04082020 - Insecurity situation rapidly worsening — GOVERNORS

8 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020
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Insecurity: Situation rapidly
deteriorating —Govs
• Express solidarity with Zulum over attack by Boko Haram
By Henry Umoru
A BUJA—GOVERNOR
of the 36 states of the federation
yesterday raised
alarm over the precarious security
situation in the country,
seeking to meet President
Muhammadu Buhari to find
a way to quickly nip the problem
in the bud.
The governors' alarm came
against the backdrop of last
weekend's attack on the governor
of Borno State, Prof. Babagana
Zulum by Boko
Haram insurgents on his way
to Baga to visit internally displaced
persons, IDPs.
Aside from this, there had
also been massive killings of
people in South Kaduna, the
North East where Boko
Haram reigns supreme and
other parts of the country
where bandits, herdsmen and
kidnappers have continued to
maim and kill people.
The governor also resolved
to have marathon sessions
with all the security chiefs,
including the National Security
Adviser, NSA, General
Babagana Monguno, retd;
Inspector General of Police,
IGP, Mohammed Adamu; the
Director- General, National
Intelligence Agency, NIA,
Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and
the Director- General, Department
of State Service, DSS,
Yusuf Magaji Bichi to discuss
what they described as very
worrisome development.
Also expected at the meeting
are the service chiefs.
They include the Chief of
Defence Staff, General Abayomi
Olonisakin; Chief of
Army Staff, General Tukur
Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Air
Marshal Sadique Abubakar
and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice
Marshal Ibok- Ete Ibas.
The governors in a statement
signed by chairman of
Nigeria Governors' Forum,
NGF, and governor of Ekiti
State, Kayode Fayemi, said
Boko Haram's attack on Governor
Zulum had brought to
the fore the need for the federal
government and states
to work together to deal with
the sect's threat to the country's
corporate existence.
Fayemi said: "On our part,
the NEC sub-committee on
security will be meeting tomorrow
(today) and rising
from the resolutions, thereof,
will soon dialogue with Mr.
President and the nation’s
security chiefs to discuss this
worrisome and rapidly degenerating
situation.“"We are
appalled by the worsening
security situation in the country
generally, in spite of all
the efforts of government to
end it.“"On behalf of the 36
state governors of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria under
the platform of the NGF, I
write to express our solidarity
with you and the people of
Borno State, following the
attack last Wednesday by
gunmen suspected to be
members of the Boko Haram
sect.“"This is one unwarranted
attack too many. It epitomizes
our collective vulnerability
and the fragility of the
country’s security architecture.
"Although you emerged
from this incident unscathed,
we note with regret the injuries
sustained by two members
of the Civilian Joint Task
Force and a police officer attached
to your convoy and do
accordingly pray for their
quick recovery.
"Mr. Governor, Forum
members are resolutely behind
you in your effort to rid
Borno State of these dastardly
and wicked agents of evil.''
Recall that the insurgent
group had intensified their
attacks on both military and
civilian targets in the last two
weeks which culminated in
the attacks on the governor.
Similarly, the insurgent
group also fired bombs at
Maiduguri, the Borno State
APC, PDP trade corruption allegations
By Omeiza Ajayi &
Dirisu Yakubu
Money laundering: Judge
berates EFCC for stalling trial
of ex-AGF, Adoke
By Ikechukwu
Nnochiri
ABUJA—TRIAL Justice In
yang Ekwo of the Federal
High Court in Abuja yesterday
berated the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission,
EFCC, for stalling the planned
commencement of hearing on
the money laundering charge
pending against the former Attorney-General
of the Federation
and Minister of Justice,
Mohammed Adoke, SAN.
Adoke, who is facing multiple
cases over alleged unlawful
roles he played while in office
as the AGF, was in the instant
charge, accused of complicity
in laundering of about
N400million.
The EFCC had on June 17,
docked him before the court
alongside an oil mogul, Mr
Aliyu Abubakar, on a sevencount
amended charge
marked FHC/CR/89/2017.
Meanwhile, though the court
adjourned to commence fullblown
hearing of the case,
however, at the resumed proceeding
on Monday, the prosecution
counsel, Mr. Bala Sanga,
informed the trial judge
that anti-graft agency has further
amended the charge.
He said the amended charge
was filed on July 29 and served
on the Defendants.
Dissatisfied with the development,
Justice Ekwo wondered
why the Commission should
file an amended charge few
days to the trial date.
• Account for failed $460m Abuja CCTV project, $2bn China loan, APC tells PDP
• PDP blasts APC, asks ruling party to account for N800bn recovered loot
A
BUJA—THE ruling All
Progressives Congress,
APC, said yesterday asked
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, to account for the billions
of dollars it took from China
to build a Closed Circuit Television,
CCTV, system in Abuja
and for other non-existent
projects.
APC in a statement by its
Deputy National Publicity
Secretary, Mr Yekini Nabena,
noted that the statement
issued by the Media Office
of former Vice President, Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar, on the
standard sovereign guarantee
and sovereign immunity
clause embedded in Nigeria's
loan agreements with China
to fund the ongoing national
railway projects could best be
described as unresearched,
unintelligent and pedestrian.
Nabena said as the Minister
for Transportation, Rotimi
Amaechi, had explained, the
guarantee/clause in the loan
deals was standard, irrespective
of the country granting
the loan.
