09012021 - Nigeria must stop paying ransom to kidnappers

6 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JANUARY 9, 2021
Police promotion bribery scandal:
Presidency orders probe
By Kingsley Omonobi -
Abuja
There are indications
that the Presidency has
ordered a probe into allegations
of bribery, corruption and
nepotism which were said to
have marred the recent lopsided
promotion of Commissioners
of Police by the Police
Service Commission (PSC).
The probe according to
sources followed petitions written
to the Presidency and National
Assembly members and
the Ministry of Police Affairs
by some senior police officers
who were allegedly bypassed
by the retired IGP Musiliu
Smith’s PSC during the promotion
exercise by circumventing
both Police and Civil Service
rules of elevation from the
ranks of Deputy Commissioners
and Commissioners of Police.
Sources told Vanguard that
even the Inspector General of
Police, IGP Muhammed Adamu
was not averse to the probe
and possible reversal of the
controversial promotion exercise
following the large-scale
grumbling it has generated
among senior police officers
and coming at a time the police
management team was still
working on ways to boost the
morale of police officers after
the destructive impact of the
recent #Endsars protests on
the force.
It will be recalled that the Pan-
Igbo Socio-Cultural Group,
and the Yoruba Socio-Cultural
group, Afenifere recently
voiced misgivings over the lopsided
and nepotism laden promotions
released by the PSC
wherein only one Commissioner
of Police from the South East
benefitted from the exercise.
Recall that 37 police officers
were promoted to their next
ranks about two weeks ago
with the North West Zone producing
12, North East Zone 8,
South West Zone 7, South
South Zone 5, North Central
Zone 4 and South East Zone
getting the least which is one.
Excerpts from the petition
reads, “”While we are not ruling
out crass nepotism in the
consideration of less qualified
officers for promotion, we are
however very convinced that
bribery and corruption played
much more defining role at
the PSC during the consideration
of officers for promotion”.
It said that “initially, on
December 19, 2020, the Police
Service Commission announced
the promotion of 29
Assistant Commissioners of
Police (ACP) to the rank of
Deputy Commissioners of Police
from a pool of 46 ACPs
due for promotion, who were
last promoted (to ACP) on September,
5. 2016” adding that
they were selected according
to their serial numbers to fill
the vacancies.
“‘After that announcement,
several ACPs were approached
to give bribe to be added to the
promotion list which they dismissed,
as it was believed that
the PSC had already completed
the process. The list was released
to the Police Force on t
December 24,2020 and it was
noticed that 37 ACPs (an additional
8) had been promoted.”
The petition noted that after
a careful examination of the
list, the following were observed:
“Earlier, the PSC reacted
in a statement entitled ‘Re-Police
Promotion: Ohaneze tells
FG to revisit exercise’ , the Police
Service Commission
claimed that the recent police
promotion was not based on
ethnic consideration.
According to the statement,
“the attention of the Police Service
Commission has been
drawn to comments credited
to the leadership of the OHAN-
EZE Ndigbo a pan Igbo Socio
Cultural group on the recent
promotions into different
offices of the Nigeria Police
Force and specifically as it affected
Promotions into the office
of Commissioners of Police.
The OHANEZE noted
that only one Igbo son was promoted
to the rank of CP in the
recent exercise and that all
Commissioners of Police in
the South East are Northerners.
Boko Haram: Air Task Force inflicts heavy
casualty on terrorists
By Kingsley Omonobi -
Abuja.
In continuation of air strikes
against Boko Haram terrorists
hideouts and camps in
the North East, fighter aircraft
of the Nigerian Airforce have
neutralized several high profile
targets and commanders of the
terrorists group in Sambisa forest
Ċoordinator, Defence Media
Operations, Major General
John Enenche made this known
on Friday saying the encounter
happened at Alargamo.
Enenche said, ‘The Air Task
Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya
Dole has inflicted heavy casualties
on Boko Haram Terrorists
(BHTs) in the Sambisa Forest
area of Borno State and taken
out their hideouts in Alagarno,
including a compound housing
some high-value BHT leaders.
