The Nation Newspaper

Tag: security

  • Fighting crime with technology

    Fighting crime with technology

    Fighting Crime with Technology

    Crime has become very sophisticated in Nigeria and fighting it with traditional means seemed not to be yielding desired results.  Hardly a day passes without a criminal activity being reported in our daily newspapers.  Either a friend, a family or even you may have had bad experiences at some point with these men of the underworld.  How long shall we continue to live in fear of our lives being cut short by these criminals?  Your guess is as good as mine.  No place is safe anymore in Nigeria; not even our own little prison yards with high fences surrounding our homes and offices.

    Fighting crime by merely just arresting anyone found at the crime scene is not enough, since in most cases, those who committed the crime may have left the scene long before the Police arrive – if they do at all.  This is not to say the police are not pulling their weights in some circumstances – considering their conditions of service and the poor equipment with which they work.  The celebrated case of Cynthia Osokogu reminds us of a breakthrough exhibited by the Nigeria Police Force.  We must say a big thank you for a job well done.  But there are scores of unsolved mysteries yet to be uncovered by the Police.

    Effective policing should be everyone’s responsibility – the communities, the public, schools, etc.  Today, technology has made it possible to fight crime with higher precision, greater results, more cost effective strategies and most importantly, in a timely manner.  Who would not be happy to hear that a car snatched in Lagos, and within ten minutes or less of being reported, every police in Lagos, Ogun and surrounding states get a message on their mobile phones informing them with details of the car, driver and other pertinent information which will result in that criminal being apprehended by the crime fighters? If you think this is just not possible, read on.

    No part of the world has been able to tackle crime without updated, accurate and timely data.

    With a population of over 150 million people, you cannot manage and control crime without a working national, criminal and biometric databases. The biometric must contain fingerprints and DNA databases.

    Deoxyribonucleic acid isolated from blood, hair, skin cells, or other genetic evidence left at the scene of crime has helped in apprehending criminals when matched with databases. The days are gone when individuals are identified by just names and photo ID without biometrics.

    One of the things we will remember about the Obasanjo administration is the introduction of the National Identification Project.  Although the implementation was flawed, at least the awareness was there.  The federal government talks about e-Government, e-Business and cash-less society without functional national, criminal and bio metric databases.  e-Government without such databases is simply not possible.  The National ID Card project should be re-visited by the Jonathan government. The advantages are numerous.

    Employers can do background check on prospective job seekers before they are hired.  Banks can open account for individuals without asking for guarantors since they can query the databases from their computers and get results in minutes.  In Canada, for example, you can open bank account in less than ten minutes without any guarantors.  Banks will be able to track debtors and approve loans easily in a country without credit bureau.  Stolen properties can be tracked easily once they are reported.  As soon as it is reported, databases are updated and messages sent out to the appropriate individuals for actions.  Missing persons can also be tracked.  Fugitives and criminals who need any of these services can easily be caught since the police can be contacted while they are opening a bank account or registering for phone services.  It will also help the prison and court systems to keep track of repeat offenders who once they are released will commit offence again.  We do not even keep track of sex offenders in our midst.  Such databases will be updated to reflect such offenders.  The databases can be linked to government terrorists watch list.  Our government will be able to have access to international agencies such as Interpol and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data in minutes.

    Individuals carrying firearms must register them with the Police which would be stored in the Firearm databases and criminalize illegal firearms not registered.  You can track a crime by the bullet and firearm used since there is record on the database.  Your car license number can say so much about you since it could be linked to the National and biometric databases.  Road safety corps can query their databases and get so much information at accident scene and can even access your medical history in case of emergencies and take appropriate actions to save lives.

    Immigration can now tie your passport number to your national ID Number and search relevant databases before a passport is issued.  Twenty years or so from now, no foreigner would be able to obtain our passports illegally. Right now anyone can claim to be born in Nigeria since we do not have records to verify such claims.  The databases will give us better insights to the overall population, demography and unemployment needed for national planning rather than just rely on forecasts.  It is no more fashionable to carry files from office to office rather you can now “carry files” electronically without leaving your desk.

