The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Police arrest monarch, 17 others over kidnapping in Benue community

    Police arrest monarch, 17 others over kidnapping in Benue community

    Officers of Benue State Police Command have arrested a traditional ruler, who allegedly used his compound to harbour kidnapped victims.

    The incident occurred last Saturday at Mchia, in Logo Local Government.

    A statement by the police spokesperson, Kate Aneene, said a police squad acting on information stormed a hideout of kidnappers and their victims.

    The hideout where victims of kidnapping were rescued turned out to be the compound of a monarch, Chief Tule Nyam.

    The statement said: “0n November 23, at about 1800hrs  information was received at Logo Police Division that a group of bandits armed with dangerous weapons mobilised and invaded a market at Mchia, Logo Local Government and kidnapped two traders.

    Read Also: 2024 budget: Katsina govt allocates 20% to water, education sectors – Commissioner

    “Upon receipt of this information, which was relayed to Police Headquarters in Makurdi, the Commissioner of Police, CP. George Chuku psc(+), ordered the deployment of tactical teams to raid the area and ensure that the victims were rescued.

    “On November 25, the police team stormed a hideout where the two victims were rescued at the compound of Zaki Tule Nyam, a tax collector. The victims said they were held hostage and their families were given one week to source for N10million and pay as ransom. The police later stormed the place.”

    “Consequently, Zaki Nyam and 17 other suspects were arrested at the compound for further investigation. Items recovered from them include one Dane gun and a machete.

    “While investigation is ongoing, the CP enjoins the people of Logo Local Government to cooperate with the police teams sent to the area by giving them useful information.”

  • Nigeria’s greatest asset is its citizens, says Shettima

    Nigeria’s greatest asset is its citizens, says Shettima

    Vice President Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is prioritising investment in human capital and related areas because the nation’s greatest asset is its people.

    The Vice President spoke at the Barewa Old Boys’ Association (BOBA) annual lecture and awards in Abuja.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, Vice President Shettima said: “We need the support and trust of all Nigerians. In return, we have pledged to lead the nation towards building a less challenging economy, in spite of the current hardships which we wish were avoidable.

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    “Nigeria’s greatest asset is its people. We have to rediscover and teach our young wholesome values, like service, honesty and hard work. As an administration, we have very clear priorities we believe must be achieved.”

    Shettima was represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters (Office of the Vice President), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed.

    According to him, the theme of the annual lecture “expands the horizon for a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges at the meeting point between the citizen and the state”.

  • WHO raises alarm as TB infection increases in Borno

    WHO raises alarm as TB infection increases in Borno

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday raised the alarm over what it termed “increasing rate of Tuberculosis (TB) infection in Borno.”

    The organisation’s Head of Mission/Country Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo, expressed the organisation’s concern during the North-East Nigeria 13th WHO End-Term Joint Operations Review (JOR) in Yola.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria and often affects the lung.

    NAN also reports that JOR is for Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states, affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

    The country representative, however, assured WHO’s readiness to work with Borno Government to address the problem.

    He said: “The rate of tuberculosis infection in Borno is worrisome. It means that Borno could be a ticking bomb for tuberculosis explosion in Nigeria.

    “We don’t want to allow that because of humanitarian crisis; we need to work together because that thing itself is strictly an emergency.’’

    Mulombo, therefore, urged stakeholders to take actions to accelerate help, and to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal of leaving no one behind.

    Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum said that the state lost about 50 per cent of its health institutions and many staff were abducted or killed due to the insurgency.

    Represented by the Borno Commissioner for Health, Dr Baba Malam-Gana, Zulum said “one of the consequences of this is the issue of tuberculosis, which needs a lot of staff to work on it, including machines.”

    According to him, the state currently uses the help of military to reach hard to reach areas to deliver services such as immunisation.

    Read Also: 2024 budget: Katsina govt allocates 20% to water, education sectors – Commissioner

    He urged the world body to help in that regard, as well as in tackling Gender-Based Violence issues, among other areas.

    Adamawa State Commissioner for Health, Dr Felix Tangwame, who represented Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, thanked the organisation for its contributions to the state in many ways

    He said WHO had provided various services such as capacity building, surveillance in preventing outbreak of diseases in the state, among others.

    He called for more assistance, especially in the area of training for health workers to be updated on new diseases and to know how to handle them.

