The former Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has said that he is leaving the Nigeria Police Force better than he met it, adding that he believes he added value to policing in Nigeria.

He said this on Wednesday when he officially handed over the mantle of leadership of the NPF to the acting IG, Kayode Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja.

Baba said, “As I exit the leadership of the Force today, I believe that I am leaving it better than I met it. I believe that I have added value to policing in Nigeria. I hold the firm conviction that steady progress has been made in all the components of my promise to change policing narratives and in our journey to restore the dwindling police primacy within the internal security architecture of the country.

“We might not be there yet, but certainly the pathways have been clearly defined, firm foundations built, and giant strides were taken for the new Force leadership to leverage on in his quest for a better Police Force.”

While appreciating former President Muhammadu Buhari, the ex-IG further noted that his administration set out to positively change the policing narrative of the country by laying out a well-articulated vision and mission objectives, which I promised would define my leadership.

“In this regard, I pledged to address the welfare concerns of serving and retired officers and enhance the operational capacity of the Force through the procurement of critical operational assets. I also set out to reposition the special detachments of the Force, particularly, the Marine, Air Wing, Special Forces, Police Mobile Force, Counterterrorism Unit, and Special Protection Unit, while also striving to enhance the intelligence capacity of the Force through the push for the upgrade of the Technical Intelligence assets of the Nigeria Police.

“In addition, my vision was to modernise the environment in which police operate across the country in order to make them befitting and fit for purpose. This informed the concept of modern police stations and barracks, as well as the model State Police Headquarters and Model Police hospital, which were constructed across the country, and the remodelling of the Force Headquarters.

“My vision was to also evolve a Police Force in which abuses associated with the promotion regime will be addressed and the process made credible enough to truly motivate personnel, while the age-long challenge of rank stagnation will also be tackled.

“I also envisioned a Force that will adapt to modern dynamics of crime. Hence, the establishment of the Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Centre with the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Aside from this, my leadership projection was to enhance the manpower profile of the Force and deepen the professional knowledge of officers in coping with the challenges of policing a diverse nation as ours and optimally managing the complex dynamics of modern crimes and internal security threats. This informed the push for the sustenance of the recruitment drive, and the huge investment in training and capacity building across all ranks,” Baba added.

[Punch]

Nehemiah was always asking God to provide a vision for him. He understood that a true vision must come from God. It must be a God-inspired and God-revealed vision. Only such a vision is worthy of leadership. The prophet Nehemiah provides modern-day leaders with a wonderful model of leadership. Upon learning of the distress of his people, Nehemiah receives permission from the king he was serving to go help them. Despite obstacles and opposition, he discerns a challenging vision and leads the people in the accomplishment of the task.

While Nehemiah was the leader who first articulated the vision, the people confirmed the vision and committed themselves to the task. The gifts of all were required to achieve the vision. Accomplishing the vision was not easy. Divisions and hard feelings, combined with outside opposition, made faithfulness very difficult. Yet, Nehemiah and the people persevered faithfully, though not perfectly. These are some lessons we might learn from Nehemiah’s leadership example. Hence the title, “Baba Fast Fast: Jagaban Modern Era Nehemiah” fits the narratives as we begin to examine the less than a hundred days of President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Unity Trinity’ era.

Admittedly, a nation progresses or regresses on the quality and values of its leadership. When the then vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kashim Shettima, assured Nigerians that if elected, the Bola Tinubu administration would be inclusive, just, and fair to all Nigerians, irrespective of tribal, religious, or political affiliation. Shettima, posited: “We’ll Be Equitable, Just, Inclusive If Elected. We need to build a new nation because the hope of the black man is in Nigeria. The onus is on us to secure the future of our children yet unborn.”

“I want to assure Nigerians that we are going to be just and fair to all Nigerians. We are going to be all-inclusive because no society can strive for injustice. Ours will be an all-encompassing, all-embracing government. We will build a country of our dreams, where people are judged by their character, irrespective of their political affiliations, religious persuasions, sectional or tribal ground.” It is thus, imperative that when we conduct ourselves, being just and equitable citizens, a worthy leader would naturally emerge from our midst.

Kashim Shettima: the accidental governor who is now Nigeria’s vice president in the above message was very clear and leaves no one in doubt about the making of our own story of Nehemiah. Surprisingly or so to say, Nigerians in their millions are beginning to rethink the difference between the personalities and attributes of the new leadership under President Bola Tinubu and the previous. In less than a month, the new sheriff has effectively stamped his authority firmly on the polity to the extent of global acknowledgments with the sobriquet “Baba fast fast”

Although, Herbert Spencer, an English polymath, phycologist, noted philosopher, sociologist, biologist, and political theorist of the Victorian era, countered that the Great Man Theory was childish, primitive, and unscientific. He believed leaders were products of their environment. He advocated that before a “great man” can remake his society, society has to make him. Over the course of history, we have seen examples of great leaders who shape how people view the world and remould their sense of self-worth – Mind Restructuring.

