The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Bago to invest N1tr on infrastructure

    Bago to invest N1tr on infrastructure

    Niger State Government will invest N1 trillion in infrastructure development in the state in the next two years.

    Governor Mohammed Umaru-Bago stated this at a startup workshop on the Minna-Bida Road project co-financed by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD)

    Bago, who described Niger as a gateway connecting the Northern and Southern parts of the country, maintained that developing the state’s infrastructure would be of immense benefit to the state and the country.

    In a statement, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, said Umaru-Bago expressed appreciation to the IsDB and ADFD for agreeing to co-finance the project.

    Bago highlighted the huge potential in the state, ranging from its size to the presence of four hydro dams.

    He, however, expressed concern that despite the potential, the state was bedevilled by insecurity and infrastructure deficits.

    The governor, therefore, called on development partners to support the state in  security, health, education, and agriculture.    

    “So that the state can attain an enviable height of development,” he said.

    The governor added that counterpart funds were available.

    Read Also: Gov. Bago approves 2 trucks of rice as palliatives for NLC

    Bago directed the Commissioner for Communication Technology and Digital Economy, Suleiman Isah, to engage telecoms companies on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), that would improve online education in the state.

    The team leader, Mr Alagi Gaye, said $163 million had been earmarked for the project.

    “Out of this, the Islamic Development Bank will provide $86.64 million, $44.76 million from the Abu Dhabi Development Fund while the Niger State Government is to provide $31.6 million,” he said.

    He acknowledged the efforts of the state government towards the success of the project.

    Gaye explained the startup workshop was important for the effective implementation of the project and to enhance the capacities of executing agencies and project management units, among others.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works Alhaji Hassan Baba Etsu, commended the governor for his commitment to ensuring the continuation of the Minna-Bida road project as well as prompt payment of counterpart funds for development partners in the state.

    He assured the IsDB and ADFD of an enabling environment for effective monitoring of the project.

    “The Ministry will ensure that specifications and the terms of the contract are strictly adhered to,” he said.

    Also representative from the Ministry of Finance, Dahiru Idris, described the Minna-Bida project as significant to both the state and the country.

    He assured that all necessary steps would be taken to work in synergy with all development partners, to ensure that the project becomes a reality.

    Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, said that the workshop would serve as an opportunity for participants to come together to understand how best to execute the Minna-Bida road project efficiently and effectively.

    He added that the project was a significant milestone in the development of the State

  • Jigawa gov hails MSF on free training, healthcare

    Jigawa gov hails MSF on free training, healthcare

    • Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse

    Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has commended the Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) for   its training of medical personnel and healthcare.

    The governor gave the commendation while receiving  the medical team at Government House, Dutse.

    He said his administration is committed to improving the lives of Jigawa citizens by giving priority to health sector.

    Namadi noted that MSF has improved humanity.

    He promised to continue to  support to MSF’s programmes.

    Earlier, MSF Country Director, Mrs Pamela Akko, who led the team, said  her group handled over 12,000 child deliveries yearly at its centre at Jahun General Hospital under its Maternal Child Health intervention.

    She said for 15 years MSF had been carrying out interventions in child vaccination against killer diseases like meningitis, cholera and other emergencies.

    “We have a VVP centre where we are admitting and repairing women suffering from VVF, and we equally have intervention on Maternal and New Born Child Health (MNCH) in three local government areas of the state, namely Taura, Miga and Jahun.

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    “Our maternity in Jahun local government is one of the best, and it equally serve as a centre for training of health workers from Nigeria and abroad”,

    “We conducted antinertal and post-nertal, in this three local government we are recieving over 1,000 delivery monthly”.

    All the MNCH services and drugs we are providing there are free including referral of complicated cases to Dutse or Kano Hospital, we also feed our admitted patients free” Mr Pamela stated.

    She than, informed the governor on their plan ” Round Table Discussion ” schedule to take place in Abuja for reviewing their 15 years of operation, presenting a local data including the support from state governments and other key stakeholders”

    “The round Table Discussion will showcase the achievement we made and the challenges we have with aimed at expanding our activities for more access to healthcare services for all ” She revealed

  • Kano to establish forensic unit on land documents forgery

    Kano to establish forensic unit on land documents forgery

    To check forgery of land documents, the Kano State government has approved the establishment of a forensic unit at the state Ministry of Land and Physical Planning.

