The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Firm trains 152 youths in Kwara

    Firm trains 152 youths in Kwara

    A battery manufacturing firm, Forgo based in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has trained no fewer than 152 youth workers.

    The firm said that the trained workers would add value to the Nigerian economy. The company added that it planned to double its strength in the next 12 months.

    Managing Director of the company, Joseph Offorjama said this in Ilorin at the commissioning of Forgo battery assembly facility.

    Mr. Offorjama said the company, with its increased electronic features and security tracking system, would offer quality products that are capable of powering modern automobiles.

    He said, “The general increase in battery demand by automobiles and machines can only be met by a proven and tested battery brand with extreme strength to suit the Nigerian climate.”

    He decried Nigerians’ taste for imported products, adding that “it is disturbing to note that virtually all the batteries being used in Nigeria are all imported due to the challenge that only one company assembles automotive battery in the country; coupled with the preference of Nigerians for imported products.

    “This trend has also contributed to the present downward trend in the economy as we import so many things that could be made here in Nigeria, including automotive batteries.

    “However, due to the recent policies of both federal state governments to encourage local investors, we make bold to say here that this determination has motivated us in a very great measure.

    In a remark, President, Nigeria Automotive Technicians Association (NATA), Michael Omonayin hailed the coming on board of the company.

    He added that based on the of the company’s products, the association had since 2009 signed a memorandum of association with Forgo Battery Nigeria Limited.

    “While we have remained resilient all these years due to unavailability of the customized brand, today’s ceremony to us is a dream come through,” Mr. Omonayin added.

    Commissioning the facility, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed promised to create conducive environment for investments to thrive in the state.

    Said he: “It is my pleasure therefore, to be in your midst today for the commissioning of Forgo Battery Assembly Facility in Ilorin. The product of this company is indeed important.

    “Aside from aiding the access of our people to quality supply of battery, thus promoting private transport businesses, it will also boost the effort of the government in the creation of jobs and engaging more people of our State directly or indirectly.

    “I appreciate your thoughtfulness in establishing this company in Ilorin, Kwara state and assure you that you will harvest good returns on your investment in our state.

    “It is evident that by the establishment of this company here, the management is contributing to our prosperity. I, therefore urge the people of the state to reciprocate through due patronage of the product.

    “In the past, Kwara State was known to be a civil service state. This tag was hinged on the fact that the bulk of the workforce is engaged in the Civil Service. But I am glad to acknowledge that recently the story is changing for the better.

    “It would be recalled that my predecessor commenced the process of weaning the State from this perception. In recent times, a number of companies have been attracted to the state, complementing the efforts of the Kwara state government in providing employment to the people.

    “Prominent among such companies are the Dangote Flour Mills, Tuyil Pharmaceutical Company, Kam Wire Steel Industry, and Cashew Nut Processing Industry, among a host of others.

    “These companies have in their employment, thousands of Kwarans who are making a living through them.

    “I am aware that the product has already made a name and carved a niche for itself for quality and durability. I implore you therefore to make the best use of this opportunity.

    “I cannot but mention the phenomenal efforts of the state government in attracting investors to the state. Following a lull in projects, I assure you that the State government will resume infrastructural development programmes at the end of this month. Key among these projects will include road, power, water and education.

    I, therefore, invite investors to take advantage of these developments and exploit the numerous opportunities that abound in our state.

    Consequently, we have relaxed measures for acquiring land and Certificate of Occupancy and made available other benefits that will encourage investment. Furthermore, all machinery will be in motion to sustain the atmosphere of peace that is a necessary pre-requisite for the upsurge of industries and commercial ventures. I, therefore, urge our industrialists to come over to Kwara state to enjoy the immense benefits available.”

  • Learning behind bars in Kaduna

    Learning behind bars in Kaduna

    In Kaduna State, the wisdom of reforming prison inmates is prevailing over the instinct of punishing them, as secondary schools start inside jails. ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE reports

    It was long in coming. After all, what does anyone have to gain if, after serving their time, prison inmates stagger out into the society weak, tattered, unhappy and without skills or education? In Kaduna State the el-Rufai administration has ensured there is life for people behind bars at the completion of their terms. Secondary education has started right inside the guarded facilities.

