The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • My victory, testimony to just, fair judiciary, says Sokoto

    My victory, testimony to just, fair judiciary, says Sokoto

    Sokoto State Governor Dr Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto has described the Appeal Court verdict upholding his election as a clear testimony of an unbiased judiciary.

    Sokoto’s reaction to the verdict was contained in a statement by his Press Secretary, Abubakar Bawa shortly after the appellant court in Abuja upheld the earlier judgment of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, reaffirming his victory at the 2023 polls.

    He said the outcome at the appellant court has clearly demonstrated that the judiciary is unbiased, just and fair.

    Read Also: Appeal Court affirms Aliyu’s election as Sokoto governor

    “We see this victory as a victory from the Almighty Allah and we thank him for that. We equally commend our judiciary for standing for the truth and what is right.

    “Let me use this golden opportunity to renew my call to the opposition in Sokoto State to come and join hands with us so that together we can make the state better,”Aliyu urged.

    The Governor reassured the people of the state of his administration’s unwavering determination to deliver the direly needed dividends of democracy to their doorsteps.

    “We will continue to provide an enabling environment that will guarantee the needed development in our dear state. We are determined to secure our dear state through sustained military operations until we eliminate bandits and other criminals by the special grace of God.

    “We, therefore, need the unflinching  support and cooperation of  all and sundry in this direction,” he averred.

  • Insurgency: Defence minister, Service Chiefs visit Maiduguri

    Insurgency: Defence minister, Service Chiefs visit Maiduguri

    The Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, yesterday, paid an operational visit to the Theatre Command, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in Maiduguri.

    Abubakar was accompanied in the visit by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mattawalle, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal, Hassan Abubakar, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and Chief of  Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye.

    The minister said he was in Maiduguri in company of the high level delegation of the Service Chiefs assigned by President Bola Tinubu, to appraise security situation in the theatre of operation.

    He said: “President Tinubu asked us to visit the governor and the people of Borno, and our patriotic officers here in Borno to see and to hear from them, what is happening both in the frontline and in the cities. What are the progress being made and what we need to do more to support their operations.

    Read Also: Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri rail project to be completed, operational soon – Minister

    “We had frank and honest discussions with Governor Babagana Zulum before coming here where we discussed the way forward and it is our resolve that in no distant future, we will see the end of the insecurity.

    “He had also shared a lot of strategies with the CDS and the Service Chiefs and together they agreed on the next line of action and I believe if followed religiously, insecurity in the state will come to an end.”

    Abubakar reiterated commitment of the president to support the military and security agencies to end insurgency and restore peace to ensure sustainable resettlement of displaced persons.

    “From here, we will go to  see our troops, greet and thank them for their sacrifices, for being there and taken the bullet for us, for all the work that they are doing as well as hear from them on their challenges and needs so that we can how best we can resolved them

    “The crop of leadership we have in the military are working together and have resolved to fight this war diligently and they are working as a family committed to see the end of the menace in no distant future,” he said.

    The minister commended Zulum for his support to the military, adding that, “we appreciate all the support, and sometimes you risk your life in supporting and giving courage to our personnel in the frontline.”

    Zulum said the visit to the theatre demonstrated the commitment of service chiefs towards achieving lasting peace in the state.

    He said the security situation had improved tremendously as a result of the successes recorded by the troops.

    The governor cautioned against sensational security reportage, noting that the insurgents leverage on such information to breathe in spite of its diminishing capacity.

    “Within the last two weeks, I have been to the nooks and crannies of the state and reports reaching me from stakeholders in these areas indicated that peace has returned in the state,” he said.

    While lauding President Tinubu and the military for sustaining the improved security situation in the state, Zulum urged them to root out remnant of the terrorists.

    “The only way we can degrade their presence is continued and sustained military operations,” he said.

    He said that about 160,000 insurgent fighters and their family members had surrendered sequel to the non-kinetic effort of the military.

    The governor sought the support of the military in terms of manpower development to enable the state to curtail trans-border small arms and light weapons proliferation.

    “We have insurgency in other part of the country but the security in the northeast is very important for the stability of the country because of the porous borders with Cameroon, Niger and Chad republics.

    “We have to ensure that we don’t have safe haven for ISWAP  in the northeast as the Sahel is now a major problem,” he said.

  • Nigeria’s greatest asset is its citizens, says Shettima

    Nigeria’s greatest asset is its citizens, says Shettima

    Vice President Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is prioritising investment in human capital and related areas because the nation’s greatest asset is its people.

