A WARM BIRTHDAY FELICITATION TO HON. EDWARD PWAJOK, SAN, LB, KSG

You are a source of inspiration to us. As you add another year to your life, count the blessings and the many lives you have touched.

I pray to the Almighty that your day gets blessed with lots of joy and happiness, boss. May Lord bless you and your family, always. Happy Birthday Boss!

Non-Governmental Orgnaization Responds to Attempt to Blackmail DG ITF, Joe Ari

“As a registered non-governmental organization, Budget monitoring and accountability, which activities and mandate to ensure the rights of Citizens, budget tracking and constituency projects across the 15 countries , in the west African Continent, our attentions has been drawn to the allegations of an alleged “ illicit transactions” against the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, ITF by a self-styled Concerned Citizens for Change, Accountability and Probity, and the Joint Civil Society Task Force on anti-corruption The protesters demanded the sack of the ITF’s director, saying this would make good the promises of the government to rid the country of corruption.”

“.As a Non-Governmental organization, Budget Tracking and Monitoring , for the purpose of clarity does not engage in defence of individual, groups or institutions, but rather monitoring and tracking of budgetary allocations and utilizations of same.”

The group explained in a press statement made available to National Assembly Correspondents, signed by Mohammed Abdulrahaman, in Abuja , on Friday.

Our reactions is coming on the heel of the story credited to an online publications, alleging “illicit transactions in ITF”

“For the purpose of clarity, the Budget tracking and monitoring groups for the past one week has been part of the 2021, 2022, Budget Defence in the National Assembly, both at the Senate and the House of Representatives, including the review of the performance of the budgetary allocations to the Industrial Training Fund, ITF.
The report by the online publication, Saharareporters, apart from the fact that is an indictment and a challenge to our organization and the over 200 Journalists who cover both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as it will appears, only Sahara reporters was at the event, is full of fallacy of inconsistency, false equivalence and logic flaw reasoning.

It is suggestive of the fact that every other persons including the lawmakers in the National Assembly , have abdicated their constitutional responsibility to the Civil societies and Saharareporters , as the House Committee rather than stepping down the review would rather applaud the the DG , Joe Ari , and his management in the handling of the ITF.

It is regrettable that a group, a Civil Society they claimed they are throughout their protest and petition, could not substantiate their allegations with facts and figures, but rather present themselves as sponsored group to make a dog breakfast of the achievements of the DG, Joe Ari , as the Lawmakers attested to.
For instance the Eagle eyes Lawmakers throughout the review could not detect any financial infractions in ITF.
Suffice to mention our observations at what transpired at the event

As a way of tackling the rising wave of unemployment among youth in Nigeria, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is setting up skills acquisition centres for them across the states of the federation.

This is as members of the Senate Commitee on Industry, made subtle lobby for such centres to be sited in their respective senatorial zones .

Setting up of the centres by ITF, came to the fore during budget defence session the agency had with the Senate Committee on Industry on Tuesday.

In his presentation before the committee, the Director General of ITF, Joseph Ari, said the centres are being created to tackle the problem of unemployment in the country particularly among the youths.

From the centres, thousands of youths he added, will be equipped with required innovative skills that will take them off the streets and make them self employed.

“Setting up of the Industrial Skill Training Centres, is central to the core mandate of ITF, the very reason the agency is very resolute and passionate in putting them in place across the states of the federation,” he said.

Apparently impressed with the move of ITF, some members of the committee like Senators Jibrin Isa (APC Kogi East ), Christopher Ekpeyong (PDP Akwa Ibom North West), Danjumah La’ah ( PDP Kaduna Central) and Muhammad Adamu Bulkachuwa (APC Bauchi North), asked him about locations of the centres in their states.

Senator Jibrin Isa in particular, complained to the DG that records before him show Kogi West and Central as locations of such centres and not Kogi East .

But the ITF DG in his response said locations of the centres across the states are devoid of political affiliation of people in the states or Senatorial zones.

“In establishing the centres, we consult with respective State Governors for the required buy in at that level but with observation made here today , I promise to also carry along distinguished Senators,” he said.

Earlier in his presentation on 2021 budget implementation by the agency and 2022 budgetary proposals, the ITF boss said while a total budgetary vote of N44.5billion was earmarked for the agency in 2021, the projected estimate for 2022 is N42.5billion , which shows difference of N2.1billion.

He said the N2.291billion capital vote for the year has not been expended due to lack of cash backing for projects lined up for execution.

