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Tag: security

  • Security, others critical to economy, says NAFDAC director

    Security, others critical to economy, says NAFDAC director

    The Director, Special Duties, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, has identified security, economic transformation and manpower development as critical elements for national growth and development.

    Speaking to reporters ahead of the launch of The Presidential Diary magazine to project the Change Mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari, he said over the last two years, these critical requisites have been the focus of the Federal Government.

    He said: “In the last two and a half years of this administration, a lot has been achieved from security to economy and manpower development.”

    On the magazine, he said the publication was borne out of the need to give voice to the administration of Buhari.

    “It is a magazine conceived and designed to provide a platform for projecting the noble intentions, change agenda and vision of Mr. President. So far, we are happy that a lot of people, including doubting Thomases believe in this administration and they want to see it succeed,” said Jimoh.

    According to him, the president and his team are also happy with the group’s contribution to this administration.

    Experts say the publication is borne out of the need to give voice, resoundingly, to the administration of the President Buhari. “It is a magazine conceived and designed to provide a platform for projecting the noble intentions, change agenda and vision of Mr. President.  So far, we are happy that a lot of people, including Doubting Thomases believe in this administration and they want to see it succeed,” said Jimoh.

    He said the President and his team are also happy with the group’s contribution to this administration.  “The wife of the President, Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adeshina, SSA (Media and Publicity) to the President, Malam Garba Shehu and other top government functionaries have actively supported our efforts,” explained Jimoh.

    On how the idea was berthed , Jimoh said he and a host of other professional colleagues conceived the initiative to begin this magazine, “We believe in this administration, and believe also that the task of informing, educating and sensitising Nigerians cannot be left only for government agencies and their spokesmen. The Presidential Diary Magazine was conceived by a group of like-minds- those who believe in the administration of President Buhari.  These persons are made of seasoned journalists, public affairs analysts, alongside men and women, young and old, irrespective of language, culture and tribe, who believe in the change agenda of the administration,” stated Jimoh.

    He added:  “Before the coming of this administration, these persons yearned for change because they were tired of the state-of-affairs as it were.  We therefore decided to come together to rebuild this confidence in Nigeria that this government can reclaim our lost glory and take us to that pristine age.  The only channel for doing this is not by carrying out propaganda or engaging in all sorts of media hypes, but by articulating the policies and programmes of this government in this magazine; through constructive narratives and photographs of what is on ground .”

    Hinting on the edge the magazine as Jimoh said, “pictures speak volumes of words, therefore, we don’t just tell, we show.  In the last two and a half years of this administration, a lot has been achieved from security to economy and manpower development.  All these achievements are captured monthly in every edition of the magazine.  You can confirm this in every edition that you pick up.  None of these achievements and many more are left out, and we hope to sustain this as long as President Buhari remains in office to deliver on his change agenda to Nigerians in all walks of life.”

    How long has this magazine been at the public space? Jimoh explained: “Like I have said before, this magazine was conceived out of love for Mr. President and his agenda for the people.  The magazine officially came on board in 2015, months after the inauguration of this administration.  Before the debut of the magazine, I and men and women of goodwill sat down to articulate the policies and programmes of the government that was coming. When we found that they fit into the yearnings and expectations of the people, we decided to key in and give it the needed support.  It is only a blind man who will not appreciate a good soup; even at that, he should be convinced by its aroma and agrees that the soup is indeed a good one.”

    And to what extent is he achieving this task of informing and sensitising Nigerians on the policies and programmes of the government? Jimoh said: “We have never thought it will be easy to do this.  There are those who have eyes but cannot see.  There are also those who can see but are not convinced, and there are those who may be convinced but pretend they are not.  To these die-hard skeptics, we trying as much as possible to back up our facts with figures and photographs.  For instance, we cannot say activities of Boko Haram have truly been degraded by this administration without providing you with evidences.  We don’t just tell, we show.”

    On how the magazine will circulate and its targeted readership strength, Jimoh said: “At the moment, our presence is being felt all over the country.  We are in all States of the Federation, especially in States that believe in this change agenda.  We are happy to announce the support of State governments that are identifying with us.  We enjoy the support of a good number of them and that of certain individuals and corporate organizations in and outside the country.  Embassies and foreign missions of Nigeria are also identifying with us in numerous ways.

