₦airaland Forum

After a critical analysis, observations and speedy tacit endorsement given by the Senate in confirming the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Mr Godwin Emefiele, the Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI) has come to the stark realization and conclusion that Nigeria is not ready to either reap or join the comity of nations.

CWAI reasons that the Nigerian Senate, by this singular act of confirming Emefiele for a second term, has failed Nigerians. This was done irrespective of the clarion call by Nigerians that justice must be done, due process and rule of law must be followed in order to get to the root of the alleged infractions.

CWAI has decided to take up the gauntlet from those corrupt few “who have held us by the jugular as hostage in our own country to seek redress in the re-appointment and subsequent speedy confirmation of Mr Emefiele, whose tenure as governor has witnessed a tumultuous event of alleged financial infractions and the nose-diving of the economy since he assumed duties as the head of the apex bank.

In a press release signed by the Executive Secretary of CWAI, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, and Head Media Relations, Comrade James Okoronkwo, the organization said Nigeria is operating a democratically elected government and, as such, it should be seen in all aspects of the nation. CWAI therefore reasons that Mr Emefiele must not continue to remain in that office after so many years of alleged cases of misconduct and infractions as if we are still in a military regime, knowing fully well that we have capable Nigerians who can occupy the seat out of the over 200 million Nigerians.

Emphasizing that CWAI, a civil society and anti-corruption organization has taken the CBN governor Mr Godwin Emefiele to the Abuja High Court to seek the interpretation of Section 11(2)(c) of the Central Bank Act 2007 as amended and to also clarify if he is fit and proper a person to be appointed or re-appointed as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria under the above sub-head, having regard to the unexplained and uncontroverted diversion of N500 billion under his leadership.

CWAI affirmed the declaration that the alleged diversion of N500 billion under his leadership is a serious misconduct rendering Mr Emefiele incapable of remaining as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in line with Section 11(2)(c) of the CBN Act 2007.

The organization recalled that, just this month, Sahara Reporters (an online medium), released a full audio conversation as well as on May 13, 2019, published a full transcription of the conversation between the CBN Governor and Deputy Governor, Mr Edward Lametek Adamu; Director of Finance Dayo M. Arowosegbe and Special Adviser to the CBN governor, Mr Emmanuel Ukeze, discussing how to cover up diverted N500 billion.

These allegations were later admitted in the press statement issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, but merely classified it as about N150 billion, to which CWAI issued a press statement on May 13, 2019, which was published under the caption, “Alleged N500 Deal: Suspend Emefiele Now, CWAI Tells FG.” In the said statement, the CWAI urged the Senate to look at the vexed issue raised in the audio conversation by concerned Nigerians so as not to confirm the CBN governor but in a sudden twist on 16th May, 2019, the Senate hurriedly screened and confirmed the CBN governor without due recourse to all the weighty allegations levied against his leadership of the apex bank.

CWAI therefore vehemently opposes Mr Godwin Emefiele’s re-appointment by the Federal Government, screening and subsequent confirmation as CBN governor by the Senate, in all it’s entirely, insisting that justice must be seen to have been done. The CBN governor and his management staff involved in the alleged N500 billion deal, were to be have been duly suspended due to the misconduct and proper investigations carried out for Nigerians to determine the veracity and the extent of culpability so as to give the appointment the much needed credibility it deserves.

CWAI is in court, and is determined to see to it that the interpretation of Section 11(2)(c) of the CBN Act 2007 is thoroughly adhered to. This is because, as CWAI reasons, Nigeria belongs to all of us and we must do all we can to salvage it by growing our institutions, instead of persons.

CWAI further insists that the audio conversation released by the Sahara Reporters is a true-copy until proven otherwise of what transpired that must be investigated by the forensic auditors for future deterrence. The organization believes in the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man, as we begin this judicial exercise.

CWAI reiterates that it is not about the person but the institution and for Nigerians to be great, we must all sacrifice to make Nigeria work and this is one of such sacrifices that must be done to allow aspirations of Nigeria come to pass as we thank Nigerians for the encouragement as we await the “mother of all judicial processes.”

Emefiele’s re-appointment and subsequent confirmation “is a death kneel for the Nigerian economy as he has performed poorly since he came on board as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria five years ago.”

By Augustine Aminu

A group, Peace and Anti-Corruption Advocacy has commended Mr Mohammed Bello, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister for the timely raid and closure of nude clubs in Abuja.

In a press statement made available to journalists by the national coordinator Comrade Uche Okoronkwo, the group lauded the clampdown on the Abuja Nude Clubs saying that the profane and vain babblings against the clampdown in some sections of the media was reprehensible and unpatriotic.

According to him, the Caramelo Strip Club was causing noise pollution as well as traffic disorder: “Most patrons of the club parked they cars indiscriminately on the road without considering other road users”.

“The club is also serving as a haven for drug addicts and couriers who throw caution to the wind and destroyed the serenity and peace of the area”.

Continuing, the group noted that Caramelo Night Club was a violation of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) land use/master plan and an affront to morality and law and order.

“Our findings show that most of the strippers where married woman who sneaked out to ply they obscene trade”.

“Peace and Anti-Corruption Advocacy maintained that the FCT authorities has the mandate to protect the city as the nude clubs provided sanctuary to criminal elements tormenting innocent FCT residents”.

The group further appealed to the media to join hands with the government to build a decent society where morality and law and order prevail.

We react to the media outcry and backlash from Nigerians far and near about the alleged phone conversation involving Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, and few Management Staff released to the public few days ago by Sahara Reporters, an online platform. As it is well known, this platform has, no doubt, carved a niche for itself in investigative journalism. We also refer to the statement issued by the CBN in reaction to the said audio conversation. We issue the following statement knowing full well the important role played by the CBN in a developing economy like ours, and most importantly, because we act as champions of transparency, accountability and good governance in public service:

1. That the Central Bank of Nigeria should make the authentic audio tape public as to dissuade and assuage the international community, investors and the entire Nigerians that the conversation was not deleted to mislead the public as ascribed to by the CBN statement and in bad faith to mislead the gullible public.

2. Profiling the conversation between the CBN Governor and the staff, shows that the telephone conversation was just recently done as against the statement of CBN. The CBN insists that this was a selective wire taped conversation of the bank’s management in 2015. Our psychological profilers have attentively listened to the audio, and after a critical analysis, have agreed that, really the “fear” displayed by the tune of the discussants was not a management routine discussion but a selective discussion carried out to cover up some financial infractions by trusted aides, who were at their wits-end to do anything possible to write off, transfer, and do the needful spin to cover the financial infractions. With expressions like: “I don die now. Where I go see the money?” ascribed to Mr Emifiele, clearly shows that there is more to it than meet the eyes and the repeated hopelessness in the conversation of a way out of the CBN Governor cannot be swept under the carpet.

3. Subject to his confirmation by the Senate, the CBN financial records/statement of accounts should be immediately, without further notice, be audited by forensic auditors from outside the country so as to restore investors’ confidence, and that of Nigerians and the international community. On the other hand, the management staff involved should proceed on “suspension” pending the outcome of the investigation to unravel their culpability and ascertain how much has been fleeced from the Central Bank’s vaults and how the money developed wings at the apex bank so as to restore credibility in the financial system.

4. The audio leak should be taken seriously by well-meaning Nigerians because if this audio was explained to Nigerians beforehand, or the measures taken by Management to block the loopholes before now, it would have been accepted by all, instead of the hush statement put forward by the CBN. In a televised interview by the CBN spokesman, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, on MoneyLine live on the Africa Independent Television (AIT), he said they were “cracking their brains” to solve a problem, which to a lot of Nigerians, the reverse was the case, because the emotional discomfiture of the CBN Governor, his Deputy and aides gave their intentions out to Nigerians, that there is more to it than meet the eyes. In fact, the audio will affect the country’s economy negatively as investors will panic and paint a gloomy scenerio into the financial system, thereby losing the country financial image in the comity of nations. The best option at this juncture, is for the CBN Governor to proceed on suspension so as to restore confidence and boost the economy, paving way for an independent investigation.

5. A lot of Nigerians believe that the CBN statement was full of financial jargons and not in tandem with (and at variance with) what transpired on the audio. Therefore, there has to be a thorough “house-cleaning” and it has also been agreed by a section of Nigerians that it was because of issues like these that the CBN Governor was re-appointed. This is because, it is self-serving a few people in authority at the detriment of Nigerians to plow the economy backwards. This is indeed beyond press statement from the CBN and not enough to correct an alleged monumental fraud at the apex bank involving huge sums of money. There are so many under-hand cover-ups that heralded Mr. Emiliefele’s administration over the years. Therefore, it is high time, we clean the Aegean’s stable and allow for fresh blood into the financial system, as the continued stay of Mr. Godwin Emifiele is not only anti-people but a dent on the country’s good corporate governance practice and our financial image.

6. Mr Emifiele’s re-appointment is the first in the history of Nigeria that is greeted with so many hues and cries due to the massive sufferings of Nigerians, because of the apex bank’s policies. It is a known fact that the audio recording came few days after President Muhammadu Buhari sent Mr Emefiele’s name to the Senate for confirmation for another term of five years, which does not take away the substance of the issue at stake. There was indeed an alleged monumental cover-up as the audio leak opened a can of worms of what must have been happening in the apex bank for some time now. We therefore implore the CBN to immediate produce the full content of the audio as stated in its press statement so as to assuage Nigerians as to the true story of what transpired.

7. We also sincerely apologize to the Nigerian people to have proposed to honour the CBN Governor by our parent body, only to realize recently of the alleged sharp practices going on in the apex bank. We further tender our unreserved apologies and withdraw all the previous accolades written on the bank’s integrity and management. It is a fact, that Nigerians are tired of being taken for granted and deserve to know the truth of what transpired. We earnestly advise that the CBN Governor proceed on suspension till further notice. Finally, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to take a decisive action so as to restore investors’ confidence and Nigerians’ belief in his fight against corruption and the sincerity of his Next Level Agenda.

Signed

Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele
Executive Secretary, Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI)

Comrade James Okoronkwo
Head, Media Relations, Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI)

By Solomon Yakubu

Three theories emerge: hate, ignorance, and mischief. They are all reflected in the evil and misguided write up accredited to one faceless Dele Agekameh. None of these is the road to Jerusalem.

When Haman set out to eliminate a race, he chose to first hate the spiritual leader of that race called Mordecai (Esther 3.1 – 11), and with him destroy all his people. Hate is usually a deep inner evil that may show first on one man, and then envelop a people, or group, or society.

Mr. Dele Agekameh’s article, written in very vile language, is an evidence of hate that has the dressing of ignorance and mischief. He has equally made a poor show of masquerading his three demons.

He has demonstrated uncanny haltred for the Rev. Uja Tor Uja, whom he has described as a “Self – Styled Rev.“ What! Did he know that Rev. Uja has been preaching for nearly 50 years of his life? Anyway, hate can do anything crass. Whoever it is that he is representing hates Rev Uja passionately and is willing to roll up his garment of lies to present his evil fingers.

He hates Christians and Christianity, and is recklessly ignorant of what the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) does, stands for, and how it operates. Of course he knows nothing about Rev Uja or his board.

Mr. Agekameh is clearly steeped in mischief, seeking attention and probably favours from those whom he is blackmailing with falsehoods, criminal innuendoes, and defamation allegations.

Those of us who know the NCPC a bit more closely are stupefied by this kind of write-up which has no place in a reputable newspaper, and yet sneaked itself into a back-page. The write-up does not have or give any information; it merely casts aspersions on well meaning Nigerians who are working well for Nigeria.

The author is clearly a hired hand, and sets out to insult high ranking officials in the caliber if Permanent Secretaries whom he labels with malicious falsehoods, which of course are not and cannot be substantiated.

Then he goes on a wild goose chase, alleging that Rev Uja was running the Commission single – handedly before the board was inaugurated. He and his cohorts do not know the Commission at all.

First, no money, to my knowledge has been lost at NCPC. If any were, the states, who are major stakeholders in the pilgrimage project would have cried out long ago. No state, to my knowledge, has complained of losing any money.

Rather Rev Uja has made life easy for states and their pilgrims by paying their BTA through NCPC funds when CBN is not available to do so. A good example is the last pilgrimage, 2018 – 2019, when NCPC, through Rev Uja paid the BTA for the pilgrims of all the 36 states ad Abuja. This was a feat which the Federal government through the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation commended. No money has been lost at NCPC, instead money has been saved.

The Commission, to my knowledge, has always had a board. Rev Uja came into NCPC in may 2016 and met the board led by Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, which board had been there since 2008. Rev. Uja worked with that board until it was dissolved 28th December 2916, 20 months after Uja arrived. The Kasali led board only came in February 28th2018, two months after the dissolution of the earlier board.

Rev. Uja never acted alone but with a board, and he remains close to Archbishop Nicholas Okoh with whom they still relate very well to this day.

The new board, to my knowledge, has never issued a query to Rev. Uja, a man in whom they are well pleased; never asked for his suspension or removal; and never engaged him in a fight on any subject. It is not for me to speak on this, so I will leave it for the board to clear its name of these sultry, evil, and mischievous allegations.

Would the Chairman, Rev Kasali, be the one fighting ES Tor Uja, as alleged by the so-called Dele Agakameh? It would be irresponsible, futile, and rascally for a Chairman to be writing falsehoods against the Commission he chairs in an effort to fight the Chief Executive, if Agekameh’s assertions are to be considered. No reasonable man with his senses intact would take this stand, especially if he is a pastor, and Chairman of a board. Rev Kasali is alive and would come clean on Dele’s claims when he is ready.

The author, either ignorantly or in deliberate mischief, speaks about the Public Procurement Act (PPA) without giving any details. The Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) rates NCPC as an agency with one of the best procurement records – transparency, due process compliance, value for money spent, and good record keeping. Nothing is wrong with the Commission.

It is wild to recklessly speculate that things are wrong in the Commission without a single example. These is none to site.

Tor Uja is running NCPC admirably. He has changed NCPC story from tourism to pilgrimage; from adventure to development; from individualism to inclusion. The commission can never be the same again with his positive drive.

After rabble – rousing, Agekameh concludes that Rev Uja was advised to resign. By who? For what? We are not aware of these spurious claims that hold no water.

Agekameh now concludes that a land the Commission intends to buy has been inflated by up to 500 percent. Why swim in the ocean when you can walk on the land? Why not go to Aso Bank and verify? Why not cross-check with valuers to know the truth?

“The Board Chairman (Rev. Kasali) was initially the arrow head of theprobe of ES activities”, say Agekameh. You should have interviewed the chairman to ascertain his place, not assume that he is behind the noises at the Commission.

We urge Rev Uja to continue his good work at the Commission, which Nigerians and indeed foreigners have been impressed with. He is the Chief Executive of the Commission, and owes responsibilities over its affairs. Many of us look to him for the repositioning of Nigeria through the elegant process he has put in place for pilgrimage and NCPC.

Shalom, Rev Uja, Shalom. Keep going stronger. Jerusalem is standing up for you.

Yakubu is a public analyst, he wrote from Kaduna

Nigerian politicians are notorious for not accepting defeat.

This explains why politics in Nigerians is acrimonious and self-serving. The recent supplementary elections in Kano State was transparently won by the incumbent governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Gandujeof the All Progressive Congress (APC). It would do the Kano State PDP gubernatorial candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf a world of good to toe the Bauchi State governor’s example to concede defeat and join the winner of the election, AbdullahiGanduje to develop the state instead of engaging in blackmailing the police and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who did their best to conduct a peaceful and transparent supplementary election.

In a press statement made available to journalists by a civil society group, Peace and Media Advocacy and signed by the national coordinator, Comrade James Okoronkwo, the group appealed to the Kano State PDP governorship candidate Abba Kabir Yusuf to bury the hatchet noting that “right from his imposition as the PDP guber candidate, Abba Kabir‘s candidacy was fraught with disdain and ridicule which alienated PDP stakeholders and voters in Kano State culminating to his defeat“.

Continuing, the group noted that the Kano State March 9 governorship election was marred by over voting and thumb-printing by PDP agents which forced the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to conduct a supplementary election in some polling units in 28 local government areas of the state.

Peace and Media Advocacy lambasted the PDP candidate for fraudulently posting scenes of violence from other states in the social media to support his dubious claim that the supplementary election in Kano State was fraught with violence noting that there is no documentary evidence to that effect. Finally, the group urged the authorities and the general public to discountenance the claims of the Kano State PDP Candidate Abba Kabir Yusuf as his wild allegations are baseless, self-serving and illogical.

Following the conclusion of the Kano State 2019 Gubernatorial Supplementary Election, a pressure group Peace and Media Advocacy has carpeted the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) for allegedly reporting widespread violence and vote buying during the Kano supplementary election saying “that the EU Mission’s report was biased, inaccurate and politically- motivated to satisfy the whims and caprices of their pay masters who want to win at all costs”.

In a press statement made available to journalists and signed by the national coordinator of the group, Comrade James Okoronkwo they lamented that the European Union Election Observation Mission’s allegation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies doing little to address the violence and malpractices during the Kano State supplementary election was malicious and unsubstantiated. Continuing, PMAG noted that the acting Inspector – general of Police (IGP) Mr. Abubakar Mohammed Adamu ensured a peaceful, transparent, free and fair election in Kano State by deploying Mr. Anthony Agbizili Micheal, a deputy commissioner of police to take charge of security during the rerun election and from reports of majority of the election observers, the police performed meritoriously in ensuring the smooth conduct of Kano State supplementary election.

Okoronkwo stated that given the fact that this is the first time a supplementary election is being conducted in the state and also the omnibus size of Kano State with its 44 local government areas, the supplementary election in 207 polling units of 28 local government areas after the declaration of the first ballot in the governorship election as inconclusive, the Independent National Electoral Commission performed creditably in conducting the Kano State supplementary election that was won by incumbent Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who scored 1,033,695 votes to defeat the PDP candidate who polled 1,024,713 votes.

Furthermore, Peace and Media Advocacy urged the EU Mission to join hands with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deepen our democracy by lending expert support rather than deploying arm chair observers who stay in
the comfort of their luxury hotel rooms to concoct lies in the name of reports to cause confusion and anarchy. PMAG noted that by their jaundiced and malicious report, European Union Election Observation Mission has a hidden agenda and must be condemned by all well – meaning Nigerians. “We are calling on the peace -loving people of Kano State to jettison the EU Mission’s report as it is borne out of malice, prejudice and politically motivated to settle political scores so as to destroy the peace and tranquility recorded during and after the Kano State governorship supplementary election.”

Finally, the group appealed to the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to be magnanimous in victory. They also urged his supporters to savor their victory with peace.

A group, under the auspices of Abia Network Against Corruption has called on the federal government to continue the arraignment of former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu over corruption charges levelled against him.

The group noted that the present administration have made significant efforts towards fight against corruption, but the untidy trial of Kanu calls for question.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Maxi Onyeze said Kalu should be in jail as restitution for looting the resources of Abia State.
According to him, "It is on record that the administration have made significant progress in his anti-corruption crusade. President Muhammadu Buhari won his election on the pledge that he would tackle the cankerworm of corruption; we are relying on his promises to make Nigeria better.

THE STATEMENT

President MuhammaduBuhari won his election on the pledge that he would tackle the cankerworm of corruption. His body language initially when he came to power was zero tolerance for corruption. It is on record that the administration have made significant progress in his anti-corruption crusade, but the untidy trial of the former governor of Abia State, Orji UzorKalu(1999 to 2007) over7.6 billion naira fraud perpetrated while in office between 1999 to 2007 calls to question the sincerity and purposefulness of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade.

While Orji UzorKalu was granted bail by the courts, he jumped it,claiming ill-health and subsequentlyevaded justice and ran to Germany. Suddenly, heclandestinely returned backto the country to plan and contest the Abia North Senatorial District Election. Media reports have it that this fugitive Orji Uzor Kalu, a man that jumped bail and went ahead to contest the Abia North Senatorial District Election, subverted electoral process and had himself declared winner in the just concluded National Assembly Election. As a pressure group, committed to the interests of Abia citizens, Abia Network Against Corruption - as a matter of fair justice, hereby call on the authorities and security agencies involved in this mess, to as a matter of urgency bring Orji Uzo Kalu back to book for massively pillaging the resources of the people of Abia State while in office as the Executive Governor of the state, otherwise we as concerned citizens will be seen as rewarding and condoning high level of irresponsibility in governance

President Muhammadu Buhari should put his valued integrity on the line, and prove his sincerity and commitment to his anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria by supporting and bringing Orji Uzor Kalu and such other related offenders to book without further delay. He should not allow his lieutenants to derail his onerous campaign to clean the Augean stable in Nigeria.

Orji Uzor Kalu should be properly and quickly tried through due court process available equally to all offenders, and if found guilty, put in jail as restitution for looting the resources of Abia State. It is an affront to the good people of Abia North Senatorial District to be once again saddled with a leader who is docked for raping and stealing their common patrimony. Such a man is not worthy to lead, not to talk about hiding withinthe wings andmight of a ruling political party to subvert the process to represent a wounded and injured state at the National Assembly.

Finally, we as a group concerned with fighting corruption in support of President Buhari, we wish to admonish all the concerned Authorities to speedily bring Orji Uzor Kalu to book, even if he has succeeded in rigging himself in and collecting the certificate of returns for Abia North Senatorial District, with the belief that it will confer on him immunity from prosecution on his pending crime in court. We note the gravity of this infraction, especially at a time when the former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye is languishing in Kuje prison for similar and related offence. It does not speak well of our nation and our justice system for Orji Uzor Kalu to be treated like a sacred cow!

Abia-Network Against Corruption maintains that Abia State is one of the least-developed state in Nigeria today because people like Orji Uzor Kalu - a former governor of Abia State, entrenched the culture of rabid and irrepressible corruption on the state. We find this intolerable and request that relevant authorities, security agencies and other concerned citizens join in condemning this partiality and injustice in the brazen act of corruption, by bring Oji Uzor Kalu to face trail in Court without further delays!

Signed by MrMaxi Onyeze
National Coordinator

... Abba Aji boycotted five local government areas in campaigns

There is an ongoing plot by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Borno State, working under the directive of the party's ‎candidate for Borno Central Senatorial, Mohammed Abba Aji to blackmail the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by filing frivolous petitions to cause confusion ahead of the re-scheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections.

A coalition of civil societies which has been in Borno in the last two weeks monitoring electoral processes raised the alarm in a statement signed by Comrades Dennis Esumobi , Executive Director and Gabriel Gbajume,Publicity Secretary‎, both from the Coalition of Civil Societies and Media Executives for Good Governance in Nigeria(COCMEGG).

The civil societies said a senatorial candidate, Abba Aji who is behind the petitions had boycotted five out of eight local government areas during his campaign for Borno Central and on seeing the possibilities of losing, he resorted to blackmail.

"It is public knowledge that since 2011, our coalition comes for election monitoring in Borno ‎State because of the peculiar situation here. We know that others avoid Borno. We are shocked to uncover from our findings that last weekend, the PDP in Borno State has resolved to disrupt the re-scheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections by filing frivolous petitions against some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Borno State. They resolved to concoct all kinds of basis in their petitions.

We also uncovered that the PDP candidate for Borno Central Senatorial, Mohammed Abba Aji is behind these petitions. What is shocking about Abba Aji is that whereas there are 8 Local Government Areas in Borno Central, he narrowed all his campaigns to only Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, some parts of Jere and his town, Bama. He totally boycotted five local government areas made up of Konduga, Mafa, Dikwa, Ngala and Kala-Balge.

He never for once campaigned in any of these five local government areas. At a point, we thought he had withdrawn from the race. While Abba Aji boycotted these five Local Government Areas his opponents in other political parties were busy campaigning. Now that it is clear to him that he stands to lose, he resorted to using the PDP to cause confusion.

His aim is to disrupt the re-scheduled elections coming up February 23, 2019. We hereby alert Nigerians of this plot by the Borno PDP under the push by Abba Aji. We also urge INEC to remain firm and ensure free, fair and credible elections without bias in favour of any political party" the statement reads.

The Executive Chiarman Gwer west local government area.Hon. Francis Ayagah. READ MORE ON https://metrodailyng.com/gov-ortom-punishes-gwer-lg-chair-for-shouting-apc-at-rally/

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has said that the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is intolerant to any forms of criticism, adding that such act signal the return of dictatorship.

Frank, who was reacting to the remand of the popular Human Right activist Prince Deji Adeyanju, said that "if President Muhammadu Buhari is not comfortable with democratic form of government, he should quit."

In a statement signed in Abuja on Sunday, Frank said it is unheard of for the government to order the re-arrest of Adeyanju, nine years after he was discharged and acquitted by the Kano state High Court following a lengthy trial that lasted between 2005 and 2009.

The former APC spokesman reminded his former party and President Buhari that nothing last forever.

"President Buhari will not be there forever and definitely shall reap whatever he sows today. The Sani Abacha's case should be a lesson for the military men now pretending as democrats.

"Nigeria democracy is under a siege. This tyranical act of APC government will soon end. Bet me, APC and President Buhari will not survive next year's election even if they try to rig it.

"When has it become an offence to criticise a government, especially a failure like APC government? Before the 2015, Nigerians freely criticised President Goodluck Jonathan's government and it is on record till today that nobody was sent to prison.

"If Goodluck Jonathan acted the way of APC, it would have been impossible for opposition to govern Nigeria. Democracy allows divergent voices but today when you say anything against Buhari's dictatorial government, the hammer falls on you."

While calling on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other Human Rights activists to rise up to the occasion, Frank noted that "injustice to one is injustice to all, if you hailed this evil act today, be rest assured that one day, you might be in Deji Adeyanju's shoes.’’

It was indeed another celebration galore for men and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at the liberated North Eastern States of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi and others as they were paid the jumbo arrears of six months allowances so as to boost morale and give in their best to the country in the protection of lives and property during the ember month and new year festivities.

The civil society duo of Good Governance Project Initiative(GGPI) and Workers Rights Protection Network (WORP) has applauded the giant strides of the Commandant-General, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, for the current repositioning and rebranding of the NSCDC for effective service delivery in the reduction of criminalities and vandalism of assets across the country and gave him a pat on the back for the sacrificial and monumental foresight and morale booster by the payment of six month allowances to officers and men of the service corps to enhance their productivity and the espirit- de-corps of the officers in the North Eastern State that are prone to insurgency attacks.

In a press release signed by Com. Inuwa Sule, Executive Secretary, WORP and Com Omede Charles, Executive Director, GGPI, paid glowing tributes to the Commandant –General for deeming it fit at this time to espouse the worker friendly policy of the Buhari led administration to enhance the high morale of the Civil Defence Corps due to this singular act of bravery and national patriotism to enhance the welfare of the rank and file, so as to cater for their immediate family needs and be focused on the task ahead in combating and fighting criminalities head-on in the liberated north eastern states especially during this festive period.

The Duo stated that this is a welcome development as it is part of the Commandant General’s strategy towards the ember month and new year on the way forward to perfect and re-strategize their security apparatus in order to check incessant vandalism of the nation’s critical national assets in the northeast and called on other security sister agencies to emulate this gesture and initiative so as to boost the morale of their officers toward the end of the year.

The group lauded and commended the initiative so as to contribute gallantly to the ongoing counter offensive by the military against Boko Haram in the Northeast and also hailed the Commander-General for his one week prayer and fasting towards the peaceful conduct of the 2019 general elections which ended last week. They also congratulated the NSCDC boss for the emergence of the Civil Defence Corps as the overall winners of the Ministry of Interior Games for the second consecutive time and also for this bold step towards enhancing the morale of the men and officers including their families at this critical period in time.

Praising it as a noble and patriotic initiative that should be emulated by both public and private organizations in the country towards a peaceful celebrations of the Xmas and in preparation of the forthcoming elections because a happy family will produce a “highly motivated officer or personnel” which lends credence to the biblical injunction “when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice”.

The duo called on Nigerians at this time to be extra vigilant and support our security agencies in this onerous task of defending and safeguarding the territorial integrity of the nation and report any suspicious movement of persons or group of people to the authorities when the need arises and prayed for the continuous peaceful co-existence of the country.

By Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele

According to Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” Code enforcement simply ensures that everyone exercise their ounce of prevention. The name of the Lagos Police Fire Brigade was changed by the legislation in 1964 to the Federal Fire Service (FFS).In 2007, the Federal Government transferred the agency from the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urban Development to the Ministry of Interior and since then the story had never being the same again. Since December 2014, when Engr. Joseph Garba Anebi took over the mantle of leadership at the Federal Fire Service; it has been all plethora of achievement, though not without its daunting and enormous challenges.

One of the several functions of the Federal Fire Service is to control, extinguish and mitigate fire outbreaks in both private and public buildings across the country. FFS has the right to break and enter any structure involved or likely to be involved in a fire outbreak and carryout preventive, protective measures by sensitization of the general public on preventive methods. Perform and carry out search and rescue, perform other humanitarian services such as traffic control and also administer first aid services to all and sundry.

While it is not yet Uhuru, it has also encountered a lot of developmental challenges towards repositioning the fire service to where it is today. The service has never been remembered since its inception in 1901 and as such a lot of the facilities and equipment are obsolete, moribund and out of order. But since Engr. Anebi was appointed as the Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), it has witnessed institutional rebranding and infrastructure transformation notwithstanding the challenges like never before due to the determined nature, capacity development and blueprint brought to bear on the management. “The Fire Service of our Dreams” as encapsulated in his vision and mission statement of taking the service to the promise land.

One of the major challenges of the service is the elimination of the role and functions of the Federal Fire Service. In 2007, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave a directive which mandated the Federal Fire Service to cede its operational functions to the State Fire Services inadvertently not taking cognizance of the role of the service during national emergencies. The FFS with relatively trained and experienced fire fighters constituting about 20% of the formal fire fighting force in Nigeria is the lead agency in disaster scenarios involving search and rescue, evacuation of victims and firefighting operations. This is so captured in the various disaster response plans developed for the country. This has resulted in the operational arm of the Federal Fire Service not been funded in the past 8years due to non-provision of budgetary allocation.

