The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • A lift for Gwarinpa school

    A lift for Gwarinpa school

    For pupils of Local Education Authority (LEA) Peimary school, Gwarinpa 1, it was a privilege to see their school renovated and other amenities put in place like other schools around them.

    Theirs was once a case of hopelessness. The school has about seven buildings but everything about it spoke negatively about the pupils. There was little to cheer.

    The primary school which seems to be one of the first in Gwarinpa, one  of the biggest housing projects  in the whole of Africa, is attended mainly by the children of the locals, the Gwaris. The road to the settlement is rustic and yet they are in Gwarinpa surrounded by affluence.

    The children were also made to get used to their unbearable environment until a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Great Johnson Foundation stepped in to give the school a facelift, something both the staff and the students will forever live to remember. That  explained the ecstasy that followed the commissioning of the renovated building and other repair works done in the school. The students were overjoyed, some of them even went home with some gift prizes. The teachers and other non-teaching staff also benefitted from the large heart of the foundation, which is out to put a smile on the face of the unreached and downtrodden in the society.

    The councilor of the area was not also left out in the mini-party, where the Headmistress of the primary school, Mrs. Abeke Adeleye commended the organisation for a work well done and also asked that other well-meaning Nigerians should emulate the kind gesture of Great Johnson Foundation and give to the society.

    She noted that development is about empowering the people, given hope to the hopeless in the society.

    Mrs Adeleye further said that the group has really touched the heart and soul of the students and staff by making the school more conducive for learning.

    For the little children, it was a big applause to the foundation whose contribution has brought a smile to the faces of the future generation.

    But for the initiator of the foundation, Mr. Great Akhere Johnson it is something he had dreamt of all his life, to positively impact his generations.

    He urged all well-meaning Nigerians to do something to uplift the society and not just continue to wait for the government. No matter how little, he said people should help because of the ripple effect on the larger society.

  • Southern Kaduna killings: Survivors relive ordeal

    Southern Kaduna killings: Survivors relive ordeal

    Survivors of the latest crisis in Southern Kaduna have narrated their experience, saying over 146 persons were killed, 215 injured and 10,000 displaced. GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports 

    IT was an emotional atmosphere as some survivors of the latest crisis in Southern Kaduna relived their ordeal before the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Abuja. Some were moved to tears.

    Herdsmen and crop farmers clashed, with over 146 people killed.

    President of CAN, Reverend Samson Ayokunle alongside other members of the association said government has failed in tackling the crisis.

    Ayokunle said, “We have Godogodo community in Southern Kaduna which is predominantly Christian  and the people from Gidanwaya community. For months they have been facing the danger of killing because the Fulani herdsmen have been attacking them from right, left and centre. Many of the people here can no longer stay in their communities where they are given birth to. Many of their brothers and sisters have been killed.

    “We are appealing to the government of the day; it is becoming unbearable. Shall we keep quite when they are killing our people? Every Nigerian has the right to be protected. We are appealing to the IGP and all the security agents, governor of Kaduna State, please do your work and let us see that it is not one-sided. Southern Kaduna is predominantly Christian. Why is it that this is the area targeted, is this not Boko Haram in another colour?

    Speaking on behalf of the nine victims, Rev. Chawaison Nathan, who is the CAN secretary in Godogodo Zone, said he witnessed the clash, adding that over 146 people were killed, 215 injured, 10,000 displaced, 319 houses burnt in 25 villages of Kaduna State.

    Nathan told newsmen that since May 26 last year when the crisis started, the governor only visited one village ones.

    He said, “The nine of us that are here are witnesses to what is happening. We narrowly escaped death as some of us participated in keeping peace in Kaduna.

    “The Godogodo and Gidanwaya clash between Fulani herdsmen and the farmers started on May 26, 2016. It started in the farm when one Angodongo went to his farm around 4 in the evening of the 26th and he was macheted by four Fulani boys, two from Nikte and the other two from Ninte/Gadafi. Angodongo was rushed to the General Hospital in Kafanchan and while he was in the hospital on that day his children and relatives in retaliation went into the Angolo of Ninte and burnt down his house and killed the Ango.

