The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Plateau leads save Lake Chad battle

    Plateau leads save Lake Chad battle

    Jos, the Plateau State capital, is not in any way contiguous to Borno State. Both states are thousands of kilometres apart. But there is a socio-economic connection between them that dates back to pre-colonial era. That is the Lake Chad Basin located at the international border between Nigeria and Chad Republic.

    The Lake Chad is a pool of water that finds its way to that location from several sources. There are about seven river tributaries that emptied into the Lake Chad through various channels. Of all these tributaries, the one that contributes the largest percentage of water to the Lake Chad is River Dilimi whose source is from Plateau State.

    Dilimi River began from the rocky Jos terrains and meanders through several other states of the North-eastern Nigeria before getting to the Lake Chad Basin.

    The river passes through Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Taraba, Yobe and Borno states before emptying into the Lake.

    Dilimi River, no doubt, has been the major source of water supply to government and citizens of the states that are along its channels. Citizens of those states are mostly subsistent farmers and the river helps them immensely during their dry season farming activities.

    Governments of these states use water from the river to create dams and reservoirs; treat and distribute it to their citizens to serve their water needs. The revenue generated from delivery of potable water by various state governments, is a major source of internal revenue for these states.

    Ironically, as important as Dilimi River is to these Northeastern states, it is seemingly insignificant in value to Plateau State. Geographically, the source of a river is very narrow and shallow, but as it courses, the river expands in space, volume and speed.

    Given these facts, Plateau State can only source water for its citizens from its abandoned mining dams and there is more than enough of such mining ponds scattered all over the state.

    There is an enduring problem about Dilimi River, the states along its channels and the Lake Chad. The volume of water of the Lake Chad has been depleting for over a decade. The drying Lake Chad is a major source of concern to farmers and fishermen around the Lake. It is also a source of concern for the states and Federal Government, even as it is a source of concern to security agencies.

    Apart from the problem of global warming, it has been discovered that some of the tributaries that supply water to the Lake Chad no longer do so, especially the Dilimi River which supplies 70 per cent of the water in the Lake Chad Basin.

    It was further discovered that all the states that are along the channel of the River Dilimi may have blocked its free flow or diverted its course for their economic benefits.

    The Director of Water Resources at the Plateau State Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, Mr Jonathan Mallang said: “Not less than 16 million Nigerians cutting across six states depend on the Dilimi River for survival. The river, which has its source from Jos, the Plateau State capital, flows through Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, and Yobe states before emptying into the Lake Chad located in Maiduguri, Borno State.

    Continuing, he said: “Numerous villages found along this river channel had continued to derive maximum use of the river through farming and fishing activities that are practised there throughout the year. Nature must have provided the river to complement limited rainfall in those parts of the North.

    “Hence, Nigerians in these areas took to farming and fishing as occupations. Governments of these states use the river as major source of water supply for domestic and industrial use. The Federal Government of Nigeria has developed millions of plots for agriculture around the Lake Chad. The Southern Irrigation Project owned by Nigerian government is the largest irrigation system in the Sub-Saharan Africa.

    “However, all these advantages of the Dilimi River as well as the Lake Chad Basin diminished within the past 10 years because the river is no longer flowing causing the Lake Chad to seize to exist. The reason for this can only be attributed to human factors.

    “Right from the source of the River Dilimi in Jos through to Maiduguri, indiscriminate and unhindered dumping of refuse which had continued for several decades has hampered the free flow of the river. This conscious or unconscious action of citizens of the five states that share the channels of this river not only reduced the flow of the river into the Lake Chad, it also eventually diverted the course of the river completely; changing the vegetation of the areas which hitherto makes the area conducive to human habitation.

    “This diversion of River Dilimi from its course was discovered to be the major cause of recent flooding of some parts of the North, especially such witnessed in parts of Gombe State and parts of Jigawa State respectively. Farmers and fishers from these states have not only lost their source of income, they‘ve also migrated to neighbouring states where they could practice their occupation.

    “Besides, uncountable number of homes has been flooded and farm lands washed away. Worst of all, the Lake Chad Basin eventually dried up. As a result, millions of hectares of land developed for irrigation faming by the Federal Government of Nigeria became a huge waste.

    “So, the depletion of the Lake Chad has to do majorly with the blockage in the free flow of the river due to activities of farmers, fishermen and rivalry among state that share the river channels and not by the effects of Climate Change as we earlier suspected.

