The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Free medical services for 500 in Kwara

    Free medical services for 500 in Kwara

    Five hundred persons in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, have benefited from the free medical services sponsored by two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) – The Muslim Congress (TMC) and Human Concern Foundation International.

    The NGOs will sensitise the people concerning some illnesses they are ignorant of.

    The programme was aimed at alleviating some of the problems and medical needs of the people, as there were array of medical personnel on ground to attend to the need of the beneficiaries.

    A member of TMC and Consultant Neurologist, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Dr Ismail Hussein told THE NATION during the one day ‘medical caravan in Ilorin that “right now we have about 16 doctors consulting. Some of them are already specialists in their own right.

    “What we have on ground as medication can take care of over 2000 beneficiaries who come here. However, as I am speaking with you we have above 500 registered beneficiaries. The other reason that informed this is the fact that despite the awareness of some people as regards illnesses people still don’t regard them as medical problems.”

    He said: “This gathering is one of the many programmes of the TMC national. This is a free medical service that we usually organize as part of the programme and regarding this we have seen that the awareness in our people concerning illnesses is still low.

    Aside from that, we have also found out that people lack the necessary funds to take care of their medical expenses.

    “We want to believe that not because some of them are not aware but for financial wherewithal to saddle some of these responsibilities. This is just the little contributions we felt we could make in assisting the people.

    “Worldwide and as we have noticed here today, most of the adults have high blood level. Even some of those on medication have not been complying, so we need to do something about it. We have given some medication and advised a lot of them to go for further checks at the general hospitals and teaching hospitals that we have around.

    “Some have been given referral letters to hospitals to continue their management. Diabetics, high blood pressure and chest pains are prevalent here. We also have people with asthma and some people with surgical disorder. We are attending to them with the expertise we have on ground.

    “I advise that we should not wait until we are down with diseases before we go for medical checks. Every six month an average adult should have his blood pressure, weight, blood level and nutritional status checked. All these things will serve as preventive measures against all illnesses.”

    Leader of HCFI Subir Kolawole Daud said that the organization is set up to assist people in terms of need most especially on medical ground.

    “The Muslim Congress (TMC) is partnering with HCFI to assist the organization with medical needs. We are here to render our medical services. The services we are rendering does not attract a penny. It is free of charge. We have various medical personnel attending to the medical concern of the people. The tests we have carried out are that of hypertension, blood test, sugar test and eye examination.

    “I pray that we should have more of these bodies springing up rendering assistance to the people as government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility,” he said.

     

     

     

     

  • Child care champion decries insensitivity to children plight

    Child care champion decries insensitivity to children plight

    Most of the news these days do not border on children winning awards and doing their country and family proud, but are on children being battered, abandoned, raped and abused.

    These days, children are abused repeatedly by those suppose to protect them.

    Agencies, individuals and non-government organisations (NGO’s) have been taken up the challenge of fighting back those hurting children and trying to take away their childhood. One of such NGO’s is the Yellow JerryCan Save a Child-Lend a Hand Foundation, initiated by popular broadcaster with the Africa Independent Television Adaora Onyechere.

    The initiator, who accused institutions, of insensitivity to the plights of children, said the judiciary, which should protect the rights of the child, is busy fighting political wars of corruption and allowing children to suffer. Instead of resolving cares brought to them, she said the courts, most times, advise parties to go and resolve the issue with the abuser.

    Speaking during the Yellow JerryCan’s Children’s Day celebration in Abuja, she said the group is dedicated to reaching out to children and women in the society who do not have a voice and also fighting for the homeless, child abuse victims, domestic violence victims and people who lack of access to good education.

    Onyechere, in trying to find solutions to the plight of children in the country and their continuous state of abandonment and neglect said they are taking up an initiative where they advise politicians most especially those in Abuja like the senators who all reside in Abuja to at least adopt a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) school, which does not have toilets to help eradicate disease to children due to open defecation.

    Her words: “We are not only reaching out to the Federal Government but other NGO’s so that we can work together, we need to look inwards because the government cannot do it all on their own and look at how we can help humanity by making sure that people that are in the lowest cadar will be able to encounter some form of mediation from us.

