The Nation Newspaper

Tag: security

  • ‘Pipeline security needs collaboration, technology’

    ‘Pipeline security needs collaboration, technology’

    The Group Managing Director of Oilserv Limited and Frazimex Limited, a pipeline and facilities repairs firm, Emeka Okwuosa, met with Nigerian reporters at the just-concluded offshore technology conference in Houston, Texas, United States. He spoke on how to prevent pipeline vandalism, survive in a low oil price regime and why product pipes in Nigeria lack integrity, among other issues. EMEKA UGWUANYI was there.

    The East-West pipeline is expected to be the solution to domestic gas challenges. Your company is one of those that won the pipeline contract. What is the status of the contract given the dwindling crude price and the government’s financial challenges?

    The East-West pipeline project also called OB3 pipeline is ongoing and we are looking at the project’s completion in 2017. The scheduled completion date is July 2017. The project has faced quite a few challenges like you will expect of any project. Projects come with plans, based on scope and as you progress with the project, you may have changes in scope depending on what you intend to achieve. We also have challenges that come with community management and security issues. We also have several other challenges, but at the end of all, we are always having reduced and recalibration of the schedule. Currently, we are looking at July 2017. In terms of how it is being affected by the current situation in oil and gas industry, it may not really affect it. This is a gas pipeline, and I know there is a plan by the government to make gas distribution come in top gear.Therefore, this means that the project has been programmed overtime and the funding is also being kept by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government. So, clearly the funding is on stream and I believe by next year, we should have that pipeline fully functional to be able to increase the capacity of gas supply for domestic uses.

    What is the volume or capacity of the pipeline?

    At peak supply, we are looking at a maximum of two billion standard cubic feet of gas per day (bscf/d). Whether that capacity will be achieved or not depends on whether there will be enough gas to feed it.

    With renewed attack and vandalism of pipelines, and your 2017 completion target, what measures have you put in place to secure the new pipeline?

    Pipelines are built based on what is called ‘engineering codes,’ and these codes determine the way you scope the project, and the way you  scope the specifications of the project, and once that is done by the clients, our job is to build to those specifications. There are many ways to secure a pipeline, but the most important way to secure a pipeline is the engagement of stakeholders including the government, the community and all manner of people that have direct impact on the pipeline. There are various forms of technology like the defined optic system, but that’s not being installed in the pipeline because it wasn’t part of the original scope. But what we have to know is that anybody that is tampering with a gas pipeline is a clear saboteur because you don’t tamper with gas pipeline to steal the gas. So, the incidence of gas pipeline vandalism is typical because it is an act of sabotage.

    How do you think the government can permanently address pipeline vandalism?

    Government has to set up a system to guide  the pipeline because it is a national asset. It is a very strategic national asset because anywhere in the world, you guide your pipelines by using technology, engaging the communities around there, or putting up a proper security including military security, but you have to guide your pipelines.

    In other words, you support government’s idea to set up a separate security that will guide the pipelines and the use of drones?

    I won’t say I support it because I don’t have the details, but what I’m saying in general is that you need to do a combination of general methods and technology. You can’t restrict it to just putting police around it, because if you have a 500-km pipeline, are you going to  get soldiers or police around it? This is not feasible. It requires, again, the people around it because they are the first and primary line of defence for the pipeline. Somebody has to know that something is going to happen and report it somewhere. Drone is also part of the solution. But it has to be an integrated solution. If you put drones, they can work but what it means is that when you have detected any attempt by the drones to vandalise pipeline, you have to quickly intervene. So, you need to have an integrated system because drone cannot intervene for you.

    What do you now consider as the best method to stop pipeline vandalism?

    It depends on the pipeline, the area and the community the pipeline passes through. It depends on many things, but like I said it is a combination of all sorts of security measures and it is only when you take a specific pipeline that you can address such issues clearly and be able to put a formula for it. It is not easy to say this is the way forward. It is a combination of being able to work together with the communities, and the individuals around the areas of that pipeline. Being able also to build the pipeline following codes in a way that it will be more difficult for anybody to get in there, which means you bury the pipelines deep which is what we do.

    The other one is being able to deploy technology, which is either you put a detection system along the line or you put drones to monitor. Finally, you have to put an intervention system. An intervention system means when you have detected vandalism, what are you going to do? You need human beings to go there and take action, which means it has to be purposeful, it has to be well organised and finally you must have a legal system ready so that when you catch somebody, you prosecute that person. If after arrests  nothing happens, that encourages negative actions, but going forward. It is quite a complex scenario but it can be solved.

    In this petroleum industry downturn, how do you cope with exploration and production activities?

