the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Federal Republic of Benin’s Krake, Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni, the Controller of Customs Seme Border, Ayivi Eliane, and others.
The Oba of the Kweme Kingdom, Oba Sejiro James, the Chairman of the Badagry West LCDA, Joseph Gbenu, and local youth leaders were also present.
In the US state of Ohio, a pregnant woman and her unborn child died last week after her two-year-old son shot her in the back with a handgun that was left loaded in the home, according to police.
On Tuesday, police chief David Smith informed the local media that Laura Ilg, 31, had dialled 911 on the afternoon of June 16.Smith told the local ABC affiliate News 5 Cleveland that the woman “explained she was 33 weeks pregnant and her two-year-old had just accidentally shot her in the back with a firearm.”Ilg was rushed to the hospital after police quickly arrived at her home in Norwalk, Ohio, on Friday. However, despite an emergency c-section, Smith said Ilg’s unborn child could not be saved.
Hours later, Ilg succumbed to her wounds, he continued.
The Norwalk Police Department posted on Facebook early on Saturday that it was sending its “sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and all those affected by the tragic passing of the young mother and her unborn son.”
According to Smith, Ilg was awake when the police arrived and informed them that her son had started playing with the gun after finding a way into the usually locked bedroom while she was doing the laundry.
He claimed that in addition to two other loaded guns, police also discovered a Sig Sauer Micro 9mm handgun on a nightstand. According to media reports, Ilg’s husband, who wasn’t home at the time of the incident, claimed ownership of them.
In the United States, which has about 330 million citizens and 400 million guns, the accidental shooting is just the most recent in a long line of similar incidents.
In spite of the presence of five adults, including their parents, in their home, a three-year-old girl shot and killed her four-year-old sister in March while playing with a handgun close to Houston, Texas.
According to the Pew Research Centre, about 40% of US households have guns, and most of them also have children.
On the other hand, the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University reports that less than half of households with guns store them securely.
Despite some safety precautions being in place at Ilg’s home, police chief Smith urged gun owners to use caution.
“There are countless types of trigger locks and gun safes, and they’re not that expensive. Leave them (the guns) unloaded at the very least, he advised News 5.
The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission has advocated for an increase in the basic pay for those holding judicial and political office.
Alhaji Muhammadu Shehu, the commission’s chairman, made this announcement on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi while presenting the state governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, with the updated compensation packages for those holding political and judicial office. Shehu was represented at the event by RMAFC commissioner from Kebbi State, Mrs. Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba.
The organised labour described the proposed salary increase as provocative in response to the hardship that Nigerians were experiencing as a result of the removal of fuel subsidies.
According to a report published on Wednesday by the News Agency of Nigeria, the national and state assemblies had to pass legislation before the revised salary could be put into effect.
The 2008 Act on the compensation of political office holders was the result of the commission’s assertion that the most recent review was completed in 2007, according to NAN.
According to the statement, “The commission, having considered that the consumer price index of some selected commodity baskets have collectively grown by an average of 371% from 2008 to 2022, the current annual basic salary of all categories of political, public, and judicial office holders in the country is adjusted upward by 114%.”
The agency disclosed that it had recommended maintaining the current allowances for those holding political office while introducing three new allowances for those holding judicial office.
These include a restricted lifestyle allowance, a long service allowance, and allowances for a professional development assistant.
legislative support
According to the commission, beneficiaries in the federal government and the Federal Capital Territory needed “legislation by the National Assembly” to approve the reviewed compensation packages, whereas state assemblies would need to pass legislation to approve the reviews for beneficiaries in local and state governments.
It acknowledged that the review would increase the cost of hiring staff at all levels of government, and added that the compensation packages were based on input from workshops it held on February 1.
The review was in accordance with the clause of Paragraph 32(d) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Government (as amended), the commission continued.
It stated: “It empowers the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission to determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the President, Vice President, governors, deputy governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers, legislators, and the holders of the offices mentioned in Sections 84 and 124 of the Constitution of the Federal Government.”
The “Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2008” was the result of the most recent review of the compensation, according to the statement.
“The Remuneration Packages for the categories of office holders mentioned in pertinent Sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) must be reviewed immediately, sixteen years after the last review.
“In accordance with the foregoing, Your Excellency may kindly keep in mind that on February 1, 2023, the Commission held a one-day zonal public hearing on the review of the remuneration package simultaneously in all six (6) geo-political zones of the nation.
