The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CSO

  • Buhari fires CSO

    Buhari fires CSO

    President Muhammadu Buhari has dropped  his Chief Security Officer (CSO), Abdulrahman Mani following  what sources described as a power tussle between  Mani and the President’s Aide-de-Camp (ADC), Lt. Col. Mohammed Abubakar. A replacement has already been appointed. He is Abubakar Usman.

    Both Mani and Usman are officials of the Department of Security Service (DSS).

    Mani had, in a June 26 memo, overruled the ADC on security arrangement at the Presidential Villa whereby DSS operatives attached to the seat of power were barred from “Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama.”

    They were thus restricted to duty beats/locations within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa alongside other security forces.

    In effect only soldiers and policemen, trained as Presidential Body Guards (PBGs), are to “provide close/immediate protection for Mr. President henceforth.”

    The action of the ADC did not go down well with Mani who directed the DSS operatives to disregard Abubakar’s memo.

    He claimed that Abubakar’s circular was a misrepresentation of President Buhari’s directive.

    He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, Section 2 (1) (ii) of Instrument No. SSS 1 of 23rd May, 1999, made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies (NSA) decree of 1986 which has been re-enacted as Section 6 of NSA Act CAP N74 LFN 2004, empowers personnel of the DSS to provide protective security for designated principal government functionaries including, but not limited to the President and Vice President as well as members of their immediate families.

    “It also mandates the DSS to provide protective security for sensitive installations such as the Presidential Villa and visiting foreign dignitaries. For this reason, personnel of the DSS who are on this schedule are carefully selected and properly trained both locally and abroad. Furthermore, continued background checks are maintained on them to confirm suitability and loyalty.

    “In fact, the issues raised in the aforementioned circular tend to suggest that the author may have ventured into a not-too-familiar terrain. The extant practice, the world over, is that VIP protection, which is a specialised field, is usually handled by the Secret Service, under whatever nomenclature. They usually constitute the inner core security ring around every principal. The police and the military by training and mandate, are often required to provide secondary and tertiary cordons around venues and routes.

    “However, all over other security agencies including the army, the police and others have their roles to play. It is on this note that heads of all security agencies currently in the Presidential Villa and their subordinates are enjoined to key into the existing command and control structure. They are to work in harmony with each other in full and strict compliance with the demands of their statutory prescribed responsibilities.”

    The President’s  Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina declined to comment on the issues last night because as he said, “it is a security matter. “

    He said only the DSS could comment on it.

    Mani was deployed by the DSS as a security detail to Buhari in 2011 shortly before he launched his campaign that year.

  • Military has failed Nigerians – CSOs

    Coalition of civil society groups gave a damning verdict on the military on Monday, saying the institution has failed Nigerians.

    The Coalition spoke at a press conference on the postponement of the 2015 general election in Abuja.

    The Coalition made up of about 18 CSOs, led by its Chairman, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said the Nigerian military, which is supposed to be nationalistic and patriotic in outlook has allowed itself to be led by the nose to serve expressly narrow interests.

    He said, “The military has failed the Nigerian people, it is a betrayal of trust for the military in connivance with the National Security Adviser (NSA), to have allowed itself to be used to suspend Nigeria’s electoral process.

    “The grand conspiracy to arm twist INEC to shift the 2015 general election in order to satisfy narrow political considerations is a clear indication of the abyss to which the military has descended.

    “It is also not lost on us that the military is now being used to intimidate the electoral umpire and the Nigerian people,” he said.

    Zikirullahi said the gang up against the Nigerian people amounts to a much more dangerous kind of mutiny.

  • Boko Haram: Group seeks support for soldiers in North East

    Boko Haram: Group seeks support for soldiers in North East

    Amidst killings of Nigerian soldiers deployed to the troubled North East States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe due to Boko Haram insurgency, Nigerians have been urged to offer encouragement in any form to the soldiers in their quest to restore peace and hope to the troubled region.

    A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Put Nigeria First (PNF), said Nigerian soldiers deserve more support than they are currently getting from Nigerians.

    According to its National Coordinator, Mrs. Ijeoma Nwafor, Nigerians should be more appreciative of the sacrifices by the soldiers in the service of the nation.

