The Students’ Wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG-SW) has faulted the Federal Government’s litigation against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reopen Nigerian public universities without arriving at the solutions on burning issues.

The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari and all the stakeholders to speedily engage with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) to resolve these impasses to reopen the institutions.

National Coordinator of the group, Emuseh Gimba Bokunga, who said this in Abuja, on Saturday, while briefing reporters, urged President Buhari to engage the union to resolve the problem within the shortest possible time just like what Goodluck Jonathan did around 2014 when there was a similar situation.

She said: “The CNG-SW is worried that the Federal Government could not genuinely engage the university teachers after months of the strike, only to resort to using legal instruments to stifle their legitimate demands and force them to classes without addressing key issues in their demands.

“CNG-SW faulted the use of the legal process by the federal government to jeopardise the process and prolong the possible amicable resolution to the crisis.

“It is reprehensible that former and present Chief Justices of the Federation remain aloof to the situation of the multitudes of young Nigerians whose educational pursuit has been put to a halt.

“We call on the Federal Government to hasten the withdrawal of the litigious process to allow for a quick intervention by the Speaker to handle the problem genuinely, quickly, and finally.  It is our genuine concern that forcing lecturers to return to universities without resolving the crisis will only further frustrate the negotiation process.”

The Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong, has released time table for the celebration of Nigeria’s 62nd independence celebration.

To this end, the governor has directed that this year’s independence anniversary be marked with fanfare, pomp and pageantry.

Governor Lalong’s directive is contained in a press statement signed by the state Commissioner of Information and Communication, Hon. Dan Manjang in Jos.

Activities lined up include pre-independence prayer on Sunday, the 25th of September at the St. Peter’s Cathedral, Anglican Communion, Bukuru Diocese; pre-independence Muslim prayer on Friday the 30th September, at the Jos Central Mosque; a parade by the military, police and selected para-military agencies; primary, secondary schools and voluntary organisations on Saturday, the 1st October, 2022 at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium, Jos.

An independence golf kitties and novelty football match, the details of which will be made available in the course of the week, have also been lined up.

The governor is also billed to parley with a cross section of the media.

The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) has said that the Nigerian Energy Transition Plan can work with professionalism and not politicking.

The Nigeria Energy Transition Plan aspires to provide universal access to electricity, and transition to cleaner energy sources. The plan focuses on five critical energy sectors, which include power, cooking, oil and gas, transport and industry.

The association, in a communiqué issued at the end of its National Conference and Annual General Meeting held in Abuja, noted that the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan should be an enabler to addressing energy sufficiency.

The APWEN president, Engineer Elizabeth Eterigho, who read the communiqué, said the conference recommended the creation of over 18 million jobs to achieve the energy transition of the government.

She stressed the need for the active involvement and participation of women engineers in the decade of Gas Initiative

“The number of women in the engineering sector is progressively increasing in Nigeria and the world at large. Our country has improved greatly because more women are involved in developing the nation.”

Eterigho then said that while consideration in investing in the energy transition plan is ongoing, there is a need for all stakeholders to take into consideration traditional energy sources and renewable energy systems, especially as the renewable energy sector still has many unexplored potentials.

“Although the prospects of using biomass for electricity generation is capital intensive; land availability, plant location, scale and choice of technology and distribution of economic benefits are factors that have to be considered in deploying biomass as an off-grid power generation in Nigeria. It is a suitable alternative for the sustainable energy transition in Nigeria.

“This Just Transition can be aided by investment in various human capital development strategies. It will create alternatives for people and regions such as Nigeria trapped in fossil fuel dynamics through new economic opportunities, education and skills training and adequate social safety systems. These strategies must be carried out by the Government, the Energy Companies as well as all other Energy Stakeholders”.

The Kaduna State government in collaboration with the security agencies and Julius Berger PLC, the company responsible for reconstruction of the 165-kilometer Kaduna-Abuja highway, have cleared the traffic gridlock, which in the past five days, subjected travellers to hardship on the highway.

The State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who led security personnel and team from Julius Berger PLC on inspection tour of the highway on Saturday, assured that measures have been put in place to prevent repeat of the gridlock.

Aruwan, who blamed the initial gridlock on breakdown of a heavy duty truck, however, appealed to motorists to be patient and follow the traffic rules and regulations while plying the Abuja-Kaduna highway which is currently under reconstruction.

The Internal Security and Home Affairs Commissioner noted that the need for motorists to strictly abide by the traffic rules and regulations on the said highway has become highly imperative more than ever before, because of the ongoing reconstruction works, which has necessitated several diversions on the road.

