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Tag: Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III

  • FG flags off 2017/2018 national measles vaccination campaign

    FG flags off 2017/2018 national measles vaccination campaign

    The Federal Government will Tuesday flag off the 2017/2018 National measles campaign.

    Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire will flag off the campaign in Kaduna state.

    The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib announced this in Abuja Monday in a statement issued by Mr.Saadu Salahu Head, Public Relation Unit, NPHCDA.

    Dr. Faisal said that a total of 33 million Nigerian children aged 9months to 59months are to be immunized against measles by the end of the campaign. He disclosed that 95% coverage is the Federal Government`s target for the 2017/2018 campaign, against the 84.5% coverage attained in the 2015 campaign.

    Read: FG to launch new Family Planning Campaign

    The Executive Director explained that the measles vaccine would be administered to children aged 9 months to 59 months at health centers, fixed health posts, churches, mosques, motor parks, public places, schools and homes.

    Dr. Faisal disclosed that a time table phasing and staggering the campaign had been introduced as part of the efforts to ensure highest quality, coverage and effective measles campaign in the country.

    According to him, North West Zone will conduct its own campaign from 9th to 21st of this month. It will be followed by the North East from 30th November to 12th December, 2017, while the North Central campaign will take place from 1st to 20th February, 2018. All states in the Southern part of the country will conduct their measles vaccination campaign from 8th to 20th March, 2018.

    Dr. Faisal described measles as a dangerous and infectious disease that spreads rapidly from one infected child to another and a major cause of blindness, malnutrition and death among children. He therefore appealed to all Parents, Guardians, Caregivers and Nigerians in general to make their children and wards available for the measles vaccination campaign.

    Among personalities expected at the flag off are the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III other traditional and religious leaders, members of the National Assembly, NGOs and Civil Society organizations.

    Read Also: Military not involved in vaccination – FG

  • Sultan of Sokoto denies rumours of poison vaccine

    Sultan of Sokoto denies rumours of poison vaccine

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has dismissed speculations that vaccines for polio and other communicable diseases cause the death of infants.

    The paramount traditional ruler said this during a courtesy visit to Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Tuesday in Lafia.

    He advised politicians to stop politicising issues relating to health care for selfish reasons.

    It was reported that Abubakar III, who is also the President General of Jamaatul Nasril Islam and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, is in Lafia for the 3rd Quarter Meeting on Polio Eradication Routine Immunisation.

    He expressed displeasure at reports that vaccines for immunisation have been contaminated to poison certain groups of people and followers of certain religion in the country.

    He described the reports as false and warned those spreading the rumours to stop discouraging innocent Nigerians from participating in the immunisation exercise to protect them against polio and other communicable diseases.

    “There are two things we must never politicise and they are health and security issues because they affect everybody irrespective of religious or tribal background.

    “I was so saddened when we heard that the vaccines contain poison to eliminate certain races.

    “We must never play politics with people’s lives. The vaccines are not meant to kill anybody but to protect Nigerians from these communicable diseases.

    “We will never support anything that will hurt anybody. So I urge our politicians and others to stop playing politics with the lives of anybody,” the Sultan appealed.

    He also urged traditional rulers, religious leaders and other well meaning Nigerians to help enlighten others on the vital importance of immunisation to end the endemic status of some communicable diseases in the country.

    On the mandate of the committee, Abubakar III explained that the committee was his vision set up eight years ago to fight polio and other communicable diseases especially in Northern Nigeria.

    Health is the most important thing to human beings. No matter how strong, brilliant and smart you are, if you are not healthy, you are useless.

    “That is why we set up this committee eight years ago to fight polio and other communicable diseases,” he said.

    The Sultan commended the Nasarawa State Government for its enviable contributions to the health sector especially primary healthcare.

    According to him, the contributions of the state government to health care prompted the committee to choose the state for its third quarter meeting.

    “The last meeting we held was around July in Sokoto. It was there we heard of the strides made by the state government in the health sector and decided to hold the next meeting there.

    “We thank the state governor and his able lieutenants for giving us tremendous support,” Abubakar III said.

    Responding, Gov. Al-Makura thanked the Sultan and other members of the committee for choosing the state for the meeting.

    “We are proud and grateful for your advocacy and campaign on health which you have personally embarked on across Nigeria.

    “Your efforts on polio and other communicable diseases are efforts that have saved us from dooms day.

    “We have nothing to give you but appreciation. We cannot thank you enough for your selfless service to the nation.

    “I would like to encourage you to keep up the good work,” the governor said.

    Al-Makura, however, appealed to the committee and state governments in Northern Nigeria to take seriously the threat of Monkey pox so as to prevent it from spreading across the region.

    “We should not take lightly this issue of monkey pox, especially for some of us in the North.

    “I want to assure you we will commence enlightenment and sensitisation of people to take to immunisation.

