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SEEMINGLY unperturbed by petitions pending at both the Court of Appeal and election tribunals against his “election'' in April 2007, Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has flagged off ....
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From OGBU NGENE, Abuja
AGITATION by majority citizens for equitable share of the national cake through the carving out of more states has continued amid an alleged power game crippling the ...
Akunyili wields the axe!
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WHILE, tongues are still wagging over how the Professor of medicine could fit into her job, the newly-appointed Minister of Information and Communications, Mrs Doro...
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NEWS
• Nigerians in high hopes for 2009
• Workers resume work after joyful Xmas
• NBA wants Borno CP removed
• Official corruption: Sacked Edo Agency boss
may be declared wanted 
• Gov Saraki plans Micro-Finance Bank
• Cleric admonishes Nigerians to fulfil their promises to God
• 30 Baales’ lobby for beaded crowns
• FRSC operative beats driver to coma
• Kwara govt to renovate Secretariat with N602m
• PDP leaders, Elders confidence in Gov Uduaghan
• Nigeria's socio-political, economic problems blamed on Festac 77
• Ogun councils remit N582m to pension funds managers
• Summit canvasses due process in Council admin.
• Lawmakers appeal to striking lecturers
• Lady Ohakim advises Children to pray for parents, guardians 
• Group hails UN for Obansanjo's appointment
• Gov. Yuguda donates vehicles to police, sues for retrain
•Ijaws dare Itsekiris over Ijalahga community
• Agitators for foreign loans to Nigeria must be jailed –ASUU boss
• Lawmaker thanks Assembly for reversing suspension
• 50 become house-owners as Gov Saraki marks 46
• Northern Govs urged to stimulate industrial growth
• Past govts responsible for nation's infrastructural decay – Minister
• Democrats to converge in PH for Princewill's 40TH birthday

Relating Stories
Law & Order
• KAI officials do not harass people unjustly —Marshal General
• NDLEA arrests 6,308 suspects
• Private guards activities well regulated in Imo — Commandant
• IGP summons DPO over harassment of widow

Shall we expect less crime in 2009?

As the world says good-bye to the year 2008 and anxiously awaits the events that would shape 2009, it is certain that not every citizen of the world would wish to remember 2008 with nostalgia. Here in Nigeria , while millions of the citizenry do not think 2008 was a bad year in terms of the security of their lives and property, some million others do not share the same feeling as they may have lost some beloved ones to armed robbers, hired killers and other prowling hatchet-men.

The Nigeria Police Force which is the agency statutorily charged with the protection of lives and property, from daily crime statistics recorded every day in the 36 states of the federation may want to argue that there was a decline in crime rate within the year compared to 2007, yet the fact that many notable incidents of armed robbery, hired killing, kidnapping and hostage taking, pipeline vandalisation, ethno-religious riots, embezzlement of public funds and so on, took place wherein lives were lost, is enough to conclude that the year 2008 was not fair to some citizens.

In spite of concerted efforts of the police and other security agencies of the state to curb the incidence of crime in 2008, there were evidences of criminal activities here and there. It was one year, bank robbery took a deadlier dimension as banks suddenly became the main attraction of robbers who would do anything to gain access to the vault even though, it proved difficult for them in some cases. It was a year police escort and bank officials got the worst challenge of their lives as armed robbers looked out for them.

The year 2008 was also a year many innocent citizens received the bullets of unknown gunmen. We lost Abayomi Ogundeji of Thisday newspaper to gunmen of unknown origin. We lost Christopher Eimunjeze of Bank PHB and some others to hatchet-men whose reason(s) for their act have remained unfathomable.

In Jos, Plateau State we lost about 500 citizens in the hands of some wild-beasts masquerading in human form all in the name of ethnicity, religion and politics in the same 2008.
The list is endless and it would only make us sadder as one goes on recalling the gory incidents of 2008 caused not by nature itself but largely by the criminal tendencies of our fellow brothers and sisters. The question now is: shall we expect a replay of such ugly incidents in 2009? God forbid!

As we welcome 2009 with open arms and great expectations, somebody, somewhere would be making some resolutions on the path to tread in the new year. It is in the nature of man to make a new year resolution particularly in Nigeria . While some would resolve to change their ways for the better in the year, others would choose to worsen theirs by resolving to do more of evil in a manner that does not seem evil to them in so far as there is pecuniary interest.

The society is the worst for it when resolutions are not on the positive side. If every man or woman would on the eve of a new year resolve that he or she would shun every criminal or evil indulgence or any semblance of same in his/her private/public life in the new year and goes ahead to abide by same resolution, our police men would have less to contend with, in terms of fighting crime.

The billions of naira budgeted yearly by the government to fight crime which in most cases end up in a few people's pockets would have been used for the provision of employment opportunities and provision of public facilities.

If every man/woman can resolve on the eve of the new year to be a responsible citizen in the new year and actually remain so, there is certainly no reason for anybody to be afraid of the environment he/she finds oneself simply because one is not an indigene or share same religious or political affiliation just like we witnessed in the Jos riot of December, 2008.
The year 2009 should be a year the police would not be over-stretched in pursuit of armed robbers and other criminals. It should be a year we do not witness the gruesome killing of one politician, businessman or some other citizen. In 2009 we should not hear/witness incidence of kidnapping, neither shall we record mass death caused by petroleum pipeline vandals.

We can achieve all these if only we remember that our earthly journey is just for a shot time and that in the fullness of time, everybody would give account of his/her activities while on earth. So let us make 2009 a crime-less year as I wish all a happy new year.