PDP crisis deepens as Makarfi, Sheriff trade words over funding allegations (Read full details)

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Makarfi

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took another twist yesterday as both factions accused each other of alleged financial misdeed.

While the Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee accused Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of receiving some jeeps and one million dollars from some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and ministers, the Sheriff faction alleged that the Makarfi caretaker committee had been receiving a N50 million monthly subvention from governors of the PDP.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, spokesman to the Makarfi caretaker committee, Dayo Adeyeye, admitted that PDP governors and other leaders were funding it even as he challenged the Sheriff faction to openly deny having received jeeps and one million dollars from APC governors.

It also alleged that Sheriff had been running away from being served with court service as directed by the Supreme Court.
Adeyeye said: “No matter how little the funding we got from our party leaders, it is better to be funded by our party members than by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as is the case with Senator Sheriff and his cohorts. Dr. Cairo should tell us which APC governor, minister or official bought jeeps for them?

“Governor Ayo Fayose has also made a public allegation that Senator Sheriff has received the $1 million from the APC to organize a new convention. Senator Sheriff is yet to publicly refute the allegation,” he added.

He said that all members had already pledged to sacrifice their political interests for the unity of the PDP.

The caretaker committee also asked the Jerry Gana-led PDP strategy committee to continue its consultations with leaders of the PDP pointing out that Sheriff had become jittery of the rising acceptability of the recommendations of the strategy committee.

Earlier, Sheriff’s deputy, Cairo Ojuogboh, had said that Makarfi was creating more crisis for the PDP because of his ambition to be president as well as the N50 million monthly subvention he gets from PDP governors.

Ojougboh said the Prof Jerry Gana-led Strategy and Inter-party Committee, is illegal.

“The caretaker committee is protesting because they have seen that the table is now crumbling fast under their feet. All the organs of the party are cueing into the reconciliation and when the reconciliation pulls through, they are out and Senator Makarfi can only come as member of the BoT and so the N50 million monthly subvention from governors will stop when reconciliation happens. “Secondly, Makarfi wants a situation where he will tailor-make the convention to suit his interest because he has come out to say that he will be contesting the presidency of the country.

“We are very mindful that we are not going to tie our party around any individual. That is why the national chairman, Sheriff said look, I am going to throw everything open. That is why we are studying the position of the reconciliation committee and that is good enough to advance our party.”

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Katsina holds prayer sessions for President’s health (Read full details)

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President Muhammadu Buhari Photo credit: ERIC PIERMONT/AFP/Getty Images)

Series of prayer sessions were held at various locations in Katsina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari for his health and early return to the country, at the weekend.

The prayers were held in Funtua, the state capital and Daura senatorial zones.

Yesterday’s session was hosted by the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abulmumini Kabir Usman at his palace in Kofan Soro.

National Assembly member, Senator Abu Ibrahim organised the one held in Funtua while the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouk Umar Farouk hosted the one held in Daura.

Islamic scholars from all local councils in the state led the prayers attended by thousands of residents.

Speaking at one of the sessions yesterday, Governor Aminu Bello Masari said the prayers are not for President Buhari alone, but also for Nigerians for peace to reign in the country.

He condemned those criticising the president for staying away for a long time, explaining that he had fulfilled the constitutional requirement before leaving by handing over power to his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo.

The Emir of Daura cautioned those wishing the president dead, assuring that he would soon return to continue with governance.

Meanwhile, Business activities were disrupted in Yola, the Adamawa State capital on Saturday as pro-Buhari campaigners and top officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held a rally in support of the president and Osinbajo’s re-election in 2019.

Addressing the crowd at the APC headquarters, the Chairman of Buhari/Osinbajo 2019 joint ticket, Alhaji Yahaya Hamajulde, said the rally was to pray for success for the president and his vice ahead the 2019 general elections.

“This rally is like what the military call operation show your weapons to your enemies. We just want those nursing presidential ambition, especially on APC ticket to quietly pocket their dreams, because it will be an exercise in futility and political wasted venture,” he stated.

Hamajulde appealed to the masses to support the economic policies of the administration.

Former governor of the state, Murtala Nyako, who was represented at the rally by his son, endorsed Buhari and Osinbajo for second term.

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Onyeama calls for more assistance to rebuild northeast (Read full details)

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Nigeria's minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama. PHOTO: TWITTER/ GEOFFREY ONYEAMA

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said that the Federal Government plans to commit a sizable percentage of the 2017 budget to tackling the security and humanitarian situation caused by the Boko Haram terrorism in the northeast.

