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Tag: protect

  • Protect and defend your votes, says Wike

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said Nigerians should protect their votes to stop the “desperate All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government from rigging the elections”.

    According to Wike, the Federal Government was in panic mode, and working with security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the elections.

    Wike spoke yesterday during a campaign rally at Abua/Odual Local Government at County State School.

    He said: “APC is afraid because it knows that Atiku Abubakar will win fair and square. Therefore, the party is planning to use security agencies and INEC to rig, but it will not work.

    “The only way to ensure that Atiku Abubakar and all PDP candidates win is to protect all votes from the polling units to the collation centres.

    “All the APC is doing is to cause crisis because they are not popular; we want free and fair elections.

    “There will be no room for manipulation in the election. If anyone hits you, retaliate. Follow them bumper-to-bumper. APC is desperate, but we will not allow them.”

    Wike assured the people that he would kick off a key road project in the area once the people vote for Atiku Abubakar and other PDP candidates.

    Chairman of Abua/Odual council Daniel O. Daniel said the people would always stand with Wike, and they would speak with their votes.

    Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly Marshal Uwom said the council would deliver all PDP candidates.

  • ‘Protect data centres to minimise cost, losses’

    Information and communication technology (ICT) experts have advised data centre owners to protect the facility to reduce operational costs as well as preventing data loss.

    CEOs and boards of directors must recognise their responsibilities to protect the information assets that reflect their good stewardship.

    In his presentation, titled: Disaster Recovery, an expert in disaster recovery and representative of Firelock, Gerald Nichol, said loss of vital records can result in severe legal penalties.

    He noted that successfully managing the modern world of risk means that vital information must be protected and accessible at short notices.

    Nichole said: “It is important to understand that in these times, there is a need for contextual protection of information in its entirety. In terms of the possible legal consequences, the loss of even a part of your critical information due to improper storage could be damaging, to say nothing of the reduction costs associated with returning your digital information to a usable condition.

    “Unfortunately, these issues are compounded by the  fact that even business that understand the need to protect their backup data mistakenly assume that concert vaults that that protect paper documents will also protect digital media.”

    Also speaking, Cyber Security Risk Manager at PwC, Alfred Yar’Adua, pointed out that human error could cause data section disaster, adding that organisations are exposed to risk daily.

    Yar’Adua pointed out that the modern day economy is referred to as data based economy which is practically driven by data.

    He explained that organisations should adopt zero based architecture for data security, adding that this kind of framework does not give room for data loss, should any mishap occurs.

    He regretted that many firms avoid building robust resilience into their business due to potential high cost.

  • ‘We need policies to protect furniture sector’

    The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IO Furniture Limited, Mrs Muni Shonibare has canvassed policies to protect the furniture sector.

    This, she said, will help grow the sector.

    Mrs Shonibare said this yesterday when she received the Senate Committee on Industry led by its chairman Senator Sam Egwu in Ilupeju, Lagos.

    Other committee members on the entourage include Senators Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo North), Baru Jibrin (Kano North) and Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East).

    They came on oversight of the mandate of the Bank of Industry (BOI) in funding and supporting indigenous industries. They also came to ascertain and ensure that the company’s processes and products meet international standards.

    The IO Furniture Limited chief said: “The burning issue is in the area of policies that will protect the industry. We found out that unlike other sectors such as architecture, law, banking, insurance etc., where foreign organisation cannot just break into the sector without partnering with existing firms, the furniture space do not have such policies to protect it. We currently cannot compete with the Chinese market because of their prices which is largely due to the availability of skilled labour.

    “China for instance has over a thousand technical schools, and enrols at least 11 million people with the support of their government to ensure they set up programs that will support the local industry.”

    She described patronage as very key.

    She stressed the need for the government and the people to increase their patronage of products by Nigerians.

    According to Mrs. Shonibare, intervention funds (loans) from BOI has been of immense help in setting and scaling up the business. Their loan which is pegged at a single digit of 7 per cent is very encouraging.