    “By the end of 2015, we where handling 112 cases of abuses including people who are older now but did not get justice when they were abused at a young age, I dare say this that we have a judiciary that is not really child sensitive, in the sense that we are teaming up with a set of political cases and corruption allegations that we are forgetting the level of interaction that is supposed to be done via the judiciary, the police system. You find out that cases of rape and abduction are still lodged in police head offices without any bureaucracy with the courts. What we found during the times that we encountered some of these children is that a lot of times, we are asked to go and settle out of court, a lot of times we are given dates and when we go, we are told that the person in charge is not on seat or don’t have a gender or child unit.

    “There is a lack of sensitivity to children in our institutions and I think, beginning from the ministry of women affairs to other agencies, you find that the only people who have some level of understanding are agencies that are affiliated with the federal government who bring them to light but the FG cannot be everywhere at ones, it needs watch dogs and NGO’s that can mediate between the government and the children. For me, it is not enough to talk of children out of school and children abused by the government but I will ask, who are your support groups, who are the agencies and organisations willing to help, we are concerned about commitment, if it is not ones child today, who knows it could be tomorrow so we do not have to wait until it happens to us.

    “This is our fourth year of operation and the objective of our foundation is to be advocates and voices for the voiceless especially IDPs, women, girls and physically disabled. We have often wondered when you look at the statistics of the children out of school and you will find out there is a high level of poverty, women do not have jobs, so for us the most important things is to begin to look at the empowerment of the gender which are women, mother of the child and also help the child and also help the child have access to some benefits to schools and also the public who are able to help.

    “For us the significance of the celebration is the fact that we have a number of children in the IDP camps out of school and today is a day set aside to commiserate and help us remember that we have lost some children as a result of insurgency. So, the children at the camps are brought into fusion with children from public schools to be able to experience a day together and through this medium the teachers from this school will be able to go the camps and help teach the kids, we bring relief materials to them through the medium as well.

    “Now we know there is a need to be able to have a learning centre within the IDP camp before they are even reconsidered taken back to their communities, it is a very long term project for us because some of the projects we are embarking on is to save the reading culture, we are also doing something we call adopt a school, which means that across states, beginning with the FCT, the number of public schools without sewage systems toilets is appalling and so we are trying to make sure that we are reaching out to people like the ministries, parastatals and the National Assembly who reside within the FCT, since they all have houses in Abuja, so why not pick up a school and build a toilet you will see that there will be less diseases and infections, there will be less environmental pollution especially when children are allowed to defecate in bushes, it is something we think that we cannot do alone and are calling on spiritual individuals and stakeholders involved.”

  • Talent hunt brings out the best in teens

    It was an evening when individual’s talents were showcased as the Voice of Ministries International (VOM) organised a ‘Talent Hunt’ show for its teenagers.

    The teenagers exhibited various talents including singing, dancing, choreography, speech and poetry reading, drawings, drumming, playing of saxophone amongst others.

    The Judges who were drawn from various fields scrutinized the youngsters as they were shown their strong and weak points and how their talents could be improved upon.

    Charging the youths before the commencement of the show, Pastor Flora Peters said the talent hunt was organized to enable the teenagers showcase God’s deposit in their lives adding that talents have to do with the natural abilities God have deposited in everyone.

    According to her, a lot of people lose their talents because nobody could guide or direct them urging the youths to allow the Spirit of God to guide them to enable them do exceedingly well with their talent.

    “Nobody is empty, there is a deposit of God into the lives of everyone. We do not want the talent in these youths to die in them. This talent show is not for competition or pride but for the name of God to be glorified.

    “You cannot enter into your glory when you have nothing to present. As you keep on doing what have been deposited in you, you will be recommended”, she told the teenagers.

    At the end of the talent hunt which trilled everyone present, the General Overseer of Voice of Mercy Ministry International, Pastor Ojo Peters commended the youngsters for having the courage to showcase their various talents adding that greatness does not start in one day but starts in a step.

    He said that they all have a chance of improving their performance by training harder and getting more training.

    Peters urged them not to neglect their books as education is also important in getting their talents just as he admonished them to avoid sin which have the capacity of terminating their destiny.

    He also promised the teenagers to get them musical instruments to aid in their practices.

    Some of the youths who were interviewed after the talent show expressed their happiness in being able to showcase their various talents. They appreciated the leadership of the church for giving them the opportunity.

    The teenagers said they now know where their strength lies as most of them promised to get more training in order to improve on their talents.

