By Remi Adebayo

There is no need to soothsaying that the Nigerian security situation is fast snowballing into a hopeless situation if radical measures are not swiftly adopted; particularly at a time that indices point at the obvious.

What is more? The citizens are well informed about the basic responsibility of government as contained in Section 14(2)(b) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which clearly states, that: “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

Ask, from the North to South, Nigerian citizens are today living in evident fear when commuting by any means, when seeking refuge from God in places of worship, or even at home.

Aside theft; armed robbery, banditry, kidnapping and now dreaded unknown gunmen, with terrorism as being championed by the Islamic State in West Africa Province, ISWAP, and Boko Haram; Nigerians are faces with security nuisances.

Of late, the bewildering mass murder at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, the abduction and killings of travellers on the Abuja-Kaduna train, abduction and killings of persons that include clerics at locations across the country, as well as endless attack on peoples in Zamfara and other states have heightened the fear among Nigerians.

Governors, acclaimed to be the chief security officers of their respective states are becoming jittery and alarmed that the central security architecture are not helpful and are themselves being pushed to devise measures considered drastic to protect their residents.

Last year, in the height of incessant attacks on the Southwest, governors in the region came up with establishing the Western Nigeria Security Network, (WNSN) codenamed Amotekun Corps. This initiative was conceived to reinforce the efforts of conventional security agencies, just as the formation of the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, in the Northeast to fight against insurgency in the region.

With the initial resistance against Amotekun from many quarters, including the Federal Government cleared, governors in the Southwest states eventually gave life to the Corps by enacting laws to support the security network in their states and it is today hailed for helping to lower the instances of attack in the region by working with other security agencies.

Many have however criticized the security network for its deficiency to procure and deploy proportional sophisticated arms and weapons with capacity to engage and defeat the criminals.

However, the success of Corps in states where they have the full commitment of the governors suggest that more could still be done with the Corps in the coming years.

For instance, last week, the Ondo State Command of the WNSN at a press conference announced that assailants that killed worshippers at St. Francis Church, Owo have been apprehended by its operatives. While the nation awaits full disclosure of the identities and persons alleged to have been arrested in relation to the incident, the confidence in the ability of Amotekun, being an indigenous security organization to tame insecurity is getting a boost.

With deadly attacks last year on Igangan, a town in Oyo State, and the tension that was generated in the state, the Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde is one of these governors whose action and commitment to the security of the state by giving necessary tools to Amotekun and supporting other security agencies in the state has remained commendable.

The attack, and reprisal that almost degenerated in Oyo State was fairly responded to by the Governor, who just approved the recruitment of additional 500 personnel to reinforce the strength of Amotekun in Oyo state, this is aside the consistent investment in infrastructures to aid their operations across the state.

The Governor stated this at a security meeting with local government Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, heads of security agencies and traditional rulers among other stakeholders at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat in Ibadan at the weekend.

Governor Makinde said the measure is part of his administration’s efforts to enhance security of lives and property in the State.

Similarly, following the recent Owo terrorist attack on worshippers, the Ondo State governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, at the weekend, ordered compulsory installation of Close Circuit Television, CCTV, at all public and private institutions throughout the state.

Akeredolu had, through an Executive Order stated that the measure became imperative in the light of the increased spate of insecurity in the country and the need to ensure security of lives and properties in all public and private institutions and centres throughout the state.

“The executive order shall be enforced at all religious places of worship, financial institutions (of all kinds), event centres, supermarkets, educational institutions, hotels/motels, guest house, inns, restaurants, clinics and health centres, eateries (of all kinds), recreation or vehicular parks and other places regularly used by the public,” a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Richard Olatunde disclosed on Saturday.

Also thinking out of the proverbial box is the Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawale. On his part, the Governor considered that the reality in his state has reached the point for citizens to bear arms to defend themselves against bandits.

“Government has henceforth, directed individuals to prepare and obtain guns to defend themselves against the bandits, as government has directed the state commissioner of police to issue license to all those who qualify and are wishing to obtain such guns to defend themselves.

"Government is ready to facilitate people, especially our farmers to secure basic weapons for defending themselves. Government has already concluded arrangement to distribute 500 forms to each of the 19 Emirates in the state for those willing to obtain guns to defend themselves,” Ibrahim Dosara, Commissioner of Information, said in a statement.