    “While we were trying our best to fish out that boy who did that, the police came to make arrests but while the security operatives were making arrests the Fulani came back on May 31, 2016 and burnt down the entire village. Ninte is a village that has a population of over 1000. It has two big churches, one is a baptist church and the other one is an ECWA church. All the churches have congregations of more than 500 worshippers. And everybody in Nikte earns his living from farming. Five persons were killed.

    “A week later Fulani from Gidanwaya, Atuku and Mailafia moved their cattle to the farmlands of Ninte people and were not grazing in the bush but were grazing on their farmlands. I took it upon myself to report the incident to the area commander but one of the Fulani men who were called to explain said they will not move their cattle.

    “They stayed in Ninte with their cattle for over one and half months. And while they were in Ninte 13 persons from Ninte were killed, a 70-year-old woman was raped. I was the one who took the woman to the hospital. We later signed a peace document on August 1, 2016 and after signing the document a couple was shot in the farm. All the attacks took place in the day. We saw who were attacking us and how our members were killed. They killed 7 of my members and we managed to bury 5. Nobody could go to their farms and 95 percent of the villagers are farmers and in my church I have only two civil servants of a population of over three hundred. Twenty five villages were affected in Godogodo kingdom.

    “319 houses were burnt down, 215 people injured, 50, 000 houses burnt in the 25 villages, over 146 were killed, 215 injured, 10, 000 people are displaced, 30, 000 hectares of farm lands destroyed.”

     

  • Dankwambo’s impact in Gombe

    Dankwambo’s impact in Gombe

    Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of the moderate state of Gombe has demonstrated the immeasurable role of education in the political and economic life of a people or nation. His three points agenda: education,  education and education signposted his worldview in modern governments as the precursor of positive governance.

    The governor’s inclusive construction of over 45 model schools in all the local government areas of the state in conformity to international standards; expansion programme in the tertiary institutions with the purchase of equipment for the College of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science; multi-billion naira building of hostels, classrooms, libraries and laboratories in the School of Remedial Studies at Kumo, are ready testaments of his commitment to the three points agenda.

    The ongoing establishment of several top flight educational institutions like the Gombe State University of Science and Technology, Gombe State College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Gombe State College of Accountancy, Gombe State Institute of Journalism and Gombe State Institute of

    Sports Development perfectly mirrors what to expect from the desert state of Gombe in the near future. The good news is that the governor has been spending N10 billion, more than the 4% UNESCO recommendation for educational sector in annual budget, to arrest the decay in the educational system. This is more so because those recruited into the Boko Haram terrorist group are basically and evidently illiterates, who are brainwashed and radicalized to hate fellow human being for baseless religious reasons.

    Dankwambo’s favorable educational policy  paid off in his first four years bountifully with the establishment of several prestigious tertiary institutions including the Gombe State College of Islamic studies, the Gombe State Polytechnic and the Gombe State College of Education amongst other purpose driven institutions that have provided admission at very low cost to tens of thousands of Gombe State students as well as students from other parts of the country.

    Governor Dankwambo loudly ventilated my position about history and education as the ultimate enhancers of human development. Elsewhere in the rocky Interlaken, Switzerland caverns have been turned into shinning marbles and desert into flourishing glamorous cities in Dubai! These are products of education and philosophy.

    The state earlier known for its unremitting poverty, backwardness and aridity has surgically undergone genuine transformation in the last six years under the stewardship of Dr. Dankwambo, a preeminent PhD holder in accounting in the political life of the nation who, in the past functioned as Accountant-General of the state and the Federation at different times. It would be appropriate to argue that Dr. Dankwambo’s brilliant academy exploit puts him head and shoulder above most of his peers in a country where the first eleven are hardly given a chance to serve.

    During his tenure as Accountant-General of the Federation as well as Gombe State, Dr. Dankwambo introduced landmark programmes towards ensuring accountability, transparency and probity. These included massive reorganisation of the

    Accountant-General’s office to make it more focused, pragmatic and professionally suitable for efficient service delivery. He also commenced the computerisation of the federal government account. Among several others, he also put in place standardisation of accounts of federal, state and local governments in Nigeria while ensuring that all government revenues were captured into the treasury and properly  accounted for.

