The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Kaduna, beggars in showdown over ban

    Kaduna, beggars in showdown over ban

    Banned from soliciting alms in Kaduna State, beggars have threatened to sue the Nasir el-Rufai administration, reports ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai has since realised that not everybody claps for him each time he makes a policy move. Early in his administration when he rolled out bulldozers to demolish some parts of the Kaduna metropolis, traders whose shops were pulled down griped and grumbled and screamed. The government said it was all in the interest of the state. Now the el-Rufai administration has made good its threat to ban street begging and hawking, and it has come under fire.

    The beggars, among whom the physically challenged, have threatened to sue and fight the government until it backpedals. El-Rufai and his team have shown no signs of backing down.

    Signing the ban bill into law shocked the beggars because after they got the hint that such a policy was coming, the government seemed to cool off, saying nothing about it for a long while. Finally, the law has come, expected to take effect from September.

    Speaking during the signing of a partnership agreement to boost the education sector that every child in the state must go to school, the governor disclosed to a delegation from UNESCO, UNICEF and USAID, saying, “This morning, I signed a bill that prohibits street hawking and begging in Kaduna State. From September 2016, every child between the ages of six and 15 must be in school not on the street hawking or begging, otherwise the parents must be prosecuted and sent to prison.

    “We have taken this step to give impetus to the Universal Basic Education Act which makes basic education in Nigeria compulsory. We must force people to send their children to school and we are not going to give them a choice; everyone in Kaduna State must go to school,” he said.

    The governor’s revelation, just like when the ban was first announced last year, was greeted with demonstration by beggars and people living with disability.

    The announcement of the previous ban came on the heels of a series of bomb blasts that climaxed with bombing at Sabon-Gari Local Government Area of the state that left 25 people dead and several others injured. The decision to ban begging and hawking, according to the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, was to enhance security. The statement further said that anyone caught flouting the ban will be arrested, pending when it will be relaxed. The statement further urged the citizens to report all suspicious persons and movements to the security agencies.

    The beggars took to the streets and threatened to sue the state governor for defamation of character, for labelling them as terrorists. They stormed the Kaduna State Council Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), where they dared the governor, saying they would remain on the streets until the government gets them gainful employment.

    However, the governor, in a swift reaction, insisted that there was no going back on the decision, saying that the government does not see begging as a profession and as such would not permit it.

    He said, “We had to take an unprecedented decision to ban beggars in Kaduna State because of the security threat that some of the beggars and hawkers pose to the rest of the populace.”

    He finished off by saying that “Begging is not a profession; begging is humiliation. We don’t believe in it. There is no going back on the ban on street begging.”

    As a corollary to the beggars’ outcry, Governor El Rufai later appealed to the people to see reason with the ban and cooperate with the government for the safety of citizens of the state. Our government will never unleash pains on beggars and hawkers in the state. The government’s decision was not aimed or targeted at the vulnerable group but to protect citizens.”

    “This government is a responsible government and conscious of its constitutional role to protect citizens and ensure law and order for common good. The state government will not fold its arms and allow citizens to be killed via terror acts and break down of law and order, hence the decision.”

    He argued that the overriding need to secure the lives and property of the over eight million Kaduna State resident is superior to that of a few who think they have a right to beg.

    “As painful as it could be or misrepresented, the decision was taken in the best interest of our citizens and government appreciates support from all sections of the state regarding the reality of our security situation,” the governor said.

    The governor has also said that the beggars would be trained in various skills to empower them and make them useful to themselves and society.

    The beggars in a joint protest with the leadership of people living with disability alleged that the governor had not fulfilled his promises before accenting to the bill. They however gave the government seven days ultimatum to withdraw the law or they will occupy the government house.

    The beggars stormed the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kaduna State Secretariat, saying they were ready to sacrifice their lives against the law. They comprised the blind, deaf, the cripple, elderly, young and women with their babies, with placards bearing inscriptions such as “El-Rufai before stopping street begging, pass state disability bill.

    “Begging can never be stopped by persons with disability in Kaduna. “El-Rufai, fulfil your campaign promises before stopping begging in Kaduna”.

    Commenting on the new law, Chairman, Concerned Citizens with Disabilities, Julius Shemang said the passage of the street begging and hawking bill in the absent of adequate provisions made for the street beggars first contradicts the agreed process reached between them and the government that solutions will be proffered before the law come into effect.

