By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Civil Society Networks across the country has called on the government to employ community policing and the use of technology in the fight against banditry, insurgency and kidnapping.

The Chairman, North-East CSO Network, Amb. Ahmed Shehu, made the call in a Communique issued at the CSOs  media engagement on the State of the Nation on Friday in Abuja.

Shehu said the CSO Networks across the country had expressed serious concerns about the state of the nation and scale of insecurity in some part the region ranging from economic hardship insurgency, kidnapping and youth restiveness that had become too common.

He said the CSO had  identified the need to promote a common understanding of the genesis and current state of the unfortunate developments, which had overwhelming implications on the lives and safety of citizens and overheated the nation’s polity, dividing Nigerians along those lines.

According to him, the recommendations were made after a robust discussion on the role of citizens on complimenting the effort of the government and other stakeholders, peace, security, economy, good governance and service delivery.

“On security, we call on the government to employ community policing and the use of technology in the fight against banditry, insurgency and kidnapping.

“Multi security coordinated attack should be introduced in wiping away red spots using land and air forces, particularly across all the volatile areas in the Northwest, North Central and North Eastern parts of the country.

“Declare a state of emergency on youth unemployment and economic resuscitation with a view to enhance skills and create jobs so as to make them self-reliant. We believe this will reduce their vulnerability for recruitment into criminal activities.

“It has been observed that, of recent there is a weak collaboration and inter agency rivalry  between and amongst  security agencies operating in the country.

“As the new service chiefs assume office Federal Government should facilitate a process of ensuring effective and efficient synergy and coordination between the various security agencies.

“We, therefore, call on the FGN to expeditiously implement the National security Policy and engage with the National Assembly to facilitate the review of existing legal instruments to enhance effective inter-agency collaboration amongst various security agencies,” he said.

On subsidy removal, Shehu said the group had urged the government to reverse recent increase in fuel price and expedite actions in introducing  palliative measures and consider the some measures.

He urged the government to rehabilitate refineries, introduce affordable transportation, explore other alternative means of energy, review workers salary and include CSOs into the presidential steering committee on palliative so as to represent the interest of the non-working class

“We call on government at all level to improve on its engagement and sensitization of citizens before taken major decisions, especially on issues of national importance.

“Government should leverage on the presence of National Orientation agency and CSOs networks and its partners in enlightening the citizens to understand its policies and programme, their roles, rights, and responsibilities.

“This will help in  ensuring good governance,   inclusiveness and effective service delivery.

The networks also called on government to adopt the National Policy on protection of civilians, as a mark of deliberate action to reducing the likelihood of harm to civilians and civilian infrastructures during all phases of military operations.

This, he said, will not only demonstrate government commitment to protection of civilians and civilian harm mitigation but more importantly, will promote civil military corporation which is crucial towards winning the fight against insurgency, kidnapping and terrorism in the Region.

Shehu also called on sub national government that are yet to join the Open Government Partnership to do so in order to ensure effective service delivery to the citizenry and create channels of engagement with citizens.

He said that such engagement could be through town hall meetings, media parley and community consultations, adding that it would go a long way towards early warning ,early response to crisis and curbing the trust deficit that was gradually widening by the day.

According to the communique, the current economic situation has adverse effect on productive men and women from active socio political and economic activities like farming and other means of livelihood.

He said there should be deliberate attempt at empowering the citizens towards meeting their basic needs of life, through effective and full implementation of Social Investment Programs Law.

“As a result of the cost-of-living crisis our sector has witnessed a growing demand for nonprofit services, a reduction in donations because of the crisis and an increase in energy costs (fuel subsidy removal) is making it difficult for nonprofits to stay afloat.

“For a sector that brings hope to the common man across communities, provides employment, and pays taxes, many organisations are at a state of panic unless they manage to get additional funding they would really struggle.

“We call on the Federal Government to consider support for the nonprofit sector as it did during the pandemic.

“Any support to public sector employees should be extended to the nonprofit sector especially those delivering essential services to the vulnerable such as orphanages, women and children’s shelters, homes for the elderly, gender-based violence referral centers, nonprofit clinics, nonprofit schools and those delivering humanitarian aid in the North-Eastern part of the country.

“We call on the government to invest public funding in a rapid and massive increase in vaccine manufacturing through transparent budgetary allocation and prompt release of funding to the Nigerian hub and spoke facility In Nigeria as approved by the World Health Organisation and in ways that serves public interest.

