The Nation Newspaper

Tag: confrontation

  • Unnecessary confrontations 

    Unnecessary confrontations 

    • LASTMA and military personnel fighting in public is bad for their image

    Two viral videos showing confrontation between members of the Nigerian Army and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) need to be dealt with by relevant organs of the two institutions, to avoid a repeat. In a 31-second video, soldiers wearing scarves to conceal their faces attacked some LASTMA officials. In another 16-second video, a LASTMA official was dragging a soldier out of a bus and hitting him with a stick.

    While nobody has linked the two incidents, the relevant authorities should be worried.

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    Of course, the authorities have to investigate whether they are linked and those involved in the incidents. They also need to ensure the viral videos do not cause further agitation and reprisal attacks.

    We agree with the reported statement of the spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, who said: “I must say it is disturbing that the soldiers/LASTMA conflict is now one too many.” Indeed, it would be sad if the rank and file of the two agencies that should complement each other for public safety, turn on themselves for whatever reasons.”

    We are happy to hear from the army chief that “the authorities of the Nigerian Army are genuinely concerned and are embarking on a vigorous sensitisation campaign to educate our personnel on the need to ensure compliance with traffic rules and promote synergy and interagency cooperation in Lagos State and around the country.”

    Discipline is the hallmark of the military and as such, a soldier should show discipline at all times. Indeed, discipline is supposed to be an everyday and everywhere synonym for a trained soldier.

    Gen Nwachukwu further assured that: “To rein in our personnel, the military police have also been mandated to conduct ‘Operation Checkmate’ by carrying out intermittent surveillance to identify and arrest personnel who violate traffic rules or are found engaging in any untoward activity. The altercations are pointing to the fact that there is a need to strengthen interagency cooperation amongst the security agencies in Lagos.”

    The observation of the Army spokesman strikes a cord and we hope the army and LASTMA do the needful.

    The needful includes educating their personnel on interagency relationship. Those who wear uniform should be educated to understand that in or out of uniform, they are ambassadors of the institutions they work for. Such a mindset is necessary for discipline at all times. We hope the army will walk its talk, and urge LASTMA to inculcate similar values in their personnel. No doubt the work of LASTMA is sensitive, especially with regards to holding drivers to account, regardless of the institutions they work for.

    It is common sight to see military and para-military agencies drive against the traffic or use the exclusive lane reserved for BRT buses. And when they are confronted they feel desecrated, thinking that their uniform puts them above the general regulation for other traffic users. It is also common to see LASTMA officials use their uniform as a license to harass and intimidate drivers for minor traffic offences. Some of them are outright dubious, and should be weeded out of the agency.

    For us, the solution to such crisis witnessed recently lies with the relevant heads and officers of the various  agencies. With proper orientation, army personnel, both the rank and file, would understand that traffic control and management is for the good of all road users, and as such all must abide by it. On their part, LASTMA officials charged with exercising authority over road users should exercise their responsibility with decorum and respect for all, especially those entrusted with defending the welfare of the nation. Should some military personnel commit any infraction, LASTMA should report to relevant heads, and not resort to self-help.

  • NLC set for confrontation with Amosun over ‘anti workers policies’

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)  is poised for  a head on collusion with   Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State  over what it describes as the governor’s penchant for anti-workers’ policies.

    Labour vowed late Friday to hold the governor responsible for any harm done to any worker during its planned protest in the state.

    The protest is scheduled for Tuesday, according to NLC President Ayuba Wabba.

    The NLC asked President Muhammadu Buhari to keep off Amosun whom it accused of being unrepentantly arrogant, unnecessarily difficult, and totally unreliable.

    Going into the specifics of the governor’s offences, labour accused him of failing to remit statutory deductions from workers’ salaries for over eight years and failing to honour promises to address workers’ demands.

    Wabba said the agreement signed by the governor to use the last tranche of the Paris Club refunds to clear arrears of indebtedness to workers, was also not fulfilled by the governor.

    He said: “The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has taken cognizance of a statement credited to the Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, where he threatened to disgrace the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress if the Congress insists on embarking on a protest scheduled for Tuesday March 5, 2019 in Ogun State.

    “The Nigeria Labour Congress has taken note of the threat by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, but we want to assure him that his threats will not deter us from defending the interest of workers in Ogun State whose rights he has been trampling upon especially on.”

    The governor, congress said, has “failed to remit statutory deductions from workers’ salaries for pensions, cooperatives Ileya, Christmas etc. over a period of 105 months,” and refused to ” pay workers at the Tai Solarin College of Education salary arrears that have  accumulated for the past ten years and now gross to a financial liability of about N9 billion.”

