20022021 - INSECURITY Give us state police now - Govs

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26 — SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 CALL ON UNARMED NIGERIANS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES: Magashi, defence minister under fire •He should’ve been fired by now – Gbagi, HM Ayemi-Botu, HRM Whiskey •YCE, Afenifere, Agbekoya blast him •Magashi said nothing wrong - Brig-Gen. Ikponmwen (retd) By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South; Dapo Akinrefon & Rotimi Ojomoyela MINISTER of Defence, General Bashir Magashi, faced barrage of criticisms, weekend, over his proclamation that weaponless Nigerians should defend themselves against bandits. Angry reactions have continued to trail the remarks credited to the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd) asking Nigerians to defend themselves whenever they were attacked by bandits and other criminal elements. The Minister of Defence, while reacting to the kidnap of students in Niger State had tasked Nigerians to defend themselves. In their separate reactions, the Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and Agbekoya Farmers’ Association, yesterday, berated the minister over his remarks. •Magashi His statement is embarrassing —YCE The Secretary General of the YCE, Dr. Kunle Olajide, said, “I’m not happy about it at all, because the Minister of Defence is supposed to be the Chief Defence Officer for all Nigerians and the territorial integrity of the country and if he now calls all us to rise up and defend ourselves it means that he is throwing up his hands in despair, that he can no longer protect us and that the government is no longer interested in protecting us. So anybody who wants to live should find other means of protecting himself or herself. And that is particularly more embarrassing in a country where it is unlawful to purchase and carry fire arms. So, he is literally calling on Nigerians to violate the law of this country and go and look for fire arms anywhere they can get it to protect themselves. “It is as if there is no government in place, I have been expecting our legislators, both at the state and national level, and our governors to rise up and challenge him and call the attention of the president to such statement which is an abdication of responsibility.” Should we attack with bare hands against AK-47? —Afenifere In its own reaction, the Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, lampooned the minister for making such remarks. Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin said: “We are not impressed with that deception. To defend ourselves with bare hands against AK47? When the people are ready, they will see.” It’s a licence to carry firearms — Agbekoya Farmers’ Society Also, the Agbekoya Farmers Society, said such remark has given Nigerians licence to carry fire arms. Agbekoya’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Adetunji Bandele said: “The position of Agbekoya on this is that, the government and security agencies in Nigeria have lost the battle against insurgency, banditry and kidnapping. The minister of defense has given green light to Nigerians to carry fire arms and weapons to defend themselves. Such a statement coming out from the minister of defense is an indication that the federal government is supporting the criminal Fulani herdsmen to carry AK47.” It’s official endorsement of self defence—S-West security stakeholders On its part, the South-West Security Stakeholders said the minister’s statement was an official endorsement of self-defence. In a communique issued after its security summit, which was convened by the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba Land, Iba Gani Adams, the summit faulted the minister’s remarks. The summit was attended by members of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Agbekoya, Hunters Group, Isokan Ile Yoruba, Vigilante Group of Nigeria (JAHUN), Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Ibarapa Group and Community Society Awareness Initiative. According to their communique, “the meeting noted the exasperation inherent in the statement of the Minister of Defence of the nation calling on Nigerians to defend themselves. This is clearly official endorsement of self defence. The meeting feared that the situation, if not addressed, signals a grievous national crisis. The meeting therefore called on the government to quickly arrest the apparent descent into anarchy. “The meeting aligned with the call of the governors of South West that President Muhammadu Buhari should prove his innocence in the carnage being perpetrated by herders by not only unambiguously condemning the nefarious acts but also take clear steps to exterminate it. Defence minister should’ve lost his job by now – Gbagi Criminologist and former Minister of State (Education), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, expressed surprise at the implication of the minister’s declaration just as a retired military officer and paramount ruler of Seimbiri Kingdom, Delta State, HM Charles Ayemi- Botu found the proclamation unacceptable. However, former Provost Marshal, Nigerian Army, Brig Gen Don Idada Ikponmwen (retd.) said the minister should not be crucified for voicing the palpable truth. Olorogun Gbagi who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on phone, said: “Asking Nigerians to defend themselves, my immediate reaction is that could that actually have come from the Minister of Defence of Nigeria, will that automatically not remove him from that office by any standard of measurement in the world. Is it possible for a man who is supposed to be coordinating the agencies of security in the country to make such a statement. That statement by itself is disturbing to the diplomatic world, disturbing to investors, disturbing to people that have any reason to have anything to do