01122020 - Why Nigeria's at mercy of terrorists — LAI MOHAMMED

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Continues from Page 5 barest minimum. The governor warned that the state would not hesitate to apprehend and prosecute any herdsman caught violating the law prohibiting open grazing in the state. He appealed to the Federal Government to urgently release the N10 billion promised victims of herdsmen attacks to enable Benue rebuild homes of farmers sacked from their ancestral homes. Ways to deal with Boko Haram —Zulum Also yesterday, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State yesterday gave the Federal Government the recipe on how to deal with Boko Haram and its ally, the Islamic States of West Africa Province, ISWAP, insurgents terrorising the north-eastern region of Nigeria. He made the recommendations when he received members of a presidential delegation who visited Borno to commiserate with the people of the state, following the killing of 43 farmers in Koshobe village. The governor said engaging mercenaries, as well as immediate recruitment of youths into the military to boost its strength will go a long way to defeat the insurgents. He said it is also important to secure the collaboration of neighbouring Niger Republic, Chad, and Cameroon to clear the remnants of the insurgents in the Lake Chad region and the Mandara mountains. Governor Zulum, who urged the Federal Government to ensure the provision of mine resistant armoured personnel carriers and other equipment for the military, police, and other security agencies involved in the insurgency fight, equally asked government to support the repatriation of internally displaced people in Cameroon and Niger Republic, as well as increase the livelihood support for the people of Borno State. Armed Forces given marching orders — Lawan In his remarks, the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, who led the delegation, condoled with the government and Naira appreciates to N390.25 in I&E window By Elizabeth Adegbesan The naira yesterday appreciated to N390.25 per dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window. Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate of the window dropped by three naira to N390.25 kobo per dollar from N393.25 kobo per dollar last week Friday, indication three naira appreciation of the naira. However, the volume of dollars (turnover) traded on the window fell by 65 percent to $35.15 million from $100.52 million last week Friday. vanguardnews @vanguardnews @vanguardnews Why Nigeria's at mercy of terrorists — LAI MOHAMMED Presidential people of the state over the ugly incident. He informed the governor that President Muhammadu Buhari has asked him to assure the people of Borno of his commitment to fighting insurgency. Lawan added that the armed forces had been given marching orders to fight the insurgents wherever they were hiding. According to him, the Federal Government is intensifying bilateral cooperation to ensure insurgents have nowhere to hide when they are chased out of Nigeria. Buhari’s order to Armed Forces President Muhammadu Buhari has also given marching orders to the military to take the fight against terrorism to the Boko Haram insurgents on continuous basis until they are wiped out. This was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in Abuja. In the message, President Buhari expressed the condolences of the government and people of Nigeria and gave strong assurances of his continuous commitment to fighting insurgency and all forms of insecurity in Borno State and all over Nigeria. The President said he committed himself to making more resources available to the military to prosecute the war, adding that he would “work closely with neighbouring countries on bilateral and multilateral levels to ensure that there is no hiding place for the terrorists.” He said further: “Nothing is more important than ensuring the security of lives and property of the people. Everything is secondary when security is at a stake. “As we mourn the loss of our sons in Zabarmari, the Armed Forces have been given the marching order to take the fight to the insurgents, not on a one-off, but on a continuous basis until we root out the terrorists.” President Buhari commended Governor Babagana Zulum for his leadership in running the affairs of the state Members of the delegation included the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello; the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Ali Pantami, and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri. Other members were the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu. The delegation was received on arrival at the airport by Borno State Deputy Governor, Usman Gadafu. 43, not 110 killed, says DHQ In a related development, the Military High Command yesterday disputed the report by the United Nations that 110 civilians were killed by Boko Haram in Saturday’s massacre of farmers in the Jere Local Government Area of Borno State. Major-General John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, insisted that as at yesterday morning, 43 corpses were recovered from the scene of the incident at the Zabarmari area of the northeast state. Enenche, who spoke on Channels TV breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, said the troops counted the corpses together with the locals and that 43 deaths were recorded. “I knew it (the issue) is going to come up, particularly because it is coming from the United Nations and not a source that does not want to be identified. This is a source that has identified itself that a 110 specifically (were murdered).” Disclosing that he personally contacted the field commanders on ground, Enenche said: “They gave me a synopsis of what happened. When the governor was to go (to the scene) and after they had recovered the dead, the troops had to move in there and counted 43. “Of course, some people ran into the bush and they started coming back. As at 2pm on Sunday, I called them and they got back to me at about 7pm, still counting, looking if they will recover more corpses. We call it Exploitation after Action Review,” he said. Noting that the search for more remains of victims was still on, Enenche insisted that 43 corpses were retrieved from the scene as of yesterday. He stated further: “Probably we may count up to the figure he (Kallon) gave in the future but as it is now, what we have counted with the locals is still 43 and we are hoping that we don’t get beyond that. “This is the real situation. I did not sleep; we had to follow it because this is very relevant coming from the United Nations.” The Defence spokesman also said the military is Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 — 41 NEWS HOTLINES 018773962, 08052867058 PRESENTATION TO CORPS MEMBERS —Director-General, NYSC, Brig.- Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim making presentation to Corps members, during the closing of Orientation for the 2020 Batch 'B' Stream 1A Corps members at Nasarawa State Orientation Camp in Keffi, yesterday. Photo: NAN. worried about the trend of some locals in the North-East declining to provide useful information to security agencies. He said: “That has been our worry. It’s a concern to us. You need a guide, you need information. Will they tell us? That’s a question that we have to ask. Yes, sometimes. And most times, no. “That was one of the issues we have been trying to overcome, with civil-military cooperation activities, reaching out to them, even sending people by proxy to talk to them. “Those are the things that have been one of the banes of the final success in the whole of this operation. Our patrols will pass through a route in a village, by the time you are going, some people are looking at you. When you are coming back, the next thing is that you meet an IED planted on the road. “People see them, they won’t tell you. So that’s the area I think we are all working together as stakeholders. It is not possible to force information out of people. It’s not possible, just like they say you can force a horse to the river, but can’t force it to drink water. “So all we are trying to do is to build up their confidence in the system and encourage them that look, this is not good for you.” Asked what the military’s position was on the issue of refreshing the military top hierarchy, Enenche declined to respond. “You are not being fair to me, asking me that question about change of service chiefs. It is beyond me,” he said. Securitymen sell weapons to Boko Haram — Duke Also commenting on the killings in Borno, former governor of Cross Rivers State, Donald Duke, alleged that security operatives sell weapons to Boko Haram. Duke, who made the allegation on Channels Television programme on Sunday night, said there was need to investigate the source of the insurgents arms and ammunition. Noting that most of the weaponry used by Boko Haram come from military armoury, Duke said: “Most of the weaponry used by Boko Haram come from our armoury. We will need to look into that. Why are we selling weapons to the enemy?” Duke said there was need for a “complete revamp of our security network” to avoid losing the country. He said there should be police presence every five kilometres, adding that their “presence is a deterrent”. The ex-governor said graduates who could think like perpetrators of crime should be recruited into the force to improve intelligencegathering, and asked the Federal Government to train and motivate policemen and soldiers fighting the insurgents. “The level of people we bring into the force is a bit too low. Crime is a lot more sophisticated than that. We need people who can think alongside the perpetrators of the crime. We need to up the ante and train them and motivate them. There has to be an insurance scheme to look after them. “Motivate the soldiers in the North-East. I think they are under-motivated. We need to task them on intelligence gathering. More of intelligence than firepower. “On the other front, by now, we need to develop a strategy on kidnapping. Are the police properly motivated? I doubt it, and they don’t have enough weaponry,” he said. Wake up, Senate Minority Caucus tells FG Similarly, the Senate Minority caucus yesterday called on the federal government to wake up in the fight against Boko Haram, banditry and kidnapping all over the country. According to the caucus, the time has come for the Federal Government to take decisive action and review its strategy. In a statement by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South), the caucus expressed deep sadness over the gruesome killings of rice farmers in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents. The statement read: “We are horrified that our people, particularly the farmers who are toiling tirelessly to sustain the nation’s food security have always become the target of the insurgents. “This is so horrendous and heart-wrenching and, of course, the unmindful slaughter of our people in such dastardly manner is becoming way too many. “It’s embarrassing to the country and calls to question the government’s strategy and capacity to tame the rising wave of insurgency and banditry ravaging a large swathe of our dear nation, particularly in the Northern region. “It is no longer enough for the Presidency to always issue tepid statements by condemning attacks and daily killing of our citizens, saying now is the time to take decisive action and review its strategy since it seems the current one has failed woefully.” The caucus commiserated with the government and people of Borno State, while praying that God will console the families of the victims. US, EU condemn killings Reacting to the killings, the United States condemned it in the strongest terms, saying ‘’the United States offers our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed or kidnapped. “These abhorrent attacks are a stark reminder of why the United States stands with the Nigerian government and people as they fight to defeat terrorism and work to bring the perpetrators to justice. In his reaction, the European Union Foreign Policy and Security spokesperson, Mr Josep Borrell, condemned the killings. Borrel said on his Twitter handle: “Deeply shocked by yet another horrific attack targeting innocent civilians in the North-East of #Nigeria. “We have to continue our collective engagement against terror and violence to provide peace, security and stability for all people in Africa.”