    For all these to happen, we must incorporate Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) in designing these computer systems to be able to “talk” with one another.  SOA enables business agility and decoupling of systems.  The implication is that the systems (applications, databases -National, Biometric – Fingerprints and DNA, Firearms) will be able to “talk”  with private companies (banks, telecommunications), government agencies (NYSC, WAEC, JAMB, INEC, Pension, Universities -private and public), Immigration, Customs, Population Bureau,  Statistics, Car Registration, Road Safety, Hospitals (private and government), States and local governments, Military, etc, and international agencies (FBI and Interpol).   The data-sharing agreement must be worked out among various organizations.

    The good news is SOA enables you to keep your existing technologies with little tweaking without breaking the banks.  Companies will continue to use their existing technologies while exposing some of their services to other companies as done in the advanced world.  Private agencies such as banks, telecommunications and governments in USA,UK and Canada share information via SOA.  That is why your bank account sees New York and Chicago stock exchanges.  That is why when you book your flight online, you can as well book hotel, rent a car and make payments online.  So many individual companies are involved in this single activity.  Even our telecommunication industry can benefit a lot since they do not need to build masts side by side.  This will reduce cost of doing business as well as drive down the cost of making calls by consumers.

    There have been cases in North America where criminals were caught based on DNA swab from discarded orange juice bottle dumped in the trash bin, shoes and car tyre marks found in crime scene.  In all cases, they were linked to a functional criminal database.  When you enter USA,UK or Canada, the immigration officer queries so many databases about your visa and who you say you are.  In coming years, your biometrics will be collected when you apply for visas and matched with another biometrics collected when you about to enter these countries.  USA has already implemented this.

    Two major concerns in adopting SOA are privacy issues and abuse of the system.  This is where all parties involved will have to work out what could be shared and what is private.  No system is completely foolproof.  The legal teams will also have to create a legal framework to ensure that those who abuse the systems are punished.  Data is money and anyone found using it inappropriately should   be punished.  Most systems today keep logs of person who accessed the information with necessary time stamps.  For the public to be able to report any criminal activities, 911 emergency number has to be put in place as it is done in all developed countries.  You may not appear in some of these databases except when arrested for any crime.  Data will be deleted maybe after five or ten years if you are not found guilty.

    The privatization going on in the power sector is a very good initiative in addressing the epileptic power supply needed to power these systems if well implemented.  Government must pass a law making it compulsory to register every birth with a view of issuing national ID number and recorded in the national database.  The forms should be made available at the local government offices and village heads.  Over time we will have a working national database while still perfecting those yet to be issued an ID number.  Deaths should also be registered and struck out of database over time.

    The Inspector General, M.D. Abubakar, is doing a wonderful job in cleaning up the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and restoring public confidence but a lot more still needs be done.   No doubt, NPF is poorly trained, poorly remunerated and ill-equipped.  Police work in North America is very a dignified profession.  Miscreants are not recruited into their Police force.  They are accorded more respect than the law makers because they can easily send you to jail for breaking the laws.    Our Police need to be trained more on how to scientifically handle crime scene using forensic science.  With automated systems, they can be notified of any criminal activities in areas of their jurisdiction by sending SMS messages to their phones within minutes any serious case is reported.  Police on patrol should be able to access their databases on mobile computers within few minutes and get more details about the individual being questioned.

     Using technology to fight crime will not be effective without looking at the remote causes of crime.  With high unemployment in the land, government needs to begin to think of paying unemployment benefits to those who lost their jobs and out of school and cannot find a job. Our political class needs to begin to think about the people she claims to represent if we all must sleep with our two eyes closed. The kidnapping menace is already out of control and there seems no solution in sight.

