Olowu of Kuta, HRM Oba Adekunle Makama Oyelude, Tegbosun iii, has conferred the chieftaincy title of ‘Are Balogun Agba’ of Owu-Kuta Kingdom on former chief of army staff and Nigerian Ambassador to the Benin Republic, Lt Gen TY Buratai rtd.

According to the letter of conferment sighted by our Correspondent, Olowu said; “Besides my long-standing excellent inter-personal relationship with you, your qualification as an icon worthy of being bestowed with High Chieftaincy titles of Owu-Kuta is superlative.

Olowu explains that since he assumed the throne of his forefathers on the 15th of September 2012, he has developed three main concerns as primary objectives in Office, which include peaceful coexistence, socio-economic development and qualitative leadership.

He said: “Conferment of this title on you by the Owu Kingdom is further testimony to the fact that people appreciate what you have done and the ones you are still doing for the country. This long-earned title should further reinvigorate you to do more for posterity.

“After due consultation with the Olowu-in-Council and the entire Royal Family, I hereby confer on you the High Chieftaincy title of:‘Are Balogun Agba’ of ‘Owu-Kuta’ Kingdom.
Please accept our congratulation with the highest royal esteem! The installation will take place at a later date.”

The New General Officer Commanding One Division Kaduna on Monday assumed duty with a charge on personnel to brace up for the challenges ahead.

Major General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja stated this while addressing officers and men of the division shortly after taking over from his predecessor.

Major General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja also solicited the support and understanding of critical stakeholders in rallying around formations and units of the division by providing necessary information that would aid troops in the conduct of their operations.

The GOC commended the press for supporting the activities of the division and craved for continuous support towards ensuring more stability within the division’s area of responsibility.

Major General Lagbaja commended the outgone GOC for the services he rendered to the division and Kaduna State, and wished him success in his new assignment.

Earlier, the outgone GOC, Major General Kabir Mukhtar explained that the division under his watch has done its best towards tackling security challenges within the division’s area of responsibility.

He charged personnel to be more committed and re-dedicate their time and efforts to the execution of all assigned tasks.

Major General Mukhtar commended the Chief of Army Staff for giving him the opportunity to serve, and enjoined personnel to extend maximum co-operation to the new GOC.

Highlight of the event was the signing and taking over book between the two top officers, decoration of the new GOC with the division’s insignia, as well as presentation of the division’s flag to the new GOC.

It would be recalled that recently, the Chief of Army Staff approved the postings and appointments of senior officers in an effort to reposition the Army for operational efficiency and proficiency.

In a statement by spokesperson of the Army, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Army Chief charged the newly appointed senior officers to re-double their effort in tackling security challenges bedevilling the nation, as they assume their new appointments.

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), has comissioned  a Centre for early warning studies, an initiative to build a robust national database on threats to national security.

The Gamji Reporters, reports that the Centre was a collaborative initiative with the University of Ibadan.

Commissioning of the  Centre on Wednesday at the NDA old site in Kaduna, was part of activities lined up for the Academy’s annual international conference with the year’s theme, “Defence, Security and Sustainable Development in Africa: Challenges and Responses”.

Speaking at the event, Commandant of the NDA, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Yusuf, said the Centre would collect remote and longitudinal data on the causes and incidences of violence, criminality, terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria.

He also said the Centre was established and inaugurated with a view to alerting relevant stakeholders on potential dangers and assist them to take appropriate actions.

 Yusuf noted that the Centre would add value to the nation’s intelligence and security architecture by providing data that would drive a national policy and strategy.

He explained that the Centre would  have two main research hubs based in the University of Ibadan and NDA, serving the southern and Northern regions of Nigeria, respectively. 

“Very soon, the NDA centre will reach out to sister universities, experts and other stakeholders in the North to contribute to the work of the Centre,”Yusuf said.

He thanked the University of Ibadan for partnering with NDA to establish the Centre and assured the Vice Chancellor that they  would honour their part of the partnership.

Earlier, Chairman of the conference, Prof. Munzali Jibril, explained that the year’s international conference was aimed to sustain the Academy’s established tradition of constructive engagement but would  focused on defence and security in Africa. 

He said that consequently, the conference would address the dynamics of, and nexus between, defence, security and sustainable development in Africa with a focus on challenges and responses at unilateral, bilateral and multilateral levels. 

He said the conference has received over 130 submissions and processed a total of 118 suitable abstracts from 129 scholars and practitioners. 

