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Human rights coalition expresses satisfaction in military’s control of Nigerian territories

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Human rights coalition expresses satisfaction in military’s control of Nigerian territories

…. to embark on tour of liberated communities

The Coalition for Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Group (CHRHRG) has expressed optimum satisfaction with the military’s sovereignty of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

The Coalition made this known at a press conference on Monday in Abuja ahead of a tour of liberated communities in the North-East.

In a statement signed by Executive Director, Gabriel Agibi, the group hailed the military for its doggedness and reliance in flushing out remnants of Boko Haram terrorists amidst conspiracy from different quarters.

In a bid to carefully examine the military’s groundbreaking feat, the CHRHRG is set to embark on a systematic assessment tour of North-East, particularly strategic locations in Northern Borno Senatorial District.

Among others, the Coalition has promised tointerface with community leaders, NGOs and other critical stakeholders in the region with a view to getting objective responses on the efforts of the Federal Government.

According to the Coalition, the tour would also afford them the opportunity to take a cursory look at the operational strategies of the military and how it has conducted its operations in the theatre of war to state.

In the end, the Coalition hopes to eliminate every measure of doubts and falsehood being levelled against the brave and gallant Nigerian troops.

Read full address below:

I welcome you all to this press conference that is put together by the Coalition of Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Group in Nigeria to intimate Nigerians on the resolve by the various groups under the Coalition to undertake a systematic assessment tour of North-East Nigeria, particularly strategic locations in Northern Borno Senatorial District, to assess the efforts of the Nigerian government in the fight against terrorism.

The Coalition of Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Group is a coalition of credible associations dedicated to the entrenchment of human rights practices in Nigeria. This much has been highlighted in previous years where an alliance of this nature was inaugurated to look into the operations of the Nigerian Military in southeast Nigeria to ascertain its level of human rights compliance.

In this regards, we wish to state that amongst a host of other tasks that have been carefully identified and outlined for the tour of North East Nigeria, the Coalition would interface with community leaders, NGOs and other critical stakeholders in the region with a view to getting objective responses on the efforts of the Nigerian Government with regards to the ongoing war against terrorism.

We wish to state that this line of action became necessary in the light of the various news making the rounds on the occupation of Nigerian territories by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in North-East Nigeria.

The Coalition of Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Groups would use the opportunity of the tour to carry out a systematic tour of affected communities, including those on the fringes of the Lake Chad basin region such as Baga, Gubio, Magumeri, Marte, Mobbar and Guzamala.

The Coalition of Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Groups would also deploy the services of local language interpreters in areas with identified communication barriers, in an attempt to gather as much information as possible that would aid in the subsequent publication of an Independent Terrorism Index that would give an objective assessment of the efforts of the Nigerian Government in the theatre of operations in North-East Nigeria.

The tour would also afford the Coalition the opportunity to take a cursory look at the operational strategies of the Nigerian Military and how it has conducted its operations in the theatre of war to state if indeed there has been any form of human rights violations and what measures were put in place to ensure human rights compliance in the prosecution of the war in North East Nigeria.

The Coalition would interface with community leaders in communities that have witnessed terrorist attacks over the years, as well as NGOs that have been in operations in such communities to understand the dynamics involved the war against terrorism in North-East Nigeria.

The Coalition of Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Group is undertaking this tour of North-East Nigeria, aside from other stated objectives, to put issues in proper perspectives as regards whether any part of Nigerian territory is under the control of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.

The Coalition of Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Groups in the course of the tour in areas earmarked in Northern Borno would rely on first-hand information by engaging the various stakeholders in these areas such as the traditional and religious rulers, local government officials, humanitarian workers, locals as well as other concerned parties that are privy to the issues bedevilling the region.

We consequently wish to state that the pieces of evidence gathered from the tour would be documented in the Independent Terrorism Index objectively and analytically for easy comprehension by the relevant stakeholders.

The Coalition of Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Group sees this task as necessary with a view to debunking insinuations that some parts of the Nigerian territory are under the control of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.

It must also be noted that this tour is at the instance of the leadership of the Coalition of Human Rights and Human Rights Monitoring Group and as such the outcome of it would be as objective as possible, that would indeed stand the test to time.

Centre showers encomium on NEMA DG, Maihaja over high transparency in procurement issues

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Centre showers encomium on NEMA DG, Maihaja over high transparency in procurement issues

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has hailed National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director General, Engineer Mustapha Maihaja, for ensuring transparency and accountability at the highest level.

