The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • ‘We’ve renovated 120 health centres this year’

    ‘We’ve renovated 120 health centres this year’

    Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso in this interview with KOLADE ADEYEMI, evaluates the state’s health sector under the administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. Excerpts:

    How has the health sector fared under Governor Abdullahi Ganduje?

    Let us look at the provision of infrastructure, equipment, facilities, furniture and other important structures in the health. We can also talk about the provision of adequate human resources for health-care delivery programs like drugs and other consumables. Generally, the efforts that the government is making in healthcare services delivery have recorded a huge success.

    On infrastructure, I will want to start with the project that was undertaken in Danbatta. The General Hospital was totally renovated and upgraded. This is a project in collaboration with MDGs which His Excellency commissioned in August last year. The hospital is now wearing a new look; when you go there, you will think that it is an entirely new facility.

    Also, the two mega-hospital projects that were inherited from the administration of the former governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau: The Dental Hospital in Zoo Road and the Giginyu Specialist Hospital have been completed with state-of-the-art facilities.

    On assuming office, Governor Ganduje directed the contractors that were handling the projects to go back to site and complete these important projects. As I speak to you now, even the installations like furniture and equipment have started. These two projects will go a long way in providing healthcare services to the teeming population of the state.

    There are other facilities that have been renovated and upgraded; the maternal and childcare facility in Sabon Gari, along Middle Road, is a small healthcare centre because we observed that there are so many women in that area. The government then found it necessary to upgrade the facility. It was previously a primary healthcare centre which had just about three offices, but now, it has been upgraded to a maternal and healthcare centre to provide excellent healthcare delivery in the area.

    It is the only facility that is serving the entire local government with some neighbouring local governments and border states like Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto. Accidents do occur along these highways and when they occur, victims are always stranded. So, with the upgrading of this facility, as a cottage hospital, it can now cater for such emergency cases. Apart from that, we also have another hospital, Yadakunya Leprosy Hospital, which is the only skin hospital. The hospital has been existing for more than 30 years. So,  the state government has also commenced a comprehensive upgrade of the facility. Also, the hospital at Makoda, the primary health centre is now being upgraded to a cottage hospital. We have such facility too at Filin Muchi in Gwale Local Government.

    This year, we have renovated 96 healthcare centres, excluding the ones I earlier mentioned. This is in collaboration with MSCH2. Most of them have been completed and we will soon start commissioning them. In summary, we have been able to upgrade and renovate over 120 of such health facilities across the state within these nine months, including primary and secondary healthcare centres.

    On Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, it’s a premier hospital for us in Kano. We have done a lot of interventions in this hospital, particularly, in the Accident Ward and the Maternity ward.

    We have embarked on more than 10 projects. There are some collaborative projects we have done along with some partners, for example, the Baby Care Unit has been renovated, and we have also established the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit. These were not available before. This unit is established to cater for neo-natal patients with special attention. Alhaji Aliko Dangote Foundation has carried out some renovations and upgrading by expanding the blood bank consisting of six wards, two antenatal wards, laboratory, isolation ward and other facilities at the cost of N200 million, while also the maternity and diagnostic center, which construction is ongoing will gulp N7 Billion.

    The health sector is one of the few sectors in Kano State that has not placed embargo on the employment of health workers in the provision of health services in the state. Also, in the provision of furniture within nine months, from May 29 to date, Kano State government has spent about N4 Billion for the supply of equipment and furniture, like the provision of special equipments valued at over N400 million. Some specialist hospitals such as CT Scanning Machines, Anaesthetic Machines and other vital hospital equipments. No government since the creation of Kano state 50 years ago, has ever bought such sophisticated scanning machines.

    The government has procured two of such scanning machines. One has already been installed at Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital which would be commissioned very soon, while the other one in being installed at Giginyu Specialist Hospital and is near completion.

    On malnutrition

    The Kano state government has been making efforts so that they get interventions that are meant to address malnutrition.

    The health sector has a lot of collaborations to other sectors like education, agriculture, water resources. So, these are sectors that impact directly or indirectly to the health of the people, that is why Kano state government wants to boost agriculture to make sure that there is availability of foods that will improve the health of the people and the society. This will also help to reduce the burden of prevalent malnutrition especially among the children.

    On maternal mortality

    Pregnant women are provided with free services till the time of their final delivery. For instance, when pregnant women are to undergo operation, in some areas, they are charged between N200,000 to N250,000, Kano State government provides such services free of charge.

    One of the major causes of maternal mortality is delay in reaching the health facility centres. So in order to avert such delay in transporting them even though 88 of such tricycles were procured and with this intervention was equally collaborated by the Clinton Foundation. Additionally, we observed that most of our pregnant women, especially in the rural communities like to patronise our local TBS. We felt that we need to sanitise what these local TBS are doing. So, Kano State government selected 1936 TBS and trained them. They were trained to be able to identify danger signs of pregnancy, so that as soon as they see the signs, they will now immediately refer them to the health facilities for delivery.

  • A security tweak

    The security of one of the most secured arena in Nigeria, the Presidential Villa was further stepped up last week.

    Gaining entrance to the seat of power is no longer business as usual under the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    New security gadgets, Sagem MorphoAccess security gateways which electronically screen staff and visitors, became operational last week Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The machine’s rapidity and networking capabilities have been deployed to address security applications from one-door control to protection of buildings, vast infrastructures and government agencies across the globe.

