The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jigawa

  • Buji LG immunises 41,800 children against polio

    Buji LG immunises 41,800 children against polio

    Buji Local Government Area of Jigawa has immunised 41, 800 children against poliomyelitis between Feb.24 and 28.

    The Manager, National Programme on Immunisation (NPI), Buji Local Government, Alhaji Abdulhammid Kudai, disclosed while addressing newsmen in Dutse on Thursday.

    Kudai noted that parents had turned up en masse and presented their children for the immunisation in the recent exercise

    He pledged that the council will not relent in its efforts to ensure that every child in the area is immunised against the wild virus.

    The manager thanked traditional rulers and religious leaders in the area for their support to the officials of NPI.

    Kudai advised those that did not present their children in the last round to please do so in the upcoming one.

    He described the immunisation in Buji Local Government as successful and hitch free.

     

  • Jigawa council earmarks N27m for projects

    On Tuesday, Alhaji Yusif Kirikasamma, Acting Chairman, Jahun Local Government Council of Jigawa said they have earmarked over N27million for the provision of water and construction of drains.

    He said that the council would provide water in 11 wards at the cost of N4.2 million, while N6 million would be spent for the rehabilitation of Idanduna boreholes.

    The chairman said that N2.7 million would be spent on the construction of drains at Harbo Tsohuwa, while the construction of one block of Islamiyya School at Chiromawar Kanwa would gulp N2.7 million.

     

  • Police arrest 35 suspects in Jigawa

    Police arrest 35 suspects in Jigawa

    THE police in Jigawa State arrested and charged 35 suspects to court between January and February.
    Commissioner of Police Rasheed Akinunde stated this when he addressed reporters after the monthly officers meeting and review.
    Akinunde described kidnapping and robbery, as well as rape at the Gwaram and Taura axis “as the most notable challenges of the command”.
    “The police rescued four abducted persons and arrested three kidnappers. We also arrested six suspected armed robbers and six rapists in the period under review.
    “The command recorded one homicide case, seven armed robbery cases, four kidnapping, six rape cases, and one case of impersonation and illegal possession of fire arms.
    “The police concluded preliminary investigation and charged all the suspects to court for prosecution,” Akinunde said.
    Rasheed maintained that the achievements was because of the command’s efforts in curtailing crime as a Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is deployed in Gwaram and other high risk areas.
    He praised the government, people, policemen and other stakeholders for their support to the command.

  • NTA Dutse wins inter-media football competition

    The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Dutse has emerged winner of the Inter Media Football competition organised by the Jigawa Council of NUJ.

    The NUJ Chairman in the state, Malam Sunusi Madobi, disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday.

    Madobi said NTA defeated Radio Jigawa 1-0 to win the competition, which was organised for all chapels of NUJ in the state.

    He said the chapels that participated in the competition included NTA Dutse, Radio Jigawa, Freedom Radio, Horizon Radio and the Jigawa State Ministry of Information.

    The chairman said the competition was organised to foster unity and understanding among practicing journalists in the state.

    Madobi announced that the competition was the first of its kind since the creation of the state in 1991.

    He commended all the chapels that participated in the competition.

    He said the council would seek for sponsors to enable it to organise more of the competition in future.

  • Jigawa: Health centres, few personnel

    Jigawa: Health centres, few personnel

    tHEIRS is not lack of facilities. Jigawa State boasts a number of medical facilities even at the grassroots, but the problem is that the facilities have far too few personnel and too little equipment and drugs to be of much help to the residents.

    Buji Local Government Area with a population of 92,371, made up of crop farmers and Fulani herdsmen, is an example. Its headquarters, Gantsa, hosts local, state and even federal agencies such the police and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among others.

    The sore point, though, is that its health centres ar e essentially dysfunctional due to lack of human and  material resources.

    Gantsa has a 22-bed capacity hospital sited in a strategic location the town but it is managed by only two persons who boast Community Health Workers qualifications.

    The 22-bed capacity facility, recently renovated, caters to over 18 villages and so many Fulani settlements.

    Investigations conducted by our reporter revealed that a substantial  number of patients particularly expectant women and children attend the hospital every day for ante-natal and post-natal care, while other patients also visit the hospital for their health needs.

    Our reporter was in the clinic to  cover an event organised by some communities in the local government area under the aegis of the Wards Development Committee (WDC) supported by Save the Children, a non-governmental organisation.