    Shemang said that people with disabilities had submitted a comprehensive memo to the state House of Assembly as their inputs into the law.

    The document, received with mixed feelings, made the following demands:

    “As a matter of priority, government should create and give more job opportunities to people living with disabilities in the state not minding their qualifications.

    “Automatic appointment should be given to children of People Living with Disability so that they can care for themselves and in turn care for their aged parents thereby putting a stop to street begging.

    “Lack of education, employment and poverty in the disability community made many resorted to begging in order to finance their education and that of their children. While we welcome and commend the present policy on free education for all children by present regime, the gesture should be effectively extended to People Living with Disability.

    “Government should set aside monthly allowance or package for caring for those elderly and disabled beggars who cannot benefit from any form of trade or education in order to get them off the street. To do this, government should identify and cater for them through their respective local government areas of origin or as the case may be.

    “Medical care and health services for People Living with Disability should be free of charge in the state.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • ‘We prioritise workers’ welfare’

    Workers in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) have been assured that their welfare will continue to receive the highest attention under the present administration as all necessary measures have been put in place to ensure the sustainability of an enduring welfare package for them.

    FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello gave the assurance  in  Abuja during the first Labour Day celebration of this Administration.

    The minister eulogised the workers for their remarkable contributions to nation building, adding that Labour is the goose that lays the golden egg.

    He pointed out that the Federal Capital Territory Administration has evolved various policies intended to ensure adequate welfare and conducive working environment for the work force.

    According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant ( Media ), Abubakar Sani, the minister said: “I make bold to say that, because of the high premium we place on workers’ welfare, this administration ensures regular payment of salaries and allowances to our workers; in the same vein we have ensured that housing allowances are paid as at when due, while deserving staff have received their promotions. Aside these, my administration places a high premium on staff training and retraining. This is with a view to giving incentives to our workers and ensuring optimal service delivery”.

    Bello said May Day is celebrated globally to mark the sacrifices of workers towards building a better world, adding that it highlights the contributions which workers have consistently made to ensure a world where values of social justice and employment rights are fully protected.

    He noted that the the theme for this year’s celebration which is “The Working Class and the Quest for Socio-Economic Revival.” is, indeed, very appropriate and timely, considering the state of our national affairs.

    Bello, however, lamented that this year’s May Day is being celebrated at a time of serious downturn in the nation’s economy with international oil prices sliding downwards and adversely affecting our national revenue. A situation which according to him was further worsened by corruption and mismanagement of the past.

    ”Being mindful of this situation, President Muhammadu Buhari articulated a Change Agenda that focuses on anti-corruption, fiscal discipline and diversification of the economy. In line with this, the Federal Government has evolved several policy frameworks designed to breathe a new lease of life into the economy,” he said.

    Malam Bello said the FCT administration would continue partner with Labour in the efforts towards restoring the old glory of our great nation, stressing that his administration will not allow the issue of paucity of funds to “make us abdicate our responsibility to Labour as the FCTA will continue to be a front runner on the issues of workers’ welfare”.

    Bello then urged Labour to continue to support government in these difficult times.

     

  • Water shortage: Corps member to the rescue

    Water shortage: Corps member to the rescue

    A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has lifted the spirits of rural dwellers by providing them water, GRACE OBIKE reports

    Residents of rural parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have a lot to thank private citizens for. In such parts of town, social amenities are few but it is usually non-government persons or even non-Nigerians who throw in some food here, clothing there to help the people get by. Take internally displaced persons or IDPs in the FCT. They live in uncompleted buildings and have little food and poor water supply. They often fall ill and cannot easily get medicine or treatment. But from time to time, private citizens stop by with supplies while the government stays pretty much aloof.

    Recently, a foreign country took pictures of life in such rural communities and went about selling the shots to raise money for the communities.

    Now, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has to a large extent solved the water challenges of Dafara residents in Kuje council. The residents usually drink from a stream and age-old wells, and often come down with such water-borne diseases as cholera.

    Sometimes, individuals and groups would take free medicines to them but none ever solved their water problems.

    Mr Friday Okolie, who served with the Air Force, took it upon himself to provide Dafara with borehole water as part of his Community Development Service (CDS) Project. He got help from well-meaning people but the whole idea was his.

    The project started after he heard that the community was facing severe water shortages.

