The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Maku

  • Nigeria not ripe for state police – Maku

    Nigeria not ripe for state police – Maku

    The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said on Tuesday that Nigeria was not ripe for state police.

    Some governors have continued to clamour for state police, using the argument that the step would empower them, as chief executives of their states, to effectively secure their domains.

    But Maku, who led the national good governance tour team, currently in Plateau, to a visit to the Police Staff College, in the outskirts of Jos, said that the nation lacked adequate facilities to handle that.

    He said the nation’s police force was doing well in spite of the enormous challenges, stressing that advocates of state police had never looked at the area of training.

    “Training is key to success, unfortunately those asking for state police have not looked at that area, “the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the minister as saying during the visit.

    He rejected incessant allegations of corruption slapped on the police by members of the public, and declared that there was no human institution that may not host some bad eggs from within it.

    In his remarks, the Commandant of the college, Mr. Bala Hassan, said that 53 intervention projects were being carried out in the institution.

    He expressed optimism that the projects would address the challenges of the 36-year old college.

     

  • Maku is a careless talker, says Mark

    Maku is a careless talker, says Mark

    •Minister apologises to Senate

    Senate President David Mark yesterday called the Information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku, a careless talker.

    Mark was reacting to a statement credited to the minister, that the Senate’s resolutions were merely advisory and not binding on President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The Senate President, who was contributing to a motion on the ravaging effects of flood in parts of the country, said Maku should be told that it was not in his place to educate the Senate on the importance of its resolutions.

    He noted that the Senate would call for the removal of any minister who disparages the National Assembly through careless utterances.

    Mark said: “The Information Minister is just a careless talker. He is extremely careless. He didn’t think through what he was saying. It is not in his place to tell us what the effects of our resolutions are. He is not to educate us. We are to educate him.

    “I think he talks very carelessly and I hope the President cautioned him and called him to order. Next time he does that, we will take a resolution here of any minister who talks carelessly, that such a minister be removed, because there was really no need for that at all, absolutely.

    “For those who usually tell the ministers to take a bow and go, because they are very good men, I hope they are learning some hard lessons from the way they talk.”

    Maku yesterday apologised to the Senate over his comment.

    The minister showed remorse when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, to answer questions on the alleged disrespect to the Senate.

    The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, referred to Section 88(4) of the Constitution, which empowers the National Assembly to probe any matter it has the power to make law and others on.

    Abaribe said the Senate wanted to confirm from Maku the position of the Presidency on matters that had been decided upon by the National Assembly, whether such matters should be treated with disdain or acted upon.

    According to him, for anybody to think that the resolutions of the Senate should not be taken seriously is a matter of concern to the lawmakers.

    Senator Smart Adeyemi, a member of the committee, wanted to know whether Maku expressed his personal opinion or the position of the Presidency.’

    Senator Zainab Kure asked whether or not the Doctrine of Necessity, through which President Jonathan became Acting President, was a law or a resolution of the National Assembly.

    The members said Maku’s statement disparaged and denigrated the integrity of the Senate.

    Maku said he had never intended to disparage, denigrate or disrespect the National Assembly in his personal or official capacity.