Connect with us


BIG STORY

Borno Massacre: Boko Haram Mounts Checkpoints, Collects Levies, Says Senate, Reps Invite Buhari

Published

on

The Senate on Tuesday again asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to sack the service chiefs over their failure to secure Nigerians.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly, which said the security situation had deteriorated to a level, where Boko Haram mounted roadblocks in some parts of Borno State and collected levies from farmers, also asked the President to restructure the country’s security architecture.

Tuesday’s call for the service chiefs’ removal was the third by the Senate. The latest call followed a motion by Senator Kashim Shettima on the recent killing of rice farmers in Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Since Saturday when the Boko Haram insurgents killed no fewer than 43 rice farmers in the state, service chiefs have come under attack by Nigerians, who have demanded their removal.

On Tuesday, the Senate again joined the call for the removal of the service chiefs. The upper chamber of the National Assembly also demanded a probe into the allegations of corruption levelled against some military leaders.

The red chamber also stressed the need to urgently recruit 10,000 personnel into the civilian joint task force because they would know their areas.

Loss of Lives Too Many, Lawan Laments

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who presided over the session, lamented the recent killing.

Lawan said, “It is now important that the executive should implement the latest resolutions because they are not frivolous.

“Enough of excuses. Those who have nothing to offer in terms of securing the country should be shown the way out. The security of Nigerians should take the centre stage. Time has come to find a solution.”

In his contribution, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Opeyemi Bamidele, said if the President should retain the service chiefs, he should retire them and constitute them into a presidential advisory council on security.

In the motion, Shettima noted that if Buhari refused to sack the non-performing service chiefs, it then meant that he had also failed in his responsibilities as commander-in-chief.

“Whatever it is that the present security chiefs are doing, is not working or at least not enough.

“If the President insists that the security chiefs are doing their work well, then the logical implication of such assumption is that the President himself as the constitutional commander-in-chief of the country has failed in his most rudimentary assignment of securing the nation. I hope the latter is not the case.

“Protecting the lives and property of citizens is the primary obligation of government and any government that cannot discharge this basic obligation loses any iota of legitimacy.”

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, who is from Bornu State, Ali Ndume, said the military should justify funds released to it because the soldiers at the war front were poorly kitted.

He said, “Soldiers at the forefront of the operations are sharing ammunition. They are not well kitted. Some of them don’t even have helmets or bulletproof vests.

“They don’t have new AK-47 rifles at the war front. Insurgents have started demanding levies to allow farmers into farms.

“Boko Haram has started mounting roadblocks. If the Federal Government is serious, we could wipe out an insurgency within six months.”

The Senators who contributed at plenary also demanded the return of foreign mercenaries to fight the insurgency.

Ndume said, “In the past, we had intervention in form of mercenaries which we rejected. We should stand up and do what it takes to secure our land.”

The senators also wondered why Buhari did not personally visit Borno State but resolved to send a delegation to commiserate with the beleaguered people

Buhari’s Senator Says President’s Best Not Good Enough

Also at the plenary on Tuesday, the representative of the President in the Senate, Baba Kaita, said Buhari had failed in his responsibility to secure Nigeria.

The Senator, who is representing Katsina North Senatorial District, stated this in his contribution during a debate on the motion moved by Shettima.

He also said the excuses for the poor performances of the military were no longer tenable.

Kaita condemned a statement credited to a presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, describing it as irresponsible.

He stated, “I totally believe the President is doing his own best but then doing your best is not enough when we cannot see the result on the ground and this is what is happening.

“We cannot be mourning our citizens in and out every day. We cannot accept again the explanation coming from the military, every time there is an attack like this.”

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said hiring and firing of service chiefs remained prerogative of Buhari.

He said since their appointments were not tenured, they were free to remain in office once the President is satisfied with their performance.

Shehu said this in an interview with one of our correspondents amidst renewed calls for the sack of the service chiefs that trailed the last weekend’s killing of 43 rice farmers by insurgents in Borno State.

He said, “The answer has not changed. The same call was made during the time of Saraki (former President of the Senate).

“We have replied many times and our response has not changed. Service chiefs’ appointments are prerogatives of the President.

“Their appointments are not tenured, so the President can hire and fire. If the President feels satisfied with their performance, so be it.”

The presidential aide had, on Monday evening before the Senate joined in the call for the sack of the service chiefs, said a similar thing in an interview with Arise TV.

Reps Invite Buhari, Demand Explanation On Rising Insecurity

Also on Tuesday, the House of Representatives invited the President to appear on the floor of the parliament and explain the rising spate of insecurity in the country.

The House, however, did not specify when Buhari would appear.

Members of the Borno State caucus had moved a motion of urgent national importance on the killing of farmers in the state.

The sponsors were Ahmed Satomi; Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno; Zainab Gimba, Muktar Betara, Bukar Gana, Haruna Mshelia, Ahmadu Jaha, Ibrahim Bukar, Usman Zannah and Abdulkadir Rahis.

Part of the prayers was to invite Buhari to appear on the floor of the House and address the lawmakers in plenary.

