The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • Resident doctors to politicians: invest in health

    Resident doctors have appealed to politicians to invest in the health sector.

    The doctors said politicians should give priority to the provision of excellent health infrastructure and invest more in the sector because the well-being of the populace depends on it.

    President of the association in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Dr. Isaac Akerele made the call at a news briefing on the implementation of the consolidated salary structure in Abuja.

    Akerele said : “Politicians should take the agenda of health very important. Health for all Nigerians. Investment in health should be dear to their heart and be the first.  If that will be the only thing they will focus on.

    “Doctors have to be de-tribalised to be a good doctor. We believe that health care should be given equally irrespective of the political parties. “He urged them to avoid travelling overseas for treatment that could be provided locally.

    Speaking on their welfare,  the ARD disclosed that the Federal Capital erritory Authority (FCTA) is yet to implement the new consolidated salary structure for the association.

    He urged the FCT Minister  to hasten implementation of the new structure to adequately cater for their welfare.

    “Our arrears must be paid before the end of January to douse tension of medical workers especially the resident doctors before end of January,” Akerele added.

     

  • 200 women trained in Kebbi

    No fewer than 200 women have been engaged by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Kebbi State to make shoes, bags and shea nut processing, among other skills.

    Speaking during the flag-off of the training at the conference hall of the School of Nursing, Birnin Kebbi, Director General of the NDE, Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, said the aim of the training was to reduce the number of unemployed women in the state particularly those who lost their husband or parents.

    He said the trainees would spend two weeks after which the directorate would help to start them up.

    Mohammed noted that the finished products of the trainees would be exposed at markets and exhibitions.

    The director general, represented by Assistant Director in charge of Women Employment, Malama Aisha Ibrahim, said the NDE had trained over 990 women in the country to make shoes and bags.

    The NDE Coordinator of Kebbi State, Alhaji Mohammed Zogirma said the beneficiaries were drawn from different locations in the state.

     

  • So close to city, so far from growth

    So close to city, so far from growth

    Dape community is about 15km drive from the Central Business District. That means pretty little to its over 4,000 residents. Why? They lack almost everything they need. There is no health facility. Nor is there water fit for drinking.

    That is not all. There is no police post either. Until 2013, Dape had no primary school, let any institution higher than that. The primary school, which came in 2013 being the only evidence of government presence in the district, has just one block of three classrooms.

    After its opening of on November 1, 2013, the pupils have been studying under the worst possible conditions. The school boasts neither toilet facilities nor a fence. Primary1 pupils have no classroom. Primary Four, Five and Six pupils make do with a single classroom. One more room accommodates two other classes, while crèche kids occupy the third room.

    When Abuja Review visited the school, a teacher was busy instructing pupils on the corridor of one of the classrooms. The children sat on benches while their teacher scrawled away on a make-shift board held in by some wooden materials. Apparently, if there were to be a giant tree in the school environment, the pupils would have opted for it.

    It was gathered that efforts were made by the Head Teacher, LEA Primary School, Dape, Mrs. Martha Aboki-Zhawa and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) before a few seats were acquired.

    During another visit to the community, the residents appealed to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) for help. The residents, through their traditional ruler, Chief James Ibrahim Diko, said he made several efforts to draw the attention of the authorities to the needs of his people. While help tarried, the community head built another block of two classrooms, using whatever resources he could find.

    A section of the uncompleted classrooms fell due to paucity of funds and materials. Diko said he had solicited support from the Senator representing Federal Capital Territory, Senator Philip Adudah but no result yet. He emphasised that if the government could not provide anything else, it should at least, support the community with school infrastructures to protect the pupils, especially during learning hours.

    “I took over as traditional ruler of Dape District barely seven years ago but there was nothing to show as government presence. So I had to rise up to the challenges and did some follow-ups. An English adage says the mouth that closes is the one that smells. As you can see, we got connected to power barely three years ago. By the grace of God, we have just three classrooms for the school, which is not enough for our population. That is the only government presence here.

