Today, February 8, 2026, is the D-day for the much-publicized conversation featuring two security experts, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG Leye Oyebade, and an insurgency expert and former Major in the United States of America Army, Yinka Ogunsanya.

The brainstorming discourse commences from 8 p.m. over a two-hour duration, to be transmitted via Zoom and broadcast live on six partnering radio stations across Lagos, Ogun and Delta states.

The once-in-a-month current affairs programme, now in its 40th edition, is anchored by a media professional and public relations strategist, Dr. Ayo Arowojolu.

Foremost traditional ruler, Oba Prof Saka Matemilola, is the keynote Speaker and chair to herald the discourse tonight.

The highly contentious debate over state policing and need for a decentralized security especially following the wave of insecurity, banditry, kidnapping and other criminalities, will form the plank of discussion during the programme.

The topic of discourse is: “Decentralised Security Architecture: Redefining Federal and States Roles in State Policing as Nigeria Battles Escalating Insecurity.”

DIG Oyebade is a distinguished law-enforcement professional, security reform advocate, and scholar-practitioner with an illustrious career spanning nearly four decades in the service of the nation.

He joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1986 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police and rose through the ranks on the strength of professionalism, intellectual depth, and exceptional leadership to attain the pinnacle rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police.

He presently serves as a Member and Directing Staff at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Jos.

For his part, Major Yinka Ogunsanya, apart from being a security professional, is a banking executive, IT expert and entrepreneur with a distinguished record of leadership across military, financial services, and international business environments.

Major Ogunsanya is recognized as a versatile security and defense expert with experience in anti-terrorism operations, VIP protection, insurgency operations, and military advisory roles.

He also commanded an Infantry training unit at Fort Benning, where he trained and prepared more than 700 civilian recruits into combat-ready Infantry Soldiers.

He held multiple battalion- and brigade-level staff positions, including selection as Brigade Information Systems Officer, where he was responsible for tactical and mobile network operations for an Air Defense Brigade.

His operational experience includes participation in the initial invasion phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

A well-publicized discourse, Boiling Point Arena will be broadcast live on WASH 94.9FM, Sweet 107.1FM, Roots 97.1FM, Erimbe 94.7FM, Women Radio 91.7FM and Kruzz 92.9FM as well as a cable television, NSTV on GoTV channel 316.

Boiling Point is a news and general interest group comprising eminent personalities including over 300 professors, media professionals, technocrats, industry leaders, High Court justices, traditional rulers, security top shots and several others.

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He is challenging his unlawful withdrawal from the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47 of the institute.

The case, which was assigned to Justice Binta Nyako, according to the hearing notice made available to newsmen on Sunday, had been fixed for hearing.

Shuaib had dragged NIPSS before the court to challenge his alleged unlawful and arbitrary withdrawal from SEC  47 of the institute.

He said that was after his admission had been approved by President Bola Tinubu and necessary payment and conditions precedents had been fully met.

Shuaib, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1329/2025, is demanding ₦1 billion in general, special, and aggravated damages against NIPSS over emotional trauma and reputational damage he suffered as a result of the action of NIPSS against him.

The plaintiff, a renowned public relations expert, is also seeking an additional ₦100 million as litigation costs, having issued a pre-action notice on June 16, 2025, to the institute’s Director General, Professor Ayo Omotayo, which was allegedly ignored by the management.

The case, filed on his behalf by Yunus Abdulsalam, SAN, seeks a court order setting aside his withdrawal from SEC 47 and reinstating him with full rights, benefits, and privileges.

Shuaib is also asking for a perpetual injunction restraining NIPSS, its agents, or officials from further harassment, intimidation or cyberbullying.

In his originating summons, the plaintiff raised eight issues for determination.

He argued that the publication of a news article by PRNigeria, an independent media organisation, cannot lawfully be attributed to him as misconduct when he neither authored nor endorsed it.

He also questioned whether NIPSS’s alleged access and use of his private email without consent violated his constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution.

Shuaib further contended that disciplinary action against him for professional opinions expressed in a published article breached his right to freedom of expression guaranteed by Section 39(1).

