The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Minister woos media

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Mohammed Bello has urged the media to support him in the discharge his new duties.

    He spoke at a meeting with the FCT Press Corps, noting the redemptive mission of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    He said, “This administration has come on board based on the yearnings of Nigerians for specific changes in our polity, in our society and how we operate as people, so we will need to change out attitude, behaviour and the way we do things.

    “The essence of the entire process is for good governance but good governance in itself has to have an objective which is for the people to be better off and have a good life.

    “I wanted to meet with you, for those people that I have met in the past, to thank you and for those that I am just meeting for the first time, to appeal for your support and cooperation, I am sure that you know of the enormous responsibility bestowed on me and I need your support. You are the eyes, ears and vanguard, a lot of things that you are privy to know will be based on your own maturity, professional judgment, goodwill and integrity to determine what needs to be deciminated, I leave it up to you, you know your training and what you are suppose to do. I assure you that we are going to work very closely together as friends and family.”

    Bello at the occasion, announced the appointment of Sani Abubakar, Chairman of the FCT Press Corps as his Special Adviser on Media.

     

  • ‘Staff must shun corruption’

    Few Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye has warned heads of Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs) to shun corruption and keep their hands from funds meant for the development of the Federal Capital Territory.

    Dr Ajakaiye called for a holistic change of altitude by the civil servants by thinking outside the box and being innovative in their approach to government business and considering it a service to humanity.

    The warning was contained in a statement released by Deputy Director cum Chief Press Secretary, FCT, Muhammad Sule.

    Dr. Ajakaiye warned Heads and Directors of some Secretariats, Departments and Agencies in Abuja of the danger in compromising their positions and denying the people their due.

    Sule said, “Dr. Ajakaiye lamented that a leakage may seem small in some cases but cumulatively pose great danger to the entire system with devastating effects on the residents as well as the visitors to the Territory.

    “The Permanent Secretary reiterated these leakages if contained would go a long way in improving the infrastructure and services in the entire 8,000 square kilometers of the Federal Capital Territory.

    “The country desires change and the change is already here: In the words of President Muhammadu Buhari, we should not fear him but fear the consequences of our actions. He called for holistic change of altitude by thinking outside the box and being innovative in our approach to government businesses by considering it a service to humanity.

    “Dr. Ajakaiye further charged the Heads of the Mandate Secretariats and Directors to genuinely devise means of doing things proactively now that the country’s economy is dwindling.

    “We should all put our thinking caps to be solution providers and think outside the box to spawn buoyant Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to sustain its operations, because funds are really not there again as it used to be”.

    “He therefore enjoined the Senior Officials in the FCTA not to be possessive in terms of property or monetary accumulation because these might not make meaning to their children but rather on legacies that are capable of enduring positive effects on the society.”

     

  • Free VVF surgery for 30 women in Niger

    No fewer than 30 women in Niger State have undergone surgery for Vesico Vaginal Fistula or VVF.

    The procedure was facilitated by the wife of the state governor Dr. Amina Sani Bello.

    VVF, which affects women’s urinary tract, results from protracted labour, leaving them unable to control the passage of urine.

    Mrs Bello, herself a medical doctor, invited VVF experts from Kano and Katsina states who conducted the procedure for free.

    The governor’s wife also participated in the operation.

    Speaking to reporters after one operation at the General Hospital in Kontagora, Dr. Amina Bello said, “VVF is a terrible condition which usually affects women in the poor areas and because they are poor, it is difficult to get treatment. What we have done in collaboration with Sani Bello Foundation and Niger State government is to call Fistula surgeons who are experts in treating the diseases surgically so that those affected can have the surgery free and be integrated back into the society.”

    According to her, Niger State, especially Niger North Senatorial Zone, has a large number of women with VVF who have not been treated.

    She said that in addition to having the surgery, the women will be rehabilitated.

     

  • 12 get India scholarship in Niger

    A member of the House of Representatives Abubakar Lado Suleja has provided funds for 12 indigent students of Niger State origin to study at an Indian university.

