The Nation Newspaper

Tag: seek

  • Stakeholders seek more govt’s attention for agric

    Experts have urged the government to facilitate loans for farmers.They spoke at a seminar in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. OLUWAKEMI DAUDA reports.

    TO grow the agricultural sector, the government should assist small-scale farmers, stakeholders have said.

    They spoke at a seminar organised by the farmers and agricultural businessmen and women at Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The Secretary-General of the Farmers’group, Mr Gbolahan Adepegba, said the event was aimed at honing the skills of the principal operators in the agro-allied business ahead of the Agric Trade Fair coming up next year.

    He said: “The agricultural story is not the story of poverty of human and natural resources. It is, indeed, the story of neglect, systematic wastage of these immense riches at the altar of a system that does not care a hoot about the future of its people and what they would eat.

    “In every home, whether big or small, the ultimate in life is to get what to eat. With adequate food, men and women see themselves as the genuine representatives of God on earth, with the mandate and wherewithal to aspire to the highest level in life. But without food, they immediately become weak, depressed and lack both vision and mission.

    “What lack of food has shown is that food is greater than religion and position. Food is strength; it is light, it is good sense, knowledge and wisdom. It is a man’s greatest tool not only in developing himself, taming his health, but also in sustaining his life.”

    He added: “The intricate feeding relationship in the modern society could not have been possible without the people engaging in agriculture. Since providing food is the main stock-in-trade of farmers, to provide birds and meat and put food to good use for the people, the country needs competent and serious-minded Nigerians to engage in the agricultural business.

    “Research methods, farmers training and manpower development programmes and input supply are the means by which such competent people can be produced. Agriculture can be a complex and clumsy business at times, as those who are in it are wont to testify. It does not lead those of us that engage in it to quick money, though, the business is lucrative, but procrastination is the rule rather than the exception.

    He continued: “Agricultural speed is characterised by slowness, is often the bane of banks not willing to lend money to farmers because crops cannot grow and germinate in a day, while birds, and fish cannot develop without food. Everything about agriculture takes time to yield. This annoys the impatient farmers no end, part of the reason why oftentimes those that are engaging in other business think they know better, can act better and faster if they get into the agriculture.”

    Responding, the Executive Director Ibikunle Farms, Chief Lakan Ibikunle, said the country has not made good use of its resources.

    He said: “The mode of obtaining government’s support and loans is bureaucratic and has not adjusted to meet the formidable challenges posed by the food situation.”

    He listed the problems as manpower loss arising from the use of cutlasses and hoes and the refusal of some banks to give loans to small farmers. Rather than doing this, he said, banks preferred importers of agro-allied products and short-term yielding ventures.

    He expressed concern and disappointment over the poor contribution of some banks to agriculture and their unwillingness to plough back enough of their profits into research to improve adequate food production.

    He decried the high interest on bank loans.

    Ibikunle, a farmer and agricultural expert, understands the barometer with which to measure the impact of the banking policies on agriculture.

    He was not happy because “the standard of living of the farmers in the rural area has not improved considerably”.

    With the training, he said, the farmers have learnt new techniques; hence they are better because they can now produce more and earn more.

  • Police wives, children seek govt’s help on flooding

    FORRIED by the incessant flooding of their quarters, wives and children of policemen living in Egbeda/Idimu, a Lagos suburb, have pleaded with Governor Babatunde Fashola to rescue them.

    They said they were appealing to Fashola because of the police’s failure to do anything about their plight.

    Whenever it rains, the police barracks is flooded, endangering the lives of occupants.

    Properties worth million of naira have been lost to the flood. The women are worried that any of their kids could drown if nothing is done about the flood. They said the flood became serious after drainage was constructed from Abule-Odu to check the problem.

    When the engineers reached Car Wash Bus Stop where the Barrack is, they stopped work, making that axis the high point for water whenever it rains, it was learnt.

    A woman said: “Even after the drainage fiasco, we were still not too bothered because if we wait for some hours after the rainfall or days, the flood will drain away. But now, it’s no longer so. The flood is just there! Rather than flow away, it slowly dries up and it could take months for such to happen.  Our children fall sick every time due to mosquito bites and we can’t even concentrate at the office. If we’re on the beat and it starts raining, our attention would be diverted. We would be thinking and worrying of the flood entering our homes. We would be thinking of any of our kids falling into the water. “

    Another explained that there were immediate and remote cause of the flood.