    “When this problem was discovered a few years ago, the affected states came together as stakeholders with a resolve to tackle their common problem. Plateau, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno, Jigawa and Kano states came together to create a joint-fund called the ‘Hadeija, Jama’ are, Komadugu, Yobe Basin Trust Fund’

    “Each of these states,” he said, “has a financial commitment to the fund with Plateau State contributing N100 million while the remaining five states contributes N150 million.

    “When this trust fund was launched in 2006, former President Olusegun Obasanjo pledged N850 million on behalf of the Federal Government”

    Mr Mallang, who is the Plateau State Collation Chairman for the integrated water resources management pointed out that concerned by development and its socio-economic implications on the country, the concerned states with the support of the Federal Government moved to salvage the situation in 2006.

    “In 2006, the administration of President Obasanjo was said to have gone into partnership with the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom through the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Nigerian Conservation Foundation as well as the Lake Chad Basin Commission based in Njamena on how to salvage the Lake Chad.

    “When this trust fund was launched, former President Obasanjo pledged N850 million on behalf of the Federal Government. This support was a boost to the efforts of the concerned states and the clearance of the Dilimi River commenced in earnest.

    “The effort in clearing the river has resulted in the gradual return of water to the Lake Chad Basin in 2008 after lacking water for almost 10 years. Already, normal life is beginning to return to Lake Chad.

    In 2008, it was learnt, the Plateau State government which serves as the source of the river had, on behalf of the trust fund, awarded the contract for the clearance of the source to improve the flow of the river to Haco Nigeria Limited. This final phase of the revival of the Lake Chad is expected to accelerate flow of the river.

    The contract involves the removal of the waste which will be dumped in a land field identified by the Plateau State Ministry of Environment. Walls will then be built at the river bank to ensure it does not flood people’s houses and farms.

    By so doing, the beauty of the area will be sustained since people no longer dump refuse there.

    The government of Bauchi State constructed a dike (fence) to prevent the river from flooding as well as preventing indiscriminate dumping of refuge in the river channels by citizens. Kano State government constructed the Tigard Dam to regulate the release of water along the channels. Currently, there is a level of understanding between Kano and Jigawa states in ensuring that the river flows freely along their own channels. Jigawa State government, on its own, came up with a programme through which they empower non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for the mobilisation of communities to assist in clearing any blockage on the river channels. Yobe State is also not left out in the battle. So, it is a collective problem that is attracting collective efforts aimed at resuscitating the Lake Chad.

    Further efforts are said to be made by the Lake Chad Basin Commission through the Global Environmental Facilities (GEF) in seeking possible way of transferring water from the Congo Basin to the Lake Chad. The inter-basin water transfer is also expected to improve restoration of water to the Lake Chad.

  • Pupils dedicate victory to slain students

    Herbert Macaulay (Blue) House, the winner of the third Inter House Sports Competition of First Foundation Private Schools, Kubwa Abuja has dedicated its victory to victims of Buni Yadi attack.

    According to the House Captain, Master James Odum (pseudonym), the attack by the violent Islamic sect Boko Haram which claimed the lives of 43 students of Federal Government College Buni Yadi, Yobe State in February, was unfortunate.

    The children called for better security for students in the country.

    The captain said: “Our teacher always informs us of what is happening around the world every day.

    “He came in one day and told us that 43 students were killed while sleeping in their hostels.

    “None of us was happy throughout that day and it’s unfortunate.

    “Some of my mates also told us other things about the attack which everybody has condemned.

    “Since then, we have been training hard to make sure that we get a medals in this competition so that we can dedicate it to the dead souls.

    “We are happy that we eventually won the competition and we are dedicating the trophy to the memory of those students that lost their lives untimely.

    “We want government to arrest the evil people that carried out the attack and also provide adequate protection for students everywhere in Nigeria.

    “We were also told that a plane with over 200 passengers has been missing. It’s our prayers that they find it.”

    Earlier in her welcome address, the Proprietor of the school, Mrs Zainab Adeleke had said the third edition of the event was meant to mentally and physically prepare the children for the challenges of the future.

    “We are aware that these impressionable children have to be exposed to sporting activities early enough to aid their growth.

    “Apart from being prepared mentally, the physical fitness of the children is also of great importance to their development in life.

    “That is why we always ensure that we don’t miss this opportunity because we discovered that the children are not only excited about the competition, their academic performance has also been on the rise since the inception of the games,” she said.

    The competition featured various athletic events in 100m; 200m, 400m×4 relay as well as Dress your Partner Catch the bus and Invitational Relay Race by invited schools.

    Pupils from nursery and primary sections of the school participated in the events to the delight of their parents.

    Obafemi Awolowo (Green) House took the rear position while Ahmadu Bello (Yellow) House and Nnamdi Azikiwe (Red) took second and third positions respectively.

