Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Ghost workers and national minimum wage
Within the past two weeks, there
have been no fewer than three
reports of discovery of ghost
workers fleecing the public treasury
of badly needed funds. Ghost
workers, for those who may not be
familiar with the Nigerian parlance,
are non-existent workers collecting
salaries from public institutions.
These ghosts are not the bodiless
spirits that scared children in the
folktales of old, but non-existent
characters for whom bank accounts
are opened and operated by some
unscrupulous people who pay
salaries into them in grand theft
schemes that have been an
albatross for government over the
years.
The public offices at which ghost
workers have been detected of late
are the National Identity
Management Commission (NIMC),
which confirmed that 4000 of its
10,300 workers are ghosts. This
problem came to light after
completion of the commission’s
biometric data capture system. The
Director General of the Commission,
Mr. Chris Onyemenam, said apart
from the 4000 ghost workers, 800
employees could also not show up
during a staff identification process.
Elimination of the ghost workers is
expected to save the Commission
millions of naira that would have
been paid out as salaries.
The Rivers State Universal Basic
Education Board (RSUBEB) has also
discovered 1,477 ghost workers in
the state’s Ministry of Education. The
chairman of RSUBED, Mr. Ali
Oruitemeka, said about N200 million
would be saved monthly following
the deletion of names of the ghost
workers from the ministry of
education payroll.
Also, Olusegun Aganga, former
finance minister now minister of
trade and investment, said about
43,000 ghost workers were
detected and removed from
government payroll in the last one
year. He explained that the fictitious
names were padded into the payroll
of 36 government ministries,
departments and agencies (MDAs)
but were discovered through the
newly introduced Integrated
Personnel and Payroll Information
System (IPPIS).
He said the problem led to a
situation in which personnel costs in
the Federal civil service increased to
N1.3 trillion from N850 billion
between 2009 and 2010. About N12
billion, he said, was recovered as a
result of the discovery. The
Inspector General of Police, Hafeez
Ringim, also sometime ago
disclosed that about 30 per cent of
the entire police workforce of
337,000 are ghost policemen who
have been collecting salaries from
the government for many years.
He said an audit of police personnel
revealed that there are no fewer
than 107,000 ghost policemen in the
country.
With so many ghost workers in the
public service, it is no surprise that
all tiers of government are
complaining that they cannot fund
the wage increase.
To free funds for higher wages, all
tiers of government should
embrace the new Integrated
Personnel and Payroll Information
System used by the federal
government to detect ghost
workers at the federal level.
Ghost workers should not be
allowed to cripple the nation’s
payment system. If ghost workers
are dealt with, it will leave more
funds that could assist in payment
of the National Minimum wage to
workers, and also fund
development of infrastructure
It is, however, necessary to go
beyond the frequent identification of
ghost workers on the government
payroll. It is also important to ask
how names of those ghost workers
got on the payroll in the first place.
For example, we have been told that
N200 million is being saved
following the discovery that that
amount was being paid to ghost
workers monthly at the Cross River
State Ministry of Education. But
now that the ghosts have been
detected, is it not possible to detect
the public officers, bank officials and
others that put these ghosts on the
payroll, and benefited from their
inclusion?
These ghost paymasters must be
brought to book to ensure that they
do not engage in such bad
practices, henceforth. It is necessary
to clean up the payroll system to
ensure that only genuine workers
take salaries. This should be done in
conjunction with reduction of waste
in public expenditure. Everything
should be done now to end the era
of ghost workers in the public
service.
The mass murder in Norway
My heart goes out today to Norway,
where a crazed man identified as 32-
year old Anders Behring Breivic
detonated a bomb in a government
office in the country’s capital, Oslo,
killing 7 people. He put on police
uniform and headed to a Labour
youth camp where he shot
indiscriminately into a crowd of
about 500 youths attending a youth
league meeting. At the end of the
crazy rampage of the man who
described himself as a “moderate
agnostic” who went on to become
“moderately religious”, an additional
85 people were dead, 96 injured
and many are still missing.
The mass murderer reportedly shot
many who tried to escape his
shooting spree by swimming away
from the island where the youth
programme was going on, with
many dying in the sea. A total of 92
people died.
This sordid incident has drawn
reactions from across the world,
including from America’s Barack
Obama and Nigeria’s Goodluck
Jonathan
The world is still seeking for
answers to the mass murders,
which the killer described as
“gruesome, but necessary.” What
could have gone wrong? What
button went loose in this killer’s
brain?
While the world searches for
answers, one can only condole with
the families of the dead. It is so sad
for them to lose loved ones who
were neither ill nor known to be
engaged in any risky activity. The
youths were only participants in a
youth camp when they were
gunned down by Breivic who has
confessed to being solely
responsible for the attacks.
At the time of writing this, he had
not given any reason for the callous
murder of 93 people. But, he
promised to do so in court. One
lesson that this saddening
murdering spree, and similar cases
of mass murders and suicides
across the world has thrown up is
the need for sensitivity to the
emotional status of people,
especially those who have access to
guns and other weapons.
Obviously, the man did just go
from being a good, moderately
religious man to a mass murderer.
There must have been signals that
were missed by those around him.
While the effort to make sense of
the dastardly killings continues, I
condole with the families of the dead
and ask God to grant them strength
to pass through this very difficult
time of their lives.
have been no fewer than three
reports of discovery of ghost
workers fleecing the public treasury
of badly needed funds. Ghost
workers, for those who may not be
familiar with the Nigerian parlance,
are non-existent workers collecting
salaries from public institutions.
These ghosts are not the bodiless
spirits that scared children in the
folktales of old, but non-existent
characters for whom bank accounts
are opened and operated by some
unscrupulous people who pay
salaries into them in grand theft
schemes that have been an
albatross for government over the
years.
The public offices at which ghost
workers have been detected of late
are the National Identity
Management Commission (NIMC),
which confirmed that 4000 of its
10,300 workers are ghosts. This
problem came to light after
completion of the commission’s
biometric data capture system. The
Director General of the Commission,
Mr. Chris Onyemenam, said apart
from the 4000 ghost workers, 800
employees could also not show up
during a staff identification process.
Elimination of the ghost workers is
expected to save the Commission
millions of naira that would have
been paid out as salaries.
The Rivers State Universal Basic
Education Board (RSUBEB) has also
discovered 1,477 ghost workers in
the state’s Ministry of Education. The
chairman of RSUBED, Mr. Ali
Oruitemeka, said about N200 million
would be saved monthly following
the deletion of names of the ghost
workers from the ministry of
education payroll.
Also, Olusegun Aganga, former
finance minister now minister of
trade and investment, said about
43,000 ghost workers were
detected and removed from
government payroll in the last one
year. He explained that the fictitious
names were padded into the payroll
of 36 government ministries,
departments and agencies (MDAs)
but were discovered through the
newly introduced Integrated
Personnel and Payroll Information
System (IPPIS).
He said the problem led to a
situation in which personnel costs in
the Federal civil service increased to
N1.3 trillion from N850 billion
between 2009 and 2010. About N12
billion, he said, was recovered as a
result of the discovery. The
Inspector General of Police, Hafeez
Ringim, also sometime ago
disclosed that about 30 per cent of
the entire police workforce of
337,000 are ghost policemen who
have been collecting salaries from
the government for many years.
He said an audit of police personnel
revealed that there are no fewer
than 107,000 ghost policemen in the
country.
With so many ghost workers in the
public service, it is no surprise that
all tiers of government are
complaining that they cannot fund
the wage increase.
To free funds for higher wages, all
tiers of government should
embrace the new Integrated
Personnel and Payroll Information
System used by the federal
government to detect ghost
workers at the federal level.
Ghost workers should not be
allowed to cripple the nation’s
payment system. If ghost workers
are dealt with, it will leave more
funds that could assist in payment
of the National Minimum wage to
workers, and also fund
development of infrastructure
It is, however, necessary to go
beyond the frequent identification of
ghost workers on the government
payroll. It is also important to ask
how names of those ghost workers
got on the payroll in the first place.
For example, we have been told that
N200 million is being saved
following the discovery that that
amount was being paid to ghost
workers monthly at the Cross River
State Ministry of Education. But
now that the ghosts have been
detected, is it not possible to detect
the public officers, bank officials and
others that put these ghosts on the
payroll, and benefited from their
inclusion?
These ghost paymasters must be
brought to book to ensure that they
do not engage in such bad
practices, henceforth. It is necessary
to clean up the payroll system to
ensure that only genuine workers
take salaries. This should be done in
conjunction with reduction of waste
in public expenditure. Everything
should be done now to end the era
of ghost workers in the public
service.
The mass murder in Norway
My heart goes out today to Norway,
where a crazed man identified as 32-
year old Anders Behring Breivic
detonated a bomb in a government
office in the country’s capital, Oslo,
killing 7 people. He put on police
uniform and headed to a Labour
youth camp where he shot
indiscriminately into a crowd of
about 500 youths attending a youth
league meeting. At the end of the
crazy rampage of the man who
described himself as a “moderate
agnostic” who went on to become
“moderately religious”, an additional
85 people were dead, 96 injured
and many are still missing.
The mass murderer reportedly shot
many who tried to escape his
shooting spree by swimming away
from the island where the youth
programme was going on, with
many dying in the sea. A total of 92
people died.
This sordid incident has drawn
reactions from across the world,
including from America’s Barack
Obama and Nigeria’s Goodluck
Jonathan
The world is still seeking for
answers to the mass murders,
which the killer described as
“gruesome, but necessary.” What
could have gone wrong? What
button went loose in this killer’s
brain?
While the world searches for
answers, one can only condole with
the families of the dead. It is so sad
for them to lose loved ones who
were neither ill nor known to be
engaged in any risky activity. The
youths were only participants in a
youth camp when they were
gunned down by Breivic who has
confessed to being solely
responsible for the attacks.
At the time of writing this, he had
not given any reason for the callous
murder of 93 people. But, he
promised to do so in court. One
lesson that this saddening
murdering spree, and similar cases
of mass murders and suicides
across the world has thrown up is
the need for sensitivity to the
emotional status of people,
especially those who have access to
guns and other weapons.
Obviously, the man did just go
from being a good, moderately
religious man to a mass murderer.
There must have been signals that
were missed by those around him.
While the effort to make sense of
the dastardly killings continues, I
condole with the families of the dead
and ask God to grant them strength
to pass through this very difficult
time of their lives.
Complacement government and bogey of insecurity
Today, despite interdependence of
nations on economic and other
spheres of life, a sovereign state is
expected not only to be independent
in her relationship with other
countries in matters crucial to her
survival but also competent to
handle her affairs without resorting
to others.
Limitation to the interdependence of
nations becomes obvious in matters
on which a sovereign state cannot
compromise. The most important
of such matter is security. Without
security, there cannot be a
conducive atmosphere for
economic, commercial activities, not
to talk of learning, industrial
progress and development.
The government, as the agent of the
state, is charged by the 1999 Federal
Republic of Nigeria Constitution to
guarantee security of lives and
property. On Boko Haram sect
threatening national security, the
authorities responsible for internal
security and police routine duties
have woefully failed.
It appears the Federal Government
is complacent on issues of security.
The authorities are unrealistically
optimistic that nothing untowards
would happen. When it does, the
unprepared Federal Government
shivers, trembles and scampers to
other countries for assistance and
rescue.
After the bombing of Abuja last
October to scare away people from
attending the independence golden
jubilee of Nigeria at Eagle Square in
Abuja by the South-South militants,
the government sought assistance
of Mossad, Israeli security agency.
The Boko Haram, an Islamic sect,
opposed to Western education,
bombed the police headquarters,
Louis Edet House, in Abuja and the
Federal Government shamelessly
invited the United States (US) Federal
Bureau of Investigation to unravel
those behind the dastardly act that
claimed many lives and property.
Now, that the Customs and Excise
House in Maiduguri, Borno State,
has been bombed, which country is
the government running to for
solution? Complacence is the
mother of myopia in state’s affairs.
It, undoubtedly, begets perdition.
Complacence has infected the
gamut of Nigerian security agencies
and even political bosses.
Roman empire began its march to
collapse when the emperor and his
military subordinates resorted to
fighting their war with auxiliary
soldiers, who were not Romans. To
farm out Nigeria’s security
challenges is the worse crime
reasonable government will commit
against its people. Have the clowns
in the corridor of power forgotten
that the US has predicted that
Nigeria will fall apart in year 2015?
Last year, the south-south militants
invaded Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos.
If the buccaneers were an invading
legion, they would have overrun
and occupied a large expanse of the
country’s hinterland before the
complacent Nigerian Navy and its
Air Force and Army counterparts
would wake up from their slumber
to confront the enemy.
When the Boko Haram came out of
its lair in Bauchi 2009, killing,
maiming and vandalising property,
the police checkmated the sect’s
leader, Yusuf, and indiscretionally
killed him extra-judicially. What the
police did is wrong and indefensible.
Yusuf’s followers felt aggrieved.
Now, as a phoenix, the sect has
risen from the doziness of last
pummeling of the police. Its
members have adopted guerrilla
tactics riding motorcycles to unleash
murder and arson on the people.
Today, Boko Haram has created
fear, insecurity and uncertainty. The
sect has proved that its snake’s head
was scotched not cut. Surprisingly,
the army is mounting road blocks
and adopting conventional method
to fight them.
Robert Watt in an Essay on the
Polity, defines polity as a people and
a constable. The constable, which in
this instance, represents all the state
security agencies is to ensure order,
peace and good governance. The
Federal Government which controls
the army and the police should be
held responsible. May be. The
President gets his too and the heads
of the three tiers of government are
not accountable to the public on
how they spend the monthly
security votes. Have they been
spending the vote on security or
pocketing it as their cut of the
national cake?
nations on economic and other
spheres of life, a sovereign state is
expected not only to be independent
in her relationship with other
countries in matters crucial to her
survival but also competent to
handle her affairs without resorting
to others.
Limitation to the interdependence of
nations becomes obvious in matters
on which a sovereign state cannot
compromise. The most important
of such matter is security. Without
security, there cannot be a
conducive atmosphere for
economic, commercial activities, not
to talk of learning, industrial
progress and development.
The government, as the agent of the
state, is charged by the 1999 Federal
Republic of Nigeria Constitution to
guarantee security of lives and
property. On Boko Haram sect
threatening national security, the
authorities responsible for internal
security and police routine duties
have woefully failed.
It appears the Federal Government
is complacent on issues of security.
The authorities are unrealistically
optimistic that nothing untowards
would happen. When it does, the
unprepared Federal Government
shivers, trembles and scampers to
other countries for assistance and
rescue.
After the bombing of Abuja last
October to scare away people from
attending the independence golden
jubilee of Nigeria at Eagle Square in
Abuja by the South-South militants,
the government sought assistance
of Mossad, Israeli security agency.
The Boko Haram, an Islamic sect,
opposed to Western education,
bombed the police headquarters,
Louis Edet House, in Abuja and the
Federal Government shamelessly
invited the United States (US) Federal
Bureau of Investigation to unravel
those behind the dastardly act that
claimed many lives and property.
Now, that the Customs and Excise
House in Maiduguri, Borno State,
has been bombed, which country is
the government running to for
solution? Complacence is the
mother of myopia in state’s affairs.
It, undoubtedly, begets perdition.
Complacence has infected the
gamut of Nigerian security agencies
and even political bosses.
Roman empire began its march to
collapse when the emperor and his
military subordinates resorted to
fighting their war with auxiliary
soldiers, who were not Romans. To
farm out Nigeria’s security
challenges is the worse crime
reasonable government will commit
against its people. Have the clowns
in the corridor of power forgotten
that the US has predicted that
Nigeria will fall apart in year 2015?
Last year, the south-south militants
invaded Atlas Cove Jetty in Lagos.
If the buccaneers were an invading
legion, they would have overrun
and occupied a large expanse of the
country’s hinterland before the
complacent Nigerian Navy and its
Air Force and Army counterparts
would wake up from their slumber
to confront the enemy.
When the Boko Haram came out of
its lair in Bauchi 2009, killing,
maiming and vandalising property,
the police checkmated the sect’s
leader, Yusuf, and indiscretionally
killed him extra-judicially. What the
police did is wrong and indefensible.
Yusuf’s followers felt aggrieved.
Now, as a phoenix, the sect has
risen from the doziness of last
pummeling of the police. Its
members have adopted guerrilla
tactics riding motorcycles to unleash
murder and arson on the people.
Today, Boko Haram has created
fear, insecurity and uncertainty. The
sect has proved that its snake’s head
was scotched not cut. Surprisingly,
the army is mounting road blocks
and adopting conventional method
to fight them.
