Author: The Nation

By Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

In a bid to eliminate criminal activities in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), at the weekend, demolished a taxi park reportedly turned into a drug addict’s colony and a haven for many other criminal activities.

FCTA said the place, located at NICON Junction in Maitama District, was supposed to be an interchange by the Abuja Master Plan, but temporarily made a taxi park, to mitigate the hardship of commuters.

Director, FCTA Security Services Department, Adamu Gwari, said the taxi park had not only turned into an environmental nuisance but also a security threat that cannot be allowed.

Gwari, who led other officials on the demolition exercise, also noted that in view of the persistent insecurity across the country, the administration is prepared to deal with all potential dangers to the residents.

His words: “In line with the city programme, this place is a taxi rank. But it has been highly abused and turned into nuisances. That is why we have to remove everything. This place has become a security threat and it breeds criminality. There are series of concerns from the residents regarding the rate of criminality which emanates from this place.”

Chairman,  FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation,  Ikharo Attah said the FCT Minister  Malam Muhammad Bello was worried that the government’s efforts towards alleviating residents’ transportation difficulties were scuttled by miscreants.

Attah explained that the ministerial directive to immediately demolish the taxi park was meant to promptly address brewing insecurity within the highbrow Maitama District, saying the park was abused.

According to him, a place provided by the government to ease residents’ movement, unfortunately, had turned into a hiding place for drug addicts.

He vowed that the contravention won’t be allowed to remain an environmental nuisance that breeds insecurity within the neighbourhood and the territory in general.

Attah said: “This place is supposed to be an interchange according to the plans, but temporarily turned to a taxi park to manage transportation problems, but the place was abused. The place was turned into a home for drug addicts and has become dangerous for the neighbourhood.

“The Minister was clear when he gave a matching order that this nuisance is removed. The taxi park has become a contravention that can’t be allowed.

“All the concerned departments will ensure that the nuisance does not reappear because this place is the heart of Maitama District. The Minister has ordered that we should green the place, to add to the aesthetic of the city.”

By Augustine Okezie, Katsina

Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari yesterday declared that he started preparing for his exit from office right from the day he was inaugurated in office in May 2015.

Masari, who made the disclosure while receiving a delegation of public office holders in the state led by Chief Judge of the state, Justice Abubakar Musa Danladi who were on Sallah homage to Government House said his administration has lived up to the tenets of the Nigeria Constitution and allowed the three tiers of government to operate freely.

He said: “For quasi-political appointees, public office holders are holding it on trust, for the benefits of the people and not to please a few. They will also face the consequences of their actions.”

”I tried as much as possible to allow civil servants to operate within the rules and leave their doors open and as much as possible to restore sanity.

”I accept responsibility but not a liability to certain specific actions.

”I am quite conscious of my eight-year tenure. When I assumed office as the governor, I started looking for the exit door and hopefully I will take it peacefully when my time is up. The day I came into office is the day I started preparing for my exit from office.”

The Governor further called on all citizens and residents of the state to join him in tackling insecurity, economic downturns and other health challenges, adding that they should not wait for an invitation before they could join.

The leader of the delegation and Chief Judge, Justice Musa Danladi said they were at Government House to pay Sallah homage and to appreciate the quality leadership he has been providing for the state.

He pledged that the public office holders would continue to support Governor Masari’s administration to ensure greater development of the state.

He said: ”I call on all public servants to set aside politics and contribute to the growth and development of the state.”

A community leader and first-generation stylist, Chief Olivia Adebisi Bako is dead. She died on March 30, 2021. She was 89.

Mama Bako was former Girls’ Guide Commissioner for Kwara and Kogi states.

She was the widow of Chief TWB Bako the late Dallatun L. Okoja and former Senior Permanent Secretary who worked in several Northern states and one of the founding fathers of Kogi State.

Mama Bako was a devote Anglican and a frontline community leader in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

According to family sources, she will be buried on May 28, 2021 in Lokoja, Kogi State.

By Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

The Real Estate Developers’ Association of Nigeria (REDAN) has mapped out plans to tackle fraudsters in the real estate sector. It added that activities of fraudsters is affecting the development and growth of the secrtor.

Aliyu Wamako, REDAN Chairman stated this during its official launch of REDAN seals and Magazine in Abuja.

According to Wamako, the seals will “give more credibility to businesses of our members and recognition to the association’s documentation process.”

He further explained that the seals serve as a mark of credence to distinguish accredited real estate developers from others who are mostly land racketeers.

The Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa who was representated by the Zonal Coordinator, FCT Zone, FMBN commended REDAN leadership of their commitment, tenacity and sense of purpose.

Dangiwa also applauded the association for the seal, saying that it will further strengthen the integrity of the association as a body and its members as individuals have been long overdue.

REDAN is the principal agency and umbrella body of the organised estate sector recognised by the Federal Government under the National Housing Policy.

By Linus Oota, Lafia

The Speaker of Nasarawa State House of Assembly Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi has revealed that the state will return Governor Abdullahi Sule for second tenure in 2023.

