24 Hours After Senators Demanded Their Sack, Buhari Meets with Service Chiefs

President Muhammadu Buhari has met with the service chiefs at the presidential villa, Abuja — about 24 hours after senators demanded their sack.

The service chiefs are Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief of Defence Staff; Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff; Sadique Abubakar, chief of air staff; and Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, chief of naval staff.

Also present at the meeting are Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police; Ahmed Rafa’i Abubakar, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency, and Yusuf Bichi, the director-general, Department of State Services (DSS_.

Some senators had called for the sack of the service chiefs over the frightening spate of insecurity in the country.

TheCable previously reported that the service chiefs are all due for retirement, having spent 35 years in service.

Speaking at the Senate on Wednesday, Elisha Abbo, senator representing Adamawa North, said funding for the military is not the problem but its leadership.

“Going by this budget document from 2012 to 2019, the army has received over N4 trillion, funding is not the problem,” Abbo said.

“The military will tell you their vehicle is spoilt and they cannot move. Mr President should look inwards. Security chiefs have done their best, they should go.”

Also, Binos Yaroe, senator representing Adamawa south, said it appeared the service chiefs were more preoccupied with other tasks than combating insurgency.

“The chief of army staff set up a university in his hometown, the chief of air staff too. Why all these universities? There is a need to effect a change in the leadership of service chiefs,” Yaroe said.

Enyinnaya Abaribe, senate minority leader and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had asked the president to resign over the rising insecurity in the country.

The PDP also supported the call for Buhari’s resignation, saying the president lacks a solution to the challenge of insecurity in the country.

CULLED FROM THE CABLE

Ganduje Hires Briton to Manage N5bn Skill Acquisition Centre

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Thursday said arrangements have been concluded to employ a foreign expert to effectively manage the N5 billion Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre located at Gurjiya town in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, which will soon be launched.

Ganduje stated this when he inspected the centre, adding that Aliko Dangote has agreed to take the responsibilities of paying the salary of the foreign expatriate for six years.

According to Ganduje, the structure of the Centre, which has about 24 different craft departments, also cost about N2.5 billion.

He added that why he was employing an expatriate to manage the integrated skill centre for about three years was to imbibe the culture of prudent management so as to prevent the Centre from collapse.

The governor said CCTV cameras would also be installed for property security of the management, staff, students and the state-of-the-art equipment at the Centre.

He said: “You are most welcome to this Aliko Dangote Skills Acquisition Centre. The details of what we have here in terms of training and training facilities have already been explained by our technical team. But I, as a messenger of this project, will like to inform you of very critical issues pertaining this Centre.

“First of all, we are not just beating about the bush as far as this Centre is concerned. It has been established as a result of knowledge, research and investigation on what are the gaps that are existing in Kano State in terms of employment opportunities.

 

“So we have to commission a consultant to go round within the public and private sectors to see what are the trades that can be impacted on our youths, while employment will be automatic. They came up with 24 types of trades. We also found out what are the types of machines required and the type of building that is supposed to be done. So, there was a design after making classification on the type of machine.

“Then the next issue is the ability to have the building and the ability to purchase the required machines, and we have already done that.”

The governor added: “The next issue is that of training. We are training young graduates and engineers on different fields considering what sections we have here. We are doing this so that they will be able to manage the Centre.

“Now, another important issue is management, which is very critical. Without good management, all that we have laboured here will go into the drain in a matter of years. You will just be finding carcasses of what we have here today.”

Senator Canvasses Amendment to Electoral Act

A member of the National Assembly, Senator Christopher Ekpenyong, on Thursday canvassed for the amendment of the Electoral Act to make the use of card readers compulsory for voters during elections.

Ekpenyong, representing Akwa-Ibom North West senatorial district on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), assured Nigerians that the ninth Senate would ensure that an amendment to the Electoral Act to make card reader compulsory for election is passed soon.

