases have set a troubling precedent of IOCs avoiding accountability for environmental degradation.
The Coalition urged the federal government and the National Assembly to take immediate action by:
- Halting all IOC divestments until historical environmental liabilities are addressed.
- Ensuring inclusive consultations with host communities before divestments.
- Mandating that Shell, TotalEnergies, and other IOCs fund cleanup and remediation efforts.
- Upholding the regulatory independence of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
- Creating an Environmental Restoration Fund to support long-term remediation.
They also demanded profit-sharing opportunities for host communities and the inclusion of gas flaring cessation in divestment agreements.
The Coalition stressed that approving Shell’s SPDC share sale without addressing environmental and social liabilities would undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and well-being.
“Approving Shell’s or TotalEnergies’ divestment in its current form without addressing the profound environmental and social costs would be a grave injustice to the people of the Niger Delta and could lead to significant unrest in the region.”, it stated.
The Coalition reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring environmental justice and called on President Tinubu and the National Assembly to prioritize the welfare of Nigerians over corporate interests.
Zamfara Gov Lawal Signs ₦546bn 2025 Budget Into Law
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