    “At the moments, many of them use and process the information contained in this magazine in rating the achievements of this administration.  Every month, we avail them of copies, the way we do to all Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), group and organisations in and outside the country.  This we do without charge.  It will interest you to know that we give out every edition of the magazine free and we state it clearly ‘Not for Sale’ on the cover.  In order to get the desired effect, in terms of wide readership, we decided not to sell the magazines.  This does not mean that they are printed free.  This group of like minds including my humble self who is the initiator pulls our meager resources, time and energies together to ensure the publication of this magazine.  And we believe that our efforts and commitments to this course are not in vain.”

    What will be the fate of this magazine if the current administration is not returned to power in 2019? To this Jimoh replied: “We believe in policies and programmes that are people oriented.  For us, people-oriented programmes outlive people, governments and administrations.  Therefore, we believe that the seed Mr. President and his team is planting has started yielding fruits.  We will continue to defend and nurture them and sensitise Nigerians towards national growth and development.  So we cannot begin to contemplate this question because millions of Nigerians know that there is a silent revolution taking place now and more time is required to gain traction and firm foundation.”

  • 100 trained in security

    100 trained in security

    Worried by the spate of insecurity in the country, the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church Oke-Afa, Lagos State, has organised a security training workshop for people within and outside the Oke-Afa area. The aim was to sensitise the people to the need of being security conscious in order to help curb the menace.

    The training, which was expected to give guidelines on how to manage the increasing security challenges in the country, attracted over 100 people drawn from the public, the police, the military, Civil Defence, Man of Order and Discipline (MOD), and other security agencies as well as its legal department.

    The JDPC Coordinator, Chinaka Richard said the issue of security should be everybody’s concern, even as he said the programme was aimed at enlightening the people on guidelines to help them manage the situation on day-to-day basis.

    He, however, expressed his concern over the magnitude of killing and kidnapping even in the churches.

    According to him, before now, the church and other worship centres were haven for all. He wondered why churches and mosques are now targets for murderers and kidnappers.

    “Many have lost their lives at worship centres; priests, men and women of God have either been killed or abducted for ransom; a development that indicates that there is no safe place for the common man,” he said.

    Richard, who spoke with Southwest Report, urged government at the federal, state and the local levels to take the issue of security of lives seriously.

    He said: “Government has the major role to play in securing lives of the people. This is the promise they gave us. Safety of lives and property should be accorded top priority by every government. When any government fails to secure lives and property of the people, it has failed.”

    Ha also called for the reorientation of the security agents across the federation, alleging that the institution is corrupt.

    “Our security managers have abandoned their core responsibility for the pursuit of money. That is where we have gotten it wrong as a country. There should be proper orientation of the personnel for better security”, he said.

    Richard said the JDPC was the social arm of the Catholic Church that addresses injustice; adding that it is part of its responsibilities to ensure safety of people in the church and around the vicinity. The commission is considering making the training an annual event.

    Speaking on the theme “Modern Approach to Safety: “In Today’s Insecurity in Nigeria”, a security specialist, Chuks Maha, said we must make the business of security our personal business, adding that we all must join hands to fight crime.

    He said though we cannot eliminate crime totally, we can minimise its rate of occurrence in order to ensure that we are not victims of crime.

    “Crime is real and security is everybody’s business. It is not the business of the Inspector-General of Police, it is not the business of the Commissioner of Police, it is not the business of the Governor but the business of everybody”, he stated.

    Maha advised that people should always tune into security radio and television programmes, read books and articles on security, as well as attend security training programmes and put what they learnt into practise

    He also advised that people should join the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), within their locality and build up themselves in security awareness and alertness while at the same time think outside the box. This, he believed, would give them the passion to be more security conscious

    The security expert warned that parents must be mindful of what information to give to their children. They must not divulge information on their financial worth to their children.

    According to him, the issue of insecurity in the country must be addressed without fear or favour even if it means stepping on people’s toes.

    Maha also advised the government to look inwards in tackling the menace of Fulani Herdsmen, and look at the resource control and clamour for creation of states by engaging everybody in a discussion.

    He urged the Christian and Moslem leaders at the local level to shoulder the responsibility of bringing the youth together and counsel them on the need to apply caution in the pursuit of money.

    “Government must provide accommodation, affordable schools, quality education at cheap price and other fundamentals of life must be provided for the people so as to reduce the rate of crime in the society,” he said.