    Okolie said, “The project was informed by the medical outreach embarked upon by my colleagues to the community which exposed their lack of potable drinking water and other social amenities. Prior to the project, the major source of their water supply was local wells and stream which led to the death of many through polio, cholera, fever and other water related diseases. I also donated generator to them to enable them pump the water”.

    In appreciation, the community did not only welcome the Corps member as one of theirs but gave him a plot of land in the community and a chieftaincy title of Sarkin Noma II of Dafara.

    Okolie shed more light on his work, saying, “This project was initiated the day Corps members serving with the Nigerian Air Force Hospital came back from a free medical outreach and narrated the nature of the community they visited and the urgency required to provide for them more medical and other facilities. I henceforth decided to visit some communities in Kuje to know how I could help in my own [way] to provide for them whatever they needed most through NYSC platform.

    “When I got to this Dafara community and after much observation and assessment of their challenges   including lack of healthcare facilities, schools, good drinking water and good road, among others, I discovered that their most pressing need begging for urgent help is potable water which has been their major predicament for years.”

    He said the community chief, Joseph Makeri, explained that the Millennium Development Goal’s (MDG’s) borehole they depended on has collapsed and stopped working for years and since then, they depend on their local wells and stream for water.

    “To my total dismay, many have died of polio, cholera, fever and other water diseases in this community as a result of lack of good drinking water.”

    The Corps member who mobilised human, material and financial resources provided the community with a borehole, an overhead tank stand, water tank and generator, challenged fellow corps members to take advantage of every opportunity to initiate positive ideas geared towards impacting and contributing to the society during their service year.

    He said, “For those calling for the scrapping of NYSC, I appeal for a rethink, instead of scraping NYSC, lets suggest good ideas and policies that will move the organisation forward.

    “To my fellow corps members, as we obey the clarion call and lift our nation high under the sun or in the rain with dedication and selflessness let us not forget to initiate positive ideas that are geared towards impacting and contributing to the society. I urge you to be leaders anywhere you find yourself and also have the courage to dare things that may seem impossible. At first, you may fail or get defeated but you may also succeed. I could remember I told one of my friends of this idea and his response was “you, can you dig a well”? The thought of the fact that I am a corps member gave me self-confidence and the courage that made it a success. However, I must confess that was tasking but the fact remains that every success has its own challenges.

    “The place of my primary Assignment – Nigerian Airforce and its regimental ways doing things thought me a lot of knowledge and enormous experience which will forever remain to pave ways for me.”

     

  • At oil marketers’ mercy

    What started as a rumour a few weeks back became a reality last Wednesday. The pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol was increased from N86.50 to N145 per litre. In essence, petroleum subsidy, which had been a huge burden on past administrations, has been removed.

    Some angry Nigerians immediately took to the social media to condemn the increase while others didn’t see anything wrong with the new development. There was great fear about what the real implication of the change will bring upon Nigerians in the following months.

    But looking back, many Nigerians in the past months have been suffering on long fuel queues due to scarcity of the product, which the new regime hopes to tackle. Even with the scarcity of the product at the official price of N86.50, the cost of transportation, foodstuff and other products and services had skyrocketed, with many Nigerians groaning under their impact.

    That was why many believed that the new maximum pump price of N145 per litre will not make the common man on the street fare any better in the short run.

    Announcing the increase at the Presidential Villa, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu disclosed that there were social protection provisions in the 2016 budget aimed at cushioning the effect of the fuel price increase.

    He said, “Along with this decision, the federal government has in the 2016 budget made an unprecedented social protection provision to cushion the current challenges.

    “We believe in the long term, that improved supply and competition will drive down prices.

    “The DPR and PPPRA have been mandated to ensure strict regulatory compliance including dealing decisively with anyone involved in hoarding petroleum products,” he stated.

    But some of the questions on the lips of some Nigerians are how will the social protection provision in the 2016 budget get to all Nigerians that will be adversely affected by the pump price increase? Is there any proper measure in place for this?

    Will oil marketers, that have held past administrations to ransom and made them dance to their tune, now allow pump price go below the official maximum price of N145 per litre, knowing their craze for maximum profits?

    While Kachikwu had also told State House correspondents that the leadership of the Senate, House of Representatives, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and Labour Unions (NLC, TUC, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN) were part of the decision to increase pump price, it was surprising that NLC immediately issued a statement stating that it will resist the increase in fuel price.