    Barely two weeks into office, Governor Nasir el-Rufai visited the prisons with a promise to improve on training the inmates.

    He said then, “We are particularly interested in improving the state of training and vocational facilities within the prisons and expand that to outside the prison. We believe acquisition of skills is very important, not only to create job but also to reduce the rate of crime.”

    •Governor el-Rufai (second left) with the prison officials
    •Governor el-Rufai (second left) with the prison officials

    El-Rufai said his visit to the prison was informed by the briefing of the state Controller of Prison and Presidential directive to all governors to look into ways of decongesting the prisons by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    After touring the congested prisons, the governor said he will work with the prison authorities to improve the facilities there.

    Kaduna Convict Prison is one of the few which have study centres of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in which two of its inmates are currently running degree programmes in Political Science and Computer Science. The government is planning to install similar facilities in the Zaria prison, which now has a Junior Secondary School.

    While commissioning the recently renovated Zaria Prison and a prison Junior Secondary School built by his administration, Governor el-Rufai promised that all the prisons in the state will have secondary schools to be established by the state government in addition to the upgrading of the prison study centre of National Open University (NOUN).

    He said his government under the youths empowerment programme will also provide necessary skill acquisition centres in the prisons to empower inmates.

    Represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Amina Dyeris-Sijuwade, the governor also promised to continue assisting the prison command with operational vehicles.

    She said the governor had approved N24m for the renovation of the prison shortly after its destruction.

    The Controller General of Prisons, Dr. Peter Ezenwa Ekpendu expressed appreciation to the governor for undertaking the renovation work in the Zaria Prison and called on other state governments to emulate Kaduna by assisting the prisons with logistics and renovation of their facilities.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the Controller Kaduna Sate Prison Command, Abubakar Garba said the renovation work was not the only assistance the governor rendered to the command, as it had donated a generating set and hospital equipments worth millions of naira to Kaduna Convict Prison.

    Garba said shortly after exercising his prerogative of mercies to inmates, Governor el-Rufai in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice approved the setting up of schools inside the prisons, Junior and Secondary schools as well as skill acquisition centres.

    He said, “And equally, he also gave his mandate that the issue of skill acquisition centres in the various prisons formations across Kaduna State. We will start a pilot scheme very soon with Kaduna prisons. We hope that by next year the pilot scheme will reach other prisons formation across Kaduna state.”

    On the pardoned inmates, Garba said,“The governor exercised his powers under section 212, sub-section (1c) as amended with the Nigerian constitution to release the prisoners,” he said.

    Continuing, he said, “In Kaduna prison, we have 11 Kaduna State indigenes that were sentenced to death. The five that were released don’t have any appeal before the appeal court. The remaining 4 have appeal before the appeal court. The 2 that were not mentioned earlier, their sentence have been reduced to 20 years imprisonment.

    “And the remaining nine that were released were people that have stayed in the prisons more than and have only 6 months to serve in the prisons. And those because of old age were also released by the Executive Governor of Kaduna State,” CP Garba stated.

    Meanwhile, El-Rufai had ordered immediate return of inmates to the upgraded Zaria Prison facility. Zaria Prison was destroyed in May by inmates who set cells, workshops and administrative block ablaze, leaving out only mosque and the church buildings.

     

  • ‘I’ll protect indigenes’ interest’ 

    All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2016 Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) representing Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi has vowed to improve the well-being of Abuja natives and other dwellers if elected in the forthcoming election.

    Jabi made the promise during an interview with Abuja Review.

    He was optimistic that the capital city will be transformed in the shortest time possible.

    Jabi said security will be his utmost priority if voted into office, adding that Boko Haram insurgence will be tackle with fear or favour.