    Yobe Commissioner for Health Dr Muhammad Gana, represented by Dr Babagana Abba, the Programme Manager, Saving One Million Lives, described WHO’s contributions to health issues as “excellent.”

    He confirmed that as a result of insurgency, the state experienced a lot of challenges, but WHO’s intervention helped to ameliorate the situation.

  • Katsina rolls out reform plans in the education sector

    Katsina rolls out reform plans in the education sector

    The Katsina State Government yesterday rolled out several reform plans to be carried out in the education sector as part of measures aimed not only consolidating on the past achievements but to record greater improvement and infrastructural development of the sector

    Commissioner for Education, Hajia Hadiza Yaradua Abubakar who unveiled the plans yesterday while briefing newsmen in her office, said the primary focus of her ministry is to address some of the teething issues including reducing the teacher-students ratio by building more schools, ensuring reduction in commute time and distance for children to access learning centers.

    She said: ’’I have left my comfort zone as a school owner for over a decade to come to Katsina to roll up my sleeves and ensure that our children are equipped to access opportunities that will make them globally relevant’.

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    ‘’I have no doubt that education is the bedrock of any societal development. Despite the high importance of education, the sector in Katsina State is riddled with a lot of challenges’.

    ‘’These challenges include amongst others: infrastructure, funding, access to opportunities and personnel. These factors require coordination and concerted efforts to change the narrative. ’Some of the observations we made when we resumed office include: teacher to students ratio across public schools in Katsina is 1:120; children walk an average of five km to and from school, insecurity in areas prone to bandit attack.

    ‘’About 78 per cent of parents send their children to public schools with the state government as sponsor. Limited information and access to relevant data that share more insight of the state of the Basic and Secondary Education, also needed to be addressed’’.

  • I will ensure peace, unity among residents, Mutfwang vows

    I will ensure peace, unity among residents, Mutfwang vows

    Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has reiterated his determination to strengthened peace and unity among Christian, Muslims and other ethnic groups in the state.

    He also assured residents of the government commitment to develop Plateau by execution of meaningful projects that will enhanced their living standard.

    Mutfwang stated this during inspection of road projects within the Jos-Bukuru Metropolis.

    Commencing from the Plateau Roundabout, Masallacin Juma’ah Street, Zololo Junction, Angwan Rukuba to Millionaire Quarters in Jos metropolis, the governor expressed satisfaction with the quality of work, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to changing the development narrative in the state to enhance citizens’ living conditions.

    Read Also: 2024 budget: Katsina govt allocates 20% to water, education sectors – Commissioner

    Addressing residents at Masalacin Jama’a and Angwan Rukuba, Mutfwang explained that the primary focus of his administration is to make the roads motorable to enhance the beauty of the state capital. He also announced plans to embark on larger projects in the future.

    “We want to ensure that every nook and cranny of Jos and Bukuru Metropolis is improved to make the city a welcoming place for all visitors and residents,” he stated.

    Expressing satisfaction with the milestones achieved in road projects, the governor promised to execute more projects across the 17 local government areas of the state.

    Commissioner of Works, Bulus Lekshak, and General Manager of Plateau State Roads Maintenance Agency, Luka Davou echoed the administration’s commitment to improving citizens’ living conditions.

    Accompanying the governor were Deputy Governor Ngo Josephine Piyo, Secretary to the Government of the State Arc. Samuel Jatau, Commissioners, and Heads of Government Agencies.

  • Islamic body offers scholarship to 857 indigent students in Nasarawa

    Islamic body offers scholarship to 857 indigent students in Nasarawa

    The Islamic Society of Eggonland (ISE) a Nasarawa-based charity organisation, has awarded scholarship to 857 indigent students pursuing higher education in various academic fields in the country.

    Alhaji Umar Galle, the General Secretary of the organisation said this at a news conference in Nasarawa Eggon.

    Galle said the organisation provided scholarship to indigent students from low -income backgrounds,  regardless of their faith and ethnicity, who were pursuing higher education in various academic fields.

    He said that the amount given to each beneficiary depended on students’ course of study.

    ”For example, medicine students did not take the same amount with social science students among other fields. Out of the 857 scholarship recipients, a total of 526 are new beneficiaries and 331 are existing or old beneficiaries. Out of the 857 scholarship recipients, 649 are Muslims and 208 are Christians,” he said.

