The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • IDPs: Shippers to the rescue

    IDPs: Shippers to the rescue

    Things may not be getting worse for persons forced from their homes by the insurgents but some shippers who visited a camp in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) made the point that the victims of Boko Haram need more help. GRACE OBIKE reports

     

    The visitors brought quite a sizeable consignment of relief materials, but their message may be just as helpful as their gifts. There is much more to do for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

    That was more or less the point made by members of the Nigerians Shippers Council Senior Staff Association (NSCSSA) who presented bags of rice and a load of other household needs on their visit to an IDPs camp in the FCT.

    Boko Haram has dealt a lifelong blow to its victims. Its fighters have killed thousands and wounded many more mainly in the Northeast. The invaders robbed homes, shops and farms before setting a good many on fire, leaving survivors with no choice but to flee. But such is the flight that virtually state in the country hosts a number of IDPs. And at a huge cost not only on themselves but also those who have to look after them.

    Yet, their squalid accommodation is far short; daily necessities even fewer. That is not all; at some point Abuja developers told them to evacuate. Before then, security personnel also clashed with them, leaving about five IDPs dead.

    That was, as it were, in the old order. Under the new administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari, things seem to be changing a bit for the better. But the IDPs still need help.

    The visiting members of the NSCSSA have said that although the government and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) are doing their best for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), they can afford to do more.

    NSCSSA painted a touching picture of people who escaped the only life they were accustomed to because of Boko Haram and now have to live in deplorable conditions, adding that  Nigerians who have the resources should help.

    President NSCSSA Comrade Mukhtar Adikwu said said that members of the association decided to contribute from their meagre salary to provide for the IDP’s because they realise that the situation that made some Nigerians displaced can happen to anyone and it is only when Nigerians come out en mass to contribute that these Nigerians will survive the situation that they have found themselves in.

    He added, “We discovered that this people are our brothers, who are displaced from their homes and we feel that as Nigerian workers, it is not really nice when you eat in your house and realise that others are not eating, you don’t feel comfortable at all so that is why we put our heads together and to take something out of our meagre salaries to come and assist the needy because it could be anybody because this one’s are displaced today, tomorrow it could be my relatives or even me, which is why we have come together to bring this items to this people to at least solve some of the problems they are encountering.

    “Some of the items that we brought here today are sixty bags of 25kg rice, twenty cartons of soap, eight cartons of vegetable oil, cartons of spices and clothing materials as well as liquid soap, these are what the staff of Nigerian shippers council are able to gather together especially the senior staff association and we are able to bring them here.

    ing that the place is conducive enough for their return, so the government is doing all it can but it should not only be left to the government alone, there are individuals who are worthy enough they should come out, there is nothing wrong with providing port cabins here, they should come out to support this people before they return because the government on its own after handling the insurgency will ensure that they clean up the place to ensure that the place is safe enough to return to.”

     

  • Gombe: A blueprint for farmers-herdsmen’s peace

    Gombe: A blueprint for farmers-herdsmen’s peace

    For no fewer than four years, Gombe State has been spared the common bloody clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers. The reason is the state’s  blueprint, reports VINCENT OHONBAMU

    Across the country, herding cattle has since become just as dangerous as tilling the soil. Herdsmen and farmers often clash over grazing  rights, destruction of crops and herd rustling, among others. Those clashes do not merely leave the combatants with bloody noses. Perhaps, thousands have perished, not only on the farms or in the wild but also in communities where raids have nearly wiped out residents.

    Worse, no state has found an answer to the bloodbath, except Gombe. In the past four years, herdsmen have been grazing their animals in peace, just as farmers have been cultivating without much issues from their roving counterparts.

    Gomber residents have their governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo to thank for it. His peace strategies are paying off.

    What did he do?

    He set up a devoted committee which ensures that any sign of clash is never allowed to degenrate to a fight.

    It is in this regard that the governor has offered to avail the Federal Government his blueprint on containing farmer-herdsman clashes.

    “The state is ready to surrender the blueprint of its existing strategies to the Federal Government at any given time,” Dankwambo said.

