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Tag: Bwari

  • Bwari, Gwagwalada to get new bus terminals – Wike 

    Bwari, Gwagwalada to get new bus terminals – Wike 

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has announced the intention of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to establish new bus terminals in the Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils to enhance transportation in the FCT.

    Wike stated this on Saturday, during an inspection of the extensive renovation of the International Conference Centre (ICC) and the upgrading of the Ushafa, War College, and Army Checkpoint roads in Bwari Area Council.

    Speaking to reporters after the inspection, Wike emphasised that the new bus terminals in the satellite towns, when established, will complement existing facilities in the city centre, significantly improving transportation for residents. 

    He also highlighted the crucial role the terminals will play in addressing the menace of car robbery, commonly known as “one chance.”

    The Minister said: “We have agreed that we are going to establish one bus terminal in Gwagwalada and one in Bwari. This will ensure that people can safely and securely travel from Bwari and Gwagwalada to various parts of the city, including Mabushi, Kugbo, and the Central Business District bus terminal. By providing these designated terminals, we aim to eliminate the problem of ‘one chance’ and ensure the safety of commuters”.

    Wike reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to bridging the infrastructural gaps in the FCT, emphasizing that the focus of the “Renewed Hope Agenda” extends beyond the city centre to include the development of satellite towns. 

    He highlighted the ongoing 12-kilometer road project linking the entire Ushafa area and the ongoing dualization of the Kuje-Gwagwalada road as testaments to this commitment.

    Read Also: Wike, Fubara supporters clash at town hall meeting in Port Harcourt

    “The government of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is particularly concerned about and paying attention to the satellite towns,” the Minister affirmed, adding that rural transformation is key to the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President.

    Wike also stressed that the significant upgrade of the International Conference Centre, aligns with President Tinubu’s directive to provide Nigerians with world-class facilities.

    The Minister also emphasised the long-term benefits of infrastructure developments in the FCT, stating that it will reduce travel times from the satellite towns to the city, encourage people to reside within the satellite towns thereby decongesting the city.  

    He said the essence of Providing basic amenities in the satellite towns is to curb rural-to-urban migration, which, he said, is mostly driven by the lack of infrastructure in the rural area.

    “It will be a different thing, and people will no longer be compelled to live in the cities,” the Minister said.

  • Bandits invade Bwari, Niger communities kill four, kidnap 39

    Bandits invade Bwari, Niger communities kill four, kidnap 39

    • Demands N50m for each kidnapped person as ransome

    • Police keeps mum over incident

    No fewer than four people were killed while 39 others were kidnapped when blood thirsty bandits invaded Kuduru, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as Garam and Azu, two communities under Niger State.

    On Saturday, December 23, bandits invaded Garam community, which is five minutes drive from Bwari killing a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, while kidnapping 13 other person’s.

    On Thursday December 28, bandits again invaded Kuduru, which shares a boundary with Garam, and kidnapped 18 persons.

    Also on Friday, December 29, bandits invaded Azu, killing three people and kidnapping eight others.

    A resident of Garam, who identified herself as Mrs. Juliana confirmed the development and said the first house the bandits entered, they asked for the house of their target.

    She stated: “The bandits entered a wrong house, kidnapped two boys who later led them to the house of their target.

    “When they got there, they kidnapped the entire family, but while leaving the house, they shot the man (their target), who is a pastor at the Redeemed Christians Church of God in the presence of his wife and their three children.”

    Read Also; FULL LIST: All past Ondo governors dead except Mimiko

    It was further gathered that when the wife realised that she left her six month old baby behind, she asked for permission of the bandits to go carry the baby, and she was followed back to the house by the only female among the bandits.

    However, when the female bandit ran out of patience, she left the woman, joined the others and went with the other kidnapped persons who were 13 in number.”

    The pastor’s wife, it was gathered, is a teacher in one of the government secondary schools in Bwari.

