Osinbajo seeks sub-regional solutions to insecurity in West Africa

Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (left); representative of the Acting President, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and President, ECOWAS Commission, Marcel De Souza at the opening of ECOWAS Heads of immigration meeting in Abuja …yesterday PHOTO: NAN

• DHQ debunks report on terrorism by U.S.
• PANDEF leaders in Aso Rock

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday is seeking ` sub-regional solutions to insecurity in the West African sub-region. He made the call at the opening ceremony of a meeting of Heads of Immigration Service of Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) in Abuja.

Osinbajo who was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama said, “we have to find a sub-regional mechanism to solve insecurity in the sub-region.’’

He said that since ECOWAS encourages free movement of persons and goods, it was pertinent to look at the security challenges such freedom brings. According to him: “Topical issues of today in the world is insecurity and migration should not been seen as a negative phenomenon but should be managed.’’

While advising the gathering to deliberate on the security challenges linked with migration, the Acting President said ECOWAS should consider Nigeria’s proposal to establish a migration academy.

He said the government has provided a land in Tuga, Kebbi State for the project, which according to him, would train personnel to tackle security challenges in the sub-region.

The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, charged participants to fashion out modalities to strengthen capacity and synergy aimed at robust intelligence gathering and sharing amongst member states.

Osinbajo also met the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) led by elder statesmen, Chief Edwin Clark and King Alfred Diette -Spiff,‎ in the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday.

The group arrived the villa few minutes to 6:00 pm and were immediately ushered into the conference room, venue of the closed door meeting. .

In another development, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday debunked the 2016 country report on terrorism released by the United States of America (USA) Department of State, saying the report was not being objectively analysed by the U.S. government.

Reacting to the report, Director, Defence Information (DDI), Maj. Gen John Enenche said the USA does not publish this report with the objective of causing restiveness among the populace, but to draw government’s attention to areas that could be improved upon to tackle global terrorism.

He added that the report also commended the Nigerian government and the military for actively cooperating with the U.S. and other international partners to prevent further acts of terrorism in Nigeria against citizens of U.S., third world countries, and Nigerians.

Enenche stated that the country reports on terrorism are submitted on annual basis in compliance with title 22 of the United States Code, Section 2656f (the “Act”) by the Department of State to Congress, stressing that it was aimed at providing report on those countries and groups that meet the criteria of the Act.

Also, the Federal Government has warned all security agencies in the country to be guided by its Executive Order 3/2017, which directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government (MDAs) to give priority to local industries in their procurement.