The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Reports

  • Group asks Barau to contest Senate Presidency

    Group asks Barau to contest Senate Presidency

    A group, National Youth Coalition for Good Governance, has tipped Senator Jibrin Barau of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to lead the 10th parliament when inaugurated in the coming dispensation, adding that it is the turn of the North-West to produce the senate president.

    This, the group said was to entrenched fairness, equity and justice in the next National Assembly, declaring that the cap rightly fits the re-elected senator representing the  Kano North Senatorial District.

    The Chairman of the group, Ibrahim Mayaki, in a statement released to journalists in Kaduna, noted that although Senator Barau was yet to publicly declare his interest to run for the coveted seat, the Senate leadership should be zoned to the zone and that Barau, who is a third-timer, should head the upper chamber.

    According to him, it is the North-west that gave the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the largest votes that made him to win the presidential election, and as such the zone should not be dumped in the affairs of the nation.

    He further said the senate presidency should be given to Senator Barau, current chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations, a sensible and reasonable politician, who has the capacity to mobilise the 10th Senate to pursue a common course for the good governance of the country.

    He said, “We are therefore calling on Senator Jibrin Barau to throw his hat into the ring to contest for the Senate Presidency in the interest of equity and fairness and for the fact that he is first among equals. We have no other option than to rally behind him.

    “Although Senator Barau hails from the North-west, his tentacles have spread across the country in his pursuit of education, business and politics.”

    “We are appealing to the senators-elect to close ranks and place national interest above personal and political inclinations and support the senator who, we believe is the best man for the job of the senate presidency.”

  • Ethnic slurs: Group sues for peace

    Ethnic slurs: Group sues for peace

    The South East/Igbo APC Progressives Roundtable (SIAPRO) has condemned anti-Yoruba comments by some elders of Igbo extraction targeted at the Yoruba.

    The group urged such individuals to desist forthwith in the interest of peaceful co-existence and national unity.

    The group said this in a statement jointly signed by its Convener, Uche Diala; Co-convener, Francis Ogwuegbu and Secretary, Dr Armah Elibe.

    The statement said: “We are aware of some recent unhealthy and unproductive utterances by some individuals of significant standing in the Igbo society. It is trite Igbo wisdom that age and status compel a certain level of responsibility and restraint in words and conduct.

    “We condemn such comments that seek to deepen the divide and create unnecessary tension and bad blood and responsibly urge such individuals to desist forthwith in the interest of peaceful co-existence and national unity.

    “As we responsibly take due and proper cognisance of the unacceptable conduct of some Igbos, we state that there have equally been unacceptable conducts in words and action across board, including those throwing fire into the South-east from other tribes and zones, unwarranted attacks, victimisation and a blanket characterisation and stigmatisation of Igbo.

    “We equally condemn such acts, as the conduct of one or some can and should not be seen as true for all or used to judge all. We equally call on all those concerned to desist forthwith.”

    The group hailed the President- elect, Senator Bola Tinubu for winning the February 25, 2023 presidential election and assured him of its support.

    “We assure the president elect of our continued solidarity and patriotic support while we expect that he will do even more for the South-east as he has already promised.” The group added.

  • Jigawa gov-elect, deputy, 27 Assembly members receive certificates of return

    Jigawa gov-elect, deputy, 27 Assembly members receive certificates of return

    By Adamu Amadu, Dutse

    The Jigawa State governor-elect, Alhaji Umar Namadi, his deputy, Engineer Aminu Usman and 27 members elect of Jigawa State House of Assembly have received their certificates of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Speaking shortly after receiving the certificate, the governor-elect, Alhaji Umar Namadi, called on the people of the state to be tracking and watching their policies, programmes and mode of operation for possible correction and encouragement when it is right.

    Alhaji Namadi stated: “I want to thank the good people of Jigawa State for giving me their mandate. I promise to run a transparent and inclusive government that will cater to the needs of all, regardless of their political affiliations”.

    He expressed gratitude to the people of Jigawa State for electing him and pledged to run an inclusive government that would cater to the needs of all.

    Namadi also called on his opponents in the election to join hands with him in moving the state forward.

    “I extend an olive branch to my opponents in the election. Let us put politics aside and work together to bring about the much-needed development in our state,” he added.

    Speaking at the ceremony, which took place on Wednesday at the INEC headquarters in Dutse, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Jigawa State, Prof Mohammad Lawal, congratulated the winners and urged them to work towards the development of the state.

    The ceremony was attended by various dignitaries, including members of the state assembly, traditional rulers, and party (APC) supporters.

  • NESG, FCDO boosts digital ecosystem

    NESG, FCDO boosts digital ecosystem

    The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has inaugurated a Digital Economy Community of Practice (DECoP) to boost the digital ecosystem.