with this country, disturbing to what the flag represents to the entire fabric of this country. “I find it unacceptable and unbelievable that the Minister of Defence can ask Nigerians to handle their own security by themselves. It is a grand failure, accepting that that nation has collapsed and indication that there is no more government.” “If the Minister of Defence made that statement, it is a serious confirmation of what The minister of defense has given green light to Nigerians to carry fire arms and weapons to defend themselves people like General Theophilus Danjuma (retd), Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state and people all over the country have said, even President Muhammadu Buhari alluded partially to it. But coming from the Defence Minister, it speaks volume not just to Nigerians but the entire world. Anarchy is what has been spelt out as the position we find ourselves in the country. “As a criminologist, I am disturbed that a statement such as this is credited to the defence minister of the federal government, I think this calls for serious discussion and to go to the drawing board - as to where we got it wrong, as to who are benefiting from these hoodlums, as to who are taking advantage of the country and its resources and creating this mayhem. As I said five years ago, I do not see why the military apparatus should not move to exterminate this mess we have found ourselves. But for the defence minister to accept, which again is a blatant truth of the situation on ground, we need to decide as a people where we go from here. The man whose duty to protect us has spoken, we have to decide as people and as a country whatever it will take for us to go forward,” he said. Resign or be sacked – HM Ayemi-Botu Retired army officer, HRM Ayemi-Botu, said: “The Minister of Defence has made total mockery of himself and the President who appointed him as Defence Minister and the entire nation that he is incapable and not qualified to be appointed to such sensitive and very important ministry.” “No wonder the entire security architecture in Nigeria has failed or better still collapsed. To tell Nigerians to defend themselves is a clear demonstration that he has surrendered the country to the insurgents and he should resign immediately if Buhari does not sack him within the next 24 hours. “It is very shameful for this unguarded statement coming from the minister, taking into cognizance the numerous deaths recorded on a daily basis and the security situation that is at the brink of collapse and the Senate asking the President to declare a state of emergency. But the question that is begging for answer is where is the National Security Adviser? In developed countries when the service chiefs were shown the way out, both the Minister of Defence and the National Security Adviser would have equally been sacked. But ‘Baba Go Slow’ is taking his time until the entire country is invaded, overrun and overwhelmed by the tripod of Boko Haram, combined team of foreign and indigenous Fulani killerherdsmen and bandits unabatedly rampaging, raiding, kidnapping, taking hostage innocent students who are our future leaders throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria,” the monarch added. Govt should issue firearm license to Nigerians - HRM Whiskey Security advocate, HRM Whiskey informed Saturday Vanguard that: “The statement by the defence minister has more security implication on the general security architecture of the nation. Firstly, is the defence minister accepting that our security operatives have been overwhelmed by bandits? Or is he advocating for individual arms for defenseless Nigerians who are being killed like chickens in their farms?” “If the two questions have affirmative answers, then let government start the issuance of permit for guns ownership. On the other hand, if the defence minister is encouraging our populace to defend themselves without arms against heavily armed bandits, then he must be encouraging our unarmed Nigerians to embark on a suicidal mission which will result in a journey of return. “The country must now sit down and review the general security architecture of the country as evidence are now available that most of these deadly bandits are foreigners and if that is correct, the Federal Government must rise swiftly and deal decisively with all foreign bandits and their collaborators so that Nigeria and Nigerians will enjoy their peaceful life once again,” the monarch stated. We are not in state of hopelessness – Ikponmwen, ex-Army Provost Marshal Brig- Gen Ikponmwen, who is also a lawyer asserted: “I would like to start by saying that this is not the first time in recent times that pronouncement such as this has been made. Gen Danjuma once spoke in the same vein. His statement was applauded by some people while others criticized him. Now, the follow up question is how and when did we get to this point of apparent breakdown of security? One cannot proffer answer to this poser without first having a meaningful appraisal of the right to selfdefense on one hand and the doctrine of social contract on the other hand. Right to selfdefense can simply be defined as the right to prevent being a victim of force or violence through the use of a sufficient level of counteracting force or violence. It is an inherent right to use force in response to an armed attack. Originally, there was no restriction to anybody’s effort to defend his life and property. “So it was until the advent of social contract doctrine which concept originated during the age of enlightenment and usually concerned the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. Social contract arguments typically posit that individuals have consented either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to a central authority in exchange for protection of their remaining rights for the maintenance of social order.
