The Nation Newspaper

Tag: security

  • Buhari, Shettima, Ganduje, Tambuwal meet over security

    •Northern governors urge army to be at alert

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met behind closed doors with Governors Kashim Shettima (Borno), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) and Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, before departing for New York, United States

    Malam Imam Liman, the Special Adviser to the Sokoto State Governor on Media, confirmed the meeting of the governors with the President on his Facebook page yesterday.

    The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, confirmed Buhari’s departure to New York, through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja

    Adesina posted on his Facebook page: “President Buhari departs Abuja to New York for 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 17, 2017.”

    It was gathered that the President might have been briefed by the governors on some national issues, including the security situations in their respective states.

    Shettima, who is also the Northern State Governors’ Forum chairman, in a statement issued in Maiduguri, lauded the residents of the region for keeping the peace in the face of the recent clashes between members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and soldiers in some parts of the Southeast region.

    IPOB, which has been proscribed by the Southeast governors, was declared as a terrorist group by the military.

    Sokoto metropolis, on Saturday, however, witnessed minor social unrest as some armed youths in their hundreds, set ablaze a building along Bello Way where Igbo traders have shops in what appeared to be a response to reported attacks on some northern traders in some parts of the Southeast region.

    But the 19 Northern state governors, through the statement issued by Shettima, called on the army to remain on the alert in the region with a view to tackling any possible break down of law and order in the states.

    Buhari, after the meeting with the governors, left Abuja for New York to join other world leaders at the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 72).

    During the visit, he will participate in the General Debate where he was expected to deliver the country’s National Statement.

  • IPOB: Senate to meet security chiefs

    IPOB: Senate to meet security chiefs

    The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said the Senate would meet with security chiefs to chart a path for resolution of contentious issues engendering tension in the South-East.

    He said that the meeting, expected to hold shortly, would address the tension in the South-East and the skirmishes in Plateau.

    Saraki said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that security agencies, political and religious leaders must work for the promotion of dialogue as means for tackling agitations, to ensure peace in the country.

    In the statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, he urged all Nigerians to maintain peace and avoid statements or actions capable of aggravating the tension in parts of the country.

    The president of the senate said that the crises in the country were not unconnected to the economic challenges being faced by citizens.

    “The tension in some parts of the country has its roots substantially in the economic situation.

    “The nation should be assured that some of the legislative and executive actions taken to address the economic problems are beginning to yield fruits.

    “This is why we recently witnessed the rebound of the economy and the exit of the country from recession,” he said.

    He called for calm among the people, especially in the South-East and Plateau, saying that the government required the cooperation of everyone in solving all problems.

    “I want to appeal to our people to avoid stoking ethnic or religious fires. We should not deepen the fault lines of our nation and place citizens in danger of violence and sustained crises.

    “The government requires the support of all Nigerians and we should please give peace a chance. No real development or genuine economic activity can take place in the midst of crisis or tension.

    “Investments and development thrive only where there is peace,” Saraki said.

    He advised political, community and religious leaders to take actions that would douse the tension and reassure the people that the best way was for us to live together in peace and harmony.

    “All leaders at this point must canvass support for government and preach peace, love and harmony.

    “Once again, I plead with our people to avoid taking laws into their hands or antagonizing our neighbours,” he added. (NAN)

  • Deterrence, security and democracy

    Operation  Python  Dance  by the Nigerian  Army   in   the Eastern   part  of Nigeria   is  on the surface  a mere  military  exercise  to put the troops in a state  of  combat  readiness.  But, in reality,   it is  a clear   signal  to insurgents and secessionists  in that  environment  that  the government is in charge of the security of the Nigerian state  and will  crush any challenge  from any quarters  in the vicinity in that regard. It  is the Nigerian state  attempt  at deterrence  and I welcome and support it.

     This is because a government  in any  nation,  is any government that can exclusively regulate  the legitimate use of physical  force  in enforcing its rule within a given territorial  area and the Buhari  government  has just  shown its  hand  in the east  this time  as it  has done in the North  East  with Boko  Haram  up  till  now. You  may  even  say  the government  has bared its fangs discriminately  in the east and has avoided  the murderous herds men  raiding and destroying  farmlands in the North Central and  South  West,  but  that does  not detract  from  the fact   that at least  for once it has raised its hand militarily to stem  the rising  tide of secession that is fast  creating a state  within a state  in the Nigeria polity.  That  action or  Operation  Python  Dance  and  similar  military   exercises  have raised pointed   questions in other political systems globally as to the   real   duties of the military  and people have wondered aloud  on  the efficacy  of creating security through the deployment of soldiers on the streets  to protect the populace  and   deter  trouble   makers.  Indeed  the question  has been  raised in   NATO  nations    and the EU   IN  recent  times on whether such  troops  on the streets  are targets or  deterrent  to  terrorists, secessionists and insurgents. Questions are  also  being asked on the  whittling   capability  or  danger  of such street  deployment on the state of battle  readiness of such  troops and  the Nigerian Army cannot be an exception in that regard too. But  then  security  is necessary  for  the Nigerian  state  to maintain stability and safety  of the life and property  of Nigerians according to the Nigerian  constitution and the rule of law  and that  essentially is what Operation Python  Dance  is all  about  and I  agree  with its stated  objective and the spirit of  its enactment  and execution  so far.