  • Women drive farming in Kano

    Women drive farming in Kano

    Something novel is happening in Kano. Jobs are not just created; nor are women merely among the employed. The refreshing thing is that women are deeply involved in trades in which men usually held sway. Now, for instance, they are raising fish, even producing some of the biggest catch the locals have ever seen. And the state economy is gradually picking up as a result. Yet, that is not all they do.

    When he assumed office in 2011. Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso said one of the things that would drive the economy was agriculture.

    Determined to achieve the goal, he selected a special team to be in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry worked hard to achieve the governor’s goal by diversifying the agricultural sector and training residents in all manner of trades to make them be self-reliant. The ministry, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, established the Bagauda Fisheries Institute where residents will undergo training programmes.

    As a result of this effort to enhance the well-being of the people, Kwankwaso, in February, facilitated the training of 140 women, selected from the 19 northern states, in aquaculture at the Bagauda Fisheries Institute. Those women have remained very productive.

    Also in February, 24,400 trainees being the third batch of graduates from the same Aquaculture Fisheries and Training Institute Bagauda graduated, just as another 120 trainees from the MAGAGA Fisheries Skills Acquisition Training Centre, Gwarzo, also graduated at the instance of the state government. In all, the fishery institute at Bagauda has graduated 1,200 beneficiaries comprising men, women and youths.

    Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Kwankwaso said: “These trainings seem to have come at a most deserving moment, where problems that include serious malnutrition, hunger and diseases have been traced to consumption of insufficient protein as well as lack of balanced diet. These trainings are, no doubt, helping to overcome the effects of these afflictions.

    “In addition, our efforts are paying off tremendously because we are succeeding in taking our youths off the streets, giving our women and youths employment, creating and sustaining wealth in our state. The state government has continued to fund and support other training institutes of poultry, livestock, horticulture, irrigation and farm mechanisation respectively and they have so far graduated over 6,000 students. They have consequently provided thousands of direct and indirect jobs.”

    According to the governor, N60 million was expended on the training and employment of the 400 women as each of them received 10 bags of coppers fish feeds; two big plastic tanks; five sachets of aquacol;  five sachets of fish biotic; and 500 post-juvenile fish specimens produced by the institute.

    He further said N17 million was expended in the training and empowerment of 120 youths at the MAGAGA Fisheries Skill Acquisition Centre in Gwarzo and each of them were supported with 18 packets of assorted hooks; eight bundles of gill-net; 20 rolls of nylon twine of assorted sizes; two hanks of kuralon rope; 50 pieces of normal size cork foat; two sheets of flexible lead sinkers; 12 yards of cast-net material and one life jacket.

    “In our bid to develop agriculture, the state government has made multi-dimensional collaborative efforts with public and private institutions and organisations, notably the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Industry (BOI), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Department for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Sasakawa Global 2000, Unity Bank Plc as well as Dangote Group of Companies,” Kwankwaso said, adding,  ”our commitment and determination in this drive towards the development and transformation of agriculture into a highly productive and sustainable venture with the aim of diversifying farmers’ incomes, promotion of value chain approach and eventual commercialisation of agriculture production.”

    In her remarks, Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs Baraka Sani noted that over the years, the production of commercial crops in Kano State has become veritable means of occupation to not only a large number of farmers including women and youth, but also to a teeming youth engaged in farming activities both during wet and dry seasons across the length and breadth of the state.

    She noted that the main impediment to their farming activities has always been lack of adequate support by past governments.

    Mrs Sani said: “It is in view of the above and in line with present administration’s policy of providing necessary impetus aimed at facilitating increased agricultural output and employment generation for its teeming youths, the state, under the leadership of Governor Kwankwaso, came up with a unique agricultural development programme tagged Kano Commercial Crops Development Initiative (KCCDI) in order to transform agriculture from subsistence level to a more viable commercial venture.

    “Under the programme, the state is divided into six zones for commercial crops production which include sesame, groundnuts, cotton, cassava, vegetables, rice, wheat, garlic, moringa and jetropha and agro-processing zone, mainly situated in the Kano metropolitan local governments respectively.

    “The crop selection for various local governments is based on comparative advantage with the aim of becoming competitive,” she noted, adding that the aim of the programme is to trigger a unique agricultural development which will transform agriculture into a highly productive and sustainable venture and ensure enhanced economic status of the farming communities in the state.

    She further noted that the programmes aimed at diversifying farmers’ incomes beyond the traditional subsistence agriculture to a commercially sustainable level all year round and to promote value addition in the selected crops in order to ensure optimum production and market linkages.