    “The wife told them that her husband is on duty.  They, however, kidnapped two of his children.”

    The eyewitness added that 13 persons were kidnapped, while a five year old boy of the Redeemed Church pastor that was killed was abandoned by the bandits at the river side because he couldn’t cross the river.

    The boy was rescued by the vigilante who went on the trail of the bandits.

    All efforts to get the reaction of FCT Police Command to confirm the incident were futile as the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh did not pick calls nor respond to text messages.

  • Earthquake: FG acquires sensitivity device to monitor earth movement in Abuja, others

    The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has acquired and installed high sensitivity seismometers and tilet meters for monitoring and detecting earth movements and earthquake in parts of the country.

    Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Bawa Bwari Abubakar, disclosed this on Thursday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy to defend his ministry’s 2019 budget.

    Abubakar, who said that the earth movement monitoring device was acquired as part of the measures to address the country’s geological security, explained the device was installed at the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) premises, Gwagwalada, Bwari and Kaduna.

    The Minister said that the effort was accelerated in response to the recent persistent earth tremors experienced in the country most especially around Abuja.

    He said that the proactive measure became necessary to predict, detect and monitor earth movement and earthquake related activities.

    He listed insufficient and untimely release of funds, direct intervention by states in the management of mineral resources, multiple taxation by states and local governments and inadequate geological data as some of the challenges facing the mining sector.

    The minister also listed limited supporting infrastructure, insecurity of mine fields especially in Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau and North East and illegal mining and community challenges.

    He noted that there was no doubt the mining sector could do better if leakages were blocked.

    The committee chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, asked the minister to furnish the committee with detailed breakdown of the budget.

    The committee believed that the revenue capacity of the sector should be raised for the country to benefit.

    The committee also said that steps should be taken to position the sector to take its pride of place in the scheme of things in the country.

    The ministry proposed N20, 480,057,749 as its budget estimate for 2019.

    Out of the amount the sum of N8,559,365,940 is for personnel cost, N1,726,419,857 is for overhead while N10,194,271,952 is for capital projects.

  • FG to implement ECOWAS biometric identity card

    The Minister of Interior, Lt.- Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), said Federal Government would implement the use of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) biometric identity card.

    He noted that it was part of efforts of the government to curb influx of foreigners into the country.

    Dambazau made this known on Thursday when participants of Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 12 of Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Bwari, Abuja, visited him.

    The ministry may sign a Concession Agreement on the Implementation of the ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card with Euphoria Press Limited on Friday.

    READ ALSO: Heritage Bank launches biometric identity card for PMAN

    The minister explained that ECOWAS Free movement protocol would be accompanied by passports and proper documentation.

    He said the action plan of every country in ECOWAS would be presented “and we will ensure to work with it.

    “We will ensure that we implement the ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card in Nigeria. We will launch it three Months after the signing.’’

    He said that the biometric identity card was a prominent feature in the last ECOWAS Summit in December, 2018 in Abuja.

    According to him, nobody can cross our border without the ECOWAS identity card; these are some of the security arrangements Nigeria is making to address border security issues.

    Danbazau noted that border security was a challenge, adding that Nigerian Immigration Service was responsible for manning the nation’s borders and monitoring movement of people.

    “We had to build a good intelligence gathering system so that we can have a good information. This will build our capacity to monitor and respond to these issues,’’ he said.

    He added that Nigeria also shared intelligence with neighbouring countries, saying “we are also partnering other countries, especially our strategic neighbours and other European countries and international organisations.

    “We are installing a system called Midas to help improve on capacity to monitor our borders, and because of the insurgency in the North-East, we had to partner Nigerian Air Force and build their capacity.’’

    He said that Nigeria had provided a number of vehicles for patrol and had established a number of patrol bases across strategic border-States.

    Earlier the Director of ISS, Mr Ayodele Adeleke, who led the delegation, said that the team was on a visit to understudy the operations of the ministry.