Robert Watt in an Essay on the
Polity, defines polity as a people and
a constable. The constable, which in
this instance, represents all the state
security agencies is to ensure order,
peace and good governance. The
Federal Government which controls
the army and the police should be
held responsible. May be. The
President gets his too and the heads
of the three tiers of government are
not accountable to the public on
how they spend the monthly
security votes. Have they been
spending the vote on security or
pocketing it as their cut of the
national cake?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
AMERICAN-NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY
The meaning of the abbreviation ICT, I am sure, you know too well (Information and Communication Technology), but how about CS? You have no idea of what it means? Well, for the pregnant mother waiting in a labour room to be delivered of her baby through surgery or medical operation, it may mean caesarian section (CS) but at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, CS stands for Community Service. Tagged SSS, abbreviation initials it shares with Nigeria’s State Security Service or Senior Secondary School, at AUN, SSS stands for Students Serving Society. A totally new concept in the university- community relationship, endorsed by the President of the university, Dr. Margee Ensign, the spirit behind it seems to be driving every student and staff that you see on the university campus to go looking for whatever help they can offer to make themselves relevant in the lives of the people of their community. Such services include teaching the local school pupils, painting their schools, coaching them on some sporting skills, and lending financial help to indigent students where necessary, etc. “There was one school we went to, Miss Hashiya Sanusi-Bayero, grand- daughter of the Ado Bayero of Kano, recalls in a chat with Education Review. “The teachers there did not have enough chalk to write with. In fact, the situation was such that the whole school had only one packet of chalk, to which the teachers returned the rest of the chalk they wrote with at the end of the school day; otherwise they would not see the chalk to write with, the following day. We bought for the school enough packets of chalk to go round the classrooms. Coming from a fairly comfortable environment, this community service of a thing has opened my eyes to see the sufferings that others are going through and to see the way I can help. I find the experience very exciting.” “For me it is very exciting to see our students take to a programme that says you are not here in this planet just for yourself; you are here to share with others what you have,” Dr. Margee Ensign, President of AUN, remarks. “The vision here is to never have a separation between knowledge for own sake; the knowledge we have should be applied to make things better. So we are talking about reorienting our programmes to connect the theory with the application. The Social Entrepreneurship programme is a vehicle for doing that. “When I first came here I was told, ‘oh, Nigerian students didn’t do community service.’ It is not something they might be interested in. To the contrary, once we really opened up opportunities for AUN students they liked it. I think it is one of the exciting things on campus – our students serving society. They go into the community on Fridays. Last semester 270 students worked half of the day every Friday for the entire semester.” In Yola, the natives are grateful for the much-needed help they’ve receiving through the AUN’s community service. It was such Macedonian call for help that propelled Ebuka Ukwa, majoring in Communications, to, in October, last year, donate over N30,000 to 15 indigent orphans studying at Government Day Secondary School, Yola. Ukwa told AUN NEWSLETTER, an in-house publication of the university, that he was inspired to make the donation following a trip to the school where he was moved by the inability of the orphaned students to pay their school fees standing in arrears for two years. The beneficiaries, who are all in the Junior School cadre (JSS), were on the verge of withdrawing because of their parents’ incapacity to pay their fees. Ukwa said the donation was meant to clear the outstanding fees and pay in advance for another full academic session. “I think the community is really thrilled with these new initiatives,” Ensign said. “We have tremendous economic power in this community. We need to reach out more and I think the community is responding very favourably. So I see very positive reactions in what the students are doing.” “Impressions about us are beginning to change as they see a lot of our students going to do community service,” Abubakar Abba Tahir, Director of PR and Communications, adds. There’s another angle to the Social Entrepreneurship or the SSS philosophy and that is the angle of fellow students engaging in whatever menial job they can do or social services they can render, this time, for a fee, in order to raise money to, collectively, take care of the financial needs (including tuition and boarding fees) of indigent students among them. Sometimes, the more buoyant ones task themselves to raise some money from their pocket money, in order to help. “We are like one big family here,” Sanusi-Bayero, quips. Education Review discovered this to be true the week it visited the campus. Pasted by AUNHS (American University of Nigeria Honours Society), on one of the notice boards in Peter Okocha’s Hall was this notice. “Members of the AUN Faculty will be cycling from Numan to Yola on the 26th of February, in order to raise money for the AUNHS Scholarship fund for AUN students”, a part of it read. “Join us in creating the AUNHS SCHOLARSHIP FUND!!! 1 mile = 1.609km =N500. Then it adds that “donations are accepted per mile. No contribution is too small.” In case you don’t understand what you’ve just read, what the notice is saying in a nutshell is that financial proceeds from the “Cycling for Charity” event will be used to take care of the financial needs of indigent AUN students. In fact, sources say 10 per cent of the internally gen
UNN: Visitation panel decries poor academic standards in varsities, extols Zik
The 2010 visitation panel set up by
the federal government to the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has
commenced sitting at the Nsukka
campus. The chairman of the 11-
man panel, Prof. Nuridin Adedipe,
said the panel was set up to look
into the activities of the university
between 2004 and 2010 and how it
has implemented the white paper
of the previous visitation panel.
Addressing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof
Bartho Okolo, and other principal
officers, during a visit, the panel
chairman said the main duty of the
panel was to see how much the
university has implemented the
White Paper issued by the Federal
Government during the previous
visitation panel and added that the
way it was implemented would
determine the progress made by
the university within the period
under review.
The chairman decried the poor
academic standards in Nigerian
universities which he said was at
variance with the academic
qualityexperienced with the old
generation universities when they
came on board in the 60s and in
early 70s.
The panel, Adedipe said, would
under the terms of reference,
determine the administration’s
relationship with vital organs of the
university as well as government
agencies and the private sector. The
panel would also, look into the
university’s relationship with the
host community, the unions, staff
and students as well as the council.
“We are on a fact-finding mission to
make UNN a better place than we
met it,” the chairman assured and
commended the Vice-Chancellor for
his wonderful achievement within
his short tenure in office especially,
in the area of environmental facelift
of the university.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor
urged the members of the panel to
assist the university in its efforts to
be one of the best in the world and
in Africa. Prof Okolo said his
administration has done much in
the area of collaboration with other
foreign universities especially in the
United States, adding that this has
yielded great dividends.
He said the UNN has the best ICT
infrastructure in Africa. Prof Okolo
expressed the hope that the panel
would discharge its function
dispassionately without engaging in
witch-hunting. Meanwhile, the panel
has called for memorandum from
stakeholders and members of the
university community.
Meanwhile, the panel has visited the
traditional ruler of Aji, Igwe (Dr.)
Simion Osisi Itodo in his palace, in
Aji in Igbo-Eze North Local
Government Area, Enugu State.
Speaking during the visit, Prof
Adedipe told Igwe Itodo that every
five years the Federal Government
sets panels to look into the activities
of its universities to take stock of
development there within a period
of six years. “In this case, we are
looking into the activities of UNN
between 2004 and 2010.”
He said that the panel will look into
the funding of the university; the
money released to them and how it
was used. He said that the panel’s
term of reference that brought them
to the Igwe’s palace was the
determination of the kind of
relationship that exists between the
host community and the university.
“We want to find out whether or
not the community has benefited
from the university,” he said.
“Secondly, how peaceful is the
interaction between the host
community and the university? We
would look into the historical
evolution of the university, in other
words, how did the university start,
how did the university evolve, if
possible why Nsukka was chosen
for the establishment of the
university? We would also want to
know how the community has
benefited from the university’s
agricultural department, how it has
impacted on the rural farmers by
way of extension services including
making available technical assistance
on modern agricultural method to
farmers.”
Welcoming the panel, the royal
father who is the deputy chairman,
Enugu State Council of Traditional
Rulers, paid glowing tributes to Dr
Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President
of Nigeria and the Owelle of Onitsha,
who, as the Premier of Eastern
Region, founded the university at
Nsukka. It will be recalled that the
traditional ruler of Eha-Alumona in
Nsukka Local Government, Eze Igwe
Dr Charles Abangwu, had earlier
praised the Great Zik when the panel
visited him in his palace. Abangwu,
who is also a former pro-chancellor
of Enugu State University of Science
and Technology (ESUT), expressed
his delight at the foresight that gave
birth to UNN.
Tracing the history of UNN, Igwe
Itodo said: “I have been on this
throne for about 28years. I know
everything about the university, its
origin and who made it possible. It
started in 1960 and I know
everything about its history from
inception till date; both during the
military administration and the
civilian regime. Our place was a
remote and backward area but Dr
Azikiwe in his magnanimity decided
to open up the area by bringing the
university to us. His colleagues in
the Eastern House of Assembly
were opposed to this and called him
names. Today, the university
remains the only federal
governments presence in our area
and the greatest employer of labour.
We owe the great Zik a big debt.
We know how to receive strangers.
Zik lived all his life here at the Onuiyi
Haven. We will never forget him.
His name has been immortalized
here.”
Speaking on the community’s
relationship with the university, he
said: “There was a time when we
did not have cordial relationship
with the university authority but the
relationship between the host
community improved greatly
during the tenure of the immediate
past Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chinedu
Nebo and has continued to improve
more and more under the current
one, Prof Bartho Okolo.”
On how the host community and
the university can maintain cordial
relationship, Itodo pleaded with
Professor Adedipe to “please, help
us to ensure that the employment
quota allocated to the host
community is not tampered with”,
noting that “we are asking for
employment of our people in
positions other than higher
academic positions as a
compensation for offering our land
to the Federal Government.”
The DVC Administration, Prof
Egbeke Aja, who led the panel
members to the Igwe’s palace,
thanked the Igwe for his hospitality
and for receiving them even at short
notice.
the federal government to the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has
commenced sitting at the Nsukka
campus. The chairman of the 11-
man panel, Prof. Nuridin Adedipe,
said the panel was set up to look
into the activities of the university
between 2004 and 2010 and how it
has implemented the white paper
of the previous visitation panel.
Addressing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof
Bartho Okolo, and other principal
officers, during a visit, the panel
chairman said the main duty of the
panel was to see how much the
university has implemented the
White Paper issued by the Federal
Government during the previous
visitation panel and added that the
way it was implemented would
determine the progress made by
the university within the period
under review.
The chairman decried the poor
academic standards in Nigerian
universities which he said was at
variance with the academic
qualityexperienced with the old
generation universities when they
came on board in the 60s and in
early 70s.
The panel, Adedipe said, would
under the terms of reference,
determine the administration’s
relationship with vital organs of the
university as well as government
agencies and the private sector. The
panel would also, look into the
university’s relationship with the
host community, the unions, staff
and students as well as the council.
“We are on a fact-finding mission to
make UNN a better place than we
met it,” the chairman assured and
commended the Vice-Chancellor for
his wonderful achievement within
his short tenure in office especially,
in the area of environmental facelift
of the university.
Responding, the Vice-Chancellor
urged the members of the panel to
assist the university in its efforts to
be one of the best in the world and
in Africa. Prof Okolo said his
administration has done much in
the area of collaboration with other
foreign universities especially in the
United States, adding that this has
yielded great dividends.
He said the UNN has the best ICT
infrastructure in Africa. Prof Okolo
expressed the hope that the panel
would discharge its function
dispassionately without engaging in
witch-hunting. Meanwhile, the panel
has called for memorandum from
stakeholders and members of the
university community.
Meanwhile, the panel has visited the
traditional ruler of Aji, Igwe (Dr.)
Simion Osisi Itodo in his palace, in
Aji in Igbo-Eze North Local
Government Area, Enugu State.
Speaking during the visit, Prof
Adedipe told Igwe Itodo that every
five years the Federal Government
sets panels to look into the activities
of its universities to take stock of
development there within a period
of six years. “In this case, we are
looking into the activities of UNN
between 2004 and 2010.”
He said that the panel will look into
the funding of the university; the
money released to them and how it
was used. He said that the panel’s
term of reference that brought them
to the Igwe’s palace was the
determination of the kind of
relationship that exists between the
host community and the university.
“We want to find out whether or
not the community has benefited
from the university,” he said.
“Secondly, how peaceful is the
interaction between the host
community and the university? We
would look into the historical
evolution of the university, in other
words, how did the university start,
how did the university evolve, if
possible why Nsukka was chosen
for the establishment of the
university? We would also want to
know how the community has
benefited from the university’s
agricultural department, how it has
impacted on the rural farmers by
way of extension services including
making available technical assistance
on modern agricultural method to
farmers.”
Welcoming the panel, the royal
father who is the deputy chairman,
Enugu State Council of Traditional
Rulers, paid glowing tributes to Dr
Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President
of Nigeria and the Owelle of Onitsha,
who, as the Premier of Eastern
Region, founded the university at
Nsukka. It will be recalled that the
traditional ruler of Eha-Alumona in
Nsukka Local Government, Eze Igwe
Dr Charles Abangwu, had earlier
praised the Great Zik when the panel
visited him in his palace. Abangwu,
who is also a former pro-chancellor
of Enugu State University of Science
and Technology (ESUT), expressed
his delight at the foresight that gave
birth to UNN.
Tracing the history of UNN, Igwe
Itodo said: “I have been on this
throne for about 28years. I know
everything about the university, its
origin and who made it possible. It
started in 1960 and I know
everything about its history from
inception till date; both during the
military administration and the
civilian regime. Our place was a
remote and backward area but Dr
Azikiwe in his magnanimity decided
to open up the area by bringing the
university to us. His colleagues in
the Eastern House of Assembly
were opposed to this and called him
names. Today, the university
remains the only federal
governments presence in our area
and the greatest employer of labour.
We owe the great Zik a big debt.
We know how to receive strangers.
Zik lived all his life here at the Onuiyi
Haven. We will never forget him.
His name has been immortalized
here.”
Speaking on the community’s
relationship with the university, he
said: “There was a time when we
did not have cordial relationship
with the university authority but the
relationship between the host
community improved greatly
during the tenure of the immediate
past Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chinedu
Nebo and has continued to improve
more and more under the current
one, Prof Bartho Okolo.”
On how the host community and
the university can maintain cordial
relationship, Itodo pleaded with
Professor Adedipe to “please, help
us to ensure that the employment
quota allocated to the host
community is not tampered with”,
noting that “we are asking for
employment of our people in
positions other than higher
academic positions as a
compensation for offering our land
to the Federal Government.”
The DVC Administration, Prof
Egbeke Aja, who led the panel
members to the Igwe’s palace,
thanked the Igwe for his hospitality
and for receiving them even at short
notice.
THE IDEOLOGY OF N'DIGBO POLITICS.
Alhaji Kashim Shettima,
Governor of Borno state is in
a dilemma. His attention is
torn between delivering upon
his promises to the people
and resolving the security
challenges facing his state.
The Federal Government has
waded in with full military
might, yet the situation looks
grim, and the citizenry is
being stretched to a point of
despair. Kashim Shettima has
opted for the carrot option as
he strives daily to win the
hearts of members of the
Yusuffiya or Boko Haram to a
roundtable. He has initiated
some other moves in the
hope that peace will be
restored in Borno, hitherto
acclaimed as the home of
peace.
From his pronouncements
and actions, the young
Governor has very good
programmes for the people
of Borno state, but the
security situation occasioned
by the activities of Boko
Haram has even made it
more imperative for him to
insist on his first line of duty,
which is the protection of
lives and property of citizens.
With the public apology
tendered to Boko Haram
members by the trio of
Danjuma Goje, Isa Yuguda
and Ali Modu Sheriff,
Nigerians expected the
situation to abate, but
contrary to that expectation,
Boko Haram seems to have
defied all logic and has
continued to grow in
sophistication, no thanks to
the political dimensions the
crisis seems to have
assumed. For sheer political
reasons, those who are
supposed to sympathize with
the governor by making
reasonable inputs towards
resolving the crisis have been
busy plotting further
mischief, if only to rubbish
the All Nigeria People’s Party
Government in the state.
It is true that Kashim
Shettima came in when the
citizenry is at a point of
despair, as killings and
bombings become the
orders of the day, even as
fear becomes a mode of
perception in the minds of
everyone. The challenges
seem to be growing by the
day to both Government and
the security agencies. To
most Nigerians, Boko Haram
seems to be winning the
war. What started like a
minor insurgence against the
Government of Borno state
has metamorphosed into a
national calamity, capable of
undermining the security of
the entire nation.
Perceived inmjustices
Six weeks in the saddle, not
many people are giving
Kashim Shettima a chance,
yet he looks determined to
redress all perceived
injustices and give a listening
ear to all aggrieved persons,
including adherents of the
Boko Haram. Shettima’s offer
of dialogue with leaders of
the Boko Haram, was a
departure from the
combative approach of the
past, and has attracted
commendation from a
variety of other leaders. In
the same vein, Sherrif’s
public apology was
considered a statesmanlike
response.
Kashim may have opened a
new chapter in the
management of the crisis by
not only offering to dialogue,
but going ahead to offer
amnesty to those willing to
lay down their arms. I do not
have any cause to doubt his
sincerity of purpose when he
first muted the idea, and he
has remained consistent in
his call for Boko Haram
members to give him the
benefits of doubt. Reports in
the media gave the
impression that Kashim’s
proposal is getting attention.