42 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 AWARD: From left, Portfolio Manager, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, NB Plc., Kehinde Kadiri; Olajumoke Akinyele, Lead, Business, and Brand Management, Noah’s Ark; and Senior Brand Manager, Elohor Olumide-Awe during the 2020 Brand Communication Awards in Lagos. A'Ibom, World Bank begin work on N12bn erosion project across 17 communities By Harris Emanuel UYO—WORK has com menced in earnest on the N12 billion erosion project which cuts across 17 communities in three local government areas of the state, Commissioner for Environment and Petroleum Resources, Sir Charles Udoh has said. Apparently dubbed the ''IBB drainage project,'' the multibillion naira project has been in the pipeline for 15 years and Governor Udom Emmanuel's administration is undertaking the project in conjunction with the World Bank. Udoh said the verification process for the payment of compensations to property owners was ongoing and that the process would pass through four stages to authenticate the right property owners as recommended by the World Bank, adding that the contractor was already through with the site mapping. According to him, the excavation work would commence immediately the compensation process was done and gave the assurance that government would complete the project in record time and according to specifications. The project when completed would solve the problem of flooding which had ravaged the IBB Way and the adjoining streets in Uyo, communities in Nsit Ibom and Ibesikpo/Asutan local government areas of the state. He said, '' The IBB project is a project that cuts across 17 communities in three local government areas comprising underground and surface drains. The project traverses 7 kilometers and for you to start the project, you don't just go to excavate, you must start by doing what they call site mapping. And so mapping the site for 7 kilometers is not a day's job. It's something that takes a period of time because you are going to go across people's properties, people's houses and don't forget those houses you are going to demolish; you don't have rights until you pay them compensations ''The site mapping is ongoing and you might not see any physical activity yet. We have started the process of paying compensation and we are bench marking on World Bank standard and there are four steps of verifications of property before compensation is paid. Currently, we are doing that and if you understand that the project cuts across 17 communities, you would understand the number of persons who own properties, from crops to buildings and all kinds of structures including graves, you would know that it is a tedious process, because we don't want to pay compensation to wrong people. Lawmaker denies buying arms for Delta communal crisis • Asks IGP to investigate allegation, bring perpetrators to book ASABA—Leo Ogor rep resenting Isoko Federal Constituency of Delta State in the House of Representatives has debunked allegations that he bought the arms that were used in the conflict between two communities in his constituency. Reacting to allegations by the clan head of Oleh community in Isoko South Local Government Area that he armed the people of Ozoro in Isoko North Local Government Area, the former House majority leader dismissed the insinuation as untrue and baseless. The House member said it would be ridiculous for him to arm a community in his constituency against another community since all members of his federal constituency are his constituents. He accused the traditional ruler of Oleh, who made the allegation against him of ill-motives to drag his name into the crisis that he knows nothing about and challenged him to prove his allegations by showing whatever links he has to the protagonists of the Ozoro- Oleh crisis or role he played in the communal crisis. Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the lawmaker appealed to the inspector general of police and the state commissioner of police to wade into the matter by in- vestigating the allegations made by the Oleh traditional ruler, including looking into the communal crisis with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice. He said: "I represent the Isoko people, they are all my constituents. I want to call on the inspector general of police and the Delta State police commissioner to come into the matter and bring it to a logical end. "The culprits must be arrested and brought to book. I am absolutely, disgusted with the allegations made by the Oleh clan head that I bought arms for anyone to kill people of my constituency. "I am disturbed by the killings. We need to do everything possible to restore peace and end the crisis. It's abnormal for the Oleh clan head to accuse me of arming one community all because I live in Ozoro. The matter must be properly investigated." Rivers approves N2bn for 2021 LGA polls By Davies Iheamnachor PORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State Executive Council has approved the sum of N2 billion for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RESIEC, for the conduct of the 2021 local government elections in the state. The council also approved a budget proposal of N478,660,773.476 for state for 2021 fiscal year. The approvals were given at the council meeting presided over by the State Governor, Nyesom Wike at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, according to a statement by the Special Assistant on the Governor on Media, Kelvin Ebiri. The Commissioner of Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, said '' So, it is step by step. And every beneficiary must go through the four steps processes. We would not pay you until you go through the four steps processes. So, work is ongoing. You remember His Excellency announced to the people in one of his statewide broadcasts that work has started on the project." the council approved budget for use by RSIEC, stating that the budget would enable the State electoral umpire to conduct the 2021 Local