The Nation Newspaper

Tag: security

  • Empowering cocoa farmers to reduce poverty, boost food security

    Empowering cocoa farmers to reduce poverty, boost food security

    Despite doing about 66 per cent of cocoa work, women earn only 10 per cent of its income. They are also financially excluded and discriminated against when they apply for loans, leaving them poor. The Farmers Development Union (FADU) plans to come to their aid. Daniel Essiet reports.

    Many small-scale farmers and their families depend on cocoa for a living. One of them is Mrs Martha Ade (not real name). Because cocoa grows well in her area, it is the main cash crop for some farmers. In the past, income from cocoa has helped them to feed and meet their basic needs. But not so now.

    Mrs Ade earns little income because of poor quality of the produce and limited access to markets. Most times, the price they received from their cocoa is low. Those who work like contract farmers accept low pay because of the low prices offered by middlemen who visit their farms.

    Most women farmers were cheated on the weight of their product, and the price they received for it is too low to meet their needs. Other women found that they could no longer make a living from cocoa.

    Some of the farm plots are small with ageing trees that are becoming less productive. As farmers, they did not meet certain necessary requirements, such as owning assets. This lack of knowledge and understanding is further compounded by gender discrimination limiting women’s options.

    There are many families, whose situations are terrible and need change. How to resolve this has drawn the attention of the Farmers Development Union (FADU), a leading farmers’ cooperative in Ibadan. In response, the group organised a stakeholders’ workshop. It was aimed at bringing about improvement in women, particularly the poorest. It also focused on mainstreaming gender justice, improving cocoa quality, promoting the national and local markets and diversify livelihoods to reduce over supply and vulnerability.

    Addressing a gender sensitive cocoa workshop in Ibadan, the Programme Coordinator of FADU, Mr Victor Olowe said women do much of the work in the industry, but earn small income. They experience higher financial exclusion and are discriminated against when they apply for loans.

    Since they cannot access the capital to invest, they are trapped in a cycle of poverty and subsistence living.

    As a result of this appalling condition coupled with the economic situation in the country, Olowe said many local women, who engaged in farming, live in abject poverty and remain vulnerable.

    He also said without land rights, women, as cocoa farmers are vulnerable, unable to take responsibility for their well-being and that of their children.

    Such rights and opportunities, he noted, empower women, enhancing their status and food long-term security.

    He explained that crop’s production is, particularly, good for women farmers. That is, if they have the same access to input, such as credit and fertilisers.

    He added that small cocoa farmers, especially women, have poor bargaining power. They typically sell at low price to the market.

    To this end, he said a lot of small farmers need to be connected to better markets to boost their productivity.

    What FADU has done is to band them in groups, so the farmers can sell their produce in bulk, connect to better markets and realise more of the crop’s value.

    The groups offer a forum to improve farming skills through training and demonstration plots. And the members of business groups are better to access critical input and services, such as seeds, fertilisers, irrigation systems and credit.

    Another method the organisation is using to highlight the plight of women is through the Gender Action Learning System (GALS). The GALS approach represents a creative approach reaching marginalised voices in the supply chain: poor men, and especially, women. It is useful not only to non-governmental organisation ( NGOs) or development agencies, but for social auditors.

    The Programme Officer, Women’s Empowerment Mainstreaming and Networking (WEMAN), Oxfam, John Ajigo, said cocoa production involves many households, adding that it is crucial not only to incomes of rural households, but also the national economy. As in many value chains, women are important as producers and small traders. But they face a vicious cycle of gender discrimination and gender based constraints, which limit their ability to contribute to the industry, or to benefit from it.

    He said his organisation used GALS with many women and men producers and other stakeholders to sensitise them on the need to get more women into cocoa work.

    Getting this through, give women and men in communities the drive to push gender justice.

    The Project Manger, FADU-Continaf Kokodola Project, Mrs Mopelola Fabunmi, said the gender action learning programme emphasises strengthening the role of women in the cocoa value chain industries and improving food security in households.

    A participatory methodology, she explained that GALS through pictures, canvasses the inclusion of the marginalised ones in the value chain and discussion of sensitive topics such as gender equality. Ultimately, she said the visual method of drawing contributes rich data through enhanced participation,which can feed into enhanced sustainability programmes.

    Through the programme, she said women learned new ideas and skill, experience and activities to increase food production for consumption and income.

    Mrs Mopelola said her project has trained 1,600 farmers in Oyo and Osun states.

    She said the project is helping the farmers to access new markets, by working also with Continaf International, Dutch cocoa trading firm, ASN Bank, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, and the cocoa producers, Delfi and Ferrero.

    But a major challenge is to increase the number of women cocoa farmers participating in the programme, about 20 per cent.

    Controller, Programmes, FADU, Mr Bayo Olaniyan said his organisation found women smallholder farmers make a large contribution to the production of commodity cashcrops on their farms, but derive a disproportionately low direct financial benefit from their work.

    He said empowering women farmers is crucial to poverty reduction, food security, and economic stability and growth.

  • Sambo Dasuki on security media relations

    Sambo Dasuki on security media relations

    The National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, is a prince of the Sokoto Caliphate… you hardly hear him or see him throw his weight around…”

    -Ochereome Nnanna, Vanguard Columnist.

    Within a week, last week to be precise (March1-7, 2014), the name of the National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan suddenly became an item in opinions and features. Most of them actually wanted him to be visible and outspoken on security operations, especially over the barbaric atrocities being committed in a section of the country.

    Some respected columnists also questioned the silence of NSA over recent security challenges. Writing under his weekly column in ThisDay, Olusegun Adeniyi asked if Sambo Dasuki has a phone number of any editor in Nigeria, while Steve Osuji in his column in The Nation simply asks: “Boko Haram: Where on earth is the NSA?”

    Since they are not faceless writers, their articles were well-intentioned and wakeup calls on the security situation in the country, though some of the assumptions on the person of the NSA were on wrong premises.

