The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Rediscovering Bauchi’s tourism potential

    Rediscovering Bauchi’s tourism potential

    Situated in the northeastern part of Nigeria, Bauchi State remains a tourism haven. It boasts warm and hospitable weather and over15 memorable destinations that have earned it “the Pearl of Tourism” tag.

    The state’s natural endowments are raw and beautiful. It is also blessed with spectacular sights which are awe-inspiring beauty.

    The state has a rich historical heritage, such as the ancient Babban Gwani local structure in Kafin Madaki and Ganjuwa local government areas; the first mining Beacon in Nigeria at Tilden Fulani, the Panshanu Stone heaps in Toro Local Government Area, the Geji Rock Paintings in Shira Local Government Area and the Shadawanka Rock Paintings and the famous Tomb of Nigeria’s first and only Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, in Bauchi metropolis.

    Home to over six million people, the state hosts about 55 ethnic groups, each with its striking and colourful traditions and festivals.

    Festivals, such as the Kyaro War Dance of the Warji ethnic group, the Afizare Dance (Jarawa people), the Takai Dance popular among Hausa-Fulani, the Ngat-Zal Bajar Dance peculiar to the people of Dass, the Lawurba Dance common with the people of Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro, make Bauchi a melting point for traditional and cultural tourism.

    The most outstanding of the festivals is the Durbar which has been embraced by the people and is a major aspect of the Sallah celebrations in the state. The Durbar is a display of horsemanship by hundreds of horse men adorned in traditional attires, marching to the drumbeats. There are gun salutes and the blaring of trumpets before a crowd of eager spectators, who are ever happy to pay homage to traditional leaders.

    The palaces of the six first-class traditional rulers are a blend of old and modern architecture. The state is also known for its traditional wrestling and boxing contests.

    The state is noted for its art and craft which include beautiful embroidered caps and gowns, fibre craft and calabash carvings. It is also good in metal works, pottery, mat-weaving and leather works. Most importantly, Bauchi is endowed with natural ecosystems in the Lame-Burra Game Reserve that hosts a variety of wildlife.

    These reserves are home to rare species of birds, monkeys and other wild animals. The Lame Burra was proposed as a Game Reserve in 1978 to boost tourism. But several years after, its treasure and natural resources are yet to be exploited.

    Interestingly, what is regarded as Africa’s biggest game reserve, the Yankari Games Reserve, is strategically located in Bauchi State. Yankari is, undoubtedly, the most developed wildlife park in Nigeria. It has a variety of fauna and flora and  attracts visitors from across the globe annually.

    The Yankari Games Reserve, which has become inseparable from the famous and popular natural Wikki Warm Spring, is a large wildlife park in Alkaleri Local Government Area. It covers an area of almost 2,244 square kilometres.

    Its location in the heartland of West African Savannah makes it a unique destination for tourists, holiday-makers and seekers of a few hours of fun watching wildlife in their natural habitat.

    Investigations revealed that the reserve, founded in the 1950s, habours over 69 indigenous wildlife, including baboons, monkeys, warthogs, hippopotamuses, lions, elephants and leopards.

    Others are buffalos, gannet, roan antelopes, bubal, hartebeest and spotted hyenas in addition to African hunting dogs, cheetahs, western kobs, gazelles, water-bucks, grimm’s duckers, oribi and duckers. It’s home to more than 350 species of indigenous birds, 26 species of fish, seven amphibians and 17 species of reptiles. It is the most popular destination for tourists in Nigeria and plays a crucial role in the development and promotion of eco-tourism.

     

    Birth of Yankari Game Reserve

    The history of Yankari Game Reserve dates back to 1934, when the Northern Regional Committee recommended to the Executive Council to set up a pilot game reserve in the Bauchi Emirate. It was the idea of Alhaji Muhammadu Ngeleruma, a minister in the then Northern Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

    By 1956, the Northern Regional Government approved the plan for the creation of a ‘’Game Preservation Area and Yankari was readily identified as a region where large numbers of animals existed and could be protected. To this end, Sogame Preservation Area was carved out and constituted as the Bauchi Native Authority Forest Reserve.

    Available records showed that it became a premiere games reserve and was opened to the public in December 1962 under the Northeastern Regional Government. It was later transferred to the Bauchi State Government. A visit to the place reveal an open country and village-like scene. Though there has been no known human settlement in the park, there is, however, evidence of earlier human habitation in the park which includes iron smelting sites and caves.

     

    Tourists’ inflow to the facility

     Records showed that in 2000, over 20,000 tourists from about 100 countries visited the facility, making it the most popular destination in Nigeria. The place became dilapidated which resulted in low patronage.

    The state government added about 300 animals of six species from Namibia to the existing ones. They included giraffe, eland, kudu, impala and zebra which were donated by the Namibian government. They are kept in an eight-square kilometre Sumu Wildlife Park.

    As the world explores the use of eco-tourism as a vehicle for sustainable development, the state government is determined to transform its fortunes by investing about N12 billion in the facility.

    Governor Isa Yuguda said recently that the focus was to make Yankari the most-sought-after tourists’ destination where people will appreciate its hospitality and tourism potential.

    Since 2006, the facility has been rehabilitated and developed to meet international standard.

    The reserve’s museum serves as a conservation and educational centre, displaying hunting gears and traps used by poachers. But to fast-track the transformation of the facility into money-spinning eco-tourism centre, the government is upgrading its infrastructure which includes Wikki Warm Spring that pumps 21,000 litres of water.

    Besides the above recreational facilities, there are historical human adventures at the park, especially inside the Marshall Caves. Our correspondent gathered that Mallam Ahmadu Makama, a retired Chief Park Ranger, first discovered these caves in the shallow forest of Yankari in sandstone escarpments over 52 years ago. They are located at Borkono gorge,  seven kilometres northeast of Wikki Camp.