    Many seats of governments across the globe have similar gadgets in place to keep away unauthorized and unwanted visitors.

    The gadget, which controls opening and closing of glass auto-gateways and steel doors, are placed at various locations in the Villa.

    The projects, which started under former President Goodluck Jonathan and stayed too long on the drawing board, have finally seen the light of day.

    The doors now only open to authorized staff and visitors who want to gain access to the President’s and Vice President’s offices’ wings and other key offices and facilities in the State House.

    The global identification system has fingerprint access control, time and attendance terminal.

    The glass gateway is expected to open only when a duly authorized staff’s finger print is scanned and identified by the machine. The gateway will not open if the machine could not identify the person’s biometrics in its database.

    The system, which has been installed with accurate fingerprint sensor, is expected to be very fast and hitch-free.

    It is expected to be as fast as between 0.7 and 0.9 seconds in the identification mode, carrying out detection, coding and matching at the same time.

    When a duly accredited staff places his or her finger on the fingerprint panel, the machine’s monitor instantly displays ‘Remove finger analyzing…’, it then shows ‘Welcome’ and the ‘staff’s name’ followed by ‘Identified’ before the glass gateway is momentarily flung open for the staff to pass through.

    When the index finger is not properly placed on the panel, the monitor displays ‘Move up’ asking the staff to properly place the finger.

    With its multifactor authentication capacity, it can also encode badges and identity tags apart from capturing fingerprints.

    This means that beside the fingerprints scanning, access can also be granted by simply swiping an authorized staff’s identity tag closed to the machine.

    The new system have opsonic sensor installed that detects false fingerprints and immediately bar unauthorized staff or visitors from gaining access to the Villa.

    With the capacity to have up to 50,000 users, at any given time, its integration into existing systems is supposed to be easy with in-built Power-Over-Ethernet (POE) and optional wireless LAN communication.

    As the machines are already installed at the pilot gate and many points before the President’s and Vice President’s office doors, a new order is certainly settling in at the seat of power.

    While the machines will now carry out independent and proper screening of staff and visitors to the Villa, the security personnel on duty may now have less to do by just concentrating more on monitoring usage of the machines by staff and visitors.

    The security personnel are expected to act appropriately whenever any unauthorised person tries to beat the system.

    Apart from identifying anyone carrying a fake identity card, the machines will also restrict movement of some staff not authorized to go beyond a certain point.

    Movements of visitors without proper clearance from the authority will also be checked.

    There is however a way out for security personnel on duty to allow visitors with proper authorization to have access whenever the machine fails to grant such persons access.

    The security personnel at the point of entry can also press a button for the glass gateway to open for state governors and high profile visitors that don’t normally get visitor’s tag at the pilot gate.

    But the machine is going to pose a new challenge to governors’ aides that normally accompany their bosses inside the Villa without visitors’ tags.

    Not only unauthorized persons are expected to face challenges in gaining entrance to the Villa, the first week of the machines’ operation also posed some challenges to some authorised staff and visitors.

    Unlike before, the staffs sort of experience some delays before gaining entrance, as the doors only swing open when the person has been screened and cleared by information already stored in the database.

    Cabinet members and high profile visitors are not exempted in the new order.

    One of the first cabinet members who went through the new system was the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, and the Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah.

    They experienced slight delays with the machines last week Monday morning when going to the Vice President’s office for the Economic Management Team meeting.

    Excited with the new system, Adeosun asked one of the security personnel on duty, “How are we going to get the card?

    The security personnel told her to see the Chief of Staff.

    The machine, the following day, also continued to screen staff and visitors unhindered.

    They were however put to maximum use on Wednesday as almost all the Ministers and other cabinet members turned up for the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Buhari.

    While staff and authorised visitors will soon get used to the new order, the full operation of the machines are clear message to those who have no business with the seat of power and unwanted guests to stay away.

  • ‘Katsina once missed opportunity for rapid progress’

    In a rare moment of reflection, Katsina State Governor Bello Masari shares his vision for the state’s growth, ruing opportunities the state once lost, writes OUR REPORTER

    There were moments when Kastina State governor, Rt. Hon Bello Masari spoke like a father to the members of his cabinet. In such moments, he spoke softly, pausing with a sigh, the airs of office stripped off. Masari merely spoke, shared his vision and poured his heart out.

    Such a moment came when he shared his administration’s vision with the people of the state and members of the press at the Kastina State Media Summit. It was meant to be an occasion to showcase the achievements of the state government, but governor Masari turned it into an avenue for sober reflection and a door to glimpse into the future.

    “There was an opportunity, it was never used,” he began. A pin-drop silence enveloped the room, one could see the pain written on the edges of the governor’s face as he tried to master his emotion. “There was an opportunity to restore education; it was never used, it all amounted to leadership and how you are able to use it,” he said.

    Governor Masari is not a stranger to politics in the state. He had been a civil servant and politician rising to become the Speaker of the state House of Assembly. But in 2015, he was elected governor on the platform of the All Progressive Congress, (APC). That was when the burden of the state’s underdevelopment confronted him. It was a burden he said he had tried to unravel in the last two years of his administration.

