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Tag: Kaduna

  • Disloyalty: Minister of Defence warns officers

    Disloyalty: Minister of Defence warns officers

    The Minister of Defence, retired Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali on Saturday, warned against disloyalty, disobedience and insubordination to the constituted authority.

    He gave the warning during the passing out parade of officers’ cadet of Direct Short Service course at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji, Kaduna.

    He said any person caught with disloyalty and similar offences would be decisively dealt with accordingly.

    “I wish to make it clear that the armed forces of Nigeria are also undergoing a period of self appraisal; there is zero tolerance for indiscipline and unprofessional conduct,’’ he said.

    Dan-Ali noted that the passing out of another set of officers to the Nigerian Army came at a period the country was consolidating on the gains of counter -insurgency operation.

    “The Nigerian Armed Forces, as you are aware, have been involved in an extensive combat against insurgency and terrorist groups.

    “It is the responsibility of every one to play in the consolidation of on-going success and post -conflict situation,’’ he said.

    The minister appreciated the success of the armed forces in various operations, especially in the north eastern part of the country, where the Boko Haram insurgency had largely been decimated.

    He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his political will and strong support for the war against Boko Haram insurgency.

    No fewer than 200 officers graduated from the six-month training.

  • FG alerts on birdflu outbreak of in 7 states, FCT

    FG alerts on birdflu outbreak of in 7 states, FCT

    The Federal Government on Friday alerted the public to the outbreak of Avian Influenza or Bird Flu in the FCT and seven states of the country.

    raised the alert at a meeting with state Commissioners of Agriculture in Abuja on Friday.

    Mshelbwala listed the states affected by the outbreak to include Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, Plateau, FCT and lastly, which reported a case on May 30.

    He said that the disease had spread across 26 states of the federation and the FCT since it started in 2008 affecting 800 farms in no fewer than 123 local government areas.

    Mshelbwala, who said that there were no scientifically proven vaccines for bird flu, noted that the Federal Government was adopting quarantine, movement control, stamping out, decontamination and bio-security measures to curb the spread.

    The director expressed regret over the poor bio-security practices by some poultry farmers, adding that it was the major reason for the continuous spread of the disease.

    According to him, the Federal Government has paid over N674 million in compensations to 269 farmers across the affected states.

    “Our national action plan encourages proper regulation of the poultry industry and enforcement of annual registration of all actors along the poultry value chain including farmers, traders, egg merchants and feed millers.

    “It also encourages the creation of veterinary extension services to facilitate the control and proper inspection of poultry and poultry products,’’ he said.

    Mshelbwala said that the way forward to the containment of the disease was to ban importation of poultry and products, quarantine and bio-security measures, among others.

    He, however, warned poultry farmers against illegal vaccination of birds, saying that it was a deadly alternative to the control of the disease.

  • Kaduna and El-Rufai’s triple antecedents

    When Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i became the Governor of Kaduna State in April 2015, there were mixed feelings in expectation of what will become of his tenure:  Will it be dogged by controversies as his media image portended; or will the man rise above his political tenderfoot and deploy his technocratic and results-focused antecedents from  PIMCO, BPE and FCT Abuja?

    Even he would admit that, as far as the politics of the Northern establishment goes, he was a green-horn on the turf of what remains of the once regional political powerbase of Northern Nigeria.The turf once dominated by a colossus politician, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. How would the self-styled “accidental public servant” fare in comparison to politicians of the late Sardauna’s ilk at the helm of affairs of a state that has, of recent, acquired ill fame for religious-cum-ethnic conflagration?

    Two years down the line, it is now clearer what the tenure of El-Rufa’i would bequeath to the people of Kaduna State.  Well, that he wrested power from an incumbent administration signaled readiness for the challenge, although it must be conceded that he leveraged on the Buhari domino effect.

    Kaduna has since sprung to national attention, evidence that El-Rufa’i has pulled the state from the brink of socio-political oblivion. From the results that are beginning to emerge, he has brought the competence of a thorough-bred technocrat to the business of governing Kaduna State.

    In El-Rufa’i, all the three shades of experiences from private business, activism and public service are interwoven into complex mosaic of reform-laden art of governance. What could have demonstrated his businessman approach than his jettisoning of sentiments, when he decided to shut down Kaduna State Board of Internal Revenue; redeployed all the staff and start a new IT-compliant institution from scratch—the Kaduna Internal Revenue Service (KIRS)? The result was fantastic as the governor acknowledged in a recent interview: “Within a year we saw a jump in our revenues by more than 60 percent without any new tax being introduced. We just blocked leakages… no cash collections; only one agency collecting taxes; new people with a new attitude’’.