Efforts by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and Chairman, House Committee on Air Force, Shehu Koko, among others, to have the prayer dropped proved abortive, as the lawmakers were sharply divided.

Gbajabiamila’s plea that a state of emergency is adopted instead was also rebuffed.

Some members, who were visibly angered by the move to change the prayer, chorused “no” each time the Speaker and other leaders attempted to pacify them.

The Speaker was forced to ask the lawmakers to have an executive (closed-door) session.

Trouble began on Tuesday when Santomi presented the motion but excluded the prayer urging the House to invite Buhari.

Instead, the lawmaker asked for a declaration of a state of emergency on the insecurity in the country.

Jaha, who is one of the co-sponsors, however, raised a point of order to fault Santomi for excluding the prayer to invite the President.

The lawmaker stated that the lawmakers were not representing themselves in the parliament but their constituents.

Jaha insisted that the prayer to invite Buhari should be included. Gbajabiamila, however, pleaded with Jaha to withdraw the prayer due to the nature of the security issues.

Ado-Doguwa said though he was in support of the motion, it would be out of place to invite the President to come to House to explain the security situation in the country.

While Koko said the leadership of the House should, instead, interface with the President, lawmakers in support of the invitation shouted him down, screaming, “No!”

The Speaker, who was surprised by the outbursts, said, “I am a little disappointed by these shouting downs. So, we are going to dissolve into the executive session to resolve this issue.”

Emerging from the closed-door session that lasted about 45 minutes, Gbajabiamila asked Jaha to make an amendment to the motion. Jaha prayed the House to invite the President as proposed in the original motion.

Earlier in his opening address, the Speaker said the Federal Government or the military could not claim to have reclaimed territories occupied by insurgents if indigenes of the communities could not live and work in the areas.

BIG STORY

National Assembly Passes Life Imprisonment Bill For Nigerian Drug Traffickers

Published

on

In a bid to tackle drug-related crimes, the National Assembly has amended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, introducing life imprisonment for drug offenders and traffickers.

This comes after the Senate and House of Representatives adopted the harmonised report on the amendment.

Senator Tahir Monguno, Chairman of the Senate Conference Committee, presented the report, highlighting that the amendment introduces stricter penalties to deter drug-related crimes.

“Any person who unlawfully engages in the storage, custody, movement, carriage or concealment of dangerous drugs or controlled substances and, while doing so, is armed with an offensive weapon or disguised in any manner, commits an offence under this Act and is liable, upon conviction, to life imprisonment,” Monguno said.

The Senate approved the amendment through a voice vote during Thursday’s plenary, which was presided over by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.

In addition, the Senate passed the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission Bill, 2024, aimed at replacing the 2004 RMAFC Act. Yahaya Abdullahi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs, stressed the need for the commission’s reform, citing Nigeria’s declining revenue and increasing population.

“The Act, last revised over 20 years ago, no longer reflects Nigeria’s evolving economic realities. This bill proposes additional funding and a restructured operational framework for the commission to improve its efficiency,” Abdullahi explained.

He further emphasised the need for adequate funding from the Federation Account for the RMAFC to effectively carry out its constitutional duties.

The bill, passed after deliberations and a majority vote, now awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent to become law.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

UPDATE: We’re Ready To Provide Evidence For Trial Of Simon Ekpa — Enugu Government

Published

on

The Enugu State Government has expressed its readiness and willingness to provide evidence to assist in the prosecution of Simon Ekpa, who was arrested in Finland on Thursday over allegations of sponsoring terrorism in Nigeria.

Enugu State Government made this offer in a statement released by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, on Friday.

In the statement, the Enugu State Government also commended the Government of the Republic of Finland for the arrest of Ekpa, whom it described as “the Finland-based leader of the criminal gang, Autopilots.”

The Enugu State Government further referred to Simon Ekpa as “a common criminal, con man, and terrorist, who has no interest of Igbo people at heart.”

It added that Ekpa “is a murderer and fraudster, who delights in killing his people and living large off their misery.”

“Enugu State was ready and willing to provide evidence of Ekpa-sponsored atrocities against Ndigbo to aid his trial and conviction, whether in Finland or Nigeria.”

“The Enugu State Government welcomes the arrest of the Finland-based terrorist, Simon Ekpa.”

“His arrest and trial will no doubt go a long way in strengthening peace, security, and stability in all parts of the South East.”

“This arrest is in line with the demand of Governor Peter Mbah Administration, which has repeatedly made it known that Ekpa is a megalomaniac, common criminal, murderer, and fraudster, who takes joy in feeding fat on the manipulated emotions of Ndigbo and inflicting misery on the South East region.”

“Ekpa has for long, and unfortunately from Finland, made a living by creating a siege climate and mentality in the South East, destroying lives, property, and the Igbo trademark of entrepreneurship and hard work.”

“He thrives on manipulating, exploiting, and extorting the people on the pretext of fighting for their interest and for the restoration of Biafra,” the government said.