    The statistics of the educationally developed states in Nigeria does not favour Kastina State; in recent times, the state has constantly hovered close to the bottom three positions. This was a great source of sadness to the governor and his cabinet, but it was also an opportunity for change.

    Kastina has not always been in this sorry pass; its history was tied to education and the people pride themselves on their Islamic education system. Also, three generations of Nigerian leaders of northern extraction schooled in such high profile school like Kastina College and Government College.

    But Masari is not dwelling on current failures, for him turning the education fortunes of the state around would require a continuous massive investment that may not yield fruit in 20 years.  In this manner, 20 percent of the state’s budget has been going to education in the last two years, but the governor said the ability of Kastina students to compete with other states is priority.

    “Please understand with us when our intervention in education involves 20 percent of our budget,” Masari said in a tone which conveyed so much emotion. But Masari was not done; his vision is that students from Kastina will be able to compete with other states in the next five years.

    Masari: “Unfortunately now, Kastina was among the bottom three most backward state in education in this country, this is how far we have descended, to us it is a challenge, it is a failure of leadership, over a long period, we were speaking and nobody was taking notice, maybe in our lifetime or those behind us they will see the gap, definitely there will be a gap.

    “That is why we have chosen education; we agreed that we will devote 20 per cent of our budget to education that is why education has been taking the lion share since we came in 2015. We know investment in education is what you see the result in 20-30 years by that time, most of us here would be gone, but at least we will prepare the next generation for the competitive world of tomorrow.”

    The Commissioner for Education, Professor Halimatu Sa’adiya Idris reeled out the investment in education in the state. Two new secondary schools have been built while 27 secondary schools were being reconstructed and upgraded. These investments did not come cheap; they amounted to N2, 801,712,313.68

    Boarding schools are also close to Governor Masari’s vision of establishing additional five boarding schools including Government Girls Junior Secondary Schools in Shema, Rimaye, Barkiya and increasing the feeding per student from N80 to N100 per meal. The government also paid the examination fees of students in 2015 amounting to N998, 857,000 and in 2016 N607, 558,600.

    There is also the issue of girl-child education which the state government has pursued aggressively with the disbursement of girls scholarship to 7981 Primary one girls at N20, 000 per girl-child and the School Improvement Grand (SIG) to 510 primary schools at N250, 000 for Primary school and N150, 000 for Pre-primary schools.

    A classic example of this was seen at the Government Girls Science Secondary School in Ajiwa which currently has 1,800 students. The Principal Hajia Jajara Abdulkadir was ecstatic as she showed stakeholders around the changes that has taken place.

    “There used to be about 120 students in each class before the intervention, but now there are only 45 students, in the dormitory, we used to have  200 girls but now only 70 students. The state has renovated many of the buildings and new ones are being constructed. We have a new dormitory, new classrooms, new kitchen and if you go into the classes, you will see the girls are very happy in their clean and spacious environment,” she said.

    Not a few people in Kastina are aware that Governor Masari spent his younger years in the Kastina State Water Board rising to the position of Assistant General Manager when he retired in 1992.  He was there during the productive and formative years of the water works and retired when it was at its peak.

    When he returned as governor in 2015, the water situation was at the worst state ever with all the water treatment plants operating below 50 percent capacity and water supply in the urban towns less than 10 percent of the required average of 120 litres per capita per day. Most of the water supply schemes were unserviceable and less than 20 percent of the 41 semi-urban waster schemes in the state operational.

    “Masari would have none of it,” says commissioner for Water resources, Hon. Salisu Dandume, being the governor’s area of core competence, he immediately declared a “Marshal Plan,” in the water sector. The plan involves projects under the Urban Water Supply; Semi Urban Water supply; Hydrological services department, Rural Water Supply and collaborations with international organisations.

    The governor rehabilitated the Daura Water Scheme with the sum of N34million which was completed in November 2015 and has since supplied the town with at least 2,500,000 million litres daily. Malumfashi which has been in comatose for seven years is revived at the cost of N141million and is now operational, a contract for the total rehabilitation of Ajiwa Treatment Plant and Dam was awarded at the cost of N1.9billion to increase the production capacity to 50,000m3 per day.

    In the Rural Water Scheme, about 64 solar borehole water supply schemes were rehabilitated and over 102 hand-pumps repaired and new ones constructed. The revolution in the water sector is a great source of reflection for Masari.

    Masari said he has spent over N5billion on the water works since 2015 and in the 2017 budget, N14 billion has been allocated making it the second largest allocation in the budget.

    Dr Kabir Mustapha, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health  stood at the entrance of the General Hospital Kastina and smiled. In the last few months, what used to be a sore has taken on new infrastructures and equipment.

    “ The work in this hospital is in three phases, we are converting all the theatres into twin theaters, machines lime the MRI, CT scan are being provided and 620 medical personnel have been employed in the state,” he said.

    The Commissioner for Health, Mariatu Bala Usman expatiated further that four General Hospitals in Kastina, Daura, Funtua and Kankia  are undergoing refurbishment while about N900 million was expended in 2016.

    “Generally, the motive for the renovation is address the wear and tear of the facilities while the upgrading is mainly to enable the deployment of modern equipment for treatment  and diagnosis and also provide adequate security,” Usman said.

    Usman said about N700million has been released for the purchase of modern equipment for the hospitals, already Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computer Tomographic Scanning Machine (CT-SCAN) have been installed at the General Amadi Rimi specialist hospital.