And as tough as the
conditions for dialogue as
given by the sect may be, it
is indicative that for the first
time there is the tendency for
parties in the conflict to
correspond.
Whether the Governor’s
overtures are acceptable or
not, and or whether his offer
of amnesty is the appropriate
thing to do or not, are issues
for another day. What is
paramount at this juncture is
the fact that there is a
significant change in
approach from the
authorities, and it should be
given a chance. Comments
from international and local
analysts indicate that the
option of dialogue has a wide
appeal, and it may be the
magic wand needed to
resolve the imbroglio. Recent
events point to the fact that
physical force may only give
a temporary respite. So far,
the incidents recorded show
that physical force is
becoming less fancied.
What appears more
worrisome to the Governor
is perhaps the fact that,
whether as members of the
sect or victims of their
strikes, those affected are his
citizens, whom he has the
primary duty to protect.
More than every citizen,
Governor Shettima is worried
by the growing sophistication
in the operations of Boko
Haram and the attendant
casualties, and he appears
prepared to do anything if
only for peace to return to his
state. What Governor Kashim
may not be prepared for is
perhaps a dialogue with
political marauders and
criminals who hide under
Boko Haram to perpetrate
atrocities in the state.
Political vendetta
The State Security Service
recently confirmed to the
world that Boko has elements
of political vendetta. The
disposition of opposition
political parties in the state,
coupled with the curious
finds where political party
insignia and posters of
politicians were found on the
vehicles of some suspected
bombers, nothing could be
more factual that the Boko
Haram menace has gone out
of the seeming religious
realm, and has assumed the
colour of political vendetta
war. To this end, one may be
right to attune that Governor
Kashim’s quest for peace
may be frustrated, unless
members of Boko Haram
clear the air on the perceived
politicization of their
struggles. As much as
Nigerians cherish a quick
resolution of the crisis, using
Governor Kashim’s
approach, the political
coloration to the conflict
seems to suggest that, any
peace achieved under the
circumstances is peace of the
graveyard.
For now, it is on record that
Governor Shettima of Borno
state is offering to negotiate
peace with real adherents of
Boko Haram amidst
competing threats from
politicians and criminals.
It is also on record that
members of the sect have
offered to negotiate on
conditions. It is unmistakable
that the Governor’s desire for
peace outweighs all other
plans for the development of
Borno state. What the world
is waiting to see is the day
Borno will return to take its
place as the citadel of peace.
How soon that comes is the
thing to worry about.
Governor of Borno state is in
a dilemma. His attention is
torn between delivering upon
his promises to the people
and resolving the security
challenges facing his state.
The Federal Government has
waded in with full military
might, yet the situation looks
grim, and the citizenry is
being stretched to a point of
despair. Kashim Shettima has
opted for the carrot option as
he strives daily to win the
hearts of members of the
Yusuffiya or Boko Haram to a
roundtable. He has initiated
some other moves in the
hope that peace will be
restored in Borno, hitherto
acclaimed as the home of
peace.
From his pronouncements
and actions, the young
Governor has very good
programmes for the people
of Borno state, but the
security situation occasioned
by the activities of Boko
Haram has even made it
more imperative for him to
insist on his first line of duty,
which is the protection of
lives and property of citizens.
With the public apology
tendered to Boko Haram
members by the trio of
Danjuma Goje, Isa Yuguda
and Ali Modu Sheriff,
Nigerians expected the
situation to abate, but
contrary to that expectation,
Boko Haram seems to have
defied all logic and has
continued to grow in
sophistication, no thanks to
the political dimensions the
crisis seems to have
assumed. For sheer political
reasons, those who are
supposed to sympathize with
the governor by making
reasonable inputs towards
resolving the crisis have been
busy plotting further
mischief, if only to rubbish
the All Nigeria People’s Party
Government in the state.
It is true that Kashim
Shettima came in when the
citizenry is at a point of
despair, as killings and
bombings become the
orders of the day, even as
fear becomes a mode of
perception in the minds of
everyone. The challenges
seem to be growing by the
day to both Government and
the security agencies. To
most Nigerians, Boko Haram
seems to be winning the
war. What started like a
minor insurgence against the
Government of Borno state
has metamorphosed into a
national calamity, capable of
undermining the security of
the entire nation.
Perceived inmjustices
Six weeks in the saddle, not
many people are giving
Kashim Shettima a chance,
yet he looks determined to
redress all perceived
injustices and give a listening
ear to all aggrieved persons,
including adherents of the
Boko Haram. Shettima’s offer
of dialogue with leaders of
the Boko Haram, was a
departure from the
combative approach of the
past, and has attracted
commendation from a
variety of other leaders. In
the same vein, Sherrif’s
public apology was
considered a statesmanlike
response.
Kashim may have opened a
new chapter in the
management of the crisis by
not only offering to dialogue,
but going ahead to offer
amnesty to those willing to
lay down their arms. I do not
have any cause to doubt his
sincerity of purpose when he
first muted the idea, and he
has remained consistent in
his call for Boko Haram
members to give him the
benefits of doubt. Reports in
the media gave the
impression that Kashim’s
proposal is getting attention.
And as tough as the
conditions for dialogue as
given by the sect may be, it
is indicative that for the first
time there is the tendency for
parties in the conflict to
correspond.
Whether the Governor’s
overtures are acceptable or
not, and or whether his offer
of amnesty is the appropriate
thing to do or not, are issues
for another day. What is
paramount at this juncture is
the fact that there is a
significant change in
approach from the
authorities, and it should be
given a chance. Comments
from international and local
analysts indicate that the
option of dialogue has a wide
appeal, and it may be the
magic wand needed to
resolve the imbroglio. Recent
events point to the fact that
physical force may only give
a temporary respite. So far,
the incidents recorded show
that physical force is
becoming less fancied.
What appears more
worrisome to the Governor
is perhaps the fact that,
whether as members of the
sect or victims of their
strikes, those affected are his
citizens, whom he has the
primary duty to protect.
More than every citizen,
Governor Shettima is worried
by the growing sophistication
in the operations of Boko
Haram and the attendant
casualties, and he appears
prepared to do anything if
only for peace to return to his
state. What Governor Kashim
may not be prepared for is
perhaps a dialogue with
political marauders and
criminals who hide under
Boko Haram to perpetrate
atrocities in the state.
Political vendetta
The State Security Service
recently confirmed to the
world that Boko has elements
of political vendetta. The
disposition of opposition
political parties in the state,
coupled with the curious
finds where political party
insignia and posters of
politicians were found on the
vehicles of some suspected
bombers, nothing could be
more factual that the Boko
Haram menace has gone out
of the seeming religious
realm, and has assumed the
colour of political vendetta
war. To this end, one may be
right to attune that Governor
Kashim’s quest for peace
may be frustrated, unless
members of Boko Haram
clear the air on the perceived
politicization of their
struggles. As much as
Nigerians cherish a quick
resolution of the crisis, using
Governor Kashim’s
approach, the political
coloration to the conflict
seems to suggest that, any
peace achieved under the
circumstances is peace of the
graveyard.
For now, it is on record that
Governor Shettima of Borno
state is offering to negotiate
peace with real adherents of
Boko Haram amidst
competing threats from
politicians and criminals.
It is also on record that
members of the sect have
offered to negotiate on
conditions. It is unmistakable
that the Governor’s desire for
peace outweighs all other
plans for the development of
Borno state. What the world
is waiting to see is the day
Borno will return to take its
place as the citadel of peace.
How soon that comes is the
thing to worry about.
BOKO HARAM 4
Alhaji Kashim Shettima,
Governor of Borno state is in
a dilemma. His attention is
torn between delivering upon
his promises to the people
and resolving the security
challenges facing his state.
The Federal Government has
waded in with full military
might, yet the situation looks
grim, and the citizenry is
being stretched to a point of
despair. Kashim Shettima has
opted for the carrot option as
he strives daily to win the
hearts of members of the
Yusuffiya or Boko Haram to a
roundtable. He has initiated
some other moves in the
hope that peace will be
restored in Borno, hitherto
acclaimed as the home of
peace.
From his pronouncements
and actions, the young
Governor has very good
programmes for the people
of Borno state, but the
security situation occasioned
by the activities of Boko
Haram has even made it
more imperative for him to
insist on his first line of duty,
which is the protection of
lives and property of citizens.
With the public apology
tendered to Boko Haram
members by the trio of
Danjuma Goje, Isa Yuguda
and Ali Modu Sheriff,
Nigerians expected the
situation to abate, but
contrary to that expectation,
Boko Haram seems to have
defied all logic and has
continued to grow in
sophistication, no thanks to
the political dimensions the
crisis seems to have
assumed. For sheer political
reasons, those who are
supposed to sympathize with
the governor by making
reasonable inputs towards
resolving the crisis have been
busy plotting further
mischief, if only to rubbish
the All Nigeria People’s Party
Government in the state.
It is true that Kashim
Shettima came in when the
citizenry is at a point of
despair, as killings and
bombings become the
orders of the day, even as
fear becomes a mode of
perception in the minds of
everyone. The challenges
seem to be growing by the
day to both Government and
the security agencies. To
most Nigerians, Boko Haram
seems to be winning the
war. What started like a
minor insurgence against the
Government of Borno state
has metamorphosed into a
national calamity, capable of
undermining the security of
the entire nation.
Perceived inmjustices
Six weeks in the saddle, not
many people are giving
Kashim Shettima a chance,
yet he looks determined to
redress all perceived
injustices and give a listening
ear to all aggrieved persons,
including adherents of the
Boko Haram. Shettima’s offer
of dialogue with leaders of
the Boko Haram, was a
departure from the
combative approach of the
past, and has attracted
commendation from a
variety of other leaders. In
the same vein, Sherrif’s
public apology was
considered a statesmanlike
response.
Kashim may have opened a
new chapter in the
management of the crisis by
not only offering to dialogue,
but going ahead to offer
amnesty to those willing to
lay down their arms. I do not
have any cause to doubt his
sincerity of purpose when he
first muted the idea, and he
has remained consistent in
his call for Boko Haram
members to give him the
benefits of doubt. Reports in
the media gave the
impression that Kashim’s
proposal is getting attention.
And as tough as the
conditions for dialogue as
given by the sect may be, it
is indicative that for the first
time there is the tendency for
parties in the conflict to
correspond.
Whether the Governor’s
overtures are acceptable or
not, and or whether his offer
of amnesty is the appropriate
thing to do or not, are issues
for another day. What is
paramount at this juncture is
the fact that there is a
significant change in
approach from the
authorities, and it should be
given a chance. Comments
from international and local
analysts indicate that the
option of dialogue has a wide
appeal, and it may be the
magic wand needed to
resolve the imbroglio. Recent
events point to the fact that
physical force may only give
a temporary respite. So far,
the incidents recorded show
that physical force is
becoming less fancied.
What appears more
worrisome to the Governor
is perhaps the fact that,
whether as members of the
sect or victims of their
strikes, those affected are his
citizens, whom he has the
primary duty to protect.
More than every citizen,
Governor Shettima is worried
by the growing sophistication
in the operations of Boko
Haram and the attendant
casualties, and he appears
prepared to do anything if
only for peace to return to his
state. What Governor Kashim
may not be prepared for is
perhaps a dialogue with
political marauders and
criminals who hide under
Boko Haram to perpetrate
atrocities in the state.
Political vendetta
The State Security Service
recently confirmed to the
world that Boko has elements
of political vendetta. The
disposition of opposition
political parties in the state,
coupled with the curious
finds where political party
insignia and posters of
politicians were found on the
vehicles of some suspected
bombers, nothing could be
more factual that the Boko
Haram menace has gone out
of the seeming religious
realm, and has assumed the
colour of political vendetta
war. To this end, one may be
right to attune that Governor
Kashim’s quest for peace
may be frustrated, unless
members of Boko Haram
clear the air on the perceived
politicization of their
struggles. As much as
Nigerians cherish a quick
resolution of the crisis, using
Governor Kashim’s
approach, the political
coloration to the conflict
seems to suggest that, any
peace achieved under the
circumstances is peace of the
graveyard.
For now, it is on record that
Governor Shettima of Borno
state is offering to negotiate
peace with real adherents of
Boko Haram amidst
competing threats from
politicians and criminals.
It is also on record that
members of the sect have
offered to negotiate on
conditions. It is unmistakable
that the Governor’s desire for
peace outweighs all other
plans for the development of
Borno state. What the world
is waiting to see is the day
Borno will return to take its
place as the citadel of peace.
How soon that comes is the
thing to worry about.
Governor of Borno state is in
a dilemma. His attention is
torn between delivering upon
his promises to the people
and resolving the security
challenges facing his state.
The Federal Government has
waded in with full military
might, yet the situation looks
grim, and the citizenry is
being stretched to a point of
despair. Kashim Shettima has
opted for the carrot option as
he strives daily to win the
hearts of members of the
Yusuffiya or Boko Haram to a
roundtable. He has initiated
some other moves in the
hope that peace will be
restored in Borno, hitherto
acclaimed as the home of
peace.
From his pronouncements
and actions, the young
Governor has very good
programmes for the people
of Borno state, but the
security situation occasioned
by the activities of Boko
Haram has even made it
more imperative for him to
insist on his first line of duty,
which is the protection of
lives and property of citizens.
With the public apology
tendered to Boko Haram
members by the trio of
Danjuma Goje, Isa Yuguda
and Ali Modu Sheriff,
Nigerians expected the
situation to abate, but
contrary to that expectation,
Boko Haram seems to have
defied all logic and has
continued to grow in
sophistication, no thanks to
the political dimensions the
crisis seems to have
assumed. For sheer political
reasons, those who are
supposed to sympathize with
the governor by making
reasonable inputs towards
resolving the crisis have been
busy plotting further
mischief, if only to rubbish
the All Nigeria People’s Party
Government in the state.
It is true that Kashim
Shettima came in when the
citizenry is at a point of
despair, as killings and
bombings become the
orders of the day, even as
fear becomes a mode of
perception in the minds of
everyone. The challenges
seem to be growing by the
day to both Government and
the security agencies. To
most Nigerians, Boko Haram
seems to be winning the
war. What started like a
minor insurgence against the
Government of Borno state
has metamorphosed into a
national calamity, capable of
undermining the security of
the entire nation.
Perceived inmjustices
Six weeks in the saddle, not
many people are giving
Kashim Shettima a chance,
yet he looks determined to
redress all perceived
injustices and give a listening
ear to all aggrieved persons,
including adherents of the
Boko Haram. Shettima’s offer
of dialogue with leaders of
the Boko Haram, was a
departure from the
combative approach of the
past, and has attracted
commendation from a
variety of other leaders. In
the same vein, Sherrif’s
public apology was
considered a statesmanlike
response.
Kashim may have opened a
new chapter in the
management of the crisis by
not only offering to dialogue,
but going ahead to offer
amnesty to those willing to
lay down their arms. I do not
have any cause to doubt his
sincerity of purpose when he
first muted the idea, and he
has remained consistent in
his call for Boko Haram
members to give him the
benefits of doubt. Reports in
the media gave the
impression that Kashim’s
proposal is getting attention.
And as tough as the
conditions for dialogue as
given by the sect may be, it
is indicative that for the first
time there is the tendency for
parties in the conflict to
correspond.
Whether the Governor’s
overtures are acceptable or
not, and or whether his offer
of amnesty is the appropriate
thing to do or not, are issues
for another day. What is
paramount at this juncture is
the fact that there is a
significant change in
approach from the
authorities, and it should be
given a chance. Comments
from international and local
analysts indicate that the
option of dialogue has a wide
appeal, and it may be the
magic wand needed to
resolve the imbroglio. Recent
events point to the fact that
physical force may only give
a temporary respite. So far,
the incidents recorded show
that physical force is
becoming less fancied.
What appears more
worrisome to the Governor
is perhaps the fact that,
whether as members of the
sect or victims of their
strikes, those affected are his
citizens, whom he has the
primary duty to protect.
More than every citizen,
Governor Shettima is worried
by the growing sophistication
in the operations of Boko
Haram and the attendant
casualties, and he appears
prepared to do anything if
only for peace to return to his
state. What Governor Kashim
may not be prepared for is
perhaps a dialogue with
political marauders and
criminals who hide under
Boko Haram to perpetrate
atrocities in the state.
Political vendetta
The State Security Service
recently confirmed to the
world that Boko has elements
of political vendetta. The
disposition of opposition
political parties in the state,
coupled with the curious
finds where political party
insignia and posters of
politicians were found on the
vehicles of some suspected
bombers, nothing could be
more factual that the Boko
Haram menace has gone out
of the seeming religious
realm, and has assumed the
colour of political vendetta
war. To this end, one may be
right to attune that Governor
Kashim’s quest for peace
may be frustrated, unless
members of Boko Haram
clear the air on the perceived
politicization of their
struggles. As much as
Nigerians cherish a quick
resolution of the crisis, using
Governor Kashim’s
approach, the political
coloration to the conflict
seems to suggest that, any
peace achieved under the
circumstances is peace of the
graveyard.