The Centre gave this commendation at a press conference on Monday in Abuja on the “strengthening of procurement practice and processes in the interest of improving the wellbeing of Nigeria”.

In a statement signed by Executive Secretary, Isaac Ikpa, the CESJET described the NEMA DG as a man of integrity who is running “government agency to meet global benchmarks”.

The Centre revealed that it followed the activities of NEMA in the last five years and no trace of corruption or mismanagement of funds was levelled against the DG.

Among others, according to the group, NEMA’s procurement under the stewardship of Engineer Maihaja has been transparent and there’s been a strict compliance with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) too.

The Centre, therefore, commended the current leadership of NEMA for diligently doing their work and going the additional mile of showing the country how to entrench transparency.

Read full statement below:

Gentlemen of the press, the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) is invited you to this press briefing in order to draw attention to the things that some government agencies are getting right for the benefit of the government and people of Nigeria by those that can be appropriately termed as people desirous of seeing the emergence of a new Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In specific terms, our focus is on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), where the Director General, Engineer Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja has made members of the public to realize that there is hope for the country. In this sense, we are not talking in terms of hope by way of coming out of traumatic disasters or crises with the guarantee of receiving relief materials for rebuilding livelihood but we are referring to assurance that Nigeria still has men of integrity, who can run government agencies to meet global benchmarks.

CESJET is holding this accountability press briefing to intimate Nigerians with the outcome of its appraisal of the extent of transparency and best practices that have taken hold at NEMA under Engineer Mustapha Maihaja as Director General. Because we are resolved to have brevity in the course of this interaction we can simply executively summarize our finding by saying the NEMA DG has ensured transparency and accountability are at the highest level the agency under his supervision.

We have worked with several partner NGOs in tracking the procurement processes and safeguards that have been implemented in NEMA. The processes are benchmarked against extant procurement legislation of the country and the provisions set out by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). We have in addition taken steps to routinely and discreetly track the companies that participate in the bid processes, which in addition to our understanding that the nation’s anti-graft institutions routinely watch-list those that are directly and indirectly involved in procurement matters in government agencies and offices.

Let us point out that this tracking is something that CESJET and its partners have consistently and dedicatedly done now for the past five consecutive years. From our monitoring along the stated benchmarks, we confidently report that there has been no time that the anti-corruption agencies have been able to find anything untoward in NEMA’s procurement under the stewardship of Engineer Maihaja – any incident recorded by these agencies pre-dated his coming on board and represent the contrast between the accountability he has come to entrench versus the situation he inherited upon resumption of office.

Only contractors with all registration certificates and those that meet the standard benchmark are accredited and allowed to progress in qualifying to get contracts.

We have also found that NEMA’s procurement process deliberately weed out companies that have not shown track record of transparency in the conduct of its business. It is not surprising to see companies being dropped from executing projects for the agencies because it submitted misleading or unverifiable information. We have been made to realize that this is to ensure that frauds are prevented before they occur. We have confirmed that this is yielding positive results in blocking leakages.

Another thing of interest we found in NEMA is the strict compliance with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in compliance with the directive of the Federal Government. While NEMA is not a revenue generating agency, its use of TSA reveals a culture of making refunds for unexpended cash releases and full declaration of donor funds, donations and support. This is a practice that should find replication in other agencies.

Gentlemen of the press, permit us to point out that in the course of the five years we have been tracking NEMA, we have watched the inventory process evolved into something better than it was at inception. Ordinarily, inventory on the scale kept by NEMA should be a nightmarish assignment but Engineer Maihaja’s team has brought such finesse to the process that we now see efficiency on a scale that did not exist before. This has translated into a faster response time and less discomfort for those that are in need of emergency intervention.

NEMA has also implemented measures that ensure unscrupulous elements do not abuse materials meant for the needy. It has eliminated the practice where impostors collect materials meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The biometric registration of affected persons that made this possible can best be described as an externalization of the transparent practices that are now the hallmark of NEMA. It is another of Maihaja’s unfolding legacy that must be sustained.

In our view, what NEMA has achieved under Maihaja is to positively weaponize transparency as a tool for fighting corruption. We strongly recommend the approach to the Federal Government since it saves the country from the torturous process of chasing treasury looters or the ardours task of recovering funds when they have been stolen.

