The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Appeal Court judgment: Kano bans protests, celebrations

    Appeal Court judgment: Kano bans protests, celebrations

    • Judgment reserves in Sokoto governorship dispute

    Ahead of the Appeal Court Judgment on the governorship election in Kano, the Police Command in the state has banned all forms of celebration, protest and gatherings that will trigger violence.

    The Court of Appeal is being awaited to deliver judgment on the appeal filed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf challenging the nullification of his election by the Kano Election Petition Tribunal.

    Hearing of the case at the Court of Appeal was held in Abuja on November 6, 2023.

    Governor Yusuf, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) are the applicants, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Nasiru Gawuna are defendants. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is also a party in the suit.

    Police spokesman Abdullahi Kiyawa announced yesterday that engaging in mass actions, suggesting preparation for violent processions, protests or celebrations that may trigger reactions should be avoided.

    He said unguarded statements from politicians likely to increase unnecessary tension and as well undermine the security arrangements and the sanctity of the judicial system should be avoided.

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    Kano State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Usaini Gumel, working with other heads of security agencies in the state, has deployed adequate personnel and equipment to identified strategic locations in the state to ensure the security of lives and property and forestall any attempt to cause disturbance or breakdown of law and order.

    Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal, Sokoto division has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last governorship election in Sokoto State, Saidu Umar.

    Umar and the PDP are, by his appeal, seeking the reversal of the September 30 judgment by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which upheld the election of Governor Ahmed Aliyu of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    Justice Joseph Ekanem, who headed a three-member panel that heard the appeal in Abuja yesterday, told parties that they would be informed when the judgment was ready.

  • Buni, Namadi present budgets

    Buni, Namadi present budgets

    Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has presented a N217 billion budget to the House of Assembly.

    The budget, he said, would focus on consolidating ongoing projects and fueling new initiatives for economic recovery.

    The Governor who highlighted the uniqueness of the budget, labeled it as the “Budget of Consolidation and Economic Recovery.” The proposed budget allocates N94.16 billion (43.39 per cent) for recurrent expenditure and N122.84 billion (56.61 per cent) for capital expenditure.

    He emphasized the commitment to completing existing projects and funding new ones that directly impact the lives of the citizens

    The governor provided a detailed review of the 2023 budget, acknowledging the challenges faced due to global economic factors and subsidy removal.

    Governor Buni reassured citizens of his government’s commitment to progress and development, pledging to prioritize citizens’ well-being and prosperity.

    He acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the Yobe State House of Assembly and expressed hope for meticulous scrutiny and swift passage of the proposed bills.

    Speaker Buba Chiroma said the bill will be speedily passed for accelerated development of the state.

    In the same vein, JIgawa state Governor Malam Umar Namadi presented a proposed budget estimate of N298.14 billion to the state house of Assembly.

    The governor said the 2024 estimate is almost 23 per cent higher than the total appropriations in the 2023 Fiscal Year.

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    Namadi said the budget, titled “budget of greater JIgawa”, is to accommodate increases in personnel cost that may occasioned the anticipated review of the national minimum wage.

    He said the sum of N175.42 billion representing 59 percent of the total estimate earmarked for the capital expenditure.

    The governor announced an establishment of five new agencies which includes the State ICT & Digital Economy Agency, the State Hisba Board, State Tsangaya Board, State Resident Identity Management Agency, and the State Anti-corruption Agency.

    Namadi told the lawmakers that recurrent expenditure in the 2024 proposed budget represents an increase of about 36 per cent over the 2023 estimates which is equivalent to almost N32.4 billion.

    He therefore solicited the support of the legislature for speedy passage to enhance rapid development of the state.

    Speaker Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin commended the governor for his foresight and plans for the state.

  • ‘Ododo will build on Bello’s achievements

    ‘Ododo will build on Bello’s achievements

    The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Mineral Resources to Governor Yahaya Bello, Mohammed Ahovi said Kogi Governor-elect Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo would continue the achievements of Yahaya Bello.

    He said the outcome of the election in Kogi State which resulted in Ododo’s victory shows an expression of the will of the people.

    Ahovi also said Governor Bello’s ability to strengthen the unity of the Kogi’s All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as provide credible leadership is a key factor that won victory for the party in the state.