    The lawmaker, who represents Suleja/Gurara/Tafa Federal constituency, said the beneficiaries will study healthcare courses at the NOIDA International University, India.

    Eight of the students are to study General Nursing and Midwifery, while three will study Physiotherapy for the four-year period.

    Suleja said the scholarship initiative was conceived to ensure that students, especially indigent ones were not denied opportunity of progressing with their education in a world that is getting more competitive by the day.

    Besides, the Federal lawmaker said that the result of the initiative would not only improve health care service delivery in his constituency but also provide his constituency with adequate health personnel.

    He said, “During my campaigns, I went round all the polling units and most of the complaints I received pertain to the issue of healthcare delivery. We’re lacking health personnel in most of the communities.

    “So, I felt we should create an initiative to give adequate opportunities to the younger ones to go and study health related courses in order to help the people in their communities.”

    One of the beneficiaries, Talatu Yusuf said, “We have been looking for admission for long in vain, but Hon Lado came to our rescue. We are very happy for the change we have in APC.  We thank him for doing this honour to us. It is not easy. We have been in this Suleja for long, and many people had this position in the past, but they couldn’t do this.”

    Of the 12 students, nine are female, two male.

     

  • Yobe revives Quran studies

    Yobe revives Quran studies

    Setting up a Quran research centre, the Yobe State University aims to boost knowledge in Islam as well as restore interest in the Holy Book for which the old Borno Empire was well known. DUKU JOEL reports

    If some of Yobe State’s old fame in Quran education returns, its Muslim faithful will have their state government and university to thank for it. In the old days when Kanem Borno Empire covered today’s Yobe and Borno states the whole of Africa respected the empire for its depth in Islamic studies, complete with Quran recitations and commentaries. A lot of that has been whittled down over the years but the Yobe State University, with help from the state government, is set to recover what was lost.

    The state institution has established the Centre for Research in Quranic Studies in order to develop a Quranic education system that will suit modern development and technological advancement in the region, the country and the Islamic world in general.

    •Participants at the workshop
    •Participants at the workshop

    The centre, according to the Vice Chancellor of Yobe State University Prof. Musa Alabe, would also serve as a counter-insurgency measure to the Boko Haram crisis in the region and the immediate university community.

    “There are many dimensions to solving problems of Boko Haram and the other sides of insurgency. You can use money to say you want to remove the people from poverty which is one of the problems driving the insurgency. But one of the fundamental factors driving the Boko Haram is the ability to be able to know the Quran and apply it as it’s supposed to be.  We  have a large group of people who have memorised this Quran but do not know how to apply it.

    “So what the centre intends to do is to bring these people together, teach them this Quran and make them useful members of the society by integrating them, by certificating them and allowing them to participate in the growth of the society,” Prof Alabe informed.

    Speaking on the prospects of the centre and how many people are expected for the take-off, the Vice Chancellor said, “At the beginning we hope to start small with 50 or 60 but with time, and gradually we hope to blow into hundreds and hundreds of thousands because we hope it would enrich our coverage to cover the entire northern states and Nigeria at large. But at the beginning, we have to start with a small number to be able to manage it and also study the challenges and prospects of the general outlook and develop a system that can sustain this noble ambition that we have.

    “We are really lucky the Director of Kano Centre, a sister centre, is a friend and a brother so that gives us that leverage to draw strategies from them and they have willingly agreed to partner and cooperate with us for the growth of the two centres. Suffice to say that with this kind of support, we are starting on a good footing and in the near future, we would be able to overcome the lack of understanding and the application of the Quran within the large population of Yobe and Borno states.

    The problem of apathy by some of the scholars towards western education and modernity, according to the Vice Chancellor, has been taken care off by bringing on board some of such people as members of the decision making bodies of the centre.

    He explained, ”We want to integrate the university and the town and one of the strategies is to bring them as board members and players in the field as decision makers. We will blend them and take decisions together with them so I don’t think the apathy will be there any longer.”

