The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • Arrested for reckless driving

    Arrested for reckless driving

    Drivers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are allegedly reckless. But GRACE OBIKE reports that the establishment of mobile courts by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to try traffic offenders will bring sanity on Abuja roads

    Usually, when one goes to learn how to drive, one of the pieces of advice given to one is to consider other motorists as insane who are likely to make crazy moves while driving. This is because their careless manner of driving might endanger the lives of others.

    It is not uncommon to notice that most people have always seen drivers in Abuja as carelessý and reckless. For years, people have complained of how people just hit the road with their new cars without ensuring that they are competent in terms of driving. When drivers in Abuja are not recklessly on speed, they are driving against traffic without caring.

    Although private car owners are also culpable of reckless driving ý, it is equally common with painted and unpainted cab drivers. They have become so fond of breaking traffic rules. Their actions have caused a lot of road mishaps that claimed several lives.

    Being away that most private motorists are careful to avoid their vehicles smashed, they drive recklessly and if they smash other people’s cars, they simply beg and are, most times, left to go free.

    Unfortunately, the trend that is becoming common in Abuja with most drivers is over-loading. Most vehicles over-load their vehicles either with passengers or goods, most times both. When most of the recalcitrant drivers feel that they can get away with it, they carry so many passengers. Seats that should normally take three passengers are loaded with four or five. This engenders discomfort. In fact, some passengers have become so accustomed to this trend that they have resigned to fate. When the passengers complain about the discomfort they are experiencing, the driver will mildly ask them to manage.

    Hopefully, the issue of over-loading and reckless driving will soon become a thing of the past, as the Federal Road Safety Commission is poised to enforce laws against these twin traffic offences in the nation’s capital.

    Not only are the offending drivers arrested, their vehicles are impounded and the drivers dragged to a mobile court for prosecution.

    Just last week, about 50 offenders were brought before the Magistrate’s Court of the mobile court. Some of them were warned; some asked to ensure that their vehicles were road worthy, while others were fined.

    The Unit Commander, R87.15 Kubwa, Assistant Corps Commander Yusuf Abdullahi stated that they have been sensitising drivers on the dangers of over-loading. He warned drivers of the punishment that will be meted out to offenders by the Corps.

    He said: “When we talk of over-loading, it has to do with both mankind and goods. It covers all categories of vehicles. There is a required load capacity for both human and goods and the moment it is violated, it becomes a problem.

    “The Corps considered the trend and realised that it is becoming too rampant in the cityý. We decided to put in place some measures to control it. We embarked on public enlightenment campaigns at motor parks were we informed them of the dangers associated with the excessive loading of vehicles; we have, as well, tried to enlighten the public through the media.

    “We have now initiated a mobile court. Whoever we apprehend, we hand him over to the mobile court where we have a Magistrate who presides over the issue.

    “We have routine daily patrol and where we sense that it is becoming too rampant, we put up some measuresý. We are quite aware of all the unions and stakeholders in the areas. Where we notice that the offence is becoming rampant, we write to the organisations concerned. For instance, if we realise that school buses or staff buses or even company cars are involved in the issue of over-loading, we write to the organisation, informing them of the conducts of their drivers.

    “To really get rid of the menace of over-loading, we adopted the “operation no recklessness in Abuja” which has been on since the last quarter of last year. We warn residents not to allow motorists to squeeze them into vehicles in the name of trying to make money from them. Every passenger has the right to protect his or her own life. Being in an over-loaded vehicle constitutes serious danger to the occupants of the vehicle and other road users. People should always be conscious of safety.

    One of the drivers apprehended for flouting the law said: “Me I can’t take it anymore. I honestly do not know what is wrong with me. I don’t understand why I always find myself breaking their laws and been apprehended by them and the Nigeria police.

    “The other day, I was arrested by the police in Kaduna for causing an accident that led to the death of someone. They arrested me, locked me up and when they got fed up of me, they released me and I promised to always be careful. Now, I have committed another offence. So, please I want them just to take the car and sell it because I’m tired of this business. I want them to sell the car and give me the money so that I will look for something else to do.”

     

  • Increasing tempo against Boko Haram

    Ensuring and sustaining peace and security in any society have been discovered to be major and essential ingredients for development and progress.

    No wonder President Muhammadu Buhari has devoted most part of his second week in office, just like his first week, to finding ways to eliminate the terrorists group, Boko Haram.

