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Tag: Governor Abdulaziz Yari

  • 40 feared killed as bandits attack Zamfara communities

    RENEWED attacks by bandits on two communities have allegedly claimed 40 lives in Zamfara State.

    The attacks came less than 24 hours after Governor Abdulaziz Yari swore to deal with bandits troubling the Northcentral state.

    Governor Yari also directed security agencies to unmask those behind such attacks and bring them to justice.

    The fresh attacks occurred on Sunday afternoon in Danjibga and other communities, in Shinkafi and Anka local government areas.

    The bandits reportedly operated on motorcycles.

    Read also: PDP to petition UN over role of military in elections

    The Police Public Relation Officer in Zamfara State, Muhammad Shehu, a Seperintendent of Police (SP), could not ascertain the casualty figures and the extent of damage in the affected communities.

    He told reporters that a news conference will be held later on the development.

    When contacted on phone Army spokesman of the Operation Sharar Daji, Major Clement Abiade, confirmed the incidents, saying  the casualty figures will be released later.

    According to him, the commander in charge of the operation had arrived in the area to provide security and to assess the situation.

  • Yari responsible for what led to polls postponement, says Marafa

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa (APC, Zamfara), on Sunday alleged that Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, should be held responsible for the sabotage that led to the postponement of the country’s general elections.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on the day of the presidential and national assembly elections, announced the postponement of the exercise by a week, blaming logistics challenges.

    Marafa in a statement on Sunday, while describing the postponement as unfortunate, said Yari should be held responsible for it.

    He said Yari boasted that if his candidates were not included in the ballot paper, there won’t be elections in the country.

    He said, “During the grand finale of his illegal campaign rallies in his hometown, Talata Mafara, Zamfara on Friday, 8th February, he rained abuses and said unprintable things on the person of INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood, and swore that unless his candidates are enlisted to contest,  there won’t be Elections in Zamfara state and the entire country. Now it has come to pass, what next?

    “I’m calling on the authorities to hold Yari and his accomplices responsible for this tresaonable sabotage against the country, Nigerians and humanity in general. Just search on the internet, including YouTube, you will see the stories and videos of where Yari stated emphatically that unless his candidates are accepted, elections won’t hold in zamfara state and Nigeria.”

    Marafa recalled that, “When Yari conducted illegal primaries, I drew the attention of Nigerians and the world on the dangers inherent in accepting that abuse of our laws, instead of being reprimanded, Yari went ahead to the courts to legalise his illegality. Today, the APC  has abandoned its earlier position, that its only had a consensus, to supporting Yari’s illegal election. This is very sad and unfortunate.

    “I am not surprised that immediately after the announcement of the postponement, Yari’s boys rushed to the media, radio stations jubilating that they have succeeded. This unfortunate incidence should be probed and condemned by all lovers of the country.

    This is the time to tell Yari and his co-travelers, that Nigeria is bigger than them and their collective ambitions.

    He added that, “Yari’s position, that if he doesn’t get it, nobody should, is against the teachings of Islam, our laws and morality combined.”

    Marafa, a leading APC governorship aspirant in Zamfara, said: ” only a positive pronouncement from the court of appeal, not the desperation of a satanic lawyer and a mad Gov or any body can change the status quo of Zamfara APC”

  • Governor Yari, NGF and outstanding leadership

    Governor Yari, NGF and outstanding leadership

    Recently, I read an article titled, “Governor Yari and his billionaire boys’ club”, written by a columnist, Niran Adedokun. This article is specifically authored to address the cursory observations, unfair assessments, subjective expressions, misleading accounts, ignorant remarks and the preposterous conclusion that have been noted therein.