  • Kebbi rice mill to create 3,500 jobs

    The newly-built WACOT Rice Mill in Argungu, Kebbi State will create 3,500 jobs and produce 120,000 metric tonnes of top-quality rice annually, it has been said. The rice mill is part of WACOT’s expansion plan, which targets an increase in its rice milling capacity to produce 500,000 metric tonnes in the next few years.

    These facts were revealed by Mr Rahul Savara, Group Managing Director of the TGI Group, the parent company of WACOT Rice, during the pre-commissioning visit to the plant by the state governor Abubakar Bagudu, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

    The rice processing plant is the first rice mill to be conceptualised, executed and to be commissioned during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Work started on the mill in February 2016 and is scheduled to be commissioned in April 2017.

    WACOT, one of the largest agribusiness operations in Nigeria, supports Nigeria’s objective of food self-sufficiency with significant investments in seed multiplication, out-grower farming, food processing and distribution. In his remarks, Mr Savara said, “Total investments in the WACOT Rice Mill exceed N10billion, covering the entire rice value chain from seed multiplication and improving farming practices, to processing, branding and distribution of the rice”.

    Mr. Savara also informed his august visitors that the WACOT mill is the first rice plant in Nigeria with the capacity to generate generate 1 MW of electricity from rice husk.

    WACOT’s CEO Ujwalkanta Senapati said the firm “views farmers as partners with whom we work hand-in-hand to improve agricultural production in the state.

    Governor Bagudu  said the state is endowed with vast arable land suitable for rice, wheat, maize, sorghum and groundnut production.

    Chief Ogbeh said Federal Government will continue to encourage and support organisations such as WACOT, in its efforts to enhance and stabilise food production in the country.

    CBN Governor Emefiele said the mill will save the country substantial amount of foreign exchange that would have gone into rice importation.

  • In Maiduguri, a Kanuri cap for Tinubu

    In Maiduguri, a Kanuri cap for Tinubu

    He was in Borno State to inaugurate projects but Asiwaju Bola Tinubu ended up with a Kanuri cap on his head and a doctors’ quarters named after him. It was a mark of the warm reception he received, TUNDE RAHMAN reports 

    He moved with the agility of a 40-year-old. He was strong and sprightly. For over six hours he was moving from one point to another, from one Borno remote village to another, inaugurating project after project. The strength and agility he demonstrated surprised not a few. At some point, some people began to stay back in the vehicles to watch proceedings. But not Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He kept on surging forward. He did not betray any tiredness; he was his usual self, strong and sprightly. He would alight from the car swiftly, head for the next port of call, deliver his speech brilliantly and inaugurate the project with admiration. The former Lagos State governor was in Borno State from Monday, March 6 to Tuesday, March 7 to inaugurate some of the projects embarked upon by Governor Kashim Shettima.

    In Borno, he received a hero’s welcome. From Maiduguri International Airport to the venue of each of the numerous projects inaugurated on the occasion and to Borno State Government House where he was accommodated during the two-day visit, the reception accorded him and his entourage was warm and massive.

    It must be pointed out that the visit had been planned for a long time and was arranged primarily for the All Progressives Congress National Leader to inaugurate the projects executed by Governor Shettima, and nothing more. Tinubu is not the only one lined up to inaugurate Shettima’s projects. But he was the one who set the project inauguration ball rolling for Governor Shettima, and admiringly so. Other personalities are also in line to inaugurate projects at a later date.

     

    Maiduguri Airport…

    the red carpet

     

    Tinubu and his entourage arrived at the airport in Maiduguri around 11 am that fateful Monday. On the entourage were APC Interim Chairman and former Osun State governor, Chief Bisi Akande; Political Leader and former Presidential Liaison Officer, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, the Muttawali Borno; Senator Gbenga Obadara from Ogun State and a few of Tinubu’s aides including this writer.

    They arrived into the waiting hands of Governor Shettima, his cabinet members and security men. There were entertainers in place. A red carpet was laid for him from the tarmac to the vehicle waiting to convey him. The governor more or less shut down the entire state machinery for the APC leader. Everybody that is important in the state government was at the airport. The issue was not who was there, it was who was n’t and missed the epoch-making ceremony. Many say that kind of reception is uncommon in the history of the state.

     

    Projects, projects & more projects 

     

    Airport reception and introduction ceremonies over, the work, which brought the august visitors to the state, began in earnest.  The train moved from the airport directly to the first port of call: the Benisheik General Hospital, some 25 kilometres away. The hospital was inaugurated amid celebration. Destroyed by Boko Haram insurgency, it was rebuilt by Governor Shettima to provide healthcare to the people and help in elongating their lives. A total of 432 resettlement houses for victims of Boko Haram insurgency, 26 luxury apartments for medical doctors and 13 schools, general hospitals and primary healthcare centres were inaugurated by Tinubu. Most of the projects are in five villages of Ngamdu, Benisheikh, Mainta Kururi, Tassukawu, Mainok and Auno located in Kaga and Konduga Local Government areas of the state. In these villages, you find the schools, general hospitals and health centres completely ruined by Boko Haram now rebuilt by the governor.