    With respect to scaling up the business, the CEO reiterated their plans to set up a technical/training programme to bridge the skills gap that currently exist in the industry.

    Senator Egwu said “the visit was imperative to determine how our industries are faring and to see how they can better be supported through government interventions.

    “Nigeria loses a huge amount of her foreign exchange to importation; this we can reduce by encouraging our local industries to grow by patronising them,” he said.

    According to him, a bill has been sponsored to encourage and protect local industries in the country.

    He said the “Made In Nigeria” bill which has reached the last stage of conclusion, will ensure that whatever purchases the government intends to embark on (including furniture), it will first look inwards.

    According to him, it is only when they can’t find what they want within the country that they are permitted to look outside. Agencies or parastatals of government that flouts this law will be blacklisted.

    “We are sure that when the law comes to effect, it will support your industry and you might find it difficult to meet the demands from government parastatals,” he said.

  • ‘Protect your fatherland’

    ‘Protect your fatherland’

    Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) candidate in Akinyele/Lagelu, Oyo State, in 2015, Yusuff Kunle, has congratulated Otunba Gani Adams on his installation as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland.

    He urged him to protect Yoruba territories from Fulani herdsmen and others.

    Yusuff said the installation of Adams was timely and significant for unity.

    The PDP stalwart, in a statement by his media assistant, Olamilekan Oke, said the choice of Adams was an indication that the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi II, appreciated hs hard work, self-sacrifice and commitment to the development and unity of Yoruba nation.

    He noted that the Aare Onakakanfo always fight battles on behalf of the Yoruba, and enjoined Adams to sustain the legacies.

    Yusuff said: “Aare Ona kakanfo has always been there for the Yoruba nation in a time of distress.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • I assure you, Police will protect you henceforth – I-G

    I assure you, Police will protect you henceforth – I-G

    Residents of communities recently attacked by suspected herdsmen in Benue and Nasarawa States yesterday got afresh assurance of adequate protection from the police.

    Police Inspector-General, Ibrahim Idris  pledged that his men would henceforth make a repeat of the attack impossible.

    Idris on a visit to Gbajimba, Anyiin and Tunga villages in Benue and Nasarawa states said the police were determined to ensure the protection of lives and property of the residents and appealed to them to give information to the security agencies on miscreants in their midst.

    He said armed police would be deployed to the affected communities to avert further attacks and restore normalcy.

    The I-G also visited some IDP camps in the states.

    Receiving the I-G at Gbajimba, Guma Local Government Area, the chairman of the council, Mr. Anthony Shawon, commended him for the inspection tour.

    Shawon also commended the quick intervention of the presidency in deploying additional security support to the state to quell the crisis.

    He assured the I-G of the commitment of his people towards maintaining peace as they looked forward to returning to their ancestral homes.

    In Tunga, the community leader of the area, Ibrahim Shaibu, denied allegations that the herdsmen were been harboured in the area.

    He said the people of his area were law abiding and were providing shelter to displaced Tiv people in the area.

    Also speaking, the spokesman of the Tiv community in the area, Abraham Vighi, said there were no killer-herdsmen lodging in the area.

     

  • Amaechi to Wike: protect Rivers people or resign

    Amaechi to Wike: protect Rivers people or resign

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has asked Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to protect the people or resign.

    He said the people would no longer tolerate Wike’s inability and/or refusal to protect them.

    Amaechi, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), who is also the director-general of Buhari/Osinbajo Re-election Campaign Organisation, said the people already had enough of insecurity and bloodbath.

    The minister, yesterday in a statement  on New Year’s Day massacre in Omoku and insecurity in Rivers, said he was sad over the incident.

    He said: “In the last few years, we have suffered and endured a debilitating state of insecurity in Rivers State. Many lives have been cut short, while many have been maimed. Hopes and dreams have been dashed, families distraught and destroyed. Murderous cults and rival gangs reign supreme. Our once peaceful state has lost its serenity and lustre. We are now been derisively referred to as ‘Rivers of Blood.’

