The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kaduna state

  • ‘Hawking, petty trading exposes girl-child to sexual violence’

    Hawking and petty trading is largely responsible for the alarming rate of sexual violence against the girl-child, Ms Jamila Eneika, the founder El-meela Heritage Support Foundation, an NGO, has said

    Eneika made the remark on Friday in Kaduna during a sensitisation campaign on child right protection with the theme: “Get Involved’’ organised by the NGO.

    She said that the practice exposed the girl-child to all forms of abuse by unsuspecting neighbours and people in the street, who take advantage of their innocence to sexually abuse them.

    “The girl-child is most vulnerable to sexual violence because she is usually sent to hawk goods on the streets instead of going to school and she is thus exposed to hooligans.”

    She added that such hooligans could take advantage of the girl-child and rape her.

    Eneika expressed sadness that several cases of rape of the girl-child were not reported because of fear of being stigmatised by the society.

    She alleged that most times security agents frustrate efforts of complainants in such cases, since the victims were usually the less privileged.

    She called on parents to take advantage of cfree education programme to enrol their girl-child in schools to protect them from sexual violence.

    She noted that free education programme of the government had assisted parents with the burden of tuition fees, buying school of uniforms, feeding and other sundry charges.

    Eneika said that her foundation was partnering with Child Protection Network to sensitise women on sexual violence and how to report cases of abuse.

    She said the sensitisation was necessary as parents needed to know that it was not embarrassing to educate their child on issues relating to sex.

    She said that the girl-child must be empowered with entrepreneurial skills to break the cycle of poverty which exposes them to sexual abuse.

    She called for stricter punishment for offenders.

     

  • Council sets up nutrition committee, trains 48 health workers

    Ikara Local Government of Kaduna State has set up Food and Nutrition Committee to curb rising cases of acute malnutrition in the area.

    The Nutrition Focal Person in the council, Mrs Theresa Marcus, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Friday.

    Marcus explained that the committee is made up of civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, youths and local government officials.

    She said that the council had also organised a five-day training for 48 health officers on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), which opened on May 2.

    She added that the council earmarked N250,000 for the committee to implement its work plan, in line with the state’s work plan on nutrition.

    According to her, the money will be released monthly to address the increasing
    cases of malnourished children in the area, which she described as alarming.

    Miss Jessica Bartholomew, a Nutrition Officer, Positive Hope Support and Care Initiative, a Kaduna-based NGO supporting the fight against malnutrition, poverty and HIV and AIDS in the area, described malnutrition indices in the area as disturbing.

    She, however, commended the council for the efforts, particularly the immediate past Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alhaji Bayyabu Paki, who facilitated the allocation and timely release of funds to tackle the problem.

    Bartholomew revealed that a recent survey in the area helped to uncover more than six cases of acute malnourished children in less than a week, adding that the number kept increasing by the day.

    She said “these children would die if not treated. Although we have been able to place most of them on treatment, some parents rejected the offer.

    “Not only that, there are hundreds of malnourished children out there that are yet to be discovered.”

    The nutritionist said that with support from another NGO, Save the Children, the Food and Nutrition Committee was able to scale-up intervention from 10 to 20 communities in the area.

    She called for more support from stakeholders to help stem malnutrition in the area and the state at large.

    She blamed the rising malnutrition cases in the area to ignorance on the part of
    mothers and caregivers on how to properly feed infants and children.

    She said the training of the health officers and care givers on IYCF with focus on exclusive breastfeeding, early initiation of breastfeeding, complementary feeding and homestead garden among others was a sure step in addressing the problem.

  • Troops recover large cache of arms in Southern Kaduna

    Troops in Southern Kaduna have recovered large cache of arms, three days after the army launched a special operation, `Harbin Kunama II,’ to flush out armed bandits from the area.

    Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, the Director of Army Public Relations, via a statement issued on Sunday, said the recovery was made on Saturday.

    The special operation, Harbin Kunama – `Scorpion Sting,’ was launched in Kaura Local Government Area of the state on April 19.

    According to Usman, the arms and ammunition were discovered when troops embarked on cordon and search of Gwaska, Dangoma, Angwan Far and Bakin Kogi general area of Southern Kaduna State.

    He listed them as 73 dane guns, four locally made rifles, one locally made machine gun and one locally made pistol.

