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Tag: Alhaji Aminu Masari

  • Katsina, repentant bandits begin implementation of dialogue agreements

    The Katsina State government and repentant bandits operating in the state  on Friday in Geza, Danmusa Local Govern Area of the state, commenced the implementation of the  agreements reached during the  dialogue initiated by Governor Aminu Bello Masari The Governor, who had earlier met  another group of bandits and their Fulani leaders at Danmusa and Safana LGAs, announced the immediate release  from detention of two arrested bandits as demanded by them.

    He also directed the Chairmen of the two Local Government areas to immediately set up a committee each made up of the Chairman of the transition Committee, district heads and representatives of the bandits and the  herdsmen to resolve  areas of conflicts.

    Read Also: Masari to bandits in Katsina: enough is enough

    The CTC Chairmen are   also expected to ensure that the  herdsmen are granted free access to the markets with adequate security protection and that they are allowed to market their cattle  The governor  warned that he would not hesitate to sanction any traditional ruler or transition committee chairman found fueling banditry, kidnappings and other nefarious activities in the state.

    He said the state had sustained its reputation as a state of harmony for years despite multiplicity of people and would not allow avoidable security challenges tarnish its reputation and that of the citizenry.

    He said it was worrisome that bandits had brought wanton destruction of lives and properties of the citizenry in the state, hence the need for stakeholders not to support the heinous acts of the miscreants.

  • Ayade, Lalong, Masari, others get INEC’s certificates of return

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday issued certificates of return to Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and his Cross River State counterpart, Ben Ayade as well as the governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu Masari.

    The three were among the sitting governors re-elected together with their deputies in the just concluded governorship and state house of assembly elections across the country.

    Kano State governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his deputy, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, are also billed to be issued their return certificates on Wednesday next week.

    Presenting certificates of return to Lalong, his deputy and 23 Plateau State House of Assembly members-elect in Jos yesterday, the INEC national commissioner supervising Abuja, Niger and Plateau State, Prof Antonia Okoosi-Simbine, encouraged Gov Lalong to ensure that he fulfilled his campaign promises to the people of the state who elected him.

    He also urged the lawmakers to initiate laws that would benefit the people.

    The commission applauded the Plateau State electorates for their peaceful conduct during the elections.

    She, however, urged all candidates and political parties who are not certified with the results of the elections to seek legal means to address their issues.

    Lalong, in an address, thanked the people of Plateau State for giving him a second term to serve the state as governor.

    Speaking on behalf of the elected leaders, Lalong assured that his administration would consolidate on the achievements, adding that every citizen would be carried along in the incoming administration.

    Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Plateau State, Mallam Hussaini Halilu Pai, had commended all the stakeholders for ensuring the success of the entire process.

    Presenting the certificates of return to the 23 House of Assembly members-elect, the state REC paid tributes to the late Ezekiel Afon, the member-elect who died shortly after he was pronounced winner of the Pengana state constituency elections.

    “It is unfortunate that one of you, Mr. Ezekiel Afon, could not make it because he died shortly after he was declared as the winner of the Pengana state assembly constituency election. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.

    Addressing Governor Ayade, his deputy, Prof Ivara Esu, and the 25 members-elect of the state House of Assembly who also received their certificates of return in Calabar yesterday, the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmud Yakubu, represented by the National Commissioner in charge of Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Delta states, Dr. Mustapha Mohammed, said the presentation of the certificates was in compliance with the law that established the commission.

    The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Frankland Briyai, attributed the success of the election in the state to the contributions of all relevant stakeholders.

    Speaking afterwards, Ayade extended the olive branch to the opposition in the state, saying, “Let us put an end to enmity. Whether you are in PDP, APC, or SDP, we are all Cross Riverians.”

    He said in spite of the meagre resources the state gets, he would continue to improve the welfare of the people of the state and sustain the industrialization drive he began in his first term.

    “I will do much more in my second term. We must show what is called governance,” he said.

    Speaking at the award of certificates of return to Masari and 34 newly elected members of the Katsina State House of Assembly yesterday, the National Electoral Commissioner for Katsina, Kano and Jigawa states, Engr Abubakar Nahuche, charged elected officers to justify their victor by rendering quality service to the electorate.

    He said: “The 2019 general election has generated a lot of interests and debate particularly on declaring election inconclusive requiring supplementary election.

    “It shows improvement in the quality of election in recent times.

    Read also: PHOTOS: INEC issues certificates of return to Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat

    “It has reduced the margin between the winner and the runner up during the election.”

    Citing Adamawa and Sokoto states as examples of states where elections were declared inconclusive, Nahuche said: “In Adamawa, the margin between the winner and the runner up was over 32,000 votes and the cancelled votes were about 40,900.

    “The runner up needed  over 60 per cent of the cancelled votes to win the election  while in Sokoto state, the margin was over 3,400 votes while the cancelled votes were over 75,000, so, the election could  go both ways, both of them could  win the election as we have seen.”

    Also speaking, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Katsina State Alhaji Jibrin Zarewa, restated that the commission kept faith with the provisions of its core values and the Nigerian Constitution and other electoral laws during the conduct of the just concluded elections in the state

    The commission, according to him, carried along relevant stakeholders in the process.

    In Kano State, INEC Director of Voters Education and Publicity, Muhammad Garba Lawal, hinted one of our correspondents yesterday that Ganduje, his deputy Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and 40 members of the Kano State House of Assembly will be handed their certificate of returns on Wednesday.

    Lawal said that INEC national commissioner in charge of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states, Engr. Abubakar Nauche, is expected to present the certificates of return to the elected officers.

  • Buhari administers polio vaccines on children in Daura

    Buhari administers polio vaccines on children in Daura

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday administered Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) on some children in his country home, Daura, Katsina State.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event which took place at the residence of the president, was part of the campaign to wipe out the virus from the country by 2017.

    NAN reports that the president who did not make any comment during the exercise, was assisted by Katsina State Gov. Aminu Masari and the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Dr Ahmad Qabasiyyu.

    Masari and the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouq also administered the polio vaccines on some of the children.

    In remarks, Masari said that the state had not recorded a single case of polio infection in the past three years.

    He expressed his administration’s determination to intensify efforts towards eradicating the virus from the state by 2017.

    The governor urged parents to continue to present their children for the routine polio immunisation in their respective areas.

    The state Coordinator, World Health Oganisation (WHO), Alh. Ali Yuguda, said that the fight against polio was recording tremendous success globally.

    He disclosed that only 37 polio cases were so far reported in Afghanistan and Pakistan this year.

    Yuguda urged parents to continue to present their children for the immunisation in order to wipe out the virus completely from the country by 2017.

    He reiterated the readiness of WHO to continue to support Nigeria to be polio free by 2017.

  • Masari kicks as police probe purchase of PVCs in Katsina

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Katsina State Alhaji Aminu Masari has condemned the “rampant’’ purchase of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by some politicians in the state.

    Masari, who was House of Representatives Speaker between 2003 and 2007, made the allegation yesterday at an interactive session with the people of Ingawa, Kankia and Kusada Local Government Areas in Kankia.

    He said: “The rampant purchase of PVCs by some politicians in Katsina State has become a matter of concern to everybody with progressive ideas.

    ‘’The buying of the PVCs from poor women is an act of wickedness that must be condemned by all political stakeholders.

    ‘’The action of the group of politicians negates all democratic norms in civilised societies as it is designed to disenfranchise the poor women.’’

    He further alleged that members of his APC party caught a serving councilor from Baure Local Government Area with over 20 PVCs.

    He said that the councilor was caught with the PVCs while photocopying them in a business centre, even as he alleged that another woman was also caught buying the PVCs in Danja Local Government Area of the state.

    According to Masari, another person was caught at Mashi Local Government Area while purchasing the PVCs from youths and women.

    ‘’Our party officials have handed over all the suspects to the police for action so as to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

    He advised all eligible voters to desist from selling their PVCs to the politicians, stressing that such steps will prevent them the right to vote in the right candidate during the polls.

    When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Aminu Sadiq, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident and said that the command has initiated an investigation into the matter.

  • Masari urges INEC to conduct credible poll

    Masari urges INEC to conduct credible poll

    Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Interim Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Aminu Masari has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a credible governorship poll in Ekiti State.

    The APC leader gave the charge in Ado Ekiti during a courtesy call on Governor Kayode Fayemi. He said the APC is worried by the lip service paid by INEC to conduct free and fair elections in recent time.

    Masari, who urged Ekiti people to carefully monitor the electioneering process, asked the electoral umpire to justify people’s confidence in the commission by making sure that the governorship election in Ekiti state is not a repeat of the Anambra hicupps.

    “The INEC should walk the talk. The director of ICT made available the presentation at the stakeholders meeting in Ado, but the presentation is not the issue, implementation is the solution. From our experience in Anambra and other places where INEC made presentations, promising that they were going to conduct credible election, it never happened. So even here in Ekiti, we are not comfortable and then we are comfortable. The election has to be free and fair because Ekiti is an enlightened society with the highest number of educated elite in Nigeria. I hope they will be able to monitor it to ensure the election is free and fair”, he said.

    He asserted that the APC would allow rigging in Ekiti.

    The former Speaker, who described the programmes of the Dr. Fayemi-led administration as second to none in the history of the state, expressed confidence that the party will defeat his opponents.

    On the return of some of the House of Representative members to the PDP, Alhaji Masari said regret is inevitable for the defectors, saying it is better to be people-oriented and principled politicians than being sycophants.