Nation
Soyinka Harps On Foreign Assistance Over Insecurity
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, at the weekend asked the Federal Government to seek foreign assistance in dealing with the security challenge in the country.
Soyinka said on Arise TV that the current situation was so bad that government should not shy away from paying “people to come and help us” in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency and other threats to life and property.
“Let them get away with the issue of sovereignty. If they have to pay people to come and help us, then call them whatever you want. Please go ahead because we’ve reached that stage of desperation,” Soyinka said.
But he said “a general mobilization” of Nigerians to defend themselves could be more like it.
His words: “I will prefer a general mobilisation in which people are trained; farmers especially are trained to work with the hoe in one hand and the gun in the other hand, ready to protect their lives, their harvests and the rest of us.
“We are not unique; history is full of those situations… I will like to see a national mobilisation. Let’s be practical.”
He wondered why some northern governors had to negotiate with bandits terrorising their states.
He said: “You don’t appease evil. We are dealing with evil. There is no other word; we are dealing with the proliferation, the enthronement of evil in the society.
“And unfortunately, we have encouraged its manifestation, its proliferation, its entrenchment.”
Soyinka who also spoke on the South West Security Network, Amotekun, warned that the outfit must not transmute into the scrapped special anti-robbery squad (SARS) in another guise.
Amotekun has been accused of extrajudicial killings and high handedness; the same complaints against the police that sparked last year’s #EndSARS protests across the country.
Soyinka said it was important to inculcate ethics in Amotekun members to make them understand their role and responsibility.
He said: “Community policing like Amotekun is recognition of the fact that the civic part of the entire national polity has got to wake up in not just its own defence but survival.
“I have told them anytime you want us to come and assist, we will come, even if it is just on the ethical session. So that as you are training them to defend us, we are also training their minds so that Amotekun does not become another SARS. It’s very important. We must do everything together.”
He said Nigerians should learn to take responsibility for their own survival and advised other parts of the country that are yet to have their own security outfits to do so.
“The citizens have got to take a very good look at huge gap in governance, the lacuna in governance in this nation, and then take responsibility for their own survival,” he said.
“This is what makes our own responsibilities for ourselves as citizens even more difficult because when drama like that happens we go to the very heart of our existence as human beings to see our children have been swept up not for the first time, and we cannot have a clear sequence of events articulated by the security agencies, by the government so that we can even take on our own against such events happening in the nation.
“But when we reach that stage, you no longer talk of a nation but of a contraption struggling along. The sovereignty of this nation is in the hands of murdering herdsmen; the sovereignty of this nation has already been taken over by Boko Haram, those who do nothing at the slightest respect for what is called national integrity.
“I am very glad that northern elites are now speaking out boldly and practically and at the same time all these states, I’d like them to come out, passing these message to those who have not yet launched their own Amotekun. If they don’t hurry, I will launch my own o.”
He hailed the #EndSARS protests as “righteous, well organised and long-overdue movement by a generation over whom one has been uttering noises of despair.”
He was particularly happy that the Nigerian youth who organised the protests “finally moved.”
“And finally, finally they moved. The youths moved,” he said.
He added: “To me, they made many of us proud. This is a kind of generation that seems to pick up positive signs in their existence and now are taking charge.”
Nation
NCSU Hails Tinubu’s Intervention in Rivers Crisis
The Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his intervention in the political rift between Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, describing the move as timely, strategic and crucial to restoring stability in the State.
The union also urged members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to reciprocate the President’s peace efforts by working harmoniously with Governor Fubara to promote good governance and political stability.
Speaking in an interview in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Chairman of the NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, said President Tinubu’s intervention has demonstrated responsible national leadership and reaffirmed his role as a unifying figure.
According to Osumah, the President’s action followed a formal appeal by the union calling for federal intervention in the protracted political crisis, a response he said clearly showed Tinubu’s concern for peace and development in Rivers State.
“By intervening at this critical moment, Mr President has done what was long expected of him as the father of the nation. His action has laid to rest doubts and speculations about his commitment to restoring peace and political stability in Rivers State,” Osumah said.
He expressed satisfaction that the intervention had effectively halted impeachment threats against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Prof Ngozi Odu, noting that the development provides an opportunity for sober reflection and a renewed focus on governance.
Osumah said the resolution of the dispute would allow the governor to concentrate fully on delivering dividends of democracy and advancing development across the oil-rich State.
While acknowledging the political realities in Rivers State, the NCSU chairman said he had no objections to the recognition of Chief Wike as the political leader in the State, while Governor Fubara remains the constitutionally elected governor.
“The most important thing is peace. All parties must sheathe their swords and embrace reconciliation in the overall interest of Rivers people,” he said.
He appealed to lawmakers, particularly those aligned with Wike, to act in good faith by complying with the presidential directive to drop all impeachment plots and work collaboratively with the executive arm of government.
According to him, a harmonious relationship between the legislature and the executive would create opportunities for effective lawmaking, smooth execution of constituency projects and improved service delivery to citizens.
Osumah further advised the lawmakers to set aside emotions and sentiments and conduct themselves in line with democratic norms and legislative rules of engagement, warning that actions capable of destabilising governance would no longer be tolerated by the President.