    He said, “I have 16 years experience as a party man since 1999 and for the position that I am going for chairmanship of AMAC, this is my third attempt towards realising my political ambition to govern the council. I come from Niger which was part of the states cut out to create the FCT but this is FCT, this is no man’s land, I am a citizen, I am qualified to contest election here that is what the constitution stipulates and I am resident in AMAC

    “Overtime we have had issues of chairmen that have passed through the same position without delivering key issues that has to do with residents of FCT, the issue of land acquisition is a problem, there should be mechanisms put into place to liberalise the policy so that so that everyone can have a sense of belonging as guaranteed by the constitution, secondly, you will realise that most of the satellite areas have not been covered over time, apart from the influence of FCDA particularly in the area council I am contesting, I have not seen where the chairman has gone out of his way to look at the interiors, where their are challenges of roads, water, sanitation, agricultural inputs that boost food production that has not been able to have adequate attention to are things that I will be channeling my energy to if elected.

    “I lost the other times because I had come from a weaker party whose structures where not solid but now, I am coming from a more solid party which is the APC, if I have the opportunity, I will be able to deliver, bearing in mind that I have all the necessary credentials to govern effectively. I am adequately connected with the people in the grass roots, under the zero party, I was a counsellor under the Jabi and they know that I am a man of the people, whatever I promise to do, that is what I will do without fear or favour, I am fearless, independent when it comes to policy issues.

    “The interest of the natives have to be protected vis a vis other nationalities resident here but we know from the record of the law that the FCT does not exercise anything called indigene ship, if you look at the arrangement in the constitution, it is like a no man’s land by acquisition if we talk of the indigenes, they are only dominate in few areas if I mention Wuse city centre, Jabi, Gwarimpa how many Gwari natives are here? It is the elites that are there, so invariably, the only place they can exercise their franchise is in Karshi, Orozo, Karu, Nyanya where they still have resemblance of population that can equate themselves with other population

    ”We will open up the rural areas, let their produce come to the market, empower them to have value for their produce and change their lives.”

    On what to expect from the incoming Minister of the FCT, he said: “the issue of the land swap scheme should be discontinued, the most dangerous thing happening all over the country right now is land grabbing, the issue of developer syndrome with unaffordable houses needs to be addressed, we can’t continue to leave buildings in the urban areas that is unoccupied to become a criminal den, we will give them a lot of taxation that will make them lease it out or allow people come in, a lot of policy issues needs to be addressed to make life more comfortable for everyone, we also need to look into the issues of ministries doing the same functions, for instance the aspect of the environmental protection board and their atrocities need to be redressed urgently, you can’t continue to use touts and tugs to keep of harassing peasant farmers and traders trying to make a living.

    ”In the aspect of security, I will establish neighbourhood watch properly trained and equipped, to work in line with security agencies and I will pay them good money, everybody must know his neighbour and they must police the community because if you do not do it from the community point of view, you cannot get it at the level of conventional policing.”

     

  • Meat sellers bemoan poor abattoir, roads

    Meat sellers operating in Kuje Area Council have lamented the deplorable state of abattoir and bad road to pose a threat to meat business in the area.

    The Chairman of Kuje Butchers Association, Alh. Isa Musa, in an interview with the News men over the described difficulty faced by abattoir operators to be alarming.

    Musa said, “The abattoir is in a terrible condition and it discourages customers from patronizing our meat even with Christmas just by the corner; They rather find alternative.

    “The price of beef has dropped as people don’t buy from us because of the terrible state of the abattoir and bad road.

    “They prefer buying chickens and cat fish from the poultry farms located along Kuje-Gwagwalada road.

    He said the abattoir was built by previous regime of Kuje Area Council under Mr. Jibrin Wowos’ administration and since then has been abandoned.

    He therefore appealed to the Area Council authority to fix the road and equip the abattoir with the necessary facilities.

    Mallam Aminu Garba, a butcher at the abattoir, described the slaughter room and the medium for transporting meat to Kuje market to be terrible and unhygienic to the public.

    He identified lack of water at the abattoir, electricity, bad road from the abattoir to the market to hinder the conveyance of clean meat and farm produce to the market for sells.

    Garba Said, “The abattoir had been in existence for a long time and has not been renovated all these while; we don’t get water to wash the meat properly and the slaughter room is bad.

    “The road we convey the meat to Kuje market is in a bad shape and very dusty; The meats are covered with dust before we get to the market.