We therefore commend the current leadership of NEMA for diligently doing their work and going the additional mile of showing the country how to entrench transparency.

CESJET however charges the management of NEMA to address any identified drawbacks since these could be used as justifications by those that are interested in bringing back corruption. For instance, the painstaking inventory is being blamed by some critics as the reason for occasional delay in getting succour to affected persons when this is in reality not the case. They had used such lies to claim that food items expire in storage. It is therefore pertinent that the organization is able to further refine the process to complete eradicate the ability of detractors to make such spurious claims.

We further charge agency to take the necessary steps to institutionalize these remarkable changes so that NEMA remains a shinny example of what Nigeria should be.

Jaha and his false compass on Boko Haram

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Jaha and his false compass on Boko Haram

 

By Idoko Ainoko

Interesting times have refused to go in Nigeria so much that I wondered how and why some individuals that rose to prominence through the goodwill of the people have now constituted themselves as a nuisance to the same people that voted them into office. I must state that those that are elected as representatives of the people are most culpable in this regard.

The case of Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha, a member representing Chibok, Damboa and Gwoza federal constituency in the House of Representatives is indeed a pathetic one and a vivid example of how politicians play to the gallery and at the detriment of the people.

I say this after stumbling on a video during plenary where he stated that some wards in his federal constituency are still under the control of Boko Haram terrorists. I was a bit confused and wondered the areas he was indeed referring to given the fact that I am also conversant with the happenings in Chibok, Dambao and Gwoza federal constituency.

As the first line of action, I quickly made frantic calls to contacts in Borno state to verify the information that Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha has just availed the country. But surprisingly my contacts in those areas wondered what I was trying to confirm because there was no such scenario in place. I was not satisfied.

I also reached out to more and more people, and in one instance I had to mobilize a friend who was resident in Maiduguri to visit these areas to get the first-hand information for me, and guess what? He returned with the same response as those I earlier contacted and this time around told me not to dissipate energy on issues that concern Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha, as he is a known hypocrite and one of those that have benefitted from the system and also one of those that does not want an end to the insurgency so that he can continue to smile to the bank.

It was then that it dawned on me that I was indeed confronted with a mediocre individual that had thrived on exploiting the people for his selfish gains right from when he was a member of the State House of Assembly. To put in succinct terms, Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha is such a cantankerous individual that is far from intelligence and one that is given to political and emotional blackmail when he wants his bread to be buttered.

I recall in 2014 when he failed to clinch the APC ticket for the House of Representatives elections, he went to town badmouthing his political mentor, Senator Ali Ndume and threatening to work against the APC during the elections. An account stated that the disrespect so piqued senator Ali Ndume that he gave him some slaps for his despicable behaviour and utterances that did not contain an iota of truth. That is the Ahmadu Usman Jaha for you.

So in a way, I wasn’t surprised when he went to town spreading half-truths about the occupation of some wards in his constituency by Boko Haram terrorists. I only suspected he was up to something in his usual cantankerous manner of raising false alarms, especially when his interest is not met. I can bet that if we dig further, we would realize that there is more to why Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha indeed raised this false alarm.
As stated earlier, as one conversant with how politicians have been exploiting the insurgency situation in North-East Nigeria, I know for a fact that the likes of Ahmadu Usman Jaha would do anything and everything possible to throw clogs in the wheels of progress as far as the insurgency in Borno state is concerned. For them, the status quo must remain.

So in a way, some of us were not surprised when some months back, he gathered over 5,000 youths in Gwoza constituency and handed them shoe shining kits which came fully equipped with polish and brushes as a way of empowering the people.

Wait for this? The situation is so pathetic that in Government Secondary School Ngoshe, in Chibok constituency, students learn under terrible conditions. When it is raining, the classrooms are flooded. When the sun shines, students take cover. Yes, this is the situation of things in the constituency of the self-acclaimed and self-righteous member of the federal house of representatives.

The questions that require honest answers are: How many people in Jaha’s constituency have received scholarships in his name? How many schools in his constituency has Jaha renovated? How many books has Jaha bought for school kids? How many have learned trades like tailoring, mechanics, carpentry, or other better paying artisanal jobs? Your guess is as good as mine.

This is more worrisome when it is realized that the same Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha is a former commissioner of Higher Education in Borno State until his recent political sojourn in the Federal House of Representatives to represent a people that he is part and parcel of their present predicament.

