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Tag: Bauchi

  • JEDC urges Bauchi customers to accept prepaid meters, settle electricity bills

    JEDC urges Bauchi customers to accept prepaid meters, settle electricity bills

    Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Marketing Manager, Bauchi Trading Zone of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) on Sunday observed that most customers in the state were reluctant to install Prepayment Meters (PPM) in spite of its advantages.

    Abubakar told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi that some of the customers had the misconception that with PPM, they would spend more on electricity.

    “Most customers do not have ideas of proper energy management. With PPM, one can determine his or her energy consumption by taking several measures to avoid waste.

    “If accepted by all customers, the PPM will proffer solution to over 99 per cent of disagreement between Distribution Companies and customers because the major area of friction is always on billing,” he said.

    He stated that plans were in the pipeline to ensure the metering of all customers by 2018, but added that people must embrace the PPM for the target to be achieved.

    The manager lamented the poor attitude of customers in his zone towards settling their electricity bills, thereby making company to lose revenue.

    According to him, out of about 19,000 customers in his zone, those settling their bills regularly are not up to 12,000.

    He said this is aside from the loss being incurred by the company in recouping the cost of energy procured.

    “The value of monthly energy received currently is about N255 million but the total average charged customers is N55 million.

    “The company is making a huge sacrifice, as such customers should appreciate by settling their bills promptly because we need the fund to operate without hitches,” he pleaded.

    Abubakar also said another of their major challenge was the menace of vandals, who had been targeting transformers to remove expensive parts, resulting in frequent power black-outs that had been source of friction between the Disco and customers.

    He said some customers were also compounding the challenges through illegal tapping of electricity, thereby creating over-load on transformers that often resulted in the tripping of power supply.

    He therefore appealed for the cooperation and understanding of customers, advising them to forward their complaints to the appropriate quarters, instead of compounding issues by being hostile to staff of the Distribution company

     

  • Kano zoological garden obtains new animal species

    The Kano State Zoological Garden, has added Zebra, Crocodile, Impala to its stock of animals at its zoo in Kano to attract more visitors, its Director, Alhaji Lawal Abdullahi, has said.

    The injection of the new species of the animals is part of efforts to modernize the zoo, Abdullahi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Wednesday.

    He said that the animals were obtained from Bauchi and efforts would continue in raising the standard of the zoological garden to what obtain anywhere in the world.

    The director N1.4 million has been spent on drugs, guns and sanitization of the garden, while three pavilions with the capacity to contain 500 to 800 visitors, had been created.

    Abdullahi said that 85 rangers working at the facility had been promoted, to encourage them to be part of the modernisation process of the zoo.

  • Soldiers recover 82 animals in Bauchi State

    Soldiers recover 82 animals in Bauchi State

    A detachment of soldiers from 33 Artillery Brigade, Nigeria Army, Bauchi, has recovered 39 cows and 43 rams from cattle rustlers in Dangarfa village, Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

    A statement by Major Joseph Afolasade, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, of the brigade, said that the animals were recovered on Monday, April 3.

    Afolasade said that the animals were recovered by the soldiers in an operation code-named ‘Brigade Forward’, led by Lt. Haruna Hassan.

    The statement said that some communities in the area had complained to the soldiers that the stolen animals were being moved from Zomo area to Dangarfa, both in Bura District.

    “The soldiers trailed the rustlers to Dangarfa village; on sighting the soldiers, the rustlers abandoned the animals and escaped into a nearby forest.

    “It is a commendable effort. The soldiers will remain there not only to arrest rustlers, but tackle criminals, who have been terrorising innocent people.

    “We have decided to establish a base there to protect the people from criminals hiding in Bura, Lame and Torro forests.

    “The soldiers are still combing the areas to arrest the rustlers,” he added.

    Afolasade said that the operation was in line with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai’s order, directing the Artillery Brigade to clear the remnants of criminal elements still lurking around the areas.

