The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Kano Emirate: Judiciary latest casualty of Gov Yusuf- Group

    Kano Emirate: Judiciary latest casualty of Gov Yusuf- Group

    The Kano Democratic Vanguard has condemned the recent judgement by Justice Amina Aliyu, which perpetually restrained Aminu Ado-Bayero and four other deposed Emirs from parading themselves as Emirs. 

    It said the ruling was a shameful display of bias and a clear violation of justice.

    The group said: “The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, and his godfather, Rabiu Kwankwaso, have made a mockery of the rule of law and tradition. 

    “They abolished the century-old Kano Emirate and dethroned Emir Ado Bayero, reinstating Muhammadu Sanusi against the wishes of the people and laws. 

    “This judgement is another rascality in their quest for power and control. We call on the citizens of Kano to remain calm, as truth shall prevail.

    “The judiciary has become the latest victim of Yusuf’s plot, following the destruction of Kano’s traditional institution. 

    “We urge the people of Kano to stand firm against this tyranny and fight for the restoration of their beloved Emirate. 

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    “The Kano Democratic Vanguard will continue to support the rightful Emir, Ado Bayero, and the people of Kano in their struggle against oppression.

    “Governor Yusuf and Kwankwaso have turned Kano into a playground for their political machinations, disregarding the rule of law and tradition. 

    “Their actions are a slap in the face of democracy and justice. We demand that the judiciary reverses this judgement and restores the rightful Emir of Kano.

    “The Kano Democratic Vanguard calls on all citizens of Kano to rise up against this injustice and demand the restoration of their traditional institution. We will not stand to fold our arms while our heritage is destroyed by power-hungry individuals. Truth shall prevail, and justice will be served.”

  • Palace fire incident bad omen for Sanusi – KYC

    Palace fire incident bad omen for Sanusi – KYC

    The Kano Youth Coalition (KYC) has attributed the fire incident at the palace of former Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II to a bad omen.

    In a statement by its President, Comrade Abdullahi Nuhu, the group said the incident is a clear sign that Allah is angry with the Emir and his cohorts.

    Nuhu said Sanusi’s reinstatement has been rejected by the judiciary, his people and God.

    “The continued occupation of the palace by Emir Sanusi is illegal and a clear disregard for the rule of law,” the statement added. 

    “Despite a court judgment stopping the dissolution of the Kano Emirates, the state government has continued to support his reinstatement. This is a clear violation of the law and an affront to justice.

    “We attribute the fire incident to Allah’s anger with Emir Sanusi’s defiance and disobedience. “

    Quoting from Surah An-Nisa Ayat 14, Nuhu said: “And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits – He will put him into the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating punishment.”

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    The group urged Sanusi to vacate the palace without further delay to avoid more ominous signs, adding that his stay is a threat to peace and stability in Kano.

    ”We also call on the state government to stop supporting this illegality and respect the rule of law. They must act swiftly to address this situation and ensure that justice is served,” Nuhu noted. 

    “We will not stand idly by while the law is flouted and the people of Kano are denied justice. We demand that Emir Sanusi vacate the throne immediately,” it said. 

  • Bago leading Niger to the Promised Land – MBYC

    Bago leading Niger to the Promised Land – MBYC

    The Middle Belt Youth Council (MBYC) has applauded Niger Governor Mohammed Bago for what it described as his dedication to transforming the State and improving the lives of its citizens.

    In a statement by its President, Comrade Danladi Lami, the group said Bago’s leadership has been a breath of fresh air, acknowledging the positive impact of his policies and programs on the state.

    Lami said the Governor has made significant strides in urban renewal, agriculture, education, security, transportation, and communication.

    He noted that the expansion of major cities, provision of social amenities, and rural transformation programs demonstrate Governor Bago’s inclusive approach to development.

    “The acquisition of over 1,000 tractors to boost mechanized farming and enhance food production is a laudable initiative. This move is expected to revolutionize agriculture in the state, creating jobs and increasing food production,” he said. 

    “The procurement of security vehicles and investment in education infrastructure also showcase his administration’s resolve to address critical sectors.

    “Governor Bago’s leadership has restored sanity to the state, evident in the clearance of debts owed to utility companies, payment of outstanding debts to examination bodies, and the establishment of a university of education.

