President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday by 12.00pm present the 2022 Appropriations Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly.
Buhari’s letter of request was read during plenary by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
Shortly details…
DEVELOPMENTS within the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) over the weekend suggest that the campaign by southern governors to ensure that the two major political parties zone their presidential tickets to the region appear to be yielding fruit. The main opposition party and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have been under tremendous pressure from within and outside their political platforms to honour the power rotation arrangement, which started when the country returned to civil rule in 1999, with the emergence of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as president.
Though the growing move against open grazing of cattle and that of allowing states to collect Value Added Tax (VAT) appears to have been spurred by the stiff position of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government on these issues, the zoning of the presidency for the next general elections is the immediate cause of the new found alliance among the southern governors. This is because political stakeholders from the region have seen what appears like a resolve on the part of the North to hold on to power and have decided to close ranks for the battle ahead.
Aside from governors, other political stakeholders from the South have backed the move for power shift and the other decisions on VAT) and open grazing of cattle across the entire region. For instance, stakeholders from the Southwest said the recent moves by southern governors were a reaction of a people that have been pushed to the wall. While commending the governors for their resolve in recent times, the stakeholders who spoke to The Nation said the Southern Governors’ Forum’s decisions resonated with the people of the region and every Nigerian that wants continued existence and unity of the country. They added that the call and decision on collection of VAT and state police are legitimate means of ensuring true federalism in Nigeria.
Need for restructuring:
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde explained that the joint decisions were aimed at restructuring Nigeria to open up opportunities for all citizens to fulfill their potentials. He said only a restructured Nigeria will help the nation regain her past glory. Makinde, who was speaking at the unveiling of a homegrown digital television outfit, Satview Network, in Ibadan at the weekend, noted that it is unbelievable that the country, which had the first television station in Africa now has to rely on foreign television networks to watch clear signals.
The governor said the push for restructuring is aimed at making the country regain the series of firsts recorded by the first generation of political leaders. He said: “So, I came here today to let our people know that all hope is not lost. We are pushing for a restructured country because when we achieved all of these firsts (in Western Region) the country was not over-centralized at that time. We believe that when we push through the agenda to restructure the country, we will be in a better position for people to unleash their talents, not just the local economy, but also to place us where we really belong in the comity of nations right across Africa.”
A former governor of Oyo State, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja, said ordinarily the call for southern presidency is petty at this stage of Nigerian history, “but it was a reaction to lopsidedness in the way Nigeria is currently being governed by President Muhammadu Buhari, which is breeding ethnic distrust”.
His words: “I expected us to have gone beyond this pettiness, having to depend on who governs before you can get what you want. We are wasting our time on things that should not even arise. It should not be where the person who is going to be president comes from, but a question of whether the person is competent. We should try and evolve and get out of where we are now. In the past six years, the gains that must have been made since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999 are no more there. There is so much distrust between the various ethnic groups, particularly between the people of the South and the northerners.
Nigeria can do better:
“Besides, I don’t even think the people in the North are enjoying the current situation. I don’t pray to be in the North at this time when children are not safe in schools. A few days ago, the governor of Katsina State, which is the state of the president, said they were going to employ vigilantes for security. That is an indictment on the government and the president and even the police and the military. They are not able to contain terrorism in the North. I don’t think they are bandits; they are terrorists. This is not the Nigeria I am proud of. We should do better.
“A lot of things have to be done. It is not just a question of ‘I am in power’. The Federal Character principles are in the constitution, but are the government of the day observing them? Is it in the constitution that in a federation like Nigeria, all the power is concentrated in the hand of one ethnic group? People say it is South versus North. But I don’t think the Hausa man in the North is better than the Yoruba man in the North. The Yoruba man there is even better because he has a home to go to, but the other man has nowhere to go.
“The issue is not whether Nigeria should break up or not. It is a question of ‘is it fair?’ What is happening now is not fair. The whole of the security apparatus is in the hands of one ethnic group. Strategic institutions and parastatals are being manned by northerners from an ethnic group. This leads to a lot of corruption, indiscipline and anything goes, as long as the person belongs to those in charge. So, some people are trying to belong because they think they have protection there.”
Justice, fairness:
Similarly, politicians in Ogun State said the unity of the southern governors on the key issues of mutual interest is a product of political evolution brought about by the need to fight for the rights of the region in the Nigerian federation. The Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Kunle Oluomo said the development was not about fighting northern oppression but a case of a political zone asserting itself to grab its rights, demand justice and fairness in the collective affairs of the nation.
Citing VAT as an example, Oluomo said some states forbid beer and other forms of alcohol in their domains but gladly receive allocation from VAT revenue being generated from states where beer is consumed. He described the practice as “unjust and unfair” to states where the citizens and residents consume beer as a matter of choice.
The speaker said: “It is not about oppression. It is a case of rights, justice and fairness. You don’t drink beer in your state. I generate VAT in my state and you don’t drink or allow beer in your state, and you share from VAT revenue. That is unfair. That is unjust.
“It is part of evolution because the country is dynamic and on a daily basis we see the need to work and stay together and our staying together is not something that was determined completely from day one.
“So, it is a matter of evolution and as we are growing on a daily basis, we will continue to look at issues that joined us because there is no clear-cut agreement that says we should be joined. That is why our constitution is a work-in-progress. Unless something happens, change does not come. There was no VAT before at the beginning but it was introduced later.”
Signal to the North:
The Chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Mr. Oginni Olaposi also said the South was sending a clear signal to the North that Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and that the highest office is not the exclusive preserve of any specific ethnic or geopolitical zone. He said: “The unity in diversity we are beginning to see in the South of the country where people of diverse and different political leanings are aligning together shows a sign of positive development in our democracy. It is a sign of new things that are supposed to happen because when you look at the anti-open grazing law of the southern governors irrespective of their political affiliations, they were united in saying that the lives and property of our people in the southern part of Nigeria must be protected.
“It is a clear development of leadership at this point in time. Everything should not be based on politicking since it is APC that is in power at the centre, therefore the governors of APC states must fall for everything that comes in or if it is PDP that is at the centre. What we are witnessing now is that Nigeria belongs to every one of us.”
