Author: The Nation

The General Superintendent, Deeper Life Bible Church worldwide, Pastor Williams F. Kumuyi, has concluded plans to hold a mega crusade with over 60,000 youths, adults faithful expected to be in attendance.

Addressing reporters in Abuja, the State Overseer for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Pastor Elijah Adebiyi, said the crusade would hold in Abuja at the main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National stadium.

Adebiyi said the program is non- denominational, adding that it’s a movement of the entire Christian community in Nigeria and beyond.

He said the Youth Wing of the Christian Association (YOWICAN), Fellowship of Christian Students, Children Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), Children Evangelism ministry (CEM) are main stakeholders.

He said: “The main bowl capacity is 60,000 and we are expecting 60,000 participants.

Some residents of Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday said they stopped using kerosene as alternative means of cooking because of its high cost.

The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said health hazard was also a major setback to the use of kerosene.

Miss Hannatu Baya, a student, said that kerosene was too expensive and out of the reach of ordinary Nigerians, adding that most times, the product was unavailable for people to buy.

According to her, struggling to get the product made her search for alternative means of cooking.

She said: ” I have a 5kg gas cylinder that takes me almost a month before refilling, and this is because I alternate with an electric cooker once there’s power, it is better for me than a kerosene stove.”

Madam Charity Okonkwo, who sells charcoal and firewood, told NAN correspondent that she once sold kerosene but stopped after the product became too expensive.

“We used to go and queue at the filling station for days before the product was made available. When it will finally come, we will fight; it was a struggle, yet, we will buy it at a high cost to sell at a higher cost too. After a while, people started to use charcoal, which does not need much kerosene to light up, so the demand for the product from my customers dropped. That was how I changed to selling charcoal and firewood and the patronage has been better,” she said.

She also said that kerosene presently costs about N1,180 per litre at the filling stations and is being sold by retailers in the community from N1, 250 to N1,500 per litre.

Mrs Grace Ishaya, a housewife and mother of five, said that she stopped cooking with kerosene for over four years after one of her children accidentally inhaled the emissions from the cooking stove while sleeping.

“I don’t know if the kerosene was adulterated with something else, but the flames brought out so much black smoke that filled the kitchen and extended into other parts of the house. I tried to regulate it but to no avail, until one of my children ran to tell me that they had been trying to wake their brother who was sleeping, to play football, but he was not responding.

“My neighbours heard the chaos and came to help and one of them took us to the general hospital where they confirmed that my son had inhaled so much smoke in his system. We thank God because at the end of the day, he was resuscitated.

“Since then, I prefer to use cooking gas and charcoal, even though they both are expensive, we manage to buy according to our means,” Ishaya said

From Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

Owners of unapproved structures camouflaging such properties as indigenous houses, may have to come up with another format, as the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said it is out to deal with those involved.

This is as the FCTA demolished structures and shanties at the Kabusa village.

Addressing reporters during the demolition exercise, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah, said while the administration will respect the rights of the original inhabitants to resettlement and compensation, it will not hesitate to pull down all illegal houses belonging to non-indigenes.

Attah, while warning mischief makers inscribing ‘Gbagyi House’ on structures marked for demolition to desist from that, also warned those who collect money from non-indigenes to provide cover for them that will not stand.

He said:  “We are not touching houses of the indigenous people; we are clear on that. They have rights to resettlement and compensation but those who are non-indigenes who have become so mischievous to go and write all over their houses, ‘Gbagyi House’ ‘Gbagyi House’ we see that there and when we get there, we know the indigenous houses, we have men who are undercover agents and have been living there and have guided it. So those who are non-indigenes and are writing indigenes’ houses on their building, we will remove all of them.

“The original indigenes are here. The chiefs are here, the SSA to the Minister on Youths and Community Relations is here. They know their houses and we also know the indigenous houses as well. Those who collect money from non-indigenes to give them cover will not stand”.

On why the team was back to Kabusa, the minister’s aide said the team will sustain the operation until all batchers, shanties and illegal structures fuelling insecurity in the neighbourhood are removed.

“There have been cases of kidnapping around some key estates around here stretching down to the Apo axis which we will be taking down the batchers and shanties and every illegal settlement around here, even baban Bola colonies. We will be doing all of that and continuation of what the Department of Development Control started. That’s the removal of illegal structures where FCTA allocate lands and people sold the land to other people without papers and they built upon it, that’s why you are seeing real busy work going on today and that’s what we are doing throughout today,” he said.

