Religious leaders in Siaya want the government to engage an international mediator in solving the current impasse that saw young Kenyans take to the streets to protest the passage of the finance bill.
Through the Siaya Church Leaders’ Forum (SCLF), the clerics say that the situation may get out of hand if urgent steps will not be taken to address it, adding that government will only succeed if an independent international mediator is brought on board to engage the youths.
Led by the chairman of the church leaders’ forum, Archbishop James Opiyo Anyango, the clerics lauded the efforts that the government was putting in place to ensure that the youths are engaged and their demands taken into account.
The forum organizing secretary, Bishop Wilfred Amollo said Kenyan youths seem to have lost hope and trust in the current government and may not feel comfortable engaging President William Ruto.
The church leaders lauded the Kenyan youths for standing firm in exercising their rights, but called on them to embrace peace and avoid destruction of properties during their anti-government protests.
Other leaders who addressed the media during the occasion were Bishop Elias Sewe and Bishop Martin Arara who called on the government to minimize wastage of public resources to quell the Gen Z protests.
[https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/]
According to Shettima, 42 persons were brought to the specialist hospital, but 14 have been discharged after receiving treatment.
The Vice President noted that 26 are still receiving treatment.
Shettima, who made a personal donation to all the victims, condoled with the families of those killed by the multiple explosions.
He also conveyed the condolences of President Bola Tinubu to Gwoza people and Borno State.
The Vice President was in the company of the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Babagana Kingibe, Senator Ali Ndume, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, former Nigerian Ambassador to China, Baba Ahmed Jidda, the Director General of NEMA and other government functionaries.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has described criminals responsible for the suicide bombing in Borno State as cowards who would soon face the wrath of justice.
The President said the action of the terrorists is due to the pressure mounted against them by security forces which have degraded their abilities to mount attacks.
While consoling all those affected by the attack, President Tinubu assured Nigerians that the government would not allow the nation to slither into an era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.
He added that his administration would take every necessary step to ensure citizens are protected, and criminals are brought to justice.
[NaijaNews]
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has lashed out at the senator representing the territory, Ireti Heebah Kingibe.
Speaking during the flag-off of the construction of the Mabushi Bus Terminal in Abuja, Wike said Kingibe would lose the support of FCT residents in the next election.
The former Rivers State Governor said it was disheartening that instead of collaborating with the FCT Administration, Kingibe was instead angry that residents are reportedly praising him (Wike).
“I overheard somebody on Arise TV this morning. Unfortunately, I heard the person is a member of the National Assembly and it is unfortunate I say so. With all due respect, what you don’t know, you don’t know, what you know you know, and the good thing for you is to tell people you don’t when you don’t know, then people will educate you.
“The Honourable Minister of State and my humble self-have not been in office for more than 11 months and the person is angry that they are praising us. If you don’t want or you are angry about that, go and hang yourself on a transformer.
“If we have done well, we have done well. If we haven’t done well, we haven’t done well. I am proud to say that in the short time that Mr President has appointed us, we have done well.
“You said there are no hospitals. You, as a legislator, what have you done? How many bills have you sponsored for us to improve our education and health sector,” he queried.
He challenged Kingibe to contest in 2027, insisting that she would fail woefully.
According to Wike, what happened in the last election that brought Kingibe into power would not repeat itself.
He stressed that FCT is his territory and he is not afraid.
Wike urged people to accept the truth, stressing that he would not beg anyone to be their friend.
DAILY POST recalls that Kingibe had, during the television programme, criticised the Wike-led administration in the FCT, saying she is not a friend of the minister.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Monday fumed over the allocation of land meant for a bus terminal in the Central Business District, Abuja.
Wike, who made the complaint at the inauguration of the construction of Mabushi Bus Terminal, Phase I, in Abuja, described the action as a gross distortion of the Abuja Master Plan.
He explained that the FCT Administration decided to build three terminals, one each in the Central Business District, Mabushi and Kugbo, to ensure a secure and convenient travel experience for commuters in the territory.
He, however, said that the land designated for the bus terminal in the Central Business District, where a train track was expected to pass through, had been allocated to somebody.
“When we went there to start preparation for the inauguration project last Tuesday, I received a text that I had taken somebody’s land, and I was surprised.
“In fact, in that text message, the person said, ‘after his sacrifices and inputs to the party, is this what he will suffer?”.
