17102019 - FG cuts travels, estacodes for ministers, other officials
Vanguard Newspaper 17 October 2019
Vanguard Newspaper 17 October 2019
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8—Vanguard, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019<br />
LAUNCHING: From left, Associate Director, Clients/Markets, KPMG Nigeria, Egheosa<br />
Onaiwu; Associate Director, Management Consulting, KPMG, Ayotunde Funsho; Partner/<br />
Head, Consumer and Industrial Markets, Goodluck Obi; Partner/Sector Lead, Agribusiness,<br />
Mohammed Adama; Partner, Deal Advisory, Ijeoma Emezie-Ezigbo, and Partner, Risk<br />
Consulting, KPMG, Tolulope Odukale, during the launch Nigeria's rice industry report by<br />
KPMG Nigeria, in Lagos, yesterday.<br />
Insurgency: Buhari directs service chiefs<br />
to settle entitlements of slain soldiers<br />
•Explains why Jan 15 was fixed as Armed Forces Remembrance Day<br />
•Insists Nigeria’s unity not negotiable<br />
By Johnbosco<br />
Agbakwuru<br />
AMuhammadu BUJA—PRESIDENT<br />
Buhari,<br />
yesterday, directed service<br />
chiefs to take urgent steps to<br />
settle the entitlements of<br />
soldiers who have paid the<br />
supreme price in the<br />
campaign against<br />
insurgency.<br />
Buhari, who gave the<br />
directive while launching the<br />
2020 Armed Forces<br />
Remembrance Day<br />
celebration emblem and<br />
appeal fund in Abuja, also<br />
told the service chiefs to settle<br />
the welfare packages of the<br />
soldiers <strong>for</strong> the benefit of their<br />
dependents.<br />
Speaking at the brief<br />
ceremony at the Council<br />
Chamber, Presidential Villa,<br />
be<strong>for</strong>e the commencement of<br />
the weekly Federal Executive<br />
Council, FEC, meeting, the<br />
president reiterated that the<br />
unity of Nigeria was not<br />
negotiable.<br />
He said: “The un<strong>for</strong>tunate<br />
cost of the war against<br />
insurgency and <strong>other</strong><br />
internal security operations<br />
is the loss of lives of some of<br />
our officers and men in the<br />
Armed Forces.<br />
“These very sad<br />
occurrences create deep<br />
wounds to loved ones. It is,<br />
there<strong>for</strong>e, our duty to ensure<br />
that the loss of these bread<br />
winners does not relegate<br />
the spouses and dependents<br />
to a life of want and<br />
deprivation. Government<br />
will do all in its powers to<br />
look after the bereaved.<br />
“Service leaders must take<br />
urgent steps to settle the<br />
entitlements of these affected<br />
citizens as well as the welfare<br />
packages designed <strong>for</strong> their<br />
dependents.<br />
‘’It is the responsibility of<br />
government to ensure that<br />
the families of our fallen<br />
heroes do not suffer the loss<br />
of their loved ones and at the<br />
same time be deprived of<br />
their due benefits.”<br />
<strong>FG</strong> launches<br />
emblem with<br />
N10m<br />
President Buhari, who<br />
launched the emblem on<br />
behalf of the Federal<br />
Government with N10<br />
million, said: “Today, we are<br />
once again gathered to<br />
acknowledge and commend<br />
the sacrifices of our fallen<br />
heroes and veterans of First<br />
and Second World Wars,<br />
Nigerian Civil War and<br />
Peace Support Operations<br />
around the world.<br />
“We must not <strong>for</strong>get those<br />
currently engaged in<br />
internal security operations,<br />
particularly the on-going<br />
war against insurgency in<br />
some parts of the country.<br />
“It is, indeed, befitting to<br />
honour the memory of the<br />
gallant officers and men who<br />
paid the supreme sacrifice to<br />
keep the country united. For<br />
those who survived with<br />
varying degrees of<br />
incapacitation, they require<br />
our attention and care and<br />
we will continue to provide<br />
and cater <strong>for</strong> them.”<br />
Why <strong>FG</strong> fixed Jany<br />
15 as Armed Forces<br />
Remembrance Day<br />
On why the Federal<br />
Government fixed January<br />
15 as the Armed Forces<br />
Remembrance Day, he said:<br />
“The Armed Forces<br />
Remembrance Day<br />
celebration was intentionally<br />
fixed <strong>for</strong> January 15 annually<br />
to commemorate the end of<br />
our civil war. It reminds us<br />
of the need to guard<br />
jealously the unity of our<br />
country which was won at a<br />
great cost.<br />
“This day calls to mind the<br />
negative impact of strife and<br />
conflicts and demands that<br />
as responsible citizens, we<br />
