The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Prioritise power, chief tells governor-elect

    Prioritise power, chief tells governor-elect

    A Chieftain of National Rescue Movement (NRM), Fabian Agore, has called on Deita State governor-elect, Sheriff Oborevwori, to prioritise power to boost Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

    This, he said, is to leverage on the constitutional amendment allowing states to licence, generate, transmit, and distribute electricity.

    Agore, candidate for House of Representatives in Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency for NRM, said inadequate power is most challenging for business owners.

    He called on Deltans to remind the governor-elect to put the state resources to good use.

    “Delta State belong to us all, It is my hope the governor-elect will deliver.

    “There is lack of power supply in most parts of the state. My hope is that with the new constitutional amendment signed, the newly elected governor will prioritise power generation to boost manufacturing and SMEs”.

  • Social workers seek tolerance, peaceful coexistence

    Social workers seek tolerance, peaceful coexistence

    Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW), Lagos State chapter, has urged Nigerians to exhibit tolerance and peaceful coexistence in communities. 

    The chairperson, in a statement yesterday signed by the Public Relations Officer, Tessy Ozobialu and made available to reporters in Lagos on the occasion of this year’s International Social Workers’ Day, said the theme of this year’s celebration: ‘Respecting diversity through joint social action’, was apt, considering what was happening in communities.

    She said as a result, her association as the umbrella professional body of recognised social workers in Nigeria, and also an affiliate member of International Federation of Social Workers (IFSN), was joining other social workers in the world to celebrate 2023 International Workers Day “and calls for tolerance and peaceful coexistence in our communities.” 

    According to her, “despite the oneness being promoted by all tiers of governments in Nigeria, religious killings, ethnic cleansing, cult clashes and hooliganism are witnessed in most parts, due to high level of intolerance occasioned by no respect for cultural diversities and divergent opinions/ beliefs, feeling of superiority of one’s ideas and religious beliefs to others.” 

    The chairperson recalled that the oneness Nigeria was enjoying in the early ‘70s “is now elusive, what is being witnessed across areas is destruction of lives and property, conflicts leading to physical assault and threats to our national unity and economic stability.” 

    She said it was only through collective efforts, otherwise called joint social actions that would make the world a peaceful and better place for all, where people could thrive. 

  • APC national youth leader attacked for claiming to deliver polling units

    APC national youth leader attacked for claiming to deliver polling units

    The National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Dayo Israel, has been criticised over his controversial tweet in which he claimed to have delivered seven of the 10 polling units in the largely Igbo community of Otumara, Lagos Mainland, in last Saturday’s governorship and assembly elections.

    Israel via his Twitter handle on Sunday claimed to have delivered seven of the 10 polling units in the community to the APC. 

    In the controversial tweet, Israel wrote: “Today, I rejoice not (just) for delivering my polling unit, but also for winning seven of the 10 polling units in my nearby Igbo dominated community where APC has never won.

    “They always vote for opposition, but this time, I sat with the youth of the community and forged a partnership. Today, we won seven out of 10 polling units; first time in history. Never happened before, Never! Glory be to God.”

    Reacting to the tweet, APC Southeast Coordinator in Lagos Mainland, Pastor Eze King, said the monarch of the community, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye; a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Ajani Owolabi and the Oloto of Otto kingdom, Oba Bashiru Oloto, were instrumental to APC’s victory.

    He said: “Otumara community is 75 per cent Igbo. During the campaign, the APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, visited the community once.

    “House of Assembly candidate, Owolabi Ajani, came twice. In fact, Ajani spent more hours with residents throughout the night, campaigning. The new Oba also put in a lot of efforts.

    “The Baale of the community, Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, held meetings both day and night. Besides convening meetings in his office, he also met leaders of ethnic groups in their locations. He must be commended.

    “This not about the effort of an individual, it is collective, but when we talk of those that put in maximum efforts, we should talk of Baale Kalejaiye, Ajani and our revered monarch, the Oloto of Otto, Oba Oloto.”

    A resident and voter in the election, Jeffery Anyansi, expressed displeasure about the claim by the APC national youth leader, saying he was an opportunist.

    He said: “The governorship election was very easy for the APC to win, but it didn’t come easy. Baale Kalejaiye met with some of the residents at night, while he met others during the day. He convinced them on the need to vote for the APC for rapid development of the community.

    “Over the years, residents have come to trust Baale Kalejaiye. They voted for the APC because Kalejaiye begged them to.