“When I enquired, we found out that the place has been given out and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) had been signed, even consent judgement has been entered between FCTA and the person,” he said.
He explained that he directed that the Mabushi location should be used for the inauguration of the terminal project, pending when the issue would be resolved.
The minister noted that leadership was all about taking decisions, noting that in taking decisions, not everybody would be happy, but a decision must be taken.
“This is just to let people know some of the things we face; how the Master Plan of the FCT had been distorted.
“When you want to make a decision, so many people will be angry and when you are complaining, they won’t come with sincere facts; they will come with distorted facts,” he said.
The minister added that Abuja was supposed to be one of the best cities in the world but lacked the necessary infrastructure to be a first-class city.
He particularly pointed out that a city like Abuja does not have bus and taxi terminals, thereby forcing people to park and board vehicles on the road, and taxis all over the place.
This, according to him, is contributing to the level of insecurity in the territory, including the proliferation of “one chance” criminal elements.
He explained that the construction of the bus and taxi terminals was part of efforts to reduce the level of insecurity under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“To reduce insecurity, we made a proposal to the National Assembly explaining that part of the security problem we are facing is because we have not been able to know who the people operating taxis and buses in FCT are and where they are loading from.
“One of the things that people don’t understand about the Renewed Hope Agenda, is that it is not just about human capital development; it is also about empowerment of our people.” he said.
[Newspot]
The Federal Ministry of Works has terminated contracts with three companies due to non-performance on the dualization of the Obajana-Benin road project.
The companies are Mothercat Ltd, Dantata & Sawoe Construction Ltd, and RCC Ltd.
In a statement on Monday by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Works, Orji Uchenna, said the termination was necessary due to the inordinate delay and failure of the companies to fulfil their contractual obligations.
The Minister, David Umahi, directed engineers to take over the sites and measure the work done to facilitate the takeover from the companies.
Lagos hotel raid: EFCC operatives to face disciplinary panel over alleged assault of woman
He noted that the contracts, worth billions of naira, were awarded in 2012 but were abandoned by the contractors, leaving road users to suffer due to the deplorable condition of the road.
The Minister warned that the government will not tolerate acts of unseriousness and sabotage by contractors, stating that “going forward, all funded but non-performing contracts shall be terminated.”
This move is seen as a bold step by the Renewed Hope administration to address the country’s infrastructure challenges.
“We will not condone any act that will hinder our progress. We are determined to change the narrative of Nigeria’s road infrastructure”, Umahi said.
The terminated contracts include Contract No. 6136 with Mothercat Ltd for the dualization of Obajana-Benin road, section II (Okene-Auchi) in Kogi/Edo State; Contract No. 6137 with Dantata & Sawoe Construction Ltd for the dualization of Obajana-Benin road, section III (Auchi-Ehor) in Edo State; Contract No. 6138 with RCC Ltd for the dualization of Obajana-Benin road, section IV (Ehor-Benin) in Edo State.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, has announced that it has fixed the date to conduct local government elections in the state for October 5.
The Commission, on Monday, released its guidelines in view of the conduct of the council elections in the state.
This was coming as the police in the state have maintained the occupation of the local government area council secretariats following the leadership crisis rocking the councils.
Following the expiration of the tenure of the elected chairmen and councillors of the 23 LGAs, the governor of the state, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, inaugurated Caretaker Committees pending the conduct of council elections.
However, the development had sparked protests by the outgone chairmen loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.
They are insisting that the Martins Amaewhule-led State Assembly had extended their tenure by six months in the repealed Local Government Administration law of the state.
However, RSIEC met with the leaders of political parties and major stakeholders in the state, over conducting the elections.
Rep James Faleke (Ikeja Federal Constituency) has called on Nigerians to treat the outbreak of cholera in some parts of the country with the same level of seriousness they applied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Faleke made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recently reported that 53 deaths due to cholera had been recorded in the country.
The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, stated that the Federal Government had activated the National Emergency Operation Centre for cholera.
Idris said, “As of June 24, 2024, 1,528 suspected cases and 53 deaths were recorded across 31 states and 107 LGAs with a case fatality rate of 3.5 percent since the beginning of the year.”
Reacting, Faleke said Nigerians should do more to curb the cholera outbreak.
“Every Nigerian needs to be careful; our attitude to cleanliness matters,” he said.