For now, it is on record that
Governor Shettima of Borno
state is offering to negotiate
peace with real adherents of
Boko Haram amidst
competing threats from
politicians and criminals.
It is also on record that
members of the sect have
offered to negotiate on
conditions. It is unmistakable
that the Governor’s desire for
peace outweighs all other
plans for the development of
Borno state. What the world
is waiting to see is the day
Borno will return to take its
place as the citadel of peace.
How soon that comes is the
thing to worry about.
Niger Delta militants and the Boko Haram: Complex contrast
VANGUARD of July 20, 2011
ex pounded on its front page
headline: “Reps afraid to
discuss Boko Haram” as
follows:”The fear of a possible
reprisal attack against them
or members of their families
has kept members of the
House of Representatives
from discussing the growing
menace of the Boko Haram
sect which has been engaged
in violent confrontations with
security forces in Borno and
other Northern states of the
federation, Vanguard
investigations have revealed”.
Prior to this report, two
governors have publicly
apologised to the sect, thus
fulfilling one of the conditions
for peace stipulated by the
sect. Government on its own
has taken a placatory step by
ordering the prosecution of
the members of the Police
Force accused of extra-legal
killing of the leader of the
Boko Haram sect while he
was under the custody of the
Nigeria Police.
These happenings point to a
remarkable difference
between the government’s
perception of the threat
posed by the Niger Delta
insurgency and that posed
by the Boko Haram sect. That
difference is captured in the
deployment of amnesty as
the solution acceptable to
government in resolving the
Niger Delta conflicts and a
genuflective deference to the
Boko Haram as the solution
canvassed by government
for reconciliation with the
sect.
What does this difference in
methods suggest as to the
security of the Federal
Government? Amnesty
implies a “take it or leave it”
approach- a tough “your last
chance” option. On the other
hand government’s approach
to the threat posed by the
sect appears reactive, rather
than proactive.
Why? My take on
government’s Boko Haram
diplomacy? The sect has
opted for war and its policy is
to kill, kill and kill and that by
any means that gets the
killing going. What is the
primary enemy of the sect?
The security forces of the
government. The Niger Delta
militants’ strategy on the
other hand was largely to
disrupt the operations of the
oil and gas companies in
order to extract concessions.
The Niger Delta militants from
my perspective were not
insurgents and did not pose a
threat of insurgency to
government; at its best, their
demands were for a just
treatment of the Niger Delta,
the cash-flow of the entire
economy.
The Boko Haram politics on
the other hand is
insurrectional, and is a threat
that is infinitely greater than
that of the Niger Delta. The
sect by its politics has staked
its claim as a primary state
power interest group. In so
doing it has decided that it
can at will use force to
implement its purpose and
resolving its conflict.
Not even the PDP has been
that presumptuous as to
contest with the Armed
Forces the independent use
of force to effect its political
purpose. It still seeks the way
of elections to assume
power.
When members of the
National Assembly
acknowledge their fear of
addressing the security
challenge posed by the sect
they also explicitly declare
their subjection to the sect.
That statement that they are
afraid to discuss the security
threat of the Boko Haram sect
transforms the Boko Haram
into a state power party.
All that is needed for their
insurrection to turn into full
scale insurgency is a shift in
interest, a shift from
intimidation and vengefulness
to interest in ruling the
country as a party of
dominion. Is the
government’s appreciation of
the sect different from my
own “bloody civilian” analysis
of our country’s security
politics? And should it be?
ex pounded on its front page
headline: “Reps afraid to
discuss Boko Haram” as
follows:”The fear of a possible
reprisal attack against them
or members of their families
has kept members of the
House of Representatives
from discussing the growing
menace of the Boko Haram
sect which has been engaged
in violent confrontations with
security forces in Borno and
other Northern states of the
federation, Vanguard
investigations have revealed”.
Prior to this report, two
governors have publicly
apologised to the sect, thus
fulfilling one of the conditions
for peace stipulated by the
sect. Government on its own
has taken a placatory step by
ordering the prosecution of
the members of the Police
Force accused of extra-legal
killing of the leader of the
Boko Haram sect while he
was under the custody of the
Nigeria Police.
These happenings point to a
remarkable difference
between the government’s
perception of the threat
posed by the Niger Delta
insurgency and that posed
by the Boko Haram sect. That
difference is captured in the
deployment of amnesty as
the solution acceptable to
government in resolving the
Niger Delta conflicts and a
genuflective deference to the
Boko Haram as the solution
canvassed by government
for reconciliation with the
sect.
What does this difference in
methods suggest as to the
security of the Federal
Government? Amnesty
implies a “take it or leave it”
approach- a tough “your last
chance” option. On the other
hand government’s approach
to the threat posed by the
sect appears reactive, rather
than proactive.
Why? My take on
government’s Boko Haram
diplomacy? The sect has
opted for war and its policy is
to kill, kill and kill and that by
any means that gets the
killing going. What is the
primary enemy of the sect?
The security forces of the
government. The Niger Delta
militants’ strategy on the
other hand was largely to
disrupt the operations of the
oil and gas companies in
order to extract concessions.
The Niger Delta militants from
my perspective were not
insurgents and did not pose a
threat of insurgency to
government; at its best, their
demands were for a just
treatment of the Niger Delta,
the cash-flow of the entire
economy.
The Boko Haram politics on
the other hand is
insurrectional, and is a threat
that is infinitely greater than
that of the Niger Delta. The
sect by its politics has staked
its claim as a primary state
power interest group. In so
doing it has decided that it
can at will use force to
implement its purpose and
resolving its conflict.
Not even the PDP has been
that presumptuous as to
contest with the Armed
Forces the independent use
of force to effect its political
purpose. It still seeks the way
of elections to assume
power.
When members of the
National Assembly
acknowledge their fear of
addressing the security
challenge posed by the sect
they also explicitly declare
their subjection to the sect.
That statement that they are
afraid to discuss the security
threat of the Boko Haram sect
transforms the Boko Haram
into a state power party.
All that is needed for their
insurrection to turn into full
scale insurgency is a shift in
interest, a shift from
intimidation and vengefulness
to interest in ruling the
country as a party of
dominion. Is the
government’s appreciation of
the sect different from my
own “bloody civilian” analysis
of our country’s security
politics? And should it be?
Friday, July 22, 2011
MINIMUM WAGE
Governors’ Forum and politics
of minimum wage
Condemnation continues to trail the
recent calls by the Governors
Forum for the removal of petroleum
subsidy as a pre-condition for
payment of the N18,000 minimum
wage, NDUBUISI ORJI writes
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Nigeria Governors Forum
stirred the hornet’s nest last week
when it called for the removal of
petroleum subsidy as a pre-
condition to paying the 18, 000
minimum wage to workers in its
employment. Several State
governors have been on war path
with their state branches of the
Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) over
the implementation of the minimum
wage recently enacted by the
National Assembly at the twilight of
the sixth session of the Federal
Legislature.
Besides the call for the removal of
petroleum subsidy, the Governors
Forum also wants a review of the
revenue allocation formulae before
states can pay the new minimum
wage. The forum says the current
revenue sharing formula is lopsided
in favour of the Federal
Government. The Federal
Government currently takes 52 per
cent while the 36 states and 774
local governments share 26.72 per
cent and 20.60 per cent
respectively.
The NGF at its last meeting adopted
the report of ad-hoc committee it
had earlier set up to recommend a
new revenue sharing formulae. The
committee headed by Lagos State
governor, Babatunde Fashola, had
recommended that Federal
Government , state and Local
Governments should get 35
percent, 42 percent and 23 percent
respectively in the proposed
revenue sharing formulae.
Expectedly, the NGF position,
especially regarding the removal of
petroleum subsidy, which was
made known by its chairman and
Governor of Rivers State, Mr
Chibuike Amechi has not gone
down well with the populace
especially the NLC. The reason for
this is not far-fatched. The issue of
removal of petroleum subsidy has
been a sore point in the relationship
between the Federal Government
and the organised labour. Previous
attempts by the government to
remove the subsidy on petroleum
products had always been greeted
by protests by the NLC and the civil
society.
According to Amechi, funds that
hitherto go into subsidy should be
plunged back into the federation
account and shared among the
various components of
government, so as to make more
funds available to the states.
Not a few think the governors
position is antithetical to welfare of
Nigerians. Surprisingly, the
governors position is coming few
weeks after they secured the
peoples votes. During the
campaigns, the governors had
made promises to the electorate, A
Labour Party chieftain in Edo State
and former Chief of Staff to the
former governor of Edo State, Mr
Isaiah Osifo told Daily Sun in an
interview that NGF position on the
removal of petroleum subsidy is
motivated by selfish considerations.
He said they do not need the
removal of the petroleum subsidy
to pay. According to him, if the
states manage their resources very
well, they will have enough to pay
the new minimum wage without
the removal of the petroleum
subsidy. Osifo contended that “ It is
not the amount that is significant,
but the management of the
resources at the disposal of the
governors that is significant. After all
the budget that was put in place last
year was done on the benchmark of
47 dolars per barrel. But now a
barrel goes for over 100 dollars. So
what has happened to the surplus.
It is not removal of subsidy that is
the matter but the management of
what is available. If a budget is
packaged on the basis of 47 dollars
per barrael and you are now selling
at a hundred dollar, so you have
made more than 100 percent of
what you anticipated.” He added
that the subsidy can remain as the
nation’s assistance to the down
trodden. “That is why you have tax
rebate in advanced countries. There
is no country that does not have
welfare programme to take care of
the vulnerable. There are always the
vulnerable in all the society, and a
responsible government can always
put in place policies that will take
care of this vulnerable. If we are
making surplus revenue from oil
sales , that surplus is enough to
install a micro-economic set up that
can retain the subsidy for the
interest of the vulnerable.”
Statistics from the Petroleum
Product Pricing Regulatory
Authority (PPPRA) indicates that, the
Federal Government subsided
petroleum products to the tune of
N621.5 billion last year. Kerosene is
subsided to the tune of N111.01k per
litre. Daily consumption is eight
million litres. The pump price is N50
per litre. It costs N161.01 per litre to
get it to the filling station.While the
agency’s pricing template for June,
2011 shows that a litre of petroleum
product is subsided with N81.
The implication of this is that if the
subsidy is removed as the
governors are championing, the
pump price for fuel would cost as
much as 147 per litre. While
Kerosene would go for as much as
161 per litre.
The President-General of the Trade
Union Congress, Mr Peter Esele aptly
captured the the implication of the
removal of the subsidy on
petroleum product , in a recent
interview with a national daily.
“What they (governors) want to
create is chaos. When you pass a
law, are you giving a condition for
its implementation? We have passed
the stage of negotiation; if they had
said that during the negotiation, it
would have been in order because
we could negotiate. But now, the
National Minimum Wage Act has to
be respected,” Esele stated. He
added that “The National Minimum
Wage is a law. They have to respect
the law by implementing it;
otherwise they would be seen as
not respecting the law. We will do
everything to ensure the
implementation of the National
Minimum Wage.”
Analysts believe that instead of the
Governors Forum calling for the
removal of petroleum subsidy, it
should redouble its efforts and its
agitation for a new revenue sharing
formula that would put more
money at the disposal of the states.
This is because of the tension the
removal of subsidy would cause in
the polity coupled with the untold
hardship that it will engender. It was
the long drawn struggle against the
removal of petroleum subsidy by
the organised labour that made Edo
State governor, Adams Oshiomhole
very popular as NLC President. It is
doubtful if the present leadership of
the union would abandon the
struggle just so soon.
Already, the NLC has given
indication that it will not allow the
proposal to sail through.
Responding the Governors call, the
NLC Deputy President, Comrade
Promise Adewusi said the labour
union will oppose it with every
weapon at its disposal. “We don’t
begrudge them for asking for
increase in their revenue allocation
formula. It is an act of laziness and
lack of creativity. But we won’t allow
them to inflict more pain on
Nigerians because they want more
money. Insecurity in the country is
as a result of poverty. Now, they
want to compound people’s
problems by removing fuel
subsidy. We will stop them by all
means possible,” he stated recently.
The NGF has overtime
metamorphosed from a mere
assemblage of state governors to a
very strong pressure group. In the
recent past, whatever the governors
set their mind on, they achieve. On
the other hand, the organised labour
has been very vehement in its
opposition to the removal of the
subsidy on petroleum products. If
the Federal Government hearkens to
the all powerful Governors Forum
and remove the subsidy on
petroleum products, the stage
obviously will be set for the mother
of political cum economic battle. It
may just be one battle the NGF
would never win.
of minimum wage
Condemnation continues to trail the
recent calls by the Governors
Forum for the removal of petroleum
subsidy as a pre-condition for
payment of the N18,000 minimum
wage, NDUBUISI ORJI writes
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Nigeria Governors Forum
stirred the hornet’s nest last week
when it called for the removal of
petroleum subsidy as a pre-
condition to paying the 18, 000
minimum wage to workers in its
employment. Several State
governors have been on war path
with their state branches of the
Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) over
the implementation of the minimum
wage recently enacted by the
National Assembly at the twilight of
the sixth session of the Federal
Legislature.
Besides the call for the removal of
petroleum subsidy, the Governors
Forum also wants a review of the
revenue allocation formulae before
states can pay the new minimum
wage. The forum says the current
revenue sharing formula is lopsided
in favour of the Federal
Government. The Federal
Government currently takes 52 per
cent while the 36 states and 774
local governments share 26.72 per
cent and 20.60 per cent
respectively.
The NGF at its last meeting adopted
the report of ad-hoc committee it
had earlier set up to recommend a
new revenue sharing formulae. The
committee headed by Lagos State
governor, Babatunde Fashola, had
recommended that Federal
Government , state and Local
Governments should get 35
percent, 42 percent and 23 percent
respectively in the proposed
revenue sharing formulae.
Expectedly, the NGF position,
especially regarding the removal of
petroleum subsidy, which was
made known by its chairman and
Governor of Rivers State, Mr
Chibuike Amechi has not gone
down well with the populace
especially the NLC. The reason for
this is not far-fatched. The issue of
removal of petroleum subsidy has
been a sore point in the relationship
between the Federal Government
and the organised labour. Previous
attempts by the government to
remove the subsidy on petroleum
products had always been greeted
by protests by the NLC and the civil
society.
According to Amechi, funds that
hitherto go into subsidy should be
plunged back into the federation
account and shared among the
various components of
government, so as to make more
funds available to the states.
Not a few think the governors
position is antithetical to welfare of
Nigerians. Surprisingly, the
governors position is coming few
weeks after they secured the
peoples votes. During the
campaigns, the governors had
made promises to the electorate, A
Labour Party chieftain in Edo State
and former Chief of Staff to the
former governor of Edo State, Mr
Isaiah Osifo told Daily Sun in an
interview that NGF position on the
removal of petroleum subsidy is
motivated by selfish considerations.
He said they do not need the
removal of the petroleum subsidy
to pay. According to him, if the
states manage their resources very
well, they will have enough to pay
the new minimum wage without
the removal of the petroleum
subsidy. Osifo contended that “ It is
not the amount that is significant,
but the management of the
resources at the disposal of the
governors that is significant. After all
the budget that was put in place last
year was done on the benchmark of
47 dolars per barrel. But now a
barrel goes for over 100 dollars. So
what has happened to the surplus.
It is not removal of subsidy that is
the matter but the management of
what is available. If a budget is
packaged on the basis of 47 dollars
per barrael and you are now selling
at a hundred dollar, so you have
made more than 100 percent of
what you anticipated.” He added
that the subsidy can remain as the
nation’s assistance to the down
trodden. “That is why you have tax
rebate in advanced countries. There
is no country that does not have
welfare programme to take care of
the vulnerable. There are always the
vulnerable in all the society, and a
responsible government can always
put in place policies that will take
care of this vulnerable. If we are
making surplus revenue from oil
sales , that surplus is enough to
install a micro-economic set up that
can retain the subsidy for the
interest of the vulnerable.”
Statistics from the Petroleum
Product Pricing Regulatory
Authority (PPPRA) indicates that, the
Federal Government subsided
petroleum products to the tune of
N621.5 billion last year. Kerosene is
subsided to the tune of N111.01k per
litre. Daily consumption is eight
million litres. The pump price is N50
per litre. It costs N161.01 per litre to
get it to the filling station.While the
agency’s pricing template for June,
2011 shows that a litre of petroleum
product is subsided with N81.
The implication of this is that if the
subsidy is removed as the
governors are championing, the
pump price for fuel would cost as
much as 147 per litre. While
Kerosene would go for as much as
161 per litre.
The President-General of the Trade
Union Congress, Mr Peter Esele aptly
captured the the implication of the
removal of the subsidy on
petroleum product , in a recent
interview with a national daily.
