Category: Northern Reports

Rotary club, District 9125 has donated N8 million worth of toilets and bathrooms to the Government Girls Secondary school, Dutse-Alhaji, Abuja.

The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects, which cost the club over N8 million was embarked upon to discourage the students from open defecation and bathing in the open.

District 9125 District Governor (DG), Dr. Goddy Nnadi said the projects included eight toilets, eight bathrooms and a 13ft by 12ft soak-away pit.

According to him, the initiative was a joint partnership between the district committee on empowering girls initiative and five Rotary clubs of Abuja Kubwa, Abuja prestige, Abuja Aso-Golf, Abuja Maitama and Abuja Lugbe VON.

The commissioning took place yesterday at the Government Girls Secondary school, Dutse-Alhaji, Abuja.

Nnadi said it is human debasement for young girls to be bathing outside.

He said the projects covered many areas of focus including disease prevention and treatment; water and sanitation; maternal and child health and basic education and literacy.

Nnadi said Rotary places premium on impactful projects.

He said the organization will continue to embark on projects that will touch  lives in the 23 states and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja in the district.

He said: “All the projects we have done, are projects that will impact on human beings. We will continue to do more to improve the quality of life in the society.

  “We conducted needs assessment. When we came here, the first thing we did was engagement. We engaged the school authorities to identify their areas of need. This assessment is important for you to know what they want, and that it makes sense to them.

“And then we realized that the environment was not so good, especially for our young girls. It is a kind of human debasement when you have a lady bathing and defecating outside. There were not enough toilets and some toilets had collapsed.”

The Principal of the school, Fatima Muhammad said, “I am excited that my girls can now conveniently use the toilet. Formerly the toilets were not looking good or habitable in anyway but today we are smiling and feel like pulling our buckets of water and running in there.

“The children are being sensitized to ensure they enter the toilet with adequate water to wash and to always leave the toilet the way they would want to meet it again when next they visit.”

Empowering girls initiative, District Committee Chairman Lovina Okorn-Ntui explained that the  initiative was informed by Rotary International mandate, which is to impact on the lives of the girl child.

She added, “So when we got to this school, it broke my heart that the girls were bathing outside in the open, it gave us concern and with our club Presidents, we had a discussion. First we came here and sensitized them, laid the foundation and today we are here to Commission the project.”

Plateau State governor, Simon Bako Lalong is set to inaugurate a planning committee ahead  May 29 2023 handing over and swearing in date.

The committee shall liaise and ensure a smooth transition from the Rescue Administration to the incoming government.

This is contained in a press release signed by the Permanent Secretary in the office of Secretary to the State Government, Peter Wuyep and made available to The Nation in Jos.

According to the statement, the Executive Governor of Plateau State has approved the constitution of a Central Planning Committee: “Handing Over and Swearing-in” to liaise and ensure a smooth transition from the Rescue Administration to the Incoming Government.

 “In view of the foregoing, the Executive Governor will inaugurate the committee on Monday 3rd April, 2023 by 11.00am at the Victoria Gowon Hall, New Government House, Rayfield, Jos.

“As against this background, Members of the Central Planning Committee are therefore expected to be seated 10.30am.”The statement read.

Over 50 Christians and Muslims have jointly organised an inter-faith iftar break to strengthen peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance in Kaduna State.

The event, which took place at Unguwar Rimi, Kaduna, was organised by Conflict Mitigation and Management Regional Council (CMMRC) and Community Peace Observers (CPO), in conjunction with the network of Peace Journalists (NPJ).

They are working to promote ethical values on peaceful conducts among the diverse ethnic and religious groups on the need to embrace peace and by serving as Ambassadors of Unity in various localities on the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) programme in the State.

Mr Samson Auta, the coordinator of the Community Peace Action Network (CPAN) of the Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Kaduna, stated that the aim of coming together is to join “our Muslims brothers in breaking Ramadan fast in Unguwar Rimi community in Kaduna North”.