    She said: “The remote cause is the uncompleted drainage in 2008. Perhaps if the workers had completed the drainage, this wouldn’t be happening. But our major problem now is the newly commissioned Police Housing Estate at this Egbeda/Idimu. It was commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan not too long ago. Since the building of those apartments, we’ve known no peace! Every time it rains, we live in fear. The flood now is so bad, that it used to enter our homes. While people are sleeping, we’re busy bailing out water from our homes and many of our husband’s still have to go to work the next day, despite the fact that they didn’t sleep the night before. Let the government come to our rescue.”

  • Akwa Ibom communities seek compensation from Mobil over spill

    Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU) core communities of Eket, Esit Eket, Ibeno and Onna Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State have demanded adequate compensation on the November 9, 2012 oil spill from one of the MPNU’s offshore facilities.

    The core communities at a briefing yesterday in Eket, Akwa Ibom state, also asked the management of MPNU to comply with all the requests it promised at the November 4, this year, meeting between it, technical committee of the core communities and the state government.

    Speaking on behalf of all the LGAs, the Chairman of the technical committee, Nduese Essien, said the failure of MPNU to pay adequate compensation on the oil spill culminated in the peaceful protest by communities which lasted for 10 days.

    According to Essien, the peaceful protest was suspended at the intervention of Akwa Ibom State Government after an offer to mediate between the core communities and MPNU.

    Essien, who is the Attah of Ekid and a former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, explained that during the meeting, the core communities presented its position paper and MPNU acknowledged the rights of the communities and therefore considered their demands reasonable but pleaded for time not exceeding Thursday November 14, this year, to enable the Board of MPNU to meet and ratify the demands.

    His words: “November 14, 2013 has lapsed and communities have again become very restive arising from the intransigence of MPNU. We are familiar with all the antics of MPNU – divide and rule, delay tactics, sponsoring derogatory and inciting stories, seeking government protection on its abdication of its statutory responsibilities.

    “It was this attitude that led to the kidnapping of the Paramount Ruler of Esit Eket LGA and attacks on other Paramount Rulers of Ibeno, Eket and Onna. It has come to a point where the core communities can no longer contend these antics.

    “We are also aware that Exxon being the parent company of MPNU has a notoriety of failure to meet its obligations such as payment of compensation for oil spill to the extent that they had to be sent away from other countries.

    “This and similar attitude account for their consistent declaration of outrageous profit to the consternation of other oil companies and the amazement of the United States Congress. Since 1998, the core communities have suffered sufficient deprivations and a near total exclusion from the benefits of its operation.”

  • Farmers seek lower feed costs

    The major obstacle to the establishment of an aquaculture industry is the lack of local, high-quality fish feed. Availability of locally sourced, low-cost feed will be a major step towards improving profitability of small aquaculture enterprises. This is the concern of the government and private fish farmers. Daniel Essiet reports.

    Along the shores of Lagos, fish farmers are losing because of the decline in fish stocks.

    These days, local fishermen are lucky if they net so much like in the past. Thus, the economic incentive for keeping a healthy fishery is strong. Fishermen and trawlers have overfished.

    To assist the fishermen, the state government is supporting entry into aquaculture to reduce pressures on the lagoon while promising them a more stable income source.

    For this reason, the state government looks to aquaculture as a viable enterprise for local farmers, to provide their families with much needed protein and also earn income from the fish they sell at the market. But investigation revealed that the major obstacle blocking growth of aquaculture is the high cost of fish feeds, particularly feeds with high protein component.

    For most farmers, feeds consists of rice and maize bran, kitchen leftovers, and garden remains are low in protein and other essential nutrients, these plant-based feeds are insufficient for promoting rapid growth of marketable fish. But, higher quality commercial feeds formulated with fishmeal or soybean meal, the farmers said, are in short supply and is too expensive for the average farmer. Also, producing fishmeal from wild-caught and other fish raises significant environmental and food security issues.

    Speaking in Lagos, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, said fish and fisheries play a significant role in the economy in terms of nutrition, income, employment and foreign exchange earnings.

