Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
The Pen, a political pressure group comprising members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, has expressed concern over the growing mob on legislators by some people.
The spokesman of the group, Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri, said this during a news conference in Yola.
He said that the particular attacks on some National Assembly members in Katsina, Bauchi and Kebbi States by mob were unnecessary.
According to him, the best way to deal with elected officials is through the ballot box.
“We are condemning, in strong voice, reported cases of attacks on some legislators in many states of the federation and call on the electorate to handle their grievances with their legislators with civility.
Benue
The Police in Benue State have confirmed the lynching of three suspected armed robbers by a mob in Adikpo in Kawabde local government council of the state.
Spokesman of the command, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mr Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident in Makurdi.
Yamu told newsmen that the suspected robbers were lynched while carrying out a robbery operation at a petrol station in Adikpo.
He said that the manager of the station alerted the mob, while the robbers were still carrying out their operation in the early hours of Tuesday.
Borno
The Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled the state at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency have returned home.
The Spokesman of the agency, Malam Abdullahi Umar, said in a statement issued in Maiduguri ,on Wednesday, that the figure was part of the 78,000 IDPs that fled the state to Cameroon during the period.
Umar said that the returnees were part of the 43,000 of the IDPs that signified interest to return home.
He said the IDPs were being kept in a camp at Banki in Bama local government area of the state.
He said that a team of SEMA officials had already visited the camp to assess their condition.
FCT
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, last Tuesday, restated the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to the protection of human rights through strict adherence to professional policing.
Idris gave the assurance at the International Civil Society Seminar on Counter Insurgency organised by Global Amnesty Watch in partnership with an NGO, Conscience Nigeria (CN), in Abuja.
The theme of the seminar was “ Counter Insurgency: Human Rights and Good Governance in the Context of the Nigeria Situation”.
He said that protection of human rights was a core function of the Nigeria police, adding that the force had constantly formulated policies and disciplinary measures that would galvanise its relationship with the public.
Jigawa
The Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development, a Non Governmental Organisation, on Thursday, said it initiated training programmes to tackle maternal and infant mortality and malnutrition in rural communities.
The Programme Manager, Alhaji Aminu Inuwa, said this at a one-day training on safe motherhood organised by the foundation for community leaders in Malammadori local government area of Jigawa State.
Inuwa said that the training was to create awareness on the need for women to be encouraged to access antenatal and reproductive healthcare services in communities.
He added that the training was designed to expose the participants to the best medical practices to enhance healthcare delivery at the grassroots.
Kaduna
The Nigerian Army on Tuesday organised a town hall meeting with stakeholders in Southern Kaduna to explore ways of ending the recurring crisis in the area.
The meeting, held in Kafanchan, was to seek alternative measures to complement the military in bringing about permanent peace to the area.
In a message to the occasion, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai, assured that the ongoing special operation tagged ‘Harbin Kunama II,’ was to engage the people in securing the area.
He said that the residents must resolve to live in peace and harmony to stem unwarranted loss of lives and property going on in the area for years.
Kogi
Kogi State High Court Judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye has called on old students of secondary schools in the country to rise to the challenge of restoring the old glory of their alma maters.
He said such gesture could be in form of infrastructure, moral and educational development.
A Koton-Karfe Resident High Court Judge, Omolaye-Ajileye, made the call in Kabba at the re-union and award ceremony by the Old Students Association Steering Committee of the St. Barnabas Secondary School (SBSS), Kabba on Monday.
The jurist, who is also an alumnus of the school, said it was disheartening to see old students of institution who were in high and privileged positions while their alma maters faced moral and infrastructure decay.
He noted that the level of dilapidation of structures in many secondary schools, coupled with dwindling rectitude and general decay remained high.
Kwara
Prof Pius Abioje, of the Department of Religion, University of Ilorin, said false prophesy is against the tenets of Christianity.
Abioje said this in Ilorin on Friday while delivering the 167th Inaugural Lecture of the University entitled: “Christian Prophets and other Prophets in Nigeria’’.
The expert on Religious Studies frowned at the trend which was becoming something else in Nigeria.
According to him, the false prophets have become a nuisance in the society, as they claim to perform wonders which they use in confusing unsuspecting Nigerians.
Abioje, who lectures in the Faculty of Arts of Unilorin, urged Nigerians not to be gullible and susceptible to their divination and prophesies.
Lagos
Chairman, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), Israel Ajao, has said that the government-sponsored vigilante organisation was not in competition with the police in securing the state.
Ajao told journalists in Lagos State last Tuesday that the Neighborhood Watch, recently re-launched by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, was out to complement other security agencies.
Ajao, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), said that the new security outfit would collaborate with the police and other agencies in enhancing security in the state.
”Our main duty is to gather information and pass same to the police and other security agents that should work with such information.
“We are not to compete with the police, but to compliment them and other security agents.
”That is why all the security agencies are represented on the board of the corps,’’ said the LNSC chairman.
Niger
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Kabiru Rijau, said Nigerians must own up ongoing fight against corruption, to save the country from collapse.
Rijau said in an interview with journalists in Minna, last Tuesday, that those insinuating political sentiments to the war, were selfish and unpatriotic.
