The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Reports

  • How I tackled insecurity in Nasarawa, by Sule

    How I tackled insecurity in Nasarawa, by Sule

    Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule has said that the traditional rulers of Mararaba-Udege and Mararaba-Loko in Nasarawa and Toto local government areas assisted him in tackling the insecurity challenges in their area.

    Sule stated this yesterday in Toto local government when stakeholders and traditional rulers of the area hosted him during the second phase of campaign across the 18 development areas of the state.

    He said that, though his administration came on board to meet the challenges of security, especially between Mararaba to Udege and Mararaba to Loko, also between Loko/Ajaga/Nasarawa, the support and cooperation of the people made it possible for his administration to address insecurity and bring back peace.

    Governor Sule said lasting peace has finally come to the area especially with the establishment of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps training school in Udege.

    “We tried our best, with your support and that of traditional rulers, we were able to restore back peace. Without your cooperation, we wouldn’t have attained this feat,” he said.

    He announced plans to recruit an additional 1000 teachers, adding that his administration already employed over 3000 teachers to boost the standard of education.

    The governor said the state under his leadership is working tirelessly to attract investors into the state to create employment opportunities for the youth.

    He assured civil servants of full payment of their promotion benefits, urging local government chairmen and overseers of development areas to increase their payment to 50 per cent by month’s end. Loko said.

  • Commission to address ecological challenges in host communities

    Commission to address ecological challenges in host communities

    The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) has unveiled plans to tackle ecological challenges in the member states and host communities.

    Chairman, Governing Council of the Commission, Mr Joesph Ityav made this known at the ninth Governing Council meeting in Abuja.

    The commission also unveiled its medium-term strategic action plan (HMTSP) for 2022 to 2027 to meet the needs of the host communities.

    HYPPADEC, with headquarters in Minna, Niger State, has Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Benue and Plateau as member states.

    Ityav said under the strategic action plan, the commission would focus on key sectors such as education, energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.

    The chairman said adopting a strategic implementation framework will help the commission deliver on critical projects across different parts of its host communities before the end of the year.

    He said: “We believe that based on the plan that we have on the ground now, we’ll be able to take more projects to the communities.

    “Basically, the major function of HYPPADEC is to ameliorate the living standards of communities within the HYPPADEC states.

    “During this meeting, we are going to assess what we have done so far and set out strategies in line with our medium-term plan, which we carried out last year. We’re going to put out strategies to achieve that plan and see how we can capture more ecological projects in this accounting year.”

  • Traditional rulers not competing with political class, says Sultan

    Traditional rulers not competing with political class, says Sultan

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar has stated that the political class and elites should see the traditional and religious leaders as peace advocates and also partners in progress.

    He said the traditional rulers are not in any way competing with the political class.

    The Sultan of Sokoto at the commemoration of Plateau Day of forgiveness and reconciliation at Rwang Pam Stadium in Jos, Plateau State yesterday enjoined the political class to carry out their campaign in a peaceful manner and have respect for one another.

    Sultan Abubakar said: “We have been talking to our political leaders to ensure that they carry out their campaigns in a peaceful manner and respect one another knowing that it is Almighty Allah who gives power to whom he wants, at the time he wants and takes away from you without asking for your permission.

    “If we realise this, why do we use our youths to burn houses and abuse one another and at the end of this only one person will be in a government house? The Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria has all what it takes to bring out lasting peace because it has people with different backgrounds as members”.

    He enjoined the political leaders to partner with the council to promote peace and understanding among the political class and the electorates.

    The revered monarch expressed disappointment that some of the political leaders don’t want to have anything to do with the traditional rulers.

    “Why don’t politicians use the council as a platform to reach out to the common man on the streets? Some politicians don’t want to see the turban or caps of traditional rulers. Traditional rulers will never be a problem to political leaders. We are not competing; we just want to help the country because of the role we have played in the past,” he said.

    Campaigns, he said, should be issue-based not sentiments and insult one another adding that it is wrong to abuse one another in the guise of campaigning.

    “It is wrong to abuse one another in the name of a campaign because, in the end, you will still sit down together as brothers. Only one person will be president. It is God who knows that person but we struggle because we don’t know tomorrow, only God knows tomorrow.

    Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong said his heart is filled with joy that his administration has laid a solid foundation for peace, justice, equality, tolerance and hospitality.