I am afraid that the likes of Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha are nothing but misfits and merchants of fortunes. They can go any length to protect their evil interest. They don’t care whose ox is gored. They speak from both sides of the mouth. Also, they feast on the commonwealth of the people with recklessness.

I am not sure Hon Ahmadu Usman Jaha is such that should be taken seriously on the floor of the House of Representatives and by the generality of Nigerians given his antecedents. Mind you they have been in this business of spreading half-truths, and it has worked for them in Borno state. But whether it would work at the federal level remains to be seen given the level of political awareness and enlightenment at the centre.

This first shot by Hon Ahamdu Usman Jaha, in my opinion, is more like testing the waters to see if it would be business as usual. However, I dare say this is the wrong environment for him and his travellers. The politics of Borno should remain in Borno.

Ainoko is a public affairs commentator and wrote this piece from Kaduna.

Boko Haram: Buhari centre demands resignation of rep member, Jaha for false alarm

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Boko Haram: Buhari centre demands resignation of rep member, Jaha for false alarm

A federal lawmaker, Ahmadu Jaha (of the All Progressives Congress representing Damboa-Gwoza-Chibok), has come under fire over his recent comment on activities of Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.

The lawmaker had during a
plenary session of the house of representatives last Tuesday claimed the insurgents were occupying eight out of
10 local government areas in the northern part of Borno State.

Reacting to Jaha’s claim, the Buhari Legacy Centre wondered why a lawmaker could throw away decorum by raising false alarm on the alleged occupation of the insurgents in some parts of Borno State which is unture.

It said the lawmaker was hiding under parliamentary immunity to test how the country will react to the knowledge that terrorists are now openly represented in the National Assembly.

The group, therefore, demanded for the immediate resignation of Jaha for openly identifying with the dreaded sect group.

BLC made these comments at a press conference addressed by its Director of Communications, Godwin Apeh, on Monday.

His speech read below.

We had always known that persons in positions of influence and authority are closet Boko Haram members. It is also common knowledge that such persons are in the habit of sabotaging government forces in support of terrorists and that they always ramp up such activities whenever the Nigerian Military is gaining upper hand over the insurgents.

However, Nigerians did not bargain for the travesty that involves a supposedly elected federal lawmaker defecting to become the de facto representative for Boko Haram in the federal parliament of all places. It was equally not conceived that he will attempt to jeopardize the good work that the military is doing by deploying industrial scale lies and manipulating scanty facts to spin a web of deception.

To paraphrase Jaha’s delusion as delivered in his poorly constructed English, “Substantial geographical area occupying Borno state and other insurgency affected areas is still under the occupation of Boko Haram whether we like it or not. In a local government that has 13 electoral wards like mine, Gworza, only three wards are not under the occupation of Boko Haram.

“Out of the ten local governments in northern Borno it is only two local governments and that is still their headquarters that is not under the occupation of Boko Haram…the truth of the matter is that the soldier there is being paid N500 per day that is totalling N15000 in a month…We are funding them we have to know exactly what they do with the fund.”

It is most unfortunate that this Boko Haram lawmaker decided to resort to tales by moonlight to launch himself as a pro-insurgent representatives. By lying that the terrorists control even a square inch of Borno state, or any other part of Nigeria, what the lawmaker is attempting to achieve is to dubiously legalize some portion of Nigeria to terrorists. The strategy is to trick the House of Representatives into documenting this aberration in its votes of proceedings, which will subsequently make it into government gazette that he and his terrorists will then use to seek and demand for government recognition of their holding onto territory that they would ask to be allowed to keep.

False Boko Haram narratives are aimed at bringing about fraudulent gains for some north east politicians that are in line to benefit from from continuous crisis in their homeland. Jaha, from the information at our disposal, is a pilot scheme for testing the waters ahead of when other pro-Boko Haram representatives and Senators will declare support for the terrorists. There is even a plot to use the state parliament to declare Borno state independence as a caliphate, a plot that has been continually stalled by the strings of successful operations against the terrorists by the military.

Even though much has not been done to expose in details the financing of Boko Haram, we have cause to suspect that the likes of Jaha and his collaborators that are still in the closet are using their salaries, allowances and constituency project allocations to finance Boko Haram.

In addition to abdicating their roles and responsibilities, they further engage in siphoning public funds in the name of non-existing constituency projects, some of which they use for arming youths in the name of Boko Haram. These are some of the ploys they adopt to prevent checks and balances that would have kept them under control from going haywire and destroy the country.