    “His community approach to security has also yielded positive results, with a significant reduction in crime and criminality in the state.

    “The renovation of the Minna Airport renamed the Bola Ahmad Tinubu International Airport, is another testament to Governor Bago’s commitment to infrastructure development.

    “Additionally, the distribution of 20 operational vehicles to security agencies has enhanced their capacity to combat crime and maintain public safety,” he said 

    Lami added Bago’s financial discipline has saved the State N10 billion in just four months, demonstrating his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

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    He further said: “The enforcement of the 2022 Revenue Law, freezing the state’s account to create a single dashboard for the state’s finances, is a laudable move.

    “The automation of salary and pension payments has also ensured prompt payment of workers’ entitlements. We applaud Governor Bago’s efforts to empower media outlets, ensuring transparent communication with the public.

    “The upgrade of Radio Niger, NSTV, and the Newsline newspapers will enhance public awareness and engagement with the government’s programs and policies.”

    The group urged Governor Bago to continue his excellent work while calling on counterparts from the zone to emulate him.

  • NBS applauds Kwara for joining ‘structured States’

    NBS applauds Kwara for joining ‘structured States’

    Kwara State has joined the structured States in Nigeria with its investments in the GDP compilation from 2013 to 2022, the National Bureau of Statistics has said.

    “Kwara State is now joining the structured states in Nigeria. I will say congratulations to Kwara State for joining that league. So many states have compiled their GDPs from 2015 to 2022,” Team Lead of the NBS delegation to Kwara Ibrahim Yakubu Tanko said during a courtesy visit to Government House, Ilorin.

    “We are representatives of the Statistician General of the Federation Prince Adeyemi Adeniran. He is also sending his best regards to Kwara.

    “The National Bureau of Statistics is a collaborative agency. The keyword for the National Bureau of Statistics in 2024 is collaboration. Our doors are open to the states and national agencies as far as statistics is concerned.”

    Tanko assured Kwara that the NBS would deploy human resources and other mechanisms for effective collaboration to ensure the success of the exercise.

    “We are very much open at the National Bureau of Statistics to providing human resources and collaborating with states statistical agencies. Over the years, we have opened hands and allowed states statistical agencies to own this mechanism for the compilation of GDP. Kwara State Bureau of Statistics should know the companies that operate in the state, be in direct contact with them, and own the exercise. With that, the human capital in the State Bureau of Statistics will be built upon. Moving forward, we shall work with the agency,” he added.

    Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who was represented by Senior Advisor and Counsellor, Sa’adu Salau, acknowledged the roles of the NBS in data gathering and management for effective planning and national development.

    “We are all aware of immense benefits of the National Bureau of Statistics and its critical roles in measurement of indicators of the Nigerian economy. No matter what you talk about, as policy makers, as governments and as leaders, you must make sure that decisions and policies are informed by accurate data. This is what this exercise will do for us,” he said.

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    “It is a common saying that he who fails to plan plans to fail. So, there is no way you can talk of proper planning without accurate data. To have accurate data, you must invest because data is not cheap to come by. It is capital intensive. You must follow the due process to ensure diligence. Once one of the processes is compromised, stakeholders will not rely on the data. Governments at all levels and private sector rely on data from the National Bureau of Statistics for planning for development.”

    AbdulRazaq noted that the administration has put in place measures to ensure that its programmes and policies are data-driven.

    “I have no doubt that the present federal and state governments follow your data in various policies. It is on record that the present administration’s programmes and policies are data-driven. We have put in place a lot of measures to ensure that our policies are informed by data. That is why we are investing in measures to generate accurate data to drive policies in the state.

    “Before this administration came into power in 2019, many industries had disappeared. But, the administration has taken a number of measures to ensure that poverty is addressed. This led to the establishment of Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) to address different dimensions of poverty for market women/traders, entrepreneurs, and the aged etc. A lot of young entrepreneurs have benefitted from the scheme to address unemployment.”

  • NPA: Ex-Taraba governor hails Tinubu over appointment of Dantsoho

    NPA: Ex-Taraba governor hails Tinubu over appointment of Dantsoho

    Former governor of Taraba state, Darius Ishaku, has hailed President Bola Tinubu over the appointment of Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho as the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

    In a statement signed by Adams Ayuba Mshelia media aide to the past governor, Ishaku described the appointment as a welcome development.