  • Supreme Court fixes Feb 17 for Nasarawa APC candidate judgment

    Supreme Court fixes Feb 17 for Nasarawa APC candidate judgment

    The Supreme Court has fixed judgment for February 17 in the dispute over who between Labaran Magaji and Shehu Tukur is the actual candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Nasarawa West Senatorial District in the forthcoming election.

    A five-member panel of the court, led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, picked the date after lawyers to parties in the appeal marked: SC/CV/18/2023 made their submissions.

    Ahmed Raji (SAN) who led the legal team of the appellant (Magaji) urged the court to allow the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

    While summarising the appellant’s case to the court, Raji said preparatory to the conduct of the APC primary to elect a candidate for the senatorial district, it conducted congresses for the purpose of electing delegates, who were to elect the candidate.

    He said surprisingly, another delegates list was used for the primary, with the exclusion of the delegates that emerged from the congresses earlier conducted by the APC.

    “They used people who were not actual delegates for the primary. The trial court agreed with the appellant, but the Court of Appeal disagreed, which is why we are here,” Raji said.

    Lawyer to Tukur, Murtar Adekilekun urged the court to dismiss the appeal, querying the jurisdiction to hear the case.

    Adekilekun argued that the subject matter of the case had to do with the selection of delegates, which is not justiciable, being issues constituting the party’s internal affairs.

    He also faulted the mode of commencing the suit at the trial court.

    Justice Kekere-Ekun, while adjourning for judgment, said the decision in the appeal heard (SC/CV/18/2023) shall be applied to the other two sister appeals marked: SC/CV/16/2023 and SC/CV/17/2023.

  • President condemns terrorist attack on Katsina vigilantes

    President condemns terrorist attack on Katsina vigilantes

    President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the attack on vigilantes at Yargoje forest in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, where many lives were lost.

    The Nation reported the killing of some 41 vigilante operatives by a gang of terrorists, in an ambush in the Yargoje Forest, Jibia council area of Katsina State, last Thursday.

    The victims of the bloody ambush, members of a proscribed vigilante group known as Yansakai, who assembled themselves from eight communities, were reportedly in pursuit of the terrorists, who had rustled about 80 animals.

    President Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, commiserated with the families of the victims, assuring that their sacrifices will not be in vain.

    “The insurgents ambushed a convoy of vigilantes in the forest as they went to recover stolen cows leading to the killings. The President pays tribute to all those vigilantes and family members who have been martyred today, saying that the sacrifices of the brave men who are working to prevent and punish crime in their communities will not be forgotten”, the statement said.

    President said: “our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this difficult period. May Allah repose the soul of the deceased.”

  • Minister kicks off medical outreach for Tinubu/Shettima

    Minister kicks off medical outreach for Tinubu/Shettima

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, has kicked-off an Integrated Medical Outreach, in Karshi to be conducted across all the 62 political wards in Abuja.

    The free medical outreach powered by Nigerians Unite for Tinubu/Shettima Mandate was targeted at the vulnerable.

    The minister stated that the launch has been one of the priorities of the FCT Administration to provide to the residents, particularly women and children.

    She said: “Access to basic healthcare services has been poor due to the presence of hard to reach communities, couple with the rising cases of insecurity, and sub-optimal performance of the public health system,” she said.

    She, however, affirmed that the medical outreach would serve as an avenue for the FCTA to provide most needed interventions to community members, including health education and promotion; treatment of common illnesses; vaccination of under-five children and pregnant women; distribution of Long Lasting Treated Nets and family planning commodities; screening for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, routine eye screening and screening for malnutrition; linkages/referral services; amongst others.

    Aliyu assured that the FCT Administration would continue to support all programmes and activities geared towards improving the quality of lives and health outcomes of all residents of the territory particularly women and children.

    She said: “our relevant secretariats, departments and agencies have been re-positioned and given necessary supports to perform for results.

    “Working with development partners, access would be sustained to the underserved communities with optimal services uptake and utilisation through the activities of community managerial system for Primary Health care in FCT.”

    The Acting Executive Secretary of FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Isah Yahaya Vatsa, hailed the group for the purposeful partnership with the administration in providing quality healthcare services to the vulnerable in rural communities.

