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Taraba, Middle Belt say army panel report on Danjuma’s ‘window dressing’
The Taraba State Government and groups, including Middle Belt organisations, on Sunday rejected the report of a panel set by the Nigerian Army to investigate the allegation levelled against soldiers by a former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma (retd.).
The state government and groups stated this in separate interviews with The PUNCH, while commenting on the report submitted by the panel on Friday
Danjuma had, in March, advised Nigerians to defend themselves, saying soldiers were not neutral in the killings allegedly being perpetrated by armed Fulani herdsmen.
He said soldiers colluded with the bandits to kill people.
The 10-man army panel, which was inaugurated on April 9, by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, had dismissed Danjuma’s claims and asked the elder statesman to take caution.
The panel said in its report, “There was no collusion on the part of the army and units operating in Taraba State with any bandit as stated by Danjuma. There was good collaboration, synergy and cooperation between the army and other security agencies operating in the state.
“Most of the crises in Taraba are politically motivated and some persons are deliberately escalating the situation for selfish gains. With respect to the statement by Danjuma, it is clear that the allegations are not true. Hence, there is need to urge for caution on the part of the elder statesman, in view of the security implications of such comments.”
Army can’t be a judge in own case –Taraba govt
But the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Taraba State on Media and Publicity, Mr. Bala Dan-Abu, told one of our correspondents in a telephone interview that the state government rejected the report in its entirety.
Bala noted that what the army did was simply to take the position of a judge in its own case.
He stated, “The allegations were made against the army and what we expected them to do was to set up an independent panel to investigate the allegations and not to assemble their men to give them justice in their own case.
“The armed forces should set up a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations if they must be taken seriously.
“The allegation that the army is colluding with the armed herdsmen to kill Nigerians was not only made by retired Lt.Gen. T.Y. Danjuma and the Taraba State Government, but the Amnesty International too accused the Army of complicity in the killings, so they cannot deny that.
“The Army was the one that set up the committee, provided terms of reference and received the report from the panel. No one was invited to review the report of the panel. They sat on the report and came up with their findings, so what do you expect?” he asked.
Report, window dressing –Jukun group
On his part, the National Youth Leader of the Jukun Development Association, Mr. Zando Hoku, rejected the report, describing it as window dressing. He said it was meant to appease the powers that be.
“We, the Jukun, have rejected the report. However, we are not surprised because we saw it coming.
“The evidence of collusion is so glaring for all to see. We are on the ground and we knew all that had happened, but the Army was the judge in its own case and it did what was pleasing to it,” he said.
Army deceiving the world –Tiv Group
Reacting to the panel report, the President-General of the Tiv Cultural and Social Association Taraba State, Chief Goodman Dahida, said the army was deceiving the world.
According to him, the army was the one accused of colluding with bandits to kill Nigerians and wondered why it still presided over the investigation.
“We expected the army to have set up an independent joint civil and army committee to investigate the allegations to prove to Nigerians and the world the truth or otherwise of the allegations.
“We reject the report and call on the army to revisit the allegations which were not just in Taraba, but other states of the federation,” he said.
CD, CDHR back Danjuma, say army panel not thorough
Also, two civil society organisations, the Campaign for Democracy and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, knocked the army panel over its findings and for not being representative, noting that an “independent and judicial panel” ought to look at Danjuma’s claims.
The CD President, Usman Abdul, said, “The army will always be in a perpetual denial. Let us be clear and emphatic. Twelve or 11 soldiers were killed in Kaduna State and there was an initial denial. Look at what is happening in Taraba. How can the army claim that none of its personnel was involved in all the anomalies going on there?
“The person who made these claims was once a defence minister, a former Chief of Army Staff and we know he was not speaking from a position of ignorance. He is in the political circle and he has information on issues in the state.
“The panel to investigate the Taraba incident should not be an army affair. It should comprise the civil society organisations and other critical stakeholders in and outside the state.”
Also the CDHR President, Malachy Ugwummadu said, “Danjuma’s comments were a wake-up call and the army conducted itself rightly to set up a panel to verify those allegations. However, in doing that, they breached one of the pillars of justice which is that nobody can be a judge in his own affairs.
“The outcome of a predominantly military panel will always be suspicious. This is why the army is arousing the curiosity of Nigerians with their going into investigations without a genuine intention to get the details or facts of the matter. What would have been ideal in the Taraba matter is a judicial panel of inquiry which comprises professionals.” (Punchng.com)
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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