The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Council to build feeder roads

    The Chairman of Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Hon. Shaban Tete has said that due to non-availability of access roads in Kuje rural communities, the council’s budget for this year will have 50per cent concentration on the provision of feeder roads for communities.

    This, he said, would afford the people the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of democracy.

    Tete, who made this known during the council’s monthly press briefing, said the council’s leadership knows the suffering of the people living in rural communities who cannot access the city centre because of lack of motorable roads. This may have informed his administration’s decision to concentrate on provision of access roads for the communities this year.

    According to the council boss, the mandate given to him by the people needs to be reciprocated through good and profitable governance, saying that there was need for him to prove to the people that they did not make mistakes for electing him.

    He promised to do his best to meet the immediate needs of the people by providing access roads, water and electricity which are necessities of life.

    His words: “I know what Kuje people, including those in my village, are going through in terms of access roads. My people are suffering because of lack of access roads. When we are preparing our council’s budget for this year, 50per cent of the budget was earmarked for provision of feeder roads.

    For example, from Kigbe to Kwaku community, it is not an issue of culvert; the entire road is bad and needs to be graded to make it accessible.

    “I want to grade from Kigbe to Takwa community, because the road has serious problem, a situation that has caused the people not to move around. After I finish grading, the people can freely move from one place to the other.

    Mind you, after grading the roads, there is need for asphalt and culvert. But if my administration expires before the roads are completed, the people will know that I was able to open the roads for them and somebody else will complete the project.

    “The most important thing is for us to start constructing the feeder roads in rural communities, because these people are suffering due to lack of roads. So, I am going to do my best in constructing feeder roads, just to alleviate the suffering of the people.

    “I have also awarded contract for the provision of water for the people. I am expecting the drilling machine. Very soon, about 300 communities in Kuje will have access to potable water.”

     

  • Whither Nigeria’s presidential park

    The creation of gardens or recreational parks around the official residence and office buildings of presidents or prime ministers of most countries is fast becoming a common trend across the globe.

    Most of these parks are not only accessible by the ordinary citizens of the country, but foreigners duly cleared are also allowed on tourist visit to such parks.

    But the park at the Presidential Villa Abuja has been on the drawing board for a long time.

    It is not clear whether it has been abandoned due to lack of funds or not developed in order to keep unwanted visitors away due to the rising insecurity in the country.

    A white sign post standing by the undeveloped park adjacent the main gate to the Presidential Villa, Abuja reads ‘Park Development: Work-in-progress: FCT Parks and Recreation Department.’

    The Nigeria system of government is taylored after that of the United States of America (US). But the US, who has suffered more from terrorism has park land and gardens by the White House.

    The President’s Park surrounding the White House offers visitors, district residents, and even the President of the United States restorative green space, awe-inspiring memorials.

    A regular local or first time visitor to the President’s Park has opportunity to participate in numerous activities and special events in the park.

    The visitor can stop by the White House Visitor Center for maps and brochures or take a stroll through the park to enjoy the atmosphere.

    He or she can also pause for a moment and have his or her picture taken in front of the White House.

    While the grounds of the President’s Park are opened year-round, certain park areas may be closed at times on a temporary basis at the request of the US Secret Service to ensure necessary security and safety for the adjacent White House complex, its occupants, and the public.

    The Park also offers students and educators a number of opportunities to explore the political and cultural history of the United States of America. As a home, an office, and a showplace for American craftsmanship, the White House mirrors and magnifies broad social trends.

    It is also a popular location for individuals and causes to petition the government, a hallmark of the American democratic experiment.

    No entrance fees is charged any individuals or groups in order to access the President’s Park or the White House Visitor Center. But such request for access must be submitted through the visitor’s Member of Congress (as a citizen) or embassy (if a foreigner) within three weeks to six months in advance of the desired tour date.

    Each member of Congress has already established procedures by which to accept tour reservation requests.

    Before gaining entrance, all citizen visitors who are 18 years and above will be required to present a valid, government-issued photo identification while all foreign nationals must present their passports.