    This writer has a memorable encounter with Col. Sambo Dasuki by virtue of being a syndicate writer. Sometimes last year I honoured an invitation to speak at a Media Seminar organised by Netherlands Embassy for top security spokespersons, media practitioners and right activists. In attendance were Gen. Chris Olukolade of Defence Headquarters, Frank Mba of the Nigeria Police, Dapo Olorunyomi of Premium Times, Manir Dan Ali of Daily Trust, online bloggers, including Tolu Ogunlesi and Japheth Omojuwa among many others. Immediately after, I penned my experience in an article on Debating Government Media Relations which was widely published.

    Surprisingly, a week later, I received an invitation from a top security officer to meet the NSA. Having been careful of avoiding any ‘wahala’, I am conscious of my writings on security. While I asked for the prayers of my family for safety, I did an online search on Col. Dasuki.

    What I found out were revealing: The American- trained security strategist, Col. Dasuki was Aide-de-camp (ADC) to Military President Ibrahim Babangida. Former Military Governor of Kaduna, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, in an interview with The Punch last year, narrated how some forces aborted his attempt with Col. Dasuki to install Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of June 12 election. He also disclosed how they jointly confronted the late Gen. Sani Abacha from playing hanky-panky with Nigeria’s destiny.

    Along the line, Col. Dasuki escaped from Nigeria and lived in exile when he was hunted for his audacity and refusal to take an offer in the administration of the late Gen. Abacha. His millionaire father, Ibrahim Dasuki, who was the Sultan of Sokoto and the most powerful traditional ruler in the North, was deposed by the late Gen. Abacha and banished to Kaduna for the ‘sin’ of his forthright son. The father, who clocked 90 last year, is still alive.

    All his life, as a royal prince, Col. Dasuki has never been ambitious and would rather take a bow than playing dirty. He voluntarily resigned his appointment as the Managing Director of Nigeria Security, Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) when he was not comfortable with President Olusegun Obasanjo’s attempt to privatise the firm against security implications.

    At the time of his appointment in June 2012 by Jonathan, the Boko Haram insurgency was very active in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Kogi and most states in the Northeast with attempted incursion towards Southern parts of the country. With emergence of Col. Dasuki, the activities of the insurgents have been restricted to a few states in the Northeast. An active advocate of constructive dialogue and engagement with different groups towards peaceful resolution of crises, Col. Dasuki nevertheless believes decisive and aggressive confrontations are inevitable against rampaging and brutal undesirable elements.

    After the online search, I sought the advice of members of Media and Information Committee on Emergency Management (MICEM) where I was once the Secretary. The verdict was similar: Col. Dasuki doesn’t believe in cheap publicity; he will rather expand resources in facilitating positive public perception on other security arms who are expected to be active and visible on the field. He hosts occasional interactions with critical stakeholders including civil societies, media and politicians for better understanding on security issues. In such encounters, he sincerely expresses his positions on realities on the ground, while charging his audience to be responsible and responsive in their information against undermining national security and national interest. A stickler to time, he can never be late to any assignment. In fact, most time, I learnt, he arrived long before the commencement of events.

    With those information, I had the courage to honour the invitation. To my comfort I wasn’t the only person invited to the meeting. There were some activists and members of NGOs too. When he looked at me, he asked: “Why are you very critical in your write-ups?”

    I responded that writing is my hobby and PR is my profession. I am, therefore, conscious of whatever I write. At the end, he appealed to us to be fair and kind in our comments and writings and that we should always consider the nation first. He urged us to always channel our grievances and recommendations on national issues to appropriate authorities including his office whenever necessary.

    Col. Dasuki is polished and eloquent as he talks passionately about the Office of the President which he believes “deserves the respect of every Nigerian as the symbol of our nation and integrity.” He holds the view that there is nothing wrong with opposition politics if it is geared towards the sustenance of democracy and devoid of destructive antics that may create confusion and security breaches in the land.

    Since then I have interfaced with some of the NGOs and the media towards a better understanding of security operations in the country. The recent inauguration of Forum of Spokespersons in Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA) under his office has so far reduced to the barest minimum the inter-agency rivalry in information management and encouraged designated security spokespersons to be proactive and timely in providing updates on security situations.

    Professional security strategists do not need to be garrulous to prove that they are working but must work behind the scene to facilitate accomplishment of tasks. In fact, respected Intelligence chiefs all over the world do not make much noise in the public because of the sensitive nature of their assignments. Even in this country, only a few Nigerians know the intelligent Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Ekpenyong Ita who delegates a professional Public Relations expert, Marilyn Ogar, to do the necessary talking with timely updates.

    In this challenging period of our life, we should encourage our security officers to do their job maturely and professionally while the designated spokespersons and political office holders do the talking.

    •Shuaib, a public commentator, wrote from Abuja

  • Security boost by Kwara community

    Security boost by Kwara community

    For some time now, Offa the headquarters of Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State has been under siege. The frequent armed robbery in the ancient town has become a source of worry to the residents.

    For instance, between 2011 and 2013, the community recorded no fewer than four armed robbery cases which resulted in loss of lives and property.

    The December 19, 2013 robbery attacks on three commercial banks and police post claimed seven policemen and three others.

    Ever since, all commercial banks in the community have closed down. The management of the affected banks vowed not to resume business in the area until security improved.

    In order to ensure that normalcy returned to the area and to encourage the banks to resume operation, the community has presented three Toyota Hillux patrol vans to security personnel in the ancient town.

    Besides, the state government has finalised arrangement to construct two more police stations in the town.

    Speaking during the presentation of the patrol vans, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said the state government was disturbed with the recent bank robbery in the town.

    He said in order to curb the situation government has finalised arrangement to construct two more police stations in the town in order to bring back normal banking operations in the town.

    Ahmed, who was represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Alhaji Isiaka Gold, added that “with the procurement of three security vans by the people of the town and Offa Local Government Area, it is a clear indication that Offa community and Offa Local Government Area are responsive to the needs, yearnings and aspirations of the people.”

    Ahmed urged security agencies in the town to make judicious use of the facilities so as to curb the menace of armed robbery for which the vehicles were provided, even as he urged the banks to reciprocate the gesture of the community, local and state governments by resuming commercial activities in the town.

    He said: “We are particularly disturbed by the reported cases of armed robbery in Offa and Omu-Aran, and the debilitating effects on socio-economic life of the people.

    “Therefore, the state government will facilitate the establishment of two additional police posts here in Offa to enhance the current security situation in the town. I, therefore, urge commercial banks in Offa and Omu-Aran to reciprocate this gesture by restoring normal banking services in both towns in view of the enhanced security provided by the state government.

    “It is in this light that I congratulate and commend the good people of Offa community, who, in collaboration with the Offa Local Government Area, have deemed it fit to complement the state government’s efforts.

    “I commend your ingenuity and commitment to check crime in your area. I assure you of continued government’s support to restore lasting peace to this area. Let me use this opportunity to appreciate the security agents in this area for checking the menace of criminals.”

    He urged other communities to borrow a leaf from the Offa example, saying: “Offa has shown the way. It has indeed demonstrated how communities should collaborate with government to ensure peace in the society.”

    Earlier, the Amuludun of Offa, Chief Yunus Oyeyemi condemned the frequency of armed robbery attacks on the town which he said has paralysed commercial activities in the area.

    Chief Oyeyemi, who spoke on behalf of the community, also said: “This event to which we are invited resulted from the unprovoked, barbaric and criminal invasion of Offa by dare-devil armed robbers on December 19, 2013.

    “The dastardly act was so sudden that it rendered Offa community numb, speechless; clueless and forlorn. Everybody ran helter skelter to seek refuge from the ceaseless and reckless shooting by the robbers.

    “There is no gainsaying the fact that the attacks on some commercial banks in the town, the invasion of the police central office and the accompanying loss of lives threw the community into mourning while the economy of the town suffered indescribable setback which it is yet to fully recover from.

    “It is in appreciation of the steps taken by the state government and the state police command to bolster security arrangements in the community that the community is donating three equipped Hillux pick-up security vans, one to the Special Anti- Robbery Squad, the Mobile Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps respectively.

    “Offa today remains the home to several post-primary and tertiary institutions and a city that is witnessing rapid growth.

    “I plead with the area offices of the commercial banks which have remained shut since the unfortunate incident to re-open so as to alleviate the hardship being experienced by their customers within and outside Offa.

    “We, as a community, are working hard to strengthen the security arrangements on ground so as to enhance their operations.

    “We are convinced that when there is security there will be peace and tranquillity which are preconditions for progress.”

    In a remark, the chairman of the council Prince Abdulwaheed Olanipekun bemoaned the deteriorating security situation of the town.

    Olanipekun added that “the issue of inadequate security has become very challenging to our people to the extent that Offa’s political and socio-economic life is already near paralysis. The Owode Business District has become an endangered zone and our four days market day cycle is depleting in merchandising activities.

    “Our internally-generated revenue (IGR) is already largely affected. In this connection, our community will appreciate the state’s greater patronage in securing our local government area and the borders of Osun, Ekiti and Kogi states.

    “I salute and acknowledge the immense contributions of our community leaders, the Offa traditional council and patriotic citizens of the town who have resolutely risen to fight the menace of security challenge in the council.”

  • National security

    National security

    IN recent times, the daunting task facing Nigeria is how to mitigate her daunting security challenges. All through year 2013 and the preceding years, the nation was plagued by horrendous aggression of inconceivable proportion, emanating predominantly from, but not exclusive to the attacks of the Boko Haram Islamic sect. The obviously inhuman security affront on the nation by members of the sect, kidnappers, armed robbers and people who engage in illegal oil bunkering seem to make inevitable in the New Year, a new official approach from the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. Past efforts by government seemed to have been inadequate.

    President Jonathan must see this year as one in which the country’s security problems have to be solved. And the solution lies not in mere rhetoric but in embarking on actions that would bring about pragmatic results. At the moment, Nigerians are tired of the eerie air of insecurity, whether in the north east or in other parts of the country. Whatever laudable goals the government might have on paper is only attainable if there is peace in the nation. Secured domestic as well as external environments are critical tools for global investment drive. Nigeria’s government cannot pretend not to be aware of this indubitable fact.

    The nation was in the news mostly for the wrong reasons last year. The criminal terrorist activities of Boko Haram attracted widespread global attention. Boko Haram’s inhuman afflictions have, without doubt, become externalised because of the sect’s linkage with the deadly Al’Qaeda sect. Therefore, President Jonathan must not only be thinking globally in terms of getting assistance overseas but more importantly, he should put all necessary security checks in place within. We believe that charity begins at home; the need for a complete overhaul of the nation’s intelligence network has become inevitable. The notorious sect succeeded in most of its attacks because of poor intelligence gathering network in the country.

    Moreover, we call on President Jonathan to quickly stop the misuse of the police institution across the federation to achieve selfish political ends. What we regard as classical example in this regard is the illegal use to which the police have been deployed in Rivers State, for instance. So far, the Federal Government has failed to convince Nigerians that their country is safe.

    The failure of government to guarantee security in the nation is a loud breach of one of the fundamental provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on the responsibility of government to the citizenry. The constitution, in section 14(2b) provides: ‘The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.’ This onerous provision has not been complied with by the government, even when nearly one-third of last year’s Federal Government budget was devoted to defence and security. Today, only a handful of privileged Nigerians essentially feel safe because the impact of the money is not felt by the generality of the people.

    This year, the government should work out a programme that would see that the nation’s intelligence personnel are retrained at intervals in foreign countries with desired expertise so as to equip them with contemporary intelligence gathering techniques for better results now and in the future.

    The police especially, and other security institutions need to be properly funded so that they could be better prepared for the task of securing the nation’s territory and the citizenry. All these are necessary in 2014 because, without peace and security, there can be no long-term development and without sustainable development, there can be no long-term security.

