Category: Northern Reports

Majority of Nigerians want a competent, God-fearing and kind-hearted president who will tackle current challenges facing the nation, a poll by the Africa Polling Institute (API) has revealed.

The respondents also demanded for a credible election, where their votes will count, and they can cast those votes without fear or intimidation.

According to the organisation, a poll conducted in 2021 indicated some qualities that Nigerians expect in the next leader of the country, but basically they demanded for a credible and acceptable electoral process in which political leaders would emerge.

Executive Director, Africa Polling Institute (API), Prof Bell Ihua, stated these while unveiling the poll result on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said: “Incidentally, I ran a poll along this line last year and there are some qualities that Nigerians would be looking for in the next leader of the country. To start with, Nigerians want a credible election, where their votes will count, and they can cast those votes without fear or intimidation.

“Nigerians want a credible and competent leader, who is God-fearing, kind hearted, and can tackle insecurity head-on. These were the top qualities I can remember. In other words, Nigerians are looking for a leader who knows that we can be much better than we are today as a country, and is willing to work with his or her team to lay the vision to make this country great again; one that every citizen would be proud of and glad to contribute their quota to her development.”

Speaking on religion and ethnicity, he said, “Religion and ethnicity have become intertwined into our politics.”

He however said this is no cause for despair, “as credible and competent candidates can be found from across the major religious affiliations and ethnic groupings in the country.”

Four students of the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia) have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen, the vice Chancellor, Prof Shehu Abubakar Rahman, has said.

According to a press statement signed by the head of Information and Public Relations unit of the University, Abubakar Ibrahim and made available to our correspondent yesterday in Lafia, the event took place on 13th January 2022 at about 11:30pm.

The statement said the kidnapped incident took place at Mararaba, a community located close to the university.

Prof Rahman reaffirms that kidnapping of students constitutes one of the most serious threats to education in Nasarawa State in particular and Nigeria in general.

The VC expressed his deep sympathy to the families of the abducted students, assuring them that serious efforts are being taken to ensure their quick rescue.

He said he has since visited the area where the students were kidnapped and has personally reported the matter to the commissioner of police in the state.

The University don said he has also contacted other security agencies and appealed to them to work tirelessly for the safe and quick return of the students

He urged students of the University to pay more attention to security related matters, remain calm and go about their normal activities at the campuses of the University, as additional measures have been put in place to guarantee adequate safety of lives and properties within and outside the campuses.

The Federal Government on Friday flagged off the training of 6,475 youths on repair of smartphones.

The government explained that 175 youths will be selected from each of the states of the federation, including the FCT for the training.

The training, which is under the government’s N-Skill programme, is aimed at bridging the gap in demand for standard and market-relevant skills.

Speaking at the flag-off of the master trainers of the N-Skills programme in Abuja, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, said the training targets marginalised and disadvantaged populations, including those with primary or no-formal education.

The minister also revealed that the government earmarks about $1billion annually for the NSIP to impact the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in the country.

On why the ministry chose phone repairs, Farouq who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Bashir Alkali said: “The Smartphone repair is used to pilot the N-Skills programme. It is consistent with the national aspiration of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

“The programme is designed to kit unemployed youths and develop their competencies to become gainfully employed.

“This training targets master trainers that would coordinate the training of 6,475 youths selected from the 36 States and FCT.”

Highlighting the roles of the master trainers, the minister said: “The programme aims to improve the quality and relevance of skills delivered, using a certification system and to ease the transition of target beneficiaries to full-time skilled employment, self-employment and further their education.

“They are expected to meet and coordinate the training of 175 youths from each of the 36 States and FCT to meet the minimum technical and business requirements for certification by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and enhance their entrepreneurial competencies to successfully start and manage smartphone repairs and servicing businesses.”

The federal government said upon completion of the training, the target beneficiaries would be provided with a start-up kit.

The Nasarawa State Government has partnered ABS Blueprint Consortium Limited, an indigenous private company and other private firms in Nigeria to establish Nasarawa Technology Village Aso Pada in Karu Local Government Area of the state at the cost of N30 billion.