    As part of measures by the Centre to announce her arrival to the community, the Centre organised a one day workshop which has the theme, ‘Towards Establishing Sustainable and Developed Quranic Education System in Yobe State’ with participants drawn from across Tsangayas schools across the state who converged at the Ibrahim Gaidam Multi-Purpose Hall of the Yobe State University, Damaturu.

    The Director of the Centre Prof. Moussa Oumar Keita explained that organising the workshop is one of the ways of exposing the centre to the host community and to also unveil its objectives.

    Prof. Keita noted that apart from the Centre raising the standard of Tsangaya schools in the state; it will also build a solid Quranic Data base for research and documentation in the institution that will become a global reference.

    The Director, Centre for Quranic Studies, Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Ibrahim Mohammad called on the Yobe community to take advantage of the opportunities the centre offers in order to be integrated into the modern society. He regretted that Yobe and Borno states  which made up the Kanem Borno Empire and a symbol of Islamic civilisation has now been turned into a theater of war due to the Boko Haram insurgents.

    Well, the new centre will be hoping to reverse and restore the region to its old glory.

     

  • El-Rufai wins over critics

    El-Rufai wins over critics

    After some widespread criticism especially over demolition, Kaduna State residents seem to believe Governor Nasir el-Rufai is on course to transform the state. The launch of some flashy cabs reinforced that belief, reports ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE

    When government bulldozers moved early in Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s administration, pulling down structures and leaving their owners weeping, many concluded that Demolition Man had not lost his taste cultivated while he was Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Even his supporters had few words to defend him. Now, five months on, many believe el-Rufai is taking the state somewhere great.

    •The cabs
    •The cabs

    As he took office, he declared a state of emergency on health and education, making the latter free and compulsory. Now, el-Rufai has launched some 200 comfortable taxis, leaving even his critics applauding him.

    A cross-section of Kaduna citizens spoken to at the event described the launching of the luxury taxis as a positive indication that el-Rufai was ready to transform the state.

    Suleiman Abdullahi said, “Let me tell you the fact, I have been a critic of el-Rufai. I was happy when APC presented him as their candidate in the 2015 governorship election because this is somebody who did a wonderful job as a minister of the FCT. But I lost respect for the governor when he came on board and started talking about demolition. Meanwhile, this is the same demolition that his opponents in the PDP used to campaign against him. All of us were here when they named him ‘Mai Rusau’ or The Demolisher.

    “So I expected that when he comes on board he will first of all concentrate on developing the state before demolishing buildings where necessary. We still thank God that he is treading softly about his demolition plan now. I learnt he has promised to compensate people with valid documents even before demolishing their houses.

    “I am happy today that he has shown indication that he is prepared to bring the kind of development he initiated in Abuja to Kaduna too. I know it is good for fix education and health, but we want development that we can see, touch and feel in our daily lives.”

    Kaduna-based journalist and public affairs analyst, Alhaji Tajudeen Tijjani Ajibade said the introduction of the Sport Utility Vehicles was a good development in the sense that it is going to bring back the old days of Kaduna where taxis are seen plying every road. Another thing is the number of people the scheme will employ.

    He said, “But it is like putting the cart before the horse. The government should have carried out rehabilitation of roads first, before acquiring the vehicles. It is however not too late, if the government has not distributed the vehicles, it should hold on and carry out the rehabilitation of Kaduna township roads first.

    “Remember that these cars are meant for the public, not for a particular class of people. So, imagine the opening and closing of the vehicles doors by thousands of hands and their driving on bad roads for six months; they will certainly be off the road. So, let government fix the roads before disbursement of those vehicles, otherwise they will be nowhere to be found in the next two years.”

    Similarly, Abdullahi Rigasa opined that the cabs scheme was a welcome development, but el-Rufai should also create jobs, so that people will have somewhere to board the taxis to. “He should also rehabilitate the intra-state railway. That will complement the work of the luxurious taxis.”