    In a statement, Ahovi stated: “I am confident in the ability of the Governor–elect to consolidate on the achievements of the Yahaya Bello’s administration, as the government is already harnessing the solid mineral potentials of the state for economic diversification through its creation of wealth and jobs.

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    “I thank my ward, which comprises Osisi/Ipaku/Inoziomi for voting massively for Ododo, and I also thank the people of Adavi council for their support throughout the electioneering campaign. I would like to assure the people that the incoming government will strengthen the delivery of good governance and dividends of democracy to the people Kogi State.

    “I believe that the incoming government will consolidate and continue the achievements of Governor Bello to take the state to greater pedestal.

    “The incoming administration will continue the focus on solid minerals development; the policy will lead to the full realization of economic diversification, a quest that would create multiple great jobs and wealth along the solid mineral industry value chain.”

  • Kwara strikes partnership deals with NEXIM, attends IATF conference

    Kwara strikes partnership deals with NEXIM, attends IATF conference

    Kwara State Government has struck a partnership deal with the Nigerian Export Import Bank(NEXIM) to facilitate export-related industrialisation and investment promotions around local resources in the state.  

    The signing of the deal occurred on Monday in Cairo, Egypt on the sidelines of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) following briefings on the various economic projects of the State Government, especially the under-construction industrial park, the IDB-backed agroprocessing zone, sugar film factory, garment and Shea butter factories, solid minerals, and the visual arts centre, which is unique in West Africa subregion.

    Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq signed the deal for Kwara while NEXIM was represented by its Managing Director Abba Bello. 

    The deal will qualify Kwara and private exporters of non-oil commodities operating in it for State Export Development Funds and other supports upon fulfilment of relevant terms.

    The MOU involves NEXIM offering financial and export advisory services, which may include working out financing arrangements, investment mix as well as facilitating export market off-take, especially for SMEs and businesses related to women and youth empowerment.

    The Governor said the government has invested in different projects and adopted policy initiatives that seek to diversify the local economy, including the reduction of the telecom right-of-way from N5,500.00 to N1.00.

    “That policy initiative has yielded significant results for the state. Some 500 kilometres of fibre optic cable have been laid as a result. This has tremendous impacts on internet penetration and connectivity,” the Governor said. 

    The Governor said the state has also secured financial commitments and strategic partnerships for its innovation hub from IHS.

    The state government’s team also held a brief meeting with the AfriEximBank during which Governor AbdulRazaq pitched the industrial park and other state-funded projects, saying the state is open to public private partnership arrangement to make the projects viable and sustainable for the interest of the people.

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    The deal signing was witnessed by members of the Kwara State delegation, including Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu; Commissioner for Communications Hon. Bola Olukoju; Commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology Hon. Damilola Yusuf-Adelodun; and Commissioner for Solid Minerals Abdulquawiy Olododo.

    Kwara is one of the few Nigerian states attending the IATF 2023 which winds down on Wednesday November 15.

    Attended by over 4,000 delegates, exhibitors, and industry leaders, the IATF is the marketplace for the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the largest free trade area which brings together African nations of the African Union and eight regional economic communities to create a single market for the continent.

  • DG express confidence in Kogi Governor-elect

    DG express confidence in Kogi Governor-elect

    The Director General, Research and Development, Kogi State, Hon Moses Okezie-Okafor, has expressed confidence in the Governor-elect, Ahmed Usman-Ododo to move the state forward.

    Okezie-Okafor said he was confident that with his emergence, transformational leadership and good governance will continue uninterrupted in Kogi State.

    He noted that by working for their emergence as his preferred successors, Governor Yahaya Bello showed the confidence he has in them.

    “I am confident that Your Excellencies will not only continue and consolidate Governor Yahaya Bello’s signature legacies in every part of the State, but you will surpass them and take Kogi State to even greater heights,” he said.

    While congratulating the Governor-elect on his victory at the polls, he also lauded Governor Yahaya Bello and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the victory.

    In a statement made available to reporters, he said, “I extend my heartfelt felicitations to my principal, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, for leading our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to a decisive victory in the 2023 Kogi State Governorship Elections held over the weekend.

    “Once again, Your Excellency has charted new pathways in the evolution of collaborative democracy in Kogi State. Once again, your leadership has made positive political history.”

    Read Also; Kogi election results validate our reports, say YIAGA

    The Anambra State-born lawyer, a member of Governor Bello’s Cabinet, felicitated with the Governor-Elect and Deputy Governor-Elect, Joel Oyibo Salifu.

    He noted that by working for their emergence as his preferred successors, Governor Bello showed the confidence he has in them.

    He said he was confident that transformational leadership and good governance will continue uninterrupted in Kogi State.

    “I am confident that Your Excellencies will not only continue and consolidate Governor Yahaya Bello’s signature legacies in every part of the State, but you will surpass them and take Kogi State to even greater heights,” he said.

    Okezie-Okafor, who also congratulated the APC on its victory, noted that the party’s success over the last eight years is a testament to its governing prowess in Kogi State.

    “I am particularly proud of the new direction political family of Governor Yahaya Bello. Our collective hard work and dedication have been instrumental to this victory’, he said.

    The Director-General also commended the people of Kogi State for their political sagacity and commitment to voting for what matters to them.

    “The trending video of voters at a Polling Unit in Kogi West chanting ‘University! University!’ in cadence as their votes for the APC were being counted is my favorite footage from the elections, and will likely become one of the enduring footnotes of voter support for politicians who perform well,” he said.

    “Those voters were not only appreciating the torrents of democracy dividends which has flowed their way under the incumbent Yahaya Bello administration, including a new university at Kabba, but they were also tasking the incoming Governor, Ododo, to ensure he takes those legacies to next levels of excellence.

    “This is the real continuity and consolidation, and it is called ‘voting for your interests.’ It is safe to conclude that on November 11, the people of Kogi State voted for themselves,” he said.

    He expressed gratitude to the Almighty God for the APC’s victory and prayed for divine guidance to enable Governor Yahaya Bello finish strong and help the incoming administration perform well and beyond all expectations.

  • Governor Sule’s wife rallies Nasarawa women for Remi Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative

    Governor Sule’s wife rallies Nasarawa women for Remi Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative

    Nasarawa State First Lady, Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule, has called on the wives of the 13 local government and 18 development areas in the state to support the pet project of the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, the ‘Renewed Hope Initiatives’.

    Speaking on Monday, November 13, at the Government House Lafia during a meeting with the women, the wife of the governor also directed them to replicate the First Lady’s initiative in their respective areas.

    She stressed the need for all to support the renewed hope initiative of the Nigeria First Lady which aims at uplifting the lives and livelihoods of families in the country, adding that it will bring succour to Nigerian families.

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    She said she just returned from an EU-UN Retreat on ending gender-based violence and called on security agencies, traditional institutions, and community and religious leaders to join in the fight against the violation of the rights of women and girls.

    Speaking earlier, State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Aisha Rufai Ibrahim applauded the Renewed Hope Initiative project whose cardinal points are Agriculture, Education, Health, Empowerment and Social Investment.

    Aisha Rufai added that all these are targeted at bringing succor to vulnerable families in the country hence the need to support the programme.

    The meeting was attended by wives of Local Government Chairmen and Overseers of Development Areas in the state led by their chairperson who is also the Wife of Lafia LGA Chairman, Hajiya Zainab Aminu Mu’azu Maifata.

  • Fed Govt to charge triple ground rent on unoccupied houses

    Fed Govt to charge triple ground rent on unoccupied houses

    The Federal Government said it would begin charging triple ground rent on estates and houses left unoccupied after three months.

    It said in its bid to rectify the country’s housing deficit, it would be taking stock of all abandoned and unoccupied houses and estates in Abuja, its environs and other states.

    The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, said the present administration is passionate about completing all abandoned projects at all costs.

    The Minister made this known in Abuja, after a tour of three housing projects in Suleja Dikko prototype Public-Private Partnership (PPP) cooperatives, Gwagwalada NPH PPP and the Guzape Federal Housing Authority (FHA) estates.

    Dangiwa said his Ministry would interface with the owners of the buildings and they would be charging the triple ground rent if they insist on leaving the buildings unoccupied.

    He said the move would force them to either put it out for rent at whatever amount or sell them off because the country cannot keep saying it has housing deficits while it has a lot of empty house that are completed and left unoccupied.

