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Insecurity: Edo To Issue ID Cards To Residents

Published

2 years ago

July 28, 2022

Editor

Insecurity: Edo To Issue ID Cards To Residents

Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that his administration is concluding plans to commence the issuance of identification cards to residents across the 18 local government areas of the state as a part of measures to check insecurity.

According to Crusoe Osagie, the Special Adviser on Media Projects to Obaseki, the governor disclosed this while addressing stakeholders at a security meeting held in Auchi, Etsako West LGA of the state.

Obaseki said, “We are launching the Edo State Resident Identification System. Every resident in Edo must have an identity card. The identity card will be linked to the Biometric Verification Number so that we know who is who.

“With this, if anything happens, we can follow up. We are not saying that we will not accept visitors. We are not saying that we are going to send people away, but if you must live with us, we must know you.

“We must have the addresses of all the markets in our local government areas. The idea of markets just erupting in people’s houses and without them being registered must stop. All such markets must be closed. The laws specified how markets can be set up.

“If there is a fire incident tomorrow, we can’t even get there. People will be shouting that we have lost our goods, and because we didn’t register that place as a market, we are unable to provide the facilities like water and all the things you need for people to trade there.”

Obaseki continued, “These markets never seem to close. Are markets not supposed to close? Don’t they have a closing and opening time? But these markets never close. People live there. Investigations carried out by security personnel show that all sorts of things happen there when these markets are supposed to have closed.”

“We will have to close down all unregistered markets. If you want a place as a market, the local government council must do the needful and also provide them with relevant facilities for a proper market,” the governor noted.

Speaking on the role of vigilantes in tackling insecurity in the state, Obaseki said the training of the first batch of 500 vigilantes will commence on August 22nd at the Nigeria Police Barracks in Ogida, noting that only registered vigilante groups will benefit from the initiative.

“On September 12, each local government will give us the list of everybody they have registered to operate as motorcycle or tricycle riders.

“Effective the following Monday, we will start to enforce the rules that anybody who has not registered cannot operate as Okada and Keke NAPEP riders. We have agreed that we will provide additional logistics for security operations in Edo North, particularly the provision of more motorcycles for the rural areas.

On the anti-grazing law, the governor assured, “By the end of August, members of the committee for enforcement and implementation of the anti-grazing law will be inaugurated. Open grazing has been banned in Edo since the 27th of May this year.”

Commending the efforts of security personnel on bush combing, the governor lauded the security operatives for continually carrying out surveillance operations in all the forests in the state, noting, “I understand that the bush combing exercise has been on and it has been successful. However, we have had some incidents since the last meeting, our monthly security meeting has revealed some flash points where these activities are more.”

In his contribution, the Olokpe of Okpe Kingdom in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo, His Royal Highness, Oba Idogu III, commended the governor for his prompt intervention in tackling insecurity in the state.

Also speaking, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Deke Kanoba, the Egiegbai II of Ekperi kingdom, in Etsako Central Local Government Area of the state, urged security personnel to cooperate with vigilante groups in providing security in rural areas.

News

JUST IN: Police Release Portable After Meeting Bail Condition

Published

11 mins ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

The Lagos state police command has released Musician Habeeb Okikiola, a.k.a Portable after spending a night in the forces cell.

The Lagos state public relations officer, SP Benajmin Hundeyin confirmed the release to Vanguard this evening, stating that he was released this afternoon.

When asked if Portable has sorted out the issues, the spokesman added “I have no idea about it but what I can say is that he has been granted bail”

Recall that the ‘Zazzu’ crooner was nabbed on Tuesday following his alleged refusal to pay the debt he incurred when he purchased Mercedes Benz GLE 350 from Ogunsanwo Temitope (Temmy Autos), a car dealer in the state.

It was gathered that Portable had paid only N13 million after purchasing the vehicle, which was worth N27 million. He was said to have refused to pay the N14 million balance.

News

JUST IN: Obidient Movement Infiltrated By Saboteurs, Abure Laments

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, on Wednesday, expressed concern that the ruling oligarchy and suspected saboteurs have infiltrated the rank of its Obidient Movement to pull down the party.