    Another citizen who preferred anonymity said, “I must tell you that I have never doubted Malam Nasir el-Rufai’s ability to lead Kaduna State to greater heights, but he should round off this workers’ verification of a thing. At least, we believe all the ghost workers have been discovered. With this, workers will be relieved and can enjoy this luxurious taxis to and fro our working places.

    “We are happy with this, and we are praying that the governor will fulfil the promise he just made to bring luxurious buses like BRT to Kaduna so that workers will have free transport system to their working places or at least at a subsidised transport fare,” she said.

    National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who stormed Kaduna to commission the taxi scheme, said el-Rufai is no longer an ‘Accidental Public Servant’, but a determined and well-groomed governor.

    He said of the taxis, “This is proactive effort geared at job creation. The Kaduna Cab Scheme is a long overdue initiative. And now that a people-oriented government is in charge, we are beginning to see not just bold ideas, but equally bold moves.

    “I have been made to understand that the Kaduna Green Cabs Programme is an initiative to revive taxi services in the state, using modern cars and well-trained owner-drivers. It will also create a new generation of owner-drivers.

    “It is an economic empowerment programme aimed at not just creating wealth, but providing jobs and affordable loans to the people of Kaduna State. The advantages of this initiative range from the economic to the sociological and to security. It will help to begin to sanitise the taxi business system since a database is expected to be established with a monitoring technique.

    “I am impressed by the subsidised and soft loan nature of the scheme. It is governance with a human face. I salute Governor el-Rufai for this bold initiative and I challenge him to quickly increase the number of the cabs.

    “I am sure the last five to six months have convinced many Kaduna residents that they are indeed in capable hands and that a new sheriff is in town, one who will stop at nothing to make Kaduna excel.”

    The governor said the scheme was not an exercise in political patronage, but a business and a platform created to empower the industrious and the hard working among Kaduna youth.

    He said, aside from the 10% deposit each of the pioneer owner-drivers of the Kaduna Cabs have made, they will pay for the full value of the cars in monthly installments of 36 months.

    According to the governor, “We believe that all the major cities in our state deserve a decent taxi cab service. Whether to the airport, from hotels, or on our major roads, it must be possible for a passenger to commute in conditions of comfort and safety.

    “It is our duty to provide choice, so that a user can decide which means of transportation is best suited to their needs and pockets at any particular time. We can all agree that it is an anomaly that Kaduna, our capital city, does not have a functioning, organized and regulated taxi service.

    We have designed this taxi cab service to do more than expand choice. In addition to safety, comfort and an enhanced user experience, the cab scheme is a means of creating jobs and empowering owner-drivers. We hope that many of our young people will find owning and running their own taxi cab a fulfilling business.”

    Chairman of Kaduna Cabs Owners Association, Mr. Nuhu Bahago who delivered the vote of thanks, assured the governor that proper safety measures have been put in place ahead of the takeoff of the taxis operation.

    He also called on members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to see the new Kaduna Cabs owners and drivers as partners in business, and not as rivals.

     

  • A community in dire need

    A community in dire need

    Its roads are in disrepair, water is scarce, drainage dreadful. Health facilities in Lugbe, a satellite town, are also a big concern, reports OLUGBENGA ADANIKIN

    The civil servants, private business owners, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and others who live in Lugbe, a large settlement in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are familiar with the lack narrative. Their roads are poor and drinking water is a huge challenge. When it rains, the community is flooded not as much by the volume of the downpour as of the dreadful drainage. They have also health care challenges.

    In places around the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) where some businessmen live, life seems a big better. There are eateries, banks, huge pharmacies and other health facilities, but on the other side, residents seem to gnash their teeth more. The population of over 10,000 clearly cannot afford the FHA rent, and have to cope with whatever comes their way.

    There is indeed a health facility strategically located close to the market there but it cannot cope with the residents’ needs.

