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Tag: Kaduna

  • Kaduna to renovate primary schools with N60b

    The Kaduna State government will spend about N60 billion to renovate 4,000 primary schools, Governor Nasiru El-Rufa’i has said.

    He spoke yesterday at the 50th anniversary of Nuhu Baturen Makaranta Primary School at Anguwan Kahu, Samaru, Zaria-City.

    El-Rufa’i said government had so far spent N6 billion in renovating some selected 400 primary schools in the state, adding that the government was considering the possibility of converting all primary schools into storey buildings so as to accommodate more pupils.

    Speaking on the ongoing breakfast programme in primary schools, the governor said government was looking at the possibility of incorporating nursery pupils into the system to give them a sense of belonging.

  • El-Rufai names Kafanchan General hospital after Yakowa

    El-Rufai names Kafanchan General hospital after Yakowa

    Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has named the state owned General Hospital in Kafanchan after the late Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa.

    In a statement signed by the Special Assistant to Governor El-Rufai on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, El-Rufai
    said that the State Executive Council decided to honour the late governor by naming the hospital after him.

    According to the statement, “The Kaduna State Executive Council has approved the renaming of the Kafanchan General Hospital. The hospital will henceforth be known as Patrick Yakowa Hospital. This in honour of the service rendered to the state by the late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa.

    “Governor Yakowa capped a distinguished career in public service with the two highest political offices in Kaduna State. He was Deputy Governor and then Governor, before his unfortunate demise in an helicopter crash.

    “The general hospitals in the major cities in Kaduna State are named in honour of citizens who had made notable contributions to the state. The general hospital in Zaria bears the name of Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, an activist who fought for Nigeria’s independence. The eminent name of Dr. Barau Dikko, the first medical doctor from Northern Nigeria and first president of the Northern Peoples Congress, graces the hospital in Kaduna that was recently accredited as a teaching hospital.

    “General hospitals in Kaduna are also named after the revered late Chief of Kagoro, Gwamna Awan, and Alhaji Yusuf Dantsoho, a respected public servant.

    “The only exception to this naming trend among the general hospitals in the major cities of Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria is the one in Kafanchan. That has now been remedied by the action of the Kaduna State Executive Council.” The statement read.

  • Kaduna Hajj board to refund N140m to pilgrims

    The Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (KSMPWB) will this week, refund over N140 million to the 2014 and 2015 pilgrims.

    Overseer Imam Husaini Sulaiman Tsoho spoke while briefing the disbursement committee.

    A statement by the board’s Public Relations Officer, Yunusa Muhammad Abdullahi said the money was sent to the board by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for services not rendered at the Holy Land.

    Abdullahi said each of the 2014 pilgrim will be paid N3,540, while 2015 pilgrims will get over N20,000 as part of refunds for transportation, feeding and other services.  He said the affected pilgrims should contact their registration officers for screening and then proceed to their registration centres with their International Passports with the 2014 or 2015 Hajj visa on it.

  • Kaduna, beggars in showdown over ban

    Kaduna, beggars in showdown over ban

    Banned from soliciting alms in Kaduna State, beggars have threatened to sue the Nasir el-Rufai administration, reports ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai has since realised that not everybody claps for him each time he makes a policy move. Early in his administration when he rolled out bulldozers to demolish some parts of the Kaduna metropolis, traders whose shops were pulled down griped and grumbled and screamed. The government said it was all in the interest of the state. Now the el-Rufai administration has made good its threat to ban street begging and hawking, and it has come under fire.

    The beggars, among whom the physically challenged, have threatened to sue and fight the government until it backpedals. El-Rufai and his team have shown no signs of backing down.

    Signing the ban bill into law shocked the beggars because after they got the hint that such a policy was coming, the government seemed to cool off, saying nothing about it for a long while. Finally, the law has come, expected to take effect from September.