  • A painful progress

    Not a few agree that the past one year has not been what  they expected from the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. That is not difficult to explain. Government business is no longer conducted the way it usually was. Avenues for free money that some corrupt civil servants had feasted on have been shut down. The falling oil prices in the international market in the past one year did not help matters in the lives of the masses on the street.

    The pain was so much that Nigerians were left with no option but to start adjusting in order to meet up. The falling oil prices and dwindling national income resulted in a weak naira against the dollar, thereby inflating prices of goods and services in the country.

    A basket of tomatoes that used to sell for about N3,500 was recently sold for over N30,000 and a bag of rice that used to go for about N8,000 now sells for about N15,500.

    The recent increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from N86.50 to N145 has also impoverished more Nigerians.

    But the Buhari administration, which said it was laying a solid foundation for the country’s greatness, has challenged Nigerians to start measuring its achievements from its first full budget implementation, which is the 2016 Budget.

    A concrete foundation for a bright future, some political watchers say, were being laid in the last one year in such areas as anti-corruption, national security, governance and national image.

    Some economic policies implemented by the government are believed to have started yielding results through government’s smart move of engaging the duo of Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.

    Over N3 trillion has been saved through the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) aimed at plugging identified leakages in the system.

    Enforcement of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) has also saved the government billions of naira monthly as “ghost workers” are being uncovered and weeded out of the payroll system. The BVN is also easily exposing looters hiding stolen funds in multiple bank accounts.

    To reduce government spending, the government also cancelled sponsorship of pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and directed all top government officials to prioritise foreign travels and use only business class tickets.

    To ameliorate the pains of change and the effect of bad management of the economy by past administrations, the Buhari government is introducing social protection with data of would-be beneficiaries already being collated by the economic planning office of the Vice President in conjunction with the World Bank.

    The government is also believed to be committed to ending shortage of petrol and aviation fuel with focus on the downstream sector of oil and gas sectors. To this end, Kaduna Refinery and the one in Port Harcourt have begun production.

    It is said to be focused on attaining self-sufficiency in refined petroleum products and making Nigeria net exporter of petroleum products. This alone, some economic analysts say, will reduce demand for foreign exchange needed to import refined products into the country.

    The government, unlike past administrations, is also believed to be fully committed to diversification of the Nigerian economy away from oil dependence.

    Some of the areas of emphasis included expansion of agriculture to generate more employment opportunities and promote agricultural produce’ exports.

    These the government aims to achieve through attainment of self-sufficiency in rice production by 2018, sufficiency in tomato paste by 2016, and also attaining local production of maize, soya beans, poultry and livestock.

    To boost all-year-round farming and in turn food security in the country, the government is using 5,000 hectares of arable land in 12 River Basin Development Authorities and the available 22 dams for commercial farming by prospective investors.

    It is also bent on completing Ajaokuta Steel Plant and encouraging mining of non-oil mineral resources to generate revenue for the government.

    To improve power, the Federal Government has signed a 50 million Euro loan agreement with French government for capacity-building and upgrade of power training facilities in Nigeria.

    It also signed a $237 million agreement with World Bank towards improving power, while initiatives to bring solar power price down to five US cents per kilowatt hour, (approximately N10) as against the price of 17 US cents (N34) per KW/h tariff, is being discussed with China.

    Chinese Solar power manufacturers have also agreed with the Federal Government to set up solar panel manufacturing business in Nigeria.

    To ease transportation, the government is said to be committed to completing the Kaduna-Abuja-Ajaokuta railway lines this year. It will also construct the Lagos-Kano standard Gauge Rail line and finalise the negotiation on the Calabar-Lagos rail line. Over 500 new roads have also been penciled down for construction across the country.

    Another key area the government has been given kudos in the past one year is the fight against corruption including initiating the amendment of the Anti Money Laundering Act to strengthen the EFCC and other relevant agencies.

    Apart from appointing 30 new Federal High Court Justices to improve the hands on deck in the Judiciary, the administration also appointed Prof. Itse Sagay Anti-Corruption Committee to provide support to anti-corruption agencies and ensure that the administration of justice is effective and efficient especially in corruption cases.

    The government has also been given high marks in providing national security, especially in the fight against insurgency.

    Apart from overhauling the dysfunctional topmost hierarchy of the Nigerian military which resulted in degradation of the Boko Haram elements, the administration was able to bring back military allies, making the United States of America and the United Kingdom governments commit their resources to the fight against the insurgents after backing out of negotiations with the previous administration.