    The caves are home to 59 dwellings marked with defined rock paintings and engraved figures according to families. Each of the caves has an average of 0.5 metres diameter entrance, 2.5-metre diameter chamber and a roof height of 1.5 metres and is interconnected. Researchers believe they were refugee camps used by ancient people as shelter during the slave trade and wars between the 14th and 17th centuries.

    There are also historical monument of Shau-Shau iron smelting works located 45 kilometres into the Yankari Forest, measuring 250 square metres and used by ancient tribes as a local iron smelting factory. The iron smelting area which has over 60 standing shaft furnaces is believed to be the largest historical industrial complex of its time in the West African sub-region.

    The over 139 wells, also have interconnecting shafts surrounding the settlements and the wells are said to have been used as resting places by the trans-Atlantic slave traders. The Duguri Hill within the reserve enables tourists to have a bird’s view of the park. The Kanyo Hill, east of Marshall Caves, is a beautiful picnic ground that provides good view of the wildlife forest while a big cave of 10 metres wide provides a popular camp at the Paliyaram Hill.

     

    Security in the park

     Despite insecurity challenges in the country, especially across the Northeast geo-political zone, Yankari Games Reserve has remained peaceful. This is because Yuguda is committed to securing the entire state, even as he is transforming the reserve into a money-spinning eco-tourism venture through private partnership participation.

    He believes that Yankari Games Reserve and Resort project, to be unveiled soon, will re-launch the state and Nigeria into the international tourist destinations scene.

  • NNN: Travails of the northern voice

    NNN: Travails of the northern voice

    The New Nigerian Newspaper (NNN), once one of the adored newspapers in the country as a result of its quality editorial contents, is now in a deplorable state. For the past 16 months, this paper has been off the newsstands. This has provoked fears that the newspaper may soon be liquidated.

    Although the paper was privatised as the Daily Times was, its travails didn’t emanate from the privatisation exercise. The problem was its inability to pay workers their monthly salaries, thus resulting in the workers refusing to continue work without pay. In the circumstances, the company was closed down on January 22, 2013.

    Before then, the workers had earlier embarked on a four-month strike in February 2012 over non-payment of six months’ salaries. The strike was called off following the intervention of Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Magatarda Wammako who was chairman of the committee set up by the Northern State Governors’ Forum to look into the problems of the company and find ways of address them.

    Chairman of the New Nigeria Newspapers Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Amos Thomas told our correspondent that they called off the strike because Wammako appealed to them to go back to work, even as he promised that the problems of the company was over.

    “He came and addressed us, telling us that the problems of New Nigeria Newspaper were over. He gave the company N60 million to pay outstanding salaries and also promised to be giving the company N5 million monthly to keep it going. We were paid for three months, with a balance of three months. But after that, the situation relapsed. Even the promise he made was not fulfilled,” he said.

    The failure of the governor to respond to the distress calls from the company apparently forced the workers to down tools again. This time, they were being owed 11 months salaries, while retirees were being owed several months entitlements.

    About 19 months after, the owners, the 19 Northern State Governors have not done anything to bring the newspaper back to the newsstand. At a news conference in January, 2013 preparatory for the strike, the Joint Consultative Committee of the workers’ union in the organisation accused the management of failing to meet its financial obligations to the workers, coupled with the unacceptable behaviour of the 19 northern owner-governors towards the company.

    In view of this, the union said: “We are left with no other alternative than to shut down the company, pending the time the owners are prepared to turn around the fortunes of the company through whichever way deemed necessary.”

    The union also expressed disappointment over the inactivity on the part of the northern state governors towards reviving the newspaper, recalling that

    “Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Magatakarda Wamakko, in his capacity as the chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) Committee on New Nigerian Newspapers came to the company in the wake of our strike in May 2012 and appealed to us to call off the strike, promising that the owners would not only ensure that all our arrears were paid, but would as well guarantee regular monthly payment of our salaries with effect from the period he intervened.

    “We, however, suspended the strike then. Wamakko was able to fulfill part of his promise by releasing N60 million for the payment of our six months’ salary; leaving a balance of four months at that time.

    “For that gesture on his part, the workers were grateful to him and will remain grateful to him. However, between that time and now, the payment of salary in arrears which he condemned and described as anti-labour is still the order of the day in the company.

    “This is viewed as a contradiction of the statement he made that he had come to NNN to ameliorate the workers’ pains and long-suffering.”

    While the northern governors failed to address the plight of the workers, they took their cry to the pan-northern socio-political organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum.

    The former leader of the forum, Aliko Mohammed promised to look into the plight of the workers. But months after the promise, nothing concrete has been done aside the fact that the northern state governors are believed to be waiting for the Federal Government to pay the entitlements of those who worked in the company before it was handed over to the northern states in 2006.

    However, our correspondent gathered that the Northern Governors have asked the management of the company to compute the total liabilities of the company which they are expected to pay after the Federal Government must have paid its own liabilities.

    The management, it was learnt, was also told to verify some of their landed properties; value them and report back to them with a view to selling one of such properties to settle the outstanding liabilities and then revive the newspaper.

    The intervention of Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo made the Federal Government to agree paying its liabilities to the workers in three different installments.

    Secretary of the NNN chapel of the NUJ, Nasiru Suleiman said the Federal Government had paid part of its liabilities to the workers in two installments, adding that most of them are old staff and retirees. He also said the northern governors have directed the management of the Newspaper to evaluate some of the company’s properties with a view to selling some of them to offset their liabilities and may be revitalise the company or privatise it.

    One of the staff of the company told our correspondent that even though they could not confirm the information, they learnt that the management has concluded the evaluation exercise and had reported back to the government.

    This has raised the hope of the workers that they would soon return to work or be paid their 25 months’ salary.

    However, some of the workers seem to have lost faith in the company and are not sure the newspaper will hit the newsstand again.

    Many northerners are not happy with the state of the company. They accused the northern governors of allowing the legacies left behind by the late Premier of the North, Sir Ahmadu Bello to waste. Some of them made reference to the extinction of the Bank of the North and Kaduna Textile Limited as well as the sorry state of other institutions put in place by the late Premier.