    Speaking during the signing of a partnership agreement to boost the education sector that every child in the state must go to school, the governor disclosed to a delegation from UNESCO, UNICEF and USAID, saying, “This morning, I signed a bill that prohibits street hawking and begging in Kaduna State. From September 2016, every child between the ages of six and 15 must be in school not on the street hawking or begging, otherwise the parents must be prosecuted and sent to prison.

    “We have taken this step to give impetus to the Universal Basic Education Act which makes basic education in Nigeria compulsory. We must force people to send their children to school and we are not going to give them a choice; everyone in Kaduna State must go to school,” he said.

    The governor’s revelation, just like when the ban was first announced last year, was greeted with demonstration by beggars and people living with disability.

    The announcement of the previous ban came on the heels of a series of bomb blasts that climaxed with bombing at Sabon-Gari Local Government Area of the state that left 25 people dead and several others injured. The decision to ban begging and hawking, according to the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, was to enhance security. The statement further said that anyone caught flouting the ban will be arrested, pending when it will be relaxed. The statement further urged the citizens to report all suspicious persons and movements to the security agencies.

    The beggars took to the streets and threatened to sue the state governor for defamation of character, for labelling them as terrorists. They stormed the Kaduna State Council Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), where they dared the governor, saying they would remain on the streets until the government gets them gainful employment.

    However, the governor, in a swift reaction, insisted that there was no going back on the decision, saying that the government does not see begging as a profession and as such would not permit it.

    He said, “We had to take an unprecedented decision to ban beggars in Kaduna State because of the security threat that some of the beggars and hawkers pose to the rest of the populace.”

    He finished off by saying that “Begging is not a profession; begging is humiliation. We don’t believe in it. There is no going back on the ban on street begging.”

    As a corollary to the beggars’ outcry, Governor El Rufai later appealed to the people to see reason with the ban and cooperate with the government for the safety of citizens of the state. Our government will never unleash pains on beggars and hawkers in the state. The government’s decision was not aimed or targeted at the vulnerable group but to protect citizens.”

    “This government is a responsible government and conscious of its constitutional role to protect citizens and ensure law and order for common good. The state government will not fold its arms and allow citizens to be killed via terror acts and break down of law and order, hence the decision.”

    He argued that the overriding need to secure the lives and property of the over eight million Kaduna State resident is superior to that of a few who think they have a right to beg.

    “As painful as it could be or misrepresented, the decision was taken in the best interest of our citizens and government appreciates support from all sections of the state regarding the reality of our security situation,” the governor said.

    The governor has also said that the beggars would be trained in various skills to empower them and make them useful to themselves and society.

    The beggars in a joint protest with the leadership of people living with disability alleged that the governor had not fulfilled his promises before accenting to the bill. They however gave the government seven days ultimatum to withdraw the law or they will occupy the government house.

    The beggars stormed the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kaduna State Secretariat, saying they were ready to sacrifice their lives against the law. They comprised the blind, deaf, the cripple, elderly, young and women with their babies, with placards bearing inscriptions such as “El-Rufai before stopping street begging, pass state disability bill.

    “Begging can never be stopped by persons with disability in Kaduna. “El-Rufai, fulfil your campaign promises before stopping begging in Kaduna”.

    Commenting on the new law, Chairman, Concerned Citizens with Disabilities, Julius Shemang said the passage of the street begging and hawking bill in the absent of adequate provisions made for the street beggars first contradicts the agreed process reached between them and the government that solutions will be proffered before the law come into effect.

    Shemang said that people with disabilities had submitted a comprehensive memo to the state House of Assembly as their inputs into the law.

    The document, received with mixed feelings, made the following demands:

    “As a matter of priority, government should create and give more job opportunities to people living with disabilities in the state not minding their qualifications.

    “Automatic appointment should be given to children of People Living with Disability so that they can care for themselves and in turn care for their aged parents thereby putting a stop to street begging.

