Category: Northern Reports

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, said Reuters’ allegation on secret abortion programme by the Nigerian military in the North-East is spurious and never occurred.

Irabor dismissed the claims yesterday in Abuja during the 61st session of State House briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team.

According to him, military authorities are aware of the fact that there are extraterritorial elements who really do not want peace.

“I am also aware the war economy has affected a good number of people and so, now that we are making progress, they think that we need to return to status quo ante.

“In any case you said you interviewed 33 women over a period of how many years, 2013 to date and then you were able to conclude.

Read Also: Army wants us to recant in exchange for money, says sister of PH lady shot by soldier

“What type of extrapolation is that, that from 33 women, 10, 000 abortions were conducted?”

The defence chief said though Reuters sought for an interview with him, but its approach and bogus allegations did not deserve any dignified response.

“You (Reuters) are saying that the military since 2013 has been engaged in a planned abortion programme and that it is the military that is running that programme.

“And then in that letter you also indicated that perhaps, it is part of government’s design.’’

He also said that in the letter seeking for interview, Reuters had indicated that 12,000 abortions were conducted but reported 10,000 on Wednesday.

A former spokesman of the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Mr. Frank Mba, a Commissioner of Police (CP); the Executive Director of Africa Polling Institute, Professor Bell Ihua; and the Chairman of Global Consulting Group, Dr. Steve Ogidan, are among 89 notable Nigerians recently conferred with the membership of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) at Kuru in Plateau State.

The conferment took place during the graduation ceremony of the National Institute’s Senior Executive Course (SEC) 44, 2022, the flagship programme of the NIPSS.

Mba served under three former Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) – M. D. Abubakar (2012 to 2014), M. A. Adamu (2019 to 2021), and Usman Alkali Baba (2021 to 2022) – as the Force Public Relations Officer.

He later went to the NIPSS on secondment for the Senior Executive Course in February 2022.

Prof. Ihua got the recognition for being one of Nigeria’s leading opinion researchers and public opinion pollsters, after serving as CEO of the Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala polling company, NOI Polls.

The expert has led over 300 surveys and polls in the last decade spanning thematic areas, such as social cohesion, the state of internally displaced persons (IDPs), motivations for Nigerians emigrating to Canada, irregular migration syndrome, emigration of Nigerian doctors and the skit-economy amongst Nigerian youths.

Ogidan has served as consultant and adviser to the governments of Nigeria, Liberia, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa at various times.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, NIPSS Director General, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, said the institute charged the mni recipients to always put Nigeria first as they return to their places of service, and not forget all the lessons learnt over the 10-month period of the course.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who as the special guest of honour and represented by Transportation Minister Muazu Sambo, urged the new policy and strategy leaders to apply the capacity they have developed to serve the country.

The minister said the Federal Government considered NIPSS a major ally in providing evidence-based research to support public policy.

He said the Buhari administration was working on implementing the findings from the recently presented research report on how to strengthen local governance in Nigeria.

The newly decorated mnis were drawn from Nigeria’s public service, the military and para-military institutions, such as the Army, Air Force, Navy, Police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Correctional Service, as well as the private sector.

Other notable members of the course who were conferred with the revered mni status included: the Rector of Federal Polytechnic at Offa, Kwara State, Dr. Lateef Olatunji; renowned University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) professor of Islamic Law, Abdulrazak Alaro; and Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Aishatu Abubakar-Baju, who also served as the Monitor General of the course, the first female in the history of the institute.

Others also included Kebbi State Commissioner of Information and Culture, Rekiya Tanko-Ayuba-Haruna; former Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly, Joyce Ramnap; Registrar and CEO of Surveyor Council of Nigeria, Mohammed Kabir; former Enugu State Commissioner for Lands and Urban Renewal and ex-Member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ujam;

Provost of the Federal College of Education Special in Oyo, Professor Usman Kamoru; Rector of the Augustinian Institute of Philosophy, Makurdi, Rev. Father, Dr. Peter Maigari; Professor of Sociology of Education at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Abakaliki, Chinyere Nwajiuba; former Bursar, Plateau State University, Dr. Anna Nanchin Christopher-Fakah; CEO, Axis Insurance Brokers and former MD Lasaco Assurance, Mr. Segun Balogun; Rector, Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, Muhammed Sani; Vice President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Adebayo Aderogba; Director News, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Halima Musa; and Professor of Pharmacognosy at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Umar Katsayal.

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has signed an agreement with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to join forces in the campaign to eliminate child labour in Nigeria.

