11042018 - Buhari’s ‘one term’ offer in 2011 no longer applies

18 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018
FORMER Chief of Army Staff,
Lt.Gen. T.Y. Danjuma recently
fired the verbal equivalent of an
armed warhead when he called on
Nigerians to defend themselves against
the unending rampage of armed
herdsmen who have literally held the
nation to ransom through their wanton
killings.
General danjuma, also a former
Defence Minister, made the call at the
maiden convocation of the Taraba State
University, Jalingo. He called on
Nigerians to defend themselves against
these herdsmen who, he said, were bent
on stealing their lands. He also echoed
a long-held allegation that the military
has become “partial” and “colludes”
with the bandits in their crimes against
innocent Nigerians.
Taraba, his home state, is one of the
worst hit by the rampaging herdsmen
whose attacks have claimed thousands
of lives and rendered more than a
million people homeless. Benue, Kogi,
Handle Danjuma’s call with utmost care
Kaduna, Zamfara, Plateau and most
Southern states have been victims of
these deadly attacks.
For a long time, and to the dismay of
most Nigerians, the Federal
Government paid little attention to the
killings. It took the public burial of 73
victims of the 2018 New Year Day
massacre in Benue State, broadcast live
on television, for the military to launch
its Exercise Cat Race (Ayem Akpatuma)
to flush out the bandits from the Middle
Belt area. Yet the killings have
continued.
General Danjuma is one of Nigeria’s
most respected retired military officers.
His role in the shaping the country’s
political and economic history is widely
acknowledged. His commitment to
better life for Nigerians is reflected
through the philanthropic gestures of
his Danjuma Foundation.
He is also not the first to accuse the
military and other security agencies of
partiality in handling the herdsmen
crisis. Many legal authorities have since
confirmed that Nigeria’s constitution
and laws support “measured selfdefence”
when citizens are faced with
threats to their lives and property.
However, this call, coming from
General Danjuma, should be handled
with utmost care. Nigeria’s unity is too
fragile for that extreme option to come
into play at this time when our armed
services are stretched thin in operations
to tackle terrorism, banditry and
serious crimes around the country. It
could result in anarchy, which would
threaten the entire African continent.
We call on the Federal Government
not to sweep allegations of military,
police and security agencies’ partiality
under the mat. These allegations have
been made even by state governments.
For instance, the Taraba State
Government alleged misconduct
against a battalion commander and
called for his redeployment from the
state. Similar allegations have come
from Benue and Kogi state
governments.
It is however gratifying to note that
the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur
Buratai, has promised to probe these
allegations. It should be professionally
done to remove all shadows of doubt
and reinforce the confidence of
Nigerians in the ability and readiness
of the armed forces to protect their
lives and property.
By Louis Amoke
IN keeping with his vision to institutionalise
an uncommon leadership style that is
inclusive, focused, peaceful, godly, result and
people-oriented, the Enugu State Governor,
Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has on good note
continued to uphold decisions that impact the
lives of the people positively, especially the poor
and rural dwellers.
As a grassroots politician, Ugwuanyi at the
inception of his administration disclosed his
resolve to redirect the attention of governance
from urban centres to the rural areas. The
governor’s sense of direction was based on the
fact that majority of the people reside in the
rural areas.
The decision was also a mélange of his
magnanimity, compassionate disposition
towards the underprivileged and neglected and
the need to give them a sense of belonging as
the true heroes of democracy.
This policy direction, which was aptly
captured in the four-point agenda of the
government, has seen the concentration of
more development in the rural areas than in
the urban centres. It is also responsible for the
avalanche of innovative empowerment
programmes carefully designed towards the
youths, women and traders, among others - to
assist them earn a living and grow their
businesses.
For instance, a visit to Ngenevu, (around
the Coal Camp Enugu) a suburb of Enugu in
Enugu North Local Government Area of the
state shows that Ugwuanyi is a leader who is
compassionate and firmly committed to the
well-being of the people, especially the poor
and less privileged in the society.
The governor in keeping with his promise to
take development to the rural areas and highly
populated suburbs that have long been
neglected and forgotten, brought joy and relief
to the people of Ngenevu through the ongoing
construction of their only access road, which
hitherto had been in a deplorable condition.
The people of the area are so excited and full
of gratitude to Ugwuanyi, whom they
OPINION
Empowerment: Ugwuanyi, SDGs trainees and FG’s verdict
described as a true friend of the poor and
underprivileged, for remembering them after
many years of neglect.