    “People prefer to buy chickens at the poultry farms because the meats are not clean.

    The butcher also urged the Area Council to build a befitting abattoir and provide basic amenities, to promote the growth of meat business and standard of living in the area.

     

  • Posthumous awards for six in Kwara

    A group under the aegis of Igbomina Ekiti Muslims Forum (IEMF) has honoured six late members of the organisation.

    The award is in recognition of their contributions to the forum which came into existence in the year 1994.

    The dead members that were garlanded in absential include late Abdulsalam A J. Mustapha, Yahaya Abolaji, Engr. Aminusola Isola, Abdulwahab Olayiwola, Jimoh Kayode Alabi and Prof Nasiru Mohammed

    Representatives of the awardees received the awards on their behalf.

    In a remark, President of the IEMF, Alhaji Bashir Bakare said the award was meant to remember and honour the forums past heroes, mentors and leaders for their contributions in the spread of Islam in Igbomina Ekiti land of Kwara state.

    He added that the awardees were great pillars that gave strong support to the forum.

    Said he: “Igbomina Ekiti Muslim Forum is a religious organization that comprises Muslims from five local government areas of Oke-Ero, Ifelodun, Irepodun and Ekiti. The forum was formed in 1994 with the aim of improving the spiritual as well as material wellbeing of the Igbomina Ekiti Muslims. These we have done in various ways.

    “Our other activities include establishment of Arabic school; award of scholarship to indigent students in secondary and tertiary institutions; organizing Tafsir during the month of Ramadan. During this programme, Qurans, hijabs, caps, money, food items and other materials are always distributed to the Muslim Ummah in any town visited; visitation and donation to prison, school for special needs and orphanages

    Other activities include training workshops for imams and mufasirs in Igbomina Ekiti land; organizing interactive sessions with other Islamic organizations on matters bordering on Islam and Muslims particularly child abuse; sponsorship of Dawwah programmes on electronics and print media; conflict resolution and economic empowerment programme for the less privileged.

    “The next empowerment programme comes up before the end of the year. Five people will be given free motorcycles. This is to further enhance their sources of livelihood.”

     

  • Reading made difficult

    The federal Capital Territory (FCT) has a few things to charm anyone, but a good library is not one of them. Libraries are few, and, where available, derelict, poorly run and woefully equipped.

    Does this underscore the insignificant taste in reading, a development much lamented?

    A visitor to Abuja in need of a quiet place to read will have considerable difficulty locating an adequate and convenient place. The National Library is a normal and familiar name in Abuja and the visitor may assume it as good and accessible as it is famous.

    Its headquarters is simply an administrative structure, where you will be redirected to the Library in Area Two which boasts old structures.

    Wait for the worst part. There is no charging point for your laptop. The few points available for use to the public are either not working or have been disconnected. There are sufficient sockets in the cyber-cafe in the building but the visitor is not allow ed to use them.

    Why?

    A staff of the library who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that they disconnected the charging ports because people use their laptops to watch porn.

    “They come here to watch pornographic movies, instead of reading,” he said. “If you must use your laptop here, you must come with it already charged and ones it dies, you go home.

    Why some people will decide to watch such movies in public and whether the management of the library has the right to dictate to adults what they must do with their laptops is yet to be known but residents of Abuja who decide to use the library and work from their laptops will have to decide if they are satisfied with working in the limited time their computers will allow.

    The British Council building used to have a well equipped library open to the public but in recent years, it has been shut down and residents have to make do with alternatives.

    Unbeknown to many, the ECOWAS building also houses a public library but the security checks and ebola screening processes at the gate are enough to discourage anyone. The fact that this library is mainly a research library staff ready to provide researchers’ needs also makes it a bit difficult for people to regularly make the ECOWAS library a regular base.

    A final year university student Kemi Adetola conducting research for her project, spoke with Abuja review.

    She said, “I have been visiting the library for the past week and I am really impressed by the progress that I have made so far, most of the materials that I never believed I could get, I found them all.”