    We need total re-orientation of our value system. Very few now asks for the sources of sudden wealth these days.  All we hear is he or she has “made it” and most times without any justifiable means of livelihood.  We cannot continue as a nation to praise those who loot our economy and pretend it is their share of the so-called national cake.  In some countries such as China looting of public treasury attracts death penalty.  There was a time you could travel to any village in Nigeria and the villagers will welcome you.  Not anymore.  You are not safe in your village.  The cost of living is very high in Nigeria.  The government should introduce some cushioning measures to stimulate the economy. The government should encourage manufacturing to create jobs, not just services, give tax credit to foreign investors since our political system is maturing now and no foreign investor wants put his or her money in a country in turmoil.

    No doubt there is high cost of governance in Nigeria.  There are too many committees, and sometimes, their functions overlap.  Our law makers are richer than their counterparts in America,Canada or UK yet Nigeria’s annual budget is not up to that of the State of New York.  No one should be above the law.  The example of the former Governor of Delta State jailed in London, James Ibori, is an eye opener to Nigerians. There are still so many Iboris in government and they should be brought to justice.

     If the systems suggested in the write-up are properly built and implemented, technology will go a long way in dealing with cold murders and unresolved mysteries as well as drive down crime in our society.  Without timely and accurate data, fighting crime will remain a herculean task.

     

    Victor Odili-Idiagbor is a Middleware IT consultant based inOttawa, Canada, wrote in via victor_odili@yahoo.com

  • NPA to acquire equipment to boost security

    The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdullahi has approved the purchase of more equipment to boost port security.

    The items include boats for water front patrol, motor cycles, patrol van and towing vans for the security department of the agency to ensure efficient and effective security at the nation’s seaports.

    NPA’s General Manager, Security, Lt. Col Jamil Tahir (Rtd), made this known while addressing heads of security department at a quarterly meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Tahir said baggage scanners and scanning machines for vehicles, trucks and their drivers would also be installed at the ports.

    He pointed out that the equipment would not affect Customs operations because the duties of his men and customs’ differ. He said: While “Customs officials look for contrabands, Nigerian Ports Security look for dangerous cargoes”.

    He thanked the management of the authority for sponsoring some security officers to attend local and international courses last year and appealed for more in view of the dynamic nature of security challenges.

    While commending his officers for their dedication to duty in the past year, he enjoined them not rest on their oars in order to reciprocate management’s gesture.

     

  • ‘Environmental degradation threat to security’

    Degradation of the environmental constitutes national and international security risks, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations, Prof. Joy Ogwu, has said.

    She spoke at the 11th Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Chevron Nigerian Limited.

    Ogwu said there was the need for a paradigm shift in the assessment of implications from environmental degradation and the need for conservation to ensure a robust and encompassing national security and need for redress.

    In her lecture entitled: Addressing environment and conservation: A development and national security imperatives, she argued that the impact of the environment, including biological diversity, climate change and desertification, encompasses global warming, land degradation, deforestation, and loss of vital resources such as land, agriculture and water, which are  very essential for our well-being.

    She said these dimensions of the environment had become the sources of increasing threats to national security.

    She said: “It is common knowledge that since the beginning of time, we have witnessed to a considerable dependence on the Earth’s resources for humanity’s increasing need for sustenance and survival. “

     

     

     

     

     

  • S/East governors, Second Niger Bridge and Security

    S/East governors, Second Niger Bridge and Security

    SIR: For the past 15 years, commuters passing through the famous Niger Bridge, one of the longest bridges in Nigeria especially during the festive periods have suffered untold hardships and excruciating pains. In these painful 15 years, it has been difficult if not impossible to quantify the losses in both human and material resources. Many of our people see it as a deliberate punishment to the South-east for losing Nigeria/Biafra war simply because the victors are still celebrating and you cannot blame the victims. My friends tell me that if after 43 years the victors of the infamous Nigerian civil war are still celebrating then it would mean that we are running a nation without conscience.