During the groundbreaking ceremony of the project yesterday, Governor Abdullahi Sule said the vision of his administration is to go into partnership with private companies to develop the state.

He said the project will not cost the state government any money. Rather, the development partners will invest their money to develop the projects from the foundation to the completion as the government only provided land for the projects.

He thanked the development partners for accepting to invest in the state, even as he promised to provide an enabling environment for more of such private partnerships. He added that the projects will take a lot of youths off the streets.

The Managing Director of ABS, Mohammed Yamusa assured that the first phase of the project will be completed within one year at the cost of 30 billion.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on Thursday withheld its scheduled ruling on an application filed by the faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, seeking to set aside the court’s earlier judgment.

Justice Hamza Muazu, upon being informed that the court’s November 30, 2021, has been appealed and records compiled and transmitted, also declined to hear the Ganduje faction’s pending application for stay of execution of the judgment.

Owing to the crisis in the APC in Kano state, the faction loyal to Ganduje and another loyal to ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau had on October 18, 2021, conducted parallel congresses in the state.

The party’s national headquarters later endorsed the one conducted by the Ganduje faction, a decision that was challenged before the FCT High Court.

In its judgment on November 30, 2021, the court held in favour of the Shekarau faction, following which the Ganduje faction filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

The faction also filed two applications at the FCT High Court; one asking the court to set aside the November 30 judgment, and the other praying the court to stay the execution of the judgment.

At the last adjourned date, the court the first application and scheduled ruling for January 13, 2022, when it also planned to hear the second application.

But, at the mention of the case yesterday, lawyers to parties drew the attention of the judge to the fact that an appeal was pending against the November 30 judgment and that the appellant has compiled and transmitted records of appeal to the appellate court.

Ruling, Justice Muazu noted that in view of the fact that the records of appeal have been transmitted to the Court of Appeal, he no longer has jurisdiction to take further steps in the case.

The judge said he could no longer deliver the scheduled ruling and also lacked the jurisdiction to hear the second pending application for stay of execution.

Justice Muazu proceeded to strike out both applications.

The member representing Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives Ari Abdulmumuni has called on the people of Nasarawa State to re-elect Governor Abdullahi Sule for a second term in 2023.

Abdulmumuni, who stated this yesterday in a chat with reporters in Lafia, the state capital, explained that the governor has constructed township and rural roads that have been able to connect rural communities for farmers to bring their farm produce to the urban markets as well as securing the lives of the citizens, particularly Nasarawa and Toto local government areas.

He commended the governor for executing viable projects that have a direct bearing on the lives of the people.

The lawmaker also said the governor has brought investors to the state to tap the huge mineral deposits in the state and called on the people of the state to re-elect the governor for another four-year term to enable him complete projects that are yet to be completed.

The lawmaker also extolled the leadership qualities of President Muhammadu Buhari for his genuine love for Nigerians as shown through his policies such as the school feeding programme, market money and trader money which has positively impacted the masses.

The Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (BASUBEB) said it has enrolled 154,000 out-of-school children into basic and post-basic schools in the past year.

Malam Muhammad Abdullahi, spokesperson of the board disclosed this in a chat with reporters yesterday in Bauchi.

Abdullahi said the pupils were enrolled in schools to enable them to acquire mandatory basic quality education for a brighter future.

He said the children were enrolled in 940 learning centres while 2,168 facilitators had been engaged on temporary appointments to manage the centres.

The spokesman said teaching and learning activities in the centres were based on the World Bank-supported programme “Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA).”

According to him, the board is targeting 250,000 out-of-school children for proper placement in schools this year.

“The centres were established in rural communities across the 20 local government areas of the state.

“The board constructed 24 new schools last year, and settled 18 land disputes among the schools and host communities,” he said.

Abdullahi said the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) had established a second-chance model primary school for married women in the Bauchi metropolis.

“We did this to carry along such women by affording them a second chance to acquire basic education and promote literacy,” he said.

According to statistics of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi State has a projected population of 1.2 million out-of-school children.