The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Blessing Olaifa

  • I am saddened by Killings in the North – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said he was saddened by the spate of killings in the northern parts of the country, especially by armed bandits and other Blessing Olaifa, Assistant Editor, Abuja criminal elements, promising that the situation would be brought under control.

    He said his administration has ordered deployment of more troops into the affected areas and further called for increasing vigilance on the part of security forces in the troubled areas.

    The President made the remarks at the Graduation Ceremony of Course 26 of the National Defence College, Abuja. He was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha.

    He said the present administration is encouraged by the efforts of the armed forces in ensuring peace and security across the country, noting that through their collective efforts and commitment, the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists group is now in recession.

    President Buhari also said although more needs to be done in several fronts to achieve the desired goals of the administration’s cardinal objectives, he noted that there is need to carry out fundamental review of the nation’s security architecture to enable the police play more roles in internal security.

    President Buhari also said his administration has achieved a lot in the fight against corruption, noting that decisive steps taken to entrench the change agenda have yeilded results in checking hemorraging and restoring confidence in the country.

    The President assured that with the commitment of the administration towards economic diversification, things can only get better and called for support and understanding of the people to enable the administration to succeed.

    In his remarks, the Commandant of the College, Rear Admiral Adeniyi Osinowo said a total of 136 participants made up of 106 officers of the rank of army Colonel and equivalent in the Nigerian Navy and Air Force, 4 Commissioners of Police, 10 Civilians participants from Ministries and Departments and Agencies as well as 16 participants from Allied Countries spread across Africa, Europe and Asia graduated from the Course 26.

    “The foreign participants in NDC Course 26 is the largest ever since the inception of the College. Among other implications, this observation represents the rising international profile of the college as it also demands that the college must reposition itself as a credible tool of National Foreign Policy action, at least in terms of quality of studies and infrastructure”, Rear Admiral Osinowo stated.

    Read Also: Gunmen abduct preacher, two others in Kaduna

    Rear Admiral Osinowo said: “The graduands received 126 lectures/presentations and conducted 8 participants’ concluding seminars. They also presented 3 term papers, Strategic Leadership paper, draft Policy paper and the College Research Paper.

    “Other highlights of the course were: conduct of 4 exercises on higher defence management, strategic tour of 11 states: tour of strategic installations; visit to strategic military establishments: regional study tour of selected African countries: and geostrategic world study tour of 20 countries.

    ” Towards deepening the intellectual value and output of our activities, the College has sustained the presentation of the newly introduced Vice President’s Paper: the Second Edition was presented to His Excellency the VP, Proic Osinbanjo on 23 July 2018. Meanwhile, Participants from the NA, NN and NAF are also for the first time required to collectively produce a well researched Service Chiefs paper to their respective heads of Service”.

    Among other dignatories at the graduation ceremony are the Minister of Defence, Mansir Dan Ali, The Chief of Defence Staff of Sierra Leone, Lt. Gen Susay, The Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ete Ibas, and the Commandants of several military institutions in the country.

  • Air Force chief orders more drugs for Benue flood victims

    Air Force chief orders more drugs for Benue flood victims

    The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has directed the Medical Branch of the Nigerian Air Force to deploy more medical personnel and drugs to Makurdi, Benue state for the treatment of victims of the flood disaster that swept across the state recently.
    Air Marshal Abubakar said the instruction was necessitated by the urgent need to complement the efforts of the Tactical Air Command (TAC), Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi, which had commence free medical services to the flood victims.
    A statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, noted that Benue state Governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, had sent a message of commendation to the NAF authority for promptly responding to the needs of the people.
    Commodore Adesanya said: “The Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Tactical Air Command (TAC) of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Vice Marshal MA Idris today flagged off a medical assistance programme to meet the medical needs of the recent flood victims in Makurdi, Benue State.
    “The AOC TAC said the commencement of the medical outpost programme was part of the Command’s corporate social responsibility and was borne out of the desire to contribute to the medical needs of the flood victims.
    “He further said that the NAF would be offering the medical treatment to the flood victims free of charge. In his remarks, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Chief (Dr) Samuel Ortom, thanked the NAF for its assistance.
    “A few days ago, following a downpour, many houses in Makurdi were submerged in flood water. The persons affected by the flood were rendered homeless and several medical casualties were recorded.
    “Thousands of victims of the flood were accommodated at the Makurdi International Market, where the NAF medical outpost programme kicked off today.
    “The NAF also recently airlifted the Director General of the National Emergency Management Authority and other officials to Makurdi in response to a Presidential directive.
    “Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has directed the Medical Services Branch of the NAF to provide more drugs and deploy more medical personnel to complement the efforts of the Command, as might be required”.
  • Etisalat’s Debt Crisis: We Did Not See It Coming – NCC Boss