Trade Ministr try to support t SMEs as more than 700 benefit from P&G, BoI Academy Stories by Moses Nosike he Federal Ministry of industry, T Trade and Investment (FMITI) said it is committed to providing Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) the required support and trainings as over 700 (SMEs) benefit from the P&G-BoI SME Academy. Speaking, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who delivered the keynote address at the webinar program titled: ‘SME Development and Growth as a Precursor to Nation Building’ said: “The Federal Government believes wholeheartedly that SMEs are the bedrock of the economy and we are constantly aiming to support innovations that can help SMEs grow and in turn groom the economy and provide job opportunities. The government has been working diligently and creatively on engaging the most vulnerable businesses especially during this current crisis. We thank P&G and BoI for this proactive initiative In order to bring about the desired social values of human life and build the Nigerian children to a responsible adults, Indian Christian Congregation has initiated a charity outreach of its ministry, ‘Abraham Children’ as an avenue to the Nigerian child especially the most needy ones among us. According to the General Overseer, Indian Christian Congregation, Santhosh Abraham, Abrahams Children is an initiative which was developed as part of the charity outreach ministry of the Indian Christian Congregation. “The purpose of this programme was to partially support needy Nigerian children between the age group of 4 and 14 to provide sound Biblical and social values of human life and build them up as responsible adults who can contribute to the future of Nigeria. We are also open to work as a channel of blessings for some overseas ministries who would like to contribute into the lives of such needy Nigerian children. On how ICC initiated ‘Abraham Children’, Santhosh said, “In 2020 designed to ensure a better Nigeria”. In addition, the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo reiterated the need to create a favorable business environment for SMEs in Nigeria: “The FMITI is committed to providing SMEs the required support and trainings needed to Do Nigerians really have money in Pension? There is a popular misconception about saving for the future, particularly through pension schemes. Those who save for the future start to count their lose at the point of making those savings giving a number of factors, hence, it is a wise decision to rather invest for the future. According to a real estate investment Analyst, Munachino Obinna eze this article is to enlighten Nigerians on finance and value of money saved or sometimes invested. “I will start this article by talking about pension savings, how it works, its stated benefits and the negative part which you are yet to be informed about. Even though I don’t like talking about the negative aspect of a subject, on the contrary, it is important to make smart decisions. More certainly, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. As people develop through their lifetime they have an expectation that a time will come when they will have to retire. For some people, pension is sufficient to provide a basic level of income. Results from research studies revealed that complete retirement leads to a 5-16 percent increase in difficulties associated with mobility •Fourth from right is James Useghan with friends at the media lauch of his book; ‘The Competent Youth’ recently in Lagos. •Munachino Obinna Eze and daily activities, a 5-6 percent increase in illness conditions, and 6-9 percent decline in mental health, over an average postretirement period of six years”. Eze said that it is expected that when people retire they will experience a reduction in income - a pension makes up for some of this loss of income upon retirement. “Pension schemes can provide protection in the form of lump sums for the pensioner or to his/her dependants in the event of death. In order to encourage pension schemes, governments provides tax relief on contributions made to pension schemes and the growth in their investments. Pension savings may lead to deeper and more efficient capital markets. Pension savings directly increase funds in capital markets available for private investment. In addition, deeper capital markets may lead to better allocation of capital, thereby improving overall efficiency and economic growth”. Continuing he said, “although these are some of the reasons and benefits of subscribing to pension plans. On the contrary, there are other things that you are not told. This is why at Muna Real Estate, our mission is your prosperity. We implore people to make wise investment decisions at earlier stages of their lives so as to avoid the huge mistakes most people do not even realize they are making and continue to make. We will review a few things: Control, Inflation and Depreciation. Control - Given that your pension will be invested in stocks and shares, there will be a fair bit of risk involved. Of course, if your pension investments do perform terribly for a while, the good news is that if you’re SATURDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 20, 2021—27 ICC initiates outreach ‘Abraham Children’ to develop, create values for Nigerian children •Abraham and wife happy with the Nigerian children as a result of the COVID 19 lockdowns all Nigerian schools were closed and many poor children were left without any formal education or access to any online education. Basic needs like food, shelter and clothing were also lacking. As part of our ‘Abraham Children’ of ICC outreach at awareness programme social responsibility, we decided to adopt 50 children from Orile area of Lagos and supported them”. Santhosh said also that to our surprise, there were almost a response of 1000 children who wanted to be part of this ministry. “Due to the social distancing terms we decided to call them in lots of 50 and start registering them into the Abraham’s Children programme. While registering we also conducted an awareness session about COVID 19 as well as the precautions needed consistently project their businesses in an upward trajectory. Remarking, the Managing Director, P&G Nigeria, Mr. Adil Farhat highlighted the need to continuously support SMEs in Nigeria as they have the potential of outrightly transform the country. Farhat added, “in line with the focus of Nigeria’s economic recovery and growth plan to drive