    He said the Free Medical Outreach will cover immunization, consultation by medical personnel in three points, and laboratory screening for diabetes and malaria.

    Other services include pharmaceutical services (drugs), eye screening with free glasses for those that need them, blood pressure screening, weight and temperature check.

  • Hajj: NAHCON distributes slots to states, FCT, others

    Hajj: NAHCON distributes slots to states, FCT, others

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) at the weekend distributed the Hajj allocations to the 36 State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, agencies, commissions, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the Armed Forces.

    A statement by the commission’s Assistant Director of Information and Publications, Mousa Ubandawaki, said the decision was reached at the end of the Executive Committee meeting which ratified the allocations.

    Ubandawaki listed the seat allocations to the states as follows: Abia 53, Adamawa – 2,669, Anambra – 39, Bauchi, – 3,132, Bayelsa – 35, Benue – 236, Borno – 2,735, Cross Rivers – 66, Delta – 74 and Nassarawa – 1,567.

    He said other states are Niger – 5,165, Ogun – 1,139, Ondo – 436, Osun – 1,054, Oyo – 1,441, Yobe – 1,968, Ebonyi – 117, Edo – 274, Ekiti – 197, Enugu – 40, Zamfara – 3,083, Armed Forces – 543, FCT – 3,520 and Gombe – 2,30.

    Also, Imo – 30, Jigawa – 1,525, Kaduna – 5,982, Kano – 5,902, Katsina – 4,913, Kebbi – 4871, Kwara – 3,219, Lagos – 3,576, and Plateau – 1,984, River, 50, Sokoto 5,504 and Taraba 1,590.

    He said Kogi’s allocation would be released after the conclusion of the ongoing review of its activities.

    According to him, the allocation of Akwa Ibom was suspended due to non-renewal of its operating licence.

    He said that all the states were expected to remit payments of 50 per cent of the 2022 seats allocation to NAHCON before the February 10 deadline.

    “The inability of any state to comply with the deadline date will lead to the reduction in the allocation to such state,” he said.

  • Northern Elders to Buhari: Be wary of influence peddlers, intent on derailing electoral process

    Northern Elders to Buhari: Be wary of influence peddlers, intent on derailing electoral process

    A leading northern sociopolitical organisation, the Northern Elders Council (NEC), has tasked the federal government to handle situations leading to the general elections with caution in order to ensure a rancour-free and transparent exercise.

    It categorically observed and warned against the activities of those it described as non-state actors within the corridors of power, whose intents it noted are not just to feather their nests, but will stop at nothing to use their closeness to leadership to generate chaos and derail the electoral process, for their selfish gains.

    It warned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to be wary of such elements.

    NEC, which is led by 98-year old elder statesman, Mallam Tanko Yakasai, also enjoined Nigerians to be careful in their choices by not falling for the traps of groups and political parties running ethnic agendas as well as those parading candidates with the blemishes of corruption on their their identity.

    According to a statement issued at the weekend and made available to journalists in Abuja at the weekend, NEC said, just like it has done in the past, it has taken stock of developments around the nation’s political space and would be joining forces with progressive elements to ensure Nigerians do not get it wrong at the coming polls.

    The group, which said it sticks with the position of its leader, Mallam Yakasai, who had weeks ago expressed his support for the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said it would be making more policy statements on the state of the nation in coming days, after it’s next Congress.

    The statement, issued by NEC’s Chairman, Mallam Yakasai, said “NEC, at all times, will not shy away from its commitment to peace, unity, and stability of Nigeria.

    “NEC’s power is invested in elected people who hold it in trust for the electorate.

    People who, out of consanguinity ties, friendship loyalties, or privileged proximity to elected public officials, abuse power, must be rejected and prevented from subverting the popular will of people’s choices during elections.

    “Corruption is not only about monetary and unfettered access to state treasury. It also includes peddling in influence by a handfull of non-state actors in the corridors of power, seeking to foster chaos to derail democratic transitions, as enshrined in the constitution. We must resolutely reject that in this country.

    “Northern Elders Council, under the leadership of Mallam Tanko Yakasai, in this regard, appeals to the Federal Government to be mindful of its onerous responsibilty for organized, rancour free and transparent elections, as a lasting legacy in promoting the sanctity of democratic rule.