    Besides increasing the momentum against the sect, President Buhari appears to be unstoppable in his stride to crush Boko Haram.

    President Buhari, who left Nigeria on Sunday last week, made presentations to G-7 member nations, which include U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada in Germany last week Monday.

    Top on his ‘wish list’, through which he was seeking the assistance of the G-7 member nations, was the problem of insecurity and the Boko Haram terrorists operating in the Northeastern part of Nigeria.

    President Buhari, in Germany, was the toast of the world leaders as they expressed their willingness to come to the aid of his young administration.

    Like a new kid on the block, President Buhari, who was warmly received at the summit, was given the privilege to first address the G-7 among the invited presidents and prime ministers.

    Apart from the group’s acknowledgment of President Buhari’s emergence as President from an election adjudged freest in Nigeria’s electoral history, the G-7 leaders were sympathetic that the tremendous challenges facing Buhari’s government, including the Boko Haram, were not his making.

    They said they were also not unaware of the massive amount of confidence and expectations behind Buhari’s government.

    The group acknowledged that no one country can tackle the security threat of the Boko Haram since it had gone beyond Nigeria and now affecting other countries in the region.

    In line with the group’s request for specifics, President Buhari and other leaders in the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) have started preparing the military requirements needed to defeat Boko Haram for onward transmission to the G-7.

    President Buhari, who returned to Nigeria in the early hours of last Tuesday, also met with his security chiefs in Abuja on Wednesday over the insurgency.

    To continue to press forward against Boko Haram, over six hours extra-ordinary summit of Heads of State and Government of LCBC member countries, including Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Republic of Benin was held on Thursday at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    Among the resolutions from the summit was approving deployment of the national contingents to the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) by July 30, this year.

    Welcoming member nations to the summit, President Buhari said: “Our meeting today is premised on the common resolve and commitment of member states of the LCBC and Benin to maintain the momentum in degrading the capacity of the insurgents until they are completely defeated.

    “It is also borne out of the urgency to mitigate the suffering that has been imposed on our civilian population by the nefarious activities of the insurgents and terrorists.

    “Our meeting today provides us an excellent opportunity to finalise the instruments for the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), in order to give life to our joint military campaign to decisively defeat the insurgents.”

     

     

    Buhari and spiritual cleansing episode

     

    Delay in the relocation of President Muhammadu Buhari to the seat of power, Aso Rock, in the past two weeks has thrown up various speculations as reasons for it.

    President Buhari’s administration, which was inaugurated on May 29, has operated from the Defence House, Abuja in the past two weeks.

    President Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo were initially located to the Defence House when they were declared President-elect and Vice-President-elect.

    Top of the rumours spreading like wildfire, had speculated that the delay by the leaders to move to the official residences and offices in the Presidential Villa was to allow for spiritual cleansing to take place first at the facilities.

    The rumour also had it that President Buhari refused to move into the Presidential Villa because of advice from Senegalese spiritualists.

    But the Presidency had debunked the rumour and attributed the delay to ongoing renovation works at Aso Rock.

    On Thursday, the Presidency also released pictures of ongoing renovation works at the seat of power to journalist.

    Describing the story on the marabouts as hogwash, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement on Tuesday, expressed the Presidency’s “utter embarrassment at such suggestion,” as he declared that President Buhari is a practicing Muslim who believes his fate belongs to God.

    He pointed out that no true believer combines faith in God and reliance on the power of ordinary mortal, who can neither protect themselves, nor protect others from the hands of fate.

    Malam Shehu maintained that the so-called “spiritual cleansing of the Aso Rock Villa by Senegalese marabouts before President Buhari moves into the Villa” was the figment of the imagination of rumour mongers.

    He also claimed that it was ridiculous to attribute President Buhari’s delay in moving into the Villa to any advice from fictitious marabouts.

    According to him, renovation works in the Villa was largely responsible for the delay in President Buhari’s movement into the Presidential Villa.

    Whatever the case may be, the staff and other groups working in the Presidential Villa are anxiously waiting for the leaders to relocate to the seat of power.

  • Youths demand inclusion in governance

    Youths demand inclusion in governance

    As the entire community joins in the national commemoration of Children’s Day, youth stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are beginning to gear up for a change they have waited for too long.

    They asked for inclusion in the new administration. The group, which included secondary school pupils, primary school pupils, corps members and young motivational speakers, among others wanted a clear blueprint that will define roles and input of youths in governing the affairs of the country in the next four years. The stakeholders, under the aegis of Nigeria Arise demanded holistic representation of youths in the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Their claim is simple; they wanted a situation where the Nigerian child would be given a voice. However, that voice must be through representation in governance.

