Senator Joseph Akaagerger, represents Benue North senatorial district in the Upper Legislative House. Speaking to RUTH CHOJI, he says he is optimistic that electoral issues before the National Assembly will be resolved before 2011. He also spoke on other issues in the polity.

Your senatorial zone is regarded as very volatile and unstable, how true are these insinuation?

Politics is sacrosanct to man as other engagements. I believe political activities can never be said to be stagnated at anytime. My constituency can never be an exception, so what is happening at my place now is not restricted to Benue North, particularly now that elections are approaching. It is not out of place for people to move around and shake around; the important thing is; who are the people speaking for? They have spoken to me and I am ready to continue serving them.

There are fears that the opposition in Benue is dead, if so, is this good for democracy?

In every society, there is need for an opposition, but the level of which that exists depends on the practice of the individuals. The PDP is not forcing anyone to join us, but because we are doing very well, that is why most people are defecting to the party. We are the winning party and everybody wants to be part of the winning team.

How far have you gone with your four-point agenda and what is its impact on your senatorial zone?

It is impossible to say that once has achieved one’s targets. It is like government business. We can only appropriate but we don’t disburse funds. We lobby for politics. My greatest areas of concern have been free medical heath care, education and agriculture. I would say that quite appreciate level of work has been done.

We thank God for where we have taken our constituency to. When we were coming to the Senate, we told them that at the end of four years we should be able to say that this is the point we met you, and this is what we have done. And in my four-point agenda, especially in the area of free medical care, not less than 50,000 people have benefited from my constituency. I do this in collaboration with a group of doctors from the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, led by Dr Mbaya. We cover each local government. We have divided the exercise into different phases. Not less than 3,000 people have benefited from surgeries. Most of these doctors are from Benue State.

We have also supported farming activities with farming supplement. We have also supported the governor of Benue State in his agricultural scheme with fertiliser and other things like tractors. To that extend, I will commend and congratulate the governor for his foresight. In education, we have continued to offer scholarship. One thing people have been doing is to offer scholarship at the university level, forgetting that you can’t built your house on nothing. There must be need for us to turn attention to the needy in primary and secondary schools. You have a qualitative primary and secondary education before talking about a qualitative university education, otherwise you garbage in and garbage out. We have put in some things and the MDGs have been very supportive. We have dug boreholes so that students can have potable water.

You have been in the vanguard for government to do something concerning the Lake Nyos issue. What is happening to it now?

We have gone a long way and want to commend the responsiveness of the federal government to issues that touch the people. We have alerted people of the danger of possible spillover of Lake Nyos if there is a major shake-up. The Senate has pulled behind the good people of Nigeria, especially places like Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Enugu, Kogi, Ebonyi, Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. We are lucky because God was merciful to confirm what is likely to happen in future.

Let history not repeat itself, when in 1986, the lake erupted, causing the death of about 2,000 people in Cameroun. At the moment, research has proved that there would be loss of lives in these areas and the after effect will last for six months.

In the supplementary budget, government appropriated the sum of N3 billion for the construction of Kashim Bila dam as a buffer dam to serve as check on spillover from the lake. In this budget, again, government has also made provision for an appreciable amount of funds for the Lake Nyos project.

Would you say you affected lives more when you were a military governor, or as a senator?

Well, as a military personnel, decision are limited because it is the boss that decides the final outcome of policies. You are regimented, it is not your mission that is the issue. You have better input as a senator. But there is no basis for comparison, the armed forces have a particular function – to defend the territorial integrity of this nation. So defending the nation is also development in itself. I also want to take time to thank the armed forces on their role in the development of this country. In politics, w are doing it as a vehicle of development, so these are two different things.

If the main function of the military is to defend the integrity of this country, why are they always called to handle internal affairs, as it is possible for imposters to infiltrate the military, as is being alleged in Jos?

It is good and constitutional, it is one of their primary functions. In the first instance, the duties of the armed forces is restoration of law and order. When the issues are beyond the conventional police, then it becomes constitutional for the president who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to now call them in. I see the intervention of the military as the right step. They called for it and it was granted.

There were allegations that some fake army officers infiltrated the army and killed innocent people. Is that possible?

Having served in the army for 23 years, and having known the pivotal role of the army plays in peace keeping over the years, I don’t want to believe that those allegations are true. But this is a subject of litigation and I think it is under investigation. When the result comes out we would know if it is true or not, but I can vouch for the integrity of the armed forces.