    “Lack of education, employment and poverty in the disability community made many resorted to begging in order to finance their education and that of their children. While we welcome and commend the present policy on free education for all children by present regime, the gesture should be effectively extended to People Living with Disability.

    “Government should set aside monthly allowance or package for caring for those elderly and disabled beggars who cannot benefit from any form of trade or education in order to get them off the street. To do this, government should identify and cater for them through their respective local government areas of origin or as the case may be.

    “Medical care and health services for People Living with Disability should be free of charge in the state.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • North can be global mining destination – Fayemi

    North can be global mining destination – Fayemi

    As President Muhammadu Buhari’s Lieutenants faced Nigerians in Kaduna on Tuesday to give account of their stewardship, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi said that, with 70% of Nigerian metallic mineral deposits located in Northern Nigeria, the region has the potential to become a global mining destination.

    Fayemi, however, assured that President Buhari’s administration will ensure that all the metallic mineral deposits are tapped for national economic growth.

    Addressing the town hall meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr. Fayemi said, with a huge deposit of gold in Kaduna, tin and columbite in Jos, lead in Zamfara state, sapphire, emerald, tantalite among others located in other parts of the region, Nigeria needs commitment, determination and resilience for the country to realise its full potential in solid minerals.

    According the Minister, there was however the need to formalise the sector, register them, organise them into cooperative societies for easier financing.

    “We are endowed with resources, the challenges is often persecution and trust. We can be mining destination with determination, commitment and resilience. The key challenge is organising the sector in a way that the people will get social benefits. Over 5 million Nigerians are involved in mining informally, they don’t have licenses, but we can organise them to be useful to them and to the country.

    “We can formalise them, organise them into cooperative, empower them through capacity building and finance them. The quantity, quality and commercial viability of our endowment, we have gold in abundance in Kaduna but we still need to do more exploration in the state in partnership with the state government.

    “Mining is capital intensive business, we are working with Bank of Industry and commercial banks to provide intervention fund to develop those involved in the business. Nigeria spends less than other neighbouring countries on exploration. Burkina Faso spends $50 million on exploration annually, while Nigeria spends $300, 000 annually. Our mineral resources must work for Nigerians to generate revenue and create jobs,” he said.

    Earlier in his opening remarks, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said that the Town Hall Meeting, which was the second in the series was part of the concept of participatory democracy “for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to give an account of its stewardship since coming into office on May 29th 2015. This is the right thing to do because we entered into a contract with you during the electioneering campaign to do certain things, and it is only right that we let you know how we have fared since we assumed office.”

    On insecurity, corruption and economy, Lai Mohammed said the Buhari administration has crushed the Boko Haram insurgents, limiting it to soft targets, it is routing out corrupt personalities, whose practices have had a negative impact on the people, and is bringing back the economy from the doldrums.

    According to him, “But let me focus on the administration’s strategy to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty. We plan to do this through six social intervention areas that will greatly impact on the economy as well as on lives: 500,000 graduates are to be employed and trained as teachers, 370,000 non-graduates (artisans, technicians) to be trained and employed, 1 million people (farmers, market women, etc) to be granted loans to set up small businesses.

    “Conditional cash transfer to be made to the most vulnerable people (not unemployed graduates), school feeding targeting 4.5 million school children, and bursaries/scholarships for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students,” the Minister said.

  • Zaria clash: Court orders sureties to produce accused minors

    Kaduna State High Court presided over by Justice Hannatu Balogun on Monday ordered three suretees who stood in for 63 accused minors, including seven juvenile boys, and 12 women arrested during December 12, 2015, Zaria Shiites/Army clash to produce them.

    However, the three suretees, Musa Usman, Muhktar  M.Sherrif  and Khalid Isah said they did not know that they were standing surety for the accused because according to them, police only asked them to facilitate the release of the accused minors and women from detention.

    The accused persons who are children, juveniles and women were charged for culpable homicide punishable with death.