He argued that barring other participants from interacting with him and removing him from official platforms amounted to harassment, cyberbullying and forced isolation.

He maintained that denying him participation in the international study tour, despite his full payment of ₦18.3 million course fees, constituted discrimination and breach of contract.

Shuaib also faulted his suspension and withdrawal from the course based on alleged “externalisation of the subject” without a fair hearing, describing it as a violation of his constitutional right under Section 36(1).

He is therefore seeking declarations that the actions of NIPSS were unlawful, unjustifiable, discriminatory and unsupported by any regulation guiding the institute.

In a 40-paragraph affidavit, Shuaib stated that he was nominated by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to represent it at the course, a nomination approved by the President of Nigeria.

He attached his admission letter, proof of payment of ₦18.3 million and evidence of compliance with NIPSS requirements, including handing over of responsibilities at his company, Image Merchants Promotion Limited, publishers of PRNigeria.

He alleged that despite complying with institutional rules, he was subjected to harassment, intimidation and arbitrary disciplinary actions.

According to him, on March 24, he received a query over a PRNigeria article titled “NIPSS Goes Digital; Launches Paperless Platform after Submitting Landmark Report to President Tinubu.”

Shuaib insisted he neither authored nor edited the article, which other media outlets had widely reported.

He further alleged that on April 25, NIPSS again queried him about an internal email concerning an editorial, “Understanding the ‘Blue’ in the Blue Economy.”

He stated the article was a professional reflection containing no sensitive information, yet NIPSS intercepted it before it could be published.

Shuaib claimed that the queries were unfounded and not supported by the NIPSS Code of Conduct.

He further alleged that his withdrawal letter dated June 2, was curiously addressed only to NIPR without being officially served on him.

The plaintiff, therefore, is asking the court to reinstate him into SEC 47 with full privileges, among other reliefs.

Source: NAN

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The president made the pledge while receiving a report titled “Digital Economy, Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Job Creation in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities,” presented by participants of the Senior Executive Course 46 National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru.

In their eight-point recommendation, the course participants urged the federal government to expedite the enactment of the Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill 2024 and encourage states to waive the Right of Way fees on deployment of telecoms infrastructure.

The 96 participants also recommended that the president issue an Executive Order mandating all MDAs to migrate to the OneGov.ng portal.

They advocated adopting a Quintuple-Helix Model to promote the digital economy, youth empowerment, and sustainable job creation.

Other recommendations were promoting long-term funding for the 3MTT scheme, accelerating the transition from IPv4 to IPv6, establishing Digital Health Innovation Hubs across Nigeria, and developing a preventive maintenance application for the nation’s automotive industry.

Responding, President Tinubu directed the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to coordinate with the group and present their recommendations to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of the Civil Service for streamlined implementation.

Emphasising the importance of youth empowerment through innovation and digital skills development, President Tinubu said:

“At the core of our administration is youth empowerment. We cannot relent on that, and we need everyone’s collaboration.

“I have listened carefully to your recommendations and the thorough work you did. We will continue to engage the Institute as a resource centre and Think Tank.

“As Nigeria’s foremost policy Think-Tank, you have highlighted the overlap of some government agencies, and we’ll look at that.

“You are an asset to our country, and I thank the participants for their dedication to their studies. We will continue to collaborate with you for the prosperity of our country.”

Highlighting the importance of data in national planning, President Tinubu told the meeting he had earlier met with officials from the National Population Commission, NPC, to discuss the upcoming census.

Prof. Ayo Omotayo, the Director-General of NIPSS, said during the year-long engagement, course participants undertook study tours across Nigeria and abroad, exploring the theme of their study.

“We recognise that in an era where technology drives innovation, Nigeria must aggressively leverage its youthful population to build a thriving ecosystem. The opportunities are boundless, from Fintech to Agri-Tech, E-Commerce to Artificial Intelligence.

“However, systemic challenges such as infrastructural deficits, inadequate digital skills, and regulatory bottlenecks must be addressed.

“Our findings highlight the urgent need for targeted policies that foster an enabling environment for startups, enhance access to finance, and expand broadband penetration.

