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We’ll sit with herdsmen to explain why cows cannot graze inside Abuja– Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says that the FCT Administration will take a firm decision on open grazing inside the Abuja city centre after consultation with herdsmen.
“Before we take any decision, we will do proper consultation so that nobody will say you never alerted them, you never interacted with them before you took that decision.
We are going to call the cattle people to sit with them. We cannot allow things to go on like this. We didn’t say that there will be no cattle in Abuja, but within the city,” he said. Mr Wike stated this while fielding questions from journalists after inspecting some road projects in Abuja on Saturday.
He said that cows would be allowed to graze in the suburbs but not in the city centre.
On the ban of commercial motorcycles from operating within the city centre, the minister said a firmer decision would be taken after the federal provided buses as alternatives.
“We did not take a firm decision because we have not been able to provide the buses that will be the alternative for the people.
It is within the government’s responsibility to provide the alternative and then ask the motorcycle operators to leave the city centre.
This is so that you don’t ask them to leave, and people will be suffering; no,” he said.
Some of the projects visited are the completion of Roads B6, B12 and Circle Road in Central Area and the rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat, being handled by Julius Berger.
The minister also inspected the construction of the southern Parkway from Christian Centre (S8/9) to Ring Road 1, being handled by Setraco and the expansion of the outer Southern Expressway being handled by CGC.
The project spanned from Villa Roundabout to OSEX/Ring Road 1 Junction, including four interchanges.
Mr Wike equally inspected the full scope development of Arterial Road N20, from Northern Parkway to ONEX with spurs being handled by Gilmor Engineering.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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