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Tag: Osun State

  • Paris Club Refund: Osun pensioners advised to crosscheck information with other states

    The Osun State Supervisor of Finance, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, has charged the pensioners in the state to disregard “false information” that the state government had received N6.3 billion last tranche of the Paris Club refund from the federal government.

    He advised the pensioners, who last week protested non-payment of their pension areas, to crosscheck with other states on the Paris Club refund to be sure that no state of the federation had received such fund.

    Oyebamiji, who insisted that no state has received the Paris Club refund from the FG not to talk of diverting it for other purposes, said Governor Oyetola is known for transparency and accountability.

    In a statement by the Information Officer in the state’s Ministry of Finance, Mr. Kingsley Omoyeni, the supervisor said with or without the Paris Club refund, the Gboyega Oyetola administration is looking into their matter, assuring that their welfare and that of workers remain paramount to the governor.

    He said: “There is no iota of truth in the rumour going around that Osun government has received N6.3 billion as the Paris Club refund, there has been nothing of such at all.

    “I want the pensioners to crosscheck the information from their colleagues in other states. I can assure them that no state has received the fund. Our state cannot be different and therefore there is no way Osun among the states of the federation will be the only one to get such fund.

    “The Oyetola administration attaches so much importance to the welfare of workers and pensioners in the state. The state government is always looking into their welfare and we are hoping that things will continue to get better.

     

  • Nigerians must hold public officers accountable – Osun lawmaker

    The Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Tunde Olatunji, has charged Nigerians to hold public office holders accountable in order to break the nation’s yoke of under development.

    Speaking at a News Point programme of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council, Olatunji, representing Ife North state constituency, insisted that accountability in government is not negotiable.

    According to him: “It is high time we held our government accountable for Nigeria to grow.”

    The lawmaker called on Nigerians to see the fight against insurgents as collective, stressing that, “every Nigerian must join hands with the government to build this nation.”

    The lawmaker, who acknowledged efforts of the state governor, Gboyega Oyetola, to end the menace of kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities, said far-reaching solutions must be sought to overcome the challenges facing Nigeria.

    Read Also: Osun pensioners split over protest

    He said: “Special attention must be to paid family units, where children are trained about values and social norms. Family restructuring is a strong factor to consider and that can be a panacea to ending insecurity and economic predicament.

    ”A large percentage of youths involved in crimes are from broken homes and their bad attitude and characters are substantially linked to poor parenting. The real restructuring towards socio-economic challenges of Nigeria must start from the families.

    ”I make bold to say that over 80 per cent of young people in crime are either from broken homes or fragmented families. That is a serious factor that has continued to aggravate our national security challenges.”

    Olatunji, an ex-banker, advised the Federal Government to control population explosion, which he said was not commensurate with growth in productivity.

    According to him, the recent figure that puts Nigeria’s population at over 200 million should be a thing of great concern to all Nigerians, in the absence of advancement in the country’s level of productivity.

  • Osun monarchs meet over insecurity

    The traditional rulers in Ijesaland have met to deliberate on security challenges confronting their communities.

    The monarchs advised the Osun State government to set up a task force to work with the security agents, local hunters and vigilante group to provide security across Ijesaland.

    The royal fathers said the local vigilante should be allowed to assist the security agents, which they said must embrace intelligence gathering to end insecurity.

    Rising from the meeting convened by the Senator representing Osun East otherwise known as Ife-Ijesa zone, Chief Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, the monarchs in their communique, called on the Osun State government to stop issuance of Certificate of Occupancy to anyone without the consent of community leaders.

    Read Also: Osun denies receiving Paris Club refund

    They also charged the state goverment to stop all mining activities where mineral resources, particularly gold, have been discovered, saying lack of regulation of mining activities in Ijesaland had escalated crimes in their domains with the influx of foreigners, especially northerners.

    They called on the local government authorities to commence clearing of bushes at exactly 100 meters from the highway.

    Fadahunsi, who spoke with reporters after the meeting, advocated the screening of immigrants into affected communities as a means of combating the insecurity.

    According to him, the screening exercise will help the communities to determine the mission of the immigrants before they settle in their midst.

