President Goodluck Jonathan •Says security lapses responsible for recent terror strikes •FG to arraign varsity lecturer, two others Tobi Soniyi, Jaiyeola Andrews and Senator Iroegbu and Grace Chimezie President Goodluck Jonathan has warned that he would no longer tolerate unhealthy competition or rivalry, especially amongst the service chiefs, stating that this had caused lapses which gave way to insurgents attacks. Jonathan read the riot act yesterday while commissioning the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Comprehensive School in Yola, the Adamawa State capital. He directed the armed forces to, as a matter of compulsion, work in harmony or face the consequences of their inability to cooperate. He said: “I urge you to cooperate, but sometimes you hear of unhealthy rivalry amongst service chiefs and personnel. This will no longer be tolerated, as any unnecessary competition that will not bring progression to this country, so I charge you to work together. “If this country is to move forward, the defence industry is key. With the resources we have in the armed forces, we must encourage them to go further in terms of scientific and technological innovation. We cannot move with other developed countries of the world if we do not venture into innovation and creativity in science and technology. “We will work with our traditional rulers, governors and senate to see that we elevate the country to a different level.” Jonathan recalled that a few years back, Nigeria was ranked with countries such as Brazil and India, lamenting that “these countries have left us behind”. Accordingly, the president commended the prudence exhibited by the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Alex Badeh, which he said had set him apart and had influenced his present position. “One of the reasons that made me uplift the present Chief of Defence Staff from Chief of Air Staff was because I noted very carefully that in terms of managing resources he was prudent. “And I believe that with him in charge, after being briefed properly by how their work is being conducted, that the armed forces will be different,” he stated. In the same vein, Jonathan commended the NAF’s efforts at research and development, using the meagre resources at its disposal, saying: “Not long ago, I commissioned the first Nigerian inmanned ariel vehicle, Gulma 1, in Kaduna.” He added: “The impact of this project will not only be felt in the state but also in its surrounding communities, as you know any country that is not planning for the future is planning to fail. “Furthermore, it will help fight insurgency and improve the welfare of the servicemen in general. We are expecting that we produce men and women that will be the pride of our country.” Earlier, Badeh said the commissioning of the NAF project had brought the long awaited development to the North-eastern part of the region. “This is in fulfillment of our corporate social responsibility and an enhancement to the welfare of the people of Adamawa State,” he added. Also, during a courtesy visit to the Lamido of Adamawa, Mohammadu Zakindo Mustapha, the emir thanked the federal government for its efforts to return peace to the troubled region. He however pointed out that the state of emergency imposed on the state was crippling the economy of Adamawa. Meanwhile, an Abuja Federal High Court has fixed February 3 for the arraignment of three suspected members of the Kogi State Boko Haram cell, including Dr. Nazeef Yunus, an Assistant Lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Kogi State University. Those to be arraigned alongside Yunus are Umar Musa and Salami Abdullahi. Justice Gabriel Kolawole fixed the date after it emerged that the charges filed against the accused persons by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had not been served on them. The judge ordered that the charges must be served on the suspects before February 3. The suspects will remain in the custody of the SSS until the arraignment. The lecturer, Yunus, who was alleged to be the spiritual leader and coordinator of the Boko Haram sect in Kogi State, and the two others have been in the custody of the SSS since their arrest in October 2013. The SSS had accused the suspects of planning to carry out an attack on parts of Kogi State before they were arrested at a mosque in Zuba, a town near Abuja, while on their way to Zambisa in Maiduguri, Borno State, for training. Three other suspected members of the Kogi State Boko Haram cell – Mustapha Yusuf, Ismaila Abdulazeez, and Ibrahim Isa Hayafu – were freed by the court since no charge was brought against them. Also yesterday, the court adjourned to February 7 to rule on an application filed by one of the suspects, Salami Abdullahi, to enforce his fundamental rights. In the application, Abdullahi accused the SSS of illegal detention, and urged the court to intervene by setting him free. But the SSS has opposed the application, arguing that a magistrates court in Lokoja, Kogi State, empowered it to detain the suspects.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 05:36:34 +0000
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