By Time Nigeria
The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC has vowed to prosecute the illegal dealers of petroleum products in the country. This is contained in a statement signed by the Corps Public Relations Officer, CDC Emmanuel Okeh and made available to Time Nigeria.
According to the release, the Commandant General of NSCDC Abdulahi Gana Muhammadu entourage who went round the filling stations with his principal officers was visibly shaken with anger over what he saw at some filling stations, hence, decided to set up Special Taskforce to monitor and arrest those dealing illegally on the Petroleum product, involving hoarding and diversion in order to prosecute the illegal dealers of petroleum products and their accomplices whom he tagged “economic saboteurs” terrorists and enemies of the Nation.
The statement: “Despite the consistent and continued reassurance of the Federal Government as issued by the Minister of State, Petroleum Ministry Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who made it clear that the storage reserve of petrol in the depot is more than enough to last till the end of the yuletide. The scarcity of fuel continues to be fuelled by these cabals who will never see any good in the present government.
“NSCDC boss has directed his officers and men to be weary of these cabals who could do anything possible to undermine the efforts of the present government, and create chaos and pandemonium that could rock the core mandate of the Corps. As the head of an interventionist agency, Gana is poised to pursue policies that will ensure peace, progress and development of the Nation.
“In this regard, plans are already concluded to raid, seize and confiscate all the petroleum products found in the possession of these economic saboteurs and declare them as terrorists and enemies of the people.
“The CG is also using this opportunity to praise and congratulate all the peace loving Nigerians to remain good citizens and law abiding in all their undertakings. He assured them that as the Defender of the defenceless”, that NSCDC will continue to do their best to protect, preserve and defend their Core mandate as enshrined in the Constitution.”
It would be recalled that the perennial long queues at the filling stations is becoming worrisome and burdensome to commuters and traffic of inter and intra transportation systems in the country, this is caused by the annual scarcity of petroleum products at the filling stations as a result of the nefarious activities of hoarders, peddlers and other criminal elements who are using the opportunity to sabotage the effort of this government to give the people a hitch free yuletide season. The statement concluded.
Governance failure cause insurgency-Former NIPSS DG
By Samuel Oyejola
The former Director General of the Nigeria Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru, Prof. Ahmed Danfulani has said that failure of governance and corruption at the corridor of power are the causes of Boko Haram in the country.
He said the poor and the less privileged youths in the country are not comfortable with the extravagant spending of the politicians. He said this at the International Seminar on Human Rights and Terrorism held in Abuja on Teusday.
The Professor accused politicians and public office holders in the country especially in the north of spending money meant for the development of the country on luxury cars and other unnecessary things.
He warned the government that insurgency would be a reoccurring development in Nigeria until the government learns to manage ethnicity and religion among Nigerians.
“Ethnicity and Religion are the causes of insurgency if they are not managed well it would spark unrest and terrorism,” he said.
The former NIPSS DG said the government must be sensitive to the issues of ethnicity and religion diversity in Nigeria while encouraging Nigerians to tolerate the religion of others.
Also speaking at the seminar, an Assistant Professor from the George Mason University, United States of America, Dr. Daniel Egbiboa lamented that despite the work of the Nigerian security agencies in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, international agencies allege human rights abuses on the security agencies.
He advised the Amnesty International and other human rights organizations to engage the Nigeria Army when gathering their reports.
Egbiboa was worried that international organisations like the Amnesty International in their reports focuses on the negative potentials of the people while they forgetting about those who are working hard to stop the insurgency.
While commending the military authority for the language requirement for military personnel in the country, he said the move would go a long way to facilitate trust between the locals and the military.
The associate professor said that while the government is working hard to win the war on insurgency and terrorism, he charged them to work towards winning the peace.
“The state and the non-state actors in the fight against terrorism must work together. There must be hybrid security governance,” he said.
“The government should also look at the future of the civilian–JTF. They must work on the psychological trauma of the locals. It is important to start the process of winning the peace as early as possible, he warned.”
wara speaker advocate for ICPC to be strengthen in fighting corruption.
By : Kayode Abdulazeez, ilorin
The Speaker of the Kwara state House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad called for strengthening of the Independent Corruption Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) if truly Nigeria wants to fight corruption.
Ahmad said this in Ilorin at the 10th Justice M.M.A Akanbi Faculty of Law, University of IIorin annual lecture where he added that restructuring means different things to different people.
“EFCC from inception is the worst thing that will ever happen to us in this country. We are just fooling ourselves that we are fighting corruption but we are not fighting corruption. EFCC is just redefining corruption to means pursuit of opposition members.
“So the fist is not against corruption but pursuit of opposition. EFCC cannot fight corruption, EFCC can never fight corruption , ICPC is better suited to fight corruption because it follows the rule. Federal government should empower ICPC, because it follows the rule in attacking the process and procedure.
“Politicians are less than a thousand and that is what ICPC is following but bureaucracy is over a million. You can see 90% of houses in Abuja belong to the Directors, not politicians. So we are just fooling ourselves for saying that we are fighting corruption. Its good, it’s popular, but I think if any government wants to fight corruption, the ICPC should be strengthened to strengthen our processes and procedure and not just for suing people”
On restructuring, Ahmad said if it means alleviating poverty, good governance, he is in support adding that if restructuring is creating more states, he is against it.
“I support devolution of power to state but if it means more local government, more bureaucracy, it does not take us to anywhere. I do not believe in going back and forth, The Jonathan’s conference has suggested a little merger that might be perfect. But the problem is not the system, it is us Nigerians,” Ali Ahmad said.
The guest speaker at the occasion and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Ali, while speaking on the theme: “To restructure or not to restructure, the new swan song of the Nigerian elites,” said it is high time to unbundled the over concentration of powers at the centre to give room for development at both the states and local government levels. “I believe the best way the agitation should be addressed is through the instrumentality of constitutional amendment by National and state houses of Assembly”.
Governor Ahmed Appoint new SUBEB CHairman.
By : Kayode Abdulazeez, Ilorin
The Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alh. (Dr.) Abdulfatah Ahmed has approved the appointment of Alhaji Jimoh Lambe Abdulkareem as the Executive Chairman of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB) to replaced Alhaji Ladi Hassan who is now the executive Secretary of federal capital development authority (FCDA).
According to a release signed by Alhaji Sola Isiaka Gold, the Secretary to the Government of Kwara State, the new appointee holds a Masters in Public Administration (MPA), Masters in Environmental (MEM), and is a member of the National Institute of Management (NIM), as well as Fellowship of Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria.
According to the SSG, the new KWSUBEB Chairman, Alhaji Abdulkareem, has previously served as the Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of Kwara State on Community Relations and Commissioner I, Kwara State Local Government Service Commission.
Alhaji Gold added that the appointment of Alhaji Abdulkareem takes immediate effect