    The Senate has also been reported to have scheduled debate on the matter by senators when the upper chamber resumes plenary this week.

    Also a few hours after the price increment announcement, NUPENG and PENGASSAN immediately scheduled a meeting of the unions billed for Calabar to deliberate on the matter.

    One cannot but wonder who is really trying to deceive Nigerians here.

    It was as if all the stakeholders were not fully involved in the process but only brought in at the last minutes to give impression that proper consultation was carried out before arriving at the increment.

    It could also have been deliberate and a wise move as those bodies might have resisted the change and made it impossible for the new price to be announced.

    With the new pump price now in place, there is no doubt that Nigerians are now indeed at the mercy of oil marketers.

    Some Nigerians have continued to wonder if it will be the best for Nigerians in the long run pointing out that some of the marketers have severally manipulated the system by hoarding and diverting fuel just to create artificial scarcity for their selfish gains.

    With free interaction of the forces of demand and supply, economic principles believe that prices of products and services, including oil can truly  go lower or higher than the N145 benchmark per litre.

    But the fear is whether the marketers will allow the price to freely go below the benchmark as they could still hang together as a body under the new price regime and go to any length to achieve maximum profit.

    Another question is whether the marketers that have been very difficult to monitor over the years can now be properly checked by the DPR and PPPRA under the new circumstances.

    All these issues need to be properly analyzed otherwise Nigerians will suffer more at the mercy of the oil marketers.

    But the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) are among the bodies that have hailed Buhari’s administration for the political will to remove the subsidy.

    They believed that the step will make foreign reserves available for the real sector and boost speedy development of the Nigeria economy.

    It is hoped that these projections and calculations will come to reality in order to place Nigeria on the path of growth. That is the dream of many Nigerians.

     

    Hitting the ground running

     

    It is no longer news that the 2016 Appropriation bill has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari. But how will it be implemented in the next seven months and impact positively on the lives of Nigerians, knowing that about five months is already gone in the year.

    With the overview of the 2016 Budget and the Strategic Implementation Plan made public last Thursday by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, many economic analysts believed that it can really become a budget of change if properly implemented.

    Problems of some beautiful past budgets on paper, the analysts pointed out, had always been with budget implementation. They believed that Nigerians will be better for it if the 2016 Budget can achieve at least 70 percent implementation.

    This is a wake-up call for the Ministries, Departments and Agencies not to delay in hitting the ground running as Nigerians anxiously wait for the ‘change’.

     

  • Federal Govt’s relief materials for Gombe IDPs

    Federal Govt’s relief materials for Gombe IDPs

    After severely hurting Boko Haram’s operations, the federal government’s next task has been rebuilding destroyed communities and resettling displaced persons. One of its latest efforts in this regard was sending food and other items to the IDPs in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State.

    The aid was routed through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

    Alhaji Abubakar Kari, who represented the SGF, presented the materials, making it clear that the donation would be periodic.

    The relief materials distributed included mattresses, bags of grains, 10 litres of vegetable oil, cartons of pasta, sugar, salt, buckets, mosquito nets and clothes for 100 families under a pilot programme that would soon be extended to the entire IDPs scattered across the six northern states.

    “This intervention we are presenting here today is short-term temporary measures that will come in from time to time in order to alleviate their suffering,” Kari said.

    He added that their visit was not only for donation but to also monitor their welfare and further assured the IDPs in the northeast that the Federal Government feels their pains and will soon embark on relocating them back to their various communities which have been destroyed the insurgents.

    “We are here to visit the IDPs in Yamaltu/Deba local government to see to their conditions and to also assure them that government feels their pains, that government is doing everything possible to ensure they are comfortable in the meantime. We are also here to assure and tell them that their communities are being rebuilt and that in no distant future, they will be relocated back home to your respective communities,” he told the newsmen.

    Chairman of the Internally Displaced Persons in Yamaltu-Deba local government, Alhaji Bulama Galadima Damboa who stays in Deba town with his two wives, sixteen children and an aged mother expressed his burning desires and that of most other IDPs to return back home.

    Galadima who said his eight-bedroom home was completely destroyed by the insurgents two yeas ago but managed to escape with his family and bullet wounds in his body, cried out that the issue of house rent a serious challenge for them and appealed to Nigerians for assistance.