    ”Communities need to be extra vigilant and cooperate with the police and other security agents. The vigilante groups should be trained to maintain peace and security. There should be need for proper coordination of cattle rearers by providing particular places for them on leasehold,” he said.

  • Monarch fetes 9,000 pupils

    No fewer than 9,000 pupils were hosted by the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Raaheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I, on this year’s Children’s Day. The pupils from primary and secondary schools, drawn from Iwo, Ayedire and Ola-Oluwa local government areas of Osun State were hosted at the football pitch of Bowen University, Iwo.

    The Children’s Day event initiated and sponsored by the monarch was its fourth edition and it afforded the traditional ruler the opportunity to interact with the pupils picked from over 300 private and public schools. The programme tagged 4th Greater Iwo Empire Children’s Day 2019 Celebration had as its theme “Celebrating the Future Generation.”

    The first-class traditional ruler, who expressed joy in making the children happy, said the annual event was designed to give children hope and motivate them for brighter future.

    Oba Akanbi, who noted that children are the future of tomorrow, maintained that they should be built for the future. According to him, he started the maiden edition four years ago, saying nobody then believed it could be sustained.

    Oba Akanbi said shoes and socks were procured for pupils who are from indigent homes, adding that it was a beautiful thing for him to see that all the participants at this year’s edition were wearing shoes and socks.

    He bemoaned the practice of government celebrating only the children in the state capital, stating that most Nigerian children, especially those outside the capital city, are marginalised and cut off from the scheme of things.

    Oba Akanbi said he has been “speaking and acting” in order for other traditional rulers and authorities concerned to pay more attention to the welfare and future of children. He said he has given children freedom to come to his palace three times a week for clothing and feeding, stating that “this is to ensure that no child is neglected.”

    However, he advised the students to take their studies seriously and work to become successful through honesty and hard work.

    Also speaking, the Chairman of the Planning Committee for the Greater Iwo Empire Children’s Day, Mr. Olatunbosun Alao called on sons and daughters of the kingdom to key into the project. He lamented the financial implication of the programme was becoming unbearable. The participants engaged in quiz competition; march past. At the end of the event, certificates of participation and prizes were presented to the pupils.

  • Osun economic summit shifted

    The Osun State economic and investment summit has been put on hold.

    The summit is designed to promote investment in identified sectors to guarantee continuous growth of the state’s economy

    It is also intended to present the state’s economic roadmap and showcase investment opportunities to prospective investors and partners.

    The summit was slated for June 25 to 27 in Osogbo, the state capital, before the change of plans.

    A statement by the organisers on Sunday said the summit, which already had the support of key economic drivers in the country, will now hold at a date to be announced.

    The statement added that all the stakeholders had been apprised of the development.

     

  • Scary cutoff

    Education is in trouble in Nigeria. I have always known this; but this was further reinforced when, at the 19th Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria held by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on June 11, at the Bola Babalakin Auditorium, Gbongan, Osun State. It was the second time the annual ritual would be taking place in the ancient town, at the same venue. It was also my second time of attending the forum.

    It is universally agreed that education is the bedrock of development. It is like oxygen without which no human being can live. It is important because it gives people the knowledge and skills that they need in life. Even Boko Haram terrorists who say ‘book is haram’ (sin) cannot succeed without the by-products of education. The vehicles they use in conveying themselves and their abductees; the bomb they use both for suicide and to cause havoc, etc. all are by-products of western education that they say they are campaigning against.

    Unfortunately, despite this much acclaimed importance of education, many governments at all levels in the country merely pay lip service to the educational sector. Indeed, one state governor literally gave glory to God that his people could not read newspapers, when asked, a few years back, whether he would not be bothered by his people’s reaction to a particular action of his! This might have been Freudian slip, but that, really, is the way some of the state governments treat education. And we are having the result. Can this low cutoff mark be proof of a decline in education standard? If you say it is not part of it; please tell me what it is.

