News
Security On High Alert …As Jonathan Visits Delta
Delta State Government has assured on tight security as Oghara youths are set for showdown over President Goodluck Jonathan planned working visit to Oghara, home of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, who is presently embattled over alleged corruption charges.
There are also indications that the Oghara traditional institution headed by HRH Isaac Umukoro JP, Oreki II, Ovie of Oghara Kingdom is eager to be keyed into the state government programme on the proposed Saturday visit of Mr. President. A move which some Oghara kinsmen says would help appeal to the President to softpedal on the Ibori matter, which sources claim has the backing of the presidency.
The President is billed to commission the Delta State Teaching Hospital and the Nigerian Naval Logistics Command Headquarters both at Oghara, Ethiope West local government area of Delta state on Saturday, June 19, 2010 .
The multi-billion naira projects were started by the James Ibori administration but completed by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.
The Oghara youths are said to be angered over the circumstances surrounding the corrupt charges leveled against Ibori as they are laying claim to the fact that his predicaments is as a result of the seeming political differences between him (Ibori) and Goodluck Jonathan when he was Vice President.
Reacting to the proposed protest by the youths of Oghara, Secretary to State Government (SSG) and Chairman, planning committee on the presidential visit, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa said: “We are atop of security arrangements. The state police command, State Security Service, military Joint Task Force and the Navy have been alerted on the intended protest. We are on top of the planned protest as the traditional institution and women are ready to play host to Mr. President.”
He emphasized that the youths ought to have been happy because “the state government has provided this project with an expert health facility for the benefit of the people of the area. The community should therefore be fully ready to play host to Mr. President and you know it is not easy to have the president visit your area to commission landmark projects”, he said.
Okowa noted that the significance of the two projects sited at Oghara is hinged on security and infrastructure development which forms the basis of the Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan three-point agenda.
According to him, the state of the art teaching hospital has been ready since last year with expatriate medical personnel to work and train resident doctors for two years will be put into effective use as soon as it is commissioned.
He also said that in as much as the state government is determined to encourage the Navy in the provision of security in waterways, the presence of Naval Command headquarters at Oghara will further boost activities at the coastal area of the state.
“This visit is unique in various ways. First, it is the maiden working visit to our state of His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since his assumption of office in that capacity. It is equally unique because we will be welcoming one of ours in this exalted position to Delta state. It will also give us an opportunity for the demonstration of the love and fraternal bond which the state shares with Mr. President.”
The President is expected to be conducted on a facility tour of the Delta State Teaching Hospital and accorded a Quarter Guard reception at the Nigerian Naval Logistics Command after the formal commissioning of both projects.
He would also be treated to a luncheon at the state presidential lodge and grand reception at the event and conference centre in Asaba, the state capital before departure via Benin Airport to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,Abuja.
It is recalled that the projects earlier scheduled for commissioning in November 2009 could not be commissioned due to ill health and eventual death of former President, Late Umaru Musa Yar’adua.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.