    The government also introduced motor cycle battalion in the battle field to help the Army travel to remote areas that aren’t accessible to cars and trucks.

    It also deployed satellite images and geographical information system to fight insurgency.

    The administration’s successes against Boko Haram have removed roadblocks and curfews which in the past impeded free flow of movement.

    From the new efforts, the government said no Nigerian territory is currently under the control of Boko Haram.

    Apart from renewing its fight against oil bunkering, the government also deployed sophisticated weapons to ensure vandalism is contained by setting up a pipeline security force. It recently captured a major ring of pipeline vandals in Lagos.

    While engaging effective management of the separatist Biafran uprising, the government has also improved the technical capacity of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) among other agencies to boost internal security.

    A more IT integrated Police force in the country now has a forensic laboratory and a GSM tracking device.

    While the deadly herdsmen’ hostilities were getting out of hand in various parts of the country, the government has set up joint operations involving various security agencies to curb the menace.

    The government is also putting to use surveying and updated mappings across the country to prevent threats among ethnic groups in Nigeria.

    While governance is being taken to a higher level, the Buhari’s administration has also embarked on some foreign trips towards boosting the national image of Nigeria.

    With the many wonderful plans the administration has lined up in the various sectors and what is already on the ground, it is hoped that the next 12 months will really impact positively on the lives of Nigerians in order to ease the pains of the first one year.

     

  • Gombe at the mercy of hippos

    Gombe at the mercy of hippos

    Protected by a conservation policy, hippopotamuses are eating up crops, destroying fishermen’s tools and occasionally killing people in Gombe State. Though alarmed, the residents and the government can only complain, reports VINCENT OHONBAMU

    The bulky, lumbering beasts do have something to admire. They snuggle up close to one another and splash around in the water, submerging and reappearing as though it was some kind of a marine feast.

    In Gombe State, though, residents have a lot to worry about hippopotamuses. They are eating up farmers’ crops and destroying fishermen’s nets and fish-traps. In some cases, they have hoofed humans to death.

    The residents’ response has been swift and increasingly alarming. Some have urged the federal government to allow them defend themselves against the beasts. This can mean anything from hurting the animals to killing them outright. The state government has also cried out. The animals are protected by conservation laws.

    Arguably the world’s third heaviest animal on land after elephants and white rhinos, hippos could spend up to 16 hours of the day submerged in water where they cluster in territories while keeping their massive bodies cool and refreshed. On land, this heavily built semi-aquatic creature which is either omnivorous or herbivorous is solitary and likes to graze alone. Each adult could consume as much as 35kg of grass per grazing expedition, and that quantity, experts say, is relatively low, considering their bulk.

    Over the years in the state, these large animals have been increasingly running into frequent conflicts with humans, hence the state government is now raising the alarm over the incessant harassment as well as destruction of life and property across the state.

    At Difa, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe-Abba, Gwani, Malala, Maleri, Nafada communities and virtually every riverside community in Gombe State tell tales of sorrow and blood caused by grazing and trampling on crops. In some cases, the beasts have killed people in some communities.

    Fishermen could be the worst hit. Their fish traps and other implements are destroyed with ease as the animals enjoy themselves in the rivers.

    Malam Sa’adu Adamu, Chairman, Dadin-Kowa Fishermen said the emergence of hippos in their waters is a threat to their business because since then, fishermen’s collective daily income of betwen N150,000 and N200,000 has diminished because they destroy equipment and frustrate some out of fishing.

    He said there were an estimated 61 hippopotamuses in one dam and that they migrated from Cameroon via Kiri Dam in Adamawa State.

    Similarly, his counterpart at Difa, also in the local government area, Haruna Managa who has been fishing for about 34 years, complained bitterly about the animals which he said do not only destroy their farms, fishing equipment and traps, but equally constitute a great threat to their lives.

    “I wish the Federal Government would allow us protect ourselves and property from the destructive specie,” he said, recalling that fishermen initially numbering about 100 in his community have dropped to about 30 over the last 12 years due to the animals’ activities and other challenges on the occupation.

    Hippopotamuses are not man-hunters, but they attack when they feel threatened. This happens often because they usually construe people’s reactions and attempts to scare them away from grazing or trampling on crops as a threat to their existence.