The decision of the Governor reinforced his earlier call in June 2021, for residents to defend their communities. And Matawale is not alone, in August 2021, Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, also urged residents in areas prone to banditry to acquire weapons and defend themselves against the outlaws.

“We must all rise up to counter the insecurity challenge, we must not sit and watch some people buying guns attacking our houses,” Masari then said.

The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Ayuba Elkana, has however distanced himself from the directive by Governor Matawale. While reacting to the directive, Elkana told The[i] PUNCH[/i] that the Police have stopped giving licenses to citizens who wish to bear arms.

“I have not received any directives, and also, there is a ban on firearms licenses, and we don’t give licenses.

With this denial, the Zamfara State’s directive might have suffered setback as it will pitch the state, like at the inception of the WNSN, with the Nigeria Police and likely, the Federal Government.

This, again will test the collusion governors often face with the federal government even when faced with frustrations that arise from instances of insecurity.

The struggle by these governors also exposes the nation to revive the clamour that Nigeria is indeed ripe for a decentralized policing structure where states can be significantly responsible for handling managing directly the security of life and property in their respective states without limitations.

Section 33 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution provides that “every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria”.

No doubt, the hoodlums that have held the nation to ransom have significant disregarded this; but the law is also not blind to what the people can do at such instance through self-defense.

The question many have repeatedly asked is the limitations of citizens while defending him or herself? Does the law permit a Nigerian citizen to bear arms; and who determines the extend of such defense?

Zamfara, and other states, are today faced with the reality to stand together in building a consensus to resolve the insecurity in their states. While the fears associated with proliferation and abuse may dominate arguments on issuing licenses to bear arms by individuals, another look at winning the war is the state police which has become imperative today.

State governments now have a chance to jettison their partisan or regional differences to revive the quest for state policing and make necessary constitutional reforms for states to have direct control on its security as it is only through such platform, that it can guarantee accountable handling of arms in official hands, and put those equipped with one under surveillance against any form of abuse.

This must also provide the state executives to provide the long-term non-kinetic engagement that scale down on radical and views, educating the population of their school age residents and provide jobs and innovations to discourage recruitment of ignorant and idle hands to swell the ranks of troubling elements nationwide.

Remi Adebayo is a journalist, he writes from Abuja.

https://abujacityjournal.com/news.php?a=[OPINION]-Insecurity-And-Governors%E2%80%99-Drastic-Search-for-Solution

By Remi Adebayo

Ordinarily, the emergence of former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should elicit a flip response of the presidency template as presently exists between President Muhammadu Buhari and his deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Buhari, a Moslem Northerner is being deputized by Osinbajo, a Southern Christian. Had another aspirant from other faith, other than Tinubu’s Islamic background emerged from the South, the hurdle faced today by Tinubu would not have surfaced, at least, the choice would have been limited to other criteria, but not religion.

Tinubu - born, professing and a practicing Moslem christened Ahmed who scaled through to win the presidential primary of the All Progress Congress, APC, has no record of faith-based bias.

Nigeria’s presidential system demands that Tinubu must pair with a running mate to complete his ticket, and the timeline compels that his decision must be taken swiftly ahead of the Friday, June 17 deadline as prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Tinubu’s victory at the primary has generated so much interest and concerns. The National Leader of the APC had while declaring to run for the president, said it was his lifelong ambition; and he has put no one in doubt that he was prepared when he went all out to cling the party’s ticket. The stakes are however higher for Tinubu having won the ruling party’s presidential ticket in his first attempt is now faced with another tough decision.

The running mate argument and same-faith hurdle

The APC presidential flagbearer is today faced with a tricky choice of who among the Northern politicians is best fit to run with him; and the argument is raised from political, faith-based and ordinary Nigerians. The sides to the coin are both delicate for Tinubu, whichever choice he will eventually make.

For long, even before the emergence of Tinubu, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, had warned major political parties to resist the lure of same-faith presidential ticket; in its place the apex Christian body is demanding a fair religious representation that balances the two leading faiths at the presidency.

CAN, in a statement by its national secretary, Joseph Daramola, said a balance of practitioners of both religions should be considered in the choice of running mates of the presidential candidates.

“We do not subscribe to Christian/Christian ticket or Muslim/Muslim ticket. Politicians can talk politics but we stated our view long before now. Any party that tries same religion ticket will fail. This is not 1993.

“Even when we have joint Muslim/Christian ticket, the church still goes through hell. Only God knows the number of Christians that have been killed in the last seven years with no one apprehended or prosecuted.”

