NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
General News

NGO engages journalists on strategic communications in North-West

46 total views today

By Muhammad Nasir

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) International Alert has engaged Journalists on strategic communications toward restoring peace and stability in the North-West region of Nigeria.

The two-day Media and Strategic Communications (STRATCOMS) workshop, in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to Sokoto State Government (SSG) commenced on Monday with participants from Sokoto, Zamfara and Kaduna States.

Addressing the participants at the opening ceremony in Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sifawa, the SSG, acknowledged the adoption of both kinetic and non kinetic approaches to resolve conflicts consuming lives and property in the region.

“The politicians, security agencies and the public should continue to maintain the narrative of approaching conflicts through reconciliation rather than radical approaches.

“This system will enable sustainability in peace and stability in our region in particular and the country in general,” he said.

Sifawa also lamented the negative impact of banditry on farming communities across the North- West especially in Sokoto State.

“Though the military action towards restoring peace is yielding result, but there is the need to consider both kinetic and non kinetic approaches to peace building effort in Nigeria.,” he added.

The SSG further said that the administration of Gov. Ahmad Aliyu wass committed to ending the raging insecurity bedeviling some parts of the state.

“This is physically seen in its contribution in terms of logistics and mobility support to security agencies in the state,” the governor said.

Sifawa dias that the governor was also committed to ending poverty and other challenges that were contributing to the security situation in the country.

On his part, Mr Paul Nyulaku-Bemshima, Country Director, International Alert, stated that the decision to perpetrate violence or defect from it begins in the mind.

“This largely depends on what narratives a person is exposed to, and how vulnerable or receptive they are to it

“However, the key question is: Where is the real battlefield, are we focused on winning the battle or winning the war?

“Why do youths choose to join? How best can those who have been associated be brought back to civilian life and how communities be made to work together in promoting peace.

“Therefore, while military forces deal with the physical threats; efforts must be made to reinforce narratives that promote defection, rehabilitation and social cohesion,” he said.

The country directoe said that the event was aimed at increasing public awareness on the role of the media in promoting positive messaging and reducing harmful cultural norms.

“This workshop will provide the opportunity for key actors to generate alternative narratives, key messages, identify targets, and appropriate channels for achieving behavioural change outcomes.

“The efforts entail promoting policies and actions that aim to prevent populations from committing or supporting violence that is justified using Ideology,” he added.

Nyulaku-Bemshima said the workshop would also address the root causes, prevent recruitment and radicalisation and narratives that fuel violence and instability. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

Economy/Business

Tincan Port fencing will enforce automated access control gate usage – Bello-Koko

51 total views today

 

By Chiazo Ogbolu

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Friday said that the concrete fencing of Tincan Port would help enforce the usage of the automated access control gate.

Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, Managing Director, NPA, said this during a tour of the Tincan Port in Lagos, to ascertain the level of execution of contract awarded.

Bello-Koko noted that the tour was to look at operations at the port to see what had been achieved so far, especially in terms of improving sanity and ensuring that only people that should be in the port have access.

“We can see that Tincan has now been fenced, using concrete walls from the outside. The essence is to secure the port, not just because of safety, but also to restrict entrance.

“There are individuals that just wake up in the morning and want to come into the port with no business in the port.

“By reducing the number of persons, by restricting entry into the port, we are ensuring that we reduce pilfering and theft, reduce thugs and miscreants into the port.

“Then, it will create an enabling business environment within the port location as referred by the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code,” he said.

He noted that fencing of Tincan Port would ensure individuals who had no business in the ports are kept out, adding that the use of automated access control gate would be enforced.

Bello-Koko said he was impressed to see fewer people at the port unlike how it was in the past.

The managing director said, “we will keep enforcing and restricting entry into the port to only those that have businesses in the port”.

The NPA boss noted that as regards safeguarding the waterside, what they had done was to increase patrol.

He said that NPA had purchased security patrol boat for the waterside and working with the Nigerian Navy, within the ports in Lagos, to increase their own patrol.

“We are working with the Nigerian Navy Ship(NNS), Beecroft and there are parts of the port along the waterway that we felt should also be fenced, but we are looking at the best option due to the soft nature of the ground.

“So, if we can’t fence the waterfront what we should do is patrol it, restrict access into the port from the waterside using the patrol boats and surveillance.