    The aim of the community is to drive inclusive growth and sustainable development for stakeholders in the Nigerian digital ecosystem.

    It also aims to identify and boost the capacity of key digital players, and engender inclusive public-private sector collaboration to enable digital growth and capabilities in Nigeria.

    This was made known at the inauguration by the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) of the NESG, at a programme titled, ‘Building a digital future: Inaugurating the digital economy community of practice in Nigeria.’

    Chief Executive Officer of the NESG, Mr Laoye Jaiyeola, said: “The growth achieved by the digital economy offers great opportunities but also poses the risk of leaving some people behind. Access to and use of digital devices and services are neither universal nor equitable with women and girls disproportionately affected, leaving the most vulnerable digitally excluded.

    “The absence of a robust collaboration framework between the regulatory agencies, the private sector and development partners is an area within the digital sector that requires attention.

    “In light of these realities, the FCDO has partnered with the PIC of the NESG to inaugurate a Community of Practice, a platform to drive continued collaboration between the public, private and development sectors and ensure the inclusivity and sustainability of a vibrant digital ecosystem in Nigeria. The inauguration of the Digital Economy Community of Practice (DECoP) marks the culmination of consultative and collaborative work in the past year with a wide range of stakeholders.”

  • Coalition urges residents to remain calm over DSS arrest

    Coalition urges residents to remain calm over DSS arrest

    The Coalition of Civil Society for Good Governance has called on the people of Kogi State to remain calm following the arrest of Col Amadu Suleiman (rtd) by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The DSS on Sunday said it arrested a retired Colonel and eight others, and recovered arms from them.

    The spokesperson for DSS, Peter Afunanya,  in a statement, said they were arrested by its operatives in Kogi, Adamawa, Abuja, and Plateau states between March and March 26 during a joint operation with other security agencies.

    Among those arrested, he said, was a retired personnel of the Nigerian Army identified as Col A.U. Suleiman, and five other members of his gang.

    Read Also: DSS warns interim govt plotters of dire consequence

    But the group’s National Coordinator, Okpanachi Jacob alleged that the arrest of the retired army personnel was political.

    According to him, Suleiman’s arrest is coming at a time when the country should be advancing the course for peace in the political arena in all the states of the federation given the heat presented by the just concluded 2023 general election.

    He demanded the immediate release of Suleiman pending a proper investigation on the subject matter and appealed for calm amongst the people of Kogi state and the family of Suleiman…”

  • Court grants APC candidate right to inspect election materials

    Court grants APC candidate right to inspect election materials

    The Governorship, National, and State House of Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Bauchi has granted leave to the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Sadique Abubakar, in the  March 18 governorship election, to access sensitive materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The APC candidate is contesting the result of the election which he lost to his main rival, Bala Mohammed, the incumbent governor.

    Mohammed got 525,280 votes to defeat Abubakar who got 432,272 votes.

    Consequently, a two-member panel, led by Justice F.N Azinge, gave the order yesterday after it heard an ex parte application filed by Abubakar and his party, the APC.

    Reas Also: Zone Senate presidency to Southeast, Southsouth, Igbo youths beg APC

    Cited as respondents in the matter were INEC, the Governor-Elect, Bala Mohammed as well as  his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

    In her ruling, Azinge said the application had merit and was granted accordingly.

    She, therefore, ordered INEC to make available all the election materials used for the conduct of the election to the applicant, his agents, and counsel.

    “The petitioners are to take certified copies and conduct a manual and physical inspection of all the electoral materials used in the conduct of the Bauchi governorship election held on the 18th March 2023,” he said.

    Earlier, Rilwan Jibrin, holding the brief for Ishaq Magaji SAN, the lead counsel to the applicant, prayed the court to compel INEC to allow his client to obtain documents in the Commission’s custody used for the election.

    He said the documents would aid his petition against the emergence of PDP’s Mohammed as the winner of the election.

  • Varsity exonerates students of flogging lecturer

    Varsity exonerates students of flogging lecturer

    The Federal University Gashua, Yobe, yesterday denied the claim that its students flogged one of its lecturers, Dr Samiu Dagari of the Chemistry Department.

    The Registrar, Dr Abubakar Mamuda, stated in Gashua that a viral video showing four youths flogging Dagari was deliberately manipulated to mislead the public and tannish the image of the university and its students.

    The flogging, he added, was done by thugs hired by a politician and it took place in Nguru, the lecturer’s hometown, and not in Gashua.

    “The attention of the Federal University, Gashua, Yobe, is drawn to a viral video clip in the social media and a few online newspapers, alleging that some students of Dr Dagari attacked and flogged him. We state categorically that the story is false and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and tarnish the good image of the university and its virtuous students.”