But the Director of Procurement in his explanation, said all the procurement processes delaying execution of capital component of the agency’s 2021 budget have been done, which will make slated contracts to be executed before the end of the year.

In his closing remarks at the session, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, said, “ITF is very germane to the economy of the Nation and needs to redouble its effort in the establishment of skills acquisition and vocational centres across the country.

“Since we have moved from the era of Industrial revolution, such centres should be driven more by innovation,” he said. Protesters At National Assembly Demand Probe, Sacking of Director-General of Industrial Training Fund

Industrial Training Fund (ITF) tackles unemployment with industrial skills training centres as Senators lobby for locations

It had been reported that Ari was also accused of awarding fraudulent contracts to family members without recourse to procedure and due process as well as illegally promoting female workers without regard for public service rules.

Within a few years in office, Sir Joseph Ntung Ari has been able to empower a huge number of citizens of the country in diverse disciplines.

when the current management came on board, it met an organization on the cusp of crisis – that manifested in consistent bad press and restiveness amongst the workforce, but he strived to resolve the crises both internal and external and has been able to return the organization on to the path of growth

Our findings has shown that when the current management assumed office , Ari , announced a template that the management will operate- Strategies for Mandate Actualization within six-year plan that was conceived comprised of short term, medium and long term goals.

According to him It commenced in late 2016 to terminate in 2022, saying It was designed to aggressively address service challenges, infrastructure deficits, revenue and a gamut of other strictures impinging the actualization of the Fund’s mandate.

“Barely two years into its implementation, the ITF has trained over 60,000 Nigerians from 2,300 organisations.

‘We. trained over 50,000 youths and other vulnerable groups were equipped with skills for employability and entrepreneurship through programmes including the National Industrial Skills Development Programme, (NISDP), the Women Skills Empowerment Programme (WOSEP), Training on Wheels and the Technical Skills Development Project (TSDP), among several other initiatives.

In all, about 150,000 Nigerians have benefited from ITF training programmes since assumption of the current management”

He emphasied that the ITF implemented numerous technical skills acquisition programmes as well as introduced new initiatives including the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), the Women Skills Empowerment Programme (WOSEP) and the Skills Development Programme for Youths in Construction Trade (CONSEP) among several others.
‘The NISDP, our flagship technical vocational skills acquisition programme, which was run twice in 2016, has trained about 30,000 youths drawn from the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between late 2016 to date.

‘In the last phase of the programme, new ideas were introduced. Trade areas were streamlined to three, namely: Welding and Fabrication, Tailoring / Fashion Design, and Plumbing and Pipe Fitting.

‘Another tweak was unlike previous phases where the ITF depended on State governments to provide start-up kits, the ITF provided start-up packs to all the 11,100 beneficiaries of the programme .
He said WOSEP is another skills acquisition programme that was targeted at another vulnerable segment, in this case the women folk. and in the Programme over 500 rural women drawn from 13 states and the FCT were trained across 32 centres

‘ Eleven trade areas were covered, namely: Event Management, Cosmetology, Poultry Farming, Bead Making, Baking and Pastry, Soap/Disinfectant/Detergent Making, Hair Making, Food Processing, Tailoring and Fashion Design, Tie and Dye and Electrical Installations.

‘Passion to profession (training on wheels), over 120 trainees were trained in tailoring and garment making using our mobile training units.

‘The Construction Skills Empowerment Programme, CONSEP was initiated in 2017 with the aim of equipping Nigerians with skills for the construction sector.

‘A total of 1,900 Nigerians from 19 states of the Federation and the FCT were trained in five trade areas namely: Brick Making, Plaster of Paris, Tiling, Electrical Installation and Carpentry. Our commitment is to continue with this programme until Nigerians are equipped with the required skills to stem incidences of building collapse and to supplant the foreigners in this sector.
‘ITF Model Skills Training Centre (MSTC), Abuja, the Management procured the remainder of equipment that had stalled the graduation of trainees of Facility Technology and Mechatronics at the centre. With the installation, trainees of the Mechatronics Department have graduated while Facility Technology trainees will graduate later this year.