“Our security men are up to the task and we will keep giving them all the tools that they need to improve their communication. We will keep improving it and we will buy more patrol boats to ensure the waterfront is also secured,” he said.

As regards residence in little island across the channel around Ogogoro, Tomato island and others on security, Bello-Koko said that the authority was engaging the communities on the efforts in cleaning up the area.

“We are engaging them through community and stakeholders interactions. We are also working with the Lagos State Government, we once had the 360 degree operation, which first of all went round to remove all shanties along the port corridor.

“We went to those islands to ensure residents that do not need to be there, were removed,” he said.

He added that the authority was waiting for the elections to be over and at the right time working with the Lagos State Government and the communities to ensure that the operations takes place, again.

He added that the rehabilitation of internal roads in the nation’s ports was ongoing and was aimed at reducing the complaints of users of the ports.

“People are complaining of the roads leading to the port, which is the responsibilities of the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Works.

“We felt we should ensure that the roads within the port are in good state and thus, the ongoing rehabilitation.

“It has started raining in Lagos and we came to look at the level of execution of the contract we awarded,” he said.

He said that the contractor, Avalon Intercontinental Nigerian Ltd., assured him that the section of the contract of the roads would be concluded in two-weeks time.

He noted that the authority would ensure that it was done as the location had issue of flooding.

“They have created drainage outlets into the main creek, the portnovo creek, to ensure evacuation of water.

“We are doing it at other port locations in the country. We are doing that in Onne, Calabar and also Rivers Port, just to ensure that roads within the ports are in a very good state,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

============

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

 

Economy/Business

Supreme Court orders old N200, N500, N1,000 notes to remain legal tender

38 total views today

By Ebere Agozie

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Federal Government to allow the old Naira notes to continue as legal tender until Dec. 31, 2023.

Justice Emmanuel Agim, who read the lead judgment, held that the preliminary objections by the Attorney General of the Federation, Bayelsa and Edo are dismissed as the court has the jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Citing Section 23(2)1 of the constitution, the court held that the dispute between the Federal Government and states must involve law or facts.

The Apex Court declared the federal government’s economic Policy of Cashless and Naira Re-designing as an affront to the 1999 Constitution.

The court held that President Muhammadu Buhari breached the Constitution of the Federation in the ways and manners he issued directives for the re-designing of the Naira by the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN.

Justice Agim held that the President acted Ulta vires by his glaring failure to consult with the National Council of States, Federal Executive Council FEC and the National Economic Council NEC before directing the Central Bank of Nigeria to unlawfully introduce new Naira notes.

He held that the unconstitutional use of powers by Buhari on Naira Re-designing has breached the fundermental rights of the Nigerian citizens in various ways.
The apex court said such use of powers by President Buhari is not permitted under democracy and in a plural society like the Nigerian nation.

Among others, the court held that unlawful use of executive powers by the President inflicted unprecedented economic hardship on the citizens by denying them ownership of their monies and access to the money.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kaduna, Kogi, Zamfara had filed the suit but Rivers, Kano, Niger, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Ondo, Ekiti, Katsina, Ogun, Cross River, Lagos, and Sokoto states were among the first batch to be joined as co-plaintiffs, while Edo and Bayelsa states joined the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) as defendants.

Specifically, the states are seeking to restrain the federal government from giving effect to the deadline on the use of old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes.

On Feb. 8, the supreme court restrained the CBN from giving effect to the deadline following an ex parte application brought by the three states. (NAN)

=====

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

 

Economy/Business

Expert commends Supreme Court decision on Naira swap

47 total views today

 

By Kadiri Abdulrahman

A financial expert, Mr Okechukwu Unegbu, has commended the Supreme Court for legalising the usage of the old Naira notes along with the new ones.

Unegbu, a past president of the Chattered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

He said that the Naira redesign policy had inflicted avoidable pain on Nigerians.

NAN reports that the Supreme Court invalidated the new naira design policy initiated by the Federal Government on the grounds that it was not done with due consultation and in line with constitutional provisions.

The apex court, thus, ordered that the old Naira notes should continue to be used side by side with the new naira notes until Dec. 31.

The court held that the three months timeline was also not in tune with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act.

It argued that President Muhammadu Buhari usurped the powers of the CBN when he issued the directive banning the old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes from February 10.