    The event was part of activities lined to make the voice of youths heard in the new government. It was organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) also known as Nigerian Youths Think Thank Group, in collaboration with Glamodi and African Child Diaspora Foundation. They were blunt requesting for 40 per cent affirmative action that will take care of the interests of the youth.

    The event was tagged Gathering of the Eaglets, with the theme: “Generational Change and Transformation in Governance 2015.”

    Speaking at the event to mark 2015 Children’s Day celebration, Director-General of the Group, Dr. Victor Offong said: “We want a blueprint out of which there must be a clear plan, a transition from the present crop of leadership to the present generation. We have to understudy them; we have to be given an opportunity to understudy them. This is a situation whereby if we don’t make demand from them, the Minister of Defence would be 90-year-old and the second minister would be 80-year-old and that’s not going to be fair enough, that is not change.

    “We want a situation where an elder is Minister of Defence and a young technocrat becomes the second minister to understudy the older generation. Until that happens, we cannot be sure the government is for us.”

    The group pushed further, “calling on President Buhari to sit down with us, sit down with the Youth Think Thank, otherwise we will form our own government. The Nigerian child must be given a voice and that voice is through representation in governance, the generation gap is wide.”

    “The youth must be involved in elective and appointive positions, including award of contracts and consultancy to young professionals. That’s our demand, we are demanding 40 per cent youth affirmative action,” Offong stated.

    The D-G expressed concerns over the issue of power and share of resources. “It is about control of resources and nobody gives it to you without a demand; nobody gives you power on a platter of gold. We did not give President Buhari power, he demand it and we gave it to him. It is now our turn to demand from him what we expect.”

    The group said it sympathised with President Buhari, saying that he was inheriting a country without a database for the youth, even as he pointed out that the N5, 000 stipends he promised to pay every unemployed youth was not realistic.

    Speaking at the event, one of the guest speakers, Mr. Samuel Sobayo said Nigerians are the ones that brought the change that is being witnessed now, stressing that it is time to talk less and do more.

    He pointed out that President Buhari is not Jesus Christ, thus he’s not going to perform any miracle, adding that the change being clamoured for was going to take awhile.

    In his presentation, Mr. Damilare Ojetoye lamented the lack of selfless leaders in the country, noting that the crop of leaders in the country only fight to keep themselves in power and not for the well-being of the masses.

  • Group decries infrastructural decay

    The high level of infrastructural decay in the country has been attributed to lack of budgetary provision for the maintenance of the existing infrastructure, a facility management expert has said.

    The Programme Director, International Facility Management Association (IFMA), Abuja Chapter, Mr. Collins Osayamwen spoke during this year’s World Facility Management Day, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for The Future’.

    According to him, the only kind of maintenance Nigeria understands was breakdown maintenance, which he said, was due to lack of proper planning and budgetary provision.

    Osayamwen argued that, “I intend to a little bit disagree that Nigerians lack a maintenance culture. The reason we are unable to maintain our infrastructure, not even from government alone but even through private sector participation, is that from the word go, we get it all wrong.”

    He pointed out that the inability of the engineers, builders, architects who build to work together with facility managers who maintain, has contributed immensely to infrastructural decay in the country.

    Osayamwen said: “The kind of maintenance we know in Nigeria is breakdown maintenance; until it fails you don’t care whether it needs servicing or not.

    “Unfortunately, we don’t have any budgetary provision to ensure that these facilities are managed and maintained. What we now do is to run from pillar to post when we have a crisis in our hands. Until we are able to give it its rightful place, we will continue to see this level of decay in our infrastructure.”

    The Programme Director lamented that though facility management was yet to be recognised as a profession, he said the organisation was making frantic efforts to ensure that the body is recognised by law.

    Meanwhile, a Senator-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and an erstwhile President of IFMA, said he would ensure he and his colleagues work out a bill that would legalise facility management, adding that they have been trying to achieve that over the years. He further said legalising the body was one of his priorities as a Senator.

    He revealed that the mutual suspicion among engineers, architects, facility managers and surveyors would be adequately taken care of when the bill is put in place.

    On her part, Deputy Director, Abuja Metropolitan Management Company, Mrs. Perpetual Ohammah stressed the need for a strong legislation that would ensure that facility managers are carried along when a project is being embarked on to be put in place.