    Though, one of the sureties, Khalid Isah was not in court, Musa Usman who spoke in court on their behalf, said they only obeyed the police so that the accused persons could be released, not necessarily filling a bail application for them.

    But the lead counsel to the State Government, Mr. Dari Bayero said he would not believe that police could release accused persons to any body without bail application being signed by a surety.

    While tendering before the court, the bail application being signed by Musa Usman with his photograph passport attached, Mr. Bayero said, “I know how much I suffered before I got the sureties to court, so I am not surprised at their attempt to deny the bail application”.

    While replying to Mr. Bayero, the lead counsel to the accused, Mr. Festus Okoye said, “If the Commissioner of Police asked persons to assist the accused for a bail, it does not amount to being a surety”.

    When the bail application was shown to him by the court, Usman confirmed that it was his signature and passport, but denied the signature on the first page of the application.

    He said the accused persons he stood in for are between the ages of 9-17 years, accepting to bring them to court if given enough period of time to do so.

    However, the presiding Judge asked the sureties how much time they needed to produce the accused persons before the court.

    Consequently, Usman demanded for 30 days duration to bring the accused minors to court.

    Mr. Bayero did not if he would object to the 30 days as requested by the surety,  said he did not object.

    The Judge said the suretees actually need the 30 days to gather the accused persons before bringing them to court because they are in different locations across the country.

    The presiding Judge therefore adjourned the case till June 20, 2016 to enable the suretees produce the accused persons.

    Meanwhile, in an interview with Journalists, Mr. Okoye, said, “The Commissioner of Police told Musa Usman that he (Commissioner) was given an order by the governor to release women and children unconditionally, based on that they went and chart two buses, when the bused arrived, police brought the detainees from different cells, and as they were bringing them from the cells, they were putting them inside those buses.

    “Those whose direction are Kawo, Zaria, Funtua, etc, were put in buses going that way, and those whose direction was Niger, Lagos, and so on, were put in buses going that way.

    “And the buses left, they did not leave with the buses, they did not sign any bond, saying the accused persons were released to them on bail because if you see the document containing names of the minors and juveniles, it was prepared by the police, so for the police to turn back now to go and prepare charges culpable homicide punishable with death against children and juveniles, it doesn’t make sense because the deal was between the so called sureties and the Commissioner of Police.”

  • Still on Kaduna religious bill and 1999 Constitution

    The Kaduna State Religious Preaching Bill has generated controversies. Some have held that the Bill is irredeemably unconstitutional on the authorities of sections 10 and 38 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) 1999. But are they right in the light of the balancing provisions of section 45(1) CFRN?

    Some believe that the provision of section 4 of the Bill which recognises Islam and Christianity as the two major religions in Kaduna State breaches the provision of section 10 of CFRN 1999 which prohibits recognition of state religion by either the state or federal government. The relevant question however is whether recognising “two major religions” is the same thing with adopting a state religion. It is my view that the two are different. The Kaduna Bill does not seek to impose a state religion; it only seeks to regulate two major religions (out of others recognised in the state) with divisive and violent intolerant tendencies. To flout section 10 of CFRN 1999 therefore, a state or federal law must clearly provide that it is now adopting religion A or B as the official state religion to the exclusion of all others. This, obviously, is not the case here. We can equally argue that by establishing institutions for pilgrimage (to Mecca and Jerusalem only) at both state and federal levels, these two tiers of government have adopted Christianity and Islam as official religions on Nigeria. This is an argument that will be dead on arrival (DoA).

    Others fervently justified the unconstitutionality of the proposed Bill on the ground that most of its provisions contravene section 38 of the CFRN 1999 which recognises the right of every citizen to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Since this constitutional provision recognises the enjoyment of this right either in private or in public or in community with others, those who hold this view argued for an absolute (as opposed to a qualified) application of the provisions of section 38 without admitting or acknowledging the possibility of a derogation even within the ambit of the CFRN 1999. This explains their absolute assertion that people can decide to practise his Christian or Islamic religion and belief alone without regard to other members of the society.