industrialization and economic growth through globally competitive SMEs, P&G in collaboration with the FMITI and tanbic IBTC Bank PLC, a Ssubsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, has reaffirmed its commitment to the growth of Nigeria’s agriculture sector by supporting farmers and other players in the agricultural value chain. As the demands on agribusinesses change seasonally, the foremost financial institution provides financing solutions for agricultural enterprises to suit their requirements. These needs range from availability of resources,to farming equipment, as well as enhancement of seasonal cashflow, amongst others. The bank offers various lowinterest credit facilities across the agricultural sector that will help clients to cushion the impacts of the to safeguard themselves during this pandemic time. All registered children were provided with facemask and a bag of rice too”. Continuing, Santhosh told the media that ICC has already registered 1000 children into this programme tagged ABRAHAMS’ CHILDREN. And all registered children will be given a certificate. “After this we would be in constant touch with the children, praying for them and providing them moral and spiritual values”. However, we will be monitoring their educational progress and also support the best students for their educational needs. “Along with this we would be supporting them in their psychological, medical and welfare needs. If you want to know more about this programme or want to be a part of this initiative, contact us. He further said that Indian Christian Congregation also organizes outreach programmes to Orphanages, Old Age Homes, Prisons and the unreached. “There is no greater privilege than to be a blessing to others and to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the needy”. still far off retirement, there’s plenty of time for those investments to bounce back. What’s more, you will be able to acquire more shares for your money in a falling market. So, this may work to your advantage, but if you are approaching retirement and your pension scheme is performing badly, it can be extremely worrisome. That said, most pension schemes use ‘life styling’ – a process where your pension money is automatically moved out of shares and into a lower risk investment such as fixed interest bonds and/or cash as you come closer to retirement age. One of the biggest fears is also misappropriation of funds and terrible investment decisions made by those who control or have access to pension funds. The big question is: do you have control over this pension fund? The sad answer is NO. Inflation on the other hand increases the price of goods and services over time, effectively decreasing the number of goods and services you can buy with money in the future as opposed to that same amount of money today. If your earnings remain the same the BoI launched the SME Academy to improve their standard, ensure longevity, and facilitate integration into global value chains. Contributing, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of BoI, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, in his presentation reiterated the importance of the SME Academy especially during this challenging economic situation across the globe. “The maiden edition was held in October 2019. This second edition and first virtual event has been expanded to incorporate structured trainings. Stanbic IBTC boosts Nigeria’s agriculture sector with low-interest loans Covid-19 pandemic Speaking on this, Head, Agribusiness, Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, Wole Oshin, said that the agribusiness financial solution is geared towards ensuring that players in the agriculture space are not hindered by lack of finance. He said: “The Bank’s suite of agribusiness solutionsminimises risks, ensures maximum control and optimises profits associated with international trade by making transactions smoother, simpler and safer for all parties involved.Some benefits of the Stanbic IBTC Agribusiness Finance include: availability of gap-funding for unforeseen financial needs, maintenance of cashflow and flexibility of repayment terms based on the type of funding. This facility is also versatile and can be utilised for funding resources, vehicles and farming equipment.” U.S. supports Nigeria Dairy Industr try, , set to train stakeholders T he first shipment of pregnant Jersey breed dairy cows from the United States arrived at the Ikun Dairy Farm in Ekiti State. Ikun Dairy Farm, a joint venture between Promasidor Nigeria Limited and Ekiti State Government plan to produce 10,000 liters of milk daily and will take delivery of two additional shipments of dairy cows from the United States over the next couple of weeks. These shipments will provide a better breed of cow for the rapidly growing Nigerian dairy industry, helping to diversify the Nigerian economy. Gerald Smith, Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Mission to Nigeria noted that introduction of U.S. dairy cows will boost local milk production and contribute significantly to ensuring sustainable food security in Nigeria. Smith explained that the successful cattle shipment was as a result of the strong partnership between the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Mission in Read more on www.vanguardngr.com but inflation causes the prices of goods and services to increase over time, it will take a larger percentage of your income to purchase the same good or service in the future. So, for example, if an apple costs $1 today, it is possible that it could cost $2 for the same apple one year from today. This effectively decreases the time value of money, since it will cost twice as much to purchase the same product in the future. To mitigate this decrease in the time value of money, you can invest the money available to you today at a rate equal to or higher than the rate of inflation. Another big question is: the annual interest on pension, is it higher or lower than the annual inflation in the market? The sad answer is NO. We will now take a look at time value of money and see how Depreciation sneaks into the equation. Read more on www.vanguardngr.com Munachino Obinna Eze is a real estate investment Analyst with a track record of multiple property investments for clients and himself in various countries.
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20022021 - INSECURITY Give us state police now - Govs

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