  • Church prays for the media

    Church prays for the media

    Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, during its commemoration of this year’s Communication Day, remembered and prayed for the media.

    The event, which doubled as the Parish’s Cultural Day, witnessed lively outings of its members who were adorned in various traditional attires.

    It was a platform to pray for and celebrate media practitioners across the country. According to the Parish Administrator, Rev. Fr. Jude Nwigwe, the press is being engaged to gather and spread information to the general public;thus, the need to pray for and celebrate them.

    About 88 children also received their first Holy Communion. Rev. Fr Nwigwe stated that despite the fact that Christianity is a foreign religion, it could be internalised to foster unity among the various ethnic divides.

    According to the Priest, the 88 children who received their first Holy Communion are expected to grow in the doctrines of Christ.

    “We are celebrating the Communion but the Catholic Church set this day aside to celebrate the body of Christ which is the spiritual nourishment for our souls. As a Parish, we have many children, about 88 of them who are receiving their Holy Communion for the first time,” Nwigwe said.

    Also present at the event was the Chief Imam, Apo Legislative Quarters, Sheikh Nurakalid. The Muslim cleric identified the need for communication, stressing that it would foster mutual understanding and public enlightenment.

    For him, it is when members of the public are well enlightened through religious teachings that peaceful co-existence can be guaranteed.

    “If I respect my own culture, I have to respect your own culture and when I do that, our cultures will bring harmony to us. It won’t destroy us. So, by communicating our cultures, we are promoting unity.

    “They are my colleagues; we are men of God working for faith. We work for humanity and a better life. That is why I am here to honour their invitation,” the clergy added.

    Chief Matthew Onyechi, a parishioner praised the initiative. He said the Church doesn’t discriminate, so it was an opportunity to promote national unity.

    Secretary, Organising Committee of the event, Mrs. Henrietta Emman-Okechukwu restated that communication and culture through traditional displays are aimed at closing the gaps in the society.

    She said it was also meant to ignite cohesion and acceptability irrespective of the culture and ethnic background of the people. “We are committed to unity in diversity,” she noted.

  • Tribunal to give judgment on Abaji polls

    The election petition tribunal for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has fixed June 25, this year for the judgment on the March 16, 2013 Abaji Area Council chairmanship elections. It will hold at the Senior Magistrate’s Court Abuja. Justice Binta Mohammed will deliver the judgment.

    The chairmanship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Alhaji Abdulrahman Ajiya, had earlier filed a petition challenging the victory of the incumbent chairman of the council, Alhaji Yahaya Garba of the Peoples Democratic (PDP).

    While adopting his final written address, counsel to Ajiya, Omar Musa, argued that the incumbent chairman was not qualified to contest the March 16, 2013 chairmanship election, having been dismissed from service.

    Musa alleged that the chairman of Abaji Area Council, who was a class teacher in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, was dismissed from service before contesting the election.

    He, therefore, prayed the tribunal to declare the ACN chairmanship candidate as winner of the March 16, 2013 chairmanship election held in Abaji.

    However, counsel to the PDP, Mahmud Magaji, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition in its entirety, arguing that the documents tendered by the petitioner are not genuine.

    Abuja Review learnt that the tribunal had, at its pre-hearing season, struck out the petition following an application of the respondent early last year.

    Counsel to ACN, not satisfied with the decision, appealed the ruling, wherein the appeal tribunal headed by Justice Ahmed Muhammed, ordered the lower court to hear the case on its merit.

    It was also learnt that due to the circumstances, the case lasted up to this moment, after ACN chairmanship candidate in the area filed petition in April, 2013.

  • Corps members and policy of posting

    Corps members and policy of posting

    With the new policy evolved by the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in posting corps members in batches, majority of them have expressed their concern that the Stream One members who had already been through with their orientation exercises might take over positions meant for them, while some are not bothered. GRACE OBIKE reports

    In the past few years, the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has enunciated some policies that aimed at posting corps members to different parts of the country in three different batches to serve their father land during the mandatory one year national service. However, there was a twist in the policy this year during the just-concluded general elections.

    Instead of going ahead with the Batches A, B and C policy, only a Batch A has been posted so far which was divided into streams I and II.  Those in stream one have concluded their orientation exercise and have been posted to their places of primary assignment while those who comprise stream two are currently in camp.

    That there are two streams of corps members indicates that there are more corps members whose posting to their places of primary assignments will depend on who comes first.

