The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Police, monarchs tackle herders-farmers clashes

    Police, monarchs tackle herders-farmers clashes

    For two days in Abuja, the police, traditional rulers, the Leadership Group, and others sought answers to perhaps Nigeria’s most pressing challenge, PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU and FAITH YAHAYA report.

    ‘We must provide an enabling environment for the herdsmen who do not require electricity or road. All they need is water and it is not being provided. I am an individual, I drink water and it is a private thing but animals also have the right to survive. When we bring in the argument of private business, we are linking it to ethnic or religious dimension; we are not looking at it from the business angle. Markets, dams, roads and others are provided by government. If we should tell a taxi driver to construct a road for himself because he plies the road, it makes mockery of Nigeria’

    The horrors of herders-farmers clashes are everywhere in their gory details. People, among them women and children, are murdered in cold blood, farmlands, houses are destroyed, herds are killed or rustled in thousands.

    Socio-economic activities are brought to a halt in affected communities, which affects the economy of the nation. Hunger, poverty and unemployment become the order of the day, posing grave threats to national security.

    No fewer than 12 states-Adamawa, Zamfara, Kaduna, Ekiti, Delta, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra and Taraba-are battling with the crisis, apart from such other security challenges as communal wars, kidnapping and armed robbery.

    This was why the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris convened a national security summit in collaboration with the Leadership Group and the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN).

    Participants at the two-day summit held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, expressed worries that the herders-farmers clashes might break the country if nothing was done to stop it.

    The participants included Governors of Kaduna, Benue and Gombe states, Nasri el-Rufai, Samuel Ortom and Ibrahim Dankwabo respectively, Minister for Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau; Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Emir of Gumi, Justice Lawal Gunmi, Chairman, Leadership Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah, Professors Oshita Oshita, Sani Luga, Jospeh Golwa, Hamidu Sharabutu, Olu Ogunsakin and Armstrong Adejo, Director General, Awareness Trust, Dr. Lydia Umar, legislators, as well as representatives of herders and farmers.

    They agreed there should be a standard operating procedure for livestock farming, just as the issue of forest guards, rehabilitation of grazing reserves and adoption of cattle ranching topped the discussions. The participants also suggested a harmonious relationship between the wives of herders and farmers, noting that it would nip clashes in the bud.

    IGP Idris said the way out of farmers-herders conflict was for Nigerians to be tolerant with each other.

    He said, “The main way to tackle the issue of herdsmen and farmers is for us to be our brother’s keeper. We grew up in this country and we saw how people migrated to other places and settled peacefully. I think it is just the element of give and take that is lacking and like somebody observed, Nigerians are becoming intolerant of each other. Until we stop the intolerance and believe that we have to forego something in order to get something, the communal clashes and ethnic disagreements would continue. The reason for the summit is for all stakeholders to assemble and proffer solutions to improving security across the country.”

    Nda-Isaiah suggested that the government should use the same force it deployed in tackling Boko Haram on the farmers-herders crisis, adding that the police should be equipped and deployed not only the military.

    Sharabutu, who’s the President, Veterinary Council of Nigeria, said the standard procedure would minimise open grazing and also stop young Fulani children from being herders. He said it would make the herders responsible for the actions of their cattle, adding that it would also stop night grazing.

    Sharabutu presented a paper on “identifying regulatory controls for movement of livestock and the cultural relationship with farming communities: Options for peaceful co-existence.” He said the lack of infrastructural provisions for grazing was the main cause of the conflicts.

    He lamented that the established and developed stock routes for grazing have been either overtaken by buildings, farmlands or abandoned, noting that the development has forced herders to keep moving in order to save their cattle.

    According to him, cattle need at least six hectares of land per year to survive and there were approximately 19million grazing cattle in the country, forcing herders to scavenge.

    Sharabutu said though there were 417 grazing reserves to cover four million hectares, only about 170 were gazetted, just as he pointed over taxation from authorities and lack of water for the cattle as other reasons herders avoid road shoulders.

    On the way forward, Sharabutu said all herders must be registered and identified, adding that government should provide necessary infrastructure that would encourage people to establish livestock farms and settle down.

    He said: “The issue of infrastructural provision for the existing grazing reserve is the main thing. Why we keep talking about maintaining animal farms, those establishment (grazing reserves) particularly in the northern parts of the country, have no deliberate allocation that would solve the problem of these livestock farmers.

    “If we have to do that, then we must provide for them in the budget and make sure that these established grazing reserves must work at all cost. The Ministry of Environment must provide forest guards to police our bushes.

    “Most of our security agents are resident in town. It should look at the issue of forest guards. If we had forest guards that are operational in Sambisa forest, Boko Haram would not stay there and dug tunnels, where ammunition were buried without people knowing.

    “Already, the Minister of Agriculture has brought the issue of Agro Rangers but that is to protect farm lands and crops, forest guards are meant to protect those areas and they are to be provided by our own institutions in this country.

