Day: October 31, 2023

The Commandant, National Defence College (NDC), Rear Adm. Olumuyiwa Olotu, has identified election violence as one of the biggest threats confronting Nigeria since the return of democracy in 1999.

Olotu said this at a symposium on election security organised by the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies on Tuesday in Abuja.

The symposium has the theme, `Abating Electoral Violence in the Upcoming Elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo State’.

The commandant said concerns had remained about the possibility of attacks on voters, election facilities and officials during every election in the country since 1999.

He therefore said the symposium was an opportunity for experts and stakeholders to examine and conduct an environmental scan of the political environment in those states to determine the trends and dynamics of the emerging threats to the elections.

Olotu said the experts and stakeholders would also analyse some of the major drivers of those threats, and offer actionable recommendations on how to enhance credible election in those states devoid of rancor and acrimony.

“You all agree with me that one of the biggest threats confronting the nation over the years since the return of democracy has been the threat of election violence.

“As we prepare for yet another round of elections in some of the states of the federation, specifically by Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states, this has created some doubts in the minds of so many Nigerians on the successful conduct of the elections in the three states.

“So, in line with this reality, the NDC has been facilitating discussions on how to ensure the security of elections nationwide,” he said.

The commandant said the Nov. 11 election in the three states was an opportunity for government, INEC and every stakeholder to prove that ”we are again capable of conducting acceptable elections in our dear country”.

He expressed optimism that the outcome of the conversation would be useful to INEC, law enforcement agencies and election managers before, during and after the elections.

“It will also serve to provide accurate information to members of the public in these states on the preparedness of INEC for the election and eliminate all forms of misinformation in form of fake news,” he added.

He urged non-state actors who had no business with the election to refrain from fomenting trouble before, during and after the elections.

The Lead Paper Presenter, Prof. Chigozie Enwerem, a Professor of International Relation, said the symposium was on the security factors that trigger electoral violence in Nigeria.

Enwerem said that though democracy was designed to achieve the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, the struggle for political power often led to ”strategic thinking and strategic violence”.

He said the symposium would x-ray some of the strategies used by political actors to promote violence as a system or strategy to shape the outcome of elections.

Enwerem said it was important to develop strategies to abort some of the remote causes of electoral violence.

The News Agency if Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu was represented at the event by his Chief Technical Adviser, Prof. Bolanle Eyinla.

Also present during the symposium were the Resident Electoral Commissioners for Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo, as well as representatives of political parties, religious and youths leaders from the three states.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The immediate past President of Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Vickie Irabor, has urged her successor, Mrs Oghogho Musa, to ensure timely completion of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Centre initiated by the association.

Irabor made the call during a dinner and send-off ceremony organised in her honour by DEPOWA on Monday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, in October 2022 laid the foundation for the construction of the centre at Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment in Giri, Abuja.

The centre was designed to care for the mental health of military and police personnel and their families who were involved in security operations.

Mrs Irabor said that the centre was a pioneering effort in Africa, and will benefit the military community for generations to come.

“The past CDS and service chiefs sponsored the project 100 per cent from beginning to where it was when I handed over to my successor, Mrs Musa.

“It is my prayer that God will give Mrs Musa the grace to complete this project so that we can all come for the commissioning and begin to access the facility for healthy mental health of the military family,” she said.

Mrs Irabor said her journey as wife of a military officer and DEPOWA leader had its challenges, accolades, and trials, adding that each obstacle she faced came with opportunity to create positive changes, especially for the vulnerable in the society.

She said her tenure included bringing succour to widows and orphans of fallen heroes, with over 300 widows and orphans trained at the DEPOWA Skills Acquisition Centre.

Mrs Irabor added that she also undertook several infrastructural projects across military barracks, as well as many humanitarian interventions.

According to her, she also wrote a book, “The Journey of a Military Wife”, to document her experiences and inspire women.