“These papers will be presented under 15 panels to be chaired by distinguishes professors from reputable universities across the country,”he said.

Delivering a keynote lecture, Prof. Abiodun Alao, the Director, Centre for African Leadership, King’s College, London, United Kingdom, said that in most countries with solid minerals, two things were often common with the governance of their resource.

 He said it always involved multinational corporations and the extent of proper management which is often determined by the nature of the resource in question and the existing governance structure. 

Alao noted that of all solid minerals, however, one of the most controversial was diamonds, largely because of the massive financial opportunities that come with its acquisition.

He explained that controversies surrounding solid minerals have caused further complications for defence and security as they have been linked with other major  challenges like money laundering and smuggling.

He further said crude was next to solid minerals, noting that it is the natural resource whose governance has generated much interest and attention. 

“This is due to the resource’s high degree of profitability, environmental consequences of its exploration, international nature of its politics, relevance to global economy and  its role in the ethno-political and socio-economic affairs of the endowed countries,”he said.

Alao however said that fishing conflicts have been more complex in places where oil politics intermingle with fishing.

He said a  number of recent conflicts in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, one of which the main problems underlining conflicts was the disruption that oil exploration has caused to fishing.

 “Indeed, one of the main protests of the people in many riverine areas of Nigeria’s oil producing communities is the destruction of fishing opportunities.

“A conflict that is often forgotten in this category is the one in the Bakassi Peninsula, where the conflicts associated with fishing has been subsumed under the general controversy surrounding the ownership of the oil-rich area,”he said.

He lamented that with the economic hardship being experienced in many local communities across the continent, it is likely that water resources would be a major cause of conflict in the years ahead. 

“The established dominance of internal fishing companies is likely to attract opposition from local fishermen, while unintentional trespassing will continue to affect relations between countries where local fishermen do not appreciate their limits in international boundaries.

 “But as countries across the continent continue to brace themselves for the diverse implications of these, also important are the affairs of states in the politics surrounding dam constructions”.

Alao further said that Nigerai has enough resources to meet the demands of its population and ensure sustainable development. 

“The reasons why the continent has not been able to maximize the opportunities from these endowments are because structures are not in place to ensure fair and equitable distribution and a string of external influences have emerged to exploit these weaknesses to their advantage.

“Africa’s main natural resource is its people, and the resilience they have shown amidst formidable odds is the asset the continent can exploit in its bid to activate the African renaissance.

“Consequently, it is the investment in its people that will offer the greatest benefit for the continent and will prevent the cycle of conflicts that has brought Africa to the focus of international concern,”Alao said.

 Gamji Reporters  report that the 

Society of Peace Studies and Practice, conferred honorary fellowship to the first Lady of Nigerai, Hajia Aisha Buhari, and the Commandant of the NDA, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Yusuf.

Gamji also reports that no fewer than 450, postgraduate students and some final year cadets of the NDA were conferred

associate members of the Society.

On Sunday, 10 July 2022, former Chief of Army Staff and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Benin Republic, His Excellency, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai (Rtd), was in Yola, Adamawa State, where he paid a condolence visit to the families of the former Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Secretary-General, late Doctor Muhammadu Sanusi Barkindo, Walin Adamawa and the Lamido of Adamawa.

On arrival in Yola, Ambassador Buratai went to the residence of the late Dr Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Walin Adamawa, where he sympathised with his elder brother Alhaji Hamidu Muhammad Jada, wife, son and relatives. Afterwards, he proceeded to the family house, where he sympathised with the late Barkindo’s aged mother Hajiya Saadatu Barkindo.

Lt Gen Buratai (rtd) then went to the palace of the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji (Dr) Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustafa and condoled him over the passing away of Walin Adamawa.

In all the places he paid his condolences, General Buratai paid eloquent tribute to the late Barkindo, whom he described as a friend and patriot that served Nigeria and the international community meritoriously in different positions and left behind indelible marks.

He also said the death of the late Walin Adamawa was a significant loss not just to the family and the nation but to the international community too. Ambassador Buratai further conveyed his deepest condolences to the bereaved family as well as the government and people of Adamawa State over the huge loss, praying Almighty Allah to grant the deceased aljannah Firdausi.

Special prayers were said for the late Walin Adamawa, praying Allah forgive his shortcomings and granted him aljannah Firdausi.

It will be recalled that the former OPEC Secretary-General died at about 11.00 pm on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, in Abuja at the age of 63, and he has since been buried according to Islamic injunctions.