    “Everybody will tell you cattle rearing is private business. Agriculture and farming are private business. Who gives them the feeds and who promulgate policies? Who build access roads and markets for traders? Who gives them loans? Why can’t the government provide dams for the herders?

    “So, there is an extent to which we talk about private business. We must provide an enabling environment for them. The typical herdsmen do not require electricity nor road, all he needs is water and it is not being provided. I am an individual, I drink water and it is a private thing but animals also have the right to survive.

    “When we bring the argument of private business, we are linking it to ethnic or religious dimension; we are not looking at it from the business angle. Markets, dams, roads and others are provided by government. If we should tell a taxi driver to construct a road for himself because he plies the road, it makes mockery of Nigeria.”

    Sharabutu talked about the functionality of traditional rulers and prosecutors, whom he said, are usually heads of professional bodies such as the blacksmiths, farmers and herders.

    “Now if we make them functional, they will be very serious and thereby solve the problem at the beginning point. Traditional rulers must be given a proper standing not the ceremonial kind of leadership. We have cited example on how they are commended but they do not have any legal backing to actually implement their activties.

  • Buhari’s largesse

    Buhari’s largesse

    It has never been in doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari cares for the poor and downtrodden and desires to better their lot. This must have informed his administration’s provision of half a trillion naira for Social Investment Programmes (SIP) in the 2016 Budget. The same was proposed in the 2017 Budget.

    The Social Investment Programmes have four main aspects including N-Power, Home Grown School Feeding (HGSFP), Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and Government Enterprises Entrepreneurship Programme (GEEP).

    Through the budgetary provisions, Buhari aims to better the lives of the young, poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

    While the 2016 Budget has been appropriated and largely spent, the question now is how effective have been the 2016 SIP fund in touching the lives of Nigerians positively.

    Part of the success story the Presidency is taking to town is that as at the end of last month, the Buhari administration has spent a total of N41,714,793,293 in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT implementing different aspects of the four Social Investment Programmes.

    From the breakdown of the over N41 billion so far spent on the SIPs, the Presidency said that N-Power, which is the job programme for unemployed graduates, has received N26.418 billion, being the single largest spending item out of the four social investment programmes under the 2016 Appropriation.

    It claimed that the N-Power job scheme for unemployed graduates in 36 States and FCT, has engaged 162,024 unemployed graduates, who are receiving N30,000 monthly stipends.

    It further said that a vast majority of the validated beneficiaries have been receiving stipends as at 31st March, 2017.

    The Presidency also noted that an additional number has just been added to the list of those receiving their pay in the last several weeks.

    It said that efforts are being made to validate others and ensure that the 200,000 places provided for in the first batch of the N-Power programme are all effectively validated as provided for under the first phase of the programme.

    It also revealed that a date for the engagement of more N-power beneficiaries and the reopening of the portal to receive more applications would be announced soon.

    Beside, N-Power, the Presidency said that the actual released funding for the other 3 programmes, apart from other expenses, so far, are as follows:

    Home Grown School Feeding (HGSFP) – N7.092 billion, Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) – N800 million and Government Enterprises Entrepreneurship Programme (GEEP) – N7.301 Billion

    Under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme, it said that 26,942 beneficiaries are now being funded as at last month with the monthly N5,000 stipend in 9 States and 84 Local Government Areas including Borno, Cross River, Niger, Kwara, Ekiti, Kogi, Oyo, Osun and Bauchi.

    It said that the number is expected to add up to about 400,000 beneficiaries (and in more States) in a couple of months.

    The Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP) designed for the empowerment of market women, traders, artisans and others, the Presidency said has also recorded good progress with the disbursement of 57,234 interest free loans, except a one-time low administrative fee.

    GEEP which is designed for well over one million Nigerians, it claimed, has now registered 3,162,451 people who have showed interest and are members of 26, 924 registered cooperatives for purposes of the loans.

    It noted that women participation has been remarkable with 56% of loans so far disbursed to women beneficiaries in 28 States and FCT.

    A fresh directive, Presidency said have also been given to scale up the loan disbursement to 150,000 by end of next month.

    The Presidency also have claimed that more than 25 million meals have been served under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme.

    From the breakdown of the total number of meals served, it said that 1,051, 619 million primary school pupils are now being fed across seven states of Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, and Zamfara state.

    While stressing that not less than 11,847 cooks have also been employed under the scheme, the Presidency said that 8,587 schools are involved in the programme in those States.

    It also disclosed that more meals will soon be served as Delta and Abia States are now ready to be paid under the federal government school feeding scheme.

    The Presidency also said that Delta State is expected to receive soon, a sum of N63,366,100 to start the feeding of 90, 523 primary school pupils, while Abia State is  expected to receive N42, 921, 200.