must at all times avoid<br />
actions that emphasize our<br />
differences.<br />
“There is no doubt that the<br />
strength of Nigeria lies in her<br />
diversity. It behoves on us,<br />
there<strong>for</strong>e, to engage in<br />
activities and endeavours<br />
that feed our diversity as a<br />
source of strength not<br />
weakness.<br />
“The nation is appreciative<br />
of the gallantry and sacrifices<br />
of officers and men of our<br />
Armed Forces in the<br />
campaign against<br />
insurgency and <strong>other</strong><br />
internal security operations.<br />
“This has led to the return<br />
of normalcy in affected parts<br />
of the nation. The Boko<br />
Haram terrorists have been<br />
substantially defeated and<br />
degraded to the extent that<br />
they are only daring soft<br />
targets.<br />
Nigeria’s unity not<br />
negotiable<br />
“However, all hands must<br />
be on deck to check the<br />
attacks on soft targets, mostly<br />
innocent Nigerians. The<br />
peace and security of Nigeria<br />
is non-negotiable and the<br />
security agencies must<br />
continue to do their work<br />
diligently.<br />
“As a government, we will<br />
continue to provide<br />
necessary logistical support<br />
to ensure that our Armed<br />
Forces operate with the best<br />
modern warfare equipment,<br />
while at the same time<br />
adequately addressing the<br />
issues of their welfare.<br />
“Similarly, government<br />
will remain steadfast in<br />
developing our alliances<br />
with neighbours and friends<br />
in the international<br />
community <strong>for</strong> the total defeat<br />
of the insurgents.<br />
“The task of resettling and<br />
rehabilitating our citizens as<br />
well as the reconstruction of<br />
territories affected by the war<br />
will continue to be one of<br />
the priorities of this administration.<br />
North-East<br />
Development<br />
Commission<br />
“We shall not rest until all<br />
our displaced persons are<br />
safely resettled into their<br />
communities without fear of<br />
further attacks. It is <strong>for</strong> this<br />
reason the North-East<br />
Development Commission,<br />
NEDC, and Federal<br />
Ministry of Humanitarian<br />
Affairs, Disaster<br />
Management and Social<br />
Development were<br />
established.<br />
“The executive arm of<br />
government, hereby,<br />
commends the National<br />
Assembly <strong>for</strong> the passage of<br />
the bill establishing the<br />
commission. It is our hope<br />
that with prudent<br />
management of limited<br />
resources and support from<br />
well-meaning Nigerians<br />
and corporate bodies, the<br />
commission, working in<br />
close collaboration with the<br />
ministry and friends abroad,<br />
will be able to deliver on their<br />
mandate.<br />
“We are aware that it is the<br />
business of government to<br />
provide the enabling<br />
environment <strong>for</strong> businesses<br />
to thrive. We will not fail to<br />
provide our citizens with an<br />
atmosphere devoid of<br />
security threats and<br />
criminality, where life is<br />
stable and progress is<br />
certain.<br />
“Government is also well<br />
aware that an insecure<br />
environment stifles<br />
businesses and undermines<br />
growth and prosperity. For<br />
this reason, we will like to<br />
commend and rein<strong>for</strong>ce our<br />
gratitude to our men and<br />
women in the Armed Forces<br />
who have risen to the<br />
challenge of securing our<br />
nation and providing<br />
enabling environment <strong>for</strong><br />
national progress."<br />
Boko Haram: C'ttee<br />
dismisses allegation of<br />
rights abuse against army<br />
•Asks NASS to invite AI, AAH <strong>for</strong><br />
explanations<br />
By Joseph<br />
Erunke<br />
ABUJA—A<br />
joint<br />
committee of Non-<br />
Governmental<br />
Organisations, NGOs, and<br />
the House of Representatives<br />
Committee on Human Rights<br />
setup to investigate<br />
allegations of human rights<br />
abuse against the military by<br />
some <strong>for</strong>eign media<br />
organisations, has absolve the<br />
country’s troops of wrong<br />
doing.<br />
Rather, the committee in its<br />
report sighted by Vanguard<br />
in Abuja, yesterday, said the<br />
military, especially Nigerian<br />
Army, has demonstrated<br />
adequate will to recognise<br />
international standards on<br />
human rights in its war<br />
against Boko Haram<br />
insurgents in the Nort-East.<br />
The committee, chaired by<br />
Dr Isaac Dikko, insisted that<br />
the “Nigerian military<br />