Benue was once part of Plateau State. With the incessant crises in Plateau, what suggestions would you make to the people of the state?

I believe this issue is being addressed because many panels have been set up and they have made categorical recommendations which have never been implemented. So I think the direct implementation of the recommendations on the crises should be done. The Senate has made a resolution on this – that government should implement the previous recommendation. Let’s see if it would work.

Elections are around the corner. What is your take on constitution amendment, especially as it concerns electoral laws?

Precisely, the position of the Senate is that the issue of electoral reforms should be resolved before the elections. And looking at the quality and capacity of legislators involved, I have no doubt in my mind that it will be done.

Senator Roland Stephen Owie is one of the national leaders of the Action Congress (AC). A former Senate Chief Whip between 1999 and 2003; he was the ANPP gubernatorial candidate in Edo State in 2003 general election. In this interview with our Deputy Editor/Group News Editor, IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN, he discusses the ongoing political crisis in the country and other national issues.

What is your take on the controversy surrounding the new status of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan- occasioned by the long absence of ailing President Umaru Yar’ Adua from the seat of power ?

Well, the truth is that if ordinarily he had written to the National Assembly that he was going on vacation for treatment all this hullabaloo would not have arisen. If he likes he would have stayed over three years and anything would have stopped him from being the President. But having communicated to Nigerians through the BBC, which the National Assembly accepted as communication, everything should be put to rest. The Acting president should continue to wield the power of a full President until Mr. President gets well. Nothing should be done beyond that and no tension should be created for nothing. The Acting President should continue to run the nation as commander-in-chief. Let him continue to take care of himself and even if he does not get well to run in 2011 no problem. Jonathan is aware that there is a President who is ill and even if he does not get strong enough to resume duties, he would do daily consultations with him so all these tension should stop.

There is this notion that Nigeria has two commanders-in-chief at the same time and from the look of things, Umaru Yar’ Adua,  still remains the commander-in-chief while we have also have an acting commander-in-chief. Is it normal?

No, those who are thinking that way are those trying to bring confusion into the system. The truth is that since Mr. President is on medical treatment and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is acting, he has the full power of President and the controversy is uncalled for. People just want to confuse things

Is Jonathan really an Acting Commander-in-Chief, considering the secrecy that surrounded the return of Yar’Adua where troops were deployed to the airport without his approval?

That is not correct at all and I’ll give you an example. A minister or a chairman of a national board is given full police protection with about four to five policemen-guarding him and the sergeant or inspector of those or the senior officers of those soldiers guarding him, and if this minister has been sick and is coming back to the country, is the inspector going to ask the commissioner of police or the inspector general of police’s permission to go and welcome his boss he has been attached to? No. the Brigade of Guard is assigned to Mr. President clearly and so if the president is returning from a journey the commander of the brigade of guards does not need permission from anybody to go and welcome his boss; it does not mean that the commander of the brigade of guards will go to the chief of army staff or chief of staff to say oh! Oga is coming and we need permission to go and welcome him. It is not right and there is nothing wrong in what the brigade of guards did-by going to welcome a returning President and that does not stop the powers of the Acting President. But if there is no communication between the brigade of guards and the acting president, that would be a different thing entirely but that the brigade of guards went to welcome the President I do not subscribe to the view that it was a wrong doing.

But the Acting President said he was not aware that the President was coming back. Is that right?

Well, that is the problem of those who are handling the President; because under normal circumstances the man is ill and the manner in which he arrived everybody knew he could not communicate with Nigerians and if the handlers around the President were not mischievous, they would have gone to tell the Acting President that he was returning home. In short, knowing Jonathan for who he is he would have gone to the airport to welcome Yar’Adua; but they just want to create confusion. Most of these boys who find themselves in the corridors of power are neophytes in the game and do not know the foundation of this country as well as the relationship between the Present South- South and the North; they do not know that from the first republic, it has been the present South- South and the North going together politically. In the first republic they used the NCNC. In the second republic it was the NPN and the only state that UPN won in the entire South South was old Bendel. There have been a total cooperation and collaboration between the North and the South – South. I am sorry to call them so, but these neophytes do not even have the support of Yar’Adua; because if he were able to know what he is passing through, he won’t allow them do what they are doing to him. Jonathan’s South – South and Yar’Adua’s north have been relating politically and none of this people should do anything that will separate the two.

