It is enheartening that the Federal and State Governments are hearkening to our outcry: They have given nod to the establishment of state police. It is a decision that must be given bite immediately. It is quite a pity that it has taken such a shockingly long time to see that the solution to the insecurity bedeviling our land is the establishment of state police. Something so simple to see and so commonsensical to perceive! Because of the lackadaisical attitude of certain past leaders because they lived in a fortress, all manner of dare-devil criminals were less loose on the country. Citizens were and are still exposed to mindless attacks and destruction of properties. It will soon be 10 years since 276 Chibok school girls in Borno State were kidnapped; no fewer than 96 remain in captivity till date!

The sign of a renewed legislative thinking was foreshadowed in the House of Representatives agenda upon reconvening from its Christmas/end-of-year recess. Perturbed Speaker Tajudeen Abbas did state that the issue of security and the concomitant imperative of the establishment of state police would receive priority attention of the House. Within the last one week, the nation was driven to a fresh rude awakening causing alarm to warrant bringing the matter to the front burner again. A new wave of kidnapping began in Borno State when about 400 persons were kidnapped. It was followed by the abduction of 257 school children in one go in Kaduna State. And to muddle the situation, on Tuesday 60 more persons were kidnapped in the already menaced axis of Kajuru, bringing to more than 300 kidnapped in that state within a week. Sokoto lost 15 persons in the earlier wave of an attack in which two persons were killed. Consider the trauma and a feeling of helplessness of the little school children exposed to the elements and the psychological damage to them as well as the anguish of their parents.

With the Federal and State Governments now on the same page, it should go without emphasizing the fact that the National Assembly should realise that time is of the essence. The country can’t but recognize and agree it has a common enemy: insecurity. There is no part of the country that is not yearning for fresh air and the longing to be free from the menacing insecurity that holds the country firmly in its grips. They should permit no distractions, but speed up whatever processes are required to facilitate the establishment of State Police in the country. What I wrote barely two months ago on the subject following the Reps’ announcement to give new police architecture pressure necessary attention can bear restating in part as follows:

We should all applaud and support the House of Representatives in their rethinking of a new tier in police structure for our land. In the face of seeming intractable insecurity bedeviling the country, that certainly is the right step and it raises a great deal of hope. It would have been a height of insensitivity to look on, believing that the present security architecture is all there is to protect Nigerians from bandits, kidnappers and what have you. It is said that you cannot continue to do the same thing, over and over again, using the same method and expect a different result. It has been the same shibboleth, the same beaten track, the same old hat since the Yusuf Gobir Committee report which recommended one central policing system for the whole country whenever complaints arose about its inadequacy in ensuring security, law and order in the country. We have heard it repeatedly said and as much as practicable, done –that all that is needed is increased funding, training, and raising the numerical strength of the police under the current arrangement. But all that, as it has been clearly proven, has not given us the desired protection shield.

The Gobir committee was set up by General Aquiyi-Ironsi, but he did not live to see the report and implement it. The recommendations were passed to Gen. Gowon, his successor who gave them effect in August 1967. Regional police formations were abolished and swallowed by the federally-run Nigeria Police. Understandably, generals are raised under one command system. But why should the system subsist and tie the hands of states under a democratic order waving the federalism emblem going to 25 years come May?

Good enough, former President Babangida has had a rethink over the issue since he left office and this was brought to the open in 2010. Babangida said we cannot be detained in the past and watch civilization leave us behind. It is so obvious that the present centralised policing system has failed woefully; it is incapable of meeting our national security needs. Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo read the situation correctly as far back as 2018. In his words: “We cannot realistically police a country the size of Nigeria centrally from Abuja. State police and other community policing are the way to go.” And come to think of it. Professor Osinbajo was addressing the right audience, the Security Summit organized by the Senate! Disappointingly, in his accustomed obstinacy, President Buhari in pronouncement and body language was unimpressed by all the clamour for state police.

Today, several parts of the country are overrun by criminality and the governors have had to be grappling unceasingly with security challenges. On Christmas Eve, when Nigerians like others across the globe were naturally in a festive mood, terrorists went on an orgy of killing and destruction of property under the cover of darkness in some communities in Plateau State. At the end of the day, more than 200 were killed and more than 100 injured, some critically, in the attacks that lasted several hours. In the Federal Capital Territory, gunmen kidnapped six girls and their father on Tuesday, 09 January. The father was later released to go and find N60 million to pay as ransom for the freedom of his daughters with a timeline of last Friday, 12 January. Frantic appeals were made to Nigerians to donate whatever anyone could into a bank account. By Friday when the deadline elapsed and not enough money had been raised, one of the girls, the eldest and a 400-level student at Ahmadu Bello University, was killed by the abductors. But they did not stop there, they jerked up the sum to N100 million to save the remaining girls.
Senator Shehu Sani, the civil rights activist, commenting, said: “The gruesome murder of Nabeeha Al-Kaddriya is a condemnable act of evil before our very eyes. Her death was an avoidable tragedy. The perpetrators must be brought to justice. The deterioration of security within the Federal Capital should be a matter of urgent concern to our security services.”

Just last Sunday, according to reports, residents of Tse Jikina in Mbavuur, Logo Local government Area of Benue State, had almost all their houses burnt by unknown gunmen, leaving about 3,000 of them displaced. Their farm produce was set ablaze as well. In the same state, gunmen abducted the council chairman of Ukum Local Government Area, Haanongon Gideon, his personal aide, security detail, and driver. They were on their way to the burial of the traditional ruler of Katsina-Ala, Chief Fezaanga Wombo. Recently a vehicle carrying about 45 persons was forced to stop and it was feared that the passengers were kidnapped. This has been the trend largely and it is getting worse—what the ordinary citizens have been going through. Practically every day, someone, somewhere is being shot or kidnapped. Gunmen, marauders, bandits, kidnappers, cultists, and sundry criminals have for years been let loose, laying siege on the country with alarming impunity. In towns and villages most Nigerians go to bed with their eyes half-closed. People travel with bated breath, feeling relieved only when they reach their destination. Prayers are said at motor parks before drivers turn the ignition key to put their vehicles on the road. Schools have been invaded and their students carted away.