Abure raised the alarm at a press conference held at the party secretariat in Abuja.

The Obidient Movement, birthed in the build-up of the 2023 general election, comprises young Nigerians who see the hope of a new Nigeria in the candidacy of LP Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi.

The impact of the group was felt when it powered the Labour Party to a stunning performance at the February 25 presidential and national legislative elections.

To date, LP has one elected governor, 35 members of the House of Representatives and seven senators to its credit.

But Abure told journalists that the recent attitude of some Obidient members has given a notion that the movement may have been penetrated by the ruling oligarchy to erode all the gains they made in the past year.

He said, “I also want to appeal to the Obidient movement to remain in the party and be patient to learn the rudiments of politics. It is also my appeal that they should endeavour to find time to read the Constitution of the party, the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution. This will enable them to make a well-informed opinion about the activities of the party.

“I must say that a lot of people, particularly, the ruling oligarchy have no doubt, infiltrated the Obidient Movement and they are currently striving to carry some innocent Obidient along in derailing and unnecessarily criticising the party to bring it to disrepute and pull it down.

“This is not to say, however, that some of the complaints from the Obidients are not germane. But part of these complaints is that those who want to belong to the party have not been fully absorbed.”

To resolve the plethora of complaints bombarding the party frequently, the LP national chairman announced that a directorate has been created to attend to the affairs of the Obidient movement.

Abure said he was excited about the prospect knowing that considerable members of the group are chairmen and executives at the wards, local governments, states and national levels.

“To attend swiftly to most complaints of Obidients, we have decided to create a whole directorate dedicated to the family. That directorate will coordinate the registration of members and integrate them fully into the structure of the party.

“The directorate will also ease Diaspora participation, bring complaints to the attention of the party leadership, coordinate the collection of dues and donations to the party and ensure all Obidients are financial members.

“They will work closely with the National Youth Leader, National Women Leader, and National Organizing Secretary to create programs that will fully and effectively assimilate all members of the Obidient family to the party.

“As the national leader of the party, Mr Peter Obi, said, the national convention has come and gone. It is therefore imperative for us to put our differences aside and collectively work in the interest of the party and Nigerians who are currently suffering amid plenty. The Nigerian people have a common enemy which I refer to as the ruling oligarchy in Nigeria. They have held the country captive and ensured that our common patrimony is stolen.”

News

Abure Bows To Pressure, Begs NLC President For Reconciliation

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Editor

Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, on Wednesday, appealed to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, to set aside his differences and work together with the party leadership for old-time’s sake.

Abure made the plea at his first press conference following the April 3 fire incident that almost claimed his life at his Abuja residence.

Both Abure and Ajaero had been at loggerheads following several attempts made by the congress to take control of the party structure over claims the embattled LP chairman was running a one-man show amid allegations of financial malfeasance.

The LP camp had also made a counterclaim that Ajaero was desperately seeking to evict the Abure-led National Working Committee with an ulterior motive to use the party as a transactional platform ahead of the 2027 election.

Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat in Abuja, Abure described the NLC president as a friend and brother having worked together in the trenches over the years fighting for the welfare of workers.

The LP national chairman therefore urged the union leader to put aside his grievances and support their effort to rebuild the country in the interest of Nigerians.

He said, “Consequently, I want to appeal first to my brother, friend and Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC whom we have worked together in the trenches over the years in the struggle for workers, to put aside whatever may be his grievances. Let’s work in the interest of our people.

“Fighting the Labour Party is uncalled for and unwarranted, especially at this time when the working people of Nigeria are suffering. As we speak today, the minimum wage is still N30,000. There are unfair workers practices by employers across the country. The inflation in Nigeria is unprecedented and nobody talks about workers welfare.

“For us, we need to team up together to be able to fight for better working conditions for our people. We need not waste or dissipate our collective energies in fighting ourselves over nothing. The NLC should know by now that the attempt being made to take over the leadership of the party will not work. It is my appeal that working together is better.”