  • Why security agents should respect peoples’ rights

    Why security agents should respect peoples’ rights

    Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, Monday Ubani writes on rights abuses and the remedies available to victims.

    The 1999 Constitution as Amended has elaborate provisions for the respect and enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the citizens. The right to movement, freedom of association, right to fair hearing and respect to human dignity are some of these rights elaborately provided for under the said constitution. Fellow citizens are advised to get a copy of the 1999 Constitution as amended and take a deep interest in Chapter IV of the said constitution, where elaborate provisions are made for the protection and enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the citizens. Agreed  that those rights are not absolute rights, these rights as provided for under the constitution, can be derogated upon on two main grounds:

    (1) Any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society in the interest of defense, public safety, public order, public morality or public health or

    (2) For the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons.

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria is empowered by the same Constitution to roll out the Enforcement Procedure Rules that will enable the application and quick enforcement of these rights whenever and whereever they are infringed upon or threatened to be infringed upon by anybody or institution. The new Enforcement Rules of 2009 has made tremendous improvement on the previous ones. The issue of locus standi has finally been laid to rest under the New Rule. Under it,  you will not be denied the right to enforce fundamental human rights on the ground that you have not established sufficient legal interest. The position as at today is that even if you are not directly involved, the moment it is established that a right of another person has been violated, then the law will be activated to protect that right even if the direct applicant is not affected by the violation of his or her right/s. The rule defines an applicant to include the person on whose behalf an application is brought. The law as it is with the enforcement of our fundamental human rights is that the anachronistic tendency to use locus standi to deny an Applicant the enforcement of his or her rights has been outlawed by the New Rule on Enforcement.

    Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has done a thorough job on this issue in his new book titled: Fundamenal Human Rights Enforcement in Nigeria.

    With these elaborate provisions of our rights, we however on a daily basis witness infringement of these rights by all the security apparatus, especially in the cities. The security agencies that infringe on citizens’ rights include the Nigerian Police Force, Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA), Customs and sometimes and in some places the Nigerian Army. Road users are harassed, searched wrongly, being asked to provide many at times unnecessary documents and items when stopped and on several occasions, provocative questions are thrown at the helpless and bewildered citizen when stopped for a check.

    Despite that the Nigerian Police Authority has outlawed checkpoints on our roads, our roads are still being blocked by some unscrupulous police officers whose main objective in erecting these illegal roadblocks is for the sake of extortion.

    There is no doubt that we have security challenges in Nigeria, but the laws of the land must be obeyed in enforcing compliance of our laws. The Nigerian Police Act empowers police officers to arrest criminals and prevent crime; it is a responsibility that should be carried out in due compliance with all known extant laws. Enforcement should not be equated with breach of all known rights of the citizens. It is expected that a police officer or  any security officer for that matter who is so empowered must exercise discretion in the due performance of his or her legal duty in combating crime.

    It does not appear right to stop all vehicles for a search unless there is reasonable suspicion that the vehicle is stolen or is used for criminal activities or that the inmates of the vehicle are criminals or suspected criminals or that they are  carrying articles of crime. It is on these grounds that vehicles are supposed to be stopped for questioning and possible search. When stopped, every courtesy ought to be extended to everyone inside the vehicle. Both our constitution and criminal laws presume every accused person to be innocent until proved guilty. On no account should any security agent beat, harass, intimidate, whip, flog, frog jump, handcuff a citizen whose offence has not been properly established,  even when established, procedural rules of arrest and interrogation have to be complied with fully. Such acts of violation if properly established against any of the security agents amount to both criminal and civil violation of the citizens’ rights for which the citizen can seek a remedy. We are not ignorant of the fact that there are some of the citizens who are rude, cocky and manner less when asked to stop. We are also aware that some citizens do not know how to co-operate with security agents when stopped. This is where professionalism comes in handy. A well-trained security agent, who knows his or her onions, need not engage in a shouting match with a fellow citizen who is being interrogated. The professionalism displayed and the level of efficiency shown will humble a rather rude and foolish citizen who is trying to obstruct a police officer or any security agent from carrying out his lawful duty.

    It is not every time that a citizen offends the law that arrests follows consequently. There are instances where simple admonition and correction will do and the offender may not want to disobey that law again for the rest of his or her life.

    One is, indeed, happy at the admonition given to officers of LASTMA by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) three days ago that where arresting a traffic offender would compound the traffic situation in any given environment, it is wise to let the offender go rather than attempt to arrest him or her. That was clear wisdom at work. How many of our security agents usually consider and ruminate on the central purpose why they are on the road. Is it to make the country a safe place to live in or to help their pockets? Their pockets seem to be the main reason why most of them join any of the security agencies. Several lives have been lost on the roads when these agents in the belief that they are arresting a suspect end up endangering lives and properties of the suspect and even that of innocent third parties. There have been reported cases of cruel murder of innocent citizens especially that of commercial drivers or conductors when they refused to ‘co-operate’ with these armed security agents. They are usually shot at, at close range which are usually fatalistic.

    For how long shall we endure the senseless killings of citizens on our roads on the ground that the citizens refused to bribe security agents. How long shall Nigerians be harassed on our roads when they are being asked to provide unnecessary documents that have no statutory back up?

    Citizens are advised to always show courtesy to the security agents on the road, they are empowered by law to protect and secure our lives and properties. When asked to stop, you should endeavour to stop. However our Security Agents on the roads must understand the enormous responsibilities placed on their shoulders while policing the citizens on the roads. They must study and understand the laws empowering them to act; they must know what documents the law empowers them to demand from the citizens. For instance, it is absolutely wrong for a police officer to demand for custom papers while on a routine check and there is no reason to so demand. It will be wrong for VIOs to demand insurance papers while on a routine check, the law setting them up did not specify such duty on them, theirs is clearly restricted to road worthiness of vehicles plying the roads.

    It is debatable whether it is right for the Customs to stop vehicles that have been properly registered and demand for the custom papers whereas these vehicles may have been smuggled with their connivance.

