Security and Situational Awareness, Open Source Intelligence, Cybersafety and Cybersecurity, Threat Alerts, Geopolitical Risks, etc. Vanguard Of A Countering Violent Extremism Advocacy: "Nigerians Unite Against Insecurity, Terrorism and Insurgency". For Articles, Press Releases, Adverts etc, Email: donnuait(a)yahoo.com, Twitter: @DonOkereke.
Friday 12 May 2017
National Security: ‘Terrorists Are Taking Advantage of Nigeria's Porous Borders’ - NACFEST Boss
Thursday 18 August 2016
National Security: Nigeria Begins Implementation of Counter Terrorism Strategy
Tuesday 15 December 2015
U.S. To Begin Reviewing Social Media Posts As Part of Immigration, Visa Security Screening
Friday 17 April 2015
Wednesday 18 March 2015
'Cyanide Letter' Sent To White House
Monday 23 February 2015
Australian PM - Tony Abbott To Launch New Strategy To Counter 'Long-term Era of Terrorism'
Tony Abbott |
Wednesday 28 January 2015
Dear President Jonathan, Please Gracefully Absorb Your Merited 'F' Grade On Security, Economy etc.
Thursday 4 December 2014
Russia, Nigeria Sign MemorandumOn Security Councils’ Cooperation
Saturday 22 November 2014
‘Nigeria Can Use Computer Forensic Technology To Fight Insurgency’ - CFIN
Friday 14 November 2014
United States Faults Nigeria's Claims, Releases Details of Aid To Nigerian Military in War against Boko Haram
Saturday 18 October 2014
2015: National Security And Leadership Style
Thursday 14 August 2014
Insurgency Has Become Big Business in Nigeria – Ubani
Excerpts of an interview that Barrister Monday Onyekachi Ubani granted Daily Independent Newspaper
How would you assess Nigeria's journey of nationhood in over 53 years?
Monday Onyekachi Ubani:
The journey has been very rough; it has not been very smooth. The fact that it is not smooth stems from the fact that we have had leadership that has not been very favourable to the citizenry. We have not had it right with our leadership. It started a bit well in the 60's , we had a little problem here and there. The leadership couldn't’ manage it well and before we knew it the military came and messed up everything, destroyed everything , that it will take nothing less than 100 years to rebuild this country, given the
destruction that was carried out by the military.
They sowed seed of discord, disunity and mismanaged the resources. There is nothing they put right. The census was manipulated. The creation of states and local governments was manipulated by the military. They did more damage and the politicians also came back; they
did not depart from the path of destruction set by the military. They almost followed the same path and have not been able to rise above some of the mediocrities in order to really entrench good governance and set Nigeria on the right path of development. It has been one step forward, several steps backward. Obasanjo had the greatest opportunity: he had the muscle, he had the capacity, he had everything going for him to right the wrong and put Nigeria on the right direction just like it happened in some of the Asian countries like Singapore. In our ethics on democracy, sometimes you’d step on toes in order to put Nigeria on the right path.
You said the rot created by the military will take almost 100 years to clear. Is that the reason why the ruling party in Nigeria has been unable to deliver the gains of democracy since 1999?
Yes. This is because the system is defective. Even if somebody that is righteous comes in, with the way that Nigeria is structured, he may not even make effective change. He may not effect very sufficient changes . President Jonathan may want to do certain good things , but there are contending forces . There are people that come with many things and tell him not to go ahead, even if they know that this the right way. Now look at the appointment of the IGP , look at the reason they advance for his selection , and they had the upper hand. So , even if you know that that is the wrong thing but because of those sentiments and because of the fact that he too knew that he could not retain power if this people are not supporting him, because if these people are against you, you will lose power and you want to remain in power. So , sometimes you go against the interest of the country for your own selfish interest. That is the kind of argument that goes on in our country. Look at what took place in the confab , where some people said ‘ no, we will not allow any region to go higher than us or advance higher than us, every region must advance at the same stage, even if we are going backward, all regions must go backward and wait for everyone to catch up. That doesn't happen anywhere and that is an argument someone was putting up, that if you allow the regions to start developing independently, especially with natural resources that are within their geographical entity, they will just one day wake up and say they are no longer part of Nigeria, because of that, we must all stay together and every resource must be put together and shared. The beneficiaries must come cap in hand, begging for what comes from their land then you now make them remain underdeveloped until all of us catch up. That is the argument
they were putting up and they feel that the argument is very, very sound.
Funny enough, all the regions all the states they have several quantities of mineral resources that if they allow
listen to what those who have foresight are saying , everyone will be a beneficiary because whatever comes from your land, you will now begin to enjoy the competition and will want to add to your own . All those things that have hitherto remained untapped because of oil you are depending upon, you now forget them and begin to act.