    The classrooms were well equipped. There was a special emphasis on the girl-child education. Residential houses were built for teachers. There is also arrangement for school-feeding in place in the state. Some of the projects also centre on agriculture-projects like 10ha drip irrigation scheme, fish ponds, etc.

     

    From Benisheikh to Jimitilo

     

    From Benisheikh, Tinubu and his entourage proceeded to Jimitilo Town to officially declare open the Jajal Primary School. From Jimitilo, the team moved to Auto for the inauguration of Trampolin Fish Ponds, Auno 10ha Drip Irrigation Scheme, Auto Clinic and Housing Estate. From there, all roads led to Jakana Town where Jakana 10ha Drip irrigation Scheme and Jakana Primary School were formally opened.

    The team eventually returned to the Government House around 6 pm on that first day to freshen up for the dinner organised for Tinubu and his entourage. The dinner was laced with cultural displays by various groups including the Yoruba group with dancers and drummers, who the Master of Ceremonies said had lived in Maiduguri for over 30 years. “They were not brought from Lagos or any of the Yoruba states. They have lived with us for more than 30 years. They are Kanuri-Yoruba,” he said to a wild applause.

     

    ‘Shettima confronting extant challenge boldly’

     

    It was at the dinner that Tinubu gave one of his best speeches in recent times. Speaking extempore, he said: “It is a great honour for me to be here. I’m completely overwhelmed by the reception given me and my entourage. I was invited to inaugurate projects by a governor committed to his people. Governor Shettima is somebody I have so much respect for.

    “When I told a friend I was coming to Borno State, he asked if that was not where Boko Haram still engaged in occasional attacks. I said I would honour the invitation. I said Governor Shettima is a highly committed and courageous leader who is making changes in spite of the challenge.

    “He is confronting the new challenge boldly, the challenge of some shadowy and amorphous young people being used as pawns by a defeated Boko Haram engaging in end games.

    “Yes, there still a challenge but Governor Shettima has refused to be cowed. Governor Shettima’s story is not written yet. His leadership story is just unfolding for the world to see. What happened here would have weighed some others down. It would have discouraged some others.”

    To Governor Shettima, he said, “But you are not discouraged. You are determined. You are rebuilding the infrastructure that had been brought to ruins by Boko Haram, which is even more difficult. You are giving your people a new lease of life. I salute your courage.”

    Those gathered at the dinner held inside an expansive hall within the Government House applauded the APC leader at every turn. The audience included members of the State Executive Council, who had earlier taken turns to give Asiwaju and his team further briefing on their projects, members of Borno Elders Council, traditional rulers and party leaders.

    Tinubu continued: ”The projects I inaugurated are people-centred projects. For instance, the hospital I opened at Benisheik would help in providing good health and in elongating the lives of the people. I always hold the view that the provision of health services to the people is one of the rights of the people. Governor Shettima, you have reinforced that belief by what you have done.

    “I thank you for inviting me to come here. Thank you for the honour and hospitality you have given me and our team. Thank you for the good leadership you are demonstrating here. Thank you.”

     

    Extraordinary humility

     

    But it was Shettima’s profound speech, which set the tone for that speech by the APC Leader. The governor, who spoke first, began by paying tribute to Tinubu for his humility, noting that the attitude of his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, reveals the man in him. This is how he put it: ”There is an African saying (I think from Ethiopia) that often times, the true nature of a very powerful man, is easily seen from the character of his favourite wife. I recall that on Wednesday, 25th of November, 2015, about 10 Governors, mostly of the APC attended the funeral of Mama H.I.D Awolowo in Ikene, and after that funeral we all drove to Lagos in a bus straight to the residence of our National Leader, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Ikoyi. We actually went to see him off since he was inside the bus with us to the funeral.

    “I noticed that as soon as our bus reached the house, Distinguished Senator Oluremi Tinubu started rushing; in fact she was practically running to enter the house. She was completely acting in a true fashion of an African Woman. I kept wondering why she was in such a rush. As the wife of our National Leader, I was expecting the usual slow and proud walk of wives of powerful men. She had every reason to show pride after all, her husband is our leader and most of us, the Governors were all holding back ourselves in submission to the aura of Asiwaju.

    “To the shock of all of us, by the time we entered the residence of Asiwaju, his wife had moved straight into the kitchen in the midst of cooks, and you could see how free and friendly she was with the cooks. She began to bring food to our table by herself and some of us were not comfortable but she insisted. To our greater shock, she insisted on dishing out the food to each of us and members of our delegation. She served not less than 30 persons and also picked dishes herself to convey food to some of our aides seated outside. I must confess that my experience that very day was my closest contact with extraordinary humility in a wife of a very powerful man”.

     

    Rescue from Alhaji Allah

     

    Shettima also spoke about why the state decided to honour Tinubu not only by inviting him to come and inaugurate projects but also by naming the doctors’ apartments after him. He said it was to appreciate him for rescuing the APC in Borno ahead of the 2015 elections from the grip of one man he called ‘Alhaji Allah’. He said as governor, he succeeded in taking control of the Borno APC in 2015 largely because Tinubu refused to support the game plan of the ‘wealthy tyrant’.

    He said: “For us in Borno State APC, I must confess, that we owe our political freedom and independence to not only our firmness but importantly, to the wisdom and sincerity of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Someone has asked me yesterday and sought to know our reason not for inviting Tinubu for commissioning of projects but for naming a project after him in Borno State. I replied the person in five words by saying, it’s our show of gratitude.

