March 2021 – Page 45

Post Date : March 10, 2021

We’re tired of open grazing, says Miyetti Allah

The Ondo state chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) says it is time for herders to seek modern alternatives to open grazing. The association also called on the government to make provision for ranches as a way of putting an end to frequent clashes between herders and farmers. Bello Garba, chairman of the association in the state, said this in Akure on Wednesday during a public hearing on a bill to regulate grazing of livestock and provide for the establishment of ranches, among other related issues. Garba said the association would support any peaceful move to address the issue, adding that farmers and herders must carry out their respective activities without clashing. According to him, the association has also appealed to the state government to register Fulani men in all the LGAs of the state. On his part, Ibrahim Abdul-Rahman, assistant secretary of the association, explained that open grazing had become obsolete and needed to be banned. Abdul-Rahman asked all stakeholders to embrace modern cattle rearing techniques, saying farmers and herders must allow peace to reign considering the importance of both parties to the nation’s growth. While declaring the public hearing open, Bamidele Oloyelogun, speaker of the assembly, said it was aimed at enhancing peaceful coexistence in the state. Oloyelogun added that if similar moves had been made in the past, it would have been a different story today. “It is for peace to reign in our state. This record will go a long way, having effects even on the children yet unborn,” Oloyelogun said. “Your memoranda and suggestions will be welcome. Please, feel free to air your views and bare your minds, but we must be objective and constructive.” The speaker explained that grazing would be regulated with the provision of modern techniques in animal husbandry. He enjoined participants to shun sentiments, saying “we are all one.” In his remarks, Taofik Mohammed, chairman of the house committee on agriculture, noted that one of the provisions of the bill is to achieve a peaceful atmosphere in the state. The lawmaker said it was regrettable that some criminally-minded people had been hiding under the farmers-herders crisis to wreak havoc on innocent citizens. He explained that the effects of the lingering misunderstanding between farmers and herders have grave effects on the economy, growth and development of the state. “It is obvious that GDP will adversely drop whenever food and animal production is hampered,” he said. Mohammed urged participants to take full advantage of the hearing and make invaluable suggestions. In January, Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, had ordered herders to vacate the state’s forest reserves. The order sparked off a chain of controversies. Amid the insecurity and tension caused by clashes between farmers and herders in some parts of the region, south-west governors have also banned open grazing in the region.

Post Date : March 10, 2021

After 4 years, security operatives arrest fake soldier in Cross River

Twenty-eight year old Ogbonnia Paul Chukwudi met his waterloo as his was arrested by security operatives after successfully impersonating as a soldiers for four years in Cross River State. The fake soldier from Ebonyi State has been impersonating for the past four years before his apprehension by NSCDC. Vanguard learned that the suspect was arrested by officers of the NSCDC at Igoli, Ogoja and handed over to the 130 Battalion who after preliminary investigation handed the fake officer to the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army. Speaking at the 13 Brigade Headquarters on Wednesday while handing over the fake soldier to the Police for prosecution, the Brigade Commander, Brigadier General MA Abdullahi said the suspect has been impersonating for the past 4 years. Brigadier General Abdullahi who spoke through Major SN Ikpeme said several items were recovered from the impersonation. He said: “During the course of investigation, it was revealed that the suspect has been presenting himself as a serving soldier for four years. “Items recovered from his residence at 7 stadium road, Igoli Ogoja includes camouflage t shirt, some of his pictures on military uniform, fake Military ID card, prescreening certificate of the Nigerian Army among others”, he said. He added that the suspect and the exhibits have been handed over to the police for further investigation. He requested for update from the police of the outcome of it’s investigation so as to update the Brigade’s crime record. The assistant Police Public Relations Officer ,ASP Ewa Igiri who received the suspect and exhibits said further investigations will be carried out and the suspect prosecuted accordingly. Ogbonnia Paul, the suspect told journalist that the uniform belonged to his father adding that this was the highest mistake if his life . Editor’s Note: This photo is illustrative purpose

