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Reps Approve Emergency Rule In Three States …As Senate Defers Debate To Tuesday
Cross section of participants at the Public Works Maintenance, Orientation programme held at the Ministry of Justice conference hall in Port Harcourt. Photo: Prince Dele Obinna
The House of Representatives in Abuja yesterday approved the request of President Goodluck Jonathan for the extension of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe for another six months.
Jonathan requested for the extension in a letter to the House on May 13.
The approval followed a three-hour meeting with the Service Chiefs and Heads of Security on the current state of emergency in the three states.
Addressing a news conference, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Zakari Mohammed, said the House voted unanimously for extension for the stability of the country.
Zakari said the Service Chiefs had also assured them that the extension would further consolidate the gains of the past one year period of the rule.
“We were given all the assurances by our Service Chiefs that they are on top of the situation’’, he said.
Rep. Ezekiel Adaji (PDP-Benue), said the House had no option than to approve the President’s request for the extension.
“I think we have no option, we must accept that this is a war and I think we are winning, so let them consolidate’’, he said.
“That is why we need this briefing, we have seen where there are loopholes and we have given them some recommendations.
Rep. Abiodun Balogun (APC-Ogun), said after the briefing, the House discovered that there was need for the extension of the state of emergency in the three states.
He said that it was agreed that the military must also justify the extension granted as the House would not grant another state of emergency after this.
Rep. Nnenna Ukeje (PDP-Abia), said they approved the state of emergency to give the Nigerian army time to do the work they had signed to do.
According to her, the House has shown, with the approval of the extension of emergency rule, the quest to end insurgency in the country.
Parliament did a responsible thing today and that is to extend the state of emergency in the three states of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno.
“We hope that we will curb this insurgence and bring back the Chibok girls and hopefully, put an end to terrorism in Nigeria’’, she said.
Rep. Pally Iraise (APC- Edo), said that any solution proffered to put an end to terrorism in Nigeria was welcome.
“We have given them the extension that they seek; it is now for us to follow up and be sure that whatever needed to be done will be done within this extension.
“In the next three to six months, we want to see an end to this menace of terrorism’’, she said.
The emergency rule was extended for another six months, beginning from Nov. 12, 2013 after same was approved by the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Senate, for the second time, yesterday, deferred debate on the President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for an extension of the State of Emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states for another six months.
The senate postponed debate on the request to next Tuesday after a closed door session with the Service Chiefs, Inspector-General of Police and the Director General of State Security Service (SSS).
The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, explained that after the closed door session, the Senate resolved to continue debate on the issue on Tuesday.
Ekweremadu said that the Senate would carry out wider consultations with all relevant stakeholders involved to ensure that everyone was carried along.
“The senate met with the service chiefs and we were fully briefed on the operations of the state of emergency in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa over the last 12 months.
“As responsible and patriotic Nigerians, we are looking to ensure that the security in those states improved at the shortest possible time.
“We also agreed to further consult with stakeholders to ensure that everybody would buy into whatever needs be done to secure those states and to defeat insurgency in those states.
“So by Tuesday, we would continue our deliberation on the issue of the state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
Sen. Hope Uzodinma (PDP-Imo) expressed confidence that all the issues raised by the senators would be resolved when the senate reconvenes next Tuesday.
Uzodinma said:”I am sure by Tuesday, we would get through with it, because between now and Tuesday the leadership of the senate would do more consultations.”
Sen Smart Adeyemi said that most senators were swayed from their initial positions after listening to the briefing by the service chiefs.
“You are taking a decision that is going to affect a particular area. So, we have to take time and investigate what they have said so that we would speak from the point of knowledge.
“When the service chiefs came and spoke at length to us quite a number of senators changed their opinion.
“So, as it is many of the legislators have not really made up their mind as to whether they are going to support it or not.
“But the safety of lives and property is of paramount importance to all of us,”Adeyemi added.
Also speaking, Sen. Ahmed Lawal (APC-Yobe) insisted that,”we are against state of emergency”.
Lawal, however, said that the military should be provided with proper equipment to effectively tackle the crisis.
“What we require is effectiveness and that does not require state of emergency. What we need to do is to ensure that whatever resources are appropriated are utilised properly.
“The military had conducted very massive operations in Nasarawa, Benue, Zamfara and recently in Katsina.
“Those states were not under a state of emergency before those operations were conducted.
“And let me tell you insurgency does not end. In Turkey, the PKK insurection is over 30 years; and the FARC uprising in Colombia is over 50 years.
“Insurgency does not end. What you need to do is to continue to get the right arms and re-strategise until you get to the situation where people would feel better,”Lawal declared.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.