    The City library in Wuse zone four although may not have so many current books and most of the few shelves are almost empty or filled with old and dilapidated books, it is one of the most efficient libraries that residents of Abuja can rely on. Residents choose between registering for either six months or a year and are required to pay the sum of N2000. The city library of all the other libraries attract a great number of people, not less that eighty people come to read in this library everyday and to most of them, it is more convenient to read at the library because not only is it open from morning to six pm every day of the week, but it is also open on Saturdays until 2pm, a staff of the library who spoke with Abuja review on the condition of anonymity said that the library is mostly used by students preparing for different examinations.

    ”It is in this place that I know that Nigerians can read, some people come here to read in the morning and do not leave till closing time, so many people pass through this door everyday in need of a quite place to read. We try to maintain a quite environment here and we have enough space to accommodate a lot of people so it attracts so many people.”

    It won’t hurt to tempt readers with libraries worth the name in the federal capital.

     

  • Kuje impeached Speaker reinstated

    The impeached Speaker of Kuje Area Council Legislative Arm, Honorable Aisha Yakubu was recently reinstated through a court injunction by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The Court Order with suit No: FCT/HC/CV/2609/2015. Motion No: M/9516/2015 served to the Legislative arm ordered the immediate reinstatement of the impeached speaker.

    Two months ago  in the Area Council the youths had on Saturday August 1, 2005 staged a peaceful protest over the impeachment of the speaker by the Legislative arm of the Area Council.

    The Court Order read that, “The defendants whether by themselves or their agents howsoever constituted, restrained from harassing and intimidating.

    “preventing the applicant from carrying out the duties of her office as the speaker of the House, pending the final determination of the originating sermon already filed and served.

    “Leave of this Honorable Court is also hereby granted restraining the defendants, from forcing the plaintiff to handover government properties in her possession as the speaker of the House.’’

    Speaking to newsmen, the reinstated Speaker said her impeachment by the House did not follow due process as there was no formal seating or notice served to her.

    She said that her impeachment was announced by a radio house without her notice and the decision was not by the majority of the House.

    “On July 31, 2015. I was in my house in the evening when I heard on radio that I have been imp  eached by the Legislative Arm.

    “Is it not normal to impeach someone without a hearing or reason? Only to be announced by a radio house that I have been impeached.

    “I went to the Judiciary to seek justice and a Court injunction has been served by the High Court in FCT to the House to enable me resume my office,’’ Yakubu said.

    “Before you impeach someone there should be process and reason for that, and not to announce it in a radio house.

    Also speaking, the Supervisory Councilor for Special Duties who doubled as Special Adviser to the Chairman on media to the , Mr Yusuf Dabo, who spoke on behalf of the Area Council Chairman, said the misunderstanding was purely a Legislative matter and has little to comment on.

    The acting Speaker, Mr Tanko Dada said he would write an appeal to the judgment of the High Court on the matter.

     

  • Traders decry delayed compensation for demolished shops

    Traders of Kuje Area Council have expressed their grief over the delay in being compensated for their shops demolished in the ongoing modernisation of the community’s main market.

    Some who spoke with Abuja Review expressed their dissatisfaction with the area council management for delaying the compensation in the market project.

    Mr. Mohammed Salisu disclosed that no proper information is been made between the council management and the traders in regards to compensation and resettlement.

    “I have spent sixteen years in this town and I have three shops that were demolished with no proper agreement or compensation.

    “They have not been calling for meetings to address us on how to compensate the affected traders or relocate us.

    “I have all the papers that were issued to me by the area council during the first allocation of shops in the market.

    “I have two wives and ten children and I can no longer feed them because I no longer have any source of income.

    Mrs Juliana David told Abuja Review that two of her shops were demolished and is yet to be compensated adding that the price to acquire a new allocation was outrageous.

    “The new shops are too expensive for ordinary people if you don’t have any steady source of income.

    “The luck up shops is going for about N2.5 million while the open shops go for 1.5 million and the plaza goes for N3.5 million.

    “If you are not rich or have a big business doing, it will be difficult to acquire this kind of shops.

    Reacting, the Chairman of Kuje Traders Association, Mr. Yunusa Isa appealed to the affected traders to be patient with the management as compensation was done in badges.