    “However, the killings in Omoku in the first few hours of this new year and the uninspiring, inept, blame-game response of a government that swore to an oath to protect every Rivers man and woman, should compel us to action and scream that we have had enough of insecurity and bloodbath.”

     

     

  • Anambra: Time to protect APGA

    If recent developments in All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are anything to go by, then, some of my fears are fast becoming real.

    “The coming into being of APGA in the first place as a political party did not go down well with those who thought the Igbo had finished as far as having a party the people could look up to in the entity called Nigeria was concerned.

    “The notion was, and still is, that the Igbo lack the capacity to organise themselves into one common umbrella for the purpose of furthering their interest…

    “Whatever dimension the plots against APGA may be…. no effort will be spared to stop anybody from using or destroying APGA for ….selfish interest. As long as God lives, the sins of all those who have constituted themselves into Judas Iscariot in APGA will find them out.”

    The above excerpt written by yours sincerely five years ago (August 2012), entitled: APGA: How will posterity judge Obi?, is still relevant in today’s political calculation with regard to the coming Anambra State governorship contest.

    The final battle for who becomes the governor of Anambra State is barely three weeks away. November 18, the day for the election is almost here.

    The flag-off of the campaigns and the electioneering proper have seen all the candidates, both the pretenders and the serious ones traversing the nooks and crannies of the 21 local government areas that make up Anambra.

    A look at the candidates will reveal a pack of highly qualified contenders, but in politics, qualification is not always taken into consideration. And that is part of the reasons for this intervention.

    For those who do not know, Anambra means a lot to the South-East zone in particular and in general, to Nigeria. Whatever happens in Anambra, positively or negatively, reverberates in other parts of the South-East.

    Also, because of the itinerant nature of the Igbo due to their industry and commercial mindedness, any positive or negative event that happens in Anambra would automatically be felt in other parts of the country.

    Suffice to say that one state that nobody can afford to toy with in Nigeria because of the high level of political awareness of the indigenes, their educational prowess, their international exposure to business (trade and commerce), as well as their depth of knowledge in socio-cultural and religious matters, is Anambra.

    Since Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999, Anambra has remained one of the few states in the country that you can be sure has not got it wrong in terms of who governs the people.

    In fact, to be qualified to run the state you must have made your mark in your chosen area of competence.

    This narrative is significant for us to appreciate the calibre of candidates that are lining up to be made governor on November 18 by Ndi Anambra.

    But the history of modern Anambra political journey will not be complete if we fail to capture the role played by late Nigerian statesman and Biafra warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu, who, through the instrumentality of APGA, envisioned the Anambra of tomorrow.

    Ojukwu thought of a party that would capture the real essence of the Igbo in the Project Nigeria without necessarily braking away from the union. He saw in APGA a strong negotiation tool and mouth piece for Ndi-Igbo and had wanted the people to congregate around the party to pursue their destiny in Nigeria.

    Fast forward to the eight years of former Governor Peter Obi under whose tenure APGA was first tested; you will appreciate while the governor is either wasting his time in PDP or would soon get frustrated and exit himself.

    APGA’s journey over the years has no doubt, been tortuous. Even while Ojukwu was still alive and politically active, APGA’s journey was with issues like what anyone can see in other political parties. During the tenure of the Pioneer Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, there were issues that tended to tear the party apart, but reason prevailed that made it possible for APGA to be retrieved from the jaws of those who were out to tear it apart.

    That is why the coming election in November 18 is for Obiano to lose. The contest is between Obiano and the rest and all the contenders know that as fact. Call it incumbency factor, but it goes beyond that because the election is between APGA that has done so much for Ndi Anambra in the past 12 years and the other parties.

    Former Governor Peter Obi, no doubt, is one of the greatest beneficiaries of what APGA stands for. His rise to political limelight is linked more to his membership of APGA than his so-called current appellation of political sagacity and sense of prudence in management of state resources.

