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Councillors demand better protection from abuse and death threats

Council leaders have demanded urgent measures to tackle what they say is a tide of abuse against councillors, potentially including a specific law against intimidating public officials and a greater willingness to prosecute those who make threats.

A meeting of senior local government leaders from across England heard of regular death threats against councillors and routine abuse or accusations of corruption on social media and in comments under local newspaper website stories.

The executive advisory board of the Local Government Association (LGA), which groups together several dozen council leaders from various parties, had already begun gathering information about the issue before the killing of the Conservative MP Sir David Amess last week.

But in a meeting on Thursday, a series of councillors recounted receiving death threats, saying that the extent of intimidation risked seeing many people put off from putting themselves up for election.

“You shouldn’t have to be a brave superhero to want to stand and represent your community,” said Tudor Evans, the leader of the opposition on Plymouth council, who said he had once been sent a death threat because of a temporary traffic light scheme.

Evans recounted how the previous week in Plymouth, a man had gone into a cafe with a knife in his belt and made threats against local councillors.

Nick Forbes, the leader of Newcastle council, said he had quit almost all social media due to a “daily background” of messages containing homophobic comments or accusations of corruption.

Forbes said he and colleagues felt things were so bad that ministers needed to act. “In the same way that there is additional protection for, for example, police officers and NHS staff, we thought that there should be a specific offence of intimidating or harassing a public official,” he said.

Forbes said the police response to even direct threats was “patchy”, and called for officers and prosecutors to adopt a “zero tolerance approach to harassment”.

While saying that councillors had to make sure their discourse was “mature and sensible”, Forbes argued that some local papers played a role in fomenting hatred: “We need the media to take a responsible attitude, to not boiling complicated, complex issues down to good or bad, demons or heroes, providing clickbait and often using the language of aggression.”

Georgia Gould, the leader of Camden council in north London, said the extent of intimidation was such that councillors should be able to opt out of having their home address publicly visible. She said: “Most of us have probably received some kind of death threat, or other difficult visits to our homes, and I just don’t think it’s a safe situation.”

Isobel Seccombe, the leader of Warwickshire county council, who heads the LGA’s Conservative grouping, said she too had received threats, but was worried that it was becoming so routine that it was seen as inescapable.

She said: “That’s the problem, that we do accept this as a consequence of being a councillor. And our acceptance of it is, in a way, contributing to the problem.”

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NAF destroys illegal refining sites in Niger Delta

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says the air components of Operations Whirl Punch and Delta Safe on Saturday, knocked out terrorists’ hideouts in Niger and destroyed illegal oil refining sites in the Niger Delta.

in a statement on Sunday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet said that 18 illegal refining sites were destroyed in the Niger Delta.

Gabkwet said NAF air strikes also hit the enclaves of notorious terrorist kingpin, Mallam Umar, and several other commanders located in Alawa Forest in the Shiroro area of the state.

He said that there was extensive intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance in the targeted area, which revealed clusters of huts amidst dense vegetation, with a significant presence of armed terrorists.

According to him, the targeted terrorists were responsible for the recent attacks on ground troops at Bassa and the detonation of multiple Improvised Explosive Devices along Pandogari-Alawa Road in Shiroro.

“Accordingly, the air component promptly deployed its air assets to decisively eliminate the terrorists, resulting in effective and maximum damage to the targets.

“A post-strike Battle Damage Assessment later confirmed the neutralisation of several of the terrorists and the destruction of their hideouts, with positive consequences on their ability to attack surface forces as well as innocent civilians within the area”, he said.

Gabkwet said that similar air strikes were executed against economic saboteurs siphoning crude oil from mutilated pipelines, thereby destroying the environment and ecosystem.

He said the surveillance over Ke, Egbema, Akaso Krakama, Krikama and Military Council Valley revealed a retinue of illegal refining sites that were effectively destroyed.

According to him, a Cotonou boat fully loaded with crude oil was also observed at Akaso Krakama about to depart southwards and was destroyed.

“At Krikama, several cooking sites were observed and destroyed as well.

“In all, 18 illegal refining sites and three Cotonou boats were destroyed”.

Gabkwet said the strikes have substantially weakened the potency of terrorist elements in the North-West and oil thieves in the Niger Delta regions.

He said NAF would continue to collaborate with other security agencies through extensive situational awareness patrols and targeted interdiction of criminals’ safe havens.

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FG begins demolition of properties by right of way on Lagos- Calabar coastal road project

The Federal Government has begun the demolition of properties affected by the right of way on the Lagos-Calabar coastal road construction.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this known in a statement released by Mr Orji Uchenna, his Special Adviser on Media, on Sunday in Abuja.

Umahi said that the project would mark a major milestone in the Renewed Hope roadmap of President Bola Tinubu towards economic diversification.

He said: “The Federal Government is passionate about the plight of the people and will, in the exercise of the right of way, put a human face on the demolition of properties required to give way for the construction of the coastal highway.

Umahi said: “The Federal Government is considering the most economically viable way to pass the coastal road without much damage.

“So there would be no delay in the payment of compensation to affected property owners. So I solicit your cooperation in the timeline of the demolition exercise.

“We are doing some minor adjustments, and our commitment is to stay within the coastline.”

Umahi called on those affected by the demolition exercise to take it as a sacrifice for the ultimate impact of the project for the economic prosperity of the nation.

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Tinubu meets Microsoft founder, Bill Gates

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, met with Microsoft founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Special Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they discussed the relevance of technology in the contemporary world.

Tinubu said his administration is investing in technology that is tailored towards ensuring transparency and accountability in government and accelerating public-sector performance and service delivery to the Nigerian people.

He stated that technology will remain a potent weapon against corruption and financial impropriety in public service.

Emphasising his unwavering commitment to deliver reliable technology that will support a national consumer credit system and many other critical new government interventions for all Nigerians, the President said resistance is often expected when efforts are made to strengthen systems and forestall malfeasance.

“Technology is the enemy of fraud, corruption, and irregularity. We have been working hard on improving technology.

“There is always the initial resistance. Corruption, self-interest, and fraudulent activity will always be an enemy, but when you bend that curve, you will receive the benefit. The nation will receive the benefit,” the President said.

Recounting how he deployed technology to enhance the revenue base of Lagos State as governor, President Tinubu said he ensured the collection and utilisation of essential data, creating an efficient tax system for the state.

“When I was governor of Lagos State, I faced challenges. I started with N600 million and ended up with over N8 billion. And right now, they are targeting a trillion naira with the use of technology in the state. There is no other shortcut. We must invest in technology. We must focus, be diligent, and work hard,” the President said.

In his remarks, Mr. Gates informed the President of a one-identity technological platform that can integrate variegated data, while explaining the centrality of data harmonisation to planning, security, and tax efficiency.

“We are working with Mr. Wale Edun, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, on digitisation. Before you came into office, there were a few things attempted in identity management. But they have been very scattered. There have been multiple identification systems, ” Gates stated.