By Ramatu Garba

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), command in Kano State has deployed 1,926 personnel for the Jan.16, local government council poll in the state.

Mr Abu Tambuwal, the state NSCDC Commandant said this in a statement by the spokesman of the Corps, ASC Ibrahim Abdullahi,on Thursday in Kano.

Tambuwal said the personnel drawn from various departments,divisions and units of the Corps were deployed to provide adequate security as well as to ensure crowd control in 8,084 polling units, wards and collation centres across the state.

“We will ensure maximum and adequate security for the protection of electoral officials,voting materials as well as the electorate in all the respective polling and collation centres.

” Additionally, the Corps will ensure orderliness at polling and collation centres and unauthorised persons will not be allowed into the centres,” he said.

According to him, NSCDC in collaboration with sister security agencies will take effective control to forestall any threat to law and order before, during and after the election.

He advised miscreants,hoodlums as well as political thugs to desist from disrupting the election.

“Anybody found wanting will be made to face the full wraft of the law,” he said.

The Commandant also enjoined the electorate to observe and adhere with the COVID-19 protocols such as social distancing and the use of facemask during the election.

By Salisu Sani-Idris

Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD) says it will mainstream a society-driven national dialogue for peace, national unity, security and sustainable development.

Amb. Sani Bala, Executive Director of the centre, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Bala said that the centre was desirous of restoring public confidence in the Nigeria State, which concerned Nigerians had argued was heightening the divides in the country.

According to him, the divide is creating widespread demand for dialogue and consensus building on restructuring.

He said that the SCDDD welcome like-minded and willing Civil Society Organisations domiciled and active within the different geopolitical zones and the FCT to join in driving the process of meaningful national dialogue.

“This will lay sound basis for the development of the common grounds for durable peace, national unity, security and sustainable development in Nigeria,’’ he said.

Bala said that the first phase of the dialogues was expected to be from the end of January to April.

He said that the SCDDD and stakeholder CSOs and other groups were expected to commence their deliberations at the zonal levels.

“Although our national challenges are varied and wide spread, the zonal level deliberations will focus on these interrelated thematic areas of unity, security, youth engagement and CSO-Government partnerships across the country,’’ he said.

He said that the role of the CSOs as grassroots monitoring and humanitarian organisations in promoting and advocating for accountability in governance and pushing for the presence of government in all communities were increasingly being recognised.

He said that the United Nations, the African Union and ECOWAS were encouraging communities to do same.

“Hence, there is need for partnership between the CSOs, state and Federal Governments.

“The centre appeals to stakeholders in the six geopolitical zones and the FCT that are supportive of defining the challenges of governance in the country to fully participate in the zonal meetings.

“The zonal meetings will soon be called by their zonal CSOs driving the dialogue,” he said.

According to him, the Savannah Centre strongly encourages the participating stakeholders to make the pragmatic recommendations aimed at proffering lasting solutions to our national challenges.

“At the end of the first three months, Savannah Centre, alongside representatives of the stakeholders on these engagements, shall interface with the Federal Government and zonal governments.

“The meeting will craft positive pathways and supportive sets of activities that can contribute to the success of the needed nation-building process that can guarantee peace, national unity, youth engagement and sustainable development,” he said.

By Femi Ogunshola

Dr Kayode Ajulo, Executive Director, Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA), has urged the Federal Government to mandate public institutions to provide appropriate training for officials on public right to access information.

Ajulo, who made the call at the annual general meeting of EMA on Tuesday in Abuja, said that such training should be in line with the Freedom of information (FOI) Act.

He said that the association had declared 2021 as the year to ensure that transparency, accountability and probity are entrenched in government.

He said that Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) of government should be mandated to provide appropriate training for their officials on public right to access information.

He said that officials should be compelled to provide records held by public institutions, adding that they should also be trained to submit to the Attorney-General of the Federation report containing necessary information.

Ajulo said that in spite of salient and unambiguous provisions of the FOI Act, most public institutions in Nigeria do not often comply with the Act.

The lawyer expressed worry over the failure of some public institutions to make information available to the public even when the Act specifically provided that an application fee may be charged.

According to him, there is a general public interest in promoting transparency, accountability, public understanding and involvement in the democratic process.

“Democracy cannot flourish if governments operate in secrecy,” he said.

He said that the nature and quality of public participation in government would be significantly impoverished without the nourishment of information from public authorities.

“To guarantee freedom of expression without including freedom of information would be a formal exercise, denying both effective expression in practice and a key goal which free expression seeks to serve.

“It is on the backdrop of this that EMA in collaboration with other partners, civil societies organisations, journalists, researchers, academicians and well spirited lawyers declared 2021 as the year of war,” he stated

He added that the battle was against lack of transparency, accountability and probity in the public institutions “and to this cause we are committed.’’

He said that any public institution and public officer who failed to comply with the provisions of the FOI Act should be made to face the wrath of the law.

“We take the liberty to also call on the office of AGF to take the bull by the horn by ensuring that all public institutions adhered strictly to the provisions of FOI Act.’’

He said that Nigerians were entitled to know how their common wealth were being utilised, managed and administered in a democratic setting.

He added that such would positively influence the feeling of belonging in the society adding that EMA would pursue it to its logical conclusion.

By Grace Alegba

The Yoruba Youth Assembly (YYA), an umbrella body of Yoruba youth groups globally, has appealed to Nigerian youths to lead campaigns for protection and preservation of indigenous languages, cultural heritage and identities.

Mr. Olarinde Thomas, president of the group, which has 38 affiliates in Nigeria and the Diaspora, made the call in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

Thomas said that YYA made the appeal during its conferment of award on Mr Taiwo Alli, an industrialist, nationalist and culture ambassador in Lagos.

The YYA president stressed the need for Nigerian youths to re-awaken the African consciousness of the next generation through protection and preservation of the nation’s values, culture and languages.

“As we develop within our democratic dispensation in Nigeria, it is important that the youth be fully involved in the task of societal development and consolidation of the achievements being recorded in our urban sector.

“As youths who are the most active and vital force in the society; we are the most eager to learn and the least conservative in their thinking.

“It is, therefore, of the utmost urgency that a framework be put in place to harness and bring into full play the energy of our youths in the task of transforming our tribe and nation into a truly developing one,” he said.

He commended Alli for being a uniting force understanding the core values and aspirations of the youth and their “quest for unity, peace, prosperity, mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.”

He commended Alli for being a culture ambassador, doing his best to promote the Yoruba values and heritage, describing him as a great nationalist.

Thomas also thanked the recipient of the award for providing leadership in education; IT and property sector and being a role model for youths aspiring for greatness.

The YYA President lamented that the colonial rule introduced western ideologies into governance to whittle down the powers and relevance of the traditional rulers and also made them subservient to the educated elite.

He called for protection of the nation’s rich cultural heritage and, values which were daily being eroded, urging youths to lead the campaign to change the narrative.

On his part, Alli, Chairman/CEO, Clifton Homes, who is also the Managing Director, Twin Tech Services Ltd., thanked the leadership of YYA for counting him worthy to receive the award.

He pledged his continued support for YYA as well as youth empowerment and training in the South West.