Ekpa was arrested and detained alongside four other suspects by the government of Finland on charges of sponsoring terrorism in Nigeria, according to local newspapers in the European country.

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Much Ado About Meddlesome Minions, And Messengers Of Misinformation — By Tayo Williams

Published

on

There is a growing phalanx of pseudo-intellectuals parading the social media space with faux and fictitious knowledge of the indigenous oil and gas industry, and it is scary because of the grave danger they portend and present for the average Nigerian.

From X (formerly known as Twitter) to Facebook and even the photos and videos-sharing site, Instagram, they abound, in their inglorious number, lending their platforms to deliberately distort facts and spread misinformation especially to favour the narratives propounded by popular Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote, owner of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

Since the refinery began operations earlier in the year, it has been one week, one controversy allegedly orchestrated by Dangote in a brazen attempt to arm-twist the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, into playing by his rules.

Those conversant with the modus operandi of Dangote and his refinery say the long-drawn warfare with every institution and individual in the oil and gas value chain is nothing but a self-seeking and mindless profit maximisation tactic.

Whilst nobody begrudges Dangote’s drive for profit as a businessman, perhaps he needs to be reminded that the NNPC has a mandate to ensure and provide energy security in a way that is affordable and sustainable for the generality of Nigerians. And, the NNPCL management has declared in very unambiguous terms that it would not pander to the din of the market whether orchestrated by Dangote, his rampaging minions or anyone else.

The truth, however, is that there is an increasing army of vacuous, vicious, and vile individuals strutting the social media space defending and propagating outright and outlandish falsehoods. Of particular concern is one Kelvin Emmanuel who has become the unofficial mouthpiece of the Dangote Refinery. Going from one media house to the other, he pulls figures out of the air and projects obnoxious untruths on hapless Nigerians. With the backing of his paymaster’s billions, it is no surprise that this otherwise irrelevant and fatuous character now commands appearances on major television stations.

But it is on X that he has made lying glibly and gratuitously the Holy Grail. He once premised Dangote’s inability to secure feedstock for his refinery on the government and the NNPCL. While peddling this untruth, he conveniently forgets that the refinery had a seven-year window, during its construction phase, to lock in feedstock supplies that could last a minimum of five years. Dangote did none of that. As it would later unfold, his game plan, which Emmanuel glossed over, was to monopolise equity oil and production quotas to serve his business interests.

Another deliberate misinformation from the Dangote camp was the allegation that International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other industry players were trying to sabotage his interests. Apart from being an investor in the Dangote Refinery, the NNPC still supplies gas to various Dangote companies across Nigeria. How can anyone or any institution jeopardise their investment? What further proof of faith does Dangote and his minions need to know that the NNPC is their cheerleader, and is here to make operating in the industry seamless and a win-win for all?

Echoing Dangote’s baseless stance, Emmanuel also called for the sack of Mr. Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), regulators of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream value chain. By Emmanuel’s warped reckoning, Ahmed had no locus to speak against Dangote or his enterprise because the latter questioned the quality of the product from Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in comparison with imported ones. Of course, Emmanuel’s was a lone voice in the wilderness because those who understand the invaluable role that the NMDPRA plays in the industry did not as much as dignify his tirade with a glance.

In a robust response to Emmanuel’s groundswell of egregious lies, Ibrahim Y. Kabo, a petroleum engineer based in Abuja, described him as “Someone who has not seen the inside of a refinery before Dangote built one, let alone understood the mechanism of the energy industry, …(yet) assuming the role of an authority in oil and gas matters.”

He went further to lampoon Emmanuel for stating that only Dangote Refinery’s products meet specifications while others are all sub-standard. “The obvious question is: whose specifications? For a refinery that has barely made four of seven pre-inauguration certifications, it sounds somehow laughable to suddenly assume the role of regulator in an industry you’ve barely entered,” Kabo said.

In the article, entitled, “The Hand of Aliko, the Voice of Kelvin: Inside Dangote Refinery’s Media Stunt Lab”, Kabo declared that from all Emmanuel’s interviews and pretensions to be an industry expert, one thing is obvious: “He lacks an understanding of both the mandate and the reach of NNPC as a national oil company.”

Kabo adds that, “Downstream is the least of NNPC’s business interests. The mandate, as per PIA (Petroleum Industry Act), is to facilitate both the extraction and commercialization of Nigeria’s oil and gas resources. 20 billion dollars may be a lot, but NNPC and industry regulators routinely handle projects of that magnitude. At best, Dangote and (Emmanuel’s) ranting are an irritation. I believe that’s why NNPC openly declared it was not interested in being Dangote’s off-taker.”

Like the Yoruba saying goes, derision does not stop the sweetness of the honey. The meddlesome minions and messengers of misinformation can continue dancing naked in the marketplace, but what is most important is that the NNPCL has assured that it will not cease doing everything in its capacity “to harness the possibilities of oil and gas, address energy demand and drive the national economy, and become the number one oil producer and supplier in Africa.”

 

Tayo Williams is a Lagos-based media executive

Continue Reading



 

Join Us On Facebook

Most Popular