    These animals could run faster than humans on land, considering their estimated sustained sprinting speed which varies from 30 to 40km per hour, or even 50km per hour, despite being so bulky.

    One of them which became too notorious at Dadin-Kowa community in the state was hunted down through the help of the army sometime last year after two and half years of destruction to life and property.

    Head of Forestry Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Council, Malam Ismail Umar confirmed that, that particular Hippopotamus threatened fishermen and farmers for over two and half years.

    “We noticed it two and half years ago, but unfortunately, it became very notorious and hazardous to people, farmers and fishermen. There are about 100 of them in our waters, but the one killed decided to cross to the lower side of the dam to be causing trouble,” he explained.

    Mr. Adamu Pukuma, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Forest Resources acknowledged that hippos are one among animals going extinct and therefore placed under protection.

    “But the particular one that was killed had become notorious and unbearable. It killed people around the area as well as destroyed farms and fishing equipment.

    “There were complaints and a huge outcry from the people of the area, which was why we sought the governor’s permission to kill it,” he said.

    Recently, hippos are on the rampage again after some quiet. They have started causing trouble along Gombe-Abba and Malala axis in Dukku Local Government Area; though no loss of life has been reported.

    Gombe State Commissioner of Environment and Forestry Resources, Hajiya Sa’adatu Sa’ad Mustapha said the animals first appeared in these habitats around January, February this year and have been destroying crops and irrigation equipment.

    She said, “They cannot be killed, not only because the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classify them as being on the verge of becoming endangered; the particular species of hippopotamus found in Gombe is one of the rarest in the world.”

    The Commissioner said government is now burdened with thought of how to conserve them, which would be capital intensive. In the meantime local hunters continually scare the animals away from where they could be a threat to lives.

    “Instead of killing them, we told them to just scare them away from the communities so that they cannot cause any damage or danger and we have employed the services of local hunters to do this.

    “Killing the animals, we know, is against the law, therefore we warned the locals to desist from touching them, most especially the hunters,” she emphasised.

  • Gombe police fight gender violence

    Gombe police fight gender violence

    The Gombe State police command is leading the campaign against gender-based violence, urging people in criminal justice administration to be guided by their conscience and ensure victims get justice.

    The command said the application of relevant laws to protect the vulnerable group has been hampered by weakened legal institutions, including inadequate skilled officers to vigorously take cases to a logical conclusion.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Austin Iwar spoke in Gombe while declaring open a one-day workshop on ‘Human rights and gender-based violence’ organised by the command for police officers in the state.

    He said the interactive session was meant to “equip and empower officers to have basic skills in managing issues that have to do with gender-based violence because victims mostly lack the capacity to defend themselves, react ot fight for their rights.”

    He said, “It is despicable, it is disheartening that young kids as young as seven, four years and even less are defiled by grown-up men that are old enough to be their fathers, grandfathers or great grandfathers, hence we are working round the clock to see that we confront the situation.

    “This workshop is part of what we are doing to confront the situation and make sure that we reduce this social problem to a manageable level and possibly even eliminate it from our system.

    “Part of confronting the situation will involve working with stakeholders because these are crimes that are confined.

    “Eventually it will require a lot of education and awareness creating for parents, especially and other stakeholders alike. But we have to start from ourselves.

    “Therefore, there will be series of workshops that will be conducted with the efforts of cascading the message down the rank and file.”

    The CP nevertheless called on officers involved in the administration of justice to be guided by their consciences in ensuring that victims get suspects treated fairly.

    The resource person, Barbara Maigari described the event as a knowledge-sharing section would promote human rights, adherence to human rights standards, respect for gender matters and will also try to see how gender-based violence could be prevented.

  • Kwara road repair costs N3.2b

    Kwara road repair costs N3.2b

    One year into its second term, the Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed administration in Kwara State has said  road rehabilitation cost is N3.2 billion this year.

    The sum covers completed and ongoing projects.

    The administration was confident that it achieved some feat in infrastructure development last year.

    Early this year, it said it would spend N56 billion on infrastructure across the 16 local government areas of the state. The governor added that out of the amount, the administration would source N20 billion bonds from the capital market, explaining that bond “is one of the ways we will device to execute capital project in the in-coming year.”

