NEWS
Reps Lawmaker Demands Overhaul of Security Architecture in FCT
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
A House of Representatives Lawmaker, Rep. Joshua Obika (LP-FCT) on Thursday, demanded an overhaul of security architecture in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following the spate of criminality in the nation’s capital.
Obika who made the call while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, said some locations under the bridges are totally infested with criminals.
The member who represents AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency of FCT, said that he had received several reports of people who were tracked and picked up in front of their gates.
“As if these were not enough, another dimension to the criminality has been introduced by hoodlums who mob passers-by upon choreographed fake alarms of missing genitals,” he said.
He said the criminals use the ensuing chaos to dispossess innocent victims of their cell phones and valuables.
The lawmaker said that no class of people had been spared in the criminality, adding that no one knows who would be the next victim.
According to him, Abuja is no longer safe and residents keep asking whether the security of Abuja is slipping through our fingers.
He said that there is an urgent need for the government to restore the hope of both the citizens and investors in Abuja.
“Pursuant to this, I appeal to President Bola Tinubu for the creation of a Special Security Intervention Fund for the complete overhaul of the FCT security architecture.
He says, “Added to this is the need for the FCT Administration to evolve a strategic initiative for the deployment of smart technologies in the nooks and crannies of the city and satellite towns.”
Obika called for the upgrade of the FCT Security Department to the rank of a directorate or an agency, empowered with adequate professional staff and an institutional framework.
He said this was to coordinate the security efforts in the FCT, adding that Abuja has become too big and complex to be handled just by an officer at the directorate level.
He said that nightclubs should be given standard operational procedures, adding that they should be required to install necessary electronic security surveillance gadgets in and around their places of business.
Speaking on education in the FCT, Obika said the educational system in the FCT, especially at the basic level, was in dire need of a major intervention.
He said most schools in the rural FCT lack the enabling environment for learning, adding that pupils study under blown-off roofs.
The lawmaker said that children sit on the ground to receive instructions, adding that there are no sanitary facilities and no adequate teaching materials.
“It is common to see schools without fences or security guards. These expose our children to the risk of insecurity,” he said.
The Police Command in Anambra says gunmen have burnt its station in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, killing two officers.SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, announced this in a statement issued in Awka on Monday.He said that the gunmen attacked the police facility with improvised explosives, shooting sporadically, which caused a fire to burn part of the station.
He said further that during the attack, two police operatives on duty were killed when they attempted to resist the gunmen. Ikenga stated that the bodies of the deceased policemen had been recovered and taken to the morgue.He also noted that joint security forces, including the police, army and navy, among others, had recovered five unexploded improvised explosives.Ikenga noted that the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, had visited the scene for assessment.He said that Itam called on anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward, assuring then that such information would be treated confidential.(NAN)
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has reiterated the Federal Government’s determination to maintain and operate a secure and efficient personnel and payroll system.In a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Bawa Mokwa on Monday, the OAGF maintained that the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) database has not been compromised, assuring that employees personal data on the IPPIS database is safe and secured.
The OAGF, which manages the IPPIS and other financial management initiatives of the Federal Government, said it is already implementing its ICT Security Policy that aims to ensure that its digital assets are secured in line with global best practices. The Office explained that no data is saved on its website, adding that the IPPIS uses the website to only share information and not for any transaction. “The IPPIS is not using the OAGF website for any transaction. The website is actually the medium to share information. Neither payroll nor payment is made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website”, it said. The OAGF stated that the IPPIS validation portal that was recently developed for updates of employees information was deployed for a period and after the exercise was over, the data were pulled out and the site shut down permanently.According to the statement, “the IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform. A secured database and application were purchased from the popular HELIX-FONS.”The Office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees personal data in the IPPIS database. The OAGF noted that the IPPIS has put in place necessary mechanism to resolve any problem that may arise in its operations and advised workers that observe anomalies in their salaries to follow the official procedures inorder to get such issues resolved.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped to 32.15 percent in August, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report
The report released on Monday said the inflation eased the second time in 2024 after a 19 month increase that peaked at 34.19 percent in June.
“Looking at the movement, the August 2024 headline inflation
rate showed a decrease of 1.
It however, said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.35 percent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (25.80%).
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.
e, August 2023).Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22%, which was 0.06% lower than the rate recorded in August 2024 (2.28%).
” This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the
average price level in July 2024.”
The report added that food inflation rate in August 2024 was 37.52 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18% points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 (29.34%).
It said the rise in food inflation
on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of; “Bread, Maize Grains, Guinea Corn, etc (Bread and Cereals Class), Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Palm Oil, Vegetable, etc (Oil & Fats Class) and
Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class).”
But on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.37 percent, a 0.10% decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 (2.47 percent).
“The fall can be attributed to the decline in the rate of increase in the average prices of Tobacco, Tea, Coco, Coffee, Groundnut Oil, Milk, Yam, Irish Potatoes, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, Palm Oil, Vegetable etc.”
It added that the average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending August 2024 over the previous twelve-month average was 36.99 percent, which was 11.98 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in August 2023 (25.01 percent).
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