The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Lawmaker donates to constituents

    The member representing Isin/Irepodun/Ekiti/Oke Ero Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Akeem Aiydedun has donated the sum of N4 million to the four local government areas that make up the constituency to enable them to strengthen the All Progressives Congress (APC) structures in Kwara State.

    The lawmaker made the donation during a sensitisation tour of his constituency during which he fraternised with the newly inaugurated party executive in each of the four local government areas.

    He also distributed some items worth N2 million to some members of his constituency. The items distributed included clothes and motorcycles, among others.

    Party members as well as youth groups and associations received Hon. Aiydedun. Some of the groups were ABS youth group, NATA, Motorcyclists’ association, youth leaders, artisans, PMAN Ekiti, women leaders and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    They expressed their happiness over Hon. Aiyedun’s gesture towards the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the entire youth of his constituency.

    In a statement, his media aide, Shesan Phillip had said Aiydedun had earlier donated scores of vehicles, motorcycles, dryers and power generating sets, among others to the groups. This, he said, was a way of empowering his people.

    Receiving Hon. Aiydedun during the tour, members of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the constituency pledged their support and loyalty to him and the APC. They also appreciated the state government’s efforts towards improving the well-being of the people, even as they praised Senator Bukola Saraki for his leadership of the party.

  • Nigerian gets IP3 Alumni award

    Nigerian gets IP3 Alumni award

    The Institute of Public Private Partnership (PPP), Washington DC, has celebrated its 20th anniversary, even as it honoured a Nigerian, Joseph Tsavsar as IP3 Alumni of the Year.

    The IP3 Alumni of the Year award was a surprise to many Nigerians as they are not aware of the existence of the institute.

    In an exclusive chat with our correspondent, the award recipient, who is the Special Adviser to Benue State Governor on Special Duties, said the Institute of Public Private Partnership (PPP) was created to provide an alternative means of funding in infrastructure development through public – private partnership, adding that the institute trains people all over the world who are recognized with award after 20 years of training.

    Participants from Nigeria, Uganda, Philippines and Kenya submitted articles based on programmes of administration in the various countries for the competition.

    The PPP, he said, is creating awareness in countries all over the world that there is alternative arrangement towards funding infrastructure.

    According to Tsavsar, through the institute, he has gained immense knowledge on how to involve private investors in funding infrastructure.

    “Infrastructure has empowered people through the provision of roads, healthcare and power generation. If Nigeria desires to benefit from infrastructural enhancement, government should de-regulate the sector and allow the private sector to drive it,” he said.

    Mr. Tsavsar stated that he was pushing for PPP law in Nigeria, adding that members of PPP in Nigeria are organising workshop to create awareness about PPP. He called on local, state and the Federal Government to embraced PPP for effective service delivery.

  • Dafara: Community in search of development

    Dafara: Community in search of development

    Among several communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dafara is said to be one of those that lack infrastructure. In this report, GBENGA OMOKHUNU examines the people’s plight and what could be done to ease their suffering.

    The essence of having an area council administration is to ensure that communities under it enjoy the benefits of democracy. In most situations, the reverse is the case as people at the grassroots go through horrifying hardship if their leaders fail to take care of their well-being.

    Dafara in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) seems a perfect example of this scenario.

    Residents of the community, which is just about six kilometres from the council’s secretariat, are not satisfied with the state of affairs. This is because the community is experiencing what they described as ‘developmental delay’ as a result of negligence on the part of the council chairman who has failed to fulfill his electioneering promises to them.

    Investigation revealed that residents of this peaceful community have been denied of necessities  that enhance their welfare.

    That they lack every amenity even when they live closer to the council’s secretariat is surprising to them. They alleged that members of the community have not benefited in any way from the council in the past three years.

    The Madaki of the community, Mr. Zaphania Tezh, who represented the community’s chief, Joseph Makeri, told our correspondent that the community is in need of government’s presence, adding that, despite that the people support the administration of the council, they are still far from witnessing development. He also said the community was experiencing challenges which include lack of potable water, electricity and access road.

    He said: “We know that the council chairman is doing his best to reach out to communities in Kuje. But we feel that since we are close to the secretariat, development should not be far from us. We really need infrastructural development in this community. That will give our people a sense of belonging.

