Some Of Nigeria’s Security Challenges Are Imported – Buhari

Boss Mustapha. Image: Facebook

BY SUMAILA OGBAJE

ABUJA (NAN) -- President Muhammadu Buhari has said that government had recognised that some of the security challenges confronting Nigeria were imported by foreign elements.

Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, stated this at the Graduation of Course 30 of the National Defence College (NDC) on Friday in Abuja.

He said that the nation and indeed the African region had been facing difficult times such as terrorism in the North East, banditry and other criminal activities across the country.

He added that the military and other security agencies have been given directives to decisively deal with all forms of security challenges and secure the nation.

According to him, the military has continued to counter the terrorism that was very prevalent in the North East which has resulted in the surrendering of thousands of persons who are being managed by government agencies.

“Government is also deeply concerned about the activities of bandits and criminals who have rare their ugly heads in some parts of the country.

“This is because the number of violent unprovoked attacks on citizens appear to be on the increase. This is unacceptable.

“Accordingly, we have given strong directive to the military and other security agencies to deal decisively with terrorists, bandits and other enemies of the country.

“We have also adopted bilateral and multilateral arrangements to tackle the trans border and maritime crimes because we recognize that some of our security challenges are imported into Nigeria by foreign elements.

“I want to assure all Nigerian that the government is doing all it can to eliminate or apprehend the criminals or bandits, wherever they are,” he said.

Buhari commended the nation’s apex defence institution for its continuous effort towards raising a discipline and professional strategic leaders for the armed forces, security agencies as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

He said the college had since its establishment 30 years ago, continued to fulfil its mandate and had grown to be at par with similar colleges across the world

He charged the participant to deploy the knowledge they had acquired in making useful suggestions toward addressing the challenges in their areas of responsibility.

The president assured that the government would remain committed providing needed resources for the security agencies to carry out their assigned tasks.

The Commandant of NDC, Rear Adm. Murtala Bashir, said the college had 102 participants drawn from the military, paramilitary, security and intelligence agencies as well as selected MDAs and participants from 16 allied countries.

Bashir said the participants comprised of 28 from Nigerian Army; 20 from Nigerian Navy; five from Nigerian Air Force; 29 from strategic institutions/MDAs and 20 international participants.

He said the college had trained the finest from the military, security agencies and MDAs both from within and outside the country since inception in 1992, adding that some had distinguished themselves in their careers.

According to him, the mission of NDC is to develop future strategic leaders who are sufficiently equipped with knowledge and skills.

“for participants of course 30, this mission was achieved through the pathway of study in nine modules comprising researc methodology and strategic writing, state and social political environments, economy and finance, science and technology, international affairs and regional studies.

“Others are policy strategy and national security, military history and conflict studies, peace supports operations and higher defense management.

“The module were delivered in for s of lectures, seminars, study tours, research papers and studies under a broad theme, ” a Whole of Society Approach to Enhancing Human Security in Nigeria.”

“The course also involved exercises that stimulated real life scenarios and the review of the National Defence and Security Policies,” he said.

A foreign participant, Commodore Ashwsni Tikoo of Indian Navy, thanked Nigerian government and the armed forces for giving them the opportunity to be a part of the course and learning experience of a lifetime.

Tikoo said the course had also afforded him the opportunity to make new friends that would help to shape his military career.

He said the scope of the curriculum was vast including economic development, social security, internal security, geostrategic issues among others.

“It has been a great learning experience and particularly for me I would say that my knowledge about the African continent has increased very considerably.

“And obviously, when you get to know so much about this continent, which has 54 countries, rich in resources and beautiful people, it is a great experience.

“I am sure that when I go back to my country with this kind of learning and experience, it is definitely going to enable me to bring in certain changes in my own country with the perspectives and the learnings that I have had here,” he said. (NAN) 

Edited by Ismail AbdulAziz

Group Trains Wikipedia Editors On Human Trafficking, Smuggling Of Migrants

BY KEMI AKINTOKUN

LAGOS (NAN) - The European-funded project, Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (A-TIPSOM) Nigeria, has begun a two-day Capacity Building and Editathon Workshop on Trafficking In Person, Smuggling on Migrants (TIP&SOM) for Wikipedia editors.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that not fewer than 45 Wikipedia editors from across the country are participating in the programme which started on Tuesday in Lagos.

A-TIPSOM Technical Adviser on Communication, Mr Joseph Osuagwu, in his remarks, said the training was meant to build the capacity of Wikipedia editors on issues of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

Osuagwu noted that Wikipedia is the world’s largest encyclopedia, most referenced and most accessible compilation of knowledge ever existed in the history of the human race.

