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Insecurity: Ooni charges NASS on constitutional roles for traditional rulers

Published

1 year ago

April 6, 2023

By Jeleel Olawale

Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has charged the National Assembly (NASS) to carry out legislation that will provide for the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) with constitutional roles to enable them make more positive impacts in the security architecture of the Country.

Ooni in a statement by the Director, Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare, warned that failure to do so, the Country may not effectively tackle emerging and contemporary security challenges bedeviling the Country.

Ooni who doubles as Co-chairman of NCTRN which is the umbrella body of all the traditional rulers in Country, stated this in Kaduna as Guest Speaker/Royal Father during the 2023 Exercise Haski Hiyu Lecture organised by the Armed Forces Command And Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State, attended by senior military officers drawn from various units and formations across the Country.

The lecture with the theme: “Combating Internal Security Challenges Through Effective Utilisation Of Traditional Institution,” Ooni attributed the high rate of crimes and unending security challenges to the failure of government to assign specific constitutional roles to traditional rulers in the Country.

“Any Nation pushing traditional rulers aside may not prosper. We are the closest to the people and we must be constitutionally empowered to work together with government so as to take our country to another level especially on security matters.

“We were more relevant during pre-independence struggle and post-independence constitutional democracy up till the end of the first Republic in 1966.

“When the colonial people came, they practiced indirect rule in some parts of this country and they could only rule over the citizens through their traditional rulers. In fact, the First Governor of African origin was Ooni Adesoji Aderemi who simultaneously reigned as the King of Ile-Ife and same time governed the old Western Region alongside Late Obafemi Awolowo as the Premier. This was when traditional rulers had constitutional powers.

“Palace is the focal point. Whenever there is a breakdown of law and order in town, people rush to the palace. To you the Nigerian gatekeepers, how do you want to do your jobs successfully without traditional instructions? Impossible,” Ooni said.

Ooni returned to the Country few days ago from a two week Pan-African trip to Brazil where he met with President Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva in Brasilia Brazil on Tuesday 21st before flying to Kenya where he was hosted by President William Ruto at the State House in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday 25th March.

Ooni insisted that the traditional institution has a vital role to play in the fight against insurgency, banditry and other related crimes in the society due to their closeness to the people, and therefore expresses the need to enshrine roles of traditional rulers in the constitution.

In his speech, Commandant of the Armed Forces Command And Staff College, JAJI Kaduna state, Air Vice Marshal Emmanuel Wunoh thanked the monarch for honouring their invitation and expressed satisfaction with the Ooni’s speech to the officers of the Nigerian military who were present at the lecture which is an annual exercise organised by the military training institution to cross-fertilise ideas and strengthen inter-agency collaboration between civil-military and paramilitary organisations to tackle emerging and contemporary security threats within their domains.

The Commandant said, he was in total agreement with the request of constitutional roles for Nigerian Traditional Rulers to effectively complement efforts of the security agencies made by the Ife monarch.

The Ooni alongside his queen, Olori Tobiloba Ogunwusi had on his arrival at the Kaduna International Airport proceeded to the ancient city of Zaria on a courtesy visit to the Emir of Zauzau HRH Mallam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, CFR as a mark of territorial honour. He was also joined by Yoruba indigenes residing in Zaria who had trooped out to welcome the number one king in Yorubaland.

News

Yahaya Bello: Court orders EFCC boss, Olukoyede to appear over alleged contempt

Published

2 hours ago

April 26, 2024

NewsDirect

A Kogi High Court in Lokoja on Friday ordered the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, to appear before it on May 13 to show why he should not be committed for allegedly disobeying its order.

Justice I.A. Jamil of High Court IV gave the order while ruling in Suit No: HCL/68M/2024 and Motion No: HCL/190M/2024, brought before him by ex-Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi in Lokoja.

“The said act was carried out by the Respondent (EFCC) in violation of the order, which was valid and subsisting when they carried out the act.

