The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Reports

  • Sule advocates skills acquisition for graduates

    Sule advocates skills acquisition for graduates

    Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has stressed the need for Nigerian graduates to acquire technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance.

    Sule made the call yesterday in Keffi while speaking as a special guest at the inauguration of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development centre, at the Magaji Dan Yamusa NYSC Orientation Camp in Keffi.

    He said the inauguration of the skills and technical skills acquisition centre, is in line with the policy thrust of his administration, aimed at empowering youths with skills to make them self-reliant.

    The Director-General of the NYSC, Maj. Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim, said the inauguration of the North Central Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), as well as the NYSC bakery, water and garment factories, is in line with his cardinal policy thrust to reinvigorate the NYSC Ventures and SAED programme in order for the NYSC Act more impactful.

    The first civilian governor of the state, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, traced the establishment of the permanent NYSC camp in Keffi, to his desire to fulfil the objective of setting up the scheme.

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives  Congress (APC) noted that, with the high turnover of graduates from institutions in the country, no government can give every NYSC member job. He said there a is need for Nigerian graduates to acquire technical and vocational skills for self-sufficiency.

  • Nyako declares interest for Senate

    Nyako declares interest for Senate

    A governorship candidate in Adamawa State in the 2019 general elections Senator Abdulaziz Nyako has declared his intention to vie for the Senate seat next year.

    Nyako, who was representing Adamawa Central Senatorial Zone at the National Assembly when he contested for the governorship position in 2019 and lost to the present governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, wants to return to the Senate.

    Declaring his ambition yesterday in Yola, the state capital, Nyako said at the APC State Secretariat that he had concluded consultations that favoured a run for the  Senate seat.

    He said he looked forward to being a part of the Senate in the nearest future.

    He said: “The next Senate will face a herculean task in view of the insecurity and other economic and social malaise. This calls for deep introspection by the delegates to elect the right people to stop the country from a further slide.

    “Elect people of proven character and capacity from councillors to president so that the challenges facing the country could be faced with great chances of success,” he said.

    Contesting under African Democratic Congress (ADC), he had lost to the present governor, Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and to the governor at the time Jibrilla Bindow who was also the APC governorship candidate.

  • ‘1.2m at risk of explosive mines in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe’

    ‘1.2m at risk of explosive mines in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe’

    No fewer than 1.2 million people are at risk of explosive mines action in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

    The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Matthias Schmale made the declaration in Abuja yesterday.

    At the 2022 International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, Schmale of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, said 1.2 million people needed life-saving assistance in the three states.

    He noted that explosive ordnance in their different forms continued to represent immediate, grave and additional threat to already suffering populations in Northeast Nigeria.

    He said the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) collated 1,532 incidents in the region involving explosive hazards from January 2016 to January 2022 involving more than 10,000 causalities.

    About 1,356 civilians were injured and 789 killed from the number of causalities recorded, he added.

    Schmale said in January 2019, Mine Action organisations provided critical life-saving information to mitigate the risk of explosive ordnance by educating more than 1.2 million Nigerians in conflict-affected communities.

    He also said in order to reinforce national capacities for explosive ordnance management, UNMAS conducted Improvised Explosives Devices (IED) disposal training for 26 Explosives Ordnance Department operators of the Nigeria Police Force in Borno State.

    He encouraged the activation of a National Mine Action Centre and the development of a national mine action strategy for the survey and clearance of mines and other explosives in affected areas.

    Retired Group Captain Sadeeq Shehu, Technical Adviser to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, said IEDs were discovered in eight public places in the region.

    He noted that the development was dangerous to the people. He advised that some mine risk awareness education be conducted for people in affected areas to sensitise them to the need of inviting experts wherever they found IEDs.

    Shehu said the government had the responsibility to cater and to support victims of detonated IEDs to sustain their livelihoods.

  • ASUU threatens to expose politicians feeding fat on IPPIS

    ASUU threatens to expose politicians feeding fat on IPPIS

    The Bauchi zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to expose politicians and government officials that are allegedly sabotaging the government’s efforts at resolving the controversial IPPIS impasse.

    It alleged that Nigerian politicians and government officials are feeding fat by using some companies in managing the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in the country to frustrate lecturers.

    The zonal Coordinator Prof. Lawan G. Abubakar made this known in a chat with reporters at a conference entitled “NITDA’s Unpatriotic Stance on UTAS” in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

    He alleged that politicians feeding fat on IPPIS are the ones sabotaging their good efforts, stressing that very soon, they will not mind exposing and calling out their names.

    According to Abubakar, one out of the seven demands of the union is to impress the Federal Government to address the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for personnel payments and management in the university system.

