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Makinde Receives Service Chiefs, Wants More Troops In Oyo

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Oyo State Governor ‘Seyi Makinde on Thursday urged the deployment of more troops in the state by the military to help the fight against insecurity.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, stated this while receiving the Chief of Defence Staff, General Leo Irabor and other Service Chiefs at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan.

He said the government would continually support and give necessary logistics to enhance the security of life and property in the state, adding, however, that the need for continuous synergy between the military and other security agencies could not be overemphasized.

He added that to surmount the insecurity challenges in the state and parts of the country, there was the need to deploy more troops to help with the internal security assignment.

Besides General Irabor, other Service Chiefs in attendance included the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Isiaka Oladayo Amao; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General SA Adebayo; and the General officer Commanding Second Mechanised Division, Ibadan, Major General Anthony B. Omozoje among other senior officers.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted Gov Makinde as saying that the state had been receiving cooperation from the Nigerian Army through the General Officer Commanding the 2nd Division in the state.
He equally commended the professionalism of the Army, saying: “We have been receiving cooperation from the Nigerian Army based in

Ibadan under the General Officer Commanding. So, I must tell you that the state government is appreciative of this because they answer our call anytime we call them.

“I also want to state that the insecurity in Oyo State is not peculiar to this state alone but Nigeria as a whole. Many people are hiding under different canopies, but we know that insecurity is the handiwork of criminals. It does not have religious coloration, no ethnic coloration. A criminal is a criminal but whatever will suit the purpose of the narrator is what we hear in town.

“The main thing is that insecurity is here, but it is not being unattended to and I can tell you that among the Armed Forces, Police, Operation Burst, Amotekun, there is synergy.

“Though you may be hearing different stories outside, there is synergy and continuous engagement. Every one of us has one target and the central target is the maintenance of peace and security of life and property across the state.”

Makinde also explained that the present administration in the state is accommodating and “does not give room for tribalism,” insisting that all Nigerians living in the state must be protected and safe.

“We don’t discriminate here. This is the pacesetter state in Nigeria and our people are very accommodating. So, I can assure you that any Nigerian national here is in a safe place,” he stated.

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The governor, however, demanded more troops to launch surveillance on porous borders in Oke-Ogun zone of the state, saying: “Also, we want the Nigerian Army to do more. The criminals come in through Oke-Ogun, the boundary between Oyo and Kwara States, extending to Baruten in Kwara and extending to the Benin Republic. So, we need more troops for surveillance, more than what is on the ground.

“We will appreciate it if the Chief of Air Staff can equally come in to assist us through air surveillance. I am sure it is going to be a continuous process. We have to be proactive and the state government will be ready to render logistic support.”

Earlier, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Irabor had told the gathering that the Service Chiefs were in Oyo State on regional security visit, adding that the purpose was to familiarise with the troops, officers and men of the Nigeria Army in the state and to equally let the government know that the military forces were working assiduously to address issues of insecurity in partnership with other security agencies in the state.

“I will like to thank you for the honour of receiving us even at a very short notice. The leadership hierarchy of the Armed Forces changed very recently and it became expedient for us after assuming command to go round to see our troops and officers and men in the field to familiarise ourselves with them.

“So, we are here and we have had extensive interactions with our troops and we also thought it is necessary for us to be here and to let you know that we are working assiduously to address all issues that have to do with insecurity; of course, in partnership with other security agencies.

“Beyond that, we equally bring the expectations and the charge of Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief to them. Having been charged to take all measures necessary to address the varying security challenges across the country in partnership with other security agencies, we found it very expedient for us to make this visit.

“We have equally recognised the centrality of the state government in this regard. So, we felt it is necessary for us to pay this courtesy call for you to know that the entourage is here in the state for good, for the greater good of Oyo State indigenes and citizens as well as every Nigerian and inhabitants of the geographical space in South-Western Nigeria,” Irabor said.

Similarly, Irabor, while commiserating with the state government over the recent unfortunate incident which took the lives of some citizens and residents of the state also lamented the loss of property.

He said: “We know that the military stands ready to give support to the civil authority and ensure that cases of insecurity are addressed holistically. And we also know that the police remain the first tier of internal security provision.

“Of course, where the police require the intervention of the military, we stand very well to provide that, and we have been doing that. More so, Mr. President has told us to do this.”

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BREAKING: Tinubu, PDP’s G5 Members Meet In Aso Rock

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President Bola Tinubu and the members of G5 or the Integrity Group of the Peoples’ Democratic Party )PDP) met at the Aso Villa, Abuja.

The G5 group, led by one serving governor and four former governors caused a major division within the Peoples Democratic Party after demanding the then National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu step down for a southern replacement as a precondition to support the presidential ambition of the party’s flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar in the February 25 poll.