    “Naturally, the person asked me, gratitude in what sense. I explained that after the APC was created in the build-up to the 2015 elections, we firmly resisted serious attempts by someone who wanted to completely hijack the entire party machinery with total disregard for our existence. But despite our resistance, that person would probably have had some oxygen if he had secured the support of Asiwaju. From day one, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was opposed to political tyranny in Borno State and was in support of our political freedom and democratic liberty”.

    Early on Tuesday, Tinubu proceeded to inaugurate the doctors’ apartments, named after him. It was again amid celebration. The quarters contain 26 apartments, in five sets of three-storey buildings. Speaking at the event, the APC leader thanked Governor Shettima for remembering the doctors. He said providing a good accommodation for the doctors was an encouragement for provision of quality healthcare services. He also said the gesture of naming the apartments after him would remain etched in his memory.

    Before leaving the Government House, Asiwaju Tinubu removed his traditional trademark Yoruba cap for the Kanuri cap gifted him by Governor Shettima. It was the first time many would see him don a cap different from his popular cap. It was in honour of the governor. After the opening of the doctors’ quarters, the delegation headed for the airport for departure formalities. Governor Shettima and his cabinet members were again complete at the airport to bid Asiwaju farewell.

     

    Situation in Maiduguri

     

    Now, how was Maiduguri generally, you may ask? It seemed generally calm. There are people on the streets. You would also glimpse security men including civilian members of the Joint Task Force at every turn. But the people still live in awe of Boko Haram suicide bombers. There are reports of suicide attacks in parts of the state and Maiduguri does not seem completely immune from the attack. Boko Haram is still engaged in desperate antics. Governor Shettima knows this so well. In his speech, he pleaded with Asiwaju and the authorities in Abuja to complete the job. Boko Haram should not be allowed to rear its ugly heads again, he said. The dreaded sect should be wrestled to the ground completely and exorcised.

  • Sanitising the civil service

    It is no longer news that federal civil servants are largey seen in many quarters as a set of rotten and corrupt  people. They are believed to be the brain behind, and facilitators of, most corrupt practices carried out by politicians in the country over the years. More than 70 per cent of the landed property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for instance, are believed to be owned by the civil servants.

    Several moves in the past to sanitise the sector were not very successful as they were resisted underground. While the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has gone a long way to putting things in order in the system, many believe that there is more that can be done to make the Federal Civil Service a better place, towards effectively performing its statutory role.

    To this end, the Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita has unveiled four cardinal objectives launched by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    In a lecture titled “The Role of Civil Service in a Change Environment: The Change is now!” she said: “The country, due to a variety of factors, especially since the coming on board of the new government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has entered a new era. It is an era where much of the old ways of serving the Nigerian state and its citizens is undergoing a major review. Flowing from this, much of the structures and values of our national institutions are experiencing internally organized or externally directed reforms.

    “The challenge of socioeconomic and infrastructural development in Nigeria has become a matter that requires fresh ideas to tackle. Thus, the drive for the diversification of the economy has assumed a new urgency and the reality of the current situation is such that a renewed drive for enhanced revenue generation will greatly contribute to bridging the resource deficits for the finance of the national budget.

    “Due to an increasingly connected society, urbanization and sophistication of citizens leveraged by the new and fast-evolving ICTs and social media, public expectations of government has reached an all-time high.

    “The Federal Public Service needs to change its narrative when interacting with Nigerians who are demanding more accountability at all levels of government especially as regards the quality of public service delivery.

    “Trust in government by the people is enhanced by closing the widening gap with the citizenry, it is a fact that improvements in public services and delivery capabilities have direct effect on the living standards of citizens and the competitiveness of the private sector.

    “The deriving agenda therefore is efficiency, effectiveness and integrity in the delivery of services by public sector institutions for the good and progress of the country and services to its citizens.

    “The civil service is at the core of this reform and service expectations. The civil service, as a key national platform for actualization of the aspirations of the nation has over the years witnessed varieties of reforms to capture the mood of the moment, but more importantly to provide a more lasting trajectory for the progressive development of our country.

    “It has to be a dynamic institution striving to meet the reasons for its very existence. It is for these and many more others that we have taken up the task and responsibility to reposition the service.” she added

    To change the orientation in the service, she maintained that the envisaged new direction is captured in the 2017-2019 Strategy of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, which is anchored on four strategic goals.

    The strategy, she noted, is in consonance with Pillar Four of the National Strategy for Public Service Reforms which is focused on Civil Service Administration Reforms.

    Highlighting the four cardinal goals of her tenure towards a new roadmap for the service, she said: “The four goals are: Develop and Institutionalize an Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-Centered (EPIC) Culture in the Civil Service.

    The EPIC culture, she said, is an inevitable response to the challenges that the service face today and the perception of the service by the public.

    “This new culture is intended to restore hope and dignity to the service by reversing the current perceived reputation for inefficiency, low productivity, corruption and insensitivity to the needs of the citizen.” she said

    The second goal, she said, is designed and Implement an Enterprise Content Management System (ECM).