    According to her, Governor Kwankwaso has done tremendously well in creating job opportunities through agriculture, particularly, in the area of fish production by empowering both women and men so that they would be self-reliant and also able to impart the knowledge they have acquired to other people to make the state stable and viable in terms of economic and social development.

    Mrs Sani also said thousands of youths who before now had nothing doing are engaged through several agricultural programmes.

    “When you talk about how best to tackle the problem of insecurity, it is through job creation. It is said that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Our youths today are engaged in various skill acquisition and training programmes. They have become useful to themselves, their families, relations and the society. We are proud of Governor Kwankwaso and we pray that God will bring someone that can build on his legacies,” she said.

    The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero praised Governor Kwankwaso for the positive revolution he is engendering in the agriculture sector. The Emir, who was represented by one of his sons and District Head of Dala, Aminu Ado Bayero (Sarkin Shakar Gida), further commended Governor Kwankwaso on his giant strides in empowering women and the youth. He urged other northern governors to emulate Kwankwaso’s style of leadership.

  • National Conference and the Muslim question

    National Conference and the Muslim question

    The alleged marginalisation of Muslims at the ongoing National Conference took a different dimension last week as Muslims in the country protested and brought the matter to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The head of Muslim faith in Nigeria, the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III led other Muslim leaders to protest the composition of the conference, which they alleged was undemocratic and unfair to them.

    The Secretary-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the closed-door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, said: “We came to consult with Mr. President. We are happy we consulted with him, and he has given us reasons to re-assure the Muslims that Muslims in Nigeria are not deliberately marginalised. He has asked us to convey the feelings of the government, the genuineness of the government, the fairness of government to the entire populace.

    “That if there are issues that are not as they ought to be, they were not definitely deliberate and we want to believe that Mr. President told us his mind. We also want to believe that it is proper to protest. It is also proper to assume that a leader will always be just even if there are mistakes thereafter.

    “We just felt we must convey the feelings of the Muslims in Nigeria to Mr. President and he has given us his words to re-assure the Muslim community that he is a genuine and committed Christian who will not be unjust to others.”

    Before the latest protest to the Presidential Villa last week, another Muslim group, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) had, a week earlier, opposed the composition of the National Conference, claiming that Muslims in the country are being marginalised as the number of Christians at the conference is more than the number of Muslims.

    The Secretary-General of JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu said: “Although democracy is a game of numbers, this has not been respected. For instance, while Muslims constitute the majority in the country, Christians, who by all acceptable records are not more than 40 per cent of the country’s population, ironically constitute 62 per cent of the total delegates.

    “We regard it as disrespect to the conscience of the Muslims that, of the 20 delegates of the Federal Government, only six are Muslims. No Muslim is deemed fit to make the list of delegates from the Nigerian Economic Summit.

    “In fact, in the representation of the security agencies, Muslims have been so unimaginably short-changed with only one Muslim out of the six retired military and security personnel, one out of six retired security and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) officers, and two out of delegates of the Association of Retired Police Officers. This means, of the 18 security experts belonging to these three groups, only 4 (22.2%) are Muslims.

    “The question is: why is this serious short-changing of Muslims in these very sensitive groups?”

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), however, faulted the claims by JNI that Muslims in Nigeria are more than Christians.

    The General-Secretary of CAN, Dr. Musa Asake, in a statement, said: “CAN needs to remind JNI of the argument and refusal of Muslims to include religion during the last census in Nigeria. We appeal to JNI not to use religion as a basis for their reservations about the National Conference. We believe the conference will do Nigeria a lot of good.

    “The JNI should come out with the figures that make Muslim population more than that of Christians. We in CAN will boycott future census in Nigeria beginning with that of 2016 if they do not include religion. Enough is enough!

    “We are therefore challenging the Secretary-General of the JNI to make it public the source of his population figures which shows that Christians constitute only 40 per cent of the country’s population.”

    The conference, which aimed at charting a new path for Nigeria and address grievances and imbalances in the country, no doubt, seems to have started on a wrong note with religious sentiments being brought to the fore rather than focusing on the objectives for which it was convened.

    The voting method to be adopted at the conference has also become a source of division among the delegates. While some groups are pushing for three-quarter majority for any resolution to go through, others are supporting two-third majority or simple majority.

    Some Christian delegates have also kicked against the use of short opening Islamic prayers by Muslim delegates at the conference. They threatened to shout “Praise the Lord” or make short Christian prayers before making their remarks if the Muslims are not called to order.

    Even as many stakeholders had kicked against the conference before it started, one hopes that drastic steps will be taken now so that the conference will not leave the country more divided than it was before the conference started.