Regrettably, however, most good leaders don’t buy into their followers’ idealized images of them. But even leaders who are reasonably self-aware can become victims of illusion. Leaders who emerge from within a group have the ability to influence other teammates positively. Team members accept and welcome them because of their influence within the organization and the skills they offer as a leader. They have respect from their peers because they seek the input of others, which helps them maintain credibility as a leader.

Thankfully, the President has hit the ground running; unlike his predecessors particularly @Mbuhari in the recent past eight years ago who spent a whole six months not knowing what to do and couldn’t form a government, and when he eventually, it was a complete failure. Apart from the controversial fuel subsidy issue, the student loan act, and the sacking of the Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele a public office holder with a mindset of terrorist. Liberalization of electric power generation, harmonization of the retirement age of senior Judges.

Furthermore, the EFCC boss, Abdulrasheed Bawa saga, the collapse of the parallel markets, and the dissolution of all the boards and some agencies will either be merged or scrapped completely. Meanwhile, the new administration under President Bola Tinubu in his appointments so far have been more inclusive than his predecessors particularly the immediate past administration under President Buhari; in the circumstances, he must have heard the cries of marginalization of some section of the country and the crass nepotism of his predecessor who is an unrepentant hardliner in religion and ethnic jingoism. So far, so good! It is a good start.

This is a major step for Nigeria, when will this be cascaded down to the state level? It is time for the government to begin to roll out policies that will quickly jumpstart and revive the economy. 4th Industrial Revolution on my mind: factories, industries, and many of our institutions of technological innovations must be revived to provide jobs for our youths. The examples of the Zaria ‘Aviation College’ and many others are issues of concern. It could attract direct foreign investment which is capable of mitigating the “JAPA SYNDROME” of our citizens.

To conclude, I quote MAHATMA GANDHI: “We are too near the scene of the tragedy to realize that this canker or untouchability has traveled far beyond its prescribed limits and has sapped the very foundation of the whole nation.” Our leaders have been too reckless and plundering resources and squandering riches including the very recent corrupt tendencies typically characterized by the impunity of our public officeholders and their private sector conspirators. Mr President Sir! With all humility I join our citizens in praying to God to grant you the courage to pull through and also wish Your Excellency the speed of light in the task ahead. There must be punishment for unwholesome behaviors.

The immediate past governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

An aide to the former governor, who craved anonymity, said Ortom was released around 7:30pm on Tuesday after several hours of “intense” interrogation at the anti-graft agency’s zonal office in Makurdi.

Politics Nigeria reported that Ortom was grilled by officials of the anti-graft agency over alleged misappropriation of public funds during his tenure as governor of Benue.

Reacting to Ortom’s ordeal with the EFCC, his party, the PDP in Benue said while Ortom was not the first former governor to be grilled by the agency, his case “is remarkably distinct for the lack of rancour and acrimony which usually attends such appearances”.

The party expressed satisfaction with Ortom’s conduct and declared that he has “no skeletons” in his cupboard.

Ndigbo in All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos has affirmed Joe Igbokwe, former special adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on drainage and water resources, as its leader.

State Co-ordinator, Chief Chris Ekwilo, spoke at a news conference in Lagos yesterday.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the affirmation followed a call by another Igbo group in the party, asking Igbokwe to step down.

NAN recalls an Ndigbo chieftain, Uche Dimgba, at a news conference, alleged Igbokwe was incompetent, saying the body needed a replacement to spearhead its activities.

Dimgba said Igbokwe’s inability to mobilise people in the grassroots hampered them from securing victory in elections.

Ekwilo, a founding member of APC in the state, maintained Igbokwe remained the leader and the face of Ndigbo in the state.

He affirmed Igbokwe had done well in representing Ndigbo in Sanwo-Olu’s exco, saying the people were behind him.

“We draw attention of the public and our party leadership that Dimgba has been removed as state coordinator of Ndigbo in APC, Lagos State.

“However, he went ahead to form what he calls ‘Authentic Ndigbo in APC Lagos State’. We alert the public of his mischievous intention to malign Igbokwe.

“We want to appeal to the public to disregard what he does since he no longer represents Ndigbo.

“Dimgba was removed as state co-ordinator on January 14, and replaced by his deputy, Chris Ekwilo ,” he said.

Ekwilo reiterated he was state co-ordinator of Ndigbo in APC, Lagos State, and write up from Dimgba should be disregarded.

