The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kaduna State Governor

  • El-Rufai to IGP: Nip insecurity in the bud

    El-Rufai to IGP: Nip insecurity in the bud

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris has been charged to contain security challenges especially the crime of kidnapping across the country.

    Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasri El-Rufai made the plea when the IGP visited him at his office.

    IGP Idris was in Kaduna for the opening ceremony of sporting events among security agencies under the Ministry of Interior.

    Commending the police’ professionalism in handling security issues in Kaduna, El-Rufai condoled the police boss on the death of some personnel during the crisis in Godogodo, Jama’a LGA of the State.

    He emphasised the need for comprehensive national solution to kidnapping and other violent crimes which have destructive effects on growth and development.

    In his remark, Idris pledged the police’ commitment to maintaining law and order in line with international best practices.

    He decried the lack of adequate police personnel to cater for the populace, adding that the current strength of the police runs short of the United Nation’s recommendations of a Police officer to four hundred citizens.

    Idris, who commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the ongoing recruitment of 10,000 persons into the police, expressed hope that it would be an annual exercise to augment the short fall arising from retirement and death of personnel in service.

    He urged the governor to assist the police in the search of personnel declared Missing in Action (MIA) while mediating in communal conflict in the state.

  • Amosun, El- Rufai, urge Nigerians to see nation’s diversity as strength

    Amosun, El- Rufai, urge Nigerians to see nation’s diversity as strength

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El – Rufai, and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Dickson Seriake, have urged Nigerians to see the nation’s diversity as a source of “strength” for its “greatness” and not for disunity.

    Amosun, El – Rufai and Seriake said the country’s diversity should be fully utilised by Nigerians in harmony “for the good and progress of Nigeria” and not otherwise.

    The trio made the appeal separately yesterday while delivering separate goodwill messages at the 2016 annual Ojude – Oba cultural carnival of the Ijebu nation in Ogun State, Nigeria which depicted an array of people suffused with glamour, excitements and splendour.

    An estimated 25,000 Ijebu sons, daughters friends and well – wishers participated at this year’s Ojude Oba in Ijebu – Ode, the royal home of Awujale and where over 35 age grades – Regberegbes, took turn to pay homage to him who is often referred to as the Orisa Ijebu(the god of the Ijebu people)

    Amosun who lauded Oba Adetona for his capacity to use “culture, tradition and religion” to weave a an enviable and enduring unity among his people, said the nation’s leaders should emulate leadership style and forge a greater unity among Nigerians out of the country’s multi –  diversities.

    The Governor also commended the Ijebu people for not only making Ogun State unique with the Ojude Oba festival but for also using same to continually launch the State into global consciouness.

    ” One sees the love, tenacity and determination of the Ijebu people to showcase their rich cultural heritage and tradition. In Ogun State, we create the template for others to follow.

    “In Nigeria, we should serve diligently. It is not where one comes from or religion should count but one’s diligent service. We should emulate Kabiyesi ability to forge unity among his people despite different religions.

    “We should live in togetherness, love and harmony not only in Ogun State but also in Nigeria,” Amosun said.

    For El – Rufai, he lauded Awujale for the courage and leadership competence in leading his people towards organising the annual Ojude Oba which he dedcribed as an “incredible event.”

    ” I came here not as Governor, not as guest of Governor Amosun or as a member of All Progressives Congress but I’m here because Awujale is my father, a man of great wisdom, unparralled courage and integrity.

    “Throughout my public service and exile, he was a true father to me. He adviced and even supported me financially. I know dream of  Ijebu State is close to your heart and one can pray for your long life to see Ijebu State come to pass,” El – Rufai said.

    Also, Governor Dickson Seriake who was the Special guest of honour, urged Nigeria to find a way to export Ojude Oba to the rest the world through cultural tourism.