    Imbued powerfully by world class orientation in governance, his undoubted empathy for the socially displaced and positivity, Dr. Dankwambo needs no prodding for him to appreciate the enormous task office of the governor placed on him to redeem the long suffering people of Gombe. His commitment to the attainment of crucial aspects of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of the United Nations (UN); his identification of manpower development as the basic resources for the actualisation of such initiatives has succinctly led to his understanding of the “undeniable potentials of indigenous artisanship to societal and national development.

    His decision to nurture qualitative and quantitative education, the production of quality and adequate manpower for housing construction, automobile repair, steel work, renovation and fabrication works of various shades which currently pose a major challenge to individual citizen, urban managers and development partners across the country has not been equalled by any other state governor.

    Interestingly, the governor has activated the Gombe State Investment Company from obscurity into one of the most formidable profit-oriented agencies among all the parastatals within the state’s public service, with a capital value of over N4 billion. An advocate of wealth creation with pro-poor initiative, his job creation efforts and  wealth creation programme has increased activities in agro-allied and solid minerals sector. Additional increase of N3 billion to an earlier N1 billion partnership deal with the Bank of Industry (BOI), has been disbursed to cooperative groups as soft loans to hundreds of thousands beneficiaries for the establishment of small-scale processing industries. As a result, 12, 000 jobs were created by the 133 Cooperative Societies. This was done with gender consideration.

    In addition to that, precisely 755 trainees in various skill acquisition programme have successfully completed their courses and now self-employed. Gombe state currently stands out as a model on the roll call of 17 states under the BOI partnership programme. As a matter of fact, Gombe market is now saturated with products and brands of various dimensions.

    It’s on record that Dr. Dankwambo’s administration singularly completed the construction of the 54km Kanawa-Kuri-Jorogutel road with some connecting access roads linking all the most agricultural fertile parts of the state. This road is on the priority list of the Dankwambo-led administration in spite of its identification as a federal road, with a total cost N6.8 billion.

    Early life of his government Dr. Dankwambo unveiled 200 fuel efficient mini-brand taxi cabs; 1,100 Keke NAPEP tri-cycles, combined with 80 hummer buses for Gombe State Transport Service through the State Ministry of Finance as a more meaningful approach to alleviating the scourge of poverty among the downtrodden rather than the negative approach of survival of the fittest.

    The main trust of this piece arises from Dr. Dankwambo’s single-mindedness, largeness of heart and leadership by example to engagement in the provision of portable water to the citizens of the state at great cost. At a time public water system has collapsed or completely disappeared across the country, venturing into the area by the governor should be acknowledged. Many people under the age of 40 can not boast of ever using public water system. All we know is private boreholes. All that has disappeared, courtesy of leadership failure, even when availability of portable water was promised to every Nigerian some 40-years before in accordance with the UNESCO recommendation.

    In his effort at improving the supply of potable water to the citizenry, the administration has awarded contract for the rehabilitation and reticulation of pipelines in the state with extension to Kwami, Gadam and Bojude, and of late, extended to cover Kompulata and Tappi at a cost of well over N4 billion; while it has also awarded contract for water sustenance and maintenance of the Gombe Regional Water Supply Scheme.

    Dankwambo told newsmen sometime ago thus: “Fortunately or unfortunately for us, there are some places where you cannot get borehole water. You will dig as deep as 500 meters in some places in Gombe and not get water. So, the only solution is to get a dam or treated water which is piped.

    “Fortunately, we have a dam in Gombe but it is about 45 to 50 kilometres, so we are drawing the water little by little and it is a huge investment. The first one we did; when the water came into Gombe, we had to distribute in and around Gombe and that cost us about N4.2 billion. The next thing was to extend it to certain areas. In these areas, if you drive, it is like you are getting to almost the border of Gombe and in Gombe there is no ground water at all. So, we have succeeded in

    extending up to 78 kilometres of pipeline towards that side and that cost additional N1.8 billion.

    “The Gombe reticulation is almost 90 to 95 per cent completed. Also when you take dam water, you are also adding to the cost of treatment and cost of maintenance. When I came, we ran the dam at about N90 million a month. As at today, the cost of maintenance is about N242 million”.

    This is exemplary leadership.