The exercise aimed to collect ideas or input from a wide range of stakeholders.
The RMAFC Public Relations Officer, Christian Nwachukwu, however, stated in an interview with one of our correspondents that the rate of the salary increase had not yet been determined in response to the NAN report.
Not yet a fixed rate
He said, “Although we have taken some action, there is no real information on that (the rate) because it needs to be forwarded. We cannot estimate a percentage at this time. I’m not informed of that.
In response to media reports that the commission had approved raising the salaries of those in judicial, public, and political office by 114%, he said this.
The RMAFC Chairman refused to provide any additional information, simply telling our correspondent that he was out of the country when we contacted him.
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria noted on Wednesday that the salary review would anger Nigerians.
Vice-President of the TUC Tommy Etim said, “The increment is such that will provoke Nigerians seeing as how Nigerians are already groaning under the effect of the subsidy removal among others,” in response to our correspondent’s questions on the subject. The TUC has consistently demanded a decrease in the cost of governance. If they still go ahead with it, though, we’ll take advantage of the chance to propose additional allowances for Nigerians.
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, on the other hand, called the suggested 114% pay increase for elected politicians provocative and insensitive.
The report is provocative and insensitive, according to Dr. Anderson Ezeibe, the national president of the union, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja. In a nation where the working class has been writhing in excruciating economic pain, it is challenging to understand the government’s justification for such a move.
“While the government and the staff unions in the tertiary education sector have been negotiating a wage increase since 2017 and the government has shown little interest in the process, the same government is busy giving itself such a pay rise.
“The citizens are still experiencing the negative effects of the elimination of the PMS subsidy, the increase in electricity prices, and the consequent effects on their wellbeing, only to witness such a “reward” that can only promote opulence and oppression by the political class.
Look no further than the election of Tajudeen Abbas as Speaker of the House of Representatives and Jibrin Barau of Kano North senatorial district as Deputy Senate President of the 10th National Assembly to understand why newly elected senator and former governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’Aziz Yari, so fervently desired to be Senate President.
The political back-and-forth between northern and southern Nigeria is likely a conflict between conservative and pseudo-progressive Nigeria, who are actually conservatives.
The northern Nigerian political establishment wanted the ultra-conservative North-West Nigeria to lead the legislature after ceding the presidency to the South in order to thwart any radical restructuring President Bola Tinubu might be planning.
If Speaker Abbas, who represents the Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, cannot stop President Tinubu from winging constitutional amendments that do not favour northern oligarchs from a Senate led by southern Nigerian Godswill Akpabio, he will checkmate Barau.
As a result, Speaker Abbas, a great-grandson of a Zaria Emir of the Mallawa dynasty, will use his legislative hand to reclaim the presidential powers that the northern political establishment appeared to have conceded to the South with one hand.
This is straight out of Henry Kissinger’s rulebook, the main character in America’s diplomatic zero-sum game, where your loss is your traducer’s gain. Franz Fanon, a protest author, would have argued that because you are poor, your oppressors are wealthy.
The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria states in Section 58 that “The National Assembly’s power to make laws shall be exercised by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and.. assented to by the President.”
Anyone from the south of Nigeria who believes President Tinubu will implement a radical constitutional restructuring may want to reconsider. It won’t be an easy ride at all for those political establishment members in the north who openly admit that they survive on political power-mongering.
Senator Ali Ndume, who represents the Southern Borno senatorial district, described how presiding officers who might be interested in the topics being discussed in the legislative houses play the game of parliamentary subterfuge. “The presiding officers have a smart way of doing things,” he reveals. If they turn around, will they see Ndume or another person who will be critical? He brings extra order papers if they are not present. And that’s how it ends.
This implies that whatever the presiding officers of the legislative branch desire can easily become law. Additionally, they will use legal loopholes in their respective chambers of the National Assembly to block anything they believe to be contrary to their interests or the interests of their region.
That was Senator Ndume’s justification for the hotly contested conversion of the short-term Ways and Means loan into the long-term loan, which Godwin Emefiele of the Central Bank of Nigeria recklessly granted to President Muhammadu Buhari’s debt-loving administration. All it took was the Senate President’s deceitful buy-in.