    He appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for stepping in to assist them with calls on him for more assistance so that the gesture would extend to the entire five hundred registered IDPs in the local government area.

    He also called for speedy efforts in rebuilding their communities; and while acknowledging that the reconstruction initiative was good, Galadima also advocated for a situation where certain percentage of the total cost of reconstructing each family’s house would be given to the owner to rebuild by himself.

    ”We are very much happy with this assistance. But some of us, especially the farmers seriously want to go back home.”

     

     

     

     

  • Czech’s military equipment coming

    The Czech Republic Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Marian Jurecka has said his country would want to give Nigeria military equipment and provide other forms of assistance to fight terrorism.

    Jurecka spoke in Abuja when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello.

    The visiting Czech Republic Minister said he was in Nigeria with “more than 25 businesses representing various industries such as security, security systems, healthcare including manufacture of medical devices, the banking sector, mechanical engineering and agriculture and food production”.

    The Agriculture Minister noted that the relations between Nigeria and Czech Republic is very cordial and very friendly and hoped that the visit will help to strengthen the mutual relations.

    “The Czech government wants to continue the support it is providing to your country in the fight against terrorism through the training of your security forces, supplies of military material and servicing military equipment. We consider this support very important because we understand that in today’s world, nobody is safe when it comes to terrorism and you are one country that is fighting at the first line; for that you deserve our partnership,” he reiterated.

    According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the FCT Minister called on the government of Czech Republic to take advantage of the liberalised business environment to invest in the medical sub-sector of the Federal Capital Territory.

    Bello noted that the people of the Czech Republic have a lot of experiences and expertise in the area of health technology that is worth sharing with other countries, especially on new techniques in the sub-sector; considering the huge success story of Czechs in that field.

    He said, “If your companies are interested or your private people are looking at medical markets, there is huge potential, particularly good quality medical services using modern technology and of course, the expertise that your country has”.

    The Minister remarked that there are several other areas of opportunity because the city has grown and like every other city that is growing; social facilities are over stretched, particularly in terms of waste management.

    He said, “The entire system of refuse collection, sorting out of the refuse and making sure that they are disposed off in a very environmentally friendly manner is also a veritable investment opportunity particularly, with the overall population of the territory now moving astronomically towards six million, which is much higher than what was planned for the city”.

    Bello urged the government and corporate organisations in the Czech Republic to provide opportunities for the FCT students and officials to study courses and skills in their country on products or projects that will be beneficial.

    “This will provide the advantage for students and our government officials to see your country, understand your structure, learn your language, so, when they come back, they become those that will facilitate the relationship between the two countries,” he empha-sised.

    Bello said, “Historically, your country has always been very supportive of our country militarily and also through training and other facilities and we thank you for that”.

     

  • Security: Uncompleted buildings under surveillance

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will embark on a comprehensive surveillance of all uncompleted buildings in the Federal Capital Territory to ensure that they are not turned into criminals’ breeding grounds and operational bases.

    FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello said this while receiving some Christian leaders who visited him.

    Bello said that the administration is concerned about several uncompleted buildings across the Federal Capital City and unidentified persons living in such places, who may pose security risk.

    He noted that his administration has been able to tackle some of the people using the under-bridges as their abode and that the operation would continue until the city is rid of such activities.

    According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister revealed that the administration had earlier spoken to the Muslim community on the unfortunate cases of street begging in some areas of the city and urged the residents to join hands with the FCTA to eradicate the menace.

    Bello disclosed that his administration intends to take the issues of rehabilitation very seriously to give those with such social problem a sense belonging, thereby making them useful to themselves and the entire society.

    He said, “In the 2016 fiscal year, the FCT Administration will upgrade rehabilitation centres for effective skill acquisition to make the rehabilitated persons independent and self-sustaining.”

    Bello reiterated that the FCT Administration also intends take them back to their families for re-absorption into the society after successful rehabilitation.

    According to him, the current FCT Administration will make Abuja friendlier to the populace by making them own all government policies and programmes.

    He added that his administration would encourage religious and moral education in its schools to give re-orientation to the younger generation.

    The FCT Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Israel Akanji who led the delegation appealed to the Minister for land for church groups and for FCT Administration to spare church building where possible.

    Rev. Akanji also asked that the government to re-consider its stance on sponsorship of pilgrims to Israel.