    The Chairman of the Laity Council of the parish, Emma Anyagwa also said security was a concern for each and every one. According to him, people should be more security conscious by passing information about suspected criminals and objects to the security agents, knowing what to do any time there is security breach.

    He assured that the parish was doing everything possible to ensure that parishioners were not only security conscious but also aware of the security and safety needs in the parish. He also said the church was committed to providing adequate gadgets, including close circuit television (CCTV) that would expose perpetrators of evil within and around the church premises.

    “The parishioners will benefit from the training. After this seminar, the representatives from the laity council will train the various societies and educate them on the outcome of the training and through that they will be aware of the security needs not only of the parish, but also in their homes and the country as a whole”, he said.

    He alleged that many who are in charge of security in the country were not well trained; hence the security lapses.

  • Experts call for enhanced food security

    Nutrition experts have urged Nigerians to invest in food security to enhance healthy lifestyle and human development.

    They spoke at a workshop held in Lagos by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Postharvest Alliance for Nutrition (PLAN) said women and children in Africa were under fed due to poor investment.

    The CEO/Director General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) Mrs. Gloria Elemo said Nigeria would feed its citizenry adequately, if the private and public sector ensure food security.

    She said food and nutrition security would ensure that vital ingredients for healthy living were sustained, noting that efforts should not be spared to preserved perishable foods for growth.

    She added that Nigeria’s fresh fruits and vegetables production in the North hardly got to the South due to transportation challenges, stressing that public and private sector must redress the situation.

    “In the process moving these items to its consumers about 50 per cent of these fruits and vegetables are lost due to bad packaging and poor postharvest handling.

    “The country depends so much on importation whereas we have the capability to provide food for the citizenry, so if the necessary infrastructure is put in place to totally reduce postharvest losses we would not have the problem of hunger or malnutrition in the country.”

    Elemo said the recent Nigeria Cold Chain Summit (NCCS) in Lagos, was to review strategies to eliminate losses in food storage, calling on the private sector to join hands with government to accomplish the task.

    “We need to work together as a multi-sectorial unit or we will not be able to achieve most of these objectives.

    “With this awareness and advocacy we are hoping people would see the business opportunity and the money that can be made in this area. Many entrepreneurs would see the import from this advocacy we are making of the cold storage system.”

    Echoing similar sentiments, Senior Technical Specialist, GAIN, USA, Roberta Lauretti-Bernhard said efforts were ongoing to respond to countries that have malnutrition as well as post harvest challenges.

    “Postharvest loss is also nutrition loss. So a platform was drawn that is a combination of the private sector, government and institutions that have a strong objective of ending not just postharvest loss but malnutrition.”

    “About two billion people worldwide do not consume enough micron nutrient food that is critical for proper growth and development. Women and children in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are the most vulnerable with over 40 per cent of women suffering from anaemia and 84 per cent of children with Vitamin A deficiency,” she said.

  • ‘Prioritise security, shun corruption’

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Bello has urged newly-appointed secretaries, chief of staff and other aides to give priority to security and shun corruption.

    Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony of the appointees, Bello harped noted on the need for security of life and property, as well as ensuring that government is alive to its responsibilities.

    He charged the appointees to get fully acquainted with the direction and priorities of the administration and to familiarise themselves with basic public service rules and government procurement guidelines.

    Malam Bello last week appointed Adamu Abubakar Bappah secretary for Area Council Services Secretariat; Hon. Nzekwe Stanley Ifeanyichukwu (Agriculture and Rural Development); Senator Isa Maina (Education), and Mr Amanda Pam (Health and Human Services).

    Other Secretaries are Mr Muhammad B. Umar (Legal Services); Oladimeji Ali Hassan (Social Development), and Kayode Opeifa (Transportation Secretariat).

    Also appointed were Umar Shuaibu, coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC); Isiyaku Tanko Yamawo, coordinator, Satellite Town Development Department (STDD); Ibrahim Damisa, Managing Director, Abuja Broadcasting Services.

    Mohammad Bashir Mai-Bornu was appointed Chief of Staff to the Minister; Dr. Bala Mohammed Liman, Senior Special Assistant on Finance and Economic Matters; Olafusi Emmanuel Tosin Esq., Senior Special Assistant, Legal and Multi-lateral Cooperation; and Abubakar Muhammed Abdullahi, Senior Special Assistant, Information Communication Technology.

    In the same vein, Isa Dara Bwari, Chika Alexander Nwatu and Abu Zarr Sulaiman Ribadu were appointed Advisers on Community Relations.

