Onaiyekan Asks Tinubu to Equip the Current Security Operatives for Better Performance, Drop Employment of 20,000 Policemen

By: Michael Mike

Former Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Diocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan has told President Bola Tinubu to treat as top priority the equipping of the present crops of policemen and security operatives to combat the perennial insecurity in the nation instead of giving order for the employment of additional 20,000 policemen.

Speaking at the 9th International Conference on Love and Tolerance in Abuja, the respected cleric warned that the nation cannot afford delays in tackling insecurity.

He said: “Right now in Nigeria, we have to build bridges so that all of us, Christians and Muslims, can jointly face our common enemy… Those who are killing us.

“We have finally agreed that we shall join hands and face them. And if we join hands, we can deal with them now. We should be able to deal with them.”

He added that: “With all these wonderful soldiers and police, we should be able to deal with them. I’m not even sure we need 20,000 more policemen. I believe they are the ones we have right now. Arm them well, treat them well, and they will do their job.”

He said: “There is no need to deploy 20,000 policemen. We could use the policemen we have. I’m not an expert, but to train them and then deploy them, for an emergency. Let the experts tell me how long does it take to deploy 20,000 people. I guess we are talking of one year. In one month, this country can be destroyed.”

“So I’m saying we should look at a strategy that will address the issue right now. We should equip the policemen we have now, who are already trained though, but they are carrying bags for madams. It’s good that they have been withdrawn; Let them start working.

“And let there be the political will to flush the terrorists out of the forest. And we are glad that the language that our president spoke yesterday; but weve been listening to that since two years ago.

“What do you have police for? That’s their job. It’s not even the job of the army. It’s the job of the police.” He said.

He also reflected on global religious harmony, warning that Nigeria faces increasing local polarisation despite global unity efforts, referencing the “Abu Dhabi document” signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar.

A renowned activist and Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, highlighted the root causes of intolerance and conflict, noting that human differences in wealth, power, race, and religion often drive dominance and resistance.

He emphasized that differences are natural and unavoidable, and that peace and tolerance begin with recognizing and accepting human diversity.

Sani expressed concern over shrinking freedom of speech, insisting that the arrests and social media scrutiny threaten open dialogue, and urged that love, understanding, and respect for differing opinions are essential for building a harmonious society.

On his part, the President of UFUK Dialogue Foundation, Emrah Ilgen, whose organisation convened the international conference, said the gathering was created to address the urgent need for healing in a deeply divided world.

He said the theme “Bridging Divides: Building Trust in a Polarized World” was chosen to confront rising global and local tensions, emphasising that the world is experiencing dangerous levels of mistrust driven by misinformation, fear, ethnic divisions, and religious misconceptions.

He explained that UFUK Dialogue has, for more than a decade, committed itself to building bridges between communities and promoting dialogue that encourages understanding rather than suspicion.

“Humanity is strongest when it chooses dialogue over suspicion, compassion over conflict, and understanding over prejudice,” he said.

In his welcome address, Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, represented by Dr. Emmanuel Mamman, said Nigeria is facing deepening mistrust, widening identity divides, and increasing misinformation, stressing that trust must be rebuilt through fairness, dialogue, and inclusion of women and youths.

He said: “Polarization is not destiny. Mistrust, though deep, remains reversible.”

The DG added that traditional and religious institutions remain pillars of social harmony, and collaboration with groups like UFUK Dialogue is essential in restoring national cohesion.

Onaiyekan Asks Tinubu to Equip the Current Security Operatives for Better Performance, Drop Employment of 20,000 Policemen

VP Shettima Mourns Passing Of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, Says Nigeria Has Lost A Beacon Of Knowledge

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep sadness over the passing of revered Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, leader of the Tijjaniyya Muslim Brotherhood in Nigeria, who died at the age of 101.

VP Shettima noted that Sheikh Dahiru’s extraordinary longevity was itself a divine blessing that allowed multiple generations of Nigerian Muslims to benefit from his profound knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual guidance.

In a condolence message on Thursday, the Vice President described the late spiritual leader as one of Nigeria’s greatest Islamic scholars whose teachings and exemplary life touched millions of Muslims across the country and beyond.

He said: “We have lost a spiritual guide, a teacher, and a moral compass whose dedication to Islamic scholarship spanned more than a century. Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi was among the great pillars of Islamic knowledge in our time. His life was a demonstration of faith, learning, and service to Allah and humanity.