    Seriake who is a descendant of Adebukunola Fidipote, a Princess from one the Ruling Houses of Awujale stool in Ijebu – Ode, said Nigeria should leverage on her rainbow of diversity to work towards greatness and not division.

    In his brief spech, Oba Adetona said the festival has continued to gain more local and global attention by the year and commended Govermor Amosun and corporate bodies for their continual support.

    Apart from the three governors, Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s Deputy – Governor, Princess Yetunde Onanuga, former military Governor Old Rivers State and traditional ruler, HRH, Afred Diette – Spiff, were among the digniatries who honoured the Awujale at this year Ojude Oba with their presence.

    Others are Omoba Olori Subomi Balogun, Speaker Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, the Moyegoso of Itele – Ijebu, Oba Adesanya Kasali, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Ogun State, Chief Bimbo Ashiru, his Culture and Tourism counterpart, Basorun Muyiwa Oladipo and the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu.

  • Tragedy looms if we fail to educate our adolescents – El-Rufai

    Tragedy looms if we fail to educate our adolescents – El-Rufai

    Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has said that, adolescents who constitute 31.7 per cent of the Nigerian population must be given quality education to avoid future tragedy for the country.

    Governor El-Rufai said, though, if the country is able to educate the adolescents, they will contribute meaningfully to the nation’s social and economic development.

    El-Rufai stated this in Kaduna on Wednesday at the launch of Adolescent Girl Initiative in Northern Nigeria spear-headed by the UNFPA and CIDA in response to improved safety for school girls, delayed marriage and female empowerment through access to education.

    Governor El-Rufai said, “According to the Nigerian Population Commission, adolescents constitute 31.7% of our population; this percentage is divided in nearly equal proportions of 50.1% male and 49.9% female. Interestingly, of Nigeria’s youthful population, 44.5% are less than 15 years of age while 16.4% are young people aged 15-24 years and 49% are 10-24 years. This underscores the importance of investing and developing our young population to the extent that they contribute effectively to National development.

    “It is an opportunity if we are able to make this demographic healthy and educated thereby enabling it to contribute to social and economic development. It becomes a tragedy when they grow to adulthood unhealthy or ignorant or both. This tragedy even gets worse as according to estimates, this figure is expected to grow to 2 billion young people by 2050,” he said.

    He said, his government has identified the dearth of quality and free basic education as an impediment to its continued growth and has demonstrated a commitment to addressing it through provision of bursaries and scholarships, a free 9 year education policy which covers tuition, uniform and all associated costs from primary 1 to JSS 3 in addition to its School Feeding Program that ensures that nearly 1.8 million pupils gets at least one meal a day in the schools.

    According to him “in spite of these measures, we know that there is still much to be done: we must support policies that address retention in secondary schools to the extent that the large dropout rates and high levels of illiteracy are reduced drastically. This is why we seek to expand our education policy to include senior secondary schools, and as soon as we can marginally increase our internally generated revenues, we will ensure that education is free and compulsory at the primary and secondary levels.”

    El-Rufai reiterated that, the large number of school-aged children currently engaged in street hawking or begging and other inhumane practices is appalling at best and they were taking measures to arrest it. Adding that, “We have enacted the Street Begging and Hawking (Prohibition) Law that will come into effect next month to ensure that every child above the age of 6 in Kaduna goes to school.

    “We are pleased with the pilot of the adolescent girls’ initiative in Northern Nigeria spear-headed by the UNFPA and CIDA in response to improved safety for school girls, delayed marriage and female empowerment through access to education took off in Zaria. This collaborative event with the Ahmadu Bello University’s Population and Reproductive Health Initiative, and the Bixby Center for Population, Health & Sustainability at the University of California, Berkeley is a commendable and timely response which so far, has benefitted 425 of Kaduna’s adolescent girls.

    “We thank the Government of Canada for their belief in the future of the adolescent Nigerian girl with the additional funding they are providing to scale-up the Adolescent Girl Initiative to an estimated reach of 9,250 more girls both here and in several other Northern States,” El-Rufai said.