    Yes, he did his best for Anambra as governor under APGA, but that he wants the party dead by all means tells a lot about his politics. Granted, he handed over to Obiano who has just done four years, but should Obiano, whose second term will also come and go, be the issue or the party that fielded Obiano, which will remain forever if properly managed?

    If Obi does not know, the body language of most eligible Anambra electorate is that his preferred candidate, Oseloka Obaze of the PDP will be rejected on November 18, not because Ndi Anambra hate him, but because the masquerade behind him is seen as a betrayer of APGA course of which he was a huge beneficiary.

    The insinuations that other parties are thinking of going into unholy alliance just to stop Obiano won’t even fly. Why? That alliance, if it takes place, will go a long way in exposing to the people of Anambra who their real enemies and agents of darkness are.

    My take is that the Anambra electorate must be vigilant by resisting every attempt to compromise the election. They must also keep keen eye on the officials of the INEC most of who are experts in result manipulation.

    The APGA leadership and particularly the Willie Obiano Election Committee had done well to sensitise Ndi Anambra on the need for continuity for Obiano. All their efforts must not be allowed to be truncated by a gang of politicians, no matter how highly placed, operating within Anambra and from Abuja who will feel good if the joy APGA has brought to Ndi Anambra in the past 12 years and still ready to sustain, is terminated. APGA has been awake in Anambra since the days of Ikemba Nnewi. The time for it to sleep cannot be now. Never!
    •Ubochi, a political analyst wrote from Owerri

  • IPOB: ‘military can protect all Nigerians’

    IPOB: ‘military can protect all Nigerians’

    A group, the Concerned Professionals Congress (CPC), said yesterday the recent military’s successful engagement of proscribed Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has again raised hopes and confidence that the Armed Forces have the will, ability and capacity to protect law-abiding citizens against harassment or molestation in any part of the country.

    In a statement in Abuja by its Chief Media Strategist, Mr. Emeka Nwankpa and the Regional Rapporteur (North), Mallam Baba Al-Kasim, said the swift deployment of troops by the nation’s high military command effectively arrested last week’s IPOB-orchestrated mayhem in the Southeast and Southsouth.

    The group contended that following IPOB’s proscription and the near-fragile peace across the nation, the statement had become necessary to in order re-assure law-abiding citizens in the country of the readiness and capacity of the Nigerian military to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Nigerians currently living in any part of the country.

    Expressing satisfaction that the military’s Operation Python Dance II successfully started to checkmate crimes and criminality in the once-troubled region, CPC also praised the police for deploying its officers across the country to prevent possible reprisal attacks, following the violent activities of the now-proscribed militant group.

    The statement hailed the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), saying its quick intervention and timely public notice on September 15 by its spokesman, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, pulled the nation from the jaws of danger and disaster triggered by IPOB’s actions.

    It added: “We salute the pro-active and tireless Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, whose synergy-driven leadership and robust collaboration with the service chiefs and other security agencies has galvanised the nation’s security architecture to combat emerging national security threats effectively. Their efforts are visible and laudable.

    “But for the strategic move by the DHQ, the nation could have been on fire by now. So, we agree with Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who said God averted the world’s greatest bloodbath in the Southeast last week. We cannot thank God enough.”

    CPC statement also hailed Southeast governors for quickly rising above sentiments to proscribe IPOB.

    The group noted that their quick move easily fed into the military’s proactive Operation Python Dance II, which it said was significant.

    On the peace visits by Northern governors to the governors of Abia, Rivers, Imo other Southeast region, CPC said there is need for Nigerians of different races, regions, religions and political leanings to build faith, trust and equity in the country.

    It said: “Again, the ghost of separatist ideology has been buried. IPOB posed a bigger danger to Nigeria’s survival than Boko Haram, whose capacity has been severely degraded by our gallant military in the Northeast. The Southeast must be spared the monster of terrorism.