    Etisalat’s Debt Crisis: We Did Not See It Coming – NCC Boss

    The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, admitted yesterday that it never anticipated the daunting challenges thrusted upon the telecom sector this year, particularly the indebtedness of Etisalat Nigeria to a consortium of banks to the tune of 1.2 billion dollars.
    The Commission ,however, said the problem was being managed by concerned regulatory bodies in such a way that Etisalat’s 21 million customers would continue to enjoy its services, while not a single worker would be fired in the company as a result of the crisis.
    The NCC’s  Executive Commissioner in Charge of Stakeholders Management, Mr Sunday Dare, made the remarks at the opeing ceremony of the 80 edition of Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP) at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja.
    He noted that while the forum was to find answers to various issues agitating the minds of the consumer, the regulatory body has been consistent in its resolve to protect the rights of the consumer in line with international best practices and standards.
    Dare who represented Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC at the forum maintained that the NCC declared this year “The Year of Telecom Consumers” to underscore the fact that if all the initiatives, projects and investments in the telecom sector had met with low consumer patronage, the telecom revolution would have been a failure.
    It is really the investment of the consumer through patronage of services  that has encouraged build out and supported service provision. Thus there is need to celebrate and recognize the consumer as the boss of the industry, Prof Danbatta stated.
    Danbatta further said: ” the commission has taken steps to ensure that the telecommunications sector remain vibrant and has carried out its regulatory functions to ensure that the companies operating in the country are healthy.
    “Where necessary NCC has made interventions to prevent disruptions to consumers experience. In addition, to ensure that licensees in the industry continue to operate as viable business, we have commenced aggressive enforcement of the NCC’s Code of Corporate Governance”.
    Acting Director General of Consumer Protection Council, Akinju Opelola noted that the telecom consumers have become vulnerable due to series of abuses in the sector and urged the regulatory body to enforce necessary penalties for the protection of the consumers.
    She listed invasion of consumers privacy, fraudulent and unstructured services and unsolicited messages as part of the abuses, saying the NCC should ensure the rights of consumers to standard services, value addition, and rights to healthy environment.
  • Unsolicited messages: NCC warns operators

    Unsolicited messages: NCC warns operators

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Monday warned mobile telephone operators to desist from bombarding subscribers with unsolicited text messages, saying that it was set to protect the rights of subscribers.

    The commission maintained that it would ‘protect subscribers from the nuisance and irritations of unsolicited text messages and calls from mobile network operators’.

    Its Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo, noted in a statement, that in spite of earlier warnings to telecommunication service providers to activate their Do-Not-Disturb facility which gives subscribers the freedom to choose the messages they receive, the Commission is still inundated with complaints by subscribers of continuing text harassment by operators.

    Said the statement: “The Direction issued to industry operators to activate the 2442 Do Not Disturb Short Code took effect from July 1, 2016.”

    Ojobo explained that the Direction mandates the operators to take immediate action which will allow the subscribers to take informed, but independent decisions on what messages to receive from the networks.

    He observed that industry compliance doesn’t seem to match the seriousness of the Direction thus, compelling the Commission to issue a final warning to the operators.

    According to him, the Direction takes into cognizance the broad range of services, which include: Banking/Insurance/Financial products, Real estate, Education, Health, Consumer Goods and Automobiles, Communication/ Broadcasting/ Entertainment/ IT, Tourism and /Leisure, Sports, Religion (Christianity, Islam, others), and directed the operators to give the necessary instructions and clarifications that will enable subscribers subscribe to a particular service/services/none at all.

    Said Ojobo: “In fact, a Full DND which is SMS ‘STOP” to 2442 does not allow the subscriber to receive any unsolicited messages from the operators at all.

    “Below are the various options:

    “SMS 1” for receiving SMS relating to Banking/Insurance/ Financial Products to 2442

    “SMS 2” for receiving SMS relating to Real estate to 2442

    SMS 3” for receiving SMS relating to Education to 2442

    “SMS 4” for receiving SMS relating to Health to 2442

    “SMS 5” for receiving SMS relating to Consumer Goods and Automobiles, to 2442

    “SMS 6” for receiving SMS relating to Communication/ Broadcasting/ Entertainment/ IT, to 2442

    “SMS 7” for receiving SMS relating to Tourism and Leisure to 2442

    “SMS 8” for receiving SMS relating to Sports to 2442

    “SMS 9” for receiving SMS relating to Religion to 2442

    Ojobo called on the service providers to immediately comply with the Direction as further complaints from the subscribers would be taken as serious infractions to a major regulatory intervention by the Commission

  • Sacking of senior military officers timely, says Army Chief

    Sacking of senior military officers timely, says Army Chief

    The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lt. General Tukur Buratai on Monday said that the Army followed due process leading to the sacking of over 35 senior military officers last week, describing the action of the authority as timely and appropriate.

    “There is no better time than now because everything has been taken into consideration and procedures have been followed to ensure that we don’t pick the innocent ones. You can see it started with the enquiries first of all, then legal review and after the legal review, we forwarded the report and recommendations to the authority for consideration”, General Buratai said.

