The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kaduna

  • Attention, Kaduna Police Commissioner

    SIR: Let me begin by applauding the policemen in Kaduna State for their efforts toward crimes reduction in the state. However, the activities of kidnappers in Kaduna State are becoming unbecoming thereby making life difficult for the people. They come in when they want and confidently carry out their operations without minding the presence of the police men and they are always succeeding.

    Kakau, Kaduna Toll Gate, Sabon Gaya, Kaduna Abuja Express Way, Maraban Rido, Mando and Kudenda are the places that need more urgent attention as the kidnapping activities in these areas seemed to be extraordinary. It is important to state that these kidnappers are always armed with sophisticated weapons that by only seeing can make someone surrender quickly, thereby making it easy for them to get the job done without any delay.

    Parents, children, uncles, friends and many more have been kidnapped in so many communities in Kaduna State leaving their loved ones with pains in their hearts and tears in the eyes. I use this opportunity and medium to plead that something very urgent be done to halt the activities of these kidnappers and thwart (prevent) them from doing more.

     

    • Mark John,

    Kaduna.

  • El-Rufai seeks more funding for NYSC

    El-Rufai seeks more funding for NYSC

    Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Wednesday called for improved funding for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to make it function effectively.

    El-Rufai made the call when the leadership of NYSC, led by its Director General, Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure paid him a courtesy visit in Kaduna.

    Kazaure is in Kaduna for a 3-day pre-orientation workshop for the 2017 batch ‘B’ corps members.

    The governor said the scheme should be properly funded as it serves as avenue of exploring the country’s diversity and strengthening its unity.

    “So, whatever the NYSC scheme needs to successfully take care of corps members, for them to go wherever they want to be in Nigeria, should be fully funded.’’

    The governor however frowned at situations in which corps members refuse postings to places they had never been to in the country.

    “From what I hear, many young people now don’t like going to states other than where they will be comfortable.

    “They think places where they have never been to are hostile communities and they don’t want to go there.

    “But I will like to use this medium to appeal to our young people to be adventurous.

    “NYSC will make you go to places you have never been because that is how you will know more about Nigeria.’’

    El-Rufa’i advised the NYSC management to do more in posting corps members to areas new to them.

    “This is what I will like to see the NYSC do, instead of fixing postings; just allow the computer to post people based on where they have gone to school,’’ he said.

    According to him, posting corps members to where they have never been to was the only way to bring young Nigerians together so they can understand the nation’s problems and challenges.

    El-Rufa’i thanked the management of NYSC for choosing Kaduna as venue for the national workshop and expressed the hope that the forum would boost the economy of the state.

    He added that the development was an indication that the security situation in the state had improved.

    Earlier, Kazaure said the choice of Kaduna State, to host the event, was in appreciation of the support and hospitality the scheme enjoys from the government and its people.

    The director general assured that the scheme, under his leadership, would continue to build on its solid foundation, as well as come up with initiatives that would promote national integration.

    NAN

  • Kaduna generates N17bn in nine months

    Kaduna generates N17bn in nine months

    Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday said it had generated N17 billion of the N50.2 billion targeted for the 2017 fiscal year.

    Alhaji Ahmed Murkhtar, Chairman of the agency, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

    Murkhtar said the revenue was generated between January and September 2017, regretting that the amount was far below the agency’s target.

    He, however, said that the agency would exceed the N23 billion generated in 2016.

    According to him, the agency has set up a committee to recover about N500 million ground rent from 653 defaulters.

    He said the agency would generate about N5 billion from ground rent and land use charge before the end of the year.

    The chairman appealed to individuals and organisations to remit taxes as and when due to avoid embarrassment by officials of the agency.

    He warned business owners against payment of cash to agency’s officials as the state government had abolished cash collections, adding that payments should be done through designated banks or Point of Sale Machines (POS).

    Read Also: Kaduna IPMAN to hold election on Saturday

  • Alleged N11bn fraud: Shema ‘s trial to begin Feb.13

    Alleged N11bn fraud: Shema ‘s trial to begin Feb.13

    A Katsina State High Court has fixed Feb 13, 2018, for mention of the case filed by Economic and Financial Crime Commission ( EFCC ) against ex-governor Ibrahim Shema, alleged to have misappropriated N11 billion state fund.

    Shema had challenged the jurisdiction of the High Court to hear the case but lost at the Court of Appeal in Kaduna.

    The ex-governor is now at the Supreme Court, which has fixed Nov. 8, to hear his appeal on the verdict by the appellate court.

    During the proceedings at the state High Court on Tuesday in Katsina, the defence counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), prayed the court to adjourn the case, pending the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling on jurisdiction.

    However, the prosecution counsel, Mr Earnest Obunadike objected to the request by  the defence, urging the court to proceed with the trial.

