Nigerian Newspapers
LESSONS FROM BOSTON
To millions across the world, Martin Richard, the eight-year-old killed in last Monday’s terror attack in Boston, United States of America, is the face of that tragic failure in human wisdom. Full of life, and imbued with the vision of a violence-free world, the dream of a world without inhibitions, a world where love flows like an endless Spring, the boy had gone with his sister and parents to watch the Boston marathon. They had strategically positioned themselves close to the finish line, perhaps, to gain a vantage view of the winners. But it was death, the grim reaper, that emerged the winner. Two bombs planted by two warped minds, Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19, and his elder brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, effectively ensured that Martin Richard will never, ever realize his dream of a wonderful world he had so hoped for. Before the two sons of the gun brought death to him in pressure cookers, Richard had dreamt and worked for a world where no one would ever be hurt, a world where all men would seek peace, a world where everybody would be his brother’s keeper. Although the massive manhunt that followed the attack ended Friday with the arrest of Dzhokar Tsarnaev, and the killing of his brother, it was Richard, and not the FBI or the police that smoked out the terrorists, that emerged the winner. He was the tragic hero, if you may. Through his death, the world learnt and saw the message of love and peace that the little boy had been canvassing in his little corner in Boston. About a year ago, Richard had unconsciously immortalized his campaign, when he wrote those inscrutable words on marble: “No more hurting people”. On another occasion, the boy had underscored his vision by holding up a bright blue sign decorated with hearts framing the word “Peace”. These are the pictures that tragic Richard left with the world. They are the truths he sought and worked so hard to impart on our world in church, at school, at play, wherever he found himself. Young as he was, he could not understand why our world should hang upside down like the bat of the night. He, within the short span his life lasted, emphasized the commandment in Hebrew 12:14 – “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (King James Version (KJV). That boy who our wicked world so cruelly treated taught us to “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).
These are the truths I recommitted myself to yesterday, even as the Lord gave me the grace to add another year to my years on earth. I turned 57 yesterday, and it was a wonderful feeling. In the spirit of this renewal, I profoundly apologise to those that I have wronged, hurt and caused pain, especially my beautiful wife, Funsho. Back to Boston, and, like I said, the most important message that came out of the ashes of that tragedy is the wonderful message of love that has resonated around the world since we began to see those beautiful images by Richard. As a nation, and I’m talking about our beloved country,
Nigeria, the Boston bombing brought home some other lessons. The first, and the second most important lesson is the rapidity of the response by first responders, the security agencies and the seamless synergy among them. The response was swift, and pointedly focused to one goal: saving lives, taming terror. Although some experts have argued that the attack ought to have been amputated before it got to that fatal stage, but for fatigue or over-confidence by the security organs that ‘we’ve got everything fixed’, the casualty figures would have been higher but for the swiftness of the initial response. First responders and security agents poured to the scene of crime as if they had a foreknowledge of the tragedy.
They responded with ‘automatic alacrity’ as the late Chief Eleyinmi of Oja Village (in the popular soap, Village Headmaster) would have described it. But for this, the fatalities that would have followed would have far outweighed the three deaths and the 170 with varying degrees of injuries recorded. Our security agencies and NEMA should take something home from this. Timeliness is of the essence in search and rescue operations. It prevents avoidable deaths. Even if you were the most cynical of all sadists, you cannot but be impressed by the promptness with which the police and the FBI swarmed the crime scene. Apart from saving lives, their early arrival also helped substantially to secure the crime scene and procure possible leads for their investigation. That’s the way it should be.
To my compatriots, I also commend the selfless reaction of volunteer-fans of he marathon, students, doctors, and other caregivers (amateurs and professionals) to the attack. They surged to the scene to help victims. Unlike others, they didn’t flee from the chaos, they plunged into it. They were never bothered by the potential danger the attack could also bring to them. They were quick and unselfish in their quest to help brothers and sisters in pains and in the throes of death, hence the low casualty. As usual, President Barak Obama demonstrated leadership with his prompt reaction and empathy with the American people.
He assured Americans of their safety and security, stating that Americans can never be terrorized. And he never jumped into any conclusions. Even when there were copious evidences that indicated that the Boston bombings were an act of terrorism, he never mentioned the word ‘terror’ in his initial response. He never said ‘we know who did it or why they did it’. He waited to have all the facts from his security chiefs. It wasn’t until he got that that he mentioned the word ‘terror’, and that was some 24 hours after. Still, he simply said ‘we don’t know who did it’ but that America will get to the bottom of the matter and bring the individual or group of individuals responsible to justice. To me, that is very presidential. It is the right thing to do and say. He never said anything that would prejudge or streamline investigations and handicap investigators. He allowed the experts to do their job.
He never blabbed. That is the way it should be. And I do hope our leaders are taking note. Lastly, and most importantly, is the resources – human, machine and might – that America deployed to assure and protect its people, as well as smoke out the masterminds. The Washington administration didn’t say because ‘only three Americans died’, and therefore, consign the investigations to the local authorities in the State of Massachusetts. No. It never did. Rather, the central administration deployed its awe-inspiring federal might to hunt the monsters. The result came in swiftly on Friday. Even if ‘only one America’ had died, the administration would still not have behaved differently. It would still have done the same thing.
The soul of every American is precious anywhere, everywhere, and America would stop at nothing to save just one citizen. Even if no American had died in the Boston tragedy, the approach would still not have been different. America would still have considered it as a serious national security breach and treated it accordingly. Contrast that with what happens in our country and draw your inferences. To me, the story of Boston is the story of love. It is the story of courage and resilience of Americans in the face of adversity. It is the story of the indomitable spirit of America and Americans. It should also be our story in Nigeria anytime we are faced with adversity. God will help us.
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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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