    Others were 260 cartridges, 14 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 63 rounds of 9mm ammunition, one locally made small machine gun magazine and a pair of worn out military boot.

    Usman also said that some quantities of assorted improvised ammunition and pyrotechnics hidden in dug out pits were recovered.

    “While efforts are ongoing to track down the owners of the arms and ammunition, it is imperative to state that the good people of the area have been very supportive and cooperating with the military which led to these unprecedented findings.

    “Similarly, in Sector 1 of the operation which covers Kano State, troops in conjunction with other security agencies are carrying out operations in suspected armed bandits camps in Falgore forest,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the special operation also covers some forests in Bauchi, Kano and Plateau states.

    Meanwhile, troops have cleared four Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) buried at a crossing point on Banki Junction and Pulka road, about six kilometres to Firgi in Borno by suspected terrorists.

    The army spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, explained that the convoy of Maj.-Gen Idris Alkali, the Army Chief of Administration and GOC, 7 Division, Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu encountered and cleared the devices.

    They were in the area on a visit to troops.

    “The Explosive Ordnance Device (EOD) team, however, was able to quickly detect the deadly IEDs and safely extracted and detonated them,” Usman said.

     

  • Workers deserve N96, 000 minimum wage — ULC

    The Northern Coordinator, United Labour Congress (ULC), John Gimbason on Saturday reiterated the union’s demand for N96,000 minimum wage for workers in the country.

    Gimbason, also former Kaduna State NLC chairman spoke while inaugurating a ULC 12-member State Executive Council on Saturday in Kaduna.

    He said the proposal was realistic and realisable considering the current inflation in the nation’s economy and in view of workers’ contributions to nation’s building.

    He said that the new Labour Centre had opened negotiations with the Federal Government on the proposed N96, 000 minimum wage, assuring members that the proposal would soon yield fruits.

    According to him, while workers are over burdened with lots of responsibilities, they receive stipends as monthly salaries, even as some others do not receive their wages for months.

    He frowned at the Kaduna State government’s plan to sell off government quarters to the highest bidder, saying that it was unacceptible and called for the reversal of the decision.

    He appealed to the 25 unions under the ULC to give their maximum cooperation to ensure that workers in both public and private sectors were treated with human face.

    Meanwhile, the State Chairman of the ULC, Ephriam James, in his inaugural speech, said the council would ensure that workers in the state were liberated to earn salaries they deserve.

    He said the Union would engage the state government and other employers of labour in dialogue to ensure they arrived at agreements to improve welfare of workers.

    James, also State chairman, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), assured that whatever decision taken at the national level would be replicated in the state, especially with regard to wages.

    He called for support from members and 25 affiliated unions that formed the United Labour Congress to seek improved welfare of workers in the state without compromise.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NUPENG, NUBIFIE and NUEE officials were among notable associations that attended the inauguration.

  • Kaduna to begin polio immunisation – SPHCDA

    Kaduna to begin polio immunisation – SPHCDA

    The Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Dr Hadiza Balarabe, has implored parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated.

    This appeal was contained in a press statement jointly signed by the Deputy Director, Hamza Ikara and Coordinator, Lawal Dogara on Wednesday and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

    The statement said in order to make Kaduna State polio free, parents must give all the needed support to ensure that their kids are vaccinated.

    It said that immunisation for children of 0-5 years would begin in the state between April 22 and April 25.

    The statement reminded parents that polio vaccination in the state was still compulsory, adding that they must comply with the government order.

    The statement called on traditional rulers and religious leaders to ensure that parents, most especially in the rural areas, allow their children to be immunised.

    “The traditional rulers and religious leaders should educate their subjects and adherents respectively on the importance of allowing their kids to be vaccinated against polio and other children killer diseases,” it said.

    It said that the SPHCDA had concluded all adequate arrangements with a view to ensuring a successful conduct of the exercise in the state.

    The statement lauded the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the State Government and stakeholders for their efforts towards the eradication of polio.

  • Kaduna recorded 2.1m primary school enrollment – El-Rufai

    Kaduna recorded 2.1m primary school enrollment – El-Rufai

    The Kaduna State  Government said on Thursday that a total of 2.1 million pupils had enrolled into public primary schools since 2015 till date in the state.

    A statement issued by the Public Relations Unit, Universal Basic Education, said Gov. Malam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State disclosed this when he visited the Executive Secretary, UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi in Abuja.

