News

Edo Train Attack: Sign Hunters And Forestry Bill Into Law, Buhari Told

Published

2 years ago

January 9, 2023

Johnny Chukwudi Metchie, Assistant Commander General of the Nigerian Hunters and Forestry Security Service (NHFSS) in charge of Technical Services, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Hunters and Forestry Security Service Bill into law.

He said the bill is a sure way of deterring terrorists and other criminal elements from using the forests to commit atrocities against the people of Nigeria.

Recall that suspected terrorists on Saturday, attacked a train station in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State to Warri in Delta State and abducted scores of passengers who were waiting to board a train, leaving many injured.

Reacting to the incident on Monday, Metchie told newsmen that it has become an urgent matter for President Buhari to sign the Bill into law which would empower Forest Guards to bear and arm and protect farms and forests as is the case in many other countries.

He said that one of the most effective ways to curb the menace of bandits and other terror activities, is to recruit, arm and empower young men and women as hunters and forest guards to make it difficult for criminals to operate from the forests.

Metchie noted that when the Bill is signed into law, the Hunters and Forestry Security Service would take over the protection and safeguard of forests across the country.

According to him, one of the greatest gifts President Buhari would leave for his successor, is to sign the Bill into law, as such would make the fight against insecurity easier for the new administration.

He said- “The incident that happened in Edo last Saturday, where many passengers waiting to board a train were attacked and abducted is very unfortunate and regrettable.

“While I condemn the dastardly act and sympathise with victims and their families, I want to use this opportunity to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, sign the Hunters and Forestry Security Service Bill into law. The Bill is before Mr. President just waiting for his accent.

“I have lived in many countries, including those in Europe, United States, Canada and others. In these countries, even in South Africa, the forests are protected by Forest Guards and Hunters. And this helps tremendously in curbing activities of criminals, especially those that use the forests as hideouts to carry out nefarious activities.

“When bandits and other terrorists strike, where do they take their victims? It is the forests and farms. They take their victims to the forests because they are aware that there are no authorised security personnel there. When the Bill is passed into law, it would empower the hunters and forest guards to bear arms, motivate them to work and defend their fatherland, knowing that they have the backing of the government.

“I believe that President Buhari is a patriotic citizen and a statesman. I want to think and believe that the President wants to leave lasting legacies for his predecessor. He should therefore save the incoming administration the burden of sending the Bill to the lawmakers by signing it into law himself without wasting more time.”

“Two other areas signing the Bill into law would benefit the country are food security and employment. Today, prices of food items are on the rooftops. The reason is that insecurity has forced many farmers out of the bush.

“The presence of armed forest guards would assure farmers that their farms and produce are safe. In addition, with the signing of the Bill into law, state governments would be motivated to recruit thousands of young people into the service which would drastically reduce unemployment with a double effect of reducing the number of people going into crime,” Metchie added.

News

SEC Bans CEOs From Becoming Chairmen Without 3-year Break

Published

1 hour ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a new directive prohibiting Chief Executive Officers and Executive Directors from immediately assuming the position of Board Chairman within the same company or group after leaving office.

A mandatory three-year “cool off period” has been introduced before such transitions can take place.

The directive is part of a wider effort to strengthen corporate governance and prevent the concentration of power in public companies and capital market operators deemed to be of significant public interest.

This was disclosed in a circular released by the Commission and signed by the management on Thursday on its website titled “Circular to All Public Companies and Capital Market Operators on the Transmutation of Independent Non-Executive Directors and Tenure of Directors.”

The SEC expressed concern over what it described as a “worrying trend of the transmutation/conversion of Independent Non-Executive Directors (INEDs) to Executive Directors, including to the position of the Chief Executive Officer.”

It warned that such practices undermine board independence.

The Circular reads,”This practice clearly erodes the neutrality of the transmuting INEDs, compromises their ability going forward to provide objective judgment and is generally antithetical to the principles which underpin independent directorship as outlined in both the National Code of Corporate Governance (NCCG) as well as the SEC Corporate Governance Guidelines (SCGG).”

As a result, the Commission has directed the immediate discontinuance of the conversion of INEDs into Executive Directors within the same company or group structure.