    Alhaji Ahmed then listed the projects to be executed with the N20 billion to include construction of Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara Road; rehabilitation of Kaiama-Kishi Road, dualisation of Michael Imoudu-Ganmo Road; dualisation of Zango-University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) and completion of Ilorin water reticulation project.

    Others are construction of flyover bridge at Gari-Alimi Roundabout in Ilorin to ease traffic in the area; purchase of 860 transformers for rural electrification; sinking of 938 boreholes in all the 16 local government areas of the state; equipping the yet-to-be-commissioned International Vocational Centre in Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun local government area, establishment of the Kwara state University (KWASU) branches in Osi and Ilesha-Baruba in Ekiti and Baruten local councils.

    Despite the shortfalls in the monthly accruals from the federation account and the lean resources of the state government, Governor Ahmed-led government has recorded some achievements on road rehabilitation in the last one year.

    Reeling out some of the administration’s achievements, Works and Transport Commissioner Alhaji Aro Yahaya said the state approved the release of N3.2b for the completion of outstanding roads rehabilitation in the state.

    Alhaji Yahaya added, saying, “One of these important roads to address traffic congestion in the state, is Asa-Dam-Egbejila-Airport Road. It is 7.5 kilometres road and work is still ongoing there. Drainage and construction of the bridge are still on. The objective is to reduce traffic congestion around Gari-Alimi roundabout and airport axis.”

    Said he: “Some of the ongoing road projects in the State include; the Aduralere-Isalekoko-Ojagboro-Sanu Sheu Road, Henry George-Agbo-Oba road, Henry George-Unilorin mini campus road, Ita-Alamu village road, Oloro Palace Road, Share-Oke Ode (lot 1), Share-Oke ode (lot 2), Kishi-Kaiama Road, Egbejila Road, Ilorin, Arobadi Magida Road in Moro Local Government, Baboko Market Road, Ilesha Baruba-Gwanara road, Rore-Ipetu Road, construction of three span bridge in Ilala, Ifelodun Local Government, Oniju street, Babanloma in Ifelodun Local Government and Anilelerin Road, Offa.

    “There is also channelization network at Ita-Alamu, Ilorin South local government area of the state. The area has over the years, been threatened by erosion. Government has thought it wise to channelize the area for the control of election in that axis so that it will not affect the rail lines there.

    “As soon as that is done we will be able to focus on the road network within the vicinity. Rehabilitation is also ongoing on the Gaa-Akanbi road network.

    “We have other interventions that are ongoing in terms of small roads and I want to assure that government is desirous to pay serious attention to infrastructural development in the state in order to promote economic development. Most importantly too we have other roads lined up for rehabilitation in the state and any moment from now Governor Ahmed will launch their construction.

    “I want to seize this opportunity to inform you that when these facilities are completed they will improve the image of the state in terms of infrastructural development. It will also ease human and vehicular traffic.

    “We are equally proposing to dualise Kulende-University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH)-Oke-Ose road. About two years ago, the governor expanded the road from Kulende to Oyun bridge axis to address the suffering of our people who ply that road. The state also plans to construct fly-over bridge from Gari-Alimi end to airport road area.

    “Most importantly, these projects require funds. I want to appeal to the Nigerian public especially Kwarans to also exhibit their civil responsibility through payment of taxes so that government will have funds execute these laudable programmes.”

    But a factional chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo put a lie on the state government’s achievements.

    Oyedepo said: “I want to say this, not because am in the opposition, I will validate whatever I tell you with objective analysis. I don’t believe the government is doing well at all. If the governor and his predecessor have been in government for about 13 years (2003 till now) and the state is as it is, what other evidence do you need to show the whole world that these people are not doing well?

     

     

  • Minister woos children on clean environment campaign

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mallam Muhammed Bello has urged children in the FCT to encourage their parents to maintain a clean environment.

    Bello who spoke with the Students Parliament in the FCT, urged them to enact laws to encourage children to ensure that their parents clean their environments.

    The minister made the plea in Abuja when he met with the 7th Assembly of the FCT Students Parliament led by its Speaker, Master Oral Nwaka.

    Deputy Director / Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Muhammed Sule stated this in a press statement.

    He said, “FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has urged the Students’ Parliament in the Federal Capital Territory to enact laws to encourage all the children in the Territory to ensure that their parents keep the environment clean.

    “The Minister said that the law to be enacted should ensure that every morning, everybody cleans his house and to also ensure that all the refuse is dumped in designated areas or dustbins.

