Nation
Experts Seek Collaboration With Academics, Security Professionals

The Institute of Security, Nigeria, has urged the academic community and security professionals to work together to re-examine and re-evaluate the threats and vulnerabilities facing the nation’s security architecture.
The President of the institute, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, gave the advice at the 15th International Security conference 2023, on Saturday in Lagos.
The theme of this year’s conference is: National Security Environment and Challenges; Enhancing Security Services for Sustainable Development.
According to him, such collaboration will also go a long way in examining threats to the environment and consequently determine the level of challenges and solutions.
He said that the security practitioners provide security and protection services with the aid of God-given expertise and skills which remain the major tools.
Ogundipe said the theme of the conference was well suited and timely, and to him personally, intriguing.
“We appreciate the complement of some of the best security experts and professionals this country ever produced; well cultured, with excellent character.
“It is worrisome though that we still face security challenges as professionals, where a few among us have by their misconduct brought distain and disrespect to the profession”, he said.
Ogundipe, the immediate past vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, noted that such development had remained a grave concern to the security professionals and the nation at large.
According to him, it is proper to hold the view that those instances of professional misconduct does not represent all the security professionals and experts in the nation.
“We must teach the next generation to act professionally and play a central role in setting the parameters for them that will have the formidable task of safeguarding and securing the nation in the new and challenging context in which we now live.
“There is no other profession that is uniquely positioned to provide internal and territorial security, protection and defence, other than security professionals.
“Every negative ethical behaviour needs to be condemned. The instances of alleged corrupt practices and professional misconducts constitute a minute fraction of members of the security profession”, he said.
The former VC urged Nigerians to repose confidence in security professionals, while they hold them to account and report cases of misconduct.
According to him, the country is on the verge of conducting another general election, hence it is the responsibility of the security professionals to guarantee the security of lives and properties in the country.
Ogundipe further said that there was the need for citizens to also do all that was legitimate within their abilities and be motivated by the desire to find solutions to the many security challenges facing the country.
“All hands must be on deck and all arms of government have to do all that is possible to contribute ideas and actions that will birth the solutions needed to secure lives and properties of Nigerians as envisaged in section 14 (2)(b) of the 1999 constitution.
“It states that ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary welfare of government’.
“I, therefore, believe that the professional actions will fully resolve this complex national security issues and frizzle all forms of corruption facing our country”, Ogundipe stated.
In his welcome address, Mr Adebayo Akinade, Deputy President of the institute, noted that the conference represented a milestone in the effort to create awareness among members of the general public and the law enforcement agencies.
According to him, one of the objectives of the institute is to promote and develop security science, technology and practice in all its ramifications.
He said it also conducts research, collects and disseminates information on security subjects among others.
The Deputy President said there was the need to search for the remote and immediate causes of security challenges, security architecture and other breakdown in the social fabrics of the society.
“There is the need to reflect on the policies which can be put in place to correct these anomalies and restore the lost order in our communities and societies.
“It is only when this order is restored that progress can be made to improve the decayed social standard and in the security trends in the nation.
“The papers to be discussed in the conference today will highlight some of these problems with the possibility of finding solutions to them.
“As we move into the 21st century, let us together find the blueprint of improving the security environment to ensure security, stability, unity, progress, peace and order in our society”, Akinade said.
In his remark, Chairman of the occasion, Prince Olu Bajowa, said the country’s nascent democratic experiment was still occuring with tremendous challenges.
According to him, the country can not remain impervious to the overriding task of democratic consolidation, which must be anchored on the rule and supremacy of the law.
“We have obligation to the nation to mentor the younger members of the security profession. The duty is deliberate and sincere mentorship, which is the only way the ideal security practitioners will progressively place the next generation in the right track.
“We also owe ourselves the duty to preserve the security space for the next generation of security professionals and for these reasons, we must shun all forms of unprofessional and unethical practices that may cast the security professionals in bad light and undermine our place in the society,” he said.
The Tide’s source reports that the high point of the event was the award of distinguished fellowship to eight persons, while 26 professionals were awarded professional fellowship.
Nation
JAMB Decries Use Of Fake Results For Admission
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has decried the high level of forgery of A Level certificates used for the registration.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, who raised the alarm, recalled that the Board had commenced the 2023 Direct Entry registration on Monday, 20th February but immediately suspended it following the discovery of the plethora of devices and machinations to circumvent and compromise the standard of A ‘level qualifications required from DE candidates.
He disclosed that out of 148 candidates verified by Bayero University Kano (BUK), only 6 were found to be genuine.
“By implication 142 of the results were forged. Oloyede said. Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has also consistently brought to the fore the high rate of forgery of A’Level qualifications for DE.