According to Nicolo Macciavelli, the protagonist of political brinksmanship, the ends justify the means. Even near the end of the compliant 9th National Assembly, President Buhari got his way despite the media’s cries and some lawmakers who displayed some decency.
In the past, when Godswill Akpabio, the then-minister of Niger Delta Affairs, was outing the shenanigans of some lawmakers questioning him, the chairman of the committee exercised his authority to order Akpabio to “Off his mic” and stop further obscene revelations about how lawmakers’ hands got caught in the cookie jar of contracts at the Niger Delta Development Commission.
The National Assembly may not amend the Constitution unless the purpose is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all members of each House, according to Section 9, even though neither northern nor southern Nigeria has two-thirds of the National Assembly’s membership.
Furthermore, the amendment must “also be approved by the resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all states,” despite the fact that neither northern nor southern Nigeria have two-thirds of the states in the federation.
However, politicians in Nigeria generally don’t consider or care about the interests of Nigeria as a whole. They only have consideration for their own racial, ethnic, or regional interests. If you disagree with this statement, read the following account from Daily Trust columnist Dr. Farooq Kperogi:
When I brought up (President) Tinubu’s (Jagaban) Borgu title with my paternal uncle a few days ago, he jokingly questioned whether (President) Tinubu was aware that he was evading the obligations his title required of him by removing fuel subsidies, which has increased the deprivation of border communities like Borgu.
Ancient Borgu, according to Kperogi, extended from the present-day Baruten and Kaiama Local Governments in Kwara State, as well as Bagudo and Dandi Local Governments in Kebbi State, to what is now Northeastern Benin Republic (where Borgu State is located).
Such sentiments, as documented by Kperogi, only serve to highlight the possibility that some Nigerians may not be wholly of Nigerian orientation. The interests of their ethnic nationalities, wherever they may extend, may therefore take precedence over those of Nigeria, their country, in their eyes.
Remember the President Buhari’s response when Dr. Reuben Abati’s team of Arise News TV journalists questioned him on why he believed it was necessary to build a railway line from Kano to Maradi in the Niger Republic, which is unlikely to be profitable.
They were informed directly and without hesitation by President Buhari that he had first cousins in the Niger Republic. Everyone is aware that his father was from Niger, and that he travelled to Daura, which is only about 9 kilometres south of the Nigeria-Niger Republic border, to sell duck.
Therefore, whatever the inhabitants of northern Nigeria’s political establishment decide is in the national interest effectively becomes that interest. This is similar to W.I. Thomas’ and his wife Dorothy’s aphorism, which goes, “If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.”
It might take a long time and a lot of effort to end the political space-contesting between northern Nigeria’s Islamic Middle-Eastern orientation and southern Nigeria’s Judeo-Christian traditions.
The architect of this confusion and unnecessary suffering that Nigerians on the two cultural and political divides are going through is the first Governor-General, Lord Frederick Lugard, who allowed the two political cultures to grow side by side in Nigeria.
You could almost say that Lord Lugard sowed and cultivated this dividing seed of strife on purpose to ensure that Nigeria will never advance and experience peace. As a result, Nigeria’s politics took on a persistently precarious trajectory that oscillated between taking one step forward and two steps back.
The President may need to actively cultivate those who might not fully understand that when everyone works together, everyone wins if he wants his campaign platform to avoid becoming nothing more than empty promises lost in the mists of time. Although it may sound gloomy, the restructuring of Nigeria is probably not quite at creation day.
Abdulkarim Chukkol, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, called on law enforcement agencies in West Africa to work closely together and in partnership.
Chukkol made the announcement while opening a peer exchange programme for Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office that the EFCC had organised at the Rockview Hotel in Abuja.
The fight against economic and financial crime in the area, he said, will benefit greatly from such an alliance.
“This study tour holds immense importance,” the speaker declared, “as it provides the rare opportunity to engage in peer learning through the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practises in the field of law enforcement and anti-corruption initiatives.
I think that if we work together, we can strengthen the fight against financial and economic crime and advance the rule of law in our individual nations, Chukkol said.
The head of the EFCC claimed that the study trip would produce insightful data that could be used to improve methods and boost the capacities of the various agencies.
“We aim to foster long-term collaborations and establish lasting connections that extend beyond the scope of this visit,” he declared. There is no doubt that this study will be advantageous to both our agencies and our countries as a whole. As West African neighbours, we can strengthen the foundation of our law enforcement systems and create a better future for our societies by learning from each other’s successes and challenges.