Nonetheless, another major factor is the equipment holding capacity and infrastructure of the Federal Fire Service which is dependent on its effectiveness and efficiency in rescue services. The appropriate number of fire stations is very important. Internationally, the acceptable distribution of fire stations is 2.41km radius. This implies that for every 2.4km radius there should be a fire station. In Nigeria, a country with 774 local government areas, with about 358 fire stations is indicative that most local government areas do not have fire stations. This has also resulted in increased response time which is a vital factor in emergency management. The more the distance between stations from the incident, the longer it takes to get to the scene.

Also worth noting is the inadequate fire engines and ancillary equipment. As was mentioned earlier, the equipment holding of the service is a mockery of what is known to be adequate. The fire fighters battle fire at their own peril, with the advancement in technology, the introduction of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and chemical process industries with resultant neglect on fire safety provisions, it is becoming suicidal for fire fighters to battle fire with the state of their preparedness. The fire engines are not only old, obsolete but unreliable. It is like going to war with untested and un-trusted firearms.

Firefighting infrastructures such as communication facilities, fire hydrants/dedicated water reservoir were also not available and out dated. The insufficient training and re-training of fire fighters was also a major challenge then so as to keep abreast with changing trends and times but there were also no budget provisions and the morale of fire fighters and officers were at the lowest ebb.

But since the present administration came on board and with the determined foresight, support and active participation of the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, coupled with the selfless sacrifice and capacity of Engr. Joseph Garba Anebi, the comatose state of equipment, insufficient funds and low self-esteem have become a thing of the past. As the present leadership is repositioning the FFS to meet with international acceptable standards and enforcing the national fire safety code to minimize fire disasters across the country and has also called on Nigerians to adhere strictly to fire safety regulations so as to prevent disasters in and around offices and public buildings across the country.

Engr. Anebi is a professional fire officer with a lot of experience in and outside the country in fire sector and human capacity development and as such decided to go straight to work to enhance and rebrand the Federal Fire Service in every aspect of human endeavors. A lot of awareness campaigns and sensitization programmes has taken place like never before in order to control fire disasters and prevent any fire outbreak across the country. The management under his leadership was able to refurbish over 40 firefighting trucks and water tankers that have broken down and out of use. As a result of human capital development, the management has also promoted at about 400 junior officers who have been stagnated for years so as to enhance the “espirit de-corp” and boost staff morale in the organization, it has also enhanced the remuneration and allowances and also urged the men and officers to be good ambassadors of the fire service in anywhere they found themselves. As a way of supplementing the efforts of the state fire services, more fire stations were opened within and outside Abuja as well as zonal and state commands, so as to reduce fire incidence, while abandoned projects across the country have been completed as well as newly initiated projects. The Federal Fire Service has also provided sponsorship for state fire service personnel to be trained on fire safety code enforcement at the National Fire Academy, which has created an enabling environment and good working relationship with its various state fire services so as to ensure partnership for efficient service delivery to Nigerians in the areas of fire fighting and disaster management.

However, the human capacity development of the staff is uppermost in the agenda of the leadership as it has strengthened the existing committees within the service, that includes, staff welfare, fire service bill review committee, staff housing and budget planning and implementation committee as well as training and re-training including the upgrading of the National Fire Academy to a degree awarding institution by affiliating it with the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA). The academy has been enabled and upgraded to award PGD, Professional Masters in Disaster Management and Academic Msc in Disaster Management also. This will avail officers as well as Nigerians the opportunity to be trained in disaster management. The leadership under Engr. Anebi has also established a training school in Minna, Niger State, for the training of junior fire officers while it has increased staff strength by recruiting additional personnel and facilitated the elongation of the inspectorate cadre from compass 12 to compass 14.

Also worth mentioning, is the expansion of operational commands to Katsina, Enugu, Minna, Makurdi, Yola, Zamfara, Sokoto, Jigawa, Uni-Jos, Owerri, Delta and Edo State respectively, to enhance service delivery and establish Federal presence at the state level so as to reduce the incidence of fire disasters across the country. In terms of enhancing its private sector participation and collaborations, it has sealed an agreement for public/private partnership with S.W Global to enhance revenue generation of the service and paid scheduled courtesy visits to state governments with a view to intimating the governors on the need to strengthen the state fire service as well as the need for the federal fire service presence in the state to complement the state fire service. The management also sealed an agreement with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) on the modalities for the administration of 0.25% fire service equipment maintenance fund.

The management has also intensified its efforts to make sure that major projects gets priority towards completion at the National Fire Academy, Sheda, Abuja. That includes: the completion of the construction of fire house at the academy, construction of internal road network at the academy which has reached 95% completion stage, completion of external electrification project at the academy as well as external mechanical service and water distribution supply and the Commandant quarters almost at completion stages. It was captured that the projects also approved places of worship for both Christians and Muslims faithful at the Federal Fire Service headquarters.

FFS has prioritized the payments of benefits and recommendations to deceased fire service officers who have died during active service years while also taking care of their families and wards. However, it has also rehabilitated at about 50 operational vehicles at Abuja and Lagos state respectively. It is currently building Metropolitan Fire Stations each in the six (6) geo- political zones and the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Maiduguri, Ogun, Enugu and Port Harcourt.

The 19th December 2017, will always remain a remarkable day and an indelible event in history of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) as 23 (twenty three) new fire fighting vehicles, fifteen water tankers, two lorries, one coaster bus and six operational vehicles were commissioned at the old parade ground by the Ministry of Interior, under Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, when he said: “this administration understands the importance of protecting lives and property from fire disasters, because the protection of lives and property is the number one responsibility of any responsible government and it was indeed part of our campaign promise to Nigerians and if this must be achieved then, state of the art firefighting equipment are needed.’’ And also called on all Nigerians to take precautionary measures against fire disasters and comply with fire safety code to ensure safety of lives and property.

The Controller General, Engr. Anebi, thanked the present administration and the august gathering saying, “I want to assure you that I and my men at the Federal Fire Service will put in hundred percent in the discharge of our responsibility of fire fighting and emergency management. “The acquisition of this firefighting trucks and water tankers is indeed a morale booster for us”. Pledging unalloyed loyalty of his men to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he enjoined Nigerians to take advantage of the timely electronic alarm response platform put in place to report any emergencies to the authorities thereby reducing the stakes in firefighting and averting many fire disasters in our homes and offices across the country.


Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele is of CWN, CWAI and President, COCMEGG.

A civil society groups, Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI), Peace and Anti-Corruption Advocacy (PAC) and Transparency Network Centre (TNC) has commended and lauded the courageous initiative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) under the leadership of Comptroller General, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, for the proactive prayer session declared by the organization towards the peaceful 2019 general elections.

As part of its strategy towards the ember month and yuletide period, the CG had a strategic meeting with State Commandants from the 36 states of the federation including the capital FCT on the way forward to perfect and re-strategies their security apparatus in order to check incessant vandalism of the nation’s critical national assets by criminals across the country. It is believed the world over that criminals and hoodlums do strike at period like this especially when people go about their businesses celebrating the reason for the season.

In a joint press release signed by the Executive Secretary, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele of CWAI, National Coordinator of PAC, Comrade James Okoronkwo and Com. Farouk Umar, National Coordinator of TNC , they applauded the foresight and initiative of the helmsman of the NSCDC for the security strategic meetings of the State Commandants within the country and hailed his nationalistic disposition towards the peaceful conduct of the 2019 general elections by declaring a one week prayer and fasting starting from (13th December to 20th 2018) respectively.

that it is indeed a noble and patriotic idea that should be emulated by all well-meaning Nigerians including our security agencies as prayers are also required to tackle some of our security challenges in the country as human efforts alone cannot do it but requires the assistance from God Almighty to be able to rid the country of criminalities once and for all.

The trio called on all Nigerians at this time to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement of persons or group of people whose activities are capable of derailing the much needed peace and national security of the country and enjoined all Nigerians to be at alert and fully cooperate with all the security agencies. As the security of lives and property cannot be left alone in the hands of the agencies but a collective responsibility of all and sundry. They prayed for the continuous peaceful co-existence of all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religious beliefs and wish Nigerians a successful holiday season ahead.

A civil society pressure group, Coalition of Civil Societies and Media Executives for Good Governance in Nigeria (COCMECG), has called for the support of Nigerians in favour of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), under the leadership of Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu and applauded the giant strides in human capacity development, for establishing core value of integrity, intelligence based security response system and professionalism that have reduced the menace of criminals, herdsmen and the vandalism of national assets across the country.

In a press release signed by the President, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele and Executive Director, R&, Comrade Omede Charles, respectively they stated that the para-military agency has greatly reduced threats and all forms of disaster incidence across the country through its professional intelligence gathering mechanism and manpower development. There is rapid improvement in disaster management as first responders to disaster occurrence and control which has helped the country to curb the high incidence of disasters and other security challenges.

The group stated that they are encouraged by Gana’s leadership style and more importantly, his remarkable and selfless campaign on disaster management, search and rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration, mitigation and the protection of key national assets and infrastructure across the county. In his avowed determination and commitment to ride the country of vandalism and criminal elements it has deployed officers to secure schools in the Northeast region as a result of the insurgency and also deployed officers to provide and protect physical security for agro-allied investments both domestic and international and the proposed cattle ranches across the country including herdsmen/famers frequent crisis which has attracted commendations from Nigerians including Mr. President.

We commend also the Hon. Minister of Interior, Lt Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazua for his supervisory role of propelling the needed change and unveiling the master plan for the proactive results so far achieved.

It further remarked that Gana Muhammadu is a key asset in this administration fight against insurgency and criminals and as such should be commended for modernizing and repositioning of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for professionalism and effective service delivery in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s change mantra through dynamic and innovative security policy framework based on intelligence, upgrading and expansion of critical infrastructures, training and retraining of officers, enhanced collaborations with sister agencies, robust public relations for the service and enhancing the Civil Defence Academy Sauka, College of Peace and Disaster Management Katsina and the College of Security Management, Ogun State and a member of the International Civil Defence Organization(ICDO),an umbrella body of 58 Civil Defence Member countries in Switzerland, Geneva.

Due to his avowed policy directions and focus on the mandate of NSCDC, that covers protecting critical infrastructures and national assets; regulating, training, monitoring, supervising licensing of the Private Guards Company, carrying out disaster management through search, rescue, rehabilitation and mitigation, conflict resolution through Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR), giving early warning alert signals to residence of areas discovered to be prone to disaster and reporting to the government and appropriate authority for relocation of the settlers. Nigerians should join hands with the management to reinvigorate the fighting mechanism against vandals and criminals in the country and the protection of IDP’s at various camps put in place by the proactive leadership. We are appealing to organizations, public spirited individuals to suppor him.