    Isa however disclosed that only traders with genuine allocation papers from the Kuje Area Council land department would be considered.

    He said proper consultations and meetings were held with the genuine traders of the market before the demolition exercise.

    He added that that the project was a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement between the Kuje Area Council and Green House Ventures Limited.

    He said that, “there is no development without pains in any society and I appeal to the traders to cooperate with the management in the completion of the market project.

    “You will agree with me that the market was constructed more than 25 years ago and is in a dilapidated state with most structures damaged.

    “There is no adequate drainage to control the flow of rainwater as a result of neglect by the successive past administration.

    “I want to specially appeal to some traders who are in court over this project to cooperate with us so that this project can be completed,’’ Isa said

     

  • Inside the forgotten IDPs’ camp

    Inside the forgotten IDPs’ camp

    It hosts Displaced Persons fleeing from Boko Haram insurgents, but unlike other camps, Kuka Reta (IDPs) site is neglected, writes DUKU JOEL

     

    Driving past on Damaturu-Maiduguri Highway in Yobe State, the camp is unmistakable. The makeshift rounded shacks built with hardly more than discarded polythene sheets or straw hint that the occupants are far from having fun. In heat, they are in danger; in wet weather, comfort is unimaginable.

    The Kuka-Reta camp lies just 15km from Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. Its occupants fled from Boko Haram militants and pitched their tents there. Thousands of internally displaced people from Yobe and Borno states have been sheltering at Kuka-Reta in the most difficult of circumstances.

    The challenges of IDPs in other camps are well documented, but for those at Kuka-Reta, life seems a bit worse. They are on their own without any government presence.

    The Village Head of Kuka Reta, Alhaji Lawan Babagana said the camp was built by the IDPs themselves.

    He said, ”We decided to accept them here because they are our brothers. We speak the same language; we are from the same state. Borno and Yobe are the same so we are brothers. If we cannot accept them here, where would they run to?”

    Records indicate that over 127 villages from Borno and Yobe are taking refuge in this community with an explosive population of over 20,000 people including children.

    “Most of the people you are seeing here are from Kaga, Damboa, Benishiek, Gujba local government areas of Borno and Yobe State who ran out of their villages to settle in this place because of this Boko Haram wahala. There are over 127 villages that are in this place with a population of more than 5000 people in this village,” Lawan Babagana explained.

    A visit to the camp turns out to be more revealing and troubling as the people are crying for neglect from the two states governments of Borno and Yobe with the Federal Government not left out.

    One of the IDPs said, “The only governor that I know is the village head of Kuka-Reta who we always run to for help since we came into this village.“

    While their counterparts in Maiduguri and Damaturu are given at least some basic human needs like food and shelter, the story of Kuka-Reta is a complete opposite as the camp is devoid of any basic amenity.

    Like every other Boko Haram IDP, most of the displaced people at Kuka Reta scampered out of their communities without any contingency of food in place. Consequently getting a meal in the camp is hard for most families. Many of the families barely feed. A housewife at the camp told me that a small loaf of bread to them can save a lot of lives.

    Water is one major challenge faced by the displaced people. The only borehole that hitherto provides water to the original Kuka-Reta community is now being over-stretched just as it cannot satisfy the growing water need of the explosive population of humans and animals. The people have now resorted to drinking pond water hitherto meant for animals.

    There are also challenges in hygiene and access to health services, which is why the IDPs there, especially children, are frequently ill.

    Bad hygiene practices and lack of sanitation has made the IDPs vulnerable to cholera and other diseases. The absence of quality food, drugs and potable drinking water couple with hunger and  starvation is causing chronic and acute malnutrition to many of the children in the camp. Lack of modern toilet facilities at the camp is leading to an impending cholera outbreak as the people make use of shallow pit-latrines very close to where they sleep.

    After battling for some months through the rainy season and the strong wind and sand storms, the IDPs are now faced with the extreme heat with few vegetation to provide shade. With the strong hamattan wind about to set in there is a likehood of high deaths in the camps especially for children and the aged.

