The Nation Newspaper

Tag: discourse

  • Schools’ protection, terrorism top global security discourse

    For four days, 22,000 public and private security experts across the world met in Dallas, United States of America  (USA) to deliberate on current threats and proffer solutions. Correspondent Precious Igbonwelundu who attended the conference reports that school security, border protection and terrorism topped the discussions.

    Despite the devastating Hurricane Harvey that hit Texas, United States of America (USA) last month, thousands of security experts from.96 countries converged on the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre in Dallas for the 63rd annual seminar of American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS).

    The tone of the conference, which held between September 24 and and 28 was set by former US President George Bush, with his perspectives on the current threat  and the risks, potentials of innovative technologies reshaping society and the way businesses are conducted.

    Organised in partnership with InfraGard and ASIS, the event had 180 lecture sessions with majority of them on security threats in schools, terrorism, cybersecurity and border security.

    Over 500 new technologies such as machine learning, robotics, forensic analysis, and artificial intelligence used for land, air and water security were exhibited.

    According to ASIS International President, Thomas Langer, this year’s seminar and exhibit registered an unmistakable buzz in Dallas.

    He said: “Despite several natural disasters around the globe in the weeks leading up to our show, security professionals came out in droves to exchange ideas, best practices, and experience first-hand, the most innovative products and services in the market.

    “From the standing-room only education sessions to the jam-packed exhibit hall, ASIS fulfilled its promise to deliver the security industry’s premier event.”

    Education formats including deep dives, case studies, and mock trials provided a more immersive and interactive learning environment for attendees at all experience levels.

    Among those who attended the seminar were Microsoft’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), Director Sales/Marketing, CodeLynx, Mike Howard, Chairman, Protection Plus Security Services, Ubong King, former Assistant Vice President Region 11, Chief Charles Okon; Gen. David Logbo, Chief Ona Ekhomu, Mrs. Victoria Ekhomu and chairman, Transworld Security, SU Atuboko.

    Others include General Manager Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Isa Inuya, Group Executive Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation  (NNPC) Sam Onobueje, former ASIS International President, Dave Tyson,  and CSOs of First Bank, Airtel, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Fidelity Bank and Chevron Nigeria, among others.

    Delivering a lecture on schools’ protection, Ekhomu said Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children globally, with a record 11 million of the total world figure of 20 million.

    He said the country’s record was triggered by attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, kidnapping and militancy.

    According to him, 146 teachers and 314 pupils were killed by Boko Haram insurgents last year, adding that the terrorist group got $50 million for the release of 21 Chibok Girls.

    On the way forward, he said visitor screening procedures,  text-a-threat programme, security and safety clubs, profiling of school workers, threat assessment teams and first responders should be put in place as mitigation measures.

    Already, Ekhomu said some states such as Lagos have taken steps such as school commissionaires to contain cases of kidnapping, cultism and hooliganism.

    For Borno State, he explained that hunters and vigilante services have been subscribed by school authorities to aid the police and military at insurgency zones.

    He emphasised the need to brief members of school population about potential threats in their areas and steps to take.

    Also, Ekhomu said schools should be fenced, metal doors with at least two bolts should be used for classrooms, offices and hostels, adding that concrete bollards be used in areas of VBIED threats.

    For electronic security measures, he said there must be Close Circuit Television (CCTVs), Intrusion Detection System (IDS), Panic Alarm System (PAS), Fire Alarm System (FAS), Electronic Access Control System and Mass Notification Systems.

    Ekhomu said: “The lives of school populations matter. So, proprietors and governments must do more to protect them. Mitigation strategies should comprise the classic 4Ds of security. However, resource constraints in emerging economies often impoverish mitigation options.

    According to ASIS’ spokesperson, Peggy O’Connor, the association organised security cares programme for Dallas Community on security preparedness and prevention for small, medium scale businesses and public institutions.

    She said CityLab High School was awarded a $22,000 grant and additional in-kind donations from Axis Communications to support campus-wide security upgrades.

    Also, Omnigo Software showcased BLERT, an innovation which empowers college students to instantly and anonymously report incidences from their mobile phones as easily as sending a text message or sharing a video.