    It revealed that Kaduna State has now been repaid N3.4 billion for its past expenses implementing the food programme ahead of Federal Government’s roll-out.

    Over a million Nigerians are also said to now be beneficiaries of the SIP programmes.

    A comprehensive SIP implementation analysis, according to the Presidency, also showed that every local government area, every State and the FCT have beneficiaries in one of the four programmes.

    Some other states are also said to be benefiting in more than one of the SIP programmes.

    The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who was said to have recently received the SIP Update Report, was said to be delighted with the progress made under each of the programmes.

    He was also said to have given express and urgent directives that the programmes be promptly expanded in coverage so that more Nigerians can start to benefit.

    The government, the Presidency said, is now implementing a huge ramp up of the Social Investment Programmes.

    Even with the efforts that have been made and achivements so far by the government in these direction, many Nigerians under the schemes are still dissatisfied.

    For instance, many Nigerians under the N-Power jobs, who got the jobs without knowing anybody at the top, are still not getting their monthly stipend of N30,000 due to the issues of their Bank Verification Number (BVN).

    While other schemes under the programmes are still facing one problem or the other, urgent steps should be taken to address these issues and other challenges Nigerians are now facing.

    It is also hoped that Nigerians are really getting values for the N500 billion budgeted for the programmes in the 2016 Budget and the amount approved for the programmes in the yet to be signed 2017 Budget.

    While no effort should be spared to fully implement the budgetary provisions, the programmes should really be expanded to positively touch the lives of more Nigerians.

    By doing this, it will help to reduce the poverty in the land, especially among the vulnerable youth

  • Reps to investigate AGIS over land allocation

    The House of Representatives is set to investigate the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) over its alleged failure to process land applications for scores of Nigerians in the six Area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The lawmakers complained that AGIS’ refusal to process land applications in the Area councils through the Accelerated Area Councils and Sectional Title Reissuance Scheme (AACSTRIS) has denied many of their Certificates of Occupancy (C of O).

    The lawmakers insisted that the investigation was meant to ascertaining the amount generated and remitted (if any) by the Scheme from inception to date, the operational costs of the Scheme from inception to date, the number of applications received, the number of applications verified or processed and any challenges facing the Scheme, and make appropriate recommendations.

    The proposed investigation followed the adoption of a motion by Olatubosun Olajide  (APC, Oyo), who noted that AACSTRIS was established by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to fast-track the processing of applications for the issuance of C of O for land located at the Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    He said, “The original plan was that while AACSTRIS, which is manned by private consultants appointed by the FCTA, will be processing the huge backlog of applications relating to Area Councils’ land or property, the AGIS will be producing the C of Os of successful applicants.

    “Under the scheme, members of the public with valid or genuine ownership of land or property in the Area Councils were required to apply for revalidation and processing of their C of Os on payment of the non-refundable fee of ¦ 100,000 only per application. However, since the establishment of the scheme, thousands of Nigerians who are desirous of perfecting their title documents to land or property located in the Area Councils have applied and paid the prescribed fees, which run into billions of Naira without getting any commensurate service from AACSTRIS which appears to have derailed from its mandate and is now just serving as a platform for generating revenue for successive FCT Administrations.

    “It is of concern that the failure of AACSTRIS and AGIS to fast track the processing of C of Os of genuine land and property owners who are qualified, has encouraged the fraudulent practices that are often associated with the processing of Area Councils C of Os in the FCT, Abuja and wonders why despite the failure of AACSTRIS to discharge its mandate effectively and efficiently to the public, successive FCT Administrations have retained the services of the consultant manning the Agency”.

    Committee on Federal Capital Territory Area Councils and Ancillary Matters that was mandated to undertake the investigation was given eight weeks to report back for further legislative action.

  • Fishing cage: Bello to kick off pilot scheme

    FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has expressed determination to ensure the success of the Federal Government initiative on the development of fishing cage aqua culture in the Territory.

    The Minister gave this assurance when the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Economic Management Team, Mr. Dolapo Bright paid him a visit in his office.

    Bello expressed joy that the FCT is one of the five states chosen by the Federal Government for the development of the fishing cage culture project, adding that the programme is in tandem with the efforts of the Federal Government to diversify the economy and create more jobs.

    According to him, “FCT will be interested in the three levels of the project which include locating some of the fish cage aqua culture projects in accessible bodies of water for the purpose of serving astourist attractions; establishing some as economic empowerment projects for rural residents and developing others as entrepreneurship ventures for the youths of the Territory.

    “We are happy that the FCT has been selected to be among the states that would develop the pilot scheme of this project which we consider to be a very important focal point for job creation.”

    The Minister, who lamented the uncontrolled fishing activities going on at Jabi Lake, directed the Department of Fisheries to ensure proper monitoring and regulation of the net size used for fishing, in order not depopulate the water bodies.

    Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Dolapo Bright, stated that the fishing cage aqua culture project was part of the social investment programme of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. He said the project which would be financed by the World Bank is designed as part of the efforts at the diversification of the economy, job creation and producing fish for protein.

    He however decried the situation where the nation is spending over $1

    Billion dollars annually in the importation of fish when it has all it takes to be self-sufficient in the area.

  • Vandals of Abuja

    Vandals of Abuja

    The theft of electricity facilities has put the authorities at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in quite a fix, reports GBENGA OMOKHUNU.

    ‘We are still battling with vandals, whose activities are interrupting the seamless flow of traffic planned by the administration for the city. On the average, the FCTA replaces traffic lights three times a year, because when we replace a vandalised traffic light, the vandals come back to vandalise again and again’

    Since thieves turned their attention to electricity fittings in the nation’s capital, the authorities have been worried. The administrators have an obligation to light up the city but the vandals are making things difficult. The city is thrown into darkness, increasing the frequency of not just regular crimes but also even hit and run incidents.

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has decried the development, saying traffic light components are frequently stolen and vandalised, triggering traffic challenges in the capital city.

    In particular, the administration while expressing serious concern over the situation, revealed that on the average it replaces traffic lights three times in a year, which costs as much as N15 million to install at a single road intersection in the city.

    Making this point during a press briefing in his office, the Acting Secretary of FCT Transport Secretariat, Suleiman Abdulha-mid declared that the Administration is doing all within its powers to contain the menace.

    He said, “We are still battling with vandals, whose activities are interrupting the seamless flow of traffic planned by the administration for the city. On the average the FCTA replaces traffic lights three times in a year, because when we replace a vandalised traffic light, the vandals come back to vandalise again and again.”

    He disclosed that in the last two years, the Ministerial Task Force on Environmental and Traffic Matters has helped to ensure seamless traffic flow in the city as well as checkmating the activities of hit and run drivers, who are notorious in destroying installed traffic facilities. The secretary further stated that with the assistance of a standby Maintenance Team created by the Department of Traffic Management the Secretariat carried out routine monitoring and maintenance of all traffic light installations in the city and its environs.

    He said the secretariat also converted all the traffic light signals from Light Emitting Diodes (LED) to solar power system, which ensures constant availability of power; adding that since the conversion, calm seems to have been restored to the infrastructure.

    “We have put in place other traffic improvement measures to ensure the safety and orderly flow of traffic in the city. These include road markings, installation of traffic signs and signals, installation of delineators and other traffic control devices. Others are; provision of cat-eye road signs, construction of bus shelters, installation of red light cameras, removal of speed bumps where necessary, etc,” he stressed.

    A total of 7,833 motorists were apprehended by the officials of FCT Directorate Road Traffic Services (DRTS) otherwise known as Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) for traffic light defiance and other traffic rules and regulation violations in the Territory.

    According to the Director, Road Traffic Services, Wadata Aliyu Bobdinga, who made the revelation while delivering its performance report for January–December, 2016, also said no fewer than1,547 motorcycles and 199 tricycles were impounded for violating the restriction bans, while 65 illegal car marts and 66 unlicensed car wash centres were dislodged. Furthermore, he revealed that DRTS generated a total of N1, 988,121,017.81.

    In a related development, the FCT Administration has so far paid the sum of N57.6 billion to contractors handling various projects in the Federal Capital Territory in the areas of water provision, roads and railway construction as well as health, education and environmental sanitation structures and services.

    The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello disclosed this during a press briefing, saying there has been a massive return of contractors to site following these payments.

    The Minister who spoke through the Director of Treasury, Malam Isiaku Ismaila said the Administration put in place strategic plans to ensure that all on-going projects that conform to the Abuja Master were completed.

    According to him, indigenous contractors who were owed N100 million and below have all been paid, especially those with matured bills that were provided for in the statutory budget, adding that funding for these payments were mobilised through transparency, diligent and judicious management of funds without leakages in the system.

    He said, “627 indigenous contractors being owed N100m and below, who have matured bills and which provisions were made in the statutory budget were paid the sum of N6.9b in the last quarter of 2016.  Another N3.3b billion has been paid to 403 other contractors with bills less than 100 million in the first quarter of 2017’.

    “Happily, from the last quarter of 2016 to the first quarter of 2017, the number of liability is coming down, in fact more than 50 per cent because there were some that their bills were not matured as at the time we were making payments in December. So, we felt that every contractor within the statutory year who has been able to perform and shown good faith on site is able to raise bills’.

    He added that Road construction, city cleaning and environmental sanitation are being given adequate attention by the current FCT Administration as they are seen as very critical to the capital city.

    The Minister also disclosed that funds have been fully released for the health insurance scheme of all FCTA workers, while all counterpart funds have been appropriately paid to development partners of the FCTA.