Unegbu, also a lawyer, said that the apex court’s judgement had nullified the actions of the CBN as regards the Naira redesign project.

He urged the CBN to immediately take steps to release the over two trillion Naira of the old currency it had mopped up through the deposit money banks.

“In other words, the currency should revert to what it was before, and every other person, including the President and members of the National Assembly should comply.

“For me, it is a good decision because people have suffered. Many people could not buy foods and medicines.

“The apex bank said it had mopped up over two trillion Naira of the old currency, they should bring out that money through the banking system so that people can get money to move ahead and do their businesses,” he said.

Unegbu advised the CBN to execute the cashless policy in phases to avoid inflcting such pain on Nigerians, especially the rural dwellers.

“There is no problem with the cashless policy but because of the state of the economy and the level of illiteracy, the CBN should have started implementation in phases.

“Cashless policy should start from urban and commercial centres like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano before moving to the rural communities.

“You cannot make such a blanket decision in the Nigerian system because of the way we are. The shortage of cash is worse in rural communities, where some people have never even sighted the new notes,” Unegbu said.

He urged the CBN to go back to the drawing board and design a more effective and less cumbersome implementation of cashless policy and financial inclusion initiative.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

========
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Politics

Results Collation: Yiaga Africa tasks INEC on transparency

61 total views today

 

By Angela Atabo

Yiaga Africa has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to protect the transparency of the result collation process by ensuring easy access to the collation centres for accredited observers and party agents.

Yiaga Africa said this at its Watching The Vote (WTV)’s Situational Press Statement on the Saturday’s Presidential Election jointly signed by Hussaini Abdu, Chairman, WTV Working Group and Samson Itodo, Executive Director.

Reading the document, Abdu called on INEC to provide clear communication on locations where the General Election did not hold and ensure the process was concluded in those locations before returns were made.

“Yiaga Africa expressed concerns about the unexplained delay in uploading polling unit results for the presidential election on the INEC Election Results Viewing Portal (IReV).

“As of 10 p.m, on election day, results for the presidential election were not uploaded on the INEC portal after voting and counting ended in several polling units.

“At 9:00 am on Feb. 26 ,INEC uploaded only 25,503 results for the presidential election on the INEC portal.

“The delay in uploading the results undermines public confidence in the results transmission process as it deviates from the guidelines for the elections and it failed to meet citizens expectations,” he said.

Abdu said that the failure of the IReV system, intended to enhance transparency, undermined public confidence in the process.

He said INEC should make publicly available all the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS ) accreditation data by polling unit, including the number of voters accredited by finger vs facial recognition.

He called on INEC to also protect the transparency of the result collation process by ensuring accredited observers and party agents were granted access to the collation centers.

Abdu called on INEC to strictly adhere to the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act and INEC regulations and guidelines on the collation of results.

“As provided in Section 64 of the Act, collation officers and returning officers are required to compare the number of accredited voters and election results recorded on the hardcopy result sheet and scanned images on the BVAS.

“Yiaga Africa calls on INEC and security to ensure proper security for citizens especially the polling officials and collation officials as results collation progresses as INEC commences the announcement of results to ensure that no life is further lost in this elections,” he said.

Abdu said that Yiaga Africa deployed 3,836 observers throughout the country including 3,014 parallel vote tabulation (PVT) observers for the General Elections.

He said that the PVT methodology was also deployed to enable Yiaga Africa to independently assess the quality of the process and verify the accuracy of the official presidential election results announced by INEC.

“At this time, Yiaga Africa is able to provide preliminary statistically accurate data on the conduct of the election as of Feb.25 – from the opening of polling units through accreditation, voting and counting until the posting of results.

“If INEC’s results fall within Yiaga Africa’s estimated ranges, then the public, political parties and candidates should have confidence the official results reflect the ballots cast at the polling units.

“However, if the official results are manipulated at any point in the process we will be able to expose it, although only INEC has the legal mandate to announce the election results,” he said. (NAN)(nannews.ng)
ATAB/ABI

Edited by Ali Baba-Inuwa

 

 

Economy/Business

Experts outline ways of tackling rising inflation

54 total views today

 

By Simon Akoje

Financial experts have urged the Federal Government to tackle the challenges in domestic production and food insecurity to check the country’s rising inflation.

