By Sumaila Ogbaje

Awareness Initiative (AI), a civil society group, has commended the current leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria for promoting synergy towards restoring peace and stability in the country.

The group said the enhanced synergy was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the military and other security agencies to work in synergy towards ending the nation’s security challenges.

This is contained in a statement by the Convener of the Group, Adeshida Bankole, on Sunday in Abuja.

The group also expressed optimism that the jointness in dealing with the security threats will remain a constant feature in the AFN.

They said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor,, on assumption of office in 2021, emphasised the importance of collaboration between the military and other security agencies in defeating security threats.

The group said the services had worked harmoniously in tackling the security challenges across the country since 2021.

“Without doubt, the successes recorded across the various theatres of operation can be linked with the enhanced synergy under the present leadership of Gen. Irabor.

“The leadership has drawn a template for cooperation in dealing with the challenges; this falls in line with the current demands of President Tinubu.

“We are very sure this template will be maintained and serve as modus operandi for future operations.

“We also note the successes been recorded by the armed forces in the fight against crude oil theft in the Niger-Delta, this indeed is another area that the president was particular about.”

The group said the military had done well in combating the menace of economic saboteurs in the Niger Delta.

They urged the military to continue to maintain the template on synergy and anti-crude oil operations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Tinubu had during his first meeting with the service chiefs directed them to work together to strengthen the fight against insecurity.

The president also mandated the security agencies to develop a blueprint to deal with the issue of crude oil theft. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Campaign for Democracy (CD), a pro-democracy, civil society and human rights organisation, has backed President Bola Tinubu on the removal of fuel subsidy.

The group made this known in a communique issued by its North Central Executive Committee at the end of its meeting on Friday in Minna, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.

The communique was jointly signed by the Chairman, North Central Zone, Dr Abdullahi Mohammed, and Secretary General, Mr Abdulwahid Adeniran.

They urged the president to restructure the nation’s security architecture to effectively tackle the challenge of insecurity as well as Nigeria as a country.

They said the expectation of Nigerians were high in tandem with the renewed hope principle and focused policy of the administration.

According to the communique, the removal of the fuel subsidy was long overdue and welcome the development for the good of Nigerians.

The group also urged the government to do the needful by putting necessary palliative policy measures and logistics to soften the hardship that might accompany the new paradigm shift among the citizens.

“That there is a need for national task force comprising of the Army, Police, Customs, Navy, Air Force, Civil Defence and non-state actors, civil society, among other stakeholders, to check the arbitrary price increase of the product, stop exploitation of the people by fuel marketers and their collaborators/dealers to tarnish the image of the new administration in the eyes of the public,” they said.

The group also called on stakeholders in the educational sector to come up with solutions to the challenges of 12.3 million out-of-school in Nigeria as a result of insecurity.

They also advocated that the president should give directions to child education through resettlement of IDPs, tackle banditry, poverty, food insecurity and socio- economic challenges confronting the nation.

The group recommended that federal government policy programme implementation be adopted at sub-national state and local governments for the benefit of Nigerians.

According to them, this synergy is key towards collaborative building of the country.

Besides, CD called on Tinubu to restructure the nation’s security architecture for better performance to further curb crimes and criminalities.

They however commended the Armed Forces of Nigeria for taking the battle against insurgency, kidnapping and banditry to the door steps of the criminals.

According to the group, the battle against insecurity is winnable by our gallant military men and officers in the theatre of the war.

They therefore called on all stakeholders to support Tinubu toward physical and economically restructuring of Nigeria for the common interest of all.

The group congratulated the new governor and deputy governor of Niger, advising them to partner with all relevant stakeholders for the peace and development of the state.

“We appeal to the incoming government to take the welfare of civil servants seriously by providing motivational incentives to improve the working conditions of workers and ensure commensurate take home wages and salaries are paid as of when due,” the group urged. (NAN)

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Unique 38 Regular Course Ladies Welfare Association on Saturday, donated two solar-powered borehole to the residents of Ushafa Military Camp in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The association, made up of wives of the members of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) 38 Regular Course executed the project as part of efforts to alleviate the suffering of the residents.

The Chairperson of the association, Mrs Judith Akinjobi, said the group had always sought to make a positive difference and had been relentless in championing numerous causes towards improving the living conditions of others.

Akinjobi said the association had consistently sought improvements in the lots of widows, children, the sick and other vulnerable individuals and groups in the society.

“Today, we are witnessing the inauguration of our latest endeavour, two Solar Powered Borehole Water System.

“This idea was conceived with the understanding of the vital importance of clean, accessible water to the development and well-being of our communities.

“Indeed access to clean water ought not to be a luxury, but a necessity and in fact a fundamental human right.

“I am therefore delighted to see this project come to life, bringing hope and joy to the lives of the barrack residents, specifically Ushafa camp,” she said.

The President, Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Vickie Irabor, commended the women for identifying a gap in barracks and meeting the needs.

Irabor said that military wives had become forces to reckon with, adding that military wives associations were erroneously seen as a group of idle women in the past.

She said that such wrong notions among military officers had been eroded by the life impact projects being undertaken by the associations in barracks communities.

She also appreciated their husbands for the continuous support that they had been giving to their spouses to be able to touch lives, urging the women to show more love to their husbands.

The Commandant, National Defence College (NDC), Rear Adm. Murtala Bashir, said the project was executed out of the desire of the women to add value to humanity and improve the quality of life in the barrack.

Bashir said the borehole would enhance the sanitary condition of the personnel NDC, DHQ and services headquarters accommodated in the camp.

He described the initiative by the unique ladies as commendable, adding that it would touch the lives of all the personnel across the services.

He said that the additional two boreholes to the existing five would ease the challenge of having seamless flow of water because the continuous increase in population.

In his remarks, the President, NDA RC38, Maj.-Gen. Solomon Uduonwa,  commended the women for the actualisation of the project.

Uduonwa reassured them of their support at all time to continue to touch lives.

“We will always support you. You play very critical roles in our lives. We can’t stand without you.

“You hold the home front and more importantly, at this time that we are getting closer and closer to the end of our careers, we rely on you to keep,” he said.

The President, Nigerian Army Officers Wives’ Association (NAOWA), Mrs Salamatu Yahaya and her counterparts from Navy and Air Force commended the efforts of the women.

The NAOWA president personally graced the occasion as NOWA and NAFOWA presidents were represented.

The ladies also used the occasion to unveil their new uniform. (NAN)