    The minister disclosed that the next two years of the administration

    would witness massive infrastructural development in the satellite towns and rural areas of FCT, while education, health and ICT would equally be given priorities in this phase of development.

    “Similarly, we are committed to making Abuja Smart City,” he said.

    “We also aim to achieve a one-stop shopping centre for the administration’s services, especially in the area of revenue generation.

    “As you take over the reins of office, you must keep in mind the commitment of this Administration to deliver a secure environment and observe zero-tolerance to corruption. This also involves the overriding need for security of lives and property as well as ensuring that government ia alive to its responsibilities.

    “The next two years will witness massive infrastructure in the Satellite Towns and rural areas of the FCT. Other areas of priority in this phase of our development initiative include education, health and ICT, among others. Similarly, we are committed to making Abuja a Smart City”.

    Commended Abuja’s founding fathers and continued support of members of the National Assembly, Bello noted that funding was critical, especially for resettlement of original inhabitants to give way for development.

    Coming barely two years to the end of the administration, the Minister explained that it was in a bid to restructure, refocus and strengthen the FCTA bureaucracy that he delayed appointment of the secretaries, chief of staff and political aides.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Sen. Dino Melaye, in his remarks appreciated the Minister for the “very wise appointments”, adding that the appointees would “no doubt bring back the lost glory of the FCT”.

    Pledging the support of the National Assembly, Melaye urged new appointees to “assist the Minister to continue with the good work he is already doing, to ensure the Abuja Master plan is maintained.

    “We want to see the impact of your appointment immediately. We want to see a clean FCT because we have no other FCT to call our own.”

    Responding on behalf of the appointee, Chief of Staff to the Minister, Mohammed Bashir Mai-Bornu said that they considered their appointments as opportunity to serve Nigerians.

    Noting that they were aware of the enormity of the expectations form the people, Mai-Bornu promised to work hard to actualize the vision of the Buhari administration.

  • Nigeria says UN Security Council composition outdated

    Nigeria says UN Security Council composition outdated

    Nigeria has again expressed its dissatisfaction with the current composition of the UN Security Council, describing it as old-fashioned and called for an urgent reform of the body.

    The Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande, told the Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York that the current composition of the Council was undemocratic

    “The Security Council is the UN’s most powerful principal organ with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security as well as accepting new members to the UN.

    “It approves any changes to its UN Charter and is vested with powers for the establishment of peacekeeping operations and the establishment of international sanctions.

    “The Council has the authorisation  for military action through Security Council resolutions and it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

    “First of all, the fundamental question is that in the current global reality, where everybody is talking democracy, United Nations must show example.

    “Clearly, it is an anachronistic notion to have a body composed of few countries that can veto the entirety of the global community through the Council is not representative.

    “It is an anomaly and I think that has been recognised but the politics of the reform not just of the UN in terms of the powers of the General Assembly and its functions.

    “In terms of the powers and limits of the powers of the Security Council and in terms of representation, this is the politics that is going on,” he said.

    The Nigerian envoy declared that Nigeria and some countries, currently left out, ‘rightly’ deserved a permanent seat on the Council considering the current realities.

    “But this journey, at the official level, started 25 years ago. Nigeria is at the forefront of that effort and doesn’t read this as a selfish move.

    “This (permanent seat) is the right of Nigeria and other serious nations to push and this is what other countries are also pushing.

    “Be they small states which are pushing, be they Africa that has not any representation, this is not something that would go away.

    “Nigeria and others are committed that we cannot have a democratic system which does not represent the majority of countries.

    “Our continent is completely out of contention; whether we get two or three, the debate is we have to be on the Security Council,” Bande said.

    The body has five permanent members – the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, France, the People’s Republic of China, and the United States – and 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms

    The five permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.

    This, the Nigerian ambassador stressed, meant few countries overruling the entirety of the global community.

    “The debate is still ongoing whether it is even right to have veto power,” he said.

    The Nigerian envoy exuded confidence in the chance of Nigeria to get on board of the prestigious Council on its own global credentials or through the Africa’s continental slot.

    “We have every reason to be hopeful in terms of the contributions of Nigeria to the global community since 1960. I think we have good credentials,” he said. (NAN)

  • Southeast crisis: Minister guarantees security in FCT

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello has appealed to FCT residents to go about their business without any fear of molestation.

