Connect with us

Politics

“Allow Nigerians Have Guns Like Phones To Protect Themselves”, Kaduna House Of Rep Member Tells Federal Government

Published

3 years ago

on

Yakubu Barde, a member of the house of representatives, has asked the federal government to allow Nigerians to “have guns like phones”.

Barde, a lawmaker representing Chikun/Kajuru federal constituency of Kaduna state and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said this yesterday at a media briefing in Abuja.

The lawmaker was speaking on the recent abduction of school children in Kaduna.

Over 100 students were declared missing on Monday, following an attack by suspected bandits on Bethel Baptist High School in Damishi, Chikun LGA of the state.

The incident occurred about 24 hours after eight persons were abducted on Sunday when gunmen attacked the staff quarters of the National Centre for Tuberculosis and Leprosy in Zaria LGA in the state.

“For me I think the time has come. We should legalize guns, so that if you know I have a gun and you are coming to attack me, all I need to do is to have small training over you — you have AK-47, I have AK-47. If I have better training than you, I will kill you. Simple!” he said.

“Yes, I, honourable Yakubu Barde, I am calling that they should unban guns. Let all Nigerian have guns like phones. But before that, let us be very careful also.

“The necessary machinery should be put in place to ensure that if anyone commits crime with a gun, let justice catch up with him.

“Today, if you legalize that, anybody who doesn’t like you or you have the same girlfriend would just come and kill you. That is the truth. Or one girl will kill another girl because they have the same boyfriend. And do we have the wherewithal to capture criminals like that? Do we have a database of Nigerians that fingerprint can be used to track down offenders? Do we have that? We don’t have. For me, it is even better that way than to be killed in the hands of the bandits.”

The lawmaker also noted that the government has failed in protecting the lives and property of the people.

“Honestly, the government has failed in terms of providing security for my constituents. I would speak particularly for my constituents. If there is anything said that they are doing their best, I would say their best is not good enough. Their best is a failure,” he said.

“Let us say it. How long shall we continue this way? Are we going to continue to live like this? As I speak to you today, to prevent these things happening, Kaduna state government has closed down 13 schools.

“Very soon, children are going to write WAEC exams and they have not had lectures. They are going to sit at home to write. Are we thinking of the future of these children? If you look at their own case, it is even better because they are thinking of writing exams.

“How about those abducted? Will they think of exams? They are thinking of their safety and every leader of concern should think of their safety. How are they feeding there? The trauma they will go through, some of them may not come back sane again. They may not be the same people.”

Barde asked the federal government to seek foreign assistance in tackling the insecurity in the country, adding that the military is overwhelmed.

“The federal government is overwhelmed and my call is that even the greatest of nations seeks for assistance, even America. Depending on what they want, they seek for assistance,” he said.

“Why can’t we in this country call a spade a spade and say we are overwhelmed? Let nations that are willing come to help us. Why? Is it because we are hiding something? If we are not, why can’t we call developed countries that are willing to join hands?

“When will the life of one Nigerian matter to us? Is it when we are all killed? For me, if there are moles in the military and they cannot be exposed, it means the moles are stronger than the government. That is evidence of the failure of the state.

“Do we want to be like Mexico where drug cartels kill at will? Today, if I tell you, from the place the children were kidnapped to a barrack in Kaduna is ten minutes drive. If you abduct 120 students walking on foot, how long would they go in 10 minutes that they cannot be rescued?”

The lawmaker also accused some military officers of being complicit in the fight against insecurity.

“On connivance with military personnel, for me it is very true. I want to believe it is very true. I remember an incident when there was to be an attack on bandits in Borno state. I think the aim of the government then was to use gas,” he said.

“But two days later, we saw the bandits with gas masks. Now, who told them? Can we say there are no moles in the military? But leadership is the ability to sieve the good, bad and ugly even in your organisation. If you have an organisation of 20,000 people, you cannot tell me they can be all good. There must be moles.

“Leadership is the ability to have the intellect to fish out moles among them. If the military cannot fish out the moles among them, then I am sorry I think there would be no end to this.”

You’ve got news or adverts for us? Kindly send to bodexmedia@gmail.com or send a whatsapp message to 08088805275

Kindly follow us on all media platforms @bodexng

Bodexng… we keep you exceptionally informed.

