The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kaduna

  • Kaduna ‘PDP’ backs Baraje

    Kaduna ‘PDP’ backs Baraje

    The Kaduna State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is divided, it emerged yesterday.

    A faction has declared support for the Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led national faction.

    Former Chairman of the PDP in the state, Audi Yaro Makama and a former member of the House of Assembly, Gideon Morik said members of the party were joining the new PDP.

    Makama is a close associate of former Governor Ahmed Makarfi and it is widely being rumoured that the former governor has endorsed the action. But, Makarfi’s spokesman, Mukthar Sirajo, denied the involvement of the senator in the move.

    Sirajo told The Nation : “Makama may be Makarfi’s friend, but they don’t always agree on some political issues. I have seen that statement and I tried to dissuade them from going ahead because I know it will lead to this type if insinuations.It is a delicate issue, but I can tell you that Makarfi has no hand in what is happening”.

    The statement entitled “Kaduna joins Baraje-led PDP” reads: “Fundamentally, this decision has been taken after deep reflections on happenings in Kaduna State since the elevation of Namadi Sambo as Vice-President. It is instructive that since his elevation, the fortunes and prestige of the party in the state has been declining rather than improving, because he has been incapable of rallying the people under its umbrella.

    “Although this is hardly surprising since he lacks the political wherewithal and the requisite structure to preside over the politics of the state, but it was expected that he would come to terms with his inadequacies and enlist the support of established political actors.”

    The statement added: “In the last few weeks, a political Tsunami was unleashed on the nation with the emergence of a new leadership to pilot the affairs of our great party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    “The decision of the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and seven governors elected on the platform of the party, is not only worthy of commendation but worthy of emulation.”

    It was not clear whether the action has the blessing of the state executives of the party as efforts to reach them proved abortive.

     

  • Win boosts for Kaduna United

    Win boosts for Kaduna United

    Kaduna United coach,Saleh Tanko-Lato said his wards’ win against Kwara United has drastically reduced tension in the side.

    The Crocodiles defeated the Afonja Warriors 2-0 in the Glo Premier League Matchday 30 encounter on Sunday at the Kaduna Township Stadium.

    Central defender, Linus Adams scored the opening goal in the 79th minute while striker, Emeka Akueme’s penalty kick in the added time gave the side the maximum points.

    Tanko-Lato said Kwara United’s game-plan of sitting back to absorb the pressure almost worked out for the llorin-based side until the cracking opener from Adams.

    “The win made everyone of us happy more so as Kwara United were almost running away with a point from the encounter with the strategy they adopted. Kwara United sat back to absorb the pressure to make sure they don’t concede any goal and it worked perfectly well for them as the first 45 minutes of the match ended 0-0.

    “At the resumption of play they came out forcefully to attack which created panic and anxious moments for us in the tension soaked game till the 79th minute goal from Linus Adams and Emeka Akueme’s spot kick in the added time ensured we picked the three points.

    “The win has somehow cooled off tension right now as we’re surely going to witness improved placement on the log. Right now on the log it portends a hard time for any side to drop points as the difference between the top most side and bottom side is not wide but the gap is felt more on the placement of the side.

    “We’re delighted with the victory even as we continue the search for an away win in the ongoing league season. We’ll be the guests of Gombe United in the mid-week game. The encounter will be tough following Gombe United’s defeat at Warri Wolves.

    “We’ll adopt a different strategy for the game hoping it will work for us to at least guarantee us a point though three points is not ruled out entirely,” said the former Plateau United star to supersport.com.

    Kaduna United’s win against Kwara United has increased the side’s total points to 44 points from a possible 90.

  • Unknown gunmen kill 10 in Kaduna

    Unknown gunmen kill 10 in Kaduna

    Ten people were killed yesterday at Addu in Attakar chiefdom, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, by unknown gunmen.

    Police spokesman Aminu Lawan said some of those suspected to have carried out the attack were being interrogated.

    This is the third time the area has been attacked this year.

    Residents said a family of four was killed.

    A couple was killed but their children escaped.

    It was learnt that the gunmen stormed the village early in the morning while the villagers were still sleeping, shooting indiscriminately and killed their victims with knives and swords.