Are you not disturbed that the Acting President has not seen his boss since he returned from Saudi Arabia?

You can see what I am talking about. The handlers of Yar’Adua will be given their due portion of punishment by God. What is the problem with all of them? Because as I said earlier, Yar’Adua is not in a position to say: go and call me the Acting President because if he were in a position to do so he would have done so. From what I have been told by my friends-who come from Katsina State, the type of power they say Turai is exercising over her husband is very untrue; because, according to reliable sources, Yar’Adua is a very strong character that women could not dictate to. It is a very difficult thing because even Jesus Christ said when you are young you should move where you want to move to and do what you want to do; so that when you get old you will not be taken to where you do not want to be taken to. If Yar’Adua were not to some extent incapacitated, he won’t allow these touts around him to put this wedge between him and the nation. If the Acting President has not seen Yar’Adua, it is not the fault of the man who cannot tell who and who should see him. It is the problem of those who are handling him and feel they should separate him from his deputy and some other persons. The problem is being created by the cabal around him. We just ask Nigerians to pray to God to touch their heart and allow this country move on.

As an experienced politician, who has been monitoring political events in the country, do you think the Acting President is safe with this cabal surrounding him?

Yes. The first truth is that safety is of God, and unless God builds a house, those who build it labour in vain. So God is the protector of Jonathan. Secondly the Jonathan that I know is not ambitious; he and his boss came on the same ticket. The way the cabal is going about the whole thing shows that members of the gang do not mean well for this nation and if they have opportunity they can do anything negative but I know that God won’t allow them. They are aware that Jonathan unlike other people is not ambitious and the South – South people are not hovering around him to tell him to undo his master. Those are some of the things that would have brought bad blood but this cabal is the one trying to create bad blood and we are begging God to expose them because they are doing it for its own selfish interest not for Yar’Adua-who is sick and not for Jonathan who is already on the saddle and moving Nigeria forward. For instance, the other day somebody was telling me that the Acting President has already set up inquiry to probe the contract awarded by his boss and I said no-that the headline of that paper was wrong; that what the man had done-to my own understanding was to see the scope of the project, what level they are and the money required to take it to completion level, that he is not investigating his master-after all he was there at the EXCOF when the contract was awarded. But the enemies of the country want to turn it that he is probing his boss. The committee is to assess the job already awarded, what they are doing, whether the contractors even go to site at all and also whether it would be necessary to terminate it and re-award.

The Acting President knows the enemies you are talking about, I am sure he knows some of them. Is it not possible for him to show them the way out of the government?

The Acting President is just gradually settling down and you know God has a way of exposing evil people. If Yar’Adua had not fallen sick, no one would have known or no one would his own invited Obasanjo to use God to curse himself. But Yar’Adua became sick and he now said God should punish him if he ever brought Yar’Adua to punish Nigerians. So the matter is clear. This cabal we are talking about are exposing themselves and we know some of them who are the personal aides of the President, the CSO and others. They are already exposing themselves without even waiting for Jonathan to expose them and the moment the thing is settled- nobody would be talking about Yar’Adua anymore but praying to God to heal him. There would be no issue of impeachment and these hopeless members of cabal will soon expose themselves and have nothing to feed on any more. They were feeding on this when they were carrying the propaganda that Yar’Adua is going to be impeached. They had a subject at hand with which to eat money and try to destroy the nation. In the next few weeks, everything will be settled and they would be left with nothing to do. They are the same people trying to plant stories in the media against the military. But tell me who else in this country will not praise the present military leadership? Because if what is happening now had happened in the Second Republic, it won’t take three to four days before the military step in but these crop of military leaders led by General Dambazau in the army need to be praised and we have to ask God to bless them because they have given this democracy time to survive.

Recently, Senator Waku blamed the Acting President for creating the political tension in the country. As someone who is very close to him and with your understanding of Nigerian politics, why do you think he made that statement?

J.K.N Waku is my friend and we are together in this game. He just came into the country-a few days ago and I am sure he was no properly briefed because if he were, he wouldn’t have made that statement. Jonathan as you press men know is someone I used to tell people that he would have been a priest. He is harmless but principled. So I am sure my friend J.K.N Waku was not properly briefed and because he was away for over a month, it may have been those same people around Mr. President that briefed him wrongly.

So what agenda would you set for the Acting President now?

