NEWS
Insecurity: Governors need more Powers to Secure States—Obi, Tambuwal, Attah
Some former governors have called for more powers for state governors to effectively tackle the security challenges in their respective states.
The governors spoke during the panel discussion at the Annual Lecture and International Leadership Symposium of the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL)on Tuesday in Lagos.
Reports says that a new book by Prof.
Pat Utomi’, founder of CVL, titled “Power, Politics, Public Policy Process and Performance,” was launched during the programme .The programme, organised to mark Utomi’s 68th birthday, had the theme “Democracy, Governance and National Performance: The Mutual Relationship”.
Mr Peter Obi ,a former governor of Anambra and 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party; a former governor of Sokoto State, Sen.
Aminu Tambuwal and a former governor of Akwa Ibom , Obong Victor Attah, spoke during the panel discussion.Answering questions on powers of governors in the current political dispensation, Obi recalled that when he governed Anambra, he enjoyed substantial measure of power to take some security decisions, to secure the people.
He said that during the time he served as governor , the President then,authorised governors to act on some matters of security.
“There is always between one president and another .We cannot compare President Olusegun Obasanjo presidency, Umaru Yar’Adua presidency to what we have after.
“Under Obasanjo, the governors were in charge of security. I requested that every DPOs (Divisional Police Officers) be removed and I had it.
“I took decisions on security with the authority of the President during late President Umaru Yar’adua and every month, there was a conversation between the President and the Governors.
“The governor have to be in charge of the state and be responsible.
“So, we need a President who is determined to give the governor authority to do something,” Obi said.
The former LP presidential candidate called on the President to strengthen the war against insurgency and corruption,in order to move the nation forward.
On economy and inflation, Obi, who decried the ‘dollarisation ‘of business transactions in some quarters , said that people guilty of this act of sabotage should be punished.
“Nigeriana should be proud of our currency. We must have a system that works. These are issues that we need to deal with,” he said.
Speaking ,Tambuwal, also a former Speaker, House of Representatives, said that governors were not always consulted lately when decisions concerning their states were being made by the President.
Citing the closure of three borders linking Sokoto with three states in Niger, during President Muhammadu Buhari, Tambuwal said that as the governor of the state, he was not consulted or carried along.
“On matters of security, governors are supposed to be hand on because they are the one dealing with issues of ensuring that people are secured.
“There is the need for us to restructure and devolve more powers to the governors so that they can work on issues of security.
Speaking on western democracy and whether the presidential system of government is working in Nigeria, Tambuwal said that the system appeared not to be working for the country.
“I believe that as someone who was in the House of Representatives from 2023 to 2015, and who was Speaker of that House, we have a lot of work to do to bring the realities of our situation to bear with the presidential system of government.
“We need to tinker and work the system and bring it closer home. I believe there is a lot more to do be done in terms of working the system to conform to our own reality,” he said.
The former governor noted that the the country’s challenges were not all about the system alone, saying to they also had to do with leadership and the drivers of democracy.
“We need to change our ways, we as a people, practising this democracy, we need to imbibe the values of those practising democracy in the United States of America,” he said.
Contributing to the question on powers of the governor in tackling security challenges, Attah, who was also the Chairman of the occasion, said that in a federation, the governors were supposed to be partners not subordinates to the President.
The former governor said that he was frustrated ,at a point ,while executing his power plant project when he was Akwa Ibom governor because of the nature of the federal system in place, calling for constitutional review.
While supporting advocates of creation of state police, Attah added that the electoral body must also be put on trial on some of its activities, to move the nation forward.
“We also need to develop the courage and ability to change our constitution and make it one written by Nigerians and for Nigerians ,to make progress,” he said
Contributing ,Utomi said that Presidents were supposed to be good listeners, consulting with governors and taking counsel from them on matters of security
“We need people to go into leadership positions to learn to listen and consult. If you cannot listen, you cannot lead,” he said.
Applauding late Yar’adua for being a good listener, Utomi said Nigeria was unfortunate to have lost Yar’ adua while in Aso Rock.
Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, the Keynote Speaker, who highlighted the link between democracy, governance and national performance, said that the world was beckoning on Nigeria to take its rightful place in democracy, governance and national performance .
Fomunyoh, Senior Associate and Regional Director for the Central and West Africa Programme ,said that the continent was waiting for Nigeria to take the lead in human capital development , economic development , good governance , among other indicesof development . (NAN)
The Police Command in Lagos State says a five-year old girl, simply identified as Bosede, was crushed to death by a truck while crossing the Iganmu-Apapa expressway with her mother.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident to newsmen on Sunday.
Hundeyin said the information of the accident was received by the Iponri police Division on Saturday at about 11.
30 a. m.He said the accident happened at Iganmu under the bridge, inward Apapa, involving a truck driven by yet to be identified driver.
The spokesperson said the girl and her mother were allegedly crossing the expressway when the truck hit and crushed her head, killing her on the spot.
Hundeyin said the police traffic officers from the division visited the scene and removed the corpse for burial by the family.
