Category: Northern Reports

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has congratulated the Attah-designate of Igala, Matthew Ogwuche Akpa II, on his ascension to the throne, saying it is the will of God.

Bello disclosed this when he officially received the royal father at the Government House, Lokoja, for the first time yesterday.

The governor said his position is pivotal in the successes recorded in the state in the areas of security, unity and good governance.

He prayed God to bequeath a system where his successors would be guided by the traditional institution on matters of dignity.

Bello directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to fix a suitable date for the official coronation ceremony and presentation of Staff of Office to the new Attah.

Matthew Ogwuche Akpa II, the Attah-designate of Igala, thanked the governor for his support and fairness throughout the selection process.

He pledged his commitment and co-operation to the peace and unity of the Igala Kingdom and the state throughout his reign.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Salami Deedat, praised the hitch-free selection process which threw up Ogwuche Akpa II, adding that the process was free of government’s interference.

In another development, the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has refuted claims that it has adopted Governor Bello as its presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

The religious body said it has never adopted any individual for any elective position in the history of elections, and neither will it do so.

Northern CAN said its duty to the country is to pray for peace and encourage members to participate in every constitutional process towards nation-building.

A statement yesterday by the Public Relations Officer, Northern CAN, Chaplain Jechonia Gilbert said: “Following the release of election timetable by INEC, we are here to make our contributions towards nation-building by directing our leaders from the three zones in the North to go back and mobilise their members to come out en masse to register so as to enable them to participate in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

Our duty to the Nigerian nation as a religious body is to pray for the peace of the nation and encourage our members to participate in every constitutional process towards nation-building.

“As an organisation with large followership and its members belonging to different political persuasions, it is unthinkable to assume that we have adopted a particular individual who is not even a flag bearer of any political party as our candidate for the 2023 presidential elections.

“We call on the public to disregard such reportage as it is never the thought or imagination of Northern CAN. There has never been any meeting of the leadership of Northern CAN where such a decision was ever taken.”

The religious body prayed for Nigerians to close ranks for the purpose of defeating the enemies of Nigerians, especially those: “killing in the name of religion, those kidnapping for ransom and those raping our women across the country. We must unite and stand together to stamp out this evil from our nation.”

The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (Yola Disco) has responded to picketing of its facilities by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) as a campaign of calumny and an act of economic sabotage to the company and the people of Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe state by illegally denying the citizens access to electricity.

The company insisted on Friday that the conditions that compelled its decision to right size have not been altered by the campaign of economic sabotage embarked upon by the unions.

In a statement by the Head of Corporate Communications of Yola Disco, Mr Olugbenga Adebola, and made available to reporters on Monday, the distribution company said it remained firmly committed to using all the resources it can generate to serve the interests of the people of Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe states who benefit from its services.

The statement said the issues at stake were being deliberately misconstrued by the labour unions, emphasising that it is open to continuing engagement with them as it continues to put a high premium on the interest and livelihoods of the majority of the people of the states benefitting from its services.

He said there was nothing clandestine about the ownership of the Yola Disco as claimed by the labour unions, explaining that Quest Nigeria Limited, owners of the Disco, bought over the company in a transparent process that was evolved by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), and all due diligence was done including on everything, for example, facility and members of staff.

YEDC will put emphasis on recruiting locally as well as providing the necessary training and personnel development to ensure that the company is repositioned towards the provision of quality service and power to its licensed area.

He reiterated that BPE carried out the staff verification before Quest took over the operations of the Disco and urged the unions to discontinue any further action which will further jeopardize the Federal Government’s efforts of rebuilding the Northeast.

The statement said Yola Disco (YEDC) was willing to engage in meaningful discussion with the unions with a view to amicably resolving the disagreement.

YEDC pledged best in class services which include improved payment systems, excellent customer service as well treatment of all its customers with respect.

It said the company shared the pain of all those affected by the picketing of its facilities by the unions and appealed to all residents to remain calm, as talks with relevant authorities were ongoing.

The Disco expressed appreciation to security formations who deployed personnel to the TCN 332kv/33Kv yard to be on standby to forestall another breach.

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has warned government officials against financial misconduct. This, he said, was to encourage accountability and good governance in the state.

Mohammed gave the warning at the inauguration of a three-day workshop on accountability and good governance for members of the State Executive Council (SEC), special advisers, permanent secretaries and chairmen of local councils yesterday in Bauchi.

The workshop was organised by the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Alhaji Ibrahim Kashim.

According to him, anyone caught in the act of financial misconduct will be dealt with.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Baba Tela, said his administration had pledged to rid corrupt tendencies in order to move the state forward.

“Let me remind participants in this workshop that our government has zero-tolerance for financial mismanagement and self-enrichment.

“Anyone caught in the act of financial misconduct will be dealt with in accordance with the laid down rules and regulations.

“As a government, we want a clean break from the past corrupt tendencies so that funds will be free to provide infrastructural facilities and social amenities to the people,” he said.

Mohammed said the workshop was aimed at improving the capacity of participants to operate the machinery of government towards meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the people.

Kashim said the workshop was a combination of the exercises conducted by Dugge Management Services Ltd., which led to the appointment of most of the participants, especially permanent secretaries having passed the tests and interviews.

He said the state government had transmitted a Pension Reform Bill to the House of Assembly, adding that the Bill would soon be passed to solve pension issues.