    He applied the same tactics when he, in an unprecedented move, abolished the ministry of land and supplanted it with Kaduna Geographic Information Service, which is now the custodian of the records of all lands in the state.

    If you want to see his civil society instincts at work, look no further than his appreciation and adoption of the Millennium Village project, which his current Commissioner of Rural and Community Development was implementing independent of the state government at a time. He told the story of how she was brought on board: “I did not know the Commissioner for Rural Development until after the election. We went to a project they were handling for the millennium project and met her and a colleague of hers. They made a presentation to us on what they were doing. The deputy governor and I immediately said we will hire these people if they will come and work for us”.

    The Millennium Village concept is a rural community empowerment project started in Pampaida, a rural community in Kaduna under the guidance of UNDP with the aim of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Today every village selected for the project is given five basic amenities that will enable them to become fully empowered to realise their full potential. The El-Rufa’i government has infused into the project components to improve education, healthcare, rural roads and the farming activities.

    El-Rufa’i’s approach to governance exemplifies the belief that the best preparation for tomorrow is by doing your best today. He is ever conscious of his place in history. He knew Kaduna has lost leadership of Northern Nigeria. He knew Kaduna, the capital, was a divided city with concentration of Muslims on the northern side of River Kaduna and the Christians on the southern side. He wants to change this situation. To assume its leadership status in Northern Nigeria, Kaduna needs to project itself as model state worthy of emulation in all ramifications—statecraft, defence of our shared values and regional interests, building a common regional agenda within a united Nigeria, etc. His starting point and indeed supreme test will be his ability to integrate the city of Kaduna to restore its cosmopolitan nature.

    Without appreciating the finer nuances of El-Rufa’i one is bound to miss the substance of his approach to governance. When he broke the tradition of appointing one commissioner from every local government of the state —23 in total—has that negatively affected the smooth running of the government? In contrast that has only saved the government unnecessary overhead costs and freed much needed funds for development work.

    When he applied what may amount to shock therapy to the Board of Internal Revenue and Ministry of Lands, he was convinced that any attempt at reforming the rot in the system will only lead to dismal change. But uprooting the problem tree and supplanting it with a fresh one will do the magic. And it actually did.

    Because a sense of history is ingrained in his sub-consciousness, he always goes for what is best for Kaduna. Therefore, he always looks for the best practice and the best people or consultants in whatever endeavour he is pursuing. He went out of his way to hire General Electric (GE) to equip 255 primary health centres (PHCs). He hired Bain & Co. to train the state’s finance officers in the best practice in public finance and budgeting. The former head of Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Ifueko Omoigui, was contracted to help in setting up the state Inland Revenue Service. She is one of the best consultants in the field. He doesn’t shy from seeking support wherever he can find one—IMF, DFID, EU, etc, have all found in Kaduna under El-Rufai a willing partner who understands their language.

    So when the state achieved the feat of accomplishing the introduction of a Treasury Single Account (TSA) in six weeks, IMF recognised that as a world record and made Kaduna a case study. The impact of the TSA was immediate. When the state closed its 470 different accounts in the process of creating one treasury single account, it discovered N25.5 billion that it did not know it had.

    On attracting investment to the state, El-Rufa’i’s solution was to hold an international investment summit to showcase the state’s potentials. He followed that up with a one-stop shop for investors—the Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency (KADIPA). The whole idea of KADIPA is to be the surrogate for investors as far as interfacing with the government is concerned. Once investors make a convincing presentation, list what they want from the government, from land to building plan approvals, KADIPA is supposed to take that up with the relevant government agency and get it for them. Ease of making business in Kaduna for investor is the ultimate aim here. And so far many investors have expressed interest others have even opened shop—Notore, Google, Vlisco, Coscharis, etc.

    It was the American businessman, Paul J. Meyer, who said productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused efforts. Two years into the El-Rufa’í administration, the results we are seeing are re-assuring. It means that the goals set in the state blueprint are achievable with commensurate results.

  • Rep member kidnapped in Kaduna

    A member of the House of Representatives, representing Takai/Sumaila federal Constituency of Kano state, Hon. Garba Durbunde has been reportedly abducted by unknown persons.

    Durbunde was said to have been abducted at Jere – Abuja Road in Kaduna state on his way from Kano to Abuja on Wednesday at about 5:00pm.

    The Kano state government in a statement confirmed the incident, saying the lawmaker was abducted by 5:00pm on Wednesday.