    He raised concerns on internal security in Nigeria, stressing on the need to collaborate with neighbouring countries in addressing the issue.

    Adeleke noted that some youths had died in the Mediterranean, while some were stranded along the routes in attempts to move out of the country.

    He pointed out that International Migration had posed a lot of problems for Nigeria, adding that there was need for relevant agencies to collaborate to tackle the challenges.

    The delegation comprised personnel of the Navy, DSS, EFCC, NSCDC, Police and paramilitary organisations.

    NAN

  • Court insists on Imo APC Exco’s legitimacy

    *To hear motion for Oshiomhole’s committal

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Bwari, Abuja has insisted that its judgment and orders affirming the legitimacy of the Executive of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, led by Daniel Nwafor, remain in force.

    Justice Othman Musa made the clarification on Monday at the resumed hearing in post-judgment proceedings initiated by the national office of the APC, its National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and Nwafor.

    The court had in a judgment delivered on August 14, 2018 upheld the legitimacy of the Nwafor-led Executive of the APC in Imo State and forbade the dissolution of the state EXCO.

    After the judgment, Nwafor filed an application, seeking Oshiomhole’s committal to prison, on the grounds that he allegedly moved to dissolve the Nwafor-led state EXCO, in violation of the August 14, 2018 judgment.

    Oshiomhole and the APC equally filed an application, challenging the validity of the judgment, which they argued, was delivered without jurisdiction. They also filed a counter-affidavit to the application by Nwafor.

    On Monday, Damian Dodo (SAN), representing the APC and Oshiomhole urged the court to, first hear and determine his clients’ motion, challenging the court’s jurisdiction and the validity of the judgment.

    Nwafor’s lawyer, Chidozie Ogunji objected and urged the court to first, hear his client’s application for the committal of the APC’s National Chairman to prison, before hearing any other application.

    Ogunji argued that it was wrong for Dodo to asked the court to hear his (Dodo’s) application, challenging jurisdiction before taking the contempt proceedings.

    He contended that a court of law has a duty to protect its proceedings and processes from invasion.

    Ogunji added that up and until the court deals with the issue of contempt, which is an affront on the court, the issue of jurisdiction, in whatever manner, it is raised, is inconsequential.

    He stressed: “This is so, because, by the court dealing with the affront on it, the court is and will be protecting it’s jurisdiction.

    “Today, the party sought to be committed, is not in court. And, whether the said party is challenging the jurisdiction of the court or not, once it is a contempt proceedings, the defendant must be in court.

    “We do not intend, for now, to apply that a bench warrant be issued. But we ask that the court makes an order that the party sought to be committed, (Oshiomhole) attends court on the next date, so that there will not be a continuous show of disrespect to this court.”

    Dodo, in his reply on point of law, faulted Ogunji’s argument and urged the court to first, consider the challenge to its jurisdiction, before conducting any other business.

    He argued that the orders and judgment being challenged by his clients were allegedly got without their knowledge.

    Dodo added that the position of the law is that, where a party is challenging the validity of an order or judgment, that person cannot be proceeded against, by way of contempt proceedings until the question about the jurisdiction of the court is resolved.

    On Ogunji’s claim that Oshiomhole disrespected the court by being absent, Dodo argued that the APC National Chairman has shown respect for the court by retaining a lawyer to canvass legal argument, on his behalf, before the court on whether or not the court has jurisdiction.

    Dodo argued that, until the issue of jurisdiction was resolved, Oshiomhole’s presence in court was still unnecessary.

    Ruling, Justice Othman agreed with Dodo that, though the court must protect its dignity and proceedings, it was necessary that it first, resolve questions about its jurisdiction when raised, before conducting further proceedings.

    The judge consequently elected to first hear the applications by the APC and its National Chairman, on the issue of jurisdiction, before hearing Nwafor’s application for committal.