    “I want to also assure that Nasarawa state will continue to collaborate with this committee in order for it to achieve its objectives,” he said.

    The governor also pledged that the health budget of the state for the remaining lifespan of the current administration would be given adequate attention to tackle health challenges across the state. (NAN)

  • New Moon: Sultan directs Muslims to watch from Aug.22

    New Moon: Sultan directs Muslims to watch from Aug.22

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged Muslims to watch out for the new moon of Dhulhajj1438AH from Tuesday, Aug. 22.

    The Sultan said this in a statement issued by Prof. Sambo Junaidu, the Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Sokoto on Saturday.

    “This is to inform the Muslim Ummah that Tuesday, August 22, which is equivalent to the 29th day of Zulki’ida 1438AH, shall be the day to look for the new moon of Dhulhajj.

    “Muslims are therefore requested to start looking for the new moon on Tuesday and report its sighting to the nearest district or village Head for onward communication to the Sultan,’’ he said.

    The Sultan prayed to Allah to help all Muslims in the discharge of their religious duty.

  • Social Media diverting attention of girls from studies, Sultan laments

    Social Media diverting attention of girls from studies, Sultan laments

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, has expressed concern at a development where social media are  diverting the attention of students in the country.

    Abubakar expressed the feeling in Sokoto on Sunday at the closing ceremony of the 6th National Edition of the Quranic Recitation Competition.

    The Sultan said:” There is a disturbing development where the attention of students is being diverted from their studies.

    “This is through the use of various social media like Facebook, Twitter,Whatsapp, 2Go and Instagram, among others,’’ he said

    The traditional ruler urged youths, particularly girls, to stop spending too much time on social media at the expense of other engagements that would add more values to their life.

    ”The rate at which girls are spending time on social network is worrisome and this poses imminent danger to our society.

    “Girls are the nerve centre of our moral and societal development and if they derail, the whole society will be in danger because they are our mothers and care givers.”

    Abubakar advised parents to ensure that their daughters spend more time on meaningful things, like reciting the Holy Qur’an.

    ”Doing so will make them better mothers and care givers’’.

    The monarch also urged Muslims to desist from doing things capable of tarnishing the image of their religion.

    The Sultan, who congratulated the winners of the competition, donated N10, 000 to each of the 89 participants ,while the overall winner,  Husna Nura from Katsina State, got N100,000.

    The sultan further promised to host the 7th edition of the competition in 2018.

    In his remarks, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal said that the competition would encourage girls to memorise the whole sixty chapters of the Holy Qur’an.

    The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bashir Garba, Tambuwal represented the governor at the occasion.

    Tambuwal announced a gift of hajj seat to the overall winner of the competition in addition to N150, 000 and a deep freezer, among other gifts.

    Other winners also went home with deep freezers and cash among other items.

    NAN also reports that twenty two states participated in the competition which was deducated for non-Arabic Girls’ Secondary Schools and it was hosted by Sokoto State Government.( NAN)

  • ‘Misplaced priorities bane of Nigeria’s underdevelopment’

    ‘Misplaced priorities bane of Nigeria’s underdevelopment’

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Thursday, attributed the slow pace of development in Nigeria to misplaced priorities by political leaders.

    Abubakar, who is the President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, said this in Sokoto at an International symposium on the Sokoto caliphate.

    The Sultan said Nigerians must muster the courage to question their political leaders on how they spend state resources and make an input to policy issues that involves their wellbeing.

    He said that it was only when citizens begin to ask questions that governors and other leaders would sit up and begin to take the people seriously.

    According to him, it takes hard work to restructure and build a nation because things will never go right for lazy people who fail to tell themselves the truth.

    He expressed regret that most times, Nigerian leaders had misplaced priorities, putting up projects that were of no benefit to the masses.

    Abubakar noted that some leaders preferred to use billions to build airports when they could not pay salaries of their state workforce.

    The Sultan advised that instead of duplicating projects like airports around the states, resources should be diverted to meet other cogent needs that would be of more use to the masses.

    “There is the need to begin to listen to the cry of the common man, to understand their needs rather than just carrying out projects.

    “Of what use is it to be building airports worth billions of naira when the roads that the common man travels are bad?

    “Instead of having an airport here in Birnin Kebbi that hardly sees one flight in one year, and then you have an airport in Dutse that only lifts pilgrims;

    “Then you have an airport in Kaduna in Bauchi and Gombe and another one in Ekiti, in Markudi and so on, while the roads which the common man uses for his day to day activities is so bad .

    “You can imagine if you are travelling from Minna to Abuja, how many hours it will take you and from Lokoja to Okene down to Akure due to bad roads.’’

    Abubakar said these were the things political leaders needed to check and talk to themselves about, adding that “if you don’t say the truth you can’t have progress.’’

    He said that the common man, in reality, has no food, no money among others.

    The Sultan further urged Nigerians to stop hiding behind religion, politics and tribal affiliations to perpetuate crime.

    He admonished Nigerians to learn to call a criminal a criminal, regardless of affiliation and come together as good people to fight the evil ones among them, for development to workout.

    “People hide under politics to say or do certain things that are totally against the security of the state.

    “If the person is arrested, the next thing you hear is that it is because he does not belong to the political party; what is bad is bad.

    “Whether he is a Muslim or Christian or APC or PDP, remove all these and let him answer his name, a criminal, you have stolen government money.

    “But once we start using tribe among others to claim right, it is not good. We must all rise up and help the government to get the money back.”

    Abubakar urged the Federal Government to convene a national security summit of all stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders, to deliberate on security issues; from militancy to Boko Haram to kidnapping.

    He appealed to politicians to forget sentiments when elected into office adding that whoever was elected into office becomes a leader of all regardless of party or other affiliations.

  • September 12 is Eid el-Kabir Day – Sultan

    September 12 is Eid el-Kabir Day – Sultan

    The Sultan of Sokoto,  Sa’ad Abubakar III, has declared Monday, September 12, as Eid-el-Kabir Day.

    This followed the declaration of September 3 as the 1st of Zulhijja, 1437 AH.

    A statement signed by the Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council of Sokoto, Prof. Sambo Junaidu, disclosed this on Saturday.

    “The committee in conjunction with the National Moon Sighting Committee had received reports from various Moon sighting committees across the country, “the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Prof. Junaidu as saying in the statement.

    ” The reports confirmed the sighting of the New Moon of Zulhijja,1437 AH, on Friday, September 2, 2016, which was the 29th day of Zulka’ada, 1437 AH.

    “The Sultan and President, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), accepted the reports and accordingly declared Saturday, September 3, as the first day of Zulhijja, 1437 AH.

    ” Therefore, Monday, September 12, which will be equivalent to 10th Zulhijja, will be marked as this year’s Eid el-Kabir.”

     

  • Fed Govt to support religious groups

    Fed Govt to support religious groups

    •Church, hospital inaugurated in Kano

    The Federal Government has  pledged to collaborate with religious groups that venture into health care to improve the quality of services.

    The Minister of State for Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, who spoke  at the inauguration of an  hospital built in Sokoto by the Sokoto Catholic Diocese, said such gesture is encouraged by the government as it cannot carry the burden of health care alone.

    Alhasssan said:“The government would continue to support religious organisations wishing to provide health care to the people.”

    The hospital, Holy Family Mother Care Clinic, was  opened by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, a demonstration of what Christians and Muslims can do together.

    Khalirul said inter-faith collaboration “in the country has helped address some key challenges facing health, adding that such collaboration can help improve the health indices in the country.”

    He added that the hospital was “a lot relevant to the aims and objectives of the Federal Government to ensure safety and medical health of all and sundry.”

    On the hospital, he said providing health care was not a prerogative of the government but a “collective responsibility,” and urged religious leaders to change the orientation of their followers so that they can become more conscious of their health.

    “We all need to take care of our health and we can only do that when we regularly visit clinics,“ he said.

    Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese said the hospital was open to all women and children of Sokoto, irrespective of religious background.

    According to him, this is one of the efforts to reduce maternal and child deaths. The presence and accessibility of clinics is crucial to encouraging more women to give birth in hospitals.

    Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, at the inauguration, donated an ambulance to assist clinic, urging families to insist on ante-natal care for expectant women and post-natal care after childbirth.

  • Sultan urges striking workers to return to work

    Sultan urges striking workers to return to work

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Tuesday urged striking workers to call off their strikes and go back to the negotiating table.

    Abubakar made the call as part of his Eid el-Kabir message to the Muslim faithful.

    “We wish to use this opportunity to call on all those on strike, especially university academic and non-academic staff to call off their strikes so as to reduce the sufferings of the people.

    “And they should go back to the negotiating table in order to bring an end to the crisis.

    “This is a problem in the development of the country. We urged the government to listen to the complaints of the workers with the intention of solving them.

    “The workers on their part should always be mindful of the suffering of the teeming populace in the country,” he said.

    Abubakar maintained that the strike by the University lecturers now in its fourth month had caused a lot of hardships to the students and their parents.

    “The strike of medical workers has on its part, caused loss of many lives and untold hardship to the sick who cannot afford going to private clinics,” Abubakar said.

    He also expressed concern with the insecurity in the country, saying: “It is a matter of great concern.”

    The Sultan appealed to all Muslims to live peacefully and avoid all acts of violence.

    “We wish to call on the politicians, especially those holding executive positions, to help in ensuring the security of this country,’’ he said.

    Abubakar also urged the politicians to find lasting solution to the security situation and improve the lot of the people who elected them.

    He further called on the governments at all levels to empower the youths through proper moral education and provision of employment opportunities.

    “This will enhance the security situation and bring the desired peace in this country,” Abubakar said.