     

    • Erasmus Ikhide, a social activist writes from Lagos

     

  • ‘Join Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade’

    A group, the Sustainable Nigerian Movement (SNIM) has called on Nigerians to team up with President Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against sleaze.

    The National Leader of SNIM, Arimoro Kayode stated this during a news briefing in Abuja.

    Kayode said that corruption will continue to plague the country if well-meaning Nigerians just sit and watch those who have hijacked the fight for their selfish gains to continue to be the driving force of the society.

    He said that the menace seems to be thriving in spite of the Federal Government’s efforts to  fight corruption, explaining that none has been convicted of corruption, even though it is glaring that most of the officials accused of corruption are truly guilty of it.

    He added that sitting allowances of Senators and House of Representatives members should be reduced and paid once after passing three bills that affect the lives of the citizens positively in order to reduce the effect of the present economic downturn.

    He said, “We have noticed that the government’s efforts in reducing corruption have been hijacked by those that should indeed protect the people as seen in the bills the Senate passed to alter the workings of the CCT and CCB, and the action against the whistle blower Hon Jibrin in the lower chamber.

    “The judiciary and the legislative arm have formed a cartel which ensures that the anti-corruption war remains a charade unless those who truly own the power do the needful.

    “We demand that sitting allowances of Senators and House of representatives shall only be paid for passing bills that affect the lives of citizens positively after three results,” he said

    The group also called for an end to the ethno religious crisis ravaging the country, saying they are politically motivated to distract Nigerians.

    “The effect of corruption cannot be separated from the actions of the insurgents, the killing of innocent individuals in the name of religion, the continuous suffering of the IDP’s despite funds being released to take care of them, lack of electricity and high inflation,” he said

    He said that Nigerians have paid more for petrol, diesel, electricity, school fees, healthcare without any corresponding increase in earnings of the people.

    “The only way out is for the people to demand accountability. We should not be deceived by certain plays that come around to us as distraction from what is facing us, “he said.

  • Kwara, World Bank vote N850m for rural development

    To ensure infrastructural growth in its rural areas, the Kwara State government in partnership with the World Bank has embarked on N850 million community development projects.

    The aim of the programme is to ensure that all 193 wards across the senatorial districts of the state have improved access to infrastructural services that will bring about sustainable  development.

    Fifty-eight communities are beneficiaries of the project, but 41 communities will be the first beneficiaries as they will be given various sums for community projects, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has said.

    He added, saying, “The remaining communities will receive their funds in coming months.”

    Ahmed said this in Ilorin, the state capital, during the project launch and cheque presentation ceremony organised by the state Community and Social Development Agency (KWCSDA).

    He said, “The money disbursed is the first tranche of the programme under which the state government is responsible for about N165 million released, while the 58 participating communities are responsible for about N18.4 million.

    “Furthermore, in order to facilitate the continuity of community development projects in the state, this administration injected the  sum of N50 million last year and an additional budgetary provision of N200 million in 2016 into CSDP as additional funding to consolidate government’s commitment to the project.

    “The presence of the counterpart fund of N200 million as contained in the 2016 appropriation allowed for further draw-down of over N670m to scale up the implementation of projects across the state.”

  • Hope as erosion control takes off in Kebbi

    Kebbi State residents, especially those in Bunza Local Government Area have heaved an anticipatory sigh of relief as Governor Atiku Bagudu has awarded a contract for erosion control in the area.

    Bunza council is racked by erosion which has destroyed property and claimed lives.

    The state Commissioner for Works Alhaji Abubakar Bunu briefed the press about the contract at the state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

    He said the 2km erosion project was awarded at the cost of N464,385,000 to Great Northern International Company.

    Abubakar Bunu explained that the project was initiated in order to put residents of Bunza Local Government Area out of their nightmare.

    Another contract also awarded was the one totalling N1.7 billion for road rehabilitation in Wasagu Local Government Area of the state.

    The commissioner also announced that N28 million has been spent for the repair of 12 grounded operational vehicles.