    He, however, finds the affordability of nutritious feeds to be a major hindrance to the development of the aquaculture industry.

    To this end, he said the government was ready to partner with the private sector to develop an affordable feed formulation. The goal is a nutritious, protein-balanced diet that farmers can afford.

    Most of these conventional and non-conventional ingredients are abundantly available but not at an affordable price for making good quality fish feeds.

    Feed ingredients of animal origin, such as fish meal, are used as sources of animal protein in aquafeeds. Others, including poultry by-products, slaughterhouse wastes, blood meal, bone meal, etc., have been evaluated for their possible use. Even in small amounts, they may greatly improve the nutritional value of the entire diet.

    Fish require a top-quality, nutritionally complete and balanced diet to grow rapidly and remain healthy. Local feed production is critical to the overall success and sustainability of an aquaculture industry.

    To this end, the Lagos State Commercial Agriculture Development Project(CADP) said the feed industry has profited from the rural energy support under the project, through the supply and installation of transformers, low and tension wires in farm lands and clusters to help production and increase profits.

    The project manager said within the short debut of the project, some very positive results have been realised, such as a 37 per cent decrease in the floating fish feed prices through the support provided to farmers to help them to produce the feed locally.

    With the running of a feed extruding machine of 150 kg per hour capacity, CADP is geared to give fish farmers a good deal.

    The floating fish feed is the result of applying the appropriate technology in its production, a breakthrough in its own respect in local feed production nationwide.

    Until recently, they were producing feed using locally fabricated pelletisers with production capacity of about one tonne per day.

    As part of the effort of the private sector, Akin-Sateru Farms inaugurated their floating fish feed extrusion plant in Lagos. The floating fish feed production plant has the capacity to produce 12 tonnes of extruded floating fish feed, and the mill will supplying local farmers who up until now had to rely on importing extruded fish feed into the country.

    Speaking on the new plant at the event, Chairman of Akin-Sateru Farms, Oba Adetunji Akinloye, said the new feed plant would help to reduce one of the biggest burdens on fish farmers – the high cost of imported feeds – and encourage more companies to invest in the sub-sector.

    “It is on record that Nigeria still spends about N80 billion per annum on fish import into the country,” he said.

  • Opadokun, Ogboru, others seek workable conference

    THE Coordinator of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER), Mr. Ayo Opadokun and leader of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Chief Great Ogboru, yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to set up a national conference that would meet public expectation.

    Opadokun said to make the country better, people must be ready to sacrifice and stand for what is right to be able to get blessings from God.

    Both spoke in Lagos when the Choir of Ikate Baptist Church, Surulere held its Festival of Songs.

    Ogboru, Senator Ajayi Boroffice and Chairman Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Oloruntoba Oke were special guests.

    Opadokun said the festival is in preparation for the church’s 50th anniversary coming up next year. So, it is to prepare the people to dedicate themseves to God.

    Ogboru said the situation in the country is not what he had in mind when he fought for democracy.

    He asked why there is so much confusion around us when our creator is not confused.

    His words: “Our situation is pathetic and we can’t continue this way and that is why the national confab will be the way out to address this issues”.

    Opadokun said: What the Federal Government is doing to education is deceptive. So, the people should take their destiny in their hands, organise themselves and say no to trouble, wicked people and government who oppress and dehumanise others.

    “They are bad and partakes of the evil things going on. One day, they will give account of all their evil. They forget what the Bible says in Proverbs 29:2.”

    Senator Boroffice said because the suffering in the country has become unbearable, the time has come for us to rise and fight for what is right to secure the future generation.

  • Those who seek Suntai’s job

    SIR: The political crisis in Taraba state revolves around only one thing- who becomes the governor of the state in 2015. The thinking among politicians and some pundits in Taraba state is that Governor Danbaba Suntai’s stay abroad for medical treatment would have altered the political arrangements and block some people’s political ambitions. So, those most likely to be affected made sure Suntai was brought back home, regardless of its implications on his health and that of the state’s polity.

    Politics in Taraba is similar to that of some states in north-east and central Nigeria: Faith, geography, ethnicity and powerful politicians determine who gets what. Since its creation on 27 August 1991, those who became governors in Taraba have shared the same attribute with Nigeria’s presidency of finding themselves as governors without having planned to be.