    Read Also: 22-year-old commits suicide in Anambra

    Just on June 11, the stark reality stared us all in the face when, in a possible score of 400, those determining the fate of our children seeking admission into our higher institutions fixed the UTME cutoff mark at 160 for public universities. This is barely 40 percent; what is known as ‘Let my people go’ (LMPG) in some higher institutions. LMPG is simply the least pass mark grade to graduate or move to the next academic level. Different cutoff marks have also been set for private universities (currently 140), public polytechnics (120), private polytechnics (110), and colleges of education (100). This is really discomfiting. But I quickly composed myself when I remembered that it was even worse in 2017 when the cutoff mark for public universities was pegged at 120. We can only imagine what those for other ‘less favoured’ institutions would have been then. Mercifully then, however, some of the universities, notably the Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos, University of Benin, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka,among others, set their own cutoff marks at 200 which, even in some cases was higher, depending on the course of study.

    It was in this vein that I was scandalised when one of the institutions affiliated to the University of Ibadan (name withheld) was asking for cutoff of 140 or 160 at the policy meeting. So, what is the country turning into? How on earth could an institution that wants to parade the degree of the premier university be asking for such a ridiculous cutoff mark? I was however relieved with the response of Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB  registrar and chief executive, that the university’s vice chancellor had personally written to the board that the institution would not accept anything less than 200 for admission into any of its programmes.

    Before I started witnessing the policy meetings, I had always had the erroneous impression, like many other Nigerians, that the cutoff point is usually fixed by JAMB. I now know better. Vice chancellors, provosts, rectors, admission officers, registrars from federal, state and private universities and colleges of education and polytechnics play key roles in determining the cutoff mark. I think it was the 2017 cutoff that became so controversial, with some higher institutions feigning ignorance of the 120 cutoff mark and JAMB had a serious battle convincing the public that it was collective responsibility. As could be observed, even at the last policy meeting, some of these ’disadvantaged’ institutions did not hide their fear about high cutoff point. They believe it is only the ‘privileged institutions’ that are at advantage to get some of the best qualified candidates.

    And this is not a challenge for universities alone; it is as much an issue among the polytechnics and colleges of education. It is also a big problem along ownership lines, with the private higher institutions frantically making attempts to have rock-bottom cutoff points. Only a few private universities support high cutoff; and these are the eyebrow ones. Most of the other private institutions do not see themselves in good stead when the cutoff mark is high.

    I do not see Prof Oloyede rejoicing over a low cutoff mark but the matter is not determined solely by JAMB. What baffles me is that some parents are upbeat about this cutoff mark. But I have been telling those of them that seek my opinion that there is nothing to celebrate in it. So, any parent whose ward looks toward admission with barely 160 marks is wasting his or her time. Many of the institutions of repute are unlikely to come as low as the cutoff prescribed as their benchmark.

    But the JAMB registrar made a very valid point at the occasion: the market, the ultimate leveller, would at the end of the day rate every institution by the quality of the graduates produced by it. But parents who are seeking the least admission benchmark for their children should know that there are consequences. Even the candidates too should realise that. How can you enter higher institutions with different admission criteria only to expect parity in remuneration at the end of the day? Things don’t work that way.

    University admission in the country has for many years been war; it has always been survival of the fittest. I remember the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof Akin Adesola (now late), during our matriculation in 1981 saying something like it was only about 10 percent of the 30,000 plus of those who applied for admission into the university were admitted that year and that those of us found worthy must count ourselves lucky. Then, there were no private universities. I can’t even remember if there were state polytechnics. If there were, they would be so few. Today, we have many private universities, many private polytechnics, monotechnics; more colleges of education in addition to many federal and state-owned universities. Yet, we do not have enough space for the teeming number of youths seeking admission. It is true that some of them may not be admitted due to their insistence on certain courses or institutions; but the fact remains that many too, even if qualified, cannot still find space in existing institutions.

    Be that as it may, what we are now seeing by way of constant reduction of cutoff marks tells us that we have to do something about our educational sector. The Punch carried some distressing stories about the state of some of our schools, with some not better than pigsties. There is no way quality teaching and learning can take place in such places. Governors who are celebrating (openly or secretly) that their people cannot read newspapers should be seeing the consequences of their stupidity. My only worry is that the products of their system are now disturbing the rest of us.

    Thank you, Sanwo-Olu

    I said in my column titled “Sanwo-Olu, ise ya (1) and (2) written early this month that the minimalists that they are, Nigerians would clap for any local government chairman, governor or even president who does his job well. I mean his job; and not something extraordinary. The reason is simple: many people in public office take the positions for the allure and the glamour; not necessarily because they want to better the lot of the citizenry. So, they rarely do their job.