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) Mr Ibrahim Magu again has been reaffirmed as the number one in Africa and number three in the world in anti corruption fight.

President General of Global Peace Movement International, Dr Mike Uyi, said on Thursday that the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, had been endorsed by 1850 Human rights Group CACGP in five continents.

According to Uyi, Ibrahim Magu has achieved so much in terms of recovery of looted funds and properties sincehis assumption of office more than was achieved in the last 12 years of the existence of the commission.

Under him, every government official is under investigation, because the deadly virus of corruption which gave rise to the anti-corruption fight embarked upon by the Buhari government is total and geared towards bringing the nation’s economy back on a sound footing”.

According to the Global Peace Movement President, Magu is the only EFCC chairman that has gone ahead to create the department of internal affairs in the commission just to check corruption suspicions amongst staff, and charged with the responsibility of vetting intending staff, investigating staff, receiving petitions from the public concerning staff and making sure all members of staff are men of integrity.

Dr. Mike described the EFCC boss as the pride of Nigeria in the comity of Nations and said ‘Magu is branded “You cannot kill a BEETLE’.

In the same development, Dr. Uyi also has commended the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Kpotum Idris for initiating a gender friendly policies that have enhanced the much needed gender balancing in the Nigeria Police Force.

He said the gender friendly policies and programmes of the nation’s Police boss is worthy of commendation as it has engendered the much needed gender mainstreaming which has also removed all obstacles on women empowerment in the force.

He also described Idris is an officer with impeccable track records who earned his position at the top echelon of the force.

“We as a group identify with this fine service man that has done well for the country”.

“It is under Idris that we saw massive fight against Kidnapping, armed robbery and corruption in the force. Based on his achievements, he is a gentleman”, Uyi stated.

The attention of the Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI) has be drawn to the malicious text messages circulated in social media by traducers and fifth columnists who do not mean well for the collective synergy displayed by our securities agencies and the rebranding of the NSCDC for the rehabilitation, reintegration, mitigation and the protection of key national assets and infrastructures under the leadership of Comptroller General, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu.

As champions and propagators of transparency, good governance and accountability in the country, these malicious and politically motivated smear campaign and text messages are intended to cast aspersion on the hard earned reputation of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).
Citizens Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI) worry and concerns stem from the fact that these mischief makers and agent provocateurs donning the garb of public officers hide under the umbrella and cloak of anti-corruption war to persecute their preserved enemies with contrary views. We are therefore, constrained to issue the following statement:

1. That the orchestrated smear media campaign of text messages against the management of NSCDC in a section of the media by traducers and mischief makers are intended to drag the name of the organization in to odium and public ridicule and therefore should be discountenanced and jettisoned by well meaning Nigerians.

2. The deliberate blackmail, witch-hunt is unfortunate and mischievously carried out by a faceless group against the management of NSCDC. The said text messages is not only spurious and wicked but a fabricated fallacy by mischief makers in its plans to change the position and proactive narrative of the Nigeria Security And Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and portray it in bad light by undermining its constitutional responsibilities. The NSCDC will continue to work assiduously and in harmony with sister security agencies across Nigeria for the common good of the entire country.

3. As an advocacy organ, we condemn in strong terms, the malicious messages in various media platforms to deliberately smear the hard earned reputation and sterling character of the Comptroller General, commanders and men of the NSCDC. The leadership under Muhammadu Gana, will not tolerate any indiscipline from any officer in whatever guise or command across the country, as the espirit-de-corps among the officers and men is very high including the morale of the entire work force. There was no time in the history of the organization where field officers and commanders have become friends with criminal elements or vandals of assets and therefore such innuendos should be disregarded forthwith and condemned by well- meaning Nigerians

4. CWAI therefore urges Nigerians to disregard the innuendos orchestrated by fifth columnists, salute the NSCDC gallantry, patriotism, new sense of direction and the determination to ride the country of vandalism and criminal elements and therefore passes a vote of confidence on the hierarchy of the NSCDC and the anti-corruption stance of the Comptroller General.
5. We urge the media and Nigerians to be vigilant and not be hoodwinked by these unscrupulous elements in the society who are eager to malign the good name and integrity of honest, hardworking and patriotic Nigerians and refrain from publishing defamatory or any falsehood in a bid to seek revenge.

6. We urge the authorities of the NSCDC to remain focused and undeterred in their on-going efforts to reposition the organization and provide best management practices in the organization. They should not be distracted or discouraged by the antics of these fifth columnists who do not mean well for the harmonious relationship existing between NSCDC and her sister security agencies. CWAI also urge the Comptroller General to continue with his good work to the nation in repositioning the NSCDC for effective service delivery to complement the actualization of PMB change agenda.

Signed

Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele Com Inuwa Sule
Executive Secretary Publicity Secretary

Following the smear campaign orchestrated by opponents of the transparent Ganduje administration in Kano State, a civil society group Peace and Anti- Corruption Advocacy has called on well – meaning Nigerians to discountenance the ongoing toxic campaign of calumny against Gov. Ganduje of Kano State as it is borne out of malice and propaganda.

In a press statement made available to news men recently by the national coordinator of the of the group, Comrade James Okoronkwo, they urged the good people of Kano State and the general public to be wary of the antics of fifth columnists who are envious of the giant strides so far recorded by the Ganduje administration and are battling day and night to discredit the government and derail the wheel of progress in the state.

Furthermore, Peace and Anti-Corruption Advocacy stated that the architect of so called on line video is a notorious serial blackmailer and media aide to Senator Kwankwanso. Recalling that Jaafar Jaafar’s online medium have consistently blackmailed the Ganduje administration. We make bold to state that Gov. Ganduje is transparent and that in this era of internet and its make believe, the online video allegedly indicting the Kano State governor is photo shop and make believe and therefore a figment of the imagination of the enemies of Gov. Ganduje and must be thrown to the dustbin.

Finally, the group urged the people of Kano State to remain steadfast in their support of the Ganduje administration saying that “that corruption is fighting back in Kano State”.

A social political group under the aegis of Kaduna Redemption Group, has described the hate campaign mounted against the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration by Senators Shehu Sani of Kaduna Central and Senator Danjuma Leah of Kaduna South, as cheap blackmail.

The chairman of the group, Yahaya Muhammed who made this known in a press statement issued to newsmen in Abuja, said citizens have been able to observe among other things that the level hate speech at both state and federal level is a product of an alliance with the anti Buhari elements and sundry treasury looters that has one reason, to frustrate both the Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-rufai and the president from securing a second term in office.

Muhammed who called on the people of the state to brace up for the defence of the mandate given to the governor, said the senators have no power to block to sabotage the efforts of the government to develop state.

He however called on the people of the state to continue to give maximum support to a government imbued with vision, tenacity of purpose, dedication, democratic minded and unshakable spirit.

"Let us give governor el-Rufai a chance to make the needed difference and there by write his name on the marble of history as most progressive and development minded in the history of the state.

"It is an established fact that the Senators are not happy that el-Rufai administration in Kaduna state is recording a remarkable progress in terms of Kaduna becoming one of the investment destinations in the country as demonstrated by Olam farm's presence in the state.

The effective tax policies being evolved to generate revenues for government service the revolution in the educational sector and pragmatic leadership that is blocking leakages and every atom of corruption without let or hindrance are beyond one's imagination," he said.

A Coalition of Pan-Nigeria Groups under the aegis of Odua Progressive Union(OPU), has commended and applauded the Nigerian army under the leadership of Lt. Gen. T.Y. Buratai, Chief of Army Staff, COAS, for the successful hosting of the African Land Forces Summit, 2018, with the theme: “Unity is Strength: Combating Africa’s Security Challenges”, a collaboration of the United States military through the auspices of the African Command (AFRICOM), which holds these annual conferences across Africa with allied countries that have carved a niche for themselves in confronting terrorism and criminalities headlong across the continent.
In a release signed by National Co-ordinator, Ishaq Morufu Olaniyi, and Publicity Secretary, Ogbeni Daramola Balogun, respectively, they commended the Nigerian Army in conjunction with the US Army African Command for the hosting of the 6th African edition of Africa’s military chiefs and principal officers which was hosted as a result of AFRICOM’s belief in the capacity of the Nigerian Army as a regional force to be reckoned with in combating global terrorism coupled with its strategic strides and decimation of the Boko Haram insurgents. According to the duo, this is indeed a giant leap, as it is the first time the Nigerian military has hosted a military summit of this magnitude since its inception, it is indeed a gigantic landmark and achievement not only to the Army but to the country and a summit to be proud of, taking into consideration the transformational reforms that have taken place since the present hierarchy assumed leadership. Emphasizing that it has also afforded military leaders from Africa the opportunity to strengthen their existing relationships, develop new ways of tackling security challenges on the continent so as to further their cooperation.
Accordingly, they stated that “the proliferation of small arms, terrorism, piracy and human trafficking have remained a major security challenge facing the African continent and the ferocity of extremist groups like Boko Haram, Alshabab, Ansurudeen and Alqaeda which requires the collaboration, partnership and synergies of the African military chiefs; so as to nip in the bud these challenges once and for all”.
The group urges the Nigerian Army leadership to grab the momentum, seize the opportunity, while making use of these accolades from far and near and continue with their good works to the nation in repositioning the Nigerian military for effective service delivery to complement the actualization of PMB change agenda. Clamouring that the summit is a land mark event and the largest single gathering of Africa’s senior military top brass in recent times and emphasizing that it has also provided the Nigerian Army the forum to showcase its capabilities, project its image and military might and should be encouraged and commended by all well-meaning Nigerians for the sole opportunity to host this epoch making event; which goes to show that the world is indeed watching Nigeria and proud of her achievements so far in handling the BH insurgents and other criminalities across the country in keeping with international best practices and rules of engagement during war.

As the preparations for Nigeria’s 2019 general elections gather momentum, New Nigeria Youth Progressives Alliance has affirms that all is set for its 2018 Leadership Summit in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital.