    Rev Jolly Nyame was an aide in the then Atiku Abubakar campaign organization, when Atiku wanted to be governor of the former Gongola State. When Taraba state was created out of the former Gongola state and Atiku was among the politicians disqualified by IBB. Atiku supported Nyame to contest for the governorship of Taraba state, and he won.

    In 2007, Governor Danbaba Suntai was not in the political equation. Danladi Baido won the governorship ticket of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), but he was denied the ticket. Suntai was eventually given the ticket and he won the governorship election. Same goes for Acting Governor Garba Umar; he was not in the calculation at all, then suddenly the then deputy governor Sani Abubakar was impeached by the State House of Assembly. Suntai picked Garba as Sani’s replacement. Then tragedy struck, Suntai was involved in an air mishap in Yola, on October 25, 2012. Garba assumed the Acting Governor position, following a resolution by the State House of Assembly.

    Those alleged to have spearheaded Suntai’s return are said to be claiming that the governor promised to champion the course for power shift to southern Taraba. Senator Emmanuel Bwacha is representing Taraba South in the Senate. It is believed that he has a strong ambition to be governor.

    Taraba South, has never produced a governor. Taraba North has produced a governor- Rev Jolly Nyame who was governor for nearly 10 years. While Tabara Central has produced Suntai, who is in his second term. Taraba South has produced three deputy governors (Uba Maigari, Saleh Usman Danboyi and Armaya’u) during Rev Nyame’s reign.

    With the current happenings, it appears providence would again keep away the governorship position from Taraba South. Taraba South comprises five local government areas- Wukari, Takum, Ussah, Ibi and Donga. Taraba north comprises six local government areas of Jalingo, Zing, Karim Lamido, Lau, Ardo Kola and Yorro, while Taraba central has five -Sardauna, Kurmi, Bali, Gashaka and Gassol. There is a historical political and cultural affiliation between Taraba Central and North.This is because most parts of the two zones are areas that formed the historic Muri zone. Majority of areas in Taraba south are parts of the Wukari division which is mainly dominated by the Jukun and Kutep tribes; these are factors that may not be in favour of Senator Bwacha, who is from the minority Nshi tribe.

    Another potential contender for the governorship of the state is Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan; she represents Taraba North in the Senate. She has strong grassroots and women support, but she is from Taraba North, same zone with Acting Governor Garba Umar.

    The centre point of the entire crisis is acting governor Garba Umar- just like President Jonathan- Garba was catapulted to his present position just by destiny, nothing else. He was not in the limelight even before becoming the deputy governor. Garba is from Karim Lamido local government area– Taraba north.

     

    • Zayyad I. Muhammad

    Jimeta, Adamawa State

  • Ex-Justice seek cancellation of jurisdiction

    A former Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice George Oguntade, yesterday called for the cancellation of the jurisdiction of courts from the statute books to ensure accelerated delivery of justicce.

    The eminent jurist decried the level of congestion of cases in courts, describing it as too high.

    Justice Oguntade spoke in Lagos at the inauguration of a new law office building belonging to Tayo Oyetibo and Company.

    He spoke on: Social Contract: Which Way Nigeria?

    The eminent jurist noted that Nigeria had imbibed too much of law technicalities from the English courts, which inhibit the quick delivery of justice.

    Justice Oguntade said: “The level of congestion in our courts is unacceptably high, such that it takes 15 to 20 years to litigate from the High Courts to the Supreme Court.

    “We must encourage our courts to decide cases the way they see them and as honestly and fairly as possible. We must not belabour them by all these inhibitions.”

    The former Supreme Court judge said the act of transferring judges from regions where they are only exposed to a particular kind of practice to regions where they are faced with complex commercial disputes contributes to the congestion.

    He noted that some of the judges find it difficult to adjudicate on such cases.

    The eminent jurist decried the size and funding of the public sector, particularly the National Assembly.

    He said too much money was being wasted to maintain what he called an “overbloated public service”.

    Justice Oguntade said the effect of such huge expenditure is that “resources, which could be used to develop the states, are being wasted on the payment of public servants”.