  • Varsity provides job opportunities

    Well, not everyone is folding their arms about the alarming unemployment profile of the country.

    American University of Nigeria (AUN) Yola, has set up a job fair where their students and graduates/alumni met with more than 20 different national and international organisations and some participants got employment or internship positions.

    The seventh edition of the AUN career fair brought together cooperation’s like Dangote Cement, Sky Bank, KPMG, McKinsey&Company, P&G, PZ Cussons, PWC, Nestle, General Electric, ExonMobil, Deloitte, StallionGroup and lots more.

    Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, AUN, Reginald Braggs explained that the career fair was a way of bringing national and international companies together, under one roof for the benefit of the alumni and current students to introduce themselves and the objective of the companies is to find bright students to recruit.

    His words: “Our intention is to connect our students and alumni with viable companies. This is of benefit to Nigeria because now you have young people who are now having jobs and being of benefit to the country.

    “It also serves as an experience for our current students to know what it feels like to interview in front of companies and present themselves in front of companies.”

    He said that it is a kind of American concept of bringing students together and alumni can have the opportunity to learn, when we first started it, students did not really know what to expect but as time has gone on, we have been able to find that impact we like to have on our students.

    Braggs also said, “When we first started out there were about 15 to 20 companies but now we have about 30 to 35 companies coming every year. A lot of companies have a threshold and we have an opportunity where they can sit down and talk to the students and also provide an avenue where they can give them an aptitude test into the different departments in their companies.

    Director, Career Services, student affairs, AUN Mrs Grace Nwokoma said that the school begins to prepare their students as soon as they gain admission to prepare them for the future and work a environment. Mostly, they make them work for two hours every day in a in a professional capacity where they get paid.

    She said, “”It is a job fair modelled after the American concept, before our students get here, we have properly groomed and worked with them one on one because we want to give companies the products that they want.

    “So far we have over 300 and something students already placed from this platform in companies like KPMG, McKinseys&Company, Sky Bank, General electric, Shell, lots more for them to come here, it means that they already have some of our products and their capabilities and are yearning for more, most of them go through the internship programs and they hire them.”

    Manager Human Resources (HR) and Admin, Dangote Cement Cooperate office, Bala Zango said that he had seen the notice for the fair on the AUN website and applied to be part of it.

    He added, “We came here to fish out the talented ones; we are so much interested in having young, talented people in Dangote that we can inculcate into our system. We need intelligent and fresh people to come and assist us in moving the company forward.

    “The job fair gives the students the courage to know that they have graduated and are not going to be in the labour market looking for jobs. In Dangote we have been providing jobs and intend to recruit more, our fertilizer plant will soon be kicking off so we need more staff, like about 80,000 staff when we are ready. What we do is to go to the universities and pick from the graduating ones there.”

    Head HR recruitment and training manager Nestle, Marie Owoniyi said, “For us it is an opportunity to brand ourselves as employers and register ourselves in the minds of our to be employees, we are here to tell them that Nestle is here with lots of opportunities for graduates.”

  • Church seeks partnership to lift the poor

    Bishop Duke Akamisoko of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) Kubwa Diocese has said the church needs to demonstrate the essence of Christianity by lifting the poor and embarking on community development. In the circumstances, therefore, he has sought financial intervention from partners such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

    He said: “as we do this, I want to encourage the FCT administration to partner with us in terms of financial support for the programmes we carry out within the FCT.”

    He spoke at the launch of the strategic plan and health-based community agents’ resources manual of the church’s non-governmental organisation (NGO) – Kubwa Diocesan Development and Welfare Services (KDDWS).

    Akamisoko, who is also the director of KDDWS, said the church has been involved in welfare services around the FCT.

    According to him, the service is not for profiteering but an attempt to help the needy.

    He further said: “We are not doing this for any profit but it is just for us to touch lives. As we present our strategic plans as a diocese today, please partner with us to make this programme a success.

    “As a dioceses, we are not just preaching the gospel but we are also demonstrating practical Christian life, practical Christian love to the communities around us.”

    Meanwhile, a civil rights campaigner Dr Kabura Zakama of the Democratic Governance for Development urged religious leaders to live beyond the comfort of their pulpit and extend the hands of fellowship to their communities irrespective of their faith.

    Zakama, who was the keynote speaker, said “there was so much religious noise in the country, both among Muslims and Christians that has not transformed the people.”

    He said clergymen must not end their preaching in their places of worship but to practically showcase love and impacting on the community through financial supports and other forms of community interventions.

    He enjoined Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper saying “the church has a mandate of speaking the truth against evil and being accountable to the people.”

