Politics
Taraba Gov Advises FG On State Police
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State has advised the Federal Government to try state police in addressing the security challenges in the country.
Ishaku gave the advice in his remarks at a world news conference organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the party national secretariat in Abuja, on Monday.
The conference also had in attendance the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinaya Abaribe, and former president of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.
According to Gov. Darius, the primary responsibility of any democratic government was to secure the people and their property.
He said the state governors were going through challenges and were helpless in managing the insecurity as they had no power over security.
“No matter how bad the state police, let us experiment it. After all, we have the State Electoral Commission. After all the state governments are running the elections of the states.
“In my state, oppositions win elections; we allow them to go, nothing is wrong we are going peacefully.
“ So, who is telling me that the State Police will fail? Let us try and let it fail, then we will reverse, but not trying at all does not give us anything different. We will still continue where we are.
“ In any case, in a country of over 200 million people, how can you expect the management of police to be at the center?
“Our constitution was copied from USA, and in America you have the local police, you have the state police, and you have the national Police.
“What is greater than the local police, take it to the state police. What is bigger than the state police goes to the national police,” Ishaku said.
The governor stressed on the need to ensure that police handle issue of internal security, while the military protect the territorial sovereignty of the country, as a last resort for war.
He also advised the Federal Government to adequately train Nigeria security personnel and equip them with necessary technology and equipment.
“If my ADC cannot protect himself, how can he protect other people? You must first protect yourself as a policeman and as a military officer before you can protect other people.
“I will appeal that we should give adequate attention to equipping military forces,” he said.
Ishaku urged the ruling party to look into advice from the PDP, saying PDP is ready to give a helping hand to the APC-led government in developing the country.
Similarly, Abaribe described PDP as responsible party interested in peace and development of the country.
He said that contrary to some views that the PDP was a weak opposition, “PDP is actually a responsible opposition.”
The Senate Minority Leader explained that what people were doing was comparing PDP to the APC when they were not in power, expecting PDP to act the same way APC did.
“We are not. We had been in power before and we know the responsibilities of having power and we do not want to speak just like anybody on the street”, Abaribe said.
“So, we weigh our words, we look at the situation and we do not want to be an opposition that want to destroy rather, an opposition that wants to build,” he said.
Abaribe added that those, who wanted to destroy Nigeria, were those that refuse to manage the diversity of the country, and those actually pushing the country to precipice.
Also speaking, the former president of the Senate said the opposition party would continue to play its role in letting the government be aware of its lapses.
The Chairman of PDP Reconciliation Committee added that the PDP would continue to put pressure through constitutional means in telling government what they need to do.
“We will not get tired because when we see changes in the world, it has come through constitutional means.
“It might look like a long journey, but eventually, the true will prevail and the right thing will be done,” Saraki said.
Saraki also expressed the hope that in a short period Nigeria would start a new journey for greatness.
He advised government to listen to the people in various communities of the country, especially on the issue of insecurity.
“When we talk about security, it’s not about political party, it affects all Nigerians.
“People who are losing their lives, I am sure some of them do not belong to any political party.
“So, that responsibility of government is to all of us as Nigerians, and we are speaking on behalf of all Nigerians that the right thing needs to be done.
“We will continue to do that through conscious constitutionally agreed procedures,” the former president of the senate said.
Civil Society Coalition for Good Governance, Budget and Accountability has condemned the defection of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Executive Secretary, Civil Society Coalition for Good Governance, Budget and Accountability, Amb. Emmanuel Nkweke, who said this in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt also described as illegal all legislations passed by the defected lawmakers.
Amb. Nkweke described the defection as “monkey politics’, queried the rational behind the action of the lawmakers few months after being sworn into office, adding that members of the civil society community were yet to be told reasons for the defection.
“Up till now, we are yet to be told why they defected just few months of being sworn into office. For me, that is monkey politics”, he said.