In fact, the same was re-echoed on Sunday, June 12, 2022 at the inter-denominational church service to commemorate the 2022 Democracy Day in Abuja.

Represented by the President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, the CAN president, Rev. Samson Supo Ayokunle restated, “I must sound this warning, please do not fly a Muslim-Muslim ticket. It would not fly. It will not stand. Rather, it would set the nation against each other.”

While this rages, a group of party men and women under the aegis of All Progressives Congress (APC) National Stakeholders added its voice to reject same-faith ticket for Tinubu, saying a Muslim-Muslim ticket will fuel more division in the country.

“Why we are conscious of the fact that religion should not be a determining factor in our leadership selection process, the peculiar circumstance the nation finds herself calls for reflection in the decisions we take, so long as they bother on our national lives

“Today, the country is deeply divided within our fault lines of ethnicity and religion and we cannot afford to jettison these sensibilities in critical decision making. This is why we think that the All Progressives Congress must be guided by the sense of these sensibilities in the selection of the Vice Presidential Candidate of the party. To do otherwise would be to further fuel what divides us and give room for mischief makers to take advantage of our differences.

“Nigeria is in dire need of good governance and this can come from either a Muslim leader or a Christian leader.

“But in the spirit of nationalism, justice and fairness which the northern governors demonstrated a few days ago, the leaders of the north on whose shoulder the emergence of the Vice Presidential candidate rests must also demonstrate this spirit by ensuring that the candidate comes from the Christian faith.”

Like Chief Moshood Abiola, the late politician and icon of the June 12 democratic struggle, Tinubu has also broken the political barrier as a Southern Muslim to stand a chance to be elected president; this has been championed by some concerned Muslims in the southwest.

Way back in 2021, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, Director of Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has been clamouring for a Yoruba Muslim president to succeed President Buhari. Akintola had argued that three Yoruba Christians have occupied Aso Rock villa since independence without a single Yoruba Muslim.

“It is an open secret that Yoruba Muslims who form the majority of the population in the South West are being denied their Allah-given fundamental human rights.

“This has led to complaints and court cases initiated by Muslims across Yorubaland over political and religious persecution. Yoruba Muslims are at the receiving end of deprivation of civil liberties. It is our contention that another Yoruba Christian presidency will usher in another opportunity for Christian hegemony and the marginalisation, stigmatisation, repression and persecution of Yoruba Muslims.

If this mindset is sustained, CAN is similarly laying the claim, that most of the victims of the current insecurity situations in the country are Christians using the recent Owo killing of worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Churc; the continued holding on of Leah Sharibu, the savage killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, and recent abduction of the Methodist Prelate, His Eminence, Dr Samuel Kanu-Uche as case study.

Targeting the Northern votes with Muslim running mate

A close associate of the Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom, as Tinubu is fondly called, told AbujaCityJournal that Tinubu is worried about the decision to make at the moment.

“We all know that he is at home with everyone regardless of their religion. The decision is however tough for Asiwaju because he does not want to offend the Church by what may look like ignoring their concerns, and then lose their support. We are also worried that some of our brothers and sisters from the North may not give their support without a Muslim as running mate.”

Many, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Stakeholders think otherwise; the body believes that winning the presidential election is a combined assignment of party members and supporters, and that every region has competent Muslims or Christians that can serve creditably, including the Christians from the North.

Ibrahim Dan-Halilu, veteran journalist and advocacy expert, in a post to his Facebook wall, wondered; “I want to understand the basis for pairing Tinubu with a Muslim running mate as some people are clamouring for? Have we ever had a Christian-Christian pair for a presidential race? Why does Northern Nigeria want to set this dangerous precedent? Is Boko Haram and banditry not enough challenges to grapple with?

“Why do we want to add another religious war that can consume us all? If there is no Northern Christian good enough to be trusted with our collective interests, go consult your elder statesmen, they will give you one. The late Premier Sir Ahmadu Bello, (Sardaunan Sokoto) has lived and worked with them. He built trust and confidence in them. They trusted him.

“If the present generation is acting differently, go ask yourselves, what has gone wrong with our relationship, or did we do wrong that our brothers are turning enemies? If you can find answers to this question, our problem is half solved.”

The Atiku Concern

Earlier before the APC presidential primary after former Vice President, Alh. Atiku Abubakar emerged the presidential candidate of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, narrative in the ruling party’s in its search for its candidate centred on who would be able to beat Atiku in the election.