“We believe that with your administration’s continued support, Nigeria will fully unlock the potential of the digital economy and create millions of sustainable jobs for our teeming youth,” he said.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced that the Digital Economy Bill, currently before the National Assembly, will undergo public hearings in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, before its passage in the second quarter of 2025.

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According to him, this is the first time legislation will be subjected to such an extensive review.

Regarding Right of Way fees, the minister disclosed that 11 states had responded to the federal government’s request to waive the charges, a move aimed at facilitating broadband infrastructure expansion.

He expressed optimism that all states in the federation would comply with the initiative before the end of the second year of the Tinubu administration.

On Nigeria’s progress in internet protocol transition, Tijani stated that the country was on track to become one of the first in Africa to migrate fully from IPv4 to IPv6.

He added that in 2024, the federal government approved a $2 billion investment into 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables to ensure nationwide broadband coverage.

This project will have the third-longest fibre network in Africa, following South Africa and Egypt.

According to the minister, the project has made significant progress, with support from the Ministry of Finance and a $500 million commitment secured by the World Bank.

In his intervention, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, noted that the ICT sector contributed 16% to Nigeria’s GDP in 2024.

He emphasised the government’s commitment to prioritising the sector as crucial for economic stability and job creation.

He also recalled President Tinubu’s recent meeting with the Chief Executive of Flutterwave, during which the company pledged to support Nigerian youth and SMEs through technology-driven solutions with long-term economic impact.

“Flutterwave is considering listing on Nigeria’s Stock Exchange, and we expect this to strengthen the tech and payments ecosystem further,” he said.

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The minister made this assertion while delivering his key note address at the mining  conference organised by the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, on Monday.

He said not less than three firms had requested for the services of the rapid response corps between 8 a.m and 10 a.m., the day before.

He said in response to the demands, the Mining Marshals are currently in Osun, Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa states, resulting in the arrest of some culprits.

Emphasising that the Mining Marshals were the coercive component of the administration’s carrot and stick approach to combating illegal mining undermining security in the sector, he announced that the persuasive component which entailed artisanal miners forming co-operatives to legalise their operations, had yielded fruits as 152 new co-operatives came on board between September last year and last month.

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Giving a progress report of the implementation of the Seven-Point Agenda, he unveiled on assumption of office to the select audience of stakeholders, Alake  declared that with the ongoing efforts to sanitise and reposition the mining sector, Nigeria was poised to become a top global mining destination.

Alake commended the NIPSS for prioritising the mining sector and appreciating its strategic value in President Bola Tinubu’s plans to diversify the economy.

“As the foremost government think-tank, this stakeholders’ roundtable will enrich NIPSS analysis of the sector and recommendations on the steps to be taken to enable the sector deliver on its mandate,” he said.

Highlighting other achievements of the  agenda, the minister revealed that processes for enacting legislations for the establishment of the Nigerian Solid Minerals Corporation was already underway in the National Assembly, through the House Committee on Solid Minerals Development.

“We are working with consultants to ensure the smooth emergence of a corporation which will be private sector driven. We are looking at a corporation with a structure that has 50% equity for the private sector; 25% for members of the public; 25% for the federal government. Our vision is to erect private-sector led enduring structures for the corporation that will foster efficiency, outlive the present administration, and consequently wean it from future government interference,” the minister added.

Emphasising the imperative of generating comprehensive data of mineral deposits to derisk the sector, Alake stated that in collaboration with the World Bank, an aeromagnetic survey had been conducted across the country which had given a superficial analysis of mineral spread and deposits, stressing that a more detailed exploration was being pursued to enable investors make informed investment decisions.

“The importance of data for investors cannot be over-emphasised. With accurate data, investors will be able to project the commercial value of mineral deposits and make informed investment decisions. We have signed an MOU with German firm, GeoScan GmBN, and we are making strenuous efforts to partner with scientific and data-driven agencies, renowned globally, to be able to generate the requisite big geo-data that will attract international big players,” the minister asserted.