The New Nigeria Youth Progressives Alliance (NNYPA), speaking through its Communications Director, Emma Bricks Oko, during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, said the organization is anchored on orientation and reorientation of the Nigerian youth through seminars, summits, symposiums and other possible means in a bid to build new Nigeria void of norms causing the untold hardship to the Nigeria citizens.

Emma said the maiden edition of the organization’s leadership summit will be power packed and will also prepare the Nigerian youths to occupying leadership positions as well as serve as a wakeup call to youths and remind them that the future is here adding that leadership has been the major challenge of the Nigerian government, if no major steps are taken to address this situation through the youth, Nigeria will continue in doom.

Bricks added that the organization chooses to hold its maiden edition in Ekiti state because all attention is shifted to the state in preparation for the state governorship election and a lot of youth will continue in the usual act of thuggery for politicians which results in killing of the youths stressing that with proper orientation through its leadership summit, no youth would preferred being killed over any amount of money being offered.

Oko noted that through NNYPA which has spread its tentacles to almost every part of Nigeria, Nigerian youths are more informed and would follow the part of good citizens and continue in the part that will see Nigeria in a better light both home and abroad, desisting from acts that puts Nigeria in the blacklist of the international community.

He further disclosed that the NNYPA summit will have as guest speakers, well respected individuals who have done well in leadership at various sectors of endeavor as well as selected individuals in the political circle. He however noted that after the 2018 leadership summit for its members which draws five (5) delegates from all states of the federation, Nigeria is surely on its way to overcoming lack of leadership qualities.

The 2018 leadership summit which is in collaboration with Youth Arise to Create Harmony Initiative International, YATCH-IN has its theme as “Repositioning the Nigerian Youth for Effective Leadership and Good Governance” and slated for June 1st, 2018 in Ekiti State.

A Coalition of Citizens Watch Nigeria (CWN), Transparency Center Network (TCN) and Good Governance Project Initiative (GGPI) under the auspices of Civil Society Organizations (CSO’S) have berated the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) for what they termed as wicked campaign of calumny and defamation of character Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Sir Mike Mbama Okiro.
The Group noted that Suraju and his ilk have no fixed address or offices but are fugitives from the law and are being used by disgruntled politicians to fan the embers of bitterness, spread hate and over-heat the polity by insulting high network public officials and politicians who are doing their utmost best to deepen PMB’s anti-corruption drive in Nigeria.

According to the statement signed and issued by the Executive Secretary of CWN, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, National Convener of TCN, It is on record that the amorphous group has blackmailed, terrorized, harassed and maligned several government officials including the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, the Interior Minister, Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari among others.
The statement
Our attention has been drawn to the vile campaign of calumny orchestrated by Olarenwaju Suraju, Omoleye Stephen Sowore publisher of Sahara Reporters and their co-travelers who have rape charges dangling on their necks. Suraju and Omoleye Sowore are notorious blackmailers; in criminal concert with their moles in the discredited mobile telephone company, recently hacked the GSM line of the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Sir Mike Mbama Okiro and went to town spreading falsehood against him. The so called conversation was between a superior officer and his subordinate. There was nothing sinister in the conversation as it was just a private discussion.
In a press statement made available to news men by Coalition of Citizens Watch Nigeria (CWN), Transparency Center Network (TCN) and Good Governance Project Initiative (GGPI) under the auspices of Civil Society Organizations (CSO’S) have berated the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) for what they termed as wicked campaign of calumny and defamation of character aimed at settling old scores at perceived enemies.
According to the statement signed and issued by the Executive Secretary of CWN, Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, National Convener of TCN, Umar Faruk and National Coordinator of GGPI, Comrade James Okoronkwo, the trio noted that Suraju and his ilk have no fixed address or offices but are fugitives from the law and are being used by disgruntled politicians to fan the embers of bitterness, spread hate and over-heat the polity by insulting high network public officials and politicians who are doing their utmost best to deepen PMB’s anti-corruption drive in Nigeria.
Speaking further, they stated that Sir Mike Okiro climbed the pinnacle of the Nigerian Police through the dint of hard work, honesty, selflessness and patriotism saying “that the PSC Chairman is a tested and trusted man of honour” that has been contributing immensely to the crusade against corruption in the Police force and the reduction of criminalities across the country. The trio urged the media to be vigilant and not to be hoodwinked by unscrupulous and devilish elements in the society who are hell- bent on maligning the good names and integrity of honest hardworking and patriotic Nigerians.
The trio stated that the Chairman of the PSC, Sir Mike Okiro have served Nigeria meritoriously as Inspector General of Police and presently as Chairman Police Service Commission urging him to continue with his good works.
It is on record that the amorphous group has blackmailed, terrorized, harassed and maligned several government officials including the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, the Interior Minister, Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari and several others before now but all to no avail; emphasizing that the law enforcement agencies must as a matter of urgency bring them to book. It appears that some sinister characters are using the group against Okiro to settle personal scores for his uncompromising posture towards smugglers, drug barons, treasury looters and other criminal elements in the society. The group lamented that the Suraju and Omoyele led hatchet gang has dragged Okiro to several anti-corruption agencies with wild allegations and the matter was thrown out for lack of merit. Nigerians should discountenance these so called activists masquerading as defenders of human rights and democracy. They are nothing but a bunch of low lives, criminals, drug addicts, rapists, charlatans, quacks and misfits who do not mean well for the good of our nation.
It is on record and remarkable that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) investigated and cleared the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Sir Mike Okiro of any wrong doing following allegations made by a turn-coat staff of the commission, one Aaron Kaase. The trio lamented that since the emergence of the Buhari administration three years ago; there have been an upsurge of fifth columnists, agent provocateurs and mischief makers who have gone viral with spurious, unsubstantiated and baseless allegations in the public domain in order to settle old scores with their perceived enemies to seek satanic revenge. As a matter of fact, these wild allegations by Suraju, Omoleye Sowore and their co-travelers against the Chairman of the Police Commission is condemnable and should be jettisoned by all well-meaning Nigerians as they have an axe to grind with the PSC helmsman for standing firm in support of the Buhari administration.

By Meshack Tony Idehen

Global auto makers, Nissan said it will significantly increase its investments in Nigeria and increase its vehicles manufacturing and production in the country.
The company said it will also begin to work more closely with the National Automotive Design and Development Council(NADDC), in order to create more skills and jobs opening for Nigerians that are interested in going into automotive design and development industry.
These revelations were parts of the commitment of the company, following the meeting held with the NADDC led by its Director General, Mr. Jelani Aliyu at the Nissan’s Headquarters in Lagos.
The global auto maker said it is in full support of the NADDC’s plans and committed bid to make Nigeria the automotive design and development epicenter of Africa.
This latest initiative, according to industry stakeholders, is coming even as NADDC reinforces its efforts at creating more skills and job opportunities for Nigerians through its auto test centers located in various parts of the county.
Making these disclosures after successfully meeting with Nissan’s Executive Vice President for Africa, Middle East and India, Mr. Peyman Kargar at the global auto makers headquarters in Lagos, the Director General of NADDC, Mr. Jelani Aliyu, said Nissan, through its partner, Stallion Motors has pledged its commitment to make more significant investments in Nigeria automotive sector.
He said the Nissan vehicles assembly plant which already covers over 380 hectares in Lagos, and produces four vehicles brands including patrol, Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), Almeria Sedan Urban Mini buses and Pick-up trucks after the meeting, further reiterated its commitment to growing its investments and footprints in Nigeria.
Following the meeting with NADDC director general and his team, the auto manufacturers reiterated that it was committed to working even closer with NADDC in order to develop the automotive industry in Nigeria.
Jelani said NADDC is also working with other global automobile manufacturers, including BMW, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen towards setting up operations to produce brand new ones right here in Nigeria, thereby employing thousands of Nigerians in the process.
He further disclosed that NADDC has structured the National Automotive Industrial Development Plan in full support of local automotive manufacturing, and is continuously and actively working with relevant stakeholders to provide a vehicle financing scheme so Nigerians won’t have to put down 100% cash when buying new cars.
Industry experts said with these initiatives already being put in place by the NADDC, that Nigeria will move from a place where there are few highly expensive cars and millions of cheap very old ones, to a place where there are millions of modern new cars and even more of current high-end ones.
Giving further insights into how the country will benefit from these initiatives, the director general disclosed that NADDC is in process of finalising building three test centers in Lagos, Enugu and Zaria to make sure that the cars and components produced, sold and used in the country are world standard.
“NADDC is working on building PPP Automotive Supplier Parks in Nnewi, Kaduna and Oshogbo that would go into automotive components production, and the agency is engaging NAACAM of South Africa, a consortium of OEM components manufacturers that supply the big global automotive companies, NAACAM will support as part of a body of many international technical partners”.
He added that the council is strongly supporting local automotive producers, pointing out that other manufacturers such as Honda, Ford, and Yutong are already producing vehicles in Nigeria.
“Innoson is producing its own vehicles in Nnewi. Peugeot in Kaduna has introduced new models that it produces. Nigeria would soon start production of advanced vehicles used in developed countries”, the director general said.
According to him, “Nigerians can’t afford to continue to drive old and dilapidated vehicles. Every Nigeria has the right to be able to afford and use a brand-new vehicle that is safe, effective and efficient, adding the council will continue to work with very strong and relevant partners.
“This will allow every Nigerian to afford vehicle whether for personal or commercial use,” the NADDC’s director general added.

A group, Team Ayade, has threatened Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade with a lawsuit if he fails to seek a second term in office.: http://metrodailyng.com/will-sue-sir-dont-run-second-term-2019-group-tells-ayade/

Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi, (APC/Kaduna North), declared on Thursday that Governor Ahmed El-Rufai had not been fair to Kaduna State, and vowed to “do everything possible” to vote him out in 2019. Read more:http://metrodailyng.com/gov-el-rufai-not-fair-people-kaduna-state-sen-hunkuyi/

A coalition of Arewa Initiative (AI), Coalition of Youth Against Corruption (COYAC) and Good Governance Initiative (GGI) have called on Nigerians and the anti-graft agencies and security organization to discountenance the smear campaign and frivolous writings, ill motivated petitions, self-serving and mischief orchestrated by former disgruntled employees of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NNRA) vowing to get at the Management for not allowing them unfettered access to the financial resources of the regulatory agency.