    Some of those who constitute the stream II are worried that those who make up stream one might take over positions meant for them.

    As for the stream II corps members posted to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who are currently in camp, most of them claimed not to be worried about where they might eventually be posted to, while some even have the dream of being posted to the Villa, National Assembly, banks, oil companies and the civil service.

    Some who are still in the orientation camps are still worried about where they might be posted to for their primary assignments.

    One of the corps members from Ekiti State, Oluwaseun Babajide said: “I’m honestly not bothered about where I am posted. I will be satisfied with anywhere that God decides for me because I believe that wherever God chooses, I will have a way of going there and succeeding. Even though the stream one have gone ahead of us to secure most of the positions, I am not bothered because I know that it is going to be easy for me. I believe that everywhere is going to be perfect for me. But I would like to be posted to a place that will change my personality; such as the Immigration, United States (US) Embassy and other places. I still hope in God and have faith that everything is going to work out fine for me.”

    Another corps member, Ndidi Okoye from Enugu State said she sees herself as lucky because so many of her mates in school worked so hard and even went as far as paying money to people to influence their posting to Abuja, but she had not done such because she had depended solely on God. She added that when all her friends saw that she had been posted to Abuja, they didn’t believe that it was God’s doing.

    Okoye ardently believes that God sent her to Abuja for a reason and she will find her breakthrough after her orientation.

    She said: “As far as I am concerned, I have refused to be preoccupied by the thought of where I will be posted because since God was the one that sent me to Abuja without my contribution, I believe that He has great plans for me and will ensure that I received my own breakthrough in Abuja.

    “A lot of my school mates paid money to be posted to Abuja but a lot of them were disappointed at the end of the day. I simply asked God to take control and He did. Even if stream I corps members secured all the positions in Abuja, I will still leave the orientation camp for a good ministry.”

    Abigail Hassan from Kaduna State on the other hand has a different mindset to the issue. She loves to teach and believes that she has a lot to give to the country. She is of the belief that she will be more useful when posted to the area councils where she can impart her knowledge and wealth of experience to the younger ones.

    “The truth is that I love to teach and I believe that I will find myself more useful, imparting my wealth of experience to the younger generation. So, I would actually love to be posted to a school. I don’t mind if it is in the village or inside the city of Abuja; as long as I am able to serve my country,” she said.

    For the swearing-in ceremony, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mr. John Chukwu who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the occasion informed that no corps member that becomes incapacitated or disabled in the course of his or her service to mother land will be abandoned by the Federal Government.

    He said: “ýI commend the management of the scheme for its initiative on the NYSC Hope Alive Programme (NYSC-HAP). This initiative, which is aimed at giving succour and hope to corps members who become disabled or incapacitated during the service year, is indeed laudable.

    “I therefore use this opportunity to state that no Nigerian who suffers any form of incapacitation while in serviceý to this great country will be abandoned.

    “Our goal is to comprehensively address youth empowerment, insecurity and other social vices prevalent among our youths.

    “With collective will and the determination of your vibrant generation, I am confident that we shall, in time, redirect and steer the course of our country on the path of sustainable progress and development.

    “The true change that we desire must start with every one of us, especially you, the Nigerian youths. We must all embrace attitudinal change. We must exercise self and personal discipline and the courage to always do the right thing. Corps members must fully join hands with all Nigerians to fight the scourge of corruption and insecurity in the country and I will also want to commend the NYSC for its part in the just-concluded general elections where your members served the nation truthfully. I welcome you all; you are the first corps members to be sworn in by my administration.”

  • Buhari’s first week in office

    True to his declaration against the terrorists, Boko Haram, on his administration’s inauguration day, President Muhammadu Buhari as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been at the drawing board designing new strategic plans to defeat the group.

    Apart from devoting at least four out of the five weekdays last week towards securing every part of Nigeria, almost all his hours in the week, which was his first first week in office as a civilian President, were focused on Boko Haram.

    He has vowed to defeat Boko Haram, whose attacks appear to be on the rise since May 29, when his administration was inaugurated.

    While former President Goodluck Jonathan had tried his best possible against the terrorists as a civilian, Buhari is handling the issue with the advantage of his military background experiences.