    Surviving at the Kuka-Reta IDP camp is more painful for some who were wealthy in their communities before they came to Kuka-Reta.

    A housewife who identified herself as Aisha from Kadauri Village in Gujba Local Government of Yobe State said that her husband now feeds the family of five from cutting firewood in the bush to sell.

    “We ate  the last food we had in the morning. My husband has gone to the bush to cut firewood to sell. It is after the sale of the firewood that he gets money to buy some food for us. We hardly get three square meal since we left our village. Look at my children (pointing at some three children who were crying apparently of hunger); apart from what they ate in the morning, they will have to wait till evening when their father returns from the firewood business,” Aisha explained.

    Investigations revealed that several deaths have occurred at the camp but unrecorded as the people just pray for their loved ones and bury them. One classical case that this reporter saw was the case of a twin that was abandoned by an unknown mother. Though one of the twins died apparently for lack of good medical care, the surviving one who is named Zainab is also facing serious health conditions as she looks visibly malnourished.

    While the school on wheel programme, an educational drive of the UNICEF in conjunction with the Presidential Initiative on North East(PINE) to mop up the growing population of out of school children at the IDPs’ camps in the three affected states, many of the school aged children at the Kuka Reta Camp have no such facility or the benefit to enroll in school.

    Investigation revealed that more than half of  the only primary school in the community is being taken over as an accommodation facility for the IDPs. Classes 1,2,3 & 4 now sit in one class room while the remaining 5 & 6 stay in the remaining class room.

    Security is one aspect of the camp that the people have taken it upon themselves. Checks revealed that the Village Head of Kuka Reta together with the Heads of Household at the camp have established a self-recognition security watch task force which has arrested more than 20 Boko Haram that have either tried to sneak into the camp or came in and were fished out by the people themselves.

    “With my vigilante members and the kind of system we have put in place, it is very difficult for any bad person to come here and cause problems for us. All the heads of household can identify and bad person among us and we have been successful so far. About 20 Boko Haram who try to come and stay here for any reason have been caught or reported to the soldier. But our greatest thanks is to Allah who has made our place peaceful since the Boko Haram attacks,” Lawan Babagana informed.

    One organisation that has alerted the world of the plight of the Kuka Reta IDPs is the Muslims Right Concern (MURIC).

    MURIC in a statement by its Executive Director Prof. Ishaq Akintola which was made available to newsmen blew the whistle that about 3,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Yobe State are currently in serious danger.

    “MURIC is constrained to raise the alarm on the frightening situation in Kuka Reta IDP camp in view of the dangers inherent in the exposure of IDPs to such inhuman conditions.

    “Apart from hunger, starvation, malnutrition and the likelihood of deaths, diseases such as cholera and diarrhea are likely to spread within the camp” read the statement.

    “MURIC is confounded by the enormity of the danger and hardship to which IDPs in Kuka Reta camp are exposed. We condemn this culpable negligence on the part of the authorities. We therefore call on the Yobe State Government, the state’s arm of the National Emergency Agency (NEMA) and all aids groups in the state to address the issue with military dispatch”, the statement said.

    Investigation gathered that few days after the MURIC alarm, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) went to Kuka Reta to give succor to the displaced people where they presented food and non-food relief materials to the people.

    Items distributed to the IDPs include; Rice, Millet, Maize, Guinea corn, Matrasses, vegetable oil, Palm Oil, Blankets and Detergents among others.

    The NEMA coordinator in Yobe state Alhaji Bashir Garga said the food and the non-food materials cost the Agency the sum of Five million naira.

    The Yobe State NEMA boss promised at the camp  that his agency will continue to respond to their  immediate needs  by providing food, shelter, and hygienic needs of the displaced in line with the internationally best practices.

    He noted that disaster management requires multi-dimensional and multi sectoral approval while seeking for collaboration from other partners in alleviating the sufferings of the people.

    Rising to her defence, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) also disclosed that state has not left the IDPs at the Kuka Reta camp as being speculated.

     

  • Kwara residents lament poor federal roads

    Kwara residents lament poor federal roads

    Nearly all federal government roads in Kwara State are in disrepair. Motorists and commuters have a hard time on them.