Onyeama, who dropped the hints during the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, Friday, also appealed for support of the international community to address the huge crisis caused by years of Boko Haram insurgency.

According to a statement by the Office of the UN Secretary-General, Onyeama said Nigeria needs all the help and support it can get from the international community to stem the deplorable humanitarian crisis.

“The Nigerian Government is committing significant budget to confront the security and humanitarian situation arising from the insurgency,” he stated.

It would be recalled that the global UN-supported humanitarian conference, hosted by Norway in collaboration with Nigeria and Germany, generated more than 670m U.S. dollars in pledges.

The fund, the statement said, would help sustain critical relief operations over the next two years and beyond, across the four countries of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, where millions are in need of aid.

The donors’ forum also agreed on the need to address longer-term development requirements and to seek durable solutions for the crisis-ridden countries in the vast region.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), one of the UN agencies attending the conference, said the humanitarian response efforts to Boko Haram devastations should enable the people to return to a dignified life.

Earlier, Director of FAO Emergency and Rehabilitation Division, Dominique Burgeon in his presentation at the conference in the Norwegian capital, also stressed that aid assistance should focus on providing relief from the looming famine in the region,

“Supporting agriculture is the key to both,” he highlighted, noting that supporting farmers to cultivate food would help freeing many from being trapped in cycles of severe hunger.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in its presentation also underscored the need to address public health crisis in the region.The Foreign Affairs Minister led Nigeria’s delegation, even as the conference witnessed the participation of no fewer than 170 representatives from 40 countries, UN, regional and civil society organisations.

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Balarabe Musa blames El-Rufai, Yakowa for unending crisis (Read full details)

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Balarabe Musa

Former Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has said blame for the unabated killings and herdsmen attacks in Southern Kaduna communities should be put on both the incumbent, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and the Late Patrick Yakowa.

The former governor, Alhaji Musa, who bemoaned the attacks and killings in Southern Kaduna by armed men, declared: “I feel that the right thing is not being done to end the crisis in the area.

“Instead of this expensive military presence, why not reduce it substantially and use the savings in establishing industries and develop agriculture in the area”.

Tracing the source of the crisis to poverty, the notable opposition politician decried the manipulation by the elites saying, “There is no industry in the entire eight or nine local government councils making up that area. And the level of awareness is so low.

While blaming Governor El-Rufai and Late Yakowa for inability to end the crisis in the troubled zone in the State, Musa said, “in fact, government on many occasions investigated the crises and found out the causes and culprits of the incidents and didn’t do anything for whatever reasons, which gives the impression of conspiracy.”

He faulted the decision by both El-Rufai and Yakowa administrations to pay compensations to Fulani herdsmen from Cameroun, Niger and Chad, whose cows were killed in Southern Kaduna during the crisis, saying the situation has further fueled the violence.

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Dillibe Onyeama revives occult novels of the 80s…Read full details

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Dillibe Onyeama

Remember novels like Juju, Secret Society, Nigger at Eton, Sex Is a Nigga’s Game, Night Demon, Revenge of the Medicineman, Godfathers of Voodoo? These were bestselling releases of the 1970s and 1980s that deepened the mystery of the African world to a hypnotic western audience. By popular demand, the author of these mystery, occult novels, Mr. Dillibe Onyeama, is making a reissue of them so they could be available again to readers.

Last week in Enugu and Owerri, two titles, Nigger at Eton and All Screwed Up, were released into the market. Onyeama, who is also a publisher, will launch the titles in Lagos and other parts of the country in the coming weeks. Juju will be released later in June. All the titles are published in England by their original publishers, while Onyeama’s publishing outfit, Enugu-based Delta Publications Ltd, will distribute the titles.

Already, to commemorate this year’s Black History month, Rainbow Book Club has Niger at Eton for its February reading event on Saturday, February 25 at Port Harcourt Book Centre (after Obi Wali Centre, beside Air Assault Golf Course, G.U. Ake Road). Time is 2pm.

Also, Onyeama will delight his readers with a new addition to the occult thrillers, when he brings out The Flaming Sword, which took 40 years to write.