    “It is, however, surprising when Israel tweeted that he delivered seven of the 10 polling units at Otumara. He never did. To be honest with you, I don’t like people dulling another person’s shine. Israel disappointed me for such claim.”

    The APC Ward B Leader, Mr. Semiu Akibu, disagreed with the tweet, saying: “It is the effort of the Baale, High Chief Kalejaiye, complemented by some ward executives that translated to the electoral victory we recorded at Otumara during the governorship election.”

  • ‘Tinubu’s victory a divine grace’

    ‘Tinubu’s victory a divine grace’

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and senator-elect for Imo North, Mr. Patrick Ndubueze, has described the victory of President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a divine intervention to move the country forward. 

    Ndubueze, an economist-cum- engineer, told The Nation that as a two-time governor of Lagos State, who left his footprints on the sand of time, Asiwaju Tinubu had the capacity and administrative acumen to reposition the country for greater development and growth. 

    He urged Nigerians to support him to form a government that would usher in a new lease of life for the masses. 

    Giving an insight into his vision for his people, the senator-elect said he would take the bull by the horns to remedy the sordid neglect of the zone through the provision of necessities of life such as potable water, electricity, completion of abandoned projects and resuscitation of moribund industries. 

    “It is a huge task, but it comes within the domain of what I can do much more than anyone else at this point.” 

    Relying on his local and international exposure, Ndubueze, a former member of the House of Representatives, promised to utilise his membership of the ruling party and his robust relationship with the president-elect to render quantitative representation for his people.

  • ‘UNICEF’s intervention reducing child mortality rate in Anambra’

    ‘UNICEF’s intervention reducing child mortality rate in Anambra’

    Health workers in Amansea, Awka North Local Government of Anambra State have hailed the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for its medical interventions, particularly among women and children.

    Officer-in-Charge of the Primary Health Centre, Amansea, Mrs. Obi Testimony, gave the commendation during the ongoing free medical outreach sponsored through Swedish International Development Corporation Agency (SIDA) and Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF).

    She said the mortality rate of babies suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting had reduced, following introduction of rotavirus vaccines, sponsorship of outreaches, health talks, among other interventions.

    She said: “Before UNICEF came, the turnout of women was not as it is now. There are many things UNICEF introduced that boost their moral, including distribution of ‘pluses’ such as biscuits, soaps and noodles.

    “After receiving the ‘pluses’, the women happily go back to their places of abode and share their stories with others, who have not been coming to immunise their children.

    “Again, due to increasing number of women in our facility, we now carry out immunisation for children every Wednesday, unlike before when it was only twice in a month.

    “The mortality rate of babies under one year has also reduced due to introduction of oral vaccines for diarrhoea prevention among children.

    “We used to have large number of children suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. But since this year, we’ve not recorded any of such cases among babies under one or five.”

    The Local Immunisation Officer, Awka North, Mrs. Gloria Okpete, said the five-day outreach would cover 10 local governments ravaged by 2022 flood disaster.

    She said no fewer than 50 persons had been attended to within two days of the exercise, which would cover 14 wards in the area council.

    “We’re administering integrated vaccines for COVID-19, measles and other diseases. We also organising health talks for women on how to take proper care of their children,” Okpete added.

  • We won governorship poll fair and square, says Ogun APC

    We won governorship poll fair and square, says Ogun APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has maintained that it “won fair and square”, last Saturday’s governorship election. 

    In a statement issued in Abeokuta yesterday and signed by the Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, the party said “the election itself was largely peaceful and the outcome was a true reflection of the wishes of the good people of Ogun State.”

    The statement said: “Despite political thuggery, vote-buying and violence perpetrated by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun State people stood firm and ensured their votes counted.

    “We all witnessed how these desperate politicians banded their gullible followers, bent on wresting power by force. They broke all rules of civility and violated electoral guidelines with reckless abandon.

    “Our party, the All Progressives Congress, not only won the election with majority votes, but also won in 12 of the 20 local governments in Ogun State. In addition, our party won 17 of the 26 House of Assembly constituency seats. 

    “In flagrant disobedience of the Electoral Act (2022) and the guidelines stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), restricting movement on the Election Day, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, had a free rein, criss-crossing from one polling unit to the other and moving across local governments and senatorial districts. His long convoy had armed thugs, people in police uniform with guns, and others accompanying him. They harassed electoral officers, induced voters with cash, credit cards and transferred funds at will to sway voters against all known democratic norms.”

