Category: Northern Reports

Northern Youths under the auspices of Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) have passed a vote of confidence on the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, saying that the anti-graft agency under him has secured 2,220 convictions in the past year.

The Northern Youths, at a briefing at Arewa House, Kaduna yesterday said the EFCC under Bawa recovered a total sum of $386.22 million, equivalent to N152.088 billion within the period under review.

They, however, expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s war against corruption was in the path of reclaiming Nigeria’s image among the committee of nations, as the Bawa-led EFCC’s achievements supersede those of 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 put together.

Addressing reporters, Publicity Secretary of AYA, Aliyu Sanni who was flanked by other officials of the Assembly said a lot has changed in the country within the shortest period of Mr Bawa’s watch as the Chairman of EFCC, saying that “looters are forced to surrender as they have no place to run to. The anti-corruption fight has taken a new dimension which is already bringing back the sincerity and honesty of this giant of Africa before the world.

“With his energy as a youth and his vast experience, Mr Bawa has continued to ensure rapid, yet careful investigations, prosecution of defaulters in economic and financial crimes.

“Some of the outstanding achievements of the 40-year-old within 12 months include recovery of a huge sum N152,088,698,751.64, $386,220,202.84, £1, 182,519.75, €156,246.76, 1,723,310 Saudi Riyal, 1,900 South African Rand, and 1, 400 Canadian Dollar and a digital currency component with 5, 36957319 Bitcoin and 0.09012 ethereum.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has inaugurated an 11-member high-level Advisory Committee on Governance and Development.

At the inauguration ceremony in Maiduguri yesterday, Zulum said the development marked the fulfilment of his administration’s commitment and dedication to good governance, transparency and rule of law in the state, which he promised the people to uphold and entrench.

Zulum said the committee, which has experienced hands and technocrats as members, is expected to advise on governance and development that would fast-track the renaissance and development of the state.

“When we launched the Borno 25-year Development Framework and 10-year Strategic Transformation Plan, I promised that Borno State shall be a place where no one is left behind.

“The committee would ensure we get the best advice on how to use our available resources to improve the lives of our people as contained in our development plan and transformation agenda.

“This will entail coordinating the process of governance and development of our state and advising me and others on the best practices in programme implementation, across a diverse range of actions and platforms.

“I have already urged all functionaries in the state to avail themselves of the new dispensation that we introduced, to prove their commitment to make Borno State the best-governed state in the country,” Zulum said.

While praising the gradual return of peace to Borno, Zulum urged stakeholders to actively contribute their quota, including the media, which, he said, needed to report the positive developments taking place in all sectors, including the ones recorded by the military.

The Chairman of the committee Ambassador Usman Sarki, who spoke on behalf of others, praised the zeal shown by Zulum’s administration to transform the state since inception in 2019, and assured of the committee’s commitment to delivering with a similar zeal.

Sarki, who spoke on the gradual return of peace and normalcy to Borno, expressed confidence in the Zulum administration’s determination to address the existing challenges in the areas of reconstruction, peacebuilding and economic recovery with the support of all stakeholders.

“The state is firmly on course towards full recovery and recapturing its lost years and opportunities.

“It is, therefore, appropriate and timely that an independent non-partisan and dedicated body is created to offer appropriate advice to his excellency on how best to achieve results in your determination to transform Borno and make it a first-class state in Nigeria,” Sarki said.

While noting the critical role of the civil service in formulating and implementing policies and programmes in line with the governor’s vision of transforming the state, Sarki said the committee would provide the needed advice for an enhanced and quality civil service.

“The effective implementation of the 25-year development framework and 10-year strategic transformation plan for Borno as the crucial blueprint for the state’s development and transformation cannot be realised without an efficient, committed and dedicated professional civil service.

“The civil service is indispensable towards achieving the administration’s transformation agenda without whose commitment the implementation would be impossible.

“The advisory committee would, therefore, provide the necessary advice towards enhancing the capacity of the civil service as the vehicle of the transformation in the state,” Sarki said.

Members of the committee, which has Alhaji Muhammad Badiya as Secretary, include Alhaji Muhammad Mustafa, Hajja Kaka Suleiman, Alhaji Musa Kida, Prof. Isa Marte, Mr Joerg Kuehnel, Prof. Ali Mbursa, Prof. Iqbal Asaria, Alhaji Bukar Tijjani and Dr Mairo Mandara.

Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni on Friday launched a revived free school feeding programme in the state.

The new school feeding in the state will have on its menu chicken and eggs which will be served to the students unlike the pieces of beef used in the past.

The governor also launched the distribution of 100,000 textbooks and laboratory equipment to all public schools in the state.

Performing the ceremony at the Federal Government Girls’ College Damaturu, Buni said: “Improved school feeding programme with chicken and egg will be introduced to the menu of public boarding schools across the state.”