Faleke urged Nigerians to be more cautious about what they eat and drink.
“The way we took COVID-19 seriously is the way we should take this cholera outbreak.
“Cholera has killed many people. We expected that, in this modern age, we should not be experiencing an outbreak of cholera in Nigeria.
“However, it has come; so, we have to deal with it. People should be more careful with what they eat and drink.
“There are many fake products out there. Stop consuming fake products. You don’t have to drink just anything; take clean water,” he advised.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has declared that he has no regret as governor because he surpassed all his election promises.
Obaseki said he has impacted all areas and sectors since assuming office as governor.
Addressing journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, the governor said his government has laid a solid foundation for the state’s progress and development.
According to Obaseki: “As Edo State Governor in these last few years, I don’t have any regrets. In fact, when I look at my manifesto, what I said I was going to do; I’ve surpassed everything I said I will do.
“I have exceeded everything I said I will do and there was not one area I mentioned, that I talked about that I didn’t have a kind of impact on.
“I’m a realistic person. One administration or one governor cannot do it all. What I have done is to lay a foundation and by the grace of God, we have a successor who will continue to build on that, in the direction that I started with and someone who shares the same values of service to the people.
“Democracy is not a destination in itself; it is a process. It will always be better; things will always be better than when you met them.”
Justice James Omotoso of a Federal High Court, Abuja has just dismissed a N1 billion suit filed by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu against the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS).
The Judge held in his judgment that the IPOB leader failed to show evidence that his conversation with his lawyers was bugged by the DSS or that his lawyers were stopped from taking notes from him during the conversation.
Justice Omotoso therefore held that there was no evidence before him to show that he was denied a fair hearing as claimed in his suit.
Consequently, the court dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.
Kanu had, through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, filed the N1billion suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1633/2023 for the enforcement of his fundamental rights while in detention.
In the originating motion dated and filed December 4, 2023, the applicant sued the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), DSS and its DG as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.
The suit was filed pursuant to Order II, Rules 1 & 2 of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009, among others.
In the motion, the detained IPOB leader prayed for, “a declaration that the respondents’ act of forcible seizure and photocopying of confidential legal documents pertaining to facilitating the preparation of his defence which were brought to him at the respondents’ detention facility by his lawyers, amounted to denial of his rights to be defended by legal practitioners of his own choice”.
He also sought a declaration that the respondents’ act of refusing or preventing his counsel from taking notes of details of the counsel’s professional discussions/consultations with him at DSS detention.
This, he said, amounted to denial of his right to be given adequate facilities for the preparation of his defence by legal practitioners of his own choice.
An helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Air Force in the early hours of Monday crashed in Tami village, located in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
It was gathered that the incident happened around 5:00 am causing panic among the local residents of the area.
The helicopter, said to be on a routine operational flight, experienced technical difficulties that led to the crash.
Fortunately, the pilot managed to execute emergency protocols effectively, ensuring his own survival, said eyewitnesses while adding that the pilot emerged from the wreckage largely unscathed.
Residents of Tami village quickly gathered at the crash site, offering assistance where possible and expressing relief that no lives were lost.
“We heard a loud noise and rushed to the scene. We were surprised and relieved to see the pilot alive,” said a local villager who witnessed the crash.
It was gathered that a team of military officers from the Nigerian Air Force swiftly arrived at the scene to secure the area and conduct an initial investigation.
They cordoned off the crash site to prevent unauthorised access and to ensure the safety of the villagers. The officers also began preliminary assessments to determine the cause of the crash, which remains unknown at this time.
As of the time of filling the report the Nigerian Air Force has not released an official statement regarding the incident, but an investigation is expected to be launched to ascertain the factors leading to the crash.
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A former Kaduna lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has warned the President Bola Tinubu not to make the mistake of his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari on appointments.
Sani issued this warning while speaking in interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
The former lawmaker asked President Tinubu to prioritise competence in his appointments if he is interested in results.
Sani said during Buhari’s eight-year administration between May 2015 and May 2023, nepotism was at its peak yet results were not produced in all areas of governance, majorly security, economy, education and healthcare.
He said, “I will advise President Tinubu to be careful not to make the mistakes of President Buhari, and I believe he is experienced to understand this.
“Under Presdient Buhari, you have ministers that were appointed into office for the whole of eight years; they were with him for the first tenure and the second tenure, and there was no cabinet reshuffle, no removal.