    The PDP candidate and his running mate, Abdulkadir Akinlade, were sighted around midnight at Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Secretariat, which served as the collation centre for the local government. Accompanied by well over 50 thugs, wielding cudgels, cutlasses, dangerous weapons and guns; they attempted to force their ways into the collation centre by impersonating the returning officer. A worse scenario later played out at the Oke Ilewo office of the INEC where collation for Abeokuta South Local Government was taking place. There, the thugs fired gunshots and used tear gas canisters on defenceless officials and party agents to disrupt proceeding.

    “Another unwholesome practice deployed by the Adebutu political machine was unbridled vote buying. Instances abound across the 20 local governments where they induced the electorate to vote. Early that day, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested four PDP agents with hundreds of thousands of money credit cards meant to buy votes at Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta. Each of these card was pre-loaded with N10,000 and meant to be activated to cash with a code. 

    “Another PDP agent was arrested with hundreds verve pre-paid credit cards with the name Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme at Agbado in Ifo Local Government and over 300 Permanent Voter Cards were found on the suspect by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives.     

     “It is on record that a number of polling units and electoral materials were vandalised in some areas by these paid thugs, even as security agents became helpless in those units.

    “More curious is the fact that some APC chieftains were invited to the Police Headquarters at Eleweran in Abeokuta 48 hours to the election for no just reason other than intimidation.

    “Despite these shenanigans from the PDP and its twin-sister, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the people of Ogun State stood firm and chose good governance over cash-and-carry candidates. We urge our politicians to exhibit maturity by conceding defeat where and when it is obvious that they have been thoroughly trounced, as was the case in the last governorship election in our dear state.

    “Finally, we advise the candidates that lost election last Saturday to accept the magnanimous olive branch offered by the winner of the election, His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun and join him in his ‘Building Our Future Together Agenda’. The Ogun State Project is everybody’s project.”

  • Pension Reform: Macron consults allies after narrowly surviving no-confidence vote

    Pension Reform: Macron consults allies after narrowly surviving no-confidence vote

    • 142 protesters arrested

    French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday consulted with allies on what to do next after his government barely survived a no-confidence motion, violent protests erupted across the country and unions stepped up strikes.

    Protesters played cat-and-mouse with police for a fifth night on Monday, setting bins and barricades on fire and leaving Macron to face the most dangerous challenge to his authority since the “Yellow Vest” revolt over four years ago.

    Police in Paris reportedly arrested 142 people in the French capital overnight during street protests that followed the finalisation of the pensions’ reforms.

    BFMTV broadcaster said 11 police officers were injured, citing police sources, according to a report by Reuters/NAN.

    Demonstrations also broke out in other cities including Saint-Étienne, Strasbourg, Amiens, Caen, and Toulouse, media reports said.

    Macron planned to meet Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and the leaders of various political groups yesterday to tackle the fallout from the political developments the previous day.

    The failure of the no-confidence vote – by a mere nine votes – means his flagship pension reform raising the retirement age by two years to 64, is adopted, in a relief for Macron, who has made it a key plank of his second mandate.

    But even lawmakers in the centrist president’s camp warned the crisis was far from over.

    “We are all weakened. The president, the government, and the majority,” a senior MP in Macron’s camp, Gilles Le Gendre, told Liberation newspaper.

    “It’s not because the law was adopted that we can do business as usual,” Le Gendre added.

    Macron will break his silence on Wednesday with a TV interview, to “outline what happens now,” government spokesman Olivier Veran said.

    “These are basically Macron’s two choices,” Eurointelligence analysts wrote in a note.

    They added: “pretending that nothing major happened and letting the crisis wear itself out, or pursuing co-habitation with the willing in the assembly.

    “Given Macron’s nature, we see him being more attracted to the first option. A risky bet.”

    Macron will hold talks yesterday with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, the heads of both houses of parliament, and lawmakers in his political camp as he seeks to plot an exit from the political crisis.

    One key questio

    n in the coming days will be whether Macron sticks with his existing government or looks to freshen things up, even if the potential paralysis in parliament will make governing more complicated.

    “The government is finished,” said Fabien Roussel, secretary general of the Communist party.

    Sacha Houlie, an MP in Macron’s camp, brushed off the possibility of a change of prime minister.

    “What we expect from the President of the Republic is that he draws up an outlook … a three-, six-month calendar (of reforms),” he told Reuters, saying he hoped for proposals on issues including how businesses could be pushed to share more of their profits with workers.