The worst-hit zones in terms of insecurity have been the North East, North West, and North-Central with North-West and North-Central taking over from the North-East where insurgents had held the country by the jugular. In the latter two, herdsmen, bandits, and kidnappers have swept through farmlands and rural communities in an orgy of bloodletting and maiming as well as the just-cited mindless destruction of property. It has been so clear, even to the blind to see and the deaf to hear, that the police have been overwhelmed. Daredevil gunmen have been known to take the battle to the police themselves. One night in 2018, seven policemen were shot dead while on duty at a checkpoint. The security situation was so bad at a stage that the then Governor of Zamfara State who doubled at the time as the chairman of the Governors’ Forum of that era, Mr. Abdullaziz Yari, that he threw up his hands in resignation! He washed his hands off being decorated as the chief security officer of his state. He saw his position as a joke. His argument was that he had no operational control over the police. The instruction of a governor may have to be forwarded by the state commissioner of police to his boss, the Inspector-General of Police, who may also wish to seek clearance from the President before it is carried out. The Nigeria Governors’ Forum under his leadership pressed for the establishment of state police. To show how serious the situation was, troops had to be called in in certain cases because the police were overwhelmed and had spread thin because their hands were full, facing challenges on several fronts at the same time.

The silver lining seems to be coming from the National Assembly when they reconvene at the end of this month, January. Their thinking is being reinforced by the reopening and dusting up of Nasir el-Rufai Committee Report being mulled by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling APC. The Deputy National Organizing Secretary, the Hon. Nze Chidi Duru, and a member of the NWC, said Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led foremost organ of the party was making internal moves to ensure the implementation of the el-Rufai Committee report. This is coming at the same time the pioneer chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, was pressing, with his weighty voice, for a new constitution to be patterned after the Independence Constitution used in the nation’s First Republic. According to him, that constitution was the best. “For example, in the 1960 Constitution, if you are a member of the National or State Assembly, you are a part-time. You go to your work; politics wasn’t work then. Farmers went to the farm, lawyers to their chambers; doctors to their hospitals…and when it was time for a meeting they went to the meeting and they paid them sitting allowance. Everybody knows that they are doing it in the interest of the public.” Chief Akande is not new to the subject of restructuring; he has written a well-received book on Restructuring.

A major plank on which the el-Rufai Committee report rests is devolution of power and restructuring of the country. The report left no one in doubt on the establishment of the state police which is an element in the restructuring for which the nation has been clamouring. Media reports quote Nze Chidi Duru as saying: “It has become an article of faith in the APC and for APC; in the ideology and philosophy of the party on the basis of which the current Administration campaigned. The issue of devolution of power and restructuring is clearly embedded in that report. “It is good for Nigeria, it will work for Nigerians and it will be best for Nigerians”.

I do hope the National Assembly will not dash our hope this time as it did in 2018. As I did state when I first dabbled into this discourse in 2018, it is so astonishing, to say the least, that we are just about to take this concrete step at addressing the grim security challenge in the land. In my criticism of President Buhari’s embarrassing cold attitude and incomprehensible obstinacy to the issue of state police when he was in the saddle, especially in the wake of killings in Plateau State and before then the massacre in Benue, I did ask: How many more people are we waiting to see killed before we become wise to apply the simplest and most commonsensical panacea: the establishment of state police? I said policing is local and that is how it is in all stable and secure free world. Newspapers have shouted themselves hoarse on the urgent need to set up state police. I will ask President Bola Tinubu the same question at the end of May. I want to believe that he knows that how he handles matters concerning the engine of public spending that has broken loose will be of tremendous interest to a great many when his honeymoon is over by June. The new normal today is to talk in billions and trillions of Naira and in a few cases in Dollars, too. No one talks in thousands of Naira any longer!

It is shocking that any group or individuals because they are in their comfort zone would still oppose the establishment of state police in this country in this day and age, especially given the grave situation of criminality and insecurity in the land. The situation is made much more frightening when the opposition is coming from public opinion leaders who are expected to be exposed, enlightened, and deep. These are leaders expected to consider where we are coming from, survey where we are, and, like prophets, look into the future and help chart a new course.
The face of government you encounter on the street in any community is the police. You see the police and there is the feeling of an assurance that all is well, that you are secure. It is not for nothing that the police authorities launch their sing-song: “The police is your friend”. The constitution says the governor is the chief security of his state. What this says to us is that there is a nexus between the police and the governor whose face the policeman symbolizes and by whose name he swears.

When former Vice-President Osinbajo spoke at the Security Summit organized by the Senate in 2018, he said: “The nature of our security challenge is complex. Securing Nigeria’s over 923, 768 square kilometres and its 180 million people requires continual re-engineering of our security architecture and strategies…” He said it had become difficult for the Federal Government to provide security for the country from Abuja in view of the fact that Nigeria had failed the United Nations requirement of a policeman to 400 people.”