    The National President of the Attakar Students Association, Raphael Soja said: “We have recovered eight bodies and are looking for the remaining two people missing. We have the bodies of a couple and their two children; another couple whose children escaped, some children and women. Four injured persons have been rushed to the Kafanchan General Hospital.”

    In a letter to Governor Mukthar Yero, the Centre for Development and Rights Advocacy (CEDRA) condemned the killings.

    It said: “Once again, Addu came under assault by murderers at the wee hours of yesterday. Report reaching us suggests that five suspects have been apprehended by the vigilant people of Bondom in their attempt to escape from their operating theatre (the hills of Attakar).

    “The suspects were nabbed in the blood-stained cloths they wore during the operation and were handed over to the police. The car and suspects are now in Kaura Police Division.

    “When previous incidents occurred, we petitioned those in charge of protecting life and property. Yesterday’s attack shows there is a genocide agenda against the people of Southern Kaduna by local and international terror groups.

    “Our genocide treatise was not given serious attention. On each incident, the government promises to fish out the perpetrators and punish them. Beyond those superficial tension cooling talks, nothing is done or heard until the next ugly incident is recorded.”

    Security operatives have been deployed in the area.

     

  • Kaduna Textile workers to Northern governors: Pay us our benefits

    Workers in the textile industry have called on the 19 governors of the Northern states, owners of Kaduna Textiles Limited and Nortex/Finetex Limited, already shut, to pay workers their N1.6billion entitlements.

    Speaking under the umbrella of National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), the General Secretary of the group Issa Aremu lamented that the affected workers have been suffering since the companies were closed 10 years ago.

    He noted that both Kaduna Textiles and Nortex/Finetex owe the workers N687 million and N380 million.

    He said labour has obtained court judgments compelling the owners to pay their members but decried the refusal by management of the affected companies to obey the court rulings.

    Aremu said: “Both Nortex and Finetex closed in September 2003 without settlement of workers’ gratuities amounting to N305,653,887, outstanding salaries before the unilateral closure amounting to N63,434,190 as well as outstanding union dues amounting to N7.6 million.

    “When all efforts by the union to bring the management to a round table discussion failed, the union resorted to legal action, a stiff measure to safeguard our members’ interests to get justice and secure the payment of their terminal benefits.”

    He said in reaction to the union’s petition, the management filed a counter petition about nine years ago through their defence counsel contesting the legality of the union to wind-up the company under Receivership.

    On Monday, February 28, 2005, the Judge of the Federal High Court ruled in favour of the union, that the union has a right to sue. The case was then adjourned to March 3, 2005, Aremu said.

    “At the hearing on December 8, 2005, the Presiding Judge advised that to avoid long arguments on the matter, parties should go for out-of-court settlement, which the lawyers consented to. The matter was adjourned to February 7, 2006 for parties to report back terms of settlement,” he said.

     

     

     

     

  • Kaduna cultural festival

    Kaduna cultural festival

  • Trade and industry meeting in Gombe

    Trade and industry meeting in Gombe

  • Kaduna coach seeks govt support to revive cricket

    Kaduna coach seeks govt support to revive cricket

    Joe Oche, the Head Coach, Kaduna State Cricket Association, yesterday appealed to the state government to assist the association with better training equipment to facilitate the promotion of the sport.

    Oche made the appeal during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna, saying they needed a good turf to enable the players maximise their potentials.

    “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the state government to come to our aid because we need adequate training facilities. Our pitch is supposed to be the best in the Northern region, but it has turned into a multipurpose facility, which people use for various purposes. The government should assist us with a good scoreboard, plant more grasses and erect a fence around the pitch,” Oche said.

    He added that the state had produced some of the best cricketers in the country in the past and had contributed enormously to its development.

    “Kaduna is known to be the second best in the sport in the country and have trained players for National and international events. A lot of our players out there are doing well at the moment and we want to do more, if only more equipment will be provided,” he said.

    According to him, no fewer than 360 students are playing the game within Kaduna and environs but are inhibited by the absence of equipment.

    He acknowledged the efforts of some individuals who had been supportive of the development of cricket, saying that some of them had promised to provide the association with a bowling machine.