    There have been several calls for the authority to expand the facility to include other structures and departments considering the population, unfortunately little or nothing was done. In terms of personnel, there are few permanent health workers and more of support nurses numbering over 10.

    A visit to the hospital revealed some of the equipment are archaic; the beds have become flat while sitting furniture was unavailable. There are insufficient beds and staff to attend to patients. The situation is as worrisome as these few health workers struggle to attend to expectant mothers who visited for medical checks.

    A nurse who pleaded anonymity said, “Only six workers are full staff nurse here and there are about 10 non-permanent staff. We are not enough considering the population of people living here in Lugbe. The permanent staff don’t come for night shifts except for one. Other five come only in the morning. In fact, we supposed to have a general hospital.”

    Speaking further on remunerations, the female nurse stressed, “For about five years now, we have been working but they refused to regularise our work as permanent nurses. We do more of the job because we do night shifts a lot unlike the permanent nurses. So we are hoping that by the time they appoint a new minister, things will change.

    “Whichever employment they want to carry out, they should please consider we that have been working here for so long without been paid.”

    Perhaps, outstanding performances and commitments of the staff despite all odds earned the health centre AMAC Health Department Certificate of Excellence in 2013. The staffs were rewarded for their contribution to developing primary health care services for the year.

    Shortly after, the facility was also renovated by the Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI). The Non Governmental Organisation NGO also donated relief and medical materials.

    According to NURHI during the visit recently, “the influx of women coming to the health centre here is alarming, especially for delivery and medicare. We have about 60 women in a month that come here for family planning. When you look at the total influx of women coming here for delivery, I can tell you they are more than 500 in a month.

    “I am not being specific but they are more than 500 in a month that comes here for delivery.”

    While conducting survey on this facility, it was gathered that the primary health care centre was built by a former AMAC Chairman, Dr. Zaphaniah Jisalo in 2008 and commissioned on Tuesday 8th December, 2009 by the then Minister of State for FCT, Chief Chuka Odom.

    A resident, Mr. David Dumelo tasked the authority to consider expanding the hospital or establishing a general hospital in the locality.

    “I’m sure government knows what is right to do. We don’t need to beg them if they have our interest at heart. First, look at the road leading to the health centre, so bad in a deplorable condition. Do you know during emergencies, we mostly rush our people to Wuse General

    Hospital in town?

    “That’s the situation we have found ourselves. Unfortunately there is little we can do.”

  • Media urged to publicise free health facilities

    Media urged to publicise free health facilities

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has stressed the need for the public to take advantage of free health facilities.

    But for this to happen, the Chief of Field Officer in charge of Sokoto zone, Mr. Mohammed Mohiuddin urged the media to create the awareness and ensure that every  mother and  child have access to health care facilities, vaccination, and good water, among other necessities.

    He made the call while briefing reporters in Birnin-Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, saying, “Nigeria is not poor in terms of resources but the people need more commitment and enlightenment.”

    Speaking further, he said, “In Nigeria, resources  are not a constraint,  but Nigeria is one of  the worst states when  talking about  access to health care, access to  good water and access to  basic education.”

    He also said millions of children are out of school and several more exposed to the six killer diseases, adding that most pregnant women and nursing mothers don’t even know that there are free health care facilities available for them to access.

    This situation results in needless deaths of mothers and their children, he said.

    He urged the media to work together with UNICEF to remove this problem by enlightening the general public on how to access some of these health facilities available in Kebbi.

    Besides, he said, “When they don’t access some of these vaccines, they become expired and spoil’’.

    In his presentation, Dr. Danjuma Nehema said every year about one out of every 20 women who deliver live babies in Nigeria die due to problems associated with pregnancy and childbirth. He urged the media to help disseminate these key information to the general public, saying that expectant women should receive antenatal care from a health worker at a health facility at least four times during pregnancy while those with vaginal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, difficulty breathing should go to the nearest clinic as early as possible.

  • Kuje FRSC cautions motorists on rules

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kuje Unit command, has urged motorists to obey traffic rules and avoid reckless driving.

