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Stakeholders Reject Foreign Minister as Arms Proliferation Chairman

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By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

The Nigerian Navy told the House of Representatives that some Nigeria’s neighbouring countries do not have armouries, making war against Proliferation of illegal arms difficult for the country.

Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff, (CNS), who was represented by Commodore Jemila Sadiq Abubakar, made the disclosure at a public hearing on four security bills by the House Committee on National Security and intelligence.

This is even as stakeholders at the public hearing on a Bill to establish the Commission against Proliferation of arms and light weapons, rejected Foreign Affairs Minister as the Chairman of the proposed Commission.

The proposed legislations were bill to establish the National Commission against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, bill to make Provision for the Integration of Private Close Circuit Television (CCTV), bill to Repeal the Explosives Act, and bill to designate the month of November as the National Appreciation for Security Agencies Month.

While making contributions to the bill seeking to establish the National Commission against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, Abubakar said the weapons donated by developed countries to neighbouring nations were compounding Nigeria’s security challenges.

She said the lack of armoury in some of the neighbouring countries made arms available to Chadean soldiers, who in turn sell them when they are broke.

“Section 9 (1) suggests an additional function of proposing a seized weapons and arms be used by security agencies; I think we can look at the provisions of the international convention on the issue of how the arms should be used when seized.

“Other sections have been addressed by our colleagues, so I’m sure their presentations have been submitted.

“I want to contribute to the coming seminar on the operation of arms to be organised by the House of Representatives.

“I was in charge as a member of the fight against Boko Haram and I can tell you categorically here, I stand to be corrected, that some of these countries that we have borders with have no armoury.

“They do not have armoury. So most of their arms that are being donated by — I don’t want to be specific — the developed countries in the name of assisting us to fight our problems — are compounding our problems in Nigeria because you find out that each average Chadean soldier has 20 to 30 arms underneath his bed. When he is broke, he brings it out and sells it for 30 dollars, 20 dollars. I am here, I am standing here, and I am saying it.

“Since we are going to collaborate with ECOWAS and other countries that are donating such arms to these countries (African countries) I think we should insist that they should either enact laws to govern the handling of these arms and ammunition or build an armoury for these countries or else we will not see peace”,  the Naval Chief said.

Speaking on the bill to establish integration of private close circuit television (CCTV) to fight insecurity, Abubakar said: “I think we should build a wall between us and these neighbouring countries or we should have serious surveillance or else we will not see peace in this country. I am telling you this, I have been in that area for years, so I know what is happening.

Other stakeholders who also spoke on the small arms and light weapons Commission, said since members of the Commission were mostly arms bearing security agencies, it was only appropriate for Minister of Interior to be Chairman of the Commission and not Minister of Foreign Affairs as proposed.

Speaking earlier, Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House, said “knowledge would be drawn from everywhere,” because security is an important national issue.

“The security agencies are welcome to make submissions but everyone is welcome to submit as well. I say so because I want to underscore the fact that security is about everyone and we are all stakeholders,” he said.

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Board Sanctions 118 Immigration, Civil Defence Officers

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The Board of NSCDC, Fire Service, Correctional, and Immigration Service, has approved the sanction of 118 personnel for various offences.

The Board Chairman, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this known at the end of their meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

Tunji-Ojo, who is also the Minister of Interior, told newsmen through the board Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Ja’afaru, that the erring officers were punished after facing disciplinary panels  for various offences.

“These offences range from misconduct, negligence of duty and outright absence from duty posts.

“In the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOs), there were 48 cases of offences, in the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), there were 21 cases.

“Also, in the Federal Fire Service (FFS) there were 12 cases while in the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), there were 37 cases,“the minister said.

Tunji-Ojo added that the board has reviewed and approved new guidelines for appointments, promotions, discipline and general purpose in the services.

He said that the board also considered and approved the timeline for the conduct of the 2024 promotion exercise in the four services.

“The board considered and approved the review timeline for the conduct of the 2023/2024 fire service recruitment.

“As for the ongoing recruitment in the fire service, we hope to publish the names of the successful applicants latest by June 15. That is where we are for now.

“We also want to use this medium to warn the general public to ignore whatever they have been seeing or hearing in the social media space as they did not emanate from the board.

“This is because, we have come to realise that the social media world had been awashed with fake news telling applicants to come for screening exercise or pay certain amount of money.

“Let me put it emphatically that the board is not asking anyone to pay money for recruitment.“

He urged applicants to be patient, saying successful candidates will be notified to come for further screening through their emails and mobile lines. (NAN)

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NSCDC Inaugurates Female Strike Force to Secure FCT Schools

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The FCT Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Olusola Odumosu, has inaugurated the corps Female Strike Force to protect schools in the territory.

A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Idoko, on Thursday in Abuja, said the inauguration followed the completion of a three day training for the personnel.

Odumosu said that the primary responsibility of the strike force was to ensure the safety of all schools in the territory.

He said that the training had equipped them with the needed skills and capabilities to carry out their duties.

According to him, the training is a follow up to the recent meeting of all FSF Unit Commanders with the Commandant General, Ahmed Audi.

Audi had charged them to be up and doing in view of the reported cases of kidnapping in some parts of the country.

“The training is imperative to ensure compliance with the CG’s directive on the mandate of securing schools for the safety of students and staff.

“Cases of abduction in schools must come to an end, that is the primary purpose of this training.

“We need to restore the confidence of the people in our ability to secure schools in the FCT,” the commandant said.

He therefore called on schools in the FCT to register with the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre, so that they could be added to the ecosystem.

Odumosu explained that the registration was free and meant to ensure better coordination and make responses to emergencies more quicker and efficient.

Odumosu assured that the training and retraining of the personnel would be held regularly to ensure prompt response to any security threat.

“We must make schools safe haven once again for children,” he added.

He charged the female strike force to conduct routine patrol and surveillance of schools to prevent threats and attacks.

He also enjoined the strike force to hold periodic security awareness and enlightenment talks for student and teachers.

Odumosu also directed the operatives to abide by the corps’ Standard Operational Procedure in discharging their duties and avoid over zealousness in the use of force or fire arms.(NAN)

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Tinubu Appoints Bello as new Chairman of CCB

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Abdullahi Usman Bello as the new Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), pending confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.

This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Thursday in Abuja.

Ngelale said that Bello was a consummate professional with more than 25 years of work experience in consulting, banking, law enforcement, financial services and academia.

He said that the President anticipated the new Chairman would lead the Bureau with utmost integrity toward the realization of its mandate of maintaining high standards of public morality in the conduct of government business.

Ngelale said Tinubu expected the new appointee to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standards of morality and accountability.(NAN)

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