“It was discovered that in previous years, some candidates used unacceptable and forged A’ level certificates/ qualifications to register for Direct Entry and eventually got admitted. For example out of 148 candidates verified by BUK, only 6 were found to be genuine. By implication 142 of the results were forged.
“The Board, concerned stakeholders and institutions are working assiduously to detect such and the ones already found are being dealt with according to the provisions of the law.
“In order to further checkmate the anomaly and to also prevent recurrence of such irregularity, the Board has decided that the 2023 DE registrations will not only be restricted to JAMB (Professional Test Centres (PTCs) but will also be done under strict supervision,” Oloyode said.
“The Board has provided additional guidelines to all DE registration outlets (JAMB-owned centres), Officers of the Board and candidates on the 2023 Direct Entry registration exercise:
“At the point of registration, all candidates must fill in Registration/Matriculation Number of the previous school attended where the qualification was obtained; Subject(s) of qualification; Awarding Institution; Institution actually attended”, he said.
Nation
‘Nigerians Have Lost Confidence, Trust In INEC’
As post-election crisis gathers momentum, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Nigeria’s 2023 general elections has declared that Nigerians have lost confidence and trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) owing to lack of transparency and operational failures.
The EU EOM Chief Observer, Barry Andrews, made the assertion at a Media Briefing to present the Mission’s second preliminary reports, in Abuja, Monday.
Andrews noted that although Nigerians had great appetite for democracy and keen to engage in various civic activities, their expectations were dashed.
According to him, the apathy recorded at the governorship and states House of Assembly elections conducted last Saturday was a clear consequence of failures by political elites and “unfortunately, INEC.”
Andrews said: “Obstruction and organised violence limited the free expression of the will of the voters, despite efforts by civil society to promote democratic standards.
“Throughout the Mission, we saw that Nigerians have a great appetite for democracy and are keen to engage in various civic activities. However, in many parts of the country, their expectations were not met.
“Many were disappointed and we witnessed voter apathy that is in part, a clear consequence of failures by political elites, and unfortunately, also by INEC.
“Positively, INEC introduced some corrective measures ahead of Saturday’s polls, allowing a timely delivery of sensitive materials and improved use of election technologies, yet, the institution continued to lack transparency.”
The Mission also observed that voting started early with INEC ad-hoc officials present and ready to serve voters, but the exercise was unfortunately, disrupted by “multiple incidents of thuggery and intimidation of voters, polling officials, observers, and journalists”.
The Mission noted that Lagos, Kano, and other States in the Southern, Northern and Central parts of the country were mostly affected, adding that the election was equally characterised by casualties, fatalities, as well as vote-buying, which according to the observers, further detracted from an appropriate conduct of elections.
“EU EOM observers also saw misuse of administrative resources, including through various financial and in-kind inducements to voters, giving an undue advantage to the party in power.
“Furthermore, the protracted deadlines for candidacy disputes created uncertainty for voters and electoral contestants alike, while clear underrepresentation of women as candidates demonstrated a stark lack of internal party policies to support constitutionally prescribed inclusion
Nation
‘Youths To Benefit From Climate Change Innovation Hub’
The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Sani Tambuwal, has expressed optimism that the recently established National Climate Change Innovation Hub would help in harnessing the potential among Nigerian youths towards addressing climate issues.
The CNA stated this during the commemoration of the 2023 Commonwealth Day with the theme ‘Forging A Sustainable And Peaceful Common Future’ held at the instance of National Assembly management, in Abuja, Monday.
Represented by the Deputy Clerk, National Assembly (DCNA), Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana, Tambuwal observed that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and other climate issues in the world if not properly managed, would posed great danger to world peace and a sustainable future.
He assured that Federal Government had put measures in place to address some issues on climate change through the establishment of youth climate change hub to harness their ideas and include them in decision-making process as well as develop long-term vision for zero gas emissions.
In her presentation, Mrs. Rabi Audu stressed the need for concerted efforts from all stakeholders towards forging a sustainable and peaceful environment.
Audu also urged the youths to engage in activities and programmes that would promoter innovations and inclusivity for all.
According to her, governments and parliaments have to increase opportunities for schools across the Commonwealth countries, adopt higher education partnerships and development programmes that would lead to economic growth, social inclusion and environmental conservation.
While noting that the establishment of more programmes like the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) would aid the attainment of these, Audu further stressed the need for Commonwealth member countries to establish technical and vocational education that would help in gainfully equipping the youths with skills to further tackle high rate of youth unemployment.
Some of the students who participated in the programme tasked parliaments across Commonwealth member States on the need to hold their governments to account particularly on the areas of public spending, international crisis, investment sustainability and promotion of the benefits of inclusive and diverse representation in truly open societies.
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