    Let  us  now  take a peep at other parts  of the world  where challenges to the state and its structure have occurred and how such  challenges have been  handled. Good  examples   this week  are    Catalonia,  in   Spain  and  Pakistan where  the Supreme  Court turned down  an appeal  that removed the politically powerful Prime Minister Nawaz  Sharif  from  office for  financial  misconduct  traceable to the global  Panama Papers  that   revealed recently   that   several  corrupt  politicians had  offshore accounts in the Caribbean Islands.

    In   Spain  the state  of  Catalonia  appealed  to  the King  of Spain  King  Felipe and  the PM  of  Spain, Mariano  Rajoy to  allow  dialogue  and not halt the Catalonia state decision  to hold  a referendum on Independence  which the  Catalonians  have slated  for October 1, this year. The  King  of Spain  reportedly  stated recently at a state  occasion  that the Spanish  constitution can  take care of any   potential  rupture of the Spanish   nation, through its  constitution. The  PM  on the other  hand has commented  severally  that the  Spanish  Constitution  makes  Spain indivisible and  the government  prosecutors  have started  preparing cases against the Governor  of   Catalonia  and Mayor  of  Barcelona the   biggest city in Catalonia involved in the proposed referendum  for Catalonia  Independence  expected  to hold on Oct  1.  The    Spanish  PM  has declared   the referendum  illegal. But  the secessionists  are  adamant  and have gone on organizing and  planning the Independence  project in such a way  that public servants will  not be involved so that they do not compromise  their  neutrality  and loyalty  to the Spanish  state. Yet  the secessionists are  going ahead and their  leaders,  Catalonia’s Governor  Charles  Puigdemont and Barcelona Mayor  Ada  Colan  made this memorable statement  this week – ‘We  call  for an open  and unconditional  dialogue. A  political  dialogue based on the legitimacy we  all  have,  to make possible something that in a democracy  that   is never a problem and even less a crime; listening to  the voice  of the people.‘

    What  is   instructive  and   important   here  is that the leaders of  the   Catalonia  secession referendum claim legitimacy and monopoly  in hearing the voice of the people yet  are challenging  the power of the Spanish state  in going ahead after the PM of Spain  has declared the referendum illegal. The  Catalonian  leaders  must  be prepared for the consequences  of their actions for 0ct 1   which    the   legitimate  central  government has declared illegal. Going ahead with the Independence referendum makes them disobedient of the Spanish  constitution which makes Spain indivisible. One  can  only wait to  see  what will  happen as I do not see either the King or the PM bending the Spanish  constitution  to accommodate the Catalonia referendum of Oct 1. Which  means something   has to give somehow  and we can expect something like  Operation Bullfight  Dance very   soon in Spain ostensibly  along the line of the Nigerian  Army  Python  Dance  going on in  the  East  at  this  moment.

    The  Supreme  Court in Pakistan has shown clearly  that in a democracy, no  one, no matter  how  democratically  popular  should  be above the law. That  has been shown  in the way it  has removed  the politically  powerful former PM Nawaz  Sharif  from  office some time ago and  has  gone  on to confirm the  dismissal  by throwing away the appeal this week. Nawaz, to show  his durability, power   and    impeccable   democratic  credentials, has put in  place  his choice of a leader  as his replacement. This  is because  his party has majority in both Pakistan’s  legislature. But  justice  has been  served and the rule  of law has prevailed.

    What  Nawaz  Sharif has  been punished  for   by a  court  which  does not care whose ox is gored is instructive. He  did  not disclose a salary he was receiving from a relation’s account and even  though the Court  earlier  found  him  innocent of the Panama Papers scandal, it ordered  fresh  inquiries  of his vast wealth  and that threw  up  the incriminating deal  that led  to his removal  as PM. The  Court  also  found his daughter he was grooming to succeed  him politically  guilty of corruption  and therefore  ineligible to succeed him politically in future  in Pakistan’s  highly  volatile  politics.  That  is definitely  a good  sign that Pakistan’s  politics  is fast  weaning itself  of corruption  that has bedeviled it in recent times   and has always been an harbinger for military intervention in that  Islamic state’s  nuclear charged   political  environment.  Once  again long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.

  • Governors, security agents work out solution to IPOB

    Governors, security agents work out solution to IPOB

    There is a consensus that the military operations in some parts in Abia State must not be allowed to plunge the country into chaos. As part of efforts to douse the tension, Southeast governors are meeting today and an emergency security meeting will be held in Jos. Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna; Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi and Yusufu Idegu, Jos report.

    DESPITE the decision of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu not to attend the meeting of the Southeast Governors Forum, the parley will go on as scheduled, it was learnt yerter.

    The governors are to appraise the face-off between the Nigerian Army and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in Aba and Umuahia, Abia states.

    The Director of Media & Communication at the forum’s secretariat, Mr. Mike Udah, confirmed the meeting in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abakaliki.

    Udah said that he had not received any contrary information, even as IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu had indicated in media reports that he would not attend the meeting.

    Udah said: “I have not received any contrary information from my superiors on the convening of the meeting due to Kanu’s reported absence.

    “The Southeast governors are desirous to ensure that such an incident does not re-occur and bring lasting peace in the zone.”

    The forum, under the chairmanship of Ebonyi Governor David Umahi, had earlier inaugurated a seven-man committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the clash and report back to it during the meeting.

    Udah denied some media reports that the governors condemned the army’s invasion of both cities, which portrayed it as being against the Federal Government.