Both Atiku and Ayu called the then governors’ bluff and did not succumb to their demands in the just-concluded elections.

Makinde and Wike reportedly played supportive roles to Tinubu ensure his victory at the February 25, presidential election.

Those at the meeting are Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state as well as former Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

The current governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah was also present.

Tinubu had met with Wike and Makinde some times since his election and inauguration.

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Govt Declares June 12 Public Holiday To Mark Democracy Day

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President Bola Tinubu

The Federal Government on Thursday declared Monday, June 12, 2023 a public holiday in commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day.

Disclosing this in a statement, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade congratulated all Nigerians on the occasion.

She said: “Nigeria’s democratic journey has, like in many other climes, encountered both stormy and smooth sails, but the ship of State, its institutions and most importantly, the Nigerian people have remained steadfast on the tenets of democratic governance.

“On this memorable occasion therefore, Nigerians and friends of Nigeria are invited to appreciate the progress that has been made, celebrate the milestones covered and look forward to a better future for the country’s democracy.

“The Permanent Secretary wishes all Nigerians a Happy Democracy Day celebration”.

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Senate Rejects Controversial Water Bill

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Senate President Ahmed Lawan

The controversial National Water Resources Bill, 2023 has been rejected by the Senate.

The bill was lined up for concurrence in the order paper but was rejected by the majority of the senators.

This brings an end to the controversy by governors and the federal lawmakers particularly those from the Southern part of the country.

When the bill was read for concurrence on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, Senator Gabriel Suswan from Benue North West, raised Order 85 of the Senate Rules which provides that Senators must have full details of the provisions of any bill coming for concurrence.

Senator James Manager from Delta South, who seconded Senator Suswan’s point of order, also stressed the need to have details of the bill since provision was made for only the title of bill.

The Senate President Ahmad Lawan, who later ruled in favour of the rule cited, adjourned the plenary for the day.

It would be recalled that the House of Representatives had passed the bill in 2020 amidst suspicion by members and the general public that the proposal had sinister motives.

Before the passage, the chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli, said the former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), as well as commissioners for justice and attorneys-general of the 36 states of the federation had been consulted and the opinions received would be attached to the bill and distributed to all members.

To buttress the suspicion of some members of the public, a member of the House from Benue State, Mark Gbillah, raised the alarm when the bill was to be taken for the first reading.

Only the short title of a bill is written on the Order Paper for first reading, while a long title, which has more details, is written when listed for second reading.

Gbillah said, “I am aware that the matter listed for first reading, the National Water Resources Bill, generated a lot of controversy within this honourable House and even across the country, and some of us wonder why this issue is still being represented on the floor of the House, because some of us are not comfortably in support of this bill in the first instance Mr Speaker. I thought I should bring that to the notice of the Right Honourable Speaker.”

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who admitted that Gbillah “raised a very cogent point,” noted that Nigeria is a very diverse country and everybody’s sensitivity must be taken into consideration.

Gbillah, however, disagreed with the Speaker, stating that the lawmakers were duly elected and given the mandate to represent the interests of their constituents.

He said, “Whatever the governors might have agreed upon may not be acceptable to us. It is we that have those powers as enshrined in the Constitution to enact legislation that will be binding on this country.”

There were fireworks in the House on September 29, 2020, with some members, mostly from the southern part of the country, raising various legal and procedural issues against the bill.”

The then President, Muhammadu Buhari, had in 2017 presented the controversial bill to both chambers of the National Assembly, which seeks to transfer the control of water resources from the states to the federal government.

The legislation was titled, “A Bill for An Act to Establish a Regulatory Framework for the Water Resources Sector in Nigeria, Provide for the Equitable and Sustainable Redevelopment, Management, Use and Conservation of Nigeria’s Surface Water and Groundwater Resources and for Related Matters.”

The summary of the bill reads, “This Act repeals the Water Resources Act, Cap W2 LFN 2004; River Basin Development Act Cap R9 LFN 2004; Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (Establishment) Act, Cap N110A, LFN,2004; National Water Resources Institute Act Cap N83 LFN 2004; and establishes the National Council on Water Resources, Nigeria Water Resources Regulatory Commission, River Basin Development Authorities, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, and the National Water Resources Institute.”

The proposed bodies, if established, will “provide for the regulation, equitable and sustainable development, management, use and conservation of Nigeria’s surface water and groundwater resources.”

Though the 8th House managed to pass the bill, the controversy had frustrated passage of the bill by the Senate, as the Red Chamber on May 24, 2018, considered the executive bill for second reading, during which senators were divided across regional lines.

While Northern Senators had supported the proposal and its objectives, their Southern counterparts had opposed it.

Those opposed to the bill had pointed out that the bill, if passed into law, would further centralise power and resources of the country. This, they pointed out, would counter the move towards devolution of power domiciled with the federal government.

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