    “I applied for pipe-borne water, no response yet, so it’s an individual that is running the business.  applied for health centre, no answer yet. I applied for a police post, I had to start building it myself; it is barely at the roof level now. We have just a single transformer so I wrote to Senator Philip Adudah to support the community with another.”

    The traditional ruler continued, “Basically, education is the bedrock for socio-economic development of any nation. Without education no society can develop and you won’t have communicated with me. By the time you have that knowledge, you will be able to analyse, ascertain and address groups of people or individuals.

    “So I plead to government to add more to the block of classrooms and fence the school. That is the most important priority because ofthe security challenges in the country.

    Others can then follow. We can evenassist government as I’m doing. I was building two blocks but because offinance problem, I could not complete it and one side fell. I’m trying my bestto assist the government so government can also assist us.”  “Presently, there is no health centre here. It’s either we go to Gwarinpa General Hospital or private hospitals. There is no government borehole or tap. What you see here are boreholes run by individuals,” he added.

    The head teacher emphasised the need for more classrooms. As for her, there is urgent need to address the situation considering the increasing population of the pupils. She lamented lack of toilet facilities, perimeter fencing and security measures to protect both teachers and pupils. Although, efforts were made to the AMAC Education Secretariat, through the Secretariat Head of Department (HOD) for Works described as Mr. Shedrack. However, likely interventions were promised for the school in 2014 to be implemented this year.     “I was in LEA, Jabi when transfer came with promotion to head this school. When I came in,

    there was no single infrastructure. There was no teacher, no chair, no desks even teachers’ desk. I was only managing it the way I could. I had to employ three teachers paying them through my salary. If they pay me, I will pay them until last year second term, they gave me two teachers from LEA and two from federal teachers. “I have written twice to the education secretary through the HOD, Works and they promised to do something but we are still waiting. The benchand desks

    were provided by personal efforts and the PTA,” Aboki-Zhawa.

    Master Taiwo Basset, a Primary Six pupil expressed dissatisfaction over lack of toilet facilities in the school. Little Basset said it was unhygienic for the school to run without toilet facilities. “We need toilets and classes and teachers because we are just managing here,” he solicited.

    In a lighter mood, the traditional ruler urged residents to observe traditions of the community. As for him, civilisation has eroded someof the norms and value systems. “Years then, our fathers do have festivals theydo celebrate annually. Like Kakaje, Mamaje, Aboli even Jimaje and the rest butdue to civilisation, youths don’t even like to engage in them. I don’t know whymaybe they think they are advanced or civilised.”

    However, the onlyrepercussion as observed by the district head is the production of low harvest. Otherwise, farmers who observe the festival do have bountiful proceeds. When Abuja Review contacted LEA AMAC Education Secretary,Mrs. Grace Adayilo, she expressed commitment to attend to the situation, addingthat it would take a gradual process to meet all the need. She said the school was newly established to ensure everycommunity in the territory has a primary school.”The school is new and Rome was never built in a day. We created the school to relieve children from going to karmo. We have almost 150primary schools in AMAC and before I came in, it was 140. We even thank God there is a structure there. It is the commitment of the

    authorities to ensureall communities have a school of their own. “Aside, I am not in in charge of capital projects. It is only Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) that is in charge,” Adayilo added.

  • Security beef-up at Utako Park

    Security beef-up at Utako Park

    As part of efforts to guarantee passengers’ safety, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has stepped up security at the Utako Central Motor Park.

    The Branch III chairman of the union, Alhaji Musa Abaji said the measure became necessary to check any form of insecurity.

    Abaji was speaking with Abuja Review during at the park.

    “Security is a collective responsibility,” he said. “So we are only playing our part. Anybody who comes into this park must be checked because of the bad people. So except from depending on God for protection, we should also do what is expected of us,” he said.

    It was observed that one of the two giant gates to the park was open while the other was under lock and key.

    Travellers and other individuals who came to the park were thoroughly checked by officials of the union. They were asked to open their car boots before allowed entry.