They said this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

Mr Sunny Nwosu, the founder of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, said the authorities should tackle food insecurity spurring inflation.

“The Federal Government should address food insecurity by building more strategic grain reserves and fixing the moribund ones in the country.

“This will ensure that more food produced will be absorbed to our national silos in order to ensure food self-sufficiency,” he said.

Nwosu noted that the Federal Government needed to enhance the security situation in many farming communities.

“Addressing many of the communal crises is imperative to encourage more people to return to farms.

“This will improve our food output and resolve the food-driven inflation,” Nwosu said.

Also speaking, Dr Uju Ogubunka, former Executive Secretary, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), said that dealing with the headwinds impeding production would curb inflation.

“Issues such as uninterrupted electricity supply should be made more available for local manufacturers to ensure they operate at optimal level.

“This will enable them produce substituted imported commodities and enhance their domestic capacity in the process,” Ogubunka said.

He said that the Federal Government should put an end to the unavailability of refined petroleum products because it was responsible for the inflationary rise.

“The sudden increase in the price of petrol and its associated product is driving the cost of transportation in recent times which is passed down to the final consumer through increases of goods and services,” Ogubunka said.

Mr Boniface Okezie, the President Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, said the apex bank should unify the foreign exchange market.

“The current multiple foreign exchange rate operated in Nigeria is quite detrimental to genuine businesses.

“The multiple window gives room for arbitrage in the market and deprive businesses the ability to access the foreign exchange genuinely,” Okezie said.

He noted that the apex bank ways and means advances in the economy contributed to the increase in inflation rate.

“About N20 trillion have been injected to fund the Federal Government deficit finances over the years and this is detrimental to the economy because the apex bank has surpassed its expected threshold,” Okezie stated.

NAN reports that Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 21.82 per cent in January from 21.34 per cent in December.

However, the inflation rate dropped for the first time in 11 months in December but it picked up again in January.

Food-price inflation, which accounts for agricultural products, increased to 24.32 per cent in January from 23.75 per cent in December. (NAN)

========
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Economy/Business

CTN: Introduction should be without extra cost on shippers- operator

57 total views today

 

By Chiazo Ogbolu

A shipper, Mr Jonathan Nicole, has urged government through the Nigerian Shippers’ Councill (NSC) to ensure no cost effect on shippers while implementing the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN).

Nicole made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

According to Nicole, the Cargo Tracking Note, directly related to shippers, is a document like the Bill of Lading of a vessel that shows the details of what is declared and acts like a cargo manifest with complete details of what the importer is shipping.

He added that it shows quality, quantity and costs and could actually replace so many other shipping documents that it would render worthless, such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP).

Nicole noted that the only difference with the CTN was the financial implication.

He noted that in the early 80s, the cargo tracking note was one of the document that they had from shippers council as part of document for clearing but it was free.

“We are one of the supporters of the note because we were fed up with the under declaration and customs queries and others.

“We pushed it and supported NSC and when the shippers council said that the fee will be paid by the shipping lines, we were happy.

“Initially, it is the shipping lines that should pay for the issuance of the CTN documents from the excess fees paid by shippers during shipments.

“For instance, if the freight forwarders charges far and above transport of the cargo from the manufacturer to the ship. The excess fee is what the council is asking as refund. That’s sums up the CTN charges,” he said.

Nicole added that the council did not consider the shippers to give a percentage so that they could run their own business seamlessly but paid everything into a fund.

“We are saying that they should take it easy in introducing the cargo tracking note, so that it does not add to the cost of doing business in the port,” he said.

He said like the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) charges, which fee ought to have been paid by shipping lines, they would pay 0.1 per cent fees to help develop shipping in two regions.

“ They started in 2006, they only paid their fees for one year. At the end of the day, the bill was pushed to the shippers and we were paying hundred of billions of naira.

“Where is the MOWCA fee for the development of shipping, if you add that money to the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), we will not be talking about no money to fund our vessels at all.

“These are the problems that need to be addressed, we are not against government, we are trying to see how we can help government to do it right. And ones we are able to do it right, everything will fall in place,” he said.

He urged government not to only look at how much they would bring, but should consider how well it would work with the general public.

“The concept is good in a sane society. Why is it that when we introduce new system, it creates problems for people,” he queried.