    It becomes absurd if this vehicle has been bought by an innocent third party who may not be aware that it was smuggled, in the first place. Such practices need be tested in our law courts to determine whether it is right to impound a car which has been registered in Nigeria on the ground that it was smuggled into the country through one of our numerous porous borders. We hope that it will be done one of these  days.

    The purpose of this enlightenment is to ensure less friction between road users and the necessary security agents on our roads. Everyone needs to respect one another and ensure accident free, crime free and safe environment for the citizens and possible foreign investors. Rights of citizens and that of the Security Agents must be accorded equal priority by all concerned, that is the way to go.

     

     

     

  • Security agencies ignore Tukur’s letter on Kwara council poll

    Security agencies ignore Tukur’s letter on Kwara council poll

    •Voters apathy mars election 

    Security agencies in Kwara State yesterday ignored a letter from the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, where he complained candidates presented by his faction were not endorsed for the poll.

    The election went on as scheduled, although turn out by voters was low across the state.

    Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed belongs to the Kawu Baraje-led faction of the PDP.

    Tukur had asked the security agencies, especially the police, not to provide security for the poll or recognise the candidates of the New PDP because, as he claimed, they did not emerge from proper primaries.

    Baraje, who is a Kwaran, was in Ilorin to participate in the voting exercise.

    He mocked Tukur on the letters, saying: “I can see security men here and there. They are very much around. I was coming from GRA to my family house here. They stopped me in about three or four places and they are security operatives doing their job.

    “I slept very late yesterday (Friday) putting finishing touches to the election with other stakeholders and our leader, Bukola Saraki.

    “The party did not tell us they received any letter, the security did not tell us they received any letter. Let me quickly point out again that we were here about two months ago to prepare for this election and to receive officials from the national secretariat of the PDP whom we have written to, to send in its team to come and screen these candidates for today. And they’ve screened them. There are correspondences. These correspondences are available in the secretariat of PDP, Kwara State.”

    He told reporters that the solution to the crisis in the PDP would come “once there is stoppage to impunity, lawlessness, disorderliness and the whims and caprices being perpetrated by the present leadership, the so-called leadership of Bamanga Tukur.”

    He said five more PDP governors would soon swell the ranks of the present seven governors.

    He spoke shortly after casting his vote in his Moggaji Ngeri polling unit at the council election.

    The election itself was marred by a low turnout of voters across 15 local government areas of the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that only a few voters were sighted at the numerous polling units in Ilorin metropolis.

    Only the ruling PDP, the Labour Party (LP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) contested the election.

    While some of the residents attributed the development to the scanty information on candidates vying for the various offices, others blamed it on apathy.

    Polling units which recorded a sizeable number of voters were those located in the wards of political appointees and leaders of parties contesting in the poll.

    Many of such voters were sighted in company of party leaders who turned out to cast their votes while the restriction on vehicular movement was not strictly enforced.

    Commercial motor cycle operators were also sighted going about their normal businesses while some artisans opened their shops for business.

    At Pake polling unit in Ilorin East Local Government, there were only a few voters as at 8.00 am when accreditation and voting commenced.

    The Assistant Electoral Officer in Ilorin East Local Government, Mr. Muritala Ayilara, said that election materials had been distributed to the various wards.

    In Kosubosu, headquarter of Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara, many residents opted to go to their farms rather than participate in the local government election.

    Despite the restriction of vehicular movement during the election by the state government, residents were sighted going about their normal businesses.

    Many shops were also opened for business in most communities in the border area.

    Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari, a resident of Gure , told NAN that residents preferred to go to their farms because the poll was perceived as “a one party affair.”

    “There is no opposition in the election, so why should people waste their time.

    The APC opted out of the poll because “a matter challenging the validity, legality and the constitutionality of the proposed election is subjudice and pending before the court for determination.”

    Its suit to stop the conduct of the poll was dismissed on Friday by a Kwara State High Court, Ilorin.

     

  • Flurry of foreign investments amid security challenges

    Despite the scourge of the dreaded Islamic insurgents, Boko Haram, and general spate of violence, investors have not ceased coming into the country. According to sources, Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow has remained at between $10 and $12 billion yearly over the last few years. What are the factors responsible for this development? Could it be good returns on investment (RoI)? Has the business environment become more friendly? Could it have been a more liberalised business operating environment?

    OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZE provides the anwers.

    In the last two months, Nigeria has signed bilateral trade agreements with many countries, including China, Japan, Austria, Brazil and Mauritius. These deals coming are when the security challenges in the country have assumed a disturbing dimension with the Boko Haram insurgents mindlessly killing people ‘like wanton flies.’

    Again, it is curious because they are coming at a time indigenous manufacturers and investors are groaning under institutional yokes of corruption, incompetent leadership and poor infrastructure to name a few.

    To underscore the level of insecurity in the country, defence got the fattest slice of this year’s budget. Over a whopping N1 trillion was allocated to the sector.

    Yet, the senseless orgy of killings, maiming, kidnap-for-ransom in the Southeast and other criminalities continue to flourish. In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), between April and September this year, over 150 robbers were reportedly nabbed.

    In Nasarawa and Plateau states, the story is grim. While a a suspected cult group, Ombatse, has been unleashing terror on innocent people in the former, the latter has taken the battle of ethnic cleansing too far.

     

    Reasons for FDI despite challenges

     

    According to stakeholders, there are various reasons for the continued inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) against all these odds.

    These, they said, include Federal Government’s strategy, availability of cheap labour and high return on investment, among others.

    The government has employed strategies to shore up the capacity of law enforcement agencies for prompt response to security emergencies. This include the implementation of key recommendation in the 2006 Presidential Committee Report on the Reform of Administration of Justice, with regard to the police and prisons. This was targeted at improving the welfare and operational capacities of these law enforcement agencies.

