Category: Northern Reports

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, yesterday led a delegation of indigenes to the palace of the Kanuri paramount ruler, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi as a mark of honour for clocking 13 years on the throne.

Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin Elkanemi ascended the throne in   March 2009.

Zuum, who described the paramount ruler as a modest and humble ruler, called on the people to celebrate him for his resilience in the face of the insecurity in the state since his ascension to the throne.

The governor’s spokesman Malam Isa Gusau quoted the governor as saying that the Shehu is under-celebrated unlike his contemporaries in other parts of the country.

The statement reads: “It is with so much pride and a cherished honour, that I, on behalf of the government and the people of Borno State, celebrate our royal father, His Eminence the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin Elkanemi, CFR, on his 13th resilient year on the exalted throne of the Borno Emirate, since he ascended the throne in March 2009.

“I have observed over time, that the Shehu’s anniversary has largely been less celebrated in comparison with other traditional institutions nationwide. This, to my mind, is because of Shehu’s modesty and humility.

“The Shehu ought to be celebrated much more because unlike us holding public offices on a temporary basis of few years, the Shehu’s office is the permanent symbol of Borno and that symbol should be our pride as sons and daughters of Borno.

“Individually and institutionally, we, on annual basis, place goodwill messages in the media, to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries of other eminent personalities.”

The relationship between Nigeria and Qatar has been strengthened as Qatar Airways made its debut flight in Kano State.

The launch marked the beginning of four-weekly services to Kano from Doha, the Qatari capital, through Abuja, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The Airways’ state-of-the-art aircraft Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down at the new terminal of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport to a water-cannon salute at 11:16 a.m. Nigerian time. The aircraft has 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy, it was learnt.

The inaugural flight was piloted by the Qatari Captain, Mohammed Abdulla, and Nigerian first officer, Mrs Adeola Olamide Ogunmola, from Gwagwalada, as a symbol of the close ties between the two countries.

Abuja, we also began operating three-weekly flights to Port Harcourt from yesterday. This will bring the number of services it operates between Africa and Doha to 188 weekly flights, serving 28 destinations across the African Continent.

On the incentives, Preez said Qatar Airways will apply a “flexible booking policy” that offers unlimited changes to travel dates and destinations as well as fee-free refunds for all tickets issued for travel completed by May 31

“Passengers flying to and from Kano will also benefit from Qatar Airways’ new baggage allowances, which provide for up to 46kg in Economy class split over two pieces, and 64kg, split over two pieces, in Business Class,” he said, promising safety, security, standard and customer satisfaction.

The Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika, said the new fights provide important travel and trade links between Nigeria and the world.

“As the largest economy in Africa, this enhanced global connectivity, through the new Qatar Airways service, will provide a vital network to move goods and people, as we recover from challenges of the pandemic and prioritise growth. Kano and Port Harcourt are important to this recovery.

“This new service also reinforces the close ties between Nigeria and Qatar, and it paves the way to explore new untapped opportunities,” the minister said.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar Yakubu Abdullahi Ahmed said he was happy that Qatar heeded to his request by expanding its airways to Kano, which is one of the most populous states in Nigeria and the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria.

“This will give me more opportunities for interaction and in carrying out my diplomatic assignment in Qatar,” he added.

Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero said the launch of the Kano-Doha air services was a trace to history, as he recalled that the first aircraft into Nigeria landed in the Kano airport which was built in 1922, became operational in 1936 and was inaugurated in 1942.

The Emir said Qatar Airways will connect the country, through Kano, to the outside world and boost economic investment.

A Coalition of Northern Group (CNG) and Students’ Support Group based in Katsina State, have threatened to embark on a nationwide mass action and other civil unrests if the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) fail to resolve the impasse over the implementation of the 2009 agreements and the lingering ASUU strike.

The CNG National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, who made the above declaration while addressing the reporters yesterday in Katsina, said the Students’ wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) is concerned that the four-week warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, is already in its third week, with no hope for a resolution in sight while universities remain shut.

