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BOMB BLAST: ‘Senate ’ll Back Jonathan Against Boko Haram’ …Sacking Security Chiefs, Not Solution To Violence – Azazi …Amaechi Calls For Calm
Senate says it is ready to support President Goodluck Jonathan on any action that would be taken to check the activities of Boko Haram Islamic sect in Nigeria.
The Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial Zone, Senator Magnus Abe, who made the position of the Senate known on the activities of Boko Haram during an interactive session with youths and student groups from the zone yesterday at Bera condemned the Christmas bomb blasts which killed scores of people.
Senator Abe who described the present security situation in the country as critical, said that the upper legislative chamber was ready to back the action of President Jonathan that would help the Federal Government to curb the menace of the religious sect.
Meanwhile, Senator Magnus Abe has blamed Nigeria’s underdevelopment on poor leadership.
He said that successive governments in Nigeria had failed to take into account the need to plan for the future of the country, saying that the situation led to the present level of underdevelopment in the country.
Senator Abe thanked the youths for the interactive session and stressed the need for them to remain peaceful in their approach to issues of common interest.
Also speaking, the state Deputy Governor, Engr Tele Ikuru described Senator Abe as one of the best brains in the Senate. He said the town hall meeting was the first of its kind in the area and called for support of all and sundry in the efforts of government to improve the lots of the people.
Meanwhile, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has called on Christians not to panic, but be calm in prayers in the face of security challenges.
Rt. Hon. Amaechi made the call on Monday while speaking at the centenary celebration of St. Stephen’s (Ang) Church, Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
The governor who spoke through the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Nabbs Imegwe, charged Christians to learn not to avenge for themselves, because vengeance belongs to God.
He told the people that God knows how best to defend His people even in the midst of trouble.
He however admonished Christians to see the festive season as a period of sober reflection and make frantic efforts to turn a new leaf.
The state chief executive also charged Christians to be good patriots and embrace those that are suffering any kind of affliction among them.
He expressed belief that Christians would certainly overcome the spate of unwholesome acts of the Boko Haram sect just as Jesus Christ overcame the works of the devil about 2000 years ago.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Lands and Survey, Chief Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi regretted the killing of Christians in the North.
Ezeiel-Amadi said there was urgent need to tackle security challenges especially against the Christians in the North in order to avert a major crisis in the country.
However, National Security Adviser (NSA), Retired Gen. Andrew Azazi on Tuesday in Abuja said that changes in the leadership of the nation’s security agencies are no solution to the spate of violence in the country.
The general stated this in an interview with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa.
Azazi who was at a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, on the nation’s security, said what was needed was improved security.
“Why changes in leadership? Everybody thinks that if you change leaders in security, everything will work fine.
“If you ask a very simple question; what kind of security system have we been managing? Are the structures all been so good that we can overall produce results?
“It is a gradual process, anywhere there has been this level of terrorism, it takes a long time for the security system to be overhauled.
“Even whatever you do, at some points, you expect limited successes and to ensure that over a period of time, you can actually put things in place that will work for the betterment for the society,” he said.
Azazi said that agencies were working ahead of the security situation but that it was difficult for them to man every point simultaneously.
He emphasised the need for security awareness among members of the public and the need for public participation and cooperation with security agencies.
The NSA also ruled out any possibility of reprisal by Christians against Moslems over the Christmas bomb blasts at churches in Niger and Plateau States.
“We can’t have a situation where we think that one bad turn deserves another.
“We are Nigerians and like we always say, I don’t see any major conflict between the Christian community and the Moslem community.
“You will find a situation where certain individuals for whatever reasons are causing these problems.
“Retaliation is not the answer because if you retaliate, at what point will it end? Nigeria must survive as a nation, that is the key thing,” he said.
On why government has not entered into dialogue with the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which has claimed responsibility for many terror attacks, Azazi said it was impossible to discuss with a faceless group.
Enoch Epelle
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.