    Bello assured that the FCT administration has taken every measure to ensure the security of life and property in Abuja.

    He gave the assurance in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Cosmas Uzodinma after an emergency meeting of the FCT Security Committee which took place in his official residence.

    The minister said, “The purpose of the meeting was to review the situation in the Southeast and its implication for the residents of the FCT as a Centre of Unity. We are properly briefed, and the whole idea is to ensure that FCT remains as peaceful as it has always been.  We also occasionally receive updates on the situation of law and order in all the Area Councils and satellite towns. From all the reports we received FCT is peaceful.

    “It is very clear that from what we read from the social media and some other electronic media, there are some people out there who clearly want to create trouble in this country. Obviously, government would not allow this to happen and certainly, in the FCT, we would not allow that to happen. That is why I am calling on all residents to ignore any negative report they read on the social media platforms that tend towards disunity, disaffection and targeted clearly towards trying to create trouble.”

    Bello further said: “In the FCT, all the ethnic groups, religions and creeds are fully represented and live harmoniously. The laws of the land are very clear and anyone trying to foment trouble would be dealt with according to law. To this effect all the security agencies have been placed on heightened alert.”

    He appealed to all FCT residents, especially those from the South East to live peacefully, to carry on with their lawful businesses without any fear and to discountenance the antics of some people out there who clearly want to create trouble.”

    He stressed, “The Administration will not shirk it responsibility for the protection of lives and property in the FCT” while enjoining all the traditional rulers and chairmen to take the outcome of the deliberations to the Area Councils and grassroots communities. He also harped on the necessity for all residents to be alert to the happenings around the neighborhood as security is a collective responsibility.

    He thanked residents of the FCT for their peaceful and calm nature urging them to continue to remain law abiding.

    The new FCT Commissioner of Police, Malam Abubakar Sadiq Bello announced that security agencies have put in place measures to collaborate and work together to ensure peace and order as well as the exchange of intelligence in the Territory.

    He said this had already with the show of force conducted on Friday.

    Similarly, he disclosed that arrangement is in place for both visibility policing and intelligence gathering and sharing with other sister agencies. “We are well prepared to stop any threat,” He assured.

    In a message to Christians at the end of the meeting, the FCT Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Dr. Jonah Samson enjoined all Pastors and believers to preach and pursue peace and to ensure that we encourage people to live together in harmony.

    He charged all Christians to stay away from trouble and to pray for our nation, so that it would be a better place especially as we approach the independence anniversary celebration, adding that love is paramount.

  • Security imperative

    The police, not the military, hold long-term ace for civil security

     PYTHON Dance 2, a military manoeuvre, was conceived to stamp out criminality in the South East; but nevertheless perceived as purpose-specific, to halt the Nnamdi Kanu Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) menace.

    With the military high command’s announcement that Operation Crocodile Smiles would soon launch in the South West, tongues are beginning to wag over the putative militarisation of the Nigerian space.

    With Operation Lafiya Dole in the North East to check-mate Boko Haram, Python Dance sending the IPOB activists scuttling in the South East after a threatened Armageddon over the Biafra business and Crocodile Smiles to give criminals and allied clans a bloody nose in the South West, the alarm would appear not without cause, as the military forms the central plank of these manoeuvres.

    Indeed, speaking in Ibadan at the 50th anniversary memorial  of the death of ace poet, Christopher Okigbo, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Prof. John Pepper Clark, both poetic soul mates with the fallen Okigbo, expressed their worries too.

    Prof. Soyinka, no friend of military impunity or jackboot arrogance, decried what he described as military hauteur creeping back  to cripple civil society. Yet, it was supposed to be a democracy. He announced his wish to meet Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, to discuss his militarisation worry with him.

    These would appear well-intentioned worries; and the federal authorities would do well to properly articulate the motive behind the latest security arrangements, so that critics and influential citizens like Soyinka can at least reason with the arrangement, if not back it outright.

    Still, from the spiralling level of insecurity all over the land, no right-thinking person would blame the Federal Government for the rather sorry turn of events. The case of Boko Haram is clear. No government could tolerate a criminal band, pushing violent Islamism to boot, to continue its blazing outlawry. Lafiya Dole is therefore perfectly understandable.