In a statement signed by the Secretary, Arewa Initiative (AI), Com. Mohammed Dantijo, President of COYAC. Mahmud Bello and National Coordinator of (GGI), Com. Sani Ninjiba Sarki, condemned the clandestine plot, blackmail and malicious petition to anti-graft agencies and security organization as wicked and defamatory aimed at resolving personal grievances and scores all in a bid to discredit the transparent management of NNRA.

As champions and propagators of transparency, good governance and accountability in the public service, these malicious ethnic casting of aspersion on the management of the NNRA, campaign of calumny, witch-hunt, and threatening the management of the regulatory agency is not only detrimental to good governance practice, but to the lives and security of management of NNRA. This smear campaign of calumny presently being orchestrated by these disgruntled former employees is intended to pull down the name of the organization into public odium and therefore should be disregarded by all well-meaning Nigerians in its entirety. These petitions are vindictive, callous, wicked and repugnant to natural justice and meant to settle old scores for having returned them to their pool for unprofessional conduct and behavior.

The trio maintained that this matter has gone beyond the anti-corruption war but has become highly ethnic and political aimed at distracting the management of NNRA. It is a matter of witch-hunting and blackmailing the management insisting the said former employees who are very unhappy and have an axe to grind with the management for calling them to order and therefore, called on the security organizations and the anti-graft agencies to be vigilant and cautious of blackmailers and mischief makers who are hell bent to smear the reputation of honest and hardworking Nigerians on the board of NNRA.

The CSOs called on the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore the antics of this unpatriotic disgruntled former employees and their cohorts masquerading themselves “as northerners and APC members” to hoodwink the gullible members of the public and security agencies. Adding that it should be disregarded as false, mischievous innuendoes and concocted lies hatched by these fifth columnists to draw the ire of the present administration on the mercurial management of the NNRA.

That the present transparent leadership of NNRA are ardent advocates of the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, honest and patriotic to the core and we therefore, pass a vote of confidence on the board and management of NNRA for the current institutional capacity building and repositioning that can best be compared with international best practices globally and therefore, urged them to remain focused and undeterred in their efforts to rebrand the organization and provide best management practices to actualize PMB proactive agenda.

By Matthew Ojimaojo

Unfortunately, Gov Bello’s policies and programs are almost taking over the history books as the most misunderstood, misinterpreted and most criticized.

It is unfortunate that some persons have decided to reign all manner of negative criticism despite the fact the present administration in Kogi state is doing all it could to sanitize Kogi state of its past corrupt practices.

Gov. Yahaya Bello took over the mantle of leadership of a state that was sharply divided along ethnic sentiment, religious bigotry and tribal intolerance. Kogites should understand that the present economic woes of state is not peculiar to Kogi state and could be traced to the fact that successive administrations failed to put deliberate policies and programs in place with the aim of saving for the rainy days and putting measures in place to boost the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR).

It is a known fact for everyone to see, unlike many of the states that the detractors and critics of Gov. Bello always makes reference to, the present administration took over a state that was battered and looted almost dry as a result of more than sixteen years of official indiscipline, administrative recklessness and wide spread corruption.

Gov. Yahaya Bello in his inaugural speech, made a solemn promise to priotise Civil Service and Pension Reforms. According to him, “We all know that the system had become very rotten and criminally bloated. Our monthly wage bill was more than the monthly Federal allocations at a time Crude Oil dependent economies like ours were suffering a global crash in prices”.

“It was against the above background that the administration set up a Screening Committee to tackle the menace of ghost workers, clean up the Civil Service and free valuable funds for the business of governance. Labour had a front row seat in that Committee and we have treated them with great respect throughout”.

When they reported problems with the style of the former Chairman of the Screening Committee and after we promptly looked into their complaints, the Chairman was removed and replaced with another candidate almost unilaterally chosen by Labour.

The question here is the Labour leaders though they were in the forefront of the screening exercise and saw firsthand the corruption that was found nearly everywhere yet they are the once fighting this administration.

According to Gov. Yahaya Bello in one of his speeches, he asked the following questions:


1. Should the Administration not have conducted the screening exercise at all and let it be business as usual?

2. Should we have overlooked the daylight robbery uncovered and pretended that we did not find all those conduits for siphoning the resources of our State through ghost workers?

3. Or maybe, having discovered these acts of unpardonable criminality we should have taken our cut, looked the other way, and allowed the rape and dispossession of our people to continue unchecked?

Well, anybody who knows Yahaya Bello will also know that I cannot stop without getting to the bottom of the matter. I swore to always act in the best interests of Kogi State and by the help of God, that is what I will continue to do. I was threatened, I was the subject of highly toxic calumnies but I choose to remain intrepid and focused. I am undeterred and I cannot run from my duties, no matter the obstacles.

Let me try to set the records straight:
Like most other States in Nigeria, the monthly FAAC Allocations constitute the major bulk of our income. The money is almost entirely made up of the Federal Government’s Crude Oil earnings.There is also the inevitable slump in the monies that accrue to the States. Everyone is feeling the pinch, including Kogi State where the monthly salaries of about 25,000 Civil Servants amount to nearly twice the current monthly allocations – technically leaving nothing for the rest of our 3.5m residents.

Recently, Yahaya Bello press release to the Muslim ummah and the entire citizens of kogi state said “Our State is under attack from wicked people. Some of them are hiding in plain sight among us while others steal in from outside to wreak their havoc. Some act personally, others by proxy. Their chief weapon has been lies and deliberate falsehoods. They use the media and they go from community to community, and person to person. In all cases, their aim is to create misunderstanding around the actions of Government in order to engender mischief and disaffection among the governed”.

“For as As you can all attest, ours is a divine mandate safeguarded by the Hands of the Almighty. We know God and good are with us at all times and we have developed an iron will to contend with all who try to foist on us anything less than the Will of the Almighty.

Above all, I need to make it clear here that Gov. Yahaya Bello’s administration is not out to witch-hunt anybody, as his action are meant to ensure probity and accountability in handling public funds in Kogi state. Let us join hands together Making useful advice on how best to improve the economic status of the state and admonishing Kogites to persevere, support and keep fate with the present government which is committed and tirelessly putting policies and programs in place at providing the much craved dividends of democracy and putting smiles on their faces should be where we channel our energies now.

Ojimaojo, is a political analyst, wrote from Surulere, Lagos State, Nigeria

By Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele

According to George Orwell, “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men/women stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” Soldiers do violence on your behalf. Being a soldier is not doing a job or having an employment, soldiering is not a career, but a way of life. A soldier can retire, have an honourable discharge, be physically challenged, imprisoned and more, but he/she is never off-duty, always standing on the line on the nation’s behalf. Behind them is an entire nation, in front of them, is an entire world.

The responsibility to stand on that line requires courage. They are nation-builders and democracy, according to Olisa Uzoewulu, is defended by them, we need to accord them due recognition and honour. To respect them, is not glorifying them; it is not constantly thanking them, but seeing and treating them as indispensable members of the society. In Nigeria, though, we see them differently, sometimes as members of the society doing the lowest jobs, and most times as those interfering in our nation’s democracy.

The Nigerian Army is a representation of the entity called Nigeria. It is a conglomerate, an association or an organization of men and officers who have given their lives and who have gone through rigorous military trainings to safeguard the territorial integrity of the nation and not just a minority or officers from a section of the country as it is believed in some quarters. It is a standing force that has sworn an oath of allegiance to protect the constitution, safeguard lives and property.

Whatever it does today has national and protectionist agenda and therefore, its activities across the country should not be misconstrued by mischief makers to serve their self-serving inordinate ambition.

In its task to safeguard and protect the lives of Nigerians, the Army has on several occasions sacrificed young career men and officers with aged parents and families left behind and in developed countries, these people are seen as celebrities, patriots and heroes; in Nigeria the reverse is the case. So, we need to engage Nigerians to begin to look at our military men and officers as heroes who are ready to pay the ultimate price for our peace and unity and therefore, deserve our accolades, commendations and honour for their oath of allegiance to our nation.

Since the present Chief of Army Staff (COAS) took over the mantle of leadership he has broken the fence between the army and the civil populace by the constant training of its personnel across board in building relationships with the civilian population where it operates. The Nigerian Army has never been so civil in its entire history like what we have today, all due to the proactive and human face leadership of the COAS, who is keen and interested in meeting with international best standards wherever the army finds itself.

It is high time, we celebrated the armed forces, and it is high time we accorded them their rights in their fatherland.

There are so many ways Nigerians can add value to our military today in terms of partnerships, collaborations, long term strategic initiatives and in their corporate social responsibilities (CSR) by providing social amenities, building infrastructure and making donations that will enhance the professional competence of the soldiers. It also involves sponsorship of deceased children in schools across the country, providing social infrastructure in the barracks, supplying hospital equipment/drugs to the medical corps and instituting initiatives that will cater for wounded soldiers and providing timely and accurate information to the Army when the need arises for intelligence gathering so as to get rid of criminal elements in the society

The Army deserves respect more than any other profession, for they watch every other profession by keeping vigil to protect the borders. The job comes with no weekends or break for public holidays as others break to rest, but they live and die for the nation and citizens. They sacrifice their lives in a brief second for us to keep living, and what do we do in return, dishonor them? Not at all! A country can survive without so many things, but not a day without the Army.

This truth is very necessary so that Africans and indeed Nigerians will come to realize the importance of the Army in nation-building. A lot of young and versatile Nigerians have paid the supreme price to keep us alive as fallen heroes. Nigerians indeed need to appreciate the nationalistic role played by the Army in keeping peace and effecting the total eradication of criminal elements and insurgents in the society.

Security and national development have been described as paramount component in the quest for the nation’s peace, stability and sustainable growth. The Army has become a major stakeholder in the security and development of the nation and as such deserves our commendations in course of safeguarding the nation and in its determined efforts to ensure the dislodgment and decimation of insurgents, and protection of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) relocated to their abandoned communities.

It therefore, brings to the fore, the thousands of lives lost in safeguarding the nation and also reminds us of the recent one year memorial anniversary of Col. Abu Ali, a gallant and fearless soldier, who paid the ultimate price with his life in order to defend the territorial integrity of his country. This is one example of so many lives cut short at their prime.