    The FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye and other officials of the FCT Administration joined the Minister to receive the delegation, which included the Primate of Anglican Communion, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh and the Executive Secretary of NCPC, John Kennedy Opara, among others.

     

  • Council autonomy takes off in Niger

    Council autonomy takes off in Niger

    Niger State may have made history by allowing local governments to determine what to do with their finanaces, reports JUSTINA ASISHANA

    Local governments in Niger State can now determine how to spend their cash, Governor Bello has said.

    This is memorable because councils are usually denied financial autonomy. Their cash is handed to them by the state governor and in many cases they are told what to or not to do with it.

    In Niger this has ended, with Governor Abubakar Bello saying  the state government will no longer interfere with councils’ finances.

    The directive took off from this month.

    “Beginning from May, the affairs of local government administration are in the hands of the local government,” the governor said. “Let each local government manage their affairs. I am not interested in local government funds; I have no need for them. Let the local government manage their wage bill and improve their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).”

    He was speaking at a town-hall meeting before a motley crowd of political chieftains, businesspeople, Trade Union Council officers, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) representatives, youths and civil society organisations.

    The meeting was viewed as a success because it addressed the controversial state and local government joint account system. The governor finally gave autonomy to the local government areas in the state, giving them complete independence to run their finances and manage their wage bill the way they deem fit.

    He called the joint account a fraud, designed to punish the local government areas.

    Bello also lamented the high rate of ghost workers at the grassroots and hit out at his own team over alleged sharp practices.

    He said he was finding it difficult to trust people in his administration, alleging that most of them are after their own personal gains.

    Governor Bello recalled an instance when he said he asked one agency responsible for road repairs to work on the Minna-Suleja Road. In that encounter, he said he was given a bill of N1.8 billion but when he he asked a contractor to quote his bill for the same project, the contractor tendered only N400 million.

    “The same agency was asked to work on the Minna-Bida Road and we were given a bill of over N40 million while a contractor came with a bill of N15 million and we gave it to the contractor,” the governor said.

    “It is sad that this agency is part of my government. Where is the love, concern and patriotism? I have a burden I am carrying; I do not know who to trust. People who are supposed to work with me are the ones giving me false information. I do not know what to do. Government is not a business of one person, I cannot do the business alone but the people around me are here for something else.”

    The governor said that the past government may not have noticed because it had lots of funds to play with, adding that he noticed it because his government does not have any money.

    Governor Bello further predicted the economic crunch bedeviling the nation will bite harder in the next two months, adding that states will find it difficult to stay afloat.

    More states, he said, will end up not being able to pay salaries while those who manage to pay salaries will have difficulty having development projects that will impact on the people.

    He said he was equally worried by the situation where the entire revenue of a state goes into the payment of salaries, adding that the state is finding it difficult to borrow N400 million every month to augment civil servants wages as the money received from Federation Account is not enough to pay workers salary for one month

    He said, “We have seen the era when the oil rose to 140 dollars a barrel but what we have now is a situation where the entire revenue accruing to the state go straight to civil servants salary.

    “The entire population of civil servants in Niger State is not less than 30,000, and the allocation from FAAC [Federation Accounts Allocation Committee] to us is for over 4m people and it is being distributed among only the workers, which is a very serious situation. It means that there will be no developmental projects in the state.”

    He urged workers to tighten their belts for hard times ahead while promising to do his best for the people no matter the predicament.

    “Last month we borrowed to complete the salaries; this month will be worse and next month worst. Workers must endure with the government for in no distant time things will change for the better,” he said.

     

  • One rainy day

    Last Tuesday was messy for many staff and visitors at the Villa. Some cabinet ministers were also affected as the clouds released their contents for over one and a half hours.

    The only bad thing about the rain was its timing. It started around 4pm when some staff and visitors had to close for the day and needed to leave the Villa. Most of the staff and visitors, who had to leave, were trapped.

    Due to the heavy downpour, they could not get to their cars, which were parked far away in various car parks known as “Maitama’, ‘Asokoro’, ‘AYA’, Nyanya, and ‘Mararaba’, depending on their remoteness from the entrance.

    Two ministers who experienced the harsh weather were Kemi Adeosun (Finance) and Geoffrey Onyeama (Foreign Affairs).