    “We have a committee existing under the Ministry of Animal Husbandry that settles whichever disputes whenever it or may occour and we call it The State Farmers and Cattle Rearers’ Committee and has a dedicated line with a secretary.

    “So, we welcome the Federal Government to come to Gombe state and learn from the experience of such committee and that is why over-time, we have not had any kind of clashes or disputes in Gombe State.”

    Governor Dankwambo spoke in Gombe at the flag-off of sales of 12,000 metric tonnes of fertilizers and 35.5 metric tonnes of improved varieties of seeds to farmers in the state for the 2015 wet season farming.

    He warned against diverting the inputs, and discriminatory sale of the commodities, saying they “belong to the people.”

    He said each bag fertilizers was procured at N6,400 and would be sold N3,800 (46% subsidy) a bag while the improved varieties of maize (Samaz 18 and Samaz 14) would sell for N750.00 per 10kg bag.

    He expressed satisfaction with the pace of agricultural development in the state and dry season farming in which many farmers now exploit the agricultural potentials of Dadin-Kowa Dam, Balanga Dam and the Gongola River basin, pledging commitment “to supporting them to raise production and maintain the leading role of the state in agricultural production in the Northeast sub-region.

    There is more. Some  225 new tractors and 3,358 ox-drawn ploughs have been procured and distributed to farmers, who also now boast improved grains to boost their yields.

    Dankwambo also recalled the “procurement and distribution of 8,000 units of water pumps sold at subsidised rates to farmers.

    Things are looking up  for Gombe farmers, just as their cattle-breeding counterparts have little to worry about.

    The Gombe blueprint is worth celebrating.

     

  • Ten days of health outreach

    Ten days of health outreach

    Doctors from the United States and Nigeria carry out surgeries, among other activities, in Kaduna State communities, TONY AKOWE reports

    Ailing residents of Ungwan Romi and environs in the suburbs of Kaduna metropolis have had some of their challenges sorted out by a team of doctors from the United States of America working in conjunction with their Nigerian counterparts.

    While some of the patients were diagnosed and given medications, some others went through surgery. The outreach lasted 10 days.

    The Restoration Bible Church located in the area facilitated the intervention, which was led by Dr. Stuart Quartermount from the Medical Missions International College Station in Texas.

    He told The Nation that working in collaboration with the Mercy Angel Hospital owned by the Restoration Bible Church, they were able to carry out surgery on 42 patients in eight days with the assistance of Dr. Paul Odumu, a surgeon with the 44 Armed Forces Reference Hospital, Kaduna who led other Nigerian medical personnel.

    Dr. Quartermount told The Nation that the mission was his third in Kaduna, having carried out similar exercises at the St Gerard Catholic Hospital and Gwamna Awan General Hospital in the past in collaboration with Restoration Bible Church.

    He said, “I have been coming to Nigeria on medical mission since 1988 when we started a mission hospital in the east which is still there in Owerri. Since then, we come about three times a year to support the work there. Since 2008, we have been going to different parts of the country and that was when Rev. Tunde Bolanta invited me to come and do outreach here. We did one at St. Gerard Catholic Hospital and another at the General Hospital. Now, we have our own facilities here and that will make it easier to come and go”.

    On how they raise the money for the mission, he said “We have a mission organisation in the United States of America that helps to raise the funds for the work we are doing. We have a number of churches and individuals that donate resources because they catch the vision of what we are doing here. Some of them have come here before on other missions and have been faithful to give so that we can bring all the things we needed”.

    He said they carried out surgery on women with fibroids-related cases.

    “It’s been quite interesting because a lot of the people we are doing surgery can’t afford to go somewhere else to get it done. We did a lot of hernia and there was one we did for a man who could not afford to lift anything. We did one hour surgery for him and when he is healed, he will be able to go back to work again. Some of the women have not been able to give birth because they have problems. We’ve been able to correct that for them and by the grace of God, they will be able to have children. I want to encourage other people to follow the leading of the Lord and give as they have been blessed because God blessed us to be a blessing in return. Christ left his palace in heaven to come and give us. The best we can do is to take a little bit of time and give to others.”