    He, however, said that the governors were consulting with relevant stakeholders, including the military hierarchy, to permanently resolve the issue.

    Uwazuruike: IPOB activities against Igbo interest

    THE Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) leader, Ralph Uwazuruike, yesterday condemned the activities of IPOB activities in the Southeast.

    The MASSOB chief said IPOB’s approach negates the rule of engagement of the Biafra struggle.

    Uwazurike, who spoke yesterday in Owerri, the Imo State capital,  said the activities of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, could only lead to an unplanned war which, according to him, was not on the card for the Biafra struggle.

    He said the interest of the Biafra movement was to secure the interest, lives and property of Igbo people and not to start another war.

    Uwazurike alleged that Kanu’s major interest was to destroy MASSOB’s agenda, explaining that the hallmark of any freedom fighter was to submit to being arrested.

    He said: “A real freedom fighter submits to arrest but Kanu has told his members to burn down the country if he is re-arrested, a true indication that he was paid to destabilise MASSOB.”

    Uwazurike also accused the Federal Government of popularising Kanu, adding that “if the government had ignored Kanu, the situation would not have escalated.’’

    He attributed Kanu’s popularity to the relevance given to him by the Federal Government and called on all Igbo leaders to condemn the IPOB activities as it had no agenda.

    Uwazurike said: “The IPOB has no agenda and I advise Igbo leaders to condemn its activities. Nnamdi Kanu has no agenda and he is only thriving on the relevance given to him by the government.

    “I recruited him and I know his capacities and he is not a leader. I have 25 steps towards actualising Biafra and Kanu does not have even one agenda.”

    Uwazurike condemned attacks on northerners over the ongoing military manoeuvre, code-named, Operation Python Dance II in the Southeast.

    According to him, any attack on northerners will be counter-productive as many Igbos are resident settlers in the North.

    IPOB agitation a child’s play, says Okorocha

    AGITATIONS by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for a sovereign republic in the Southeast are mere child’s play, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha said yesterday.

    Okorocha, who doubles as the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), spoke in Makurdi, Benue State, after leading a delegation of the forum on a visit to Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs), and victims of the floods that ravaged homes and farmlands in the Northcentral state.

    He said no reasonable Igbo was backing the agitation for secession.

    His words: “I have always said that IPOB is an agitation group, but the captioning is bad when you talk of sovereignty within a sovereign nation and also talking of secession.

    “Let me assure you that no Ibo person, or man is in support of secession and people must see this as a childish act. We must stand up to address it before it becomes a national problem.

    “As for us leaders in that area, it will be insane for anyone to think that the IPOB leader will ask us to follow him to seek secession.

    “So, Nigerians must learn to address it specifically. If you are addressing IPOB, you should be specific and not to address it as if it is an Igbo affair.”

    Okorocha, who personally donated N10 million to the victims, also sympathised with Benue State over the disaster, stressing that his team was on a fact-finding mission to pave the way for a larger visit of the APC governors.

    Northern youths to Kanu: don’t endanger your kinsmen

     

    Arewa Youth Forum (AYF), an umbrella for youth organisations in the North has lashed out at the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

    It described him as an over-ambitious agitator scheming to be President of Biafra State at the expense of his people’s lives.

    The AYF urged Kanu and his supporters to stop endangering the lives of their brothers residing in other parts of the country, especially in the North.

    It said no effort must be spared to avoid any attack that may trigger reprisals, accusing IPOB of plotting to plunge the country into a war.

    The group said it refused to be provoked with the latest provocative actions by IPOB members.

    A statement by the group’ National President, Gambo Ibrahim Gujungu entitled: “Southeast: Time for reason to prevail”, noted that the self-acclaimed IPOB leader does not have the interest of Igbo at heart, alleging that his actions could endanger the lives and properties of his kinsmen sojourning outside the Southeast.

    The AYF leaders urged stakeholders to immediately wage into the situation in the Southeast to nip in the bud possible escalation of the fast-spreading rumour on the social media.

    He said the intervention became imperative with the approach of the October 1 earlier deadline given by the various groups.

    The northern youth groups withdrew their live-our-region threat served on Igbo resident-settlers in the North following interventions by some concerned leaders in the North, including the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF).

    According to the statement: “We are working to curtail any reprisal in the north following  the rising tension in the Southeast and North in particular, because of the sad news of the destruction of human lives and property in Abia and Rivers states, by IPOB members allegedly targeted at non-indigenes.

     “We wish to call on our people in the North and all over the country  to show high level of maturity, intelligence and patriotism, and avoid been provoked to behave in  the same manner like the aggressors who have ulterior motive of throwing the whole country into chaos.  Let us be different and show that we are a people that are peace- loving and hospitable to those among us.

    “As a group of youths devoted to the prosperity of Nigeria as an indivisible entity we refused to be provoked by a semi illiterate loser from London, who found his way back to Nigeria and conned his gullible people into accepting him as their so called freedom fighter and hero and even Messiah to many.

    “Nnamdi Kanu and the vast majority of his followers were not born when Nigeria fought the civil war to keep us all as one. Millions lost their lives. These ill-informed persons do not know the misery, death and destruction that war brings. It is therefore too easy for them to beat the drums of war.

    “Let it be known that as the umbrella organisation of all youths in the North,  we are working to see that there is no reprisal anywhere in the North to the activities of IPOB terrorists who are oblivious of the fact that if reprisal attacks were to happen in the North, our Igbo brothers and sisters living in the region will sustain far worse losses than anybody else.