    He, however, insisted that the court’s judgment of August 14, 2018 and the consequent orders made, remain in force until the question about the validity of the judgment and orders was resolved.

    Justice Musa adjourned to March 20 this year for the hearing of the application by the APC and its National Chairman.

  • Bwari Area Council allays fear of cholera outbreak

    The Bwari Area Council in FCT says necessary measures are being put in place to forestall further spread of cholera in the area.

    The Head of Department of Health in the Council, Dr Sunday Goji, told our reporter on Thursday that the council had engaged traditional heads on the need to sensitise their subjects on hygiene.

    NAN reports that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had confirmed the death of seven people from the outbreak of cholera in four communities in the territory.

    The breakdown revealed that two deaths each were recorded at Kubwa village, Mpape and Ushafa, while one was recorded at Sauka.

    Goji said that the cases fit into the definition of cholera, but added that the council was awaiting final laboratory confirmation on some of the reported cases.

    According to him, various forms of sanitation are ongoing within the communities, people have been informed of the dangers of unhygienic environment.

    Read Also: Bwari town: A case study in dirtiness

    He said that the council had stocked the health centres with drug, and urged the public to take any individual with life threatening symptoms to the centres for immediate attention.

    He also stressed the need for proper tests and diagnoses on patients who exhibit symptoms of cholera.

    Goji added that the council would continue to monitor the situation; while assuring the citizens that it would do all it takes to ensure that the communities were free from filth through sensitisation campaign.

  • Indefinite curfew slammed on Bwari

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said yesterday that the 6am to 6pm curfew imposed on Bwari will remain until further notice.

    A statement by the minister’s media aide, Abubakar Sani, said the earlier 8pm to 6am curfew ended yesterday, adding the administration  was concerned over attempts by “some miscreants to reincarnate the December 25, 2017 crisis”.

    The statement reads: “Reports reaching the Administration shows that some of the miscreants took advantage of the Eid-el-Fitr celebration to attack on innocent residents.

    “Fortunately, the security agency swung into action and has since brought the situation under control.

    “The FCT administration shall not condone any attempt to cause a breakdown of law and order in Bwari Area Council or any part of the Federal Territory.

    “Following the December 25 crisis, a six-to-six curfew was imposed on Bwari but was relaxed to 10 to 6 after a satisfactory assessment of the situation and return to normalcy.

    “However, this renewed attempt to disturb the peace of the town calls for stringent measures to protect life and property, as well as forestall the breakdown of law and order.”

    Chairman of Bwari Area Council Musa Dikko on Saturday reviewed the timing to 8pm to 6am after the town was thrown into confusion during Eid-el-Fitr.

    An eyewitness, John Awoyi, said the Sarkin Bwari, Alhaji Awwal Ijakoro, was interrupted by some irate youths while riding his horse as part of the celebrations.

    “He was stopped by some youths when he tried to take the route that leads to the Etsu Bwari’s palace and that was where the confrontations started.”

    “But everything is calm now as the security agents are in place and ensuring a peaceful atmosphere,” Awoyi said.

    Divisional Police Officer Biodun Makanjuola, who confirmed the incident, said the situation had been addressed and everything put under control.

  • Fayemi, Bwari disrespectful, says House

    Fayemi, Bwari disrespectful, says House

    House of Representatives Leader Femi Gbajabiamila said yesterday the no-confidence vote passed on Minister of Mines and Steel Development Kayode Fayemi and Minister of State Abubakar Bwari by the House is not an extension of the face-off between the Executive and Legislature.

    He also said it was not meant to destroy Dr. Fayemi’s governorship ambition

    Gbajabiamila told reporters in Lagos that considering the weighty allegations of impropriety leveled against the ministry on the concession or re-concession of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, it would have amounted to a dereliction of their duty for the House not to act on the issues.

    He said Dr. Fayemi and Bwari were “disrespectful” of the House of Representatives by their refusal to honour the invitation to brief the House on what was going on in Ajaokuta.