He noted Dimgba was removed from office when they discovered his loyalty to APC was in question.

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George has said that President Bola Tinubu has started well as Nigeria’s President.

The PDP chieftain stated this in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.

He noted that Tinubu’s early days as the president is better than his time as the Lagos State governor between May 1999 and May 2007.

George who insisted that he remains a loyal party member of the PDP stated that he is not an enemy of the president.

He described Tinubu as a power broker.

The chieftain, however, insisted that the President must manage the people and the country’s resources well.

He stated, “The major difference between Bola and I is his methodology, his managerial style, is unlike me.

“I have a background in the military and I am a logistician in the military. You don’t carry your men to war without adequately doing your serious planning, intelligence gathering.”

Giving an assessment of Tinubu’s administration in the last three weeks, George said, “It is not a 100-meter race. He (Tinubu) is to manage his people and manage the resources of this country for the betterment of this country. He is just starting.”

The PDP stalwart said, “It’s not perfect but reasonable. At least, it is better than what we had known before when he was in Lagos. Maybe he was much younger at that time and no experience but now, Lagos is not Abuja.”

President Bola Tinubu has reversed his decision regarding the dissolution of the boards of two government agencies.

A clarification was provided on Tuesday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) regarding the exemption of specific boards from the dissolution process.

The SGF announced that the boards of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) are exempted from the process.

The agencies play crucial roles in the country’s fight against drug abuse and the regulation of food and drug safety.

The initial decision to dissolve the boards of all government agencies was announced by the SGF’s office.

However, Willie Bassey, the Director of Information at the SGF’s office, said NAFDAC and the NDLEA have been excluded from the announcement.

“Further to the directive on the dissolution of Boards of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government-owned Companies, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has clarified that the Boards of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) are exempted from such dissolution,” said Bassey.

Fresh reconciliation moves by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, suffered a setback as key stakeholders including Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor, Nyesom Wike and his G-5 team among other stakeholders were visibly absent.

The PDP went into the last general elections with a divided house, after it failed to resolve issues that arose from the nomination of its presidential and vice presidential candidates as well as a call by aggrieved members led by the G-5 governors for the ouster of former national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.

Its National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, while setting the tone for the meeting, held at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, said before it went into a close session that the parley was convened to douse tension and kickstart reconciliation within the party in the aftermath of the election.

He said its members contributed to the outcome of the 2023 general elections and should be wary of pointing fingers on others.

He said the party would not apportion blames, suspend, expel or accuse anybody of playing pro or anti party activities during the last general elections.

“This party believe that Atiku Abubakar won the election, but we are in court, and without prejudice to what the court will decide, we will keep it aside. Let me acknowledge that this is not a NEC meeting, but an interactive meeting with the aim to jump starting a reconciliation process.

“We are here today and everyone knows what happened in 2023. We contributed both individually and collectively. If you rise to speak, I beg you to spell out your own role in 2023 elections, either positive or negative before you jump to accuse someone else either negative or positive.”

Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun, said the meeting was in continuation of the National Working Committee ( NWC) consultation with critical stakeholders, in a bid to chart theway forward for the party after the last election.

“This meeting will give us the opportunity to review the outcome of the last general elections and to share ideas about how to strengthen the party to face the challenges ahead.

“We have had series of meetings with the members of the National Ex officio, state Chairmen, select BoT and members of the National Assembly. This is a continuation of that meeting and it was borne out of what has happened during those meetings and we said there was need for us to call this one.”

Says He Doesn’t Have Amazon’s Mandate To Represent Obi/LP

On Tuesday, the expert witness for the Labour Party from Amazon Web Services Incorporated USA returned to the witness stand for her cross-examination, making it a contentious day at the Presidential Election Petitions Court.

The witness Clareta Ogar, who identified herself as a cloud engineer and cloud architect, had earlier told the court that there were no glitches on February 25, 2023, when the presidential election held that could have affected the e-transmission of results.

She was put through a series of questions that got the proceedings heated up at some point when the counsel for the respondents tried to establish what her link with the organization she claims she works for is. Reference was made to her appointment verification letter which bears the name Employee Resource Centre and not Amazon Web Services, AWS, Inc; and also that there is no identification card from the company confirming her as an employee.

An attempt by the Labour Party counsel to intervene by insisting the witness had responded appropriately led to a reprimand by the Justices who cautioned him for disrupting proceedings. The Presiding Justice said “You are going about this as if you are in parliament. You are a senior counsel Ikwueto, there are juniors behind you”. The next most senior member on the panel, Justice Stephen Adah said, “Please don’t interject if you don’t want us to take meaner action against you”

But Ikwueto insisted he only was trying to help the court, and the court directed the respondents to proceed with the cross-examination

In response to why the witness did not tender her identification card, she responded that AWS does not issue identification cards, and that all employment verifications from Amazon Web Services are issued by Employee Resource Centre of the company.

