President Mohammadu Buhari has warned
Nigerians that bearing firearms without licence is illegal in the
country. The President also directed that whoever is found with such
illegal firearms should be arrested immediately and prosecuted.
He also warned that no pardon can ever
be granted to persons found perpetrating violence or promoting its
occurrence in any way. THISDAY recalls that one of the charges being
faced by the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.)
in his trial by the Federal Government is that of illegal possession of
firearms, which were discovered in his house in Abuja during a raid.
The President, who was represented by
his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, stated this yesterday at the graduation
ceremony of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 38 of the National
Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau
State. He added that there was nothing noble about banditry and criminal
violence and must therefore be stopped.
While condemning the pipeline vandalism
going on in the Niger Delta region which he said has caused the nation
billions of dollars in loss, the President said, “This act of
hooliganism has far-reaching consequences on our national economy. The
perpetrators of this act of vandalism are few and their motives are not
necessarily alike.
“The huge degradation of the environment
and the total neglect of the region (Niger Delta) due to corruption,
shame policies and continuous vandalisation of facilities have led to
poverty and violence.”
Buhari commended the graduates for the
theme of their course which was on poverty reduction which he said was
apt, adding that the Vice President has briefed him about the challenges
faced by the institute which would be addressed by government based on
the available resources.
On the remaining abducted Chibok girls
that are still with the Boko Haram insurgents, Buhari said government is
making frantic efforts to make sure that they (girls) are released
safely.
On the bloody clashes between the
herdsmen and farmers, he said there was evidence of infiltration of the
rank and file of the herdsmen by militants involved in civil conflicts
in Libya and Mali running away, with proliferation of small arms in
large proportion made available to Nigerian criminal elements which now
led to a breach of law and order.
The National Institute, which was meant
to graduate 67 participants in yesterday’s ceremony lamented that one of
the participants, Hajia Maimuna Abdullahi, a Permanent Secretary from
Niger State, died last Thursday.
The Acting Director-General of the
institute, Mr. Jonathan Juma, disclosed this at the graduation. He,
however, said the deceased would be awarded the ‘mni’ title
posthumously.
Juma explained that 67 participants
registered for the course in February 2016 and successfully completed
the course and would be awarded the prestigious ‘mni’. The theme of SEC
38, according to him, is “Strengthening Institutional Mechanism for
Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Development in Nigeria.” He said during
the participants’ course, they undertook study tours to 12 states in
Nigeria, and six countries in and outside Africa.
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