Anglican primate calls for national dialogue over insecurity
T HEArchbishop Metropolitan and Primate, Church of Nigeria ( Anglican Communion), Henry Ndukuba, has expressed concern over insecurity and instability in the country, just as he called for a national dialogue.
In his address to the Standing Committee meeting of the church at All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha, yesterday, Ndukuba said his worry was due to terror and devastation evident across the country.
Noting that the country was fast becoming a land flowing with tears and blood, he said many people had lost their homes, lives, livelihood and property, regretting that the dead were not counted and adequate recognition of the evil made.
The cleric lamented the situation where predominantly Christian communities were targeted, attacked, residents kidnapped and killed mercilessly while their homes and property were destroyed, especially in Taraba, Kaduna and other states in the North East.
While stressing that the constant siege on communities in the southern part of the country must be checked, the archbishop said the destruction caused by communal war in some parts of the country was becoming unbearable. He commended the efforts of some state governments in checking the menace of armed herders and bandits.
The primate called for a new comprehensive sovereign national dialogue by all the ethnic nationalities and regional representatives to discuss all issues troubling the country, just as he said that Nigeria needed a new civilian and democratic constitution.
TExecutive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC/ Transparency International ( TI), Nigeria, Mallam Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, has called for improved funding for police and others supporting justice institutions in Nigeria.
He also urged institutions to ensure fiscal transparency.
Rafsanjani stated this at a workshop organised by CISLAC on fiscal transparency and improved welfare for criminal justice institutions. Rafsanjani, who was represented by CISLAC’S Programme Officer, Samuel Asimi, stated that “reports of police officers protesting non- payment of allowances in the past should be frowned at by all well- meaning Nigerians.” According to him: “It is also important that the criminal justice institutions are transparent down to every kobo they receive. We cannot be seeking for more funding if these institutions do not judiciously use the little they currently receive.” The workshop was attended by representatives from the police, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA), the Federal High Court, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ( ICPC) and the Police Service Commission, among others. It was organised under the criminal justice project currently being implemented by TI, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ( UNODC) and INTERPOL.
T HERivers State Police Command said it has commenced investigations into the sudden disappearance of Mr. Hanson Chuku, a graduate of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Rivers State.
Chuku, a councillorship aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Rundele ward 7 in Emuoha Local Council of the state was reportedly missing after he went to a nearby bush in Mgbuelia, Rundele to urinate on Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
Elder brother to Chuku, Friday Chuku alleged that his younger brother got missing few days after he had misunderstanding with members of the disbanded local Security outfit ( ROSPAC) in the area.
He accused members of the ROSPAC of having a hand in his brother’s sudden disappearance.
He said, “I am calling on the security agencies to come to our aid. For now, we don’t know his whereabouts”
He added: “My younger brother and I, Hanson Chuku were arrested by ROSPAC same night. They took us all the way to Bayelsa Zone 16, all these boils down to the petition they wrote against us. The Assistant Commissioner of Police who attended to the matter asked us to come back on the January 21, which we did, surprisingly on January 26, Hanson got missing”. Friday Chuku lamented that their mother, Felicia Chuku died on Saturday, February 6, as a result of the shock of the son’s disappearance.