    Again, the government recently, moved to ease the registration of businesses by drastically cutting its cost by half. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Segun Aganga said the rationale behind the reduction in the cost of business registration is in line with the ministry’s investment climate reform programme aimed at strategically repositioning the country as the preferred destination for both local and foreign investments.

    Sector analyst says the action of the government would further trigger the influx of investors into the country.

     

    FDIs

    Recently Nissan and Stallion Group announced plans to jointly build an assembly plant in Nigeria. The investment, many believe, is necessitated by the government’s approval of a new Automobile Industrial Policy.

    Islamic Bank has also indicated its interest to invest $2 billion in the economy while a report released by Derek Scissors of the United States-based Heritage Foundation stated that Chinese investments stood at $15.6 billion spanning many sectors, such as manufacturing, telecommunications, and energy.

    A Japanese firm, Suntory, bought into GlaxoSmithkline with a pricely sum of £1.35 billion, taking over the company’s flag-ship brands, Ribena and Lucozade Boost.

    In addition to these, a leading South African company, Famous Brands, has also acquired 49 per cent stake in UAC Foods while Nestle Plc and Cadbury have indicated interest in investing N100 billion each in upgrading their production facilities in the country.

     

    Stakeholders’ views

     

    The Director-General, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Mallam Usman Garba Saulawa, said the coming of foreign investors despite the insecurity should not be a surprise. He said: “Though we have security concerns, it is not limited to Nigeria; therefore, it would likely not deter investors.

    “There are similar issues in Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Egypt, but the difference is that those economies are getting a lot of patronage and support from their government and there is sufficient infrastructure. If you look at Indonesia, the government, at a point, made a policy that all civil servants must wear their baltic. This policy helped to boost the production and manufacturing of baltic by the private sector.”

    An analyst Mr. Uche Ukwendu said the nation would have witnessed more FDIs if not for the porous security and the cheapness with which human lives are treated. He recalled that the recent slaughter of over 40 students in a Yobe College of Agriculture by the Boko Haram sect and the number of reported beheadings and slicing of throats in some parts of the North is enough to deter foreign investors. He called for a change of strategies by the security agents to stem the ugly tide.

    He said: “Nigeria’s development plan is simple in theory, yet rather difficult in practice given its poor track record. There are numerous obstacles that collectively deter foreign investment. The nation must address each of these impediments to growth through extensive political and economic reforms. First, there must be a dramatic and comprehensive restructuring of Nigeria’s economy. Currently, petroleum accounts for 95 per cent of Nigeria’s exports. Such a heavy reliance on one mineral makes the nation highly vulnerable to volatile economic fluctuations.”

    To achieve greater macroeconomic stability and diminish its vulnerability to commodity prices, he said the nation must reduce its dependence on oil and natural gas. It would be best for Nigeria to develop and promote its non-energy exports, which include manufacturing, knowledge-based services, and agriculture, he added.

    Uchendu also said the nation’s FDI inflows have been almost exclusively in the natural resources sector, specifically in the oil and natural gas industry which is a suspect. He observed that such concentration of FDIs in one sector limits technology transfer and inhibits job creation. Should Nigeria attract FDIs in other sectors, including manufacturing, tourism, consumer products, and construction, these new FDI projects could generate greater employment and create more balanced economic growth and it is only when this is done that the discerning mind will know that the so called FDI is done in good conscience.

    He warned that the government should not go to sleep because of the FDIs as it may just be cosmetic, adding that the implementation of institutionalised economic reform programmes, such as the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) that has the capacity to move the nation forward.

    NEEDS, he explained, seeks to liberalise the economy, promote private enterprise through increased privatisation and lowering corporate taxes. It also has the capacity to reduce corruption, diversify exports, improve education, develop sound infrastructure, and, ultimately, reduce poverty and increase standards of living.

    The decision to invest in a country has been heavily influenced by the prevailing low wage rate. The rapid growth in FDIs in Nigeria has been attributed primarily to the availability of low cost labour.

    However, when the cost of labour is relatively insignificant (when wage rates vary little from country to country), the skills of the labour force are expected to have an impact on decisions about FDI. Productivity levels in sub-Saharan Africa are lower than in low-income Asian countries and attempt to redress the skill shortage by importing foreign workers is not the solution to a country’s economic woes.

    Head, Southwest Zone, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Mr Isaac Idowu, said the nation’s economic blueprint is encapsulated in the Vision 20: 2020. He said though the nation has over $130 billion foreign direct investments, the economy can be said to be under performing at a sub-optimal level because of certain factors.

    Idowu said: “Our strength lies in our predictable investment climate and stable investment while our challenges are in the noticeable widening income gap and wealth distribution, dependence on oil revenue, over-dependence on imports, and huge infrastructure deficit. Others are the endemic corruption, high cost of doing business and insufficient funds for small and medium scale industries.” He assured the Austrian investors on government’s preparedness to allow them own 100 per cent of their enterprise if the line of business is not on the negative list such as military hardware and narcotics.

    On investment opportunities, the NIPC boss added that there was opportunity in the electricity sector with $10 billion projected yearly investment in agriculture and solid minerals.

    An entrepreneur and member of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mrs. Olufemi Ilori, expressed her surprise at the influx of trade visits from foreign countries despite the country’s insecurity. She argued that though the world is a global village, the government needs to exercise caution on how wide she opens her borders to ‘portfolio’ investors who may be more interested in buying and selling rather than engaging in enduring investments that will grow the economy.

    Former chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Mazi Sam Ohabunwa said industrial capacity utilisation has increased from under 43 per cent in the last two years to about 45 per cent. He believed that the apparent challenges in the country has not impacted negatively on FDI, adding that there is increased interest in the nation by investors, which must be sustained.

    An economist, Mr Gabriel Idahosa, said the nation has been hampered by some challenges and that it has only fared well in the telecoms sector.

    He believes that security is an issue as far as foreign direct investment is concerned. Former NBA chairman Business Unit, Mr George Utomi, said the country is not where it should be. He regretted that it has not been able to manage its challenges as good as possible. He said the nation was at par with some countries now known as Asian Tigers some decades ago, but obvious challenges have not allowed it to move beyond forward.