    The spokesman said that the recovered animals had been handed over to the District Head of Burra for onward transfer to the owners.

    He advised local communities to assist the army and other security agencies with useful information that could lead to the arrest of criminals and cattle rustlers.

     

  • NCAC trains 60 women in beauty artistry, making of body scrub

    The Bauchi Zonal office of National Council for Arts and crafts (NCAC) said it trained 60 women in beauty artistry and making of body scrub to enable the women to earn some income.

    The development officer, Hajiya Hadiza Zanna, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Thursday that the training lasted for three weeks.

    She said that the training was to expose unemployed women and youths to trades with minimum start-up capital.

    She added that “the training, which is in small-scale trade with minimum start up capital, is to reduce the burden of economic hardship, over-dependence on government and unemployment.

    “Even though the training was free, a token was collected from participants to buy the make up items and other ingredients for the making of the body scrub.

    “Part of the training was that each participant would apply the make up on another participant to ensure that they have properly learnt what they were taught.”

    She said make up and body scrub business were gaining recognition in the country and women in particular used it a lot.

    The trade would improve one’s income because it was a daily or weekly business in which people gain through weddings and other celebrations, she added.

    Zanna said that the training had facilitators within and outside the council.

     

  • Bauchi develops 30-year water supply plan

    Bauchi develops 30-year water supply plan

    The Bauchi State Government has said that it has developed a 30-year water plan for the state.

    The Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Ghali Abdulhamid, said this when he spoke with newsmen in Bauchi on Thursday.

    Abdulhamid explained that all existing, dams and schemes would be expanded so that it would supply uninterrupted water for the next 30 years.

    “This has became necessary because such dams like Gubi Dam and others can no longer meet the demands of the people.

    “Nobody envisage that Bauchi State will expand at this quick pace and therefore, there is no development plan put in place for the expansion of such dams.

    “Following influx of people from neighbouring states because of the insurgency, the facilities have been overstretched, hence, the need to develop a future plan,” he said.

    Abdulhamid said that the state government had paid N140 million counterpart fund to UNICEF for the drilling of 300 boreholes in some local government areas.

    He said the state government had also embarked on the drilling of additional 180 boreholes in eight selected local governments and works were at various stages of completion.

    Abdulhamid said the state government had rehabilitated about 1,000 hand pump boreholes and 48 solar propelled boreholes while 25 new ones have been drilled.

    “We have a big dream in 2017 for the people of the state as African Development Bank (ADB) has approved $250 million  U.S dollars for five states in the North-East.

    “These are Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba and Yobe States and hopefully Bauchi State is going to have about $50 million dollars.

    “About $40 million dollars would be spent on the water sector while Ministry of Commerce, Health, Education, Agriculture, Local Government Affairs and Economic Planning and Budget, will also benefit from the balance,” he said.

    The.commissioner said that “it is a five-year plan and the government will use it to improve the living standard of its people, especially in the area of water supply and sanitation.

    “We also have World Bank $72 million dollars water reform project for Bauchi metropolis, which is approved for three states: Bauchi, River and Ekiti states,” he said.

  • New born found on dumpsite in Bauchi

    There was outrage yesterday at Gwallameji, a suburb of Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital, following the discovery of a dog eating a baby abandoned at a refuse dump.

    The incident is coming less than four months after the lifeless body of a baby, wrapped in a polythene bag, was found at a refuse dump in the same area.

    An eyewitness, identified as Isaiah, said: “I was coming back from church when I saw a crowd gathered behind a house close to mine. I became curious and went to see what was happening there.

    “What I saw there was disgusting and annoying; a dog was eating a new born baby on a refuse dump.

    “From the look of things and from what I heard, the baby was abandoned alive. It was an ugly sight to behold.

    “How can someone do this to an innocent child? It’s so bad and inhumane.”

    Isaiah added that some of the onlookers dug a shallow pit and buried the remains of the baby beside the dump.