    “Our youths also need to be empowered. In Dafara Village, we have many graduates that are jobless. The leadership of the council should come to our aid by making our people feel they are part of the government in Kuje.”

    A resident, Mr. John Iyan, said the community lacked some amenities that would have given the people a sense of belonging, adding that the leadership of the council should assist the community in the area of water, since the rivers on which the people depend for drinking and cooking are not hygienic enough.

    “We know government cannot do everything for the communities within its area. The past chairman, Hon. Danladi Zhin, did his best to reach out to communities in Kuje. But Dafara was left out in the course of providing certain amenities. We are appealing to the present chairman, Hon. Shaban Tete, to come to our rescue in providing water boreholes, transformers for electricity. It is hard to believe there is no electricity in this community that is very close to the council’s secretariat.

    “Most of our youths are graduates but they are jobless. We are appealing to the council chairman to empower youths in this community so that they will be useful to themselves and the society.

    “No matter what, our youths are still part of the leaders of tomorrow. So, they should be empowered,” he said.

    Another resident, Ismaila Matthew, said though the previous administration worked towards providing water for the community, the project failed. He also said they have not benefited much from the government apart from the primary and junior secondary schools being built.

    “Tete should fulfill promises he made to this community over a year ago. We believe that those things we lack currently could be provided if he wills. Again, the youth will have a sense of belonging if they are empowered. He should better our living condition,” he said.

    Efforts made to speak with the chairman of the council were futile as one of his aides told our correspondent to wait till when the council chief will address the press on it.

  • Eking a living from garbage dumps

    Eking a living from garbage dumps

    The garbage dump is at Badarawa Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The heap is alleged to have been generated from the homes of the rich who reside in the Malali Government Reserved Area (GRA).

    While the continuous dumping of refuse in the school has been a source of concern to many, it has become a source of revenue for several young men who visit the dump site as early as 7:00 a.m. daily to search for scraps.

    Sometimes, only the early callers collect enough scraps, while others who arrive late have to go to other refuse dumps to forage for scraps.  Atimes, they go from house to house collecting garbage from residents. The young men look unkempt and stink.

    Sadly, they search for metals with only a little iron fastened to a stick without any nose mask to prevent them from inhaling the stench from the refuse dump. They also do not care about diseases they might contract from such putrid areas.

    Dahiru Badarawa is one of those who visit garbage dumps. He told our correspondent that he feeds his family of three either by going from house to house to collect refuse or scavenging for scrap metals and aluminum at dumps.

    He also said he is into the business to survive since he didn’t want to engage in begging. Despite the risk involved, Badarawa is determined to continue with it, even though he does this without taking any precautionary measures.

    He further told our correspondent that he takes between N50 and N200 for every refuse he collects, depending on the size. According to him, when he takes the refuse to the dump site, he separates “the useful items” and waits for buyers. He added that “from this money, I was able to marry my wife with whom I have a baby girl. It is better than going about begging. I don’t intend to leave this job soon, except the government provides a better job for me.”

    Like Badarawa, 21-year-old Ibrahim Ismail begins his day at the refuse site where he collects scrap metals for sale. He told our correspondent that he has realised that no scrap is waste. He is among several young men who go from one refuse dump to the other across Kaduna metropolis, scavenging for used containers, cans, metals and, sometimes, used rubber containers which they sell.

    The young men cut the picture of wacky people. Some of them carry garbage-laden sacks on their backs.

    Ismail said: “Every morning, I go to the waste sites to pick empty cans and plastic bottles. Sometimes, if I am lucky, I come across discarded telephone handsets. They fetch me better money than the other items. A kilogramme of cans and plastic bottles costs between N25 and N30. I collect up to 30 kilogrammes on a good day. That gives me about N1000 from the day’s adventure.”

    He claimed to have been in the business for almost five years and uses the proceeds to support his education at the Government Day Secondary School, Badarawa where he is in SS 1.

    Investigation revealed that some officials of the Kaduna State Environmental Protection Agency may be encouraging the young men to carry out their activities. At the Badarawa garbage site, a truck belonging to the Kaduna State Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA) drove into the site and the scavengers assisted in loading the garbage into the truck.