    The Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Kibiya, made this known yesterday.

    He said: “The forensic unit will boost the government commitment and zeal of fighting against documents falsification in the ministry of land.”

    Information Officer, Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, Murtala Shehu Umar, in a statement, said Kibiya spoke when he visited the Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Commission (EFCC) in Kano.

    He said the Abba Kabir Yusuf administration is committed to fighting corruption, especially in the land sector.

    The commissioner said his visit was to cement the cordial relationship between the agency and the ministry and seek more collaboration.

    Kibiya pointed out that since he assumed duty, he has encountered many challenges which need to be addressed.

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    “We are aware that most of the cases you are receiving here are land-related. That is why we found it necessary to pay you a visit to seek for collaboration and helping hand.

    “We believe, through synergy we can reduce land tussles and bring sanity in land administration in the state.

    “As a corruption fighting agency, your service is highly needed to handle many complicated cases and complaints before us.

    “Kano is a mega and fast growing city in Africa, hence the tendency of having land disputes here and there,” the commissioner said.

    The acting zonal commandant of EFCC, Kano zonal command, Chinedu Ogbu, assured the commissioner of his command’s support to the ministry at all times.

  • Bauchi Emirate mobilises 1000 hunters to battle kidnappers

    Bauchi Emirate mobilises 1000 hunters to battle kidnappers

    Worried by the high rate of kidnapping in his domain, the District Head of Lame, one of the king makers in the Bauchi Emirate Council, Alhaji Aliyu Yakubu Lame, has mobilised 1000 local hunters to fight kidnappers terrorising farmers and other residents.

    The Nation recalls that there have been kidnappings in some parts of the state, targeted at peasant farmers who are afraid of going to their farms.

    The District head said the hunters, in collaboration with the  Police and other security operatives, would comb the bushes and other areas suspected to be  hideouts for kidnappers.

    He made this known yesterday when he interacted with reporters in his palace over the incessant cases of kidnapping recorded in the area.

    The kind maker said ensuring security was the only way his domain could achieve the desired level of development

    He, therefore, urged the village heads to work for peace.

    According to him, traditional rulers have critical roles to play in promoting peace and justice as well as complementing the government’s efforts.

    Read Also: Kidnappers abduct 10 passengers, ambush two buses in Okene

    Lame said this was important, considering the challenges facing the country and the strategic positions of traditional rulers.

    The monarch said: “With the support of the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad, Commissioner of Police, Local Government Chairman, prominent stakeholders in the District, hunters, and other well-meaning citizens, we have chased the bandits and miscreants away from their enclave.

    “We have mobilised over 1000 hunters together with Police and other security operatives, They combed the bushes and went to all the areas that we suspected the hoodlums use as their hideout.

    “They searched their enclaves but the miscreants left the places. Our people, Police, and other security operatives are still on daily patrol and surveillance in the bush looking for these miscreants.”

    He advised traditional rulers and people to be security conscious and accord top priority to the security of lives and property of people.

    The traditional ruler commended his subjects for living in harmony with one another and urged them to sustain the peaceful co-existence among themselves.

    On the recent cases of abductions recorded in the area, the District head said it was unfortunate, adding that the kidnappers have instilled fear in the minds of the people.

  • Etsu Nupe marks birthday ahead 20th ascension anniversary weekend

    Etsu Nupe marks birthday ahead 20th ascension anniversary weekend

    The Etsu of Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alh. Dr. Yahaya Abubakar (CFR) marked his birthday on Tuesday amidst tons of congratulatory messages from family, friends, partners and colleagues across the world.

    Top among foreign dignitaries who have felicitated with him is popular musician and renowned hit maker, Wyclef Jean, who described the Royal Father as a reservoir of wisdom and embodiment of humility while playing birthday song.

    His birthday comes days to the 20th anniversary of his coronation as the 13th Etsu Nupe and the chairman Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers.

    Scheduled to come up on Saturday, September 16, 2023, the royal event will take place under the distinguished chairmanship of former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Rtd (GCFR).

    Also expected as Special Guest of Honour is Niger Governor Mohammed Umar Bago.

    Read Also: Speaker Abbas hails Etsu Nupe on 71st birthday, 20th anniversary

    Royal Father of the day is His Eminence Alh. Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III (CFR) The Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria.

    It is expected to be a heavy gathering of royalties within and outside Nigeria.

