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Scrapping SARS ‘ll lead to Anarchy, says Alhaji Balogun

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The campaign for disbandment of the Special Ant-Robbery Squad, (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force has been on for the past few weeks because of the operatives’ complicity, excesses and sometimes unprofessional activities. Alhaji Olayinka Balogun, a lawyer who retired in 2012 in Benin, Edo State as Commissioner of Police, in this interview with BIYI ADEG0ROYE, gives retrospective dimension to the matter and offers some suggestions

What is the historical basis for the establishment of the Special Anti Robbery Squad?
Following the end of the Nigerian Civil war, there was an increase in armed robbery and other violent crimes due to proliferation of arms. So the political leadership and the police hierarchy saw the need to set up a special force to address the situation. Don’t forget that even as at then the various police commands already had their respective Anti-Robbery Section at the State Criminal Investigations Departments (SCIDs). In those days, those ones just came around to handle such cases because the level was not sophisticated for them to move out. They were placed under the Commissioner of Police as at then and expectedly, they made a lot of inroads into anti-robbery operations. Of course, you can remember what happened in Lagos during Col. Buba Marwa’s time, and the successes recorded gives further justification for the existence of the squad. And it went on like that such that it became a very big organization fighting mainly armed robbery and other major violent crimes.

In other words, you recognize that SARS played a major role in handling violent crimes?
Yes, there is no doubt about that, and that informed its formation in the first place.

How then do you see the call for the disbandment of SARS, on the grounds of murder, torture and human rights abuses?
Well, it is a reaction to the excesses of some of SARS operatives like murder and those infractions you have mentioned. But the issue of scrapping it does not arise at all. We cannot scrap SARS because of the excesses of a handful of operatives. All that is required is to ensure adequate monitoring and checks. Operatives of SARS have a lot of powers and mind you, they are trained to engage armed robbers. So all that is required is to ensure they operate within the ambit of the law.
One point that must be recognized is that SARS is a special wing of the police made up of brave, volunteer police officers. Only very brave and daring officers move to SARS. A lot of them lose their lives there, leaving their dependants behind. Hence, it is a place for very loyal and serious- minded officers. If, by any chance, some miscreants find their way into the squad, that must be dealt with.
One of the things we need to do is to appoint officers with integrity, respect for law and human rights, officers that are ready to work as head of SARS in each of the SCIDs. Then we need to weed out the bad eggs there, and those who have over-stayed, because actually a number of them have stayed there for four, five, six years or more. They are no longer useful there. Some of them even have the wrong motive for going there – for material benefits or whatever they can acquire. Some of them are really bad; there is no doubt about that.
But that is no sufficient reason for calling its scrapping. It is like saying we should scrap the police – or that we should scrap the Nigeria Customs Service, because some officers there are corrupt or sorts. You can imagine the far-reaching consequences that will come with that. Even among journalists, we have good ones and bad ones as well. Even in the family, we have various types of people and do you disown such people because you want to address a problem? What we need to do is to reorganize the place and inject new hands.

I am aware there are some departments in the police that serve as internal control mechanism?
Look, unlike other organizations, the police have its internal cleansing system. There is the anti-corruption unit like the X-Squad. For instance, at the divisional level, if a policeman errs, the DPO takes action and ensures that he is tried orderly room and appropriate action is taken within a week. The same thing is applicable to men of the anti-robbery section. The Commissioner of Police and the Provost are there to handle that. That is the way it is in all formations in the Force. So if bold and professional officers are given the headship of the place things will improve.

