Nigerian Newspapers
Northern governors’ panel tables 22-action plan to stop Boko Haram
The Northern State Governors’ Forum (NSGF) Committee on Reconciliation, Healing and Security has recommended that the Federal Government should mandate security agencies to unmask individuals and groups using Boko Haram as a franchise to settle political and economic scores.
The panel, however, asked the Federal Government to end alleged impunity within security forces and review its counter-insurgency strategy to protect innocent citizens.
It demanded the establishment of special border patrol units, consisting of a combined operation of military, immigration and customs, to check influx of aliens promoting insurgency.
It also urged Northern governors to abolish all discriminatory state policies towards religious groups.
These recommendations are the highlights of the report of the panel which was submitted to the Chairman of the NSGF, Governor Babangida Aliyu, in Kaduna on Thursday.
The panel was headed by a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Zakari Ibrahim.
In the report, exclusively obtained by our correspondent, the panel asked Northern governors to carry out a comprehensive assessment of losses and damages to insurgency between 2007 and 2012.
It made a strong case for compensation to victims of violence in the North in the last five years.
The report said: “Security agencies must work to unmask and bring to justice the individuals and groups using the Boko Haram insurgency as a franchise for political violence, economic rivalry and criminal activities in the states in the North.
“The NSGF should liaise with the Federal Government of Nigeria to end impunity within the security forces by undertaking a review of its counter-insurgency strategy and conducting independent investigations and expediting the prosecution of cases of those against whom there is evidence in accordance with the tenets of the rule of law.
“Restoration of confidence in government and the justice system as well as compliance with the rules of engagement
“This is urgent and must be sustained. Accountability of officers or institutions must be demonstrated to the full extent of the law in line with natural justice, equity and good conscience.
“The NSGF should demand for the immediate release of innocent persons (individuals and institution representatives) from detention centres across the country, as well as where appropriate, to expedite the completion of investigations for prosecutions.
“There most be enforcement of the rule of law and accountability standards. This is a priority if the trust and confidence of any aggrieved party is to be gained for sustainable peace.
“A letter may be written to Mr. President conveying the demand and relevant government and civil society entities copied in.”
The panel asked Northern governors to prevail on the Federal Government to ameliorate the conditions of victims of counter-insurgency against Boko Haram.
The report added: “The NSGF should demand of the Federal Government to assume its responsibility to ameliorate the condition of victims of collateral damage arising from the counter -insurgency operations
“To ensure accountability of the Central Government to the acts of commission and omission of security agents. This recommendation is in line with international best practice. It is also in cognizance of the constitutional responsibility where deployment and control of security apparatus is the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government.”
The panel, however, urged Northern governors to raise an independent body to facilitate dialogue and reunite Northerners.
It said: “To chart a common vision for the development and unity of the Northern Region, The NSGF should facilitate the emergence of an independent body to promptly facilitate dialogue/mediation/ reconciliation among all aggrieved groups.
“The body/membership of the NSGF Committee could (on voluntary terms) form the nucleus of this independent body.
“The NSGF should, therefore, extend recognition and liberty to the committee to undertake the complementary interventions that support any other in initiative of the NSGF. Activities proposed here are for an inaugural meeting and one meeting by the end of 2013.
“The NSGF should convene a high-powered dialogue of key stakeholders of the North. This dialogue could be facilitated by a post -implementation committee or coordinating group with a specific mandate from the NSGF.
“Among those to be invited are key actors, past and present, in the judiciary, executive, legislature and organized private sector.
“The NSGF should promote interstate visits, dialogue and co -operation among governors. The NSGF may consider hosting its earliest statutory meeting in Borno during which both Borno and Yobe states can be visited. Subsequently the meeting rotates to Bauchi or Plateau such that two states can be covered at any meeting.
“The NSGF should promote the culture of exchange of visits among top-class traditional rulers; the students exchange programmes and other business and agricultural groupings.
“The budgetary implication of this should be part sponsored by the NSGF and the structure of the hosting community/institutional/social platform.
