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PSC Defends Recruitment Of ‘Repentant Thugs’ As Police Constables In Kano
The Police Service Commission (PSC), on Thursday, justified the recruitment of “repentant thugs” as part of the police officers drafted to fight crime in the nooks and crannies of Kano State.
Daily Trust had reported how controversy trailed absorption of about 50 “repentant thugs” into the Kano State command of the force.
Nigerians had expressed displeasure and called on the authorities to be circumspect when recruiting for the force.
But defending the decision in a statement issued in Abuja, spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, argued that the “repentant criminals” were recruited as police constabulary because they had realised that crimes do not pay.
According to Ani, their (thugs’) engagement was obviously for visibility and to promote sustainable peace, economic growth and development of the state, adding they had gotten adequate training on policing system in the country.
The PSC spokesman added, “It is necessary to state that the men and women recruited as special constabulary are posted to work in their locality where they will be in a better position to fish out the criminals terrorising the place.
“Some of the repentant influential youths previously used in the past as political thugs and abandoned have realised that crime does not pay and have voluntarily offered themselves to assist fight for a crime free state.
“The Commission is also aware that the Kano Special Constabulary has received adequate training and are working in their local government areas as required by law but under strict supervision of the State Police Command.”
Ani further argued that the special constabulary were not policemen and that they are not recognised by the commission and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adding that the PSC would continue to recruit such persons since Police Act captured that.
He stated, “The commission wishes to state categorically that the special constabulary are not policemen and not recognised as such by the commission and the government.
“The commission, however, notes that the constabulary operations are covered and recognised by the Police Act and are readily useful and needed now that the nation is fighting to end the siege of criminals across the country.
“The commission is in touch with the Kano State Police command and is aware that the use of the constabulary is to support the police in building a crime free Kano State.”
Ani quoted the chairman of the commission, Solomon Arase as saying that security is not only a government responsibility but that of every Nigerian while calling for a citizen-based approach to security in Nigeria.
[DailyTrust]
Ukraine to send grain to Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia as humanitarian aid
kraine intends to supply 57,000 tonnes of grain to Nigeria, Sudan and Somalia as humanitarian aid, Ukrainian Deputy Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Markiyan Dmitrasevich said at a meeting with Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Program Carl Skau.
Dmitrasevich and Skau discussed plans to dispatch ships with Ukraine's humanitarian grain cargo for Nigeria (25,000 tonnes) and Sudan (32,000 tonnes) under the Grain from Ukraine program, Ukrainian media said, citing the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry's press service. The possibility of supplying Ukrainian grain to Somalia as humanitarian aid was discussed as well.
The parties also discussed preparations for the next international summit on food security in Kiev.
"In particular, it is possible to expand the geography and the range of supplies as part of the Grain from Ukraine initiative," the ministry said on its website.
[interfax]
Aid Trucks Wait At Egypt’s Border With War-Torn Gaza After Deal
Thousands of tonnes of aid bound for Gaza remained on the Egyptian side of the border Thursday, after US President Joe Biden struck a deal with Egypt and Israel to allow relief in.
Biden said Wednesday that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had agreed to “let up to 20 trucks through to begin with” to the heavily-bombarded Gaza Strip, starting Friday, giving authorities time to repair roads.
Sisi — whose spokesperson said the pair had agreed on “the sustainable delivery of aid” — has maintained that Egypt “did not close” the border, but that four rounds of Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing have forced it shut.
An eyewitness told AFP that “150 trucks have been waiting at Rafah” — the only passage in and out of Gaza not controlled by Israel — in addition to those in the nearby Egyptian city of El Arish, where planes full of relief supplies have been arriving.
Humanitarian workers at the border again warned that the aid must be allowed in as soon as possible, as perishable supplies had already begun to spoil.
Israel cut off supplies of water, electricity, fuel and food to the long-blockaded Palestinian enclave following the October 7 Hamas assault on Israeli border communities near Gaza.
More than 1,400 people have been killed since the Hamas assault in Israel, which has responded with a withering aerial campaign that has so far killed nearly 3,500 people in Gaza.
United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has estimated that about 100 trucks per day were needed to meet the needs in Gaza.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly discussed the entry of aid with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on a visit to Cairo Thursday, as well as the evacuation of UK citizens.
Cairo is also expecting the arrival of UN chief Antonio Guterres later on Thursday, who has said the siege on Gaza must be lifted, calling for supplies of water, food, fuel and medicines to be allowed in.
Humanitarian groups have warned that basic supplies have run dangerously low in the impoverished territory of 2.4 million.