Political observers said this was among the considerations that formed the last time bargaining that gave birth to Tinubu’s victory. The Northern APC Governors, were said to reason that beating Atiku, himself a highly formidable and experienced political tactician would require someone with proportional tact and war chest.

Atiku comes for Adamawa in the Northeast, a geopolitical zone where Tinubu’s running mate is being scouted from. While the region parades eminent APC chieftains in the likes of the serving Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the Simon Lalong, who is serving out his last term as Plateau State governor, observers said being Christians may not be strong enough to checkmate Atiku in the region.

The Tinubu’s unsettling choice

He now must weigh the odds. Tinubu’s choice of a Muslim running mate will obviously send a signal to the Christian Community. And beyond perception, it may also cost the APC candidate electoral fortunes, not just in the Southeast or South South where he might not record significant success even with a Christian deputy on the ballot, but the North Central and Northeast Christians may show him cold shoulders; same way, although they can trust him as their own, the decision may cost Tinubu the votes of Christians with extreme views in the South.

Like Atiku, candidates of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Mr. Peter Obi of Labour Party are expected to nominate deputies of different faith; choosing a Muslim running mate by Tinubu may open the party to protest votes from moderates; particularly from those asking if Tinubu who has been Muslim all his life is not Muslim enough for the North to be trusted to defend their faith, or if Christians from the North cannot be trusted to defend the Northern interest.

On the other hand, Tinubu whose wife, Oluremi, is an ordained pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, may have to reach out to the Church to build confidence towards eliminating the suspicion that may come from being a Muslim and why a Muslim may be considered as his deputy; this will help to guarantee the Christian support and that of the Muslim faithful in the North.

Whichever way, the time is short as the Friday, June 17 deadline races close and a decision must be made. Analysts believe that how Tinubu handles the aftermath of his choice will largely define how well he will be able to realise his lifelong ambition or if he will bid it farewell in 2023.

https://abujacityjournal.com/news.php?a=Tinubu%E2%80%99s-Running-Mate:-The-Southern-Muslim,-Northern-Christian-Identity-And-Voting-Exigencies

By Remi Adebayo

The race to the 2023 presidential elections is becoming intense and defining as it poses a vital phase for rethinking Nigeria’s survival and reality of the future from May 29, 2023 when a new set of leaders that will pilot the affairs of Nigeria will be inaugurated.

Many have highlighted some shortcomings of the current government in its eight years at the saddle at the apex of Nigeria’s leadership with concerns that if another president should emerge from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, that individual must possess exceptional character and competence to deliver.

As a matter of fact, while the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, whose rule was terminated by the APC in 2015 was being asked to offer apologies for its alleged sixteen years misrule, others believe that the party in government needs to demonstrate higher skills to deliver on the art of governance.

So, with another opportunity to refresh mandate from Nigerians approaches, those believing that the ruling party should be trusted with another chance are similarly enquiringly concerned about the quality of a candidate that should fly its presidential ticket at the general elections in 2023.

For long, fingers have been directed at him; in fact, many independent opinion polls have had Nigerians insisting that he looked like the best the APC can showcase in that election. After speculations and uncertainties around his ambition, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday April 11, 2022 informed the nation of his readiness to serve as president, if given the opportunity.

In doing this, the Law professor said his experiences while working with his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari and the opportunities he had in making different decisions as Vice and Acting President have him sufficiently equipped to hit the ground running from the first day.

He pledged the nation of sustaining the good legacies of the Buhari’s administration, particularly those policies of economic diversification, infrastructural renewal in different sectors, stimulation of the agribusiness and ICT sector as well and all-round job creation through the youths and supportive and more robust social investment investments across the nation.

“In the past seven years, I have served as Vice President under a true Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity, President Muhammadu Buhari. We have, together, worked through some of the most difficult times in the history of our Nation, but we have remained focused on securing the country, providing infrastructure, and growing our economy.”

As someone rated worthy in his stewardship with the President as attested to by Nigerians, Osinbajo, a serious contender for the APC presidential ticket is taking nothing for granted; not even the comfort of being a serving VP, as he saddled himself with the responsibility of meeting delegates nationwide to afford both parties the opportunity to exchange views directly about issues of governance.

Yes, he needs their votes as stakeholders who hold the string to determine who among the aspirants will get the APC ticket to fly the party’s flag in the 2023 presidential election, but Osinbajo is more than aware that the interaction with the delegates transcends votes but also extends to governance.