    The traditional Chief of Gwallameji, Hassan Ibrahim, confirmed the incident.

    “I got a call informing me of the incident, but I told the person I was not around. When I called back, I was told the Wakilin Sarkin Gwallameji (representative of the traditional Chief of Gwallameji), Sanusi Mohammed, was already there.

    “Since he was there, I continued what I was doing knowing that he will handle everything well. As I speak now, I haven’t met him for information about the incident,” Ibrahim said.

    Efforts to reach the police were unsuccessful.

  • Gold Cup Tourney: Wikkki Tourists pull out

    Gold Cup Tourney: Wikkki Tourists pull out

    Wikki Tourists of Bauchi have pulled out of the 4th edition of Gold Cup pre-season tournament a day before the kick-off of the competition.

    The tournament is scheduled to take place at the Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State from Friday November 25 to Saturday December 3, 2016.

    The club’s media officer Abdullahi Nasiru Kobi informed Sportinglife that the club withdrew because they have other two parallel pre-season tournaments.

    Kobi said the chairman of the club Isa Matori regretted club’s inability to attend the competition while hoping that the development will not affect the relationship between Wikki Tourists and the organizers.

    “We are not going to participate in the Gold Cup tournament in Ijebu-Ode. The reasons are; we have committed to another pre- season invitation tournament and it is also close to Super Four tournament. The arrangement is too close and we don’t want to exhaust our players before the Super Four tournament,” Kobi disclosed to SportingLife.

    He added: “The chairman expressed his regret over club’s inability to attend the Ijebu-Ode pre-season tournament. He hopes the development will not affect the relationship between our club and the organizers of the tournament.”

    Meanwhile, former Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Kano Pillars FC and Crown FC of Ogbomoso have arrived in Ijebu Ode, for the Tournament.

    The Pyramid City side who recently named ex-Shooting Stars Sports Club ( 3SC) of Ibadan coach, Kadiri Ikhana will begin their quest in the country’s most prestigious pre-season event on Saturday afternoon (4pm) against Nationwide League One (NLO) side FC Ebedei.

    Crown coach, Osho Fatai, will be leading the Ajilete Warriors against newly promoted Remo Stars FC in one of the Group B contest scheduled for Saturday evening.

  • ‘We are making brisk business selling dog meat’

    ‘We are making brisk business selling dog meat’

    Women in Tafawa Balewa town of Bauchi State have ventured into the selling of dog meat, once the exclusive preserve of men in the area, and are making brisk business.

    A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited the town on Sunday, reports that the business was providing financial succour to a lot of women.

    Some of them who spoke to NAN said they veered into the trade because the menfolk appeared not to be interested in the business any longer.

    They said even though in the past, meat selling business was exclusively reserved for the men-folk, it had now become an ‘all-embracing’ trade for both men and women.

    Mrs Lucy John, one of the butchers, said some women decided to take to the trade because their male counterparts were gradually abandoning it and venturing into other trades.

    She said that dog meat, being a delicacy in the area, was fast becoming a scarce commodity in the market because the male butchers were gradually abandoning the business.

    John said the neglect of the business by men had opened up an opportunity for women, not just to prepare and sell dog meat, but also breed and market the animal, especially because of the lucrative nature of the business.

    She said that during festive seasons, they made ‘good money’ because dogs were expensive, with the least price being N5000.

    “The abandonment of the trade by men created an opportunity for me and other women to make money, feed our family and satisfy other needs of our people.

    “Selling dog meat is the best as people in the community love eating the meat,’’ she said.

    John said during the celebration of an annual cultural festival in Tafawa Balewa, she slaughtered four dogs at the cost of N25, 000, sold the meat and made huge profit.

    “We need to do this for survival and since dog meat is preferred in this community, we make business out of it.

    “I used to slaughter only one dog at a time but I now kill six,” she added.