“The issue of certification, which was part of the reasons for the delay in graduation has been resolved. Today, a graduate of our MSTC is a proud holder of the National Innovative Diploma Certificate which is equivalent to the National Diploma award by polytechnics and monotechnics.
“Similarly, the Fund retooled and refitted its Industrial Skill Training Centres (ISTCs) in Kano, Ikeja and Lokoja with the state-of-the-art training equipment for them to be able to impart cutting edge skills to Nigerians. These centres have since been chosen by the Federal Government for the N-Power programme’.
.
In keeping faith with ITF enabling Act that every Employer, having either five or more employees in its establishment, OR having less than five employees but with a turnover of fifty million naira (N50m) and above per annum, shall, in respect of each calendar year, or on the prescribed date, contribute to the Fund one percentum (1%) of its total annual payroll; All Employers who pay their annual Training Contribution have a duty to train indigenous staff and shall accept Students on Industrial Attachment.

The Fund paid a total of Six Billion, Four Hundred and Fifty-One Million, Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand, Ninety-Two Naira, Fifty-Six Kobo (N6,451,365,092.56) as training reimbursement to Four Hundred and Thirty (430) companies that met all criteria for such reimbursement.

On the infrastructure deficits in the Fund, he said the management embarked on the completion of Lagos Island, Katsina and Minna Area Offices. All the three Area Offices are at different levels of completion and will be commissioned soon.

‘At the ITF staff School, Management renovated all existing structures, and constructed new classrooms and hostel blocks in order to accommodate more students.
‘It also established a school farm for Agricultural science practicals, and provided and equipped workshops for Technical Science, Home Economics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology subjects. As a result of these developments, the school has now been accredited as a WAEC centre.

The Fund disbursed a total of N199,800,000.00 to 289 staff as housing and car loans.

The intention of the revolving loan scheme is to ensure that staff of the Fund own their own houses and have no transportation problems.
A total of 1,646 members of the Fund’s workforce were sponsored for capacity development.

1,517 were sponsored on short term staff development programmes,
58 were sponsored on professional membership in their various professional fields,
42 benefitted from long term staff development programmes

TRIBUTE TO DR. OBADIAH MAILAFIA. I was a Marxist but he had a soft spot for the socialist ideology but was decidedly anti Marxist. I looked up to him because of his intellectual versatility. BY, EDWARD. G. PWAJOK, SAN

OBADIAH MAILAFIA: A TRIBUTE

I am yet to recover from the shock of Mailafia’s death. Collecting my thoughts to write this tribute has been very challenging and I feel diminished that I cannot pull myself together to write a befitting tribute.

I got to know Dr Mailafia sometime in 1983 when he was a research fellow at NIPSS Kuru. I was then an undergraduate student in the University of Jos. Though much younger (he was my late elder brother’s classmate in ABU Zaria), we got along well. In those days, he fondly referred to me as his “baby brother”.

He was an omnivorous reader, but took interest in me when he discovered that I also had intellectual inclinations. We discussed and debated a lot and often disagreed on some issues. Like many starry-eyed undergraduates of the 80’s, I was a Marxist but he had a soft spot for the socialist ideology but was decidedly anti Marxist. I looked up to him because of his intellectual versatility.

It was in Kuru that he met his wife, Margaret, (also an elder sister) and they got married soon after. He later left Kuru to France for further studies along with his family.

A left-handed amiable and affable gentleman he got along with people of all classes and ages.

He was never satisfied with the situation of our country and continent. He often criticized those of us that were Politicians and later in life, I was happy when he threw his hat into the political ring as I always told him that arm chair criticism would never get us out of the woods.

He introduced me to some of the great intellectual giants such as Chaikh Anta Diop, Walter Rodney, Herodotus, Arnold Toynbee, Rousseau, Bertrand Russell, Abdul Rahman Babu, Claude Ake, Bala Usman, Patrick Wilmot etc. He was passionate about history and later traced his family genealogy through 14 generations. I followed suit using my late Dad to trace mine through 15 generations.

He was deeply spiritual with an abiding faith in our lord and savior Jesus Christ. It is this faith that sustained him and made him not give up on Nigeria. He however, believed that the country should be restructured or changed in order to realize its potential. After loosing the 2019 presidential election, he didn’t give in to maudlin lamentations in despair. He rather engaged Nigerians using the talents the Almighty bestowed upon him: his prodigious intellect. His interventions in the print media apart from immortalizing him, became must-read articles which enlightened many and captivated the country. They were didactic, well- researched and resonated with the people. He now had a national audience but that did not sit well with a section of the ruling class, which unleashed its official goons to hound him. To his eternal credit, he never chickened out.

The first time I met him was in my village, Kuru. The last time I saw him was also in the same Kuru and also at NIPSS. It was when the security agencies were persecuting him. That was when he told me he would be leaving NIPSS due to the threats on even the authorities of the institute on account of him.