According to him, “A U.K.-based American publisher, Mark Barty-King, who ultimately emerged Chairman of Transworld Publishing Group, which first commissioned my novel, Godfathers of Voodoo, was bowled over by the synopsis of The Flaming Sword, and wanted to see some specimen chapters. I elected to write the whole book without taking a commission and possibly disappointing him, and hand over a completed work. Some months before I finished the work some 38 years later, I was reading his obituary in disbelieving horror!

“Based on the 2100 Pounds commission I received for Godfathers of Voodoo in 1980, which was 256 pages, this could have been anything as high as 5000 Pounds for 600 pages. But I elected to forego the carrot of a handsome commission and complete the book and hand over the finished project.”

For Onyeama, “Demand is what is making us to revive the old titles. Demand is great within that realm of the mysterious, the occult, and the hidden life. There is that aspect of African life that is unexplored. In those days in London, my books were selling as much as 30,000 copies. There was great demand for them.”

Although he left Nigeria for London at the age of eight, Onyeama knew enough about his African occult heritage to draw upon it through imaginative fiction to mystify his readers. Onyeama spoke on the place of occult in today’s reality in the African imagination, saying the phenomenon still has as much grip then as it does now in spite of globalisation.

As he put it in a telephone conversation from his Enugu base, “Even at eight, kinds are very receptive to culture. Occult or voodoo still serves the African man in a big way. The African man can hold the cross (of Christ) with one hand for the whole world to see and still hold his totem or occult symbol with the other hand. All are still used in a great deal; politicians and businessmen and women still use occult till this day. It’s a real world out there, the occult world, and it still works and mystifies the white man.”

Although Onyeama is excited about bringing out these once famous titles that thrilled generations of readers back in the days, he said Nigeria’s publishing scene easily dampens the spirit. He said booksellers are the sour point in the book business with a huge debt profile, which they refuse to settle. He said what booksellers owed him was as high as six digits, a situation he said was unacceptable.

“The publishing industry is going through hell,” he lamented. “Booksellers don’t pay their debt; they make the business difficult for us.”As a result, Onyeama’s new policy at Delta Publishers Ltd is cash and carry, saying it was the only way he could stay afloat and continue to satisfy avid readers.

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Solar-powered cinema opens in Burkina ahead of festival…Read full details

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President of Burkina Faso Roch Marc Christian Kabore (C) cuts the ribbon during the inauguration of a new movie theatre which runs on solar power in Ouagadougou on February 24, 2017, on the eve of the opening of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival (FESPACO). Held every two years, the Pan-African Film and Television Festival, better known as FESPACO, winds up March 4 with a red carpet awards ceremony in the city's football stadium.
Ahmed OUOBA / AFP

People visit a new movie theatre which runs on solar power during its inauguration in Ouagadougou on February 24, 2017, on the eve of the opening of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival (FESPACO). Held every two years, the Pan-African Film and Television Festival, better known as FESPACO, winds up March 4 with a red carpet awards ceremony in the city's football stadium.
Ahmed OUOBA / AFP

A solar-powered cinema was unveiled in Burkina Faso Friday ahead of the city’s hosting of Africa’s top film festival, even as movie theatres on the continent continue to disappear.

The theatre, with its 300-seat capacity, will run on solar energy. Named Canal Olympia Yennenga, it is now the third-largest movie hall in the Burkina Faso capital Ouagadougou.

Located in the city’s posh Ouaga2000 neighbourhood, the theatre cost about 3 million euros ($3.2 million) to build.

It is the brainchild of French businessman Vincent Bollore, whose company owns French premium TV and cinema group Canal Plus.

“In the city of Ouagadougou, we lack movie theatres of this calibre,” said Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

“Ouagadougou is the capital of African cinema. We have every intention of keeping it that way,” Kabore said. “It is in our interest to have theatres.”

Ouagadougou will play host to the Pan-African Film and Television Festival, better known as FESPACO, which kicks off Saturday and winds up March 4 with a red carpet awards ceremony in the city’s football stadium.

More than 100,000 people are expected for the 10-day event, held every two years, a year after 33 people were killed and scores injured in an unprecedented jihadist assault in January 2016.

More than 160 movies are screening, including 20 features vying for the top award, the prized “Etalon d’Or” or Golden Stallion.

During the theatre’s unveiling, Kabore hailed the “beautiful tool” of culture.

A score of feature films from 14 African countries and the French West Indian territory of Guadeloupe are competing to take the top prize, won last year by “Fièvres” (“Fevers”), by Moroccan director Hicham Ayouch.