According to him, corruption is one of the factors responsible for the nation’s set back and must be fought to a standstill.
He commended the Federal Government for introducing the Whistle Blower policy, saying it would encourage more Nigerians to expose those who diverted funds meant for national development.
“Nigerians should wholeheartedly embrace the programmes in exposing public officers who derive pleasure in looting our treasury.
Osun
The Deputy Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Akintunde Adegboye has urged caretaker committee management nominees to see their appointment as a call to service the people, if cleared.
The members are being screened for appointment in the 30 local government and local council development areas in the state.
Adegboye gave the advice during the screening of the nominees at the plenary in Osogbo on Wednesday.
He also advised the nominees not see their appointment as an opportunity for self enrichment but as an opportunity to serve their communities.
Some senators have expressed concerns over plans by the regime of President. Muhammadu Buhari, to establish farm settlements in each of the 108 senatorial districts in Nigeria.
They noted that any arrangement to acquire land by the Federal Government at the moment without giving details of what it would be used for, might face stiff resistance from various communities.
The President had last month, directed the National Agricultural Land Development Authority to set up the integrated farm estates in 108 senatorial districts nationwide.
Already, the policy has been greeted with criticisms from the leadership of the various ethnic groups in the middle belt, and southern part of the country, describing it as an attempt in disguise, to create grazing areas for cattle.
The Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Matthew Urhoghide, said the Federal Government should give details of the project before approaching state governments for land allocation.
He said, “We are in the Senate to represent our people. I know what my people want
“What we quarrel against is open grazing; we are not against ranching. We are not saying that a Fulani man that has a herd of cattle cannot come to the South to do the business of ranching but he cannot come to carry out open grazing.
“Grazing has two effects. It leads to wanton destruction of farmland. You cannot use animal husbandry to destroy crop farming. There are also criminal cases associated with it including murder.
“If the Federal Government is coming to get land in my state for ranching, it is okay because we need beef, which would be richer, when it is from the ranching system.
“However, the government should make its intention very clear on the policy to avoid major clashes and crisis.”
Similarly, Senator Abba Moro, representing Benue South in the red chamber said government could make arrangements for herders to do the business of ranching but not at the expense of the farmers.
He advised the Federal Government to go to the drawing board and come up with a modern arrangement to make ranching the way to go.
He said, “When government policies are viewed with suspicion, when citizens lack trust in government policies, then something is wrong.
“Until we address the root causes of conflicts between herders and farmers, and genuinely come out with the right way to go through dialogue, any policy that is thrown at the citizens will be looked at with suspicion which would cause some level of tension.
The Senate Chief Whip, Sen. Orji Kalu, says Nigeria requires 95 per cent of national network coverage to enable electronic transmission of election results in the country.
Kalu said this in an interview with The Tide source yesterday in Abuja.
Recall that 52 senators on July 15 voted against electronic transmission of results in the forthcoming general election while 28 voted for and 28 absentees.
The senators insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission should be compelled to seek clearance from Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) while the National Assembly would have to approve the verdict of NCC.
Kalu, insisted the current network coverage was inadequate.
“I have never been against transmission of results , I only said we don’t have adequate coverage where we live,this is the issue.
“We have coverage, but it is not adequate.
‘Like Abia North Senatorial District where I come from, there is no adequate coverage, may be 43 per cent coverage, so how are we going to do that.
“ I believe in electronic transmission,but I want to quickly urge the NCC to deploy their technology to ensure wider coverage; I believe in that process because it is transparent.
“ I don’t want to listen to officials who want to buy equipment and make commissions, I am telling myself the truth, if we even have a coverage of 95 per cent it will be okay, but we have below 50 per cent in the entire country.
“I am not talking about my constituency.
“ It wasn’t a party decision to vote against e transmission and not a clique decision, it was out of my conscience.
“ I can only do what I will do that will benefit all Nigerians,” Kalu said.
The absence of four Governors of the South-East in the Southern Governors’ Forum meeting held last Thursday in Enugu has been strongly condemned by members of the Concerned Igbo Stake-holders Forum (CISF).
The leader of the group, Mr Chukwuma Okenwa told newsmen in Enugu that there was no justifiable reason that would be enough for these governors to be absent in a meeting of such magnitude.
According to him, it was wrong particularly coming at a time when the region is battling socio-economic and security concerns stemming from the sit-at-home order issued by the proscribed separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
His words: “The absence of the Governors of Abia, Ebonyi, Imo and Anambra States leaves a lot to question the commitment of these governors to the growth and advancement of the South-East in missing a crucial meeting held within their geopolitical zone.
He further described as very disturbing the conspicuous absence of the Anambra Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, or a representative from the state at the meeting.
Okenwa said that the body language of the South-East governors in recent times leaves no one to doubt that these governors have magnified their interest above that of the region and Ndi-Igbo in general.
“Their gaze at the forthcoming elections in 2023 is becoming an unbearable distraction for them in delivering their mandate to the people,” he also lamented.
The group, therefore beckoned on Ndi-Igbo, regardless of political party affiliation, to unite and formidably negotiate a favourable space in the political scheme of things.
According to him, when this is done, we will ensure an unhindered growth and development of all Igbos, he added.
By: Canice Amadi, Enugu
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