    Speaking on the election, the chairman advised all members of the union to vote at their respective centres. He said it’s a right to vote, thus the Union members have the freedom to vote for any party of their choice.

    According to him, commercial drivers in the park relates in unity so the union will prevent any party from campaigning in the park.

    “If we bring politics into the park, there will be problems. So we won’t allow anybody to come and campaign here. We don’t want any problem. We are living as a family here,” he added.

     

  • The other side of Jonathan’s daughter’s wedding

    January 10 was a day many guests at the wedding reception of the foster daughter of President Goodluck Jonathan, Inebharapu Paul, will not forget in a hurry.

    Not only because the President’s daughter got married that day, but because they got more than they bargained for at the International Conference Centre (ICC) venue of the reception.

    Some of them, who were clutching their invitation cards as they approached the gate filled with a mammoth crowd, got injured in the series of stampedes that ensued.

    Others lost valuable items like mobile telephone sets, handbags, shoes, wristwatches, earrings and head-ties.

    Some of the guests lost consciousness when policemen at the gate shot tear-gas into the air as the crowd was surging forward and attempting to force the gate open.

    While some of those who lost consciousness were revived in the ambulance stationed at the venue, demand for sachet water, popularly called ‘pure water’ rose immediately as the guests scrambled for it to wash their faces in order to reduce the effect of the tear-gas.

    Villa correspondent for The Punch newspaper, Olalekan Adetayo, had is own dose of the fracas as he narrowly escaped sustaining serious injuries from the stampede.

    Adetayo, like other Villa correspondents, who were there to cover the reception after covering the church wedding, were stuck with the crowd.

    Just like many of the guests with invitation cards who could not gain entrance to the reception ceremony where the Senate President, Senator David Mark, was said to have made some remarks, many Villa correspondents could not enter the venue with their Villa tags.

    Some of the State Security Service (SSS) men, who knew that the journalists were there to do their jobs, tried to lead some of them, including Adetayo, through the crowd.

    Midway to the gate, there was a stampede. They were caught in the middle of deadly pushing from front, back and sideways. The journalists would not have made the attempt if they knew it will nearly cost them their lives.

    When the crowd at the back moved backwards and the stampede subsided, one samaritan had to pour ‘pure water’ on Adetayo’s head and face to help him regain himself.

    Undeterred, many of the guests and gate-crashers who gathered at the ICC gate as early as noon, most of whom from the wedding held at the National Christian Centre, were not tired of pushing forward for about three hours in an attempt to gain entrance.

    Many of them were seen holding handkerchiefs over their noses after the policemen resorted to tear-gas in order to manage the mammoth crowd.

    To ensure that no fatal incident was recorded at the venue, one of the soldiers standing by one of the military vans stationed by the ICC gate after sometime had to push his way through the crowd to the gate and told the policemen to stop shooting the tear-gas.

    The soldiers also apprehended a guy among the crowd caught stealing somebody’s mobile telephone. He was asked to kneel down by the van. So much was happening at the same time and I could not wait by the van to know how the issue was resolved at the end of the day.

    Around 3pm when the crowd had reduced, since a great number of them had gone back to their houses and hotel rooms, the soldiers asked the remaining crowd to stay in two straight lines with their invitation cards.

    After the crowd was pushed backwards from the gate, a message filtered in that the hall was filled up and no guest should be admitted anymore.

    That was how the latest orderly arrangement was truncated. But some of those who remained on the queue were served cans of malt drinks. Some got bottled water.

    In a chat, some of the guests, who had attended the wedding of another Jonathan’s daughter, Faith Sakwe in April, 2014 at the same venue, apart from kicking against the use of tear-gas on the guests at Inebharapu’s wedding reception on Saturday, maintained that no proper arrangement was made for guests to access the reception venue.

    According to them, not only was it easy for them to access the reception ceremony of the wedding in April, but giant canopies were stationed then at the ICC car parks to accommodate those who could not enter the oversubscribed hall.

    Giving reasons for the mammoth crowd at the gate and the rowdiness, one of the security personnel, speaking in confidence, said that most of the guests were not supposed to attend the reception.

