27062021 - Kaduna, Borno, Niger, Benue strruggle over 3 million IDP

PAGE 4—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JUNE 27, 2021
Okowa urges state legislators to pass amendment bill
By Festus Ahon
Governor
Ifeanyi
Okowa of Delta State
has appealed the State
Houses of Assembly to ensure
the passage of Constitutional
Amendment Bill when
sent to them by the National
Assembly.
Okowa made this appeal
when he received the Conference
of Speakers of State
Legislatures in Nigeria, led
by the Speaker of Bauchi
State House of Assembly, Mr.
Abubakar Suleiman, at Government
House, Asaba, on
Friday.
He said the onus was on the
states’ legislatures to pass the
constitutional amendments
in the interest of the people
stressing that the nation was
in dire need of the amendments
to provide equity, justice
and fairness.
The governor, meanwhile,
called for appropriate consultations
between the executive
and legislative arms of government.
He stated this in a
keynote address at the second
quarter meeting of the Conference
of Speakers of State
Legislatures, held in Asaba.
From left: Group CEO, Seal Group, Tonya Lawani; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin
Obaseki; the CEO, Seal Energy and Investments Mrs. Jessica Lawani Ine, and the Special
Adviser to the Governor, Strategic Planning and Programme Management, Dr. Uyi Malaka,
at the launch of The Quick Print Shop and official unveiling of the Girl Child Empowerment
Initiative in Benin City, yesterday.
BORNO HOTEL SHOOTING TRAINING:
Gov Zulum suspends French NGO
By Ndahi Marama,
Maiduguri
Borno Governor, Profes
sor Babagana Umara
Zulum, has directed the immediate
suspension of an international
non-governmental
organization (iNGO) following
yesterday’s allegation
that the humanitarian iNGO
was using a hotel in Maiduguri
for training some persons
in shooting.
Zulum’s spokesman,
Malam Isa Gusau, who announced
the directive, said a
French iNGO was found using
toy guns and simulators
in training exercises at a hotel
located off Circular Road
in Maiduguri.
Gusau explained that residents
near the hotel had reported
to officials that they
were hearing sounds of gunshots
from the hotel, following
which government officials
reported the matter to
GRA Divisional Police Headquarters
which oversees the
hotel’s location. The police
found three toy pistols at the
hotel while two trainers, both
Nigerians, were at the police
station with investigation going
on.
The statement said pending
the outcome of police investigation,
Zulum directed sealing
of the hotel and suspension
of the iNGO from any
humanitarian activity in
Borno.
Sunday Vanguard recalls
that there was public outcry
in Borno over the operations
of some iNGOs describing
them as Boko Haram collaborators.
Suspected Yahoo Boy dies in auto crash, one other
in coma after night clubbing
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Tragedy struck in the
early hours of yesterday
when a young man died and
one other in coma, following
a lone accident at Arida
Bus-Stop, along Isheri-
Ikotun Road, Old Alimosho
Local Government Area, Lagos
during downpour.
The deceased, simply identified
as Ibrahim, 21, and the
survivor, 25, were suspected
to be internet fraudsters,
popularly known as Yahoo
Boys.
An eyewitness, Mr. Joseph
Akpan, a security guard
around, said the accident
happened at about 3 am,
when the two were returning
from a club in the area.
The accident, which involved
a black Lexus Sport
Ultilty Vehicle, SUV, 350, with
unknown registration, was a
complete right off.
Ibrahim, who was driving
the vehicle on high speed reportedly,
died on the spot after
their vehicle rammed into
an electronic pole with great
impact.
It was gathered that the remains
of the victim were recovered
by family members
led by his mother, simply
identified as Alhaja, at about
10 am, several hours after the
accident occurred.
The other person involved
According to him, legislators
must have the necessary
support staff required to intelligently
interrogate policy
issues and proffer expert advice.
He said: “On the other
hand, the executive must also
have an assemblage of
knowledgeable liaison officers
well-grounded in the fine
art of political negotiation/
lobbying, which is an integral
part of democratic government.