    Sources close to the Northern State Governors’ Forum told our correspondent that with the current attitude of the governors, it will be difficult for the newspaper to be on the newsstand again.

    “I am sure that if the Federal Government hands over the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Kaduna Polytechnic back to the northern state government, they will go comatose within a short period like they did with the New Nigerian Newspapers. They took over the newspaper from the Federal Government and have refused to fund it.

    “The fact that the North is made up of19 states makes it difficult for them to speak with one voice on this issue. On the other hand, the northern states are controlled by different political parties and different interest groups. Whose interest will the newspaper protect when it comes back to the newsstand?

    “Wammako who heads the committee on the revival of the company set up by the northern governors is no longer a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Kwara State Governor, who is a member of the committee, is also no longer in the PDP. The Chairman of the NSGF and Niger State Governor is a member of the PDP.

    “So, you can see that the interests are diverse and I think that is why nobody is saying anything about the prolonged strike by the workers,” said Musa Yakubu, a resident of Kaduna metropolis and an avid reader of the newspaper.

    When our correspondent visited the premises of the company located along the busy Ahmadu Bello Way, weeds have taken over the compound while the offices were covered with dust. Most members of staff hang around the NUJ premises located few metres away, hoping that things will soon be better.

    The workers alleged that their working condition was worsened by the lackluster and unimpressive management style of the Managing Director, Malam Abdulrah-manTukur.

    At a news conference preparatory to their strike in January, 2013 they said: “Since Tukur assumed office as the Managing Director in 2010, he has not been inward-looking enough to turn around the fortunes of the company by way of improving the situation he met on ground.

    “For instance, rather than improving on the print run, it has continued to nosedive, thus making the company to run at a loss while a handful of management staff are feeding fat at the expense of the generality of the workers who are made to produce a few copies.

    “The tenure of Abdulrahman has witnessed the suspension of two titles in the stable of the New Nigerian Newspapers, namely Weekly and Sunday New Nigerian. The suspension of the titles which is seen as the first ever since the floating of the titles resulted from the Managing Director’s management style.

    “Amid the excruciating pains resulting from non-payment of salaries by his management, the Managing Director blamed the inability to pay salary on the staff strength of the company by sacking about 28 members of staff without their entitlements.

    “Efforts by the company’s labour union to make the Managing Director to consider his action as being anti-labour law proved abortive as he refused to rescind his decision on the so-called termination letters.

    The workers also said they had made several attempts to meet the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, the Kaduna State Governor, Mukthar Ramalan Yero and other northern governors concerning the situation of the company without success, even as they said Vice-President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo had been briefed on the situation of the company.

    Efforts by our correspondent to have Abdulrahaman comment on the issue were futile as he was said to be having serious health challenges.

  • We produce quality graduates, says NOUN V-C

    We produce quality graduates, says NOUN V-C

    Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe is the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). In this interview with TONY AKOWE, he speaks on the institution’s mandate and his achievements in the past four years. Excerpts:

    Many are of the view that graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria will not be accepted for the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC). How true is this?

    The National Open University of Nigeria, like any other university in Nigeria, is a federal university accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC). We have programmes approved for students to study for their degree in various disciplines up to Ph.D.

    The university has various schools comprising a Post-graduate School, School of Social Sciences, Education, Law and the School of Science and Technology. We have just added the School of Agriculture and School of Health Sciences.

    When you visit our website, you will see other courses like Mass Communications, Economics and English Studies, among others.

    There are various courses that one can study at the Open University. For the reason that open and distance learning system of education is new in Nigeria, people assume that it is another part-time programme.

    Programmes offered at the Open University are not part-time. They are offered on full time basis. One of the things we are trying to push forward is to make Nigerians realise what we are talking about.

    On the issue of eligibility for NYSC, there is no reason to exclude graduates of NOUN who are within the age bracket from the NYSC programme because they have gone through the same curriculum with their counterparts in the conventional universities.

    The only reason for the seeming challenge is that, when the NYSC started in 1973, the Open University system was not in place. At the moment, the NYSC is issuing exemption certificates to all our graduates. But that is not good enough. I foresee a situation where our graduates who are still within the age bracket will be allowed to participate in NYSC after going through a programme of four or five years.

    As for our degrees or certificates, holders of our certificates compete favourably with their counterparts from the conventional universities. Compare our graduates with their counterparts from the conventional universities and you will realise that they are among the best in the country today.

    We are not marketing our graduates for nothing, but we are confident that they are the best. In the next few years, the public will confirm that products of the Open University are the best. So acceptability is not a question at all.

    At the moment, what is the student population of the university?

    When I assumed duty in 2010, the student population of the National Open University of Nigeria had dropped from 32,000 to 16,000. We had to go back to the drawing board and we were able to raise the student population to 53,000 within one semester.

    However, by my last assessment recently, student population stands at 308,000.

    We have just started semester registration and already, 65,000 students have registered. I am confident that the number of students will increase because Nigerians will always wait until they know that examination is around the corner before they start looking for who to beg to allow them register.

    We are still not happy because I set a target for myself that before I leave office next year, God willing, I want to see that the student population of the university hits 500,000. But the target set for this university is that it has 1.5 million students in its enrollment.

    We are the only university in Nigeria that matriculates twice a year. We have students’ registration every semester. We are the only university that democratises education. We allow you to register this semester and next semester you might disappear only to appear in another semester and we will not question you because we have given you that liberty.

    One of the major problems in the world today is cyber crime. Considering that most of your activities are carried out online, what are you doing to ensure that this does not affect your operations?

    It is true that some of our activities like admission, registration and even accessing some of our materials are done online. Since we are aware that we have some technological challenges, we often use the media to reach out to our students. Sometimes, we have network challenges.  We do experience that sometimes and we have to cope with it. We are not different from other organisations that have their operations on online. The banks, security, even the mass media, sometimes have network failure. As regards cyber fraud, we have not experienced that yet because we have put in place strategies to deal with it.