    It is however important to clarify that the word “public” must be interpreted together with the words “in community with others.” It is by so doing that we can fully appreciate that the constitution is simply saying “your right to freedom of religion can be exercised in person in private, or in community with others in public and at designated places of worships.” This type of interpretation can be justified under the constitution itself which requires fair balancing of all the fundamental rights of citizens. Thus even though you have a right to freedom of speech, you cannot in the process defame other people: if you do, you will be visited with a civil suit for libel or slander. This need for balancing is equally echoed in one of the witty quotations of a former US Supreme Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr who said that “your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man’s nose begins.”

    More importantly, the CFRN 1999 permits governments (state or federal) to enact legislation needed for balancing citizens’ rights. This can be found in section 45(1) of the CFRN 1999 which provides thus:

    “Nothing in sections 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 of this Constitution shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society

    (a)    in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health (emphasis added); or

    (b)   for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom  of other persons”.

    It will be over-simplistic and playing with human lives to overlook the fact that the Kaduna Bill is proposed to reduce religious violence/intolerance and mindless killing in that state. This is a state where several precious lives had been lost to riots resulting from the Maitatsine attack, the Danish Cartoons incident, the Miss World incident, and recently, the Shiite-Army clash. I therefore find it incomprehensible that anyone will discuss section 38 of the Constitution without referring to the above-quoted section which permits governments to come up with legislation required for rights-balancing.

    In further criticising the Bill and making a case for its jettison, some are offended that the Bill subjects “Christians to the jurisdiction of customary courts” when those courts lack understanding of Ecclesiastical matters. But truth be told, the court in this case is not called upon to interpret any Ecclesiastic provisions; rather the customary court will be interpreting a purely secular law as represented in the proposed Bill. So, this criticism is also DoA.

    Some have made too much issue of the requirement that any intending preacher must obtain licence from the JNI/CAN committee. In over-flogging this as a violation of the right to freedom of association, they failed to notice that the JNI/CAN group is simply performing a nominal administrative duty of issuing licence. The bulk of the work leading to license issuance (verification of personality, etc.) are within the prerogative of the local government committees. This makes a lot of sense since local governments are the closest to the people and they stand in a better position to know the characters of intending applicants. It is this local government committee which makes recommendation to the Inter-Faith committee on whether to grant or deny a licence. The Inter-Faith committee simply acts on this recommendation by authorising the JNI/CAN committee to issue license. Even though the local government committee is peopled mostly by JNI/CAN members, nowhere in the proposed Bill is it provided that membership of JNI/CAN is a precondition to licence grant.

    In the final analysis, a law such as this is long overdue for most states of Nigeria. In Ilorin, Kwara State where I live, government roads are blocked on Fridays for Jumat prayers, and on other days for any other programmes of the Mosque. Churches conduct vigils blasting their services through loud speakers at the highest volume, not minding the peace of the people in their vicinities. Are these to be understood as exercise of their rights to freedom of religion? What about atheists? Don’t they too have rights not to be bothered by whatever you are preaching? What about a Christian or Muslim who does not want to be bothered by whatever you are “selling” in the name of Almighty God or Allah? All these are necessary balancing in virtually all democracies of the world. As a matter of fact, in some of the countries I have been to, religious activities are legally required to take place only in sound-proof apartments. While the Kaduna State Bill may not be a perfect piece of legislation as it is, it is a welcome development. Concerned stakeholders in the state should therefore attend the public hearing of the Bill to make sure their concerns are taken care of. As an example, I believe the scope of where recorded religious materials can be played should be extended to include inside private cars but at a moderate volume. It is important we exercise our rights to freedom of religion with a balancing mindset. Only then can there be peace all over the country. May I close with the words of George Carlin that “religion is like a pair of shoes…Find one that fits you, but don’t make me wear your shoes.”