There is hardly any federal state with diverse people that operates a centralized police system. Our experience is that there is no way it will not lead to acrimony and hostilities. If we have elected a federal republic, it means we have chosen what we think is good for us as a country of more than 500 nationalities as discovered by the 2014 National Conference–people with different cultures, aspirations, and worldviews. Policing is a veritable instrument of federalism for the federating units to run their affairs. As former Jonah Jang was wont to remind us: “We cannot be calling ourselves a federation and be running a unitary system of government. If we want to run a federal system of government we should run it properly. It is unfortunate that during the military of which I was a part we believed in a unitary system and any time we were in power, we ran a unitary system, and when we were trying to give the nation a constitution we ended up giving the nation a unitary constitution to be operated in a federal system of government. This is why nothing is working. So if we want to progress as a country we must restructure the country.”
Former Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Dickson, who is now fortunately in the Senate, corroborating Professor Osinbajo’s position, argued that the prevailing security situation and the need for an effective response to the challenge had made the establishment of state police mandatory. His conviction was anchored on the fact that the personnel would be drawn from the locality that makes up the state. Such personnel would be able to access valuable information required to track down criminals. He also agreed with Prof. Osinbajo that the current federally controlled police had become overstretched owing to the wide ratio of the police to the rapid increase in population. And former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Joseph Daodu in the heat of the debate, had said in all striking simplicity that state police is for law and order. Can anything be greater than simplicity? That statement says it all. In the living higher knowledge available to mankind on earth today, it is said that in simplicity lies greatness.
I had once reported former President Babangida as throwing his full weight behind the restructuring of the country, and listen to his clincher when he said: “Added to this desire, that is of restructuring, is the need to commence the process of having state police across the states of the Federation…the initial fears of state governors misusing the officers and men of the state police have become increasingly eliminated with renewed vigour in citizen’s participation in and confidence to interrogate power. We cannot be detained by those fears and allow civilization to leave us behind. We must as a people with one destiny and common agenda take decisions for the sake of posterity in our shared commitment to launch our country on the path of development and growth. Policing has become so sophisticated that we cannot continue to operate our old methods and expect different results.” On another occasion, he had said the claim of misuse of state police by the governors was unfounded and exaggerated.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has also thrown his weight behind the establishment of state police. I have gone this length to demonstrate the fact that we have never been short of literature on the imperative of state police and community policing. What is more, the police authority themselves have long recognised the necessity for some form of augmentation by way of community policing. In 2003, the Nigeria Police High Command sent some of its men to Britain to train in community policing.

The establishment of state police is not tantamount to the abolition of federal police. They will work collaboratively under guidelines on the distribution of responsibilities and duties. That should go without saying. The guidelines will safeguard any possibility of abuse such as taking away the appointment of members of the state police commission away from the governor. It can be done in such a way that members of the commission drawn largely from civil societies, religious organizations such as CAN, the Bar, ASUU and retired Justices will appoint their own successors endorsed by their respective organizations every 10 years, and also staggered in a way the appointment of any member will not begin or end with the tenure of any sitting governor. As I did state when I first dabbled into the debate some years back, there will always be ideas. We can always think outside the box, for where there is a will, as it is said, there must be a way.

What the Senate needs to do is just to exhume and dust up its decision of 2018 to pass a Bill for the establishment of state police. It will make easy a joint sitting of the two Houses with the House of Representatives now also ready to take the much-awaited decision on the matter. It will be a delusion to think that the country can make the desired progress without a rethinking of our policing architecture. I do not want to go into the clever security engineering by many of the governors as an indication and signal that they are roaring to go! A lot has been done in that area such as donating helicopters to the police by Lagos and giving them special incentives to work.

The Federal and State governments now deciding to create police should be commended. It raises hope of law and order which alone provides the enabling environment to grow the economy and for the generality of the citizenry to prosper. Above all is the necessity of having the knowledge of the dire consequences of lending a hand to evil, here or hereafter, whether as perpetrators or through negligence of duty.

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on March 13, 2024, directed the reopening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger. He also ordered the lifting of all sanctions, including commercial, financial and service transactions, like electricity.

He equally approved the lifting of financial and economic sanctions against the Republic of Guinea. These steps should open better opportunities for Nigeria which accounts for 70 per cent of the trade in the West African Region. But, unfortunately, Nigeria has no ambassador in either country that can drive the process. In fact, we have no single ambassador in the entire Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, a body over which President Tinubu presides.

President Tinubu engaged in a somewhat controversial state visit to Qatar from March 2-3, 2024. That was partly because the Qatari had initially turned down the holding of a business and investment forum on the margins of his visit, and also, for the number and composition of his 38-Member Delegation.

The visit was pulled-off and there were cooperation agreements in the fields of education, employment regulation, establishment of a joint business council and in the field of youths and sports.

The Nigerian Delegation returned to the country, leaving no ambassador to drive the follow-up process. This was because back on September 2, 2023, that is six months before, Nigeria had recalled all its ambassadors in the world except for those in the United Nations Missions in New York and Geneva. It means Nigeria cannot reap fully from the dozen foreign trips of President Tinubu in the nine months he has been in power.

Yes, there are charge d‘affaires. But which country takes a stand-in ambassador, serious enough, for business transactions realising he is standing in gap? A charge d‘affaires is like a regent waiting for the appointment and coronation of the actual king.

In my experience outside Nigeria, charge d‘affairs, at state functions, are arranged after ambassadors. They are outranked by ambassadors. So, a country without ambassadors cannot engage in serious diplomacy. My worry is that things are not about to change quickly because the process of having ambassadors in place can be quite slow.

There are those who may argue that in the internet age, countries do not really need physical ambassadors to sit in embassies. This they call E-Diplomacy, Cyber Diplomacy or Twitter Diplomacy –Diplomacy in 40 Characters.

This is, essentially, the use of technology and digital platforms like Facebook and Twitter (X) to run diplomacy, shape or influence foreign relations and, engage global audiences. The most famous or infamous user of Twitter Diplomacy is former President Donald Trump.

In its ‘Social media use by Donald Trump’ report, Wikipedia said: “Over nearly twelve years, Trump tweeted around 57,000 times, including about 8,000 times during the 2016 election campaign and over 25,000 times during his presidency. The White House said the tweets should be considered official statements. When Twitter banned Trump from the platform in January 2021 during the final days of his tenure, his handle @realDonaldTrump had over 88.9 million followers.”

Despite such power and, claims of some Presidents, to be their own foreign ministers and diplomats, the presence of ambassadors on ground is essential as it is a reflection of how you value a country. So, no matter how the power of E-Diplomacy is stretched, a country without ambassadors is like a void on the diplomatic stage.