    On whether they were paid for the service, they said they assist in loading the trucks because they are allowed to scavenge at the site. Although the site is malodorous, the young men search through the refuse heap with their bare hands and no protective footwears, hand gloves or nose mask.

    They believe their health is not at risk as it is God who protects mankind from diseases, arguing that there are many people who contract diseases even in the four walls of their homes.

    Dahiru Badarawa told our correspondent that he was not scared of any infection, because all these years he has been in the business, he has never come in contact with any infection.

    On the current outbreak of Ebola virus, he said: “I am aware of one Ebola that they said is killing people. As far as we are concerned, those people did not contact Ebola from picking ‘bola’. So, they should go and look for where they got the disease from. For us, we will continue to do our business without any fear of Ebola.”

    It was observed that the scavengers may not only pose serious risk to themselves, but also to others who come in contact with them. This is so because they tend to move about with same wears they use at the refuse sites.

    Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim blamed the notion of the scavengers on their level of education, exposure and information.  Ibrahim argued that there is no doubt that the scavengers are exposed to various health hazards.

    “For example, their physical body is exposed to some hazards such as stepping on broken bottles or other sharp objects buried in the waste. It is a fact that some of these boys don’t wear hand gloves and they go about with ordinary bathroom slippers.

    “So, when they are wounded by such objects, the wounds are vulnerable to infection. The current health challenge the country is experiencing is the Ebola Virus Disease. People are discouraged from eating bush meat and having contacts with dead animals. I am not saying there is Ebola in the garbage heap they pick from, but how are they sure that no dead animal is thrown into the garbage they touch with their bare hands?” Ibrahim asked.

    Noting that garbage sites are generally known as places where people go to urinate and pass faeces, Ibrahim said: “Now, if we say Ebola can be transmitted through contact with body fluids, how are the scavengers sure of the health status of those who passed those faeces and urine?”

    However, a visit to where the scavengers sell their products on Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway revealed what the items are used for. One of the buyers, who refused to disclose his identity on the excuse that his boss was not around, said the recycling technology has become a global business.

    He said: “We buy cans and sell them to some factories that turn them to aluminium pots or iron rods, while electric wires are recycled into women earrings, necklaces and hand chains.

  • Tackling rising insecurity in Kwara

    Tackling rising insecurity in Kwara

    Piqued by the increasing wave of political violence and criminal activities, especially among the youth in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, prominent sons and daughters of the emirate under the aegis of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), has organised a one-day security summit ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    Explaining the rationale behind the summit, the group noted that peace and harmony of the town are gradually being eroded by modernity and political sophistication.

    Speaker after speaker at the summit blamed the malaise on institutional inertia, drug abuse, corruption in both high and low places, bad governance and public distrust.

    Declaring the summit open, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed blamed politicians whom he said use the youth to achieve their selfish ambitions.

    He, therefore, urged politicians to provide jobs and not guns for the youth.

    He said: “Our youths need jobs and a secure future. What they do not need and therefore do not deserve are guns and machetes whose only outcome is to blight their lives and abridge their future.

    “I also add my voice to the need for the security agencies to form a greater synergy and avoid needless rivalry. We can only surmount the hidden and obvious security threats confronting our state through working together. To us the people, it does not matter who offers the best protection and security.

    “What counts is that our lives are safe and our properties secure.”

    Ahmed also advised Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies through the appropriate channels that offer anonymity and safety.

    He maintained that the most reliable and actionable intelligence comes from neighbourhood where crime is hatched and committed.

    He further said policies and programmes of his administration are borne out of the realisation of the social, economic and security imperative of ensuring that youths are productively engaged to prevent youth restiveness.

    Contributing, the National President of IEDPU, Alhaji AbdulHamid Adi said the summit was designed to check crime and criminalities in Ilorin due to the increase in the city’s population.

    Also contributing top security personnel who pleaded anonymity said: “Security agents alone cannot ensure crime-free society. Combating crime requires the support of all. Members of the public should endeavour to volunteer information that will lead to the arrest of criminal elements in the society.