    The Blert! dashboard allows campus safety directors to monitor reports and instantly communicate with students who initiate a report.

    According to an executive of Omnigo Software, Bobby Robertson, their mission was to help ensure a world with safer tomorrows.

    He said: “Our mission is to help ensure a world with safer tomorrows by giving security professionals the tools they need to prevent threats from becoming incidents. This new offering delivers on that promise by combining some of the best software tools available.

    “Omnigo Software serves law enforcement, education, healthcare and other enterprises. The suite includes more than 25 tools to manage incidents and prevent future ones including special modules for detection, response, reporting, remediation and prevention.”

  • Osun APC challenges PDP to public discourse

    Osun APC challenges PDP to public discourse

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a public discourse on the future of the state.

    The APC said it would like the PDP to articulate publicly ‘why it has been so viciously opposed to everything done by the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola-led APC government and why the party wants the projects abandoned or destroyed or both’.

    In a statement by its spokesperson Kunle Oyatomi, APC said: “Besides, the PDP should clearly explain what it plans to replace these projects with and how.”

    The party urged the media to moderate the public discourse, which it said should be based on 14 years of governance in Osun State.

    It expressed surprise that the opposition appeared to have lost its voice since the ruling party challenged it to tell Osun State residents what programmes and projects it intended to substitute with what the APC has been doing in the last seven years.

    According to the APC, the PDP and its associates should not be allowed to misinform the people of Osun with lies and fabricated figures designed to make the governor and his administration look bad and hated by impressionable segment of society.

    It said: “We seek civilised engagement with the PDP and others on the critical issues, which will be moderated by the media, because the best governorship election will be based on issues that require thorough enlightenment of the voting public.

    “In spite of the ICPC’s acquittal of Osun government on the false allegation by the PDP of diversion of the bailout fund for salaries, together with the Debt Management Office’s clean bill on the status of the state’s debt profile, evil people are still demonising Ogbeni Aregbesola on the issues.

    “In the light of this dangerous political incitement of the PDP and the wicked fake news peddling, which other opponents of the APC government have made a habit of spreading, it has become necessary to engage these misdirected politicians and a treacherous ex-Head of Service (HoS) in a public discourse.

    “The people of the State of Osun are being taken for a ride by unscrupulous politicians who are shamelessly given the impression that the people of the state are largely gullible, hence incapable of appreciating things of international standard, developed in their communities.”

  • Hate speeches in national discourse

    SIR: Hate speeches emanating from various parts of the country has created anxiety and doubts on whether or not Nigeria will remain a sovereign entity.

    An undiscerning mind can easily draw the conclusion that these threats posed real and potential danger, especially when viewed against the backdrop that those who expected to speak against such threats in order to douse the tension it generated are either keeping quiet or reacting a bit too late.

    The situation lends to suspicion that the elite, who are expected to immediately condemn the hate speeches, are either in support of the utterances or are sponsoring such activities because of group interests.

    Over the years, successive administrations in Nigeria made efforts to foster national unity. A look at various universities and unity schools in the country showed that students from respective parts of the country studied under the same academic environment. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) also stands out as one scheme that has ensured national integration for several decades.

    A poignant question to ask is why must Nigeria remain one? The nation is the only African nation that possesses immense human and natural resources that attract most attention from the international community especially the super powers. Nigerians must also be mindful of the clandestine agenda of those nations that are envious of the dividends of our diversity.

    Ghana, Togo, Cote d’ Ivoire and Senegal overcame secession threats at different points in their history and this should be a lesson for Nigeria since it is the mouthpiece of the African continent. For the nation to continue enjoying such status, political stability, peace, security and development are key qualities.

    It is important to underscore the fact that no African nation, split through referendum or by civil war has really achieved high level of security and development. Most of the countries that experienced wars or civil strife still spend scarce resources to processes and purchase arms to fight against insurgencies. Nigeria should avoid such situation considering that fact that the nation survived a civil war that lasted three years.

    Inferences could be drawn from Libya and South-Sudan. Both countries depict the gloomy picture of divided nations torn apart by strife.

