News

‘We’re Aiming At New Constitution For Nigeria’

Published

5 years ago

July 16, 2021

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the 9th Assembly would review the entire 1999 Constitution with the aim of birthing a document that will reflect democratic ideals and resolve foundational conflicts threatening Nigeria’s journey to nationhood.
The Speaker made the disclosure in his speech to mark the end of the legislative year.
The House proceeded on its annual vacation, yesterday, after the plenary.
Gbajabiamila said, “The constitutional amendment process in the House of Representatives continues apace. We have received submissions from across the country. We have conducted nationwide public hearings to seek the views of the Nigerian people so that the final product of the process reflects as much as is possible, the best expectations of our fellow citizens. As I have said before, this constitutional amendment process is unlike those that came before.
“This time, we seek nothing less than a wholesale review of the constitution with the express intention of crafting a document that reflects the democratic ideal, and at the same time resolves those foundational conflicts of our nationhood that hinder our march to progress. The current constitution of our Federal Republic reflects our past. We need a constitution that speaks to our present and makes a better future possible. And it is our commitment in this 9th House of Representatives to deliver such a constitution.”
The Speaker also appealed to the members and Nigerians in general not to give heed to actions and utterances that will tear the nation apart.
“This year there have been too many occasions when good faith efforts by the House of Representatives to address questions of law and regulation have been misconstrued as an attempt to perpetuate injustice against the people we serve. I am not unmindful of the fact that some of these reactions are result of years of broken promises by politicians and government. Yet, it is also evident that there are those who for-profit and ambition, have devoted themselves to creating conflict, and engendering in our citizens the kind of cynicism that makes all constructive collaboration impossible.
“Fellow Nigerians, let us take care not to give ourselves over to those who try to exploit our legitimate grievances to create chaos and disaffection. We must not heed the call of those who propose no solutions but stand ever ready to cast aspersions and insinuate the worst motives of our action. Our problems are real, and the challenges we face are significant.”

Those problems will not be made less real, nor will we overcome our challenges, if rather than work together in the cause of nation-building, we stand in permanent opposition to one another – tribe against tribe, region against region, partisan against partisan.
“Citizens and leaders alike have choices to make about our future, about the country we want to live in and leave to the next generation. Some of such choices will be difficult, requiring us to make sacrifices and endure difficulties. Some other choices will sometimes cause us to disagree.
“We must decide at this moment in time whether we are prepared to learn from and call on the lessons of our history so that we may be inspired therefrom to rise once more in defence of our values, our interests, and the dignity of all our nation’s people. Let us work to re-establish in our country, the bonds of brotherhood that allow us to disagree but never to forget that in the end, through whatever may come, we are family, bound one to another, and we must look out for each other”, he said.
Regretting the deadly dimensions Covid-19 has assumed, Gbajabiamila urged Nigerians to pursue personal hygiene.
He said, “Distinguished colleagues, unfortunately, despite the valiant efforts of scientists who have discovered a vaccine, and notwithstanding efforts by governments and others, to make those vaccines available, Covid-19 has emerged with a new and deadly variant that threatens our world once more. We have already seen the devastation that this disease is capable of, and as such, we must not allow ourselves to be left to its mercy.
“It is time for us now to take the same precautions of personal hygiene and social interaction that we did last year when the pandemic was at its most potent. Let us take the opportunity of this recess to speak to our constituents and provide them with the tools they need to protect themselves against this deadly disease.”
The Speaker also announced the suspension of the activities of all committees of the House except that of the Finance working on the Medium Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the internal security.
“As we come to the end of this legislative period, we recognise that where much has been done, there is still a lot left to do. We are aware that though much has been achieved, there remain many challenges that task us, that require of us that we work harder, collaborate better, and make the hard decisions that are required for progress and prosperity. This recess is therefore an opportunity for members of the Honourable House to engage with constituents to understand the areas of their most pressing concerns so that when we return, we can begin to address those as a matter of the highest priority.
“The work of the legislature never ends. Even though we will not be here in chambers making laws and advocating for our people, our attention will still be required in our constituencies on other engagements relating to our service in this House of Representatives. Nevertheless, let us all endeavour to use this recess to spend time with our families, and for deep reflection, to examine ourselves and assess the quality of the service we have each provided this year.
“It is from such reflection, that we will be able to determine those areas where improvements are needed, and where we need to do better than we did in the past year. To this end, all committee assignments except finance working on MTEF and the Internal Security that will be working on the security on our premises, are suspended till resumption”, he said.

News

NDLEA Arrests Four Notorious Female Drug Dealers In Four States

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested four notorious female drug dealers in Edo, Imo, Kano, and Gombe states.

The Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.

Giving a breakdown, Babafemi said that in Edo, an intense sweep of notorious drug hotspots within Benin City by NDLEA operatives on June 2 led to the arrest of four key traffickers, including three females.

“At Uyosa, Benin City, two female suspects were nabbed with a cocktail of illicit substances, including 176 grams of skunk, 65g of Loud, and 5 grams of Methamphetamine.

“Along Agbor road in Benin City, another female suspect, 21-year-old Anita Abraham, was apprehended with 95 grams of Scottish Loud and 329 grams of regular Loud.

