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S’East Govs Meet, Write FG To Form Security Outfit …As Group Threatens To Secede From Nigeria Over Insecurity …Miyetti Allah Explains Fears Against Amotekun

Published

6 years ago

February 10, 2020

The South-East Governors’ Forum, yesterday, disclosed that it has written the Federal Government on its plan to establish a regional security network.
This was disclosed after the meeting of the forum at the Enugu State Government House, yesterday.
A communique issued after the meeting was read by Chairman of the forum and Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Dave Umahi.
The meeting was also attended by Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Nkem Okeke.
Imo State was not represented at the meeting, which also witnessed the presence of the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, National Assembly members and religious leaders.
The forum announced that the name of the network would be unveiled later, adding that it would have its headquarters in Enugu.
Umahi further disclosed that the operation was birthed before ‘Amotekun’ in the South-West, stressing that it would soon get legal backing of the Houses of Assembly in the zone.
Meanwhile, a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Yoruba Ko’ya Movement (YKM) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to rise above ethnic chauvinism and put a stop to consistent attacks on lives, peace, economy and unity of the nation by Miyetti Allah, the umbrella body of all cattle breeders and herdsmen in the country.
The YKM threatened that the refusal to checkmate the group would give Yoruba people no option than to exit Nigeria.
The group said it was alarming that Miyetti Allah leaders would consistently go on both local and international television stations, including newspapers to harass, threaten, intimidate and insult stakeholders in the Nigerian project such as state governors, elder statesmen and notable religious leaders.
The movement called on President Buhari to exhibit patriotism and courage and put an end to the malady.
In a statement signed by its Convener, Otunba ‘Deji Osibogun, Yoruba Ko’ya charged Buhari to order the immediate arrest and prosecution of all the leaders of Miyetti Allah that had claimed responsibility for series of attacks leading to death of over 3, 000 Nigerians in the last four years across the South and Middle Belt of Nigeria.
He said that the President should act well and be conscious of what history would remember him for after his tenure.
Osibogun stated: “While we do not want to dwell in the realm of rumours, however, we are forced to state very expressly that the threat to life and admission to mass murder by identifiable and known leaders of Miyetti Allah without any word of caution or arrest by law enforcement agencies in the country led credence to the fact that Miyetti Allah are carrying out the briefs of some invincible forces at the corridor of power in Abuja or elsewhere.
“A mere trade union from a tribe continues to heat-up the polity while others shiver and shake in their pants for fear of attack; yet no arrest by our security formations. These murderous elements are so courageous that they appeared live on national televisions to attack a whole region comprising of over 50 million people, yet the agencies with the mandate to protect the lives and property of the people are acting like everything is normal. We say without any fear or intimidation that this is an antithesis of a strong and united nation.
“We, Yoruba people, therefore, want to put the Buhari administration on notice that we are not scared of any of these mindless and senseless statements from the hoodlums that the Nigerian government is obviously aiding and abetting. We wish to inform them that we shall protect our land and people with all the resources God has provided and blessed us with.
“In addition to the foregoing, we are putting the Federal Government on notice that if nothing radical and patriotic is done to stop the ongoing mayhem and open threats to our people by Miyetti Allah, we shall mobilize our people to take all democratic steps to ensure our safety and continuous existence as a nation within the Nigerian federation which may include a declaration of our sovereignty or our exit from the nation of Nigeria because we can no longer guarantee our comfort, safety and existence within this den of hell.
“We note also with displeasure that all statements by the leadership of Miyetti Allah are far beyond the bounds of treasonable felony that the Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore was charged, connoting that all tribes are no longer equal in Nigeria”, Osibogun added.
However, following reactions that greeted the formation of South-West regional security organization, codenamed Amotekun, a Fulani socio-cultural organization, Miyetti Allah has alleged that the aim of security formation is ‘to cleanse the Fulani tribe from the South-West’.
Leader of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, in Bauchi State, Alhaji Sadiq Ahmed said the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) also known as Amotekun lacks the legal framework to succeed.
The elder statesman, who admitted at the weekend, that the nation was facing serious security threat, called for the restructuring of the security architecture in the country.
According to him, “I can tell you one thing: Amotekun will not last because it is indigenous, regionalized and lacks constitutional backing. The Constitution has a readymade provision for regular security with the establishment of the Nigeria Police Force, a regional security outfit like Amotekun is a breach of the Constitution that will only breed problems and conflicts.
“Is there a doubt anywhere that the motive behind the establishment of Amotekun is to cleanse our tribe from the South-West? It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide security; any parallel security outfit is illegal and unacceptable.”
The Miyetti Allah leader, however, called for the removal of service chiefs, saying that they have performed below expectation, while also advocating for the reform of the Nigeria Police to enable it perform its duties effectively.
“I suggest that the President remove the service chiefs immediately because they have done nothing, despite trillions of Naira that they have received in recent years. He should also reform the police, the Army and all other security forces in the country.
“I hear people every time trying to compare Amotekun to Hisba, and that irritates me. Hisba security outfit in the North is just an umbrella of an Islamic body only meant for Islamic affairs. It bears no resemblance of Amotekun or the motive behind its formation,” he added.