We need to do a re-think, and re-orientate our minds about our attitude to the Nigerian Army personnel, who go to work every day, not knowing what will befall them at their duty-posts due to the dangers of their profession. The country needs to change its perception of the military and find ways and means to enhance the morale and professional competence of the Army. Just as the COAS, Lt. Gen. Buratai reiterated recently, that efforts to ensure that troops adhere to the rules of engagement, according to the constitution, have been entrenched, pointing out that the Nigerian Army has established its own human rights desk, department of civil-military affairs, to ensure that fundamental human rights of citizens are protected by personnel, just as the rights of its own personnel are also guaranteed. He further stated that the welfare of troops and their families remains a priority in managing the affairs of the Army, adding that a total of about 4,000 children of deceased personnel were sponsored by the Army in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. The Army cannot do this alone, it therefore, needs the assistance of Nigerians and corporate organizations as part of their CSR to alleviate the challenges faced by the deceased soldiers’ families, build social amenities in the barracks that Nigerians can be proud of in this 21st century.

Though the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done so much for the military in terms of funding, welfare, purchase of equipment and human capital development, the Federal Government alone cannot do it and therefore, requires the concerted efforts of good spirited Nigerians and corporate organizations. Just as the Army, is strengthening its civil-military relations across the country by carrying out medical outreach where free medical tests and treatments for different ailments are dispensed, drugs, eye-glasses as well as mosquito nets for pregnant women are distributed, while the Army engineering corps also construct major roads and do repairs in regions where the needs arise.

In order to enhance the welfare and living conditions of the Army as in developed nations, new incentives and allowances including the provision of social amenities in and around working environments and the barracks across the country, have been enhanced and revamped, so as to be a morale booster for the men and officers. It is also agreed that the periodic self-assessment and continuous training of the Nigerian Army is vital in the accomplishment of the arduous responsibilities and challenges facing the nation.

As part of the COAS’ strategy to have a well motivated military force, he has built social amenities and rehabilitated formations, army ranges across the country. Just recently, it commissioned and gave a new look to the army headquarters, and during the unveiling the CDS, General Gabriel Olonisakin commended the COAS, for embarking on the project within his short stay in office. And he urged the troops to be agents of change anywhere they find themselves, and enjoined them to make best use of the facility as well as imbibe maintenance culture at all times.

In another development, the COAS has also enjoined soldiers to make good use of the recently commissioned multimedia and conference hall. The COAS stated that it was built as part of the efforts to add value to the infrastructure development which the Nigerian Army is embarking on across various army units and formations.

Consequently, in the determined effort to curb youth’s restiveness and continuous efforts to transform the youths in the barracks for better days through skills acquisition, the Nigerian Army Barracks Youths Foundation (NABYF) partnered the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) Oshodi, for the training and counseling of its teeming youths across the nation. This partnership has greatly imbibed in the youths the “can do mentality,” which is also another morale booster for the families in the barracks.

Also worthy of note, is the recently commissioned “ST Foods Outlet” at the army headquarters which, according to the COAS, is a noble venture for “having a professionally responsible Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles.” He said the outlet is another milestone of the present leadership to give officers at the Army headquarters the opportunity of having lunch without going outside the premises as well as spurring them to strive harder in the discharge of their responsibilities in more professional manners.

Howbeit, a lot of Nigerians have also paid glowing tributes to the Nigerian Army and our fallen heroes for paying the ultimate price for us all to live in peace and harmony. Some of these eminent Nigerians commented on this. His Royal Highness, Gbong Gwon Jos, Da Jacob Gyang, applauded the army for the achievements and successes recorded so far in the restoration of peace in the country. He assured the Army of continuous support and cooperation by his people to stamp out the insurgents and criminals within his domain. His Excellency, Governor Kasshim Shettima of Borno State, extolled the COAS for liberating the North-East, especially Borno State from the grip of Boko Haram. He painted a grim and hopeless situation in the North-East before the COAS assumed office, stating that the COAS has changed the situation, but has not only liberated the North-East region, but also restored the lost glory of the region in general and Borno State in particular.

Senator Mohammed Jubrilla, Governor of Adamawa State, also commended the Nigerian Army for their sacrifices and charged government at all levels, individuals, as well as corporate organizations to cooperate with the military by providing useful information to enable them function optimally. The governor stated that apart from the insurgency that there were other several security challenges that must be tackled and pledged the support of his government at all times, stressing that period in which insurgents were taking over territories was over. He called for a minute silence for the repose of the souls of officers and soldiers who lost their lives.

The governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, said that the government and people of Benue State were completely convinced that the Nigerian Army in particular and other military services in general were equal to the task of carrying out their constitutional responsibility to keep Nigeria. That he was impressed with the total commitment, patriotism and professional competence of the current leadership of the Army, in the fight against Boko Haram. He emphasized that the hard work and sacrifices of the military made all that possible, pointing out that Nigerians are proud of the efforts of the Nigerian Army to rid the South-South and South-East of militants and other criminal elements whose activities constitute serious security threats.

He also commended the Nigerian Army for doing a great job without which the story about this country would have been different. Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State applauded the Army for its steadfastness in keeping the nation as an indivisible entity. He stated that the Nigerian troops have faced many challenges and proved their professionalism in the face of odd situations. He reiterated that the army has paid a supreme price in the course of defending the territorial integrity of the country during which many personnel lost their lives, adding that they should be remembered for their sacrifices.

In his words: “Let me at this point commend our gallant soldiers for the professional manner they have continued to carry out their constitutional roles in the defence of our democracy.”

The Pakistani Military also commended the Nigerian Army successes in the fight against insurgents and criminals across the country during a recent visit. The Director General, Joint Staff Headquarters, Pakistan Armed forces (PAF), Lt Gen. Najib – Ullah, lauded the Army and stressed that Nigeria and Pakistan have a long standing relationship in terms of military training, adding that the aim of the visit was to further enhance bilateral cooperation between both militaries.

In responding to all the commendations, too numerous to mention, from far and wide, the COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, assured everyone that the Nigerian Army would continue to ensure that peace and stability reign in all parts of the country, emphasizing that the Army has diversified in various spheres of endeavours such as training, discipline, infrastructure development, procurement and the induction on military hardware and software, among others.

In order to sustain high ethical professionalism, that the Nigerian Army through its activities had demonstrated high capability in its constitutional role in securing Nigeria and Nigerian citizens, in addition to combating pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, piracy, cattle rustling, kidnappings, among other threats to our nation, while having the rules of engagement and best international practices on its front burner and cardinal focus.



Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, is a brand strategist, civil rights activist, social crusader and is of Citizens Watch (CWN); National Coordinator, Nigerian Royalty Awards (NRA); President, COCMEGG and former media adviser to the former First Lady, Federal Republic of Nigerian (2010 – 2015)

By Chigozie Kelvin
For one who doesn’t have a clue on how the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) was transformed by the pioneer Executive Secretary /Director General Mrs. Nellie Mayshak would tend to believe the malicious claims by some persons that they cleaned the mess in the agency.
The transformation of PTAD wouldn’t have been possible without Mrs Mayshak , an internationally acclaimed technocrat. Nigerians seem to forget so soon the Abdulrasheed Maina saga when he headed the agency known then as Presidential Task Team on Pension Reform (PTTPR) and how pensioners were dying without getting a dime from the organization. The then administration of President Jonathan, in search of a solution to address the problem bedeviling pensioners under the Defined Benefits Scheme, invited Mayshak who was doing well in her career overseas; she was appointed the pioneer head of the agency.
After a holistic review of the challenges confronting the scheme, she warned it was not going to be business as usual.
Being a renowned technocrat, she brought to bare her expertise to build an institution that is today the envy of others.
It was Mrs Nellie Mayshak who digitalized the old pension scheme for effective service delivery to ensuring seamless payment of pensioners and also brought transparency into the system. PTAD under her watch leveraged on technology to get database of pensioners, which helped the agency, know the actual number of pensioners thus removing many ghost pensioners from the system. The facts are there for everyone to see.
Mayshak was accused of fraud because she refused to allow the few cabal who have seen pension fund as their milking cow to have their ways. She introduced the biometric verification and the digitization of the database and the whole process which resulted in removal of thousands of ghost pensioners.
Perhaps it is said that ‘If you fight corruption, it fights back’; and that is the whole scenario that led to her suspension an attempt to tarnish her image in the international community.
The questions begging for answers are:
1. The Minister of finance after her probe till date found it very difficult to make public the outcome of the probe panel.
2. Why disengage her through a secret letter?
It is laughable that after realizing that Mayshak is innocent of all the accusations labeled against her till today the government is silent on her case of victimization. It is just a common sense after accusing her wrongly to also apologies publicly after the probe that found her not guilty of all she was accused of.
Why am particular saying Federal Government should apologies to Mrs. Nellie Mayshak is to set the records straight. There were lots of persons fighting her on the pages of newspaper then. The then Acting DG in a desperate attempt to take credit from Mayshak’s effort told some journalists that “Before I took over, we had a lot of issues. In fact, I have the personal experience of my uncle who applied for over two years and they were asking him to wait for clarification but when I took over and based on that experience, I found out that the problem is that of records.”
“There have been no additional funds released to us. We make the savings from ghost manes we have been able to remove from the payroll. In one particular week; we closed about 800 different accounts in one day from various banks which we passed to ICPC for investigation.
Mr Oluwatoyin was then barely six months in PTAD and has done nothing rather than inflating the PTAD payroll . It is on record that Mayshak has zero tolerance for corruption when she was piloting the affaires of PTAD. A lot of pensioners and public affairs analysts have said that Mayshak’s suspension was a deliberate plot against the DG by those who couldn’t have the opportunity to dip their hands into pensioners funds because she had blocked all the loopholes.
It is just morally proper to apologies to this international technocrat whom all her life was to serve humanity and to the best ability of her professionalism, she did well.

Mrs. Nellie Mayshak, he who laughs last laughs the best. wish you all the best Ma

Kelvin is a social media analyst, based in Awka, Anambra state, Nigeria

The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, and the State Commissioner of Police (CP), Wilson Inalegwu, on Tuesday locked up the Kogi State House of Assembly Complex to prevent plenary from taking place. READ MORE http://metrodailyng.com/gov-yahaya-bello-kogi-cp-storm-house-assembly-stop-plenary-holding/

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