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Insecurity: Stakeholders Insist On Constitutional Role For Monarchs
Stakeholders have insisted that traditional rulers in the Niger Delta must be accorded constitutional powers, if government was to ensure the return of lasting peace and security to the volatile region.
The stakeholders also expressed regrets that the Federal Government has yet to implement any off the 16-point agenda submitted to it in 2016 as a way of finding lasting solutions to the challenges facing the Niger Delta region.
These were the consensus among resolutions adopted from findings and recommendations of its study in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, at the 2021 Niger Delta Dialogue (NDD).
The study focused on emerging threats aggravating insecurity in the Niger Delta.
This year’s study review on the NDD, an initiative of the Academic Associates PeaceWorks (AAPW), sponsored by the European Union (EU), focused on “Rethinking Synergy Between Traditional Rulers, Security Agencies, Government Officials and Civil Society in Returning Security to the Niger Delta”.
Highlighting fallouts of the study, one of the research coordinators, Dr. Tokpo Edward of the Federal University, Otuoke, said, “It was observed that the absence of constitutionally defined powers for the monarch significantly hinders traditional rulers’ role to maintain peace and security in their domains.
“Even when they are the first point of call among key actors when issues of insecurity crop up, the law doesn’t guarantee them security votes, no security cover, making them vulnerable to insecurity themselves.
“Some traditional rulers have been kidnapped or killed by hoodlums or cultists after providing intelligence report. There’s hardly any confidentiality when they give information to security operatives.
“On top of all that, the study revealed an emerging threat of undue politicisation of chieftaincy matters. Governors impose traditional rulers, make and unmake monarchs without regards to the tradition and customers guiding such stools.”
Responding to cases of governors and officeholders denigrating monarchs and their stools, Cross River State monarch rom Ugep, Obol Ofem Ubana Eteng, vowed, “If you come to my palace to insult me, your car will not start as you leave.
“If you insult me or try as much to denigrate or dismiss me from a throne bestowed on me by people, customs, tradition and God, you will not complete your tenure.”
The Chairman, Cross River State Traditional Rulers Council, Dr. Etim Okon Edet, said, “Government has become a meddlesome interloper in chieftaincy affairs. Kingship is
By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.