     

    • Olatunji, a lecturer at University of Ilorin, writes from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.  

  • Why, Kaduna Polytechnic?

    SIR: I was disappointed after reading the circular issued by the management of Kaduna Polytechnic ordering students to vacate their hostels on or before April 25.  According to the management, the order became necessary because the institution needed to use students’ hostels as accommodation for the delegates to the Nigerian Polytechnics Senior Staff Games (NIPSSGA). Apart from the fact that the time given for the students to vacate the hostels was very short, the semester examinations were still going on. It is unimaginable that the school management could not remember that some students are from outside the state. Many of them are now confused, stranded and restless.

    This action, which has caused untold hardship and pains for most of the students shouldn’t have been taken in the first place.  Even with much appeal from the Students’ Union Government, the school authorities could not reverse the decision until the matter nearly degenerated into protest; even then, the students were given just two floors out of the eight halls in the female hostel to pack in until the end of the games.

    This action by the school authorities is very unfair. To compound the pains of the affected students, the school management also ordered them not to relocate with the mattresses given to them for which they had paid. This is also unfair. Denying them the opportunity to move their mattresses can only mean that the school management wants the students to sleep on the floor like animals.

    The management’s action can better be described as robbing Peter to please Paul. The fact that the students are under the control of the school’s management does not mean that they (students) should be treated anyhow with even threats of victimising them if they attempt to voice out their anger.

    My advice is that next time, sufficient notice should be given to students, at least long enough to enable them prepare.  Meanwhile, relevant authorities should find a way to prevail on the school management to shun such unfair, ungodly and unwise policies.

     

    • Ifeoma Nmeregini,

    Nyanya, Abuja.

  • Labour Union explains cause of salary delay

    The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) has attributed the plight of Nigerian workers through delayed payment of salaries and diversion of bailout funds to division in the apex labour movement.

    NUTGTWN General Secretary and former Vice President of NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu said: “The current assault on the work force such as delayed payments of salaries, diversion of bail-out funds are made possible because comrades are not united in mass actions against bad employers and bad Governors.”

    Aremu, who addressed the press in commemoration of this year’s workers’ day alongside the President of the Union, Comrade John Adaji however, called on labour unions affiliated to Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to critically use the occasion of May Day to get united for a vibrant labour movement.

    According to Aremu, “We regret that as we point two accusing fingers at bad governors and bad employers, the remaining three fingers point at us too who are unacceptably divided against ourselves rather than united against common class enemy.

    “It’s time we close ranks to ensure we have an NLC that commands the confidence of workers, be trusted by the public, respected by the government and employers.

    “To this extent our union calls on NLC leaders at all levels to immediately implement the report of the NLC Reconciliation Committee under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu aimed at resolving the avoidable crisis arising from 11thDelegates Conference last year.

    “Textile Union is not happy that NLC could not have a common May Day in spite of the joint resolutions of all the parties to put the past behind. We commend Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu, Comrades Ayuba Wabba and Joe Ajaero for the signed resolutions. It is however time we all implemented these resolutions with sincerity of purpose.

    “We need a united NLC to fight the issue of unpaid salaries, the struggle for improved minimum wage, the war against corruption, revival of industries and the creation of mass decent employment among others. If we operate separately, we will be defeated separately, but if we are united we shall overcome. We must stop ‘comrades-on comrades’ quarrels,” he said.

    However, the union commended both the Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade and Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo for their pronouncements in restoring the dignity of labour during the 2016 May-Day celebrations nationwide.

    “At a period when not less than 22 states default in payment of salaries of the workers, Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers state announced the payment of May salaries of workers in the employment of the state government while  Edo governor, Adams Oshiomhole on Sunday announced the increment of the National Minimum Wage from N18,000 to N25, 000 with immediate effect, for employees in the State Public Service.

