Television Nigerian

Patrick Abba Moro, the senator for the Benue South Senatorial District, has accused the security authorities in Benue State of lacking intelligence in the fatal bank robbery that occurred in Otukpo over the weekend.

The daredevil robbers are said to have slain John Adikwu, the Otukpo Divisional Police Officer, three other police officers, and four civilians on Saturday, October 20, both inside and outside the bank site.

In an interview with media following the Senate floor, Senator Moro questioned how many armed robbers in a convoy of cars and motorcycles could have entered the town and fled for approximately an hour in the absence of intelligence and counterattacks from security personnel. The motion was titled “Otukpo Robbery Attack: Urgent Need for Investigation and Intervention.”

“We have multiple security checkpoints; the police, the Federal Roads Safety Corps, the Department of State Services, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps have all joined the roadblock thing,” he stated. The fact that two Hilux cars carrying sixty armed men were en route to invade Otukpo escaped all of them. Where is the wisdom these days? None of the agencies was able to mobilize a counterattack when the attack occurred.

He clarified that his initial opposition to the call for the creation of state police was based on the fact that most states at the time were unable to pay workers salaries and meet the basic needs of the people, and that an additional police wage bill could have overburdened the state governments in response to a reporter’s question about the significance of state police for community policing.

Senator Moro said earlier, during the motion’s presentation, that the suspected armed robbers held the entire town hostage for more than an hour with little to no opposition.

He bemoaned, “Thousands of naira were carted away from the banks and arms and ammunition from the police command in addition to the bloodletting.”

The Nigeria Police and other pertinent security agencies were requested by the Senate in its resolutions to look into the circumstances surrounding the invasion and the murders of innocent persons very away.

It also exhorted the security services to solve the puzzle of why there was a deficiency in information and awareness on the day of the invasion.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was also encouraged by the Red Chamber to act quickly to supply relief supplies for the Otukpo Police Command’s rehabilitation.

On the House of Representatives floor, the bill aiming to raise the retirement age for National Assembly employees passed Second Reading.

Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki, the deputy minority leader, was the sponsor of the private member bill.

The contentious bill faced significant obstacles during the 8th and 9th Assemblies due to opposition from a range of stakeholders who contended that raising the retirement age from 60 to 65 years old and the service requirement from 35 to 40 years old would result in worker attrition and stagnation.
Nonetheless, Hon. Madaki clarified in his lead discussion on Tuesday, 1111, that the purpose of the bill is to establish an independent and unified retirement age for National Assembly employees.

Read Also: Gombe palliative committee submits report, 42,000 households benefit

A retirement age of 65 years or 40 years of service, whichever comes first, was also suggested in the proposed legislation.

He claimed that the National Assembly’s professional staff would function more efficiently as a result of this prolongation.

Hon. Ali Isa, who backed the bill, said that it will preserve the staff members’ specific knowledge in the National Assembly.

He said that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which is already in effect in many other countries of the world, has also urged for this universal extension.
Speaking as well, Hon. Abdullahi Rasheed contended that if the bill is signed into law, it will ensure that the National Assembly’s staff members fulfill the intricate nature of their duties and will raise their morale.

The bill was forwarded to the House Committee on Public Service Matters for additional legislative action following the discussion.

Remember that following the controversy surrounding the alleged plan by the former Clerk for the National Assembly (CNA), Sani Omolori, to unilaterally enforce a new condition of service, the Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), Engineer Ahmed Amshi, ordered that the status quo on the 35-year and 60-year-old age groups, whichever comes first, should be maintained.

On Tuesday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised Nigerians and the international community that the country’s economy will soon recover.

President Tinubu gave the assurance while kicking off the two-day Green Economy Summit, ‘Sustainable Future: Harnessing Green Assets and Innovation for Niger State’s Prosperity,’ organized by the Niger State Government in Minna. He also pledged unqualified support for Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago’s Green Economy initiative aimed at unlocking the vast mineral resources across the state.

During the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday, the President, who was represented by Minister of State for Solid Minerals Senator Abdullahi Sabi, provided insight into the newly approved solid mineral development policy.”President Tinubu is also another visionary leader, and we are grateful to Almighty Allah for bringing him to serve our country at this time,” he stated. To demonstrate the President’s dedication to the establishment of a green economy, a new solid mineral development policy was approved by the Federal Executive Council just yesterday.

“And this policy will undoubtedly align with and benefit the green economy that you have envisioned for Niger State, because the policy emphasizes the elimination of all forms of illegality that desecrate and destroy our environment.”

“It also intends to ensure a new principle of resource-use efficiency while allowing people who want to operate legally in the mining sector to do so.” And, as His Excellency, the Governor stated, Niger State is endowed with a variety of mineral elements.

“I want to assure you that the President’s commitment to enthroning the green economy over the next few years will align with the green economy vision you have for Niger State.”

“Finally, I want to assure you that the President is fully aware of all the difficulties caused by some of the difficult decisions that must be made at this time, and his charge is to simply say, Please pray for us, give us your understanding, and as we make this powerful sacrifice, the gains of our sacrifice are just a short minute or a few hours away from us.”

“Very soon, we shall begin to reap the benefits of these tough decisions, as our economy will bounce back and, for us, food security, which is his number one priority, will also begin to get the full attention it deserves,” President Barack Obama stated.

In his address, Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago, who convened the first subnational Green Economy Summit, stated that his administration has “produced its first Green Economy Blueprint, a strategic document outlining a visionary roadmap that will shape our development choices and steer our actions in alignment with the precepts of sustainability.”

“We are using this summit to present a draft to stakeholders for review and input, after which it will be formally launched and used in the preparation of our appropriation proposals for 2024 and beyond.”

Distribution of the first phase of the Gombe State Government palliative care program has benefited no fewer than 42,000 disadvantaged households.

At the same time as the distribution steering group sent the government its report.

Governor Muhammadu Yahaya’s representative, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, the Secretary to the Government of Gombe State, accepted the report on Monday and praised the committee for their excellent work.

Two bags of fertilizer, two liters of insecticides, five kilograms of rice, and a box of spaghetti or macaroni are among the supplies that were delivered.

Yahaya expressed her gratitude to the committee for their dedication, fortitude, selflessness, and devotion in carrying out their task.

But he pointed out that difficulties could have arisen throughout the distribution process, just like in any human endeavor, and he concluded by saying that “opposition politicians are the ones who are complaining about the exercise the most, because they are selfish.”

Informing the committee members that their services could be needed, he took the opportunity to declare that arrangements are in place for the distribution of the state’s portion of the federal government’s palliative care.

Governor Yahaya’s permission to serve the state in this way was expressed by Abdullahi Haruna, the Chairman of the Committee and Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, as he presented the report.

He also praised the SGS for giving them the guidance and leadership they required, which allowed the distribution exercise to be completed successfully.

As for the committee’s suggestions, the chairman asked that the government “carefully study them for implementation in similar situations in the future.”