    Even though they had the wedding invitation cards, she said that some heads of the various women groups, who thronged the reception venue, had been settled to make arrangements for entertaining their groups after the church wedding at the National Christian Centre.

    But some women wearing red head-ties at the reception gate said; “We are not aware of such arrangement. All we know is that they brought this head-tie and invitation card to us yesterday night and the el-Rufai bus brought us here.”

     

    Gym excites Villa

    staff, families

     

    Life, last Wednesday, was brought back to the multi-million naira State House Gym.

    The gym, which was almost abandoned by many staff and their families for about five months due to problems of electricity disconnection and  poor water supply, has started experiencing high usage.

    Knowing the importance of the facilities to the health of Villa staff, the December 16 edition of this page titled ‘Challenges of keeping fit at the Villa’ was dedicated to drawing attention to the problems following complaints from some staff.

    But from last Wednesday, I have received several calls from some staff appreciating the reconnection of electricity supply to the gym by the management.

    According to them, electricity was restored around 5 p.m. on Wednesday shortly after the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Nebolisa Emordi, led a top management team to inspect the facility.

    Since then, they said that many staff or registered members of their families have started trooping to the gym to shed their excess weight and keep fit.

    One of the staff who uses the facility, on condition of anonymity, said: “I was just driving by the gym around 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday and I saw some technicians working on the electricity transformer by the gym fence.”

    “By the time I was driving back around 5 p.m., I could see light on inside the gym. Since then, I have seen many staff in track suits visiting the gym.”

    Another staff said: “A friend called to inform me about the electricity reconnection. I went there to see things for myself the following day and I met some people burning calories on the treadmills and other machines.”

    “It’s a very long time I saw people turn out on weekdays in large numbers at the gym like this. This is really nice because it is not wise to allow these expensive machines to be wasting when they can be used to boost the health and fitness of staff,” he added

     

  • A fight to keep off bulldozers

    A fight to keep off bulldozers

    If there is anything traders at Kubwa Market want above everything else, it is to preserve their investments by stopping bulldozers from tearing down the facility. They have the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the dreaded private developers to contend with.

    The FCTA, in early December, served the traders a seven-day ultimatum to quit. The sellers took to the streets, protesting the authority’s action and plan. They know the implications of private developers coming in. Bulldozers will pull down the market, throwing them into all sorts of trouble. The FCT is replete with such cases and they want to avoid it.

    What are they doing about it? A lot. Apart from the protest, the traders have also offered to build the satellite town market themselves rather than have developers set foot in it. They equally briefed a lawyer who wasted no time in suing the FCTA, hoping to stop it in its tracks.

    Although the plan to demolish the market was given almost the same time as the Dutse market which was demolished last year, the Area Council, according to the chairman, Hon. Peter Ushafa felt that it will be better to demolish each market separately and give those at Kubwa, some time to get ready after that of Dutse before the market was brought down.

    The traders in their protest stated that the Area Council had not provided them with an alternative place to trade before the demolition, they said that the market was their only means of livelihood and that even though they support development, it should not be at their peril.

    In an interview with our correspondent, chairman of peace and security in Kubwa market, Cashmere Obialor, said “What we are saying is that the Kubwa market has been in existence for more than 30 years, it is not a virgin land that you will say, go and clear like that. People feed their families from here and take refuge in this market; there are many widows who feed their families from this market and now they are coming to demolish this place without giving us an alternative place.

    “What we are trying to tell the government is that we are Nigerians and citizens of this country; many of us don’t have any other place to turn to, by the time they come and demolish the market, it will mean that they want to cause more crime in this Kubwa. They need to provide an alternative place to the traders if they want to develop the market pending when they finish and the traders can return.

    “If the government goes ahead to insist on demolition after this seven days, then they should be ready to kill the whole people in this market because we are not going to run, when they come out with their solders and their arms, nobody is going to run, they will have to kill to the last person in this market before they can demolish it, we have not agreed on anything with anybody, they have not even tried to get out stands, if they call us, we are the leaders of the market, we will tell them how we want our people to be carried along.”