A Yoruba leader, Dr Kunle Olajide of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), also said the move by southern governors on common issues was not a fight with the North but an effort to seek a better position for the region in Nigeria.
He said: “The southern governors are not fighting their northern counterparts. If you look at it critically and historically you will see that northern Nigeria is interested in commerce and perhaps because their soil is not that fertile they have to migrate all over the country. We at the Southwest are very liberal and our priority is education.”
Isaac Kekemeke and Yemi Adetoyinbo, two prominent lawyers in Ondo State, have also backed the move by southern governors, saying it is only aimed at correcting the ills in the Nigerian system. They said the contradictions in the body polity of Nigeria have reached a feverish pitch and hence the need to frontally address them
Kekemeke said: “What Nigerians in their large numbers are saying is that it is either we have a true fiscal federal state where there is justice, equity or fairness or we go our separate ways. To continue to preach unity and peace without any attempt at working fairness and justice is futile. This in my view is the realisation of the southern governors.”
Adetoyinbo, a former National Publicity Secretary, Action Democratic Party (ADP), said the southern governors’ decision on VAT was borne out of economic downtown in the country.
Good initiative:
Former President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Imo State, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu believes the southern governors need all the sympathy and support they can get from the people of the region to continue to fight the cause of the people. He said the awakening of the governors in their demands to have control of certain resources in the region is worth commending.
He said: “We should support the governors and encourage them to do more. It is better late than never.”
An elder statesman and a legal luminary, Mike Ahamba (SAN) attributes the growing rapprochement among southern leaders to the state of the nation. He said Nigeria is living in breach of its laws. He said the earlier the authorities wake up to implement existing laws, the better for the country.
He said: “If you are doing something and people are trying to breach it, you shouldn’t take it for granted. I think the southern part of the country has been taken for granted for a long time and thank God the leaders have now woken from their slumber. Nigeria is a country living in breach of its laws and the earlier people wake up, the better.
“There is a need for a conference to discuss the problems facing the country and proffer a solution. Political stakeholders from the North are equally not comfortable with the state of the nation, particularly with bandits capturing school children in the region.”
Divide-and-rule tactics:
A human rights activist, Emperor Ogbonna said it appears that it is the Federal Government that is engineering the disunity in the South. He said: “It is using divide-and-rule tactics, maybe with promises of favouring the governors that did not join their southern counterparts.
“For instance, the Ebonyi State governor wants to be the president of Nigeria in 2023. As a result, he wants to remain in the good books of the North, so that people from that region will vote for him to become president.”
He said the VAT issue has revealed why the country is not developing. He said the atmosphere in the South is more conducive for production and business but unfortunately the laws and policies do not reward productivity and hard work. He said: “Majority of companies that pay VAT are located in southern Nigeria. The South is more peaceful, their culture is more accommodating and their people are more tolerant.
“So, companies would always seek to do business where they are sure that nobody would wake up tomorrow and burn down their offices. The North is very volatile and the issue of Sharia has not helped matters. So, there are more companies in the South that are paying VAT in the states where they are operating.
“So, if the court rules that the states shall collect VAT, this would bring more money to the coffers of those states and since history has shown that southern states are the haven for those companies, it means lesser money for the northern states.
“The southern governors are not happy with their northern counterparts because they are opposing the idea of states collecting VAT. Everything is all about selfish reasons. Some governors stayed away from the southern governors’ meeting because they did not want to offend the President.
2023 calculations:
Nevertheless, it is not all the governors in the South that are keying into the 2023 project of the region. Some are still playing a hide-and-seek game because of personal political interests For instance, the recent meeting of the governors in Enugu was attended by only one governor from the Southeast; the host, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Three of the Southeast states sent their deputy governors, while Anambra State was not represented. Chief Press Secretary to Governor Willie Obiano, James Eze, attributed it to the increase in political activities and pressure of work emanating from the November 6 governorship election in the state.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Coordinator of the Transform Nigeria Movement in Anambra State, Comrade Obi Ochije said the governors have suddenly found out that coming together would send jitters down the spines of their northern counterparts who, according to him, have a different agenda.
However, Ochije is of the view that the unity among southern governors would not last because of their different political interests. He said: “The sudden unity is a flash in the pan because of political interests among the two groups. The Southwest and Southeast want the presidency in 2023; who will step down for another? Some of the governors are playing to the gallery. The North is more united, with a common plan. In the days ahead, the South must prove that its unity is genuine.”
Blacklegs:
An APC chieftain in the Southeast, Chief Modestus Umenzekwe agrees with his APGA counterpart. He said the selfishness of southern leaders breed disunity and it would not allow them to succeed. He said the absence of Governor Obiano during the recent meeting in Enugu is a pointer to the disunity among the governors of the South.
Umenzekwe said: “They are dancing according to their interests. Only few of them are sincere on some of the issues they are fighting for, like the anti-open grazing law, the issue of VAT etc. But, on VAT, my opinion is that they should know what the provisions of the law say and should stick to it. But one thing is clear, Ndigbo deserve to be considered for the presidency of Nigeria in 2023; that is what all the groups are scheming for.”
President-General of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL). Goodluck Egwu Ibem has commended southern governors that are standing up to speak for their people. He said: “We commend the governors who are standing firm to defend their people. We also condemn the actions of those who are so scared to identify with the yearnings and aspirations of their people.
“Indeed, it is worrisome that some governors, especially from the Southeast zone, have been sending their deputies to such all-important meetings. Some of them are afraid to attend because they will offend their masters in Abuja who helped them come to power. It is so unfortunate that a governor who is saddled with the responsibility of protecting millions of people in his state will be so lackadaisical about matters that border on security.”
A good omen:
Prof Obasi Igwe, a chieftain of the (APC) in Enugu State, believes the unity among southern governors is a good omen for a region that has consistently failed in the past to live up to the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
Igwe said it is never too late to do the right thing and that it is a good thing that southern governors have finally woken up to their responsibilities, particularly with Ondo States’ Governor Rotimi Akeredolu at the helm. He said: “Southern governors were compelled to react to the cumulative consequences of such arrogant demands by the divisive North.”