Israeli officials said the deliveries would be limited to “food, water and medicine” to the south of Gaza, but not fuel needed to power generators, including for hospitals.
AFP
My walk out of senate was misunderstood — Ndume
Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has provided insight into his decision to leave the Senate chamber during a plenary session on Tuesday.
Ndume’s departure followed a clash with Senate President Godswill Akpabio during the session.
He had attempted to draw the Senate’s attention to what he perceived as violations of the Standing Orders of the Senate.
During the session, Senator Ndume cited procedural infringements, stating that they violated established parliamentary protocol.
However, Senate President Akpabio ruled him out of order, claiming that the order cited by Ndume did not apply to the matter he was discussing.
Ndume then left the chamber in apparent frustration.
He later clarified his reasons for leaving in an interview with BBC Hausa, in Abuja, noting that the situation arose when Senator Kawu Sumaila introduced a motion regarding the closure of the Nigeria-Niger border, which he claimed was urgent.
“At first, it was argued that the motion was not urgent, but the president of the Senate let him finish what he wanted to say.
After hearing the motion, it was agreed that, since it related to security, it should be suspended,” explained Ndume.
Senator Ndume added that he wanted to explain the importance of the motion but was not granted the opportunity to speak.
He clarified that the closure of the border was not initiated by the President of Nigeria but rather during his tenure as President of ECOWAS.
He stated, “In order to address this matter, it is imperative to involve the President of our nation, but I was not afforded the opportunity to convey this message.”
Senator Ndume clarified that he left the session to pray, a fact that was misinterpreted by his colleagues and the media.
“While this was happening, it coincided with the time of prayer, prompting my departure.
Consequently, my colleagues misconstrued my exit, and the journalists changed the meaning of my exit,” Ndume said.
[Tribune]
FG to shut Third Mainland Bridge
The Federal Government on Thursday announced closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos starting from midnight of Saturday, Oct. 21 to midnight of Sunday Oct. 22 to carry out repairs.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, in a statement, said the government was ready to begin comprehensive rehabilitation works on the bridge starting with repairs of the critical portions.
Kesha said the federal government wished to inform the motoring public that it was currently working on plans to carry out comprehensive repairs of Third Mainland Bridge.
“However, in order to alleviate the pains currently being experienced on the bridge, the Ministry would be carrying out palliative works on the most critically failed sections along the Adeniji bound carriageway on Sunday, Oct. 22 preparatory to the comprehensive repair works,” she said.
She advised motorists to cooperate with the traffic management officials by obeying and observing all diversions as directed for seamless movement.
“However, motorists are encouraged to use alternative routes where possible during the period of the palliative works as the Adeniji bound of the bridge will be closed to traffic from Saturday, Oct. 21 to Sunday, 22nd 12.00 midnight,” she said.
[TNG]
[OPINION] Making of A Better Society - Azu Ishiekwene
I grew up thinking that a judicious mix of crime, sex and money might not only help a publisher turn a good profit but could also be the catalyst for a better society. But my friend, the Publisher/Editor-In-Chief of NaijaTimes, Ehi Braimah, subscribes to a slightly different model.
When he sent me a collection of the editorials by the online newspaper to review, it was obvious that he believes it is possible to change society – for the better – by using a genre different from my old, familiar mix. Which is a bit of a surprise because in his former life, Ehi was old school.
He has had such an extraordinarily buoyant social life as a younger man, he appears to be afraid of getting old. That’s probably why instead of reproducing the old school journalism that extolled sex, money and crime, he is charting a different pathway for a better society, as you would find in the new book from the stable of NaijaTimes.
My first impression of the book, For A Better Society – A Compilation of Editorials Published in NaijaTimes from September 2020 to July 2023, published by Bookcraft and released this year, is that it reflects the importance the author puts on newspaper commentary with the notion that it holds a crucial place in the overall objective of news production.
Newspapers – print and online alike – use the weight of their editorials to achieve any or all of these three objectives: 1) influence public opinion, 2) promote critical thinking, and 3) cause people to take action.
Perhaps it might be useful to give a sense of the analytics of the NaijaTimes website. According to open-source statistics of the site as of October 13, 2023, it currently ranks 1,142,571 globally, with a country ranking of 12,882 and trending up.
That’s not bad, considering that the brand is still in its infancy. Ten percent of its users, which is the highest percentage, comes from Nigeria; 7.56 percent from Antigua and Barbuda; 2.72 percent from the Maldives; 2.46 percent from the United States; and 2.39 percent from Jersey. Other parts of the world, combined, account for 74.79 percent.
