Politics

FG Must Prioritize Releasing Kanu Over Anambra Election

Published

3 years ago

November 3, 2021

A former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, said the Federal Government must prioritize the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu over Anambra election.

He said Kanu should be released if that would restore peace in the South-East geopolitical zone. According to him, the freedom or life of the IPOB leader is more important than the November 6 governorship in the state, which he observed risked flawed in the face of a militarised electoral process.

“The Anambra State election is no doubt a security nightmare and a major cause for concern for many Nigerians. Whether we like it or not, the IPOB has become an established “Army of Resistance” for self-determination in the South-East.

Also, we must come to accept that the Biafra ideology has come to stay. Although it is self-evident that the major stakeholders of these movements are predominantly youths, the adult themselves share the concerns of these fighting youths even though they may prefer a different approach to achieving the same goals.

Unfortunately also, concurrent events in the nation make the counsels of the elders untenable and therefore unacceptable to the warring youths.

The Police have deployed 34, 000 officers. We do not know the numbers for the military and civil defence institutions. To the average citizens in Anambra State, this militarisation and over-policing, though inevitable, can nevertheless, be comforting.

From my own projections, nothing less than 50% of normally voting population, purely out of fear and apprehension, will stay in their houses and avoid voting. If this happens, the election itself becomes substantially flawed. This is because a major ingredient of democratic suffrage, ‘free and fair’ will be absent.

“While one must of necessity concede to the Federal Government that it should not normally tolerate or succumb to internal threats to peace and good order, perhaps it’s now time to seek the seemingly elusive peace in the South-East.

I hereby call on the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu, if that will bring peace in the South-East zone, especially Anambra State. Nnamdi Kanu should be released for the sake of peace and order in that region. Nigerians are in pain. Nigerians are suffering and we can’t afford war whether local, regional or national. We don’t need it. We need peace.

Nnamdi Kanu is more important than the Anambra State governorship election. We need peace in all parts of this country, and if the release of Kanu will bring peace in Anambra State and the entire South-East zone, please the Federal Government should release him now.

I call on the Federal Government at this point of our national history to invite the leadership of IPOB to a peace meeting. The Government should listen to the complaints of the youths from the South-East region and see how a true solution can be negotiated.

I say this as someone who was part of government when Boko Haram was in its wake or infancy. The presumed might of the Federal Government made it look preposterous for the government to call a rag-tag group to a negotiating table.

Now after more than 10 years, thousands of deaths, human tragedies and millions of internal human displacements, and with billions of dollars down the drain, I am convinced that it was indeed an error not to have negotiated for peace ab initio.

Historically, since the mid-1900s, no insurgency, once fully established, lasts less than 15 years on the average. This is what I will like to remind this administration. Nigeria cannot afford to sustain another major internal rebellion, for another 15 years.”

Politics

Fuel Scarcity Will Soon Be Over – Senate Leader Says

Published

16 hours ago

May 11, 2024

Alice Ginika Simon

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has assured Nigerians that the fuel crisis being experienced in the country will soon be a thing of the past.

Bamidele gave this assurance in an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the Oil Technology Conference in Houston, Texas on Friday.

He said the legislature is working tirelessly to ensure that fuel scarcity and frequent queues at filling stations are resolved and that there were plans to involve more private-sector players in the construction of new refineries.

In his words;
“The Senate is working to ensure that more private-sector players are licensed to own and operate refineries. This is to support other smaller ones that are springing up in several parts of the country.

“In addition to licensing new refinery operators, the Federal Government and Senate are working to ensure that the existing refineries are turned around with repairs and replacement of parts carried out where necessary,” he said.

Bamidele said the Senate had received an assurance from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited that two of its refineries in Warri and Port Harcourt would come on stream before the end of the year.

Opeyemi maintained that the focus was to ensure that Nigeria meets its OPEC production quota.

He further explained that achieving such milestones would provide more revenue for the government and halt lack and borrowings.

Politics

Senate Amends NDLEA Act, Approves Death Penalty For Dangerous Drugs Manufacturers And 15 Years Imprisonment For Users

Published

3 days ago

May 9, 2024

Alice Ginika Simon

The Senate has input ‘Death penalty’ as punishment for those involved in the manufacture, processing and trafficking of dangerous and hard drugs in the country.

The Senate has also approved fifteen years imprisonment without the option of fine for those who consume the hard drugs in view of the havoc being created by substance and drug abuse in the country.

This development is to aid the hard drugs situation to be nipped in the bud as neglecting it has always had the potential of destroying the future of the country.

Approvals by the Upper Chamber was sequel to the consideration of Report of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters and Drugs & Narcotics on the amendment of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (HB. 472) presented by Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, APC, Borno North.

According to the Senate, the amendment became very imperative because it is the majority of the youth that are engaged in the drug and substance abuse.

Prior to the passage, the senate dissolved into a committee of the whole for a clause by clause consideration of the report.

During the review process of the Committee ‘s recommendations and especially with regard to issue of the penalty provisions towards strengthening the operations of the agency, a proposed amendment to award death sentence to drug traffickers rather than just a life sentence was raised by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South and the Deputy Whip, Senator Peter Nwebonyi, APC, Ebonyi North under clause 11.

When the matter was put to a voice vote, it appeared the nays had it, however when the question was put for a second vote, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, APC, Kano North who presided ruled in favour of the I’s.

Politics

Lagos Water Corporation Starts Protest Against Sack Of Workers

Published

4 days ago

May 8, 2024

Alice Ginika Simon

Some workers’ unions have commenced a protest over the sack of workers of the Lagos State Water Corporation (LWC) by the state government.

On Wednesday, the workers commenced the protest rally at the Ikeja under-bridge while heading towards the Lagos house of assembly complex in Alausa.

Workers under the aegis of the Amalgamated Unions of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and other unions are at the protest.

In April, the Lagos government announced the disengagement of 391 LWC workers “as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and meeting the evolving demands of the organisation”.

The state government said the corporation has been battling “financial and operational challenges, struggling to generate adequate revenue to meet its obligations”.