    One of the Nigerian doctors who assisted during the intervention, Dr. Paul Odumu said he had to take part of his leave from the 44 Armed Forces Reference Hospital to be part of the intervention. Dr, Odumu attributed the intervention to the efforts of the leadership of Restoration Bible Church.

    He said, “Essentially, Restoration Bible Church led by Rev. Tunde Bolanta and his wife has been the foundation for the intervention, working in collaboration with our friends from the US led by Dr. Stuart and his wife. Eleven of them came from the US form the intervention. They also collaborated with my own NGO, Odumeaje Christian Medical Mission located in Benue State. We spent about 10 days and the Lord has been helping us. We operated on men, women and children and this has brought a lot of relief to the people here. Our friends from the US brought a lot of equipment and drugs which have been of great help. In the cases we have seen, there are lots of families that could not afford to pay for the surgery. There is a particular case of an 18-year-old girl who was rushed in one of the nights with a ruptured appendix. We attended to her even when she could not afford to pay for a card and she is doing well. In all, I will say there is need for more hands of all medical personnel.”

     

  • Taraba governor flags off power plant

    Taraba governor flags off power plant

    Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku has flagged off the Tunga Dam hydroelectric power plant.

    The fanfare event took place on the Mambilla Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Area.

    The Tunga Dam power plant is different from the multi-billion naira Mambilla Hydroelectric Dam project which is to generate 3050 megawatts of electricity when completed.

    The small hydro-electric power plant, the first project to be commissioned by the Ishaku administration, is to provide 400 Kilowatts of electricity to the Kakara Highland Tea Factory and the villages around its catchment area.

    The power plant has been jointly constructed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) and the Taraba State Government. The project was initiated by the immediate past governor Danbaba Suntai and Ishaku when the new governor was Minister of State for Power.

    Ishaku said, “The power plant is the key to my rescue mission in Taraba State.”

    The project is to employ thousands of indigenous people and is geared towards “enhancing economic activities of the people of Mambilla Plateau.”

    The UNHCR representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Angele Dikongue-Atangana explained through a representative that the project was put in place to improve the living standard of over 10,000 Nigerians that the commission repatriated from Cameroon in 2001, who were residing in the area.

    At least 50,000 people including 6,000 tea farmers in the community depend on the Kakara tea factory for survival. Whereas the fertile soil and temperate climate of the plateau favour tea production in the area, the absence of a steady source of power has prevented the tea firm from peak production. The factory’s equipment, including its tea processor, are obsolete, The Nation learnt.

    Head of the UNIDO Regional Office Abuja, Chuma Ezedinma said the organisation was happy to be part of the success story of using micro and small hydroelectric power to support productive activities in the state.

    He disclosed that the regional office of UNIDO has discovered over 200 potential hydro power sites in Nigeria that were ready for development.

    Governor Ishaku pledged the commitment of the state government in partnering with UN to build additional power plants that would supply electricity to more communities on the plateau and the state. “The area is endowed with adequate waterfalls that can be converted to hydro-power,” he said.

    The Mambilla Plateau, rising to a breathtaking 1,840 meters above sea level, is one of the greatest tourist destinations in Africa and has one of the best climatic conditions in the country.

    Ishaku said electricity supply will boost socio-economic development on the plateau in many ways, including tourism and sports.

    The natives were urged to jealously protect the project from vandals, and above all, sustain peace in the area for massive development.

    Many dignitaries attended the commissioning, including Deputy Governor Haruna Manu, House of Assembly Speaker Abel Peter Dial, former SSG Gebon Kataps, chairmen of local government councils and traditional rulers.

  • Eventful exit for Customs chief

    Eventful exit for Customs chief

    A day after resigning as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dikko  Abdullahi inaugurated a hospital for the service, accompanied by Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai and other dignitaries. REMI ADELOWO reports

    Well, it was not a bad way to leave the scene. When Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Dikko Abdullahi bade farewell to the service, he was in good company. In the crowd of top officers  was Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai.

    There was more than that. Abdullahi also had the honour to flag off a hospital built for NCS staff.