In fact, the Americans say that
Nigeria's economy is not dependent on oil, that Nigeria’s economy is depending on agriculture and other mineral resources that are planted all over the land. There are some states in Nigeria that have up to 15 minerals under their soil, that if they explore, they will be one of the richest states in Africa, if not in the world. But because of their short- sightedness , they have resolved to depend on oil.
Is it possible for us to have such a leader like you have mentioned who is ready to step on toes and be decisive so that Nigeria can return to the path of greatness?
It is possible but that person will have to be brutal. If you want to achieve , you come in and tell everyone irrespective of their status in the society that ‘ this is the way to go and you know that this is the way to go for everyone, both for the Hausa , the Yoruba , the Igbo and for all the minorities, and that is if you want to better the lot of everyone. And somebody wants to say, no for their own selfish interest, you have to hit and when you clear them, you have to step on toes and if possible render them irrelevant. When people now begin to see the result, they will align with you. And also, you must be genuine, because if they are thinking you are a thief, a corrupt person , and you don’t have the locus , they will not respect you. And everyone must see you as somebody that is very genuine, that you are not after your selfish interest but national interest. I did it during my tenure as Chairman of Ikeja branch and the result is there for everyone to see. Nigeria is such a complex country that if you don't do it that way, Nigeria will be tattered.
We are scattered, we don’t know what is ideal, what we glorify are those things that are animalistic, that are devilish, we don’t have morality, national ethos. So somebody like that must be a perfectionist, urbane, righteous and straightforward. Someone that is a nationalistic leader that has a vision. He must not even be interested in his national life and have a time frame to achieve his goals. We have such leaders in abundance in this country but for them to emerge, it involves the hand of God.
Some of the recommendations at the ongoing national conference has been hailed by many Nigerians , like the one on part -time legislature, do you think these decisions will be implemented at the end of the day?
The problem is that the Jonathan administration did not set out with a clear- cut understanding of what the confab should stand for. There must
have been an enabling law in the first place that will set up the modalities , the membership and the outcome , that we should go for plebiscite, that people should vote for; rather, he left it
inchoate. You are now planning to take all those resolutions that were reached at the confab to the national assembly and most of the decisions you have taken affect them , so they will not agree with you. They (the resolutions) will be thrown out. Already, the northern region is saying there won’t be creation of any additional state in the East and the confab has agreed that states should be created . And then you are now taking it back to them; definitely, they won’t accept that.
The President recently requested for $1bn to fight insurgency. Don’t you think some people are benefiting from this insecurity situation in the country?
Insurgency has become a big business in Nigeria. Anything that Nigerians see – that is lucrative –they would create a myth around it in order to elongate it; to create more money for them. If we say we are rich and have money, why are we going to borrow one billion? The ones you have spent 3 trillion on, what have you achieved with it? I think they are looking for money for their personal interest and to prosecute the election and also to enrich their pockets .
Source:
Daily Independent
Sunday 10 August 2014
Nigeria: Challenges of Governance in the Era of Boko Haram Insurgency - Sambo Dasuki (NSA)
The essence of good governance is to effectively lead and guide the instruments of the State to meet
the needs of citizens, effectively balancing present needs while anticipating future trends. The ability
to optimally achieve these balances is what defines good governance.
If good governance is difficult to achieve under normal conditions, it is even more difficult today in Africa with the advent of global terrorism and insurgency. In this paper, I intend to show how much more complex it has become in the post-modern era of instability to deliver good governance. I will also offer some examples of how we in Nigeria are trying to accelerate our effectiveness under highly complex circumstances.
Basic Challenge in Governance:
It is important first to understand the very basic challenge of governance in a developing country. The needs and aspirations of citizens are often so diverse that good governance is needed to balance various interests while focusing on the key goal of
accelerating prosperity.
Today, Africa is fast approaching a situation where coups and dictatorships will be things of the past. This means that leaders must now earn their legitimacies by delivering on the complex and often competing needs of citizens. The subtleties of this complex situation need to be clearly understood by scholars whose insights and knowledge are critical in shaping our understanding of good governance.
This is one of the reasons why I am excited to be here at this conference being organized by Huhu Group and the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard
University, which has a reputation for being at the forefront of science and knowledge on good governance.
Governance in the Post-Modern Era:
Let me expatiate on some of the new challenges in governance in the post-modern age. The post-modern age, brought about by rapid advances in
the development and use of information and telecommunication technology, has dramatically changed the notion of effective leadership and the implications of ineffective governance.