The Plateau State Government said it is ready to begin the building of the N18 billion flyovers. The project has been a subject of controversy between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). With barely 17 months remaining before the end of the tenure of Governor Simon Bako Lalong, critics have posited that Lalong is set to add the proposed flyover project to the litany of abandoned projects in the state.

To this end, the traffic diversions earlier announced by the Plateau State Ministry of Works have finally taken effect as the contractors moved to the site yesterday to block the required areas that will enable them to break ground.

A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communication Dan Manjang stated that at the site around 4:00 a.m. was the Commissioner for Works Pam Bot-Mang, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works Alexander Plangnaan the Site Engineer of the contracting firm Mr Charbell, to ensure that the exercise was carried out seamlessly.

The Commissioner for Works Pam Bot-Mang said the exercise was very crucial to the commencement of the project.

He reiterated his appeal to the citizens to co-operate with the situation and bear the inconveniences that will occur as a result of the diversions.

Bot-Mang said: “We are excited that the contractors are moving to the site to commence work. This is significant for the government and people of the state who have long yearned for relief to the gridlock at the British-American junction.

Bot-Mang also called on motorists to use the alternative routes earlier listed out and be patient because such pains will eventually give birth to the joy of the new infrastructure that will greatly impact the well-being of the people and the economy of the state.

The Site Engineer of the contracting firm Charbell appreciated the efforts of the government in sensitising the public towards the smooth take-off of the project, assuring them that the company will operate professionally and with the highest consideration for safety and caution.

According to the statement, motorists are advised to find alternative routes to their destinations some of which include the following: Tudun Wada Ring Road to Domkat Bali Road, Secretariat Junction through Plateau Hospital Road; Plateau Hospital Roundabout through D. B. Zang Way, Abattoir-Dogon Karfe through Plateau State Dental Hospital Road.

Also, Abattoir-Dogon Karfe Roundabout through Hopehill Hospital to Ministry of Lands and Survey-ECWA Headquarters Road, Rayfield to Lamingo Road, Gold and Base through Shiaka to Liberty Boulevard Road.

The same will apply for those leaving Jos Township to Bukuru and beyond.

The Kaduna State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs will today present the 2021 annual report on security in the state to Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai.

A statement issued yesterday by the Commissioner for Internal Security Samuel Aruwan said the ministry will also present the security report for the fourth quarter of 2021 at the event which will hold at the Council Chambers of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House.

Governor El-Rufai in 2019, established the Ministry of Internal Security to be created by a state government in Nigeria, and he appointed Samuel Aruwan as the pioneer Commissioner.

The Commissioner said his ministry has introduced openness in the reportage of security incidents with daily updates, quarterly reports and annual reports.

According to him, the reports “reflect a commitment to transparency and the strength of the relationship the ministry has built with security agencies that trust it to responsibly handle security data.

“The ministry has become a consistent source of information to the security agencies through its Operations Room which is open 24 hours to receive reports from citizens.

“The 2021 State Security Annual Report follows the 2020 annual report and the quarterly reports published during 2021. The reports provide a facts-based assessment of the security challenges the state confronts,” Aruwan said.

Director of Integrated Health Care Programmes Carter Centre Doctor Abel Eigege said they have provided treatment for 36.1 million chemotherapy patients for almost a quarter of the century in Plateau and Nasarawa states.

Eigege, who is supervising Plateau, Nasarawa and Ebonyi states revealed that the cater centre is working in nine states across Nigeria.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters as part of activities to mark the World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day.

He said: “Today is World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day. On the day that the world records the success of neglected tropical diseases even though the name is neglected tropical diseases is no more neglected.

“We have been grateful to God for Cater centre. We have been partners. They have been providing money for us. I have been working here for the past 26 years, almost a quarter of the century.

“We have eradicated Guinea Worm; we interacted on transmission in 2008 and Nigeria was certified in 2013. We started the anchor programme in 1992 and by 2017, we interrupted the transmission and we eliminated the transmission last year.”

The Director of Carter Centre also said currently they are managing about 926 Iymphoedema patients as the-epoch making event geared towards creating awareness and celebrating the success story of the centre.

The 21 local government areas in Kogi State have launched a medical outreach that will provide free medical services to people in the over 300 communities of the state.

The programme, according to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Salami Momodu Ozigi, was a response to the clarion call by Governor Yahaya Bello to the councils to make their autonomy count by delivering quality services at the grassroots.

Ozigi said the outreach touched the “hard to reach” places, creating an opportunity for the people to benefit from “the Government they elected.

“The councils were able to penetrate the hard to reach places across the state. Even places that are so difficult to reach as a result of their terrain were touched.”

The Commissioner commended the Chairmen of the councils for fulfilling their campaign promises and aligning with the Health care Policy of Bello’s administration.

In a chat with reporters, the Kogi State Auditor-General for Local Government, Alhaji Usman Ododo said the signing into Law of the Local Government Audit Bill has further strengthened accountability and probity at the third-tier of government in Kogi State.

His words: “Through the Local Government Audit Law, we have expressed our unalloyed commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency at the Local Government level.

The Team Lead of the Medical Consultancy Firm in charge of the outreach, Dr Anefu Okpotu Gabriel told newsmen that the outreach was a huge success.  “We were able to do a lot of medical interventions as well as supply medical consumables to the rural communities”, he said.