    Abubakar added that following the successful development of UTAS by ASUU, the Federal Government directed the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in line with its core mandate, to carry out Integrity Tests on the software.

    “The tests conducted are User Acceptance Test (UAT), and Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Tests. The summary of the first tests conducted by NITDA scored UTAS software 97.4 per cent. “However, even after scoring UTAS this high, NITDA went further to contradict itself by making a fallacious statement that UTAS has failed Integrity Tests.”

     

  • Traffic offenders to undergo compulsory training in FCT

    Traffic offenders to undergo compulsory training in FCT

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) yesterday said violators of traffic rules would be subjected to a three-day compulsory training.

    The Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) Dr Abdulateef Bello said the violators will also be prosecuted by a Mobile Court before they get their vehicles.

    Bello also revealed that within two weeks of offensive operations, about 152 vehicles, 326 motorcycles and 15 tricycles were impounded at various places.

    Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement Ikharo Attah who led the team, said the work of sanitising the city has become very taxing that all relevant agencies need to forge a collaborative partnership.

    Attah noted that the ongoing onslaught against traffic offenders and other criminalities in Abuja was a resolve of FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello to maintain the standards required of a model city.

  • 2023: Consider party victory first, Ortom advises PDP aspirants

    2023: Consider party victory first, Ortom advises PDP aspirants

    Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has urged aspirants for various elective positions to put the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) above every other interest.

    Governor Ortom gave the charge on Sunday at the New Banquet Hall of the Benue Peoples House Makurdi while presiding over the meetings on zoning in various local government areas.

    Also, yesterday, the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) announced the rescheduling of the state local council’s poll from May 7 to April 30.

    The Chairman of the commission, Mr Tersoo Loko said this when he briefed reporters in Makurdi.

    Loko said the election would hold in all the 23 local government areas on April 30.

    He urged political parties featuring in the election to submit the names of their polling agents to the commission on or before Monday, April 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., while campaigns would end by midnight of April 28.

    Loko said the results of the election would be published on Tuesday, May 3, while a re-run (if any) would hold on Thursday, May 5.

    The chairman said the certificate of return would be issued to the winners of the election on Friday, May 5.

  • Poor implementation of audit law hindering transparency, accountability in 34 states, says CSO

    Poor implementation of audit law hindering transparency, accountability in 34 states, says CSO

    A civic-technology organisation, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), has said that the poor implementation of audit law is hindering transparency and accountability in 34 states.

    The group, which carried out a Subnational Audit Efficacy on all the states of the federation, said it found out that citizens’ participation in the audit process was quite poor across 17 states.

    The civil society also lamented the failure of 19 states to publish their full audit report for the 2020 financial year.

    According to the organisation, this is limiting citizens’ ability to engage public officials using audit information

    Executive Director of PLSI, Segun Elemo, noted that the Public Accounts Committees in 31 Houses of Assembly were not quite effective.

    He said this during the presentation of the 2021 SAE Index report in Abuja.

    Elemo also said that the lawmakers were found to lack the required capacity to perform their statutory oversight functions on public accounts or were unwilling to do so.

    According to him, the methodology for the 2021 SAE Index was expanded to include six scoring criteria, including audit legal framework, audit mandate, type of audit document produced and published, type of audit conducted, citizens’ participation in the audit process and role of public accounts committees.

    Elemo said: “The SAE Index 2021 ranked Bauchi and Osun State first, having scored 88 per cent while Akwa Ibom and Ekiti states occupied third and fourth places, scoring 86 per cent, respectively.

    “Adamawa, Delta, Ebonyi and Gombe scored 70 per cent and graded 12th as Lagos and Benue States were rated 35th and 36th having got 41 per cent and 39 per cent in that order.

    “While there is a visible improvement in enacting audit legal framework in virtually 36 states except for Anambra and Benue states, implementation of these laws has been disappointingly slow in most states despite issuance of letters by many state governments instructing relevant agencies to commence implementation.”

    The PLSI director further outlined a few cross-cutting recommendations to improve public finance management practices at the subnational level, including the need for governors to enhance the implementation of new audit laws, especially the financial autonomy clause.

  • New FUT Babura VC seeks security chiefs’ protection against banditry, kidnapping

    New FUT Babura VC seeks security chiefs’ protection against banditry, kidnapping

    The vice chancellor of the newly established Federal University of Technology Babura in Jigawa State, Professor Sabo Ibrahim Birnin Kudu, said the university is set to commence operations with two faculties – faculty of engineering and faculty of sciences.

    In view of this, the vice chancellor solicited the support and assistance of the security chiefs in state on the growing threat to the activities of banditry and kidnapping in learning institutions in the region (northwest).