    That Tuesday at the servivce headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), officers and men of the para-military organisation discussed the exit of their boss.

    Many officers and men of the organisation who spoke to our correspondent, disclosed that the former CG’s era was a turning point in the NCS, with outstanding successes recorded.

    At about midday, the Katsina State-born, accompanied by some aides, left the Customs headquarters for Karu, on the outskirts of Abuja, venue of the commissioning of the ultra-modern Nigeria Customs Service Hospital.

    Other very senior officers, including Deputy Comptrollers General (DCGs), Assistant Comptrollers Generals (ACGs) and Comptrollers soon arrived at the venue for the grand ceremony.

    One hour later, the Special Guest of Honour, Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State arrived. He was warmly received by Dikko and his management team comprising  DCGs John Atte, A.A Adewuyi, T.A Musa, I.M Mera and A.C Nwosu.

    After a brief inspection of the guard of honour by Governor El Rufai, the event, which was coordinated by the spokesman of the NCS, Wale Adeniyi, a Deputy Comptroller, began in earnest.

    First to come to the podium to give the welcome address was ACG Grace Adeyemo, who was the Chairman of the Hospital Committee. That was quickly followed with a brief remark by the Chief Medical Officer of the NCS, Dr. Nanman Nandang.

    And then came the introduction of the man of the moment, Dikko Inde Abdullahi. His address lasted only three minutes. He explained the vision behind the construction of the hospital, which he noted, was conceived in order to enhance the welfare and health of Customs personnel. He also assured that as part of the Customs’ corporate social responsibility, the hospital would cater for the health challenges of people living within the Karu community and beyond.

    It was now the turn of el-Rufai to deliver his speech. Expectedly he did not disappoint. After commending the Customs’ management for the completion of the multi-billion naira hospital, which boasts of state of the art medical facilities, the governor equally showered encomiums on Abdullahi, whom he said has displayed exemplary leadership attributes as CG of NCS.

    He told the gathering that Abdullahi’s decision to quit when the ovation was loudest bears eloquent testimony to his patriotism and resolve to allow for his younger colleagues to contribute their quota to the development of the organisation.

    The governor said, “The CG’s resignation to allow for the younger generation to run the Customs is highly commendable. While many others in privileged positions are lobbying to retain their seats, the CG (Abdullahi) lobbied to leave. For this, he deserves commendation.”

    He further noted that the successful completion of the hospital could be largely traced to the reforms of the NCS initiated by the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, part of which gave the Customs to retain about 10 percent of the revenue it generates.

    He, however, added that beyond the funds available to the NCS to execute the project, the vision and political will of the Abdullahi-led management was largely instrumental to the successful completion of the hospital.

    Shortly afterwards, the governor cut the tape to formally declare the complex open. Thereafter, he and other senior officers were conducted round the hospital by Dr. Nandang.

    Impressed with the sophisticated equipment the hospital boasts off, Governor El Rufai tasked his Commissioner of Health, who was present to look at the possibility of replicating the project in all the local government areas of the state.

    Back to the NCS headquarters, as officers and men of the Service waited in bated breath the countdown to Abdullahi’s last moments on the hot seat.

    The moment everybody had been waiting for finally came. Dikko, accompanied by other senior officers, descended briskly from his office located on the fourth floor, to the parade ground to take his final inspection of a guard of honour mounted by men of the NCS.

    At this point, every available space within the expansive premises had been occupied by officers and men, who left their various officers to capture the occasion with their phones.

     

  • New face of State House

    The wind of change is not only sweeping across the economy; even the Presidential Villa is changing too.

    A lot of things that used to happen at the seat of power, especially under the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, have given way to change.

    Only those with genuine business with the government have been visiting the Presidential Villa under Buhari.

    All those hangers-on who normally visited the seat of power under Jonathan have all disappeared.

    In the past two months of relocating to the Presidential Villa, more than 70% of guests and visitors to the President during the daytime have been government officials, especially Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).

    They have been trooping in to update the President on their Ministries activities.