"Perhaps, Atiku and the
Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) could redirect their
energies to explaining to Nigerians
the status of the failed
$460 million Abuja Closed-
Circuit Television CCTV
awarded in August 2010 by
the immediate-past PDP administration.
"Also, they should explain
the over $2billion China loan
the PDP administration took
between 2010 and 2013
alone; $16billion spent on
power with no electricity; fuel
subsidy rackets; counter-insurgency
funds that were diverted
and shared to political
cronies among other
shocking heists," APC said.
It recalled that the failed
CCTV installation project
was initiated by late President
Umaru Yar’Adua and awarded
in August 2010 by former
President Goodluck
Jonathan’s administration to
help security agencies in the
Federal Capital Territory,
FCT, check the growing insecurity.
The ruling party said:
"Since the agreement became
capital, killings some people
and damaging several properties
and other valuables.
This was also followed by
another round of bombing
which led to the death of a
couple and some other civilians.
Boko Haram's operations in
the country, which started in
2009, has claimed over
30,000 lives and properties
worth billions of naira.
Their activities have propelled
Nigerians' call for sack
of the service chiefs who they
said had ran out of ideas to
deal with the insurgents.
In the North West, no fewer
than 63 persons were also
killed by herdsmen in Southern
Kaduna in Kaduna State,
even as bandits have continued
their killing spree in such
states as Katsina and Zamfara.
signed, Nigeria has been
servicing this loan to China,
while Nigerians are yet to
attest to the visibility of CCTV
project and unable to explain
the status of the video surveillance
project. The matter is
subject to a legislative probe.
"In all of these, we are starkly
reminded that the PDP remains
a corrupted and damaged
product. Nigerians must
continue to reject the party at
all levels of government.
"In the area of fiscal discipline,
prudence, curbing
leakages, are we currently
getting it right? An emphatic
yes! Every kobo expended on
infrastructure counts.
''Verifiable evidence abound
in the fast expanding national
railway projects, airport remodelling,
among other critical
infrastructure projects, being
undertaken by President
Muhammadu Buhari's government.
The days of phoney
contracts as institutionalised
by successive PDP administrations
are fast fading.''
Responding to APC's allegation
yesterday, PDP in a
statement signed by the
spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan,
urged APC to first give
account of the N800 billion it
claimed to have recovered,
noting that every Nigerian
now knew that the ruling
party was nothing but a gathering
of people united by
fraud and corruption.
He said: "Five years in the
saddle, we are where we are.
The APC that came with the
mantra of fighting corruption
has since become the most
corrupt party in the history of
Nigeria.
''Where is the N800 billion
they claimed to have recovered?
Nigerians know that
the so-called recovered monies
have since been re-looted
by those shouting war
against corruption. This government
has failed by all standards
and they know it.
"The PDP advises the federal government
to immediately begin the
investigation of its officials and highly-placed
members of the APC alleged
to have soiled their hands, with
a view to bringing them to book.
"Until they do this, the APC and
the government it formed at the centre
should keep their peace because
Nigerians are now wiser than their
needless propaganda."
Addressing the prosecution
counsel, the visible angry
Judge said: “From June
17 to July 17, you did nothing.
That means you had
one month and you didn’t
file the amended charge.
Just few days to the trial, you
filed an amended charge.
“Although you have freedom
to amend your charge
up to the time of judgment,
I do not appreciate a situation
where things are not
done on time.
"This is a 2017 matter and
I was thinking I could fast
track it but now the prosecution
has come up with an
amendment", the Judge
fumed.
The Judge further noted that
the amended charge was not in
the court's file.
He subsequently adjourned
the case till Tuesday to enable the
Defendants to enter fresh plea to
the charge.
EFCC had in the former charge,
alleged that Adoke had in September
2013, accepted the sum of
United States Dollars equivalent
to N300million from the 2nd Defendant,
Abubakar, and thereby
committed an offence under section
1 (a) of the Money Laundering
Prohibition Act 2011 (as
amended) and punishable under
section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.
It alleged that the former AGF,
within the same period, made a
payment of the sum of United
States Dollars equivalent to
N367,318,800.00 to one Usman
Mohammed Bello.
Obaseki kicks off campaign in
Edo North
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY —THE gov
ernor of Edo State, Godwin
Obaseki yesterday kicked
off his re-election campaign
beginning from Igarra, head-
quarters of Akoko Edo Local
Government Area where he
promised to build on the good
foundation his administration
has laid in the last three years
and eight months.“He said the
foundation which included an
economic blueprint would
address the challenges posed
by the coronavirus pandemic.
“At the palace of the paramount
leader of Igarra, HRH
Oba Emmanuel Adeche Saiki
II, the Otaru of Igarra, the
royal father prayed that God
would guide the governor and
bless his plans for the state.
’’We pray that God will guide
you in all your ways. You
should not be discouraged in
advising the youths against violence
and political thuggery
because the era of violence and
thuggery is gone,” the Otaru
said.
Responding, Obaseki said
that with the challenges posed
by the coronavirus pandemic,
the people needed a leader
with focus, and one that was
genuinely concerned about
the well-being of the people of
the state.
“On agriculture, the governor
said that food production
must be improved upon and
taken more seriously as farming
should be a priority, with
the dwindling resources from
Abuja.
‘‘What you have seen in the
last three years and eight
months is small compared to
what we have planned for our
second term. We have the experience
that our opponent
does not have.
Our radical reforms have
given us a solid foundation to
build on. We will tackle security
challenges in the state,” he
said.