    The turn of events in the South East is regrettable. Still, it could have been worse, with Kanu and his IPOB turning that region into a high drama of tension, over the Biafra question. Unfortunately, the elders that should have cautioned and moderated his excesses either chose not to act; or acted too little, too late. Operation Python Dance would, therefore, appear a bitter pill to curb a putative breakdown of law and order.

    So, when the military high command announced the impending debut of Crocodile Smiles in the South West, not a few sensed some triumphalism, in the sense of the military as a pacification force. That, if true, would jar on the sensitive nerves of the civil rights lobby, always at cross purposes, with a law-and-order government.

    That dissonance is not unwelcome, particularly in a post-military democracy, where the military must constantly be reminded of its limits; and the government always warned not to succumb to short-term fixes, which could court long-term catastrophe.

    Still, Crocodile Smiles would appear not entirely an aberration, given the spiking of crimes, as kidnapping and oil bunkering, from which the South West was hitherto near-free. Then, with the almost daily report of the capturing of smuggled arms, from the Apapa Ports, the security situation in the region would appear dipping too.

    On that, Crocodile Smiles would appear more, a sound short-term measure to nip the menace in the bud; and less, a military operation to pacify. An earlier version of that manoeuvre had been used to uproot the notorious oil bunkering ring at the Arepo creeks, in Ogun State, after many casualties from both the police and the civil defence corps. When you factor in the kidnapping ring that twice, in less than a year, sneaked into Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe and the criminal exploits of the Badoo gang in Ikorodu, it would be clear there was need for some ruthless action.

    Still, the pertinent question: where are the police, the prime civil security corps, in all of this? The bitter answer is that the police have been progressively weakened over the years that they would appear to have lost the capacity to deal with these ultra-violent crimes without help.

    That is unfortunate. Yes, the military could step in at the very short-run. But the right path to follow is rebuild the police; and re-equip them so that they could deal with that level of crime. That is the ultimate way to go, so that the military can be left alone to face external threats for which they are trained.

    But more importantly still: the government should deal with actions or inactions that trigger off alienations, which lead to agitations, that offer ready and convenient cover for crime.

    Aside from seriously addressing mass poverty, the government should also run a juster, fairer and more equitable shop, in which everyone has a sense of belonging. That way, crises would be nipped, without recourse to any extraordinary force.

  • ‘Sovereignty, security and prosperity’

    The  topic  today was taken  out of Donald Trump’s  unique, first 40 minute  speech  to the United nations this week.  He  took  them  from  the Marshall  Plan which  the US   used  to build  Europe after  the massive destruction of the Second  World War and they were called ‘the pillars  of peace’. In    this period  characterized  by terrorism, migration, insurgency, violence  both man- made and natural,  it may sound far fetched to be referring to pillars  of peace  especially  in a speech in which  the same Trump  went on to threaten  the annihilation of a member nation of the UN, namely  North Korea, if it goes on provoking America  and its allies. But  really  while selling  the above concepts   as  pillars  of  peace  the boisterous  and mouthy  US  president simply  used the occasion  and speech to highlight that the  US under  his presidency is at  daggers  drawn with its  enemies. And like the old cowboys  of  the Wild  Wild West  the  US    has  its  hands on the gun ready  to shoot down real  and imagined  enemies both within  and without the UN  General  Assembly. Which in terms of ringing an alarm bell  on peace in our time, simply beggars description.

    Donald  Trump’s   main grouse in that speech  was that authoritarian, rogue   regimes  in the world  are trying  to spoil the values of freedom  and liberty  created  and prevalent  in a world put in place by the victors  of the second  world war,  and the US in his time will put  a stop  to that.  To  ensure  this he asked for strong, sovereign nations    and a coalition  of strong nations to ensure global  security  as a prerequisite  for  global  prosperity. That  means that  the speech   is  a  mere  ratification  and rationalization of  his America First campaign, even  as he asserted that    he   expected all  the world leaders to adopt  this   for  their   individual  nations  because  that is what  their  people in their various nations expect  them  to do. This  to the US president is crucial  because  according to him  –  To  put  it simply we meet  in a time of  both  immense    promise  and great  peril.  In   effect  Donald  Trump  has booted  diplomacy and internationalism  aside  and  has   invested  American  global  policy with a toga  of  Isolationism   and  Nationalism   marching  along  in a coalition of strong  sovereign  nations he has not identified.