    The judge, Justice Ibrahim Maikaita-Bako, who adjourned the case to Feb. 13, 2018, for mention, however, said the court might fix an earlier date, if the Supreme Court delivers its verdict before the adjourned date.

    NAN reports that the Katsina State Government had petitioned the EFCC accusing Shema of misappropriating about N11 billion during his tenure.

    NAN

  • Kaduna registers over 1000 miners

    The Kaduna State Government has registered more than 1000 miners to check illegal operators and document active miners in the state.

    Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources Mrs Amina Sijuade, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the side line of the just concluded African Gemstones and Jewellery Exhibition and Seminar (AGJES) 2017 on Sunday in Abuja.

    Sijuade said those registered were from Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, where Gold mining activities were being conducted by large numbers of artisanal and small scale miners on a daily basis.

    She said the registration that started this year would avail the state government the opportunity to document their names into the state’s database.

    According to her, the state government is planning to expand the registration to other local governments to check illegal operators and document active miners in the state.

    “Addressing illegal mining in Kaduna state requires huge resources; we are currently operating database for all our mining operators in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

    “ We are setting up a taskforce that will go round to verify who is active miners in our state and this will make us to discover illegal miners that we can engage with and organise them into cooperatives, “ she said.

    She said organising them into cooperatives would help them to access the opportunities available for small scale miners in the states, at the Federal and from the development partners.

    The commissioner urged title holders from the Federal Government to acquaint themselves with the state government before operating in Kaduna.

    Government, she said, has opened up a line of engagement with title holders operating in the state for easy discussion and forums about their activities and challenges.

  • Kaduna IPMAN to hold election on Saturday

    Kaduna IPMAN to hold election on Saturday

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Kaduna state chapter has resolved its leadership crisis bedevilling the state chapter even as it is ready to organise a fresh election on Saturday.

    This was disclosed by the Chairman, IPMAN Caretaker committee, Lawal Danzaki during a press conference in Kaduna on Thursday.

    The chairman remarked that his committee which was also mandated to act as caretaker and organise elections had met with all the warrying groups and have resolved the crisis bedevilling the state chapter.

    According to him, “I want to assure our members that the crisis is over following intervention by the state governor, Mallam Nasir El -rufai, the police commissioner, as well as elders of the union.

    “The four groups have agreed to work with any one that emerges as the new chairman. We intend to hold our elections on Saturday 21st October, 2017.

    Read Also: Tension in Kaduna as fear of reprisal grips Igbos

    “35 positions will be contested for and every member who feels he or she is qualify to seek for an office can do so. Nobody will be denied the right to contest”, he disclosed.

    Danzaki also told members of the union that out of the membership they have in the register, 809 have been accredited for the election. Also, he added that, registration for new members is still on going.

    It will be recalled that, the state chapter of IPMAN had been enmeshed in leadership crisis for many years. Attempt to hold elections were been disrupted by several court ligitations.

  • UNICEF urges FG to increase funding of education sector

    UNICEF urges FG to increase funding of education sector

    Mr Eki George, UNICEF’s communication For Development Specialist in Kaduna State, has urged the Federal Government ( FG ) to increase funding of the education sector to solve the nation’s technological challenges.

    George made the made the call at the opening of a five-day National Social and Behavioural Change Communication ( SBCC ) Strategy, for Infant and Young Child Feeding ( IYCF ), 2016 to 2020 domestication workshop in Kacha, Kaduna state.

    According to him, any nation that fails to properly fund its education sector will not develop.

    “Education remains a crucial tool for technological advancement towards national socio-economic development.

    “Nigeria desires to develop technologically, but sadly the country is not making the needed investment in educating its population to be creative, inventive and innovative.

    “Today, many graduates in the country are not employable, because the educational institutions have not been able to properly educate the youths with requisite skills needed to move the country forward,” he said.

    George decried the seeming neglect of education at the basic, which he said was the fulcrum upon which the secondary and tertiary education relied upon to grow.

    He further noted that it was unfortunate that many primary school teachers in the country are deficient in academic qualification, saying there is need for training and re-training of teachers.

    “Poor service delivery at the basic level where students are poorly prepared at primary and secondary school levels for tertiary education is the root cause of challenges in our education system.

    “Now we have a situation where our children struggle to pass WAEC, struggle to graduate and struggle to get employedand even when they get a job, they are ill equipped for lack of requisite skills. “This is because the country has not given the needed attention to education at the basic level, which was responsible for weak foundation for tertiary education.

    “If Nigerian universities cannot adequately prepare their students to effectively address contemporary problems, how can they prepare them for challenges of the future?

    “We need a bottom-up approach; from the basic to the tertiary institutions to be able to address the rot in our education system.

    “The answer remains adequate funding so that we can give the best to our citizens,” he said.