    The celebrant has received commendations in the past two decades he has been on throne for his demonstration of sense of justice and fairness in leading the Nupe community, one of the largest ethnic communities in the northern Nigeria.

  • Another boat accident claims 11 lives in Adamawa

    Another boat accident claims 11 lives in Adamawa

    Another boat accident in Adamawa State has claimed 11 lives.

    This would be the third boat accident in eight days in a state where such accidents were rare.

    The boat capsized at a community in Yola South Local Government Area on Saturday. A resident, Kwatan Mallam Adamu, in Fufore Local Government Area (LGA), said  said 11 bodies had been removed from the water by divers

    Another resident, Dahiru Gurin, said: “About 40 passengers crammed into the boat to get home before today’s downpour. Unfortunately midway, strong wind and thunderstorm set in, causing the boat to capsize.”

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    The information Officer of Fufore LGA, Abdullahi Jangai said divers had so taken out 11 bodies from the water.

    Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, ADSEMA, Dr Mohamed Suleiman, could not confirm the casualty figures.

    The ADSEMA boss said it was too early to say so as rescue efforts were still on.

    On Monday, last week, in Mayo Belwa LGA, there was a similar incident in which two persons died.

  • Plateau NMA labels suspect arrested for harvesting organ as quack

    Plateau NMA labels suspect arrested for harvesting organ as quack

    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Plateau State yesterday distanced itself from a doctor, Noah Kekere, was arrested for allegedly harvesting a woman’s kidney as quack.

    Chairman, Plateau State chapter of the NMA,  Dr Bapigaan William Audu, and the Public Relations Officer,  Dr. Istifanus Bintum Bako  in  a statement in Jos said, upon their  investigation Kekere was found to be a fake.

    The statement further reads in parts:  “This  is to inform the general public and all concerned that Mr Noah Kekere, who is being investigated over allegations of organ harvesting is not a medical doctor. “

    Diligent investigations by the association have revealed that he is a quack pretending to be a doctor.

    Further information will be made available following the conclusion of the investigative processes initiated by the NMA as well as the Nigerian Police, the statement further reads .

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    The association also   called on all members and citizens to remain calm as the association is on top of the issue, and is assisting the police to get to the root of the matter.

    Thank you.

    The Nation reports that  Noah Kekere, was arrested in Jos, Plateau State, after a businessman, Alhaji Kamal, accused him of removing his wife’s kidney during surgery in 2018.

    Kamal said his wife, Kehinde, had been suffering from chronic stomach pains for the past five years and was rushed to Kekere’s clinic located in the Nasarawa Gwom area of Jos North Local Government Area, where he diagnosed and concluded that she had ruptured appendicitis and needed urgent surgery.

    Kamal  further said ” The day the doctor conducted the operation, he started the operation from 12 noon till 8 pm, and for the past five years, my wife kept complaining of severe stomach pains. I continued to take her to the same hospital because I did not want to change the doctor that started her treatment,” he  said.

  • Speaker Abbas hails Etsu Nupe on 71st birthday, 20th anniversary

    Speaker Abbas hails Etsu Nupe on 71st birthday, 20th anniversary

    House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen has congratulated the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar on his 71st birthday and 20th anniversary of his coronation.

    The Speaker hailed the Etsu Nupe, who is the Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, for his fatherly roles in the affairs of the country in general and Niger State in particular.

    He said Alhaji Abubakar, a retired Brig.-General, has shown commendable leadership both as a traditional and religious leader worthy of emulation, especially by the ruling class.

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    The Speaker expressed his admiration for the monarch and his importance to the sociopolitical and religious stability of the country, particularly in his  role as the Chairman Coordinating Committee of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria.

    He prayed Almighty Allah (SWT) to grant the Etsu Nupe more years of peaceful reign, while urging him to mobilise traditional rulers towards supporting the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

  • Firm pledges to deliver one million family homes in FCT

    Firm pledges to deliver one million family homes in FCT

    Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Brookfield Group Holdings, Oluwaseun Olatunji, has announced plans by the organisation to deliver one million multi-family homes in Abuja.

    The company said the project would address the housing deficit in Nigeria.

    In a statement  yesterday in Abuja, Olatunji highlighted the long-awaited vision of Brookfield Group to support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda in Nigeria’s real estate sector.