My agenda for him is on the electoral reforms and even if he cannot go the whole hog, he should plead with his party men in the National Assembly to adopt the open ballot system, as was done in 1993 or thereabout. He should also pay attention to electricity and roads in particular. I heard the other day that the aviation sector were calling for bailout and I said why bailout? How many Nigerians fly? He should face roads construction. It is now easier to go to London than to travel from Benin City to Lagos, Lagos London is 5 ½ hours, Benin to Lagos is eight hours. Benin- Port Harcourt is almost 14 hours, Calabar- Makurdi- Jos is about eight hours, Kaduna  - Funtua – Sokoto is almost 12 hours. He should declare a state of emergency in transport. You are aware of the recent report of armed robbers attack on Benin-Lagos road and you know that if the roads were good, the speed with which the bus will be coming, no armed robber would be able to stop it but because the roads are bad, the robbers now go to the very bad spots to wait and because the roads are bad, vehicles must slow down when they get there. He should also see what he can do in the area of security as Nigerians are no longer secure in their homes.

A Commission of Inquiry was recently set up by the Taraba State Government to review financial dealings in the state Ministry for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs between 2003 and 2007. CHUWANG DUNGS tries to unravel the salient reasons that led to the establishment of the commission.

On Monday 1st March 2010, Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba state set up a nine-man judicial commission of inquiry to be chaired by Justice Philibus Andetur to beam its searchlight into the affairs of the defunct state Ministry for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs from May 2003 to May 2007. This was with a view to probing into the amount of money received on behalf of local government councils in the state from the federation account during the same period and how the money was utilised.

Other terms of reference of the commission were to ascertain the amount collected as loans on behalf of LGAS under the joint account, by whom and how such monies were disbursed to the councils; verify the mode of collection of value added withholding taxes, as well as ascertain whether such collections were properly remitted into the government coffers or not. It is also to identify individuals or groups of persons responsible for such collections, as well as consider whether there was embezzlement , mismanagement or diversion involved. The commission is also to recommend appropriate disciplinary measures that would lead to the recovery of such funds wrongly diverted or mismanaged as the case may be.

The panel is also to consider any other matter that is incidental to these issues and make further recommendations on measures to be taken. The panel was given four weeks to complete its assignment, effective from the date of its first public sitting.

Reasons advanced by government for setting up the commission were the public outcry on the abuse of public office, public trust and alleged mismanagement of the affairs of the ministry by some government functionaries during the period under review.

But, since the inauguration of the panel on Wednesday 3rd March by the state deputy governor, Sani Abubakar Danladi, the matter is generating serious questions among political analysts and observers in the state, as even those within the government circle are shocked by the development.

Some political analysts ask why will Governor Suntai not probe the whole of the past administration in which he served as Secretary, in place of just zeroing on only one ministry. They also queried the motive behind the setting up of the panel towards election period and who Suntai is targeting.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP, Ibrahim Hussaini, a former speaker in the state assembly said, in addressing the issue at stake, "we have to first look at the motive behind setting up of the panel at this period; we have to look at who is doing the investigation and who is being investigated and at whose instance."

Hussaini said other issues to be critically examined are the terms of reference of the committee and the law used in creating it. "On the other hand, we have to ask why investigating just a particular ministry in the state and within the period of 2003-2007 only," the former legislator queried.

According to him, in as much as there is nothing wrong in conducting investigations, it should be conducted with some sense of dignity, adding that there is a wider dimension to the setting up of the commission. In his view, it is not about public interest as claimed, as, "if it is to the interest of the public, I believe the investigation would have commenced long ago, let's say in the first year of the governor in office."

He went on that, the trial is all about politics and there are very important political considerations at stake, adding that "even though I am not a lawyer, it is time we shed light on how some people use the instrument of power and the law to intimidate political opponents, as this is an act of witch-hunting in the name of justice." He regretted that, Suntai is using the instrument of government to fight those that were instrumental to his success in life.

Similar feelings were expressed by Habu Isa Ajiya, also a former speaker in the state assembly. In his words, "I was baffled when I heard of the news that a panel of inquiry was set up by the governor, it beats my imagination to ask questions like, do people really have conscience at all?"

He said he expected the governor to act like Jang, his counterpart in Plateau, who, when asked to probe Dariye's administration, declined and said instead of wasting time, money, energy and other resources digging the past, he better uses same in developing the state and allow the people to assess and see which administration is better.