    “However, we are not unaware of the fact that the sanctity of the lives of Nigerians and that of Igbo in the North in particular and anywhere in the country and the security of their properties have never been Nnamdi Kanu’s concerns!

    “The man is busy basking in the delusion that he will one day be the head of state of a nation that he is fighting to install and the wellbeing of the people is never his concern.

    “It is very important to alert well-meaning Nigerians that we must not allow ourselves to be used as pawns to achieve an agenda of balkanising Nigeria. We are committed to the oneness of the country and we believe that the country is better off as one indissoluble country.

    “We must therefore avoid reprisals, and remain calm and law-abiding at all times not to play into the hands of the secessionist foot soldiers. We are committed to making sure all Nigerians are happy and safe anywhere in the country and in the North in particular.

    “Going forward we want to align with our northern leaders and northern governors that the North is totally committed to the unity of the country and the oneness of Nigeria is not negotiable. Let us be wise and ignore the merchants of war,” the AYF said.

    IPC condemns invasion of Abia NUJ secretariat

     

    The Lagos office of the International Press Centre (IPC) yesterday condemned Tuesday’s invasion of Abia State NUJ Secretariat by troops of the Operation Python Dance II. 

    Relying on media reports, the IPC said: “The military personnel reportedly beat up journalists at sight and destroyed their working tools, furniture, documents and other property yet to be quantified.”

    In a statement by its Director Lanre Arogundade, the IPC described the unprovoked attack as shameful and a clampdown on democracy as the list of attacked journalists recently seems to grow daily with the worrisome trend becoming more condemnable.

    The statement reads: “If the military wants to exercise its authority and strength, it should be channeled into assisting the media to make progress in a democratic era and not victimising media professionals.

    “IPC therefore calls on the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to thoroughly probe the incident so that all the personnel involved would be made to face the law.”

    Besides, Arogundade said the military authorities should replace all damaged equipment in the Abia State NUJ secretariat.

     

    Umuahia NBA urges withdrawal of soldiers

     

    The Umuahia branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday urged the immediate withdrawal of troops deployed in the Abia State capital to avoid hitting up the polity.

    Urging the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to immediately redeploy the soldiers operating under Operation Python Dance II, said there was no security threat in Umuahia to warrant military operation.

    He said that the unfolding development Abia between soldiers and members of the public underscored the urgency to reconsider the necessity of Operation Python Dance II.

    The NBA branch chairman, Nnamdi Eluwa told reporters at a news conference that the Army would lose its meaning, value and worth in the minds of the society if the soldiers in Abia were not withdrawn and redeployed.

    Eluwa stressed that the Umuahia branch of NBA would not support any enterprise that would violate the fundamental human rights of Abia people.

    He said: “It is our position that there is no security threat in Umuahia and its environs to warrant the deployment of soldiers to intimidate and molest innocent Nigerians who are going about their lawful business.

    “We condemn in strong terms the unfortunate attack on journalists in Umuahia and raiding of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat by officers of Nigerian Army on September 12.

    “The attack on members of the NUJ by the Army to say the least is an attack on the people of Abia.” Eluwa said there was no need for massive deployment of soldiers in the Southeast as the area is peaceful.

     

    Curfew in Jos, soldiers deployed.

     

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong will today chair an emergency security meeting for the Government House in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

    The governor summoned the meeting last night following rising tension in the Tin City. He announced a dusk-to-dawn curfew (6pm to 6am) on the city to douse the tension.

    Billed for the meeting are representatives of the Igbo and Hausa communities in Jos as well all the security agencies in the state.

    The security meeting is a follow up security strategy to avoid the growing tension degenerating into violence between the Igbos and the Hausas.

    The meeting between the two ethnic groups became necessary as the tension in the state was generated with rumours of some non-indigenes being killed in Aba, Abia State as well as the plan for reprisals in Jos.

    The special military troops in Jos, code-named Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) said it has deployed its men to the flash points in Jos, particularly at Chobe, Apata, Katako, Bauchi road, Tafawa Balewa, Farin Gada, Gadabiu, Zaria road.

    According to the media officer of the Special Task Force, Captain Umar, “residents can be assured that we are on top of the situation and we can guarantee every resident to go about their normal business without fear. The tension is unnecessary, needless and ineffective because we are on ground.

     

    Army probes video on rights abuse

    Investigations into the video clip of alleged human rights’ violations by soldiers which has been trending on the social media has stated, the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Headquarters said yesterday.

    The stand of the army was contained in a statement signed by Col. Sagir Musa, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relation, 82 Division.

    The statement said the military was looking for the source and actors in the clip.

    It reads: “The attention of the Headquarters, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, has been drawn to a video clip trending on social media and other platforms purportedly showing troops humiliating some people at a check point in Abia State, Nigeria.

    “The issue is being investigated with the view to ascertain the source and the actors in the clip. Our code of conduct and rules of engagement are quite clear and any officer or soldier that infringed on any of such directive if found guilty, will face full wrath of the military justice system.

    “We would like inform the public that 82 Division is also aware of the planned misinformation and propaganda arrangement by the secessionists Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    “They intend to churn out prerecorded video clips aimed at discrediting the Nigerian Army, causing disaffection among the citizens of this country. They will be using bogus, manipulated and photo-shopped photographs as well as video clips. The public should be wary of such mischief, scrutinize and report same to the Nigerian Army or any of security agencies.