    He also said the company was ready to collaborate with the Federal Capital Development Authority, under the leadership of of the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, to fast-track the implementation process of developing the original Abuja master plan into an urban model city while addressing the housing deficit in the country.

    The statement reads: “The first phase of the project will accommodate 450,000 multi family residential apartment units, costing about $16.2 billion through international bridge finance.”

    Read Also: Navy denies fake recruitment exercise, warns Nigerians

    The housing crisis in Nigeria has reached alarming levels, with an estimated 28 million deficit as of the beginning of this year.

    Olatunji stressed the urgency of this situation, pointing out that nearly half of the country’s population was either homeless or struggling to find adequate housing.

    He said Brookfield Group Holdings, as a real estate development and civil construction company, “aims to create value in the industry by maximising residential units for potential occupancy and minimising construction expenses, thereby making affordable housing accessible to first-time buyers, low-income individuals, and average earners.

    They plan to achieve this through private equity financing methods and by offering mortgage loans of up to 50 years.”

    He announced that Brookfield Group was now fully specialising in the development of multi-family residential properties, not only in Nigeria but across Africa.

    “This strategic shift reflects their commitment to addressing the pressing housing needs on the continent,” the statement said.

    The statement added: “Sometimes I feel the huge pressure of being a solution provider on me that is extremely difficult for me to explain to the people. Because of these pressures, I discovered that a strong motivation has been generated within the Brookfield Group business holdings and myself that is seemingly never going to stop.”

  • Ex-provost pushes  for 70 years’ retirement age for CoE academics

    Ex-provost pushes  for 70 years’ retirement age for CoE academics

    Despite challenges, colleges of education  are making progress, a former Provost of the Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta, Prof. Kunle Filani has said.

    Filani noted that infrastructure in the nation’s colleges, especially those operated by the Federal Government, have tremendously improved.

    He spoke at a national symposium in honour of former President of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Remi Makinde who retired from active service in June this year.

    Filani, who was the chairman of the occasion, noted that most of the colleges of education run programmes similar to the universities, hence the need to set a deadline for de-affiliation and subsequently submit to the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) for action.

    He said: “There is an increase in the number and the scope to colleges of education we have compared to some 40 years back which is good. This has increased the number of access to people who could study in the colleges of education and become teachers.

    “The infrastructure of our colleges, especially those of the federal colleges, have tremendously improved. If you go to the federal colleges today, you cannot say that they are not capable of awarding degrees today. They are beautiful in structures, we accommodate more students and the environment is friendly unlike before. That is the major progress we are making.

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    “Secondly, in terms of staffing, those days, because of the limited number of students that had access to schooling, we had few staff, we even had few staff who had bachelor degrees but today, the personnel, especially that of academic staff demonstrated capacities in scholarships. I am very happy that today, hardly can you go to federal colleges of education without seeing 15 percent of their academic staff who have already had their PhDs.

    “The reality of this is that it boosts the image and ego of staff to at least share similar prospects with their university counterparts.”

    He regretted that appointment of provosts to federal and state established colleges were mostly from universities, saying such actions were demotivating academic staff of colleges of education.

    This was even as he advocated increment of retirement years of college teachers from 65 years to 70 years, adding that academic staff who were not tired should not be forcefully retired.

    He stated: “Those days, appointments of provosts in colleges of education, especially from the federal and state levels were always dominated by people from the universities. I’m not advocating that people from the universities should not realise their ambitions but it demotivates those who are in the system if they cannot rise to the height of their career.

    “Even if you are going to be a provost, it must be that you must have been in the college of education and a member of COEASU before moving to the university. This will motivate others, the staff in the system, to work towards their career attainment.

    “Now, the Issue of retirement is 65 years. It used to be 60. I still believe that we can still work it to 70 for those who are interested. There should be parity with the university because it’s an intellectual and mental formation. If you are not tired, why should you be forced to retire?”

    Former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, challenged colleges of education to set a deadline for de-affiliation from universities.

    Adedoja, who was a former Provost of Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo and Chairman, Governing Council of the Federal College of Education, Obudu, Cross River State, said: “I want us to set a date for ourselves, for de-affiliation to universities in Nigeria . We must set a date for ourselves that by the year 2024, no college of education should be affiliated to universities. You must set the deadline yourself.

    “Evidence has shown that you are being surcharged by the nation’s universities. All the money being collected from the research that you have made,75 per cent of all your fees go to universities. Only 25 per cent are retained.”