     

  • Peace in Ivory Towers: All eyes on Babalakin Committee

    Peace in Ivory Towers: All eyes on Babalakin Committee

    Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, will today host a former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Maiduguri, Dr. Wale Babalakin, and members of his committee who have been given the task of settling the dispute between the Federal Government, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in the university system, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

    Babalakin, a renowned lawyer, businessman and philanthropist, will be busier from today. Indeed, he has a Herculean task before him having been chosen by the Federal Government as the head of such an important committee in the search for peace in our universities. The committee is to mediate between the government and the Academic Staff Unions over a long-standing but yet-to-be-implemented agreement.

    The committee will be inaugurated in Abuja today. President Muhammadu Buhari approved the 16-member team of serving pro-chancellors of various universities to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with all the Unions in Federal Universities, Federal Polytechnics and Federal Colleges of Education to ensure sustainable peace and industrial harmony in tertiary institutions in the country.

    Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, in a statement issued by the Ministry, said the re-negotiation team would dialogue with ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Associated & Allied Institutions (NASU).

    Babalakin came ready-made for this task. In his days as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of the University of Maiduguri, he gave his all. The fact that the ivory tower is located in the hotbed of the Boko Haram insurgency did not deter him. He successfully revolutionised the roles of Pro-Chancellors in the University system by his exceptional contributions to the development of the University of Maiduguri, which he served for four years. His performance changed the tradition of Pro-Chancellors’ appointments being seen as meant for political patronage or to massage the ego of prominent citizens who support the government of the day. He showed that it was meant for someone with a clear vision and a passionate and genuine commitment to the development of education in the country.

    Babalakin shunned all perks of office for the four years, including his personal travelling expenses, but instead chose to invest his personal resources into achieving the desired goals. He coordinated the construction of a multi-million naira Independent Power Project, which guarantees 20 hours uninterrupted electricity supply to the institution. The project is the first in the Nigerian university system. It was inaugurated in December 2011. He also made huge personal donations to the university for the execution of various projects, including the upgrade of its library in 2010 and the purchase of stethoscopes for indigent students of the University’s College of Medicine.

    On the day he was stepping down from his position, the Governing Council and Management of the institution said of him: “We are astonished that in only four years of serving as Chairman of Council you led the Council and Management of the University to initiate and complete over 50 major projects’’. Some of these projects include: a new Faculty of Pharmacy, a new Faculty of Clinical Sciences, a new Faculty of Dentistry, two 500-seater auditoriums, a 1000-seater auditorium, the development of an e-library, a new Campus Radio station, the provision of 20 hours of uninterrupted electricity in the University, the dualisation of the University entry gate road, the provision of solar-powered streetlights and a new Department of Fine Arts.

    “Dr Babalakin, you built more structures in the University during your four-year tenure than was achieved since the establishment of the University.You led from the front by denying yourself all the allowances due to you. You did not collect a single kobo from the University as you repeatedly stated that Nigerians need to sacrifice to reposition the education sector. As you move on in your career, we wish you outstanding success and are confident that your performance will continue to be monumental.”

    Not to be outdone, a letter from the Internal Members of UNIMAID’s Governing Council also spoke volumes of the love for Babalakin’s personality and admiration of his genuine love for education. It reads: “We the Internal Members of the Governing Council are overwhelmed, as we have observed since inauguration, our laudable achievements under your leadership. We also note in particular your commitment and generosity to the University in all facets.This is in addition to your resolve not to take a single kobo from the University in the name of allowance and, above all, not to be reimbursed of any expenses you incurred while attending University functions. The University community, the citizens of Borno State and indeed the nation in general hold you in high esteem as a man of high integrity and vision. What you have done for the University of Maiduguri as Chairman of Council, so far, can only be compared to what Chief Afe Babalola and Deacon Gamaliel Onosode did for the University of Lagos.”

    Also, Babalakin is also known to be supporting young adults through scholarships in various schools. Over 200 undergraduate and graduate students in various universities are benefitting from his large heart while over 40 students are studying in Universities in Europe and the United States on his bills.

    But then, his love for education should not come as a surprise. He had the best of it, such that at 26, when some are yet to find their purpose in life, he had bagged a doctorate degree in Law from the prestigious University of Cambridge.

    ASUU President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi has passed a vote of confidence on the Babalakin Committee. He indicated ASUU’s readiness to participate in the renegotiation process and commended the Federal Government for convening the renegotiation team, which he noted was “made up of men and women of integrity and proven track record.”