    “The Division wishes to reassure the public that it is determined to ensuring the safety of lives and properties in its area of operational responsibility, particularly the entire Southeast geo-political zone as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “We do not condone any act of indiscipline in the conduct of our operations and training exercises. Any claim of rights violation would be investigated and when confirmed, appropriate disciplinary action would be taken against the erring personnel”.

  • Food security and S/West governors

    Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be servant of all” – Jesus Christ (Mark 10:43)

    Last week, tomatoes and vegetables disappeared from Lagos markets. This was attributed to disruption in the regular flow of some food items from the north to the south by the sallah holiday. Our inability to feed ourselves 17 years into the fourth republic is perhaps a clear manifestation of deficit of Christ’s defined attributes of servant-leadership among some of our clowning South-west ‘activists’, the ‘constituted authority and ‘Oshokomole – Ebora tin je jollof’ governors who behave and act as if they are beyond reproach or that leadership is about being hailed by sycophants, thugs and okada commercial motorcyclists.

    But it has not always been like this. We were once blessed selfless leaders and role models with templates for developmental strategies that did not only guarantee self-sufficiency in food production but promises of a more just, egalitarian society. We remember with nostalgia the selfless services of leaders like Obafemi Awolowo, S L Akintola, Anthony Enahoro, Oduola Osuntokun Abraham Adesanya, and their other colleagues who left a lasting legacy in education, health, housing and agriculture with judicious management of the little resources available to them. Their second republic successors such as Olabisi Victor Onabanjo, Lateef Jakande, Bola Ige, Ambrose Alli and Adekunle Ajasin who as governor refused to spend N50, 000 to fix a leaking government house claiming Ondo State could not afford the luxury at the time, followed the footsteps of their illustrious predecessors by providing quality service to their people. The fourth republic threw up Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Niyi Adebayo, Segun Osoba and Pa Bisi Akande who like Jakande used his personal car as official car until the state forced him to abandon it. Like their predecessors, they selflessly served the people and we today remember them with melancholy.

    The crisis of leadership in the West started in 2003 when Obasanjo under his dubious mainstreaming policy decided to impose leaders on the West. He was to become a godfather to the likes of Lucky Igbinedion, Segun Agagu, Ayo Fayose, Segun Oni, Gbenga Daniel and Olagunsoye Oyinlola as well as other ambitious individuals such as journalists, academics and other professionals who, following their losses in the primary elections of their parties, were seduced by Obasanjo federal government’s offer of funds, security and vehicles to destabilize south-west.

    Obasanjo’s hand-picked leaders as it turned out, unlike their predecessors, served none but themselves. Igbinedion left Benin City after eight years in office like a war-torn city. Fayose traded a College of Medicine for a fraudulent poulty farm during his first coming; Oni took Ekiti through three years of nightmare while fighting to keep a mandate the courts finally ruled he never won. His major legacy includes foisting three universities, including the one sited in his village on Ekiti that had no resources to effectively run one. Olagunsoye  Oyinlola who admitted to a judicial commission of inquiry of awarding and paying in advance contractors to build stadia around some towns in Osun State and Gbenga Daniel who went around Ogun State with ex-President Jonathan commissioning uncompleted  and yet to take off projects.

    With Obasanjo’s humiliating defeat by Tinubu, some of the immediate and current leadership which represents the mainstream south-west political orientation were expected to have taken after their first and second and republic forbearers. Unfortunately they seem to have found their shoes too big.

    Let us start with Ekiti, the land of honour.  Fayemi no doubt made some impact in education and social welfare. But with Ekiti State as the 35th  out of 36th on the nation’s revenue ladder, diverting N2.7b of the  N25 billion bond  his administration secured from the capital market to build a grandiose government house because the then ‘Osuntokun Lodge lacked many facilities befitting of the residence of a governor  and therefore very inferior’ to other government houses in the country was indefensible when his government could have rehabilitated the run-down  Ikun Dairy farm established by Ajasin in the second republic as part of solution to a geographical region that depends on other geographical zones for the 10,000 heads of cow  it consumes daily.

    Aregbesola, after retrieving his stolen mandate through the courts had enjoyed tremendous support and goodwill of the people, all of which he seems to have frittered away because of his leadership style. Although he swears by Awo’s name, he appears to be his own role model. His rather insensitive comment about the state of mind of Ademola Adeleke who recently defeated his APC candidate in the Osun south senatorial by-election after rightly reminding Ede people that the senatorial seat was not hereditary seem to confirm the fears of those who argue Aregbesola has been wearing a shoe bigger than his leg.

    Ajimobi during his first term, keyed into Buhari’s  green alternative initiative which focuses on commercial agriculture development programme, by allocating tractors, planters and harvesters to each of the 33 local government areas. Most of those equipment are however said to have either been sold off or mismanaged by past caretaker chairmen while he as ‘the constituted authority’ battles those who put him in power especially students of Oyo State tertiary institutions who have been out of schools for the greater part of the year and their civil servants and pensioners parents who have not been paid for several months.

    Ajimobi who started well is also today enmeshed in Ibadan traditional chieftaincy controversy as he apes ill-informed military men who unilaterally made kings out of ‘Baales’ as he creates, by fiat, kings with crowns and sceptres without kingdoms.