“That same act of the respondent amounts to contempt, ” the judge said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC boss is facing a contempt charge for allegedly carrying out “some acts upon which they (the EFCC) have been restrained” by the court on Feb. 9, pending the determination of the substantive originating motion.

EFCC operatives had on April 17 laid siege on the residence of the former governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in a bid to arrest him, in spite a court order restraining them from taking such action, pending the determination of the originating motion.

Justice Jamil’s order was based on a motion ex-parte filed by Yahaya Bello through his lawyer, M.S. Yusuf.

Bello prayed the court for an order to issue and serve the respondent (EFCC Chairman) with Form 49 Notice to show cause why Order of Committal should not be made on Olukoyede.

“The Judge, after listening to the arguments of the applicant’s counsel, the submission and exhibits attached in the written address, granted Bello’s prayers and ordered Olukoyede to be summoned to appear before the court to answer the contempt charge.

“The applicant’s application before me is to the effect that the respondent has carried out some acts upon which they have been restrained by this court on Feb. 9, pending the determination of the substantive motion on notice before this court.

“That the said act was carried out by the respondent in violation of the order which was valid and subsisting when they carried out those acts. That same act of the respondent amounts to act of contempt.

“It’s against the above facts that this Court hereby grants the prayers sought in line with the principle of “Audi Ultra Patem” (listen to the other side).

“This matter is adjourned to May 13 for the respondent’s chairman to appear before this court in answer to form 49 ordered to be served on him,” the Judge said.

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Tinubu appoints heads of NESREA, NDRBDA

Published

2 hours ago

April 26, 2024

NewsDirect

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr Innocent Barikor as the Director-General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

The President also approved the appointment of Prince Ebitimi Amgbare as the Managing Director/CEO of the Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority (NDRBDA).

Barikor is an academic, politician and a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 2011 to 2015, while Prince Amgbare is a retired naval officer and former commissioner in Bayelsa.

He said that the President expected that the new heads of these important agencies to discharge their duties with utmost fidelity to the nation.

Ngelale also stated that the President called on the new appointees to adhere to the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, and excellent service to the people of Nigeria.

News

NCP approves recommendation to reposition BOA

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

NewsDirect

By Matthew Denis

The National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has given its nod to the recommendations aimed at repositioning the Bank of Industry (BOA) to ensure food security for Nigerians.

Chaired by the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, the NCP approved the recommendations from the committee on BOA during its second meeting of 2024 held on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at the Presidential Villa Abuja.

Speaking during the meeting, the Vice President emphasized the importance of optimizing BOA as part of the administration’s agenda to provide food security for the nation. He urged the committee to engage professionals with integrity to manage the process effectively.

Presenting the committee’s report, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, who is also the Vice-chairman of the NCP, highlighted the decision to reposition BOA for efficiency and effectiveness. He expressed confidence that the recommendations would guide the Council in revitalizing the Bank of Agriculture and positioning it globally.

One of the Key recommendations includes upgrading the Bank’s ICT infrastructure to automate processes and ensure accountability.

Recall that in 2023, an 8-member inter-ministerial team was set up by the NCP to review the state of affairs at BOA, given its critical role in agriculture and the administration’s commitment to food security. Additionally, in 2016, the NCP approved collaboration between the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with the Federal Ministry of Finance, to restructure and recapitalize BOA.

Established in 1972, BOA, formerly known as Nigeria Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank, is owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), with the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) holding 60% and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) holding 40%.

The Bank is supervised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS).

BOA’s authorized share capital was increased in 2022 from N50 billion to N500 billion to facilitate its repositioning.

The committee, comprising the Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy as Chairman, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Governor of CBN, Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Mr. Mohammed Mustapha Bintube, Chairman of the Technical Committee of the NCP, Chairman of the Legal Committee of NCP, and Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) as the secretary, worked diligently to arrive at these recommendations.

In another development, the NCP also noted a proposal for the establishment of an independent system operator from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to enhance efficiency in the nation’s power sector.