    He said: “This administration is passionate about completing all abandoned projects at all costs, even if it means rescoping the projects and in the aspect of land bank, what we intend to do is use lands that the Ministry have in states, which is why we are tasking all our state controllers of housing to ensure they give us a catalogue of all of the lands.

    “Their are a lot of abandoned estates, especially here in Abuja and its vicinity. I think we also have a few in some other states, now we want to take stock of all those abandoned houses and interface with the owners and ask them, what do you want? Do you want to keep these houses? If you want to keep them unoccupied, the government would start charging you triple ground rent instead of the single ground rent that we charge.

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    That would force them to either put it on rent at whatever amount or sell them off because we cannot keep saying we have housing deficits while we have a lot of empty house that are completed and left unoccupied.

    “We have tasked the department of lands and Urban and regional planning in our ministry to take stock of those estates, to give us the names of the proprietors or owners of the estates, any estate that stayed more than three months unoccupied, then we would start charging them triple ground rent.

    “The three sites we visited have their different peculiarities, the one in Gwagwalada the contractors are ready to work but the Ministry couldn’t provide the funding so we are going to rescope the project. The one in Suleja is abandoned and dilapidated in most parts, we would sell them as they are, we can’t put money in those kind of buildings now because we have people willing to buy them and we would sell them at the price that we constructed them years ago, we don’t intend to increase the price.

    “The site at Guzape shows the power of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), they were built without government funding, which is what we want to emphasize on to ensure Nigerians are provided with decent and affordable housing.”

    On the aspect of the renewed hope mega cities in the pipeline, the Minister said: “The first phase of the 40,000 housing units across the Federation would commence in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), right now we are on the supplementary budget and within a couple of weeks, we would commence the ground-breaking of some of the houses we intend to construct, we intend to construct six mega cities, the renewed hope cities around the country, one in each geopolitical zone of the country.

    “We also intend to construct the renewed hope estates, in the remaining 30 states of the Federation, so depending on the outlay, we would commence the construction. We are also engaging Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with some of the developers who would provide funding and then we provide an enabling environment for that to happen. For the FCT, we are thinking of constructing about 10,000 housing units and the off takers are already on ground for the high earned, low and medium income earners.”

  • Senators Bamidele, Adeola donate N29m to orphanage homes in Abuja, Nasarawa

    Senators Bamidele, Adeola donate N29m to orphanage homes in Abuja, Nasarawa

    The Senate Leader,Opeyemi Bamidele and Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola, have donated N24 million to 13 orphanage homes in Abuja and Nassarawa State.

    The gesture was made to commemorate the celebration of the World Orphans’ Day in Abuja.

    Making the donation at an event organized to mark the day by the wife of Senator Adeola, Mrs. Temitope, through her non-governmental organization, CHADASH, which dedicated to widows and orphans, the two senators donated N12 million each to the orphanages.

    Senator Bamidele also made an additional donation of N5million for CHADASH while other senators also made pledges.

    The benefiting orphanages include Gifted and Talented Orphanage, Facado Orphanage, Cherry Field Orphanage, Christ Bethel Orphanage, Dynasty Orphanage, and JKS Orphanage. Others are Shinning Star Orphanage, Queen Esther Orphanage, Maratha Care Children Home, Osaze Orphanage, Desired Orphanage, Purity Rose Orphanage and Gifted and Talented Home, Nassarawa.

    Senator Adeola who described himself as an orphan having lost both parents stated that there are many challenges and difficulties confronting orphans as they live in sour society adding that like himself, they usually don’t have biological parents to stand up for them when it matters.

    “I want to encourage all of us to be our brothers’ keeper in assisting orphans to properly fit into the society. I recall that even in political field I suffered discrimination as an orphan as some disputed my state of origin for political vindictiveness and may parents were not there to assert my indigene-ship of Ogun State. I am sure that the children before us are all Nigerians with various need and nothing must stop us from making them useful and productive members of the society,” he stated.

    While disputing official estimates of orphans in Nigeria put at 17 million, Senator Adeola said their number would be in the region of 50 million nationwide promising to always participate in any effort, at government and private levels to address the challenges of orphans.