A few days ago, 30 SARS members were reportedly arrested for extortion and sundry crimes. Do you see this as one of the measures to clean up the place?
It is one of the efforts to clean up the place no doubt, except that I see that as an unnecessary fire brigade approach. We want to avoid playing to the gallery. I want a situation where there is result-oriented, sustained efforts to ensure sanity in SARS. I was Deputy Commissioner at SCID, Panti in Lagos and what we had to avoid was this issue of abuse. A situation where complainant will leave Police Division, Area Command to take a case of fraud to SARS and they accept it for investigation? That to me is an absurdity. It is not in their purview at all. Sometimes, you see them arresting people in the night; you see SARS men forcing themselves into people’s homes at midnight, and at the end of the day you will discover that they were there to arrest somebody over issuance of dud cheque! What is their business with that? Ironically, a lot of them do this because of monetary benefits and all that, thereby giving the force a bad name. All those policemen are the ones giving the police a bad name.
When those types of complaints come up the IGP and Commissioners of Police should act promptly to address them. When a child errs, do you wait for somebody else before you take action? You don’t even wait for his mother, before you spank the child immediately. In as much as I don’t mind the current protest, I want to say that these are things that have been happening over time and built up to this moment.
As a practising lawyer and a retired Commissioner of Police, I want to say that a situation where SARS operatives handle cases of debt recovery of as low as N500,000 or N1 million, which are outside their purview, or are reprehensible in human rights violations. I find that very repugnant. It is like a case of PMF. You don’t see a mobile policeman until issues get out of hand. Regular policeman will go about his general duty stuff, but when you call a Mopol, you know the situation has changed. That is the case with SARS. When SARS people step into a matter, you know it is a major one. I remember the days of Uwaneroro; Amusa Bello and so many of them like that who made their names in the police as anti-robbery officers.
So my position is that this re-organisation should be sustained, rather than being a flash-in-the- pan thing that will be abandoned after all these reactions must have died down. Now, I must add that Nigerians should be very courageous too in handling the SARS thing. When they come to their houses, they must be ready to ask questions and put up some resistance. Ask him: ‘do I look like a robber? I‘m afraid, I cannot follow you. Can you call your DPO? Can I speak with your Area Commander? I’m not following you.’ Nigerians should be bold to do so.
I can send you some complaint messages from the public. Look, anti-robbery people don’t invite people. Do you invite killers? Rather they respond to robbery operations and investigate same. They don’t sit in their offices and invite suspects. To come and do what? That is because of the fierce nature of their operation – confronting armed robbers.

What do you make of situations where some SARS people are working for politicians like it happened in Rivers State during the last elections?
It is not possible to say that SARS operatives are working for politicians. The issue is that any policeman posted to any state command is supposed to be working for the state government. You know that the state government is personified by the state governor; everything the Commissioner of Police in the state requires to fight crime comes from the state governor. How many Armoured Personnel Carriers are coming from the Force Headquarters? How many patrol vehicles are coming from Force Head Quarters? For that reason, there must be some rapport between the Commissioner of Police, members of SARS and the government. If there is a serious robbery incident in a state for instance, the first person the Commissioner will report to after informing the IGP is the governor, especially if it involved a very prominent person and so on. It is that rapport that the opponents are blowing out of proportion.

Did you read the INEC report that indicted the Officer in Charge of SARS during the election held in Rivers State last year?
Yes, I read the report, but was that the full report? Have you heard from the policemen? When you indict somebody, it means you accuse him of an offence and that does not make it true. It is either the IGP investigates or the state government does before it can be authenticated. By and large, SARS operatives and officers must exhibit high degree of professionalism wherever they are sent to serve. I must also tell you that are some cases, some governors tell the IGP to deploy a particular officer to his state- that this is the person he wants to work with. If the relationship goes on fine, good, if not there will be problem.
What I am saying as a retired Commissioner of Police who had worked with many IGPs and some governors is that there must be some bad elements in the force, but what is most important is the leadership which must ensure that the bad ones are either reformed or flushed out no matter where he comes from.

Interview

NAUB: MR PRESIDENT, WHO ARE THOSE PLANNING TO KILL THE ONLY FEDERAL UNIVERSITY THAT DOES NOT GO ON STRIKE?

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By femi Oyewale

 

 

Higher education in Nigeria, quite frankly, is facing immense challenges including but not limited to poor infrastructure, unrealistic academic calendars resulting in extra years against stipulated durations, lack of teaching equipment, social menace, poor funding, amongst others.

 

 

 

Interestingly, Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB) is quite unique from other federal universities in the sense that since inception, there has not been any issue of strike, cultism, protest, or anti-social conduct.

Rather, the university is reputed for its excellent condition of learning environment.

 

This was aptly covered by the Governor of Borno State, H.E Professor Babagana Umara Zulum through his deputy during the maiden edition of the convocation ceremony of NAUB on Saturday, October 28th, 2023 at the University’s main campus ( note not temporary campus within five years of existence) in Biu, Borno State.