We have grave concerns that these Boko Haram lawmakers have unfettered access to military and intelligence briefings that they become privy to because of their privileged positions.

From the committees that receive briefings on the war on terrorism to the committees that review military related budgets, these compromised lawmakers are well positioned to glean information that they passed to Boko Haram to have kept the insurgents being able to adapt to match the changes in strategy by the military. For instance, by demanding details of how military money is being spent, Jaha is able to pass information to Boko Haram about how to counter military operations launched against them.

In view of the forgoing, it has become pertinent that immediate steps are taken to address the political arm of Boko Haram. These steps should be targeted at: one, identifying other pro-Boko Haram lawmakers in the National Assembly and prevent them from legalizing Boko Haram in national documents and to also prevent them from allocating any portion of Nigeria to terrorists. Two, the finances of politicians in the northeast should be kept under watch for potential terrorism financing so that the terrorist group can be starved of funds.

Three, is to track the relationship between politicians like Jaha and those in his circuit in order to unveil the identities of those that are behind the persistence of terrorism in the region.
Additionally, we call on the ICPC to investigate constituency projects executed by these lawmakers from the north east in the last eight years. The objective of this is to verify that the money meant for such projects were not channelled into buying weapons for terrorists, arranging logistics for them and providing training for the insurgents.

Because the web of complicity is extensive in the region, the searchlight must also beam on the third tier of government, whose allocations have not been used for anything meaningful and could have been diverted from source to support terrorists. We therefore demand accountability from local government council chairmen in Borno state, particularly the ones listed by Jaha – there has been suggestions that some Boko Haram attacks are flag operations that are carried out to help these chairmen conceal their failure to execute projects. They always lie that the projects they executed were destroyed by terrorists when in reality they had not done anything on ground before such sponsored attacks.

It is sad that the lives of Nigerians are being lost to these questionable politicians as they struggle cover their tracks by inviting Boko Haram to stage attack to cover their tracks for executing sham or non-existent projects. This is a situation that must not be allowed to continue in the interest of humanity.
Above all, Nigerians must unite and rise against Boko Haram having representation in parliament as being done by Ahmadu Jaha. It is a dangerous development that could one day lead to the terrorists gaining enough members to block key legislation or to even tamper with the nation’s anti-terror legislation as they are currently crafted.

The intelligence agencies are strategic in preventing this from befalling the country by helping to identify Jaha’s accomplices before they strike deep in the heart of the country’s political structure.

Pending when they will be fished out and made to answer for their crimes, we urge those that are exploiting legitimate offices to undermine the country to resign these posts and be brave enough to openly join the ranks of Boko Haram so that the laws of the land can take their course against them. We expect Jaha to be brave enough to identify with the side he has chosen in this regard. He must stop pretending to be a member of the House of Representatives and openly identify with the Boko Haram to which he belongs.

NGOs now need EFCC clearance to carry cash in the Northeast – Magu

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NGOs now need EFCC clearance to carry cash in the Northeast – Magu

The acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has called on the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Olusegun Adeniyi, to ensure that humanitarian organisations moving cash in the North-East secure clearance from the commission in order to check terrorists financing.

Magu disclosed that the EFCC had been keeping an eye on the activities of persons and groups serving as humanitarian or aid workers within the region.

The commission chairman, who was represented by the head of EFCC Maiduguri zonal office, Lawrence Iwodi, during a courtesy visit on the Commander at Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri, on Friday, commended the efforts of the command in the fight against insurgency.

“We have successfully compiled the list of all the non-governmental organisations operating in Borno and Yobe states; Also, their financial activities are monitored by the EFCC, especially on the movement of cash,” a statement on Saturday by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, stated.

The EFCC boss said the agency had been monitoring undeclared cash above N1m by individuals and organisations in Borno and Yobe states, adding that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria had also ensured that such cash movements were reported.

Magu urged the Nigerian Army ensure that any humanitarian aid organisations moving or distributing cash to beneficiaries obtained clearance from the EFCC, before doing so.

“We made it mandatory for any person or group moving cash especially in areas seriously affected by the insurgency to notify the EFCC,” the statement added.

Adeniyi said the zone under his watch would not allow humanitarian aid workers to move undeclared funds in and out of the North-East.