    Director-General, LCCI, Mr Muda Yusuf, said there are positives and negatives in the nation’s economic growth. He said the apparent FDI has not influenced the nation’s poor rating in competitive business rating.

    He tasked the government on the provision of infrastructure, adding that it should implement strong economic policies, and build human capital, and that security and sustainable economic policies could move the nation forward.

    Yusuf said security is a serious issue that must be addressed for the nation to move forward.

    Aganga, during a recent trade investment mission to the United States, said investing in Nigeria could open the African market to the investor, noting that it is a large market with one-billion population. He added that Nigeria had minerals and raw materials to attract diverse type of investments.

    He said: “Nigeria is a large good market with the right demography. And you have access to another one billion people, which is the African market. So, the market is there. When you talk about the raw materials, as a country that is in a top 10 producer of oil and gas, our reserve in terms of gas is about 10 to 11, a country that has at least 44 proven minerals in commercial quantity. Nigeria is also a country that has about 84 million hectares of land where only 40 per cent of that is utilised today and despite that. It is the largest producer of six or seven commodities in the world and second largest producer of another five commodities in the world despite the fact that only 40 per cent of the land is utilised today.”

    On the influx of foreigners to Nigeria under the pretext of investing in the country, Aganga said the Federal Government has discussed the matter with the Chinese government and Chinese investors have promised to develop indigenous skills, instead of bringing all their workforce to Nigeria. He added that the Nigeria Immigration Service would have to apply local laws to control the upsurge of foreigners to the country.

    “We have our local laws and we have our immigration laws in terms of who can come to the country, determined by the sort of skills we are looking for. It is a case of enforcing and applying our local laws. So, any investor, whether he is Chinese, American, European, has to comply with those local laws and if those laws are properly enforced, there would be nothing to worry about. Also, when you look at those big companies operating in Nigeria today, the mentality has shifted from borrowing to investment. Money follows money; nobody is going to invest out of charity because there is money to be made in the country, far much more return on investment.

    “Another thing that has changed is that Nigerian government has made it clear to the Chinese government that it is serious about creating jobs locally. We made it absolutely clear to them that the number of Chinese people coming to the country should never exceed 20 per cent. So it is for us to negotiate and have our discussions with them to make sure that we enforce our local laws,” Aganga added.

    The minister assured that the government would not rest on its oars in providing security, requisite infrastructure and the enabling environment for business to thrive.

  • ‘Security should be the responsibility of all’

    The security challenges in Nigeria can only be addressed if every citizen gives information to the relevant security agencies in a bid to tackle the menace.

     This was the consensus reached at a one-day security seminar on the topic ‘’The essence of collaboration and synergy amongst security agencies and other critical stakeholders to address menace of security in the country’’ organised recently in Abuja by the Police Assistance Committee of Nigeria (PAC) in conjunction with the Senate committee on Police Affairs and Office of the Minister, Federal Capital territory (FCT).

     Participants at the seminar which included representatives of service chiefs from the Army, Navy and Air force, Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs, ICPC, Immigration and other government agencies as well as people from the private sectors, all agreed that fighting security menace effectively in the country should involve every Nigerian through passage of timely information to the security agencies.This, according to the discussants, will assist in preventing and combating crime.

     In his opening remark at the seminar, Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Paulinus Nwagwu, who was represented by Air Vice Marshal Christain Paul (rtd), stressed the need for every Nigerian to get concerned on security issues by ensuring that we supply information to security agencies to be able to discharge their duties effectively.

     Air Vice Marshall Paul said as Nigerians, we need to change our orientation to be able to solve our security problems by co-operating with our security agencies.

     On the topic of the seminar, the retired AVM called for effective inter-agencies cooperation amongst our security agencies who must form a synergy to fraternize ideas and exchange intelligence among themselves to fight crime in the country.

     He enjoined all Nigerians to be well determined in taking action on security issues at all time, while also appealing to security personnel to give members of the public easy access to reach them often for information passage.

    In his contribution, Air Vice Marshal A.A Iya, who represented the Chief of Air Staff, also mentioned the importance of synergy amongst security operatives, harping on the adage: ‘’United we stand, divided we fall’’.

      Representative of the Chief of Naval Staff, Captain D.H Moses, acknowledged that our nation is presently faced with serious security challenges that requires all hands to be on deck to assist our security agencies, adding that the grassroot members of the public must be up and doing in this regard.

     Captain Moses declared ‘’security is everybody’s business. We need to be very vigilant at all times to monitor what goes on around us or with our neighbours and report any strange happenings around us to security agencies’’ commending the organisers of the seminar for their commitment to national security, the chief of naval staff commented that community policing should be well enforced in addressing our security problems.

     The Director-General of Police Assistance Committee, Dr. Martins Oni, in his own address, said the PAC had always been making concerted efforts to collaborate and partner with critical stakeholders in the discharge of its functions, which had led the body to reach out to all major government organs seeking partnership on how to keep running its programmes to help our security agencies in the discharge of their duties.

  • Security and the national conference

    Security and the national conference

    I have dealt with the important issue of security as the foremost responsibility of government in a liberal democracy more than I really wish to. But recent events have brought it to the fore of our attention one more time. The unfortunate execution of innocent students in their sleep is the worst nightmare of any parent and of a government that cares. And it’s unclear how many more we must experience before we come to the realisation that our government has failed us in the matter of security. The second is the embarrassing face-off between the federal government and the Rivers state government and its fall-out on the security of the state.

    In view of its importance, then, security has to be a priority item on the national conference agenda. Since reasonable citizens have disagreed over the monopoly of internal security by the federal government, we have to have a rational discourse over how best to security the lives and properties of citizens and why state police should be a practical option.

    We must realize, firstly, that those opposed to the creation of state police have not taken a stand on its constitutionality. They know that doing so would beg the question whether the constitution rightly prohibits the idea. And since the debate itself is predicated on the present legislative efforts to amend the constitution, it would have been grievously out of sync to argue against it from a constitutional perspective.