    It was observed that there was a large number of patients, majority of  whom were women and children. It was also noticed that they looked  distressed on a long queue without being attended to.

    Findings in the health centre revealed that the expectant mothers and their children presented malaria, typhoid, diarrhoea and other child-related cases.

    The WDC was in the area to mobilise and enlighten women and their husbands on the importance of safe motherhood.

  • Kano arrests 966 for street begging

    Kano arrests 966 for street begging

    The Kano State Hisbah Board, on Thursday said it had arrested 966 beggars in January for allegedly violating the law banning street begging on major streets of the state capital.

    According to Malam Musa Tsangaya, the officer in charge of the Anti-begging Unit of the board, 203 of those arrested were children while 755 were adults.

    “Our men arrested 966 street beggars around Bank Road, Civic Centre, Dangi Junction, Luggard Road and Magwan Junction violating the law banning street begging in Kano metropolis.

    “Out of the 966 beggars, 755 were adults, both male and female, while 203 were children who engaged in begging in by the road sides and in the premises of major businesses,” Tsangaya said.

    He stated that 390 of the arrested beggars hailed from Kano city, while 576 were from Jigawa, Katsina and Kebbi.

    According to him, the remaining three are from Cameroon and Niger Republic.

  • Jigawa: Rice farmers get N375m loans from Govt.

    Jigawa: Rice farmers get N375m loans from Govt.

    The Jigawa Government on Thursday said it had disbursed N375 million loan to farmers to accelerate paddy rice production.

    The Commissioner of Agriculture, Alhaji Kabir Ali, said this at the inauguration of the pilot rice trading Centre project in Auyo, Jigawa.

    Ali said the loans were disbursed to registered farmers under the Farm Cluster scheme during the last cropping season.

    He explained that fertiliser, seeds, chemicals and farm inputs were given to the farmers under a soft loan revolving scheme designed to enhance agricultural financing.

    “We disbursed over N375 million loans to the farmers. We have so far recovered about 73 per cent of the loans,” he said.

    “The state government had also distributed fertiliser, seeds and inputs to rice and wheat growers for the current dry season activity.

    “Government initiated various programmes to expose farmers to modern farming and processing techniques, enhance their enterprising skills and add value to their produce,’’ he said.

    Ali commended the farmers over the prompt settlement of the loans, adding that the gesture indicated farmers’ support to government programmes.

    The commissioner called on farmers to off-set the remaining balance of the loan to facilitate its sustainability and mobilise participation in the programme.

    Statistics from the state’s Ministry of Agriculture showed that 36, 250 farmer clusters were registered and incorporated into the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrower scheme in the state.

     

  • Looming displacement in Jigawa

    SIR: Yakubu Mato is a peasant farmer in Danmadai village under Gagarawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Like hundreds of thousands of people living in this semi-arid, Sahel-savannah region, Yakubu relies on subsistent farming to earn a living for his large family of 27. Every rainy season, he grows millet, guinea corn and sorghum for food, as well as cash crops like sesame seeds and sorrel or local zobo, which he sells to earn cash which he uses to cater for his family needs.  The people of this area have no other occupation or ways of earning a living, apart from this rain-induced farming that normally lasts for three months.

    This had been the way of life in the area until one Chinese businessman convinced the state government to sell him 12,000 hectares (about 22 kilometres, cutting across 36 communities) of the farmers’ land, ostensibly to grow sugarcane on commercial scale. But then, as they say, the devil is in the detail; this “investment” has raised so many unanswered questions and suspicions.

    First of all, the state government rushed and unilaterally issued a certificate of land ownership on the said land to the Chinese company without bothering to consult the affected landowners, despite the fact that this is solely a private investment by a private company in which the state government has no share or partnership agreement. Ideally, the state government should only play the role of an observer, allowing the Chinese firm to meet the farmers one on one to purchase the land directly from them, and, as the representative of its people, to make sure the citizens are not cheated or short-changed in the process. Instead, the government is acting as an agent of the Chinese company, and resorted to employing threat and intimidation to force the farmers to accept this land grab deal and surrender their lands of ancestry to a foreigner.  This is a company that has no history in farming or sugarcane growing business.