NAN reports that on Feb. 15, the Federal Executive Council approved the installation of Electronic Cargo Tracking Notes for seaports nationwide.

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, said the scheme will tackle several challenges, such as the under-declaration, concealment and wrong classification of important cargo.

These, he said, were the primary causes of revenue leakages, insecurity and safety issues at the borders.

Sambo said the scheme, which is already operational in 26 African countries, would plug revenue leaks and expected to generate between 90 million dollars -235 million dollars annually for the federal government. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

============

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

General News

Arbitrary charges, tariffs don’t rest on shipping lines – association

63 total views today

By Chiazo Ogbolu

The Shipping Lines Association of Nigeria (SAN) says that the arbitrary charges and tariffs, making the port expensive, are not from the shipping lines.

The Chairman of the association, Mrs Boma Alabi (SAN), in a news conference, in Lagos on Wednesday, noted that the charges were government income.

Alabi said that government agencies were given targets and that was an indirect taxation which impacts negatively on export and made the goods less competitive at the international market.

“Our ports are revenue driven, government agencies have targets which they bring in for the government, this is not the most sufficient way to run the port.

“Inefficiency, high charges does not rest with the shipping line. We collect the charges and pass it on to whoever it is that puts the regulations in place.

“There are so many agencies operating in the port and we have to obey whatever regulations that they put in place.

“Freight charges are not country specific, it is decided based on central issues with vessels and no shipping line targets Nigeria. That is not the commercial way of thinking,” she said.

She noted that some of the challenges members faced were experienced in other industries, and there was need to ensure the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

According to her, government has recognised this and its a work in progress.

Alabi said that members had serious issues with their containers which were stacked at Ijora for years.

“These containers are valuable assets which they want to get back and they are just sitting there.

“We want the containers to be brought back, so why should we now hold the container deposit when they are brought back?

“Compare the cost of a container to the container deposit made, you will understand that it’s in our interest to make sure the containers are brought back,” she said.

She noted that it was not the job of shipping lines to build container holding bays, as their job was to move containers from point A to point B.

“An inefficiency have been created at the port and shipping lines are asked to work around the inefficiency to make it efficient. How is holding bays going to help make the shipping more efficient.

“Why do we need the holding bay in the first place, are there holding bays in other countries, there are none. This is because the system is efficient, you turn around your containers in hours.

“Go to Singapore, these same vessels go there and they drop containers there. They are in and out 24 hours, you come to our ports, you have not finished till one week and then we are told to build a holding bay to hold the inefficiency,” she said.

She said that the inefficiency in the port was costing shipping lines, costing the exporters and even the importers.

As regard the Nigerian Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) ultimatum on strike, Alabi said that they are partners, stakeholders in the industry, adding that their interest are the same.

“We want an efficient and profitable business, so that people will be paid well and get a good standard of living. Our workers here are not treated differently from our workers elsewhere, that I can assure you.

“ Same global standards apply to our workers here. I have been involved with negotiations with unions in other industries and what I have found is that there are resistance to change where change can be for the better interest.

“But we are talking with the union and its not in the interest of anybody to have a strike at this time. We are going to make sure that the strike does not happen,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SAN is an organisation made up of the largest and oldest shipping lines in the world, who operate here in Nigeria.

Some of these companies are nearly 200 years old and they came together on a voluntary basis to form the association.

What they mostly do is containerise movement of goods both in and out of Nigeria.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==========

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

Economy/Business

Naira redesign: Supreme Court to deliver judgment March 3

42 total views today

By Ebere Agozie

The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed March 3 for judgment in the suits filled by some State Governors against the Federal Government over the cashless policy by the CBN in old Naira note withdrawal.

Justice Inyang Okoro, who led the seven-member panel of justices, fixed the date after taking arguments from parties involved in the suits.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 16 states have so far filed the suit are against the federal government over the cashless policy.

All the states in their respective motions pitched their tents with the three aggrieved states namely Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara that initially ignited the legal battle.

All the states in their respective motions pitched their tents with the three aggrieved states that initially ignited the legal battle.

The 16 states are: Kaduna, Kogi, Zamfara, Ondo, Ekiti, Katsina, Ogun, Cross River, Lagos, Sokoto, Rivers, Kano, Nasarawa, Abia, Jigawa and Niger

While Edo and Bayelsa had pitched their tents with the federal government.

