24092020 - BLACK WEDNESDAY: 30 killed in Kogi petrol tanker explosion

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
THE Socio-Economic Rights and
Accountability Project, SERAP,
deserves the commendation of
Nigerians for its proactive
commitment to ensure that the federal
and state governments render full
account of funds spent in tackling the
on-going coronavirus pandemic,
COVID-19.
As the nation embarked on
emergency lock-downs as part of
efforts to curb the spread of the virus,
SERAP had, March 22, 2020, called
on governments to monitor the
disbursement and management of
funds to minimise corruption and
ensure that people at the grassroots
benefited.
This was more so as many publicspirited
individuals, corporate
organisations and international
humanitarian groups made huge
financial contributions towards the
fight.
Six months later, SERAP has
followed up with two Freedom of
Information, FoI, requests to the
Governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele,
Calls for accountability on
COVID-19 spending
and the Minister of Humanitarian
Affairs, Disaster Management and
Social Development, Ms. Sadiya
Umar Farouk.
The social watchdog and advocacy
group expressed its concern that
these monies, added to the N31bn the
Federal Government claims it has
spent on fighting the pandemic, might
have failed to benefit millions of
Nigerian poor and vulnerable who
were forced to endure the adverse
effects of an absolute lockdown.
The most curious aspects of the
Federal Government’s actions were
the distribution of raw cash across the
table to well-dressed individuals of
questionable vulnerability, personally
supervised by Minister Sadiya
Farouk; and the “school feeding” she
claimed to have carried out while
schools were shut and the pupils
were with their families during the
absolute lockdowns.
The Minister later claimed that 2.6
million vulnerable Nigerians from “all
over the country” benefited from the
N20,000 cash disbursements without
foolproof evidence. Also, the source
of the fund used for these purposes
has remained unclear.
While Minister Sadiya Farouk was
quoted as saying that the fund was
from a World Bank loan, the African
Network for Environment and
Economic Justice, ANEEJ, claimed
that it was part of the $322.5 million
Abacha loot returned to Nigeria from
Switzerland. The call for
accountability is valid and supported.
It is in line with public expectations
as it will provide answers to many
questions following the manner in
which the COVID-19 pandemic has
been handled by the authorities.
A government that makes anticorruption
a core agendum should
not even wait to be cajoled before
giving account.
Nigerians also need to know
whether the stealing of funds, food
and relief materials by officials which
has bedevilled the North East
humanitarian crisis management has
been repeated in the fight against the
pandemic.
A situation where the frontline
health workers deployed to save lives
have been forced to go on strike
several times over neglects naturally
calls to question as to how funds were
spent. We fully support this advocacy.
We are waiting to hear from
government.
OPINION
Curbing kidnappings along Obajana-Okene highway
By BONIFACE ENEKWECHI
WHILE the attention of security
agencies are focused on tackling
kidnappings, banditry and terrorism in the
North West and North East of the country,
the failure to effectively man the Obajana-
Okene axis has worsened the security
situation in the area which now records a
weekly incident of kidnapping of luxury
and mini bus passengers. In the latest
incident which occurred on Tuesday
September 22, 2020, three passengers of
one of the major transport companies in
Nigeria were kidnapped by men said to be
in military uniform. Their whereabouts
remain unknown till today.
While some might suspect the likely
involvement of army personnel on account
of the military uniform worn by the
kidnappers, but it is also possible that this
was used as a disguise to deceive their
victims. It is a well-known fact that the
responsibility of protecting lives and
properties rests with the Federal
Government and failure to do this leaves
the citizens distraught, helpless and at the
mercy of agents of darkness.
Granted that the Muhammadu Buhari
administration has made tremendous
efforts to curtail the activities of these men
of the underworld, but it is important that
immediate attention is shifted to Obajana-
Okene and Abuja-Lokoja axis as the
incidents of kidnappings, murder and
sundry crimes have become a daily
occurrence. The police and army
authorities in the area ought to justify their
positions by taking the fight to the
criminals.