Saudi Arabia throws open it’s doors to tourists, relaxes dress codes

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Saudi Arabia throws open it’s doors to tourists, relaxes dress codes

Image result for arab women tourists

Saudi Arabia has thrown open its doors to foreign tourists, announcing that it would launch a new visa programme for 49 countries in a bid to draw foreign companies to invest in the country’s tourism sector.

The conservative Muslim kingdom is also relaxing strict dress codes for female visitors that previously required them to wear all-covering black robes, or abayas.

Tourism chief Ahmed al-Khateeb told Reuters in an interview in the run-up to the official announcement that abayas will not be mandatory for women tourists but modest dress is, including at public beaches.

The country announced the new visa programme and appealed to foreign companies to invest in a sector it hopes will contribute 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.

Visas will be available online for about $80, with no restrictions for unaccompanied women as in the past. Access to the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina is restricted.

More details, including which countries are eligible, were expected later on Friday. Khateeb said China, Japan, Europe and the United States were among the top outbound targets.

Until now, foreigners travelling to Saudi Arabia have been largely restricted to resident workers and their dependents, business travellers, and Muslim pilgrims who are given special visas to visit Mecca and Medina.

The country has in recent years relaxed strict social codes, such as segregating men and women in public places and dress requirements for women.

But as it liberalises rules on tourism, Khateeb indicated that alcohol remains banned: “We will have enough tourists to come to Saudi Arabia to enjoy other things.”

Somali hospital short of medicine after flights blocked

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Somali hospital short of medicine after flights blocked

The suspension of all flights between Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, and the southern city of Kismayo, has led to medical shortages that could put lives in danger, the Kismayo hospital director said.

Flights have been blocked by the federal government since Monday because of tensions with the regional administration in Kismayo.

The general hospital in the city is facing a lack of medicine and cannot refer any patients to Mogadishu or other cities in East Africa, director Hussein Sheik Osman said.

“Medication and other hospital facilities have finished or are scarce,” he said.

“This might cause a death because of a lack of medicine.”

Dr Hussein also said it was a problem that the hospital could not evacuate some patients.

“There are people who we can’t help and there is no opportunity that we could send them to another hospital.

“The only route that was open was flying and that is not available now.”

Road travel to Kismayo from the capital has been blocked by the Islamist militant group al-Shabab since 2012.

The current tensions between the federal government and the government of the Jubbaland region came after Ahmed Mohamed Madobe, a former militant, won a disputed local election in August, which the federal government cancelled.

Your reforms in Army yielding good results, NGO tells Buratai

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Your reforms in Army yielding good results, NGO tells Buratai

…Confers on him Grand Achiever Award (GAA)

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Organisation of Environmental Agric and Health Development (OEAHD), has asserted that the reform agenda championed for the Nigerian Army, by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, is already paying off.

The Founder and President, of the organisation, Mrs. Tabitha Isechap Nzuta gave the commendation when her organisation visited the Army chief at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

“Sir, your reforms in the Nigerian Army, sophisticated strategy, motivation to our troops, rapid deployment of equipment and the vigour with which you are pursuing the task of fighting insurgency and several other crimes across the country, is yielding positive results,” she said.

She noted that prior to Lt. Gen. Buratai’s assumption of office as COAS, issues of insecurity, banditry and terrorism were quite widespread and alarming, particularly in northern Nigeria and in a few other locations in the country.

But according to her, Buratai’s assumption of office has since changed the narrative, as large swaths of areas that were once taken over by these bandits and insurgents have been recaptured.

The NGO, also presented the “Grand Achiever Award” (GAA) to Buratai at the occasion.

The OEAHD founder, disclosed that the GAA presentation to the Army Chief is one sincere gesture aimed at encouraging the COAS, and his soldiers for putting their lives at risk, in other for Nigeria to be safe and secure.

“In truth, there is no nation today in the world that is 100 percent free of conflicts, insecurity, cross – border banditry, and terrorism.

“But how the military and security institutions tackle these menace is what matters. In these area, we can confidently say you have done very well, and you are doing great,” Mrs. Nzuta told Buratai.

She appealed to the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives to support and increase funding to the Army in order to procure more high – tech security equipment, and also improving the welfare of soldiers.

Lt. Gen. Buratai applauded the NGO’s founder and officials for the courtesy call, assuring them that he remains committed to building a professionally-responsive Nigerian Army, in the discharge of its duties and core responsibilities.