    Bello said the FCT Administration has also taken very seriously the issue of Pensioners’ outstanding arrears which he said have been paid up-to-date. ‘The current FCT Administration so far has released some N2.3 billion for this purpose. All forms of entitlements to retirees under the FCT Administration have been paid up to date with no arrears at all’.

    “The FCT Administration has also reinvigorated the school feeding programme. Some N980m has been disbursed towards feeding of students under the FCT Secondary Education Board.”

    He disclosed that in order to access funds for counterpart projects in the FCT, the Administration has so far made payments of N2.4 billion being part of its obligation to on-going counterpart projects.

    Malam Bello revealed the FCT Administration has so far released the sum of N7.009 billion to contractors handling the Abuja light rail project, adding that the first phase of this project would be completed and ready for use by January 2018.

     

  • Forgotten workers of Ajaokuta

    Forgotten workers of Ajaokuta

    ‘Right now we work shifts every day. At one of the units…we pump out water, and sometimes especially during the rainy season we pump on an hourly basis. If we do not pump out water there in 24 hours, the country will have to forget wire rod mill and LSM, because the equipment will be submerged, the water that will come up will destroy so many things’

    That image comes to mind at the mention of Ajaokuta steel plant? Is it the vast area on which the facility sits? Or the heavy machinery left to waste? Or how are the mighty fallen? What about the workers? Perhaps only few consider them. Yet, they are the reason the facility is still standing and has not been washed into the mighty River Niger.

    Head of Public Relations and Information of the plant, Muhammed Ibrahim narrated how one of the workers lost his job when the Indians were in charge.

    He said, “We have had a management staff of this company who lost his job when the Indians were here because he gathered some staff and they formed a human shield around one of our equipment, the spectrometer, that was being removed by the Indians at that time; this is how much our staff are prepared to lay their lives for this company.”

    He said most members of staff have learnt to be on the lookout for thieves who invade the facility, trying to steal everything and strip the facility of its machineries. He said that as yet, no equipment has been removed, except perhaps some spares or consumables, but not the main equipment.

    Ajaokuta steel plant was constructed on the River Niger, a part of the sea sand-filled and the facility built in it, Albert Durojaiye, Assistant General Manager, said. “If the water is not pumped in 24 hours, Ajaokuta steel plant as we know it will be submerged. Since production was halted in 2007, we’ve maintained the equipment at the plant, all we need in the rolling mill right now is just spare parts, consumables and raw materials. We also idle-run the machines to ensure they are still in good shape.

    “Right now we work shifts every day. At one of the units…we pump out water, and sometimes especially during the rainy season we pump on an hourly basis. If we do not pump out water there in 24 hours, the country will have to forget wire rod mill and LSM, because the equipment will be submerged, the water that will come up will destroy so many things. I have to keep coming to work even though the conditions are not favorable because I have to take care of my family; we are just waiting for the government to provide us with what it takes to run this place, we are not happy that it is idle.”

    Mallam Shuiabu Idris, in lubrication and hydraulics unit, said. “The assumption of people that we are not working is because they have not got the chance to come and see for themselves, when people come, we acquaint them with what is actually happening here.”

    Welder, Mr Ogbadu Usani, said, “I’ve been working in the section of the plant for over 12 years. A senior craftsman welder, I work under the boiler rehabilitation, I also work on the turbine when there is a problem, we work here round the clock to prevent this place from turning into scrap or collapsing, we rehabilitate the equipment, if there is leakage in the boiler section, water gushes out and when that happens, the pipe will be destroyed unless we weld it back, without maintenance, most of the machines here will be corroded.”

    Comrade Otori Salihu, in public relations said, “I have been with Ajaokuta for the past 30 years. Today Ajaokuta is incomplete, we have about 43 units and only three are yet to be completed which is the primary section. Government is the one that has no political will to complete Ajaokuta, for a facility that is remaining only 2% for it to be completed, is the government not supposed to just complete it then decide if it wants to privatise, and remember privatisation has failed in the steel sector.

  • ‘My role as Dan Amanar Dutse’

    ‘My role as Dan Amanar Dutse’

    An Abuja-based businessman and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Alhaji Nasiru Haladu Danu, was recently turbaned by the Emir of Dutse as Dan Amanar Dutse. He is in the oil and gas sector, construction and security business. He speaks to KAYODE ALFRED about the responsibilities of the title, among other issues.

    Dan Amanar Dutse

    May 4th and 5th were among the happiest days of my life. I feel whatever I’m doing attracted this honour. The Emir by giving me this title has bestowed on me a huge responsibility that requires me to do more. It’s a very happy moment for me. This title is a very sensitive one, because ‘Dan Amanar’ is a word that comes with a lot of trust and integrity. So whatever I was doing before that had to do with this area, I have to do more now.

    Being the Dan Amanar Dutse has to do with providing services to the community. I don’t see it as an opportunity for me to change my way of dressing or to adapt to a new lifestyle. It has more to do with continuity in hard work and giving back to the society.