Post Date : March 10, 2021

In 2020, Bandits Killed 937 Persons In Kaduna, Kidnapped 1972

The Kaduna State Government on Wednesday said in 2020, a total of 937 people were killed by bandits across the 23 local government areas of the state while 1,972 people were kidnapped. According to the 2020 Annual Security Reports released by the state government, Kaduna Central Senatorial district recorded 152 death cases, the highest number. While presenting the report to Governor Nasir El-Rufai at the Council Chamber of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun local governments in the Central Senatorial district account for 468 deaths out of the 937 people that died last year, representing over 50% of the entire fatalities in the state. In his presentation, Aruwan said victims of kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities cut across all ethnic and religious groups in Kaduna state. “The Southern Senatorial district accounts for 286 deaths, which is about one third of the total, due in large part to sporadic clashes, alongside banditry which triggered attacks and counter-attacks, especially between June and November 2020,” he added. The commissioner further said out of 1,972 people kidnapped in the period under review, Kaduna Central Senatorial district accounts for 1,561 out of which 1,461 were kidnapped within Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun local government areas. “The Data presented shows clearly that banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling are serious challenges in the state along with sporadic episodes of communal clashes. Banditry and kidnapping have also triggered or exacerbated communal clashes,” Aruwan stressed. He added that insecurity has hampered farming activities in some areas. Aruwan said this has reversed the trend of bumper harvest the state recorded in the recent years and is likely to induce food shortages in the region and the country at large. In his remark, El Rufai said his administration has been using its limited tools to address the security challenge facing the state and has been supporting the federal security agencies deployed with vehicles and other logistics since 2015. El-Rufai, who paid tributes to the victims of insecurity, reiterated his administration’s resolve to continue to protect the people, adding that the state government has also invested in technology to help secure the state. “A CCTV network is being deployed in Kaduna metropolis while options for consistent operations of its drones are being explored,” he said. “Together with Niger State and our neighbours in the North-west, we put together resources to fund military operations against bandits in the Kamuku-Kuyambana forest range that straddles the region,” he said. The governor regretted that this collaboration, which was done in 2015, was not sustained or expanded into a campaign of “continuous, simultaneous operations against the bandits across our vast region.”

Post Date : March 10, 2021

NOSE PIERCING: UNILORIN’s security brutalization of female student causes uproar on Twitter

Uproar on social media as a student of University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) take to Twitter to express displeasure meted on her by the institution security personnel earlier on Wednesday while in the school premises. The tweep, @tannwa, tweeted “This is how I left home for school then Unilorin ruined my day check next post.” Barely six hours that she posted her experience with ‘before and after’ media including video and pictures, the post has since gathered about 765 comments, 873 retweets and 4.6k likes. Meanwhile, some Tweeps have lashed out at the school while others have been playing the defensive roles. According to @Yoltzkiki_ “How do you bring your religious and cultural beliefs and impose it on people from different parts of the country just cause you’re in a position of power? Some even include their personal beliefs. Mad people.” @Tredyetal “So which religion allows nose piercing? “Must you wear it to school, once you get to Tanke do all you want but not in the school? It sounds absurd but these are the little things that kept that school sane,” @ofehin.1 tweeted “I will choose it over again…no b 4yrs?” “Okay, but how does the piercing affect her education? Nonsense,” @elma_n_ tweeted. Reacting to the development, the Dean, Students Affairs Unit of UNILORIN, Professor L.T. Ajibade, said “Yes, from the record I have after my interaction with the security officers on duty, the young lady knew she had put herself in trouble and that’s why she tweeted the matter. “In the first place, we have rules and regulations on campus which dictate the approved dress code. Today, students were apprehended based on those who flouted the regulations and she was apprehended by security officers in the security office. That’s why she tweeted. Even when you see responses of her friends, even on phone, they condemned her character.”

