The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Agwai

  • Insecurity: Fear of abduction negatively impacting education, says Agwai

    Insecurity: Fear of abduction negatively impacting education, says Agwai

    A former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Martin Luther Agwai (retd.), has said the fear of being abducted is creating trauma in teachers and students and having a negative impact on the nation’s education sector.

    The former CDS also noted that the success of the Safe School Initiative, a programme initiated by the Federal Government in 2023 to protect public schools at risk of terrorist attacks, “depends on collective responsibility of stakeholders and citizens by taking ownership and providing intelligence to security agencies”.

    Agwai said this in a keynote address he delivered at the Armed Forces Safe School Summit and launch of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Safe Schools at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja.

    Read Also: Food insecurity: FG to ban ‘portfolios, political farmers’ – Agric minister

    The ex-CDS said the move reflected the Armed Forces’ collective commitment to upholding the sanctity of education and creating an environment conducive for teaching and learning.

    He said though the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was the lead agency for such a task, the military could intervene when it is beyond the capacity of the primary actors.

    Agwai said: “However, I feel all security agencies have important roles to play towards the successful eradication of this menace of kidnapping and general insecurity, especially the Nigeria Police Force, in view of the fact that at the moment it is only them that have prosecuting powers.

    “This again must be done in a quick manner as time is of the essence in order to overcome such a challenge.”

    The ex-CDS urged school authorities to adopt the strategy of building confidence in learners by providing them with some safety skills that would assist them in case of any emergency.

  • Insecurity: Sultan, Agwai, others preach unity, dialogue

    SULTAN of Sokoto Abubakar Sa’ad III and former Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Martins Lurther Agwai have called for continued dialogue among the various nationalities

    The duo said dialogue remained the only way to entrench peace and unity in the country. They spoke yesterday at the symposium and book presentation in honour of Agwai, who turned 70.

    The book titled: “How a congress of baboon made a general” was written by Ms. Rebecca Agwai, daughter of the celebrator.

    The Sultan stressed the need for unity among the people and also the need to always discuss national issues with sincerity.

    He said: “There are problems facing us left, right and centre, insecurity problems everywhere just like part of the big moll, but we shall overcome them.

    “We must not give up, there is hope as long as there are good people like Gen. Agwai who are struggling to put things together and bring us together in such a forum, and that is what we need in this country, let keep on talking to ourselves, let us never get tired of dialogue. Let us never get tired of telling ourselves the truth because as you all know, the truth can set us free.”

    On his part, Gen. Agwai stresse the need to agree that there is a challenge, which according to him is the fundamental foundation to finding lasting solution.

    He said: “Let us agree that there is a challenge; that is the first thing. If people don’t agree that there is a challenge, that itself is a challenge.

    “When we agree that there is a challenge, then we put our heads together and say ‘what is the way forward. And I think the answer to that is that all of us have to look ahead, and try as much as possible, I didn’t say we should not know where we are coming from, but we shouldn’t so much dwell in the past.

    “We should now conjure our condition, what do we want for our country? What is the way forward? And if we continue talking about the past, the past we continue hurting us. But if we agree, yes, the past has its own challenges, what is the way forward? What is the way forward for a new Nigeria? How do we get to that new Nigeria?

    “With my little life of 70 years, at a local level, the leave in peace, they leave in harmony better than all of us in the cities. Again, we have to learn to forgive, not who is right. We have to start on a new slate. The new slate is to forgive ourselves, forget the past, and then build a solid new foundation for Nigeria.”

    On alleged politicisation of security challenges, Gen. Agwai advised that “we should not allow politicians to use us. How many of us would see fire and go there? But a lot of us because of what I hear today as stomach infrastructure, we stop thinking with our brains. We forget that any temporary gain today, we are actually mortgaging our future.”

    Former presidential candidate of the defunct National Redemption Congress (NRC), Bashir Tofa, asked some rhetoric questions bothering on the peace and unity of the country.

    He said: “With people like you in this country, if I may ask, how is it that we have sunk so low in destroying one another..?  Why is it that we are friends as individuals but enemies as a community? Why is it that most of our people are so desperately poor and our active and intelligent youths are so left behind?

    He challenged the celebrator through his Centre, the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre to find solution to the insecurity problems bedeviling the country.

  • Agwai ‘s sack

    Agwai ‘s sack

    It smacks of pettiness on the part of the FG and unseriousness with the objectives of SURE-P that he headed

    The removal of General Martin Luther Agwai as chairman of the intervention agency, Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) is another indication that something is fundamentally wrong with the philosophy of the Jonathan administration. The agency, a baby of the popular struggle for transparency in the management of prices of petroleum products in 2012 certainly needs men of proven integrity to manage it. This explains the appointments of the first chairman, Dr. Christopher kolade, and Agwai who succeeded the former high commissioner.

    Kolade was recommended for the job because of his vast experience in both the public and private sectors. He has the reputation of a man who could be trusted with public funds but had to bow out when he could not tolerate the practices that threatened his reputation. Agwai, a retired four-star General of the Nigerian Army who had the distinction of rising to the pinnacle of his career had won laurels at home and abroad. He was Chief of Defence Staff in the Obasanjo administration and a commander of international peacekeeping operations. His appointment was meant to allay fears that the government frustrated Dr. Kolade out with a view to derailing the programme. However, Agwai’s sack last week and his replacement with a regular public servant has raised questions about the sincerity of the Federal Government about tackling national maladies.

    We find it inappropriate that the Federal Government could not officially adduce reasons for the removal. A man of such distinction does not deserve such a shabby treatment. If he had done anything wrong, it ought to have been pointed out, if only to allay public fears on the direction of public policy and encourage other men of repute to take public appointments.