    Those without proper identification will not be allowed to go on the tour, while the forms of photo identification that are acceptable for presentation to Secret Service upon entry to the White House complex include valid government-issued United States identification card like drivers license, military ID and valid United States or other official government-issued passports.

    Photocopies and expired identification cards are not acceptable on such tour. Such a visitor is not also allowed to carry items including handbags, book bags, backpacks, purses, food and beverages of any kind, strollers, cameras, video recorders or any type of recording device.

    He or she will also not be allowed to carry tobacco products, personal grooming items (make-up, hair brush or comb, lip or hand lotions, etc.), any pointed objects (pens, knitting needles, etc.), aerosol containers, guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons/devices, or knives of any size.

    But items like umbrellas, wallets, cell phones and car keys are permitted.

    All necessary medications belonging to the visitor must also be identified and screened by the Secret Service before the visitor can go in with them.

    The executive office and official residence of the President of the Republic of Korea, known as the Blue House has similar presidential park in Seoul.

    The Malacañang Palace, which is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines, is not a different story.

    Malacañang Park, directly across the river from Malacañang Palace, boasts of a Recreation Hall, a small golf course and the guesthouse Bahay Pangarap.

    The Official Residence for the President of the Republic of South Africa in Pretoria, called Mahlamba Ndlopfu is surrounded by beautiful garden that have been declared as a national Heritage site.

    It will be a good thing if Nigeria can toe the line these nations have followed.

    The present insecurity situations in some part of the country and even the past bomb attacks at the Police Force Headquarters and the United Nations House in Abuja should not deter Nigeria from following the trend.

    All that needs to be done is to put in place proper security measures and do all the preliminary screening and checks before such visitors gain entrance.

     

  • Council chief’s wife donates to the poor

    The wife of the Chairman of Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mrs. Hannatu Shaban, has donated wrappers, food items and cash to orphans, widows and aged women in the council.

    While distributing the items, Shaban said the gesture was part of her efforts to alleviate the suffering of the less-privileged in the council, even as she noted that there are people in the council who cannot feed or fend for themselves who need assistance from government.

    She assured that the council will carry people along, adding that the well-being of orphans and other less-privileged individuals would be given a priority.

    “The essence of this gathering today is to show the less-privileged ones love and affection and to let them know that they are very relevant to the society. We are aware that these categories of people are often forgotten during celebrations and festive periods. That is the reason we need to show them love and affection.

    “I consider them as a very important segment of the society, a conviction that motivated me to encourage them. I urge other privileged Nigerians to consider the less-privileged in the society by rendering assistance to them,” she said.

    Mrs Shaban further said skill acquisition programmes would be introduced for women in all wards in the area to make them productive and useful to themselves and the society. She called on private individuals, corporate organisations and civil societies to show love and care to the less-privileged people.

    Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Shekwolo Shetu, from Kwakwu Ward in Kuje, expressed gratitude to the wife of council chairman for the gesture, promising to invest the money given her in a small-scale business.

    She also urged the authority of the council to build a befitting market to enable women to sell their goods, which she said would improve the economic situation of the council.

  • Communities urged to set up vigilance groups

    Following attack on residents of Kujekwa community in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by some suspected gunmen which claimed one life and 50 cows stolen, the chairman of the council, Mr. Shaban Tete, has advised people of the area and neighbouring communities to set up vigilance groups to forestall future occurrence.

    Tete, who stated this during a media interaction with newsmen, said it had become necessary for people in the community to come together and set up a vigilance group in order to checkmate activities of criminals. This, he said, is because the police alone cannot fight crime.

    According to the council chief, though there are special security agents trained to tackle crimes, members of communities should see security as a collective responsibility which should not be left in the hands of the government alone.

    He said forming a vigilance group among the people of the community and other communities will, no doubt, go a long way in checkmating cases of stealing and the Fulani clashes in the area.