The sack of all our ambassadors by each new administration without immediate replacement, as was done by the Buhari and Tinubu administrations, is unwise.

In our present case, the process of picking ambassadors is still on. After this, the nominees are to be screened by the Senate which presumably would have had the security report on each nominee. It is after clearance the nominees will undergo some induction course.

Then, the receiving country would decide whether to receive the new ambassador. This is usually a formality, but in some cases, countries reject ambassadors posted to them.

For instance, in April 1984, the United States, US, rejected the nomination of Nicaraguan lawyer and Deputy Foreign Minister, Nora Astorga, as ambassador. She had played a prominent role in the revolution which toppled pro-American President Anastasio Somoza. However, Nicaragua ensured Ms Astorga was a prominent face in the US by appointing her Nicaraguan Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

Thirty eight years later, Nicaragua had some form of pay-back. In 2022, Ambassador Hugo Rodriguez who was confirmed by the US Senate as Ambassador to Nicaragua, was refused entry. This, according to Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo, was due to his “interfering” attitude.

To be accepted by the receiving country does not mean the ambassador starts work immediately because he still has to present his Letter of Credence to the President of the host country. During the Buhari administration, it was not unusual for ambassadors to wait for months before being invited to present their letters.

So, as it is, Nigeria may not have ambassadors in any part of the world in the next six months. This would mean that under the Tinubu administration, we may not have ambassadors for at least one quarter of its four-year tenure.

Beyond this, is the challenge of politicians who see ambassadorial postings as post-election war booty to be shared. Under Buhari, they took 60 per cent of the ambassadorial positions leaving 40 per cent to be filled by career ambassadors.

In my December 18, 2023 column titled: ‘Tinubu, appoint diplomats, not politicians to run our Missions.’ I had appealed to the President to reverse this unhealthy culture. I had argued that it is better for the country to appoint career ambassadors because they are people who spend their entire career in the Foreign Ministry and therefore understand the basics of diplomacy. This is in contrast to political nominees who, in the world of diplomacy, are essentially birds of passage.

I had received encouraging nods and thought that this culture would be reversed. But now, the feelers I am getting of a push for 65 per cent of the ambassadorial positions going to non-career diplomats, is not encouraging. I hope for the sake of our country, this will be reversed.

One more suggestion. We need to return to the General Murtala Mohammed era when the populace took part in foreign affairs through mass bodies like those of students and genuine civil society organisations.

It was that momentum that defined our principled recognition of the MPLA in Angola, FRELIMO in Mozambique, the African National Congress, ANC, and the Pan African Congress, PAC, in South Africa. It was that mass participation that led to workers contributing part of their monthly salaries into an anti-Apartheid fund for the total liberation of the African continent.

Many have asked, what is this Bulk Purchase Agency by Akwa Ibom State bringing to the table?
With the signing of the Bulk Purchase Agency Bill into law by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, expectedly that would be the question, like a refrain on the lips of many Akwa Ibom people? They would truly be wondering, how "bulky" is the Bulk Purchase Agency?

Yes, watching the governor run his golden pen through the pages of the protected destiny of Akwa Ibom people, assenting to the Bulk Purchase Agency Law, was enough to saturate the Exco Chambers with the imaginary aroma of food security for Akwa Ibom people especially the vulnerable. Food is not just ready for consumption but the sumptuous menu in the buffet of the Bulk Purchase regime brings everything good to the table. It is a table prepared for the people by a leader who sees food and nutrition as part of good governance.

There are so many take aways from the new Akwa Ibom State Bulk Purchase Agency which is simply an intersection of food availability, accessibility , affordability , price stability with food security. The agency comes as grains of grace to the needy and vulnerable members of the society. It is a responsive governor's initiative to challenge hunger hovering over Nigeria.
The Bulk Purchase Agency is intended to out hunger under the mirror in Akwa Ibom State and dissect same to the happiness of families.

The signing of the Bulk Purchase Agency Bill into law in the month of March shows that there is something special in March for Governor Umo Eno and Akwa Ibom people. Remember, it was In March 2023, that Akwa Ibom people gave Pastor Eno bulk votes, and in March 2024, the governor chooses to reward them with food from the bulky warehouses of the Bulk Purchase Agency.

Every responsible government prioritizes the welfare of the people in line with the basic needs of humanity. That is why the United States of America, the United Kingdom and other model democracies pay special attention to food and nutrition especially for low-income families, the elderly, children and those in emergency situations. This is often actualized through bulk purchase of food products. The US for instance operates such special feeding programmes, engaging in bulk food purchase to stabilize prices in agricultural commodity markets by balancing supply and demand. Similar programmes run in the UK with special concerns for the less privileged.

The Bulk Purchase Agency initiated by Governor Umo Eno is a replica of these programmes in other successful climes of the world.

The Bulk Purchase Agency is established pursuant to the poverty reduction and price stability goals of the economic blueprint of the ARISE Agenda as an interventionist agency and a redemptive measure for the procurement and distribution of essential food items at subsidized prices to as palliative to cushion harsh economic situation and ensure food availability, affordability and price stability while scaling up agriculture through boosting local food production to achieve food sufficiency.

By this, Governor Eno aims at cushioning the effects of high cost of living on the citizenry. He is emphatic that the social register will be used in the programme so that the food will go to those who need it most, and not an opportunity for people to play sentiments and cause the aim of the well thought out initiative to be defeated.

The seriousness of the governor in ensuring that the programme succeeds necessitated series of sensitization and enlightenment meetings with stakeholders, market unions and traders, Personal Assistants to the Governor from across the 368 wards in the State, and meetings with other critical and relevant players in the agricultural sector, including the potential vendors and accredited agents when the programme officially kicks off. All of these were at the instance of the governor, and the message was loud and clear: "this programme must not fail."