    The implementation of a dynamic policy of unity of purpose which the current leadership is leaning towards will ensure that all Nigerians have a better understanding of the collective interest. The full implementation of the strategy will halt permanently agitations for secession and consolidate the much desired unity of the nation.

    Any move to cause war or civil strife in Nigeria should be avoided because of its negative impact on the growth and development of the nation. George Kennan, an American diplomat and strategist who captures the frightful impact of hate speech purveyors said: “War has a momentum of its own, you know where you begin. You never know where you are going to end.’’

     

    • Ayobami Akanji

    Abuja

  • Lagos School of History: An exploratory discourse – 3

    The Lagos School of History was more concerned with relevance of the discipline to national and international problems facing Nigeria. The Lagos School did not want to concede finding solutions to political, social and economic problems of Nigeria to political scientists and economists because the study of history probably provides a more solid foundation for understanding the problems of social and economic development. And in any case history provides the basic foundational structure from which the social sciences take off. Even though most of the staff of the Department of History in Lagos were trained outside the University of Lagos and came from different universities ranging from the University of Ibadan, American, British, Australian and Canadian universities and have trained and written their doctoral dissertations not with the aim of developing any school, they however found themselves involved in what later became the Lagos School of History.

    One of the interesting things about the Lagos School was its bias for International Relations, Biographies, Defence Studies, Cultural, Maritime and Economic History. The founding fathers of the department were Professor A.B. Aderibigbe, who had interest in the history of the city of Lagos, Professor Olusanya whose interest was nation-building, the rise of Nigerian nationalism and international relations, Professor Gbadebo Gbadamosi whose interest lay in Islamic tradition and culture in western Nigeria and Professor Tunde Agiri whose interest was economic development.

    They all applied their scholarship to the socio-political problems of the times. And just like the Ibadan people, they were able to create niches for themselves especially in the functional approach to history. Professor Tony Asiwaju brought his wealth of border land studies and boundaries into play in assisting the National Boundaries Commission as a member of the Commission and later as a member of the International Commission on the Bakasi Question. His training and dissertation on Western Yorubaland under Western colonialism with its emphasis on comparative assessment of British and French colonialism provided a foundation for his training and development as a boundary man and he was able to leverage this in helping Nigeria to resolve boundary problems both nationally and internationally. This columnist trained in Canada and his training in military, diplomatic and international relations evidenced by his book on Nigeria in the First World War provided the basis for his branching into international relations where his study of relations between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea launched him into the policy arena of international relations.

    Professor Ade Adefuye even though majored in East African History has since shifted his focus to Nigerian foreign policy and cultural diplomacy and this has led him into diplomatic representation of Nigeria in Jamaica, Great Britain, United States and in working in the Commonwealth secretariat. Junior colleagues and students of these trailblazers have found niches in economic, defence, maritime, ethnic, naval and social history. The significant thing about the Lagos School is its relevance.

    The engagement of members of the department with the government in several advisory capacities led at one time three members of the department being appointed ambassadors and at another time Professor Olusanya was appointed Director-General of N.I.I.A., while Professor A.I. Asiwaju was appointed member of National Boundaries Commission, and this writer became Special Adviser to the Ministry of External Affairs and later ambassador to Germany after having served in quasi-diplomatic posts in Ottawa and Washington DC. What was significant about all this was the placement of round pegs in round holes. Most of the post-graduate students coming out of the Lagos School attempt to study topics that are of direct application to policy without sacrificing the rigour of historical analysis.