“Nigeria must manufacture its own vaccine in order to guarantee its sovereignty and guarantee the long-term public investment needed to develop and maintain the human capital and physical manufacturing infrastructure required to meet needs now and for future pandemics,” he said.

The CSOs urged government to protect and promote fundamental freedoms such as freedom of association, register and operate nonprofit organisations freely in line with their charitable purposes.

This according to him also include freedom of expression (free press and citizens participation including proving feedback on government policies) and freedom of assembly (ability of citizens to protect peacefully).

“It is only when these freedoms are safeguarded that the media and citizens can serve as a watchdog of the people in checking the excesses of government and promoting the greatest good of the greatest number of our people,” he said.

On his part, the CSO Representative for Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) Nigeria, Peter Egwudah, said that NGOs operating in the North-East were susceptible to being used as conduit for money laundering.

Egwudah called for close collaboration between the government and the CSOs to achieve effective result in their humanitarian efforts, saying the work of NGO was to support and compliment the efforts of the government.

He said that there was need to look at the causes of the crisis before talking of deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration of the persons involved in violent crimes.

Egwudah added that efforts and  should be made to ensure inclusion otherwise known as community engagement and localisation, which he said was well entrenched in the North East. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Christian Ogbonna

The Chief Judge of Ebonyi, Justice Elvis Ngene, on Wednesday, released 11 inmates of the Afikpo Correctional Centre during a jail delivery.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that inmates with minor offences were released unconditionally by the chief judge.

Ngene said that 16 matters were treated.

According to him, 10 inmates were released on bail, one discharged, while five others were further remanded.

He said that priorities were given to those who had been in detention for years without trial, the juveniles and the sick, among others.

He urged the released inmates to be good citizens and desist from acts capable of attracting the long arm of the law.

One of the beneficiaries, Benjamin Okpara (26), said he was happy to be considered.

Okpara, who was accused of unlawful possession of firearm, pledged not to go back to crime.

He thanked God, the state government and judiciary for setting him free.

One of the lawyers, Mr Christian Inyan, said he supported the release of the inmates because most of them did not commit the offences preferred against them. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Dianabasi Effiong/Sam Oditah

By Martha Agas

Dr Ahmed Audi, the Commandant General (C-G), of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has assured Plateau government of support in tackling the raging insecurity in the state.

Audi gave the assurance when he visited Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, on Wednesday, at the Government House, Jos.

“We are going to do our best to make sure this crisis ends., we have to come together to fight,” he said.

He said that the NSCDC was aware of the series of continuous attacks on some communities in Mangu Local Government Area (LGA), as well as other parts of the state, and described the development as sad.

He said that the visit was to commiserate with Mutfwang, the government and people of Pllateau, on the needless attacks, and to offer the corps services in curbing such incidents, and also assist in finding lasting solutions.

The C-G listed NSCDC’s constitutional duties to include the protection of government’s critical assets and infrastructure, supervision and licensing of private guards companies, and disaster mitigation.

According to him, the corps also provides intelligence and security to government, farmers and other agro allied investments in the country, through its specially trained personnel known as the Agro Rangers.

He further mentioned NSCDC’s National Safe School Centre, located in Abuja, as one of the initiatives aimed at protecting schools.

While wishing the governor success in the business of governance, Audi expressed confidence in the capacity of Mutfwang in ensuring justice and keeping the peace in Plateau.

He then disclosed his plans to proceed to Mangu, to hold talks with the traditional rulers and other stakeholders, and also visit the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) centers.

Responding, Muftwang thanked NSCDC for its contributions to tackling insecurity in the state, noting that the corps collaboration and cooperation was critical to ending the crisis.

He said that he would continue to work with the corps to ensure mutual cooperation in strengthening Plateau’s security systems.

The governor said that his administration was determined to establish a new Plateau of justice, equity and fairness to all, and urged for NSCDC’s partnership to achieve the feat.

He thanked Audi for the planned visit to Mangu, particularly his plans for the IDPs, saying the people needed every assistance to regain their livelihoods and go back to their ancestral homes. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

MAA/DOR

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Army has debunked allegation that  a soldier,  Lance Cpl. Musa Adamu was in detention for converting from Islam to Christianity and preaching the gospel, as being circulated in the Social Media.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Nwachukwu said the soldier was in custody for violation of some provisions of the Armed Forces Act, saying the said report credited to an online medium was not only a misrepresentation of the true situation.