Earlier, the President of DEPOWA, Mrs Musa, said the event was to celebrate Mrs Irabor as ”a true pillar” of the association, who sustained the legacies of past DEPOWA Presidents.

She said that Mrs Irabor’s steadfastness, commitment and unwavering dedication helped to nurture a culture of collaboration, innovation and “unforgettable and remarkable successes” in the association.

She added that Mrs Irabor’s tenure ensured very supportive environment that uplifted the lives of women, youth and the vulnerable in the society.

Mrs Musa also commended all past presidents of the association for their invaluable contributions to the growth and development of the association, which positively impacted humanity.

She promised to do her best to add value to all as she steers the affairs of DEPOWA.

NAN reports that the event was attended by some past DEPOWA presidents, including Mrs Fatima Ogohi, Mrs Aliero Azazi, and Mrs Mary Bade, among others.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Concerned Rivers Elite, a pressure group, has faulted call by Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic Cleric, for the sack of Chief Nyesom Wike as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over the visit of the Israeli Ambassador to his office.

This is contained in a statement signed by Chief Tony Okocha, the spokesperson for the group in Abuja on Tuesday.

“We feel obliged for this privilege to lend our voice to the apparently thorny issues, generated from the courtesy visit of the Israeli Ambassador, Mr Michael Freeman with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“A visit which official fallout revealed the overt concerns on agriculture technology and development; xecurity/information technology and digital economy, with the positive aftermath of creating and opening up new vistas for employment opportunities and increased security system in Abuja.

“This was wickedly construed as Wike, meeting with the Israeli Ambassador, to declare support to Israel over the genocide in Palestine.

“How could this possibly be? Is the minister an assignee of Mr President to speak on the raging war between Israel and Gaza? Is Wike the Minister for Foreign Affairs? Is he the Minister of Defence,” Okocha said.

He said that Wike was a worthy son of Rivers, who had contributed greatly to the development of Nigeria.

“Wike is a worthy son of Rivers, he is highly revered and venerated as the leader of the political infantry in the present day politics in the state.

“He has very indomitable and unbeatable track records of service and achievements in public and private endeavors.

“He was two terms chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

While in that saddle, he acquitted himself so creditably that he bagged the award of “Best Chairman” out of 22 others in 2001,” he said.

“His prodigies, courage, resilience and expertise in administration, endeared him to his colleagues, who elected him as the Deputy National Chairman and later National Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

“Wike later had a deeper stint with Rivers politics and was meritorously appointed as Chief of staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers.

“After five years in this saddle, he was nominated and subsequently appointed into the Federal Cabinet as Minister of the Education with the portfolio as Minister of State for Education.

“By twist of events, he became Supervising Minister of Education and subsequently, substantive Minister of Education.

“History will be unkind to him, if it fails to chronicle the fact that he hyped and pursed the course of the minimally advantaged in the society – the Almajiris, who were predominantly in the North. His regime as Education Minister also championed major reforms in learning and infrastructure developments in our education sector.”

“Wike was so loved by his people so that he contested the coveted office of Governor of Rivers State in 2015 and handsomely trumped over an incumbent Government, to become Executive Governor of Rivers.

“He got re~elected in 2019, in spite of all heated external pressures.

“Nigerians know and attest to the crystal facts that Wike was so exceptional whilst on the rostrum as Governor of Rivers.

“His indelible achievements endeared him to the immediate past Vice-President, who in the mission to commission some landmark projects in Rivers, sobriequted him as he then was, as Mr project and later Mr qualify projects”.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, has called for a robust, and inclusive national statistical system in Nigeria.

Bagudu said this at the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Production of National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) Phase III 2024-2028 in Abuja on Tuesday.

Bagudu, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Neboolisa Anako, said the new NSDS would bridge existing gaps and challenges in the statistical system.

“This will set the stage for a unified, integrated, and comprehensive data production system that accurately reflects our current realities.

