The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Bauchi reviews salaries of traditional rulers

    Bauchi reviews salaries of traditional rulers

    Bauchi State Governor, Sen. Bala Mohammed has promised to review the salaries of all District and Village heads in the state.

    According to the governor, the decision to review the salary and allowances of all traditional rulers in the Emirate Council is to keep their eyes off the delicacies from bandits intending to lure or make them compromise.

    Mohammed added that his administration would also make sure traditional institutions have befitting accommodation and transportation allowances.

    The Nation reports that several cases of kidnapping have been recorded in parts of the state in recent times.

    As a result of the development, peasant farmers, who are mostly affected, are now afraid of going to their farms.

    The governor made the announcement when he received Council of Traditional Rulers at the Government House in Bauchi yesterday.

    Mohammed said: “You have been managing our limitations and inadequacies as a government to provide for you, and, that is why when we came, we were building from where our predecessors have left off in terms of making sure that you have befitting accommodation, good transportation, and good remuneration.

    “I understand to my chagrin, that some of the benefits that should come to you as per law, we were not doing it as a state, that is in terms of the sharing formula of the percentage of what is going to the local governments to you,” he said.

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    The Governor added: “It was not just done deliberately by us, we inherited it and we continued with it, we didn’t know until my eyes opened and I saw that you were being cheated and I said that it should be reversed, we have just started.

    “The authors of that law knew that you have a lot of responsibilities because as Royal Fathers, you are not only taking care of yourselves, you are taking care of the Emirates and the communities and the community of royal fathers; the royal family whose needs are so vast and varied and they are huge.

    “Therefore, you need a lot of resources to be able to keep them in the form and content of royalty that is expected of them. The royalty that is supposed to be exuded by them must be maintained by you and because you have been doing it over the years.

    “So, I assure you that the sharing formula has been corrected and it will continue that way. We will also look at the salary structure of the District Heads and the Village Heads so that we can make it better for them to discharge their royal duties.

    “This is to keep their eyes off the goodies of the bandits and other unwholesome elements that are coming to lure them to make them compromise.”

    Earlier speaking on behalf of the delegation, the Emir of Katagum, Alhaji Umar Farouq II, applauded Mohammed’s foresight and commitment to reviving the glory of traditional rulers and institutions.

    He emphasised the importance of collaboration between the institutions and stakeholders for the enhancement of Nigeria’s security and providing succour to the citizenry.

  • Sokoto is a symbol of national unity, says Uzodinma

    Sokoto is a symbol of national unity, says Uzodinma

    Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma has commended his Sokoto State counterpart, Dr Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, for his resilience towards promoting national unity and making life meaningful to resident communities.

    The governor, who had one of the newly constructed roads named after him,  also called on resident communities to brace and cooperate with Sokoto whom he described as a purposeful leader who believe in transforming the state.

    He added: “Now that you have seen the light, join hands with the ambitious Governor in his efforts to reposition the state in all ramifications.”

    Uzodinma, who is also the Chairman, Progressives Governors Forum, made the remarks during the week at the inauguration of link road projects in Sokoto constructed by the governor in fulfilment of his campaign promises to electorates.

    The Imo State governor noted that Sokoto was poised to right the wrongs to improve the wellbeing of Sokoto people.

    According to Uzodinma, “I charge Igbo community in the state to be law-abiding and act within the ambit of the constitution and the law of the land.

    Some of the roads inaugurated by the Imo State governor included Kamba and Bungudu roads which are two-lane roads, linking major roads in Sokoto metropolis; Gusau and Birnin Kebbi roads lining the two neighbouring state capitals.

     Sokoto said his administration was in place to reduce the sufferings of the citizens by delivering beneficial services through good governance.

    This, he said, would be driven  by the provision of quality roads, revamping the health sector and providing clean water through rehabilitation of the Sokoto water works which residents were witnessing.

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    “Sahara is the economic nerve center of the state, but all roads leading to the area were not motorable, despite its contribution to the economic development of the state.

    “Today is a turning point for recording a milestone, having this all important area transformed and more of such are under way to give Sokoto metropolis a new look, ” he stressed.

    Similarly, he acknowledged  the contractor for doing a good job despite short notice to have the N.3billion road constructed.

    “I wish to name the newly constructed road as Hope Uzodinma road, which is an honour to the visíting Imo state Governor”, announced the governor who assured that his government would focus on human oriented projects that would bring succour to citizens in the state.

    Aliyu Sokoto stressed that his administration’s 9-Points agenda was a deliberate blueprint and template to right the wrongs of the immediate past administration in the state.