Like many of the legends before him, though he was a towering academic giant in the country, he never became a professor. This did not diminish his academic stature, particularly in a country where such ranks are given in dubious circumstances.

I shall miss you, sir. The down trodden for whom you fought shall miss you. You left a deep void which will be difficult to fill. But the fire you lit shall not be extinguished until victory is achieved. Like the brave Saint Paul, you ran the race, finished the course and the crown of righteousness will be put on you. You had to transit this earthly realm to the ethereal home which all mortals aspire to go to.

May the lord bless the family you left behind and May your soul rest in peace.

Edward .G. Pwajok, SAN

IS NOT ABOUT THE PLATFORM(APC) IS ABOUT GIDEON(AREWA).

You support is paramount to continue the good works.

Gideon has displayed his leadership qualities in different areas tried.

This is a proactive chairman particularly when it comes to security matters.

He is a bulldozer.

He has done it and it speaks for itself.

He is for all.

No segregation.

He maintains one Jos South One People.

The devil you know is better than the angel you never seen!

Vote Gideon for justice & Equity!

Point of Correction in Mr. President's (COCIN PRESIDENT) Interview in the September 2021 Edition of The Light BEARER.

Point of Correction in Mr. President's Interview in the September 2021 Edition of The Light Bearer

I read with considerable interest the text of the interview granted by the President of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Reverend Professor Dachollom C. Datiri, published in the September 2021 edition of The Light Bearer, specifically on page 17 of the widely read newspaper.

 While responding to the question on the suspension of the KKU license, Mr. President responded thus "Rather, the Proprietor was drawn into the issue by a distress call through the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nanven Gambo on the 21st of June. 

He called me to say that he is at the University site but he cannot go in because there is a protest and that he doesn't know what to do and if there is anything the Church can do". This is gross misrepresentation of the phone conversation that ensued between Mr. President and my humble self.

 Ordinarily I would not have articulated my response to this but for the fact that the President's response was to justify the Proprietor's interference in the management of the affairs of the University, this provides me a compelling reason to do so. 

George Bernard Shaw had also cautioned us to beware of false knowledge because it is more dangerous than ignorance. 

Let me correct some of these misrepresentations in the President's interview.

 First, it was on Saturday 19th June, 2021 I came across the text of press conference held by two Berom youth organisations (Berom Youth Movement, led by one Barr Emmanuel Mangu, and Vwang Intelligentsia  led by one Barr. Emmanuel Weng). The tone of the press statements was not only threatening but also combative. I got intelligence that the two youth groups were planning to stage a protest at the main gate of KKU. I got in touch with the Gwom Rwey of Vwang to find out if he knew anything about the planned protest by some youth in his community. He dismissed the allegation as utterly false. He later sent me a voice mail of a conversation between him and an alleged youth leader. In the conversation, the Gwom Rwey was demanding to know from the purported youth leader if there was any plan by the youth to stage a protest at the main gate of KKU tomorrow Monday, 21st of June, 2021.

 The purported youth leader's response was emphatically no. This was a stage managed conversation to mislead me into believing that there was no threat to peace on the campus of KKU. 

I took a proactive measure by meeting the Director of SSS, Plateau State Command to brief him on threat to peace on the campus of KKU. The Director graciously deployed his men as early as 6am to take custody of the main gate of KKU. The men of the SSS conducted themselves responsibly and professionally in managing the situation. 

I was already on my way to the office when some of my staff called to alert me about on going protest at the main gate of the University.

 As soon as I arrived, I moved in the company of the Director of Academic Planning and one other staff , to address the protesting youth. When I sought the attention of the youth leaders, their response was, they had no grievances with the University Management and would only listen to the Executive Committee of the Church who signed the MOU with the host community.

 This was the context of placing a call to the President to let him know about the demand of the protesting youth. It is therefore not true that I was unable to secure entry into the campus. It is also not true that I made a distress call for want of what to do in response to the protest by the youth of the host community. 

It is not that the Vice-Chancellor deliberately reached out to the President to help in managing the situation but as a matter of compelling necessity since the protesting youth insisted on having the EC of the Church who signed the MOU with the host community to address them.

 At the time of the protest,theVice-Chancellor never knew about the MOU until much later when the protest had been brought under control. 

This cannot by all intents and purposes be used to justify any action that  violates the NUC's Code of Corporate Governance of Private Universities. Only the  youth of the Vwang community can explain why they have grievances with the EC of the Church. God bless KKU, God bless COCIN. 