 

 

 

The Borno State governor said he was physically present at the groundbreaking ceremony of the foundation laying stone of NAUB five years ago, and he is impressed by what he has seen adding that it must take military precision and focus to put in a full-fledged and functional university on a barren land in such a short period.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Governor further thanked the Federal Government, the Nigerian Army, the traditional rulers, scholars and academics philanthropist, industrialists, associates and men and women of goodwill from within and outside Borno State for the selfless service of gradually re-modelling the future of Borno State in particular and Nigeria in general and for putting Borno State on the path of further greatness through the Nigerian Army university, Biu.

 

Why then do we plan to abort such a great independent institution of learning known as a barrier breaker and line crosser by merging it with NDA whose missions and visions are not in tandem with each other

Why cut short the dreams of such noble ideas via politics?

 

Are there those who do not want a stable educational system in Nigeria?

Are there external forces or their agents at home trying to destroy a good foundation for a stable educational system in Nigeria?

Is NAUB in competition with the private universities?

Are there big shots who benefit from a chaotic educational system in Nigeria?

 

Are there some subterranean forces working within the system to achieve the Boko Haram objective that “education is sin”?

 

 

 

The words of Governor Zulum rings a wise bell when he said that Boko Haram insurgents have achieved their objectives if the university is scrapped.

 

 

 

 

 

“Therefore, we appeal to Mr. President to look into this issue so that the Army University Biu would remain a university… because of the importance of education in this part of the country, where Boko Haram is saying that education is forbidden. And I think that by allowing this Army university to be scrapped, they might have achieved one or two of their objectives,” he said.

 

The governor noted that, for over a decade, Borno State has been facing a serious crisis that has denied many children access to education.

 

“Therefore, this university is very important to not only the people of Borno State but our neighbouring states,” he said.

 

 

 

Look at the Western countries that started with military polytechnics that propelled revolution in military equipment development.

 

Many of these developed countries collaborated jointly through civil-military research.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Swedish Defence University established like NAUB is Sweden’s leading resource in, and first choice for, education, training and research in the management of crisis, war and periods of tension in the leadership of both civil and military agencies. The Swedish Defence University is an accredited institution for academic education for military and civilian students and researchers where different experiences, approaches, and traditions come together. It has become a hub for both national and international students.

 

 

 

 

 

It might shock you to know that American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU). APUS is wholly owned by American Public Education, Inc., a publicly traded private-sector corporation that offers associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees, in addition to dual degrees, certificate programs and learning tracks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During my NYSC, I served in the Nigerian Army School of Education (NASE), Ilorin, which is a renowned military institution focused on providing high-quality education and training for Nigerian Army personnel and civilians. So why the proposed merger of NAUB?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interestingly, the Nigerian Army University Biu provides such a platform for the Nigerian military towards technological innovation, research, and development in varied fields for national defence and security breakthroughs like many modern nations. In fact, instead of downgrading the Nigerian Army University, many more Army universities should be established in Nigeria. That is the way out for a caricature type of educational system that has failed to have stability over the years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who is not interested in seeing that a federal university graduates its students within the regular course time frame?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Must programmes of all federal universities be easily disrupted. A course of 4 or 5 years ends up taking over 6 to 7 years to complete. The worst part is that many universities end up in a crash programme to be able to cover up for the lost times. The terrible damage to these universities’ products is the very low standard of graduates.

 

Who wants the Nigerian educational system to collapse completely? These are rhetorical questions the amiable president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and all stakeholders should ask those proposing the merger to answer us publicly, else should let the matter die forever in the abyss of hasty decision.

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Interview

Tunji Ojo Has No Case To Answer” – Shehu Sanni 

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Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, says Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has no case to answer regarding the contract awarded to a company linked to him by suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.

Sani, in a chat with The Whistler, said Tunji-Ojo did not violate any public service law since he resigned from the company years ago.

 

” It could have been a conflict of interest if he hadn’t resigned.

The senator further said it is “not his ministry (that awarded contracts), and companies have the right to pursue businesses anywhere.

“Edu’s case is very clear and can’t be equated with that of a company associated with Hon Ojo.

“Legally, he can’t be held to account on this matter.

“Let’s not be distracted,” Sani said.

“The extant provision of the law under the 1999 Constitution is that anybody who is a public servant cannot engage in any business other than farming,” said Nelson Kebordih, a senior lawyer whose interest is in public policy.