    “The leadership of the council is seriously worried over the recent attack on my people at Kujekwa village where gunmen invaded the village with sophisticated weapons and killed one person while over 50 cows were stolen. I think the other alternative to put an end to such occurrence is for the village head and elders to come together to see how the people can form vigilance group in the community, so that we can see how we will support them,” he said.

    He urged residents to expedite action on the setting up of vigilance group so that the council would see how best to assist the group with equipment and monthly stipend that can motivate them in the discharge of their duties to the community.

    He revealed that the council’s leadership has written a letter to the Commissioner of Police of the FCT, Mr. Femi Ogunbayode, on the need to establish a police post at the community to stand as primary option in checkmating criminal activities in the area, which he said an approval has already been given to the deployment of policemen in the area.

    Recall that, on December 30, last year, some suspected gunmen numbering about 20 with AK 47 rifles invaded Kujekwa community in Kuje, killed one person, burgled some shops and stole 50 cows from the community.

  • Making master craftsmen in six months

    Making master craftsmen in six months

    If the firm wanted to fight youth unemployment by training the jobless in skills, well, it succeeded. But it also did more than that. The trained youths have turned out to be exemplary craftsmen, churning out some of the best products anyone has seen in the area. The doors they made, for instance, have kept people staring. And all it took was six months to learn the ropes.

    For six months, 120 youths from different parts of the host communities of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC) were trained in different skills that will empower them for the future.

    They have become some of the beneficiaries of the Youth Empowerment and skill acquisition programme which was introduced in 2008 by the former Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Bolanle Ayodele. Executive Director, Services of Kaduna Refinery, Idi Mukthar said the gesture aimed at empowering youths from the host community, noting that the programme has been on for some years without any hitch.

    “Today, we are witnessing the graduation of the fifth batch of 120 youths making it a total of 525 youths that have graduated since inception in various trades. The enthusiasm and spontaneous promise of KRPC in sustainable community development is what has crystalised today.”

    The youth, he said, were selected with the help of community leaders, adding that the programme is another demonstration of the concern and commitment of KRPC towards job creation and self-reliance.

    “Over the past five years, the programme grew from strength to strength, especially with the introduction of additional trades to engage the youth of the host communities with the hope of eradicating poverty, reduce unemployment and improve the standard of living,” he said.

    Continuing, he said: “Throughout the world, youth empowerment has a significant marker in accessing the health of both the society and the economy.

    “Third world economies and societies in Africa now carry a demographic pattern in which almost 45 per cent of the population is under the age of 30.

    “Against this background, it became a moral obligation for the management team of the KRPC to prioritise youth empowerment through skill acquisition. It is our vision in KRPC to move the youth of our host communities from the regime of disillusionment we found them into a world of hopefulness.

    “It is our mission to remove the canopy of despair which hovered over our youths and skill them for prosperity so that they can face the future with bravery and self-confidence, mobilise them from zero to hero, from poverty to power.”

    He lamented that “out there on our streets and in our homes, thousands of young men and women, a substantial number of them, secondary and tertiary institution graduates, many anxious to acquire skills remain without a window of opportunity to work and earn a living.”

    For the acting Managing Director of KRPC, Dr. Bafred Enjugu, the graduation of the 120 youths calls for celebration, especially considering that the current realities in the country is manifesting in large-scale unemployment with youths most affected, thus leading them to anti-social behaviours and conducts strange to the cultural norms of the country.

    He reminded the youth of the need to regard the era of white collar job as becoming a thing of the past while the current reality points towards skill acquisition and vocational training. He urged the beneficiaries to set up their own businesses and become self-reliant and employers of labour.

    He noted that the company has entered into an agreement with the trainers to manage the set-up grants given to them, help them set up their businesses, monitor and track their progress and send weekly report about their progress for six months as a way of ensuring that they are well groomed and robust enough to withstand the initial challenge of early business set up.

    Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Andrew Yakubu who praised the KRPC initiatives said the youth empowerment programme exemplifies NNPC‘s commitment to its corporate social responsibility towards its host communities.