    Exploration and production are part of the whole package. We started with construction, expanded it into full Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC). Oilserve is the first indigenous company to go into full EPC. With that, we consolidated our activities and we have been able to build capacity. We moved on into gas development, exploration and production. The whole idea is to have a balanced portfolio and be able to de-risk the business. Now oil price is low, but people will have to understand that oil price has never remained low or high. It is a cycle that has been going on for decades and for those, who deeply understand the oil industry, you have to be able to read the cycle and know when to gauge. Oil price is low, but the reality is that this is the best time to invest because you can price low. The main challenge is that you may not find the money to invest. We have gone into exploration and production to be able to gauge. Right now, exploration is more difficult because it is difficult to go out and drill and spend money on exploration with low oil price. You can still do it if you can get the services with reduced income, which is what is going on today. You can get into production asset where you optimise production, reduce your costs and be able to produce at a rate below $30 per barrel, and manage until the price goes up.

    The profit end of the sector seems to have shifted to downstream, do you intend to invest in refining of white products?

    I mentioned that we have moved into other business areas in order to de-risk our business. Do not forget that Oilserve started activities in 1995, so we have come a long way. This year will make it 21 years and you can understand that we have matured. Five years is enough for you not only to strategise, but try the strategy and be able to fine-tune it. We have done this and where we are today is that we have actually integrated and adapted to the situation. As we speak, we are undergoing a massive strategy session to reposition ourselves to be able to work and determine, which area to pay more attention to in medium term.  We also have long term strategy  there. But in long term, you have to twist from time to time to meet up with the short term and medium term results. It is a matter of planning, understanding the industry and not being a company that comes into the industry and do just trading.

    So, if you look at refining and refinery that is a different business. We do not intend to get into that. The only way we can get into the refining and refinery business would be to basically do modular refinery in other to utilise the production we may have going forward, if we do not want to evacuate the crude, but rather turn it into products and be able to use the products within the country. All these things are not required within the present predicament. But right now, we have not decided to go into refining. We must create the right value with the right strategy to go into it.

    Most operators you serve are being owed by the NNPC, how are you coping with the situation and what strategy should the industry adopt to get out of this situation?

    Everybody is affected definitely. We have an industry-wide downturn. There is low activity, low price regime, so it is affecting everybody. It is also creating a challenge for the government to be able to cope with the issues of funding, knowing that oil in particular is the major ingredient of our economy. Oil still constitutes more than 60 per cent of our foreign exchange earnings as a country. You can realise that lots of things we use in Nigeria are purchased from overseas.

    So, to fund these, you need to ensure you get enough money from the sale of crude to meet them. If you opt out from the side you know, you create a gap there, and it becomes more difficult for the government to fund its Joint Venture commitments. Don’t forget that some of these commitments are dated five to eight years ago. It is actually a problem.

    But I strongly believe the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. He has stated severally that government is working on resolving these commitments. They are looking at alternative means of funding. They are also looking at being able to draw some funds from the Middle East, China and from other sources. The government is in a better position to decide that but I believe they know what the problem is and that they are dealing with it. But as far as it affects members of Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) members and Oilserve, it is a serious problem. We all know that it is not going to be there forever because if you look at the price regime of crude oil, it appears like it has bottomed, you have upside going forward. It requires planning and decisions to get it to the $100 per barrel cap. What is important is that the oil producers that need our services are still in business. So far as they are in business, they will need our services. It is just a matter of time.

    What is the objective of your activities outside Nigeria?

    The objective is again what I called de-risking. You have to balance your portfolio, both in terms of different services and areas of operations as well as geographical spread.

    Many of your colleagues have expressed frustrations with respect to accessing Nigerian Content Fund (NCF), what really is the situation of the fund?

    The NCF is a major issue because some of us in PETAN, who fought so hard with other stakeholders to be able to set up the NCDMB based on local content act, feel some of the aims are not being achieved as of now. It may be too early to judge, but we need to make sure that some of the policy directions are looked into and correct them. We are slowly building up the fund, which of course is being taken from us. When I say us, I’m looking at service providers, and the producers. The purpose of that fund is very clear. It is for capacity building. But how the fund is being deployed today is not clear to any of us. We need to come together and look at the fund and make sure it is being deployed properly in order to build capacity. Capacity is not for one person, it is for the nation.

    What are the indigenous players doing to correct the anomaly?

    It is still at the early stage because, don’t forget, this law has been in place for just six years, so in terms of practice, we are still coming to deal with it and we are taking up as an organisation to address it with the NCDMB. And where that does not yield the result, we will take it up. As NCDMB reports to somebody and there is a system, we have to make sure that clearly, NCDMB manages the situation in a way that will address the original reason for which it was set up.

    But have some members of PETAN accessed this fund?