His Excellency, Ambassador Tukur Buratai, was accompanied to the condolence visit by his friend and former Director at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Doctor Manzo Ahmed, a former Director of Army Public Relations Brigadier General Sani Usman Kukasheka (rtd) mni and Alhassan Sultan.

DYNAMISM IN POLITICS AND NIGERIA’S FOUNDING  FATHERS

By TUKUR YUSUF BURATAI

Let me begin by stating unequivocally that I have spent my entire service life defending my nation and democracy because I am convinced that it is the political system most conducive to peace, sustainable development, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, which are the three pillars of any healthy and democratic nation. 

Permit me to utilize this opportunity to congratulate Nigeria and all Nigerians, particularly the youth, on 22 years of uninterrupted democratic administration. Some may argue that Nigeria’s young democracy is nothing to celebrate because its elections, which are designed to serve as means for the peaceful resolution of political rivalries, are frequently flashpoints for political bloodshed. I concur that elections devoid of integrity cannot bring legitimacy to the winners, security to the losers, or public confidence in their leaders and institutions. 

This weakens polities by encouraging disaffected groups to seek out less constructive outlets for their discontent. Because of this challenge associated with all nascent democracies, some people feel that there is no need to commend the Nigerian democratic project. I respectfully disagree. 

We are evolving, and as you can see, the system is improving daily as a result of our leaders’ periodic enhancements to the democratic system. For instance, the 2022 Electoral Act which the President,  Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari just signed into law, is a factor that will  undoubtedly improve the transparency and acceptability of the country’s future elections and promote democratic governance.

Democracy remains a universal aspiration because it actually delivers. For example, of the twenty countries with highest levels of human development as measured by the UN’s human development index, nineteen are liberal democracies.

 Among the top forty, thirty-six are liberal democracies. And even the citizens of poorer democracies live, on average, nine years longer than citizens of poor autocracies, because they have better access to health and education. Democracies are also less vulnerable to famines and conflicts.

It was the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who said, “Man is, by nature, a political animal.” It means that a man is born, lives, and dies as a member of a community, and the affairs of that community are therefore his and vice-versa. 

This is why since my transition back to civilian life from the Army, I have continued to participate in every civic activity I could to promote peace and strengthen our democracy. It is the reason I decided to send this message to all  Nigerian youths. 

Democracy is known as the finest form of government. Why so? It is because in a democracy, the people of the country choose their leaders who will then form a government to lead them. 

They enjoy certain rights that are very essential for any human being to live freely and happily. On the other hand, Good governance has been defined to refer to structures and processes that are designed to ensure accountability, transparency, responsiveness, rule of law, stability, equity and inclusiveness, empowerment, and broad-based participation. 

Good governance also represents the norms, values and rules of the game through which public affairs are managed in a manner that is transparent, participatory, inclusive and responsive. 

If we want to continue to make our democracy work and deliver dividends, we must take the critical issues of participation and a vibrant democratic system in Nigeria as sacrosanct, and our youths must embrace what I termed political dynamism. Political dynamism can be defined as vigorous political activity that is geared towards progress, and strength in the polity. 

It is usually characterized by patriotism, service to the fatherland, and youth inclusivity. Youth can be a creative force, a dynamic source of innovations, and they have undoubtedly, throughout history, participated, contributed, and even catalyzed important changes in political systems, power-sharing dynamics, and economic opportunities.

However, young people also face poverty, barriers to education, multiple forms of discrimination, and limited employment prospects and opportunities. 

This is a global challenge although it differs across countries, and it is why the youth must take the issue of electing their leaders very seriously. Our greatest resource as a country is not crude oil or any of the natural minerals but our population, our youth. 

Today, we have the largest global youth population in history, and the large majority of young people around the world are committed to peace, sustainable development, and human rights. 

Throughout my time in the Army, I’ve met with many groups of young people, including youth groups, student groups, and young leaders. I’ve always been impressed by their talent, knowledge, and desire to make the world a better place.

If I should take you back to memory lane to the history of our founding fathers, which most people agree that Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo agreed on, you will find out that they all started as youths fired by political dynamism. 

Dr. Azikiwe captured the nation’s attention when, in 1937, he arrived in Nigeria with an electrifying personality and a bundle of talents, and on November 22, 1937, he published the maiden edition of his popular newspaper, The West African Pilot. 