    Anyway, one of the US allies, France through its president  has criticized Trump  on his cold shoulder  on Climate  Change Deal  and Concensus  and went further in an interview  with Amanpour   on  CNN  to say that  Nationalism always invariably  leads  to war.  But  the nations of the EU  or  western civilization, reconstructed   and   rebuilt    on the pillars  of   peace  speech in Trump’s reference to the Marshal  Plan,   are  leaderless  in taking issues with the US  under Trump.  According to experts on diplomacy, even  if  Trump  has  been bullish and incoherent, France  has  an untested leader, Britain  has  gone isolationist with Brexit  so  that  leaves the leadership of the EU  to  Germany led  by Chancellor Angela Merkel   and  critics  have been quick  to point out that in a fighting, violent  world now created by Trumpism, historical  German allergy  to war  stemming from the horror  of Nazi Germany makes German leadership  of the EU an improbable  and unlikely prospect.  That  possibility  and prospect  are  what we shall  appraise today  in the light of the three  pillars of peace identified by Donald Trump. Especially  now  that   the German  general elections takes place on 24th  September   tomorrow and  from  all  indications  Angela Merkel,  widely regarded  as the most  powerful woman  in the world  is likely  to win and her party the Christian  Democrats are expected  to be  in government alone or in a coalition with one or two  parties. It  is time therefore  to look  at  the Angela Merkel   leadership  and its grip  on the German electorate  which  is widely   expected to   see  her get  an amazing   fourth term  as Chancellor  of  Germany.

    In  a brilliant internet  article   Angela Merkel  was portrayed  as  ethical  rather  than ideological; reactive  not  pragmatic  and  detached rather than engaged  on issues.  That  can really  explain  why  she has   survived  many  dicey  political  and social  issues in recent times. The  two  that come to mind  are  the decision to let in about one  million migrants to  Germany  which  strained nerves in Germany  and earned the criticism and contempt  of Donald Trump.  The second  was her  U- turn  on gay  marriage  after asserting that marriage was between  a  man  and a woman  and the  human family  flows  from that.  To  those accusing her of  inconsistences  she has replied  that  –  Merkel  is Merkel, with all  the risks  and  side effects.   Her  critics have gone on to accuse her of being politically  rudderless  and  conveniently  shifting left  or right depending on  circumstances. To  her  prosperity  must  be earned  and  fairly distributed;  the state   must not boss  people around and must  support them;  refugees  must integrate; and  diversity  is strength. Merkelism, her  political  strategy  or manner  of leadership  has been described as the absence  of political anchors. This  then  is the leader the  Germans are expected  to return  to power tomorrow,  ceteris  paribus as the economists say  even though  we all  know that things are not always  equal. Let  us now see the type of opponent or leadership that the German leader faces in the new world of  Trumpism  under the threat  of nuclear  annihilation.

    Let  me note that I have  found  the verbal  artillery unleashed in defiance of sleek  diplomacy at the UN this  last  week  quite  fascinating and interesting. Trump called the N Korean leader Rocket  Man on a suicide mission. The  NK  leader Kim  branded Trump  deranged  and thinks that makes his nation’s  quest  for nuclear power plausible. To  me both leaders  have mutually underrated each  other. If  Kim  is suicidal, it is the US  that should  be careful  because a suicidal  leader is ready  to die and those opposing him should  avoid him, unless they want to go  to oblivion with him. Israel  has great experience on how  the arrival of the suicide bomber  changed  the balance of terror in favor of the Palestinians  in the power game  of Middle  East  politics. Secondly  if Trump  is really deranged as Kim  claims  then the world as we know it is no longer  safe  and Kim  should prepare his will and  sing O Lord  I am coming home, even in his native atheistic, Communist  Korea   because no  one can survive the fury  of the most powerful leader in the world whose  sanity  has been questioned stridently  both at home and abroad.

    Some  analysts have said that the NK leader is simply  asking for a suitable balance  of deterrence or terror in  seeking nuclear   power  and the US  should  accept  this but  the US   is not ready  for this. That  is the problem  that the world waits on  with  abated  breath  in a world of  dangerous balance  of deterrence  or terror characterized  by  boasts, intimidation  and  threats  -BIT.  Which  sadly  is  the new  verbal  artillery  world of both the Korean leader  and the US president. I call  it the new BIT  balance  of terror and pray it does not  consume us  all  as it  has consumed global  peace and  diplomacy  right before  our eyes in recent times. Once again  long live the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Wike raising false alarm against security agencies, says APC

    Wike raising false alarm against security agencies, says APC

    The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of raising false alarm against security agencies.

