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The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, on Saturday apprehended two commercial drivers and their buses for driving against traffic.
The Nigeria News Agency reports that the commercial drivers were apprehended at Majidun area of Ikorodu, on the outskirts of Lagos.
The buses with registration numbers, FKJ 704 XK and FKJ 864 XV, were driving inward Ikorodu using the outward Ikorodu Lane.
NAN reports that the two buses and the drivers were handed over to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Owode Onirin police station for necessary actions.
Edited by: Wale Ojetimi
(NAN)
A former Governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, says local policing is the only way to ensure effective security in the country.
Duke made the suggestion on Friday at a public lecture organised by the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star in Calabar, Cross River.
The theme was: “Servant Leadership, the Might of Meekness.’’
He described policing as “a very local thing which requires a lot of intelligence and knowing the people who you work with.’’
According to him, anything that is central must be localised.
“If you send someone from Edo to come and become the Commissioner of Police in Cross River and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) is from a different state, how do you expect him to understand the peculiarities of the people?
“The failure of the military administration in Nigeria was posting someone from Sokoto to be an administrator in Cross River. It will take him a long time to understand the nuances of the people of the locality,’’ he said.
On concept of a servant leader, Duke said there was no better example than Christ who came from on high.
The former governor said Christ went through the humbling process of birth, growth and understanding human frailties and strengths in order to lead them back to his father.
He said that a leader must understand and love the people.
“It is love that gives you the passion to keep going regardless of the challenges.
“If you are a leader whose entire outlook is for the betterment of his or her people, they will still look up to you even when you are not in the position of authority.
“We must demand loyalty from our leaders because they come to us, demand our votes and immediately they become leaders, they become tigers.
“Loyalty is a two-way thing; it starts from the top and comes down to the bottom and when it gets to the bottom, what you get back is reciprocity,’’ Duke said.
Also speaking, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Uganda, Dr Nya Asuquo, noted the differences between prosperous and backward countries.
Asuquo noted that natural resources alone did not guarantee the prosperity of a nation but visionary leadership transformed people’s destiny.
He said that a leader must not only know where he is going but must have the ability to inspire people to go with him.
“Leadership goes beyond occupying an office of authority but being able to motivate the people with words and actions.
“It is important to state that the supreme quality of leadership is having an unquestionable integrity because without it, no real success is possible,’’ he said.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor-elect of Bayelsa, Sen. Degi Eremienyo, said the most effective instrumentality for change was to imbibe the spirit of servant leadership reinforced with meekness and humanity.
Edited by: Johnson Eyiangho/Adeleye Ajayi
(NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari says that collaboration between traditional and state authorities is crucial in community policing.
Buhari, represented by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, made this submission while declaring open the 2019 General Assembly of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
The focus of the 2019 general assembly is on the role of traditional rulers in community policing and in addressing the menace of drug abuse.
In 2018, I inaugurated the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse to address this challenge.
The committee has concluded its assignment and submitted its report; in order to effectively implement its recommendations on drug demand reduction, governments at all levels must work together with traditional rulers.
But it is perhaps in the functioning of community policing that the collaboration between traditional and state authority is most imperative.
The reasons are obvious; first, is surveillance and the provision of intelligence; as community leaders, you are much more familiar with your immediate environment than any state law enforcement agent or agencies can aspire to be from our remote perch.
He said that the vast network of confidence open to traditional institutions were uniquely-positioned to provide government with valuable intelligence that could help detect criminal activities early and prevent or stop such before they escalated.
According to him, the second reason is monitoring and maintenance of the community policing structures.
By virtue of your positions, your majesties will be able to see what works and what does not.
Ultimately, because you are largely immune from the upheaval of each four-year political term, traditional fathers can ensure that these structures of community policing are maintained and improved beyond the terms of the elected national and state leaderships.
Third is in the moderation of the activities of all actors especially the civilian participants in community policing to ensure that the community police system does not become oppressive on the people and communities that they are to serve, and that there are no abuses of power or high handedness in the enforcement of laws.
“I thank you for your unrelenting efforts in tackling some of the deepest and most malignant social ills in our societies.’’
Buhari said that the 2018 National Drug Use Survey indicated that there were 14.3 million drug users between the ages of 15 and 64.
He said that drug use was most common among those between ages of 25 and 29 years which were the years of peak productivity in anyone’s lifespan.
Buhari said that the figures were stark and their implications dire as substance addiction posed a clear danger to public health and public safety.
The president, urged the traditional rulers to consider the complexity of drug abuse as a crime.
He said that the diversion of opioid-based medications like tramadol and cough syrups containing codeine from their prescribed medical use to the illicit market had spawned an epidemic of substance abuse and rise in related mental and neurological ailments.
Buhari called for synergy in establishing valuable prevention and resolution mechanisms; and ensuring that young people everywhere were educated on the gravity of the risks involved in drug abuse.
In his opening remarks, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, co-Chairman, NCTRN, said that the unity of the country lay in the hands of traditional rulers.
He said that the traditional rulers knew the grassroots; hence the need to work with government in policing the communities and moving the country forward.
Ogunwusi cautioned against interference with the structure of the traditional institution.
On his part, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) , Mr Muhammad Adamu, in a keynote address, said that that policing strategy was changing towards community policing.
He said that in every state, there would be a committee on community policing which would be driven by traditional rulers.
The IG-P said that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and other senior police officers in such areas would only come to support.
He said that community policing strategy had been useful in containing banditry and kidnapping in the North-West zone of the country.
In a vote of thanks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar, co-Chairman of NCTRN, called on the executive and the legislature to protect the traditional institution from undue interference.
How can you formulate a law that will stop any governor or local government chairman from delving into issues of tradition and culture of our people.
There should be a law and that will protect the dignity and respect of any traditional ruler whether he is first class or 100 class,’’ he said.
The highpoint of the event was the unveiling of the 2020 Calendar of the NCTRN by the vice-president.
Edited by: Chukwudi Ekezie
(NAN)
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Fuji Musician, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, on Saturday thrilled his fans at the Suntan Beach in Badagry as part of activities to mark the Valentine Season.
A correspondent of the Nigeria News Agency that was at the event reports that funseekers beseiged the beach to enjoy the thrilling performance by the Fuji legend as he dished out various hit tracks from his numerous albums. They were not deterred by the N1,000 gate-fee charged per person saying they needed to catch fun from the Fuji maestro. Some of the fun seekers also expressed their excitements about the event. Mr Olaitan Akinwale, a student said that he was excited about the event and commended the organisers for the initiative. “I have never had the opportunity to see Pasuma perform live so I’m supper excited about this as it has been sending shivers down my spine. “I have always been a fan of Pasuma and I have finally graduated the opportunity to see him face to face,” he said. Mr Yomi Alabi who came in company with his family said that he was thrilled with the performance. “The performance by the Fuji legend has been wonderful as I have been dancing along with my kids for hours without stopping. “I’m glad to witness this opportunity because this event does not happen often around this area,” he said. Miss Keji Ajala noted that an event such as this would help in developing the community. “Events like these should be happening more often as they will improve the community in several ways,” she said. Mr Adeleke Smith, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Seme Police Command said that his officers and men were at strategic places to provide adequate security for funseekers. Mr Solomon Zosu, the spokesperson, Badagry West Local Council Development Area, noted that the beach was the ideal location for the event. “For several years, we had not recorded any mishap in the beach and its serene and unique environment makes the place the most ideal for such an occasion,” he said. NAN reports that business activities around in and around the beach were at their peak during the event. Edited by: Peter Dada