    I had written in the earlier mentioned articles the need to fix some roads that suffered as a result of the construction of the BRT corridor on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. One of these was Ajiboye Crescent in the Okeodo area of Agege. Barely a week after that publication, the terribly bad portions of the road were fixed, including the ‘amateurish’ culvert which has now been improved upon. Or, was this a mere coincidence?

    Whatever it is, we should still clap for Sanwo-Olu because similar complaints were made in the past without any attention given to them. Again, one can only hope though, that this is not the usual ‘gra-gra’ by new governments; that this would be a major characteristic that would define the new administration in Lagos State.

  • Nigeria’s political landscape still volatile, unstable – UNILAG VC

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe (FAS) on Thursday lamented the volatile and unstable landscape of the country, going by the recent general elections.

    He made this observation during the 2019 colloquium of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), which took place at the Management House, Victoria Island Lagos.

    For Ogundipe, who served as the returning officer of Osun State for the 2019 presidential election, elections ought to represent the will of the people, devoid of violence.

    The Vice Chancellor, speaking on the theme “Democracy and Electoral Process: the Nigerian Experience” said this is so because of the intolerance Nigerians exhibit during the exercise.

    According to him, “Despite the gains in electoral process and democratic experience, Nigerian political landscape is still volatile and unstable. This is because of the violence, intolerance and killing still witnessed during our elections.

    “It is even more worrying with the incidences of ballot-box snatching, voters intimidation, insecurity as well as manipulation on the basis of religion and ethnicity. These have led to a significant number of tribunal cases after the rejection of election results by the opposition at state or federal.”

    Read Also: Extreme poverty in Nigeria worrisome, says Osinbajo

    Defining democracy as a system that recognizes representation and individual rights, Professor Ogundipe affirmed the elimination of electoral manipulations and violence, for it to grow.

    “The conduct of free and fair elections in Nigeria is instrumental to the growth and sustainability of Nigeria, which will lead to rule of law, freedom of the press, accountability and transparency – where agencies like EFCC & ICPC could be more impactful. Citizens would be able to hold government responsible for the campaign promises made.” he said

    The Vice Chancellor recommended some ways to strengthen the democratic and electoral process in Nigeria to include strengthening the electoral framework, technology adaptation for transparency and effectiveness, increased engagement with stakeholders and professional training of electoral and security officers in the country, ahead of each electoral exercise.

    Earlier on, the President, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), Professor Olukunle Iyanda had wondered why there was always tension before, during and after the exercise in the country, and whether it was needed.

    “As we all know, election period in Nigeria, before, during, and after the elections, is characterized by tension, corrupt activities, and violence. These are caused by inter- and intra- party rivalry and activities. Must this necessary be so? Can elections be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, without disrupting the peace of the ordinary citizen whose interest may not go beyond discharging his civil responsibility of voting for a candidate of his choice? Can elections be conducted in such a way that both the winner and the loser would accept results as an expression of the will of the people? These are the challenges facing our country in the conduct of elections.

    Professor Ogundipe was inducted into the hall of fame of the Nigerian Institute of Management at the end of the colloquium.

     

  • Southwest governors get wake-up call on security

    Agitated over rising insecurity in the land, regional leaders are meeting on how to fight criminal elements in their zones.

    In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Afenifere leaders met on Thursday, urging Southwest governors to collaborate in securing lives and property.

    The Organised Private Sector (OPS), in collaboration with Southeast governors, has scheduled a meeting for today on cooperation with the police and other stakeholders on the security situation.

    These developments came on the heels of a presidential order to security agencies to end violence in Taraba State.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, who condemned the attacks on Kona, Taraba State, ordered security agencies to “immediately and decisively”end the violence.

    His Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, reported him as warning that attacks on innocent people would not be tolerated.

    The statement said: “No group of people has the right to surround innocent people and unleash murderous violence on them.”

    He said resorting to self-help was an invitation to anarchy, which in turn will make everyone unsafe, noting that “in a cycle of violence characterised by revenge and counter-revenge, there are no winners.”

    According to him, in a state of permanent hostilities, people undermine not only law and order, but also their own ability to conduct their everyday businesses in peace.