    “We need laws from your parliament that will encourage all the children in the FCT to ensure that their parents keep the surroundings clean; to ensure that every morning, everybody cleans his house; to ensure that all the refuse is dumped in designated areas and also to encourage everybody to use dustbins.”

    According to him, “Since I came in as the Minister, one of my greatest challenges is how dirty the environment is, especially in the Area Councils. If you are able to do that during your tenure in office, you would have done a great service to us”.

    “Malam Bello promised to provide the Students’ Parliament with a bus and driver to be conveying the Parliamentarians to all official functions.

    “In addition to that, the Permanent Secretary told me that by the grace of God, he will buy you one bus and I’m sure the Social Development Secretariat will make sure that it employs a very good driver who will take care of that bus for you and also make sure that the bus is fueled at any time, so that you don’t have to ask for any bus anywhere again” he stressed.

    “Speaking earlier, the Speaker of 7th FCT Student’s Parliament, Master Oral Nwaka said the they are representatives of millions of children in FCT and promised to represent their interests very well to ensure that the children live to be good leaders of tomorrow.

    According to him, “we had our sitting this morning on the theme of this year’s Children’s Day, which is “Protecting the Rights of the Child and Child Marriage.”

    Master Nwaka added, “We want to make a passionate plea to the Hon. Minister, our dear Daddy to support the parliament as we aim at being a role model to other such parliaments across the country. We start by requesting a bus that can be conveying us to places we carry out our advocacies.”

     

  • A lift for displaced children

    A lift for displaced children

    A charity effort by some United Kingdom university students thrills children displaced by Boko Haram, reports OLUGBENGA ADANIKI

    When the children saw the bags of maize, rice, sorghum, beans and other items, they smiled. Then they started praying for the donors.

    Life in a displaced persons camp in the nation’s capital has been tough. Some of them are orphans, their parents killed by the terrorist group Boko Haram. It was by sheer providence that they survived and were taken to Abuja. But at the Durumi Camp, food is in short supply, as is everything else they need.

    A donor built a makeshift school there where the children receive some education. One of the pupils, six-year-old Peter Ishaku dreams of becoming president, though he probably imagines that his chances are pretty slim.

    Peter, an indigene of Gwoza Local Government, Borno State, like his schoolmates, needs all that charity offers. He is one of the 13,481 IDPs living in unpleasant conditions in the camp. There are about 157 pupils, out of whom 137 are spread through Primary 1 to 3 while 20 are in the secondary school.

    The International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IMDC), in its preliminary study estimated that about 2,152,000 persons as of December 31, 2015 were displaced as a result of the Boko Haram crisis.

    Statistics released by the Director of IMDC, Alfredo Zamudio said about 3.3 million persons have been displaced in the Northeast. Nigeria is ranked behind Syria with 6.5 million IDPs and Colombia having 5.7 million IDPs. This positioned Nigeria as the nation with the highest number of displaced persons in Africa. The Federal Government has made consistent efforts to ensure the survived victims are relocated to their natural abode.

    To ease their pain, a group of Nigerian students from the Nottingham University, United Kingdom (UK) donated educational and food materials worth over 1000 Pounds to the Durumi IDPs. The project was also supported by The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Nasrul-Lahi-iL-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NAFSAT) and Harvest Chapel International, all in Nottingham. Even if the sum seems little, it was a product of deliberate efforts, sacrifices and service to humanity. Some of the students donated two pounds, some 10 pounds, some 50 pounds.

    A representative of the students, under the platform of University of Nottingham Nigerian Society, Mrs. Amina Ahmed could not conceal her excitement when the pupils expressed their joy at the donations.

    One of the guardians, Hajia Binta said, “I’m a widow but I pray for you; may God also put smiles on your faces.”

    She asked if the President, University of Nottingham Nigerian Society, Victor Udeozor, understood that God answers prayer of the widows faster than anyone else’s.

    At the camp, some of the food items donated include bags of maize, rice, sorghum, 100kg of beans, groundnut oil and noodles among other staple foods. Educational materials includes story books, crayons, pencils, biros, over 1, 000 exercise books, school wears including shoes, chalks, drawing books among other materials needed for a mini-school to function properly.