    Within the last decade, two doctoral dissertations from the department were adjudged the best in the Humanities Law and social sciences in Nigeria by the National Universities Commission. Recent theses coming out of the department of history, University of Lagos bear out the orientation of applied history which is the strength of the department. These dissertations include A.O. Ogunyemi “Federal Budgets in Nigeria, 1954-1999”, O.J. Ogen “The Ikale of South Eastern Yorubaland1500-1900”, Paul A. Osifodunrin “Violent Crimes in Lagos 1861-2000”, Ganiyu O. Davies “The Interconnectedness of Urbanisation and Colonial Land Policies in Lagos 1914-1960”, Uche Igwe “The Impact Migrant Labour from Owerri Province on the Economy of Eastern Nigeria 1915-1965”, Obichere G. Iwuagwu “Socio-Economic History of Food Crop Production in Igboland 1900-1980”, Victor Ukaogo “From Palm Oil to Crude Oil: The Impact of International Trade on Niger-Delta Communities 1895-1995”, Femi Adegbulu “Oyo from the 16th to the 19th Century: A Study of External Relations of an African State”, Danladi A. Ali “Nature and Impact of Trade and Inland Water Transport in the Lower Niger Region 1879-1997”, Irene Osemeka “The Casamance Peace Process 1947-2004”, Kenneth C. Nwoko “The International Committee of the Red Cross in Nigeria 1960-2007”, Uche Okonkwo “A Socio-Economic History of Alcohol in South Eastern Nigeria since 1890”, Sikiru Momodu “Nigeria and International Labour Organisation 1945-1993”, Falode A. James “The State and Nation Building in Nigeria 1967-2007”, David Aworawo “Diplomacy and Development of Equatorial Guinea 1900-1990”, Monday M. Ogbeidi “Educational Exchanges in Nigeria-USA Cultural Relations 1938-1988”.

    In the same vein and following the same tradition and trajectory of relevance are the current ongoing doctoral dissertations namely; Ogunjewo Henry Bandele Diplomatic Missions and Foreign Relations: A History of the Nigerian Mission to the United Kingdom 1960—2010, Anaemene Benjamin Uchena Nigeria and the World Health Organisation 1960-2007: A Study in Health Diplomacy, Friday Aworawo Third-Party Intervention in Intra-State Conflicts in Africa: A Comparative Study of Chad and Sierra Leone 1975-2005, Segun Bolarinwa A History of Development Initiatives in Africa 1975 to the Present, Adinuba Bernard Chuks The Quest for Food Security in Anambra State, 1960-1991: A Historical Analysis, Bernard Fyanka History of Small Arms Control in Nigeria and Liberia 1967-2012: Implications for Peace Building and Security, Eguedo-Okoeguale Hysaint Nigeria-India Relations, 1960-2010: A Study in South-South Cooperation and Development, Chilaka Edmund Mbama Ghana’s National Shipping Line and Ghana’s Black Star Line 1957-1998, Grace Emeka Ogubo Economic Impact of Colonial Rule on the Upper Cross-River Region 1900-1960, Adeogun Adebayo Hegemons and Regional Economic Integration: Nigeria in ECOWAS and South Africa in SADC, Ashe Muesiri A Historical Study of Local Government Administration in Urhoboland 1917-1999, Decker Jonathan B. A History of the Poor in Lagos 1861-1967.

    From these doctoral dissertations, it is clear that the orientation of the Lagos School of History is what may be called applied or functional history, not just history for history’s sake, neither is it in the tradition of total detachment from subject matter like those followers of Leopold Von Ranke tradition of historicism. A.J.P. Taylor, distinguished Regius Professor of history in Cambridge dared to say history should not be written with the purpose of its relevance to present events or situation but should be written from pure academic detachment and that a historian should never worry about where his scholarship may lead.

     