    What the commuters suffered in 15 years put together cannot be equal to what we saw from mid-December 2012 to mid-January 2013. Those coming from Lagos were stuck in Asaba and those coming from Aba, Owerri, Enugu, etc were held in Onitsha. My children who left Nnewi for Lagos on Jan 7, by 6:00 am could not access the Niger Bridge until about 11 am. Nnewi to Onitsha is about 15 kilometres.

    Assurances and pronouncements have been made by the powers that be in the past 10 years and all to no avail. It has been all noise and no substance. Nigerian leaders especially at the federal level have no conscience. I suggest that the South-east governors take their destinies in their hands. South-east governors have the capacity and the resources to build the second Nigeria Bridge federal or no federal government intervention or support.

    Political, economic and social activities in the South-east cannot be complete without the second Niger Bridge. Historians used to say that Egypt cannot exist without River Nile. In the same vein, no second Niger Bridge, no economy in the South-east.

    Another very big problem facing the South-east is security. From December 20, 2012 to January 15, 2013 when I left Nnewi for Lagos, I noticed that every prominent person goes about with three or four policemen. Judging from number of security personnel I saw in the South-east I kept on wondering if we still have policemen left to protect other sections of the country.

    Again, let it be known that the South-east governments can effectively handle all security issues in their domain to save the economy from collapsing. The governors must reverse this frightening trend of prominent Igbos travelling to other lands during festivities instead of returning home. Travelling home during Christmas, Easter and New Yam festival is a culture in Igbo land and the governors must know this. Good governance demands that the governors know this and consequently create an enabling environment for their citizens. Anything short of this is a failure of leadership. Let the South-east governors organize a summit on security. Let the governors pull resources together to protect their citizens. Securing lives and properties should be the number one priority if they must succeed.

    The primitive idea of going to Abuja for every single problem must cease.

    South-east governors can build the Second Niger Bridge and make investment in security to secure the economy of their zone.

    • Joe Igbokwe

    Lagos

  • …Warns citizens on security

    …Warns citizens on security

    THE United States (U.S.) Embassy in Algiers, the Algerian capital has issued an emergency message to its nationals in the country to “review their security”.

    Countries including France and Britain have been on heightened terrorist alert since French forces went into action in Mali last Friday.

    There are fears that the new front in the war against terror could prompt further Islamist revenge attacks on Western targets, especially in Africa, where al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) operates across borders in the Sahara desert.

    French President Francois Hollande launched the surprise operation in its former West African colony last Friday, with hopes of stopping al-Qaida-linked and other Islamist extremists he believes pose a danger to the world.

    The attack began with the ambush of a bus carrying employees from the gas plant to the nearby airport, but the attackers were driven off, according to the Algerian government, which said three vehicles of heavily armed men were involved.

    “After their failed attempt, the terrorist group headed to the complex’s living quarters and took a number of workers with foreign nationalities hostage,” said the statement, adding that authorities were following the situation very closely.

  • Security crucial for growth, says Ajimobi

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has described security as “the bedrock of development”.

    He said without it, no meaningful development can take place.

    Ajimobi spoke in Ibadan, the state capital, at a send forth programme organised for former Commissioner of Police Tambari Yabo Mohammed, who is now an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG).

    He said his administration maintained a cordial relationship with security agencies to facilitate growth.

    The governor said this has paid off as the state now enjoys peace.

    He said the peaceful atmosphere has facilitated development in all sectors of the economy, adding that his administration would continue to support security agencies.

    Ajimobi described Mohammed as a dedicated and disciplined officer, “who exhibited a high level of professionalism in the discharge of his duties”.

    The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Adeolu Akande, said although Mohammed spent only six months in the state, his stay was eventful as it facilitated improved security.

    Thanking Ajimobi for his support to the police, Mohammed said: “Even though I have served in different capacities in several states, I have never seen a governor who has been so friendly to and supportive of the police as Governor Ajimobi. Throughout my stay here, he made sure that the state command did not lack anything,’’ he remarked.