“Even if there was a removal, it takes three to four months to replace a minister. That was the way the country was governed.
“Under Buhari, we have seen nepotism at its peak where people were appointed into office and left there even if they did nothing.
“Service chiefs were retained in office despite their failures, and by retaining them, you destroyed the careers of those behind them. For many years, many officers were retired to appoint one person.”
“If this country has to move forward, we must treat the issue of competency as the qualification for appointment,” he said.
Sani further said the situation in northern Nigeria is a reflection of the failure of political leaders, especially those from the region who failed to use political power to reduce the level of underdevelopment in the 19 states of the region.
“What has all these powers been used for? It has not been used for the benefit of our people for a very long time,” he stated.
Relatives of victims of suicide bombings in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State have narrated harrowing experiences of how they lost their loved ones on Saturday.
Many people, including a soldier, and some wedding guests were killed, and several others injured when four suicide bombers launched attacks at different spots in Gwoza and Pulka towns, all in Gwoza LGA.
The Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Barkindo M. Saidu, shortly after the incidents, said 18 persons comprising children, adult male, females, and pregnant women died, while 19 others who were seriously injured were conveyed to Maiduguri in four ambulances.
Gwoza, located in the fringes of the Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains, which serves as sanctuaries for Boko Haram fighters, had suffered devastating attacks in the nearly fifteen years of the insurgency.
Hundreds of people have been killed, many injured and houses, markets, hospitals, police stations and other symbols of authority destroyed.
Incidents of suicide bombing have not been reported for a long time, until Saturday’s resurgence.
Meanwhile, our correspondent yesterday visited the state specialist hospital in Maiduguri where the wounded are currently receiving treatment.
He said the atmosphere at the hospital was tense as relatives who besieged the facility to see the wounded shared their disturbing experiences.
A resident of Gwoza, Buba Shehu, who lost five of his family members, said the incident happened so fast that the whole scenario seemed as if it was a movie.
“This is just like a dream; I have lost five people in my family in less than 24 hours. Three died yesterday (Saturday) as a result of the dastardly act by suicide bomber during wedding reception at our family house in Gwoza.
“We also received a call this (Sunday) morning that two people passed away due to lack of blood in their bodies. So, personally, I lost three family members and two of my good friends. This is painful,” he said.
Shehu added: “Many of our friends left Maiduguri to attend the wedding in Gwoza. Unfortunately, seven are currently receiving treatment in this hospital. As at last night, we lost 20 persons and 30 others wounded.
“But this (Sunday) morning, we lost one person in Maiduguri and two of our relatives died in Gwoza in the early hours.”
Another relative of the victims, Abdul Umaru, also said he lost two persons while two others who were critically wounded were currently battling with their lives.
“I wanted to travel for the wedding but there was a challenge of logistics and I was furious with myself for missing the wedding ceremony in our family house.
“Only for me to hear that there was suicide attack during reception. Two of my uncles lost their lives. Two of my elder brothers are currently undergoing a series of treatments due to wounds they suffered from the attacks. We are broken and you can see hundreds of people in this place. It is sad, you see someone and next day, you hear that some useless people have killed him,” he said.
In the meanwhile, the Secretary of Gwoza LGA, Hajiya Fatimah Musa, has said three suspected suicide bombers have been arrested in Gwoza and Pulka, following the imposition of curfew by the military on the troubled town.
She noted that the actions of the military would restore peace in the areas, while urging the residents to support and report any suspicious activities within their general areas to the security agencies.
She said so far, casualties ascertained included 21 deaths comprising women and children, and 48 people who were seriously injured.
“We lost one person among those who were taken to Maiduguri yesterday (Saturday). We also got a report that two people died yesterday. They have been buried according to Islamic rites,” she said.
She added that a total of 42 people had been admitted, including 12 taken to Maiduguri on Saturday night and 31 others equally transported at noon on Saturday.
Tinubu, Atiku, northern govs condole with relatives
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the Saturday bomb attack in Borno State, saying those responsible will pay a heavy price for their actions.
The president, in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, condoled with the families of those affected and said his administration will not allow the country to slither into an “era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.”
President Tinubu said his administration was taking necessary measures to secure citizens, emphasising that efforts will be redoubled to ensure that “those who trouble the nation, dispatching precious lives, and disrupting law and order are completely removed.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also condemned the bomb attack in Borno State, asking the federal government not to allow the North East slide back into the theater of terrorism.