On one hand, new opportunities for income and wealth generation are increasingly accruing to the well-
educated and talented knowledge workers, but this leaves a large and growing proportion of the population with unmet aspirations impatient for
change.
This has not only increased the pressure on governments to provide better services to their citizens, it has also increased the need for accountability and transparency. Global, regional and national imbalances in access to healthcare, job opportunities, education, housing and justice are now more readily perceived, creating dissonance and heightening feelings of personal
insecurity. Leaders can no longer easily get away with ignoring the needs of the masses, although those needs have become a lot more difficult to balance.
Again, this is particularly important in
Africa where many feel insecure; where past neglect of the people is providing spaces where discontent flourishes; which insurgents exploit to challenge constituted authority.
The absence of good governance is regarded by the World Bank as the most important, if not the sole cause of Africa’s under development. One of the lessons from the Middle-East and North African countries (the MENA region) is that the perception of ineffective governance can easily lead to regime change. A key challenge is therefore how to govern in ways that ensure the masses feel secure and committed in order to maintain peace and stability.
Leaders today must utilize resources and structures within and outside their governance domain to ensure a solid foundation for society’s advancement. Let me use Nigeria as a case study to further support my point. In Nigeria, decades of truncated democracy following serial Military coups led to deficits in multiple areas of governance. The return to long-term democracy, beginning in 1999, afforded us the opportunity to begin rebuilding our governance institutions and institute long needed reforms in the areas of education, health, science, technology, infrastructure, conduct of elections, justice sector reforms, human rights, socio-economic development and national security.
Saturday 9 August 2014
We’ ll Confront Security Challenges With All Our National Endowment — Pres. Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday in Abuja said that the nation would confront its present security challenges with “ all our national endowment ”.
Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Aliyu Gusau (Rtd) said this at the graduation ceremony of Course 22 Participants of the National Defence College (NDC).
“We have made some gains against the adversary, we face an unspeakable evil and we must confront it with all our national endowment .
“And as government we will not compromise our sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria.
“And we will not allow the authority of Nigerian state to be challenged.
Education is a human right which is
invaluable transformational value and is the bases of our development progress.
“We shall not give up that right for some faceless, misguided, self-styled using the means of terror,” he said.
Jonathan called on the populace to close ranks with government to end to insurgency saying: “there is no
challenge that can divide the collective will of the Nigerian .
“May I also use this opportunity to assure all Nigerians that we are committed to bringing back the
Chibok girls alive . ”
He called on the Armed Forces, intelligence and security agencies in the expanded security approach was crucial and urged them to take proactive measures in the discharge of their responsibilities .
“On the part of the government, we are committed to improving institutional capacity, platform and equipment , human and resources endowment of our security agencies to meet these challenges .
“Let me use this opportunity to salute the gallantry of men and women of the armed forces , the police , intelligence and the security agencies and emergency services for their loyal and patriotic service to the nation,
“My heart goes to all the service men that had paid the supreme sacrifice, so that other Nigerians may continue to live in peace and security.
“I wish to convey my personal sympathy to Nigerians, who had in one way or the other suffered human and material loss on account of terrorism, ” he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, Commandant of the NDC, Rear Admiral Patrick Agholor , said that the
graduation of Course 22 marked the end of another successful academic journey at the NDC.
Agholor said during 44- weeks duration of the course, the participants received series of lecture on a wide range of subjects.
“I therefore, implore you to use the learning experiences, skills and values acquired here as enablers to drive your creativity and innovativeness to
meet challenges, you will face.
“I urge you, therefore, to prepare your minds and be ready to discharge your duties and responsibilities with utmost professionalism, ” he said.
The best graduating participant, Col. Joseph Chima, attributed the success of the participants to hard work.
“It was a very intense course and to have gone through it and top the class was challenging, ” he said.
Col. Cosmas Alhassan a foreign participants from Ghana who emerged as the best foreign participant said the course was educative . He said the knowledge he acquired would come handy in the discharge of duties in Ghana.
Monday 4 August 2014
Obama, Jonathan, Others Meet On Security, Power
Security as well as regular power supply under “Power Africa” will top the agenda of the meetings that United States president Mr Barrack Obama will hold with President Goodluck Jonathan and other African leaders in Washington, DC, from today to Wednesday.
The White House will push initiatives like “Power Africa”, a privately funded plan to bring electricity to 20 million households across sub-Saharan Africa.
Six African countries have been selected for the project and Nigeria is first on the list. Companies have pledged $9 billion, and the White House is likely to announce more support at the summit meeting.
The four-day meeting which is tagged
“Investing in the Next Generation” will
include a civil society forum with
discussions on investments in health,
women, food security and power. There would be a high-octane conference to stimulate trade and investments.