Speaking with journalists after plenary, Ekpenyong, who narrated his experience during the re-run election with his opponent and former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and now Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, said  he was ready to sponsor a bill on the amendment of the Electoral Act.

According to him, "The card reader is a very strong device both in accreditation and the determination of who votes by the electorate, and it is through the card reader that we can determine the votes that is being cast, and not just for the court to say it is not recognised in law.

"So we must make sure that the card reader is recognised by law. That is the only way we can go in our Electoral Act. I have gone through electoral processes in Nigeria and to that extent, I will come up with a bill that will change the circumstances of our electoral process that enables the people to choose their leaders and not by guns or court."

On how his representation has impacted on the lives of his constituents, the lawmaker said he had empowered about 180 persons from Akwa-Ibom North-West senatorial district with resources to invest and fend for themselves.

According to him, "I invited one person each from the 180 wards in my senatorial district to my local government area and brought another person from my border community and gave each of them the sum of N100,000 to engage in a business of their choice.”

Borno Varsity Holds First Matriculation

Borno State University on Thursday held its inaugural matriculation, marking the commencement of academic life of the school.

The institution which was established by a law passed by Borno State House of Assembly on September 10, 2012 and granted an approval in 2016 by the National Universities Commission (NUC), matriculated 647 students.

Speaking at the matriculation, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Umar Kyari Sandabe, disclosed that 801 students were given admission but 647 students registered and subsequently matriculated.

He noted that the school has four faculties, which include Agriculture; Arts and Education; Social and Management Sciences; and Sciences, and running 32 programmes.

 

The VC revealed that the university has kicked off with 12 sabbatical and 66 visiting lecturers, comprising nine professors and 66 senior lecturers from various universities, mostly from University of Maiduguri.

He said the full recruitments of the academic staff would be done after the merger processes and formalities with the Kashim Ibrahim College of Education are completed.

Sandabe said: “Having admitted and matriculated this set of students today, their academic journey has just started and the road to acquire desired and beneficial knowledge is always bumpy, rough and dark, therefore patience, commitment, discipline and hard work are necessary ingredients to cross it successfully.”

He thanked the University of Maiduguri and the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, for the success recorded by the institution so far.

The state governor, who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Dr. Babagana Umara, promised to continue to support the school.

Scores Displaced as Communities Clash In Benue

Hundreds of houses have been burnt and thousands of persons displaced in Mu Makurdi local government area of Benue State as a result of communal clash.

The incident an eye witness who pleaded anonymity told journalists that its a lingering crisis, adding that it is usually over tussle for land.

According to him, it is a struggle for ownership of land between the indigenes, Iharev and the settlers, Iparev.

Speaking with journalists after undertaking an assessment tour of the destroyed area, Secretary to the State Government, Professor Anthony Ijohor, frowned at the magnitude of destruction,  noting that it is 'unexpected' and 'embarrassing' to the state.

"The level of destruction is massive. Imagine brothers who have lived together for over 60 years engaging in this kind of destruction. Though there was no lose of life. We will bring the full might of the State and security apparatus to ensure that the culprits are brought to book.

"The crisis has to do basically with land. When you talk about land, you also, talk of urbanization. It is an issue of indigene/settlers. I came here to have first-hand information about the  crisis so that we would know what action to take as a government. I want to urge the people to exercise restraint and not to embark on any reprisal attack", the State Scribe said.

District Head of Mbawur/Mbayongo Makurdi local government area Chief  Peter Tor Abaka said all efforts made to ensure the dispute did not degenerate to this level failed even as he described the level of destruction as 'unacceptable'.

He also denied any involvement of traditional chiefs in the crisis.

Member of Benue State House of Assembly representing Makurdi South Terwase Aondoaka blamed the crisis on non remittance of funds from block moulding at the Riverside to the former District Head.

Finally, WHO Declares China Coronavirus Outbreak a Global Emergency

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared on Thursday that the coronavirus epidemic in China now constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced the decision after a meeting of its Emergency Committee, an independent panel of experts, amid mounting evidence of the virus spreading to some 18 countries.