  • Nasarawa killings: Police seek state of emergency to curb menace

    Nasarawa killings: Police seek state of emergency to curb menace

    The Police have urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in violence-prone areas in Nasarawa State, it was learnt at the weekend.

    According to the police, the measure would help address the increasing violence of the Ombatse and other militia groups.

    The recommendation was said to have been contained in a memorandum submitted by the Nasarawa State Police Command to the Judicial Commission of Enquiry into the May 7 massacre of 63 policemen and 10 State Security Service (SSS) operatives in Lakyo village.

    The submission was signed by the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police (CP), Shehu Umar and presented to the Commission in camera last week.

    The commission’s Chairman, Justice Joseph Fola Gbadeyan, granted the request of the police that the submission be considered in camera for security reasons.

    The SSS memorandum was also heard in camera.

    A source quoted Superintendent of Police (SP) Sam Ewa, who stood in for CP Umar, as telling the nine-man panel that “where a group has overshadowed security agents, the group has become a law unto itself resulting into anarchy. Thus, a situation of anarchy requires stringent measures to curb or to address the menace”.

    Ewa was said to have testified that anybody or group of persons involved in the incident must be tried for “treason”.

    For the measure to be effective, the police were said to have suggested the “deployment of Federal Forces,” to include the Army, Air Force, Navy, Police Mobile Force, Anti Terrorist Units, Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) and Special Forces from the SSS, “to storm and seal off the operational base of the Ombatse militants.”

    The police were said to have added that such special forces would need be backed with necessary military and security hardware.

    The police were said to have stressed that any threat to security agents amount to an invitation to anarchy and a direct attack on the the nation.

    The police were said yo have informed the panel that the criminal activities of Ombatse show a “deep rooted political, economic and socio-cultural motives” fueling its continuous existence despite its proscription.

    Our source quoted the police as saying that the Ombatse which literally means “our time has come” or “this is our time” was revived by the Eggon ethnic group which sees itself as the largest ethnic group in the state.

    The police were said to have argued that most political and economic “creame de la creame” of Eggon extraction seems to be in full support of the Ombatse cult group.

    However, the SSS was said to have reiterated the readiness of security agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute those responsible for the killing of the security men and others.

    The SSS was said to have also recommended that a comprehensive arms recovery programme to mop up illegal weapons in the hands of the militants be carried out.

    They were said to have also suggested that both Ombatse and other ethnic militia be made to undergo a deradicalisation programme to be carried out by government in collaboration with security agencies.

    The SSS was said to have told the Commission that 30 soldiers billed for the operation were placed on standby in Lafia.

    The soldiers, it said, could not be called in for reinforcement when information reached Lafia that the team had been attacked at 9pm on May 7 because it was already dark.

    The SSS was said to have added that Ombatse members blocked the road to the village after the attack to hinder access to the scene of the incident.

    The only body said to have been allowed into the scene, on May 9, was the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

    Investigations at the weekend revealed the names of the slain security personnel during the May 7 ambush.

    The 102-man team was said to have comprised 92 policemen and 10 SSS operatives.

    It was said to have been on a mission to Lakyo village to arrest the chief priest of Ombatse, Ala Agu (alias Baba Lakyo).

    They were also said to have been mandated by the Nasarawa State Security Council to search for weapons and other incriminating objects and seal-off the Ombatse shrine.

    The 15-kilometre journey, which began from Lafia about 5pm ended disastrously about three hours after.

    Only 28 policemen escaped alive. Sixty-three policemen and 10 SSS operatives were said to have been killed (see box).

    Another source said revelations at the panel showed that the police lost 47 AK47 rifles, nine auto 06 rifles, one K2 rifle, three long range gunners, two smoke pistols, 1,818 ammunitions and 185 smoke cartridges. The SSS was also said to have lost 10 assorted operational firearms with ammunition.

    According to the source, seven police and two SSS patrol vehicles were also destroyed during the incident.

  • Mark, Benue governor seek spiritual intervention

    Senate President David Mark yesterday took stock of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and urged religious leaders to intervene.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President, Paul Mumeh, said Mark spoke when he addressed the Second Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Otukpo, Benue State at the weekend.

    It said Senator Mark noted that the disagreement between the Federal Government and ASUU required spiritual intervention.