She also denied being in court as a representative of the company she works for and on the mandate of Amazon Web Services, but as an expert subpoenaed witness to speak as a cloud engineer.

This led to further questioning on how she got the report she submitted before the court, and she responded that they are public information posted on the AWS Amazon.

Asked whether the report she submitted is a product of Amazon, but she claimed ownership of it on the ground that she was the one that submitted it before the court

The court also noted, based on her admittance that the subpoena that compelled her appearance was not delivered to the company she works for, but to her in person

This led to a digging into the background of the witness, who confirmed that she is a member of the Labour Party and that she contested for a House of Reps election in her constituency in Cross River State, which she lost but denied allusions that she is a Labour Party activist

On further questioning, the witness confirmed that she had sued INEC after it failed to publish her name in the final list of candidates; and that her main complaint was that she could not upload her information on the INEC website due to network failure. She however refused to accept that network failure is a form of network glitch

The respondents’ counsel also read out information showing periods in which the Amazon cloud services suffered glitches globally on February 27, 2017. While the witness confirmed that the glitch actually occurred, she held on to the position that the health status report as at the day of the presidential election on February 25, 2023 showed there was no glitch on the infrastructure that hosted applications and accounts including that of INEC.

Also at the proceedings on Tuesday, the chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu Mahmood responded to the subpoena served on him on May 30 and that of June 13, 2023, by producing some documents through two senior officials of the Commission.

The Deputy Director, Department of Certification and Complaints of INEC, Mrs Moronkeji Tairu tendered the documents contained in the subpoena dated May 30 issued on the INEC chairman.

She said, some of the documents required by the petitioners are not in the Commission and that some of the documents come from INEC’s offices across the states and that because of lack of logistics, those documents could not be produced as of Tuesday and added that, the Subpoena dated May 30 was served on the Commission on Monday.

While assuring that the rest documents would be made available within the week, the INEC official presented documents on INEC’s manual for election officers.

Lead counsel to the petitioners, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) informed the court that INEC refused service of the Subpoena all the while and all efforts to serve the Commission proved abortive until Monday.

The court cautioned that Mr Uzoukwu’s continuous reference to his meeting with INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, could not be relied upon as a subsisting law which the court could regard as a legal compelling force.

The court highlighted that there is an existing legal process of applying for documents with clearly spelt punishment for refusing or obstructing the process but the Labour party counsels have not thoroughly followed the process but has continued to wrongly relied on the assurances made in person by Mr Yakubu.

The documents in question include the state collation sheets of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Also, the Deputy Director, ICT department of INEC, Dr. Lawrence Bayode also presented some documents contained in the June 16 subpoena issued on the INEC Chairman and informed the court that the rest of the documents are work in progress.

The five-member panel of Justices of the court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned further hearing in the petition till Wednesday, June 21.

DSS insists CBN ex-boss not denied access to family, lawyers

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday, reserved judgment in the enforcement of a fundamental rights suit filed by suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, till July 13.

Justice Hamza Muazu fixed the date after listening to submissions made by parties in the matter.

Counsel to Emefiele, Joseph Daudu (SAN) had argued that contrary to the preliminary objection raised against the originating summons on notice by the respondents, the court has the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

According to him, the offences listed against the plaintiff are state offences that could be entertained by the court.

Lawyer to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Tijjani Ghazali (SAN), informed the court that the first respondent is challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case brought before it by the applicant.

He stressed that Emefiele’s arrest and detention is an administrative decision of an arm of the executive, adding that jurisdiction is determined by the reliefs sought by an applicant.

He, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the application, submitting that the allegation of unlawful detention is unfounded, as the plaintiff is being detained on the order of an FCT Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Counsel to the second and third respondents, I. Awo, told the court that there was a subsisting order to detain the applicant and, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the application with cost.

The presiding judge, consequently, fixed July 13 for ruling.

President Bola Tinubu had, on June 10, suspended Emefiele from office. Shortly after, the secret service announced that he is in its custody.

The Federal Government had also explained that the suspension was to allow an “ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.”

BUT DSS has refuted allegation by Emefiele that he had been denied access to his family and lawyers.

The agency’s spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunanya, made the rebuttal, yesterday, in a statement, titled: “The DSS operates within its mandate.”

According to Afunanya, the celebration of news of a court order to allow Emefiele’s lawyers and family access to him is “quite unnecessary.”

He said: “He was never denied access. Ever since he was taken into custody, his family has continually accessed him. Same with medical officials. The impression that the Service is going to act on the prompting of the court is not correct.”

[Guardian]