    Kano state Information Commissioner, Mallam Garba Mohammed who signed the statement said Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, was shocked about the incident, especially at this period of Ramadan.
    The statement called on the police and other security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the lawmaker.

    The Kaduna state police command could not immediately comment on the incident when contacted as its spokesman, Aliyu Usman, told our correspondent that the police will get back to the press.

     

     

  • End of thirst in Kaduna communities

    End of thirst in Kaduna communities

    28 communities in eight local government areas of Kaduna State now have potable water thanks to the revival of the state’s water treatment plant, reports ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE

    Providing clean water for Kaduna State was a tough nut governors of the state could not crack, but not for want of trying. In 1999, then  governor Ahmed Makarfi sought help from the Federal Government to rehabilitate and expand the Zaria water supply scheme. The plan involved, among other things, reviving the state water works, building a big dam and reservoirs and installing transmission pipelines.

    The Federal Government awarded contracts for the construction of a dam and the rehabilitation of the existing water treatment plants of 50 million litres and 10 million litres daily  respectively which were operating below 30%.

    The  administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo awarded the contracts but the projects suffered budgetary constraints and were not completed on schedule.

    Eventually the late President Musa Yar’Adua introduced the Water Exit Policy, transferring the rehabilitation of the water treatment plants to Kaduna State when it was about 80% completed. Similarly the construction of the 150 MD water treatment plant and the service reservoirs became the responsibility of Kaduna State government in addition to the pipeline distribution network rehabilitation and expansion.

    The administration of Governor Namadi Sambo in its turn awarded the contract for the construction of 150 MLD water treatment plant at the total cost of N15.7 billion. The 150 MLD water treatment plant was then billed to be completed in 2011. During the administration of the late Governor Patrick Yakowa, the contract was revised upward and it also suffered delays as a result of the killing and the kidnapping of a foreign personnel of the contractor. Yakowa made frantic efforts to refocus and continue implementing the project.

    Yakowa’s successor, Ramalan Yero equally promised to complete the contract, saying his administration would remain focused and committed to complete (i) the construction of a new 150 MLD water works, (ii) construct the transmission mains and service reservoirs and (iii) to rehabilitate and expand the pipeline distribution network and sanitation facilities.

    However, the project under Yero was rather trailed by allegations and counter allegations from different quarters that the project had been abandoned and that officials of Kaduna State government were enriching themselves at the expense  of the masses who had been waiting to drink potable water.

    A group of Zaria residents then alleged that the water projects were abandoned and without value to them, since they still depended completely on commercial water vendors popularly called ‘’Mai ruwa’’.

    In his turn, the first thing Governor Nasir el-Rufai did was to pay an unscheduled visit to the project site in Zaria and directed the contractors handling the Zaria Water Works projects to present comprehensive details of the project to the new government.

    The governor said the water project had already gulped billions of naira, yet it is years behind schedule.

    “We are here to see things for ourselves. The Zaria water project has been on for years without producing a single drop of a water. We must work hard to see its successful conclusion”.

    Reiterating his commitment to the realisation of the project, the governor said, “by the power of almighty God and support of the people of Kaduna State, we will break the Zaria water project jinx and bring potable water to Zaria town and the surrounding local government areas captured in the project design.

    “We have directed those handling the project to come forward and give us comprehensive details and the progress report of the project. The non-completion of the project is causing prolonged hardship for our people. We need to solve the problem,” he said.

    On May 27 El-Rufai delivered his promise, as Acting President Yemi Osinbajo inaugurated the 150 MLD water treatment plant.

    Present at the occasion was the former Vice President of Nigeria, Architect Mohammed Namadi Sambo, who started the construction of the water projects, while he was the governor of the state.

    The Acting President who was represented by the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun described El-Rufai as a good example of what APC government stands for, saying that, he has completed within two years, a project that had been in slumber for 16 years under the PDP government.

    He said APC means well for Nigeria and it means business in the attempt to deliver its promises. He therefore urged people of Kaduna State to remain consistent in their support for the El-Rufai and President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and remain consistent in their prayers for the President’s quick recovery.

    Earlier, Governor El-Rufai in his keynote address said, the water need of Zaria metropolis and the surrounding local government areas per day was put at, 140 million litres per day, while the old water treatment plant, which was built by the colonialists could no longer cater for the population’s needs.

    El-Rufai said the Zaria water project is the beginning of a new phase in water works development and renovation in the state, as other water works scattered all across the state will continue to receive the attention of government.