The hall also opens at a time when many historic cinemas have shut and when many African cities just simply lack movie theatres.

The Canal Plus group is set to open about 50 other movie theatres in francophone countries in Africa where the group operates, said Canal Olympia President Corinne Bach.

It is the third hall the group has opened after Douala in Cameroon, Niamey in Niger, and Conakry in Guinea.

Despite last year’s attack by a three-man jihadist unit on city hotels and restaurants, the government ruled out cancelling the film festival which has become the small and struggling nation’s premier event.

In December, the Burkinabe army suffered its biggest ever setback when 12 soldiers were killed during a jihadist raid on the Mali-Niger border.

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British-born Nigerian female footballer scores 14 goals in one match…See full details

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The England youth international became famous in football, after netting 14 goals for the University of East London women’s football team in their 40-0 bashing of the University College, London in 2016.

Joins Watford Ladies

A young Nigerian female footballer, Rinsola Babajide, who plies her trade in England, was delighted to open her goalscoring for new club, Watford Ladies during the week following her transfer from Millwall Lionesses.

The 18-year-old Babajide needed only two minutes to open scoring for the new club on Wednesday, though the Hornets were held to a 1-1 draw by Canadian touring side, Griffins WSOC. Babajide fired brilliantly from the tightest of angles.

The England youth international became famous in football, after netting 14 goals for the University of East London women’s football team in their 40-0 bashing of the University College, London in 2016.

She has been called up to England U-19 squad for the upcoming La Manga Tournament. After debuting for her new team, Watford Ladies, a delighted Babajide tweeted after the friendly at Kings Langley FC saying: “Happy to score my first Watford goal yesterday, hopefully many more ⚽️ #GTG #GGM @Watfordladiesfc”.

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The travails of Arsene Wenger…See full details

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Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger. PHOTO: Ben STANSALL / AFP

I like him. He talks football with the authority of a person that thoroughly understands the subject. Arsene Wenger may be in trouble – big trouble!

Evening has surely started to set for the great French football tactician. In the wake of the psychologically dampening defeat of Arsenal by Bayern Munich last week, and the now near impossible mission to catch up with run-away leaders of the EPL, Chelsea FC, it seems no longer a matter of ‘if’, but of ‘when’, that Arsene Wenger will have to bow out as manager of Arsenal FC.

From 2003/2004 when the club last won the EPL until two seasons ago, the entire followership of the Gunners had ample reasons not to consider the possibility of Arsene Wenger exiting the club.

He capped an intriguing period of unprecedented growth of the club, taking it from one of England’s mid-level clubs when he joined 21 years ago to a club with a rich history of achievements (three EPL trophies in 1987/88, 2001/2002 and 2003/2004), enormous resources at its disposal to build one of the most modern stadia in Europe, earnings that now make the club the fifth richest in the world, and a global followership of fans in every cranny of the planet.

Incidentally, the club easily can qualify to be described as the best English club never to win the European Club Champions League.

This season, a brand new Airbus aircraft, with all the trappings of luxury in private beds, baths, a lounge and bars to convey the clubs players to away matches, has been added to the club!

In the past two seasons, Wenger has been issued a blank cheque to hire the best available players from any part of the world capable of restoring the glory of the club and even more.

Even then he still invested prudently, about 200 million pounds in the two seasons, not splashing money on the best available players in the world, but assembling a sprinkling of a few world-class players to add to his ‘academy’ of home-grown youngsters, in the vain hope of reviving an old tradition that last worked some 13 years ago when the club went through the entire season without losing a game.

Yes, it is hard to believe that that same club under Arsene Wenger has not won the EPL in 13 attempts since then.

Two seasons ago, Arsene Wenger was handed everything he needed to justify the assumption that he was an authentic member of the elite club of some of the best coaches in the world.

Since then things have not been easy or rosy. Although Arsene Wenger has seen the club through most of its best and now worsening years, he is no longer a favourite of the fans who are anxious for success NOW!

Last season, Bayern Munich’s emphatic victory over the Gunners in the Champions League was attributed to the low quality of players Arsenal bought.

This season Wenger added a few more, but still hardly enough as events have now shown clearly. History repeated itself last week. The elements intervened and brought the same two teams from last season back to the same stage in the same competition.

The result was exactly the same – another humiliating 5-1 pounding of the Gunners. There are no excuses good enough to justify anything this time – it is confirmation that Arsenal FC are still not good enough. On the night, the team could not deal with the fluidity and smoothness of the Bayern Munich players and performance.