“What they (governors) want to
create is chaos. When you pass a
law, are you giving a condition for
its implementation? We have passed
the stage of negotiation; if they had
said that during the negotiation, it
would have been in order because
we could negotiate. But now, the
National Minimum Wage Act has to
be respected,” Esele stated. He
added that “The National Minimum
Wage is a law. They have to respect
the law by implementing it;
otherwise they would be seen as
not respecting the law. We will do
everything to ensure the
implementation of the National
Minimum Wage.”
Analysts believe that instead of the
Governors Forum calling for the
removal of petroleum subsidy, it
should redouble its efforts and its
agitation for a new revenue sharing
formula that would put more
money at the disposal of the states.
This is because of the tension the
removal of subsidy would cause in
the polity coupled with the untold
hardship that it will engender. It was
the long drawn struggle against the
removal of petroleum subsidy by
the organised labour that made Edo
State governor, Adams Oshiomhole
very popular as NLC President. It is
doubtful if the present leadership of
the union would abandon the
struggle just so soon.
Already, the NLC has given
indication that it will not allow the
proposal to sail through.
Responding the Governors call, the
NLC Deputy President, Comrade
Promise Adewusi said the labour
union will oppose it with every
weapon at its disposal. “We don’t
begrudge them for asking for
increase in their revenue allocation
formula. It is an act of laziness and
lack of creativity. But we won’t allow
them to inflict more pain on
Nigerians because they want more
money. Insecurity in the country is
as a result of poverty. Now, they
want to compound people’s
problems by removing fuel
subsidy. We will stop them by all
means possible,” he stated recently.
The NGF has overtime
metamorphosed from a mere
assemblage of state governors to a
very strong pressure group. In the
recent past, whatever the governors
set their mind on, they achieve. On
the other hand, the organised labour
has been very vehement in its
opposition to the removal of the
subsidy on petroleum products. If
the Federal Government hearkens to
the all powerful Governors Forum
and remove the subsidy on
petroleum products, the stage
obviously will be set for the mother
of political cum economic battle. It
may just be one battle the NGF
would never win.
BOKO HARAM 3
‘Boko Haram mere insurgence, not terrorism’ Alhaji Rasheed Adesokan, Director, Nigeria Society for International and Strategic Studies, Ibadan, is an authority in security and strategic planning. In this interview with AKEEB ALARAPE, in Ibadan, Oyo State, he examines the spate of sectarian violence in Nigeria and declares that what we have in the country is mere insurgence and not terrorism. Thursday, July 21, 2011 Insecurity in the land We are having these scenarios now and that we will continually get deeper into the mire because successive governments have not been able to give the people their dues. Government, willingly or unwillingly, must give people their dues. If you don’t give people their dues, people will ask for their dues. And if they ask for so long and you refuse to give them, people will now demand for their dues. That is what is manifesting in the North-east; in the Niger Delta and also in the activities of miscreants in some of the South-western states. It is just a manifestation of a people neglected for so long; whose government, in the face of so much resources, denied them for so long. And so, in a way want to vent their anger and tell such successively uncaring governments that the resources are for them and not for a group of people, who got themselves selected into governance by one way or another, which clearly excluded credible, free and fair election. The amount of resources the parliamentarians, both at the federal and state levels, are taking away is scandalous. Yet, one of the Senators said his remuneration was not up to one-third of his colleague’s in the United States. Which of his colleagues in United States? Is he comparing himself to an American Senator? Right from the grassroots, an American Senator is known by the people and he goes there regularly, performing his constitutional responsibilities. How many Nigerian Senators even know the people that supposedly elected them? You want to compare our Senators to American Senators? They know deep down themselves that they are not the same. What are the similarities? Is it the way they got elected as Senators or what? They clearly know it is not. This is not to denigrate anybody but they know it is not the same. The type of election that picked an American senator into the House of the Senate cannot be compared to the one that got a Nigerian Senator elected. They do know. They cannot be the same. Also, the sense of patriotism certainly can’t be the same because of the circumstances in which both found themselves. Boko Haram and linkage to Islam It is very sad the way which, even our Muslim brothers and sisters, even people who are supposed to know, the way they bandy this word ‘terrorism’ about, they are so uninformed about it. What is happening about Boko Haram is not terrorism; what is happening in Nigeria is not terrorism. Whether in the Niger Delta, whether in the North-east, where we have Maiduguri and the Boko Haram people as well as in the South-east, where kidnapping is rampant, is not terrorism. What we call all these happening is insurgence. There is a gulf of difference between terrorism and insurgence. So, when people bandy the word ‘terrorism’ about you continue to wonder: where is terrorism? Do our people really know what terrorism is? If they do not know, why can’t they go to the barracks and ask an average army officer in the barrack what are we having in Nigeria? Do they call it terrorism? An intelligent military officer will tell them this is not terrorism. May we never have terrorism in Nigeria because terrorism is a stone throw to complete civil war. That is what they have in Somalia. In Somalia, that is what happened. In Sri Lanka, that was what happened before it spread to civil war. In Sudan, that was what happened and led to the separation of the country to Sudan and South Sudan You see, there is a wrong choice of words. What is happening in Nigeria is not terrorism; it is simply insurgence. Insurgence is resistance to a government policy, either by a group or a band of people and it is largely restricted to a particular area. The number one difference is the scope and the intensity. The scope of insurgence is limited to a separate area. You can have ‘terrorism’ labelled to it when you have a civil group like Boko Haram in Maiduguri, blasting off the power plant at Calabar; breaking the newly- constructed bridge in Ilorin; getting to Osogbo, blasting the power plant there; go to Kaduna sabotaging the water works there; getting to Enugu to sabotage the airport there such that the radar would be rendered useless through bombing. Such is full-fledged terrorism because the scope is now wide and not restricted to a particular area. Now, as far as Islam is concerned, it is most appropriate to advise that Muslims should not label themselves. If Muslims do not bring about topics like terrorism, which they know less or nothing about, nobody will call them terrorists. There is no need for saying they want to do some talking and they are labelling your topic as ‘Terrorism and Islam’. There is nothing like that. What they are doing is to encourage other people to call them terrorists. It means they too have admitted that they are terrorists. Do they know what terrorism means? Look at Northern Ireland, which is where real terrorism is. Look at the Red Brigade in Italy. That is active terrorism. But when you have two, three bombs exploded in a small area and you say that is terrorism; no, that is not terrorism. There is nothing
Friday, July 15, 2011
BOKO HARAM 2
A security alert was triggered last
night as soldiers intercepted a truck
conveying no fewer than 700
explosives in Abuja.
Daily Sun gathered that the vehicle
escorted by two unarmed
policemen was intercepted at the
Abuja City Gate at about 8.00 p.m.
The serving policemen had
successfully beaten all security
checkpoints at all the entry points
into the Federal Capital Territory with
their deadly consignment until they
got to Lugbe on the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport Road, where
soldiers on routine duty stopped
them.
It was gathered that the soldiers
demanded to know what was in the
truck and ordered the policemen to
alight.
The policemen were said to have
refused the order, insisting they
were doing the same kind of work
with the soldiers.
The soldiers, it was further learnt,
insisted on searching the truck and
found the explosives packed in 700
cartons.
Commander, Brigade of Guards
was promptly alerted to the
discovery and he dispatched a team
of soldiers to arrest the policemen.
The policemen were whisked to the
Mambilla Barracks where, it was
gathered, they were being detained.
Daily Sun further gathered that the
Brigade Commander informed the
Inspector General of Police, Hafiz
Ringim who rushed to the Barracks
and confirmed that the policemen
were not fake. He also ordered that
they be kept in the custody of the
military.
As at the time of filing this report at
about midnight, the Director of the
State Security Services (SSS) and
other top security chiefs had visited
the Mambilla Barracks to inspect the
explosives.
The arrest immediately sparked a
wave of security activities, including
the deployment of soldiers in
various parts of the Federal Capital
Territory as well as government
establishments.
It could not be immediately
ascertained the source of the
explosives and where it was coming
from.
Only on Wednesday, the Islamist
group, Boko Haram, which had
been terrorizing the country
revealed that it was planning to
attack the Aso Villa, the seat of the
Presidency in Abuja.
night as soldiers intercepted a truck
conveying no fewer than 700
explosives in Abuja.
Daily Sun gathered that the vehicle
escorted by two unarmed
policemen was intercepted at the
Abuja City Gate at about 8.00 p.m.
The serving policemen had
successfully beaten all security
checkpoints at all the entry points
into the Federal Capital Territory with
their deadly consignment until they
got to Lugbe on the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport Road, where
soldiers on routine duty stopped
them.
It was gathered that the soldiers
demanded to know what was in the
truck and ordered the policemen to
alight.
The policemen were said to have
refused the order, insisting they
were doing the same kind of work
with the soldiers.
The soldiers, it was further learnt,
insisted on searching the truck and
found the explosives packed in 700
cartons.
Commander, Brigade of Guards
was promptly alerted to the
discovery and he dispatched a team
of soldiers to arrest the policemen.
The policemen were whisked to the
Mambilla Barracks where, it was
gathered, they were being detained.
Daily Sun further gathered that the
Brigade Commander informed the
Inspector General of Police, Hafiz
Ringim who rushed to the Barracks
and confirmed that the policemen
were not fake. He also ordered that
they be kept in the custody of the
military.
As at the time of filing this report at
about midnight, the Director of the
State Security Services (SSS) and
other top security chiefs had visited
the Mambilla Barracks to inspect the
explosives.
The arrest immediately sparked a
wave of security activities, including
the deployment of soldiers in
various parts of the Federal Capital
Territory as well as government
establishments.
It could not be immediately
ascertained the source of the
explosives and where it was coming
from.
Only on Wednesday, the Islamist
group, Boko Haram, which had
been terrorizing the country
revealed that it was planning to
attack the Aso Villa, the seat of the
Presidency in Abuja.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Attempts by the Nigerian Police to
arraign five of its officers alleged to
have had a hand in the gruesome
murder of the leader of the Boko
Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, has
suffered a setback.
Two years after Yusuf’s
controversial death in police
custody, police authorities,
yesterday brought five accused
officers before a Federal High Court,
sitting in Abuja for prosecution.
Brought to court were; Assistant
Commissioner of Police (ASP) J.B
Abang, ACP Akera; CSP Mohammed
Ahmed; ACP Adamu Garba and
Sergeant Adamu Gado.
Although, the accused persons
where called to the dock before
Justice Donatus Okorowa, charges
could not be read to them to enable
them take their plea.
Reason was that the police filed two
similar charges against them and
the court in its wisdom ordered that
the charges be consolidated by the
prosecution counsel, R.O. Ojabo.
The decision was reached in the
chambers where Justice Okorowa
invited all the counsel in the matter
to take a position on the shoddy
development.
The defence team included Mr. Paul
Erokoro (SAN) who appeared for
ACP Abang and Mr. Edwin Inegedo
appeared for Sergeant Gado. The
trio of ACP Akera, ACP Garba and
CSP Ahmed had no legal
representation in court.
The accused persons looked
unruffled even as they avoided
contact with cameras with most of
them covering their faces with
newspaper copies and
handkerchiefs.
The matter has since been
adjourned to July 19 for hearing.
Yusuff, who was arrested by
officers of the Nigerian Army on July
29, 2009 and handed over to the
Police but was alleged to have been
summarily killed the following day.
arraign five of its officers alleged to
have had a hand in the gruesome
murder of the leader of the Boko
Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, has
suffered a setback.
Two years after Yusuf’s
controversial death in police
custody, police authorities,
yesterday brought five accused
officers before a Federal High Court,
sitting in Abuja for prosecution.
Brought to court were; Assistant
Commissioner of Police (ASP) J.B
Abang, ACP Akera; CSP Mohammed
Ahmed; ACP Adamu Garba and
Sergeant Adamu Gado.
Although, the accused persons
where called to the dock before
Justice Donatus Okorowa, charges
could not be read to them to enable
them take their plea.
Reason was that the police filed two
similar charges against them and
the court in its wisdom ordered that
the charges be consolidated by the
prosecution counsel, R.O. Ojabo.
The decision was reached in the
chambers where Justice Okorowa
invited all the counsel in the matter
to take a position on the shoddy
development.
The defence team included Mr. Paul
Erokoro (SAN) who appeared for
ACP Abang and Mr. Edwin Inegedo
appeared for Sergeant Gado. The
trio of ACP Akera, ACP Garba and
CSP Ahmed had no legal
representation in court.
The accused persons looked
unruffled even as they avoided
contact with cameras with most of
them covering their faces with
newspaper copies and
handkerchiefs.
The matter has since been
adjourned to July 19 for hearing.
Yusuff, who was arrested by
officers of the Nigerian Army on July
29, 2009 and handed over to the
Police but was alleged to have been
summarily killed the following day.
ISLAMIC BANKING
Cleric tasks FG on Islamic
banking
From LIVING KING
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Outgoing Bishop of Catholic Diocese
Sokoto, Most Rev. Kevin Aje, has
suggested that the controversial
Islamic banking be renamed
‘National Free Interest Banking’ to
avoid crisis in the country.
Speaking in an interview with Daily
Sun, in Sokoto yesterday, Bishop
Aje, who described Nigerians as
notoriously creative, reasoned that
such creativity would have done the
nation a lot of good if those who
were in positions of authority were
using them positively.
He said: “If it has become very
necessary to have such a bank in
Nigeria, why not given it a name
that will be attractive to all manner
of people in the country rather than
narrowing it down to a particular
religious group. It may be called
‘Free Interest Banking’, ‘National Free
Interest Banking’ or ‘International
Free Interest Banking’.”
The bishop, who is in his late 70s,
and would be due for retirement in
September, stated that, to him,
there was noting wrong in the
establishment of a bank tailored after
Muslims believes as nothing
stopped Christians from establishing
theirs but everything about such
bank must reflect national unity,
Nigerian being a secular nation.
“Mr. President must call Sanusi to
order, the people of this country
deserves to be fully educated on
what this bank stands for to remove
the fear being expressed by some
people that the idea was being
mooted to serve ulterior purpose,”
the cleric said.
Bishop Aje opined that unless the
authority concerned had a rethink
on the issue, the establishment of an
Islamic Bank in Nigeria was capable
of leading the country into
unnecessary crisis worst than what
we witnessed during the
introduction of Sharia Law and the
issue of OIC.
banking
From LIVING KING
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Outgoing Bishop of Catholic Diocese
Sokoto, Most Rev. Kevin Aje, has
suggested that the controversial
Islamic banking be renamed
‘National Free Interest Banking’ to
avoid crisis in the country.
Speaking in an interview with Daily
Sun, in Sokoto yesterday, Bishop
Aje, who described Nigerians as
notoriously creative, reasoned that
such creativity would have done the
nation a lot of good if those who
were in positions of authority were
using them positively.
He said: “If it has become very
necessary to have such a bank in
Nigeria, why not given it a name
that will be attractive to all manner
of people in the country rather than
narrowing it down to a particular
religious group. It may be called
‘Free Interest Banking’, ‘National Free
Interest Banking’ or ‘International
Free Interest Banking’.”
The bishop, who is in his late 70s,
and would be due for retirement in
September, stated that, to him,
there was noting wrong in the
establishment of a bank tailored after
Muslims believes as nothing
stopped Christians from establishing
theirs but everything about such
bank must reflect national unity,
Nigerian being a secular nation.
“Mr. President must call Sanusi to
order, the people of this country
deserves to be fully educated on
what this bank stands for to remove
the fear being expressed by some
people that the idea was being
mooted to serve ulterior purpose,”
the cleric said.
Bishop Aje opined that unless the
authority concerned had a rethink
on the issue, the establishment of an
Islamic Bank in Nigeria was capable
of leading the country into
unnecessary crisis worst than what
we witnessed during the
introduction of Sharia Law and the
issue of OIC.
GREAT' TAMBUWAL...
Abuja -The Speaker of House
of Representatives, Alhaji
Aminu Tambuwal,
Thursday, called for support
of the German government
in Nigeria’s quest for a
permanent seat in the UN
security council.
Tambuwal made the call
when a delegation of the
German Parliament paid him
a courtesy visit in Abuja.
He said that Nigeria had
contributed a lot to maintain
global peace and as such
deserved a permanent seat
on the Council.
“I want to take the advantage
of your visit to seek for your
support for Nigeria’s bid for a
permanent seat at the United
Nations Security Council.
“Nigeria as you know has
been playing and still playing
critical role in the
maintenance of global peace.
The speaker said the
relationship between Nigeria
and Germany had grown
tremendously over the years.
He said the visit by the
delegation would further add
value and strengthen the
existing ties between both
countries.
Tambuwal maintained that
the House of Representatives
would continue to discuss on
the amendment of the
constitution to enhance the
county’s democracy.
Earlier, Mr Martwig Fischer,
leader of the delegation and
member of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, said their
visit was to further
strengthen economic ties
between the two countries.
Fischer expressed gratitude
for Nigeria’s support for
Germany when the country
bided for a permanent seat in
UN Security Council.