    Nigerians believe that the present administration is not doing enough to improve the education sector.  What is your view on this?

    As an active participant in the educational sector in Nigeria, I can tell you that we are doing our best to ensure that we keep pace with other parts of the world. I do not agree with those who keep saying that the standard of educational in Nigeria has fallen.

    Educational standard has fallen all over the world, not only in Nigeria. The only way to ascertain whether educational standard has fallen in Nigeria or not is to bring together students or graduates from Nigeria and their counterparts from other parts of the world. Give them a test and if the Nigerian graduates perform below average, then it will be established that standard of education has really fallen.

    How many graduates from Nigerian universities have gone abroad for post-graduate studies and are withdrawn because of poor performance? But the story we hear is that they always beat their counterpart abroad because we learn through the hard way and when they go to where there is technology, it becomes so easy for them.

    So, it is not right to give negative information that will portray us in bad light. There are more good things happening in this country. Our educational system is not bad, it is good. I don’t believe that we are not doing well.

    What is the way out of the present educational situation?

    Somebody once asked me why we are still producing graduates when there are no jobs? The primary aim of acquiring education is not for you to get a job. Being educated is to develop your mind. It is to expose you so that you can become an individual that can find your way in life. It is to equip you; and once you are equipped, you can find your way in life.

    The world over, there is no country that does not have unemployment issues. My advice is for the government to encourage open and distance learning because through it, you produce an individual that is creative, who can study on his own, an individual that is self made and an individual that requires minimal supervision. Once that person graduates, he is not going into the streets looking for an employer. He is going to become an employer himself. That is why in the Open University, one of our recent developments is to create an advancement office, through which we are going to encourage entrepreneurship.

    The Open University has been able to acquire a micro-finance bank to ensure that all the students we are to enroll into Open University and are not working are thought how to utilise products offered by our bank to be self-reliant. This will be done in collaboration with our entrepreneurship centre.

    Since our motto is work and learn, once an individual gets admission, we empower that individual to enable him or her to carry out business either in hair salon, photography, or whatever business. Once that individual does business for the period of five years and is paying back the loan given to him or her on schedule, by the time the individual graduates, he is not going for a N50, 000 monthly jobs, because he would have become an employer.

    So, through the Open University system, government can create jobs for unemployed Nigerians.

  • ‘Sign less-privileged commission bill into law’

    A group, under the auspices of The Strategic Team (TST) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, has called on President Jonathan to sign the Less-privileged Commission Bill into law.

    According to the group, the bill when established will take care of all matters relating to people living with disabilities (PWD) in the FCT and the entire country.

    The National Coordinator of TST, Daniel Ohiomoba, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja, praised “the dogged, tireless and uncompromising efforts of President Jonathan’s initiative and transformational strides in the area of people living with disability (PWD).”

    According to Ohiomoba, the PWDs have continually received support from the present administration, saying that in the past, they have been rejected and relegated to the background, sidelined and discriminated against.

    “The present administration has brought succour and hope to this vulnerable group and as a result donations, support materials and grants are being given to them. A lot of them are being sent on entrepreneurship trainings to empower them.

    “Co-operatives have been set up for them and most importantly, lands for the construction of rehabilitation centres have been acquired. These projects are going through various stages of development.

    “It is on this premise that The Strategic Team (TST) has keyed into the area of inclusion, by taking the transformational strides of President Jonathan, especially in the area of the physically-challenged to the grassroots in the FCT and in the Diaspora,” he said.

    The group further said a data base of PWDs, accessibility to free medical treatment, health insurance, not overlooking special schools, educational aids and materials for them and their children, must be top priority.

    The Regional Coordinator North-East USA of the group, Ambassador Grace Eke-Charrier, also said by doing this, the PWDs shall be given equity, dignity and equal opportunities in propelling Nigeria to greater heights as it obtains in other climes.

    “They will be carried along in the political and economic restructuring going on in the country as their constructive and meaningful inputs shall go a long way in contributing to the continued growth and development of this great nation,” she said.

  • Lawmaker empowers constituents

    Lawmaker empowers constituents

    When Fatima Binta Bello was elected to represent Kaltungo/Shongom Federal Constituency of Gombe State in the House of Representatives, her promise was to offer the people of the area an effective and quality representation, while being accountable to them.

    So, when she decided to gather the people of her constituency inside the Olusegun Obasanjo Stadium in Kaltungo on June 7, 2014, it was to show of appreciation for electing her to represent them. She also used the occasion to empower many of them.

    The Chairman of Kaltungo Local Government Area, Musa Buba Awak described the event as “a demonstration of love, commitment and dedication by a daughter of the land. In her desire to better the lot of members of her constituency, she has embarked on these enormous programmes that aim at reducing the rate of poverty among members of her constituency.

    “It was a day that marked yet another milestone in the provision of democratic benefits in line with Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo transformation agenda. The governor has continually transformed the state from rural settlement to a modern state.

    Governor Dankwambo called on other members of the National Assembly from the state to shun political and other differences and pool their resources to assist the people of their constituencies. He reminded elected office holders not to look at the number of votes they got from some areas during their elections but to empower the people with love as a way of winning their hearts, noting that Binta Bello’s contribution to the development of her constituency and the state would ever be remembered.

    In her remark, the lawmaker said she was inspired by Governor Dankwambo’s commitment to developing the entire state to reach out to her constituents describing him as a “role model, positive influence and ultimate transformer of the state”.

    She noted that the empowerment programme was her own way of keying into the transformation agenda in Gombe State, adding that she embarked on the empowerment programme “in order to reduce the level of poverty among the people in the area”.

    She further said apart from the empowerment programme, about 300 students in various higher institutions of learning across the country and the Fatima Bello ICT Centre in Kaltungo which has so far graduated 350 students, have benefitted from her scholarship scheme.

    The lawmaker said: “Boreholes have been sunk in all the 20 wards that make up my constituency. This gesture aimed at providing potable water for my people.”