    But another MP in Macron’s camp, Patrick Vignal, bluntly urged the president to suspend the pension reform bill in the face of the anger it has triggered, and its deep unpopularity.

    More than 200 people were arrested on Monday evening, police said, after spontaneous protests broke out hours after the no-confidence motion failed.

    What may concern the executive is the large number of young people in the demonstrations.

    Television images showed police firing tear gas and charging at protesters in several towns.

    Some special motor bike officers were seen striking out at protesters.

    Polls show the majority of French are opposed to the pension reform, as well as the government’s decision to push the bill through parliament without a vote.

     “I think this was a denial of democracy. The government passed a law which a majority of French people were against,” scriptwriter Jean Regnaud said.

    “We did not give him (Macron) a mandate to pass these reforms, which are unjust.”

    Strikes at petrol depots in southeastern France have led to shortages and rationing, forcing the government yesterday to order the requisitioning of staff to ensure supplies.

    A nationwide day of strikes and protests is planned for Thursday.

  • U.S. criticises Xi’s visit to Moscow

    U.S. criticises Xi’s visit to Moscow

    The United States has criticised Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, alleging it was to strengthen Russia as it struggles to make ground in its year-long war on Ukraine.

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Xi’s visit suggested that “China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine”.

    “Instead of even condemning them, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those grave crimes,” Blinken said.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Chinese leader are due to hold further talks yesterday.

    The two men spoke for more than four hours on Monday and enjoyed a state dinner at the Kremlin, warmly praising each other as a “dear friend”.

    While China has sought to cast itself as a potential peace-maker in the Ukraine conflict, the visit also underlined an ever-closer relationship between Moscow and Beijing and was criticised by Washington as providing “diplomatic cover” for Putin.

    By contrast, Xi may only speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy by telephone.

    “We are waiting for confirmation,” Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

    “That would be an important move. They have things to say to each other,” Vereshchuk added.

    On the battlefields in Ukraine, Russia kept up air raids as well as missile and rocket strikes over a wide area in the east, the Ukrainian military said.

    Ukraine said Russia’s main aim was to reach the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Donbas, large areas of which are already under Russian control.

    Russian forces had attacked once again in the city Bakhmut – the site of the longest and bloodiest battle of the war – and other targets but had been repelled, it said.

    “The occupiers are not stopping their assault on the city of Bakhmut,” it said.

    Ukraine also said yesterday that an explosion in Dzhankoi city, in the north of the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula, destroyed Russian Kalibr-KN cruise missiles as they were being transported by rail.

    The defence ministry’s intelligence directorate said the missiles were designed to be fired from ships in Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

    It stopped short of claiming responsibility for the blast.

    Moscow has been publicly promoting plans for a visit by Xi, its most powerful ally in the face of Western opposition to the war, for months.

    Xi has sought to portray Beijing as a peacemaker in Ukraine even as he deepens economic ties with Moscow.

    The Chinese proposal has been largely dismissed in the West as a ploy to buy Putin time to regroup his forces and solidify his grip on occupied land.

    Ukrainian and Western officials fear any ceasefire would merely freeze the front lines, handing Russia an advantage as it struggles to make headway following a series of setbacks since launching its invasion in February last year.

    White House spokesman John Kirby said Xi should use his influence to press Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine.

    The timing of Xi’s visit was also a boost to Putin as it came just days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president accusing him of war crimes for deporting children from Ukraine.

    Denying the charges, Moscow said it has taken in orphans to protect them.

    Beijing said the warrant reflected double standards.

    Foreign policy analysts said while Putin would be looking for strong support from Xi over Ukraine, they doubted his Moscow visit would result in any military backing.

    Washington has said in recent weeks it fears China might arm Russia, a plan Beijing has denied.

    Kyiv, which says the war cannot end until Russia pulls out its troops, cautiously welcomed Beijing’s peace proposal when it was announced last month.

    Zelenskiy has also said that China arming Russia could lead to World War Three.

    While Putin hosted the Chinese president, Japanese broadcaster NHK showed Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida boarding a train at a Polish border town bound for Kyiv, to deliver a message of solidarity and support for Ukraine.

    Kishida was set to meet with Zelenskiy, Japan said.

    Several European Union countries agreed in Brussels on Monday to jointly buy 1 million rounds of 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine.

    Both sides fire thousands of rounds per day in the war of attrition.