The compound, concealed under
thick vegetation and located
2.3Km North East of Kafa,
was being used by the terrorists
to coordinate their nefarious activities.
“The destruction of the locations
was achieved through
multiple air strikes executed on
6 January 2021 as the ATF dispatched
appropriate force packages
of Nigerian Air Force
(NAF) fighter jets and attack helicopters
to engage the target
areas in day and night raids.
From left: Assistant Pastor in charge of Administration, Region 1, Pastor
Adebayo Adeyemo, Assistant General Overseer on Admin/Personnel, Pastor
Johnson Odesola, General Overseer, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye;
his wife, Pastor Folu Adeboye and Pastor Rachael Odesola during the
launch of ground breaking ceremony of the new RCCG Coastline Worship
Centre, Ebute-Metta, Oyingbo, Lagos.
“The BHTs were spotted under
the dense vegetation of the
locations and the NAF attack
aircraft took turns in engaging
the targets, neutralizing several
of them. The Armed Forces
of Nigeria will not relent until
all enemies of the nation are neutralised
and normalcy is restored
to all troubled zones. “
Meanwhile, following recent
upsurge in kidnapping in Nasarawa
state, troops fighting banditry
in the North Central have
carried out a daring raid at a
kidnappers den, rescuing three
abducted victims and killing one
of the kidnappers in a shootout.
Coordinator,Defence Media
Operations, Major General
John Enenche stated this in Abuja
on Friday
He said, “Following actionable
and credible intelligence,
troops of Operation Whirl
Stroke, in the early hours of The
Thursday, 7th January 2021,
successfully staged a daring res-
Ijaw Youths tackle Akpabio on inauguration
of NDDC board
By Samuel Oyadongha,
Yenagoa
IJAW youths from the states
of the Niger Delta have described
as “deceitful” and “diversionary”
the comments attributed
to the Minister of Niger
Delta Affairs, Godswill
Akpabio, over the possible
constitution of a substantive
board of the Niger Delta Development
Commission
(NDDC) in April 2021 after the
forensic audit of the commission.
The Minister of Niger Delta
Affairs, Godswill Akpabio had
on Wednesday in Abuja while
receiving the interim report of
the commission from the forensic
auditors, insisted that
the appointment of a sole administrator
which had triggered
protests and uprising in
the region was ordered by the
court and not the Federal Government.
But reacting to the Minister’s
cue operation at Mararaba
Udege general area in Nasarawa
Local Government Area of
Nasarawa State, rescuing 3 kidnapped
persons and neutralizing
one armed bandit in the ensuing
firefight.
“The kidnapped victims were
subsequently reunited with their
respective families.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria
will not relent until all enemies
of the Country are neutralised
and normalcy is restored to
all troubled zones.”
comment, the National
Spokesman of the umbrella
body Ijaw Youth Council
(IYC) worldwide, Comrade
Ebilade Erekefe, on Friday in
Yenagoa, described the claim
as diversionary.
Students charged to emulate
worthy mentors
The Principal of Ronik
Comprehensive school, Ejigbo
Lagos, Mrs Victoria Duru
has charged the graduating
students at the school’s 23rd
valedictory ceremony to emulate
worthy mentors in order
to have good examples
to follow as they find their
way to the highest levels of
success in the society.
Mrs Duru also tasked
them to develop strong interest
in reading and embrace
honesty and humility.
Her words; “don’t be too
proud to apologise, invest in
positive relationship and
believe in yourself. If you can
keep to this advice you will
find yourself at the top”.
Mrs Duru thanked the
parents and the staff for ensuring
that the school recorded
significant achievements
during the session,
despite the difficult environment,
in which the nation
found itself arising from the
corona virus pandemic.