Addressing stakeholders and groups in his home town in Umaisha, Toto Local Government Area of the state who paid him Sallah homage, the Speaker said Governor Sule has shown great passion and zeal for peace, unity and speedy growth of the state.

He said: “In Nasarawa State, we have no other candidate to fill in 2023 apart from Governor Sule.

“People elect leaders that will give the result and with the antecedence of Governor Sule, especially some of us that are working closely with him know that his project, his dream, his thinking day and night is all about Nasarawa State.

“So, what else do we want than to give him all the necessary support to succeed and transform our state because if God spares our lives and by His grace, Governor Sule will serve for eight years.”

Abdullahi said the Assembly will give Governor Sule maximum support and co-operation to succeed beyond every expectation just as he re-emphasised that the Assembly will continue to enact laws and pass resolutions that will be in the best interest of the people.

By Fanen Ihyongo, Kano

A policeman, Kabiru Isah has continued to receive accolades for returning N1,294,200 which he found at the scene of a fatal accident.

For the honesty displayed, the officer, a Sergeant attached to the Kano State Command’s Motor Traffic Division (MTD), has also been rewarded with N100, 000 by the Managing Director, Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA) Baffa Babba Dan Agundi.

Isah discovered the money while conducting scene analysis, minutes after the accident occurred, police said.

State Traffic Officer (STO), SP Magaji Musa Majia, Managing Director of KAROTA said he was happy that the policeman involved is attached to the Traffic Division of the Command.

It was gathered that the owner of the money was knocked dead by a trailer along Zaria Road, Kano while riding on his motorcycle.

“The deceased was in possession of the money, arranged in a shoebox,” police spokesman, Abdullahi Haruna, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said.

Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko handed over the money to relatives of the deceased.

The Commissioner commended Kabiru Isah for doing his job in accordance with the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, Acting IGP Alkali Baba Usman.

Dikko called on other police officers to emulate the behaviour displayed by Sergeant Kabiru Isah.

By Linus Oota, Lafia

President, Tiv Development Association (TIDA) Nasarawa State, Comrade Peter Ahemba has alleged that there is a grand plot by the Fulani herdsmen, in collaboration with some tribes in the state, to annihilate the indigenous Tiv farmers in Nasarawa State.

He appealed to Governor Abdullahi Sule not to allow the planned extermination of the Tiv ancestral homes by the Fulani militia happen during his reign as Governor of Nasarawa State.

The Fulani militia had, during the weekend, murdered a Catechist, Mr Sydney Shirsha of Amudu Village in Giza Chiefdom in Keana Local Government Area of the state alongside two other people.

The Fulani militia, armed with sophisticated weapons, invaded the Tse Amudu, a Tiv village in Giza Development Area of the state, killing the Catechist and two others in the midnight attack.

It was gathered that the attack left several others with various degrees of gunshot injuries, just as the incident has led to the displacement of over 20,000 more Tiv farmers from various villages within and outside the local government area.

Confirming the development to our correspondent, Comrade Peter Ahemba said Governor Sule is a father to all the Tiv people in Nasarawa State.

“He means well for us, he is doing his best to secure us, he is passionate about our safety and our security and I believe he will not allow the Fulani herdsmen to take over our ancestral homes.”

He regretted that the Tiv people have remained under sustained attacks by armed herders for no reason.

“The killing and displacement of the Tiv people of the state in the coordinated attacks have continued unabated since the first attack on the Ajimaka Community of Doma Local Government Area that led to the gruesome murder of nine people about a month ago.

“We call on Governor Sule to save our soul. We are being chased out of Nasarawa State and we appeal to the governor not to allow the seemingly planned elimination of the Tiv community to succeed under his watch.

“We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of the state government towards restoring peace and security in the affected areas and we, as law-abiding citizens shall continue to count on the government for the protection of our lives and property.”

“It is unfortunate that while the government is making frantic efforts to restore peace, the attackers and their collaborators are bent on ensuring that the Tiv community is completely wiped out of the state,” he said.

The Nasarawa Tiv leader also appealed to the state government to beef up security around the Internally Displaced Persons Camps, alleging that there are threats of more attacks on Tiv villages and IDP camps in the affected areas.

While appreciating traditional rulers in the affected local government areas for accommodating many of the displaced Tiv people in their personal homes and public facilities, the TIDA President equally acknowledged their untiring efforts towards complementing government’s efforts for peace and security.

The management of Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, has announced that the institution has reopened today for academic and non-academic activities.

Mrs Rebecca Kingir, the Registrar of the institution disclosed this in a statement made available to reporters in Yola yesterday.

The institution was shut on March 25, following students’ unrest which led to the destruction of the school’s 500-seater lecture theatre, the Students Union Government building and the union’s vehicle.

Kingir said upon return, students in the Department of Crime Prevention Management and Control were expected to pay a fine of N5, 000.

“While other students on the main campus are to pay the sum of N2, 500 through the institution’s Keystone Bank Account.

“The students must present evidence of payment and identity card before they will be allowed into the institution,” she said.

She said the students must also sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour throughout their stay in the institution.