The APC chieftain said he was not surprised that the governors opposed some of the policies marginalizing the South. He added: “It’s now clear that no one in the present government can safely advice against open grazing and killing of farmers and destruction of farms, RUGA, water resources, and the return to their homes by surviving indigenous peoples driven away by Fulani terrorists.
“There are emerging signs that the APC is being used to manipulate other parties to achieve a Fulani-to-Fulani, or North-to-North transfer of power. This is being done with the hope of continuing with resettlement of the global Fulani in Nigeria, and securing the other gains so far made.”
He said some southern governors, especially those from the Southeast, are not on the same page with their fellow governors from the region because most of them were not elected by the people, but were rigged into office. He added: “Why must they attend? Which one of them was genuinely chosen or elected by his people? Who among them is interested in the survival of his people? What appears to unite some of them is hatred of the youths, the workers, as well as the elders that are becoming increasingly worried about the state of affairs in the country.
“Trace the genesis of the agitations in the Southeast and see where the fingers would point to. While other governors live by work, some of them live by propaganda. We must praise Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for hosting the meeting and join him in appreciating the presence in the Southeast of those distinguished patriots.”
Divisive tendencies:
PDP spokesman in Ebonyi State, Silas Onu is also of the view that it is the divisive tendencies of President Buhari that brought southern governors together. He said: “it is easy to identify the reasons. For the first time, Nigeria has a president that does not pretend about his divisive tendencies.
Ìnå said the two APC governors in the Southeast are sabotaging the efforts of their fellow southern governors. He said: “The governors from the South who have been exhibiting lackluster attitudes towards the decision of the southern governors are that of APC controlled states who are behaving as if they are not governors of their states, but are governors of these states for and on behalf of the president, which ,according to him, is a bad way of leading. You are governor of your people, some decisions you may not like, but you must stand with the people. But these are governors who always want to act to please the president.”
Former Deputy National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance, Jerry Obasi, said the recent activities of herdsmen and the northern leaders are responsible for the actions of the southern governors. He said: “The southern governors are waking up late but it is said that ‘whenever one wakes up is his morning’, so this is a good morning for southern governors. It is a welcome development. The truth remains that the unbearable behavior of herdsmen and the body language of the Buhari government calls for unity of the South if they want to remain part of this entity called Nigeria.”
Obasi described the activities of some governor’s from the Southeast who are sabotaging the activities of the southern governors as disgraceful.
He said: “It is unfortunate. You know such governors are desperate governors who think such disgraceful and lacklustre behavior will give them political advantage to the presidency. The presidency is also not stupid because the same way they are betraying us, the same way they will betray the presidency. They are just desperados and will fail in the long run”
Reawakening:
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has backed the move by southern governors to embark on what appears like a protest against policies that seek to marginalize their people. PANDEF spokesman, Ken Robinson said governors of the region who have remained aloof to the current move by their colleagues are political slaves.
Robinson said PANDEF was delighted with the tone of the recent pronouncements by southern governors; especially their ability to set aside their political differences and fight for the benefit of the southern populace. He said: “There is always a time for people to awaken and fight for their rights. It is an awareness that has come on them and it should go beyond the governors. It is also about the people of southern Nigeria.
“The 19 northern governors have been meeting regularly to speak on behalf of their people. They usually join forces with key appointees of the Federal Government from the region, principal officers of the National Assembly and traditional rulers or emirs and speak collectively for their people during their meetings. This has been going on for many years. It accounts for the seeming unity in the North and you see that they pursue common programmes and try to do things together as a people.
“In the South, however, it has not been so. We have been different people. It has been the Southwest, the Southeast, and the Southsouth. We have been doing our things completely differently. Prior to May 2021, we saw the reawakening, the coming together and the solidarity.
“There is nothing special that southern governors are after by coming together, other than realising that we have common problems. We contribute, perhaps, majorly to the economy of Nigeria and we get little. What the governors are now doing is responding to the yearnings of the people to see a united southern Nigeria. We are Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Urhobo, Ikwerre, Bini, Ibibio, Efik, Itsekiri, Isoko and Ogoni, among others, but we have been put in a certain section of Nigeria by God, for reasons best known to Him.”
Buhari not helping matters:
The PANDEF spokesman added that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration marginalized the South in key appointments, particularly those of security chiefs. He said of the 17 military, paramilitary and security agencies in Nigeria, including the service chiefs, 14 were from the northern part of the country, while only three hailed from southern Nigeria. He said: “Southern governors are not just opposing policies and programmes, they are standing by the people of southern Nigeria and those who are threatened, because the only weapon the so-called majority North has been using against southern counterparts is disunity.
“Today, because northerners see the solidarity being displayed by southern governors, they are scared and are trying to throw up all manner of sentiments and emotional blackmail. We are pleased that southern governors are not distracted. It is even more pleasing that southern governors have put aside their political differences and are working together as people for the benefit of southern Nigeria.
“As we go towards 2023, we completely stand by the position that the next president of Nigeria must come from the southern part of the country. We do not mind if Nigeria’s next president comes from any of three geo-political zones; the Southwest, the Southsouth or the Southeast. That is the position of southern Nigeria.”
Robinson said it is unfortunate that some Southeast governors have distanced themselves from southern governors meetings. He said it is a pity that they chose to be political tools. Nevertheless, he expressed satisfaction in the fact that the people of the Southeast are in support of what southern governors are doing.
He said: “We know that two governors of the Southeast have become political tools and we hope their people will call them to order. We commend Enugu State’s Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his courage and dexterity. We will express our opinions about the Ebonyi State’s Governor Dave Umahi at the appropriate time. We will speak to him in the language he will understand. It is unfortunate that people allow their political aspirations to becloud their reasoning and that is what is happening to some of the governors in the Southeast.
“As for Imo State’s Governor Hope Uzodinma, the world is aware of how he became governor. So, we can excuse him. Otherwise, the people of the Southeast are completely in tune with what southern governors are doing. What is important for us is to begin to galvanise our people to rise up for greater prosperity and peace of southern Nigeria and of course, a Nigeria that will be governed by the basic tenets of equity, fairness and justice.”