    According to her, eight other communities benefited from solar-powered boreholes, in addition to solar-powered light in Kamu, Tungo, Ture, Burak, Jauro Sajo and Lalaipido communities.

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal praised the efforts of colleague of his whom he said has performed well both at home and in the National Assembly.

    He called on the people to re-elect her in the 2015 general elections in order to continually witness quality representation at the House of Representatives. He asked other members of the National Assembly to emulate Bello’s example and remain focused in order to empower their constituencies.

    The Speaker said: “Legislators need to have the interest of their people at heart. Doing so will not only translate to proper and quality representation, but would also give their people sense of belonging and accomplishment anywhere they found themselves.”

    Tambuwal challenged lawmakers to intensify their efforts in empowering their people in order to make them be self-reliant; stressing that it was their responsibility to empower them.

    He further said: “Our job is to see that members of our constituencies are empowered.”

    He, however, called on Nigerians to imbibe the culture of allowing parliamentarians to serve for multiple tenures as obtained in developed democracies. This, he believes, would bring about the much-needed maturity of the country’s democracy, adding that “as you know, in the legislature, we don’t have term limit. A member can return for as long as he is doing what the constituency is happy with.

    “In developed democracies, there are parliamentarians who have been in the parliament for over 40 years and they are still there. I believe this is a good culture that should be promoted for our democracy to grow. A situation whereby more than 80 per cent of members of the legislators lose their seats in any fresh election is not encouraging.

    “I plead with the Nigerian public and, in particular, our leaders to appreciate the fact that we need as many members as possible to be re-elected in next year’s election.”

    Some of the items donated were 100 hospital beds, 100 mattresses, 100 pillows and 100 bed sheets for the 200-bed Snakebite Hospital at Kaltungo under construction; 11 maternity clinics and two cottage hospitals in Shongom Local Government Area with one examination bed, one stainless screen cover and one wheel chair in each of the 13 health facilities.

    She also provided 120 grinding machines, 200 sewing machines, 50 taliya making machines and 100 hair dryers to women in Shongom and Kaltungo local government areas to enhance their socio-economic life while male youths of the constituency received 52 Keke NAPEP tricycles, 20 car washing machines and 100 barbing machines.

    There were 10 wheel chairs for 10 crippled persons and 100 electricity generating sets for other members of the constituency. Dry season farmers were all smiles as they received 40 irrigation pumping machines.

  • Taraba opens market

    The Taraba State government has inaugurated a modern market built by former governor of the state, Jolly Nyame seven years ago.

    Acting Governor Garba Umar had flagged off the allocation of shops at the market, which is located along Jalingo-Yola Road.

    The development is believed to be a boost to economic activities which, in turn, would shore up the revenue base of the state.

    Umar praised the state Chambers of Commerce, Traders’ Association and the Taraba Savings and Loans Limited that jointly facilitated the movement of traders to the modern market.

    He said government would evolve measures that would improve quality of life of all citizens.

    The acting governor stated that government will put in place infrastructural facilities and create enabling business environment.

    “The people must work hard, rededicate themselves to the service of the state and show patriotism through actions that are not inimical to the well-being of the state and its citizens and to avoid working for foreign interests to the detriment of the state.

    “I believe that the Jalingo modern market will usher in a new era in the social, political and economic transformation of the state and serve as a vehicle for forging unity and integration,” he said.

    Umar donated one hilux van and a bus to the management of the market for surveillance, promising that government will ensure that lives and property at the market complex are protected.

    Chairman, Board of Directors of the Taraba Savings and Loans Limited, Umaru Baba said “the market will promote the social status and economic viability of the Jalingo community.

    “For this reason, no amount of government capital investment could be considered too much in establishing a market with modern structure and facilities as this one.”

    Baba assured Umar and the people of Taraba State that the Taraba Savings and Loans Limited will manage the market effectively to justify the purpose for which it was built.

    Highpoint of the occasion was the tour of the market complex by the acting governor and top government officials and the flag-off of the allocation of stores to traders.

  • Beggars invade Kaduna streets

    Beggars invade Kaduna streets

    They lined up the street along the busy Abeokuta Road, close to the Ansarudeen Mosque. They are in a sitting position, but not praying like many others who visit the Mosque. They seem to care less about the heavy traffic on the road and many other spots where they gather.

    These are aged people who have taken begging as a hobby and have refused to leave the streets. Many of these beggars have been on the street for several years and getting them off the street has become a difficult task.

    While many of them sleep on the sidewalk of major roads, others are brought out daily by their grand children to beg for alms, taking advantage of the fact that alms-giving is a mandatory obligation for both Islam and Christianity.

    While some of them are physically-challenged, some others are healthy people who chose begging as a profession. Some of them are also found during heavy traffic hold-up; with little kids running after moving vehicles begging for alms. Many of them are also found in places of worship and special events begging. Many believe that they are encouraged to embark on the exercise since many people respond to their demand for alms. Those who hold this view argue that the kind-hearted nature of Nigerians has encouraged the phenomenon which they described as embarrassing to Nigerian society.

    Investigations revealed that several of them have fallen victim to some of the violence that have erupted in Kaduna in the past.

    After the unfortunate Sharia crisis in Kaduna State in 2000, the government decided to build a permanent structure for the beggars in order to enable them to stay away from the streets. It was also gathered that effort was made to ensure that some of them who are strong enough go to the Kaduna State Rehabilitation Centre to learn some trade.

    Some rejected the idea while many of them chose to stay in the apartment provided for them inside the first-ever beggars’ colony which was provided for them along Kano Road in the heart of the city by a public-spirited Nigeria.

    It was further gathered that the state government supported the initiative and placed the colony under the watchful eyes of the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

    However, it was engulfed by fire a few years back. Some of the beggars died as a result of the fire outbreak. But it was rehabilitated by Hajia Asmau Makarfi who was then the wife of the then Kaduna State Governor.