    Mr Charles Umoh, the unit commander cautioned the drivers during a safety road show tagged “Driving Safely Into 2016” organised by the Kuje command.

    Umoh said the exercise was aimed at sensitising motorists on the need to strictly adhere to traffic rules and the dangers of reckless driving during the Yuletide.

    He said road crashes are not mere occurrences but negligence by some motorists which can be reduced by building good road-user attitude and adherence to traffic rules.

    According to him, record shows that arrogance on the part of drivers in terms of speeding, expired tires, drink-driving and over-loaded vehicles are the major causes of road accidents.

    “Accidents do not just happen; they are caused by road users as a result of negligence and disobedience of traffic rules and regulations.

    “Road traffic crashes are not mere occurrences but largely human, which can be reduced through conscious effort by driving carefully and strict adherence to traffic rules.

    “All we need to do on our highways is to examine our driving attitude to stay clear of any unhealthy practices and to be promoters of road safety advocacy,” he said.

    The Unit Commander also called for partnership with the Kuje Transport Union and FRSC Kuje command to work in synergy to reduce road accidents to the barest.

    He assured that there would be zero crash during and after the yuletide period as the Road Marshals would be vigilant during the festival.

    The FRSC FCT Sector Commander, represented by the Deputy Corps Commander, Mr Udeme Eshiet, urged Motorist in the area to obey traffic rules and drive safely into 2016.  According to him, unsafe conditions were factors responsible for road accidents and could be averted by strict adherence to traffic rules and regulations’

    Eshiet urged the taxi drivers and motorcycle riders in the area to obey road traffic rules during and after the Christmas period to ensure that innocent lives are not lost.

    He said that, “The road users need to be conscious of safety while on the road, and the need to change their attitude from negative to positive.

    “When you have respect for other road users, you will know that there is need to drive safely to avoid road accident.

    “There is always an increase in vehicular movement during the Christmas period, because people want to achieve something they have planned for the year.

    “But one thing is for sure, it is only the living that can achieve his/her goals, so I urge all the road users to drive safely into 2016 because there is another Christmas to celebrate.

    The Chairman of Kuje Tipper Garage Transport Union, Alhaji Saleh Haruna, thanked the Kuje FRSC for the sensitisation campaign and promised to cooperate with the command at all times.

    He called on FRSC and other stakeholders to ensure the mounting of more road signs at identified flash-points to caution drivers in the area.

    The sensitisation campaign featured drama presentation by the FRSC Club of the Nation Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Road Show

    The FRSC team visited Wowo Park along Kuje-Gwgagwalada road and Tipper Garage to sensitise members of the public on fake driver’s license and safety measures.

  • Shocker!

    All the permanent secretaries in the Federal Civil Service of the Federation as at last Tuesday morning were definitely looking forward to continue to be accounting officers and performing their duties as Ministers were scheduled to be sworn in the following day.

    It was never part of their dreams and plans not to be part of the new dispensation.

    The dreams and aspirations of about 17 of the permanent secretaries were shattered last Tuesday afternoon.

    The permanent secretaries who arrived for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday along with the Acting Head of Federal Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, probably thought the meeting was to prepare them for the coming ministers.

    But before the new ministers were sworn in last Wednesday, the permanent secretaries were retired from service barely 24 hours to the ministers’ coming on board.

    The retired permanent secretaries left the seat of power shocked as some of them were gloomy when they filed out of the President’s office and passed by journalists on their way out.

    The journalists had rushed out to the corridor to get a glimpse of the permanent secretaries when news filtered to them on the latest development.

    Some of the permanent secretaries were seen discussing on their telephone sets as they walked past journalists, probably dishing out instructions to their aides in the office to clear their tables and belongings to make room for the next occupants.

    Although no reason was given for their immediate retirement from service in the statement announcing their replacement, which was issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

    But stories from the grapevine in the Presidency had it that the permanent secretaries were shown the way out as they were senior in the service to the newly appointed Oyo-Ita.