Government election in the State. Nsirim said a total sum of N2,747,351,405.13 was approved for RSIEC, to be used in conducting the local government election in line with 1999 constitution as amended. The Information Commissioner said the council also approved the construction of a new motor park within the precinct of the newly commissioned Rebisi Flyover, which is intended to curb activities of illegal park operators in that axis. He said: "This is in line with the urban renewal vision of His Excellency. Recall that the new Rebisi Flyover Bridge that was commissioned a few weeks ago Waltersmith, UNIDO, UNECA, sign pact for devt of Inustrial Park L AGOS—WALTER SMITH Petroman Oil Company Limited, a leading Nigerian independent integrated energy company and Operator of the Ibigwe Field within OML 16, yesterday announced the signing of a Technical Support Agreement, TSA, with United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UNECA, for the development of an Energy Innovation Park (Industrial Park). The TSA represents the terms and conditions that will guide the development and actualization of Waltersmith’s Industrial park which will also be situated in Ibigwe-the company’s commercial hub and location of its recently commissioned 5,000bpd modular refinery. The Industrial Park (which when constructed will be the first of its kind in Nigeria) is expected to attract petrochemical, pharmaceutical, plastics, research and other light manufacturing companies that feed primarily off the hydrocarbon has changed the landscape and skyline in that vicinity. "And to ensure that the illegal motor park around the flyover does not deface the aesthetics that have been achieved, government is acquiring land near the flyover bridge to build a befitting motor park for them." Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Isaac Kamalu, according to the statement said the proposed budgetary estimate of N478bn would help government to complete all ongoing projects in the state and enable the government to better the lives of people of the state. Mr Kamalu, who is also supervising the affairs of the State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, said the council also approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework for the State for 2021- 2023. value chain. In order to achieve this, Waltersmith intends to invest heavily in electricity and world class industrial park infrastructure and power in order for manufacturing companies to co-locate in Ibigwe and have direct access to their raw materials from its refinery and petrochemical activities. Speaking on the significance of the signature ceremony and the Industrial Park development, Abdulrazaq Isa, Chairman Waltersmith Group, said: “This signing ceremony essentially flags off the industrial park development and we are excited about the technical support UNIDO and UNECA are willing to provide to Waltersmith as this will help us attract several companies to the park area. Our goal is to create an industrial cluster in Ibigwe and help reduce manufacturing costs, position the South-Eastern region as a major manufacturing hub and take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement which the Nigerian Government has currently signed on.” Seplat trains 100 teachers in Delta, Edo with STEP initiative By Ozioruva Aliu BENIN CITY—SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company has trained 100 teachers from Edo and Delta states to improve their efficiency and in turn translate to their students tagged Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme. The first phase of the programme lasted five days which was a residential workshop introductory phase that heralded a six-month programme that would train the teachers on teaching applications for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) as well as leadership and self-improvement training. The training continues online over six months with Teachers receiving customized training modules on efficient pedagogical methods. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Roger Brown, who was represented by the General Manager, External Affairs and Communications of the company, Dr Chioma Nwachukwu said 43 Chief Inspectors of Education from the two states also benefited from the training and that 75 of the teachers were from public schools and that the training was offered through the Company’s CSR initiatives. ICAN Lagos installs Nwokejiobi as 18th chairman By Gabriel Olawale LAGOS—THE Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, ICAN Lagos and District Society has installed the Director-General of Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Mrs. Constance Nwokejiobi as its 18th Chairman while announcing the Oniru of Iru Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Abdulwasiu Lawal as the Grand Patron. Speaking during the investiture in Lagos, ICAN President, Mrs. Onome Adewuyi urged the newly executives to partner with the government to redefine national values, economic priorities and resource utilization strategies such that the mass of the citizenry can be lifted out of avoidable poverty. Adewuyi who was represented by the 2nd Deputy Vice President, Dr Innocent Okwuosa said that they should leverage their professional expertise to support players in the informal sector, whose unsung value-creating activities will define the position of the nation on the ladder of sustainable development. “The new exco should please prioritize the capacity development trainings for members and uphold the highest ethical standards of business conduct. In her acceptance speech, Constance said that they understand the need to thoughtfully train members to be abreast with the changes in the economies while protecting the ethics of the profession and addressing the impacts of rising financial trends in Nigeria and global changes within this period.
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01122020 - Why Nigeria's at mercy of terrorists — LAI MOHAMMED

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