    Yes, but it is like you have $1million fund and somebody accesses one cent, that’s not access as far as I’m concerned. Not more than one or two companies have accessed the fund at a very low level, extreme low level, and that kind of fund doesn’t do a project for companies like Oilserve, so we can’t even go for it because it doesn’t make any sense to us.

    Some of the pipelines have been laid for decades now, what is your assessment of their integrity?

    It depends on the pipelines. Don’t forget when we talk of pipelines, we have crude oil pipeline, products pipeline, gas pipelines. These are owned by different entities. For crude oil pipeline, mostly owned by the international oil companies (IOCs) and the indigenous producers, the codes are very clear. We know the codes, we know the standards and they are obliged to keep to the rules. So they do the maintenance to assure integrity. Besides, you have to build it according to the codes. You also have to do the routine maintenance to keep the pipeline going and make sure you have the corrosion protection system working very well to slow down or stop corrosion from happening. That way, pipeline can last for several years. The crude oil producers more or less keep to these codes. You get to gas pipelines, they are owned by different entities. Gas pipelines are mostly owned by Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) and other entities. They are also well maintained.

  • CDA to partner Ogun on security

    The newly elected Chairman, Ilupeju Iloye Community Development Association (IICDA), Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, Mr Sanyaolu Oguntoyinbo, has assured the community that the new team would contribute to its growth and development.

    Oguntoyinbo and other members of the executive were elected to run the affairs of the community for four years. He took over from Mr Philip Olorunsola who led the association for six years.

    In his acceptance speech after the swearing-in at the community hall, Oguntoyinbo said the team would collaborate with the state government, police, electric company and other security agencies to enable the residents enjoy adequate protection and improve the economic well-being of the people.

    He appealed to the residents, immediate past executive and other stakeholders to support his team, adding that the executive can’t do it all alone.

    The chairman pointed out that the task ahead should be regarded as everybody’s affair. He, however, promised that the team would not disappoint them.

    Oguntoyinbo canvassed for regular monthly meetings and payment of dues to enable them to carry out tangible development projects.

    Former member of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr. Akinyemi  Akinloye, urged the officials to adhere to the rules of the CDAs.

    He further advised them to collaborate with the government, police and other stakeholders to ensure the infrastructure problems facing the community were tackled.

    He warned the officials to avoid actions that are unconstitutional as such may not be in their interest or that of the community they were elected to serve.

    He urged the executive to speak with one voice and allow transparency and accountability to be their watchword in anything they do.

    The leader, O’odua People’s Congress (OPC), Ilupeju Iloye branch, Mr Kolawole Babalola, pledged the congress’s support for the team and other security agencies to fight cultists, land grabbers, touts, robbery gangs and other crime-related activities within the community.

    He advised the CDA officials to be law-abiding citizens and work for the progress of the community and Ogun State. He also advised the residents to increase their surveillance and raise the alarm on any illegal or criminal activities which they notice in the community.

  • Security: Uncompleted buildings under surveillance

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will embark on a comprehensive surveillance of all uncompleted buildings in the Federal Capital Territory to ensure that they are not turned into criminals’ breeding grounds and operational bases.

    FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello said this while receiving some Christian leaders who visited him.

    Bello said that the administration is concerned about several uncompleted buildings across the Federal Capital City and unidentified persons living in such places, who may pose security risk.

    He noted that his administration has been able to tackle some of the people using the under-bridges as their abode and that the operation would continue until the city is rid of such activities.

    According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister revealed that the administration had earlier spoken to the Muslim community on the unfortunate cases of street begging in some areas of the city and urged the residents to join hands with the FCTA to eradicate the menace.

    Bello disclosed that his administration intends to take the issues of rehabilitation very seriously to give those with such social problem a sense belonging, thereby making them useful to themselves and the entire society.

    He said, “In the 2016 fiscal year, the FCT Administration will upgrade rehabilitation centres for effective skill acquisition to make the rehabilitated persons independent and self-sustaining.”

    Bello reiterated that the FCT Administration also intends take them back to their families for re-absorption into the society after successful rehabilitation.

    According to him, the current FCT Administration will make Abuja friendlier to the populace by making them own all government policies and programmes.

    He added that his administration would encourage religious and moral education in its schools to give re-orientation to the younger generation.

    The FCT Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Israel Akanji who led the delegation appealed to the Minister for land for church groups and for FCT Administration to spare church building where possible.

    Rev. Akanji also asked that the government to re-consider its stance on sponsorship of pilgrims to Israel.

    The FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye and other officials of the FCT Administration joined the Minister to receive the delegation, which included the Primate of Anglican Communion, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh and the Executive Secretary of NCPC, John Kennedy Opara, among others.

     

  • How to restore security, by Opadokun

    How to restore security, by Opadokun

    Convener of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER) Ayo Opadokun has urged the government to adhere to the constitutional provisions to attain lasting  peace.

