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Buhari Advocates Community Level Intelligence To Check Insecurity
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged law abiding citizens to always provide community level Intelligence to relevant authorities to check the activities of insurgents, bandits and other criminals across the country.
The president made the call in a broadcast to commemorate the 60th Independence anniversary of the nation on Thursday in Abuja.
He reiterated that his administration would remain committed to its constitutional duty of safeguarding lives and property of innocent Nigerians.
”As a government, we remain committed to our constitutional duty of securing the lives and property of the citizenry.
”I, however, call on the citizenry to also support government by providing the necessary community level intelligence in addressing these challenges,” he said.
The president also expressed the commitment of his administration to continue to strengthen the nation’s economy to provide sustainable means of livelihood for as many Nigerians as possible to eradicate abject poverty.
He said: ”I want to re-emphasize my dedication and commitment, a dedication and commitment that propelled my public service career and informed my quest to continually seek for an opportunity to improve the lives of Nigerians, set the country on the path of prosperity and lead the country to a better future.
”This administration has been focused on rebuilding and laying the foundations for a sustainable Nigeria.
”Of course, we have met and are still meeting the challenges inherent in any rebuilding initiative – more so that of a nation like Nigeria that has undergone avoidable levels of deprivation – but can be surmounted if we all work together.
”I wish to reiterate that our people and our spirit of excellence remains our most important asset.
”In this wise, the need to return to our age-old ethical and high moral values would be necessary and this informed my launching of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy on Sept. 28, 2020.
”The policy would not implement itself and the first contact of the visibility of its implementation is the Public Service whose ongoing reforms would be expected to be sustainable and give a radical re-direction in providing services to all Nigerians.”
On the economy, the president lamented that the nation had suffered a significant drop in its foreign exchange earnings and internal generated revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
”Fellow Nigerians, in addition to public health challenges of working to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, we have suffered a significant drop in our foreign exchange earnings and internal revenues due to 40 per cent drop in oil prices and steep drop in economic activities, leading to a 60 per cent drop in government revenue.”
According to him, the federal government is grappling with the dual challenge of saving lives and livelihoods in face of drastically reduced resources.
He said that this situation led to the recent deregulation of the nation’s Petroleum sector as sustaining the level of petroleum prices was no longer possible.
”In this regard, sustaining the level of petroleum prices is no longer possible. The government, since coming into office has recognised the economic argument for adjusting the price of petroleum.
”But the social argument about the knock-on effect of any adjustment weighed heavily with the government.
”Accordingly, in the last three years, we have introduced unprecedented measures in support of the economy and to the weakest members of our society in the shape of:
- Tradermoni
- Farmermoni
- School Feeding Programme
- Job creation efforts
- Agricultural intervention programmes
”No government in the past did what we are doing with such scarce resources.”
He stated that his administration had managed to keep things going in spite of the disproportionate spending on security.
”Those in the previous Governments from 1999 – 2015 who presided over the near destruction of the country have now the impudence to attempt to criticize our efforts.
”In the circumstances, a responsible government must face realities and take tough decisions,” he said.
On the recent adjustment in the petroleum prices in Nigeria, the president noted that the decision was necessary to safeguard the economy.
He further justified the decision of the government by comparing the current prices of litre of petrol in other oil producing countries with that of Nigeria.
He said: ”We sell now at N161 per litre. A comparison with our neighbours will illustrate the point: a. Chad which is an oil producing country charges N362 per litre b. Niger, also an oil producing country sells 1 litre at N346. c. In Ghana, another oil producing country, petroleum pump price is N326 per litre.
”Further afield, Egypt charges N211 per litre. Saudi Arabia charges N168 per litre. It makes no sense for oil to be cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi Arabia.
”Fellow Nigerians, to achieve the great country we desire, we need to solidify our strength, increase our commitment and encourage ourselves to do that which is right and proper even when no one is watching.”
The president pledged that his administration would continue to focus on rebuilding and laying the foundation for a sustainable Nigeria.
”Of course, we have made and still meeting the challenges inherent in any initiatives, more so, that of a nation like Nigeria that had undergone avoidable levels of deprivations but can be surmounted if we all work together.”
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.