When both arms imbibe
this culture of professionalism,
consultation and lobbying,
what you have is a
strong, credible partnership
that guarantees a stable polity
and excellent service delivery.
“The first step to building
sustainable partnership between
the executive and legislative
arms is for both organs
of government to work
with the consciousness that
separation of power is imperative
for good governance.”
The Chairman, Conference
of Speakers of State Legislatures,
Suleiman, said Delta
has become a reference
point in any discuss on financial
autonomy being the first
state to commence its implementation.
He maintained that the recent
nation wide strike embarked
upon by Parliamentary
Staff Association of Nigeria,
would not have occurred
if other State governors
were proactive to the
implementation of the financial
autonomy to the states
Houses of Assembly.
Deputy National Chairman
of the Conference of
Speakers of State Legislatures
and Speaker of Delta
State House of Assembly,
Chief Sheriff Oborevwori,
said state legislatures forum
was “an integral part of Nigeria’s
political architecture
and the primary duty of the
legislature at all levels is to
make laws and promote policies
for peace, order and
good governance.”
Drug abuse more dangerous than insurgency, banditry — Buhari
*Orders NDLEA to comb South-West, South-South forests
By Johnbosco
Agbakwuru
President Muhammadu
Buhari, yesterday, said
war against illicit drugs in
the country is deadlier than
the fight against insurgency,
banditry and other threats to
the stability of the country
because of the caliber of people
engaged in the business.
Buhari also directed the
National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency, NDLEA, to
comb all the forests in the
South-West and South-South
geopolitical zones to fish out
those involved in the cultivation
of some of these illicit
drugs.
The President spoke at the
launch of the War Against
Drug Abuse, WADA, an initiative
of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency,
NDLEA, in commemoration
of the United Nations International
Day Against Drug
Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking
2021.
The theme of this year’s celebration
is, Share Facts on
Drugs. Save Lives.
Buhari, who was Special
Guest of Honour at the
launch, also charged the
NDLEA to intensify efforts at
ridding the vast forests of the
South-West and South-South
of criminal elements, who
had made the places their
hideouts, from where they
launch criminal onslaughts
as well as for farming marijuana.
The President, who was
represented by the Secretary
to the Government of the Federation,
SGF, Boss Mustapha,
said: “I am directing the
NDLEA to develop a robust
risk-communication and
community engagement
strategy that will not only disseminate
the four pillars of
the plan to responsible entities,
but also deal with destroying
production sites and
laboratories, break the supply
chain, discourage drug
use and prosecute offenders
as well as traffickers, rehabilitate
addicts and enforcement
of relevant laws.
“I want to particularly
draw the attention of the agency
tot he fact that the use of
many of our forests as criminal
hideouts is because large
swathes of cannabis plantations
are hidden deep within
those forests, especially in the
South-West and the South-
South”.
in the crash, who is said to be
the owner of the SUV, was
immediately taken to a nearby
hospital in coma.
“They were driving in a
convoy on high speed to another
club when the driver
smashed the vehicle in a lone
crash”, Akpan said.
NANS supports bill to establish
National Paramilitary Academy
By Adesina Wahab
The National Association
of Nigerian Students,
NANS, has expressed support
for the bill that proposes the
establishment of a National
Paramilitary Academy, saying
it will help train more personnel
to fight insecurity in
the country.
The Chairman, NANS,
Ogun State Axis, Comrade
Adeyemi Samson Ajasa, who
stated this on Saturday, said
the bill, being sponsored by a
member of the House of Representatives,
Hon. Adekoya
Adesegun, was in the right direction.
He therefore urged the National
Assembly to give the
bill accelerated consideration
and passage.
“We like to acknowledge
here that the said bill as proposed
by Hon. Adekoya Adesegun
is absolutely brilliant
and its ultimate consideration
for passge by the National
Assembly will be of
great reward to the nation at
large, especially at this time
when insecurity is confronting
our dear country.