Chukkol added that the peer exchange programme represents a commitment to a world free of financial and economic crimes. Let’s all take advantage of this study tour to create new relationships, share knowledge, and set out on a path towards development and growth for everyone involved, he concluded.
The EOCO Executive Director, Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, emphasised the value of collaboration and cooperation among countries and institutions in her speech as a means of overcoming the problems facing the West African sub-region.
From the standpoint of law enforcement, she pointed out that this type of cooperative arrangement offers a platform for learning and sharing pertinent experiences and expertise.
She also urged agencies to work together to combat the threat of cybercrime, which, in her opinion, has become a serious concern in Africa.
Regarding the exchange program’s theme, Addo-Danquah stated, “I wish to state that I will be particularly interested to know how our two institutions can collaborate to curb the emergence of cybercrime, which in recent years has become a looming threat in our sub-region.
Chinedu Eze, a 43-year-old pastor with Mountain of Fire and Miracles (Worldwide), has described how he was imprisoned for 14 years as a result of his alleged refusal to cooperate with police on a matter he insisted he knew nothing about.
However, he claimed that thanks to the work of Christ Embassy Church, out of the 996 prisoners, he was able to enrol for the Senior School Certificate Exam while incarcerated and eventually earn a Bachelor’s degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution from the National Open University of Nigeria.
Eze claimed that while incarcerated, he wrote seven books and about 157 songs while in detention.
Eze, a native of Enugu State, claimed he was released on May 2, 2019.
He continued by saying that he was detained and taken to the Kuje Correctional Services by some police officers who had approached him sometime in 2005 about testifying as a prosecution witness in an unrelated case.
He addressed the media at the non-governmental organisation Silver Lining for The Needy Initiative’s 14th anniversary gala. The organisation works with vulnerable populations in Nigeria.
Hauwa Abass, the organization’s founder, promised to keep fighting for justice in Nigeria and helping the less fortunate.
Eze claimed that he was asked to testify against a police officer who was having problems with his superiors. He expressed gratitude to the SNLI for assisting him in obtaining his freedom, claiming that he had already given up before the group intervened.
He claimed, “I was put in prison as a result of a situation involving a police officer who had problems with his superiors and they wanted to punish him. I was approached by some police officers who wanted to use me as evidence against him in court. But I informed them that I was unable to testify against him because I lacked any background information on the case.
“Emmanuel Abazie, one of the policemen, warned me that if I didn’t cooperate, I would regret it. I initially thought it was just a threat. I never anticipated that it would send me to jail. They had hidden my file when I got to the prison. I stayed there for four years with no court cases or paperwork. I had to endure a 14-year torturous ordeal while I was awaiting trial.
While he was imprisoned, Eze claimed he continued his education despite his situation.
He claimed that after taking the SSCE administered by the West African Examinations Council, he graduated from NOUN with a Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Resolution.
“I received seven credits without English,” Eze claimed. I retook the exam the following year, and this time I received nine distinctions, including in English and Mathematics.
“Because there was no university when I took the WAEC, I had no intention of continuing my education there. However, I saw it as a divine arrangement when, two years after I took the WAEC, representatives from the National Open University and Christ Embassy visited the prison and announced that they were looking for people who met the requirements and had what it took to enrol in the university. There were 31 people total, including me. In the Kuje prison, there were roughly 996 of us.
I was one of the 31 people who qualified for a scholarship, so that’s how I got accepted to study peace and conflict resolution.
He emphasised the need for Nigerians to shed the idea that everyone serving time in prison committed a crime, but he also noted that many of those serving time had no business being there in the first place.
According to Eze, “My incident occurred between 2005 and 2019.” In 2017, the SLNI arrived, and by that point, I had given up. I spoke with the founder, Hauwa Abass, when they arrived. She then had a conversation with a member of her legal team, a Barrister Muhammad, who went to the court and found my file—that is how my file was found—and she also spoke with another member of the team. Later, Muhammad visited the prison and informed me that my case was at this point. From there, we continued. I was released on May 2, 2019, after roughly two years of my interaction with them.