    He said the Zaria water works was installed in 1939 with an initial capacity of 10m litres and is currently not functioning, pointing out that, in 1975 it was upgraded to 50m litres but the operating capacity of both the two cannot meet the 140m litres per day need of the people of Zaria and environs.

    He said it was on that basis and the projection that the water need of Zaria and environs will grow to 220 million litres per by 2025 that, his government decided to give priority to the Zaria water works projects to address the perennial water problem once and for all.

    El-Rufai said, commissioning of the 150 million litres daily treatment plant will immediately address the water needs of the about two million people spread across Zaria, Sabon Gari and six other local government areas within the Zaria environs

    Acknowledging the presence of the former Governor and former Vice President Namadi Sambo, El-Rufai said, Sambo was invited to witness the end result of the visionary project he left behind.

    He said, Sambo’s foresight and contributions to the projects, especially getting the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and African Development Bank to finance several components of the water projects cannot be ignored.

    “Therefore, we have invited the former Vice President and Governor of Kaduna State here to witness completion of the project he started. Our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari has always told us that, we should place governance over politics. That is why we have carried on properly with the projects we inherited and we are irrespective of our political differences honoring the initiator of this project”, El-Rufai said.

    Meanwhile, former Vice President Namadi Sambo in his own remarks stated categorically that, five years after he left office as Kaduna State Governor, his successors (Late Governor Patrick Yakowa and Mukhtar Ramalan Yero) failed to make significant progress in the water project until the coming of Governor El-Rufai, who has completed the 150 MLD water treatment plant.

    Sambo however stressed that, he was not surprised with El-Rufai’s performance, as his encounter with him back in the early 80s when the Governor floated his Quantity Surveyors firm, El-Rufai and Partners proved El-Rufai as a man who will always deliver.

    Also speaking at the event, the Emir of Zazzau, Alh Shehu Idris said the completion of the Zaria water project by the administration of Nasir El-Rufai was a dream come true. “It is my dream to see this day becoming a reality. Thank you Mr Governor for making my dream come true”, he stressed.

    Earlier, the state commissioner for water resources, Alh Suleiman Aliyu Lere disclosed that the foundation of the Zaria water project was laid by the former governor of the state Namadi Sambo in 2008 at the cost of N15bn and was later reviewed to N24bn due to other exigencies.

     

  • NiMet predicts cloudy, thundery, rainy weather for Monday

    NiMet predicts cloudy, thundery, rainy weather for Monday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy weather conditions over the Central States of the country on Monday.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Sunday also predicted day and night temperatures of 25 to 36 and 16 to 25 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    According to NiMet there will be prospects of localised thunderstorms over Jos, Kaduna, Minna, Bida and Yola axis in the afternoon and evening hours.

    The agency predicted increase morning cloudiness over the southern states with chances of localised rain over Lagos and Calabar with day and night temperatures of 31 to 35 and 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    NiMet also predicted prospects of localised thunderstorms over Ado Ekiti, Oshogbo, Abeokuta, Owerri, Awka, Abakaliki, and Port Harcourt during the evening and night period.

    According to NiMet, northern states will experience partly cloudy conditions with day and night temperatures of 38 to 40 and 24 to 26 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    “ Influx of moisture laden winds observed over the entire country is expected to result in an increase in weather activities over most part of the country in the next 24 hours,’’ NiMet predicted.

  • 2019 election: NGO to mobilise women in Kaduna

    Ahead of the 2019 general election, a Kaduna-based NGO, Women and Youth Awareness Empowerment Network (WOYAEN), will soon commence the mobilisation of women to raise the needed political awareness among them.

    The Executive Director of the NGO, Dr Rakiya Shonekan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Thursday that the measure was necessary to ensure effective participation of women in the election.

    “There is the need for massive sensitisation of women and supporters of women at all levels.

    “They need to be encouraged to obtain permanent voter cards; but more importantly, credible women should vie for elective positions.

    “There is also the need for huge investment in girl-child education, to prepare them politically.”

    According to Shonekan, the male-dominated political landscape of the country has continued to marginalise women.

    “Women are marginalised both in elective and appointive political positions.

    “Take Kaduna State for example, there is no single woman in the State House of Assembly.

    “You also know that there are only seven women out of the 109 members of the Senate and 14 out of the 360 members of the House of Representatives.

    “The current level of involvement of women in governance is very dismal. This needs to be changed.’’

    Shonekan blamed the development on what she called “extreme patriarchal male-dominated society, gender insensitive tactics in Nigerian politics and monetisation of the political process”.

    According to her, this makes it very difficult for women to compete.