    Mr. Yakubu said the entrepreneurial skill programme presents an opportunity for independence and self-reliance given the limitations of government in providing employment to the people. He described the programme as the only way forward in the battle against unemployment in the country.

    “This,” he said, “has become imperative considering the fact that the security challenges, sectarian strife perpetrated in the name of politics, religion and ethnicity bedevil the country can be directly linked to the high rate of unemployment among the youth.”

    He assured the KRPC of the continued support of the NNPC corporate management in sustaining the programme.

    Governor Mukthar Ramalan Yero used the occasion to announce that the Kaduna State government was preparing another batch of trainees on skill acquisition under the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme. He announced that the first batch of 7,600 trainees will be mobilised by the government to set up their own businesses.

    Governor Yero said the ultimate goal of government is to evolve a younger generation that is skilled and capable of building a stable and economically viable state, stressing that government will not relent in its determination to create economic opportunities for the youth and women.

    This, he noted, results from government’s realisation that formal education alone cannot grow the economy.

    The governor, who spoke through his deputy, Ambassador Nuhu Audu Bajoga challenged the youth to acquire skills which will enable them to contribute to the growth of the economy of the state, pointing out that the era of waiting for white collar jobs were over as such is becoming increasingly difficult to come by.

    He warned the beneficiaries against abandoning their training after receiving support from the KRPC.

    While admonishing them not to see the road to success as smooth, Governor Yero intimated the graduating students that “there are bound to be challenges, but your ability to surmount hurdles that will come your way, is the key to achieving greatness.

    “Today, you have become proud tradesmen and women looking forward to a life of self-reliance. You must not let us down because the prosperity of our society rests on you. You are the only obstacle to your success. Remember you can only go as far as you can dream and the only way up is hard work, patience and fear of God.

    “I hope you will all dream big and achieve your goals in life. I admonish you to shun negative vices such as violence, cultism and drug abuse. And as we enter the season of partisan politicking, I urge you to resist any attempt by selfish persons to use you as cannon fodder to create confusion in the land.

    The governor noted that the youth empowerment programme initiated by the company was an indication of the commitment of the KRPC to adding value to its host communities as well as leading by example in implementing a laudable corporate social responsibility model that is worthy emulation by other organisations operating in Kaduna State.

    He expressed his happiness that the policy thrust of KRPC on youth empowerment is taking a firm root and has, indeed, turned to a manifest reality. He added that “the consistency of this programme has also proved to government and people of Kaduna State that every declaration of the KRPC since the inception of YESAP is neither a mere expression of intent but practicable and achievable statement of action.

    “We are therefore appreciative of the YESAP initiative which clearly provides an opportunity to unlock the creative potential of our youth by providing them with the much-needed skills which will actively enable them to contribute to the growth of our economy.

    “The programme has, no doubt, liberated its beneficiaries from the shackles of poverty, while igniting skills development that would spur economic activities, create jobs and also enhance peace and security.

    “Let me, at this point; congratulate KRPC on actively contributing to our concerted efforts in reducing youth unemployment through the YESAP.”

    The Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mallam Abubakar Mohammed urged the beneficiaries not to sell the starter packs given to them by KRPC, even as he advised them to utilise them well.

    He regretted that in the past, money given to trainees of skill acquisition were wasted and never used by them while others who were provided with working tools ended up selling them.

    He reminded them of the essence of the training they were given which was to “provide them opportunity for self-reliance and decent job. It also marked a significant milestone in the lives of these empowered youths.

    Since 2008, KRPC has partnered with NDE in creating jobs for the youth in Kaduna State.

     

  • Community pleads for amenities

    Unsettled by the continued lack of basic amenities in the community, the residents of Tokulo in Bwari Area Council have called on the council’s administration and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to provide essential amenities for the community.

    Some residents who spoke to our correspondent on the issue lamented that the community is still living in darkness as they were yet to experience the pleasure of electricity in the area for a very long period.