    While Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State on his part is striving to turn his state to number one industrial hub in Nigeria with plans to build airport before 2019, two years to the end of his second four years term, his plan towards agriculture that will lead to industrialisation remains a plan. In any case, since people have to eat before the transformation of agriculture from commercialization to industrialization, keying into the Buhari agriculture initiatives designed to achieve food security, alleviate rural poverty and end hunger ought to be the starting point.

    If leadership, as Sun Tzu, (Chinese General, and 544–496BC) has said “is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and discipline”, a well-focused Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos who operates as a servant rather than a ‘constituted authority’ better appropriates the virtues of his forbearers. After insisting “there is no alternative to achieving food security other than tilling the land and embrace best practices that will improve efficiency in the agricultural value chain”, he has in practical terms sealed a landmark partnership with Kebbi State government for the development of agricultural commodities such as rice, wheat, groundnut, onion, maize and beef value chain. His government has also acquired 500 hectares of farm land for rice cultivation in Eggua, Ogun State, 84.7 hectares at Okinni in Osogbo for oil palm processing.

  • ‘No business can thrive without security’

    ‘No business can thrive without security’

    With boost in access to smartphones and 150 million active subscribers; internet connections of over 90million as well as teledensity of over 100 per cent, technology has redefined business in many ways. One of these areas is e-hailing, a process of ordering a car, taxi, limousine, or any other form of transportation pick-up via a computer or mobile device. While e stands for electronic, hail refers to the traditional process of signalling an approaching taxi-cab to stop. The Operations Manager, Taxify, Uche Okafor, says security is vital to e-hailing business. LUCAS AJANAKU met him

    nsecurity is a major threat to e-hailing technology services in cities. How best can operators address this menace?

    The sharing economy in its purest essence thrives on trust. With e-hailing, it is important for operators to continuously put security measures in place to improve reliability and encourage the culture of trust. Being an e-hailing app that connects riders to reliable rides, a top priority of ours is ensuring that everyone that uses our platform feels secure. We do this by ensuring that all our driver-partners are required to undergo a vehicle inspection, present a valid driver’s licence and undergo direct training that assesses emotional intelligence before they are deemed fit to drive on the platform.

    Additionally, trust-building features that reveal the driver-partners photo, name, vehicle type and registration as well as each driver’s star rating is available on the Taxify app such that riders know who their driver is before getting in the car and can instantly compare the driver-partner information on the app against what is standing in front of them. Also, both driver-partner and riders have multiple support channels on Taxify.

    Because digital media goes through the lifeblood of e-hailing, there is an additional feature in-app that gives riders the option to share their active trip status with friends and family, so everyone you permit can track your trip in real time. Anonymous feedback after every trip is also a security feature that allows you to rate the driver and leave comments on the quality of the ride experience.

    At present, we are rolling out Taxify Cover, a unique insurance initiative by Taxify Nigeria in partnership with AIICO Insurance Plc and facilitated by AutoGenius. The cover adds an extra layer of security by providing bespoke insurance to protect Taxify users on all Taxify trips. The Taxify Cover aims at insuring all drivers in the event of any incident that may occur while using the Taxify app. This cover also extends to riders on Taxify trips. In addition to all these, we are continuously working on developing new tech powered features to ensure safety of riders and driver-partners.

    With kidnappings and ritual killings on the rise, ride-sharing may never become a reality. Do you agree with this?

    One thing that is true is that Nigerians are naturally intuitive people, which means that as a country, we recognise a good deal when we see one. Ride-sharing is a simple way to reduce the number of vehicles on the road and increase the number of people moving around in each car. This means reduced traffic congestion, more affordable fares and decreased automobile emissions.

    If you look closely at the transportation space in Nigeria, you will find that ride-sharing is already fairly popular informally. It’s not strange to see, for example, independent car owners at bus stops picking up people going their way in exchange for a fee. Tech powered ride sharing solutions give better structure, quality control and security to the existing ride-sharing model operational in Nigeria.

    What are the survival chances of these e-hailing (or ride-hailing) apps in a society that is prone to unstable internet access?

    The e-hailing sector ban transportation in most cities around the world, meaning that there is still a lot of market potential. For Taxify, it is not so much about survival as it is about growth and becoming a strong alternative to public transportation and personal cars. We are seeing that smartphone penetration in Nigeria is on the rise, driven by the availability of cheaper smartphones and an increased appetite for mobile internet. The mobile network ecosystem as a whole is improving and consumers now have more options. Importantly, the Taxify app is built to require less data from our riders.

    Moving around in a city, such as Lagos, could be a nightmare. What has cab done to ease the transportation problems?

    Lagos is moving towards attaining the mega city status. It is such an exciting market given the evolving taxi ecosystem. Taxify believes that ride hailing has the potential to ease up a lot of transportation tension in Lagos. Lagosians want to move around their cities fast and comfortably without the added hassle of manually seeking out a ride. Also, we see that people are showing a preference for using Taxify to avoid spending time and money in traffic and on parking.

    Improved transportation has been linked to accelerated economic development, as one vehicle servicing the transportation needs of up to 50 residents would lead to reduced traffic bottlenecks and a saner city.

     

    There is an increased competition in a city, such as Lagos with over 20 million people, what are your strategies?