    Galle said the organisation received 758 applications in 2023, adding that it shortlisted 526 and rejected 232 based on its eligibility criteria.

    “Out of the 758 new applications, 546 were from Muslim students and 208 were from Christian students.

    ” We shortlisted 406 and 120 respectively and rejected 140 and 88 respectively,” he said.

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    Abdullahi Galle said that out of the 857 recipients, 517 were males while 340 were females.

    “Out of the 857 scholarship recipients, 9 are pursuing Ph.D, 26 are pursuing M.Sc is pursuing law part 11, one is pursuing PGD and 481 are pursuing B.Sc.

    “36 are pursuing HND, 87 are pursuing NCE, 78 are pursuing ND polytechnic, 27 are pursuing ND Nursing and midwifery and 111 are pursuing ND school and college of health,” he said.

    He said that the scholarship was diverse and inclusive covering students from different religious backgrounds, genders and academic fields.

    “We believe that education is the key to empowerment and development and we are committed to supporting students who have the potential and the passion to achieve their dreams,” he said.

  • Foundation urges Fed Govt to  quench  Ororo inferno

    Foundation urges Fed Govt to  quench  Ororo inferno

    The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called on the Federal Government to quench the Ororo Inferno in Ondo State.

    The foundation said for the Ororo -1 Well at OML95 has been burning with no attention from the government, or the company responsible for it for the past three years.

    It said the burning well has now become a symbol of ecocide and outright neglect by the Nigerian state.

    Executive Director HOMEF, Nimmo Bassey in a statement, said Awoye’s tale is a sad example of a healthy region turned into a sacrifice zone by the pursuit of fossil fuels.

    Read Also: 2024 budget: Katsina govt allocates 20% to water, education sectors – Commissioner

    He stated, “For over three years, the Ororo -1 Well at OML95 has been burning with no attention from the Federal Government or the company responsible for it.

    “The burning well has now become a symbol of ecocide and outright neglect by the Nigerian state. Several different environmentalists have raised their voices over decades of destructive extraction of petroleum resources that disrupted ecosystems with decades of exploration and have turned a once-thriving region into one of the most deadly and polluted places on Earth. Awoye’s tale is a sad example of a healthy region turned into a sacrifice zone by the pursuit of fossil fuels,” Bassey said.

  • SGBV: Niger Govt moves to domesticate Family Courts

    SGBV: Niger Govt moves to domesticate Family Courts

    The Niger Government said it has begun arrangements to establish Family Courts to speed up Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) cases, in order to get justice for the victims in the state.

    Hajiya Hadiza Shiru, Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on the sideline of a free medical outreach yesterday in Minna.

    Shiru said the free medical outreach was organised by the ministry in collaboration with the state office of National Human Right Commission (NHRC) as part of activities to mark the 16 day activism against SGBV.

    She expressed optimism that by 2024, the court would be domesticated and fully operational in the state.

    The permanent secretary said that one of the obstacles militating against victims of SGBV to come and report cases was stigmatisation.

    According to Shiru, on this issue, the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, had directed that the victims must be given full protection.

    “She also directed that family courts be established, where all the stakeholders in SGBV will be free to speak out.

    “Here in Niger state, we are working with the Ministry of Justice and the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), to speed up the process of establishing family courts in the state.

    “Already, we have set a day aside to visit the Attorney-General of the State to fine-tune the process,” she said.

    Shiru said that there were already existing laws in the state protecting women and children against violence, such as Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law and the Child Right law.

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    “These laws have been domesticated in Niger state and are fully active,” she said.

    Shiru said that there had been several reported cases of child abuse, defilement, Gender Based Violence in the state.

    “We have been dealing with reported cases, we have done everything possible to protect those who reported their cases, toward getting justice for them.

    “Already we have over 1,700 cases of GBV cases reported in the state this year, out of the figure we have secured 20 prosecutions,” she said.

    In his remark, Dr Nuhu Mohammed, the State Coordinator, NHRC, said that the 16 day exercise against GBV was an annual international campaign from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10.

    Mohammed said that the theme for the 2023 event; “Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children,” focusses on the importance of financing different prevention strategies to end violence against women and girls.

  • Hosting parties during birthdays is waste of time and money, says  Sani

    Hosting parties during birthdays is waste of time and money, says  Sani

    • Offers 500 free medical surgeries to residents

    The Founder of Sani Bello Foundation, Rtd. Col. Sani Bello has said that hosting parties during birthdays is a waste of time as individuals can use these monies for humanity.