He described the report as “an outrageous falsehood tainted with religious bigotry, being peddled against the Nigerian army, a professional institution guided by well established ethics and tradition in all its activities and administration of personnel”.

According to him, this is aside the unbiased premium of place accorded  the spiritual concern and growth of personnel as well as the sensitivity it attaches to religious practices amongst personnel.

“To set the records straight,  Lance Cpl. Musa Adamu, a personnel of the Amphibious Training School was attached to 63 Brigade to participate in an ongoing operation.

“During the operation, he was found preaching in uniform on a social media platform in violation of extant Social Media policy for the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“This prompted his invitation for interrogation by relevant authorities.

“Rather than present himself for the investigation, he absconded for about six and a half months, resulting in the declaration of the soldier on  Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL).

“The action of the personnel violates Section 58 (a) (b)  Obstruction of Provost Officers and Section 59 (a) (b) Absence Without Leave.

“It must be clarified, that once a personnel is absent from his unit for seven days without any justification, he will be declared on AWOL.

“This automatically triggers the freezing of his salary account, until the personnel returns to unit and  is arraigned and sanctioned,” he said.

Nwachukwu further clarified that contrary to the  ‘ erroneous impression’ that the soldier was being victimized for converting from Islam to Christianity and for preaching the gospel, he was rather taken into custody for investigation.

He said the disciplinary action was in pursuant of  statutory provisions enshrined in the Armed Forces Act CAP 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, which the soldier contravened.

According to him, his detention is therefore not unlawful.

“It is expedient to point out that each and every personnel of the Nigerian army functions under a Corps or Department with stipulated statutory responsibilities manned by qualified personnel trained to effectively execute those duties.

“Hence, religious affairs of the Nigerian army are handled  by designated clergy in the Directorates of Chaplain Services (Protestant), (Roman Catholic) and Islamic Affairs.

“Personnel of these directorates are the ones mandated to conduct all religious activities to cater for the spiritual needs of all personnel of the Nigerian army, both in the theatres of operations and within the barracks.

“The question begging for answer is, if the Nigerian army allowed the soldier to change his religion, why then will it victimize him?

“It is ironical therefore, that an institution that promotes the spiritual wellbeing of its personnel is alleged to have detained the soldier for the expression of his faith, even when it is abundantly clear that he has the opportunity to also change his Corps to any of the Army’s Chaplaincy,” Nwachukwu added.

The army spokesman further said that the Nigerian army was guided by ethics, traditions and military laws, which direct personnel on their conducts.

He said that violation of those ideals and statutory stipulations evoke sanctions, irrespective of the faith of the offender.

“Consequently, the Nigerian army denounces the libelous publication capable of causing disaffection amongst personnel as well as bringing disrepute and distractions to it.

“The general public are therefore,  enjoined to ignore the baseless report aimed at scoring cheap goal by denigrating an institution totally committed to the restoration of peace and stability in Nigeria.

“The support of the good citizens of this country is paramount to the success of the Nigerian army at this crucial time and not unfounded and unconstructive narrations,” he added. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Edith Bolokor/Chioma Ugboma

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Women Economic and Security Protection Group, an NGO, has commended the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) for empowering women and youths in barracks to be self-reliant.

The President of the group, Mrs Fatima Bello, in a statement on Tuesday, also commended the new DEPOWA President, Mrs Oghogho Musa for sustaining the empowerment programmes of the association.

Bello said the recent graduation of some youths trained on various vocational trades, and presentation of food items to about 60 widows, will boost the morale of troops engaged in operations across the country.

She said the skill acquisition programme sponsored by DEPOWA in Abuja, featured training in cosmetology, make-up, and gele tying, as well as production of cosmetics and detergent, among others.

Bello added that this would reassure troops in the frontline to sacrifice more for peace to reign in the country, as the skills acquired by the beneficiaries would enable them create a better future for themselves and their families.

She appreciated the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa for supporting DEPOWA, saying it was an indication of his continuous cordial relationship with troops as seen during his time in the North-East.

“This is a clear message from DEPOWA and the CDS to troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria that their sacrifices were well appreciated.

“It is also a message that widows and family members of departed personnel of the AFN will not be abandoned.

“We however continue to pray that our troops making sacrifices for peace and stability will return home safely after their stay in the battlefield,” she said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Saidu Adamu/Maharazu Ahmed