Speaking to journalists during the tour, Aruwan said, “This is kilometer 75 Katari, where we had traffic gridlock for the past five days, a situation in which the entire road was blocked, which exposed citizens and motorists plying the road to hardship. So, Kaduna State Government was in touch with Julius Berger PLC, and other relevant agencies on how to resolve the gridlock. We have worked tirelessly and we were able to clear the gridlock.”

The Security Commissioner commended the troops of Operation Thunder Strike and Operation Puff Adder, who were responsible for ensuring that there was no security problem while the gridlock lasted.

Aruwan also clarified that the gridlock was not caused by security challenge, and assured that Julius Berger is committed to carrying out its assignment without causing unnecessary diversions on the road.

A crack has emerged among stakeholders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State over the internal wrangling rocking the party.

Former governor of the state, Senator Jonah Jang, who heads the pro-Wike group while former Secretary to the Plateau State government, Prof Shedrach Best, who heads the pro-Atiku group are now at a crossroad, following the protracted crisis between the duo.

Jang had early this week called on the national chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign his position and relinquish the position to the South for truth and fairness ahead 2023 election.

But Prof Best, in a press statement in Jos, berated Senator Jang for calling for the resignation of Ayu, saying, “The call by Senator Jang was his personal opinion and not that of the party stakeholders”.

In another press conference in Jos, Senator Jang insisted his call was to ensure truth and justice as the basic principles on which the party was founded.

Media consultant to Senator Jang, Garuba Clinton, who addressed the media on behalf of Senator Jang, said, “My attention has been drawn to a publication purportedly issued by a certain unknown group dubbed ‘Plateau for Atiku group’ and signed by its Protem Secretary, Prof. Shedrack Best.

“The group in the said publication alleged that Plateau PDP stakeholders disowned Sen. (Dr) Jonah David Jang for asking the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign.

“Perhaps it is important to school the said group, which has arrogated to itself the noble position of stakeholders, which it indeed is not, of the dynamics of the politics of the PDP, to which they are latter-day entrants. They may have been carried away by blind followership to know that Sen. Jang and the other founding fathers of the PDP built it on the principles of justice, equity and fairness; and it is these principles that held the party to where it is today.

“Subverting the constitution of the party long-held tradition of inclusiveness is a sure way to derail the party from getting back to its winning ways. Senator Jang and the real stakeholders in the party are not surprised that such a publication is authored by Prof. Shedrack Best, who is still aggrieved and sulking over his loss in the recently held primaries of the PDP in Plateau State,” Clinton said.

The Adamawa Central Senatorial candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ahmadu Hamman, has expressed confidence in his chances against otherwise strong opponents in the coming general election.

Hamman, who will be facing the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Aminu Iya Abbas who holds the Adamawa Central senatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdulaziz Nyako, who represented the zone between 2015 and 2019, said the promises those parties have failed to fulfil over the past years would be their undoing.

Ahmadu Hamman said on Saturday at the inauguration of his campaign council that the NNPP is the alternative to the leading two parties.

Hamman, who defected from the APC to become one of those who reinvented the NNPP in the state earlier this year, told newsmen on the side of a ceremony in Yola where he inaugurated his campaign council headed by Alhaji Ibrahim Bappa that, “The PDP, which led government in the centres for 16 years, failed us. The APC took over amidst high expectations but the APC soon relaxed. So, both parties failed us badly. They broke the promises they made.”

He said the NNPP and its candidates should be the next choice at all levels, adding that he would beat the PDP and APC senatorial candidates for the Adamawa Central seat come next year.

There was pandemonium and tears at Zaudna community on Friday, as officials of the Federal Capital Territory (FCTA) rolled in bulldozer and demolished unauthorised structures to reclaim the land for infrastructure development.

Zaudna village, which is under Jiwa chiefdom in Abuja Municipal Area council (AMAC), is one of the districts earmarked for land swap programme by the administration.

The Director, Department of Development Control, Murktar Galadima after the demolition, said the community is committed for land swap programme, where the administration gives out land to investors in exchange for infrastructure.

According to him, the illegal structures were constituting obstacles for the smooth take off of the exercise, and would not be tolerated by the FCT administration.

He said prior to the demolition, there was a demolition notice with series of meetings with officials of the development control and the natives.

Galadima said: “Zaudna is one of the districts committed for land swap programme, where FCT administration gives out land and the investor provides infrastructure.

“The demolition exercise is one of the programmes approved by the Federal Executive Council, so our responsibility is to ensure that the investor has no obstacle in providing the infrastructure”.

On his part, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah regretted that owners of the houses demolished had no land titles, except an agreement they signed with the natives on ordinary plain papers.