    The Vice President spoke at the Barewa Old Boys’ Association (BOBA) annual lecture and awards in Abuja.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, Vice President Shettima said: “We need the support and trust of all Nigerians. In return, we have pledged to lead the nation towards building a less challenging economy, in spite of the current hardships which we wish were avoidable.

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    “Nigeria’s greatest asset is its people. We have to rediscover and teach our young wholesome values, like service, honesty and hard work. As an administration, we have very clear priorities we believe must be achieved.”

    Shettima was represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters (Office of the Vice President), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed.

    According to him, the theme of the annual lecture “expands the horizon for a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges at the meeting point between the citizen and the state”.

  • WHO raises alarm as TB infection increases in Borno

    WHO raises alarm as TB infection increases in Borno

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday raised the alarm over what it termed “increasing rate of Tuberculosis (TB) infection in Borno.”

    The organisation’s Head of Mission/Country Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo, expressed the organisation’s concern during the North-East Nigeria 13th WHO End-Term Joint Operations Review (JOR) in Yola.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria and often affects the lung.

    NAN also reports that JOR is for Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states, affected by Boko Haram insurgency.

    The country representative, however, assured WHO’s readiness to work with Borno Government to address the problem.

    He said: “The rate of tuberculosis infection in Borno is worrisome. It means that Borno could be a ticking bomb for tuberculosis explosion in Nigeria.

    “We don’t want to allow that because of humanitarian crisis; we need to work together because that thing itself is strictly an emergency.’’

    Mulombo, therefore, urged stakeholders to take actions to accelerate help, and to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal of leaving no one behind.

    Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum said that the state lost about 50 per cent of its health institutions and many staff were abducted or killed due to the insurgency.

    Represented by the Borno Commissioner for Health, Dr Baba Malam-Gana, Zulum said “one of the consequences of this is the issue of tuberculosis, which needs a lot of staff to work on it, including machines.”

    According to him, the state currently uses the help of military to reach hard to reach areas to deliver services such as immunisation.

    Read Also: 2024 budget: Katsina govt allocates 20% to water, education sectors – Commissioner

    He urged the world body to help in that regard, as well as in tackling Gender-Based Violence issues, among other areas.

    Adamawa State Commissioner for Health, Dr Felix Tangwame, who represented Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, thanked the organisation for its contributions to the state in many ways

    He said WHO had provided various services such as capacity building, surveillance in preventing outbreak of diseases in the state, among others.

    He called for more assistance, especially in the area of training for health workers to be updated on new diseases and to know how to handle them.

    Yobe Commissioner for Health Dr Muhammad Gana, represented by Dr Babagana Abba, the Programme Manager, Saving One Million Lives, described WHO’s contributions to health issues as “excellent.”

    He confirmed that as a result of insurgency, the state experienced a lot of challenges, but WHO’s intervention helped to ameliorate the situation.

  • Katsina rolls out reform plans in the education sector

    Katsina rolls out reform plans in the education sector

    The Katsina State Government yesterday rolled out several reform plans to be carried out in the education sector as part of measures aimed not only consolidating on the past achievements but to record greater improvement and infrastructural development of the sector

    Commissioner for Education, Hajia Hadiza Yaradua Abubakar who unveiled the plans yesterday while briefing newsmen in her office, said the primary focus of her ministry is to address some of the teething issues including reducing the teacher-students ratio by building more schools, ensuring reduction in commute time and distance for children to access learning centers.

    She said: ’’I have left my comfort zone as a school owner for over a decade to come to Katsina to roll up my sleeves and ensure that our children are equipped to access opportunities that will make them globally relevant’.

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    ‘’I have no doubt that education is the bedrock of any societal development. Despite the high importance of education, the sector in Katsina State is riddled with a lot of challenges’.

    ‘’These challenges include amongst others: infrastructure, funding, access to opportunities and personnel. These factors require coordination and concerted efforts to change the narrative. ’Some of the observations we made when we resumed office include: teacher to students ratio across public schools in Katsina is 1:120; children walk an average of five km to and from school, insecurity in areas prone to bandit attack.

    ‘’About 78 per cent of parents send their children to public schools with the state government as sponsor. Limited information and access to relevant data that share more insight of the state of the Basic and Secondary Education, also needed to be addressed’’.