    El-Rufai said that the increase in pupil enrolment was as a result of government’s free Universal Basic Education (UBE) policy and renewed drive to provide improved learning facilities in the State.

    “From the 1 million figure recorded in 2015, the total primary school enrolment in Kaduna State now stands at 2.1 million. ”

    El-Rufai, together with the Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Andrew Nok, highlighted other landmark achievements of his administration to include the 35 per cent budgetary allocation to the education sector.

    The governor said others included renovation of 608 primary schools out of a total of the total of 4,200 primary schools in the State.

    “The plan to maximise the use of available school space by constructing multi-storey structures in existing schools.

    “Establishment of model schools across the State and other interventions toward improving basic education especially the improvement of teacher quality,” he said.

    The governor added that efforts were being made to gradually replace obsolete equipment and method from the school system and replace them with contemporary practices.

    El-Rufai said that very soon schools in Kaduna State would have white boards instead of the usual blackboard.

    In his response, Bobboyi commended the giant strides recorded in UBE delivery in the State, particularly increased access to basic education, systematic approach to improving school infrastructure and the State’s commitment to quality UBE service delivery.

    He urged the government to continue to exemplify leadership in this direction as Kaduna was known to be the regional capital not only in politics but also in other human endeavours.

    He pledged UBEC’s continued support to the State within its operational mandates and commended the Governor for taking out time to visit UBEC.

  • El-Rufai to NASS: I don’t share public funds like you

    El-Rufai to NASS: I don’t share public funds like you

    Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has fired back at the House of Representatives and its Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara over the National Assembly budget controversy, saying, he doesn’t share Kaduna State money like NASS shares public funds.

    The House of Representatives had on Tuesday descended heavily on Governor El-Rufai for challenging them to make their budget public, saying that what El-Rufai himself declared was not his security votes, but Kaduna State Security budget, daring him to publish his personal security vote like they have published the Speaker’s salary’s pay slip.

    Meanwhile, El-Rufai in reaction to the National Assembly members said, he does not have security votes; aside the security budget of the state he earlier published, which according to him is properly expended and accounted for.

    El-Rufai however faulted the legislators for what he called ‘unnecessary distraction’ to a simple request for a transparent National Assembly budget.

    In a statement he issued through his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan in Kaduna on Thursday, El-Rufai also faulted the salary pay slip of Hon. Yakubu Dogara, saying, “the figures in the pay slips presented for the Honorable Speaker are in stark contrast to the declaration by The Economist regarding the earnings of NASS members. One of the claims cannot be right”.

    Talking about security votes, El-Rufai said, contrary to general belief, he does not have a security vote. “The Kaduna State Government has presented details of its security budget. What was presented represents the only security vote for the entire government. As the figures show, there is no security vote for the Governor of Kaduna State.

    “This may be a shock to those used to the notion of security votes as barely disguised slush funds, but we do not operate such a system in Kaduna. Our budgets specify what is voted as assistance to security agencies, and its expenditure is properly recorded and accounted for. These are not monies given to or spent by the governor.

    “If the leaders of the NASS have security votes allocated to or personally collected by them, they might wish to disclose such. Our security spending does not operate like the NASS system of sharing public funds in such an opaque fashion that even NASS members do not know how their entire budget is broken down or what the leadership gets as its ‘running costs’.

    “The figures in the pay slips presented for the Honorable Speaker are in stark contrast to the declaration by The Economist regarding the earnings of NASS members. One of the claims cannot be right.

    “The House of Representatives has responded with predictable tetchiness to a simple and clear demand that details of the National Assembly budget be made public. It is inconceivable that an important institution, vested by the Constitution with representation, lawmaking and oversight powers, has for at least seven years ignored the imperative to set an example of transparency, despite being severally urged to do so.

    “Despite the rush to personal attacks on a matter of public policy, we cannot allow the enthronement of the republic of distraction. It is important that everyone who is interested in protecting and advancing democratic discourse should stay focused on the issue. It is strange that persons entrusted with high office will justify their abdication of the responsibility to be transparent in such cavalier fashion. We don’t believe that most of our esteemed legislators will construe a demand for transparency as aimed at undermining the National Assembly.

    “However, notwithstanding the intemperate response of the spokesman of the House of Representatives, the demand that the NASS budget be made public will not go away. It is not personal, and there is a strong civic constituency that is demanding it. The sooner all of us in public life recognized that the game has changed, and that segments of civil society and indeed everyday citizens of Nigeria, are much more aware, astute and advanced than the state of our politics, the better for our democratic health.

