Important News This Sunday Night (1/11/2020)

1) Fashola lied, National Assembly not responsible for dilapidated roads in Benue – Senate

The Senate has taken exception to a statement credited to Mr Babatunde Raji Fasola, the Hon. Minister of works that the National Assembly should be held responsible for the dilapidated state of Federal roads in Benue State, describing it as a “fallacy of the highest order”.

The Hon. Minister was quoted to have made the allegation in his office in Abuja during a courtesy call by retired Generals and ‘other leaders of thought’ from Benue South Senatorial District led by Air Vice Marshal Morgan Monday, who came to complain about the deplorable state of roads in the senatorial district.

Speaking through its Chairman of Media Committee, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the Senate said the National Assembly can not and should not be held responsible for the dilapidated state of roads whether in Benue State or any part of the country.

The Senate, which said that though it would not want to engage in any unnecessary altercation with the Minister, however, stated that it has to speak up because the issue of roads infrastructure is important and controversial, added that it is necessary to put all the records straight so as to disabuse the minds of the unsuspecting public about the acts of the National Assembly.

The records are needed to be set right so that the two arms of government should not be seen as working at cross purposes in the course of delivering dividends and good governance to electorates”, the Spokesman said.

Putting the records straight, the Senate gave the figures of the 2020 proposal for capital expenditure as 265, 868 037, 093 billion Naira by the Executive which the National Assembly passed. The Executive later brought revised allocation of 256, 734,983,667 billion Naira which we also appropriated.

2) We have failed our children, Minister laments

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has lamented the level of moral decadence among Nigerian children and said that the parents have failed.

Speaking on Saturday in Kaduna at a stakeholders’ engagement with 77 district heads, religious and community leaders from the 23 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, Ahmed regretted that parents no longer instill values in their children.

She, therefore, called on parents to ensure they bring up the young ones with values that instill uprightness in them.

“We are calling the attention of parents that we have failed our children in the sense that the kind of values we use to have is no more.

“We need to remind ourselves that our children need to be upright and that this criminality going on, on a daily basis, is not for their benefits and the benefit of the state and country,” Ahmed said.

On President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to assist the youths, she said that the government had created a N75 billion entrepreneurship support fund for the youths.

According to her, the fund is meant to help them to grow their businesses, actualise their innovative and entrepreneurial ideas, be productive and become employers of labour.

Speaking earlier, the deputy governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Balarabe, urged the stakeholders to ensure they sensitise their communities on why they must at all times be obedient to the law of the land.

“As good citizens, it is part of our civic duty to support the government in the development of the state.

“So, we need these interactions between the government, traditional, and religious institutions that allow us to reason together.

“It is agreed that there are problems, but the government is doing all it can to address them. I urge all on the need to join forces to save society from those seeking to destroy it.

“This is a responsive government and we have listened to the demands of our people and are doing our best to address them,” she said.

3)End SARS unrest: Protect yourselves, policemen can’t guarantee security – DPO to Nigerians

A police officer (name withheld) has informed Nigerians that it would be difficult for Force personnel to provide adequate security for now.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in a chat with PRNigeria, advised citizens to protect themselves from hoodlums ahead of yuletide.

He spoke at the weekend after a joint meeting of law enforcement agencies in Southern States worst hit by the violence that followed the End SARS protests.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Nigerian military, security, intelligence and response agencies.

It analysed how the assaults on security manpower dampened the morale of many of servicemen and women.

The DPO said: “In these ember months, up to Christmas and New Year, I doubt if any of the services can guarantee maximum security. There is no way we can discharge our statutory responsibilities when we have become soft targets.”

The DPO declared that it would be over his dead body to allow any of his subordinates to be drafted to risky situations anytime soon.

4) Fani-Kayode, Omokri blast Buhari as US forces rescue American kidnapped in Nigeria

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani Kayode and Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, have lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari following a rescue of an American citizen by U.S. special forces in Nigeria on Saturday morning.

Elite Commandos of the US military have staged a military raid of bandits camp in Nigeria to free an American abducted in Niger Republic.

The American, Philip Walton, was abducted on 26 October by suspected bandits in a village in Niger, close to Nigeria. Nigeria has porous borders with Niger.

Officials told ABC News early Saturday that the counter-terrorism mission was undertaken by elite commandos as part of a major effort to free the 27-year-old U.S. citizen before his abductors could get far after taking him captive in Niger.

According to the report, the operation involved the governments of the U.S., Niger and Nigeria working together to rescue Walton quickly.

It said the elite SEAL Team Six carried out the rescue mission and killed all but one of the captors, according to officials with direct knowledge about the operation.

The Pentagon lauded the rescue mission in a statement.

Reacting to the news, Fani-Kayode congratulated the US President for putting American first unlike President Buhari is good at ordering the Nigerian Army to kill Nigerians.

He tweeted, “U.S. forces rescued an American citizen held hostage in Nigeria yesterday.6 captors were killed by the Americans. Congrats to @realDonaldTrump!The @HQNigerianArmy is only good at killing it’s own citizens & the Nig. President is only good at ordering them to do so. Shame on you!”

5) Enugu govt turns to Forest Guards for security, traffic control, as policemen remain adamant

ENUGU— FOLLOWING the refusal of policemen to return to streets and roads across Enugu State, the state government has deployed members of its local vigilante, Forest Guards, to maintain security and order across the state.

Members of the vigilante outfit were also deployed to Enugu metropolis to help the workers of the state Ministry of Works to control traffic gridlock that suddenly swamped the city, following the destruction of traffic lights.

No single policeman, including traffic wardens, were seen on the streets of Enugu and on the interstate roads in the state.

However, soldiers from the 82 Division of Nigeria Army complement the Forest Guards’ efforts with patrols in the city and environs.

On a trip to Anambra State last Friday, no single policeman was seen on the road from Enugu to Anambra, which used to witness scores of checkpoints.

The Forest Guards were also conspicuous in all the communities that border Enugu and other states; decently conducting themselves, taking thorough looks at occupants of vehicles before politely asking them to continue with their journey.

6) TRCN boss urges state govts to implement new teachers’ salary scale

Prof. Segun Ajiboye, the Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), has urged state governments across the country to key into the review of welfare packages for teachers already set for implementation by the Federal Government.

Ajiboye stated this while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan on the benefits of the new salary scale and other welfare packages for teachers reeled out by President Muhammadu Buhari during the World Teachers’ Day on Oct. 5.

According to him, since education is on the concurrent list, state governments should be ready for the smooth implementation of the new policy.

The president’s approval cut across new salary structure for teachers, their retirement age, teaching practice allowances for both lecturers and pre-service teachers, bursary awards for education students and rural housing scheme for teachers, among others.

“Presently, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Office of Head of Service of the Federation are working out modalities for the implementation of the presidential approvals.

“While this is going on, it is incumbent on the states to be carried along for smooth implementation at that level, given the fact that education is on concurrent legislative list.

“As the quality education is essential to the development of any nation, so also welfare of teachers, so as to enhance their performance and encourage impactful teaching.