    She said “This goal will ignite a digital service delivery revolution in the management of our records and development of digital service strategy to facilitate online and real-time delivery of service to the citizenry. This will ensure full automation of records and civil service content such that systems are robust, up to date, and fit for purpose, thus eliminating duplications and harmonizing staff records across the service.

    “It shall provide structures, standards and processes on data capture, retention and use and eliminate multiple data repositories, especially manual processes. The upgrade of relevant systems to current standards will be achieved and integrate all systems across the service to achieve interoperability.

    “We shall achieve a status where content management policy is consistent with the ethos of the service and is strictly implemented across board by all stakeholders.”

    The third goal she said is Develop Entrepreneurial Culture and Commercial Orientation in the Civil Service.

    “The service must be a facilitating partner to the economy diversification drive of government. This goal is aimed at transforming the civil service from being perceived as cost centers to revenue earners.

    “Most Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have latent capacity to create wealth and generate revenue. The current dwindling government revenue calls for innovative ways of generating income.”

    The fourth goal, which she termed: Improve Welfare and Benefit Packages for Civil Servants, she said is seeking ways to improve the welfare and benefit packages for Civil Servants and the entire public service by extension.

    It is really hoped that the reforms will in the long run reposition the service to efficiently perform its roles to the nation.

     

  • Housing loan for 60 Immigration officers

    The Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank, has secured a housing loan facility for 60 officers and men of the service.

    The facility is worth N60 million.

    Comptroller General, (CG) of NIS, Muhammad Babandede, disclosed this at the official presentation of a dummy cheque to beneficiaries.

    Babandede said the development is part of efforts to enhance the welfare package of the workforce for improved productivity and efficient service delivery.

    He also noted that it will help curb corruption in the service, adding that owing a house for officers and men is one thing that government should encourage through loans.

    The immigration boss told the beneficiaries that deduction will start immediately during the payment of their salaries urging that to spend wisely.

    He said, “I have been talking to my staff on discipline and I have been telling them that they should not be corrupt. You can’t achieve that without giving them something. Safety of lives is very important. For my officers and men I like to put them in a safe place. When corruption becomes high, so people do not know what to do, you spend 35 years in service and you do not have where to put your head.

    “Retiring in a rented house is the worst thing that could happen to anyone. So when this opportunity came I considered it good for the service. So far sixty (60) officers and men have benefited from the scheme. The scheme is a partnership between the NIS and our National Housing Fund managers, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. It is designed to leverage on the National Housing Fund contributory package to ensure that all participants get decent commitment and dedication from the workforce.”

    The Executive Director of Federal Mortgage Bank, Charles Ajiba told the service that it will not regret partnering with the bank adding that its goal is to provide long time plan for people especially civil servants that want to own their houses.

  • Leadership tussle tears Jebba apart

    The long-drawn fight for the throne of Jebba town, Kwara State, between the families of Abdulkadir Adebara and Kayode Okedara has refused to settle. The battle, apart from being about the crown, is also about ownership of the land in the community.

    The battle assumed a frightening dimension when in 2006, barely after the coronation of Adebara, he was arraigned in the court for impersonation. He spent 19 days in detention before he was granted bail.

    Okedara, his rival to the throne became the principal witness in a case the Kwara State government instituted against Adebara’s ascension. He spent 19 days in Ilorin prison before he was bailed.

    The court affirmed Adebara the legitimate traditional ruler of Jebba after eight years. Despite this, the Kwara State government is still challenging the court’s decision and refused to pay his entitlement.

    The palace spokesperson, Ibrahim Adebara said there were plans to banish the traditional ruler over a crisis that took place within the community which the palace did not instigate.

    He said the palace had written the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly on the unforeseen development, but no response was received.

    “We wrote to the Speaker of the House, as well as various committees in the House after the attack. There was no response, but the latest move now is that they are planning to make an announcement to banish the Oba from the community.

    Government’s misgiving about the traditional ruler was demonstrated on how it handled a crisis that took place at the palace. The government which did not condemn the development waited for another five months to demand for explanation from the transitional ruler the cause of crisis.

    The government’s query to the traditional ruler stated: “It has come to attention of the Kwara Government that during the last Eid-il-Fitri, the public peace of the people of Jebba and environ was disturbed.

    “It is on record that before intervention of the law enforcement agencies, some people had lost their lives and many other sustained varied degrees of injuries.

    ”I therefore have the directive of the governor to demand for explanation from you on the cause of the incident and the role played by your personage.”

    Responding on behalf of the palace, Adebara said the letter addressed to king was disrespectfully mailed to him through a commercial motorcyclist.

    He said: “Our response was that the police had arrested the masterminds of the Sallah day violence before they were obviously embarrassed by the Department of Public Prosecution’s advice.

    “I wish to emphasize that my loyal subjects and I were in a celebration mood, the attack was surprise, carried out in cold blood and unprovoked.

    “It was particularly a surprise because such had never happened in Jebba. We are doing our best to ensure that justice is done, and we are confident that the state government did not issue a statement to condemn the attack on the Oba.”

    The palace further made it clear, weeks after the incident, the Senate President Bukola Saraki mandated former Kwara State Commissioner for Information, Abdulkareem Adisa to brief him on what transpired during the Sallah celebration.

    The unprecedented episode has created some wound in not only the minds of the affected Oba, but also members of his enlarge family and diverse people of Jebba, who are not up till this moment convinced that the act perpetrated was not the handiwork of members of the Okedara family.