    One of the residents, Mamuud Idir said it was unfortunate that the residents cannot predict when light would be available in their community; an amenity most communities have been enjoying for years.

    “As I am talking to you now, I don’t know when we will be able to enjoy light.  There are no poles, no electricity cables and no transformers. For me, it would be a miracle if this community is provided with electricity. I wonder why we should continue to say that we are in the FCT when we do not have light,” he said.

    Mohammed Dogo who owns a shop at the area stated that “availability of electricity brings about economic development in any community, even as he added that lack of it has made the community to be stagnant.

    “Wherever there is electricity, there is development. I own a shop here but because of lack of electricity, there is no maximal improvement in my business. My drinks are hardly cold. Things I would have loved to preserve in the fridge are always spoilt.

    “We have a makeshift place where we go to charge our phones. The owner puts on his electricity generating set and collects N50 from us to charge our phones.  It is rather unfortunate. We hope that something will be done for our community this year.”

    Another resident, John Igo said the community lacks good roads that could link it to neighbouring communities, adding that lack of potable water is another serious issue members of the community are suffering from, as they depend on the local stream for their water supply.

    “I am calling on the area council to help us. I hope this year will be a good one for us and our forgotten town,” he said.

  • Security boost by Kwara community

    Security boost by Kwara community

    For some time now, Offa the headquarters of Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State has been under siege. The frequent armed robbery in the ancient town has become a source of worry to the residents.

    For instance, between 2011 and 2013, the community recorded no fewer than four armed robbery cases which resulted in loss of lives and property.

    The December 19, 2013 robbery attacks on three commercial banks and police post claimed seven policemen and three others.

    Ever since, all commercial banks in the community have closed down. The management of the affected banks vowed not to resume business in the area until security improved.

    In order to ensure that normalcy returned to the area and to encourage the banks to resume operation, the community has presented three Toyota Hillux patrol vans to security personnel in the ancient town.

    Besides, the state government has finalised arrangement to construct two more police stations in the town.

    Speaking during the presentation of the patrol vans, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said the state government was disturbed with the recent bank robbery in the town.

    He said in order to curb the situation government has finalised arrangement to construct two more police stations in the town in order to bring back normal banking operations in the town.

    Ahmed, who was represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Alhaji Isiaka Gold, added that “with the procurement of three security vans by the people of the town and Offa Local Government Area, it is a clear indication that Offa community and Offa Local Government Area are responsive to the needs, yearnings and aspirations of the people.”

    Ahmed urged security agencies in the town to make judicious use of the facilities so as to curb the menace of armed robbery for which the vehicles were provided, even as he urged the banks to reciprocate the gesture of the community, local and state governments by resuming commercial activities in the town.

    He said: “We are particularly disturbed by the reported cases of armed robbery in Offa and Omu-Aran, and the debilitating effects on socio-economic life of the people.

    “Therefore, the state government will facilitate the establishment of two additional police posts here in Offa to enhance the current security situation in the town. I, therefore, urge commercial banks in Offa and Omu-Aran to reciprocate this gesture by restoring normal banking services in both towns in view of the enhanced security provided by the state government.

    “It is in this light that I congratulate and commend the good people of Offa community, who, in collaboration with the Offa Local Government Area, have deemed it fit to complement the state government’s efforts.

    “I commend your ingenuity and commitment to check crime in your area. I assure you of continued government’s support to restore lasting peace to this area. Let me use this opportunity to appreciate the security agents in this area for checking the menace of criminals.”

    He urged other communities to borrow a leaf from the Offa example, saying: “Offa has shown the way. It has indeed demonstrated how communities should collaborate with government to ensure peace in the society.”

    Earlier, the Amuludun of Offa, Chief Yunus Oyeyemi condemned the frequency of armed robbery attacks on the town which he said has paralysed commercial activities in the area.