    For me, the number of dignitaries, ordinary people and the entire community in particular is very important to me. People in the community came out to celebrate with us; it is something that will remain in my memory forever. I also think it’s all about relationship, it’s about unity in Nigeria and that’s why you saw someone like the Ooni of Ife who, as far as tradition is concerned, is the number one Yoruba on earth. When you see the Amaru of Kalabari, you see a powerful and very deep person. He’s one of the biggest rulers. Others like King Ere from Amassoma Kingdom and two major traditional rulers from Plateau State and many other ones from Igboland (Southeast).  Look at Bauchi State governor; he spent two nights with us. Governor of Plateau State, that Friday was his birthday, but he came all the way with his traditional rulers. Then the governor of Jigawa sacrificed three days to make sure everybody is accommodated and happy.

    The Emir of Dutse was so excited for the occasion; a week before the event, he personally made sure that the accommodation of all the traditional rulers and other guests was properly taken care of. Many in my committee of friends: the likes of Chairman Nasir, Ambassador Jiga, Emeka Nwachukwu, a lot of them, friends and family, who like the former first lady of Jigawa State, Hajiya Basira, were so committed to making sure everything worked. I can go on to name all of them: Former IG Abubakar, present IG and Commissioner of Police and so many others. What I’m saying is about friendship, it goes beyond the title. It is to show appreciation of who you are. It also shows that you have good relationship with people and in peace with them and to me it has to do with the unity of Nigeria first.

    The reason I extended this invitation to the West, East and different parts of the world is because it served as an opportunity for us to meet again as Nigerians to be happy and celebrate ourselves and Nigeria as a great nation. I also have to thank the President, Mohammad Buhari and his wife and many other Ministers, like Rotimi Amaechi, it’s just a symbol of pure friendship, I have nothing to give them.

    The Ooni of Ife is one of the greatest in this country, someone like Adebayo Shittu, Minister for Communications, these are fantastic human beings that we have long time relationship with and we maintained that relationship irrespective of their status and their busy schedule. They made their sacrifice to come over to celebrate this occasion with me. There are many I can’t mention, the thrust of what I’m saying is about the personality and friendship involved.

    I’m committed to the unity of Nigeria and that was why I invited everybody. I was so excited when I saw Ugo Osuofia who came all the way from Anambra State with the Masquerade which my people have never seen before in Jigawa and also top artistes from Jigawa who came to show love.

    Detribalised Nigerian 

    Believe me that does not come easily and it’s not by accident. I will give you a brief history of my family. We are typical Fulani folk from the old Kano now Jigawa State, Dutse Emirate Council. My community is just 15 minutes away from the capital.

    My father was a trader who first travelled to the south over 60 years ago. He was trading between Cameroon, Enugu, Port Harcourt and different parts of the world before finally settling down in Port Harcourt long before I was born. My elder brothers and sister and I were born there. During the course of my education I was moved to the North and after sometimes I returned to Port Harcourt.

    What I’m trying to say is that I was born in Port Harcourt and almost all of my friends are from the South and of course if you understand the system and know Nigeria, you will know that Nigeria is one united country, but with few individuals who don’t believe in unity.

    Growing up in Rivers State, my dad was one of the powerful community leaders, a politician and successful businessman. He contributed to the development of Rivers State and lived in peace with Rivers people.

    His close friends at that time were people like late Okilo, the first civilian governor of Rivers State. We were born there and raised there. Basically it’s all about relationships; I’m first a Nigerian before been a Northerner. What we the young people and elite in this country would do to help this country is to see how we can make more commitment to the unity of this country. We must learn how to love our country first, if we learn how to love our country first every other thing will be secondary.

    The development of Dutse 

    I don’t think I’m personally qualified to say I’ve contributed; I honestly doubt it. But I can tell you that we have committed leadership in Jigawa, a committed Governor who is ready to render his services to the people and is being careful with the tax payers’ money. We also have an Emir who is loved by his people and ready to protect his people.

    In state development, no one person can tell you that he developed the state, but then, it is an ongoing project. Even Dubai, already one of the best cities in the world, is still developing. Jigawa is about 20 years old; you can’t develop your community without peace and uniting citizens and it’s part of what we are doing. Our vision is to make a Yoruba man from Ondo State or from Lagos think of Jigawa State as his home town; to make an Ijaw or Ikwere feel at home in Jigawa. I think this will be part of my responsibility: to turn around Dutse to make sure we bring development and investment to Jigawa, Dutse Emirate in particular.

    A close-knit relationship with President Buhari

    There are so many things I love about President Muhammad Buhari. He is someone I’ve worked closely with from 2002 till date. Of course, he’s the president now and the relationship will not be the same; I may not get the same level of access I used to have with him because of the mantle of leadership that he holds in the country and we must all support him to continue to do the right thing he is doing for the country.