    Earlier in her remarks, Representative of the Canadian High Commission, Miss. Nancy said, Northern Nigeria, has the highest rates of female illiteracy in the country and account for negative health outcomes which include, the highest maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and infant mortality as well as the highest rate of early marriage.

    She said, the Adolescent Girls Initiative in Northern Nigeria, is a UNFPA-supported programme that teaches vulnerable girls about their rights, their bodies and health. Adding that, “The goal of the Initiative is to improve the social, economic and health wellbeing of rural and low-income urban adolescent girls and secure their future through increased access to education (make them stay in school), sexual reproductive health information/services and life-skills that will positively impact on health choices.

    She equally pledged the commitment of the Canadian government to the girl child education project in Nigeria.

    The programme, which also had in attendance, wives of the Governor of Kaduna, Yobe and Bauchi who equally made public commitment to work towards promotion of girl child education in their respective states.

  • We must stop people using religion to cause disunity- El-Rufai

    We must stop people using religion to cause disunity- El-Rufai

    Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai on Tuesday said Nigerians must stop using religion and ethnicity to cause disunity and confusion.

    Addressing Kaduna State Council of Chiefs and Emirs in Kaduna at their quarterly meeting, El-Rufa’i explained that the rationale behind the Religious Bill is central to security, peace and allowing everybody to practice his or her faith without any challenge.

    The Governor said his administration will continue to ensure peace and purposeful integration as a collective resolution.

    El-Rufai appealed to traditional rulers to preach peace among their subjects for development, adding that human life is sacred and government will do its best to protect lives and property.

    According to him, “People are using religion and ethnicity to divide people to achieve political and several interests. We must work hard and ensure that forces of disunity and confusion fail, we must continue to stand up and nip in the bud all attempts to divide Nigerians along ethnic and religious lines. The human life is sacred and as a government we must do our best to protect lives and properties”

    El-Rufa’i added that, “The rationale behind the Religious Bill is central to security, peace and allowing everybody to practice his or her faiths without any challenge. It has nothing to do with stopping anyone from his or faith but purely for security and peace of the state and nothing more than that I have said it and will continue to preach it, we have more to gain with peace and nothing to gain with violence.

    This is our collective resolution and we will continue to ensure peace and purposeful integration. I am here to commend you and to urge you to continue on that path”.

    “The proposed amendment of religious bill before the State House of Assembly has nothing with stopping anybody from practicing his or her religion, whether as a Christian or a Muslim. We are calling on the people to be on alert in order not to fail in their hands of people trying to divide the people along religion and ethnicity to cause problem.

    “Those people trying to divide our people for their selfish interest should desist. If you are a Christian you must respect your fellow Muslim brother and if you are a Muslim you must respect your fellow Christian brothers too. Violent will not take us nowhere in the state”. El-Rufai said.

    On his part, Deputy Chairman Kaduna State Council of Chiefs and Emir and Chief of Kagoro, Ufuwai Bonet said they would continue to sustain peace in their domains. “We thank the governor for this meeting. We will continue to preach peace to our people. We assure you of our loyalty”.

     

  • Go, become Bill Gates, Dangotes of your generation, -El-Rufai

    Go, become Bill Gates, Dangotes of your generation, -El-Rufai

    Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has tasked 779 entrepreneurship trainees to become the next world richest men, like Bill Gates and Aliko Dangote with the business knowledge and skills they have acquired. 

    Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the first intake of the Kaduna Start-up Entrepreneurship Programme (KADSTEP) and induction of the second batch of trainees, El-Rufai said, his administration has targeted to train 5,000 entrepreneurs in the next three years.

    It would be recalled that, Kaduna State Government conceived KADSTEP to empower aspiring entrepreneurs to be able to access the various intervention funds that are available to support micro and small businesses.