NIMC registration amid
COVID-19 irresponsible says
Afenifere
By Dapo Akinrefon
The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on
Friday, described the ongoing registration of Sim cards
in the midst of the strong second wave of COVID-19 as the
most irresponsible act of governance on display in the history
of the country.
In a statement by its National publicity Secretary, YinkaOdumakin,
the group said the move shows total disregard for
the lives of citizens to expose them to the vagaries of Coronavirus
without any form of protection under these terrible conditions.
The statement reads: “Officials of the National Identity
Management Commission, NIMC, who are currently on
strike have also complained that they have not been provided
the personal protective equipment and their allowances were
not being paid.
“It is so barbaric and archaic that Nigerians are being exposed
to these dangers which shows lack of critical thinking in
leadership when bodies like Google etc can manage whatever
information on people’s phones without having any contact
with the owners”.
The group challenges the government to respond to the
strong allegation by the President of the Association of the
Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NIMC unit, Asekokhai Lucky,
in an interview with a national newspaper that already the
virus had been detected in three officials of the agency at its
headquarters with the government doing a cover-up.
“He said the workers were annoyed because the management
of the commission was aware of the development, but
kept it from workers, who could have taken necessary precautions
to protect themselves.
The Federal Government had, on December 14, 2020, ordered
telecommunications firms to disconnect telephones lines
of subscribers who failed to link their National Identity Numbers
to their subscriber identification modules.
Sen. Akume has no beef with Sen.
Suswam, Governor Ortom, Tor Tiv -
Tsav — Ex Benue Speaker
*Allegations against him unfounded,
baseless
By Peter Duru, Makurdi
Former Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly
and Chairman of Benue Concerned Citizens for Development,
BCCD, Dr. Stephen Tsav, has said the Minister
for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs,
George Akume bears no grudge against Senator Gabriel
Suswam, Governor Samuel Ortom and the Tor Tiv
Prof. James Ayatse.
He stated that the leaders were working in synergy for
the good of Benue state contrary to an earlier pictured
painted by the Zone A Peoples’ Assembly, ZAPA, at a recent
media briefing.
Dr. Tsav in a statement for the BCCD yesterday in
Makurdi said the earlier statement by ZAPA claiming
that Senator Akume was fanning the embers of disunity
and crisis in the state as well as plotting the alienation of
the Benue North East district in the distribution of political
offices was baseless.
ZAPA had claimed that “Sen George Akume has taken
it as his pastime to ensure nobody from that part of the
state progresses to a reasonable status, or is counted
amongst critical leaders both in the state and at the central
government.”
BCCD in its reaction however said, “It is not clear to us
why ZAPA has chosen to flog a dead horse and reawakened
issues that the Tor Tiv, HRM Prof. James Ayatse
and all Zone A leaders have already put behind them
long ago.”
While insisting that the allegations raised by ZAPA were
completely unfounded, the BCCD explained that Senator
Akume had done more for the people of Benue North
East district than any other district in the state.
PDP Chieftain calls for review of
NBC codes
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former
Delta State gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke
has called for the review of the codes of Nigeria Broadcasting
Commission (NBC) in order to avoid bias against
private media houses.
Onuesoke who was speaking with newsmen in Asaba, Delta
State on alleged bias of NBC against private stations lamented
that the commission had derailed from its original
functions by serving as an agent of government thereby
beclouding its agenda of pluralism in the broadcast sector.
He explained that “in order to uphold democratic principles
in Nigeria, it would be pertinent to adopt the principles
of the libertarian theory by reviewing the Nigerian Broadcasting
Code and its application, and create an equal
competitive atmosphere for all and sundry. He added that
this will be in line with the international standard that
preaches against indecent content for equal opportunities
and the fairness doctrine.
He pointed out that the inability of NBC to exercise its
duties independently rested on the fact that only the president
has the power to issue licences and not the Commission,
stressing that the laws erroneously gave the Commission
too much powers making it a regulator and an
arbitrator which had made it to commit some fundamental
flaws that place the country far behind other
nations in terms of positive regulation.