    He said: “I always wonder how people can conduct their businesses in the absence of peace and tranquillity because violence ruins everything and leaves the people worse off.

    “It is difficult to build a virile nation where hate and intolerance dominate the people’s minds. It’s easier to destroy than to build. People should count the economic costs of this violence to their own lives.”

    The President warned that a situation where community leaders abandon their responsibilities and allow thugs to set the agenda was dangerous for peace and security.

    He criticised leaders who publicly preach peace, but privately promote hate and intolerance which ultimately culminate in violent destruction of life and property.

    Southwest leaders, under the aupices of Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba, discussed security challenges in the region at the residence of a Second Republic senator and leader of the group, Chief Ayo Fasanmi.

    The group urged the Southwest governors to urgently find solution to kidnapping and banditry, which it said had become a regular occurrence in many parts of the zone.

    In a communique, signed by Pa Fasanmi, Senator Biyi Durojaye and Prince Taju Olusi, the group advised the governors to collaborate and form a regional security council to tackle the insecurity.

    Read Also: Security chiefs to go as governors seek new ideas

    The group concluded that it would visit the governors to know the steps they plan to take to curtail kidnapping and banditry.

    The group commended the immediate past governors for their outstanding performance.

    They hailed the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Chairman Adams Oshiomole and other party leaders for a successful and rancour-free elections of National Assembly leaders.

    The Afenifere Egbe Ilosiwaju Yoruba also congratulated Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila on their election as Senate President and Speaker of the House Representatives.

    The group thanked Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola for sending a delegation, led by his Chief of Staff Dr. Charles Diji Akintola, to attend its meeting.

    Also, the group expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the honour on the late M.K.O. Abiola, winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, and for naming a nafional monument after him as well as recognising June 12 as Democracy Day.

    Appreciating national leaders of the APC for “repositioning the Southwest from its pitiable position between 2011 and 2015”, they urged all aggrieved Yoruba leaders to unite and work in the interest of the Yoruba, urging them to “reconsider their stand to work against the overall interest of the geo-politocal zone in 2023”.

    At the meeting were former deputy governors of Osun and Oyo states, Sooko Adeleke Olawoyin and Chief Iyiola Oladokun, Bayo Aina, Chief Akin Fasae and Mutiu Are, Chief S.M. Akindele, among others.

    Today’s summit in the east will discuss areas of mutual support and cooperation amongst stakeholders to enhance the ease of doing business within the region.

    It is expected to boost security facilities, community policing, economic prosperity and job creation.

    Dr. Nkemka Jombo- Ofo, the Commissioner representing the Organised Private Sector and South East in the Police Service Commission, will set the agenda for the summit with a paper on the objective of the event.

    Another Commissioner in the PSC, Rommy Mom, representing human rights organisations, will deliver the key note address.

    Governors of the region, top security chiefs, including PSC Chairman, Inspector-General, Commissioners of Police and captains of Industry are billed to attend.

    In Yola, the police parade 58 terror-gang members, including robbery and kidnap suspects.

    Fifty-eight suspects (Yan Shilla), otherwise called Shilla Boys and seven major receivers of stolen goods (mostly phones), were paraded by the Adamawa Police Command.

    Commissioner of Police Audu Madaki said that the suspects, who are usually armed with  cutlasses, knives and other weapons, using Keke NAPEP (tricycle) for transportation, specialise in robbing victims of money and hand phones, especially within Adamawa’s two cosmopolitan local government areas – Yola North (Jimeta) and Yola South (Yola town).

    Madaki said the seven suspected stolen items receivers specialise in taking the phones the Yan Shilla steal and erasing the memories to make it impossible for the police to track and recover the phones.

    He said the seven were among eight major receivers that investigations had indicated and that the police would continue to hunt for the eighth, who is at large.

    Among the paraded suspects were those arrested in last two weeks for attacking a commercial tricycle operator immediately after Governor Umaru Fintiri visited their hideout on June 12.

    Recovered from them  are 10 cutlasses, 18 knives, 17 pairs of scissors, 95 hand phones and accessories, nine computer laptops and accessories, 80 wraps of Indian hemp, and seven bottles of exzol/passion/diazeppam drugs.