He said investigation is ongoing for possible arrest of the fleeing driver. (NAN)
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, has commended Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, for rehabilitating serving and fallen heros mentally and physically, by creating the Invictus Game.
The governor made the commendation on Sunday, while receiving Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Dutchess of Sussex, at the Lagos House, Marina, on a courtesy visit.
Reports says that Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived Nigeria on May 10, to promote the Invictus Games.
Invictus Games is an initiative of Prince Harry, founded to support the rehabilitation of wounded and sick service men and veterans, including Nigerian soldiers and their fight against terrorism.
NAN reports that the royalties arrived the Lagos House at exactly 1.
10 p.m. and were accompanied by Gen. Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, and his wife, Lilian.The visit, which is mainly to promote the Invictus Games, founded in 2014, and aimed at helping serving members of the military and veterans to overcome their physical injuries or mental health challenges, which helps them develop a sense of belonging and increased self-esteem.
“We’re indeed happy for what they’re doing, especially for our military men on conversations around mental health and how they can manage people, who require support both in the military and private.
“Mental health issues are also something we all live around, with the denial, and the stigmatisation.”
Sanwo-Olu explained that the royal couple were on a visit to Nigeria, and Lagos was one of their stop-overs and that Nigerians were excited about their wonderful ideas.
“We just want to assure you gentlemen of the press that for Prince Harry, this has been a very informative trip to the country, he has seen a lot, he is still soaking in a whole lot.
“And part of the things that we’re hoping that he would take away is our diversity and the extent of how big our country is, how we continue to ensure that we live together in peace and harmony and the role Lagos plays,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor said he looked forward to hosting the couple in the near future, adding that Meghan, who has a decent percentage of Nigerian in her genealogy, looked well in her Aso-oke, (Nigerian traditional attire).
“Talking importantly about the Invictus Game, at what point can we have it in Nigeria , so that the Nigerian competitiveness can also be reflective in that game,” the governor said.(NAN)
Hoodlums have again, attacked and demolished a 67-year-old visually impaired man’s house, Mr Anibeze Nnadi.from Awoke-Agana family in Uwani-Otobo, Umuezike Aku in Igbo-Etiti LGA of Enugu State.
The hoodlums was said to have arrived Nnadi’s house in their numbers at midnight when he was asleep, shot sporadically in the air, attacked him and brought him outside before demolishing the house.
Speaking to newsmen on Sunday in Enugu on the development, Nnadi accused the son of the suspended traditional ruler of the community, Prince Uzochukwu Okwor, of being responsible for the attack.
Reports says that Uzochukwu’s father, Igwe Christopher Okwor, was on September 2021, suspended by the Enugu State Government for allegedly demolishing a two bedroom building belonging to Nnadi, a house built for him by Ezemagu family over land issues.
Nnadi, who said that he had no issue with anyone, wondered why he had become a subject of attack.
“I am not quarrelling with anybody but they frequently attack me.
“I was in my house on Tuesday when I heard gun shots but before I knew it, they started beating me, drag me outside and demolished my house.
“This is the sixth time they are demolishing my house that good Samaritans built for me.
“The land they built on belong to me,” he said.
Nnadi, who said he had been suffering from serious body pain since the incident, however, appealed to Enugu State Government to come to his aid and build him another house.
The eldest man in Ezemagu family, Chief Daniel Ezemagu, said that the perpetrators carried out the act because the blind man had nobody to speak for him.
“We could not resist the attack because they came with guns and other weapons and were shooting everywhere.
“I want peace and I want Enugu State Government to help us achieve that peace by allowing truth to prevail,” he said.
Ezemagu further said that the continuous delay by the Enugu State Government to release report of its panel of enquiry on the matter was contributing to the suffering of the victim and causing breakdown of law and order.
He described the act as painful, stressing that they were suspecting Okwor’s son to have perpetrated the demolition.
He hinted that the community was planning for peace on Sunday but they came on Tuesday and demolished the place, leaving Nnadi homeless.
“I don’t know their interest in the matter. Government should help us to unravel those behind the demolition as we now live in fear,” he appealed.
Reacting, Okwor’s son, Prince Ugonna Okwor, said no member of the royal family had been attacking anybody.
He said that all the allegations were untrue and a ploy by Nnamdi Ezemagu to tarnish the image of the royal family.
According to him, there are several pending cases in court; they destroyed the building themselves and run to the media to seek sympathy.
“They have seen that my father is about to be reinstated by the Enugu State Government and came up with the demolition allegations.
“We agreed that everybody should build their own and that nobody should touch one another’s buildings but they continue building and demolishing and run to police to intimidate my younger brother.
“There is no blind man connection to the ownership of the land in suits in court,” Okwor said.
According to him, Nnadi had a house which they say it was inhabitable for him.
“Why can’t they build in his old house they demolished but prefer going to the land that is in contention to build for him?” he asked.
When contacted, Nnamdi Ezemagu stated that allegations by Okwor were false and a calculated attempt to divert the attention of the public from the criminal activity of his brothers and their gang.
He said that one Kenechukwu Ani was arrested and confessed to the crime of demolishing Nnadi’s house in 2021 through the connection of Uzochukwu Okwor and his father. (NAN)
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