Related Topics:

Politics

Edo PDP opposes suspension of LG bosses by state assembly, says ‘It’s unconstitutional’

Published

5 days ago

on

December 18, 2024 9:13 am

By

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo says the suspension of all the chairpersons and their deputies in the 18 LGAs of the state is “unconstitutional”.

The chairpersons and their deputies were suspended on Tuesday by the Edo state house of assembly for two months over alleged misappropriation of funds.

Blessing Agbebaku, the speaker of the house, said Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, had written a petition to the assembly regarding the chairpersons’ refusal to submit the financial records of their LGs to the state government.

In a statement, Anthony Aziegbemi, chair of the PDP in Edo, said the “illegal” suspension is a disregard to a supreme court decision that affirms the autonomy and independence of local governments.

“How can the governor direct the State Assembly to suspend democratically elected chairmen of the 18 local councils for insubordination when these elected officials enjoy autonomy and independence as enshrined in the constitution and are not subordinates of the governor, the state assembly, or any other arm of government?,” he said.

“We are also aware that the chairmen and their vices were not even given the opportunity to be heard in their detence and were suspended unheard on watery trumped up charges, in total disregard to the constitution.

“We want to restate that the constitution remains supreme, and any attempt to undermine its provisions or disregard the judiciary and its rulings is not only illegal but also a direct attack on democracy and the rule of law.

“The speaker of the Edo state house of assembly and the entire assembly have clearly overstepped their constitutional mandates with this illegal action and we urge them to immediately reverse its decision, in respect to the rule of law and democratic governance.”

Aziegbemi said the suspended officials should report to their councils on Wednesday and carry on with their normal duties.

Also speaking on the issue, Anthony Ehilebo, a PDP chieftain, said Okpebholo has no legal backing to request the financial records of the LGAs.

“In fact, the governor and the assembly members are in contempt of the supreme court,” Ehilebo said when he appeared on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.

“The purported suspension of the local government chairmen by the state assembly is as absurd as the president asking the national assembly to suspend state governors because they refused to submit statements of accounts to him.

“This is a witch hunt. The LGA chairmen are all PDP members.”

The lawyer said the suspension “is unknown to law and will be ignored”.

Continue Reading

Politics

Ex-sports minister Bolaji Abdullahi resigns from PDP

Published

7 days ago

on

December 16, 2024 11:52 am

By

Bolaji Abdullahi, a former minister of sports and youth development, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He disclosed his intention to resign in a letter dated December 16 and addressed to the PDP ward chairman in Ubadawaki, Kwara state.

Abdullahi confirmed the development to TheCable on Monday.

The ex-minister also said he is yet to decide which political platform to pitch tent with.

“The decision of what to do and where to go will be taken in the future that’s left to God,” he said.

In the resignation letter, Abdullahi said he reached the “difficult” decision after days of reflection and introspection.

“I write to formally resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” the letter reads.

“I have had ample time to reflect, and I have come to the difficult conclusion that this is the only tenable option for me at this time.

“Mr. Chairman, please permit me to express, through you, my gratitude to the leadership of the party for the opportunities that I have had to serve the state and the country on its platform, and for the great moments we have shared.”

Abdullahi was the PDP candidate for the Kwara central senatorial district election in 2023. He lost the race to Salihu Mustapha of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Continue Reading

Politics

PDP debunks inviting Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency

Published

1 week ago

on

December 16, 2024 8:14 am

By

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has not extended an invitation to former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the presidency on its platform in the 2027 election.

Speaking with BBC Hausa, Ibrahim Abdullahi, deputy spokesperson of the country’s main opposition party, said no ticket has been issued to the former president.

Abdullahi said the party has many eligible people who can contest for the presidency on its platform, adding that a recent interview he granted was interpreted to mean that Jonathan he asked to run on the PDP platform.

“The report that PDP has issued its presidential ticket to former President Goodluck Jonathan or invited him to contest the 2027 presidential election is not true,” he said.

“What happened is this, I had an interview with a journalist where we discussed some issues.

“But in the course of the interview, he mentioned President Jonathan, asking about our opinion of him, because there are reports that he is being urged to run for the presidency.

“I responded by saying that he (Jonathan) is eligible to contest the election, because he is a Nigerian and has the right to do that by the provision of the law, and he still has one more term left.

“So, there is nothing wrong about him contesting the presidential election because he is eligible in the face of the law.”

The deputy spokesperson said the ticket would be given to someone who has shown interest in running for the presidency.

Jonathan, then in the PDP, lost the presidential election to former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

Continue Reading

Most Read...