    Before becoming Head of State in 1983, President Buhari had been member of Supreme Military Council in July 1978; General Officer Commanding, 4th Infantry Division, August 1980; General Officer Commanding, 3rd Armoured Division, November 1981; Platoon Commander, 2nd Infantry Battalion 1963;

    Battalion Adjutant/Commander, 2nd Infantry Brigade 1966; Brigade Major, 2nd Sector, 1st Infantry Division, April 1967; Brigade Major, 3rd Infantry Division, August 1967; Acting Commander, 4th Sector, 1st Division, November 1968; Commander, 31st Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, February 1970; Assistant Adjutant-General, 1st Infantry Division Headquarters, July 1971; Colonel, General Staff, 3rd Infantry Division Headquarters, January 1974.

    Determined not to handle Boko Haram with kid gloves, Buhari has also promised to unmask the sponsors of Boko Haram.

    On Monday last week, which is the first working day after the Friday, May 29 inauguration, Buhari started work against Boko Haram at the Defence House, Abuja by holding meeting with the man who has been coordinating the activities of the security agencies in the past years, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

    The following day, Tuesday, the NSA also led the service chiefs to the Defence House for about four hours to brief President Buhari on what they have been doing and plans ahead against the sect.

    Still on Boko Haram, President Buhari left Nigeria on Wednesday on visit to President of Niger Republic, Mahamdou Issoufuo to have talks on ways to defeat the sect.

    President Buhari, who had described Boko Haram as a mindless, godless group who are far away from Islam during the inauguration ceremony on May 29 in Abuja, had said to Issoufuo: “As I highlighted during my inaugural speech, my administration will bring new impetus and a renewed commitment to the efforts to wipe out the menace of the Boko Haram insurgents.

    “I wish to re-assure that with the new impetus and resolve to seek for closer collaboration with our neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroun, Boko Haram insurgency will soon be defeated, insha Allah.”

    He left Niger Republic to hold similar talks with the Chadian President, Idriss Deby Itno on Thursday in Chad.

    Speaking in Chad, he said: “It is for this reason, that I have committed myself to work for the security, peace, prosperity and stability of our region. In this regard, I cannot over-emphasise the importance of co-operation and collaboration in tackling our common challenges, particularly in the areas of security and economic development. This is because security and development are mutually re-inforcing.

    “Your Excellency, permit me to note that our security is intricately linked. This compels us to co-operate fully on security issues in a robust and sustained manner.

    “To this end, we must redouble our efforts to operationalise the multi-national Joint Task Force with its Headquarters in Ndjamena. I believe the Task Force will stabilise the areas that have been ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency when it becomes fully operational.  I am very confident that, Insha Allah, this insurgency will be brought to an end soon.”

    With these new moves and other plans in the pipeline, it is hoped that the bloodshed and attacks carried out by the terrorists over the years will come to an end soon.

    This prayer also goes for all the crimes in the country including kidnapping and armed robbery.

     

    Surrendering to God

     

    Before embarking on any official function in his new position, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday last week took everything back to the feet of Jesus Christ.

    He not only thanked God for making him emerge as Vice-President under President Muhammadu Buhari, but also surrendered his new office to Almighty God and sought for His grace to carry out the assignment efficiently.

    As the celebrator at the service, he led his wife Dolapo, other members of his family, friends and well-wishers to dance to the altar in thanksgiving.

    Speaking during the service at the National Christian Centre, Abuja entitled “Thanksgiving Service for the Swearing-in of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as Vice-resident of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, Osinbajo said: “I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, the creator of heaven and earth, the one who controls time and season, the one who created time and season himself, the one who controls and rules time and chance, the one who controls luck, who controls fortunes, the one who rules absolutely in the affairs of men, the one who is governor among the nations, King of kings.

    “I bless the name of the Great Redeemer, the one who is all powerful and the one whose purposes must come to pass. I thank Him especially for His great purpose for this nation demonstrated by his choosing, at this time, President. Muhammadu Buhari as President of Nigeria.

    “The Lord, who determines time and season, knew that the time has come for the healing of this nation, the time for setting things right will be in 2015. And so after three previous attempts, the Lord caused it to be that in his fourth attempt, he will be President of this country.

    “I also thank the great and mighty God, who has chosen me at this time by Himself to assist the President of this nation to fulfill His plans and purposes for this country.”

     

    Shocker for Villa staff

     

    Many members of staff at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, who turned up early in their offices most days last week were surprised that President Muhammadu Buhari did not resume at the Aso Rock Villa.