    The Army Chief made the clarification while fielding questions from newsmen during a courtesy call on the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, in Abuja.

    Flanked by top military officers, Gen Buratai said the call on the minister was necessitated by the need for collaboration and partnership with the Ministry for the deployment of Information and Communication Technology, ICT,  equipment and facilities to achieve peace in the country.

    He also said the military high command is awaiting the outcome of the on-going dialogue between the federal government and other stakeholders on the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers to know the next line of action.

    Gen Buratai, however, added that whatever the outcome, the military has the responsibility and duty to maintain peace, law and order in the country.

    He said the military authority is not overwhelmed by the sudden upsurge of militant activities in the Niger Delta region in view of their commitments to route-out insurgents in the northeast.

    His words: “The Niger Delta issue did not come up yesterday or today,  we are already deployed to the Niger/Delta for a very long time. The operations there comprise the armed forces and other security agencies. It entails operations where you have the Army, Navy and Airforce, the Police, Civil Defence and other security agencies, so I don’t think it is overwhelming, it cannot overwhelm the army forces and we are responding appropriately and ensure that things take shape.

    “We are instruments of the political class so whatever decision that the government passes out to us, we want to assure you that we are waiting for whatever decision that will come out from their discussion, but our role is very clear we must ensure that the security of that place is attained. As we await the directive of the authority”, Gen Buratai said.

    On the sacking of the senior military officers, he said:” why not now, there is no better time than now because everything has been taken into consideration and procedures have been followed to ensure that we don’t pick the innocent ones. You can see it started with the enquiries first of all, legal review and after the legal review, we forwarded the report and recommendations to the authority for consideration.

    “So it takes time, it is just like a court process, so we follow our own process, our administrative process and legal review as well. It is the right time and no any other time than now,” Gen Buratai noted, adding that the military high command has also commenced the process of deradicalisation of insurgents and their victims in the northeast of the country.

    “The issue of indoctrination. it is one of the programmes that we have. We have a camp  in Gombe, which the Defence Headquater is handling, it involves  the de-radicalising of the insurgents and their victims especially those who would have been indoctrinated.

    “So the process of their de-radicalisation is ongoing and it is a good point that you raised. Please it is not only the government that should be doing this, we appeal to the clergymen , Imams and Pastors to use all those their fora in the Mosque and Churches to preach against this type of indoctrination and ideology that are contrary to the teachings of the holy books. so it is the press responsiblity also to sponsor articles in papers to bring this issue out and point out the dangers of indoctrination.”

    Responding to his remarks on areas of collaboration with Military, the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu commended the military high command for putting the insurgents on the run in the northeast of the country.

    He said the Ministry was prepared to collaborate with the armed forces to ensure that modern technology and equipment for communications are deployed to achieve peace in the country, noting that without peace no meaningful development can take shape.

  • Buhari’s foreign trips in order, says Senator Nakudu

    Buhari’s foreign trips in order, says Senator Nakudu

    The Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Senator Mohammed Sabo Nakudu has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s frequent trips abroad were part of the price Nigeria had to pay for the impunity and reign of terror witnessed in the country during the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Senator Nakudu who spoke with The Nation in Abuja on Wednesday said the criticism against President Buhari on his foreign trips were based on ignorance as Nigeria would benefit more from some of the multi-national and bilateral agreements signed by the president abroad.

    He cited the agreement signed by the President with the Government of the United Arab Emirate, UAE, among others as example, saying in a short while billion of dollars starched away in that country would be repatriated into Nigeria.

    Senator Nakudu who represents Jigawa South-West in the National Assembly also defended President Buhari’s Ministers , saying it was unfair to described them as lacklustre since they have not even implemented any budget of their own on their assumption of office last year.

    He said the 2016 federal budget which focuss on the the diversification of the economy would address the problems of unemployment and poverty if faithfully implemented, stressing there is wisdom in the government action to improve revenue earnings from the minining and agriculture sectors.

    His words: “the 2016 budget is a clear intention of the government to do away with oil revenues and embrace agriculture and minining. The 2016 budget is geared towards providing the enabling environment for the economy to grow as can be seen from the allocations to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and with economc growth, the issue of poverty and unemployment will be reduced.

    “The budget is also farmers friendly because the present government has realized the importance agriculture can play in our economic life. However, it must be emphasized that success in agriculture cannot be achieved without the necessary support from all tiers of government as being done in developed countries.”

    Senator Nakudu who enjoined Nigerians to be patient with the administration as steps are being taken to right so many wrongs in the system, said it would take a systematic approach to rejuvenate the economy of the country.

    “The administration has prioritized the issues of corruption and insecurity. And we have seen the results of both. Insurgent activities have reduced drastically and people are now being careful and cautious in government offices. The administration is doing the right thing and I believe everybody who mean well for this country would key into that,” Nakudu stated.