    The Governor told both graduating and induction trainees that, the present government sees the youths as the future, and treats them with seriousness they deserve.

    His words: “Those of you graduating today therefore constitute a vanguard that has been empowered to make a difference. You have not been given handouts, but your government has provided you the knowledge capacity to thrive in challenging times. We trust that you will make the most of it. Some of you may falter before becoming the next Bill Gates and Aliko Dangotes of this world. But you have been given the tools to try”

    “To the incoming intakes, I welcome you to KADSTEP. Make the most of the opportunity to immerse yourself in business knowledge, sharpen your skills and be ready to fly as soon as you graduate. The first set had 279 trainees. The second set that we are inducting today has 500 trainees. We are taking an incremental approach to reaching our target of training 5000 entrepreneurs. This is an investment in the future, and we are proud to do our duty to make this investment”

    El-Rufai said, “Permit me to begin by saying emphatic congratulations to the first intake of the Kaduna State Entrepreneurship Programme (KADSTEP) who are graduating today. These 279 young persons took the opportunity presented to them to acquire sound business grounding that can propel their evident passion to set up their own enterprises, add  value and create jobs. They can be proud of themselves as the first graduates of a programme designed to help them think of their proposed businesses in a way that a potential investor can consider bankable”

    He added that, “In applying for KADSTEP, our graduates demonstrated that they were not wedded to any sense of entitlement, but were ready to grab opportunities that could build their capacity to conceive strong and realistic business ideas. These first intake have amply demonstrated that the youths of our country are ready to face challenges, and that they can embrace initiatives designed to help them succeed”

    Having undergone three months of business training, we look forward to hearing success stories from a lot of you” The governor said.

    Our government noticed that the N1b intervention fund we had with the BOI was not been disbursed because the bank did not consider most of the applications it received as viable. On our part, we did not want any potential entrepreneur to treat or consider these funds as unaccountable patronage, or as free funds to feed an unsustainable entitlement mentality. We decided that it was best to create a platform for the willing youth to acquire the necessary business skills. And we were lucky to find willing partners in the Kaduna Business School KBS and the Bank of Industry,BOI”

    “I wish each of today’s KADSTEP graduates success,  not only in securing funding, but in building successful and sustainable businesses. And I welcome the next batch of 500 trainees into the programme. Your government sees you as the future, and treats youth with the seriousness they deserve. Some other people cynically treat young people as easy fodder, to be fed paltry patronage and deluded into the belief that their future is dependent on the benevolence of thieving patrons”

    The Governor maintained that, “This government believes that the future of this country is hardworking, discerning youth who have trained their minds and hearts, and whose trust in honest endeavour is anchored on values that link effort to reward.” He stressed.

    On her part, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar, who spoke at the graduation and induction of the trainees said with the new policy direction of the change administration of President Mohammadu Buhari: “we have no option than embracing economic diversification for a sustainable prosperous future that was hitherto impeded by our undue fixation to the oil sector”.

     

  • El-Rufai inaugurates boards for tax agency, four others

    El-Rufai inaugurates boards for tax agency, four others

    Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday inaugurated the boards of five parastatals, telling the elites that anyone who thinks government is a bazaar, or a funder of last resort for their greed should know that his administration is against the practices.

    El-Rufai added that, the government certainly does not have the money to fritter on the vanities of the elite.

    Speaking during the inauguration of boards of five parastatals in Kaduna, the governor said the parastatals have mandates that are aligned to the goals of the Restoration Programme, and will help strengthen the public service.

    The agencies are the Kaduna State Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA), the Kaduna Facility Management Agency (KADFAMA), the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) and the Kaduna State Bureau of Pensions.

    According to El-Rufai, “The government paid N2.7bn in wages and pension in May 2015. That is why we commenced the verification of the public service payroll from June 2015. If we had not done verification, we would have had to borrow N300m just to pay salaries. If government is designed to provide a legitimate machinery to organize society and provide public goods, then its resources cannot be legitimately spent only on servicing itself”.