    Other contributory factors, she said, were the preference of male leadership entrenched in the Nigerian society over time, low level of education among women and poor understanding of the political process.

    She said that women must be given equal opportunities in all aspects of governance.

    “To achieve this, women need a strong collective voice and representation to be able to effect the necessary constitutional and electoral reforms.

    “This is because women make up about half of the nation’s population and participating in politics is their fundamental right.’’

    Shonekan noted that there had been a lot of momentum on the need for constitutional and electoral reforms, adding that women must be enlightened enough to lend their voices to the discourse.

  • Journalists critical to political process – Dogara

    Journalists critical to political process – Dogara

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara‎, said on Wednesday that journalists were very critical to the success of the nation’s political process.

    Dogra made the remark in Kaduna at a National Colloquium on Elections, Corruption and Road Map to 2019 Elections organised by the Kaduna State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

    The speaker, who was represented by the Chief Whip of the House, Alhaji Ado Doguwa, said journalists have a constitutional mandate to ensure that those in authority remain accountable to the people.

    “The media should be the number one arm of government as democracy is an all inclusive method which carries everyone along.

    “He who controls the minds of the people controls the minds of the society, this is true as the Nigerian Journalists contribute 75 percent to the success of elections,” Dogara said.

    The speaker, however, urged media practitioners to desist from writing fake reports as it only ends up creating problems within the society.

    The National President of the NUJ, Mr. Waheed Odusile, called on political parties to put their heads together so as to move the country forward.

    “We call on all political parties to put their heads together. For a journey, there must be a vehicle and without it there will be no movement” he said.

    Odusie said the Nigerian Constitution has specifically mandated the media to ensure it carried out its mandate by monitoring governance.

    He stressed the need for the media to operate freely and urged members to be mindful of what they write so as to avoid overheating the polity.

    In his welcome address, the Chairman of Kaduna state NUJ, Adamu Yusuf also called on media practitioners to always say the truth and be objective in their reports.

    Yusuf said the journalist is the overseer of the truth and justice.

    “We are expected to adhere strictly to the principle of equity, brotherhood, national interest, global peace and objective reportage even against our erring members.”

  • Commandant tasks soldiers on professionalism, discipline

    Commandant tasks soldiers on professionalism, discipline

    Brig-Gen. Christopher Musa, the outgoing Commandant of Depot, Nigerian Army, Zaria, on Wednesday, urged officers and men of the command to be disciplined and professionally responsive.

    He made the call while handing over the affairs of the depot to the new commandant, Brig-Gen. Victor Ezegwu, at the Depot in  Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The outgoing commandant observed that soldiers were duty-bound to defend and protect the integrity of the country.

    He charged  the entire staff to exhibit high sense of discipline and commitment and to extend all necessary support and cooperation to his successor “to keep the depot flag flying higher.”

    According to him, the new commandant will build on the foundation he laid so that collectively,  the depot will be taken to the next level.

    He said “I want to thank God Almighty for this opportunity. I have been in this command for almost 22 months and today, I successfully handed over to another veteran.

    “Brig-Gen. Victor Ezegwu is somebody I have known for a long time because we have been together since 1986 from the academy.

    “This is somebody who is very professional, just coming from the North-East and he has been one person who actually defeated Boko Haram through the Chief of Army Staff.”

    Musa urged everyone in the depot to understand that things could be done differently, adding that things could be better.

    Responding, the new commandant said Brig-Gen. Musa had laid a solid foundation to  build on.

    He said “I am going to build on the successes recorded by the outgoing commandant to the next level so that collectively, we make the Nigerian Army proud.

    “As a commandant, I will ensure that we produce able- bodied soldiers for the Nigerian Army.

    “This is a professional institution that produces competent and professionally responsive fighting soldiers capable of defending the country.”

    Musa had been transferred to the Army Headquarters, while his successor was formally the Commandant, 7th Battalion, Maiduguri, Borno.

  • Kaduna extends deadline on sale of govt houses

    The Kaduna State government has extended the deadline for the sale of government’s residential quarters till May 31.

    Chairman of the sales committee Suleiman Abdu Kwari said the extension is to enable more interested persons to participate.

    The notice announcing the sale of the houses and inviting bids was published on February 27.

    “The new submission date means that all persons have been given 90 days to submit their bids. All bids, duly completed in accordance with the published guidelines, should be submitted no later than 12 noon on Wednesday, May 31.

    “The committee advises interested persons to consult the valuation report on each of the properties listed for sale as published on www.kdsg.gov.ng,” Kwari said.