Speaking further, Dr. Alake noted that other aspects of the roadmap including the revised guidelines for Community Development Agreement, CDA, which made it mandatory to get the consent of host communities before application for mining licenses was already operational whilst revocation of dormant licenses and the inclusion of plans for value addition alongside application for licenses is now a federal government policy.

According to the minister, efforts to market the mining sector was yielding results as global mining company, Glencore recently expressed interest in Nigeria’s mining sector while advocacy for value addition led to his election as chairman of African Minerals Strategy Group, AMSG, – a forum of African Ministers of Solid Minerals/Mineral Resources.

“My objective as the minister is to work to ensure that Nigeria becomes a global mining destination for the first time in history and we are working to make this happen by alleviating bottlenecks and addressing salient challenges that have plagued the sector for decades,” Alake asserted.

The minister charged NIPSS to utilise the summit to synthesise suggestions and advance recommendations that would assist the federal government in sustaining the development of the mining sector.

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The declaration was made by the team leader of a delegation of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Group 1, Senior Executive Course 45, 2023, Kuru, Jos, Prof. Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam, when they were led to the site of the project by the Special Adviser for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ade Akinsanya.

Prof. Para-Mallam described the project as a Class E Airport, noting that its completion would also help the state to achieve its potential as an agric entrepreneurial state.

The team leader noted that the agro cargo airport would further open up business opportunities for both local and foreign investors, thereby solidifying the status of Ogun State as the industrial capital of the country.

Commending the state government for coming up with such a noble idea, Prof. Para-Mallam acknowledged that Ogun was among the first states in the country to own an agro-cargo airport.

She said the airport has the potential to create more job opportunities when fully operational.

Prof. Para-Mallam noted that the current administration under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun had put the state ahead of others by making it the industrial hub of the nation, stressing that the huge infrastructural amenities put in place by the government would serve as an impetus in attracting more investments.

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While calling on stakeholders in the country to utilise the existing opportunities in the state to grow their businesses, Prof. Para-Mallam promised that the institute would partner with the government for a symbiotic relationship.

Akinsanya had earlier told the delegation that the airport, when completed before the end of this year, would attract more investments into the state.

He said the four-kilometer runway had attained about 95 per cent completion and would be completed before the end of this month, noting that the strategic location of the airport as its unique selling point, would drive its status as an aerotropolis.

According to him, the Nigerian Customs Service had paid for a site to be used as its operation base, while the Nigerian Air Force and other agencies were also exploring investment opportunities within the airport.

“The four-kilometer runway is ready; the construction of the fire station is on, the control tower and the administrative building is there and those are the essential components of an airport. Every other thing as you know is luxury and comfort.

“We are not just building an airport; we are building an aerotropolis. We are bringing different people and don’t forget this is a specialised airport as it will be an agro-cargo airport. Though, there is another facility for passenger operations,” he said.

He noted that the airport could be accessed from different locations, which serves as an added advantage.

“Indeed, for this airport, you can access it through six locations; Lagos-Sagamu, Lagos-Ibadan, Lagos-Epe. I don’t think any airport can rival it anywhere within this country and the facility is unique.

“The standards we are meeting are world-class. We have perimeter fencing at the airport from the beginning unlike some of the airports that we have around in Nigeria. In front of the perimeter fencing, you will also have a security road on both sides for patrol. We don’t want intruders coming into the airport,” Akinsanya said.

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Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, disclosed this in Abeokuta, the state capital, on Wednesday, while interfacing with members of the Senior Executive Course 45, 2023 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Jos, who were on a study tour of the state.

Talabi explained that the ongoing reorganisation of the state-owned industrial hubs/clusters would strengthen economic growth, especially in the areas of quick access to the city, markets, and other strategic economic areas.

He revealed that over N4 billion had been disbursed in the last four years for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs, in the state, numbering about 10,000 entrepreneurs through its various empowerment programmes.

According to him, the state government was open to  partnerships to develop more small and medium-scale enterprises and enhance economic activities of various forms, as well as stimulating  export for foreign earnings.

