The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ilorin

  • Seadogs sensitise Kwara residents on Lassa fever

    National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) has gone round major markets and motor parks in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, sensitising traders and transporters on Lassa fever.

    The seadogs were at Ipata and Mandate markets, Maraba Motor Park and others distributing fliers and creating awareness on the devastating effect of the disease.

    Speaking with reporters in Ilorin, the state chair of the confraternity’s medial unit, Tunde Dairo said in the last three months no fewer than 11 lives were lost to the disease across the country.

    Dairo said, “We want to create awareness on Lassa fever in Kwara State. We are sensitising the public on the need to cultivate a clean and environmental friendly habit to nip cases of lassa fever in the bud. In Nigeria as a whole we have recorded about eleven deaths from lassa fever. Three cases were discovered in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State and the state government claimed that one case was recorded.

    “Cases of the disease were prevalent in Southsouth and Southwest regions of the country. The preventive measures that we know include avoidance of rodents which is the primary source of infection; wearing of protective materials when caring for infected persons and sensitisation on the public on how to store their foodstuff in their houses.

    “There is little government can do, but we on our part, because we mingle with the people, are carrying out this sensitisation campaigns to the Mandate Market, Maraba, Ipata Market and other public places in Ilorin metropolis.

    “This campaign by our association will be done in major towns and cities of Nigeria just to create awareness on the menace of the disease.”

     

  • Kano targets top three at youth games

    Kano targets top three at youth games

    The Kano State Director of Sports, Malam Bashiru Ahmed, has said that the aim of the state is to surpass it’s previous performance at the Youth Games, holding in Ilorin.

    Ahmed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ilorin, that the state is participating in more individual events.

    “This year’s National Youth Games ( NYG ), Kano is featuring in 15 events and we hope to get medals in 12 events.

    “Last year, we had 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze and I’m sure we’ll improve this year.

    “The state’s target is between 1st to 3rd position.

    “We are participating in more individual sports like swimming, Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Wrestling and I’m optimistic victory is ours” Ahmed said.

    He revealed that Eminike Emeka won a silver for the state in the Gymnastics event.

    “In the Vaulting Exercise of the boy’s gymnastics event, Eminike Emeka brought the state a silver and more is coming.” Ahmed added.

  • Court dissolves marriage over lack of care

    Court dissolves marriage over lack of care

    An Ilorin Area Court on Wednesday dissolved the 4-year-old marriage between Fausat Salihu and her husband, Nureen Salihu, over lack of care.

    The petitioner, a residence of Emir Road, Ilorin, told the court that their marriage was contracted in 2013, and had not produced any child.

    Fausat said that her husband was arrested by the police severally at a gambling centre.

    “My lord, I want an end to this marriage because my husband did not care for me, because I did not bear him any child.

    “He abandoned me for nine months and failed as husband to provide food and money for me, and also denied me sex,” the plaintiff said.

    The respondent, Salihu, did not deny the allegations.

    He prayed the court to separate them, saying that there was no love anymore.

    The Judge, Abdulquadri Ibrahim, dissolved the marriage and issued a certificate of divorce to the petitioner.

  • Doctors Strike: Mixed reactions in Asaba, Ilorin

    Doctors Strike: Mixed reactions in Asaba, Ilorin

    National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) chapter yesterday joined the indefinite strike over alleged cut in salaries.

    NARD  UITH President Ige Alexander, told reporter in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, that out of the 54 teaching hospitals in the federation, the UITH doctors received the least wages.

    Dr Alexander said: “The management of the UITH keeps on slashing our salaries since January 2014 and we are forced to contribute a fraction of the salary which management said is a palliative contribution.

    “We believe contributions should be willingly done and not mandatory. When we complain, we are met with threats.”

    He maintained that UITH resident doctors would use all necessary means to ensure justice.

    “Corruption is no more a big word in Nigeria, we appeal to the Senate to establish a committee to probe the teaching hospitals and see what is going on.

    “We are ready to press legal action and even petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and ICPC,” he said.

    He noted that some of the agitation by the national body of NARD include withdrawal of circular reversing skipping, enrollment of all doctors into IPPIS, payment of arrears of salary shortfall and prevention of further shortfall among others.

    But the action failed yesterday at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Asaba, Delta State where activities were in full swing despite the indefinite strike called by NARD.

    There was initial apprehension among patients when NARD announced an indefinite strike as the health facility had lately been plagued by strike.

    However, the institution’s branch of NARD complied with the stay at home directive of the union’s national body.

    Chairman of NARD at Asaba FMC, Dr. Nosa Uwugiaren, who spoke on phone said his members fully complied with order to embark on industrial action.

    Uwugiaren said resident doctors at the institution would not resume work until there is a contrary order from the national executive.

    However, the presence of other care givers including consultants, nurses and student doctors ensured the impact of the strike was not felt.

    Normal activities were ongoing including patients being taken on admission.

    A nurse who spoke under anonymous condition said the strike by a section of health workers could not paralyse activities at the hospital.

    She said: “Patients are being attended to, those to be admitted are taken on admission. The consultants who are actually the owners of the patients are not on strike. Other health workers are also not on strike, so we will do our best to fill the vacuum created by the absence of resident doctors.”