  • Gunmen kill Goje’s security aide

    The police orderly attached to the immediate past governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje, has been shot dead in Gombe.

    Inspector Rilwanu Gadzama was shot by two men at aboutv 4:00pm at Pantami quarters of the metropolis over the weekend.

    His assailants, according to sources, rode on a motorcycle and accosted him.

    As soon as they killed their target, they abandoned their motorcycle and fled the scene.

    Police Commis-sioner, Mohammed Sule, confirmed the incident and said investigation had begun to find  Gadzama’s killers.

    Another policeman, Corporal Mathew Micheal, was shot last Wednesday on his way to his duty post at a telecommunication facility at Pantami area.

    His colleagues, Corporal Umar Mohammed, Constables Audu Mudi and Christopher Gibson, were also injured in the attack.

     

     

  • Okorocha’s N500m ‘Xmas gift to security agents stirs controversy

    The  N500million Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha gave security agents for the last Christmas has caused a controversy among civil society groups and other stakeholders.

    They have described the governor’s action as a “misuse” of public funds.

    Okorocha, during an expanded security meeting with security chiefs and traditional rulers late last year at the Ahajioku Centre, distributed N500 million as Christmas gift.

    The governor said this was to motivate security personnel, including the police, the Army, the State Security Service (SSS) and other paramilitary agencies.

    The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) condemned the cash gift.

    It stressed that the security agencies, especially the police and the SSS, would have been better off if the “largesse” was spent on providing security gadgets for the poorly equipped officers.

    CLO National Acting President, Comrade Uche Durueke, noted that the N10,000 per security agent would not have any direct consequence on the deteriorating security situation in the state.

    He said N500 million, if judiciously applied, would go a long way to reposition security and fight crime rather than misappropriate it for vain political glory.

    Durueke said: “We want to know the source of the money. If it is the security vote, we will also question it, if that is the best way it should be spent. We cannot continue to blame the security men when we have not done our own bid by providing them with the necessary equipment to work. So, the largesse won’t in any way assist in the fight against crime.”

    The Southeast Chairman of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) Uzor A. Uzor, described it as a “subtle bribe” intended to becloud the reasoning of the people and make it appear as if the state was fighting insecurity, especially kidnapping.

    Uzor said: “In our last investigation, Imo State had the second highest rate of kidnapping in the Southeast. As we speak, the police do not have the equipment to track down kidnappers but still depend on crude ways of intelligence gathering. But the governor has N500 million to splash on security agencies as Christmas gift. It is uncalled for and should be investigated.”

    Uzor also frowned at the flagrant display of wealth by public office holders.

    But the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, described the gift as the governor’s way of appreciating the efforts of the security agents.

    The governor’s spokesman noted that the security agents have worked hard to secure the state in the last one year.

    According to him, the government has done more than the previous administration in the fight against crime.

    Uzoukwa said: “Governor Okorocha, on assumption of office, bought 100 Hilux vans for security operatives in the state. He has continued to support them to tackle crime through various interventions.”

     

  • Nigerians want security, jobs this year

    Nigerians want security, jobs this year

    Last year was not a particularly good one for Nigerians. Boko Haram, kidnappers, corruption and a wobbling economy, among others, made the year tough. As 2013 begins today, Nigerians want the Federal Government, state governments and local governments to improve their lot

     

    By the time the curtain was drawn on 2012 yesterday, Boko Haram had killed over 750 Nigerians. This was over 100 more than the number of people the deadly sect killed the previous year.

    Kidnappers also had a good outing and made life hell for many a family. In the midst of the insecurity, the economy too did not fare well.

    Nigerians are looking forward to a better year and want government at all levels to help change things.

     

    We need conducive environment, says ANPP

    The National Chairman, All Nigeria’s Peoples Party (ANPP), Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, in his New Year message, urged the Federal Government to create conducive environment, where peoples’ vote truly counts and “the voter matters in an election that is not only free and fair but also peaceful and credible”.