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    Speaking as the guest of honour of the event which was kickstarted with a keep fit and awareness kilometer walk around Maitama, Abuja, Senator Bamidele stated that with the number of orphans in Nigeria outnumbering the population of many countries in the continent and elsewhere, there is need for proper government policies to address the needs of the orphans in addition to any private efforts by humanitarian and charitable individual and organizations.

    He commended Senator Adeola and his wife for always giving back to the society in various ways, stressing that Senator Adeola is known to be a giver even among his colleagues over the years as he is the “go to” man when you are in need.

    In her welcome address titled: “Caring for the Uncared”, Mrs. Adeola, said to be the first to ever celebrate the World Orphans Day in Nigeria with her NGO, stated that her organization is focused on widows and orphans in the society stressing that beyond giving funds and materials for orphans, important as that is, there is the urgent need for individual to donate/volunteer services and skills for orphans to improve their chances of competing in the society.

    She enumerated her NGO’s accomplishments so far to include commissioning of borehole, donation of cash, household and food items, equipping orphanages with laptops, empowering 1000 widows and vocational training, startup kits and grants for 120 widows adding that we can all invest our time, resources and talents in helping the orphans rebuild their young lives.

    There were different presentations by the orphans including display of karate training, musical rendition and the successful dressing of a doll by a paralytic Down Syndrome orphans who was taught the impossible skill giving her condition.

  • Anti-corruption group decries petition against FCTA

    Anti-corruption group decries petition against FCTA

    An Anti-corruption group, Coalition of Patriotic Youth against Corruption (CPYAC), Yesterday in Katsina condemned what it described as’’ fallacy’’, a petition submitted to House of Representatives Public Petition’s Committee against Mukhtar Galadima of Federal capital Territory Development control (FCTA)

    The condemnation which was contained in a briefing in collaboration with other groups.

    They said: ’’After investigation by our anti-corruption network, we found out that the said petition against Galadima is false and baseless and lack evidence, as such, we urge the House of Representative committee on public petitions to strike it out from their desks.

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    ‘’It’s the constitutional right of the FCT minister to allocate and revoke Certificate of Occupancy of any land that is undeveloped in federal capital territory Abuja without fair or favour.

    “The FCT minister has constitutional power to order development control to destroyed any illegal structure in Abuja regardless of the status of the occupants of the property, so attacking Galadima will not stop the restructuring in the FCT.

    “Nigerians must understand that Abuja is an Administrative environment not home settlement for individuals and FCTA has constitutional power to restructure it to compete with global cities.”

  • Policy on Nano-technology to be presented to FEC

    Policy on Nano-technology to be presented to FEC

    The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation would soon be presenting the National policy on Nano-technology to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for consideration and approval.

    This, the ministry, said is to quicken the national nano-technology development for economic diversification.

    Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Uche Nnaji, stated this in Abuja at the 2023 World Science day for peace and development celebration.

    The event included a quiz competition for secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where Government Science Secondary School Pyakassa won a Million naira from the government for taking the first position.

    Chief Nnaji who was represented by his Technical Adviser on strategy and programmes, Prof. Martins Ike-munso, said that the world acknowledges Science and Technology’s pivotal role in the development of the nation.

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    He said: “Technology, which serves industrialization in Nigeria, as a cornerstone for achieving irreversible

    “In addition to above, the ministry has also developed the National Leather and Leather Products Policy, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on October 31, 2018, aimed at using STI to exploit the enormous leather potential in national development effectively; the National Policy on Methanol Fuel Production Technology, was approved by the FEC on October 23, 2019, when fully implemented will introduce methanol into the Nigeria economy; and the National Policy on Welding and Welding Related Fields, approved by FEC in October 2022, with focus on standards and safety that builds trust and ensures the quality and reliability of welders, processes, and materials involved in welding practices.

    “Furthermore, may I inform you that the ministry has developed the National Policy on Nano-technology, which will soon be presented to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval to quicken our national nano-technology development for economic diversification.

    “Due to the quest to commercialize our indigenous R&D in the country, we have designed an annual program called the Science and Technology Expo, which is strategically aimed at showcasing the use of science for technological inventions, innovations and majorly, the Research & Development (R&D) products and results of the FMST’s Agencies.”