Professor Nanven Gambo

Vice-Chancellor, KKU Vom

12th September, 2021.

HERDSMEN DESTROYED CROPS IN SHO COMMUNITY OF BARKIN LADI LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PLATEAU STATE NIGERIA 🇳🇬🇳🇬

These are the people(farmers) facilitating and consoling themselves the lawlessness perpetrated by these Fulani herdsmen. So how much is paid for the crops destroyed and the lives wasted?

ATTACKS by heavily armed Fulani herdsmen & other terrorists is rising....... Everywhere in Nigeria. 

This is NOT herder/farmer clashes as crops are purposely destroyed & non-Moslems targets.  With 60% in POVERTY, destruction of farms is meant to drive STARVATION.

Govt is NOT acting.

BREAKING NEWS;

*BREAKING NEWS !!!!!!!!!*

*Are you a Nigerian? Are u tired of being in Nigeria? Are you a Broadcaster, medical doctor, nurse, Lawyer, professional teacher, an engineer, a fashion designer, a software developer or a student athlete? Are you between the ages of 18 and 45? Do you want to travel abroad for work, sports or for studies?*

If yes, you are a *big liar*. Nobody is going anywhere. We are all going to stay in this country and *vote wisely in 2023*.  🤣

Let me go to another group to deliver this message. Pls help me do same.
🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️

CELEBRATION OF BABA JANG ON HIS REAL BIRTHDAY~ EDWARD PWAJOK, SAN, LB, KSGG

CELEBRATION OF BABA JANG ON HIS REAL BIRTHDAY 

Though I know a book is being written on you, which will provide details on your legendary life, I felt duty - bound , as one of your sons to publicly state your real birthday which is today .

You were born exactly 75 years ago on the 15 th of March, 1946. The official date of 13 th March , 1944 was based on the information supplied by your elder brother, Da Pam Jang who took over the responsibility of fathering you after your Dad’s death in 1956.

However, a few years ago precisely in 2015, the then SUBEB Chairman, Late Dr Lyop Mang brought your Primary School Certificate to you. That Certificate has has your Date of birth of 15-03-1946 which was the date given by your Dad who took you to school and got you enrolled. 

In spite of loosing your Dad at that humble age and your humble background , God has so blessed you that today, you are one of the respected statesmen in the Country.

Years after leaving public Office, you are still a crowd - puller to confirm your charisma and popularity .A bold and patriotic leader , your position on public issues is within the public domain as you always speak for the people on critical issues , never shying away by playing safe .

Age has not dimmed your clear vision on national issues. It has not weakened your resolve. It has not diminished your faith . You still have confidence in the younger ones many of whom you mentored including my humble self. 

I can only offer prayers on this day for the Almighty to bless you with good health and longevity. Thank you for all the good things you have done for me . Happy birthday Sir, and age gracefully .

EDWARD G PWAJOK , SAN, LB, KSGG

INSECURITY: NIGERIA 🇳🇬 WITNESSING SIGN OF STATE FAILURE ~EDWARD PWAJOK, SAN, LB

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former member of the House of Representatives Hon. Edward Pwajok, in this interview speaks on the deteriorating security situation in the country among other issues.

*_Do you think having death penalty for kidnappers would resolve the reoccurring issues of criminality in the country?_*

