News
Group kicks agaisnt establishment of a new security outfit in Nigeria
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
Non State Actors Consultative Forum (NOSACOF) a non governmental organization has kicked against a proposed bill on the establishment of a new security outfit under the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
This was contained in a press statement made available to our reporter in Dutse by the forum’s convener, Comrade Abdurrazaq Alkali.
The group in the statement, called on the president to be cautious over the alleged effort by some politicians and people in government trying to alter certain structural and constitutional changes in some government institutions that may create confusion for his administration.
The statement reads,”Mr President Sir, the present push for a bill by some members of your government to make the National Assembly change the provision that establish the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and allow the NSA to establish and recruit own staffs similar to existing government agencies and parastatals is ill informed and can set a very bad precedence”.
The statement explained further that “concealing the fact that the true intention and motive for such move is about their personal and political interest”.
Comrade Alkali added that “First and foremost, passing this bill will mean that the overall office of the NSA infrastructure will have to be overhauled to avoid conflict with the sections of the constitution that establish it or the section of the constitution will have to be expunged to accommodate the bill provision”.
The forum in the statement expressed the fear that “This has the potential of creating many overlaps in the functions of some already existing intelligence agencies such as National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Department of State Service (DSS) etc with the same vision and mission, aims and objectives that may further widen disunity, rivalry and lack of synergy between the various security agencies”.
“Presently the NSA has been the fulcrum of maintaining and enforcing co-operation between the security agencies, and one key component of its success is due to the fact that it derives staffs and collaborations from the various security agencies, such that the agencies do not see the office of the NSA as a rival agency”, the group emphasis.
“Thus, restructuring the office of the NSA into an agency and allowing it to recruit its own staffs00 will very much reduce the efficiency in the operations of the office of the NSA”.
The statement maintained that “This is because the office of the NSA will not be able to fill the roles with candidates of the desired expertise and speciality, it will end up spending years (may be decades) and billions of Naira to train these staffs to the desired level of competency.
“On the other hand security agencies may be reluctant to share staffs with the NSA as they will feel they are no longer relevant in the office of NSA.
“With the current security and financial challenges bedeviling the country, this is definitely a wrong move and a wrong timing as well”.
The statement also noted that the office of the NSA is known to be one of the only offices that work with highly professional and skilled staffs extracted from the various security agencies mainly based on merit, skills and capacity.
“Mr President, the onus of making the right decisions about our country rest on your shoulders and I am confident that you will not allow such dubious bill to be pushed through using your name and or support”.
The convener therefore commended president Bola Ahmed Tinibu on his proactive actions so far in the implementation of some policies and institutional restructuring in order to salvage the future of this country.
Comrade Alkali concluded, saying, “since the coming of president Bola Ahmed Tinibu’s administration, it is quite clear to all Nigerians that it will not be business as usual”.
Former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Professor Tom Adaba, has passed away at the age of 84.
According to reports, he died peacefully on Saturday in Abuja.
Chief Adinoyi Joe Anivasa, Secretary of the Egbira Elders Forum, confirmed the news, stating, “I feel sad to inform you that our elder and leader, Prof. Tom A. Adaba, has answered the call of nature this morning. Further details about his burial arrangements will be communicated later.”
Born on July 2, 1941, Prof. Adaba made significant contributions to Nigeria’s broadcasting industry. Between 1988 and 1992, he became the first Nigerian to serve as President of the African Council for Communication Education.
Despite calls for suspension from the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Nigeria Police Force, the Osun State local government election proceeded as scheduled on Saturday.
Governor Ademola Adeleke voted in Ede North Local Government Area, describing the process as peaceful and urging residents to exercise their franchise.
The AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, cited a Court of Appeal ruling allegedly reinstating sacked local government chairmen, while the police warned of potential security threats.
However, the Osun State government insisted on holding the election, emphasizing its commitment to obeying a court directive. The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) boycotted the polls.
Voting took place under tight security, with minimal commercial activity observed in Osogbo, the state capital.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Commissioner for Information, Jonathan Vatsa, has indicated that Firmer President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence at the public presentation of former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida’s autobiography, The Journey of Service, held in Abuja on Thursday was not surprising.
Speaking to journalists in Minna on Saturday, Vatsa suggested that Buhari’s no-show was a result of unresolved bitterness over the 1985 coup, in which Babangida overthrew him and subsequently detained him.
According to Vatsa, Buhari may still harbor resentment, especially over being denied the chance to bid his late mother farewell while in detention.
“It Would Have Been the 9th Wonder of the World If Buhari Had Attended”
Vatsa claimed that Buhari’s absence was expected, given the deep-seated history between the two former leaders.
“The memory of the ‘mother of all betrayals’ has not left him. It would have been the ninth wonder of the world if Buhari had attended that book launch,” he said.
The APC chieftain also linked Buhari’s perceived neglect of Niger State during his eight-year presidency to his history with Babangida.
“The whole world knows that Niger State was made a scapegoat by Buhari because of IBB. For eight years, he did not pay any serious official visit to the state, and not a single federal project was executed here. The Baro Port project was abandoned, and federal roads across the state were left in disrepair,” Vatsa alleged.
He claimed that despite the overwhelming votes Buhari received from Niger State in 2015 and 2019, the state was sidelined due to the personal history between the former presidents.
“When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. Niger State paid for the sin of one man,” he lamented.
When asked for his opinion on the contents of IBB’s autobiography, Vatsa said he would reserve his comments until he has read and digested the book fully.
“There are certain things I expected to see in the book. Once I am done reading, I will invite you all for my comments,” he stated.
The book launch attracted several high-profile attendees, including President Bola Tinubu, former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Yakubu Gowon, as well as former military head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Other dignitaries included former Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo, former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma, and ex-vice presidents Atiku Abubakar, Yemi Osinbajo, and Namadi Sambo, alongside traditional rulers and state governors.
Buhari’s absence, however, remained a major talking point, reinforcing speculations that the 1985 coup remains a sore point in Nigeria’s political history.
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