Appointment
Retired Airforce officer advises Tinubu to appoint only Security experts for Defence ministry
Retired Airforce Officer and Security Consultant, Squadron Leader, Ben Williams, has counselled President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that only security experts are appointed to manage the ministry of Defence for seamless outcomes.
Ben Williams who is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said the party wants the best for the country and the President who has been elected on the strength of the party needed to be guided when stakeholders perceive such need.
According to him, the need for experts in security is clearly required in the defence space stretching over 923,000km land space.
“It is the duty of the pool of retired officers across the service who have been invested in by the Nigerian state to draw the president’s attention to these facts.
Sharing his concern with the media he said he aligns with the thoughts of the political analyst, Mahdi Shehu who appeared on Arise TV to describe as an “insult” the appointments of Mohammed Badaru and Bello Matawalle as Ministers and Minister of state for defence respectively.
He charged the President to save Nigeria the ‘insult’ and source square pegs of retired military assets to fill the square hole in the defence ministerial slots because the task of ‘superintending’ or supervising over critical formations and commands across the nations in the police Commands and in the military required the guide of experience all the way.
He stated that the appointment of the former governors of Jigawa Mohammed Badaru and Zamfara state, Bello Matawalle was completely off-mark for the President and should be reconsidered as ministers for defence.
He said Defence matters are not to be experimented upon or should not be politicized as they involve lives of millions of Nigerians. Therefore, the president should be deliberate and explore professionals whose lives have been moulded over the years based on security matters.
According to him “The task of superintending over critical formations across the country in the police Commands in the military cannot be done on experimental basis or requiring people tgat will learn on the job.
“Security matters are very specialized, the training are detailed and demanding, it is why military resources and assets are not taken for granted anywhere in the world whether they are serving or retired, Nigeria cannot be an exception,” he stated.
He wondered what message President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was trying to pass across to Nigerians when he appointed the duo, whose track record do not speak of security excellence, especially the minister of state who governed a state apparently under siege of bandits who could not control the situation.
“What exactly is the president up to with this “insulting” appointments to use the words of the analyst Mahdi Shehu who conveyed the minds of many serving and retired military officers and the whole of Nigeria who have records of incapacitation, especially of the former Zamfara state governor who did not impressively handled the security challenge that tested his will in his home state while he governed.
“I want to believe the President deliberately made these names public to sample public opinion and that would help him fine tune his decision on the final list. For a listening president, I would advise that he does not create an ego problem in the ministry of defence from the outset of ministerial appointments.
“The President has access to retired military generals, who rendered their invaluable service to the security committee during the presidential campaigns. He cannot deny that the services offered by these officers led by a distinguished gentleman was top notch, he should tap into that asset.
“This call is very important because The security challenge in Nigeria today required experience to tackle, we are dealing with criminals of all kinds, pirates and economic saboteurs of all kinds, kidnappers, bandits, Terrorist, armed groups in different part of the country stretching the capacity of the military.
“Only a tactician with specialized military training can appropriately deploy men and resources to tackle this challenge.
“President Tinubu must know that it is the right of Nigeria as a nation to use her assets which she has invested in their training over the years.
“These assets are replete in the pool of retired military officers available for him to access, assess and explore for national defence benefits, we all know the president means well for Nigeria, therefore he should remove the “insulting appointments ” on the nation’s security and make us all feel safe.
“Let me directly request the President to tap into the national asset of retired officers and ensure “Inclusion” of the defence team” the Squadron leader stated.
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has nominated former Chief Judge of the state, Justice Henry Adebola Olusiyi, for appointment as Chairman of the State Anti Corruption Commission.
Nominated alongside the former CJ are Dauda Onimisi Bello who is being considered for position of Director of Operations and Dr Teija Azubuju Seidu, Director of Administration.
This was revealed through a letter from the Governor to Kogi State House of Assembly, read on the floor at plenary, urging the Assembly to screen and confirm the nominees for appointments into the various positions.
Governor Ododo in the letter read by the Speaker, Rt Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, said his recommendation of the nominees was inline with the provisions Part 2 of section 6(1a and to ii) of the law establishing the commission.
Following adoption of the governor’s letter in a unanimous voice votes, the House slated the nominees’ for Thursday and urged them to make themselves.
In same vein, the House at Tuesday plenary also directed Ibrahim Sunday Abdulwaris, nominee for the Chairmanship of Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission, to appear before it for screening on Tuesday next week.
In the letter to the House in this regard, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo appealed to the lawmakers to screen and confirm the nominee.
The lawmakers in their support unanimously approved the governors request and urged the nominee to present himself before the House as scheduled. (Ends)
The Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has appointed Dr. Yunusa Tanko as the Interim National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide.
This move which is part of efforts to consolidate the gains made during the 2023 presidential election, where Obi’s candidacy brought the previously obscure LP to national prominence.
The Obidient Movement played a key role in making the LP a household name, with Obi’s candidacy proving to be a formidable force, winning in key areas like Lagos and Abuja.
With ongoing crises within the LP showing no signs of resolution, Obi might be exploring other options, with the movement serving as a strategic platform for better bargaining power. This development follows a series of engagements and consultations aimed at establishing a more structured organization.
During an X Space meeting, Obi expressed gratitude to the over 165 individuals who submitted ideas and suggestions for the movement’s structure.
He commended the engagement and consultation team for their swift progress in managing the consultation process.
According to Obi, Dr. Tanko’s appointment is a strategic move designed to drive the movement forward, leveraging his expertise and dedication.
He encouraged supporters to continue engaging with the movement, emphasizing the importance of collective effort in building a stronger organization.
Since its inception, the Obidient Movement has gained significant momentum, with supporters rallying behind Obi’s vision for a better future both within Nigeria and globally.
This appointment marks a significant milestone in the movement’s evolution, transitioning from a grassroots phenomenon to a more structured organization.
In Obi’s words:
“Last week, I held an X Space to announce the start of a series of engagements that will help establish this structure. To drive this process, I set up a team to manage these conversations. This team was tasked with holding a series of consultations and engagements. I want to sincerely thank everyone who showed up at the engagement meeting they recently held. I also want to thank the team for how fast they moved the conversation and the consultation process.
“The team has provided me with a preliminary report. Last week, they put out a link for the submission of ideas and documents on how we should structure the movement. I want to extend my gratitude to the over 165 people who submitted their ideas and suggestions through the link provided by the Engagement and Consultation Team and those who attended a recent consultation meeting held on Saturday.
“We received a wide range of insights, including ideas on building an inclusive structure with a strong grassroots presence, leveraging technology to optimize our operations and secure our votes, and innovative suggestions for grassroots mobilization. Indeed, we have brilliant minds in our movement, and this was evident in the quality of the ideas we received.
“This is just the beginning. We are committed to ensuring that every member of this movement is heard and included as we build our structure. There will be more consultations at the regional level, and I encourage everyone to participate when called upon.
“Announcing Interim Leadership: Moving forward, it is crucial to have leadership in place to support this building process. After extensive consultations within the movement and reviewing feedback from Obidients through the ideas submitted, there is a consensus that the position of National Coordinator should go to the North. From the nominations submitted by key stakeholders in the movement and shared with the engagement team, Dr. Yunusa Tanko emerged as the most nominated candidate for this role. Given his track record, leadership qualities, and commitment to the movement, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Tanko Yunusa will serve as the Interim National Coordinator as we continue laying the foundation for our movement. I want to clarify that all positions filled at this stage are on an interim basis until our structure is fully developed.”
By Friday Idachaba
Following a keenly contested congress held in Lokoja, honourable Enemona Anyebe has emerged as the new chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State.
Anyebe polled 1632 votes, the highest number of votes cast, to defeat his closest rivals, Sanni Gambo, who secured 88 votes, Hon. David Ogwu with 56 votes, and Anthony Amengo with 74 votes.
The Chairman of the Kogi PDP Congress Committee, Senator Istifanus Gyang from Plateau State, announced the result after the congress held at Kefas Multipurpose Hall, Lokoja.
Alhaji Yahaya Karaku, a former Chairman of Okene Local Government Council, emerged as the Deputy State Chairman.
Senator Gyang congratulated the newly elected members of the party, urging them to work towards the success of the PDP in the state.
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