The new rules also introduce strict tenure limits. Directors in Capital Market Operators considered to be of significant public interest will now be limited to 10 consecutive years in the same company, and 12 years within the same group structure.

“A Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director who steps down after 10 or 12 consecutive years, as the case may be, cannot be appointed as Chairman until the expiration of a 3-year ‘cool off period’.

“The tenure of such former Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director as Chairman shall be for a maximum of 4 years and no more.”

The SEC said these changes are backed by its powers under Section 355(r)(iv) of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025, which authorises it to set governance standards for regulated entities.

“The foregoing directives take immediate effect and compliance is mandatory. Public Companies and Capital Market Operators are therefore required to take the directives into account in their board appointments and succession planning,” the statement added.

The Commission also clarified that years already served by current officeholders will count toward the newly established tenure caps.

News

We’ve Initiated Policies, Reforms For Sustainable Health Delivery System — Edo Deputy Gov

Published

4 hours ago

June 20, 2025

Editor

Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa has
said that the Senator Monday Okpebholo-led administration has initiated policies and reforms that will ensure a sustainable healthcare delivery system.

Idahosa stated this while chairing the second meeting of the state taskforce on Primary Health Care (PHC), at the New Festival Hall, Government House in Benin.

According to statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Friday Aghedo, the meeting included the taskforce members, stakeholders, and developmental partners.

In his keynote address, the deputy governor called for societal vigilance and surveillance to help curtail the effects of the outbreak of Dengue Fever and Diphtheria.

He mentioned that the state was putting up concerted efforts at building a responsive and resilient PHC system.

He encouraged members of the taskforce to be solutions driven, as well as be an instrument of change in their quest to disseminate, enlighten and champion a result driven health process that benefits locals across the eighteen local government areas.

He noted that the plan was to make primary healthcare the most accessible form of healthcare in the state to aid better maternal and health outcomes.

Idahosa singled out and commended the Egor local government chairman, Hon. Kelvin Eguaekun, for his concerted effort to network and maintain cleanliness in his council area.

Idahosa informed the state government move to implement a reward system for local government chairmen who play critical roles in their domains by disseminating and implementing processes that showcase the benefits of a cleaner environment to drive down diseases.

Amongst chairmen who pledged to implement reached decisions at the stakeholders meeting included Hon. Haruna Mohammed of Owan East and Hon. Joy Ohonyor of Owan West.

News

What We’ve Done So Far To Curtail Ravaging Dengue Fever, Diphtheria – Edo Govt

Published

4 hours ago

June 20, 2025

Editor

Edo State government said measures have been put in place to combat the outbreak of Dengue Fever and Diphtheria.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole, disclosed this during a meeting with the state deputy governor and taskforce on Primary Health Care (PHC), at the New Festival Hall, Government House in Benin

He said the government has made donations of medical supplies to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) as part of the intervention.

Oshiomhole listed the medical supplies to include hospital beds, mattresses, oxygen cylinders, intravenous fluids, and and erythromycin, among others.

Dr. Oshiomhole also mentioned that the state received support of twenty doses of Diphtheria antitoxins from Delta state government.

“We also want to commend the UBTH, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and development partners such as UNICEF, WHO for their collaborative efforts and provision of technical support to combat the disease.

“NCDC provided the state with diphtheria antitoxins and intravenous erythromycin and other logistics.

“In addition, NCDC team is presently on ground to do a verbal autopsy of some of the current victims of the Diphtheria outbreak,” he stated.

He noted that the state is also faced with dengue fever which has led to the emphasis on the need for a cleaner environment.

Oshiomhole also reminded on Lassa fever whose outbreak can be controlled to an extent through environmental cleanliness.

The commissioner explained the reactive vaccination for teens from ages 5-14 in schools based on the outbreak of Diphtheria in six council areas of the state.

He harped on the need for contact tracing in neighborhoods and schools in order to track and vaccinate high-risk people, front liners, and high-risk personalities in society.

Earlier, Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), Dr. Coulsen Oisokhai, called for collaboration with civil society organizations and development partners to strengthen relationships.

Speaking on behalf of implementing partners, Dr. Nora Eyo of the WHO harped on vaccine hesitancy as a major challenge faced in Edo State.

She pointed out the prevalence of waste dumps in residential buildings in the state as a challenge to sound health.