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Fubara Reads Riot Act To New SSG, CoS …Warns Against Unauthorized Meetings

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chief of Staff (CoS) to carry out their duties with discipline, loyalty and a firm commitment to the success of the administration and the wellbeing of the people of Rivers State.

The governor warned that any involvement in unauthorised nocturnal meetings or any conduct capable of embarrassing the government will attract immediate dismissal.

Fubara gave the warning yesterday shortly after the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Dagogo S.A. Wokoma and the new Chief of Staff (CoS), Barrister Sunny Ewule, were sworn in at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt.

As part of the ceremony, the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the duo before the governor gave his charge.

Addressing the appointees, Fubara reminded them that their elevation to the new positions was a call to service and not a platform for political grandstanding or the pursuit of personal ambition.

He stressed that their foremost responsibility should be to themselves and to the people of Rivers State, stressing that their conduct must always reflect integrity, restraint and dedication to public good.

Speaking directly to Dr. Wokoma, whom he described as an accomplished academic and mathematician, the governor expressed confidence in his intellectual depth and capacity to deliver on the new assignment.

The office of the Secretary to the State Government, Fubara stressed, demands thoroughness, discipline and a deep sense of responsibility. He charged the SSG to represent the State with honour at all times.

“Your duty includes representing the state government. You need to represent us in a way and manner that will bring honour to us.

“What is important to this administration is to see that the good works that we started and the ones that we met, are concluded in a way that will bring progress and development to our dear state,” he stated.

Turning to the new Chief of Staff, the governor explained that he is expected to ensure smooth administrative coordination, managing official engagements effectively and safeguarding the image of the Government House.

He underscored the sensitive and personal nature of the role and emphasised that the position operates strictly under the authority of the governor.

Fubara stressed that the role does not permit independent political engagements or private strategy meetings without his knowledge and consent.

“Let me sound it here very clearly. Your duty is to make sure that you handle the administrative duties and image making roles perfectly well, liaising with whoever is coming for any official assignment here.

“If you involve yourself in nocturnal meetings and all those things, I will sack you. I’m very serious. What is important to me today is peace, progress and prosperity of this state. I’m not going to compromise anything for it,” he said.

The governor cautioned that involvement of the new appointees in any action capable of bringing the government or his office to disrepute would attract appropriate sanctions.

While congratulating the new appointees, Fubara expressed optimism that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.

He called on all public officials to work together in unity, observing that collective success is stronger and more enduring than individual achievement.

The governor who also addressed the Permanent Secretaries present at the ceremony, directed those of them who have reached retirement age to start preparing their handover notes without delay.

The notice, he said, was not intended to scare anybody but to prepare their minds towards the inevitability of exiting the service one day and to pave way for an orderly transition.

He warned against any attempt to engage in financial misconduct or last-minute irregularities, stressing that he was closely monitoring the system to ensure strict enforcement of accountability rules.

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Fubara Dissolves Rivers Executive Council

Published

2 weeks ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.

The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.

Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.

He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.

The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.

“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.

“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”

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INEC Proposes N873.78bn For 2027 Elections, N171bn For 2026 Operations

Published

2 weeks ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.

INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.

According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.

An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.

The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.

He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.

“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.

The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”

On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”

The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.

He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.

Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.

Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.

He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.

He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.

In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.

The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.

The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.

He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.

“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.

The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.