    The vice chancellor made the appeal when he led the management of the institution on a courtesy visit to the commissioner of police, Director of the Department of State Security Service and Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps in their respective offices.

    According to him, “Security is paramount in the development of the institution, particularly in view of the growing threat to the activities of banditry and kidnapping as well as other social vices”.

    Professor Sabo said the visit becomes imperative in order to establish a good and harmonious relationship between the university and the Police Command.

    The VC maintained that “Without peace, there could be no development; hence the desire to establish a good working relationship with the security outfits in the state.”

    The Police Commissioner, Alhaji Aliyu Saleh Tafida in his response, thanked the vice chancellor and his team for the visit and assured that the Police Command will do its best to provide a security cover for the new institution.

    Also the director of State Service, Dr. Nuhu Umar, said although Jigawa State is a peaceful state, they will not relax in efforts at ensuring that the university remains peaceful all through.

    The Vice Chancellor was accompanied by the Registrar of the University, Secretary of the Governing Council, Hajiya Fatima Binta Mohammed, the Bursar, Alhaji Ibrahim Alhassan and the University Librarian, Alhaji Abashe Abbas.

  • Masari: Buhari has laid strong foundation for poverty eradication in Nigeria

    Masari: Buhari has laid strong foundation for poverty eradication in Nigeria

    Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for having laid a strong foundation for the eradication of poverty in Nigeria, adding that since the amalgamation of the country in 1914, it has never had a better government and President like Buhari.

    Masari, who made the commendation on Saturday in Katsina at a rally by beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Social investment Programme (NSIP) in the state, said President Buhari has laid a significant foundation, which if properly utilised by the incoming administration, will guarantee the removal of several Nigerians from the poverty line.

    The rally was organised under the leadership of the Social Protection and Good Family Value Initiative (SPGFVI).

    Organisers of the rally also disclosed that their major aim was to prompt the Federal Government and the National Assembly to enact laws that would ensure the programme becomes a permanent one

    Masari said, “With this initiative, which no administration has ever thought of, the president needs more commendation and support to achieve the purpose of the programme.”

    “I wish to inform you that I am totally in support of this call for the president to continue to reduce the challenges Nigerians are currently facing”.

    “It is unfortunate for someone to wake up in the morning thinking of what to eat, how to go to hospital or take their children to school, but this programme has reduced such difficulties for people.

    “And if a law is enacted and it becomes permanent, no government will come and stop it, and Nigerians will continue to enjoy the programme and it will continue to reduce unemployment,”

    The governor further assured the beneficiaries of the programme that their message will get to President Buhari and the national assembly.

    The state’s coordinator of the SPGFVI, Mr. Mustapha Bara’u, had earlier disclosed that their main objective is to ensure the wellbeing of Nigerians, especially the youths, elderly, physically challenged people, women and pupils.

  • Three years after, Dankwambo returns to Gombe, says PDP remains only hope for the people

    Three years after, Dankwambo returns to Gombe, says PDP remains only hope for the people

    Three years after his exit from government, former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, yesterday, returned to Gombe with a promise to return the People’s Democratic Party PDP to power in the state.

    Received by a tumultuous crowd from Gombe Airport to the PDP Secretariat in Gombe, Dankwambo, who later addressed journalists in his house, said the people of the state have been harassed and intimidated to submission by the ruling All Progressive Congress APC government.

    “Generally, things are not easy; things are very difficult. People are timid, intimidated and afraid, but Gombe people are still hopeful and I want them to continue to maintain that hope.

    “I want to most especially thank the people who came out en mass to welcome me back to the state from Abuja at the airport. I did not invite anyone; I did not inform anybody that I was coming. I just want to come and pay homage to my people, extend condolences to some places and share goodwill and good spirit to the people of Gombe,” he said.

    The former governor, however, said he still cannot make a categorical statement on the situation of Gombe after his exit from government, adding that he needs to interact and familiarise with the people of Gombe before he can make a pronouncement on the situation of the state.

    “How is Gombe and what was the difference in the last three years? In the next few days, I will get to understand how Gombe is. What is the impact in the last three years – whether there was progress in terms of human progress, improvement in poverty, general well being, security and other indicators? Before I go, when you come around like this, I will tell you the difference,” he said.

    On his future political ambition, Dankwambo said at the moment, he has not been invited to come and contest for anything, even though he was a presidential aspirant before.

    According to him; “I came out before. My aspiration was to become president in 2019. If they still want me to go and purchase form, then I will go and get it. I will consult with everyone, including you journalists. If you still want me to go and get form, I can still get it between now and Friday, but I must tell you that I am prepared to make sacrifice.”