Perhaps a far more relevant statistic would be the demographics of the users of NaijaTimes, especially those who read its editorials. Unfortunately, since I’m not a staff, I’ll need to use a hacker’s ingenuity to reach the backend, a skill that is obviously against the ethos of a better society!
We can argue that traditional newspapers with both hardcopy and online presence appear to stick more to publishing daily editorials as part of their content. Many strictly online news platforms do not dedicate much energy and time to editorial publishing for reasons ranging from mode of operation, a lack of proper editorial board, the virtuality associated with content production, and a lack of commitment. The ones that do, publish editorials at intervals – say, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
Not NaijaTimes!
In 35 months, NaijaTimes published 115 editorials broadly covering nine areas, each of which constitutes a chapter in this book – governance, politics, economy, education, security, health & environment, international affairs/diplomacy, sports and tributes/obituaries.
The major events that define the period covered by this book are: COVID-19, the #EndSARS protests, the 2023 general elections, and the state of the Nigerian economy. And, maybe we should add notable deaths around the world, and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar to the mix?
You don’t have to travel far into the pages of For A Better Society before we are thrown right into one of the most defining moments in our recent history. On Page 4 of the book, the editorial: “End SARS protests: Time to address the hard facts,” published on October 18, 2020, the newspaper draws readers’ attention to perhaps why the massive protests eventually yielded little.
It reads: “While those in the South are in support of a complete disbandment of SARS, those in the North are not; rather, they are calling for a comprehensive reformation of the squad… Of course, this kind of argument is expected in a plural society like ours, but we call for caution so that the differences in approach do not distract from the essence of guaranteeing the rights and privileges of members of the society and saving them from the brutality of security agencies.”
In Chapter Six, four out of the nine editorial publications under the Health and Environment deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. No single event highlighted 2020 like the pandemic, and because NaijaTimes itself was launched just around the peak of it, the newspaper rightly uses it as the peg of its evaluation of the year.
The other editorial “Crisis in APC and PDP: Do Nigerians need an alternative in 2023?”, published on August 15, 2021, captures the exasperation with the two dominant parties, which set the stage for the emergence of Peter Obi of the Labour Party. Obi’s eventual performance as the best third-place finisher in decades in the election was probably a vindication of the newspaper.
One of the most controversial issues in Nigeria’s economy has been the removal of subsidy on petrol announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inauguration speech on May 29, 2023. The newspaper supports the call for subsidy to be removed and for the government to speedily deregulate the oil and gas sector to allow “free but monitored market interactions to determine exploration, exploitation, processing and supply of petroleum products in the country.”
You know the rest of the story: Subsidy is gone! Subsidy is back!
Perhaps it would be useful to talk briefly, at this point, on the use of language. In my experience, apart from their general staleness and lack of authority, one of the other reasons why a number of readers tend to ignore editorials is the use of ponderous language, like the one I have just used – ponderous!
You may say this collection of editorials looks at the government of Tinubu with rose-tinted glasses. But you cannot say its language is ponderous or ambiguous. It adopts clear, straightforward language and examples in making its case for a better society.
Tribute editorials, for which global brands such as the Times of London and The Economist, are well-known appear to be going out of fashion in our province. Chapter Nine, the final chapter of this book, has a rich array of tributes and obituaries not only because many iconic personalities coincidentally died within the time of its compilation, but also because there is the consciousness to document their journey. From JP Clark to Jerry Rawlings, Diego Maradona to Pele and Queen Elizabeth in-between, For A Better Society got them all covered.
Except, of course, for brevity and uniformity of length, the book is a compilation of what an editorial should be. The newspaper set for itself, the lofty goal of seeking a “better Nigeria with strong institutions, respect for the rule of law and defending the public interest.” This is not a three-year goal, never mind one that can be achieved easily in a society where almost everyone is talking, few are listening, and fewer still are doing right.
But let me borrow the words of Singh A. and Singh S. (2006), in their book, What Is A Good Editorial? “A good editorial should express an opinion without being opinionated. It should teach without being pedagogic. It should transform without being evangelical. It should engulf without drowning. It should motivate to action without making you dictatorial. It should enlighten without getting you dogmatic, prejudiced and egotistical.”
This book is a solid reference material for policymakers and those who seek knowledge in various fields or those who simply want to read balanced and informed commentaries about specific topics. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re the old school of Ehi’s variety or a product of the Arab spring!
And when Ehi has made his money, he should not forget to pay tithe to Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, whose newspaper, Champion, has the proprietary right of the mantra, “Towards a better society!”