    The said incident did not occur in the university, but rather in the hometown of Dr Dagari and at his family house. The attack was executed by some thugs sponsored by a politician. The thugs who assaulted Dr Dagari are not students of the Federal University, Gashua,’’ the registrar stated.

    He added that the incident had been reported to appropriate security agencies and investigation was on-going.

    Mamuda stressed that Dagari is a popular senior lecturer adored by his students and the entire university community.

  • LP suspends 11 executive members in Nasarawa

    LP suspends 11 executive members in Nasarawa

    Labour Party (LP) in Nasarawa State has suspended 11 executive members for engaging in anti-party activities at the just-concluded governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    This is contained in a statement issued in Lafia yesterday by Mr Alex Emmanuel, Party Chairman and Assistant State Secretary Mr Ashime Benjamin.

    It stated that the suspension was pronounced in conjunction with the national body of the party to stave recurrence.

    The suspended executive members were state and local government party officials who were allegedly involved in anti-party activities at the March 18 elections.

    “With reference to a complaint made to LP headquarters dated March 24 and the responses received, we bring to your notice that the suspended members have gone contrary to the party’s constitution.

    “They violated Article 19, Part ‘B’ of the Constitution that stipulates disciplinary measures for anti-party activities that lead to embarrassment, contempt, and ridicule of the party,’’ the statement read.

    It stressed that the officials endorsed a certain political party at the just-concluded governorship election without recourse to the LP thereby ridiculing the party.

    The LP recalled that when its governorship candidate, Mr Joseph Ewuga stepped down and declared his support for the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr David Ombugadu, he duly informed the party.

  • Tinubu will build a modern Nigeria, says lawmaker

    Tinubu will build a modern Nigeria, says lawmaker

    A member of the House of Representatives, Shamsudeen Dambazau has expressed confidence that President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will build a new and modern nation which every Nigerian will be proud of.

    In his congratulatory message on the 72st birthday of the President-Elect, Dambazzau who represents Sumaula/Takai Federal Constituency of Kano state paid glowing tribute to Tinubu for his efforts at ensuring a virile democracy in the country.

    Read Also: Supreme Court dismisses suit querying Tinubu’s qualification

    He said Tinubu has fought many battles to ensure that Nigeria enjoys the current democracy right from his days in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

    He said: “Joining forces with others, he fought the military to enter the current democracy. It is my belief as president of the federal republic of Nigeria. As governor of Lagos state, Tinubu laid a solid foundation for a modern Lagos with the highest internally generated revenue among states in the country.

    “Tinubu will lay a solid foundation for a modern Nigeria where equity and justice will be the order of the day. I pray that God will continue to increase you and grant you good health”.

  • Masari inaugurates hand-over committees

    Masari inaugurates hand-over committees

    KATSINA State Governor Aminu Masari yesterday inaugurated a transition committee and an inauguration committee for the handing over of power to the incoming administration of Dr Dikko Radda.

    “Today marks the beginning of the transition of our administration to the next which will be sworn in on May 29.  The event is important and significant in the sense that we are having a transition committee composed of those in the present government and those coming to take over the governance of the state.

    “The transition committee is expected to compile inputs from Ministries, Departments and Agencies and capital projects completed and on-going, from 2019 to date.

    “The compilation should show total contract amounts paid; amounts outstanding and completion stage of those that are not completed,’’ Masari said.

    He added that the committee would offer critical suggestions that would assist the incoming administration in the successful implementation of its campaign promises.

    “It will also make appropriate recommendations that would assist the new administration to further improve the lives of the people of the state.

    Read Also: President-elect needs more prayers to succeed, says Masari

    “It would co-opt any individual or group that would assist it to succeed in the assignment and submit its report within three weeks from today.”

    The governor said the inauguration committee would identify and make adequate preparations for the venue of the swearing-in and expenses for the governor-elect and his deputy.

    According to him, the committee is to arrange and cater to the security and required logistics, and also prepare a list of dignitaries to be invited to grace the hand-over ceremony.

    Responding on behalf of the two committees, a member, Alhaji Ahmed Dangiwa commended the governor for selecting responsible people.

    He assured of diligent execution of the assignments of the two committees.

    The transition committee has 40 members, while the inauguration committee has 43 members.

    The transition committee is chaired by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Muntari Lawal. The Permanent Secretary (Administration), Office of the Head of the Civil Service, Alhaji Usman Isiyaku serves as Secretary.

    The inauguration committee has the Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Musa Adamu-Funtua as Chairman and Barr. Hannatu Musa-Musawa as Secretary.