44 dead, 398 injured in road mishap in Nasarawa

NO fewer than 44 persons were feared dead, while 398 sustained injuries in different road accidents in Nasarawa  State, between January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
According to the statistic obtained by the Nigerian Tribune, on Monday, in Lafia, the state capital, from the state Sector  Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the total road crashes during the period was 181 which involved 218 vehicles of different models.
The statistic further showed that the total casualty was  442 people out of which 44 persons were feared dead, while 398 others sustained various injurious.
The state Sector Commander Francis Udoma, therefore, admonished road users to respect the traffic rules and limit their speed in year 2013 with a view to reducing road accidents in the state.

Internal peace, security necessary in 2013 — Police Minister

MINISTER of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (retd), has charged Nigerians to make the promotion of internal peace and security the focal point of their resolutions in 2013.
According to him, “Nigerians must recognise the fact that security has remained the most challenging of the nation’s problems over the past few years and need to get more involved in the concerted efforts by government to tackle it,” noting that without the support and full cooperation of the people, security agencies could not achieve desired results.
Olubolade, in his New Year message, said in spite of the myriad of challenges posed by the activities of agents of destabilisation in the country, a lot was achieved by the Nigeria Police and other security agencies as seen in the reduction in terrorist activities, robbery and other criminal activities, especially towards the end of the year.
He ascribed the relatively peaceful atmosphere under which Nigerians celebrated Christmas to the alertness of the police, in concert with other relevant agencies, as well as the cooperation of well-meaning citizens who provided useful information which helped in curtailing the activities of miscreants.
The New Year, he said, “holds a lot of promises for the people, as government would build on the visible accomplishments of 2012 to ensure a freer and more secure environment for them to operate.”

2013: Why insecurity may persist —Fakeye

UNLESS the existing police structure in Nigeria is decentralised, the prevailing insecurity of life and property could subsist in the New Year, a leading cleric, Prophet (Dr) Olubunmi Fakeye, has said.
In his New Year message to the nation on Monday, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune, the General Leader of Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) Movement, said major stakeholders should agree to a four-tier police system, to stem insecurity in the land.
Describing the current policing system as extremely weak, he noted that the Nigeria Police had been incapacitated by incompetence and graft, with the consequence of making the force an extremely weak arm among law enforcement agiencies.
“I have in the years past called for a four-tier police system: federal, state, local and community police. Until we do this, the security of lives and properties will continue to be in jeopardy in the country,” he said.
Lamenting over the despicable state of the national economy, he said it required more proactive measures that could accelerate the process of diversification and dependence on oil as the main source of foreign revenue.
“The simple way out of the looming crisis is to refocus our economy into the area of production, manufacturing and processing.
“We have all it takes to be the highest producer of both food and cash crops in Africa, if only we can return to the pre-Independence days of the nation, when agriculture was the mainstay of the economy,” he stated.
On the energy sector, he expressed concern over the hardship occasioned by the current fuel scarcity in the country, as he also criticised the dirty politics involved in the ongoing efforts to reform the oil industry.
He advocated the fixing of local refineries so that they could produce at full capacity.
While blaming youth unemployment and pervert values by parents for the upsurge in violent crimes in the country, the cleric called for a general moral re-awakening among all stakeholders in the Nigerian nation.

Boko Haram: FG takes extra security measures nationwide •Why terrorism persists in Nigeria —FG