    “Blood-letting should stop in this country. The solidarity and peace visit to the region by the Northern governors is in order. The Southeast governors should reciprocate this noble gesture because of its symbolism that our leaders are working together and that our courageous military is always there to keep the peace.”

    The group noted that the current thinking in informed circles is that President Muhammadu Buhari deserves praise for carefully selecting a crop of focused, highly committed and hardcore military men, whose sacrifice, focus, courage and commitment anchored on discipline, probity, fresh tactical and strategic approach, have added immense value to nation-building.

  • We proscribed IPOB to protect our region, says Southeast governors chair

    We proscribed IPOB to protect our region, says Southeast governors chair

    •Soldiers didn’t attack Kanu’s house
    •Group’s activites are scaring away investors
    •Northern govs to visit Southeast soon

    SOUTH EAST governors yesterday explained the rationale behind proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),

    They said IPOB was proscribed because its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, had lost control of the group.

    Besides, IPOB had lost focus and was causing tension, said the Southern Governors Forum chairman,Dave Umahi of Ebonyi  State, who spoke to reporters in Abakaliki.

    Umahi said investors were scared of doing business in the region, adding that IPOB’s activities were heightening tension in the Southeast.

    In Owerri, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha said Kanu ‘is on his own.” He spoke at the New Year Festival, which was attended by the Onni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.  In Umuahia, Abia State Commissioner of Police Anthony Ogbizi alleged that petrol bombs and other explosives were recovered from Kanu’s home.

    He said 37 suspected IPOB members would appear in court tomorrow for the torching of Ariaria market and related offences.

    Umahi said tension had eased since the proscription, adding: “The activities of IPOB in the Southeast have denied us of foreign investments and it is very important that our people should understand that and should know that.”

    “There are things you do that you have control over and so you work on things you have control over and leave the rest that you don’t have control over.

    “ Nobody wants to come to a place that is under tension that’s why we want to keep pressing for peace.”

    The governor said that  based on evidence before him, soldiers  did not attack IPOB last Sunday as claimed by Kanu.

    According to him, it was IPOB members who threw bottles and stones at soldiers who were passing by Kanu’s street.

    “When you start  a small fire, it can go very far and become difficult to control.  The IPOB activities were gradually getting out of control of Nnamdi Kanu. Soldiers were passing when IPOB members started throwing stones and other objects at them and it sparked off the clash between the group and the military,” Umahi said.

    He narrated how an IPOB sympathiser sent out the telephone numbers of Southeast governors,Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and others.

    “And all our people could do was calling us to insult us and  talk to us anyhow,” the governor stated, adding: “These are people that never experienced  any war in their lives.”

    He said the lives of Northerners and other non-indigenes in the Southeast must be guaranteed, warning that security agencies had been directed to deal with anyone attempting  to cause a breach of the peace.

    “Our focus is how to save the life of every Nigerian.We believe in a united Nigeria. Lives of people are involved and we must not play politics with that”, he said.

    “Anybody that wants to foment trouble must be crushed and I want the security agencies to beef up security around all the non-indigenes in the state and to report any problem to me because we must maintain the peace.”

    The governor asked  Igbo youths to stop insulting President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders.

    He said Northern governors would soon visit the Southeast to further ease tension in the country and promote national unity.

    A similar visit to the North will be undertaken by Southeast governors.

    The governor said the majority of Igbo were opposed to  secession, adding that all they want is  to be treated fairly in the country.

    His words:”That is why we are all talking about restructuring. There is no part of this country that is not feeling marginalised somehow and that is why all the zones are setting up committees on restructuring.”

    Umahi, however, noted that injustice or marginalisation should not be an excuse for  secession, maintaining that dialogue should be the best way to resolve and redress all differences.

    On operation Egwu Eke II (Python Dance II), the governor said the exercise was never targeted at IPOB but intended to curb crime, especially kidnapping and armed robbery, in the zone.

