NEWS
Any Chairman who fails to Hold Monthly Security Meeting is a Security Threat -Wike
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike at the weekend, mandated Chairmen of the six Area Councils in Abuja to ensure they hold monthly security meetings.
The Minister gave the directive while speaking separately at town hall meetings on addressing FCT insecurity in the Abuja Municipal and in Abaji Area Councils in Abuja.
According to the Minister any council chairman that does not hold monthly council security meetings is a threat to the security of the council.
He said, “therefore, I will be calling meetings of all traditional leaders, meeting with all council chairmen and meeting with all security agencies.
“If there is no monthly meeting held in terms of security meeting in the councils, I should be aware, and I will hold that chairman responsible for any security bridge.
“If you do your job, I do my job, traditional leaders do their own job, and security agencies do their own job, we won’t have problems.
“But if I don’t do your own part, I don’t do my own part, he does not do his own part, then we are bound to have security problems.”
He assured residents that the government would provide everything that security agencies require to help them to perform their duties.
He pointed out that some of the security agencies do not have the needed equipment and operational vehicles to perform optimally.
“They don’t have the needed logistics and communication gadgets, yet we want them to perform wonders, we want them to perform miracles.
“If they don’t have information, they will not perform miracles; if they don’t have information no wonders would be performed,” Wike said.
The minister stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together and support security agencies to succeed.
“Our is not to carry guns; ours is to provide information through the area councils, through our traditional rulers; and through my office, then to security agencies.
“When we give them information, they will take proactive actions,” he said.
He promised to construct a police station and some access roads as requested by the council’s chairman, Mr Christopher Maikalangu.
Earlier, the Chief of Karshi, Alhaji Ismaila Mohammed, who spoke on behalf of traditional leaders at the meeting, called for working synergy between security leaders and community structures.
Mohammed warned politicians against provocative statements with respect to the security situation in the FCT.
“Please do not politicise the security situation in the FCT. Leave the security challenge out of your politics.
“God forbid, if there is a problem here, all of you will run back to your states. We don’t have anywhere to go, so please, don’t create problems for us here,” he pleaded.
The chief asked the minister to compel the council chairmen to hold the mandatory monthly peace and security meetings.
He explained that the meeting was supposed to be monthly where all the Divisional Police Officers, Area Commanders, Heads of Department of State Services meet to exchange security information.
The Chairman of AMAC, Maikalangu, said that insurgents’ activities in the neighboring and other states, had led to an upsurge of migration of people into FCT as their safe haven.
This, according to him, had increased the rate of crime in rural communities and the city centre.
He applauded the minister for initiating the FCT Ministerial Taskforce, adding that the initiative was already yielding positive results.
He pointed out that lack of access roads to some of the communities that became kidnappers’ hideouts, particularly Kabusa, Ketti, Gbawu was compounding the security challenge in the area.
He appealed to the minister to support the construction of the access roads in the communities including Ketti, Takushara, Burum, Gidan Kwano, Leka, Kutasa, for the good and safety of the people.
He also appealed for the establishment of a police division within the Takushara axis to provide security presence in all the surrounding communities.
NEWS
Shettima to Lead Nigeria’s Delegation to UNGA
President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly session in New York this year.The President has thus directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation, Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, said in a statement on Thursday.“President Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trip to China and the UK, wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding.
“At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings,” said the statement.The high-level General Debate, with the theme, “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations,”will run from Sept. 24, to Sept. 28. (NAN)NEWS
NECO Releases 2024 SSCE Results
The National Examinations Council, (NECO) has released the June/July 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination results (SSCE), with 60.55 per cent of candidates securing five credits and above in English Language and Mathematics.
The Registrar of NECO, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the NECO headquarters on Thursday in Minna, Niger.
Wushishi said that a total of 1,376,423 candidates, representing 706,950 males and 669,473 females, registered for the exam.
The registrar said that 1,367,736 candidates sat for the examination, representing 702,112 Males and 665,624 females.
He said that 828, 284 candidates had five credits and above, including English and Mathematics, representing 60.
55 per cent.Wushishi said that the number of candidates with five credits and above, irrespective of English and Mathematics, were 1,147,597, representing 83.90 per cent.
He said that there was a great reduction in the number of examination malpractices this year compared to 2023.
“The number of candidates involved in various forms of malpractice in 2024 is 8,437 as against 12,030 in 2023, which shows a reduction of 30. 1 per cent,” he said.
The registrar, however, said that 40 schools were found to be involved in mass cheating during the examination.
” During the conduct of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), 40 schools were found to have been involved in whole school (mass) cheating in 17 states.
” They will be invited to the Council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.
“A school in Ekiti was recommended for de-recognition for mass cheating in two core subjects and 01 Science subject.
” Similarly, 21 Supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, abscondment, extortion, drunkenness and negligence in 12 states,”said.
He urged candidates that sat for the examination to visit NECO website to access their results.
Wushishi said candidates can access their results on NECO website: www.neco.gov.ng using their examination registration number,” he said.(NAN)
NEWS
NDDC Unveils Initiative to Enhance food Security in N’ Delta Programmes
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it is committed to advancing projects and programmes that enhance food security and sustainable growth in the region.Chief Monday Igbuya, the Delta representative on the NDDC Board, made this pledge in a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt by the NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama.
Igbuya spoke at the inauguration of a training and empowerment programme for women and youths in livestock and agro processing in Amukpe, Sapele area of Delta. He stated that the NDDC was prioritising livestock training in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.“NDDC is focussed on implementing programmes to ensure food security and agricultural growth in multi sectors, aiming to improve living standards.“It is our belief that for socio-economic development to take place, there is need to develop manpower in the agricultural sector,” he said.Igbuya expressed confidence that training farmers would enhance livestock production, create jobs, and alleviate poverty in the Niger Delta.Mrs Winifred Madume, NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, said that training farmers and entrepreneurs was essential for improving productivity and market access.“The commission has been promoting research and development through various institutions and providing farming techniques to beneficiaries,” she said.The Project Consultant, Dr Simon Akhaine, said that 200 women and youths had registered for the livestock and agro-business skill acquisition programme.According to him, the programme aims to equip them with the essential knowledge and skills for self-sufficiency in livestock farming, thereby boosting regional food security. (NAN)