There was daylight between the two teams.  Now most Gunners conclude that the problem lies in the coach, his poor judgment about good players and his philosophy of grooming young players!

So, rather than invest heavily on ready-made big players as so many other big teams that have succeeded have been doing and succeeding, Wenger chose to use several home-grown players and to rely on his belief in his coaching prowess.

Last week that experiment failed again for the umpteenth time. It was the last straw. It aggravated the pain of fans as they also watched Chelsea running away with the priciest trophy in domestic European football.

The once vociferous support for Arsene Wenger’s continued stay as manager has drowned and replaced with a deafening clarion call for his exit.

The new chorus is very unfamiliar – Arsene Wenger must go! One way or the other, Arsene Wenger’s days as manager of the great Arsenal FC may be numbered.

Chelsea FC And The Most Influential Player In The EPL
Chelsea FC have been on an incredible run this season, playing some very decent football that has left the rest of the league trailing behind and groping to catch up.

All eyes are now riveted on Stamford Bridge as the unraveling under manager Antonio Conte continues.

All those wondering how Leicester City won the league last season, what is happening to them this season, what has happened to Chelsea this season and how they are at the top of the ladder, need not seek any further.

Not enough credit has been paid to this mercurial fighting midfield machine, the single tree that made the forest of Leicester City last season and is making a forest of Stamford Bridge this season.

He is Conte’s secret weapon in Chelsea FC, an extra-ordinary hard-tackling 26 year old defensive midfield player, who runs for 90 minutes, contests for every ball, never holds on to the ball longer than necessary, distributes very clever passes, is always in the thick of breaking down opposing attacks, shooting and scoring sometimes, and always quietly and efficiently doing his work without seeking any attention.

Is anyone still looking for the one good reason above several others why Chelsea FC is and will succeed this season?
Claudio Raneiro’s loss in Leicester City FC at the end of the last season is Antonio Conte’s gain in Chelsea FC this season.

He is the young France international called N’Golo Kante. In my humble opinion, he is the most influential player in the EPL this season.
Readers Feedback
Re-Oh Barcelona, what have you done?

I do not know why you are surprised that PSG defeated Barca stupidly. Barca’s time is over. They used to use the fear factor to defeat teams, but teams are no longer afraid of playing Barca anymore.

You are a fan but I believe you are not a blind supporter. It is only a blind supporter that will not see what is happening in Barca.

Messi is not happy anymore – Tax wahala. Neymar is unhappy – Tax wahala. Suarez is neither happy nor sad – Fifa is still not recognizing Suarez for who he is. Barca coach Luis Enrique is also unhappy with the daily news that he will be replaced at the end of the season. The entire team is unhappy.

When a team is unhappy there is bound to be poor results – like Arsenal and Arsene Wenger; like Chelsea and Mourinho last season.

The second leg on paper is over and done with, but football is unpredictable. PSG can make some mistakes and Barca can bounce back..

Chris Djeniko

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CVL begins N480 million youths’ empowerment training in Delta State

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Professor Pat Utomi. PHOTO: Youtube

The Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), a non-profit organisation founded to complement government’s efforts in youths’ empowerment, has begun the second edition of the programme aimed at resolving the nation’s unemployment challenge in Delta State with an investment of N480 million.

The Chief Executive Officer of CVL, Prof. Pat Utomi, who disclosed this at a press briefing yesterday in Lagos, said the second version of the project aims to train 400 young Nigerians in entrepreneurial and micro- enterprises against the first edition where only 100 were trained at Ajegunle in Lagos State.

Besides, Chief Operating Officer of CVL, Mr. Uchenna Achunine, said apart from the difference in number, the budget for the second edition stands at N480 million as against the first which was N30 million because starter packs and start grants have been increased.

The CVL boss identified lack of right ideas rather than funds as the biggest challenge in starting up businesses, saying: “That is why we are addressing this by adding value to the trained youths through the programme.”

He said in addressing the issue of funds, participants were as well trained to develop bankable business plans to access single-digit interest rates on loans of several initiatives by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Industry (BoI) who are the project’s major partners.

Achunine noted that alongside the youths’ intervention programme, there is another one also aimed at training over a hundred of unemployed graduates on self-mastering, leadership and entrepreneurial skills, among others, to make them employable.

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Who owns the guns?