  • Lagos School of History: An exploratory discourse – 2

    What the Ibadan School of History was largely interested in was establishing the fact that Africa had a past that was worthy of study. In other words, they were following European tradition of history for history’s sake. Most of those involved in the development of this school were not concerned with functionality or application of the study of the African past to solve present problems. It is, however, fair to suggest that exponents of the Ibadan school believed in the continuity of human experience from the past to the present and that the past certainly informs the present and that the present can only be totally understood by studying the past and that the present will have an impact on the future. It will be unfair to say that the Ibadan School of History was only interested in the study of history as an intellectual and academic exercise only and that it was not concerned, with the use of history in solving problems that may face society. However, the question of relevance was not a major question. Critics have also accused the Ibadan School of History for not having been concerned with social and economic analysis whereas its main concern was Islamic and Christian proselytisation and colonialism generally and political issues especially the rise and fall of kingdoms and empires. Publications ascribed to the “Ibadan School” include the following; K.O. Dike Trade and Politics in the Niger Delta 1830-1835 (Oxford, 1956), Akinjide Osuntokun Nigeria in the First World War (1979), B.O. Oloruntimehin The Segu Tuklor Empire (1972), Murray Last The Sokoto Caliphate (1977), T.G.O. Gbadamosi The Growth of Islam among the Yoruba 1841-1980 (1978), Fred I.A. Omu Press and Politics in Nigeria 1880-1937 (1978), Akitoye S. Adebanji Revolution and Power Politics in Yorubaland 1840-1893: Ibadan Expansion and the Rise of Ekitiparapo (1971), Tamuno Tekena N. The Evolution of the Nigerian State (1972), Omer-Cooper J.D. The Zulu Aftermath: A Nineteenth Century Revolution in Bantu Africa (1966), Freund Bill Capital and Labour in the Nigerian Tin Mines (1981), Ryder Alan F.C. Benin and Europeans 1485-1897 (1977), Cookey S.J. Sodienye Britain and the Congo Question 1855-1913 (1968), Adewoye Omoniyi The Judicial System in Southern Nigeria 1854-1954: Law and Justice in a Dependency (1977), Adeleye R.A. Power and Diplomacy in Northern Nigeria 1804-1906: The Sokoto Caliphate and its Enemies (1971), Yahya Dahiru Morocco in the Sixteenth Century (1981), Ajayi J.F.A. Christian Missions in Nigeria 1841-1891 (1965), Asiwaju A.I. Western Yorubaland under European Rule 1889-1945 (1976), J.A. Atanda The New Oyo Empire: Indirect Rule and Change in Western Nigeria 1894-1934 (1973), P.A. Igbafe Benin Under British Administration: The Impact of Colonial Rule on an African Kingdom (1978), A.E. Afigbo The Warrant Chiefs: Indirect Rule in Southeastern Nigeria 1891-1929 (1972), J.C. Anene The International Boundaries of Nigeria 1885-1960 (1970) and E.A. Ayandele Missionary Impact on Modern Nigeria 1842-1914 (1966).

    The Ibadan School has been successful in its task of establishing the fact of African history and developing a body of literature to be used in historical pedagogy by teachers and providing literature for the reading public.

    The intellectual erudition of the exponents of the Ibadan School was noticed at home and abroad and many of the older scholars found themselves in the editorial boards of many overseas based distinguished journals as well as in councils and academic bodies on education including at one time Professor J.F. Ade-Ajayi serving as Chairman of Council of the United Nations’ University in Tokyo, Japan. Apart from Kenneth Dike who became the first African Vice Chancellor of the University Of Ibadan, others like J.F. Ade-Ajayi, Emmanuel Ayandele, Tekena Tamuno, S.J. Cookey, Omoniyi Adewoye became vice chancellors of Lagos, Calabar, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Ibadan respectively. Others became federal ministers and state commissioners not necessarily in the areas related to the history in which they specialised. In other words, those who were appointed into political post did not bring any special knowledge arising from their research into the ministerial departments to which they were posted.  The Department of History of the University of Ibadan became a victim of its own success. The Ibadan scholars did not replicate or reproduce themselves and the department became denuded as a result of a high profile appointments of the academic staff to the extent that at one time the history programme at the fountain head of the Ibadan School of History suffered de-accreditation in the hands of the National Universities Commission. This was the greatest tragedy that could happen to Ibadan which in the 1960s and 1970s was designated centre of excellence in African history. Although things have changed for the better in Ibadan but the lingering effect of what happened to the School is still apparent even till today to the extent that Ibadan School of History has become history and hardly does anyone talk about it today.

    The Lagos School of History seems to have learnt some lessons from the Ibadan School. It did not deliberately set out to be different from the Ibadan School since in any case some of its leadership came from Ibadan and were initially those of its weakest link in the Ibadan School. But as time went on and because of its proximity to government, the academic staff of the University of Lagos, Department of History were individually and severally called upon to advise government on policies which government felt they had expertise and over time the academic staff in the University of Lagos’s Department of History began to see sense in applied history.