    The Senator representing Kaduna Central, our correspondent gathered, also donated a structure in addition of the existing one as part of efforts to keep them off the street.

    Even though the efforts yielded results, they were short-lived, as many of them have returned to the streets, refusing to stay there any longer. Some of the beggars who spoke to our correspondent argued that the place was only provided for them as a way of keeping them away from members of the larger society.

    They further argued that by keeping them in the colony, the usual alms they get from people would no longer be available. They maintained that very few people follow them to their new home to assist them.

    Others accused the state government of dumping them in the home and turning its back against them. One of them who identified herself as Maryam claimed that she has been behind the Kano Road Central Mosque for several years, adding that though they are physically-challenged, they are aware of the fact that there is limit to which they can go.

    She said: “We are physically-challenged and there is a limit to which we can go to cater for ourselves and our families. The government that brought us here has forsaken us. They only come to the house when they want to score cheap political points. We are left with no option than to come back to the streets and seek for a means of livelihood.”

    Former Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons Living with Disability in Kaduna State, Rilwan Abdullahi Mohammed dismissed the claim that the beggars’ colony was set up to keep them away from the street. He said the colony was set up to provide accommodation for most of the beggars who have no home of their own.

    He told our correspondent that the Mohammed Namadi Sambo administration in the state made an effort to evacuate the beggars from the street. Even though that exercise was carried out by government, he said there was no official statement to that effect that they should stay off the streets and remain at home.

    He accused government of not being able to distinguish between beggars and those who are physically-challenged, adding that a person can be physically-challenged and yet, not a bigger.

    He said: “All members of Joint National Association of Persons Living with Disabilities are trained in different skills and some are happily settled with their families. So, it is the fault of government to take all physically-challenged persons as beggars.

    If you go to Kano Road, the large number of people you see begging there are elderly people and the same thing applies to other spots within the metropolis. So, if the government is really serious, they should provide home for the elderly people as being done in advanced countries.”

    Some residents of the metropolis who spoke to our correspondent accused the government of not having the political will to rid the streets of beggars. Some of them noted that if government is interested in keeping the beggars off the streets, they should have made serious effort to make the beggars’ colony habitable for them.

    Investigation revealed that the colony where many of them are staying stinks and has remained largely unkempt and unhygienic. Some people, however, argued that it has been difficult for the government to keep them at the beggars’ colony to learn some trade at the rehabilitation centres largely because many of the beggars are either not indigenous to the state or are believed to be too old to learn any trade.

  • Boko Haram: Army intensifies safety measures

    Boko Haram: Army intensifies safety measures

    Subsequent to rumours making the rounds that members of Boko Haram sect are planning to bomb another venue in Abuja, the military has intensified their efforts; searching every vehicle no matter how highly placed the owner may be.

    Major entries into and exits from Abuja are now under serious security watch in a bid to prevent probable bomb blasts.

    Our correspondent who observed the development said government, according to sources, is not leaving anything to chance as it is determined to fish out perpetrators of crimes, especially members of the Boko Haram sect.

    A source said the stop-and-search exercise will continue until situations are normal.

    Those in charge of motor parks around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have also put in place more security measures to forestall possible bomb blast.

    Meanwhile, the Federal Government has declared that it has the will, the resources and the strategies to win the war against Boko Haram and terrorism in the country.

    Minister of State for the FCT, Oloye Olajumoke-Akinjide told the women and youths who had staged a three-day protest against Boko Haram and terrorism at the Unity Fountain, Abuja to mark the 100 days of the abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State on April 15.

    According to her, the Federal Government has procured new equipment and technology towards strengthening the capability and support for Nigerian military and security forces, adding that a recent delivery of such military equipment include highly sophisticated fighter helicopters with in-built night vision technology.

    She said the Federal Government has a clear edge in weapons and reconnaissance capabilities.

    According to her, major breakthroughs recorded by the Nigerian military in the war against Boko Haram and terrorism include the capturing of many senior-level Boko Haram commanders who were used as spies and treasury officials by the Nigerian military and security operatives.

    She listed other achievements to include the arrest of Sadiq Aminu Ogwuche, one of the masterminds of the April 14, 2014 bombing of the bus station in Nyanya, an Abuja suburb, where several people were killed and others injured.

    Ogwuche, who was also accused of leading recruitment efforts of Boko Haram, was recently extradited from Sudan where he ran to and is now in Nigerian custody preparatory to facing prosecution.

    She also recalled that Boko Haram Chief of Intelligence was picked up and is now helping security operatives in their investigation while one Mohammed Zakari, a Boko Haram leader known as the ‘Chief Butcher’ was captured when Nigerian military raided Balmo Forest, during which they expelled Boko Haram insurgents from the area.

    Mrs. Akinjide further revealed that a recent Boko Haram threat against the Abuja Transportation System was uncovered while the public was alerted and casualties were avoided. Equally, following a tip-off, the police uncovered and prevented a bomb attack near a school in Gombe.

    The minister said government recognises that soft power was crucial in the battle against Boko Haram, stressing that force alone will not defeat insurgency.

    “As a result, the Jonathan administration is implementing a comprehensive programme of assistance to support, protect and empower local communities with a special focus on the most vulnerable areas of the country.”

    She noted that some of the initiatives in this regard include the Safe Schools Initiative developed to safeguard school children in states under emergency rule, by strengthening the security of educational facilities, adding that government is working with state governors, community leaders, teachers and parents to identify and remedy the vulnerabilities that put Nigerian children at risk.

    On the role of diplomacy, she said the Federal Government has been able to garner support from international partners, including governments and groups, particularly the international bring back our girls campaign that has successfully motivated global attention to terror in the West African sub-region.

    Olajumoke added that President Jonathan has initiated a number of strategies, which have generated international solidarity such as a meeting of Presidents of Chad, Cameroun, Niger Republic and Benin Republic, which was held in Paris.

    Closely related to that, she said, was the principled step taken by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on terrorism and cross-border crime, at its 45th ordinary session, where the authority of ECOWAS Heads of State endorsed the efforts of Nigeria and committed itself to helping the country in its fight against terror.