    He added: “to make matters worse, Governor Amosun sacked the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress from his employment for standing firm in the defence of the rights of workers in Ogun State.

    “The issues we have highlighted are too grievous to be swept under the carpet. Therefore, the decision of the 12th National Delegates Conference of the NLC to confront and engage Governor Amosun will be carried out to the letter on Tuesday, March 5, 2019.”

    Wabba said the Congress was “not unmindful of the fact that even Amosun’s party has complained of his penchant to violently disgrace other spheres of leadership outside his control and sometimes beyond him. We are not unmindful of the fact that Governor Amosun’s hostility to Nigerian workers is primarily a transfer of aggression.

    “Our confidence stems from the protection and guarantees provided by Section 40 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution which gives workers and indeed all Nigerians the freedom to peacefully assembly and protest. All that the law requires us to do is to inform the Police and relevant security agencies.

    “This we have done. We are ready to peacefully protest the grievous mistreatment by our workers in the hands of Governor Ibikunle Amosun on 5th March 2019.

    “It is unfortunate that as a sitting Governor and a former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Governor Ibikunle Amosun shows no respect for the rule of law and could descend into the dunghill of violent utterances in order to cow workers. We want to warn Governor Amosun that we will hold him personally responsible for any harm that comes to any worker during our protest on March 5, 2019.

    “We want to remind Governor Amosun that he has already trampled workers on the ground and those who are down need fear no fall. We wish to alert our security agencies to Governor Amosun’s resort to violent threats. We assure him that his immunity cover will soon be removed and he must be ready to answer for his crimes against workers. The NLC can assure Ibikunle Amosun that we will continue to engage him even after he would have been sworn in as a Senator in Abuja.”

     

  • The Biafra/Arewa youths confrontation

    SIR: The present posturing of two major ethnic groups in Nigeria should have been foreseen. The gathering storm began quite casually with the ‘resurgence’ (for lack of appropriate word) of the young people, mostly romantics and adventurists who relish the expression ‘Republic of Biafra’.  They are youngsters who are invariably below 50 years, who only heard the story of the civil war from their older ones.  The way  the deadly combats of the three year destruction of lives and properties  was told to the new ones perhaps makes them wish to have a re-visit to that national calamity.  Surely the elders did not tell the young ones of the suffering, the disaster, the untold destruction that the nation, particularly what is now South-east, and parts of the South-south experienced. What they passed on to the new ones was the bravery, the resistance, the prowess and the fighting spirit of the Igbo man.  Tragically fictions rather than facts have been fed to these innocent youngsters.

    Of course society, or rather government bears much of the blame. For about two decades history has been banned as a subject or study in our schools, rather government pays lip service to the study of science – the definition of which is not clear.  If our secondary and tertiary institutions include the study of history in their curriculum, many of our youths in the South-east would hesitate to canvass splitting Nigeria into ‘Biafra’, ‘Oduduwa’ or ‘Islamic Republic’.

    Of all the ‘elders’ that have commented on the festering issue, only two have come out speaking the truth.  The others have spoken from both sides of the month.  The first is Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State who warned his restless people of the dangers inherent in their pursuit of an independent Biafra.  He reminded them (he should have gone further by giving some details) to desist from a pursuit which can dislocate our delicate Federation.  He affirmed that Igbo people can achieve their ambition within the Nigeria Federation if certain modifications were made in the polity. The Second leader is Prof Ango Abudulahi who I knew very well from the days of the 1988-1989 Constituent Assembly and of the People’s Front (PF) led by the Senior Musa Yar’Adua.  Ango talks his mind so easily that he could be misconstrued to be a warmonger.  An intellectual who combines radicalism with some fringe nationalism, he is assumed to speak for the core – North.  He says the northern youths are only helping the Igbo in their political ambition.

    It is very unfortunate that rather than chastising the dissidents and separatists, respectable leaders including governors, a past vice-president, an international public servant of repute and several notable people in the South-east asked the federal government to sit and negotiate with the Biafrans.  Some have suggested that this tacit support ignited the not too favourable reaction of notable people from the North.