    According to him, religious leaders needed to be in tune with today’s world and relate with their immediate environment.

    “To say things are difficult is no excuse. We must show good examples and be prepared to develop the people,” Zakama said.

    He noted that poverty was a man-made phenomenon caused by injustice and impunity.

    “Poverty is a creation of man and we must end it by being just,” he said.

    Speaking, the KDDWS Programme Officer Chidozie Ossai noted that the NGO has been involved in education development, advocacy and direct service delivery in Bwari Area Council, Kuje Area Council and the Abuja Municipal Area Council.

  • A case for youths

    A case for youths

    A Social crusader and Olympic torch-bearer, Mr Eedris Abdulkareem has said there is need to bridge the gap between government and the youth, which he described as unhealthy.

    He advocates a youth trust fund and student trust fund that will make life easy for the youth.

    Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Abdulkareem popularly known for his song; Nigeria Jaga Jaga, also lamented the rate of insecurity in the country.

    He described the insecurity situation as politically-motivated to make President Jonathan’s administration fail.

    “The ugly security situation is an intentional plan to make Jonathan’s administration look stupid. Females are now abducted by members of the Boko Haram sect and we all know they will end up using them as sex slaves. The whole thing is getting messier and crazier. This is the time for youths to rise up and talk.”

    On the initiative that would help the youth become responsible and responsive, he said: “There are so many gaps between the government and the youth. I am Nigeria Project as an initiative, will help bridge the gap between government and the youth. This initiative will enable youths to go online, tell us their problems and we will be able to get at least 50 per cent of them engaged.

    “We all know the whole insecurity problem in the country is political. It is important for us to make a move, talk to the youth and create employment for them and see where we can take Nigeria to. This is because if we don’t do it, nobody will do it for us.”

    While urging the youth to spend less time twitting, he said: “Enough of too much talk on twitter and facebook. It is time to take what belongs to us as youths. God forbid, if something happens, which country is ready to absorb Nigerians?

    “The mindset of the youth must change. They should think beyond being used as political weapons in the hands of political parties and politicians.”

    On his project, the rap artiste said: “I have been a social crusader criticising things that are very wrong and I felt it is enough doing it through the medium of songs. It is time to take the bull by the horn and step outside and speak the truth by going to ministries and multi-nationals to drum up support for Nigerian youths.

    “With this platform, we hope to challenge public officials and institutions that are performing below standards. When there are opportunities for employment and empowerment, we will, through this initiative, push qualified members of I am Nigerian forward.

    ”I discovered that many youths can’t speak for themselves because they are so scared. This impedes our progress.

    He disclosed that a proposal would be sent to youth bodies like the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Presidents of Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) and youth foundations on how they can help in moving Nigeria forward.

    On his kind of music, Eedris explained that some of his colleagues perceive him in different light because he does not sing their trend of music.

    “I found out that most of my colleagues think I am stupid because they are making money from talking and singing about girls, booties, boobs, cars and all that.

    “I cannot do that because we are not the same and we can never be the same. You can be talking about all that but most of these people who are your audience don’t even have the money to do all you are doing. They don’t even have money to feed themselves. But if you can relate with them through your song, then they will have hope and see a way forward.

  • Down Yola lane

    Down Yola lane

    Yola can calm the mind as much as it can charm the senses. I found myself reminiscing over the four years I spent at this enthralling capital of Adamawa State as a student. The most vivid memories of Yola’s splendour are evident from the landscape; the picturesque view of mountains combined with a dense greenery and an almost permanent surrounding fog.

    When I think about Yola, I also remember the majesty of the cattle as they strode from one location to the other, heeding the incomprehensible instruction of a herdsperson. Yola’s radiance is apparent in its rich and active culture. The most prominent of the cultural activities I experienced was the durbar, a parade of horse-riders especially in celebration of the Eid festival.

    Though there are numerous memories that can be attributed to the land of beauty’s magnificence, there are even more memories for its calm. Yola is packed with people who mostly earn an income from farming, and they are simple, friendly and ever ready to help. Personal experiences of the friendliness of Yola’s people emanated from the friendships I had with cab drivers like Musa, Salihu and IBB, who still keep in touch almost a year after my departure. I also remember frequent market trips that introduced me to market men and women who were usually animated especially after the noi greeting. During these market trips, I was able to meet very honest men and women who never took advantage of their customers’ miscalculations.

    Adamawa could aptly be described as a multi-cultural and multi-religious state. The indigenes and residents of the state belong to different tribes and religions. Contrary to popular opinion, the people of Yola spoke more Fulfulde than Hausa. It was also very possible to meet people from the North-eastern state who spoke impeccable Fulfulde but didn’t understand a word of Hausa.