“There is need to increase the content and articles about human trafficking and smuggling of migrants on Wikipedia where millions of visitors will read, being the brain behind this workshop.

“Wikipedia has over 6 million English articles, so this workshop is organised so as to enable them to create evidence-based contents on TIP and SOM on Wikipedia.

“Wikipedia can be read in over 300 languages and averages more than 18 billion page views monthly, making it one of the most visited websites in the world with 46 million articles accessed by 1.4 billion unique devices monthly,” he said.

Osuagwu said that the initiative would go a long way to boost awareness and increase citizen’s general knowledge on human trafficking and measures to eradicate the problem.

He added that the objectives was to build the capacity of participants on the role of Wikipedia editors in combating TIP&SOM and to increase the number of TIP&SOM articles/pages on Wikipedia.

Osuagwu disclosed that emphasis would be in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages respectively as part of efforts to improve existing TIP and SOM contents on Wikipedia.

“This workshop is part of the Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria (A-TIPSOM), funded by European Union and implemented by International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies(FIIAPP),” he added.

The workshop had Media Relation Officer of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr Adeloye Vincent, Mr Muslimu Mohammed, a Superintendent of Immigration as facilitators.

Others are Nosakhare Erhunmwunsee, National Public Relations Officer of Network Against Child Trafficking Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) in Nigeria, and DSP Kondom Terhemba. (NAN)

We Need New ‘Liberation Movement’ In Nigeria — Soludo

 

Chukwuma Charles Soludo

“Politics has become big business. Appointment or election into public office is seen largely as an opportunity to ‘eat’ rather than a call to selfless service,” Mr Soludo said.

ABUJA, NIGERIA (NAN) -- The Anambra State Governor-Elect, Chukwuma Soludo, has called for a new liberation movement in Africa and Nigeria as a country, that would promote the selfless service of political leaders.

Mr Soludo was speaking at the 2021 Pioneer Class Graduation Ceremony of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG) in Abuja on Saturday with the theme: ” Emergence of the Unconventionals”.

He said that the liberation struggle for independent Africa was driven by a nationalist ideology anchored by a developmental state.

According to him, “there is almost a sense of nostalgia, recalling the mission and accomplishments of our founding fathers, especially as we contemplate the world without oil.

“Much of the existing social order is founded on competition for, and distribution of rents, oil and the easy money that came with it destroyed the social fabric and the elite created new institutions and political structures to maximise their gains.

“As the noose tightened globally on other rentier/criminal enterprises such as drug trafficking or internet scamming, many of the barons flocked into politics as the next easy alternative.

“Politics has become big business. Appointment or election into public office is seen largely as an opportunity to ‘eat’ rather than a call to selfless service,” he said.

Mr Soludo added that a classic feature of the political environment is that corruption has become part of the “culture”, with little incentive for honesty.

He said that honesty has been scorned as wickedness, foolishness or mere pretence, saying that those who dare to be different have a steep price to pay.

He, therefore, charged the graduands, as they launch out to be ready to show honesty and their knowledge to have a new Nigeria, to create the change that would lead to having a new Nigeria.

“Fixing politics requires talents and skills. But these won’t be enough. It won’t happen by lone wolves working in silos.

“It requires new developmental organisations – organisations/teams of believers, driven by defined ideology, purpose and character.

“Let’s be clear about one point: Nigeria does not lack well educated/skilled and widely-travelled stock of human capital to drive its development.

“A key missing link is purpose-driven cohesion and organisation for transformation of the homeland,” he added.

In her remark, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Founder of SPPG, lamented the way politics in Africa is being run, saying it had distorted the society.

Mrz Ezekwesili charged the graduands to embrace leadership skills that would transform the society. “Leaders take the pain so that others can enjoy.”

“The society must be contested for and you should pioneer the space for that leadership,” she said.

She said that the school would be replicated in six other African countries as a way of liberating Africa out of extractive colonialism.

Also, Alero Ayida-Otobo, Vice Chancellor of the school, challenged the graduands towards having an unquenchable thirst to raise standards while kicking injustice, religious intolerance and lawlessness out of the country.

Some of the graduands who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the ceremony, said they are ready to be the change the country needs to translate to the country’s development.

Adedeji Ademefun, one of the graduands, said there is the need to have a new Nigeria that everyone, regardless of tribe and religion, would benefit from.

“The SPPG has built a new crop of leaders that are ready to take over the governance space and contribute to the developmental requisite of our country.

“My spur is to contribute my quota to ensure that whatever capacity we find ourselves within the governance space, we are able to make impact and really get the dividend of democracy to the people,” he said.

Talatu Zamani, Founder, Zamani Foundation, Kaduna, charged the new leaders built from the school to salvage the country and make it a safe place for everyone.