He said the implication of the law is “that a person must be in active control and directorship of the company in the management of any enterprise.

“You are permitted to own shares because owning a share does not put you in the day-to-day management of the company or any enterprise.

“If he (Tunji-Ojo) has resigned from being a director, the law does not stop him from owning shares in the company,” he stated.

The former lawmaker’s position aligns with the 2008 Federal Service Rules on Chapter 4 which states that “Public officers are not prohibited from holding shares in both public and private companies operating in Nigeria or abroad except that they must not be Directors in private companies, and may only be Directors in public companies if nominated by Government.”

 

Following the suspension and quizzing of Edu, concerning alleged financial sleaze, the Minister of Interior has come under pressure to resign or equally be suspended by the president after it emerged that his company, New Planet Project Ltd, also received a contract from Edu.

Edu had awarded some companies contracts, some of which were unregistered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) raising concern of fraud and illegality.

Tunji-Ojo is also being pressured to step down with many commentators saying he has flouted the Public Service Rules which barred public servants from being awarded contracts or contracting any business except farming.

But the Minister while speaking on television explained that he had resigned since 2009 from the company.

“Almost five years ago, I resigned as director of the company, so I’m not a director. I resigned on 1st of February, 2009, you can take that to the bank,” the minister had said.

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Interview

‘The Coleman Wires and Cables Business Story is a Journey From Grass to Grace’

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On the sidelines of the 12th Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) organized by the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. George Onafowokan, the Managing Director/CEO of Coleman Technical Industries Limited, a leading Nigerian brand manufacturer of wires and cables, shared secrets to his business success amid recent national and global economic challenges. Onafowokan maintains that as a Nigerian, one can start a small business and grow organically into a big global competitor…..

 

What do you mean when you said Coleman Wires and Cable’s story is one of “grass to grace”?

 

Coleman Wires and Cable was registered as a company in 1975, but we began as a small-scale business in 1996. In 2021, we had to restructure our operations to overcome the setbacks we faced from the beginning, and that’s when I became the Managing Director.

Our story is one of grassroots to grace. Through investing time and effort over the years, we were able to systematically grow from a micro-small company into a small, medium, large, and extremely large company in terms of size. Our business vision started small, but we strategically expanded it. Please note, our aim was not to become the largest company, but it began with the goal of being the preferred wires and cable choice for Nigerians in terms of quality.

Subsequently. we found that every Nigerian preferred locally made cables over the foreign imported ones. So, the question of why we can’t build a company capable of servicing the entire nation and the global market arose; with this, our vision expanded. We progressed from a humble factory to a ripple plant that became the largest in West Africa at the time it was built. Starting out from 20,000 square meters, we expanded to 30,000 square meters and further into the Shagamu plant, which began with over 100,000 and has grown to over 350,000 square meters today.

We diversified into other products, such as high-voltage cables, and we became the first in the country and in West Africa. This achievement made Nigeria the fifth country in the world to produce such cables. Today, more than fifty percent of Coleman’s products are not produced by any other company in Nigeria, West Africa, and most parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This accomplishment is a testament to the story developed by a predominantly 99 percent Nigerian team. It illustrates that it is possible to be Nigerian and organically grow into a global competitor.

Could you provide some insight into your personal background for the readers?

Certainly! I am George Onafowokan, the second generation of the Onafowokan family, born into the distinguished lineage of Asiwaju Solomon Kayode Onafowokan. He is currently the second Asiwaju of Remo, succeeding Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and is well-regarded as a business mogul. Personally, I am a family man with a spouse and children.

I pursued my first degree in Accounting and Finance in the UK, followed by a postgraduate degree in Information and Management. With a penchant for improving processes and a dedication to giving back, I often find myself engrossed in thoughts on how to enhance various aspects of life.

Having witnessed the success of companies I’ve mentored in Nigeria, I am committed to building the capacity of individuals and small to medium-scale businesses. My guiding principle, which I consider my calling, is to contribute to the growth and improvement of others over time.