Let me answer in this way, by starting with some questions to you who is a journalist and to the media in general. For us to properly understand these issues, it is important to pose some of these questions to the relevant authorities. We should ask the government and particularly the security agencies and the police, how many kidnap suspects they have, that is those suspected of being kidnappers? How many have they prosecuted, how many have been convicted? From there, you go to the Ministry of Justice and find out how many suspected kidnappers they are prosecuting in various courts, and how many they have been able to convict. I am starting from that angle because I just read a report that a US government agency found out that over 8600 Nigerians were killed during violent attacks last year alone. Now, how many persons are standing trial on account of those attacks. So, we need to be scientific in our approach; that is why I am saying that the media has a role to play; we need to know whether they have been able to identify the kidnappers, whether they are with the Police, whether they are in prison or they are at large. If we just say let us slam death sentence on kidnappers, how many kidnappers are now standing trial; it may even be that some people are playing to the gallery, because if you don’t have persons that are standing trial, so it is a cosmetic pronouncement; at the end of the day, nobody will be convicted and nobody will be executed. So, to me we have to put the horse before the cart. That is to say, let us strengthen our intelligence gathering mechanism, let us strengthen our crime fighting mechanism. You and I know what is happening in today’s Nigeria; the Minister of defense said everybody should go and defend himself. The implication of that is that government security has failed; if the security has failed and you are now coming with a death sentence for kidnappers, that shows that we are at the mercy of kidnappers; it is only God that can save Nigerians. For me, the number one thing that we ought to be doing is not just strengthening or tightening the punishment, we need to strengthen intelligence gathering in Nigeria; by doing this you will be able to know who the kidnappers are. For example, if you go to beer parlours, brothels and super markets, you will see those who ordinarily have no visible means of income or livelihood but they spend outrageous amounts of money. That should raise some suspicions in the security agencies. They should be able to investigate that this person is spending beyond his income, where is he getting his money from. We have had that kind of information before on account of kidnappers because the kidnappers when they kidnap their victims and collect ransom, they spend the money either in beer parlours, brothels and supermarkets by spending profligately, some of them even talk freely when they get drunk, that will enable us get information. Are we doing that in Nigeria today? In our various communities, may be somebody was barely feeding but suddenly you see him driving expensive cars, nobody in the community even the traditional ruler will not raise eyebrows, do you know whether that person got his money from ransom from kidnapping? I am raising these issues because the government and security agencies ought to take them seriously and it is not just an issue of strengthening the punishment. I told you that over 8600 persons were killed in Nigeria and the punishment for murder is death; has it discouraged people from killing their fellow human beings; it has not and the reason is because there is no prosecution. You are a Journalist, find out, how many people that have been killing Nigerians; they call them either bandits, insurgents, militants or Fulani criminal herders; find out how many of them are being prosecuted. For me, issues of insecurity should be taken seriously and let government do the right thing, that is my take.

*_The Senate recently called for the declaration of state ofemergency on the security sector following the kidnapping of students ofGovernment Science Secondary school in Niger State, is that the way out?_*

That will not work. If you declare state of emergency, it means you have the tools to do things extraordinarily. What is the strength of the Armed Forces? If you declare state of emergency, it means you are going to deploy and strengthen the Armed Forces to certain areas to overwhelm the criminals in that area to restore normalcy. Today, we all know that the Armed Forces and the police are over stretched, their manpower is not enough. The Military are in all the states of the federation to the extent that if there are attacks in some areas, even if you invite the military to go there, they do not even have sufficient personnel, so how effective will the state of emergency be? If you declared state of emergency, let us say there are some forests where some kidnappers reside or criminal herders reside; they will go there in full force and take control. Do we have sufficient number of the military to do that? To me, the Senate should have engaged first with the security agencies to find out what should be done to declare state of emergency. State of emergency means you have to take some extraordinary measures to now go and overwhelm the criminals. But in Nigeria, it can be abused because you now have some security personnel that will now use the state of emergency to deny Nigerians their fundamental human rights; some may even take some people’s properties in the name of state of emergency. They should tell us what they exactly mean by state of emergency. Are you removing somebody from office, that will be illegal, what are you going to do, let Nigerians know pursuant to the state of emergency or what will the National Assembly invest in the security sector to now say we are declaring state of emergency; they are not very clear that is why I am afraid that it can be abused.

I JOINED OTHERS IN SEEKING CLARIFICATION OF THE IDENTITY OF THOSE FARMERS CARRYING AK47. . ARE THEY FROM PLATEAU, OR FROM WHICH STATE?

 Hmmmmm!

We are living in interesting times with many revelations. The other day the security invited Dr Mailafia for interrogation to clarify his interview on the identity of his informants on those causing insecurity in Nigeria. 

Sheikh Gumi went to the forests and bush to meet bandits and kidnappers who bore arms and no one has invited him as if the security are not interested in knowing the identity of the bandits .

The other day Garba Shehu declared that farmers should seek permission before going to their farms . 

The Gov of Bauchi has defended arms bearing by herdsmen .

Our Defence minister has declared those without means of defending themselves as cowards and urged citizens to defend themselves .

Now our Gov is reported as saying farmers also bear AK 47 Guns. 

I join others in seeking clarification of the identity of those farmers. Are they from Plateau , or from which state?

We know AK47 are expensive

and majority of Plateau farmers struggle to purchase fertilizer.

So is it the farmers that can barely afford fertilizer that can purchase those expensive weapons ? Or is it that our Gov who also doubles as the Chairman of northern Governors was referring to farmers from other parts of the north ? We need more details or clarification please. 

EDWARD PWAJOK, SAN, LB, KSGG