    Onu urged Nigerians not to despair, but to continue to pray for the country.

    He said: “As Nigerians join the rest of the global family to thank God for his favours in the past year and ask for a new year that is full of hope, the party shares with Nigerians the expectations of 2013. It is our conviction that our beloved country will be a better place, where we can all be proud of, if we resolve that our democracy will be such that the will of the people remains supreme.

    “As we think of how to improve our lives in the New Year, we should also reflect on how we can rededicate ourselves to a more conscientious pursuit of those cherished attributes that will enable Nigeria’s democracy thrive. The way we want our future to be will depend on the choices we make today. We urge our fellow country men and women to strengthen their faith in themselves, put the interest of the nation first, reaffirm implicit confidence in the power of a collective determination to succeed.”

     

    Jonathan must fulfil his promise, says Archbishop

    The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, The Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to make good his promise of making Nigeria a better place in 2013.

    Martins, in his New Year message signed by the Director of Social Communications, Msgr. Gabriel Osu, said Nigerians were looking on the president to better their lot by addressing the challenges confronting the nation.

    He said: “At this period of our national life, what Nigerians need now is to see practical steps by their leaders to alleviate the growing rate of sufferings in the land. They want to see good governance; we have gone through a lot as a nation and we have been hearing promises upon promises; we want to see action this time around. “I want to believe that the President is very sincere about moving the nation forward but he must prove it with concrete actions and not just mere rhetoric.”

    Martins said the past two years should have equipped the president with enough knowledge on the problems confronting the nation and urged him to now come out with realistic solutions.

    “My prayer is that this New Year will usher in new vista of immense opportunities and fulfillment for us as a nation,” he said.

     

    ‘Give us security’

    The Deputy National Chairman, Alliance for Democracy (AD), Alhaji Musa Umar, said that no nation could progress without security.

    “The President should address the issue of insecurity and also put a state of emergency on corruption,” he said.

    Also speaking, Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, the initiator, Peoples Movement for a New Nigeria (PMNN), urged Jonathan to ensure that he carried Nigerians along in his governance in 2013. He also called on the president to reduce his cabinet to reduce the cost of governance in 2013. He said: “I expect him to carry every one along in his administration and reduce his cabinet to cut cost.”

    A politician, Mr. Damian Ogbonna, advised the president to give the youth a greater sense of belonging in the nation’s politics and governance. According to him, this will promote participatory democracy in the country. He said the step would also help in reducing unrest in the country.

    The Lagos State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Godfrey Lemchi, urged the Senate to ensure that the issue of regional federalism was reflected in its constitutional review.

    “Since we could not have the sovereign national conference in 2012 and the government is not favourably disposed to it, let there be something from the legislature in 2013 to give Nigerians that commitment that something is happening. If the Senate is doing anything, they must ensure that the issue of regional federalism is made to reflect in the proposed constitution amendment because this is the bottom line of our problems,’’ he said.

     

    ‘Take governance more serious’

    The Citizens National Party (CPP) wants the government to convoke a national conference that will midwife a new Nigerian Constitution in 2013. The party made the call in an end of year message to Nigerians signed by its National Chairman, Mr. Maxi Okwu.

    Okwu urged President Goodluck Jonathan to sit up and take governance more seriously in the New Year in line with his transformation agenda. The party chairman said the Federal Government’s Transformation Agenda would uplift the living standards of the citizenry through effective political engineering, economic restructuring and social reorganisation.

    He said: “It is imperative for all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria to sit down and discuss their peculiar problems and proffer solutions to them with a view to strengthening their commitment to one Nigeria. Today, our economy is in trouble, the political process in disarray, security of lives and property jeopardised and the populace impoverished and disillusioned. We urge President Goodluck Jonathan to sit up and take governance serious, as the world has become a global village and watch our progress with cautious optimism.’’