    “We will remain focused , determined and result oriented in driving our meaningful agenda for the benefit of our people and prosperity of the state “, he reiterated.

     The Leader and Chairman of Sahara Igbo Community, Mr Okwu Chukwu, thanked Sokoto for reconstructing Bungudu and Kamba roads which he said were abandoned by the immediate past government of the state.

    Chukwu recalled that the Kamba Road was not motorable throughout the tenure of former governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

    According to him, residents of the area and their businesses suffered the deplorable condition of the road which made it difficult for vehicles to ply.

    He lauded the governor for keeping to his promise of rebuilding the Sahara area neglected by the immediate past administration in the state.

  • NGO  partners Kano CBOs on exclusive breastfeeding

    NGO  partners Kano CBOs on exclusive breastfeeding

    Alive and Thrive, in partnership with Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) in Kano State yesterday launched a campaign towards enlightening women on exclusive breastfeeding.

    Alive and Thrive, a global nutrition initiative, said exclusive breastfeeding, especially in the first six months after birth, is a panacea to addressing malnutrition among children, despite the socio-cultural and religious challenges.

    The organisations said the initiative is to champion a behavioural change among women by promoting new norms around feeding practices among mothers and families, targeted at saving lives, preventing illness, and ensuring healthy growth of mothers and children.

    Alive and Thrive is partnering CBOs on the project in Kano.

    The partners (CBOs) included Grassroots Health and Empowerment Foundation (GHEF), Support for Women and Teenage Children (SWATCH), and IDev-Pro-African Institute (African Institute of International Development Professionals).

    Executive Director, Grassroots Health and Empowerment Foundation, (GHEF), Malam Audu Tela said, through the project, they would accelerate the scale of MIYCN project among communities and also enlightening women on 1,000 days of baby care.

    He said: “What we are doing is about interpersonal communication, community mobilisation and mass communication to scale up nutrition in Kano.

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    “The first thing is to counsel pregnant women or women in their reproductive ages about the 1000 MIYCN days. We are also counselling them on exclusive breastfeeding; early initiation after birth.”

    According to him, they are currently working in five local government areas of Kano North which include; Gwarzo, Shanono, Bagwai, Kabo and Bichi. 10 facilities have been selected in each of the councils.

    Support for Women and Teenage Children (SWATCH) is another CBO implementing the project in Kano South. Through the programme, SWATCH his sensitising women, children and health workers on the impact of exclusive breastfeeding and malnutrition.

    “We are into advocacy visits to selected local government councils in Kano south, where we enlighten women, community leaders, health workers on exclusive breastfeeding and other nutritional values.

    ”Though, there are challenges with some of the target participants, we are sensitising people to accept and practice the process and we are gradually gaining Executive,” Director, Ramatu Shehu Garba said.

    IDev-Pro-African Institute, another partnering CBO, called on government and community leaders to support Alive and Thrive for sustainability of the project.

    Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the MIYCN project, Abdulmajid Auwal, told communities to embrace locally available resources that enhance nutritional values.

    “In this moment of hardship, meat is expensive, but there are locally available foods that enhance nutrition, such as beans and moringa, among others.

    “Breastfeeding the child during this period enhances better growth of the child’s brain and body and provides the needed cholesterol for the development of the child,” he said.

  • Military urged to sustain crackdown on criminal groups

    Military urged to sustain crackdown on criminal groups

    A Civil society organisation, Conference of Civil Society for Peace, Security and National Development (CCSPSND), has asked the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, to sustain the crackdown on criminal groups.

      It stated that peace, unity and development could not be achieved in an environment of insecurity.

    The group said the CoAS could end insurgency, banditry and other criminality, having served as commander in many theatres of war.

    The CSO said yesterday this in a statement signed by its conveners, Dr. Adamu Muhammad and Mike Msuaan in Abuja.

    The organisation noted the energy Gen. Lagbaja has brought to bear on the fight against criminal elements, describing him as a commander who leads in the front.

    “To motivate the soldiers, the Chief of Army Staff has moved to improve the welfare of the troops and their families through several welfare packages introduced for their benefit. This will keep troops focused on their duty posts,” the statement said.

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    It added: “Under the watch of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, the criminal activities of the infamous Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network – ESN) in the southeast have been brought to an end . The sit-at-home declared by the proscribed group has been stopped through the heightened activities of operation Udoka, in collaboration with other stakeholders in the region.

    This has reopened the region to economic activities and restored normalcy in the region.

    “Soldiers have renewed their onslaught on insurgent BokoHaram /ISWAP leading to the killing of several kingpins, destruction of camps and arrest of many members of the insurgent groups in the regions.

    “The clashes between the herders and farmers in the Northcentral states of Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau has reduced drastically due to the activities of the military.”

    The group commended his efforts and rejigging of the military and called on Nigerians to support the Chief of Army Staff General Lagbaja in his determination to end criminality in the country, stating that the end to the activities of such groups was in sight.

  • Kano supply firm MD suspended for alleged misconduct

    Kano supply firm MD suspended for alleged misconduct

    Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf  has ordered the immediate suspension of the Managing Director, Kano Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), Dr Tukur Minjibir, from office over alleged misconduct.

    This is contained in a statement  by his Press Secretary, Malam Bature Dawakin-Tofa, in Kano on yesterday.

    Yusuf directed the issuance of suspension in a letter dated Sept. 12,  conveyed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Baffa Bichi.

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    The managing director was suspended for alleged involvement in an inappropriate sale of grains belonging to the state government.

    Minjibir was directed to handover the affairs of the company to the most senior officer immediately, pending the outcome of investigation.

  • Kogi residents in Kwara set agenda for ADC governorship candidate

    Kogi residents in Kwara set agenda for ADC governorship candidate

    • ‘I’ll provide N2b interest-free loan for women’

    Ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Kogi state, indigenes of the state in Kwara State have endorsed the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Leke Abejide.

    Accordingly, the people have set an agenda of job provision and rehabilitation of Ilorin-Kabba Road for the candidate if elected as governor of the state.

    Leaders of Okun, Ebira and Igala ethnic stocks as well as youths spoke in Ilorin, the state capital when Abejide campaign train visited Kogi residents in Kwara.

    They said that they were in their support of the ADC governorship candidate.

    Salihu Abdulaziz said: “All we want is progress and development of our people. We suffer discrimination as we are looked upon as second-class citizens. Home is home. We want you to help us give Kogi better services that would lead to greater development. We also want you to help us fight injustice in the state.”

    The Igala leader, Omede Adamu, told the governorship hopeful that “if elected, we urge you to facilitate the rehabilitation of Ilorin-Kabba highway for us’’.

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    “We are imploring you to make provision of jobs for our teeming graduates a priority.

     Abejude, who is the House of Representatives Chair on Customs and Excise, announced a plan to set aside N2 billion interest-free soft loan for women in the state if elected.

    “The N2 billion micro credit soft loan would be purposely set aside for women in the state to help improve their socioeconomic lives with no interest immediately I’m elected governor,” he said.

    The ADC governorship candidate reiterated his promise to improve the lives of traditional rulers, adding that he would accord respect to traditional institutions when elected.

    He advised eligible voters in the state to get their PVC to enable them actualise their aspiration of electing a credible candidate in the November governorship election.

    “You should all bear it in mind that voting for anyone from the incumbent occupiers of office in Kogi state is like voting for third term of poor governance, poor infrastructure and unemployment”, he said.

    He promised to serve the people and the state, adding that he would not be ungrateful to the people of the state if elected governor.

  • Group plans confab on peace

    Group plans confab on peace

    A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), One percent International Management Service Limited, has stressed the need to mainstreaming women in  peace and national cohesion.

    The Chief Executive Officer,  the organisation, Ambassador Stephaine Nnadi, stated this in Abuja.

    Nnadi said it planned to hold a symposium with the theme “Women as burden bearers, a time for peace”  at Wells Carlton Hotel Asokoro, Abuja on September 21.

    She stated: “The symposium is intended to address the recent unprecedented upsurge and challenges of conflicts, wars, and civil strife spreading across the globe especially in Africa, as well as full-blown wars in Russia and Ukraine.

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    “Women have always been the burden bearers of terrorism, displacement, community clashes and banditry hence the need to deliberate on ways of mainstreaming women in the process of peace and national cohesion.

    “The symposium will provide a forum to commemorate the UN International Day of Peace as well as raise awareness on the role of women in peace, mediation and reconciliation in Africa.’’

    The group also expressed dismay that countries such as Ethiopia, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroun, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, have been bedeviled by recurrent tragedies as a result of incessant attacks by armed groups while women and children are the victims.

  • Parties urged to include under-represented groups in activities

    Parties urged to include under-represented groups in activities

    Country Director, Westemister Foundation for Democracy (WFD), Adebowale Olorunmola has called on political parties to include under-represented groups in their activities.

    Olorunmola urged the parties to make their platforms open to them for political participation.

    He said this at a leadership conference to promote inclusive political party practices organised by WFD in Abuja yesterday.

    He said in 2027 Nigeria must have a different story contrary to what it has had in the year, especially among the under-represented groups.