  • Maye of Yoruba warns illegal gold miners

    The Maye of Yoruba land, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin, has warned illegal gold miners to desist from the act.

    He spoke against the backdrop of widespread kidnapping and insecurity allegedly caused by the incursion of illegal gold miners in the Southwest and particularly in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

    Adedoyin, who spoke during a meeting of Royal Brothers’ Club of Ife, told illegal gold miners to leave Ife, and by extension Osun State, saying he would not mind personally arresting the perpetrators and hand them to law enforcement agents.

    Read Also: Training for 150 miners in Osun

    He noted that the gold being illegally mined in Ife and Ijesa land belonged to the people and as such should be used for the good of all rather than by few illegal miners and their godfathers.

    The Maye urged the Ife Development Board to be alive to its responsibilities, and wondered why the board had kept silent for so long on the matter. According to him, revenue generated from the sale of gold could be used to develop Ife.

    Adedoyin noted that no single individual, be it a king or ’emese’ is bigger than the people. He enjoined Ife citizens, whose land had been taken over by illegal miners, to write their petitions to the Office of the President, Royal Brothers’ Club of Ife.

  • Oyetola seeks unity as Osun marks Democracy Day

    Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has urged the citizens to do everything possible to strengthen the peaceful coexistence and unity of the Nigerian nation.

    He spoke yesterday as the state government, in conjunction with the Coalition of Civil Society Groups, organised events to mark the June 12 Democracy Day in Osogbo, the state capital.

    A procession march to commemorate the day took off from Ayetoro Junction and traversed major streets. It terminated at the Aurora Event Centre where the lecture of the day was held.

    A lecture titled: The State of Insecurity in Nigeria and Challenges of National Questions – The way forward, was delivered by Head of Service, Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade, and a United Kingdom-based lawyer, Mrs. Olutoyin Eweje, before a large crowd of activists, students, pro-democracy activists and political groups.

    Others are traditional rulers, members of the National Road Transport Workers Union (NURTW), artisans, students and market women.

    The event was attended by top government officials led by Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi, who Oyetola.

    The governor was away in Abuja for the national event to commemorate the Democracy Day.

    Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prince Wole Oyebamiji, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Charles Diji Akinola, Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly Mr. Femi Popoola and Deputy Majority Leader Maroof Olanrewaju, who represented Speaker Timothy Owoeye, among others, were present.

    Oyetola said: “Our President has done us proud. He has set a new agenda for socio-economic transformation of the country.

    “The declaration of June 12 is an affirmation of the fact that the present administration believes so much in things that can promote unity and peace.

    “This is a period of sober reflection on the selfless service and sacrifice made by our heroes to ensure that we remain united and indivisible as a nation.

    “As we are celebrating the maiden Democracy Day, we must do everything possible to strengthen the peaceful coexistence and unity of the Nigerian nation.

    “As a state government, we are doing everything possible to nip in the bud any form of criminality in the state.

    “We are working round the clock to improve on the security architecture so as to make our security agencies more efficient and productive.”

    Delivering the lecture, Dr. Olowogboyega said: “For us to put many of our challenges behind us, we have to fight poverty, corruption among others.

    Read Also: Media crucial to govt, says Oyetola

    “There must be a scientific war against crime. We must develop a modern way of fighting insecurity in the country.

    “We need attitudinal change to the way we do things as a nation and as Nigerians. We need to go back to the drawing board. It is time to adopt 1962 Constitution that gives room for true federalism and referendum in a democratic setting.”

    “We need a drastic change on the school curriculum; we need to go back to farm to enhance our production capacity as to the need for us to produce what we will eat locally and much for exportation.

    “We must do much to enhance our capacity in mining, vocational and technical education and lot more”, he said.

    Mrs. Eweje urged the Nigerian government to turn a new leaf at addressing myriads of challenges facing the country.

    She described as worrisome the cases of insecurity confronting the country, saying the time had come for the government to battle the menace.

    Mrs. Eweje identified unemployment, poverty and unequal distribution of Commonwealth as major causes of the nation’s security crisis.

    An activist, Comrade Amitolu Shittu, described the President’s decision on June 12 as unprecedented, memorable and significant in the history of Nigeria, saying the administration had set a good precedent and written its existence on the sand of time.