    Gbajabiamila said Speaker Yakubu Dogara personally wrote the minister 10 days ahead of the public hearing. He said: “But it was a day before the briefing that the minister called the ministry, to respond to the Speaker’s letter to the effect that he would not be coming and that the minister of state would also not be present.

    “That letter was written by the permanent secretary, which was a breach of protocol; because the minister did not deem it fit to respond to the Speaker who had written him personally. The permanent secretary gave excuses why the minister would not be there and why the junior minister would not be there and again the Speaker took pains to respond to the reply, insisting that it is a very serious matter and that the House has heard a series of allegations, which it doesn’t seem to be true.

    “But if you absent yourselves, you are only giving credence to those wild allegations. Yet again during the hearing, a hurried letter was dispatched to the Speaker on the floor of the House. The language of the letter suggested that they were going ahead with the concession or that it was a fait accompli and that what the House was doing was a waste of time.”

    He added: “The Sole Administrator of Ajaokuta Steel Complex, we understand, was also instructed not to come.” As result, members of the House were upset.

    ”We thought Ajaokuta required that kind of attention and we decided to invite all the stakeholders and some experts in that industry, to brief the House and by extension the public, as to what is going on in Ajaokuta.”

    The House Leader said he tried his best to save the situation, by moving a motion for the setting up of an investigative committee, to give the ministers further opportunities to tell their own side of the story.

    ”But unfortunately sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you can do nothing. If I did not move that motion, someone else would have done it. Then, it would give the impression that the Southwest is protecting its own. No, I had to do my job as the Leader of the House.”

    On the implications of the vote of no confidence motion, he said: “It has its implications. We are in a political terrain; it may have some implications. What the implication would be is everybody’s guess; I’m not going to go into that. I just hope that it doesn’t affect the ministers in a way that they would not be able to get out of it.”

    Fayemi had condemned the action of the lawmakers as “unwarranted and unfortunate”. In a statement by his media aide Olayinka Oyebode, the minister explained the rationale behind the failure of both ministers to appear before the House, saying it had been duly communicated to the leadership of the House in two separate letters.

     

  • Missing N36m: Sen. Sani storms JAMB Hdqtrs with snake charmers

    Missing N36m: Sen. Sani storms JAMB Hdqtrs with snake charmers

    The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Sen. Shehu Sani has today stormed the headquarters of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board in Bwari, FCT with snake charmers.

    Sani said, the visit, was with a view to getting to the bottom of the issue surrounding the reported case of missing N36 million from the JAMB office in Makurdi, Benue.

    Philomena Chieshe, a sales clerk in the JAMB office, Makurdi, told the JAMB registrar and his team that “she could not account for the N36 million she made in previous years before the abolition of scratch cards.

    “In the course of interrogation, Philomena denied the allegations that she stole the money but confessed that her housemaid connived with another JAMB staff to spiritually (through a snake) steal the money from the vault in the account office”, the report said.

    According to Sani, his visit to JAMB is in response to the story that a snake swallowed N36 million.

    He lamented that it was of concern that such a huge sum of money was reported to have been swallowed by a snake.

    “I believe that the contribution I can make is to bring snake charmers from my constituency to the JAMB office and to help them fish out the snake and weed out snakes from their premises.”

    Sani further said that if a snake could actually swallow N36 million, one day Nigerians may wake up to say that a snake had swallowed the country’s foreign reserve.

    “I believe that my contribution to JAMB will help them fish out snakes within the office.

    “Even if it is a spiritual matter, we believe that these people I brought, they are some of the best snake charmers in the country and they will help in arresting both physical and spiritual snakes if there has been any in the JAMB office.”

    He explained that it was very clear the incident did not happen doing the tenure of the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

    “We are very proud of him. We believe he is someone who should continue to man this agency and he is acting in the right direction.

    “It is good for Nigerians to know this is what has been happening before he came into office. I believe the best thing we can do is to continue to support him.

    “People should understand the story which is very clear and if that is the case, if people, civil servants could have used the opportunity to have been in office to enrich themselves using snake stories.

    “It is high time for all Nigerians to know that there may be even dirty things happening in other places but this place has exposed it for us to see the truth and I’m very much happy about that.

    “We will continue to support him. And as far as we are concerned the story that public funds could be taken away by some people in the name of snake, it is virtually unacceptable.

    Sani thereafter presented cartons of snake repellent and chemicals to the agency.

    In his response, the Spokesperson for JAMB, Mr Fabian Benjamin explained that on assumption of duty, the present registrar discovered that there were a lot of loopholes in the sale of scratch cards.

    “Before the registrar resumed duty, what we were using to register candidates and all other services was scratch cards.

    “We discovered a lot of loopholes, we discovered that staff were exposed to cash and then he stopped the use of scratch cards.

    “The registrar thereafter introduced pin vending. After introducing pin vending, it was natural for him to call for audit or stock taking.

    “After taking stock it was discovered that in some offices they could not account for what they sold, or the card that was left.

    Read More: Snakes, charmers and witch-doctors

    “Ms Philomena Chieshe was entrusted with a number of scratch cards which she sold and N36 million could not be accounted for, when asked she actually said she sold them at the said amount, kept the money in the public vault.

    “According to her, a snake swallowed the money.”

    Benjamin further explained in the spirit of transparency, inclusiveness and openness the agency felt that Nigerians should know what was happening.

    He said Chieshe had been queried and has appeared before a disciplinary committee.

    “A report has been written and sent to the Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu and as soon as that report is approved, she will either be dismissed or handed over to the security agency for proper profiling.

    “At the moment she has been interjected,” Benjamin said.

    He also noted that there was a case in Nasarawa State where the staff claimed on his way to submit the cards, he had an accident and the cards got burnt.

  • FCT community gets 3km CSR road

    FCT community gets 3km CSR road

    Residents of Dawaki, a community in Bwari Area Council, Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ), have lauded the three km road constructed by SCC Nigeria Ltd. as its Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ).

    Residents of the area under the auspices of Amalgamated Dawaki Extension Resident Association ( ADERA ) celebrated the kind gesture during a community meeting on Wednesday.

    Mr Chukwudubem Egbunike, the Chairman of ADERA said that the Dawaki extension main entrance road was in deplorable condition for over 10 years until the company intervened.

    He said that the bad state of the main access road into the area  had over the years affected its social and economic activities and slowed than its development.

    “We are pleased to inform FCT residents that SCC Nigeria Ltd. in line with its Corporate Social Responsibility to the people of Dawaki has graciously constructed a 3-kilometer asphalt access road with drainage.

    Read also: Scorecard of CSR impact in communities

    “ADERA has over time approached all corporate stakeholders in Dawaki District, particularly the construction companies, for provision of basic infrastructure in the district but only SCC Nigeria Ltd. responded to its appeal so far.’’

    Egbunike said that the company few years ago also donated healthcare centre and primary school classrooms to the Dawaki community.

    He therefore urged relevant authorities to officially recognise and commend the company for its positive impact on the communities wherever it was operating in the FCT.

    According to him, such a commendation will serve as a motivation and call to duty to other corporate bodies doing business in the territory thereby reducing the burden of providing infrastructure by government.

    “ADERA hereby request the honourable Minister of FCT to among other things find it worthy to administratively commend SCC Nigeria Ltd. to encourage it to do more.

    “We also call on other corporate stakeholders within Dawaki to emulate this firm by partnering with us in providing street lights, patrol vehicles and containers for the two police posts within the area,” he urged.

    Egbunike said that the community was yet to be connected to the public pipe borne water in the FCT.

    He explained that plans were under way by the community to get the FCT minister to formally commission the newly constructed road.

    NAN