    “If I make any arrest, I urge members of the public not to intervene by asking for their release. Crimes persist in the society because members of the public intervene when a criminal is arrested. It is better to allow alleged criminals charged to court. If they are convicted and jailed, the society can then be peaceful.”

    In a paper entitled “Primary Crime Control in Addressing the Problems of Insecurity in Ilorin Emirate,” Ambassador Abdulazeez Sheikh-Usman said criminal activities in the metropolis tend to assume crisis proportion, “thereby engendering a depressing feeling of helplessness among the general populace.”

    Ambassador Sheikh-Usman said: “The distortion to the harmonious co-existence therefore, has created the impression that government is incapable of fulfilling one of its cardinal responsibilities of ensuring public safety.

    “Amidst all these, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the principal organ charged with maintenance of law and order, appear bogged down by institutional inertia, derived from long years of neglect, corruption, poor morale and public mistrust, despite the range of assistance from some state governments. Hence, hitherto unknown criminals, who operate primarily in certain localities in the country, have become notorious within the emirate.

    “It is established that for most criminal activities, the underlying factor is the element of cheating, which has been allowed to permeate every fabric of our society and lives. From that market woman who dents her measure to the robber who dispossesses one of one’s personal belongings, the thugs and cult members who destroy people’s property, the law enforcement officer that takes money to cover up a criminal for breaking the law, the importer of fake drugs, the civil servant who cut corners, the politician who makes invisible beings to vote for him are all attitudinal problems and products of polluted mind.

    “It is cheating that breeds injustice, fear, derailing of value system and prejudice, among others which, together with poverty and unemployment, among others, that the emirate and indeed the state must set out to combat.

    “Overtime, government’s approach in promoting harmony through the security agents has the benefit of deterrence, apprehension, punishment and treatment of offenders, but there appears to be no corresponding effectiveness in crime control. Experience has shown that this formal system of controlling crime across the country contains inherent limitations and therefore requires other options that will be complementary.

    “Basically, therefore, crime prevention will rely more on the culture, education and societal cohesion to be effective.”

    Proffering suggestions towards eradicating or reducing crime and criminality in the society, he said: “Government at the centre must do the right thing to curtail and reverse the state of insecurity in the country. Given the enormous resources at the disposal of some perpetrators, government needs to properly address the causes of the challenges and adequately deploy the right and appropriate resources to stem the downward trend of the security situation.

    “Most importantly, the Federal Government should address the problem of weak judicial system that encourages frivolous injunctions and different sanctions on the same offences. Efforts should also be made to make the security services functional and effective. Corruption, injustices and the culture of impunity must be addressed.

    “Crime prevention only needs to be integrated in our broader social policies while making sure that certain values are not compromised. Hence, combining prevention with enforcement shall ensure a near crime-free community.”

  • Kaduna’s dumped projects

    Kaduna’s dumped projects

    Before his death, the former Governor of Kaduna State, Sir Patrick Yakowa, was determined to improve the living standard of the people. To ensure this, he awarded contracts for the construction of roads and other amenities that would enhance their well-being.

    He awarded contracts for 33 roads in the local government areas in November, 2012. The people of the benefiting communities sang and danced as Yakowa flaggesd off the construction of the roads after he had paid 25 per cent of the contract sum to all the contractors .

    Before they were paid, each of the contractors provided a bank guarantee. A couple of days after he concluded the exercise, Yakowa died in a helicopter crash.

    His Deputy, Mukthar Ramalan Yero took over as governor.  He promised that he would continue with all the projects whose contracts had been awarded by the Yakowa administration. Apart from the 33 roads, there are other ongoing road projects due for completion. One of them is the Narayi/Ungwan Maigero Road which connects Narayi Village with the new road that has been named after the late governmor.

    However, the10-kilometre Yakowa Way was completed before his death, but the link road which is less than three kilometres is far from being completed.

    Investigation revealed that any time Yero tours ongoing road projects, work will resume on the roads, but stops immediately he concludes his tour.

    With the slow pace of work on the roads and many of the contractors abandoning sites for a long time, there are speculations across the state that Yero has abandoned the roads, despite his promise to omplete all projects awarded by Yakowa.