The collaboration with the market and traders’ union, the 368 Personal Assistants to the Governor who are on ground, supervision of the Ministries of Economic Development, Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the Bulk Purchase Agency gives the assurance that the programme will succeed. It is the only way to reciprocate the passion and compassion of the governor for the poorest of the poor.

The programme is basically a food security and subsidy initiative where the government will buy food items in bulk from the traders at higher prices, and sell them to the people at reduced rates, such that government bears the high cost on behalf of the people. The aim is not to put the traders out of business but to collaborate with them for the programme to succeed. It is to be a win-win situation.

While the initiative is not to work at parallel with the traders, however, in an unlikely eventuality of the agents not complying with the agreement reached for the good of the society in terms of prices or hoarding, the Visioner was unequivocal in stating that government will open Sunday markets and flood same with food to mitigate any untoward occurrences .

This sucour driven programme is an initiative that flies in transparency right from conception. The targeted beneficiaries will collect their vouchers and go to the redemption centres and branded shops of the agents to redeem their goods after confirmation. In order to avoid sabotage on the programme through printing of fake vouchers, the printing of the vouchers is done strictly by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Agency, Lagos.

The accredited centres for the redemption of food vouchers shall be found in selected shops and market across the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.

There shall also be buffer warehouses where food shall be bought and stocked to guarantee long term availability, while incentives shall be given to the accredited agents, a good percentage to motivate and encourage them to be committed and transparent in the process.

So, it is not just food that the bulk purchase agency is bringing to the table, it is also bringing money, business and work will join to make the table full!

But the governor sees the Bulk Purchase Agency as just a victory in a match, not the entire tournament. He is now calling on all to redouble effort for the State to win the tournament by extending the victory of Akwa Ibom State over food crisis beyond the interventionist arrangement of the Bulk Purchase Agency to massively make food available and affordable across Akwa Ibom State, where the State will grow what it eats, and eats what it grows.

Governor Eno believes that for Akwa Ibom State to tick all the boxes in food sufficiency, there must be more tractors in the farms than SUVs in the streets, to make the State more of a production economy than a consuming economy.

When he traversed the length and breadth of the 31 local government areas of the State, he was as consistent as he was emphatic that agriculture will sit at the right-hand side of his his priority list as a governor of Akwa Ibom State. A promise keeper, he did not only do as he promised, he also made sure that agriculture was the leader of the pack as the first alphabet in the acronym of magic, A.R.I.S.E which is the both an expandable agenda and the governance Bible of his administration.

This made him to juxtapose agriculture with rural development, seeing both as Siamese twins. In that spirit, he started with agriculture. He led a high-powered delegation of Akwa Ibom people to Songhai Farms in far away Port Novo, Benin Republic to understudy the secret of the success story in agricultural revolution in that country with a view to replicating same in Akwa Ibom State.

At a stretch, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the both parties resulting to the commencement of work at the Ibom Model Farms in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area. When completed, the Ibom Model Farms will be a modern-day Garden of Eden because there is nothing man will need to survive that that farm will not have, and more. The idea is that such farms will also spring up in other parts of the State as soon as the local government chairmen of the respective areas donate the land to the State Government.

And Governor Eno keeps on calling on the local government chairmen to fast track the process of donation of lands for government to swing into action immediately.

Governor Eno's vision for agriculture also informed why among the first places he visited upon assumption of office were the moribund Akwa Palms Limited where he gave financial lifeline to be injected into the investment for an expected boom; as well as the green houses where he called for emergency diagnosis, prescription and treatment of the facility.

While waiting for all these to bear fruits, the governor's position is that the Bulk Purchase Agency should not make the people to be complacent and rest on their ores. To him, there is still work to be done in the "farm." Hence, his charge to his 368 personal assistants to, as a matter of must, ensure that they own personal farms, even if that means collaborating with other members of the community. Failure to do so is as dangerous as taking away the appointment from such defaulter.

The governor has an outsized vision for the agriculture sector. He was emphatic during his campaigns that he will ensure that Akwa Ibom people achieve the full value chain in agriculture, incorporating storage and processing of agricultural products to distribution and marketing of agricultural products. This is hoped to be juxtaposed with agro-allied industries.

Governor Umo Eno believes agriculture is beyond the art and science of cultivating the soil for the purpose of growing crops for man's use, or tending of livestock. To him, the beauty of agriculture is when its full value chain is achieved. That is where Akwa Ibom State is headed. The governor himself is the number one farmer in the State; his lushly vegetated policies and programmes in agriculture say so beyond the rubric of rhetoric to actualities.

The recently signed into law Bulk Purchase Agency Legislation is a kicker to the emerging screaming headline of agricultural revolution in Akwa Ibom State.

Pastor Umo Eno has shown clearly through his bulk purchase initiative that money banks may go bankrupt, food banks may run out of commodities but ideas bank can never fail. But interestingly ironically, he who owns the ideas bank has the money and food banks in his palms. Ideas are the cheques to cash in the banks of money and food to draw food security and good life. Governor Umo Eno passes for the chairman of the Bank of Ideas and custodian of this good governance initiative represented in the Bulk Purchase Agency.

Of the truth, food is ready in Akwa Ibom State. It is food with delicacies of sustainable meals, money, business, poverty alleviation and empowerment.
Akwa Ibom State is into a thrilling and fulfilling experience in agriculture and food sufficiency. For now, the dessert to wet the appetite is the Bulk Purchase Agency.
Food is indeed , ready; what is your order?

- Aniekan Umanah writes from Abak, Akwa  Ibom State

Senator representing Katsina Central in the upper legislative chamber, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, APC, on Thursday, emerged as the new Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum.

Sen Yar’Adua’s emergence followed the resignation on Wednesday of Senator Abdul Ningi after his suspension for three months by the Senate over a budget padding allegation.