    Their ordeal started when they wanted to leave the Villa at the end of the closed-door meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the visiting Cameroonian President, Paul Biya and his delegation on Tuesday evening.

    The ministers were momentarily prevented from getting straight to their black SUVs  packed by the entrance to the President’s and Vice President’s offices.

    Their aides came to their rescue as they rushed forward to cover them with umbrellas and usher them to the waiting vehicles.

    Even with the umbrellas, none of them got inside their vehicles without some splashes and wetness from the skies. Their files fared no better.

    Some other top government officials and visitors who had their drivers waiting for them in their cars at the parks also did not wait too long by the entrance.

    They only placed telephone calls to their drivers instructing them to bring their cars to the entrance and they quickly rushed to it and hopped in as soon as the cars came to a stop.

    But one particular ‘big man’ was not so lucky. He could not reach his driver on the telephone for almost 30 minutes due to the weather.

    He had no choice but to wait for the rain to subside and the network restored before he could get his driver to bring his car to the entrance.

    Many staff and visitors, who did not have the privilege of a waiting driver, had to wait for the rain to stop.

    Some of them who have umbrellas covered themselves from the entrance to their cars.

    Those who had no umbrella, no one to lift them to their vehicles and could not wait for the rain to stop were mercilessly drenched before they reach the car parks.

    Some contracted maintenance staff in the Villa were not left out of the ugly experience as they had to defy the rain.

    Since the rain coincided with their closing time, they had to walk under the rain without cover in order not to miss their staff buses.

    Even some Villa staff, who were still working in their offices and not ready to leave the Villa during the heavy down pour were also affected by the rainy day.

    The air conditioning system. that had provided comfort to them few hours earlier in the hot afternoon suddenly became a source of discomfort.

    Their offices became extra ordinarily cold due to the central air conditioning system.

    Some of them had to quickly resort to their sweaters while others drank hot tea or coffee to warm their body.

    The irony of the situation was that most of them have no control over the central air conditioning system as only the maintenance staff have access and know where the control unit is located.

    Some of the major roads in the Villa were also badly affected by the heavy down pour as movement in and out were slowed down with the roads water logged from the period of the rain till close to half an hour after the rain ended.

    One major reason why most Villa staff and visitors to the State House were caught off guard by the rain last Tuesday was because it was one of the first heavy rain during the weekdays in the Villa.

    But they, no doubt, will henceforth be psychological and physically prepared for the coming rains.

    Tuesday’s raining day in the Villa cannot however be seen as bad omen, as it is God’s given and will go a long way to ensure food security of the nation.

     

    Gearing up for rainy exercises

     

    It may be very difficult for Villa staff who use the State House gym to easily agree that the heavy downpour last Tuesday was a blessing.

    The gym was flooded due to the leaking roof, which made some of the staff not to be able to use some of the equipment.

    The problem is not a new one as it has been there since the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Towards finding a solution, the issue was brought up in the ‘From the Villa’ of 3rd November 2015 titled ‘Exercising in the rain’ when some of the gym users expressed their displeasure about the problem.

    The repairs under the current dispensation might have been delayed by the grey areas in the 2016 Budget.

    Now that the 2016 Budget have been assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari last Friday, State House staff may not need to worry for long before the problem is rectified.

    But if the item happens to be one of those removed from the Budget by the National Assembly, then Villa staff have to gear up for rainy exercises in the gym till there might be hope for remedy if the item succeeds to make any supplementary budget later this year.

    It is hoped that it will not be too late as water and wetness is not good for the expensive equipment in the gym.

    Because of the importance of a healthy and fit State House workforce, anticipatory approval may also not be ruled out in tackling the issue.

     

  • Garbage compounds councils’ woes

    Garbage compounds councils’ woes

    Local councils have an unenviable profile: no good roads, no water, no electricity. Now, uncleared garbade threatens, GBENGA OMOKUNU reports

    Council Areas in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) now have something new to lament: garbage.

    Filth never quite disappeared, though, but the Muhammad Bello administration sought to give the nation’s seat of power a new, healthy outlook. The minister reintroduced the monthly sanitation exercise. A few months ago, all six council areas cleaned up their streets and drainage. But the gutters and roads are filling up again, some to overflowing.

    This is the picture in some places in Kuje, Abaji and some other area councils. It is a challenge residents must add to such others as poor roads, lack of water and woeful power supply, among others.