“At Upper Mission, Benin City, a male suspect was arrested with a diverse cache of psychotropic substances consisting of Loud, Colorado, Swinol, and Methamphetamine.

“A swift operation by operatives in Kano State on Thursday, June 4, led to the arrest of a 19-year-old suspect, Saifullahi Lawan at the Kafi area of Madobi, with 40 blocks of skunk weighing a total of 38 kilograms,” NDLEA said.

In a related development, Babafemi said, operatives in Gombe state intercepted a 28-year-old suspect on June 1 near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area of Gombe.

“The suspect was caught with 15,000 capsules of tramadol,” he said.

He said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands and formations equally continued across the country in the past week.

Reacting to the string of successful operations, the NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa commended the officers, men and women of the Imo, Edo, Kano, and Gombe commands for their resilience and vigilance.

Marwa also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

He re-emphasised that the agency remains fully committed to dismantling drug supply chains and would continue to target traffickers regardless of age, gender, or concealment methods.

News

Navy Intercepts Over 135,000 Litres Of Stolen AGO In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Navy says its operatives under Operation Delta Sentinel have intercepted over 135,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) during separate operations in Rivers State waterways.

Director of Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the operations were carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder around the Onne and Abonema axis.

He said the seizures were made during routine patrols aimed at curbing crude oil theft and illegal fuel transportation across creeks in the state.

In one of the operations, naval personnel intercepted a fibre boat at the entrance of Owogono Creek in Ogu-Bolo Local Government Area carrying drums and jerrycans filled with suspected stolen AGO.

According to him, the occupants abandoned the boat and fled into nearby creeks, while the vessel and about 63,000 litres of product were recovered.

In another operation around Abonema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, patrol teams intercepted a wooden boat conveying about 72,000 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO concealed in sacks.

The Navy said the products were being transported through waterways for onward distribution before the operation disrupted the movement.

Folorunsho said the recoveries highlight the continued exploitation of creek networks by criminal elements for illegal petroleum product transportation.

He added that all recovered items were handled in line with established procedures on anti-crude oil theft operations.

The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling illegal oil networks and protecting Nigeria’s maritime economic assets.

News

PERM SEC Tasks PUBLIC SERVANTS TO EMBRACE ACCOUNTABILITY

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

The Permanent Secretary of Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr Honour Sirawoo mni, has charged public servants to embrace accountability and prudent management of public resources, stressing that government funds must be utilised responsibly.

Dr. Sirawoo made the assertion during the 41st anniversary of The Rivers State Television (RSTV), in Elelenwo.

He noted that public service demands commitment and sacrifice, urging workers to justify the opportunities entrusted to them through diligengence and productivity.

“All I try to do is to see that we have value for every kobo that we spend and value for our time.

“Government has a social responsibility to provide opportunities, but when you have one, you must guard it through hard work and ensure your presence is justified,” he stated.

The Permanent Secretary further appealed to workers to see themselves as ambassadors of their respective institutions, adding that government remains committed to creating employment opportunities and improving public service delivery.

Also speaking, former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr (Mrs.) Christiana Atako, praised the station’s professionalism and consistency despite operational challenges.

“We have never been disappointed. In spite of all the challenges RSTV had at that time, they never failed us. They carried our stories very well,” she said.

Dr Atako encouraged staff members to continually improve themselves through training, education and professional development in order to remain competitive in the evolving media industry.

Earlier, Acting General Manager of RSTV, Ambassador Paul Damgbor, described the anniversary celebration as an opportunity to reflect on the station’s journey of over four decades and appreciate those who have contributed to its development.

Pastor Damgbor said that the station had recorded remarkable improvements in recent months through the acquisition of digital cameras, computers as well as upgrades in audio and visual production facilities.

“We have seen great change. We were able to get new brand digital cameras and improve on our audio. We have also provided new computers for key departments, including News, Programmes and the Library,” Damgbor remarked.

He also unveiled a commemorative magazine chronicling the history and achievements of the station, describing it as a valuable reference material for preserving RSTV’s heritage.

The Acting General Manager, however, expressed concern over the theft of critical equipment from the station’s transformer, a development he said had forced the organisation to rely heavily on generator power supply.

The Senior Pastor of Gateway International Church, Pastor George Izunma, who gave a short charge during the event, urged media practitioners to uphold the ethics of journalism and remain committed to accuracy in reporting.

“You are pressmen. You are okay to doubt, but verify,” he advised, stressing the importance of credibility and responsibility in the profession.

He equally highlighted the need to “ask the help of God, sow a seed of help, and step into something as if you have help” stressing the need to move by faith for growth.

Some participants at the event also raised concerns about employment opportunities while commending RSTV’s growth and contributions to public enlightenment in Rivers State.

A major highlight of the celebration was the presentation of an award to the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications in recognition of its diligence and service to the people of the state. Dr Honour Sirawoo also received a special award for his contributions to the growth and development of RSTV.

Awards were equally presented to outstanding members of staff of RSTV for exemplary performance and their dedication to duty.

The event also featured the unveiling and launch of the RSTV commemorative magazine as well as a tour of the station’s newly built cafeteria and other facilities.

The celebration marked another milestone in the station’s 41-year history and reaffirmed its commitment to excellence in public broadcasting.