Tedros told a news conference in Geneva that recent weeks have witnessed an unprecedented outbreak which has been met by an unprecedented response.

“Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China,” he said.

“Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems,” he added.

The WHO panel, chaired by Didier Houssin of France, is composed of 16 independent experts.

Twice last week the experts had decided not to declare an emergency while they sought more information from China and awaited evidence of confirmed person-to-person spread of the virus in other countries, so as to meet their criteria for a global emergency.

The declaration of a global emergency triggers recommendations to all countries aimed at preventing or reducing cross-border spread of disease, while avoiding unnecessary interference with trade and travel.

 It covers temporary recommendations for national health authorities worldwide, which include stepping up their monitoring, preparedness and containment measures.

Although the WHO has no legal authority to sanction countries, it could ask governments to provide scientific justification for any travel or trade restrictions that they impose in the event of an international emergency.

CULLED FROM REUTERS

Obiora Confirmed As CBN Deputy Governor by Senate

The Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of Dr Kingsley Isitua Obiora as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This was sequel to the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions read at plenary by its Chairman, Senator Uba Sani, which recommended the confirmation of the nominee.

President Muhammadu Buhari had sent a letter to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan to screen and confirm the appointment of Obiora for the position.

The Senate also approved the appointment of Zikrullah (Sikiru) Olakunle Hassan as the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

Nasarawa to Provide Free Medical Treatment to 720,000 Children

The Nasarawa State Government on Thursday said it intended to treat about 720,000 school-age children in the state for Schistosomiasis and Helminthes diseases.

The state Commissioner for Health, Ahmed Baba Yahaya, disclosed this on the occasion of the World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) celebration in Lafia, the state capital.

However, the commissioner stated that the state was mindful of its neighbouring states, which were still struggling with these diseases and at the risk of re-infecting the state through border local government areas.

 

According to him, "Such states are Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Advocacy and mobilisation will also be made to the border areas for observation of people entering their communities for festivities, farming, fishing as well as the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

"Medicine will be requested and sent to Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) at the border communities for treatment of such persons mentioned."

The commissioner further stated that with support from the health ministry and Carter Centre, the state programme intended to mobilise and train 45 Local Integrated Health team members; 225 health facility staff, 611 community direct distributors, 42 school supervisors, 13 Social Mobilisation Officers and 2,824 school teachers.

Yahaya disclosed that in 2019, the state programme office with the support from Carter Centre trained 45 Local Integrated Health team members, 225 health facility staff, 611 community direct distributors, 2,153 teachers, 42 school supervisors and seven social mobilisation officers.

100m Nigerians Threatened by Tropical Diseases, Says Ehanire

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said about 100 million Nigerians are currently faced with the risk of some tropical diseases such as Guinea worm, leprosy, elephantiasis, river blindness, rabies and sleeping sickness.

He said the disease prevalence could be linked to high poverty level and lack of basic healthcare facilities in most rural areas of the country.

Speaking at the first World NTD Day in Abuja organised by the Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday, the minister said Nigeria’s large population exposes it to ‘endemicity’, adding that NTDs are mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa with millions of children trapped in the cycle of diseases.

He described NTD as a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevailed in tropical and sub-tropical conditions.

According to him, “They (NTDs) are singled out because of the adverse impact they have and their relative obscurity and availability of tools to combat them. Grouping the diseases together is a strategy to bring attention to these often overlooked causes of misery. People afflicted are usually poor, vulnerable and left on their own to face the debilitating consequence of the NTDs."

Ehanire said there are over 20 of these diseases in the country.

He said: "Nigeria’s large population makes it a prominent endemic country for NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa with over 100 million persons or more at risk of the NTDs in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

“Most of the affected persons live in locations under poor conditions with limited or no access to basic education and healthcare amenities like potable water, sanitation or knowledge of hygiene.