    President Buhari is one of the most humble and honest leaders in this country. One of the things I learnt from him is the love for my country. Whenever we sat he would talk about the history of the country and how to move Nigeria to the next level. You will never hear him talking about any other thing aside from his love for the country. He also hates corruption and injustice. I can tell you that he is someone whose modest lifestyle has little to do with money as money has never been problem for him him. He does not lust after money the way all these looters do, even when he was the Minister for Petroleum. Look at his house in Daura, even the orientation he gives his family, you will know that this is a genuine leader who is not materialistic, but eager to serve his people. He is a wonderful man. Even though I am a businessman, he is my mentor and my hero.

    The President’s absence

    The issue here is about leadership as you said. It’s a government structure that is why when you look at the ticket, it didn’t say Buhari alone, it said Buhari and Osinbajo. We both know that Osinbajo has been doing a wonderful job. He is very qualified and capable to handle the job. The last time Buhari was abroad for medication, Osinbajo did well, even the President commended him when he got back and he’s going to do the same thing. Don’t forget they also communicate. But when Osinbajo mentioned that he [Buhari] treats him like his son, people began playing politics. To me it’s like that of our tradition: regardless of the fact that he’s the Vice President, he still upholds him as a father figure. However, I see nothing wrong in what he said, if that kind of relationship is in existence then he should know that the relationship will not affect his constitutional duties. We all know who Osinbajo is: he is a law professor, a gentle man to the core. There’s no difference whether the President is around or not. He is a man of integrity. He [Buhari] told us that he’s going through some medical treatment, we were all there to receive him and he also informed that within a short period he has to go back for checkup which is normal.

    President Buhari has travelled to almost all the states by road; he is physically fit and ready to make sacrifices for his country. Even after we lost the election in 2002, President Buhari would leave either Daura or Kaduna and come to Abuja to attend to court cases. When you put that number of days together, you will realize that he has gone to court for over 50 months. He is a real democrat, a man who believes in due process. He never one day try to mobilize people to protest, but today all that is history. He is the president and is trying to give us the best of democracy.

  • SON: Consider safety before buying products

    The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has advised the public to always consider safety when buying any product.

    The Director General of SON, Mr. Osita Anthony Aboloma said this at a three-day workshop for engineers and scientists on Non-Destructive Testing.

    Represented by Mr. William Okpeh of the Nigerian Institute of Metrology, the SON boss urged the participants to make the most of the training in ensuring reliability with integrity not thrown out to the dustbin in manufacturing, fabrication and service inspection for products as much as control for manufacturing processes, lower production cost and maintenance of uniformity in quality levels is ensured.

    The lead resource person Prof. Terfa Gundu of the Mechanical Engineering Dept of University of Agriculture, Makurdi, stressed that the importance of Non Destructive Testing cannot be wished away as the training would help participants to have an overview of the concept of Non –Destructive testing, the nature of defect and flaws in materials and products and the importance and application of Non Destructive Testing.

    The development, he said will impact the society positively on safety, efficiency and the economy.

    Earlier, the Managing Director of SKB consult, Mr. Olusegun Onidare, reiterated that SKB consults, evolved the training program to equip SON staff for proficient perfomance in Non Destructive Testing methods, to get Nigeria as a people, out of the woods of a never- do-well state as far as safety and economic efficiency for Nigeria remains sacrosanct.

  • Bloodbath averted in Kaduna

    Bloodbath averted in Kaduna

    After a Gwari man was killed in a Kaduna suburb, it took the state government, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), and other stakeholders to prevent what would have been a bloody revenge, ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE reports

    The man’s corpse, later identified to be that of a Gwari, was found on a Sunday in a suburb of Kaduna metropolis. On the morning of the following day, two rival gangs had mobilised and were spoiling for war. They started hurling dangerous objects at each other, and at passerby. In a city used to violence, motorists could smell trouble and wisely made some safe detours.

    The state government also suspected that things could go terribly wrong if it did nothing. That was why it sent a high-powered delegation to liaise with the leaderships of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), security agencies, and traditional rulers of Kabala West and Ungwan Muazu communities where the groups were already sizing each other up.

    Some said the dead man was a rogue, others that he was an innocent victim of thugs at a football viewing centre.

    The development caused tension around the city. Many drivers had to divert to other routes from Nnamdi Azikiwe bypass, on the western side of the city.

    But for the prompt intervention of the state government, Kaduna city would have been thrown into a dangerous religious crisis. The news that went round on that fateful Monday morning was that Muslims and Christians had started fighting.

    The Nation gathered that Gwari kinsmen of the dead man stormed Kabala West on Monday morning to retaliate his killing.

    Meanwhile, the state government swiftly sent a high-powered delegation to mediate between the communities. The delegation was led by Acting Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim Sani, the Special Adviser on Internal Security and Special Assistant Media and Publicity Samuel Aruwan.