  • Delta set to defend National Youth Games position

    Delta set to defend National Youth Games position

    The Delta Sports Commission has said the state will win the 3rd edition of the National Youth Games billed to hold in Ilorin, from Sept. 7 to Sept. 17.

    Chairman of the Commission, Chief Tonobok Okowa, who made the declaration at a media briefing Thursday in Asaba, said the state had prepared to repeat the feat it achieved in Abuja in 2013.

    “As a state, we are fully prepared to win the games. Delta state is the defending champion of the National Youth games, having won the maiden edition of the games in Abuja in  2013.

    “At the Abuja edition of the games, Delta came top of the table with 20 gold, 8 silver and 10 bronze medals,” Okowa said.

    The chairman further revealed that Team Delta has gone far in terms of preparations to enable it defend the title.

    He said that the state sport commission would not field over age players as it would strictly abide by the rules specified by organizers of the games.

    “There will be no room for over aged players and also, all the athletes for the games must reside in the state. Delta indigenes living outside the state will be barred from participating.

    “To be qualified for the games, the athletes must be in secondary schools in the state. Anybody who is not qualified will be dismissed,” the chairman said.

    Okowa recalled that at the maiden edition of the game in 2013, Delta came top with 20 golds, 8 silvers and 8 bronze medals, a feat, which was repeated at the second edition with a medal haul of nine gold, seven silver and 10 bronze medals.

    He disclosed that the commission has constituted an 18-member Organizing Committee to properly prepare the athletes and ensure their success.

    Okowa said: “Team Delta as defending champion is set to go to Ilorin and do what she knows best. The athletes and officials are in top form as the governor has provided virtually all the needs of our contigents for effective participation.”

    He said the athletes were presently being camped in Asaba, Oghara, Agbor and Lagos, adding that the state contingent to the Ilorin games would be taking part in 25 sporting events at the games.

    According to him, Delta would be fielding athletes in female volleyball, male and female hockey, basketball, scrabble, wrestling, Volleyball and Badminton.

    Others are, Karate, Squash, Table Tennis, Chess, Golf, Boxing, Taekwondo, Swimming, Cycling, Judo, Para-Athletics, Gymnastics, Weightlifting and Lawn Tennis, Trado-Ayo and Kokowa.

  • Germany to partner NGO on waste to wealth

    Germany to partner NGO on waste to wealth

    The German government has pledged its technical and financial support for a non-governmental organisation, Vicfold Recyclers to convert waste to wealth.

    Vicfold Recyclers, an Ilorin, Kwara State environment-based NGO, specialises in collecting waste, especially plastic bottles from households with a fee being paid in return.

    The German support is in the area of providing machines to Vicfold Recyclers to crush the plastic bottles collected and turn them to useable materials.

    German Ambassador to Nigeria, Bernhard Schlagheck made the pledge in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, during the presentation of the winner of ‘You for G20 Competition’ to Vicfold Recyclers.

    Represented by Press and Diplomacy Officer, German Embassy, Abuja, Nigeria, Ludwig Jung, Mr. Schlagheck said, “Over 200 budget proposals and applications were submitted and after a rigorous selection process Vicfold Recyclers came on top. We are here today to hand over the certificate of ‘You for G20 Competition’ to the NGO and also to pledge support for the project.

    “The German government will support Vicfold Recyclers with equipment and machines for the processing of all the waste to useful materials.

    It has submitted proposals for the upscaling of the NGO and we will support that. We will support the project not only symbolically but financially.”

    Founder of VicFold Recyclers, Victor Amusa hailed the decision of the German government to assist his fledging NGO.

    Amusa said, “It is surprising that this event is holding today. It actually goes to show that little effort counts. Right actions taken towards sustainability someday get rewarded, because when we saw the contest for ‘you for G20 competition,’ it all happened in the confines of our room. It dawned on us on how else we need to put what we do out.. We had 19,368 votes. The internet community was wonderful. To us at our local corner here in Ilorin, there is this belief by the internet community.

    “The passion is there, but the support was no longer there. Most times I used the car for our logistics to convey waste here, then we would get back to car wash for cleaning up. It got to a time we stopped washing it. The ‘You for G20 competition’ winning came to us as a

    moral booster.  There is no way we can right the history of Vicfold Recyclers without remembering the German mission. They have been very wonderful.

    “Let me also add that the problem of plastic waste is that of portability. We looked a situation when we are taking waste from you you get an alert immediately. It is has been wonderful. Each time we reward our subscribers, you see the joy, happiness and inner fulfilment from them.

    “We are going to make the German mission proud of its decision to select our project out of the over 200 applicants. When we make them proud it will open opportunities for the teaming young population we have. It is going to get our hands busy and make the economy of our state gets buoyant. It is also put food on the table of the unemployed women. We are so particular about the women because when you feed a woman you will feed a nation.”

  • Three storey building collapses in Ilorin

    Three storey building collapses in Ilorin

    Three people have been injured as a four storey building under construction unexpectedly collapsed Friday on Sulu Gambari Road, Ilorin, Kwara State.

