Month: April 2023

Mr Akin Olateru, Director-General, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has urged journalists to promote transportation safety network and development through proper reportage of occurrences across the country.

A statement from Mr Tunji Oketunbi, NSIM General Manager of Public Affairs on Friday in Abuja stated that Olateru gave the advice when new executive members of the Abuja Transport and Aviation Correspondents Association (ATACA) paid him a courtesy visit.

According to him, such move will help to properly educate the society to quickly understand occurrences in the transportation sector.

Olateru commended the critical role journalists played in the dissemination of accurate information derived from investigations and final reports of occurrence.

The NSIB boss stated that journalists’ reportage had greatly improved the image and the general well-being of the Bureau and the country as a whole.

He further commended the media for the critical role played in the actualisation of the establishment of the NSIB.

Olateru called for the continuous support of the media and other stakeholders in the fulfilment of the Bureau’s new mandate of investigating accident and serious incident that occurred in the air, rail, marine and other modes of transportation in Nigeria.

“Nigeria as a country should move in line with the world by separating the regulatory body from the investigating body, so as to avoid conflict of interest, and ensure objectivity in what we do.”

According to him, this is unlike in the past when there was no investigation into the cause of transportation mishaps and the authorities were more focused on punishing the offenders.

“ The new NSIB will carry out independent investigations of transportation occurrences, determine the causal factor and proffer safety recommendations to prevent reoccurrence.

“The bureau is at the critical level of the bills implementation and this is the time we need your assistance, cooperation commitment, understanding and professionalism, in pursuing the noble objective,” he said.

Speaking, the new Chairman of the ATACA, Mr Oru Leonard, expressed appreciation for the support and assistance the Bureau had shown toward ATACA members, especially in the area of training on accident investigation reportage.

The chairman said the recent training really informed the members about the processes and procedures of accident investigations.

He further said the training impacted on how to better inform the public about accidents and incident occurrences in a more professional and concise manner that would not instil fear or cause havoc.

Oru, however, called for more of such gesture and support of ATACA’s activities by the bureau.

He said a deeper collaboration and partnership between the two organisations would be mutually beneficial to both parties.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Bureau, in collaboration with Southern California Safety Institute (SCSI) organised a week-long training titled: “Investigation Management- Media Relations” for the Abuja correspondents.

NAN further reports that a similar training has been previously organised by the bureau for aviation correspondents in Lagos.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Uhogua, near Benin, have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create a Polling unit in their camp.

The IDPs in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that this would protect them against thugs and allow them exercise their franchise.

They claimed they were attacked by suspected political thugs at Oronsanye Primary School polling unit where they had gone to vote during the March 18, House of Assembly election in the state.

The IDPs are mainly from Borno and Adamawa States, running from insecurity in the country’s north east region.

Some of them came from Chibok, Biu, Askira Uba and Gwoza.

Suleman Ayuba, one of the IDPs told NAN that, with what happened on March 18, they were already feeling insecure.

“It was obvious that we were the target, because there were two polling units in the primary school, but the attack was carried out in ours.

“Our people were injured, we lost our phones and other valuables, yet till now, nobody in the state have come to sympathise with us after the attack unleashed on us.

“Majority of our people are still receiving treatment in health facilities outside the camp, even money to pay their hospital bills, we don’t have and we are still looking for.”

Similarly, Philemon Emmanuel, another IDPs, called for another election to be conducted for the IDPs who were de-enfranchised during the attack.

According to him, it is not good that many of us were de-enfranchised by political thugs in spite of having our PVCs and candidates we wanted to vote for.

“We are Nigerians, though IDPs for no fault of ours. So politically, we have a right to join other Nigerians in deciding who we want to lead us.

“Government have been carrying out rerun in other places, so they should also consider this camp, in view of what happened at the polling unit during the state assembly election, so that our vote can count.”

Pastor Evelyn Omigie, Assistant Coordinator of the camp said that there was the urgent need for the federal government and INEC to create a polling unit in the camp.

According to her, we need a polling unit in line with the federal government directive, that polling units must be situated in all IDP camps across the country.

“I don’t know why this people should not be allowed to have their own polling unit. If we have one here I think we wouldn’t have experienced what we did during the election.

“Also in spite of what happened, and what we have expended on hospital bills, nobody has come to sympathise with either the victims or management of the camp.”

She called on the federal government to investigate the incident and unravel the perpetrators of the attack on the IDPs’ polling unit.

“We want them arrested, tried in court and jailed for their crime against the IDPs.

“Imagine, all the trauma they went through before. The sound of guns that God delivered them from, resurfaced again that day.

“So the government should try as much as possible to bring the perpetrators to book,” she said.

Omigie also called on the government to support the camp financially so as to be able to treat the IDPs who sustained various degree of injuries and make them healthy again.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Federal Government, on Friday expressed its determination to strengthen the capacity of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to build a resilient mechanism towards supporting less privileged Nigerians.

Dr Sani Gwarzo, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr Sani Gwarzo, stated this at a one-day capacity building workshop for NGOs and its Social Development workers in Abuja.

Represented by Mr Ahmed Mahmoud, Gwarzo noted NGOs played a critical role towards complementing government efforts in providing the necessary support to members of the society.

“The NGOs, through their activities and partnership with different levels of government are able to facilitate development through the use of advocacy and training they derive their popularity out of the numerous benefits they provide.

“They promote religious tolerance and harmony, educate the masses on government policies as well as monitor the policies and galvanise people through advocacy to participate on issues of considerable benefits to the society,” he said.

He therefore, urged them to develop competent and performance-based policies as well as implement institutional monitoring programmes to ensure better outcomes.

“We should all work harmoniously and focus on mutual benefits by ensuring a win-win strategy, training programmes such as this are necessary to update ourselves on the Ministry’s mandate to better the lot of the vulnerable members of our society.

“It is opportunity to brainstorm on strategies for addressing their concerns, hence the need for partnership as a key to bridging the gaps which organisations experience when they stand alone,” he said.

The permanent secretary said the ministry had partnership with an International NGO, Save the Children Foundation, to monitor as a third-party the federal government Social Investment Programme in states.

On his part, the Director, Social Development of the ministry, Mr Taiwo Bashorun, said the workshop was necessary to upgrading the capacity of the participants for optimal productivity.

Bashorun, therefore, urged the participants to utilise the opportunity and share ideas with a view to achieving the desired goals of the programme.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria