Category: Northern Reports

As a result of the attack on residents and traders at the weekly market in Goronyo Local Government Area by suspected bandits on Sunday, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad 111, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, security chiefs in the state and critical stakeholders yesterday visited the scene of the incident.

The attack claimed over 43 lives and left scores injured.

The high-powered visitation which also comprised the entire members of the state executive council prompted the governor’s touching condolence remarks to the people. “We are touched and grieved by the bandits’ attacks on Goronyo,” he said.

According to Tambuwal, that attack on the market has deeply touched the entire people of Sokoto State, stressing that “we grieve the loss of the departed souls.

He stressed that all the measures put in place thus far to checkmate insecurity will continue to subsist.

Tambuwal confirmed that the Chief of Army Staff, General Farouk Yahaya had, on Monday, visited the state and took time to also visit Isa and Goronyo local government areas in the eastern flank of the state.

In a related development, Senator Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto North) has condemned the killing of 43 people at the Goronyo Market in Sokoto State by bandits on Sunday.

Bashar Abubakar, Special Assistant on Media to the Senator said in a statement in Abuja yesterday that the lawmaker described the attack as barbaric and inhuman.

Wamakko, a former Governor of Sokoto State, also said no religion allows the wanton killing of innocent souls.

He prayed to the Almighty Allah to forgive the departed souls and expose those behind the killings.

Also yesterday, the Northern Youth Assembly of Nigeria (NYAN) has called for proactive military action against bandits across the country.

Speaker of the Assembly, Malam Ibrahim Lawal, made the call in a statement in Abuja.

He condemned the recent killing of people and destruction of property by bandits at the Goronyo Central Market in Sokoto State.

Lawal described the attack as barbaric and unacceptable, considering the number of lives lost in the incident.

“NYAN condemns the killing for whatever reason as this cannot solve or address the perceived problems of the attackers,” he said.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has advised Nigerian women to be security conscious in their various places of work as well as within their immediate environment.

SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, who gave the advice in Abuja shortly after the conclusion of the 2021 National Women Conference. He expressed his displeasure over rising insecurity in the country, adding that women and children are vulnerable to various attacks.

Read Also; PANDEF, Igbo leaders raise the alarm over insecurity in Southeast

He said: “We also talked to them (women) about the need to be security conscious. You know that insecurity in Nigeria has become the ringing tone, and women and children are the most vulnerable.”

The labour leader also advised women to strive and acquire the latest education about their health and that of their family, noting that they cannot continue to remain at the back seat or on the bench.

The National Women Leader, Agnes Adanna reiterated that the conference was a platform for women to interact and be enlightened, educated, informed and equipped to perform better in the union and society.

A coalition of Women in Politics has begun campaigning for women to register and collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC) ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The Coordinator, Young Women in Politics Benue State, Member Adegwe said for women to have a chance of better participation in governance, more women need to register to enable them to vote in women.

Adegwe stated this during an interview with reporters in Abuja at the training programme, experience sharing and inauguration of the network of women in politics.

The United Nations (UN) has insisted on a 50/50 representation of women in elective positions in the 2023 General elections.

The UN, which expressed concern over the poor representation of Nigerian women in power said Nigeria has remained among the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa and the world.

Programme analyst UN Women, Angela Muruli said for the giant of Africa, it is quite worrying that half the population are notably represented by people who look like them in places of power.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at the weekend held a Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum to extensively interact with licensees and foster a harmonious relationship with them, identify their challenges and provide feedback on fulfilment of their license obligations.

The two-day meeting entitled “Talk to the Regulator,” which was held at Bristol Hotel, Kano, featured questions and answers from the participants, re-emphasising the role of licensees in ensuring good Quality of Service (QoS).

NCC’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the NCC considers stakeholder feedback as a critical component of the commission’s forward-looking regulatory model.

Danbatta said the commission will address the poor network at Kantin Kwari, Sabon Gari, Singer and Kurmi markets of the Kano metropolitan area.

“The commission will deploy an investigative team to determine the nature of the problem and proffer a solution. We have the capacity to monitor the performance of MNOs, which is very important. And because of this valid observation by our stakeholder, we will direct our searchlight in the affected areas where we think the quality of service needs to improve,” he said.

He also disclosed that the NCC is finalising the Information Memorandum (IM) for 5G deployment, emerging trends like the Internet of Things (loT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Over The Top (OTT) Services and Big Data Analytics, all aimed at initiating strategies to improve service delivery that is accessible and affordable.

Read Also: NCC: we’re 97% ready for 5G deployment

On the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum, he said: “The objective of this forum is to get direct feedback from our licensees on how we, as a regulator, are meeting your expectations, and on areas where we can improve our regulatory service, particularly those that have to do with licensing.

“We also intend to use this forum to seek support for the several initiatives that the commission has carefully developed in our quest to enhance market opportunities for all our licensees,” Prof Danbatta said.

He added: “For the next five years, we will focus our energies on five strategic pillars, including organisational renewal for operational efficiency and regulatory excellence, facilitate the provision of infrastructure for a digital economy which fosters national development and improve quality of service (QoS) for enhanced Consumer Quality of Experience (QoE).

“We shall also promote fair competition, inclusive growth, increased investment and innovative services and as well facilitate strategic collaboration and partnership.”

He disclosed that the Federal Government has articulated a number of critical policy objectives tor the sector such as those articulated in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), the Revised National Digital Identity Policy for SIM Registration, among others.

He added that the instruments require the full and unalloyed commitment of all stakeholders to ensure their successful implementation, and the meeting in Kano would provide a veritable channel for licensees’ buy-in.

Citizens Common has said it would soon commence consultation with young people in 22 cities on how to fix Nigeria.

The organisation said it was concerned about the way the country works.

Executive Director of Citizen Commons, Olalekan Oshunkoya said this in an interview during a youth conversation for a new Nigeria in Abuja.

“One of the biggest problems of this country is that we are not intentional about leadership. We just do whatever we can do as quickly as we can.

Read Also; Youths urged to take up leadership position in 2023

“It is important we fix this country and in fixing this country we want to ask the critical questions that most of our fathers, community leaders, politicians are avoiding.

“Can we begin to ask ourselves those questions and we are going to visit 22 cities asking these questions and we are going to come out with a document,” he said.

Oshunkoya said a document from the consultation on how to fix Nigeria would be put together and submitted to the government for action.

“We are going to put all the ideas together on how to make Nigeria better. We will come up with a document at the end of the year and launch it.”

“We will make government commit to the ideas we have gathered from young people on how to move the country forward,” he said.