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    Part of the statement reads: “Looking at his trajectories of service at all levels, the appointment is fit; a round peg in a round hole and a worthy addition to Taraba State and the nation at large.”

    Dantsoho holds a doctorate in Maritime Technology from Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, and a master’s degree in International Transport from Cardiff University of Wales, United Kingdom.

  • GMO foods responsible for diabetes, hypertension in children, memory loss in young Nigerians – Experts

    GMO foods responsible for diabetes, hypertension in children, memory loss in young Nigerians – Experts

    Some experts with knowledge in food safety and nutrition have expressed deep concerns regarding the health implications of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) foods.

    They spoke in Abuja on Wednesday, July 10, during a media symposium to raise awareness of global and local concerns about GMO foods.

    The symposium was jointly organised by the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR); Environmental Rights Action (Friends of the Earth), Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria (AAPN), Project Print, and Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).

    Executive Director, CEFSAR, Professor Qrissturberg Amua, lamented that the importation of GMOs in Nigeria without government regulations was affecting the hormone system of Nigerian citizens, with an attendant consequence of increased diabetes rate even in children.

    He identified one of the health risks of GMOs as early memory decay, where young people in their 40s were losing memory and intelligence at an alarming rate.

    Amua called on security agencies to interrogate, especially the various crop sciences that are brought from European Union (EU) countries and imposed on Nigerians to eat.

    He stated: “Before today, an ailment like diabetes was known or taken to be a condition for the elderly, people who were advanced in age.

    “Today, it has been proven from our research that these GMOs are promoting diabetes ailments in young children, teenagers, twelve-year-olds are going down with diabetes because these things are affecting the hormonal systems of people.

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    “Also, young people who are not even fat are going down with hypertension. They will deceive you and say it is because you are sitting down in one place for too long or you are eating processed foods.

    “The third one is early memory decay where young people in their 40s begin to lose their memories. The rate at which young people are losing memory is alarming.”

    The coordinator of the Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria, Donald Ofoegbu, called for proper monitoring laws to checkmate the presence of GMO foods in Nigeria.

    He said there is no framework to help Nigerians identify GMO foods in the market.

  • AbdulRazaq explains rationale behind planned first GDP computation

    AbdulRazaq explains rationale behind planned first GDP computation

    Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the weekend explained the rationale behind his administration’s move to compute and compile the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first time since Kwara’s creation in 1967.

    He said the decision is to have an accurate database for proper planning and socio-economic growth.

    “The GDP survey will cover key sectors of the economy such as agriculture, manufacturing, construction and a value-chain of goods and services,” he added.

    The governor said this in Ilorin at a one-day sensitisation campaign on the conduct of Kwara State Gross Domestic Product (KW-GDP) exercise 2024.

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    It was organised by the state Bureau of Statistics, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), ahead of July 13 when the data gathering exercise would begin in the state.

    “Our administration is committed to conducting a comprehensive survey to arrive at the GDP of Kwara State, beginning from July 13,” the governor said through the Commissioner for Youth Development, Usman Ndanusa.

    “The objectives of the exercise are to have accurate data, identify key drivers of economic growth as far as our state is concerned, and ensure evidence-based policy decisions in the state, among other benefits.

    “With this exercise, investors, development partners and businessmen do not need to guesstimate the status of the state economy before making informed decisions on where they need to put their money. State fiscal policy will now be formulated without sweat because of the importance of GDP for fiscal policy formulation.”

  • Hijrah 1446: Saheed Oladele wins Muslim youth role model award

    Hijrah 1446: Saheed Oladele wins Muslim youth role model award

    The National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) Oyo state chapter has bestowed Muslim Youth Role Model Award on Chief Saheed Oladele.

    Oladele is the Baameko of Ibadanland. 

    The award was presented to Oladele during the 1446 Hijrah celebration that took place at Adamasingba Stadium, Ibadan on Sunday, July 7.

    Other recipients of the award are the Deputy governor of Oyo state, Bayo Lawal, former Chief of Staff to former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, 

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    Dr. Saka Balogun and Babalaje Adini of Oyo State, Alhaji Olawoore Omo Okuorun. 

    Chief Abdulazeez Balogun while presenting the award on behalf of the organisation, noted that the award was in recognition of Oladele’s contributions to the society. 