    Another woman, Mrs Blessing John, also corroborated the statement of Lucy, saying that this was ‘boom time’ because of the just concluded and impending festivities.

    She said she had slaughtered six dogs during a recently concluded cultural festival, adding that each ‘piece’ of meat was sold at N100.

    “Our men no longer do this (selling dog meat) because they are no longer interested, and for us women, we need to survive, as such had to engage in the trade since the patronage is very high.

    Madam Kyauta Illiya, a consumer of dog meat, explained that the delicacy had a unique taste as such she preferred eating it over any other meat.

    She said dog meat had become a favourite cuisine among some people of the area, and had value.

    Mr Isiaku Gambo, another consumer, claimed that dog meat had medicinal effect as it could serve as cure for some diseases.

    He insisted that eating dog meat prevented one from any attack and also served as an antidote to some diseases.

    “If you serve me varieties like fish, cow, chicken and dog meat, I will opt for dog meat because the meat is nice.

    “In this community, those who eat dog meat are the strongest,’’ he said. (NAN)

    AE/FHO/ASH

    Edited by Hawa Lawal/Controlled by Abdullahi Salihu

    ==

    Posted in Economy |

  • Chlorine leak: Students, others, escape death in Bauchi

    Accidental leak of a chemical substance suspected to be chlorine from a cylinder in Bauchi on Friday, endangered the health of some students of a private school, Rainex Hallmark International College, who were attending classes.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the cylinders, presumably empty, said to be owned by some businessmen from Kano, were kept in premises close to the College, located in Fadaman Mada Area of Bauchi.
    A woman who described herself as the ‘Director of the School’ told NAN in a telephone interview Saturday that the incident occurred at about 10 am on Friday.
    “The students affected were both boys and girls. We had to rush them to the Specialists’ Hospital, Bauchi, where they were treated.
    “I cannot tell you the exact number of those affected because I was not in my senses as we were trying to save their lives.
    “We thank God that they have all recovered and there was no loss of lives,” said the women, who did not want her name printed.
    An eye witness, who pleaded for anonymity, told NAN that apart from the students, other people conducting various trades around the area were also injured.
    “What actually happened is that the owners were trying to load the cylinders into a van, using a crane, when a mishap occurred and remnants of chlorine in one of the cylinders started leaking.
    “People started running for their lives as the leaked chemical spread into the atmosphere, affecting the eyes and entire body.
    “The situation was contained after some minutes but the damage had been done. We thank God that there was no report of death,” he said.
    A panel beater at the vicinity, Muda Olawale, told NAN that he and his son were affected but that they had recovered now.
    When NAN visited the place of the incident on Saturday, leaves of surrounding trees and grasses were seen completely burnt as a result of the chlorine chemical emission, just as the remains of lizards and other tiny living things litter the area.
    Contacted for his comment by NAN, Bauchi Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mahmoud Mohammed, said he would issue a statement on the matter at a later time.
    NAN recalls a near-similar incident in July 2015, when chlorine chemical leak as a result of burst at the Lamingo Water Treatment Plant of Plateau Water Board in Jos, claimed the lives of eight people and injured no fewer than 50 others.
    Two students of the National Film Institute (NFI), Jos, which school is located close to the water treatment plant, were among the victims that died in the Jos incident. (NAN)

  • Bauchi to resettle IDPs

    The Bauchi State government has volunteered to resettle Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at locations of their choice within the state.

    The government will also provide housing and other amenities, equip, and furnish the Permanent Displaced Persons’ Camp at Miya, Ganjuwa Local Government.

    Commissioner for Information Baba Madugu spoke when he met the Presidential Committee on the Northeast Initiative (PCNI) in Abuja.

    Madugu described his mission to PCNI as “a happy one”, adding that the state plans to empower the IDPs and their host communities through skill acquisition, handcraft and educational pursuit.

    “The government is determined to have the IDPs explore and exploit their potential to expand sources of revenue to the state and youth employment.