By Agboola Bayo Ibadan Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), at the weekend, said the federal government was determined to reposition the Nigeria Police Force to be able to properly tackle the insecurity challenges in the country. Dambazau, who stated this in Ibadan while delivering the inaugural lecture of the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies of University of Ibadan, declared that the repositioning of the Nigeria Police was part of the agenda of the present administration in the country towards sustaining its crusade against insecurity in Nigeria. The Minister pointed out that the time had come for all stakeholders in the country to ensure that insecurity in Nigeria “is reduced to the barest minimum for rapid socio-economic and political development of the country.” He noted that “Nigeria is presently contending with various forms of insecurity which the most recent is the issue of Boko-Haram in the North-east, the Fulani herdsmen and pastoral farmers’ crises in some parts of the country.” Emphasising further that the issues of trans-border crime involving arms and ammunition shipment and drug trafficking had been on the rise in the country for some time, the Minister said “insecurity is not only peculiar to Nigeria.” The Minister while urging that all hands must be on the deck to curtail the insecurity in the country, stressed that there would be no going back in the agenda of the present administration in Nigeria to ensure sustenance of its crusade against insecurity. Also speaking, at the lecture, the Chairman of Slash FM, Ibadan, Chief Adebayo Akande, tasked Nigerians to ensure that no effort was spared towards maintaining and sustaining peace in and across the country, saying “Nigeria presently is battling with a myriad of security threats ranging from Boko Haram crisis, killer herdsmen, Niger delta militants to the reincarnation of the Niger Delta Avengers.” Other speakers at the lecture also supported the Minister in the call for all hands to be on the deck to ensure adequate security.

By Muhammad Tanko Shittu  Jos

Ustaz Auwal Abdullahi,period for the country’s stability.
Acting zonal director, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Jos Network Centre, Mr. Moses Ojowumi, made the call at the 7th edition of NTA annual Ramadan lectures held at the board room of the Jos Central Mosque.

Represented by the NTA’s assistant director, news and current affairs, Malam Shehu Sa’ed, Ojowumi said the lecture was significance in the sense that it was aimed at fostering unity and understanding among Nigerians.
“It is also to let the Muslims know what is expected of them during the month of Ramadan,” he said.

Guest speaker at the event, Ustaz Auwal Abdullahi, harped on the significance of good neighbourliness among the people.
According to Abdullahi, people should embrace one another to live together as brothers’ keepers, most importantly at this period of Ramadan.
He said both Muslims and non-Muslims should uphold the values of each other, be kind to one another and also support themselves.
The event featured presentations from other Islamic scholars, with both male and female folds in attendance.