    He spoke at a national summit on Peace Building and Conflict Prevention, organised by Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER) in collaboration with Ford Foundation.

    Opadokun explained that it is the gross disobedience of the constitution that resulted in various incidences of violence, noting that constitutional breaches has further divided the polity.

    He said: “Lack of adherence to the constitution is affecting the state. Again, corruption as a national calamity has overrun the nation to the extent that no public institution has been spared. All essential public organs that can develop, sustain democracy and the rule of law have been significantly subverted.

    “To make matters worse, Nigerians have always allowed the military to run to barracks on their own terms, whenever they recognised that they could no longer be allowed to remain directly in charge of political administration.”

    Opadokun said many politicians are surrogates of the military, noting that they are stinkingly rich in the face of the highest national poverty and economic mystery.

    He urged the media to adhere to its constitutional role of holding government accountable, stressing that it must also promote the cause of unity in the country.

    “If the Nigerian state understands the wide implication of the cattle herdsmen of deliberate grazing their cattle by feeding on native farmers crops and the consequently reported support and backing of the Nigerian security forces against native farmers, perhaps they would have a rethink.

    “The law could be amended to give greater sense of belonging in the country. If the sensitivity to the feelings of others is promoted, it can always reduce incidences of violence. Many boundary disputes that have resulted to violence and too many lost of lives are avoidable.”

    Speaking on sustainable peace, Coordinator of JODER Wale Adeoye said. The issue of security has been confined to the domain of government for too long, adding that everybody must rise to the occasion.

    “There are too many killings going on and these have been happening since 1960s, to  the extent that we had a civil war that lasted 30 months. Except the people on their own come together and agree that they want to put a stop to the incessant killings going on around the country, it might escalate.

    “In the past, we used to have government unleashing violence on the people, but these days it is the people unleashing violence on themselves. There must be a platform for constructive engagement among ethnic group to stop the unnecessary blood letting scenario in the country.”

    He called on warring ethnic groups  to consider the lives of innocent people being killed in thousands because of the quest for power, stressing that what the country needs at the moment is unity in order to achieve socio-political and economic progress.

  • ‘$15b lost to fraud in security purchases under Jonathan’

    ‘$15b lost to fraud in security purchases under Jonathan’

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday that Nigeria lost about $15 billion to fraud in security equipment spending during the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    He assured that the government would generate 7,000 megawatts of electricity in the next 18 months.

    Osinabjo spoke at the book presentation of the Ibadan-based elite group, House of Lords, which published an indepth analysis by experts titled: “Nigeria: The challenges of Growth and Development, “ at the University of Ibadan (UI).

    Noting that the Buhari presidency has kept on a sustained fight against corruption, Osinbajo said the country simply cannot sustain the shocking level of public sector corruption in particular.

    Osinbajo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said: “When you look at the sheer amount of money that have been embezzled, the sheer amount of money lost from any of these various cases of corruption, you will find that far too much has been lost.

    “It was discovered a few days ago that the total amount of money lost just to corruption in part of…and provision of security equipment in the military is closer to 15 billion US dollars.”

    While the nation’s foreign reserves are now around about $27b, Osinbajo noted that the $15 billion “is more than half of the current foreign reserves of the country”

    He told the audience of top academics, businessmen and professionals that what the Buhari Presidency is “trying to do is to ensure that there are consequences for corruption and we try to send a message that anyone who is found to have been corrupt would not only lose the property they have stolen but will also pay for it in terms of the sanctions of the law.

    “I believe strongly that it is important to send a message that no public officer can steal the resources of this country and expect to escape. I hope the message would be loud and clear and it will inform behaviour in the future.”

    “By the grace of God in the next few days, we will begin the implementation of one of the most ambitious budgets in our history. Ambitious, not just in its size, but more in its broad range of fiscal and other socio-economic policies,” the Vice President added.

    The Vice-President said that that the Federal Government plans to generate 7, 000 megawatts of electricity within the next 18 months.

    Osinbajo said power remains a major challenge the Federal Government had been facing, and which the government is determined to solve.

    Osinbajo said that the nation was faced with the problem of conveying gas to the power plant, adding that the pipeline, which remained the easiest method, was frequently facing vandalism.

    “Early in the life of this administration late last year and early this year, power generation was possibly at its best.

    “Nigeria, for the first time was actually generating 5,000megawatts, which was the first time it will happen in the history of the country.

    “On February 14, the Forcados Export Terminal was blown off, effectively ensuring that 40 per cent of our gas that goes for power is no longer used for the purpose.

    “This situation led to the immediate loss of 1,500 megawatts of power. It is our priority that the pipeline project is completed so that gas will be adequately supplied to the power plant,” he said.

