Operation Ayem Akpatuma flags off in Taraba and Benue by the Army

There have been rising cases of torments by hoodlums in Taraba and Benue States. Rigid efforts put forth by both Federal and State Governments to run these terrible activities down  seem to be yielding positive results, as the Nigeria Army, yesterday, flagged off its operation in the state. 

The operation, tagged, ‘Ayem Akpatuma’ (Cat Race), was designed to wash out out hoodlums and other undesirable elements from the state’s southern geo-political zone, which has in recent time been prone to vices ranging from Tiv/Jukun crisis and kidnappings to armed banditry. 

Flagging off the exercise at Kufai Amadu village in Takum local government council, the State Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, represented by his deputy, Engineer Haruna Manu, expressed optimism that the exercise would go a long way in checkmating hoodlums’ nefarious activities. 

Similarly, while launching ‘Operation Ayem Akpatuma II’ in Benue State, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai charged the military personnel to be professional in their conduct and adhere strictly to the rules of engagement. Buratai, represented by the Chief of Logistics, Nigerian Army, Major General Joel Unuigbe, tasked the personnel to stem the tide of kidnapping, banditry and other criminal occurrences in the state. 

Buratai said the army would not condone acts of human rights abuse by the troops involved in the exercise, which would be conducted within One Division, Three Division and the 707 Special Forces Brigade areas of responsibility. He said: “The exercise was earlier conducted to stem rising insecurity in the North Central and part of Northwest Nigeria. The attendant successes recorded necessitated the commencement of Exercise “Ayem Akpatuma II”

It’s been 18 Years Ago (9/11)---the Memories of the lost still fresh

The families of those killed in the terror attacks gathered at the Sept. 11 memorial in an annual ritual of mourning.

They gathered at ground zero, where nearly 3,000 people died on that bright September morning. Once more, there was an outpouring of grief, a sound of a bell tolling in mourning and there was the rhythm of names being recited.

Eighteen years have passed since terrorists commandeered airplanes and the twin towers of the World Trade Center were brought down.

The commemoration at ground zero, by now an annual rite of remembrance that follows a familiar, somber script — began with an honor guard carrying the flag.

At 8:46 a.m. on Wednesday, the time when the first plane slammed into the north tower, there was a moment of silence, the first of six marking the strikes at the trade center and the Pentagon, and the plane crash in Shanksville, Pa., as well as the collapse of the twin towers in a blizzard of toxic dust and flaming debris. Bagpipers played “America the Beautiful.”

Nigeria Government warns South Africa over xenophobic attacks

The Nigerian Government is on the standpoint to take further steps to ensure safety and protection of its citizens in South Africa. The position comes in the wake of a round of xenophobic attacks that hit Johannesburg on Monday.

The government described the incidents as unacceptable adding: ‘Enough is enough. Nigeria will take definitive measures to ensure safety and protection of her citizens.’

Leaders of the two countries – Muhammadu Buhari and Cyril Ramaphosa are scheduled to meet in October for bilateral talks and also on matters relating to security of Nigerians in South Africa.

The two met on the sidelines of the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, TICAD ; held last week in the Japanese city of Yokohama.

Another government to have reacted to the Johannesburg chaos is Zambia which tasked all its drivers plying the route to and from South Africa to suspend their trips till further notice.

Zimbabwe’s Cross Borders Transportation Association also warned that it could halt all South African cross border transport over the situation.

The provincial and national governments have called for restraint in the affected communities and cautioned against use of criminal avenues to express grievances.

The ruling African National Congress, ANC, also expressed their worry over the situation as has the main opposition Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters.

This criminality has been essentially driven by pure criminals against properties of foreign nationals and South Africans alike.

We call on SAPS (police) to take charge of the streets and decisively restore order. Most importantly, we call on South Africans to stop their violent intolerance of black foreign nationals, the EFF statement read in part.

Minimum wage failure at the implementation level (Nigeria)

Organised labour  met with the Federal Government on Friday in Abuja over the implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage.

It was unfortunate that no decision was taken on a new wage structure.

It was learnt that the Federal Government and Labour Congress agreed  to  wait for  President Muhammadu Buhari’s position  on the issue.

The  proposal from the FG is 10 per cent salary increase for workers on grade level 07 to 14 and 5.5 per cent for workers on grade level 15 to 17.  But  labour is demanding  29 per cent for workers on grade level 07 to 14 and 24 per cent for  those  on grade level 15 to 17.

The two sides had resolved at the last meeting that the position of labour and that of the representatives of the government  be sent to President Buhari.

In their meeting on Friday, government representatives told the meeting that they had a challenge which was very technical.

They said the  technical committee must first report the decisions (positions of the two parties) to the plenary, that is the main negotiating committee before taking it to their principal. To us, this was in order.

The main committee assigned the job to the technical committee so it is in order that the report be taken to the main committee. We agreed that the report should be sent to the plenary which also met same day.

After that it was agreed that the report be sent to President Buhari with the hope that a realistic government position will come up. Those at the committee said their mandate did not go beyond taking the report and presenting it to their principal.