“NTDs can result in blindness, deafness, and various forms of physical disabilities or disfigurement. A child suffering from NTDs shies away from attending schools and grows up with no skill. He is hindered by basic occupation like farming and fishing or any avenue of earning a living. They are trapped in cycle of diseases and poverty."

Again, Anyaoku Calls for Restructuring of Nigeria, Decries Bashing of Judiciary …As Justice Iyizoba wants more women in govt

Sunday Okobi

Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has reiterated his unswerving stance that the only way out of the present challenges plaguing Nigeria is to restructure the country and possibly return to regional government system.

The elder statesman stated this on Thursday in Lagos at the launching of a book ('Contemporary Issues in Law and Society' in Iyizoba’s tribute) and the inauguration of the initiative of retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Chinwe Iyizoba, African Women Forum for Good Governance (AWFG), as the chairman of the occasion.

Anyaoku, who also lauded Justice Iyizoba as a distinguished lady who had a great and enviable career at the Bar, Bench, and academic environment, also decried what he termed as constant bashing of the judiciary, calling on the executive and the judiciary arms of government to guard the integrity and independence of the third arm of government.

According to him on whether Nigeria has the right government structure in place to lead the country out of the present state, “I believe that the government structure is sound, but how to operate it is the challenge the country is facing today. We have the structure that can cope with the challenges the country faces- insecurity, climate change, economy-but like I have always said, the present structure of the country is not efficient, and cannot successfully cope with the present challenges the country faces today.

“I have been advocating the restructuring of the architecture of governance of our country. This country was doing a lot better when it was a true federation of four regions; each region coping with its development, security, education and health facilities. We should return to the system because the present structure, in my view, is not likely to lead us to our destination.

Justice Chinwe Iyizoba

“Also, I am concerned at the current wave of criticism of our judiciary. I am however calling on the judiciary and the executive arm of government to do more to ensure they do not provide grounds for casting aspersions on the integrity and the independence of the judiciary.

On insecurity, he said the present government is going in the right direction by now advocating for community policing, which “I believe that the security challenges we face in this country would be effectively met if the different areas and states in Nigeria were to play more active part in securing the lives and property of their citizens.”

Anyaoku said Justice Iyizoba had a very distinguished career as a university teacher and she was the attorney-general before she went to the Bench. “She has acquainted herself very creditably and she is retiring with a glorious record behind her, so I am very happy to be here. She was also a very active judge, and now as she is going into retirement, she will write books and push her initiative-African Women Forum forward and go a long way with that,” he added.

In her remarks, the Justice Iyizoba, who was also celebrating her 70th birthday, insisted that the Nigerian judiciary is in excellent stead, as she, however, decried that they are a few persons in the sector who might have done things to taint the image of the judiciary, “but that does not mean the entire judiciary is bad. They are excellent materials as well as good judges and justices who write judgment that can stand the test of time, so that doesn’t mean we judge every Judge with what a few of them do.”

The former attorney-general of Enugu State urged women to show more interest in politics as they tend to be more accountable and compassionate, as she called them to unite in order to move the nation forward. She advocated for specific quota for women to participate in government by all arms and level of governments, added that this will bring good governance “which means that decisions will always be transparent in government and in alignment with the rule of law as accountability be entrenched in the system.”

Speaking on the newly established Africa Women's Forum For Good Governance (AWFG), she said it's not for profit rather it focuses on promoting the tenets of good governance in both public and private sector

In his speech, Nigerian Economist, Tony Elumelu, represented by Mrs. Onari Duke, stated that the private sector is the engine room of a country's economy and not the government.

Elumelu explained that private sectors create jobs and raise revenues for government through taxes and they should be supported with policies that would help them perform better.

"The private sectors must see themselves as solution providers rather than profit makers," he said, urging them to take advantage of the free-trade agreement and stand out among other countries.

Ekiti Denies Alleged Outbreak of Lassa Fever

As panic grips the country over outbreak of Lassa fever, the Ekiti State Government has said there is no cause for alarm over the outbreak of Lassa fever in some states in the country as there's no confirmed single case of the fever in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, stated this in Ado Ekiti while addressing journalists on the preparedness of the state to fight Lassa fever which had reportedly hit neighboring states of Ondo, Osun and Kogi recently.