In his acceptance speech to the members of the forum, Senator Yar’Adua expressed deep honour, saying he was humbled to accept the chairmanship of the Northern Senators’ Forum.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my distinguished colleagues for this vote of confidence in me following the resignation of my distinguished elder brother, Senator Abdul Ningi whom I hold in high esteem.

“I wish to acknowledge and commend the decent outing and the contributions he made during his tenure,” Yar’Adua said.

The Katsina lawmaker states that he was aware of the challenges facing the Northern region in security, agriculture, education, healthcare, drug abuse and human trafficking, among others. 

He noted that the major objective of the Forum is to promote the interest of Nigeria, first followed by development of the North through collaboration with their distinguished colleagues from the South and cooperating with the executive arm of government to ensure that the challenges of the region are addressed.

“We Shall therefore work in consultation with our distinguished colleagues to preserve the unity and progress of our dear nation.

“In advancing these noble objectives, I am committed to streamlined activities within the Northern Senators Forum. We shall operate with transparency, accountability, and integrity, upholding the trust placed on us by the electorate.

“Our legislative discourse will continue to be characterized by civility, dignity, and adherence to the rule of law as we fulfill our lawmaking, policy-making, and oversight functions,” Senator Yar’Adua said

He expressed confidence that with the collective efforts and cooperation of his colleagues, they can effect positive change, uplift the North, and contribute to the overall development of the great nation.

“Together, let us embark on this journey with unwavering dedication and a steadfast commitment to serving our constituents and our country.

“May our actions be guided by wisdom, compassion, and a shared vision for a better and brighter future for all Nigerians,” Yar’Adua added.

[DailyTrust]

The 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun has joined his ancestors.

DAILY POST gathered that the Olubadan died at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Balogun came from Ali-Iwo compound in the present Ibadan North East local government area.

The monarch passed on shortly after he was moved to the health facility, DAILY POST gathered.

He was an academic and politician before he ascended the throne in 2022.

The monarch was a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and was later elected to represent Oyo Central Senatorial District between 1999 and 2003.

Balogun, who has a doctor of philosophy, became the Olubadan on 11 March 2022.

He succeeded Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji who joined his ancestors on 2nd January, 2022.

[DailyPost]

AFTER my February 22, 2024 column on Godswill Akpabio’s holier-than-thou sermon on Godwin Emefiele, the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, who is being projected by officials of the President Bola Tinubu administration as the poster boy of corruption in Nigeria, I had no intention of coming back so soon to comment, once again, on the follies of the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

But I didn’t reckon with his knack for putting his foot in his mouth: saying something foolish, embarrassing and tactless barely two weeks after.

There must be something that makes Akpabio, Nigeria’s number three citizen, to lose it whenever he opens his mouth to talk in Rivers State. The needless Emefiele tantrum was in Rivers. His latest faux pas, which left many scratching their heads in disbelief was also there. 

Last Saturday, at the funeral of the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba, and son, Chizzy, who died in a helicopter crash in the United States on February 9, Akpabio, once again, goofed while giving an unsolicited vote of thanks.

In his speech at the intensely solemn and overtly gloomy ceremony, Siminalayi Fubara, the host governor, urged the political class to reflect on the essence of their struggle and political activities.

He questioned the motives behind the intense political battles in the country, asking if it was necessary to resort to violence and aggression.

“What is this struggle all about? You want to kill, you want to bury, what is it all about? Is it not enough today to ask ourselves why are we struggling? Why are we not making an impact in the lives of our people? Please, political class, let’s go home with that question, and be answering it in our minds, and reflecting it in what we do,” Fubara who is embroiled in an existential power struggle with his political godfather, Nyesom Wike, Federal Capital Territory Minister, said.

Granted, some have said that Fubara’s message was a direct arrow at his predecessor, Wike. But he was smart enough not to have called names. And he had the emotional intelligence to situate his comment in the context of Ecclesiastes 1:2-8 which talks about vanity of life. Therefore, even with its subtle political tinge, the message resonated with most mourners at the sombre occasion.

Not so with Akpabio’s excitable and embarrassing response. “I will answer you,” he said, pointing at Fubara, as many in the audience froze, well aware of his proclivity for putting his foot in his mouth.

He did not disappoint to the utter horror of all. “We are not talking politics. In 2006, I wanted to become the deputy governor and the then-deputy governor invited me and said this office has no money, there is nothing in it. I don’t know why you still insist on removing me from here and taking over.

Akpabio, who claimed that the deputy governor stood up and started punching the woman, narrated further: “I said Your Excellency, don’t punch the woman, she is telling the truth, there is nothing in it. That’s why I want it because you are too big for it. Your Excellency, Governor Fubara, if there is nothing in the struggle, don’t struggle.”

Not only that, the Senate President grumbled that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in last year’s election, Peter Obi, got a louder ovation than himself when he was introduced.

And because he was so distracted with such inanities, he couldn’t help but extend his heartfelt condolences to Herbert Wigwe’s widow, one of the three people he was there to bury.

Everyone who listened to Akpabio was flummoxed. How could a 61-year-old man, former governor and now Senate President, the country’s third most important person on the protocol list, be so lacking in emotional intelligence?

That was the same question the founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc., Atedo Peterside, asked while expressing his dismay over Akpabio’s comments.

In a post on his X page, Peterside recounted that Akpabio began his speech by lamenting that Obi received a better reception than himself.

Expressing his disapproval of such unbecoming behaviour, he questioned the appropriateness of cracking infantile jokes and throwing political digs at such a solemn event.

So peeved was Peterside that he tweeted: “For the record, I was among those who found the Senate President’s comments at the Wigwe Family Funeral in PH to be in poor taste. He began by lamenting that @PeterObi received greater applause than he (Akpabio) got & later told us to join him in consoling the widow who was lying in one of the 3 caskets in front of him. Jokes? Political jibes at a solemn Combined Funeral? Methinks that was self-centred & totally insensitive.”