He also noted that the President’s peace initiative has paved the way for lawmakers to fully relocate to the new Rivers State House of Assembly Complex, commending Governor Fubara for completing and equipping the facility to support effective legislative work.
Expressing optimism about the future, Osumah said Governor Fubara was disposed to reconciliation and would readily respond to genuine peace overtures from the lawmakers in the interest of the collective wellbeing of the State.
He concluded by thanking President Tinubu for once again demonstrating his commitment to Rivers State, urging all political actors to align with the presidential directive and prioritise stability, good governance and public service.
Nation
Group Tasks Rivers Govt To Establish Foundation In Honour Of Onyeishi Etche, Oche ENB Opurum
A sociocultural group in the Etche ethnic nationality of Rivers State, the ELGA Committee of Friends, has called on the Rivers State Government to establish a foundation in honour of His Eminence, Oche ENB Opurum, the Onyeishi Etche and the only surviving member of the founding fathers of Rivers State.
The call was made by the Mayor of the group, Eze Charles Nweke, during an exclusive interview in Port Harcourt. Nweke described Oche ENB Opurum as a symbol of sacrifice, resilience and commitment to the struggle that led to the creation of Rivers State, stressing that such historic contributions should not be allowed to fade into obscurity.
According to him, honouring Oche ENB Opurum would amount to honouring the collective sacrifices of the founding fathers of the state, while also serving as motivation to younger generations that selfless service to society is valued and remembered.
“To keep the memories of the founding fathers alive, the only surviving member needs to be properly honoured. That is why we are calling on the state government to set up a foundation in honour of Oche ENB Opurum,” Nweke said.
He added that beyond symbolic recognition, the government should also consider incentives and welfare support for families of the founding fathers of Rivers State, noting that some of them are currently living in difficult conditions.
Nweke warned that neglecting the families of those who fought for the state’s creation could discourage future generations from making similar sacrifices for society and the nation at large. He urged both government and non-governmental organisations to take practical steps to preserve the legacy of the state’s founders through institutional support, scholarships, and historical documentation.
Meanwhile, the ELGA Committee of Friends has commended the Chairman of Etche Local Government Area, Chief Chima Boniface Njoku, for what it described as proactive and people-oriented leadership. Nweke noted that Njoku is the first chairman since the creation of the council to embark on comprehensive assessment tours across communities in the local government area.
He said the tour reflects the chairman’s commitment to grassroots development, adding that communities across Etche are already feeling the impact of his administration, particularly in the ongoing grading and rehabilitation of roads across Etcheland.
The group also passed a vote of confidence on the Executive Chairman of Omuma Local Government Area, Hon. Uchechukwu Obasi, praising his developmental strides and governance style.
According to Nweke, the leadership of both council chairmen has brought pride to the Etche nation, assuring them of the continued support of the group as they work to deliver dividends of democracy to their people.
Nation
Registrar Bags Award Of Honour Urges Students To Prioritise Academics
The Registrar of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Port Harcourt, Dr Ajie Chinonye, has charged Nigerian students, particularly those at the postgraduate level, to remain focused on academic excellence and eschew all forms of violence, cultism and social vices that undermine scholarship and societal development.
Dr. Ajie gave the charge while receiving an Award of Honour from the Rivers State Postgraduate Students Union, led by its President, Barrister Chidi Enyi, during a courtesy visit to him in his office.
He stressed that the primary purpose of studentship is the pursuit of knowledge, noting that academic excellence must be pursued with vigour and commitment. According to him, involvement in cultism, examination malpractice and other social vices poses serious danger not only to the university system but to society at large.
The Registrar reaffirmed that IAUE, under the leadership of the Vice Chancellor, Prof Okechuku Onuchuku, maintains zero tolerance for cultism, examination malpractice and all acts inimical to the smooth running of the institution.
Dr. Ajie further urged postgraduate students to see themselves as role models, saying they have a responsibility to lead by example for undergraduates and younger scholars to emulate.
“As postgraduate students, you are expected to prove yourselves as the best in character, conduct and academics. Society looks up to you to demonstrate excellence in all standards,” he said.
Drawing from his personal experience, Dr. Ajie disclosed that his background as a student unionist contributed significantly to his leadership journey, encouraging the students to leverage their positions to make positive impacts in society.
He also advised the Rivers State Postgraduate Students Union to strengthen collaboration with Deans of Graduate Studies across institutions in the state, noting that such partnerships would enhance effective administration and help the union achieve its objectives.
While commending the union for its unity and commitment to promoting students’ welfare and scholarship, the Registrar assured them of the university management’s continued support towards initiatives that advance academic growth and student wellbeing.
In his remarks, the President of the Rivers State Postgraduate Students Union, Barrister Chidi Enyi, said the award was conferred on Dr. Ajie in recognition of his outstanding track record, commitment to educational development and exemplary service to humanity.
He expressed appreciation to the Registrar for his support for postgraduate students and promotion of academic excellence, adding that the union was proud to identify and work with leaders who prioritize education and student welfare.
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