    Chief Oyeyemi, who spoke on behalf of the community, also said: “This event to which we are invited resulted from the unprovoked, barbaric and criminal invasion of Offa by dare-devil armed robbers on December 19, 2013.

    “The dastardly act was so sudden that it rendered Offa community numb, speechless; clueless and forlorn. Everybody ran helter skelter to seek refuge from the ceaseless and reckless shooting by the robbers.

    “There is no gainsaying the fact that the attacks on some commercial banks in the town, the invasion of the police central office and the accompanying loss of lives threw the community into mourning while the economy of the town suffered indescribable setback which it is yet to fully recover from.

    “It is in appreciation of the steps taken by the state government and the state police command to bolster security arrangements in the community that the community is donating three equipped Hillux pick-up security vans, one to the Special Anti- Robbery Squad, the Mobile Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps respectively.

    “Offa today remains the home to several post-primary and tertiary institutions and a city that is witnessing rapid growth.

    “I plead with the area offices of the commercial banks which have remained shut since the unfortunate incident to re-open so as to alleviate the hardship being experienced by their customers within and outside Offa.

    “We, as a community, are working hard to strengthen the security arrangements on ground so as to enhance their operations.

    “We are convinced that when there is security there will be peace and tranquillity which are preconditions for progress.”

    In a remark, the chairman of the council Prince Abdulwaheed Olanipekun bemoaned the deteriorating security situation of the town.

    Olanipekun added that “the issue of inadequate security has become very challenging to our people to the extent that Offa’s political and socio-economic life is already near paralysis. The Owode Business District has become an endangered zone and our four days market day cycle is depleting in merchandising activities.

    “Our internally-generated revenue (IGR) is already largely affected. In this connection, our community will appreciate the state’s greater patronage in securing our local government area and the borders of Osun, Ekiti and Kogi states.

    “I salute and acknowledge the immense contributions of our community leaders, the Offa traditional council and patriotic citizens of the town who have resolutely risen to fight the menace of security challenge in the council.”

  • ‘Kebbi lost N7b in nine months’

    ‘Kebbi lost N7b in nine months’

    Kebbi State Government has announced a loss of over N7b in locally-generated revenue between April 2013 and January 2014.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Aminu Usman said it was disheartening to note that the backlog of the revenue in question accrued from the non-payment of dues by employees of federal, state, local governments, private companies and individuals.

    He stated that the state government was left with no option but to take the affected organisations to court for defaulting.

    Usman said the breakdown of the lost revenue showed that the 21 local government employees owe N2.5 billion, while the federal government are indebted to the state to the tune of N3.6 billion as the private sector and individuals rounded off the debtors list with an unsettled bill of N638 million.

    Aminu further disclosed that the court has ordered that the offices and business premises of the defaulting organisations be closed down until the debts are paid.

    Similarly, he said the officers in the state Revenue Board who have the responsibility of collecting revenue, would be retrained to ensure effective mobilisation and avert further losses.

  • ‘We want development commission’

    Inhabitants of Abuja, under the aegis of Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA) have urged the Federal Government to create a development commission aimed at taking care of the needs of members of indigenous communities in Abuja who were displaced as a result of development of Abuja as the nation’s capital.

    The association noted that the commission should be fashioned after the likes of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) or the Hydro-Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC).

    The President of OIDA, Pastor Danladi Jeji made the call during the second FCT Heritage Day celebration which held in Gwagwalada.

    He said displaced communities in Abuja have not been compensated for their confiscated lands, even as he said they are finding it difficult to make a living due to loss of their communities, houses and farmlands to government and private developers.

    He said: “The proposed Abuja Original Inhabitants Development Commission (AOIDC) should be statutory and should derive its funding from the 30 per cent of all sales accruing from all lands allocated within the FCT. When established, AOIDC would deal with the lingering issues of relocation, resettlement and compensation for all projects, affected communities and persons.”

    Continuing, he disclosed the association’s plan to sue the Federal Government if it continuous to confiscate their lands without regard for their rights.