    Many who visited Yola purchased their flight ticket or embarked on the lengthy road trip to the state for many reasons. Adamawa state is the home to prestigious higher institutions of learning such as the American Univeristy of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Adamawa State University and very recently, the sixth Nigerian Law School. As a result of these schools, students constituted an impressive composition of residents in Adamawa state. Adamawa state also boasts of the first cultural landscape to receive the UNESCO World Heritage list inscription, the Sukur Cultural Landscapes. The Sukur Cultural Landscapes are situated in the Mandara Mountains of Adamawa State very close to the Cameroon border.

    Despite the goodness of its people, Yola’s weather told a conflicting tale. The weather was always at some form of extremity. When the sun shone, its rays were harsh leaving its residents with sweaty bodies and darker skins. The harmattan was moisture-sapping and skin-whitening and when it rained, it poured angrily from the sky. Notwithstanding, residents of Yola remember only its goodness, a definite contradiction to the reports that come from the north-eastern state.

    Blessing Douglas, a student from Rivers State and a resident of Yola for two years, said about her experience, “I admire the hospitality of the people, the way they welcome and treat people.”

    Douglas added that she used to have some preconceived notions of the state. “Before I got to Yola,” Douglas said, “I used to think that the people here would be extremely tribalistic and biased, but I guess I had judged a book by its cover.”

    Just like Douglas, Abdulwasi’ Oseni is particularly fascinated because “the people live simple lives and they trust people whole-heartedly.”

    Oseni who originally resided in Lagos state travelled to Yola five years ago for his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme. After five years, he describes his experience as “nice and fruitful” especially because he has been able to correct misconceptions he had about Yola before residing there.

    Joseph Ishaku, unlike the previous two, is from Adamawa state. Ishaku has lived in Adamawa state since 2003 and is proud of “the warmth of the people and how they welcome non-locals with open arms without harmful prejudices.”

    He further explained that the warmth is “almost involuntary. We tend not to ask questions,” Ishaku said, “but just live with people as though they’ve been with us.”

    Like any place in the world, Yola has people with flaws. Many of its streets crawl with beggars who range from little children to old men and women. In addition, the bulk of news stories from the state detail bloody ethnic clashes, bomb blasts and electoral violence. Oseni said that the media have a role to play in this regard.

    “They (the media) need to tell more stories about how people live peacefully with each other than telling stories about ethnic clashes. Anyone who hasn’t been to the north usually has a bad impression about Northerners. So, more stories about the Igbos having lots of businesses in the north and driving the economy of the north should be told.”

    Oseni adds that an inter-tribal relationship that may need correction among the people of Adamawa state is inter-tribal marriage. “Intertribal marriages should be encouraged as it helps to strengthen the country’s unity,” Oseni said. “At the moment, Fulanis prefer to marry within and it’s a herculean task for someone outside the tribe to marry from them.”

    Douglas on the other hand advises that with the state of insecurity in the state and region, “I would advice that they adopt better means of resolving conflict and promote peaceful coexistence among each other.”

    Like Douglas, Oseni and Ishaku, regardless of the tales that come from the region, numerous residents of Adamawa state will continue to stick to the stories they have experienced themselves, the stories of calm, simplicity and magnificence.

  • Driver needs N5m to survive gun attack

    Driver needs N5m to survive gun attack

    When Babalola Mukaila, a commercial driver, left his house on the November 7 last year, he was bubbling with life. He bid his wife, children and family members farewell but did not know that he would not return hail and hearty that day.

    Mukaila used to ply his trade along Ilorin-Oyo-Ibadan road. On that same day he was unlucky to have run into a gang of armed robbers between Oyo and Ibadan, who shot at his vehicle. In the process the driver sustained extensive bullet wounds on the face.

    The victim, who is currently recuperating at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) requires a sum of N5 million for face surgery in an Indian Hospital.

    On the hospital bed he urged public-spirited Nigerians to rescue him from the claws of death, saying “please come to my aid. The agony and pains I’m going through are beyond what I can bear. My life is at stake as I urgently need God’s favour and kind assistance of well-meaning Nigerians to free me from this present precarious situation.”

    Recounting his ordeal, the 50 year old Mukaila said on the unfortunate day “I was shot in the face through the nose and mouth and lost consciousness for three months. I was getting better but with deformed face and mouth as all my upper teeth were badly affected. This made it difficult for me to feed myself without assistance of people.