    “Since the NASS began conceiving its budget as a single-line item, how many legislators, not to mention other citizens, have seen the details of the budget? Can anyone recall seeing the spending patterns and details in any published audited accounts of NASS recently? By contrast, all state governments present their audited accounts to their state Houses of Assembly as required by law. The federal statutory agencies that NASS cites as not having their budgets reflected in the National Budget submit details of their budgets to the NASS for review and approval.

    “How, in the 21st Century, can we have any national institution that is comfortable with not being subject to any oversight, audit or external scrutiny. The constitutional principle of checks and balances was not introduced for purposes of idle luxury, but to ensure that every institution exercises its power in an accountable manner.

    “We reiterate our call for the NASS to download and analyze our budgets and actual spending which are all publicly available. In Kaduna State, the state government has been a net creditor to the local government councils, some of which cannot pay salaries without assistance by the state government. We do not retain local government funds nor impose contracts on them. Our policy announcements in this regarded were widely reported and appreciated.

    “The spokesman of the House of Representatives may wish to respond to what is written, rather than what is imagined. The KDSG statement of Monday, 10th April 2017, clearly stated that N100bn is bigger than the capital budgets of many states. That is a statement of fact.

    “In dragging the memo Malam Nasir El-Rufai submitted to President Buhari seven months ago into this matter, the spokesman of the House of Representatives betrays no recognition that it is the conduct of those that leaked private communication that bears condemnation.

    “When NASS hopefully eventually releases its budget details, the public will be hoping to see specifics on personnel costs, overheads and capital expenditure. Rather than restrict the budget details to only 2017, the current leadership of NASS should fulfill the obligations of transparency by releasing the breakdown of the NASS budget since 2015. That way, Nigerians, including members of the NASS, will get to know what the budget of that institution is.

    “The NASS leadership has been promising ad infinitum to publish the breakdown of the opaque, one-line budget. It should simply do so. Prompt release of the 2015 and 2016 breakdowns, along with the proposed figures for 2017, would be a good way to start.

    “As things stand today, even if Malam Nasir El-Rufai refrains from further commentary on this matter, the genie is already out of the bottle. The public will not accept a secretive NASS, or any other branch of government for that matter,” the Governor said.

     

  • Nigerians react to Plea Bargain to fight corruption

    Some Nigerians have expressed their views about the use of Plea Bargain to fight corruption in the country.

    Among them were Legal experts who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja, saying that Plea Bargain remained an option in the country’s legal jurisprudence to reclaim governments’ stolen funds and property.

    They urged relevant authorities to perfect the act in order to reduce spending on prosecution of cases of corruption.

    On the widespread assertion that the system often aborted justice, the legal experts said plea bargain provided room for government to recover part of looted funds that could have been totally lost.

    Jubrin Okutepa (SAN) said his position before now was that plea bargain in the manner it was being operated was subject to abuse.

    Okotepa said there were now defined guidelines and parameter on how people could observe plea bargain and its consequences as put up by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC).

    The PACAC was set up to scale up advocacy against corruption in private sectors and professional associations as part of efforts to fight corruption.

    Okutepa said looking at the guidelines set up by the committee, it would work if there was a will power on the part of the state to push it through and also a will power on their part not to defeat the guidelines by not granting state pardon to the looters.

    He called on states to put in place sufficient funds and technological materials that would nip in the bud some of the scientifically organised crimes in terms of money laundering and other corruption related offences.

    He condemned the general saying that the plea bargain was a slap on the judiciary.

    “Let me correct an impression; judiciary is not a prosecutor, it is not investigator but the judiciary only acts on the cases brought before it.

    “So, if the states are serious about fighting corruption then the investigative apparatus must be strengthened, it must not use investigation as a source of income.

    Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) said plea bargain would save the government the money to prosecute and also save the accused the harassment of standing trials.

    He said it was a way of saying that “the loot we have traced to your account, concede certain percentage of it to the government and you go with the rest’’.

    “It is better to allow plea bargain to work in our system because a case on such can run for 10 years at the end of which government will lose the case and the looters will smile home with the loot’’.

    Balarabe Musa, former Governor of the old Kaduna State in the second republic, described plea bargain as the height of corruption in the system which made the political leadership even more guilty.