Talabi said: “This effort of our administration towards  aggressive industrialization is strictly guided by an inherent developmental philosophy of ISEYA mantra, as entrenched in our distinct Agenda, which is Building Our Future Together.”

Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olu Aikulola restated that the government had embarked on various policies and programmes in the industrial sector, which had strengthened inclusive governance and earned the present administration award as the best state in policy formulation.

Aikulola added that Ogun was one of the leading states in agriculture and had brought about a special Agro-industrial Processing Zone, SPAPZ, that served as an integrated development initiative designed to concentrate on agro-processing activities in all areas identified as high agricultural potentials.

He described NIPSS as a high-level centre for reflection, research and learning, with the primary objective of serving as the nation’s foremost policy ‘think-tank’ that developed a crop of top-class technocrats of high intellectual capacity.

In his remarks, a senior official of the institute, Brigadier General Sylvester Oloyede, who spoke on the theme of the tour, “Industrialisation, Climate Change and Energy Security in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges & Prospects”, appreciated the state government for the warm  reception accorded them.

He also lauded the government in the state for its giant strides in all areas of development and growth, especially in its frantic efforts to alleviate poverty among the most vulnerable.

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The governor also said that his administration would take advantage of the newly signed electricity bill that regulates the power sector by establishing a company that would generate and distribute power supply in the Gateway State.

Abiodun spoke on Monday when he received participants of the Senior Executive Course 45, Group 1, of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Jos, who came on a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

He said that his administration would, in its second term, focus on the provision of public utilities, which include water and electricity supply.

The e-mobility and gas mobility involves the conversion of mass transit buses from petroleum fuel to gas and motorcycles (Okada) to electric.

The governor said the topic of the visit “Industrialization, Climate change and Energy Security in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Prospects,” aligned with his administration’s transition objectives.

He said: “I am proud to say that in Ogun State, we have put in measures and plans to begin an energy transition plan and we are going to start converting all our state buses to begin to run on CnG; that programme has already commenced and we are actually going to launch what we call our our E-mobility and Gas Mobility Programme sometime around the end of this month or first week in August.

“The gas mobility is that which we convert not just our buses to operate on gas, but all mass transit will begin to operate on gas and our E-mobility is a programme that will make for all our motorcycles and tricycles to run on electricity. They will be battery-powered. We are going to launch that programme either last week of this month or first week of next month.

“We will take the motorcycles from the riders and give them electric powered motorcycles; this programme will have a cushion effect on what our masses are currently experiencing and besides that, it will begin a new phase of dispensation of clean energy which speaks to the issue of climate change.”

The governor also said that Ogun State is planning to generate its own electricity, following the signing of the 2023 Electricity Bill into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 9, which empowers states, companies and individuals to generate, transmit and distribute power.

“We are going to take advantage of the constitutional amendment that has now removed power generation from the exclusive list and put it on the concurrent list.

“We will have our own generation company, state distribution company, and ensure that we can provide more power to our major towns and cities. Once we are able to do that, the grid can be sufficient for our small towns,” he said.

The governor also disclosed that his government has spent so much on the rehabilitation of water works across the state in its efforts at ensuring the availability of portable water to the populace.

He added: “On the issue of water, we have spent a lot of money on our water works. It will interest you to know that our water works from Ogun River, is what Lagos State depends on.

“We’ve invested a lot of money in our water works. What we need to do now is to be creative about reticulation and also provide water in all our major towns and cities.

“Those will be our focal areas so that we can ensure that we have sustainable towns and cities where we have electricity and water supply,” he said.

The governor noted that his administration’s vision on assuming office on May 29, 2019, was to create an enabling environment for Public Private Partnership as well as touching all the critical sectors of the state’s economy through the Infrastructure, Social Wellbeing, Education, Youth Empowerment and Agriculture (ISEYA) mantras.

As the industrial hub of the nation, Abiodun said the issue of security was given the needed attention as modern security gadgets, training and welfare of security personnel working in the state was given priority, noting that this has paid off as the state is regarded as one of the most peaceful in the country.

The state helmsman, who assured that the airport currently under construction would be open for commercial activities in the next four months, also disclosed that a Dry Port that would allow industries to import and clear their goods without much troubles is being planned along the rail lines at Kajola.