    The workshop was organised by the National Orientation Agency ( NOA ) in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ).

    Earlier, UNICEF’s focal Person in Kaduna, Malam Lawal Haruna, explained that the objective of the workshop was to create a medium for relevant stakeholders on nutrition to appraise the national IYCF SBCC document.

    Haruna, added that the workshop would enable the stakeholders to set achievable goals as well as design effective strategy for IYCF SBCC, based on the peculiarities in the state for domestication.

    NAN

  • Kadpoly ASUP suspends 7 weeks strike

    Kadpoly ASUP suspends 7 weeks strike

    Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) in Kaduna Polytechnic (Kadpoly)has suspended its seven weeks old strike.

    The students of the institution were writing their second semester examination when their lecturers decided to down tool.

    Chairman of the union, Dr. Aliyu Ibrahim confirmed the suspension of the strike to newsmen in his office on Tuesday saying that, the suspension followed the resolution of the emergency congress of 17th October, 2017.

    According to him, “following the resolution of the emergency congress of 17th October, 2017, the seven weeks old strike has been suspended.

    Read: LAUTECH: ASUU Suspends Strike

    “Therefore, members are called upon to immediately resume their normal academic activities”.

    He further clarified that, the suspension is for a period of six months after which a congress would be reconvened on 17th April, 2018 to reassess the memorandum of understanding between the management and the union.

    ASUP has opted for industrial action in August this year to press home its demands bothering on improved welfare package and conducive working environment from the management team of the federal Polytechnic.

    Read Also: Kadpoly ASUP begin indefinite strike

  • Kaduna Assembly sets deadline for 2018 Budget defence

    Kaduna Assembly sets deadline for 2018 Budget defence

    The Kaduna State House of Assembly on Tuesday set Nov. 14 deadline for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to defend their 2018 budget proposals.

    Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i had on Oct. 13, submitted a budget of N216.5 billion to the assembly for approval.

    The budget provides N85.4 billion for recurrent expenditure and N131.1 billion for capital projects.

    The assembly, at its sitting presided by the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Shagali, referred the bill to its Committee on Appropriation and Implementation, to work on the budget and report back on Nov. 14.

    Earlier, members had spoken on the budget, with some describing the document as comprehensive.

    Kasim Iliyasawa, member representing Zaria constituency said the huge provision for capital projects was unprecedented in the history of the state.

    Isaac Zankhai, representing Kauru/Chawai constituency, noted that the government had been good in preparing budgets, but always failed in releasing funds to effectively finance the budget.

    He urged the assembly to expedite action on the passage of the budget.

    Nuhu Shadalafiya, the member representing Kagarko, said the assembly should encourage the government to boost internal revenue generation.

    “We should encourage them when they come for budget defence to ensure that they put in the mechanisms to  realize the money needed to finance the budget.

    “It is not just putting the figure but working hard to actualize it; I know we can do it,” Shadalafiya said.

    NAN

  • Air Force Institute developing surveillance system to enhance national security – Commandant

    Air Force Institute developing surveillance system to enhance national security – Commandant

    The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in Kaduna is developing a surveillance system to add value to the nation’s security architecture, its Commandant, AVM Isiyaka Bukar, has said.

    Bukar in Kaduna that the surveillance system was a research work by students of the institution, which the Nigeria Air Force ordered for its expansion and development by the institute.

    The commandant also said that the school was involved in other projects including developing a drone and fabrication of aircraft parts.

    “The first research made is the unmanned aerial vehicle, called Amebo, which was demonstrated and commissioned by former President Goodluck Jonathan. Work is still going on to make it add value to the defence of this country.

    “In addition, researches by AFIT students have been utilised in the field including aircraft maintenance. Presently, we have two or three projects we are handling for the Nigeria Air Force.’’

    Bukar stressed that the institute’s main task was developing necessary human and material capacity to enhance the capacity of NAF and reduce service cost.

    He said that the focus of the institute now was on reverse engineering to adopt existing facilities to local needs.

    “Most of the aircraft we have are old, and that makes it very difficult to get spare parts for these aircraft easily on the shelf, so we have to do with what we haven and that means we have to make them serviceable on behalf of NAF.

    “We are therefore involved mostly in repairs and fabrication of some parts in our workshops.

    “We are making plans to have latest manufacturing equipment to improve our capacity to manufacture spare parts; our focus is to get fully involved in reverse engineering.

    “Most countries that don’t have the resources, what they do is to take a component, modify and redesign it to serve them.

    “If we get these facilities, definitely they will help us in reverse engineering and help modify our existing components.
    “You know aviation is a very expensive venture and even if you have the money, once the facilities are not available you have to improvise,’’ the commandant said.

    Bukar however said that AFIT require more funding to enable it set up workshops and acquire modern facilities for fabrication and manufacturing of aircraft parts.(NAN)