Ajiya said further that, although he is not trying to defend any individual, he wants to advise Suntai that, if he is sincere and sure there was mismanagement in the last administration which he served as SSG, then he should accept part of the blame and sweep the past under the carpet and map out ways of developing the state better. "He should please avoid issues that will divert his attention and save the state from controversies."

LEADERSHIP reliably gathered that, the setting of the panel was instigated by the state party chairman, Abdulmumuni Vaki, the deputy governor, Sani Abubakar and the SSG, Abubakar Tutare, as a political strategy to indict some persons and bury them politically, especially Danladi Baido and Mustapha Hamangabdo, who both served as commissioners in the ministry under probe within the period under review.

A key government official who was a top member of Nyame's administration, told our correspondent in anonymity that, he felt highly betrayed by what is going on. According to him, he had advised Suntai to allow a sleeping dogs lie and settle down to work instead of digging the past which may likely consume a lot of people. "I am afraid a lot of people will be consumed," he lamented.

According to him, the monies in question were used to finance the PDP campaign in the state, stressing that if Suntai will now come out in the name of investigating a development he was aware of, then he would look like someone who has no conscience. "Everybody in the state is aware that it was public funds that were used to finance PDP campaign in the state at all levels and he is now benefiting what was sown with public funds; if he claims that the system was bad, he should also know that he is a beneficiary of a bad system, so he should simply resign and apologize to the people of Taraba"

Just like what most members of the public are saying, this source also insisted that the investigation is politically-motivated and is targeted at Mustapha and Baido.

Danladi Baido, who won the PDP gubernatorial primaries, but was disqualified by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and immediately replaced by Suntai who was then the SSG, became the enemy of Suntai since he instituted a legal battle in an attempt to regain his mandate. He recently came out publicly lambasting Suntai of betrayal, which development according to those close to Suntai, has made the governor to vow to destroy Baido politically. This assertion may very well be true as the governor was quoted to have vowed to use all the power and resources at his disposal to cripple Baido and those behind him.

Mustapha, who is currently the special adviser to the Governor Suntai on political affairs, is said to  be haunted because of his senatorial ambition. LEADERSHIP gathered that he has vehemently refused to set-aside his ambition for the central senatorial seat to support the current SSG, who is also desperately gunning for the same position despite the intervention of some party stakeholders.

A source told our correspondent that a few weeks before the panel was set up, Mustapha was invited to a meeting and was asked to forget his ambition and throw his weight behind the SSG. But he stubbornly rejected the idea insisting that he cannot relinquish his ambition to Tutare, whom he termed as "unpopular". This and other factors have been advanced as some of the reasons why Tutare plotted the investigation as a way of nailing the Gashaka Prince.

Our source further said, Tutare is bent on dealing with any individual perceived as a threat to his senatorial dream, citing an example with the recent impeachment of the chairman of Gassol Local Government, his own locality. According to the source, Tutare, with the aid and support of the party and the deputy governor, spearheaded the "unjust" removal of Iliya Goje, because he was said to be a strong supporter of the incumbent senator. Another version of the story with regards to the setting of the panel is that, the act was hatched and masterminded by the state commissioner for justice, Ibrahim El-sudi also for political reasons and as vendetta against Mustapha’s family.

According to our source, the Attorney-General, who is from the same locality with the prince-Gashaka, is eyeing the House of Representatives and with Mustapha in the race for Senate, it will thwart his ambition knowing that the two seats cannot be zoned to the same local government.

Our source alleged further that, El-sudi is of the strong view that if the commission succeeds in indicting Mustapha, then he will have a smooth sail to the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

On the angle of vengeance, it will be recalled that at the advent of this administration, El-sudi was nominated as a ministerial candidate, but did not scale through the screening process and it was alleged that it was the Lamido of Gashaka, Mustapha's father, that used his influence to stop him from being a minister. Since then, he was said to have been nursing that grudge and waiting for an opportunity to pay back. Observers are of the view that this is likely one of the opportunities for the Barrister to administer vengeance on the royal family.

As analysts and political players await the panel to commence sitting, thousands of Tarabans are nursing suspicious feelings. Perhaps the only way Suntai will prove his sincerity is to investigate the entire Nyame administration including himself to prove to the public that he was not part of the corruption that was said to have characterized the former government.

The LEADERSHIP column, Last Word, of March 8, 2010, entitled: "Who Does Onovo Work For?" is nothing but a rhetorical farce aimed at discrediting not only the Inspector-General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, but the entire police force.  The report coming at a time the country is trying to re-brand and restore hope and confidence leaves little to be desired.