There are approximately 70 inmates who have been found guilty when you visit the prison, but there are also 900 people who are still awaiting trial. When the Chief Judge paid a visit to the prison recently, a police officer who had been charged (while I was there) was freed. Due to his disagreements with his superiors, that police officer was merely set up, and he was held in custody for about 18 years while he was tried.
Eze claimed that he started writing and creating music while in detention and added that he had created about seven books.
“I believe I will meet people who will help me publish one of the books, which is titled “14 Years in Prison” and is about my experience. Additionally, my debut album was released in December of last year. I had about 157 songs that I had written while in jail, but now I have 160.
The governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has urged investors to put money into alternative energy sources, such as natural gas, as a result of the removal of subsidies, which has increased the cost of transportation.
The governor noted that the State has the largest on-shore petrol deposit in the nation when he made the call on Tuesday in Benin.
Data from NIPCO Gas, a joint venture between NIPCO and Nigeria Gas Company Limited (NGC), show that after the initiative was launched in 2007 and put into operation in 2009, more than 5,600 vehicles in Benin City run on compressed natural gas.
We are fortunate to have plenty of petrol in Edo, he said. Really, there is no justification for the use of petrol in our vehicles and tricycles. In comparison to other States, Edo has the most petrol stations. We ought to use more petrol.
“Price levels would inevitably rise. The economy needs to be opened up so that there is more work for everyone. In Edo State, we require more manufacturing businesses.
The gas initiative was started as a result of NIPCO Plc’s 2007 presentation to an inter-ministerial team of the Federal Government about rolling out a pilot programme.
“NIPCO Gas has set up 15 CNG filling stations in Benin as a substitute for gasoline-powered cars. 15 additional stations are currently being built in and around Benin City. For drivers in and around Benin City, more than 5,600 vehicles have been converted to run on compressed natural gas, according to the company’s website.
By Dr. Peter Afunanya, fsi
Public Relations Officer
Department of State Services
Recently, about five major newspapers called out the DSS for bashing of sorts. The papers, which used their platforms to express varied views about the modus operandi of the Service include Vanguard, Daily Trust, The Sun, Tribune and Punch. While Vanguard’s piece on 2nd June 2023 was Dousing the DSS/EFCC Feud, Daily Trust, on 6th June 2023, published an editorial titled The DSS Must Conduct Its Duties as a Secret Service. The Sun, on 7th June, published The Needless DSS/EFCC Fracas while Tribune on 8th June 2023 wrote on The EFCC/DSS Confrontation. Similarly, on 14th June 2023, Punch featured DSS, Others Need Radical Reforms. It did not seem that the editorials which sought the reforms of the DSS or to criticise it for its public statements or actions on various subject matters of national security concern were, by any means, an accident a coincidence. It looked every inch planted or organised. It is a hatchet job or so it seemed. The judgement that the Service is excessively public or ubiquitous missed the point. The papers manifested predictable bias and patterns.
Relatedly, some respected legal personalities namely, Olisa Agbakoba SAN, Mike Ozekhome SAN and Femi Falana SAN opined that the Service operates outside its mandate especially with regards to the investigation of Godwin Emefiele. The fact that this matter has become sub-judice constrains the Service from making further statements about it. The celebration of the news of a court order to allow his Lawyers and family access to him is quite unnecessary. He was never denied access. Ever since he was taken into custody, his family has continually accessed him. Same with medical officials. The impression that the Service is going to act on the prompting of the Court is not correct. This is by the way.
Back to the subject under discourse. While it may be fair to admit that the news media and aforementioned personalities are entitled to their opinions, measured ignorance predominantly played out in their arguments. First, they failed to recognise that security threats are evolving and so do the approaches to managing them. Instructively, the security landscape in Nigeria, like many other countries, has become increasingly complex and dynamic. The periodic issuance of press statements to educate or carry citizens and residents along has undoubtedly become part of strategies to manage national security challenges. Extensive research would have revealed to the critics that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other world intelligence Services deploy similar tactics including occasional statements and advisories. The CIA includes demographic information on its website to provide the public with valuable insights and data about various populations so to enhance understanding of different regions and communities. Does it mean CIA is operating outside its mandate? Or will that be accepted because it’s CIA, a foreign body?