He said that Germany was
interested in the future of
democracy in Nigeria in
particular Africa in general.
“We believe that we need
closer ties between Africa,
especially Nigeria,’’he said.
of Representatives, Alhaji
Aminu Tambuwal,
Thursday, called for support
of the German government
in Nigeria’s quest for a
permanent seat in the UN
security council.
Tambuwal made the call
when a delegation of the
German Parliament paid him
a courtesy visit in Abuja.
He said that Nigeria had
contributed a lot to maintain
global peace and as such
deserved a permanent seat
on the Council.
“I want to take the advantage
of your visit to seek for your
support for Nigeria’s bid for a
permanent seat at the United
Nations Security Council.
“Nigeria as you know has
been playing and still playing
critical role in the
maintenance of global peace.
The speaker said the
relationship between Nigeria
and Germany had grown
tremendously over the years.
He said the visit by the
delegation would further add
value and strengthen the
existing ties between both
countries.
Tambuwal maintained that
the House of Representatives
would continue to discuss on
the amendment of the
constitution to enhance the
county’s democracy.
Earlier, Mr Martwig Fischer,
leader of the delegation and
member of the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, said their
visit was to further
strengthen economic ties
between the two countries.
Fischer expressed gratitude
for Nigeria’s support for
Germany when the country
bided for a permanent seat in
UN Security Council.
He said that Germany was
interested in the future of
democracy in Nigeria in
particular Africa in general.
“We believe that we need
closer ties between Africa,
especially Nigeria,’’he said.
JONATHAN (GEJA) SHOULD NOTE....
As condemnation continue to trail
the murder of innocent Nigerians in
the North especially NYSC members
who served as ad-hoc staff of
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) in the just
concluded presidential election. Hon.
Agi Jerome Aduojo, former House
of Assembly aspirant on the
platform of the PDP in this interview
with Daily Sun condemned what he
called inability of some Northerners
to embrace change which according
to him manifested in the just
concluded presidential election.
The accountant turned politician
from Omala in Kogi State blamed
the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC) presidential candidate
General Muhammadu Buhari for not
openly condemning the
unwarranted killing of non-indigenes
in some Northern states after
president Goodluck Jonathan
victory. He said the victory of
Jonathan did not come as a surprise
to him because Nigerians have
anticipated changes in our political
system and the opportunity came
and they made use of it.
Excerpts:
Rating of the elections
Let me congratulate Nigerians for
their collective decision to elect their
leaders after many years of
imposition of certain individuals
through selection. I thank God the
1993 credible election was replicated
in the last elections. Kudos to the
chairman of Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof.
Attahiru Jega for restoring the
confidence of Nigerians in the ballot
box. The election is applauded by
the international community, hence
once again the wish of the people
reflected in the results announced
by the Commission. You can see
defeated candidates congratulating
those that won unlike before when
the persons declared winner was
never the wish of the people.
However, I will not fail to commend
security agents for the manner they
conducted themselves before,
during and after the elections even
though I cannot say they performed
100% but to a large extent they lived
up to expectation.
The North and the presidency
Before the presidential election, the
political situation kept our hearts
beating with incessant bomb blast
here and there as pro-election
violence claimed thousands of lives.
Also going by late discovery by
INEC of multiple registration and
other irregularities during voters
registration exercise, it simply
showed that the election would
spring surprises, which was the
case. Lets starts by assessing those
who contested the presidential
election. Some of them merely
existed in the INEC released list of
presidential candidates.
Also the parties they flied their flags
existed in INEC register. Therefore I
called such candidates pretenders.
The North had already accepted
defeat before the presidential
elections because up till few weeks
to the election, we expected the
Northern leaders to indicate whom
the North should vote for among
Buhari, Shekarau and Ribadu. So the
North went into the presidential
election without a consensus
candidate while Jonathan was
consensus candidate of the South.
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan humbled the
North in Eagle Square at the PDP
presidential primary. I will say that
the presidential election was
contested, lost and won at the PDP
presidential primary. You don’t need
a soothsayer to tell you that
Jonathan was favoured to win after
defeating Atiku Abubakar, yet the
North had no backup, there and
then I concluded that the desired
changed in our political system is
here. Buhari worked hard but hadn’t
the overwhelming support of the
North especially the governors and
of course because the presidential
election came before governorship
election, the Northern governors
because, they wanted to return or
choose a successor were mandated
to deliver their state for Jonathan
plus power of incumbency, they
had no option but to make sure Mr.
President emerge victorious.
Another factor that worked against
the North from clinching the
presidency is because Northern
youths are angry with their leaders
especially because those who had
the opportunity to govern the
country were unable to provide
infrastructure even in the North
hence Jonathan got protest votes
from the North and Middle Belt. Yes,
Buhari is known for fighting
corruption which is the bane of the
nation and Nigerians wants a leader
that can fight corruption but had a
better candidate to contend with in
the person of Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan. Also, I expected Buhari to
come out and condemn the killings
of innocent people especially NYSC
members in some parts of the
North because he failed at the poll,
but he only said he did not send
anybody to kill. His utterances gave
him away.
Northern alliance
That was the last option I expected
from the Northern candidates to
reach a compromise and step down
for one person. Let me take them
one after the other. Ribadu should
have started his political career by
either going for Senate or Federal
House of Representatives but opted
for the presidency. I think the shoe
was too big for him to wear.
Though nothing was wrong for him
aspiring to rule Nigeria now.
What he did as Chairman EFCC is
not enough to become Nigeria
president because many saw him
as a hatchet man of former
President Olusegun Obasanjo to
hack down his perceived political
enemies and after the election, it
dawn on him that the Action
Congress of Nigeria(ACN) only used
and dumped him when it came to
the presidency as the South-West
voted massively for Jonathan.
Because of this, he left the party
immediately after the presidential
election. He did not look before he
leap knowing fully well that ACN is
more of South-West party yet he
chooses to pursue his political
ambition on the platform.
He should not expect anything less.
So to me that marriage is wrong.
On Governor Shekarau, he
overrated himself, already All Nigeria
People Party (ANPP) lost Kano State
and as the strongest opposition
party, most of the party’s strong
pillars dumped the party for CPC.
Yes, he made impact in Kano State
where he enjoyed the people’s
support for eight years but that was
not enough reason to believe that he
would be accepted nationwide and
to his greatest surprise that didn’t
happen and he lost Kano State to
PDP. That I will say is a costly
mistake.
Before election I stated it clear to
those close to me that Buhari is a
political asset and many believe he is
the type of leader Nigeria desire, this
is a man that has what it takes to
turn around Nigeria but
unfortunately his choice of running
mate is one of his greatest undoing.
the murder of innocent Nigerians in
the North especially NYSC members
who served as ad-hoc staff of
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) in the just
concluded presidential election. Hon.
Agi Jerome Aduojo, former House
of Assembly aspirant on the
platform of the PDP in this interview
with Daily Sun condemned what he
called inability of some Northerners
to embrace change which according
to him manifested in the just
concluded presidential election.
The accountant turned politician
from Omala in Kogi State blamed
the Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC) presidential candidate
General Muhammadu Buhari for not
openly condemning the
unwarranted killing of non-indigenes
in some Northern states after
president Goodluck Jonathan
victory. He said the victory of
Jonathan did not come as a surprise
to him because Nigerians have
anticipated changes in our political
system and the opportunity came
and they made use of it.
Excerpts:
Rating of the elections
Let me congratulate Nigerians for
their collective decision to elect their
leaders after many years of
imposition of certain individuals
through selection. I thank God the
1993 credible election was replicated
in the last elections. Kudos to the
chairman of Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof.
Attahiru Jega for restoring the
confidence of Nigerians in the ballot
box. The election is applauded by
the international community, hence
once again the wish of the people
reflected in the results announced
by the Commission. You can see
defeated candidates congratulating
those that won unlike before when
the persons declared winner was
never the wish of the people.
However, I will not fail to commend
security agents for the manner they
conducted themselves before,
during and after the elections even
though I cannot say they performed
100% but to a large extent they lived
up to expectation.
The North and the presidency
Before the presidential election, the
political situation kept our hearts
beating with incessant bomb blast
here and there as pro-election
violence claimed thousands of lives.
Also going by late discovery by
INEC of multiple registration and
other irregularities during voters
registration exercise, it simply
showed that the election would
spring surprises, which was the
case. Lets starts by assessing those
who contested the presidential
election. Some of them merely
existed in the INEC released list of
presidential candidates.
Also the parties they flied their flags
existed in INEC register. Therefore I
called such candidates pretenders.
The North had already accepted
defeat before the presidential
elections because up till few weeks
to the election, we expected the
Northern leaders to indicate whom
the North should vote for among
Buhari, Shekarau and Ribadu. So the
North went into the presidential
election without a consensus
candidate while Jonathan was
consensus candidate of the South.
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan humbled the
North in Eagle Square at the PDP
presidential primary. I will say that
the presidential election was
contested, lost and won at the PDP
presidential primary. You don’t need
a soothsayer to tell you that
Jonathan was favoured to win after
defeating Atiku Abubakar, yet the
North had no backup, there and
then I concluded that the desired
changed in our political system is
here. Buhari worked hard but hadn’t
the overwhelming support of the
North especially the governors and
of course because the presidential
election came before governorship
election, the Northern governors
because, they wanted to return or
choose a successor were mandated
to deliver their state for Jonathan
plus power of incumbency, they
had no option but to make sure Mr.
President emerge victorious.
Another factor that worked against
the North from clinching the
presidency is because Northern
youths are angry with their leaders
especially because those who had
the opportunity to govern the
country were unable to provide
infrastructure even in the North
hence Jonathan got protest votes
from the North and Middle Belt. Yes,
Buhari is known for fighting
corruption which is the bane of the
nation and Nigerians wants a leader
that can fight corruption but had a
better candidate to contend with in
the person of Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan. Also, I expected Buhari to
come out and condemn the killings
of innocent people especially NYSC
members in some parts of the
North because he failed at the poll,
but he only said he did not send
anybody to kill. His utterances gave
him away.
Northern alliance
That was the last option I expected
from the Northern candidates to
reach a compromise and step down
for one person. Let me take them
one after the other. Ribadu should
have started his political career by
either going for Senate or Federal
House of Representatives but opted
for the presidency. I think the shoe
was too big for him to wear.
Though nothing was wrong for him
aspiring to rule Nigeria now.
What he did as Chairman EFCC is
not enough to become Nigeria
president because many saw him
as a hatchet man of former
President Olusegun Obasanjo to
hack down his perceived political
enemies and after the election, it
dawn on him that the Action
Congress of Nigeria(ACN) only used
and dumped him when it came to
the presidency as the South-West
voted massively for Jonathan.
Because of this, he left the party
immediately after the presidential
election. He did not look before he
leap knowing fully well that ACN is
more of South-West party yet he
chooses to pursue his political
ambition on the platform.
He should not expect anything less.
So to me that marriage is wrong.
On Governor Shekarau, he
overrated himself, already All Nigeria
People Party (ANPP) lost Kano State
and as the strongest opposition
party, most of the party’s strong
pillars dumped the party for CPC.
Yes, he made impact in Kano State
where he enjoyed the people’s
support for eight years but that was
not enough reason to believe that he
would be accepted nationwide and
to his greatest surprise that didn’t
happen and he lost Kano State to
PDP. That I will say is a costly
mistake.
Before election I stated it clear to
those close to me that Buhari is a
political asset and many believe he is
the type of leader Nigeria desire, this
is a man that has what it takes to
turn around Nigeria but
unfortunately his choice of running
mate is one of his greatest undoing.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
BOKO HARAM.
From the foregoing, it is clear
that Biafra happened as a
predictable reaction to a peculiar
interplay of events. If there had
been no coup in 1966, there
would have been no pogrom
and the military would never
have come to power. There
would certainly have been no
Biafra.
I’d like to draw an analogy from
the hallowed institution of
marriage. With nearly two
decades under my belt, I can
say without fear of contradiction
that no one approaches the sacred
altar of matrimony with the faintest
thoughts of a separation or divorce.
I wasn’t thinking of divorce on the
12th of December 1992 and I’m not
considering it even now.
That’s simply because I’m enjoying
a little happiness in here.
Unfortunately, I can’t make the
same claim for many of my friends
and associates. For many, marriage
has become something to be
endured. But it was not designed to
be so. So when marriage ceases to
deliver on the promise of happiness
and bliss, the only option, painful
and stigmatizing as it is, is
separation.
I recently watched a friend go
through the gruesome process of
divorce. The day the court finally
dissolved the union, my friend
came apart completely. That’s why
God hates divorce. That explains
why the Church has no procedure
for annulling the marriage covenant.
In there, it’s until death do you part.
But the reality on ground is that the
divorce courts are very busy.
Governments exist for the welfare of
the people. The legitimacy of any
government is hinged on its
continuing ability to provide for and
protect its citizens. Governments
must create and sustain the enabling
environment for the people to thrive
and realize their deepest aspirations.
The right of a people to determine
what those aspirations are is
unimpeachable. So also is the
process of realizing them. That’s
what democracy is all about; the
very same thing exotically
christened self-determination. Those
rights are inalienable.
Biafra wasn’t an original idea. It
wasn’t something that was
scrupulously articulated. It was
merely a reaction to a government
that had failed to rise to the
demands of the occasion. A default
solution, if you may. In essence,
Biafra represents the resolve of a
people to demand for a better deal.
That’s what started in Tunisia, swept
away the well-entrenched Hosni
Mubarak of Egypt and has Libya’s
Gaddafi’s future hanging by a
thread. Syria’s Al-Assad and
Yemen’s Saleh are fairing no better.
Despotic regimes everywhere are
predictably jittery, and why not?
When people say the unity of
Nigeria is not negotiable, I assume
the well being and security of all
Nigerians have been factored in. I
assume that that unity is founded
on the bedrock of the peoples’
unalloyed and unforced
commitment to the nation’s growth
and sustenance. And the nation’s
primary focus must be to provide
the greatest good for the greatest
number. Where governments falter
or fail in this fundamental task, they
lose the moral basis to demand the
peoples’ commitment and the unity
of such an entity becomes
accordingly compromised.
Husbands are obligated to love their
wives while wives are enjoined to
submit to their husbands. Even
though a wife’s submission should
not ordinarily be predicated on a
husband’s love, we know all too
well that the performance of one
encourages the other. So a husband
who has ceased to love and cherish
his wife cannot turn around to
demand submission. And if such a
woman approaches the courts
demanding the quashing of the
union, he has no basis to oppose it.
As with husband and wife, so it is
with a nation and her peoples. I hate
divorce as perfectly as I detest the
idea of secession. But I’ll have no
qualms recommending both
options if the circumstances so
demand. The Boko Haram
exponents are well within their right
to demand to live how they wish.
What they do not possess is the
right to injure other people’s
interests in the process of actualizing
theirs.
The charter of an organization is not
complete without a provision for
opting out. If you can subscribe,
you must also be able to
unsubscribe.
So do I believe in Biafra? I think I
answered that question a very long
time ago.
that Biafra happened as a
predictable reaction to a peculiar
interplay of events. If there had
been no coup in 1966, there
would have been no pogrom
and the military would never
have come to power. There
would certainly have been no
Biafra.
I’d like to draw an analogy from
the hallowed institution of
marriage. With nearly two
decades under my belt, I can
say without fear of contradiction
that no one approaches the sacred
altar of matrimony with the faintest
thoughts of a separation or divorce.
I wasn’t thinking of divorce on the
12th of December 1992 and I’m not
considering it even now.
That’s simply because I’m enjoying
a little happiness in here.
Unfortunately, I can’t make the
same claim for many of my friends
and associates. For many, marriage
has become something to be
endured. But it was not designed to
be so. So when marriage ceases to
deliver on the promise of happiness
and bliss, the only option, painful
and stigmatizing as it is, is
separation.
I recently watched a friend go
through the gruesome process of
divorce. The day the court finally
dissolved the union, my friend
came apart completely. That’s why
God hates divorce. That explains
why the Church has no procedure
for annulling the marriage covenant.
In there, it’s until death do you part.
But the reality on ground is that the
divorce courts are very busy.
Governments exist for the welfare of
the people. The legitimacy of any
government is hinged on its
continuing ability to provide for and
protect its citizens. Governments
must create and sustain the enabling
environment for the people to thrive
and realize their deepest aspirations.
The right of a people to determine
what those aspirations are is
unimpeachable. So also is the
process of realizing them. That’s
what democracy is all about; the
very same thing exotically
christened self-determination. Those
rights are inalienable.
Biafra wasn’t an original idea. It
wasn’t something that was
scrupulously articulated. It was
merely a reaction to a government
that had failed to rise to the
demands of the occasion. A default
solution, if you may. In essence,
Biafra represents the resolve of a
people to demand for a better deal.