Unity of purpose:
Other Southsouth stakeholders also hailed the unity of purpose among the governors of southern Nigeria on crucial issues affecting their people, while describing as a welcome development the common positions held by the 17 governors on issues affecting the South.
A former President-General, Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU), Paul Enebeli believes that southern governors have realised that the South was allegedly facing an “existential threat” posed by the current APC-led administration of President Buhari. He said the move of the governors was borne out of the need for survival.
Enebeli said: “The Buhari administration has expanded the fault lines in Nigeria so badly that it is even obvious to the blind. When there is a common enemy, wise people come together. It is a survival strategy by the 17 southern governors because their counterparts from the North and federal authorities have refused to listen to the voice of reason.
“Southern governors may have suddenly realised that they face the same existential threat under the Buhari administration. As a matter of fact, every zone in the South has suffered one form of injustice or another from Buhari’s government. So, the wise thing to do is to adopt the age-long tactics of survival: strength in numbers. Lions, leopards, hyenas and many more animals have adopted this since creation. My people have this adage that if we urinate on one spot, it will surely foam.”
Secretary of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), Sir AmorighoyeMene said the sudden awakening of southern governors from their slumber must be due to the fact that democracy has taken root in the South. Mene said the issues raised by the 17 governors during their various meetings were a reflection of the mood of the people in the South. He said with the 2023 general elections fast approaching, southern governors could not afford to go against the wishes of the people who elected them.
He said: ”All the issues the 17 Southern governors have been canvassing are a reflection of the desires of their people. Southern governors were elected by the people and they are bound to hearken to their desires. The governors are desirous of winning elections and they must be seen to be addressing the desires of their people or they will fail in subsequent elections.”
Overcoming military mentality:
Mene also noted that many residents of the South have started getting over the hangover of military dictatorship because the timidity that was associated with such a mentality has worn off. The ILoT scribe said: “The assertion of rights by southern leaders is just beginning to gain traction, and this will increase in momentum in the next few years.”
The Coordinator, Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged (CENTREP), Oghenejabor Ikimi attributed the new-found unity among southern governors on marginalisation and injustice perpetrated against their people by the Nigerian system.
He said: “The volume of injustice in the system is unending and has reached stratospheric level, resulting in this reactionary approach by southern governors. A situation where Kano State in the month of June 2021 earned N28 billion from VAT and the same amount returned to it, while Lagos and Rivers States were short-changed is a glaring example of injustice in the system.
“Southern governors are angry because the volume of injustice is unending. That is the reason these governors are waking up from their slumber. The volume of injustice has got to equilibrium, forcing this type of reactionary move.”
Some stakeholders from the Southsouth also attributed the sudden political consciousness in the South to the desire of the governors to protect their zone and people against the continuous quest for dominance by their northern colleagues. A senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Dr. Sofiri Peterside said southern governors forged their new partnership in view of the current state of the nation.
Peterside noted that the governors would have been colossal failures, if they had kept mute amid bloody attacks and killings orchestrated by the so-called bandits. He said the VAT controversy being championed by Rivers State’s Governor Nyesom Wike has further created awareness on fiscal federalism among the governors.
Yearnings of the people:
The UNIPORT don said: “The unity of southern governors is a consequence of the current state of the nation. Take, for instance, the issue of banditry and open grazing. Most of the states in the South have been very seriously affected. The preoccupation of those who hold power is to bring happiness to the greater number of people.
“If people occupy positions, it will be sheer disservice to the people who elected them, if they dodge, while their citizens are being killed. It is important for them to ensure that the interests of those who elected them are taken care of. If they do not do so, the people will come back in another election and send them packing. So, what they are doing is to react according to the exigencies of the moment.
“Another one is the issue of the VAT, which the Rivers State government went to court and got a favourable judgment, even though the judgment is being appealed. How come that those states which by virtue of their religion do not like consumption of alcohol usually get the lion share of the revenue derived from alcohol VAT. It is a serious level of hypocrisy.
“So, what we see happening now is to underscore the importance of fiscal federalism. If this country is a federation and there are three tiers of government, it means each tier must act in tandem with the constitution.
“Somebody started this struggle and some have already keyed into it. Some have passed laws, while others are in the process of doing so. What is worrisome is the attitude of some governors from the Southeast. In most of those meetings, they were represented by their deputies.”
Underlining political ambition:
A political and transparency watchdog, the Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative (TIFPI) pointed out that as genuine as the southern governors’ new-found unity seems, there are underlining political ambition in their efforts ahead of the next general election.
TIFPI’s Executive Director, Livingstone Wechie warned the governors against jeopardising the political interest of the South in 2023 under the cover of regional agitation.
Wechie said: “It may seem as though these engagements are fight-backs to assert themselves in the burning national questions on economic crisis, insecurity and political upheavals, but it may not be far from acts of frontloading their ambitions for the next political era.
“The view of the TIFPI is that southern governors should realise that their meetings in Lagos, Asaba and Enugu must not be such that would put southern Nigeria at a political risk on the burning altar of 2023 ambitions, using the agitations of the South as a cloak. We believe that southern Nigeria deserves more than the governors are offering. We wish to advise the governors to tread cautiously, so as not to jeopardise the stake of our people by negotiating our stakes to impress the political overlords in Abuja.”
The executive director said despite the interactions and resolutions of southern governors, the impact are lacking in the Southsouth zone, especially in the areas of regional security and infrastructural development.
He said: “Unfortunately, it is arguably difficult to point at any material impact in the Southsouth zone, arising from all the southern governors’ resolutions so far, particularly in the areas of regional security structures, Niger Delta beyond oil, push to unbundle the over-bloated centre, infrastructure development and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), among other crucial matters.
“It is lamentable that political office holders have often undermined southern regional interest over the years. Yet, they end up as victims of their mischief, only to retire home as liabilities. Southern governors must be very sensitive to the global trend that it may no longer be business as usual. They must not put the economy of the South at risk, in a bid to prosecute their 2023 agenda, when back home we are still grappling with gross underdevelopment and economic strangulation.”