authorities have always acted<br />
in the best interest of national<br />
security.”<br />
It also recommended that<br />
the National Assembly<br />
leadership should<br />
recommend adequate<br />
compensation and state<br />
recognition <strong>for</strong> troops to<br />
encourage them in the line<br />
of national duty to sustain<br />
their morale.<br />
The committee equally<br />
recommended the expulsion<br />
of erring NGOs from the<br />
country and the auditing of<br />
NGOs’ activities in the<br />
country by security agencies.<br />
It said Action Against<br />
Hunger, AAH, and Amnesty<br />
International be summoned<br />
to explain why they should<br />
not be banned from operating<br />
in the country, considering<br />
their frequent criticisms of the<br />
military in the operation<br />
against Boko haram.<br />
Chairman of the committee,<br />
Dr Isaac Dikko, had earlier<br />
submitted the report to the<br />
National Assembly, and noted<br />
that national security<br />
remained the only motivation<br />
<strong>for</strong> the sacrifice of the<br />
committee.<br />
Dikko stated: “If not <strong>for</strong> the<br />
interest of national security,<br />
and to fact check if the war<br />
against insurgency is being<br />
truly successfully prosecuted,<br />
nobody would dare to have a<br />
committee secretariat situate<br />
in the North-East <strong>for</strong><br />
firsthand in<strong>for</strong>mation,<br />
particularly given the low<br />
and gloomy media reportage<br />
of the military’s successes in<br />
the region, especially by<br />
<strong>for</strong>eign media organisations.<br />
“Unknown to us, a lot of<br />
successes have been made in<br />
the war against insurgency<br />
in the North East. The only<br />
challenge is resettlement,<br />
rehabilitation and rebuilding<br />
of infrastructure hitherto<br />
destroyed. But this is beyond<br />
military mandate and will<br />
take time.”<br />
According to him, the<br />
committee dared the region<br />
with double pronged view; to<br />
validate or invalidate the<br />
allegations against the<br />
military authorities and<br />
censor the activities of the<br />
non-governmental<br />
organisations’ operations in<br />
the North-East in order to<br />
come up with facts that are<br />
verifiable.<br />
Reps hail Buhari on order to<br />
deny expatriates visas<br />
By Tordue Salem<br />
ABUJA—THE House of<br />
Representatives<br />
Committee on Nigerian<br />
Content Development and<br />
Monitoring has commended<br />
President Muhammadu<br />
Buhari <strong>for</strong> issuing his<br />
Executive Order 5, which<br />
restricts issuance of visas to<br />
<strong>for</strong>eigners whose skills were<br />
available within the country.<br />
According to the<br />
committee, the executive<br />
order will help improve local<br />
content in public<br />
procurement, with science,<br />
engineering and technology<br />
components.<br />
Chairman of the<br />
committee, Legor Idagbo<br />
(PDP-Bayelsa), who<br />
commended the president at<br />
the inaugural meeting of the<br />
committee, yesterday, said<br />
the Executive Order was<br />
expected to promote the<br />
application of science,<br />
technology and innovation<br />
towards achieving the<br />
nation’s development goals<br />
across all sectors of the<br />
economy.<br />
He explained that the<br />
executive order prohibits the<br />
Ministry of Interior from<br />
issuing visas to <strong>for</strong>eign nationals<br />
whose skills were<br />
readily available in Nigeria,<br />
adding that the president<br />
had, there<strong>for</strong>e, directed<br />
Ministries, Departments and<br />
Agencies, MDAs, to engage<br />
indigenous professionals in<br />
the planning, design and<br />
execution of national security<br />
projects.<br />
Idagbo revealed that<br />
following the proclamation of<br />
the executive order, the<br />
House has reviewed the<br />
jurisdiction of the committee<br />
to accommodate the details<br />
of the presidential executive<br />
order, hence the change of<br />
its name from ‘local content’<br />
to "Nigerian content<br />
development and<br />
monitoring."<br />
He observed that there<br />
was need to amend the<br />
Nigerian Oil and Gas<br />
Industry Content<br />
Development Act,<br />
NOGICD, 2020 so that the<br />
successes achieved in the oil<br />
and gas sector could also be<br />
achieved in the <strong>other</strong> sectors<br />
of the economy in terms of<br />
job creation and capacity<br />
building of indigenous<br />
companies.