The columnist and so many other columnists like him should exercise caution whenever they handle national and sensitive topics since the nation deserves unbiased, well-investigated and conclusive reports at this critical time of our national history.  Speculations and warped rhetoric should not form the fulcrum of their discourse since what they write most times could have some irreparable effects on the psyche of the people.

But what is the crux of the matter in the submissions?  It is Onovo, The Nigeria police and the issue of robbers ordering the driver of a robbed luxury bus to run over the passengers who did not have money on them.  This matter has taken some bizarre and alarming dimension since the purported report and pictures of the said incident graced the pages of some newspapers recently.  But more political is the matter since it has equally taken the front burner at the National Assembly, which called for an inquiry into the issue. However, at this point, the most important thing should have been the veracity or confirmation of the said incident.  Since the protection of life and property falls within the purview of the Nigeria police, the onus then falls on it to refute or confirm such an incident

The purported incident where robbers ordered the death of those passengers was propagated out of conventional norms and rationale by not only the media, but other concerned stakeholders.  It is, indeed, frightening that such a sensitive security issue of life and death was garnished with obvious drops of illusion and political connotations.

Although one is not holding brief for the police force, but the sad incident of July 31, 2009, along Ijebu-Ode/Sagamu expressway should not be exploited politically or for whatever other parochial reasons to hound Onovo or dent the image of the Nigeria police.  The incident should not be subjected to such myopic and sentimental diagnosis as the case has been since the events of that day remain clear and incontrovertible.

On that day, a luxury bus in the "Young Shall Grow Motors" fleet with vehicle registration number XF 285 AKD driven by one Mr. Oke Okafor from Enugu to Lagos, was attacked by robbers between the Federal Government College, Odogbolu and Babcook University junction along the Ijebu-Ode/Sagamu expressway.  The passengers were ordered to lie face down beside the road.  That was when an on-coming truck with vehicle registration number XN 808 BEN and driven by one Osayinde Idahosa from Edo State appeared and refused to be stopped by the robbers, thereby crushing the passengers by the road side.  It is indeed sad and tragic that a total number of nineteen passengers lost their lives in that single incident.  Even if no one died in that attack, the incident remains tragic and a criminal matter the police should not relent in fishing out the culprits.

Armed robbery incidents have become a recurring phenomenon in our society such that the authorities should do more to empower the police.  The authorities should do more to fund and motivate the Nigeria police.  The National Assembly should also not stop at investigating the robbery incident, but should expedite action on the release of the 2.7 trillion naira police fund already trapped by bureaucratic protocols.

Security in the country should not only be the sole responsibility of the police since every citizen has a contribution to make.  Nobody is praying for such an incident to occur, but given a typical robbery incident that was compounded by the gruesome and bizarre death of the passengers, the anger and agony of the people is no doubt understandable.  In all ramifications, it should be condemned by every decent mind, but not exploited by the public to smear the integrity or competence of Onovo or the police.  Such adverse and negative disposition can only aggravate the situation and work up the society.

I am sure that the columnist only relied on the earlier reports of LEADERSHIP on the incident without confirming it from the police authorities. He should have sought the police angle to the incident before spreading tension and anxiety across the nation.  Journalism should be practised with tact, truth, honour and diligence.

As a citizen of this country, I know that the image of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has become a subject of doubt for sometime.  People still regard the force with disdain such that any positive news from the force is taken with a pinch of salt.  The reputation of the police has, indeed, become its greatest headache.

But it seems the Nigeria police in recent times have buckled up and ready to project an acceptable image.  Although it would take some time to have a completely rejuvenated police force, it is obvious that the current leadership under Onovo has taken the right steps to achieve this herculean task.  Being a tactical administrator, Onovo, it appears, understands the dynamics of policing a nation, especially a multi-faceted society like ours.  He has equally shown some progressive reflexes by his achievements so far, like the outcome of the Anambra State gubernatorial elections and Edo State House of Assembly re-run elections where the police played vital and positive roles.  It is also worthy to note that it was crime-free in all the venues when the nation hosted the cadet World Cup recently.  Even the way the police handled the recent civil protest by civil society groups is also commendable.

The columnist should therefore, use his column to propagate well-researched national issues rather than appearing to be in a haste to churn articles like the current issue, thereby causing disaffection and tension in the country.

•Madueke wrote in from Wuse II, Abuja