Yaya-Kolade noted that all primary health facilities, Specialist and General Hospitals, university Teaching Hospital as well as the Federal Teaching Hospital across the state have been sensitised and adequately prepared on the issue of Lassa fever.

"We are doing a lot of sensitisation and educating for food handlers, store keepers, and all residents in the state on radio, television and in all our health facilities across the state," she stated.

 

The commissioner disclosed that Lassa fever, which she noted was contagious, could be contacted through rat or contact with someone who has been infected.

"The transmission could be through rats which are the vectors carrying it or through infected human," she said.

Yaya-Kolade appealed to Ekiti residents to make personal hygiene their lifestyle, adding that they should engage in consistence and regular hand washing, cover their  food, especially garri, properly and  refrain from bush burning.

 "Cover your garri very well; ensure that the production process is done hygienically; clean your environment to avoid breeding of rats, and be cautious of contact with people," the commissioner stressed.

She said the Oba Adejuyigbe General Hospital has been dedicated as a quarantine centre for any confirmed case of Lassa fever in Ekiti State.

Also, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Health, Dr. Jimlas Ogunsakin, disclosed that the incubation period for Lassa fever was between two to 21 days, and that any suspect should be screened adequately.

 Ogunsakin noted that the symptoms of Lassa fever include high temperature, headache, vomiting and hitching of the body.

Edo APC Chieftain Alleges Attack by Gunmen

 

The lingering crisis between the feuding factions of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Party (APC) on Thursday turned bloody as a top member of the party, Mr. Henry Idahagbon, claimed that he narrowly escaped death when gunmen suspected to be hired assassins attacked him in his office.

Idahagbon, a former Edo State attorney-general and commissioner of justice, said the gunmen who came in three vehicles fired several shots at his office located on Siluko Road, near the popular Oliha Market in Benin-city.

He said he was in his office attending to his clients when he was jolted by the volley of bullets which were aimed at his office sited on the mid-floor of the three-storey building.

Idahagbon, who has since gone underground, said he quickly dashed for the back exit through which he escaped, even as the shooting was still going on, adding that many persons were injured in the process.

While lamenting the incident, he said: "I was in my office attending to some clients when I heard the echoes of gunshots directed at my office. I immediately ran out. Thank God nobody was injured. The windows were shattered while the building is pockmarked with bullets. However, I have reported the matter to the police.

In panic, some neighbours who heard the volley of the shots, apparently from pump action rifles ran out of their shops, unlocked and fled for fear of being hit by stray bullets.

He said he immediately reported the incident to the nearby Oba Market Police station where a team of policemen were drafted to assess the extent of the damage done to the building.

One of the injured persons, who spoke to journalists, Mr. Alufa Osayiniye, said he was at the office of Idahagbon when people began to shout, and the next thing he had was gun shots and decided to dock as blood was gushing out of his head.

"I came to see our leader, Hon. Henry. Idahagbon. I was seated there with others when we heard them scattering things and shouting," he said.

Another victim, Bruno Odaro, a surveyor with his office in the same building, said some persons in Hilux van branded with government number came "shouting: where is Idahagbon, and started destroying things around and shooting simultaneously.

When contacted through his mobile phone, the Edo State Police spokesman, Mr. Chidi Nwanbuzor, said he was not aware of the incident, adding: "I am not aware of any shooting. I just heard of it from you for the first time."

But the Special Adviser to the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the disruption of peace in Edo State by some APC leaders is taking a dangerous dimension

He said the complaint of an alleged attack by one of the leaders of the proscribed Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), Idahagbon, is the latest step in the plot to disrupt peace and safety in the state.

Osagie noted that the state government has continuously warned the dissidents in the EPM, “who are hell-bent on breaking down the law and order in the state.

"Today’s incident is another proof that members of the amorphous group are at war with themselves and the people of Edo State."

FG Partners World Food Programme to Tackle Malnutrition in North-east

The federal government on Wednesday said it would partner World Food Programme (WFP) on food security, poverty alleviation, education and health in the Northeastern states affected by insurgency.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadia Umar Farouq, disclosed this when a delegation of WFP, led by Paul Howe, paid her a courtesy visit in Abuja.

Farouq noted that the government was concerned about poverty alleviation, education, health and malnutrition facing children and the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North-east region in almost two decades of the Boko Haram insurgency in the region.

She stressed the need for World Food Programme to support the federal government effort, especially in security and capacity building of personnel, to enable them tackle malnutrition challenges in the affected areas.

The minister also stressed the need to improve on the Social Investment Programme (SIP), Home Grown School Feeding Programme of the Buhari administration aimed at feeding primary school pupils in different states across the country.

According to her, “In the area of Social Investment Programme of the government, l am sure you are aware that the federal government has a programme that is running which is targeted at primary school pupils (primary one to three). They are being given a meal per day and the nutrition of this food is very important to us. So we are going to explore this area to see how we can improve on what we have on ground.

“The ministry is new as you are aware and we have key priority areas that we want to focus on. Our immediate focus now will be on developing policies and institutional framework, and we are also going to focus on evidence database system because it is only when we have that that we can efficiently take this intervention to these affected population."

Farouq also emphasised that the Humanitarian Ministry would focus on post-emergency construction and rehabilitation of the displaced population through its agencies that are in charge of some of these responsibilities.

In his remark, Howe commended the minister on her numerous achievements since she assumed office, noting that the establishment of the ministry and the work already done had made a very huge impact in the North-east region.

He also assured her that WFP would support and work with the Nigerian Government to strengthen its partnership in tackling prevalent food crisis facing the IDPs in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

EFCC Secures Conviction of Fraudster in Benue

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Makurdi zonal office, Benue State, on Wednesday secured the conviction of one Abdulkadir Musa Inna at the Federal High Court in Makurdi presided by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon.

Inna is to spend the next year in prison custody after he was arraigned and convicted on a one-count charge of fraudulent impersonation.

The count read that Abdulkadir Musa Inna and one Aliyu Musa Mohammed now at large, sometime in September 2019 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of the court, conspired among themselves to use a GTBank ATM card belonging to Aliyu Musa Mohammed to withdraw money paid in by one Abigail Atsuku that resulted in her loss of N30,000.

“By this act, you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 33(2) of the Cybercrime (prohibition, prevention etc) Act 2015 and punishable under section 33 (2) of the same Act,” the charge read.

Inna pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him, with the prosecuting counsel, G G Chia-Yakua, praying the court to accept the plea bargain agreement and that he be convicted him accordingly.

 

Justice Olajuwon pronounced Abdulkadir Musa Inna guilty and subsequently sentenced him to one-year imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000.

Olajuwon also added that the sum of N30, 000 that he had refunded during the course of the investigation should be paid to the complainant as restitution.

Musa was arrested by operatives of the EFCC in Lagos through a petition received from a complainant that on September 6, 2019, she ordered for a gadget online through her Instagram account.

The complainant said having struck a deal with the supposed seller of the gadget, she transferred the sum of N30,000 to the account number sent to her but the product was never delivered to her.

She only realised later that she had been duped by online fraudsters who were using several accounts to defraud their victims.

During the investigation, the convict admitted his wrongdoing and showed remorse for his actions. He confessed that N30, 000 was given to him as his share in the deal and that he has refunded the money.

Lagos Govt, NDPHC, Discos Collaborate to Improve Power Supply

Worried by the poor state of power supply in the country, especially as it concerns Lagos State, the state government has pledged collaboration with the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) and the distribution companies in the state towards resolving the challenges.