     

     

  • Crisis of confidence rocks Ilorin NBA

    Crisis of confidence rocks Ilorin NBA

    The Ilorin branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) is engulfed in a crisis that is threatening its foundation. Rather than engaging in dispute resolution and arbitration, lawyers are at one anothers’ throats, following an attempt by the leadership to probe the immediate past executive. Besides, a group of lawyers plan to impeach the chairman of the branch, Mobolaji Ojibara.

    The lawyers, who are said to be loyal to the former chairman, were said to have served Ojibara a two weeks impeachment notice. The notice of impeachment is said to be sponsored by 16 members of the association and seconded by 18 others. They are accusing him of professional misconduct contrary to Article 14(a) of the NBA bye-law 2013, Section 9(a) (iv) of the NBA Constitution 2009, Article 22 NBA bye-law 2013 and NBA Guidelines and Timetable for 2014 NBA and abuse of office contrary to Section 14(c) of NBA Ilorin bye-law, 2013.

    They accused him of issuing a dud cheque of N300, 000 to Dr. J.O. Olatoke (SAN) and also replacing the name of Balogun with that of Salman Jawondo as a delegate to the just-concluded NBA national elections. They are also accusing him of using funds meant for the association to buy bags of rice for his friends and also sponsored the funeral ceremony of the association’s Vice-Chairman without due clearance from the association.

    According to those who want him out of office, Ojibara allegedly redeemed the sum of N3 million from pledges made at a recent NBA function without disclosing same to the executive council or congress of the association.

    Investigations revealed that the alleged disqualification of Balogun who sought to contest election as National Legal Adviser of the Association at the just-concluded NBA election may have been responsible for the anger against Ojibata by some of the members.

    Ojibara told our correspondent that those seeking his removal as the NBA chairman will not succeed; even as he allegedly blamed the development on the immediate past leadership of the branch headed by Balogun whom he claimed had allegedly refused to submit to the rule of accountability.

    While claiming not to have received any notice form impeachment as at the time of this report, his associates said only two third of financial members of the association can actually remove the chairman, stressing that those behind the move really do not have evidence to prove their allegations.

    Ojibara said: “The problem is that they have refused to be accountable to the association. When they left office, we decided to look into the account and that is the normal practice, but they refused.

    “For instance, they claimed to have spent N6.5 million on the Bar Centre and still left a debt of N7.7 million. When they presented that report, members said the account should be audited and we set up an audit committee to do that but they went to court to stop the auditing.

    “In December, while that was going on, we had our dinner but they hijacked the programme and presented themselves with awards. If we had screened the accounts by then, we wouldn’t have presented them with awards. We also later decided to look into how they hijacked the programme and set up a committee to do that.

    Again, they went to court to stop the process. It was at that point that Balogun sought to contest for a post in the National Executive Council of the association. They then began to make various comments on the social media which attracted the attention of the National President.

    They claimed there was a state of emergency in the Ilorin chapter, that the executive have been banned and other allegation. I had to talk with the President and I put down my position formally and they found substance in what I said and that was why they disqualified Balogun from contesting.”

    Continuing, he said: “The moment they returned to Ilorin, they launched this impeachment drive as an attack on my administration. Check the document and you will see that virtually all the lawyers that signed are from one chamber or the other where members of the past executives are working.

    Their campaign is that once Balogun was disallowed form contesting, then this executive must also go. But we are merely insisting on sanity in the branch because we believe that people should be accountable. They just want to negotiate knowing that they cannot get anything from the court process. They have done so much havoc to the association.

    “I urge you to go and see the Bar Centre and the level of work done. I am not begging anybody not to go ahead with the plan to remove me if they think they have what it takes to do so.”

    One of the lawyers, Rafiu Balogun dissociated himself from Ojibara’s ordeal saying “I am surprised that a leader of the bar could go on this way when he knows the truth. I don’t know why some of them are being economical with the truth. The audit committee that was set up was manipulated by the chairman and one or two of his cohorts who are hell bent on destroying our credibility.

    “In the history of the bar in Ilorin here, there is no administration that can match ours. The records of our achievement are there. I am surprised that he is saying I am the one supporting the move.

    “At our general meeting of April 18, the one we had at the Chief Judge’s Court, the secretary, Mr. Akande sat with the congress. He rose up and said the chairman is guilty of financial recklessness, abuse of office and unguarded statement. That is coming from his secretary and that is part of the grounds of impeachment.

    “Is that Balogun again? He should just leave me alone. This is what happened: after our tenure when we submitted our annual reports and accounts, we set out everything clearly. There was no issue at all. It was at the point of the report being adopted at the swearing-in of the new executive that Mr. Salman Jawondo, his godfather, raised up his hands that we must not adopt this report that day because the time was far spent.

    “The tradition is that we must adopt it but because we didn’t know they had their own plans, I said no problem; that we could adopt it at the next general meeting which is the inaugural meeting of the Ojibara administration. But the day we were supposed to do that, Jawondo again raised an issue that the report had not been audited and therefore should not be adopted.

    “I was surprised. Meanwhile Ojibara began to read out a list of names of a committee on that. One of the elders objected to it because that was not the practice. How can you appoint committee for us to audit the report? There and then Jawondo raised his hands up again and nominated Dr. Adams whose name had earlier been read out by Ojibara, to head the committee.

    “Thereafter, they began to jubilate that they were going to deal with me. The secretary to that committee is in the same office with Dr. Adams. They wrote to me asking for records of the administration. I asked them to contact the secretary because as chairman, I don’t keep records. Let them write to all secretaries and financial secretary.

    “They wrote and those people responded. But the committee didn’t work at all. The chairman alone was looking at our record and was filing report because he was detailed to indict me because of my ambition. As a result of the practice in those days, the chairman must recommend you to say that you are in good standing, otherwise you will not be allowed to contest.”