His message is clear, that having worked at close quarters with Buhari since 2015 at the federal level, he is best-fit to succeed the president to nurture the seed the administration has planted and to plant, nurture and reproduce workable economic turnaround on the new ones.

“If by the grace of God and the will of the people, I am given the opportunity, then I believe that first, we must complete what we have started; radically transforming our security and intelligence architecture, completing the reform of our justice system focusing on adequate remuneration and welfare of judicial personnel, ensuring justice for all and the observance of rule of law and rapidly advancing our infrastructure development, especially power, roads, railways and broadband connectivity,” he had hinted in his declaration speech to the nation.

Other areas highlighted by the Vice President is the provision of excellent environment for businesses to thrive, taking the agriculture revolution to the next level, especially mechanization and developing the farm to table value chain; making sure that the government, its agencies and regulators serve the business community, creating a tech economy that will provide jobs for millions; enhancing our Social Investment Programme to a full-scale social welfare scheme and completing the promise of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within this decade.

He also mentioned completing the task of ensuring that all Nigerians attend school and reforming the nation’s educational system for relevance to the challenges of this century as well as completing the task of universal health coverage for all and strengthening the capacity of States and Local Governments to deliver on their respective mandates.

Above all, he noted that “front and centre of our efforts will be the provision of jobs and opportunities for our young people,” as what may form the priority of his government, if elected.

without mischief, delegates and indeed Nigerians, understand the pedigrees of Prof Osinbajo as one to be trusted to unite the country and blunt the ethnic, religious and, or even partisan sentiments that have been at the daggers drawn among the people. The VP stands a solid chance to secure the country by taking advantage of diversity management to deepen and forge national cohesion through mutual trust.

Also, Osinbajo will restore the needed reinvigoration of the pluralized economic diversification and inclusion to rein the mammoth youth population for economic prosperity and job creation for improved security.

Since he is not bitter against any section of the country, and not picking gantlet for vengeance whatsoever, Osinbajo will trusted to be everyone’s president, not tribal, ethnic or religious, and he be equitable in distributing opportunities and dividends that come with being Nigerians from the leadership to the people.

In meeting with the delegates, Prof. Osinbajo has expressed readiness to deepen interaction with all Nigerians as partners and stakeholders, as part of the processes to ensure that the needs of the people are met in line with their unique interests.

Recently while meeting the APC delegates in Jigawa State, the VP had urged, that their decisions should be guided in the interest of the future of the Nigerian children, “we should make a decision based on the future of our children. We can make progress, we can move on. All I ask you to do is what is in the best interest of Nigeria; vote in the interest of our children.”

And when addressing journalists at the same event, Prof Osinbajo disclosed that issues being discussed are issues that concern the country - agriculture, youth empowerment, education, technology and a wide variety of issues.

However, the Nigerian political atmosphere could be fickle, it is the nature of politics itself. It is then important that delegates bear to mind the interest of Nigeria in this season as they come face to face with aspirants ahead of the May 30 primaries of the APC and be guided and courageous enough to have the nation and the fate of their children and generations yet unborn mirror before them while making the crucial decision at the Eagle Square during the party’s primaries.

As aspirants bond with the Vice President, the nation’s recovery and the best interest of their children must be accorded priority as the basis for that opportunity to be the ruling party’s delegates at a time as this.

Personal, sectional or other inconsequential considerations without the thought for the combined destiny and prosperity of Nigeria and her people must be jettisoned, while understanding that momentary gains from their poor judgement will haunt the nation, themselves and their own children in the nearest of future.

Adebayo is an Abuja-based journalist

Please can this work on Infinix Joypad 8S too?

Please, I need someone to help me out.
I just bought an Infinix Joypad 8s but forgot my pattern lock which made me to attempt resetting. In the process of starting the pad with power button and low volume button, it opened ALSPS test. But the phone now displays:

ALSPS stage 1 PASS
ALSPS stage 2 PASS

But underneath Test Fail! System Fail!

Please, how could I resolve this?

Festus Keyamo is a Nigerian, he has been championing the cause of the masses and downtrodden for more than ten years. He is qualified to ask for the votes of Deltans and it is left for the people to vote for him or reject him; that is the beauty of democracy.

Its either something is fatally wrong with the ancestors, the families or the 'bride'. The boy is excused because of his age.

Disgusting!!!