Speaking earlier, the team leader and the Director of Studies, Prof. (Mrs.) Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam, said the participants were embarking on the study as mandated by the president to research on topical issues of national importance, saying Ogun State was selected as the result of it being the industrial capital of the country.

She said many indigenes of the state had passed through the institute and are making their marks in both national and international arena.

Para-Mallam added that the institute did not make a mistake by choosing the state as part of its tour of study, acknowledging the achievements made by the present administration in all sectors of the economy.

The Senior Executive Course 45 Group 1 of the Institute is on a one-week study tour of the state.

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The president spoke at a parley with members of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) No. 44 (2022) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.

He narrated his personal experience on stemming the tide of   corruption in the local government system after the presentation of the report of NIPSS SEC 44.

After listening to comments on the Course 44 presentation, themed ‘‘Strengthening Local Governance in Nigeria: Challenges, Options and Opportunities”, by some members of the Federal Executive Council, who aired their personal views on enhancing the autonomy of local governments, the president narrated his own experience on the treatment of local governments by some state governments.

“I found it necessary to digress after reading my speech and this digression is as a result of my personal experience.

‘‘What they did, this is my personal experience, if the money from the Federation Account to the State is about N100 million, N50 million will be sent to the chairman but he will sign that he received N100 million. The governor will pocket the balance and share it with whoever he wants to share it with.

‘‘And then the chairman of the local government must see how much he must pay in salaries and to hell with development. When he pays the salaries of the bigman, the balance he will put in his pocket.

‘‘This is what’s happening. This is Nigeria. It’s a terrible thing; you cannot say the person who was doing this is not educated.’’

President Buhari urged public office holders to be guided by their conscience and personal integrity wherever they foundd themselves.

He pledged that the recommendations contained in the presentation of SEC 44 would be painstakingly studied by the government with the view to implementing its recommendations.

Declaring that his administration had done so much in building trust between the government and the people, the president noted that the report would largely assist in the provision of good governance to the people at the grassroots levels and by extension win back their trust in government.

‘‘It is obvious that government cannot afford to pay lip-service to the recommendations contained in this report.

‘‘I assure you that the Report will be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves. Government will study the report with the view to implementing the carefully detailed recommendations,’’ he said.

Commending the quality of the report, the commitment and dedication that went into it, President Buhari said the National Institute could always be trusted to deliver on very critical and sensitive assignments of national importance.

He expressed delight that the Institute had been exceptional in handling several assignments, and that the current submission was a commendable improvement on the existing standards.

‘‘The quality of the presentation, and the confidence with which they were made, strongly attests to the quality of training the participants received during the course. I congratulate you for justifying the confidence and trust reposed in each and every one of you by your respective nominations.

READ ALSO: Has Buhari won or lost the corruption war?

‘‘I am also happy with the level of knowledge and discipline you have all openly demonstrated. I have been briefed of the rigorous training process you all underwent at Kuru. Your graduation therefore is well deserved,’’ the president told the 89 participants of Senior Executive Course 44.

He added that he was convinced that they were all now well equipped for the strategic tasks, increased responsibilities, and positions of authority of trust.

‘‘I challenge you to go back to your various establishments, units, posts, beats, departments, directorates, Ministries, Parastatals, commissions, commands, agencies to revitalize, reinvigorate, reform and rejig your various platforms and spheres of influence, responsibility and leadership,’’ he said.

After listening to some demands by the leadership of NIPSS, President Buhari promised to look into some of the challenges facing the Institute, adding that no government establishment existed without challenges.

He assured them that his administration was poised to complete the review and passage of the NIPSS establishment act and condition of service before handover in May 2023.

To this extent, the president directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to take all necessary steps to its actualization.

In his remarks, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof Ayo Omotayo, said the course participants undertook study tours of 14 states of the federation, six African countries and six countries outside Africa.

‘‘This enabled them to have both local and international perspectives on local governance, how to overcome challenges in achieving it, identify the available opportunities to strengthen it and develop workable options to be considered by government in strengthening local governance,’’ he said.