“The bill comprehensively
and exhaustively spells out
the many angles from which
its due considerstion and diligent
implementation will
add imeasurable value to our
nation”.
Enugu govt to build 750 houses for
civil servants
Governor Ifeanyi Ug
wuanyi of Enugu
State, yesterday, inspected the
ongoing Coal City View Satellite
Estate project in Enugu
being constructed for civil servants
by the Enugu State
Housing Development Corporation
(ESHDC) in partnership
with Alpha Mead
Development Company,
Mahfas Group and AG Mortgage
Bank.
The housing project, which
is located at the proximity of
New Market Bridge, Abor,
Enugu by Ugwu Onyeama,
according to the General
Manager of ESHDC, Hon.
Chukwuemelie Agu, comprises
750 units combination
of One-bedroom, Two-bedroom
and Three-bedroom
bungalows.
Hon. Agu disclosed that
housing scheme has a prolonged
repayment package
for civil servants.
He pointed out that the
project is in keeping with the
unflinching commitment of
Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration
towards providing quality
and affordable housing
for the middle and upper
middle class categories of the
people of Enugu State and
beyond.
INSECURITY: We need paradigm
shift, says AFRIPEACE
By Bashir Bello
Worried by the spate of
insecurity in the country,
a non-governmental organization,
Africa Initiative
for Peace Building Advocacy
and Advancement, AFRIP-
EACE, has called on community
leaders and organizations
not to allow violent
extremists find breeding
ground in their communities.
The group’s Program Officer,
Comfort Zawaya, made
the call during a peace building
capacity training for Civil
Society Organizations,
CSOs and community groups
held in Kano.
Zawaya said the capacity
building training was to equip
community-led organizations
and leaders to promptly
identify, track and manage
conflicts before it escalates
and called on the participants
to avert the recruitment tactics
of violent extremist
groups.
She stressed the need for
a paradigm shift from the old
way of top-bottom approach
to bottom-top approach
where the community takes
ownership of the process and
search for peaceful coexistence
in their various communities.
“Over time, it is observed
that most efforts being adopted
to resolve conflicts are
structured through a top to
bottom approach where in
most cases, everything is discussed
and finalized in Abuja
or at state government
houses and passed down to
the community.
Special health insurance for Oyo
orphans – Makinde
Governor ‘Seyi Mak
inde, yesterday, stated
that Oyo State government is
making efforts to institute a
special health insurance programme
for orphans across
the geopolitical zones of the
state.
The governor said this
while hosting orphanage
homes from across the state
at the Government House,
Agodi.
A statement by the Chief
Press Secretary to the governor,
Mr. Taiwo Adisa, stated
that the Makinde administration
will continue to give the
needed support to orphans in
the state.
Panic grips residents as oil pipeline leaks in Lagos
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Fear gripped the resi
dents of Ijeododo Road
in Alimosho Local Government
Area of Lagos, yesterday,
following a Premium
Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly,
called petrol, pipeline leakage
in the area.
The incident occurred in
the afternoon when some residents
noticed the leakage at
Igando enroute Ijeododo
Road and raised the alarm.
Eye witnesses account said
as soon as the leakage was
noticed after a downpour, the
residents in apparent fear
started running helter skelter.
The Director General, Lagos
State Emergency Management
Agency, LASEMA,
Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu,
confirmed the development.
He maintained that the
Oyo State Health Insurance
Agency (OYSHIA) will
promptly facilitate the special
programme, adding that
orphans would soon begin to
enjoy qualitative medical services
in the primary health
care centres nearest to them
by the time they are completed
Ṫhe governor said: “I have
listened to the list of your request
and can assure that we
will continue to support you.
“”Specifically on the medical
request, I will sit with
those in charge of insurance,
OYSHIA, and make sure
there is a special programme
for the orphanage homes.
“Because we have said there
must be a functional primary
health care centre in all the
wards in Oyo State within the
next few months, they are supposed
to be done with them.
So, you would not need to go
too far from the orphanage
homes to access very good
medical services”.