    “NEC has made an unequivocal statement and principled declaration of its support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its Presidential Candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

    “The Congress of NEC will shortly meet and make public, more policy statements on the State of the Nation”, the statement said.

    Meanwhile, the NEC has commended President Buhari for boldly professing his support for his party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu, during the APC presidential campaign rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Saturday, describing the outing as a masterstroke that will send the right signal, not just to the faithful of the ruling party, but to all Nigerians, allowing all to see that there are no cracks within the ruling party.

  • Police arrests ritualist with human skull and pieces of ribs

    Police arrests ritualist with human skull and pieces of ribs

    A 38-year-old man, Abdulrahman Woru, has been arrested by the Niger State Police Command with a human skull and three pieces of suspected human ribs at Banana in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

    The suspect, who was arrested based on intelligence report, is from Gbesewona village in Benin Republic, but resides in Babana.

    The suspect, who confessed that the human skull and ribs belonged to him, claimed that he got the skull on his return trip from Benin Republic when he saw a bag containing the skull on the road.

    He said he did not report his finding to the police because being a traditional medicine practitioner; he believed the skull and ribs would be useful to him in the course of his job.

    “When I travelled to Benin Republic, on my way back, I saw this bag on the road, I went to check it and saw the skull, I decided to keep it because it would be useful for my work.

    “I tied the bag on my motorcycle and took it home. I did not report to the Police because I did not feel it was necessary”, he said.

    The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the arrest, said that when a search was conducted in Woru’s house, the Police discovered a human skull, three pieces of suspected human ribs, two idols and cash of 5000 CFA of Benin Republic.

    According to Abiodun, the suspect does not have any immigration document despite his claims that he migrated from Benin Republic to Nigeria four years ago for his business.

    The PPRO said the suspect will soon be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction for prosecution.

  • Onjeh pledges to pursue LG autonomy, power rotation

    Onjeh pledges to pursue LG autonomy, power rotation

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Benue South, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, commenced grassroots campaign tour of the various Local Government Areas and Council Wards of Benue South on Saturday with a visit to Okpokwu Local Government.

    According to a statement by Otunba Gabriel Onuh, the Deputy Director of Media for the Onjeh Campaign Organization (OCO), Onjeh and his team first berthed at the residence of the former Senate President, Ameh Ebute, who led them to a massive crowd of excited Onjeh supporters.

    Addressing the gathering, Senator Ebute implored the Okpokwu electorates to give Onjeh full support, in the coming polls, adding Benue South made a huge mistake seven years ago by not voting Com. Onjeh into the Senate.

    He hoped they would not repeat the same mistake this time around, while affirming that Onjeh was the best candidate to offer the most effective and efficient representation to the Benue South people at the Senate.

    Ebute further urged all Okpokwu voters to elect APC candidates across the board in the forthcoming general elections.

    He appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for fixing the Otukpo-Okpokwu-Ogbadibo road; the Loko-Oweto Link Road and Bridge, amid several other critical infrastructures in Benue South and for numerous social welfare schemes including Trader Moni; Survival Fund; Conditional Cash Transfers; the 1000 Jobs per Local Government Initiative; N-Power Project; Anchor-Borrowers Scheme and COVID-19 Grant.

    He added that contrary to popular insinuations that the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (Establishment) Bill was a product of the Senate, it was actually an Executive Bill reintroduced by the current Administration of President Buhari, and subsequently passed into law.

    Onjeh pledged that if he gets elected into the 10th Senate, he would rally other senators of like minds to ensure the re-introduction and speedy passage of the Local Government Autonomy Bill, adding that only full-fledged administrative and financial autonomy for local governments can ensure the availability of resources for grassroots infrastructural development.

    Onjeh further assured his teeming supporters that if his aspiration sails through, he will be part of the critical mass of Senators in the next political dispensation that will advocate for constitutional amendment, to provide for the rotation of political power amongst the various geopolitical zones of the country, as well as Senatorial Districts of the respective states. He opined that only power rotation can guarantee that a Benue South citizen would govern Benue State in the future.

    The Council Wards of Okpokwu Local Government covered by Onjeh and his team yesterday were Ugbokolo, Okonobo, Amejo, Ekeh, Ojigo and Okpele/Igle. As part of the tour, the team met and interacted with the various Ward Heads and Clan Heads, who offered copious prayers for the success of Com. Onjeh’s senatorial ambition.