  • Yero revives road projects

    Yero revives road projects

    Kaduna Governor rallies contractors

    DoeS he have the passion to keep the pace of his predecessor? Can he finish what Yakowa started? What will he do with the raft of road contracts awarded by the last administration?

    Those have been some questions from critics of Kaduna State Governor Mukhtar Yero since he came into office.

    The governor has been doing his best to allay fears that his administration is not primed to deliver.

    In addition to existing road deals across the state, Yero awarded about 32 of his own, and paid 25 per cent of the total contract sum to each of the contractors.

    He has also been going round to inspect the work done, finding in some places that many of the contractors actually started work and that some parts of the job were completed early in the year.

    But in some other places he discovered that contractors were not up to scratch.

    At the Hanyin Dogo-Samaru-Bomo Road project in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, one of the contracts awarded last November and scheduled for completion this December, he found that the contractors received full payment for the job, although not much was done.

    An angry Yero told the contractors in plain words that they was not serious about completing the job, expressing displeasure with the slow pace of work and the fact that the culverts were not properly done. At the Tudun Jukun Road project, also in Zaria, he was even angrier at the fact that the contractor was absent from site.

    He directed the commissioner of works to immediately submit the records of all the road contracts in the state to his office.

    The disparity in records between the Ministry of Works and the contractors handling the Hanwa Road project also infuriated the governor. While the commissioner claimed that the road was about four kilometres long, the contractors told the governor that the stretch was actually 3.628 kilometres. The commissioner said only 47 per cent of the project has been done while the contractor has collected a total payment of N114m from the government with the completion date slated for December 2013. He however directed the project consultant, the contractor and the officials of the state ministry of works to meet and resolve the disparity, while warning the contractor to change his manner of doing business.  However, it was not all disappointment for the governor as he had some encouraging words for some of the performing contractors.

    For example, the governor was impressed with the level of work on the Garun Kurama-Kwandari-Bundu Kurama-Kahugu-Kinugu Kasuwar Road in Lere Local Government Area. The works commissioner told the governor that the road which was one of the 32 awarded in November 2012 and scheduled for completion in May 2014, was already 37 per cent completed. The governor who was impressed with the quality of work on the road, immediately approved the request of the contractors to suspend work for one month because of the rains. Residents of the area expressed happiness with the quality of work done and commended the government for remembering them.

    One of the villagers, Muhammadu Mansuru Maiburodi commended the state government for the ongoing construction work on the road, saying it has reduced the hardship they faced on the road.  Maiburodi, who distributes his bread with a motorcycle, said, “Before, I used to spend four hours from Kwandari to Garun Kurama but now, after the ongoing work on the road, I don’t spend up to one hour. I used to fall into ditches wading through water as there is no bridge but now the road is okay and I go smoothly from village to village. May God bless the government for helping us on the road”? Similarly, Abdullahi Sanusi a farmer said, “I feel happy over the construction of this road. We use to suffer on this road because it was very bad that is why I am very happy about this ongoing construction project on the road. When completed it would stop our hardship and make life easy when we want to go to farm and other towns.”

    Yero was also happy with the work on the 6 kilometre Kofar Gayan–Jos Road and commended the work done and urged the contractor to finish the work on schedule. Speaking with reporters after the inspection which he said will continue across the state, the governor said “I can say that I am not satisfied with the level of work on some of the projects I have inspected because it is obvious that the contractors are not serious about the work.

    However, I am satisfied with the level of work on some of the projects especially the Soba-Kofar Gayan-Kofar Kuyambana. That job is going on well and we would assist the contractor to finish the job in good time. But the other road projects that we have visited which are not satisfied with, we are going back to the drawing board to see what is wrong and then address the challenges that we have because we intend to complete each of the projects on scheduled and the only way that we can do that is by pushing the consultants and contractors to do the right thing. Also, the ministry of works have to be up and doing and take the challenge of doing their job properly”.

    The governor said further “one of the projects that we visited in Lere, has been completed 100 percent and I am happy with the contractor. If there are outstanding payment, we are going to pay him immediately as he has finished his job. If we have another opportunity of giving out another contract, we would give to them because they injected their own money into the job and also try to see that they finish their jobs as promised. The other one that we also visited in Lere, the contractor has gone very far and he officially wrote for one month break because of the rains and we have given go ahead they are going to resume work by the end of September and we would see how it goes they are going to finish the work before the end of the year and we are happy they are doing a good job and we know that they are going to finish the work before that time”.