“It is our collective endeavour to ensure that the new NSDS not only addresses the strategic issues of the past five years but also anticipates and adapts to the evolving statistical landscape.”

He said statistics would play a vital role in assessing the implementation of the Federal Government’s Eight-Point Agenda of President Bola Tinubu led administration.

“Hence, strengthening the statistical system is paramount to evaluating the current position and subsequent progress of the current administration.”

The minister said collaboration among stakeholders could not be overemphasised in the successful implementation of the 2024-2028 NSDS.

“I would like to express my profound gratitude to all stakeholders, Development Partners, and other participants who have joined us in this endeavour.

“I look forward to witnessing the transformative impact of the NSDS Phase III on our statistical system and its vital role in Nigeria’s development, ” he said.

The Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, said the 2024-2028 NSDS would serve as a guiding light to steer the country towards a modernised and transformed statistical system.

Adeniran said some key principles were to be considered during the process of developing the new strategy.

He said the new strategy must be inclusive, catering to the needs of all segments of the society, leaving no one behind.

“This means addressing data gaps related to marginalised groups, regions, and sectors. This includes issues pertaining to gender, persons with disability and those at the local government level.”

Adeniran said another key principle was to ensure quality and accuracy of the nation’s statistical system by continuously striving for excellence in data collection, analysis, and dissemination to maintain the trust of users.

“Hence the importance of the quality of the output, soundness of the methodology and processes, and the robustness of our data sources, cannot be understated, they are extremely vital, and due attention must be paid to it.”

He said another principle of innovation and technology must be crafted in the new strategy by embracing the latest technological advancements to streamline data collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination processes.

Adeniran said sustained investment in the development of human capital resources and partnerships with international organisations, academia, and the private sector should be at the heart of the new strategy.

“The continuous training and re-training of personnel of the statistical system, as well as opportunities for exposure and exchanges and interactions with colleagues from other statistical systems is not only desirable but should be an essential element to strategy.

“We cannot and should not continue to operate in silence, our best results and output are realised when we collaborate and partner with each other.

“So we need to be more intentional and deliberate about it, and this should form a pivotal part of the strategy in the next five years.

” I believe if we imbibe these five principles in making our contributions toward the drafting of the new NSDS, we will be doing a great service to the development of the statistical system, and to our nation.”

Utz Pape, the Lead Economist and Lead Poverty Team at the World Bank, reiterated that the bank was funding statistics to encourage all stakeholders to actually use the data.

Pape said it was important to look at the national statistical system in an integrated way.

He said the World bank not only engaged with the NBS but other Ministries, Departments and Agencies that were data players in the system, like the Ministry of Health and Education.

Pape said that it was important not to stop at the federal level but move vertically to the state level to have an integrated statistical system.

“This is why it is really important to not just think at the federal level but think about the states and how this can really become an inclusive and integrated national statistical system based on data.”

He said to ensure that data was used properly, there must be a national data system.

“A unified platform in which all the different data producers can feed in data, where different users can access the data, of course,while observing the privacy of any respondents. ”

Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi, Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs, called on the Statistician-General not to depend on the old order, but depend on a system in line with current realities.

“We must chart a way that is inclusive and come up with a more resilient and responsive statistical system that adapts to the evolving needs of our nation.

Abdullahi represented by the Deputy Committe Chairman, Sen. Kenneth Nze, said all stakeholders had a role to play in these critical economic times in order to make a change.

Rep. Ibrahim Isiaka, House Committee Chairman on National Planning and Economic Development, said it was imperative to capture the informal sectors within the economy of Nigeria in the new strategy.

Isiaka said the house was admonishing the NBS to further extend its tentacles on data on goods and products that Nigeria has comparative advantages.

He assured the NBS that the National Assembly will amend its laws to grant the bureau autonomy.

“I assure you by the special grace of God that if you want that autonomy we are going to amend that Act with the speed of light.”

There were goodwill messages from other stakeholders including Sen. Sani Shehu.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria