Headlines
Army Chief Reiterates Commitment to Personnel Training
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has restated the commitment of the Nigerian Army towards the training of its personnel in maintaining peace and tranquility in the country.
The Army Chief, while speaking at the commencement of the 2022 Nigerian Army’s Second Commanding Officer’s workshop at the Gingiya Barracks in Sokoto, said training and retraining personnel was very critical to achieving success.
Yahaya further noted that doing so would help in equipping officers with global best practices. He assured that the Nigerian Army was working round the clock to ensure the Nigerian space was safe for citizens.
“All aspects of training activities must be in line with acceptable best practices. It will receive priority to attain the desired professional requirements to bring to an end the plethora of security challenges confronting the country at the moment.
“It is therefore my hope that the workshop will go a long way to redirect the perspective of our personnel to the best way to provide practical solutions to the contemporary security challenges facing our country.”
The second 2022 workshop had its theme as “Equipment Maintenance and Operational Efficiency: The Role of Operational and Tactical Level Commanders in the Nigerian Army as well as Sister Services Through Interagency Corporation”
Speaking earlier in his welcome address at the five days workshop, the General Officer Commander, 8 Division, Major Uwem Bassey, urged participants to bring their wealth of experience to bear towards finding a permanent solution to insecurity in the country.
Also speaking in his goodwill message, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, commend the Nigerian Army for their selfless service to the nation.
Sultan, who is also a retired senior army officer, said “once a General is always a General, I am always happy to be in the midst of my colleagues. They are doing their best and we will continue to pray for them.”
The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in his address assured that the state would continue to have a good relationship not only the Nigerian Army but all the security agencies in the state.
He called on the President, Major General Muhammad Buhari (retd.), to give priority to the challenges faced by the Army by providing more equipment to help them in the discharge of their constitutional duties.
He, however, urged them to take the maintenance of the ones at hand seriously, which he said would help in achieving strategic results against element of insecurities in the country.
According to Tambuwal, enabling the army will not only boost soldiers’ morale for effective service delivery, but also enhance inter-agency relationship, which is fundamental in their quest and drive towards establishment of peace in the country.
Tambuwal added that the Nigerian Army needed more equipment, training and retraining on how to maintain it, stating that maintenance was key in every human endeavour especially when it came to equipment, as complex and important as the one the soldiers and security operatives were using.
The Punch
Headlines
Abiola Cannot Be Recognised As Former President; He Was Never Sworn-in – Gen Ishola Williams
By Eric Elezuo
One of the prime actors of the June 12, 1993 incidents, General Ishola Williams, has said that much as Chief MKO Abiola wrong was created having won the election, and denied victory, he cannot be recognized as a former President of Nigeria.
Gen Williams made his revelation while speaking as a guest on Channels television socio-political programme, Inside Source.
He maintained that only those who were sworn in that recognised as former presidents, and Abiola was never sworn in.
“Abiola cannot be recognised as former president because he was never sworn in.
The General, who said that he resigned from the army as a result of the wholesome reception given to General Sani Abacha, when he overthrew Chief Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government, contrary to expectation, also picked flaws in the narratives given by former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, in his recently launched book, A Journey In Service.
Williams rose in the army to become the Commandant of Army Signals, Commander of Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) and Chief of Defence Training and Planning, from where he resigned.
Headlines
Breaking: Supreme Court Recognises Martin Amaewhule As Rivers Assembly Speaker, Orders CBN to Stop Releasing Funds to State
By Eric Elezuo
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has in its ruling on Friday recognised Hon Martins Amaewhule as the authentic speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, mandating him to urgently resume sitting with elected members of the assembly.
The apex court also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to stop releasing to the Rivers State government until a proper assembly is constituted.
Details soon…
Tension escalated at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday as impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa made a dramatic return to reclaim his position.
Accompanied by heavily armed men, Obasa stormed the Assembly complex in a bold move that has thrown the State’s legislature into turmoil.
In a stunning turn of events, security details assigned to the substantive Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, were abruptly withdrawn on Thursday morning, clearing the path for Obasa’s controversial comeback.
Sources revealed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) ordered the withdrawal of all security operatives attached to Meranda, leaving her exposed in the midst of an intensifying power struggle.
The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Information, Mr. Victor Ganzallo, expressed concern over the security vacuum created by the withdrawal of personnel.
“In the early hours of Thursday, we woke up to the startling news that all security details assigned to Madam Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, had been withdrawn.
This includes the police and DSS officers, leaving her exposed to threats amid the ongoing speakership crisis,” Ganzallo stated.
He further called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the State’s Chief Security Officer, to intervene urgently to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order within the Assembly.
“The withdrawal of security personnel has left the Assembly naked and vulnerable at a critical time. Urgent action is needed to restore order,” he pleaded.
With the speakership battle taking a dramatic new turn, political watchers are keenly observing how the crisis will unfold in the coming days.