    Secondly, there is a consensus on the part of citizens that the present federal police systemhas undermined the security of citizens. From its inadequacy in dealing with armed robbery, kidnapping, militancy, and other crimes that endanger citizens and undermine the development of the nation, it is crystal clear that the system is broken.

    Third, a majority, if not all of our political leaders know about the effectiveness of state and municipal police in other lands. So it would be disingenuous of anyone who has seen it work elsewhere to doubt its effectiveness here.

    Two concerns have been raised against the institutionalisation of State Police. The first is the potential for the abuse of statepolice by politicians, especially governors and the party in power. The second is the issue of financing the system. In other words, everyone appears to agree on (i) the present perilous state of internal security, (ii) the inadequacy of the federal police to deal with it, and (iii) the universally acknowledged effectiveness of state and local police in dealing with internal security in any nation. But because of the fear—imagined or real—that politicians, especially governors are likely to use it as an instrument of oppression, and uncertainty about where the funds are going to come from, reasonable and well- placed patriotsare against the institution of state police.

    Neither of these concerns appears to me unresolvable. At most, they are challenges that reasonable people can meet and overcome. Take the case of funding. If security is the foremost responsibility of government, surely state governments can be expected to source for the means of discharging this responsibility even if it requires moderating expenses in other sectors. Indeed, an effective system of internal security has the great potential for generating internal revenue that not only pays for itself but also yields substantial dividends for investment in other sectors. Certainly such a regime can expect to attract a decent amount of domestic and foreign investment into the state. With business and industrial investment, opportunities are created for youth employment which in turn creates buying power, which leads to more investment and the circle can only be a virtuous one.

    There is a second consideration about funding. Even now that the police falls under the exclusive list of the Constitution, state governors cannot be unconcerned about resources available to the police commands in their states. For, they are still responsible for securing their citizens. A good number of governors have created State Security Commissions that raise funds for the police, while some raise their own vigilante groups. It may be argued that what such Commissions source from businesses and charitable organizations are grossly inadequate to fund state police. The point, however, is that when duty calls, human creativeness always provides an unfailing response.

    How about the major concern that state governors and their party members will use State Police to harass their opponents? This is not an imaginary fear because it happened during the First Republic. But the reality of the experience of almost half a century ago, vivid as it still might be in the inner recesses of our minds, cannot be a reliable yardstick for determining how we should live our lives. Consider an analogy. Fifty years ago, we were sleeping with our doors and windows wide open, enjoyingdivinely endowed fresh air. We would be crazy fools to indulge in such fun today no matter how remote our villages are. Instead we rely on fans or air-conditioners and generating sets.

    The mark of our humanity is rationality, and endowmentwith which we are able to think through the most efficient and effective means of meeting the challenges that we face and identifying the most efficient means of satisfying our wants and needs.

    If we are wary of the experience of the past—premiers using state police to torment opponents—and we know that federal police has not worked efficiently and effectively to secure us, then we have to put on our thinking caps and device an effective means of avoiding the unacceptable experiences of the past. We might want to ensure that governors—we got rid of Premiers—do not have a monopoly of supervisory authority over the State Police. We do this by creating a police system that is civil but apolitical. Each state might have a State Police Commission that is transparently independent,with representation from major sectors of the civil society, and financially autonomous, with constitutionally guaranteed revenue.

    Secondly, if we are fearful that governors may use state police to rig elections—harassing political opponents while empowering the rigging industry of supporters—then again we need to device a means of avoiding this inauspicious outcome. Presently, state governmentsare responsible for local government elections while INEC is responsible for federal and state elections. This is in itself an anomaly in a federal system which the conference must also open to discourse. In any case, if the first proposal is acceptable and the governor has no monopoly power over the police, then the fear of using it to rig elections would have been misplaced.

    There is a final consideration. For almost 20 years now, since the elections of 1993 and its aftermath, there has been one constant refrain against proposals for changing our way of doing things, especially those that we all agree are not working. Whether it is change from dictatorship to democracy; or unitarism to federalism; the opposition has always expressed a baffling lack of confidence in our collective maturity. We were told that we were not mature for democracy; that the kind of federalism we seek is dangerous in light of our present political circumstance. And now we are told that state police is for mature societies. The people making these claims consider themselves mature. In fact it is their maturity that gives them the audacity to advise against taking steps that they believe the country is not mature to take.

    Will this country ever be sufficiently mature to take one small step toward its destiny? And when it is deemed ready, will there be a country?The President’s Committee on National Conference has its work caught out.

  • Shekau’s ‘I am alive’ video not real, says security

    Security agents have dismissed the recent video purportedly “released” by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, saying the amateur replica cloned everything wrongly.

    The holes they claimed to have found in the video are that: “Shekau in previous video appearances would start with a recitation of a full verse of the Quran that sometimes could last up to five minutes. The stand-in Shekau did not observe this sequence.

    “Besides, on previous occasions when Shekau spoke, he had always never been interrupted by any background hail, quite unlike what happened in the recent video.

    “Watching the recent video, one would notice that the movement of the ‘Shekau’s lips’ did not synchronise with the words as pronounced, apparently betraying a recorded message inefficiently manipulated to sustain a non-existent continuum in leadership, now in disarray. Even at that, his attempt to mimick Shekau’s voice during the opening stanza soon gave in, and the impostor reverted to his real voice. The intonation was different as well as the fact that Abubakar Shekau does not drag his voice.

    “This “Shekau” even said that a dead woman -Margaret Thatcher, and Oladipo Diya rejoiced over his (“Shekau’s”) death. How did these add up to strengthen his case? One is dead and the other had left government long before the advent of Boko Haram.

    “Fact is Abubakar Shekau was shot, critically injured and evacuated by his lieutenants to a conventional hospital outside Nigeria (see picture attached). If he survived …time will tell.”

    Neither security agents’ claims nor Shekau’s could be independently verified last night.