    It has been suggested that Agwai was removed for attending and presenting a paper at the 78th birthday of General Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president of the country and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. It is surprising that the government did not deem it fit to congratulate the former president, let alone being represented at the well-attended and well-advertised event. It is even more unfortunate that a retired General could draw the ire of the government for honouring the invitation of his former boss.

    Governance at the highest level in the country deserves decorum, decency and grace. A man of honour at the helm of affairs would realise that the trenchant criticisms by General Obasanjo of recent do not make him an enemy. Differences in political opinion should not be allowed to becloud our sense of propriety.

    What the president did in sacking General Agwai smacks of pettiness. A society faced with the sort of crisis in the country today requires the services of all men and women of distinction, irrespective of their political affiliation. The United States of America is one country that owes its rapid development to the part being played by technocrats who are either apolitical or even aligned to opposing political parties. Realising the need for such bipartisan disposition, President Barack Obama saw nothing wrong in appointing a Republican his defence secretary at the inception of his administration.

    We must learn the good lessons. As we prepare to hold another general elections, Nigerians should begin to ask the correct questions of their governments. We must insist that morals and value play great roles in building good societies and thus insist that any government that intends to captain the ship of state must seek good materials and accord them the respect that they deserve. The governments at all levels should realise that public officers are not robots who could be robbed of their independence and viewpoints. General Agwai was entitled to his opinion at the Obasanjo birthday and that certainly is not enough to deprive the society of his sterling qualities in managing SURE-P.

    The presidential system of government is hinged on competence and the drive for excellence, not blind personal loyalty to the leader or the ruling party.

    Now that General Agwai has been sacked from SURE-P, Nigerians, and especially the civil society groups should begin to pay closer attention to the agency and other similar intervention agencies with a view to ensuring that they keep to the highest standards in performing the roles they were set up to fulfill.

  • SURE-P: Jonathan sacks ‘Obasanjo man’ Agwai

    SURE-P: Jonathan sacks ‘Obasanjo man’ Agwai

    A major casualty of the frosty relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo was recorded yesterday.

    Less than one week after delivering Obasanjo’s 78th birthday lecture, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, chairman of the multibillion naira SURE-P scheme —the government’s much criticised answer to the crushing unemployment in the land— got the boot.

    The sack of the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was yesterday described by watchers of the Jonathan presidency as another proof of the broken relationship between the President and his benefactor.

    Gen. Agwai, a one-time Chief of Army Staff, in his lecture last Thursday at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, titled: “Imperative of a national security framework for the development and progress of Nigeria”, warned the military against partisan politics to maintain its integrity.

    Rather than be deployed for political purposes, Gen Agwai said the military should concentrate on its duties so as to be able to tackle insurgency in the Northeast.

    He spoke against the background of the criticism of the plan by the Federal Government to deploy soldiers for the March 28 and April 11 elections.

    The opposition parties are opposed to the deployment of soldiers and their likely use by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    A statement by presidential spokesman Reuben Abati yesterday said: “In furtherance of his efforts to continuously re-energise and reposition agencies of the Federal Government for optimal service delivery, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has appointed Mr. Ishaya Dare Akau as the new chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).”

    “Mr. Akau, whose appointment takes immediate effect, replaces Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd.) who served as Chairman of the SURE-P until today.”

    “The new SURE-P Chairman hails from Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State and holds Bachelors’ Degrees in the Arts and Law.”

    “Mr. Akau comes to the job with years of experience as a high-level administrator in the nation’s public service. His record of service includes tenures as Chairman of the Kaduna State Universal Education Board and Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission.”

    “President Jonathan thanks the outgoing Chairman of SURE-P, Gen Agwai, for his service to the nation and wishes him well in his future endeavours.”

    Gen Agwai was appointed SURE-P chairman on February 5, last year after serving as acting chairmn from November 24, 2013 when pioneer chairman and former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr. Christopher Kolade resigned.

    SURE-P is a multi-billion naira ad hoc agency created by the Federal Government to hold the accruals from the withdrawn subsidy on petroleum products.

    The fund was intended to provide safety nets for the downtrodden, mostly hit by the subsidy cut.

    It was created after the massive protests that rocked the country following the cut in subsidy in January 2012.

  • SURE-P receives N15b monthly – Agwai

    The Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) on Wednesday said the committee receives N15billion monthly.

    The money, he said, represents the N32 difference between the old pump price and the new price of N97 for premium motor spirit (PMS).

    He said SURE-P has been receiving the N15billon every month since inception on February 13, 2012 and has been intervening in provision of transportation infrastructure, healthcare and youth empowerment, among others.

    Agwai, who spoke in Lagos at news conference by the committee on its activities, said SURE-P has been operating on a budget of N268.37 billion this year.

    He said SURE-P does not decide where to intervene and how much to put into a project.

    “That is the role of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) under the chairmanship of President Goodluck Jonathan,” he said.

    Asked how much SURE-P has received so far, he said: “You cannot sit down and quantify everyday how much petrol is sold. So, the experts have sat down. They have worked all the variables under the extreme and the low part, and on the average, we at federal SURE-P get N15billion every month as SURE-P money.

    “But we don’t generate money. We’re only administering N32 that has become the difference between the old pump price and the new pump price,” he said.

    Agwai said SURE-P does not offer direct employment, but works through ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), who in turn pay the contractors and those on internship.

    “We don’t pay salaries directly. We don’t have a tenders’ board for contracts awards. We only administer payments. In one of our programmes called Graduate Internship Scheme, we pay stipends of N30, 000, but they don’t come to SURE-P to collect cheques. They go through the MDAs.

    “For public projects, we work with the project implementation units of the MDAs. We don’t issue cheques. Our money is domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). When an MDA who we’re paying through has done a job, and we have cross-checked that the job has been done, we authorise the CBN to remit money to that organization,” he stated.