The Sardauna started to experiment with his leadership qualities right from Katsina Teachers’ College, and later on, through political dynamism characterized by inclusiveness of all ethnic nationalities in the North. Same with Awolowo who showed his people the power of education as a liberating and equalizing force in any society.

 All three of these great leaders practiced political dynamism characterized by non-violence, patriotism, human development, and service to humanity.

The first time all three met together was on Friday, June 19, 1953. Enahoro’s Self-Government-Now bill and the consequent resignation of all the Action Group’s federal ministers caused a constitutional crisis which made Nigeria ungovernable. 

Oliver Lyttleton, the secretary of state for colonies, tried to salvage the situation by inviting the main players to a constitutional conference in London. But Awolowo and Azikiwe, who had become friends since Enahoro’s bill was tabled, refused the terms and conditions. Because the Sardauna was fine with them, Macpherson, Nigeria’s governor, brought Sardauna, Azikiwe and Awolowo together in his office to jointly fashion new terms and conditions.

After the meeting, which ended at 10:10pm, he presented the trio to the media and the Daily Times the following day, naming them The Big Three. Since then, it has stuck that they were founding fathers because their tribes and their parties were the largest and because it offered an inclusive impression that all the regions had a say in the formation of the country.

In countries emerging from or facing conflicts, young people can engage in peace-building by leading non-violent movements and using innovative solutions to mobilize societies to bring about the needed transformation. 

Young people have demonstrated the potential to build bridges across communities, working together to help manage conflict and promote peace. Young people play a big role in conflict and peace-building, and they can be agents of peaceful change and help rebuild lives and communities, making the world a better place. 

President Muhammadu Buhari has laid a foundation for a new Nigeria. Despite the myriad of challenges, he has kept faith with his vision and principles. The youths must carry these vision and principles beyond this administration. The legacies must be protected for a greater Nigeria and a formidable future generations. 

My message to young people today is that they must not let themselves be used as willing tools by do-or-die politicians who want to stir up trouble in their communities. Instead, you must embrace the tenets of political dynamism and root out every factor that contributes to the democracy deficit in Nigeria, namely voter apathy, ballot snatching, looting, arson, and the likes. 

You constitute a large percentage of our voting and working population. You are also going to be the number one population block that will suffer the consequences of bad governance and incompetent leaders in the future. 

Therefore, you must do everything to safeguard your future survival and welfare in mind. Get actively involved in the democratic process by joining a political party and electing those who will lead you. Remember that voting is a civic duty expected of every Nigerian.

I thank you all  Great Nigerian Youths. 

Ambassador Tukur Yusufu Buratai (Lt Gen Rtd) was Nigeria’s ex Chief of Army Staff and presently Ambassador of the country to Benin Republic

In the course of operations conducted within the period between 23- 27 February 2022, troops of MNJTF sector 1 Cameroon conducted operation in Vretet-Zamga-Ngoshe triangle in the general area of Kirawa on the Nigeria /Cameroon borders where several BHT/ISWAP insurgents were neutralised and many fled with gun shot wounds. 

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Chief of Military Public Information Headquarters Multi National Joint Task Force N’Djamena Chad Colonel Mohammed Dole and made available to the press on 28 February 2022

During the operation large quantity of materials and assorted food stuff were recovered. The items include 01 AK47 rifle, 01 AK47 Magazine, several ammunitions of the 7.62 MM special variant , 21 bicycles, 01 BHT uniform, 39 bags millet and 02 bags of beans.  An intelligence analysis indicates that, the items were being smuggled from the borders to sambisa forest. It is believed the terrorists are stock piling materials for the incoming month of Ramadan. Further exploitation of the engagement areas showed traces of blood, evidence of BHT/ISWAP criminals removed corpses of their dead colleagues while 2 corpses of Boko Haram criminals were discovered.

The Force Commander (FC) MNJTF, Major General Abdul Khalifah Ibrahim  has sent his personal commendation to the Commander Sector 1 with headquarters (HQs) in Mora (Cameroon) Brigadier General Bouba Dobekreo. The FC praised the display of courage and gallantry by the troops, as they continue to conduct special operations to combat the insurgents. He urged them to remain committed ,bold and unpredictable and to continue to dominate the area, to ensure that BHT/ISWAP terrorists are cut off from any logistics resupply. General Ibrahim assured that HQs MNJTF would make concerted efforts to ensure that all the sectors get the equipment that were allotted to them recently. ( see attached pictures)