    Why is the state government insisting on full ownership of the land by the Chinese business man, instead of going for outgrower scheme as obtained in other places, where the local farm owners would be empowered to grow the crops on their land and then sell the products to the Chinese firm? Why can’t they acquire the land on a lease arrangement in which the farmers’ fear of losing their lands would be assuaged? What benefit will the state or the people derive from this that the government is staking everything, including its goodwill and popularity, to make sure this unpopular arrangement gets through, even at the expense of its own citizens?

    We are more concerned about the imminent consequences of this unwise decision by the state government. If the Chinese succeed in taking over this vast land, there will be a massive displacement of the people whose entire existence depends on their farms. It is estimated that about 160,000 people would lose their means of livelihood across the four local government areas of Gagarawa, Taura, Garki and Sule Tankarkar, with over 80 per cent of them within Gagarawa local government.  I wonder what sense of development would lead a government to displace this huge number of people in the name of bringing a foreign investor! Shouldn’t development be people-centred? And what is so beneficial in locating sugarcane plantation in the state when weighed against the resultant consequences of human displacement? Have the state government officials that are so overtaken by the euphoria of investment ever pondered on this?

    Government’s dreary argument that it is taking the land on the “overriding public interest” is laughable. When did a private person’s business enterprise become a matter of overriding public interest? And, which provision of the Land Use Act says a government can take land from a private individual and give to another person? This is clearly an infringement of the rights of these hapless masses by the very government they worked hard to bring into power.

    Democratic governments, anywhere in the world, are elected to serve and protect the interest of their people against all odds. But, is the current action by the Jigawa State government in tandem with or a direct opposite to this lofty essence of democracy?

     

    • Hamisu Gumel,

    Gumel, Jigawa State.

  • Woman delivers sextuplets in Jigawa

    A 44-year-old woman, Hanne Sulaiman, has given birth to sextuplets in Dutse, Jigawa, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    NAN reports that the delivery of the sextuplets came barely 18 years after the woman gave birth to a set of twins.

    The delivery occurred at Dantaye village in Dutse Local Government Area of the state.

    The development came as a surprise among the inhabitants of Dantaye settlement, who viewed the delivery as extraordinary.

    NAN reports that hundreds of people trooped to the General Hospital Dutse to see the woman.

    A 60-year-old Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA), who took delivery of the first two babies some minutes after 12 a.m. on Jan. 15, told NAN on Wednesday that she had never came across such incident throughout her experience.

    “When she delivered, one was alive and one was dead, but after some minutes the other died too,’’ she however said.

    Ms Aziba Rebecca, a health worker at the Basic Health Clinic Sakwaya, who took the delivery of the second two babies on Jan. 16, also told NAN that the woman delivered at about 5 p.m.

    Rebecca, a trained Community Birth Attendant (CBA), further said that the woman was later referred to General Hospital Dutse, for proper medical attention.

    “She was brought to this facility between 3 p.m and 4 p.m., after she gave birth to two babies at home.

    “She also delivered two babies here, all males, one alive one dead, but before we referred her to Dutse, the other died also,’’ she said.

    Hajiya Hajara Bello, a Midwife in-charge of Maternity Ward in Dutse General Hospital, confirmed to NAN that Mrs Sulaiman was received on referral from Sakwaya Basic Health Clinic.

    “She was checked and discharged from the general hospital. But she was brought back the following day where she delivered the sixth baby at about 8.30 a.m.

    “We will check her Packed Cell Volume (PCV), and if there is no problem, we discharge her to go home and rest,” Bello said.

    Malam Halliru Sulaiman, the husband of the woman, who confirmed the development, told NAN that his wife gave birth to six babies, but they all died.

    “But we have left everything to Allah, the Giver and Taker,” said Sulaiman.

    Mrs Sulaiman, who looked healthy and strong, told NAN correspondent who visited her in Dutse General Hospital Dutse that she has been attending antenatal when the pregnancy was four months old.

    “But I am feeling okay now; no pain anywhere on my body. I have left everything to Almighty Allah as I already have five children alive,” she said.

  • Shock, sadness as Reps seek probe IDP camp bombing

    Shock, sadness as Reps seek probe IDP camp bombing

    Divergent opinions of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) were expressed by members of the House of Representatives yesterday following Tuesday’s accidental bombing of an Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camp in Rann, Kale Balge Local Government Area of Borno State.

    With scores reportedly dead and hundreds injured, the lawmakers were in support of a thorough investigation of the incidence with a view of preventing future occurrence.

    Several others said the NAF should not be condemned as such unfortunate incidences are not uncommon in conflict situations.