    “I was subsequently referred from the UITH to an Indian Hospital where my face and teeth could be restored, that is why I am seeking financial assistance from well-meaning Nigerians to please sponsor my trip for proper medical attention.”

    Mukaila, who hails from Offa, Offa Local Government, lamented that he had expended about N2 million to bounce back to normal life but to no avail.

    He said “my family members have tried. The transport union members have been footing my bills at the UITH, UCH and other private hospitals.”

    The letter of referral signed by Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon at UITH, Dr M. F. Adeyemo reads: “The above named patient was admitted on the 7th November, 2013 at the Accident and Emergency unit on account of gunshot injuries by armed robbers. He sustained multiple maxillofacial injuries which involved the nasoethmoidal complex, part of the lower eyelid, the philtrum of the upper lip, hard palate and the upper teeth sparing the soft palate.

    “Patient was fully conscious and alert at presentation, loss of blood could not be ascertained. Patient was however stabilized at presentation and explore under anesthesia via trachesotomy.

    “The exploration under general anesthesia involved complete debridement and excision of necrotic tissue of the entry point of the bullet (the right cheek), excision of the partially avulsed hard palate, nasal septum, part of the brain tissue and extraction of the upper right molar.

    “The entry wound on the right cheek was dressed and allowed to granulate, the palatal defect was packed with surfratulle for few days and finally restored with obuturator which was suspended with circum zygomatic wiring bilaterally.

    “However, patient’s facial appearance and feeding habit could not be restored with prosthesis.

    “We are hereby, referring the patient to you based on the request of the patient for further management.”

    In their response to the referral, authorities of the Fortis Hospitals, New Delhi, India said “Mr. Babalola Mukaila needs to come for facial reconstruction with flaps and bone grafts at our facility centre in India.”

    The hospitals in their reply signed by Senior Consultant, Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, Dr Rashmi Taneja “said we have found most suitable treatment plan advised by the top and most renowned specialist in India for you, on very affordable price.

    “He will require to stay in the hospital for one week and one month in India. Hospital cost estimate for above treatment is likely to be between 10,000 and 12,000 US Dollars.

    “The above package cost includes hospital stay above, nursing care, surgeon fee, medicines and consumables, patient’s food and airport pick up etc.”

    Victim’s contact phone numbers are 08053047375 and 08036483048

    Account Name: Babalola Mukaila, Account number 0124438139, Bank’s name is GTB

  • Boost for girl-child education

    Boost for girl-child education

    Women’s problems seem to begin from infancy. Either that parents, in line with societal requirement, prefer boys to ensure continuity in the lineage, or they believe more on his education to the detriment of the girl child. This places her at a disadvantage even up to adulthood.

    Gender activists have always regarded this as discrimination against the women folk and have said women should be empowered through education.

    Crusaders for women empowerment maintain that the objective of making women realise their potential could be achieved only through genuine commitment to the education of the girl child.

    As a result of this, some school proprietors have decided to devote their schools’ programme of study to the education of the girl child.

    One of such proprietors is Mrs Mariam Mutallab Duba, the founder of Noble Hall School Abuja who runs an all-girls secondary school.

    She said her decision was borne out of the need to nurture girls for leadership role in the 21 Century.

    In a chat with our correspondent, she said the school has a vision of enriching girls’ lives through holistic world-class education that will develop leaders of tomorrow.

    “We also aim at providing a first-class educational environment for girls, create new cadre of female leaders, equip girls with the required knowledge and skills and strong family values to influence change in Nigeria and Africa,” she said.

    At the main site of the school located at the Idu Industrial District of the city, Mrs Duba said while construction work is ongoing, the school is scheduled to be inauguration next month.

    Two private institutions, the Nigeria Turkish Nile University and the Baze University are also located in the area.

    On the structural design of the school, she said the two-storey academic building has first-rate facilities.

    “The staff office carries an ambience that makes one work and work. It has 20 classrooms, eight laboratories and a library.

    “The library, which is online, has resources covering both e-books and physical books. Behind the academic building is a horticulture garden.

    “The two-storey hostel has a common room, 24 units with two dormitories each and a basement for laundry. Each dormitory has three bathrooms, three toilets and three box rooms. Attached to the dormitory is a kitchenette. Each unit has a common area apart from the main one at the entrance of each floor.

    “The auditorium, with its below-the-surface walkway, is a demonstration of architectural sophistication.

    “The large dining building with conical roof and a multi-purpose hall has capacity for 500. The teachers’ quarters look cute just as the sporting complex attracts even non-athletes,” she said.

    Mr Stewart Cowden, the Principal of the school said management looks forward to producing a premier institution in the whole of Africa in the next three years.