That’s what started in Tunisia, swept
away the well-entrenched Hosni
Mubarak of Egypt and has Libya’s
Gaddafi’s future hanging by a
thread. Syria’s Al-Assad and
Yemen’s Saleh are fairing no better.
Despotic regimes everywhere are
predictably jittery, and why not?
When people say the unity of
Nigeria is not negotiable, I assume
the well being and security of all
Nigerians have been factored in. I
assume that that unity is founded
on the bedrock of the peoples’
unalloyed and unforced
commitment to the nation’s growth
and sustenance. And the nation’s
primary focus must be to provide
the greatest good for the greatest
number. Where governments falter
or fail in this fundamental task, they
lose the moral basis to demand the
peoples’ commitment and the unity
of such an entity becomes
accordingly compromised.
Husbands are obligated to love their
wives while wives are enjoined to
submit to their husbands. Even
though a wife’s submission should
not ordinarily be predicated on a
husband’s love, we know all too
well that the performance of one
encourages the other. So a husband
who has ceased to love and cherish
his wife cannot turn around to
demand submission. And if such a
woman approaches the courts
demanding the quashing of the
union, he has no basis to oppose it.
As with husband and wife, so it is
with a nation and her peoples. I hate
divorce as perfectly as I detest the
idea of secession. But I’ll have no
qualms recommending both
options if the circumstances so
demand. The Boko Haram
exponents are well within their right
to demand to live how they wish.
What they do not possess is the
right to injure other people’s
interests in the process of actualizing
theirs.
The charter of an organization is not
complete without a provision for
opting out. If you can subscribe,
you must also be able to
unsubscribe.
So do I believe in Biafra? I think I
answered that question a very long
time ago.
I have taken sometime to reflect on
President Goodluck Jonathan’s
presidential ambition, which became
an instant debate after the death of
his predecessor, Alhaji Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua and came to a conclusion
that it would have been very tragic,
if he did not contest, at all.
I had earlier queried the motive
behind his desire to seek power
after a fruitful political career and in
the face of mounting zoning
principle of his party that allegedly
did not favour him even when it
was clear that the zoning
arrangement lacked equity and had
no referendum basis.
An objective comparative analysis
with his predecessors has since
deposed to the fact that his
achievements barely 10 months ago
is the driving force and not personal
ambition. Many people have
commended his political deft
moves, indeed, his dexterity in
social and political engineering, high
sense of vision and mission,
humility and personal success
story, hardwork and dedication to
duty etc.
The Igbo must have had him in
mind when they averred that a
chick that would turn into a cock is
known the moment it is hatched.
Right from the day he took over as
President, he left nobody in doubt
that he was primed for selfless and
result oriented service. He was able
to identify the key areas that are
critical to the economic growth of
the nation.
Realising that it was better to build
strong institutions than strong
leaders, he reorganized the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and appointed
Prof Attahiru Jega, as Chairman. He
followed it up by adequately funding
the electoral body and replacing key
officials identified to be members of
political parties. These actions, no
doubt, boosted the credibility of the
body and the confidence of
politicians in the INEC to conduct
free, fair and transparent elections.
TI want to single out the Presidential
Projects Assessment Committee
headed by Ibrahim Bunu and
Presidential Committee on Energy
and Power headed by Prof Barth
Nnaji. They are his catalysts and
vehicles he uses to draw, drive and
focus attention on critical areas of
governance to achieve planned
development after project execution.
Projects that were hitherto
abandoned are not only revived but
are either completed or ongoing.
Abuja Residents are particularly
applauding the speed at which the
expansion of Musa Yar’Dua
Expressway, Kubwa Expressway,
Akwanga-Lafia road, Lokoja-Abuja
road, the Millennium projects etc.
are going and wondering whether it
is not the same Nigerian contractors
that are handling them.
Interestingly, transportation and
agriculture are receiving attention.
Just a few days ago, the nation
erupted in joy as the rail transport
sector emerged. A train took off
from the Iddo (Lagos) terminal to
the North for the first time in 10
years. The dredging of River Niger
has been sustained with the
potential economic benefits.
Irrigation, provision of agricultural
loans and silos projects are ongoing
helping farmers to boost food
production.
The recent launch of gas revolution
agenda would raise domestic gas
supply to over 10 billion cubic feet
per day, as well as end gas flaring,
build petrochemical plants and
create jobs. That is the same zeal he
has brought to bear on the energy
sector. Since his emergence, power
supply has improved remarkably.
However, while some of his critics
may be quick to point out that as a
former lecturer, Jonathan is bound
to please his former constituency,
what about his reaching out to
Nigerian workers by signing into
law a bill for a new national
minimum wage of N18,000? What
about the $200 million he approved
to boost the entertainment industry
and gave our artistes a new lease of
life?
His willingness to sign the Freedom
of Information Bill? What about his
recent order that female cadets be
enlisted for combatant training at the
Nigeria Defense Academy ? What
about his resolve to implement the
affirmative action of ceding 35 per
cent of government appointments
to women? These measures, no
doubt, point to the fact that his
administration has a definite
purpose and direction and will
represent a system mindset which
is very fundamental to society
transformation.
• Prince Okwuaka is a pub
President Goodluck Jonathan’s
presidential ambition, which became
an instant debate after the death of
his predecessor, Alhaji Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua and came to a conclusion
that it would have been very tragic,
if he did not contest, at all.
I had earlier queried the motive
behind his desire to seek power
after a fruitful political career and in
the face of mounting zoning
principle of his party that allegedly
did not favour him even when it
was clear that the zoning
arrangement lacked equity and had
no referendum basis.
An objective comparative analysis
with his predecessors has since
deposed to the fact that his
achievements barely 10 months ago
is the driving force and not personal
ambition. Many people have
commended his political deft
moves, indeed, his dexterity in
social and political engineering, high
sense of vision and mission,
humility and personal success
story, hardwork and dedication to
duty etc.
The Igbo must have had him in
mind when they averred that a
chick that would turn into a cock is
known the moment it is hatched.
Right from the day he took over as
President, he left nobody in doubt
that he was primed for selfless and
result oriented service. He was able
to identify the key areas that are
critical to the economic growth of
the nation.
Realising that it was better to build
strong institutions than strong
leaders, he reorganized the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and appointed
Prof Attahiru Jega, as Chairman. He
followed it up by adequately funding
the electoral body and replacing key
officials identified to be members of
political parties. These actions, no
doubt, boosted the credibility of the
body and the confidence of
politicians in the INEC to conduct
free, fair and transparent elections.
TI want to single out the Presidential
Projects Assessment Committee
headed by Ibrahim Bunu and
Presidential Committee on Energy
and Power headed by Prof Barth
Nnaji. They are his catalysts and
vehicles he uses to draw, drive and
focus attention on critical areas of
governance to achieve planned
development after project execution.
Projects that were hitherto
abandoned are not only revived but
are either completed or ongoing.
Abuja Residents are particularly
applauding the speed at which the
expansion of Musa Yar’Dua
Expressway, Kubwa Expressway,
Akwanga-Lafia road, Lokoja-Abuja
road, the Millennium projects etc.
are going and wondering whether it
is not the same Nigerian contractors
that are handling them.
Interestingly, transportation and
agriculture are receiving attention.
Just a few days ago, the nation
erupted in joy as the rail transport
sector emerged. A train took off
from the Iddo (Lagos) terminal to
the North for the first time in 10
years. The dredging of River Niger
has been sustained with the
potential economic benefits.
Irrigation, provision of agricultural
loans and silos projects are ongoing
helping farmers to boost food
production.
The recent launch of gas revolution
agenda would raise domestic gas
supply to over 10 billion cubic feet
per day, as well as end gas flaring,
build petrochemical plants and
create jobs. That is the same zeal he
has brought to bear on the energy
sector. Since his emergence, power
supply has improved remarkably.
However, while some of his critics
may be quick to point out that as a
former lecturer, Jonathan is bound
to please his former constituency,
what about his reaching out to
Nigerian workers by signing into
law a bill for a new national
minimum wage of N18,000? What
about the $200 million he approved
to boost the entertainment industry
and gave our artistes a new lease of
life?
His willingness to sign the Freedom
of Information Bill? What about his
recent order that female cadets be
enlisted for combatant training at the
Nigeria Defense Academy ? What
about his resolve to implement the
affirmative action of ceding 35 per
cent of government appointments
to women? These measures, no
doubt, point to the fact that his
administration has a definite
purpose and direction and will
represent a system mindset which
is very fundamental to society
transformation.
• Prince Okwuaka is a pub
IS GEJA THE MESSIAH NIGERIANS NEED?
I have taken sometime to reflect on
President Goodluck Jonathan’s
presidential ambition, which became
an instant debate after the death of
his predecessor, Alhaji Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua and came to a conclusion
that it would have been very tragic,
if he did not contest, at all.
I had earlier queried the motive
behind his desire to seek power
after a fruitful political career and in
the face of mounting zoning
principle of his party that allegedly
did not favour him even when it
was clear that the zoning
arrangement lacked equity and had
no referendum basis.
An objective comparative analysis
with his predecessors has since
deposed to the fact that his
achievements barely 10 months ago
is the driving force and not personal
ambition. Many people have
commended his political deft
moves, indeed, his dexterity in
social and political engineering, high
sense of vision and mission,
humility and personal success
story, hardwork and dedication to
duty etc.
The Igbo must have had him in
mind when they averred that a
chick that would turn into a cock is
known the moment it is hatched.
Right from the day he took over as
President, he left nobody in doubt
that he was primed for selfless and
result oriented service. He was able
to identify the key areas that are
critical to the economic growth of
the nation.
Realising that it was better to build
strong institutions than strong
leaders, he reorganized the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and appointed
Prof Attahiru Jega, as Chairman. He
followed it up by adequately funding
the electoral body and replacing key
officials identified to be members of
political parties. These actions, no
doubt, boosted the credibility of the
body and the confidence of
politicians in the INEC to conduct
free, fair and transparent elections.
TI want to single out the Presidential
Projects Assessment Committee
headed by Ibrahim Bunu and
Presidential Committee on Energy
and Power headed by Prof Barth
Nnaji. They are his catalysts and
vehicles he uses to draw, drive and
focus attention on critical areas of
governance to achieve planned
development after project execution.
Projects that were hitherto
abandoned are not only revived but
are either completed or ongoing.
Abuja Residents are particularly
applauding the speed at which the
expansion of Musa Yar’Dua
Expressway, Kubwa Expressway,
Akwanga-Lafia road, Lokoja-Abuja
road, the Millennium projects etc.
are going and wondering whether it
is not the same Nigerian contractors
that are handling them.
Interestingly, transportation and
agriculture are receiving attention.
Just a few days ago, the nation
erupted in joy as the rail transport
sector emerged. A train took off
from the Iddo (Lagos) terminal to
the North for the first time in 10
years. The dredging of River Niger
has been sustained with the
potential economic benefits.
Irrigation, provision of agricultural
loans and silos projects are ongoing
helping farmers to boost food
production.
The recent launch of gas revolution
agenda would raise domestic gas
supply to over 10 billion cubic feet
per day, as well as end gas flaring,
build petrochemical plants and
create jobs. That is the same zeal he
has brought to bear on the energy
sector. Since his emergence, power
supply has improved remarkably.
However, while some of his critics
may be quick to point out that as a
former lecturer, Jonathan is bound
to please his former constituency,
what about his reaching out to
Nigerian workers by signing into
law a bill for a new national
minimum wage of N18,000? What
about the $200 million he approved
to boost the entertainment industry
and gave our artistes a new lease of
life?
His willingness to sign the Freedom
of Information Bill? What about his
recent order that female cadets be
enlisted for combatant training at the
Nigeria Defense Academy ? What
about his resolve to implement the
affirmative action of ceding 35 per
cent of government appointments
to women? These measures, no
doubt, point to the fact that his
administration has a definite
purpose and direction and will
represent a system mindset which
is very fundamental to society
transformation.
• Prince Okwuaka is a public affai
President Goodluck Jonathan’s
presidential ambition, which became
an instant debate after the death of
his predecessor, Alhaji Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua and came to a conclusion
that it would have been very tragic,
if he did not contest, at all.
I had earlier queried the motive
behind his desire to seek power
after a fruitful political career and in
the face of mounting zoning
principle of his party that allegedly
did not favour him even when it
was clear that the zoning
arrangement lacked equity and had
no referendum basis.
An objective comparative analysis
with his predecessors has since
deposed to the fact that his
achievements barely 10 months ago
is the driving force and not personal
ambition. Many people have
commended his political deft
moves, indeed, his dexterity in
social and political engineering, high
sense of vision and mission,
humility and personal success
story, hardwork and dedication to
duty etc.
The Igbo must have had him in
mind when they averred that a
chick that would turn into a cock is
known the moment it is hatched.
Right from the day he took over as
President, he left nobody in doubt
that he was primed for selfless and
result oriented service. He was able
to identify the key areas that are
critical to the economic growth of
the nation.
Realising that it was better to build
strong institutions than strong
leaders, he reorganized the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and appointed
Prof Attahiru Jega, as Chairman. He
followed it up by adequately funding
the electoral body and replacing key
officials identified to be members of
political parties. These actions, no
doubt, boosted the credibility of the
body and the confidence of
politicians in the INEC to conduct
free, fair and transparent elections.
TI want to single out the Presidential
Projects Assessment Committee
headed by Ibrahim Bunu and
Presidential Committee on Energy
and Power headed by Prof Barth
Nnaji. They are his catalysts and
vehicles he uses to draw, drive and
focus attention on critical areas of
governance to achieve planned
development after project execution.
Projects that were hitherto
abandoned are not only revived but
are either completed or ongoing.
Abuja Residents are particularly
applauding the speed at which the
expansion of Musa Yar’Dua
Expressway, Kubwa Expressway,
Akwanga-Lafia road, Lokoja-Abuja
road, the Millennium projects etc.
are going and wondering whether it
is not the same Nigerian contractors
that are handling them.
Interestingly, transportation and
agriculture are receiving attention.
Just a few days ago, the nation
erupted in joy as the rail transport
sector emerged. A train took off
from the Iddo (Lagos) terminal to
the North for the first time in 10
years. The dredging of River Niger
has been sustained with the
potential economic benefits.
Irrigation, provision of agricultural
loans and silos projects are ongoing
helping farmers to boost food
production.
The recent launch of gas revolution
agenda would raise domestic gas
supply to over 10 billion cubic feet
per day, as well as end gas flaring,
build petrochemical plants and
create jobs. That is the same zeal he
has brought to bear on the energy
sector. Since his emergence, power
supply has improved remarkably.
However, while some of his critics
may be quick to point out that as a
former lecturer, Jonathan is bound
to please his former constituency,
what about his reaching out to
Nigerian workers by signing into
law a bill for a new national
minimum wage of N18,000? What
about the $200 million he approved
to boost the entertainment industry
and gave our artistes a new lease of
life?
His willingness to sign the Freedom
of Information Bill? What about his
recent order that female cadets be
enlisted for combatant training at the
Nigeria Defense Academy ? What
about his resolve to implement the
affirmative action of ceding 35 per
cent of government appointments
to women? These measures, no
doubt, point to the fact that his
administration has a definite
purpose and direction and will
represent a system mindset which
is very fundamental to society
transformation.
• Prince Okwuaka is a public affai
The intelligence he gathered is
alleged to have been a significant
factor in Israel’s success in the
Six Day War.
The Special Branch Department
of the Nigerian Police was at its
height a pretty good service
nipping most threats to state
security in the bud either at the
planning stages or before they
became operational.
The Special Branch was so well
entrenched and pervasive that it
successfully infiltrated most
social, political and religious
organisations in the country
including Town unions, Churches,
mosques, political parties and
groups of interest to the state.
The assassination of Murtala
Mohammed in 1975 was the excuse
needed by the military to subjugate
the Special Branch Department
under the control of Military
Intelligence. In 1976, the Department
was excised out of the police and
merged with elements of Military
Intelligence to form the Nigerian
Security Organisation under then
Colonel Abdullahi Mohammed.
This singular action debilitated the
police of its ability to engage in
serious security and political
intelligence gathering. The NSO did
not fare better either because the
efficiency of the Special Branch
officers were subsumed under the
leadership of officers from the
Directorate of Military intelligence.
The result was a service that relied
less on pain-staking detective work,
worked blind most times such as
the failure to detect the Maitasine
rebellion and emphasized executive
protection and the overwhelming
use of force in reaction to national
security threats.
Whether in Zaki-Biam, Odi, the
Niger-Delta or in the Boko-Haram
stronghold of Borno, a cursory look
at the operational style of the
security services would show that
there is a distinct over-reliance on
crushing force which at the end of
the day serves no strategic purpose
as the absence of good actionable
intelligence only results in the
destruction of local infrastructure by
the security forces while the
operational masterminds behind the
assault on the state and its agents
remain at large only to respond
viciously o the state’ brutal actions
months or years later.