ARMED soldiers and other security personnel were on Monday drafted to churches, recreational centres and hotels in some states of the North and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on the order of the Federal Government, following alleged fresh threat from  Boko Haram to attack churches and recreational centres during New Year church services.
A top security officer who revealed this to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja named the targeted states as Yobe, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Borno, Adamawa,  Plateau, Kogi, Kastina, Benue, Bauchi, Gombe, Niger and Abuja.
“As we speak now, we have a standing order from above to move armed soldiers and other security personnel from the police, State Security Services, Civil Defence Corps and the Bomb Disposal and Anti-terrorists Squad to all churches and notable recreational centres because, this Islamic sect called Boko Haram may strike tonight (Monday) during new year eve service, so we are not leaving anything to chance and all security personnel will be on guard till further notice,” the source stated.
When the Nigerian Tribune visited some notable churches in Abuja and the popular Millennium Park, some stern-looking armed soldiers were sighted parading the areas, while most of the roads leading to various notable churches were barricaded, leaving only one entrance each.
The Nigerian Tribune also learnt that almost all the churches have placed total ban on the usage of crackers and ‘bangers’ in and around their premises.
At a popular church in Durumi District of Abuja, one of the church workers who identified himself as Kenneth told our reporter that church authority had on Sunday warned parents and guardians to caution their children and wards against the use of fireworks in whatever form in and around church during new year eve service.
According to him, “the Bishop personally made the announcement on Sunday that fireworks in whatever form will not be allowed during New Year service, the Bishop made it clear that anybody caught using any fireworks would be immediately arrested by the security unit of the church and handed over to the police, so we don’t expect fireworks here during and around the church, because if it is allowed, gunmen invading churches might hide under this guise to attack our church.”
The Nigerian Tribune learnt that the security personnel were also under strict instruction not to allow any vehicle into the premises of the churches no matter highly placed as all vehicles are to be parked at the various designated car parks to be manned by armed soldiers, while such vehicles must be thoroughly searched before being allowed into the parking lots.
The Nigerian Tribune had last week exclusively reported the plan of the Boko Haram group to unleash mayhem during the Christmas celebration in some parts of the North and Abuja which was confirmed by President Goodlcuck Jonathan during a church service at Utako district in Abuja.
Despite the tight security nationwide, the group still struck in Maiduguri and Adamawa where they invaded a police station and prison yard and killed innocent people.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government on Monday said the secretive mode of operation by terrorists in the country was responsible for why terror has persisted, and not lack of capacity on the part of security forces.
The government, in making the statement, noted that the country’s armed forces were facing what it described as difficult and different enemy and deserved commendation.
Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku who spoke in Abuja while reviewing major achievements of government in 2012 maintained that those who were attacking citizens did not believe in God, were misguided and used satanic forces against the citizens. He scored government high in performance in 2012.
He said, at a time, he was almost a lone voice in cautioning that insecurity in the north was capable of consuming the region and warned that politicising the insecurity challenge was capable of continuously exposing northern communities to danger.
The minister commended residents of the troubled northern states whom he said have continued to persevere and cooperate with security operatives in the areas in combating the terrorists.
He said, “Our armed forced are facing a difficult enemy, enemy that is different, enemy that can smile but with bombs on his chest, enemy that looks gentle but is out to kill.”
Mr Maku reminded those who criticised operations of security agencies in the affected states that nobody would be able to live in the troubled states if the troops were withdrawn.
The minister also took a swipe on those who, he said, abused President Goodluck Jonathan and said he (Jonathan) was being attacked because of the changes he was making.
According to him, most of the abuses were personal, unfair and partisan and said, “This president will surprise us by the grace of God.”
“We have a leader who is being looked down upon because he is humble. President Jonathan is being attacked daily by everybody, a president who is a doctorate-degree holder. That he is quiet and humble should be a plus for this country. Nigerians should thank him for his temper,” he said.
Commenting on allegations against some serving ministers, Maku said the proper thing to do was for the accusers to approach relevant agencies with evidence of graft and expressed confidence that the law would catch up with anybody who did wrong in the current government.
Maku promised that Nigerians would see greater vigour in the fight against corruption in 2013 and recalled that reforms in the agricultural sector ended the annual fertiliser supply scams that ran into billions annually.
“Already, all the loopholes being explored to defraud the nation through the fuel subsidy have been blocked. The report of the Aig lmoukhuede-led Presidential Committee has assisted in tightening the payment regime in order to check corruption.
“Currently all those indicted in the fuel subsidy scam are being prosecuted, no matter how highly placed.  This is to recover monies fraudulently siphoned through fuel subsidy payments. The campaign to sanitise the oil and gas sector will continue in earnest in 2013,” he said.

Wada now stable —Hospital •As Jonathan visits him

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, visited Kogi State governor, Captain Idris Wada, at the Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja, where he is currently receiving treatment, following injuries he sustained in a ghastly motor accident at the weekend.
The governor was injured in the accident which occurred while his motorcade was returning to the state capital from Emi Woro village, near Lokoja, after an official assignment.
His aide de camp (ADC), Idris Mohammed, died in the crash.
Accompanied by Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, and the hospital’s Chief Medical Director (CMD), Felix Ogedengbe, the president was received at the private hospital located in Garki II at exactly 3:15 p.m.
Jonathan, who went into the ward to see the injured governor, did not talk to the press when he emerged about 15 minutes later, but looked satisfied with his condition.
Speaking to reporters, the CMD confirmed that Wada’s state of health had improved, revealing that the  governor was doing well after a surgery and would be discharged from hospital soon.
According to Ogendegbe, “the governor is already doing step-climbing. He is doing very well at the moment. You know it was a severe injury. We have continued to watch out for any other problem that he might have. At this stage, we have not seen any other problem at all.”