    Public Relations Officer, Bwari Area Council Dauda Basha in a telephone interview confirmed the demolition notice placed at the market but denied the knowledge of a dispute between the council and traders or they had been protesting.

    He said that discussions had been going on between the council and traders for long about the planned demolition and the Area Council had actually gone ahead and found the traders an alternative place to trade until the modern market is complete.

    He added, “The area council is working on a place to take them to right now, the space we have is is too small so when we get an alternative place, they will be relocated but we have given the place up to private developers to develop and they already have their equipments on the ground which is expensive to maintain.”

    The Lawyer who spoke in a phone interview on behalf of the tradersý Barr Maxwell Oparaý, said that they have served a court notice to the Abuja Metropolitan Council and Bwari Area Council and that any attempt to demolish the market will be a breach of peace and will be met with stiff resistance.

    His words: “These traders in the first instance are there because the government allocated papers to them, they were called for the verification of their papers which they went for to confirm they were truly allocated and they paid the necessary fee that they were asked to pay.

    “The traders are asking that if the government wants to build a modern market for them, they should give them the plan of the kind of market they want to build, the traders are ready to build it with government supervision, the traders are ready to build the Kubwa market with their money, all they are asking, is the government’s support and plan.”

    He also said, “ýThe allocation given to the traders was given by the Bwari Area Councilý, they went back to the Area Council to regularise the papers, why are they now being asked to vacate their shops?

    “The council claimed that they were going to relocate them to a temporary site but when the traders arrived at the site, it was just a vacant land that looked like it was cleared by someone to build a house.

    ”We are suing Abuja Metropolitan Council under FCDAý and we have also taken the court notice to the Bwari Area Council, we have served the both of them a court order and we are asking the court to declare that they have no right to intrude on the market, that the court should declare that the Abuja traders are the owners of the market and that if the Kubwa traders decide to build the market, they will be allowed to build it and after it is completed, they will take over, we are now waiting for a court date to be fixed.

    “The Kubwa market traders are peaceful set of people but any attempt by the Area Council, FCT administration or developers ýto demolish the market will amount to breech of peace, we have written to all of them that any attempt to demolish the market illegally will meet with stiff resistance and in the course of resistance, anything can happen, we pray it does not get to that point, they have called us for a meeting which was adjourned from the 24th of December 2014 and we are hoping for another meeting soon.”

     

  • Youth told not to sell their votes 

    Youth in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been advised to vote wisely and not sell their birthrights in the forthcoming general elections.

    Mr Justice Duncan, a social speaker and the coordinator of Youth Alive For Progress (YAFP), a nongovernmental organization which champions the course of the youth, mostly in the FCT, said that the time for Nigerian youth to stand up for their right is now or never, that if they fail to do it now, it will take another four years to be corrected.

    According to Duncan, who spoke during an electoral sensitization campaign in Abuja, the government of Nigeria led by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has taken the youth for granted for too long, by using them during elections and abandoning them after they get into offices.

    “The politicians have used us for too long, without considering our plight or how we survive during these hard times. During elections they will make all sort of promises without fulfilling anyone them. When we look for them in their offices, they will use tight security to prevent us from entering, because, we are no longer useful to them.

    “All these have to stop now, the using youth for political violence because of peanuts given to them, has to stop now. If they want to use anybody for violence, they should go and use their children. We should not allow them to use us and dump us again, because, we are not rags. We should not sell our birthrights for little pennies and suffer in future.

    “It is time for us in the FCT and entire Nigeria to stand up for our right and vote for a government that we remove us from this prolonged struggles, corruption, killings and maladministration that we are experiencing in Nigeria today. The youth are the life-wire of the society, so we should prove that to our leaders.

  • 10 wards get council chief’s cars

    The Chairman of Kuje Area Council Hon. Ishaku Tete has donated 14 cars to 10 ward chairmen wards of the council.