    When Malam Bello re-introduced the monthly exercise, many residents doubted its effectiveness. Some termed it another government project that was bound to fail. Some also saw it as a waste of time and resources but some others thought that something good might come out of it, only if certain things were put in place.

    Many of the residents who spoke with Abuja Review stated that each area council in the FCT needed to embark on sensitisation of the residents as the exercise would be fruitless without the participation of the residents.

    “I never knew about the sanitation exercise until someone told me about it. I know many other FCT residents do not know what it is about. So there should be urgent need for sensitisation of the people,” Ibrahim Onah, a resident of Kuje said.

    While some of them stated that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise was welcome, they emphasised the need for strict enforcement of environmental laws to achieve the desired result.

    They blamed the current sanitation challenges facing the territory on ignorance on the part of some residents and the failure of the area councils to live up to expectation.

    A resident of Kuje, James Abadi while using Kuje as example stated that the woeful waste situation in Kuje followed the failure of the area council to enforce environmental laws.

    Abadi stated that the re-introduction of the monthly sanitation exercise was a step in the right direction but added that there was need for regular monitoring by officials.

    He said, “I think the most important thing to do to achieve the desired cleanliness in Kuje and other area councils is for the council to embark on aggressive sensitisation.

    People need to be sensitised on the dangers of a dirty environment. It is funny but some people do not know that there are health implications of a dirty environment. I think that the area councils are not doing anything to get the people informed.

    “With the re-introduction of the sanitation exercise, we can see that the minister has shown commitment to promote sanitation in FCT, health officials in the various councils and FCTA must live up to expectations to enlighten the people,” he said.

    A resident of Gwagwalada, John Chitta, while agreeing to the sensitisation of the residents, also blamed the dirtiness in the territory on failure to regularly evacuate refuse dumps by the councils.

    “I can remember that there was a time that all the roads in Gwagwalada were littered with refuse. I don’t know what really happened then but it wasn’t a good experience. Even now, regular evacuation of refuse is still not being done,” he said.

    He stated that over the years, the council had continuously failed the people but called for policies that would bring about a regular evacuation of refuse in the area, adding that such measures will definitely restore the confidence of residents in the council.

    Chitta who stated that sanitation was a collective thing, added that if residents would work hard, ensuring that refuse from their homes were gathered at the various points, it was left for the council administration to do their part and complement the residents’ effort.

    “We are all in support of the exercise. The minister started on a good note and we pray it will continue that way because we have seen situations in Gwagwalada where refuse dump had almost cover the entire road without evacuation. We pray as this exercise continues, we will not experience that again. But see what is happening now everywhere is dirty again,” he said.

    For Amina Ibrahim, a resident of Kubwa, Bwari area council, if the area councils are to be sincere in the implementation of the newly launched monthly sanitation exercise, dirty environment in the FCT will become a thing of the past.

    “There are so many things the councils should do. We cannot talk about sanitation without provision for evacuation from the various points. This issue is an important issue and should be a daily affairs or weekly affairs. If it is left to pile up, it is another problem,” she said.

    Ibrahim also called on the area councils’ administration to bring out designated refuse dumps where there are none, while urging them to designate protected places as refuse dumps so as not to affect the health of people living around that particular area.

    While expressing hope that residents of the territory would be ready to pay their bills if the evacuation was regular and consistent, Ibrahim stated that the past experiences by the residents as pertaining evacuation has made them uncooperative.

    He advocated for a change of attitude on the part of residents adding that the act of dumping refuse in drainage system during rains was a major cause of flooding in the area.

    A resident of Dutse Alhaji in Bwari area council, Gabriel Isah also agreed that the sanitation exercise cannot be successful without the residents’ cooperation and called on FCT residents to have an attitudinal change and ensure that they take advantage of the various designated dumping points across the councils.

    “We need an attitudinal change in keeping our environment clean. We have been talking about change; change is not all about government alone. Change is also about each and every one of us as individuals. If we do not take sanitation as our collective responsibility, then there will be a problem.

    “We cannot continue to wait for government. We have to do our own part because when there is any outbreak of any disease in our area, it affects us. We have to wake up and cannot wait for government to do everything for us.

    “We must keep our surrounding clean to guard against infections before calling for assistance from government.

    “We also wait on the area councils to bring back health officials as was done in the past to inspect houses and ensure that defaulters are prosecuted.”