    The Non-Academic Staff Unions of Nigerian Universities have also expressed their confidence in Dr. Babalakin’s leadership.

    The commendation was conveyed in a letter dated January 12 written by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) which said: “We write to commend and congratulate you on your appointment as the Chairman of the Federal Team for Renegotiation of the 2009 Agreements signed between the Federal Government and labour unions in tertiary institutions.

    “Sir, the JAC Unions of NAAT, NASU and SSANU at the JAC meeting held on January 12, 2017, took cognizance of your commendable experience with the University system. We have also noted the good working relationship we had with you while you served as Chairman of the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) of the 2009 FGN/University-based Unions Agreements, and agree that you are eminently qualified to head the new Government Team as appointed.”

    As Dr Babalakin and his team begin the task of mediating between the unions and the government, all eyes are on them and they cannot afford to fail if peace, progress and harmony are to return to the campuses.

     

  • Abuja hosts Prison officers

    The Controller- General (CG), Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) Ja’afaru Ahmed said all necessary measures have been put in place to avert future jailbreak.

    Ahmed disclosed this at a two-day seminar for command officers organised by the NPS in collaboration with Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC).

    He said more staff are needed to further enhance productivity within the prison formation.

    The prison boss warned officers and men of the service to be disciplined and be diligent in their work or be punished according to the law.

    He also warned command officers of the Service to build a cordial relationship with the media if they must succeed in their assignments.

    He said, “We work under very challenging conditions but I am happy that the environment has started changing through the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and I hope it continues but for us to archive  more we [need more] staff, we do not have enough staff.

    “What we did as an interim measure to curb incessant jailbreaks was to collapse the shifts from three to two and that has helped.

    “Under my leadership we take discipline very important and while we ensure that the staff welfare is ensured we also do not tolerate indolence and anybody that is involved in that will be dealt with according to the law. That has helped officers to reposition and redouble efforts.

    “I am assuring you that with the measures we have put in place there will be no jailbreak.

    “Beyond working hard to meet the high demands of our core mandate which is primarily providing safe and humane custody, as well as behavioral change among offenders committed to our care, we also have a duty to actively engage the media as critical stakeholders in the discharge of our statutory responsibilities.”

    Ahmed, who stressed that the intricacies of managing narratives reaching the public were issues not to be handled loosely, expressed optimism that the officers would have improved their skills in managing media issues at the end of the seminar.

    A retired Major General of the Nigerian Army and former Director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade at the event said the military has assist NPS in terms of security.

    Olukolade said: “The military is helping NPS by inter-service cooperation where necessary. All along we have always had meetings at the level of forum of security agencies. Further to that there are occasional meetings where we exchange notes.”

    The Executive Secretary of CCC, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd) said it was pertinent to continue building the capacity of command officers to be able to effectively engage the media.

    His words: “This is important because every officer in the state command must understand the need to at all times, utilise the instrumentality of the media to up-build and uphold the good image of the service…”

     

  • Kudos to Mr. President

    Though everything may not be looking too bright at the moment, but President Muhammadu Buhari definitely deserves commendation for the way he has handled some issues in the country.

    Sample one instance: the presidential vacation matter, a time the commander-in-chief takes a break.

    Despite having a military background, Buhari has shown more respect for the rule of law as he sharply broke away from the behavioral pattern of some of the past Presidents and Heads of State.

    It is on record that some of the past leaders never sent any communication to the National Assembly for vacations.

    They more or less created time to cool off while pretending to be on duty throughout the period of their tenures.

    One of the reasons given for their behaviours by political analysts is the fear of the unknown.

    They couldn’t trust their deputies to temporarily step into their shoes for even a day.

    Again, some of the leaders were not in cordial relationships with their deputies as they rather preferred to secretly go for such rest abroad under the cover of attending one international event or the other.

    Some of them even preferred, knowingly or unknowingly, to hang onto power on their sick beds abroad.

    The events leading to the adoption of ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ by the immediate past Senate President, David Mark, must still be very fresh in the minds of some Nigerians.

    Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan became Acting President on February 9, 2010 by virtue of National Assembly resolution based on Mark’s innovative ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ in Nigeria.