    It was gathered that the delegation met with the leaderships of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), youth leaders, security agencies and traditional rulers of the two communities.

    At the end of the meeting, the two sides unanimously agreed that all those responsible for the unrest should be fished out and brought to justice. The delegation also commended all residents of the communities that collaborated with security agencies in containing the unrest that could have degenerated beyond the two communities.

    The meeting resolved that all communities will be proactive in reporting any suspicious movements or activities to security agencies, and that it is illegal to resort to self-help or any act that amounts to taking the law into one’s hands.

    When our correspondent visited the area, days after the incident, policemen and security patrol vehicles were stationed there.

    Some of the residents gave different accounts of the event that led to the uproar. While one eyewitness said the deceased was attacked by some young men at the Naija Bet viewing centre in the area where he went to watch the premier league match between Arsenal FC and Man United around 5:30pm, another said the slain man escorted his girlfriend home and was attacked outside her house in the area.

    An eyewitness, Gambo Lawal who claimed to be at the football viewing centre when the incident occurred said, “The deceased came out of the centre holding two big phones when four young boys started harassing him. They collected one of his phones and continued harassing him. They later pinned him to the wall and collected his other handset. One of the boys pulled out a knife and the deceased picked up a stick. They stabbed him severally before they left the viewing centre with his two phones.”

    Another resident of the area, simply identified as Maman Abdul, said, “I learnt that some boys from Samarun Kataf who are resident in Kabala West had a fight over a girl. After the fight, a dead body of one of the boys was found in the Christian graveyard and they accused the Hausa people of perpetrating the act.

    “We saw two dead bodies being taken away and I learnt that one of them was a Hausa water vendor, I don’t know who the other person was because when the incident was taking place, everybody closed their shops and ran for safety.

    “It is unfortunate that people are linking the fracas to religion, but I want to tell you that it has nothing to do with religion at all. We are however happy that security people intervened immediately and the situation is returning to normalcy as I speak to you”.

    Security agencies have arrested 18 persons suspected to have been involved in the unrest that followed the lynching in Kabala West and Ungwan Muazu.

    A statement from the state government said that security agencies arrested the hoodlums around the two communities following reports of threats to law and order.

    Spokesperson to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Samuel Aruwan while confirming the arrests of the suspects, said they will be charged to court as soon as the investigations are concluded.

    Aruwan dismissed stories making the rounds on social media that the crisis has escalated to other parts of Kaduna town leading to the killing of a few persons and others injured and warned those peddling false stories to desist.

  • FCTA opens up to persons with disability

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA) is working to introduce regulations that would ensure that every public building plan provide for people with disability before their approval.

    FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello made this disclosure when he received a delegation from the Kpakpando Foundation that paid him a courtesy visit in his office at Garki 1 District Abuja.

    The Minister revealed that the FCT Administration also intends to seek ways to amend existing building structures to make them navigable by the physically challenged and other vulnerable citizens, pointing out that a modification of the building housing the Minister’s office was carried out last year to provide for a ramp and conference room on the ground floor for meetings with the persons with disability.

    Bello also revealed that plans are ongoing to create informal markets in the Federal Capital city where persons with disability, less privileged people and other interested residents could own stalls, while expressing his determination to provide economic opportunities for the vulnerable members of the FCT society.

    He said, “I can easily identify with the plight of the physically challenged, having had a sister that was afflicted with polio and am conversant with their difficulties.

    “As Nigerians, we feel very proud that your foundation has been recognised and invited the FCTA to be part of the celebration of the United Nations 10th Anniversary on Persons with Disability and we appreciate your agreeing to take somebody from among our physically challenged brothers and sisters here; I assure you that the person’s trip will be funded by the FCT Administration.”

    Earlier in his address, the Chairman of Kpakpando Foundation, Senator Osita Izunaso, said that the leadership of the foundation was in the FCTA to explore areas of collaboration towards the establishment of a database for persons with disability in the Federal Capital Territory, as well as ensure that all public buildings provide access for the physically challenged.

    The APC chieftain disclosed that part of their plan is also to partner with the Administration in the area of setting up schools for persons with disability in the Federal Capital Territory.

    He said: “We are here today to also inform you that we want to establish a very strong presence in the Federal Capital Territory and we have also been invited by the United Nations to attend the 10th year United Nations Convention on Persons with disability holding in June.

    In his presentation at the occasion, a visually impaired member of the entourage, Mr. Danjuma Attah, who became blind at the age of 13, commended the FCT Minister for his concern for the vulnerable, disclosing how the Minister changed his fortunes by signing his license as a tour operator for the Umrah and Hajj, at the time he (the Minister) served as the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

    Mr. Attah sought for the support of the FCT Administration through the provision of a plot of land for the construction of a special centre for the blind. The centre, Mr. Attah revealed, would be equipped with fitness and medical facilities suitable for the blind and the visually impaired.