A pro-democracy group, All Progressives Congress (APC) Northern Alliance for Good Governance has urged the President-elect, Bola Tinubu to assess individuals lobbying for positions, based on personal track record and public trust.

In a statement in Abuja yesterday by the group’s Convener, Sani Mudi, the group said it was concerned about the personality of those jostling for the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The pro-democracy group said such a position was of immense significance, adding that anybody who emerged as SGF must be a viable partner in driving the policy of the government.

“Such a position should be manned by an experienced hand, with a trajectory of excellent service delivery,” the statement said.

The group called on the President-elect and other APC stakeholders to cede the position to the North Central and make the immediate Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council and Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, the next SGF.

“The dust raised by the same-faith ticket of the APC had really shaken the fabric of the country. As such, the APC should look to the direction of a northern Christian, for balance, inclusiveness, and equity.

“Lalong fits in perfectly and is cut for the position, he has the capacity and wherewithal to do the job. He has sacrificed and done a lot for the party. He lost his Senatorial ambition and invested hugely his time, resources and put in everything for the victory of the APC. As such, no amount of compensation is too much,” the statement read.

It also urged party chieftains from different regions to join in the call, and intensify efforts in ensuring Lalong got the position.

“The unity of the country is paramount; we must concentrate on things that will unite us. So let’s balance the equation and do the right thing,” the group added.

The Jigawa government has banned tree felling for firewood and charcoal to protect forest resources and the environment.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Lawan Ahmed, Managing Director, Jigawa State Environmental Protection Agency (JISEPA), yesterday in Dutse.

He said the agency banned tree felling across the 27 local government areas of the state, without approval as enshrined in the law establishing it.

Ahmed said the measure was imperative to check indiscriminate felling of trees by loggers for fuel wood and charcoal.

“JISEPA is mandated by law to discourage, prevent and stop indiscriminate/illegal felling of trees across the state with a view to safeguarding the environment.

“The agency observed and received reports of incessant and indiscriminate felling of trees for unauthorised and illegal logging, uprooting of trees for fuel and charcoal.

“The menace ravages the state’s existing and fragile trees with potential deforestation on farm yields, livelihood and public health.

“Trees provide life support systems, play vital roles in economic and social lives, carbon sequestration and global climate regulation as well as regulating local air quality and rainfall patterns.

“Deforestation, fragmentation and degradation destroy the biodiversity, now many trees, shrubs, herbs and habitats for some animal species have been depleted, while some are endangered,” he said.

According to him, the consequences of cutting down trees are enormous, ranging from decreased biodiversity,  climate change, desertification, loss of water and soil resources, psychological, social consequences, among others.

Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has sworn in Justice Hafsat Abdulraman as the first substantive female chief judge in Adamawa State.

Also sworn in on Monday were Ibrahim Sudi and Audu Balami as the state Grand Khadi, Sharia Court of Appeal and President Customary Court of Appeal respectively.

The three justices were appointed separately in Acting capacity in 2022 by Fintiri, after which their nominations were sent to the state House of Assembly which confirmed them recently.

Fintiri said the new chief judge is a consummate person who rose through the ranks with an unblemished record.

“We are making history as a government by having the first female chief judge in the history of the state. Her emergence is therefore a watershed development in gender mainstreaming and a testament that the girl-child is at liberty to rise and become anything with merit, devoid of any man-made barriers in Adamawa State,” Fintiri said.

To parents, he advised, “I must say, if we are looking for a role model for our daughters, this is a perfect place to come to – merit, right, truth, hard work, dedication, fairness and justice.”

Fintiri added that Justices Sudi and Balami, Grand Khadi and President of the Customary Court of Appeal respectively, are equally cutting-edge judges in their own rights.

He said: “The appointments of their lordships are based on our recommendation to the National Judicial Council (NJC). This recommendation was hinged on our assessment of their suitability and performance which meets NJC’s criteria for appointment of judges.”

Justice Abdulraman hailed Governor Fintiri for acting promptly on the recommendations of the NJC.

She said the newly inaugurated judges would do their best to promote the cause of justice in the state in accordance with the dictates of the judicial oath they had subscribed to.