He said: “We are concerned at the frequency of the disruption of the Nigerian education system that keeps frustrating the ambitions and aspirations of the youth to acquire knowledge.

“Sadly, the strike is the second industrial action embarked on by ASUU in less than two years, and the 16th since the inception of the fourth republic democracy in 1999.

“Regrettably, in spite, all these disruptive actions, the country’s university system, the innocent students and their parents are in all cases made the victims.”

The Coalition further expressed concern that the number of ASUU strike-related closures in the past 23 years, affected most undergraduates that would have earned degrees in otherwise uninterrupted academic settings.

While commending the effort of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in drawing the attention of stakeholders to the implications of ASUU industrial actions, the NGO condemned the walkout on NANS by the Minister of Education during their last meeting.

He said: “We condemn the failure of stakeholders to summon the courage to speak out and stand with us in these trying times.

“Failure of the government to resolve the matter within the stipulated time, the CNG Students’ Wing will join hands with NANS in ensuring total shut down of the country.

“When people who were elected into office are indifferent or afraid to stand up for what is right and just, then the situation is hopeless.”

The lawmaker representing Borno South at the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, has called for total profiling of all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Ndume said this while witnessing the demolition exercise of over 200 shanties and illegal structures by officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

He said: “We are all Nigerians; we must obey rules and regulations. There is nothing wrong in demolishing structures serving as security threat to offices belonging to senior government officials. Therefore, all of you that are IDPs write down your names for proper documentation.”

The FCTA had, last month, issued a demolition notice to owners of the structures with a reminder on March 1 to leave the place.

In a chat with reporters after the exercise yesterday, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Comrade Ikharo Attah lamented the rate at which shanties sprout in the area, describing it as worrisome and needed serious cleanup.

He regretted that the secretariat that houses the Ministers of Interior, Trade and Investment had been taken over by the illegal structures, which constituted security threat to the country’s capital.

Attah further explained that the demolition exercise followed a series of complaints received about the area from security agencies and strategic people, recently.

He said: “It is a bit worrisome. We have been receiving a series of complaints from security agencies and strategic people. So, as part of our efforts to rid the federal capital of shanties, we had to start the pulling down of the illegal structures.

“The FCT Administration will not allow shanties to take over ministers of Interior and that of Trade and Investment with other key ministries.

“It would have been done since last year but because of the wet season, we had to leave it till now. Even now, it’s not easy but we have to do it. We warned them “time without number to vacate the place.”

On claims by owners of the illegal structures that they were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Borno State, Attah said the IDPs were few in number at the fringes of the Dunamis Church and near the main road.

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Shuaibu has urged serving youth corps members across the country to shun abuse of social media that will promote threats to national peace. He also advised them to remain security conscious.

The Director-General, who gave the advice during the swearing-in ceremony of 2022 Batch “A” stream 1 Corps members in Katsina State, further described the NYSC Scheme as an avenue that unites Nigerians.

He also assured Nigerians that the NYSC will continue to support, encourage and motivate youths to engage in leadership coaching, para-military training and use of the scheme’s skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development programmes.

He said: “The advantages derived from the SAED programme include; engaging Corps members in various training, self-employment, reduction of the national rate of redundancy among serving Corps and to ensure they enjoy businesses and loans from various agencies, among others.

“The Federal Government should also reconsider the provision of the necessary means such as NYSC Trust Fund for the actualisation of funds to improve the scheme’s activities.”

Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, in a speech at the occasion, enjoined the Corps members to exhibit a sense of belonging to one another while in camp and in their respective places of primary assignments.

Masari, who was represented by the State NYSC Coordinator, Alhaji Ahidjo Yahaya, encouraged the Corps members to use social media wisely and be cautious of what they see or read before sharing it.

He said: “The orientation course is one of the cardinal programmes of the NYSC. We, therefore, commend the state NYSC Coordinator  and other collaborating agencies, including the security and traditional leaders.”

