News
Sambo Summons Security Chiefs Over Bombings
Vice-President Namadi Sambo, summoned Security Chiefs and the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammed, to his office in Abuja yesterday to assess the security situation in the country.
Our correspondent reports that the emergency meeting might not be unconnected with violent activities of the Boko Haram militant group in some parts of the country.
The group claimed responsibility for Sunday’s explosions in Kaduna and Zaria.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, the National Security Adviser to the President, retired Lt.-Gen. Andrew Azazi, confirmed that the meeting was meant to find lasting solution to cases of insecurity in the country.
He condemned Sunday’s bombing of three churches in Kaduna and Zaria and the subsequent reprisal killings of innocent persons in Kaduna State.
He said that the situation in Kaduna had been brought under control following the intervention of security forces and religious leaders.
Azazi described the reprisal killings in Kaduna as criminal and appealed to religious leaders to call their adherents to order.
“Whatever is the situation, you have to end up talking.
“We want leaders to be proactive, we want church leaders to be proactive; we want youth leaders to be proactive to make sure that what you call reprisal doesn’t make sense to anybody.
“What we need to do is to be mindful that somebody is killing somebody in Zaria and you are retaliating somewhere in Zonkwa, that’s criminality.
“Things happen, as a nation, as a people, we must address the situation not necessarily by killing one another.’’
Azazi who commended the people of Kano State for their cooperation and assistance in the fight against terrorism in the state, called on media organisations to partner with security agencies in addressing security challenges in the country.
“In certain parts of the country today and I will give an example like Kano; they are more proactive. So, you find that you are able to arrest the situation before it gets to this level.
“But that notwithstanding, even a small country like Israel where you have terrorism in spite of all the walls, once in a while, they still succeed in detonating bombs.
“So, we will like to arrest the situation as soon as possible, but we need everybody’s help to discover where these are coming from.’’
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petirin; the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika; the Chief of Navy Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Ibrahim; the Chief of Air Staff, AVM Muhammed Umar and the Director-General of the State Security Service, Mr Ita Ekpeyong.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has condemned Sunday’s attacks on places of worship in Kaduna State in which more than 60 people were killed.
The EU made the condemnation in a statement issued by Mrs Catherine Ashton, the union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, yesterday.
“I am appalled by the terrible attacks perpetrated against Christian churches in Nigeria on 17 June, following several similar attacks in recent weeks.
“I also deeply regret that reprisal attacks appear to have been made against members of the Muslim community.
“I condemn all such violence that leads to the loss of innocent lives and express my sincere condolences to the victims and their families,” Aston said.
She said the EU, through its Human Rights dialogue with Nigeria, would explore ways to promote greater understanding among the various communities “through wider dialogue in order to prevent such atrocities happening again”
Ashton urged the government to bring perpetrators of terror to justice.
She said the EU would renew its cooperation with Nigeria to address the underlying social and economic problems in the northern part of the country and “work with the authorities to make the fight against terrorism more effective’’.
It would be recalled that suicide bombers had in a coordinated operation attacked the ECWA Goodnews Church, and Christ the King Catholic Church in Wusasa , Zaria.
The explosions sparked violence in Kaduna, leading to reprisal attacks.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.