They were so emotive when the governor,
(the first since this democracy began) touched
down on Ngenevu soil. Their joy is
understandable because not only has their
road been tarred to standard, but the governor
has also provided and mounted two 500KVA
transformers he promised them during his first
and second visit to the area.
On empowerment, it would be recalled that
the administration, in February last year,
launched an empowerment scheme for
genuine traders in the state tagged: The Enugu
State Traders Empowerment Scheme. The
scheme, the first of its kind in the state, had an
annual package of N60million that was won
by 1,200 lucky traders through an open raffle
draw conducted on a monthly basis among
the then 37 registered markets. Consequently,
I also want to encourage
other states to borrow a leaf
from Ugwuanyi by ensuring
that their plans and projects
are targeted towards
achieving the goals of SDGs
100 traders won N5 million every month at
N50,000 each and invested the money into
their various businesses for socio-economic
development of the state.
Following the success of the first phase of
the scheme, the administration re-launched
the programme recently with an annual
bumper package of N120 million to be won
by 2,400 traders, representing a double
increase. In the repackaged scheme, 200
genuine traders will now win N10 million every
month at N50,000 each while 17 other markets
were added to the existing 37 to ensure that the
empowerment scheme was all embracing,
reaching every nook and cranny of the state
for more winners to benefit.
Not surprising, the excited and fulfilled
traders, in appreciation of the governor’s sound
vision for the state and his kind thoughts for
them, unanimously endorsed him for reelection
in 2019.
A few days ago, there was wild jubilation in
Enugu the moment 536 trainees of the second
batch of the Sustainable Development Goals,
SDGs, Skills Acquisition Programme of the
Ugwuanyi administration instantly received
alert of N100,000 seed money each from the
state government at the venue of their
graduation ceremony.
The seed money was to assist the graduands
start-off their various businesses after they
attended a one-year free vocational training
in focal areas such as tailoring, hairdressing,
barbing and aluminium works apprenticeship.
The 536 trainees, according to the Special
Adviser to the Governor on SDGs and Inter-
Ministerial Affairs, Hon. Mabel Agbo, were
among the 750 participants chosen from the
17 local government areas of the state and
enrolled by the state government under its
SDGs programme as an empowerment
intervention scheme designed to alleviate the
sufferings of the people of the state through
learning of a vocation that would enable each
of them develop a career in life.
It is pertinent to note that the first batch of
214 trainees, got start off grants, accordingly
after their graduation in September 2017, and
“have been able to set up viable barber’s and
hair dressing shops and are now chief executive
officers of their own businesses.”
Another climax of the event was the
commendation for Ugwuanyi from the
Federal Government “for being SDGs-friendly
and creating enabling environment for
achieving the SDGs goals.”
The Senior Special Assistant to the President
on SDGs, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire,
(represented by her Sector Director, Pharm.
Yahaya Hamza), while appreciative of the
administration’s contributions towards the
success of the programme added: “I also want
to encourage other states to borrow a leaf from
Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi by ensuring that
their plans and projects are targeted towards
achieving the goals of SDGs so that our 2030
Agenda will be realised as a nation.”
As the governor congratulated the
graduands on their achievements, he stated
that the scheme was “undoubtedly a very
important and timely intervention that is
helping to create wealth, reduce
unemployment and stimulate productivity
especially among our youths and women.”
He added that the scheme was a “welcome
complement” to the efforts and initiatives of
his administration in the area of youth/women
empowerment, skills acquisition and poverty
alleviation.
He reassured the people thus:“we remain
fully committed to our promise to reduce
poverty in the state and will continue to do all
that is necessary to promote the empowerment
and economic emancipation of our youths,
women and families.”
In appreciation, Miss Aboh Tochi on behalf
of other graduands, described Ugwuanyi as
“a man of his environment” and “an
impeccable leader” who takes “time to ensure
that governance is felt by all and sundry in this
state especially the youth.
“The saying that you should not give a fish,
rather teach one how to catch fish has been
manifested in our lives. Many of us are now
viable in different trades/crafts. For instance, I
am now a successful fashion designer. In no
distant time, you will be amazed at the
capacities we have been able to acquire during
our period of training.”
*Mr. Amoke, a public affairs commentator,
wrote from Enugu, Enugu State.