Post Date : March 10, 2021

Falana counters Malami, says £4.2m Ibori loot should be returned to Delta

Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the loot recovered from James Ibori, former governor of Delta, should be returned to the source, which is the state. Falana stated this when he featured on a Channels Television programme on Wednesday. Commenting on the position of Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, who had said the recovered loot will be channelled into federal projects, Falana said the money should go to Delta, since it was meant for the development of the state. On Tuesday, the United Kingdom made a commitment to return £4.2 million loot recovered from Ibori to the federal government. Catriona Laing, British high commissioner to Nigeria, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to that effect with Malami. But speaking on Wednesday, Falana argued that since the Ibori loot in question left the coffers of Delta state, the federal government has no locus standi to decide how the recovered money is spent. “Having acknowledged the role of the federal government, the fund has to return to the source. Factually, between 1999 and 2003, the Delta state government like other state governments in Nigeria received its statutory allocation on a monthly basis and paid same into the account of the government. From that account, some amount was alleged to have been diverted and taken to the United Kingdom,” he said. “As the honourable attorney-general had said, the money is over £100 million. What has been released now is the first tranche of £4.2 million. Since the money left the coffers of the Delta state government, it has to be returned once this fund is recovered. “The federal government has no locus standi with respect to how the money is spent. That is left for the people of Delta state to monitor the government of that state to ensure that the fund is not relooted. “In fact, the memorandum of understanding referred to by the attorney-general signed in London, smacks of colonialism. Britain cannot decide on how recovered loot should be spent. “What I expect the attorney-general or the federal government — in the circumstance — is to collaborate with the Delta state government to ensure that the banks that housed the looted wealth of Delta state or the banks involved, are made to pay collosal damages and interests for denying the people of Delta state the opportunity to use the money for development.”

Post Date : March 10, 2021

Senate uncovers N120bn differential in subsidy payment as IPMAN kicks

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday raised an eyebrow over a huge differential of N120billion in subsidy payment to members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in 2016. Relying on the 2016 report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, the federal lawmakers said the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency has explanations to make as they noted that while the subsidy amount reflected in the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) was N443 billion, the PPPRA presented the sum of N563 billion in its record. The OAGF query read in part: “The amounts reflected in FAAC records at the OAGF (Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation) of N443,940,559,974.80 as subsidy payments during the year 2016 is at variance with the total amount paid of N563,283,294,925.47 in the records of PPPRA as subsidy payments during the year 2016.” Making a presentation before the Committee, National President of IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, said his association was ignorant of the list and identities of the beneficiaries of the N80 billion differential. He said: “We have over 50,000 members cut across the nooks and cranny of the country. We don’t know the real beneficiaries of the subsidy payments. If you give us the list of the beneficiaries of the subsidy, we can now reach out to them.” Chairman of the Committee, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, consequently asked the Executive Secretary of the PPPRA to appear before his Committee and give explanations on the list of beneficiaries. The documented report of the Auditor General of the Federation further revealed that the sum of N121 billion was paid as outstanding subsidy commitments to oil marketers for 117 transactions in 2014. It said the sum of N441.9 billion was paid to oil marketers as subsidy commitments for 324 transactions in 2015. “From records presented for audit, there was no year 2016 Petroleum Support Fund payment made as a result of the removal of subsidy on petroleum products with the increase pump price from N89 to N143. “Only outstanding payments for previous years 2014 and 2015 and interest payments were made in 2016. “We were unable to carry out verification visits to the Oil marketers to confirm their eligibility to draw from the Petroleum Support Fund. This was as a result of the PPPRA‟s inability to provide the letters of introduction for us to gain access to the Oil Marketers. “We were therefore unable to confirm that the amounts disbursed were paid to legitimate Marketers,” the query read.

Post Date : March 10, 2021

IGP moves to improve personnel financial welfare

In line with the commitment of the Force to improving the welfare of its personnel, especially in the area of providing financial services such as retail banking, soft loans and advances, financial advisory etc, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu on Wednesday launched the Nigeria Police Microfinance Bank (NPF-MFB) e-Banking Technology including the Mobile Banking App and the *5757# USSD code. The IGP, during the unveiling of the new banking technology and digital innovation at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, noted that the initiative will help improve banking experience, customer interaction and operational efficiencies for both serving and retired Police Officers and the general public that own accounts and does other financial transactions with the NPF-Micro Finance Bank. The IGP further noted that the NPF-MFB, established on 19th May, 1993, is fast growing as one of the leading Microfinance Bank in Nigeria. This, he stated is evident in its expansion from a single branch at creation to thirty-five (35) branches presently across Nigeria. The new e-Banking Technology Mobile Banking App and the *5757# USSD code is part of the determination of the Force to evolve technologically and improve the services rendered by the Bank to Police officers across the country. Meanwhile, the IGP reaffirms the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to the welfare of its personnel, noting that financial stress-free life is key to personnel performance. He encouraged police personnel, retired police officers and the general public to maximize the enormous services and benefits the new technological innovation that the Nigeria Police Microfinance Bank provide.