    One of the changes, as pointed out by some visitors to the seat of power who normal visited the State House under Jonathan, was in the area of entertainment for guests and visitors.

    Under Jonathan, guests and visitors were often entertained with tea or coffee, other light drinks, snacks, sweets and on special occasions, meals.

    This appears to be fast changing as noted by some recent visitors to the State House, Abuja.

    The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Eze Duru Iheoma, at the State House a fortnight ago noted the changes while answering questions from State House correspondents on anti-corruption stance of President Buhari.

    He said: “Let me tell you, the truth is I don’t think any right-thinking person in this country is comfortable with the word ‘corruption’. So, that the President has declared war against corruption should please every good-thinking Nigerian. I think it is a very good effort. For taking up that challenge and meeting it head-on, we thank him because, in fact, my colleagues pointed out something I didn’t take note of: the atmosphere in the Villa is a far cry from what it used to be in the past.

    “We were there at the reception and in the past you find tea and all that you know. But now you see a conscious effort to cut cost. And that is part of the fight. So, we commend Mr. President.” He stated

    Another area where the changes were recently noticeable was during the commemoration of the 2015 International Youth Day at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    It was obvious that mainly those that have business with the event attended the function unlike any function held at the venue under former President Jonathan’s administration.

    Under Jonathan, such function would have attracted all dick and harry with up to seventy percent of guests not necessarily having any relevance to the function.

    Other things were absent at the 2015 International Youth Day event, which was the second major function to be attended at the venue by President Buhari since his relocation to the Presidential Villa.

    Then, long queues of vehicles of those trying to gain entrance to such function will line up from the old Banquet Hall gate to as far as the front of the Fire Service building outside the State House gate.

    That was the hallmark of any function at the old Banquet Hall under Jonathan.

    While there were unusual free flows of traffic to and from the venue, the Banquet Hall car parks were not half filled throughout the duration of the event.

    This prompted a passerby who arrived the car park after the function have started to say loudly to his friend: “Are you sure the function has not ended and guests gone back?”

    But entering the hall, more than 80% of those in the hall were members of the National Youth Service Corps and other youths.

    While those who don’t have business with the seat of power may not have easy access, some staff who do not normally have access to the forecourt of the Presidential Villa close to the President’s official office now have easy access.

    Most of them who belong to the Muslim faith now easily join the President at the State House mosque for prayers.

    Huge production hours and costs are now saved by the staff who prior to the new administration normally go to the National Central Mosque, Abuja for their Friday Jumaat prayers.

    The State House mosque was virtually under lock and key under Jonathan, who was Christian.

     

    Crackdown

    on racketeers

     

    Racketeers have been in the system over the years extorting money one way or the other from job seekers who are mainly youths.

    There have been several stories of those in charge of such recruitment exercise either directly or through their cronies and middlemen get up to N500,000 from each job applicant.

    Many of the applicants have fell into fraudulent hands and never got the desired job after parting with such huge amount of money.

    Some of them in the process of the recruitment exercise have also lost their lives.

    A recent case in point was the failed Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment exercise, which was said to be hijacked from the recruitment board by the then Minister of Interior under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Similar stories were also said then about recruitment exercises in the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and many government agencies.

    But the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday has sent a warning note to all government agencies that it will no longer be business as usual for staff recruitments.

    A test case before the government now is the coming recruitment of 10,000 personnel into the Nigeria Police Force.

    Only time will tell if those in charge will heed the new administration’s warnings or device new system to beat the directive.

     

  • NGO faults National Peace Committee

    A non-governmental organi-sation (NGO) Civic Duties Awareness Initiatives (CIDAI) has faulted the Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee’s suggestion that President Muhammadu Buhari should not waste his time fighting corruption alone.

    The Executive Director of the group, Benjamin Oyekunle said that the suggestion could distract the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration.

    He said: “It is in this light that we cannot support the recent call by some elderly, respectable and eminent citizens on the President not to waste his time on fighting corruption alone.

    “It is our informed view that given the resources available at the moment no developmental project or administrative area has suffered neglect under this government.