    Besides, she regretted that rather than being appreciated for their sacrifices, the soldiers are being subjected to unfair criticisms and accusations of human right abuses.

    She noted: “The soldiers deserve better welfare packages from the government and better treatment from Nigerians, for them to be better motivated in their chosen national assignment, she noted.”

    Towards this end, she said that the group is poised to launch a massive nationwide campaign tagged Support Our Soldiers (SOS), to draw attention to the plight of soldiers and their  families during times of conflict and the need for Nigerians to be convinced why the soldiers must be supported.

    She also disclosed that Put Nigeria First is set to launch an appeal fund to support widows and orphans of Nigerian soldiers.

    Nwafor added, “In most countries, the military is revered, cherished and appreciated by its citizens, because they are often the unsung heroes of every sovereignty. Nigeria should not be different. In this war against insurgency, they are the ones that are paying the ultimate price to see that Nigeria is safer.”

    Nwafor added, “These soldiers have put Nigeria first before their own lives. They go without support and sometimes unnoticed by those of us who are benefitting directly or indirectly from their efforts.

    “Our men and women in uniform are faced with real challenges. They leave their families for months at a time; go into dangerous situations, some are injured, others lose their lives and a portion of them are even unaccounted for, all in a bid to put Nigeria first.

    “We believe we ought to support our soldiers beyond what the government ministries and agencies do; they ought to know that the citizens are not only aware of them and their efforts, but are appreciative.”

     

     

     

    Nwafor also noted that Nigerians should be thinking of proffering solutions to the intractable insurgency rocking the North East rather than playing the blame game.

     

  • Labour, CSO delegates reject elders’ committee

    Labour, CSO delegates reject elders’ committee

    Delegates on the platform of labour and civil society organisations (CSO) at the ongoing National Conference have protested the reversal of a decision of the Conference. The protesting delegates are insisting on restoring the powers of the conference to appoint the leadership of standing committees rather than the selection committee headed by the Conference Chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi.

    The bone of contention was Order 6 rule 6 (a), (b) that. “The Chairman shall, in consultation with the Deputy Chairman and Secretary, appoint the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of Committees. The Chairman shall have the powers to review the performance of Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of Committees and remove them in consultation with the Deputy Chairman.”

    The Conference had, on March 20, rejected the proposal but the 49-member elders’ committee, after consultations with the conference leadership, later overturned the decision in favour of the proposed order. The elders’ committee was formed earlier by the Chairman to resolve the impasse generated by the controversial voting method of 75 percent or three quarter of members present and voting if consensus cannot be reached on an issue.

    However, while the recommendation of the elders was brought before the delegates on the voting method, it was adopted. The question on the selection of Committee leadership was also put and the elders’ recommendation was carried, despite protest from a delegate that the elders were not mandated to deliberate on the matter.

    At a press briefing yesterday morning, the protesting delegates said they would insist on the reversal of the adopted decision. Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President, Abdulwaheed Omar, who was flanked by other labour and CSOs delegates, said the conference was manipulated by the leadership on the issue. He said though the reversal would be contested on the floor, Nigerians should be alerted to the fact that the outcome of the Conference might be manipulated after all. “This protest is not an afterthought because we raised an objection just before the vote was put, but we were ambushed. Even the question was ambiguously put with many not understanding what they voted for.

    “Conference leadership has manipulated us on this subject but we need to inform Nigerians that such conduct of deception is dangerous and can affect the report of the Conference. With this singular act, we need to look at the character of the leadership of this conference and this showed that we have to be very careful in trusting them. We need to watch out as Nigerians because it is possible that the outcome of this conference is manipulated already.

    “Why should this conference be different? In the 2005 conference, it was the delegates that picked the leadership of Committees. We demand the restoration of the original decision of the plenary session that committees should choose their leaders. The leadership should desist from taking the taking for granted delegates to the conference,” he added. But reacting yesterday, Confab leadership said due process was followed in all that was done, saying it breached no rules on the adoption of Order 6 rule 6 (A), (B) as contested by labour and CSO delegates. According to Akpandem James, Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications, the delegates were fully involved in the adoption of the recommendation of the 50-member elders’ committee that intervened on the matter.