    Musa said in a civilised country a thief was supposed to be prosecuted and if found guilty, he should be punished in accordance with the law, “but unfortunately Nigerians have coined another way to escape punishment’’.

    “Plea bargain is sending a wrong message that everybody is at liberty to steal and once you are caught the worst you can do is to plea bargain with the government or political leadership and in the end you would work away with something substantial.

    “If this is not nipped in the bud it will eventually lead to the destruction of the society.

    Balarabe recalled that the issue of corruption or any leader stealing public funds and getting away with it was not part of the country’s political game during the period of amalgamation till 1965.

    Mr Tunde Aremu, Campaign Manager, Action Aids (Nigeria) said that plea bargain being an option in the fight against corruption was one of the most inappropriate ways to fight corruption.

    He said treasury looting had led to the death of so many people in the country.

    “When you talk about plea bargain you are telling people that they can steal and there would always be a way out.

    “You are saying people can steal money and come back under certain negotiation, conditions and give government a certain percentage and get away,’’ Aremu said.

    He said the way forward was that anybody that was caught looting the treasury must face the full wrath of the law, and be sent to jail for stealing public funds.

     

  • Gov. El-Rufai pledges protection for Corps members

    Gov. El-Rufai pledges protection for Corps members

    Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State, on Friday pledged to provide protection and welfare support to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state.

    The governor made the pledge in Kaduna on Friday when the State NYSC Coordinator, Mr Bello Ballama visited the Government House.

    El-Rufai, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Barnabas Bala, said that the state government had placed high premium on the protection of the lives and property of the corps members.

    According to him, that the government will also support the NYSC in carrying out its mandate especially in providing vital skills to corps members to be self reliant.

    He said that the government, which recently received the award of best state in the ease of doing business in the country, would continue to motivate its youths to acquire skills for their economic empowerment.

    The governor stressed that providing skills to the youths would help reduce unemployment and facilitate opening up of new businesses.

    Earlier, the NYSC state coordinator, Mr Bello Ballama appreciated the state government support to the welfare of corps members, and assured that the scheme would continue to contribute to the speedy development of the state.

    According to him, that NYSC is a vital instrument of human capital development in the country.

    He said that over 80 per cent of corps members serving in the state were deployed to the education sector.

    Ballama added that the scheme had also provided critical manpower in the health sector, especially in rural areas.

    The coordinator urged the government to support the state NYSC office with utility vehicles, ambulance and accommodation for its senior officials.

     

  • Kaduna: Footballers to earn N150,000 monthly in work and play scheme

    A new arrangement that will see young footballers in Kaduna State earn decent monthly wages outside their playing field has been introduced by Bizi Mobile Cashless Consultants.

    The scheme, “Work and Play’’ was launched on Thursday at the Maimuna Gawarzo Primary School football pitch, Tudun Wada, Kaduna.

    According to the initiators, under the scheme, each footballer that is involved will earn nothing less than N150,000 monthly.

    The Managing Director of Bizi Mobile Cashless Consultants, Aminu Bizi, told newsmen on Friday in Kaduna that the scheme was borne out of his desire to encourage talented footballers to keep playing without a professional signing.

    Bizi said that earning the money would sustain them and their families.

    He said that as a former footballer and administrator, he was aware of the financial challenges footballers who had not made it face, hence, he came up with a way out.

    “The footballers can engage in their usual training with various teams which is the play part of the scheme.

    “They also will engage themselves positively by being agents of Bizi Mobile partners like Access Bank and Ecobank by engaging people in mobile banking and earn a decent livelihood.’’

    He said: “In view of the deadline handed down by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for charges to begin on withdrawals and deposits above N500,000 done in cash, more mobile cashless transactions would be sought for.

    “Hence, the need for more agents and the creation of jobs’’.

    At an exhibition match played between hosts, KKD of Tudun Wada and visiting Moses Dayo FC of Narayi, the visitors scored a late goal to win.

    Both teams had tied 1-1 with the visitors opening scoring and the crowd went wild with jubilation when an equaliser came after several attempts.

    Notable dignitaries spotted at the exhibition match included the Kaduna State Football Association Secretary, Alhaji Abdussalam Jere, who was accompanied by the FA officials from Zaria and Chairman Kaduna United Supporters Club, Alhaji Ya’u Inuwa.