    Bello, during the foundation’s medical outreach named ‘Free Surgical Festival,’ said that the best gifts to receive for his birthdays are the smiles of those who are beneficiaries of his foundation’s free medical outreach.

    “I am not a party person. If I should host the party, I will likely invite dignitaries who are not in need of food. Instead of wasting money on parties, I decided to use it to serve humanity. I also discovered that the best way to do so is by taking care of their health.

    “That is why I embarked on this journey through the Sani Bello Foundation and Graceland Foundation team of medical experts. We have been on it for ten years.

    “It brings me fulfillment walking through the various wards and seeing the smiles on people’s faces. These people cannot afford the money for the surgery so I am glad I can take the pressure off their shoulders and allow them to live a normal life,” he said.

    Bello stated that he is determined to do more for humanity as he realized that there are several people in need of the surgeries that are being offered.

    He said that the organization does not discriminate on who benefits from the free surgeries adding that the beneficiaries come as far as Lagos and Port Harcourt to benefit from the Foundation’s free medical surgeries.

    The Head of the Medical Team for the outreach, Dr Thot Dogo Joseph, said that the foundation operated close to 500 patients for appendicitis, hernia, hydrocoele, goiter, lumps, cataracts, glaucoma alongside gynecological procedures on fibroids.

    Joseph, who is also the Chairman of Graceland Development Healthcare Foundation, said that since the inception of the free medical surgical festival, they have carried out surgeries on 13,000 people.

    Read Also: 2024 budget: Katsina govt allocates 20% to water, education sectors – Commissioner

    “These surgeries are free of charge. Our Chairman, Col. Sani Bello sponsors the surgeries. What we cannot carry out here are to be done in other places. We do not usually have a target because our Chairman gives us an open cheque to operate as many people as we can during the days of the outreaches,” he said.

     The Director General of the Sani Bello Foundation, Dr. Zachari Ikani said that the foundation also ensures that the surgical theatre and wards are in good shape before the medical-surgical festival begins.

    According to him, this year, the foundation worked on the air conditioners and the lighting and renovated the stretchers for easy movement of the patients from the theatres to the wards.

    Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to newsmen appreciated the foundation for the initiative, saying that they have been offered the best gifts of their lives.

    Mrs Zhanif Jarfa, who had a baby through a cesarean section noted that her husband cannot foot the cesarean surgery bills.

    She thanked the foundation that she and her baby are alive and healthy.

    The soundation also treated 2,000 people for non-surgical illnesses such as malaria and typhoid at no cost to them.

  • FG probes plane landing in Asaba

    FG probes plane landing in Asaba

    The Federal Government has directed an investigation into a United Nigeria Airlines flight which landed in Asaba, Delta state capital instead of Abuja.

    Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo disclosed this on Monday in Abuja.

    The Minister said the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) was investigating the incident and other aviation related incidents.

    He directed the Bureau to submit its report in ten days.

    The Nation reports that United Nigeria Airlines, on Sunday said its Lagos-Abuja flight was diverted to Asaba, Delta State capital, due to poor weather conditions.

    The flight, NUA 0504, took off on Sunday from the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Terminal 2 and was headed for Abuja.

    Speaking with reporters, Keyamo said from the flight’s transcript, the pilot was directed to Asaba from Lagos.

    He said the pilot didn’t know the route because the crew were foreigners.

    The Minister directed all wet lease operators to include a Nigerian pilot in their crew.

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    Wet Lease operator refers to the leasing of an aircraft to an airline along with a crew to fly the plane and provide the onboard service.

    Speaking on Monday, Keyamo said: “We have listened to the transcript from the plane. It was clear that the pilot was directed to Asaba from Lagos.

    “It is a question of a wet lease where the plane pilot and crew are foreigners because they came with the plane. The pilot didn’t know the route.

    “Henceforth, all wet lease coming into Nigeria must have a Nigeria pilot sitting at the cockpit. We have also decided that a wet Lease must have Nigerians as cabin crew.”

    He also warned that all regulators who fail in their duties must be penalised and have their licenses suspended.

    On the issue of delayed flights and cancellation, the Minister said “We are also looking into delayed and cancelled flights for compensation for Nigerians.

    “We are reassuring Nigerians that we are taking every step as a ministry to ensure safety of air transport.”