In line with curbing the spite of
insecurity in the country, the Minister
of Interior, Abba Moro, disclose that
19, 000 illegal immigrants have been
apprehended and repatriated by the
Federal Government to rid the nation
of expatriates suspected to be fuelling
insurgency in parts of the country.
While briefing newsmen on the
incident the Minister stated that:
“19,000 illegal immigrants have been
sent out of the country and that
surveillance equipment would be
installed at the nation’s borders, in
collaboration with the United States of
America.
According to him, “extra-ordinary
problems require extra-ordinary
solutions and we will do what is
necessary to address the current
challenges”.
Explaining the cost implications of
installing the surveillance equipment
at the borders, Moro revealed that the
earlier quotations by two foreign firms
with the expertise to undertake the
project, ZTE and Hawaei
conglomerates, were in the region of
about $2. 6 billion (about N405
billion).
His words, “on the cost of
implementing the surveillance
equipment in our borders, we are in
the process of certifying one of those
that can be awarded. It is within the
region of $2.6 billion and it was
tendered by a Chinese firm, ZTE and
Hawaei conglomerate”.
He added, however, that with the
offer by America to play a role in the
project, the cost would be reduced in
the final analysis.
“That money may be reduced as the
United States Government is also in
touch with us in fighting terror and the
US government has offered to provide
surveillance equipment which we will
deploy to the borders”.
The minister noted that checking the
influx of illegal immigrants from
neighbouring countries was a great
challenge due to the porous borders
in the Northern states but every
necessary step would be taken to stop
them, especially with the war on
terrorism.
Massive troops deployment at the
Northern borders have since been
undertaken by the military authorities,
following Tuesday’s declaration of
State of Emergency in the three states
of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
On prisons reforms, the minister also
expressed the Federal Government’s
determination to reform the nation’s
prisons by bringing in private sector
managers and decentralizing the
system.
According to him, once the National
Assembly amends relevant sections of
the nation’s constitution which placed
prisons on the exclusive list, the
executive would vigorously pursue the
policy in the interest of efficient prison
management.
He said: “The prison service is an
exclusive element of the constitution.
We have repeatedly indicated the
readiness of government to introduce
the Public Private Partnership model in
the Nigerian prison.
“We have had visits from of our
friends from South Africa and the
United Kingdom and we are tinkering
with the idea of the decentralization of
the prison system to enhance
efficiency. But until the relevant
section of the constitution is
amended, it remains the responsibility
of the Federal Government”.
On steps to end Fulani /farmers
clashes, the minister said the Federal
Government would pursue the
creation of grazing grounds and
routes for the herdsmen and that the
implementation of that policy would
hopefully bring about peace.
Many innocent people have been
killed in such raids in Bauchi, Plateau,
Kaduna Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba,
Kogi, Nassarawa Benue, in the North
and even Enugu and Delta states in
the south.
According to him, “the crises between
the Fulani and farmers have risen to a
worrisome level. It is a sad
development in this country. It is an
unfortunate development. Only on
Tuesday I had cause to go to Benue
State, Agatu Local Government Area to
be precise, on account of attacks by
Fulani herdsmen who attacked five
local communities and it was a very
sorry experience, given the number of
farmers that were killed.
“What government is trying to do in
that regard is to create separate
routes and paths for the Fulani, as
well as, grazing grounds so that once
they are properly defined and they
confine themselves to these routes
and grazing grounds that will
minimize the clashes between the
Fulani and farmers”.
Moro also condemned the frequent
clashes between officers of the
Nigeria Police and those of the
Nigerian Security and Civil Defence
Corps, particularly the recent killing of
two Civil Defenders at a vandalized
pipeline site in Lagos.
The minister declined to give details of
the investigations carried out on the
incident, as according to him,
President Goodluck Jonathan has
personally waded into the matter and
therefore decided to await the
outcome of that intervention before
speaking further on it.
Further on, he added that, “it is
unfortunate that the Civil Defence and
the police should clash in the first
place for whatever reason. But Mr.
President has intervened and we have
agreed that such a thing should not
happen again
Source:Gejites