The gathering was also to emphasise the importance of strengthening peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance among the adherents of different faith groups and organisations in the state.

Read Also: Ramadan: FEC admonishes Muslims to pray for Nigeria’s peace, prosperity

Top Islamic and Christian scholars, women organisations, youth groups and traditional title holders and security personnel attended the event.

Auta said the Ramadan – Iftar provides a golden opportunity for self reflection, devotion to the maker of all mankind, and serves as a means for both Christians and Muslims to interact, dialogue and exchange goodwill messages of peace and unity in the country.

Similarly, Mrs Catherine John, the secretary of the group working on early warning and early response on the CIPP programme, said they came to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in breaking the Ramadan fast with the aim of strengthening Christians-Muslims relationship in Kaduna State.

One of the Community Peace Observers in Unguwar Rimi, Comrade Abubakar Suleiman, expressed delight and happiness at the large turnout of Christian brothers and sisters at the event.

The group plans to celebrate the Easter celebration together through the exchange of visits and sharing of gifts to the less privilege ones.

Meanwhile, the leader of the network of Peace Journalists, Ibrahima Yakubu, who also attended the event, called on members of the different faith groups and organizations in the country to embrace peace and harmony for the peace and stability in the country.

The Niger State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has elected new officials to man its affairs for the next four years, with its current chairman, Comrade Idris Lafene returned unopposed.

The new officials were elected by 408 accredited delegates at the 13th State Delegates Congress held in Minna on Tuesday.

The chairman of the Credentials Committee, Comrade Labaran Garba said the contestants for the various positions in the union were unopposed, adding that they all met the NLC constitution and electoral guidelines.

The new officials include Abubakar Takuma as the first Vice Chairman, Abdullahi Erena as the second Vice Chairman, Akajago Muhammad as Treasurer, Musa Bala as Auditor 1, Zamani Abubakar as the Auditor 2, Maria Musa as ex-officio 1, Asmau Abdullahi as ex-officio 2.

The National Returning Officer, Comrade Rita Goyips, commended the peaceful way the elections were conducted, stressing the need for everyone to encourage the relationship and camaraderie within the union.

Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, who was represented by the state Head of Service, Hajiya Salamatu Abubakar, appreciated the state NLC for the cooperation given his government during his tenure as governor.

“The government appreciated the meaningful criticisms by the Labour and their leadership style was top-notch. We hope the next leaders would stand firm to fight for the welfare of the members and continue to give meaningful criticism for the government to do better.”

Three persons have been reported dead while 36 have been affected by an outbreak of Lassa fever in Benue State .

Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Usha Anenga, who spoke to journalists, said medical persons have done all they could to bring the dreaded disease under control.

He said the isolation centre in the state has helped reduce fatalities and called on people to maintain a clean hygienic environment to reduce infection.

Dr. Amenge said food should be properly covered and kitchen kept clean as a way of curtailing the spread. 

The Bauchi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has suspended its chairman, Alhaji Babayo Aliyu Misau, for not voting the party’s guber candidate at the just concluded governorship elections.

Misau was accused of allegedly engaging in anti-party activities before and during the general elections in a way that undermined the success of the party at the just concluded polls.

The notice of suspension was announced on Saturday at a press conference jointly held by the executives of his ward, Kukadu Gundari, Misau Local Government Area.

They were led by the ward chairman, Ibrahim Zango Lawan, Secretary, Aliyu Hassan Adamu and the Assistant Women Leader, Asabe Ahmed.

The group claimed the decision to suspend Misau indefinitely became necessary as a result of his flagrant violation of the party’s constitution and abuse of office.

However, Lawan said they are yet to communicate the suspension to the state, local and national chapters, as the APC constitution already willed them the power to suspend any party official engaging in anti-party activities at the ward level.