    It said the Senate President spoke against the backdrop of the collapse of the dialogue between the Federal Government’s negotiating team and ASUU on the latter’s demand.

    It quoted Mark to have lamented the plight of the students, who have been deprived of a stable academic calendar and the consequences of the strike.

    Mark was reported to have said: “The culture of confrontation and conflict does not build harmony between and among people.”

    He went on: “We must always seek the culture of dialogue, reconciliation and forgiveness. We have a duty to work hard to overcome the barriers to peace.”

    On the issue of insecurity, Mark was quoted to have said the present state of security was worrisome, considering the high number of innocent Nigerians that were killed everyday as a result of bombing, armed robbery, road accident, ritual killings and cult activities.

    He enjoined Nigerians not to use religion for negative purposes, adding: “Religion is to unite and not to divide, to love and not to hate, to gather and not to scatter, to be just and not to be unjust.”

    Mark frowned at the provocative utterances by highly-placed people, which he said could negatively affect the society if not curtailed.

    He said the present religious, economic and political turmoil should not scare anybody, adding: “As Nigerians, we should remain resolute and focused.

    “As a people, we should continue to fast and pray. I acknowledge the fact that prayer without good work is not good. We should also embark on a serious work at all levels to ensure good governance and a better Nigeria.”

    The statement said Mark was optimistic that Nigerians are capable of overcoming the challenges only if “we work together and see ourselves as one people bounded by a common mission and purpose.”

    Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam was quoted to have called for a partnership between the church, the government and the people to fast- track political development and stability.

    It said Suswam urged the Bishops to use the session to appeal to ASUU to shift ground as the Federal Government has made reasonable concessions to its demands to give peace a chance.

    The President, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, was said to have urged Christians to obey biblical teachings in their dealings.

  • Lawyers seek state police as NBA demands his release

    Lawyers seek state police as NBA demands his release

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday urged the Federal Government to ensure that Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who was kidnapped on Friday, returns to his family safe and sound.

    NBA President Okey Wali (SAN) made this call in his speech at the association’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to mark the beginning of its 53rd Annual General Conference in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

    This is as lawyers called for the creation of state police to tame the high rate of insecurity in the country.

    The conference has the theme: “Law, leadership and challenges of nationhood in the 21st century Nigeria.”

    President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to declare the conference open today.

    Wali said the activist-lawyer’s kidnap “is a sad commentary on the state of our national security.”

    “The NBA condemns the kidnap of Ozekhome and urges the kidnappers to release him. We also urge the Federal Government to ensure that he returns to his family safe and sound,” Wali said.

    The issue of insecurity dominated discussions at the meeting, with lawyers saying state police remains the only answer to the country’s security challenges.

    Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) said most states are already funding the federal police, and wondered why such states should not be allowed to establish and run their force.

    “If a state is funding the federal police, it may as well have its own police. We need to decentralise the policing structure. What we have cannot guarantee us the security we need,” Ndoma-Egba said.

    Former NBA President, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), said in the past, Nigeria had municipal, regional and federal police. The federal police was only called in when needed and not for regular policing, he said.

    “Nigeria has become unitary in everything. The NBA must join those advocating the establishment of state police,” he said.

    Another former NBA President, Joseph Daudu (SAN), said the problem with federal police is corruption.

    “It is not that the Federal Government is not funding the police, but the money disappears in a cesspool of corruption. It is stolen,” he said.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Paul Ewekoro, said there has to be a fundamental restructuring of the police and that states that could afford their own police should be allowed to establish them.

    He said state police will free up federal officers who can be deployed to the states, which do not have state police.

    Another SAN, Jibrin Okutepa, said if urgent steps are not taken to stem the spate of kidnappings, a time may come when even lawyers will not go to court for fear of being abducted.

    Lawyers also spoke on the appointment of a President of the Customary Court of Appeal as the acting Chief Judge of Rivers State, with many saying it was an illegality.

    Wali said it was a matter for the National Judicial Council (NJC) to resolve, as no such appointment is made without its ratification.

    “NJC will deal with the matter. No such appointment can go through without the NJC’s approval. I don’t have any doubts as to what will happen.

    “We don’t need to set up any committee on the issue. My confidence lies in the fact that it’s a matter that is within the purview of the NJC,” Wali said.