Atiku in a post on his Verified Facebook page asked the present administration to live up to expectation, accusing the government of lackluster posture in holding firmly to the frontline in the gains made by security operatives.
He said it is a sad development that the “ugly incidents of terrorism are resurfacing and, indeed, metastasising in the North East.”
He also expressed condolences to the families of victims of these attacks, saying, “it is my prayer that God grants a peaceful repose to the souls of the departed.
Relatedly, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has expressed deep condolences to the victims, government and the people of Borno State following the recent tragic suicide attacks in Gwoza Local Government Area.
Chairman of the forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, in a statement issued yesterday condemned the heinous act, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives and left many injured.
The statement issued by his spokesman, Ismaila Uba Misilli, described the attack as cowardly, and emphasised that such acts of terror have no place in a peaceful and progressive society.
Yahaya, therefore, called for collective resilience and unity among the people of northern Nigeria to stand together and remain undeterred by the acts of terror.
[DailyTrust]
Nigerian students in foreign lands appear to have suddenly become targets for elimination.
If they are not murdered by the security agents of their host countries, they are murdered by citizens of foreign countries.
From Africa to Europe, Asia to America, the story is the same.
Many Nigerians who have travelled to countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Ghana, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, among others to get quality education, have been gruesomely murdered in recent times.
It has been tales of sorrow, pains and anguish for parents whose wards have become victims of these unfortunate incidents.
Many of them were murdered when they had almost completed their course of studies. Others had scarcely settled down to their studies when the messengers of death came calling.
Unfortunately, offenders of such heinous crimes against Nigerians have never been brought to book. The host countries had always treated such incidents with levity.
Even where they appeared to have taken interest, they would not pursue the matter to a conclusive end, thereby eventually creating a window of escape for the offender.
Just last month, May 17, 2024 precisely, a 43-year old Nigerian, identified as Prince Ebuka was allegedly shot and killed by the South African Police in Danielskuil, Northern Cape, a development that sparked outrage by the Nigerian Diaspora Forum, NDF.
According to the report, the circumstances that led to it remained unclear, but sources close to the deceased family revealed that he was a law-abiding citizen who had no criminal record.
The NDF condemned the killing, describing it as a senseless and avoidable tragedy.
A statement by the NDF’s Country Director, Hon. Chike Amadichi called on the South African authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident.
He said: “The Nigerian Diaspora Forum (NDF) expresses its deep concern over the recent tragic event in Danielskuil, Northern Cape, South Africa on May 17, 2024.
“We urge the public to stay informed as we closely follow developments and cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation.
“Our commitment remains strong towards advocating for justice and upholding human rights for all Nigerians living in the Diaspora.”
This incident has raised concerns about the safety and well-being of Nigerians living in South Africa, many of whom have faced xenophobic attacks and harassment in recent years.
The group also urged the Federal Government to take decisive action to protect its citizens abroad
“As the investigation continues, the Nigerian community in South Africa and beyond is mourning the loss of Prince Ebuka, a husband, father, and friend who was brutally taken away from his loved ones.
“His family and friends are demanding answers and justice, and the world is watching to see how the South African authorities will respond to this tragic incident,” the NDF submitted.
Also, the family of the 19-year-old Afolabi Opaso is still waiting for answers on the circumstances surrounding the death of their son on December 31, 2023.
Afolabi was allegedly shot dead by Winnipeg police officers in Manitoba, Canada.
According to the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which investigates all serious incidents involving the police in the province, the officers were alleged to be responding to a well-being call at an apartment building at 77 University Cres, at about 2:30 pm on December 31.
In spite of the dangers Nigerian students in foreign lands are exposed to, parents and guardians still besiege the embassies of foreign countries seeking for education visas for their wards in those countries.
Very many Nigerians believe that the Nigerian education system is in comatose and that has been responsible for the increase in education tourism abroad.
They attributed what is happening to Nigerian students studying abroad to failure of leadership.
Commenting on Nigerians’ quest for foreign education, a human rights lawyer, Malachy Ugwumadu, attributed the scourge to total collapse of the educational system in Nigeria.
He said: “Nigeria has not ceased to amaze those who are critical. You do not wish away what you have no capacity to control.
“The bottom line is that the outsourcing of education is a direct function of the failure of the educational system in Nigeria.