More efforts required:
Wechie also said southern governors must do more to rescue their people from the clogs of the current unholy regime of VAT by the Federal Government. His words: ”Southern governors should be reminded that there will always be a post-2023 impact of their actions, which will definitely come back to haunt them, based on the positions they take today.
“Most of the governors may not be in a position tomorrow to make any difference, other than to live with the failures they used to entrap the South staring them in the face and greeting them daily on the streets and the rooftops.”
Cross River State’s Governor Ben Ayade has not participated in the last three meetings held by southern governors. Ayade did not attend the meetings in Asaba and Lagos, but in Enugu, he sent his deputy, Prof. Ivara Edu to stand in for him. No explanation has been given for Governor Ayade’s absence in the meetings.
His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Christian Ita has insisted that his boss stood by the decisions that were reached by his counter-governors. But, when pressed to comment, Governor Ayade has also declined to make any statement on the decisions reached by the governors of the South.
In order to move forward and be taken seriously by other Nigerians in the North, southern governors must continue to speak with one voice on issues affecting their people, since a house divided against itself will never stand.
Southeast governors and leaders on Tuesday announced measures to end the rising violence and sit-at-home (Ghost Mondays) in the zone.
The measures include the launch of the Ebubeagu security outfit by the zone’s five states before December 31 and engagement with the Federal Government for amicable settlement of all issues agitating the minds of the people, especially the youth.
They also resolved to join forces with security agencies to restore peace to the zone and encourage Ohanaeze Ndigbo, traditional rulers, the Southeast wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and clerics to continue ”dialogue with our youths.”
The strategies formed the highlights of an eight-point communique issued by the governors after their meeting in Enugu. It was attended by Ohanaeze Ndigbo, traditional rulers, Southeast National Assembly caucus leaders and clerics.
The Southeast governors in April 2021 came up with Ebubeagu Security outfit, a concept similar to Amotekun in the Southwest.
It however, never saw the light of the day in the states, except in Ebonyi, where it presently operates without uniform.
A former General Officer Commanding the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.Gen. Obi Umahi, who headed the Southeast Security Committee that midwifed Ebubeagu, resigned in June, citing lack of funding and office as reasons.
Also yesterday, Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, raised the alarm that there are over 30 separatist groups in the Southeast.
In the communiqué read on their behalf by Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, the Southeast governors and leaders accused the Igbo in Diaspora of issuing the sit-at-home directives.
They vowed to do everything within the law to ensure that there would be no further sit-at-home in the zone.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) introduced the sit-at-home practice to protest the detention of its leader Nnamdi Kanu.
The group announced a month-long sit-at-home from October 21 should security agents fail to produce Kanu in court.
The governors, who also said they were studying the issue the marginalisation of the Southeast people, added that they would ensure that the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State was not truncated.
The communiqué also reads: “The meeting agreed that the Southeast Ebubeagu security outfit be launched in all the Southeast states and laws passed in various Southeast states before the end of 2021.
“The meeting received the committee report from Ohaneze on various matters affecting the Southeast, especially on the issue of security and marginalisation of the Southeast people, and resolved to study the reports.
“The meeting agreed to support security agencies to restore peace in the Southeast.
“The meeting resolved to support election in Anambra State and directed security agencies to ensure a peaceful election in Anambra State come November 6, 2021.
“The meeting commended all groups and the clergy for their efforts at interfacing with our youths.
“The meeting mandated our clergymen, bishops, CAN, Ohaneze Ndigbo and traditional rulers to continue to dialogue with our youths.”
Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano was absent. His Abia State counterpart Okezie Ikpeazu was represented by his deputy, Udo Okochukwu.
In attendance were former governors Theodore Orji(Abia) and Martins ElechI (Ebonyi); former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekwemadu; Abaribe; Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide President, Prof. George Obiozor and his predecessor, Nnia Nwodo.
Abaribe, in an interview with Channels Television’s yesterday said that people do not know that apart from IPOB, many other separatist groups existed in the Southeast.
He said: “One of the biggest problems the media have is that they tag everything IPOB. In the Southeast, you won’t believe that there are more than 30 different separatist organisations, including IPOB and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). There are so many and each one of them comes back to the same thing.
“Why you are having separatist agitations everywhere today in the West, in the Southeast, and in the Southsouth, is that some people are unable to manage our diversity. That is just the fact.”
Abaribe argued that those calling for secession were merely protesting the marginalisation of their people and demanding that their grievances be addressed.
The lawmaker asked the government to dialogue with them to restore calm and peace in various parts of the country.
Abaribe, who added that the government should be concerned that a sit-at-home order by a non-state actor was being complied with, said if he were to become President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023, most of the problems facing the country would be put to an end within six months
He said: “It should worry the government if a non-state action is complied with in this manner, it takes us back to what I said at the beginning that there is a need to sit and talk with these people.
“There is nobody from the Southeast that I know, who does not feel that the way the people from the Southeast are treated today, that there is something fundamentally wrong which should be resolved.”
Asked if he would accept the offer to be the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023 and what Nigerians should expect if elected, Abaribe, replied:” I would if it falls on me, within six months end all these things (Nigeria’s problems). These things will be a thing of the past.”
Embattled Warri High Chief Ayirimi Emani lost his traditional Ologbotsere title on Tuesday. The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse lll, announced the abolition of the title.
The pronouncement stripped Emami off his role as the traditional prime minister, a chieftaincy title he held for four years.
Ogiame Atuwaste lll made the declaration during a meeting with descendants of the Ologbotsere family at his palace in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The monarch also told all sons and daughters of Warri Kingdom to forthwith, cease addressing Emami as the Ologbotsere.
“We have taken time to ponder and have arrived at our final decision,” the royal father told his audience.
Notable Itsekiri chief, Brown Mene, who read the monarch’s address, assured of Atuwaste lll’s respect for the Ologbotsere descendants, just as he noted that many were titled Chief holders of the kingdom.
He said: “It is the respect the monarch has for the Ologbotsere descendants that is why he called you. It is the king that gives chieftaincy titles. It is also the king that withdraws titles. This has been the tradition.
“There are several of Ologbotsere children that are chiefs. The Ologbotsere family is very dear to the monarch. There is no Ologbotsere title again. The head of the Ologbotsere family can answer the nick name. It is the pronouncement of the king and Itsekiri nation. There will be peace, blessings in the land.