According to the governor, the procurement and distribution of textbooks to the schools was to support the government’s drive to revitalise basic education to provide a strong foundation for the development of education in Yobe State.

Governor Buni said: “I am excited that we can at present proudly tell our stories of success on the account of hard work and commitment of the state government following the declaration of State of Emergency on Education by this administration.”

He noted that the declaration of emergency has yielded impressive performance by students in national examinations.

The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Dr Muhammad Sani described the success recorded in the education sector as impressive.

Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari yesterday ordered the immediate reopening of all filling stations and cattle markets that were earlier closed down. The order was part of security containment measures that were earlier undertaken by the state government, to curtail cattle rustling and armed banditry in the state.

A statement by the Director of Press to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of the state, Abdullahi Yar’adua in Katsina said Governor Masari also instructed the two Emirate Councils in the state to advise district and village heads of the affected areas to be vigilant and ensure that no act of connivance by Sarakunan Fawa and others is allowed.

The statement also warned that the government would not hesitate to re-enact the closure whenever a resurgence of any dubious activity is reported in the state.

The Nation recalls that the affected petrol stations and markets were closed down as part of the Security Challenges Containment Order issued by the government to curtail the supply of fuel to bandits and the transactions on rustled animals in the state.

Recall also that the government had earlier announced similar order, lifting the restriction on telecommunications services operated earlier in some parts of the state.

Loyalists of ex-Zamfara State Governor Sani Yerima have stormed Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to mobilise support and donate campaign items towards his presidential bid in 2023.

Members of volunteer groups under the aegis of Yerima Support Organisation (YSO), and its officials from all over Nigeria were present at the event.

Branded vehicles, personalised mobile phones and other items were donated towards the project.

Leaders of the group told reporters that the items would be used to campaign for Yerima.

They said their decision to call on Yerima to contest for president was based on their satisfaction with his achievements as a governor and as a senator.

Yerima’s personal assistant Oluyemi Olusina said the time for the launch of the campaign materials and registration of volunteers was not a direct response to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid announcement earlier this week.

He said Ibadan’s strategic position in the politics of the Southwest informed the choice of the city.

He said: “Coming to Ibadan has nothing to do with Tinubu’s ambition. Yerima was a presidential aspirant in 2007 before he stepped down for Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). More of this event will be held across the country from now.”

Olusina said there was a website created by YSO, which had a list of more than 10 million Nigerians.

He added that the large population of volunteers prompted the group’s call on Yerima to contest.

“Yerima is aware of the actions of the group, although he is still consulting people across Nigeria.

“We have over 10 million people under those groups in YSO 2023. This is a huge figure collated over the years. Today, we launch our volunteers and support for the presidential ambition of Yerima. The volunteers will operate under YSO, an umbrella organisation, which houses other volunteer groups that support Yerima’s 2023 presidential ambition,” Olusina said.

YSO Coordinator Aminu Bature said that Yerima was being urged to contest because the country had reached a stage where a committed leader, who did not discriminate against any race, was needed to lead the country.

The Federal Government has collaborated with the United States counter trafficking center to fight cyber-crimes within and outside the country.

The collaboration made by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) is against human traffickers and other organised criminal gangs operating with the aid of cyber-technology.

The agreement with the United States counter-trafficking center, which is the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children is to enhance tracing and diligent investigation of all cases relating of child abuse and human trafficking.

Director General (DG) of NAPTIP, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, said with the development, the agency shall have unrestricted access to millions of information around the world that would help tackle online recruitment, trafficking and exploitation of victims.

Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of the agency, Stella Nezan, made this known in a statement.

She said the DG made the disclosure in Abuja while speaking on the 2022 counter-trafficking strategic approach of the agency aimed at ensuring protection of Nigerians from human trafficking and other forms of exploitation, online and offline.

Nezan stated, “Hard time awaits human traffickers and other organised criminal gangs operating with the aid of cyber-technology, as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has concluded collaboration with the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children to enhance tracing and diligent investigation of all cases relating to child abuse and human trafficking.

“It would be recalled that Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, has consistently maintained that the arrest and prosecution of high profile human traffickers operating both within and outside Nigeria remain one of her strategic priority, as this will serve as deterrent to others as well as reduce the level of impunity and ensure satisfactory justice delivery to victims of human trafficking.

“Investigation revealed that apart from millions of vulnerable and unaccompanied children that are being trafficked across the West Africa corridors and migration routes, many victims are held and blackmailed by traffickers in various destinations with the use of technology to shield their identities and also ensure firm and effective control measure on their victims.

“The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children is the custodian of the Cybertipline, which is a centralised reporting mechanism for crimes related to the sexual exploitation of children. The Cybertipline provides an online mechanism for members of the public and electronic service providers to report incidents of suspected child sexual exploitation.

“Based in the United States of America, Cybertipline serves as the National Resource Centre and clearing house on missing and sexually exploited Children.”