“As you know, those who have the luxury of sending their wards to study abroad are paying through their nose; they are paying far more expensively than those studying in Nigeria.
“The corresponding risks to which our worlds are now exposed is one that underscores really the insufficiency of the government to provide education, and it has complicated the whole challenge of Nigerians and their search for quality education in such a way that our successive governments are now exposed to the ridicule of the entire world.
“Even as close as the Benin Republic here, the statistics of Nigerians there in the make-shift buildings in the name of education is pitiable.”
He also said that the failure of successive Nigerian governments to keep faith with the United Nations’ recommended minimum budgetary requirement of 26 percent of annual budget for education had also increased the poverty of our situation.
He equally agreed that the perennial cases of industrial actions by lecturers have not helped matters in the sense that students have continually experienced an endless educational system.
“And that is what has promoted the private universities in our country where our people are subjected to excruciating expenses to take their wards through normal academic education.
“So, instead of spending 10 years for a course of five years, parents tend to make do with the private universities where they are made to pay what it has taken the entire generation to go to school,” he submitted.
He attributed the upsurge in the number of Nigerian students abroad to what he called politicization of education in Nigeria.
“There is too much politicization of education in the system. It is no longer seen as a core professional and foundational enterprise that determines and defines the future of the country, as well as guarantees the quality and content of leadership that can come from there,” he added.
He, therefore, submitted that unless things were done right, Nigerians would continue to seek for foreign education in spite of all the dangers out there.
“So, to think that people will stop sending their children abroad, is to imagine that all of these things are already in place.
“But, the reality is that they are not in place, and there are no signs that they will soon be in place with the direct consequence that things will continue to be as they are,” he said.
On the nasty and poor treatment that Nigerians are exposed to in foreign land, he attributed that to the strong resentment, which other countries have for Nigeria and its citizens.
He said: “The poverty of the situation is that given the total resentment of the comity of nations against this huge and potentially great country that is squandering its fortunes, our people are subjected to the worst forms of attacks and harassment.
“In South Africa, it is xenophobia; in Asian countries, it is intolerance because anything committed by any Nigerian, be it the least of offences, attracts maximum punishment.
“The common denominator is that our citizens have come under direct siege in their pursuit for better education outside the shores of this country. It is an indictment of the government.”
He called on the National Assembly to rise up to its oversight function by whipping the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into line in this regard.
According to him, “I think that the Committees on Diaspora in the House of Representatives and Senate must find a way in furtherance of their over-sighting to compel the foreign affairs ministry to do something.
“It is not just drinking tea from one country to another; these are core responsibilities.
“The way and manner we have continued to undermine and expose ourselves to the ridicule of the world makes it easy for them to kill us and nothing happens. So, the ministry of foreign affairs should be able to mobilise and respond adequately.”
Also reacting, the President and Founder of SelfWorth Organisation for Women Development, Mrs Chinyere Anokwuru thinks that in spite of the dangers which Nigerian students abroad face, those who could afford to send their children abroad for studies, should not be discouraged.
She cited the dysfunctional educational system in Nigeria at present as one of the reasons for her position.
Such dysfunctional elements, according to her, include constant industrial action by lecturers, as well as unqualified teachers.
“So those that can afford it should go ahead and do so,” she stressed.
She also said that lack of proper parental counseling and orientation equally contributes to the disaster, which always befell their children.
“But it depends on parenting. I know that some of the victims were involved in clubbing and cult-related activities.
“If a child is properly orientated at home; properly taught and groomed at home; when such a child gets out of Nigeria to study, he knows he is representing his parents there and his family’s name is at stake.
“So, he will go there and behave well. He will try to stay out of trouble because he is there to study and not to club. Why the clubbing, the cultism and the fighting? He will hide himself and focus on what he has gone there to do.
“If parents train their kids properly, they will keep out of trouble in foreign lands,” she argued.
She noted that if the good private schools in Nigeria which were mostly owned by churches were made affordable, the craze to go abroad for quality education would be greatly minimized.
“If these churches can charge so high for the education they are offering, where is the charity; where is the love?
“I implore the churches to lessen their tuition fees, and I believe if their fees come down a bit, we might just stop sending our children abroad and patronize our local colleges that are also doing well,” she posited.
But, for the public administrator, Curis Anthony, people should look beyond why Nigerians travel abroad for studies.