As the federal and state governments
make spirited efforts to rejuvenate the
economy, attract foreign investors and
create jobs for the citizenry it is important
that all efforts be geared towards eliminating
kidnappings along the country’s highways.
It is indeed pitiable that innocent citizens
who struggle on daily basis to make ends
meet travelling at night and day usually
fall victims to men of the underworld who
extort and subject them to indecent and
inhuman treatments, including rape, as
well as main and even kill them.
Indeed, it has become imperative to restore
police escorts to luxury buses in order to serve
as a deterrence against bandits and terrorists
who presently take advantage of the failed
portions of the highways and absence of
Nigeria has the capacity and
security personnel to confront
this danger and the time to
deploy the human and material
resources for the purpose is now
security personnel to carry out their evil
intentions along the country’s highways.
Road transport owners and stakeholders
have tabled the dangers facing them to the
highest police authorities, but rather than
abate, reports rather indicate an upsurge in
kidnapping incidents. As a matter of fact,
most of the major bus transport companies
in Nigeria have at one time or the other fallen
victim to the marauders.
Every passing day Nigerians are
inundated with pitiable tales of kidnappings
involving passengers, drivers and
conductors of interstate mini and luxury
buses. Incidentally, the victims are the
productive business men and women, as well
as travellers who power the country’s
economy through their productivity. Apart
from that, they are also breadwinners of their
families, and their dependents suffer
irreparable damage if their sources of
livelihood are kidnapped and killed.
Similarly, kidnappings portend grave
danger to Nigeria’s tourism sector which is
projected to contribute to the country’s Gross
Domestic Product in this era of dwindling oil
revenues.
Therefore, there is the need for the
Nigerian security agencies to redouble their
efforts towards curbing the incessant
kidnappings going on our highways,
especially the Okene-Obajana axis. Also the
state, local and federal governments must
synergise towards finding a lasting solution
to this menace as it not only threatens the
lives of innocent citizens but it deprives the
affected state and local governments of the
much-needed internal revenue for
development. It should also be recalled that
President Muhammadu Buhari had
challenged the security chiefs to wake up
and do more to curtail insecurity in the land.
He had also told them that their efforts were
not good enough.
It is indeed regrettable that a transport
company had in the past one month
witnessed three incidents of attacks of its
buses along the Obajana-Okene axis in Kogi
State with one person killed, several persons
abducted and millions of naira paid as
ransom to these dare-devil criminals. As a
country, we must not surrender to the
whims and caprices of these devilish men.
Government must of necessity immediately
initiate moves to confront this menace before
it becomes cancerous.
Already, there is apprehension in the land,
including the once peaceful Southern part
of the country, that bandits and terrorists
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are taking positions with plans to attack
innocent citizens and their communities.
These must not be allowed to happen as the
consequences will be dire for Nigeria,
especially with the international
community watching.
Already we have witnessed periodic
advisories by some foreign embassies in
Nigeria to their citizens to avoid travelling
to some parts of the country. It now behove
the federal and Kogi state governments to
prove the naysayers wrong by taking
proactive measures towards curtailing the
evil activities of kidnappers along the
Obajana-Okene axis of the state.
It must also not be forgotten that Kogi, as a
confluence state, remains a transit point for
travellers from all parts of the country, and
they use the opportunity to do business along
their travel routes. This means of trade and
survival is being seriously undermined by
kidnappers, armed bandits and robbers as well
as terrorists. Nigeria has the capacity and
security personnel to confront this danger, and
the time to deploy the human and material
resources for the purpose is now. On September
22, 2020, three persons, including a lady,
were kidnapped and over 15 passengers injured
when one of the buses plying the Obajana-
Okene highway was attacked. A ransom of
N10 million is being demanded from the
families of those kidnapped. These nefarious
activities come with costly implications for
the companies, innocent travellers and the
country as a whole.
Therefore, government has an obligation to
clean up the Augean stable by going after the
perpetrators of these heinous crimes in order
to save people’s lives and their properties. In
this fight, we must not allow the kidnappers to
win. A stitch in time saves nine.
•Enekwechi, a journalist wrote from
Abuja