“There is no Ologbotsere again. Nobody should parade in that title. You remember the king dissolved the Council of Chiefs and have been re admitting and revalidating titles and has also reconstituted the council of Chiefs. Nobody should relate with anyone in the title as Ologbotsere.”
Members of the descendants of the Ologbotsere family at the meeting include family head, Pa Jofotan Oporakun; Secretary-General William L. A. Anukun; Mr. Fred Omaghomi, Besidane Esimaje, Omaghomi, Hon. O. J. Nana and Mr. Samuel Okorodudu.
Other palace chiefs at the meeting were: Iyatsere and Chairman, Warri Council of Chiefs, Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe; chiefs Gabriel Awala (Uwangue); Patrick Iralaju; Maleghemi A.; Eugene Ikomi (Secretary, Warri Council of Chiefs); Solomon Arenyeka among others.
Some princes of the kingdom were also in attendance.
Emami was suspended by the Ginuwa I Ruling House in the build-up to the selection of Olu-designate.
He had opposed the selection process that threw up Tsola Emiko as the Olu-designate, citing provisions in the 1979 Edict, a position he held until the monarch’s coronation on August 21.
The embattled former Ologbotsere failed to appear for the readmission and revalidation exercise held at Ode-Itsekiri, the ancestral home of the Itsekiris.
It was learnt that some chiefs who could not attend within the stipulated period, communicated with palace authorities and were duly readmitted and later revalidated.
To embattled Chief Ayirimi Emami, the abolition of his office as the Ologbotsere “is of no consequence or effect.”
Emami made declaration in a swift reaction to a pronouncement by the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, abolishing the Ologbotsere traditional title in Warri Kingdom.
When contacted by our reporter, Emami said the pronouncement made at the Aghofen (Palace) within Warri metropolis will not affect him.
He said: “As far as I am concerned, we are in court and I do not recognise him as the Olu of Warri. He was neither properly selected nor crowned. So, he cannot parade himself as the Olu of Warri.
“To me, he remains Prince Tsola Emiko and not the Olu of Warri. His action (stripping him of the title) shows that he was not properly crowned because if he was, he would know the implication of what he is doing.
“The throne of the Olu of Warri cannot be for sale to the highest bidder and we will see to that.”
He told our reporter yesterday that the next line of his battle with the popular monarch would be to stop him from parading himself as the Olu of Warri
Emami told his supporters to remain calm, stating that the battle has only shifted to a higher gear.
The unfolding development is the culmination of a long seething war between the monarch and Emami, whose disqualification of the monarch from the contest to pick the 21st Olu in April led to an uproar.
The battle degenerated further when the chief spurned an invitation from the palace to chiefs and other traditional title holders of the kingdom to revalidate their titles by paying homage to the new monarch.
Before the invitation, Emami had dragged the monarch to court, challenging his position as the occupant of the coveted throne on the ground that he was not qualified on the basis of an extant edict.
President Muhammadu Buhari has projected a N16.45 trillion expenditure plan for 2022.
He has requested the National Assembly to review the 2022 – 2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy (MTEF/FSP) to accommodate his new focus.
In the earlier plan, the government projected N13.98 trillion expenditure which the lawmakers approved.
The government will need to source for N7.91 trillion to finance the deficit.
President Buhari in a letter to Senate President Ahmad Lawan and House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, read in plenary yesterday, explained that the expected increase in government expenditure was due to additional provision of N100 billion for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the 2023 general elections.
Other reasons given by the President include provision of N54 billion for National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) from the Federal Government share of the Federation Account and additional capital provision of N1.70 trillion.
Others are additional provision of N510 billion in the service wide vote for national poverty reduction, with growth strategy (N300 billion), police operation fund (N50 billion), Hazard allowance for health workers (N50 billion), public service wage adjustment (additional N80 billion) and MDAs electricity bill debt (additional N37 billion).
In the new MTEF proposal, the aggregate fiscal deficit is expected to increase by about N692 billion or 3.42 per cent of GDP.
The President’s letter added: “Federation Account Revenue: Gross revenue projection decreased by N341,57 billion, from N8.870 trillion to N8.528 trillion.
“Deductions for federally-funded upstream project costs and 13 per cent Derivation, decreased by N335.3 billion and N810.25 million respectively.
“Net Oil and Gas revenue projection declined by N5.42 billion from N6.540 trillion to N6.535 trillion.
“FGN Retained Revenue: A projected decline in Net Oil and Gas Revenue by N5.42 billion.
“An increase in projected FGN’s Retained Revenue from N8.36 trillion to N10.13 trillion (inclusive of GOEs), largely based on: A projected increase in the revenues of Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) by N837.76 billion.
“MDAs Internally Generated Revenue by N697.6 billion;
“The introduction of Education Tax of N306 billion and dividend of N8.3 billion from the Bank of Industry as revenue lines; and
“FGN share of oil price royalty of N96.9 billion which is expected to be transferred to the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority based on the provisions of the PIA.
FGN Expenditure: The FGN Aggregate Expenditure (including GOEs and Project-tied Loans) is projected to increase by N2.47 trillion, from N13.98 trillion to N16.45 trillion.
The President added in the letter: “The revision was necessitated by the need to reflect the new fiscal terms in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, as well as other critical expenditures in the 2022 Budget.
The underlying drivers of the 2022 fiscal projections, such as oil price benchmark, oil production volume, exchange rate, GDP growth, and inflation rate reflect emergent realities and the macroeconomic outlook, and remain unchanged as in the previously approved 2022-24 MTEF&FSP.
“The PIA establishes a progressive fiscal framework aimed at encouraging investment in the Nigerian petroleum industry. This significantly alters the Oil and Gas fiscal terms and has necessitated changes in the 2022-2024 Medium Term Fiscal Framework.
“The fiscal effects of PIA implementation are assumed to kick in by mid-year 2022. The revised 2022-24 Fiscal Framework is the premised on hybrid of January-June (based on current fiscal regime) and July-December (based on PIA fiscal regime), while 2023 and 2024 are now fully based on the PIA.
