Senate clears Chidoka, Sulaimon as ministers

THE Senate, on Wednesday, confirmed the Corps Marshal of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Osita Chidoka and a lecturer at the University of Abuja, Dr Suleiman Abubakar as ministers, following their screening at the plenary. The ministerial nominees were subjected to a barrage of questions by a section of senators, who took time to scrutinise their curriculum vitae. Dr Suleiman, in his submissions at the screening, told the lawmakers that the Federal Government needed to involve academics in the fight against terrorism. According to him, Nigerians as a people had equally failed to identify factors which constituted threats to security. The minister designate said there was also the need to stop the influx of arms into Nigeria, adding that paramilitary agencies which should check influx of human beings into the country had failed. He added that past leaders of the country over the years equally failed to tackle security challenges, like the Zango Kataf crisis, the Sharia crisis and the Almajiri problem, which he said were root causes of the crisis confronting the country today. The don said our problem had to do with our failure to assess the situation, stressing that if we had done that before now, we would not be where we are today. “The best factor and variable the government can employ when it comes to decision making, is to carry out a survey on causes and identify the root cause(s) by using intellectuals from all spheres,” he said. He pointed out that the research would expose reason (s) some people were angry, aggrieved and that those findings would assist government in coming out with policies that would serve as panacea towards addressing issues. He added: “We cannot win the war on terrorism except and unless we are united as a country. That unity is missing. The terrorists see in us, as a people, as a government, as Nigerians that some of us are unsympathetic to their cause and that is what is keeping them going. That way, we cannot win the war.” Chidoka, in his submission, said he was able to impact positively on the FRSC in his seven years in the saddle, adding that the FRSC had now attained international standard. He said: “From 11,000 staff, 170 patrol cars, 17 ambulances and a budget of N6.5 billion in 2007, we now have 800 patrol cars, 20000 personnel, N30 billion budget and 375 V-Sat equipment connecting all the units of the FRSC across the country to the headquarters.” He also said that with automation of the operations of the commission, the agency had ability to know the number of deaths resulting from accidents in different parts of the country. He further told the senators that the FRSC had reliable data and was being studied by countries including Ghana, and Sierra Leone. According to him, it used to take an average of eight weeks for communication to pass from unit commands of the FRSC when he took over, but that he had reduced that to a few minutes through the use of internet. He pledged to open up the nation’s airspace if assigned to the Ministry of Aviation.