     

    Pensioners seek peace, love

    The Federal Universities Pensioners’ Association (FUPA) urged Nigerians to promote love, understanding, national cohesion to achieve development. In his New Year message, the National President of the Association, Dr Ayuba Kura, urged the Federal Government to conquer poverty, insecurity, illiteracy, unemployment and other forms of social vices be-devilling the prospects of Nigeria. The President urged the federal government to settle the 53 per cent arrears government owed members of the association to give them hope and sense of belonging.

    He also urged Nigerians to be tolerant.

    His words: “I implore Nigerians to endeavour to exhibit high sense of unity, tolerance, brotherliness to guarantee national unity in the New Year.

    “As patriotic citizens, we must strive hard to make the country not only one of the top 20 democracies of the world but one of the top 20 global economies. “This will not be achieved in a chaotic atmosphere and among people with disunited and corrupt minds.”

     

    ‘Tackle unemployment’

    The Archbishop of Bendel province of the Anglican Communion, Most Rev’d Friday Imaekhai, wants government to be more aggressive in tackling unemployment in the New Year. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin yesterday that it would help to reduce propensity to criminality in the country and also called on citizens to be obedient and supportive of leaders, stead of antagonising them. Imaekhai, who doubles as the Bishop of Esan Diocese, Anglican Communion also said in his New Year message to the nation that governments at all levels had the responsibility to fulfill their electoral promises to the people to whom they were accountable. He added that citizens on the other hand, owed it as an obligation to be obedient and supportive of leaders and said that both government and the governed had their specific responsibilities to carry out so that the country could move forward. “All forms of political or religious antagonism should end and let us embrace the olive branch and work as an indefatigable team.’’ While wishing Nigerians a prosperous new year, the clergyman called on them to affirm their resolve to ensure peaceful society devoid of rancour and bitterness.

     

    ‘Rehabilitate ports’ infrastructure’

    The Chairman, Shipping Association of Nigeria, Mr Val Usifo, yesterday urged the Federal Government to rehabilitate infrastructure at the seaports.

    Usifo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that infrastructure, particularly those in Lagos and Port Harcourt ports should be upgraded.

    “The job on the road network at the Lagos ports should be fast-tracked because it is taking too long,” he said.

    Usifo said the deep sea ports being constructed would reduce the burden on the Lagos ports. The chairman said that the new sea port projects should not be slowed down at all and should be carried out through Public Private Partnership (PPP).

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • ‘Xmas: Police reassure travellers on security

    •Wada urges unity

    The Kogi State Police Command yesterday reassured travellers in the south and western part of Lokoja, the state capital, of security during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

    Commissioner of Police Muhammed Musa Katsina, in a chat with The Nation, said people are safe to travel in the state at any time of the day as security personnel have been stationed at strategic areas on the highways.

    He said: “I urge travellers not to be afraid of plying the roads. We have stationed well-armed men to provide security on the highways. They can travel during the day and night. There is no cause for alarm.”

    Katsina said his command has prepared for the Yuletide. “This is why there has not been armed robbery in the state,” he added.

    On the metropolitan security, Katsina said he has set up a security team, known as cub-web, to arrest criminals.

    He congratulated the indigenes, especially Christians, on the Christmas and New Year festivities, urging them to go about the celebration without harassment.

    The police command had earlier warned against the throwing of banger, vowing to penalise anyone that flouted the order.

    Governor Idris Wada has enjoined Nigerians to be united.

    In his Christmas and New Year message on Monday, he congratulated Kogi State indigenes and other Nigerians, especially the Christian community, for witnessing the occasion.

    Wada said: “It is my prayer that the New Year will usher in a season of peace, security, joy and prosperity.

    “For us as a government, this year’s celebration is unique. It is the first Christmas and New Year season our administration is marking.

    “I hail the indigenes and residents for the orderliness and peace in our state.

    “Your support and cooperation have ensured the progress achieved by our government.”

    The governor urged Nigerians to pray for the country for protection and blessings,

    “As we go into the New Year, government will continue the execution of programmes that will set free our society from the shackles of despair and poverty,” he said.