    The United States announced its latest military aid package, worth $350 million, including more ammunition for HIMARS rocket launchers, howitzers, and Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, plus HARM missiles, anti-tank weapons, and river boats. (Reuters/NAN)

    French, U.S. hostages released after years of captivity in West Africa

    French journalist Olivier Dubois was hugged by emotional reporters at a briefing in Niger on Monday announcing the release of him and U.S. aid worker Jeffery Woodke.

    They had been held hostage in West Africa for years by Islamist militants.

    Dubois was kidnapped in Mali in 2021. Woodke was kidnapped in neighbouring Niger in 2016.

    Dubois had appeared in a video last August urging authorities to do everything they could to free him from his captors, according to Reuters/NAN.

    Some journalists embraced him upon arrival at the briefing at the airport in the capital Niamey, moved by the sight of their peer, who worked for Liberation and Le Point magazine.

    “It’s huge for me to be here today,” said Dubois, smiling as he answered questions.

    “I wasn’t expecting it at all. I feel tired but I’m well,” he added.

    Woodke, a Christian humanitarian worker, thanked God as well as the Nigerien, U.S., and French authorities for helping with his rescue.

    “Greetings to my family,” he said at the briefing.

    Flanked by the two men, Niger’s interior minister Hamadou Adamou Souley told journalists: “After several months of efforts, Nigerien authorities obtained the liberation of the two hostages from the hands of (JNIM), an active terrorist group in West Africa and the Sahel.”

    JNIM is a West Africa-based affiliate of al Qaeda.

    French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Niger for its help in securing Dubois’ release.

    “I have just spoken to Olivier Dubois: he is in good health,” Macron said on Twitter.

    The circumstances of the two men’s release were not immediately clear.

    A senior U.S. official said there were no direct negotiations with the militant organisation that held Woodke, and no ransom or so-called quid pro quo was part of his release.

    Speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, the official said it was not entirely clear where Woodke was held during his captivity but that he was known to have been in multiple locations and multiple countries.

    Woodke was released outside of Niger, the senior administration official said, adding that Niger was part of efforts that helped free a second U.S. citizen held by the same network.

    A U.S. State Department official identified that hostage as American Catholic nun Suellen Tennyson, kidnapped in northern Burkina Faso in April last year and freed in August.

    “I’m gratified & relieved to see the release of U.S. hostage Jeff Woodke after over 6 years in captivity,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter.

    “The U.S. thanks Niger for its help in bringing him home to all who miss & love him,” Sullivan added.

    Kidnappings are a relatively common tactic by Islamist insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, which have gained ground across the Sahel region over the past decade, killing thousands and uprooting over two million people in the process.

    Those groups have repeatedly declared French citizens in West Africa to be targeted since a 2013 military intervention by France drove them back a year earlier.

    This is partly because of perceptions that the French government is prepared to pay ransoms to secure their release.

    France has repeatedly denied this.

  • Anambra will partner you for developments, Soludo tells Tinubu

    Anambra will partner you for developments, Soludo tells Tinubu

     Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has congratulated President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on his victory in the February 25 election.

    In a statement yesterday in Awka, the state capital, Soludo urged opponents of the President-elect to go to court for redress, if they have genuine issues about the poll.

    The governor promised to partner the incoming Tinubu administration for more developments in Anambra State, saying Nigeria needs healing and restructuring.

    He hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for the peaceful conduct of the general election, especially the citizens, for turning out to be what he called the real “heroes” of democracy.

    “To me, the true heroes of the last elections are the citizens of Nigeria, especially the youths, whose voices will continue to be critical as we collectively strive to build a new Nigeria.

    “Nigeria is the winner, and I am confident that a better future lies ahead of us. Congratulations to all Nigerians!

    “Let me also congratulate the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his election. We congratulate your closest opponents for their courageous and impressive outing.

    “Nigeria needs healing and restructuring, and the fundamental challenges of insecurity and the economy remain humongous.

    “We pledge to collaborate and partner with you and the Federal Government for the development of Anambra State and Nigeria.

    “One critical issue that we must draw your urgent attention to is the issue of systemic insecurity in the Southeast.

    “While our efforts with the security agencies are yielding significant results, we believe that sustainable peace and security will be enhanced through wider non-kinetic engagements with all critical stakeholders.

    “In this regard, may I repeat my previous calls and hereby request our President-elect to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu immediately after swearing-in (that is, if he is not released before then). 

    “We need him around the table as an important stakeholder in discussions about healing and sustainable peace in the Southeast.

    “To our newly elected colleagues (governors-elect), we say a big congratulation. Let us work together, especially under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) in pursuit of national common good.