The inability of the distribution companies to pick available power from the NDPHC, the implementer of the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP), coupled with the difficulty of securing a space to build additional transmission line in the state, has been identified as part of the issues depriving Lagosians of stable power supply.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday during a visit to NDPHC's transmission substation at Oke Aro, a suburb of Lagos, the state Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olalere Odusote, said the state government was ready to support every move by the NDPHC, the Ikeja and Ibadan Discos to solve the power problem.

Odusote, who was taken round the facility and briefed on the situation by the Managing Director of NDPHC, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo, stressed that the ‘Light Up Programme’ of the administration depended on the functionality and ability of the power providers to deliver electricity to the state.

According to him, "What I found out here is that there is capacity, just as NDPHC has earlier said that there’s ablility to supply more power to Lagos State. If you look at what we have here, we have about 500MW of capacity available to be evacuated.  Out of which we have got 100MW capacity of transformers that are actually going out; out of that 100MW, about 60MW comes to Lagos.

 

"We can do a lot more than that. From the discussions with the distribution companies in Lagos and from the interventions that we are trying to carry out, we realised that we actually need the power to come to Lagos. Now, our ‘Light Up Lagos’ programme certainly depends on the power being available on the grid.

 "The interventions with the discos will not amount to much if there is no supplies. So we expect that engagement and interaction with NDPHC will be able to do more for Lagos State.”

He added: "For Oke Aro, the challenge they (NDPHC) have expressed to us is one of getting way-leave to be able to get to build a transmission line through Lagos, and we have been engaging with them, and to date,  we don't think there are more issues on the Lagos side. 

"We are certainly working with them to engage the Ogun State Government to clear the issues that we have, which is also hindering the transmission line from being built to Alausa."

Also addressing journalists, Ugbo said a lot of electric power was lying stranded because the discos could not take them for distribution.

He explained that the substation at Oke Aro has seven feeders which should take a minimum of 100 megawatts, but that the feeders of both Ikeja and Ibadan Disco only take less than 30MW.

This, he added, was a problem that needed to be solved in order to make power available to the people of the state, hence the visit of the commissioner.

Ugbo said: "I came here with the commissioner because as part of the design of this project. We have a 132KV transmission line that takes off from here to Alausa. That project has been on but we have serious way-leave challenge. 

"We have requested the support of the Lagos State Government and they are actively trying to assist us to resolve the challenges along the line route, not just on the Lagos State part of it but even in Ogun State. So we have come to see in order to assess and to know where the challenges are.”

Amotekun May Promote Violence, Group Warns

A group, the Societal Safety Network (SSN), has kicked against the South-west Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, which was recently launched by the South-west governors, warning that it may promote violence.

The Executive Director of the group, Abdulrahaman Agboola, while addressing a press conference on Wednesday on the motive for the establishment of the regional security outfit, described Amotekun as a threat to the federation.

Agboola warned that if the already rising tension is not tamed, it might escalate to violence and put the lives of Yoruba people in other regions at risk.

He, therefore, called on the federal government to thoroughly scrutinise the operation.

According to him, "We respect the ideals of the developmental agenda of the Southwestern Nigerian and commend their progressive action plan on the economy of the region, but we seriously  frown at the hurried nature without considering  the plight of the Yoruba living in the North on two grounds. 

 

"We fear that if the Amotekun is misunderstood as targeting  a particular  ethnic groups, this will expose Yoruba living  in other parts of the country  to dangers, with predicated reprisal as history recorded during past ethnic clashes.

"During the hullabaloo on the Amotekun debacle, the South-east state governors were charged by their kinsmen to follow suit and lunch similar platform while the North Central held a security summit in Lafia on the matter. Also, those in the North-west and North-east regions area are demanding the establishment of similar security networks in their zones. Are we preparing for war against ourselves in the country?"

Agboola called on the government to fight insecurity completely instead of regionally.

The group equally frowned at the rising spate of crimes across the country and urged the security agencies to step up the fight against criminality.

It also called on the state governors to use the platform of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to facilitate nexus among themselves to tame insecurity in the country.