He urged the lawmakers to go back to their former party and beg Rivers people for forgiveness, adding that if that is done, they may be welcomed back.
Amb. Nkweke also cautioned the lawmakers not to allow themselves to be used to do the bidding of an individual, adding that the present administration in the state needs the support of all to move forward.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the group has commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for giving civil societies the latitude to operate freely in the state.
He alleged that civil societies were caged in the last eight years, adding that there was no breathing space for civil societies in the last eight years in the state.
Amb. Nkweke described civil society as the engine room of democracy as it engages in sensitisation on the policies and programmes of government, regretting, however, that their inputs were never taken into considerations.
“Civil societies give signals, civil society creates the awareness and sensitize the people towards achieving a reliable democracy.
‘’i want to let you know, very frankly, that civil society space in Rivers State, for the past eight years, was suffocated. There was no breathing space, they didn’t breathe. Civil society was dead completely”, he said.
Amb. Nkweke said the situation also affected upcoming activists as some of them had to operate from hideouts.
By: John Bibor
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on President Bola Tinubu not to condone incompetent personalities in his government.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, NANS President, Comrade Pedro Obi, expressed concerns about the competence of the Minister of State for Youth Development and the SSA to the President on Student Engagement.
Comrade Obi, after staging a peaceful protest at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), reiterated that the NANS will not be intimidated and will continue to fight for the interests of Nigerian students.
He said, “The message is very simple, we have incompetent people who have been appointed to offices. It’s unfortunate and it’s not the President’s fault, of course he believes in Nigerian youths and has also given us the opportunity to showcase our capacity in various roles that he has given us.
“We have the SSA to the President on Student Engagement, who has shown incompetence. He cannot continue to hold that office and we are calling on Mr. President that he should be sacked with immediate effect.
“Also we have the Minister of State for Youth Development. We are also calling that immediately he should be sacked, because he has left what he ought to do and has dabbled into the affairs of NANS.
“These people have displayed incompetence and are destroying the youth community. There are so many competent youths that President Tinubu can pick from.
“NANS can never be intimidated. This is an organisation that we grew up to meet and we will continue to protect the dignity of this organisation.”
Receiving the NANS on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office in the SGF, Dr. Maurice Nnamdi Mbaeri, assured the NANS of relaying back their complaints to the SGF which he said will land on the listening ears of President Tinubu.
According to him, “I have listened to the complaints you raised. I assure you that your complaints will get to the listening ears of Mr. President.
“Let me assure you that I’m happy this was also re-echoed in the NANS President’s speech that President Tinubu has indebt love for the youths of Nigeria and also for the students of Nigeria. This has been demonstrated by polices that (has) been put in place for the youths.
“I want to assure you that the President has your concerns in his heart and he’s always ever ready to attend to your needs.
“With this, I am going to report back to my boss the SGF, who will take up the matter with the President. I urge you to continue to maintain peace and tranquillity. Don’t do anything that will make Mr. President feel bad about you.”
Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyiorchia Ayu, has withdrawn the court action he instituted against the party over his controversial removal from office barely two years into his four year term.
His action has removed legal impediments likely to militate against the emergence of his replacement from the North Central.
Several meetings have been held and being planned following this new development.
On Tuesday, the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) passed a vote of confidence on the Ag. National Chairnan, Amb. Umar Damagum, whom members said has discharged his functions creditably.
It was gathered that the North Central Caucus of the party had long before now started mobilizing to ensure that the zone produces Ayu’s replacement to complete his tenure which expires in 2025.
In a related development, Amb. Damagum has held series of meetings with various groups to perhaps shore up his chances of retaining his seat as acting chairman.
He led the members of the NWC on Wednesday to interact with the PDP National Ex-officio ahead of the NEC meeting.
Immediately after the meeting with them, he led the NWC members to another meeting with the State Party Chairmen from the 36 States, including FCT, Abuja.
The meetings were held at the NEC Hall, PDP National Secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, in Abuja.
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