  • School holds maiden sport feast

    Studying hard is great but some extra-curricular activities enhance the result. That was the import of the Executive Director of Lela Blossom School, Mrs. Abiola Oduwusi at the school’s maiden inter-house sports competition held in Abuja.

    She noted that while it is necessary for schools to drill and impart pupils on academic excellence, children should be given the opportunity to showcase not only their physical and athletic skills, but also that intrinsic drive to compete and excel in sporting activities.

    Mrs. Oduwusi said that the school had at various time organised academic competitions for the pupils but thought it wise to introduce sporting activities.

    “We have held spelling bee and quiz competitions, conducted debates, acted dramas and even taught the children life coping financial skills, but never have we held a sports fiesta like the present one.” She said.

    Speaking on the gains of engaging children in sporting activities, Oduwusi said that sports bring out the God given desire to win and to excel. She described the pupils as champions waiting to be made.

    At the event, the Chairman of the Parent Teachers Association of the School, Dr. Wale Funsho who described the event as successful, encouraged parents to support their children in sports as it brings out the best in them.

    ”It is necessary we encourage our children in sports, it will definitely bring out the best in them and improve their academic performance.” He said.

    Four houses participated in the competition, Rudy (red), Topaz (yellow), Sapphire (blue) and Emerald (green). At the end Rudy carried the day. Medals were given to participating pupils while trophies were also presented to the best sporting houses.

  • Women: Abuja’s new entrepreneurs

    Women: Abuja’s new entrepreneurs

    The nation’s capital is making a transition from a civil service town to a city of entrepreneurs, thanks to women.  GRACE OBIKE reports

    Time was when all you saw in Abuja was people who worked from Monday to Friday and retired to their apartments at the weekend or travelled out of town. Not anymore. The nation’s capital is fasting shedding its civil service toga and evolving into a city of enterprise.

    But that is just one side of the story. Of greater interest is the fact that women are driving this change.

    The BBC recently reported that 40 per cent of Nigerian women are entrepreneurs, which they say is higher compared to that of the rest of world. In Abuja, women are beginning to change the norm from a city of civil servants and politicians into a city of entrepreneurs, with most of the shops owned by women. Those who cannot afford the exorbitant rates of shops, convert the boots of their cars into shops. What is important is that their business is up and running, and women are in the driving seat.

    It is the norm these days for even the tiniest offices in Abuja to have women visiting regularly to sell various items either on cash and carry basis or on credit.

    Recently, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Coordinator, African Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP) Samira Jibir, revealed that FCT female entrepreneurs are increasingly becoming a force to reckon with. She said one of the women making waves in the FCT is a bee farmer whose business has grown to the extent of her exporting her products to the US, Europe and other places.

    Another hugely popular entrepreneur in the FCT is Orya Febronia, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ugee Bakery and Confectionaries, makers of the popular Oven Pride bread.

    The owner of the multi-million naira bakery located in Karu explained that being a success-driven female entrepreneur involves more than having sufficient money to start up a business. She said that in order to ensure success in her trade, she travelled abroad for three months to study bakery.

    “After graduation from the university, I wanted to work in in the bank; I got married very early but my husband challenged me to be independent.

    “I didn’t just want to open up a bakery and bake like everyone else, I researched, began sourcing for the machines and went abroad for a three-month course on everything about baking. I was given all the recipes to produce different products; with  that I fell in love with baking.

    “If I see bread, without tasting it, I can tell you what it is made up of. When I came back, it took me three years to put things in order, the starting period was so hectic, I was in the market in Lagos for five years and when my husband moved to Abuja, I moved as well. It was difficult settling for a location but i did not want the City Centre because it is already tight, I decided on a place that will make an impact and will be noticed and appreciated, so i came here, bought the land and constructed  my bakery.

    “ I decided on a different kind of product, we have a lot of health issues these days centered around our way of life, I studied health bread, for instance I decided to put beniseed in my jumbo bread which different from the ingredients found in other breads, because beniseed is very good, so the idea for me is to bake healthy products for my consumers.

    “Apart from the normal bread, I make products that will balance up our health as adults. I am particular about it in my products.

    “I am a believer in the woman’s ability to change her world, I do not see myself as a woman with the strength and passion that I have. I believe that women need to identify what they want and do it right, even if her dream is to be just a wife; women need to understand that men do not want to marry a woman without passion or dreams, what you have upstairs makes you more attractive and not just the beauty.

    “I always tell girls that if they are determined they can make it in whatever they choose to do, I tell them that it is not all about making hair, dressing up and shaking their body when they move, I tell them, people that will stop you on the road will sleep with  you and just walk away but when you start having something real and tangible, the ones that will come after you will not be those on the street.”

    Chief of Karu, Emmanuel Yekwi in whose domain the factory is located, said that it has actually provided a lot of job opportunities for youths in his community.

    He also said, “I like to see young people being innovative, they prove that they can create something for themselves without depending on the government. Young people should be the ones creating innovations in this country. Bakeries in the country have to start reducing the level of sugar in their products, it should be put into consideration to avoid an epidemic in the country.”

    In an interview with The Nation, Samira Jibril explained that entrepreneurs in the suburbs and area councils have better opportunities because it is easier for them to have the location and farms than those in the city.