    He said: “Political parties are the only platform where all, including the vulnerable, can contest for election because the country does not have an independent candidate yet.”

    He asked how many political parties have persons with disability in their Boards of Trustees, National Working Committees or delegates during primaries.

    He said the people involved were often mostly males, adding that the WFD was looking at parties that would be guided by their constitution by signing peace accord with the foundation

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    Prof. Fatai Badru of the University of Jos, Plateau State, who gave the keynote address, said there was a need to promote inclusive participation among political parties and commitment to implementation.

    He said political parties must proffer solutions to deal with exclusion of these groups, adding that the factors responsible for the discrimination must be identified.

    He called for a strategy to ameliorate the menace, adding that there was no conscious evidence that political parties were ready to absorb the under-represented group.

    Director – General, National Institute for Democratic and Legislative Studies (NILDS), Prof Abubakar Suleiman urged President Bola Tinubu not to appoint persons of his age group as the Minister of Youths.

    He commended the president for appointing a substantial number of women into his cabinet, most of whom he said were youths.

    He said: “You can see what the president has done by bringing sizeable numbers of women into his cabinet. Now, we need a youth as the minister of youth, not a person of my age.”

    He called on political parties not to fail in reflecting on how to deepen democratic processes by their action in refusing to give the women, youth and persons with disability a chance.

    He said a political party that excluded the youth, women and persons with disability had excluded the majority in participating in democracy.

    He said: “Political parties exist as a platform where broad based ideas should be actualised and it’s a fulcrum for inclusion where ambitions should be realised. “

    He said the abysmal representation of women in the 2023 election, where 3.6 per cent women were represented in elective positions, was unacceptable.

    According to him, Nigeria retrogressed from 25 Senators to 15 Senators and nine to three House of Representative members from 2019 and 2023.

    He said as long as persons with disability, women and youth were left out of decision making, the country was still practicing monarchical government, adding that the party structure must accommodate them.

  • Ex-Kogi deputy governor defects to APC

    Ex-Kogi deputy governor defects to APC

    The electoral fortunes of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State at the November 11 governorship election got a boost with the defection of a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former deputy governor, Chief Yomi Awoniyi, to the party.

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello presented the new entrant to the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, yesterday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

    Addressing reporters after a brief closed-door meeting with the chairman, Bello said the decampee remained a big force to reckon with in the governorship election slated for November 11.

    “Today we have a big fish. Another big fish in our ocean – Kogi. We are APC and APC is Kogi. Today, I come to introduce Chief Yomi Awoniyi, the former Deputy Governor of Kogi State to Captain Idris Wada.

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    “So, he has joined us fully. And I have come to introduce him to the National Chairman and NWC at the party at the headquarters. This is a sign that the election of 11th November 2023 is a landslide victory for APC by the special grace of God,” he noted.

    Asked why he joined the APC, Awoniyi said: “My decision to join the APC is occasioned by the need to appreciate the giant strides that this government has started to embark upon.

    ” It is quite clear that the next four or eight years will be a complete departure from what we have known.

    “It is quite impressive and laudable, particularly in our state in Kogi where a lot is going on. And the future looks much brighter in the APC. 

    Ganduje expressed delight at the development, maintaining that Awoniyi was important to the party .

  • Katsina budgets N26.6b to tackle flooding, others

    Katsina budgets N26.6b to tackle flooding, others

    The Katsina State government has announced an allocation of N26.6billion as well as  control strategies to curtail cases of flooding and environmental challenges in the state

    The Commissioner for Environment, Musa Adamu Funtua, who told The Nation in his office in Katsina, that the state is ready to contain flooding and other environmental hazards.

    He underscored the cornerstone of the administration’s policy agenda through the provision of developmental initiatives that encompasses various aspects of governance.

    It would be recalled that 13 states were recently listed to experience flooding. They include Nassarawa, Benue, Niger, and Katsina.

    The measures include construction of 13 ecological projects, campaigns on the right environmental practices, evacuation of wastes and drainages, construction of drainage sites in Jibia.

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    He said ’’there are plans by the state government to embark on sensitizing communities on the dangers of poor environments and littering of wastes,’’

    ‘’we are also working in collaboration with sister agencies like the Ministry of works, taking several proactive measures as well as the establishment of 7 centers for clearing gabbages in the major towns and communities’’

    ‘’there are also plans to clear inherited water channels in Danja, Radda and Daura’’

    The commissioner while assuring on the unwavering commitment of Governor Dikko Radda’s administration to advancing development within the state, said the state will further embark on proactive measures, including afforestation, planting of trees, clearing of culverts and so on within the first 100 days of the Governor’s tenure in office