COVER
Tribalism, Root Cause of Insecurity, says Speakers at DAILY ASSET Annual Awards
Speakers at the fourth DAILY ASSET Annual Awards yesterday, proffered fresh solutions to stem the rising spate of insecurity in parts of the country, blaming the un-salutary situation on tribalism and other vices.
The speakers who included the former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada, Ambassador (Prof) Iyorwuese Hagher, the Benue State First Lady, Dr.
Eunice Ortom, the Director General, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Alhaji Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bem Mzondu and the Publisher of DAILY ASSET, Dr. Cletus Akwaya, were all in unison that tribal sentiment and self-centeredness had led the country to the present state of crises, insecurity and crime.Speaking on the theme: “Conflict Management, Peace Building and Development in a Democratic Setting”, Prof. Hagher blamed the colonial masters for imposing leadership position on certain tribes, while the rest were subjected to serve the ruling class.
To get out of the woods, he advocated for people-driven restructuring, overhaul of security structure, establishment of state and local government police as well as strengthening and reinvigoration of state structures to address the many problems facing the country.
“Before 2023, we must embark on people driven restructuring, overhaul security structure because citizens are losing hope. We need to strengthen and reinvigorate state structures.
“In 2023, we need new politicians. In 2015, we elected a retired General that went into politics but we have a band of criminals in positions.
“We need new political parties because the existing ones are the same. There is no difference between APC and the PDP, and that is why politicians to cross-carpet easily from one to another. We need national political parties that consider Nigeria first”.
He also called on all Nigerians to rise and tackle tribalism, which had eaten deep into the fabrics of the country’s political, economic and social life, saying “tribalism is the major problem of Nigeria”.
Hagher, also a former Minister of Health, said that the only thing keeping the country united was the resilience of the people, who have refused to buy into the campaigns of a few divisive elements.
“I am not here to criticise those in power, I am not here to criticise President Buhari because some of these things exist before his administration. I am guilty and we are all guilty.
“We thought our only problem was corruption and ignored tribalism, and the major problem of this country is tribalism because tribalism encourages corruption.
“The colonial masters laid the foundation for tribalism. The colonialists brought together different tribes that have no relation to form what is Nigeria.
“The colonial masters made the white people superior to the blacks, and that was tribalism. Lord Lugard created the Northern Protectorate, where he was the Governor bigger than the Southern Protectorate and drew a line that Christianity should not cross to the far North.
“Colonialism also enshrined corruption; therefore it is not a surprise that there is corruption in the land.
“Nation building must start with building Nigeria. One thing is resilient, that is the people; and that is why the country is not divided till date. Tribalism and corruption cannot build a nation,” Hagher stated.
The former university lecturer, also said though Nigeria claims to be a republic, what is being practised in the country is different from what is obtained in other climes.
“In 1963, Nigeria became a republic; and in a republic, citizens are kings while leaders are the servants but here in Nigeria, it is the leaders that are kings while the citizens are servants.
“So, it is time for anomy in a dysfunctional democracy. We are running a strange system,” he added.
We Need Peaceful Co-Existence – NTA DG
Similarly, the Director General of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Alhaji Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, said Nigeria needed peaceful co-existence to survive as an independent nation.
Alhaji Ibn Mohammed, who stated this at the 2020 DAILY ASSET Annual Awards and Lecture in Abuja, said in the past nobody was discriminated in Nigeria on the bases of religion or tribe and urged all Nigerians to unite to reclaim the lost glory.
“We all have a duty to return this country to its former glory,” Ibn Mohammed said.
While commending the Publisher/Editor-In-Chief of DAILY ASSET Newspaper for sustaining the awards despite the turbulent economy, the NTA Director General emphasised the need to support and encourage young entrepreneurs like DAILY ASSET Newspaper to grow and help address the unemployment challenges in the country.
He commended the title of the lecture as timely, saying it would provide solutions to the security challenges in the country and enhance the needed peaceful co-existence of the nation.
The NTA DG lamented that at the moment people in different parts of the country live in fear of the unknown, which was not the case in the past.
Also speaking, Wife of Benue State Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Eunice Ortom, who described the award of the First Lady of the Year bestowed on her as an encouragement, pledged to continue to work towards the transformation and improvement of the lives of the less privileged in Benue State.
She also promised to continue to pursue gender equality, girl child education, as well as good health and self-actualisation of Benue youths.
Chairman on the occasion, Sen. Gabriel Suswam, represented by Hon. Bem Mzondu (Benue, PDP) on the Federal House of Representatives, commended the organisers of the Daily Asset Annual Awards and Lecture for the painstaking and elaborate choice of the awardees, who he said all deserve to be honoured and recognised.
He urged Nigerians to shun utterances that could cause crises in the country.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
As part of efforts to reposition the newspaper for optimum corporate performance, the management of Asset Newspapers Limited, Publishers of DAILY ASSET, has announced the appointment of David Torough as the Editor of the Abuja-based national daily.
A statement by the management said the appointments were part of the company’s new strategy to further penetrate the various states in the country and raise its readership and patronage.
“DAILY ASSET is widely acceptable across the country and to maintain our leadership position, we need to increase management presence, hence the need to create new Bureau offices in some locations outside Abuja and Lagos,” the statement quoted the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Dr Cletus Akwaya to have said.