    Apart from taking a tour of the roads in the Northern Senatorial District, Yero made little effort to tell the people why work on the roads has been slow.  Non-performing contractors have neither been sanctioned nor the contracts re-awarded.

    However, Mordecai Sunday Ibrahim, publisher of the Kaduna-based New Impression Magazine, has alleged that Yakowa’s kinsmen had abandoned the road projects after collecting mobilisation fees.

    In a recent interview, Ibrahim was quoted as saying that Yero was not the one that abandoned the road projects, especially those in Southern Kaduna, but Yakowa’s kinsmen.

    Ibrahim said: “From my investigations and observations, some of the roads were abandoned because some of the contractors do not have the wherewithal to execute the contracts. Some of them do not even have a wheelbarrow to pack sands, yet they got the contracts.

    “Some of them collected 25 per cent mobilisation fee and took off. The Commissioner for Works and Transport told me that he had meetings with one of the contractors thrice times, yet the man has not gone back to site. You collected public money, taxpayers’ money and went away with it. If the man who gave you the contract had been alive, I am sure he will not be happy with you.

    “The intention of the late Sir Patrick Yakowa is that both the contractor and community should benefit from the contract, but as it is today, like the Hausa saying goes, no bird no trap.”

    He argued that it was wrong to accuse governor of abandoning the road projects which he believes are of immense benefit to the people.

    He said: “Anybody who is accusing Governor Muhktar Ramalan Yero of abandoning road projects is not fair to him. This is because he has not abandoned any project. He has even awarded contracts for additional six roads which are also ongoing. Some are even completed, both at the Northern and Southern Senatorial zones.

    “For example, the Saye Bridge, Kofan Gayan in Zaria has been completed. People are enjoying the use of the road now. If you go to the 6.5km Asphalt road at Kagarko Local Government Area in the Southern Senatorial zone, the Marraban Iddah–Iddah–Bwari Junction that leads to Abuja, has been completed.

    “The irony is that the contractor completed the job within the required period with only 25 per cent mobilisation he received. The road was awarded at the cost of N584, 864,894.25. The contract was awarded on December 27, 2013 and the contractor moved to site in February 2014. The contractor confirmed to us that he was paid only N146, 216,223.57 which represents 25 per cent of the total sum.”

    He further alleged that Yakowa’s relatives were among those who collected mobilisation fees and abandoned the road projects.

    He said: “The contractor handling one of the abandoned road projects I mentioned is closely related to the late Yakowa. That was why I said if Yakowa were alive to see this, he would not be happy. Yakowa would not have tolerated abandonment of any project by anybody.

    “If he were alive to see that the road he awarded contracts for construction and his kinsmen are not doing them, he would be sad and even angry with them. It is no secret that some of the road construction works were awarded to Yakowa’s kinsmen. There is nothing wrong with Yakowa’s kinsmen getting the contract. But there is everything wrong when they get the contracts and they abandon project sites after collecting mobilisation fees.”

    Buttressing Ibrahim’s point, Kaduna State Accountant-General, Ishaku Shekari who pays contractors for works done and who is from Southern Kaduna, also dismissed the claim that the road projects awarded by the late Yakowa were abandoned.

    He said: “No road project has been abandoned. The late Governor Yakowa was magnanimous and wanted to empower a lot of people as possible and therefore awarded contracts to people who are somehow new and not known in road construction. A good number of them did not have the capacity to execute the jobs.

    “Those who have the capacity have since completed the jobs and are awaiting their payments. Those who lacked the experience are waiting for government to completely finance the jobs. All of them that were awarded these contracts were given 25 per cent of the contract sum as mobilisation fee.

    “If a contract is given to you and you are paid 25 per cent of the sum, I expect that before you come for anything, the job would have been at least 40 or 50 per cent completed. One of the jobs that have been revoked is that of Gonin Gora because the contractor has not done up to 10 per cent of the job.

    “So, what happened to the 25 per cent money given to him? That is why some of the projects are still at the stage they are today. The contractors do not have the capacity and so did not mobilise to sites. Some were waiting to borrow equipment from those who have as a result of which the jobs suffered. In fact, some of them sold the contracts out.”