    He said that President Muhammadu Buhari had two weeks ago ordered full mobilisation of the military for the protection of pipelines in the country.

    Osinbajo said: “The limits of the growth and development of most nations largely depend on the strength of the value-driven influence of their elite, indeed it is evident that the reason for the development and growth of most societies is not resources, but values (otherwise African countries will be the most developed.)

    Citing Singapore to back up his submission, he noted that the reason why the “tiny, resourceless island is richer than most of sub-Saharan Africa, with its vast resources is values: hardwork, integrity, innovation promoted by a committed elite, Thus, the custodian elite especially in largely poor and illiterate societies, has a huge responsibility.”

    He said that responsibility is what he called “The burden of privilege.”

    Continuing, the Vice President said: “I have argued elsewhere that the privileged or the elite, both individually and collectively, have a responsibility, an obligation to society, to plan it, organise it, order or reorder it and above all, to make sacrifices for it, for the maximum benefit of all.

    “This is the burden of privilege. It is their -elite-obligation individually and collectively to chart the course for the millions. They define and house the ethos and the public sense of the people.

    “It is their expected role to find common cause across professions, vocations, ethnicities and faiths, defining the minimum terms and conditions for the safety, security, growth and prosperity of the community.

    The Vice President lamented that to a large extent the ethical space has been vacated by the Nigerian elite.

    “In its place are all manner of excuses and false justifications of bad behaviour. Today, ethnicity and religion protect corruption and abuse of power. Mediocrity is encouraged by the subjection of merit to variations of quota systems. Quotas are not in themselves wrong, but must be the exceptions not the rule.”

    He gave three principles that the Nigerian elite ought to accept and pursue to ensure nation’s growth and development.

    The first, he said, is integrity, a rigorous maintenance of transparency, accountability in governance

    According to him, the second is the discipline of implementation, which encapsulates planning, timeliness and precision.

    While, the third, he said, is the rigorous enforcement of rules, law and order.

    Reviewing the book, Prof. Jide Osuntokun said the writers have carefully highlighted the various challenges bedevilling the nation and how they could be corrected for national growth and development.

    “Nigeria’s problem is structural and systemic, and it could be structurally and systematically addressed,” he said.

    Mr Oba Otudeko, the Chairman of the event, said there was no other better time to discuss the development of the nation than now when they have the company of people who cares.

    He described the “House of Lords, Nigeria” as a collection of people whom the interest of Nigeria and the welfare of the citizens were paramount in their minds.

    NAN also reports that the House of Lords, Nigeria was founded fifty years ago and presently parades 34 members, with Prof. Ayodele Desalu as the “Leader.”

    The event was attended by prominent citizens including investment banker, Mr Fola Adeola; Prof. Idowu Olayinka, U.I. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Oladipo Akinkungbe and hosts of others.

     

  • Security Trust Fund chief seeks state police

    Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSF) Executive Secretary Dr Abdurrazaq Balogun has said the time is ripe for state police.

    “In Lagos State we have everything that can enable us to create state police. The time is ripe to start for it,” he said.

    Balogun said LSSTF has achieved its core mandate, noting that from statistics, the rate of reported crime cases went down in the last six months.

    He said 12 cases were reported in March, adding that the prevailing peace was achieved by empowering the security forces.

    Balogun praised the government, corporate organisations and individuals for donating to the fund, adding that because of their gesture, the LSSF was able to increase the number of vehicles, vessels and modern equipment given to the security agencies.

    He said: “In the last few months, you would have noticed the increased presence of security on our streets, and also a greater number of our patrol vehicles reaching farther into our towns and keeping the peace. All of these have served as a deterrent to criminal elements who might want to take advantage of the unsuspecting people either on the street or in their homes. Apart from this, other initiatives, such as the street lighting project of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, which has lightened up the black spots and the encouragement of vigilance among the populace, have added to the overall sense of safety and well-being in Lagos. We can state as a matter of fact, that all the indicators are pointing to a decline in the rate of crime, including traffic robberies, vehicle snatching, kidnap cases, gangsterism and others – all of them have reduced significantly in the past six months.’’

  • Govt to security agencies: crush security threat

    Govt to security agencies: crush security threat

    The Federal Government yesterday restated its resolve to deal decisively with threats of crises and conflicts that are capable of disrupting peace and security in Nigeria.

    Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali, stated this at the opening of a three-day seminar on Information Management in Crisis Situations in Nigeria.

    He said the security of lives and property of citizens remained top on the agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    “The government of President Muhammadu Buhari’s number one priority is to ensure the security of lives and property of its citizens, guarantee a secure environment for socio-economic activities to thrive without hindrance.