Besides the insensitivity and inherent self-centredness, Akpabio’s comment smacks of a deeper and more fundamental failing – lack of emotional intelligence – which is a mental malady.

Mental Health America, the U.S. leading national non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of mental health, defines emotional intelligence as “the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you”.

Emotional intelligence with its five key elements – self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills – is a prerequisite for quality leadership. Effective leaders are people who are very emotionally intelligent, self-aware and always able to view things objectively. To do this, one needs to have a good understanding of personal strengths and weaknesses and act with humility in all circumstances. This cannot be achieved without a good measure of empathy.

Sadly, Akpabio is grossly deficient in all these. He is neither self-aware nor self-regulating. He is impulsive and lacks empathy, which explains his ‘let the poor breathe’ sarcasm.

Many Nigerians who have given up on Godswill Akpabio revert to the default option when dealing with him. They would rather pretend that he does not exist or at most see him as a jester, who should not be taken seriously.

But for crying out loud, Akpabio is not just an ordinary Nigerian. He heads one of the three arms of government – legislature – and the country’s number three citizen. A person who occupies such a high office should not be prone to avoidable gaffes so much so that people are suggesting that the only way to stop the embarrassment is to ensure that he is never allowed to speak extempore at any public gathering.

Akpabio had no business giving the votes of thanks at the funeral of the Wigwes on March 9. Granted, he is a political leader of Niger Delta extraction, but he is neither from Rivers State, nor Ikwerre and cannot claim to be in a position to speak for the bereaved family.

The only reason he assigned himself that role was to have the opportunity to publicly whine over the recognition accorded Obi and to throw a jibe at Fubara on behalf of Wike, who by the way was physically present and has the capacity to speak for himself if he deemed it necessary.

Akpabio should stop ridiculing his high office and embarrassing Nigerians each time he puts his foot in his mouth. It is high time someone told him for his own good that his lack of emotional intelligence rankles.

The bandits who abducted 287 school children at Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State have demanded a N1billion ransom to set their captives free.

They also threatened to kill the victims if the ransom was not paid in 20 days.

Recall that on Thursday, March 7, 2024, the bandits invaded the school, shot one of the pupils and escaped into the bush with over 200 others, including some secondary school students they marched into the primary school premises.

The bandit’s demand for ransom came barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu warned against payment of ransom to criminal elements, including bandits.

“The President has directed that security agencies must, as a matter of urgency, ensure that these children and all those who have been kidnapped are brought back in safety and also in the process, to ensure that not a dime is paid as ransom,” the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Muhammed Idris, had quoted the President as saying after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting.

According to Reuters, the bandits contacted a spokesman for the families of the school children, demanding a total of 1 billion naira ($620,432) for their release.

Reuters also said the kidnappers vowed to kill the students and staff in 20 days, if their demand was not met.
A leader of the community, Jubril Aminu, who acts as spokesman for the families of the hostages, said: “They (kidnappers) made a total of a N1 billion ransom demand for all the pupils, students and staff of the school.

“They gave a request to pay the ransom within 20 days, effective from the date of the kidnap. They said they will kill all the students and the staff if the ransom demand is not met.”

Military vows to rescue school children

Meanwhile, the military vowed yesterday to rescue the schoolchildren and return them unhurt to their families.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who made the vow at a briefing in Abuja yesterday, said the military is committed to rescuing all kidnapped victims unhurt.

He, however, blamed the school owners for failing to report cases of abduction to security agencies on time, while also blaming the recent kidnapping of some internally displaced persons in Gamboru-Ngala, Borno State, on their disobedience to instructions as they left the camp in search of firewood without informing camp officials.

Major-General Buba said the kidnap was a ploy by the bandits to use them as human shields, following the onslaught that had led to the elimination of their leaders and foot soldiers in recent weeks.

He noted that the terrorists/bandits might also be planning on recruiting new foot soldiers, hence the abduction of young students and children

“We have depleted their ranks, and neutralized many of their commanders and foot soldiers. The terrorists exhibited gross cowardice by going after children.

“We have taken their commanders out. We recently acquired new air platforms to further decimate them. They know we mean business. It is to protect themselves that they went after the students. But we will not rest until all the kidnapped victims are rescued.”

Gen Buba, however, stated that it took more than six hours after the students were abducted for the information to get to security agencies before machinery was commenced for the rescue efforts.

“These citizens were abducted by a brutal and blood-thirsty group that should only be addressed as terrorists, not bandits. I repeat these are terrorists and not bandits.

“They are holding these citizens against their will and all norms of human behaviour, and the laws of armed conflict and any good measure in the world.

“Several of their leaders and commanders have been neutralised as a result of troops onslaught. They want to use these hostages as human shields for their survival. Nevertheless, be assured that we will not rest until the hostages are returned.

“No doubt, this is a difficult situation, but not one that is insurmountable. The hostage situation is an extremely sensitive one which unfortunately is not unprecedented in the history of the ongoing war.

“These terrorists have exhibited cowardice by going for such soft targets to impede troops’ advances. I assure you that we will not rest until they are returned.

“Given the hostage situation, it can be deduced that the search and rescue effort was grossly affected by the non-notification of troops of the incident on time. Nevertheless, I can assure you that we will not rest until these hostages are returned.

“However, because of the sensitivity of the matter, I cannot go into further details as to signs of life, location, and the different options we have to get these hostages back.

“Let me further assure you that getting these hostages back is very clearly at the top of our priorities. It is for this reason we have leveraged our international partners for support.

NSCDC working with others to secure the release of Kaduna students — CG

Also yesterday, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, assured the government and people of Kaduna State that with the collaborative efforts of security agencies, there would be speedy recovery of school children and students recently abducted in the state.

Spokesman of the Corps, Babawale Afolabi, said in a statement in Abuja that the CG gave the assurances when he visited Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani.