    It is a matter of public records that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum was sharply divided into two factions before the emergence of Governor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara State as the Chairman of NGF. The inauguration of new chairman did not automatically translate to a united NGF. What happened was that Governor Yari engineered and coordinated a reconciliatory process that has cemented the bond of unity among the 36 governors, beyond the barriers of political affiliations, religious beliefs and ethnic differences. It was that intervention that saved Nigerians from the tension that used to stem out weekly from the activities of NGF. Under the leadership of Governor Yari, the Forum has played remarkable roles in ensuring the sustainability of democracy as its unity has in turn led to stability in the polity and unity of the Nation.

    Under the leadership of Governor Yari, the idea of the NGF Leadership Academy, with the responsibility of building capacity of Governors and other public office holders, has received boost. In the drive aimed at diversification and job creation, the NGF has made agriculture a priority. The gains of its efforts on Agricultural Machinery Development with the China-Africa Machinery Company clearly confirmed the NGF has taken agriculture seriously. Nothing showed clearer that Niran Adedokun has paltry insight about the activities of the NGF than the fact that he tried to suggest the actual priorities of the NGF for the NGF.

    Does it not betray common sense for anyone to say the chairmanship of a man who is steadily navigating NGF on the path of progress is one of the most unfortunate contradictions of our current political experience? Niran Adedokun can choose to be ignorant by choice but, he cannot write away the achievements of Governor Yari, both as governor and chairman of NGF.

    Whereas, it is okay to compare the National Governors Association (NGA) in United States of America to the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF). Such comparison should be fair enough to reflect that while the NGA is 109 years old, the NGF is just 18 years old. As a Forum of just 18 years old, the NGF is doing pretty well.

    Due to his own interpretation of what Governor Yari said during the outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis in Nigeria, coupled with the governor’s statement that he will recruit more qualified doctors and nurses because the Zamfara State needed their services, the writer concluded that the governor’s concept of development is pedestrian.

    Perhaps, the writer is unaware that one of the reasons why the governor has embarked on the recruitment of doctors and nurses is because the governor has built more hospitals in the past few years. Even if the governor will not be commended for recruiting staff for newly-built hospitals, there is no justifiable cause to label him as pedestrian governor.

    On the issue of the meningitis outbreak, Governor Yari did not say God was punishing Nigerians with the virus. Though, he alluded to God’s power to inflict afflictions on sinners. It should be noted that the governor made his comment in Hausa which gave room for divergent and wide interpretations.

    Meanwhile, records showed that the virus affect 226 local government areas in 24 states. The Federal Government said the outbreak took the Nation by surprise and confirmed that there were limited stock of the vaccines around the world.

    When suspected cases of the disease were reported in Zamfara State, the governor did not fold his arms or wait unto Allah to halt the outbreak. The governor understood his responsibility and immediately took practical steps to curtail the outbreak. The Zamfara State Government worked in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to control and curtail the outbreak.

    Without delay, a committee-led by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Abdullahi Shinkafi was designated to create massive awareness on the disease. The committee did a fantastic job. 1,344 persons were immediately trained as vaccinators and deployed to the nooks and crannies of the State. I strongly believe that if the Type C meningitis vaccines were readily available around the world, even at exorbitant cost, the efforts of the Governor Yari-led administration would have saved more lives. Thus, the governor did what any responsible governor in Nigeria would have done.

    When few hours of downpour sacked residents of some communities in Lagos State and destroyed properties recently, would anyone have been reasonable to describe Governor Akinwunmi Ambode as a pedestrian governor?  Similarly, would it have been justifiable for anyone to label Governor Nasir El-rufai as pedestrian governor because thousands of persons have been reportedly killed in Southern Kaduna in the past few months? That article showed beyond any iota of doubt that the writer has a skewed mindset.

    Furthermore, to reecho an allegation that the governor built a hotel in Lagos while deliberately ignoring the published reaction that the governor has neither a plot nor hotel in Lagos, suggests a malleable writer on a commissioned mission.

    In the past six years, the people of Zamfara State can attest to improved socio-economic activities. The State has witnessed commendable progress in the sectors of healthcare, roads, education and agriculture and transformation of rural communities. People from within and outside the State have commended the governor for executing people-oriented projects.

    Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari visited the state to launch new special military formation that was established to address security challenges. He also commissioned road projects in Wanke, Zamfara State. Also, Senate President Bukola Saraki was in Zamfara State in January to flag-off the construction of the Dauran-Birnin, Tsaba Birnin and Magaji Kauran Namoda roads.

    Recently, Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde paid a working visit to Zamfara State to commission electrification projects at Adarawa, Garguwa, Rakuma, Rafin Dankure and Tsamiya. The minister also inaugurated water works at Garbadu and Mure areas of the State.

    It is also on record that the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun recently inaugurated Semi-Urban Water Scheme Projects in Dauran and Kanwa communities in Zurmi Local Government Areas of the State. The inaugurated projects are parts of the 84 of such water projects the governor has constructed in the past six years. The APC chairman also commissioned hospital in Moriki community.

    The collaboration between the Zamfara State Government, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Presidential Committee on Malaria Illumination has recorded huge success in the fight against malaria. Also, the governor launched a special dry season rice production programme in Gummi Town on 28th of February. Under the scheme, 2150 hectares were allocated to 2150 beneficiaries for farming.

    Additionally, the governor has regularly organised trainings and workshops for teachers in the State. He also embarked on the recruitment of 1,000 teachers for primary education. The massive road construction ongoing in Zamfara has provided employment opportunities to over 1,000 citizens while the improved road network in the State has enhanced the capacity of the State in the area of food production.

    Finally, the governor that has these achievements to his credit cannot be labelled pedestrian governor by any standard. Adjectives like outstanding and exceptional are apt and appropriate. It is noteworthy that NGF is not a mere club of governors but forum for public policy discussions that is guided by the core mandate of promoting inclusive governance.

    The outstanding governor that leads the forum has exhibited the needed intellectual fecundity and unimpeachable capacity to lead the NGF on the path of steady progress.

    Written by Bayo Adekunle

    bayoadekunle04@gmail.com

  • Zamfara police rescue 41 abducted persons

    The police in Zamfara have announced the rescue of 41 persons kidnapped last week by armed bandits in Maru local government area of the state.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr Shaba Alkali, made the announcement on Wednesday in Gusau while addressing newsmen.

    He said that the 41 kidnapped victims including a police inspector from the state command were returned in good condition of health, adding that no ransom was paid to facilitate their release.

    He explained that `security strategic measures’ employed by joint security personnel who mounted pressure on the hoodlums facilitated the safe return of the victims.

    Alkali warned armed bandits operating in the state to relocate or surrender, saying “very soon we are going to come out in full force to fight them.”

    According to earlier reports, the abductors told Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara to release 400 cows recovered from them by the joint security patrol before they would release the 41 victims.

  • Impeachment process against me selfish – Yari

    Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State said yesterday that the grievances of the state legislators, which led to the impeachment process against him, were personal, selfish and against public interest.

    Yari told reporters in Gusau that contrary to claims by the legislators, he has never spent a kobo of public fund without legislative approval.

    “There has never been any bill brought to me by the House of Assembly that l did not assent to nor have I ever spent money without their approval,” he said.

    He also dismissed as false allegation by the lawmakers that he had refused to see them to discuss matters of public interest.

    He explained that the legislators were not able to see him because they did not follow the “right channel”.

    “This failure of the legislators to follow the right channel led to the people of the state to suspect that the lawmakers were planning evil,” the governor said.

    He said that he had always had a cordial working relationship with them.

    “As members of the same political party, we have always discussed the problems and prospects of our party and proffered solutions. At the moment, the only challenge we have is that of security, which we are now adequately addressing with help from the Federal Government.”

    The governor maintained that the issues raised by the legislators for his impeachment were not his to resolve as his party -All Progressives Congress (APC) – has a mechanism in place that handles such issues.