    But some people from Southern Kaduna believe that the claim that Yakowa awarded some of the contracts to people who do not have the capacity to execute the project is part of ploys to exonerate Governor Yero and give Yakowa a bad name.

    Rev. Yunana Oganto told our correspondent that the denials were attempts to underplay the ineptitude and incompetence of the Kaduna State Government in handling developmental issues.

    Oganto, who is the National Chairman of Rich Forth Nigeria, a Jos-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) said: “The Kaduna State Government and its collaborators attempt to underplay their ineptitude and incompetence by adopting Machiavellian antics in exonerating themselves from glaring failure.

    Continuing, Oganto said: “Those who conducted the so-called projects investigation should be able to provide the names of the local governments visited and the lists of abandoned projects therein. They should also oblige us with a comprehensive list of the companies owned by the illusive Yakowa kinsmen whom they claim abandoned the contracts after collecting the mobilisation fees.

    “Unless the facts are made available, the purported fact finding is a mere calculated attempt to score cheap credit for doing nothing. Those who sponsored the facetious assignment have failed in their effort to launder their tainted image, as long as these abandoned projects remained uncompleted and deteriorating.”

    Similarly, Convener of the Concerned Southern Kaduna Professionals, Dr. John Danfulani challenged Ibrahim to mention the names of those who collected mobilisation fees and later abandoned the road projects.

    He said: “I read the claim by one Modecai Sunday Ibrahim who is not a government official. Modecai threatened to mention names of Southern Kaduna people that collected money and abandoned the road projects sited in Southern Kaduna during Yakowa’s era.

    “The statement is nonsense and detached from commonsense and logic. If truly his mission was to exonerate Governor Yero from the whole mess, he should have been bold enough to mention names and state the take-off grant given to them.

    “So long as he was courageous enough to pillar his empty talk with facts, he merely danced naked in a public square. As we approach 2015 general elections, there is nothing Sir Kashim Ibrahim foot soldiers in Southern Kaduna and party urchin will not say and do to cleanse their inept government by shifting the blame to Yakowa and Southern Kaduna people.

    While on tour of the roads across the state, Governor Yero threatened to revoke all non-performing contracts awarded by the state government just as he urged contractors handling government projects to ensure that they are completed on schedule.

    He said the government will carry out a comprehensive review of all ongoing projects across, adding that government will take concrete action against contractors who have abandoned their project sites.

    While commending contractors who have either completed their jobs or are in the process of doing so, the governor said the review is to ensure the completion of projects earmarked in the 2014 budget before the end of the year. He advised contractors to begin the second phase of the project which is asphalt-laying and completion of drainage.

    He denied allegations that he had abandoned road projects initiated by the late Yakowa.

    While speaking at a public function in Kafanchan, the governor said: “Our administration has not and will not dump any projects initiated by regimes before us. While we continue to allocate scarce resources to tackle numerous demands, it is imperative to ensure completion of ongoing projects in order to ensure prudent spending of public funds.

    “It will amount to wastage and retrogression if every administration dumps projects initiated by its predecessors and we shall not fall into such trap. In zone three alone, there are 15 ongoing road projects that have been earmarked for funding in the 2014 budget.

    “While most are at various stages of completion; our administration has successfully completed the Zonkwa-Yarbam Road, Tum-Madakiya Road and the College of Education Gidan Waya Road. Several other road projects have reached advanced stages of completion and these include Jere-Kurmin Jibrin and Kwoi-Kafanchan Road which has reached 74 per cent completion stage, Wazo-Asso-Tanda-Gegira Washout has reached 92 per cent completion stage and the Zonal Police Headquarter-Kaduna State University Campus Access Road has reached 96 per cent completion stage.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    “We have made a total allocation of N8.251 billion in the budget as funding for ongoing road projects in zone three this year. There are also projects in other sectors including education, health, rural development and water supply that are ongoing in all parts of the state.

    “I re-assure the entire people of Kaduna State that our administration is for all people, irrespective of tribe, religion or section. I am Governor for all the people of Kaduna State and for us; no citizen of Kaduna State is superior or inferior to others.