    Most of them, who did not want to draw the wrath of the new President, reported to work as early as 8:30 a.m. on Monday last week, which was the first working day after Friday, May 29 inauguration day, with the belief that the official residence and office of the President was ready for President Buhari’s use.

    But that was not the case as President Buhari resumed duty at the Defence House Abuja last Monday and worked there till Friday.

    Some key civil servants, who had worked with former President Goodluck Jonathan had to storm the Defence House in order not to have their jobs taken away from them by the time President Buhari resumes at Aso Rock.

    It is still unclear if they succeeded in their rush to the Defence House as only time will tell if they will keep their positions when the President resumes at Aso Rock Villa.

    But for now, President Buhari will not resume at the Aso Rock Villa, according to his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, until renovation works are completed.

    With the way things are going, let’s pray members of staff of the Villa who want to be in the good book of the new President, will not be caught unprepared since the President can move into the Villa at anytime.

  • FCTA impounds 4,790 okada, 883 keke napep

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Special Task Team on City Cleaning and Management has said it has impounded about 4,790 commercial motorcycles and 883 tricyclesalso known as keke napeps in the last 90 days.

    Also impounded by the task team were 645 unpainted commercial vehicles, as well as 84 illegal commercial buses during the period under review.

    The FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. John Chukwu disclosed this during after meeting with the chairman of the Task Team and the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu in Abuja. The release was made available by the Assistant Director/Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Muhammad Sule.

    According to him, 3,000 commercial sex workers had also been arrested by the Task Team and handed over to the Abuja Environment Protection Board for prosecution and subsequent rehabilitation.

    Chukwu noted that the Task Team also embarked on city cleaning activities, which culminated in the closure and removal of 52 illegal car wash sites and 83 illegal auto mechanic workshops.

    “In addition, eight illegal sand dredging and quarry sites, 205 shanties, 89 illegal markets, seven illegal car marts and 98 food vendor kiosks and furniture workshops all located in unauthorised places within the city have been closed down.

    “Similarly, a total of 2,534 street hawkers and beggars had been arrested by the FCT Administration and 102 strayed animals were removed from illegal cattle markets in Gudu and other parts of the city during the same period,” he said.

    Chukwu therefore directed the Task Team to redouble its efforts to rid the FCC of all environmental nuisances, stressing that it is not business as usual.

    He further directed all operational departments in the FCTA to be committed to ensure that their statutory responsibilities are carried out, insisting that they must be proactive in city management in line with the vision of a new Nigeria.

    He called on the residents of the FCC to be law-abiding and remain their brothers’ keepers, urging the residents to report any suspicious movements to the law enforcement agents.

  • Indigenes demand inquest into land allocation

    Inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have urged the incoming minister of the FCT to eradicate corruption in Abuja by setting up a panel of inquiry to investigate the massive fraudulent activities in the resettlement and allocation of lands by the last administration.

    Speaking on behalf of the natives, Magajin Garki, Mr Joel Yazegbe said the indigenes of Abuja believe in President Buhari and his ability to take the country to a greater height which is why they are appealing to his government to correct the abnormalities in the FCT, which is mostly in the allocations of land by the immediate past administration.

    According to Yazegbe, when the last administration started the issue of resettlement, the houses built for indigenes were like those of refugees, which were contrary to their expectations. He further said if the government is resettling people from their original places, they should make the places comfortable for them and their families.

    “When you go to Apo resettlement area, you will discover that there is no way we can expand our houses to accommodate our children. That is why we are appealing to the incoming FCT minister to set up a panel to investigate all the atrocities that were committed in the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the resettlement department.

    “This is because most of the resettlement houses were acquired by them and many indigenes could not get them. We do not even know how they got the detailed numbers to acquire those houses. As a staff of the FCDA, they have the responsibilities to work for the government, not to work for themselves. The question is how they got the resettlement houses when they are not indigenes?” he said.

    The Magajin Garki further explained that indigenes of the FCT are law-abiding and peace-loving people, who believe that, under the leadership of President Buhari, things will go well because he is going to govern Nigeria the way the people want.

    “The former FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed committed a lot of fraudulent acts in the area of allocation of plots of land in the FCT and the issue of resettlement has been pending for a long time. We discovered that members of the FCDA are not sincere in doing anything for the indigenes.

    “We also do not understand why in Garki village, the construction of road leading to the Chief’s palace, in-between Enugu and Lagos streets was stopped halfway by the FCDA. We want to know who the contractors are so that we call them to order and even ask why they have not completed the job,” he said.