  • KADUNA VS NEMBE CITY AMBROSE PROMISES TOUGH TIME FOR NEMBE

    KADUNA VS NEMBE CITY AMBROSE PROMISES TOUGH TIME FOR NEMBE

     

    KADUNA UNITED centre-back and captain, Emmanuel Ambrose has said his side will henceforth make life hard for any side visiting their home ground in the 2012/13 Glo Premier League season.

    Ambrose, who has missed a number of his team’s matches this term due to a nagging injury but made an appearance in their 0-1 defeat at Enyimba in Aba last Sunday, said it will be his greatest joy to mark his full return onto the pitch with a resounding victory against Nembe City.

    “Of course, I’m 100% fully recovered and hope to be on duty for 90 minutes in the home game against Nembe City on Sunday. I’ll like to make the encounter a memorable one with a convincing win.

    “We’ve done thorough homework to guarantee us the three points at stake, Nembe City are not secured on the log and will surely come out tough.

    “We’ve vowed to deny any visiting side including Nembe City the opportunity to earn a point on our ground not to talk of picking three points. We’re at the moment steadily wriggling out from the drop zone; we’re determined to avoid anything that will take us down.

    “We’ll make life difficult for Nembe City on Sunday, we’ll target an outright win with a wide goal margin,” Ambrose told supersport.com.

  • Gunmen kill four policemen, others in Kaduna attacks

    •Yero condemns attacks

    •Govt to pay survivors’ hospital bills

    Unknown gunmen have killed four policemen and an unidentified person in two attacks on a Divisional Police Station in Kajuru, the headquarters of Kajuru Local Government Area, and in Nungu community, Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    It was learnt that three policemen died in the attack in Kajuru. Two others, including a police officer, died in the Nungu attack.

    The gunmen were said to have arrived in Kajuru at 11.30pm. They reportedly attacked the police station and freed the detainees.

    Two of the policemen on duty were reportedly killed. The third, a policewoman, died on the way to the hospital.

    Governor Muktar Ramalan Yero has condemned the attacks.

    He urged security operatives to fish out the perpetrators.

    The governor described the attacks as unfortunate.

    He assured the residents of his administration’s readiness to tackle criminals.

    Yero urged the people to remain calm, assuring them that the government was equipping security agencies to secure the lives and property of the people.

    In a statement yesterday in Kaduna by his spokesman, Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor sympathised with the police command and the residents on the attacks.

    He said: “This ugly trend has to stop. We are committed to bringing the perpetrators of the attacks to book by all means possible.”

    Yero condoled with the families of the policemen, saying: “At such sad moments, our hearts and prayers are with the immediate families of those that died in the ugly incident. We pray that Almighty God repose their souls and give their families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

    The governor promised to pay the bills of those receiving treatment at St. Gerald’s Catholic Hospital in Kaduna.

    One of the surviving policemen, who spoke in confidence, told reporters that the gunmen stormed the station in several vehicles and started shooting.

    He said: “We were not many; we couldn’t stand their sophisticated weapons. They killed three of our colleagues, including an Inspector and a Sergeant. Three of our colleagues sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital in Kaduna. A female police officer died on the way to the hospital.

    “They (the gunmen) came around 11:30pm yesterday (Monday) and they operated for about an hour. It was the mobile policemen from various locations that saved the situation. Otherwise, the gunmen would have also attacked the other residents.

    “If not for the intervention of the mobile policemen, the situation could have been hellish for the residents. They were many. They came in several vehicles. They released all the detainees in the cell. Some of us immediately removed our uniform and pretended to be among the suspects in the cell. That was how we survived. Others managed to escape into the bush.”

    Police spokesman, Aminu Lawan, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the attack.

    He said the command was investigating the incident and that its details would be made public later.

    In a telephone chat with our reporter, Lawan said: “We are still assessing the details. We will let you know when we are through.”

    There had been rumours of an anonymous letter sent to the police command in which they allegedly threatened to attack places like Sabon-Tasha, in the Southern Kaduna and other communities in the area.