    The city of Lagos holds massive potential given the size of the population and that over a million rides happen on a daily basis. Ultimately, we aim to change the way that people move within the city, create jobs and transform the transportation ecosystem. Competition is good and we believe there is room for several players in the ride-sharing economy. We believe that Taxify can effectively contribute to healthy competition by improving the quality of service, motivating driver-partners and offering affordable prices to Lagosians.

    Our belief is that happier drivers translate to happier customers and as such we treat our driver-partners better so that they can in turn offer high quality service to customers. Our commission is 15 per cent (compared to competitions 20-25 per cent), so Taxify’s driver-partners earn significantly more than with other competitors.

     How are you managing the downsides from the execution of your strategies to become the dominant operator in the country?

    Our underlying strategy is to treat driver-partners better so that they can offer high quality service to customers. We take a lower commission which means more money in the driver-partners pockets. We do all this while still delivering affordable and quality ride experiences to our riders. Lagosians understand this ecosystem and appreciate it.

    Ultimately, we cannot rule out the risk of lower priced alternatives penetrating the market but what has separated us and would continue to separate us is that on our platform, riders benefit and drivers benefit. We are opening up more jobs and empowering more people in Lagos and riders are getting better value for their naira.

     Don’t you think the trend of Taxify drivers equally offering services to rival operators, vice versa, could be detrimental in future?

    A key selling point for e-hailing in the eyes of driver-partners is that they become entrepreneurs almost instantly. Driver-partners are their own bosses and can choose to operate on as many e-hailing platforms as they want.

    What we have noticed, however, is that a lot of driver-partners show strong preference for driving and earning on the Taxify platform as their earning potential is significantly higher with Taxify, given that we take a lower commission and are always giving back to our driver-partners in the form of bonuses.  The earning potential, flexibility and choice that Taxify offers is also very appealing to part-time driver partners who choose Taxify as a great source of extra-income as they know that even if they have as little as a spare hour, they can just go online and offer a few trips.

    We have an open-door policy for our driver-partners – we encourage them to give us open feedback about and share their ideas on how we can improve. Drivers are listened to and their feedback is acted upon.They enjoy driving with Taxify, which in turn results in better quality service for the riders.

    Charges by Taxify are relatively higher when compared to that of its biggest competitor. Why is this so?

    This is because of the -40 per cent campaign competition it is running. Taxify entered the market to increase democratisation in the e-hailing space, we have always been the e-hailing app that offers better value for money.

    What is interesting is that the last few months that competition has run this campaign have shown that lower fares do not automatically equal better ride experiences. Although more riders may make initial requests on competing platforms, fewer drivers are available as the drivers do not believe the fares on competing platforms factor in the economic conditions and rising cost of vehicle maintenance.

    Taxify has the shortest ETAs of any e-hailing app in Nigeria, meaning that riders do not have to wait long periods for their rides to arrive or make cancellations because drivers are refusing to show up, ultimately resulting in great experiences for both our riders and drivers.

    Drivers on Taxify are happy going online to deliver safe, convenient and affordable rides as they believe they are getting their efforts worth on our platform. Riders also enjoy affordable and reliable rides on Taxify. It’s a win, win situation.

  • FG to beef up security in worship centres – Ngige

    FG to beef up security in worship centres – Ngige

    The Federal Government says it will come up with security plans that will guarantee the safety of lives and property in worship centres across the country.

    Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister for Labour and Employment, said this in Amakwa, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo council when he led a delegation to commiserate with the people and government of Anambra State yesterday.

    The delegation was led to St. Philips Catholic Church by Dr Nkem Okeke, Deputy Governor of Anambra and Most Rev. Dr Hillary Okeke, the Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese.

    Ngige said the Federal Government would cooperate with Anambra to ensure that the culprits were brought to book.

    The minister, who described the attack as heinous, wicked and sacrilegious, said the delegation would report back to the presidency.

    He said the Federal Government would also work out a security framework that would protect worshipers anywhere in the country.

    Ngige, who was briefed by the Bishop and Parish Priest of the church, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, said efforts would be made to forestall future recurrence.

    In his remarks, the deputy governor said the church was praying for the repentance of the perpetrators.

    He said government and the security agencies could go ahead with the hunt for the culprits, but as Christians, the diocese was praying that the masterminds should change their ways.

    He called for prayers and support for the victims either directly to the affected families or through the church through its Victims’ Support Fund.

     

  • Navy, others march to reassure residents of security

    Navy, others march to reassure residents of security

    The Nigerian Navy (NN) at the weekend embarked on a-thousand-man march to establish its presence and reassure Nigerians of their security.

    The march, which staretd about 5am from the Naval Training Command headquarters  (NAVTRAC) in Apapa, progressed through Ijora, Costain to Ojuelegba and back, despite the heavy rain.

    An initiative of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, the exercise was primarily organised to test the physical fitness and mental alertness of personnel.

    The Army, Air Force, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps  (NSCDC), took part in the four-hour march.

    The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) NAVTRAC, Rear Admiral Obi Ofodile, said: “When you see military men march on the street, one of  the objectives, whether defined or not, is to reassure the public that we are in charge. In fact, they are safer than ever. It is a way of reassuring the public that all is well and every situation is under control.

    “This route march is a continuous thing and we will be doing it once in a while. I have no doubt it will strengthen the existing relationship between the armed forces and other security operatives.

    “We want to build and sustain a good relationship with paramilitary agencies. For the armed forces, we have good relationship because we all train at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). By organising exercises like this, we want our colleagues in uniform in other agencies to know that we all are one.