VP Shettima noted that the Sheikh’s extraordinary life allowed multiple generations of Nigerian Muslims to benefit from his profound knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual guidance.

He praised the late Islamic scholar’s lifelong commitment to spreading Islamic knowledge and his pivotal role in strengthening the Tijjaniyya Brotherhood in Nigeria and West Africa.

“We find comfort in knowing he lived a long, fulfilled life devoted to Allah and to uplifting humanity. His legacy of scholarship and service will continue to inspire us all,” the Vice President added.

“I pray that Almighty Allah will forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus. May Allah also grant his family, the Tijjaniyya Brotherhood, and the entire Muslim Ummah the fortitude to bear this loss,” VP Shettima said.

VP Shettima Mourns Passing Of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, Says Nigeria Has Lost A Beacon Of Knowledge

Lawal: Over 45m Nigerians Still Defecate Openly

By: Michael Mike

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, has decried that just about 25 per cent of Nigerians have access to safely managed sanitation facilities leaving over 45 million Nigerians still practice open defecation.

Lawal gave that figures in Abuja on Wednesday at a press briefing to commemorate the 2025 World Toilet Day, themed “Sanitation in a Changing World,” with the tagline “We’ll Always Need the Toilet.”

The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Mahmud Kambari, said that this year’s theme reflects the growing impacts of climate change, rapid urbanisation, and widening inequalities that weaken sanitation systems.

November 19 was set aside by the United Nations General Assembly, in recognition of the global sanitation challenge to raise awareness and inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis, which still affects billions of people worldwide.

The minister said, “The advent and access to toilets remain a foundation to public health and play an important role in protecting both people and the environment. They hygienically remove human waste, reduce exposure to diseases, and uphold dignity. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, toilets and the systems that support them remain underfunded, poorly managed, or neglected.

“Currently, about 4.2 billion people globally live without access to safe toilets, while in Nigeria, over 45 million people still practice open defecation, and only about 25 per cent of the population have access to safely managed sanitation facilities.

“Many schools, healthcare facilities, and public institutions either lack functional toilets or have facilities that are poorly managed. In urban areas, the absence of adequate sewerage systems has led to unsafe disposal of wastewater and sewage into rivers and streams, thereby contaminating our environment with resultant impact.”

He regretted that the situation contributes significantly to diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, and intestinal worm infections, which continue to claim lives, especially among children under five years of age.

He decried that poor sanitation also drives antimicrobial resistance and undermines Nigeria’s progress towards SDG 6.2, ensuring access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030.

He, however, noted that the Federal Government is committed to tackling sanitation challenges and achieving an Open Defecation Free Nigeria by 2030.

“This commitment is demonstrated through the Presidential Declaration of a State of Emergency on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, and the signing of Executive Order No. 009 (2019) titled “The Open Defecation Free Nigeria by 2025 which is under review and Other Related Matters.”

The Minister added that the ministry and other stakeholders have reviewed and updated the 2005 National Environmental Sanitation Policy, including guidelines for safe excreta and sewage disposal.

In her welcome remarks, the Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Dr. Bahijjahtu Abubakar, noted that billions still lack access to safe toilets and millions continue to practice open defecation.

She warned that this poses serious health and environmental risks, especially to women, children, and other vulnerable groups, as poor sanitation fuels the spread of diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid, which remain major causes of illness and death among children under five.

She said: “Today’s commemoration provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the progress made so far in improving sanitation services across Nigeria, while also renewing our collective commitment to ending open defecation by the year 2030.

The Secretary General of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Abubakar Kende, highlighted sanitation as a vital human right and stressed the urgent need to address challenges such as climate stress, poor funding, overcrowded urban areas, and cultural barriers.

He said the Red Cross, in collaboration with government ministries and partners, is advancing solutions through the National Strategic Plan of Action on Cholera Control to improve sanitation and hygiene nationwide.

He said: The theme emphasises the constant necessity of sanitation as a human right despite global challenges. It highlights the need for urgent action to protect and expand access to safely managed sanitation in a changing world, which is being impacted by issues like ageing infrastructure, rising demand, climate change, and growing inequality.”

Lawal: Over 45m Nigerians Still Defecate Openly