    “We believe and rightly so that there is no time spent on fighting graft that is not worth it. The President is on the right path. Anti-graft war is needed, it is needed now.

    “For Nigeria to develop, corruption must be eradicated. All hands must be on deck in this just cause”.

    Oyekunle warned Nigerians on the capability of corrupt persons to do everything to stop the anti-corruption, including fighting integrity crusaders.

    “It has been noted that when you fight corruption, corruption fights back. Vigilance is therefore of utmost importance against all reactionary tendencies. The people who have emptied our collective purse are still bent on diverting the national resources to their private pockets. They are ready to spend huge sums to truncate the anti-graft war. They are the ones alleging partiality and selectivity.

    “They can use anybody as their mouthpiece even without the person being aware they are being used for a wrong cause.

    “There are those who would also want to make nonsense of this justifiable cause by attempting to make caricature of it, shouting wolf where none exists.

    “They want to manipulate the process to their favour through mob action and smear campaigns aimed at pulling down public servants who are above board and have been impediments to dipping their hands into the public treasury.

    The group likened the allegations against the Director-General of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko to such moves by the corrupt to tarnish the image of the just.

    “We view this as a deliberate attempt by mischief makers to rubbish the modest achievements recorded by her since assuming office in 2014.

    “The fund was alleged to be enmeshed in corruption prior to her becoming the DG. There are those who had been feeding fat on the fund who she blocked. Her transparent management of the fund was said to have boosted the confidence  and garnered support from the stakeholders.

    “Mrs Onaeko is a young mother of two and a dutiful wife. Her competences and ability were recently recognised by no other person than President Muhammadu Buhari when he included her in his lean entourage to the United States of America.

    “Some have reasoned that her enviable feat in the course of her duties might have endeared her to the President who might have penned her name down for a higher appointment.

    “They opined that the above reasons could be why some who want her position as DG of ITF or scheming to get a ministerial slot are fighting her for.

    “The allegations against Mrs Onaeko and some others that are already fighting corruption should be dismissed for what they are, concocted and fabricated lies based on hearsay against innocent public officers”.

    While commending the efforts of President Buhari in tackling corruption, the group urged opinion leaders, professionals and the media not to allow themselves to be tools in the hands of evil forces.

     

  • Okorocha hails FCT on cleanliness

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has praised the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Permanent Secretary, Mr. John Obinna Chukwu for ensuring cleanliness and sanity in the capital city despite the absence of a substantive minister.

    Okorocha who gave this commendation during a courtesy visit to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mr. John Chukwu, further explained that he was at the FCTA to see what the Permanent Secretary is doing in the territory.

    According to the Imo state governor, the capital city is looking quite neat, due to the recent reinvigorated efforts of the administration to clean up the FCT.

    He however noted that despite the achievement, there is still room for improvement and expansion in the FCT.

    While responding, the FCT Permanent Secretary said he was elated over the Governor’s visit, adding that it shows leadership and humility of the number one Imo citizen.

    He therefore pledged commitment of the FCTA to support the state government and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

    “I assure you that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will be a world-class capital city like those in America and Europe,” Chukwu added.

     