According to Professor Adebowale
Adefuye, Nigeria’s ambassador to the
United States, President Jonathan and his counterparts will be brought in contact with American companies’ chief executives to discuss investment opportunities in Africa and conclude deals.
Adefuye added that other activities on
economy development were the
discussions on the issue of re-
authorization of AGOA, stressing that it was an American government system of preferential access to goods produced in Africa as a way of stimulating trade in the continent.
President Jonathan, who arrived in
Washington yesterday with his delegation,.is expected to meet congressional and business leaders as well as the media. He will address members of the Nigerian community and will be hosted to a reception by the two leading American business conglomerates, the US Chambers of Commerce and the Cooperate Council for Africa, after the meeting of African leaders with Obama.
The strategic importance of Nigeria
makes President Jonathan’s personal
attendance important. Nigeria is the
largest economy in Africa, America’s
largest trading partner and the country described by Vice President Joe Biden as America’s anchor in Africa. America is actively assisting Nigeria in coping with its current security challenges.
According to Ambassador Adefuye, the Embassy of Nigeria has been able to effectively counter negative perception about Nigeria on government’s reactions and activities to contain Boko Haram and end the kidnap of Chibok girls.
He noted that the key stakeholders in
business, politics, and think-tanks were now convinced that the government did all that it could to deal with Boko Haram and get the girls freed, adding that a series of well-coordinated actions to deal
with the menace of Boko Haram in
perpetuity was on.
According to the US national security
adviser, Ms Susan Rice, the meeting is intended to build a deeper relationship with Africa based on mutual interests and mutual respect. In each of the sessions, there will be some very straight talks, and give and take. Invitations were sent to 50 heads of state.
Also, American officials emphasized that it is not a meeting with the AU even though the chairperson of the AU is invited. This is the justification of the exclusion of some African countries with which America does not enjoy good relations for a variety of reasons.
Thursday 24 July 2014
Apapa (Lagos) Traffic Gridlock, Threat To Security
In the wake of nationwide insecurity , the Commandant of the Nigerian Navy Security, NNS Beecroft , Ovenseri Uwadiae , says the Apapa traffic gridlock is a threat to security around Apapa area of Lagos , southwest Nigeria.
At a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday to find a lasting solution to the persistent traffic gridlock around Apapa and its environs, Uwadiae , who read the resolution of the stakeholders to newsmen, did not mince words when he said the gridlock was a threat to the growing insecurity nationwide .
Uwadiae added that the traffic jam in the area is causing a colossal economic loss to the nation through man - hour loss , closure of businesses , assuring that with commitment and support of the stakeholders to confront the traffic problem, the entire gridlock in the area could become a thing of the past.
According to him, some of the stakeholders’ proffered solutions to the traffic problems at Apapa could be categorised into long and short term solutions , noting that for now , members of the stakeholders had resolved to focus on immediate solutions capable of bringing relief to motorists using Apapa- Mile 2
Expressway.
He said the stakeholders agreed to set up a committee that would implement all the decisions taken at the meeting , adding that the NPA would lead other members of the committee to inspect and ensure that shipping companies owned loading bays in order to reduce the number of trucks around the area and that only trucks that had been approved for loading were within Apapa vicinity .
Furthermore , he said LASTMA, police , NPA and other stakeholders would fashion out routes for trailers and
tankers coming to Apapa-Mile 2 area for business in a way that they would only occupy a dedicated section of the service lane , as this was aimed at bringing about orderliness on the road, while reiterating his conviction that with support of everybody , motorists would soon begin to experience stress- free driving in the area.
“The management of NPA must see to it that concessionaires operating at the port improve on human and facilities in order to reduce time beingspent by trucks at the port entrance , as spill over from the entrance often leads to traffic gridlock.
“Truck owners are to cooperate with the management of the NPA in the area of registration to reduce cases of truck drivers parking within the area to solicit for business in the port as such action is partially responsible for road blockade in Apapa,” he said.
Speaking at the end of the meeting , the General Manager of LASTMA, Engr. Babatunde Edu, reaffirmed the commitment of the agency to move the traffic along the axis and solicited the support and cooperation of other stakeholders for roads to be free of any gridlock.
He said that the agency had a duty and responsibility under the law to solve traffic problem, and that if and when necessary , the agency would resort to enforcement in order to restore road orderliness and sanity.
Stakeholders at the meeting held at the NNS Beecroft , Navy Yard , Apapa, are the Navy , Lagos State Traffic
Management Authority, LASTMA, representative of NARTO (Road Transport Employers Association of
Nigeria ) , AMATO , Police , Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) , UTQEN and the Federal Ministry of Works .
Courtesy:
PM News