In a statement yesterday, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the fast-growing daily, Dr. Cletus Akwaya said the appointment was part of the new strategy to properly situate the paper for better productivity.
“DAILY ASSET has a commitment with the Nigerian people. We are determined to weather the storm and give Nigerian readers a Newspaper that satisfies their yearnings and reading pleasure and we can only do that with the right set of professionals,” the statement said.
Akwaya, a former Commissioner of Information from Benue State said the difficult times being faced by Nigerians posed a great challenge to the media as the people deserved credible information with which to make choices.
“We have a bond with the people, to offer credible information at all times in the best tradition of the Nigerian Press and on this scale of objectivity, truth and fairness, we pledge to remain steadfast no matter the challenges,” Akwaya was quoted to have said.
He said the newspaper will maiantin its daily print run and circulation to all states of the federation and urged advertisers to take advantage of the deep penetration of the Daily Asset brand to send their messages.
Torough, the new Editor has had a steady rise in the Newspaper in the last five years.
A graduate of Mass communication of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Torough joined the company in 2022 as Benue State Correspondent. He was spotted for his brilliance and redeployed to Abuja the following year and promoted to Deputy News Editor. He was subswuently named Deputy Editor of the paper, a position he held until the recent appointment.
Torough has attended several journalistic workshops and trainings to properly equip himself for the task ahead.
The statement also said the Management named Eze Okechukwu as Deputy Editor.
Before his elevation as Deputy Editor, Eze has been Deputy Politics Editor and DAILY ASSET Newspaper correspondent covering the Senate, having joined the organization in 2021.
Born on March 10, 1975, Eze holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Eze began his journalism career with Daily Star, Enugu and later worked with Daily Trust Newspaper, Abuja as sports reporter.
Aside from his journalistic excellence, he has a great deal of passion for sports.
From Ngutor Dekera, Kaduna and Aliyu Askira, Kano
Northern governors and traditional rulers yesterday called for the suspension of mining activities across the region for six months, blaming illegal mining for worsening insecurity in many states.The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
The meeting, chaired by the Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils. The Forum expressed concern over the escalating violence in parts of the North, including the killings and abductions recently recorded in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.“The Forum extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the governments and good people of the affected states,” the communiqué said, noting that the attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens had become “unacceptable tragedies” that required urgent collective action.It commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats, especially the rescue of some abducted pupils.The governors also saluted security agencies for their sacrifices on the frontlines.“We resolved to renew our support for every step taken by the President and Commander-in-Chief to take the fight to insurgents’ enclaves in order to end the criminality,” the Forum stated.A major highlight of the meeting was the North’s renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing had become inevitable.“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué added, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”On illegal mining, the governors said criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.As a corrective measure, they asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities in order to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” it said.To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.Under the proposed arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.They said the fund would help provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the region.At the end of the meeting, the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective responsibility.“Only through unity, peer review and cooperation can we overcome the pressing challenges before us,” it declared.The Forum agreed to reconvene on a date to be announced.Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening security crisis took a grim turn on Monday as bandits launched fresh attacks in Kano State, abducting 25 villagers, even as the Federal Government raced to secure the release of more than 300 Catholic school children kidnapped in Niger State.In the early hours of Monday, armed bandits invaded Unguwar Tsamiya—popularly called Dabawa—in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, whisking away nine men and two women after shooting into the air and assaulting residents. The attackers also rustled two cows.A resident lamented the community’s helplessness: “We cannot do otherwise; most of us cannot leave because we have nowhere to go. This is our place, our land and everything is here.”The assault came less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, a community along the volatile Katsina border.In Niger State, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has assured distraught families of St. Mary’s Co-Education School, Kontagora that the more than 300 students and staff abducted on November 21 will return home “soon.” Ribadu, who led a high-level federal delegation to the school on Monday, said the abductees are safe, though he offered no specifics on their location or the status of rescue operations.According to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Catholic bishop overseeing the school, the NSA reassured officials: “The children are where they are and will come back safely.”The St. Mary’s attack is part of a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. Security analysts warn that banditry has evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” with hundreds of Nigerians abducted in November alone.The Kontagora school abduction occurred the same week 25 girls were kidnapped in Kebbi State—victims who authorities say have since been rescued through “non-kinetic” means. About 50 of the St. Mary’s hostages have also managed to escape.Ribadu’s delegation, which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing the freedom of all abducted citizens.As communities from Kano to Niger continue to bear the brunt of these violent incursions, the escalating spate of kidnappings underscores the urgent national demand for a more decisive and coordinated security response.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its office daily throughout December.A credible source in the EFCC said on Monday that the daily appearance was part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged 490 million dollars Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request.
The source said that Malami, who was summoned for interrogation by the EFCC on Saturday, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next one month.According to the source, one of the conditions for his release on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.The source said Malami would have to appear daily at the anti-graft office due to the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st.He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source added.According to the source, a fact sheet on the former minister revealed that Malami had several issues to clarify with the EFCC within the coming weeks.“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”The commission cited the large volume of documents he must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport.The source said EFCC would not engage in a war of words but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, however, described the EFCC investigation as a political witch‑hunt.He confirmed he honored an EFCC invitation on Nov. 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical and devoid of substance, insisting they collapse under factual scrutiny.
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