The need for the agencies to be responsive, transparent and apprise taxpayers has become the global norm in national security and intelligence management. It is called security/intelligence accountability. The tenets of security and intelligence governance expect that agencies remain transparent, accountable and compliant to democracy. World over, Intelligence Services operate in ways and means not too discernable to the uninitiate. But the institutionalisation of democracy as preferred political culture has nonetheless forced such agencies to communicate often with the Public. You can see why the public statements can never be out of place. Without public consciousness and support, countering threats may remain a herculean task for security agencies. Democratic subordination and legislative oversight are basic principles which make it an obligation for these agencies to operate openly even when some of their activities are secret. Ask the USA, UK, France, Canada and other advanced democracies. This level of openness does not vitiate the expected secrecy or in any way compromise their operations.
Regarding the matter concerning the DSS and EFCC, both agencies have refuted claims of a rivalry. It is important to note that comparing the 30th May, 2023 incident at 15 Awolowo Road, Lagos to the barricade of National Assembly in 2018 is inaccurate and unjust due to the substantial differences in the nature and context of the two events. While it is essential to emphasize inter-agency relations and cooperation, it would be unfair to generalise and imply that the Service is in rivalry and power struggle with the Commission. Each agency operates within its distinct mandate and context.
Meanwhile, the editorials accurately alluded to the constitutionality of the DSS as an intelligence organisation in detecting, preventing and neutralising threats against Nigeria. They commended the Service for its commitment to the security of the country as well as the many feats it had accomplished in the course of discharging its duties. Thank you indeed. It has to be understood that the Service is not only an intelligence organisation. It is also a law enforcement agency. It is a security and policy advisory organ. Its establishment law expects it to prevent. To prevent unarguably means to enforce. Should the Service seek media endorsement or permission before deploying operatives and equipment to conduct its job? Should it rather play to the gallery? Characteristic of intelligence operating systems, DSS’ activities may never be completely explained or understood particularly to those who do not need to know.
Even though some of its high officials and operations are known and their veils of secrecy uncovered, there are thousand undercover personnel and actions that have no business going public. It is expected to remain so. With its broad mandate and legal authority to investigate crimes of national security significance, the DSS is well within its rights to initiate an inquiry into any relevant matter. The DSS is primarily charged to detect and prevent crimes and threats against the internal security of Nigeria. More profoundly, it is to undertake such other responsibility as maybe assigned to it by the President and Commander-in-Chief. Appreciating this role of the DSS is instructive for some sections of the media, lawyers and other interested parties. The Service operates on the basis of rule of law. Its operations are rule governed. As required, it obtains arrest and detention warrants when and if needed. For the fact that such instruments are not advertised does not suggest otherwise. Critics should get conversant with the law and rules of engagement and desist from misinforming, misleading or inciting the public. Those seeking to weaken the Service through premeditated reforms may be on a wild goose chase. Consistent attack on it based on ignorance, unrealised interests and emotional assessments and judgements does the country no good. The DSS has stood so firmly for Nigeria. It will continue to.
Considering the warped mentality that has triggered these writeups, it will, no doubt, be unsurprising to witness an upsurge in malicious articles, criticisms and baseless attacks in the public space following the investigations of Messrs Godwin Emefiele and Abdulrasheed Bawa among other flimsy matters. Certain groups and people are bound to come up with frivolous allegations against the Service and its leadership. These entities may also exploit unpatriotic members of the Service to spread falsehoods, propaganda and hate in order to project the Organisation in a bad light. Given their reach and war chest to mobilise forces against Government and its key officials, the adversaries may intend to cause distractions to the on-going investigations as directed by the C-in-C. However, the Service will not depose its professionalism for cheap backlash nor discharge its duty with prejudice or fear.
For those who canvass the opinion that the DSS has no business in investigating the matters referred to it are obviously not taking seriously the omnibus powers of the President, as enshrined in the enabling Acts of the SSS and the NSA. As argued by a onetime Director of the DSS, Fubara Duke, “When a law confers on the President power to delegate ANY assignments he deems fit for a particular Agency to perform, I wonder how it falls outside the purview of (ANY) the stipulations of the President’s powers and by extension why the DSS is being faulted for carrying out the President’s directive”. Continuing, he added: “I have heard arguments of cases being thrown out by the courts over questionable prosecutorial powers of the DSS regarding some categories of cases including criminal cases. Without prejudice to the wisdom of the court on such judgements, they should not override the lawful investigative authority of the DSS. Should there be need for prosecution in due course, these determinations would be appropriately evaluated and where/if necessary, appropriate prosecutorial agencies which may include the Attorney General’s Office or other sister agencies may be deployed to prosecute. It is not the first time this has happened”.