  • Kubwa residents seek evacuation of refuse

    Residents of Kubwa Extension III in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the environmental department of the council to evacuate the heaps of refuse in the area.
    One of the residents, Mr. Ighedosa John, a member of St. John Mary Vianney Quasi Parish, the catholic church located very close to a dumpsite, expressed disappointment at the FCT authorities for locating it so close to residential houses, worship centres and the ice block industries.
    John said the dumpsite should be relocated, after the church leadership sought in vain to get the Bwari Area Council authorities to do something on the dump.
    “I went to Bwari area council, with a letter dated July 13, I was told to come back after the Salah celebration, which I did. When I went back, I met a woman called Alhaja, who told me that this area which we are complaining about has the ministerial blessing to be used as a dumpsite.
    “I told her that where the dump site is situated is a residential area, but, she replied that there is nothing they could do about it, that they have even buried some refuse in the ground in the past.
    “We are appealing to the government to come and help us to remove this refuse from this place, because it is dangerous to the lives of people living here. The road is blocked with the refuse and cannot be accessed any longer, because of the refuse and the bad odour from it,” he said.
    Ms. Bola Aberuagba, one of the owners of the Ice Block industries located directly behind the dump site, said they are not happy with the environment hazard in the area, saying that the smell is too much for them to continue their business there, but they have no other option than to continue to pray for the government to come to their rescue.
    “We cannot even eat, because of the countless numbers of flies. During the rainy season like this, we cannot move about because, of the stinky water that comes out from it to the road and most times to our business centre, to the extent that people will find it difficult to stand and patronize us mostly when it rains.
    “Even the Catholic church at the other end is suffering seriously from the smells that come out from the refuse. When we came to this area initially, there was no dump site here, it was the mobile refuse collectors that told us that they are paying money to the area council to dump refuse here, because it is a designated dump site. We have done all we could to chase them away, but to no avail,” she said.
    Ibrahim Ibrahim, one of the mobile refuse collectors at the dump site, explained that they were initially located close to Dutse junction, a place called Ugwan-Bacha, and the land was sold for Estate to be constructed, before the leadership of council moved to the present dump site at Kubwa Extention III, because it is under a high tension.
    “We use to have people from the environmental department of Bwari area council that used to come and evacuate the refuse after it gathers for awhile, but recently, we do not know what went wrong that they allowed it to get to this level after some months. We are appealing to the council to come and evacuate the refuse for us.
    “Also, in order to survive in this challenging period, we collect rubber plates and buckets that could be recycled, and we sell them to rubber factories for them to be recycled. We do not want to chased out of this place, so that we will not loose our daily bread,” he said.

  • Plateau governor fixes roads

    Plateau governor fixes roads

    Roads are nothing to cheer in Jos, the Plateau State capital. Now, the rains have worsened them, submerging the potholes and leaving motorists huffing and cursing. Pedestrians do not fare better; often, they get splashed with dirty water by helpless drivers doing their best to avoid the ditches and potholes.

    Ajara Usman, a resident, said, “One can no longer walk freely along the road; motorists will spray you with mud-water and spoil your whole day. Most of the potholes are deep, and when there is rain, water will cover up the holes and these motorists will…splash you water; it has happened to me several times.”

    Governor Simon Lalong has started fixing them, something he promised to do as soon as he took office.

    Two months after, Governor Lalong has decided to proffer a short-term solution to the road problem by flagging off the rehabilitation of road network around the city.

    Apart from flagging off the rehabilitation of the road network,  Lalong also impressed the people of the state by mobilising the construction company Pw Company Nigeria Limited to complete the contract awarded by the immediate past government led by Jonah David Jang.

    That uncompleted road which runs  through the heart of the city, has been a nightmare for residents since last year when Jang began the construction.

    “But realising the impact of the uncompleted project of the socio-economic sector of the state and considering the hardship faced by motorists and pedestrians, Governor Lalong decided to make the road project topmost priority apart from settling seven months salary arrears of the state civil servants,” said Samuel Nanle, Director of Press and Public Affairs to Governor Lalong.

    With the rehabilitation of the bad roads and the resumption of construction on the uncompleted road, residents of Jos, particularly commercial taxi drivers, are hailing the governor for alleviating their plight.

    One of them, Ahmodu Bala said, “My relief is because, recently I began to hate my driving profession because of the nature of roads in Jos; the roads are terribly bad, by the time you get home after the day’s work, you feel so devastated and it makes you get discouraged continuing the work the next day. But I have been a taxi driver all my life and I don’t want to quit. That is why I say this governor is a saviour for repairing these roads.“

    Another  motorist, Abel Aboki said, “All thanks to the governor, at least I will not be doing alignment every week because of bad road anymore. He is a people-oriented leader; I hail him.”

    Most residents of the state said they are praying for the governor to continue in the same good spirit he has started.

    A resident Abraham Malu said, “The governor had made the workers happy by offsetting their salary arrears, he has also turn to also solve the road problems to make the entire citizens happy, this to me is the best way to start a government and I think the way he is going, he will be a listening leader”