“State governments should also embark on symbolic reparation by extending psychological and social support to victims, including erecting headstones, building memorials, renaming public facilities and establishing days of remembrance.
“Initiate a comprehensive study on the damages and losses incurred as a result of violence throughout the region in the last five years (2007-2012) to document and guide the provision of token monetary and non -monetary relief.
The panel came up with 22-point solutions to the crisis in the North.
The report added: “The NSGF should implement this recommendation in phases as follows:
•First, commission a desk review/audit of documentation of losses and recommendations for compensation from previous reports/white papers to generate data for concrete and symbolic actions.
•Commission study into whole regime of violence to guide the establishment of long-term structures/interventions, including establishing a Rehabilitation Fund under the aegis of sons and daughters of the North and with contributions from all levels of government, the private sector, donor agencies and individuals.
•Sponsor 10,000 youths from each of the 19 northern states within a year for leadership and development training.
•Engender rehabilitation, de-radicalization, empowerment and inculcation of positive family values
•Preparations and logistics for this can be done in 2013 with a strengthening of any existing youth empowerment initiatives. In 2014, the budgetary provisions for this can be made and the first batch of trainees enroll and graduate in 2014. Batch will be admitted in the 1st quarter of 2016.
•Put in place mechanisms for regulating registration of marriages and the reckless abuse of divorce to protect and preserve family values and the sanctity of marriage.
•Each state government should secure existing grazing reserves, and where expedient, create new ones, thereby, defining their own cattle grazing routes which will then be harmonized with those of adjacent states.
•To accommodate the livelihood of pastoral Fulani and reduce the frictions and recurring tensions between them and farmers.
•Institute process for securing existing grazing reserves with active participation of both Fulani and farmers in affected areas. Determine the need for additional or new grazing reserves and create them in consultation with adjacent state(s)
•Appoint a committee to work with the FGN to come up with a long-term research -driven framework of settling nomadic Fulani pastoralists and changing the methods of raising their livestock.
•Support security agencies to commence community-based intelligence systems. Promote the utilization of safe spaces like palaces, public schools, LG secretariats, zauren shawara to engender dialogue between security forces and citizens.
•To engender citizen participation in security management and peace building while using less costly mechanisms
•Delegate partial responsibility to traditional rulers whose structure fits the intent and methodology for the attainment of the recommendations. Tangible motivation and empowerment of all the traditional rulers in the North to support them in the effective and efficient performance of their complementary roles in the maintenance of law and order, security management and, most especially, monitoring the influx of people within and across their domains. Existing community monitoring initiatives should be strengthened.
•Liaise with the Federal Government to find practical and non -confrontational ways of addressing the indigene/settler divide nationwide.
•Attainment of the constitutional freedoms for citizens. The ongoing constitutional review process presents an opportunity for addressing the underlying issues of this challenge.
•The Northern governors should support religious organizations to develop a code of ethics to self-regulate their behaviour. Enhance accountability and curtail incidences of incitement of adherents/followers of the different faiths. Self-imposed regulations will reduce apprehensions against government, especially oversight agencies.
•Enforcement to be secured by the legal endorsement of the regulations as integral charter of incorporation.
•Urgent expansion of the structure and scope of the NIREC and similar interfaith agencies within Nigeria to all levels of government in the Northern states.
•Guarantee the rights of all citizens to the freedom of religion and ensure that the constitutional rights of those who convert to one religion or the other are protected. Northern governors must promote a sense of belonging for all and protect the rights equitable treatment of all citizens
•Abolish all discriminatory state policies towards religious groups, particularly in the areas of access to lands for places of worship, or access to media spaces for religious broadcasts. The teaching of Islamic and Christian religious education must become an enforceable part of the curriculum of all schools, irrespective of how many children there are of each faith.
•Discourage the use of derogatory and offensive language which has the effect of denigrating human dignity and freedoms of any person in all northern states.
•Federal Government to urgently establish special border patrol units consisting of a combined operation of military, immigration and customs equipped with tracking and monitoring devices. Effectively respond to the challenges of human infiltration and movement of arms and ammunition into and across border states.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Nation Newspaper
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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
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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