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The request was contained in a letter read on Tuesday during plenary by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, moments after the chamber resumed plenary from its eighteen working days recess.

The Senate had adjourned plenary on October 13, 2020, to enable Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to defend their respective budget estimates for the year 2022 before the relevant Committees of the National Assembly.

President Buhari in the letter sought the confirmation of Professor Ayo Omotayo as Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in accordance with the Section 5(2) of the NIPSS Act 2004.

The letter was titled: “Request for confirmation of appointment of Prof. Ayo C. Omotayo PhD as Director General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).”

It reads: “In accordance with the provision of Section 5 subsection 2 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Act 2004, I write to present for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of Prof. Ayo C. Omotayo as Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

“The nominee’s CV is attached herewith.

“It is my hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the nominee in the usual expeditious manner.”

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Represented by the state Deputy Governor Edward Onoja, Bello made the remark at the Annual Lecture/Fellow’s Night 2021 of the Institute of Security and Strategic Studies on Saturday in Abuja.

He said that his government, being youth-oriented, had been able to involve young minds in decision making on security issues.

He observed that the state was confronted with several security challenges prior to his assumption of office as governor in 2015.

He said that he assigned security roles to more than 5,000 young men and women in local governments to collaborate with security agencies and ensure adequate security in their communities.

“Some of the measures taken by the government to tackle insecurity include clearing of highway bushes, equipping security agencies, engagement of youths in vigilance groups and incorporation of hunters into anti-kidnapping squad,” he said.

He noted that his administration also involved citizens in the fight against insecurity through involvement of local government chairmen and traditional rulers in the security arrangement of the state.

He said that the kidnapping of his mother provided an opportunity for him to work hard to rid the state of all forms of criminality and make it safe for the citizens.

“Upon my assumption of office as executive governor of Kogi, I saw it as a divine opportunity among others to rid the state of all crimes and criminality.

“To achieve this goal, we decided to take a simple step to frontally tackle crime in our society, some of which is highway vegetation control by clearing six metres in either side of the highway across the state.

“This simple initiative improved visibility for travellers and eliminated high impulse of kidnappers that usually pound on unsuspecting travellers around blind spots of the highways to execute their nefarious activities,” he said.

Bello announced that the state had bought and equipped no fewer than 200 security vehicles for the security agencies.

He said that the vehicles were strategically deployed across the state to collaborate with citizens to curb crimes.

He also said that the state invested in the use of technology to gather intelligence across the state as well as collaborate with responsible corporate entities in the state.

The former Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Prof. Ahmed Danfulani, said that no nation could progress where a group of individuals constituted themselves as threats to the national security.

Danfulani, who spoke on the theme: “Our National Security Predicaments: Implications for the Current Democratic Order”, said the success of national security was difficult to appreciate in a state of fear and uncertainty.

According to him, the average Nigerian had no idea of what is national security and people took issues of national security with levity.

He called for collective effort in promoting the Nigeria project and promote its national security.

The Secretary, Governing Council, Institute of Security and Strategic Studies, Dr Danladi Abdulhameed, said that the global terrorism index for 2021 listed Nigeria as the third most terrorised countries in the world after Afghanistan and Iraq.

Abdulhameed said the classification was hinged on the fact that Nigeria had been in a state of war against terrorism, farmers/herdsmen clashes, banditry and Kidnapping.

He said that while terrorist attacks could occur anywhere in the world, insecurity had remained the greatest threat to Nigeria’s budding democracy.

He said that several challenges had continued to besiege the nation’s democratic system such as insecurity which has claimed the lives and livelihoods of civilians, foreigners, security personnel and threatened our socio-economic and political entity.

“It is on this note that we at the Institute of Security and Strategic Studies are committed to protecting our nation’s security so that the electorate shall have confidence in nascent democracy,” he said.

The institute inducted Governor Yahaya Bello to fellowship and also bestowed on him the Security Personality of the Year 2021 Award.

Also inducted to the fellowship is the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund), Prof. Suleiman Bogoro among others.

Source: NAN

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