    Following the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance on the accidental bombing by Sani Zorro (APC, Jigawa), the House resolved to constitute a 10-member Committee selected from committees on IDPs, Refugees and Initiatives on the North East, Army,  Air Force, Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Assistance and Health Services to among other things:

    Visit the scene of the disaster and ascertain the level of response of emergency assistance needed by the surviving victims of the air strike and members of their immediate families.

    Ascertain the extent to which emergency and adequate health services are being extended to the surviving victims of the mishap.

    In his submission, Zorro noted with regret and sadness the deaths of yet-to-be ascertained the number of internally displaced persons (IDP) and injury suffered by hundreds of others including humanitarian workers following the accidental air raid on an IDP site at Rann, Kale Balge Local government areas of Borno State.

    According to him the preliminary explanation by the Armed Forces command was that the incident was not a deliberate act of targeting, nor a hostile act on the civilian population whose lives it had the duty to safeguard and protect.

    He said: “While we are aware of claims and counter claims among humanitarian actors and the media surrounding the actual casualty figure so far recorded in the wake of the incident, we should be mindful of the need to ascertain whether the air strike was in accordance with strict observance of the Rules of Engagement (ROE) under air law and as enshrined under International Humanitarian Law (IHL), otherwise known as the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC)”.

    While many of the lawmakers described the incidence as sad, unfortunate and irresponsible of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), a few said the incidence was not enough to jump into conclusion and condemn the military.

    Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu) argued that the country has never recorded any instance of deliberate incidence like this. “What we should ask for at this point in time is what measures to put be in place to prevent reoccurrence

    “We should not subject the NAF to such demeaning condemnation and I don’t see the need for any investigation.

    “The House should rather call on the Armed Forces to take appropriate measure to avert such reoccurrence and brief the House on such measures”.

    Emmanuel Oker-Jev (APC, Benue) speaking in the same vein, however, emphasised that it will be unfortunate to conclude that the incidence was deliberate.

    “What is needed to be done is to improve their intelligence gathering because wrong intelligence report can lead to disaster.

    “The Borno incidence is unfortunate but can happen anywhere, this should not lead to condemnation of our military”.

    Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma (PDP, Edo) it was no time to point fingers and castigate the military which makes the investigation of the incidence inevitable.

    “How do we know if it was an error or otherwise? We should not jump into conclusion and this is not the time to point fingers and castigate anyone. The investigation should be conducted with no sentiments”.

    Mohammed Sani (APC, Bauchi) said though the incidence was unfortunate, issue of friendly fire is not uncommon in situations like this.

    He said major concern should be on the quality of intelligence gathering among and within the security agencies should be questioned, because the level of error should be zero or minimal.

    He canvassed for proper coordination and intelligence sharing among securiry agencies as well as proper administration and delineation of IDP camps.

    Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP, Abia) said, “Only recently our military was celebrated over the capture of Sambisa but we should know this is not a conventional war. The entire intelligence coordination of our security agencies should be looked into”.

    Nasir Ali Ahmed (APC, Kano ) also noted that with all their sophistication many advanced countries have recorded collateral damages during conflicts. “Proper marking or mapping of IDP camps would have prevented this incidence,” he added.

    Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa) said the military has performed well in the past but regretted the incidence as unfortunate. “Other IDPs are now apprehensive because they feel they might be mistaken for insurgents.
    NAF should be more cautious
    Investigate,” he noted.

    On the other hand, Anayo Nnebe (PDP, Anambra) described the incidence as sad and irresponsible of the NAF to say it was accidental. “NAF has not done well, there is need to investigate it thoroughly,” he added.

    Shuaibu Abdulrahman (APC, Adamawa) said the accidental bombing was pathetic at a time the military was being praised for doing well in the Northeast. “We need to know if it was really an accident,” he said.

    On his part, Aminu Shagari (APC, Sokoto) noted that the Nigerian military has always  been very careful in their operations, “That is why it should be investigated to find out if it was deliberate, negligence or an error, so that appropriate punishment is served to serve as deterrence,” he said.

    The motion was unanimously adopted after it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.

    Similarly, the House also condemned the twin bomb d blasts by Boko Haram at the University of Maiduguri Monday and have urged the security agencies in the State to intensify intelligence gathering operations with adequate protective measures put in place around tertiary institutions in Borno State to avoid the occurrence of a similar attack.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was also urged to pay the medical expenses of the injured persons.