Read Also: Tribunal: Cole, APC chieftains protest in Rivers INEC office

“We are here this afternoon to announce the suspension of the Bauchi State APC chairman in the person of Babayo Misau as the chairman and member of the APC. We took this decision because the chairman, now former, was found guilty of anti-party activities,” the chairman, Ibrahim Zango Lawan, said.

Also speaking, the Ward Secretary, Aliyu Hassan Adamu, stated that among other offences, the state chairman displayed his ballot papers during the Governorship and state House of Assembly elections, where he voted the party for the position of the House of Assembly but did not thumbprint for the party in the governorship ballot paper.

Similarly, the executives of the APC in Gamawa Ward of Gamawa Local Government Area of the State also suspended indefinitely the National Ex-Officio of the party, Sirajo Dada, over alleged anti-party activities.

The Nation reports that the Gamawa Ward APC executives accused Mr Dada of greed and hoarding of resources meant to be used for campaign for the success of the party’s candidates in the build-up to the presidential, national assembly and gubernatorial and state assembly elections respectively.

He was accused of using the party’s resources to campaign for candidates of the rival Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

National Coordinator of Tinubu/Shettima Grassroots Independent Campaign Council (TSGICC) and former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, Silas Ali Agara, has expressed confidence that the country will witness a glorious era under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership.

Agara made the assertion in a statement yesterday while felicitating with the family, friends, associates, leaders and entire members of TSGICC on the occasion of the 71st birthday anniversary of the president-elect.

He noted that the nation was blessed to have such a great man coming to take over the mantle of leadership after President Muhammadu Buhari.

Dr. Agara described as ‘divine arrangement’  the fact that Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged as successor to President Buhari at a critical period in the life of the nation, noting that history has already cut out for him a core job description of healing the nation after a chaotic election that put many Nigerians on edge.

According to him, “I fully agree with President Muhammadu Buhari’s congratulatory birthday commentary on the president-elect that Nigeria will experience effective governance under the administration of President Bola Tinubu based on what he identified as his huge political pedigree dating back to the 1990s and robust political activism that has offered him rich cross-cutting experience and immense influence cutting across the Executive/Legislative levels as well as the entire country.

“It perhaps bears repeating that Bola Tinubu remains today the most consistent and prepared of presidential candidates that Nigeria has produced since independence, a position that both confers on him as much required legitimacy as it imposes on him requisite responsibility at a critical time in the life of this nation.

”At TSGICC, we are very proud to have embraced the call of history to support, canvass, campaign for his election. Today, and now that politics is over and we have moved to governance, we stand on the same canvass to call on all Nigerians to heed the president-elect’s appeal to join hands with him to heal the nation after a chaotic election. We have one country and destiny under one God”, he said.

All Progressives Congress (APC) Northwest Youths have said that Senator Jibrin Barau from Kano State deserves to be the next senate president due to his long term commitment to the betterment of the country and his usual character of putting people’s interest first.

The APC Northwest youth wing said Nigeria needs someone with integrity as Nigeria’s senate president and Senator Barau fits into the position as a result of his honest and transparent dealings with others.

In a statement by the APC Northwest youth leader, Abdulhamid Umar Moh’d (Oscar), he said the lawmaker is capable of handling the diverse hallowed chamber because he is diplomatic and experienced.

“We need a diplomatic senate president that can be able to handle conflicts and negotiations in a diplomatic manner to ensure that the senate remains a cohesive unit”, Moh’d added.

On collaboration, Moh’d  said Barau as senate president will work with other senators to achieve common goals of further development of the country, adding that, the senator possesses strong leadership qualities, including the ability to inspire, motivate and guide others towards a common goal.

The APC youth leader also noted that Senator Barau had sponsored a bill to establish the North West Development Commission (NWDC), which has scaled second reading at the Senate.

“Aged 63 years, Jibrin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Masters Certificate in Financial Management and Pricing, Masters Certificate in Management and Masters of Business Administration (MBA). He also holds a Certificate in Financial Management for Business Decisions from the prestigious Cornell University, United State of America.