    “To this end, all security agencies in Nigeria have been called upon to crush and deter the threats of crisis and conflict that have potential to disrupt peace and security of our country.

    “Our security and response agencies are constantly engaged in the essential tasks required for meeting these internal security objectives, our government will not relent in this primary objective’’, he said.

    He said government would no longer tolerate unpatriotic acts that were capable of undermining the present administration’s efforts in entrenching sanity in the polity.

    Dan-Ali acknowledged the efforts of troops and their commanders in the various theatres of operations in ensuring that Nigerian territories were not only secured but conducive for socio-economic activities to thrive.

    The minister assured members of the Armed Forces and other security and response agencies, of the present administration’s commitment to their welfare.

    He said despite the prevailing economic condition in the country, efforts were underway to improve the capacity of security and response agencies to discharge their duties effectively.

    Dan-Ali said the seminar was timely as it would facilitate a robust interaction between information managers in the security and disaster management sector, and the media.

    He said officers from the various security and response agencies would find a common ground to learn new skills, share experiences and build capacity of one another on information management.

    Executive Secretary of the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, said the seminar was one of the centre’s intervention in crisis management in Nigeria.

     

  • Security: El-Rufai donates 51 patrol motorcycles to Police, Army

    Security: El-Rufai donates 51 patrol motorcycles to Police, Army

    As part of his efforts to rid the State of crimes and criminalities, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai on Tuesday commissioned and released 51 patrol motorcycles to the Police Force, the Army and other security agencies in the State.

    El-Rufai, while presenting the motorcycles, said 35 of the motorcycles go to the Nigerian police, 2 to the Nigerian Army, 2 to the Airforce, 5 to Nigerian security and civil defence corps, 2 to Federal Road Safety, and 5 to operation Yaki headquarters.

    He expressed gratitude to all the security agencies in the State for keeping the State safe from criminals, and urged them to do more in order to completely rid the State of crimes.

    He said, “We are here to handover the patrol motorcycles that we promised Operation Yaki and other security agencies like year that will deliver. We have taken time to procure the motorcycles because of our financial constraints, but I am happy that we are here to handover them, it is a promised obeyed.

    “On this note, it is my honour and privileges as the governor of the State, on behalf of the State executive council and the State security council to handover these 51 motor cycles to the security agencies.

    “The motorcycles will be distributed as follows; 35 to the Nigerian police, 2 to the Nigerian Army, 2 to the Airforce, 5 to Nigerian security and civil defence corps, 2 to Federal Road Safety, and 5 to operation Yaki headquarters.

    “I hope and pray that these motorcycles will help the security agencies in carrying out their duties.

    “We will continue as the State government despite of our financial constraints to support our security agencies to restore law and order in Kaduna State.

    “I want to commend them for all the works that they have been doing, I want to thank the former Commissioner of police who had worked very hard to keep Kaduna State safer.

    “And I welcome the new Commissioner of police who has been working round the clock since he came, he made many arrests, and contributed to bringing down the rate of crime in the State. We will continue to support all of you.

    “To the glory of God and to the safety and security of the people of Kaduna State and for the use of our very hard working security agencies we handover these patrol motorcycles to various security agencies in the State”.

    Responding on behalf of other security agencies, the State commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Audu, thanked the State governor for the donation, promising to use the motorcycles for the purposes which they are meant for.

    CP Audu said, “We wish to thank the state government and the executive governor of the State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai for the generous donation made to various security agencies in the State.

    “I also want to pledge that we will judiciously use and ensure the motorcycles are used for the security and safety of the State, I assure you that they will be used for the purposes for which they are provided.”

     

  • Navy boosts police capacity on waterways security

    Navy boosts police capacity on waterways security

    After 12 weeks of training in underwater warfare, boat and weapon handling techniques, the Navy at the weekend certified 39 marine policemen fit to confront security challenges on inland and coastal waters.

    The Flag Officer Commanding  (FOC) Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie, broke the news at the command’s headquarters in Lagos during the graduation of the policemen.

    The graduates underwent Basic Marine Operations Course (BMOC).

    Although 40 marine police officers, including 14 Assistant Superintendents (ASPs); six Inspectors; four Sergeants and 16 Corporals were enrolled for the course, one of them was dropped on medical grounds.

    Okojie, who said the training was the brainchild of Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas and Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase, expressed satisfaction that the police were grooming their officers for constitutionally assigned duties.

    The FOC stressed the need for improved maritime governance, adding that until recently, the maritime domain was dominated by negative activities.

    He said: “The CNS recognises the need for interoperability. This is a step in the right direction, and it was conceived at a meeting between the CNS and the IGP. It is designed to improve police capacity to carry out their role on the internal waters of the country because capacity gaps over the years have created overextension, which necessitated the need for the Navy to find itself in black waters.

