The Police Service Commission (PSC) is presently considering promoting more officers in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) but is looking at gallant and well-behaved personnel.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police for zone six Calabar, Kola Kamaldeen made this known Thursday when he decorated six newly promoted officers in the zone to the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP).

“The PSC and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba are considering regular promotions of more gallant officers to appreciate their efforts.

“However, they won’t do so just yet if we do not stop the ill-treatment of members of the public, Kamaldeen said.

We have to treat members of the public well to reduce the amount of hatred they have for the police.”

He admitted that a handful of personnel are highhanded and compromised which is why the public abuses and seem to dislike them.

He charged the officers to realise that they are also Nigerians and members of the public.

“The amount of hatred for the Police force is much. This might be a result of the way we ill-treat them.

“We should begin now to treat members of the public well. This way, it will reduce the height of dislike and hatred they have for us. We were supposed to be friends of the public but that is not the case now.”

He also cautioned officers to reduce their quest for money which often leads to problems, adding that their behaviour could link them to prosperity or otherwise.

He charged the promoted officers to do more to commensurate with their new ranks, warning that insubordination would not be tolerated.

The six promoted officers include Nelson Okpabi, PRO of the zone, Anne Duru who is the zonal Admin officer, Bala Hassan, head of the zonal monitoring unit, Innocent Ibor, the zonal provost, Patience Larry, the senior staff officer and Etim Udobong, zonal transport officer.

Nelson Okpabi expressed gratitude on behalf of others, assuring that they will live up to their billing.

Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, has told President Muhammadu Buhari that large-scale killing of civilians such as the one that happened during the civil war of 1967 to 1970 will never be allowed to repeat itself.

In a recent statement issued by his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki,the Nigerian separatist leader allege a ‘pernicious agenda’ by a particular tribe in the country.

Recall that President Buhari had on Tuesday called on political leaders to stay focused and uphold the ultimate objective of promoting the interest of the country, saying, Nigeria cannot afford another civil war.

Igboho, who is pushing for Nigeria to split, has reacted.

His statement reads in part: “We know President Muhammadu Buhari is the Patron of all the Fulani worldwide. But Yoruba Land can never be conquered by Fulani.

President Muhammadu Buhari was reminding Nnamdi Kanu and the Igbos of the massacre they carried out during the Biafra War. The President should know that this can never be repeated again in any of our Land.

“We have all woken up to Fulani Agenda.”

Although, he is still campaigning for seccession through digital means, Igboho has remained in the Republic of Benin since 2021.

• Kwara cabinet okays initiative to support 30K female traders
• Govt partners with MTN Mobile Money for data capturing, disbursement
• Programme modelled after World Bank initiative
  Grant will deepen financial inclusion: Gov

Kwara State Executive Council has approved a programme to empower at least 30,000 female petty traders with a grant of N20,000 each over the next six months — a social investment measure modelled after a World Bank initiative.

In a presentation to the council on Wednesday, Secretary to the Kwara State Government Prof. Mamman Saba Jubril said the programme would be implemented under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme while beneficiaries would cut across the 16 local government areas of the state.

“For stimulation of micro, small and medium scale locally-owned businesses, the agency (KWASSIP) deems it necessary to empower the women within the 16 LGAs of Kwara State. This is another dimension towards ensuring that the women who ordinarily do not have access to financial facility are availed with financial support through the programme,” according to Jubril.

“It may interest council to note that this programme being domesticated and to be funded by the State Government is a replica of the World Bank project (Nigeria for Women Project). However, the state has applied to the World Bank to include Kwara State among the beneficiary states in Nigeria in order to complement the efforts of the state government.”

For efficiency, transparency and easy disbursement to all the 193 wards in the state, Jubril said the government will partner with MTN Nigeria (Mobile Money, MoMo) Service provider which has over 5000 payment agents.

He said the programme will gulp N658m with huge benefits on the microeconomic sector in the state.

Council members took turns to commend the initiative which they said would help to grow small businesses and tackle extreme poverty.

The council meeting was chaired by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq who said the administration remains committed to the plight of the downtrodden, including deepening financial inclusion.

KWASSIP, the implementing agency, has carried out similar social safety programme, including Owo Isowo, Owo Arugbo, and Kwapreneur which have benefitted over 100,000 people in the last two years alone.

A recent social impact assessment report on KWASSIP showed no less than 90% of the beneficiaries affirming the programme to be of huge impacts to them, according to Social Innovation and Research Institute and Northeast Humanitarian Innovation Hub.

A military research group had earlier in March, 2022 made similar conclusions on the state’s social safety programme, saying the KWASSIP could lift at least 50,000 people out of extreme poverty within the next five years.