The Nigerian Police requires a total,
comprehensive overhaul of its
operational infrastructure, assets
and style. There is an urgent need to
re-invigorate the Intelligence and
Investigative Bureaus of the police
both at the national and local levels.
There is need to return to the
halcyon days of the Special Branch.
|
The FIIB and the various SIIB’s are
manifestly deficient in handling
political and security intelligence, I
recommend that assets be deployed
from the Department of State
Services to manage the
administrative functions and
operational acvities of the FIIB and
the SIIB’s for a period of 10 years to
allow for the efficient capability of
the Bureau to undertake security
intelligence operations as well as
train police officers attached to the
Bureau to appreciate the nuances of
political and security intelligence
operations.
This move will also encourage an
environment that promotes
investigative, operational style
tempered with analytical curiosity
which the police no doubt lack. I
note however that the problem of
encouraging intelligence analysis
and imaginative, critical thinking is a
problem all the security services in
the country have as a result of their
history and environment especially
the military years which geared
them towards internal security,
criminal investigation, and anti-
subversive activities.
Furthermore, there is an imperative
to interrogate the method of
appointing the leadership of the
Nigerian police Force. The pertinent
questions to ask include; must the
Federal or state police chiefs be
police officers? Can the ventilation
and assimilation of new ideas and
new paradigms on effective policing
be guaranteed by someone who
has been bureaucratized in the
system for over thirty years? What
is wrong with an officer of the
National intelligence Agency or the
Department of State Services or a
serving or retired judge heading the
police force? Wouldn’t the adoption
of external leadership from outside
the police assist the force appreciate
better he limitations in the way it
operates, makes use of the product
of its operations and in evaluating
whether the operations themselves
are really worthwhile.
The questions are by no means
exhaustive. I posit that the
institutionalization of the leadership
of the police within its calcified
bureaucracy has done more harm
than good. In addition the Nigerian
Police Force needs to be situated
within the context of contemporary
modern policing methods that
emphasize the use of science and
technology to reach acceptable
judicial conclusions. At the last
count, the force had only a sole
forensic laboratory in Lagos that
lacks the basic functionalities of a
serious police lab. The Jonathan
administration needs to ensure that
each state police command owns its
own forensic lab while extensive
training of police officers in science
based evidence gathering should be
undertaken as a matter of urgent
national importance.
With no coherent counter-terrorism
strategy, there is need for the Office
of the National Security Adviser and
the office of the Coordinator on
Counter-terrorism to adopt a
strategy that places the assets and
capabilities of the Military at the heart
of this strategy in order to effectively
confront the challenges posed by
nihilist counter-state actors. The
intelligence corps of the Army, Air
Force and Navy has as a result of
long years of military rule been
better trained and better
infrastructured to challenge counter-
state activities.
Intelligence is the key to national
security. It was strategic intelligence
planning and operations that led to
the assassination of Osama bin
Laden and hundreds of Al-Qaeda
operatives and commanders across
the globe. It is proper intelligence
that has allowed the state of Israel to
terminate without prejudice those
who threaten its survival. It is good
intelligence not heavy handed
response that will secure peace for
Nigeria
alleged to have been a significant
factor in Israel’s success in the
Six Day War.
The Special Branch Department
of the Nigerian Police was at its
height a pretty good service
nipping most threats to state
security in the bud either at the
planning stages or before they
became operational.
The Special Branch was so well
entrenched and pervasive that it
successfully infiltrated most
social, political and religious
organisations in the country
including Town unions, Churches,
mosques, political parties and
groups of interest to the state.
The assassination of Murtala
Mohammed in 1975 was the excuse
needed by the military to subjugate
the Special Branch Department
under the control of Military
Intelligence. In 1976, the Department
was excised out of the police and
merged with elements of Military
Intelligence to form the Nigerian
Security Organisation under then
Colonel Abdullahi Mohammed.
This singular action debilitated the
police of its ability to engage in
serious security and political
intelligence gathering. The NSO did
not fare better either because the
efficiency of the Special Branch
officers were subsumed under the
leadership of officers from the
Directorate of Military intelligence.
The result was a service that relied
less on pain-staking detective work,
worked blind most times such as
the failure to detect the Maitasine
rebellion and emphasized executive
protection and the overwhelming
use of force in reaction to national
security threats.
Whether in Zaki-Biam, Odi, the
Niger-Delta or in the Boko-Haram
stronghold of Borno, a cursory look
at the operational style of the
security services would show that
there is a distinct over-reliance on
crushing force which at the end of
the day serves no strategic purpose
as the absence of good actionable
intelligence only results in the
destruction of local infrastructure by
the security forces while the
operational masterminds behind the
assault on the state and its agents
remain at large only to respond
viciously o the state’ brutal actions
months or years later.
The Nigerian Police requires a total,
comprehensive overhaul of its
operational infrastructure, assets
and style. There is an urgent need to
re-invigorate the Intelligence and
Investigative Bureaus of the police
both at the national and local levels.
There is need to return to the
halcyon days of the Special Branch.
|
The FIIB and the various SIIB’s are
manifestly deficient in handling
political and security intelligence, I
recommend that assets be deployed
from the Department of State
Services to manage the
administrative functions and
operational acvities of the FIIB and
the SIIB’s for a period of 10 years to
allow for the efficient capability of
the Bureau to undertake security
intelligence operations as well as
train police officers attached to the
Bureau to appreciate the nuances of
political and security intelligence
operations.
This move will also encourage an
environment that promotes
investigative, operational style
tempered with analytical curiosity
which the police no doubt lack. I
note however that the problem of
encouraging intelligence analysis
and imaginative, critical thinking is a
problem all the security services in
the country have as a result of their
history and environment especially
the military years which geared
them towards internal security,
criminal investigation, and anti-
subversive activities.
Furthermore, there is an imperative
to interrogate the method of
appointing the leadership of the
Nigerian police Force. The pertinent
questions to ask include; must the
Federal or state police chiefs be
police officers? Can the ventilation
and assimilation of new ideas and
new paradigms on effective policing
be guaranteed by someone who
has been bureaucratized in the
system for over thirty years? What
is wrong with an officer of the
National intelligence Agency or the
Department of State Services or a
serving or retired judge heading the
police force? Wouldn’t the adoption
of external leadership from outside
the police assist the force appreciate
better he limitations in the way it
operates, makes use of the product
of its operations and in evaluating
whether the operations themselves
are really worthwhile.
The questions are by no means
exhaustive. I posit that the
institutionalization of the leadership
of the police within its calcified
bureaucracy has done more harm
than good. In addition the Nigerian
Police Force needs to be situated
within the context of contemporary
modern policing methods that
emphasize the use of science and
technology to reach acceptable
judicial conclusions. At the last
count, the force had only a sole
forensic laboratory in Lagos that
lacks the basic functionalities of a
serious police lab. The Jonathan
administration needs to ensure that
each state police command owns its
own forensic lab while extensive
training of police officers in science
based evidence gathering should be
undertaken as a matter of urgent
national importance.
With no coherent counter-terrorism
strategy, there is need for the Office
of the National Security Adviser and
the office of the Coordinator on
Counter-terrorism to adopt a
strategy that places the assets and
capabilities of the Military at the heart
of this strategy in order to effectively
confront the challenges posed by
nihilist counter-state actors. The
intelligence corps of the Army, Air
Force and Navy has as a result of
long years of military rule been
better trained and better
infrastructured to challenge counter-
state activities.
Intelligence is the key to national
security. It was strategic intelligence
planning and operations that led to
the assassination of Osama bin
Laden and hundreds of Al-Qaeda
operatives and commanders across
the globe. It is proper intelligence
that has allowed the state of Israel to
terminate without prejudice those
who threaten its survival. It is good
intelligence not heavy handed
response that will secure peace for
Nigeria
The intelligence he gathered is
alleged to have been a significant
factor in Israel’s success in the
Six Day War.
The Special Branch Department
of the Nigerian Police was at its
height a pretty good service
nipping most threats to state
security in the bud either at the
planning stages or before they
became operational.
The Special Branch was so well
entrenched and pervasive that it
successfully infiltrated most
social, political and religious
organisations in the country
including Town unions, Churches,
mosques, political parties and
groups of interest to the state.
The assassination of Murtala
Mohammed in 1975 was the excuse
needed by the military to subjugate
the Special Branch Department
under the control of Military
Intelligence. In 1976, the Department
was excised out of the police and
merged with elements of Military
Intelligence to form the Nigerian
Security Organisation under then
Colonel Abdullahi Mohammed.
This singular action debilitated the
police of its ability to engage in
serious security and political
intelligence gathering. The NSO did
not fare better either because the
efficiency of the Special Branch
officers were subsumed under the
leadership of officers from the
Directorate of Military intelligence.
The result was a service that relied
less on pain-staking detective work,
worked blind most times such as
the failure to detect the Maitasine
rebellion and emphasized executive
protection and the overwhelming
use of force in reaction to national
security threats.
Whether in Zaki-Biam, Odi, the
Niger-Delta or in the Boko-Haram
stronghold of Borno, a cursory look
at the operational style of the
security services would show that
there is a distinct over-reliance on
crushing force which at the end of
the day serves no strategic purpose
as the absence of good actionable
intelligence only results in the
destruction of local infrastructure by
the security forces while the
operational masterminds behind the
assault on the state and its agents
remain at large only to respond
viciously o the state’ brutal actions
months or years later.
The Nigerian Police requires a total,
comprehensive overhaul of its
operational infrastructure, assets
and style. There is an urgent need to
re-invigorate the Intelligence and
Investigative Bureaus of the police
both at the national and local levels.
There is need to return to the
halcyon days of the Special Branch.
|
The FIIB and the various SIIB’s are
manifestly deficient in handling
political and security intelligence, I
recommend that assets be deployed
from the Department of State
Services to manage the
administrative functions and
operational acvities of the FIIB and
the SIIB’s for a period of 10 years to
allow for the efficient capability of
the Bureau to undertake security
intelligence operations as well as
train police officers attached to the
Bureau to appreciate the nuances of
political and security intelligence
operations.
This move will also encourage an
environment that promotes
investigative, operational style
tempered with analytical curiosity
which the police no doubt lack. I
note however that the problem of
encouraging intelligence analysis
and imaginative, critical thinking is a
problem all the security services in
the country have as a result of their
history and environment especially
the military years which geared
them towards internal security,
criminal investigation, and anti-
subversive activities.
Furthermore, there is an imperative
to interrogate the method of
appointing the leadership of the
Nigerian police Force. The pertinent
questions to ask include; must the
Federal or state police chiefs be
police officers? Can the ventilation
and assimilation of new ideas and
new paradigms on effective policing
be guaranteed by someone who
has been bureaucratized in the
system for over thirty years? What
is wrong with an officer of the
National intelligence Agency or the
Department of State Services or a
serving or retired judge heading the
police force? Wouldn’t the adoption
of external leadership from outside
the police assist the force appreciate
better he limitations in the way it
operates, makes use of the product
of its operations and in evaluating
whether the operations themselves
are really worthwhile.
The questions are by no means
exhaustive. I posit that the
institutionalization of the leadership
of the police within its calcified
bureaucracy has done more harm
than good. In addition the Nigerian
Police Force needs to be situated
within the context of contemporary
modern policing methods that
emphasize the use of science and
technology to reach acceptable
judicial conclusions. At the last
count, the force had only a sole
forensic laboratory in Lagos that
lacks the basic functionalities of a
serious police lab. The Jonathan
administration needs to ensure that
each state police command owns its
own forensic lab while extensive
training of police officers in science
based evidence gathering should be
undertaken as a matter of urgent
national importance.
With no coherent counter-terrorism
strategy, there is need for the Office
of the National Security Adviser and
the office of the Coordinator on
Counter-terrorism to adopt a
strategy that places the assets and
capabilities of the Military at the heart
of this strategy in order to effectively
confront the challenges posed by
nihilist counter-state actors. The
intelligence corps of the Army, Air
Force and Navy has as a result of
long years of military rule been
better trained and better
infrastructured to challenge counter-
state activities.
Intelligence is the key to national
security. It was strategic intelligence
planning and operations that led to
the assassination of Osama bin
Laden and hundreds of Al-Qaeda
operatives and commanders across
the globe. It is proper intelligence
that has allowed the state of Israel to
terminate without prejudice those
who threaten its survival. It is good
intelligence not heavy handed
response that will secure peace for
Nigeria
alleged to have been a significant
factor in Israel’s success in the
Six Day War.
The Special Branch Department
of the Nigerian Police was at its
height a pretty good service
nipping most threats to state
security in the bud either at the
planning stages or before they
became operational.
The Special Branch was so well
entrenched and pervasive that it
successfully infiltrated most
social, political and religious
organisations in the country
including Town unions, Churches,
mosques, political parties and
groups of interest to the state.
The assassination of Murtala
Mohammed in 1975 was the excuse
needed by the military to subjugate
the Special Branch Department
under the control of Military
Intelligence. In 1976, the Department
was excised out of the police and
merged with elements of Military
Intelligence to form the Nigerian
Security Organisation under then
Colonel Abdullahi Mohammed.
This singular action debilitated the
police of its ability to engage in
serious security and political
intelligence gathering. The NSO did
not fare better either because the
efficiency of the Special Branch
officers were subsumed under the
leadership of officers from the
Directorate of Military intelligence.
The result was a service that relied
less on pain-staking detective work,
worked blind most times such as
the failure to detect the Maitasine
rebellion and emphasized executive
protection and the overwhelming
use of force in reaction to national
security threats.
Whether in Zaki-Biam, Odi, the
Niger-Delta or in the Boko-Haram
stronghold of Borno, a cursory look
at the operational style of the
security services would show that
there is a distinct over-reliance on
crushing force which at the end of
the day serves no strategic purpose
as the absence of good actionable
intelligence only results in the
destruction of local infrastructure by
the security forces while the
operational masterminds behind the
assault on the state and its agents
remain at large only to respond
viciously o the state’ brutal actions
months or years later.
The Nigerian Police requires a total,
comprehensive overhaul of its
operational infrastructure, assets
and style. There is an urgent need to
re-invigorate the Intelligence and
Investigative Bureaus of the police
both at the national and local levels.
There is need to return to the
halcyon days of the Special Branch.
|
The FIIB and the various SIIB’s are
manifestly deficient in handling
political and security intelligence, I
recommend that assets be deployed
from the Department of State
Services to manage the
administrative functions and
operational acvities of the FIIB and
the SIIB’s for a period of 10 years to
allow for the efficient capability of
the Bureau to undertake security
intelligence operations as well as
train police officers attached to the
Bureau to appreciate the nuances of
political and security intelligence
operations.
This move will also encourage an
environment that promotes
investigative, operational style
tempered with analytical curiosity
which the police no doubt lack. I
note however that the problem of
encouraging intelligence analysis
and imaginative, critical thinking is a
problem all the security services in
the country have as a result of their
history and environment especially
the military years which geared
them towards internal security,
criminal investigation, and anti-
subversive activities.
Furthermore, there is an imperative
to interrogate the method of
appointing the leadership of the
Nigerian police Force. The pertinent
questions to ask include; must the
Federal or state police chiefs be
police officers? Can the ventilation
and assimilation of new ideas and
new paradigms on effective policing
be guaranteed by someone who
has been bureaucratized in the
system for over thirty years? What
is wrong with an officer of the
National intelligence Agency or the
Department of State Services or a
serving or retired judge heading the
police force? Wouldn’t the adoption
of external leadership from outside
the police assist the force appreciate
better he limitations in the way it
operates, makes use of the product
of its operations and in evaluating
whether the operations themselves
are really worthwhile.
The questions are by no means
exhaustive. I posit that the
institutionalization of the leadership
of the police within its calcified
bureaucracy has done more harm
than good. In addition the Nigerian
Police Force needs to be situated
within the context of contemporary
modern policing methods that
emphasize the use of science and
technology to reach acceptable
judicial conclusions. At the last
count, the force had only a sole
forensic laboratory in Lagos that
lacks the basic functionalities of a
serious police lab. The Jonathan
administration needs to ensure that
each state police command owns its
own forensic lab while extensive
training of police officers in science
based evidence gathering should be
undertaken as a matter of urgent
national importance.
With no coherent counter-terrorism
strategy, there is need for the Office
of the National Security Adviser and
the office of the Coordinator on
Counter-terrorism to adopt a
strategy that places the assets and
capabilities of the Military at the heart
of this strategy in order to effectively
confront the challenges posed by
nihilist counter-state actors. The
intelligence corps of the Army, Air
Force and Navy has as a result of
long years of military rule been
better trained and better
infrastructured to challenge counter-
state activities.
Intelligence is the key to national
security. It was strategic intelligence
planning and operations that led to
the assassination of Osama bin
Laden and hundreds of Al-Qaeda
operatives and commanders across
the globe. It is proper intelligence
that has allowed the state of Israel to
terminate without prejudice those
who threaten its survival. It is good
intelligence not heavy handed
response that will secure peace for
Nigeria
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