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Ordinarily, the interception and seizure of a truckload of pump action rifles by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) should be a cause for cheers and commendation for the vigilance and alertness displayed by the officers at their duty post. However, amidst lingering terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities, impounding 661 smuggled dangerous weapons raises serious questions about the security of lives and property in the country.

According to reports, the consignment said to have originated from China through Turkey, was intercepted by a roving team of customs officers along the Mile 2 – Apapa Road, Lagos. Questions: Who is importing or smuggling in pump action rifles? What purpose did such a person seek to achieve by the importation? How did these rifles successfully find their way into the country without interception before now? Is it the case that there might have been some compromise with security operatives at the port of origin, ports of transit and port of destination? Instead of applause, this incident raises fear and apprehension.

Only six months ago, the United Nations raised alarm over the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons in West Africa. A report from one of its agencies, at the time, stated that Nigeria accounted for about 350 million of the 500 million small arms circulating in the region; that is, 70 per cent of illicit weapons circulating in the sub-region are domiciled in Nigeria.

Behind this startling statistics are facts drawn from the nation’s socio-economic and political experience. One of such is that movements of arms, whether they are made public or not, are known to occur before elections. And this procurement as well as movement of weapons is done by people who have means and influence. In this regard, it would be recalled that years ago some governors, in their bid to become the sole masters of the political machine of their states, raised private militia groups and equipped them with arms and light weapons to terrorise political opponents. It is argued that the prevalent militancy in the South-South region is attributed to the Frankesteinian consequence of raising militias without having the financial means of sustaining them. Again, that these arms get to their destination in the country owes its success to the porous nature of the nation’s borders. Whether it is up north, in the east or west, or from the Atlantic, Nigeria’s borders happen to be the most compromised in the world.

Despite the efforts of the Customs personnel, there is still need to query this latest mode of operation. How, despite pre-inspection at the port of origin, did this consignment pass? Would it have been the case that there was collusion between officials at the port of origin and representatives of the importer? Nigerians are aware of the amount of money spent in acquiring hi-tech scanners for the ports, and as such officers can observe goods when being loaded, track them, and then stop its movement. Why wasn’t this the case until the consignment hit the street before it was apprehended?

Complex and highly networked as the illegal arms industry is, its dangerous proliferation in developing countries could be addressed through diplomatic means. Although the arms industry is sophisticated and run by the elite, such a sophisticated industry cannot exist outside the watch of national regulatory bodies and organisations. Those who run the business and organise the market are very well known people to the political authorities or state actors. In the same vein, the legal procedures for importation of arms as well as the means of circumventing the law are common knowledge to law enforcement agencies.

Notwithstanding this latest modest outing, there is the complaint of low quality intelligence at the Customs Service, no thanks to the character of some of its personnel. In the minds of the average Nigerian there is the misconception that the NCS is a financially self-enriching profession, where all-comers recommended by some godfathers can make a living. This is an indictment of an agency that occupies the nation’s ‘front desk’ position.

Despite the brazen flaunting of assault weapons, and notwithstanding the fact that the people involved are known, nobody has called for a census of weapons in the hands of these murderous marauders. This goes to show that the root cause of violence and unjustified killings is far from being addressed. As always, pruning the fringes of social malaise may not be the solution to the problem of insecurity.

This unpleasant incident has exposed systemic gaps in our ports and border security system. That the interception became public knowledge might have well been a case of a deal gone awry. Whilst praises from Nigerians should encourage the officers of the NCS to be more relentless in tracking down illegal importation and smuggling of weapons and other contraband goods, and then handing culprits over to prosecuting authorities, there is also need to sanitise the Customs. The false idea that the NCS is an exclusive profession reserved for a section of the country, and the consequent politicking of the activities of the operatives should be adequately addressed. There is need for highly trained and competent officers to affect the quality of intelligence at the nation’s ports and borders. With this, even though there may be leakages, such leakages would be drastically reduced.

Whilst this newspaper commends both the prompt detention of incriminated officers and other elements in the arms drama and the immediate commencement of a probe, relevant authorities should carry out a census of arms in circulation and recover illegal ones. However, for lasting resolution, authorities must go beyond local measures and appeal to international forces. Being a signatory to the United Nations treaty on the non-proliferation of small arms, Nigeria has a moral duty to ensure that the distribution of small arms reduces to the barest minimum if not totally eradicated. Countries that share the same aspirations towards non-proliferation of small arms could also establish collaborative efforts to address this in the best possible ways.

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