    The whole episode was triggered by the late President Musa Yar’Adua’s long absence due to medical attention in Saudi Arabia without the constitutional communication to the National Assembly.

    Nigerians, under the current dispensation, however, have been spared such drama and unnecessary heating of the polity.

    For three times now, Buhari has been very consistent. He has never failed to transmit a letter to the National Assembly informing them of his desire to take a break as part of his annual leave.

    By doing so, he was adhering strictly to Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    A statement issued last Thursday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, reads: “In line with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President of the Senate, and Speaker, House of Representatives, have been duly communicated.

    “While away, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, will perform the functions of the Office of the President,” it added.

    Through such letters, Osinbajo, for the third time within a year became the ‘Acting President’ of Nigeria.

    It is a privilege or right some of the past occupiers of the office of the Vice President never enjoyed for the duration of their eight years tenures in office.

    Buhari’s letters go a long way to show the trust and cordial relationship between him and Osinbajo and highlighting Osinbajo’s high level of loyalty to him.

    The letters also showed that Buhari has placed the interest of the nation far above any other interests.

    For him, the job of steering the ship of the nation on the right path should not stop for any reason.

    The relationship between the two leaders, no doubt, is good for democracy in Nigeria.

     

    Connecting troops at war fronts

    Nothing could be better professionally for a Field Marshal to have unhindered access to his foot soldiers at the war fronts.

    If for nothing else, at least to discuss new war tactics and to pass vital instructions needed to win the war.

    As the Commander-in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, that privilege was enjoyed by President Muhammadu Buhari last week Sunday without leaving Abuja.

    Through technology on display at the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the National Arcade, Abuja, Buhari was not only able to speak with troops at various locations, but also saw live visuals of the troops at their stations.

    He spoke with the soldiers at two locations in Nigeria and one location in Liberia.

    The President first spoke with Nigerian troops occupying the Sambisa forest in Borno State. The troops were reported to have cleared the forest of terrorists.

    Speaking with the Acting GOC, 7 Division Nigeria Army,  Major General Victor Ezugwu at the Sambisa forest, Buhari had commended the troops for achieving the feat and urging them to continue in their assignment with the highest standard of discipline and efficiency.

    The second location in Nigeria he spoke with were troops of the Operation Lafia Dole at the Air Force base in Yola, Adamawa State.

    Through Air Force video conferencing, he spoke with the Air Commander of Operation Lafia Dole, Air Commodore Charles Owoh.

    “With your hi-tech performance and platforms, we have been able to restore the sanity and the territorial integrity of Nigeria; I congratulate you. For the officers and men, you know you cannot be over-trained. With your hi-tech outfit, training has to be continuous and I am very pleased with the initiative that you have taken in maintenance of equipment.” He told the troops.

    The President also spoke with and commended the Nigeria troops in Liberia led by Force Commander of United Nations mission in Liberia, Major General Salihu Zaway Uba.

    Those conversations last week Sunday were not the first time Buhari was linking up visually with soldiers at the battlefronts.

    He had added a special touch to the annual no-speech-making event during the 2016 Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony last year when he first spoke with soldiers at the war front.

    Then, from the same venue, he had inspected a military surveillance vehicle where he saw and spoke with troops on ground at the war front in Borno State and a pilot in an aircraft in the area.

     

  • Govt apprehends six for graffiti on public walls

    Officials of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration have apprehended six persons for  putting  graffiti on the walls of public buildings and infrastructure in Abuja.

    The six persons apprehended are to face the full wrath of the law because the Administration would not allow the defacing of the Federal Capital City.

    The FCT administration said Abuja remains the window through which the world sees Nigeria and therefore, must be maintained with high sense of commitment and responsibility.

    According to a statement by the Deputy Director / Chief Press Secretary, to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Sule, the Administration warns that security agents are now maintaining 24-hour surveillance to ensure that those engaging in the act of graffiti and the likes are promptly apprehended.

    It may be recalled that the FCT Administration had recently embarked on massive clean up of such writings to give the city a face-lift.

    The Chief Security Officer to the FCT Minister, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ahmed Rasheed, revealed that the apprehended suspects are  with the security agents and would soon be made to face the full wrath of the law.