Reflecting on my upbringing, my father’s journey serves as a true “grass to grace” story. From humble beginnings in a one-bedroom apartment, he worked his way up to become well-educated and stand out among his peers. However, my perspective evolved when, at the age of twelve, my aunt imparted valuable advice. She encouraged me to cease complaining and adopt the mindset that my parents served as vessels for me to enter the world. Once in the world, their responsibility concluded. Embracing this philosophy, I no longer felt entitled to my parents’ resources and committed to earning everything I needed. This mentality shaped my life principle—I don’t expect anyone to owe me anything. Consequently, I work diligently, understanding that neither a “yes” nor a “no” signifies offense or entitlement.

 

Was Coleman Wires and Cables your first business?

No, Coleman was not my first business; it is a family business. I started my own business when I was young. At the age of sixteen, I ventured into my first wine business. By the time I completed university, I had my own business in the UK, specializing in financing and exporting to Nigeria using containers. My initial entry into the cable business involved supplying raw materials, and coincidentally, one of my main clients was Coleman.

You spoke about replicating yourself; how can one access mentorship opportunities from you?

 

I am one of those who don’t believe that you can run a business as a one-man show. Therefore, you have to build human capacity in every way, integrate it into your structure, empower the people around you, and let them handle their responsibilities. Personally, I have built a team around what I do. I started in a business where I handled every department myself, but today, I am not involved in those tasks anymore.

Most importantly, I empower them to effectively perform their jobs and give them a sense of belonging, so they feel that their contributions have value.

In many companies in Nigeria, you often find that the Managing Director or CEOs are the only individuals making decisions, while the rest are mere yes-ma or yes-sir. I wouldn’t run a business that way.

Are there mentorship opportunities for people outside your current team?

No, we have not fully structured it for everyone; we currently have a limited number, mostly for individuals already in the industry. However, from my work with the LCCI mentoring group and my team, I have found that what most people generally need is a simple understanding and mentoring to discover what aspects of their life or history they could improve upon or learn from.

What has Coleman been doing with the NCDMB?

For us, we are a success story of the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) because we have been working with the board since 2017. Prior to that, in 2008, I met with Senator Lee Maeba, who led the private bill for the local content law before it became an act in 2010. I could see the passion in the man when he talked about the whole idea, and from that passion, we took action. “Taking action” means we started putting our money where our mouth is, began examining areas in the law that affect business and expanding capacity, and we have succeeded in doing so. Over the years, it has been challenging to break into these oil and gas companies, but we have managed to do so. We primarily supply cables to their vendors, without handling any installation. We supply for NLNG projects, Shell, and Mobile. We have been able to provide cables that have never been produced by any other company in Nigeria.

 

In the face of business and economic setbacks, Coleman expanded. What did you do differently?

First, I think we took a strategic position to ensure our ability to continue operations. Second, we minimized our losses and restructured our capacity. One month before the Covid-19 shutdown, we had submitted a request for restructuring with our banks. We had slowed down, scrutinized all our positions, and had already started reducing the size of our business. By the time we entered the Covid-19 pandemic, we operated with the same number of staff for about a year. After Covid-19 started easing, we increased the number of staff. Therefore, we were somewhat prepared for Covid-19, and over the years in our business, we had already trained specific capacity. During Covid-19, we were able to build two factories without anyone coming from abroad. Covid-19 has, in a way, compelled everyone to enhance their in-country capacity.

In your panel discussion, you mentioned that the NCDMB should replicate the success in the petroleum industry in manufacturing. So, in concrete terms, what are you looking for to happen?

 

Replicating success in manufacturing means being intentional with manufacturers, ensuring that they perform well because there are not a lot of manufacturers. We need to be more deliberate, encourage more factories, open more businesses here, and manufacture goods instead of just assembling them. That is the focus I am emphasizing. There should be a deliberate action to build local capacity.

 

What is the future for Coleman?

 

The future for Coleman is still very bright. The opportunities have not stopped. We have two or three projects that are still ongoing, which will be finished by the first quarter of next year. The copper and aluminum factories are underway, the fiber-2 project, the expansion and completion of the Shagamu project, and our power project to increase our capacity from 16 to 24 megawatts. We are also looking to supply around West and Central Africa going forward in the next year, and later on, in East Africa. Our export plan is quite extensive, and we hope to see significant figures coming out of it, apart from Nigeria.

I believe we need to trust in the opportunities that abound in Nigeria, and in time, we are all going to reap the benefits. Regardless of the situation, Nigeria still finds its way to continue growing; and if given peace and the chance by the government, we would most likely see an upward swing in businesses by 2025.

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