    “Anyone who thinks government is a bazaar, or a funder of last resort for their greed should know that we oppose such practices, and we certainly don’t have the money to fritter on the vanities of the elite”

    El-Rufai said, “It is immediately apparent from their names that some of these parastatals are brand new,” he said.

    “Their emergence is to give effect to our quest to lay a stronger institutional foundation for the public service as a committed and effective provider of services for the people of Kaduna State. Everyone can identify and lament the limitations that hobble public agencies, but our duty is to actively take steps to strengthen these agencies in the overall interest of the state.

    “All the five agencies whose boards we are inaugurating today have mandates that are aligned to the core of the Restoration Programme that we presented as our roadmap for governance during the election campaigns.

    “We promised to make this state attractive to private investors who can create multiples of the few direct jobs that government can offer. Less than 100,000 persons are employed in the public service of Kaduna State, out of a population that is between 8m and 10m. The wages of these fewer than 100,000 workers are relatively low, but together consume about 90% of state resources.

    “In March 2016, Kaduna State got N2.4bn from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee. That same month, our wage bill was N2.2bn. That leaves only N200m. When you add overheads to this, you get a full picture of the dire financial straits that low revenues and public service expenses have placed the state. How much can the government deliver for the larger population, the majority of the residents of the state, with a wallet of N200m? Will anything remain when wages, pensions and overheads are paid? And it could have been worse! The fact is that the state is being kept afloat by the difficult decisions we took as soon as we resumed at the end of May 2015.

    “These grim statistics we have just shared indicate that Kaduna State needs to raise more money from internal sources while it continues to cut costs by tackling fraud and eliminating waste. KADIPA’s job, which is to attract investments into Kaduna State, is practically a matter of survival. Our IGR effort must be so coherent that its clarity and ease of payment serve as a key incentive to investors, who also know that the validity of land titles can easily be checked at a computerized land registry, KADGIS.

    “The state facility management agency (KADFAMA) assumes responsibility for the timely and efficient maintenance of all government assets, saving the huge sums wasted on assets that are allowed to deteriorate before they are rescued. And by sorting out pensions through a contributory pension scheme, we have removed the peril to public finances that unsustainable pension liabilities would have posed,” he said.

    The boards that were inaugurated have big names like Flour Mills boss John Coumantaros, who is Vice-Chairman of the KADIPA board that is chaired by Deputy-Governor Barnabas Yusuf Bala.

     

     

  • Boko Haram ‘seeks talks with govt’

    Boko Haram ‘seeks talks with govt’

    [dropcap]S[/dropcap]ome Boko Haram elements are seeking dialogue with the Federal Government, the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), an independent Non-Governmental Organisation, said yesterday.

    The development—should it be genuine— will bring a ray of hope that the seeming intractable insurgency in the Northeast will stop.

    Breaking the news, the CCC confirmed that some insurgents approached it to facilitate a channel of dialogue between them and the Federal Government.

    The Centre’s Executive Secretary, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd), made the disclosure at a news conference in Abuja.

    Commodore Anas, who was the immediate spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, also spoke on other national issues including: terrorism, cattle rustling, National Assembly crisis, pipeline vandalism, kidnapping, armed robbery and  Radio Biafra among others

    He said: “The Boko Haram challenges have continued to become an intractable crisis situation to our nation. Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima said that more than three million innocent Nigerians from Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and parts of Nigeria live in deep agony having lost their sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, relations and neighbours after brutally being attacked by members of Boko Haram.

    “Indeed, many of our citizens are now orphans, widows and forced to become refugees within and outside our country.

    “Over the years, government has been pursuing the terrorists with the aim of ending insurgency.

    “Although, some level of successes has been recorded in degrading the volatility of the terrorists, they are far from being defeated.