    It was gathered that Oladele has won three integrity awards between December and now. 

    He had earlier won the Gani Fawehinmi Outstanding Integrity Award, Transparency Africa Award and Nelson Mandela Leadership Award of Excellence and Integrity before he was presented the Muslim Youth Role Model Award by NACOMYO today.

    Oladele who has been running one of the best pre varsities in Africa, Erudite Millennium Ltd for over ten years without compromising his good principles and values.

  • Lantern Foundation opens registration portal for Qur’an competition

    Lantern Foundation opens registration portal for Qur’an competition

    A foremost Islamic foundation, The Lantern Islamic Foundation (TLIF) is inviting Muslim children between ages 6 and 11 to register for the Foundation’s Qur’an quiz competition.

    The registration, according to the Amir of the Foundation, Ustadh Abdul Muiz Zubayr, opens on Monday, June 10th and will close on Sunday 11th, August, 2024.

    He urged interested participants to visit www.thelantern.org.ng to register for maximum of two out of the five categories including Qur’an recitation (3 Juz’u), Hadith recitation, interpretation and commentary (Annawawi’s 1-20), Solat, Aadab (manners) and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).

    Speaking on the aims of the competition at a press conference held at the Foundation’s secretariat in Lagos on Saturday, Zubayr said the competition is aimed at promoting Islamic moral values and Qur’an knowledge among Muslim children especially at this time when moral decadence and social vices pervade every aspect of the societal lives.

    He said, “This maiden edition will attract participants from across the State. Registration is still on. It opens on Monday, June 10th and closes Sunday 11th, August, 2024 for private and public schools and Arabic institutes throughout Lagos state. The main competition holds on the 8th of September, 2024 at a venue to be announced.

    Also syllabus for the competition will be available on the Foundation’s official Facebook page and website to enrich the knowledge of potential participants.  

    At the Lantern Foundation, our intention is to encourage our children to be able to recite the Qur’an by heart but to also know the fundamentals moral etiquettes in Islam which will enhance their observation of Salat daily. 

    We strive to promote, nurture and expose these children to Islamic knowledge which is very important to living a worthy life that pleases Allah.”

    Amir Zubayr therefore call on well-meaning Muslims and corporate organisations to partner with the Foundation by way of sponsorship of each of the five categories and cash donations to account name: The Lantern Islamic Foundation, Lotus Bank 1004196919.”

  • Kwara holds stakeholders’ meeting Saturday ahead first-ever GDP exercise

    Kwara holds stakeholders’ meeting Saturday ahead first-ever GDP exercise

    Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has approved the conduct of an exercise leading to the computation and compilation of its own Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first time since it was created in 1967.

    The exercise will be conducted with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), according to a statement by the state bureau of statistics.

    “The bureau of statistics has received an approval of His Excellency for the exercise which is the first of its kind in the history of the state,” the bureau stated.

    “The bureau consequently invites stakeholders to attend a sensitisation programme on the computation and compilation of the GDP. The stakeholders’ meeting is slated for Saturday July 6, 2024 at the State Banquet Hall in Ilorin.

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    “The exercise is part of the socioeconomic indicators to drive growth and development in the state.”

    The exercise itself will begin on July 13, 2024.

    The agency urges all sectors of the economy, public and private, to cooperate with the team that goes around for data collection as the exercise is in the best interest of the state and its people.

    Speaking on the development, Pioneer Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Statistics Alhaji Nasiru Ibrahim said the exercise will be a historic step for the state as it is the first since Kwara was created.

    “What we had in 2011/2012 was a rebased GDP exercise conducted by the NBS with the base year being 1990. Unfortunately, Kwara did not pay the counterpart funds of about N14.1m to have its own data,” he said.

    “What has been in use was the UN estimates for every state according to a 2007 UNDP Report. Since 2012, the bureau had been asking Kwara to pay its counterpart funds, but it wasn’t paid. Essentially, Kwara has not conducted GDP exercise since its creation, and that means a whole lot. I am the happiest person that this is happening because we have always been calling for it.”

    Defined as the economic temperature of a state, GDP tells the size of an economy, and lack of reliable GDP figures could be a drawback for economic growth as investors may not be able to make informed decisions about the economy.