    “I am confident that issues of crime on internal waters and coastal areas will reduce drastically with a better trained marine police…

    “Nigeria’s maritime domain remains a strategic asset with enormous resources and potential. We are equally cognisant that this natural benefit has been persistently challenged by myriad of threats that have impinged on Nigeria’s economic wellbeing and national security.

    “Some of the major challenges, in addressing these crimes, have been inadequate trained manpower, procedural errors in arrest, improper evidence management and lack of diligent prosecution on the part of security agencies.

    “A holistic approach in the management of our maritime environment would, therefore, require a coordinated approach among the security agencies operating within the nation’s maritime domain. It also calls for integrated capabilities, doctrine and interoperability. This underscores the need for inter agency collaboration and training.”

    The Commandant of NNS Quorra, Commodore Francis Isaac, admonished the graduates to ensure regular simulations and defend the nation’s interest with the trainings they acquired.

    Reminding them that they were the first set of marine policemen to be trained by the Navy, Isaac urged them to keep the flag flying as more was expected from them.

    He said: “You have received knowledge and practical experience from the SBS Camp, the Underwater Warfare School and other lectures and presentations organised specifically for you here at NNS Quorra auditorium and simulation exercises and practicals at various simulation centres.

    “I can tell you that the police will expect more from you. Don’t forget: you are the first to have gone through this course in NNS Quorra from your service. Therefore, the onus to keep the flag flying is not negotiable.”

    The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Marine Command, Musa Katsina, hailed the navy for the “milestone” achievement.

    He said: “This is a window of opportunity for the police to work together, collaborate and synergise with the Navy.

    “I urge the Federal Government to extend the training to involve other sister agencies, like the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).”

  • Security, Democracy and the Law

    I thought that Nigeria has created a record as the best nation to illustrate the perfidy   of making an ass of the law given the way CCT trial of the Senate President has been  stalled by restarting it and making claims against claims to stop the tribunal even after the trajectory of  unbelievable legal gymnastics and procrastination    had reached the Supreme Court and fallen back to earth,    only to be picked  for further assault on the judicial system and justice. I  was  roundly woken from my slumber in this regard by the news from Norway that a murderer Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people and was jailed for 25 years  had won a case in the European Court in Oslo  insisting  that he was denied his  rights in solitary confinement while  a picture of his room in jail looked like a normal room in any five star hotel here in Nigeria.

    These two incidents compare in terms of international  law or relations with the news  of the US President Barak Obama being given a cold shoulder by the Saudis when he came  visiting this week as the Saudi monarch was not at the Airport to receive him as has been done for all US presidents including himself in the past. I   also want to compare these three incidents with the news from Ethiopia that the Ethiopian Army has crossed into South Sudan to surround a location where 100  abducted Ethiopian  children are being kept by their captors who seized them on Ethiopian territory. Lastly I bring in the bloody stories making the rounds in Nigeria of frequent and incessant Fulani herdsmen raids  on farm settlements in the south of the nation resulting in assault, rape and the loss of lives; as well as the statement credited to a witness at the  Kaduna State Tribunal trying Shiite Muslims who  waylaid  the convoy of our Army Chief and the belief of that witness that the Shiites are more dangerous to Nigeria than even Boko Haram.

    These stories form the kernel of our discussion today on security, democracy and the law both national and international. Given space  constraints, it is difficult to do  justice  fully  to the issues and strip them to the bones but I will do my best to highlight my deep concern and interest in each one of them in terms of the topic of the day.

    Finally it is true that the trial of the Senate President has  started but that has not stopped attempts at making an ass of the law all the way. In spite of the Administration  of Justice Act of 2015 which says clearly that the court must sit daily once the trial has started the defence lawyer ,a SAN still asked for adjournment to allow the Senate President to attend to his official duties ,  whereon the judge ruled that the trial must go on as the accused was not on trial in his capacity as Senate President. The judge too was given some embarrassment as a lawyer who sued him in another court  for  taking   bribe simply showed up in his court on the Senate President’s defence team to accuse the judge of bias . The judge was up to the task and showed proof of his clearance by EFCC  on the allegation of bribery  before asking for the locus of the lawyer in his court and threatening to send him to jail for contempt. These two incidents show clearly the prosecution and defence at that trial are at daggers drawn  and even though they are professionals there is no love lost in their presentations and legal positions on the case. Such bitterness and divergent views do not obscure the fact that the prosecution and the judge are the best  hope of the nation to see that justice is done on the case and that the security and good of all is superior to that of the array of  legal luminaries bent on making an ass of the law in this highly volatile case  with serious political consequences for our democracy and national  security.