  • I will ensure peace, unity among residents, Mutfwang vows

    I will ensure peace, unity among residents, Mutfwang vows

    Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has reiterated his determination to strengthened peace and unity among Christian, Muslims and other ethnic groups in the state.

    He also assured residents of the government commitment to develop Plateau by execution of meaningful projects that will enhanced their living standard.

    Mutfwang stated this during inspection of road projects within the Jos-Bukuru Metropolis.

    Commencing from the Plateau Roundabout, Masallacin Juma’ah Street, Zololo Junction, Angwan Rukuba to Millionaire Quarters in Jos metropolis, the governor expressed satisfaction with the quality of work, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to changing the development narrative in the state to enhance citizens’ living conditions.

    Read Also: 2024 budget: Katsina govt allocates 20% to water, education sectors – Commissioner

    Addressing residents at Masalacin Jama’a and Angwan Rukuba, Mutfwang explained that the primary focus of his administration is to make the roads motorable to enhance the beauty of the state capital. He also announced plans to embark on larger projects in the future.

    “We want to ensure that every nook and cranny of Jos and Bukuru Metropolis is improved to make the city a welcoming place for all visitors and residents,” he stated.

    Expressing satisfaction with the milestones achieved in road projects, the governor promised to execute more projects across the 17 local government areas of the state.

    Commissioner of Works, Bulus Lekshak, and General Manager of Plateau State Roads Maintenance Agency, Luka Davou echoed the administration’s commitment to improving citizens’ living conditions.

    Accompanying the governor were Deputy Governor Ngo Josephine Piyo, Secretary to the Government of the State Arc. Samuel Jatau, Commissioners, and Heads of Government Agencies.

  • Islamic body offers scholarship to 857 indigent students in Nasarawa

    Islamic body offers scholarship to 857 indigent students in Nasarawa

    The Islamic Society of Eggonland (ISE) a Nasarawa-based charity organisation, has awarded scholarship to 857 indigent students pursuing higher education in various academic fields in the country.

    Alhaji Umar Galle, the General Secretary of the organisation said this at a news conference in Nasarawa Eggon.

    Galle said the organisation provided scholarship to indigent students from low -income backgrounds,  regardless of their faith and ethnicity, who were pursuing higher education in various academic fields.

    He said that the amount given to each beneficiary depended on students’ course of study.

    ”For example, medicine students did not take the same amount with social science students among other fields. Out of the 857 scholarship recipients, a total of 526 are new beneficiaries and 331 are existing or old beneficiaries. Out of the 857 scholarship recipients, 649 are Muslims and 208 are Christians,” he said.

    Galle said the organisation received 758 applications in 2023, adding that it shortlisted 526 and rejected 232 based on its eligibility criteria.

    “Out of the 758 new applications, 546 were from Muslim students and 208 were from Christian students.

    ” We shortlisted 406 and 120 respectively and rejected 140 and 88 respectively,” he said.

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    Abdullahi Galle said that out of the 857 recipients, 517 were males while 340 were females.

    “Out of the 857 scholarship recipients, 9 are pursuing Ph.D, 26 are pursuing M.Sc is pursuing law part 11, one is pursuing PGD and 481 are pursuing B.Sc.

    “36 are pursuing HND, 87 are pursuing NCE, 78 are pursuing ND polytechnic, 27 are pursuing ND Nursing and midwifery and 111 are pursuing ND school and college of health,” he said.

    He said that the scholarship was diverse and inclusive covering students from different religious backgrounds, genders and academic fields.

    “We believe that education is the key to empowerment and development and we are committed to supporting students who have the potential and the passion to achieve their dreams,” he said.

  • Foundation urges Fed Govt to  quench  Ororo inferno

    Foundation urges Fed Govt to  quench  Ororo inferno

    The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called on the Federal Government to quench the Ororo Inferno in Ondo State.

    The foundation said for the Ororo -1 Well at OML95 has been burning with no attention from the government, or the company responsible for it for the past three years.

    It said the burning well has now become a symbol of ecocide and outright neglect by the Nigerian state.

    Executive Director HOMEF, Nimmo Bassey in a statement, said Awoye’s tale is a sad example of a healthy region turned into a sacrifice zone by the pursuit of fossil fuels.

    Read Also: 2024 budget: Katsina govt allocates 20% to water, education sectors – Commissioner

    He stated, “For over three years, the Ororo -1 Well at OML95 has been burning with no attention from the Federal Government or the company responsible for it.