    The building was to be used as hotel.

    It collapsed at about 11am leaving three persons; all of them site workers, injured.

    They were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

  • Man seeks marriage dissolution over wife’s promiscuity

    Man seeks marriage dissolution over wife’s promiscuity

    A 40-year-old man, Ibrahim Salaty, on Thursday begged an Ilorin Area Court to dissolve his marriage, citing his wife’s promiscuous habit.

    Salaty told court that his wife, a mother of three was so promiscuous and was also not submitting to his orders at home.

    He pleaded for the dissolution of the marriage because he could no longer live with “a way-ward wife’’.

    Asked what he meant by waywardness, the divorce-seeking man explained that his wife was keeping many lovers.

    However, in her reply, the wife, named Hafsat, denied the allegations, begging court not to grant the request of her husband.

    She said that she was not ready for divorce, pleading with the judge to prevail on the petitioner not to divorce her for the sake of their children.

    Hafsat pledged to turn a new leaf if given another opportunity.

    In his ruling, the Judge, Abdulquadir Ibrahim, granted the request of the respondent to initiate a reconciliatory move.

    He adjourned the case until Sept. 25 for a report on settlement.

  • Thunderstorms, cloudy weather to prevail on Wednesday – NiMet

    Thunderstorms, cloudy weather to prevail on Wednesday – NiMet

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted morning thunderstorms over the Central states on Wednesday with isolated thunderstorms over Bauchi, Jos, Kaduna, Mambila Plateau, Bida, Ilorin, Lafia and Abuja later in the day.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Tuesday in Abuja also predicted day and night temperatures of 26 to 30 and 16 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

    The agency predicted that Southern states would experience cloudy conditions over the southwestern cities with prospects of isolated rains over the Southeast during the morning hours.

    It also predicted prospects of rains over the region in the afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperatures of 27 to 30 and 21 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

    According to NiMet, Northern states will experience morning cloudy conditions over Sokoto, Yelwa and Gusau with prospects of isolated thunderstorms over Katsina, Kano and the Northeastern region.

    “During the afternoon period, Northeast and parts of Northwest Sokoto, Kebbi and Kano will experience isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon with day and night temperatures of 29 to 30 and 21 to 22 degrees Celsius respectively.

    “Increased atmospheric instability leading to buildup of weather systems over the Country is expected to enhance rainfall activities within the next 24 hours,’’ NiMet predicted.

     

  • Worries as 30 killed in Ilorin cult clashes

    The increasing incidents of bloody street brawls by rival cult clashes in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, have become a cause for worry in the state. That was why stakeholders drawn from the state police command, Department of State Services (DSS) and a socio-cultural organisation, Ilorin Emirate Descendants’ Progressives Union (IEDPU) recently met in Ilorin, to discuss way out of the menace.

    During the meeting, IEDPU, an umbrella body of the Ilorin emirate revealed that no fewer than 30 persons have been allegedly killed in cult-related clashes in the last six months in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

    The union therefore asked members of various communities in the emirate to expose members of suspected secret cult in their areas. It added that the killings were allegedly carried out by rival cult groups in various parts of the state.

    The union also asked the communities to name those involved in sales of liquor in prohibited communities and those involved in smoking of cannabis sativa and other prohibited substances as step towards of eradication.

    Addressing a security stakeholders meeting held at the union’s national secretariat, Ilorin, its national president, Alhaji Abdulhamid Adi, expressed sadness that Ilorin emirate which was

    hitherto known for peace and harmony has been turned into a theatre of war.

    ‘‘The level of criminality is getting worrisome within the metropolis. In the last 6 months more than 30 lives were wasted by cultist.

    “Notorious areas include Agbo-Oba , Gada, Edun, Gambari, and Ajikobi. The latest ones about two weeks ago were at Okesuna, Stadium, etc,” he said.

    Adi said the union conveyed the stakeholders meeting to rob minds with stakeholders on how to nip the alarming trend in the bud.

    To address the menace, Chairman, IEDPU Security committee, Ambassador Usman Abduazeez said unless the members of every community volunteer to purge their areas of crimes the anti-cult war and other prevailing security challenges might be difficult to win.

    He urged every community to come up with the lists of suspected cult members and criminal in their community for security agencies to act upon.

    Abdulazeez warned against taking the law into their hands.

    ‘B’ Division District Police Officer (DPO), Mukaila Yusuf said over the years measures had not been taking to address the menace.

    Mr. Yusuf added, saying, “It is established fact that in Ilorin, in particular, the issue of cultism is not restricted to students alone, but artisans are major culprits.”

    He therefore urged heads of artisans to monitor and train their apprentices on the dangers inherent in cultism.

    He disclosed that the Kwara state government recently empowered the command with vehicle to strengthen the operational strategies of the anti-cultism unit of the command, adding, “That is currently yielding positive result.”

    He said, “This has led to the arrest of known cultists in the metropolis and the exercise continues. It is therefore imperative on the part of all in the society to de-emphasise [thuggish acts] and celebration of violence and shift attention to positive societal values which will enhance positive growth.”