    Balogun also said: “The plan was that they would use the report against me; they were going to use two reports; the audit and the one on the plaque we were given at the end of our tenure which is a normal thing. They made it become an issue and set up another committee to probe me.

    “The audit committee was not working but they were preparing report. We have somebody there who felt it was all unfair and spoke out against what they were doing. We wrote them to hands off because we have seen that in law, they don’t even have what it takes to audit and account; it is the job of professional accountants.

    “We also said we have seen that they are not going to be fair to us because I had issues with the chairman of the committee, Dr. Adams. This is so because I didn’t allow him to contest when I was secretary because he was not qualified. But they hid our letter whereas they ought to refer the letter to the congress; that we are complaining.

    “We are lawyers and I am surprised that they could keep that letter without referring it to the congress. We had no option again but to go to court. But before doing that, we went to our elders; we wrote to them to let them know what was brewing and asked for their intervention, that we have served so well and therefore do not deserve to be humiliated.

    “It was my administration that constituted the Council of Elders and we put it in the bye-law. We wrote to them and we even talked with some of them. But nothing was done. So, we had to go to court. You should ask us what our prayer in court is. “We are saying that we are not going to get fair hearing from the committee and that the court should mandate the association to constitute an independent auditor from outside who will do the auditing.

    “So we are not saying our accounts should not be audited even though reports of the two past administrations of Jawondo and Akanbi were not audited. We are on trust; we are lawyers and if lawyers speak from the bar, there is no need to doubt them. We are not used to this kind of thing; we operate on trust.”

    He added that what was happening to him is pure “vendetta. I contested with Ojibara on two occasions and as God would have it, I defeated him both as secretary and chairman and he said I didn’t support him during time he won, adding that I was supporting my Vice-Chairman, Dr. Abikan.

    That was my offence because the elders had intervened on the matter earlier and they blamed him for taking such action.

    “I say it is vendetta or envy because they are marveled at what we have achieved so far. When I started, they said I was too young to do it but when we started to achieve so much, they were marveled. They accuse me of planning to turn myself into Saraki of NBA. But I tell them it is because I am popular and people like my style.”

  • Fund-raising for Jonathan, Nigerians

    The occasion for corporate bodies and wealthy individuals in the society to assist towards providing financial support for victims of terrorist attacks in the country on Thursday last week was not only filled with drama but also with some disappointments to many Nigerians.

    While other sectors and individuals made meaningful donations at the Banquet Hall venue of the fundraising dinner at the Presidential Villa, the total donation from the communication sector was not in the range of what Mr. President and many Nigerians expected.

    The communication sector, comprising many multi-billion dollar international telecommunication firms in the country, donated only N1 billion at the fund-raising where oil and gas sector donated N17 billion, even as the banking sector donated N15 billion.

    Some individuals at the occasion donated more than the N1 billion which the communication sector donated. For instance, Tony Elumelu donated N2.5 billion and T.Y. Danjuma donated N1.6 billion.

    Aliko Dangote, Jim Ovia, Wale Tinubu and Mike Adenugu individually donated the same amount of N1 billion which is the total contribution by the communication sector.

    While some corporate bodies have not meaningful identified with the fund, T.Y. Danjuma, who is the Chairman of the Victim Support Fund Committee and who made a personal donation of N1.6 billion at the fund-raising event was not happy that he was not invited as a stakeholder in the oil and gas sector to make more contributions.

    Other donations at the occasion included the Federal Government N20 billion, all states of the federation and the FCT – N3.7 billion; Arthur Eze and Mohammed Indimi N800 million each; Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal and Abdul Samad Rabiu N500 million each and power distribution companies N500 million.

    Construction companies donated N300 million. Those who donated N100 million each at the fund-raising dinner were Capt Osa Okunbor, Oba Otudeko, Tunde Ayeni, Taiwo Afolabi and Thomas Atu.

    The Speaker of House of Representatives also announced N100 million on behalf of the National Assembly, while Zinox donated N100 million.

    Coordinating the donations from the oil and gas sector, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke revealed that over 80 members of the oil and gas sector who responded to the donation request were only contacted about 10 days ago.

    President Goodluck Jonathan was impressed with the oil sector for the N17 billion donations it made. He gave each of the donors a handshake.

    He was also happy with the N15 billion donations from the banking sector, which was coordinated by CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

    But before President Jonathan could say something about the N1 billion donation from the communication sector coordinated by the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, shout of ‘no’, ‘no’, ‘no’, ‘no’, rented the air as soon as the amount was announced for the sector.

    The President, turning to Johnson said: “You see, you can go back and consult with your people again.”

    Those who shouted ‘no’, ‘no’ felt that the communication sector could have done better by giving more to the society.

    They believed that most of the telecommunication companies have never failed to seize any opportunity to rip off Nigerians with their products and services.

    At the occasion, President Jonathan maintained that the reason for setting up the Victim Support Fund Committee was to give everyone the opportunity to reach out to the victims of terror attacks in the country.

    He said: “I want to challenge us to think deeply about how privileged we are to be able to give. It is a divine privilege that we cannot explain. The victims did not wish this calamity upon themselves. They did not pray for it. It could have been anyone.

    “But for the mercy of God, we could have been the ones needing support as a result of this insurgency. But in His infinite mercy and grace, the Almighty God has decided that we should be the ones giving support, not receiving it.”

    On his part, T.Y. Danjuma said: “All too often, the victims of terror are soon forgotten. The majority of the terrorist targets are those who could not fend for themselves. The funds being collected are not for combating terror or fighting terrorist organisations but for supporting victims of terrorist attacks.”

    Stressing that Naira and foreign currency accounts have been opened to receive donations from across the globe, he said the fund has been established as a fully- fledged company.

    He praised Jonathan for his wisdom in setting up the fund and his good policy of non-interference in the committee’s operation.

    With the fund’s management under the leadership of one of the topmost philanthropists in the country, it is expected that more corporate bodies will see it as part of their social responsibilities and give more to the society.