    “The burning well has now become a symbol of ecocide and outright neglect by the Nigerian state. Several different environmentalists have raised their voices over decades of destructive extraction of petroleum resources that disrupted ecosystems with decades of exploration and have turned a once-thriving region into one of the most deadly and polluted places on Earth. Awoye’s tale is a sad example of a healthy region turned into a sacrifice zone by the pursuit of fossil fuels,” Bassey said.

  • SGBV: Niger Govt moves to domesticate Family Courts

    SGBV: Niger Govt moves to domesticate Family Courts

    The Niger Government said it has begun arrangements to establish Family Courts to speed up Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) cases, in order to get justice for the victims in the state.

    Hajiya Hadiza Shiru, Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on the sideline of a free medical outreach yesterday in Minna.

    Shiru said the free medical outreach was organised by the ministry in collaboration with the state office of National Human Right Commission (NHRC) as part of activities to mark the 16 day activism against SGBV.

    She expressed optimism that by 2024, the court would be domesticated and fully operational in the state.

    The permanent secretary said that one of the obstacles militating against victims of SGBV to come and report cases was stigmatisation.

    According to Shiru, on this issue, the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, had directed that the victims must be given full protection.

    “She also directed that family courts be established, where all the stakeholders in SGBV will be free to speak out.

    “Here in Niger state, we are working with the Ministry of Justice and the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), to speed up the process of establishing family courts in the state.

    “Already, we have set a day aside to visit the Attorney-General of the State to fine-tune the process,” she said.

    Shiru said that there were already existing laws in the state protecting women and children against violence, such as Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law and the Child Right law.

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    “These laws have been domesticated in Niger state and are fully active,” she said.

    Shiru said that there had been several reported cases of child abuse, defilement, Gender Based Violence in the state.

    “We have been dealing with reported cases, we have done everything possible to protect those who reported their cases, toward getting justice for them.

    “Already we have over 1,700 cases of GBV cases reported in the state this year, out of the figure we have secured 20 prosecutions,” she said.

    In his remark, Dr Nuhu Mohammed, the State Coordinator, NHRC, said that the 16 day exercise against GBV was an annual international campaign from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10.

    Mohammed said that the theme for the 2023 event; “Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children,” focusses on the importance of financing different prevention strategies to end violence against women and girls.

  • Fed Govt urged to improve quality of education through tech

    Fed Govt urged to improve quality of education through tech

    The Chairman, Committee of Directors of ICT of Nigerian Tertiary Institutions (ComDICT-NTI) and Director, ICT University of Jos, Daniel Yakmut, has called on the Federal Government to fund and improve the quality of education and research through the effective use of technology.

    He made the call at the inauguration of the COMDICT-NTI Executive Council in Abuja.

    Yakmut said the organisation would be advocating for policies and standards that support the integration of technology in higher education.

    He said: “We also will be advocating for policies and standards that support the integration of technology in higher education. Particularly, we are calling on our esteemed intervention and funding partners such as TETFund, NCC and NITDA to work closely with our committee to chart more efficient and effective ways to provide interventions that meet the needs of our public tertiary institutions.

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    “To our regulatory agencies, NUC, NCCE and NBTE, we want to reiterate that you have a partner in ComDICT-NTI to ensure that the plans of promoting and entrenching ICTs in our institutions is achieved and sustained.

    “The committee will serve as a platform for discussing emerging trends and challenges in the field of ICT in tertiary education. By fostering discussions and sharing experiences, the committee aims to address common problems and find solutions that benefit all institutions.”

    The Chairman, COMDICT-NTI Inauguration Planning Committee, and Director, ITMS, University of Abuja, Mohammed Sani, said the responsibility of the organisation was to advice government regulators, industry partners, public and private funding bodies and other stakeholders about the collaboration and intervention opportunities viz-a-viz ICT infrastructure, enterprise services, software solutions and capacity development in tertiary institutions in the country.

    Sani said: “As we inaugurate the Executive Council of the COMDICT-NTI, let us reflect on the shared vision that unites us all. It is a vision of progress, inclusivity, innovation, and technological transformation.

    “This space is not merely a structure, it is a hub of ideas, a crucible for creativity, and a platform for the exchange of knowledge and expertise, all with the aim to radically improve the adoption, integration and operationalisation of ICT in our tertiary institutions.”