NOA’s Director General  Dr. Garba Abari  and the Country Director of the ILO in Nigeria, Vanessa Lerato Phala signed the agreement in Abuja.

A statement by NOA’s Assistant Director, Press, Paul Odenyi said:’’The partnership covers the implementation of the National Social Behavioural and Communication Change strategy under the Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in supply chains in Africa (ACCEL Africa), a project funded by the Dutch government.’’

The Accel Africa project in Nigeria aims to eliminate child labour in the Artisanal Gold Mining and Cocoa Farming sectors in Nigeria.

Director General of the NOA, while signing the document, committed the Agency to implementing a grassroots programme that will help raise awareness among stakeholders and modify behaviour within the focal communities of the project.

He said the project supports the Federal Government’s overall goal of giving access to education for all children in the first twelve years of their lives.

According to him, the Agency will deploy its grassroots structure, which include presence in 36 states and the 774 local council areas in Nigeria, to enlighten citizens on the dangers of child labour generally and its impact on communities, the economy and the child, especially through the implementation of the NSBCCS.

The ILO, according to the agreement, will:

*Support the institutional capacity of the NOA’s Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers (COMOs) and other relevant officers to implement programmes aimed at creating awareness  among communities.

NOA, on its part, will:*Implement National Behavioural and communication strategy in these local communities as part of their culture and orientation process;

*Mainstream public awareness programmess on child labour as part of the general public enlightenment schedule of the Agency; and

*Implement specific programmes jointly designed by both the NOA and Accel Africa that will lead to the reduction of child labour issues in Nigeria.

The Accel Africa project in Nigeria is focused on three states of Ondo, Osun and Niger and align with the Durban Call to Action which hopes to accelerate multi stakeholder efforts to prevent  and eliminate  child labour, especially worst forms of child labour; end child labour in the agriculture sector; realise the right to education for every child and; achieve universal access to social protection. The project is being cordinated in Nigeria by Dr. Agatha Kolawole, a leading expert on labour rights in Africa.

The Katsina State Internal Revenue Board has commenced an ‘Operation Show Your Particulars’, saying it had seized about 240 motorcycles and tricycles operating without valid particulars.

Spokesperson of the board, Malam Sada Shu’aibu, said the exercise commenced on Tuesday.

He explained that the operation for motor vehicles commenced.

He said the exercise was aimed at checking vehicle particulars such as number plates, documents and driver’s licence.

” The operation show your particular exercise began with motorcycles and tricycles and was carried out with assistance by security agencies.

“It is aimed at checking vehicles without genuine papers, and also to curb other criminal activities with non registered vehicles.

“On the first day of the exercise, hundreds of motorcycles and tricycles were impounded and taken to Katsina Central Police station, pending registration before being handed back to the owners.

“Places visited during the exercise include Liyafa roundabout, Katsina Central Mosque roundabout, and also Katsina Central Market roundabout,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, has said Nigeria must re-evaluate its leadership selection process to ensure only relevant persons are voted into power to drive the nation forward.

Na’Allah said the country has been abused thoroughly, hence the need for Nigerians to think about the kind of leaders they elect next year.

The leadership series was an opportunity for leaders to educate the public and young people about the need to participate in elections.

The Vice Chancellor said: “We are preparing for election, the whole nation is focused and everybody is campaigning so we are saying Nigerians should think. What kind of election are we going to do? What is even the meaning of election? Is an election just an election? Do you just vote because you want to vote for somebody? Or are you voting because you are convinced that this person can deliver?

“So what the center is doing therefore, is bringing people of thoughts, people who are articulate and allowing us to talk about this in an environment where our young people are sitting because they are the future.

“Everybody must think about this country. This country has been abused thoroughly. This country deserves better, we deserve far better. It is a country that we have been given.”

Private and public sector should collaborate and make digital resources accessible to persons with disabilities for inclusive learning.

Stakeholders took this position at EdTech Mondays, an initiative of Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Co-Creation Hub.

They spoke at a virtual meeting: ‘EdTech as an enabler of education for learners with disabilities’.

The session featured a three-man panellist that comprised Founder and Executive Director of Disability Not A Barrier Initiative (DINABI), Olajide Funso Benjamin; Head of Programme Disability Rights Advocacy Centre, Amaka Ogwu and a Bio-medical engineer, Oluwatomisin Kolawole.

Funso said the  situation of learners with disabilities were depressing, hence the sectors’ investment is needed.

“Over the years, the education system for persons with disabilities in Nigeria has been underfunded,” he said.

He urged policy makers to review the education policy to cater for technology to support learners with disabilities.

Kolawole stressed the need to provide capacity-building skills on use of digital resources for teachers and learners.

WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) yesterda said Nigeria accounts for the highest burden of child HIV and tuberculosis (TB) in Africa.

It noted that while the country accounts for 50 per cent of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), 22 per cent are killed yearly by four diseases: hypertension, cancer, malnutrition and diabetes.

It called for commitment to build strong health systems, particularly primary health care (PHC), with emphasis on disease prevention.

Speaking at the Sixth Annual Conference of Association of Nigerian Health Journalists (ANHEJ) in Nasarawa, WHO ‘s Country Representative, Dr. Walter Mulombo, represented by Field Presence Cluster Lead, Ahmed Khedr, said: “Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for 29 per cent of deaths in Nigeria with premature mortality from hypertension, diabetes, cancers, malnutrition accounting for 22 per cent.

“The Astana declaration of 2018 seeks to ensure that governments prioritise, promote and protect people’s health and well-being…”

President of ANHEJ, Mallam Zaggi urged governments to prioritise health, because only a healthy society that can be productive.

He called on lawmakers to enact laws to support Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through health insurance to reduce costs in accessing health services.

Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu has approved over N3 billion for the payment of gratuity to retired civil servants who disengaged from service up to September this year.

A statement by the Acting Head of Service, Alhaji Safiyanu Garba said the approval followed conclusion of verification of beneficiaries of 2022 gratuity and death benefit.

The statement added that Kwaido led committee submitted 1,300 beneficiaries while the committee under the Head of Service verified 1,211.

The governor approved the payment of gratuity/death benefit to 587.

BRITISH American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATN Foundation), partnering Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority (LSADA), has donated 11 smoking kilns to Fish Farmer groups, including those with impaired hearing comprising over 220 members.

The partnership, initiated since 2018, aims at building capacity of fish farmers under the Fingerlings to Fork Project, as part of effort to prevent post-harvest loss and support socio-economic development of smallholder farmers in the state.

Ololade Johnson-Agiri, executive director of BAT Foundation, said the foundation’s support to farmer show that, in addition to teaching farmers best agricultural practices, it is vital to provide access and empower them to add value to their commodity to be immune to price volatility.

The handing over at Lagos State Agricultural Development Office, Oko-Oba Agege, had in attendance government officials, fish farmers’ groups, cooperative societies as well as the press.

Ms. Ruth Olusanya, commissioner of Agriculture, represented by Mrs Kosoko Enitan, Programme manager of state Agricultural Development Authority, challenged benefiting farmers to use this opportunity to actualise fruitful fish processing in the state.

The commissioner called on other organisations to emulate the foundation by collaborating with the state to ensure food security.

The Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has said it will adopt a more agile approach to making agricultural export inclusive through providing customised farm-to-port technical support and incentives to first-time exporters, rural-based exporters as well as women and youths in 2023.

The Comptroller General of NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe stated this yesterday during the 4th CG’s Summit and Management retreat.

Isegbe said under the Export Improvement Initiative and Export Certification Value Chains, the NAQS it will democratise the participation of micro, small and medium-scale players in agro-export activities.

The CG said the NAQS would enable exporters to discover and optimise the business value in being on the right side of good agricultural practices and compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards.

He noted that most of the rural farmers are unaware of their right to access the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Continental Free Trade Area markets.

He said the agency is working to overcome the challenge by targeting grassroots farmers, offtakers and processors.

“The diligence of the Nigerian is most evident in the agricultural sector. On the farms and elsewhere, our people work hard. However, the majority of them based in rural and peri-urban areas are confined to the low returns of the local market.

“Many of them are unaware of their right to access the ECOWAS and African Continental Free Trade Area markets. They know little or nothing about export standards. They don’t view themselves as qualified to export because they presume that it can only be attempted by the rich”.

“We are working to overcome this challenge of ‘’the last mile’’ by targeting grassroots farmers, offtakers and processors. In the past four years, NAQS has organized scores of training on export opportunities and export procedures for stakeholders on various commodities across many states, as part of our commitment to demystifying agricultural export in Nigeria”, he said.

He further said the agency is collaborating with MDAs, states, and local governments to promote uptake of the ECVCs and intensification of the production and value-addition to premium agricultural products.

He charged all NAQS officers to proactively pursue these targets, taking care to build understanding and the buy-in of the external stakeholders.

“In line with the Management’s vision to enhance the technological fluency of NAQS, we have provisioned the Agency to be fully automated.

“The software has been developed and deployed and some designated officers from all NAQS stations have been trained to understand how it works. In the first quarter of 2023, the automation regime will be launched”, Isegbe added.