    The governor, on Wednesday, claimed the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives were behind kidnapping and robbery in the state.

    Rivers APC, at a news conference in Port Harcourt by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Chris Finebone,  Secretary Emeka Beke and other leaders of the party, accused the governor of having sewn police uniforms for thugs used by his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the 2015 elections and rerun in Rivers.

    It stated that Wike ought to have emulated his Abia State counterpart, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, who was proactive by declaring three-day dusk-to-dawn curfew in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia, with the curfew later extended to today, to prevent further breakdown of law and order.

    Rivers APC noted that the failure of Wike’s government to engage in productive ventures, was responsible for increase in the crime rate in Rivers, with hungry and angry youths returning to crime.

    Wike alleged that the SARS Commander in Rivers, Mr. Akin Fakorede, and operatives of the squad were indicted by an official police signal, which he claimed showed that they were responsible for the series of kidnapping and robbery across the state.

    The main opposition party said: “Ordinarily, the APC has no business involving in any matter between the Rivers governor and any other entity, but in the instant case and even in previous related cases, Wike has either alluded to or expressly stated that the APC benefited from whatever allegations he raised against the police or particularly the SARS. The APC has also been at the receiving end of the false alarms Wike had previously raised against the police, which, in all cases, turned out to be mere smokescreen by the governor to mask his real intentions.

    “From all indications, the Rivers governor’s accusation on Wednesday that members of SARS abducted some persons and forced them to withdraw N500,000, is manifestly cooked up to directly smear members of the SARS and the Commander, Akin Fakorede, who is known to have resisted advances made by Wike to compromise the officer.

    “Wike has never hidden his disdain for the SARS commander, due to the officer’s principled and professional stance in rejecting the governor’s bait in the past two years. Wike seems to have sworn to have Akin Fakorede compromised or transferred out of Rivers State, to pave the way for a replacement that may play ball with him.

    “Just before the killings in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA (ONELGA) of Rivers State assumed a frightening dimension, Wike had raised the alarm, accusing the military and police of invading ONELGA. Just after his blackmail of the Army and Police, his private army, led by Don Wannie, launched his massive killing and beheading in ONELGA. Same was the case when Wike sponsored a campaign of calumny against the military personnel that tried to normalise security in Ogoniland. He made all manner of accusations against the Army that had gone in search of Solomon Ndigbara, Wike’s private army general in Ogoni. Shortly after the sponsored campaign against the Army in Ogoni , Ndigbara launched his killings in Ogoniland.

    “Part of the concerns of the APC is that whenever Wike is about committing some security infractions, he diverts attention from himself, by raising false alarm against security agencies, especially the police. In the instant case, Rivers governor is raising these alarms to distract the police and pave the way for his killers to undertake further killings in Rivers State. Without doubt, we believe the security information in our kitty to that effect.”

    Rivers APC also called on Rivers people and Nigerians not to fall for the antics of Wike, stressing that they must remain vigilant.

    It admonished security agencies to refuse to be dismayed, demoralised or distracted by the antics of the Rivers governor, but must continue to work to secure the state from the grip of Wike’s killers, who it said were on a rampage across Rivers 23 councils.

    The party said: “Rivers State APC considers Wednesday’s accusation against the police, particularly against the SARS, as patently malevolent, mischievous and intended to mask the next phase of killings by Wike’s killers.

    “The police and other security agencies must remain focused and have their eyes on the ball, to forestall worsening security situation in the state, a situation that is already getting out of hand.”

    Rivers APC also urged the peace-loving people of the state to continue to endure Wike’s bad governance till 2019, when they would have the opportunity of effecting  change through their votes, asking them to prepare to vote wisely for all candidates of the main opposition party, to move forward.

     

     

    IGP Idris faults governor’s claim on SARS operatives

    Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris has faulted the allegation by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike that the police are behind criminal activities in the state.

    Idris said Wike was expressing a personal opinion on the security situation in his state.

    Idris explained that the display of a body purported to be that of the police in a crime scene did not indicate that the policeman was involved in the crime.

    He said: “That a policeman was killed in Rivers in connection with the IPOB issue is different from saying that the policeman was involved in a crime. You cannot say that the one attacked and killed is the one involved in the crime.”

    He described the governor’s comment as a sweeping allegation which “does not make sense to me”.