Post Date : March 10, 2021

El-Rufai insists on state police, says failure to defeat bandits emboldens them

Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna state governor, says the failure to mount a “sustained and simultaneous” operation against bandits in the north-west “has emboldened them”. The governor said Kaduna and neighbouring states have been supporting the efforts of security agencies with funding and resources since 2015. El-Rufai made the remark on Wednesday at the presentation of the 2020 Annual Security Report. “Together with Niger state and our neighbours in the north-west, we put together resources to fund military operations against bandits in the Kamuku-Kuyambana forest range that straddles the region,” he said. The governor said it is regrettable that the collaboration “was not sustained or expanded into a campaign of continuous, simultaneous operations against the bandits across our vast region”. “Failure to contain and defeat them in one place has emboldened them to develop a national footprint and endanger national cohesion,” he added. The governor said the security agencies need more “numbers”, modern technology and equipment to adequately overcome the bandits. “The security of our communities depend on the robust projection of state power, and that can only be done with sufficient security numbers to overawe and deter criminals,” he said. El-Rufai also reiterated his call for the decentralisation of policing, noting that “there simply are not enough police officers in Nigeria and the idea of policing such a vast, federal republic in a unitary manner is not pragmatic”. He added that his government has invested in a CCTV network that is being deployed in Kaduna metropolis “while options for consistent operations of its drones are being explored”. On his part, Samuel Aruwan, the state commissioner of internal security and home affairs, said victims of kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities cut across all ethnic and religious groups in Kaduna. “Victims of criminal acts like banditry and kidnapping are to be found across ethnic, religious or political leanings and persuasions,” he said. The commissioner said the total number of deaths linked to banditry and other forms of violence in 2020 stood at 937. Aruwan added that out of 1,972 people kidnapped in the period under review, 1,461 were kidnapped within Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun LGAs of Kaduna.

Post Date : March 10, 2021

Minimum wage: NLC protest a waste of time, says PGF DG

The Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum , Dr. Salihu Lukman , has described the nationwide protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress as unnecessary . He said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday ( today) . Lukman , who was until his full- time foray into politics, a high- ranking member of NLC , said the method being adopted by organised labour to press home its demand was outdated. He maintained that street protest will have no effect on plans by the National Assembly to consider the bill seeking to decentralise the minimum wage structure . Lukman said ; “ We are not saying they should not protest , but this protest is needless. I can guarantee that it is not going to stop the process in the National Assembly . It is not also going to take away the issue. “ We need to work with them to develop this democracy and we can only do that if every constituent unit and citizens in those units can negotiate with the constituent governments and get results. “ As it is , we are all frustrated and that is what we should be addressing . This ‘ we against them ’ that labour is creating does not exist . “ We should be applying ourselves to resolving the problems of this democracy . There are fundamental problems bigger than we can imagine. ” According to him , a system that imposes the same minimum wage regime on states irrespective of their revenue generation and capacity to pay was not sustainable . He said it was no longer sustainable for poor states like Yobe and Zamfara to pay the same wages as Lagos and River . Lukman advised the NLC to improve on its negotiation skills to be able to constructively engage both the legislature and the executive on such matters . He also stressed that it behoves on the NLC to address the issue of productivity among its members in order to justify demands for wage increases