    Oyo-Ita, who resumed office on the 21st of last month, was also rumoured to have wept at the meeting for her seniors who were affected by the new development.

    The 18 newly appointed permanent secretaries replacing those going on compulsory retirement include Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, Alhaji Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, Mr. Taiwo Abidogun, Dr. Bukar Hassan, Mrs. Wakama Belema Asifieka, Mr. Jalal Ahmad Arabi, Mr. Sabiu Zakari.

    Others are Mrs. Obiageli Phyllis Nwokedi, Mr. Aminu Nabegu, Mr. Bamgbose Olukunle Oladele, Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, Mr. Ogbonnaya Innocent Kalu, Mrs. Nuratu Jimoh Batagarawa, Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, Mr. Bassey Apkanyung, Mr. Louis Edozien and Dr. Ugo Roy

    The President did not stop at appointing the new replacements, but went ahead to reshuffle the beats for the present 36 permanent secretaries a day to swearing in of Ministers.

    The aims of the new moves are believed to be focusing on repositioning and strengthening the civil service for the task ahead.

    • A bird in hand

    Not a few Nigerians would have wondered why a person who has a prospect of becoming a state governor at the end of legal litigation  would go ahead now to take a ministerial job.

    This actually happened in the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja last Wednesday.

    Senator Aisha Alhassan, popularly referred to as ‘Mama Taraba’ was declared the winner of the 2015 Taraba State Governorship election a fortnight ago by Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

    The Tribunal had annulled the election of Darius Ishaku as the Executive governor of Taraba State.

    Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Danladi, relying on the report of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared that Ishaku was not properly nominated as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party since no primary election was conducted in the state by the party.

    Ishaku has threatened to appeal the verdict of the election tribunal at the Court of Appeal within the stipulated period.

    While all Tarabans and Nigerians are still waiting the final outcome of the litigation, Mama Taraba decided to embrace the popular saying ‘A bird in hand is worth two in the bush’ by grabbing the ministerial slot at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) allocated to her state.

    She disappointed those who thought that she would turn down the ministerial job in the hope of occupying the Taraba State Government House in line with the verdict of the election tribunal.

    Mama Taraba did not only physically appear for the swearing in of ministers, but actually took the oath of office and got the portfolio as the Minister of Women Affairs.

    During the ceremony, she was frequently referred to as ‘Mama Taraba’ by the master of ceremony, which drew applaud from those in the Chamber. Those who supported the decision of Alhassan to take the ministerial job pending the determination of the governorship litigation, also believed that the action will help to build her profile.

    In her profile, if she eventually gets the governorship seat, she would be referred to a as a former senator and ex-Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    • Speedy development

    President Buhari has again impressed on the new Ministers the need to urgently move fast towards delivering the desired change to Nigerians.

    Besides organising a two-day retreat for them, he insisted during their swearing in ceremony on Wednesday that no time must be wasted and they should hit the ground running on their new assignment.

    Believing that the new cabinet will not let him down, the President declared that he has put round pegs in round holes, square pegs in square holes and taken cognizance of Nigeria’s diversity and positions of various stakeholder groups.

    With the portfolios given to the 37 ministers, including himself, President Buhari also believed that the mistakes of the past administrations, which allocated wrong portfolios to individuals, have been adequately corrected.

    He said: “Today we have reached another milestone in the evolution of our new government which Nigerians overwhelmingly voted into office in the March 28th, 2015 general elections.

    “Since our inauguration on May 29, 2015, the Vice President and I have been mindful of the need to constitute a cabinet that will best deliver our expectations of a better country than we inherited.

    “And we are optimistic that bringing this set of ministers into the service of our country today is a step in the right direction, a timely move towards realizing our positive goals for our country.

    “Our new ministers must proceed to work speedily and do their utmost to justify the confidence we have placed in them not only by their conduct but also by their performance in their various positions,” he stated