The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Army, Rep. Abdullahi Mamudu, has urged the military to use modern technology to tackle security challenges facing the country.

Mamudu said this when he led members of the committee on an oversight visit at the Headquartres of the Joint Task Force (JTF) North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) in Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri on Thursday.

He lauded the military for the effort in securing the country, saying that it would have been difficult for Nigerians to go about their normal businesses without the military.

He said it was the National Assembly’s responsibility to provide budget that would enable the military carry out its constitutional duties.

He lauded the military personnel for their sacrifices, especially those who lost their lives in the course of duty.
Maj. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, the theatre commander, North East OPHK, lauded the committee said for the visit, describing it as timely.

Shuaibu said that the North East had been the nation’s focal point of battle against terrorism, saying that the OPHK was launched to address the challenge.

He added that OPHK had over the years discharged its duty of restoring law and order in the Northeast in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s philosophy.

“To transform the NA into a well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force toward achieving our constitutional responsibilities within a Joint environment.”

The commander added that OPHK had recorded successes lately, especially in the area of neutralising terrorists, capturing equipment and rescue of hostages.

He reiterated that the theatre was determined to end the insurgency, through reviewed strategies to address emerging security challenges.

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed that workers have been enjoying an additional N35,000 wage allowance since January.

This is as he revealed the state government will soon roll out a new minimum wage scheme.

The governor stated that those who are currently earning a minimum wage of N35,000 or more now take home a salary of N70,000 or above since the beginning of the year.

“The civil servant and all public officers in Lagos know that since January, we have continued to pay the wage allowance of a minimum of N35,000 over and above what they were earning before.

“What this means is that people that are earning a minimum of N35,000 or more before are now earning over N70,00. That is what they have been enjoying since January.

“So it is important for people to know that we make these things very clear that this government has doubled up to ensure that at this difficult time, it has not left the citizens on their own,” Sanwo-Olu said at a state function on Thursday.

The governor while giving an update on the intervention the state embarked on to ameliorate the current economic hardship,  said his administration will distribute food items to 500,000 households in the state through unions and local governments.

Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein, the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) has advised treasury managers to guard against corruption, fraud and financial mismanagement by implementing strong internal control mechanisms.

Madein said this at the training programme organised by the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management (CITM) in Abuja on Thursday.

The AGF, who was represented by Alhaji Muhammed Aliyu, Director, Special Duty, said that there was a need to safeguard public funds and protect the interest of government and the public.

“We must remain watchful against the threats of corruption, fraud and financial mismanagement by implementing a strong internal control system and promoting a culture of compliance.”

This, according to her, is in a bid to achieve the virtues and behaviours necessary to curtail corruption in the polity.

She said: “training and professional development are essential in equipping the practitioners with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct the activities of Treasury Management Ethically.”

“Let us seize this opportunity to expand our understanding of ethical principles and best practices, so as to strengthen our ability to serve the public well.”

She urged the participants to uphold the highest ethical standards in their work and actions as treasury professionals.

According to her, together, we shall strive to build a future where transparency, integrity and accountability will be the focus in management of public finances.

“As professionals, we must resist the temptation of personal interest or undue influence in our decision-making processes.

“We must always prioritise the public interest above all other interests, even in the face of unpleasant situations or pressure from the public.” she said.

She said ethical conduct in treasury management entailed an extremely large number of principles, which includes transparency, honesty, accountability, and fairness.

“We must adhere to these principles seriously, not only to maintain public trust but also to imbibe a culture of integrity and transparency within our organisations.”

She said that as custodian of public funds, treasury managers bear a tremendous responsibility to uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity in our profession.

Also speaking, the Registrar, CITM, Mr Olumide Adedoyin, said to curtail financial crime, there must be deterrent, adding that enlightenment is also key.

“Once you create awareness, you must empower professional associations particularly associations like CITM, ANAN, ICAN, because where we are going is an evolving journey.

“And along the line, there are gaps that needed to be filled and that is why treasury management becomes important , if you don’t involve treasury management in your financial flow you are going to lose it”, he said.

He said that sound treasury management would help to safeguard the nation’s financial system by fortifying financial inflow and reducing corruption in the system.