The Minister of State for Environment Sharon Ikeazor, has said Nigeria has developed an Energy Transition Plan as a pathway to achieve net-zero by 2060.

This, she said, is also in addition to the enactment of a climate change law in November, last year which provides a legal framework for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The minister said this at the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi Kenya, with the theme: “Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals.”

She also stated that Nigeria has adopted various strategic approaches which include the development and implementation of the National Forest Policy.

Ikeazor also said this is aimed at promoting sustainable forest management practices; national policies on plastic waste management; and solid waste management which supports and promote a circular economy, drought and desertification policy to actualise land degradation neutrality and increase community resilience, among others.

She reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to global environmental sustainability and achievement of the country’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) with 20 per cent emissions reduction unconditionally and 47 per cent emission reduction conditionally by 2030.

The minister also had an engagement with the Swedish Minister of Environment on the preparation and areas of collaboration for the upcoming Stockholm +50 to commemorate 50 years since the first UN Conference on Human Environment was held in 1972 in Stockholm, Sweden.

She noted that Nigeria has signed and ratified all the chemicals and waste-related treaties, and is currently strengthening her legal and institutional infrastructures for the sound management of chemicals and waste.

Determined to ensure the protection of suspects in police custody, the Partner West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), in collaboration with MacArthur Foundation, has established legal practitioners’ desks at some police stations in Jigawa State.

The Jigawa State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu said this in his speech at a one-day training of Police Duty Solicitor Scheme (PDSS) for lawyers held at the Ministry of Justice’s Conference Hall in Dutse, the state capital.

The commissioner explained that the legal practitioners will work under the Legal Aid Council, under which lawyers will be in the police stations observing how suspects have been treated in taking their statements and detained.

Aliyu added that the aim was to ensure fairness and transparency in investigation and suspects’ questioning in accordance with the human rights provisions.

He noted that the lawyer would give legal assistance to suspects and even to the police if the need arises, adding that “the legal practitioners and police can intervene and reconcile parties in some civil cases.

“The new development would reduce the long process it takes for cases to be heard and curb unnecessary delay of the case in the police stations. “This automatically will reduce conjunction of suspects in the police cells and canters,” he emphasised.

The Partner West Africa Nigeria representative Hajiya Aisha said the two organisations organised the one-day training to 12 legal practitioners both public and private, police solicitors in 10 selected police stations on the new project.

Hajiya Aisha explained that “the new programme would be in Abuja, Jigawa and Kano states.”

She further said: “This programme is in line with the provision of Force Order No 20 (as amended), that allows lawyers to go to any police station to observe and contribute in protecting suspects’ rights.

“The aim and objectives of this training is for capacity building of police in investigation and prosecution of suspects.

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje yesterday appointed Aliko Dangote, his uncle, Aminu Dantata, and Abdulsamad Rabi’u as members of the state Zakkat and Hubsi Commission.

Zakkat refers to the obligation that a Muslim has to donate a certain proportion of wealth each year to charitable causes.

The information was gleaned from a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba.

Other members are Dr AbdulMutallab Ahmed as Commissioner I, Dr Lawi Sheikh Atiq Commissioner II of the Commission.

The development is the sequel to the approval of the Kano State Executive Council that reconstituted the Board of Kano Zakkat and Hubsi Commission with Dr Ibrahim Mu’azzam Maibushira as Executive Chairman.

Other members include representatives of the five Emirate Councils in the state, representatives of the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Religious Affairs, as well as Kurmi, Rimi, Kwari and Singer Markets, respectively.

The commissioner also announced that the council has approved the establishment of the Committee for Screening of International Islamic Organisations.

Prof. Sani Zaharaddeen, the Chief Imam of Kano, would serve as Chairman, Dr Muhammad Adamu, Commissioner for Religious Affairs, /Co-Chairman and Auwalu Yakasai as Secretary.