    Presenting the vehicles, the chairman described it as part of the dividend of democracy from his administration, saying that the vehicles will facilitate easy movement during the campaign and general elections.

    He advised the wards chairmen who benefited from gift of cars to take advantage of the occasion and make judicious use of the vehicles.

    Also speaking, the PDP Flag bearer for the House of Representative to represent Abuja South, Hon. Danlandi Zhin, expressed gratitude to Hon. Shaban Tete for the gesture, pointing out that, the Nigeria situation, though worrisome, is not beyond solution.

    He further stressed the importance and efficacy of prayers, that Nigeria needs the prayers of every citizen for it to move forward, adding that Nigeria would be healed of all its political and socio-economic problems, if everyone takes it as a duty to always pray for the country and the sustenance of democracy.

     

  • Council chief warns against bush burning

    Council chief warns against bush burning

    Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Shaban Tete, has cautioned traditional rulers against bush burning, which he said has negative effects on the development of any society.

    Tete also said that the council would soon organise a sensitisation programme for all village heads across the 10 wards of the council on the dangers of bush burning.

    The council boss, who stated this when some village heads and district heads visited him, said the council’s decision to organise the sensitisation programme was timely since farmers have started harvesting their farm produce.

    The council boss said that lives  and property worth millions of naira have been destroyed as a result of indiscriminate bush burning, especially at the rural communities, which sometimes nearly resulted in clashes between farmers and herdsmen.

    Tete said it is at the peak of every year dry season, which is the harvest period, that some parts of the country always witness herders and farmers clashes, in which lives and farm produce are lost.

    “Our major concern is how to ensure that there is always peace between farmers and Fulani’s in our various communities, especially now that we are into harvesting period, sometimes you will hear that some farm produce have been burnt as a result of bush burning, which sometime accusing fingers are pointed at the Fulani herdsmen, “ he said.

    Tete, however, noted that bush burning, has adverse effect on the society, saying even the federal government has always champion the course of ensuring that people desist from bush burning.

    “I want it make it categorically clear that at the end of the sensitisation programme, any village heads that fail to take the message home to their subjects on the dangers of bush burning and any crisis that later broke out either between farmers and Fulani’s as result of loss of farm produce, such chief or village head would be held responsible,” he warned.

  • Lawmaker donates food items to inmates 

    Lawmaker donates food items to inmates 

    The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the National Assembly, Senator Philip Aduda, has donated food and home items to inmates of Kuje Prison.

    Some of the items donated to the prison inmates include mattresses, bags of rice, mats, slippers, bags of salt, sugar, while others are grinding machines, musical instrument, sowing machines, public address systems and some cash donation.

    Aduda who said the gesture was aimed at catering for the vulnerable, the poor and the needy in the FCT, stated that, he was happy to have the privilege to serve the poor, most of whom through no fault of theirs find themselves in the situation they are in.

    The FCT senator said he went through rough times in life, that was why he put himself in the position of the less privilege, in order to understand their plights, noting that he lost his mother, leaving his father with the task of bringing them up alone.

    Aduda added that he saw poverty in all its ramification, that he understands what it means to be in want, pointing out that, some of the poor people presently needs counseling, that he was glad that his experience has helped to inspire some of them.

    He urged the public to give generously to the cause of the needy, adding, no amount is too small to assist the poor.

    Senator Aduda also facilitated the release of 40 inmates who are awaiting trial and other minor offenses.

    Receiving the items, the Controller of Kuje Prisons, Mr. Suraju Olarinde said prison is a capital intensive all over the world.

    He expressed gratitude to Aduda for considering them among the numerous prisons to benefit from his kind gesture.

    Also, Venerable Irewa Isaiah of Anglican Communion Chaplain of Kuje Prisons Chaplaincy expressed solidarity in the transformation agenda of Mr. President, Goodluck Jonathan and encouraged him to continue in the great work of repositioning the nation.

    He thanked the senator for his collaborative and laudable gesture, thereby prayed for God’s blessings, love, wisdom and strength to enable them achieve more for themselves and the church.