    “We are all equal partners in this project. As government, we shall continue to work hard in ensuring that every citizen of Kaduna State enjoys the right and opportunity to attain their full potential. I re-affirm that under my watch, no section of the state shall receive more or less than its fair share of all opportunities and projects that government has to offer.”

  • Man, 20, jailed over sex with goat

    An Upper Area Court in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has sentenced a 20-year-old tailor, Sani Abdul, to one year imprisonment for having sex with a she-goat.

    The prosecutor, Ocheche Samuel, told the court that the case was reported at the Kuje Police Station by Doh Ibrahim of the same address with the suspect.

    Samuel said Abdul was caught in a bathroom at Sauka Extension having intercourse with the she-goat.

    He added that when the accused heard footsteps approaching where he was having carnal knowledge of the goat, he tried to escape, but was caught and handed over to the police.

    Samuel said the offence contravened Section 284 of the Criminal Code.

    The accused, who resides at Sauka Extension in Kuje, was later sentenced to one year imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to one count charge of unnatural and indecent offence.

    The presiding Judge, Mr. Adamu Wakili, however, gave him an option of a fine of N15, 000. He also ordered that the accused be remanded in Kuje Prison for one year if he could not meet the fine condition.

  • Council warns against indecent waste disposal

    The Head of Environmental Department (HOD) in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Abdulkarim Abdulrazaq, has blamed the improper disposal of waste and refuse in some parts of the council on the nonchalant attitude by some residents who do not care about their health.

    Abdulrazaq, who revealed in Kuje while speaking with reporters said despite the department’s effort in evacuating and keeping the environment clean, some residents do not comply with the sanitation rules and regulations.

    According to him, the leadership of the council is also trying its best in terms of creating awareness on proper waste disposal.

    He further explained that mobile court sitting in Kuje has convicted about 13 offenders of sanitation rules and regulations in the area, emphasising that sanitation exercise should be a matter of necessity which should be observed on a daily basis in every home.

    He warned residents against open defecation and non-provision of toilet facilities by some landlords in the area.

    “Landlords who build houses without toilet facilities have been warned to provide such facility, failure of which will result in prosecuting them. I advise residents to stop dumping refuse in gutters. They should join hands with the administration in the development of the area council,” he said.

  • Ebola: More knocks for govt over isolation centre

    Some residents of Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are still protesting the establishment of Ebola screening and isolation centre in Kuje General Hospital.

    While speaking with our correspondent on the matter, the Chief of Paseli community, Mr. Usman Yusuf said the designation of the centre in Kuje is not to the best interest of the people, as it was located in a densely populated area of the town.

    “The decision by the Federal Government to establish Ebola treatment and isolation centre in Kuje General Hospital is unfair. This is because the hospital is in a strategic location where majority of the people live. Ebola is a disease that everybody is running away from. Why should the Minister of the FCT insist that such centre should be established in Kuje General Hospital?

    “Kuje has a vast land and several interior areas where such a centre could be established. The fund is available to construct structures for such treatment centres and I do not see any reason for the minister to insist that the centre should be in Kuje General Hospital,” he said.

    Mr. Yusuf said huge amount of money has been budgeted by the Federal Government to set up isolation centres across the country. The isolation centre should be set up in a secluded area of the council, not Kuje General Hospital, adding that it was unfair to set up such a centre in a crowded area of Kuje town.

    “This is unfair, except the minister wants to kill the whole inhabitants of Kuje. They should look for an interior area where nobody lives and set up such centre. Everything negative is pushed to Kuje such as the Maximum Security Prison, School for the Handicap and School for the Deaf and Dump. Now it is Ebola treatment centre,” he said.

    The youth leader of Kuje, Mr. Zaka Sunday, said establishing the Ebola treatment and isolation centre in Kuje is not a problem but locating it at the middle of the town was not to the interest the people. He added that the centre should be sited at the outskirts of the town where the risk of contacting the deadly disease will be minimal.

    “It is the decision of the Federal Government to site Ebola isolation centres across the country to tackle any possible outbreak of the disease. We can’t resist it. But our appeal to the Federal Government is that the centre should not be located at Kuje General Hospital where there is large number of people.