He wants people to take a holistic look at such issues as why students even travel out in the first instance, as well as what the state of education and security in the country are.
He believes that the foregoing factors are critical because according to him, “When you talk in terms of safety, you need to relate it to the issue of the abducted school girls in northern states and many other Nigerian students who have been killed in the Northeast and across the country, on account of insecurity.
“I think it is very important to have a holistic approach to understand these issues and not just necessarily getting alarmed about what happens to Nigerian students abroad.
“What is also Nigeria’s role in protecting her citizens in the country or outside the country? So, these are the critical questions that must be addressed.”
He also looked at the matter from the economic angle, when he said: “When you run a global economy that is exploitative and more concerned about the profit and market forces, there is always a disregard for human life.
“So, the context of security whether in Nigeria or anywhere in the world, must be placed at the heart of who controls the economy and for what purpose. Is the economy being controlled in the interest of the people or not?
“You also have people, who also have their own peculiarities in terms of insecurity, irrespective of what is being presented. When you present such places as peaceful and comfortable, it is to the extent of what is being projected, which shows that there are some discontents in those societies.
“And for those who are marginalised of access to their basic needs, they also transfer aggression and that’s what has been responsible for violence instead of promoting unity and peace.
“My perspective has always been that the spirit of internationalism has to be based on what affects us and that is why the slogan of workers of all countries is, ‘unite against the oppressors and exploiters of various countries.’
“That is the context because without placing it in that context, we just get unnecessarily alarmed. For those who have to travel abroad, there is the material force that propels them because they have to survive, irrespective of the dangers they are going to face.
“It is like somebody who is in danger; he will assess which is less and that is the desperation of Nigerians wanting to travel abroad despite the dangers. The policy environment necessarily turns them into those frustrations.
“For them, death is a necessary consequence they have to face if they don’t want to starve to death.”
On whether parents should keep sending their wards overseas for studies in spite of the dangers ahead, he said: “It is not about parents.
“Do you know how many thousands of Nigerians that go abroad without the consent of their parents? That is the issue.
“How many parents in Nigeria can afford to send their children abroad? The children of the poor that you find abroad, stowed away in most cases; they struggled themselves to be there out of desperation. That is the issue to look at.
“If the academic environment in Nigeria is conducive for learning, people won’t be going abroad to study in such large numbers.”
He also agreed that the collapse of the educational system was largely responsible for the prevailing education tourism.
He said: “The decay has been over the years and that principally informed what has been the campaign over the years on the same public education.
“Several Nigerians have also been victims of travelling abroad which can also be attributed to the irresponsibility of the political environment. The approach is not just to have some of those cosmetic pronouncements by the government.
“It is basically to have a holistic approach to it. Once you have a system that cannot guarantee people the basic necessities of life, they are bound to have those kinds of things.”
[DailyPost]
•Agency intercepts N7.35b drugs consignments •Two excrete 150 cocaine wraps in Lagos
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested 60 suspects at a drug party held at an apartment in Abuja.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Femi Babafemi, in a statement yesterday, said: “In Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Friday night disrupted a drug party dubbed “Go hard or Go Home. Pick Your Poison”, where 60 suspects, comprising 25 males and 35 females, were arrested at an apartment in Sun City Estate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The raid followed credible intelligence about the drug party organised by one Stanley Ikechukwu who was arrested at the venue.
“Six of the suspects – Victoria Adoga; Hamza Yari; Joanne Essein Joy; Socchima Valentine; Jago Imole; and Charles Indobuibisi – were arrested with various quantities of ecstasy and cannabis.’’
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, he added, the agency intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth N7.350 billion.
Babafemi stated that the seizure, made from six containers the previous day, was the third of such in the past one month.
This, he said, followed tracking of the consignments from their port of departure by a special operations unit of NDLEA, which worked with the Port Harcourt Ports Command of the agency and other security agencies, including the Customs Service.
According to the statement, at the end of the joint examination of the six containers, a total of 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 157,500 kilogrammes were recovered.
Also, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, arrested two passengers travelling to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight at the screening point of Terminal 2 after they tested positive to ingestion of illicit substances on June 21.
He said the suspects, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji, were thereafter taken into custody for observation.
He said while Daniel excreted a total of 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022kg in six excretions, Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps of the same Class A substance with a total weight of 662grammes in five egestion.
[TheNation]