Edo and Bayelsa counsel had told the panel that they were in support of the cashless policy regime and sought to be joined as respondents.

The Supreme Court had temporarily stopped the withdrawal of old Naira Notes from Feb. 10 across the nation.

A seven-member panel led by Justice John Okoro, halted the move in a ruling in an exparte application brought by three northern states of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara.

The three states had specifically applied for an order of Interim Injunction restraining “the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or the commercial banks from suspending or determining or ending on Feb. 10, the time frame with which the now older version of the 200, 500 and 1,000 denomination of the naira may no longer be legal tender pending the hearing and determination of their motion on notice for interlocutory injunction”.

Delivering ruling in that motion, Okoro, held that after a careful consideration of the motion exparte this application is granted as prayed.

“An order of Interim Injunction restraining the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or the commercial banks from suspending or determining or ending on Feb. 10,, the time frame with which the now older version of the 200, 500 and 1,000 denomination of the naira may no longer be legal tender pending the hearing and determination of their motion on notice for interlocutory injunction”.

Moving the application on Wednesday, counsel to the applicants, Mr A. I. Mustapha, SAN, urged the apex court to grant the application in the interest of justice and the well-being of Nigeria.

He stated that the policy of the government has led to an “excruciating situation that is almost leading to anarchy in the land “.

While he referred to a Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) statistics which put the number of people who don’t have bank accounts at over 60 percent, Mustapha lamented that the few Nigerians with bank accounts can’t even access their monies from the bank as a result of the policy.

The senior lawyer further argued that unless the Supreme Court intervenes the situation will lead to anarchy because most banks are already closing operations. (NAN)

======
Edited by Sadiya Hamza

Politics

Feb 25 Polls: CP tasks personnel on neutrality

50 total views today

 

By Muhammad Lawal

Mr Ahmed Magaji-Kontagora, the Commissioner of Police in Kebbi State, has tasked police personnel of the command to remain neutral while discharging their duty during the forthcoming general elections.
Magaji-Kontagora gave the task while interacting with newsmen at the Police Command Headquarters in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.
He observed that the task became imperative because of the important role the police played toward providing security of lives and property before, during and after any election across the country.
“With reference to the 2023 general elections, the police, as the lead security agency in the election security processes, have the statutory obligation to ensure the maintenance of security, law and order, with the active support of other relevant security agencies.
“To achieve this, the Kebbi State Police Command under my watch, has been organising workshops, seminars and conferences bothering on electoral laws/human rights violation, civility to members of the public, crowd control as well as arrest of electoral offenders,” he said.
The essence, he said, was to refresh the memories of its personnel and to acquaint them with the best international policing standard.
“In the same vein, the command has always been warning its personnel to be neutral and apolitical while discharging their duties during the general elections,” he noted.
The CP reminded them that severe disciplinary measures awaited any erring police officer before, during and after the electioneering period.
According to him, threat analysis has also been conducted, whereby all the trouble areas in the state has been identified and the police tactical teams and other security agencies will be deployed in those areas to forestall any unforeseen circumstances.
He assured that the police would maintain an oath of neutrality in accordance with the Electoral Act, adding that the police would always be more careful during electoral security deployments, exhibit a high degree of professionalism and fairness in their dealings with all parties.
The CP advised political parties and their candidates to publicly declare their firm commitment to abiding by the verdict of the polls, saying “to accomplish this, political parties must know that they have a primary role in educating their supporters to promote peace, dialogue and consensus.
“In the light of this, I commend civil society, religious and traditional leaders for their important roles in this national assignment.”
Magaji-Kontagora noted that the police would always be more careful during electoral security deployments and exhibit a high degree of professionalism and fairness in their dealings with all parties.

“In view of this, all security agencies are also expected to adopt a professional orientation that encompasses democratic values, respect for human rights and dignity, while being mindful of the duty imposed on us by the law to protect all electorate against illegal acts and dispense our duties without discrimination.

“In view of the forgoing, the Kebbi State Police Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, hereby advise against the use of youths for any form of violence and thuggery that will truncate the electoral process as this will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly,” the CP assured. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman
=======

X
Welcome to NAN
Need help? Choose an option below and let me be your assistant.
Email SubscriptionSite SearchSend Us Email