    “The Kuje General Hospital is the only government-owned hospital that we have and it is centrally located. There are residential houses around it and only a fence demarcates it with a school. So, if you are bringing Ebola screening and isolation centre here, you are telling us not to go to that hospital again.

    “The people are not really sensitised about the virus and nobody has come to Kuje to select key persons like the youth group, women group or the market women for sensitisation. We are appealing to the Minister of the FCT to take the isolation centre to a remote area where people are not living,” he said.

    In a related development, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has inaugurated a technical committee to tackle any possible outbreak of Ebola virus.

    This was consequent to the directive by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed to chairmen of the six area councils to set up committees to ensure that the dreaded virus did not spread.

    The chairman of the council, Hon. Micah Jiba told reporters that before the ministerial directive, the council had mapped out strategies to curb any possible outbreak, noting that the council had to be proactive considering the central location of the council.

    Jiba, who praised the media for the level of awareness created about the disease, also enjoined them to sustain the tempo until cure of the Ebola virus is found by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    The council boss also praised both the Federal Government and FCT Administration for what he described as “proactive steps” to address the scourge, even as he called on religious and traditional leaders to assist government in spreading the awareness campaigns which aim at curbing the spread of the virus.

    “I praise the media for the awareness created about the Ebola virus. I have a publication of one of the national dailies on Ebola virus. Through the media, we have known that routine cleaning and disinfection of animal houses with sodium hypochlorite (bleach) or other detergents are effective in inhibiting the virus.

    “Restricting or banning movement of animals from infected farms to other areas can reduce the spread of the disease and segregation of infected animals from others. This type of awareness can go a long way in checking the spread,” Jiba said.

    Jiba revealed that the Supervising Councillor in charge of health and other senior primary health workers are members of the committee, adding that the committee will collaborate with other relevant bodies for positive result.

     

  • Muslims are not terrorists, say clerics

    Islamic clerics in the country have said Muslims are not terrorists contrary to wide belief.

    Delivering a paper entitled “Islamic Solution to Terrorism” at a lecture organised by the Right Path Prayer Group in Abuja, Sheikh Abdulrauf Abdulhameed Oloriomokewu Khalifahtul Quardiriyyah said Allah is a lover of peace; hence, every Muslim must love peace.

    “Muslims are not terrorists because there are lots of messages in the Quran that enjoin Muslims to shun terrorism. Allah loves gentleness. I just finished telling you the story of how Prophet (SWT) got the freedom to enter Makkah; it was through peaceful settlement. So, every Muslim must be peace-loving, because Allah (SWT) is a lover of peace and the religion is a religion of peace,” he said.

    Oloriomokewu argued that the Boko Haram insurgents have no justification for killing people.

    “The Quran says that you should not let the affliction meted to you disturb you from being faithful, from doing justice. They don’t have justification for killing people; they don’t have justification for killing Muslims because there is a strong warning that if you kill a Muslim, you will be in hell fire. Therefore, they should stop this act. Let’s forgive ourselves and look for a way forward,” he said.

    The cleric advised that the way out of insurgency is for everybody to go back to God and to promote peace.

    His words: “Let’s come back to God as all the prophets have done. Don’t let us say it is President Goodluck Jonathan or the Senators; let all of us together come back to God because God has not created anybody that he cannot overcome.

    “God has not created anybody that he cannot deal with and God has not created any situation that he cannot be on top of. We have to promote peace. If we promote peace in the country, definitely those people will stop being aggressive as they are now.”

    He corroborated Ustaz Mustapha Shuaib Agbarere’s statement that such belief is a misconception.

    “Muslims are not terrorists and Islam is not a religion of terrorism. We know why people will just gather among themselves and create an avenue of terror in any society. Among the factors that contribute to such situations are injustice; inequality as well as social and economic imbalance.”

    Proffering solution to the problem, Ustaz Agbarere said besides going back to Quran, Nigeria should begin to do justice and be kind to everyone without fear or favour.

    “We Muslims should forgive whatever grievances among ourselves so that Allah can forgive us and we also contribute prayerfully for God to descend his mercy and peace in our country.”