    “From the turnout and participation, it is clear we are all fit and healthy. I must commend the CNS, who directed that the commands and autonomous units of the navy come up with a march where other security agencies would participate to foster understanding, friendship and oneness.

    Senior officers who took part in the exercise included the Admiral Superintendent, Naval Ordinance Depot (NOD) Rear Admiral Dogara Yusuf, Chief Staff Officer (CSO) Western Naval Command  (WNC) Rear Admiral Matthew Emuekpere and COS, 81 Division, Brig.-Gen. Hamisu Hassan, among others.

  • Tinubu commends LASIEC, security for peaceful polls

    Tinubu commends LASIEC, security for peaceful polls

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu has commended the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) and security operatives for conducting peaceful local government elections in Lagos State.

    Tinubu spoke with reporters, after casting her vote at Polling Unit 034, Bourdilon Road, Ikoyi.

    The senator from Lagos Central District, who defied the rain to perform her civic duty, expressed optimism that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would record landslide victory across the state.

    According to her, the party’s victory was evident, given the record breaking performance of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    She said: “I think LASIEC has done excellently well in ensuring that there is a peacful and orderly election. I applaud them and security agencies because everything is going on well.”

    On the mix up of ballot papers and voter registers at various polling units, Tinubu attributed the challenge to anxiety, commending the umpire for speedily correcting the odds.

    She said: “People do make mistakes. The mix up could be blamed on anxiety because the tension has been a bit high these past few days. People are quite excited. We thank God everything is in order.

    “As you can see, I don’t even have an umbrella. We are voting for ourselves and not the candidate because we have to vote for a party which is working to ensure we have stability in the nation.

    “Although it is raining, I appeal to people to come out and vote. If they do not vote, they should not complain that those elected are not doing anything.

    “This is the time to show solidarity and we believe this government is working. It is not for you but for generations unborn in order to put things in place. We won’t be doing this if we do not believe in this government and the system.

    “In Lagos, we have set the standard of performance and so, those elected would not have any other choice than to work.”

    Similarly, a member of the State House of Assembly, Gbolahan Yishawu, who voted at polling unit 003, situated at St. Georges’ Primary School, Falomo, said he was confident the APC would win with wife margin.

    Noting that the rain affected the turnout of voters, Yishawu applauded those who came out with umbrellas to vote.

    He said: “The rain has not helped, because it started very early and heavy in this area. It discouraged a lot of people but some people still came out despite the weather. We hope that before the 3pm deadline for conclusion of voting, more people would come out.

    “It is God who gives and takes power. By his grace, I am confident that we will win this election with wide margin. My confidence is not just because we feel or hope but because of the performance of the State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode.

    “Our local government election is a reflection of what the state government is doing and we know Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has performed exceptionally well. The Chairmen are to replicate what the state government is doing.”

    Save for polling unit 025, Ajeneya/Ojo in Ikoyi/Obalende which had impressive turnout of voters, The Nation observed that there was apathy within Ikoyi and environs.

    The leader of the Hausa Community at Ikoyi/Obalende Alhaji Mohammed said they were excited to come out and vote because they have been getting dividends of democracy.

    Other polling units within the vicinity recorded as low as 10 voters at the time of visit (12am), while some others had about 50 voters.

     

    Aside affecting voter turnout, The Nation observed that the rain also obstructed the commencement time for the exercise as most LASIEC officials did not set up their tables till about 9am.

    It was also observed that most of the pplling units situated at places without shelter, were not provided canopies to shield them from the weather.

    At a point, residents went round with umbrellas at Ikoyi/Obalende to invite others from their homes to exercise their franchise.

    This action, according to Nurudeen Olowokowo, was to assist those who might not have umbrellas but are interested in voting.

  • WFP, Yobe Agric agency collaborate on food security

    WFP, Yobe Agric agency collaborate on food security

    The Yobe State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have expressed their commitment to ending hunger in the state.

    During a visit by a WFP team to ADP office in Yobe, the organisations expressed concern over the need to ensure that people displaced by Boko Haram insurgency received food assistance and seeds for planting through collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

    ADP’s Programme Manager Alhaji Mustapha Goggobe told the team led by WFP Head of Area Office, Maiduguri, Ms. Mutinta Chimuka, that WFP had been a worthy partner in the fight against hunger, not only in the state but also in the entire Northeast where insurgency forced many people to flee their homes.

    “We are the implementer with WFP in Yobe and government representative coordinating with the food sector working group in the state. We share ideas that help support WFP intervention against hunger in the Northeast Nigeria,” said Goggobe.

    “We acknowledge WFP’s role in fighting hunger in Yobe through food distribution and cash transfers to internally displaced people. We have been partnering with WFP for long together with FAO especially on seed distribution and protection. WFP is a strong ally and partnership is one of the best ways to ensure food security in the state,” he said.

    “In fact, we are making a lot of impact because of partnership with WFP. Partnership is good in this kind of work on food security. The last time FAO was distributing seed at Yusufari Local Government while WFP was distributing food. We like this kind of partnership. It is a success story to see WFP in Yobe,” he said.

    Responding, Chimuka said: “For us the emergency assistance and saving lives is important. Through the support of authorities, we have been able to impact lives. We thank the government of Nigeria. Also, through the support of Yobe State government and its agency ADP; and other state authorities we are continually feeding people in dire need of food assistance in the Northeast Nigeria.”