Attah stated that the FCT has been warning people against buying lands from locals, considering the law that makes up the city.

He said since the moving of the Federal Capital Territory from Lagos to Abuja, only the Minister of FCT has the right to approve land.

A victim, Faith Opaluwa who was visibly in tears said: “I am in tears because I spent a lot of money on this house; if my children return from school now what will they do? That is my greatest pain. The government should know that we have spent a lot on this.”

Communities of Haya in Gwaram Local Government Areas in Jigawa State have called on the Hadejia/Jama’are River Basin Authority (HJRBA) to reconstruct Haya Dam, which collapsed three days ago as a result of overflow of water

The communities made the call in a press statement issued, signed by their leader, Malam Muhammadu Lawal Ibrahim in Dutse, Jigawa State.

“The Dam was constructed by the federal government through Hadejia/Jama’are River Basin Authority 12 year ago and it has improved the economy of the people in the area,” the statement read.

Ibrahim said the dam collapsed as a result of heavy downpour and over-flow from its water sources, which caused the demarcation to collapse.

He said this led to water spills that resulted in flooding that has destroyed thousands of hectares of farmlands and farm produce.

The statement said the communities had reported on several occasions to the authorities when they noticed signs of the impending problem and called on HJBRA to without delay come and reconstruct the dam in preparation for next dry season farming.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Jigawa Southeast Senatorial District, Alhaji Sabo Muhammad Nakudu has presented the sum of N35 million cash and food items worth over N5 million to flood victims in the district.

The senatorial candidate, who channelled the donation through the former Birnin Kudu Local Government Council chairman Hon. Khalid Ibrahim, expressed shock at the level of damage and loss of lives caused by the flood in his constituency and Jigawa at large.

Nakudu, who is also a serving senator representing Jigawa Southeast Senatorial District became the APC candidate following the death of candidate, late Alhaji Tijjani Ibrahim Gaya.

The former council chairman explained that the Senator had visited some affected communities and sympathised with them over the disaster.

Hon Khalid added that the Senator has donated N5 million to each of the seven local governments in his constituency for onward distribution to the flood victims.

Khalid revealed that the Senator has donated one million naira to flood victim in Karnaya village and distributed 3,000 bags of (5kg) rice, 3,000 empty sacks for embankment in Miga community, 300 nylon mats and other relief materials.

He assured the victims that the Senator will engage with other federal agencies for more humanitarian support.

According to the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), over 98 people died in the ongoing flood disaster, over 100,000 displaced, while thousands’ farm land was washed away.

It also said hundreds of houses, roads and other public infrastructure were damaged by the flooding across the state.

By Uja Emmanuel with Agency Report

Flooding has displaced more than 2,000 persons in communities in Doma Local Government Area of  Nasarawa State, the council Chairman, Ahmed Sarki-Usman, has said.

Sarki-Usman said on Friday during an assessment visit to the flood-affected communities in Ekye Development Area, that the disaster took place on September 20.

He said his visit was to ascertain the level of damage caused by the flood with a view to reporting the situation to the state government for necessary action.

“It is unfortunate that the flood destroyed houses, farmlands, produce and other valuables worth millions of Naira.

“Many inhabitants of the area affected by flood have deserted their homes and are now camping at primary schools as temporary sites.

“What my people are facing is completely devastating,” he lamented.

Sarki-Usman urged people in the communities to remain calm as government would soon come to their aid.

Read Also; Floods ravage Plateau, Yobe, Jigawa communities

He commended Olam Farm Company in the area for its prompt support of victims, saying the gesture would go a long way in ameliorating their plights.

The Overseer of Ekye Development Area, Mr Bello Akoza, sympathised with the victims, urging them to remain calm as plans were on to support them in all ramifications.

He appreciated the chairman and his delegation for identifying with the people and the rekindling their hope.

In Makurdi, over 100,000 people living along the bank of River Benue in Makurdi, Benue State have been sacked by flooding as a result of water released from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.

The Nation correspondent, who went round the affected areas, observed that most houses have been submerged by the flood which overran the banks of River Benue.

Those living on the banks of the river hurriedly abandoned their houses to dry land.

A victim of the flood, Tersoo Umande, told The Nation that apart from 2012, this was the first time they were witnessing such flood.

Umande, who said he is squatting with a relation, appealed to State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to intervene and provide temporary shelter for the victims of the flood.

As at press time, many families were seen leaving the flood ravaged areas with their personal belongings.

Executive Secretary of SEMA, Dr. Shior Emmanuel assured that the government would soon find a solution to the plight of the victims.