“Your Excellency Sir, as a matter of concern, let me on behalf of the NSCDC management and personnel across the nation, say that we are ready to work in collaboration with all relevant security agencies with full mechanism and security apparatus put in place to see that the perpetrators of this heinous crime do not go scot-free.
“The NSCDC remains a key actor in the nation’s internal security and the lead agency in the Safe Schools Initiative.

The NSCDC boss commended the governor for providing the necessary logistics for the state command to function effectively while also praying for the allocation of a befitting command permanent site and operational vehicles that will enhance the discharge of the Corps’ statutory mandate in safeguarding all critical national assets and infrastructure across the state.

He also appealed to various communities in Kaduna State to work closely with security agencies by providing actionable intelligence and information to achieve the desired success and results afterwards.
On his part, Governor Sani lauded the good gesture exhibited by the CG and the effective collaboration of the Corps with the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police, and the DSS, among others.

He said all critical stakeholders must play active roles to forestall criminalities and frustrate the evil men whose delight was to disrupt the peace and stability of the state.

FCT to use drones to track kidnappers — Wike

He said; “It is unfortunate to say this, that mostly the security agencies, in particular I will say, the Police here, are not adequately equipped. You cannot believe that the police command of the FCT does not even have an ordinary tracking device.

‘’Not only them, even the FCT command of the Department of State Services, DSS, do not even have. And the only one they have is at the headquarters. So, if there are things to do, they have to go to the headquarters, which is not supposed to be.

‘’Luckily, I told Mr President that look, we have to do something, and there must be the emergency procurement of this equipment.

“That is one of the approvals Mr President gave to us that we said look, we are going to purchase our drones to help in surveillance and operations, particularly within these boundaries that the topography is so bad, so hilly, and where you have the forests.

According to him, the FCT Administration has consequently applied to the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, for emergency procurement but which was denied until the presidential intervention in January.

19 Northern Govs, NSA, service chiefs meet on possible review of security architecture

Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, governors of the 19 northern states and service chiefs also had a marathon meeting yesterday to review the security situation in the north, to profer a lasting solution to the insecurity in the region.

The meeting, which held behind closed doors, started at 1:30 pm and ended at about 6pm.

“The essence of the meeting, as you can see, is between the governors and the service chiefs and the national security adviser, NSA.

“So it relates to security and you know security is very typical, especially the recent issues of kidnapping in the North-West and we are becoming so concerned that we need to discuss, review and possibly take alternative options to what we have been doing before, so we can have a better result.”

The governor added that the need for a collaborative approach to tackling insecurity in the region necessitated the meeting.

He stressed the need for non-kinetic and kinetic approaches to address the remote causes of insecurity.
Governor Inuwa said the security agencies were doing their best, but noted that there was the need for a non-kinetic approach to addressing the root causes of the problem.

“In fact, that’s the best way to go because the issue is until we join the two (approaches) and already the service chiefs and all other security agencies have been doing their best trying to cover all ground.

“So what we need to do is to change the style, especially in addition to the non-kinetic approach, so that when we join the two, we’ll have a better security situation in the country at the ebnd of the day,” he stated.

Recall that aside from 287 school children, students and their teachers kidnapped at LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga in Chikun local government area of Kaduna State, 112 were abducted at internally displaced persons, IDPs, camp in Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State, while 16 Tsangaya Almagiri students were also abducted in Sokoto State last Saturday.

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu addressed the Emir of Bauchi, HRM Dr Suleiman Adamu ( right) at his palace. Sitting to the First ladu’s right is wife of Bauchi State Governor, Dr Aisha Bala Mohammed.

[Vanguard]

President Bola Tinubu plans to withdraw the nomination of Ruby Onwudiwe as board member of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to a report by Western Post, the decision follows pressure mounted on the president by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding Onwudiwe’s political affliation.

A post via her account on X, which reads “it was a landslide victory for Labour Party at my polling unit Lekki polling unit” was said to have incited the APC supporters who protested the nomination by Tinubu.

According to the report, flaunting her support for Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, and a display of the result at her polling unit, was a basis for the party members “to protest to senior government officials on the abnormality of the nomination of an opposition figure to serve at the apex bank”.

On March 14, Tinubu asked the senate to confirm the appointment of Onwudiwe as a member of the board of directors of the CBN.

Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpiabio, and read at the plenary on March 13.

The president said Onwudiwe is a replacement for Urom Kalu Eke, who was unavailable due to conflict of interest.

Eke declined the nomination because he is still a consultant at the World Bank.

The new nomination came one month after Tinubu asked the senate to confirm five people as directors of the board of the CBN.

On February 29, the senate confirmed four people (excluding Eke) as members of the board.

The directors of the board are; Robert O. Agbide, Ado Yakubu Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, and Olayinka Aliyu.

[TheCable]

President Bola Tinubu plans to withdraw the nomination of Ruby Onwudiwe as board member of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to a report by Western Post, the decision follows pressure mounted on the president by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding Onwudiwe’s political affliation.

A post via her account on X, which reads “it was a landslide victory for Labour Party at my polling unit Lekki polling unit” was said to have incited the APC supporters who protested the nomination by Tinubu.

According to the report, flaunting her support for Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, and a display of the result at her polling unit, was a basis for the party members “to protest to senior government officials on the abnormality of the nomination of an opposition figure to serve at the apex bank”.

On March 14, Tinubu asked the senate to confirm the appointment of Onwudiwe as a member of the board of directors of the CBN.

Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpiabio, and read at the plenary on March 13.

The president said Onwudiwe is a replacement for Urom Kalu Eke, who was unavailable due to conflict of interest.

Eke declined the nomination because he is still a consultant at the World Bank.

The new nomination came one month after Tinubu asked the senate to confirm five people as directors of the board of the CBN.

On February 29, the senate confirmed four people (excluding Eke) as members of the board.

The directors of the board are; Robert O. Agbide, Ado Yakubu Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, and Olayinka Aliyu.

[TheCable]