The Chief of Army Staff was represented at the occasion by the Chief of Policy and Plans of the NA Lt Gen Lamidi Adeosun who appreciated OEAHD for championing the issues of maternal and child healthcare, youth and women empowerment, Girl – Child education, and the fight against drugs and substance abuse in Nigeria.

Army lauded for research based technological advancement

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Army lauded for research based technological advancement

Army showcases combat and support equipment at Abuja Trade Fair

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu has praised the Nigerian Army for demonstrating excellence in research and innovations.

Dr Onu was speaking on Wednesday while inspecting some combat and support equipment showcased by the Nigerian Army at the ongoing Abuja International Trade Fair.

Dr Onu said; ”I am overwhelmed by what I have seen today because it gives me so much hope for our dear nation.

”For too long we have depended on other countries to meet our basic needs but with all these, we can no longer do so.”

He emphasized that one area that self reliance is critical is in national security which the Nigerian Army has consistently demonstrated.

In his remarks, Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen TY Buratai restated the commitment of the Nigerian Army in the pursuit of research based technological advancement in its mandate of defending the territorial integrity of the nation.

He praised the team of engineers who manufactured the products for their resilience and innovations without any foreign help.

”This I say lays a solid foundation for future consolidated on local production of military hardware. Similarly it will reduce our dependence on importation of defence logistics.

”The sustenance of local capacity for the production of both lethal and non-lethal military hardware rest solidly on quality manpower.” He added.

Items displayed at the fair include; light artillery urban patrol vehicles, borehole drilling, machines, Mines Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, agricultural implements as well as uniforms and boots all locally produced by the Command Engineering Depot.

The event was attended by Principal Staff Officers, senior military and paramilitary officers as well as the business community and members of the National Assembly.

Insecurity: Army to commence ‘Python Dance IV’, other operations nationwide

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Insecurity: Army to commence ‘Python Dance IV’, other operations nationwide

Owing to the alarming spate of insecurity and other criminal activities across the country, the Nigerian Army said it is set to commence multiple operations with a view to bringing the situation to normal across the country.

In a statement made available by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations Col Sagir Musa said the exercises which will take place simultaneously across all the geopolitical zones include; Exercise ‘Ayem Akpatuma ii’, ‘Egwu Eke iv’ and ‘Crocodile Smile iv’.

Below is the full text of the statement.

NIGERIAN ARMY TO COMMENCE EXERCISES AYEM AKPATUMA 11, EGWU EKE IV & CROCODILE SMILE IV

In her spirited efforts to combat insecurity across the nation, the Nigerian Army (NA) is set to commence simultaneous routine training exercises in the various Geo-political zones of Nigeria.

The exercises are Exercise AYEM AKPATUMA II in the North Central and parts of North Western States of Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi and Taraba as well as Kaduna and Niger States in 1 and 3 Divisions Area of Responsibilities (AOR) including Headquarters Command Army Records, Guards Brigade and 707 Special Forces Brigade, Exercise EGWU EKE IV which will be carried out in the South Eastern part of Nigeria comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States in 82 Division AOR, while Exercise CROCODILE SMILE IV will as usual take place in the South South and parts of South Western States of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Ogun and Rivers States in 2, 6, 81 and 82 Divisions’ AOR.

Similarly, Operation POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION will also be extended across the nation to checkmate bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, ethnic militia, cattle rustlers as well as other sundry crimes across the various regions of Nigeria.

In the same vein, as part of Programmes inbued into the exercises, – the Nigerian Army Women Corps, will stage a robust show of force/confidence building patrols in some selected locations in Nigeria.

Accordingly, in order to consolidate on the existing cordial Civil-Military Relations, an elaborate Civil Military Cooperation Line of activities in the areas of community outreaches such as free medical outreach, educational outreach, rehabilitation of identified dilapidated roads, hospitals, schools and old peoples homes in various selected communities in Nigeria.

Additionally, the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association, will as usual, visit and donate to motherless babies homes and other identified disadvantaged groups in selected communities across the nation.

These exercises will start concurrently from the 7th of October to 24th of December 2019.

The NA, once again, use this opportunity to enjoin all Nigerians not to panic on seeing an increased presence of military personnel and other security agencies as well as movement of Military vehicles /hardwares. The NA wishes to reassure the nation of her commitment and determination to secure the country, protect lives and properties of all Nigerians (which in addition to training of her personnel) is one of the basis for the exercises.

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