    Presenting a paper entitled “Annihilation of Abuja Original Inhabitants and Imperatives of Democratisation of the Federal Capital Territory,” the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences Nasarawa State University and Guest Speaker at the occasion, Prof. Andrew Zamani urged the Federal Government to appreciate the need for an all-inclusive policy to tackle the problems of the indigenous people of the FCT.

    Prof. Zamani said: “There are no special privileges for the inhabitants in this regard as is the case for the people of Niger Delta through the Niger Delta Development Commission. Original inhabitants of Abuja need structures for self-governance. The second-tier will provide the basis for a local government system that is people-oriented. More senatorial seats and federal constituencies should be created to increase representation in the National Assembly.

    “Our resilience, however, should not be misjudged for weakness or indolence. Government should pay attention to the entreaties of OIDA for attention and dialogue, given that it has utilised legal means of contributing to national discourse and engagement with government and non-state actors of governance. A lot can be achieved through dialogue.”

    The event which acted as showcase for the rich cultural heritage of the nine indigenous ethnic groups in the FCT had had cultural troupes and masquerades from different ethnic groups that thrilled spectators to colourful display, dances, fireworks and durbar.

    The association also used the occasion to launch N200 million education endowment funds which aims at paying the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) fees for 1,000 Abuja indigenous senior secondary school students.

    The funds, according to the association, would assist several communities that still lack schools or access to proper education. They decried a situation in which only a few lucky ones have access to basic education, adding that many peasant families hardly cope with the responsibility of sending their children or wards to secondary schools in Abuja city centre that are very far away from their communities.

    The association pleaded with the Minister of the FCT Senator Bala Mohammed to make basic and secondary education in the satellite towns and rural communities accessible to the inhabitants so as to reduce the huge gap in terms of quality education by the FCT natives.

     

  • ‘Demolition has ruined us’

    ‘Demolition has ruined us’

    There was confusion among traders in Dutse Market in Bwari Area Council as a result of demolition of the market by the council’s administration.

    Our correspondent gathered that the traders were seen scrambling to rescue their goods even as the bulldozer tore down their shops. People who came to the market to buy things had to go home without buying half of the things they had wanted to buy.

    “You know today is the usual day when many people come to the market to sell their wares. So, with the confusion, some people do not know where to get what they wanted.  I would have expected the demolition to come on a day that is not as busy as today,’’ Ngozi Okeke, one of the people who had come to buy things in the market, said.

    Some traders who spoke with our reporter stated that the council’s idea to modernise the market and bring it to the contemporary standard was a good one, though they lamented that the time given to them to vacate the market was very short for them to afford the money for the shops.

    One of the traders, Mrs. Dorcas Kanayo stated that the new market is commendable, but added that considering the amount for the acquisition of the shops which ranges from N1.5m to N2.5m , the time was too close for them to get the money.

    “I am happy that Dutse Alhaji is going to have a befitting standard market where traders and buyers would feel comfortable to operate. But our concern is that the council should have also considered the traders who would move to the new shops, by giving us enough time to look for the money. They should stop the demolition so that we can run around to gather the money for the shops.

    “For me, I do not have enough money now to acquire one of the new shops when completed, but if we are given up to March, I believe most of us that truly desire to trade in the market will be able to get the required amount,” she said.

    Another trader, Emmanuel Augustine whose shop was among those demolished in November last year, said t since the demolition of his shop, he has been selling outside the market so that he could make enough money to acquire the new shop when completed. He expressed his worry over how he would survive now that the market was being demolished.

    “Since my shop was demolished in November last year, I have been doing my best to make enough money to enable me to afford the new shop in the market that is being constructed. But the truth is that it has been very difficult. I want to appeal to the leadership of the council to consider the plight of the traders by making the process of getting a shop less cumbersome and stopping the demolition.

    “This is where we get our livelihood and many people depend on us. They should assist us by making the processes easy, so that at the end, everybody will be happy and ready to support the government of the council led by Mr. Peter Yohanna,” he said.