    “Some prominent Nigerians have in recent times canvassed the idea of dialogue with the Boko Haram.

    “The option of dialogue, according to them, at the moment provides a leeway of not only safely rescuing the abducted Chibok schoolgirls alive, but also possibly bringing to an end the orgy of violence unleashed on innocent citizens by the group.

    “Considering the unspeakable atrocities which the group has visited on Nigeria and Nigerians, this option is no doubt a hard sell. However, the recent statement by President Muhammadu Buhari on government’s readiness to negotiate with credible members of the sect has rekindled the hope for dialogue.

    “The centre views this gesture as good. It has opened a window of opportunity for dialogue for those insurgents that are willing and ready to lay down their arms.

    “This position is predicated on calls made to this centre by some members of the Boko Haram requesting for genuine and comprehensive dialogue that could lead to hundreds of them coming out to renounce their membership.

    “The centre, however, suggests that such dialogue should be done with every sense of caution and responsibility, bearing in mind the previous disappointments that attended attempts at negotiations.

    “Nevertheless, the centre will continue to support and encourage all efforts towards bringing insurgency to an end in our country.”

    The retired Air Force chief warned against the resurrection of militancy in Niger Delta by the outlawed Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

    He said if there were genuine grievances with the Amnesty Programme, legitimate avenues and appropriate channels should be exploited.

    His words: “The centre is equally agitated by the recent moves to resurrect the once rested Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

    “It was purported to have planned a meeting of its old brigade members on 25, July 2015 in Yenagoa. The arrow head of the meeting is no other person than Mr. Tompolo along with some Ijaw youth.

    “Although, Mr. Tompolo denied attempting to resurrect the rested militant group, the last may not have been heard on the issue. Nigerians will recall how this deadly group almost crippled the nation’s oil production from 2005 until when late President Umaru Yar’Adua initiated the Amnesty Programme.

    “Since the inception of the Amnesty Programme, billions of naira has been and is still being spent to address the youth challenges of the region.

    “The appointment of Brig.- Gen. Peter Boroh (rtd) will no doubt energise the programme. If there are genuine grievances with the Amnesty programme, legitimate avenues and appropriate channels should be exploited.

    “However, the full wrath of the law should be brought to bear on any individual or group that wants to engineer crisis aimed at militating against the socio-economic development of our dear nation.”

    On the herdsmen clashes with farmers, the CCC chief said it has reached an alarming proportion as ‘it always precipitates bloody clashes’ leaving scores of people dead in different parts of the country, especially in Taraba, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Niger and other states over grazing rights.

    He said: This recurring but often violent crisis perpetrated by unknown hoodlums has continued to traumatise innocent and enterprising Nigerians engaged in cattle rearing and farming.

    “The crisis is perhaps accentuated by the economic hardship and joblessness. The Centre has received hundreds of calls from several parts of the north over this issue.

    “Instances abound where hoodlums send letters to cattle breeders especially Fulanis and farmers to pay hundreds of thousands of naira or even millions as ransom to avert attacks.”

    He praised Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai for setting up the ‘Cattle Initiative’ to curtail the excesses of cattle rustlers.

    Anas said: “The Centre is calling on governments at all levels to ensure every action aimed at finding a lasting-solution to enable the return of normalcy in every nook and crannies of our communities.

    “The Centre believes that more discussions and legislative actions at the states and National Assembly levels are needed now on the propriety or otherwise of creating or delineating grazing areas in the country.”

    On the lingering National Assembly crisis, the CCC appealed to all the contending individuals, groups or parties to ‘shield their swords’ in national interest “knowing how far-reaching and negative effect political crisis of this dimension could continue to be in inflaming passions, creating divisive tendencies, and ultimately translating in crisis.”

    He urged the legislators to emulate President Buhari and slash their remunerations to “demonstrate to Nigerians that they are also sympathetic to the current financial challenges of the nation and ready to make sacrifices to make Nigeria better.”