    “The two governors have by their pronouncements demonstrated that the crisis of non-payments of salaries in most states is contrived, artificial, self serving on the part of the defaulting governors. It is not the lack of means and resources to pay their workers, but sheer lack of willingness to abide by the spirit and content of the 1999 constitution which says that the primary function of the government is the security and welfare of the citizens. It is a class war the defaulting governors are waging against their workers through denial of wages. In a decent country, there is always enough for the needs of all, including workers, but not enough for the greed of rulers, some governors inclusive.

    “We commend both Governors of Edo and Cross River for breaking ranks with the gang of some insensitive greedy governors who assign little resources to labour as a critical factor of development, but throw scarce resources to phoney projects by ghost contractors in the garb of infrastructural Development. With respect to Edo, Comrade governor has also shown that wage payment is not just a function of ability to pay, but willingness to muster the ability to motivate the work force for productivity and development,” Aremu said.

  • Hope after Kaduna’s summit

    Hope after Kaduna’s summit

    Kaduna State’s investment summit could transform the state, if its recommendations are implemented, reports ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE

    Kaduna is open for business, the summit announced.

    It could well be.

    There was no shortage of local and foreign investors at the Kaduna State’s investment summit. Their full representation at the two-day event was a strong indication that its decisions might change the economic status of the state.

    Aside the revelations made on the economic and investment potentials of the state, life-changing commitments were made at the end of the summit.

    Dangote Group, which is investing $10 million in a tomato farming and processing firm.

    Olam International, a leading agri-business operating across the value chain in 70 countries, is equally investing US$150 million  to set up two state-of-the-art animal feed mills, poultry breeding farms and a hatchery to produce day-old-chicks in Kaduna.

    Discussions at the summit centred around Kaduna achieving economic development through partnership, shared goals and strategies with donor partners. It was however recommended that, for such to be achieved, Nigeria must  encourage healthy competition between states.

    Manpower training was equally recommended as well as capacity development, especially human capacity development.

    Part of the summit’s resolution was for the state to maintain focus on solid minerals as an effective way of revenue generation, as dimension stones were said to be in abundant supply in virtually every local government area of the state.

    Dangote Group said it invest a $10m in tomato processing, adding that apart from contributing to the economic fortunes of the state, the company would also improve standard of living of tomatoes farmers as well as create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for the populace.

    For the Olam group, Governor Nasir El-Rufai on the day after the summit laid the foundation of the company’s $150 million biggest West Africa poultry and hatchery at Chikpiri Gabas village in  Chikun local government area of Kaduna.

    El-Rufai said the project was not about the size of the facility but jobs that would be created. He expressed belief that the return of vibrant economic activities and the reduction of poverty will drive prosperity.

    The governor said, “When I led a delegation from Kaduna to Olam’s headquarters in Singapore for discussions with their senior management in September last year, we went with a clear message that Kaduna is open for business, and that the government views the promotion of investments as vital for the realisation of inclusive growth and shared prosperity. Olam was persuaded, and they have pleasantly surprised us by the sheer scale of the investment project they have embarked on.”

    ”Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, represented by a Director in the ministry, Obinna George Opera, said el-Rufai’s investment drive has started to yield fruit, stressing that President Muhammadu Buhari’s diversification of economy from oil to agriculture will remain the administration’s top priority.

    Olam’s CEO for Africa, Mr. Venkataramani Srivathsan said, “This new venture into animal feed is a win-win for Olam and Nigeria. Domestically produced meat is being hampered by a lack of good quality feed, support for farmers and availability of young stock, but consumption is set to increase.”

    Veteran journalist, Alhaji Tajudeen Tijjani said, “Anyone who has been following el-Rufai from his days in the BPE will know that, when he is doing something, he puts all his commitment to it to see to its success.

    “As much as I have my reservation over certain policies of the el-Rufai-led government, I think this investment he has been able to drag to Kaduna State is awesome. Imagine the number of youths that will be engaged by the companies,” he said.