    The above does not mean the Ibos have no valid grouse against the Nigerian state.  Their main concerns are an Igbo President, and creation of another state in the South-east. On the first, one would honestly inform our brothers across the Niger that the six years prior to the Buhari administration was essentially or a de facto Igbo presidency.   Just refresh your minds on the activities of the trio – Goodluck Jonathan, Mama Peace, SGF Pius Anyim.  What would a people want that the troika did not provide the South-east and the South-south?  Over 70% of political and senior management positions in the federal set up went to these lucky regions.  The South-west had less than 5% of these positions. South Easterners should plan and hope for six years i.e 2023, then no one would grudge them of their right to the presidency.

    The other request is achievable in a restructured Nigeria –creating a new state to match those of other regions.   But the imbalance has to be rectified further.  It is inconceivable that Lagos with a population of over 15 million has 23 ‘constitutional’ Local Government areas, whereas Kano with less than eight million has 44 Local Governments. But are these adjustments possible in today’s Nigeria?

     

    • Deji Fasuan MON. JP,

    Ado Ekiti.

  • Cleric to Wike: shun confrontation

    The Archbishop, Anglican Communion of the Niger Delta North, Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey has advised Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike to avoid confrontation with opponents and perceived enemies.

    Kattey’s advice was contained in his presidential address at the 3rd Session of the 7th Synod of the Diocese of Niger Delta North which took place at St Silas Anglican Church, Eneka, Rivers State. He urged the governor “to do all in your power to avoid confrontation and God will raise men and women who will confront those who confront you.”

    The Anglican Archbishop also told the governor that “any form of confrontation will divert your attention and reduce your performance.”

    He further enjoined all and sundry to “join hands together to build Rivers State.”

    While noting that Wike is the governor of the state today, the Cleric also pointed out that it might be the turn of another person tomorrow cautioning that “we should not destroy the state because someone else is the governor.”

    Continuing, Kattey told Wike that  as the father of everybody resident in the state, he should run an all-inclusive government adding that “this is necessary as it will  build bridges and give people a sense of belonging even as it will guarantee greater participation in the State’s Project.”

    The cleric also commended the governor for his zero-tolerance to cultism and secret societies in all educational institutions in the state.

    He said: “Governor Wike has not left anyone in doubt of his administration’s desire to provide quality education and also create employment opportunities for the graduates.

    “He has reintroduced boarding system in some selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and is paying examination fees and materials for the National Examinations Council, and released funds for the accreditation of 17 academic programmes in Rivers State University of Science and technology (RSUST).”

    The cleric also enjoined the Governors of the South-South states to be focused, dynamic and transparent while maintaining their commitment to good governance adding that “the entire peace-loving and good people of the region are praying for them.”

    He cautioned politicians in the South-South region and the rest of the country against acts that might endanger the lives of the people and decried the level of insecurity in the country.

    Kattey, who is also the Bishop, Niger Delta North told politicians that the game of politics must not be played at the detriment of the people who are supposed to benefit from it.

    He also stressed the need for leaders in the various political parties to demonstrate Christian leadership qualities of service, humility and integrity, to give glory to God.

    The theme of the Synod which is: “The second coming of Jesus Christ”, Kattey said is apt in view of the happenings across the globe now, pointing out that the unfolding events across the world must keep Christians at alert as the Lord Jesus Christ may come  at any moment.

    Citing various Biblical prophecies to buttress his point, Kattey said that even as other religions have attested to the second coming of Jesus Christ.

    “When we have heard and understand the truth of Christ’s promised return, we cannot just keep living our lives in the same old way.”

  • Shun confrontation with govt, NULGE Ogun chapter told

    THE national body of the National Union of Local Government Employees(NULGE) has advised its Ogun State chapter not to be “anti – government” or “confrontational” in the way it goes about seeking solutions to whatever issues it has with the state government.

    NULGE in Ogun had been threatening strike over alleged “inability to pay all deductions made from workers’ salaries to relevant purses such as cooperative societies, check-off dues of industrial unions in the local governments, inability to pay leave bonuses for over a year and non-remittance of 15 per cent pension deductions in most local governments.

    But the national body, noting that it cherishes “peaceful atmosphere” and desires same for the local branch to enable members function productively,” said Ogun NULGE should employ the principle of collective bargaining to resolve their grievances with the state government.

    The Head of Education and Training, National Secretariat, Abuja, Com. Jennifer Besong, gave the advice after inaugurating the seven – man Caretaker Committee to oversees the affairs of Ogun NULGE in the next three months.

    She told Committee headed by Akinleye Benedict Bosun and Com. Dotun Oshunlaja(Treasurer) that it should strive to resolves the union’s issues with the government through dialogue and collective bargaining instead and not resort to confrontations.