[OPINION] Nigeria: Drink with Russia, Dance with China, Dine with the United States - Oluwole Onemola
Corruption: Don’t Use Me As Example – Akpabio Tells New EFCC Chair
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has asked the newly-confirmed chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, not to use him as an example in the anti-corruption fight.
He made the statement on Wednesday while confirming him.
Akpabio’s comment, which threw the entire House into laughter, came during the screening of Olukoyede by members of the Senate.
Olukoyede, while making a presentation on investigating a graft case, cited the senate president but suddenly stopped after noticing the mood of the members.
“If we are investigating the Senate President for example…” Olukoyede said, but failed to complete his statement due to the mood of the lawmakers.
Reacting, Akpabio said, “I’m very glad that the nominee wants to use the Senate President as an example. But Mr nominee, leave the Senate President for now; look at this direction (pointing at the seats of opposition lawmakers).”
Subsequently, Olukoyede made his presentation without calling names. He said, “If you are fighting corruption, you become the enemy of everybody.”
Recall that the drama may not be unconnected to the fact that Akpabio is having a case of misappropriation of about N108.1 billion before the EFCC.
There were reports in April 2021 that the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs was detained over alleged attempts to bribe the agency’s former boss, Abdulrasheed Bawa, with a sum of $350,000.
Nigerians are suffering because of bad leadership - Obaseki
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, attributes the current socioeconomic challenges afflicting the nation to the poor leadership decisions made by the country’s leaders.
Obaseki, speaking with journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, highlighted that, in his capacity as an investment banker, he had foreseen the hardships currently faced by Nigerians due to unfavorable economic decisions made by the country’s leaders. He had sounded the alarm about the need for corrective measures, but unfortunately, his warnings were disregarded.
As a governor, Obaseki acknowledges the tough and challenging times that Nigerians are enduring. He encourages Nigerians to remain resilient and not lose hope.
The governor said, “I know as a Governor that we are all going through suffering in the land. I understand how the economy works and saw this ahead of time.
“I have been shouting since I became Governor that the way we are going and the kind of decision many of us politicians were making will bring about hardship.”
He further noted, “Nigeria was never like this before. God in his mercy endowed Nigeria like no other country in the World.
“How many countries in Africa have 100 million people not to talk about 200 million? God designed us as the biggest market in Africa. God gave us all and the problem we are facing as a nation is the one created by us, particularly our leaders.”
“If you are a leader and you are not ready to sacrifice yourself, then you are not ready for leadership.
“Leadership is not how much you can get for yourself. Nigerians are suffering today due to bad leadership. Nigeria is rich in terms of resources and has no business with poverty and suffering. We can grow and produce all we need to consume in Nigeria, so why are we not doing it?” he asked.
Ali Ndume Explains Walkout from Senate Chamber Following Ruling by Akpabio
Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has provided an explanation for his departure from the Senate chamber after Senate President Godswill Akpabio ruled him out of order on Tuesday.
The incident occurred when Ndume invoked a point of order to raise concerns about “procedural errors” within the chamber. Akpabio, however, refused to allow him to complete his speech, stating that the section quoted by Senator Ndume did not match the content of Order 54, which he cited.
Consequently, Akpabio ruled Ndume out of order, leading to the Senator’s departure from the chamber.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Ndume clarified the situation, explaining that it all began when Senator Kawu Sumaila proposed an urgent motion regarding the closure of the border between Nigeria and Niger.
Initially, there was a debate on whether the motion was genuinely urgent. However, the President of the Senate allowed Senator Sumaila to finish his statement. Following the motion presentation, it was agreed that, given its security implications, the discussion should be postponed.
Ndume indicated that he intended to convey the importance of the motion to the Senate at this point. However, Senate President Akpabio denied him the opportunity to speak.
Ndume stated, “I would like to clarify that the motion, although impactful, falls outside the jurisdiction of the Nigerian Senate. The border closure was not initiated by the President of Nigeria but during his tenure as President of ECOWAS. Thus, he has the authority to advocate on our behalf. To address this matter, it is imperative to involve our nation’s President, but I was not afforded the opportunity to convey this message.”
Furthermore, Ndume mentioned that the situation coincided with the prayer time, prompting his departure from the chamber. He conveyed his intention to pray to his deputy before leaving, but his colleagues and the media subsequently misconstrued his departure.
In related news, Senator Elisha Abbo, who the Appeal Court recently ousted, has publicly apologized to Akpabio for previously accusing him of orchestrating his removal from the Senate. Abbo initially claimed that Akpabio targeted him due to his opposition to Akpabio’s bid for Senate President. However, he later retracted his statements, acknowledging that Akpabio was not involved in his Senate exit.