“Arising from this, and other critical expenditures that should be accommodated in the 2022 Budget, the changes to the 2022 projections In the Fiscal Framework are as follows:
“Gross revenue projection decreased by N341.87 billion, from N8.870 trillion to N8.528 trillion, Deductions for Federally-funded upstream project costs and 13% Derivation, decreased by N335.3 billion and N810.25 million respectively, a net Oil and Gas revenue projection declined by N5.42 billion from N6.640 trillion to N6.535 trillion,
“A projected decline in Net Oil and Gas Revenue by N5.42 billion; an increase in projected FGN’s Retained Revenue from N8.36 trillion to N10.13 trillion (inclusive of GOEs), largely based on a projected increase in the revenues of Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) by N837.76 billion, MDAs Internally Generated Revenue by N697.6 billion”.
It also includes the introduction of Education Tax of N306 billion and Dividend of N8.3 billion from the Bank of Industry as revenue lines; and FGN share of oil price royalty of N96.9 billion which is expected to be transferred to the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority based on the provisions of the PIA.”
On government expenditure, he said “the FGN Aggregate Expenditure (including GOEs and Project-tied Loans) is projected to increase by N2.47 trillion, from N13.98 trillion to N16.45 trillion.
It also include “Hazard Allowance for Health workers (N50 billion), Public Service Wage Adjustments (additional N80 billion), and MDAs’ Electricity Bills Debt (additional N37 billion), additional Capital provision of N1.70 trillion, attributed to projected increases in Capital Supplementation by N179.1 billion, GOEs Capital by N222.1 billion; TETFUND Expenditure by N290.7 billion; Multilateral/ Bilateral Project-tied Loans by N517.5 billon, and MDAs’ Capital Expenditure by N390.5 billon (including N178.1 billion provision for population and housing census to be carried out in 2022.
“The Aggregate Deficit (inclusive of GOEs and Project-tied Loans) is projected to increase by N692.0 billion or to 3.42% of GDP from 3.05% of GDP.
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila refused to allow members debate the President’s letter, ruling all those who sought for the letter to be debated out of order.
He said “both you Ndudi (Elumelu) and Hon Ossai refered to Order 12 Rule 19 and you refered to paragraph 4. The said Order 12 Rule 19 is talking about the budget. The MTEF is not the budget. We are not discussing the appropriation bill today. You are referring to an order that deals with the appropriation bill. We don’t have the appropration bill before us. You are ruled out of order”.
Rrp. Ossai Nicholas Ossai had raised a point of order saying the MTEF is a money bill which should pass through all stages including the first and second reading, at which point it must be subjected to debated before being sent to the committee.
But Gbajabiamila responded, “I believe we have passed the stage of the MTEF. What has been brought is an amendment. The MTEF debate is supposed to be on the general principles of the bill which has already been debated. They have not changed.
“I don’t know what you what to debate again if it remains unchanged.It is an exercise in futility. I did say to the committee that they should thoroughly look at it and when they bring it if you find anything there different, we can bring it up then. You are ruled out of order”
“For us to approve that MTEF as amended being sought by Mr President, it now becomes imperative that we look at those ingredients he is asking to amend and of course be able to interact with our constituents who sent us to this floor to represent their interest whether such input meet their requirement.”
The Federal Government on Tuesday assured Nigerians that the country is not on the red list of nations required to isolate for 14 days on arrival in the United Kingdom (UK).
It explained that even as Nigerians are required to isolate on arrival in the UK, British citizens are also required to isolate for seven days upon arrival in Nigeria.
On October 4, the UK government released a list of 50 countries who will not be required to isolate on arrival in the UK, on presentation of their vaccination certificate. However, Nigeria was not listed among these countries.
The Federal Government, however, noted that aside from the fact that no African country was listed, Nigeria’s vaccination certification programme status is yet to be comprehensively reviewed by the UK Government. Also, the vaccines administered in Nigeria are approved by the UK Government.
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Dr. Faisal Shuaib stated these yesterday during a joint COVID-19 vaccination briefing, alongside the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
He said: “As at yesterday, the 4th of October 2021, Nigeria had vaccinated 4,963,985 eligible persons across the country with first dose of COVID-19 vaccines. This figure represents 4.4 per cent of the targeted 111,776,503 eligible population. About 2,166,186 people have received their second doses of the vaccines. This means that approximately 1.9 per cent of eligible population is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It is imperative to reiterate the fact that only those who have taken their second dose are fully protected against the deadly COVID-19.
“I would like to comment on the UK Government’s statement, which was released yesterday. Nigeria’s status has not changed. Nigeria is not among the red listed countries that need to mandatory quarantine for 14 days in a supervised UK facility.
“The statement released by the UK Government is in line with the press statement released last week that Nigerians will continue to isolate upon arrival to the UK. This is similar to our requirement to have travellers from the UK, isolate for seven days upon arrival in Nigeria.
“The Presidential Steering Committee is in the process of reviewing these requirements. We have been in touch with the UK Government. Just like they stated clearly in their communication, the current listing of countries with approved vaccination certification has just started in the UK.
“They are reviewing the country’s programmes in phases. If you go through the list of 50 closely, no African country made the list. The UK Government is yet to comprehensively review Nigeria’s vaccination certification programme. From my communication with the UK Government officials, the vaccines administered in Nigeria are approved by the UK Government. They are also involved with the vaccination programme in Nigeria through the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), and they are optimistic that by the time Nigeria’s COVID-19 vaccination programme certification is assessed, it will be approved.
“There are many countries in the world. So, we like many other countries are in the queue for this assessment. Once it gets to our turn, we are more likely than not to get approved in the coming weeks. Like the UK Government have clearly stated, the process of assessment would occur in phases.”
He added: “I would like to inform you that yesterday evening, we received 501,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility as donation from the Government of France. We have also gotten confirmation that we will be receiving 3,577,860 doses of Pfizer vaccines within the next two weeks.
“As part of our transparency process to Nigerians and the media, we would be providing you with figures of the adverse event following immunisation reported. In this phase of the vaccination process, 191 serious and 6,555 non-serious AEFI cases were reported. All cases reported were managed in the health facility and individuals have fully recovered and back to their normal daily living.