  • ‘If you want to sleep, walk out’

    Delegate to the National Conference and Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Dan Nwanyanwu, yesterday advised his colleagues: “If you want to sleep, walk out.” This advice came up during a debate on a rule to gag the press through Order 15 rule 7.

    Nwanyanwu said: “Anyone who wants to sleep can climb this aisle and walk out. Once you are here, your two eyes must be opened. If you decide to help yourself by sleeping,nobody will help you to gag the press.

    “The press must report what they have seen and they are not lying by what was reported. It was the truth. If you are here for the true purpose of nation building, we must be serious.

    “With due respect to our elder statesmen, I see them, they are awake, but I say if there is any reason for anyone to take a nap for reason of health challenges, such person must not do it here, else the media will get you.”

    Nwanyanwu was one of several delegates who killed an attempt to gag the press. Former Senate President Ken Nnamani supported free press.

    Festus Okoye said the clause was offensive to freedom of expression and that the conditions attached to the clause should be expunged.

    According to him, the media has a responsibility to report the conference accurately and should not be intimated.

    His proposal that the conditions attached to the clause be removed was unanimously adopted.

    The clause now reads: “The Conference may grant approval to the representative of any media to attend the sitting of the Conference.”

    The draft procedure rules Order 15 Miscellaneous rule 7 stipulates that “The Conference may grant approval to the representative of any media to attend the sitting of the Conference provided that if the media publishes a report of the proceedings which the conference considers unfair, offensive and not a true reflection of what translator end, such permission may be revoked.”

    ThisDay publisher Nduka Obiagbuna and activist Yinka Odumakin found the clause repressive and against the rights of Nigerians to be informed of the true situation of things at the conference.

    Odumakin said: “We have not been sent here to come and sleep and if the media observed that some of us are sleeping, they are duty bound to publish those photographs.”

    Nwanyanwu, Odumakin and Obaigbena’s intervention were in response to a statement by a delegate, Mahmud Aminu shortly after the beginning of proceedings.

    Aminu, a representative of Civil Society Organisations (CSO), complained about some reports in some national dailies about some individuals that were caught sleeping at the plenary the previous day.

    “Some of us have followed the reports of the press since last week and we have observed slanted and negative reports about this conference. While it is not our responsibility to circumscribe the role of the Nigerian press,we call on the press to be responsible in its reportage.”

    He said a member asked the leadership of the conference if he was entitled to aides and assistants.

    “When the Nigerian press reported it, they said delegates to the conference were asking for assistants and aides.”

     

  • Businessman petitions police over eviction

    A businessman, Mr Boniface Ezeisi, the Chief Executive Officer of Boney Marcus Industry Limited, has petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko over his “illegal eviction” from his office situated on 26, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Road, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, by a man simply identified as Major Okoro.

    Okoro, Ezeisi said, claimed to be Chief Security Officer (CSO) to Globacom chairman Mr Mike Adenuga.

    He said Okoro invaded the building one morning with some security operatives to eject its occupants.  Addressing reporters yesterday, Ezeisi said: “I called you people here because I was ejected from my former office by one Major Okoro who claims to be CSO to Mr Mike Adenuga. He said he got directives from Adenuga to remove all tenants from the property. I asked him if he had any court order , quit notice or written directives from Adenuga to carry out the said action, he (Okoro) said he didn’t need them, adding that he is above getting court orders or quit notices from anyone.

    “I still have properties worth about $750,000 inside the safe in the shop; they locked everywhere and station private security men within the building’s premises; we don’t have access to our properties.”

    Ezeisi spoke further: “I don’t believe Mr Adenuga knew about this action because if he did, there would have been a court order. I am 100 per cent sure that Mr Adenuga never made such order to evict us form the building.”

    In his letter to Manko through his lawyer, David Adjarho, he said Okoro perpetrated the act on May 24, at about 8am when he came in a black Toyota Prado SUV with some riot policemen who stormed the place in a Toyota Hilux Van.

    “ … Our client has lost over N20 million worth of goods due to the illegal and malicious acts of these fellows,” he added.

    The legal practitioner condemned Okoro’s alleged action and urged the police to ensure that his client gets justice.

    The letter has been referred to the Area F police Command “for immediate action,” while Mr Robert Obasogie is the inspector in charge of the case.