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Gbajabiamila Orders Amendment Of Constitution To Recognise Amotekun
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has directed the Leader of the House, Hassan Ado Doguwa to bring a bill that will amend the 1999 Constitution to recognize Amotekun and other similar security outfits in the country.
The Speaker stated this in his welcome address, yesterday.
In his speech, Gbajabiamila said that the emergence of Amotekun and similar security outfits was as a result of the manifestation gaps in the security architecture in the country.
The Amotekun security outfit launched by the governors of the six South-West states has caused controversy, especially between the Federal Government through the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the governors of the South-West states over the legality of the group.
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has also intervened, calling for the warring parties to reach a compromise on the impasse.
The intervention of Mr. Tinubu culminated into the meeting brokered by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo between the governors and the Federal Government.
Gbajabiamila, who is the Godson of Tinubu has now given the marching order for the House to commence constitutional amendment to give Amotekun the legal backing.
“Recently, the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo and Ondo states took action to implement a regional security network to support the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in preventing crime and protecting the lives and property of those our citizens who live, work and travel through these states.
“The establishment of Àmòtékùn, as the network is called, has met with commentary from across the country, both for and against. Too often, it has seemed to me that lost in these interactions is the hard, brutal and unavoidable fact that Àmòtékùn and other such state or zonal interventions that already quietly exist in other parts of the country are a desperate response to the vile manifestations of insecurity that trouble the lives of citizens, depriving them of the peace and security that gives life meaning.
“I do not know that Àmòtékùn or whatever iterations of it may follow represents the ultimate or perfect solution to the problem of insecurity in our country. Nobody does that. What I do know with absolute clarity and certainty is that the localised manifestations of insecurity across the different parts of our country call for unique and localised approaches that take those peculiarities into account.
“What I also know, is that whichever approach we seek, we are obligated to work within the limits imposed by the constitution to which we all swear allegiance. Above all else, I am certain in the knowledge that doing nothing is not an option. We have a responsibility as legislators to support the best efforts of those who act with noble intent to protect our citizens.
“I, therefore, call on the Leader of the House of Representatives and the Minority Leader to take active steps to bring to the floor, appropriate amendments to the Constitution that will ensure that these and other righteous interventions to protect the lives and property of our citizens are firmly in compliance with the laws of the land,” he said.
The Speaker also expressed grief over the death of Mr. Lawan Andimi, a senior member of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Adamawa State and Ropvil Dalep Daciya, a student from Plateau State who were both murdered by suspected Boko Haram operatives.
“All people of conscience mourn the loss of a reverend and a senior member of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Adamawa State, Mr Lawan Andimi, a good and honourable man, who through the church and in his personal capacity served the people of his community earning their reverence and our collective gratitude.
“In the midst of our mourning, our hearts were broken once more by the release of a video depicting the gruesome assassination of Mr Ropvil Dalep Daciya, a student from Plateau State who was abducted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists on his way back to school at the University of Maiduguri,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the South-East Governors Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, yesterday, said that the governors and stakeholders of the zone have concluded arrangements to kick-start regional security out fit in the South-East zone.
Umahi made this known while addressing the General Officer Commanding 82 Army Division Enugu, GOC, Lasisi Adegboye, during in a familiarization courtesy visit that took place at the Government House, Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.
According to him, “One of our major challenges here in Ebonyi State is our problem with Cross River people, but we bless God so highly for the initiatives of the youths. The Deputy Governor and the Speaker of the State Assembly have to arrange so that they joint youth committee on Cross River and Ebonyi people will go and pay a courtesy call on the GOC.
“Probably, who knows if you are the one that will make both states to sign lasting agreement for lasting peace. Here in Ebonyi, I thank the police, the army, the SSS. It has been a union of brotherhood and working together with our Neighbourhood Watch.
“Every region has their own peculiarities and we had formed our own joint security task force, and we have written to Federal Government, and we are putting things together because we had a joint meeting with all the service chiefs and the then GOC. So, we discussed and agreed on what we need to do to continue to give safety to our people in South-East.
“No one will say that he will not be part of joint security because when people are kidnapped for example in Anambra State, they could be found in Ebonyi. So, we need that synergy to work together to give protection to everybody and here in Ebonyi, we are among the first in the federation to start our law on internal security and that is the Neighbourhood Watch and they have fantastically done very well.
“I am happy that the police, the Army, the SSS, they are not ashamed to proclaim that our Neighbourhood Security Watch have done very well. And so, we can say that we are the safest state in the country and there is no joke about that,” he stated.
Earlier in a remark, the GOC Adegboye vowed to provide adequate security to the citizens of the South-East, adding that there would be no more records of kidnapping and armed robbery cases in the zone.
“We are ready to work round the clock to ensure adequate peace and security in the South-East zone,” he noted.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.