Post Date : March 10, 2021

Minimum wage: Labour and the early conflicts of restructuring in Nigeria

By Ibe Pascal Chinedu Arogorn The gleaming, scorching demand for restructuring as a result of gross imbalance in revenue allocation sharing formula may be greeted by a tinderbox early conflict of restructuring even though we Nigerians never stepped into it . It has become a bad damage control, I learnt that in a bid for quick independence from the colonial masters in 1959, Nigeria nationalists and leaders went into a concession of deceit with northern conservatives for a 53% allocation formula This is the same region that opposed restructuring/regionalism, self govt which brought about Kano riot in 1956. It has continued to Hunt till today. Several decades after Lord Lugard amalgamated the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914, and 58 years into the nation’s political independence, there is still agitation by certain individuals and some groups of people in their desire to determine the nature of the political system in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. After many years of military dictatorship, many expected that the advent of the Presidential System of Government, which was ushered in by the 1999 Constitution (now with amendments), would actually address some of the concerns about national unity and the economic prosperity of the nation. But, almost two decades into the adventure, it would seem that Nigeria is still far from achieving this. In proffering solutions to this issue, many recommendations have been advanced, many of which support the concept of “restructuring,” which has become one of the most popular terms in the Nigerian political milieu today. Although, the word “restructuring” had been within the political lexicon for the last three decades or so, there has never been any time that its demand in the Nigerian polity has been this audibly pronounced. Whether invoked as political campaign strategy or used as a ploy to oppose the government in power, restructuring has sparked debates from different angles. Nevertheless, it would appear that there is no consensus yet on what restructuring means. The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed had revealed: it is not the government that is not clear about what restructuring means, rather it is the people who are asking for restructuring who are not clear about what restructuring means. Nigeria’s information minister, Lai Mohammed’s statement alluded to non-uniformity in the definition of restructuring as provided by many of its proponents, it also suggests in clear terms that the current move toward the restructuring of Nigeria is not being championed by the government, but by certain individuals and organizations who wish that the government would buy into this movement. Meanwhile, Matthew Ogih, who lampooned the state of having conflicting definitions, averred that having a proper understanding of the intended restructuring is critical to its implementation. It has been argued that the present political landscape has concentrated powers at the center, making the states and local government very weak. As a result of this quagmire, many have advocated that the political structure be devolved from the center to the federating unit as against the current system, which tends towards unitary system of government. Resource control has been another burning issue. The proponent of this idea would readily cite the success story of the South West, which judiciously utilized its resources from the export of cocoa to develop its region. Regrettably, with the over dependence on oil, these hitherto buoyant States are now more or less begging States. There is agitation over the need to create additional States. The logic here is that States with large landmass may be unable to cover the needs of their residents.Oyo State for example is too big to be handled by an administrator. However, it is the view of the researchers that much more is required than State creation if Nigerians are going to truly enjoy the dividends of democracy. With the spate of killings in Nigeria and the inability of the security outfits to combat this crime,16 it has been suggested that the federal structure of the Nigerian police will be unworkable, going forward. The Peace Corp Bill sent to the President for presidential assent was declined. Many have also advanced that States should be made to have their State-level police. The merit in this argument is that it would facilitate intelligence gathering. This could also encourage the State government to provide more support to the police. However, while State police might be helpful, if other issues affecting functionality of the police are not addressed, the situation might remain unchanged. For example, if the police remain unequipped, their capacities to combat crime remain unimproved and if the wanton corruption in the police force is not squarely addressed, it is unlikely that the restructuring of the police would achieve any meaningful result. By the way, the police could become the tool for manipulations, just as State Governors have also hijacked the activities of the State Electoral Commissions across the 36 States of the Federation. The experience of many local government areas in the last three years now justifies the need to restructure the local government system. While many of the States in Nigeria only waited till about one year to the end of their respective administration before conducting elections into the various councils, these ‘appointed’ Chairmen are still tied to the aprons of their Governors who may suspend or remove the Chairmen at any given time. Suffice to state that the rhetoric for restructuring actually dates back to about two decades ago. However, despite the clamour over these years, the government seem not to have paid much attention, except of course, with President Jonathan’s regime which in 2014, held a National Conference (CONFAB) in which nearly 500 selected citizens, representing different parts of the country for over four months deliberated on wide ranging issues bothering on Nigeria’s existence. Incidentally, this enjoyed overwhelming support by members of the CONFAB. Notwithstanding the provision of the constitution that guarantees federal character, many have some elements favoritism in the appointments into key positions in the present administration. More specifically, many have some elements that the