    In the case of the murderer in Norway we see the capricious difference between deterrence and tolerance . Extremes of both are bad .In Saudi Arabia this murderer would  have been beheaded years ago. Now a court has ruled according to their laws in Europe on human  rights that even human rights must be extended   to even terrorists. That to me is baloney because essentially it has   not shown any respect for the sanctity of human lives , 77 of which this murderous terrorist took in one day and was being kept in  a room   in a jail that many people living in Africa cannot afford to live in . The  sort of democracy that throws up such judgment and type of justice can certainly not cope  with an environment such as ours where we must cope and punish Boko Haram , Pipeline vandals , Kidnappers , Shiites and now Fulani herdsmen . It shows clearly that we must evolve  our own brand of democracy to guarantee the security and law to protect the lives and property of our people and quickly too before we kill off each  other while listening to human rights tale from the moonlight or European Human Rights Courts where murderers get away  with murder and live in luxury after killing fellow human beings.

    On the perceived slight given the US president in Saudi Arabia I really think that is to be expected. Indeed but for their deep dependence on the US for their security and oil  business the Saudi monarchy would not be seen dead with the present US president if only on the Iran nuclear deal which he brokered to lift sanctions on Iran .This   brought more oil afloat  in international waters , lowered the price of oil globally and Saudi revenues and resources drastically . In addition there is the issue of the Shia ,and Sunni divide in which the Sunni  Saudis are the implacable enemies  of Iran, the Shia champions. In addition given the cultural values both represent the US and Saudi Arabia  are indeed strange bedfellows in diplomacy . On human rights the Saudis still behead people on some  crimes such as drug lifting and have scant regard for feminine rights while Obama ‘s US amply represents human rights as well as gay rights and marriage , an anathema to the ruling House of Saud and the good people of  Saudi Arabia. Which  really is a great difference  in world outlook that the niceties of diplomacy cannot paper, over no matter the huge effort put into making it work.

    Next,  let me take the issues of Ethiopia’s  incursion into South Sudan, the evidence against the Shiite Nigerians at the Kaduna State Tribunal and the armed Fulani  herdsmen incursion to southern farms and villages together in that they are birds of the same feathers. The three are acts of terror and hostility against the state. In the case of Ethiopia  , the Ethiopian government  asked for the approval of the South Sudan government and S Sudan responded positively to that and speedily too. This was said to be from  past experience on border clashes between communities on the two sprawling borderers between the two nations. Even if S Sudan had not given approval I have no doubt that the Ethiopian Army would have moved in to save the Ethiopian boys any way. You can compare that with the case of the missing 200 Chibok girls  not  seen for two years now and say confidently that Ethiopia would not have allowed that to happen. We therefore have a lot to learn from the Ethiopian government ‘s attitude and policy on  protecting its own citizens especially the youths who are the future of any nation including our great Nigeria.

    In the case of those who gave evidence against the Shiite in Kaduna I want to salute their bravery and indeed that of the State Governor El  Rufai for setting up the inquiry which have brought a lot of  security issues begging for answers to the fore for immediate solution  in that  important  Northern state. The glaring fact is that we cannot have a state within a state and if as alleged by eminent Islamic Clerics  at the tribunal the Shiite are being funded by the Iranian State against the Nigerian state then such culprits should be brought to trial for sedition and treason against the Nigerian state and the Iranian Ambassador summoned and cautioned. That is the diplomacy of self respect and self recognition that guarantees mutual respect in the comity of nations to which Nigeria and Iran claim membership.

    In the case of the menace of armed Fulani herdsmen raiding Southern towns and settlements , I think the solution must come from Aso Rock  itself because  that is the residence of power in Nigeria and the Fulani herdsmen feel strongly, though roundly wrongly too, that power has returned to the North and they can get away with murder . The President should  let them know that he rules over the whole of Nigeria and not only the North or the Fulani, either town or herdsmen Fulanis. That really is the truth as the era of Born To rule which held sway before is an anachronism which  can  never be resurrected. We have come a long way as a people and we should be able to tell ourselves some home truths. There was a time when the same Fulani herdsmen grazed peacefully and were given food and water  in the farms  by the same communities whose women they now rape and whose property they now loot or destroy. Now the same Fulani herdsmen now carry  kwashka  rifles and  machine guns  and raid communities with  abandon and impunity. They must be called to order and the President has the reputation, the aura, respect and integrity to do that which is necessary and expedient in the interest of our collective security, our rule of law and democracy. A disavowal  of the Fulani menace  from the fount  of power will put an end to their false confidence  and new found effrontery  and reinstate  our collective confidence as a  nation in this Presidency. Once again long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Editor’s Note .

    Last week there was a mix up on the 41st , 43RD and 44th Presidents of the US who are namely George Bush Snr, George Bush Jnr and  Barak Obama respectively