“In the coming months, Nigeria will be receiving more doses of COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX facility. We anticipate that the vaccines will be quite large in amount, and therefore will require more efficient and faster ways of utilising them, including expanding access to the vaccines.
“We have, therefore, started implementing the decentralisation of vaccine utilisation by involving the private sector in the vaccine administration. Currently, COVID-19 vaccines are available at government health facilities only. As we decentralise, private health facilities, who meet the set criteria, will be allocated COVID-19 vaccines, after due training of their immunisation service providers. Vaccinations in private health facility will continue with the help of government health officials.
“Subsequently, clients will be able to access COVID-19 vaccines at both government and private health care facilities in the country. This will be done at different levels, which would include the states and local governments. We are taking every caution to ensure that when implemented, the decentralisation policy is not corrupted. Private health care facilities will be carefully selected based on transparent eligibility criteria, and supervision will be maximised to ensure discipline and compliance with safety measures. The goal, as I said is to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines and to ensure rapid and safe vaccine utilisation.”
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees for appointment as Secretary and Board members of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Those confirmed include George Abbah Ekpungu as Secretary from Cross River State; Luqman Muhammed as board member from Edo State; Anumba Adaeze (member – Enugu); Alhaji Kola Raheem Adesina (member – Kwara); and Alhaji Yahaya Muhammad (member – Yobe).
The confirmation followed the presentation and consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari, in his report, recommended that the nominees be confirmed by the Senate.
Buhari, in a letter dated September 17, 2021, urged the Senate to confirm the candidates as Secretary and board member of the EFCC.
The President explained that the request for the confirmation of the nominees was in accordance with the provision of section 2(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday asked the Senate to confirm the nomination of Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf for appointment as the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Senate President Ahmad Lawan read Buhari’s letter on the floor at plenary.
Buhari on August 14 named Justice Baba-Yusuf as the Acting Chief Judge of the FCT.
Details shortly…
There is unease in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 48 hours to its crucial National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
Zoning of offices is the cause of anxiety amid moves by senior figures to influence which geo-political zone gets which office.
Of major concern is the position of chairman, whose zoning is likely to influence which region will produce the standard bearer for the 2023 presidential election.
The Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi Zoning Committee last week recommended that the position of chairman should go to the North against the push by Northern elders that the position should go to the South.
The recommendation has sparked a spirited lobbying by party stalwarts in the North to get the NEC meeting to upturn the proposal.
The Southern governors are lobbying for the ratification of the panel’s recommendation.
A source in the party, who is a member of NEC, said: “If the NEC meeting is not well-handled, the PDP may break up.”
Investigation showed that the issues before NEC are as follow:
It was gathered that the camps of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and some Northern PDP leaders were rallying forces against the Ugwuanyi Committee report at NEC.
The Southern governors, who form majority in the PDP Governors Forum and in NEC, are standing by the panel’s recommendation.
It was learnt that Atiku, Saraki and Tambuwal saw the recommendation as “delicate” for their 2023 presidential ambition.
The three presidential aspirants and their loyalists have discovered that they have played into the hands of Governor Nyesom Wike who is the arrowhead of the Southern governors group.
Although there is a window of throwing the party’s presidential ticket open at the National Convention, the affected aspirants were said not to be not ready to take such a risk.
It was also learnt that they fear that they might not be able to convince former Senate President David Mark to step aside if he emerges as party’s national chairman if the game plan changes at the national convention.
According to a top source, the presidential aspirants have “decided to nip the plot of the Southern governors in the bud at the NEC meeting.”
The insistence of the Southern governors on the choice of Mark as PDP national chairman has pitted them against some governors and the presidential aspirants from the North.
Party spokesman Kola Ologbodiyan dismissed the fear of a stormy NEC meeting, saying the party could withstand any situation.
He declined to speak on the meeting, because the agenda was not “yet officially out”.
Ologbodiyan said: “Certainly, the meeting all local on Thursday as scheduled, barring an unforeseen contingency.
He said the zoning committee had submitted its report to the National Working Committee (NWC) for onward transmission to the NEC
Ologodiyan said: “In the analysis of the Nigerian modern political history, PDP has come across as a well-structured party had “always demonstrated a democratic capacity to understand any form of political storm”.
The Army on Monday launched a nationwide offensive against criminals, telling deployed troops to be ruthless with elements causing insecurity in the country.
Three military exercises launched simultaneously include “Golden Dawn” for the Southeast; “Still Water” for the coastal areas and “Enduring Peace” for the Northcentral and Federal Capital Territory.
He said the exercises, which would entail joint operations between the military and other sister security agencies, were designed to check all forms of criminality.
Kicking off the operation in Enugu, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya said the operation scheduled to run from October 4 to December 24 will create an enabling environment for socioeconomic activities to thrive across the country.
Troops were ordered to be ruthless with criminals but also respect the rights of law abiding citizens and adhere to the rules of engagement guiding the field exercise.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj.-Gen. Lawrence Fejokwu and the Commander 9 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Lander Saraso stressed this yesterday, telling the troops to curb kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry and other crimes within Lagos and Ogun states.
Fejokwu told residents of both states to expect increased military presence in the day and at night during the operation.
Lt.-Gen. Yahaya appealed to residents to volunteer useful information on the activities of criminals in their neighbourhoods in order for the exercises to achieve their purpose.
He also urged members of sister security agencies and military personnel to work as a team and bring out their various specialties to drive the overall success of the exercises.
“You should leverage their friendship and linkages with members of the public to provide real-time security information meant to checkmate activities of all sorts of criminal elements,” he said.
At the launch of “Exercise Golden Dawn” in Igbariam, Anambra State, Commander, 302 Artillery Regiment, Col. Abdulkarim Usman identified threats in the region which the operation is meant to curb.
He said, “The threats range from secessionist agitations by the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN).
“Others are banditry, kidnapping, cultist activities, land disputes clashes, communal clashes, chieftaincy issues clashes, assassinations and youth restiveness. To curb these countless security challenges, a robust posture is what the unit has always maintained.”