A Benue born Philanthropist Dr Mike Achadu has call for an inclusive and equitable society devoid of tribalism, ethnicity and religious extremism to foster collective unity of purpose for national development

This is contained in an open letter to the Sultan of Sokoto his Eminence,
Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and it reads in parts; “Have written this open letter to His Eminence, I believe conversations of this magnitude
should not be confined to private rooms believing that our future must be built on equal citizenship, mutual respect for each other;

“This is not an attempt to diminish the historical importance of Sultanate to bring any religious arguments but a letter of public interest with no strings attached;

“Nigerian is characterized by great minds of extreme civilizations with political institutions which emerged as a modern sovereign state with a well defined constitution that governs us with the sokoto Caliphate which represents the important chapters;

“Your eminence, Nigeria’s constitution does not establish either Islam or Christianity, your Eminence i believe your answer is No, because in the history of the territories that eventually became Nigeria does historical political authority confer permanent political ownership;?

Section 10 of the constitution provides that in 1903 the Northern and Southern Protectorates were subsequently amalgamated into religion, ethnic group and kingdom so, Nigeria has existed over decades with the conquest of the Sokoto Caliphate culminating in that history that deserves recognition and respect;

The Government of the Federation or State shall not adopt any religion as state, They establish principles of religious neutrality, freedom and equal citizenship, Your Eminence, this is where i believe our national conversation requires greater attention so that citizens may interpret exactly the same symbolically;

“This distinction became particularly visible in Nigeria’s debate over the Muslim-Muslim region.And therefore, defending constitutional religious neutrality is not an attack on Islam neither Christianity

“A political arrangement can have two realities simultaneously: That principle protects Muslims from Christians majoritaranism just as it protects Christians from Muslims and represent an important national compact of religion among others;

“Your eminence, Strategically politicians may see a particular political ticket as an effective coalition, an may ask if political cohesion belongs to right to religion and not also an attack on Christianity based on past pricidence;

“Who is to be represented when every Nigerian fundamental human rights cannot legitimately be protected and this provisions are not merely legal technicalities but strategic reality and symbolic reality;

His eminence, another question is the inclusive and exclusive presidential ticket and what does this say about the distribution of power?

“Electoral calculation , mechanism for consolidating support or means of improving Section 42 further provides constitutional protection against discrimination; Political parties rise and fall and the strength of one faith should not require the weakness of another.The security of one community should not depend upon the insecurity of another;

“Who controls the Legislature? eventually, citizens stop asking the most important question, When a politician speaks about religion, Nigerians may suspect political calculation and each community begins to measure it’s security by amount of power;This is why i believe the Sultanate has an extraordinary opportunity;

“There is a dangerous psychological temptation in deeply divided societies that gives your words a different weight as politics has become a permanent struggle for religious arithmetic that community posseses;

“When a respected religious leader speaks about peaceful co-existence the message carries a moral authority that politics often can not achieve and equally Christianity in Nigeria does not not require the political humiliation of another Nigerian simply because of religion;

“Nigerian can not become great by producing a permanent contest between Christian and Muslim and should not need each other’s permission to belong to any institutions;

,It can become great when both religion or communities began demanding something larger by the quality of governance, protection of all citizens,

“Your eminence, I believe Nigeria’s deepest problem is not simply that Muslims distrust religious suspicion which is often the language through which that distrust expresses itself through competent political power excercised for the common good of all citizens.The ultimate measure of political leadership should not be the religion of the person;

Your eminence, the future must be therefore bigger than both Christian and Muslim been the both argument whether been Hausa,Yoruba,Igbo,Tiv,Fulani or any other ethnic nationality.May Nigeria we leave our children be a country build solid foundation upon which a truly united Nigeria with profound respect for one another irrespective of religion, ethnicity, tribe among others

END

Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Festus Osifo, has commended the leadership of the Department of State Services (DSS) for the arrest and prosecution of terrorists and bandits across the country.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja, Osifo said the arrests and prosecutions were sending the right signal to criminal elements terrorising communities nationwide.

“When they are arrested and prosecuted, the bad guys get the clear message,” he noted.

Osifo backed the position of the DSS leadership that terrorists and bandits , whose activities led to the loss of human lives face the death penalty, saying such punishment would serve a deterrent to other criminal elements.

“When that is done, the other bad guys will know it is no longer business as usual,” Osifo noted.

The TUC chairman urged the DSS to sustain the tempo of arrests and prosecutions, noting that citizens have a duty to hold government accountable on all fronts.

“When government does wrong things, we condemn them. When they do positive things, we are also duty bound to commend,” he noted.

Osifo lauded the DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, for what he described as ongoing reforms in the Service, and urged him to do more in tackling insecurity across the country.

From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja 

The Director of Public Communication, Kogi East Neighborhood Watch,(KENW), Wing Commander Iye Ayefu (rtd.) on Monday commended the security agencies in Kogi State for their swift and coordinated efforts that led to the successful rescue of 13 kidnapped passengers along Lokoja –  Anyigba road.

In a statement issued on Monday evening and signed by  the group Director said the successful operation demonstrated the effectiveness of synergy among the various security agencies operating in the State.

He stressed that the victims were rescued within 24 hours of the incident, describing the operation as “swift, coordinated and successful.”

“Kogi East Neighbourhood Watch wishes to particularly appreciate the officers and men of the 21 Battalion and the officers and men of NNS Lugard for their gallantry, courage and commitment to the rescue operation,” he said.

He added that the collaboration among the security agencies was crucial to the success of the operation, stressing that sustained cooperation would further strengthen efforts to combat kidnapping and other forms of criminality across the State.

Wing Commander Ayefu, however, expressed sadness over the death of a member of the vigilante group who was killed during the operation and sympathize with some people in the operation group that might have sustained injuries.

“On a sad note, a member of the vigilante group lost his life in the course of the exercise. KENW prays for the repose of the soul of the deceased and for God to grant strength and comfort to the family he left behind,” he stated.

The KENW Director also urged security agencies to sustain the momentum and intensify efforts to rescue other victims still being held by kidnappers in another location.

“Kogi East Neighbourhood Watch looks forward to the safe rescue of the victims of Ojuwo Olijo, who were kidnapped later and whose whereabouts are still unknown,” Ayefu said.

He called for continued cooperation among the police, military, vigilante groups, neighbourhood watch organisations and other relevant security stakeholders, noting that collective efforts remained critical to securing communities and protecting lives and property.

The group further assured residents of its continued support for legitimate security operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and restoring peace across Kogi East.