Let it be clear, however, that the DSS will remain unshaken and professional in carrying out its duties. It recommits to diligently operate, as always, within the confines of the law and to uphold the fundamental rights of all Nigerians. The media must, as the fifth estate of the realm, remain balanced, accurate, impartial and accountable. To sustain a deliberate misguidance of the public with any form of misconceptions is detrimental to nationhood. Therefore, to deepen the expected contributions, seeking veracity is not only ethical but obligatory. That should not be asking for too much.
The 23 Local Government Areas in Kaduna State will continue to receive financial autonomy from the state government for development purposes, according to Governor Uba Sani.
This was said by the governor on Monday during a courtesy visit with the 23 council chairmen at Kaduna’s Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House.
In dealing with the populace, Sani urged the council chairmen to avoid using political, religious, or tribal prejudice.
In his appeal for assistance from local governments in establishing lasting peace, he noted that local government was still the most significant level of government because “it is the closest to the people.”
According to him, doing this would help the populace overcome the difficulties presented by the crises and the impending insecurity in the country.
This came right after the governor announced that his administration would collaborate with local governments on infrastructure development projects, but added that “we need to know what project will benefit our people most.”
“Our administration will maintain the financial autonomy that local governments in Kaduna State have enjoyed for the past eight years,” the governor declared.
“Local government chairmen ought to concentrate on development initiatives; the days of purchasing goods and distributing them to the populace are gone.
“Politics are no longer necessary; there should be no party, religious, or ethnic prejudice in the projects. Our administration’s main priorities are safety and security. In order to earn the public’s trust, we will collaborate closely with the local government administration.
The effective use of intelligence gathering. Our administration will give the development of rural areas priority by providing infrastructure to all local governments, particularly the rural local governments.
“In carrying out the rural development program, we shall adopt an inclusive approach wherein local government chairmen will be carried along as key stakeholders. There will be participation from traditional leaders, faith-based groups, and women’s organizations.
Earlier in his speech, the Kaduna State chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Hon. Abubakar Buba, stated that he and his colleagues were visiting in support of the governor.
In order to improve public relations with the government, Buba, who also serves as the chairman of the Lere Local Government, made a request on behalf of his colleagues.
He said, “We would appreciate it if we had a quality meeting so that we could be on the same page and for you to be aware of what is going on at the local government level.
Rochas Okorocha, a former governor of Imo State, stated on Monday that he would be happy to meet with Hope Uzodinma, the current governor, to talk about the state’s security issues.
Three days after his convoy was attacked in the state and a police officer was killed, Okorocha told journalists in a press conference at his Spilbat mansion in Owerri, the state capital, that security had gotten worse in Imo state.
For the first time, Okorocha declared that he would write the governor a letter asking him to call a meeting of all previous state governors in order to help address the issue of insecurity.
The former governor stated that it is the only matter on which he would consent to a meeting with the governor.
He added that he feels concerned for the state’s citizens’ safety and said that he has no business with the governor other than ensuring their safety and welfare.
Managing the state’s good, bad, and ugly natives and residents during his eight years as governor, Okorocha claimed that political power is useless if the populace does not reap the benefits of democracy.
Former governors, according to him, might have information to impart to Uzodinma that could help put an end to the killings and arson occurring in the state.
“I feel disturbed by the killing of the police officer who was sent by the government of Enugu state to take me to the burial ceremony of Ihedioha’s mother,” said Okorocha. To his family, the Enugu State government, and the Inspector General of Police, please accept my condolences.
I’ll go see his family first, and then we’ll continue from there. He left behind a wife and four young children, and I discovered he is from Ogun State. I’m going to address a letter to Governor Hope Uzodinma for the first time. I will ask him to call an assembly of all former Imo state governors. We might give him information that would put an end to the state’s insecurity.
I can only consent to our meeting on the basis of this. I’m worried about the safety and well-being of Imo state. Party politics are unrelated to this. As a former governor of this state, I have something to impart to him. Former governors Ikedi Ohakim and Achike Udenwa have information to share with him. We should proceed in this manner. Power is the authority that has been placed in your hands to ensure the security, welfare, and welfare of the populace. How content the populace is determines the success of every government.