Nigerian Newspapers
Jonathan: Hard work, many foes, powerful critics (5)
As an Igbo, I am very happy with what the Jonathan administration is doing at Owerri and Enugu Airports. Hitherto, the two airports had been evidences for those of us who believed that the emasculation of the Igbos was a deliberate state policy. But under Jonathan, Igbos are getting few but vital things due them. Turning Enugu Airport into an international airport alone should fetch Jonathan all the accolades in Igboland, because those who know, would appreciate what it means for a group of people known to travel the most in this nation. What about sports and the huge successes recorded there? When the Eagles failed, we complained and wrote that it was a sign of systematic failure. Now that they are champions, why are we finding it hard to say it’s a sign-post for the good things that are coming? The junior football teams are doing well and even in athletics we have pulled some feats. Don’t these achievements deserve commendations? Shouldn’t they stand as a plus for somebody?
In foreign affairs, our pre-eminent place in Africa has been re-established. Shouldn’t that give us some cause to smile at least momentarily? We talk of healthcare and allow the frivolous indulgences of the few rich to becloud our reasoning. A lot of our Federal Medical Centres are witnessing colossal transformation infrastructure and equipment wise. At least I know of Owerri and Umuahia. The number that troop to FMC Umuahia and the energy and expertise the doctors’ expend make me feel confident that with great leadership, this nation can be turned around too soon. I also listened to the agric minister and what is happening in that sector is marvelous. We are not there yet, but such meaningful efforts should be encouraged. That’s my position. Yes, I can understand the frustration over pervasive hunger and disease. The leadership class has become lovers of themselves and families only. This attitude has compounded our situation. People are dying in hundreds daily. I can understand. We all want quick reverses. I think, from what I see, Jonathan knows the times even though his speed and disposition give a different message. I have once said Jonathan should move away from the imperial president and wear the activist garb, but from the look of things that has been a tough demand.
I have also lamented the lack of ideology in the approach to solving our problems. Waiting for the private sector to lift us won’t work now or in the near future. The government would need to take us to another level without distancing the private sector though. The government, like I observed earlier, should lead while the private sector follows and let the people have quality and choice, determined by affordability. To our chagrin, we now equate high prices to quality and efficiency. Our educational system is witnessing some efforts to turn it around but the impact of such efforts on the people is negative because of the cost. So, establishing new universities may be good to provide the much needed access but the intended objective is being rubbished by the cost given that our population today comprises largely the unemployed.
This is one reason among many why Jonathan should need more than the prescriptions from some of the economists sponsored from western institutions who mill around him. Not that they are not good, but their emphasis on the exchange rate, foreign capital investment, price of petroleum, crude oil , sovereign wealth accounts and borrowing would always pose serious problems. Their approach is diverting attention from the real issues of affordable healthcare, education, good roads, power, positive job creation efforts through deep economic engineering that would bring back industries, making credit facilities available, and mechanized agriculture, so that there is food everywhere thereby making the economy an inventive and productive one. This is partly why increase in Gross Domestic Product, does not register a corresponding impact in the well being of citizens.
So far, these experts don’t think along these lines. They don’t see the sense in building housing estates; the kind the military built all over the place, yet these are the small things that would make Nigerians happy, to cheer and clap. Jonathan has increased salaries and that is good. More of it should be undertaken. Workers need living wages to avoid corruption. More than that, we need industrialization. Our nation can control the markets in the whole of West Africa and this would mean a lot in employment opportunities and better wage standards. Let me say this, our problem is not basically about big government and the funds spent on emoluments. It has more to do with phantom contracts and bloated figures we put on white elephant projects. We over-inflate contracts and services, that is the problem. We also duplicate needs. Ministries and departments struggle to allocate funds for projects and routine matters that have nothing to do with real development. These are the issues. If I were President Jonathan with an eye for another term, I will listen to alternative views especially on economic standpoints and make labour leaders my best friends.
The things that would make Nigerians smile and cheer are often the small and neglected things. For instance, the voices of dissent from Niger-Delta could be much about a supposed son, who is not reaching “down” enough. I have heard those who say Jonathan should be a Nigerian leader not a regional chieftain and laugh. The contradiction here is that those who talk and write most about someone being tribal are themselves the worst. They act their culture always and believe in it. They defend it with their blood, but let another person do same and it becomes a misnomer. I have said it before and wish to say it again; there is nothing wrong for anybody to be a true son of his father. Those who develop split personalities end up disgracing themselves. In true life, when we celebrate and our friends come, unknown to us the first thing they try to find out is our relationship with our people and how much they accept us. I am one of those who believe that federalism means sharing our strengths and weaknesses, and aggregating our peculiar interest in a peaceful, harmonious atmosphere for the common good. This is why I would hardly describe anybody as a tribalist . You won’t make relevant contributions at the centre,if you don’t know your people and they don’t trust you to know what their inner feelings and desires are. Let all our leaders find quality ways of reaching out to their people, without compromising the Nigerian vision. That’s how it should be.
On security, the efforts so far are commendable but peace would not come by guns. I have in past articles asked the president to make it an all party affair. He should publicly and privately engage the real power brokers from the north. The leadership from the north has not played enough roles on this issue of security. Talking only about amnesty gives an impression that some people set out to achieve parity with the people of Niger-Delta. This approach is certainly not healthy. On corruption, most of the evils that were exposed were not committed by this administration. Most of them had been on for God knows when. Jonathan deserves credit that more exposures have been made under his watch. Yet, some degree of seriousness need be seen.
Indeed, a platform is been constructed, from where we can launch into the deep. What is left is for us to push to expand the frontiers not by insults or playing down what has been achieved but through pure motives and then placing higher demands. I don’t believe in harassing incumbents. My strategy which I place before the Nigerian people is we should learn to prepare early for the next elections. We often don’t ask questions before we give away power. What we should do is to resolve that henceforth, those who want power should tell us in clear terms what their policies would be in all areas of our lives. If you will sell away government properties, say so. If you won’t build roads and wait for private companies to build and then collect big fees, say so. If you will build, you tell us the roads and the timeframe. Above all, reject those who did not do well. That’s how nations that want progress go about it. We don’t do these and yet expect progress. If you ask me as an ordinary Nigerian, I will say Jonathan has worked hard and scored some vital points amidst great odds. If I were to speak as an Igbo, I will say given the way Ojukwu was buried and recently Chinua Achebe, Jonathan has been very fantastic. After all, development is not only about physical things alone. On a more serious note, President Jonathan is working hard, just like his foes are many and his critics are powerful. The time for verdict would be some months after he has celebrated his third year anniversary. That is the way it should go if truly we are practicing democracy.
•Concluded
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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