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NGF Unveils Position On Insecurity, Killings
The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari has revealed the outcome of the governors meeting in Abuja, Wednesday night, clearly stating their position on the lingering security challenges and killings in some parts of the country.
Yari read the communique at the end of their meeting, which started at 8:00pm last Wednesday, and ended at 2.30am yesterday morning.
He said the meeting was called essentially to afford the governors the opportunity to make necessary inputs as to how best to secure the country and rid it of the lingering security challenges.
The resolution followed the recent mass killings in Jos, Plateau State, by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The governors condemned, in strong terms, the attacks and called for the persecution of the perpetrators to serve as deterrent to others.
They also commiserated with the government and people of Plateau State even as they planned to pay a condolence visit to the troubled state, today.
The NGF chairman said, words, “We, the members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) at our meeting held today at the NGF Secretariat, Abuja deliberated on several issues and resolved as follows:
“The Forum strongly condemned recent attacks in Plateau State and the spate of insecurity in the country. Members commiserated with the government and people of Plateau and other states including victims who were caught in transit travelling to and from neighbouring states.
“Governors unanimously called for the prosecution of the perpetrators of the attacks and resolved to find a quick and common solution to the security crisis.
“The forum resolved to pay a condolence visit to Plateau State to commiserate with the government and people of the state.
“Governors noted with delight and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President for their quick response and visit to Plateau State to show empathy to the people of the state. We equally commend Governor Simon Lalong for the way he handled the very sad situation.
“Governors resolved to hold a one-day meeting with the security chiefs to come up with a holistic solution to the country’s security situation.”
Meanwhile, members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have resolved to meet with security chiefs to evolve a holistic solution to insecurity challenges confronting the country.
Chairman of the forum, Governor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara, made this known while briefing newsmen after their meeting which ended in the early hours of yesterday in Abuja.
Yari said that the governors also condemned Sunday’s attacks in Plateau State, and called for the prosecution of the perpetrators.
“The forum strongly condemned recent attacks in Plateau State and the spate of insecurity in the country.
“Members commiserated with the government and people of Plateau and other states, including victims who were caught in transit travelling to and from neighbouring states.
“Governors unanimously called for the prosecution of the perpetrators of the attacks and resolved to find a quick and common solution to the security crises.
“The forum resolved to pay a condolence visit to Plateau State to commiserate with the government and people of the state.’’
According to Yari, the governors commended President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbanjo for their quick response and visit to Plateau, to sympathise with the people of the state.
He equally commended Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau for the way he handled the situation.
Yari added that the governors would continue to engage with the Federal Government, leadership of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other relevant agencies to safeguard Nigeria’s energy security.
“We will continue to engage with the Federal Government, the leadership of NNPC, Director of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the NCS, and other security agencies to curb hoarding, diversion, smuggling and illegal hike in ex-depot or retail pump price, to safeguard Nigeria’s energy security,’’ he said.
He also reiterated the resolution of the governors to implement the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) supply and distribution monitoring system in each state.
Yari explained that the concern of the governors was not majorly on subsidies but to know the actual number of litres being exported or imported daily.
“The governors acknowledged the importance of broadband deployment for both economic development and revenue generation.
“The governors also pledged to work closely with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and infrastructure companies to remove the impediments to broadband deployment, including unifying right of way charges and addressing multiple regulations and multiple taxation,’’ Yari said.
The forum received briefing on “Energy Security and Cross-Border Leakages; effects on Remittances to the Federation Account’’ by the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, and the Director of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Henry Ikem Obi.
Baru, according Yari, was represented by the Chief Executive, Downstream, NNPC, while Mr Idris Abdulraham, Team Leader, Terminal Operation, DPR, stood in for Obi.
The forum also received presentations from the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, on broadband deployment in Nigeria.
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.