    Mrs. Ahmed, the Welfare Secretary of the society said, “It was a collective effort from all the Nigerian students and executive committee in the University of Nottingham Nigerian Society. We came together to have a programme for our charity giving event and we concluded that since Nigeria, as one of the largest population of internally displaced persons in the world, certainly the largest in Africa, we thought we could contribute our widows-might towards alleviating the sufferings of people displaced by various crises, including natural disaster all around Nigeria.”

    According to her all the students made contributions of, “5 pounds and above and after several weeks of intense campaigns, including uploading several videos on our facebook page.”

    “We were able to raise over a thousand pounds. That is what we made to make the several purchases for the IDPs,” she noted. As youths, the student group felt it was imperative to provide books and educational materials including items that would essentially make life easier for

    the less privilege children.

    “I heard a lot of heartbreaking stories when I came,” she said.

    So out of their magnanimity, the youth volunteers were nice enough to extend their warm gestures to the adults by providing anti-malaria mosquito nets. The insecticide-treated nets are expected to protect both parents and their wards from mosquito bites as malaria remained

    one of the deadly infections that cause infant and maternal mortality in the country.

    “Our focus is not on food per se but things that are sustainable and support that will last three years from now. The society of students also wanted to complement the fantastic efforts the federal government is doing to relieve the IDPs in Nigeria.

    “The kind of hope they have is the reason why you know things will be right eventually,” she said.

    Aside from donations, there is high tendency that students who exhibit exceptional academic quality among the disadvantaged pupils would have better chance of getting scholarships. Already the youth organisation has commenced plans to facilitate such outstanding gesture.

    “I will discuss with their teacher now about the kid that shows the greatest promise and where he thinks they could use specific, tailored support, academically or in terms of psychological assistance.”

    “Obviously, we are students ourselves and we have a lot of needs but when you weigh the needs, they need more than we do but we will pick up the little we can and see what we can do to better the lives. We will see what we can do to sponsor some of the students but it depends on what the society back in UK concludes.” The representative however urged the federal government not to relent in its effort to reintegrate the IDPs back to their community.

    The Secretary, Durumi IDPs Camp, Bala Yusuf lauded the kind gesture of the student group. As for him, the Nigerian students in the UK have been helpful to supporting the IDPs. Yusuf was more particular about the Nigerian Society in Nottingham University, stressing that it was the second time representative of the society would be visiting the Durumi IDPs camp.

    “You can see the challenges we have been facing. This sister on behalf of the Nigerians in Nottingham University has been thinking about us and our welfare.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Lawmaker aids Niger farmers

    A member of the House of Representatives Honourable Lado Suleja representing Suleja/Gurara/Tafa, Niger State, has distributed five trailer-loads of fertilizers and others farm inputs to growers in his constituency.

    This, he said, will help them provide food for the constituency.

    Lado said the distribution would be done ward by ward and by elders and traditional leaders in each ward.

    According to him, the gesture is part of his representation to the people and an oversight function towards ensuring that what is meant for his constituency is channeled to them at the right time.

    “Suleja has always been [excluded] in the past, allocations were usually made but there will be no implementation. I am representing my people to ensure that what belongs to them is given to them and I am going to sustain it until 2019.”

    The lawmaker, who is the National Coordinator of Gwari Youth Forum disclosed that about 30 communities in his constituency would soon be electrified as 24 transformers will be delivered to his constituency.

    He warned the people not to sell the farm implements and ptoducts urging them to use it judiciously while pleading for patience as there was enough to go round.

    Lado stated that his priority to the people shall be on health, education and agriculture with more attention to be focused on children of the masses adding that in the past one year, he has provided basic amenities in his constituency and empowered over 4000 people on entrepreneurial skills.

    According to him, 17 people will soon be sponsored to Cairo to study while six girls will be sent to Sudan to study medicine, adding that plans are underway to help traditional leaders in his constituency.

    He urged the people to have patience with the present administration as things will get better with time.

    Speaking on behalf of the chairmen of the three local government areas that constitute the constituency, the local government Chairman of Tafa, Ado Abubakar commended the legislator for his gesture adding that it will go a long way in assuaging the sufferings of the people.

    He promised that the constituents will make judicious use of the fertilizers and farming implements and products assuring that the local government chairmen will walk in his path in putting up relevant programmes that will touch the lives of the people.

    Items distributed freely to the farmers include fertilizers, seedlings, wheel barrows, insecticides, high grade farming implements and sprayers.