    Some of the roads urgently calling for attention include Ajase-Ipo-Offa-Erin-Ile, Olooru-Bode-Saadu-Jebba along Lagos-Kaduna high way, Ilorin-Kabba and Kishi-Kaiama all in Irepodun, Offa, Oyun, Moro and Kaiama local government areas of the state.

    Touched by this unsavoury development, groups under the aegis od Offa Descendants Union (ODU) recently lamented the dilapidated status of the Ajase-Ipo-Offa-Erin-Ile road.

    The road connects Kwara state with Osun state in the South west.

    Secretary General of ODU, Mrs. Wosilate Mccarthy during the 80th anniversary of ODU recently to urge the federal government to release fund for the rehabilitation of the six kilometre road to ameliorate suffering of the vehicle owners plying the road.

    The ODU chieftain, who said that the people were concerned about the present condition of road, added that business owners had suffered loss resulting from damage and destruction of their goods and vehicles, especially during raining season.

    The organisation, which commended efforts of the state government at rehabilitating the road in the past, said that several letters of appeal had been written to the concerned authorities over the nagging problem.

    As if that is not enough, two sons of Offa community who are members of the Kwara state House of Assembly, Prince Saheed Popoola and Alhaji Hassan Oyeleke (plaintiffs) have dragged the federal government and the firm handling the rehabilitation of the road to court for abandonment.

    The name of the company is Preconsmith Construction Limited.

    In their writ of summons filed by their counsel, John W. Irogu averred that the abandonment of the road by the contractor after the collection of substantial part of the contract sum is wrong.

    The plaintiffs have sought for the following reliefs: “A declaration that the said intentional abandonment of the said road has caused the people of the state including the plaintiffs undue hardship since the road has become practically impassable and a declaration that the federal government has failed to use the power of his office to compel the contractor (2nd defendant) to execute the contract upon which a huge sum of money had been received a long time ago or to bring the contractor to book for such failure.

    The lawmakers had also sought for “an order declaring the abandonment of the road by the contractor as illegal and wrongful and an order compelling the construction firm to return to site to complete the road project.

    “In the alternative an order compelling the federal government to use its power to either compel the contractor to execute the contract or bring the company to book for its failure to so execute.”

    Leaders of Bode Saadu community in Moro local government area state have also expressed serious concern over the deplorable condition of Bode Saadu-Jebba road.

    District head of Lanwa community, Alhaji Saad Gambari, said that the road which is the only major road that links northern states of Nigeria with South west, had gone intolerably bad.

    Alhaji Gambari said that many lives are being lost on daily due to poor state of the road, adding that criminal activities were rampant.

    •Bad portion of Bode-Saadu-Jebba road
    •Bad portion of Bode-Saadu-Jebba road

    The road traverses communities of Bode Saadu, Iyana Oloko, Ayekale, Sabo-n-gida, Araro, Lakanla, Kanbi, and Jebba.

    The community leader also appealed to federal government authorities to fix the deplorable road in order to make life bearable for them.

    He said that “the situation of the road is terrible and government has not showed concern to the road despite our frequent request and plea to the federal government. The road is causing a lot of problem to the communities involved like frequent armed robberies. Asthmatic patients that live by the side of the road are also affected by the dust especially during the dry season.

    A number of people have lost their lives as a result of these developments. We are using this period to call on the federal government to come to our rescue as a matter of urgency.”

    The president of Jebba Descendants Union, Alhaji Yusuf Abdulkareem agreed  that Jebba-Bode Saadu road is a federal government road, urged the state government to intervene and give palliative measures that could help the condition of the road.

    Alhaji Abdulkareem said the condition of the road deteriorated three years ago, adding that “a construction firm brought total to the road last year to work on it and to our surprise they could not do anything on the road and they disappeared with their equipment immediately after the general election.”

    The representative of the communities in the state’s House of Assembly, Mathew Okedara,representing Lanwa, Ejidongari constituency, said that he bought grader to grade the road when the condition was becoming unbearable, adding that he had informed Federal Emergency Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) both in Ilorin and Abuja office without any response yet.