    Heads of security agencies in the state and some principal officers in government attended the briefing.

  • When mothers fail to protect their daughters!

    When mothers fail to protect their daughters!

    Biologically, mothers have been given the super privilege to bear children and usher in the next generation. Because they nurture the developing child in their own bodies, they almost always feel a compelling drive to protect the new, entirely dependent life they’ve given birth to. These many hours of care each day make mothers most often the person closest to their children and the person with greatest influence. Experiences with mom powerfully shape a child’s perspective, attitudes, and sense of self. Now what happens when in a world as hostile as this, a mother cannot be relied upon for emotional, physical and mental support?

     

    Dear Aunty Temilolu,

    Kudos to you. Your write-ups have changed so many things in my life most especially my mindset but now I am facing a problem. A month ago, I was raped by my mum’s closest friend’s son. He has threatened me in so many ways not to tell. I am scared. I am just 16 and in S.S.3. I’m even scared of telling my mum and causing a family feud. I am depressed and confused with life. Please help me.

    Anonymous

     

    Dear Mum,

    I am 20 and was recently raped by my brother’s friend. I have always wanted to remain a virgin till my wedding night. Now that I’ve been forcefully deflowered, I’m so incredibly hurt and ashamed. Can I still be a virgin again? Please help, I don’t know who else to confide in but you.

     

    Dear Aunty Temilolu,

     

    I am a 17-year-old girl. A few months ago, I was raped by a guy who walks freely on the street while my heart breaks anytime I see him. The guy who raped me lives down our street and we exchanged pleasantries whenever we see. He invited me for a birthday party in his house and I obliged him. When I got there, he told me he wanted to show me something in his room. Believe me, in my stupidity or do I say naivety, I followed him not suspecting any foul play since his friends were in the living room. He left me on the bedroom and told me he wanted to get me something, I later discovered he went back to the living room to send his friends away. When he returned to the bedroom, he pushed me on the bed. I tried to escape but he held me tight and even when I screamed no one came to my help. Then, after forcing his way inside me, he began apologising, saying he didn’t know I was still a virgin. I cried a lot knowing that my pride was gone and I was scared of getting pregnant. He assured me that he would accept the pregnancy. Eventually, I took in and he bought a small drug and gave it to me to drink. After drinking it, I bled for a week before he finally told me that it was an abortion drug he gave me. I don’t know if God would forgive me for unconsciously killing an innocent soul and if my future partner would ever forgive me. I’m so ashamed to tell anyone this, not even my mum because she could call me a whore which I am not.

     

    Dear Nigerians,

    I thought mothers always knew when something went wrong with a child? I grew up hearing “orisa bi iya kosi” (there’s no god like a mother) which honours the bond between a mother and a child and that special support which guides us through life. I also hear “iya l’alabaro omo” meaning a mother is a child’s confidant. So, what’s the problem here? A non-chalant attitude, lack of real presence in a child’s life due to work and social activities or just lack of empathy?

     

    My darling sisters,

    In the first instance, I just wish you had some pieces of evidence so we can nail these guys. As for the 16-year-old who was raped by her mum’s closest friend’s son, she must tell her mum without delay! Those threats are empty. You cannot die in trauma. You are too young for this.

    On the other hand, you are encouraged to remain chaste not to please man but to follow God’s principles and live a good, unpolluted life. Stop moaning or groaning about what any man has done to you. God sees your heart, He knows your thoughts, He knew even before you were raped and deflowered. Little do you know that if you stay glued to Him and remain chaste, there’s a super-duper compensation waiting for you around the corner. He has the final say. He has the power to restore you, to make you greater than you would have been in your former state. This is the time for you to cry out to Him and make heavy demands for a beautiful life that would make you forget your pain. Stop bowing your spirit low, stop hanging your head low….

    “This is but a light thing in the eyes of the lord…” 2 Kings 3:18

    To be continued.