    “We also congratulate the elected members of the National and State Assemblies. We also thank millions of Nigerians who voted for candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) across the entire country.”

    “As true believers in the potentials of Nigeria, our party will continue to network and collaborate with all like-minded Nigerians and groups to advance the greatness of this country.

    “So far, winners have been declared, and those who are dissatisfied with the results have the rights to pursue their grievances through the due process of the law.

    “My own political party, the APGA, might challenge several of the results in pursuit of justice.

    “While we will take all necessary legal steps to recover the seats we believe that APGA won, especially in Anambra State, but were mistakenly called for other parties, we also know that several of the announced ‘winners’ from other parties are ‘APGA-nised’ and are patriotic citizens of the state.”

  • Nigeria’s 679 peacekeepers in global operations, says NDC commandant

    Nigeria’s 679 peacekeepers in global operations, says NDC commandant

    The Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC), Rear Admiral Murtala Bashir, has said Nigeria currently contributes 679 peacekeepers, deployed for various missions to enhance global Peace Support Operations (PSOs).

    Bashir spoke at the opening of a seminar with the theme: Future of Peace Support Operations for participants of Course 31 of the college yesterday in Abuja.

    “Nigeria currently has 310 peacekeepers, including military, police and civilians in United Nations (UN) missions, 200 in ECOWAS missions, 54 in UN/AU Hybrid Missions and 115 in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF),” he said.

    The commandant said the nation’s internal security challenges had reduced the number of troops that Nigeria contributes to the global peace-keeping operations.

    He added that Nigeria now ranks 44, instead of fourth globally and 19 instead of first in Africa.

    “As at 2010, Nigeria was the fourth global contributor to peace-keeping and first in Africa with 5,815 troops deployed to various missions.

    “However, due to the internal security challenges, which the country is grappling with, the country, as at 2022, ranked 44 globally and 19 in Africa.

    “The UN General Assembly notes that PSO development has declined in about 10 countries globally which calls for alarm,” Bashir said.

    According to him, the future of PSOs is uncertain because the threats to world peace and security, which require such interventions, do not only continue to occur but also present new and frightening dimensions, particularly since 9/11.

    “The future is also uncertain for the same reasons, as these new threats challenge state sovereignty, for example, the case of Somalia.

    “More so, the combined international assets deployable in the planning and execution of peace operations are under increasing pressure to cope.

    “In addition, owing to the digital era we are in, technology in the hands of the non-state armed groups has made peace difficult to keep,” he said.

    Bashir said the development had queried the place for preventive deployment in diplomacy, protecting the protectors and also protection of civilians in peace operations.

    “It is, therefore, important that the peacekeeping landscape leverage on the Fourth Industrial Revolution to improve on the protection of civilians as well as the protection of the protectors,” he said.

    The commandant noted that the current realities and the projections for the future of PSOs had great implications globally, regionally and nationally.

    According to him, the seminar is borne out of the burning contemporary issues that have limited the operations of peacekeeping, the uncertainty of the safety of peacekeepers and the attainment of its objectives.

    The Deputy Director and Coordinator of PSOs in the Ministry of Defence, Col. Abdulmalik Adamu, lauded Nigeria’s participation in the peace operations, despite its internal security challenges.

    He expressed concern that despite its contribution to global peace, Nigeria does not have policy on PSOs.

    The deputy director urged the NDC to ensure workable policy on PSOs.

    A former Ghanaian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador William Awinador-Kanyirige, said Nigeria, like any other pivotal country in Africa, has a critical role to play in PSOs.

    Awinador-Kanyirige, who stressed the need for Nigeria to occupy its position in peace-keeping operations, advised the African Union (AU) to review its standby force.

    “We are part of history. The world is changing and Africa must occupy its strategic position. It is supposed to be strategic and take its positing, like China and India,” he said.

    The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdul-Fatau Musah who was represented by the Acting Head of Peace Support Operations Division in ECOWAS, Coulibacy Bekaye, highlighted the issue of preventive security.

    Musah, who lauded Nigeria’s intervention in different West African countries where it had maintained peace, stressed the need to fortify the region’s standby force to actualise its goal.

    Also, Lt.-Gen. Chikadibia Obiakor (retired) said experts need to deal with PSOs, stressing that there is also the need to interface with the UN and project Nigeria’s participation in peace-keeping.

    Obiakor said Nigeria needs to have a robust peace keeping, as the nation has not exploited al its capabilities, especially in civilians participation.