Following
the attack on operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission in Owerri, Imo State, last week, the federal government has
decided to beef up security in the state.

The governor of the state, Ikedi
Ohakim, who was at the presidential villa to see the acting president,
Goodluck Jonathan, said he was there to brief him on the situation in
his state.

Not a political mission

Mr. Ohakim dismissed insinuations that
he was at the villa to submit names of possible ministers from his
state. He, however said, “I am a governor of a state and I have the
right to submit my ministerial list but that is not what I am here for.
I have come to confer with the acting president on the issue of
security in the state and, luckily, the acting president has made some
approval. The government has agreed to tackle the issue of security,
gangsterism and kidnapping.”

Ohakim added that he trusts the acting president to make the right decision on whom to choose to run the government.

“The acting president is pragmatic and
is forward looking; he knows what to do. He knows the country has been
trekking and we need to run; we need to fast forward. My mind tells me
that, come what may, he will look for key professionals, those who can
run with the ball, and give them responsibilities of driving the
activities of this country because we can’t wait forever. I know who he
is and he has what it takes. In the next few days you will be happy
with what is coming out from the exercise,” he said.

Background to the visit

Gunmen suspected to be assassins had on
Friday, March 19, attacked operatives of the EFCC along the
Mbano/Okigwe Road on their way from the Federal High Court, where they
had attended a hearing of the trial of Herbert Chikwe, husband of
former minister of aviation and Nigeria’s ambassador to the
Netherlands, Kema Chikwe, leaving one dead.

A university
lecturer, Okpo Ojah, has called for the enforcement of the Child Rights
Act to check the frequent incidences of child abuse in the country. He
also advocated for a private-public synergy in addressing issues
concerning the less privileged.

Mr. Ojah, who
lectures at the University of Calabar, made the call on Monday in
Calabar while delivering a paper on “Help The Needy” at a seminar
organised by Laurel Childcare Outreach, a non governmental organisation.

He said the delay
in the enforcement of the Act passed by the National Assembly in 2003
is unfortunate, adding that the delay amounts to government’s disregard
for children’s welfare.

He also described as unfortunate, the prevailing situation where only eight states in the country had made laws on child rights.

The lecturer
stressed that, beyond enacting the Act, all tiers of government should
take more than a passing interest in the welfare of children.

“As leaders of tomorrow, Nigerian children deserve to be offered the
best of education, health, and environment and in other aspects of
life,” he said.

The National Agency for Food, Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says it impounded counterfeit and
fake drugs worth N2 billion in 2009, the Agency’s Director-General,
Paul Orhii, said on Monday in Port Harcourt at a stakeholders forum
organised by NAFDAC.

He said there was a resolve by the agency to tackle the issue of fake and counterfeit drugs in the country.

Mr. Orhii said some of the impounded products had been destroyed while some suspects were being tried.

The agency, he said, had declared zero tolerance for fake and
counterfeit drugs, unwholesome processed foods and other substandard
regulated products.

The National Agency for Food, Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says it impounded counterfeit and
fake drugs worth N2 billion in 2009, the Agency’s Director-General,
Paul Orhii, said on Monday in Port Harcourt at a stakeholders forum
organised by NAFDAC.

He said there was a resolve by the agency to tackle the issue of fake and counterfeit drugs in the country.

Mr. Orhii said some of the impounded products had been destroyed while some suspects were being tried.

The agency, he said, had declared zero tolerance for fake and
counterfeit drugs, unwholesome processed foods and other substandard
regulated products.

The Zamfara State
governor, Mahmud Shinkafi has said the exit of credible personalities
from the All Nigeria Peoples Party marked the “death of the party
beyond resurrection”.

Mr. Shinkafi, who
spoke at the formal defection of ANPP federal and state lawmakers to
the PDP on Monday in Gusau, said the ANPP could no longer provide a
credible platform for the actualisation of genuine political dreams.

“A dream party
should be one that has a national outlook in terms of membership,
structure, as well as articulated agenda for development and progress,”
the governor said.

He said the exit of
a respected personality like Muhammadu Buhari from the party was a
testimony to its final collapse as a leading opposition party in the
country.

According to him, the PDP in the state had mapped out strategies to ensure victory in the 2011 general elections.

Those who graced
the occasion included the Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, and the
deputy governors of Katsina, Niger and Sokoto states.

The PDP National Chairman, Vincent Ogbbulafor; Senate President
David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji
Bankole, were also represented at the event.

A university
lecturer, Okpo Ojah, has called for the enforcement of the Child Rights
Act to check the frequent incidences of child abuse in the country. He
also advocated for a private-public synergy in addressing issues
concerning the less privileged.

Mr. Ojah, who
lectures at the University of Calabar, made the call on Monday in
Calabar while delivering a paper on “Help The Needy” at a seminar
organised by Laurel Childcare Outreach, a non governmental organisation.

He said the delay
in the enforcement of the Act passed by the National Assembly in 2003
is unfortunate, adding that the delay amounts to government’s disregard
for children’s welfare.

He also described as unfortunate, the prevailing situation where only eight states in the country had made laws on child rights.

The lecturer
stressed that, beyond enacting the Act, all tiers of government should
take more than a passing interest in the welfare of children.

“As leaders of tomorrow, Nigerian children deserve to be offered the
best of education, health, and environment and in other aspects of
life,” he said.